28 Film Discussion Threads Later [Archive] - Page 187

MadMan

10-07-2010, 10:25 AM

As one can imagine, I'm going to completely disagree with this statement.So do I. Jaws may no longer crack my Top 20, but its still a brilliant movie. Part of me wants to dislike it because it ushered in the modern idiotic blockbuster, but then everytime I catch it on TV I'm reminded how awesome the entire movie really is. At least several scenes are worthy of being included on "Best of" lists.

Weekend:

*Trick 'r Treat (2008)
Whatever else is horror related that I find worthy of viewing on Netflix. Yes sir, its that time of year again...

Ezee E

10-07-2010, 01:13 PM

Dang, Buried is only playing in one theater this weekend.

WEEKEND:
The Secret in their Eyes
The Killer Inside Me

Skitch

10-07-2010, 03:21 PM

I'm rather irritated about AMC letting the MPAA pressure them into pulling Hatchet 2. Yay freedom!

MacGuffin

10-07-2010, 04:27 PM

Whatever else is horror related that I find worthy of viewing on Netflix. Yes sir, its that time of year again...

There is a lot.

MadMan

10-07-2010, 07:02 PM

There is a lot.Yep.

Skitch the MPAA doesn't care about freedom. Or artistic creativity.

baby doll

10-07-2010, 10:04 PM

Weekend:

Catfish (Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, 2010)
L'heure d'été (Olivier Assayas, 2008)
I Am Love (Luca Guadagnino, 2009)
Johnny Got His Gun (Dalton Trumbo, 1971)
The Last Emperor (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1987)*
The Social Network (David Fincher, 2010)
The War Game (Peter Watkins, 1965)

*I've been trying to squeeze this one in for ages, but can never find the time.

transmogrifier

10-07-2010, 10:34 PM

Really surprised at how little I liked Ratcatcher. It's a "genre" that I tend to like, the low-key, fly on the wall, free-wheeling realistic view of childhood, but by God, it's just so hollow and disconnected. There are certain stabs at poetry (like the mouse to the moon and the wheatfield) that would have worked if the rest of the film was in support of them, but it isn't. Instead, it is a plodding dirge to the grinding poverty of the 1970s in Scotland, with no true insight into the characters and deeply conventional at its core. The relationship between the boy and the girl who loses her glasses is an indie staple, for example, that is in no way elevated, or tweaked, or even made interesting on the narrative surface. And it trades in cheap contrasts too, like the "happy" party at home after the awarding of the medal cynically followed by something that deflates that happiness.

What a disappointment.

Skitch

10-07-2010, 10:45 PM

Yep.

Skitch the MPAA doesn't care about freedom. Or artistic creativity.

I was being sarcastic. I'm thinking of a strongly worded email to AMC.

StanleyK

10-07-2010, 10:47 PM

Haha. Classic.

What? The other parts are shorter.

MadMan

10-07-2010, 10:59 PM

I was being sarcastic. I'm thinking of a strongly worded email to AMC.I figured as such. And the MPAA is dumb. Maybe if they weren't controlled by the studios, they'd actually having a rating system that wasn't horribly inconsistent and clearly dumb. My problem isn't with the ratings system (even though honestly if people don't care if their kids go see R rated movies, that's not my problem) but how its conducted and the fact that the MPAA at times is a gigantic censor board. Plus I still can't believe they gave Amelie an R rating, among other stupid decisions.

DavidSeven

10-07-2010, 11:01 PM

Really surprised at how little I liked Ratcatcher. It's a "genre" that I tend to like, the low-key, fly on the wall, free-wheeling realistic view of childhood, but by God, it's just so hollow and disconnected. There are certain stabs at poetry (like the mouse to the moon and the wheatfield) that would have worked if the rest of the film was in support of them, but it isn't. Instead, it is a plodding dirge to the grinding poverty of the 1970s in Scotland, with no true insight into the characters and deeply conventional at its core. The relationship between the boy and the girl who loses her glasses is an indie staple, for example, that is in no way elevated, or tweaked, or even made interesting on the narrative surface. And it trades in cheap contrasts too, like the "happy" party at home after the awarding of the medal to Da being cynically followed by something that deflates that happiness.

What a disappointment.

Hated this film.

Was attacked for the opinion back in the day, so glad to have someone of like mind on this. I believe I described the characters as cardboard cutouts or walking cliches, maybe both, rendering any insight into their interactions insignificant. Agree that it is a completely empty experience, on the whole.

transmogrifier

10-07-2010, 11:03 PM

It does seem like a very Match Cut type of film.

Sven

10-07-2010, 11:06 PM

Haven't seen Ratcatcher, but your words perfectly describer her Morvern Callar.

Qrazy

10-07-2010, 11:27 PM

What? The other parts are shorter.

Well Part I is a little longer than the prelude. But realy I was thinking more so of his longer version of the film The Art of Vision which is a superimposition of all of the various roles of the film which came before. It clocks in at a bit over 4 hours. If I remember correctly even the later parts of Dog Star Man feature a fair bit of repetition of earlier sequences though.

Sycophant

10-07-2010, 11:33 PM

The Non-Sensationalist Take on Hatchet II’s Theatrical Run (http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/news/the-non-sensationalist-take-on-hatchet-iis-theatrical-run.php)

Movie's got more stupid publicity now than it would have had otherwise. Go it.

Raiders

10-07-2010, 11:56 PM

Ratcatcher is the best film of 1999.

Boner M

10-08-2010, 12:27 AM

Both of Lynne Ramsay's flicks are great. Comeback, plz.

transmogrifier

10-08-2010, 12:47 AM

Ratcatcher is the best film of 1999.

My wireless lie detector machine is going haywire at the moment.

DavidSeven

10-08-2010, 01:02 AM

Ratcatcher is the best film of 1999.

Whoa, whoa. Let's not sully the good name of 1999 cinema by putting that dreck at the forefront.

transmogrifier

10-08-2010, 01:03 AM

Both of Lynne Ramsay's flicks are great. Comeback, plz.

The Lovely Bones would have been just as bad with Ramsay at the helm. A different, morose, disconnected kind of bad, but bad nonetheless. Bam! You're up.

Boner M

10-08-2010, 01:32 AM

A different, morose, disconnected kind of bad, but bad nonetheless. Bam! You're up.
A good kind of bad, y'mean.

Raiders

10-08-2010, 02:57 AM

I stand by my statement. Perhaps there are indeed better films from 1999, but of the 90 I have seen, it's the best.

I also like Morvern Callar, but to a lesser extent and mainly due to Morton.

megladon8

10-08-2010, 03:00 AM

Raiders clearly hasn't seen The Phantom Menace yet.

megladon8

10-08-2010, 03:49 AM

I even find the script in Jaws to be quite good.

There are little pieces of dialogue that are so quaint and throwaway, but say so much about the characters. I love things like that.

For example, the night when Dreyfuss goes to Scheider's house to have dinner, and breaks out the two bottles of wine. Scheider immediately opens the red and begins pouring, and Dreyfuss protests "you're gonna want to let that breathe" then looks supremely put off by Scheider's drinking it as is.

At this point it has not yet been established that Dreyfuss is rich (or at least, comes from a rich family) and this little piece of dialogue says so much about his difference in class from Scheider and the whole town.

Qrazy

10-08-2010, 08:40 AM

Did anyone here see Big River Man?

Ezee E

10-08-2010, 11:51 PM

Well neat, I get to be the Boulder Film Examiner, and may get the occasional buck or two. Neat!

Skitch

10-09-2010, 01:53 AM

Way to go, E!!!

MacGuffin

10-09-2010, 04:44 PM

Severin Films, a company known for their many Jess Franco releases and their release of the original Inglorious Bastards, is putting out Santa Sangre on Blu-ray and DVD. Link (http://www.severin-films.com/2010/09/20/the-wait-is-over-santa-sangre-coming-to-dvdblu-ray-uncut-from-severin-films/)

Pop Trash

10-09-2010, 05:24 PM

I think Julie Delpy as Celine in Before Sunrise/Sunset is the most lovely female character of the last 30 years.

StanleyK

10-09-2010, 05:55 PM

Well Part I is a little longer than the prelude. But realy I was thinking more so of his longer version of the film The Art of Vision which is a superimposition of all of the various roles of the film which came before. It clocks in at a bit over 4 hours. If I remember correctly even the later parts of Dog Star Man feature a fair bit of repetition of earlier sequences though.

Repeated imagery towards the end was what robbed the Prelude of a 4-star rating. Man, now you killed my anticipation again.

Watashi

10-09-2010, 06:55 PM

For those who have the Sundance channel, this week they are airing all three parts of Olivier Assayas's Carlos. I have it DVR'd.

Raiders

10-09-2010, 07:23 PM

For those who have the Sundance channel, this week they are airing all three parts of Olivier Assayas's Carlos. I have it DVR'd.

Awesome. Thanks for the heads up.

Chac Mool

10-09-2010, 08:19 PM

I think Julie Delpy as Celine in Before Sunrise/Sunset is the most lovely female character of the last 30 years.

I don't know if I'd go quite that far, but I can't counter the statement.

dreamdead

10-09-2010, 09:38 PM

Broadway Danny Rose = mediocre Allen material, though the helium gag was noteworthy. I like Farrow, but her character still feels like a Keaton leftover, so that Farrow's character feels like a compilation of Keaton tics. The payoffs were few.

Crumb = what a fucked family that R. Crumb comes from. So creepy. Interesting to see how intellectual the family is in understanding their eccentricities, but the film lets Crumb off the hook a little too often, rather than interrogating more of psychosexual desires as they're placed out on the page.

soitgoes...

10-09-2010, 11:19 PM

megladon8

10-09-2010, 11:32 PM

So yeah, Jaws is pretty much a masterpiece.

Everything is top-notch, and it's tense and effective to this day.

Kurosawa Fan

10-09-2010, 11:34 PM

Yep. It will forever have a place in my top 100, if not 25. And I never tire of it. I can't tell you the number of times I've seen it, and whenever I see that it's on again, I turn it to that channel.

