28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[Winston*]

Weekend

Camelot
Raise the Red Lantern

[MacGuffin]

Nothing too extensive. It seemed like two films. The first half was more in the order of a horror film, which seemed out of place with the rest of the film and the message of the film as a whole. Showing the girl that got left behind exacting her revenge as a figment of Revenge Girl's (Lucie's) imagination didn't seem to fit. If Laugnier kept going with that type of film it might've been good. If he did the film without it, and focused on the "torture-porn" (for baby doll) second half style than it could've been good. As it stands, the interesting second half is nothing more than that. Great ending though.

I see where you're coming from, but honestly the change in tone didn't bother me as much as it seemed to most people. I would likely give the movie a 9.0. I think it is likely the best in this French Horror Wave we are seeing, and would of course also recommend High Tension and Calvaire (Belgian, with French speaking) if you haven't seen them already. They also probably get 9.0's from me. Inside is great too, but your mileage may very about that one. I don't mind the latter's ending as most do, which fits just fine considering the lead's mental circumstances. But yeah, the ending for Martyrs shocked me more than anything since Twentynine Palms.

[Rowland]

Taking a break from studies to watch, for some reason, Dressed to Kill, which I'm halfway through now. Holy moly! This movie is amazing!Yeah, this has always been one of my top four or five De Palmas, much to the befuddlement of most fans. It's simply sublime magpie cinema, as sensuous and lush as it is damn hilarious, with at least three set pieces that rank amidst De Palma's best.

[BuffaloWilder]

They should combine the two and talk about how human apathy destroyed the world and how one penguin, Mad Mumble, set out to make the world livable once again.

Interestingly enough, a friend of mine sent me a rather interesting link, a while back - as he often does. It concerns what seems to be an alternate cut of Happy Feet, with a much larger scope. It's likely fake, but there's still some things about this that make me do a double take (like the presence of workprint shots, and etc.).

Very interesting. Take a look (http://www.kramidnarg.com/?page_id=9).

[soitgoes...]

I see where you're coming from, but honestly the change in tone didn't bother me as much as it seemed to most people. I would likely give the movie a 9.0. I think it is likely the best in this French Horror Wave we are seeing, and would of course also recommend High Tension and Calvaire (Belgian, with French speaking) if you haven't seen them already. They also probably get 9.0's from me. Inside is great too, but your mileage may very about that one. I don't mind the latter's ending as most do, which fits just fine considering the lead's mental circumstances. But yeah, the ending for Martyrs shocked me more than anything since Twentynine Palms.
I've only seen Inside of those listed, and I'm pretty negative with that one. Ils was okay. Of course, when it comes to horror, I'm not the best person to go to for recommendations or affirmation. Most of the horror films I see I watch because my girlfriend generally loves the genre. It's the friendly balance we have, since a number of films I make her watch bores her to tears.

[Qrazy]

Weekend

Camelot - Want to See
Raise the Red Lantern - Great

I've only seen Paint Your Wagon but from that alone I think Joshua Logan has a good eye for imagery. I'd really like to see Picnic and I guess South Pacific.

[Rowland]

I watched the Funny Games remake last night, and I'm fairly convinced that not only was I was wrong about the original, but that this incarnation is the superior film, for a number of reasons that highlight how minor fine-tunings can make a large difference.

[Qrazy]

Has anyone seen or heard of Moebius (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117069/)? Looks interesting to me.

[soitgoes...]

Has anyone seen or heard of Moebius (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117069/)? Looks interesting to me.
I haven't, and it does sound intriguing. I'd imagine Grouchy would have some knowledge about this.

[Sven]

It's simply sublime magpie cinema, as sensuous and lush as it is damn hilarious, with at least three set pieces that rank amidst De Palma's best.

Seriously.

I mean, what:

The museum, the elevators, the subway chase, the climax in the office, the incredible split-screen while Allen is on the phone and Caine is watching the documentary on the television, the hospital at the end, Allen in the shower at the end... holy smokes!

[Russ]

OK, you've constrained yourself to a definition of manipulative that we can agree upon and for that I thank you.

---

I'm completely in agreement with you concerning that scene from AI. Spielberg is a poster child for manipulative cinema. It is the manipulative element in his work that I feel holds him back. He's a formal master in many ways... But when he goes War of the World's Sophie's Choice or Schindler's List conclusion heart string tugging, it's too much. He needs to give the audience a bit more credit. However, I disagree with your notion that emotional manipulation is only manipulation if it is extraneous. Take any given Oscar Bait-y film (let's say Crash and Slumdog Millionaire... for those that particularly like these works substitute something you find manipulative instead... Radio, Pay it Forward... I'm sure there are many worse examples than any I've given)... the emotional manipulation often runs down to the core of the work. Perhaps the manipulative scenes could not be excised without damaging the core film but that does not mean that the film is exempt from criticisms of manipulative approach/intent.

In terms of The Fall I have two comments. The first is that while The Fall is about manipulation I don't believe it has a lot to say about manipulation. In the same way that the film purports to be about Stuntmen, I don't believe it has much to say about being a Stuntman. I found there to be a general surface quality to much of the film. The film assimilates imagery from Baraka, Ashes and Snow, etc but to what end? At the end of the film we have the Stuntman montage, and it's a good montage, but is it earned? This ending seemed to me lifted straight from Cinema Paradiso. But with Paradiso's kissing montage, there the ending was earned. The film had genuinely been building to that moment of montage both narratively and thematically. In The Fall it's just a ploy (I'm speaking only of the Stuntman montage now, not the girl/stuntman emotional climax). It's an empty gesture. Cinema Paradiso may also be an emotionally manipulative film but in my opinion it is such in a much more genuine manner. It wears it's sentimentality on it's sleeve.

Don't get me wrong. I think The Fall is a decent film, I just don't think it is an exceptional film for the reasons I am outlining. It's not it's lack of originality which bothers me per se, it's more what I perceive to be the accumulation of empty gestures. Accumulated imagery and ideas from other films which are not (for me) satisfactorily brought together into a unified whole. OK, sorry for that digression, back to the issue of manipulation and what The Fall has to say about it. I would agree with your comments about manipulation if they were applied to the film Adaptation for instance. There is a film where the 'manipulative' conclusion is built ironically into the overarching structure of the film. With The Fall however, just because the telling of the Stuntman's story is manipulative in nature (told in order to get the girl to help him harm himself), I do not feel this necessitates manipulative content within the larger narrative. You mention how Spielberg's scene could be changed to be less emotionally manipulative. The scene in The Fall could also be changed. The dual realizations you point to of the young girl and the Stuntman do not have to take place in the context of an alcoholic, suicidal young man in a wheelchair telling a post Brothers Quay surgery young girl about his story wherein he kills off all of his major characters except at the very last second he has a change of heart and opts for a happy ending... oh and both characters are in tears throughout. At a certain point it's just too much.

Thanks to Bosco and Qrazy for their thoughtful comments.

Qrazy, re: your observation about my statement of extraneous emotional manipulation having more validity than other types...I didn't mean to imply it rises above criticism; it most certainly doesn't. I've managed to look past it, perhaps charitably, due to factors that appeal to me on a basic level -- the wonderful on-screen chemistry between Pace and Untaru, and the splendid "empty" imagery on display -- my facetious employment of "empty" notwithstanding, which I feel does work for the storytelling portion of the film (after all, he is making it up as he goes along). However, I'll concede the point you raise as to of the emptiness, or lack of substance, of the film itself. I fault Tarsem, or the screenwriter, or both, for failing to convey enough information to earn certain payoffs at the end. I guess I'm willing to charitably read embellishments into certain narrative concerns where they're not warranted because I choose to -- it's a thin line, where there's enough meat on The Fall's bones for me as opposed someone with a greater degree of scrutinization.

After all is said and done, it is a decent film, I agree. A great one? I haven't made up my mind yet. But I do find myself drawn back to it (have seen it 3 times and wasn't even that crazy about it the first time). And maybe it's the film's vagueness which both attracts me and baffles me.

[Spun Lepton]

Kung Fu Panda > Wall-E

Agreed? Agreed.

Pixar >>>>>>>>>>> Pretty much every other 3D animation studio.

[Ezee E]

DePalma may make a lot of bad movies, but there's usually fantastic scenes in them.

[Winston*]

Pixar >>>>>>>>>>> Pretty much every other 3D animation studio.

Sure, Pixar's a better animation studio than Dreamworks and whatever studio makes the Ice Age movies.

[Grouchy]

I haven't, and it does sound intriguing. I'd imagine Grouchy would have some knowledge about this.
Yeah, it was the first feature film produced by my film school.

But sadly, I haven't seen it so I don't know if it's any good.

[megladon8]

So There Will Be Blood was one of those movies I was kind of dreading seeing. Similar to how Jen felt about Casablanca before she saw it, I just kept thinking "everyone talks about this movie like it's one of Man's greatest achievements; there's no way it could be as good as it's been built up to be."

But no, to my disappointment, it was. It was really, really, really good. Like, comparable to Kubrick at the top of his game good.

Really the only flaw I could possibly find was that I'm certain Daniel Plainview's injured leg switched sides at least twice throughout the course of the film.

It was a pretty incredible experience, and for all the hoopla around DDL's performance, I thought Paul Dano stole the show.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Weirdness: I went to college for a year with this kid named Paul Rust. I didn't have much contact with him, but one of my friends cast him in quite a few of his short films.

Now Paul Rust has a partial role in Inglourious Basterds and a lead in I Love You, Beth Cooper.

Life is funny.

[Ezee E]

So There Will Be Blood was one of those movies I was kind of dreading seeing. Similar to how Jen felt about Casablanca before she saw it, I just kept thinking "everyone talks about this movie like it's one of Man's greatest achievements; there's no way it could be as good as it's been built up to be."

But no, to my disappointment, it was. It was really, really, really good. Like, comparable to Kubrick at the top of his game good.

Really the only flaw I could possibly find was that I'm certain Daniel Plainview's injured leg switched sides at least twice throughout the course of the film.

It was a pretty incredible experience, and for all the hoopla around DDL's performance, I thought Paul Dano stole the show.
Paul Dano, really?

Any explanation on that?

[Raiders]

It was a pretty incredible experience, and for all the hoopla around DDL's performance, I thought Paul Dano stole the show.

Uh-oh. Spinal's not going to be happy.

[Spinal]

:frustrated:

[Kurosawa Fan]

:frustrated:

Huh. I was dead certain you'd agree.

[Spinal]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/dano.jpg

[Kurosawa Fan]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/joel_harmon/dano.jpg

:lol:

Such a good film.

[Grouchy]

Paul Dano, really?

Any explanation on that?
Eh, does it really need any? His performance(s) are at least as good as Daniel-Day's in the movie. They play each other off wonderfully.

[megladon8]

What did I miss?

What was wrong with Paul Dano in There Will Be Blood?

[Spinal]

I cannot comprehend putting Paul Dano's performance in the same category as Daniel Day-Lewis. Dano is so coarse, hammy and strident. Day-Lewis plays an over-the-top personality to be sure, but with far more nuance, precision and control. Dano does not spoil the film because P.T. knows how to use him (this is the same guy that got a great dramatic performance out of Adam Sandler). But the difference in skill is obvious and vast.

[megladon8]

I've been told? :lol:

I thought the characters were equally hammy and over-the-top and I thought that was a big part of the power of the film. These two men were so out of place among the rest of the population, who are all played appropriately as fairly dull, personality-free people, especially when next to Daniel Plainview and Eli Sunday.

Both are men who are undone by their greed, even though they both succeeded in what they set out to do. Daniel Plainview sought riches, and he got it. He also lost all humanity he may have had at one point. Eli Sunday sought souls, and his congregation grew and grew until his pathetic last days.

This larger-than-life quality that appears in both of them is quite literal - neither of them are ever going to be able to live amond regular people, at least not happily.

I guess what I'm saying is that I didn't find Dano's performance any less nuanced or lacking in depth compared to Daniel Day Lewis'. They were both fantastic.

Oh and allow to me say how happy I was to see Ciaran Hinds and Kevin J. O'Connor in this. Two very underrated actors who rarely seem to appear outside of TV or DTV movies lately.

[Spinal]

Ciaran Hinds is consistently fantastic. I mean, the guy was even great in Tomb Raider 2.

[megladon8]

Ciaran Hinds is consistently fantastic. I mean, the guy was even great in Tomb Raider 2.


