28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[endingcredits]

It's so much better than 99.9% of all other films.
Indeed. Naysayers be damned!

[B-side]

Not yet; as I'm going through his filmography in order, it will be my last.

Ah, unfortunate. Looking forward to your thoughts on some of his oft-neglected works -- namely A Gentle Woman, The Devil, Probably and Four Nights of a Dreamer.

Actually, since you said you've been going in order, what did you think of Trial of Joan of Arc?

[megladon8]

If it weren't for the retarded a completely unnecessary twist at the end, The Book of Eli would have been a half-decent high-concept action movie.

Also, The Hughes Brothers could learn a thing or two about action direction.

[Ezee E]

If it weren't for the retarded a completely unnecessary twist at the end, The Book of Eli would have been a half-decent high-concept action movie.

Also, The Hughes Brothers could learn a thing or two about action direction.
Funny, I thought the action was great and which twist are you talking about?

[megladon8]

Funny, I thought the action was great and which twist are you talking about?


The scene in the bar when he kills all the guys after the one guy confronts him about the cat was filmed terribly.

Every time they got a good angle on the action and I thought "oh yeah this shot will be good", the camera swoops around to some other angle that obscures the best part of what was going on.

The most interesting action scene in the whole movie was that first fight with the hijackers, where it's played out in shadow from a single, straight-on angle. And it's not even that it's a good action scene, it was just cool stylistically.


That he's blind and has been the whole time.

Not only does it betray a lot of what came before - he's clearly not blind when he's constantly LOOKING at things, people, around the environment, etc.

It was unnecessary to be used as a twist. They should have said he was blind from the beginning, then have the book be opened by Gary Oldman at the end to find out that it's braille.

[Ezee E]

The scene in the bar when he kills all the guys after the one guy confronts him about the cat was filmed terribly.

Every time they got a good angle on the action and I thought "oh yeah this shot will be good", the camera swoops around to some other angle that obscures the best part of what was going on.

The most interesting action scene in the whole movie was that first fight with the hijackers, where it's played out in shadow from a single, straight-on angle. And it's not even that it's a good action scene, it was just cool stylistically.


That he's blind and has been the whole time.

Not only does it betray a lot of what came before - he's clearly not blind when he's constantly LOOKING at things, people, around the environment, etc.

It was unnecessary to be used as a twist. They should have said he was blind from the beginning, then have the book be opened by Gary Oldman at the end to find out that it's braille.
Eh, the twist worked for me. It wasn't jawdropping, but I didn't roll my eyes at it.

I still liked the idea of several journeys to Alcatraz occurring in the same fashion as Eli's, only with that person's significant beliefs...

[megladon8]

I did roll my eyes at it though, because, like I said, it was done so poorly as to betray scenes and events that came before it.

It's still a competent movie in many regards, filmed beautifully for the most part and with quite a neat (albeit simplistic) message about religion. I also really liked a lot of the music.

But yeah, that twist didn't need to exist at all.

[megladon8]

Here's a question about the end of The Book of Eli...


How/why did Denzel die at the end? Yes, he was injured. But with how slowly he was reciting the Bible to McDowell and how many pages were written, it was kind of implied that he spent a long time doing that after the injury.

So what...did he just keel over and die after reciting the last word?

Was it sheer force of will that kept him alive to finish it?

If so...that's pretty stupid.

[endingcredits]

The semi-arousing deranged erotica in Szamanka (Zulawski, 1996) was, well, semi-arousing. Otherwise, Zulawsky's smatter in the genre left everything but my pecker underwhelmed.

[B-side]

The semi-arousing deranged erotica in Szamanka (Zulawski, 1996) was, well, semi-arousing. Otherwise, Zulawsky's smatter in the genre left everything but my pecker underwhelmed.

Of the 4 Zulawski's I've seen, That Most Important Thing: Love was my favorite. Granted, all of them could use a rewatch. Not sure why I haven't watched The Devil yet.

[endingcredits]

Of the 4 Zulawski's I've seen, That Most Important Thing: Love was my favorite. Granted, all of them could use a rewatch. Not sure why I haven't watched The Devil yet.

I would have been more into That Most Important Thing: Love if the male lead had a bit more life in him. He was pretty bland as a character. My ratings thus far are

Possession - 10
The Devil - 9
On A Silver Globe - 9
That Most Important Thing: Love - 7
Szamanka - 6.

[B-side]

I would have been more into That Most Important Thing: Love if the male lead had a bit more life in him. He was pretty bland as a character. My ratings thus far are

Possession - 10
The Devil - 9
On A Silver Globe - 9
That Most Important Thing: Love - 7
Szamanka - 6.

I may recall that being an issue with me as well. The Klaus Kinski factor negated most of my concerns, though.

[Melville]

The semi-arousing deranged erotica in Szamanka (Zulawski, 1996) was, well, semi-arousing. Otherwise, Zulawsky's smatter in the genre left everything but my pecker underwhelmed.
All I remember is the girl being completely insane and eating the guy's brain. I guess that's erotic. Anyway, her insanity was enough for me.

Possession - 10
The Devil - 10
Szamanka - 8
That Most Important Thing: Love - 7

[B-side]

All I remember is the girl being completely insane and eating the guy's brain.

/prioritizes

[endingcredits]

All I remember is the girl being completely insane and eating the guy's brain. I guess that's erotic. Anyway, her insanity was enough for me.

Yeah, I love how she goes from a nymphomaniac to a brain eater without passing Go.

[B-side]

Yeah, I love how she goes from a nymphomaniac to a brain eater without passing Go.

So she didn't collect the 200 dollars?

Terrible. I apologize.

[endingcredits]

So she didn't collect the 200 dollars?

Terrible. I apologize.
:lol:

I wish I had the photoshop skills to make a customized monopoly card for this.

[MadMan]

So lucky - you get to watch all his films for the first time.I guess so. Maybe I'll devout a month to watching his movies. Or not.

[Derek]

I guess so. Maybe I'll devout a month to watching his movies. Or not.

:|

[MadMan]

You know me....

[Dead & Messed Up]

Land > Survival > Diary

More to come...

[MadMan]

Diary is better than Survival. Haven't seen Land yet.

[Watashi]

I just got back from seeing Hans Zimmer live.

It was awesome.

[Ezee E]

Here's a question about the end of The Book of Eli...


How/why did Denzel die at the end? Yes, he was injured. But with how slowly he was reciting the Bible to McDowell and how many pages were written, it was kind of implied that he spent a long time doing that after the injury.

So what...did he just keel over and die after reciting the last word?

Was it sheer force of will that kept him alive to finish it?

If so...that's pretty stupid.
Well, the whole thing has me to believe that God is leading him the way. Hence him "being blind, but now he can see" and also being protected throughout. The whole thing is quite Biblical in nature. Once he finishes his mission, he's done what he had to for his God, and now he can rest peacefully.

God has then moved on to Kunis to spread the good word properly instead of it getting into the hands of Gary Oldman.

That right there was something I wish it could've expanded on. Religion being put into the hands of the wrong person.

[Rowland]

Land > Survival > Diary

More to come...Ahh, so you finished Survival after all? Did you at least end up on the positive end of the spectrum?

[MadMan]

Knowing DaMU, I doubt it. Too bad if that's the case.

[Boner M]

Weekend:

Alonso's Fantasma and Liverpool
The Social Network and Detective Dee at da moobies
King of New York (Ferrara, rpt)
The Traveler (Kiarostami)

[balmakboor]

Watched Irreversible again last night and appreciated it a lot more. I may have even liked it, as horrible as that potentially sounds. It certainly found a way to make an ending with a young woman's ecstacy over learning she's pregnant be the saddest that imaginable. I did wonder though why she is so happy when the father is such an asshole.

I also watched Beeswax. The characters are likeable and interesting, but are all mumblecores this soft and squishy in the middle? Have you ever hung out with people at a party and enjoyed yourself for a while, but then found yourself looking for any excuse to go home because you've grown tired of them? That's what this was like. I was ready to go back and watch a woman get raped in a tunnel for 15 minutes again.

[EyesWideOpen]

The criterion blu/dvd of House (Hausu) came out on tuesday so now no one has an excuse for not having seen it. I'm watching through all the bonus stuff right now.

[Dukefrukem]

Diary is better than Survival. Haven't seen Land yet.

This...

Land > Diary > Survival... I'm still waiting for someone to explain to me what the point of Survival was.

[Skitch]

Wow. I think I liked The Girl Who Played With Fire even more than The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Can't wait for The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest. These films need an acronym, bad.

[angrycinephile]

I just got back from seeing Hans Zimmer live.

It was awesome.

In concert?

[Ezee E]

Watched Irreversible again last night and appreciated it a lot more. I may have even liked it, as horrible as that potentially sounds. It certainly found a way to make an ending with a young woman's ecstacy over learning she's pregnant be the saddest that imaginable. I did wonder though why she is so happy when the father is such an asshole.


Well, technically he only became an asshole later when they went to the club, right? I forgot.

[Watashi]

In concert?
No, just an interview/spotlight.

Barty got to ask him a question.

[angrycinephile]

No, just an interview/spotlight.

Barty got to ask him a question.

Nice! What was the question?

[dreamdead]

The worst film you've ever sat through gets a 2. Are you still holding out for the worstest film you've ever sat through to appear some day?

I'm No Angel is the worst film I've seen this year. I should have been more specific. And there's a teensy bit of interesting gender critique that propels the insipid filmmaking, and the African maids that wait on West actually have sex lives, which is uncommon enough to grant the film some small browny points. It's horribly made and a non-comedy comedy, but there are enough cultural aspects to the film that I can't belittle the film entirely.