Ivan Drago

10-09-2010, 11:54 PM

So yeah, Jaws is pretty much a masterpiece.

Everything is top-notch, and it's tense and effective to this day.

Did you just see it for the first time?

And it, along with Batman Returns, might be the films that got me into films in the first place. It will always have a spot in my top 15.

Stay Puft

10-09-2010, 11:59 PM

I finally watched that HK Triangle film with Hark, Lam and To as directors. Kinda miserable.

Hark's opening section is a bunch of random plotting with a surprisingly dull visual style. Why is his camera so close to everything? It was giving me a headache.

Lam's section isn't much better, visually. He at least keeps his camera at a reasonable distance, but he employs a lot of tacky flashback transitions and image overlays. And then, of course, there's what his team does with the plot, which is to take the film into hilariously misogynistic territory (the sole female character from the fist section becomes completely hysterical) and at the expense of narrative continuity to boot! What the fuck!

If anything, though, the film is a good argument for Johnnie To as being the superior craftsman of all his HK contemporaries. He actually salvages the hour long disaster with a competent climax, pulling a great plot setup seemingly out of his ass (a mysterious hard edged cop and Lam Suet acting crazy are introduced out of nowhere and become the entire impetus for the finale) and delivering the only good action scene in the film. I'm convinced To is one of the best things happening in HK cinema.

B-side

10-10-2010, 12:04 AM

balmakboor

10-10-2010, 03:18 AM

So yeah, Jaws is pretty much a masterpiece.

Everything is top-notch, and it's tense and effective to this day.

I just re-watched it this evening as well. It really is an amazing piece of work. Spielberg was so damn youthfully creative at the time. I think I like it, Sugarland, and Duel even more than his more lauded "mature" works. They have so much energy and a sort of try anything exuberance about them.

B-side

10-10-2010, 04:37 AM

Seas Beneath might be the most well photographed Ford film I've seen so far. And the climax is particularly thrilling. Shame the narrative isn't quite as impressive. Not enough of that trademark Ford energy and humanism. Some undercooked relationships, too. Still absolutely worth seeing if only for its technical merits.

B-side

10-10-2010, 06:13 AM

Seeing the Observe and Report thread pop up again, I'm reminded of what a shitty movie it was.

Ivan Drago

10-10-2010, 07:21 AM

Severin Films, a company known for their many Jess Franco releases and their release of the original Inglorious Bastards, is putting out Santa Sangre on Blu-ray and DVD. Link

YES! I've always wanted to see this. I love El Topo and love The Holy Mountain...until its ending.

MadMan

10-10-2010, 08:56 AM

Well neat, I get to be the Boulder Film Examiner, and may get the occasional buck or two. Neat!Excellent news, dude.

So yeah, Jaws is pretty much a masterpiece.

Everything is top-notch, and it's tense and effective to this day.Despite some of its flaws, I agree. What's funny is that when its been sometime inbetween viewings, I think its a tad overrated. Then I watch some of it again, and I realize that no, its truly deserving of its reputation.

Skitch

10-10-2010, 11:52 AM

Unthinkable was a surprisingly solid thriller. Some good performances.

Rowland

10-10-2010, 11:55 AM

Unthinkable was a surprisingly solid thriller. Some good performances.I've seen the trailer for this on some dvds, and I have to say, it looked unconscionably bad.

Boner M

10-10-2010, 11:58 AM

Seeing the [insert shitty movie] thread pop up again, I'm reminded of what a shitty movie it was.
Duke's here to help.

megladon8

10-10-2010, 07:04 PM

Dukefrukem

10-10-2010, 07:14 PM

Seeing the Observe and Report thread pop up again, I'm reminded of what a shitty movie it was.

It's better than the Other Guys.

Grouchy

10-10-2010, 07:18 PM

Saw Pleasantville. Gotta admit, even if the script isn't very good and the film falls often into repetition and schmaltz, I couldn't stop loving it just for the visual work, which is truly extraordinary. Probably the best use of alternative b&w / color since Wings of Desire. It's an obvious message the movie is carrying, but one told with love and wit. Jeff Daniels is a big asset. Loved the closing shot.

Also saw Batman: Under the Red Hood. As enjoyable as these DC Universe DTV movies usually are. This one is a bit too obscure for anyone not into Batman's history of Robins, methinks.

Dukefrukem

10-10-2010, 07:25 PM

I like Pleasantville too. Been a while since I saw it. I like the scene where the basketball players make 100% of their shots.

MadMan

10-10-2010, 09:04 PM

I'm re-watching (and still love) Patton, but I wonder how much of the film is an accurate portrayal of his character, and how much is embellishment by screenwriters with an agenda.

If the film is accurate...the guy was a fucking loon.Patton was indeed batshit crazy, but the guy was one of the best generals in WW II. He had a mastery of tank warfare, and a strange but oddly admirable respect for his enemies like Rommel. Patton is indeed a great film-both George C. Scott and Karl Madden are fantastic as Patton and his only friend, General Bradley. I like that they decide to only focus on his life during WW II, instead of trying to cover his entire life in 2-3 hours, which is what standard biopics usually do.

B-side

10-10-2010, 09:31 PM

Duke's here to help.

:lol:

It's better than the Other Guys.

http://media.funlol.com/content/img/oh-snap.gif

balmakboor

10-11-2010, 03:18 AM

This W/E I saw:

Jaws - Brilliant as already noted.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High - Still love it. Love how matter of factly it deals with the subject of abortion. So much smarter than the later Juno.

Zodiac - This was my second viewing and I found it even more absorbing.

Secretariat - Blech

Derek

10-11-2010, 03:27 AM

I used to like Pleasantville til I saw it again and realized it's really no better than the any of the typical liberal back-patting films that flood our theaters each fall. But it could be that I'm generally tired of the take-that-50s-suburbia sub-genre.

Grouchy

10-11-2010, 03:39 AM

balmakboor

10-11-2010, 03:40 AM

My daughter and I also finished watching the first season of the anime series Big Windup. I found it surprising addictive. I've always been fascinated by how cerebral the game of baseball is and this series truly understands that. The series actually devotes 11 episodes to a single ball game and I was never even close to being bored.

balmakboor

10-11-2010, 03:44 AM

For what it's worth, I think Far From Heaven is a much deeper take-that-50s-suburbia film.

And I think Fido is a much more entertaining take-that-50s-suburbia film. Actually, I think All That Heaven Allows, Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, Far From Heaven, and Fido would make a great quadruple bill.

Derek

10-11-2010, 04:26 AM

For what it's worth, I think Far From Heaven is a much deeper take-that-50s-suburbia film.

I completely agree. I also love Sirk, so I'm not saying they're all bad, just most I've seen from the past 7 or 8 years.

megladon8

10-11-2010, 04:28 AM

I thought Far From Heaven was wonderful.

I haven't seen Pleasantville since it first came out on VHS, so I don't feel I can fairly comment on it. I remember finding it rather boring.

Jen really wants me to see Revolutionary Road.

chrisnu

10-11-2010, 10:54 AM

Jen really wants me to see Revolutionary Road.
I don't want to give anything away, but this went from a 7-7.5 in my estimation to about a 5, because of the final ten minutes of the movie.

Boner M

10-11-2010, 11:06 AM

The final minutes of California Split are the very definition of 'quietly devastating'. Elliott Gould's as fun to watch as ever, but George Segal emerges as the MVP.

Ezee E

10-11-2010, 11:57 AM

I don't want to give anything away, but this went from a 7-7.5 in my estimation to about a 5, because of the final ten minutes of the movie.
Indeed.

Skitch

10-11-2010, 12:02 PM

I've seen the trailer for this on some dvds, and I have to say, it looked unconscionably bad.

Well...*shrug*

I thought it was decent.

Skitch

10-11-2010, 12:06 PM

Indeed.

I would board a "Revolutionary Road is crap" bandwagon.

EyesWideOpen

10-11-2010, 12:31 PM

I'm in the other camp. I loved Revolutionary Road.

Sven

10-11-2010, 05:43 PM

... but George Segal emerges as the MVP.

Seriously, and how rarely does this happen?

Kurosawa Fan

10-11-2010, 06:18 PM

Watched Runaway Train. Wish I hadn't. Bad performances, bad script, ridiculous ending, corny metaphors, etc. I want my two hours back. How does this film have a good reputation?

Watashi

10-11-2010, 06:52 PM

Watched Runaway Train. Wish I hadn't. Bad performances, bad script, ridiculous ending, corny metaphors, etc. I want my two hours back. How does this film have a good reputation?
Because it's completely awesome and Eric Roberts is the shit.

Me and Sven will kill you now.

megladon8

10-11-2010, 06:56 PM

Anyone else think Patton is a masterpiece?

balmakboor

10-11-2010, 07:17 PM

Anyone else think Patton is a masterpiece?

I'd probably thumb a ride on that bandwagon. It's been too long for me to know if I'd stay on board past the next town though. The script is a great achievement that seldom gets mentioned when people talk about Coppola.

Skitch

10-11-2010, 08:04 PM

Because it's completely awesome and Eric Roberts is the shit.

Me, Sven, and Skitch will kill you now.

Repaired.

soitgoes...

10-11-2010, 08:57 PM

Well hello Señor Berlanga! I'm looking forward to watching El Verdugo next. Great satire from a country that really did a good job suppressing any opposition. The first film, Bienvenido Mister Marshall, is more of a straight out comedy. Hilarious throughout. I only wish my Spanish were a bit better so I wasn't so reliant on the subtitles. The dialogue, especially the narration, whizzes by, and I know I was missing a lot of jokes that are untranslatable. The second film, Plácido, is satire through and through. Not the in-your-face satire that Buñuel gave Spain in Viridiana. Plácido is much more subtle.

Sven

10-11-2010, 10:22 PM

Watched Runaway Train. Wish I hadn't. Bad performances, bad script, ridiculous ending, corny metaphors, etc. I want my two hours back. How does this film have a good reputation?

Whoawhoawhoa -- really?

StanleyK

10-11-2010, 10:41 PM

The sequel was so over the top bad that it was able to accumulate stars. Flying grunion. Genius.

