28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[Bosco B Thug]

Started watching Fulci's Zombie on instant watch. Holy shit that is a piece of crap. Agreed. It's been a while, but I remember it just being very dull... especially toward the end.

[MacGuffin]

It gets a lot better?

I like Fulci's movies. He creates a feeling of dread. City of the Living Dead is even better.

[MacGuffin]

Agreed. It's been a while, but I remember it just being very dull... especially toward the end.

Good to see an 8 for Beau travail, that movie's a masterpiece.

Rewatched Friday Night last night, and it's much better than I remembered. Denis is always interested in the details of an event, and here she captures all the details so the movie feelings like the closest thing to being there on that Friday night during the Parisian subway strikes. Paris looks more like a real city here, rather than the kind always romanticized in French New Wave movies, but I guess that's where the actual romance comes in. Anyways, it makes me want to explore Paris some day. That'd be cool. Some strikingly amateurish stylistic flourishes like the dancing letters on the car and the strange superimpositions hold this back from being a masterpiece, but it is still an excellent movie and further proves Denis to be one of the great working directors today.

[MacGuffin]

Fulci:

Don't Torture a Duckling **
Lizard in a Woman's Skin ***1/2
Four of the Apocalypse **1/2
Zombi 2 ***1/2
City of the Living Dead ****
The Beyond ****
The House by the Cemetery **
The New York Ripper **

[Spinal]

"Amateurish stylistic flourishes"? Bah, that stuff is part of why the film is so great.

[MacGuffin]

"Amateurish stylistic flourishes"? Bah, that stuff is part of why the film is so great.

Eh, kinda took me out of the movie. I mean, it would have been magical without them, but at least I can see what she is trying to do.

[MacGuffin]

By the way, Spinal, 71 Fragments is seriously sitting well with me. 3rd favorite Haneke, and I am considering bumping my grade up from great to excellent.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Wow. Color me surprised again. I figured I'd be pretty much alone in my enjoyment of Hot Rod. Awesome.

[Bosco B Thug]

I like Fulci's movies. He creates a feeling of dread. City of the Living Dead is even better. That is true. I've enjoyed a handful of Fulci films. Zombie is not one of them.

Yeah, Beau travail's good, my first Denis film. Her style isn't quite as polished as I like to see - in fact, I'd call it almost sloppy at times - but deliberateness and authorial command definitely come through, with stunning elegance at times. I wasn't with the film beat by beat - as a story told with explicit fragmentation and a willful avoidance of continuity and clarity, I can't help but feel we don't understand the two central characters as much as we should. But it's a preferred trade-in for what the film does better explore about the Legionnaire environment, what it nurtures, etc.

About the last scene... it's certainly very affecting. Not sure how much it works. I wish there was some foreshadowing of it. I think I need to think of it as something that actually happens and not just a fantasy scene, if I want to appreciate it fully. If its something that happened, it means he could dance. As a fantasy scene, it's just inexplicable and something Denis would throw in mid-filming when she found out her lead actor could dance (I know that's probably not the case).

[BuffaloWilder]

Zombi 2 is an interesting film, if only because of its' backstory and that gag-inducing moment involving a door splinter.

Also, a zombie fights a shark. A ZOMBIE FIGHTS A SHARK. Worth it for that alone.

[lovejuice]

Lizard in a Woman's Skin ***1/2

checking imdb on this. it's not really about a lizard in a woman's skin, is it? shame.

[MacGuffin]

Yeah, Beau travail's good, my first Denis film. Her style isn't quite as polished as I like to see - in fact, I'd call it almost sloppy at times - but deliberateness and authorial command definitely come through, with stunning elegance at times. I wasn't with the film beat by beat - as a story told with explicit fragmentation and a willful avoidance of continuity and clarity, I can't help but feel we don't understand the two central characters as much as we should. But it's a preferred trade-in for what the film does better explore about the Legionnaire environment, what it nurtures, etc.

About the last scene... it's certainly very affecting. Not sure how much it works. I wish there was some foreshadowing of it. I think I need to think of it as something that actually happens and not just a fantasy scene, if I want to appreciate it fully. If its something that happened, it means he could dance. As a fantasy scene, it's just inexplicable and something Denis would throw in mid-filming when she found out her lead actor could dance (I know that's probably not the case).

I disagree with all of your complaints, naturally, because it's nearly perfect in my eyes. I don't see how there is any room for sloppiness in this movie and as for the two characters, I think we know them just as well as we should given the context. Slant Magazine seemed to feel they knew Galoup well enough to suggest he was a repressed homosexual, but either way you look at it, the movie tells a brilliant story of how powerful a feeling jealousy is.

As for the last scene, well, it's a contender for the greatest scene in all of cinema, I feel, so when you say it needs to be foreshadowed more, naturally… I disagree! It's not a fantasy scene, I don't think. I mean, look at how often Denis uses the ellipsis in her narrative. I see it as a way of him letting loose and forgetting about everything around him, and while they may sound like a slight reading of one of the greatest scenes ever, it's how the movie is portrayed with such powerful emotion. Plus, it's foreshadowed fine. By that point, and even before it's made official that Galoup has been suspended from the French Foriegn Legion, we see him riding subway trains and wandering a city that is obviously not in Africa.

[Bosco B Thug]

Zombi 2 is an interesting film, if only because of its' backstory and that gag-inducing moment involving a door splinter.

Also, a zombie fights a shark. A ZOMBIE FIGHTS A SHARK. Worth it for that alone.
When I first watched the movie, I was expecting an entire set piece involving a zombie having to fight a shark, woven in to the action. Like, "Zombie's going to kill her! Oh, she's saved by a shark." But nope, its just a short, one-off shot.

[MacGuffin]

When I first watched the movie, I was expecting an entire set piece involving a zombie having to fight a shark, woven in to the action. Like, "Zombie's going to kill her! Oh, she's saved by a shark." But nope, its just a short, one-off shot.

Yeah, I don't see why everyone stresses that scene. It's nowhere near the best in the movie.

[BuffaloWilder]

Yeah, I don't see why everyone stresses that scene. It's nowhere near the best in the movie.

Oh, it is for me.

[MacGuffin]

Oh, it is for me.

Better than when they find the zombie in the boat? Better than the zombies in the doctor's house? Better than when the zombies climb out of the ground? Better than the barn house showdown? I don't think so.

[MacGuffin]

But rather than any certain scene, I think it's the sustained tone of Zombi 2 that makes it so good.

[BuffaloWilder]

Better than when they find the zombie in the boat? Better than the zombies in the doctor's house? Better than when the zombies climb out of the ground? Better than the barn house showdown? I don't think so.

Those are all fine moments, but - if we're being serious, here - the door splinter scene takes the cake, over all of them.

[MacGuffin]

Those are all fine moments, but - if we're being serious, here - the door splinter scene takes the cake, over all of them.

It's a very grimy and unsettling scene, like the rest of the movie, so yeah, you're right that it's one of the better scenes. Unlike a lot of Fulci's movies, this is borderline repellently grimy, which is why I can see so many people may hate it. It's definitely not his best.

[Bosco B Thug]

I disagree with all of your complaints, naturally, because it's nearly perfect in my eyes. I don't see how there is any room for sloppiness in this movie and as for the two characters, I think we know them just as well as we should given the context. Slant Magazine seemed to feel they knew Galoup well enough to suggest he was a repressed homosexual, but either way you look at it, the movie tells a brilliant story of how powerful a feeling jealousy is. Gonzalez's review is good one. I was criticizing the film more than I needed to, for I was actually impressed by how smoothly it communicates the growing tension between these two men who really shouldn't be in the military, without needless dramatizations, just relentless emphasis on motifs like "rhythmic workout" and "playing house" (taken from the Slant review).

I still like my cinematic technique polished and crisp. Denis is Cassavettes-like instead of Hitchcock-like.


As for the last scene, well, it's a contender for the greatest scene in all of cinema, I feel, so when you say it needs to be foreshadowed more, naturally… I disagree! It's not a fantasy scene, I don't think. I mean, look at how often Denis uses the ellipsis in her narrative. I see it as a way of him letting loose and forgetting about everything around him, and while they may sound like a slight reading of one of the greatest scenes ever, it's how the movie is portrayed with such powerful emotion. Agreed and/or fair enough on all points. Glad it's not uniformly believed to be a fantasy sequence, and the elliptical nature of the whole film is definitely what makes the scene work in context.


Plus, it's foreshadowed fine. By that point, and even before it's made official that Galoup has been suspended from the French Foriegn Legion, we see him riding subway trains and wandering a city that is obviously not in Africa. Well, I assumed it takes place in the same nightclub in Djibuoti (sp), since it looked like it.

[Dead & Messed Up]

But rather than any certain scene, I think it's the sustained tone of Zombi 2 that makes it so good.