He was also wonderful in Persuasion, apparently. It's one of Jen's favorites - she had a major crush on him after that.

Not sure if you're into Jane Austen adaptations.

[Spinal]

He was also wonderful in Persuasion, apparently. It's one of Jen's favorites - she had a major crush on him after that.

Not sure if you're into Jane Austen adaptations.

Ah, yes! Great film. Probably the best Austen adaptation I've seen.

[megladon8]

Ah, yes! Great film. Probably the best Austen adaptation I've seen.


I really should get around to watching it. I bought it for her last year. I'll steal it from her sometime :cool:

[balmakboor]

I haven't seen that much. I've only seen Tokyo Story, Floating Weeds, Good Morning and Late Spring and I like them in that order.

I've never heard someone liking Good Morning over Late Spring before. I can't say I agree or disagree. They're both pretty much perfect to me.

Good Morning was the first DVD I owned and I watched it about 40 times. I was beyond going crazy waiting for more Ozus to come out in R1.

[thefourthwall]

I first fell in love with Ciaran Hinds after a film called December Bride, which is about Protestants in Northern Ireland. Sarah has an affair with two brothers, refuses to name the father, and the three have an odd, but workable, sort of family. Very interesting in terms of Irish culture and gender issues. I studied it for my MA comps.

And, after looking up the film to see if it's available at all (and worth my mentioning), I learned that it just recently was released on dvd! :pritch:

[Qrazy]

Thanks to Bosco and Qrazy for their thoughtful comments.

Qrazy, re: your observation about my statement of extraneous emotional manipulation having more validity than other types...I didn't mean to imply it rises above criticism; it most certainly doesn't. I've managed to look past it, perhaps charitably, due to factors that appeal to me on a basic level -- the wonderful on-screen chemistry between Pace and Untaru, and the splendid "empty" imagery on display -- my facetious employment of "empty" notwithstanding, which I feel does work for the storytelling portion of the film (after all, he is making it up as he goes along). However, I'll concede the point you raise as to of the emptiness, or lack of substance, of the film itself. I fault Tarsem, or the screenwriter, or both, for failing to convey enough information to earn certain payoffs at the end. I guess I'm willing to charitably read embellishments into certain narrative concerns where they're not warranted because I choose to -- it's a thin line, where there's enough meat on The Fall's bones for me as opposed someone with a greater degree of scrutinization.

After all is said and done, it is a decent film, I agree. A great one? I haven't made up my mind yet. But I do find myself drawn back to it (have seen it 3 times and wasn't even that crazy about it the first time). And maybe it's the film's vagueness which both attracts me and baffles me.

Fair enough. I certainly see a lot to like about it, I just have major problems with it... but I've already outlined those.

[Qrazy]

I've never heard someone liking Good Morning over Late Spring before. I can't say I agree or disagree. They're both pretty much perfect to me.

Good Morning was the first DVD I owned and I watched it about 40 times. I was beyond going crazy waiting for more Ozus to come out in R1.

Good Morning is just a ton of fun. That film has an intoxicating love of life. Late Spring I have major problems with which I've been over before, really not a fan. Speaking of Ozu though, his frequently used actor Chishu Ryu has a small character role in the Tora-san series. I think he's in almost every single film in the series.

[Qrazy]

*begins watching Ravenous*

I hope whoever made this credit sequence never worked in the business again.

[baby doll]

Weekend rentals/borrowings:

An Affair to Remember (Leo McCarey, 1957)
The Band's Visit (Eran Kolirin, 2007)
Rocco and His Brothers (Luchino Visconti, 1960)

If I can make it out to the theatres, I'll go to see Lymelife. And maybe Star Trek 'cause, you know, I'm a nerd for that crap.

[chrisnu]

*begins watching Ravenous*

I hope whoever made this credit sequence never worked in the business again.
The soundtrack is better than the movie itself.

[Qrazy]

The soundtrack is better than the movie itself.

Probably, but I liked the film quite a bit.

[Sven]

Ravenous is a masterpiece. End of story.

[megladon8]

Ravenous is a masterpiece. End of story.


Yes it is.

Super mega ultra rep, coming your way.

[Sven]

Yes it is.

Super mega ultra rep, coming your way.

I, in return, offer what is merely super ultra rep, seeing as how I have one less rep point to give than you do.

Seriously, though, that film and RoboCop are the two films that I always find myself going back to when I'm in the mood for bizarre, kinetic thrills.

[megladon8]

I, in return, offer what is merely super ultra rep, seeing as how I have one less rep point to give than you do.

Seriously, though, that film and RoboCop are the two films that I always find myself going back to when I'm in the mood for bizarre, kinetic thrills.


Ravenous has the weird distinction of being an "autumn movie" for me. I first saw it in September of the year I had my first job - I was working at a video store in town, and used that week's free rental to rent it.

I loved it so much I think I watched it about 5 times before I returned it. I then bought the DVD, and watched it a few more times before Christmas rolled around.

Now whenever I watch it, regardless of the time of year, it makes me anticipate the bright, fiery colours of Fall when I turn off the movie and step outside.

[Sven]

Ravenous has the weird distinction of being an "autumn movie" for me. I first saw it in September of the year I had my first job - I was working at a video store in town, and used that week's free rental to rent it.

I loved it so much I think I watched it about 5 times before I returned it. I then bought the DVD, and watched it a few more times before Christmas rolled around.

Now whenever I watch it, regardless of the time of year, it makes me anticipate the bright, fiery colours of Fall when I turn off the movie and step outside.

Very awesome association. I feel that way with Dumbo and summertime. There was a summer some years back where I watched Dumbo literally every single day. It was incredible. I know that film better than probably any other.

[megladon8]

Very awesome association. I feel that way with Dumbo and summertime. There was a summer some years back where I watched Dumbo literally every single day. It was incredible. I know that film better than probably any other.


I have films I watched every single day as well, especially when my anxiety disorder was at full power about 10 years ago.

I was home from school for about 6 months, and I swear every single day was a loop of Blade and Starship Troopers. I actually wore out the video cassettes.

[Sven]

I was home from school for about 6 months, and I swear every single day was a loop of Blade and Starship Troopers. I actually wore out the video cassettes.

Unfortunately, the only other film that I've ever really done the daily thing with is Mrs. Doubtfire. Please don't ask why. Significantly less awesome than Starship Troopers, that's for sure. There are other films that I've seen millions (Edward Scissorhands, Fargo, etc), but the every day thing I've only done with those two movies.

[megladon8]

Unfortunately, the only other film that I've ever really done the daily thing with is Mrs. Doubtfire. Please don't ask why. Significantly less awesome than Starship Troopers, that's for sure. There are other films that I've seen millions (Edward Scissorhands, Fargo, etc), but the every day thing I've only done with those two movies.


What's wrong with that movie? I loved that movie to bits while growing up.

There are plenty of movies I would pop in my VCR daily, or at least several times a week. One of my very favorites as a pre-teen was The Shawshank Redemption. That's one which more than once I watched, rewound and watched again immediately after.

Oh, and when I saw Terminator 2 at the age of 9, I swear I felt like I had looked into the eyes of God and he looked back at me and said "you are my most wonderful creation." Seriously, I contemplated never watching another movie ever again, because nothing could ever be as good as that.

[D_Davis]

I watched Armageddon, or parts of, every day for like 3 months.

[Qrazy]

I watched Armageddon, or parts of, every day for like 3 months.

tmi

[Mara]

He was also wonderful in Persuasion, apparently. It's one of Jen's favorites - she had a major crush on him after that.

Not sure if you're into Jane Austen adaptations.

It's the best Austen adaptation because it's based on the best Austen book. It's far more thoughtful and sad than most of her comedy-satire-romance bashes, but because it's dealing with flawed and realistic characters, it is wonderfully effective.

And the casting for the film adaptation was perfect, perfect, perfect.

[Mara]

I first fell in love with Ciaran Hinds after a film called December Bride, which is about Protestants in Northern Ireland. Sarah has an affair with two brothers, refuses to name the father, and the three have an odd, but workable, sort of family. Very interesting in terms of Irish culture and gender issues. I studied it for my MA comps.

And, after looking up the film to see if it's available at all (and worth my mentioning), I learned that it just recently was released on dvd! :pritch:

I didn't even finish this post before going over to Netflix, finding it, and bumping it to the top of my queue.

No joke.

[Mara]

I feel the need to mention, coincidentally, that Persuasion, both the book and film, contain the most effective and devestating love letter I've ever read.

And I have read many, many, many books with love letters in them.

[Wryan]

Weekend rentals/borrowings:

An Affair to Remember (Leo McCarey, 1957) - Great
Rocco and His Brothers (Luchino Visconti, 1960) - Liked quite a bit. Let me know your thoughts.



.

[Mara]

Top Four Austen Adaptations, Ranked:

1. Persuasion (Roger Michell, 1995) I know people who hate this film for the same reason that I love it-- the leads are older and less attractive, and there are long moments of silence. The characters we care about the most say the least. Austen's biting criticisms are not directed at these gentle people-- instead they are aimed at the silly, vain, and selfish secondary players who relegate any woman who is not beautiful, rich, or married to sit in the corner until she is needed. In the last scene, there is a terrific moment when the camera is distracted by a parade of carnival players who clumsily invade the street, making noise and nonsense. When they finally pass and calm is restored, the sight of our heroes, quiet and unmoved, is revelatory.

2. Sense and Sensibility (Ang Lee, 1995) One of Austen's drearier early works is enlivened and infused with joy and beauty, thanks to Lee's gorgeous direction and Thompson's clear and humorous writing. Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet are two of the best actresses working today, and they play off each other beautifully. The entire supporting cast is excellent as well, with the exception of Hugh Grant, who (although this is one of his better roles) is still kind of annoying.

3. Pride & Prejudice (Simon Langton, 1995) Technically, it's made for television, but has stunning production values and a star-studded cast. It is very long (310 minutes) and extremely faithful to the book-- scene for scene, word for word. The fact that it still feels fresh and funny, and not laborious or slavish-- says a great deal about the skill involved with this adaptation. Colin Firth's performance is legendary with a particular population of women.

4. Mansfield Park (Patricia Rozema, 1999) In direct opposition to the above is this post-modern recreation of Austen's novel, which rips the story and character to pieces. Fanny, our heroine, has been completely rewritten into (more or less) a young Jane Austen, with the words coming from her mouth taken from Austen's letters and juvenilia. The film also injects a healthy dose of sex, hypocrisy, and social conscience. Faithful Austenites go up in arms, but I can't deny that the film was fascinating. Also, Hal Pinter.

I was going to do a top five, but all other adaptations take such a steep decline in quality, that why bother?

[Qrazy]

Weekend rentals/borrowings:

An Affair to Remember (Leo McCarey, 1957) - B-
The Band's Visit (Eran Kolirin, 2007) - C+
Rocco and His Brothers (Luchino Visconti, 1960) - B+

I recently wrote a paper analyzing the institution of the family in Rocco and Amarcord.

[Qrazy]

Top Four Austen Adaptations, Ranked:

1. Persuasion (Roger Michell, 1995) I know people who hate this film for the same reason that I love it-- the leads are older and less attractive, and there are long moments of silence. The characters we care about the most say the least. Austen's biting criticisms are not directed at these gentle people-- instead they are aimed at the silly, vain, and selfish secondary players who relegate any woman who is not beautiful, rich, or married to sit in the corner until she is needed. In the last scene, there is a terrific moment when the camera is distracted by a parade of carnival players who clumsily invade the street, making noise and nonsense. When they finally pass and calm is restored, the sight of our heroes, quiet and unmoved, is revelatory.

2. Sense and Sensibility (Ang Lee, 1995) One of Austen's drearier early works is enlivened and infused with joy and beauty, thanks to Lee's gorgeous direction and Thompson's clear and humorous writing. Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet are two of the best actresses working today, and they play off each other beautifully. The entire supporting cast is excellent as well, with the exception of Hugh Grant, who (although this is one of his better roles) is still kind of annoying.

3. Pride & Prejudice (Simon Langton, 1995) Technically, it's made for television, but has stunning production values and a star-studded cast. It is very long (310 minutes) and extremely faithful to the book-- scene for scene, word for word. The fact that it still feels fresh and funny, and not laborious or slavish-- says a great deal about the skill involved with this adaptation. Colin Firth's performance is legendary with a particular population of women.

