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View Full Version : Match Cut Director Consensus - Hal Hartley


Ezee E
10-05-2008, 12:31 PM
http://www.drinkswithtony.com/hal/hal--.jpg

And go!
Boner M
10-05-2008, 01:03 PM
The Unbelievable Truth - 8
Trust - 8.5
Surviving Desire - 7.5
Ambition - 7
Theory of Achievement - 5
Simple Men - 7.5
Opera #1 - 7.5
NYC 3/94 - 7
Amateur - 6.5
Henry Fool - 9
The Book of Life - 5
Spinal
10-05-2008, 03:25 PM
The Book of Life - 4

I've seen Henry Fool, but I don't remember a single thing about it.
Yxklyx
10-05-2008, 05:15 PM
The Unbelievable Truth - 8
Trust - 9
Surviving Desire - 8
Theory of Achievement - 7
Ambition - 5
Simple Men - 8
Amateur - 8
Henry Fool - 8
The Book of Life - 4
MacGuffin
10-05-2008, 05:31 PM
Henry Fool (1997) 7.0
Yxklyx
10-05-2008, 05:39 PM
The Book of Life - 4

I've seen Henry Fool, but I don't remember a single thing about it.

I think you'd like him but start off with one of his earlier films and go from there. The taste is acquired.
Derek
10-05-2008, 05:43 PM
The Unbelievable Truth - 7.5
Trust - 9.0
Surviving Desire - 8.5
Theory of Achievement - 8.0
Ambition - 7.5
Simple Men - 7.0
Opera No. 1 - 4.5
NYC 3/94 - 5.5
Amateur - 7.5
Flirt - 6.5
Henry Fool - 7.0
The Other Also - 4.0
The New Math(s) - 4.0
Kimono - 4.5
The Sisters of Mercy - 4.0
The Girl from Monday - 6.0
Fay Grim - 5.0
Derek
10-05-2008, 05:45 PM
I think you'd like him but start off with one of his earlier films and go from there. The taste is acquired.

Ditto. Early Hartley is the tits, but he's been going downhill since Amateur.
Sven
10-05-2008, 05:47 PM
Am I going to be the only person who has seen (and LIKES!) No Such Thing?

Also, it's the only thing of his I've seen. I have Henry Fool, but I doubt I'll get to watch it in time:

No Such Thing - 8
Derek
10-05-2008, 05:53 PM
Am I going to be the only person who has seen (and LIKES!) No Such Thing?

Also, it's the only thing of his I've seen. I have Henry Fool, but I doubt I'll get to watch it in time:

No Such Thing - 8

I've heard some good things about that one, even from people who prefer his earlier, funnier work, so I'll bump it up the queue. Plus, I love the Polley.
Sven
10-05-2008, 05:55 PM
I've heard some good things about that one, even from people who prefer his earlier, funnier work, so I'll bump it up the queue. Plus, I love the Polley.

Frankly, when I saw the film, I was perplexed at its super-negative critical reception (though that tends to happen with me more than with most people, it seems). I have no idea how his other stuff is, but I hope you're able to see what I saw in this one.
Derek
10-05-2008, 06:06 PM
Frankly, when I saw the film, I was perplexed at its super-negative critical reception (though that tends to happen with me more than with most people, it seems). I have no idea how his other stuff is, but I hope you're able to see what I saw in this one.

Other than his mostly awful digital shorts and Fay Grim, I've found something to like in pretty much everything he made.
Watashi
10-05-2008, 06:07 PM
The Unbelievable Truth - 7.5
Trust - 8.5
Surviving Desire - 5
Henry Fool - 5.5
soitgoes...
10-05-2008, 10:28 PM
I fail.
Kurious Jorge v3.1
10-06-2008, 02:02 AM
The Unbelievable Truth - 8.5
Trust - 9
Surviving Desire - 6.5
Theory of Achievement - 7
Ambition - 8.5
Simple Men - 7.5
Opera No. 1 - 7
Flirt - 5
Henry Fool - 6
NYC 3/94 - 4
The New Maths - 2
Kimono - 2
The Other Also - 3.5
The Sisters of Mercy - 3
No Such Thing - 8
The Book of Life - 7.5
The Girl From Monday - 6
Fay Grim - 5

I win Derek. I win.
eternity
10-06-2008, 02:48 AM
Fay Grim- 6
Derek
10-06-2008, 02:55 AM
I win Derek. I win.

*see avatar for my reaction*

But really, I'm glad to see we're mostly in agreement especially because your Book of Life and No Such Thing scores have officially killed my reservations about seeing them.