[Dukefrukem]

Carpenter's Starman was a bit of a disappointment.

[balmakboor]

Well, technically he only became an asshole later when they went to the club, right? I forgot.

I thought he was extremely unlikeable all the way to the end, or the beginning, or whatever.

[Ezee E]

I thought he was extremely unlikeable all the way to the end, or the beginning, or whatever.
If I remember right, "the beginning" shows her in the park, and then goes to her apartment where she basically just makes love with her husband as they plan to go out. Don't remember anything asshole-ish about that at all.

Although there most likely was a history with that best friend trying to get involved and make her aware of it the whole time...

[Dukefrukem]

Y6a4T2tJaSU

[StanleyK]

Ah, unfortunate. Looking forward to your thoughts on some of his oft-neglected works -- namely A Gentle Woman, The Devil, Probably and Four Nights of a Dreamer.

Actually, since you said you've been going in order, what did you think of Trial of Joan of Arc?

Not sure I'll watch those three, to be honest. I'm not the biggest fan of even his major work so far:

The Ladies of Bois de Boulogne - ***
Diary of a Country Priest - ***½
A Man Escaped - ***
Pickpocket - **½
The Trial of Joan of Arc - **
Au Hasard Balthazar - ****

I couldn't articulate why I found Trial to be the worst; I did appreciate the lack of voice-over (which really grated me on the previous two), but his direction seemed pretty dull, and I kept recalling Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc and how richer that movie was instead.

[Sven]

Carpenter's Starman was a bit of a disappointment.

Love this one. It obliterated my expectations.

[Ezee E]

Y6a4T2tJaSU
Ha. What do you think it is?

[Ezee E]

Oh, and John Hawkes in Winter's Bone is one scary guy. Great performance.

[baby doll]

Weekend:

The Magician (Ingmar Bergman, 1958)
The Honeymoon Killers (Leonard Kastle, 1969)
Edvard Munch (Peter Watkins, 1974)
Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood, 1992)
Duck Season (Fernando Eimbcke, 2004)

[Dukefrukem]

Ha. What do you think it is?

A time traveler... obviously. :lol:

[Bosco B Thug]

This...

Land > Diary > Survival... I'm still waiting for someone to explain to me what the point of Survival was. http://www.shaviro.com/Blog/?p=915

This gets pretty close. It looks at the political evocations, although I just enjoy the ranch-family drama with zombies.

[StanleyK]

Has anyone seen Ingmar Bergman's The Touch? I can only versions in English with Swedish subtitles, and I don't know if that's its proper language or not.

[Qrazy]

Yeah, I've wanted to see that one since it was on Duncan's top 100.

It's pretty good but not a top 5 Altman. I liked it quite a bit the first time but caught about 15 minutes of it on TV the other day and was less enthusiastic. Basically if you don't care for Altman's style in his best films I don't see this one working for you more than any of the others.

Also personally I find Altman cares much more about his characters than the Coens. I much prefer his thematic concerns and execution for that matter.

[angrycinephile]

Has anyone seen Ingmar Bergman's The Touch? I can only versions in English with Swedish subtitles, and I don't know if that's its proper language or not.

I haven't seen the film myself but I know it was shot in two versions. One where everyone speaks English (for the international release) and one bilingual version where Max von Sydow/Bibi Andersson speaks Swedish with each other and Elliot Gould English. The bilingual version (described by Bergman himself as "slightly less insufferable than the other version") has apparently been lost.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Edvard Munch (Peter Watkins, 1974)
Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood, 1992)

Awesome.

[Qrazy]

I guess so. Maybe I'll devout a month to watching his movies. Or not.

lmao.

[Russ]

MadMan.

A legend in his own time.

Or not.

[soitgoes...]

Weekend:

The Given Word (Duarte)
Sweet Games of Late Summer (Herz)
The Rise of Louis XIV (Rossellini)
My Way Home (Jancsó)
The Man with the Shaven Head (Delvaux)

[endingcredits]

Weekend:

Pavoncello (Zulawski)
The Third Part of The Night (Zulawksi)

[MadMan]

lmao.Well at least I made yah laugh.


MadMan.

A legend in his own time.

Or not.If I had room, I would sig this. Ah hell, I'll fit it in somehow.

Weekend:

*Lifeforce
*Altered
*Baghead
*Let's Scare Jessica To Death
*The Mist
*Rec
*Hellraiser
*The Exorcist

And whatever else I can watch, be it on TV or on Netflix Instant Viewing. God I love Halloween.

[Ezee E]

MadMan.

A legend in his own time.

Or not.
Has Match Cut gone to the level that 30 Rock is at where we are all caricatures of ourselves?

[MadMan]

Has Match Cut gone to the level that 30 Rock is at where we are all caricatures of ourselves?I'm a caricature of a caricature.

[Qrazy]

Has Match Cut gone to the level that 30 Rock is at where we are all caricatures of ourselves?

No, shut up.

Yes.

[Russ]

God I love Halloween.
Have you ever seen Trilogy of Terror? Nothing beats watching the last story ("Amelia") on a Halloween night.

[Skitch]

Anyone with thoughts on Revanche? How about Le Circle Rouge?

[DavidSeven]

How about Le Circle Rouge?

Nice cinematography, interesting concept, good central performance, but ultimately tedious and overlong. Would recommend Le Samourai, Rififi, or Bob Le Flambeur for similar films that are way, way better.

[Qrazy]

Nice cinematography, interesting concept, good central performance, but ultimately tedious and overlong. Would recommend Le Samourai, Rififi, or Bob Le Flambeur for similar films that are way, way better.

I wouldn't quite go that far but yeah it was ultimately lacking. Also be sure to check out Army of Shadows and Second Breath from Melville. Those are tops.

[Boner M]

Nice cinematography, interesting concept, good central performance, but ultimately tedious and overlong.
Yeah, this is how I remember it too. I'd even recommend Un Flic over it.

[Derek]

I liked Le Cercle Rouge a lot, but I saw it in the theater when it was touring before the Criterion came out. I found it incredibly tense, but it's long, so I can see how it might lose people along the way. Would love to give it another look soon.

[Derek]

My tentative schedule for AFI Fest coming up:

Saturday Nov. 6th (starting things off with a bang with a Hong Sang-soo double feature!)

2 PM - Hahaha (Hong)
4:15 PM – Oki’s Movie (Hong)
6:15 PM – Boy (Waititi)
8:45 PM – Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Weerasethakul)

Sunday Nov. 7th

1 PM – The Housemaid (2010 & 1960s versions)
8 PM – Rabbit Hole (John Cameron Mitchell)

Monday Nov. 8th

9:15 PM Outrage (Kitano)

Wednesday Nov. 10th

4 PM Mon Oncle (Tati)
6:45 PM Poetry (Lee Chang-dong)
9:40 PM Film Socialisme (Godard)

Thursday Nov. 11th

7:30 PM Black Swan (Aronofsky) - Though this one's a gala screening which I didn't sign up for in time, so might not get in.

[Qrazy]

I liked Le Cercle Rouge a lot, but I saw it in the theater when it was touring before the Criterion came out. I found it incredibly tense, but it's long, so I can see how it might lose people along the way. Would love to give it another look soon.

It is tense I agree, just don't feel like it quite matches up to his best films.

[Derek]

It is tense I agree, just don't feel like it quite matches up to his best films.

It's no Le Samourai, that's for sure. I'm in the minority in not thinking Army of Shadows is an absolute masterpiece - I'd actually put Le Cercle Rouge on par with it. Both still very good films.

[Skitch]

Thanks guys. While it seems a decent flick, I'm not in the mood for 2.5 hrs of this. I'll catch the next 1.5 hrs some other time.

I'm still pondering Revanche two days later, so that's something.

[megladon8]

For me, there are only a small handful of films in existence that outdo Le Samourai.

Brilliant filmmaking in every regard.

[DavidSeven]

It's no Le Samourai, that's for sure. I'm in the minority in not thinking Army of Shadows is an absolute masterpiece - I'd actually put Le Cercle Rouge on par with it. Both still very good films.

I agree with this post except I'd drop the last sentence. I like Army of Shadows a little more than Le Cercle Rouge, but I'm not a huge fan of that one either.

[Derek]

Thanks guys. While it seems a decent flick, I'm not in the mood for 2.5 hrs of this. I'll catch the next 1.5 hrs some other time.

You feel it's length too, so hold off 'til you're more in the mood for something more methodical.


I'm still pondering Revanche two days later, so that's something.

There are some great shots, huh? It takes an unexpected turn at the half-hour mark, but while it kind of left its realism behind, I still found it a rather moving examination of grief and regret. Glad you like it.

[Derek]

For me, there are only a small handful of films in existence that outdo Le Samourai.

Brilliant filmmaking in every regard.

I can't even imagine the kind of ass Alain Delon could've pulled in during the 60s. He's the essence of cool.

[megladon8]

I can't even imagine the kind of ass Alain Delon could've pulled in during the 60s. He's the essence of cool.


I know, it's unbelievable. He was gorgeous, suave, well-dressed, well spoken, classy.

He was like a real-life James Bond, but with the sex factor upped to a million.

[Winston*]

I can't even imagine the kind of ass Alain Delon could've pulled in during the 60s. He's the essence of cool.

He was a total twat in The Leopard and he still got Claudia Cardinale.

[Skitch]

There are some great shots, huh? It takes an unexpected turn at the half-hour mark, but while it kind of left its realism behind, I still found it a rather moving examination of grief and regret. Glad you like it.
I keep thinking about the chopping wood scenes. Maybe its the familiarity with such a monotenous task, or the combination of doing it with nothing but your mistakes to ponder while doing it...I don't know. Those were my favorite scenes. I'm still stunned by the 'when' of when they rolled credits. I felt it coming, I hoped they would do it, and they did. But I was stunned they did. Wow. Just wow.