4. Mansfield Park (Patricia Rozema, 1999) In direct opposition to the above is this post-modern recreation of Austen's novel, which rips the story and character to pieces. Fanny, our heroine, has been completely rewritten into (more or less) a young Jane Austen, with the words coming from her mouth taken from Austen's letters and juvenilia. The film also injects a healthy dose of sex, hypocrisy, and social conscience. Faithful Austenites go up in arms, but I can't deny that the film was fascinating. Also, Hal Pinter.

I was going to do a top five, but all other adaptations take such a steep decline in quality, that why bother?

Wright's Pride and Prejudice isn't good?

[Mara]

I had one roommate who really loved gentle period pieces, and she was shocked-- SHOCKED-- when she borrowed Mansfield Park one day.

Then, one day, she borrowed Angels and Insects, and she didn't borrow my films anymore.

:lol:

[Mara]

Wright's Pride and Prejudice isn't good?

It's okay. Pretty to look at. I found all the choices to be a little obvious and forgettable.

[Qrazy]

It's okay. Pretty to look at. I found all the choices to be a little obvious and forgettable.

Ah. Still haven't seen any of his work myself. The trailer for The Soloist looked fairly god awful. Hopefully it's less treacly than the trailer portends.

[Raiders]

It's okay. Pretty to look at. I found all the choices to be a little obvious and forgettable.

Bah. My favorite Austen film. In fact, Wright's only really good one. I liked Atonement less upon a rewatch and The Soloist was the definition of middlebrow.

[Mara]

Bah. My favorite Austen film. In fact, Wright's only really good one. I liked Atonement less upon a rewatch and The Soloist was the definition of middlebrow.

I know there are people who really loved it, but it just didn't really speak to me. I also thought Atonement was mediocre.

[Qrazy]

The Maggie - My fifth Mackendrick film and yet another great Ealing Comedy. Heartwarming but genuine, funny yet understated. This is filmmaking with class. The plot focuses on the crew of a small Puffer ship trying to making ends meet and the lengths they go to secure the cargo hauling job they've been accidentally commissioned for. Frankly every Mackendrick film I've seen has been good to great so I've decided to complete his all too short filmography. Next up A High Wind in Jamaica followed by Mandy.

[balmakboor]

http://mm.nosotras.com/%2FEspa%C3%B1ol%2FOcio%2FCine% 2FActualidad%2F61112/santiago-alvarez.jpg

http://arditodocumental.kinoki.es/files/2009/04/nowsantiagoalvarez.jpg

http://www.ridm.qc.ca/assets/images/2008_sections/alvarez2.jpg

http://www.belfastfilmfestival.org/2009/images/tc_santiago-alverz.jpg

http://www.dok-leipzig.de/v2/cms/magick.php5?img=Chronik-Fotos/LVZ_30_1970a.jpg&type=big

http://www.hffny.com/2009/_images/films/02pic.jpg

http://www.othercinema.com/otherzine/otherzine14/alvarez/santiagoalvarez.jpg

http://www.fipresci.org/undercurrent/issue_0106/images/lbj.jpg

Only occasionally do I come across a filmmakers who fires my imagination the way Santiago Alvarez has. I haven't been about to shake his films Now, LBJ, and 79 primaveras out of my head. Actually, I don't want to and haven't tried to shake them out of my head.

[D_Davis]

Electra Glide in Blue - B+

Saw this movie for the first time last year - loved it. Blew my mind.

[Qrazy]

Saw this movie for the first time last year - loved it. Blew my mind.

Yeah, it was damn good. The story comes together effortlessly. Although of course it's much more the style of the whole thing rather than the narrative that makes it so compelling.

[D_Davis]

Yeah, it was damn good. The story comes together effortlessly. Although of course it's much more the style of the whole thing rather than the narrative that makes it so compelling.

Right. It's got a dream-like quality to it, evocative of its setting. It reminded me of a Leone film in how the setting was used to convey aspects of its characters and narrative.

And the acting! Robert Blake - wow - he is fantastic.

I also loved its message - it was counter-counter-culture, but done so in a way the remained fair and just.

I wrote this in my original review:


While reading anecdotes about this film, I was shocked to find that it was accused by many in the industry of promoting fascism (and thusly booed at Cannes where it premiered) because it didn't blindly sing the praises of the anti-establishment, the hippie-movement. I find this kind of extreme liberal rhetoric to be hypocritical and insulting. Because it features an honest, hard working policeman - a man doing his job well, a man with integrity, a man not willing to take hand outs, a man guiding his own life - as the central POV character, the film was criticized; it offers an alternative view in an already alternative genre.

If anything, the film should have been commended for presenting its themes in a non-derogatory, non-judgmental manner. It does not preach; it simply exists to explore an interesting character caught in a world of corruption, drugs, loneliness, murder, and apathy. Wintergreen stands up to "the man," he fights against the malaise of the system and the corruption of the law. However, he does so in a righteous way; he does so while still working within the confines of the very law he swore to uphold. Ultimately his compassionate ways get the best of him, and he is finally betrayed on the open road.

The scene where Wintergreen pulls the truck driver over and they talk about Vietnam and how each of them experienced the same war but lived on with completely different attitudes towards life is brilliant.

Such a strong character piece.

[Qrazy]

Right. It's got a dream-like quality to it, evocative of its setting. It reminded me of a Leone film in how the setting was used to convey aspects of its characters and narrative.

And the acting! Robert Blake - wow - he is fantastic.

I also loved its message - it was counter-counter-culture, but done so in a way the remained fair and just.

I wrote this in my original review:



The scene where Wintergreen pulls the truck driver over and they talk about Vietnam and how each of them experienced the same war but lived on with completely different attitudes towards life is brilliant.

Such a strong character piece.

Yeah, I've been rewatching the final scene on youtube for a few days now for that terrific final song... "Tell Me," written by Guercio and sung by Kath. You nailed it with the counter-counter-culture comment. The police are too often demonized in cinema. That's one of the things I liked quite a lot about this, The Wire and Elite Squad. They show another side of the social picture we have of our institutions. I loved Wintergreen's relationship with Zipper also, terrific arc there. Have you seen In Cold Blood? Blake is fantastic in that as well. I might start working on Conrad Hall's filmography at this point, so much goodness. Going to get on The Professionals, Smile, Tequila Sunrise, Hell in the Pacific and The Day of the Locust as soon as possible primarily for Hall's involvement.

[baby doll]

I recently wrote a paper analyzing the institution of the family in Rocco and Amarcord.Is it online or are you just being a term paper tease?

[MacGuffin]

The Erasers by Alain Robbe-Grillet

You gotta see his movie La Belle captive. It's on a perfectly suitable Region 1 DVD, so absolutely no excuses because it's really amazing.

[Grouchy]

http://blogs.nypost.com/popwrap/photos/Repo-Genetic-opera.jpg

Hey, Repo! The Genetic Opera was really good. It was everything I expected from the premise - a torture porn musical - but done so with effortless charm and skill. Loved the comic-book panels telling the backstory of all of the characters, and I thought the music was solid stuff. Plus, this gets kudos for being 100% musical, there's not a single moment where the characters engage in non-sung dialogue. I understand how most of the people who isn't me can be driven to raging madness by this fact, though. Paul Sorvino stole the show in the acting department, and of course Anthony Head and Sarah Brightman were the most skilled singers. But the real surprise was Paris Hilton parodying herself as the spoiled heiress of a rich company addicted to surgery. If anything keeps this from greatness is that the directing is sort of pedestrian. All the sets, costumes and lighting are incredible, but Lynn Bousman seems so enamored by them he doesn't fully use camerawork to make the scenes work. There are many moments when Repo! begins to feel a lot like filmed theater. For a counter-example of the feeling I'm trying to convey here, check out Burton's Sweeney Todd adaptation.

[Mara]

Awesome, Grouchy. I'd rep you, but I guess I'm out for the day.

Side note: I've been watching a few old episodes of Star Trek, which I've never seen, and now I have a fierce need to rewatch Galaxy Quest.

[number8]

Plus, this gets kudos for being 100% musical, there's not a single moment where the characters engage in non-sung dialogue.

That's what they call an opera. If people ask you what the difference is between an opera and a musical, it's that.

[Mara]

And an operetta is like an opera, but funny.

[Grouchy]

That's what they call an opera. If people ask you what the difference is between an opera and a musical, it's that.
Ok, smartass. Good point.

[number8]

Ok, smartass. Good point.

I don't like to keep those vultures guessing.

[baby doll]

You gotta see his movie La Belle captive. It's on a perfectly suitable Region 1 DVD, so absolutely no excuses because it's really amazing.Yeah, I meant to rent it, but the French language section at the shop where I rent movies is kind of a labyrinth for me. There are too many films I want to take out (Bresson and Godard and Tati, oh my!), so my mind goes blank.

[Qrazy]

Is it online or are you just being a term paper tease?

The latter, although the paper did well my writing took on something of a formulaic quality for it so I'm not ultimately too fond of it. Bah, I'll post it anyway.

[Dead & Messed Up]

http://blogs.nypost.com/popwrap/photos/Repo-Genetic-opera.jpg

Hey, Repo! The Genetic Opera was really good. It was everything I expected from the premise - a torture porn musical - but done so with effortless charm and skill. Loved the comic-book panels telling the backstory of all of the characters, and I thought the music was solid stuff. Plus, this gets kudos for being 100% musical, there's not a single moment where the characters engage in non-sung dialogue. I understand how most of the people who isn't me can be driven to raging madness by this fact, though. Paul Sorvino stole the show in the acting department, and of course Anthony Head and Sarah Brightman were the most skilled singers. But the real surprise was Paris Hilton parodying herself as the spoiled heiress of a rich company addicted to surgery. If anything keeps this from greatness is that the directing is sort of pedestrian. All the sets, costumes and lighting are incredible, but Lynn Bousman seems so enamored by them he doesn't fully use camerawork to make the scenes work. There are many moments when Repo! begins to feel a lot like filmed theater. For a counter-example of the feeling I'm trying to convey here, check out Burton's Sweeney Todd adaptation.

I actually dug that theatrical style, if only because Bousman's previous work on the Saw pictures so often felt devoid of scene logic, editorial flow, continuity, etc.

[Spinal]

I watched the Funny Games remake last night, and I'm fairly convinced that not only was I was wrong about the original, but that this incarnation is the superior film, for a number of reasons that highlight how minor fine-tunings can make a large difference.

So much aggravation you gave me over this film ... :lol:

[number8]

So what is it with people who go see a movie, like it, and then immediately make it their favorite? How does that even compute?

I've just gone crazy from reading people's tweets saying that they're putting Star Trek in their Top 3 movies of all time. Who the fuck does that?

[DavidSeven]

So what is it with people who go see a movie, like it, and then immediately make it their favorite? How does that even compute?

I've just gone crazy from reading people's tweets saying that they're putting Star Trek in their Top 3 movies of all time. Who the fuck does that?

People who aren't obsessed with movies. Like 99% of the world outside of Match-Cut. Not everyone takes this stuff as seriously as we do.

[BuffaloWilder]

So what is it with people who go see a movie, like it, and then immediately make it their favorite? How does that even compute?

I've just gone crazy from reading people's tweets saying that they're putting Star Trek in their Top 3 movies of all time. Who the fuck does that?


I don't know, man. It took me repeated viewings to put "The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly" on my favorites list, but Star Trek - one viewing, and you're hooked, motherfucker.

[Mysterious Dude]

The Maggie - My fifth Mackendrick film and yet another great Ealing Comedy. Heartwarming but genuine, funny yet understated. This is filmmaking with class. The plot focuses on the crew of a small Puffer ship trying to making ends meet and the lengths they go to secure the cargo hauling job they've been accidentally commissioned for. Frankly every Mackendrick film I've seen has been good to great so I've decided to complete his all too short filmography. Next up A High Wind in Jamaica followed by Mandy.
I saw The Maggie earlier this year, and somehow it was the first time I actually became aware of Alexander Mackendrick as a director, even though I'd already seen four of his movies and The Man in the White Suit is one of my favorites. What I loved about The Maggie is that all of the characters are scoundrels, but they're all sympathetic, too. So far, it's one of the best movies I've seen this year.

I will say that I found A High Wind in Jamaica forgettable.

[Amnesiac]

Wendy and Lucy was great.