I found the film interminable, with one or two good visual notes that did too little. I've seen two Fulcis, and neither interested me in further investigation.

[MacGuffin]

Well, I assumed it takes place in the same nightclub in Djibuoti (sp), since it looked like it.

Oh, I didn't think about that. Perhaps he was dreaming? I don't think it really matters, because we know the ultimate intent of the scene.

[BuffaloWilder]

It's a very grimy and unsettling scene, like the rest of the movie, so yeah, you're right that it's one of the better scenes. Unlike a lot of Fulci's movies, this is borderline repellently grimy, which is why I can see so many people may hate it. It's definitely not his best.

I've never really been all that fond of his films - which is why I've always found it odd that I enjoy this film so much. Still, I can see what you're saying.

[MacGuffin]

I found the film interminable, with one or two good visual notes that did too little. I've seen two Fulcis, and neither interested me in further investigation.

What is the other one you've seen? I mean, you do call yourself a horror fan, don't you? Fulci is considered an Italian horror master by the general consensus.


I've never really been all that fond of his films - which is why I've always found it odd that I enjoy this film so much. Still, I can see what you're saying.

Yeah, my ***1/2 is probably too generous, as it's really nowhere near the masterful craft displayed in the moodiness of The Beyond or City of the Living Dead, but it still is really chilling. The zombies look really disgusting, as they should. What else have you seen by him?

[Bosco B Thug]

Oh, I didn't think about that. Perhaps he was dreaming? I don't think it really matters, because we know the ultimate intent of the scene.
Yeah, it's a small qualm on my part. I'm glad the scene is there. Even if it is in the African club, doesn't necessary mean it didn't happen at one point or another, even right before what we assume are his final moments.

[BuffaloWilder]

Yeah, my ***1/2 is probably too generous, as it's really nowhere near the masterful craft displayed in the moodiness of The Beyond or City of the Living Dead, but it still is really chilling. The zombies look really disgusting, as they should. What else have you seen by him?

The Beyond, and The New York Ripper. I saw pieces of Zombi III, but never really sat down to watch the whole thing.


On another note, I can't make head nor tail of where Sven went, so if anybody else would like to sit down and discuss Miller with me (or, a topic of your choosing, provided I have enough knowledge of it to coherently discuss), I'm up for the grabbing. Send me a PM.

[Dead & Messed Up]

What is the other one you've seen? I mean, you do call yourself a horror fan, don't you? Fulci is considered an Italian horror master by the general consensus.

The Beyond, which also had a few good moments trapped inside it.

And I do consider myself a horror fan, although that status has waned considerably in the past two years, as I've come across more and more bad horror films, experienced placating and numbing horror conventions, and grown weary of horror fan sites that are little more than press-release factories.

[D_Davis]

I'm a horror fan and I think Fulci is, without a doubt, one of the worst popular filmmakers of all time. Most of his films are absolutely terrible, but not bad enough to be entertaining in a Troll 2 like way. And worst of all, his films are dull as can be. I can't think of a single one that I actually like as a whole film, and I've seen a bunch of them.

[MacGuffin]

I'm a horror fan and I think Fulci is, without a doubt, one of the worst popular filmmakers of all time. Most of his films are absolutely terrible, but not bad enough to be entertaining in a Troll 2 like way. And worst of all, his films are dull as can be. I can't think of a single one that I actually like as a whole film, and I've seen a bunch of them.

Agree to disagree, I guess.

[Ezee E]

Yeah, Zombie already confirms that he has at least one great movie on his reel.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Saw Easy Virtue (2008) tonight, it's a mostly serviceable film, nothing really remarkable about it, but it's not really bad either. It does take quite a while to get into the swing of things, and the film does improve when it picks up, so to speak. I think it presents some interesting ideas about love and maturity, for lack of a better word. How different people through their experiences arrive at conclusions about how the world works beyond the silly social rules and expectations, realizations that very few people ever come by. The mirroring of a female versus a male experience is done fairly well, not expertly due mostly to the fact that Biel is not quite the actress for the part... but good enough. The cast is pretty great, and even if Biel isn't fit to fill the shoes of a woman who has lived a magnificent life at such a young age, and done and felt things that most people never should have to... she is likeable and not bad. She just doesn't live up to people like Kristin Scott Thomas or Colin Firth. Overall, I mildly recommend it. You could certainly find worse ways to spend an hour and a half.

[Watashi]

You need to see a bad movie, rogue.

[ledfloyd]

i rewatched the toy stories today. i don't think i had seen toy story 2 since it was in theaters. i didn't remember alot of it. toy story i've seen a few times though, and it's embedded in my memory quite well. anywho, up has me revisiting the pixar canon. up next, monsters inc and finding nemo.

[Watashi]

i rewatched the toy stories today. i don't think i had seen toy story 2 since it was in theaters. i didn't remember alot of it. toy story i've seen a few times though, and it's embedded in my memory quite well. anywho, up has me revisiting the pixar canon. up next, monsters inc and finding nemo.
Good man, but that Iron Giant rating is too low.

[ledfloyd]

Good man, but that Iron Giant rating is too low.
it could be bumped up to a 9. i liked it more than ratatouille.

[MacGuffin]

Do you people watch end credits? I only do if there's a song I like or something at the end.

[transmogrifier]

Do you people watch end credits? I only do if there's a song I like or something at the end.

You're completely off with that Vengeance rating in your sig.

[MacGuffin]

You're completely off with that Vengeance rating in your sig.

I could give it a *1/2, but I don't feel like the movie was worthy of two hours of my time, and therefore, I like it less.

[trotchky]

Happy Together is pretty great. Either that or Days of Being Wild is my favorite Wong movie.

Wait, I forgot he directed In the Mood For Love. Yeah, that one's my favorite.

[right_for_the_moment]

Got back from Summer Hours a couple hours ago. What a great movie and one that definitely exceeded my expectations. Not having seen any of Assayas's earlier work (aside from about ten minutes of demonlover), I was particularly taken with his film's unhurried pacing and occasional willingness to explore incidents only tangentially related to the main thrust of the narrative. These attributes really seemed to reinforce the film's central themes while also extending them to a larger, more universal context. Assyass's camera, while not as fluid or flashy as I maybe expected, was refreshingly observational and I think really allowed the film to breathe. I could have done without the score in certain parts or some unneeded expository dialogue, but these moments were brief and not wholly detrimental. I'd be remiss not to mention that the last scene is one of the most perfect things I've seen in a long time.

[right_for_the_moment]

Do you people watch end credits? I only do if there's a song I like or something at the end.

Depends entirely on who I'm seeing it with. Friends usually want leave asap, family usually likes to stay. Saw Summer Hours by myself today and stayed to the end b/c of the film's ending and the closing song

[trotchky]

Do you people watch end credits? I only do if there's a song I like or something at the end.

I thought about watching Gran Torino's end credits to see if anything would happen with that final, picturesque image, but then I got bored and turned it off.

In contrast, I watched the end credits of Gus Van Sant's Psycho, almost riveted, because they contained one of the few shots that differed (rather drastically) from the original, and I really wanted to see if anything else would happen. (If anyone's interested, something did happen, and it was as major or minor as you make it out to be.)

[Qrazy]

I still like my cinematic technique polished and crisp. Denis is Cassavettes-like instead of Hitchcock-like.

Toby Hooper? Cassavetes is like Tarkovsky in comparison.

[number8]

Do you people watch end credits? I only do if there's a song I like or something at the end.

In theaters, I always stay and read every single name.

[baby doll]

I can barely remember any of them to be honest.Yeah, there's not a lot you can do in three minutes.

On a totally unrelated matter, Jellyfish was crazy awesome.

[lovejuice]

Got back from Summer Hours a couple hours ago.
i'm debating with myself whether to see this for a while. thank for encouragement.

[Sycophant]

Yeah, I'm always stickin' around for the end of the credits. The only time I really don't is when I'm literally the last person in the theater and five teenagers in uniform are staring at me, waiting for me to leave.

[number8]

Summer Hours is pretty great. I especially love how none of the characters are the protagonist.

[balmakboor]

In contrast, I watched the end credits of Gus Van Sant's Psycho, almost riveted, because they contained one of the few shots that differed (rather drastically) from the original, and I really wanted to see if anything else would happen. (If anyone's interested, something did happen, and it was as major or minor as you make it out to be.)

I am interested. Please either spoiler post your GVS Psycho observations here or PM me.

[Philosophe_rouge]

You need to see a bad movie, rogue.
I see more than enough bad movies.

[Bosco B Thug]

Toby Hooper? Cassavetes is like Tarkovsky in comparison. See some of his other films, son.

