28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[B-side]

Your mother should.

She's not a big fan of foreign films. She thought Apocalypto was amazing, though.

[soitgoes...]

Meh, there's a little thing I like to call working to make a living so I don't stave to death.
Salty. I just need electricity and an internet connection. Food is overrated.

[Qrazy]

She's not a big fan of foreign films. She thought Apocalypto was amazing, though.

I enjoyed it, despite it's general lack of taste.

[Qrazy]

Salty. I just need electricity and an internet connection. Food is overrated.

You've certainly proven yourself to be the bigger film watcher. I haven't seen a single film since the last one I checked on the list.

[Qrazy]

Is Isaac Antoine and Macguffin Clipper Ship Captain?

[B-side]

Is Isaac Antoine and Macguffin Clipper Ship Captain?

Affirmative.

[Qrazy]

Enough with the name changes alreaady. (/old Jewish man voice)

[baby doll]

Enough with the name changes alreaady. (/old Jewish man voice)How do you do that, anyway?

[Winston*]

Watched 40 minutes of The Boat that Rocked tonight. When you're thinking "RIchard Curtis, you're better than this" it is time to cease watching a movie.

[Mysterious Dude]

Enough with the name changes alreaady. (/old Jewish man voice)
I'm sorry to do it because I know y'all are used to me as Antoine (I haven't gone by any other name since 2003), but I was really getting tired of it.

My new challenge, apparently, is to make people spell "Isaac" correctly.

[MacGuffin]

Clipper Ship Captain was too long and MacGuffin was cooler. Sorry for the confusion.

[Russ]

Clipper Ship Captain was too long and MacGuffin was cooler. Sorry for the confusion.
Huh. MacGyver is "cooler". Huh.

http://a.imageshack.us/img808/7159/pattybouvier.png

[Derek]

Clipper Ship Captain was too long and MacGuffin was cooler. Sorry for the confusion.

I'm not sure I can call anyone MacGuffin. From now on, I'll refer to you as the Crime Dog.

[Boner M]

Pedro Costa's Ossos was a bit of a letdown after O Sangue, but still good. It feels very much like a transitional work, dispensing with a lot of the classic Hollywood auteur cinema aspects of the latter film and moving toward a kind of ascetism taken straight from the pages of Notes on Cinematography, w/ blank-faced androgynes + a ridiculously elliptical narrative + drab colours. So it kinda feels all a little familiar and anonymous, but still rife with sensual pleasure and character mystery and a vivid sense of a fragmented community, which all makes me more excited for In Vanda's Room & Colossal Youth which are allegedly where Costa found a truly distinctive formal approach to his subject matter.

Also, do Lisbon slum-dwellers really rock out to Wire? Doesn't seem like such a bad place, then.

[Spinal]

I'm not sure I can call anyone MacGuffin. From now on, I'll refer to you as the Crime Dog.

McG?

[Dukefrukem]

How are the Ice Age films so popular? I watched Meltdown last night.... it's so slow, joke-less and predictable....

Ice Age: The Meltdown is #46 for all time world wide gross and the newest one, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is #15... I'll prob watch that one tonight.

Dawn of the Dinosaurs is actually much better than the previous two movies. It helps that the characters are already established, but the instances between the Squirrel and his new love were funny, Simon Pegg as Buck was PERFECT and the story is much more interesting and eventful.

[megladon8]

I actually liked the first Ice Age a lot. And I love the theme song - "Send Me On My Way" by Rusted Root.

But I haven't seen the sequels.

[RoadtoPerdition]

Just saw The Box. Awesome movie.

I can't believe Warner Bros. had faith thinking this film would have mass appeal.

So I just finished this. Definitely not as bad as most of the reviewers would have you believe, but there is a lot of crazy The Forgotten-type shit going on here (another movie that was panned but that I thought was decent). It seems like they used Matheson's story for the first 30 minutes and then just winged it from there since the source material doesn't really allow for a full-length feature.

[Ivan Drago]

I'm not sure I can call anyone MacGuffin. From now on, I'll refer to you as the Crime Dog.

Who was MacGuffin/CSC on RT? It was said a while ago but now I'm drawing a blank.

[B-side]

Who was MacGuffin/CSC on RT? It was said a while ago but now I'm drawing a blank.

sic transit gloria

[Derek]

McG?

Sorry, I should've been clear I was talking about this Crime Dog:

http://vivalavidro.files.wordpress.co m/2010/05/fred_mcgriff.jpg

[eternity]

Sorry, I should've been clear I was talking about this Crime Dog:

http://vivalavidro.files.wordpress.co m/2010/05/fred_mcgriff.jpg
I thought I had blocked that commercial from my memory. You bastard.

[MacGuffin]

Hey guys, please give me your Cronenberg ratings if it's not too much trouble. There's no consensus thread and I'd like to see what are considered the highlights and underrated gems of his career.

[Dukefrukem]

A History of Violence [95]
Naked Lunch [90]
Dead Ringers [40]
The Fly [85]
The Dead Zone [60]
Videodrome [88]
Scanners [80]
The Brood [55]

[megladon8]

Hey guys, please give me your Cronenberg ratings if it's not too much trouble. There's no consensus thread and I'd like to see what are considered the highlights and underrated gems of his career.


Now here is where I can be of guidance to you :)

Dead Ringers - 10
Videodrome - 10
eXistenZ - 9
Eastern Promises - 8
Naked Lunch - 8
A History of Violence - 7.5
Rabid - 7
Spider - 6.5
The Brood - 6
The Fly - 6
Crash - 5
Scanners - 4.5

Some of my ratings are definitely not the norm - I know eXistenZ is not commonly considered one of his best, though I find it quite fascinating. Beautiful score, as well.

Cronenberg is interesting in that many accuse him of "selling out" or "toning down" over the last decade, but I think this is completely false. His films remain terrifying bodily horrors and Lynch-ian looks at the writhing underbelly of society. He has refined his craft, and begun to really take his strong ability to build tension into consideration. Where Videodrome is pseudo-Freudian venereal horror from start to finish, Eastern Promises is a slow burn, building to scenes of uncompromising violence which are just as effective in making the audience squirm.

Dead Ringers is a must-see. It is Cronenberg's masterpiece. It resonates on every level.

[Spinal]

The Dead Zone ***1/2
The Fly ***
Dead Ringers **1/2
M Butterfly **
Videodrome *1/2
Crash *1/2
Existenz *1/2
A History of Violence *

[MacGuffin]

I was going to watch A History of Violence again on Blu-ray, but maybe I'll check out Dead Ringers and/or Eastern Promises. Kinda waiting for Videodrome to be released on Blu-ray so I'll put that one off til later.

[megladon8]

I was going to watch A History of Violence again on Blu-ray, but maybe I'll check out Dead Ringers and/or Eastern Promises. Kinda waiting for Videodrome to be released on Blu-ray so I'll put that one off til later.


Just get the Criterion DVD of Videodrome. It's fantastic.

[MacGuffin]

Just get the Criterion DVD of Videodrome. It's fantastic.

Criterion has already announced a Blu-ray; I'll just rent it when it comes out. No rush for me.

[megladon8]

Criterion has already announced a Blu-ray; I'll just rent it when it comes out. No rush for me.


Ah OK.

On a sidenote, seeing Videodrome on the big screen is one of my crowning achievements as a cinema buff.

[number8]

So A Prophet was just okay.

[MacGuffin]

So A Prophet was just okay.

Nah, it's the best movie of 2009.

[soitgoes...]

Nah, it's the best movie of 2009.Nah, it was "just" good.

[Ivan Drago]

Videodrome - 7
Dead Ringers - 8
The Fly - 9.5
A History of Violence - 8

I really want to see Naked Lunch, Crash and Scanners.

[baby doll]

Considering how ambitious it is, and how accomplished it is in terms of storytelling and style, if Un prophète is just okay, then nearly every other movie released this year is a steaming pile of crap. (Shameless blog plug (http://chuck-a-luck.blogspot.com/2010/05/around-world-in-48-hours-part-1.html).)

[megladon8]

If I'd been in NYC earlier this year I totally would have gone to see A Prophet in the theatre. I'm really eager to see it.

I hope that when October rolls around there's some good stuff showing. Particularly some good IFC midnight showings.

We may just have to organize some NYC-matchcutter evenings. Anyone else interested in this?

[MadMan]

The Brood-88
Scannners-80
Videodrome-95
A History of Violence-99

So I'm a casual fan. Dead Ringers and Naked Lunch are the ones I want to check out next.

[Raiders]

Rabid (1977) 5.5
The Brood (1979) 7.5
Scanners (1981) 7.5
Videodrome (1983) 8.5
The Dead Zone (1983) 7.0
The Fly (1986) 9.0
Dead Ringers (1988) 10.0
Naked Lunch (1991) 4.0
Crash (1996) 7.5
eXistenZ (1999) 7.0
Spider (2002) 9.0
A History of Violence (2005) 9.0
Eastern Promises (2007) 8.0

Yeah, I'm a fan.