[balmakboor]

Watched Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy and liked it a lot. I have no familiarity with The Kids in the Hall actually and probably didn't find it as funny as I should have because of that. I never really laughed althought I chuckled and smiled a lot. The movie is so well composed and has such a clear view of what it is satirizing that I found it working for almost all of its running time. And yes, the "monkey cum" line is funny, mostly because it comes from out of nowhere.

Then I rewatched Hanoi Martes 13 and LBJ. And I think both are masterpieces. The first is possibly my favorite Vietnam War film now. (Although a second viewing of 79 primaveras might change that.) You can watch Hanoi here without subtitles:

http://vodpod.com/watch/915579-santiago-%C3%81lvarez-hanoi-martes-13-1967

I had a series of odd associations that sort of convinced me that Kubrick must've been influenced by LBJ. It makes strong connections between LBJ and cowboys and indians iconography just as Full Metal Jacket did. It has a section that focuses on the JFK assassination which Full Metal Jacket both refers to and heavily alludes to during the sniper sequence. It has a sequence the focuses on the RFK assassination and includes a shot of him in the morgue with his head propped up on that thing that almost looks like a dogs water dish and the image was strikingly like that of Mandy lying in the morgue in Eyes Wide Shut. I know its a stretch, a ridiculous stretch, but was Kubrick alluding to RFK in that scene -- both RFK and Mandy were killed by "all the best people." And, of course, LBJ uses a bit of Surfin' Bird as does Full Metal Jacket.

Watch LBJ here:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4oi9h_alvarez-lbj-1968_shortfilms

[The Mike]

So what is it with people who go see a movie, like it, and then immediately make it their favorite? How does that even compute?

I've just gone crazy from reading people's tweets saying that they're putting Star Trek in their Top 3 movies of all time. Who the fuck does that?This drives me crazy too.

Worse is when people ask you what some of your favorite movies are, and even though the 4 or 5 you list include some released in the last 2 decades they say "Yeah, but those are old movies...I mean, like, movies now."

[MacGuffin]

Seven Samurai is, for the most part, completely worthy of the reputation it has. Since I now own the DVD, I feel like I will have to watch it soon, because it is most certainly a movie with great thematic depth going on. I had a feeling it would be like this beforehand, and perhaps that is the reason it is so highly rated amongst fans of Kurosawa and cinema in general — it's really an epic, in every sense of the word. Seems to me these days filmmakers think "long running time = epic", but Kurosawa uses this length to add character and plot depth; every character is distinctive and fully developed and realized, they all act in different ways and we likely feel very differently about them. Also, the story allows for moral lessons and class issues to be presented and thoroughly explored: some of the early scenes with the poor people living in the city making fun of the farmers, even though the city folk aren't exactly wealthy then themselves are to a large extent, still universal today.

Also, I wanted to bring up the fact that this is possibly the best document I have seen on what a samurai actually is. Sure, we know they carry swords and shit, but this movie actually goes as far to employ the moral codes and actually filter out the fake samurais who only care about money, etc., to the ones who join the seven: honest people trying to help out those in need. It just shows this sense of pride that I found very refreshing and subtle in Kurosawa's vision.

I thought Rashomon was good, but didn't meet up to its reputation, but this did. I watched it in about a four-hour span: took about a fifteen minute break between discs after the intermission, had to pause to get water and let the cat out a few times. I nodded off a bit during the second battle scene, I think, but I went back and checked it out and don't think my tiredness got in the way too badly, though as I said, I'll be sure to watch it again (I was glad I could even find time to watch this with all the "normal length" flicks I have on hand to watch).

But yeah, I really liked this one a lot and definitely want to check out some other samurai movies made available by Criterion. And I will, of course, try to watch this again in the near-future (Summer, perhaps?).

EDIT: Oh yeah, and I wanted to point out the acting in this flick is generally amazing all around. I don't really make a point in saying this sort of thing unless a performance really gets to me, and all of these performances did that.

[B-side]

So what is it with people who go see a movie, like it, and then immediately make it their favorite? How does that even compute?

I've just gone crazy from reading people's tweets saying that they're putting Star Trek in their Top 3 movies of all time. Who the fuck does that?

I do it. I see no issue with it at all. This hasn't happened with a film released in the past 3 years, though. The Wayward Cloud jumped straight into my top 15 when I watched it. Since then, it's dropped a bit as I've digested it more as well as more films, but I don't see why a favorites list has to be treated like an exclusive club. Why can't it be evolving and ever-changing? Most of the films in my top 50 are films I've only seen once. If my favorites list consisted only of films I've seen more than once, it'd be lacking in films I consider truly brilliant, not to mention it'd be insanely ordinary.

[megladon8]

So what is it with people who go see a movie, like it, and then immediately make it their favorite? How does that even compute?

I've just gone crazy from reading people's tweets saying that they're putting Star Trek in their Top 3 movies of all time. Who the fuck does that?


Didn't you say The Fountain was your favorite movie right after you saw it?

[Qrazy]

I saw The Maggie earlier this year, and somehow it was the first time I actually became aware of Alexander Mackendrick as a director, even though I'd already seen four of his movies and The Man in the White Suit is one of my favorites. What I loved about The Maggie is that all of the characters are scoundrels, but they're all sympathetic, too. So far, it's one of the best movies I've seen this year.

I will say that I found A High Wind in Jamaica forgettable.

Yeah, it was. However, James Coburn and Anthony Quinn together is sweet. Still I'd say this and Whisky Galore were my least favorite of his output so far.

[B-side]

Didn't you say The Fountain was your favorite movie right after you saw it?

:P

[Winston*]

Saying any movie is in your top 3 of all time is a little bit silly.

[balmakboor]

I'll often suspect that a film will become one of my favorites right after watching it. Then I give it some time and another viewing or two before making public declarations. Not much of the public other than Match Cut really gives a rip though.

"What's your favorite movie?" Do others here find that question, when asked all of a sudden by someone out in the real world, to be exceedingly difficult to answer? I know I always freeze up and about 50 movies start racing through my head. I feel it's important that I get it right. My wife always laughs at me and says, "Just spit out something like Star Wars and be done with it. People don't really care what you answer, they're just making conversation."

[thefourthwall]

I didn't even finish this post before going over to Netflix, finding it, and bumping it to the top of my queue.

No joke.

Yays! Please share your thoughts after seeing it.


Top Four Austen Adaptations, Ranked:

I was going to do a top five, but all other adaptations take such a steep decline in quality, that why bother?

I find it difficult to be objective because I love any and all Austen adaptations. I'd give some honorable mentions for most unusual adaptations.

1. Pride and Prejudice: A Latter-Day Comedy (Andrew Black, 2003) A modern version set in a Mormon community. The Mr. Collins of this piece is remarkably spot on in an authentic way.

2. I Have Found It (Kandukondain Kandukondain) (Rajiv Menon, 2000) A true Bollywood (no fusion piece with Western sensibilities like Bride and Prejudice) film based on Sense and Sensibility starring Aishwarya Rai. In some interesting postmodern (or maybe just Bollywood) ways, the film deals with the presence of the cinema in the characters' lives.

[thefourthwall]

"People don't really care what you answer, they're just making conversation."

:eek:

That's terrible.

[Sven]

Follow my lead: look them in the eye and honestly tell them "Popeye."

[Qrazy]

Follow my lead: look them in the eye and honestly tell them "Popeye."

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s252/UptownRising/OhGod.jpg

[Sven]

Though I've also been known to say Robocop, Yellow Submarine, Children of Paradise, Sans Soleil, and "anything by Werner Herzog" as accurate substitutes. Basically, it depends on what I think the inquisitive person would find most engaging.

[Qrazy]

Though I've also been known to say Robocop, Yellow Submarine, Children of Paradise, Sans Soleil, and "anything by Werner Herzog" as accurate substitutes. Basically, it depends on what I think the inquisitive person would find most engaging.

Have you seen Little Murders? For some reason I feel it's right up your alley, but I can't really substantiate that in any way.

[Sven]

Have you seen Little Murders? For some reason I feel it's right up your alley, but I can't really substantiate that in any way.

Oh yes, I have. And it is.

[Qrazy]

Oh yes, I have. And it is.

It was quality and any scenes with the girl's side of the family are absolutely hilarious.

[balmakboor]

Yeah, Santiago Alvarez's 79 Primaveras is also a masterpiece. I'd say that Hanoi Martes 13, L.B.J., and 79 Primaveras, taken together, are my favorite Vietnam War film now.

I can't find a good link for watching it like the other two, but there are endless torrents out there.

[Yxklyx]

It was quality and any scenes with the girl's side of the family are absolutely hilarious.

Little Murders is amazing. Most comedies from that era don't age well but I found myself laughing out loud a lot. Some memorable scenes: the whole opening sequence of scenes. The marriage scene with Sutherland. The judge scene with that preacher dude. All the family scenes. The only downer for me was that I didn't think Arkin's performance fit in with the rest of the movie - a bit too over the top.

[balmakboor]

What do people think of Levinson's Toys? It is one of those movies that sounds interesting to me, but that I've never gotten around to because of its poor reputation.

[balmakboor]

Little Murders is amazing. Most comedies from that era don't age well but I found myself laughing out loud a lot. Some memorable scenes: the whole opening sequence of scenes. The marriage scene with Sutherland. The judge scene with that preacher dude. All the family scenes. The only downer for me was that I didn't think Arkin's performance fit in with the rest of the movie - a bit too over the top.

Just added Little Murders to my instant watch queue.

[Qrazy]

Little Murders is amazing. Most comedies from that era don't age well but I found myself laughing out loud a lot. Some memorable scenes: the whole opening sequence of scenes. The marriage scene with Sutherland. The judge scene with that preacher dude. All the family scenes. The only downer for me was that I didn't think Arkin's performance fit in with the rest of the movie - a bit too over the top.

Agreed about Arkin. It was good for a bit but he didn't pull off the stuttering.

[number8]

Didn't you say The Fountain was your favorite movie right after you saw it?

I figured that would be you, but I've seen The Fountain several times, and it's still not in my top 3.

[number8]

And of course, when people ask, I always answer Battle Royale, which I've seen no less than 20 times.

[EyesWideOpen]

And of course, when people ask, I always answer Battle Royale, which I've seen no less than 20 times.

Good answer.

[Dukefrukem]

How do you like the sequel 8?

[number8]

Sequel? What sequel? Fukasaku died and the sequel was never made!

[Dukefrukem]

it wasn't? (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338763/)

I've never seen it either but i just assumed it existed.

[Spinal]

it wasn't? (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338763/)

I've never seen it either but i just assumed it existed.

That's his way of saying it's awful.

[Dukefrukem]

That's his way of saying it's awful.

I get it. my b.

[EvilShoe]

Today I took the mistake of checking out negative imdb user reviews for Citizen Kane. Never again:


I know why you're reading this. You're smart, you have great taste, a passion for cinema, and you see CK near the top of every 'Great Movie' list ever compiled. So with great anticipation you borrow a DVD copy and sit down for a real treat, and... you can't get through the first half hour. You fall asleep.

Surprised, you think, 'It must be me, maybe I'm tired,' so a month later, you try again. But you don't even get as far as before, and wake up drooling out the corner of your mouth as a bloated Orson Welles, with really bad age make-up, groans 'Rosebud, Rosebud'.

It doesn't make sense. You're perplexed. You've watched other films on the lists... Casablanca made you stand up and cheer, cry, laugh, feel connected to all humanity. You even adore films on the list that some might consider oblique, like 8 1/2, which you reckon reinvented cinema language, weaving in and out of memory, dreams, psyche, reality, putting the human spirit up on the screen, making you cheer, laugh, and feel connected to all humanity.

So why does CK leave you so cold? You wonder, 'What's wrong with me? Am I stupid or something?'

Your borrowed DVD copy gathers dust (notice how the lender never asks for it back?), taunting your unquiet mind: "You must watch me: I'm the greatest film of all time!" But you shudder at the thought. Life's too short and, after all, there's more engaging things to do - like scraping plaque off the dog's teeth.

Years pass. Finally, you can take it no longer. You think, 'To be a serious film lover I MUST watch Citizen Kane! Maybe I was too immature before - yes, that must be it!' So you gird your loins and sit - awake! - through the whole thing. The whole turgid, ponderous, dull, vacuous, plodding, dank catastrophe. It's even worse than you feared. An emotionally and intellectually empty story. Your average six year old can invent a more complex, engaging tale.

