28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[balmakboor]

I feel like Blow Up and Zabriskie Point would both be more awesomer if Blow Up included the last 10 minutes of Zabriskie Point and if Zabriskie Point didn't exist.

I agree. Blow Up hasn't aged very well for me, but it sure threw me for a loop back in the day. And talk about "twaddle," look it up in a dictionary and you'll find the words "see Zabriskie Point." How can one not like the ending though? Pink Floyd, an exploding house, food flying around in slow motion.

[Bosco B Thug]

Nah as in Derek's a weenis so anything he says must be wrong.


I think the former since he's a fan of Tarkovsky (if I remember correctly). Hmm okay, I know at least one more thing now, and to watch closely Qrazy-Derek interaction.

I've began The Man Who Fell to the Earth twice, about the first 20 minutes. It was always a busy time, but it's reasonable to assume I wasn't too engaged with what I saw to make further time for it. But Roeg is awesome so I'm convinced I'll like it somewhat.

[Qrazy]

I agree. Blow Up hasn't aged very well for me, but it sure threw me for a loop back in the day. And talk about "twaddle," look it up in a dictionary and you'll find the words "see Zabriskie Point." How can one not like the ending though? Pink Floyd, an exploding house, food flying around in slow motion.

Indeed, shit blowing up real good in an Antonioni film is a wonder to behold.

[MadMan]

Viewing Bulworth in all of its entirety as I make my way through DVDs that I've bought over the past year reveals just how funny it really is. A biting political and social commentary on American politics, it also sports a really good cast-hell there's Don Cheadle, Halle Berry, Sean Astin, and of course Warren Betty in the title role. Oliver Platt is also humorous, although he kind of plays a role that he's done before in other movies.
Even though some of the movie is cliche, most of it works quite well, and the final shot is rather puzzling but interesting. Bulworth is a Senator from California who wins an election, and then gets shot afterwards. Funny, that reminds me eerily of RFK, and I think that's kind of what Betty was aiming for. As for the guy at the end who throughout the movie told Bulworth he had to be a spirit, I think he was some kind of angel, or a guardian spirit who knew all along that Bulworth was going to die. Maybe. I'm not really sure.

Still one of the best movies of 1998, and my rating went up by a handful of points. So far I'd say it and Bob Roberts are the best political comedies/satires of the 90s, although I haven't seen Primary Colors and a couple others yet.

[soitgoes...]

Awesome Zabriskie Point was gonna be up next for me tonight. I might rethink this.

[Qrazy]

Hmm okay, I know at least one more thing now, and to watch closely Qrazy-Derek interaction.


I was just kidding, Derek's awesome sauce.

[B-side]

Awesome Zabriskie Point was gonna be up next for me tonight. I might rethink this.

I have an alternative recommendation:

http://www.catherinedeneuve.com/images/dvds/time_regained.jpg

[Qrazy]

Awesome Zabriskie Point was gonna be up next for me tonight. I might rethink this.

You should probably watch another Aleksei German film instead.

[soitgoes...]

I have an alternative recommendation:

http://www.catherinedeneuve.com/images/dvds/time_regained.jpg


You should probably watch another Aleksei German film instead.
Jesus guys. After The Man Who Fell to Earth I need something not boring.
:P

[B-side]

Jesus guys. After The Man Who Fell to Earth I need something not boring.
:P

*shakes fist*

One of these days, soitgoes...

[Qrazy]

Jesus guys. After The Man Who Fell to Earth I need something not boring.
:P

Well you should probably rewatch Amici Miei and reflect upon how you weren't able to fully appreciate it's greatness last time. Failing that you should watch hmm... Chimes at Midnight. Because according to icheckmovies you have not seen it yet.

[soitgoes...]

Well you should probably rewatch Amici Miei and reflect upon how you weren't able to fully appreciate it's greatness last time. Failing that you should watch hmm... Chimes at Midnight. Because according to icheckmovies you have not seen it yet.
That's true, in the second case, and I do have it. I was leaning towards Faces though. I'm sure you wouldn't object too much at that.

[B-side]

That's true, in the second case, and I do have it. I was leaning towards Faces though. I'm sure you wouldn't object too much at that.

Considering Faces is one of my favorite films, I wouldn't object to that at all.

[soitgoes...]

Considering Faces is one of my favorite films, I wouldn't object to that at all.Ha, you doom me Brightside! The kiss of death. :lol:

[Qrazy]

That's true, in the second case, and I do have it. I was leaning towards Faces though. I'm sure you wouldn't object too much at that.

I'm good with either one of those... and would also be happy with these.

Brighton Rock
Time of the Gypsies
Fallen Angels
Electra Glide in Blue
Juliet of the Spirits
Kin Dza Dza
The Legend of the Holy Drinker
Minnie and Moskowitz
The Party
The Professionals


Did you end up watching Olmi's The Fiances afterall?

[Qrazy]

Ha, you doom me Brightside! The kiss of death. :lol:

Haha you can trust him on this one though.

[B-side]

Ha, you doom me Brightside! The kiss of death. :lol:

It's not weird or avant-garde, so you might be able to trust me on this one.

[Bosco B Thug]

I was just kidding, Derek's awesome sauce. Oh I know. Surface hostility almost always is just a way to hide one's wish to be that other person. :P

[Qrazy]

So, time to finish up the film swap thread?

[soitgoes...]

I'm good with either one of those... and would also be happy with these.

Brighton Rock
Time of the Gypsies
Fallen Angels
Electra Glide in Blue
Juliet of the Spirits
Kin Dza Dza
The Legend of the Holy Drinker
Minnie and Moskowitz
The Party
The Professionals
I don't have any of those, so no dice tonight.


Did you end up watching Olmi's The Fiances afterall?Yes. I liked it, but it isn't nearly on the same level as Il posto. It was just okay and then finished strong, but really, it wasn't enough. I guess I can relate to what Olmi was trying to say, but that doesn't necessarily make a great film. The Crush was better. It failed in having a much more unsympathetic lead than in Il posto, but it was very much more like it than The Fiances. I have The Tree of Wooden Clogs too. I'll probably watch that before this weekend is through.

[Qrazy]

Oh I know. Surface hostility almost always is just to hide one's wish to be that other person. :P

Nah.

[soitgoes...]

Haha you can trust him on this one though.


It's not weird or avant-garde, so you might be able to trust me on this one.Well I'm two for two with Cassavetes, so I'm not too worried.

[soitgoes...]

So, time to finish up the film swap thread?
I'm two films up on both of you, so why don't you guys take some time and discuss if you're up to it.

[Qrazy]

I don't have any of those, so no dice tonight.
Yes. I liked it, but it isn't nearly on the same level as Il posto. It was just okay and then finished strong, but really, it wasn't enough. I guess I can relate to what Olmi was trying to say, but that doesn't necessarily make a great film. The Crush was better. It failed in having a much more unsympathetic lead than in Il posto, but it was very much more like it than The Fiances. I have The Tree of Wooden Clogs too. I'll probably watch that before this weekend is through.

Yeah from the four I've seen Il Posto is far and away his best. I also like The Legend of the Holy Drinker but it's not a great film per se, just good. The Tree of Wooden Clogs has a couple of excellent moments but overall it's incredibly long and didn't really work for me. Aside from class issues it's all about habit, chores, repetition, etc... so it kind of needed to be long to make some of it's point but still. Having recently seen Novecento the two films somewhat remind me of one another. And while Novecento's surface pleasures make it more immediately engaging I suppose Clogs is the richer film. Ultimately I don't care much for either though.

[Qrazy]

I'm two films up on both of you, so why don't you guys take some time and discuss if you're up to it.

lol

[soitgoes...]

Yeah from the four I've seen Il Posto is far and away his best. I also like The Legend of the Holy Drinker but it's not a great film per se, just good. The Tree of Wooden Clogs has a couple of excellent moments but overall it's incredibly long and didn't really work for me. Aside from class issues it's all about habit, chores, repetition, etc... so it kind of needed to be long to make some of it's point but still. Having recently seen Novecento the two films somewhat remind me of one another. And while Novecento's surface pleasures make it more immediately engaging I suppose Clogs is the richer film. Ultimately I don't care much for either though.I was curious about what you thought about Bertolucci's film. It was okay, I'd give it a 5/10 or so, but it really is a film where you feel the entire weight of its 5 hour long running time.

[Qrazy]

I was curious about what you thought about Bertolucci's film. It was okay, I'd give it a 5/10 or so, but it really is a film where you feel the entire weight of its 5 hour long running time.

I think the film's biggest problem is it's just ridiculously facile. Fascists killing cats with their foreheads. Landowners pursuing little girls. And the poor oppressed people of the land sacrificing everything for a taste of freedom. Ehh... not feeling it. I don't really see the point of making a five hour epic if you're going to make such a surface examination of the political issues under examination. Most of the film is quite memorable and it's frequently beautiful but I think the fairy tale approach is at odds with much of what the film is attempting to say.

[endingcredits]

I think Qrazy would agree, judging from his new sig, that the whole qualitative rating system is a better way to go as It allows for such dandies as: egregiously bad, shockingly abysmal, utterly atrocious second-rate swill ...

[StanleyK]

I think Qrazy would agree, judging from his new sig, that the whole qualitative rating systems is a way better to go. It allows for such dandies as: egregiously bad, shockingly abysmal, utterly atrocious, second-rate swill...

The drawback being that, the more adjectives you put, the less room you have for actual movie titles.

[StanleyK]

I'm officially switching to Persona as my favorite film. 2001: A Space Odyssey is still top 5, of course, and I don't at all buy that Kubrick was a cynic or misanthrope. But there's something about the film's cold, detached style that could be construed as irony, which is something I'm not too big a fan of these days.

Ain't no irony in Persona. Instead of distancing the audience, Bergman pulls you up close to the tragedy- while still acknowledging, and in fact mostly focusing on, the chasm between reality and fiction. You can tell that he was really pissed off about something in life, and he had to make this movie or else lose his mind. Vulnerably naked displays of emotion, and insights into how human nature and the nature of art help shape each other, being what most gives me cinematic boners lately, I now feel Persona is the most representative film of my general taste.

[TripZone]

Did Boobs in the Woods give you a boner?

[Watashi]

The Brave Little Toaster > Persona

[Russ]

The Brave Little Toaster > Persona
Oh look. A crazy little person.

[Dukefrukem]

Arya is a really good writer...

[number8]

I agree, but that's really random.

[Dukefrukem]

Board at work and just reading through some reviews. If I could acquire any talent instantly, it would be having the ability to write well. Not just a critiquing ability, but editorials. Writing sports editorial pieces is probably my dream job. These guys pump em out so quickly on a daily basis it's really impressive.

