28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[Sycophant]

I thought it was just a mess, and I'm not too keen on Nicholas Tse nor on Charlene Choi who annoyed me.
I haven't watched very good HK films this year that I can remember... perhaps only a couple.
I'm trying to remember if I've seen any good Hong Kong films from this year... Everything I've watched was either a late 2006 release or sucked. Fortunately, we've got two Johnnie To projects and two Edmond Pang films coming up yet (my copy of Exodus should be here by the end of the week).

[Rowland]

And one could, I guess, make the argument about the film treating men like buffoony stereotypes, but then your lip-service about how the film reduces both sexes into caricatures speaks only to how bad the film actually is.They are archetypes employed for the sake of comedy. I swear, some of you people...

And the idea that Knocked Up treated women as well-rounded is just about the most absurd thing ever.Sure it does, at least compared to the men. They are shown to be more responsible, open to commitment, willing to confront their significant other about emotional duress, career and family orientated, and looking to have fun without being retarded about it. While I'll admit that Alison is something of a conservative male fantasy incarnate, I think Debbie is easily the most interesting character in the movie.

[Boner M]

I didn't like that about the write-up either, but it does make me wonder why she didn't pick up on the problematic elements when she initially read the screenplay.
But Apatow give his actors lots of room for improvisation, even though it's usually the men in his cast that seem to be doing it. Maybe that factor has something to do with why she takes offense with the stereotyping.

[Li Lili]

I'm trying to remember if I've seen any good Hong Kong films from this year... Everything I've watched was either a late 2006 release or sucked. Fortunately, we've got two Johnnie To projects and two Edmond Pang films coming up yet (my copy of Exodus should be here by the end of the week).
I have already watched Exodus, and it was so so, but I guess I found it better than I expected, as I don't like very much Pang's films, and I don't like either Aaron Kwok, so!!!! Otherwise, it's quite "classic" as a story, but, I liked the location and the setting and Aaron Kwok did ok.
As for Johnnie To, I haven't seen his 2 films of this year yet, but I liked very much Exiled, and I think he's still one of the best HK directors at the moment.
Eye in the Sky, one of the films he produced this year, was ok but again nothing too original, but I like Simon Yam!
I was a bit disappointed by Blood Brothers, despite the fact that it was supposed to be one of the promising HK films of this year. Daniel Wu wasn't that great, but I liked Shu Qi and Liu Ye (who I saw in Beijing a few months ago! I had to take a picture of him with my friend! I didn't think he was that tall, very shy person though).

[Sven]

They are archetypes employed for the sake of comedy. I swear, some of you people...

Okay, but it's when the movie wants you to start taking it seriously that the situation upon which its alleged 'comedy' is built (read: 'archetypes' -> stereotypes) becomes increasingly insufferable and ultimately stupid.


Sure it does, at least compared to the men. They are shown to be more responsible, open to commitment, willing to confront their significant other about emotional duress, career and family orientated, and looking to have fun without being retarded about it. While I'll admit that Alison is something of a conservative male fantasy incarnate, I think Debbie is easily the most interesting character in the movie.

Well, I don't really want to get caught up in a discussion about this movie that induces me to pull my hair in anger whenever mentioned, so I'll just bow out now, clasping both hands to my mouth to stifle the snickers.

[Rowland]

Well, I don't really want to get caught up in a discussion about this movie that induces me to pull my hair in anger whenever mentioned, so I'll just bow out now, clasping both hands to my mouth to stifle the snickers.*shrug* Be my guest. Your indignation baffles me.

[Sven]

*shrug* Be my guest. Your indignation baffles me.

It is my knee-jerk response to the lauding of such an obviously annoyingly brain-dead film.

[Watashi]

I'm sure Heigl will be better off doing more Grey's Anatomy episodes and 27 Dresses.

[soitgoes...]

I went into watching De Sica's Terminal Station with much trepidation. I had heard of the problems this film supposedly had, but generally loving De Sica's work I thought I'd give it a go. Well, everything said about it is basically true. Clift is at his worst. Casting him to play an Italian was major misstep. Jones, while better than Clift, still struggles. The entire film feels emotionless, which is the exact opposite of how a film such as this should feel like. De Sica's camera manages a few breathtaking scenes, and there are a few moments of tension, but none of that makes this film recommendable.

[Qrazy]

Normally I don't mention politics when it comes to movies, but in the case of Charlie Wilson's War politics apply. Thanks to Wilson and the Regan Administration we are dealing with serious blowback in the form of Islamic fundamentalist terrorists. Thus I must question whether or not I should go and support a movie that glorifies Wilson selling arms to Afghan guerrillas, many which years down the road turned around and supported and aided Bin Ladden, gave him safe haven, and enabled him to attack the United States. So no I don't really think is a silly reason.

That said I'm going on Doclop's word here about the film, plus the film's trailer, which isn't much but is better than nothing. I'll wait and see what more reviewers say, but as I said earlier I'm really wavering about going to see it.

First, I agree that glorification in general is usually not a good idea, but whether or not it and the extent to which it glorifies seems based mostly on hearsay.

It's important to take into account that reasons, allegiances and attitudes change over time. Hindsight is 20/20 and you can't blame Wilson for what's happening now. The fact that the US used to support Bin Laden when he was fighting the 'Commies' and the fact that they gave him and Afghan guerrillas arms is interesting, not for finger-pointing or as something to be ignored or as something we should paint as an utter mistake. It seemed like a necessary course of action when it occurred.

Should we refuse to watch a film about the CIA because it's highly likely they had a hand in putting Saddam in power?

[Qrazy]

I went into watching De Sica's Terminal Station with much trepidation. I had heard of the problems this film supposedly had, but generally loving De Sica's work I thought I'd give it a go. Well, everything said about it is basically true. Clift is at his worst. Casting him to play an Italian was major misstep. Jones, while better than Clift, still struggles. The entire film feels emotionless, which is the exact opposite of how a film such as this should feel like. De Sica's camera manages a few breathtaking scenes, and there are a few moments of tension, but none of that makes this film recommendable.

Agreed, terrible disappointment.

[DavidSeven]

I don't really buy the argument that Knocked Up is guilt-free because it's harsh toward men as well as women. It doesn't work like that. That's like saying something can't be racist if it makes fun of white people too.

[eternity]

I don't really buy the argument that Knocked Up is guilt-free because it's harsh toward men as well as women. It doesn't work like that. That's like saying something can't be racist if it makes fun of white people too.Men, nor women, are peachy clean. The film wouldn't have worked if it wasn't as harsh on everyone as it was.

[Rowland]

I don't really buy the argument that Knocked Up is guilt-free because it's harsh toward men as well as women. It doesn't work like that. That's like saying something can't be racist if it makes fun of white people too.I don't think it's guilt-free. But I don't think it's risible either.

[D_Davis]

I wouldn't go as far as "very bad." There were some gags that worked really, really well for me, despite the fact that, overall, the movie was pretty stupid and its CG looked like in-game renders from a PlayStation game.

I love A Chinese Tall Story. It has so much character, and is just a ton of fun.

From my review:

What started off as a film I loved despite my better judgment, ended up being a film that comes highly recommended, but also against my better judgment. A Chinese Tall Story is probably not a film for all tastes, as it can leave a viewer feeling frustrated, but in the right state of mind it is a film that is so vastly entertaining and so full of gonzo-sensibilities, I can’t help but want others to experience it. As long as one approaches this film without any pretense or expectations, but rather goes along with the ride and does not question the journey, A Chinese Tall Story is bound to delight, entertain and bring a smile to many faces.

A Chinese Odyssey 2002 is also very good.

[Sycophant]

A Chinese Tall Story calls on some of the worst faux-ugly shorthand that movies are infamous for. The film, as I described it when first I saw it, is an unholy mess. But it really is fun.

I'm also amazed at how effective the ending is.

[D_Davis]

I'm trying to remember if I've seen any good Hong Kong films from this year...

Flash Point - it is excellent.

I recently rewatched it, and I now like it as much as I did S.P.L., but for different reasons. One I like because it is an effective drama punctuated by great action, and the other because it is one of the most kick ass and brutal action films I've seen in some time.

I haven't seen a ton of HK cinema this year either, but I am greatly anticipating Triangle. While I think it will probably colapse under the weight of its creators, I can't help but get excited about a new Tsui Hark and Johnny To film.

[D_Davis]

but I liked very much Exiled, and I think he's still one of the best HK directors at the moment.


I would argue that To is the most important genre director working in HK right now.

[Li Lili]

Flash Point - it is excellent.

I recently rewatched it, and I now like it as much as I did S.P.L., but for different reasons. One I like because it is an effective drama punctuated by great action, and the other because it is one of the most kick ass and brutal action films I've seen in some time.

I haven't seen a ton of HK cinema this year either, but I am greatly anticipating Triangle. While I think it will probably colapse under the weight of its creators, I can't help but get excited about a new Tsui Hark and Johnny To film.
Flash Point is good for just and only just for some of the action scenes, which I admit were rather good, otherwise, best to forget about the story and the acting... I quite liked SPL, especially the ending, but Dragon Tiger Gate was too bad, and again I'm not too keen on Nicholas Tse (and Shawn Yue).

[D_Davis]

Hong Kong cinema in general is pretty dead. While for the majority of the last 10-15 years I would dig through each year's releases and almost always discover some under hyped gems, now days it seems that I am better off just sticking to the handful of high caliber films they release.

[D_Davis]

Flash Point is good for just and only just for some of the action scenes, which I admit were rather good, otherwise, best to forget about the story and the acting.

Yeah - I don't know why they tried to make some convoluted IA-style plot out of this one. It would have been much better had the narrative been told in a more simple, straight forward way. But damn, the action is top notch. Totally out of this world in this department. Donny Yen just keeps getting better.

[Sycophant]

I realized there only actually one Hong Kong film I've seen this year and it's Ming Ming... which really sucked. I hope to catch up on a few releases I've missed earlier this year, including Single Blog, Protege, Rob-B-Hood and Mr. Cinema. There's a copy of Herman Yau's Gong Tau in my to-watch pile, but I'm a little scared of it.

Really, Hong Kong cinema is in a sad state of affairs. There's not much being released over there, and even less of it looks interesting.

There are two voices that have me consistently interested, though, and they seem to be working quite a bit: Johnnie To and Edmond Pang. Personally, I find Edmond Pang Ho-Cheung to be one of the most interesting voices in cinema today. I could literally watch Men Suddenly in Black any time.

[Li Lili]

Yeah - I don't know why they tried to make some convoluted IA-style plot out of this one. It would have been much better had the narrative been told in a more simple, straight forward way. But damn, the action is top notch. Totally out of this world in this department. Donny Yen just keeps getting better.
Yes, I agree, but it would also be great if his acting would get better too (also perhaps changing characters, other than a cop, would be good).

[origami_mustache]

Anyone seen Exiled? I've had it dled for a while, but keep putting it off.

[D_Davis]

Anyone seen Exiled? I've had it dled for a while, but keep putting it off.

One of the best films I've seen all year. I think I watched it 9 times when I first got the HK DVD.

Brilliant in just about every way.

[origami_mustache]

One of the best films I've seen all year. I think I watched it 9 times when I first got the HK DVD.

Brilliant in just about every way.

Well I guess I should watch that this week then. I haven't seen a To film before.

[Sycophant]

I agree with what Davis said, minus eight times. I'd really hoped that it would play theaters here, but I guess my next viewing will have to be on my boring old TV.

[Li Lili]

I realized there only actually one Hong Kong film I've seen this year and it's Ming Ming... which really sucked. I hope to catch up on a few releases I've missed earlier this year, including Single Blog, Protege, Rob-B-Hood and Mr. Cinema. There's a copy of Herman Yau's Gong Tau in my to-watch pile, but I'm a little scared of it.

Really, Hong Kong cinema is in a sad state of affairs. There's not much being released over there, and even less of it looks interesting.

