28 Film Discussion Threads Later [Archive] - Page 200

Mysterious Dude

01-07-2011, 03:01 AM

I do have to say though, I kind of like Revenge of the Sith. While still nowhere near the (rightfully) legendary original trilogy, it came the closest of any of the prequels to having the "feel" of a Star Wars movie.
I actually think The Phantom Menace comes closest to the feel of the original trilogy (the Tatooine stuff helps). Stoklasa nailed it when he pointed out how all the dialogue scenes are either two people walking down a hallway or sitting at a couch. Someone at RT compared the walking scenes to a Hanna-Barbera cartoon. And George Lucas filming all those scenes with two cameras like a sitcom is particularly un-Star Wars.

I have to give Stoklasa credit. He really went out of his way to demonstrate how bad these movies are.

Rowland

01-07-2011, 04:50 AM

I do have to say though, I kind of like Revenge of the Sith. While still nowhere near the (rightfully) legendary original trilogy, it came the closest of any of the prequels to having the "feel" of a Star Wars movie.

And while I agree with people like D_Davis and many others who are sick to death of the franchise and its almost monthly new releases throughout various mediums, I do really still love the original three movies. Those deserve the love they continue to get from generation after generation.Have you watched the Revenge of the Sith edition I posted a few pages back? It exhaustively illustrates what I've been arguing since it was released, that the difference in quality between it and the remaining prequels is minimal at best. I never understood why so many people who justifiably bashed the first two episodes were suddenly taken by the parade of nonsensical filler, ponderous hysterics, and fanboy pandering that constituted Revenge.

Qrazy

01-07-2011, 04:53 AM

Have you watched the Revenge of the Sith edition I posted a few pages back? It exhaustively illustrates what I've been arguing since it was released, that the difference in quality between it and the remaining prequels is minimal at best. I never understood why so many people who justifiably bashed the first two episodes were suddenly taken by the parade of nonsensical filler, ponderous hysterics, and fanboy pandering that constituted Revenge.

It's still problematic but it's so much better than the first two imo. There are a lot of really epic shots in it.

Spinal

01-07-2011, 05:02 AM

Have you watched the Revenge of the Sith edition I posted a few pages back? It exhaustively illustrates what I've been arguing since it was released, that the difference in quality between it and the remaining prequels is minimal at best. I never understood why so many people who justifiably bashed the first two episodes were suddenly taken by the parade of nonsensical filler, ponderous hysterics, and fanboy pandering that constituted Revenge.

So true. It's just as bad as the others, if not worse.

Barty

01-07-2011, 06:10 AM

The first hour of Revenge of the Sith is a dreadful bore in nearly every way. The last half though, plays extremely for what it is. Probably because Anakin and Padme barely say anything.

Sven

01-07-2011, 06:42 AM

Those reviews only confirmed my original suspicion that Revenge of the Sith is the absolute worst. I've only ever seen them all once in the theater though. Doubt I'll ever watch them again.

transmogrifier

01-07-2011, 08:52 AM

transmogrifier

01-07-2011, 08:58 AM

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is a weird fish; a film totally without shape or grace, one that takes an age to get going - Ledger doesn't go into the mirror for a bloody age, for example, and the drunken Plummer scenes seem interminable - but one that gets better in the second half, with a totally unexpected story development that deepens the melancholy of the title character, and some truly interesting Imaginarium sequences (though they seem rushed and half-finished in spots).

Another draft of the script, removing a lot of the repetition of the first half, and having a better structured central narrative, and this could have been superb. As it stands, it is semi-bizarre, messy and merely okay bordering on good.

Derek

01-07-2011, 11:04 AM

The way Aronofsky frames his shots, often having characters positioned at exactly the center of the frame.

Really? Framing characters at the center of the frame is something distinctly Aronofskian? Come on, meg.

His consistent use of tracking shots wherein the camera follows a person either behind their head, or in front. He also often positions the camera so it is either looking ever-so-slightly up or down at the character's head, giving it a skewed and frantic look. Similarly, his reluctance to use steadicam in tracking shots, giving it a visceral feel of a person being followed or watched.

This is something he has used much more in his last two years and it´s a technique he took from the Dardenne Bros., at least in the frequency with which he uses it. There´s certainly nothing wrong with that, but it´s hardly something that makes Aronofsky unquestionably unique.

The way he shoots high-res, extreme close-ups of characters' actions with their hands or body. See: the so-called "pop montage" technique he uses to show people shooting up in Requiem for a Dream; the way he filmed and focused on Jackman's fingers as he tattoos on his wedding band in The Fountain; various body-horror shots in Black Swan.

These are probably the most interesting techniques he uses, but even where Requiem played a big part in popularizing the pop montage techniques, it was certainly not the first film to do so. As for focusing on body parts with extreme close-ups, aside from Requiem, this is not something that appears all that often in his films, at least not enough to make it a defining trait for an Aronofsky film. I´m not saying all this as a way of putting him down, but to say that I don´t find him a particularly singular director. I actually like all of his films other than The Fountain.

Scar

01-07-2011, 11:34 AM

Bah, I thoroughly enjoy Revenge of the Sith. Only made it 15 minutes into the video reviews, 'cause the wireless internet at my hotel in Fargo is balls.

Ezee E

01-07-2011, 01:16 PM

While Aronofsky doesn't have cinematic techniques that are similar from film to film, he certainly has storytelling trademarks. Whether it be self-destruction with the idea of it being self-improvement, conflict between parents, or the consequences of drugs, it's there.

BTW, The Fountain is on Instant Watch. May watch that for the first time since I saw it in theaters.

number8

01-07-2011, 01:45 PM

B-side

01-07-2011, 01:49 PM

Aronofsky. Aronofsky.

Raiders

01-07-2011, 01:49 PM

Aranofsky

Do you do this on purpose? I don't care so much as I feel at this point you are intentionally doing it and I am curious.

EDIT: Heh.

number8

01-07-2011, 01:51 PM

Sorry, I was thinking of Gregg Aroki.

Spinal

01-07-2011, 03:00 PM

Aronofsky. Aronofsky.

Aronofsky.
Aronofsky Aronofsky.
Aronofsky.
Aronofsky Aronofsky.
Aronofsky.
Aronofsky.

Oooo, rock me Aronofsky.

B-side

01-07-2011, 03:09 PM

Aronofsky.
Aronofsky Aronofsky.
Aronofsky.
Aronofsky Aronofsky.
Aronofsky.
Aronofsky.

Oooo, rock me Aronofsky.

I can forgive you quoting such an awful song since you're at least spelling his name correctly.:D

Spinal

01-07-2011, 03:13 PM

such an awful song

Oh, no you didn't.

B-side

01-07-2011, 03:16 PM

Oh, no you didn't.

I've, uh... been known to nod my head once or twice during its playing. Guy like me can't be seen to be susceptible to such things, though.

Rowland

01-07-2011, 06:13 PM

Those reviews only confirmed my original suspicion that Revenge of the Sith is the absolute worst. I've only ever seen them all once in the theater though. Doubt I'll ever watch them again.In truth, Attack of the Clones is my favorite of the prequels. None of them work dramatically, but it's the most entertaining for the sheer goofiness of its ineptitude, and the most bountiful with its nifty CGI-rendered vistas, with a different visually distinct environment seemingly introduced every fifteen minutes. The Art Department had their work cut out for them with that one.

Rowland

01-07-2011, 06:16 PM

Speaking of Irwin Kershner (who I think was ultimately one of Star Wars's greatest and most important assets), did he ever direct anything else worth watching? He did a whole lot of TV work, apparently.His Eyes of Laura Mars is a solid American giallo starring Faye Dunaway, Tommy Lee Jones, Brad Dourif, Raul Julia, and written in part by John Carpenter.

Derek

01-07-2011, 06:21 PM

Consistent visual style is less interesting than consistent thematic style, anyway. It's good for directors to change up their cinematic techniques to experiment with what goes well with the narrative, as long as there are recognizable signature elements that make those films attached to the rest of the director's filmography. In Aranofsky's case, he does evoke a confined, close-quarter, visceral feel in all of his movies. That may have to do with the fact that all five of his movies have been about characters with crippling, claustrophobic obsessions with one specific thing.

I don´t find it necessary to say one is more or less interesting than the other. Thematic, narrative and visual styles, and the analysis of each, all have their intrinsic value and some are more worth examining with certain directors than others. I was simply responding to the point that Aranofsky has a distinct visual style. I don´t believe he does. As for thematic throughlines, I definitely agree he has them.

That said, I have to reiterate that Aranofsky's visual cues are very derivative of Tsukamoto's. Aranofsky names him as one of his biggest influence, but he's influenced to the point where it's impossible to watch Pi and Requiem without thinking of Tetsuo and Tokyo Fist. There's nothing particularly wrong with that, but it does make him less unique.

Having seen Tetsuo much more recently than Pi, I can definitely see the influence. Not as much with Requiem, but it´s been years since I´ve seen it. The Dardenne Bros. influence is really only in The Wrestler and Black Swan. I believe Aaronofski cited them as an influence for the former film or at least mentioned that he had recently discovered them.

Derek

01-07-2011, 06:24 PM

In truth, Attack of the Clones is my favorite of the prequels. None of them work dramatically, but it's the most entertaining for the sheer goofiness of its ineptitude, and the most bountiful with its nifty CGI-rendered vistas, with a different visually distinct environment seemingly introduced every fifteen minutes. The Art Department had their work cut out for them with that one.

I´m with you. I haven´t seen any since their theatrical release, but I at least found this one the most visceral and visually impressive. I have no idea how it would hold up now (not very well, I´d imagine), but for now, it´s the only one I like.

transmogrifier

01-07-2011, 06:27 PM

Ick. Attack of the Clones is the worst one. It is simply atrocious on every level. The Super Mario Brothers action sequence in the factory is astoundingly ill-conceived.

Kurosawa Fan

01-07-2011, 06:28 PM

Ick. Attack of the Clones is the worst one. It is simply atrocious on every level. The Super Mario Brothers action sequence in the factory is astoundingly ill-conceived.