Just out of curiosity, are you going to watch Ghosts of the Abyss and Aliens of the Deep? You know, for completism's sake.

StanleyK

10-11-2010, 10:42 PM

After recent viewings of Bullet in the Head and Happy Together, I want to point out that Tony Leung is a seriously amazing actor.

number8

10-11-2010, 10:44 PM

After recent viewings of Bullet in the Head and Happy Together, I want to point out that Tony Leung is a seriously amazing actor.

WELCOME TO, LIKE, 20 YEARS AGO, MAN.

soitgoes...

10-11-2010, 10:50 PM

Just out of curiosity, are you going to watch Ghosts of the Abyss and Aliens of the Deep? You know, for completism's sake.Eh, I don't really care enough to do that. If I complete a director's filmography it's usually because I want to see his final films, not that I need to see them just to finish him off. Honestly, outside of the Coens and Kurosawa I can't think of a major director (say one who's directed at least 10 films) from whom I've seen everything. I'm close on Melville, and eventually will complete his filmography.

soitgoes...

10-11-2010, 10:52 PM

After recent viewings of Bullet in the Head and Happy Together, I want to point out that Tony Leung is a seriously amazing actor.A strong case can be made that he's the best Hong Kong actor over the last 20 years, which also means he's the best Hong Kong actor ever.

megladon8

10-11-2010, 11:06 PM

He's one handsome mofo, too.

D_Davis

10-11-2010, 11:09 PM

A strong case can be made that he's the best Hong actor over the last 20 years, which also means he's the best Hong Kong actor ever.

I'd say so. The dude has range, too. He can be super serious (Hero), and incredibly funny (Eagle Shooting Heroes).

B-side

10-12-2010, 02:15 AM

Count me among the Tony Leung fans.

Derek

10-12-2010, 02:16 AM

Well, talk about third time's the charm. Noé just made almost every other filmmaker look pretty damn lazy by comparison.

Derek

10-12-2010, 02:17 AM

Count me among the Tony Leung fans.

You mean among every human being on Earth who has ever seen Tony Leung?

B-side

10-12-2010, 02:19 AM

You mean among every human being on Earth who has ever seen Tony Leung?

Yes. It feels good to be accepted by such an exclusive group.:P

Your Enter the Void rating intrigues me. Not a fan of either of his previous features, yet a 4 star rating for EtV? Interesting. I'm a bit more optimistic now.

Boner M

10-12-2010, 02:21 AM

Well, talk about third time's the charm. Noé just made almost every other filmmaker look pretty damn lazy by comparison.
BOO-URNS.

But yeah, I'd happily watch the first half and esp. the DMT-trip scene again.

Ezee E

10-12-2010, 02:26 AM

Well, talk about third time's the charm. Noé just made almost every other filmmaker look pretty damn lazy by comparison.
Next Friday for me!!!!!

Heh, I'm debating on whether I take someone to this or not.

soitgoes...

10-12-2010, 02:30 AM

Well, talk about third time's the charm. Noé just made almost every other filmmaker look pretty damn lazy by comparison.

Enter the Void (Noé, 2010) ****
I Stand Alone (Noé, 1998) *½

I don't know whether I should be excited or worried now.

Derek

10-12-2010, 02:37 AM

Your Enter the Void rating intrigues me. Not a fan of either of his previous features, yet a 4 star rating for EtV? Interesting. I'm a bit more optimistic now.

It is even more out there than advertised - really nothing in his first two films hints that he had a film this ambitious in him.

BOO-URNS.

But yeah, I'd happily watch the first half and esp. the DMT-trip scene again.

At what point did it lose you? I can't imagine liking the first half and not the second. Granted, it goes on for what feels like an eternity, but given the content, I felt it was justified. It's a nearly a perfect marriage of formal and narrative experimentalism and avant-garde techniques in service of visceral impact and thematic purpose. I expect it'll be divisive as hell and part of me still hates his world view, but I can't deny this is a landmark film.

Boner M

10-12-2010, 02:52 AM

At what point did it lose you? I can't imagine liking the first half and not the second.
I just got bored; the formal pyrotechnics stopped dazzling and stopped having any visceral impact, so all that's left is shitty melodrama played by shitty actors and lots of rudimentary Freudian nonsense. Maybe being with a jeering, hostile audience could've influenced my negative reaction, but I doubt it. It's not like Irreversible or I Stand Alone were the work of a deep thinker, but they certainly packed a punch both formally and - albeit in a crude way - dramatically. This didn't.

MacGuffin

10-12-2010, 02:58 AM

Infinite rep, Derek - I'm super glad you liked it.

edit: I've been thinking about the movie a lot lately and the experience haunts me with a profound effect. Probably more like a 10 than a 9 and maybe even more like an 11.

Derek

10-12-2010, 03:12 AM

Next Friday for me!!!!!

Heh, I'm debating on whether I take someone to this or not.

It depends if you ever want them to talk to you again or not. Or if you're planning to abuse some sort of substance beforehand. I took a muscle relaxer, which turned out to be a fantastic idea to get through this 2 1/2+ hours.

I don't know whether I should be excited or worried now.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

I just got bored; the formal pyrotechnics stopped dazzling and stopped having any visceral impact, so all that's left is shitty melodrama played by shitty actors and lots of rudimentary Freudian nonsense. Maybe being with a jeering, hostile audience could've influenced my negative reaction, but I doubt it. It's not like Irreversible or I Stand Alone were the work of a deep thinker, but they certainly packed a punch both formally and - albeit in a crude way - dramatically. This didn't.

I found the melodrama to be far more emotionally involving than his previous two combined, which do little more than play strong contrasts of tenderness and abrasive outbursts of violence against each other. At least here, Noe inhabits the middle ground between a lot more. Sure, at its core, the whole after-death/reincarnation idea is rather silly and cumbersome, but I'm less interested in that than what it allows Noe to explore within his character, the world he inhabits and the dizzying narrative structure pieced together as a result. As for this not packing as much of a punch formally, I simply can't imagine that to be the case. This takes the grating and repetitive camerawork of Irreversible and much more variety and cohesiveness. I dunno, I understand where you're coming from. I imagine people will either find it laughable/exhausting or completely invigorating and obviously I'm in latter camp.

Infinite rep, Derek - I'm super glad you liked it.

edit: I've been thinking about the movie a lot lately and the experience haunts me with a profound effect. Probably more like a 10 than a 9 and maybe even more like an 11.

I'll be writing more, but this one will stick with me for a while.

origami_mustache

10-12-2010, 03:56 AM

Enter the Void is easily the best film I've seen this year and by a wiiiiiiiide margin.

Morris Schæffer

10-12-2010, 11:00 AM

Watched Runaway Train. Wish I hadn't. Bad performances, bad script, ridiculous ending, corny metaphors, etc. I want my two hours back. How does this film have a good reputation?

Oddly enough based on a Kurosawa script who originally envisioned more of a comedy. But it's a great movie. I thought the ending was haunting, gutsy, exactly the opposite of expectation. Imagine Scott's Unstoppable ending with Washington standing on the locomotive and the damn thing just riding off into the horizon. :)

Kurosawa Fan

10-12-2010, 12:21 PM

Whoawhoawhoa -- really?

Absolutely. Just absurd. It all culminated with the warden riding that ladder onto the train. Ridiculous. And I'm embarrassed for the Academy that Roberts and Voight were nominated for those performances, Roberts less so than Voight. Everything they said and did seemed so rehearsed, even when they interrupted each other or gave a look to express their feelings.

In much better news, I watched Don't Look Now for the first time last night. I'll get the bad out of the way first. It's a bit too slow of a slow burn, and at times felt lost in its own atmosphere. Also, I've been very tired with school and work and everything, so that might have affected it too. Plus, my expectations were for something actually scary rather than just unsettling.

That said, the use of color, the use of shadows and space in the confusing alleys of Venice, the editing, the music, the performances... all masterfully crafted and evoke a strong sense of dread throughout, so that even when the film was a bit... slow... the atmosphere that Roeg created made it impossible to look away from. I'd like to give it another whirl in the near future (it'd be especially interesting knowing how it all comes together) but time is an issue. Still, at some point I plan to revisit this. I think my respect will only grow.

dreamdead

10-12-2010, 03:27 PM

Kim's The Housemaid is for the most party surprisingly great. I say surprisingly because not too much is said about Korean cinema prior to 2000. Great tension throughout with a wonderful storyline in the main section. The films only real failure is in what turns out to be the ending. I don't mind the idea of the bookend pieces setting up a story within a story, but why take a perfect good suspense film, serious in tone for its entirety, and then have a little light-hearted fourth wall breaking commentary end the whole film?

Yeah, this was my sole critique of the film, too. Its eroticism and social critique are astounding for 1960, and it suggests so much of a national cinema that is not being released here, unlike the Japanese national cinema. I wondered if Kim might have been afraid that he'd made too serious of a film and felt as though he needed to allay spectators' fears. If that's not it, I'm at a loss of why he'd make this decision.

I am looking forward to the remake, which should be interesting in its own right. At the very least, it'll be released here in the States at some point.

Morris Schæffer

10-12-2010, 05:16 PM

Absolutely. Just absurd. It all culminated with the warden riding that ladder onto the train. Ridiculous. And I'm embarrassed for the Academy that Roberts and Voight were nominated for those performances, Roberts less so than Voight. Everything they said and did seemed so rehearsed, even when they interrupted each other or gave a look to express their feelings.

A movie with a strong reputation on this board cannot have daredevilry involving a prison warden boarding a train from a moving chopper? This was clearly a very personal matter for the man, his loathing for Manny evident. Fine, I don't think this was explained, but I think it shone through in the movie. Although I suppose 9 out of 10 times the smart thing to do is just track the train until it crashes or comes to a halt, then arrest Voight at gunpoint.

Kurosawa Fan

10-12-2010, 05:23 PM

Although I suppose 11 out of 10 times the smart thing to do is just track the train until it crashes or comes to a halt, then arrest Voight at gunpoint.

Fixed.

