"...the main purpose of criticism...is not to make its readers agree, nice as that is, but to make them, by whatever orthodox or unorthodox method, think." - John Simon

"The great enemy of clear language is insincerity." - George Orwell

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Coming Soon: Michael Mann Week at Radiator Heaven!

Mark your calendars, folks. Here at Radiator Heaven, I'm planning a week-long celebration of Michael Mann's body of work from Sunday, June 28 to Saturday, July 4 - the week that his latest film Public Enemies debuts in theaters.

For more than twenty years, Chicago-born Mann has been making films and producing television programs. He is highly regarded by film critics and cineastes but largely unrecognized by the public at large. And yet, he is responsible for producing one of the most popular TV shows of all time: Miami Vice. Like fellow filmmaker Stanley Kubrick (of whom Mann greatly admires and is sometimes compared to), Mann likes to oversee and control every aspect of his films and push the boundaries of technological innovation in order to achieve his vision. Like, Kubrick, he has a relatively small but memorable output: ten films that contain similar thematic preoccupations and stylistic motifs. That is not to say his films are derivative. Mann has worked in several different genres: the horror film with The Keep (1983), the period drama with The Last of the Mohicans (1992) and the sports biopic with Ali (2001). He is perhaps best known for his work in the urban crime thriller genre of which many of his most celebrated films (Thief, Manhunter, Heat, Collateral) could be classified as such.

I am looking for contributions in the form of articles, essays, a collection of images or whatever else floats your boat so long as it pertains to any of Mann's films or TV shows. If you're interested, leave a comment below with links to contributions on your blog.

You can also show your support for this blogathon on your own blog with one of these handy dandy banners below:








"It's the intensity of the experience, the power of film to make you dream, to take over your nervous system and sweep you away. It's because I love being swept away and I love the power of this medium to do that, intellectually and emotionally." – Michael Mann
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13 comments:

  1. Tristan EldritchMay 28, 2009 at 8:13 PM

    Well, count me in, dude! My anticipation for Public Enemies is reaching feverish levels! Will try to get Part 2 of my Heat essay along in a couple of days, depending on how much mischief i get up to over the weekend!

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  2. Kevin J. OlsonMay 28, 2009 at 8:39 PM

    I'm in. I'll have to think of something to do...but I will for sure put one of those banners up on the blog.

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  3. Tony DayoubMay 28, 2009 at 8:58 PM

    Hey, I've got one of your banners up on my blog linking to this post.

    But could I suggest redoing these to include the date for Michael Mann week on them. Ed Howard did something similar for his Howard Hawks' blogathon banners, and they did great.

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  4. UnknownMay 29, 2009 at 9:46 AM

    Tristan Eldritch:

    Awesome! Thanks for offering to chip in. No immediate rush as I'm not officially launching the blogathon until the end of June. I will link your other Mann posts as well.


    Kevin J. Olson:

    Thanks for posting one my banners on yer blog. And yeah, give it a think of what you'd like to do. There is certainly no restrictions so long as it has something to do with Mann.


    Tony Dayoub:

    Thanks for posting one my banners on your blog. And you raise a good point about redoing them to have the date. You know, I thought about that right after I made 'em. d'oh!

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  5. KeithMay 29, 2009 at 9:47 AM

    That sounds so cool. I love his films. I can't wait.

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  6. Thomas PluckMay 29, 2009 at 2:18 PM

    Awesome! banner going up. I'll write something eventually, not sure what yet. Maybe I'll write 1200 words on how weird Val Kilmer's elbow looks in Heat.

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  7. UnknownMay 29, 2009 at 3:20 PM

    Tommy Salami:

    heh! That would be OK by me. Thanks for posting the banner as well.

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  8. Tristan EldritchJune 1, 2009 at 5:05 PM

    Hey JD, what's the easiest way to put your banner on my blog? I'm sure its very simple, but I can't figure it out!

    ReplyDelete
  9. UnknownJune 2, 2009 at 9:43 AM

    Tristan Eldritch:

    Download the banner you like. Go into the "Customize" section of Blogger. "Add a Gadget." Then, select "Picture" and you can upload the banner and also include the link to this post as well. That's the easiest way I've found to do it.

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  10. JoshuaJune 4, 2009 at 1:25 PM

    I'll get in on this, just posted the banner.

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  11. UnknownJune 5, 2009 at 9:39 AM

    Joshua:

    Thanks!

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  12. Neil FulwoodJune 6, 2009 at 7:19 PM

    Count me in. The banner's going up today, and I'm already sketching out an article on 'Manhunter'.

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  13. UnknownJune 8, 2009 at 9:38 AM

    Neil Fulwood:

    Many thanks! I look forward to your article on MANHUNTER. That is one of my faves of Mann's films. Very cool!

    ReplyDelete

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