Genuinely puzzled, you ask people who name it as one of the greatest films of all time why they like it, and with barely concealed superiority that phoneys are wont to adopt, they wax lyrical talk about the haunting mystery of the final words, "Rosebud, rosebud". You notice there's no feeling behind what they say. They also talk a great deal about Gregg Toland's cinematography, with liberal references to "deep focus", and you appreciate this, you really do, the cinematography was damned fine, best thing about the movie. That shot which started outside the window then tracked back into the room was really cool. But you just don't believe a movie is made great by cinematography alone.

In all your inquiries, you never once hear the following phrase, spoken from the heart: "God, I love that film".

So here you find yourself, reading IMDb comments.

Well, let me tell you this: There's Nothing Wrong With You! You Are Right! It's Overrated Flashy Unintelligent Rubbish!

One day, perhaps (one can but dream), the coolest, greatest, most admired film being in the world will point out the bleeding obvious nakedness of this bloated Emperor, and the assorted film critics, film studies teachers, and others who need to be told what to think by an authority figure, shall squirm, and CK shall drop off the lists once and for all.

Until that great day, don't be afraid to speak the truth.

[soitgoes...]

What do people think of Levinson's Toys? It is one of those movies that sounds interesting to me, but that I've never gotten around to because of its poor reputation.
One of the most grating movies ever.

[Dukefrukem]

Today I took the mistake of checking out negative imdb user reviews for Citizen Kane. Never again:

That was entertaining.

[Bosco B Thug]

Today I took the mistake of checking out negative imdb user reviews for Citizen Kane. Never again:
At least he sounds intelligent and not lacking in wit. Even though he's being totally wrong-o.

[Qrazy]

Has anyone seen Meirelles pre-City of God output? Namely Maids (Domesticas)?

[MacGuffin]

For my IMDb ratings and my personal five star screening log: would 7.5 translate to 7 or 8? I've been using 7, but don't want to confuse anyone.

[Qrazy]

IMDb scales, my personal five star screening log: would 7.5 translate to 7 or 8? I've been using 7, but don't want to confuse anyone.

Yes, rounding down makes more sense.

[Dukefrukem]

For my IMDb ratings and my personal five star screening log: would 7.5 translate to 7 or 8? I've been using 7, but don't want to confuse anyone.

I would have said 8. Always round up.

[Mysterious Dude]

IMDb scales, my personal five star screening log: would 7.5 translate to 7 or 8? I've been using 7, but don't want to confuse anyone.
Who are you worried about confusing?

[MacGuffin]

Yes, rounding down makes more sense.

I thought so.


I would have said 8. Always round up.

Mathematically, yes. But now that I think about it, it makes more sense to round down because a 9.5 indicates the movie isn't flawless but comes close to being so, where ***** or 10/10 indicates that it is flawless.


Who are you worried about confusing?

Myself, really.

[balmakboor]

For my IMDb ratings and my personal five star screening log: would 7.5 translate to 7 or 8? I've been using 7, but don't want to confuse anyone.

If I were you, I'd be more concerned with fixing the mistake with my Peeping Tom rating.

[Dukefrukem]

Mathematically, yes. But now that I think about it, it makes more sense to round down because a 9.5 indicates the movie isn't flawless but comes close to being so, where ***** or 10/10 indicates that it is flawless.



I don't believe in a flawless movie.

[Spinal]

When I use the 10-point scale, a '10' is any film in my top 100. I try not to think in terms of 'flawless' because it distorts an accurate picture of my taste. Citizen Kane may be a flawless picture, but it would be silly for me to rate it higher than a "flawed" film like Muriel's Wedding which means so much more to me personally.

[MacGuffin]

If I were you, I'd be more concerned with fixing the mistake with my Peeping Tom rating.

Hahaha, no.


I don't believe in a flawless movie.

I should probably have reworded that. I believe in a flawless or perfect movie, in that one can not find anything wrong with it (but that's not to say someone else might).

[DavidSeven]

It was only a matter of time.

[balmakboor]

To me, films I consider to be masterpieces get a 10. History is littered with flawed masterpieces. Something could be far closer to "perfect" and only get a 6 or a 7 or even conceivably a 1.

[MacGuffin]

When I use the 10-point scale, a '10' is any film in my top 100. I try not to think in terms of 'flawless' because it distorts an accurate picture of my taste. Citizen Kane may be a flawless picture, but it would be silly for me to rate it higher than a "flawed" film like Muriel's Wedding which means so much more to me personally.

This makes more sense to me, but I look at movies like this: if I like a movie enough, I see it as flawless. I am biased in that sense, and even though others might point out its flaws, I fail to see them as I retort to their arguments. I think, that said, that a movie can only be called "flawless" in a subjective way, which, in my opinion is the reason for a 10, or the highest possible praise.

But then there are movies like Lost in Translation that I hold very dear to me. But like you or many others do some movies, I find that it is flawed. I personally do not feel like Bob Harris' sleeping with the lounge singer added any significance to what Sofia Copolla was trying to do with the movie. However, I hold the philosophy that it is "perfect" in a sense that repeat viewing will allow me to understand the reasoning for Coppola to add this scene into the movie. So, I suppose it is a lot like what number8 said last night about people adding movies to their top 10s the instant they watch these movies. Over time and with repeat viewings, we could have greater understanding of the movies we love (whether they are flawed or not) or the movies we hate.

And for the record, I would probably give Lost in Translation a 10/10, even if I do find it flawed, it's basically perfect to me.

By the way, I knew this would turn into a discussion, but I hope I have elevated it into something worthwhile with this post beyond ratings.

[megladon8]

The Magic Blade is an amazing movie.

Totally incoherent plot, but the photography and action sequences are sublime.

[baby doll]

Jumping into the whole rating discussion, when I was on the ten scale, I basically followed Michael Sicinski: giving a film an eight meant it was one of the year's best films. If I gave a film a nine, it would either be my favorite film of the year or darn close. However, I'd be reluctant to give out anything higher than a seven on first viewing. I don't know what a film would have to do to get a ten. Of course, that's silly, so I switched over to the Ebert scale. And since the ratings in my signature are first impressions, I've started to loosen up about giving films four stars on first viewing.

[Bosco B Thug]

I will never ever not use the 10 pt scale. It's the best. Well, maybe the 100 pt scale someday, but probably not.

[baby doll]

I will never ever not use the 10 pt scale. It's the best. Well, maybe the 100 pt scale someday, but probably not.I dunno, dude, they're all pretty arbitrary.

[Bosco B Thug]

I dunno, dude, they're all pretty arbitrary.

It's just the easiest to use, has the most gradations (outside of 100pt, of course, which I just feel would be too maddening), and is just the clearest and most expressive system. I love the look and the freedom of the .5.

[Ezee E]

No problem with non-film buffs to declare a movie one of the best they've seen. If anything, it becomes time to recommend them something they like akin to said movie.

Children of Men is one I've said that about, and it lingers around in my top twenty.

[baby doll]

It's just the easiest to use, has the most gradations (outside of 100pt, of course, which I just feel would be too maddening), and is just the clearest and most expressive system. I love the look and the freedom of the .5.No, people that give half points on a ten point scale are pathetic. Why not switch a twenty point scale? And really, what's the difference between a 5 and a 5.5 (or 10 and 11/20)? 5 is a near miss, so that makes 5.5... what? A very near miss? Pathetic.

And the 100 point scale is maddening because it's stupid. Gee, do I give this film a 92 or a 93? Get a life. Why not a 1000 point scale, or 1,000,000? Imagine, a million points of gradations--two million if you use half points.

[MacGuffin]

No, people that give half points on a ten point scale are pathetic.

I reckon you'll get some flack for this comment.

[baby doll]

I reckon you'll get some flack for this comment.Yeah, from pathetic losers who sit around weighing whether to give a film a 6 or a 6.5 to signal their mild enthusiasm, or whether such and such a great film is a 9 point masterpiece or a 9.5.

By the way, dude, 9.5 for Seven Samurai? Just give it a ten.

[Russ]

No, people that give half points on a ten point scale are pathetic. Why not switch a twenty point scale? And really, what's the difference between a 5 and a 5.5 (or 10 and 11/20)? 5 is a near miss, so that makes 5.5... what? A very near miss? Pathetic.

And the 100 point scale is maddening because it's stupid. Gee, do I give this film a 92 or a 93? Get a life. Why not a 1000 point scale, or 1,000,000? Imagine, a million points of gradations--two million if you use half points.
Ooh, irony.

[MacGuffin]

Yeah, from pathetic losers who sit around weighing whether to give a film a 6 or a 6.5 to signal their mild enthusiasm, or whether such and such a great film is a 9 point masterpiece or a 9.5.

By the way, dude, 9.5 for Seven Samurai? Just give it a ten.

Geez, who pissed in your coffee this morning? If it really bothers you so much, it means little to me, so...

[baby doll]

Ooh, irony.What, you don't have pet peeves, like people using "who" when "whom" is correct?

[megladon8]

Yeah, from pathetic losers who sit around weighing whether to give a film a 6 or a 6.5 to signal their mild enthusiasm, or whether such and such a great film is a 9 point masterpiece or a 9.5.

By the way, dude, 9.5 for Seven Samurai? Just give it a ten.




Land of the Pharaohs (Howard Hawks, 1955) / **1/2

:|

[D_Davis]

YES!

My favorite topic!

Point scales!

[baby doll]

:|Ebert scale. Land of the Pharaohs has some striking visuals, but the story takes a while to get interesting, and it's just so silly and campy. So two and a half stars, or a near miss. Sunshine Cleaning isn't a terrible film but nothing very dramatic happens in it. Two stars, or mediocre. Luckily, I don't have to split hairs about whether a film deserves half of one star or one full star, as I usually avoid movies I don't think I'll like. However, I'm still getting the hang of the three and a half star rating.

[balmakboor]

What, you don't have pet peeves, like people using "who" when "whom" is correct?

My daughter got an invitation to a birthday party the other day that read , "Your invited." I made a comment about it and she basically told me to get a life. Then I read the inside and it said, "The party will start at 6:00 and will commence at 10:00." I made another comment and she acted sorry she even showed it to me.

Yes, pet peeves can be damaging to father/daughter relations.

[megladon8]

I think there's a pretty clear distinction in the half-point scales. I didn't like The Backwoods (5.5) as much as Lady in the Water (6)...but I also thought it was slightly better than Outpost (5).

What I find ridiculous, personally, is when people use a 100 point scale and start using two decimal places. How is 68.74 better than 68.73?

But I would never venture into saying these are "pathetic losers".

I hope you were just being hyperbolic.

[Russ]

What, you don't have pet peeves, like people using "who" when "whom" is correct?

If I did, then a dismissal of "irony" would be appropriate if I attempted to correct someone's grammar by stating, "Their wrong." Similar to a rant telling someone to get a life. From someone posting on an internet forum. On a Saturday night.

[D_Davis]

If you've proving anything, baby doll, it's that you're so much better than everyone else at everything having to do with the movies, excuse me, I mean le cinema.

[Derek]

Yeah, from pathetic losers who sit around weighing whether to give a film a 6 or a 6.5 to signal their mild enthusiasm, or whether such and such a great film is a 9 point masterpiece or a 9.5.

By the way, dude, 9.5 for Seven Samurai? Just give it a ten.

Yeah, people need to lighten up in here!

*runs back to the lab to crunch more numbers*

[baby doll]

I think there's a pretty clear distinction in the half-point scales. I didn't like The Backwoods (5.5) as much as Lady in the Water (6)...but I also thought it was slightly better than Outpost (5).

What I find ridiculous, personally, is when people use a 100 point scale and start using two decimal places. How is 68.74 better than 68.73?

But I would never venture into saying these are "pathetic losers".

I hope you were just being hyperbolic.But the ratings shouldn't be relative. When I give a film like An Affair to Remember three stars, I'm not thinking: "I like this more than The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (two and a half stars) but not as much as Boarding Gate (three and a half)."

[megladon8]

But the ratings shouldn't be relative. When I give a film like An Affair to Remember three stars, I'm not thinking: "I like this more than The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (two and a half stars) but not as much as Boarding Gate (three and a half)."


I like talking about and comparing movies.

That's why I come here.

[D_Davis]

From someone posting on an internet forum. On a Saturday night.

Wait a minute...are you claiming that I don't have a life?

I'll have you know, I am about to play some Street Fighter Iv, while my wife and her friend watch a zombie movie in the other room. If that's not THE life, then I don't know what is!