Raiders

10-12-2010, 06:32 PM

Qrazy

10-12-2010, 06:53 PM

Yeah I mean it didn't seem to me like anything about the film's approach was aimed at realism.

soitgoes...

10-12-2010, 09:16 PM

Yeah, this was my sole critique of the film, too. Its eroticism and social critique are astounding for 1960, and it suggests so much of a national cinema that is not being released here, unlike the Japanese national cinema. I wondered if Kim might have been afraid that he'd made too serious of a film and felt as though he needed to allay spectators' fears. If that's not it, I'm at a loss of why he'd make this decision.

Well, from what I've read, The Housemaid seems very much in line with his other films of that era. It seems to be a Hitchcock/Clouzot film with a heavy dose of Japanese influence.

I have two other of his films that I'm going to watch. They are (with synopses):

Yangsan Island (1955) - "Two lovers are forced into suicide as the only way to maintain their forbidden love."

Goryeo jang (1963) - "Prior to the adoption of Confucianism, it was the tradition to abandon one's parents on a mountainside if they were over 70 years of age. In the ancient kingdom of Goryeo, now modern Korea, a nobleman defies this tradition when he refuses to leave his mother to starve to death."

Both films sound just as dark, and both films sound eerily similar to Japanese films. Yangsan Island synopsis could also work for Shinoda's Double Suicide, and Goryeo jang takes a tradition that was put on screen twice in Japan in the Ballad of Narayama.

I am looking forward to the remake, which should be interesting in its own right. At the very least, it'll be released here in the States at some point.I'm more interested in the two films Kim made that are remakes of The Housemaid, than of the newest version.

Kurosawa Fan

10-12-2010, 09:34 PM

I haven't seen the film in forever, but I remember that, either distinctly mentioned or implied, the decision to direct the train towards the dead end was made with the knowledge that those on board would almost surely die. Considering (again, from my memory) the warden's rather extreme hatred of Voight's character (they seemed to me rather classicly-inspired arch nemeses) he would see to it that he personally would want to capture his nemesis as opposed to seeing him either die or (somehow) escape.

Sure it's far-fetched. So what? It doesn't strike me as some out-of-the-ordinary decision for action cinema.

Well, whatever the intention of the film, it didn't work for me at all. I understood that the warden wanted to be the one to take Voight down, but that doesn't change the fact that the execution of that scene was ridiculous. I was actually digging the film until they boarded the train. From that moment on, it proceeded to get worse and worse, until I was actually laughing at the forced melodrama by film's end.

soitgoes...

10-12-2010, 09:40 PM

Well, whatever the intention of the film, it didn't work for me at all. I understood that the warden wanted to be the one to take Voight down, but that doesn't change the fact that the execution of that scene was ridiculous. I was actually digging the film until they boarded the train. From that moment on, it proceeded to get worse and worse, until I was actually laughing at the forced melodrama by film's end.

Well it's obvious that for quality Konchalovsky you should've gone with Tango & Cash.

Kurosawa Fan

10-12-2010, 10:32 PM

Winston*

10-12-2010, 10:53 PM

Test Footage of Eric Stoltz as Marty McFly (http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/thr-eric-stoltz-as-the-original-marty-mcfly.html)

I love Back to the Future, but I feel like the film might have been better with Stoltz.

Not that I have anything in particular against Stoltz, but why would you think this? Fox is clearly the more charismatic of the two.

soitgoes...

10-12-2010, 10:58 PM

Yeah a Stoltz BttF wouldn't have been as much fun.

number8

10-12-2010, 11:16 PM

That's why they replaced him, no? He kinda appeared more seriously disturbed by the time travel and not as jokey as Fox's performance.

Kurosawa Fan

10-13-2010, 01:26 AM

Not that I have anything in particular against Stoltz, but why would you think this? Fox is clearly the more charismatic of the two.

For the same reason they replaced him. I think a more distraught, intense Marty would have been more interesting. The humor would have been more subtle rather than the slapstick-ish humor we get from Marty. Stoltz would have been an interesting foil for Doc through the film.

Raiders

10-13-2010, 02:04 AM

Kurosawa Fan

10-13-2010, 02:08 AM

But that doesn't really mesh with Zemeckis' entire vibe with the film (and franchise). Not saying your version wouldn't be interesting too, but it isn't at all what the original is intending. There really isn't any time or room (not to mention no need) for more pathos in Marty's portrayal.

Oh, right, I'm not suggesting that Stoltz would have worked better in Zemeckis' vision, just that he would have made an interesting Marty had they taken things in a different direction.

EDIT: I guess the wording in my original post is misleading. My mistake.

soitgoes...

10-13-2010, 02:24 AM

I think a version with a young Samuel L. Jackson would be neat.

soitgoes...

10-13-2010, 02:26 AM

I mean think of the social implications when a young Samuel L. goes back to the 50's?!?

soitgoes...

10-13-2010, 04:05 AM

I would like to one day leave an all-night party at a ritzy mansion to discover a jazz quartet still playing music on the back lawn. Of course it also wouldn't hurt to be able to exude coolness like Marcello Mastroianni.

number8

10-13-2010, 02:59 PM

I mean think of the social implications when a young Samuel L. goes back to the 50's?!?

At the very least, they would avoid the offensive implication that Chuck Berry stole his music from a white man.

Sven

10-13-2010, 05:13 PM

At the very least, they would avoid the offensive implication that Chuck Berry stole his music from a white man.

Yeah, but McFly stole his music from Chuck Berry. Uh-oh... *head boom*

balmakboor

10-13-2010, 05:15 PM

Test Footage of Eric Stoltz as Marty McFly (http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/thr-eric-stoltz-as-the-original-marty-mcfly.html)

I love Back to the Future, but I feel like the film might have been better with Stoltz.

Thanks for posting that. I've known about the Stoltz thing for many years, but have never seen footage.

I think he is certainly more convincing as the son of Crispin Glover, if nothing else.

Boner M

10-14-2010, 11:22 AM

Any thoughts on the Leigh's, Raiders? I was a little let down by Abigail's but I liked more than you did, it seems.

Weekend:

Dark Passage
The Terence Davies Trilogy
Crime in the Streets (Siegel)
I'm Still Here or The Town
Close-up

Ezee E

10-14-2010, 03:50 PM

Weekend:
Valhalla Rising
Buried

Death at a Funeral
Fires on the Plain
Secret of their Eyes

Sven

10-14-2010, 07:35 PM

I'm having a lot of fun sketching. I've got a long ways to go, but it's still satisfying, even with my amateur discipline. Don't know what's up with the Seussian window on the left, and I hurriedly used Photo Booth to take the picture, so it's blurry. STILL.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/iosos/matchcut/Photoon2010-10-14at1226.jpg

Grouchy

10-14-2010, 07:49 PM

http://img.youtube.com/vi/e2eHUl5dq-E/0.jpg

Wit is a tough and special kind of film. It doesn't really go in the direction we'd expect a Hollywood drama to go - it focuses almost exclusively on the physical pain, the indignities and the dehumanization of a cancer patient. Every actor is perfectly cast, and Emma Thompson is incredible. It's a subject that might hit too close to home for a lot of people and the screenplay doesn't glorify the cancer struggle - in fact, it accurately portrays most doctors as assholes - so I wouldn't widely recommend the film and yet it's very much worth watching, the best I've seen from Mike Nichols, maybe.

Then I saw Midway. I don't remember ever having so much trouble traying to stay awake during a film. And I mean, look at the cast list - Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, James Coburn, Glenn Ford, Hal Holbrook, Toshiro Mifune, Robert Mitchum, Robert Wagner, Pat Morita, etc. None of those actors can't keep the film from being a terrific bore, mostly made up of people talking their asses off in war rooms. I think that this type of Hollywood production was outdated and obsolete in 1976, and it shows in the general lack of enthusiasm.

soitgoes...

10-14-2010, 10:07 PM

I'm sure this will get zero response, but Stanislav Barabas' A Story of the Grey Pigeon is a great never heard of film. A coming-of-age story set in rural Slovakia during WWII. The story is very much filtered through the eyes of three children. Barabas does a good job of keeping much of the horrors of war off-screen. The viewer knows what's going to happen even when the children's innocence clouds their perception of the events. This would make for a wonderful double feature with Clémént's Forbidden Games. I hope those with KG accounts check this out.

MadMan

10-15-2010, 02:18 AM

Test Footage of Eric Stoltz as Marty McFly (http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/thr-eric-stoltz-as-the-original-marty-mcfly.html)

I love Back to the Future, but I feel like the film might have been better with Stoltz.I disagree. Although I still wonder how the Indy movies would have been had they casted Tom Selleck instead of Harrison Ford.

Tony Leung is indeed fantastic. No surprise there.

Weekend:

*20 Million Miles To Earth
*Cujo
*Burnt Offerings
*Freddy versus Jason

Probably won't get to all of these.

Watashi

10-15-2010, 02:20 AM

EyesWideOpen

10-15-2010, 02:25 AM

baby doll

10-15-2010, 04:45 AM

Weekend:

Foreign Correspondent (Alfred Hitchcock, 1940)
A Letter to Three Wives (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1949)
Privilege (Peter Watkins, 1967)
The Producers (Mel Brooks, 1968)
Punishment Park (Peter Watkins, 1971)
The Oath (Laura Poitras, 2010)

I'm still hoping to find time to squeeze in The Last Emperor; I may just say to hell with it and watch the theatrical cut. In theatres, I'd like to check out Catfish, but it's playing way out in the suburbs; downtown, there's a documentary about David Suzuki, a documentary about El Salvador, and Never Let Me Go--none of which I'm particularly eager to see. Oh, and Jackass 3 (in 2D), which may be the front-runner at the moment.

soitgoes...

10-15-2010, 04:51 AM

My weekend:

Winter's Bone
Last Year at Marienbad
Il Posto
A Difficult Life
Catfish
Farewell

baby doll

10-15-2010, 04:53 AM

My weekend:

Last Year at MarienbadFirst viewing?

soitgoes...

