28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[Dead & Messed Up]

The Most Dangerous Game and Gone with the Wind are mediocre.

Well thanks, Buzzkill McDownerson.

[baby doll]

Well thanks, Buzzkill McDownerson.When some one tells you not to see Gone With the Wind, you should get on all fours and kiss the ground they walk on for saving you four hours of your life.

[Sycophant]

Hey, baby doll, have you ever written anything in-depth about Albert Brooks's Mother? I had a memory of you calling it a masterpiece but can't find more than a passing mention on your blog. I watched it last night, and while it had interesting things going for it, it ultimately came off a bit half-baked and a real disappointment considering his other work, and I'd like to see some praise for the film to react to.

[balmakboor]

When some one tells you not to see Gone With the Wind, you should get on all fours and kiss the ground they walk on for saving you four hours of your life.

I don't know about that, but I like Heather, because she likes Slacker.

[Sycophant]

Word on the street is there are some people ON THIS VERY FORUM who like--maybe even love--Gone With the Wind. I'm of the mind people should check it out for themselves.

[Dead & Messed Up]

When some one tells you not to see Gone With the Wind, you should get on all fours and kiss the ground they walk on for saving you four hours of your life.

I figure that, even if I end up disliking it, there might be some value in watching one of the most critically acclaimed, popular films of all time.

[Lucky]

Nothing is mediocre about Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid.

[baby doll]

Hey, baby doll, have you ever written anything in-depth about Albert Brooks's Mother? I had a memory of you calling it a masterpiece but can't find more than a passing mention on your blog. I watched it last night, and while it had interesting things going for it, it ultimately came off a bit half-baked and a real disappointment considering his other work, and I'd like to see some praise for the film to react to.Well, one thing I like about the movie is its subtlety and nuance, which is evident in the evenhanded treatment of the characters. (For instance, in the opening scene where they're arguing about who should pay for the divorce, the film allows us to empathize with both points of view.) It's also just mad funny.

[baby doll]

I figure that, even if I end up disliking it, there might be some value in watching one of the most critically acclaimed, popular films of all time.I used to think that too. Until I saw the film.

[Qrazy]

I haven't seen The Most Dangerous Game, but Gone With the Wind is indeed mediocre. So is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and all James Bond movies (I haven't seen From Russia With Love, but they're all basically the same).

La Grande illusion is great, and Top Hat is the best Astaire-Rogers film.

I haven't seen From Russia with Love either. Butch Cassidy I really like. It doesn't have anything remarkably insightful to say, I just think it's top class entertainment and excellent formal filmmaking.

[Qrazy]

Well thanks, Buzzkill McDownerson.

Just trying to temper your expectations for those two.

[Philosophe_rouge]

I like Gone with the Wind quite a bit, so yea, I would recommend it. It's not for everyone, but I think Scarlett O'Hara is one of the most compelling characters in American cinema. It's worth seeing for her.

[megladon8]

From Russia With Love is one of the defining films of the '60s, so yeah, hope you enjoy that one.

And Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is fantastic. The remake with Cruise and Travolta is going to be....probably not fantastic.

Stagecoach is one I've wanted to see for a long time. My experience with John Wayne films is still very limited.

[lovejuice]

and Top Hat is the best Astaire-Rogers film.

i know many people agree with you, but i'm going to rewatch it soon and perhaps re-form my opinion. as it is, it's actually either my least or second to least favorite. next to swing time which is actually quite popular.

[Wryan]

I haven't seen The Most Dangerous Game, but Gone With the Wind is indeed mediocre. So is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and all James Bond movies (I haven't seen From Russia With Love, but they're all basically the same).

La Grande illusion is great, and Top Hat is the best Astaire-Rogers film.

I would rep you, but I'm gonna pass this time...just know that I would have.

[The Mike]

I think DaMU would really like The Most Dangerous Game. It's kinda an early precursor of the "I'm trapped in this crazy ridiculous situation and it's crazy but fun!" subgenre. (Think Red Eye, Phone Booth, P2, Cellular, etc.)

Yeah, I just compared a movie in the CC to those modern paint-by-numbers thrillers and meant it as a compliment.

EDIT: I also really like Stagecoach and Grand Illusion from that list.

[Spinal]

A little late, but just wanted to support Raiders on Excalibur. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Great cast. Apparently, Helen Mirren and Nicol Williamson absolutely hated each other.

[balmakboor]

Haa, I didn't even know that Boorman was doing a Wizard of Oz film. Now Zardoz seems even more interesting.

[MadMan]

I was just checking TCM's schedule, and I'm pretty psyched. Some of their upcoming movies - which would be first-time views for me - include:

Grand Illusion
Gone With the Wind
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The Most Dangerous Game
Top Hat
From Russia With Love
StagecoachCome to think of it, I haven't seen all of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. However, I did get its a present for Easter. From what I did see its one of the best westerns ever made.

Stagecoach is one of the best westerns ever made, and From Russia With Love is top tier Bond and one of the best of the 60s. Haven't seen the rest, but this post makes me wish I still had TCM.

And I am seeing Zardoz for sure, now. I'm sold.

[Stay Puft]

Qrazy, how are those Tora-san films holding up? Looking average by your ratings. You gave the first one B+ or something thereabouts, didn't you?

[Qrazy]

Qrazy, how are those Tora-san films holding up? Looking average by your ratings. You gave the first one B+ or something thereabouts, didn't you?

Yeah the first two films focused more heavily on Tora-san and his family and as a result they were much stronger outings. Films 3 and 4 weren't directed by Yamada so I figured that might be part of the problem... by 3 and 4 the films narrative formula was becoming more and more apparent and wearing a bit thin... a focus on extraneous characters and dead end narrative threads left things a bit wanting...

1. Tora-san begins to miss his family and comes back into town.
2. His family greets him with anticipation and some trepidation.
3. Something goes wrong, often involving money.
4. Family squabble, Tora leaves.
5. Love interest for Tora enters the picture.
6. Love interest was never really interested in Tora, runs off with someone else and exits the picture.
7. Tora is heart broken and his family makes harsh comments about him usually not realizing he's in the same room.
8. Tora Leaves.
9. Repeat.

Still the films manage to be funny and sometimes touching as long as the formula isn't milked too heavily. The fifth outing had the same problems as 3 and 4 although it seemed very slightly stronger by focusing a little more on Tora-san's relationship with his sister. The general formula for the films isn't so bad, it's when the drama and comedy become formulaic that things become a bit tedious. It's fun to get to know and spend time with the characters as long as they're growing in some ways and not continually traversing the same terrain. I'm interested in continuing the series because they've almost become comfort viewings but also to see the transition of the series over the decades. The first 5 films were made in two years so there hasn't been much of a shift yet. I'm sure the formula will get shaken up slightly as actors/characters age in real life.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Grand Illusion was pretty damn good, although the last half hour didn't mesh terribly well with the earlier film. It's mostly a surprisingly light look at a POW camp, then it turns into a men-on-the-run story. Although both are directed with the same subtlety and attention to character.

It doesn't feel like a war film. It feels more like a character study, with its characters almost all sympathetic and kind. They probably all feel that this whole "war" thing is terribly unfortunate.

[Ivan Drago]

Still stuck in the nostalgic 80's from Adventureland, I decided to watch Pretty in Pink.

Uh, how come no one told me this film plays New Order's Elegia? Greatest film ever?

Nah, the greatest film ever would use Bizarre Love Triangle.

[The Mike]

Grand Illusion was pretty damn good, although the last half hour didn't mesh terribly well with the earlier film.

I remember watching this the first time in a class, and I felt exactly the same about the ending. In fact, I recall continually thinking "OK, it just needs to end now!" after about every scene...and it kept breaking my heart by going on.

My revisit was kinder to it, or at least I remember it being kinder to it. I'm due for a rewatch.

[Grouchy]

And for a director that willfully tries to subvert viewer expectations with glimpses of unorthodox sexuality, it was depressing to see him tiptoe around scenes of gay desire while he holds shots of heterosexual or lesbian desire.
Bah, anyone who saw Naked Lunch knows Cronenberg is not squeamish or homophobic. I think the novel by Ballard, if I remember it right, is equally more focused on hetero perversions.

DaMU, by all means watch Gone with the Wind and From Russia with Love and don't let any crazy wanker stop you.

[Bosco B Thug]

Tobe Hooper's The Apartment Complex starts of promisingly, but reveals itself within minutes as awful, vanilla material that just progressively collapses into a vacuum of inanity and pointlessness that must have laid at its center from the very beginning. It's buoyed by general light-heartedness, humor, and the occasional Hooper flourish, all of which is pretty nil. Pretty useless, although not pure garbage like Crocodile and at least it was just a TV movie. I was sad this was not a pleasant surprise like Night Terrors.

[Grouchy]

http://flyboyz.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/pineapple-express.jpg

So, The Pineapple Express - great stoner film. James Franco is completely awesome (as he is almost every time, actually) and really brings to life the whole dealer-that-wants-to-be-your-friend thing. Him and Rogen made a good couple. The whole film has a whole '80s vibe to it, or maybe it's just the fact that, being a buddy movie with preposterous action, it inmediately brings the decade to mind. It's probably what David Gordon Green intended the film to feel like, though, based on its color scheme and the musical montages. I'll be showing this one to friends on a couple of days and I'm glad I made a copy of it. I bet it has awesome replay value.

Then I sneaked off school to watch Doubt before they pull it out of the theaters. It's a film so obviously theatrical it hurts. Almost everything is talked about, not seen, and the plot develops through long sequences of dialogue. In fact, I don't think there are more than ten different scenes in the film. Hoffman and Streep were very good, but I think the top of the acting game was the Streep/Davis scene. I felt more invested in that scene than in any other. Although the theatricality of it didn't take me completely out of the film, I think Streep's final breakdown was a bit goofy for me. Strangely, I could take that sort of outburst on the theater. I was also surprised the kid's POV was completely absent from the script - he doesn't even have any lines. I think the director could have fleshed out his play more in that regard.

And then, The Spirit. What a messy, shit-wrecked excuse of a film. The worst part about Frank Miller's recent insanity is that it makes me wonder if the good work he put in through the '80s and early '90s is as good as I thought it was. I mean, his Daredevil work is probably still good, but seeing the kind of moronic wish-fulfillment fantasy work he does now, I wonder if the maturity of something like Dark Knight Returns isn't just exaggeration. Well, the movie itself - how can I put it? It's not only that it's complete crap, it's insulting to Will Eisner and the fact that the Eisner estate allowed it with its mouth shut is fucking shameful. The plot is non-existant, the jokes fall flat, the pop culture references ("deader than Star Trek") are out of place and it's amazing how much bad dialogue Miller managed to write in so little screentime. It doesn't even look good, which seems to be the extent of Miller's ambition. It just finds an uncomfortable middle spot between Sin City and a color movie. The secondary characters are completely wasted. It's, without a doubt, the worst film from 2008 I've seen. Even worse than The Happening and Righteous Kill.

[Ivan Drago]

It's, without a doubt, the worst film from 2008 I've seen. Even worse than The Happening and Righteous Kill.

Come on! Toilets are ALWAYS funny.

[Lucky]

Quarantine wasn't the Blair Witch knock off I pedicted it to be. Good concept with an actual dose of realism (always makes it scarier for me), a convincing performance by the lead actress (I thought she was going to actually throw up at times), and some solid execution by the director. The Descent meets Cloverfield. Best horror movie I've seen since The Orphanage.

[transmogrifier]

Quarantine wasn't the Blair Witch knock off I pedicted it to be. Good concept with an actual dose of realism (always makes it scarier for me), a convincing performance by the lead actress (I thought she was going to actually throw up at times), and some solid execution by the director. The Descent meets Cloverfield. Best horror movie I've seen since The Orphanage.

Is it possible to do a knock-off of a ten year old film?

