28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[thefourthwall]

Also, if Harry is supposed to have so much potential and power, why does he get knocked unconscious so many times? I've counted six times in four movies. It's like his excuse for escaping danger....

At least for the first unconsciousness at the end of the first film it's a symbolic death and resurrection, and since he "dies" at the end of every story in some way that may account for some of it.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Mauvais Sang was totally awesome. Visually stunning, heartfelt and cool. Also a great update to Godard's Breathless. Has anyone else seen this or any other Carax? Should I see Boy Meets Girl?

[Melville]

Mauvais Sang was totally awesome. Visually stunning, heartfelt and cool. Also a great update to Godard's Breathless. Has anyone else seen this or any other Carax?
Lovers on the Bridge - 8.5
Mauvais Sang - 7.5
Pola X - 6.5

[Raiders]

I loved Haneke's Code Unknown when I saw it years ago. It was my first of his films. I haven't seen it since, and I'm afraid to re-watch it as I have disliked the two subsequent films of his I've seen, Funny Games (original) and Benny's Video.

Not really sure where to go from here. I'm guessing The Piano Teacher.

[Spinal]

Not really sure where to go from here. I'm guessing The Piano Teacher.

It's awesome. Best bet for your tastes though would be Cache methinks.

[baby doll]

Sure, what the heck.

The Seventh Continent (1989) / ****
72 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance (1994) / ***
The Castle (1997) / ***
Funny Games (1997) / ****
Code inconnu: Récit incomplet de divers voyages (2000) / ****
La Pianiste (2001) / ****
Le Temps du loup (2003) / ***1/2
Caché (2005) / ****

La Pianiste is my favorite, but then, it was the first one I saw and I'm a total Isabelle Huppert fanboy.

[Grouchy]

So Blow Out was good...
Very.

I agree that The Piano Teacher is Haneke's best.

[megladon8]

Funny Games - 6
The Piano Teacher - 5
Funny Games U.S. - 3

The Haneke Collection box set is one of my most regretted purchases. I haven't really been able to bring myself to watch the rest of the films therein. I will at some point, but gah...did not enjoy those first two much at all, and the U.S. remake of Funny Games was an utterly pointless exercise.

[Watashi]

I read on Ebert's twitter page that film critic Robin Wood has passed today.

[Spinal]

****
Caché
The Piano Teacher (top 100)
Funny Games
71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance (top 100)
The Seventh Continent

***1/2
Funny Games U.S.
Code Unknown

***
Time of the Wolf
The Castle
Benny's Video

One of the very best.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I loved Cache. Not a fan of The Piano Teacher.

And yes, I'm aware of the pointlessness of this post.

[Ezee E]

Code Unknown is the only one I didn't like.

The rest remain from good to great, and all are ones I want to rewatch.

[soitgoes...]

The Seventh Continent (1989) - 10
Benny’s Video (1992) - 9.5
The Castle (1997) - 6.0
Funny Games (1997) - 9.5
Code Unknown (2000) - 8.5
The Piano Teacher (2001) - 8.5
The Time of the Wolf (2003) - 6.5
Caché (2005) - 9.0
Funny Games U.S. (2007) - 7.0
The White Ribbon (2009) - 10


There's no good reason why I haven't seen 71 Fragments yet. It's fairly certain I will love it. I also have Wer war Edgar Allan?, which more than anything should be interesting early work.

[Winston*]

Funny Games (remake) - ***½
Funny Games (original) - **

Hmmm, why? (I haven't seen the remake)

I've seen most of Haneke's films and dig them all.

[balmakboor]

I read on Ebert's twitter page that film critic Robin Wood has passed today.

:sad:

[MadMan]

I have yet to see a Haneke film, and I'm not sure if the guy is really up my alley or not. We'll see.

[Spun Lepton]

I have yet to see a Haneke film, and I'm not sure if the guy is really up my alley or not. We'll see.

Funny Games will fuck you over. Brilliant in many ways, even though I strongly disagree with its core themes.

[BuffaloWilder]

Oh. My god. This is brilliant. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxKtZmQgxrI)

[Mysterious Dude]

Oh. My god. This is brilliant. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxKtZmQgxrI)

Part 2 was rather disturbing. Parts 6 and 7 were surprisingly poignant. I particularly like his comparisons of the various light-saber duels in part 6. Anyone who actually likes the prequels should watch this.

[BuffaloWilder]

what's wrong with your faaaaaace

[Dead & Messed Up]

Part 2 was rather disturbing. Parts 6 and 7 were surprisingly poignant. I particularly like his comparisons of the various light-saber duels in part 6. Anyone who actually likes the prequels should watch this.

I loved the lightsaber comments - hits the nail on the head. What emotion there is to the fight in Revenge of the Sith is dampened by the overlength and emphasis on dexterous swordplay.

[Sxottlan]

The ultimate Uruguay alien invasion film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dadPWhEhVk&feature=player_embedded

I guess it was made for $300. Amazing.

[Boner M]

The Seventh Continent - 7.5
Benny's Video - 5.5
71 Fragments of an Alienated Media-Saturated Society Blah Blah Blah - 5
Funny Games - 5
Code Unknown - 9
The Piano Teacher - 8.5
Time of the Wolf - 7
Cache - 9.5
Funny Games USA - 5.5
The White Ribbon - 8.5

He's had a helluva decade. Think I owe The White Ribbon a rpt, though... it's riveting on many levels, but I'm not entirely convinced about it content-wise.

[Boner M]

I have yet to see a Haneke film, and I'm not sure if the guy is really up my alley or not. We'll see.
Pretty sure we will in fact never see, MadMan.

[B-side]

I don't think I've ever seen a western so focused on ethics as The Tall T. In a way, it's kinda refreshing. Seeing Scott's transformation from altruism to selfishness and ending up somewhere in between was fun to watch. I really dug Scott in this movie. Not sure I jived much with the corny first half hour or so, and the film as a whole feels a bit thin, but I was rarely unengaged.

[Bosco B Thug]

Saw T. Hooper's long-lost first feature Eggshells. Although filled with numerous highly intricate set pieces and sequences of abstract artistic brio, its utter plotlessness, rambling puerile hippie dialogue, and nigh incomprehensibility renders it a narratively-challenged, pointlessly indulgent, at times intolerable piece of avant-garde hogwash. SIGH. I'll stick to Hooper's schlocky narrative films.

[Melville]

I don't think I've ever seen a western so focused on ethics as The Tall T.
Have you seen The Ox-Bow Incident? The whole thing is an overt exploration of ethics. It's good.

[NickGlass]

La Pianiste is my favorite, but then, it was the first one I saw and I'm a total Isabelle Huppert fanboy.

I identify with every part of this sentence. Have you seen Home?

As for Herr Haneke:

Benny's Video: 6.5
Funny Games: 8.0
The Piano Teacher: 8.5
Caché: 8.0
Funny Games: 8.0
The White Ribbon: 7.5

[Scar]

Part 2 was rather disturbing. Parts 6 and 7 were surprisingly poignant. I particularly like his comparisons of the various light-saber duels in part 6. Anyone who actually likes the prequels should watch this.

If by disturbing you mean fucking hilarious, then yes, yes it is.

[Melville]

Oh. My god. This is brilliant. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxKtZmQgxrI)
Yeah, it's great. I posted it in the Random Thoughts thread, but I guess I should have posted it here too. Everyone should watch it.


If by disturbing you mean fucking hilarious, then yes, yes it is.
This.

[B-side]

Have you seen The Ox-Bow Incident? The whole thing is an overt exploration of ethics. It's good.

I have not. To be honest, if I'm judging by The Tall T, I don't really see how he deserved this critical re-examination he's gotten. And it's one of the 10 best films Boner's seen all year! Crazy.

[Raiders]

I have not. To be honest, if I'm judging by The Tall T, I don't really see how he deserved this critical re-examination he's gotten. And it's one of the 10 best films Boner's seen all year! Crazy.

I would recommend seeing Seven Men from Now and Ride Lonesome before passing final judgment.

The critical re-examination stems from the simplicity of his films, their lack of romanticism or any real serious plot arcs and great emotion. They are very deterministic and there is a purity to his films, not to mention the great collaboration with Scott here, both men's unruffled gaze very spellbinding to me.

I wouldn't say anyone is claiming he was a cinematic genius, but that he managed a nice niche in the western genre and he deserves recognition for it.

[B-side]

I would recommend seeing Seven Men from Now and Ride Lonesome before passing final judgment.

Naturally.


The critical re-examination stems from the simplicity of his films, their lack of romanticism or any real serious plot arcs and great emotion. They are very deterministic and there is a purity to his films, not to mention the great collaboration with Scott here, both men's unruffled gaze very spellbinding to me.

I don't know, that first part had corn growing out of every orifice.:lol:


I wouldn't say anyone is claiming he was a cinematic genius, but that he managed a nice niche in the western genre and he deserves recognition for it.

Well, we'll see how I feel after I see 1 or both of the films above.:)

[Rowland]

Oh. My god. This is brilliant. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxKtZmQgxrI):lol:

[ledfloyd]

i can't listen to that guys voice for 70 minutes.

[Melville]

i can't listen to that guys voice for 70 minutes.
That's what I thought for the first few minutes. But it grows on you.

[Scar]

Pick up a couple classics of modern cinema on Bluray.

Heat


and


Freddy vs Jason

[megladon8]

Scar, would you mind letting me know how the Heat BluRay is when you get to it?

It's one I'd LOVE to pick up, IF it's the properly amazing transfer that the movie deserves.

The reason I'm skeptical is that my Heat DVD sucks balls. Terrible picture, even worse audio - and bad audio destroys a Michael Mann movie.

[Scar]

Scar, would you mind letting me know how the Heat BluRay is when you get to it?

It's one I'd LOVE to pick up, IF it's the properly amazing transfer that the movie deserves.

The reason I'm skeptical is that my Heat DVD sucks balls. Terrible picture, even worse audio - and bad audio destroys a Michael Mann movie.

I've got the first gen Heat DVD, and yeah, it sucks balls on modern televisions. Here's a review for ya:

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/1386/heat.html

I'm watching Freddy vs Jason right now, and I'll try to get to Heat later today. But if you've got a shitty Heat DVD, I'm rather confident that the Bluray bends it over the barrel and has its way with.

[Scar]

14 minutes into Heat.

Buy it.

[Spinal]

The captivity bit would be funnier if it were more subtle. I liked it when the camera just passed by without comment. But then, it gets uncomfortable and nasty.

Anyway, the Star Wars breakdown is a collossal smackdown. Very insightful. Love when he asks people to describe the characters in Phantom Menace.

[Melville]

The captivity bit would be funnier if it were more subtle. I liked it when the camera just passed by without comment. But then, it gets uncomfortable and nasty.
I agree in principle, and the whole thing definitely went on for too long...but I loved the narrator saying "Quiet. I'm making my Star Wars YouTube review." (The first time, at least.) The disparity between the situation and his response was hilarious.

