28 Film Discussion Threads Later [Archive] - Page 127

baby doll

07-14-2009, 12:47 PM

If things go to plan, this will be the greatest cinematic week of my life.You know it won't be. D'Angelo actually made a pretty good point in his Cannes wrap-up that, to the person reading at home, he must seem super-ungrateful, but I had a similar experience at PIFF last fall: I didn't see too many films that were unwatchable (Night and Day being a major exception, so good luck with his new one), but most of what I saw was just pretty good. I still remember how excited I was to see Liverpool, Lost Song, Of Time and the City, Revanche, Le Silence de Lorna, Treeless Mountain, and Wendy and Lucy, and look how that turned out (http://chuck-a-luck.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html).

Boner M

07-14-2009, 01:19 PM

B-side

07-14-2009, 01:21 PM

In conclusion; GCWOML.

que?

Boner M

07-14-2009, 01:25 PM

If things go to plan, this will be the greatest cinematic week of my life..

B-side

07-14-2009, 01:29 PM

Ah, OK. Sounds good to me. I'm jealous. I too find myself wanting to see Jeanne Dielman quite a bit.

baby doll

07-14-2009, 02:02 PM

1. Jeanne Dielman and Funeral Parade of Roses are older films, and the former is #1 on my all-time must-see list
2. I have no expectations for Antichrist other than that it'll be completely nuts and an awesome communal experience
3. D'Angelo, as much of a great read & useful for leftfield recommentions as he is, doesn't always share my taste
4. I liked Lorna's Silence, really liked Wendy and Lucy and loved Of Time and the City
5. Anna Karina & Claire Denis are gonna be there in person

In conclusion; GCWOML.1a. Wait, you've never seen Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles? Aren't you the go-to guy around here for filmmakers in the Martin-Reynaud-Kent Jones pantheon (Cassavetes, Eustache, Ferrara, Garrel, Pialat)?
1b. Weren't you the guy who told me he fell asleep during a screening of Jacques Rivette's all-but-impossible-to-see Noroît?

2. According to the first post-Cannes piece I've read on Antichrist, from David Bordwell's blog, the craziness isn't that crazy. He says without four shots, there wouldn't be any controversy at all. And I think most of them have been spoiled by reviewers (I know of at least two that he's talking about).

3. It's not a matter of taste, it's a matter of averages. I'm sure there are movies that I liked more than you did. (Where do you stand on Adoration and La Frontière de l'aube?)

4. I also liked the first two, and to a lesser extent, I even liked the Davies. But come on, you loved it? No, it's not ambitious enough to justify that response.

5. They're not going to have sex with you.

Duncan

07-14-2009, 02:53 PM

Jeanne Dielman is a film that is a lot easier to like in retrospect than when you're watching it. It's got some great scenes to break up the routine, but, damn, do you ever feel its running time. At least, I know I did. Its got all sorts of respect from me though. Apparently Akerman was 25 when she made it, which is, like, Citizen Kane level impressive.

kuehnepips

07-14-2009, 03:38 PM

I'll never be able to keep up with this thread. Can we have a FDT for the over-40-years-old?

Sycophant

07-14-2009, 03:48 PM

5. They're not going to have sex with you.

I enjoyed the Q&A session with Stephen Chow that I attended, even though he didn't fuck me.

Sven

07-14-2009, 04:09 PM

Derek

07-14-2009, 04:32 PM

I enjoyed the Q&A session with Stephen Chow that I attended, even though he didn't fuck me.

I'm trying to think of a way to challenge the fact that you did in fact enjoy the Q&A session, but maybe I'll just leave that to baby doll.

Sven

07-14-2009, 04:34 PM

I should say "up to and including Walken," whose single scene might be his best scene ever. Though I am quite fond of his appearance in Gigli.

Raiders

07-14-2009, 04:42 PM

I'll never be able to keep up with this thread. Can we have a FDT for the over-40-years-old?

Hmmm... no, but I can have the font size increased for this thread. Will that work?

Mara

07-14-2009, 04:44 PM

Can anyone think of an film scenario where it would be artistically and thematically important to show the main characters screaming and laughing on a roller coaster?

[ETM]

07-14-2009, 04:45 PM

Can anyone think of an film scenario where it would be artistically and thematically important to show the main characters screaming and laughing on a roller coaster?

Sure, plenty.

Mara

07-14-2009, 04:45 PM

Hmmm... no, but I can have the font size increased for this thread. Will that work?

You could also print the thread out and snail-mail it.

[ETM]

07-14-2009, 04:48 PM

You could also print the thread out and snail-mail it.

Can me rename it to something older-people-friendly?

Gone With the Film Discussion? Something less lame? Far less lame?

Pop Trash

07-14-2009, 06:58 PM

5. Anna Karina & Claire Denis are gonna be there in person

Have you seen her lately? Not quite as bad as Brigette Bardot post-1980 but still...

Pop Trash

07-14-2009, 07:01 PM

Along with Un Certain Regard winner Dogtooth, Everyone Else

I want to see those. Dogtooth in particular sounds like my cup of tea.

Amnesiac

07-14-2009, 07:38 PM

I watched Being John Malkovich for the first time last night. What a strange, strange movie. It showcases some pretty despicable and unlikable characters. It feels like this movie is bursting with philosophical ideas, I don't even know where to begin or end. And I know I haven't considered all the implications of the film.

Also, that scene with the monkey rescuing his family was both tragic and hilariously absurd.

NickGlass

07-14-2009, 09:04 PM

Has anyone here seen Fernando Eimbecke's Duck Season? I adore it--and it was one of my favorite films of 2006--but I don't recall anyone else's reaction (although, if it was found underwhelming, I'm sure someone could flippantly write it off as "successful, but minor").

I ask because I'm going to see Eimbecke's follow-up, Lake Tahoe, tonight, and it's been similarly devoid of hype--or any attention, for that matter. I suppose that's appropriate, since these films are very intimate portraits of youth that cleverly comment on society.

Of course, that last sentence makes them sound ridiculous, but Duck Season is very low-key and damn charming. I hope Lake Tahoe is similarly so.

Sycophant

07-14-2009, 09:08 PM

I rather enjoyed Duck Season. Very sharp film. I can't remember too much specifically about it, but that's more because I haven't had much occasion to discuss it than because it was "minor."

I'd definitely be interested in seeing where Eimbecke's career goes from here. Do report, Nick.

soitgoes...

07-14-2009, 09:09 PM

StanleyK

07-14-2009, 10:00 PM

Watching Southland Tales, I now understand two concepts which were previously foreign to me:

1. This is what people mean when they derogatively call a movie 'pretentious'; I used to think it was exclusively a good thing (I mean, a film has to have some ambition).

2. This is what people mean when they say a movie is so bad it's good; I wouldn't give it a passing grade, but so much of it is so hilarious that I don't feel like I completely wasted my time.

MadMan

07-14-2009, 10:01 PM

Watched True Romance again today. Maybe the fourth time...? Anyway, the first half hour is utter cinema bliss. The rest of it is passable, somewhat recycled action movie tropes with a few not-very-successful attempts at being interesting (Gandolfini and Arquette's scene, Scott's metatextual roller coaster self-parody, etc.). But that first half hour is so good--everything up to Walken. Maybe I'm just getting bored with post-MTV cop-drug-gangster action thriller conventions.

I love the calypso music, and Brad Pitt is great.I agree with your thoughts a certain point, as I did give the movie an 85. But I agree that the first half is much, much stronger. The scene with Walken and Hopper is pure brilliance, and lives up to the hype. I will admit I enjoyed the action sequences somewhat, though.

Both Gandolfini and Pitt are great. Love Gandolifini's monologue: Now the first time you kill somebody, that's the hardest. I don't give a shit if you're fuckin' Wyatt Earp or Jack the Ripper. Remember that guy in Texas? The guy up in that fuckin' tower that killed all them people? I'll bet you green money that first little black dot he took a bead on, that was the bitch of the bunch. First one is tough, no fuckin' foolin'. The second one... the second one ain't no fuckin' Mardis Gras either, but it's better than the first one 'cause you still feel the same thing, y'know... except it's more diluted, y'know it's... it's better. I threw up on the first one, you believe that? Then the third one... the third one is easy, you level right off. It's no problem. Now... shit... now I do it just to watch their fuckin' expression change.

Spoiled for length reasons. But yeah, its awesome.

Sycophant

07-14-2009, 10:02 PM

I kind of want to watch True Romance again if just because now I know who James Gandolfini is, since I don't remember him in anything extra-Sopranos.

Ezee E

07-14-2009, 10:18 PM

I kind of want to watch True Romance again if just because now I know who James Gandolfini is, since I don't remember him in anything extra-Sopranos.
That's my favorite scene in True Romance.

Rowland

07-14-2009, 10:23 PM

True Romance is serviceable as larkish wish-fulfillment, but it doesn't accrue much depth or power, nor does Scott's glossily prosaic direction do it many favors. Credit Tarantino's typically dynamic script and a slew of magnetic performances for bringing it to life. Rapaport's interview at the casting agency is fucking gold.

Pop Trash

07-14-2009, 10:31 PM

Sven

07-14-2009, 11:32 PM

D_Davis

07-14-2009, 11:49 PM

trotchky

07-15-2009, 12:04 AM

1. This is what people mean when they derogatively call a movie 'pretentious'; I used to think it was exclusively a good thing (I mean, a film has to have some ambition).

This is exactly how I felt when I finished watching Twentynine Palms.

As for your second point, I agree.

trotchky

07-15-2009, 12:05 AM

Love this film. I think it is highly misunderstood, or, more likely, I just happen to be totally in tune with it's PKD-love-a-thon wavelength.

Also yes. Between Southland Tales and Donnie Darko, Richard Kelly has nailed the feel of P.K. Dick better than any actual adaption of one of his books.

Rowland

07-15-2009, 12:38 AM

Everything you write sounds like you're salivating for print publication. You're so damn impersonal sometimes.Hmm... yeah, I suppose it's in my nature to be a bit coldly distancing. I'll take this as a challenge to sound more personal.