[Grouchy]

Quarantine wasn't the Blair Witch knock off I pedicted it to be. Good concept with an actual dose of realism (always makes it scarier for me), a convincing performance by the lead actress (I thought she was going to actually throw up at times), and some solid execution by the director. The Descent meets Cloverfield. Best horror movie I've seen since The Orphanage.
I haven't seen Quarantine, but please watch [REC], the movie it's based on.

[megladon8]

Carnival of Souls was quite good. Unfortunately it is "spoiled" because so many of its ideas which would have been original and shocking at the time are pretty cliché today, right down to the final twist. But it's still effectively creepy and has some great imagery.

[Beau]

Carnival of Souls was quite good. Unfortunately it is "spoiled" because so many of its ideas which would have been original and shocking at the time are pretty cliché today, right down to the final twist. But it's still effectively creepy and has some great imagery.

I want to see that. It sounds appealing.

[Qrazy]

I want to see that. It sounds appealing.

I found it to be fairly mediocre.

[Lucky]

I haven't seen Quarantine, but please watch [REC], the movie it's based on.

Yeah, I saw the preview for that on the extras. Looks pretty identical, but I'll check it out.

[Beau]

I found it to be fairly mediocre.

I hope it's as mediocre as Celine and Julie. :)

[megladon8]

Yeah, I saw the preview for that on the extras. Looks pretty identical, but I'll check it out.


It's not, trust me.

[REC] is flipping incredible.

[soitgoes...]

Yeah, I saw the preview for that on the extras. Looks pretty identical, but I'll check it out.
[Rec] is a much better film. Quarantine should never have been made.

[megladon8]

[Rec] is a much better film. Quarantine should never have been made.


And that finale in [REC] is bloody terrifying. I would say it bests the use of night-vision in The Silence of the Lambs.

Quarantine's was only slightly creepy, and Doug Jones was totally wasted.

[Spun Lepton]

I expected REC to hit DVD at the same time as Quarantine. I'm a little pissed that it's still on "SAVE" status on Netflix. :frustrated:

[megladon8]

I expected REC to hit DVD at the same time as Quarantine. I'm a little pissed that it's still on "SAVE" status on Netflix. :frustrated:


Yeah I don't know what happened there.

It's readily available in Canada. I bought a copy for myself the day it came out, and then another copy for Jen from Amazon's Canadian site.

But it doesn't seem to be available anywhere in the USA.

[Rowland]

Mad Mad Beyond Thunderdome (George Miller & George Ogilvie, 1985) 59

This begins so promisingly with its vividly realized opening act that I was anticipating another Road Warrior, but the second act nearly derails it, with overly sentimental and didactic allusions of socio-allegorical significance and mythic grandeur that don't feel organic with the minimalist nature of the previous picture, coupled with a swarm of irritating children partaking in goofy antics scored to self-consciously whimsical music that had me flashbacking to Hook (credit where it's due for at least justifiably killing one off). In the end, Miller thankfully has the gumption to wrap his picture up with a remarkably dynamic action set piece that exudes as much formal dexterity and wit as the best The Road Warrior had to offer. If I had to peg a highlight here, I'd go with the titular Thunderdome fight, which is frankly spectacular for both its baroque choreography, its wit, and the muscular lucidity of its execution. Worst moment? Miller unimaginatively lifting a gag from A New Hope, without so much as a clever spin on it to give the semblance of freshness.

[Russ]

Yeah I don't know what happened there.

It's readily available in Canada. I bought a copy for myself the day it came out, and then another copy for Jen from Amazon's Canadian site.

But it doesn't seem to be available anywhere in the USA.
Hey, Meg. Remember that time I sent you some films and you were, like, really appreciative and stuff, and you said you'd really like to return the favor and, uhh, what kind of movies would I like and stuff?

------> [REC] = I would love to see that one. :)

[Sven]

that don't feel organic with the minimalist nature of the previous picture

Well, it IS a different picture, you know. Plus, does The Road Warrior really feel like an organic extension of Mad Max? They are three entirely different approaches to a more-or-less similar concept.


coupled with a swarm of irritating children partaking in goofy antics scored to self-consciously whimsical music that had me flashbacking to Hook

To be fair, Hook is quoting Beyond Thunderdome. Though I will concede that if the film is severely flawed (which I do not think it is), this is where. Fortunately, there isn't TOO much whimsical music and I think the filmmakers wisely undercut the whim with a mounting gravitas.


Worst moment? Miller unimaginatively lifting a gag from A New Hope, without so much as a clever spin on it to give the semblance of freshness.

What moment? Too long since I've seen A New Hope. And it is bothersome that you are not crediting Ogilvie along with Miller. Or Hayes (if you're talking about a scripted gag). Point is, Miller really only helped conceive the film and shoot the action sequences.

[[ETM]]

Alt+0149 = •

[•REC]


:P

Or even

[•REC]

[Rowland]

Well, it IS a different picture, you know. Plus, does The Road Warrior really feel like an organic extension of Mad Max? They are three entirely different approaches to a more-or-less similar concept.I haven't yet seen Mad Max, so I can't say. It's actually waiting to be viewed on my DVR, thanks to TCM. As for the notion that each picture in the trilogy represents a different approach to a similar concept, I actually like that idea, so I suppose I should simply say that I found this approach and execution less effective on its own terms, which only pales further in contrast to The Road Warrior. Bruce Spence feels comparatively wasted as well.

To be fair, Hook is quoting Beyond Thunderdome. Though I will concede that if the film is severely flawed (which I do not think it is), this is where. Fortunately, there isn't TOO much whimsical music and I think the filmmakers wisely undercut the whim with a mounting gravitas.Good point about Thunderdome preceding Hook, and the entire scenario is admittedly more tolerable in this instance, thanks to less emphasis on cutsiness and more thematic justification, however treacly.

What moment? Too long since I've seen A New Hope. And it is bothersome that you are not crediting Ogilvie along with Miller. Or Hayes (if you're talking about a scripted gag). Point is, Miller really only helped conceive the film and shoot the action sequences.
Mel Gibson chasing a single enemy around a corner, only for him to be chased back by a swarm of them. It's conceived and executed in virtually the exact same manner as a similar gag in A New Hope involving Han Solo and a storm trooper.

As for the directors, I didn't know that. I've always seen and heard this referred to as a Miller picture, so thanks for setting that straight.

[Rowland]

I also watched two Herschell Gordon Lewis movies with my family on Easter, being the astonishingly wretched Blood Feast, which goes beyond so-bad-its-good territory into nigh-unwatchable realms, while Two Thousand Maniacs! actually proved quite compelling, a broad-but-incisive social satire of the bad blood between the American Yankee North and Confederate South as well as a halfway decent slasher, with several imaginative kills and an amusingly ludicrous twist ending, even if it isn't much better made in technical terms than its predecessor, as long stretches are both tedious and baffling for their sheer ineptitude, if more tolerable for the elements that do work.

[megladon8]

Wind Chill was great. A few slight missteps, but otherwise a really good supernatural thriller.

I thought the photography was very well done, particularly inside the car. The constant wind whooshing around the car, stirring up snow and leaves, and slapping branches along the windows - it created really solid atmosphere.

Nice, if fairly by-the-numbers score by Clint Mansell. Certainly has his "touch" in it, but nothing profound like he's done when teamed with Aronofsky.

So yeah, Wind Chill, it's good.

[Rowland]

Wind Chill was great. A few slight missteps, but otherwise a really good supernatural thriller.

I thought the photography was very well done, particularly inside the car. The constant wind whooshing around the car, stirring up snow and leaves, and slapping branches along the windows - it created really solid atmosphere.

Nice, if fairly by-the-numbers score by Clint Mansell. Certainly has his "touch" in it, but nothing profound like he's done when teamed with Aronofsky.

So yeah, Wind Chill, it's good.The first half is promising, but I felt it devolved into sentimental, tedious nonsense. The Mansell score imbues the closing scenes with more pathos than they otherwise justify.

[MadMan]

Grosse Point Blank might end being a new favorite of mine, and a movie I feel the need to review. Pretty damn funny, and full of some really quotable one-liners. The only downside to the whole movie is that it takes a bit too long to get going, and some elements could have been funnier.

[megladon8]

The first half is promising, but I felt it devolved into sentimental, tedious nonsense. The Mansell score imbues the closing scenes with more pathos than they otherwise justify.


What did you feel was sentimental? The connection being made between Blunt and Holmes?

I thought the film worked very well in taking a fairly unlikable character (Blunt) and making her sympathetic by the end without being manipulative.

I also liked that it showed us the events that led to this "haunted road", rather than having some ham-handed 5 minute exposition.

[Milky Joe]

Grosse Point Blank might end being a new favorite of mine, and a movie I feel the need to review. Pretty damn funny, and full of some really quotable one-liners. The only downside to the whole movie is that it takes a bit too long to get going, and some elements could have been funnier.

Totally one of my favorites. High Fidelity is funnier and maybe more overall emotionally resonant, but I have a major soft spot for this. One of my favorite John Cusack roles.

[Raiders]

I loved Wind Chill. Very effective horror and I really loved the way it developed the place and "ghosts" not so much as specifically evil but eternally doomed; repeating the same acts for all eternity.

[megladon8]

I loved Wind Chill. Very effective horror and I really loved the way it developed the place and "ghosts" not so much as specifically evil but eternally doomed; repeating the same acts for all eternity.


Me too, and it ties into one of the slight missteps in the film for me. I felt this aspect of the film - the idea of their actions being repeated forever - was spelled out a little too much with the dialogue regarding Holmes' philosophy class.

I felt I could have figured out the solemn nature of the spirits without that on-the-nose explanation.

But really, it's a very small quip, because the dialogue itself worked. Just narratively felt a bit clumsy.

[Beau]

Me too, and it ties into one of the slight missteps in the film for me. I felt this aspect of the film - the idea of their actions being repeated forever - was spelled out a little too much with the dialogue regarding Holmes' philosophy class.

I felt I could have figured out the solemn nature of the spirits without that on-the-nose explanation.

You just wrote faintly echoed feelings I have about The Dreamers. I really love it, but I wonder how much more powerful a certain event (or near-event) near the end would have been if a certain character had not said that she might one day be forced to realize such an event earlier on in the running time. I didn't need the foreshadowing or the verbal explanation.

[Boner M]

Two Thousand Maniacs! actually proved quite compelling, a broad-but-incisive social satire of the bad blood between the American Yankee North and Confederate South
Rowland, man, I love you... but just... no! Who's up to this? Theo? Dennis whatshisface with the Sergio Leone blog? It sounds like a Dennis whathisface kind of idea. Don't make me wash your brain out with soap, young man.

[megladon8]

You just wrote faintly echoed feelings I have about The Dreamers. I really love it, but I wonder how much more powerful a certain event (or near-event) near the end would have been if a certain character had not said that she might one day be forced to realize such an event earlier on in the running time. I didn't need the foreshadowing or the verbal explanation.


It's such a delicate balance for both writers and directors.

Explaining too much can be annoyingly redundant and makes it feel like it has been "dumbed down".

But at the same time, having a film be too ambiguous can be just as annoying in that it can often lend the film an equally redundant, ridiculous quality.

I feel that even the greatest mind-fuck has to have something there that we can latch onto, or else the substance disappears and we're just watching a pretty light-and-sound show.

This is why I love, for example, David Lynch's films like Mulholland Dr. and Inland Empire. They're totally out-there, but they still feel like there's a coherency there that can be unwound without having to hold Lynch at gunpoint and ask for answers.

It's like having a jigsaw puzzle. If you bought a jigsaw puzzle and after opening the box, it's already put together for you, you'd feel cheated. There's nothing left for you to do, so what did you spend your money on?

But similarly, if you buy a 100 piece puzzle that comes with 457 pieces, all from different puzzles, and many of them stained or completely stripped of their pattern...what the hell are you supposed to do with it?

Again, finding that balance is an art in itself, and what is appropriate to reveal (and at what time) differs for every film.

[Beau]

I feel that even the greatest mind-fuck has to have something there that we can latch onto, or else the substance disappears and we're just watching a pretty light-and-sound show.