[bac0n]

Don't know if the question has been asked in this thread already, but does anybody know when the Deep Discount Pre-Christmas sale is gonna happen?

(or even if they're doing it anymore?)

[Sven]

Don't know if the question has been asked in this thread already, but does anybody know when the Deep Discount Pre-Christmas sale is gonna happen?

(or even if they're doing it anymore?)

Dunno about DDDVD, but here's a link to my store featuring sweet, sweet deals on just barely barely used dvds.

http://shops.half.ebay.com/iososjr_W0QQmZmovies

[Sven]

And, of course, my apologies about the shameless plug.

[Mara]

I vaguely remember enjoying Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban when I saw it in theaters.

A rewatch proves that I must have been insane. It's crap.

[Raiders]

I vaguely remember enjoying Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban when I saw it in theaters.

A rewatch proves that I must have been insane. It's crap.

Nah, it's pretty good. The time travel stuff is just silly (but honestly, in a large narrative where the completely asinine game of quidditch exists, it's relatively acceptable), but it is the most elegantly made to date (#5 comes close). I love the chilly blues and the recurring motifs, a) Harry's constant black-outs and b) the subtle and not-so-subtle puberty allusions. David Thewlis is also money as Lupin.

[Sven]

I vaguely remember enjoying Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban when I saw it in theaters.

A rewatch proves that I must have been insane. It's crap.

I love it when smart people see the light. Feels like vindication.

[Dukefrukem]

I vaguely remember enjoying Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban when I saw it in theaters.

A rewatch proves that I must have been insane. It's crap.

I'ts by far the best Harry Potter so far.... I haven't see the most recent release though.

[Mara]

I'ts by far the best Harry Potter so far.... I haven't see the most recent release though.

That's what my memory was telling me, but I was wrong.

The color palate is nice, and some of the set pieces (like the clock tower) are great, but the plot is so cut-up and jumbled that it barely makes a lick of sense. The physical comedy bits are heavy-handed and ridiculous, and the action sequences (esp. the whomping willow, the Quidditch game, and the Knight Bus) are prolonged and awkward. The dialogue is stilted and the timing of interactions often felt off.

David Thewlis and Gary Oldman are great, though.

And I remember thinking that the films for five and six were pretty darn good, but I'm rewatching before I commit to that.

[Dukefrukem]

I liked the whomping willow scene. They ease into it over the course of the whole movie. You don't really see what it does until the end.

[Raiders]

When I watched Azkaban again, it struck me as a rather interesting view of Harry learning to grow up. It's a transitional film between the cuddly, bland first two films and the more "epic" and darker (though equally silly) later films. That's why I like the puberty motif as it relates to wizardry ("playing" with his wand under the covers the most obvious example). Also, the film is structured around Harry continually losing consciousness, and many shots exist of him awakening back into this world. His self-defense sessions with Lupin feel a lot like a father figure giving life lessons.

I already mentioned that stylistically it is easily the most elegant I think, the palette and tones very rich and chilling. Plus, it has a triptych of great British male acting in Thewlis, Oldman and Rickman ("turn to page three hundred and ninety....four").

[Mara]

Okay, like that scene under the covers. He's using a "lumos" spell out of school-- he could be expelled for that. Did they even READ the books? Or, the script? Which mentions the restrictions against underage wizardry twenty pages later?


("turn to page three hundred and ninety....four").

Rickman has the best speaking voice in the business. Period.

Out of curiosity, do you like the books? Because I think they handle the puberty-and-maturing motifs more stylishly and intuitively.

[Raiders]

Out of curiosity, do you like the books? Because I think they handle the puberty-and-maturing motifs more stylishly and intuitively.

Only read the first one. Didn't seem like my bag so I didn't continue. My wife loves them though, moreso than the films. She also expresses disappointment with the third film, but then the only one she outright loved was the fifth.

[Mara]

Only read the first one. Didn't seem like my bag so I didn't continue. My wife loves them though, moreso than the films. She also expresses disappointment with the third film, but then the only one she outright loved was the fifth.

Personally, I find them exponentially better than the films. There's really no comparison. If you're just not into children's fantasy, that's fine, but compared to the later books the first one is sort of simplistic and bland. I wouldn't judge the whole series by it.

[Derek]

I think Qrazy would agree, judging from his new sig, that the whole qualitative rating system is a better way to go as It allows for such dandies as: egregiously bad, shockingly abysmal, utterly atrocious second-rate swill ...

It works for you, but with Qrazy, we all know how to convert it back to the letter system.

And I know I'm 2 pages late, but Little Children is shocking abysmal, utterly atrocious second-rate swill. Despise that movie.

[MacGuffin]

Film Socialism (Godard, 2010) *½

:eek:

[Derek]

:eek:

Doesn't happen often, but I found it unfocused and nearly impenetrable. I guess every once in a while, it's doesn't hurt to be reminded of why so many people find Godard's post-Weekend stuff so frustrating. Had some great digital cinematography and a killer performance from an alpaca.

[megladon8]

Prisoner of Azkaban is a surprisingly solid film. I like it a lot.

By far the best of the Potter series.

[StanleyK]

Did Boobs in the Woods give you a boner?

Given my 2-star rating, it clearly didn't.


The Brave Little Toaster > Persona

I'm skeptical of this.

[StanleyK]

Prisoner of Azkaban is indeed really lame; however, since so far every HP movie has been better than the one preceding it, I went from despising the series, to actually anticipating the next one.

[Spinal]

Persona - ****
The Brave Little Toaster - ****

[Ezee E]

Persona - ****
The Brave Little Toaster - ****
Correct.

[Spinal]

I feel uncomfortable saying The Brave Little Toaster is a better film than Persona. But there are very few animated films that move me like it does, while there are other Bergman films (Winter Light, Hour of the Wolf, Virgin Spring, Cries and Whispers) with which I feel a deeper connection.

[StanleyK]

This Brave Little Toaster love is baffling to me. I felt it went for the easiest gags, cheap unearned sentimentality, and fucking awful songs. The opposite of good times for me.

[Watashi]

Azkaban is so much better than Goblet of Fire.

Order of the Phoenix is still my favorite.

[Watashi]

This Brave Little Toaster love is baffling to me. I felt it went for the easiest gags, cheap unearned sentimentality, and fucking awful songs. The opposite of good times for me.
What the Fuck.

The song in the junkyard is one of the greatest scenes in animated history.

[Sven]

The song in the junkyard is one of the greatest scenes in animated history.

You know my feelings, but I've gotta say, this is the weakest musical number in the whole movie. Conceptually, visually, it's incredible, but the song lacks a clear through-line. Each car offers a variant degree of closure with its input, and combined with the cross-cutting, the structure of the song wobbles, despite having individual moments that shine. To me, the best number is clearly City of Light, which excellently evokes big city allure and the elation of making the next big life step forward.

But really, why split hairs? Strength is in unification.

[Bosco B Thug]

Love Van Dyke Parks music. I really need to re-watch this movie.

[Sven]

Love Van Dyke Parks music. I really need to re-watch this movie.

Listening to the soundtrack now. Worth it.

[Spinal]

The emotion in Brave Little Toaster is totally earned. As opposed to something like Toy Story 3, it's a carefully constructed tale of friendship and sacrifice in which the title character finds himself in a crisis situation and takes an extraordinary risk that is the final summation of what we know about him as a character. As opposed to say, having random comic relief characters arrive out of nowhere and bail everyone out.

[Watashi]

You don't have to bring Toy Story 3 into this, Spinal. We were doing so good these past few posts. Let's just celebrate one movie..

[Bosco B Thug]

Listening to the soundtrack now. Worth it. I have it, the old family-relic VHS...


The emotion in Brave Little Toaster is totally earned. As opposed to something like Toy Story 3, it's a carefully constructed tale of friendship and sacrifice in which the title character finds himself in a crisis situation and takes an extraordinary risk that is the final summation of what we know about him as a character. As opposed to say, having random comic relief characters arrive out of nowhere and bail everyone out. It's too bad it's played with cheap comedy relief, but I'm still saying the bailing-out and out-of-nowhere-ness is the point.

[Mara]

I haven't seen The Brave Little Toaster since I was about eight, because I was totally scarred by the evil clown fireman and the scene where the air conditioner loses his shit.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I haven't seen The Brave Little Toaster since I was about eight, because I was totally scarred by the evil clown fireman and the scene where the air conditioner loses his shit.

Yeah, that made me nostalgic for the softer mindfuckery of early Disney, like Pink Elephants on Parade and a helpless kid turning into a work mule.

[Mara]

Yeah, that made me nostalgic for the softer mindfuckery of early Disney, like Pink Elephants on Parade and a helpless kid turning into a work mule.

I could handle Pink Elephants, I could handle Heffalumps and Woozles. The kids turning into donkeys was scary, but nothing was more traumatic to me in childhood animation than the Gollum in the animated version of The Hobbit.

zLssei0sId0

[MadMan]

I don't even remember most of The Brave Little Toaster. Its been years since I last saw it.

As for Harry Potter, I think the latest one is the best, followed by the Order of the Phoenix and POA. #4 is good, but it felt really top heavy, and from what I've heard of fans of the books they tried to stuff to much in there while also not featuring enough material from the book. I wonder why they didn't make that one into two movies, actually. The first two are okay, I guess, but completely forgettable. I blame the director, Columbus, for that.

[Mara]

In both the book and the film of #4, the Quidditch World Cup takes up waaaaaaaaaaaaay too much time.

[MadMan]

In both the book and the film of #4, the Quidditch World Cup takes up waaaaaaaaaaaaay too much time.I liked that the latest film pushed Quidditch to the background. The movies have way more interesting things than some sporting match, and I like sports.

[Spinal]

Quidditch is not for people who like sports. Quidditch is for people who don't understand sports. It makes little logical sense.

[Derek]

I haven't seen The Brave Little Toaster since I was about eight, because I was totally scarred by the evil clown fireman and the scene where the air conditioner loses his shit.

Time to finally get this in my Netflix queue.

[soitgoes...]

Poetry (Lee, 2010) ***I'm curious for thoughts!

I liked it almost as much as Secret Sunshine, probably third behind it and Oasis. It's only failing is how two dimensional the grandson is portrayed. I wish Lee fleshed him out more. Still Lee once again proves that he is the master of strong female performances in his films.

[soitgoes...]

It's kind of interesting watching the perhaps overlong Woodstock 40 years after the show. Most of the people in attendance, both musicians and audience members, are now in their 60's and 70's. With a desire to change America and the world, I have to question if they did. Are we (Americans) any better off now than they were before the rise of their counter-culture movement? Obviously not everyone in the 20-30 year range then would be categorized as a hippie, but you'd think there would have been enough of them to formulate a lasting change. Does cynicism grab a hold of everyone as they age?