I watched Deep Red again the other night, feeling like I'd shortchanged it a bit with my revisit of it a week or so ago. That time, my girlfriend and I were fairly buzzed before I even turned it on, so I was hardly in my most analytical mode, and I was probably concerned with how she was responding to it as well. Now sober and in a more focused environment, the dynamic set pieces and almost playful verve of Argento's craft had more of an impact, as did the dialogue-driven scenes I probably tended to pay less mind to when I discovered the film in my formative mid-teen years, including the opening scene that strikes me as no less than the Rosetta Stone to unpacking the picture's subtext as Argento's declarative statement of his artistic modus operandi.

And a revisiting of Blue Velvet last night has made me respect and admire the picture more than I used to, but I still don't love it nor consider it a fully fledged masterpiece like most of its admirers seem to, and yet I'm having a difficult time pin-pointing why. There is a certain killer touch, a je ne sais quoi that is missing for me. Maybe it's because I discovered Lynch through Mulholland Drive, which strikes me as a better picture on virtually every front. I'll need to continue considering why, but in the meantime, how is Blue Velvet perceived around here? It's too bad our original David Lynch consensus thread is lost...

Sven

07-15-2009, 01:13 AM

how is Blue Velvet perceived around here?

I personally do not care for it too much, though there's a lot to admire. http://ijustknowit.blogspot.com/2009/01/sonatineblue-velvet.html

Raiders

07-15-2009, 01:25 AM

I personally do not care for it too much, though there's a lot to admire. http://ijustknowit.blogspot.com/2009/01/sonatineblue-velvet.html

Some goods thoughts there on Lynch's film (I certainly agree with some of your grievances), but my God man, stop abbreviating the names.

Milky Joe

07-15-2009, 01:26 AM

And a revisiting of Blue Velvet last night has made me respect and admire the picture more than I used to, but I still don't love it nor consider it a fully fledged masterpiece like most of its admirers seem to, and yet I'm having a difficult time pin-pointing why. There is a certain killer touch, a je ne sais quoi that is missing for me. Maybe it's because I discovered Lynch through Mulholland Drive, which strikes me as a better picture on virtually every front. I'll need to continue considering why, but in the meantime, how is Blue Velvet perceived around here? It's too bad our original David Lynch consensus thread is lost...

My feeling is that, compared to MD, Blue Velvet is a much more complete film, with a whole lot less of a tendency to constantly be pulling the rug out from under the viewer, which becomes frustrating for me, as it seems to just want to teeter on the edge between being a fully coherent narrative and being an outright dreamscape. So it becomes like an ugly duckling for me: I would rather watch Inland Empire for the dreamscape stuff and I would rather watch Blue Velvet for the coherency stuff. I would, however, rather watch MD for this (http://expected.free.fr/StoryBoardImages/mulholland_drive/mulholland_drive_26.jpg).

I also like it more because it is more interested in presenting a holistic picture of the world as filtered through Lynch's metaphysics/subconscious, and not just of Hollywood or the mind of its protagonist or whatever. Lynch was much freer, in a way, when he made BV. He conceived of it from start to finish as a film, whereas MD was a failed TV pilot he extended into a feature, which explains its patchwork-feel. I suppose I am less interested in putting together a puzzle than I am in just having an experience, which BV and IE both do better in completely different ways.

Sven

07-15-2009, 01:26 AM

Some goods thoughts there on Lynch's film (I certainly agree with some of your grievances), but my God man, stop abbreviating the names.

It was an experiment. I have not done it since.

Chac Mool

07-15-2009, 01:27 AM

Blue Velvet is a good movie, but it's nowhere near my favorite Lynch (Mulholland Dr., Lost Highway). I find it too conscious and calculated, and I think Lynch, in retrospect, does too -- his later films retained the weirdness, but made it jazzier, more free-form.

Rowland, re: Deep Red -- have you seen The Bird with the Crystal Plumage? Two very different approaches, but together they go to the core of Argento's appeal.

Melville

07-15-2009, 01:29 AM

how is Blue Velvet perceived around here?
It's one of my favorites. The "In Dreams" scene stands out as one of the greatest things ever: a profound mixture of absurdity and melancholy, ideality and kitsch. I never wrote anything like a review of the movie as a whole, but here are some thoughts on its themes: http://www.match-cut.org/showthread.php?p=166766#post16 6766

Sven

07-15-2009, 01:29 AM

Rowland, re: Deep Red -- have you seen The Bird with the Crystal Plumage?

Ha, such a n00b.

Rowland

07-15-2009, 01:54 AM

Rowland, re: Deep Red -- have you seen The Bird with the Crystal Plumage? Two very different approaches, but together they go to the core of Argento's appeal.Yeah, I've seen everything by Argento. The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is my favorite of his Animal trilogy. And regarding the Argento appeal, I'd argue that since many find his overtly surreal pictures more entertaining, I'd say that Deep Red and Suspiria are the two purest representations of his different modes as a filmmaker. The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is probably the most straight picture he has made, so it isn't really the most indicative of his icon status.

Pop Trash

07-15-2009, 02:01 AM

how is Blue Velvet perceived around here?

Not counting the "Twin Peaks" series, it's my favorite Lynch. It's definitely one of those movies that got me into movies at a younger age (I was probably too young to be watching such a film but I had lenient parents)

Its held up well though. I've probably watched it at least half a dozen times since then.

Rowland

07-15-2009, 02:09 AM

I personally do not care for it too much, though there's a lot to admire. http://ijustknowit.blogspot.com/2009/01/sonatineblue-velvet.htmlYou get at something here that I feel may reflect my own reaction, being that it really feels like he isn't going all the way at some points when it seems he should be. Understanding the nature of commercial demands, assuming he had them in mind, I almost feel as though he made a conscious attempt to adhere to a more tightly wound narrative while sacrificing some degree of the meditative sensibilities and formal expressionism that mark his most undiluted work. Mind you, this is hardly middlebrow Oscar bait here, but it still has the subtle air of a compromised vision, or at least one lacking in ambition.

Nevertheless, all that said, it's still a fantastic, consistently gripping picture; I just find its status slightly disproportionate to its quality.

Derek

07-15-2009, 02:11 AM

As for who has seen Lake Tahoe, I believe I saw it progress through Derek's signature awhile back, and I wanna say he gave it a mediocre score, which disappointed me.

Saw it and liked it a good deal. It has the same understated tone and dry humor as Duck Season with an added tinge of melancholy and an interesting use of flat space and repetition. I think it's a step forward from his debut, but I'll have to see it again to determine how big that step is.

Rowland

07-15-2009, 02:25 AM

It's one of my favorites. The "In Dreams" scene stands out as one of the greatest things ever: a profound mixture of absurdity and melancholy, ideality and kitsch. I never wrote anything like a review of the movie as a whole, but here are some thoughts on its themes: http://www.match-cut.org/showthread.php?p=166766#post16 6766Your thoughts regarding the robin just about reflect my own. Consider also how Sandy shares her dream with Jeffery rather pointedly in front of a church, which Lynch emphasizes with subtle organ accompaniment and by lingering on the church as they drive off.

Also, interesting thoughts regarding the thematic relevance of the logging town. I just took it as a heightened representation of your typical, clean-cut midwest town, played for maximum camp value.

Milky Joe

07-15-2009, 02:35 AM

The L. of Lost Highway, M.D., and even Eraserhead, would have been able to carry this nightmare through, but the way the rest of the scene is cut, with a prostitute dancing on a car to Roy Orbison and H.'s goons doing a bit of silly-looking knockabout shuffling, the dreaming ends and the yawning begins. I attribute this inability to handle the material to L.'s burgeoning commercial art.

You're criticizing the film for something it isn't trying to be. This film is not about to show you the nightmare right out, it only wants to hint at it, before returning to the farce it's trying to explode. Cutting away to the hokey artifice you mention before anything truly horrible happens is a gloriously Lynchian way of making its point, which it does in pretty much every scene I think. It isn't at all an "inability to handle the material," it IS handling the material.

balmakboor

07-15-2009, 02:43 AM

I saw Jeanne Dielman when I was in college back around '82 or so. It is still the record holder for most walk-outs of any movie I've seen. I loved it though and it has really stayed with me. The only theater experience from that time period that had a similarly strong impact was Berlin Alexanderplatz. Finally re-watching that on DVD last year was a strong reminder that one forgets a lot in over 25 years. I'm really looking forward to re-visiting Dielman. Criterion rocks!

Rowland

07-15-2009, 02:45 AM

Amnesiac

07-15-2009, 02:51 AM

I recommend this:

http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/948/w468m552196121.jpg

So, I ended up watching this tonight. Not nearly as engrossing as The Thin Blue Line due to a definite change of tone and pace. This one seemed more in line with Gates of Heaven... myriad ramblings, some that are oddly poignant, some that are oddly absurd, and some that are just downright confusing or insensible. Is Morris ridiculing these people? Does he pity them? Or is he, like me, just irresistibly fascinated by their eccentricities? Or is it that this tapestry of routine existences is holding some touching and profound truth that Morris is quietly pointing us toward?

I liked how most of these people seemed so oddly serene. They all seem to have found a certain raison d'etre, even if they don't quite realize what it. However eccentric they may be, however odd their hobbies or habits, they all seem so incredibly satisfied and without want. They possess an ability to drone on and on, ad infinitum, still fascinated by the world, still unsure of it. Never jaded, most of these people seem eager to share some curious trinket of information or work through some undeveloped train of thought. The turkey hunter has to be one of the strangest in the film, and yet he's always oddly captivating, if only because he has wholeheartedly embraced a vocation that might seem banal and utterly vacuous and yet it gives him a profound sense of joy. It's the most important thing in the world to him, it seems. Simple lives, simple pleasures, simple wonderings, and simple contentment... all of these people, however bombastic or spacey, seem so decidedly untroubled.

Others, like the old man who claims that no one really knows what to look for when inspecting a diamond (not even a jeweler), seem resign into comfortable uncertainty. A shrug of the shoulders, and life goes on. Again, contentment. And all the while, you have that fantastic and ingratiating candor that Morris is always able to pry out of his subjects. They all share an insatiable desire to share, to talk, to communicate... perhaps this stems from a certain loneliness, or perhaps it comes from an unshakeable conviction that what they are saying is of the utmost and unequivocal value. It matters to them, so why shouldn't it matter to us?