There are two voices that have me consistently interested, though, and they seem to be working quite a bit: Johnnie To and Edmond Pang. Personally, I find Edmond Pang Ho-Cheung to be one of the most interesting voices in cinema today. I could literally watch Men Suddenly in Black any time.
Yes, I also saw Ming Ming, and it's a pitty because I like Zhou Xun...
Protégé was a bit too moralistic, but Daniel Wu is fine. Mr Cinema is very good, I liked it very much because not only the acting is great (Anthony Wong!) but the story is interesting (relation between mainland and HK, the historical backround...) and well developped, also it's a good comedy.
I think Herman Yau less interesting, perhaps he should make less films and make them deeper. A Mob Story was nothing than unusual, too typical HK crime story and Whispers and Moans I liked, but I've already forgot!!!!
I haven't seen Gong Tau.
And personally, I prefered Isabella than Exodus, but I agree he's an interesting director too.

[Li Lili]

Well I guess I should watch that this week then. I haven't seen a To film before.
Exiled is very good, you can't go wrong with Johnie To (at least with his crime films). I liked Election 1&2.
I think I'm going to make a night of Johnnie To's films... A bit too long since I last saw those ones.

[Li Lili]

oops I realized that I mixed up the actors of Exodus with the ones of Mr Detective!
Aaron Kwok plays in The Detective, and Simon Yam in Exodus.... And I was talking about The Detective by Oxide Pang concerning the film itself.
However, I did prefer Isabella, but Isabella and Exodus are different.
I think I've watched too many films recently, especially I've just been through many films of a film festival, I start to mix up...

[origami_mustache]

oops I realized that I mixed up the actors of Exodus with the ones of Mr Detective!
Aaron Kwok plays in The Detective, and Simon Yam in Exodus.... And I was talking about The Detective by Oxide Pang concerning the film itself.
However, I did prefer Isabella, but Isabella and Exodus are different.
I think I've watched too many films recently, especially I've just been through many films of a film festival, I start to mix up...

Your avatar looks vaguely familiar...What is it from? I want to say Asako in Ruby Shoes, but that doesn't seem right.

[Sycophant]

I haven't seen enough of To/Wai's romantic comedies. But I've got a copy of Love on a Diet on its way to me. Needing You was great fun when I saw it a couple years ago.

[Melville]

Hm... that's kinda lame. Kinda really lame.


How is that lame? I'm sure every academic work on the film brings it up.
If they bring up the Cold War as part of a description of how The Birds fits within its cultural milieu, then there's nothing lame about it. But if they're saying that the film is an allegory for the Cuban Missile crisis, I definitely think it's lame, since I doubt the film has anything of substance to say about the Cold War even if it is interpreted in such a way.

[origami_mustache]

If they bring up the Cold War as part of a description of how The Birds fits within its cultural milieu, then there's nothing lame about it. But if they're saying that the film is an allegory for the Cuban Missile crisis, I definitely think it's lame, since I doubt the film has anything of substance to say about the Cold War even if it is interpreted in such a way.

Daphne du Maurier made this allegory clear with her original story. Whether or not Hitchcock gave two cents about it or not, the theme is hard to separate from the film. In the least it's still subconsciously present. The film can say whatever someone wants it to say. Objectivity in art really doesn't exist. When it's all said and done, the public has more control over the meaning of art than the original artist.

[Grouchy]

Continuing on the John Wayne path, today I watched The Sons of Katie Elder. It took me three hours plus to finish since I had to keep interrupting it, but I made it all the way to the end. It's a nice big-budget revenge story that's more amiable and heartfelt than most. It's hard to be displeased with a movie like this since it has everything - a lot of gunfire (including those custom-made six-shooters that just keep on shooting and shooting), well-acted drama, light-headed comedy, widescreen vistas set to moving music, young Dennis Hopper in a thankless chickenshit part, etc. I think a disadvantage of movies so star-based as this one is that the stars invariably take all of the screentime and as a consequence other characters are underused by the script, at least until a really distinctive director's touch changes the situation, but Henry Hathaway is no Huston, Hawks or Ford, just a hired skilled hand. With John Wayne and Dean Martin on the same movie, who wants to know about anybody else's affairs? Still a solid western.

Regarding the Birds discussion, while the FX does look old, I don't think it's so hard to look past that, otherwise the entire sci-fi genre prior to the late '70s would be dead in the water. And if you do look past that there's an awesome disaster movie, which takes its time to develop its characters and features a merciless, bleak look at humanity.

[Melville]

Daphne du Maurier made this allegory clear with her original story. Whether or not Hitchcock gave two cents about it or not, the theme is hard to separate from the film. In the least it's still subconsciously present. The film can say whatever someone wants it to say. Objectivity in art really doesn't exist. When it's all said and done, the public has more control over the meaning of art than the original artist.
Sure, but that's a somewhat misleading reduction; it's like saying objectivity in language doesn't really exist. Certainly I can interpret someone's words in any way I wish, but some interpretations will yield more meaning, and more relevant meaning. The question is whether an interpretation of the film as an allegory for the Cold War yields anything meaningful. I'm generally not a fan of allegory, so I'm probably biased when I say that it would not.

[Grouchy]

Sure, but that's like saying objectivity in language doesn't really exist; it's a misleading reduction. Certainly I can interpret someone's words in any way I wish, but some interpretations will yield more meaning, and more relevant meaning. The question is whether an interpretation of the film as an allegory for the Cold War yields anything meaningful. I'm generally not a fan of allegory, so I'm probably biased when I say that it would not.
Yeah, I don't really think Cold War when I look at The Birds. At all. I find its themes have more to do with small town misery and Rod Taylor's dominant mother, little dramas which suddenly pale in comparison to what would happen if nature decided today it all goes to shit.

[Qrazy]

After BF Skinner's 'Pidgeons in a Pelican', if I was a bird I'd be pissed too.

[Rowland]

If they bring up the Cold War as part of a description of how The Birds fits within its cultural milieu, then there's nothing lame about it. But if they're saying that the film is an allegory for the Cuban Missile crisis, I definitely think it's lame, since I doubt the film has anything of substance to say about the Cold War even if it is interpreted in such a way.It doesn't. The book from which the movie was adapted was a very overt cold war allegory, but Hitch and his co-screenwriter basically cut out every single reference to it (along with most of the book) and started afresh.

[Rowland]

"Hitchcock and screenwriter Evan Hunter borrowed only the title and basic conceit of Daphne du Maurier’s 1952 short story, "The Birds." Du Maurier’s tale, conventional and utterly humorless, is a Cold War parable that uses the unexplained bird attacks as an apocalyptic metaphor for nature thrown out of balance by technology and warfare. It’s told from the perspective of Nat Hocken, a disabled war veteran and farmhand living in a cottage with his family in the British Isles. As the bird assaults escalate, Nat holes up with his wife and two children behind boarded-up doors and windows. For a while they follow BBC radio reports of similar chaos all across the country. There are rumors that the Russians have poisoned the birds to make them vicious and suicidal. RAF squadrons are dispatched to combat the birds, but the aircraft engines become clogged with winged carcasses. Planes crash at sea and along the coast near Nat’s cottage. His wife wonders if America will send reinforcements. The story ends with the radio dead and Nat out of cigarettes as he again hears the birds clamoring outside:

Nat listened to the tearing sound of splintering wood, and wondered how many million years of memory were stored in those little brains, behind the stabbing beaks, the piercing eyes, now giving them this instinct to destroy mankind with all the deft precision of machines.

Comparing the short story and the film, it’s clear that the central metaphor functions quite differently in each case. By shifting the context and jettisoning du Maurier’s banal antiwar message, Hitchcock was able to attach the same apocalyptic imagery to his own radical thematic concerns: sexual repression and existential alienation. In the film’s desolate vision, we’re cut off from any semblance of integration or wholeness with the natural world and with one another. We’ve lost our capacity for giving and accepting love. Personal desires and yearnings have been twisted beyond recognition by our damaged psyches and broken families. Instead of Nat Hocken and his vague "wartime disability," Hitchcock and Hunter give us a rogues’ gallery of Freudian dysfunction: Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor), a San Francisco lawyer and mama’s boy incapable of committing to an intimate relationship; Lydia Brenner (Jessica Tandy), Mitch’s neurotic mother, depressed since the death of her husband four years ago and desperately jealous of any woman who shows an interest in her son; Annie Hayworth (Suzanne Pleshette), a spinsterish school teacher still bitter and obsessed long after Mitch has spurned her affections; and, finally, the frigid and vain Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), who begins a flirtation with Mitch that seems destined for the same failure that beset Annie Hayworth’s scuttled relationship."

-source (http://www.culturevulture.net/Movies/Birds.htm)

[Melville]

It doesn't. The book from which the movie was adapted was a very overt cold war allegory, but Hitch and his co-screenwriter basically cut out every single reference to it (along with most of the book) and started afresh.
Aha! My assertion of lameness has been vindicated!

[Qrazy]

My Friend Ivan Lapshin (German) was absolutely fantastic. I never hear anyone talk about this. See it. If I had to compare it to something I'd say maybe a cross between Kieslowski and Wajda.

Shinoda's Under the Cherry Blossoms was ok, worth a viewing but nothing spectacular.

Rou's Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors was an enjoyable rendition of Carroll's - Through the Looking Glass... unfortunately most of the film's metaphors are fairly surface and unnecessarily spelled out for it's primarily children's audience... But there is still a great deal of imagination on display here and much of the matte work is quite compelling.

[Bosco B Thug]

[I]"Comparing the short story and the film, it’s clear that the central metaphor functions quite differently in each case. By shifting the context and jettisoning du Maurier’s banal antiwar message, Hitchcock was able to attach the same apocalyptic imagery to his own radical thematic concerns: sexual repression and existential alienation. In the film’s desolate vision, we’re cut off from any semblance of integration or wholeness with the natural world and with one another. We’ve lost our capacity for giving and accepting love. Personal desires and yearnings have been twisted beyond recognition by our damaged psyches and broken families.

-source (http://www.culturevulture.net/Movies/Birds.htm) I love this review of The Birds! I had it favorited! It sums up so concisely the main allegorical construct of the film in it's label of "static characters" and these sentences:


The movie isn’t character-driven, and in fact it’s barely plot-driven... It’s not that the human actors are superfluous to the story -- although no other top-drawer Hitchcock film so thoroughly overrides its cast -- but they are at best subliminal pawns in a narrative comprised of murky and veiled motivations.

And if anyone's interested, I came across this very very surprising discovery while I was writing my paper about the film - there's another piece of fiction about killer birds, pre-dating both the film AND Du Maurier's story, and it seems to share considerable similarities with the screenplay!

Read about it here - Frank Baker's THE BIRDS (http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~muffin/wanted_for_murder_c.html)

[number8]

More one word reviews of the movies I saw today.

Youth Without Youth - Unexpected.

Persepolis - Yes.

[Sycophant]

Youth Without Youth[/B] - Unexpected.I trust this is positive? This film completely escaped my radar until I saw a trailer in front of Gone Baby Gone a couple weeks ago. I'm very much looking forward to further thoughts.

[number8]

Yes, positive.

[Qrazy]

MY FRIEND IVAN LAPSHIN!

[Rowland]

Ten Canoes - A charming paean to the universality of storytelling and its role in our lives, this genuinely fun, good-natured movie manages to spotlight Australian aboriginal culture without resorting to humorless ethnography or patronizing exoticism. It deserves a wider audience.

Alpha Dog - Poorly shot nonsense that is tactless enough to follow an ostensibly tragic scene with Sharon Stone in a fat suit risibly over-emoting. Still, it's not unwatchable, thanks to a certain daffiness it sometimes indulges in, and a few strong performances, including Timberlake, which pleases me greatly after his surprisingly passable turn in Black Snake Moan, and especially Ben Foster, whose haywire antics are just a hoot. If Foster had more scenes, and the rest of the film had the courage of its convictions to genuinely embody its identity as what Foster clearly realized was a load of B-movie exploitative hokum, this could have been something.