On the film, it's interesting to see that Scorsese and Schoonmaker had a hand in the editing. It really is the most interesting aspect of the film. It does go on forever, but I suppose it needs to to be able to show a complete overview of the show. For 1970 concert documentaries Gimme Shelter reigns supreme, but it had the advantage of murder

[Irish]

Does cynicism grab a hold of everyone as they age?
No, but I think your priorities change. You go from "how are we ever going to save the spotted hippograph?" to "Holy shit my kid needs braces.

Plus, an argument can me made that the boomers did change America in a significant way --- just not in the way people expected.

See also: the Reagan 80s.

[Mysterious Dude]

The Quidditch games are too long in every movie.

And I don't give a damn about the struggles of inanimate objects. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I07xDdFMdgw)

[Boner M]

Weekend:

We Are What We Are
Jackass 3D
Dangerous Game (Ferrara)
The Traveller (Kiarostami)
Liverpool

Also got Criterion's Brakhage Vol. 2 set, will watch bits and pieces of that.

[MadMan]

Weekend:

*Homicide (Mamet's movie, not the show)
*In The Mood For Love (needs a second viewing so I can finally finish that review I promised Stay Puft)
*The Fall (not sure if I'll actually like this one or not)
*Black Sheep (hurray for killer animals)
*Hamlet (1996-I'm sure this will be better than the Mel Gibson one)

[Watashi]

Why does Unstoppable have a 90% of the tomatometer?

[DavidSeven]

That's crazy. But then again, an "unstoppable" bus made for one of the best films of the 1990s, so why not?

[soitgoes...]

Well now I know what film Qrazy's av is from.

[B-side]

Well now I know what film Qrazy's av is from.

Only now!?

[balmakboor]

I had a crazy good time watching Smiley Face this evening.

[soitgoes...]

Only now!?I had an idea, but I hadn't seen the film until now. Actually I had a strong idea it was a Tarkovsky film (of course), but only a mild idea it was Stalker.

[B-side]

I had an idea, but I hadn't seen the film until now. Actually I had a strong idea it was a Tarkovsky film (of course), but only a mild idea it was Stalker.

I'm just surprised it's taken you this long to see Stalker.

[soitgoes...]

I'm just surprised it's taken you this long to see Stalker.Well I just watched The Mirror a week ago, and Andrei Rublev earlier this year. I'm a bit slow.

[Qrazy]

Okay, like that scene under the covers. He's using a "lumos" spell out of school-- he could be expelled for that. Did they even READ the books? Or, the script? Which mentions the restrictions against underage wizardry twenty pages later?

Rickman has the best speaking voice in the business. Period.

Out of curiosity, do you like the books? Because I think they handle the puberty-and-maturing motifs more stylishly and intuitively.

Yeah, I think it's one of the more visually accomplished of the Potter films but I agree with it being a poor adaptation of the book and thus falling prey to certain narrative inconsistencies. I remember them leaving out a whole part about the relationship between Dumbledore, Harry's dad, Wormtale, Sirius, etc. I don't remember exactly what they excised but I remember it being relatively crucial.

[B-side]

Well I just watched The Mirror a week ago, and Andrei Rublev earlier this year. I'm a bit slow.

Considering Rublev's length, that one's a bit more understandable.:P

[Qrazy]

I had an idea, but I hadn't seen the film until now. Actually I had a strong idea it was a Tarkovsky film (of course), but only a mild idea it was Stalker.

You better have loved it or so help me god...

[soitgoes...]

It was shit.

[soitgoes...]

:pritch:
It was mesmerizing. It captured my attention from the start and never let go. It's too dense to articulate 30 minutes after it finished. It'll be one of those films that rattle around in my head for a number of days. Better than The Mirror, which says a lot considering I was lukewarm on the man, and in the course of five days I've seen two of his films that are amazing.

[B-side]

It was shit.

Welcome to the Tarkovsky bandwagon.

[B-side]

Better than The Mirror

Oooh, we were so close.

[soitgoes...]

Oooh, we were so close.The Mirror is more personal, but Stalker has more to say. And fuck if it isn't one of the most beautifully filmed movies I've seen. It's hard to imagine he made it twice.

[MacGuffin]

The Mirror is more personal, but Stalker has more to say. And fuck if it isn't one of the most beautifully filmed movies I've seen. It's hard to imagine he made it twice.

Good call on Stalker, but Nostalghia is painfully beautiful in comparison.

[Qrazy]

The Mirror is more personal, but Stalker has more to say. And fuck if it isn't one of the most beautifully filmed movies I've seen. It's hard to imagine he made it twice.

Yeah, Stalker is one of those films where the beauty is so exquisite, the emotion so intense that it almost stops being a film and becomes a part of reality.

[B-side]

The Mirror is more personal, but Stalker has more to say. And fuck if it isn't one of the most beautifully filmed movies I've seen. It's hard to imagine he made it twice.

I don't know that I agree with the first part, but it is most assuredly one of the most beautifully filmed movies ever. Nostalghia might have it beat in that regard, though, if only a by a nose.

[Ivan Drago]

The Mirror is more personal, but Stalker has more to say. And fuck if it isn't one of the most beautifully filmed movies I've seen. It's hard to imagine he made it twice.

He made Stalker twice? Why?

[soitgoes...]

He made Stalker twice? Why?
The film negative from the first shooting wasn't developed properly. It was all useless.

[Boner M]

Yeah, Stalker is one of those films where the beauty is so exquisite, the emotion so intense that it almost stops being a film and becomes a part of reality.
B-?

[soitgoes...]

Good call on Stalker, but Nostalghia is painfully beautiful in comparison.


I don't know that I agree with the first part, but it is most assuredly one of the most beautifully filmed movies ever. Nostalghia might have it beat in that regard, though, if only a by a nose.
Well Nostalghia will be next.

[soitgoes...]

B-?
To be fair, it's a high B-.

[Derek]

To be fair, it's a high B-.

This joke really has some legs. I keep thinking it'll get old and it never does. :)

[Skitch]

I loathe the Potter series. Every film...Harry sneaks out of house. Awkward reunion with schoolmates. Make fun of Harry being dork. School. Bad guy. Teacher hints at knowledge of Harrys Gorbechev mark, but never reveals anything. Stop movie and plot for school dance or sport. Bad guy arrives and hints at knowledge of Harrys Gorbechev mark, but reveals nothing. Harry spouts gibberish and vanquishes foe.

Repeat for 12 movies.

[B-side]

God, I love Barbara Stanwyck.

[balmakboor]

The film negative from the first shooting wasn't developed properly. It was all useless.

Wow. Didn't they believe in dailies in the Soviet Union? That must've been a lot of useless footage shot over a long stretch.

[balmakboor]

Yeah, Stalker is one of those films where the beauty is so exquisite, the emotion so intense that it almost stops being a film and becomes a part of reality.

That's actually been essentially my criterion for a great movie for many years. I know it's great if it goes beyond being a mere movie and blends with the world around me.

Or something like that. It's almost a feeling beyond words.

[Mysterious Dude]

The Sacrifice is the only Tarkovsky film that really transcends, for me. After seeing almost all of his movies, I saw that one, and then felt like, "I finally get it!"

[Raiders]

The Sacrifice is the only Tarkovsky film that really transcends, for me. After seeing almost all of his movies, I saw that one, and then felt like, "I finally get it!"

I have this same feeling... only for me it is about Stalker.

[Yxklyx]

Is Nostalghia not on DVD or is it that Netflix doesn't carry it?

[endingcredits]

Is Nostalghia not on DVD or is it that Netflix doesn't carry it?

There was a DVD release (http://www.amazon.com/Nostalghia-Oleg-Yankovskiy/dp/6305069654) but I think it's out of print now.

[Spinal]

Public Service Announcement:

If, like me, you're on Netflix and see Destricted and think, oh, fun, a group of erotic shorts by various filmmakers like Gaspar Noé and Matthew Barney, be warned ... Cooking, by the director known only as Tunga, has got some pooping in it. Better to find out here than like I did, I think.

The rest of the films are fairly unexceptional, with Noé's showing early promise and then sinking into predictable tedium.

Surprisingly, the one film in the collection worth watching is Larry Clark's Impaled, which is actually something in the neighborhood of a documentary. Larry (I presume) interviews a handful of young men who have answered his ad to appear in a porn movie. Once Clark has selected the right candidate, he then allows the would-be star to interview and select his leading lady. Although the investigative value of Clark's film is dubious, it does capture a level of spontaneity and contextual depth that pornography typically lacks.

Even better is Marina Abramovic's Balkan Erotic Epic, which sadly does not appear on this version of the DVD. Apparently, it was a part of the UK version, but didn't make the US cut. Abramovic explores eroticism in Balkan pagan traditions and the result is bizarrely humourous in a sort of David Byrne True Stories kind of way. I watched this one online.

[Ezee E]

Thanks for the heads up Spinal! I was going to rent that whenever I get to one of my Netflix movies.

[StanleyK]

The emotion in Brave Little Toaster is totally earned. As opposed to something like Toy Story 3, it's a carefully constructed tale of friendship and sacrifice in which the title character finds himself in a crisis situation and takes an extraordinary risk that is the final summation of what we know about him as a character.

I didn't much care for the characters' friendship and sacrifice; they were ill-defined and uncharismatic. I actually felt more for the repair shop guy, who was designated as a villain for no good reason- he was merely doing his job and meant no harm.


As opposed to say, having random comic relief characters arrive out of nowhere and bail everyone out.

It's funny you should say that, because there's actually a moment earlier on where they are rescued completely out of the blue, and it's really contrived. At least in Toy Story 3 the characters doing the bailing out had appeared earlier in the film.

[StanleyK]

Princess Mononoke, now there is a fucking great animated film.

[StanleyK]

It was mesmerizing. It captured my attention from the start and never let go. It's too dense to articulate 30 minutes after it finished. It'll be one of those films that rattle around in my head for a number of days. Better than The Mirror, which says a lot considering I was lukewarm on the man, and in the course of five days I've seen two of his films that are amazing.

Coincidentally, I rewatched Stalker just yesterday as well, and I will completely echo your sentiments. I was also once lukewarm on the Tark, and now he's one of my favorites. Hope you enjoy Nostalghia (possibly my favorite), and rewatch Andrei Rublev someday.

[endingcredits]

Oooh, we were so close.

All aboard the The Mirror sub-bandwagon!

[soitgoes...]