Seriously, though, even TCM is incredibly precise (though less so - I do hate that incessantly imprecise sequence of eyeball shots and tossing camera shots that begins the dinner table scene). There's always extensive dolly shots, perspective shots, and very particular editing patterns in Hooper films.

[Eleven]

So thanks to the confluence of Respected Tradition's forumlessness and my new employer's permissive Internet policy, I'm back here.

Recent good flicks I've seen: Lubitsch's Love Parade, Wayne Wang's Chan is Missing, and, to a lesser extent, Drag Me to Hell.

[MadMan]

Hey Eleven, glad to see yah back here.

In The Mood For Love is all I've seen from WKW. And it is a fantastic movie, truly something. I think it was the first Zombie that I tried to watch on Netflix's Instant Viewing, and I quit after 25 minutes. Although the zombie on the boat was okay, I guess.

[number8]

For the longest time, I thought this Italian zombie flick I watched called Burial Ground is a Fulci--probably because it was released as Zombie 3 in some parts of Europe and I read that somewhere and mistook it.

Anyway, it has a zombie kid biting his mom's nipples off, and zombies throwing axes. It's awesome.

[D_Davis]

http://www.genrebusters.com/images/burial3.jpg

http://www.genrebusters.com/images/burial4.jpg

http://www.genrebusters.com/images/burial5.jpg

http://www.genrebusters.com/images/burial7.jpg

http://www.genrebusters.com/images/burial8.jpg

http://www.genrebusters.com/images/burial9.jpg

[Eleven]

Hey Eleven, glad to see yah back here.

Good to be back here. No place quite like it for movie discussion.

That said, it appears I've got a long way to bridge the rep divide. So I'll just throw out random observations and see what sticks with whom:

- Star Trek was generally disappointing but kept in the spirit of the whizbang movies rather than any of the shows. Cast was suitably game, though, at least what I could see of them through the lens flare.

- Juzo Itami should be included in the same ranks of 80s Asian masters as Hou, Yang, and Miyazaki.

- Sasha Grey plays a blank-faced escort reasonably well. And Glenn Kenny is awesomely scuzzy.

- 2009 had the hottest females on a Cannes jury since 2006's trifecta of Monica Bellucci, Helena Bonham Carter, and Zhang Ziyi, or 1997's Isabelle Adjani, Gong Li, and Mira Sorvino.

- Greatest director/actor pair? Sternberg and Dietrich.

- Since the first decade of the 2000s is almost over, what are some films in my top ten of that time span that may be unique to me? Primer and Millennium Actress.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Primer

In my top ten. Sorry to bust on your individuality.

:)

[Qrazy]

See some of his other films, son.

Seriously, though, even TCM is incredibly precise (though less so - I do hate that incessantly imprecise sequence of eyeball shots and tossing camera shots that begins the dinner table scene). There's always extensive dolly shots, perspective shots, and very particular editing patterns in Hooper films.

I refuse! Ok, Ok I'll see Poltergeist at some point.

Really though I find Cassavetes often unfairly maligned when it comes to visuals... Faces, Opening Night and Killing of a Chinese Bookie are all very well shot and beautiful films imo... rough in a certain sense but also precise and well constructed. Husbands and Shadows are rougher but still frequently visually compelling. A Woman Under the Influence is somewhere in between.

[Eleven]

In my top ten. Sorry to bust on your individuality.

:)

Even better. I think it's in Mike D'Angelo's as well. Still waiting for that sophomore effort from Carruth.

[Sycophant]

Also, about half of us love Millennium Actress, while the other half hasn't seen it.

Welcome back!

[Mara]

Also, about half of us love Millennium Actress, while the other half hasn't seen it.

Welcome back!

Surely one contrarian has seen and hated it. Perhaps babydoll. Check his history for L'actrice de Dix-Siecle or something.

;)

[Qrazy]

Also, about half of us love Millennium Actress, while the other half hasn't seen it.

Welcome back!

I've seen it and am indifferent to it or rather mildly positive. I didn't hate it but I'm not that fond of it either.

[Mara]

Surely one contrarian has seen and hated it. Perhaps babydoll. Check his history for L'actrice de Dix-Siecle or something.

;)

Strike that. It was Qrazy. I found him.

[number8]

Millenium Actress is a real movie?! And here I thought that it was a wonderful dream both times I watched it. I shall spread this good news.

[Pop Trash]

- Since the first decade of the 2000s is almost over, what are some films in my top ten of that time span that may be unique to me? Primer and Millennium Actress.

This is a good topic: movies in your top ten of the 2000s that might be fairly unique to you. For me it might be You Can Count on Me, Ghost World, About Schmdit, A.I., and Capturing the Friedmans. Movies that I'm quite sure aren't unique on my list: Donnie Darko, Adaptation, Memento, and Requiem for a Dream.

[Stay Puft]

Exiled is good, and as expected, features some striking action, but the best bits (with the exception of the awesome scene with the cop) are all early in the film. I think The Mission might still be my favorite To.

[megladon8]

Favorites of the 2000's unique to me?

Not sure, really. I don't seem to be very unique :sad:

[Spinal]

This is a good topic: movies in your top ten of the 2000s that might be fairly unique to you.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Me and You and Everyone We Know
Manderlay

[Ezee E]

Quills perhaps.

[baby doll]

Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Me and You and Everyone We Know
ManderlayI'm sure there's about a million gay teenagers who'd put Hedwig and the Angry Inch on their lists, and I'd probably put Manderlay on mine, except that I've only seen it twice (Dogville I've seen three times, so it makes the cut).

[baby doll]

Quills perhaps.Only because Pauline Kael isn't alive.

[Spinal]

I'm sure there's about a million gay teenagers who'd put Hedwig and the Angry Inch on their lists ...

I took the initial inquiry to mean fairly out of the ordinary amongst the people who post here. If we're going for a literal definition of 'unique', then it's not going to be much of a discussion.

[lovejuice]

Also, about half of us love Millennium Actress, while the other half hasn't seen it.

my, my. i strongly dislike that flick.


Hedwig and the Angry Inch

sorry, if it's not in my top ten, it's definitely in my top twenty. It's very likely my second or third favorite musical that doesn't feature a dance number.

[Winston*]

my, my. i strongly dislike that flick.

y?

[Winston*]

Exiled is good, and as expected, features some striking action, but the best bits (with the exception of the awesome scene with the cop) are all early in the film. I think The Mission might still be my favorite To.

I loved when they're shooting that door back and forth to each other.

[lovejuice]

y?
well, in my opinion, it's a one trick pony that once you know at the beginning where they are going with this, it rolls out exactly as you expect.

i love paprika though, if that means anything.

[Spinal]

sorry, if it's not in my top ten, it's definitely in my top twenty. It's very likely my second or third favorite musical that doesn't feature a dance number.

Why are you sorry?

[lovejuice]

Why are you sorry?
because i break your individuality?

[Sycophant]

Uniqueness is overrated.

[lovejuice]

and on the topic.

shall we dance?
deep red
love/juice
shallowtail butterfly
contact

are very legible to be in my top ten.

[Spinal]

because i break your individuality?

Whatever. You can't even commit to having it in your top 10 of the decade. What kind of gay teenager are you anyway?

[Sycophant]

and on the topic.

shall we dance?
deep red
love/juice
shallowtail butterfly
contact

are very legible to be in my top ten.

I think we were specifically talking about uniquely favorite films of this decade. But mad props for including Swallowtail Butterfly and Shall We Dance? (I'm assuming that's the Masayuki Suo original). Interstingly, both 1996 films.

[lovejuice]

Whatever. You can't even commit to having it in your top 10 of the decade. What kind of gay teenager are you anyway?
:lol: a kind that's a decade away from being a teenager

[lovejuice]

I think we were specifically talking about uniquely favorite films of this decade. But mad props for including Swallowtail Butterfly and Shall We Dance? (I'm assuming that's the Masayuki Suo original). Interstingly, both 1996 films.

ahh. this decade. i'm still caught up in the last millennium.

in that case:

the matador
the saddest music in the world
citizen dog

are the answers.

[Sycophant]

Citizen Dog is top-ten of the augts material for me, too.

[Spinal]

:lol: a kind that's a decade away from being a teenager

Ah, those are the best kind. Not nearly as strident. :pritch:

[Raiders]

The Tracker
The Truth About Charlie
George Washington

[Watashi]

Stranger than Fiction
The Shape of Things
War of the Worlds

[lovejuice]

Stranger than Fiction
definitely not in my top ten, but i love that flick.

[baby doll]

I took the initial inquiry to mean fairly out of the ordinary amongst the people who post here. If we're going for a literal definition of 'unique', then it's not going to be much of a discussion.I suppose so. But on the other hand, I will say that even if no one around here likes Platform as much as I do, I wouldn't call myself unique for thinking it's one of the best films of the decade, because Jonathan Rosenbaum has already said it's one of the one hundred greatest films ever made.