[Sycophant]

Ladies. Gentlemen. I've done been Torque'd.

Somehow, I allowed the film to be a little too hyped. I had some fun with it, but it wasn't quite what I was hoping it would be. Perhaps my enjoyment was hindered by my very ambivalent feeling towards vehicle, four wheels or two. Still, there are some eye-poppingly awesome sequences (read: the ending) that kicked my ass. I can't say that I liked it as much as Crank (which I like more the more I think about it), though the comparison is of course largely superficial.

[eternity]

I don't know what's worse, Alpha Dog or Torque. They both get a 0/10 from me.

[number8]

I'm not sure Foster regarded Alpha Dog that dismissively, since he nearly blinded himself for the role.

[Ezee E]

More one word reviews of the movies I saw today.

Youth Without Youth - Unexpected.

Persepolis - Yes.
So is Coppola's movie as bizarro as I think it'll be?

[number8]

Yes.

[origami_mustache]

It doesn't. The book from which the movie was adapted was a very overt cold war allegory, but Hitch and his co-screenwriter basically cut out every single reference to it (along with most of the book) and started afresh.

Like I said before, overt references or not, it's hard to subconsciously separate the allegory, especially when viewing the film during the period in history it was released. The social commentary was one of the few redeeming qualities I found in this film. I still don't really get the praise for it, especially when just considering it at face value.

[Ezee E]

Yes.
Awesome.

[Derek]

Awesome.

Very.

[origami_mustache]

Thoughts on Juno are ironically enough, posted in the Juno (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=13088&postcount=31)thread.

[Li Lili]

Your avatar looks vaguely familiar...What is it from? I want to say Asako in Ruby Shoes, but that doesn't seem right.
No, it's Help me Eros by Lee Kang-sheng (actor of Tsai Ming-liang's films).
And hehehe to make some of you jealous, this charming lady, Yin Shin, was at my dinner table at home along with other Chinese directors and actors a few days ago. :p
http://www.tiff07.ca/images/films2007/707051109061386.jpg

[Li Lili]

I haven't seen enough of To/Wai's romantic comedies. But I've got a copy of Love on a Diet on its way to me. Needing You was great fun when I saw it a couple years ago.
I now watched them when I feel too tired and feel like a silly romantic comedy. Love on Diet is ok, Needing You was a little bit too much at the end. But I must admit that I can watch those films more than I used to... I don't know if it's good... :/

[Qrazy]

Hepburn's romance scenes in Summertime are hilariously odd.

[EvilShoe]

My Blueberry Nights is a dissapointing work even (/especially?) for a Wong fanboy like me.
Here Wong Kar-Wai revisits themes about love he has already tackled before in the past, but in a less succesful way.
Norah Jones is pretty bland, and fails to carry the movie. Portman and Law are ok, while Weisz & Strathairn are pretty good. (It does help that their storyline is the best in the movie).

Of course it all looks very pretty, but this feels too much like a filmmaker rebooting his career in the US instead of exploring his favorite theme (love) in a new way.
:(

[Qrazy]

The Most Dangerous Game was fairly disappointing.

[Scar]

Horror of Dracula was pretty fun. I felt a bit apprehensive at first, but really got into it in the end. Nosferatu (1979) might be up tonight.

[Rowland]

I don't know what's worse, Alpha Dog or Torque. They both get a 0/10 from me.That's a shame. Torque is about ten times more entertaining.

[Rowland]

I'm not sure Foster regarded Alpha Dog that dismissively, since he nearly blinded himself for the role.He'd better tone down the method then, or at least apply it more judiciously.

[jesse]

My Blueberry Nights is a dissapointing work even (/especially?) for a Wong fanboy like me.
Here Wong Kar-Wai revisits themes about love he has already tackled before in the past, but in a less succesful way.
Norah Jones is pretty bland, and fails to carry the movie. Portman and Law are ok, while Weisz & Strathairn are pretty good. (It does help that their storyline is the best in the movie).

Of course it all looks very pretty, but this feels too much like a filmmaker rebooting his career in the US instead of exploring his favorite theme (love) in a new way.
:( Does this mean its finally getting a US release?

[Rowland]

Ed Gonzalez at Slant (http://www.slantmagazine.com/blog/default.asp?display=155): "Redacted (Brian De Palma). Ugly. Naïve. Shrill. Hateful. What's more tragic: That this marks the lowpoint of De Palma's career or that Bill O'Reilly, the worst person in the world, more or less nailed it without even seeing it?"

:eek::pritch:

Lots of other abrasive opinions on the other end of the link. Damn, he's really having his hate on.

[Raiders]

Meh. Score one for Kevin Lee who actually took time to review the film.

[Rowland]

In the comments section for that post, he reveals that he liked Into the Wild a lot too, citing the scene in the jeep between Hirsch and Holbrook as the classiest "Oscar scene" he's ever seen. Very nice... it's a shame that he is so down on Gone Baby Gone though.

[megladon8]

Horror of Dracula was pretty fun. I felt a bit apprehensive at first, but really got into it in the end. Nosferatu (1979) might be up tonight.


Very good on both counts, sir.

Nosferatu '79 is freaky.

[DavidSeven]

Alpha Dog - Poorly shot nonsense that is tactless enough to follow an ostensibly tragic scene with Sharon Stone in a fat suit risibly over-emoting. Still, it's not unwatchable, thanks to a certain daffiness it sometimes indulges in, and a few strong performances, including Timberlake, which pleases me greatly after his surprisingly passable turn in Black Snake Moan, and especially Ben Foster, whose haywire antics are just a hoot. If Foster had more scenes, and the rest of the film had the courage of its convictions to genuinely embody its identity as what Foster clearly realized was a load of B-movie exploitative hokum, this could have been something.

Too generous. This film was just shit. "Stone in a fat suit" is probably the worst scene of the year. A close second might be Ben Foster inexplicably turning into Tony Jaa and destroying a bunch of Asian kids.

[Rowland]

Too generous. This film was just shit. "Stone in a fat suit" is probably the worst scene of the year. A close second might be Ben Foster inexplicably turning into Tony Jaa and destroying a bunch of Asian kids.I agree about the Stone scene. I wanted to kick my television during that. But no, the Foster ass-kicking scene was probably the best in the movie. :lol:

You're right though, I am probably being too generous. *shrug*

[number8]

no, the Foster ass-kicking scene was probably the best in the movie. :lol:

Indeed.

[Rowland]

Ed's Slant blog post is generating some interesting comments, including Alex Jackson explaining why he hates Inland Empire. You know, as one of the very few people around here who didn't care much for the movie... I kinda agree with his take (as well as his distrust of film theory). Maybe I need to quit pressuring myself into giving Lynch the benefit of the doubt and just admit to myself that I didn't like it.

[DavidSeven]

Alex Smith: "The question is no longer "Is this a dream?" (as it usually is in Lynch), it's "Is this a film?"

Well put.

[megladon8]

Ed's Slant blog post is generating some interesting comments, including Alex Jackson explaining why he hates Inland Empire. You know, as one of the very few people around here who didn't care much for the movie... I kinda agree with his take (as well as his distrust of film theory). Maybe I need to quit pressuring myself into giving Lynch the benefit of the doubt and just admit to myself that I didn't like it.


I don't think this is a movie that you should worry about not liking.

I'm surprised there are as many people out there who like it as there are.

[Rowland]

I don't think this is a movie that you should worry about not liking.

I'm surprised there are as many people out there who like it as there are.I like the movie in theory -- I certainly admire its gonzo convictions. And it feels like a movie that I should love. But I don't like it much at all. As I see it, Mulholland Drive is vastly superior.

[Ezee E]

I like the movie in theory -- I certainly admire its gonzo convictions. And it feels like a movie that I should love. But I don't like it much at all. As I see it, Mulholland Drive is vastly superior.
For so many different reasons too. Inland Empire, for me, is a bit overlong, and a little too silly in certain scenes. It still has that David Lynch-touch which makes it worth seeing at the very least, and it will certainly generate a talk afterwards. I still say it's a bit more biblical then one though. IN the movie Lynch, he discusses that he read the Bible a lot before writing.

Oh, and My Blueberry Nights is being released sometime next year.

[Raiders]

Alex Smith: "The question is no longer "Is this a dream?" (as it usually is in Lynch), it's "Is this a film?"

Well put.

Actually, that's a pretty stupid statement. Of course it is a film. Not to mention I can't think of a single Lynch film that seems more like a fragmented dream, or in this case, nightmare.

[Spinal]

I don't see how Inland Empire is all that different from Mulholland Dr. apart from the fact that the latter is prettier to look at.

[Derek]

Actually, that's a pretty stupid statement. Of course it is a film. Not to mention I can't think of a single Lynch film that seems more like a fragmented dream, or in this case, nightmare.

People have been saying that about avant-garde films for over 80 years. It's never, at any point, been a clever or useful observation. It usually means "This does not fit in with my preconceptions of what cinema is or should be, therefore it's not a film." It's bullshit. I know I've mentioned it before, but I still remember the rage of several students when one of my professors, as pure provocation, showed us the first few minutes of Jarman's Blue. The girl behind me literally kept repeating, almost under her breath as if praying and trying to reassure herself, "It's not a film. This is not even a film!"

[Rowland]

If you read the context of that statement, it reads to me like he's saying that Inland Empire feels like it's lacking a soul, instead playing like a "post-modern stew of signs and signifiers", all the while treading territory that Mulholland Drive already covered without offering any improvements.

[Ezee E]

I don't see how Inland Empire is all that different from Mulholland Dr. apart from the fact that the latter is prettier to look at.
I like the talent involved in Mulholland Drive more, as well as the story Naomi Watts goes on in becoming an actress much more then Laura Linney's descent into hell with a prostitute. They feel very different to me, other then the prettyness.

[Spinal]

I like the talent involved in Mulholland Drive more, as well as the story Naomi Watts goes on in becoming an actress much more then Laura Linney's descent into hell with a prostitute. They feel very different to me, other then the prettyness.

Well, of course, there are different people involved and a different story, but in regards to the style and the way they are put together, they are very similar. I don't get how one is universally praised and the other is treated like some kind of alien artifact.

[Rowland]

Well, of course, there are different people involved and a different story, but in regards to the style and the way they are put together, they are very similar. I don't get how one is universally praised and the other is treated like some kind of alien artifact.I don't think so. Mulholland Drive is pretty clearly delineated between two halves, whereas Inland Empire is something of an anything-goes hodgepodge. I think the style is a lot different too, from the way they look (obviously) to framing and scene set-ups. IE feels comparatively sloppy, with lots of unsteady hand-held and loud-noise shock jolts, and everything about it feels so much more self-consciously mannered. MD simply plays like a more organic experience, which makes it so much more convincing and involving.

[Derek]

If you read the context of that statement, it reads to me like he's saying that Inland Empire feels like it's lacking a soul, instead playing like a "post-modern stew of signs and signifiers", all the while treading territory that Mulholland Drive already covered without offering any improvements.

I dunno, I agree that Mulholland Dr. is superior, but Inland Empire is a far too emotional experience to lack a soul. Perhaps its just that its soul is buried a little deeper in the film than Mulholland Dr.. And of course, there's plenty of symbolism in MD (the blue box, homeless guy behind Winky's, etc.) which can be dismissed as merely postmodern signs and signifiers...a comment which I find silly b/c it makes it sound like semiotics relies solely on identifying these signs when that's really just the beginning. What leads people to use this as a complaint for Inland and not the other is that the links between the "signs" and the meaning/purpose behind them is far more elusive. I can buy the argument that it might not be worth all the effort, but to excuse Lynch of empty symbolism (which is what it sounds like from the quote) doesn't seem right.

[DavidSeven]

Actually, that's a pretty stupid statement. Of course it is a film. Not to mention I can't think of a single Lynch film that seems more like a fragmented dream, or in this case, nightmare.