It's the little things that are write large here as a result of the simple gesture of Morris' taciturn 'interview' strategy. A man shows off his unique ability to multi-task or a couple shares the wonder of 'growing' sand. These sort of things are suddenly made both tragic and compelling, both hilarious and authentic by the mere fact of having being recorded onto film.

Maybe I'll watch Fog Of War next.

Winston*

07-15-2009, 02:57 AM

I'd also recommend Mr. Death, Amnesiac.

Sven

07-15-2009, 03:01 AM

You're criticizing the film for something it isn't trying to be.

Hmmm... I don't think so. Criticizing it for not having enough 'splosions... that would be doing what you say. I'm just responding to the text on its own terms, and its own terms tell me it wants to be a bit of a nightmare. And I'm saying that it's not very good at that.

before returning to the farce it's trying to explode.

I do not understand this.

Cutting away to the hokey artifice you mention before anything truly horrible happens is a gloriously Lynchian way of making its point, which it does in pretty much every scene I think. It isn't at all an "inability to handle the material," it IS handling the material.

I want to agree, but on the sheer pictographic strength of his three earlier films, Eraserhead, Dune, and The Elephant Man, all of which I would argue are potent examples of Lynch constructing (or attempting to, anyway) a unified vision, I don't think I can. If the fissure is intended, I think it's weak compared to what I perceive as Lynch's MO. When he explores deliberate contrast in oppositional social structures, esp. in Twin Peaks, Lost Highway, Wild at Heart, and Mulholland Drive, it never feels quite so limp as it does here. And if that's the point, well, all I can say is that he has perfected his point to make it more interesting.

Edited for slightly more clarity.

Melville

07-15-2009, 03:13 AM

I second Winston's recommendation of Mr. Death. Great movie.

What to make of the pull-in/outs of ears, the first into the severed ear and the second out of Jeffery's ear following his final encounter with Frank? Is it an "into the rabbit hole" motif or does it perhaps suggest something more?
Seems like an "into the rabbit hole" thing. However, I think the choice of an organic object (and a severed one at that) for the rabbit hole works especially well with the film's aesthetic and themes of artificiality/ideals/norms and physicality/reality/deviance.

What do you think of the "He put his disease in me" line? It's always struck me as powerful and mysterious, despite how easily it fits into the basic themes.

Russ

07-15-2009, 03:17 AM

So, I ended up watching this tonight.

Glad you enjoyed it. So many of the interviews proved that Morris has an uncanny knack for catching lighning in a bottle. One of my favorites is when Morris shows the irony of a rather spry 93 year-old rambling on about his pet gopher (it's really a turtle) having "a motor that's slow-paced."

The turkey hunter is tremendous, too, for the reasons you mention. The residents of Vernon really opened up on-camera, and you definitely sense that the feeling was mutual: Morris seemed to develop genuine affection for his subjects who reciprocated with warmth, humor and heart.

Fun factoid: "Originally titled Nub City, this follow-up to Gates of Heaven was initially focused on residents of the Southern town who cut off their own limbs as a way to collect insurance money. After Morris' life was threatened by the subjects of the film, he re-worked Nub City into Vernon, Florida."

Milky Joe

07-15-2009, 03:22 AM

Hmmm... I don't think so. Criticizing it for not having enough 'splosions... that would be doing what you say.

But that's pretty much what you're doing, except instead of "'splosions" it's "crazy shit."

I do not understand this.

The suburban illusion Melville talks about in his post. Explode was the wrong word to use, really.

If the fissure is intended, I think it's weak compared to what I perceive as Lynch's MO. When he explores deliberate contrast in oppositional social structures, esp. in Twin Peaks, Lost Highway, Wild at Heart, and Mulholland Drive, it never feels quite so limp as it does here. And if that's the point, well, all I can say is that he has perfected his point to make it more interesting.

Well, all I can say is that I disagree with you about it feeling limp. I think it's positively electrifying, in an awful subtle way. I felt the same way you did the first time I saw it, but was positively blown away on a second viewing a couple years later, after I'd really fallen for Lynch.

Rowland

07-15-2009, 03:25 AM

What do you think of the "He put his disease in me" line? It's always struck me as powerful and mysterious, despite how easily it fits into the basic themes.Well, I just took the disease as his penis/semen, perhaps signifying her debased perception of sexuality and how closely Jeffery had been tempted by Frank's world before Sandy had rescued him, forcing him to confront that world one last time and destroy its attendant father figure. Perhaps I read it too literally, so I'm interested in how you relate it to your thematic reading of the picture.

And what was with the "Do it for Van Gogh" line?

Sven

07-15-2009, 03:26 AM

But that's pretty much what you're doing, except instead of "'splosions" it's "crazy shit."

You are totally misreading me. I never suggested it have more of anything. I said I wish it were "more of a nightmare," but that is absolutely different than "more crazy shit plz."

Well, all I can say is that I disagree with you about it feeling limp. I think it's positively electrifying, in an awful subtle way. I felt the same way you did the first time I saw it, but was positively blown away on a second viewing a couple years later, after I'd really fallen for Lynch.

I wish I could say the same, I really do. I like Lynch a lot, but I've watched this film about four or five times now and it gets weaker each time.

soitgoes...

07-15-2009, 03:59 AM

Saw it and liked it a good deal. It has the same understated tone and dry humor as Duck Season with an added tinge of melancholy and an interesting use of flat space and repetition. I think it's a step forward from his debut, but I'll have to see it again to determine how big that step is.
Haha. On well. At least I remember you had seen it, so at least I'm half paying attention to what you watch. :) My disappointment must've stemmed from something else.

transmogrifier

07-15-2009, 04:10 AM

Blue Velvet is probably Lynch's fifth best film, after Mulholland Dr, Lost Highway, The Elephant Man and The Straight Story.

Sycophant

07-15-2009, 04:15 AM

Oh, my. The Thin Man was fun.

BuffaloWilder

07-15-2009, 04:22 AM

http://coheda.typepad.com/israel/WindowsLiveWriter/RockbandsStartupsKeySuccessFac tors_1355B/film01[4].jpg

Good movie.

Pop Trash

07-15-2009, 04:29 AM

http://coheda.typepad.com/israel/WindowsLiveWriter/RockbandsStartupsKeySuccessFac tors_1355B/film01[4].jpg

Good movie.

REP! :cool:

Thanks for reminding me I need to buy this.

BuffaloWilder

07-15-2009, 04:33 AM

REP! :cool:

Thanks for reminding me I need to buy this.

"Surfwise" is also good. :cool:

Winston*

07-15-2009, 04:35 AM

Maybe this is a stupid question, but should I be watching Bergman's Faith trilogy in chronological order like Three Colours or does it not matter?

Spinal

07-15-2009, 04:38 AM

Maybe this is a stupid question, but should I be watching Bergman's Faith trilogy in chronological order like Three Colours or does it not matter?

It probably doesn't matter.

ledfloyd

07-15-2009, 04:42 AM

Oh, my. The Thin Man was fun.
indeed. After the Thin Man is almost as much fun, after that they start to run downhill.

Winston*

07-15-2009, 04:44 AM

It probably doesn't matter.

Probably? I need definites, Spinal.

B-side

07-15-2009, 04:50 AM

Probably? I need definites, Spinal.

It doesn't matter.

Spinal

07-15-2009, 04:57 AM

Probably? I need definites, Spinal.

It definitely doesn't matter.

Because life is meaningless.

See, you went and made me spoil the films for you.

BuffaloWilder

07-15-2009, 05:21 AM

So, what's the general consensus 'round here on Australian critic Stephen Rowley and his site, Cinephobia?

Sycophant

07-15-2009, 05:27 AM

indeed. After the Thin Man is almost as much fun, after that they start to run downhill.Oh, excellent. For some reason, I thought all the sequels were generally considered kind of bad. I'll queue up After.

Qrazy

07-15-2009, 06:17 AM

I just watched The Thin Blue Line for the first time. Pretty haunting and engrossing... the candor of the interviewees was kind of fascinating. And there's that peculiarity of style, that kind of eerie and elegiac tone that can also be found in Gates Of Heaven that has led me to view Morris' documentaries as being somehow strange. A style that is never bland or prosaic... never sensationalistic or excessively visceral... but bizarrely captivating in its plaintive and taciturn nature. There is, of course, a level of excitement and intrigue, as one would expect there to be considering TTBL's subject matter, but there's also this disturbing self-effacement before the mystery of human beings and their skilled propensity for cruelty, their efficiency when it comes to creating (and becoming ensnared within) systems that only serve moral atrophy and dispassionate self-preservation...

I should definitely see more of his work. I'm not sure which I'll watch next, though.

A Brief History of Time is interesting, not exceptional. The Fog of War is excellent and I'm a huge fan (bigger than most on the boards it seems) of Fast, Cheap and Out of Control.

Qrazy

07-15-2009, 06:35 AM

Qrazy

07-15-2009, 06:45 AM

What to make of the pull-in/outs of ears, the first into the severed ear and the second out of Jeffery's ear following his final encounter with Frank? Is it an "into the rabbit hole" motif or does it perhaps suggest something more?

It's that... it's also the look closer American Beauty tagline... except it's Listen Closer and it came before that film... once Jeff hears/sees/experiences the nightmare behind the dream the camera pulls out of his own ear as if to say WTF!?? Also, Lynch likes to make Kyle Machlachan complicit/corruptible... It's happening again, it's happening again! Furthermore it's a severed ear which is doing the listening (cue La Dolce Vita dead fish eyeball) which has it's own interesting connotations.

BuffaloWilder

07-15-2009, 06:48 AM

Qrazy

07-15-2009, 06:52 AM

Well, I just took the disease as his penis/semen, perhaps signifying her debased perception of sexuality and how closely Jeffery had been tempted by Frank's world before Sandy had rescued him, forcing him to confront that world one last time and destroy its attendant father figure. Perhaps I read it too literally, so I'm interested in how you relate it to your thematic reading of the picture.

And what was with the "Do it for Van Gogh" line?

Extended concretely: STD? Pregnancy?

Extended metaphorically: His unhappiness, psychosis, disgust for life... thoughts, feelings, attitudes... transmitted, infectious.