Any reason you haven't seen Amateur? You can't resist the Huppert/Hartley combo.
Ezee E
10-06-2008, 03:57 AM
Fay Grim - 3
Derek
10-06-2008, 04:24 AM
Fay Grim - 3

What in God's name made you choose this for your first Hartley film?
Ezee E
10-06-2008, 04:34 AM
Watch Now feature on Netflix.

Bad idea obviously.
Derek
10-06-2008, 04:37 AM
Watch Now feature on Netflix.

Bad idea obviously.

Well shit man, they have Trust, which you can't get on DVD, on Watch Now as well as Simple Men. Both far superior to Fay Grim...so get going! :)
dreamdead
10-07-2008, 03:53 PM
Henry Fool - 7

It's pleasantly idiosyncratic, to be sure, and it identifies a singular vision, but it seems unsure of what that vision represents other than freedom from legal abuse at the end. And though the film celebrates a recurrent shift from retaining any one sensibility, the scatological scenes seemed unnecessary and disrupted (purposefully?) the aesthetics that had been established prior to their eruptions. Overall, this one seems a bit too wayward for its own good, though there's constant intelligence that's underscoring the film.

I'll have to check out Trust at some point.
Yxklyx
10-07-2008, 05:20 PM
Hartley reminds me a lot of Fassbinder.
Cherish
10-08-2008, 06:06 PM
The Unbelievable Truth – 7
Trust – 6.5
Simple Men - 7.5
Amateur – 9
Flirt – 7
Henry Fool – 9.5
The Girl from Monday - 4
NickGlass
10-08-2008, 07:39 PM
Henry Fool: 9.5
No Such Thing: 6.5
Fay Grim: 3.5

I sense a pattern.
MadMan
10-08-2008, 07:44 PM
I've never heard of the guy until I read an Ebert review bashing one of his films. I can't remember what that film was, but it was about some monster and a journalist.
Derek
10-08-2008, 07:54 PM
Hartley reminds me a lot of Fassbinder.

I never even considered that but he's heavily influenced by Godard, as was Fassbinder, so the comparison makes sense. I can't think of any overt references in the vain of the Band of Outsiders dance in Surviving Desire or the Godard doppleganger in Theory of Achievement, but I'll definitely keep this in mind when I revisit some of his films.
Yxklyx
10-08-2008, 09:46 PM
I never even considered that but he's heavily influenced by Godard, as was Fassbinder, so the comparison makes sense. I can't think of any overt references in the vain of the Band of Outsiders dance in Surviving Desire or the Godard doppleganger in Theory of Achievement, but I'll definitely keep this in mind when I revisit some of his films.

I suppose I was mostly thinking of the theatrical aspect of the dialogue.
Sven
10-08-2008, 09:50 PM
I never even considered that but he's heavily influenced by Godard, as was Fassbinder, so the comparison makes sense. I can't think of any overt references in the vain of the Band of Outsiders dance in Surviving Desire or the Godard doppleganger in Theory of Achievement, but I'll definitely keep this in mind when I revisit some of his films.

Of the entire film of Love is Colder Than Death, whose existence owes everything to Band of Outsiders (and a little of Breathless). For the record, I think the 'binder film pwns JLG's. *just trying to muss up your hair a little, Derek, with another diss at your homeboy* :)
dreamdead
10-12-2008, 01:55 AM
An RT-tinged bump since I find it hard to believe this never made it onto two pages of posts on a 30-posts-per-page format...
Melville
10-12-2008, 02:00 AM
Henry Fool - 4

There you go—we made it to page two.
dreamdead
10-12-2008, 02:12 AM
Henry Fool - 4

There you go—we made it to page two.

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc319/predragpajdic/Orsonclapping.gif
dreamdead
10-12-2008, 12:54 PM
Feels like we have some shorts woven through here, but OK...

Results:
Trust – 8.417 (6)
Amateur – 7.75 (4)
The Unbelievable Truth - 7.583 (6)
Simple Men – 7.5 (5)
Henry Fool - 7.25 (10)
Surviving Desire – 7.1 (5)
Ambition – 7 (4)
Theory of Achievement – 6.75 (4)
The Book of Life – 5.125 (4)
Fay Grim – 4.5 (5)

Did not Qualify:
No Such Thing – 7.5 (3)
Flirt – 6.72 (2)
Opera #1 – 6.333 (3)
NYC 3/94 – 5.5 (3)
The Girl from Monday – 5.333 (3)
The Other Also – 3.75 (2)
The Sister of Mercy – 3.5 (2)
Kimono – 3.25 (2)
The New Math(s) – 3 (2)

Biggest viewers: Kurious Jorge 3.1 and Derek
Biggest Fan: anyone who didn't watch most of the films that did not qualify
Biggest Match-Cut-ism that wasn't employed this round: Meh