[Qrazy]

http://www.exposay.com/celebrity-photos/alain-delon-2007-cannes-film-festival-palme-dor-arrivals-L0JWLX.jpg

A chilling reminder that we all get old. Very. Very old.

[Ivan Drago]

Just got back from a screening of Let The Right One In, with a Q&A following the movie. I'm amazed at how so much flew way over my head the first time I watched it.

[balmakboor]

Yay. Double Team is on Instant Watch. Been wanting to see it. Just didn't want to go to much expense to do so.

[balmakboor]

Just got back from a screening of Let The Right One In, with a Q&A following the movie. I'm amazed at how so much flew way over my head the first time I watched it.

We are so much in agreement, both loving both screen versions of the story. I think Let Me In is my favorite movie of the year. The original is one of my favorite movies ever.

[B-side]

Not sure I'll watch those three, to be honest. I'm not the biggest fan of even his major work so far:

The Ladies of Bois de Boulogne - ***
Diary of a Country Priest - ***½
A Man Escaped - ***
Pickpocket - **½
The Trial of Joan of Arc - **
Au Hasard Balthazar - ****

I couldn't articulate why I found Trial to be the worst; I did appreciate the lack of voice-over (which really grated me on the previous two), but his direction seemed pretty dull, and I kept recalling Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc and how richer that movie was instead.

Bresson is odd with me in that ever since I first heard of all the praise around him and his idiosyncratic brand of asceticism, I've wanted desperately to love him. Pretty much every person whose taste I trust loves him. If I were to rate his work, I wouldn't give any of them higher than a 7.5, and that'd probably be reserved for L'argent, like I said. I guess I consider him consistently good, but rarely great. There are great moments in his films, but not enough to elevate them as a whole.

[megladon8]

I think Alain Delon looks pretty damn good for his age.

[Ivan Drago]

We are so much in agreement, both loving both screen versions of the story. I think Let Me In is my favorite movie of the year. The original is one of my favorite movies ever.

Poorly put together thoughts:

On the first viewing of the original I didn't get that Oskar's dad was gay, and Eli's "father" was a pedophile, and didn't understand that it's a part of vampire mythology for them to bleed when not invited into a house until they were answered/brought up in the Q&A. At first I felt like an idiot, but was left even more freaked out by how subtle it all is.

The remake in my opinion had more of an emotional punch, and adds more inner torment to the characters of Owen as he gets bullied, and Abby's "father" as he tries to support Abby. I also think the remake does more with the camera than the original, examples being the shot with the camera in the back of the car as Abby's "father" tries escaping from the gas station, and the extreme wide shot of Abby climbing up the hospital exterior. Hell, the leader of the Q&A even said after the screening that Let Me In was just the same as the original, shot for shot. I immediately thought she couldn't be more than wrong.

[balmakboor]

...the shot with the camera in the back of the car as Abby's "father" tries escaping from the gas station...

I actually applauded at the end of that shot. And I never do that.

I wish I'd been there for that Q&A.

[balmakboor]

With Let Me In, Reeves reminded me of a young, Carrie and Sisters era Brian De Palma. And believe me I mean that as a high compliment. Maybe it was the voyeuristic element that drew me to the comparison or maybe just the camera virtuosity.

[B-side]

I liked the infusion of subjective perspective in a lot of the shots in Let Me In. This, of course, ties into the film never showing the mother's face, perhaps as someone noted to reinforce Abby's role as the central female in Owen's life, or possibly just to symbolically visualize the disconnect between them two. I, too, was a fan of the stationary camera in the backseat during the accident, as well as the coldy observant shot of the car at the train tracks when Abby's guardian makes his first kill.

Owen's disconnect made for one of the more effective scenes in the film; when Abby is killing Koteas' character and he reaches for Owen's hand, who ends up shutting the door in his face.

[B-side]

Howl is joyful, playful and energetic. In a time of resurgent conservatism, Howl is a pleasant affirmation of the arts. Franco did a good job.

[Derek]

Bresson is odd with me in that ever since I first heard of all the praise around him and his idiosyncratic brand of asceticism, I've wanted desperately to love him. Pretty much every person whose taste I trust loves him. If I were to rate his work, I wouldn't give any of them higher than a 7.5, and that'd probably be reserved for L'argent, like I said. I guess I consider him consistently good, but rarely great. There are great moments in his films, but not enough to elevate them as a whole.

All I can say is keep watching, read more about him and return to the ones you like. L'Argent took me three or four viewings to really get, so I don't mean that in a pretentious, "oh keep watching and you'll get him eventually" way - he's simply that demanding. I've always come away from rewatches with a new appreciation of the film. Even with something like Devil, Probably, which after 4 viewings I'd still rate the same as you, there is so much to take in because the keys to that film, and all his films really, are so often hidden between the shots, outside the frame and within connections that while watching the film may seem incomplete or poorly developed, but really are latent and submerged, waiting to be unlocked. His films often tough to crack, but they are among the most rewarding cinema has to offer.

[MadMan]

Anyone with thoughts on Revanche? How about Le Circle Rouge?I loved Le Circle Rouge, but Le Samourai is much better. Great movie regardless, with an excellent cast. I recently bought it on Criterion.


Have you ever seen Trilogy of Terror? Nothing beats watching the last story ("Amelia") on a Halloween night.I'll have to check that one out eventually. I hear Karen Black is awesome in it.

[B-side]

All I can say is keep watching, read more about him and return to the ones you like. L'Argent took me three or four viewings to really get, so I don't mean that in a pretentious, "oh keep watching and you'll get him eventually" way - he's simply that demanding. I've always come away from rewatches with a new appreciation of the film. Even with something like Devil, Probably, which after 4 viewings I'd still rate the same as you, there is so much to take in because the keys to that film, and all his films really, are so often hidden between the shots, outside the frame and within connections that while watching the film may seem incomplete or poorly developed, but really are latent and submerged, waiting to be unlocked. His films often tough to crack, but they are among the most rewarding cinema has to offer.

I've done a lot of reading on him. He's one of the few filmmakers that seem to elude me. I guess I keep going back, not only because I'm hoping to finally watch something of his that I love that makes me wanna revisit everything else I'd seen of his before, but because I suppose I do see a certain profundity in his films. Something about his asceticism and subtle approach resonates, I just don't know if I don't know how to make it all fit, or if I'm simply not all that taken with it. This confusion has frustrated me for quite a while. I find myself going back to him fairly regularly and doing a bunch of reading to try and delineate what exactly it is about him that has everybody swooning so that I might be able to join those in the know. I get it in a very basic sense; the uniqueness, the non-actors, the lack of theatricality, etc. I'm repeating myself now, but I think you get what I'm trying to convey.

I am a bit hesitant to watch Diary of a Country Priest for fear of being preached (pun intended) to and being told about how wonderful religion is and all that noise.

[Morris Schæffer]

I know, it's unbelievable. He was gorgeous, suave, well-dressed, well spoken, classy.

He was like a real-life James Bond, but with the sex factor upped to a million.

He was the best thing about Airport 79, The Concorde ;)

[B-side]

I don't know if you'd be interested, Derek (or anyone else, for that matter), but this article (http://revolutionaryboredom.wordpress .com/2009/02/08/the-devil-probably/) on The Devil, Probably is making me appreciate it more in retrospect and wanna watch it again already.

[soitgoes...]

As far as donkey movies go, Duarte's The Given Word is better than Bresson's Au hasard Balthasar, and Duarte's donkey doesn't have any screen time. Yeah, I've been drinking, but I'm standing by this statement.

[Ezee E]

Doubt I'll watch them, but here's what I have from Netflix for the weekend:

Cranes are Flying
Hurlyburly
Trouble in Paradise

[Spaceman Spiff]

Hurlyburly is pretty awesome. I think at one point Chazz Palminteri chucks Meg Ryan out of a moving car. I think. Maybe that was another movie.

[Dukefrukem]

Weekend: Dunno yet. I have class all day on Saturday and Sat night I'm supposed to go to a Halloween party. Sunday is Pats and the Walking Dead..

Hopefully tonight i'll be able to watch more Carpenter. I think next on this list is Prince of Darkness , followed by They Live. Still have a few more to go before I can complete his Filmography. Pretty stoked about seeing the Ward as well.

And what the hell; General Filmography ratings as follows;

2010 The Ward...
2001 Ghosts of Mars 3/10
1998 Vampires 4/10
1996 Escape from L.A. 5/10
1995 Village of the Damned N/A
1995 In the Mouth of Madness N/A
1993 Body Bags N/A
1992 Memoirs of an Invisible Man N/A
1988 They Live N/A
1987 Prince of Darkness N/A
1986 Big Trouble in Little China 8/10
1984 Starman 6/10
1983 Christine 5/10
1982 The Thing 9/10
1981 Escape from New York 8/10
1980 The Fog 5/10
1978 Someone's Watching Me! 8/10
1978 Halloween 8/10
1976 Assault on Precinct 13 7/10
1974 Dark Star 7/10

[Skitch]

Duke, Memoirs of an Invisible Man and In The Mouth Of Madness are both freaking great.

[Derek]

I've done a lot of reading on him. He's one of the few filmmakers that seem to elude me. I guess I keep going back, not only because I'm hoping to finally watch something of his that I love that makes me wanna revisit everything else I'd seen of his before, but because I suppose I do see a certain profundity in his films. Something about his asceticism and subtle approach resonates, I just don't know if I don't know how to make it all fit, or if I'm simply not all that taken with it. This confusion has frustrated me for quite a while. I find myself going back to him fairly regularly and doing a bunch of reading to try and delineate what exactly it is about him that has everybody swooning so that I might be able to join those in the know. I get it in a very basic sense; the uniqueness, the non-actors, the lack of theatricality, etc. I'm repeating myself now, but I think you get what I'm trying to convey.