[megladon8]

I like you, Raiders.

More than these others.

[chrisnu]

Videodrome - 8.5
Naked Lunch - 7
Crash - 8
eXistenZ - 5
Spider - 9
A History of Violence - 9
Eastern Promises - 7

I'm glayed you enjoyed The Kids Are All Right, Raiders. I saw it today and enjoyed it quite a lot as well.

[Winston*]

My little brother's taking second year university Japanese and he's the only one in his entire class that's seen a Kurosawa movie. That makes me a little bit sad.

[Qrazy]

It makes me die inside.

[Fezzik]

The Men Who Stare at Goats was just...weird. I can't really explain it deeper than that. It started good then went crazily off the rails. Best laugh: McGregor deadpanning "The Silence of the Goats" after Cassady explains how the army debleated the goats they brought in. The line itself isnt that funny. The matter of fact nature of how it was delivered certainly was.

Julie and Julia was harmless, but Streep was her usual awesome and Adams was cute as hell, and it inspired me to cook something the moment it was over. Plus, Adams character parallels who I am in so many ways, I find it hard to hate it.

Brick was pretty intense. I was glad to see JGL stretch himself a bit, and I really liked the somewhat unique dialect the characters employed when dealing with each other. Its probably a movie I wouldn't seek out again soon, but it was a damn good watch.

[baby doll]

My little brother's taking second year university Japanese and he's the only one in his entire class that's seen a Kurosawa movie. That makes me a little bit sad.I assume that's because they're all Oshima fans who scorn Kurosawa for his liberal humanism.

[Skitch]

On a sidenote, seeing Videodrome on the big screen is one of my crowning achievements as a cinema buff.

*jealous*

[Bosco B Thug]

Not sure what's up with the mostly positive reviews for Despicable Me, which is slight and unexceptional. The best thing that you can say about it is that it is palatable and not openly irritating. Pretty much. An occasionally funny, occasionally visually interesting film, but way slight, so simplistic, and ultimately incredibly hollow. What Punch-Drunk Love does for love, this does for parenthood, except for this film, that isn't a compliment.

[RoadtoPerdition]

Cronenberg for me:

The Brood (1979) - 6.5
Scanners (1981) - 7.5
The Dead Zone (1983) - 8.5
Videodrome (1983) - 7.0
The Fly (1986) - 8.0
Dead Ringers (1988) - 10.0
Naked Lunch (1991) - 5.0
eXistenZ (1999) - 3.5
Spider (2002) - 7.0
A History of Violence (2005) - 9.0
Eastern Promises (2007) - 8.5

Funnily enough, I saw many of these when Match Cut did the Director's Consensus for him on the old forum yeeears ago.

[StanleyK]

Kubrick gets accused frequently of being cold and pessimistic, but you just have to go back to Paths of Glory to see what he was up to; this is the first instance in which he introduces the concept of dehumanization through General Mireau, who talks about numbers of acceptable casualties and percentages to be executed to set an example- essentially, he sees the soldiers as figures, not individuals. This idea would come up several times later in Kubrick's work, with the protagonist usually falling victim to it. In this case, Colonel Dax is actively against it, and so we have his most transparently humane work, a great indictment of higher-ups breaking down and using 'lesser' men for their own indulgent purposes (not an exclusively anti-war film, Paths of Glory also asks some tough questions about religion and government), all this in a very concise running time that packs more than one emotionally draining moments.

Also, best ending to a movie ever? Possibly.

[MacGuffin]

It's the only one of his I've seen so far, unfortunately. It's not bad or anything, and you may very well love it for all I know, I just wasn't exactly thrilled with it.

My thoughts on Frontier of Dawn. (http://differentcinemas.blogspot.com/2010/08/frontier-of-dawn-phiippe-garrel-2008.html)

[EyesWideOpen]

Kubrick gets accused frequently of being cold and pessimistic, but you just have to go back to Paths of Glory to see what he was up to; this is the first instance in which he introduces the concept of dehumanization through General Mireau, who talks about numbers of acceptable casualties and percentages to be executed to set an example- essentially, he sees the soldiers as figures, not individuals. This idea would come up several times later in Kubrick's work, with the protagonist usually falling victim to it. In this case, Colonel Dax is actively against it, and so we have his most transparently humane work, a great indictment of higher-ups breaking down and using 'lesser' men for their own indulgent purposes (not an exclusively anti-war film, Paths of Glory also asks some tough questions about religion and government), all this in a very concise running time that packs more than one emotionally draining moments.

Also, best ending to a movie ever? Possibly.

I really need to rewatch this.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Rewatched Black Narcissus last night. I like it more each time I see it. The fact I don't consider it as top tier P&P speaks more for the quality of their output, then it's problems (does it have any apparent faults? none then I can pin down). The final act in particular is manic. The return of the drums, the almost Soviet style montage, mixing so many different shots, rhythmically organized to the music and the rising emotional tensions. Loved the flashbacks more than ever, especially that one sequence with Kerr standing in front of that crystal body of water.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Cronenberg

Dead Ringers 9
The Dead Zone 8
Videodrome 8
The Brood 8
Eastern Promises 8
A History of Violence 7
Shivers 7.5
Rabid 7

I've also seen the Fly, but I don't trust my opinion of it. Saw it as a teen many years ago.

[Sycophant]

Cronenberg

The Fly - 10
A History of Violence - 9
Easter Promises - 8

[B-side]

Hey guys, please give me your Cronenberg ratings if it's not too much trouble. There's no consensus thread and I'd like to see what are considered the highlights and underrated gems of his career.

Not fond of ratings, so here's a ranked list:

Excellent:
Dead Ringers
Naked Lunch

Great:
Videodrome
Crash

Good:
Eastern Promises
A History of Violence
Spider
Scanners

Decent:
eXistenZ

[B-side]

My thoughts on Frontier of Dawn. (http://differentcinemas.blogspot.com/2010/08/frontier-of-dawn-phiippe-garrel-2008.html)

Good stuff. I only have vague recollections of aspects of the film. I did watch it during one of my many depression-induced slumps, so that could've been a big factor in my less than enthusiastic response.

[Ezee E]

Cronenberg's Four Star Films:

The Fly (his masterpiece)
History of Violence
Eastern Promises
Videodrone
Naked Lunch

eXisTenz is close as well.

I should seek out Dead Ringers again. Hated Crash.

Big fan as well.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I'm surprised by how many Cronenbergs I've seen.

The Brood - B-
Scanners - C
Videodrome - C+
The Dead Zone - A-
The Fly - A
Existenz - B
Spider - B-
A History of Violence - A-
Eastern Promises - B+

[MacGuffin]

Good stuff. I only have vague recollections of aspects of the film. I did watch it during one of my many depression-induced slumps, so that could've been a big factor in my less than enthusiastic response.

It probably wouldn't be my first choice if I was depressed, so that's perfectly understandable.

[baby doll]

Rewatched Black Narcissus last night. I like it more each time I see it. The fact I don't consider it as top tier P&P speaks more for the quality of their output, then it's problems (does it have any apparent faults? none then I can pin down). The final act in particular is manic. The return of the drums, the almost Soviet style montage, mixing so many different shots, rhythmically organized to the music and the rising emotional tensions. Loved the flashbacks more than ever, especially that one sequence with Kerr standing in front of that crystal body of water.It's pretty racist, if that sort of thing matters to you.

[EyesWideOpen]

Going to a double screening of Best Worst Movie and Troll 2 this coming up weekend. Should be fun.

[transmogrifier]

Not fond of ratings, so here's a ranked list:

Excellent:
Dead Ringers
Naked Lunch

Great:
Videodrome
Crash

Good:
Eastern Promises
A History of Violence
Spider
Scanners

Decent:
eXistenZ

In other words:

*****:
Dead Ringers
Naked Lunch

****1/2:
Videodrome
Crash

****:
Eastern Promises
A History of Violence
Spider
Scanners

***1/2:
eXistenZ

[Boner M]

Shivers (1975) - 7
Rabid (1977) - 7
The Brood (1979) - 7.5
Scanners (1981) - 6.5
Videodrome (1983) - 8.5
The Dead Zone (1983) - 7
The Fly (1986) - 8
Dead Ringers (1988) - 9.5
Naked Lunch (1991) - 5
M. Butterfly (1993) - 4.5
eXistenZ (1999) - 6.5
Spider (2002) - 8
A History of Violence (2005) - 8.5
Eastern Promises (2007) - 7

He's good. Need to see Crash again. Can anyone here vouch for Fast Company and his early shorts?

[B-side]

In other words:

*****:
Dead Ringers
Naked Lunch

****1/2:
Videodrome
Crash

****:
Eastern Promises
A History of Violence
Spider
Scanners

***1/2:
eXistenZ

I'd probably knock each section down a half-star. I've tried the rating thing. It makes me nervous. My opinion seems to change ever so slightly constantly, and ratings don't portray any nuance of opinion, so I'd prefer to use words.

