O Summer, Where Art Thou? Well, until Public Enemies cruises into theaters there has been precious little to snack on unless your multiplex is offering some of the artier fare. The same old story of big loud spectacle which eschews storytelling. There are of course a few smaller films out there worth the visit, but really, why not just stay home and catch up on DVDs until Fall? Here is a small sampling of the Row Three Authors’ viewing habits for the past fortnight. The massive list of these microcapsules can be found by clicking the icon on the sidebar.

The Maltese Falcon (1941) 4.5/5
This was the third attempt by Warner Bros to film this particular Daschell Hammett story, despite the fact that the previous two outings (including one with the same title directed ten years earlier by Roy Del Ruth) had been failures. But then, they didn’t have Humphrey Bogart. Prior to his role as Daschell Hammett’s shifty private eye, Sam Spade, in The Maltese Falcon, Bogart had spent his career playing petty criminals in movies like The Petrified Forest, Angels with Dirty Faces and High Sierra. With The Maltese Falcon, he finally found himself on the right side of the law, yet hints of his early roles still make their way through in his performance. While there’s no doubt Bogart’s Sam Spade is meant to be the hero of The Maltese Falcon, his character’s very nature is, at times, anything but heroic (he carries on an affair with his partner’s wife, making him a prime suspect when his partner turns up dead). So, even though he’s taking a break from his usual petty thug, Bogart’s Sam Spade is still a tough character, and where Sam Spade was the perfect detective to locate the elusive Maltese Falcon, Bogart, in turn, proved the perfect actor for the role. -DAVE

Lovely and Amazing (2001) 4/5
The enjoyment derived here mostly comes from the actors and their dialogue. Three very different sisters all insecure in their own ways just wander through life trying to figure everything out and over analyze all situations. What makes the movie work is its ability to stay restrained and not delve into the melodramatic. What doesn’t work so well is the fact that has very little to say (it attempts a commentary on physical beauty and health I suppose) and very little heart. This is independent cinema at its core and the actors involved (particularly Keener and Mortimer) really sell the lack of drama. Hey, I was interested in the people, to see what they would say next, and it gave me a few chuckles. And of course my love for Keener, Mortimer and Mulroney kept the show on the road. A good “Saturday evening before going out” kind of film. -ANDREW

Seeking Wellness (2008) 3/5
A film that puts a wealth of structural ideas up on screen, but is only hampered by its ‘Kindergarten-Nihilism.’ Four stories expose ill parts of our society in which psychology intersects with health. It being a student project, the acting is occasionally dodgy, but there is no denying the craft and flair that went into this one. I would not be surprised to see people steal from this film. -KURT

Storytelling (2001) 3/5
Todd Solondz blew me away a couple years back with “Happiness”; quite a forceful, drop kick of a a movie. Even if it was a tad on the outrageous side. So with the monster cast of “Storytelling,” I was pretty excited. The film is split into two pieces; the first being much shorter than the second. Both ended rather abruptly and felt a little unfinished. With the first story, entitled “Fiction”, I was okay wit ending because it was dysfunctional in a way that was non-believable yet somehow predictable. It just begged to be turned off. The second story (”non-Fiction”) got much deeper into the lives and hearts of the characters and examined some fairly delicate subject matter. Unfortunately it too ended rather abruptly and I can’t help but feel that if the entire bit of part one was removed entirely, pasrt 2 could have ravaged on a bit further and delivered with some serious drama and maybe even explosiveness. Quality film, but no where near the likes of Solondz’ other work. -ANDREW

Yes Man (2008) 3/5
I’ll admit upfront, this is another one of my girlcrush-inspired viewings. I rarely like Jim Carrey movies (outside of non-Jim-Carrey-esque entries like The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), but I can put up with him for the sake of Zooey and a chance to see Zooey sing. Carrey’s a guy who’s been hurt by previous relationships and tries to protect himself by saying “no” to everything, until he’s convinced by an acquaintance to try saying “yes” to everything, even if it seems dangerous or likely to turn out badly. And, yep, once he does, everything starts going right for him – he meets Zooey, gets promoted at his job, etc. etc. Okay, message learned, you’ll be happier if you open yourself up to new experiences and help others even when there’s no foreseeable return for you. Not a bad message, though Carrey still manages to annoy the crap out of me. He’s also too old for Zooey. But it was worth watching for me (knocking it up at least a half-star) to see her perform songs with San Francisco’s Von Iva at Spaceland – a Silver Lake venue I love very much. (The DVD contains the full videos of those performances, rather than just the little clips that appear in the film.) The numerous actual Los Angeles locations, both famous and less-so, were a highlight as well, and also made the credit disclaimer that places in the film weren’t meant to be real places amusingly inaccurate. -JANDY