[BuffaloWilder]

What makes that segment funny is the immediate cut from his "I SAID QUIET I'M MAKIN' MAH STAR WARS REVIEW -" into, "so anyway, Senator Palpatine...etc."


Naboo...Naboo...

[balmakboor]

I let my daughter use my Netflix queue for a round of movies and now it's been three weeks and she hasn't watched them yet. So yeah, I told her get'em watched or back they go on Monday.

Anyway, one of them was Funny People and I sat down and watched it this evening and pretty much loved it. I didn't much like 40-Year-Old Virgin or Knocked Up, but this really carried me away by its dark and quirky twists and turns.

[Yxklyx]

I have not. To be honest, if I'm judging by The Tall T, I don't really see how he deserved this critical re-examination he's gotten. And it's one of the 10 best films Boner's seen all year! Crazy.

I had a whole bunch of Boetticher films lined up. Seven Men From Now was decent but after I watched The Tall T (which I didn't like) I gave up on him - there're other directors & films I'd rather check out first.

[Boner M]

I have not. To be honest, if I'm judging by The Tall T, I don't really see how he deserved this critical re-examination he's gotten. And it's one of the 10 best films Boner's seen all year! Crazy.
Eh, it never struck me as a Brightside kinda film in the first place; in fact, though our tastes in filmmakers seems very similar, our taste in individual films is considerably less stable (for that reason I wouldn't discourage you from Seven Men From Now, which seems to be the consensus favorite of his). Granted, I will admit that perhaps I like TTT less for its intrinsic values and more for being such a potent avatar for the kind of 'termite art' B-films that I've been taking a liking to as of late. The film's take on ethics never really jumped out at me (The Oxbow Incident, as Melville suggested, is far more morally engaged but also numbingly didactic, I found), so much as the importance that Boetticher places on seemingly offhand gestures to drive the story, the tension between twitchy method actors and Scott's resilient stolidness, and its utilisation and redefinition of its scant spaces, which made it infinitely neat and fantastically entertaining to watch. Someone over at the Criterion forum even compared it to Jeanne Dielman, which almost makes sense... it's a very formalist piece in its rigor and attention to detail. And dammit, it has one of the best final lines ever.

[MadMan]

Pretty sure we will in fact never see, MadMan.So I should put it on my Netflix queue just to spite yah, eh? Okay :P


Funny Games will fuck you over. Brilliant in many ways, even though I strongly disagree with its core themes.I keep hearing this, but it makes me skeptical. And then I usually get proven wrong, like I did when I thought that TCM couldn't be as scary as people said it was.

[Qrazy]

What does it mean to say Boetticher is undergoing a critical reevaluation? By who and when? A few of his films are on 1001 movies to see before you die so does this mean as of 2003 when the book was released?

[B-side]

What does it mean to say Boetticher is undergoing a critical reevaluation? By who and when? A few of his films are on 1001 movies to see before you die so does this mean as of 2003 when the book was released?

I guess? I just know that I'd never even heard his name mentioned until about a year ago. Perhaps it was his inclusion on that list that sparked a slow, systematic reevaluation.

[ledfloyd]

boetticher may not receive the press john ford and anthony mann do, but he's been considered canonical since the days of cahiers and andrew sarris.

[B-side]

Downloaded and watched The Son based off it being in Melville's top 20. I found Lorna's Silence to be decent, but nothing that made me anxious to see more Dardennes. Thankfully, I decided to ignore those impulses and was treated to this gem of realism. One of the best portriats of anxiety I've ever seen on film, no doubt. It does this by not succumbing to the desire to over-dramatize anxiety, but rather to simply document the infinitely curious, yet apprehensive nature of an anxious person. I don't think I've seen a film that dealt with anxious people display in any sort of convincing way how these anxious thoughts and insecure feelings manifest themselves physically like The Son does. The back problems, the breathlessness, the additional strap added to the back brace. They felt like totally naturally occurring phenomenon. Like this world exists without a camera being poked inside it. The resentment on Olivier's face as he watched Francis was absolutely palpable. And the startling ways in which Olivier attempts to sabotage Francis surprisingly don't come off as particularly malicious, but almost like Olivier's enacting a sort of passive justice. The finale felt a bit too neatly packaged, but man, I was pleasantly surprised by this.

[Melville]

Downloaded and watched The Son based off it being in Melville's top 20. I found Lorna's Silence to be decent, but nothing that made me anxious to see more Dardennes. Thankfully, I decided to ignore those impulses and was treated to this gem of realism. One of the best portriats of anxiety I've ever seen on film, no doubt. It does this by not succumbing to the desire to over-dramatize anxiety, but rather to simply document the infinitely curious, yet apprehensive nature of an anxious person. I don't think I've seen a film that dealt with anxious people display in any sort of convincing way how these anxious thoughts and insecure feelings manifest themselves physically like The Son does. The back problems, the breathlessness, the additional strap added to the back brace. They felt like totally naturally occurring phenomenon. Like this world exists without a camera being poked inside it. The resentment on Olivier's face as he watched Francis was absolutely palpable. And the startling ways in which Olivier attempts to sabotage Francis surprisingly don't come off as particularly malicious, but almost like Olivier's enacting a sort of passive justice. The finale felt a bit too neatly packaged, but man, I was pleasantly surprised by this.
You have a very different take on it than I did. I focused on the the probing camera and the ideas of forgiveness and redemption; and I thought the ending was one of the most powerful scenes of catharsis I've seen. Glad you liked it though.

[B-side]

You have a very different take on it than I did. I focused on the the probing camera and the ideas of forgiveness and redemption; and I thought the ending was one of the most powerful scenes of catharsis I've seen. Glad you liked it though.

I saw that as well, I just was so pleasantly surprised by its portrayal of anxiety that I had to say something. I hope you too found it to display anxiety fairly realistically.

[Pop Trash]

The first 45 minutes of Modern Romance are amazing since that's basically the early 80s version of my life a few months ago. Holy smokes did Albert Brooks nail a break-up. The rest of the movie is very good too but I mostly like that first half before he (sorta) gets back with his girlfriend. I'm a bit perplexed she took him back, however.

[Melville]

I saw that as well, I just was so pleasantly surprised by its portrayal of anxiety that I had to say something. I hope you too found it to display anxiety fairly realistically.
I thought it did a great job of exploring a character who's outwardly restrained but inwardly filled with turmoil. But I'm not sure that the specific physical symptoms that you mentioned really registered with me. I should watch it again.

[Adam]

Budd Boetticher's name started getting tossed around again once that badass dvd box set of his came out last year


The first 45 minutes of Modern Romance are amazing since that's basically the early 80s version of my life a few months ago. Holy smokes did Albert Brooks nail a break-up. The rest of the movie is very good too but I mostly like that first half before he (sorta) gets back with his girlfriend. I'm a bit perplexed she took him back, however.

Maybe my favorite movie, ever. I agree that it kind of hits its absolute peak towards the beginning with that whole sequence where he's on ludes but, really, it's all good stuff. For my taste, I can't think of a director who had a better four film run than Brooks from Real Life to Defending Your Life

[Qrazy]

I thought it did a great job of exploring a character who's outwardly restrained but inwardly filled with turmoil. But I'm not sure that the specific physical symptoms that you mentioned really registered with me. I should watch it again.

Yeah I don't really feel it to be a film about 'anxiety'. A film about anxiety would to me be a film exploring issues of anxiety in and of themselves. The protagonist is not an anxious character, he is in grief.

[Spinal]

Caligula (Tinto Brass, 1979) - 7

I'm listening.

[Grouchy]

Woody Allen should really take a word of advice from the countless audience members who agree and start spacing out his movies more, so most of them don't suck balls. Whatever Works, aside from good work by Larry David, is vapid, empty, oversimplistic, doesn't really know where it wants to go, and mixes the occasional laugh with tiresome exposition scenes that seriously tested my patience. I praise the Woodster's ability to keep his indie cinema flag high over the decades, but as much as I loved Vicky Cristina Barcelona, good scripts don't come every year.

[Derek]

Woody Allen should really take a word of advice from the countless audience members who agree and start spacing out his movies more, so most of them don't suck balls. Whatever Works, aside from good work by Larry David, is vapid, empty, oversimplistic, doesn't really know where it wants to go, and mixes the occasional laugh with tiresome exposition scenes that seriously tested my patience. I praise the Woodster's ability to keep his indie cinema flag high over the decades, but as much as I loved Vicky Cristina Barcelona, good scripts don't come every year.

Wasn't Whatever Works a reworked script that Woody started on back in the Annie Hall days? I'm pretty sure another year of working on it wouldn't have made it much better.

[Grouchy]

Wasn't Whatever Works a reworked script that Woody started on back in the Annie Hall days? I'm pretty sure another year of working on it wouldn't have made it much better.
Yes, I read that on IMDb.

It's really a non-story, badly told.

[Ezee E]

Allen really has like 4-5 stories that get shuffled around from movie to movie.

[NickGlass]

An Education (Scherfig, 2009) *
Up In the Air (Reitman, 2009) *

This pleases me immensely. I found both to be very apparently awful, yet I have been getting headaches over constantly explaining to others why I immensely dislike them.

[Boner M]

This pleases me immensely. I found both to be very apparently awful, yet I have been getting headaches over constantly explaining to others why I immensely dislike them.
You don't have to go home for the holidays, Nick.

[B-side]

Yeah I don't really feel it to be a film about 'anxiety'. A film about anxiety would to me be a film exploring issues of anxiety in and of themselves. The protagonist is not an anxious character, he is in grief.

The death of a loved one is often the catalyst for an anxiety disorder to develop. I'm not entirely convinced Olivier should be formally diagnosed, but his behavior very much matched that of an anxious person. To further that point, one of the ways in which people combat anxiety is to exercise full control over something. I see this in the film by way of Olivier's comforting of Magali and his carpentry class, which he says himself is the only thing that makes him feel useful.

[megladon8]

Save the Green Planet! had about equal doses of "great" and "bad".

Tonally, it's all over the f-ing map. I'm sure to fans of the film this was "a great representation of the highs and lows of mental illness" or whatever, but I found it removed me from the experience and dulled the emotional impact of some later scenes.

There are also some glaring continuity errors that made me think the editor was asleep...

So the guy in captivity bites and rips his thumb back on his hand to get it out of the handcuff...but right afterwards and for the rest of the movie his hand is perfectly fine? No loss of movement, not even any signs of injury.

And I think I lost count of the number of times objects conveniently appeared out of nowhere to aid characters, or things changed back and forth between colours as angles changed.

There is some genuine emotion to be had and a few interesting twists in the plot, as well as good performances all around. But the movie itself is more schizo than its main character.

I issue a hearty "BEWARE!" to anyone renting/checking this one out expecting a comedy. It's listed as a comedy on nearly every movie site I've looked it up on, and even the DVD cover quotes and reviews say stuff like "wild, zany fun!" It's not, at all. It's actually quite depressing, with occasional, slight comedic moments.

It's a real mixed-bag. I liked more than I didn't, but I don't think it's one I'll ever love.