[dmk]

Did Boner not see Movie Orgy?

Cronenberg:
1 . Dead Ringers (1988)

2 . The Fly (1986)

3 . Eastern Promises (2007)
4 . Videodrome (1983)
5 . Crash (1996)
6 . A History of Violence (2005)
7 . eXistenZ (1999)

8 . The Brood (1979)
9 . The Dead Zone (1983)
10 . Scanners (1981)

11 . Rabid (1977)
12 . Shivers (1975)
13 . M. Butterfly (1993)
14 . Naked Lunch (1991)

15 . Spider (2002)

and I like them all, except for maybe Spider, which was viewed too long ago to be a reliably ranked. So disregard that placement, I'd probably love it now, or something.

[Boner M]

Did Boner not see Movie Orgy?
Alas, sadly not. Got cinefatigued and opted for Dante in conversation earlier that day instead. Everyone who saw The Movie Orgy said it was incredible, are you everyone?

[dmk]

Alas, sadly not. Got cinefatigued and opted for Dante in conversation earlier that day instead. Everyone who saw The Movie Orgy said it was incredible, are you everyone?
I’m not innovative enough to disagree. But yes, you missed it, and you will die before it screens again. Sorry. I’m just trying to figure out a way to write a piece on it, without falling into the mediocrity everyone else is. Oh no wait, I’ve got it!

[Philosophe_rouge]

It's pretty racist, if that sort of thing matters to you.
Not really.

[Qrazy]

Shivers (1975) - 7
Rabid (1977) - 7
The Brood (1979) - 7.5
Scanners (1981) - 6.5
Videodrome (1983) - 8.5
The Dead Zone (1983) - 7
The Fly (1986) - 8
Dead Ringers (1988) - 9.5
Naked Lunch (1991) - 5
M. Butterfly (1993) - 4.5
eXistenZ (1999) - 6.5
Spider (2002) - 8
A History of Violence (2005) - 8.5
Eastern Promises (2007) - 7

He's good. Need to see Crash again. Can anyone here vouch for Fast Company and his early shorts?

Fast Company is a mildly enjoyable, fairly standard, on the road racing film. It only goes off the rails Cronenberg style right at the end. It's worth watching once I guess.

[baby doll]

I think Cronenberg shoulda retired after the wound-fucking scene in Crash. He just should've known then, "This is what I'll be remembered for."

[baby doll]

Oh what the hell...

Shivers (1975) / *
Videodrome (1983) / ****
Naked Lunch (1991) / ****
Crash (1996) / ****
A History of Violence (2005) / ***1/2
Eastern Promises (2007) / ***

It's been too long since I've seen Scanners, Dead Ringers, M. Butterfly, eXistenZ, or Spider to rate them, but I'd watch all but the first again. Maybe I'd watch Scanners again, I dunno. Anyway, it's a shame that the Canadian funding agencies started cracking down on art, forcing Cronenberg to go all commercial on his last two films, the latter of which feels like a very good Stephen Frears movie (and I don't mean that as a compliment), but with enough homoeroticism thrown in so that auteurist reviewers can make fools of themselves by talking about how his concern for the body inflects the material, which is really to say that this is a professional and highly impersonal work except for the handful of set pieces (like the bathhouse brawl) that really engaged him as a craftsman (if not as an artist). Yeah, that's all one sentence.

[megladon8]

Any MatchCutters going to be in or around the NYC area in October/November?

[number8]

Any MatchCutters going to be in or around the NYC area in October/November?

No. It just so happens that those are the two months where I'll be out of town.

[Raiders]

Anyway, it's a shame that the Canadian funding agencies started cracking down on art

True.


forcing Cronenberg to go all commercial on his last two films

If that's how you want to look at it.


the latter of which feels like a very good Stephen Frears movie (and I don't mean that as a compliment)

I see what you mean, only I would mean it as a compliment.


but with enough homoeroticism thrown in so that auteurist reviewers can make fools of themselves by talking about how his concern for the body inflects the material, which is really to say that this is a professional and highly impersonal work except for the handful of set pieces (like the bathhouse brawl) that really engaged him as a craftsman (if not as an artist).

This sentence basically reads to me that because it is a mainstream work, those moments where the body is on full display, whether as a means of study by other characters or showcasing a sense of insecurity and vulnerability, are merely coincidence in the work and not to be used as evidence of Cronenberg's engagement with the material.

[Sycophant]

Onibaba's oppressive, obscure, sweltering hellscape was exhilarating. Gorgeous, expressive cinematography. A fantastic soundtrack (the music that plays over the opening credits is equally rocking and haunting). Gloriously desperate performances. Probably a great film.

[megladon8]

Onibaba's oppressive, obscure, sweltering hellscape was exhilarating. Gorgeous, expressive cinematography. A fantastic soundtrack (the music that plays over the opening credits is equally rocking and haunting). Gloriously desperate performances. Probably a great film.


Woo-hoo! So glad you enjoyed this one, Syco. It's one of Jen and I's personal favorites.

[Raiders]

Onibaba's oppressive, obscure, sweltering hellscape was exhilarating. Gorgeous, expressive cinematography. A fantastic soundtrack (the music that plays over the opening credits is equally rocking and haunting). Gloriously desperate performances. Probably a great film.

Meh. (http://match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=220273&postcount=37277)

[Watashi]

Meh. (http://match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=220273&postcount=37277)
Yep.

[Spinal]

Onibaba's oppressive, obscure, sweltering hellscape was exhilarating. Gorgeous, expressive cinematography. A fantastic soundtrack (the music that plays over the opening credits is equally rocking and haunting). Gloriously desperate performances. Probably a great film.

It's one of the greats.

[Sycophant]

It's one of the greats.

I just read your blog's review of it. Definitely agree with you more than those other cats.

[MacGuffin]

It's one of the greats.

Yep.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Onibaba's oppressive, obscure, sweltering hellscape was exhilarating. Gorgeous, expressive cinematography. A fantastic soundtrack (the music that plays over the opening credits is equally rocking and haunting). Gloriously desperate performances. Probably a great film.

I liked it well enough. Now I need to watch it again.

[baby doll]

This sentence basically reads to me that because it is a mainstream work, those moments where the body is on full display, whether as a means of study by other characters or showcasing a sense of insecurity and vulnerability, are merely coincidence in the work and not to be used as evidence of Cronenberg's engagement with the material.David Cronenberg is probably as fine a craftsman as there is working in the movies today, and when it comes to violent set pieces, like the scene in the bathhouse, there's nobody better. So there are a couple sequences in Eastern Promises that are amazing and singular, where Cronenberg is really working hard and seems to be engaged by his material, but for the most part this is a perfectly conventional thriller. I remember as I was watching it, I was thinking about how one could try to link it to Cronenberg's other films, and see it in all his familiar themes and preoccupations, but also thinking: So what? It's still a Hollywood-style thriller about Russian mobsters. It's flawlessly made, but its achievement is more a matter of solid professionalism and craftsmanship than one of personal expression--like every Stephen Frears movie.

[Ezee E]

The talk about tattoos and the way they are put on the body fits in with other Cronenberg-ish stuff to me.

[Sycophant]

For the next two weeks, I'm on Summer break, and I intend to get through as many of the Japanese films I've been meaning to see as I can. Coming up soon (hopefully): Yama no anata, Party 7, Dororo, Humanity and Paper Balloons, High & Low, The Bad Sleep Well, Kabei: Our Mother, Harakiri, Evangelion 2.22, Okuribito: Departures, Gozu, Blackmail is My Life, Love Exposure, a rewatch of Takeshi's, and maybe a Zatoichi film or two.

[MacGuffin]

Coincidentally, I was going to watch either The Celebration or High and Low last night. I guess I'll try to check it out today or tomorrow.

[Derek]

David Cronenberg is probably as fine a craftsman as there is working in the movies today, and when it comes to violent set pieces, like the scene in the bathhouse, there's nobody better. So there are a couple sequences in Eastern Promises that are amazing and singular, where Cronenberg is really working hard and seems to be engaged by his material, but for the most part this is a perfectly conventional thriller. I remember as I was watching it, I was thinking about how one could try to link it to Cronenberg's other films, and see it in all his familiar themes and preoccupations, but also thinking: So what? It's still a Hollywood-style thriller about Russian mobsters. It's flawlessly made, but its achievement is more a matter of solid professionalism and craftsmanship than one of personal expression--like every Stephen Frears movie.

I have to ask - what are your opinions of the Hollywood auteurs celebrated by the Cahiers in the 1950s? I imagine you back in the 50s talking about how Hawks and Preminger were examples of solid professionalism and craftsmanship, lacked the clear personal vision of Mizoguchi and Renoir. You're an auteurist who seemingly ignores the spirit in which the auteur theory was founded.