[Bosco B Thug]

I refuse! Ok, Ok I'll see Poltergeist at some point. Eh, probably the least distinguished of his quality works... but I'd be afraid to recommend any other. It's hard being a fan of the man.


Really though I find Cassavetes often unfairly maligned when it comes to visuals... Faces, Opening Night and Killing of a Chinese Bookie are all very well shot and beautiful films imo... rough in a certain sense but also precise and well constructed. Husbands and Shadows are rougher but still frequently visually compelling. A Woman Under the Influence is somewhere in between. The analogy I made was just a quick emphasis point, not at all meant to deride Cassavetes. I actually think quite highly of Cassavetes and pretty much agree 100% with you here. His more frantic pacing and active editing is much more suited for the type of impromptu visualization technique that bugged me (just a little bit) about Denis, with all her effortful slow crawls.

[number8]

Guess mine.

[Milky Joe]

Are we doing three-a-piece here?

The Savages
The Bourne Ultimatum
I Heart Huckabees

[Pop Trash]

Some of you have some crap taste.

[megladon8]

Some of you have some crap taste.


:rolleyes:

[Sycophant]

You're a pretty fun guy, Pop Trash. ^_^ <3 <3 <3

[number8]

So I was invited to a special screening for tonight, right, and it's for The Talking of Pelham 123. They told me to come early if I want to cover the red carpet event they're throwing and join a reception with the night's special guests. I was like, neat, who's coming? Denzel? Travolta?

No, it's several members of Oakland Raiders and SF 49'ers.

What?

[Ezee E]

The Match Cut Best of Decade list should be interesting. Granted, Mulholland Drive will dominate.

[Pop Trash]

:rolleyes:

Actually, I usually like your taste. Doing a Nightmare marathon huh? Cool.

[Ezee E]

So I was invited to a special screening for tonight, right, and it's for The Talking of Pelham 123. They told me to come early if I want to cover the red carpet event they're throwing and join a reception with the night's special guests. I was like, neat, who's coming? Denzel? Travolta?

No, it's several members of Oakland Raiders and SF 49'ers.

What?
Yeah, they already had their premiere party.

But hey, JaMarcus Russell and Michael Crabtree!

[number8]

Yeah, they already had their premiere party.

But hey, JaMarcus Russell and Michael Crabtree!

Who?

It's Nnamdi Asomugha, Darrius Hayward-Bey, Michael Huff, Alex Smith, Patrick Willis.Are they even stars?

[baby doll]

The Match Cut Best of Decade list should be interesting. Granted, Mulholland Drive will dominate.Yeah, I figure that's how most of the critics' polls will go as well. That, and In the Mood for Love.

[Pop Trash]

Yeah, I figure that's how most of the critics' polls will go as well. That, and In the Mood for Love.
Agreed. Also Eternal Sunshine will fare well.

[Ezee E]

Who?

It's Nnamdi Asomugha, Darrius Hayward-Bey, Michael Huff, Alex Smith, Patrick Willis.Are they even stars?
Ha. Asomugha is one of the better players at his position, but on a shitty team. Alex Smith was one of the top picks a few years ago, now benched. Willis is good, but, meh.

Yeah, sucks dude. I guess think of a funny question that could hit the tabloids.

[number8]

Since no one dared guess. Some of my Top 10 this decade that I'm probably alone in include Battle Royale, Bloody Sunday and Vital. Maybe The Proposition, though I think a lot of you love it as well, but I don't know if it's considered Top 10 material.

[number8]

Yeah, sucks dude. I guess think of a funny question that could hit the tabloids.

What? I'm not going. Fuck that shit. :P

[MacGuffin]

I hope we will get about three months into 2010 to get through any releases we may have missed before we are to compile our decade lists.

[BuffaloWilder]

I say we wait until 2012, so we can compile our definitive "End-of-the-world best" lists.

[MacGuffin]

I also want to check out the works of Jia Zhangke, starting chronologically. Thoughts on his stuff?

[Ivan Drago]

Favorites of the 2000s that are unique to me:

Grindhouse
Superbad
Crank
The Phantom of the Opera

[baby doll]

I also want to check out the works of Jia Zhangke, starting chronologically. Thoughts on his stuff?Platform, The World and Still Life are all masterpieces. Unknown Pleasures was so depressing and ugly that I had to turn it off after an hour. Everything just looked so dirty. I haven't seen Xiao Wu, Dong, Useless or 24 City (Take me down to the 24 city where the grass is green and the girls are pretty--oh, won't you please take me home?), but I can't wait.

[megladon8]

I guess these are relatively unusual favorites from the past decade...

Solaris
Mind Game
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack

[Winston*]

Maybe The Proposition, though I think a lot of you love it as well, but I don't know if it's considered Top 10 material.
It'd probably be in mine.

[MacGuffin]

The Region 1 and the BFI DVDs, if I'm not mistaken, are a double feature: Still Life and Dong.

[baby doll]

The Region 1 and the BFI DVDs, if I'm not mistaken, are a double feature: Still Life and Dong.I bought mine in Chinatown in 2007, so I'll have to rent the official DVD some time.

[chrisnu]

Unusual favorites from the aughts:

The Man Who Wasn't There
Spider
The Shape of Things

[baby doll]

Unusual favorites from the aughts:

The Man Who Wasn't There
SpiderMike D'Angelo has the former on his list, and J. Hoberman's a fan of the latter.

[Qrazy]

Eh, probably the least distinguished of his quality works... but I'd be afraid to recommend any other. It's hard being a fan of the man.

Well out of curiosity, rank his works?


The analogy I made was just a quick emphasis point, not at all meant to deride Cassavetes. I actually think quite highly of Cassavetes and pretty much agree 100% with you here. His more frantic pacing and active editing is much more suited for the type of impromptu visualization technique that bugged me (just a little bit) about Denis, with all her effortful slow crawls.

Reasonable.

[Raiders]

Mike D'Angelo has the former on his list, and J. Hoberman's a fan of the latter.

Since you're in the information business, am I safe on The Tracker and The Truth About Charlie?

[baby doll]

Since you're in the information business, am I safe on The Tracker and The Truth About Charlie?I know that Jonathan Rosenbaum is a big fan of The Tracker, having put it on his list of his one thousand favorite films, but I doubt it would be in his top ten for the decade. As far as I know, The Truth About Charlie is all yours.

[Bosco B Thug]

Well out of curiosity, rank his works? Oh, if you insist... his full-length features:

1. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre - 8.5
2. Lifeforce - 7.5
3. The Funhouse - 7
4. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 - 7
5. Poltergeist - 7
6. Spontaneous Combustion - 6.5
7. Eaten Alive - 6
8. Tobe Hooper's Night Terrors - 5.5
9. Invaders from Mars - 5
10. The Mangler - 5
11. Toolbox Murders - 4.5
12. Mortuary - 4.5
13. Salem's Lot - 4.5
14. The Apartment Complex - 3
15. Crocodile - 2

Everything 5.5 and up I feel have great visual (and even sometimes dramatic) exquisiteness amidst terminal schlockiness. Lifeforce and Poltergeist need a re-watch.

[chrisnu]

Mike D'Angelo has the former on his list, and J. Hoberman's a fan of the latter.
Sweet validation. :cool:

[MacGuffin]

Bosco, which movies would earn a 10 from you, just curious?

[The Mike]

My faves of the decade are probably all pretty unique here:

Big Fish
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Moonlight Mile
Lantana
Spider-Man
Spartan

[Derek]

I also want to check out the works of Jia Zhangke, starting chronologically. Thoughts on his stuff?

He's great, but there's a good chance won't like his films or find them worthy of your time. I honestly can't think of one you'd probably like, but I'd start with either The World or Still Life. Platform is great too, but I'd save that one for later. 24 City is an interesting doc, but it covers similar ground as Still Life, but not as effectively. Xiao Wu was a somewhat interesting, somewhat middling character study that was more interesting as an early entry from a great director than as an individual film.

[MacGuffin]

He's great, but there's a good chance won't like his films or find them worthy of your time. I honestly can't think of one you'd probably like, but I'd start with either The World or Still Life. Platform is great too, but I'd save that one for later. 24 City is an interesting doc, but it covers similar ground as Still Life, but not as effectively. Xiao Wu was a somewhat interesting, somewhat middling character study that was more interesting as an early entry from a great director than as an individual film.

I'm probably watching Platform tonight, and I have a feeling I'm going to like it, which is why I am interested in watching it. I don't why you always say I won't like a movie. Edit: Actually, I probably do, but whatever.

[Derek]

Mike D'Angelo has the former on his list, and J. Hoberman's a fan of the latter.

I'm not sure you understood the question.