Qrazy

07-15-2009, 06:58 AM

Finally managed to get through A Scanner Darkly, just earlier. I fell asleep halfway through, the first time. Not because of the movie itself, but because I'd just gulped down two Melatonin pills with a glass of warm milk.

Interesting, although aside from three or four instances and the 'suit' itself, there doesn't seem to be much reason for the rotoscoping aside from creating a general atmosphere. This could be a live-action film, and there'd be no real difference.

Hrm... don't agree, I think there would be a fairly major difference. Aside from specific overt instances (bugs, suit, etc) of animation, the animation in general creates a unique and distinct atmosphere which I feel would be lost if the film were shot normally. Although it would be very interesting to see the original footage minus the rotoscoping in order to compare... DVD extra?

Rowland

07-15-2009, 07:04 AM

Extended concretely: STD? Pregnancy?

Extended metaphorically: His unhappiness, psychosis, disgust for life...Thing is, I didn't sense anything in the picture suggesting that such interpretations are valid extrapolations of the material.

BuffaloWilder

07-15-2009, 07:09 AM

Hrm... don't agree, I think there would be a fairly major difference. Aside from specific overt instances (bugs, suit, etc) of animation, the animation in general creates a unique and distinct atmosphere which I feel would be lost if the film were shot normally. Although it would be very interesting to see the original footage minus the rotoscoping in order to compare... DVD extra?

It goes on the long, long list of DVD's that should be released, but never will be.

Qrazy

07-15-2009, 07:16 AM

Thing is, I didn't sense anything in the picture suggesting that such interpretations are valid extrapolations of the material.

I don't remember if there's any evidence for STDs or pregnancy but I think there's plenty of evidence for her perceived infectiousness of his psychosis... the way she deteriorates as the film progresses coupled with the way she treats sexuality in general as a result of his ugly form of sexual expression.

After refreshing my memory via google there isn't much evidence for STDs or pregnancy... except STDs as they relate to foreign contaminants in general and the semen seems to be viewed as such. Ejaculate is perceived by Dorothy as the physical manifestation of male dominance and depravity but also as an extension of the individual... some diseases (Kyle's) are good.

Winston*

07-15-2009, 07:16 AM

I'm a huge fan (bigger than most on the boards it seems) of Fast, Cheap and Out of Control.

Man, totally slipped my mind, that one might actually be his best.

Rowland

07-15-2009, 07:25 AM

Hmm, I watched Lodge Kerrigan's Clean, Shaven tonight, but I've decided not to rate it, because I don't feel that I gave the film a fair shake, since I had to watch it with the audio fairly low, which proved to be a major disservice for a picture that wound up being so reliant on its sound mix, and I was so tired that my eyes were involuntarily drooping for most of the running time. Credit where it's due for a committed lead performance, brazenly experimental formal techniques, and an engrossing approach to its minimalist story through fractured storytelling.

Still, I'm not a big fan of what I saw in terms of material and intent, which is disappointing because I admired the director's Keane so much, and also baffling because it was praised almost across the board, largely for its immersiveness it seems, which I'm afraid my circumstances may have prevented me from experiencing. Nevertheless, it was also praised by many for an ostensible empathy towards its schizophrenic protagonist as well as for subverting viewer expectations, when the former came across as almost exploitative to me while the latter played like bullying in its facile guilt-tripping, contrary to what appears to be every review for the film in existence. Maybe I simply wasn't in the right state of mind, being half-asleep and all.

Damn, I wish I could watch every film in a theater.

Qrazy

07-15-2009, 07:27 AM

I agree with your lukecool thoughts minus the desire to see it again in better conditions.

Qrazy

07-15-2009, 07:38 AM

Love Streams - WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU? WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU? The last 30 minutes of this film were hilarious. I put this one off for so long because someone told me that this was the worst Cassavetes they'd seen and a bad film. It is neither. It's a little too meandering for it's own good and it never fully congeals but there is so much fantastic to be had that it doesn't matter that much. Balletic heart broken dream sequences. Drunk Cassavetes berating his estranged son. The purchase of a small petting zoo. What have I learned? Life is a series of suicides.

I need to get on Gloria ASAP.

B-side

07-15-2009, 07:42 AM

Love Streams is my least favorite Cassavetes so far, but it has its moments. Nowhere near as resonant as his best stuff.

Qrazy

07-15-2009, 07:46 AM

Love Streams is my least favorite Cassavetes so far, but it has its moments. Nowhere near as resonant as his best stuff.

Far from his best but still a good film and better than many of my monthly viewings.

Rowland

07-15-2009, 07:46 AM

I agree with your lukecool thoughts minus the desire to see it again in better conditions.Yeah, I want to go with my gut, but it really strikes me as the sort of picture I may have enjoyed more had I watched it in better circumstances, where its subjective expressionism and fragmented rhythms may have held more sway over me, which may have also changed how I responded to the material. Or not. :frustrated:

Boner M

07-15-2009, 07:46 AM

Qrazy

07-15-2009, 07:50 AM

Two days later you will get spasms in your sleep warning you of the utter devastating brilliance of this film. Then you'll go for a glass of water and see the silhouette of an old naked man sitting on a chair in your living room.

That was the former owner of the dog right?

Boner M

07-15-2009, 07:53 AM

That was the former owner of the dog right?
If you want it to be.

Qrazy

07-15-2009, 08:12 AM

If you want it to be.

Ah k I rewatched the scene on youtube, it's not the former owner of the dog. Either way, that scene is amazing.

balmakboor

07-15-2009, 12:25 PM

Raiders

07-15-2009, 01:24 PM

I need to get on Gloria ASAP.

I didn't care too much for this one. I especially couldn't stand Rowlands actually and her own brand of Bale's Batman-voice. It's a bit of a goofy, corny movie.

Eleven

07-15-2009, 02:31 PM

As a lapsed Catholic, I had a perverse interest in seeing the US Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office for Film and Broadcasting top tens lists since 1965 (http://www.nccbuscc.org/movies/topten/topten.shtml). And to my surprise, at least early on, their taste is quite...um...catholic. Fellini, Cassavetes, Pasolini, Bonnie and Clyde, The War Game, and Bunuel (!) all get mentions in that first decade of lists, alongside the obvious heartwarming stuff.

The lists get worse the more recent you look, and I haven't checked out their actual reviews, but generally decent choices.

thefourthwall

07-15-2009, 03:49 PM

You put Tod Browning's Dracula in the high eighties. I must know why.

While I'd hardly consider 82 "high", I gave it a higher rating than it might have gotten because of it's place in Dracula lore. It seems responsible for some of the widely perpetuated myths about vampires (prior to the recent explosion of vampire fiction in which much lore is being tinkered with) that did not come from Stoker's book.

Mysterious Dude

07-15-2009, 03:55 PM

I think I like Browning's film a little better than Stoker's book, mostly because I find Bela Lugosi more interesting and charismatic than his character in the book.

Dead & Messed Up

07-15-2009, 04:02 PM

thefourthwall

07-15-2009, 04:15 PM

Good to hear since Freaks should be arriving today. I think I found the story to Browning's a bit weird. I thought that changing Harker for Renfield as the lawyer that goes to Trannsylvania an interesting twist, but the fact that the story was so focused and the asylum, and that Dracula kept dropping by and chatting seemed weird. Part of the terror of the book for me is his being exposed to the teeming urban masses of London, which we didn't really see.

Spinal

07-15-2009, 05:26 PM

What do people here think of William Klein? I started watching Who are you, Polly Maggoo? the other day and found it boring and almost irritating. It was one of very few movies in my life that I didn't even finish. Did I miss something? Did I start with the wrong Klein movie?

I liked the first scene, but then I also stopped watching midway through and returned it to the library. Wasn't awful. I just didn't really care to spend any more time with it. I have The Model Couple out now. Might give it a try sometime soon.

Grouchy

07-15-2009, 07:29 PM

Aside from Lugosi, I think Dracula is by far the worst of the early Universal classics. Like DaMU says, way too stagey and talkative.

BuffaloWilder

07-15-2009, 07:29 PM

I think you're all going to really enjoy this thing I have, coming up.

If you don't like filmmaking commentary, there will be boobs. Just to get your asses in the seat.

Qrazy

07-15-2009, 08:32 PM

I didn't care too much for this one. I especially couldn't stand Rowlands actually and her own brand of Bale's Batman-voice. It's a bit of a goofy, corny movie.

Bummer, still I anticipate it's better than his Hollywood films, no?

chrisnu

07-16-2009, 01:21 AM

MadMan

07-16-2009, 02:12 AM

I found Browning's film depressingly uncinematic, incapable of escaping its stage origins. Lugosi's performance is justifiably famous, but there's little else to recommend the film.My thoughts are quite similar to this. I have friends who keep trying to beat me over the head with the "Look at its historical importance to film," but that doesn't excuse its short comings.

Amnesiac

07-16-2009, 02:23 AM

Criterion DVDs are 50% off at Barnes & Noble (http://video.barnesandnoble.com/u/DVD-The-Criterion-Collection-of-Special-Edition-DVDs/379000756/?cds2Pid=16641).

Melville

07-16-2009, 02:40 AM

Criterion DVDs are 50% off at Barnes & Noble (http://video.barnesandnoble.com/u/DVD-The-Criterion-Collection-of-Special-Edition-DVDs/379000756/?cds2Pid=16641).
Damn. I wish I hadn't just bought a bunch of those DVDs in Amazon's Canada Day sale.

Sycophant

07-16-2009, 02:45 AM

Damn. I wish I hadn't just bought a bunch of those DVDs in Amazon's Canada Day sale.

There are times, man, when your avatar just works so well.

BuffaloWilder

07-16-2009, 03:29 AM

There are still people bitching about Scorsese's Last Temptation. Some twenty-six years later.

Let it go, man.

Dead & Messed Up

07-16-2009, 03:38 AM

My thoughts are quite similar to this. I have friends who keep trying to beat me over the head with the "Look at its historical importance to film," but that doesn't excuse its short comings.

Its only (ONLY) contribution to cinema is Lugosi's performance as the Count. James Whale's pictures from that time are so superior that it's ridiculous. They have a better look, better acting, better pacing, and, thank God, a sly sense of humor.