This. Though they're all crap, so picking out a "worst" or "best" is fairly useless.

number8

01-07-2011, 06:32 PM

Having seen Tetsuo much more recently than Pi, I can definitely see the influence. Not as much with Requiem, but it´s been years since I´ve seen it.

I mean, Requiem is basically a body horror movie. It has quite a bit of cyberpunk qualities to it, especially in the use of face close-ups, mechanical ambiance noise and vibrating shots.

The Dardenne Bros. influence is really only in The Wrestler and Black Swan. I believe Aaronofski cited them as an influence for the former film or at least mentioned that he had recently discovered them.

He doesn't seem to have much of a problem lifting shots directly out of films he likes. Snorricam from Mean Streets/Pinocchio 964... and of course this:

anlHmGA-Bvs

Rowland

01-07-2011, 06:44 PM

Ick. Attack of the Clones is the worst one. It is simply atrocious on every level. The Super Mario Brothers action sequence in the factory is astoundingly ill-conceived.Goofiness of its ineptitude my friend.

B-side

01-07-2011, 06:54 PM

Given the largely negative response to 127 Hours amongst cinephiles such as myself, I'm tempted to champion it as underrated, though it's far too much a mixed bag for such a claim. The problem is the script, I think, more than anything else. Boyle's frenzied direction and Mantle's skewed, active cinematography coalesce perfectly to convey Ralston's mile-a-minute lifestyle and thought process. Mantle's cinematography in particular is wonderful. Comparisons to Buried immediately spring to mind, with that one the more overall successful work but this one the more formally and thematically daring. 127 Hours is a zeitgeist film at its best, with Ralston the archetypal 21st century man constantly seeking a thrill and an audience, his lifeline the technology he holds dear. The film plunges him into a scenario in which this technology he treasures is literally his only way of communicating with the outside world, much like in Buried. The difference being that in this film he's not communicating with anyone directly. The camera is used for personal reflection the same way the misguided flashbacks are. Ralston's Generation Y flights of fancy are fueled by pop music and brand names, his whole existence seemingly intrinsically tied to products and media. The latter toyed with amusingly in a makeshift talk show featuring 3 different versions of Ralston. When it finally comes time for him to cut his arm off, the deed is played out as if his situation had become a literal horror film, complete with jump scares and wild editing. It's no surprise, then, that following the isolation, what saves him is real, personal interaction post-video blog-esque endeavor, and he leaves notes when he leaves telling where he went; an infinitely more personal gesture than, say, a text message. It's just a shame that the flashbacks and fantasy sequences are more risible and ill-conceived than touching or honest.

Rowland

01-07-2011, 06:55 PM

Interesting that Chaw apparently rather liked Knight and Day, tweeting about how he liked its "lightness" and, in regards to Cruise, his fascination with the "subtly pathetic lost quality of his Bourne manque." The latter quality, how the film subverts the Cruise persona and subtly integrates his public image issues, is indeed the film's sharpest angle, and its action sequences are among last year's most cleanly staged. I gave it a nay on the whole, but it sits well in retrospect.

Also, given his disdain for Forgetting Sarah Marshall (which I also found overrated), I'm pleasantly surprised by this: "Get Him to the Greek = Somewhere ± Black Swan. If it's less than both, it's a helluva lot better than I expected. Cunnilingus."

megladon8

01-07-2011, 07:34 PM

Really? Framing characters at the center of the frame is something distinctly Aronofskian? Come on, meg.

The way he does it, yes.

Jonathan Demme and Spike Lee have similar techniques, positioning the character at the center of the frame to address the camera directly, either as if they are talking to another character, or as if the camera is an objective viewer.

Spinal

01-07-2011, 07:47 PM

Aaronofski

:lol:

B-side

01-07-2011, 07:49 PM

I don't find Derek's deliberate misspelling of Erinawfskee's name to be particularly funny.

Spinal

01-07-2011, 07:53 PM

I don't find Derek's deliberate misspelling of Erinawfskee's name to be particularly funny.

That's just Derrik being Dareck.

baby doll

01-07-2011, 07:55 PM

Weighing in on the whole, "Is Aronofsky a distinctive stylist?" discussion, my feeling is that he has certain favorite techniques that crop up from time to time based on the material he's working with. But even if there's not as much Tetsuo-inspired craziness in The Fountain and The Wrestler (I haven't seen Black Swan), so what? Not to compare Aronofsky with Stanley Kubrick (there's no comparison, clearly), but he didn't always use the same camera lens on every single shot. He had a whole range of stylistic options available to him.

B-side

01-07-2011, 07:59 PM

That's just Derrik being Dareck.

I don't know, Speyenul. I just don't know.

Derek

01-07-2011, 08:05 PM

That's just Derrik being Dareck.

I once had someone at a coffee shop spell my name "Daric". That was interesting.

Bosco B Thug

01-07-2011, 08:09 PM

Anyone else have the pimple-faced movie-geek crisis involving the epiphany that Aronofsky's name is spelled perfectly phonetically? I think I did. I think I believed "Aaronofsky" at one point.

megladon8

01-07-2011, 08:20 PM

I once had someone at a coffee shop spell my name "Daric". That was interesting.

This Halloween you should dress totally euro-trash and spell your name that way.

Skitch

01-07-2011, 08:48 PM

I don't like arguig about Star Wars movies. I'm such a dork for them I've found some piece of all of them enjoy.

:pritch:

StanleyK

01-07-2011, 08:56 PM

Perfect Blue is an excellent movie. A thriller about the dangers of conflating fiction with reality, that goes about it by blurring the line between them to the point where great attention and multiple viewings are required. Pretty ingenious; the ending is a bit too tidy, though.

Duncan

01-07-2011, 10:04 PM

I feel like his sound design is pretty distinctive.

DavidSeven

01-07-2011, 10:17 PM

I think it's pretty clear that all of Aronofsky's films have a director-imposed visual style, as opposed to a style that merely services the screenplay. I guess it's enough to say that he has style, not necessarily a style (that stays the same from film to film). Yet the thematic link in all his films is quite clear. You could say this about a lot of "auteur" directors. Kill Bill doesn't necessarily look like Jackie Brown, and There Will Be Blood doesn't really look like Boogie Nights.

I don't really know whose point I'm backing with this.

DavidSeven

01-07-2011, 10:29 PM

Mara

01-07-2011, 11:48 PM

Showing my mom A Town Called Panic and she's loving it. I was concerned, because she usually doesn't enjoy stuff that's too... wacky... but she's laughing and laughing.

transmogrifier

01-08-2011, 12:16 AM

Showing my mom A Town Called Panic and she's loving it. I was concerned, because she usually doesn't enjoy stuff that's too... wacky... but she's laughing and laughing.

I really, really didn't like this.

megladon8

01-08-2011, 12:18 AM

Jen and I got A Town Called Panic and Winter's Bone out from the library yesterday.

Now all we need is a DVD player :(

Spinal

01-08-2011, 01:22 AM

Quiz Show is a top 100 film for me. Absolutely love it. Fiennes, Turturro and Scofield are utterly brilliant. Morrow not so much, but he gets by.

Dead & Messed Up

01-08-2011, 01:42 AM

Just rewatched Quiz Show. Have already seen it at least a couple of times. Incredibly well-made Hollywood film. There are a number of biopic tropes that I wish Redford could have avoided, but the filmmaking is, otherwise, pretty great. Especially impressed this time with Redford's moving camera; shades of Scorsese (who has a nice bit part in this perfectly cast ensemble). Perhaps there's no wheel reinvention going on here, but I still think this one is underrated. A movie about Ivy League intellectuals that really is BETTER THAN The Social Network (sorry).

Quiz Show is a top 100 film for me. Absolutely love it. Fiennes, Turturro and Scofield are utterly brilliant. Morrow not so much, but he gets by.

Yes and yes. I adore Quiz Show. The twin performances by Fiennes and Turturro are utterly compelling, and the disparity between their performances emphasizes how such scams can appeal to anybody, and how easily entitlement can destroy anyone. I need to watch it again, because I remember little of Redford's craft.

Ooh, that's another 1994 release. Lord, I love that year.

baby doll

01-08-2011, 01:51 AM

Ooh, that's another 1994 release. Lord, I love that year.It's pretty awesome.

1994:
1. Chungking Express (Wong Kar-wai)
2. Sátántangó (Béla Tarr)
3. Trois couleurs: Rouge (Krzysztof Kieslowski)
4. Exotica (Atom Egoyan)
5. Crumb (Terry Zwigoff)
6. Les Roseaux sauvages (André Téchiné)
7. Ashes of Time (Wong Kar-wai)
8. Bullets Over Broadway (Woody Allen)
9. Jeanne la Pucelle (Jacques Rivette)
10. Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino)
bubblin' under...
11. Speed (Jan de Bont)

Qrazy

01-08-2011, 02:25 AM

Care to comment on why you loved Les Roseaux sauvages? I wasn't that enthused.

Yxklyx

01-08-2011, 02:39 AM

A question about I Am Cuba - seen it twice but forgot. Is there a running narration in Russian - or can it be turned off?

baby doll

01-08-2011, 02:48 AM

Care to comment on why you loved Les Roseaux sauvages? I wasn't that enthused.Not to compare Téchiné with Jean Renoir, or Les Roseaux sauvages with La Règle du jeu, but its very much in that vein of humanist French cinema, which refuses to vilify any of the characters who all have their reasons.

Yxklyx

01-08-2011, 05:05 AM

Point Break (Bigelow, 1991) has one of the best foot chase scenes ever! Very good movie overall - loved the ending.

KK2.0

01-08-2011, 05:45 AM

just watched "Walk Hard:The Dewey Cox Story" and laughed a lot, it's been a long time since i've watched a good parody/farse movie. John C Reilly is fucking great in it and he sings quite well.

MacGuffin

01-08-2011, 05:51 AM

I only really liked the parts where Tim Meadows tells him not to do all those drugs.

Ivan Drago

01-08-2011, 05:52 AM

just watched "Walk Hard:The Dewey Cox Story" and laughed a lot, it's been a long time since i've watched a good parody/farse movie. John C Reilly is fucking great in it and he sings quite well.