Contenders for my top 10 (probably more like 20) of the decade that will most likely not be found on many lists, although possibly some as there are a lot of other people in the universe who have also seen films and also post their top 10 lists on the internet where babydoll can find them and point out our lack of individuality for reasons I'm a little too scared to look into:

Code Unknown
Last Days
Decasia
Cremaster 3

[Stay Puft]

I also want to check out the works of Jia Zhangke, starting chronologically. Thoughts on his stuff?

My project to work through Tsai chronologically has been on hold for something like two years now because Vive L'Amour destroyed me emotionally and I've never recovered.

In the meantime, I've started working backwards on Jia and have seen, in reverse chronological order:

Cry Me a River
24 City
Useless

Up next: Still Life and Dong.

I love what I've seen. Useless is a sharp, intelligent documentary, and a rich, cinematic experience. Probably one of my favorites of the decade, since we're on that topic. 24 City is good. I didn't respond to it as strongly on my initial viewing, but when I saw it again at the Cinematheque Ontario, the good stuff really resonated and overshadowed the less interesting elements (still don't care for the Joan Chen segment). Also, the music by Lim Giong is magic.

[MacGuffin]

My project to work through Tsai has been on hold for something like two years now because Vive L'Amour destroyed me emotionally and I've never recovered.

Seriously? That's the only one of his I haven't seen yet, I think, besides The River. I may have to check it out now, unless you mean this in a bad way.

[Stay Puft]

Seriously? That's the only one of his I haven't seen yet, I think, besides The River. I may have to check it out now, unless you mean this in a bad way.

I think I mean it in a good way. I was lining up all of his films a couple years ago to watch chronologically, and acquired most of them (at least up to What Time is it There). I was going to try to watch one a week or so, but I guess I wasn't prepared for how emotionally challenging Tsai's movies were going to be for me. I made it through Rebels of the Neon God and Vive L'Amour and then could not continue.

The ending of Rebels hit me fairly hard, but not in any way I wasn't prepared to be from a movie, I suppose. If that makes sense. So it may have been a cumulative experience, but regardless, I was unquestionably destroyed by the end of Vive L'Amour. I felt depressed(?*) for a few weeks because of it, which doesn't sound like a good thing, but at the same time I have to acknowledge that no movie has ever affected me like that, so it's probably one of the most significant films I've ever seen.

(*Depression probably not accurate - certainly I wasn't clinically depressed or anything - but I don't know how else to describe my experience. I just spent ten minutes trying to elaborate on my experience before realizing I don't really want to try to put it in words, or even share that information, so I'm sorry for being abrupt and vague.)

Anyways, you can tell it was a deeply personal, situated response, so I don't want to talk the film up or anything because I can hardly be objective about it or talk about its filmic qualities or whatever. I don't know, maybe it's a good film. I don't know if many people consider it one of his best. It's a film I have spent two years trying to come to terms with.

[Stay Puft]

So back to Jia Zhangke:

I'm going to watch Still Life and Dong (maybe not this week, but work with me theoretically). Which should I watch first? Does Dong work better as something to lead into Still Life, or as something to consider afterwards? I'm wondering what people's experiences are with these two.

[dreamdead]

Still haven't seen Dong, actually, since Boner sent me his copy of Still Life.

For my list of (un)derappreciated faves from this decade, I'd single out:

Still Life (still think it's richer than Platform)
Last Life in the Universe
Quiet City

[Bosco B Thug]

Bosco, which movies would earn a 10 from you, just curious? Yeah, I think I just don't give out 10s at all. I give out a good amount of 9s, so my 9.5s would be: The Birds of course is the nearest anything comes to a 10, 2001 has to be up there... other notable favorites that I find little flaws in are Vertigo & Barry Lyndon, Walkabout & Don't Look Now, The Rules of the Game, Culloden... If I loosened up a bit, there'd be newer films like Dogville and Death Proof.

So what's everyone else's un-hesitant 10s?

[Ezee E]

I hope we will get about three months into 2010 to get through any releases we may have missed before we are to compile our decade lists.
We'll probably do it around the same time as the Best of 2009 stuff.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Some odd ones that would probably make my top ten:

Monsieur Ibrahim
The Mist
Before Sunset
Finding Nemo
In Bruges

[BuffaloWilder]

So, I was reading an essay I'd found on Google Books earlier - "Mainstream Narrative Cinema vs. Pure Cinema" - and I was wondering, what are some 'pure cinematic' essentials?

Sure, we have the obvious - "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," and "The Road Warrior," and all of that. Hitchcock's films, as well (some say). But, what are some others?

For my part, one of the ones I've seen recently that I really enjoyed was Luc Besson's District B13.

[balmakboor]

So, I was reading an essay I'd found on Google Books earlier - "Mainstream Narrative Cinema vs. Pure Cinema" - and I was wondering, what are some 'pure cinematic' essentials?

Sure, we have the obvious - "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," and "The Road Warrior," and all of that. Hitchcock's films, as well (some say). But, what are some others?

For my part, one of the ones I've seen recently that I really enjoyed was Luc Besson's District B13.

Well, you're the one who read the darn thing. Please explain. What is "pure cinema" anyway?

[MacGuffin]

Che is coming to the Criterion Collection.

[BuffaloWilder]

Well, you're the one who read the darn thing. Please explain. What is "pure cinema" anyway?

It's kind of hard to describe, really - "Pure Cinema advocates the use of images – since they are the very essence of cinema – above all else. This is not to say that Pure Cinema disdains soundtracks, dialog or any other useful creative technique. Rather, the use of images should be taken as a point of emphasis rather than as a strict dictum.

Alfred Hitchcock – whose career started with silent film - practiced Pure Cinema. He believed that the convincing expression of thoughts and the creation of dramatic intensity could be best achieved through the thoughtful selection and arrangement of images – and with very few words. Other well-known practitioners of Pure Cinema have included Orson Welles, Stanley Kubrick, Federico Fellini, David Lean and John Frankenheimer."




And, yes - I did so just cop that from somewhere else, if only because I didn't want to spend time trying to describe it myself. It varies, depending on who you ask, but I think that gets across the brunt of it.

[balmakboor]

Che is coming to the Criterion Collection.

Yep. I noticed that in the newsletter today. I'm definitely not surprised. I'm happy though.

[MacGuffin]

Yep. I noticed that in the newsletter today. I'm definitely not surprised. I'm happy though.

I haven't seen it myself. Interesting to see Criterion release two somewhat mainstream movies in a single year, but then again, I guess they've already released one Soderbergh movie (and I guess this was originally going to be a Terrence Malick movie? Haven't seen any of his stuff, so I don't really know what that means).

[balmakboor]

It's kind of hard to describe, really - "Pure Cinema advocates the use of images – since they are the very essence of cinema – above all else. This is not to say that Pure Cinema disdains soundtracks, dialog or any other useful creative technique. Rather, the use of images should be taken as a point of emphasis rather than as a strict dictum."


And, yes - I did just cop that from somewhere else, if only because I didn't want to spend time trying to describe it myself. It varies, depending on who you ask, but I think that gets across the brunt of it.

Yeah, I found this too after I asked the question:

Pure Cinema is the film theory that a movie maker can create a more emotionally intense experience using autonomous film techniques, as opposed to using stories, characters, or actors.

Unlike nearly all other fare offered via celluloid, pure cinema rejects the link and the character traits of artistic predecessors such as literature or theatre. It declares cinema to be its own independent art form that should not borrow from any other. As such, "pure cinema" is made up of nonstory, noncharacter films that convey abstract emotional experiences through unique cinematic devices such as montage (the Kuleshov Effect), camera movement and camera angles, sound-visual relationships, super-impositions and other optical effects, and visual composition.

Dziga Vertov's The Man with the Movie Camera
Ron Fricke's Baraka
Arthur Lipsett's short 21-87
Jean-Claude Labrecque's cinema verite 60 Cycles
Bruce Conner's A Movie
Ralph Steiner's H2O and Mechanical Principles
Stan Brakhage's Dog Star Man, Mothlight, Eye Myth and most of his work
George Lucas's 6-18-67, 1:42:08, and Herbie
Jordan Belson's Allures, Phenomena, and Fountain of Dreams
Germaine Dulac's "La Souriante Madame Beudet"
Godfrey Reggio's Koyaanisqatsi
Leni Riefenstahl's Olympia and Triumph of the Will
Jean Mitry's Pacific 231
Norman McLaren's Pas de Deux
José Antonio Sistiaga's ... era erera baleibu izik subua aruaren ...
Bruce Baillie's Mass for the Dakota Sioux (1964)
Slavko Vorkapich and John Hoffman's Moods of the Sea and Forest Murmurs

I guess that movie coming soon that's nothing but shots of trains would qualify. I'm looking forward to it.