The reason why I like the quote and prefer Mulholland Dr. to Inland Empire is because I don't feel like the latter is relevant to anyone who isn't either obsessed with either film theory or the filmmaking industry. Inland is all about how he is saying things and brings attention to the technical pieces of the film itself. The question of "is this a film?" might not be legitimate, but it's understandable given the approach. In the end, it's things like "oh, look at how he chose to say this" that becomes more interesting than what he is actually conveying because the content of the film isn't relatable to a lot of people who aren't working in Hollywood. Mulholland Dr. is contextually more interesting, more universal, and structured in a way that masks the filmmaking tricks. It's what he is actually saying that is the focus here.

[Spinal]

I don't think so. Mulholland Drive is pretty clearly delineated between two halves, whereas Inland Empire is something of an anything-goes hodgepodge. I think the style is a lot different too, from the way they look (obviously) to framing and scene set-ups. IE feels comparatively sloppy, with lots of unsteady hand-held and loud-noise shock jolts, and everything about it feels so much more self-consciously mannered.

In both films we are given oodles of information that initially does not seem to go together, but over the course of the film Lynch returns to certain key clues in order to slowly let the viewer in on the relationship between all the pieces. Yes, he intentionally used an uglier palate this time, but I love how much it contrasts with his prior film which is utterly beautiful. It's similar to the contrast between Trier's Europa and his later work on Breaking the Waves except obviously retaining Lynch's pet themes and bugaboos. I don't think it's fair to say 'anything goes'. Most everything can easily be tied into Lynch's central theme of Hollywood whoredom.

[Philosophe_rouge]

The Most Dangerous Game was fairly disappointing.
I sorta agree, I'm not a big fan of King Kong either though... maybe it's just not my thing.

[Raiders]

The reason why I like the quote and prefer Mulholland Dr. to Inland Empire is because I don't feel like the latter is relevant to anyone who isn't either obsessed with either film theory or the filmmaking industry. Inland is all about how he is saying things and brings attention to the technical pieces of the film itself. The question of "is this a film?" might not be legitimate, but it's understandable given the approach. In the end, it's things like "oh, look at how he chose to say this" that becomes more interesting than what he is actually conveying because the content of the film isn't relatable to a lot of people who aren't working in Hollywood. Mulholland Dr. is contextually more interesting, more universal, and structured in a way that masks the filmmaking tricks. It's what he is actually saying that is the focus here.

Isn't Breathless your favorite film?

[Spinal]

When did imagining how relatable a film is to a general audience become a criteria for judgment? I am only concerned with my personal experience with the film.

[Rowland]

In both films we are given oodles of information that initially does not seem to go together, but over the course of the film Lynch returns to certain key clues in order to slowly let the viewer in on the relationship between all the pieces. Yes, he intentionally used an uglier palate this time, but I love how much it contrasts with his prior film which is utterly beautiful. It's similar to the contrast between Trier's Europa and his later work on Breaking the Waves except obviously retaining Lynch's pet themes and bugaboos. I don't think it's fair to say 'anything goes'. Most everything can easily be tied into Lynch's central theme of Hollywood whoredom.IE is too excruciating to sit through, ugly to look at, and mannered in its execution to inspire me to care about all of his overly obfuscatory "clues" scattered throughout the 3+ hours. And I guess I'm just not too inspired by his theme of Hollywood whoredom anymore, with its glib Hollywood-insider satire in the first hour, literal usage of whores, and what have you. Mulholland Drive was so much more clever, evocative, and provocative about it, I think.

And despite all my bitching, as I used to say in the old Inland Empire thread, I really do believe a good movie exists somewhere within the movie's bloat. As is, it's too much about not enough.

[DavidSeven]

Isn't Breathless your favorite film?

It's a favorite, but not my personal favorite anymore. Anyway, Inland Empire and Breathless are apples and oranges. The technique in Godard's film isn't used to bring attention to itself. The jumps are used for the sole purpose of removing excess - getting to the point faster. They are used to support and enhance the structure rather than take away from it. The way he uses them has much more in common with the techniques used in Mulholland Dr. than Inland.

[Derek]

It's a favorite, but not my personal favorite anymore. Anyway, Inland Empire and Breathless are apples and oranges. The technique in Godard's film isn't used to bring attention to itself. The jumps are used for the sole purpose of removing excess - getting to the point faster. They are used to support and enhance the structure rather than take away from it. The way he uses them has much more in common with the techniques used in Mulholland Dr. than Inland.

Perhaps a better example from Godard would be Contempt. Are you a fan of that one?

[Raiders]

It's a favorite, but not my personal favorite anymore. Anyway, Inland Empire and Breathless are apples and oranges. The technique in Godard's film isn't used to bring attention to itself. The jumps are used for the sole purpose of removing excess - getting to the point faster. They are used to support and enhance the structure rather than take away from it. The way he uses them has much more in common with the techniques used in Mulholland Dr. than Inland.

My point was Godard's film is vastly more about the "how" rather than the "what."

[DavidSeven]

When did imagining how relatable a film is to a general audience become a criteria for judgment? I am only concerned with my personal experience with the film.

It's not, but if you concede that there is a discrepency there then you have to recognize that many people will not have a favorable personal experience with the film. Personally, I didn't find what he had to say to be particularly interesting. Tearing apart the broader idealization of L.A. in Mulholland Dr. was more interesting to me, and judging by the reception of both films, it was more interesting to others as well.

[DavidSeven]

Perhaps a better example from Godard would be Contempt. Are you a fan of that one?

Not at all, which makes complete sense here.

[Derek]

Not at all, which makes complete sense here.

Well, disliking Contempt never makes sense, but point taken. :)

[Rowland]

I loved Contempt when I last saw it a few years ago. That said, I was most engaged by the middle-act setpiece in the house.

[Derek]

I suppose I should get around to posting some brief thoughts on The Ox-Bow Incident. Despite its simplistic thesis, I appreciate how efficient the film is (barely over 70 minutes) at setting up the conflict and getting the posse on the road. It hits some cliches, but I think the archetypal characters remain useful in portraying the dangers of revenge as well as the pressure to conform to the masculine ideal once violence enters the equation. What the film lacks in subtlety it almost makes up for in its ability cut through all the bullshit.

[Grouchy]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y121/HawleyGriffin/assassinationofjessejamesposte r.jpg?t=1196887224

The Assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford
Andrew Dominik, 2007

It might be a little too early on, but judging by recent Hollywood releases, we might be on the gates of a little neo-western era. Gunslinger themes are being picked up more often for production, and even some rarities like this one, an artsy big budget biopic with Nick Cave music and a large cast full of recognizable faces, like Sam Shepard, Sam Rockwell, Casey Affleck and, yeah, of course, executive producer and superstar Brad Pitt. The movie's focus is on the last days of the legend, when a member of his own gang, Robert Ford, shot him on the back while he was polishing a painting.

Like The man who shot Liberty Valance, it's a slow-paced drama about opposites, the ominous, legendary, devil-may-care Jesse James and the introspective, treacherous Robert Ford. However, its style is much closer to Terrence Malick than John Ford or Clint Eastwood. There are countless shots of nature accompanied by amazing music, the anonymous voice-over taints the whole thing with a documentary feel and of course it clocks in a little after three hours. My Malick experience is somewhat limited, having only seen Badlands and The New World, and having moderately liked both, but while this movie is wholly reminiscent of that drawn-out epic style, Jesse James is much more suspense-driven, the hook being when and why will Ford decide to off his childhood hero.

In a way, this is an anti-western. Brad Pitt's James is glorified and shown in an almost supernatural light - his aim, endurance and sixth sense, besides his intimidating presence, remind one of the Man with No Name. Yet the movie's target is that same glorification, and the legends built around human beings in the Old West days. Robert Ford's disappointment upon experiencing first-hand the dark side of his inspiration and the existencial desperation the James character goes through are the revisionist aspects. The gunslingers in this movie are brave to a point - after that, they're prone to get into trouble because of lust, greed, and, in Jesse's case, paranoia.

I've heard that Dominik had his picture "chopped" (HAWR!) by Ridley Scott and Pitt, but the movie's pacing, while exaggerated by the deliberate slowness, is perfect, leading me to believe that a rumored four-hour director's cut would be on the dead horse beating side. It contains all of the relevant aspects of Jesse's personality and dwells on them without completely tiring them. It also helps that everyone looks comfortable on his role, from Pitt to the eerie-looking Affleck. Even very minor roles like Jesse's wife or other gang members have good actors attached to them. They make the somewhat contrived poetic dialogue sound true. As far as biopics go, this one manages to suggest a lot by nuances in the performances and the omnipresent voice over and in doing so abridges a lot of the character development.

It's an interesting and unusual movie for Hollywood to make, one that sides wth Seraphim Falls as the best neo-westerns of this new millenium. It's not a masterpiece (whatever the hell that means) but it's surprisingly original and worth more than one watch, and that's saying plenty for this running time.

[Rowland]

I suppose I should get around to posting some brief thoughts on The Ox-Bow Incident.What about the House of 1,000 Corpses thoughts? :lol: :P

[Derek]

I loved Contempt when I last saw it a few years ago. That said, I was most engaged by the middle-act setpiece in the house.

That's my favorite segment as well. Re: D7, I brought it up not only because of the filmmaking aspect, but the self-conscious stylization and shots which bring attention to form as much, if not more than content...ie, the multiple pans from Paul to Camille with the lamp between them.

[Derek]

What about the House of 1,000 Corpses thoughts? :lol: :P

As much as I hated the film and find it poorly made by someone who seems to have only the most shallow appreciation of the films he's homaging, I can see how someone would get enjoyment out of it. I won't deny it didn't have it's entertaining moments and it's good to see a grindhouse-esque film revel in the trashier elements, but it's so empty-headed that I was only left thinking how unfunny and unfrightening it is. And I couldn't help wishing Syd Haig was in a better film!

Are you a fan? I know a few people who like it, but I've heard Devil's Rejects is better so maybe I'll get to that eventually.

[Boner M]

Hong Sang-Soo's The Power of Kangwon Province was initially a bit of a letdown for me after the wonderful Woman on the Beach; it feels like the work of someone who hasn't completely come into their own yet, with a long-take/static-shot visual plan that's pure Tsai, with some Antonioni-isms thrown in (a murder subplot that's treated indifferently by the ennui-stricken characters). Still, there's some haunting moments of opaque yet authentically depicted human behaviour, as well as numerous striking details, and after reading a few review it seem that I missed a few key bits of info in the first half, so I owe a scan-through repeat viewing.

Anyone seen this?

[lovejuice]

Hong Sang-Soo's The Power of Kangwon Province

i haven't watched this, but i'm very impressed by hong's other films especially turning gate which i think is wonderful.

[Boner M]

i haven't watched this, but i'm very impressed by hong's other films especially turning gate which i think is wonderful.
That's the one I want to see most, as well as The Day A Pig Fell Into The Well.

[lovejuice]

That's the one I want to see most, as well as The Day A Pig Fell Into The Well.

i haven't watched woman on the beach, but seem like both my friend and you think highly about it. i have the dvd. will do that soon.

[dreamdead]

Anyone seen this?

Yeah, I've seen it. My memory's a bit fuzzy on it, but my thoughts largely parallel yours. That and Virgin...were the first of Hong's that I'd seen, and they felt so similar that I was left disappointed by the lack of exterior character detail, so I struggled to grasp when the film bifurcated and to link up narrative threads after that. This one does, however, have the haunting symbolism of the fish, which I thought worked surprisingly well.

Count me as one who prefer Turning Gate over it as well...

[Derek]

That's the one I want to see most, as well as The Day A Pig Fell Into The Well.

That might be my least favorite of his, but I'm sure it has something to do with the import DVD which has the most WTF subtitles I've ever seen. It's as if it was translated by someone who took a month-long crash course in Korean. Anyway, from what I've seen (everything but Woman on the Beach and Turning Gate), I would most recommend Virgin Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors. I think it makes the most of typical two-half structure, replaying the events from a different perspective both for comic effect and as a subtle exploration of memory and the way emotions and events are experienced and remembered differently by men and women. It's the one I'd most like to rewatch since much of its charm, humor and insight is buried in the details.