Sure. Sometimes, though, having the film point something out limits the amount of play I have as a viewer. It's like giving me a specific answer. I have this choice, and I better take it and like it. A movie can suggest a choice, it can even suggest it strongly, but as long as it's merely suggesting, there's room for play, room to move around, there's the possibility of grabbing different pieces and coming up with fresh answers. Sometimes, a character will state something that appears to be a definite explanation, but the character is not trustworthy to begin with, so we have to take his words as one option among other options. Other times, though, as in The Dreamers, I think the explanation is (too) solid. Granted, in this case, it's an explanation given by a character who exists in a very particular, solipsistic (well, solipsistic in partnership, which is interesting), bubbled-in lifestyle. We can choose not to believe her, since we can choose not to trust her grasp on her own emotions, yet her words presage a later event so exactly, that it feels as if the film were corroborating her statement, or testing her to see how true her words were, with the final answer being: "very true." I think ambiguity is bothersome when it creates confusion or impenetrability. For the most part, though, if a film is able to generate emotions, feeling, and ideas through ambiguity and confusion (Last Year at Marienbad or L'Intrus, for example) I am a very happy guy, because that means I'm being given, as a viewer, room to play. It's like the excitement I had as a young kid when my parents gave me legos, except now the legos are ghostly narrative blocks.

[Beau]

It's like having a jigsaw puzzle. If you bought a jigsaw puzzle and after opening the box, it's already put together for you, you'd feel cheated. There's nothing left for you to do, so what did you spend your money on?

But similarly, if you buy a 100 piece puzzle that comes with 457 pieces, all from different puzzles, and many of them stained or completely stripped of their pattern...what the hell are you supposed to do with it?

Your edited version is the same post as mine with different wording. :sad:

[megladon8]

Your edited version is the same post as mine with different wording. :sad:


Great minds think alike :)


...and fools seldom differ. :sad:

[Dead & Messed Up]

I also watched two Herschell Gordon Lewis movies with my family on Easter, being the astonishingly wretched Blood Feast, which goes beyond so-bad-its-good territory into nigh-unwatchable realms, while Two Thousand Maniacs! actually proved quite compelling, a broad-but-incisive social satire of the bad blood between the American Yankee North and Confederate South as well as a halfway decent slasher, with several imaginative kills and an amusingly ludicrous twist ending, even if it isn't much better made in technical terms than its predecessor, as long stretches are both tedious and baffling for their sheer ineptitude, if more tolerable for the elements that do work.

I would hardly call 2000 Maniacs incisive, but I do concede that its North versus South animosity makes it a little interesting.

Not nearly enough to justify the picture, though. I thought that, in nearly every regard, it was poorly made, and seeing one of the first horror movies to emphasize protracted cruelty over finely-tuned suspense (with sufficient character empathy)...that was more than a little depressing.

[Scar]

Deathrace (2008) is like a sack of White Castle. It sure as shit isn't healthy for you, but it certainly tastes good.

[MadMan]

Totally one of my favorites. High Fidelity is funnier and maybe more overall emotionally resonant, but I have a major soft spot for this. One of my favorite John Cusack roles.High Fidelity is one I want to get my hands on, if only because its loved by so many people. I want to see what the buzz is about. And Cusack is a very likable fellow, and a solid actor to boot.

Scar if you haven't seen the original Death Race, titled Death Race 2000(1975), then do so. Its old school campy awesome, and there's a great deal of (unintentional and intentional) humor involved, along with some rather mixed bag satire. Also because of its existence and how much I loved it, I refuse to see the remake.

[Rowland]

Rowland, man, I love you... but just... no! Who's up to this? Theo? Dennis whatshisface with the Sergio Leone blog? It sounds like a Dennis whathisface kind of idea. Don't make me wash your brain out with soap, young man.Let me further emphasis the broad aspect. Veeery broad satire, but truthful in capturing the spirit of the South's deep-seated antagonism against the North. Perhaps not incisive in depth, but in its tone. And again, I recognize just how badly made it is, and yet there is something undeniably compelling at work in its gleeful misanthropy and abrasive texture. Hell, my family sat down and watched it with me, unable to take their eyes away, whereas most of them left the room during most of Blood Feast. Plus, it's damn entertaining as pure idiotic camp, of the sort that I usually decry, but the picture works on other levels as well so I didn't mind.

[Sven]

Monsoon Wedding on Criterion. Hmmm.

[Raiders]

Monsoon Wedding on Criterion. Hmmm.

Huh?

[Sven]

Huh?

Their little illustrated email hint. A cow saying "Get ready for a brutal bridal downpour."

[dreamdead]

Watched the Korean drama Marriage is a Crazy Thing, which is notorious for its sensuality. (And much better than the facile film Lies, which explored sadomasochism in sex.) Here the sex is indeed rendered sensual, but the characters end up a little too inert anyway. While the film has a sense of ennui hanging over itself, it doesn't do enough to explore what has caused that coldness between its happenstance lovers. They don't marry, yet they continue to meet after she marries so that they can play-act at a marriage outside society's norms. It's interesting as a premise, but not dug into enough to transcend its status as a sensual film interested in nudging up against deeper ideas.

[megladon8]

The Prowler was standard '80s tits-n-gore stuff. Poor acting, stupid plot (slightly reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine but makes less sense).

Some great make-up work by Tom Savini, though. Not sure I'd agree with him in saying it's his best, but it was impressive.

[Spun Lepton]

The Prowler was standard '80s tits-n-gore stuff. Poor acting, stupid plot (slightly reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine but makes less sense).

Some great make-up work by Tom Savini, though. Not sure I'd agree with him in saying it's his best, but it was impressive.

Aw, gaaah! I bought this on DVD for $5, used and blind. Was not worth $5, let me tell you. An unfocused and boring mess of a movie, despite Savini's excellent work.

QUESTION for you folks: I'm planning to rent My Best Fiend, the film about Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski. I'd like to see one of their films before that, though, so give me your strongest recommendation, please.

[megladon8]

Aw, gaaah! I bought this on DVD for $5, used and blind. Was not worth $5, let me tell you. An unfocused and boring mess of a movie, despite Savini's excellent work.

QUESTION for you folks: I'm planning to rent My Best Fiend, the film about Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski. I'd like to see one of their films before that, though, so give me your strongest recommendation, please.


Hmmm...since you're a fellow horror fantatic, I'd strongly recommend their version of Nosferatu.

If you get the 2-disc DVD of it by Anchor Bay, it comes with two versions - English and German. They are actually the exact same movie, and the English version is not dubbed. They did every scene twice, once in German and once with the actors speaking English phonetically (to be released in the USA).

I recommend watching the German version simply because the actors feel noticably more comfortable speaking in their native language.

I actually prefer Herzog's version of this film to the original silent.

After that, I'd suggest Aguirre. It's very strange, a surreal experience to say the least. Kinski's performance in the film consists of him doing his best possible impression of a crab. And the finale is famously odd.

[Kurious Jorge v3.1]

QUESTION for you folks: I'm planning to rent My Best Fiend, the film about Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski. I'd like to see one of their films before that, though, so give me your strongest recommendation, please.

I'd actually watch it before any of their films like I did, because it will give you an inisght into their working relationship and Kinski's mad approach toward acting that will pay off when you watch their collaborations.

[Bosco B Thug]

Aw, gaaah! I bought this on DVD for $5, used and blind. Was not worth $5, let me tell you. An unfocused and boring mess of a movie, despite Savini's excellent work. Underlit slasher flicks are the f*king worst. I believe I had this problem with this film.


I would hardly call 2000 Maniacs incisive, but I do concede that its North versus South animosity makes it a little interesting.

Not nearly enough to justify the picture, though. I thought that, in nearly every regard, it was poorly made, and seeing one of the first horror movies to emphasize protracted cruelty over finely-tuned suspense (with sufficient character empathy)...that was more than a little depressing. The remake is an even worse offender of protracted cruelty. Man, that film was just garish and unpleasant.

Oh god, I tried to watch Jean-Luc Godard's Passion but was in-and-out of a doze because I just couldn't seem to follow a goddamned thing in it. I thought I'd been doing pretty well with Godard, but I just don't think my brain is sharp enough for this one.

Altman's Images continues to grow on me. I try not to use this word, ever, but absolutely spellbinding.

[megladon8]

Rob Zombie's commentary for Halloween is more interesting and entertaining than the movie itself.

He's a really intelligent, stand-up guy. He tells some great stories about the production, and it's overall a very good commentary track.

I think he's a good filmmaker who needs to hire a new writer, and stop hiring his wife to act because she's awful.

[Qrazy]

Monsoon Wedding on Criterion. Hmmm.

What are your thoughts on this? I found it to be rather mediocre.

[Qrazy]

Aw, gaaah! I bought this on DVD for $5, used and blind. Was not worth $5, let me tell you. An unfocused and boring mess of a movie, despite Savini's excellent work.

QUESTION for you folks: I'm planning to rent My Best Fiend, the film about Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski. I'd like to see one of their films before that, though, so give me your strongest recommendation, please.

Fitzcarraldo is my favorite.

[lovejuice]

What are your thoughts on this? I found it to be rather mediocre.
it is, but combined that to Vanity Fair and The Namesake, together they form quite a strong repertoire. and i haven't even watched her older films.

[Sven]

What are your thoughts on this? I found it to be rather mediocre.

We agree!


Fitzcarraldo is my favorite.

Because it's the best!

[Qrazy]

We agree!



Because it's the best!

Damn straight.

[Qrazy]

it is, but combined that to Vanity Fair and The Namesake, together they form quite a strong repertoire. and i haven't even watched her older films.

Hrm haven't seen them but I can't say I'm particularly inclined to do so given my reaction to Monsoon... maybe some day.

[trotchky]

Has anyone here seen The Poughkeepsie Tapes?

[Qrazy]

Has anyone here seen The Poughkeepsie Tapes?

I have not.

This reminds me that I need to watch some of the films of Norodom Sihanouk the King of Cambodia though.

[trotchky]

You should see it, it's really good. I described it as "a kinder, gentler Funny Games," in a review which I would post but I don't know if anyone has see the movie.

[Ezee E]

Fitzcarraldo is definitely the best.

[Derek]

Fitzcarraldo is definitely the best.

Next to Aguirre, I agree. I'm also with meg in loving Herzog's Nosferatu more than Murnau's.

[soitgoes...]

Next to Aguirre, I agree. I'm also with meg in loving Herzog's Nosferatu more than Murnau's.
This is true.

Any thoughts on the Oshima films you've been seeing lately?

[Derek]

Any thoughts on the Oshima films you've been seeing lately?

I'm going to create a thread in the next week or two, but I find the passion with which he attacks social/political conventions and explores the repression of sexual desire and guilt to be infectious. Stylistically, he is a virtual chameleon - Night and Fog in Japan is almost entirely long takes swinging endlessly from left to right and back again, where Violence at High Noon is cut at Michael Bay speed (2,000+ cuts) to create a disorientation in its cubist approach to the fragmented mind of its protagonist. I'll save the rest for later, but he's really the first new filmmaker I've been excited to discover in quite a while.

[soitgoes...]

I'm going to create a thread in the next week or two, but I find the passion with which he attacks social/political conventions and explores the repression of sexual desire and guilt to be infectious. Stylistically, he is a virtual chameleon - Night and Fog in Japan is almost entirely long takes swinging endlessly from left to right and back again, where Violence at High Noon is cut at Michael Bay speed (2,000+ cuts) to create a disorientation in its cubist approach to the fragmented mind of its protagonist. I'll save the rest for later, but he's really the first new filmmaker I've been excited to discover in quite a while.
Cool, I look forward to reading your extended thoughts. He's next on my list of Japanese directors to delve into after I finish a couple more Imamura films. The Japanese New Wave produced some amazing directors, incredibly diverse. If you get a chance, check out Yoshishige. He did things, stylistically, I've never seen before.

[soitgoes...]