Wow. Didn't they believe in dailies in the Soviet Union? That must've been a lot of useless footage shot over a long stretch.From a 2001 article (http://people.ucalgary.ca/~tstronds/nostalghia.com/TheTopics/Stalker/sharun.html) with Stalker sound designer Vladimir Ivanovich Sharun:

"Stalker had problems. The picture's fate was strange somehow. There was this producer Gambarov in West Berlin. He had the world distribution rights to Tarkovsky's films and supplied him with the Kodak stock which was scarcely available in those days. For Stalker he sent some kind of new Kodak film that had just been introduced. Georgi Rerberg was then the cameraman on Stalker, he'd photographed The Mirror for Tarkovsky. But then the disaster struck. The artesian well at Mosfilm broke down and they had no artesian water needed to process the film. They didn't tell us anything but the material sat unprocessed for 17 days. And film which is exposed but not processed loses quality, it loses speed and it otherwise degrades. In a word, the whole material for the first part ended up on the scrap heap. On top of that — here I'm repeating what Andrei himself told me — Tarkovsky was certain the film was swapped. This newer Kodak which Gambarov sent specifically for Stalker was stolen and in some way or another ended up in the hands of a certain very well-known Soviet film director who was Tarkovsky's adversary. And they gave Andrei a regular Kodak except that nobody knew about this and that's why they processed it differently. Tarkovsky considered it a result of scheming by his enemies. But I think it was just the usual Russian sloppiness."

Also interesting to read that he thinks the filming near an old chemical factory eventually led to the eventual deaths of 3 crew members, Tarkovsky and his wife being two of them.

[Melville]

All aboard the The Mirror sub-bandwagon!
Where do I get my ticket? Also, The Third Part of the Night rocked. Do the Mirror sub-bandwagon and Zulawski bandwagon head the same parade?

[endingcredits]

Where do I get my ticket? Also, The Third Part of the Night rocked. Do the Mirror sub-bandwagon and Zulawski bandwagon head the same parade?

Bandwagon tickets will be distributed solely through EC Enterprises: Bringing you the best in film pageantry and old time extravaganza. Based on customer demand, Zulawski will not only be on the ticket, but will be appearing as the headlining act of the whole shindig.

[Melville]

Bandwagon tickets will be distributed solely through EC Enterprises: Bringing you the best in film pageantry and old time extravaganza. Based on customer demand, Zulawski will not only be on the ticket, but will be appearing as the headlining act of the whole shindig.
Organizing such an extravaganza sounds like a lot of work. I'll bring the drugs to sort it out.

[Grouchy]

Conspiracy Theory
Richard Donner, 1997

Sometimes I watch movies for no better reason than the fact that I can. I wish I could get these two hours and spare change back, even though I believe in the old mantra that watching bad movies is a great way of learning how to make good ones. Anyway. Mel Gibson is good as a conspiracy nut and cab driver who appears to have hit some truth with his indie newspaper and has to convice Julia Roberts that black helicopters are really after him. The story is cheesy as fuck, and I'm surprised they spent all that screentime in a romance that clearly must have never worked - not even on paper. A better movie is hiding somewhere behind the high concept for this one.

[Ezee E]

I remember the days when I thought Conspiracy Theory was awesome.

[endingcredits]

Organizing such an extravaganza sounds like a lot of work. I'll bring the drugs to sort it out.

Excellent. Now all that remains is to find a seedy bar with an upright piano that we can re-appropriate as our office, preferably in a red-light district.

[baby doll]

Weekend:

Footlight Parade (Lloyd Bacon, 1933)
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (Martin Scorsese, 1974)
Scoop (Woody Allen, 2006)
Les Herbes folles (Alain Resnais, 2009)
Trash Humpers (Harmony Korine, 2009)
Inside Job (Charles Ferguson, 2010)

[Grouchy]

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (Martin Scorsese, 1974)
Hahah I'm glad something came out of that discussion.

[baby doll]

Hahah I'm glad something came out of that discussion.Seriously, I just walked into the library today, and it was there on the shelf.

[Qrazy]

B-?

A+

[Qrazy]

Princess Mononoke, now there is a fucking great animated film.

Indeed.

[Qrazy]

From a 2001 article (http://people.ucalgary.ca/~tstronds/nostalghia.com/TheTopics/Stalker/sharun.html) with Stalker sound designer Vladimir Ivanovich Sharun:

"Stalker had problems. The picture's fate was strange somehow. There was this producer Gambarov in West Berlin. He had the world distribution rights to Tarkovsky's films and supplied him with the Kodak stock which was scarcely available in those days. For Stalker he sent some kind of new Kodak film that had just been introduced. Georgi Rerberg was then the cameraman on Stalker, he'd photographed The Mirror for Tarkovsky. But then the disaster struck. The artesian well at Mosfilm broke down and they had no artesian water needed to process the film. They didn't tell us anything but the material sat unprocessed for 17 days. And film which is exposed but not processed loses quality, it loses speed and it otherwise degrades. In a word, the whole material for the first part ended up on the scrap heap. On top of that — here I'm repeating what Andrei himself told me — Tarkovsky was certain the film was swapped. This newer Kodak which Gambarov sent specifically for Stalker was stolen and in some way or another ended up in the hands of a certain very well-known Soviet film director who was Tarkovsky's adversary. And they gave Andrei a regular Kodak except that nobody knew about this and that's why they processed it differently. Tarkovsky considered it a result of scheming by his enemies. But I think it was just the usual Russian sloppiness."

Also interesting to read that he thinks the filming near an old chemical factory eventually led to the eventual deaths of 3 crew members, Tarkovsky and his wife being two of them.

Not sure if you've seen The Sacrifice yet or not but there was a major filmmaking disaster that happened with that one too.

I'm also very interested to know who Tarkovsky's adversary was.

[Rowland]

Abbas Kiarostami's Shirin is a compelling conceptual idea that would have made for a fine installation piece, but stretched out to 90 minutes it grows borderline interminable. If you're aware of Kiarostami's modus operandi in advance, you can pretty much theorize to your heart's content without even watching the film, which is exactly as advertised, so unless watching all of the actresses' faces or the intellectual ramifications of the project provoke an emotional response while viewing, I don't personally feel it's worthwhile. Made me sleepy more than anything, truth be told.

Anyone else see this? I feel like a bit of a philistine for rating it so low, but eh, gotta stay true to myself.

[Derek]

Balkan Erotic Epic (Abramovic, 2006) ***

:lol:

That might be the most Spinal-y title ever.

[Boner M]

Anyone else see this? I feel like a bit of a philistine for rating it so low, but eh, gotta stay true to myself.
Had the opportunity a few times, but was put off by the fear that I'd have the same impression as you. I read some interesting articles on it by Bordwell and Adrian Martin, but - to borrow a cliche - I still imagine reading about it is more edifying than watching it.

[Derek]

I would like to watch Spinal while he's watching Shirin. I imagine that'd be far more entertaining than watching the film itself.

[Boner M]

I would like to watch Spinal while he's watching Shirin. I imagine that'd be far more entertaining than watching the film itself.
Next year's Cannes has an Official Comp spot already reserved for Kiarostami's Ten Angles of Spinal Watching Shirin.

[MacGuffin]

Or how 'bout the one where he's driving around in his car talking about how to make a movie? One shot, ninety minutes.

[Rowland]

Or how 'bout the one where he's driving around in his car talking about how to make a movie? One shot, ninety minutes.Sounds more stimulating than Shirin.

[Rowland]

Had the opportunity a few times, but was put off by the fear that I'd have the same impression as you. I read some interesting articles on it by Bordwell and Adrian Martin, but - to borrow a cliche - I still imagine reading about it is more edifying than watching it.Yeah, it's certainly prime material for film theorists to wax philosophical over, but having read several essays myself, most of them could have been written without even seeing the film. The concept is the film, and it kinda speaks for itself, you know? A theater environment may enhance the engrossment level, provoking some sort of emotional/visceral response that evaded me, but whatever.

[B-side]

It sounds fascinating in theory, but 90 minutes worth sounds like a bit much, and this coming from a huge fan of experimental film.

[soitgoes...]

Not sure if you've seen The Sacrifice yet or not but there was a major filmmaking disaster that happened with that one too.

I'm also very interested to know who Tarkovsky's adversary was.Not yet. I'm working there though (I just got Nostalghia). Is the documentary with the Italian guy something I should worry about seeing?

[soitgoes...]

Abbas Kiarostami's Shirin is a compelling conceptual idea that would have made for a fine installation piece, but stretched out to 90 minutes it grows borderline interminable. If you're aware of Kiarostami's modus operandi in advance, you can pretty much theorize to your heart's content without even watching the film, which is exactly as advertised, so unless watching all of the actresses' faces or the intellectual ramifications of the project provoke an emotional response while viewing, I don't personally feel it's worthwhile. Made me sleepy more than anything, truth be told.

Anyone else see this? I feel like a bit of a philistine for rating it so low, but eh, gotta stay true to myself.This film just seems like a film I would hate. I've tried to ignore its existence.

[Derek]

Not yet. I'm working there though (I just got Nostalghia). Is the documentary with the Italian guy something I should worry about seeing?

It's about as funny as Nostalghia from what I've heard if that helps you.


This film just seems like a film I would hate. I've tried to ignore its existence.

Hmm, you could horn in on Spinal's deal and get into Kiarostami's Ten Angles of Spinal and soitgoes Watching Shirin. Doesn't quite have the same ring to it though...

[soitgoes...]

It's about as funny as Nostalghia from what I've heard if that helps you.Awesome. I've been waiting for a good Tarkovsky comedy. That's what you were implying, right?




Hmm, you could horn in on Spinal's deal and get into Kiarostami's Ten Angles of Spinal and soitgoes Watching Shirin. Doesn't quite have the same ring to it though...With Spinal, soitgoes and Shirin you have to loop in some more alliteration. Then again translating into Persian might muck this up.

[soitgoes...]

I'm also very interested to know who Tarkovsky's adversary was.
Aleksei German. Irony.

[soitgoes...]

Weekend:

A Tarkovsky
A Ruiz
A Roeg
A Martel

[B-side]

Weekend:

A Tarkovsky
A Ruiz
A Roeg
A Martel

That's a helluva lineup.

In other news, I watched Do the Right Thing finally. I dug it. The filters, the heat aesthetic, the energy, the characters. Yeah, good stuff.

[soitgoes...]

That's a helluva lineup.

In other news, I watched Do the Right Thing finally. I dug it. The filters, the heat aesthetic, the energy, the characters. Yeah, good stuff.I threw the Ruiz in there for you. To be honest, it's only a short.

And yeah, huge fan of Do the Right Thing. Best fiction work by Lee.

[B-side]

I threw the Ruiz in there for you. To be honest, it's only a short.

Las soledades is among my favorites of his. I'm guessing you're talking about Colloque de chiens, which is also good, albeit more impenetrable than the former.