It's one of the most underrated comedies of this past decade.

"And I need an army of didgeridoos...FIFTY THOUSAND DIDGERIDOOS!"

I only really liked the parts where Tim Meadows tells him not to do all those drugs.

But after he does coke he's jumping around, playing as fast as he can like he's some sort of........punk.

Spinal

01-08-2011, 06:03 AM

I thought Walk Hard was surprisingly good. Made me laugh a lot.

Barty

01-08-2011, 06:10 AM

Walk Hard is great.

KK2.0

01-08-2011, 06:17 AM

"Beatles, please stop fighting here in india" i want to print this line on a t-shirt

Barty

01-08-2011, 06:23 AM

"You know, if you don't want the responsibility of children, you should be able to walk away from that and apparently a couple of my ex-wives don't feel the same."

transmogrifier

01-08-2011, 06:26 AM

I concur with the Walk Hard appreciation. It's funny, and that's enough.

MadMan

01-08-2011, 06:34 AM

Point Break (Bigelow, 1991) has one of the best foot chase scenes ever! Very good movie overall - loved the ending.Plus Keanu being Keanu, and Gary Busey, Patrick Swayze....just all kinds of over the top 90s awesome. Reminds me of the day when AMC paired it with Clifthanger, another 90s action movie that's also exciting and fun to watch. 90s action movies make me realize that some of what passes for the genre may be better now, but they are way too damn serious.

In truth, Attack of the Clones is my favorite of the prequels. None of them work dramatically, but it's the most entertaining for the sheer goofiness of its ineptitude, and the most bountiful with its nifty CGI-rendered vistas, with a different visually distinct environment seemingly introduced every fifteen minutes. The Art Department had their work cut out for them with that one.:| Unless you are referring to the battle and fight sequences, there's little that's entertaining about that movie. The sheer goofiness just makes it awful, not funny or entertaining.

Anyways, I'll defend ROTS as being meaningful, entertaining, and containing a last act that is really emotional and amazing. Too bad it took one weak/decent film (TPM) and one mediocre, on its best day, and terrible on its worst, in AOTC, to get there. Fuck Lucus-he's not getting any more of my money. I'm not even going to buy the original trilogy because its the special editions, so that makes my decision even easier. The prequels simply revealed what I perhaps suspected, but didn't want to acknowldge: that he's not really much of a director, and I guess I'll never bother to watch TH-1138 or American Graffitti as a result. Eh.

Excellent.In fact, my post got me thinking about a bunch of other movies that I should watch this year. I haven't compiled a list in my head yet, but City Lights was another one that came to mind. I'm a Chaplin fan and I haven't even seen it.

I still recall to this day when I saw Walk Hard in theaters. The part where he trips out on PCP, attacks cops, and pulls a King Kong stunt is still one of the funniest things I've ever seen in a movie. Machete fight, and of course "Wrong kid died."

KK2.0

01-08-2011, 06:40 AM

Anyways, I'll defend ROTS as being meaningful, entertaining, and containing a last act that is really emotional and amazing.

I wish the prequel trilogy started with this one, focusing more in the rise of the Empire and all the past Anakin antics were just a bunch of flashbacks, not entire movies.

transmogrifier

01-08-2011, 06:40 AM

MadMan, focus!

Seconds, Seconds, Seconds, Seconds!

http://www.alifeatthemovies.com/images/2010/06/seconds.jpg

MacGuffin

01-08-2011, 07:03 AM

_PgO2-M6ri0

This interview with Abel Ferrara is hilarious. Sure, he's probably a cokehead (or at least, maybe used to be) and is likely drunk here, but it's funny to watch him get noticeably pissed off at the interviewer even though the ego-stroking is already at an astronomical level.

MacGuffin

01-08-2011, 06:33 PM

What are Sang-soo Hong's best films from the post-Turning Gate part of his career?

Derek

01-08-2011, 06:56 PM

I only really liked the parts where Tim Meadows tells him not to do all those drugs.

Exactly. MatchCut´s overwhelming support of Walk Hard, something that unfortunately rears its ugly head several times a year, is absolutely baffling. It´s terrible.

Sure, he's probably a cokehead (or at least, maybe used to be)

I don´t think there´s any probably or maybe´s about it. :)

What are Sang-soo Hong's best films from the post-Turning Gate part of his career?

Woman on the Beach and Hahaha are definitely my two favorites, though Woman is the Future of Man is really good as well.

Qrazy

01-08-2011, 07:00 PM

Yeah Walk Hard was god awful.

endingcredits

01-08-2011, 08:58 PM

I don´t think there´s any probably or maybe´s about it. :)

Wr2RIzgr8GY&feature=player_embedded

Rowland

01-08-2011, 09:09 PM

I guess I'll never bother to watch TH-1138 or American Graffitti as a result. Eh. And miss his two best films? Don't do that.

endingcredits

01-08-2011, 09:26 PM

A question about I Am Cuba - seen it twice but forgot. Is there a running narration in Russian - or can it be turned off?

I think all the narration is a female reading Yevtushenko's poetry between 'episodes'. I couldn't turn it off on the avi, but maybe it's possible on the official release.

megladon8

01-08-2011, 10:08 PM

I don't understand why Abel Ferrara hasn't had his teeth fixed.

Is there some pretentious "artiste" reasoning behind his looking like a meth-head?

Derek

01-08-2011, 10:12 PM

I don't understand why Abel Ferrara hasn't had his teeth fixed.

Is there some pretentious "artiste" reasoning behind his looking like a meth-head?

Pretentious people don´t go to the dentist? Sometimes I really wonder where your pretentious "artiste" conspiracy theories comes from, meg.

Grouchy

01-08-2011, 10:24 PM

I don't understand why Abel Ferrara hasn't had his teeth fixed.

Is there some pretentious "artiste" reasoning behind his looking like a meth-head?
He looks like a person. Why should he have anything fixed that doesn't bother him?

megladon8

01-08-2011, 10:30 PM

Pretentious people don´t go to the dentist? Sometimes I really wonder where your pretentious "artiste" conspiracy theories comes from, meg.

Oh come on, that part of my post was so obviously not a serious comment.

Yes, I'm saying pretentious people don't go to the dentist.

Jesus. Sometimes the paranoid part of myself can't help but think that some posters on here look for things in my posts to take issue with.

The first part was a serious question: sure, he's no Michael Bay when it comes to revenue, but he must have enough money to fix those teeth.

They look like it must be incredibly hard for him to eat.

Ezee E

01-08-2011, 11:21 PM

I doubt he makes as much money as you think, and if you don't have dental insurance, that'll sure cost a pretty penny.

Grouchy

01-08-2011, 11:46 PM

Yeah, I was gonna add, Ferrara is probably not a very wealthy guy.

MadMan

01-08-2011, 11:54 PM

And miss his two best films? Don't do that.If I rent them from Netflix will that mean Lucus gets some of my money (since I pay for the service)? Maybe I'll have to aim for cable if that's the case.

MadMan, focus!

Seconds, Seconds, Seconds, Seconds!:lol: Okay, after I watch Chunking Express, okay? Okay :cool:

PS: WTF? I have to wait for it to be avaliable? This is some bullshit, man.

Derek

01-09-2011, 10:21 AM

Okay, after I watch Chunking Express, okay? Okay :cool:

Oh, man. That movie is fat!

B-side

01-09-2011, 10:22 AM

Oh, man. That movie is fat!

It's spelled "great." Get it right.

B-side

01-09-2011, 07:27 PM

http://i51.tinypic.com/17bpg1.jpg

you've all been balefaced

Spinal

01-09-2011, 08:01 PM

Damn it, I started Winter's Bone and then got way too sleepy mid-way through to make it to the end. I hate it when I do that. I'm probably going to have to start all over from the beginning.

Winston*

01-09-2011, 08:08 PM

Damn it, I started Winter's Bone and then got way too sleepy mid-way through to make it to the end. I hate it when I do that. I'm probably going to have to start all over from the beginning.

I did the same thing with Fist of Legend last night. I'm probably just going to pick it up where I left off. Way more fights in my movie.

Grouchy

01-09-2011, 11:40 PM

Tron: Legacy - Can I qualify this as a guilty pleasure? Maybe. I'm aware of the film's many shortcomings. The dialogue, for example, is often complete rubbish and reeks of oversentimentality, the film's plot is too simplistic (specially when compared to the original) and CGI Jeff Bridges looks creepy. But in spite of all that, I was entertained and smiling through the entire thing. The music is amazing, there's an absurd amount of service to the fans of the '80s movie and the "games" never disappoint. I couldn't believe my geeky glee at seeing what today's CGI technology could contribute to the Tron universe. The jetplane fighting sequence, for example, is a moment of astonishing beauty. Maybe it wouldn't resist too many rewatches, but my theater experience was a happy one.

Mr. Hulot's Holiday - I'm sort of ashamed to admit that I'd never seen a Tati movie before, and I consider myself a comedy buff. I watched this because a girl I know wants to take me to The Illusionist and it seemed ridiculous to watch a homage to Tati without knowing his cinema first-hand. For the first few minutes of this film I was baffled. I was expecting much more slapstick and a quicker pace. Instead, this film doesn't aim at big laughs. It moves slowly and the overwhelming feeling is one of melancholy and bittersweet moments. There's humor, but it's very subtle. There is almost no discernible story. I kind of struggled with the tone of the movie but ended up liking it and I'd consider a rewatch.

http://www.joblo.com/newsimages1/a_prophet.2.jpg

A Prophet - With this, Ajami and The White Ribbon, I've seen three of the non-winning 2009 Foreign Language Nominees. They all wipe the floor with The Secret in Their Eyes, a movie that I seem to hate more and more as time passes. This is an excellent prison thriller that's as well directed as films can get. Everything from the performances to the inspired visual storytelling makes this a very intimate, visceral experience. It doesn't try to shock its audience and instead relies on its clever story and unexpected twists to keep the attention. It's not an ordinary film by any stretch of the imagination. It's part genre thriller, part coming-of-age story, and part cynical examination of the failure of prisons to rehabilitate their inmates. One of the finest of its year.