My weekend:

Pigs and Battleships
A Man Vanishes
The Man Who Stole the Sun
The Yakuza Papers, Vol. 2
Thieves Like Us

[balmakboor]

W/E

A Matter of Life and Death
Decasia
Sins of the Fleshapoids
Cthulhu
Zardoz

[Boner M]

Jerichow
Where the Sidewalk Ends
The Small Back Room
The Soft Skin

[baby doll]

Rachel Getting Married wasn't bad, even if it looked like ass. (Does looking like ass on purpose make it okay? Discuss.) A blog entry is in the works.

[Raiders]

Rachel Getting Married wasn't bad, even if it looked like ass. (Does looking like ass on purpose make it okay? Discuss.) A blog entry is in the works.

I didn't think it looked like ass, so your question for me is a dead-end. Unless you mean does being purposefully hand-held and almost entirely in close-range make it OK? And my answer would be "of course." It felt exactly like the exhausting, cluttered memories I have of my own wedding festivities.

[Grouchy]

Rachel Getting Married wasn't bad, even if it looked like ass. (Does looking like ass on purpose make it okay? Discuss.) A blog entry is in the works.
Yeah, what exactly looked bad about it to you?

[Sycophant]

Ha ha. "Ass."

[Sven]

It's very tempting to side with baby doll's sentiment, because who likes looking at ugliness, right? When the aestheticization is working counter to our understanding of what is successful or pleasing it's always a shock and sometimes it's just too much work to adjust to others' perception of what is beautiful. The biggest problem I had with Snyder's 300 was that it was all so grimy and ugly-looking. And it's like, seriously... which looks better, Kurosawa's Dersu Uzala or The Blair Witch Project? I will e-punch anyone who says the latter because I just cannot imagine anything other than belligerent contrarianism inspiring that response.

But where do you draw the line?

[Sycophant]

Well, I can't say that I like ugliness, but I can say I didn't think Rachel Getting Married looks "like ass" based on its use of handheld cinematography. I don't think handheld cinematography is inherently bad. Particularly when, otherwise, the film uses color well, is smartly lit, and features thoughtful framing and mise en scene.

But this is getting dangerously close to me arguing with baby doll, something I really don't want to do.

[trotchky]

It's very tempting to side with baby doll's sentiment, because who likes looking at ugliness, right? When the aestheticization is working counter to our understanding of what is successful or pleasing it's always a shock and sometimes it's just too much work to adjust to others' perception of what is beautiful.

Except Rachel Getting Married's "aestheticization" works precisely towards our understanding of the film's meaning and emotional core.

[Winston*]

And it's like, seriously... which looks better, Kurosawa's Dersu Uzala or The Blair Witch Project? I will e-punch anyone who says the latter because I just cannot imagine anything other than belligerent contrarianism inspiring that response.

Is there a quality print of Dersu Uzala on DVD anywhere? Because the one I rented was not quality, so I stopped watching it.

[Stay Puft]

soitgoes...,

Let me know what you think of Ishii's The Executioner. :)

[Sven]

Except Rachel Getting Married's "aestheticization" works precisely towards our understanding of the film's meaning and emotional core.

I am not speaking of the Demme film, as I have not seen it. I'm only speaking about the idea of "uglification." And you can say what you will about the way it harmonizes with theme or content, ugly is ugly and not many people, I imagine, willfully expose themselves to things they think are unattractive.

[Sven]

Is there a quality print of Dersu Uzala on DVD anywhere? Because the one I rented was not quality, so I stopped watching it.

None of which I am aware. The R1 Kino is pretty abysmal, but it's better than nothing.

[soitgoes...]

soitgoes...,

Let me know what you think of Ishii's The Executioner. :)

Yeah, I noticed you were the uploader. ;) I might give it a watch this weekend too. I'm looking forward to it. Outside of Karate Bullfighter I don't think I've seen a Japanese fighting movie.

[Ezee E]

You know a movie that isn't ugly at all?

The Conformist.

[trotchky]

I am not speaking of the Demme film, as I have not seen it. I'm only speaking about the idea of "uglification." And you can say what you will about the way it harmonizes with theme or content, ugly is ugly and not many people, I imagine, willfully expose themselves to things they think are unattractive.

There's a certain point at which the director needs to meet the viewer, I agree with that. It doesn't have to be half-way, it doesn't have be be a third of the way, but there needs to be some concession, in art, to the consumer's inherent inclinations. A movie that doesn't do that is shit; for instance, Twentynine Palms.

[balmakboor]

Rachel Getting Married wasn't bad, even if it looked like ass. (Does looking like ass on purpose make it okay? Discuss.) A blog entry is in the works.

I actually thought much of the film looked almost jaw-droppingly beautiful. Extremely well composed film for something pretending to be sloppy.

[Beau]

You know a movie that isn't ugly at all?

The Conformist.

Yes!

Rep-Points are You!

[Qrazy]

I am not speaking of the Demme film, as I have not seen it. I'm only speaking about the idea of "uglification." And you can say what you will about the way it harmonizes with theme or content, ugly is ugly and not many people, I imagine, willfully expose themselves to things they think are unattractive.

I don't know if ugly is ugly as it is being defined here. I do not find the Dardennes verite stylings ugly for example. I also don't find Snyder's 300 ugly. I find it thematically hollow, some of the visual stylings don't work for me (fast/slow/fast) and some of the CGI moments (most of the film) are too glossy for my taste... but certain other elements of his use of lighting and shot composition work well enough.

[Sven]

I don't know if ugly is ugly as it is being defined here. I do not find the Dardennes verite stylings ugly for example. I also don't find Snyder's 300 ugly. I find it thematically hollow, some of the visual stylings don't work for me (fast/slow/fast) and some of the CGI moments (most of the film) are too glossy for my taste... but certain other elements of his use of lighting and shot composition work well enough.

My using 300 was an attempt to show that the perception of "deliberately ugly" is almost indefinable, because if it's deliberate, it is aestheticized, and if it's aestheticized, then you have to take your response to it in a different kind of stride, with more concessions toward the filmmaker, than you do with something like The Blair Witch Project, a movie where the substance of the shot is the content and not the shot itself.

In other words, not many people find 300 as ugly as I do (could've been that I saw it in IMAX and it was just blown up waaaaay more than it should've been, but all the grainy composites and stormy browns are definitely not my idea of visual rapture), so where do we take the argument from here?

[Qrazy]

My using 300 was an attempt to show that the perception of "deliberately ugly" is almost indefinable, because if it's deliberate, it is aestheticized, and if it's aestheticized, then you have to take your response to it in a different kind of stride, with more concessions toward the filmmaker, than you do with something like The Blair Witch Project, a movie where the substance of the shot is the content and not the shot itself.

In other words, not many people find 300 as ugly as I do (could've been that I saw it in IMAX and it was just blown up waaaaay more than it should've been, but all the grainy composites and stormy browns are definitely not my idea of visual rapture), so where do we take the argument from here?

Dunno, gonna work on my essay.

[Sven]

(fast/slow/fast)

Aha! This is a technique that, in itself, I find turns me off, no matter how it's used. Rather, I should say, I have yet to see it used compellingly. Effing Snyder. And effing Ridley Scott, too. (I remember its use in the loathsome, atrocious, disgustingly terrible Kingdom of Heaven.)

[DavidSeven]

You know a movie that isn't ugly at all?

The Conformist.

Um, it's probably like the the most not-ugly movie of all time.

[megladon8]

Why does The Conformist have such a harsh rating?

Its Canadian rating is R, which, like, nothing gets unless it's really bad. Even the Hostel films just got 18A.

Is it full of sex or something?

I ask because I bought it a long time ago for my dad and I to watch, thinking it was a neat thriller that he would enjoy. The rating accompanied by the name Bertolucci have me reluctant to suggest it whenever he asks me what I want to watch.

[Beau]

Why does The Conformist have such a harsh rating?

Its Canadian rating is R, which, like, nothing gets unless it's really bad. Even the Hostel films just got 18A.

Is it full of sex or something?

I ask because I bought it a long time ago for my dad and I to watch, thinking it was a neat thriller that he would enjoy. The rating accompanied by the name Bertolucci have me reluctant to suggest it whenever he asks me what I want to watch.

There's nothing in it. There's some breasts, but nothing really extreme outside of that. I don't think it's quite a "neat thriller," though.

[Qrazy]

Why does The Conformist have such a harsh rating?

Its Canadian rating is R, which, like, nothing gets unless it's really bad. Even the Hostel films just got 18A.

Is it full of sex or something?

I ask because I bought it a long time ago for my dad and I to watch, thinking it was a neat thriller that he would enjoy. The rating accompanied by the name Bertolucci have me reluctant to suggest it whenever he asks me what I want to watch.

WATCH ALL THE MOVIES YOU OWN

[Ezee E]

Yeah, nothing too risque really.

Wonderfully composed though. Watch it.

[Spinal]

You know a movie that isn't ugly at all?

The Conformist.

And yet, it is dramatically dead. And herein lies the point. Sometimes so-called 'ugliness' allows you find the pulse of your story. Sometimes making the conditions easy and favorable for the actors pays off.

[Beau]

And yet, it is dramatically dead. And herein lies the point. Sometimes so-called 'ugliness' allows you find the pulse of your story. Sometimes making the conditions easy and favorable for the actors pays off.

It's one of the most "dramatically satisfying" films I know. :|

[Spinal]

It's one of the most "dramatically satisfying" films I know. :|

Well, we disagree quite strongly then. I thought it was utterly inert.

[Ezee E]

I found lots of good drama in the movie. The main actor remains a little emotionless until the very end, in a very good scene.

And I love the girl that played his wife. THat doesn't help the drama problem, but she was incredible to look at.

[Beau]

Well, we disagree quite strongly then. I thought it was utterly inert.

So does Qrazy. I don't understand either of you. It's a very emotional movie. I don't see how it's inert.

[Beau]

And I love the girl that played his wife. THat doesn't help the drama problem, but she was incredible to look at.

I know, right?

[B-side]

Bad Lieutenant was... bad. The praise for this film kinda confuses me. Keitel was bleh. The supporting cast was utterly forgettable. If Ferrara was attempting to say anything, I didn't care enough to find out.

[Beau]

Bad Lieutenant was... bad. The praise for this film kinda confuses me. Keitel was bleh. The supporting cast was utterly forgettable. If Ferrara was attempting to say anything, I didn't care enough to find out.

What arguments does the praising camp pose? And why do they confuse you?

[B-side]

What arguments does the praising camp pose? And why do they confuse you?

I was speaking generally. Really, I don't know what people love about it, I just know people love it.:lol:

[soitgoes...]

Halfway through Fukasaku's The Yakuza Papers, Vol. 2: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima I can pretty much say that I won't be watching the next 3 films in the series. Not that this one or the first are bad. They're just mediocre, and I doubt the others will improve. The gigantic cast with pseudo-documentary captions/narrations that flash on the screen to help the viewer identify the goings-on instead of relying on actual character development gets tiresome. Fukasaku is better than this, and it's a shame that outside of Battle Royale (another mediocre offering), this is where most go to see a film by him.

[baby doll]

By ugly, I wasn't saying anything against handheld camerawork or tight framings (both of which I think work towards the films advantage), but rather, the cinematographer, Declan Quinn's, rather perverse efforts to make the film look like it was shot without a cinematographer by using only available light (or so it would seem he did) Ã* la a Dogme film, which results in flat, dull lighting, making the whole thing look like a home movie.

[Spinal]

By ugly, I wasn't saying anything against handheld camerawork or tight framings (both of which I think work towards the films advantage), but rather, the cinematographer, Declan Quinn's, rather perverse efforts to make the film look like it was shot without a cinematographer by using only available light (or so it would seem he did) Ã* la a Dogme film, which results in flat, dull lighting, making the whole thing look like a home movie.

Is it not painfully obvious that this is the point? It suits the film perfectly.