Also, there's little of the sympathy or interest to match the other Universal monsters like Frankenstein's monster, the Wolf Man, or the Creature. Oddly, The Mummy is a pretty blatant attempt at stealing Dracula's story, and even that film is superior.

BuffaloWilder

07-16-2009, 03:50 AM

Browning's Dracula really doesn't have much going for it beside the three central players - Lugosi, Sloan and Frye. The first, say, fifteen minutes are atmospheric and evocative, but after that London title-card comes up, it just becomes long, grey and monotonous. Also, I'm still a little confused as to who thought that a drawing-room mystery play that takes place primarily in one room would make for involving cinema.

Whale's adaptation fairs far better. And, so does the Spanish language version of Dracula, from the same year.

Spun Lepton

07-16-2009, 03:54 AM

I'm glad I'm not the only one who found Browning's Dracula boring. I was never able to put my finger on it, but "stagey" does seem like the right word. Less like a film and more like a play in front of a camera.

Freaks, on the other hand, was wonderfully disturbing. Even to this day. That final image (you know the one) is still kind of shocking.

The Mike

07-16-2009, 04:25 AM

Anyone who thinks the stagedness of Dracula is an issue should check out the Browning/Lugosi follow-up Mark of the Vampire, if only for the ending.

I agree with most of what's been said 'bout that one, BTW. Lugosi's just so damn perfect, I give it slack.

Dead & Messed Up

07-16-2009, 04:27 AM

Freaks, on the other hand, was wonderfully disturbing. Even to this day. That final image (you know the one) is still kind of shocking.

Browning was going to have the strongman singing falsetto, implying a castration. I think he should've kept it in, if only because I'm evil.

Sycophant

07-16-2009, 05:07 AM

I can't say that I think Max Payne "was" cinema, but it was more interesting than I ever would've guessed it to be.

Winston*

07-16-2009, 05:41 AM

In The Truman Show, do they ever address the fact that Laura Linney's character is a prostitute?

Sven

07-16-2009, 07:23 AM

In The Truman Show, do they ever address the fact that Laura Linney's character is a prostitute?

This is one of my favorite films, and the best defense I can make for the silence on the subject is that it is a potent, festering elephant-in-the-room. I mean, it's just too obvious, and to make a big deal of it would deflect the picture's thematic trajectory. Leaving it unspoken, I think, is an interesting and ironically strong way of addressing it.

Sven

07-16-2009, 07:23 AM

I can't say that I think Max Payne "was" cinema, but it was more interesting than I ever would've guessed it to be.

This was all I was hoping for.

Qrazy

07-16-2009, 07:28 AM

So um... I watched fifty movies this month. I think it's time to start reading more frequently again.

Qrazy

07-16-2009, 07:30 AM

I agree that it is too meandering, but the brother-sister interaction becomes brutal. So uncomfortable you want to cover your ears and close your eyes. I haven't seen many movies that "get" that sibling relationship quite like that.

Agreed. To be honest I thought she was his first ex-wife for a while before the reveal. I'm not sure if Cassavetes wanted me to think this or not but either way the fact that he waited so long to state their relationship explicitly worked very well.

Qrazy

07-16-2009, 07:31 AM

There are still people bitching about Scorsese's Last Temptation. Some twenty-six years later.

Let it go, man.

I bet on average the people who bitch about Last Temptation would not get along well with the people who bitch about The Passion of the Christ.

Qrazy

07-16-2009, 07:32 AM

This is one of my favorite films, and the best defense I can make for the silence on the subject is that it is a potent, festering elephant-in-the-room. I mean, it's just too obvious, and to make a big deal of it would deflect the picture's thematic trajectory. Leaving it unspoken, I think, is an interesting and ironically strong way of addressing it.

I saw this one in theaters before I was into film or knew who Peter Weir was... such a great viewing. It's definitely time for a rewatch. I also have The Cars that Ate Paris thanks to your top 100, need to get on that sometime soon.

Sven

07-16-2009, 07:35 AM

I saw this one in theaters before I was into film or knew who Peter Weir was... such a great viewing. It's definitely time for a rewatch. I also have The Cars that Ate Paris thanks to your top 100, need to get on that sometime soon.

Rewatching Cars, it wouldn't've made my top 100 again, but I do quite like it a lot. The Last Wave, though, on a rewatch, would shoot right up the list.

Qrazy

07-16-2009, 07:45 AM

Rewatching Cars, it wouldn't've made my top 100 again, but I do quite like it a lot. The Last Wave, though, on a rewatch, would shoot right up the list.

I liked that one a fair bit. Picnic, TYOLD and Gallipoli are tops for me.

Sven

07-16-2009, 08:01 AM

I liked that one a fair bit. Picnic, TYOLD and Gallipoli are tops for me.

The latter two are untouchably great (Gallipoli is in my top 100), and I like Picnic a lot. Problem with Picnic is that chubby girl. So shrill. So annoying. "Miranda! MIRANDA!!" Also, Zamphir's pan flute stuff gets weaker and weaker as the film goes along.

Qrazy

07-16-2009, 08:37 AM

The latter two are untouchably great (Gallipoli is in my top 100), and I like Picnic a lot. Problem with Picnic is that chubby girl. So shrill. So annoying. "Miranda! MIRANDA!!" Also, Zamphir's pan flute stuff gets weaker and weaker as the film goes along.

I kind of agree. I'd say it's the weakest of those three. Heck upon a rewatch I might even prefer The Truman Show to it.

transmogrifier

07-16-2009, 08:59 AM

So um... I watched fifty movies this month. I think it's time to start reading more frequently again.

Agreed. To be honest I thought she was his first ex-wife for a while before the reveal. I'm not sure if Cassavetes wanted me to think this or not but either way the fact that he waited so long to state their relationship explicitly worked very well.

I bet on average the people who bitch about Last Temptation would not get along well with the people who bitch about The Passion of the Christ.

I saw this one in theaters before I was into film or knew who Peter Weir was... such a great viewing. It's definitely time for a rewatch. I also have The Cars that Ate Paris thanks to your top 100, need to get on that sometime soon.

I liked that one a fair bit. Picnic, TYOLD and Gallipoli are tops for me.

I kind of agree. I'd say it's the weakest of those three. Heck upon a rewatch I might even prefer The Truman Show to it.

Seems like you've found something better to do. :)

Qrazy

07-16-2009, 09:30 AM

Seems like you've found something better to do. :)

Reading more over watching so many films. Still leaves lots of room for conversation. But yeah too many movies on the brain in general probably.

B-side

07-16-2009, 10:21 AM

Anyone seen the Russian animated movie, Tale of Tales? It's pretty neat.

lovejuice

07-16-2009, 10:52 AM

Anyone seen the Russian animated movie, Tale of Tales? It's pretty neat.
yes! i have a friend who studies animation, and she always shares with me all these foreign animation dvds from the library.

B-side

07-16-2009, 11:50 AM

yes! i have a friend who studies animation, and she always shares with me all these foreign animation dvds from the library.

Pretty cool stuff. I think I read it as a WWII parable of sorts. Regardless, very cool, unique style.

Boner M

07-16-2009, 11:59 AM

w/e

Angel Face (Preminger)
Pather Panchali (Ray)
Pigs and Battleships (Imamura)

B-side

07-16-2009, 12:05 PM

w/e

Pather Panchali (Ray)

First Ray?

Boner M

07-16-2009, 12:11 PM

First Ray?
Third, after Mahanagar (loved) and The Music Room (pretty good).

B-side

07-16-2009, 12:25 PM

Third, after Mahanagar (loved) and The Music Room (pretty good).

Ah. OK. I have Days and Nights in the Forest on my computer. It'll be my first from him.

B-side

07-16-2009, 12:29 PM

As for my weekend, it's a minute-by-minute thing, but these are a few I'm hoping to get to:

See the Sea (Ozon)
Inn of Evil (Kobayashi)
Floating Clouds (Naruse)
Days and Nights in the Forest (S. Ray)

Raiders

07-16-2009, 01:20 PM

Weekend:

The Hurt Locker
Moon
L'Intrus

Sycophant

07-16-2009, 03:10 PM

Weekend:
Whatever Works
Moon
The Stranger (Welles)
Mr. 3000
After the Thin Man

B-side

07-16-2009, 04:25 PM

I must pose a question, match-cut:

How does one rate a film like A Woman Under the Influence when it seems it's so largely concerned with being suffocating and uncomfortable?

I've seen this movie before, and I was blown away by its madness and emotional impact. 2nd time around, I feel less impressed emotionally, but more impressed thematically. I've discovered ideas and layers that I wasn't privy to before. Certain glances had a new impact on me. I discovered what I think is the film's sense of humor. I've discovered what seems to be Cassavetes' idealist post-racist(different from post-racial) play. I've identified the camera as a sort of provocateur. Intruding its way into personal spaces and becoming an unwelcome participant in absolute turmoil. I've identified some areas that bordered on didactic that I didn't much care for. Those areas don't seem particularly prominent or important in the scope of things. The film so wonderfully renders every single instance of social pretense as being horribly trying and awkward. This is not a space you wanna inhabit, but somehow, beneath the "performances" and in the midst of the constant barrage of madness, there's a chemistry between Mabel and Nick. They understand each other. They're both equally crazy in their own ways. Nick with his temper, Mabel with her incessant desire to please and her wild, strange gestures. Just as often as Mabel is oppressed by the daily routine expected of a housewife, she is oppressed by what she perceives as being expected of her, as well as the people who are constantly coming in and out of her life in one way or another.