[Derek]

Yes, I read that on IMDb.

It's really a non-story, badly told.

Yes, I agree. What I don't understand is why you suggest it's bad-ness comes from Woody working too fast when that's unlikely the case with this film.

[Sven]

Here it is: my star ratings, listed in order of preference, for the film I watched in what has to be the most consistently excellent film class I've taken (Lewton/Tourneur):

The Seventh Victim - ****
Bedlam - ****
The Body Snatcher - ****
The Ghost Ship - ****
The Curse of the Cat People - ****
Night of the Demon - ****
I Walked With a Zombie - ***1/2
Leopard Man - ***1/2
Out of the Past - ***1/2
Berlin Express - ***1/2
The Haunting - ***1/2
Isle of the Dead - ***
Cat People - ***
Experiment Perilous - ***
The Flame and the Arrow - **1/2

So good.

[Philosophe_rouge]

I ADORE Lewton, Tourneur a little less.. but still, together they were wonderful. My ordering is slightly different;

The Curse of the Cat People 9
The Body Snatcher 9
Cat People 9
Isle of the Dead 8.5
The Seventh Victim 8
The Haunting 8
Night of the Demon 7.5
I Walked with a Zombie 7.5
Bedlam 7

I've seen Out of the PAst, but too long ago and I don't feel comfortable ranking it. I like all of these films though.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Saw Margot at the Wedding. It wasn't great. I can be okay with 90 minutes of curmudgeon-ness and malevolence, but it is a little boring when nearly all the characters only have one note to play with. I dunno. This seemed kinda like the prototype dysfunctional white people indie we've been seeing a bit of these past few years.

[MadMan]

Public Enemies, even though too much of it was Hollywood playing liberties with the facts (not that I really mind-if you want the real truth, do some research yourself or watch a documentary), was damn good. I rather like this Mann fellow, especially since he focuses on crime, a subject that endlessly fascinates me. Not only is this movie visually stunning, but Johnny Depp pulls off a highly effective performance that seems different from his others. Christian Bale also reminds me that he's at his best when he's not overacting, and goes the more subtitle route. Less Batman, more Melvin in the future would be a start.

District 9 started out weird as hell, and then kicked into overdrive. Great movie, one that actually deserves a fleshed out review. A shinning example of how sci-fi can, when properly utilized, amaze us, freak us out, and challenge us to think about certain ideas, themes, and situations. Funny that the ending screams "Sequel," but I'm not even sure there will be one. Also they already gave away the potential title at the end of the movie: District 10. Heh.

[ledfloyd]

Public Enemies, even though too much of it was Hollywood playing liberties with the facts (not that I really mind-if you want the real truth, do some research yourself or watch a documentary), was damn good. I rather like this Mann fellow, especially since he focuses on crime, a subject that endlessly fascinates me. Not only is this movie visually stunning, but Johnny Depp pulls off a highly effective performance that seems different from his others. Christian Bale also reminds me that he's at his best when he's not overacting, and goes the more subtitle route. Less Batman, more Melvin in the future would be a start.
a friend of mine tonight told me he thought public enemies was kind of boring 'but it's exactly what really happened so it's better than if they changed it to make it exciting.'

[Grouchy]

Yes, I agree. What I don't understand is why you suggest it's bad-ness comes from Woody working too fast when that's unlikely the case with this film.
Understand what you're saying, but regurgitating and "updating" a 30-year-old script, though, seems to me like the key of the problem with Woody's movies - they have to get done once a year even if there aren't any real ideas behind them.

By the way, I'd seen the Uruguayan short film a while ago - really awesome. The guy got a Hollywood FX contract solely on the basis of it, with Dreamworks I think.

And that Phantom Menace review is fucking brilliant. Just finished it.

[MadMan]

a friend of mine tonight told me he thought public enemies was kind of boring 'but it's exactly what really happened so it's better than if they changed it to make it exciting.'Considering how much I love history, I didn't think I was going to find it boring. But its not surprising that Mann and co. shifted the facts around for dramatic license, and to make the movie more entertaining, plus to fit the movie into Mann's usual themes. I have a basic idea of what those are, thanks to having watched Collateral and having looked at his filmography. Last of the Mohicans just seems to be the odd duck out in that department.

[ledfloyd]

Considering how much I love history, I didn't think I was going to find it boring. But its not surprising that Mann and co. shifted the facts around for dramatic license, and to make the movie more entertaining, plus to fit the movie into Mann's usual themes. I have a basic idea of what those are, thanks to having watched Collateral and having looked at his filmography. Last of the Mohicans just seems to be the odd duck out in that department.
i haven't seen mohicans. i just found the statement funny because mann does change a ton of things. and in many cases i feel like it made it less entertaining. or maybe less interesting.

[Sven]

I ADORE Lewton, Tourneur a little less.. but still, together they were wonderful.

Yeah. I have a feeling that my low score for Cat People will elevate in years. As it is, I've seen it too many times in too short a time. The sequel is impeccable, and I must admit that I am pleased by your unorthodoxically high score for Isle of the Dead.

Lewton's films with Karloff are amazing. And Karloff is amazing in them. Bedlam and The Body Snatcher are practically why I watch movies.

[megladon8]

Yeah. I have a feeling that my low score for Cat People will elevate in years. As it is, I've seen it too many times in too short a time. The sequel is impeccable, and I must admit that I am pleased by your unorthodoxically high score for Isle of the Dead.

Lewton's films with Karloff are amazing. And Karloff is amazing in them. Bedlam and The Body Snatcher are practically why I watch movies.


You rock, Sven. I'm going to give you rep for the rest of eternity.

The Body Snatcher is a dee-light. When I saw it two years back, I put it right near the top of my "best films seen this year" list. It's so good.

[Dukefrukem]

After having watched both movies recently, would anyone support this statement?

City of God > There Will Be Blood

[megladon8]

I haven't seen City of God yet, but it'd have to be pretty damn good to best There Will Be Blood. That movie is pretty much perfect.

[Dukefrukem]

I haven't seen City of God yet, but it'd have to be pretty damn good to best There Will Be Blood. That movie is pretty much perfect.

I enjoyed the hell out of There Will Be Blood, but I LOVED City of God. Like you said, both movies are nearly perfect, but I think I'd want to watch City of God over TWBB if I had a choice... still pondering this.

[megladon8]

I enjoyed the hell out of There Will Be Blood, but I LOVED City of God. Like you said, both movies are nearly perfect, but I think I'd want to watch City of God over TWBB if I had a choice... still pondering this.


I still feel kind of ashamed that I haven't seen City of God yet. It seems everyone and their grandmother's uncle love it to death.

It's kind of a case where, because EVERYONE loves it so damn much and I've heard nothing but rants and raves about its awesomeness, I'm worried that I will be disappointed no matter what.

[Qrazy]

The death of a loved one is often the catalyst for an anxiety disorder to develop. I'm not entirely convinced Olivier should be formally diagnosed, but his behavior very much matched that of an anxious person. To further that point, one of the ways in which people combat anxiety is to exercise full control over something. I see this in the film by way of Olivier's comforting of Magali and his carpentry class, which he says himself is the only thing that makes him feel useful.

I didn't feel him to be a character who experiences anxiety on a frequent basis. When he does experience anxious symptoms it's in relation to some catalyst which digs up his grief. I don't remember how long after his son's death the film takes places but for depression/anxiety to be pathological the symptoms must continue a significant length of time after that which is considered a socially 'normal' event/response comes to an end... that is to say +6 months after the death of a loved one. Many psychiatrist's disagree with this formulation of pathology though and the definition is likely going to be reworked for the DSM-V to include a lengthier period of time.

[Qrazy]

I still feel kind of ashamed that I haven't seen City of God yet. It seems everyone and their grandmother's uncle love it to death.

It's kind of a case where, because EVERYONE loves it so damn much and I've heard nothing but rants and raves about its awesomeness, I'm worried that I will be disappointed no matter what.

I would guess there are some people here that aren't too fond of it, but I do think it's very good and prefer it to Los Olvidados.

[Spinal]

After having watched both movies recently, would anyone support this statement?

City of God > There Will Be Blood

Yes. But why are we comparing the two?

[Dukefrukem]

Yes. But why are we comparing the two?

Only because I saw them both recently for the first time.

[balmakboor]

After having watched both movies recently, would anyone support this statement?

City of God > There Will Be Blood

I guess I'd have to re-watch both back to back to decide if I agree or not. Both are pretty damn good. Neither is perfect, whatever that means.

[balmakboor]

I guess I'd have to re-watch both back to back to decide if I agree or not. Both are pretty damn good. Neither is perfect, whatever that means.

I'll add though that I generally prefer the stately qualities of There Will Be Blood to the more kinetic qualities of City of God.

[number8]

City of God doesn't do much for me.

[Derek]

City of God doesn't do much for me.

Ditto

[Fezzik]

a friend of mine tonight told me he thought public enemies was kind of boring 'but it's exactly what really happened so it's better than if they changed it to make it exciting.'

What's amusing about this is that its not exactly what happened. They made wholesale changes, including the lodge shootout (I covered it in a previous post on this thread).

I usually don't mind changes for the sake of cinematics, but what puzzled me about PE is that the changes made the story less interesting, not moreso.

[Dukefrukem]

What's amusing about this is that its not exactly what happened. They made wholesale changes, including the lodge shootout (I covered it in a previous post on this thread).

I usually don't mind changes for the sake of cinematics, but what puzzled me about PE is that the changes made the story less interesting, not moreso.

Agreed completely. It's Mann's worst film. I remember you saying this because I posted how much I loved the "whiskey fast cars" line and you said that you read he didn't even drink whiskey.

[Ezee E]

Both of those would probably make my top ten of the decade. There Will Be Blood being higher. But there isn't a really point saying which masterpiece is better.

[Kurosawa Fan]

City of God doesn't do much for me.

*nods in agreement*

[Bosco B Thug]

what has to be the most consistently excellent film class I've taken (Lewton/Tourneur): Right on.


The Seventh Victim - ****
Bedlam - ****
The Body Snatcher - ****
The Ghost Ship - ****
The Curse of the Cat People - ****
Night of the Demon - ****
I Walked With a Zombie - ***1/2
Leopard Man - ***1/2
Out of the Past - ***1/2
Berlin Express - ***1/2
The Haunting - ***1/2
Isle of the Dead - ***
Cat People - ***
Experiment Perilous - ***
The Flame and the Arrow - **1/2 Right on right on. Nothing below three and a half. I think I'll give most of these a re-whirl soon, particularly The Ghost Ship.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Revanche was alright. Very well made formal minimalism, and if that's your kind of thing there's a lot to love. The second half has some great moments of controlled tension, but otherwise the film does not add up to a whole lot.

[Wryan]

Curse/Night of the Demon is some kind of awesomeness, that's for damn sure. There are similar moments in that and Isle of the Dead that just give me delicious shivers.

[Sven]

Right on right on. Nothing below three and a half. I think I'll give most of these a re-whirl soon, particularly The Ghost Ship.