[Rowland]

As much as I hated the film and find it poorly made by someone who seems to have only the most shallow appreciation of the films he's homaging, I can see how someone would get enjoyment out of it. I won't deny it didn't have it's entertaining moments and it's good to see a grindhouse-esque film revel in the trashier elements, but it's so empty-headed that I was only left thinking how unfunny and unfrightening it is. And I couldn't help wishing Syd Haig was in a better film!

Are you a fan? I know a few people who like it, but I've heard Devil's Rejects is better so maybe I'll get to that eventually.I hated House of 1000 Corpses the first time I saw it, but after The Devil's Rejects, which I thought was simply awesome, I returned to it with an open mind and discovered elements to admire. Walter Chaw pretty much nails (http://filmfreakcentral.net/dvdreviews/houseof1000waxworks.htm) the appeal it holds, even if I still don't think it's a particularly good movie.

[Li Lili]

My Blueberry Nights is a dissapointing work even (/especially?) for a Wong fanboy like me.
Here Wong Kar-Wai revisits themes about love he has already tackled before in the past, but in a less succesful way.
Norah Jones is pretty bland, and fails to carry the movie. Portman and Law are ok, while Weisz & Strathairn are pretty good. (It does help that their storyline is the best in the movie).

Of course it all looks very pretty, but this feels too much like a filmmaker rebooting his career in the US instead of exploring his favorite theme (love) in a new way.
:(
:confused::sad: I'm tempted to go and see it but I'm too scared to be angry!!!!! As WKW is (or perhaps now was???) one of favourite directors!

[Watashi]

Spirit of the Beehive is a beautiful film to look at, and features two outstanding child performances. The film is a bit too absorbed in its own isolated dreamlike prettiness and the symbolic imagery is a tad overdone, but it's a haunting film for sure. Some facts are vague if you are unfamiliar with Whale's film (which I was), yet I was overall engrossed by this dark fairy tale. For those who have seen the film, can someone explain the entire scene with Isabel choking the cat and then coating her lips with her blood? I took at as some weird sexual fetish she grew due to the emotional trauma between her parents.

[Sycophant]

Wong Kar-Wai is one of my favorite directors, but everything I've heard about My Blueberry Nights has lowered my expectations so far, that if it's good at all, I'll be pleasantly surprised.

[Li Lili]

I like the movie in theory -- I certainly admire its gonzo convictions. And it feels like a movie that I should love. But I don't like it much at all. As I see it, Mulholland Drive is vastly superior.
To me, it's the contrary, finally I enjoyed the David Lynch I used to love! Mulholland Drive didn't do much to me because it's too smooth, too polish and wanted to be too perfect. On the contrary, I loved Inland Empire because it's more grainy, and more experimental, even surrealistic, also Laura Dern is wonderful here and shows great talent.

[Li Lili]

Wong Kar-Wai is one of my favorite directors:pritch:

but everything I've heard about My Blueberry Nights has lowered my expectations so far, that if it's good at all, I'll be pleasantly surprised.there is always hope but I think I will wait.

[Watashi]

Li Lili.... is this Rikku?

[Mr. Valentine]

I was able to catch an advance screening of The Golden Compass last night and was very pleasantly surprised. Some of the preview trailers had me worried but the movie managed to capture most of the greatness of the book. I wish it could have been at least 45 minutes to an hour longer so they could have fleshed out some more stuff but they did a pretty good job condensing it down. The big action scene near the end (don't want to ruin anything for people who haven't read the book) was very well done and i've never seen an audience reaction like it before. it was a full 300 seat theater and people actually yelled out "oh shit!!!" and were cheering, etc.

[Li Lili]

Hong Sang-Soo's The Power of Kangwon Province was initially a bit of a letdown for me after the wonderful Woman on the Beach; it feels like the work of someone who hasn't completely come into their own yet, with a long-take/static-shot visual plan that's pure Tsai, with some Antonioni-isms thrown in (a murder subplot that's treated indifferently by the ennui-stricken characters). Still, there's some haunting moments of opaque yet authentically depicted human behaviour, as well as numerous striking details, and after reading a few review it seem that I missed a few key bits of info in the first half, so I owe a scan-through repeat viewing.

Anyone seen this?
I've seen all Hong Sang-soo's films and I found that more he makes films, less interested they are... :sad:
Woman on the Beach was too blank and conventional and rather irrelevant to his filmography.
My favourite and the most powerful and meaningful (because afterwards it's much softer and the same movie) is The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well, also Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors is one that stands out.

[Li Lili]

Li Lili.... is this Rikku?
nope.

[Watashi]

From Slant's review of Walk Hard (http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/film_review.asp?ID=3373)...


Still, the film gets some mileage out of mocking fatuous biopic conventions, epitomized by Reilly playing Dewey as a 14-year-old and then constantly stating his age in order to highlight said situation's idiocy. And a hilarious we-know-this-is-awful sequence involving Cox's LSD-fueled meeting with the Fab Four (embodied by the all-star squad of Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Jason Schwartzman, and Justin Long) almost single-handedly makes up for the fact that Walk Hard is a rickety imitation of a Will Ferrell vehicle. Plus, it earns points for its, ahem, ballsy rebuke to mainstream comedy's familiar homophobia by sticking a full-frontal, close-up penis in Cox's unruffled face…multiple times.


:eek:

Oh Slant... what would I do without you?

[Boner M]

I've seen all Hong Sang-soo's films and I found that more he makes films, less interested they are... :sad:
Woman on the Beach was too blank and conventional and rather irrelevant to his filmography.
Hmm, I didn't feel that way at all. I thought it was highly entertaining and incisive in it's dissection of relationships and was pointed in it's portrayal of the dubious nature of artistic progress, and even if it's more accessible than Kangwon Province, it felt like there was more going on beneath the surface and less mired in art-film convention. I also found it more formally compelling, with it's strategically placed, cheapo zooms that create a distance from the characters at crucial points; there's a nice balance between absorbing the audience in the drama as well as reminding them of it's artifice.

[EvilShoe]

Does this mean its finally getting a US release?
No idea. (I'm from Belgium)

[Qrazy]

So... My Friend Ivan Lapshin?

[number8]

So... My Friend Ivan Lapshin?

YOU'RE TEARING ME APAAAAAAAAARTTTTT!!!!

[number8]

Anyway,

Cassandra's Dream - Competent.

[Grouchy]

Hathaway's Kiss of Death deserves its reputation as a solid docu-noir, filmed in real locations and generally featuring street-level dialogue, convincing performances and surprisingly sadistic violence for the late '40s - that wheelchair scene is just awesomely sick. The best thing about it, though, is Richard Widmark as Tommy Udo - his expressions, his nervous laugh, he's the most menacing screen presence this side of Klaus Kinski, who he looks a lot like. If a Batman movie had been made back in the day, he should've played the Joker, hands down. Victor Mature's performance is way too stagey in comparison. I liked the film, but I would've liked it more if it spent less time with the police procedural scenes and more with Mature's battle of wits with Tommy Udo, a la Cape Fear only more noirish. After all, their first face-off is the last and the climax of the movie. Still, it's unfair to criticize a film for what it never tries to be, right?

[Mysterious Dude]

I admire Lynch for doing something different with motion pictures than what other filmmakers do, but I still found Inland Empire damn near unwatchable.

[MadMan]

I suppose I should get around to posting some brief thoughts on The Ox-Bow Incident. Despite its simplistic thesis, I appreciate how efficient the film is (barely over 70 minutes) at setting up the conflict and getting the posse on the road. It hits some cliches, but I think the archetypal characters remain useful in portraying the dangers of revenge as well as the pressure to conform to the masculine ideal once violence enters the equation. What the film lacks in subtlety it almost makes up for in its ability cut through all the bullshit.This is one of the many westerns I have left to see that have been hailed as "great" or "very good." I also want to see it because (I believe) Clint Eastwood noted he was a huge fan of the film.


Continuing on the John Wayne path, today I watched The Sons of Katie Elder. It took me three hours plus to finish since I had to keep interrupting it, but I made it all the way to the end. It's a nice big-budget revenge story that's more amiable and heartfelt than most. It's hard to be displeased with a movie like this since it has everything - a lot of gunfire (including those custom-made six-shooters that just keep on shooting and shooting), well-acted drama, light-headed comedy, widescreen vistas set to moving music, young Dennis Hopper in a thankless chickenshit part, etc. I think a disadvantage of movies so star-based as this one is that the stars invariably take all of the screentime and as a consequence other characters are underused by the script, at least until a really distinctive director's touch changes the situation, but Henry Hathaway is no Huston, Hawks or Ford, just a hired skilled hand. With John Wayne and Dean Martin on the same movie, who wants to know about anybody else's affairs? Still a solid western.I feel pretty much the same about that flick. Its solid yes, but pretty forgettable after the fact. Great to see that your going through some of John Wayne's work Grouchy; I think meg and I should try to revive and recreate our western thread here that we had on MatchCut.


First, I agree that glorification in general is usually not a good idea, but whether or not it and the extent to which it glorifies seems based mostly on hearsay.Good. This also feeds into my concern that the film itself may not dive deep enough and properly cover the issue as well.


It's important to take into account that reasons, allegiances and attitudes change over time. Hindsight is 20/20 and you can't blame Wilson for what's happening now. The fact that the US used to support Bin Laden when he was fighting the 'Commies' and the fact that they gave him and Afghan guerrillas arms is interesting, not for finger-pointing or as something to be ignored or as something we should paint as an utter mistake. It seemed like a necessary course of action when it occurred.While yes hindsight is 20/20, whether or not the decision to arm the Afghan "freedom" fighters was a good idea was debatable (or should have been) back then. Had the CIA and co. thought twice about arming these people and then leaving them to fight amongst themselves, thus creating a power vaccum that resulted in something even worse emerging, maybe we wouldn't have had our current problems. The US government throughout the 20th century made decisions that were at times clearly idiotic and wrong, and now they've come back to bite us in the ass (we're lucky the people of Chile, Cambodia, and every single goddamn country we've screwed with has decided not to attack us).


Should we refuse to watch a film about the CIA because it's highly likely they had a hand in putting Saddam in power?Well for starters I know all about the CIA and thus don't need to see a film about them anyways ;)
Plus there are two films about the CIA: The Company, which actually didn't look half bad, and The Good Shepherd which from what I hear was clunky, overlong and mostly dull. From what I've seen/heard these films more or less handle the CIA's history in the sort of mixed life that it is, although I wonder how much they touch upon the governments the CIA overthrew as well. So long as the CIA isn't presented as the greatest thing since sliced bread I don't mind a movie being made about it.

There are certain films I just won't see. Caligia one of those. Charlie Wilson's War may end up being another.

I've never seen a Lynch film. I do believe Ereaserhead[/i[] down at my hometown's library, as is [i]Videodrome. I may check both out over break, if I feel inclined to weird myself out.

[Rowland]

Videodrome is a Cronenberg movie, MadMan. And if you are ever interested in seriously engaging Lynch's work, Eraserhead would not be a good place to start. I'd try Blue Velvet.

[MadMan]

Videodrome is a Cronenberg movie, MadMan. And if you are ever interested in seriously engaging Lynch's work, Eraserhead would not be a good place to start. I'd try Blue Velvet.Whoops, sometimes I get the two mixed up somehow heh. I think maybe the library has Blue Velvet but if they don't I'm sure I'll be able to find it elsewhere.

[Qrazy]

While yes hindsight is 20/20, whether or not the decision to arm the Afghan "freedom" fighters was a good idea was debatable (or should have been) back then. Had the CIA and co. thought twice about arming these people and then leaving them to fight amongst themselves, thus creating a power vaccum that resulted in something even worse emerging, maybe we wouldn't have had our current problems. The US government throughout the 20th century made decisions that were at times clearly idiotic and wrong, and now they've come back to bite us in the ass (we're lucky the people of Chile, Cambodia, and every single goddamn country we've screwed with has decided not to attack us).