Skitch

01-10-2011, 12:08 AM

I did the same thing with Fist of Legend last night. I'm probably just going to pick it up where I left off. Way more fights in my movie.

Just finished that up with my fiancee. Her first viewing, she really liked it. Still such a badass movie.

dreamdead

01-10-2011, 01:24 AM

Not sure if Valhalla Rising will amount to anything (nearly done), but it has a wonderfully immersive and minimalist visual style.

Spinal

01-10-2011, 01:33 AM

People on this website are being waaaay too easy on Tron.

Skitch

01-10-2011, 01:35 AM

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - 4
I Love You Man - 5.5
Whaaa? Shenanigans!

Winston*

01-10-2011, 01:37 AM

Mr. Hulot's Holiday - I'm sort of ashamed to admit that I'd never seen a Tati movie before, and I consider myself a comedy buff. I watched this because a girl I know wants to take me to The Illusionist and it seemed ridiculous to watch a homage to Tati without knowing his cinema first-hand. For the first few minutes of this film I was baffled. I was expecting much more slapstick and a quicker pace. Instead, this film doesn't aim at big laughs. It moves slowly and the overwhelming feeling is one of melancholy and bittersweet moments. There's humor, but it's very subtle. There is almost no discernible story. I kind of struggled with the tone of the movie but ended up liking it and I'd consider a rewatch.

The only big laugh to me was the part with the canoe. I also watched this movie in preparation for The Illusionist.

dreamdead

01-10-2011, 02:14 AM

Whaaa? Shenanigans!

Nah, Rudd is more engaging than anything in The Girl.... Neither narrative is especially interesting, but there's glimmers of genuine empathy and concern for how men bond and react to that bonding in the former, while the latter film is fully caught up in its tech noir narrative and never builds any pathos, and Lisbeth is portrayed to be little more than a void, always empty of expression.

Grouchy

01-10-2011, 02:17 AM

The only big laugh to me was the part with the canoe. I also watched this movie in preparation for The Illusionist.
I wonder how they did that trick with the bucket of paint. Probably a string or something, but it looks very natural.

Skitch

01-10-2011, 02:23 AM

Nah, Rudd is more engaging than anything in The Girl.... Neither narrative is especially interesting, but there's glimmers of genuine empathy and concern for how men bond and react to that bonding in the former, while the latter film is fully caught up in its tech noir narrative and never builds any pathos, and Lisbeth is portrayed to be little more than a void, always empty of expression.

Damn your well thought out and well written explanation! I'll be over here agreeing to disagree!

*toddles off in a fake huff*

soitgoes...

01-10-2011, 04:48 AM

People on this website are being waaaay too easy on Tron.I'm with you.

Winston*

01-10-2011, 05:40 AM

Just finished that up with my fiancee. Her first viewing, she really liked it. Still such a badass movie.

That final fight was epic.

Henry Gale

01-10-2011, 05:48 AM

I don't think it's so much about being easy on Tron Legacy should mean giving a pass for it with an opinion that isn't thought out so much as it just seems to be a movie with two very defined sides to it: the visuals and general fun side in terms of the action and world it createss, and then the other side being everything having to do with the script that guides the story through that world. And depending on how much either one worked for you, that's probably what you're coming away with most.

For me, it comes down to the fact that the first of those (the "makes me feel like a kid again"-awe of the spectacle and atmosphere it delivered for me) was much more important to my overall enjoyment of the movie. And for me, that definitely overshadows the definite issues there were in the writing of it, since that took a back seat to the general excitement I was feeling otherwise.

When I think back to the time I had with it, I associate feelings of a very good time out at the theatre. I'm not sure I want to necessarily let that be discouraged by analyzing it after the fact for problems it had along the way, because it personally didn't matter to me as I watched it, and probably won't on subsequent viewings either. Me and my friends had an awesome time with it, and that says more to me than reviews constantly dissecting whether or not the CGI CLU and his grand scheme, the blantant plotholes, hollow fanservice or general plotting and characterizations undermined it.

B-side

01-10-2011, 07:34 AM

People on this website are being waaaay too easy on Tron.

I think people are underrating it.

B-side

01-10-2011, 10:25 AM

I've discovered the way to get to some good stuff on Netflix IW. Check the "Foreign" and "Cerebral" boxes, then consume.

Mysterious Dude

01-10-2011, 12:26 PM

One big problem I have with Tron Legacy:

Here is the villain from Tron:

http://unrealitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/mcp2.jpg

And here is the villain from Tron Legacy:

http://clothesonfilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Tron-Legacy_Clu-Jeff-Bridges_CG.jpg

They both have computer-generated faces, but I find the 1982 villain far more menacing and intimidating. I also like the symbolism that a program which was one designed to play chess and has become more powerful has also transformed in size and shape as well (whereas Clu looks exactly the same as when Jeff Bridges first programmed him).

number8

01-10-2011, 02:04 PM

Watched Oldboy last night with a room of about 20 people who have not seen or know anything about it (yes, they exist).

Priceless.

transmogrifier

01-10-2011, 05:25 PM

Watched Oldboy last night with a room of about 20 people who have not seen or know anything about it (yes, they exist).

Priceless.

Awesome. I love that movie.

number8

01-10-2011, 06:53 PM

I could not stop giggling at the faces I saw turning to each other after Dae-su flipped through the photo album.

megladon8

01-10-2011, 07:49 PM

Yeah, Oldboy is one of the best films of the 2000's.

Love it to death. Have seen it more than 20 times.

There was a period in the spring of '05 where I was watching it every day.

baby doll

01-10-2011, 09:43 PM

I'm partial to Park's Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, but even that wouldn't make my list of the best Asian movies of the last decade.

StanleyK

01-10-2011, 09:56 PM

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly being the movie that got me into movies, I'm very glad that it has held up as one of my favorites, considering I hadn't seen in it in a long time, and a recent rewatch of For a Few Dollars More underwhelmed me. It may no longer be anywhere near the top of my list, but GBU is definitely not only fabulously entertaining, but also very aware of its adolescent-boy ideal of coolness (the most bothersome thing about FAFD), turning it so over-the-top that it's impossible not to see it as saying something about the male psyche (what exactly, I can't say- despite having seen this movie a jillion times and at one point knowing it line-for-line, this is the first time I watch with something beyond surface pleasure in mind). And, of course, Leone's direction is top notch- those last 30 minutes are pure cinematic bliss.

Skitch

01-10-2011, 10:13 PM

Yeah, Oldboy is one of the best films of the 2000's.

Love it to death. Have seen it more than 20 times.

There was a period in the spring of '05 where I was watching it every day.

Agreed, and thank god I'm not the only weirdo that watches movies I'm fascinated with over and over and over.

:pritch:

Henry Gale

01-10-2011, 10:37 PM

I'm a little more than halfway through Dinner For Schmucks and I'm shocked at how excruciating I'm finding it. It's just completely nonsensical and contrived scenes of uncomfortable ideas thrown together with scenes of intelligent straight man characters present, but not doing anything to fix any of the "hilarious" chaos only because the script won't let them.

I'll finish it because of Jemaine (who's supplied pretty much the only laughs for me so far) and because I've gotten the impression from some reviews and people I know (even ones who hated it) that the dinner itself is the highlight of it. If it weren't for those factors, I think it would have been the first thing I've watched in a long time to have me turn a movie off and never plan on continuing it.

Ezee E

01-10-2011, 10:57 PM

Henry Gale

01-11-2011, 12:33 AM

Yeah, I was thinking of checking it out for the Paul Rudd factor, but I have a feeling I should pass.

I watched Knocked Up earlier today since I was at home sick and had just finished watching through Undeclared fully for the first time, so wanting something more with that cast / general feel, I chose that. Even though I may have now seen the movie a half dozen times, it's still greatly rewatchable and a much better showcase for Rudd, even if he's arguably the same straight man-type in both.

Sadly, Dinner for Schmucks didn't get much better. Even worse, it went the typical route for many comedies of deciding it wanted to be entirely sentimental and heartfelt in the last act without ever having set up anything with any dimension to it beforehand. The difference between it and something like Knocked Up is that that Apatow's film doesn't feel like a flimsy saturday morning cartoon simply done in live action. Thinking back, there are some funny moments to be found in Schmucks, but not within the suffocated and unpleasant pace and timing the movie gives it. I don't know how they made me feel irritated by so many of the great people on screen, but they did, and saddened me.

StanleyK

01-11-2011, 01:00 AM

Watching the ending of Hana-Bi again, it struck me that Kitano's style is not too dissimilar from Leone's. Taciturn protagonists, long stretches of film with no dialogue, scenes edited to match perfectly with the music, contrasting close-ups with wide shots of landscape. It's interesting to me, since I've never seen these particular two filmmakers mentioned on the same page.

Ivan Drago

01-11-2011, 01:10 AM

Yeah, Oldboy is one of the best films of the 2000's.

Love it to death. Have seen it more than 20 times.

There was a period in the spring of '05 where I was watching it every day.

As excited I was to start watching it, imagine my disappointment when I found out the only version Netflix IW had was the English dub. :frustrated:

Ezee E

01-11-2011, 02:41 AM

As excited I was to start watching it, imagine my disappointment when I found out the only version Netflix IW had was the English dub. :frustrated:

Yes. Absolutely hate that.

Kurosawa Fan

01-11-2011, 02:43 AM

Yep. Happened to me with Duck Season.

EyesWideOpen

01-11-2011, 03:43 AM

Same thing with 99% of their anime.

MadMan

01-11-2011, 04:23 AM

Oh, man. That movie is fat!Heh. The movie was really quite great, even though I prefer In The Mood for Love. Up next for WKW viewing will be Days of Being Wild, and then Fallen Angels. My only real complaint about Chungking Express is that it needed more Tony Leung. Every movie could use more of him. I'm not kidding, either.