10-15-2010, 04:59 AM

I'm having a real hard time continuing Mother. The stupidity and absolute unawareness of all the characters is really annoying me. It's making me really hard to put any investment in the Mother's quest to free her son. It's visually well made, but argh... every character seems oblivious to the fact that the son is mentally challenged.I thought it was pretty clear his mental state was noted, but respected. The one detective treats him very kindly for a man who is first in trouble with the law, and then is accused of murder. His best friend uses his forgetfulness to his advantage. They live in a small rural city. Most people are aware of who he is. Those who don't do make fun of him, which causes him to flip out. Either way the film is meant to be very tongue in cheek, and his mental "shortcomings" are a source of humor.

B-side

10-15-2010, 04:59 AM

Weekend hopefuls:

Jackass 3D (Tremaine, 2010)
La belle captive (Robbe-Grillet, 1983)
Catfish (Joost/Schulman, 2010)

soitgoes...

10-15-2010, 05:01 AM

First viewing?
Yes. You could say it is one of my biggest oversights thus far. Outside of a couple early shorts, Hiroshima mon amour and Wild Grass I've seen nothing by him.

B-side

10-15-2010, 05:02 AM

Yes. You could say it is one of my biggest oversights thus far. Outside of a couple early shorts, Hiroshima mon amour and Wild Grass I've seen nothing by him.

Damn. You're in for a treat.

MacGuffin

10-15-2010, 05:03 AM

Weekend:

Absurd (Joe D'Amato, 1981)
The Sister of Ursula (Enzo Milioni, 1978)
Zombie Holocaust (Marino Girolami, 1980)

soitgoes...

10-15-2010, 05:34 AM

Oh I forgot to add to my weekend viewings, Big Tits Zombie. My girlfriend made me aware of this film's existence 6 months ago. Today it has made itself available to me. Greatest viewing experience ever? Well, it has a lot of work ahead just to live up to the title. Fucking Japanese and their awesome film titles.

baby doll

10-15-2010, 05:46 AM

Yes. You could say it is one of my biggest oversights thus far. Outside of a couple early shorts, Hiroshima mon amour and Wild Grass I've seen nothing by him.Have fun. I also recommend checking out Muriel ou Le Temp d'un retour, Providence, Mon oncle d'Amerique, Pas sur la bouche, and Coeurs. I wrote something about Marienbad for my blog a few months back, if you're interested, but that's obviously best left until after seeing it.

soitgoes...

10-15-2010, 05:52 AM

Have fun. I also recommend checking out Muriel ou Le Temp d'un retour, Providence, Mon oncle d'Amerique, Pas sur la bouche, and Coeurs.
Thanks. The first two will probably be seen in due time. His newer stuff, depending on how those sit with me.

60's French films (I know Providence isn't one) tend not to sit as well with me as films of other national cinemas. Sacrilege, I know. Especially when talking to you. :)

Ezee E

10-15-2010, 07:22 AM

soitgoes...

10-15-2010, 10:01 PM

First viewing?

Twas fascinating. I don't think I've ever seen a film like it. I'm not sure I have fully digested what I have seen. I do know that it's a film whose comprehension takes a back seat to all else, but there's still so much going on. The one negative I took away from the film is the organ. I know it was supposed to copy the baroque architecture, and lend a feeling of dreaminess, but it also distracted me from what I was being presented visually.

An interesting sidenote: Something that bothered me, not the the fault of the film or Resnais, was that the exteriors showed the palace to not be symmetrical. When symmetry was obviously so important in the design of palace, I noticed someone left off some chimneys.

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee171/soitgoes22/lyim.png

After I finished watching the film I was curious about where it was filmed, and I noticed that all the chimneys are now present.

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee171/soitgoes22/800px-Neuesschlossschleissheimostfro nt2.jpg

The two missing chimneys were not present when Kubrick filmed there for Paths of Glory too. I imagine that the cause was WWII, and the reconstruction since has corrected this. Just a little inside into how my mind works. Things like this are almost as interesting to me as the films.

Qrazy

10-16-2010, 12:53 AM

Twas fascinating. I don't think I've ever seen a film like it. I'm not sure I have fully digested what I have seen. I do know that it's a film whose comprehension takes a back seat to all else, but there's still so much going on. The one negative I took away from the film is the organ. I know it was supposed to copy the baroque architecture, and lend a feeling of dreaminess, but it also distracted me from what I was being presented visually.

Haha we had the exact same reaction. I too find the film fascinating but I can't stand the soundtrack.

Sxottlan

10-16-2010, 03:28 AM

January Criterion titles:

http://criterion_production.s3.amazon aws.com/release_images/3094/552_box_348x490.jpg

http://criterion_production.s3.amazon aws.com/release_images/3115/18_box_348x490.jpg

http://criterion_production.s3.amazon aws.com/release_images/3109/19_box_348x490.jpg

I know we were talking about comicbook artists doing a lot of these covers lately, but I'm starting to think it's a bit of overkill.

Apparently there's a thread in Criterion's forum that pretty much spoils what titles are coming out well in to the future, but I like just checking out the Coming Soon section and being surprised.

Spaceman Spiff

10-16-2010, 03:28 AM

Nuh uh. Clowes needs to be doing more work, not less. Love that Shock Corridor cover.

MacGuffin

10-16-2010, 03:30 AM

Yeah, the Shock Corridor cover is glorious. I've never seen the movie though.

Watashi

10-16-2010, 03:39 AM

All three covers are great.

Loves me the Holly Hunter.

Sxottlan

10-16-2010, 04:01 AM

I guess I just prefer more of the photo work.

So they've reissued eight of their first twenty titles. Perhaps this means we'll get The Killer and Hard-Boiled again. Seems like it's been awhile since those other editions were released after the Criterions.

Yeah, the Shock Corridor cover is glorious. I've never seen the movie though.

Admittedly, I haven't seen any Samuel Fuller films.

Derek

10-16-2010, 04:11 AM

Admittedly, I haven't seen any Samuel Fuller films.

The comic book style is very fitting for his pulpy style. I do hope they don't over-do it with covers like that, but if they're as good as most of the ones they have already, it'll be hard for me to complain.

Watashi

10-16-2010, 06:51 AM

Dead & Messed Up

10-16-2010, 06:57 AM

The Game is a psychological noir version of A Christmas Carol, and it really really works.

The film is chock full of implausible plot holes, but Fincher embraces the absurdity of it all and its clear that this film is all about the journey. Everyone is on their A-game here.

I have now seen every Fincher film and I've liked-loved all of them.

Benjamin Button's the only one I still have to watch. I've also like-to-loved all of his movies. I think he's tied with Joon-Ho Bong for my favorite current director.

Watashi

10-16-2010, 07:02 AM

Benjamin Button's the only one I still have to watch. I've also like-to-loved all of his movies. I think he's tied with Joon-Ho Bong for my favorite current director.
Bong and Fincher are very identical filmmakers.

I'd like to see Fincher do his monster film this time.

Rowland

10-16-2010, 07:14 AM

I'd like to see Fincher do his monster film this time.Alien 3?

baby doll

10-16-2010, 07:33 AM

I think he's tied with Joon-Ho Bong for my favorite current director.Yeah, I liked The Social Network and everything, but more for the script and performances than anything Fincher was doing stylistically. I'd say he has a long way to go before I'd call him my favorite contemporary filmmaker (or even my favorite Hollywood studio director). For starters, he'd have to murder Chantal Akerman, Martin Arnold, Woody Allen, Wes Anderson, Roy Andersson, Theo Angelopoulos, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Olivier Assayas, Noah Baumbach, Bernardo Bertolucci, Albert Brooks, Leos Carax, the Coen brothers, Pedro Costa, David Cronenberg, the Dardenne brothers, Terence Davies, Claire Denis, Xavier Dolan, Bruno Dumont, Atom Egoyan, Vincent Gallo, Philippe Garrel, Jean-Luc Godard, James Gray, Peter Greenaway, Michael Haneke, Todd Haynes, Werner Herzog, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Miklós Jancsó, Jim Jarmusch, Jia Zhang-ke, Aki Kaurismäki, Abbas Kiaorstami, Lee Chang-dong, Spike Lee, Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, David Lynch, Guy Maddin, Terrence Malick, Lucrecia Martel, Errol Morris, Hayao Miyazaki, Gaspar Noé, Manoel de Oliveira, Jafar Panahi, Roman Polanski, Lynne Ramsay, Alain Resnais, Jacques Rivette, Quentin Tarantino, Béla Tarr, Tran Anh Hung, Tsai Ming-liang, Peter Tscherkassky, Lars von Trier, Agnès Varda, Paul Verhoeven, Andrzej Wajda, Peter Watkins, Wim Wenders, Wong Kar-wai--and those are just the names that come to mind without looking.

B-side

10-16-2010, 07:37 AM

Angelopoulos love always pleases me. The man is a master.

Dead & Messed Up

10-16-2010, 07:40 AM

...and those are just the names that come to mind without looking.

Am I supposed to be impressed?

Because I am.

But more for your mastery of letter-accents and what-have-you. Those keyboard shortcuts drive me nuts.

baby doll

10-16-2010, 07:41 AM

One name I neglected to mention is Hal Hartley. Speaking of whom, here's a newish short (http://www.possiblefilms.com/2009/12/accomplice/) from his website.

B-side

10-16-2010, 07:44 AM

One name I neglected to mention is Hal Hartley. Speaking of whom, here's a newish short (http://www.possiblefilms.com/2009/12/accomplice/) from his website.

I liked Trust a lot. This was due in part to the Adrienne Shelly factor. Recommendations for where to go next?

Watashi

10-16-2010, 07:44 AM

Am I supposed to be impressed?

Because I am.

But more for your mastery of letter-accents and what-have-you. Those keyboard shortcuts drive me nuts.
Or the fact that they are all alphabetically in order.

B-side

10-16-2010, 07:46 AM

Or the fact that they are all alphabetically in order.