I hear ya. It's not an approach that works for everyone, but it's good to hear you're at least interested enough to put in the effort.


I am a bit hesitant to watch Diary of a Country Priest for fear of being preached (pun intended) to and being told about how wonderful religion is and all that noise.

:lol:

Yeah, it's not at all the film you're thinking it is.


I don't know if you'd be interested, Derek (or anyone else, for that matter), but this article (http://revolutionaryboredom.wordpress .com/2009/02/08/the-devil-probably/) on The Devil, Probably is making me appreciate it more in retrospect and wanna watch it again already.

Thanks, I'll read that when I get the chance.


As far as donkey movies go, Duarte's The Given Word is better than Bresson's Au hasard Balthasar, and Duarte's donkey doesn't have any screen time. Yeah, I've been drinking, but I'm standing by this statement.

You make it sound like having less donkey screen time is a good thing. And can Duarte's donkey solve arithmetic problems? Didn't think so!

[Qrazy]

The best donkey movie is obviously Donkey Hote de la Mancha.

[balmakboor]

8 PM – Rabbit Hole (John Cameron Mitchell)

This thing has some amazing buzz. I'm very happy being a fan of both Hedwig and Shortbus as well as Kidman.

[balmakboor]

I am a bit hesitant to watch Diary of a Country Priest for fear of being preached (pun intended) to and being told about how wonderful religion is and all that noise.

You have nothing to fear. This is actually one of his films I keep returning to. It is his transitional film between the more conventional storytelling of Les dames du Bois de Boulogne and the fragmented, highly stylized, "models" oriented style of A Man Escaped and beyond. In a way, it puts a character, the priest, from his future films in the midst of characters from his past film and creates an interesting juxtaposition. I actually consider it my favorite use of his famous approach to characters and acting because it is used to enhance a specific character rather than just being applied to every character, just because.

Btw, I think Mouchette is way better than its rep around here.

[Dukefrukem]

Duke, Memoirs of an Invisible Man and In The Mouth Of Madness are both freaking great.

Can't wait.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Hurlyburly is pretty awesome. I think at one point Chazz Palminteri chucks Meg Ryan out of a moving car. I think. Maybe that was another movie.

Nope, that's the right movie. She asks him something about Jack in the Box, he says "I don't know your codes!" (best line in the film) and then throws her out of the moving car.

Though let me make it clear, I think the movie kind of sucks.

[Eleven]

Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff is a decent doc on possibly the greatest color cinematographer of all time. Any film that showcases the Powell & Pressburger canon has its heart in the right place, but I wish there was more than just a gloss on the likes of Barefoot Contessa, War and Peace, Pandora and the Flying Dutchman, and his own directorial works. The film displays a neat balance of methods to achieve beauty and effect on film: through Cardiff's creative eye influenced by his favorite painters, and through more practical problem-solving on the set.

As far as talking heads go, nothing that Scorsese says will be new to viewers of his Journey through American Movies or interviews about P&P, but it was good to see reminiscences from the likes of Richard Fleischer and Kirk Douglas. But it also continues the usual, distressing privileging of the Oscars as arbiters of taste, barely gesturing towards Cannes and other film festivals.

[soitgoes...]

You make it sound like having less donkey screen time is a good thing. And can Duarte's donkey solve arithmetic problems? Didn't think so!I had a good comeback, but at the risk that you were going to ever watch it, I didn't want to spoil the film. I will let you have this small victory.

[B-side]

:lol:

Yeah, it's not at all the film you're thinking it is.


You have nothing to fear. This is actually one of his films I keep returning to. It is his transitional film between the more conventional storytelling of Les dames du Bois de Boulogne and the fragmented, highly stylized, "models" oriented style of A Man Escaped and beyond. In a way, it puts a character, the priest, from his future films in the midst of characters from his past film and creates an interesting juxtaposition. I actually consider it my favorite use of his famous approach to characters and acting because it is used to enhance a specific character rather than just being applied to every character, just because.

Btw, I think Mouchette is way better than its rep around here.

This is good news.:)

[endingcredits]

Btw, I think Mouchette is way better than its rep around here.

I thought it a decent film as well. I remember Qrazy saying he thought it was pure shit when we met up in Toronto; it was late, however, and we had been running around like idiots all night, so he didn't elaborate and I didn't have the mind to argue in its favor.

[Derek]

I actually consider it my favorite use of his famous approach to characters and acting because it is used to enhance a specific character rather than just being applied to every character, just because.

I know you probably did mean that as a shot against Bresson, but I have to respond anyway. It wasn't as if he just woke up one day and decided, "Hey, I think I'm gonna direct all my actors this way since that'll save me time!" He also held psychological examinations of cinematic characters in increasing disdain, which is pretty evident in transitions from Diary to Balthazar.


Btw, I think Mouchette is way better than its rep around here.

Yup. It's one of the greats.


I remember Qrazy saying he thought it was pure shit when we met up in Toronto; it was late, however, and we had been running around like idiots all night, so he didn't elaborate and I didn't have the mind to argue in its favor.

I see a lot of ** ratings for Alexei German films in my sig's future.

[endingcredits]

Derek, did you read his Notes on Cinematography ?

[Derek]

Derek, did you read his Notes on Cinematography ?

Yeah, many times - it's brilliant. Wrote my master's thesis on him, actually. I'd highly recommend checking out the collection of essays on him edited by James Quandt if you haven't already. It's a wet dream for Bresson fans.

[Ivan Drago]

I've read his Notes on the Cinematographer, too! It was one of the books we had to read for a film production course I took last spring.

[Winston*]

Watched the Ethan Hawke Hamlet. Not as bad as I thought it was going to be. It was kind of bad, but had enough interesting touches to make it somewhat worthwhile. I liked the metafilm-y stuff.

Would like to see the David Tennant/ Patrick Stewart contemporary version to compare.

[[ETM]]

Would like to see the David Tennant/ Patrick Stewart contemporary version to compare.

How can it not be fantastic?!

[Winston*]

;296847']How can it not be fantastic?!

I've watched a couple of clips on youtube. Seems good. Not available on DVD here yet though (neither is the Branagh one, bizarrely).

[Eleven]

Yeah, Qrazy's hatred of Mouchette is just one of those things you have to get used to about him.

[baby doll]

Yeah, Qrazy's hatred of Mouchette is just one of those things you have to get used to about him.I think Mouchette is one of those films where the people who don't like it are objectively wrong. Incidentally, Tony Rayns' DVD commentary is so interesting that I actually wound up listening to the whole thing.

[Derek]

I think Mouchette is one of those films where the people who don't like it are objectively wrong.

Not objectively wrong to dislike it (Qrazy is welcome to display bad taste whenever he'd like), but I'm on board with objectively wrong that it's a bad film. I actually flipped out on someone at another site when they said it was "sloppily made" and "poorly developed". I tend to take shots at Bresson way too personally. :)


Incidentally, Tony Rayns' DVD commentary is so interesting that I actually wound up listening to the whole thing.

Yeah, very insightful commentary. Check out Quandt's on the Pickpocket DVD if you haven't already. Good stuff as well.

[balmakboor]

I know you probably did mean that as a shot against Bresson, but I have to respond anyway. It wasn't as if he just woke up one day and decided, "Hey, I think I'm gonna direct all my actors this way since that'll save me time!" He also held psychological examinations of cinematic characters in increasing disdain, which is pretty evident in transitions from Diary to Balthazar.

I don't think I even hinted that I thought he directed actors the way he does to save time. I've never read his book, but I admire his style greatly. And he clearly has a purpose to what he's doing. I just always found the contrast of acting styles in Diary to be fascinating. It's a perfect example of austere style meets austere character. I haven't always felt his subsequent characters benefited as greatly from his austere approach.

[Derek]

I don't think I even hinted that I thought he directed actors the way he does to save time. I've never read his book, but I admire his style greatly. And he clearly has a purpose to what he's doing. I just always found the contrast of acting styles in Diary to be fascinating. It's a perfect example of austere style meets austere character. I haven't always felt his subsequent characters benefited as greatly from his austere approach.

Ok ok, but you said "rather than just being applied to every character, just because." It sounded like you were saying there wasn't a reason that he applied it to every character after Diary.

[balmakboor]

Ok ok, but you said "rather than just being applied to every character, just because." It sounded like you were saying there wasn't a reason that he applied it to every character after Diary.

Well, you understood me about half right then. I haven't read his book, but plan to now as soon as I can. I also haven't listened to the commentaries that have been mentioned here although I do own the DVDs. I'll fix that soon too. But without all of that information, I never really saw the point to every character being directed in such a way. So he seemed to be doing it "just because." Because why? Because he felt like it? Because it all fit some master philosophy about character? Probably a combination of the two. But whatever his reason, one thing that he was unwilling or unable to do from A Man Escaped onward was direct an actor any other way.

[balmakboor]

I should add that I don't dislike his films because of this. And I'll probably retract everything I've said here once I gain a better understanding of what was going through his mind. It's just that my first impressions, formed on my own, are that he said something like, "I love how that Priest character turned out. I think I'll direct every character the same way from now on."

Btw, I consider Fassbinder and Ozu to be two of my favorite directors and they were just as stylized -- if not more so -- with their approaches to acting.