[Beau]

I was speaking generally. Really, I don't know what people love about it, I just know people love it.:lol:

Well, I'm just saying, if you're confused by the love, it's always a good idea to find out why people love it, so then you might still disagree, but at least understand to an extent. Or not. :)

[megladon8]

Halfway through Fukasaku's The Yakuza Papers, Vol. 2: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima I can pretty much say that I won't be watching the next 3 films in the series. Not that this one or the first are bad. They're just mediocre, and I doubt the others will improve. The gigantic cast with pseudo-documentary captions/narrations that flash on the screen to help the viewer identify the goings-on instead of relying on actual character development gets tiresome. Fukasaku is better than this, and it's a shame that outside of Battle Royale (another mediocre offering), this is where most go to see a film by him.


I completely agree about Battle Royale being mediocre. I'm glad someone else feels this way.

I don't get why so many are so enamoured with it, and it's become like a cult phenomenon.

For great Fukasaku, you should check out Yakuza Graveyard and Street Mobster. I thought they were both top-notch yakuza films.

[soitgoes...]

For great Fukasaku, you should check out Yakuza Graveyard and Street Mobster. I thought they were both top-notch yakuza films.I didn't really care one way or the other for Yakuza Graveyard either for some of the same reasons present in The Yakuza Papers. Everything is so muddled. There are enough good points (esp. Watari's performance) to make it watchable. His pre-Yakuza Papers work is more interesting. Sympathy for the Underdog and Under the Flag of the Rising Sun are great, kinetic.

[baby doll]

Is it not painfully obvious that this is the point? It suits the film perfectly.I think it's possible to do this sort of style and still have good lighting.

[Qrazy]

So does Qrazy. I don't understand either of you. It's a very emotional movie. I don't see how it's inert.

I borrowed the phrase from Spinal actually. I don't feel it as strongly as he does although I sort of commiserate in relation to the Conformist and even more so for The Last Emperor. I love the last scene/shot of The Conformist though, that's not dramatically inert in the slightest.

[Qrazy]

I didn't really care one way or the other for Yakuza Graveyard either for some of the same reasons present in The Yakuza Papers. Everything is so muddled. There are enough good points (esp. Watari's performance) to make it watchable. His pre-Yakuza Papers work is more interesting. Sympathy for the Underdog and Under the Flag of the Rising Sun are great, kinetic.

Yeah I only saw the first Yakuza Papers and agree completely. Also that repeated musical motif gets hilariously obnoxious.

[soitgoes...]

Yeah I only saw the first Yakuza Papers and agree completely. Also that repeated musical motif gets hilariously obnoxious.

Finished, and my reasoning still stands. Good performance, this time by Chiba, is overshadowed by poor direction. I think I'm going to give Fukasaku a rest for awhile.

[megladon8]

I didn't really care one way or the other for Yakuza Graveyard either for some of the same reasons present in The Yakuza Papers. Everything is so muddled. There are enough good points (esp. Watari's performance) to make it watchable. His pre-Yakuza Papers work is more interesting. Sympathy for the Underdog and Under the Flag of the Rising Sun are great, kinetic.


I'll make sure to check those two out!

Have you seen Fukasaku's uber-weird samurai/fantasy film starring Sonny Chiba? It's called Samurai Resurrection. Has some great almost comic book visuals and quite the finale.

I'd only rate it maybe a 6 or 6.5, but it's certainly worth seeing, especially because it's so different from any other Fukasaku films I'd seen.

[Spinal]

I think it's possible to do this sort of style and still have good lighting.

But I have no idea why anyone would care. I don't understand how that makes it a better film. Isn't it possible that Demme got more spontaneity, energy and focus from his actors because he didn't make them sit around all day waiting for lights to go up?

[Sycophant]

He probably still did make everyone sit around all day for lights to be set up. I really don't remember things being poorly lit. It looks like household light sources, but making lighting look natural for film is freaking hard.

This is based, of course, upon my slightly hazy memory and some assumptions.

[Qrazy]

http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/?p=2662

Borrowed from Beau's thread on RT. Reminds me a lot of you cock knockers... including myself.

[Amnesiac]

Yeah, I posted that same link a few months ago (http://match-cut.org/showthread.php?p=103197&highlight=bordwell#post103197) . I found it pretty interesting.

[Ezee E]

He probably still did make everyone sit around all day for lights to be set up. I really don't remember things being poorly lit. It looks like household light sources, but making lighting look natural for film is freaking hard.

This is based, of course, upon my slightly hazy memory and some assumptions.
Entirely correct.

[B-side]

Well, I'm just saying, if you're confused by the love, it's always a good idea to find out why people love it, so then you might still disagree, but at least understand to an extent. Or not. :)

You have a point. I'm interested to know what particular aspect people enjoy so much.

[Qrazy]

Yeah, I posted that same link a few months ago (http://match-cut.org/showthread.php?p=103197&highlight=bordwell#post103197) . I found it pretty interesting.

Ahh sorry about that. The general alacrity of your postage precluded my immediate apprehension of it's content.

[B-side]

Ahh sorry about that. The general alacrity of your postage precluded my immediate apprehension of it's content.

Oooh. Almost. You were doing so well... then the bold portion hit and my bated breath was released.

[Qrazy]

Oooh. Almost. You were doing so well... then the bold portion hit and my bated breath was released.

Fuck my life is ruined.

*blows brains out*

[B-side]

Wassup Rockers was terrible. I'm a Clark fan. I liked Bully and loved Ken Park. Clark's examination of the budding teenage mind set has been pretty engaging, but whatever sort of wacky comedic perversion he was trying to pull off here had me rolling my eyes out of my head. Wassup Rockers utilizes a sort of documentary-like approach which differs from Clark's usual more cinematic approach in terms of aesthetic, and ironically, this made the film feel much less realistic and observational and rather, much more contrived and unintentionally silly. The first half functions as a sort of simple observation of the crew as they go about their daily lives skateboarding, dating, going to school, etc. The second half has the kids in Beverly Hills being chased by racist cops spouting horrid dialogue, a bourgeois party featuring a flamboyant host who wants one of the kids to model for him, a character I'm assuming is supposed to be parodying Clint Eastwood and some sex-crazed girls with neglectful parents. I can only assume Clark was attempting his own brand of anti-elitist humor, but boy does he fall on his face. Clark seems to be attempting to speak of the various culture clashes going on in southern California, but his approach is painfully forced and on the nose. In Clark's attempt to blur the lines even further between real life and his films, he ended up draining it of any semblance of a natural feel. The actors don't help matters either, though one might wanna argue in their favor in terms of placing unknown teens in front of the camera. But this is still definitely a film, not a documentary, and these kids couldn't sell natural. A major disappointment.

[B-side]

Fuck my life is ruined.

*blows brains out*

It's cool. We can't all sound uber-pretentious and get away with it.:P

[Amnesiac]

Ahh sorry about that. The general alacrity of your postage precluded my immediate apprehension of it's content.

I don't know if there's some sarcasm here or what, but I was going to add an addendum to my post, something like 'don't read into this beyond what it says'. Just to be clear, I wasn't chiding you for not memorizing the archives of this thread. I was just pointing out that I had also come across that article. There's not really anything to apologize for. But then again, you likely know this.

[Qrazy]

I don't know if there's some sarcasm here or what, but I was going to add an addendum to my post, something like 'don't read into this beyond what it says'. Just to be clear, I wasn't chiding you for not memorizing the archives of this thread. I was just pointing out that I had also come across that article. There's not really anything to apologize for. But then again, you likely know this.

No no not sarcasm I was just trying to be jovial and joke around a bit by using one of Bordwell's techniques.

[Qrazy]

It's cool. We can't all sound uber-pretentious and get away with it.:P

Or can't we not, not can't we... not? Ehhh? Ehhhhhhhh????? *creates thread*

[B-side]

Or can't we not, not can't we... not? Ehhh? Ehhhhhhhh????? *creates thread*

You just ruined my day.

[balmakboor]

I just introduced myself to the Kuchar bros. Really talented guys. Great visual eye. Great sense of humor and fun. Engaging, do it yourself, ultra low budget aesthetic. I love how they handle gunfire. I love how they can duck out of a story by conjuring up flying saucers. They also remind me a lot of Kenneth Anger -- Anger with more of a sense of humor.

Craven Sluck was certainly an influence on John Waters. It's practically the proto-Pink Flamingos.

[Raiders]

Hm, the only thing I have seen from George Kuchar is actually his quasi-"making of" short I, an Actress, which is deliriously awesome. Even made my top 100. Be interested to see some of his more "fictional" stuff.

[balmakboor]

Hm, the only thing I have seen from George Kuchar is actually his quasi-"making of" short I, an Actress, which is deliriously awesome. Even made my top 100. Be interested to see some of his more "fictional" stuff.

I thoroughly enjoyed everything on the Sins of the Fleshapoids DVD. I'll watch it again this weekend.

[Amnesiac]

Errol Morris is going to make his second narrative feature (http://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/16/errol-morris-making-narrative-debut/):


Errol Morris is probably the highest-profile working documentarian after Michael Moore -- and since Moore is more of a video essayist than a documentarian, Morris is, in truth, number one. He's also one of the rare documentary filmmakers who embraces the genre as cinema rather than mere journalism. His movies are always visually interesting, and never straightforward.

That bodes well for Morris's upcoming maiden voyage into narrative cinema: a yet-untitled dark comedy about the good old days when people thought that cryonics was our best bet to cheat death. The movie, focusing on 1960s efforts to freeze people for later reanimation by future scientists armed with incredible technology, will be written by Zach Helm, who wrote Stranger than Fiction and wrote and directed the lovely Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium.

Documentary filmmakers transitioning to narrative features isn't anything new of course. This weekend's State of Play, for example, was very competently directed by Kevin MacDonald, who not only began his career making documentaries, but actually made one about Errol Morris. And of course we all remember Michael Moore's Canadian Bacon.

While MacDonald seems to be focusing on fiction these days, I can't imagine Morris will ever abandon documentaries altogether. But if his narrative effort is half as formally original and visually exciting as most of his docs, I won't complain if he does.

UPDATE! Our old friend Christopher Campbell reminds me in the comments that Morris has already made one narrative feature, that I forgot about and now need to run out and see. So this will be his second.

[trotchky]

Bad Lieutenant was... bad. The praise for this film kinda confuses me. Keitel was bleh. The supporting cast was utterly forgettable. If Ferrara was attempting to say anything, I didn't care enough to find out.

Even if you didn't care, is it really that difficult? The film's symbols are all fairly blunt. The final shot of Keitel killed in front of a billboard that reads "It All Ends Here" is about as obvious as you can get, not to mention his hallucination in the church. At any rate, I can't fathom how you could describe him as "bleh." It's one of the most powerful performances I've ever seen.

[B-side]

Even if you didn't care, is it really that difficult? The film's symbols are all fairly blunt. The final shot of Keitel killed in front of a billboard that reads "It All Ends Here" is about as obvious as you can get, not to mention his hallucination in the church. At any rate, I can't fathom how you could describe him as "bleh." It's one of the most powerful performances I've ever seen.

Is he indicting the church? The distance between man and his "God"? I could speculate, but like I said, I didn't care enough to think up a theory. I wasn't very impressed with Keitel's performance. It was adequate, but he's done better.

[trotchky]

Of those choices the latter, but it's really a character study in the style of Taxi Driver, where the damaged sociopath is a legitimized figure in society rather than a quiet rebel. So much hinges on Keitel's performance, so if you didn't appreciate that I guess there's not much to see in the film. Like DeNiro in Taxi Driver or Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood. And also like those films, its a portrait of a corrupt man that reveals a corrupt world. The stream of commodified symbols of Christianity (it's been a while since I saw the movie, but the shot of the plastic Virgin Mary while a nun is being raped, and a blanket with Christ's image emblazoned on it wrapped around a poor woman come to mind) mirror Keitel's desperate longing to find an explanation for himself through a higher power, his guilt-wracked conscience about his deeds part of his frustration but another part being that the society around him just doesn't give a shit.

[soitgoes...]

I'll make sure to check those two out!