[Boner M]

Le pont du nord - Drab and dreamlike, tedious and fascinating, feminine whimsy amongst urban decay and grey skies, plainspoken images at the service of a baffling plot (or maybe the other way around), a conspiracy thriller embalmed of thrills, karate fights that turns into a karate lessons. Endless contradictions, connections, vague feelings. I have only really begun to scratch the surface of the enigma of Rivette, and it's an exciting feeling indeed.

[soitgoes...]

Las soledades is among my favorites of his. I'm guessing you're talking about Colloque de chiens, which is also good, albeit more impenetrable than the former.Nice. I like impenetrable. :|

[soitgoes...]

The best thing I can say about my evening viewing is that young Susan Sarandon was also hot Susan Sarandon. Tim Curry was entertaining too I guess.

But not hot.


Well maybe kinda.

[soitgoes...]

Le pont du nord - Drab and dreamlike, tedious and fascinating, feminine whimsy amongst urban decay and grey skies, plainspoken images at the service of a baffling plot (or maybe the other way around), a conspiracy thriller embalmed of thrills, karate fights that turns into a karate lessons. Endless contradictions, connections, vague feelings. I have only really begun to scratch the surface of the enigma of Rivette, and it's an exciting feeling indeed.Rivette is one of those filmmakers who scare me when there's absolutely no reason for me to be scared. I loved and liked the two films I've seen, but I'm in no rush to dig deeper.

[B-side]

Nice. I like impenetrable. :|

Let's just say I wouldn't advise you go anywhere near his 80s work.:D

[soitgoes...]

Let's just say I wouldn't advise you go anywhere near his 80s work.:D
There is a reason why I've stayed away from him for so long. I figured a 20 minute short would be a safe bet. I guess even if I hate it the time commitment won't make it too bad.

[B-side]

There is a reason why I've stayed away from him for so long. I figured a 20 minute short would be a safe bet. I guess even if I hate it the time commitment won't make it too bad.

Well, his 80s work is his most experimental by far. Once you reach stuff like Genealogies of a Crime, you get to his more approachable stuff. That, Time Regained, Comedy of Innocence, That Day, The Lost Domain, Klimt, A Closed Book -- these are all fairly approachable films. They're very much Ruiz's, but they're hardly niche.

[Qrazy]

Not yet. I'm working there though (I just got Nostalghia). Is the documentary with the Italian guy something I should worry about seeing?

See it last once you've seen the rest. It's interesting but not great.

[MacGuffin]

Weekend:

A Tarkovsky
A Ruiz
A Roeg
A Martel

Weekend: Costa, Oshima and maybe a Ferreri.

[soitgoes...]

I had no idea Erland Josephson was in Nostalghia. This is going to be awesome.

[MacGuffin]

I had no idea Erland Josephson was in Nostalghia. This is going to be awesome.

It'd be even more awesome on a Criterion Blu-ray.

[soitgoes...]

I had a post written stating how Stalker is one of those red 4-star films (the masterpiece kind), and Nostalghia is just one of those run-of-the-mill all black 4-star films, but by the time I finished typing I had to rewatch the last 15 minutes of Nostalghia. The antepenultimate shot (the candle) and the last shot are two of the most beautiful ever. The scene prior to the candle (Erland's) is also an emotional punch to the gut. Sitting here now, I have no idea which one I really prefer. It doesn't really matter I suppose, both are amazing in their own right. I just know that a half hour later I still have a feeling of incredible emotion running through me. I don't know how quite to explain it, it's like sadness, but not.

[MacGuffin]

I had to watch Nostalghia in theaters right after Stalker. I mean, it was a great experience, but it was exhausting--there was no intermission really between the two movies save for a couple minutes, but the power of Nostalghia was still undeniable. I really want to see it again. And again.

[soitgoes...]

I had to watch Nostalghia in theaters right after Stalker. I mean, it was a great experience, but it was exhausting--there was no intermission really between the two movies save for a couple minutes, but the power of Nostalghia was still undeniable. I really want to see it again. And again.
I don't think I'd want to do that. Then again I have an incredible urge to watch The Sacrifice now, but for its sake I will resist until at least tomorrow. Whatever I watch right now would be clouded by Nostalghia. I am envious of your theater experience.

[Ezee E]

Ha. Ridley Scott's Robin Hood is pretty overblown. Awful casting as I couldn't separate who was who, and really had no idea what was going on.

Thing is, Scott is still a technical genius. It's just too bad he has such an awful story to go along with it.

[MacGuffin]

I don't think I'd want to do that.

Oops, I meant Mirror, not Stalker. I think Stalker then Nostalghia would be a bit easier even though it would be a longer double feature.

[soitgoes...]

Oops, I meant Mirror, not Stalker. I think Stalker then Nostalghia would be a bit easier even though it would be a longer double feature.It isn't so much the length, it's when any of those three films finished, my mind was busy replaying them in my head. I would be afraid that my judgment of film Y would be clouded because I was still "on" film X. There's just so much to all three of them. Heck, I find Stalker floating in and out my thoughts quite often still, and it's been two days.

Even still, I would probably not pass up a chance to see The Mirror followed by Nostalghia on the big screen.

[MacGuffin]

It isn't so much the length, it's when any of those three films finished, my mind was busy replaying them in my head.

I agree. I generally found Mirror less consistently rewarding than Nostalghia, but it still had some great scenes (even if most of them were toward the beginning...) Again, probably not a great thing to watch right before Nostalghia, but it was cool to see on the big screen in a very large audience.

[B-side]

I had a post written stating how Stalker is one of those red 4-star films (the masterpiece kind), and Nostalghia is just one of those run-of-the-mill all black 4-star films, but by the time I finished typing I had to rewatch the last 15 minutes of Nostalghia. The antepenultimate shot (the candle) and the last shot are two of the most beautiful ever. The scene prior to the candle (Erland's) is also an emotional punch to the gut. Sitting here now, I have no idea which one I really prefer. It doesn't really matter I suppose, both are amazing in their own right. I just know that a half hour later I still have a feeling of incredible emotion running through me. I don't know how quite to explain it, it's like sadness, but not.

:)

[endingcredits]

I had a post written stating how Stalker is one of those red 4-star films (the masterpiece kind), and Nostalghia is just one of those run-of-the-mill all black 4-star films, but by the time I finished typing I had to rewatch the last 15 minutes of Nostalghia. The antepenultimate shot (the candle) and the last shot are two of the most beautiful ever. The scene prior to the candle (Erland's) is also an emotional punch to the gut. Sitting here now, I have no idea which one I really prefer. It doesn't really matter I suppose, both are amazing in their own right. I just know that a half hour later I still have a feeling of incredible emotion running through me. I don't know how quite to explain it, it's like sadness, but not.


Those last scenes are so amazing that they make Nostalghia a truly great film despite my feelings that its themes lacked unity in the bulk. Erland's scene is definitely one my favorites in any movie. Your post makes me want to re-watch some Tark forthwith.

[Raiders]

Woman in the Dunes (Teshigahara, 1964) - astonishingly awesome

Indeed.

Also, though I do plan to watch both at some point I am only going to get to one for now, so help me choose my viewing tonight.

Herzog's My Son, My Son What Have Ye Done or Bong's Mother?

[Boner M]

h/s the Herzog, but you'll like Mother, I'm sure of that.

[Boner M]

Friday (1995) ***½
Your AK grade is a bit harsh, but for this, you're forgiven.

[Raiders]

Your AK grade is a bit harsh, but for this, you're forgiven.

Yeah, I had seen it some years back and watched it again last night and was shocked at how funny it is. I love the sketch comedy structure too; a series of quick meetings as people stumble down the street. They almost all represent types and there isn't a dynamic character in the film, but as a jovial and loving "hood" film, some of the bits are priceless and I'll be damned if Chris Tucker's obnoxiousness wasn't put to great use (easily the best thing he has done). Perfectly laid back and virtually plotless, it feels like the quintessential stoner comedy.

[Derek]

Your AK grade is a bit harsh, but for this, you're forgiven.

Someone should have shot Ice Cube after the filming of this was finished. I mean, something tells me Biggie and Tupac would be doing nauseating family-friendly, corporate-shilling projects by now as well, but it's too depressing a career trajectory to think about.

[Derek]

I'll be damned if Chris Rock's obnoxiousness wasn't put to great use (easily the best thing he has done).

If nothing else, it's the best Chris Tucker impersonation I've ever seen.

[Raiders]

Someone should have shot Ice Cube after the filming of this was finished. I mean, something tells me Biggie and Tupac would be doing nauseating family-friendly, corporate-shilling projects by now as well, but it's too depressing a career trajectory to think about.

It ain't all bad. He did do Three Kings. A friend of mine also informed me that Next Friday is very good as well.

[Dillard]

Herzog's My Son, My Son What Have Ye Done or Bong's Mother?
Both are of course worth watching. I found Bong's Mother to be a bit more emotionally heavy than the Herzog if that helps you at all. IE: I had a bit of a hard time sleeping after it. After watching the Herzog, I just felt in a more.....light mood (even a good silly sort of mood). Perhaps you'll react totally differently, but for what it's worth...

[MadMan]

All of the Friday movies are funny, although the third one is easily the worst of the bunch. The second one I actually like the most.

[Dillard]

Initial reaction to David Lynch's The Grandmother:

What the hell? Early David Cronenberg? The similarities in thematic concerns and visuals are very striking in this short.

[soitgoes...]

Indeed.

Also, though I do plan to watch both at some point I am only going to get to one for now, so help me choose my viewing tonight.

Herzog's My Son, My Son What Have Ye Done or Bong's Mother?
I know I'm late, but I hope you chose Mother.

[B-side]

I hope you'll be giving us some thoughts on Nostalghia, soitgoes.

[Derek]

Nostalghia love is one of my favorite things about MatchCut.

[B-side]

Nostalghia love is one of my favorite things about MatchCut.

Preach it.

[soitgoes...]

I hope you'll be giving us some thoughts on Nostalghia, soitgoes.I don't know. Like I said, stuff still all a-flutter in my head over all of these recent viewings. I'm going to check out The Sacrifice in the next day or so, and then I want to rewatch all of his films from Solaris on. As much as I love my initial viewings of all three of his later film's I've seen (and to a lesser extent Solaris), I know there's too much to digest in one viewing. I will say that after watching Nostalghia today I went to that website that I labelled a page or two back to read what Tarkovsky's cast or crew might have said about the film. I stumbled upon this (http://people.ucalgary.ca/~tstronds/nostalghia.com/TheTopics/Yankovsky.html) by lead Oleg Yankovsky decribing the candle scene (Spoiler-ish I guess):

"'Why a candle?' I queried. 'Because of the flame, the unprotected fire. Remember the candles in Orthodox churches, how they flicker. The very essence of things, the spirit, the spirit of fire. Well, as for the pool,' continued Andrei, 'they drained it unexpectedly. Foul-smelling bubbles rise from the ancient lime oozing with mud and slime and burst on the bottom of the pool, then the leading character — you, Oleg — lights a candle — it's a thin, uncertain, weak flame and you cover this flame with your hand, the hand of a strong, grown man. And you walk across the foul bed of the pool, trying not to slip or stumble, and all your will is concentrated on one thing: to save this weak flame, to keep it burning. But it goes out and you return to where you started, and again you light this uncertain, quivering flame, once again you shield it with your palm and set off. You are more than halfway along the path you must cover to bring the miracle into being. But the flame goes out again. You feel your last strength is leaving you and you will be unable to find the spiritual or physical strength to start over again. But you do. You return to the place you already set out from twice before, light the candle again, cover it with your hand and venture out on this endless journey, carefully picking your way. You walk on and carry the candle to the end. Then you leave it at the edge of the pool, understanding that not only has a human life been saved, but that now a hand will always be found to protect the flame when you are no longer there. This is when the leading character understands he has carried out the most important task in his life. He slowly sinks to the foul-smelling bottom of the pool and dies.'