[Qrazy]

Not objectively wrong to dislike it (Qrazy is welcome to display bad taste whenever he'd like), but I'm on board with objectively wrong that it's a bad film. I actually flipped out on someone at another site when they said it was "sloppily made" and "poorly developed". I tend to take shots at Bresson way too personally. :)



Yeah, very insightful commentary. Check out Quandt's on the Pickpocket DVD if you haven't already. Good stuff as well.

Well I wouldn't call it sloppy so much as horribly conceived and shittily executed with one of the stupidest endings of all time. I don't know how people can take this film seriously (the father slapping the girl, her general attitude, the ending). And once it's not taken seriously I don't see it as effective commentary on it's subject matter.

[Sven]

Watched the Ethan Hawke Hamlet. Not as bad as I thought it was going to be.

Julia Stiles? Come on.

[Derek]

Well, you understood me about half right then. I haven't read his book, but plan to now as soon as I can. I also haven't listened to the commentaries that have been mentioned here although I do own the DVDs. I'll fix that soon too. But without all of that information, I never really saw the point to every character being directed in such a way. So he seemed to be doing it "just because." Because why? Because he felt like it? Because it all fit some master philosophy about character? Probably a combination of the two. But whatever his reason, one thing that he was unwilling or unable to do from A Man Escaped onward was direct an actor any other way.

I honestly didn't mean to come off as combative as you think I'm being. :) The nice thing about Notes is that it's less a book than a collection of brief thoughts, so it's good as a bedside or bathroom book that you look at for a few minutes at a time. Yet, it ultimately reveals a remarkably meticulous and incredibly thoughtful cinematic philosophy.

[Winston*]

Julia Stiles? Come on.

She was terrible.

[Sven]

She was terrible.

All I needed to hear.

[megladon8]

I don't think I've seen anything by Bresson.

I should get on that.

[Derek]

Well I wouldn't call it sloppy so much as horribly conceived and shittily executed with one of the stupidest endings of all time. I don't know how people can take this film seriously (the father slapping the girl, her general attitude, the ending). And once it's not taken seriously I don't see it as effective commentary on it's subject matter.

If you're looking for a commentary on abused little girls in Mouchette, it's no wonder you think it's a shitty film. I don't know how anyone can take this particular opinion of yours seriously, but fortunately, I don't imagine too many people will. ;)


Julia Stiles? Come on.

Yeah, she was not very good, though more tolerable than she usually is. Fortunately, the rest of the film was so awesome, I could overlook her.

[B-side]

I don't think I've seen anything by Bresson.

I should get on that.

I'd recommend either Pickpocket or A Man Escaped as your first.

[Winston*]

If you're looking for a commentary on abused little girls in Mouchette, it's no wonder you think it's a shitty film. I don't know how anyone can take this particular opinion of yours seriously, but fortunately, I don't imagine too many people will. ;)



Yeah, she was not very good, though more tolerable than she usually is. Fortunately, the rest of the film was so awesome, I could overlook her.

Have you seen the Russian Hamlet? Now that is an awesome Hamlet.

[Derek]

I'd recommend either Pickpocket or A Man Escaped as your first.

Ditto, best places to start IMO.


Have you seen the Russian Hamlet? Now that is an awesome Hamlet.

Yup and it is awesome. I had this (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_KMYbdNu8FOw/SoDTBIXrcYI/AAAAAAAAAaE/xbng23QIdVE/s400/hamlet+1.jpg) or a similar pic as my avatar here a while back. I want to see his other Shakespeare adaptations soon.

[B-side]

Considering you're such a big Bresson fan, Derek, you should go fetch me some decent copies of A Gentle Woman and Four Nights of a Dreamer. Saw and enjoyed the former, still kinda hoping a decent copy gets upped soon of the latter. Apparently Bresson's wife is holding up good releases of those and his first short film.

[Boner M]

To all you kids struggling with Bresson...

IT GETS BETTER.

[Sven]

Yeah, she was not very good, though more tolerable than she usually is.

Certainly debatable. I would argue this is her worst performance. In order to argue that, I'd need to watch the film again. So it looks like you are spared an argument.


Fortunately, the rest of the film was so awesome, I could overlook her.

Hmmm... a positive result from the overlooking of Ophelia in a production of Hamlet. Not really a possibility, I would think, but you are a man who makes me believe in the impossible.

[Derek]

Considering you're such a big Bresson fan, Derek, you should go fetch me some decent copies of A Gentle Woman and Four Nights of a Dreamer. Saw and enjoyed the former, still kinda hoping a decent copy gets upped soon of the latter. Apparently Bresson's wife is holding up good releases of those and his first short film.

Yeah, the crummy copy of Four Nights is a shame, but damn, if that scene where Marthe examines her body in the mirror isn't incredible anyway. Not a great film, but I do wish it was more widely available if only for people to see the lighter side of Bresson.

The copy of AGW isn't too bad - typical New Yorker VHS, but it certainly deserves better. I think it's his most overlooked film.


To all you kids struggling with Bresson...

IT GETS BETTER.

Puberty's a bitch.


Certainly debatable. I would argue this is her worst performance. In order to argue that, I'd need to watch the film again. So it looks like you are spared an argument.

I wouldn't put up much of a fight. Her performances range from pretty bad to awful. I'd prefer to not talk about her and relish the fact that I haven't seen her in a film for a while.


Hmmm... a positive result from the overlooking of Ophelia in a production of Hamlet. Not really a possibility, I would think, but you are a man who makes me believe in the impossible.

I fall squarely in the Raiders camp of not letting a bad performance ruin an otherwise excellent film. Or perhaps I should say, I usually put more importance on many other aspects of a film above the acting. Not to say I don't appreciate great acting when I see it.

[B-side]

Yeah, the crummy copy of Four Nights is a shame, but damn, if that scene where Marthe examines her body in the mirror isn't incredible anyway. Not a great film, but I do wish it was more widely available if only for people to see the lighter side of Bresson.

The copy of AGW isn't too bad - typical New Yorker VHS, but it certainly deserves better. I think it's his most overlooked film.

I think my viewing of A Gentle Woman was the one that made me convinced I needed to see all of his films sooner rather than later. It's not that I held it any really higher regard than the others I'd seen, but I perhaps enjoyed it a tad more than the previous ones, and I guess I kinda figured I'd caught onto something, and I think I have since then: a slow, but ever-building sense of appreciation for the depth in Bresson's simplicity.

[Qrazy]

If you're looking for a commentary on abused little girls in Mouchette, it's no wonder you think it's a shitty film. I don't know how anyone can take this particular opinion of yours seriously, but fortunately, I don't imagine too many people will. ;)



Yeah, she was not very good, though more tolerable than she usually is. Fortunately, the rest of the film was so awesome, I could overlook her.

According to Bresson, "Mouchette offers evidence of misery and cruelty. She is found everywhere: wars, concentration camps, tortures, assassinations."

Yeah big time fail.

[baby doll]

According to Bresson, "Mouchette offers evidence of misery and cruelty. She is found everywhere: wars, concentration camps, tortures, assassinations."

Yeah big time fail.Trust the tale, not the teller, dude. As for your specific complaints, the father slapping his daughter, in rural France at the time the film was made (and certainly when the book was written), seems plausible enough to me. As for her general attitude, I'm not sure whether you mean her general resentment throughout the film (the reasons for which seem obvious to me, given how bleak her situation is), or her attempt to cover for the poacher (which makes sense because she thinks he loves her--which is not to say, obviously, that the film endorses this point of view). And the ending, what's so stupid about that? She's an outcast from the community, and when she learns that the poacher has left town, she really has nowhere to go and decides to check out.

[Qrazy]

Trust the tale, not the teller, dude. As for your specific complaints, the father slapping his daughter, in rural France at the time the film was made (and certainly when the book was written), seems plausible enough to me. As for her general attitude, I'm not sure whether you mean her general resentment throughout the film (the reasons for which seem obvious to me, given how bleak her situation is), or her attempt to cover for the poacher (which makes sense because she thinks he loves her--which is not to say, obviously, that the film endorses this point of view). And the ending, what's so stupid about that? She's an outcast from the community, and when she learns that the poacher has left town, she really has nowhere to go and decides to check out.

What does that even mean in this instance? What do you and Derek think the film is about if not misery and mistreatment to some degree?

I'm not talking about the father slapping the daughter being absurd, I"m talking about how the execution of him slapping her is laughably absurd. In terms of her general attitude I"m talking about how I did not buy the actress in her role (and this is not a commentary on Bresson's style in general as I do think Balthazar is great and to a lesser degree Pickpocket and A Man Escaped). The ending is stupid because she kills herself by rolling down a hill and she attempts this not only once (which would in and of itself by stupid) but twice. And Bresson seeks to give this dramatic importance and to have the double suicide attempt demonstrate how she can't even succeed at suicide initially. But really you just have some girl rolling down a hill into a pond.

[baby doll]

What does that even mean in this instance? What do you and Derek think the film is about if not misery and mistreatment to some degree?I do think it's about misery and mistreatment; I think the stuff about concentration camps, torture, and assassinations is pushing it. I'd be interested to know what context it was said in (is it one of his fortune cookie lines from Notes on the Cinematograph?), because it seems vaguely defensive, like he felt he had to defend his choice of subject matter.


I'm not talking about the father slapping the daughter being absurd, I"m talking about how the execution of him slapping her is laughably absurd. In terms of her general attitude I"m talking about how I did not buy the actress in her role (and this is not a commentary on Bresson's style in general as I do think Balthazar is great and to a lesser degree Pickpocket and A Man Escaped). The ending is stupid because she kills herself by rolling down a hill and she attempts this not only once (which would in and of itself by stupid) but twice. And Bresson seeks to give this dramatic importance and to have the double suicide attempt demonstrate how she can't even succeed at suicide initially. But really you just have some girl rolling down a hill into a pond.The film isn't fresh in my mind, so I can't say much about how he slaps her--especially since I'm not some one who goes around slapping girls in real life; I don't know what the proper technique would be.