[baby doll]

If I did, then a dismissal of "irony" would be appropriate if I attempted to correct someone's grammar by stating, "Their wrong." Similar to a rant telling someone to get a life. From someone posting on an internet forum. On a Saturday night.It's early.

[MacGuffin]

But the ratings shouldn't be relative. When I give a film like An Affair to Remember three stars, I'm not thinking: "I like this more than The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (two and a half stars) but not as much as Boarding Gate (three and a half)."

Three and a half stars for Boarding Gate? It's not that good, loser!

[D_Davis]

How many grizzly bears would it take to win a fight against a T-rex?

[megladon8]

How many grizzly bears would it take to win a fight against a T-rex?


So as I said on the last page, I really liked The Magic Blade.

I noticed it's in your top 100 list.

That's actually why I bought it. About a month ago I went through your list and bought about 5 kung-fu movies that I hadn't seen yet.

But yeah, great movie that one. Phenomenal action sequences.

[balmakboor]

Wait a minute...are you claiming that I don't have a life?

I'll have you know, I am about to play some Street Fighter Iv, while my wife and her friend watch a zombie movie in the other room. If that's not THE life, then I don't know what is!

Your wife watches zombie movies? I'm jealous.

[baby doll]

Three and a half stars for Boarding Gate? It's not that good, loser!Okay, the story goes off the rails about half-way through, and unlike demonlover (four stars), I'm not sure if that's deliberate, but who cares? It's got Michael Madsen's best performance ever, awesome camerawork, resonance, and more sexiness than you can shake a stick at. Not Assayas' best work, but a nice comeback after Clean (three stars).

[MacGuffin]

Okay, the story goes off the rails about half-way through, and unlike demonlover, I'm not sure if that's deliberate, but who cares? It's got Michael Madsen's best performance ever, awesome camerawork and more sexiness than you can shake a stick at. Not Assayas' best work, but a nice comeback after Clean.

Yeah, it's pretty great. I like the scene on the ferry boat.

[megladon8]

Okay, the story goes off the rails about half-way through, and unlike demonlover, I'm not sure if that's deliberate, but who cares? It's got Michael Madsen's best performance ever, awesome camerawork, resonance, and more sexiness than you can shake a stick at. Not Assayas' best work, but a nice comeback after Clean.


I thought both Madsen and Argento were great in it.

I liked it, but it went a little too off the rails for me to love it. I thought it really lost focus.

[baby doll]

I thought both Madsen and Argento were great in it.

I liked it, but it went a little too off the rails for me to love it. I thought it really lost focus.But having seen Assayas' demonlover, where it's clearly supposed to not make any sense, I get the feeling that he's trying something similar here but perhaps not doing as good a job of it (or even better?).

Also, on second thought, Argento also gives her best performance in the film.

[baby doll]

Yeah, it's pretty great. I like the scene on the ferry boat.I'm liking the new ratings.

[megladon8]

But having seen Assayas' demonlover, where it's clearly supposed to not make any sense, I get the feeling that he's trying something similar here but perhaps not doing as good a job of it (or even better?).

Also, on second thought, Argento also gives her best performance in the film.


I really want to see The Last Mistress.

I think she can be really, really good when she's given proper direction. Which, unfortunately, she never seems to get from her father.

[Derek]

Also, on second thought, Argento also gives her best performance in the film.

No, that would be in Une Vieille Maîtresse.

[baby doll]

I really want to see The Last Mistress.

I think she can be really, really good when she's given proper direction. Which, unfortunately, she never seems to get from her father.Breillat's film isn't that interesting. It's basically a crypto remake of Josef von Sternberg's The Devil Is a Woman and Luis Buñuel's Cet obscur objet du désir. Obviously Breillat hasn't matched either of those films, but what really puzzles me is why she tried in the first place, since she brings nothing new to the story.

[MacGuffin]

I'm liking the new ratings.

Haha, I may just drop ratings completely. I have logs filled with the five star scale, which I will continue to use, but I don't know. I want to start a new blog, but can't think of a good title.

By the way, if you think Argento is best in Boarding Gate, then you need to see The Stendhal Syndrome. That movie is the business.

[megladon8]

Breillat's film isn't that interesting. It's basically a crypto remake of Josef von Sternberg's The Devil Is a Woman and Luis Buñuel's Cet obscur objet du désir. Obviously Breillat hasn't matched either of those films, but what really puzzles me is why she tried in the first place, since she brings nothing new to it.


I haven't seen either of those films so I wouldn't make the connection anyways.

I still have Dario Argento's Trauma to watch, which I believe stars Asia in the lead. Maybe I'll try to watch that in the next day or two.

[MacGuffin]

Eh, Breillat makes me want to vomit, I've decided. The Last Mistress is the same narrow-minded, feminist crap she's shelled out for the last ten years, just this time, it's set in the baroque era. We get it, Breillat. Men hate women, yadda yadda yadda.

[baby doll]

I haven't seen either of those films so I wouldn't make the connection anyways.

I still have Dario Argento's Trauma to watch, which I believe stars Asia in the lead. Maybe I'll try to watch that in the next day or two.You're best checking out those films, or one of Breillat's better films, like Romance, À ma souer! or Sex Is Comedy. Considering she's one of the most distinctive filmmakers around, seeing her trying to imitate Buñuel and Sternberg in a bid to win over the mainstream (it worked; check the reviews) is just sad.

[megladon8]

By the way, if you think Argento is best in Boarding Gate, then you need to see The Stendhal Syndrome. That movie is the business.


I really want to see this one, too.

I nearly bought it at Christmas when I saw the BluRay for $15, but I decided it probably wasn't one I needed on BluRay.

[baby doll]

Eh, Breillat makes me want to vomit, I've decided. The Last Mistress is the same narrow-minded, feminist crap she's shelled out for the last ten years, just this time, it's set in the baroque era. We get it, Breillat. Men hate women, yadda yadda yadda.Somebody woke up on the reductive, vaguely sexist side of the bed today. Since when is feminism (a political understanding of the relationships between men and women) narrow-minded crap?

[MacGuffin]

Somebody woke up on the reductive, vaguely sexist side of the bed today. Since when is feminism (a political understanding of the relationships between men and women) narrow-minded crap?

Since never. I have no problem with feminism. But I do have a problem with Breillat's narrow-minded approach to it. Considering this, I also have a problem with her movies. She has no subtlety like her contemporary, Claire Denis.

[megladon8]

You're best checking out those films, or one of Breillat's better films, like Romance, À ma souer! or Sex Is Comedy. Considering she's one of the most distinctive filmmakers around, seeing her trying to imitate Buñuel and Sternberg in a bid to win over the mainstream (it worked; check the reviews) is just sad.


Cool, appreciate the recommendation(s).

I've seen Fat Girl. It was all right, I suppose. Felt a bit redundant towards the end. The finale is certainly shocking, but I didn't think it was much more than that. As Clipper Ship Captain said a few posts back, it felt like a very simplistic feminist morality and I didn't appreciate its jabs at male sexuality. It was as if it was saying males have the sexual obsession, but women have the sexual power and prowess.

A tad condescending towards males, I thought, and I feel that if a similarly themed film was made but reversing the gender roles, it would be called offensive and full of backwards thinking.

[MacGuffin]

Megladon, I haven't seen Trauma, but I've heard it's pretty weak for Argento. Then again, American audiences have seen to react pretty poorly to The Stendhal Syndrome, where Miss Argento plays a female detective hunting down a rapist in Europe, but it's actually a remarkable movie. It's seriously a masterpiece, and of the seven or so Dario Argento movies I have, among the top three. Often times, critics describe movies as rollercoasters rides, and this qualifies more so than almost any other movie I can remember. The way he toys with tension reminds me why so many people call him the Italian Argento; he's almost as good as Hitchcock here.

[The Mike]

Just to keep myself honest, I grade films on a BILLION point scale. I usually only use 1-4, though. Or letters.

Although, today I watched Punisher War Zone, and I'd give it eleventy billion.

[megladon8]

Megladon, I haven't seen Trauma, but I've heard it's pretty weak for Argento. Then again, American audiences have seen to react pretty poorly to The Stendhal Syndrome, where Miss Argento plays a female detective hunting down a rapist in Europe. It's seriously a masterpiece, and of the seven or so Dario Argento movies I have, among the top three. Often times, critics describe movies as rollercoasters rides, and this qualifies more so than almost any other movie I can remember. The way he toys with tension reminds me why so many people call him the Italian Argento; he's almost as good as Hitchcock here.


I've said this before and I'll say it again - I find the aesthetic of '70s and '80s film stock suits Argento's films much better than modern-day film or digital video.

I have yet to see a post-1990 Argento film that I enjoyed. Even though he employs many of the same filming techniques and writing/acting, it just doesn't work.

Do You Like Hitchcock?, Mother of Tears, The Card Player and *shudder* The Phantom of the Opera are all painfully bad.

[MacGuffin]

I've said this before and I'll say it again - I find the aesthetic of '70s and '80s film stock suits Argento's films much better than modern-day film or digital video.

I agree, but still...


I have yet to see a post-1990 Argento film that I enjoyed. Even though he employs many of the same filming techniques and writing/acting, it just doesn't work.

Do You Like Hitchcock?, Mother of Tears, The Card Player and *shudder* The Phantom of the Opera are all painfully bad.

I haven't seen any of those, and don't really want to except for Mother of Tears sometime.

[megladon8]

I haven't seen any of those, and don't really want to except for Mother of Tears sometime.


I know Rowland actually really liked it, so maybe you'll find something of value there.

I just don't that "classic" feeling from it that I do from both Suspiria and (to a lesser extent) Inferno.

Daria Nicolodi gives a painfully bad performance as a ghost.

It has some great concepts, but it's executed cheaply. Bad CGI work, poorly filmed, poorly acted, and none of the inventive camerawork that I came to love Argento for.

Did you see Four Flies on Grey Velvet? I was really surprised by how much I loved that one.

[MacGuffin]

I know Rowland actually really liked it, so maybe you'll find something of value there.

I just don't that "classic" feeling from it that I do from both Suspiria and (to a lesser extent) Inferno.

Daria Nicolodi gives a painfully bad performance as a ghost.

It has some great concepts, but it's executed cheaply. Bad CGI work, poorly filmed, poorly acted, and none of the inventive camerawork that I came to love Argento for.

Did you see Four Flies on Grey Velvet? I was really surprised by how much I loved that one.

I still need to see Inferno, but yeah, Suspiria is a masterpiece, though I really didn't really this until my second viewing, one dark night.

I have yet to see Four Flies on Grey Velvet but want to. I kind of put Argento on hold because the copies on Netflix are stupid and I really only spend $ on Criterion's these days. This relates to Four Flies on Grey Velvet because it's the third part of his animal trilogy and I still haven't seen the first two, though I couldn't say whether they are related other than by title.

[Russ]

Meg, have you seen the uncut version of Phenomena? I've only seen the heavily edited US version aka Creepers, which, in even in its abridged version, had a couple of good scenes.

[megladon8]

I still need to see Inferno, but yeah, Suspiria is a masterpiece, though I really didn't really this until my second viewing, one dark night.

I have yet to see Four Flies on Grey Velvet but want to. I kind of put Argento on hold because the copies on Netflix are stupid and I really only spend $ on Criterion's these days. This relates to Four Flies on Grey Velvet because it's the third part of his animal trilogy and I still haven't seen the first two, though I couldn't say whether they are related other than by title.


I haven't seen the first two parts of the trilogy, either.

I'm most anxious to see The Bird With the Crystal Plumage. (I always forget if there's one or two M's there...)

[MacGuffin]

I haven't seen the first two parts of the trilogy, either.

I'm most anxious to see The Bird With the Crystal Plumage. (I always forget if there's one or two M's there...)

What do you think of Pelts if you've seen it? Super violent and highly stylized, but I wonder if it is just a work for hire thing.

[megladon8]

What do you think of Pelts if you've seen it? Super violent and highly stylized, but I wonder if it is just a work for hire thing.


I didn't see "Pelts" actually.

But I thought "Jenifer" was pretty good. One of the better "Masters of Horror" episodes I've seen.

[The Mike]

Meg, have you seen the uncut version of Phenomena? I've only seen the heavily edited US version aka Creepers, which, in even in its abridged version, had a couple of good scenes.

I haven't watched the edited version in its entirety, but the uncut version is quite solid.