Have you seen Fukasaku's uber-weird samurai/fantasy film starring Sonny Chiba? It's called Samurai Resurrection. Has some great almost comic book visuals and quite the finale.

I'd only rate it maybe a 6 or 6.5, but it's certainly worth seeing, especially because it's so different from any other Fukasaku films I'd seen.

Hmm. I'll put this in the back of mind for future reference. I still think Fukasaku and I need to take a break for a bit.

[soitgoes...]

New Criterions:
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee171/soitgoes22/483_box_348x490.jpg
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee171/soitgoes22/481_box_348x490.jpg




And bask in its glory!!!
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee171/soitgoes22/480_box_348x490.jpg

This might be the first time in a long while that I buy a DVD.

[balmakboor]

Hm, the only thing I have seen from George Kuchar is actually his quasi-"making of" short I, an Actress, which is deliriously awesome. Even made my top 100. Be interested to see some of his more "fictional" stuff.

Wow! I googled on Kuchar and had no idea that twin bros Mike and George had made so many films. The three I saw were all directed by Mike Kuchar and featured George in the cast.

I also discovered that I was most likely right about the John Waters association. He wrote the introduction to a book about them. I was also watching a standup routine by Waters last night and there he was, talking about the Kuchars.

[balmakboor]

http://www.und.nodak.edu/org/ndlsc/images/boy.jpg

I thought I'd share a few images from Decasia. It's a fascinating idea for a film, beautifully executed.It is constructed entirely out of found film clips that are in states of decay. One of my favorite passages has a series of people looking directly into the camera as if desperately trying to connect with us before they are lost completely. It reminds me of the sequence in Sans Soleil that explores the foolishness of telling people not to look at the camera.

There are also some totally abstract sequences that remind me of Brakhage's hand-painted works. It's a beautiful and haunting film (with a great musical score) that is really sitting well with me.

http://www.und.nodak.edu/org/ndlsc/images/boxer.jpg

http://www.und.nodak.edu/org/ndlsc/images/woman1.jpg

http://www.und.nodak.edu/org/ndlsc/images/woman2.jpg

http://www.und.nodak.edu/org/ndlsc/images/ride.jpg

[D_Davis]

Those images are amazing, fas. Very inspiring. I'd love to write some music for something like that.

[balmakboor]

Those images are amazing, fas. Very inspiring. I'd love to write some music for something like that.

I listened to an interview included on the DVD. It actually started with a symphony composed to explore how things decay -- the composer wanted the instruments themselves to sound as if they were decaying. The symphony was then performed live with these images as a backdrop. Now, on DVD, things are reversed. The music is a backdrop for the images.

[D_Davis]

I listened to an interview included on the DVD. It actually started with a symphony composed to explore how things decay -- the composer wanted the instruments themselves to sound as if they were decaying. The symphony was then performed live with these images as a backdrop. Now, on DVD, things are reversed. The music is a backdrop for the images.

I think I'll get this DVD and record my own soundtrack for it.

Sounds like a good entry into my year-long ambient project I'm in the middle of now.

Thanks for sharing, I never would have stumbled upon this.

[Raiders]

Yeah, Decasia is a great film. Of course my review is lost at the old site. The images are only part of the equation, the metallic score is every bit as haunting and memorable.

[Qrazy]

Decasia was pretty good. The stills are better than the film itself.

[dreamdead]

Watched Synecdoche, New York. Despite its continual tonal issues, which paradoxically render the critique therein meaningless, the film really picks up once Caden gets the grant and the film gets more metatextual. When it is merely exploring his family dynamics, the film is rather slight. After that, though, the film becomes wholly innovative and a remarkable study of the never-ending project of documenting life. Beautifully resonant, even if Kaufman's cynicism holds much of the emotion at bay.

[Grouchy]

I think I would've been more impressed by Do the Right Thing if I hadn't seen later Spike films where he uses much of the same techniques. Still, powerful stuff. All the performers were great, specially Danny Aiello. Lee doesn't try at all for subtlety, and sometimes I even thought it was too much, like in the short scene where Turturro tries to explain to Spike's character why people like Prince or Michael Jordan aren't really "black". It was as if the characters were stuck on a debate forum exactly for that scene and then inmediately went back to the fiction. Still, the intensity the film builds around the final riot is commendable.

[B-side]

Of those choices the latter, but it's really a character study in the style of Taxi Driver, where the damaged sociopath is a legitimized figure in society rather than a quiet rebel. So much hinges on Keitel's performance, so if you didn't appreciate that I guess there's not much to see in the film. Like DeNiro in Taxi Driver or Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood. And also like those films, its a portrait of a corrupt man that reveals a corrupt world. The stream of commodified symbols of Christianity (it's been a while since I saw the movie, but the shot of the plastic Virgin Mary while a nun is being raped, and a blanket with Christ's image emblazoned on it wrapped around a poor woman come to mind) mirror Keitel's desperate longing to find an explanation for himself through a higher power, his guilt-wracked conscience about his deeds part of his frustration but another part being that the society around him just doesn't give a shit.

I appreciate your input. I can see a bit of this in retrospect, though I'm unsure how well implemented these ideas are.

[Derek]

I think I'll get this DVD and record my own soundtrack for it.

Sounds like a good entry into my year-long ambient project I'm in the middle of now.

Thanks for sharing, I never would have stumbled upon this.

Please post it if/when it's done. I would love to watch the film again with a different soundtrack. If you want something more manageable for a short-term project, Morrison's 8-minute short, also using decayed footage, Light is Calling (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvbULcqSPC8&feature=PlayList&p=74E37F30276DD3FE&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=29) is online.

[megladon8]

That Criterion of Polanski's Repulsion will be mine!

[balmakboor]

Please post it if/when it's done. I would love to watch the film again with a different soundtrack. If you want something more manageable for a short-term project, Morrison's 8-minute short, also using decayed footage, Light is Calling (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvbULcqSPC8&feature=PlayList&p=74E37F30276DD3FE&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=29) is online.

Thanks for posting that. I love the Internet.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Weekend
The Panic in Needle Park
The Garden
Orlando
Juliet of the Spirits

[D_Davis]

Please post it if/when it's done. I would love to watch the film again with a different soundtrack. If you want something more manageable for a short-term project, Morrison's 8-minute short, also using decayed footage, Light is Calling (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvbULcqSPC8&feature=PlayList&p=74E37F30276DD3FE&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=29) is online.

Most definitely. This could definitely end up being the 4th CSG's album. Depending on time/schedule, and (ultimately) if the film inspires me, I predict its completion around July/August.

And I'll try this you posted as well.

Thanks.

[Spinal]

The 67 Most Influential Films Ever Made (according to Total Film) (http://www.totalfilm.com/features/the-67-most-influential-films-ever-made)

Tease: #65 is The Cable Guy

[Sycophant]

Just sitting down to watch I Just Didn't Do It. Hoping it's as good as I've heard, though I know precious little about it.

[Beau]

Weekend

Whatever My Plane Shows

[Ezee E]

WEEKEND:

The 49th Parallel
The Foot Fist Way

Adventureland

[B-side]

After seeing the images from, and hearing praise for, Decasia, I promptly made my merry way on over to piratebay and acquired myself a copy.

[Qrazy]

After seeing the images from, and hearing praise for, Decasia, I promptly made my merry way on over to piratebay and acquired myself a copy.

Personally I'd temper my enthusiasm. The premise has great theoretical promise but I found the execution to be only above average.

[megladon8]

Some of those images remind me of The Fall.

[Rowland]

Personally I'd temper my enthusiasm. The premise has great theoretical promise but I found the execution to be only above average.Ditto. There appeared to be some sort of structure at work, but I couldn't make heads or tails of it, nor was I terribly inspired to try too hard. I recall the last twenty minutes being a slog. The two best sequences can be viewed for free at the film's site, or at least they used to be.

[Sycophant]

Just sitting down to watch I Just Didn't Do It. Hoping it's as good as I've heard, though I know precious little about it.

It wasn't as good as I'd heard. It was alright, though. Expected a bit better from Suo, whose approach here seemed to be to give me all the excitement of a seven-month criminal groping case playing out in real time. That it didn't try to sex any of this up or give any of its leads teary, dramatic monologues is probably commendable. The film is a message film and therefore has an obvious axe to grind. It's an axe worth grinding, I'm sure, but a great film it isn't.

Though Koji Yakusho was in it, which I'd forgotten about. He didn't dazzle me or anything this time around, but that was a pleasant appearance.

[B-side]

Personally I'd temper my enthusiasm. The premise has great theoretical promise but I found the execution to be only above average.

Yeah, I'm not too sure what to expect in terms of something resembling a narrative in what essentially amounts to a slide show of a series of videos shot by different people covering different subjects.:P

Basically, I'm just expecting something different. I look forward to the experience.

[Qrazy]

Yeah, I'm not too sure what to expect in terms of something resembling a narrative in what essentially amounts to a slide show of a series of videos shot by different people covering different subjects.:P

Basically, I'm just expecting something different. I look forward to the experience.

Not really talking about a narrative, just talking about tonal/aesthetic/thematic resonance. That is to say of films such as Baraka, Koyanisqaatsi, Ashes and Snow, Man with a Movie Camera, etc I found Decasia to be rather middling in comparison.

[B-side]

Not really talking about a narrative, just talking about tonal/aesthetic/thematic resonance. That is to say of films such as Baraka, Koyanisqaatsi, Ashes and Snow, Man with a Movie Camera, etc I found Decasia to be rather middling in comparison.

Judging from what I've seen/read of Decasia, I wouldn't say it's terribly similar to Man with a Movie Camera. Koyanisqaatsi? Eh. Yeah, but the intent and aesthetic is so much different. Basically, what I'm saying is, it interests me, so we'll see what happens.:P

[Qrazy]

Judging from what I've seen/read of Decasia, I wouldn't say it's terribly similar to Man with a Movie Camera. Koyanisqaatsi? Eh. Yeah, but the intent and aesthetic is so much different. Basically, what I'm saying is, it interests me, so we'll see what happens.:P

Woopdee diddly doo what you've read. I've seen the film. All of these films are visual experiences set to music. The comparison is not that much of a stretch. By all means watch the film, I'm not suggesting you don't.

It's worth watching. I'd give it a C+ or something.

[B-side]

Woopdee diddly doo what you've read. I've seen the film. All of these films are visual experiences set to music. The comparison is not that much of a stretch. By all means watch the film, I'm not suggesting you don't.

It's worth watching. I'd give it a C+ or something.

Y'know, Qrazy, sometimes you're harsh and you probably don't know it. I'm going to go weep softly into my pillow now and hope you see the error of your ways. Good day, sir.

[balmakboor]

Y'know, Qrazy, sometimes you're harsh and you probably don't know it. I'm going to go weep softly into my pillow now and hope you see the error of your ways. Good day, sir.

You know, listen to him and don't listen to him. It never hurts to lower expectations going in.

I loved it. It's unique -- at least among my experiences (I understand Lyrical Nitrate is very similar) -- and hauntingly beautiful.

Does it have dull stretches? Sure. Does it all add up to some profound meaning? I dunno. Does it have to?

Is it as good as the Qaatsi films? Well, I'd say:

K-qaatsi > P-qaatsi = Decasia > N-qaatsi

[baby doll]

I saw some Warhol films at Cinémathèque Français (eat it, losers). They were... different.

[Sven]

I just might be doing a double hitter today of Crank 2 and Anvil. So awesome.

[Qrazy]

K-qaatsi > P-qaatsi = Decasia > N-qaatsi

Yeah I'd agree with this although I haven't N-qaatsi.

[Qrazy]

Y'know, Qrazy, sometimes you're harsh and you probably don't know it. I'm going to go weep softly into my pillow now and hope you see the error of your ways. Good day, sir.

I was only recommending you temper your expectations. I felt you were becoming defensive so I became slightly irritable. If someone is going to watch a film should only people that loved it speak up? I mean of course watch it and come to your own conclusions, I was just giving my two cents about it is all. If we can't compare pure montage films to each other what can/should I compare Decasia too? Films which prominently feature image decay? Sorry if I was harsh but I mean come on.