[baby doll]

I have to ask - what are your opinions of the Hollywood auteurs celebrated by the Cahiers in the 1950s? I imagine you back in the 50s talking about how Hawks and Preminger were examples of solid professionalism and craftsmanship, lacked the clear personal vision of Mizoguchi and Renoir. You're an auteurist who seemingly ignores the spirit in which the auteur theory was founded.I think one has to take into consideration the enormous stylistic differences between classical Hollywood filmmaking, and Preminger in particular, and the Hollywood of today, Cronenberg included. In terms of style, Videdrome, Naked Lunch, and Crash are essentially conservative in their adherence to classical continuity, and Cronenberg has never struck me as being a particularly brilliant metter en scène on par with Preminger, or even Hawks at his best. The weirdness of his movies is primarily a matter of content. That said, they obviously wouldn't be so effective on a visceral level if not for Cronenberg's mastery of gory special effects shots, from that dude's head exploding in Scanners to giant cockroaches literally talking out of their assholes in Naked Lunch. So the only times when you really feel Cronenberg's presence as an auteur in Eastern Promises, which ninety-eight percent of the time feels no different from the Stephen Frears version (Dirty Pretty Things), are in those visceral, technically demanding action sequences. Otherwise, it's just another Hollywood thriller, albeit one that's flawlessly executed as a work of craftsmanship.

[Qrazy]

I don't think it's all that flawlessly executed at all. I find Cronenberg consistently formally average. His early films are the worst offenders. I do continue to return to his work though for his unique and interesting thematic obsessions.

[Bosco B Thug]

I don't think it's all that flawlessly executed at all. I find Cronenberg consistently formally average. His early films are the worst offenders. I do continue to return to his work though for his unique and interesting thematic obsessions. I think he's generally better than average , but after re-visiting [i]The Fly and Videodrome recently, I wouldn't be surprised if I found his new, "blander" works superior formally. I feel as if his formal sense throughout his career has remained, but now with a newly administered refinement. His tactics with his gore FX kind of gets in the way of things for me.

I'd have to re-watch stuff to confirm this, though, of course.

[Skitch]

Hot Tub Time Machine was fun. Not drop dead hilarious, but pretty enjoyable.

Michael Jackson's This Is It...in a way reminded me of the Ethan Hawke Hamlet, only tolerable to watch because of the source material.

The Fall on bluray...such a beautiful film. Not without faults, but just one of those films I've come to love. Especially taking into account the unique way Tarsem used/directed the young girl. Part brilliant, part insane, part borderline child abuse. I hope that girl isn't permanently scarred from being in that film, because her performance is multilevel enjoyable. It would be soiled if she was damaged from the experience.

[Qrazy]

I think he's generally better than average , but after re-visiting [i]The Fly and Videodrome recently, I wouldn't be surprised if I found his new, "blander" works superior formally. I feel as if his formal sense throughout his career has remained, but now with a newly administered refinement. His tactics with his gore FX kind of gets in the way of things for me.

I'd have to re-watch stuff to confirm this, though, of course.

His use of lighting has definitely improved consistently over the course of his career. And he had a huge leap in formal skill between Scanners and before (Shivers is an absolutely horribly shot film) and Videodrome. But even his post-Scanners work has never struck me as visually driven filmmaking. I don't find his most potent imagery memorable because of the calibur of the shot generally, but rather the unique and powerful content of the actual objects being shot... The Fly putting the gun against it's head, James pressing against a bulging TV monitor, the creature effects on the typewriter in Naked Lunch, etc.

[Bosco B Thug]

His use of lighting has definitely improved consistently over the course of his career. And he had a huge leap in formal skill between Scanners and before (Shivers is an absolutely horribly shot film) and Videodrome. But even his post-Scanners work has never struck me as visually driven filmmaking. I don't find his most potent imagery memorable because of the calibur of the shot generally, but rather the unique and powerful content of the actual objects being shot... The Fly putting the gun against it's head, James pressing against a bulging TV monitor, the creature effects on the typewriter in Naked Lunch, etc.
I'll go ahead and proclaim this opinion... reasonable.

[MadMan]

Last Days of Disco is thankfully a movie that waxes nostalgia about a particular time and place without drowning in silly sentimentality. This is a movie that I found to be on the vapid and shallow side, and yet the characters drew me in, as they are particularly interesting and have understandable motives and feelings. Stillman does excel at writing rather dry and witty dialogue-interesting that he only made two other movies, both of which I will see at some point.

[Dukefrukem]

Confession;

I just used Netflix streaming for the first time yesterday to watch Dracula. WOW. What an awesome feature. I know I'm late to the party on this but it opens the window for so many movies that you'd rather not take the time to grab a disc, and just stream it straight to your PC or TV. And the list of movies is MUCH bigger than I expected it to be.

Feel free to rate my Instant Streaming Queue...


The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
Destiny (1921)
Peeping Tom (1960)
Eyes Without a Face (1960)
Onibaba (1964)
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
Ugetsu (1954)
Diabolique (195%)

[Dukefrukem]

Also, it's bullshit that Netflix charges an additional $3/month for Blu-ray titles.

[number8]

First Starz, now Epix (http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/08/10/netflix-lands-streaming-deal-with-paramount-mgm-lionsgate/). HBO better be cranking those original shows.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Peeping Tom (1960)
Onibaba (1964)
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
Diabolique (1958)

These must be watched post-haste.

[EyesWideOpen]

Also, it's bullshit that Netflix charges an additional $3/month for Blu-ray titles.

It would be bullshit if they forced you to pay an extra $3 but their not.

The MSRP on a blu-ray is on average $10 higher then a regular dvd.

[MacGuffin]

Peeping Tom (1960) **½
Eyes Without a Face (1960) ***
Onibaba (1964) ****
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) on my queue also
Ugetsu (1954) ****
Diabolique (1955) ***

[Dukefrukem]

It would be bullshit if they forced you to pay an extra $3 but their not.

The MSRP on a blu-ray is on average $10 higher then a regular dvd.

So, I'm not buying it. They are. They should eat the cost not me.

[Dukefrukem]

Peeping Tom (1960) **½
Eyes Without a Face (1960) ***
Onibaba (1964) ****
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) on my queue also
Ugetsu (1954) ****
Diabolique (1955) ***

Very nice. Onibaba looks to be a good watch. It's either between that or What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? tonight.

[EyesWideOpen]

So, I'm not buying it. They are. They should eat the cost not me.

"Eating the cost" is not a very profitable business strategy.

I know your entitled to not paying more for what they have to pay more for. How dare they.

[Raiders]

Duke, there is no business in the world that does not pass their increased costs on to the consumer. Why the heck would you think they should eat those costs?

[Dukefrukem]

If they're buying Blu-ray they're buying in bulk- they're not paying $30 a blu-ray that we the consumer are. I don't think we should pay any more for a blu-ray; maybe only have 1 out at a time? But $3 more???

Maybe I'm underestimating how much of an increase it actually is. I hope that $3 goes down over time.

[Raiders]

But it is per month, not per Blu-ray. You could potentially rent as many Blu-ray's in a month as possible under your plan. It would still only be a $3 increase, so if you got say, 8 in one month, that's really only about 38 cents more for each.

[Dukefrukem]

I know but most of the time I don't really care about the Blu-ray features, I only want regular DVDs. On top of the fact that most movies don't even have a Blu-ray release yet. So if I'm still asking for the same number of movies (8), maybe only 1 of those is a Blu-ray.

edit: My complaint isn't rational I know, I'm just being cheap.

[number8]

They give you HD Instant Watch for free, you know.

[Dukefrukem]

They give you HD Instant Watch for free, you know.

Shut up.

*checks*

Well I'll be a son of a bitch...

Can I search through this list? It doesn't look like it.

[number8]

It's... automatic. You search for any movie and if it's available on HD, it'll try to play on HD.

[D_Davis]

If they're buying Blu-ray they're buying in bulk- they're not paying $30 a blu-ray that we the consumer are.


They might actually be paying more. While the practice has gone down in recent years with day-and-date releases of DVDs to the consumer and rental markets, it was not unheard of a few years ago for a rental place to pay over $100 a copy for popular movies to rent.

When I was co-manager of the video dept. at Tower Records we constantly had to explain to this to customers when they lost something.

It's probably different now, though.

Also, as a business I'm sure NF would like to make a few more dollars on early adopters. Early adopters always pay more for the technology.

[Dukefrukem]

It's not really that early still is it? I got my first blu-ray player in 2006.... my first HD DVD player in 2005... Blu-rays are coming down in price faster than DVD did.

[Mara]

Given that Emma, Lady Hamilton, had a perfectly fascinating life and was (by all accounts) a complex and interesting person, she deserves better than That Hamilton Woman. Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh fail to elevate the material, which plays out as a pandering, preachy, impossible romance, along the lines of Now, Voyager, which I also hated.