They're not, though.

baby doll

10-16-2010, 07:51 AM

I liked Trust a lot. This was due in part to the Adrienne Shelly factor. Recommendations for where to go next?The Unbelievable Truth is a lot like Trust, and it too has Adrienne Shelly, to the point that Trust felt basically like a remake. I need to see Simple Men again, but it's one of David Bordwell's favorites for what it's worth. And Flirt, Henry Fool, and The Girl From Monday are all terrific.

B-side

10-16-2010, 07:52 AM

The Unbelievable Truth is a lot like Trust, and it too has Adrienne Shelly, to the point that Trust felt basically like a remake. I need to see Simple Men again, but it's one of David Bordwell's favorites for what it's worth. And Flirt, Henry Fool, and The Girl From Monday are all terrific.

Hm. Seems like I'm alright to go pretty much anywhere from here. Thanks.

baby doll

10-16-2010, 07:55 AM

They're not, though.You're right. Martin Arnold should be after Woody Allen, Wes Anderson, and Roy Andersson, Theo Angelopoulos, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Also, Errol Morris should be after Hayao Miyazaki. And Trier should be before Tsai and Tscherkassky.

B-side

10-16-2010, 08:12 AM

Dead & Messed Up

10-16-2010, 08:14 AM

But editing will ruin the casual attitude of his off-the-cuff post!

soitgoes...

10-16-2010, 08:39 AM

You're right. Martin Arnold should be after Woody Allen, Wes Anderson, and Roy Andersson, Theo Angelopoulos, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Also, Errol Morris should be after Hayao Miyazaki. And Trier should be before Tsai and Tscherkassky.That and the fact that Weerasethakul is Apichatpong's surname, and as such shouldn't be placed in the A's, but rather after Watkins and before Wenders.

All of this is moot because you totally left off Dennis Dugan.

Sven

10-16-2010, 08:45 AM

The comic book style is very fitting for his pulpy style. I do hope they don't over-do it with covers like that, but if they're as good as most of the ones they have already, it'll be hard for me to complain.

There's not a lot similar about Clowes and Fuller. Don't know what you're smoking, but I guess I want some. Share?

B-side

10-16-2010, 08:57 AM

All of this is moot because you totally left off Dennis Dugan.

That's what I was gonna say! Next thing you know, we'll be finishing each other's...

soitgoes...

10-16-2010, 09:35 AM

That's what I was gonna say! Next thing you know, we'll be finishing each other's...Sentences? It's sentences, right?

soitgoes...

10-16-2010, 09:43 AM

Haha we had the exact same reaction. I too find the film fascinating but I can't stand the soundtrack.
Funny enough, Accattone! ran into the same problem among other things. I'm a fan of Bach, but the use of his music in Pasolini's film was also distracting. I think more so in the case because the music was mixed much too loud in relation to the rest of the sound.

Boner M

10-16-2010, 12:19 PM

The Wind was pretty great. Crappy quality on the d/l I watched, but Sjostrom and Gish's respective mastery shines through; the latter such that intertitles seem particularly redundant in this case. As with He Who Gets Slapped, this has some of the most imaginative superimposition work I've seen in silent cinema. The studio-imposed happy ending is a bit of a drag, but it's at least abrupt enough to suggest its creator's dissatisfaction, and the final shot is great in any case.

balmakboor

10-16-2010, 01:55 PM

Yeah, I liked The Social Network and everything, but more for the script and performances than anything Fincher was doing stylistically. I'd say he has a long way to go before I'd call him my favorite contemporary filmmaker (or even my favorite Hollywood studio director). For starters, he'd have to murder Chantal Akerman, Martin Arnold, Woody Allen, Wes Anderson, Roy Andersson, Theo Angelopoulos, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Olivier Assayas, Noah Baumbach, Bernardo Bertolucci, Albert Brooks, Leos Carax, the Coen brothers, Pedro Costa, David Cronenberg, the Dardenne brothers, Terence Davies, Claire Denis, Xavier Dolan, Bruno Dumont, Atom Egoyan, Vincent Gallo, Philippe Garrel, Jean-Luc Godard, James Gray, Peter Greenaway, Michael Haneke, Todd Haynes, Werner Herzog, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Miklós Jancsó, Jim Jarmusch, Jia Zhang-ke, Aki Kaurismäki, Abbas Kiaorstami, Lee Chang-dong, Spike Lee, Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, David Lynch, Guy Maddin, Terrence Malick, Lucrecia Martel, Errol Morris, Hayao Miyazaki, Gaspar Noé, Manoel de Oliveira, Jafar Panahi, Roman Polanski, Lynne Ramsay, Alain Resnais, Jacques Rivette, Quentin Tarantino, Béla Tarr, Tran Anh Hung, Tsai Ming-liang, Peter Tscherkassky, Lars von Trier, Agnès Varda, Paul Verhoeven, Andrzej Wajda, Peter Watkins, Wim Wenders, Wong Kar-wai--and those are just the names that come to mind without looking.

Nice list even if you forgot Todd Solondz, Gus Van Sant, and Harmony Korine. But at least you got Todd Haynes and Vincent Gallo in there. I like Fincher a lot. I especially like 'Benjamin Button,' something against the grain around here.

soitgoes...

10-16-2010, 08:22 PM

baby doll

10-16-2010, 09:05 PM

That and the fact that Weerasethakul is Apichatpong's surname, and as such shouldn't be placed in the A's, but rather after Watkins and before Wenders.

All of this is moot because you totally left off Dennis Dugan.In a recent New York Times profile (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/movies/14thaifilm.html), the author refers to him as "Mr. Apichatpong."

baby doll

10-16-2010, 09:12 PM

Nice list even if you forgot Todd Solondz, Gus Van Sant, and Harmony Korine. But at least you got Todd Haynes and Vincent Gallo in there. I like Fincher a lot. I especially like 'Benjamin Button,' something against the grain around here.It's tough thinking of American and French directors off the top of my head, because there's less obviously a national American or French filmmaker, whereas when I think of Taiwan or Canada or Hungary, there are only a few names that come to mind. I also forgot Charles Burnett, Jane Campion, Abel Ferrara, Paul Schrader, Michael Snow, and André Téchiné among others.

megladon8

10-16-2010, 09:24 PM

Harmony Korine? Really?

baby doll

10-16-2010, 09:27 PM

Harmony Korine? Really?He's stretching the boundaries of commercial filmmaking in the US. Other than the Jackass guys (with whom he shares some obvious affinities), who else can you credit with that?

Derek

10-16-2010, 09:37 PM

There's not a lot similar about Clowes and Fuller. Don't know what you're smoking, but I guess I want some. Share?

I think the style of those covers is fitting for those films 'tis all. If you can smoke a general disinterest in comic books and comic book artists, I'd be glad to share some! ;)

soitgoes...

10-16-2010, 09:53 PM

In a recent New York Times profile (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/movies/14thaifilm.html), the author refers to him as "Mr. Apichatpong."Good for the author, but his surname is Weerasethakul.

megladon8

10-16-2010, 10:06 PM

He's stretching the boundaries of commercial filmmaking in the US. Other than the Jackass guys (with whom he shares some obvious affinities), who else can you credit with that?

What commercial films has he made? The closest I can think of is Gummo, and even that I would not call a mainstream commercial film.

baby doll

10-16-2010, 10:10 PM

Good for the author, but his surname is Weerasethakul.I'll take your word for it. I know in other Asian countries the family name comes first, but then, I don't know a lot about Thailand.

baby doll

10-16-2010, 10:13 PM

What commercial films has he made? The closest I can think of is Gummo, and even that I would not call a mainstream commercial film.Gummo, julien donkey-boy, Mister Lonely, and Trash Humpers were all exhibited at commercial venues.

soitgoes...

10-16-2010, 10:14 PM

I'll take your word for it. I know in other Asian countries the family name comes first, but then, I don't know a lot about Thailand.I'm just ragging on you a bit, but just for you (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_name). ;)

baby doll

10-16-2010, 10:15 PM

I'm just ragging on you a bit, but just for you (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_name). ;)You win this round. But next time... Next time...

soitgoes...

10-16-2010, 10:15 PM

Gummo, julien donkey-boy, Mister Lonely, and Trash Humpers were all exhibited at commercial venues.So, not having seen a Korine, where would be a good place to start?

soitgoes...

10-16-2010, 10:18 PM

You win this round. But next time... Next time...
Finally!

baby doll

10-16-2010, 10:20 PM

So, not having seen a Korine, where would be a good place to start?I haven't seen Trash Humpers yet, but I like his other stuff. Basically whatever you can get your hands on. If I have a particular favorite... It's hard to say. Gummo has rednecks wrasslin' with furniture. julien donkey-boy has Werner Herzog talking about how much he loves Dirty Harry. And Mister Lonely has South American nuns jumping out of planes without parachutes. So whichever of those sounds most appealing to you, I guess.

soitgoes...

10-16-2010, 10:25 PM

I haven't seen Trash Humpers yet, but I like his other stuff. Basically whatever you can get your hands on. If I have a particular favorite... It's hard to say. Gummo has rednecks wrasslin' with furniture. julien donkey-boy has Werner Herzog talking about how much he loves Dirty Harry. And Mister Lonely has South American nuns jumping out of planes without parachutes. So whichever of those sounds most appealing to you, I guess.
I think I'll take door number 2. You should write one-line film summaries for a living. The other two also sound intriguing.

MacGuffin

10-16-2010, 10:35 PM

julien donkey-boy is the best place to start.

Qrazy

10-17-2010, 02:05 AM

So, not having seen a Korine, where would be a good place to start?

There wouldn't be.

megladon8

10-17-2010, 02:17 AM

Gummo, julien donkey-boy, Mister Lonely, and Trash Humpers were all exhibited at commercial venues.

I think this is really stretching the term "commercial filmmaking".

I don't think anything he has made was made by a studio hoping to profit, marketing it to mass audiences and such.

When I think "commercial filmmaking" I think of Spielberg, Cameron, Nolan and the like.

B-side

10-17-2010, 02:52 AM

julien donkey-boy is the best place to start.

Yeah. I've seen everything he's released, and I'd have to say this is the best place to start. It's his most sympathetic film, and probably his best. I've enjoyed all 4 of his features, as well as the 2 shorts of his I've seen. Save Trash Humpers for last.

baby doll

10-17-2010, 02:53 AM

I think this is really stretching the term "commercial filmmaking".