Not quite. Those last four are three stars and two.five stars. Still, that kind of roster is tough to beat. And definitely spin Ghost Ship again. It's too good to dismiss.

[Bosco B Thug]

Not quite. Those last four are three stars and two.five stars. Still, that kind of roster is tough to beat. And definitely spin Ghost Ship again. It's too good to dismiss. Haha, yeah I noticed. Essentially, though - I mean, if you found Bedlam and The Ghost Ship primo Lewton, then you probably even got 1+ more masterworks out of the class than most people do.

[Spun Lepton]

I'm about 60 minutes into the 70 minute "review" of Phantom Menace. Hilarious stuff, and right on the money.

[Melville]

Boner: thoughts on Edvard Munch?

[megladon8]

I'm about 60 minutes into the 70 minute "review" of Phantom Menace. Hilarious stuff, and right on the money.


"If you're under the age of 20 and think The Empire Strikes Back is the worst because it's 'the most boring-est one', then stop now before I spend the rest of this review telling you how much of a fucking idiot you are."

[Boner M]

Boner: thoughts on Edvard Munch?
Not much that Spinal didn't cover in his review in the Watkins thread, also I gave it an incredibly truncated viewing too which it didn't deserve. Although I will say that I'm glad the film didn't peak with the creation of "The Scream" and instead was content to dawdle about toward a more ambivalent ending as an illustration of Munch's state of contant flux/limbo, potently capturing how 'apex' works for artists can't reconcile their inner turmoil. Watkins' docu-drama approach completely worked for me; it allowed for the discussions of art & the descriptions of the social and political upheaval in the narration to combine to create a rich tapestry of (sometimes contradictory) ideas about its subject, without being glibly diagnostic as more classical fictional biopics can often be. It was all more just incredibly interesting rather than engaging for me, but I was always interested. A great big juicy intellectual smorgasbord of a film, really.

And the guy who played Munch gave a wonderful blank-canvas non-performance.

[Melville]

Not much that Spinal didn't cover in his review in the Watkins thread, also I gave it an incredibly truncated viewing too which it didn't deserve. Although I will say that I'm glad the film didn't peak with the creation of "The Scream" and instead was content to dawdle about toward a more ambivalent ending as an illustration of Munch's state of contant flux/limbo, potently capturing how 'apex' works for artists can't reconcile their inner turmoil. Watkins' docu-drama approach completely worked for me; it allowed for the discussions of art & the descriptions of the social and political upheaval in the narration to combine to create a rich tapestry of (sometimes contradictory) ideas about its subject, without being glibly diagnostic as more classical fictional biopics can often be. It was all more just incredibly interesting rather than engaging for me, but I was always interested. A great big juicy intellectual smorgasbord of a film, really.

And the guy who played Munch gave a wonderful blank-canvas non-performance.
Bump up your rating half a star, and throw in some words about evocation of subjective experience through montage and sound, and we'd be in complete agreement. In case you haven't read them, here are my thoughts on the film:
http://www.match-cut.org/showthread.php?p=133310#post13 3310

It's slowly working its way toward my top 10.

(I think I'm out of rep at the moment, but you'll be first on the list tomorrow.)

[Boner M]

Bump up your rating half a star, and throw in some words about evocation of subjective experience through montage and sound, and we'd be in complete agreement. In case you haven't read them, here are my thoughts on the film:
http://www.match-cut.org/showthread.php?p=133310#post13 3310

It's slowly working its way toward my top 10.

(I think I'm out of rep at the moment, but you'll be first on the list tomorrow.)
Will read soon. I'm got decent speed net at the moment, so I'm concentrating on the Phanton Menace review right now. So far it's livin' up to the hype.

[B-side]

I didn't feel him to be a character who experiences anxiety on a frequent basis. When he does experience anxious symptoms it's in relation to some catalyst which digs up his grief. I don't remember how long after his son's death the film takes places but for depression/anxiety to be pathological the symptoms must continue a significant length of time after that which is considered a socially 'normal' event/response comes to an end... that is to say +6 months after the death of a loved one. Many psychiatrist's disagree with this formulation of pathology though and the definition is likely going to be reworked for the DSM-V to include a lengthier period of time.

Well, like I said, I'm not convinced he should be formally diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, just that he rather realistically displayed the behaviors and quirks of a person with anxiety regardless of directorial intent.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Here it is: my star ratings, listed in order of preference, for the film I watched in what has to be the most consistently excellent film class I've taken (Lewton/Tourneur):

The Seventh Victim - ****
Bedlam - ****
The Body Snatcher - ****
The Ghost Ship - ****
The Curse of the Cat People - ****
Night of the Demon - ****
I Walked With a Zombie - ***1/2
Leopard Man - ***1/2
Out of the Past - ***1/2
Berlin Express - ***1/2
The Haunting - ***1/2
Isle of the Dead - ***
Cat People - ***
Experiment Perilous - ***
The Flame and the Arrow - **1/2

So good.

Oh my God, I am envious of this class. So many terrific films. Love the love for Seventh Victim and Curse of the Cat People. Ooh, and you loved Night of the Demon and The Leopard Man too! Lewton is responsible for the best stream of horror films...like, ever? Hell, I hesitate to call it all horror, since Curse is a wonderful fairy tale and The Seventh Victim is more of a quiet drama.

Gaw. I really need to get that boxed set.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Oh, and awesome news: Criterion threw thirty-five movies onto Netflix Instant Watch...

High and Low
Jules and Jim
Sanjuro
Seven Samurai
Summertime
The Vanishing
Walkabout
Yojimbo
My Life as a Dog
For All Mankind
Cleo from 5 to 7
Sisters
Closely Watched Trains
M. Hulot’s Holiday
Rashomon
I Vitelloni
Wild Strawberries
L’Avventura
Hidden Fortress
General Idi Amin Dada
Man Bites Dog
The Lower Depths
Ikiru
Onibaba
Le Corbeau
Overlord
La Bete Humaine
Pickpocket
Elevator to the Gallows
Cria Cuervos
Mala Noche
Europa
Wings of Desire
Z
The Seventh Seal

Holy moly. This is awesome. I've seen a healthy number of these, but wow.

Wow.

[B-side]

http://images.telerama.fr/medias/2009/03/media_40449/le-mystere-von-stroheim,M19501.jpg

I love this picture so much.

[Rowland]

Not quite. Those last four are three stars and two.five stars. Still, that kind of roster is tough to beat. And definitely spin Ghost Ship again. It's too good to dismiss.Four stars would be a bit much for me, but The Ghost Ship is an easy ***½. Definitely underrated.

[balmakboor]

Oh, and awesome news: Criterion threw thirty-five movies onto Netflix Instant Watch...

High and Low
Jules and Jim
Sanjuro
Seven Samurai
Summertime
The Vanishing
Walkabout
Yojimbo
My Life as a Dog
For All Mankind
Cleo from 5 to 7
Sisters
Closely Watched Trains
M. Hulot’s Holiday
Rashomon
I Vitelloni
Wild Strawberries
L’Avventura
Hidden Fortress
General Idi Amin Dada
Man Bites Dog
The Lower Depths
Ikiru
Onibaba
Le Corbeau
Overlord
La Bete Humaine
Pickpocket
Elevator to the Gallows
Cria Cuervos
Mala Noche
Europa
Wings of Desire
Z
The Seventh Seal

Holy moly. This is awesome. I've seen a healthy number of these, but wow.

Wow.

Cool. I know I'll be watching some of those. I wish someone would create a "Criterion Titles on Instant Watch" thread or something.

[Adam]

http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss47/adamstone20/barsanti-manonasphalt-1-1.jpg http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss47/adamstone20/we-were-once-a-fairytale-1-1.jpg

So somebody gave me an itunes gift card for Christmas and I decided to burn it on a bunch of short films that looked appealing to me, even though half of them are available to watch free on line

Darling Darling (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3Uvmv3zDXo) Michael Cera plays a kid who's picking up his date for a dance, only he has to make small talk with her father first. Has its moments, for sure, but ultimately they kind of missed the mark with all the absurdity. Cera's funny, at least, but then again I'm not on board the Cera backlash train yet, so your mileage may vary

Manon on the Asphalt Young woman gets hit by a car and imagines how all the people in her life will react to her death. She thinks back on the simple pleasures she's enjoyed and has fleeting recollections of all her "lasts." Last laugh, last fuck, etc. I liked this one a lot. Hip, charming, life-affirming, all that jazz

New Boy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdeioVndUhs) Orphaned African kid has to deal with life at his new Irish school. Pretty good stuff. There are times where it gets close to becoming warmed-over goo, but in the end it's kind of irresistibly sweet

Round About Five (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO9gZGC_LFw) Fairly spiffy meet-cute between a businessman played by Martin Freeman and a biker played by Lena Headey. Had a smile on my face the whole time I was watching this. Martin Freeman's also in one of all-time favorite shorts, Call Register (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hC-7mhg5x8)

Six Shooter (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a9mjgt45UE&feature=related) Martin McDonagh's grimly hilarious yarn about the worst day in a guy's life. It's got everything everybody loves about McDonagh condensed into 28 minutes and Brendan Gleeson is, as always, awesome

The Shovel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkLnpMoBfbQ) David Strathairn plays a guy who hears his neighbor digging in the middle of the night and finds himself the suspect in a double murder the next morning. Sort of The Burbs by way of Hitchcock, but really that's giving it too much credit. Almost saved by the acting

We Were Once A Fairytale (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu_gAt-KFI0) Spike Jonze directs Kanye West in a film that somehow simultaneously pokes fun at Kanye's ego as well as inflating it. And everything gets gloriously weird towards the end. This short confirms my theory that Kanye West is secretly the most self-aware motherfucker on the planet

I also bought and watched Aquarios, The Danish Poet (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTef0HWbW_M) & A Gentleman's Duel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCP2qbHDGIs) but those three were mostly blah

[Pop Trash]

Anyone know what's added to the extended cut of The New World? Is it better? Worse? I've seen the theatrical cut so many times now that watching the longer cut seems like it might throw me off.

[MadMan]

Anyone know what's added to the extended cut of The New World? Is it better? Worse? I've seen the theatrical cut so many times now that watching the longer cut seems like it might throw me off.The New World's theatrical cut felt way too goddamn long. I can't see why or how an extended cut of the movie would be any better, unless it fleshes out some key themes. Despite the gorgeous visuals in the second half, and the fact that the ending is quite good (aside from going on, and on, and on....) the second half fails to substain the greatness from the first half. A good movie though, and it makes me want to see more Terrence Malick, if I finally actually watch movies. I haven't been in the mood lately, even though I have two movies from the library and one from Netflix.

[Derek]

Anyone know what's added to the extended cut of The New World? Is it better? Worse? I've seen the theatrical cut so many times now that watching the longer cut seems like it might throw me off.

I haven't seen the 171-minute cut, but the 150-minute cut had a slightly different and more effective use of voice-over than the theatrical. There were no major scene differences so I think it was small bits here and there which were cut. From the talk over at The House Next Door, full of New World lovers, it sounds like the longer cut is the way to go.