[balmakboor]

I haven't seen it myself. Interesting to see Criterion release two somewhat mainstream movies in a single year, but then again, I guess they've already released one Soderbergh movie.

They're released more than one. Traffic and Schizopolis.

[balmakboor]

I haven't seen it myself. Interesting to see Criterion release two somewhat mainstream movies in a single year, but then again, I guess they've already released one Soderbergh movie (and I guess this was originally going to be a Terrence Malick movie? Haven't seen any of his stuff, so I don't really know what that means).

Yeah, I read the Film Comment article on Che a while back. The screenplay was mostly written by Malick. I haven't seen Che either, but it sounds like an interesting project.

[MacGuffin]

I guess that movie coming soon that's nothing but shots of trains would qualify. I'm looking forward to it.

James Benning's RR? Yeah, that looks awesome, but what makes you think that it is coming soon? It's already played in theaters last year, if I'm not mistaken. Edit: Two years ago, actually.

[MacGuffin]

They're released more than one. Traffic and Schizopolis.

Yeah, forgot about that one.


Yeah, I read the Film Comment article on Che a while back. The screenplay was mostly written by Malick. I haven't seen Che either, but it sounds like an interesting project.

Yeah, it does look interesting. But I can't say that I'm anxious to see it.

[balmakboor]

James Benning's RR? Yeah, that looks awesome, but what makes you think that it is coming soon? It's already played in theaters last year, if I'm not mistaken.

Probably because I live in fucking North Dakota. Everything except Up and Land of the Lost is coming soon.

[MacGuffin]

Probably because I live in fucking North Dakota. Everything except Up and Land of the Lost is coming soon.

Haha, yeah, but it's the sort of movie that plays limited even in the festival circuit, so in all fairness, you can't really be surprised. But it is probably better than Land of the Lost, so I mean, why can't they just replace all screenings of that with RR?

[balmakboor]

Yeah, forgot about that one.

Yeah, it does look interesting. But I can't say that I'm anxious to see it.

I'm not exactly losing sleep waiting to see it either. The only Soderbergh films I've really liked so far are King of the Hill and Erin Brockovich. I still need to see The Limey and The Girlfriend Experience though.

[Spinal]

I haven't seen it myself. Interesting to see Criterion release two somewhat mainstream movies in a single year, but then again, I guess they've already released one Soderbergh movie (and I guess this was originally going to be a Terrence Malick movie? Haven't seen any of his stuff, so I don't really know what that means).

Wait, we're calling Che mainstream?

Runtime: 4hrs 23 min
Worldwide Box office: $1,733,532

[MacGuffin]

I'm not exactly losing sleep waiting to see it either. The only Soderbergh films I've really liked so far are King of the Hill and Erin Brockovich. I still need to see The Limey and The Girlfriend Experience though.

The Limey is great.

[MacGuffin]

Wait, we're calling Che mainstream?

Runtime: 4hrs 23 min
Worldwide Box office: $1,733,532

Modern is probably a better word. In the context of their other releases, it can easily be grouped together with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, I think.

[BuffaloWilder]

I still can't understand their choice, of all the good mainstream films out this year, to release Button under their imprint. Don't get me wrong, it's a good film, but -

[Raiders]

I thought Che was a rather fascinating film. Probably more for itself than for the actual historical figure. It's a very matter-of-fact, undramatic film that has a subtle growth as it piles little moments on top of each other. Not Soderbergh's best, but certainly a worthy film.

[Spinal]

Modern is probably a better word. In the context of their other releases, it can easily be grouped together with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, I think.

Apart from coming out in the same year, I don't see much similarity between the films at all. Not sure what you're getting at. Not that it much matters. Classification arguments are never very interesting.

[balmakboor]

Modern is probably a better word. In the context of their other releases, it can easily be grouped together with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, I think.

Actually Che sounds quite risky and experimental in nature. Two complimentary halves shot in very different styles, etc.

I wouldn't accuse Ben Button of being either of those.

[MacGuffin]

I still can't understand their choice, of all the good mainstream films out this year, to release Button under their imprint. Don't get me wrong, it's a good film, but -

Haven't we been over this? Criterion needs to make money, too. Not everyone is interested in buying Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One on DVD.

[MacGuffin]

Apart from coming out in the same year, I don't see much similarity between the films at all. Not sure what you're getting at. Not that it much matters. Classification arguments are never very interesting.

Well, Criterion doesn't often release movies of the 2000s is all I am getting at. I'm not really talking about film quality, here.

[balmakboor]

Haven't we been over this? Criterion needs to make money, too. Not everyone is interested in buying Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One on DVD.

Speaking of that Symbiopsycho movie. I rented it a while back and loved it. I may buy it some day.

[MacGuffin]

Speaking of that Symbiopsycho movie. I rented it a while back and loved it. I may buy it some day.

I haven't seen the movie, but I was only using it because the title would probably put off most of the people at your local Blockbuster.

[BuffaloWilder]

Haven't we been over this? Criterion needs to make money, too. Not everyone is interested in buying Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One on DVD.

Yes, but there are other films that were released that would've generated as much, if not more, revenue if that is the impetus.

[Ivan Drago]

Well, Criterion doesn't often release movies of the 2000s is all I am getting at.

Unless they're directed by Wes Anderson.

[MacGuffin]

Unless they're directed by Wes Anderson.

Yeah, that's true, but still. That's about ten releases or so compared to the hundreds of post-21st century movies they have released.

[BuffaloWilder]

Well, Criterion doesn't often release movies of the 2000s is all I am getting at.

That's the real tragedy, here.

[balmakboor]

Yeah, that's true, but still. That's about ten releases or so compared to the hundreds of post-21st century movies they have released.

I'd love to see me some post-21st century movies.

[MacGuffin]

I'd love to see me some post-21st century movies.

Yeah, I meant pre-21st century, of course.

[baby doll]

The Limey is great.If by "great," you mean pretty good but forgettable.

[Raiders]

If by "great," you mean pretty good but forgettable.

I think he means it as in its standard definition. He is correct in this; but then again I already devoted an entire thread to the film.

[balmakboor]

Yeah, I meant pre-21st century, of course.

I'd still love to see some post-21st century ones though. I wonder if Woody Allen will find a way to still be in them. Maybe he knew something we didn't when he made Sleeper.

[baby doll]

Actually Che sounds quite risky and experimental in nature. Two complimentary halves shot in very different styles, etc.If by "experimental," you mean shamelessly ripping off The Battle of Algiers.

(As far as the styles being different from one half to the next, how so, apart from a different aspect ratio and dropping the black and white segments?)

[balmakboor]

If by "experimental," you mean shamelessly ripping off The Battle of Algiers.

(As far as the styles being different from one half to the next, how so, apart from a different aspect ratio and dropping the black and white segments?)

I'm just going by how the article in Film Comment made it sound.

[baby doll]

It's kind of hard to describe, really - "Pure Cinema advocates the use of images – since they are the very essence of cinema – above all else. This is not to say that Pure Cinema disdains soundtracks, dialog or any other useful creative technique. Rather, the use of images should be taken as a point of emphasis rather than as a strict dictum.That sounds like the "Cinema du Look" of the early 1980s (Besson, Bieneix, Carax).

[Winston*]

People should stop saying "if by [x] you mean [something [x] has never been defined as in any dictionary]".


The King and the Mockingbird - B+
Awesome movie eh? How about that final shot?

[baby doll]

I'm just going by how the article in Film Comment made it sound.Okay, I'm just going by seeing the film. ;)

The style is actually pretty similar in both halves: episodic narrative, objective point of view (lots of shots of people walking, almost like Antonioni goes to war), mostly filmed in long shot, often with a handheld camera, very few close-ups, hyper-clear digital images without grain and in deep focus.

[MacGuffin]

Okay, I'm just going by seeing the film. ;)

The style is actually pretty similar in both halves: episodic, objective point of view (lots of shots of people walking, almost like Antonioni goes to war), mostly filmed in long shot, often with a handheld camera, very few close-ups, hyper-clear digital images without grain and in deep focus.

I have to quote this before he edits it. A moment in history: baby doll uses an emoticon.

[baby doll]

I have to quote this before he edits it. A moment in history: baby doll uses an emoticon.Yeah, I thought that first sentence might come across as really harsh, so I hoped that using an emoticon would soften it.

[lovejuice]

People should stop saying "if by [x] you mean [something [x] has never been defined as in any dictionary]".

if by people you mean giant kangaroos that live on planet zorgwai.

[Winston*]

if by people you mean giant kangaroos that live on planet zorgwai.

I think I love you, love juice.

[Rowland]

So back to Jia Zhangke:

I'm going to watch Still Life and Dong (maybe not this week, but work with me theoretically). Which should I watch first? Does Dong work better as something to lead into Still Life, or as something to consider afterwards? I'm wondering what people's experiences are with these two.Having seen both, I'd say that Dong is more interesting when viewed after Still Life, especially if you're aware of the backstory behind it. I wrote a mini-review for Dong from that perspective.