'You see,' and Andrei suddenly changed to the familiar form of 'you' in Russian, 'if you can do that, if it really happens and you carry the candle to the end — in one shot, straight, without cinematic conjuring tricks and cut-in editing — then maybe this act will be the true meaning of my life. It will certainly be the finest shot I ever took — if you can do it, if you can endure to the end.'"That's something overwhelmingly spiritual. Amazing that I am a person who is very un-spiritual. Spirituality runs against everything that I perceive myself to be, yet in films where spirituality is the key, the message, I gravitate. The end is Tarkovsky fully putting himself into the film. That nakedness is what makes it so beautiful. That's where the emotion comes from. As amazing as the individual shots and scenes are in the film, what truly makes it great is the artist laying everything out there for the world to see and in the end analyze.

Like I said thoughts are still formulating, so I apologize if this comes off as a bunch of absurdities. :)

[Boner M]

Yeah, been ages since I saw Nostalghia, but it was tied w/ Rublev as my favorite Tarkovsky for a while. Candle/pool scene might be the most powerful use of duration evah.

[B-side]

Like I said thoughts are still formulating, so I apologize if this comes off as a bunch of absurdities. :)

Not at all, good sir. I'm right there with you.

[Dillard]

Funny how in that quote of Andrei's you give soitgoes, "then maybe this act will be the true meaning of my life," Andrei seems to be quite the existentialist, such that instead of human beings Andrei is describing humanity in terms of human doings. Such a focus on the single human action. It's a powerful scene for certain, but is it what gives life meaning? This lonely action? For whom? So what? What could be transcendent about the action? And yet, watching the scene, I'm overcome by the forces that are bigger than the human, that dwarf the human, not the least of which (as has been mentioned) is the overwhelming power of time. Time seems to stop as we hang on the poet's every breath as he walks the candle, yet time marks the breaths, the steps, the candle flickers, and even though Tarkovsky may allow the poet to fully live in the moment of the successful transportation of the candle, the moment timeless in that sense, the viewer is yet painfully aware of the time it takes for the sequence to unfurl. And regardless of human agency within time, time comes crashing down on the poet at the end of the sequence, as there are only so many breaths allotted within time; in other words, death awaits the poet.

Another force which I am reminded of watching the scene that is bigger than the single human is the human institution, in this case, religion, as the poet's moment of action in fact becomes a ritual very like a procession at the beginning or ending of a religious service. Though the poet is alone within the film's universe, would I be remiss if I suggest that the viewer becomes the poet's fellow congregant and onlooker to the procession? The walking of a candle as a ritual cannot achieve its full significance outside of what we know of the power of human rituals in general as they are connected to some institution, especially in their giving life to and receiving life from the communities in which they were born.

And then the question is: how do rituals relate to time? In the rhythmic nature of the candle-walking ritual (as rhythmic as a person's attempt to steadily walk forward may be), there is a marking of time. However, in connecting this ritual moment with the rituals that have come before it within a collection of ritual moments within a community, there is the sense that time is overcome. Through successfully completing the ritual as the poet imagines it, the poet puts his stock into a communal reality of meaning that he has both affirmed and participated in uniquely. The communal reality defies time as long as it has persons that participate in that reality by making the communal reality personal through ritual.

And so perhaps there is transcendence in these larger forces at work in the solo human's action. Facing the void is an aspect of the existentialist situation that remains for the poet, but the complete meaning of that confrontation is not created in the void in the moment (though there is some of this); rather, the poet's action is prescribed for him as he affirms the community in which such a ritualistic action has power. Thus, where I see the existentialist's wet-dream of a totally free action failing insofar as not being able to give the person acting any relational affirmation of the meaning of that action, Tarkovsky both acknowledges the heroic element of the existentialist action and yet brings the person acting back into the fold so to speak, back into the communal fold, and in-so-doing, I would argue, allows the action to have meaning across time (not just in that moment for a single individual), and brings the transcendent back into the equation.

Long, lengthy post. Of course, I'm assuming many things in the above post, especially a certain definition of transcendence. Oh well.

[Grouchy]

Initial reaction to David Lynch's The Grandmother:

What the hell? Early David Cronenberg? The similarities in thematic concerns and visuals are very striking in this short.
I approved of this. It's accurate.

[Sven]

I remember the days when I got excited enough about something to write a long post about it. Sigh. *spending the hours Reminiscing*

[B-side]

The Squid and the Whale is as great as ever.

http://i56.tinypic.com/2z69u35.jpg

[Boner M]

It's easy to forget what a great, trick-free storyteller Kiarostami used to be - and sometimes still is, esp. in his Jafar Panahi collabs - before his move toward ultra-minimalism. This is on full display in his early feature The Traveler, which is included as an amazingly generous special feature on Criterion's Close-Up DVD. This one has a lot in common with two later Panahi films; the basic scenario of a kid trying to get into a football game evokes Offside, but the theme of the transaction-based nature of human society, and particularly how it plays a part in the formative experiences of a child, resembles The White Balloon. What's striking, and eventually deeply sad about this film is the portrait of an ineffectual education system, where the simplest classroom distraction can be enough to set a kid on the wrong path, and it's this reason that the child protag is empathatic despite having no likeable qualities whatsoever. That cruciality of being in the right place at the right time defines the film's haunting, desolate final moments. Also, I think this is the only Kiarostami film to include a dream sequence (heavy echoes of Los Olvidados).

[Boner M]

Just realised that the 3 movies I watched this weekend whilst house-confined, on account of a foot injury, were about journeys and adventures of different sorts. Neat co-inky-dink.

[endingcredits]

This is an excerpt from Sculpting In Time wherein Tarkovsky reflects on his characters. It may be of interest here; I really like it.


The monk, Rublyov, looked at the world with unprotected, childlike eyes, and
preached love, goodness and non-resistance to evil. And though he found himself wit- nessing the most brutal and devastating forms of violence, which seemed to hold sway in the world and led him to bitter disillusionment, he came back in the end to that same truth, rediscovered for himself, about the value of human goodness, of openhearted love which docs not count the cost, the one real gift which people can give
each other. Kelvin, who seemed at first to be
a limited, run-of-the-mill character, turns out to be possessed of
deeply human feelings which render him organically incapable of
disobeying the voice of his own conscience, and shirking the grave
burden of responsibility for his own and others' lives. The hero of
Mirror was a weak, selfish man incapable of loving even those
dearest to him for their sake alone, looking for nothing in
return—he is only justified by the torment of soul which assails
him towards the end of his days as he realises that he has no means
of repaying the debt he owes to life. Stalker, eccentric and on
occasion hysterical, is also incorruptible, and states unequivocally
his own spiritual commitment in the face of a world in which
opportunism grows like a malignant tumour. Like Stalker, Dome-
nico works out his own answer, chooses his own way of martyrdom,
rather than give in to the accepted, cynical pursuit of personal
material privilege, in an attempt to block, by his own exertions, by
the example of his own sacrifice, the path down which mankind is
rushing insanely towards its own destruction. Nothing is more
important than conscience, which keeps watch and forbids a man
to grab what he wants from life and then lie back, fat and
contented.; Traditionally, the best of the Russian intelligentsia were
guided by conscience, incapable of self-complacence, moved by
compassion for the deprived of this world, and dedicated in their
search for faith, for the ideal, for good; and all these things I wanted
to emphasise in the personality of Gorchakov.

[Russ]

Alan Rudolph's Remember My Name (1978) is a quintessential '70's film, full of nervousness and paranoia, unpredictable plot twists, freakishly close close-ups and washed-out cinematography. It reminds me why I love films from this decade so much. Oh, and Geraldine Chaplin is phenomenal in this (as is the soundtrack that plays in her mind, courtesy of Alberta Hunter). Imagine if Altman had made Play Misty for Me instead of Eastwood, and you have some idea of what to expect.

[Qrazy]

I don't know. Like I said, stuff still all a-flutter in my head over all of these recent viewings. I'm going to check out The Sacrifice in the next day or so, and then I want to rewatch all of his films from Solaris on. As much as I love my initial viewings of all three of his later film's I've seen (and to a lesser extent Solaris), I know there's too much to digest in one viewing. I will say that after watching Nostalghia today I went to that website that I labelled a page or two back to read what Tarkovsky's cast or crew might have said about the film. I stumbled upon this (http://people.ucalgary.ca/~tstronds/nostalghia.com/TheTopics/Yankovsky.html) by lead Oleg Yankovsky decribing the candle scene (Spoiler-ish I guess):

"'Why a candle?' I queried. 'Because of the flame, the unprotected fire. Remember the candles in Orthodox churches, how they flicker. The very essence of things, the spirit, the spirit of fire. Well, as for the pool,' continued Andrei, 'they drained it unexpectedly. Foul-smelling bubbles rise from the ancient lime oozing with mud and slime and burst on the bottom of the pool, then the leading character — you, Oleg — lights a candle — it's a thin, uncertain, weak flame and you cover this flame with your hand, the hand of a strong, grown man. And you walk across the foul bed of the pool, trying not to slip or stumble, and all your will is concentrated on one thing: to save this weak flame, to keep it burning. But it goes out and you return to where you started, and again you light this uncertain, quivering flame, once again you shield it with your palm and set off. You are more than halfway along the path you must cover to bring the miracle into being. But the flame goes out again. You feel your last strength is leaving you and you will be unable to find the spiritual or physical strength to start over again. But you do. You return to the place you already set out from twice before, light the candle again, cover it with your hand and venture out on this endless journey, carefully picking your way. You walk on and carry the candle to the end. Then you leave it at the edge of the pool, understanding that not only has a human life been saved, but that now a hand will always be found to protect the flame when you are no longer there. This is when the leading character understands he has carried out the most important task in his life. He slowly sinks to the foul-smelling bottom of the pool and dies.'