[Qrazy]

I will never ever not use the 10 pt scale. It's the best. Well, maybe the 100 pt scale someday, but probably not.

A through F with pluses and minuses gives you a 15 pt scale.

[Qrazy]

But the ratings shouldn't be relative. When I give a film like An Affair to Remember three stars, I'm not thinking: "I like this more than The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (two and a half stars) but not as much as Boarding Gate (three and a half)."

Ratings are highly relative although not absolutely relative. Either relative to the films you've recently seen, to the filmmaker's other output or to all the films you've ever seen. If you've only seen two films and they were Cheaper by the Dozen and White Chicks you still might rate them highly because movies are cool. How many of our old top 10 films from 10 years ago would get a much lower rating now in relation to the much better films we've seen since? I don't believe such a rating shift is just a factor of age/maturity, I think it has a lot to do with the number of films one has seen.

There's just no way to objectively quantify a work in isolation. What are you quantifying it against? Now it's true there is a non-comparative component. A film has a distinct subjective quality for the viewer in relation to the specific themes/aesthetic/etc which is removed (although not entirely separate) from recently viewed films/the director's other work, etc... I just believe these factors play a role in one's ratings... as do viewing conditions (tired, distracted), etc.

[Qrazy]

Haha, I may just drop ratings completely. I have logs filled with the five star scale, which I will continue to use, but I don't know. I want to start a new blog, but can't think of a good title.

By the way, if you think Argento is best in Boarding Gate, then you need to see The Stendhal Syndrome. That movie is the business.

Ratings are useful short-handed, particularly if you're keeping a list. It allows people here to easily gauge your reaction to a film and enter a discussion about it. It also allows you to give friends recommendations by consulting a list rather than relying on flawless memory when they ask. Finally it allows you to go back and look for trends in films you really liked and to find similar films and filmmakers you may also like. No one's memory is perfect and it's just going to get worse from here on out.

[MacGuffin]

Ratings are useful short-handed, particularly if you're keeping a list. It allows people here to easily gauge your reaction to a film and enter a discussion about it. It also allows you to give friends recommendations by consulting a list rather than relying on flawless memory when they ask. Finally it allows you to go back and look for trends in films you really liked and to find similar films and filmmakers you may also like. No one's memory is perfect and it's just going to get worse from here on out.

I guess you're right. But really, which rating scale is best?

Just kidding. :)

[megladon8]

We should rate films as if they are pieces of fruit.

Comment on bruises, bug damage, the use of pesticides, whether or not it's organic.

This clearly makes the most sense.

[Qrazy]

We should rate films as if they are pieces of fruit.

Comment on bruises, bug damage, the use of pesticides, whether or not it's organic.

This clearly makes the most sense.

I prefer to interpret your comment the way I initially interpreted it.

[megladon8]

I prefer to interpret your comment the way I initially interpreted it.


Which was?

[Qrazy]

Which was?

This.

[megladon8]

This.


I would have given 2010 mango, to be honest.

Actually, mango and a half.

[MacGuffin]

I would have given 2010 mango, to be honest.

Actually, mango and a half.

Pathetic loser.

[megladon8]

Pfft, loser.


That's pathetic loser to you.

[MacGuffin]

That's pathetic loser to you.

Fixed.

[BuffaloWilder]

Speaking of IMDb, submitted for your approval, a review of one Seven Samurai, by poster Promontorium.



This movie pissed me off. It just took a wrong turn and stopped being entertaining. Even if you loved it to death, for every reason imaginable, you are a complete retard if you think this movie followed a logical course.

Sure, movies can be random. They don't have to follow from a to z. But the simple fact is, for most people throughout human history, exchanges of ideas (painting, books, plays, movies, etc.) are more entertaining when the tone, or the theme is maintained throughout. When you change the tone, when you eliminate the plot, and alter it, it is by definition no longer the same "story". Every transition becomes a new story.

This poster also "loved X-Men origins to death," and thinks that 1408 is the "best scary movie in the 21st century."

[The Mike]

My favorite IMDB quote was a poster saying that Psycho "goes for the juggler and never lets up!"

[Qrazy]

I've found that imdb commenters can be fairly solid as long as you're reading about obscure films.

[number8]

I've found that imdb commenters can be fairly solid as long as you're reading about obscure films.

Me too. I think there are a handful of good review writers who get buried under the idiocy, and you can only find them with movies that have a total of 5 reviews there.

[B-side]

I think I'm sensing a bit of narrow-mindedness regarding Breillat's films. I've always read them as being highly subjective and in the point of view of the protagonist.

[Bosco B Thug]

All rating systems have their merits, of course... the 4 star is all good...

Anyway, first viewing since its theatrical release: Spielberg's War of the Worlds, which I have to write a final exam on wtf, is awfully trite. Even the equally bad Signs can claim baroque innovation in its take on alien invasion while this tries the somewhat realist "survivor's tale" take on it and fails miserably due to being overwhelmingly cliched and manipulative. For one, terrible script.

The film is nevertheless an engaging effort, though, due to good performances and Spielberg's directing, which is kinetic, dynamic, thrilling - it's just nothing more than that. If he weren't so good at electrifying the viewer with non-stop, high-end thrills and sweeping virtuosity, then I'd be more critical of the fact he has the subtlety and nuance of little to nil.

[number8]

Okay, next movie I review needs to be a 9, so my sig can be in sequence.

[balmakboor]

I've found that imdb commenters can be fairly solid as long as you're reading about obscure films.

I've noticed that too. If you're going to journey there to leave comments on Spectres of the Spectrum or something, you probably have something to say.

[balmakboor]

A through F with pluses and minuses gives you a 15 pt scale.

I use it as a 13 point scale. What school gives F- and F+ anyway?

[Qrazy]

I use it as a 13 point scale. What school gives F- and F+ anyway?

The school of me.

[Rowland]

Eden Lake (James Watkins, 2008) 42

82% at Rotten Tomatoes? Well what do we have here, a new contestant for last year's most overrated horror picture. As these things go, it's well made, with deliberate camerawork, moody scoring by the ever-dependable David Julyan, harrowing performances, and a willingness to upend expectations by venturing into more brutal territories than you anticipate. This is all soured however by some really ugly politics, exploitating contemporary fears of the hoodlum culture gripping the UK in a manner that feigns sociological insight into the cyclical nature of ignorance, poverty, peer pressure, and violence as they pertain to the issue at hand, when it's really only playing this all for a blatantly patronizing "man that's fucked up" response, with more than a hint of reactionary class baiting. This may not have seemed as much the case if any of the characters' actions were faintly plausible, but instead every twist and turn in the narrative is increasingly ludicrous in its convenience to writer/director Watkins' increasingly stale shock tactics. By the final twist ending, I was on one hand moderately impressed with the sheer hopelessness with which he infuses the final minutes, but what he appeared to be suggesting by it all coupled with the sheer ridiculousness of its logic was too much for me to take seriously, rendering the visceral impact severely muted. Watkins clearly evidences talent here, he just needs someone else to refine his material, and maybe develop a more coherent sense of human empathy.

[Bosco B Thug]

A through F with pluses and minuses gives you a 15 pt scale.
True. I actually think I would enjoy the letter scale if I used it. But another reason I like the 10 pt is that a 5 looks better than a C. A "C" says: "Man, mediocrity, he probably made it last minute and decreased the margins." while a "5" says: "Hmmm, I wonder how it made it up to 5 points, must have some merits!"

[Dukefrukem]

True. I actually think I would enjoy the letter scale if I used it. But another reason I like the 10 pt is that a 5 looks better than a C. A "C" says: "Man, mediocrity, he probably made it last minute and decreased the margins." while a "5" says: "Hmmm, I wonder how it made it up to 5 points, must have some merits!"

Problem is, a lot of people already assume a 7 is a C and a 6 is a D, and below is an F.

I rocked the letter scale in on the old axis of evil site and i still rock it on RT.

I've changed to the 100 point scale here, because I hate it when two movies end up with the same score on the 10 point scale. There's always one movie I'd rather watch over another.

[EyesWideOpen]

I use it as a 13 point scale. What school gives F- and F+ anyway?

I use F+ for movies which are horrible but at the same time awesome like The Room & Troll 2.

[Qrazy]

I use F+ for movies which are horrible but at the same time awesome like The Room & Troll 2.

And F- for extreme hatred.

[Dukefrukem]

And F- for extreme hatred.

Like Cabin Fever for example.

[Bosco B Thug]

Problem is, a lot of people already assume a 7 is a C and a 6 is a D, and below is an F. What? That is... Ugh! Ugh. Seriously. :P

BTW, F+ and F- is not kosher, sorry. smiley

[Qrazy]

What? That is... Ugh! Ugh. Seriously. :P

BTW, F+ and F- is not kosher, sorry. smiley

I'm Jewish and I say it is. So there!

[Ezee E]

Okay, next movie I review needs to be a 9, so my sig can be in sequence.
Haha. Terminator?

[number8]

Haha. Terminator?

Night at the Museum 2.


So.... No dice.

[Derek]

Night at the Museum 2.


So.... No dice.

7-6=1 so there's always the opportunity for a more complex sequence to develop from this point on.

[MacGuffin]

Martyrs (Laugier, 2008) 47

Ah, damn it!

[Sycophant]

Watching Still Walking makes me wish I was a bit more familiar with Ozu's oeuvre, because having only seen two films, it would only be a matter of time before holding Ozu up to Koreeda's latest would give way to just me talking out my ass. Still, I see the film is consciously checking Ozu throughout with its central thematic concerns clearly in Ozu's court.

Lovely film. Anyone who likes Koreeda or Ozu (I'm looking at you balmakboo) owes it to themselves to see it. Wonderful acting, with actors delivering each line on multiple levels. No yelling, no slapping, no broken dishes. But there's so much beautiful, quiet resentment informing everyone's actions. Koreeda's camera keenly observes it all.

And watching it on Mother's Day was one hell of a kicker. I'm gonna call my mom more often.

[Qrazy]

After watching Ravenous I'm just coming to realize how awesome Jeremy Davies is. His character here versus Saving Private Ryan (Upham) is so completely different. Great range. I don't really remember him in Dogville but he was great in Rescue Dawn as well.

[Winston*]

After watching Ravenous I'm just coming to realize how awesome Jeremy Davies is. His character here versus Saving Private Ryan (Upham) is so completely different. Great range. I don't really remember him in Dogville but he was great in Rescue Dawn as well.

After watching Jeremy Davies is a lot of things, I've come to realise that Jeremy Davies really likes to twitch.

[Grouchy]

Lots of movies seen. How lucky I don't do ratings.

http://www.filmfestivals.com/images/dubai/images/Baraka%20-%20film%20still%202.jpg

First off, Baraka in a big screen is awesome. I saw it projected in film class, and I thought I was in for some sleep, but it didn't turn out that way - I was glued to the images from beginning to end. Not only are the shots on themselves amazing, but the editing is the stars here, making wild connections between events and locations that are easy to follow and always very sharp. This is what movies, documentary or not, should always be about. I plan on buying this soon, since I think (like someone else mentioned earlier on the thread) it's a great piece of background cinema to have on while I'm drawing or writing stuff.

Then I saw the recent documentary Gonzo: The Life and Works of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. Since I'm already a big fan, the movie didn't work for me as far as information is concerned, but it's still a moving tribute to the wackiest journalist that ever lived. I thought it was good how this doc went into his relationships with women, son Juan, and his two wives, and of course, how they were affected by constant drug intake. There was also some awesome footage of young Thompson, specially one where he's visibly threatened by a Hell's Angel during a talk show shortly after his book on them had come out. And a funny part where he gets pissed that Ralph Bashki wants to do an animated adaptation of Fear and Loathing - "this is not a cartoon, that's just insulting and idiotic". Filmmaker Alex Gibney also likes to illustrate some segments with stuff from the films based on Thompson's writing, including some scenes from Where the Buffalo Roam that made me want to watch it.