Every meeting, every individual scenario is a tragedy. Everything has to be just right, or Nick himself is gonna flip out before Mabel even has the chance to. Nick is under just as much pressure as Mabel, but obviously for very different reasons. He tries to keep everything in order. He wants to temper reactions and keep Mabel as Mabel, but also as acceptable to others. It's an impossible balance. I found myself kind of disoriented in the midst of all the yelling and characters doing idiosyncratic things, but I understand this is part of Cassavetes' auteurism. He's constantly questioning the way in which people are expected to act. He recognizes we are not who we were yesterday or last year. We are constantly changing, and he exaggerates this by having his characters act in ways they might not be expected to. Characters get angry for seemingly no reason, or for reasons we might not deem worthy of such hostility. Mabel makes weird gestures that Nick attempts to identify and analyze. Nick gets frustrated when he can't maintain his house. Everyone is trying their best to be happy. Nick urges Mabel to be herself and for everyone at the party to behave normally, but they can't help but try to avoid saying or doing the wrong thing to set off Mabel. Here's Mabel. Everyone, quick -- to your places! Oh wait, no. Can't have this many people. Too much pressure. Too many glaring faces anticipating a breakdown. Perhaps there's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy in that Mabel and Nick can't function without the chaos they seem to be trying to avoid. But can we see them as being with anyone else?

Qrazy

07-16-2009, 04:49 PM

Anyone seen the Russian animated movie, Tale of Tales? It's pretty neat.

Yep, I've seen all of Norstein's films. I should probably add him to my thread.

Qrazy

07-16-2009, 04:50 PM

As for my weekend, it's a minute-by-minute thing, but these are a few I'm hoping to get to:

See the Sea (Ozon)
Inn of Evil (Kobayashi)
Floating Clouds (Naruse)
Days and Nights in the Forest (S. Ray)

Which other Kobayashi have you seen aside from Harakiri and Kwaidan?

B-side

07-16-2009, 04:53 PM

Which other Kobayashi have you seen aside from Harakiri and Kwaidan?

Samurai Rebellion. I'm waiting on the Criterions for The Human Condition trilogy.

Qrazy

07-16-2009, 04:54 PM

I must pose a question, match-cut:

How does one rate a film like A Woman Under the Influence

B- much like Breaking the Waves or Cries and Whispers I have no patience for the endless histrionics. They're both still pretty good (Cries and Woman more than Breaking) but I do not like that approach to filmmaking.

Qrazy

07-16-2009, 04:57 PM

Samurai Rebellion. I'm waiting on the Criterions for The Human Condition trilogy.

Fair.

B-side

07-16-2009, 04:58 PM

B- much like Breaking the Waves or Cries and Whispers I have no patience for the endless histrionics. They're both still pretty good (Cries and Woman more than Breaking) but I do not like that approach to filmmaking.

I love Breaking the Waves. Cries and Whispers a bit less so. Neither film strives for the same spontaneous madness that Cassavetes' film does, though.

Dead & Messed Up

07-16-2009, 05:12 PM

Weekend:
Hellbound: Hellraiser II
La Dolce Vita

Skitch

07-16-2009, 06:44 PM

What was the point of Revolutionary Road?

Qrazy

07-16-2009, 06:54 PM

What was the point of Revolutionary Road?

Shit happens.

Cult

07-16-2009, 07:06 PM

Weekend: (most likely, although I will have company and these don't seem like the most crowd pleasing picks)

Trouble Every Day
Happy Here and Now

Philosophe_rouge

07-16-2009, 07:28 PM

Weekend
The Horseman
Portrait of a Beauty
The Dead (Huston)
Chocolat (1988)

Eleven

07-16-2009, 08:04 PM

Weekend: (most likely, although I will have company and these don't seem like the most crowd pleasing picks)

Trouble Every Day
:cool:

Weekend
The Dead (Huston)

:cool:

Watashi

07-16-2009, 08:08 PM

I'm going to be embarking on a rather large and long project once school starts up.

I'm going to watching (and rewatching most) of every Criterion film in order of spine number. I expect this to take a year, but I will get it done.

Qrazy

07-16-2009, 08:14 PM

Including Laserdisc and Eclipse?

Many start that project, few if any finish it. It will probably take you 2 years if you only watch Criterion titles. I have 100 main collection titles left, 36 Eclipse and 66 Laserdiscs. I think I started the project off and on about five years ago.

Qrazy

07-16-2009, 08:16 PM

If you rewatch titles it will take you 3 years. There are over 480 main catalogue films alone.

Ivan Drago

07-16-2009, 08:17 PM

Weekend:

Me and You and Everyone We Know
Straw Dogs
El Topo (2nd)

Eleven

07-16-2009, 08:17 PM

Just the movies, or also extras?

Spinal

07-16-2009, 08:26 PM

If you rewatch titles it will take you 3 years. There are over 480 main catalogue films alone.

And by that time, who knows how many more they will have released. I can't imagine ever watching Armageddon again.

Raiders

07-16-2009, 08:31 PM

Some are OOP and not available through Netflix too, right? That'll make it even more difficult.

dreamdead

07-16-2009, 08:35 PM

On the bright side, I'll get to see Wats' thoughts on Salo. That could be entertaining. :lol:

I am in favor of this plan, and advocate for the project to get its own thread once it's started. These kinds of experiments are always fun to read, however long Wats can last.

Spinal

07-16-2009, 08:37 PM

I am going to be enjoying nature this weekend, so I will probably not be watching any movies. Possibly The Empire Strikes Back with my boy tonight. His first viewing.

Watashi

07-16-2009, 08:59 PM

No laserdiscs, just the regular Criterions.

I've seen almost every OOP Criterion anyway.

I'm not rewatching everything.

soitgoes...

07-16-2009, 09:12 PM

Weekend viewings?

L'ange (Bokanowski)
After the Rehearsal (Bergman)
Man with an Umbrella (Bergman)
The Downfall of Osen (Mizoguchi)
Raven's End (Widerberg)

Qrazy

07-16-2009, 09:15 PM

No laserdiscs, just the regular Criterions.

I've seen almost every OOP Criterion anyway.

I'm not rewatching everything.

How many do you have to see?

Watashi

07-16-2009, 09:17 PM

How many do you have to see?
A lot.

The Mike

07-16-2009, 10:10 PM

Weekend hopes:
Don't Look Now
Seance on a Wet Afternoon
Shuttle
Max Payne
The She-Beast

and hopefully one or both of the early Samuel Fuller flicks I haven't watched yet.

Oh, and Harry Potter. :|

Spun Lepton

07-16-2009, 10:18 PM

Netflix must think I'm schizophrenic.

On the way:

[REC]
Forgetting Sarah Marshall

and ...

La Dolce Vita

hehe...

balmakboor

07-17-2009, 12:07 AM

W/E

A Hole in My Heart
Crazy Love (1987)
Wanda

BuffaloWilder

07-17-2009, 12:50 AM

In two parts, with part two coming preettty soon, Sven and I talk about George Miller and his films.

Part one is up, just below.

Ezee E

07-17-2009, 02:42 AM

A lot of the Criterions are repeating spine numbers. Seven Samurai, Seventh Seal, etc.

I've never seen anyone actually complete it. Plus, you need to break those movies up a little with some lighter stuff in my opinion.

thefourthwall

07-17-2009, 04:07 AM

I watched Harold and Maude three days ago, and I have had Cat Stevens "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out" in my head constantly since then, amazingly it's still pleasant more than annoying. I liked that movie; Harold reminded me of Jason Schwartzman's Max in Rushmore, quirky and oh, so endearing.

Chac Mool

07-17-2009, 04:23 AM

Netflix must think I'm schizophrenic.

On the way:

[REC]
Forgetting Sarah Marshall

and ...

La Dolce Vita

hehe...

You're in for a good weekend.

Somewhat related to conversations on this page -- any opinions on Bergman's Face to Face?

Ezee E

07-17-2009, 04:34 AM

[REC]
Salo
The Hurt Locker

BuffaloWilder

07-17-2009, 05:19 AM

I'm wondering if I should try to make this a regular thing, with other filmmakers.

Hmmmmm, convince me one way or the other.

eternity

07-17-2009, 05:47 AM

baby doll

07-17-2009, 05:59 AM

Weekend:

Tomorrow I'm going to see The Hurt Locker and then Amarcord on the big screen. Suck it, bitches!

Qrazy

07-17-2009, 06:31 AM

A lot.

Quantify.

transmogrifier

07-17-2009, 06:35 AM

Kate Bosworth: the most boring actress to have ever graced the screen?

Discuss.

EDIT: Though now that I think about it, Kristen Bell could be a contender.

chrisnu

07-17-2009, 06:45 AM

Weekend:

The Hurt Locker
Last Year at Marienbad

Sven

07-17-2009, 09:54 AM

Harold reminded me of Jason Schwartzman's Max in Rushmore

So much neg rep. Harold is incredible. Max is a puke.

kuehnepips

07-17-2009, 10:27 AM

Weekend:
Lakeview Terrace
Amores Perros
Gran Torino

B-side

07-17-2009, 10:31 AM

So Adventureland wasn't bad. Boy, they marketed this film poorly. Definitely better than Superbad. It's a lot more somber than I'd anticipated. Naturally, it's still riddled with cliches, and it doesn't give you much time to absorb anything. There may have even been a half-hearted attempt at symbolism. Some of the characters are reduced to their quirks and little more, but it wasn't as troublesome as it could've been. Eisenberg was the highlight. Yes, he's still very much in the vain of any Michael Cera character, but he manages to actually be convincingly charming in his own way, rather than the way in which Cera's charm comes from feeling sorry for him, more or less. There's less in the way of juvenile nonsense and more of a focus on the central romance, which is nice. It's all a bit fleeting, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't genuinely moved by Stewart and Eisenberg's romantic adventure.

Skitch

07-17-2009, 10:48 AM

Weekend:
Lakeview Terrace
Amores Perros
Gran Torino

Lakeview Terrace is very not good.

kuehnepips

07-17-2009, 11:03 AM

Lakeview Terrace is very not good.

Damn.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance then.

Grouchy

07-17-2009, 11:31 AM

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hvFsyM4tV70/RbJLLy5sngI/AAAAAAAAABo/fH4fC7pwJSw/s320/seul+contre+tous.jpg

I Stand Alone is equally if not more impressive than Irreversible. There's a lot about the film that's incredible, from the central performance's nuances to the incredibly powerful voice-over, so it's a shame that a few details stand out as sucky and pretentious. Okay, two details:

1. Opening scene with the guys at the bar waving the gun around makes no fucking sense. Doesn't have any relevance to the story, what the main character in the scene is saying is a piss-poor thesis and that's not what the film is about at all. My girlfriend pointed out the bartender in this scene looked confused. I theorized he was not an actor but the actual bartender.