'You see,' and Andrei suddenly changed to the familiar form of 'you' in Russian, 'if you can do that, if it really happens and you carry the candle to the end — in one shot, straight, without cinematic conjuring tricks and cut-in editing — then maybe this act will be the true meaning of my life. It will certainly be the finest shot I ever took — if you can do it, if you can endure to the end.'"That's something overwhelmingly spiritual. Amazing that I am a person who is very un-spiritual. Spirituality runs against everything that I perceive myself to be, yet in films where spirituality is the key, the message, I gravitate. The end is Tarkovsky fully putting himself into the film. That nakedness is what makes it so beautiful. That's where the emotion comes from. As amazing as the individual shots and scenes are in the film, what truly makes it great is the artist laying everything out there for the world to see and in the end analyze.

Like I said thoughts are still formulating, so I apologize if this comes off as a bunch of absurdities. :)

Don't disregard Ivan's Childhood. It's also a great film in it's own right.

[megladon8]

In the Loop was great, and Malcolm has to be one of the funniest characters I've seen in some time.

Difficult difficult lemon difficult.

[D_Davis]

Watching Heat for the first time since opening night at the theater. Kind of excited.

[Milky Joe]

Someone should have shot Ice Cube after the filming of this was finished. I mean, something tells me Biggie and Tupac would be doing nauseating family-friendly, corporate-shilling projects by now as well, but it's too depressing a career trajectory to think about.

Actually, something tells me they wouldn't be doing that, but that's neither here nor there.

[megladon8]

Watching Heat for the first time since opening night at the theater. Kind of excited.


Brilliant movie. One of the best, IMO.

[Milky Joe]

So I really liked Haneke's The White Ribbon. It's so... Kafka-esque. And that descriptor gets used so improperly so often, but I feel like it really, truly applies here. Beautiful sense of abiding mystery that never quite gets resolved, full of darkness, but there is a real beating human heart to all of it. It's sort of amusing: Haneke's adaptation of The Castle was such a failure of the 'Kafka-esque' that he must have felt obligated to make truly Kafka-esque film.

[Grouchy]

So I really liked Haneke's The White Ribbon. It's so... Kafka-esque. And that descriptor gets used so improperly so often, but I feel like it really, truly applies here. Beautiful sense of abiding mystery that never quite gets resolved, full of darkness, but there is a real beating human heart to all of it. It's sort of amusing: Haneke's adaptation of The Castle was such a failure of the 'Kafka-esque' that he must have felt obligated to make truly Kafka-esque film.
The more "fantastic" you are, the more realistic you become. That's why Kafka is so brilliant. He describes the most unlikely things with such realism that you're completely taken in by them, and from time to time you turn back the pages to read things again and check what happened. Every now and then you have to put the book down and say to yourself, "Is this really possible? No, it just can't be". It all stems from the fact that Kafka places himself so close to reality that you can't escape it, but at the same time he removes you from reality and you end up not knowing where you are. This is why it was such a big mistake for Orson Welles - even though he'll always be my master - to make his version of Kafka's "The Trial" so grandiose, as this is the exact opposite of what Kafka does with his writing. We ended up with a very interesting Welles but a mediocre Kafka.
-- Roman Polanski

[endingcredits]

So I really liked Haneke's The White Ribbon. It's so... Kafka-esque. And that descriptor gets used so improperly so often, but I feel like it really, truly applies here. Beautiful sense of abiding mystery that never quite gets resolved, full of darkness, but there is a real beating human heart to all of it. It's sort of amusing: Haneke's adaptation of The Castle was such a failure of the 'Kafka-esque' that he must have felt obligated to make truly Kafka-esque film.

For me, The White Ribbon lacked the required absurdity to warrant it being Kafka-esque. Also, Kafka's characters are very different from Haneke's, often switching between despair and egotistical mania, as was the the case for K., whereas Haneke's characters tend to move on a single track psychologically.

[Derek]

Watching Heat for the first time since opening night at the theater. Kind of excited.

It's pretty amazing, isn't it? By far the best thing Mann's ever done.


For me, The White Ribbon lacked the required absurdity to warrant it being Kafka-esque. Also, Kafka's characters are very different from Haneke's, often switching between despair and egotistical mania, as was the the case for K., whereas Haneke's characters tend to move on a single track psychologically.

Yeah, I don't think The White Ribbon is Kafka-esque at all. There seems to a relatively clear psychological through-line between the kids behavior and the way they're being raised. The teacher is attempting to make sense of a reality that others seem perfectly content to ignore, but that reality is neither absurd nor some sort of inconceivably complex and senselessly circular system that operates outside of any individuals control. The brutal acts occur for precise reasons that have to do with the way the older generation has raised their children.

[D_Davis]

It's pretty amazing, isn't it? By far the best thing Mann's ever done.


I like Collateral more. That film is, to me, really something special. But yes, Heat is awesome.

[Derek]

I like Collateral more. That film is, to me, really something special. But yes, Heat is awesome.

It's Mann at his most efficient and features some amazing digital cinematography, but I actually prefer Miami Vice in his post-90s work.

[Winston*]

It's pretty amazing, isn't it? By far the best thing Mann's ever done.

The Insider >

[D_Davis]

It's Mann at his most efficient and features some amazing digital cinematography, but I actually prefer Miami Vice in his post-90s work.

I need to watch that again. I didn't like it much, but I think I was just in the wrong mood.

[balmakboor]

Warrendale and A Married Couple are brilliantly fascinating movies. I could write endlessly about the latter in particular. I really dig this Allan King guy, as I knew I would.

[D_Davis]

For me, Collateral is to thrillers what The Road Warrior is to action films. It's a reduction of all the elements that make up the best of what the genre has to offer, mixed to absolute perfection. There is not a wasted moment in the film, nor does it lack for anything.

[Milky Joe]

For me, The White Ribbon lacked the required absurdity to warrant it being Kafka-esque. Also, Kafka's characters are very different from Haneke's, often switching between despair and egotistical mania, as was the the case for K., whereas Haneke's characters tend to move on a single track psychologically.

The "required absurdity" is the false or somewhat misleading definition of Kafka-esque that I'm saying Haneke's film gets away from, though. Kafka is never willfully absurd in the manner of Harold Pinter or the usual definitions of absurd. It's a fine line that Kafka walks between something being absurd because it doesn't follow any kind of logic and absurd precisely because it's so painfully logical. The children's behavior in the film is perfectly Kafka-esque, particularly in the beginning just after the Doctor's accident. The Teacher's comment in the narration about their all walking away together 'seeming strange once he had looked back on it, but not at the time' is an almost perfect description of the 'Kafka-esque.' Like a dream, or just like life, it somehow makes sense as it's happening but upon reflection does not. It doesn't really have anything to do with the characters. Just because the characters are somewhat different doesn't mean it can't be 'Kafka-esque.'

However, I would say that the Pastor character is a perfect Kafka authority figure, which figures David Foster Wallace described as "never just hollow buffoons to be ridiculed, but are always absurd and scary and sad all at once, like In the Penal Colony's Lieutenant." In a word, realistic.

[Derek]

The Insider >

That's my second favorite Mann, so I'm not gonna argue too much with that.

[Melville]

Public Enemies > Heat > The Last of the Mohicans > The Insider > Collateral = Ali = Manhunter = Miami Vice

But I've only seen each of the films once, and in each case (except Manhunter) when it first came out. The only sign that matters is the first >. Public Enemies was awesome.

[Grouchy]

Public Enemies > Heat > The Last of the Mohicans > The Insider > Collateral = Ali = Manhunter = Miami Vice
Jesus, no.

The Insider is my favorite.

[Qrazy]

Heat and The Insider are very good films. Everything else I can take or leave it. Collateral is solid though.

[Raiders]

Collateral > Miami Vice > Heat > The Insider > Manhunter > Last of the Mohicans > good > Ali

Need to see Public Enemies. Don't have much desire to see Thief.

[Melville]

Jesus, no.
Other than Public Enemies, none of Mann's films really appeal to me. I find them ponderous and overly serious given their slight themes, and largely devoid of real characters. Collateral had lights abstractly reflecting on car doors and Tom Cruise crunchily killing people in a night club. Miami Vice had purple skies and faces digitizing away into paintings in the dark. Public Enemies had an emotionally resonant romance, a sense of historical momentousness, explosive bursts of gunfire in the dark, aggressive closeups and great use of woods and cities and stylish period settings reinterpreted through grainy digital video. Those are the highpoints of his films for me.

[Chac Mool]

Public Enemies > Heat > The Last of the Mohicans > The Insider > Collateral = Ali = Manhunter = Miami Vice

But I've only seen each of the films once, and in each case (except Manhunter) when it first came out. The only sign that matters is the first >. Public Enemies was awesome.

Och. Can't agree with that.

"Heat" is certainly my favorite, because it combines equal measures of cool and gravitas with a great cast, a sharp script and some epic individual set-pieces.

"The Insider" and "Collateral" are tied in second. The first is provocative, at times incendiary, and Crowe's lived-in performance is still among his best. The second is maybe my favorite Mann film from a style standpoint -- it's (again) equal measures realistic and surreal, with some of the visuals and individual scenes almost abstract.

"The Last of the Mohicans" works due to Daniel Day-Lewis (and I've also always liked Stowe's performance), but it's not particularly memorable. It always struck me as a rather "small" film. Ditto for "Manhunter" -- it's good, but it just doesn't strike me as anything special.

"Public Enemies" and "Miami Vice" are fascinating, but they're deeply flawed. I find it hard to place my finger on exactly what Mann is trying to do, but both films seem uninflected, flat, shapeless... Looking back on them, I remember the handheld style and individual shots, but I can't get a grip on the plot or on any emotional substance. There's too much craft in them to call them forgettable, but...

Haven't seen "Ali", though I do remember it had a kick-ass trailer.

EDIT: I should probably go on a Mann bender one of these days...

[Boner M]

Other than Public Enemies, none of Mann's films really appeal to me. I find them ponderous and overly serious given their slight themes, and largely devoid of real characters.
All those -'s apply to Public Enemies vastly more than his other films.

EDIT: Oh yeah, Marion Cotillard.

[Melville]

EDIT: Oh yeah, Marion Cotillard.
:lol:

My thoughts (which include the word 'exprected', so they're obviously correct): http://match-cut.org/showthread.php?p=181004#post18 1004

[Qrazy]

Collateral > Miami Vice > Heat > The Insider > Manhunter > Last of the Mohicans > good > Ali

Need to see Public Enemies. Don't have much desire to see Thief.

Personally out of his early work/style I much prefer Thief to Manhunter or LA Takedown. But yeah, it's not that great.