Blah.

[MacGuffin]

Shut up.

*checks*

Well I'll be a son of a bitch...

Can I search through this list? It doesn't look like it.

instantwatcher.com

[MacGuffin]

I've never seen anything quite like Shadows. Also surprising to see it was entirely improved.

[D_Davis]

Recently rewatched Tekkonkinkreet. One of my all-time favorite movies. Profound, beautiful, moving...truly a work of art. This is true adult animation - mature and powerful.

[Russ]

The Most Ridiculous Bootleg DVD Covers of All Time! (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/09/the-most-ridiculous-bootl_n_676490.html#s124770)

These are hilarious.

[MacGuffin]

Drew Barry More

[D_Davis]

My favorite is on the HK version of Andrew Lau's A Man Called Hero, the synopsis beings, "What had happened was..."

Hilarious.

[Skitch]

I don't mind paying a bit more for bluray, but their 'long waits' drive me batty. Had The Road at the top of my list before it was released, and only got it last week. That sucks. I know they're more in demand when they're released, but its still annoying.

[MacGuffin]

Which movie about evangelical Christian bigots is worth watching? Jesus Camp or Hell House?

[RoadtoPerdition]

Which movie about evangelical Christian bigots is worth watching? Jesus Camp or Hell House?

I've only seen Jesus Camp, but if you're looking come out angry over a movie, that would be the one.

[Winston*]

I've only seen Jesus Camp, but if you're looking come out angry over a movie, that would be the one.

Hell House made me so angry I had to turn it off, so I think either will do the job.

[Mysterious Dude]

Which movie about evangelical Christian bigots is worth watching? Jesus Camp or Hell House?
They are both worth watching. I like Hell House. It's like a live-action Chick Tract.

[Yxklyx]

I've never seen anything quite like Shadows. Also surprising to see it was entirely improved.

You should watch Faces next if you haven't already.

I'm paying $4 extra for blu-rays - you guys only pay $3 more?

[MacGuffin]

I haven't seen Faces, but I'll definitely prioritize it.

[Scar]

Jesus Camp scared the hell out of me.

[Qrazy]

I've never seen anything quite like Shadows. Also surprising to see it was entirely improved.

Improvised, and it wasn't entirely.

[MacGuffin]

Improvised, and it wasn't entirely.

Sorry for the confusion.

Edit: From this point on, I'm checking for spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors in all of my posts. I've been far too lazy with the submit button.

[B-side]

I've never seen anything quite like Shadows. Also surprising to see it was entirely improved.

Cassavetes is where it's at.

[B-side]

I haven't seen Faces, but I'll definitely prioritize it.

It's my favorite of his right now.

[MacGuffin]

Cassavetes is where it's at.

Did you happen to catch the Seymour Cassel cameo? I was pretty surprised when I saw that he had produced the film, but then again, I'm pretty sure Cassavetes made more than just Gena Rowlands famous.

[Sven]

This is the first time I've ever posed this question online, and I'm doing it now more so for fun than for serious:

Which should I watch tonite?:
Taking of Pelham 123, Tony Scott version
or
The Forbidden Kingdom, with Jackie Chan and Jet Li

[Qrazy]

I also feel that Faces is his best.

[Qrazy]

This is the first time I've ever posed this question online, and I'm doing it now more so for fun than for serious:

Which should I watch tonite?:
Taking of Pelham 123, Tony Scott version
or
The Forbidden Kingdom, with Jackie Chan and Jet Li

Good god man, neither.

[B-side]

Did you happen to catch the Seymour Cassel cameo? I was pretty surprised when I saw that he had produced the film, but then again, I'm pretty sure Cassavetes made more than just Gena Rowlands famous.

Oh, man, it's been way too long since I've seen it to recall something like that. Sorry.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Which movie about evangelical Christian bigots is worth watching? Jesus Camp or Hell House?
I think Hell House is better. Both are worth seeing though, I guess.

[Philosophe_rouge]

I've only seen Jesus Camp, but if you're looking come out angry over a movie, that would be the one.
Hell House is just as infuriating. Perhaps more so in some respects. I also think it's slightly more competent as a film, while also being slightly more sympathetic to the "humanity" of the people it's portraying. That could just be me though.

[Watashi]

This is the first time I've ever posed this question online, and I'm doing it now more so for fun than for serious:

Which should I watch tonite?:
Taking of Pelham 123, Tony Scott version
or
The Forbidden Kingdom, with Jackie Chan and Jet Li
You'll love both.

[balmakboor]

Saw Dante's Matinee tonight on instant watch. Great little movie. I wonder why I didn't get around to it sooner.

[number8]

Which movie about evangelical Christian bigots is worth watching? Jesus Camp or Hell House?

Both are worth watching, but I prefer Hell House. It's just so fucked up that it borders on parody sometimes. There's one scene I love where a bunch of punk-goth teens in Korn/Slipknot shirts come out of the Hell House really fucking pissed and complaining to the Christian proprietor about how evil they are. It's just so bizarre.

[MacGuffin]

Both are worth watching, but I prefer Hell House. It's just so fucked up that it borders on parody sometimes. There's one scene I love where a bunch of punk-goth teens in Korn/Slipknot shirts come out of the Hell House really fucking pissed and complaining to the proprietor about how evil they are. It's just so bizarre.

Nice. I'm going to watch this tonight probably along with Daisy Kenyon.

[Derek]

Opening Night and The Killing of a Chinese Bookie are where it's at for Cassavetes. Reminds me I still need to see Love Streams asap.

[Qrazy]

Opening Night and The Killing of a Chinese Bookie are where it's at for Cassavetes. Reminds me I still need to see Love Streams asap.

I can't and/or don't want to imagine a world in which you'll dislike it.

[B-side]

Opening Night and The Killing of a Chinese Bookie are where it's at for Cassavetes. Reminds me I still need to see Love Streams asap.

Opening Night is my 2nd favorite Cassavetes. Husbands is excellent, too.

[Qrazy]

Opening Night is my 2nd favorite Cassavetes. Husbands is excellent, too.

Did you watch Minnie and Moskowitz yet?

[B-side]

Did you watch Minnie and Moskowitz yet?

I, uh...

In my mind, I did.

[Qrazy]

I, uh...

In my mind, I did.

Fail.

[Sycophant]

Just watched Kurosawa's High and Low; it was incredible. It seems to me it's a favorite of a few around around (including Kurosawa Fan? or am I thinking The Lower Depths?). Anyone written anything of any length about it at this site or on their blog? I could only find a few small mentions in the FDT and such.

[Ezee E]

Just watched Kurosawa's High and Low; it was incredible. It seems to me it's a favorite of a few around around (including Kurosawa Fan? or am I thinking The Lower Depths?). Anyone written anything of any length about it at this site or on their blog? I could only find a few small mentions in the FDT and such.
It's my favorite Kurosawa. I may have something on it in RT.......

[Sycophant]

It's my favorite Kurosawa. I may have something on it in RT.......

If you had easy access to it now, I'd ask you to post it, but I'd expect you don't. And RT scares me. But thanks for the reference!

[Sycophant]

Also tried to watch Ishii's Party 7, but 20 minutes left me annoyed and cold. So I ejected that shit. Amazing he would a few years later make The Taste of Tea. (Even Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl is a marked improvement over what I saw tonight.)

[MacGuffin]

Daisy Kenyon is a lovely film. I didn't think that I would get as into it as I did, but the depth that Preminger and friends put into the characters made it really difficult not to. Watching Hell House directly after probably limited the amount of reactionary hyperbole you're about to read, but I feel completely comfortable saying that between Laura (which was my favorite Preminger, but this may now rival that, and that's saying a lot considering Laura's quality), Angel Face, Bonjour tristesse and now this, Otto Preminger is as talented as any other director working in Hollywood at the time. I want to write more elaborate thoughts to further express my appreciation and admiration for the film, but I'm going to hold off for now until I see it again for a proper review.

[B-side]

Hm. I actually wasn't thrilled with Laura. Some nice camera work, but otherwise felt pretty routine. I couldn't muster any enthusiasm for it. I'll see more Preminger soon, though.

[MacGuffin]

Hm. I actually wasn't thrilled with Laura. Some nice camera work, but otherwise felt pretty routine. I couldn't muster any enthusiasm for it. I'll see more Preminger soon, though.

I don't know, man. It's been a while since last I saw it, but I just thought that it was a really effective meditation on obsession and the nature of intrigue. I think it's also worth pointing out how memorable Preminger's female characters are. Michael Atkinson was spot on when he called Daisy Kenyon a "proto-feminist film". Plus, Laura has Vincent Price in it, so bonus points there.