Tron: Legacy's script could have used more work, and the dialogue was mostly awful. But Bridges and even Wilde along with the rest of the cast (I loved Sheen-he should have been onscreen more) did their best, and the visuals were beyond stunning. The film was insanely entertaining, enough to overcome most of its weaknesses, and I should probably seek out the original at some point. Plus I'm not going to hate on a movie scored by Daft Punk (and yes I did spot their cameo, which made me smile).

number8

01-11-2011, 04:44 AM

You think that's bad. I tried watching A Dirty Shame on Netflix and it turns out they only have the heavily censored version. What a crock.

MacGuffin

01-11-2011, 05:25 AM

You think that's bad. I tried watching A Dirty Shame on Netflix and it turns out they only have the heavily censored version. What a crock.

Eh. It sucks anyway.

ciaoelor

01-11-2011, 06:23 AM

There are literal descents in I think 3 of Darren Aronofsky's movies. Cheering crowds are also in 3. One of the scenes in Requiem where Jennifer Connelly applies make-up on her tearful face before heading to the Sex Party mirrors one of the last scenes in Black Swan where Natalie does the same prior to realizing she's lost her handle on reality and must finish the last scene of Swan Lake... sigh... The lighting in Swan and Requiem is cold, though this is probably typical of most movies photographed by Matthew Libatique.

StanleyK

01-11-2011, 09:50 PM

Ok, I'm positive that the native American imagery in The Shining is intentional and important; by contextualizing the Overlook as being built on the blood of Indians, the film implicates American society of old as a bunch of violent racists. Nothing groundbreaking there, except it also implicates modern society as a bunch of pussy-whipped mopes, which is why Jack wants so desperately to break away from his castrating suburban life and regresses into an ape-like thug (opposite of the Starchild, if you will). By passing the test and proving himself capable of brutality, he's accepted by the Hotel as a good ol' boy. The interesting part is that this is actually a happy ending, and Jack is the likeable protagonist, because who the hell could like the supremely annoying Wendy? The famous 'Here's Johnny!' scene is so great because we want to see her get axed, our blood pumps and we get more excited with each blow to the door. Now we are implicated with murderous racism, and that's why The Shining is such a bold, effective horror film.

Also, no jump scares. Open note to horror filmmakers: You don't need stupid-ass jump scares to entertain your audience! Here's the proof!

megladon8

01-12-2011, 12:43 AM

While your readings are interesting and thought-provoking, StanleyK, I really can't agree that we (the audience) want to see Wendy get axed, nor can I agree that Jack is a likable protagonist.

Jack is terrifying, and one of the biggest differences between the film and the book is that, in the book, Jack is a loving and devoted father who is changed by the hotel when it takes advantage of his alcoholism. In the film, Jack is shown as already being an emotionally distant father, potentially abusive husband, and all-around dick before he even enters the hotel.

In the film, his alcoholism is pretty much an after-thought. His already present resentment (even hatred) of his family and life is what gives the hotel its power over him.

In the film, Jack murdering his family really didn't seem like all that much of a stretch for his character.

Wendy has presumably been victimized by Jack for years (certainly emotionally - and it's not that hard to see him having gotten physical with her).

She is annoying insomuch as Jack finds her annoying. We get two very different portrayals of her - the genuine, loving mother when she's with Danny, and the annoying, inept housewife when she's with Jack.

DavidSeven

01-12-2011, 12:50 AM

I'm a little more than halfway through Dinner For Schmucks and I'm shocked at how excruciating I'm finding it

Yes, excruciating is the word. It's like they set out to just strait up annoy people. Carrel dropped several notches for me after that one, and Rudd was so half-assing it. It was painful.

D_Davis

01-12-2011, 01:24 AM

Watched Oldboy last night with a room of about 20 people who have not seen or know anything about it (yes, they exist).

Priceless.

I love introducing people to Oldboy, because I know what a punch to the gut it is. I still remember the way I felt after watching it the first time.

D_Davis

01-12-2011, 01:26 AM

Same thing with 99% of their anime.

Yeah. Definitely something that needs to be fixed. Shameful really. It's definitely the big blight on NIW.

D_Davis

01-12-2011, 01:31 AM

For me:

Oldboy was to the '00s what Pulp Fiction was to the '90s.

I would choose each of those films to define their respective decades. At least in terms of what I enjoy out of movies. After viewing each for the first time, I really felt as though I was experiencing a new voice in film, something that I had never before experienced.

As a matter of fact, I'm going to watch Oldboy right now. Haven't seen it in over a year or so.

StanleyK

01-12-2011, 12:43 PM

Jack is terrifying, and one of the biggest differences between the film and the book is that, in the book, Jack is a loving and devoted father who is changed by the hotel when it takes advantage of his alcoholism. In the film, Jack is shown as already being an emotionally distant father, potentially abusive husband, and all-around dick before he even enters the hotel.

True, but he's a dick being played by Jack Nicholson, which makes a world of difference. His performance is compelling, riveting, larger-than-life. Shelley Duvall is frumpy and whiny, and Danny Lloyd is basically a non-entity. All this I believe is intentional on Kubrick's part, and fundamental in garnering sympathy for Jack's plight (Alex Jones (http://ividdiedit.com/viddied/display.php?review=shining) makes basically the same arguments more eloquently).

Grouchy

01-12-2011, 02:08 PM

Oldboy is also my favorite from the '00s, but if I had to choose a film that defined the decade the same way Pulp Fiction or Goodfellas defined the '90s, it would be Mulholland Dr.

By the way, when Oldboy came out in theaters over here I'd already seen it on DVD. I phoned a friend and said, "I'm going to take you to see a Korean movie. I'm not going to tell you anything about it, just trust me, it's good". Today it's his favorite film of all time, replacing Dark City.

Sven

01-12-2011, 03:19 PM

Haha. First time I've ever read "Alex Jones" and "eloquent" in the same sentence. Gotta agree with meg here. I really don't think that sympathy (for Jack) is an emotion that Kubrick was concerned with constructing in this one.

Ezee E

01-12-2011, 03:23 PM

How would Mulholland Drive or Oldboy define the 00's? Just curious.

I'd be more inclined to say that it was Spider-Man

number8

01-12-2011, 03:37 PM

I'd say Spider-man, too.

StanleyK

01-12-2011, 04:07 PM

Sven

01-12-2011, 04:54 PM

I meant Alex Jackson, my bad. I enjoy his reviews, although they're occasionally overwritten.

Oh man, I did too. My bad for message boarding first thing in the morning.

Yeah, I love his reviews too, but I don't know that I'd go as far as eloquent.

Dead & Messed Up

01-12-2011, 05:10 PM

Upon rewatching Shutter Island, I'm thinking that Teddy riding in the Warden's car ranks as my favorite scene of the past year. It's so creepy and perfect. One of those perfect little short films inside a larger story, like the Mike Yanagita breakdown in Fargo or Vincent talking with the jazz man in Collateral.

baby doll

01-12-2011, 05:51 PM

How would Mulholland Drive or Oldboy define the 00's? Just curious.

I'd be more inclined to say that it was Spider-ManYeah, I'm not sure how they're defining definitive. If we mean some kind of authoritative statement about the state of the planet in the early 20th century, my picks would be Edward Yang's Yi Yi, Olivier Assayas' demonlover, Ousmane Sembène's Moolaadé, and Jia Zhang-ke's The World.

Spun Lepton

01-12-2011, 07:21 PM

Definitive movie of the Aughts is Avatar. Bad (bland) movie, all flash, no substance, and IN 3-D!!!!1

Derek

01-12-2011, 07:41 PM

How would Mulholland Drive or Oldboy define the 00's? Just curious.

I'd be more inclined to say that it was Spider-Man

Well, shitty comic book movies did flood the market in the 00s, so you may have a point there.

D_Davis

01-12-2011, 08:04 PM

Yeah, I'm not sure how they're defining definitive. If we mean some kind of authoritative statement about the state of the planet in the early 20th century, my picks would be Edward Yang's Yi Yi, Olivier Assayas' demonlover, Ousmane Sembène's Moolaadé, and Jia Zhang-ke's The World.

I simply said in terms of what I like in cinema.

I'm not making an authoritative statement.

When I think of the '00s in terms of cinema, I think of Oldboy. That's just the place my mind goes.

Ezee E

01-12-2011, 08:07 PM

Well, shitty comic book movies did flood the market in the 00s, so you may have a point there.
Whether you like it or not, the comic book movies basically changed the industry in the 00's. The Indie market is struggling more then ever, and basically everything has to be a sequel or a revision to even have a chance these days.

It all really comes to Spider-Man's $100 million opening weekend to me.

Something could be said for the expansion of the foreign market or the use of streaming video, but I can't really think of a movie that spearheaded that.

baby doll

01-12-2011, 08:19 PM

I simply said in terms of what I like in cinema.

I'm not making an authoritative statement.

When I think of the '00s in terms of cinema, I think of Oldboy. That's just the place my mind goes.I was responding more to what Grouchy said about Oldboy being his favorite, but Mulholland Dr. defining the decade (maybe because it was the consensus favorite in every single critics' poll?).

Grouchy

01-12-2011, 08:22 PM

Well, I meant "define" in terms of being a trend-setter and making stuff possible, like Goodfellas was for the '90s. That film introduced the general public to a type of fast filmmaking and a new degree of violence unheard of in the mainstream. I doubt Tarantino would've had a chance without it.

With Mulholland Dr., I can think of the following:

It started life as a TV show and therefore anticipated the new era of inmensely popular serial US television we're in.
It created a fanbase that was willing to indulge in internet debate about the film's hidden plot. I don't think a feature film before that had generated such an inmense amount of fan debate. Maybe The Matrix, but that's way more literal than this movie. I personally hate Richard Kelly, but his work wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the impact of Mulholland Dr.
It was the first time the more twisted and non-literal side of Lynch earned the raves of film critics - Lost Highway and Wild at Heart had been panned in the '90s - and it entered the Academy Awards despite being clearly anti-Hollywood. Even an idiot like Ebert seemingly got it and gave it four stars.X-Men and Spiderman are also clearly influential as the rebirth of the superhero genre.