2. Title card: "You have 30 seconds to leave this screening - DANGER". Bah. I've seen shocking films before and they didn't feel the need to advertise themselves so blatantly. I can see how Noé thought this was a cute gimmick to unleash on a Cannes room filled with movie critics and shit, but I was watching this on DVD at home and I was aware it wasn't Disney. The title card actually worked against the film, because it makes you anticipate some soul-wrecking Cenobite Horror that actually doesn't deliver. What happens afterwards is more shocking morally than graphically.

But other than that, great movie. The comparisons with Taxi Driver are very apt. This is almost an update of that movie in that it shows the makings of a sociopath in a much more visually aggressive way than the '70s status quo might have allowed. The movie also has a very literary quality that the Scorsese movie, by having Travis Bickle as a much more articulate and poetic character, lacks. We get the picture of the butcher's non-life very bluntly through his own myopic and cynical point of view. Now I'm more hyped than ever for Enter the Void and, of course, I need to see Carne and most of the other Noé shorts. Although he hasn't made a single movie in his home country, this is my favorite living Argentine director.

Ezee E

07-17-2009, 12:45 PM

Kate Bosworth: the most boring actress to have ever graced the screen?

Discuss.

EDIT: Though now that I think about it, Kristen Bell could be a contender.

Definitely not. I'd give that to either Jennie Garth, the girl in Doomsday, or Jennifer Love-Hewitt (she's hot, but incredibly boring on screen).

Raiders

07-17-2009, 12:46 PM

Kate Bosworth: the most boring actress to have ever graced the screen?

Very possible.

EDIT: Though now that I think about it, Kristen Bell could be a contender.

Duuuuude. That's just... wrong. Like, neg rep worthy almost.

Ezee E

07-17-2009, 12:46 PM

Weekend:

Tomorrow I'm going to see The Hurt Locker and then Amarcord on the big screen. Suck it, bitches!
Amarcord is the only Fellini I've seen on the big screen. I'm not sure if that's why its my favorite Fellini.

transmogrifier

07-17-2009, 12:55 PM

My post re: the mehness of Bosworth was spurred by the news she has been cast in the Straw Dogs remake.

Kristin Bell I only know from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, where I hated every second she was on-screen - an enormous charisma vacuum - and the recent trailer for some upcoming frat boy romantic comedy with Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman and...other people. What has she done where she exhibits anything approaching a personality?

Grouchy

07-17-2009, 12:59 PM

Straw Dogs remake? Fuck the world.

What's the point? The story and characters aren't original. It's Peckinpah who made it work.

Raiders

07-17-2009, 01:03 PM

transmogrifier

07-17-2009, 01:06 PM

To even out the gender balance - my vote for the most boring young actors:

Shia LaBeouf
Zac Efron

transmogrifier

07-17-2009, 01:07 PM

Straw Dogs remake? Fuck the world.

What's the point? The story and characters aren't original. It's Peckinpah who made it work.

Directed by Rod Lurie and with James Marsden (who would be dangerously close to being one of the most boring actors himself if he didn't have a certain flair for comedy) in the Hoffman role.

transmogrifier

07-17-2009, 01:10 PM

Veronica Mars and to a lesser extent Heroes. Maybe her charisma is tied solely to TV series, but regardless the former is enough she should never be in a conversation such as this.

I've never seen those shows. Not sure that will ever change though, so I'll take your word for it and view her next movie with an open mind. Bosworth remains unchallenged.

B-side

07-17-2009, 01:24 PM

I find Greg Kinnear boring. I don't like his face. I really don't like James Marsden. Or Matthew Broderick. Christ, he is just not funny at all.

Eleven

07-17-2009, 01:32 PM

I'm pretty sure Josh Hartnett's middle name is legally "Charisma Void."

Ezee E

07-17-2009, 01:49 PM

I'm pretty sure Josh Hartnett's middle name is legally "Charisma Void."
This.

Stellan Skarsgaard is one of the main villains in the Straw Dogs remake, which is now about a screenwriter that goes to a Southern town.

Perhaps they just got two birds with one stone by remaking Southern Comfort as well.

Mara

07-17-2009, 02:02 PM

Directed by Rod Lurie and with James Marsden (who would be dangerously close to being one of the most boring actors himself if he didn't have a certain flair for comedy) in the Hoffman role.

For a minute, I thought you mean James Marsters, and I was about to go all fangirl on your butt.

Marsden is dull, but has a nice singing voice.

The Mike

07-17-2009, 02:24 PM

EDIT: Though now that I think about it, Kristen Bell could be a contender.

Yeah, that's the closest I've ever come to the Neg rep button. No one disses Veronica in my virtual house. :evil:

The Mike

07-17-2009, 02:26 PM

Stellan Skarsgaard is one of the main villains in the Straw Dogs remake, which is now about a screenwriter that goes to a Southern town.

Wrong Skarsgaard.

(Unless they're both in it....)

Spinal

07-17-2009, 04:02 PM

Kristen Bell is fantastic in Reefer Madness: The Musical. Can't really recommend the film though.

baby doll

07-17-2009, 05:15 PM

Although he hasn't made a single movie in his home country, this is my favorite living Argentine director.Yeah, that's kind of like saying that Atom Egoyan is your favorite Egyptian director. And it's not like you guys have to go looking overseas for great Argentine directors. You've already got Lucrecia fucking Martel (in my humble opinion, an even more impressive director than Noé).

Grouchy

07-17-2009, 06:21 PM

Yeah, that's kind of like saying that Atom Egoyan is your favorite Egyptian director. And it's not like you guys have to go looking overseas for great Argentine directors. You've already got Lucrecia fucking Martel (in my humble opinion, an even more impressive director than Noé).
Martel would be my second favorite.

D_Davis

07-17-2009, 06:41 PM

Gonna try to watch some movies this weekend:

Decasia
The Master Gunfighter (rewatch - can't wait to see it again)
Moon

Eleven

07-17-2009, 06:49 PM

Came back from the library with:

Age of Consent (Michael Powell)
Man Push Cart

Maybe one of these in theaters:

Bruno
Harry Potter
Moon

BuffaloWilder

07-17-2009, 07:25 PM

I have seen Em 4 Jay.

I now realize why everybody hates the Australian film industry, on the whole.

Qrazy

07-17-2009, 07:38 PM

Weekend (some of these):

Danton (Wajda)
A Mighty River (Back)
Goya's Ghosts (Forman)
Three Times (Hou)
Irma Vep (Assayas)
Marketa Lazarova (Vlacil)
Muriel (Resnais)
Salo (Pasolini)
Time Regained (Ruiz)
A Real Young Girl (Breillat)
Wanda (Loden)
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (Naruse)

Sven

07-17-2009, 09:35 PM

The Big Heat -7

Explain where the other three points are.

Also, whatever you tell me is the wrong answer.

Bosco B Thug

07-17-2009, 10:06 PM

Weekend:
Bruno
Escape from L.A.
The Holy Girl
The Heiress (now that I finished the Henry James novella)

transmogrifier

07-17-2009, 10:39 PM

Three neg reps and two threats of neg rep in a week. I must be doing something right :)

Ivan Drago

07-17-2009, 10:40 PM

Three neg reps and two threats of neg rep in a week. I must be doing something right :)

How many of them were from Wats? ;)

transmogrifier

07-17-2009, 10:45 PM

If you give Me You and Everyone We Know the low score its maddening annoyance deserves, I'll spill all.

Ivan Drago

07-17-2009, 10:59 PM

If you give Me You and Everyone We Know the low score its maddening annoyance deserves, I'll spill all.

There were points where I hated the movie because of how annoying it was (I was reminded of Juno too), and at the same time I was tempted to call it a "hipster" film. At the same time, though, there's something there. It's just hard to figure out what that something is.

Sycophant

07-17-2009, 11:07 PM

Oh my goodness. I thought actually giving out neg rep was still a Match Cut taboo.

Qrazy

07-17-2009, 11:13 PM

But if you neg rep a neg repper... is that justice?

Derek

07-17-2009, 11:22 PM

But if you neg rep a neg repper... is that justice?

I prefer giving rep to the person who was neg repped to even things out.

Watashi

07-17-2009, 11:23 PM

I say we need to start to install "meh rep".

Who's with me?

Spun Lepton

07-17-2009, 11:29 PM

I say we need to start to install "meh rep".

Who's with me?

Meh.

Dead & Messed Up

07-18-2009, 12:09 AM

I say we need to start to install "meh rep".

Who's with me?

Only if the poster makes one of those tiresome "meh" jokes, like, "They should've called it Meh and You and Everyone Weh Know."

Ezee E

07-18-2009, 12:09 AM

Neg repping. Not cool at all.

[REC]. Very nice.

Winston*

07-18-2009, 01:00 AM

Is it showing there? Jump at the opportunity to see it! A merely casual cinephile friend saw it at the Sydney fest and loved it.

Sorry boner, I will not be seeing this movie. The only showing's in an hour and I have a feeling I'm a little too hungover to properly appreciate a 3 and a half hour portrait of the mundane.

balmakboor

07-18-2009, 01:45 AM

A Hole in My Heart - Lukas Moodysson

I don't know what exactly Moodysson is trying to say here, but I know one thing for sure, it's not happy thoughts. It's more like a Naked Lunch-like cry from Hell, a cry from a place where love and hope have left the building.

A man, and two actors he hires, wallows around in his flat making a porn film and generally doing all sorts of self-destructive things. All the while, his grown son occasionally watches from his bedroom and more often tries to block it all out using everything from loud music to band-aids over his eyes.

I think a lot of this was supposed to be shocking, but, damnit, I seem to be unshockable. I sat and ate pizza while a woman was getting her clitoris cut out and a guy made himself vomit into her mouth.

I do think the low rating at imdb is ridiculous though. This is a very skillfully directed vision with strong performances, brave performances, and a nice sense of composition and structure.

Now, I'm off to watch Crazy Love.

eternity

07-18-2009, 01:45 AM

Neg repping is grade A douchebaggery. That said, you know you put too much stock in a website when you start shaking in anger when some people start spamming you with neg rep just to see your points plummet.