[Stay Puft]

Having seen both, I'd say that Dong is more interesting when viewed after Still Life, especially if you're aware of the backstory behind it. I wrote a mini-review for Dong from that perspective.

Yeah, I remember reading your capsule review either here or on RT, but I couldn't find it (and of course RT is down anyways).

Thanks for the input.

[MacGuffin]

Even though I probably appreciate Platform more on a scene-by-scene basis (Seriously... there are too many good shots to choose from, but my favorite is when he lights the bonfire between the blue mountains), rather than as a whole, it is still nonetheless an engrossing epic worthy of high praise, and yes, Derek, worthy of my time.

[Stay Puft]

Platform (Zhangke, 2000) ***

His family name is Jia, btw.

[right_for_the_moment]

Finally got around to watching The Thin Red Line. Like Ezee E said a couple pages back, it's quite masterful and probably something I'd enjoy even more the second time around. Days of Heaven still takes the cake for me, however.

Also, if you guys don't mind, help me pick a director to watch his filmography (This doesn't sound grammatically correct, but it's late and I'm lazy and you probably get the idea anyway). Netflixing, The New World at the moment which would finish off Malick (an impressive feat, I know)

[balmakboor]

Also, if you guys don't mind, help me pick a director to watch his filmography (This doesn't sound grammatically correct, but it's late and I'm lazy and you probably get the idea anyway). Netflixing, The New World at the moment which would finish off Malick (an impressive feat, I know)

Werner Herzog

[EyesWideOpen]

Also, if you guys don't mind, help me pick a director to watch his filmography (This doesn't sound grammatically correct, but it's late and I'm lazy and you probably get the idea anyway). Netflixing, The New World at the moment which would finish off Malick (an impressive feat, I know)

Takashi Miike. Figured I'd give you a challenge.

[Qrazy]

People should stop saying "if by [x] you mean [something [x] has never been defined as in any dictionary]".


Awesome movie eh? How about that final shot?

Yeah, it's really quality stuff. The world created, there's such a unique vision on display. The final shot was quality although on a related note...

I found it bizarre that this robot with incredibly sharp claws only smashed things with it's fists. Aside from picking people up it never used it's claws to jab anything. I also found it a bit bizarre but neat that the original king was dropped out of the storyline completely near the beginning. I found it neat in the structural sense (Hitchcock/Psycho... changing narrative expectations) but also in the metaphoric sense (art or rather ones image of oneself taking over and dominating the original self... since the original king changed the eyes of the painting but also since the king is completely inundated with objects made in his image).

[Qrazy]

Finally got around to watching The Thin Red Line. Like Ezee E said a couple pages back, it's quite masterful and probably something I'd enjoy even more the second time around. Days of Heaven still takes the cake for me, however.

Also, if you guys don't mind, help me pick a director to watch his filmography (This doesn't sound grammatically correct, but it's late and I'm lazy and you probably get the idea anyway). Netflixing, The New World at the moment which would finish off Malick (an impressive feat, I know)

Finish up Kubrick, not too much of a challenge, but worth doing.

[Boner M]

Weekend:

Tsai Ming-Liang's Face!!!
Humpday
The Girlfriend Experience
24 City

Maybe:

Che
The Hangover
Whatever I promised to watch last week but didn't

[megladon8]

Here's a question about Blue Velvet I forgot to ask back when I first saw it...

What the hell was supposed to have happened to the father at the beginning of the movie?

[Ezee E]

Weekend:
The International
The Crying Game

Taking of Pelham 1-2-3?

Rewatched Gran Torino. While everything out of Kowalski is alright, he's such a good character that it ends up being a very good movie.

[Sycophant]

Weekend:
Brothers Bloom
Dave Chapelle's Block Party (maybe for reals this time!)

Finally, finally finalizing the final cut of the film I shot last summer.

[Spinal]

Here's a question about Blue Velvet I forgot to ask back when I first saw it...

What the hell was supposed to have happened to the father at the beginning of the movie?

He has a stroke.

[D_Davis]

Finally, finally finalizing the final cut of the film I shot last summer.

Radical!

Gotta support the Match Cut artists.

:)

Feels good to complete a project. Unfortunately for me, it feels a little better starting a project.

[Sycophant]

Thanks!


Feels good to complete a project. Unfortunately for me, it feels a little better starting a project.

Yeah, same here. I'd've been more than pleased to have been finished with this last September. Post-production has dragged on and on (though we've steadily been improving the movie), and post-production really drains my enthusiasm for making movies.

[Qrazy]

Thanks!



Yeah, same here. I'd've been more than pleased to have been finished with this last September. Post-production has dragged on and on (though we've steadily been improving the movie), and post-production really drains my enthusiasm for making movies.

Really? I like post. I dislike pre.

[Sycophant]

Watching a movie actually take shape and turn into a movie in post is fun, but it's rewatching the same cut twenty times to figure out if it works, and timing takes to make jokes work that is painful. Fortunately, my (great) editor took on most of that for this project, but it's agonizingly long. Production is my favorite phase, but I enjoy pre-production a lot, too. Also a headache, but I enjoy dreaming up what will come to be more than I do dealing with the reality of what is.

[Qrazy]

Watching a movie actually take shape and turn into a movie in post is fun, but it's rewatching the same cut twenty times to figure out if it works, and timing takes to make jokes work that is painful. Fortunately, my (great) editor took on most of that for this project, but it's agonizingly long. Production is my favorite phase, but I enjoy pre-production a lot, too. Also a headache, but I enjoy dreaming up what will come to be more than I do dealing with the reality of what is.

Ah well I like the brainstorming phase of pre too, I just don't much like getting all the pieces together to make it initially happen.

[lovejuice]

Finally, finally finalizing the final cut of the film I shot last summer.
so when'll we have a chance to rip apart your masterwork? :)

[Sycophant]

so when'll we have a chance to rip apart your masterwork? :)

Though I of course want this thing to play festivals, maybe theaters, and hopefully a home video release, I'm scared to death of the day people on Match Cut might see it.

[Mara]

Though I of course want this thing to play festivals, maybe theaters, and hopefully a home video release, I'm scared to death of the day people on Match Cut might see it.

They saw my movie (which was simply awful) and I survived.

:lol:

[Sycophant]

OMG, you had a movie?

Was this the one that was adapted from something you wrote, but you weren't actually involved in the film's production?

[Mara]

OMG, you had a movie?

Was this the one that was adapted from something you wrote, but you weren't actually involved in the film's production?

That's the one. I'm not going to tell you the name if you don't know it, because you might accidentally netflix it and burn your eyes out.

[Sycophant]

...I'm tempted to sniff it out anyway.

If my movie is received disastrously, I co-wrote, directed, and co-produced it, so it would all be on my head.

[Qrazy]

...I'm tempted to sniff it out anyway.

If my movie is received disastrously, I co-wrote, directed, and co-produced it, so it would all be on my head.

What's the pitch/plot outline?

[Mara]

...I'm tempted to sniff it out anyway.

If my movie is received disastrously, I co-wrote, directed, and co-produced it, so it would all be on my head.

Yeah, the beauty of mine is I can blame everyone else.

Because it's their fault.

I maintain my beginning product was really quite good.

EDIT: And Eric Samuelson, the awesome BYU professor (did you ever have him?) agreed with me. Edited for your own good:


Eric Samuelson, associate professor of Theatre and Media Arts, however, said he didn't think "[EDIT]" did [MARA]'s play justice.

Samuelson said the charm of "[ORIGINAL PLAY]" lay in its exploration of psychosis driven by dissatisfaction with reality, an idea the movie strayed away from in favor of a romantic comedy flavor.

[Spinal]

Yeah, the beauty of mine is I can blame everyone else.

Because it's their fault.

How dare you throw Edie McClurg under the bus!

[Mara]

How dare you throw Edie McClurg under the bus!

She was cute, wasn't she?

Honestly, it's not the worst film I've ever seen. I doubt it would crack my bottom 20. But the complete silliness, especially when contrasted to all the extremely personal emotion I put into the original, is kind of insulting.

[Sycophant]

What's the pitch/plot outline?

Here's the IMDb page (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1327933/).

Outline:
Jeff is trying to get his life back on track--he's got a supportive girlfriend and friends and is going back to school, determined to make things work this time. Then he encounters an eccentric minigolfing supervillain, The Flamingo, who challenges him to a duel. He initially brushes it off, but The Flamingo's assault on his manhood gets Jeff to accept his challenge, and Jeff gets consumed by the desire to beat the Flamingo, to the exclusion of his friends and his schooling.

He loses.