[Sven]

Taking of Pelham 123 is two parts stellar to one part face-palmingly groany. Because thankfully it is quite excellent, unfortunately one must abide a bit of a soar face, mostly thanks to Brian Helgeland's poor sense of genre. My favorite thing was Travolta's performance, which was compelling while still satisfying the somewhat misguided instruction of his on-paper character. I'm loving this Cage-like resurgence in energy that he's having. I also think that Scott's style fits the material very nicely. New York feels like New York. The city and the tunnels are expressively shot. The action is fantastic. The emphasis placed on modern technology's penetration into the underground is well-developed, extending past superficial moments like the girl stripping on the laptop to developing a sense of the increasing potential of technology stripped of physical form. The block-like structures of the buildings, streets, and train cars, and even the pre-destined, linear nature of train travel are belittled by the formless, blanketing power of wireless digital electronic telecommunications. Scott's obfuscating approach to the visual medium drives this feeling home quite strongly.

The ratio of bad to good could've been much smaller with a few editing decisions: excise offensive stock characters with undeveloped theme-scenes (most of the hostage scenes are excruciating, actually), tone Washington's muttering down (not because it was unfitting, but because it wasn't very believable), cut out the bland piano parts in the score...

[Winston*]

Have you seen the original Pelham, iosos?

[Yxklyx]

Hm. I actually wasn't thrilled with Laura. Some nice camera work, but otherwise felt pretty routine. I couldn't muster any enthusiasm for it. I'll see more Preminger soon, though.

I also don't think Laura is all that great - seen it twice too I think, don't understand the love. I prefer other films of his like The Man with the Golden Arm or Where the Sidewalk Ends.

[Fezzik]

I was just looking over the Top 100 list I posted in the thread and realized with some amazement how much it's changed even over the past few months.

You guys really have had a positive influence on my movie watching...I've seen a lot of movies I'd probably still not have heard of if not for this place.

You guys rock.

:pritch:

[Dukefrukem]

You guys really have had a positive influence on my movie watching...I've seen a lot of movies I'd probably still not have heard of if not for this place.

You guys rock.

:pritch:

I can absolutely get behind this. Movies I would never have considered have ended up being some of my favorite movies EVER. And not just movies, TV series too. I would have never watched Firefly if it wasn't for the folks here.

I still have not seen enough movies in my lifetime to even begin to make a top 100 list. As my list stands right now my #100 would be Casino Royale. :-/

[B-side]

http://i34.tinypic.com/2ai107b.jpg

As a friend so graciously pointed out right before I dived into Ulysses' Gaze, Angelopoulos really likes the color blue. Not that I can blame him, of course, as blue is a great color. Angelopoulos' blues are on the lighter side, reflecting the serenity and stillness of his films' moods, this one included. Keitel is a nameless film producer seeking 3 undeveloped prints of film created by the Manakis brothers -- the first filmmakers from the Balkans. Having researched it fairly recently, what kept coming to mind watching this was Ray Carney's seemingly endless journey to find the original negative of Cassavetes' Shadows. There were dead ends, but both of these guys' love of cinema kept them going despite the overwhelming odds against them.

As I spoke of in my write-up (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=262398&postcount=60) on The Suspended Step of the Stork, Angelopoulos has a way of crafting a scene in which these extraordinary events -- however simple they may seem from a distance -- arise organically throughout the narrative, permeating through the stillness and eliciting a variety of emotions with a subtle, yet resonant force. His camera is constantly tracking, often from a distance, emphasizing environment and alienation in a world of arbitrary borders, fragmented history and crushed hopes and dreams. Though my frenzied and anxious mind was not always fully engaged with the material, I could still recognize the formal sublimity Angelopoulos has pretty much perfected, and I knew I was watching at the very least a great film.

[Qrazy]

Hm. I actually wasn't thrilled with Laura. Some nice camera work, but otherwise felt pretty routine. I couldn't muster any enthusiasm for it. I'll see more Preminger soon, though.

That's because it is a thoroughly mediocre film. Angel Face and Anatomy of a Murder are a bit better, more so the latter, as long as you don't mind courtroom dramas.

[D_Davis]

Also tried to watch Ishii's Party 7, but 20 minutes left me annoyed and cold. So I ejected that shit. Amazing he would a few years later make The Taste of Tea. (Even Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl is a marked improvement over what I saw tonight.)

Same here. Party 7 is kind of lame.

Different director, but have you seen Survive Style 5+, yet?

[number8]

For some reason, I always confuse Survive Style 5+ with Tokyo 10+1.

[D_Davis]

For some reason, I always confuse Survive Style 5+ with Tokyo 10+1.

I shelve these next to each other. :)

[number8]

I shelve these next to each other. :)

If you ever invite me over and mischievously switch the discs in the cases, I might have an aneurysm.

[Philosophe_rouge]

i think Anatomy of a Murder is pretty mediocre. Laura is tops. You guys are nuts.

[Raiders]

i think Anatomy of a Murder is pretty mediocre.

Just so... wrong.

[MacGuffin]

I didn't think there would be so much Preminger backlash. You all suck, etc.

[Raiders]

I didn't think there would be so much Preminger backlash. You all suck, etc.

Nada from me!

[Philosophe_rouge]

Just so... wrong.
Mediocre is maybe a strong word. I like it, but if we are comparing it to Laura, it just doesn't hold up.

[Bosco B Thug]

I didn't think there would be so much Preminger backlash. You all suck, etc. Oh, it's just the tide effect from a fresh, negative opinion on Laura, it brings out the drags.

Chalk me up as lukewarm on Laura! I thought the mystery story was juicy and compelling, but otherwise it wasn't extraordinary. It's still my only Preminger, though.

[DavidSeven]

Just watched Kurosawa's High and Low; it was incredible. It seems to me it's a favorite of a few around around (including Kurosawa Fan? or am I thinking The Lower Depths?). Anyone written anything of any length about it at this site or on their blog? I could only find a few small mentions in the FDT and such.

My favorite Kurosawa, by far. I used to pimp it a lot in the day, and it has deservedly reached a certain iconic status here at MC. I wrote a review for it back in '04 that was full of hyperbole and totally amateur, so I won't bother to re-post. Film holds up incredibly well even compared to today's cinema. Standout moments for me: blocking of the apartment scenes, atmosphere of the dance club/chase scene, and the entire staging of the train sequence. Technically masterful, engrossing narrative, and perhaps Mifune's best performance under Kurosawa.

[Sycophant]

I was incredibly impressed especially by the blocking in the scenes in Gondo's house. Every shot was gorgeous, expressive, and simultaneously static and dynamic.

Also, is it just me, or does Toshiro Mifune look sexy as fuck in a suit with a neat mustache?

[number8]

Also, is it just me, or does Toshiro Mifune look sexy as fuck in a suit with a neat mustache?

Fixed.

[Sycophant]

Yeah, I can't disagree with that. But I think he looks especially sexy in this movie.

I once (bizarrely) was told I reminded someone of Mifune in Yojimbo. Best compliment I could ever hope for?

[Rowland]

High and Low and the eternally underrated Stray Dog often rest at the top of my Kurosawa rankings, which is funny considering his reputation for samurai films.

[number8]

Ah, yes. Awkward film school discussions... I remember...

"I love Kurosawa! Seven Samurai is pretty much the greatest movie ever. No contest."
"Oh yeah... Eh, I dunno, I think Ran is better, man."
"No, Rashomon, dude. Rashomon is great. That's my favorite."
"You guys like Yojimbo? I think that's, like, purely? That's his best like, straight up samurai flick, you know?"
"Um... My favorite Kurosawa is Dreams..."
"..."

[Russ]

Fixed.

http://a.imageshack.us/img338/3352/toshiro.jpg

[Qrazy]

Ah, yes. Awkward film school discussions... I remember...

"I love Kurosawa! Seven Samurai is pretty much the greatest movie ever. No contest."
"Oh yeah... Eh, I dunno, I think Ran is better, man."
"No, Rashomon, dude. Rashomon is great. That's my favorite."
"You guys like Yojimbo? I think that's, like, purely? That's his best like, straight up samurai flick, you know?"
"Um... My favorite Kurosawa is Dreams..."
"..."

You all fail. Throne of Blood.

[Qrazy]

Mediocre is maybe a strong word. I like it, but if we are comparing it to Laura, it just doesn't hold up.

Okay, I guess you're right.

It surpasses.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Just watched Kurosawa's High and Low; it was incredible. It seems to me it's a favorite of a few around around (including Kurosawa Fan? or am I thinking The Lower Depths?). Anyone written anything of any length about it at this site or on their blog? I could only find a few small mentions in the FDT and such.

I think I might have still been writing reviews at the time it popped up in my top 100 on the old site, but that review is long gone. Needless to say, it's a favorite.

[baby doll]

Weekend:

Lightning Over Water (Wim Wenders, 1980)
A State of Mind (Daniel Gordon, 2004)
Home (Ursula Meier, 2008)
Vincere (Marco Bellocchio, 2009)

Plus I still have The Only Son for another week. Also, I'll probably take a second look at Exit Through the Gift Shop now that it's opening in Halifax, and maybe the Michael Cera flick depending on the reviews.