I don't think anything he has made was made by a studio hoping to profit, marketing it to mass audiences and such.

When I think "commercial filmmaking" I think of Spielberg, Cameron, Nolan and the like.Well, when I say "commercial filmmaking," I mean it a little more broadly in the sense that Korine, instead of keeping his films in his closet and showing them to friends at parties, has decided to offer them up to public. So even if his films don't have the mass appeal of a Spielberg, there's still the assumption that a certain number of people are going to pay ten dollars to see it in the theatres or rent the DVD.

A good borderline case is Todd Haynes, whose Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story is not a commercial film. Obviously there's the legal issue involving Matel, but even aside from that, it's only forty-five minutes long, which is not considered a commercial length. So it never had a conventional release. However, Haynes' subsequent films--Poison, Safe, Velvet Goldmine, Far From Heaven, and I'm Not There.--are all clearly commercial films. He works on 35mm with big union crews and lots of complicated equipment; he casts big Hollywood stars; he has to feed everybody; he has to pay for the rights to Bob Dylan's music; editing, sound mixing... None of this comes cheap. As an industrial process, how Haynes makes a movie is fundamentally no different from a Christopher Nolan.

balmakboor

10-17-2010, 03:21 AM

Well, when I say "commercial filmmaking," I mean it a little more broadly in the sense that Korine, instead of keeping his films in his closet and showing them to friends at parties, has decided to offer them up to public. So even if his films don't have the mass appeal of a Spielberg, there's still the assumption that a certain number of people are going to pay ten dollars to see it in the theatres or rent the DVD.

A good borderline case is Todd Haynes, whose Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story is not a commercial film. Obviously there's the legal issue involving Matel, but even aside from that, it's only forty-five minutes long, which is not considered a commercial length. So it never had a conventional release. However, Haynes' subsequent films--Poison, Safe, Velvet Goldmine, Far From Heaven, and I'm Not There.--are all clearly commercial films. He works on 35mm with big union crews and lots of complicated equipment; he casts big Hollywood stars; he has to feed everybody; he has to pay for the rights to Bob Dylan's music; editing, sound mixing... None of this comes cheap. As an industrial process, how Haynes makes a movie is fundamentally no different from a Christopher Nolan.

From what I understand, Poison doesn't really fit any of those qualities of a commercial film that you list. Well, maybe he had to feed everybody. God I love it though.

B-side

10-17-2010, 04:06 AM

Sentences? It's sentences, right?

Naw, dawg. The proper response was "... theses on the deconstruction of postmodern constructivist cubist surrealist propaganda paintings." Close, though.

B-side

10-17-2010, 04:08 AM

soitgoes...

10-17-2010, 06:42 AM

There wouldn't be.
This has been my opinion thus far; that's why I've neglected him. I also thought the same of Noé without seeing anything by him, and ended up loving his style. I figure I should at least give Korine a shot. I'm generally not a fan of the Dogme aesthetic, but Vinterberg was somehow able to get around this and made a film I thought to be near exceptional.

I guess if you can take anything from this post it's I know nothing.

Qrazy

10-17-2010, 06:58 AM

This has been my opinion thus far; that's why I've neglected him. I also thought the same of Noé without seeing anything by him, and ended up loving his style. I figure I should at least give Korine a shot. I'm generally not a fan of the Dogme aesthetic, but Vinterberg was somehow able to get around this and made a film I thought to be near exceptional.

I guess if you can take anything from this post it's I know nothing.

1. Festen is quite a good film.
2. Irreversible (only Noe I've seen) is thematically middling but stylistically excellent.
3. Harmony Korine sucks my balls.

soitgoes...

10-17-2010, 07:02 AM

1. Festen is quite a good film.
2. Irreversible (only Noe I've seen) is thematically middling but stylistically excellent.
3. Harmony Korine sucks my balls.Looks like I should be in for a treat. :lol:

transmogrifier

10-17-2010, 07:02 AM

1. Festen is quite a good film.
2. Irreversible (only Noe I've seen) is thematically middling but stylistically excellent.
3. Harmony Korine sucks my balls.

1. Yes.
2. No, it is better than you make out.
3. I hope he is gentle.

DavidSeven

10-17-2010, 07:07 AM

Festen is awesome and Julien Donkey-Boy is rubbish. Herzog does have a funny bit part in the latter.

B-side

10-17-2010, 07:43 AM

2. Irreversible (only Noe I've seen) is thematically middling but stylistically excellent.
3. Harmony Korine sucks my balls.

Julien Donkey-Boy is rubbish.

False. Incorrect. Nonsense. Do not pass Go, do not collect 200 dollars.

Sven

10-17-2010, 08:28 AM

I think the style of those covers is fitting for those films 'tis all. If you can smoke a general disinterest in comic books and comic book artists, I'd be glad to share some! ;)

Actually, I probably ought to smoke some of that. I've been reading WAY too many of those lately. Haha.

Morris Schæffer

10-17-2010, 08:33 AM

Got some movies from the library, amongst them The Coen's The Man Who Wasn't there and Murnau's Nosferatu. How are they regarded here?

Sven

10-17-2010, 08:40 AM

Got some movies from the library, amongst them The Coen's The Man Who Wasn't there and Murnau's Nosferatu. How are they regarded here?

Both are excellent, though I'm less hot on Murnau's than others. Thought it was sorta dull. Should rewatch it though.

baby doll

10-17-2010, 08:45 AM

From what I understand, Poison doesn't really fit any of those qualities of a commercial film that you list. Well, maybe he had to feed everybody. God I love it though.Although it doesn't have any stars, it was shot on 35mm with a professional union crew. Also, it runs between ninety minutes and two hours, and it tells a story (three, actually). I'm defining commercial cinema very, very broadly here--basically, anything that isn't an avant-garde piece, an educational or industrial film, a workout tape or instructional video, a student film, a home movie/YouTube video, or porn. Anything that might theoretically get a commercial release.

soitgoes...

10-17-2010, 09:15 AM

I'm not sure how I feel about how Winter's Bone ended. It seemed like everything ended on a high note even though there was probably some more shit going to go down in the near future. With how the film played up to that point, it almost feels like I was cheated. I mean hate, hate, meth addicts, violence, chainsaws, a corpse, showdowns, beatings, threats, homelessness, and then the last five minutes I'm given: pile of money, house given back, two little chicks, banjo playing, and opposite uncle from what I was shown at the beginning. Everything up to that was great. Great performance by Jennifer Lawrence and especially John Hawkes. Man, he was straight up awesome. The showdown wth the sheriff? Wowza!

Winston*

10-17-2010, 09:21 AM

Winter's Bone
Teardrop is off to continue the cycle of violence at the end there though.

soitgoes...

10-17-2010, 09:34 AM

Winter's Bone
Teardrop is off to continue the cycle of violence at the end there though.
Oh I know. I understand that the violence just doesn't end with the "happy ending." It's just that the film ends at the happiest of moments, an almost too clean-cut of a moment at that. The chicks are given by the as-caring-as-he-can-get uncle just as the bail bondsman, in a tribute to all bail bondsman out there, gives over a large sum of money to Ree who has no legal right to it.

balmakboor

10-17-2010, 01:54 PM

Although it doesn't have any stars, it was shot on 35mm with a professional union crew. Also, it runs between ninety minutes and two hours, and it tells a story (three, actually). I'm defining commercial cinema very, very broadly here--basically, anything that isn't an avant-garde piece, an educational or industrial film, a workout tape or instructional video, a student film, a home movie/YouTube video, or porn. Anything that might theoretically get a commercial release.

Yeah, you're right. For some reason I thought it was shot on 16mm.

Chac Mool

10-17-2010, 02:28 PM

Got some movies from the library, amongst them The Coen's The Man Who Wasn't there and Murnau's Nosferatu. How are they regarded here?

"The Man Who Wasn't There" is one of my favorite Coen films -- not only one of their most beautifully made, but one of their most empathic as well.

The Murnau film, as many vintage horror films, is interesting as a historical piece, and less as a source of thrills and chills.

Chac Mool

10-17-2010, 02:31 PM

2. Irreversible (only Noe I've seen) is thematically middling but stylistically excellent.

Agreed on the thematically middling -- it makes just about the most obvious point in the history of obvious points.

However, I didn't think much of the style either: long takes, filters and sdrawkcab do not a great style make.

EyesWideOpen

10-17-2010, 02:55 PM

The Murnau film, as many vintage horror films, is interesting as a historical piece, and less as a source of thrills and chills.

And you also have to watch out for the score. The version that's up on netflix instant viewing is ruined by the score they chose to use for it.

Qrazy

10-17-2010, 03:15 PM

Agreed on the thematically middling -- it makes just about the most obvious point in the history of obvious points.

However, I didn't think much of the style either: long takes, filters and sdrawkcab do not a great style make.

Well stylistically he's not one of my favorites but I do think he has some formal chops. He's quite good with lighting in general which complements his long takes nicely.

Raiders

10-17-2010, 03:24 PM

The Murnau film, as many vintage horror films, is interesting as a historical piece, and less as a source of thrills and chills.

I think many of its visuals are still pretty chilling today. I'm pretty sure "thrills" was never the intention.

lovejuice

10-17-2010, 04:04 PM

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there is no thread for Red?

Anyway, awesome movie. This and Kick-ass actually turn around my opinion on comics. Too bad, I discover it too late. :sad:

Dead & Messed Up

10-17-2010, 04:26 PM

Got some movies from the library, amongst them The Coen's The Man Who Wasn't there and Murnau's Nosferatu. How are they regarded here?

The former is damn good, the latter is great. I rewatch Nosferatu every now and then, and I'm surprised by its quick pace and eerie vibe. It's my favorite of silent expressionist horror.

megladon8

10-17-2010, 08:30 PM

And you also have to watch out for the score. The version that's up on netflix instant viewing is ruined by the score they chose to use for it.

Is it that terrible heavy metal one?