Raiders

01-12-2011, 08:27 PM

Lord of the Rings would be my choice.

Ezee E

01-12-2011, 08:29 PM

Lord of the Rings would be my choice.
Great pick too.

baby doll

01-12-2011, 08:38 PM

I'm not sure this sort of thing can be objectively measured, but Amores perros strikes me as being fairly influential insofar as it helped to popularize cross-processed film stock (its look was copied by Fernardo Mierelles in City of God, Danny Boyle in Slumdog Millionaire, and Tony Scott in every movie he's made from Man on Fire-onwards). Also, it's a non-chronological network narrative, and lord knows how many of those there were in the last decade.

Derek

01-12-2011, 08:48 PM

Whether you like it or not, the comic book movies basically changed the industry in the 00's. The Indie market is struggling more then ever, and basically everything has to be a sequel or a revision to even have a chance these days.

It all really comes to Spider-Man's $100 million opening weekend to me.

Wasn't being sarcastic. The success of the first Spider-Man laid the groundwork for the numerous comic book blockbusters that (unfortunately, IMO) are still flooding the market. I wouldn't call it the decade-defining film, but it's certainly one of the most influential blockbusters of the 00s.

megladon8

01-12-2011, 09:10 PM

I thought it was widely accepted that the first X-Men was the movie that started the comic book movie boom of the 2000s?

Ezee E

01-12-2011, 09:13 PM

I thought it was widely accepted that the first X-Men was the movie that started the comic book movie boom of the 2000s?
It started it, but Spider-Man was the one that had the first $100 million opening weekend, and made everyone shit their pants.

Dukefrukem

01-12-2011, 11:49 PM

I just watched two of the worst movies I've ever seen;

A-team and Resident Evil; Afterlife...

Boner M

01-13-2011, 12:34 AM

Clearly, the film that defined the decade was...

http://ccmoviesandmusic.com/store/images/domestic-disturbance.jpg

No film seeped into mass consciousness with greater force. No film spoke to our dark political times more eloquently. No film more stealthily colonized our thoughts, our gait, the very timbre of our voices. FILM OF THE DECADE.

Stay Puft

01-13-2011, 01:11 AM

2010 movie catch-up mode seems to have finally been activated. I just rented The Social Network, Greenberg and Valhalla Rising. Flirted with Animal Kingdom, Catfish, I Am Love, Restrepo, Shutter Island... might return for some of them this weekend.

Actually, typing all of those titles out... I'm not sure if I even want to watch any of these. This suddenly seems like a bad idea.

Ezee E

01-13-2011, 01:17 AM

Not a bad idea at all.

Ezee E

01-13-2011, 04:21 AM

Black Swan's legs have gotten it to #2 in the box office now. With less than half the theaters that the Fockers movie has.

Boner M

01-13-2011, 04:25 AM

Black Swan's legs have gotten it to #2 in the box office now. With less than half the theaters that the Fockers movie has.
Regardless of how I end up feeling about the film, this is excellent news.

soitgoes...

01-13-2011, 05:15 AM

With Shadows and Fog, Allen is striving to homage German Expressionist films, and he nails the feel perfectly, too bad about the second rate script. One of the most unusual casts assembled for an Allen film (that's saying a lot), is pretty much wasted. Outside of the film's style the best part of the film is identifying all the actors. Marge Simpson, Jodie Foster, Kathy Bates, John C. Rielly, That 70's Show dad and on and on. Strange, strange cast.

TripZone

01-13-2011, 06:15 AM

Bosco B Thug

01-13-2011, 06:20 AM

Regardless of how I end up feeling about the film, this is excellent news.
It is. I'm getting a lot of satisfaction seeing something the least bit "arthouse"-y infiltrate the mainstream, and BS's themes are pretty lofty for the regular crowd, even if I think it fails.

But I'm not surprised it's drawing crowds actually, it's an intriguing-looking movie, whether it's one's got the hots for Natalie Portman or the latent horror movie fan in everyone (exactly, even the non-horror movie fans) is getting piqued.

DavidSeven

01-13-2011, 07:08 AM

Black Swan's legs have gotten it to #2 in the box office now. With less than half the theaters that the Fockers movie has.

This along with a Coen brothers movie making $100 million domestically (seriously, wtf?) and a bunch of poorly reviewed expensive stuff bombing is pretty encouraging. Bout time for American Renaissance Part Deux.

soitgoes...

01-13-2011, 07:16 AM

Haha, this was the first film I viewed this year. I felt the same, I think. I would say there's more Kafka than anything. The end is very Bergman/Fellini, surprise. Meh.
Totally. The film starts with - Kleinman is awoken by the police to hear he's accused of a crime. Straight outta "The Trial." The story might be Kafkaesque, but the style is pretty much German Expressionist. Either way it is a failure, well at least a Woody Allen failure, which isn't as bad as some.

baby doll

01-13-2011, 07:35 AM

This along with a Coen brothers movie making $100 million domestically (seriously, wtf?) and a bunch of poorly reviewed expensive stuff bombing is pretty encouraging. Bout time for American Renaissance Part Deux.Too bad it's not one of their better ones, like Burn After Reading or A Serious Man. My theory is that its success is partly to do with this being the Coens' first PG-13 movie since Intolerable Cruelty--and with the possible exception of The Ladykillers (which I haven't seen), it's easily the worst thing they've done since then. Then again, I seem to be the only person on the planet who doesn't think this is a great classical western (but rather, the embodiment of everything that's wrong with the genre)--hell, even Armond White likes it.

Ezee E

01-13-2011, 08:13 AM

Burn After Reading did pretty well if I remember right, whereas A Serious Man was never really given a proper release. Even if it was, how would you market that movie to those outside the arthouse theater anyway?

I hope this continues though. This is why I like the Oscars and award season though. It gives movies like this the time to get seen.

Boner M

01-13-2011, 09:00 AM

Weekend viewings:

Remember My Name (Alan Rudolph)
Black God White Devil & Antonio Das Mortes (Glauber Rocha)
Drowning by Numbers (Greenaway)
& at least one of the bajillion films I should've watched last weekend.

B-side

01-13-2011, 09:01 AM

Weekend viewings:

Antonio Das Mortes (Glauber Rocha)
Drowning by Numbers (Greenaway)

Interested in your thoughts on these.

soitgoes...

01-13-2011, 09:20 AM

Weekend:

The Northerners (Van Warmerdam)
Vacas and/or The Red Squirrel (Medem)
Fearless (Weir)
The Wedding Banquet (Lee)

Rowland

01-13-2011, 09:44 AM

hell, even Armond White likes it.And? He's a huge Coens supporter.

Burn After Reading < True Grit < A Serious Man < No Country for Old Men

IMO. The lesser two still very good, the top two great.

B-side

01-13-2011, 09:46 AM

And? He's a huge Coens supporter.

Burn After Reading < True Grit < A Serious Man < No Country for Old Men

IMO. The lesser two still very good, the top two great.

Strangely, I'm on board with every aspect of this.

endingcredits

01-13-2011, 12:31 PM

Weekend:

Carlos (Assayas, 2010)
Marcel Proust's Time Regained (Ruiz, 1999)
My Friend Ivan Lapshin (German, 1984)

Derek

01-13-2011, 02:28 PM

Weekend viewings:

Black God White Devil (Glauber Rocha)

Seems like a Boner film from what I've read. Been wanting to see it for a while, so I'm eager for your thoughts.

B-side

01-13-2011, 02:41 PM

Seems like a Boner film

Tee-hee.

Spun Lepton

01-13-2011, 05:48 PM

And? He's a huge Coens supporter.

Burn After Reading < True Grit < A Serious Man < No Country for Old Men

IMO. The lesser two still very good, the top two great.

I haven't seen Serious Man, yet. I gotta get on that. Aside from that, I agree 100% with this statement.

Russ

01-13-2011, 05:51 PM

Weekend viewings:

Remember My Name (Alan Rudolph)
Love this film. Put me down for "eager for your thoughts."

Mara

01-13-2011, 06:44 PM

So, out of the murky recesses of my mind, I have suddenly rediscovered that I once watched a film called Welcome to Woop Woop. Something off-hand triggered the memory, and now I'm recalling insane tidbits like marriage at gunpoint, incest, and what I'm pretty sure was a climactic chase scene involving a giant kangaroo.

We'll file that away with the cross-dressing opera murderer incest film Mascara in the "Why did I watch that?" drawer.

Mara

01-13-2011, 06:49 PM

FYI, my new word for incest is "consanguinity." Because it's awesome.

Also, I'm a little bored today.

baby doll

01-13-2011, 07:03 PM

Burn After Reading < True Grit < A Serious Man < No Country for Old Men

IMO. The lesser two still very good, the top two great.Here's how I see it:

True Grit < No Country for Old Men < Burn After Reading < A Serious Man

For my money, A Serious Man is probably the best thing they've ever done, though Burn After Reading isn't far behind. Certainly both were an improvement on No Country for Old Men. The latter is a fine enough thriller, but I could've done without all the ponderous philosophical bullshit, in which the Javier Bardem character isn't just a run of the mill sociopath but the living embodiment of all the world's evils, who can appear and disappear at will.

Bosco B Thug

01-13-2011, 07:45 PM

Last Year in Marienbad really is critic-proof. I'm not sure I find the "story" or themes particularly compelling (in a particular sense, of course; not that I don't find them compelling at all), but the film itself is endlessly compelling, and the beauty and emotion (and uniqueness) of its vision makes it a case of almost-love.

Love how Carnival of Souls-y it is, with that organ score.

elixir

01-13-2011, 08:00 PM

Sven

01-13-2011, 08:05 PM

megladon8

01-13-2011, 08:05 PM

While I understand that it's kind of "the point", I found the incessant playing of "California Dreamin'" in Chungking Express to be more annoying than anything.