Likewise, I'm not an expert at suicide by drowning, but as for attempting it twice, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. I don't imagine many people nail it on the first go; Sylvia Path needed years of experience and numerous attempts before she finally finished that bitch off.

As for the girl, I thought she was convincing enough as a rough-hewn girl from the provinces, at least in terms of how she looked and delivered her lines.

[soitgoes...]

Jancsó's My Way Home is beautiful.

[balmakboor]

I'd recommend either Pickpocket or A Man Escaped as your first.

I'd recommend A Man Escaped as a first. In fact, anyone who wants to direct a no-budget first movie should watch it about ten times and take plenty of notes.

[balmakboor]

I honestly didn't mean to come off as combative as you think I'm being. :) The nice thing about Notes is that it's less a book than a collection of brief thoughts, so it's good as a bedside or bathroom book that you look at for a few minutes at a time. Yet, it ultimately reveals a remarkably meticulous and incredibly thoughtful cinematic philosophy.

And I honestly didn't mean to come off as seeming to think your were being combative. :) I had just come home from working a swim meet and I was still trying to figure why our girls weren't swimming the times I expected at this point in the season. Or why two of our brand new touchpads -- which I'm in charge of -- were flaking out only two weeks away from hosting the state meet. Yeah, Bresson wasn't quite at the top of my mind last night.

One can never have too many great bathroom books.

[balmakboor]

From reading the description, I think A Gentle Woman could well be my favorite Bresson. Come on Criterion. I'm waiting.

[balmakboor]

Really good evening of movie watching. Rewatched The Game after 13 years and found it as brilliant of a vision of loneliness as The Social Network.

Then I watched Dottie Gets Spanked and now have one more reason to consider Todd Haynes one of the greatest directors around.

Next up is Red Desert. This will be my first viewing.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I'm going to spark up a coner and watch Ms. 45

Sounds like a pretty safe bet, I reckon.

[B-side]

I'm going to spark up a coner and watch Ms. 45

Sounds like a pretty safe bet, I reckon.

Ms. 45 is the tits.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I like tits.

[Qrazy]

I like tits.

Ms. 45 does not like that you like tits.

[Boner M]

Ms. 45 does not like that you like tits.
Well played, sir.

[Qrazy]

Well played, sir.

:)

[B-side]

So, like, Hartley's Flirt is pretty great. I may prefer it to Trust. Am I to expect similar quality in the rest of his work?

[Yxklyx]

So, like, Hartley's Flirt is pretty great. I may prefer it to Trust. Am I to expect similar quality in the rest of his work?

How did you see this? DVD? I've seen and liked:

Henry Fool
Amateur
Simple Men
Surviving Desire
Trust (my favorite)
The Unbelievable Truth

Did not like The Book of Life

[B-side]

How did you see this? DVD? I've seen and liked:

Henry Fool
Amateur
Simple Men
Surviving Desire
Trust (my favorite)
The Unbelievable Truth

Did not like The Book of Life

KG, the private tracker. An absolute godsend.

[soitgoes...]

So, like, Hartley's Flirt is pretty great. I may prefer it to Trust. Am I to expect similar quality in the rest of his work?
I've only seen The Unbelievable Truth and Trust. Both are great, but Trust is better, if that helps you in any way.

[B-side]

I've only seen The Unbelievable Truth and Trust. Both are great, but Trust is better, if that helps you in any way.

Perhaps a little.:P

Simple Men is next for me.

[baby doll]

The Unbelievable Truth, Trust, Simple Men, Flirt, Henry Fool, and The Girl From Monday are all terrific. No Such Thing... not so much. About a half-hour into Fay Grim, I thought it was going to be a masterpiece, but as it goes on, the plot becomes increasingly impenetrable (on purpose), which gets a bit tiring; it's marginal, but worth checking out.

[B-side]

The Unbelievable Truth, Trust, Simple Men, Flirt, Henry Fool, and The Girl From Monday are all terrific. No Such Thing... not so much. About a half-hour into Fay Grim, I thought it was going to be a masterpiece, but as it goes on, the plot becomes increasingly impenetrable (on purpose), which gets a bit tiring; it's marginal, but worth checking out.

I'm looking forward to seeing more. By the way, I believe this is the highest praise I've seen for this film:


King Lear (Jean-Luc Godard, 1987) / ***1/2

[Derek]

So, like, Hartley's Flirt is pretty great. I may prefer it to Trust. Am I to expect similar quality in the rest of his work?

I wasn't as big on Flirt you, but Trust is brilliant. You really can't go wrong with Hartley from The Unbelievable Truth through Amateur. Not that he didn't do good work after that, but nothing since quite matches those early films. My second fave of his is actually the very short feature, Surviving Desire, so I'd recommend checking that out next. The two shorts included on the DVD with it are really good as well.

[B-side]

I wasn't as big on Flirt you, but Trust is brilliant. You really can't go wrong with Hartley from The Unbelievable Truth through Amateur. Not that he didn't do good work after that, but nothing since quite matches those early films. My second fave of his is actually the very short feature, Surviving Desire, so I'd recommend checking that out next. The two shorts included on the DVD with it are really good as well.

The rip I'm seeing of Surviving Desire is hideous looking. Shame. I'll give it a look after Simple Men.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Ms.45 was pretty rad. Zoe Lund is/was a fox. I can really get on board with Ferrara's coked-up style.

[Derek]

The rip I'm seeing of Surviving Desire is hideous looking. Shame. I'll give it a look after Simple Men.

It's made-for-tv, hence the short length and no-budget look, but that doesn't prevent the film from being great. I have no idea what station would actually have aired something this strange.

[Watashi]

I love Trust and The Unbelievable Truth.

I kinda want to see Hartley's weird take on Beauty and the Beast but I've heard it's terrible.

[Grouchy]

Splice
Vincenzo Natali, 2009

Very satisfying sci-fi drama. Just when you think it's a movie that you have completely figured out, the script takes some unexpected turns. Overall, one of the most watchable films of this type. The CGI for the creature didn't always look convincing, but I'm pretty picky with CGI in general. Both actors are good and Adrien Brody in particular is very charismatic here.

Super 8 Stories
Emir Kusturica, 2001

Shapeless and random, but funny, documentary about Emir Kusturica & the No Smoking Orchestra. There is great concert footage and snippets into the intimacy of this musicians who are obviously big friends. Like most Kusturica films, this goes more on the long side and, as good a time as I was having early on, I kept wishing for it to wrap up sooner.

The Box
Richard Kelly, 2009

I've hated Donnie Darko and Southland Tales, so it took me a while to watch this although it looked interesting. And for the most part, this is a good film with some surprisingly creepy moments. In fact, I was hooked from the very beginning and appreciated Kelly's expansion of the Matheson story... until it jumped the fucking shark. Weirdness for weirdness sake, solemnity and complicated overexposition becomes the norm. I feel like Kelly is a writer who can come up with some acceptable ideas, but can't be arsed to go any further than that and write a story, so he just throws stuff in and hopes it will stitch together.

http://static.blogo.it/cinemaniablog/fotos-de-anticristo-de-von-trier/hr_Antichrist_2.jpg

Antichrist
Lars Von Trier, 2009

If you go into this expecting something like Dogville or Manderlay, you might be surprised. The side of Von Trier offered here is more like Bergman and Tarkovsky's love child. It's a powerful study on grief and the female gender, and if some are blind enough to see this as mysoginy, then they might as well. Dafoe and Gainsbourg are both incredible. Maybe you can blame Von Trier for going too much for the style and not delving deep enough into his themes, but he creates some indelible imagery. I might not want to watch this again soon, but I recognize its incredible merit.

[Mysterious Dude]

http://www.ifc.com/blogs/thedaily/hausu310.jpg

I saw Nobuhiko Obayashi's House in a theater. I wouldn't call it "the big screen" because it wasn't very big. It's a small theater that opened recently in Minneapolis and has about 50 seats. I have a suspicion that it used to be a porno theater.

Anyway, the movie is a riot. Great parody of horror films. I'm glad I saw it in the theater (it wasn't sold out, but it was still pretty full). It seems like a film like Rocky Horror, that is better appreciated with an audience.

[B-side]

Ms.45 was pretty rad. Zoe Lund is/was a fox. I can really get on board with Ferrara's coked-up style.

The Driller Killer demands your attention.

[B-side]

It's made-for-tv, hence the short length and no-budget look, but that doesn't prevent the film from being great. I have no idea what station would actually have aired something this strange.

I meant more that the quality of the print was bad. Hopefully it looks better in motion.

[EyesWideOpen]

http://www.ifc.com/blogs/thedaily/hausu310.jpg

I saw Nobuhiko Obayashi's House in a theater. I wouldn't call it "the big screen" because it wasn't very big. It's a small theater that opened recently in Minneapolis and has about 50 seats. I have a suspicion that it used to be a porno theater.

Anyway, the movie is a riot. Great parody of horror films. I'm glad I saw it in the theater (it wasn't sold out, but it was still pretty full). It seems like a film like Rocky Horror, that is better appreciated with an audience.

Glad you enjoyed it but it is definitely not a "parody of horror films".

[Spaceman Spiff]

The Driller Killer demands your attention.

I like it already.

EDIT: 4.7/10 on imdb, right on.

[B-side]

I like it already.

EDIT: 4.7/10 on imdb, right on.

Lower the IMDb rating, the better, I say.:cool:

[Mysterious Dude]

Glad you enjoyed it but it is definitely not a "parody of horror films".
Yes it is.