[Sycophant]

EDIT: And Eric Samuelson, the awesome BYU professor (did you ever have him?) agreed with me. Edited for your own good:

I never took a class from him, but I talked to him a few times when I was in the Student Film Association and have admired much of his work in the theater. He's written a couple plays for this new cool thing in Provo that a few friends of mine are behind called the New Play Project. He's great.

[Spinal]

She was cute, wasn't she?

Honestly, it's not the worst film I've ever seen. I doubt it would crack my bottom 20. But the complete silliness, especially when contrasted to all the extremely personal emotion I put into the original, is kind of insulting.

I never actually saw it, to be honest. I just remember being impressed that you had contributed to something with Edie McClurg in it.

[Qrazy]

Here's the IMDb page (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1327933/).

Outline:
Jeff is trying to get his life back on track--he's got a supportive girlfriend and friends and is going back to school, determined to make things work this time. Then he encounters an eccentric minigolfing supervillain, The Flamingo, who challenges him to a duel. He initially brushes it off, but The Flamingo's assault on his manhood gets Jeff to accept his challenge, and Jeff gets consumed by the desire to beat the Flamingo, to the exclusion of his friends and his schooling.

He loses.

Way to spoil the ending.

Sounds fun though, I'll see it.

[Qrazy]

The Defiant Ones was good and I liked it. The Heart is a Lonely Heart was less good and I liked it less.

[Mara]

I never actually saw it, to be honest. I just remember being impressed that you had contributed to something with Edie McClurg in it.

I have an odd sense of owning those actors. I notice them even if they just show up in "The West Wing" for three seconds, or play a disposable girlfriend on an episode of "Friends."

[Mara]

The Defiant Ones was good and I liked it. The Heart is a Lonely Heart was less good and I liked it less.

Succinct.

[Raiders]

I know the name of Mara's movie.

:pritch:

But, I won't tell.

[Qrazy]

I know the name of Mara's movie.

:pritch:

But, I won't tell.

Have you seen The Defiant Ones? I think you'd like it.

[Watashi]

I know it too.

I actually... watched it.

[Raiders]

Have you seen The Defiant Ones? I think you'd like it.

Is this sincere? Stanley Kramer makes me break out in hives. I'll give it a shot though if you're being serious.

[Qrazy]

Is this sincere? Stanley Kramer makes me break out in hives. I'll give it a shot though if you're being serious.

Well I could be wrong but I am being serious. Which Kramer have you seen?

I did not like Guess Who's Coming to Dinner or It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. As a film I thought Judgment at Nuremberg was OK, as a courtroom drama I thought it was fairly solid. Inherit the Wind I think I like but I saw it a decade ago so I can't be sure. I do like the play.

[Raiders]

Well I could be wrong but I am being serious. Which Kramer have you seen?

I did not like Guess Who's Coming to Dinner or It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. As a film I thought Judgment at Nuremberg was OK, as a courtroom drama I thought it was fairly solid. Inherit the Wind I think I like but I saw it a decade ago so I can't be sure. I do like the play.

Inherit the Wind [**]
Judgment at Nuremberg [**]
On the Beach [**]
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World [*½]
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner


He's also partly responsible for the suckitude of Cassavetes' A Child is Waiting. The man had no grace behind the camera and typically bludgeoned us with platitudes and his "messages."

He just ain't my thing. At all.

[baby doll]

Inherit the Wind [**]
Judgment at Nuremberg [**]
On the Beach [**]
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World [*½]
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner


He's also partly responsible for the suckitude of Cassavetes' A Child is Waiting. The man had no grace behind the camera and typically bludgeoned us with platitudes and his "messages."

He just ain't my thing. At all.I don't know if this counts, but he produced The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T., which is amazing.

Come on dress me! Dress me! Dress me in my a peek-a-boo blouse!

Clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcwAymlCB1k&feature=related&fmt=18)

[Yxklyx]

The first 5 minutes of Le Plaisir was a glorious spectacle but then the sound problems started. Left the theater and will watch it this weekend on DVD.

[Mara]

I don't know if this counts, but he produced The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T., which is amazing.

Come on dress me! Dress me! Dress me in my a peek-a-boo blouse!


That was an odd film.

[baby doll]

That was an odd film.I know! How 'bout that S&M dungeon sequence?

[Mara]

I know! How 'bout that S&M dungeon sequence?

I don't remember all of it too clearly. I remember the strange sequence at the end, with the huge piano or whatever and the roller-skating men. And this entire psychotic story was wrapped in the most mundane 50s-era children's story.

Thank you, Mr. Geisel. You made life interesting.

[baby doll]

I don't remember all of it too clearly.I found a clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHVRxzvkJao&feature=related&fmt=18) on You Tube that might jog your memory. Notice how shiny, tan and toned the elevator operator is.

[Ezee E]

I love the production process of being on set and seeing the script get made into a film, but postproduction makes me not even want to see the finished product at times.

My short has also been seen on here. Yxklyx (I believe) rated it higher than Crash on his year's end list. :)

He gave it two stars

[Sycophant]

So an ad could read

Better than Crash!
-Yxklyx

I understand why Woody Allen never watches his films after release. After Sunday, I don't care if I never see this again.

[Qrazy]

Inherit the Wind [**]
Judgment at Nuremberg [**]
On the Beach [**]
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World [*½]
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner


He's also partly responsible for the suckitude of Cassavetes' A Child is Waiting. The man had no grace behind the camera and typically bludgeoned us with platitudes and his "messages."

He just ain't my thing. At all.

Well the film still reminded me of many of the films/directors you like, even if you're not a big fan I think you'll like it more than any other film you've seen from him.

I think you could like it though. You must now watch so we see the result.

[Spun Lepton]

I watched The Incredible Hulk for the second time last night. Doesn't quite hold up. This time around it seems pretty melodramatic, but I couldn't tell if it was on purpose, or what.

[soitgoes...]

I can't believe we are only a few days away from reaching 1000 pages for this thread. Impressive.

[Sycophant]

The way I'm looking at it, we're coming up on 1,500.

[soitgoes...]

The way I'm looking at it, we're coming up on 1,500.
I use the forum default settings which makes me cool because I don't take risks.

[Sycophant]

I... thought I did, too.

[Rowland]

I'm the coolest, since we're only on page 744 from my vantage point.

[soitgoes...]

I'm the coolest, since we're only on page 744 from my vantage point.Wait till you see what happens on page 921. Let me just say, amazing stuff. Mind-blowing even.

[Sycophant]

Oh, hey. I've met (very briefly) the guy who directed Mara's film.

[Watashi]

I've just been exposed to Vincent Gallo.

I think I need to lie down now.

[Spun Lepton]

I've just been exposed to Vincent Gallo.

I think I need to lie down now.

Take a shower, first. Eww.

[Spinal]

Talk to me after you've seen The Brown Bunny. Now that's being exposed to Vincent Gallo.

[Qrazy]

I've just been exposed to Vincent Gallo.

I think I need to lie down now.

Give Arizona Dream a look, seems like something you might like. Do not give The Brown Bunny a look, it seems like something only Baby Doll would like.

[MacGuffin]

Give Arizona Dream a look, seems like something you might like. Do not give The Brown Bunny a look, it seems like something only Baby Doll would like.

What? The Brown Bunny is excellent. I still need to see Buffalo '66 though, actually.

[Watashi]

Give Arizona Dream a look, seems like something you might like. Do not give The Brown Bunny a look, it seems like something only Baby Doll would like.

Heh. I have no desire to see this.

Buffalo '66 worked for me for its retro visuals and Ricci's performance. I kept waiting for Gallo to show us one decent person who lives in Buffalo. Are these the type of people Rowland has to deal with day in and day out?

[Spinal]

What? The Brown Bunny is excellent.

Yeah, I liked it too. (http://filmepidemic.blogspot.com/2005/09/brown-bunny-gallo-2003.html) Much to my surprise.

Probably not a film for Watashi though.

[megladon8]

Buffalo '66 is great. The Brown Bunny is terrible, horrible, wretched crap.

Vincent Gallo's an arse.

[Spun Lepton]

Buffalo '66 is great. The Brown Bunny is terrible, horrible, wretched crap.

Vincent Gallo's an arse.

Admit it, you thought about buying his sperm.

[Derek]

Buffalo '66 and The Brown Bunny are both pretty good.

[megladon8]

Admit it, you thought about buying his sperm.


If by "thought about" you mean "really want to".

And by "buying" you mean "kick".

And by "sperm" you mean "junk".

Then yes.

[Raiders]

I hated The Brown Bunny to the point I turned it off before it was over. I did rather like Buffalo '66 though it has been quite a few years.

[Winston*]

People should stop saying "if by [x] you mean [something [x] has never been defined as in any dictionary]".


It was only 2 pages ago, megladon8. Why must you hurt me?