[Beau]

I was only recommending you temper your expectations. I felt you were becoming defensive so I became slightly irritable. If someone is going to watch a film should only people that loved it speak up? I mean of course watch it and come to your own conclusions, I was just giving my two cents about it is all. If we can't compare pure montage films to each other what can/should I compare Decasia too? Films which prominently feature image decay? Sorry if I was harsh but I mean come on.

At least you were able to say "woopdee diddly doo." That must have been fun.

[Ivan Drago]

Koyaanisqatsi is amazing. One of my favorites.

Weekend:

Observe and Report
Adventureland

[Qrazy]

At least you were able to say "woopdee diddly doo." That must have been fun.

It was alright. It was more fun in theory than in practice.

[Spinal]

I fast forwarded through most of the 2nd half of Koyaanisqatsi because I felt like I had got the point. I kind of like the idea of it, but found it kind of tedious to sit through when it came right down to it.

[D_Davis]

I fast forwarded through most of the 2nd half of Koyaanisqatsi because I felt like I had got the point. I kind of like the idea of it, but found it kind of tedious to sit through when it came right down to it.

Like good ambient music, I think these films are best watched without your full attention. They're most effective as an ambient piece of art that is just on in the background, to be seen and heard in small intervals or subconsciously.

[megladon8]

I really like The Simpsons Movie. It's no Emperor's New Groove, but in terms of 2D-animated comedy I thought it was a great movie.

I'm willing to admit that a large part of this is nostalgia. "The Simpsons" was a key part of my childhood - a show that frequently brought me to tears. The movie did the same with Marge's video tape message to Homer, followed by "their song", "Why Do Birds Suddenly Appear" which has great meaning in the context of the show's run.

It's fun, funny, doesn't overstay its welcome, and I would love a sequel.

[Russ]

Those hopefully-not-too-far-off Criterion blu-ray editions of the Qatsi trilogy are gonna rock.

[Raiders]

I fast forwarded through most of the 2nd half of Koyaanisqatsi because I felt like I had got the point. I kind of like the idea of it, but found it kind of tedious to sit through when it came right down to it.

INDEED.

I did not want to be the first to say it.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I fell asleep halfway through Koyaanisqatsi and never bothered to watch the rest for the exact reason that Spinal pointed out.

[soitgoes...]

Koyaanisqatsi and Decasia are ok. Baraka is great.

[Grouchy]

So, SEXMISSION. It's a Polish comedy we were shown at film school, but despite its title and opening credits, it doesn't nearly have as much sex as suggested. It's about these two cosmonauts which are put into cryogenic sleep as an experiment, supposedly to be waken up three years later. Instead, they wake up in the year 2044, when there are only women left on Earth, and none of seem to want to have men back, instead hoping to "naturalize" them into productive women citizens. The film's production values and aesthetic were very good, and director Machulski has a great grasp on comedy timing. The whole of the plot is very predictable until the last act, when an unexpected conspiracy is revealed. This part of the film, we were told, is a metaphor of the Soviet government in Poland at the time and how it manipulated the people. However, unless you know exactly the political climate in Poland during the '90s, I'm guessing political subtext will be the last thing on your mind watching this. I'd like this better if it were shorter, since there were many reiterative scenes and sequences which ultimately led nowhere. Still worth a look. Polish girls.

http://thisdistractedglobe.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/the-player-1992-bruce-willis-julia-roberts-pic-4.jpg

I also saw The Player. Wonderful film, which serves both as an on-your-face satire of Hollywood and an effective thriller. Tim Robbins eats up the role of the cynical producer who spends his life drinking expensive bottled water and listening to pitchings. The satire on the part of Altman is very mild and innocent, though. The toughest parts of the story center on the Griffin Mills character, who is a huge asshole and yet it became hard for me to hate it. But scenes which dealt with Hollywood execs and the like seemed to me sort of naive, like Altman was showing us exactly what we'd expect a big shot producer to say and look like. The crime plot is what's cynical, unexpected, and ultimately provides the heart (or lack of) in the film. So many movies are referenced and brought up as examples on the two hours this takes to unfold, it's crazy. And, of course with Altman, it's a fuckfest of ensemble acting and minor supporting characters. D'Onofrio was wonderful in his crucial one-scene appearance. And the couple of oddball police officers was wonderful. Best thing I've ever seen Whoopie Goldberg doing.

Be Kind Rewind is another film about films I watched almost inmediately afterwards. Although a great deal better than The Science of Sleep, this is still a little too corny and obvious for my tastes. I understand the film is supposed to work as some sort of fable and not a snapshot of anyone's real life, but the whole Danny Glover character felt way too contrived and whimsical for my tastes. In fact, the whole movie is kind of like that. Jack Black does a lot of his routines during the movie, and since I like him, that isn't too bad, I guess, but there was a point where it started to get a little grating. The ending scene is cute, I guess.

[Sven]

I just might be doing a double hitter today of Crank 2 and Anvil. So awesome.

Didn't happen because the weather is too goddamned beautiful today. Anyone in New York will back me up on this one. Spent the day walking around. So nice. So nice.

[Sven]

By the way, Ezee E, I didn't notice your summoning me for Boorman recommendations a while ago until now.

Definitely go with Point Blank if you haven't seen it yet. That one seems the most "E" to me. For lesser known flicks (that are readily available), I'm a huge fan of Where the Heart Is (Coleman and Thurman, not Portman and Sarandon) and Hope and Glory. Leo the Last, alas, is unavailable widely but remains one of the best Euro-arthouse-type films that I've ever seen. Bests Antonioni and Fellini in nearly every way.

I was rather smitten with Tailor of Panama (which has Geoffrey Rush's finest performance). Excalibur is, of course, a masterpiece. I would suggest avoiding Zardoz until you're a real fan, The Emerald Forest is unfortunately a bit dry, and Hell in the Pacific is more interesting for the presence of the two actors than for the direction.

Very pleased at the interest in Boorman, gotta say. The excitement I feel when talking about him is just about as strong as if he were a family member. He's one of the few filmmakers for whom my passionate feelings remain untempered.

[B-side]

INDEED.

I did not want to be the first to say it.

Yeah. The second half more or less saw my rating drop from a high 8/low 9 to a mid-7.

[Qrazy]

Bests Antonioni and Fellini in nearly every way.


Doubt it.

[Sven]

Doubt it.

I am prone to hyperbole.

[Qrazy]

I am prone to hyperbole.

Still, been wanting to see it for a while. I'll try to prioritize.

[Sven]

Still, been wanting to see it for a while. I'll try to prioritize.

It's very crafty, a lot about spectatorial issues (more Rear Window than Blow Up) and a lot about race (recalling no Euro-arthouse film that I can think of that I've seen) and a lot about middle-aged ennui (recalling pretty much every movie with Mastroianni).

[Ivan Drago]

Those hopefully-not-too-far-off Criterion blu-ray editions of the Qatsi trilogy are gonna rock.

:eek:

Have they been confirmed or is this just a rumor?

And yeah I agree that Koyaanisqatsi gets to the point early. But from my experience watching it the score kept my attention and interest going.

[Melville]

Visconti's The Damned vs. Fosse's Cabaret vs. Szabó's Mephisto

Which wins? I liked Cabaret the most. But they're all pretty interesting presentations of moral degradation and amorality during the rise of the Nazis in Germany. All deal with the pageantry and performance in National Socialism, and all relate it to the often lurid, sexual theatricality associated with the Weimar republic. All use vivid, sometimes jarring editing and cinematography to emphasize the grotesque. I just watched Mephisto yesterday, and I really liked its use of almost assaulting close-ups that asserted the force of the characters' personalities vying with one another, presenting the ideological battles of the time as a battle between cults of personality, cults of performance.

[Russ]

:eek:

Have they been confirmed or is this just a rumor?
The dedicated thread in the criterion.org forum makes references to recent screenings where the Criterion deal was mentioned. I believe it's more or less a sure thing, albeit not officially announced yet. I think it's even being mentioned as one of those Criterion sets where they won't be available individually. We shall see.

[balmakboor]

Watched Zardoz today. Don't know what to say yet. I don't know if I kept drifting off during the first half because of boredom or the effects of cold medicine. I thought the second half was fascinating and beautiful even though I had no idea what was going on.

I picked up Michael Ciment's book on Boorman -- I think I mentioned this before -- in a used book pile at the drugstore for 25 cents -- hardbound, perfect condition. I'm going to read the Zardoz chapter and then re-watch it tomorrow.

One thing is for sure, Boorman's total commitment to what he is doing is undeniable. I just haven't decided if he was totally commited toward a stupid endeavor or a brilliant one -- or, most likely, some of both.

[B-side]

I was only recommending you temper your expectations. I felt you were becoming defensive so I became slightly irritable. If someone is going to watch a film should only people that loved it speak up? I mean of course watch it and come to your own conclusions, I was just giving my two cents about it is all. If we can't compare pure montage films to each other what can/should I compare Decasia too? Films which prominently feature image decay? Sorry if I was harsh but I mean come on.

I'm not sure how something so silly could've been taken even remotely serious. The whole weeping softly thing didn't give it away? I knew your intent. I was just being difficult.:P

[Qrazy]

I'm not sure how something so silly could've been taken even remotely serious. The whole weeping softly thing didn't give it away? I knew your intent. I was just being difficult.:P

Well I knew you were joking but I thought perhaps you were also slightly serious so I offered my rationale... mehhh. Watch Toby Dammit. Damn it!

[B-side]

Well I knew you were joking but I thought perhaps you were also slightly serious so I offered my rationale... mehhh. Watch Toby Dammit. Damn it!

Ah! I had forgotten! Seems I still have one left to acquire. I shall do so tonight.

Also, someone download Antonioni's The Red Desert or Noonan's What Happened Was... so my ratio doesn't prevent me from downloading.

[megladon8]

Zack and Miri Make a Porno went from maybe kind of having something clever, to a cliché-ridden, sentimental crapfest.

There's some good Kevin Smith dialogue to be had. And honestly my favorite part of the whole movie was Justin Long and Brandon Routh. That was great.

But yeah, should have left out the entire love story angle.

[B-side]

Decasia is a least 20 mins too long, but it's an interesting experiment. It also contains some excellent imagery and an unsettling aesthetic. After the halfway point, my interest started to fade. It just began losing its appeal. Ah well. Still, it's recommended.

[B-side]

Anyone have thoughts on Merhige's Begotten?

[Russ]

Anyone have thoughts on Merhige's Begotten?
It's waaaaay too long...it'll make Decasia seem like a 5 minute walk in the park.

[balmakboor]

Decasia is a least 20 mins too long, but it's an interesting experiment. It also contains some excellent imagery and an unsettling aesthetic. After the halfway point, my interest started to fade. It just began losing its appeal. Ah well. Still, it's recommended.

One thing I kept thinking about while watching it was "Oh my God, what a director like David Lynch could do with stuff like this." There are things like straight out of a Lynch dream at times.

This stuff could also be used for some beautiful title sequences.

[Melville]

Anyone have thoughts on Merhige's Begotten?
http://match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=124294&postcount=22732

[The Mike]

Picked these up 50% off at Borders this weekend...help me prioritize:

The Fallen Idol CC
Ride the High Country
Midnight Cowboy
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains
My Darling Clementine
Ghost Story (seen it)
Breathless CC (seen it)

[Qrazy]

Picked these up 50% off at Borders this weekend...help me prioritize:

The Fallen Idol CC
Ride the High Country
Midnight Cowboy
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains
My Darling Clementine
Ghost Story (seen it)
Breathless CC (seen it)

Of the three I've seen you can't really go wrong with any of them. Just depends which genre you're interested in watching on any given night.

1. Midnight Cowboy
2. My Darling Clementine
3. Ride the High Country

[Lucky]

Zack and Miri Make a Porno went from maybe kind of having something clever, to a cliché-ridden, sentimental crapfest.

