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A film worth seeing (again): The Corporation

The 32nd annual Portland International Film Festival (PIFF) kicked off last Thursday with the world premier of Laika's Coraline (yes, there was actually a red carpet in front of the Schnitz; see Oregonian news coverage). I've seen some great films at PIFF over the years.

Five years ago this month, there was one film that really made an impression on me: The Corporation (about the film). Hannah and I watched it again last night and I can report it has aged well and remains very relevant. If you've seen it, chime in below. If you've never seen it, I highly encourage you to watch it. It's a really insightful film, sure to foster some spirited conversations about how to save the world, some deep thinking, and -- hopefully -- motivate change. 

Here's the trailer to give you a taste:

Portland International Film Festival Starts This Weekend

The 27th annual Portland International Film Festival gets underway this Friday, 2/13 and continues through Saturday, 2/28 with an amazing variety of films to screen. You may just want to plan your next two weeks around this schedule. I'm going to.

(Friends: If you would like to join me for any movies, call or e-mail me)

My top picks...

Miracle Opens Today

Miracle, a movie about the 1980 US Olympic team under coach Herb Brooks, opens today and I want to go see it. Early reviews are positive -- critics at Rotten Tomatoes are 80% positive. This is the fourth screenplay that Mike Rich has written.

Those unfamiliar with Mike Rich's background may appreciate this interview from last year. And if you missed the wonderful article that Shawn Levy did in last Sunday's Oregonian, take a few minutes to read it before you see the movie. In light of the recent screenwriting controversy, it is nice to see the New York Times lists Mike Rich as the screenwriter for Miracle in this morning's edition.

Three from Kottke...

Three tasty morsels from the world of Jason Kottke today:

1. An amusing post about the "work load" that social networking sites like Friendster, Ryze, Tribe, LinkedIn, et al are causing as users struggle to keep their profiles and networks up to date. Jason has gone so far as to advertise for a personal social coordinator on CraigsList.

2. Sundance coverage of The Corporation, an audience award winner. I didn't know anything about this movie, but it sounds like a very intriguing premise and one to watch.

3. A link to this very handy Map of Search Engine Relationships (who powers which sites, who supplies the paid ads, etc.)