If we hadn't armed them we probably would have ended up sending troops in ourselves as we did in Nam and Korea... then it just becomes a theoretical and completely impossible and useless numbers game of which decision would have resulted in more or fewer casualties... for all sides. And whether or not we would still have the current ideological conflict between the Middle East and the West, if we hadn't given arms, is very much open for debate. I would be inclined to say we would still have the conflict... and even if we didn't, perhaps this has more to do with the fact that after giving arms we pretty much just left them to die and fend for themselves.

I'm not saying Charlie Wilson's War is or isn't a good movie, I have no idea. And I won't see Caligula either, because I think it will be a bad, exhibitionist exercise in surface slop... all I'm saying is that I don't think it's reasonable to not see art on the basis of the politics involved (not a general definition of politics, i.e. all human relations... but an erm... explicitly political definition of politics). I find it too limiting. If you think it will be an unenlightening bad film, that's fine... but it's decidedly dangerous to paint not only the present reality of an entire group of people, as in the wrong, but their past as well. What's interesting about political conflicts is not who is right and who's wrong, in fact that's almost always very difficult to gauge, but about what led us to the conflict in the first place, and what we can do to change things.

[Watashi]

Spirit of the Beehive is a beautiful film to look at, and features two outstanding child performances. The film is a bit too absorbed in its own isolated dreamlike prettiness and the symbolic imagery is a tad overdone, but it's a haunting film for sure. Some facts are vague if you are unfamiliar with Whale's film (which I was), yet I was overall engrossed by this dark fairy tale. For those who have seen the film, can someone explain the entire scene with Isabel choking the cat and then coating her lips with her blood? I took at as some weird sexual fetish she grew due to the emotional trauma between her parents.

*nudgy nudge*

[Qrazy]

YOU'RE TEARING ME APAAAAAAAAARTTTTT!!!!

That's a fine way to behave.

[Duncan]

*nudgy nudge*

Don't really have time to post, but here (http://matchcut.org/viewtopic.php?t=10656&start=28)is what I've written on the film.

[dreamdead]

*nudgy nudge*

You're gonna have to wait for Raiders or Duncan, as they both love Beehive. I've seen it, but the recollection is too foggy to be of use here, though my rating is about the same as yours. Great, great second half, but the first part was too poetic and too meandering...

[balmakboor]

I was able to catch an advance screening of The Golden Compass last night and was very pleasantly surprised. Some of the preview trailers had me worried but the movie managed to capture most of the greatness of the book. I wish it could have been at least 45 minutes to an hour longer so they could have fleshed out some more stuff but they did a pretty good job condensing it down. The big action scene near the end (don't want to ruin anything for people who haven't read the book) was very well done and i've never seen an audience reaction like it before. it was a full 300 seat theater and people actually yelled out "oh shit!!!" and were cheering, etc.

I can't believe you went to a movie that wants to teach kids to hate God!!! And I can't believe Nicole Kidman agreed to be in it. She is a mom. She has kids!!

At least that is what one of the moms from my kids' swim team said to me the other day. When she heard I was a film critic of sorts, she came up to me and vented her feelings about the movie. I've heard similar comments from several other people who attend the Catholic church up the street. Must be a slow year on the pulpit.

[balmakboor]

Btw, has anyone seen Who Can Kill a Child? I read something about it a while back that made me want to check it out, but damn if it hasn't been on Very Long Wait for a very long time. Is it worth still very long waiting for?

[Sycophant]

I can't believe you went to a movie that wants to teach kids to hate God!!! And I can't believe Nicole Kidman agreed to be in it. She is a mom. She has kids!!

At least that is what one of the moms from my kids' swim team said to me the other day. When she heard I was a film critic of sorts, she came up to me and vented her feelings about the movie. I've heard similar comments from several other people who attend the Catholic church up the street. Must be a slow year on the pulpit.
The film is, in fact, being boycotted by several religious groups, including The Catholic League (http://entertainment.timesonline.co.u k/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article2999647.ece).

[balmakboor]

The film is, in fact, being boycotted by several religious groups, including The Catholic League (http://entertainment.timesonline.co.u k/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article2999647.ece).

Yes. Actually I knew that, but I haven't paid much attention to the whole thing really. Honestly, I just hope the movie is better than that miserable Narnia movie that the same moms think is God's gift to the children of the world.

[Melville]

The Son is a masterpiece. A profound parable made emotionally devastating by its relentlessly inquisitive camera and formal austerity. I'm trying to think of something else brief to say, but coherent sentences evade me.

[balmakboor]

I should add that I've loved all of the Narnia books since first reading them in Sunday school. But oh how huge a disappointment I found the movie to be.

Why am I talking in spoiler tags?

[Melville]

*nudgy nudge*
I think it was more about a passage into adulthood than a sado-bestialist fetish. The girl uses her power over the cat the same way she uses her power over her sister: irresponsibly. She is fascinated by her own ability to do harm. However, I'd say you're right that her lack of restraint is probably meant to indicate the moral vacuum left by her parents.

Edit: Duncan probably offered a similar interpretation in his review.

[Rowland]

The Son is a masterpiece. A profound parable made emotionally devastating by its relentlessly inquisitive camera and formal austerity. I'm trying to think of something else brief to say, but coherent sentences evade me.Yes, The Son is amazing. After being disappointed by L'Enfant, this blew me away.

[balmakboor]

The Son is a masterpiece. A profound parable made emotionally devastating by its relentlessly inquisitive camera and formal austerity. I'm trying to think of something else brief to say, but coherent sentences evade me.

Seeing as you love Ordet -- probably the most moving film experience of my life -- this post has placed The Son in my Netflix queue to be seen soon.

[Melville]

Yes, The Son is amazing. After being disappointed by L'Enfant, this blew me away.
I really liked L'Enfant, but this one has left me reeling. My heart is still at near-palpitation levels.

[Melville]

Seeing as you love Ordet -- probably the most moving film experience of my life -- this post has placed The Son in my Netflix queue to be seen soon.
Yeah, the ending of Ordet is probably the most moving thing I've ever seen on film. The ending of The Son isn't quite at that level, but it's pretty close.

[Qrazy]

I really liked L'Enfant, but this one has left me reeling. My heart is still at near-palpitation levels.

That would be your high cholesterol.

[balmakboor]

...this one has left me reeling. My heart is still at near-palpitation levels.

That's what I love about this place in a nutshell. We can say things like this about a movie and everyone understands. Most people I know would just give me a strange look and a shake of the head if I said something like that.

I actually get that heart racing feeling bad enough sometimes after a great film that I can't sleep that night.

[Watashi]

Can someone explain to me how the doghouse tattoo effect was accomplished in Duck Soup? This has to be one of the earliest special effects I've seen and I still can't find any reference on how it was done.

[Melville]

That would be your high cholesterol.
Curse this hypertension! My arteries should be able to handle whatever amount of greasy food I throw at them, god damn it!

[Ezee E]

Can someone explain to me how the doghouse tattoo effect was accomplished in Duck Soup? This has to be one of the earliest special effects I've seen and I still can't find any reference on how it was done.
Bout time you saw it. Was that your first Marx Bros movie?

[Watashi]

Bout time you saw it. Was that your first Marx Bros movie?

Yeah. It was pretty good. It's one of those films where it's been parodied up the whazoo (Bugs Bunny is pretty much a carbon copy of Groucho). The mirror scene is the best.

[Rowland]

I was in the mood for something light tonight, so I watched Zoolander... veeeery hit-and-miss, but man... Zane. :lol:

[Boner M]

Seems like everyone who's seen The Son here considers it a masterpiece... and rightfully so. It's flawless.


I was in the mood for something light tonight, so I watched Zoolander... veeeery hit-and-miss, but man... Zane. :lol:
It's weird how huge this film is in Australia. It even made the top 30 of our version of Empire's top 100 greatest films of all time. I enjoy it myself, but still... :|

[Grouchy]

Can someone explain to me how the doghouse tattoo effect was accomplished in Duck Soup? This has to be one of the earliest special effects I've seen and I still can't find any reference on how it was done.
Good question. I'm guessing all of Harpo's belly is an enormous fake curtain and the dog is simply jumping from behind. But it's been a while since I've seen it. I should look it up on youtube.

[Mr. Valentine]

The film is, in fact, being boycotted by several religious groups, including The Catholic League (http://entertainment.timesonline.co.u k/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article2999647.ece).

that's the best endorsement for me to go see a film is if The Catholic League is boycotting it.

[Mysterious Dude]

My grandmother will definitely be boycotting that film. Anytime the radio tells her to be outraged by something, she's outraged. Of course, she would never have heard of it otherwise.

[Spinal]

that's the best endorsement for me to go see a film is if The Catholic League is boycotting it.

Yes, I wasn't interested in it until now.

[Qrazy]

Can someone explain to me how the doghouse tattoo effect was accomplished in Duck Soup? This has to be one of the earliest special effects I've seen and I still can't find any reference on how it was done.

This is only a guess, but I'm fairly certain it's right.

It's mostly a use of perspective. The clothing crates a frame within a frame and is put right up close to the camera. The house drawing is a large painting in the background with a hole cut in it and the dog is put through. Showing the actual fake tattoo in relation to the way he's holding his clothes in wide shot beforehand coupled with good use of shadow from the clothing onto the body/onto the matte painting in the next shot cements the illusion.

[Qrazy]

Someone should do a fan edit of Naruto. It would probably be at least half as long and twice as awesome. So much excess, but the original material is itself quite good.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Someone should do a fan edit of Naruto. It would probably be at least half as long and twice as awesome. So much excess, but the original material is itself quite good.

http://www.buddytv.com/articles/naruto/images/naruto-uzumaki-1.jpg
This Naruto?

[lovejuice]

http://www.buddytv.com/articles/naruto/images/naruto-uzumaki-1.jpg
This Naruto?

i have this same burning question.

[Derek]

Seems like everyone who's seen The Son here considers it a masterpiece... and rightfully so. It's flawless.

*Sheepishly raises hand*

It's actually my least favorite Dardenne Bros. film, though I still like it. Given my love for their other three films, I'll certainly give it another go sooner than later. FWIW, I think Rosetta is their masterpiece.

[Ivan Drago]

Can someone explain to me how the doghouse tattoo effect was accomplished in Duck Soup? This has to be one of the earliest special effects I've seen and I still can't find any reference on how it was done.

Only ***1/2? I've got a good mind to join a club and beat you over the head with it. I'll see my lawyer about this as soon as he graduates from law school!

[Qrazy]

This Naruto?

Yeah, that and Shippuuden, both shows, not the movies.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Yeah, that and Shippuuden, both shows, not the movies.
I haven't heard good things about the movies, although I don't watch the shows. My sister is a big anime fan, although she doesn't watch Naruto much... I promised her I'd watch one series of her choice though, she's taking a lot of time deciding.

[origami_mustache]

I was in the mood for something light tonight, so I watched Zoolander... veeeery hit-and-miss, but man... Zane. :lol:

I actually didn't like much of Zoolander the first time I saw it, but it kind of forcibly grew on me.

[Qrazy]

I haven't heard good things about the movies, although I don't watch the shows. My sister is a big anime fan, although she doesn't watch Naruto much... I promised her I'd watch one series of her choice though, she's taking a lot of time deciding.

Show: Cowboy Bebop

Movie: Based on your taste, or what I've seen so far, I can't imagine you disliking Whisper of the Heart

[Philosophe_rouge]

Show: Cowboy Bebop

Movie: Based on your taste, or what I've seen so far, I can't imagine you disliking Whisper of the Heart
I've seen Whisper, not yet Bebop though. I'll try and watch it.

[ledfloyd]

i watched rashomon last night. it was very good. it's only my second kurosawa and i enjoyed it a fair bit more than seven samurai. it's one i'll need to watch again, i think, to fully comprehend all the finer points of the story but the cinematography is absolutely top notch. and the story is great too in how it makes you reevaluate what you consider as truth.