I like the movie a lot, but to me it doesn't come close to the perfect sensualism of In the Mood for Love.

elixir

01-13-2011, 08:10 PM

I totally understand how someone could become annoyed by the song's constant playing, but for me it just became more endearing. In The Mood For Love is probably more "serious" and is probably the sexiest movie without sex, but it didn't hit me in the gut like Chungking Express did. And can't you say the incessant slow-mo on Maggie Cheung while the theme played got annoying? (I'm just saying this to play devil's advocate, as I was never really annoyed by it.)

elixir

01-13-2011, 08:11 PM

You'll definitely get more out of 2046 if you have more WKW films under your belt. It's very self-referential. Refers to past films, characters, etc.

Okay, thanks!

Stay Puft

01-13-2011, 08:13 PM

I'm not quite sure where to go next

Days of Being Wild

DavidSeven

01-13-2011, 08:21 PM

Days of Being Wild

Yep. A good place to start and my personal favorite of WKW's stuff.

megladon8

01-13-2011, 08:22 PM

I'm still dying to see Happy Together.

B-side

01-13-2011, 08:25 PM

I'm still dying to see Happy Together.

It's my favorite of his.

elixir

01-13-2011, 08:25 PM

I'm still dying to see Happy Together.

It's on Netflix InstantWatch.

Thanks guys, I'll watch Days of Being Wild next then.

megladon8

01-13-2011, 08:28 PM

I don't have Netflix :(

I'll try to get it from the library.

Stay Puft

01-13-2011, 08:34 PM

I don't have Netflix :(

And if you did, it wouldn't matter. Netflix Canada only has four of his films (Ashes of Time, ITMFL, Days of Being Wild, As Tears Go By).

Happy Together and As Tears Go By are the only WKW films I still haven't seen, if I recall correctly.

baby doll

01-13-2011, 08:35 PM

Days of Being Wild, Ashes of Time, Fallen Angels, Happy Together, 2046, his segment from Eros, and My Blueberry Nights are all gangbusters.

Raiders

01-13-2011, 08:37 PM

I think 2046 has surpassed Days of Being Wild in my esteem (both damn masterpieces), but I definitely agree you should never, ever start there. Pretty mandatory to have seen In the Mood for Love before it at least.

Rowland

01-13-2011, 09:23 PM

Argh. Third straight week that my arthouse theaters are going to be playing the exact same lineup: Black Swan, The King's Speech, 127 Hours, and The Fighter. I've seen the first three, and I have little interest in the latter. C'mon you stupid theaters.

number8

01-13-2011, 09:29 PM

It's my favorite of his.

BFFs!

MadMan

01-13-2011, 09:39 PM

So my first avatar reflects a movie I watched last night which I loved, Chungking Express. I'm pretty sure I'll never hear the song Californian Dreamin' the same way again. I actually found this to be better than In The Mood For Love. I can't wait to explore Wong Kar-Wai's filmography more, though I'm not quite sure where to go next. I suppose 2046.I think In The Mood for Love is better, but yes Express is really quite great, and I loved how it used California Dreamin'.

Last Year in Marienbad really is critic-proof. I'm not sure I find the "story" or themes particularly compelling (in a particular sense, of course; not that I don't find them compelling at all), but the film itself is endlessly compelling, and the beauty and emotion (and uniqueness) of its vision makes it a case of almost-love.

Love how Carnival of Souls-y it is, with that organ score.Having just watched it late last year, I find the film to be more dreamlike and pure dream/nightmare inspired fantasy than anything else. Honestly people who bitch about Inception not being fantastic enough when the main characters went into the dreams should just watch Last Year in Marienbad, really. A craptastic review that doesn't go deep enough into the film's themes because it begs for multiple viewings is on my blog (yes I'm not afraid to whore it out), and I agree about the organ score being similar to the one in Carnival of Souls. In fact, the music for this movie, Souls, Little Shop of Horrors, and Eyes Without a Face is all eerie and strangely similar, which suggests that perhaps in some odd way Marienbad has some horror elements to it.

And? He's a huge Coens supporter.

Burn After Reading < True Grit < A Serious Man < No Country for Old Men

IMO. The lesser two still very good, the top two great.For me its A Serious Man>No Country for Old Men>Burn After Reading>True Grit. All movies being great except for True Grit, which is really quite good.

Weekend:

Z (1969)-Last time I attempted to watch this, I got roughly halfway through and then the disc started crapping out. Stupid library copy. So I rented it from Netflix
The Fighter (2010)-I loved Three Kings and I Heart Huckabees, so I'm excited to see this. Even though the plot sounds rather generic, I imagine the cast and the direction makes up for it.
The Last Picture Show (1971)-Sure, why not? I've heard great things.

Maybe (if football doesn't cut into viewing time): Once Upon a Time in America (1984) and Missing (1982).

soitgoes...

01-13-2011, 10:31 PM

So it turns out Dumont's film isn't about a migrant worker's daily routine in the fields of a San Joaquin Valley farm. All for the better, because the film I watched was amazing. When the lead shows so little emotion throughout the film, yet the film is able to convey a a large amount of emotion in the viewer, then I think the filmmaker must be on to something. Great performance by David Douche (really? is that this guy's name, because it's almost too obvious for irony). I can't believe that he and the entire cast only ever appeared in this one film.

Humanité is up in short order.

Also Mad Man, The Last Picture Show is a great film from the 70's that gets little mention. Do check it out. Interesting that it and The Life of Jesus share a major theme, the boredom of being trapped in a small town. Bogdanovich's film doesn't have any penetration though, but there are Cybill Shepherd boobies.

MacGuffin

01-13-2011, 10:47 PM

Glad you liked The Life of Jesus, soitgoes! Too bad his movies get progressively worse from there. Also glad to see you liked Rebels of the Neon God although I'd give it an extra half-star.

Winston*

01-13-2011, 10:49 PM

Hey D_Davis do you have your top 100 anywhere? Looking for kung fu film recommendations.

EDIT: Nevermind. Found it.

soitgoes...

01-13-2011, 11:06 PM

Glad you liked The Life of Jesus, soitgoes! Too bad his movies get progressively worse from there. Also glad to see you liked Rebels of the Neon God although I'd give it an extra half-star.Hadewijch only had a couple things about it that bothered me, otherwise it's pretty close to the same quality. If his other three films are that quality, then he will end up as one of my favorites.

Tsai's film is a good one, which is nice because I didn't care for The Wayward Cloud much at all.

MacGuffin

01-13-2011, 11:19 PM

Hadewijch only had a couple things about it that bothered me, otherwise it's pretty close to the same quality. If his other three films are that quality, then he will end up as one of my favorites.

Tsai's film is a good one, which is nice because I didn't care for The Wayward Cloud much at all.

I haven't seen Hadewijch yet actually, so that's good to hear. I didn't like Flandres very much and a recent viewing of Twentynine Palms left me grasping to formalist straws in attempt to evoke the appreciation I once I had for it. I still like all of his movie, just to varying degrees. The same can be said for Tsai Ming-liang even though I flat-out disliked The Hole and The Wayward Cloud.

Derek

01-13-2011, 11:23 PM

Glad you liked The Life of Jesus, soitgoes! Too bad his movies get progressively worse from there.

Nah, I like 29 Palms more than L'Humanite and Hadewijch more than any of his previous three. Really want to see Life of Jesus though - I know Boner loves it as well.

Boner M

01-13-2011, 11:26 PM

Yeah, Life of Jesus is one of my all time faves. Lots to like in L'Humanite, Hadewijch and 29 Palms, but I kinda feel like his debut was where he said it all.

MacGuffin

01-13-2011, 11:26 PM

Nah, I like 29 Palms more than L'Humanite and Hadewijch more than any of his previous three. Really want to see Life of Jesus though - I know Boner loves it as well.

Damn, I really gotta watch Hadewijch; glad to see you liked it also. As far as cold, calculating European films go, I can think of no better representation of the entire movement than the gondala scene in The Life of Jesus.

MacGuffin

01-13-2011, 11:27 PM

ratings:

The Life of Jesus - 9.5
L'humanité - 9
Twentynine Palms - 8
Flandres - 4.5

soitgoes...

01-13-2011, 11:30 PM

Nah, I like 29 Palms more than L'Humanite and Hadewijch more than any of his previous three. Really want to see Life of Jesus though - I know Boner loves it as well.
I haven't seen his middle three to comment on any similarities with his work as a whole, but there are definitely similarities with The Life of Jesus and Hadewijch. I think the former is perfect in its execution of its story (or execution in what Dumont was trying to get across to his audience). That's the one area where I feel he got tripped up with Hadewijch. Technically Hadewijch is probably the better made film.

baby doll

01-14-2011, 12:24 AM

I like L'humanité slightly more than La Vie de Jésus, and both better than Twentynine Palms (despite the best male orgasm ever), but all three are pretty incredible. Flandres starts out great, but once the action shifts from northern France to the Middle-East, things go downhill pretty rapidly. I downloaded Hadewijch but haven't gotten around to watching it yet.

TripZone

01-14-2011, 01:53 AM

Hadewijch greatest movie.

Bosco B Thug

01-14-2011, 03:17 AM

Having just watched it late last year, I find the film to be more dreamlike and pure dream/nightmare inspired fantasy than anything else. Honestly people who bitch about Inception not being fantastic enough when the main characters went into the dreams should just watch Last Year in Marienbad, really. A craptastic review that doesn't go deep enough into the film's themes because it begs for multiple viewings is on my blog (yes I'm not afraid to whore it out), and I agree about the organ score being similar to the one in Carnival of Souls. In fact, the music for this movie, Souls, Little Shop of Horrors, and Eyes Without a Face is all eerie and strangely similar, which suggests that perhaps in some odd way Marienbad has some horror elements to it. My mind instantly went "OMG IT'S MADMAN!" when your former av popped up. Quite appropriate, considering the nature and concerns of Marienbad. :)

MacGuffin

01-14-2011, 03:48 AM

Flandres starts out great, but once the action shifts from northern France to the Middle-East, things go downhill pretty rapidly.

Agreed. Once Dumont establishes the dominant alpha-male persona of the lead, he's made his point. Unfortunately, that happens far too soon.

Mysterious Dude

01-14-2011, 04:00 AM

Twentynine Palms (despite the best male orgasm ever)
We really should do a consensus thread to determine that.