There's some good Kevin Smith dialogue to be had. And honestly my favorite part of the whole movie was Justin Long and Brandon Routh. That was great.

But yeah, should have left out the entire love story angle.

I was about to write this post nearly word-for-word when I saw this the other week.

[Grouchy]

I considered myself completely warned about the visual orgasms of The Fall, but they still managed to wow me out. Like most audiences, I find myself totally flabbergasted at the fact (or, at least, the director's statements) that there's no CGI in this. In some shots I thought that was patently impossible. Still, nothing is, right? The film as a whole is very well carried. Lee Pace and the child actor really develop a special kind of chemistry together even if their scenes are very few. I suppose it is because, to an extent, the dialogues between them don't really feel "written" and often flow in a very natural way. Tarsem knows exactly what buttons to push to get DRAMA and, even if tear-jerkers usually not my cup of tea, I have to admit it works here because it's done with a lot of heart. The film is both a loving tribute to the world of stuntmans (leagues better in this regard than that fucking Tarantino car movie) and a mature drama about choosing to continue living and struggling.

[megladon8]

I was about to write this post nearly word-for-word when I saw this the other week.


At least I can say I wasn't disappointed, because I really wasn't expecting much.

Craig Robinson is pretty damn funny, too. I liked his character here a lot more than the ambiguously-gay character he played in Pineapple Express.

[B-side]

It's waaaaay too long...it'll make Decasia seem like a 5 minute walk in the park.

Damn. The synopsis on IMDb had me immediately interested. I can't help these things. I'm a sucker for absurdism and surrealism. But yeah, pretty much every reaction I've read is similar to yours and the sentiments toward Decasia. I'll be putting it off for a while.

[megladon8]

I considered myself completely warned about the visual orgasms of The Fall, but they still managed to wow me out. Like most audiences, I find myself totally flabbergasted at the fact (or, at least, the director's statements) that there's no CGI in this. In some shots I thought that was patently impossible. Still, nothing is, right? The film as a whole is very well carried. Lee Pace and the child actor really develop a special kind of chemistry together even if their scenes are very few. I suppose it is because, to an extent, the dialogues between them don't really feel "written" and often flow in a very natural way. Tarsem knows exactly what buttons to push to get DRAMA and, even if tear-jerkers usually not my cup of tea, I have to admit it works here because it's done with a lot of heart. The film is both a loving tribute to the world of stuntmans (leagues better in this regard than that fucking Tarantino car movie) and a mature drama about choosing to continue living and struggling.


I want to see this again at some point, but I'm in no rush.

I was very disappointed. I didn't find it emotionally affecting at all, and the imagery felt much too artificial to me. I found that the film as a whole was the same as the visuals - pretty at first glance, but ultimately hollow.



Brightside - I found Begotten to be pretty terrifying. It's like a nightmare caught on film.

I believe the whole thing can be viewed for free on Yahoo!. That's how I saw it.

[Russ]

Damn. The synopsis on IMDb had me immediately interested. I can't help these things. I'm a sucker for absurdism and surrealism. But yeah, pretty much every reaction I've read is similar to yours and the sentiments toward Decasia. I'll be putting it off for a while.
Well, now, don't be too hasty. I mean, the first 10-15 minutes of Begotten is probably exactly the kind of thing you would hope to stumble across; the opening kind of leaves you breathless, but the next hour or so is just so taxing, you can't wait for it to end. But definitely watch that opening; it pretty much encapsulates the entire film's reputation, and deservedly so.

[Melville]

Brightside - I found Begotten to be pretty terrifying. It's like a nightmare caught on film.

I believe the whole thing can be viewed for free on Yahoo!. That's how I saw it.
Here it is on google video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7973225371449473825

It's definitely worth seeing.

[D_Davis]

I considered myself completely warned about the visual orgasms of The Fall, but they still managed to wow me out. Like most audiences, I find myself totally flabbergasted at the fact (or, at least, the director's statements) that there's no CGI in this. In some shots I thought that was patently impossible. Still, nothing is, right? The film as a whole is very well carried. Lee Pace and the child actor really develop a special kind of chemistry together even if their scenes are very few. I suppose it is because, to an extent, the dialogues between them don't really feel "written" and often flow in a very natural way. Tarsem knows exactly what buttons to push to get DRAMA and, even if tear-jerkers usually not my cup of tea, I have to admit it works here because it's done with a lot of heart. The film is both a loving tribute to the world of stuntmans (leagues better in this regard than that fucking Tarantino car movie) and a mature drama about choosing to continue living and struggling.

Right on - I totally agree.

[balmakboor]

http://www.cclapcenter.com/archives/zardoz01.jpg

I suppose I could take some shit for saying this, but I watched Zardoz a second time today and found it pretty damn great. I suppose I cheated and read an interview with Boorman about the film in between viewings, but I really felt in tune with what he was going for.

I'd say it is certainly one of the most interesting and most beautiful dystopian future sci-fi films I've seen. Plus, being a product of the 60s/70s, I'm just nutty enough to have my head in the right place.

[Rowland]

Taking a break from Let the Right One In, I'm about two-thirds through. I like what I've seen, but I can't say I'm as enthusiastic as most of you. Gorgeously expressive filmmaking though, that's for sure.

[Qrazy]

http://www.cclapcenter.com/archives/zardoz01.jpg

I suppose I could take some shit for saying this, but I watched Zardoz a second time today and found it pretty damn great. I suppose I cheated and read an interview with Boorman about the film in between viewings, but I really felt in tune with what he was going for.

I'd say it is certainly one of the most interesting and most beautiful dystopian future sci-fi films I've seen. Plus, being a product of the 60s/70s, I'm just nutty enough to have my head in the right place.

Yeah... no...

[B-side]

Well, now, don't be too hasty. I mean, the first 10-15 minutes of Begotten is probably exactly the kind of thing you would hope to stumble across; the opening kind of leaves you breathless, but the next hour or so is just so taxing, you can't wait for it to end. But definitely watch that opening; it pretty much encapsulates the entire film's reputation, and deservedly so.

I'm still gonna watch it, I'm just less enthusiastic now. It can wait.

[Sven]

I find myself totally flabbergasted at the fact (or, at least, the director's statements) that there's no CGI in this. In some shots I thought that was patently impossible.

I think that most people don't realize is that no CGI does not mean that computers were not used at all. Because there are instances (such as the bugs under the skin and the arrows toward the end) where the computer is very clearly being used. However, it is not in an image-making capacity, per se.

[Rowland]

The ever-eccentric Alex Jackson finally released a 2008 top ten (http://cc.usu.edu/~alexjack/viddiedreviews/bestof2008.html).

Alright, I was perhaps a bit resistant, knowing the mixed responses it received in the critical circles I follow and the excess of hype, but Let the Right One In was really very lovely, with a carefully crafted, poetic aesthetic and an unexpectedly complex and moving poignancy. There is a fair bit I can nitpick about, but the (very) good clearly outweighs the few poor judgements.

[Rowland]

I also watched Twilight, which wasn't really good, and was certainly questionable for its regressive, pandering ideology, but it had its charms. Not enough for me to all-around like it, but I didn't dislike it as much as I thought I would.

[soitgoes...]

I also watched Twilight, which wasn't really good, and was certainly questionable for its regressive, pandering ideology, but it had its charms. Not enough for me to all-around like it, but I didn't dislike it as much as I thought I would.

Yeah, I felt pretty much the same. Better than anticipated.

[B-side]

Antonioni's The Red Desert was pretty great. More surreal than I was expecting. I don't know that I'd place it too closely with the alienation trilogy, but it does share some thematic concerns, namely alienation, the desire for connection, the distaste for modernity in various forms and the central character. I haven't seen La Notte yet, but I don't recall either L'Eclisse or L'Avventura emphasizing the structures as much as this one does. Antonioni's frequent usage of stark primary colors is fairly interesting. Due to the character and her past, they often feel like the manifestation of her past or the bleeding of the past into the present. The whole film feels like a highly subjective/slightly exaggerated dream world. I often found myself wondering if what happened in between Giuliana arriving at the plant and leaving it was all a product of this exaggeration/subjectivity. The love story was secondary, but still engaging enough to give more weight to the human circumstances.

[Winston*]

Enjoyed Hellboy 2 a lot. Sure it's just a bunch of stuff that happens but a bunch of that stuff is neat stuff and it has all these cool looking monsters and lols and a drunken singalong. Better than Iron Man, as well as anything Fellini or Antonioni ever did.

[balmakboor]

Over the W/E:

Observe and Report - B
Very interesting, never dull. Not "out there" enough to break new ground. Not funny enough to get excited over as comedy. It does manage to find a way for Seth Rogen to believably get the hot blonde (I'm thinking Collette Wolfe, not Anna Faris). Situate it within a Travis Bickly-like delusion.

Zardoz - A-
This is a beautiful looking, future dystopian, hippy freakout, near masterpiece. I could see it becoming a personal favorite. Next up, another John Boorman hippy freakout. The critically hated, box office disaster Exorcist II: The Heretic.

A Matter of Life and Death - B+
I enjoy this the death, but I once again found myself feeling it is the least successful of P&P's major works.

Cthulhu - B-
There is something low budget about this in a cheap sort of way and it reminded me too much of Rosemary's Baby wearing new clothes. But it is undeniably interesting and creepy at times and the final 10 minutes makes the whole thing worth it.

[Raiders]

Quarantine was not scary in the least. The premise itself feels so rote, especially in light of other recent handheld horror films (not the film's fault, but hurtful nonetheless), and the filmmakers could not build suspense at all until the final few minutes utilizing the oft-applied night vision. The main problem is the film's structure. That the cameraman would even continue to hold onto the camera in light of the situation stretches believability enough that it is disheartening to see the filmmakers attempt to keep it grounded by having him often shut off the camera in times of great distress or down time, creating a very episodic tale and also one that cuts short much of the lingering reactions that made a film like Cloverfield more potent than it might have otherwise been. Every scare is obvious and though the actors (mainly Jennifer Carpenter) attempt to add some spontaneity to the roles, it is all for naught. Dull and useless horror film.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Have you seen [REC] Raiders? Because that's exactly how I felt about the original, yet I seem to be the only one.

[Raiders]

Have you seen [REC] Raiders? Because that's exactly how I felt about the original, yet I seem to be the only one.

No. I'd like to see it for comparison's sake, and because it has received much praise, but I'm not in any real hurry.

[balmakboor]

I found this as part of some dude's review of Zardoz. Pretty funny observations. It's just this sort of WTF campy, LSD nuttiness presented with total commitment that won me over. What I would give to go back and see this in a theater with a bunch of people expecting something like Deliverance.

Things I Learned From This Movie:

-Having a disembodied head for your announcer is not a good start.
-Ammo can be a fashion statement.
-Your memories are from a third person perspective!
-Nets look pretty sexy on a girl.
-Erections sound like guitars.
-If you kiss a girl and she doesn't kiss back - SHOTPUT HER ASS!
-Immortality causes impotency.
-Human genetic structure looks like a jellyfish or euglena. (Oh stop looking at me and find a dictionary.)
-Flowers are an impassable barrier.
-Sean Connery looks pretty darn good in a wedding dress, sets a guy to thinking...
-People can remain in one place for sixty years.

Stuff To Watch For:

2 mins - OH YEAH? Who used a cheap marker to draw that ugly ass goatee on your face?
4 mins - It's a GIANT FLYING STONE HEAD!
11 mins - Why are those people vacuum wrapped?
18 mins - RANDOM GRATUITOUS BREAST SHOT!
30 mins - Sean Connery just licked that guy's hand!
41 mins - RANDOM ACT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST THE APATHETIC WOMAN!
44 mins - Naked female mud wrestling? They do have a superior culture...
53 mins - Man, thank goodness that scene is done with.
65 mins - RANDOM ACT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST THE APATHETIC WOMAN!
79 mins - RANDOM GRATUITOUS BREAST SHOTS!