[Qrazy]

i watched rashomon last night. it was very good. it's only my second kurosawa and i enjoyed it a fair bit more than seven samurai. it's one i'll need to watch again, i think, to fully comprehend all the finer points of the story but the cinematography is absolutely top notch. and the story is great too in how it makes you reevaluate what you consider as truth.

I recommend Throne of Blood for your next viewing.

On another note, half-way through Il Posto, my second Olmi and it's great. His films have a soft, quiet beauty about them. His shooting style is without frills, and purposeful. He tells simple tales and finds those common moments and emotions which we've all experienced and can connect with... he lets the moment breathe and the characters grow with the natural progression of the story. There are no strings here, no obvious mechanics. The high calibur of the craftsmanship is on full display throughout, but the focus is on the people, the characters, the environment they inhabit and the shaping of their lives.

[ledfloyd]

I recommend Throne of Blood for your next viewing.
altman more or less said the same thing in the introduction, and i'm a fan of macbeth, so i'm sold.

[origami_mustache]

Good Men, Good Women (Hsiao-hsien Hou, 1995)

http://pserve.club.fr/GoodMenGoodWomen1.jpg

Good Men Good Women, is dedicated to political activists, Chiang Bi-Yu, Chung Hao-Tung, and all of the political victims of the 1950s. Rather than making a period biopic, Hou places his film in contemporary Taiwan allowing for a critique of both the old and new. The central character in the film is an actress by the name of Liang Ching (Annie Shizuka Inoh) who is starring in a biopic about Chiang Bi-Yu who left Taiwan for the mainland to join the anti-Japanese resistance during World War II, only to be arrested as Communists upon their return home. The film alternates back and forth between excerpts from the film within the film signified by black and white photography and Liang Ching struggling to overcome the pain brought on by the murder of her former criminal lover along with her drug addicted past. On top of this she begins receiving mysterious faxes that contain entries from her own diary, and is accused of infidelity with her own brother-in-law. Early on in the film Liang Ching explains through a voice-over that she feels she has become Chiang Bi-Yu and thus experiences the anxiety of two generations simultaneously. The parallels between the characters are evident as they face persecution as well as the death of their lovers, among other things. Liang Ching being haunted by her past further serves to perpetuate how events buried in the history of a nation can have far reaching consequences. Good Men, Good Women is perhaps Hou's most political, narratively conventional, and possibly best film.

[Qrazy]

Does anyone know if Wajda directed any great films other than his war trilogy (A Generation, Kanal, Ashes and Diamonds)? I checked out Man of Marble and found it to be fairly tedious, and while not terrible, not nearly as competent as his trilogy. Any others I should look out for?

[Boner M]

Good Men, Good Women is perhaps Hou's most political, narratively conventional, and possibly best film.
Excellent. I own this but haven't watched it yet on account of Flowers of Shanghai and Goodbye South Goodbye slightly underwhelming me, despite each having many fine points. Your review is encouraging.

[Li Lili]

Hmm, I didn't feel that way at all. I thought it was highly entertaining and incisive in it's dissection of relationships and was pointed in it's portrayal of the dubious nature of artistic progress, and even if it's more accessible than Kangwon Province, it felt like there was more going on beneath the surface and less mired in art-film convention. I also found it more formally compelling, with it's strategically placed, cheapo zooms that create a distance from the characters at crucial points; there's a nice balance between absorbing the audience in the drama as well as reminding them of it's artifice.
All his films are about relationships (between men and women), Woman on The Beach brings nothing new at all from his other films, on the contrary, it's weaker in the sense that it's rather flat and too conventional, and less interested in the way of portraying these relationships, actually, it was almost like a classic romantic Korean film (so many of them!).

[Boner M]

I caught 1408 tonight on account of missing an advance screening of The Darjeeling Limited due to bus schedule mishaps. It was actually pretty decent for a while, mostly due to Cusack's wonderfully wry and absorbing performance, until it makes repeated attempts at blowing your mind that had me rolling me eyes instead. The last 1/2 hour were particularly groan-worthy. Still, I walked out not as angry as I should've been considering the circumstances of the night, so a bit of credit to the movie for that I guess. Props to Samuel L. Jackson for giving the most amusingly phoned-in performance I've seen in a while.

[Li Lili]

[CENTER]Good Men, Good Women (Hsiao-hsien Hou, 1995)

Good Men, Good Women is perhaps Hou's most political, narratively conventional, and possibly best film.

Excellent. I own this but haven't watched it yet on account of Flowers of Shanghai and Goodbye South Goodbye slightly underwhelming me, despite each having many fine points. Your review is encouraging.
I also like very much this one, quite complex in its narration. A City of Sadness is one of my favourites, also rather "political", but in many Hou's films big History is linked to personal stories. I loved the way is films are shot, the importance given to the sound and colours, and I found his films very perceptive, observant, subtle and sensorial.
Three Times and Café Lumière are also excellent films.

[Boner M]

I also like very much this one, quite complex in its narration. A City of Sadness is one of my favourites, also rather "political", but in many Hou's films big History is linked to personal stories. I loved the way is films are shot, the importance given to the sound and colours, and I found his films very perceptive, observant, subtle and sensorial.
Three Times and Café Lumière are also excellent films.
More encouraging words. I do believe that Hou is the master so many egghead critics tout him as; I just wish I liked the films of his I've seen more (Three Times is my favorite so far, but I don't love it).

[Li Lili]

More encouraging words. I do believe that Hou is the master so many egghead critics tout him as; I just wish I liked the films of his I've seen more (Three Times is my favorite so far, but I don't love it).
A Time for Love (set in the 60s) is probably the one that moved me the most, Shu Qi and Chang Chen were perfect, A Time for Freedom (set in 1911) was also interesting (colours/silent) and I liked it for its historical background but the contemporary part was the weakest I thought, didn't find enough interest.

[Yxklyx]

Does anyone know if Wajda directed any great films other than his war trilogy (A Generation, Kanal, Ashes and Diamonds)? I checked out Man of Marble and found it to be fairly tedious, and while not terrible, not nearly as competent as his trilogy. Any others I should look out for?

Promised Land was amusing for an epic.

[Rowland]

Critical/Editorial ethics in the spotlight (http://www.wilnervision.com/?p=387#more-387)

[baby doll]

Critical/Editorial ethics in the spotlight (http://www.wilnervision.com/?p=387#more-387)Looking at the endless string of comments under Rosenbaum's review of No Country for Old Men and the bitchy neo-cons that attack Michael Atkinson on a regular basis, I wonder whether there's any reason to let just anyone post a comment under a review. It seems like it's only angry dickwads with too much time on their hands, and rather than fostering any kind of discussion, they merely insist that everyone side with the official party line (if I want party line reviews, I'm not going to read Jonathan Rosenbaum). That the editor at Boxoffice.com is siding with the mob over the reviewer (frankly, the movie does sound pedestrian and the fact that it won the audience prize at the Toronto film festival is practically proof) is alarming and sad. I just thank god that my blog is read by only three people (one of them being my girlfriend).

[Rowland]

I just thank god that my blog is read by only three people (one of them being my girlfriend).I read your No Country for Old Men posting. :cool:

[origami_mustache]

I also like very much this one, quite complex in its narration. A City of Sadness is one of my favourites, also rather "political", but in many Hou's films big History is linked to personal stories. I loved the way is films are shot, the importance given to the sound and colours, and I found his films very perceptive, observant, subtle and sensorial.
Three Times and Café Lumière are also excellent films.

I'll be watching City of Sadness soon...I want to get a hold of Sandwich Man too.

[ledfloyd]

a second watch of rashomon for some reason helped me connect with the story a little more. my whole idea of what reality is is shattered. it's not that i hadn't heard these ideas before, just the way they were presented i guess hit me. i had to take a walk after the rewatch. watching rashomon and finishing the first season of the wire on the same day was a bad idea i think. today my head is overflowing.

[balmakboor]

I read your No Country for Old Men posting. :cool:

Now you see. That makes four people. I read it as well.

[number8]

Critical/Editorial ethics in the spotlight (http://www.wilnervision.com/?p=387#more-387)

That's pretty damn petty. I'm pretty surprised an editor would react that way.

[Ezee E]

I caught 1408 tonight on account of missing an advance screening of The Darjeeling Limited due to bus schedule mishaps. It was actually pretty decent for a while, mostly due to Cusack's wonderfully wry and absorbing performance, until it makes repeated attempts at blowing your mind that had me rolling me eyes instead. The last 1/2 hour were particularly groan-worthy. Still, I walked out not as angry as I should've been considering the circumstances of the night, so a bit of credit to the movie for that I guess. Props to Samuel L. Jackson for giving the most amusingly phoned-in performance I've seen in a while.
You pretty much nailed it.

[lovejuice]

I caught 1408 tonight...

this movie and the mist get me thinking perhaps king's adaptation is best when the setting is claustro. (have i to mention the shining?) dreamcatcher starts going "downhill" when the millitary's involved.

[Duncan]

I caught some of the quieter scenes from Munich on HBO today. They were better than I remembered. I think that could have been a really great film had it been structured differently. ie. Had it not tried to draw an audience with its action picture trappings. And that sex scene still sucks.

[Ezee E]

Where the heck are you people?

Weekend:
DVD:
Cabaret
First Snow
Shoah: Disc 1

Theater:
Atonement
Lars and the Real Girl
The Mist
Mr. Magorium

[Ezee E]

I caught some of the quieter scenes from Munich on HBO today. They were better than I remembered. I think that could have been a really great film had it been structured differently. ie. Had it not tried to draw an audience with its action picture trappings. And that sex scene still sucks.
The sex scene single-handedly hurts it. The rest is pretty great.

[Boner M]

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (135 min. cut)
Still Life
Design For Living
Good Men Good Women

And maybe Point Blank/The Asphalt Jungle on the big screen.

[Winston*]

Might catch Meh-owulf Meh-D (Ze-meh-kis) or This is England at the theatre. Don't know what else.

[chrisnu]

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (135 min. cut)
:) Have you seen the shorter cut?


And maybe Point Blank/The Asphalt Jungle on the big screen.
:cool:

For me: Paprika, Killer of Sheep, and maybe a re-watch of No Country for Old Men.

[Spinal]

Might catch Meh-owulf Meh-D (Ze-meh-kis)

Do you have an IMehX theater near you?

[Boner M]

:) Have you seen the shorter cut?

Yes (http://matchcut.org/viewtopic.php?p=455833&highlight=chinese+bookie#45583 3).

I really hope I don't find the longer one inferior, as I thought the shorter one pretty much flowed perfectly and never felt rushed in any way.

[soitgoes...]

Weekend:
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Exiled
A Moment of Innocence
White Christmas
Perhaps The Iron Horse if Netflix is on their game tomorrow.

[Winston*]

Do you have an IMehX theater near you?

Nah, just a regular Meh-ltiplex.

[number8]

Nah, just a regular Meh-ltiplex.

Meh sure it's at least 3D. Or you'll be cheating yourself out of a mehperience.

[Boner M]

Guys, enough already.

Meh-tinee, Winston?

[Philosophe_rouge]

Finally got around to finishing Powell and Pressburger's The Small Back Room after being too busy for a week. The darkest of their films I've seen, it's about a neurotic scientist with one foot who is battling emotional, alcohol and relationship problems. The film is rather unusual as the harsh realism is contrasted by the adopted realism of their best known period. Sequences like the "whisky bottle" fantasy seem to have come under a lot of critisism, but I actually think they work quite well, although I'm not a huge fan of some of the sound devices. David Farrar is brilliant in the lead role, moving in an entirely different direction than his performances in Gone to Earth and Black Narcissus. He is a commanding screen presence, and makes holds this film firmly down to earth. The suspence is also very effective, and the film generally succeeds on all levels. I only wish it were a touch longer, as it feels rushed, especially towards the end.