Sven

01-14-2011, 04:50 AM

I STILL can't bring myself to sell my Hannibal DVD, despite all the other compromises I have made.

megladon8

01-14-2011, 04:54 AM

I STILL can't bring myself to sell my Hannibal DVD, despite all the other compromises I have made.

I saw a brand new copy of the Robocop Criterion DVD for $9.99 the other day and I nearly bought it to send to you.

But then I remembered you selling a whole bunch of your DVDs and thought you might have already owned it and sold it. In which case buying it for you again would be kind of dumb.

Sven

01-14-2011, 05:05 AM

You should've bought it and kept it!

I appreciate the thought anyway, but that is one DVD that I already own and with which I will never part, no matter how worthless it is in the future, no matter how many better transfers are out there.

MadMan

01-14-2011, 07:31 AM

My mind instantly went "OMG IT'S MADMAN!" when your former av popped up. Quite appropriate, considering the nature and concerns of Marienbad. :)Ah yes, that image. I just took it from the Internet, didn't bother to get it made into an avatar, and shoved it into the avatar box so it would be crappily reformated. I liked that avatar, though, as that image sticks with me. I'd say that Marienbad is perhaps a "MadMan" movie, whatever the hell that means because I'm not sure what movies conform to that probably nutty standard.

Hey number 8, I really dug your list of underseen 2010 movies. I'll put most of them on my queue.

http://www.filmcrusade.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dreamscape01.jpg

Oh and folks if you really wanted an awesome, batshit crazy, movie about people going into other people's dreams, you should have watched Dreamscape by now. Near great film that, despite dated FX, has a fine cast and expertly navigates fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and suspense. I think I've found a new 80s movie, and I guess I forgot that Ruben also directed the highly underrated surburbs horror paranoia film The Stepfather, starring the great Terry O' Quinn. Plus I'd say that in some regards Inception either borrowed or stole from this movie, even though I think its the better film of the two. Now I'm left to worry that the bastards will remake this and strip away its charm. Snakeman FTW as an excellent clayanimation monster.

Skitch

01-14-2011, 02:53 PM

Starting Cat Chaser...

B-side

01-14-2011, 02:58 PM

Starting Cat Chaser...

Haven't bothered with that one yet. Didn't grab my interest like the other Ferrara's.

Skitch

01-14-2011, 05:09 PM

Haven't bothered with that one yet. Didn't grab my interest like the other Ferrara's.
I just bumped all his flicks to top, this just happened to be first. Others prolly won't arrive till next week.

B-side

01-14-2011, 05:11 PM

I just bumped all his flicks to top, this just happened to be first. Others prolly won't arrive till next week.

Did you enjoy it?

Skitch

01-14-2011, 05:29 PM

Did you enjoy it?

I got called in on emergency work thing, had to stop. Will have a full report in a couple hours.

B-side

01-14-2011, 06:28 PM

I got called in on emergency work thing, had to stop. Will have a full report in a couple hours.

OK, cool.

Skitch

01-14-2011, 07:51 PM

Cat Chaser: This only my third or fourth Ferrera, but I'm starting to see his style emerge. Heavy use of shadows, dark toned scores, use of nudity to convey vulnerability...

The story isn't groundbreaking (bored wife wants to leave with her lover and husbands money), but the back stories on the characters make it more interesting.

Peter Weller is still the man, and Kellis McGillis still has the face of a man. If this was from a young director (I'm not sure where this falls in Ferrera's filmography), I would look forward to seeing more from said director, but this film is not a must see. Not horrible, not great.

2.5/5

Russ

01-15-2011, 01:51 AM

My apologies if this has already been posted, but...kudos to Criterion for finally giving us another De Palma.

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/1825/562bdbox348x490.jpg

Boner M

01-15-2011, 02:01 AM

One of their best covers.

Skitch

01-15-2011, 02:09 AM

Never heard of the film, but that's a terriffic cover.

soitgoes...

01-15-2011, 02:16 AM

One of their best covers.Thank god for that because the Kes cover is awful.

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee171/soitgoes22/561_BD_box_348x490.jpg

megladon8

01-15-2011, 02:23 AM

Wow, that Blow Out cover is great. One of Criterion's best.

I guess, soon, I'll really have no excuse for not having seen it.

I really need to see more of De Palma's earlier work. I've only seen a handful, and have really liked most if not all of them...

Sisters - 10
Carrie - 6
Scarface - 7
Casualties of War - 5
Carlito's Way - 7.5
Mission: Impossible - 8
Snake Eyes - seen it but can't remember enough to rate
Mission to Mars - 6.5
Femme Fatale - 7.5

Boner M

01-15-2011, 02:23 AM

Dunno 'bout awful but yeah the film deserves better.

btw, the Kes disc comes with an earlier Loach feature - Cathy Come Home - which is supposed to be one of his best.

Boner M

01-15-2011, 02:25 AM

Another bad cover:

http://criterion-production.s3.amazonaws.com/release_images/3190/560_box_348x490.jpg

Sxottlan

01-15-2011, 02:44 AM

Another bad cover:

http://criterion-production.s3.amazonaws.com/release_images/3190/560_box_348x490.jpg

I haven't seen the film, but given the little blurb on the Criterion website, I think I can see what they were going for there. I like it enough.

I really like the Blow Out cover. I haven't seen that one either.

megladon8

01-15-2011, 02:45 AM

That cover for Blow Out is the type of thing I'd love in poster-size, framed on my wall.

That is a striking shot.

Sxottlan

01-15-2011, 02:56 AM

megladon8

01-15-2011, 02:57 AM

Just noticed on the extras for Blow Out:

"New hour-long interview with De Palma, conducted by filmmaker Noah Baumbach."

Doesn't Armond White love De Palma and hate Baumbach? I can see him writing a ten page essay on whether or not he should watch this.

Yeah, and he'll be classy enough to trash-talk a couple of other movies for no reason and with no back-up at all.

Sycophant

01-15-2011, 03:19 AM

ARMOND JOY!

Grouchy

01-15-2011, 06:26 AM

Never heard of the film
You owe it to yourself. De Palma at his most De Palma.

In other news, have any of you fucking monkeys seen Fandango? I'd never heard of this movie and now I love it. I can't stop watching it. I'm in love with it, it's so perfect.

Winston*

01-15-2011, 11:28 AM

Kes is one of the best movies ever FYI.

Chac Mool

01-15-2011, 03:01 PM

soitgoes...

01-15-2011, 10:22 PM

L'Humanite isn't as strong a film as The Life of Jesus or probably even Hadewijch, if only because it didn't affect me on an emotional level. Formally it's great, as strong as the other two. Dumont once again gets strong acting from his non-actor lead. Through his two first films, he paints his hometown in Bailleul in a way that I have the sense that I know it. The town church always looms over his character's actions as they numbingly go through life's motions, interacting with others, but never really connecting.

Yxklyx

01-16-2011, 05:31 AM

Noah Baumbach knows which is the best Duran Duran song.

B-side

01-16-2011, 11:43 AM

Shadows, Faces, A Woman Under the Influence, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie and Opening Night are all streaming in HD on Netflix IW. You no longer have an excuse, Netflix users.

Lucky

01-16-2011, 03:19 PM

I really need to see the remastered cut of "Ashes of Time" -- the DVD I have is beyond awful.

I also highly recommend "Buenos Aires Zero Degrees", a documentary/making-of shot during the production of Happy Together.

See My Blueberry Nights, too. I don't understand why the film is unfairly criticized, it's a worthy addition to WKW's canon.

I never thought I'd say this about a Woody Allen movie, but Hollywood Ending needed a major trip to the editing room. There was an entertaining comedy in there, just needed to trim the fat off the nearly two-hour cut.

transmogrifier

01-16-2011, 03:46 PM

See My Blueberry Nights, too.

Or, conversely, don't. Pointless, and pretty ugly to look at for a WKW film.

B-side

01-16-2011, 04:05 PM

Your taste interests me, trans. Tell me about some movies I should watch that are overlooked or underrated. By your estimation, of course.

ledfloyd

01-16-2011, 04:15 PM

our beloved month of august is one of the stranger films i've seen.

elixir

01-16-2011, 04:17 PM

our beloved month of august is one of the stranger films i've seen.

I love it. I often like strange though. Did you like it?

ledfloyd

01-16-2011, 04:43 PM

I love it. I often like strange though. Did you like it?
i think so. once the plot coalesced i started to enjoy it more.

transmogrifier

01-16-2011, 06:58 PM

Your taste interests me, trans. Tell me about some movies I should watch that are overlooked or underrated. By your estimation, of course.

Tough question, because I don't know what you've seen. The list is possibly endless.

megladon8

01-16-2011, 08:39 PM

A Town Called Panic was delightful. Hilarious, endlessly creative, and so quickly paced that it felt like I had just watched a half-hour cartoon.

Just pure fun. I loved it.

Lucky

01-16-2011, 09:18 PM

Or, conversely, don't. Pointless, and pretty ugly to look at for a WKW film.

I've never heard a convincing argument about what makes MBN inferior to other WKW movies. What about its story makes it any more "pointless", what about its cinematography makes it any more "ugly?" I think it fits snugly into the directorial style WKW has set up many times before, why people think it's a misstep truly baffles me.

In fact, more shots from MBN stick with me than any of WKW's other films with the exception of 2046. Weisz's first screen entrance, Portman and the car, Jones and Law's final kiss...

Sycophant

01-16-2011, 10:39 PM

Love Exposure is pretty incredible.

Robby P

01-16-2011, 10:47 PM

Melville

01-16-2011, 10:55 PM

A preliminary search for 'Hunger' didn't turn up very much, which surprised me since I thought for sure it would be a match cut darling. Pretty remarkable stuff, if you ask me. Available on instant watch for those interested.
Yeah, it's awesome. In case your search missed it, my initial reaction is here: http://match-cut.org/showthread.php?p=173461#post17 3461
And there's a pretty good conversation about it starting here and continuing for another page or two: http://match-cut.org/showthread.php?p=242730#post24 2730