[Boner M]

Scott Pilgrim
The Ghost Writer
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs and Flowing
Heartbeat Detector
At Close Range

[Sycophant]

WENDESDAY AFTERNOON?!

In the next week, I intend to see:
Scott Pilgrim
The Other Guys
Humanity & Paper Balloons
Yama no anata
Harakiri
Inception

Eh...and some others.

[Qrazy]

WENDESDAY AFTERNOON?!

In the next week, I intend to see:
Scott Pilgrim
The Other Guys
Humanity & Paper Balloons
Yama no anata
Harakiri
Inception

Eh...and some others.

Harakiri is going to rock your world so hard.

[Sycophant]

Harakiri is going to rock your world so hard.

Excellent. I've had this suspicion that that'll be the case. Samurai Rebellion got me pretty excited for this one. I've found myself thinking about it every few days at least since I watched it a couple months ago.

[Qrazy]

Excellent. I've had this suspicion that that'll be the case. Samurai Rebellion got me pretty excited for this one. I've found myself thinking about it every few days at least since I watched it a couple months ago.

Yeah. Samurai Rebellion is great, but Harakiri is Kobayashi's masterpiece imo.

[soitgoes...]

Harakiri is so much better than Samurai Rebellion, and Samurai Rebellion is great in its own right.

EDIT: Or what Qrazy said.

[Sycophant]

Anyone seen his The Human Condition? I wanna watch it soon, I think, though 9.5 hours is gonna require a plan of attack.

[MacGuffin]

Anyone seen his The Human Condition? I wanna watch it soon, I think, though 9.5 hours is gonna require a plan of attack.

No, but a 9.5 hour melodrama hardly seems like my cup of tea. I've heard it's a pretty overbearing film.

[Spinal]

I have 3 more episodes of Les Vampires to watch.

[Sycophant]

No, but a 9.5 hour melodrama hardly seems like my cup of tea. I've heard it's a pretty overbearing film.

It's probably my cup of tea, though. Just realized it stars Tatsuya Nakadai. Priority up!

[Derek]

High and Low and the eternally underrated Stray Dog often rest at the top of my Kurosawa rankings, which is funny considering his reputation for samurai films.

Stray Dog is one of my friend's favorites. I'm never that surprised, although always a little bit unsettled, by the number of people that consider High & Low his best. Don't get me wrong; it's fantastic, but it's probably his most Americanized film.


I didn't think there would be so much Preminger backlash. You all suck, etc.

I knew Qrazy's not a fan, though he's not big on at least a few other Cahiers-celebrated Hollywood auteurs.

But Preminger is great - I honestly don't know how anyone can call Laura mediocre.


Taking of Pelham 123 is two parts stellar to one part face-palmingly groany. Because thankfully it is quite excellent, unfortunately one must abide a bit of a soar face, mostly thanks to Brian Helgeland's poor sense of genre. My favorite thing was Travolta's performance, which was compelling while still satisfying the somewhat misguided instruction of his on-paper character. I'm loving this Cage-like resurgence in energy that he's having. I also think that Scott's style fits the material very nicely.

*roll tape*

Oh Svensos...I don't really know where to start.

[Derek]

Anyone seen his The Human Condition? I wanna watch it soon, I think, though 9.5 hours is gonna require a plan of attack.

I saw the first two years ago and both are fantastic. Haven't seen the third since Netflix dropped it once it went OOP, but I assure you it's worth your time. Tatsuya Nakadai is soooo good.

[soitgoes...]

It's probably my cup of tea, though. Just realized it stars Tatsuya Nakadai. Priority up!
It's one of Nakadai's best roles. I guess I could say this about 10 of his films I've seen. He's probably my favorite actor.

[StanleyK]

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang is great. The prison break story isn't particularly fresh (although for all I know, it might've been in 1932), and the bluntly written first few minutes had me worried, but LeRoy's matter-of-fact direction strips the film from melodrama or hamfisted social commentary, letting tension and subtext rise naturally from the performances and material; by the time we get to the ending, we're as exhausted and broken as Allen, who slinks slowly to the shadows for a haunting final shot.

[Sycophant]

I saw the first two years ago and both are fantastic. Haven't seen the third since Netflix dropped it once it went OOP, but I assure you it's worth your time. Tatsuya Nakadai is soooo good.

Thanks for the encouragement, guys! I have a hard time watching long movies, but I just bumped these discs up to spot #3 on my Netflix queue. Hoping to get to them before the new semester starts.

[Sven]

Oh Svensos...I don't really know where to start.

I think I conveyed a rather sensible and well-reasoned opinion this time around.

[Derek]

I think I conveyed a rather sensible and well-reasoned opinion this time around.

I completely agree with the well-reasoned. It's the sensible part that gets me. It's precisely because your intelligent and you put thought into watching and writing about films that I'm so conflicted when you praise something as thoroughly mediocre and forgettable as the Pelham remake, not to mention calling out what I found to be the weakest element, Travolta's performance.

[Sven]

...not to mention calling out what I found to be the weakest element, Travolta's performance.

Really? I found his character quite dynamic, a constant flux of fear, desperation, confidence, humor, and sympathy, approached from an alluring perspective of utility and self-pity.

And to be fair, my praise is quite tempered with the realities of the film's numerous inadequacies. It feels fundamentally wrong to conclude the film with Denzel smiling after just losing a few colleagues and shooting a guy whose humanity he had come to recognize.

[MadMan]

I actually like Travolta more when he plays the bad guy. One of my favorite performances of his was the heavy in Swordfish-it looks like he had a great deal of fun playing that character, and it showed onscreen.

Weekend:

*The Wolf Man(1941)
*House of Wax(1953)
*Muholland Drive-I'm going to finally watch it. Really.

[Qrazy]

Anyone seen his The Human Condition? I wanna watch it soon, I think, though 9.5 hours is gonna require a plan of attack.

Yes. I liked it quite a bit. I think the first part is the strongest though, then the second, then the third, but they are all of a piece.

[Sxottlan]

Didn't see it here, so here it is:

http://criterion_production.s3.amazon aws.com/release_images/3034/540_BD_box_348x490.jpg

[B-side]

Yeah, I like that cover a lot.

[number8]

Most predictable cover art of the year goes to...

[Mysterious Dude]

Wes Anderson's brother is not a very good artist.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I watched my first Chan-Wook Park film yesterday, Lady Vengeance. The initial surreality, time-skipping, and self-aware transitions and techniques were interesting, but they seemed almost trivial compared to the second half, which kept me on the edge of my seat. While that may seem like a cliche, I was literally half-on, half-off my seat, staring at the screen in disbelief. I thought the film was going to be a straightforward revenge tale (and, to a degree, it is), but I had no idea the revenge would take the shape it did. The way the film used this visceral approach to ask important questions about justice, punishment, mercy, etc.

Very impressive.

I'm going to watch Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance later on today.

Question: is it better to say Chan-Wook Park or Park Chan-Wook?

[Yxklyx]

Thanks for the encouragement, guys! I have a hard time watching long movies, but I just bumped these discs up to spot #3 on my Netflix queue. Hoping to get to them before the new semester starts.

The first one is decent - haven't gotten around to the other two. I don't think it's necessary to watch these all in one go. The movies were originally released a year apart.

[D_Davis]

I like his art a lot. Reminds of Where's Waldo?

[baby doll]

Question: is it better to say Chan-Wook Park or Park Chan-Wook?Park Chan-wook. In Korea, the family name comes first.

[D_Davis]

But in America, the family name comes second. So Chan-Wook Park.

[baby doll]

But in America, the family name comes second. So Chan-Wook Park.No, that just sounds retarded. :)

But seriously, it does.

[baby doll]

Yet, when it comes to Japanese names, no one ever says Kurosawa Akira, Mizoguchi Kenji, or Ozu Yasujiro.

[D_Davis]

I know - I was just messin'.

;)

I've heard it both ways, so I don't think it really matters.

[number8]

I usually just call him PCW.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I'd heard it both ways for Takashi Miike / Miike Takashi too.

[number8]

Yet, when it comes to Japanese names, no one ever says Kurosawa Akira, Mizoguchi Kenji, or Ozu Yasujiro.

No one western, you mean.

[baby doll]

No one western, you mean.Touché.

[D_Davis]

I call him P-Chan.

[Qrazy]

I call him Pacman.

[MadMan]

House of Wax (1953) features another fine performance from Vincent Price, who lost among the fact that he made entertaining horror movies was also a great actor, one of my all time favorites. He makes the role of the vengeful main antagonist his very own, and the movie has a great deal of creepy atmosphere involved. Plus there's Charles Bronson playing a deaf-mute before he hit it big, and Price sneaking around town, acting like a one of those slasher serial killers (The Leopard Man also being another early example of the slasher movie idea), which is interesting. Funny that this was made in 3D, and also amusing that it is more known for that than its actual quality.