[Sycophant]

Weekend:
I'm Not There
No Direction Home (If I don't start it by the time I see I'm Not There, both discs are going back to Netflix, 'cause I will never watch it)
Versus (rewatch)
Elf
Horsefeathers
Exodus
Dororo
The Golden Compass

[Winston*]

thesycophant is planning on forgoing sleep this weekend.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Weekend
-The Golden Compass OR Atonement OR I'm Not There... maybe a combination of two
-Picnic at Hanging Rock
-Went the Day Well
-Sunday, Bloody, Sunday
-Listen to Britain

[Sycophant]

thesycophant is planning on forgoing sleep this weekend.Heh. I don't realistically expect to get to all of that. Really, it's more or less something there to keep me on track if I forget the things I wanted to watch.

And I don't sleep anyway.

[baby doll]

Weekend:

She's Gotta Have It (Spike Lee)
Un divan Ã* New York (Chantal Akerman)
Woman in the Moon (Fritz Lang)

Revisiting: Les Amants du Pont-Neuf (Leos Carax), The Falls (Peter Greenaway)

[Eleven]

Weekend:

Writing Papers for Finals (07, dir. DeBagg Prefeusser)

In between, maybe the segments of Histoire(s) du cinema sans subtitles and/or Jeanne Dielman with subtitles.

[BirdsAteMyFace]

Weekend:

Sigur Rós - Heima (theater)
Nobody Knows
Clean
Old Joy

[Sven]

Woman in the Moon (Fritz Lang)

I thought you hated this movie.

[Qrazy]

Finally got around to finishing Powell and Pressburger's The Small Back Room after being too busy for a week. The darkest of their films I've seen, it's about a neurotic scientist with one foot who is battling emotional, alcohol and relationship problems. The film is rather unusual as the harsh realism is contrasted by the adopted realism of their best known period. Sequences like the "whisky bottle" fantasy seem to have come under a lot of critisism, but I actually think they work quite well, although I'm not a huge fan of some of the sound devices. David Farrar is brilliant in the lead role, moving in an entirely different direction than his performances in Gone to Earth and Black Narcissus. He is a commanding screen presence, and makes holds this film firmly down to earth. The suspence is also very effective, and the film generally succeeds on all levels. I only wish it were a touch longer, as it feels rushed, especially towards the end.

If you haven't seen it yet move Peeping Tom to the top of your list asap. Eleven can vouch for it's excellence.

[Qrazy]

Weekend:

A few of the following, someone tell me which...

Judgement at Nurembourg
Rocco and His Brothers
Smiles of a Summer Night
Aileen Wuornos
Failsafe
Caravaggio
Attack the Gas Station
Young Torless
The Heiress
La Captive
Children of Hiroshima
An Affair to Remember
Veronika Voss
Things to Come
The Abyss
An American Werewolf in London
Le Souffle au Coueur
Soldier of Orange
Story of the Late Crysanthemums
Cario Diario
Yeelen
Fists in the Pocket
Nine Queens
A Room with a View
Taboo
Chronicle of a Love
Official Story
Cria
Lady Snowblood
Exotica
Father and Son
Still Life
Vinyl
Three Songs about Lenin
Las Hurdes
Empire (Sokurov)

And probably some more Aleksei German films without subtitles... god damn it.

[Eleven]

If you haven't seen it yet move Peeping Tom to the top of your list asap. Eleven can vouch for it's excellence.

"Better than Psycho!" raves The Eleventyville Gazette.

[Qrazy]

"It got me into Peeping!" raves Qrazy - Convicted Criminal

[Philosophe_rouge]

If you haven't seen it yet move Peeping Tom to the top of your list asap. Eleven can vouch for it's excellence.
It's uber embarassing that I haven't, I just keep putting it off.

From your list I recommend, Judgement at Nurembourg and The Heiress. Not that I've seen many of the others.

[Mysterious Dude]

I recommend:

Smiles of a Summer Night
Failsafe
The Heiress
Things to Come - (very goofy sci-fi)
Story of the Late Crysanthemums - (I haven't seen this, but I would kill you and your children for the opportunity)
Vinyl - (I haven't seen this, either, but it looks very interesting)

[Sven]

See:
Soldier of Orange
Judgement at Nurembourg
Veronika Voss
An American Werewolf in London
A Room with a View
Exotica

Skip:
Nine Queens

[chrisnu]

Yes (http://matchcut.org/viewtopic.php?p=455833&highlight=chinese+bookie#45583 3).

I really hope I don't find the longer one inferior, as I thought the shorter one pretty much flowed perfectly and never felt rushed in any way.
I wouldn't say it's inferior, or better. Just longer. There's some good and some bad added to the film. What's interesting to analyze is how different scenes are recontextualized, and can change your interpretation of Cosmo as a character.

[balmakboor]

If you haven't seen it yet move Peeping Tom to the top of your list asap. Eleven can vouch for it's excellence.

It certainly has one of my favorite director cameos ever. And yeh, it's better than Psycho me thinks.

[Qrazy]

I wouldn't say it's inferior, or better. Just longer. There's some good and some bad added to the film. What's interesting to analyze is how different scenes are recontextualized, and can change your interpretation of Cosmo as a character.

I preferred the longer one, especially for the longer opening scene of the film.

[MadMan]

Weekend:

*NFL football
*Maybe a movie or two. Not sure which one. I donno if I'll finally get to either Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang or True Romance because next week is finals week.
*Lots and lots of studying. Ugh.

[Qrazy]

What gives more rep power?

[Sven]

What gives more rep power?

Posting more.

[MadMan]

Posting more.Bingo.

Post +1 btw (a small homage to the RT days)

[Watashi]

Weekend:

The Golden Compass
Welcome to the Dollhouse
Sicko

[Derek]

Weekend:

A few of the following, someone tell me which...

Do Not Miss:

Story of the Late Crysanthemums

Pretty great:

Fists in the Pocket
Exotica
Father and Son
Veronika Voss

Good:

Smiles of a Summer Night
Las Hurdes

Meh:

Judgement at Nurembourg
An American Werewolf in London

Awful, despite McCarey otherwise being "the man":

An Affair to Remember

[Spinal]

Weekend:

A few of the following, someone tell me which...


An American Werewolf in London


This one!

[Spinal]

Meh:

An American Werewolf in London



What? Seriously? :sad:

[Sycophant]

Weekend:

Nobody Knows

Yay!

[number8]

Wrote something (http://www.justpressplay.net/viewarticle/watch-out-rapeman-1993.html) about Rapeman.

[origami_mustache]

Weekend:

Goodbye South, Goodbye
Flowers of Shanghai
City of Sadness

[Boner M]

Wrote something (http://www.justpressplay.net/viewarticle/watch-out-rapeman-1993.html) about Rapeman.
A great short-lived late 80's hardcore band fronted by Steve Albini (Pixies/PJ Harvey/Nirvana producer) named themselves after the source comic. I've been curious about the film since discovering the band.

[Qrazy]

So now that I've viewed Exotica and The Sweet Hereafter, and enjoyed both, what are some other good Egoyan films?

[number8]

A great short-lived late 80's hardcore band fronted by Steve Albini (Pixies/PJ Harvey/Nirvana producer) named themselves after the source comic. I've been curious about the film since discovering the band.

Yeah, I know. A bunch of their singles were lewd panels from the comic.

[Boner M]

So now that I've viewed Exotica and The Sweet Hereafter, and enjoyed both, what are some other good Egoyan films?
Calendar, The Adjuster, and especially Speaking Parts are all worth your time. I also like Ararat and Felicia's Journey more than most. Where the Truth Lies was lame, though it has a few supporters here.

[Briare]

Watched Downfall for the first time tonight. I know, I'm a little late to the party but what a punch that packed. It was interesting how Hitler was portrayed, if expected but what I found most intriguing was how each of his henchmen was shown throughout the movie. The delusional Himmler who is convinced that he can just walk up to Eisenhower and negotiate surrended springs to mind, and the actor, one Ulrich Noethen does a terrific job in Himmler's few scenes but perhaps of all the cast I found each scene with the deranged Goebbels to be most disturbing; the man was a ball of pure evil, a truly disgusting creature who feels no remorse at the death of his children. He seems to derive some pleasure out of hearing Hitler at last decry Speer, Himmler and Goring at the dinner table and later wordlessly limps around the bunker after the death of Hitler, silently gloating to himself that he alone came out on top and was named Fuehrer in the place of the dead dictator. The film is especially surprising in depicting Hitler as human but thats ground thats been tread thoroughly for years now so I'll leave it there. Just some thoughts.

[Qrazy]

Calendar, The Adjuster, and especially Speaking Parts are all worth your time. I also like Ararat and Felicia's Journey more than most. Where the Truth Lies was lame, though it has a few supporters here.

Thanks, I'll check 'em out.

[balmakboor]

Come on guys. An American Werewolf in London is great.

[Qrazy]

Well, Vinyl was an unbearable piece of crap. The central premise of an unwavering single shot for more or less the entire film could have worked if Warhol had some talent for staging, cinematography or mise-en-scene, or if the actors were marginally competent, but alas, neither is the case. Art, we're making art! Surface, things are all surface! Hooray! Shut the fuck up already.

Watching the film, which is a very loose adaptation of A Clockwork Orange, did get me thinking about the book though, and if Sartre ever commented on the work. The book's notion of free will and of choice (with a focus on choice between 'good' and 'evil') seems detrimentally simplistic to a certain degree. Which is not to say that the novel and Kubrick's work don't raise other interesting issues, just that this primarily religious conception of choice seems too easy. Plus, Alex strikes me as a quintessential case of bad faith.

Also, while a Pavlovian method of conditioning could work to link specific songs to a chemically induced sense of illness... I have rather high doubts about the effectiveness of using violent videos as a means to condition a distaste for violent behavior in general. There are too many uncontrolled variables and the relationship between the two is far too abstract. These are just some general thoughts, not to be taken as a critique of those elements of the novel or anything... often the science in science-fiction is primarily used as a jumping off point for the philosophical issues under analysis anyway.

[Yxklyx]

Rocco and His Brothers - awesome
Smiles of a Summer Night - good
Failsafe - awesome
The Heiress - good
Veronika Voss - good
Things to Come - poor
An American Werewolf in London - good
Soldier of Orange - meh
Story of the Late Crysanthemums - good
Nine Queens - good
A Room with a View - good
Lady Snowblood - meh
Exotica - good

[Yxklyx]

Weekend:

finishing up The Newsroom (1996)
Border Incident (dir. Anthony Mann)

[Raiders]

Weekend:

I'm Not There
The Golden Compass
Atonement
Loft

[Ivan Drago]

Weekend:

No Country For Old Men

That's about it.

[Li Lili]

Still Life
I've seen it, and while many liked it very much I prefered his early films, fresher, perhaps more radical and critical. However the film succeeds in a cinematic point of view. Out of all Jia Zhangke's films, Xiao Wu and Platform are my favourite.
I've also seen the documentary, Dong, which is like a "sister" of Still Life, I found the first part much powerful and interesting than the second part.
Also, Chinese cinema, and perhaps especially the documentary genre, is very abundant at the moment. It's even quite crazy how much films are produced...

[Li Lili]

Weekend:
Versus (rewatch)
I saw it long ago, but it was quite of a good fun.

Exodus
The opening sequence is excellent, Simon Yam is as always very good, and I must admit that the story is quite original (about women killing all men). I'm pretty sure you will like it.

[Li Lili]

I don't know what I'm going to watch this week-end, I don't know what I'm going to do, but I know I will be busy, surely go out and have fun.
I may watch :
Paranoid Park
Glory to the Filmmaker
or some HK films.
Depends on my mood.

[dreamdead]

Weekend:

Bratz: The Movie
Children of Paradise (it's gonna happen this week. I can feel it)

[Kurosawa Fan]

Weekend:

Finish Dexter
The Cement Garden? Maybe? I suck at watching movies.