[endingcredits]

It's a fine line that Kafka walks between something being absurd because it doesn't follow any kind of logic and absurd precisely because it's so painfully logical.

So you're saying he crafted his stories using measures of absurdity. That was my point.

[balmakboor]

The only Mann film I really liked was Manhunter.

On another note, I watched another Allan King, Come On Children, and enjoyed it very much. It anticipated reality television shows like The Real World back in 1972. Great use of music. Pretty interesting that one of the teens featured is Aleksandar Živojinović who would go on to be the guitarist for Rush. He gives his rendition of Hendrix's rendition of the Star Spangled Banner during the film.

[balmakboor]

Sherman's March - Uniquely compelling.


Definitely check out Time Indefinite if you haven't already. It has more gravitas.

[Derek]

It's a fine line that Kafka walks between something being absurd because it doesn't follow any kind of logic and absurd precisely because it's so painfully logical. The children's behavior in the film is perfectly Kafka-esque, particularly in the beginning just after the Doctor's accident. The Teacher's comment in the narration about their all walking away together 'seeming strange once he had looked back on it, but not at the time' is an almost perfect description of the 'Kafka-esque.' Like a dream, or just like life, it somehow makes sense as it's happening but upon reflection does not.

Good points, although what separates the children in White Ribbon from Kafka characters is that there is a clear sense of moral purpose in the childrens' actions. Their stone-faced guises hide the true devious nature behind their acts, the cause of which can be directly traced back to the moral code being passed on from the earlier generation. Kafka tends to leave no sign of the psychological or moral motivations for all but his main protagonists - the majority of characters within The Trial and The Castle are cogs in a machine that no individual fully understands or comprehends. They are not torturing K. or making his life purposefully more difficult for any other reason than that is their assigned role, a role they accept without question. I dunno, I've only read Metamorphosis, Amerika, The Trial and The Castle, so maybe there's something in his short stories that support what you're saying.

[Qrazy]

Definitely check out Time Indefinite if you haven't already. It has more gravitas.

Will do.

[Rowland]

Heat > Collateral > Miami Vice > Public Enemies

Heat is a **** movie, the rest ***½, so you could say I'm a fan, and this is from someone who acknowledges that none of these movies really mean much, Heat graduating at the top of the class largely for having the most relative emotional/thematic meat of the bunch. I'm reminded of a line that has stuck with me from Walter Chaw's Collateral review: "this is an audaciously empty-headed picture--Mann fiddling around with making a poem out of a sledgehammer." All these movies feel like this, and yet they achieve an unmistakable pathos, perhaps for this very reason in some odd sense. Obviously I need to get around to seeing The Last of the Mohicans, Manhunter, and The Insider.

[Morris Schæffer]

I like Collateral more. That film is, to me, really something special. But yes, Heat is awesome.

I thought it was banal at times. Quite embarassing too when Cruise accompanies Foxx to the hospital. And the cruiser is more cool than a truly formidable antagonist. But it's still worth a look.

[Dukefrukem]

Heat > Collateral > Miami Vice > Public Enemies



Correct sequence!

[number8]

The Insider is easily Mann's best, with Heat a close second.

Public Enemies would be his worst, with Ali and Last of the Mohicans tied as close seconds.

[Mara]

I'm still rewatching the HP series and Goblet of Fire was significantly better than I remember. I don't think I've seen it since it was in theaters, so I was surprised how engaging it managed to be. The plot is hacked into pieces, obviously, but they managed to simplify it without making it incomprehensible. The special effects are excellent, especially with Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and the only action sequence that was too long was the fight with the dragon.

Pretty enjoyable, overall.

[Raiders]

I don't care much at all for Goblet of Fire. It's pretty workmanlike compared to the visual excellence of 3 and 5 (and parts of 6) and a lot of it strikes me as even silly by Harry Potter standards--in particular is this film seems to make everything to "different" and "magical" for its own sake; eggs that open underwater, ships that sail underwater (how magical!), teleportation objects are introduced, and it goes on. I know the whole series is like this, but it seemed especially grating in this one. Plus, it starts with a trip to the Quidditch championships, and I am almost always annoyed when that dumbass sport makes an appearance.

Also, I know it's just a movie/book, but I couldn't ever get past that an educational institution would host an event where death seems such a strong possibility. It's absurd the kind of danger they face. I can accept Voldemort and outside forces causing potential death, that's sort of the heart of the overall story, but for the whole wizardry community to just accept and endorse such a barbaric event is kind of weird and just didn't jive. Again, I think it is the different for difference's sake thing. It's got to be extreme.

[Mara]

Plus, it starts with a trip to the Quidditch championships, and I am almost always annoyed when that dumbass sport makes an appearance.

It didn't take up as much of the film as I remembered. It's, like, two hundred pages of the book. Probably my least favorite sequence in the entire series. Quidditch. UGH.


Also, I know it's just a movie/book, but I couldn't ever get past that an educational institution would host an event where death seems such a strong possibility. It's absurd the kind of danger they face.

My bigger problem is that the entire thing is a set up to trap Harry. (Spoilers, I guess.) I mean, if they're manipulating the entire tournament to get Harry to touch a portkey, why didn't they just put a portkey spell on a magic frog and drop it in his Christmas stocking? It's not hard getting children to touch random objects.

Silly.

But, yeah, it's a little funny that they choose such a politically charged time to resurrect an ancient death-match between wizarding communities. And all the people keep saying, "It's dangerous! Kids die! You could die, Harry!" and then at the end everyone's like, "HOLY CRAP, SOMEONE DIED! I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!"

:lol:

I tease because I love.

[Mysterious Dude]

Also, I know it's just a movie/book, but I couldn't ever get past that an educational institution would host an event where death seems such a strong possibility. It's absurd the kind of danger they face. I can accept Voldemort and outside forces causing potential death, that's sort of the heart of the overall story, but for the whole wizardry community to just accept and endorse such a barbaric event is kind of weird and just didn't jive.
I agree. That is the moment where the Harry Potter series lost me. Does the wizard community have lawsuits?

[Mara]

From a narrative point of view, I understand that Rawling had to start introducing death into her books, and upping the stakes. More and more characters die each book from there on, with #7 being a total bloodbath.

And she had to make it clear that the series was willing to kill children.

But the framing device for that is certainly a little weak. Let's endanger kids for entertainment!

[Mara]

I agree. That is the moment where the Harry Potter series lost me. Does the wizard community have lawsuits?

Well... technically... to play devil's advocate... the tournament was only open to legal adults (17, in the wizarding community.) Entering the contest is a legally binding contract and an agreement to terms. So, Harry was the only minor in the event, and the only one who shouldn't have had to abide by the rules (since he didn't enter his own name.)

[Raiders]

From a narrative point of view, I understand that Rawling had to start introducing death into her books, and upping the stakes. More and more characters die each book from there on, with #7 being a total bloodbath.

And she had to make it clear that the series was willing to kill children.

But the framing device for that is certainly a little weak. Let's endanger kids for entertainment!

I have no problem with injecting death **maybe spoilers from here on**(Cedric's is fairly well handled in the film), but yeah, it makes no sense for the school to be putting the children in perilous danger (not just them, but what about the ones they kidnap and hold underwater... what if Harry hadn't rescued two people, would the little girl have freakin' died???).

[Mara]

(not just them, but what about the ones they kidnap and hold underwater... what if Harry hadn't rescued two people, would the little girl have freakin' died???).

They didn't spell it out in the film, but no. Dumbledore had a fail-safe to bring them to the surface if time ran out. Harry wasn't thinking it through clearly when he stayed, which made him feel very stupid later, because he didn't actually save anyone's life.

Side note: Fleur was annoying AS HELL in the film. They made her look incompetent.

[Raiders]

They didn't spell it out in the film, but no. Dumbledore had a fail-safe to bring them to the surface if time ran out. Harry wasn't thinking it through clearly when he stayed, which made him feel very stupid later, because he didn't actually save anyone's life.

I'm not sure undermining bravery is a better solution, but whatever.

I really enjoyed the fifth film and segments of the sixth and all signs point to some epic goodness to come.

[Mara]

I really enjoyed the fifth film and segments of the sixth and all signs point to some epic goodness to come.

I need to rewatch the fifth (coming up this week) but I thought the sixth was the strongest yet. I have high hopes for the seventh, but I just read a scathing review. Guess we'll see.

[Mara]

My main problem with the films, and this probably goes without saying, is that my favorite parts of the books are the quiet character moments and funny little subplots. Those are the first cut when they're making the films, and I understand that they need to focus on the main plots because of time constraints.

But still.

[Dead & Messed Up]

For me, Collateral is to thrillers what The Road Warrior is to action films. It's a reduction of all the elements that make up the best of what the genre has to offer, mixed to absolute perfection. There is not a wasted moment in the film, nor does it lack for anything.

I like this post. I'd recommend it to others.

[D_Davis]

My main problem with the films, and this probably goes without saying, is that my favorite parts of the books are the quiet character moments and funny little subplots. Those are the first cut when they're making the films, and I understand that they need to focus on the main plots because of time constraints.

But still.

My main problem with the films (seen 4 of them) is that they seem more like a collection of scenes - best of moments from the books - without a narrative thread tying anything together. They play as though someone is skipping chapters on a DVD, showing us his or her favorite parts. We get the set pieces, but we don't get the story or anything in-between. They're not very well made in this regard.

[Mara]

My main problem with the films (seen 4 of them) is that they seem more like a collection of scenes - best of moments from the books - without a narrative thread tying anything together. They play as though someone is skipping chapters on a DVD, showing us his or her favorite parts. We get the set pieces, but we don't get the story or anything in-between. They're not very well made in this regard.

A very fair point.

[megladon8]

I think Collateral is Tom Cruise's most interesting performance.

[MacGuffin]

I think Collateral is Tom Cruise's most interesting performance.

Not like that's saying anything tho.

[D_Davis]

I generally think that Tom Cruise is a good actor. I don't care for many of his movies, but it's never because of his performance.

I like him in Collateral, War of the Worlds, MI:3, Magnolia, Vanilla Sky, Eyes Wide Shut, Rain Man, and Cocktail.

[MacGuffin]

I turned the television on two separate occasions only to be assaulted by this monstrosity of a scene:

pa98yttfhMY

edit: and holy shit that YouTube still is creepy.

[DavidSeven]

Collateral is pretty disposable in every regard. Including Cruise and Foxx's performance, I think. It's probably the best looking film shot on consumer level digital (or what appears to be such) ever, so I'll give him that. But Heat still looks 100 times better on 35mm, so what's the point?

As for Cruise specifically, he's obviously never been better than he was in Magnolia -- "quietly judging you", "Denise the piece" and bedside scene FTW.

The Insider is Mann's masterpiece. Heat is masterful in spurts, but a bit bloated; still great.