The Wolf Man (1941) is a simple movie, and like its predecessors Dracula, Frankenstein and The Mummy it plays out rather quickly, which is a good thing because the material is a bit thin here. Still Lon Chaney Jr. runs amok attacking town folk while his dad Claude Raines stays in denial until the famous final climax. Most notable for establishing many of the rules of the werewolf genre, and being one of the best of the Universal Monster movies.

[baby doll]

P. Wookie. Like P. Diddy, but covered in fur and flying around in the Millenium Falcon. Stroke the furry co-pilot!

[Spinal]

Stroke the furry co-pilot!

Sentence of the day.

[MadMan]

P. Wookie. Like P. Diddy, but covered in fur and flying around in the Millenium Falcon. Stroke the furry co-pilot!When life hands you a Jeffery...

[Spinal]

Vincere (Marco Bellocchio, 2009) / ****

Ooo, excellent. Been looking forward to this one.

[Sxottlan]

The Girl Who Played with Fire. Definitely a step down from the first film. It's mostly plot (an interesting plot to be sure), with character introductions abrupt with no set-up. They're just there. I wonder how much of these books is simply grinding Lisbeth down with one cruel turn after another. The climax is pretty cool.

There's basically no style to the film. Absolutely none.

[Dukefrukem]

Watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last night. These films seem to get better as the story treks on. Still love Gary Oldman in the last two movies.

[Fezzik]

Another movie marathon this weekend with the local writers group. It's the last one we'll do before Rachel heads to London for a semester, so we let her pick the theme.

We're doing musicals. What's cool is that none of us have any idea what we're watching. We each get to pick one film and bring it to screen, so that's kinda cool.

I'm bringing Once.


And I'll probably see Scott Pilgrim vs the World sometime Sunday.

[Dukefrukem]

What if someone brings the same movie?

[Fezzik]

What if someone brings the same movie?

It's possible! This is the first time we've done it White Elephant style. If that happens, there's always Netflix instawatch.

[MacGuffin]

Weekend:

Burnt Offerings (Curtis)
The Iron Rose (Rollin)
The Passenger (Antonioni)

[Dukefrukem]

Weekend:

Up
The most recent Harry Potter whatever it's called
A Town called Panic
Expendables (maybe)

[MacGuffin]

Thoughts on Onibaba, Duke? I'm liking the rating.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Like I said, Lady Vengeance was great. However, I saw Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance yesterday, and that film's even better.

[B-side]

Trying ratings out again. Maybe if I stop obsessing over how accurate they are I can let them stay.:P

[Dukefrukem]

Thoughts on Onibaba, Duke? I'm liking the rating.

Loved it. From the minute it begins it's obvious it stands out; The attention to detail in these shots are fantastic. The wind blowing the grass, trampling through the grass without seeing the people; you can actually see the grimaces on the faces of the two woman in the beginning as they are dragging the bodies to the pit. Then their reaction as they head back to their home and fall asleep.

CREEPY atmosphere; but a lot of jump scares and overly loud music /soundfx tracks. I get it though. It's easily ignored. Will be checking out more from this director. Kaneto Shindo.

[Dukefrukem]

Trying ratings out again. Maybe if I stop obsessing over how accurate they are I can let them stay.:P

Which ratings are you going to? our of 10? 100?

[kuehnepips]

Weekend:

Heading south (Croatia, Montenegro or so). See you in three weeks guys.

[dreamdead]

Post Ph.D exam weekend:

Secret Sunshine
Waltz with Bashir
The Road
last two episodes of Lost: Season 5

[D_Davis]

Like I said, Lady Vengeance was great. However, I saw Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance yesterday, and that film's even better.

And I like Oldboy more than either of those.

[Rowland]

However, I saw Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance yesterday, and that film's even better.This is the only one of his films that has really stuck with me, though I'd like to revisit Oldboy, which I enjoyed at the time.

[Dead & Messed Up]

And I like Oldboy more than either of those.

The Instant Watch version is dubbed, so I'll have to complete the "trilogy" next week with a shipped DVD. Suffice to say, I'm now a huge fan of Chan-Wook Park. I love how messy his idea of revenge is. I was expecting movies along the line of Kill Bill, but these are so much more interesting. The ending of Mr. Vengeance tore me apart.

[Rowland]

The ending of Mr. Vengeance tore me apart.It's just a shame that he resorts to the voice-over at the end, a supremely misjudged decision that really tore me out of the film. The rest of the film is so confident in unfurling without excessive hand-holding that the sudden use of explanatory flashback dialogue struck me as almost insulting.

[Bosco B Thug]

Trying ratings out again. Maybe if I stop obsessing over how accurate they are I can let them stay.:P Ratings are for the good of everyone. Be proud of rating, you are beautiful. :P

Damn, who knew Doubt would turn out to be The X-Files: I Want to Believe without the genre trappings... and resultant, 2008 the year of contemplating the plight of the pedophile! Thematically, they're practically twins, with the Catholic Church the stuffy institution instead of the FBI. Doubt is of course the more even-handed film, with no miracle of retribution allowed to either the deluded, rationalizing priest or the dying, oppressive, insensate institution.

I liked Doubt, even though, especially after reading reviews, I can see how the austerity of the stage is far more appropriate for this than the theatrical, visual melodrama of film. What would be enticing ambiguity on stage is distracting fishing-for-clues in routine medium close-up. The film makes the material seem evasive and intent on tricking the viewer. I think it was Chaw that aptly criticized it as devolving into a "whodunnit."

[Rowland]

I liked Doubt a lot, probably more so than most of the posters on this board. Shanley did go a bit overboard with the visual flourishes at points, but I admired that he tried to rethink his work in cinematic, albeit boldly operatic, terms. Loved Hoffman as well, his performance was so difficult to get a grasp on, which really heightened the resonance of the film's ambiguities.

[Bosco B Thug]

I liked Doubt a lot, probably more so than most of the posters on this board. Shanley did go a bit overboard with the visual flourishes at points, but I admired that he tried to rethink his work in cinematic, albeit boldly operatic, terms. Loved Hoffman as well, his performance was so difficult to get a grasp on, which really heightened the resonance of the film's ambiguities. I read back on people's thoughts here. I agree with you that Shanley's old-fashioned, "pulp" (the word you used) or "melodrama" styling aren't necessarily a bad thing at all, but it's true they never elevate the material.

Hoffman is good, although it's funny the number of reviews making fun of him, particularly if they compare him to the "charismatic" Father Flynn of the Broadway production. Apparently Hoffman is absolute opposite of charismatic!

As for Streep's "doubt" at the end, I was completely fine with the moment. Streep sells it, and it's less she's doubtful about Hoffman's culpability (which I find is supposed to be pretty clear by the end) as it is the doubt created by all that moral ambiguity that she's been faced with (that her actions [and her Church] make no room for).

[Rowland]

"pulp" (the word you used)Hmm, poor use of the word on my part.

[Bosco B Thug]

Hmm, poor use of the word on my part. I don't know, don't blush, but this is a great sentence that I agree word for word with. It's why my brain retained that use of the word.


Shanley pitches the tone of his material to a heightened degree, so that the picture avoids middlebrow stodginess in favor of the thrumming vitality of potent pulp, as he adapts his play for the screen in dynamic cinematic terms (if sometimes in a ham-fisted manner suggesting an arguably misplaced puckishness one might expect from the director of Joe vs. the Volcano), bolstered by a deluge of shamelessly baroque expressionist punctuations suggesting that the very balance of these characters' elemental and spiritual worlds is at stake.

[Dead & Messed Up]

It's just a shame that he resorts to the voice-over at the end, a supremely misjudged decision that really tore me out of the film. The rest of the film is so confident in unfurling without excessive hand-holding that the sudden use of explanatory flashback dialogue struck me as almost insulting.

I assume you're referring to the...

revolutionaries

I agree. Unnecessary. I drew the conclusion immediately (what other conclusion could be drawn?), and the voice-over felt redundant.

[transmogrifier]

I think Park Chan-Wook's films are going to age very well. At the moment, we are living through a post-modern type of cinematic appreciation, where hardcore cinema fans generally seem to want either formal structurialism or a distinct genre investigation - both nice and self-contained, easy to read and to discern the intention of the fiilmaker.

With this in mind, Park's disdain for sticking to a single genre, and his fluid, unpredictable story structure, has meant that a lot of critics automatically dismiss him as semi-incompetent, as if he is chasing structural formalism or genre deconstruction and failing completely. But simply look at the films, and they are (generally - I still hate Cyborg, but that is going to happen from time to time) kinetic, emotional, fully human blasts of satisfying story and resonant themes....just not in a package that is generally accepted by the critical elite at the moment. I say in 25 years from now, he'll be seen as a stone cold master (at least for what he has done till now; it's always possible he may implode, who knows?)