You know who you are. You know.

Pop Trash

07-18-2009, 01:47 AM

Explain where the other three points are.

Also, whatever you tell me is the wrong answer.

I was wondering if someone was going to ask about that...

Well, a 7/10 is "good" on my scale (like an equal to 3/4 stars on Ebert's scale) so I did like it, I was just mildly disappointed by it. I wish the direction was more stylish. As I was watching it, I kept thinking that Fritz Lang probably got sucked in to the plot driven studio system of the time and wasn't able to stretch his legs much re: camera movements, interesting editing, holding the frame on people's faces longer than it takes for them to blurt out their lines*, that kinda thing (which isn't the case with Metropolis and M) Everything that is good in it seems to come out of the story/screenplay, although I am willing to give Lang a lot of credit for casting a crack ensemble: Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, and the man: Lee Marvin.

There were American studio filmmakers that made films in the 50s that didn't seem to adhere to such a rigid formula (again I'm talking form not content). Hitchcock and Welles immediately spring to mind. But I also thought it must have been such a welcome releif when Janus and others started distributing foreign films in the 50s because it must have opened up whole new doors of possibility in filmmaking. I'm talking total revelations and minds being blown.

*case in point: when Glenn Ford grabs his dead wife out of the smoldering car, it seems very truncated. Lang (or probably more likely: the studio mandated editor) didn't draw out that moment for very long. It's like "oh she's dead...moving right along to the next scene."

balmakboor

07-18-2009, 01:48 AM

You know, I've only given neg rep once. Then I felt so bad about it that I positive repped him twice to make myself feel better. I'm such a pussy.

Watashi

07-18-2009, 01:50 AM

I saw my first Fred Astaire musical.

Man, he is such a fucking badass.

Pop Trash

07-18-2009, 01:51 AM

A Hole in My Heart - Lukas Moodysson

I really want to see this even if I expect total disappointment. I love love love Together and Lilja 4-Ever.

balmakboor

07-18-2009, 01:55 AM

I saw my first Fred Astaire musical.

Man, he is such a fucking badass.

Make sure you see Royal Wedding some time. Maybe not the greatest musical, far from it actually, but some great set pieces. And that dancing on the ceiling bit is so damn well executed.

Pop Trash

07-18-2009, 01:55 AM

There were points where I hated the movie because of how annoying it was (I was reminded of Juno too), and at the same time I was tempted to call it a "hipster" film. At the same time, though, there's something there. It's just hard to figure out what that something is.

LOLZ. I like you Ivan Drago. Yous alright kid.

balmakboor

07-18-2009, 01:56 AM

I really want to see this even if I expect total disappointment. I love love love Together and Lilja 4-Ever.

Yeah, I've seen Lilja and loved it. Together is next for me. This feels like an angry sketch beside Lilja 4-Ever.

Pop Trash

07-18-2009, 02:08 AM

Yeah, I've seen Lilja and loved it. Together is next for me. This feels like an angry sketch beside Lilja 4-Ever.
It made me :sad: when I read reviews for it. Do you have an all region DVD player or something? I don't think it's even available on region 1.

Sycophant

07-18-2009, 02:24 AM

I saw my first Fred Astaire musical.

Man, he is such a fucking badass.

Aw, hell yeah. Wats, you must see The Band Wagon.

Sven

07-18-2009, 02:40 AM

Spun Lepton

07-18-2009, 02:51 AM

I've neg-repped eternity for that gawd-awful image of him dressed like a chick. I figured it was only right to punish him for making my eyes bleed.

And I'll do it again.

Skitch

07-18-2009, 02:59 AM

If Joel Shumacher was trying to hide his "old queen" status with Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, he failed miserably.

BuffaloWilder

07-18-2009, 03:30 AM

I saw my first Fred Astaire musical.

Man, he is such a fucking badass.

Yes, yes he is. What did you see?

Gene Kelly ain't no slouch, neither. But, his style really incorporates a lot of ballet into it, which is weird because he's built like a football player. Astaire is a pure hoofer.

balmakboor

07-18-2009, 03:44 AM

It made me :sad: when I read reviews for it. Do you have an all region DVD player or something? I don't think it's even available on region 1.

I got A Hole in My Heart off of Netflix.

Note: it may not be quite the full version or something. Things were blurred out -- mostly things like Coke cans and other product names and faces of passers by in the streets. I wasn't sure if it was a stylistic choice or something forced on the film by an upset Coca-Cola company etc. There was also one shot of the girl's pubic area that was blurred out.

BuffaloWilder

07-18-2009, 03:47 AM

So, who actually reads Jonathan Rosenbaum? Seriously?

balmakboor

07-18-2009, 04:00 AM

Crazy Love

This is the Bukowski inspired one that Spinal recommended in his thread. Wow! I really enjoyed this. It's a real buried treasure that I hope everyone here takes the time to check out. Man, that's some wicked acne makeup.

I tells a coming of age, of age, and beyond age sort of story of guy in 1955 (age 11), 1962 (age 18), and 1976 (age 32). The 1955 stuff is an almost Louis Malle-like childhood tale. The 1962 stuff is like a '50s teen movie gone horrified. It reminded me of Todd Haynes' Poison actually. The 1976 stuff is like Fassbinder at his most demented and morbid. Very interesting movie.

Rowland

07-18-2009, 04:02 AM

So, who actually reads Jonathan Rosenbaum? Seriously?Funny, I literally just read a blurb of his regarding his all-time favorite film, Tati's Playtime, a few minutes ago.

soitgoes...

07-18-2009, 04:08 AM

So, who actually reads Jonathan Rosenbaum? Seriously?I read a lot of what he has to say about Iranian cinema.

balmakboor

07-18-2009, 04:09 AM

Funny, I literally just read a blurb of his regarding his all-time favorite film, Tati's Playtime, a few minutes ago.

Anyone who has Playtime as a favorite film is ok by me.

BuffaloWilder

07-18-2009, 05:12 AM

So, I'm torn on what release of Nosferatu to buy.

baby doll

07-18-2009, 05:25 AM

Explain where the other three points are.

Also, whatever you tell me is the wrong answer.If I were on the ten-point scale, I'd probably give it an eight myself. Die Nibelungen, Metropolis, Spies, M, and The Tiger of Eschnapur and The Indian Tomb are all definitely nines, and depending on my mood, whichever one is my personal favorite would get a ten (at the moment, I'm leaning towards Metropolis in all its kitsch glory--I can't wait for the three hour version!). Along with The Big Heat, I'd give eights to The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, Hangmen Also Die!, Rancho Notorious, and Moonfleet; and I'd give sevens to Destiny, Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler, You and Me, and Clash by Night. So yeah, he's easily one of the half-dozen or so greatest directors ever, but his films with Thea von Harbou are his best.

D_Davis

07-18-2009, 05:27 AM

If you give Me You and Everyone We Know the low score its maddening annoyance deserves, I'll spill all.

It's one of the worst films I've ever seen; one of the only films I've seen I'd call despicable.

Philosophe_rouge

07-18-2009, 05:31 AM

I love Gene Kelly and unfortunately have never warmed up entirely to Astaire, I can stand him at this point in a few films, but he's still enough to drag down my enthousiasm/love for certain films just a tad.

Ezee E

07-18-2009, 07:51 AM

I've neg-repped eternity for that gawd-awful image of him dressed like a chick. I figured it was only right to punish him for making my eyes bleed.

And I'll do it again.
The only negative I have is that bizarro comic he had posted.

B-side

07-18-2009, 08:00 AM

Rate: The Films of Jacques Rivette

eternity

07-18-2009, 08:02 AM

Wait, so you did that to somebody?

No, Chipper Ship Captain and someone else did it to me for a good month or so whenever they had some rep power to spare on random posts.

Boner M

07-18-2009, 08:22 AM

Rate: The Films of Jacques Rivette
Celine and Julie Go Boating - 8 (likely higher on repeat viewing - I first saw it on a weary VHS copy + it does have more things I love about film that most other films)
Noroît - 6.5 (one of the most bizarre films I've ever seen)
La Belle Noiseuse - 9 (his most accessible and utterly riveting considering what its 4-hour duration essentially consists of)
The Story of Marie and Julien - 5.5 (Epitomises everything I don't 'get' about Rivette)
The Duchess of Langeais - I fell asleep, though it was likely the viewing circumstances)

He's a nut I haven't quite cracked, though I'll surely persist with him.

The Mike

07-18-2009, 08:35 AM

So, I'm torn on what release of Nosferatu to buy.

I have this one, and it's solid. KINO has since released it again, and I'm not sure what the additions were.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41X49GA9SHL._SS500_.jpg

DVDCompare (http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=857) says this:

OVERALL: Draw

between Image SE, BFI, Kino and Eureka (MoC) editions.

KINO features the longer version and a fairly good transfer with 2 score choices (2.0). Uses Murnau's original names in the intertitles.

IMAGE SE has even better transfer and 2 score choices (5.0/2.0) with a audio commentary and other extras. Uses Murnau's original names in the intertitles.

The BFI edition features the longer cut and a good transfer with more accurate colour tinting than Image SE. It does have a new musical score by James Bernard (who scored many of the classic Hammer horror movies - including the 1958 Dracula), which has been reported to be superior to all other musical scores for Nosferatu.

The Eureka (Masters of Cinema) release has some additional extras and a new score.

B-side

07-18-2009, 08:58 AM

Celine and Julie Go Boating - 8 (likely higher on repeat viewing - I first saw it on a weary VHS copy + it does have more things I love about film that most other films)
Noroît - 6.5 (one of the most bizarre films I've ever seen)
La Belle Noiseuse - 9 (his most accessible and utterly riveting considering what its 4-hour duration essentially consists of)
The Story of Marie and Julien - 5.5 (Epitomises everything I don't 'get' about Rivette)
The Duchess of Langeais - I fell asleep, though it was likely the viewing circumstances)

He's a nut I haven't quite cracked, though I'll surely persist with him.

Interesting. I saw The Story of Marie and Julien a while back. I don't remember anything about it, but then again, I was only really recently getting into more difficult foreign cinema. Everyone piles on the praise for Celine and Julie. I'd like to get a bit more experience with him before I give that one a go.