[Derek]

The New World's theatrical cut felt way too goddamn long. I can't see why or how an extended cut of the movie would be any better, unless it fleshes out some key themes. Despite the gorgeous visuals in the second half, and the fact that the ending is quite good (aside from going on, and on, and on....) the second half fails to substain the greatness from the first half. A good movie though, and it makes me want to see more Terrence Malick, if I finally actually watch movies. I haven't been in the mood lately, even though I have two movies from the library and one from Netflix.

Check out The Thin Red Line. It's totally your kind of film.

[MadMan]

Check out The Thin Red Line. It's totally your kind of film.Both you and Spinal have said this. I'm going to put it on the Netflix queue. Honestly! *shifty*

[Ezee E]

Watched All About My Mother. Just okay.

[Ezee E]

Great article on comparing Precious to a John Waters movie.

Link (http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/2009/12/precious_based_on_the_movie_fe .html#more)

Haven't even seen Precious, but this was great.

[balmakboor]

Great article on comparing Precious to a John Waters movie.

Link (http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/2009/12/precious_based_on_the_movie_fe .html#more)

Haven't even seen Precious, but this was great.

Damn. That piece actually makes me want to see it. I looooove melodrama -- especially when it's intentionally (or unintentionally) funny.

A variation of the first photo collage (the mom and Divine) in that review would make a great banner.

[megladon8]

I was pretty surprised when Quentin Tarantino named Precious as one of his favorite movies of the year.

[Winston*]

Last two movies I saw were Killer Klowns from Outer Space and Zombieland. Quick, I need another comic horror climaxing in an amusement park!

[balmakboor]

Last two movies I saw were Killer Klowns from Outer Space and Zombieland. Quick, I need another comic horror climaxing in an amusement park!

National Lampoon's Vacation has a dead grandma. Is that horrific enough?

[Raiders]

Last two movies I saw were Killer Klowns from Outer Space and Zombieland. Quick, I need another comic horror climaxing in an amusement park!

Not sure about a comic horror film, but Tobe Hooper's Funhouse takes place entirely inside a carnival (and mostly inside the titular funhouse). Also, Carnival of Souls climaxes at some abandoned amusement park pavilion.

[Benny Profane]

Last two movies I saw were Killer Klowns from Outer Space and Zombieland. Quick, I need another comic horror climaxing in an amusement park!

Have you ever seen Plain Clothes?

It ends at a school carnival.

George Wendt is in it.

George Freaking Wendt.

[Grouchy]

Crumb is an excellent documentary. Maybe slightly too long, but you can tell Zwigoff is completely fascinated by his subjects and the blues & country soundtrack is a winner. What's awesome is how dependent on each other's psychosis the Crumb brothers are - Robert admits that Charles is smarter, funnier and more skilled at drawing than he is, and you sense that he's the famous one only because his stuff is marginally more adjusted to society than his brother's. This was funny and heartbreaking at the same time - very recommended.

Then I saw The Brave One. Pretty standard revenge flick. Replace Charles Bronson with Jodie Foster and that's it. Neil Jordan, Foster and whoever the cinematographer is do excellent work here, but it seems kind of wasted on a script as formulaic as this one. I also didn't buy the protagonist's relationship with the cop one bit. Those scenes just made me cringe.

[Stay Puft]

/Knock Off/ (Hark, 1998) ***

Yesssssssssss.

edit - Huh, the link disappeared when I quoted it, but that trailer is the greatest thing I've ever seen. (Though I am also in support of your rating.)

[Rowland]

(Though I am also in support of your rating.)I remember that you are, we're a rare breed. It has aged better than many of the inexplicably popular action movies from the late '90s. I'd watch Knock Off over deadening crap like Air Force One any day.

Plus, I love this song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUJUPruO_XY&feature=related).

[Stay Puft]

Yeah, Sparks is awesome. They did the entire score for the film, IIRC.

They even wrote a song about Tsui Hark on one of their earlier albums. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M87tvfiwJLA)

"I'm Tsui Hark. I'm a film director. I've won several awards for my films." :lol:

[Benny Profane]

The Blind Side was utter dreck. The real story of Michael Oher's life is incredible enough, there was no need to Hollywoodize it. The little kid was intolerable, as was Bullock's grandstanding. The actress who played Collins Tuohy is a serious hottie though.

[Adam]

Michael Oher must be getting such shit from opposing defensive linemen and whatnot

[Dukefrukem]

Check out The Thin Red Line. It's totally your kind of film.

God i hate that movie...

[Skitch]

God i hate that movie...

Hooray! I'm not alone!

[balmakboor]

The actress who played Collins Tuohy is a serious hottie...

Yes! Her eye candy is the only thing that made the movie tolerable for me.

I panned this in the local paper and never before have I received so much flack. I have people coming up to me from all over the place and telling me, "You sure got it wrong with The Blind Side."

I guess I should be happy though. At least it means people are actually reading my reviews.

[Benny Profane]

Yes! Her eye candy is the only thing that made the movie tolerable for me.

I panned this in the local paper and never before have I received so much flack. I have people coming up to me from all over the place and telling me, "You sure got it wrong with The Blind Side."

I guess I should be happy though. At least it means people are actually reading my reviews.

The book it's based on is excellent and is worth a read even if you're not a football fan. You'll read it and wonder why the hell they changed so many parts of the story.

EDIT: I should say that the actor who played Oher pretty much nailed how I imagined him to be in my head. Good job by him.

[Ezee E]

I have no intention of seeing the movie. Can you tell me what they changed?

[Benny Profane]

I have no intention of seeing the movie. Can you tell me what they changed?

Lee Anne never told off her racist friends.
She never told off a loud racist fan in the stands
She never ran out onto the field to coach Michael.
She never mouthed off to the coach.
She was not there when all the college recruiters came to see Oher practice.
Oher never went back to the projects and beat up people cause they insulted Collins.
Collins was not resistant to Michael. She looked out for him in school, not avoid him.
Sean Jr. never coached Michael in football, or film his practices/games.
Sean Sr. had a much larger role in the book than Lee Ann did. They made this a Sandra Bullock movie, not a Michael Oher movie.
There's probably a lot more I'm forgetting. This is off the top of my head and I read the book over 2 years ago.

There's a good movie buried underneath all of this. They just totally fucked it up.

[balmakboor]

I wonder why The Blind Side has struck such a chord. I thought maybe it was because so many recent leaders have been so flawed, not to mention athlete celebrities like Michael Vick and Tiger Woods, that people actually find a movie with perfect characters, not a flaw in sight, to be a relief.

But then I think about the '60s and '70s with Vietnam and Nixon and Kennedy assassinations. That led to a surge in popularity of deeply flawed, anti-heroic, heroes.

So I'm totally at a loss as to why a movie that is basically about a perfect and rich little white family and their pet negro has captured the imagination of so many people.

[Ezee E]

So the whole preview basically. Haha.

[balmakboor]

So I'm totally at a loss as to why a movie that is basically about a perfect and rich little white family and their pet negro has captured the imagination of so many people.

Actually, we should even be a bit disturbed by this. Has Spike Lee ever said anything about the movie?

[B-side]

Actually, we should even be a bit disturbed by this. Has Spike Lee ever said anything about the movie?

There weren't enough black people in Flags of Our Fathers.:lol:

[balmakboor]

This snippet from the below review says a lot about my feelings:

http://www.paloaltoonline.com/movies/reviews/The-Blind-Side?review_id=2369

"In an example of laughable screenwriting B.S., the film claims Oher scored in the 98th percentile in 'Protective Instincts' (they test for that?), and he's not able to achieve on the field until Leigh Anne tells him the other team are bad guys trying to hurt his white family. As Michael in turn teaches the Tuohys the true meaning of family, he becomes the archetype Spike Lee acidly called the 'super-duper magical Negro,' who lowers his face and steps aside to let the white star have her Oscar clip."

[Benny Profane]

This snippet from the below review says a lot about my feelings:

http://www.paloaltoonline.com/movies/reviews/The-Blind-Side?review_id=2369

"In an example of laughable screenwriting B.S., the film claims Oher scored in the 98th percentile in 'Protective Instincts' (they test for that?), and he's not able to achieve on the field until Leigh Anne tells him the other team are bad guys trying to hurt his white family. As Michael in turn teaches the Tuohys the true meaning of family, he becomes the archetype Spike Lee acidly called the 'super-duper magical Negro,' who lowers his face and steps aside to let the white star have her Oscar clip."

Oh yeah. Forgot about the protective instincts part. Also, calling the coach on the sidelines during the game. More screenwriting B.S.

Seriously, the story of Oher and the Tuohy's is extraordinary enough without all this garbage.

[number8]

No surprise to anyone, but Roeper's Top 10 is embarrassing.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/roeper/1947311,SHO-Sunday-roeper20.article

[Dukefrukem]

No surprise to anyone, but Roeper's Top 10 is embarrassing.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/roeper/1947311,SHO-Sunday-roeper20.article

Why is Crash on the list?

Edit: ah i thought it was a decade list... only 09

[balmakboor]

No surprise to anyone, but Roeper's Top 10 is embarrassing.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/roeper/1947311,SHO-Sunday-roeper20.article

Other than Brothers, it looks like a lot of critics top 10s. What's so especially embarrassing about this one?

[Pop Trash]

Other than Brothers, it looks like a lot of critics top 10s. What's so especially embarrassing about this one?

Yeah that's what I thought too. Yay for Adventureland as well.

[Derek]

I've been excited all week to finally have time to watch Antichrist tomorrow. Only earlier today did the irony dawn on me. :)

[Bosco B Thug]

I've been excited all week to finally have time to watch Antichrist tomorrow. Only earlier today did the irony dawn on me. :)
wtg!

I've got The Holy Mountain up for the weekend myself, for a-Christ-y holiday viewing. Also: Fool For Love and MST3K: Santa Claus vs. the Martians (finally).

[Watashi]

I saw Julia today due to my lack of any really good female performances all year. Swinton definitely changed that. She was terrific. The film kinda fell apart once they reached Mexico and it became too twisty for my tastes.

[Boner M]

I'm gonna watch Goodfellas again today. For some reason, it's an awesome X-mas movie.

[baby doll]

No surprise to anyone, but Roeper's Top 10 is embarrassing.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/roeper/1947311,SHO-Sunday-roeper20.articleI've just seen The Hurt Locker and Inglourious Basterds (both impressive, but far from the masterpieces they're touted as), (500) Days of Summer and Up (cute but forgettable), and An Education (offensively heavy-handed). But yes, any list with no foreign language films is an embarrassment. Then again, I suppose it's possible that he's seen La Frontière de l'aube, Silent Light, Tony Manero, Tulpan, You, the Living, and dozens more I haven't seen, and simply finds them less impressive and memorable than the "the cool-ass CGI/motion capture/movie magic/3D stuff," which is apparently the only thing he liked about Avatar (as opposed to its story, which he describes as a retread of Star Wars by way of Dances With Wolves with a preachy eco-friendly message).