[EyesWideOpen]

Yes it is.


Well the director and screenwriter don't consider it a "parody" of horror films so I'm gonna agree with them.

[Mysterious Dude]

Well the director and screenwriter don't consider it a "parody" of horror films so I'm gonna agree with them.
What do they consider it? A straight horror film that's meant to be scary? Just a plain old comedy that has nothing to do with horror films?

[Raiders]

What do they consider it? A straight horror film that's meant to be scary? Just a plain old comedy that has nothing to do with horror films?

I haven't seen this film so you may be right, but it seems entirely possible that a film can be a humorous horror film without parodying anything.

[number8]

It really wasn't. The director basically asked his 12 year old daughter what would be the scariest things she could think of, and included them in the script. It's considered a children's horror film, not a parody of horror films.

[Morris Schæffer]

Yes it is.

Hey, saw in your sig that you checked out Belgian movie The Misfortunates. Glad you really dug it. I loved it myself, but not only because I'm Belgian myself, but it's genuinely strong. Any thoughts? Fave bits?

[EyesWideOpen]

It really wasn't. The director basically asked his 12 year old daughter what would be the scariest things she could think of, and included them in the script. It's considered a children's horror film, not a parody of horror films.

This.

The director is a pretty quirky dude and he set out to make a horror film through a child's eye. The interview with the director, screenwriter, and daughter on the criterion explains it pretty well.

[Duncan]

Anatomy of Hell. Terrible. Was I supposed to take that seriously as a treatise on gender relations?

[MacGuffin]

Anatomy of Hell. Terrible. Was I supposed to take that seriously as a treatise on gender relations?

Yes, but it's an awful movie indeed.

[MadMan]

Screw IMDB.com. I don't trust any site's opinion on movies when its message boards are full of idiots and nutjobs.

[Ezee E]

Screw IMDB.com. I don't trust any site's opinion on movies when its message boards are full of idiots and nutjobs.
Welcome to 2002.

[B-side]

Yes, but it's an awful movie indeed.

Nah.

[MacGuffin]

Nah.

Henry Fool is another Hartley movie worth catching (consequentially, it's also the only one I've seen, but the few on Netflix Instant Watch are tempting)

[B-side]

Henry Fool is another Hartley movie worth catching (consequentially, it's also the only one I've seen, but the few on Netflix Instant Watch are tempting)

I'll probably watch Surviving Desire next because Derek won't shut up about it. That guy is annoying. Glad he doesn't post here anymore.

[MadMan]

Welcome to 2002.I went there last week in an attempt to tell my younger self to not waste so much money watching bad movies that year. And to try and get laid. But I failed :cry:

Its about time for me to make another movie related thread that I won't finish.

[Derek]

I'll probably watch Surviving Desire next because Derek won't shut up about it. That guy is annoying. Glad he doesn't post here anymore.

Don't get your hopes up too high. It's pretty much just me and Dan Sallitt singing its praises, but yeah, it gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling almost as much as Trust does.

[B-side]

Don't get your hopes up too high. It's pretty much just me and Dan Sallitt singing its praises, but yeah, it gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling almost as much as Trust does.

If I don't like it, prepare for a sternly worded PM replete with exclamation points.

[Derek]

I went there last week in an attempt to tell my younger self to not waste so much money watching bad movies that year. And to try and get laid. But I failed :cry:

Always look to the future, Madman. You're much better at making promises you'll never follow through on and plans you'll never keep.

[MadMan]

Always look to the future, Madman. You're much better at making promises you'll never follow through on and plans you'll never keep.Well I follow through on some things....






.....but most things, well, they can be put off until next week. Or next year. Maybe try the next century :P

[dmk]

I'll probably watch Surviving Desire next because Derek won't shut up about it. That guy is annoying. Glad he doesn't post here anymore.
It's hilarious that you like Flirt the most of those three, because it's easily his worst. Actually, not really. Not really hilarious, I mean. I like Flirt a lot, but I'm kind of forced to.

[B-side]

It's hilarious that you like Flirt the most of those three, because it's easily his worst. Actually, not really. Not really hilarious, I mean. I like Flirt a lot, but I'm kind of forced to.

I like to be that guy, what can I say?

[dmk]

I like to be that guy, what can I say?
But why must you be this predictable?

Flirt would have been the Hartley film I was sure you'd like the most, because it's so obviously different structurally and shit. Something tells me you'd like Book of Life just as much, as it's also different, but I'm wrong half the time with my guesses regarding you, so who knows.

[B-side]

But why must you be this predictable?

Flirt would have been the Hartley film I was sure you'd like the most, because it's so obviously different structurally and shit. Something tells me you'd like Book of Life just as much, as it's also different, but I'm wrong half the time with my guesses regarding you, so who knows.

Ha, well, I'll look into it.

[B-side]

I was lukewarm on Ivan the Terrible Pt. I the first time around a few years back. I'm guessing this was due to the excessive theatricality of the picture, which was probably jarring enough to put me at too much of a distance, thus not allowing me to get fully engaged with the material and swept up in the madness. Thankfully, this time around, while I can't say it's perfect, I'm definitely boarding the train that declares it to be an excellent, likely brilliant, film. One right after another, the compositions are fantastic. From the intricately detailed ones, to the wonderfully lit Eisenstein close-ups, nearly every shot deserves framing. The best black and white photography I've seen in a film, bar none. Leering eyes inducing a permanent state of paranoia, escalating tension and an excellently realized battle scene. It's melodramatic as all hell, but it works so well it's hard to find fault. I'll be posting an obscene amount of caps in the Random Screenshot Thread, if anyone's interested.

[Ezee E]

I went there last week in an attempt to tell my younger self to not waste so much money watching bad movies that year. And to try and get laid. But I failed :cry:

Its about time for me to make another movie related thread that I won't finish.

Wait, what?

[Dukefrukem]

Is there a discussion going on about this? If not... what is going on??

fYyW1Kttp6M

ppTpSb_u7hA

[baby doll]

Is there a discussion going on about this? If not... what is going on??

fYyW1Kttp6M

ppTpSb_u7hAIt's pretty f-in' crazy. Basically, what he's saying is, "The Jews control Hollywood, and they're out to get me!"

[Dukefrukem]

It's not just a money thing though.. he's saying they're killing celebs too.

[[ETM]]

Is there a discussion going on about this?

Not beyond the occasional "LOL Randy" in the news thread.
It's simple - the Quaids are broke, keep getting in trouble with the law in the US. They've developped the "Star Whackers" story in the mean time, and want to escape to Canadia.

[Milky Joe]

Yeah, I'm sure that's all it is. I'm sure that announcing to the media that he's the victim of a covert conspiracy that has deep ties in Hollywood will go a long way towards helping his career.

Idiot.

[Derek]

Yeah, I'm sure that's all it is. I'm sure that announcing to the media that he's the victim of a covert conspiracy that has deep ties in Hollywood will go a long way towards helping his career.

Idiot.

Apparently Casey Affleck is filming the whole thing, so you never know...

[Milky Joe]

Not surprising! Casey Affleck is a true visionary...

[Mara]

Oh, I think they genuinely believe it. They've done too many illegal things (like skipping court dates, breaking and entering, etc.) that could genuinely get them jail time for it to be a simple stunt.

They're just bonkers.

[number8]

Hollywood Star Whacker: Hey Quaid, I'm gonna squash you!
Randy: SCREWWWWWWWW YOUUUUU.

[Scar]

Hollywood Star Whacker: Hey Quaid, I'm gonna squash you!
Randy: SCREWWWWWWWW YOUUUUU.

:lol:

[Boner M]

The Terence Davies Trilogy is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, it has a hilariously ballsy title for a debut feature, and the last two parts of the triptych are knockouts. The 2nd part is a vivid portrait (often literally) of the subject as a deeply closeted middle-aged man, with a cannily cast lead actor who has repression written all over his physiognomy, and also includes one of the most gloriously blasphemous sound & image marriages ever, and the 3rd part is a very moving, non-linear, recalled-from-deathbed reverie. But the first - and unfortunately longest - segment is a drag, partly because it covers the same ground as Davies' later films only without the style, so it's just a familiar child's eye rites-of-passage reminiscence executed in the manner of roughly any student project.

Overall though, it's well worth a look for Davies' fans and a pretty good place to start for newcomers (it's on youtube as well).

[Derek]

The Terence Davies Trilogy is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, it has a hilariously ballsy title for a debut feature, and the last two parts of the triptych are knockouts. The 2nd part is a vivid portrait (often literally) of the subject as a deeply closeted middle-aged man, with a cannily cast lead actor who has repression written all over his physiognomy, and also includes one of the most gloriously blasphemous sound & image marriages ever, and the 3rd part is a very moving, non-linear, recalled-from-deathbed reverie. But the first - and unfortunately longest - segment is a drag, partly because it covers the same ground as Davies' later films only without the style, so it's just a familiar child's eye rites-of-passage reminiscence executed in the manner of roughly any student project.

Overall though, it's well worth a look for Davies' fans and a pretty good place to start for newcomers (it's on youtube as well).

To a T, Boner. The first segment doesn't amount to much, but the last two more than make up for it. Saw it earlier this year myself and posted:


The first part covers a lot of exposition and territory that's so familiar (strict British secondary school, Catholic upbringing, etc.) and while it contains some flashes of Davies' stylistic flourishes, it's not until the next two parts that he really comes into his own and transforms from kitchen sink realism to a cinema of portraiture. The sense of Catholic guilt, particularly in relation to Tucker's homosexuality, is overwhelming and Davies explores this dichotomy through powerful juxtapositions of church interiors with perverse conversations (the 360-degree pan of the church during the comical phone conversation where Tucker pleads to have his penis tatooed is equally hysterical and unsettling) and fading memories with a now-decaying body that still yearns to fulfill its physical desires. Uneven, but more than worth slogging through Part 1 to some genuinely wonderful sequences in the last two parts, particularly for fans of the director.