Rowland

10-17-2010, 08:50 PM

Is it that terrible heavy metal one?They offer that one, titled the Gothic Industrial Mix, and another keyboard-style mix that is pretty cheesy but passable if you have no other option.

As for the movie, I think it's amazing.

soitgoes...

10-17-2010, 09:12 PM

They offer that one, titled the Gothic Industrial Mix, and another keyboard-style mix that is pretty cheesy but passable if you have no other option.

As for the movie, I think it's amazing.
Personally I'd just turn off the volume and run it silent or with a music selection of your choosing.

EyesWideOpen

10-17-2010, 09:19 PM

The one I watched was Nosferatu: Original Version and I figured that would be good but no it had some goofy synth score which ruined the film. It was my first viewing too.

megladon8

10-17-2010, 09:35 PM

Was the Philip Glass score any good?

Or was that the cheesy synth one?

number8

10-17-2010, 09:42 PM

My first viewing of Nosferatu, I bought it off a Walgreens bargain bin and didn't realize that the score is by Type O Negative.

soitgoes...

10-17-2010, 09:53 PM

I'm not sure how a silent film can be ruined because of the score. Just turn it off. It isn't as if a cheesy synth score was what the director wanted.

B-side

10-17-2010, 10:44 PM

Ride in the Whirlwind (Hellman 65) ***

Glad you enjoyed it. His other 2 westerns are better, though, so obviously I'd suggest you seek those out.:P

soitgoes...

10-17-2010, 11:23 PM

Glad you enjoyed it. His other 2 westerns are better, though, so obviously I'd suggest you seek those out.:PThe Shooting and China 9, Liberty 37?

B-side

10-17-2010, 11:53 PM

The Shooting and China 9, Liberty 37?

Those are the ones.

Bosco B Thug

10-18-2010, 01:39 AM

Bigger Than Life - Wowowow! Joins Losey's The Prowler as 1950s films that slow-burn through a seemingly simple, mundane premise but by the end have exploded with mind-blowing, gonzo allegorical elements. They really don't make them like they used to.

My only maybe-complaint is that by the end it leans too heavily towards the medical tabloid story angle of it all, instead of just dealing with the inherent in this guy's personality and teetering psychological imbalance.

megladon8

10-18-2010, 02:02 AM

I so desperately want Gene Hackman to make just one more at least semi-decent (though preferably great) movie.

He's getting old, and I don't want Welcome to Mooseport to be his last film.

soitgoes...

10-18-2010, 05:22 AM

I so desperately want Gene Hackman to make just one more at least semi-decent (though preferably great) movie.

He's getting old, and I don't want Welcome to Mooseport to be his last film.I'm afraid that's what we're going to be left with.

monolith94

10-18-2010, 05:24 AM

I'm not sure how a silent film can be ruined because of the score. Just turn it off. It isn't as if a cheesy synth score was what the director wanted.
In an era of constant audio stimulation, an hour and a half of silence can be hard to bear.

megladon8

10-18-2010, 05:30 AM

I'm afraid that's what we're going to be left with.

Has he officially said he's completely done with the business?

That's so damn depressing.

Most days I'd say he's my favorite actor of all time. What a shame to see that...thing be his final work.

soitgoes...

10-18-2010, 05:39 AM

Has he officially said he's completely done with the business?

That's so damn depressing.

Most days I'd say he's my favorite actor of all time. What a shame to see that...thing be his final work.
Yeah, he's said he's retired. Normally I'd take that as meaning nothing in the acting biz, but the man is 80+ and hasn't done anything in 6 years; it's safe to say he's done.

B-side

10-18-2010, 06:54 AM

I guess I'm among the buzzkills that got nothing out of I'm Still Here except a chuckle or two. In the end, it's like an extended episode of Punk'd. It plays like a typical music biopic with the added footnote of being completely fake. I don't know. I guess I didn't "get it."

soitgoes...

10-18-2010, 07:00 AM

B-side

10-18-2010, 07:03 AM

It's to be expected. I've accepted that I'm going to be in the minority with this one.

I don't begrudge you your enjoyment of it. I guess I didn't latch onto the profundity you saw in it. Eh, oh well.

soitgoes...

10-18-2010, 07:06 AM

I don't begrudge you your enjoyment of it. I guess I didn't latch onto the profundity you saw in it. Eh, oh well.
Well in the film's defense, there is a definite point being made. Something that I'm sure Punk'd never attempted.

B-side

10-18-2010, 07:08 AM

Well in the film's defense, there is a definite point being made. Something that I'm sure Punk'd never attempted.

I don't doubt that. I just didn't catch on, I guess.

Ezee E

10-18-2010, 05:07 PM

My Son My Son, What Have Ye Done is on Netflix Instant Watch y'all!

Qrazy

10-18-2010, 05:36 PM

In an era of constant audio stimulation, an hour and a half of silence can be hard to bear.

1. Choose a selection of music totaling the run time of a given film.
2. Play this music over the muted silent film.
3. Enjoy.

Ezee E

10-18-2010, 07:01 PM

Nice... Denver Film Festival announced their lineup. This is where I get to see the foreign films I usually have no chance of seeing in theaters. Here's what I get:

Uncle Boonmee and His Past Motherfuckin' Lives
The Screaming Man
Venice (odd looking Polish movie)

And I'll probably add on Blue Valentine and a new documentary from the Murderball director.

Kurosawa Fan

10-18-2010, 09:32 PM

My local film festival released its lineup, and my gosh is it ever weak. Here's the list:

Features
Winter's Bone
The Last Station
Mao's Last Dancer
The Good, the Bad, the Weird
Harmony and Me
Lovely Still
The Extra Man
I Am Love
[REC] 2
Please Give
The Runaways
The White Ribbon
The Secret in Their Eyes
Soul Kitchen
Let it Rain
Farewell
Ondine
Cairo Time
The Silence Before Bach
The Secret of the Grain
Grey Skies
Handlebar

Documentary
Howard the Hero
Beaches of Agnes
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
Babies

Anniversary Films
Jaws - 35th Anniversary
Psycho - 50th
Somewhere in Time - 30th
To Kill a Mockingbird - 50th (for the novel, not the film; I don't get it either)

I have a feeling this "film festival" won't be around much longer. Each year it gets pushed back further and further, and the lineup gets smaller and exists of far less films released the actual year of the "festival." Pretty disappointing, but not surprising. I won't be buying a pass this year, I'll just show up and buy tickets for Winter's Bone, Exit Through the Gift Shop, and Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work. Everything else that interests me, which isn't much, I can either watch on DVD or have already seen. Lame.

balmakboor

10-18-2010, 09:35 PM

1. Choose a selection of music totaling the run time of a given film.
2. Play this music over the muted silent film.
3. Enjoy.

My college roommate and I would do this all the time with both movies and television shows. And you know what? No matter what music you pick, it will seem to have been composed with what you're watching in mind.

Yes, drugs and alcohol do help the process immensely.

soitgoes...

10-18-2010, 11:35 PM

Boner M

10-19-2010, 12:00 AM

Il Posto is the best film I've seen since the first week of the year when I saw Dekalog. A beautiful film. Olmi's vision of falling in love is one of the best I've seen on screen. He perfectly captures those beautiful, awkward moments as a young man tries to be with and around the young girl he's just met and fell instantly smitten with. The smile I had over the first half slowly melted away as Olmi delivers the punch. Life, as beautiful and wonderful as it can be, often times doesn't play out like we think it should. As powerful as the first half is in portraying new love, the second half delivers monotony and the young man settling with the hand dealt to him.
Yup, it's excellent. Saw it midway into compiling my top 50 list several years ago and pretty much instantly revised the list to include. The final scenes are devastating in the simple, hard truth they capture, but the fact that they're preceded by that beautiful party scene shows that Olmi's vision isn't bereft of hope.

You might wanna check out Olmi's featurette The Crush, if you liked Il Posto's portrayal of young love. It's included on the latter's Criterion edition, if that's how you saw it.

soitgoes...

10-19-2010, 12:14 AM

Yup, it's excellent. Saw it midway into compiling my top 50 list several years ago and pretty much instantly revised the list to include. The final scenes are devastating in the simple, hard truth they capture, but the fact that they're preceded by that beautiful party scene shows that Olmi's vision isn't bereft of hope.

You might wanna check out Olmi's featurette The Crush, if you liked Il Posto's portrayal of young love. It's included on the latter's Criterion edition, if that's how you saw it.
Yeah, I'll be watching both it and I fidanzati later tonight.

For a moment halfway through the film I became annoyed; when the focus shifted from the young man to old office workers for about ten minutes. I wanted more of the young love story. I questioned where the hell Olmi was taking the film. Looking back on the movie I can see how that film, one just on their young love, wouldn't have been as great, the film wouldn't have been as hart hitting. The end of the film puts that awkward middle section into perspective and the whole thing pays off.

Qrazy

10-19-2010, 02:27 AM

My college roommate and I would do this all the time with both movies and television shows. And you know what? No matter what music you pick, it will seem to have been composed with what you're watching in mind.

Yes, drugs and alcohol do help the process immensely.

Haha yeah it's great. I played In the Mood for Love in the background with an Itunes playlist on shuffle. I swear to god even some of the lyrics were matching on screen action.

Qrazy

10-19-2010, 03:03 AM

Il Posto is the best film I've seen since the first week of the year when I saw Dekalog. A beautiful film. Olmi's vision of falling in love is one of the best I've seen on screen. He perfectly captures those beautiful, awkward moments as a young man tries to be with and around the young girl he's just met and fell instantly smitten with. The smile I had over the first half slowly melted away as Olmi delivers the punch. Life, as beautiful and wonderful as it can be, often times doesn't play out like we think it should. As powerful as the first half is in portraying new love, the second half delivers monotony and the young man settling with the hand dealt to him.

Yeah Olmi's wonderful. I wasn't very enthusiastic about The Tree of Wooden Clogs but the other three I've seen from him have been good to great (Il Posto, I Fidazanti, The Legend of the Holy Drinker). I've had and been meaning to watch The Profession of Arms for a while now but I don't think I have subs for it.