[Watashi]

I really don't have a Christmas movie I watch every year. I'm always usually working. I used to watch Edward Scissorhands and Nightmare Before Christmas a lot during the holidays.

I think I'll watch the Justice League episode "Comfort and Joy" tonight in the honor of this festive spirit.

[baby doll]

I'm gonna watch Goodfellas again today. For some reason, it's an awesome X-mas movie.Strangely enough, I just watched Raging Bull again last night, which is something I periodically do in the vain hope that this time it will reveal itself to me as the masterpiece so many claim it is. And to be sure, Scorsese does some impressive things stylistically in the boxing sequences--particularly, the anti-naturalistic cinematography and sound mix (note the way that the sound of the crowd suddenly fades to nothing and then comes back), and the aggressive editing. (The rest of the movie, however, not so much. Apart from the slow motion shots of LaMotta/De Niro looking at his wife, this is standard filmmaking.) But the problem I continue to have with the film is that it tries to make LaMotta's decline seem in some way tragic, rather than merely pathetic. To be a tragic figure, like Othello (to whom LaMotta is sometimes compared), don't you have to start out as a noble person? Right from the beginning, when he's arguing with his first wife about the steak, LaMotta's just an obnoxious jerk. Take away the fact that he was a professional boxer, and he's just another run of the mill wife beater.

[Boner M]

But the problem I continue to have with the film is that it tries to make LaMotta's decline seem in some way tragic, rather than merely pathetic.
Been a while since I've seen the film, but from what I remember his decline was depicted as pathetic through-and-through. It's hard to think of a more potent image of pathetic-ness in cinema than LaMotta furiously punching his prison wall while crying.

[Melville]

Been a while since I've seen the film, but from what I remember his decline was depicted as pathetic through-and-through. It's hard to think of a more potent image of pathetic-ness in cinema than Jake furiously punching his prison wall while crying.
Yeah, I don't think the film tried to make the story into a grandiose downfall. It was just a guy with a lot of talent mercilessly destroying himself.

[Ivan Drago]

My Christmas tradition is the MST3K episode of Santa Claus Conquers The Martians.

"All this trouble for a fat little man in a red suit!"
"...Truman Capote?"

[Ezee E]

Been a while since I've seen the film, but from what I remember his decline was depicted as pathetic through-and-through. It's hard to think of a more potent image of pathetic-ness in cinema than LaMotta furiously punching his prison wall while crying.
Yes. And it's not like his relationship with his wife was anything to be proud about either. Quite creepy the entire time.

[baby doll]

Been a while since I've seen the film, but from what I remember his decline was depicted as pathetic through-and-through. It's hard to think of a more potent image of pathetic-ness in cinema than LaMotta furiously punching his prison wall while crying.The opera music over the opening credits to me indicates that Scorsese was going for something a little more grandiose. But let's say he wasn't: What's the point then of making a film about this guy's pathetic life?

[B-side]

What's the point then of making a film about this guy's pathetic life?

What's the point of making any art?

To try and answer your question, why not? LaMotta was a major figure. People are interested in him.

[Qrazy]

The opera music over the opening credits to me indicates that Scorsese was going for something a little more grandiose. But let's say he wasn't: What's the point then of making a film about this guy's pathetic life?

What's the point of making a film about a guy who drives around in a taxi and then decides to kill people? Once you answer that question you'll be able to answer the other one.

[B-side]

Shut up, Qrazy.

<3 you

[Qrazy]

Shut up, Qrazy.

<3 you

I think I'm finally going to watch Winter Light tomorrow and probably My Night at Maud's and Landscape in the Mist either tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

[B-side]

I think I'm finally going to watch Winter Light tomorrow and probably My Night at Maud's and Landscape in the Mist either tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

That'd be sweet. Might give me more incentive to finish my part.:P

[Dead & Messed Up]

Grey Gardens, the HBO movie starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange, is quite good. They play the Bouvier cousins who went nuts and stayed on their decaying estate, Grey Gardens, while Jacqueline went on to fame and fortune as Jackie O. The narrative follows their whole life, interspersed with re-created footage from the classic documentary (also called Grey Gardens) that inspired the movie. I'm curious to see that documentary, which I suspect will be a little less tidy and melodramatic than this, but credit due to Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange, who get past the idiosyncrasies of the mother/daughter duo and find the tragedy inherent in their dysfunctional relationship.

The old-age makeup has its ups and downs.

B

[Rowland]

My family has made a yearly tradition out of the 1984 made-for-TV iteration of A Christmas Carol starring George C. Scott. The direction is a bit flat, the child playing Tiny Tim grates the nerves, and the didactic moralism inherent to the story can be difficult to swallow, but the milieu is atmospherically rendered and Scott absolutely kills as Scrooge. I've seen it so many times I can't help but offer a bit of running commentary as my family and I watch it, but it's only gentle ribbing for a sentimental seasonal favorite.

[Dukefrukem]

Is this (http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/district13ultimatum/) what i think it is? a sequel to District B13?

[megladon8]

Is this (http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/district13ultimatum/) what i think it is? a sequel to District B13?


Yes, considering it says so in the blurb.

[number8]

I thought that movie already came out.

[balmakboor]

So, we're snowed in today and most likely tomorrow.

I watched an Asian horror thing called The Red Shoes. I haven't seen much Asian horror, but it already looked kinda silly and derivative.

I gave my daughter the Fruits Basket box set. I Netflixed the first disc of this anime series and she fell in love with it. Then, suddenly it went unavailable on Netflix and everywhere else. She'd given up hope of seeing the remaining 20 episodes, but I found it available again on amazon a couple weeks ago and surprised her with it. We watched eight episodes today and it is actually pretty damn good. Perfect for a 13-year-old girl of her sensibilities.

Now, I have to get busy reading. My older daughter gave me The Road and I want to read it before seeing the film which opened here today.

[B-side]

Downloading El. Kinda wanna jump back into Buñuel for a change.

[Ezee E]

I got the Kubrick Archives for Christmas. What a glorious book. The first half is nothing but high-res images from each of his movies. The second half are essays, reviews, interviews, etc of his work. Great book, and a hell of a paperweight. 10-20 pounds for sure.

[BuffaloWilder]

You know, I haven't watched it in years, but P.J. Hogan's Peter Pan isn't bad - although, it's kind of hampered by just how terribly awful its two leads are, and a contrived sense of humor that pretty often falls flat, especially in the opening scenes of the film. Beautiful use of water-color compositions, and the island of Neverland as an extension of its main character. Also, Jason Isaacs as Hook was a pretty inspired choice, with lots of hints to all the obsessions and oddities that seem to churn beneath - although, the other half of his duel-role, as Mr. Darling, doesn't come off quite so well.

And, come on - Ludvigne Sagnier as Tinkerbell. That's awesome.

[StanleyK]

You know, I haven't watched it in years, but P.J. Hogan's Peter Pan isn't bad - although, it's kind of hampered by just how terribly awful its two leads are, and a contrived sense of humor that pretty often falls flat, especially in the opening scenes of the film. Beautiful use of water-color compositions, and the island of Neverland as an extension of its main character. Also, Jason Isaacs as Hook was a pretty inspired choice, with lots of hints to all the obsessions and oddities that seem to churn beneath - although, the other half of his duel-role, as Mr. Darling, doesn't come off quite so well.

And, come on - Ludvigne Sagnier as Tinkerbell. That's awesome.

I think it's a great movie- certainly much better than Spielberg's Hook. James Newton Howard's score is freakin' magical.

[BuffaloWilder]

I liked Hook, though - it's a mess, but it's the kind of mess whose charm comes from being just such a mess.

[Bosco B Thug]

Altman's Fool for Love is a stunner. Every single bit of it, from the magnificent performances to Altman's counterintuitively liberated sense of visual possibility from working with a stage-bound play adaptation (I've seen Secret Honor, but now I can't wait to see Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean), is absolutely enchanting, in that dark and weird way of an Altman film. It never seems acknowledged enough: Altman may be an American studio filmmaker, albeit a "rogue" one, but he is totally into the wierd and the arcane, and Fool for Love is one of his weirdest (haven't read Sam Sheperd's play, but now I'll only be able to see it as existential theater of the absurd, even if it isn't). He even out-Lynches Lynch here, making images of small-town America and the West a place of repressed nightmares, with the same sort of prop-world fantasticalness but with Altman's style and sense of nuance and nebulous behavior placing it firmly in a strange but undeniably real world. Altman's flashbacks that continually flux between accurateness and inaccurateness, reality and fantasy (literally at one point) are one of the more genuinely novel things I've seen in a long time.

[Qrazy]

How's Vincent and Theo? I was thinking about renting that the other day.

[balmakboor]

How's Vincent and Theo? I was thinking about renting that the other day.

I remember liking it. It's been a loooong time though. It didn't leave as strong of an impression as Five and Dime though which I also saw a loooong time ago.

[Qrazy]

I remember liking it. It's been a loooong time though. It didn't leave as strong of an impression as Five and Dime though which I also saw a loooong time ago.

Cool, well I suppose I'll check out all three (Fool, Jimmy, Vincent).

[Bosco B Thug]

I remember liking it. It's been a loooong time though. It didn't leave as strong of an impression as Five and Dime though which I also saw a loooong time ago.
Yeah, same here, I didn't take to Vincent and Theo as much as other Altman films.

[BuffaloWilder]

I think it's a great movie- certainly much better than Spielberg's Hook. James Newton Howard's score is freakin' magical.

Although, now that I think about it, I'm not all that crazy about the score, either. There are moments, especially near the end and when all the children are flying to Neverland for the first time, where it really hits a grand stride, but for the most part, it just seems to be the same "da-dum-da-dum" doldrummy kind of theme that seems to pop up in comedies and other children's movies all the time. Even in scenes that seemed like they were supposed to be dramatic - which is a little strange.

[Mara]

Anyone else surprised by the genuine amount of talent that got flushed down the toilet into Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel? (Also, worst title ever? Possibly.)

Zacharay Levi (cutie), David Cross, Jason Lee, Justin Long, Amy Poehler, Anna Faris (cutie)...? How much money did they have to throw at these people?

[megladon8]

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was all right. I'm really getting tired of the formula now - new teacher arrives, bad stuff happens, arbitrary spells/contraptions that solve every problem are introduced early on and used later, etc.

It has its share of great visuals, but is it just me or did this entry in the series seem really devoid of colour? I felt like I was playing "Gears of War" - everything was brown, grey, or brownish grey.

As usual it's swiftly paced and has some great imagination, but it's starting to get quite stale. Prisoner of Azkaban is still the best one.

[B-side]

El was a big disappointment. A promising start gives way to trite melodrama with the occasional bit of satire not witty or clever enough to matter. Not sure if he was trying something more subversive and I just didn't catch on, but I doubt it. The protagonist may have been gay, I suppose. Doesn't add much of anything to the film regardless.