[Boner M]

Hmm you should sue me for plagiarism.

[Derek]

Hmm you should sue me for plagiarism.

Heh, just means we liked pretty much the exact same parts, which really do stand out from the rest.

[balmakboor]

I think I had too much fun with Tsui Hark's Double Team this evening. It's amazing how much bad acting and overall preposterousness one can handle when that's exactly what one expects going in. The movie is truly stylish and colorful and entertaining. I especially enjoyed watching Dennis Rodman take a stab at delivering lines like "I'll be back" and seeing Mickey Rourke playing a heavy before his face was beat beyond recognition in the ring. Seeing him face a tiger in an arena almost weirdly foreshadowed his recent role in Iron Man 2.

[Boner M]

Heh, just means we liked pretty much the exact same parts, which really do stand out from the rest.
Davies even seems to feel the same way, according to the interview on BFI DVD I watched. There's a fun part where the interviewer tells him how striking and audacious the 'use of duration' is in the bus trip scene in the first segment, and Davies quickly tells him how much he regrets being that self-indulgent, and that he'd never do that again today.

Also, should point out that Davies has a new fiction film in the pipeline called The Deep Blue Sea w/ Rachel Weisz. "The wife of a British Judge is caught in a self-destructive love affair with a Royal Air Force pilot." - Nothing terrible fascinating on its own, but prime material for Davies to make something substantial from.

[MadMan]

Wait, what?Part of the time travel related joke. It was funnier when I posted it yesterday.

Time either for sleep or Lifeforce.

[baby doll]

So it turns out I kinda like Clint Eastwood. At least sometimes.

[Sven]

So it turns out I kinda like Clint Eastwood. At least sometimes.

WHBH is one of my favorites from him. Kudos to your excellence.

[Grouchy]

Ah yes, that's a very good movie. And it rarely gets mentioned.

[baby doll]

Weekend:

Le Gai savoir (Jean-Luc Godard, 1969)
Cutter's Way (Ivan Passer, 1981)
Million Dollar Hotel (Wim Wenders, 2000)

[Sven]

Cutter's Way (Ivan Passer, 1981)

Another surprise. Hope you like it. It's excellently thespiatic.

[Irish]

Cutter's Way (Ivan Passer, 1981)
Good pick.

If you like this one, take a look at Michael Mann's Thief from the same period.

[Boner M]

Dark Passage (Daves)
In Vanda's Room (Costa)
The Crucified Lover (Mizoguchi)
Skyline (gotta review it for a Sydney alt-weekly; missing out on Fassbinder's Bremen Freedom as result. D'oh)

[balmakboor]

Weekend:
Cutter's Way (Ivan Passer, 1981)

I've always loved Cutter's Way. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I'm in it as an extra. I even saw Bridges and Heard a few times at a distance.

[Boner M]

Cutter's Way is great, and really weird. Or at least it seemed to me at the time. The ending was completely bonkers, from memory. I owe it a repeat.

[MadMan]

Weekend:

*Finishing up the rentals I didn't get to last week
*Maybe I'll start watching The X-Files Season 1 on Instant Viewing

[Raiders]

BLEAK MOMENTS (1971) – Yeesh. Powerful stuff, but also friggin’ Goddamn depressing. A group of characters fighting an unwinnable battle against unhappiness, listlessness, and a general sense of isolation. Leigh’s vision here is uncompromising and extremely unforgiving. His timing and editing rhythms stretch the uncomfortable inarticulateness of these characters to unbearable lengths. The film is suffocating, not only in its expression of loneliness but in its view of the interiors of these rooms which feel far more cramped than they are, the unexpressed desires and anger pushing the walls in on these characters. This leads up to a moment, the end of an already unsuccessful date in which a character bares her feelings only to have them thrown back at her, that is as close to a physical gut-punch that a film can come. I was exhausted after this film was over. It is a nasty film when you get down to it, overwhelming in its effect. Superb filmmaking, but as a view of life it shows only the pain and the agony. Leigh would eventually shape his style into a more rewarding and encompassing style; still retaining the wrenching power but allowing the idiosyncrasies of life to alleviate some of the pain.

ABIGAIL’S PARTY (1977) – Certainly has that feel of a great Leigh film; quick-witted improvisation, marital and social complacence and bitterness... but it just didn’t warm up to me. Much like my slight disappointment with Bleak Moments, I guess I prefer my Leigh with an obvious underlying warmth and comfort. Even for all the bleak ramblings of Thewlis in Naked, his love of expression and his endless ability to rant showed an overabundance of love and respect for the character by Leigh. With this film, in all its middle-class-is-bad glory, it just feels snarky. 33 years later perhaps this is simply a film that has been diluted; it is still relevant and incisive sure, but nothing surprising or unique really comes to bare. It’s a lot of great lines, witty delivery and amusing/disturbing content, but with too much an air of familiarity and perhaps worse, cold condescension. It’s one of Leigh’s most damning films (that I’ve seen, natch) and such an outright expose doesn’t capture the nuance of his best films. Further, and perhaps this is what being raised on cinema has done to me, but I couldn’t see past the drama on screen, most importantly to why the hell the central husband and wife are even together, could have met and married and so forth. The play does provide the insinuation that they are still together merely as a false sense of “family” and “respectability” but with Beverly so open in her condescension, a good face hardly seems a care to her. I don’t know. I left with more questions and thoughts than satisfaction. Still a good watch, but an empty experience for me.

*I do wish I had caught this a few years ago with Jennifer Jason Leigh as Beverly—I imagine she may have been able to be a little more nuanced and dynamic.

[B-side]

Marie Menken's Lights is the best Brakhage film Brakhage never made.

[B-side]

I rather enjoyed Heartbeats. Probably could've done with a little less slow motion. Maybe not. A part of me wants to hate the film for its various stylistic indulgences that feel more than a little forced, but I can't. I can't even hate that uber-silly fantasy scene with the falling marshmallows. Dolan's film was too cute and alluring for me to hate much of anything about it.

[Spun Lepton]

I think I should officially count myself as a Werner Herzog fan. Port Call New Orleans was at once strange and hilarious. Cage's reaction to being put in charge of the evidence room was brilliant. One of the best dark comedies I've seen in a while. I love how easily the ending mocks American drama.

8/10

[Ivan Drago]

David Lynch is a weird guy.

[balmakboor]

Looks like Blow Out is coming to Criterion. Will it have a Tarantino commentary?

I wish The Game would enter the collection. The current DVD is shit.

[Irish]

Any opinions on I'm Still Here? Curious but cautious.

[balmakboor]

Any opinions on I'm Still Here? Curious but cautious.

I haven't seen it, but I've read quite a bit about it and am looking forward to it. I saw Exit Through the Gift Shop last night and two thoughts occurred to me. Either it is a terrific documentary about a guy who struck gold in the art world in spite of being a derivative hack, or it is a terrific "something like a documentary" that is I'm Still Here's brother, Borat's son, and F for Fake's grandson.

[Derek]

I'll admit to growing a little tired of Will Ferrell over the last couple years, but his tuna/lion monologue in The Other Guys is by far the funniest two minutes of film this year. Wahlberg proves once again that he should do nothing but comedy. The film kinda goes off track in the second half, but still has its moments.

[Qrazy]

My favorite part was the Sam Jackson/The Rock leap for joy but yeah the tuna/lion monologue was solid as well.

[Derek]

My favorite part was the Sam Jackson/The Rock leap for joy but yeah the tuna/lion monologue was solid as well.

That was pretty funny as well. It was Ferrell's delivery along with the looks on Wahlberg's face and his trying to poke holes in the logic of tuna making their way on land that killed me.

[Raiders]

Weekend viewings:

High Hopes (1988)
Due Date (2010)
My Son, My Son What Have Ye Done? (2009)

[soitgoes...]

Weekend:

Machete
Celine and Julie Go Boating (Rivette)
Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quay du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (Akerman)
Tristana (Buñuel)
The Ceremony (Oshima)

[Qrazy]

High Society - God I hate these people.

[endingcredits]

High Society - God I hate these people.

They are all riff-raff.

[Ezee E]

Weekend:
Robin Hood
Cranes are Flying
Hurlyburly

Maybe Blue Valentine...

[Derek]

The Ceremony (Oshima)

:pritch:


Robin Hood

Other than for Scott completism, there's no reason to put yourself through this.

[Dukefrukem]

Weekend:
Prince of Darkness
Jackass 3D

[baby doll]

Weekend:
Jackass 3DIt's not worth it.

[baby doll]

Weekend:
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)Fixed.

[Watashi]

Why would anyone want to be a Scott completist?

Has anyone even seen A Good Year, White Squall, 1492: Conquest of Paradise, or Someone to Watch Over Me?

[Raiders]

I have seen White Squall. It is awful.

[Watashi]

Wow. The 90's sure did suck for Ridley Scott.

[baby doll]

Wow. The 90's sure did suck for Ridley Scott.Other than Alien and Blade Runner, has he made any good movies?

[Winston*]

Other than Alien and Blade Runner, has he made any good movies?

I liked The Duelists and Matchstick Men.

[Philosophe_rouge]

i saw White Squall in class in high school. it was below average.

[Boner M]

The Duellists is better than Blade Runner IMO.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Weekend
Inside Job
Au Hasard Balthazar
River of no Return
The Nymph