Then I saw this sort of Player remake, What Just Happened. The less said about it the better. The cast is so filled with big names it almost seems like a ploy to hide the facts that there's no story and the insider's satire is stupid and predictable. De Niro is good as an impotent and long-suffering producer, and it almost seems like he's even trying for a change, but the movie around him is boring as all fuck. This is simply mediocre and not worth anyone's time. Also, the clips from the movie they're trying to get distributed feel nothing like a real movie.

http://blogs.impre.com/gabriel_lerner/files/2009/03/waltz_with_bashir2.jpg

Waltz with Bashir is fucking excellent. The style of animation is clean and appealing, and the movie really breaks barriers as far as the kind of topic that can be touched upon by the medium. It moves along with a kind of delicacy and calmness that is essential to the story, which is basically an autobiographical account of the filmmaker trying to recapture a long-forgotten experience lived during the Lebanon war. Director/protagonist Ari Folman paints Israel in a light that's neither critical nor supporting, and generally avoids getting too deeply into politics since his main focus is war and the scars it leaves on soldiers, and also, of course, the strange nature of human memory. The final scene, seen first in animation and then in real footage (for the first time after an hour and a half) is heartbreaking. Waltz with Bashir left a deep impression in me. I think it's genuinely unlike anything I've seen before, and probably time will make this movie more famous and more widely seen than it currently is.

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People is a low-brow satire of Hollywood the same way What Just Happened was a high-brow one. Guess what? This one is much better. Simon Pegg plays Toby Young, a guy who apparently is a very real British writer, and a person equally outrageous as the one shown on the screen. The role fitst Pegg's antics like a glove. However, and despite the nudity, mean-spiritness of the characters and sardonic humor, this is ultimately just an amiable romantic comedy with some very good actors like Jeff Bridges and Danny Huston. Megan Fox also appears a sex bomb in the making, and has some nice scenes in wet dresses and lingerie. By the way, what was it with the constant Big Lebowski references? Is the director just a fan?

Finally I saw Dying God. The reason I got this is that I have a friend who worked as second unit cameraman on it, and the owner of the cult video store I go to was involved in the production. This is one of several DTV B-films that get made in Buenos Aires for cheap with foreign actors. Lance Henriksen is in this one. Well, it's a terrible movie. The idea is that this Amazonian cult-ish monster with a huge wang is dying and needs to reproduce himself quickly, so he just goes around raping women (from whores to nuns) and ultimately killing them since he has such a huge dick, although a few of them do give birth. Henriksen is a pimp in a wheelchair who wants the monster to stop ruining his business. This sounds like a lot of sleazy fun but it seriously isn't - most of the killing scenes are a mish-mash of monster noises and darkness, and the movie instead follows this cop (James Horan) who's so corrupt he makes the Bad Lieutenant look honest. Attempts at character study fail since the writing is cartoonishly bad. The cop apparently went into alcoholism because he couldn't get his wife pregnant, which makes him the ideal enemy for a monster with a giant penis - actually this is one of the script's few "ideas". The ending scene is the only one worth a damn since it has a goofy green rubber monster suit and Henriksen shooting a harpoon off his wheelchair. It was surreal seeing places I know (Los 36 Billares, for example, features prominently) filled with this people speaking like stock Mafia characters. IMDb comments on this make a big deal about how the city doesn't look American.

[Qrazy]

After watching Jeremy Davies is a lot of things, I've come to realise that Jeremy Davies really likes to twitch.

You like his twitching. Admit it.

[Winston*]

You like his twitching. Admit it.

I like him when he's not so twitchy. I think he's terrible in Rescue Dawn.

[Qrazy]

I like him when he's not so twitchy. I think he's terrible in Rescue Dawn.

You'd twitch too if it happened to you.

[Qrazy]

I liked Button quite a bit. What were the detractors major complaints?

[Stay Puft]

Watching Still Walking makes me wish I was a bit more familiar with Ozu's oeuvre, because having only seen two films, it would only be a matter of time before holding Ozu up to Koreeda's latest would give way to just me talking out my ass. Still, I see the film is consciously checking Ozu throughout with its central thematic concerns clearly in Ozu's court.

For what it's worth, Hirokazu Koreeda claims the families in Mikio Naruse's films were his inspiration. When people were asking him about Ozu in a Q&A, his response was to basically steer the conversation towards Naruse while saying something to the effect of Ozu being a point of comparison simply because he's a much wider recognized "Japanese export".

I've only seen one film by Naruse and two by Ozu (though one was a remake of the other), so I really have no point of comparison whatsoever. I can merely pass on what Hirokazu Koreeda has said about his own film.

[MacGuffin]

I liked Button quite a bit. What were the detractors major complaints?

Mostly that it is too long for a movie that has little to say, and the Hurricane Katrina bookends are absolutely stupid. That said, it's a good movie with good performances and some of Fincher's CGI landscapes are becoming more and more distinctive between this and Zodiac, which was way better, in my opinion.

[Boner M]

I liked Button quite a bit. What were the detractors major complaints?
Dying Blanchett framing scenes, hummingbird & Gumpy voiceover among many others. I liked it too, though.

[Qrazy]

Ah k, I remember the Katrina complaints and can see being annoyed by that. Still I think the scenes do serve a purpose. The film is as much about emotional distance, fractured parental relationships, missed opportunities, and creating/seizing new opportunities as it is about aging backwards. However, as a framing device it is all a bit surface. Hummingbirds and the voiceover didn't bother me. In fact I think the hummingbirds help add to the fantastical element of the whole affair which is important because otherwise it doesn't make a ton of sense how you can have this guy aging backwards without creating a greater public stir (reporters, etc). But yeah, then heading the other direction and attempting to ground the film in reality via Katrina, etc doesn't really work. Can't have it both ways. The script can also be borderline twee at times but by and large Fincher's restrained approach helped keep the material afloat.

[baby doll]

Wonderful acting, with actors delivering each line on multiple levels. No yelling, no slapping, no borken. But there's so much beautiful, quiet resentment informing everyone's actions.I dunno, how many levels are there to dialogue like...

Mother [referring to her son marrying a widow]: "It's not usual."
Son: "Today, we're not unusual."

And personally, I think the film could've used some yelling and slapping. Quiet resentment is fine, but at some point those tensions have to come to the surface.

[Qrazy]

I dunno, how many levels are there to dialogue like...

Mother [referring to her son marrying a widow]: "It's not usual."
Son: "Today, we're not unusual."

And personally, I think the film could've used some yelling and slapping. Quiet resentment is fine, but at some point those tensions have to come to the surface.

Rocco and His Brothers (Luchino Visconti, 1960) / ***1/2

Pretty darn good eh? Only a few minor blemishes.

[number8]

For what it's worth, Hirokazu Koreeda claims the families in Mikio Naruse's films were his inspiration. When people were asking him about Ozu in a Q&A, his response was to basically steer the conversation towards Naruse while saying something to the effect of Ozu being a point of comparison simply because he's a much wider recognized "Japanese export.

He's also said that Ozu's families are more proper, while his isn't, so Still Walking is more like the opposite of an Ozu film.

[Sycophant]

Interesting. I suppose the only real classic Japanese family dramas I've seen are Ozu dramas. All the more reason to check out Naruse.

[B-side]

Eden Lake (James Watkins, 2008) 42

82% at Rotten Tomatoes? Well what do we have here, a new contestant for last year's most overrated horror picture. As these things go, it's well made, with deliberate camerawork, moody scoring by the ever-dependable David Julyan, harrowing performances, and a willingness to upend expectations by venturing into more brutal territories than you anticipate. This is all soured however by some really ugly politics, exploitating contemporary fears of the hoodlum culture gripping the UK in a manner that feigns sociological insight into the cyclical nature of ignorance, poverty, peer pressure, and violence as they pertain to the issue at hand, when it's really only playing this all for a blatantly patronizing "man that's fucked up" response, with more than a hint of reactionary class baiting. This may not have seemed as much the case if any of the characters' actions were faintly plausible, but instead every twist and turn in the narrative is increasingly ludicrous in its convenience to writer/director Watkins' increasingly stale shock tactics. By the final twist ending, I was on one hand moderately impressed with the sheer hopelessness with which he infuses the final minutes, but what he appeared to be suggesting by it all coupled with the sheer ridiculousness of its logic was too much for me to take seriously, rendering the visceral impact severely muted. Watkins clearly evidences talent here, he just needs someone else to refine his material, and maybe develop a more coherent sense of human empathy.

I don't remember having any issues with plausibility or patronizing politics. I'd say it plays those politics to the extreme, but I saw one of the central ideas being to cut down the "eye for an eye" mentality. I think there's something to be discussed of the masculinity aspect of Fassbender's character, deeming it necessary to assert himself as the dominant figure rather than simply walking away and being done with it.

[Rowland]

I don't remember having any issues with plausibility or patronizing politics. I'd say it plays those politics to the extreme, but I saw one of the central ideas being to cut down the "eye for an eye" mentality. I think there's something to be discussed of the masculinity aspect of Fassbender's character, deeming it necessary to assert himself as the dominant figure rather than simply walking away and being done with it.I thought the narrative took one contrived turn after another. It begins with the husband venturing into the kid's home after their first day at the lake, and just escalates in its implausibility from there. As for the politics, it's such a blatant case of white trash-sploitation that I could scarcely take it seriously. It certainly has ideas, but they aren't fleshed out convincingly, being too concerned with wallowing in nasty behavior and simple-minded generalizations, finally coming across as outright demonizing its working class antagonistis.

[MacGuffin]

I'm making a blog roll for my own benefit, and I suppose, for others, if they happen to come across my blog. Does anybody here keep a blog or have a website besides Derek, Philosophe_rouge, baby doll, Israfel the Black, and fasozupow (only because I already have there's listed) about movies that they update frequently?

[baby doll]

Rocco and His Brothers (Luchino Visconti, 1960) / ***1/2

Pretty darn good eh? Only a few minor blemishes.Along with The Damned, it's the best Visconti I've seen. (What's up with people liking Senso and The Leopard?)

[Qrazy]

Along with The Damned, it's the best Visconti I've seen. (What's up with people liking Senso and The Leopard?)

Dunno, still haven't seen any of those three but I think I have them all. I'll have to go on a Visconti binge soon. I've only seen Death in Venice (hated), White Nights (enjoyed) and Rocco (really liked). So have you seen both Rocco and Amarcord now? I posted my essay for you in a separate thread.

[Dukefrukem]

I'm making a blog roll for my own benefit, and I suppose, for others, if they happen to come across my blog. Does anybody here keep a blog or have a website besides Derek, Philosophe_rouge, baby doll, Israfel the Black, and fasozupow (only because I already have there's listed) about movies that they update frequently?

If you count my Google Reader RSS feed. Yes.

[baby doll]

Dunno, still haven't seen any of those three but I think I have them all. I'll have to go on a Visconti binge soon. I've only seen Death in Venice (hated), White Nights (enjoyed) and Rocco (really liked). So have you seen both Rocco and Amarcord now? I posted my essay for you in a separate thread.I started to read it, but you have to admit it's a little dry.

[soitgoes...]

For what it's worth, Hirokazu Koreeda claims the families in Mikio Naruse's films were his inspiration. When people were asking him about Ozu in a Q&A, his response was to basically steer the conversation towards Naruse while saying something to the effect of Ozu being a point of comparison simply because he's a much wider recognized "Japanese export".

I've only seen one film by Naruse and two by Ozu (though one was a remake of the other), so I really have no point of comparison whatsoever. I can merely pass on what Hirokazu Koreeda has said about his own film.Cool. This increases my desire to see this.

[MacGuffin]

I wrote a number about Gate of Flesh in my blog. I'd be much obliged if you took a peak.

[Pop Trash]

Speaking of Suzuki, I watched my first one, Tokyo Drifter recently and didn't care for it very much. The style was cool, as to be expected, but I thought the screenplay was really weak.

[Qrazy]

I started to read it, but you have to admit it's a little dry.

Yeah. Still you asked for it so you now have to read the whole thing. Sucker!

[MacGuffin]

Speaking of Suzuki, I watched my first one, Tokyo Drifter recently and didn't care for it very much. The style was cool, as to be expected, but I thought the screenplay was really weak.

Looking forward to seeing that and Branded to Kill, as I'm told they're his most stylish.

[megladon8]

Looking forward to seeing that and Branded to Kill, as I'm told they're his most stylish.


They are. So is Pistol Opera.

But personally I think Tattooed Life is the best film of his I've seen.

Underworld Beauty is all right. Youth of the Beast is awesome.

[MacGuffin]

They are. So is Pistol Opera.

But personally I think Tattooed Life is the best film of his I've seen.

Underworld Beauty is all right. Youth of the Beast is awesome.

Have you seen or heard anything about Kanto Wanderer? Netflix is offering it on instant streaming.