[StanleyK]

Although, now that I think about it, I'm not all that crazy about the score, either. There are moments, especially near the end and when all the children are flying to Neverland for the first time, where it really hits a grand stride, but for the most part, it just seems to be the same "da-dum-da-dum" doldrummy kind of theme that seems to pop up in comedies and other children's movies all the time. Even in scenes that seemed like they were supposed to be dramatic - which is a little strange.

I can only recall a few parts that sounded like that, but for the most part I thought the music was appropriately grand. But then, I'm a huge JNH fanboy, so who knows.

[balmakboor]

Cool, well I suppose I'll check out all three (Fool, Jimmy, Vincent).

If you find a way to see Jimmy, let me know.

[balmakboor]

If you find a way to see Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, let me know.

I should add besides the pretty ugly looking pan & scan transfer from VHS that's available on youtube. I watched some of it though and it sure brought back memories.

I'm going to go request this to Criterion.

[Qrazy]

If you find a way to see Jimmy, let me know.

I found a TV rip on karagarga. I think that's as good as it's going to get for now unfortunately.

[Sven]

Altman's Fool for Love is a stunner.

Love the last shot too. Awesome. Great to see that film getting some love.

[Wryan]

Anyone else surprised by the genuine amount of talent that got flushed down the toilet into Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel? (Also, worst title ever? Possibly.)

Zacharay Levi (cutie), David Cross, Jason Lee, Justin Long, Amy Poehler, Anna Faris (cutie)...? How much money did they have to throw at these people?

Don't forget Matthew Gray Gubler. I love that guy.

[greyhaven]

You know, I haven't watched it in years, but P.J. Hogan's Peter Pan isn't bad - although, it's kind of hampered by just how terribly awful its two leads are, and a contrived sense of humor that pretty often falls flat, especially in the opening scenes of the film. Beautiful use of water-color compositions, and the island of Neverland as an extension of its main character. Also, Jason Isaacs as Hook was a pretty inspired choice, with lots of hints to all the obsessions and oddities that seem to churn beneath - although, the other half of his duel-role, as Mr. Darling, doesn't come off quite so well.

And, come on - Ludvigne Sagnier as Tinkerbell. That's awesome.


See, I'm the opposite on this. I think Rachel Hurd-Wood (not checking on that, just from memory) is amazing as Wendy. I'll admit Jeremy Sumpter isn't spot on all the time, but his impishness is perfect.

Jason Isaacs pulls off both characters perfectly. The woman who plays Mrs. Darling was perfect. (I was in the play in college and I know what an annoying Mrs. Darling is, so I've got comparisons).

My favorite are the Lost Boys. True, it's the adorable English accents, but Slightly is so precocious and funny. The pirates are hilarious and scary at the same time.

And visually, this movie makes you want to be a kid again.

Then again, I'm a huge Peter Pan fan, book and all. I thought PJ Hogan's version was far more in keeping with the book than the Disney cartoon I grew up with.

[BuffaloWilder]

Hey, I'm no stranger to J.M. Barrie. I've got two copies of Scott Gustafson's illustrated edition somewhere in the closet, and one or two with the F.D. Bedford and Marie what's-her-name plates, as well. Pitfalls of being a compulsive semi-bibliophile, I suppose.

I mean, I like the movie, don't get me wrong. But Hurd-Wood and Sumpter, and the score, just seem like sour notes, among everything else. Wood's got something behind the eyes, but all Sumpter has is an impish grin, which isn't enough for what the screenplay wants out fo the character, for the most part. And, the score's a little generic, save for one or two parts.

Isaacs is wonderful as Hook, I think - and, his introduction is great. Like the island, he only comes alive once Pan returns. But, his Mr. Darling just comes off a bit too - I don't know, too comical? He seems like less of a real character than Mrs. Darling, I'll say that.

Where the movie really stands out is the visuals - that's some great stuff, right thar.

[Ezee E]

I don't know the movie, but Harrison Ford really sells his line of, "I already work too much," really well.

Give that man a day off.

[Hugh_Grant]

Don't forget Matthew Gray Gubler. I love that guy.
My thoughts exactly.

When my other half and I went to the movies today to see Up in the Air, the 1:50 screening of The Blind Side was sold out. Really?!? I don't even think Avatar sold out, or even the "squeakquel" (ick). Our screening of Up in the Air was well-populated but not even close to being full.

[Boner M]

After a relatively weak '09, Criterion is back with a vengeance. Along with Lola Montes, Make Way For Tomorrow, and an Akerman Eclipse set, these come out in March:

http://criterion_production.s3.amazon aws.com/release_images/2599/508_box_348x490.jpg
(that's Colossal Youth, In Vanda's Room & Ossos

http://criterion_production.s3.amazon aws.com/release_images/2587/506_box_348x490.jpg

http://criterion_production.s3.amazon aws.com/release_images/2593/507_box_348x490.jpg

[B-side]

Yeah, I'm excited for that Akerman box set.

[Qrazy]

Oh god. I didn't even wanna put it in my sig, but it's what I do.

Sorry to hear El wasn't good though. I like Bunuel for the most part and I haven't seen that one yet. I kind of think I"ll like it more than you did.

[B-side]

Sorry to hear El wasn't good though. I like Bunuel for the most part and I haven't seen that one yet. I kind of think I"ll like it more than you did.

You may. It's easily the worst Bunuel I've seen so far, though. Mexican melodrama with the occasional peppering of satire. Completely rote exploration of obsession.

[The Mike]

I don't get how that's Criterion. I mean, I loved Watchmen, and The Brothers Solomon was fun, but nothing else she's done is anywhere near relevant.

[B-side]

I don't get how that's Criterion. I mean, I loved Watchmen, and The Brothers Solomon was fun, but nothing else she's done is anywhere near relevant.

I see what you did there.

[balmakboor]

I'm so desperately looking forward to Criterion's "Director Approved" release of Couples Retreat.

[dreamdead]

Bigelow's Point Break is interestingly stylized, in that it features an effective and naturalistic rhythm to its cutting (as has Strange Days, which I'll be revisiting soon), but for a film as invested in hyper-masculinity as this one is, the script is really a downer. Especially during the skydiving sequences, where there's a transient sense of weightlessness and excitement that derives from it, during the climactic battle that sense is never there or truly envelops the spectator. Instead, it's just a mere set piece that isn't immersive because it's shrugged off so quickly, which is insane narratively considering how unbelievable it is. And the coda is just a complete disregard for the first hour and a half, where death threats and Reeves' relationship with the law are just ignored in favor of a weakly poetic ending.

I'll be interested in Strange Days and circling through her filmography, as I only remember seeing SD from Bigelow...

[lovejuice]

You know, I haven't watched it in years, but P.J. Hogan's Peter Pan isn't bad.
i like it quite a lot. i find it charmingly anachronistic. not too familiar with Barrie's work, but i guess, this version is rather faithful, isn't it?

[lovejuice]

i like it quite a lot. i find it charmingly anachronistic. not too familiar with Barrie's work, but i guess, this version is rather faithful, isn't it?
i should be more explicit.

peter pan is a story that seems to captivate people by its potential: setting and characters, rather than the actual story. thus this results in it having many adaptations. (my favorite is excellent old anime series.) Hogan's version somehow feels oddly authentic. it doesn't quite resolve the same way movies of its kind do.

[Qrazy]

You may. It's easily the worst Bunuel I've seen so far, though. Mexican melodrama with the occasional peppering of satire. Completely rote exploration of obsession.

Ah bummer I just thought I'd like it more because I seem to remember that I like his films more than you in general.

[Raiders]

Well, personally, El is my second favorite Bunuel behind The Exterminating Angel.

[B-side]

Well, personally, El is my second favorite Bunuel behind The Exterminating Angel.

Thoughts?

[Spinal]

My review of El. (http://filmepidemic.blogspot.com/2005/10/el-bunuel-1953.html)

[Raiders]

Thoughts?

I don't have any already written. I love Spinal's idea of the romantic idea of "love at first sight" being mangled and distorted. I also love the way the film opens and links the story to the Catholic idea of celibacy (particularly in a later scene where a priest tries to explain away Gloria's pain--as if he would understand) and middle-aged virginal desires. Imagine describing the set-up: a middle-aged man, long waiting for love, finds it one day and after a period of wooing, confronts the woman and confesses his undying love... in Hollywood, that would be a Garry Marshall rom-com. With Bunuel, it's a stark, humorous depiction of how such a determined, uncompromised and long-time asexual mind can become morphed and illusioned when presented with life and love's complexities.

I don't think there is anything rote (can we stop using that word already?) about the execution. It's a classical surrealist work; take the mundane--even more pointed in taking the archetypal ideas of love--and creating a version that twists perception and understanding.

[Grouchy]

I really don't know why I didn't share this before with you guys. Here's a webseries (http://www.filmaka.com/filmaka_series_bunny.php) I co-directed with a friend. It has English subtitles so it's all good. I also have a small role in there as Adolfo Calzone.

Please tell me what you think!

[baby doll]

After a relatively weak '09, Criterion is back with a vengeance. Along with Lola Montes, Make Way For Tomorrow, and an Akerman Eclipse set, these come out in March:

http://criterion_production.s3.amazon aws.com/release_images/2599/508_box_348x490.jpg
(that's Colossal Youth, In Vanda's Room & OssosSweet. I've been meaning to check out more Costa, since I've just seen O Sangue, which was stylish enough but difficult to follow as storytelling and kinda forgettable.

[Boner M]

O Sangue... kinda forgettable.
FAIL.

[Derek]

Liverpool (Lisandro Alonso, 2009)

The subtlety of Alonso's compositions and the enigmatic presentation of his protagonist keep Liverpool interesting for about an hour. Within that time, Alonso uses the claustrophobic and worn-down state of Farrel's surroundings as a reflection of his inner state. The metaphorical transition from the cramped room on the boat to the expansive, snowy terrain is not an atypical device, but fortunately Alonso does not let his character or the audience off easy. Farrel's return to the family he abandoned years ago has an unspoken tragedy about it, using extended, mostly wordless sequences leaving the anti-reunion of sorts open-ended and free of the catharsis or melodrama the setup begs for. Unfortunately, Alonso's shifting focus to Farrel's daughter in the final twenty minutes adds little to the film aside from the admittedly impressive final shot and I was left with the feeling that Alonso headed this direction for little reason aside from its unpredictability.

[Boner M]

^I've got that and Los Muertos in my possession... have you seen the latter?

[Derek]

^I've got that and Los Muertos in my possession... have you seen the latter?

No, though I'd like to get around to it some time. I'll be interested to see what you make of this one, especially the last act.

[Bosco B Thug]

Damn, Death Proof has competition. Inglourious Basterds's intelligence and thematic intricacy, not to mention the correlative craft, really opens up in a 2nd viewing. I think I'll still take Death Proof, thick w/ emotion and tragedy, over Inglourious Basterds, lithe w/ its scrutiny of war and history, but it's neck-and-neck.

[BuffaloWilder]

So, I've read/am reading the screenplay for the canned remake of Oldboy, currently. Or, a draft of it at least. It's strange - it's closer to Chan-Wook's film than we all thought, including the ending, but at the same time, it does it in such a strange, super-Americanized way, if there is such a thing.

The confrontation between Gus (Oh Dae-su) and Steven (Lee Woo-Jin) reads like this, for example:

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/1662/oldboyscript1.jpg
http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/2779/oldboyscript2.jpg

And, so on. So, it would've turned out bad, but not quite as terrible as we'd thought - that is, if that is the draft they were going to go ahead and use, which it might not be. It's dated 2005, so -

[baby doll]

No, though I'd like to get around to it some time. I'll be interested to see what you make of this one, especially the last act.Well, you kind of spoiled it for him, didn't you? Anyway, I liked Liverpool considerably more than Los Muertos, so maybe Alonso's an acquired taste. I'll have to see both again. I'd take issue with your statement that the character's surroundings are in any way a reflection of his inner-state (do moviegoers think in these terms? I certainly don't). And the last thing I wanted from this film was another conventional melodramatic resolution. Here (http://chuck-a-luck.blogspot.com/2008/10/piff-day-five.html)'s what I wrote about it for my blog.

[baby doll]

The Middle Ten (Neither Worst Nor Best) Movies of the Decade:

About Schmidt (Alexander Payne)
American Splendor (Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini)
The Departed (Martin Scorsese)
4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days (Cristian Mungiu)
Chicago (Bob Marshall)
Sideways (Alexander Payne)
Solaris (Steven Soderbergh)
Traffic (Steven Soderbergh)
Up (Peter Doctor)
Wendy and Lucy (Kelly Reichardt)

(I got the idea from Jim Emerson's blog (http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/2009/12/the_median-est_movie_list_of_a.html#more) .)

[Boner M]

The Middle Ten (Neither Worst Nor Best) Movies of the Decade:
Bend it Like Beckham
The Business of Strangers
Dear Frankie
Disturbia
Frost/Nixon
A Girl Cut In Two
Personal Velocity
The Queen
Red Eye
Thank You For Smoking

"Well acted!" "Charming!" "Sophisticated!"

[B-side]

Max Ophüls' Without Tomorrow was a pleasant surprise. Fantasy aka cinema vs reality in a rather dark love story with a killer ending. Lots of narrative ellipses help relay to the audience the protagonist's numbness and malaise and almost mechanical way of living. Plus, the lead actress is a babe:

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/6339/sanslendemainavi0002051.jpg

[Derek]

Well, you kind of spoiled it for him, didn't you?

By briefly mentioning the shift in the last act? I hardly consider that a spoiler for this type of film.


I'd take issue with your statement that the character's surroundings are in any way a reflection of his inner-state?

Then what do you make of the transition from cramped surroundings to the open, snowy landscape? Perhaps "inner state" was the wrong term, but it certainly is related to his attempt to escape the emotional statis he was in by confronting his past and the outside world. I mean, it's pretty much the entire visual strategy of the film.


(do moviegoers think in these terms??

If they never do, they're foolish and missing points that many directors are clearly making.


I certainly don't.

Doesn't surprise me in the least.


And the last thing I wanted from this film was another conventional melodramatic resolution.

Neither did I, but a substitute for that should be more than just a way of bypassing such a conclusion.


Here (http://chuck-a-luck.blogspot.com/2008/10/piff-day-five.html)'s what I wrote about it for my blog.

Cool, I'll give this a read when I have time and get back to you.

[number8]

Oy. Wendy & Lucy is really heartbreaking.

[number8]

What the fuck were critics being ga-ga over in Sin Nombre? What a boring, pointless movie.

[balmakboor]

What the fuck were critics being ga-ga over in Sin Nombre? What a boring, pointless movie.

I guess I'll be agreeing or disagreeing soon. That and Ballast are my next two Instant Watches.

[Ezee E]

I liked Sin Nombre a lot until the main character leaves his village. And I really liked the cinematography. Outside of that, I'm not sure. I didn't really see many raves about it outside the cinematography.

[soitgoes...]

What the fuck were critics being ga-ga over in Sin Nombre? What a boring, pointless movie.
Yeah, it was forgettable.

[baby doll]

Week:

The Limits of Control (Jim Jarmusch)
Munyurangabo (Lee Isaac Chung)
35 rhums (Claire Denis)

[baby doll]

Then what do you make of the transition from cramped surroundings to the open, snowy landscape? Perhaps "inner state" was the wrong term, but it certainly is related to his attempt to escape the emotional statis he was in by confronting his past and the outside world. I mean, it's pretty much the entire visual strategy of the film.What I make of it is that he was on a boat, and then he's outside. The boat is cramped, and the outside is not. Not everything has to be meaningful, and if something is supposed to be symbolic (as in Antichrist, for instance), it has to be clearly indicated. (I think Roger Ebert put it best that if you have to ask what a film means, it doesn't.)

In this case, the style of the film is almost like a documentary. The people in the film aren't professional actors, and according to an interview with Alonso in Cinema-Scope (http://cinema-scope.com/wordpress/?page_id=333), they actually live in this town. It's not a symbol for something; it's a real place.


If they never do, they're foolish and missing points that many directors are clearly making.I think there's such a thing as reading too much into a movie.

[baby doll]

Oy. Wendy & Lucy is really heartbreaking.Yeah, it's okay.

[number8]

Yeah, it's okay.

It's also probably the most successfully political movie of 2008.

[Qrazy]

I think there's such a thing as reading too much into a movie.

Exploring the psychology of characters (all the more so the main character) in the sets, lighting, shot composition, etc is not reading too much into a movie. It's a fairly basic analysis.

[baby doll]

It's also probably the most successfully political movie of 2008.Successfully political or not, Reichardt's mise en scène is pretty blah.

[baby doll]

Exploring the psychology of characters (all the more so the main character) in the sets, lighting, shot composition, etc is not reading too much into a movie. It's a fairly basic analysis.I think attributing technical decisions to the characters' psychological states is a way of normalizing them, and doesn't lead to any greater understanding of the film at hand. For instance, you can't explain away Ozu's low camera placements as somehow related to the psychology of the characters because he films all his characters in exactly the same way in every single scene.

[Melville]

I think attributing technical decisions to the characters' psychological states is a way of normalizing them, and doesn't lead to any greater understanding of the film at hand. For instance, you can't explain away Ozu's low camera placements as somehow related to the psychology of the characters because he films all his characters in exactly the same way in every single scene.
Not every film should be analyzed in the same way. It seems patently obvious that visuals can be used to evoke a character's psychological state.

[BuffaloWilder]

(I think Roger Ebert put it best that if you have to ask what a film means, it doesn't.)

I believe that was Charlie Chaplin, and - well, it's also a little silly, I think. I mean, even with the intentionally simple stories that Chaplin's films were telling, there's many things an audience can take away from them at any given time.



I think attributing technical decisions to the characters' psychological states is a way of normalizing them, and doesn't lead to any greater understanding of the film at hand

This is of course taking into account that most other directors don't really put any thought behind such things other than in a purely aesthetic sense. Which is dooky.

[baby doll]

Not every film should be analyzed in the same way. It seems patently obvious that visuals can be used to evoke a character's psychological state.Yeah, but we're not exactly talking about Sunrise. Liverpool is pretty straightforward stylistically.

[baby doll]

I believe that was Charlie Chaplin, and - well, it's also a little silly, I think. I mean, even with the intentionally simple stories that Chaplin's films were telling, there's many things an audience can take away from them at any given time.I think the key word here is "stories." There's lots you can take away from Chaplin's stories, but not so much from, for instance, his blocking of actors. There's a scene in The Great Dictator where Hynkel is talking to the Mussolini character and his various advisors, and Chaplin arranges his actors so that the tallest person is on the far left and the shortest on the far right. (I wish I had the DVD with me so I could put up a picture.) It's obviously deliberate, but not necessarily meaningful.


This is of course taking into account that most other directors don't really put any thought behind such things other than in a purely aesthetic sense. Which is dooky.Who are some of the directors who do take these things into account?

[Derek]

The people in the film aren't professional actors, and according to an interview with Alonso in Cinema-Scope (http://cinema-scope.com/wordpress/?page_id=333), they actually live in this town. It's not a symbol for something; it's a real place.

Yes, and real places can carry symbolic weight and the mise-en-scene of a film can lead the onscreen space to be interpreted differently. This is all a fairly elementary way of analyzing film BD. Unless you mean to suggest that because a film is shot on location, it's compositions can have no meaning.


Liverpool is pretty straightforward stylistically.

Yes, it's very straightforward. It's hard to miss the transition from the cramped spaces in the first half hour to the openness of the rest of the film.

Either way, I really have no interest in carrying this any further as your obstinacy tires me far too quickly.

[Derek]

Who are some of the directors who do take these things into account?

Are you seriously asking for directors who have used mise-en-scene to represent a character's inner state?

[baby doll]

Are you seriously asking for directors who have used mise-en-scene to represent a character's inner state?I'm curious who would come up. Apart from expressionist filmmakers like Murnau, I'm stumped.

[Mysterious Dude]

What the fuck were critics being ga-ga over in Sin Nombre? What a boring, pointless movie.
I think they wanted it to be the next City of God. It reminded me more of Tsotsi, which I think was also aping the style of City. But compared to City of God, but films are just so... small.

[Mysterious Dude]

I'm curious who would come up. Apart from expressionist filmmakers like Murnau, I'm stumped.

http://www.hitchcockfans.com/images/gallery/screenshots/psycho8.jpg

[BuffaloWilder]

I'm curious who would come up. Apart from expressionist filmmakers like Murnau, I'm stumped.

George Miller, Stanley Kubrick, Jodorowsky, Sergio Leone, Orson Welles - come on, dude.

[ledfloyd]

Lucrecia Martel, David Lynch.

[balmakboor]

Just watched Anvil: The Story of Anvil and totally loved it. I totally fell for Lips and Robb Reiner (I still can't believe the synchonicity of that name). Watching them play at fairgrounds for about 50 people, watching them tour stonehenge, and watching the producer of their album "This is Thirteen" turn a dial up to 11 was all just too perfect. Watching This Is Spinal Tap is like watching fiction that feels like documentary. Watching this was like watching fact and just feeling it must be fiction.

[B-side]

http://www.hitchcockfans.com/images/gallery/screenshots/psycho8.jpg

Perfect. Ties directly into The Birds.

[BuffaloWilder]

Hey, everybody. Big news. I finally found a piece of concept art from that half-hour that was cut out of Happy Feet. Take a look.

http://woodland-mattepainting.com/matte_painting_portfolio/content/bin/images/large/Matte_Paintings_109.jpg

[B-side]

That's pretty cool, Buffalo.

[B-side]

I don't know why I never fully made the connection before, but Trier's totally a Nietzsche fan. Antichrist is a Nietzsche book title. Women being inexorably tied to nature. Yeah.

[eternity]

Oy. Wendy & Lucy is really heartbreaking.
Brilliant film.