28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[Spaceman Spiff]

I'm halfway (okay, a little under) through Violent Cop, and it's pretty great so far. Takeshi Kitano goes around beating people up and borrowing money.

[Raiders]

Robert De Niro's speech has gone the way of his career...

[Ezee E]

Robert De Niro's speech has gone the way of his career...
Uncomfortably not funny?

[megladon8]

I'm halfway (okay, a little under) through Violent Cop, and it's pretty great so far. Takeshi Kitano goes around beating people up and borrowing money.


It's my favorite of the Kitano crime films I've seen.

I really wasn't all that big on Sonatine, to be honest.

[TripZone]

It's my favorite of the Kitano crime films I've seen.

It's one of his weakest.

[megladon8]

It's one of his weakest.


Disagree.

For me, it's second only to Zatoichi.

[B-side]

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

Just toss out a few favorites and I'll look into them.

[Chac Mool]

Love Exposure is pretty incredible.

Yes!

Favorite part?

[Mr. Pink]

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.

Two of my favorite eighties movies. Both are absolutely amazing, and neither one gets enough love.

[Dukefrukem]

I can't figure out how to read this.. full image here (http://gizmodo.com/5735548/the-great-movie-sequel-debate-visualized?utm_source=feedburn er&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+gizmodo/full+(Gizmodo))

http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2011/01/500x_sequalmpa3_01.jpg

[soitgoes...]

I can't figure out how to read this.. full image here (http://gizmodo.com/5735548/the-great-movie-sequel-debate-visualized?utm_source=feedburn er&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+gizmodo/full+(Gizmodo))

http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2011/01/500x_sequalmpa3_01.jpg
The films farther to the right are the overall better films according to RT scores, to the left worse. The films above the dash line are better than the originals, below are worse. Therefore Star Trek II is the best sequel relative to its original. The Bad News Bears Go to Japan is the worst. 3 Ninjas Kick Back is bad, but no worse or better than 3 Ninjas, and Toy Story 2 was great, but again it is right on par with its original.

[Sycophant]

Yes!

Favorite part?

This is hard to decide, as there are just so many glorious things in this movie. The "who is she?" back and forth during the big fight scene was great, the sitcom-like scene at the restaurant had me laughing a lot, the training montage was a thing of beauty, the sequence where Yuu first meets his new partners in sin was perfectly done. Actually, a lot of the film felt just about perfectly done. I could keep making this list till I listed nearly the whole film.

This is my third Sono, and my favorite thus far (respected what Suicide Club was attempting more than I liked it; Exte was really good). I need to catch up with the rest of him, methinks.

[Stay Puft]

I didn't put it on my "first seen" list for 2010 (or keep it on my list, maybe it was there at one point), but the more I think about it, Winners & Sinners may have been one of the better films I saw last year. It's a bit shapeless, which is probably why I didn't include it (some parts just kinda drag), but it's responsible for at least one of my favorite scenes of the year: The martial arts sequence at the center of the film, where the combatants fight each other by merely striking martial arts poses and staring at each other. The camera panning in that one shot when the guy is surrounded is amazingly funny.

[D_Davis]

Piranha (2010) is awesome. A total riot.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Piranha (2010) is awesome. A total riot.

Yeah, I'm still not sure how I feel about Aja lingering on suffering, but otherwise it was very, very fun.

[Boner M]

Didn't like Piranha that much, but Jerry O'Connell was amazing.

[soitgoes...]

Didn't like Piranha that much, but Jerry O'Connell was amazing.This.

[Rowland]

Didn't like Piranha at all. I'd rather watch High Tension or even The Hills Have Eyes again.

[D_Davis]

I liked Hills a lot (one of my favorite scores as well), but didn't like HT at all.

[MadMan]

Piranha (2010) was gory, funny, and entertaining. In many ways it reminded me of the original 1978 film directed by Joe Dante, only in this case it wasn't a spoof/rip off of Jaws.

Finally made time for, and watched, Once Upon a Time in America. Fuck the studio for butchering a masterpiece, and just another example of why Sergio Leone is one of the greatest directors, ever, despite his limited output. Hey if I had to deal endlessly with idiotic studio excs who endlessly tried to limit one's creative output, I wouldn't be in the mood to direct multiple movies every year, either. Still wish he had lived to make Stalingrad, though. This deserves a longer review, and the film at some point will be viewed again, although the director's cut's length makes that difficult. I'd say this, Blade Runner, and The Long Good Friday are my Top 3 of the 80s, for the time being-at least off the top of my head, anyways.

[Sven]

and The Long Good Friday ...

Whoa, really? Cool.

[MadMan]

Whoa, really? Cool.I viewed it last year thanks to my local library, which is has a decent Criterion collection. Fantastic film, which reminds me I really need to finish that review I started writing for it last year, too. Bob Hoskins is truly an amazing actor-I also viewed Mona Lisa around the same time, and I was surprised at how he was able to go from playing a crazed out of control gangster to a lovestruck ex-con in over his head.

[Boner M]

Hey Derek, any thoughts on Ossos? I'm 3 films into Costa's filmography and his mastery is indisputable, but I couldn't get into that one as much as Blood and Vanda. Have you seen the latter? It takes the ascetism of the Ossos to an extreme, and all the better for it, making the prior film look like wishy-washy festival bait. Some of the most stunning DV imagery I've seen.

[soitgoes...]

I'm not a fan of Michael Cimino.

[B-side]

I'm not a fan of Michael Cimino.

The Deer Hunter's so good, though.

[soitgoes...]

The Deer Hunter's so good, though.My glib remark covers The Deer Hunter too. I think Heaven's Gate is the better Cimino film, as bloated as it is.

[B-side]

My glib remark covers The Deer Hunter too. I think Heaven's Gate is the better Cimino film, as bloated as it is.

Yeah, well, your taste in films does not coincide with mine as often as would be necessary for me to praise it, thus it is bad.

[soitgoes...]

Yeah, well, your taste in films does not coincide with mine as often as would be necessary for me to praise it, thus it is bad.:lol:

Watch the Turkish films in my sig. Now.

[B-side]

:lol:

Watch the Turkish films in my sig. Now.

I had my eye on Kosmos when I saw it get upped on KG. I'll try and watch it soon.

[elixir]

I have seen the first four episodes of The Decalogue, and have loved them all, but I can't find 5-10 anywhere. :frustrated: My library doesn't have it. Whatever, I'm sure I'll get to it at some point, and unless the episodes (short films?) really dip in quality, it will probably remain among my favorites.

I just saw Small Change a few days ago, and it was really great. Are there any directors who do the subject of childhood as well as Truffaut? I ask because I am very interested in artistic works where childhood/adolescence is a central subject...I don't know why that is, but I am (when it's done well, of course).

I just got back into classes, and I'm very excited about my Intro to Film course. Also, my English professor also teaches film and we discussed Fellini after class, so that was cool.

[Skitch]

Next up in my Abel Ferrera-thon, Fear City. Opening title credit says, "Chevy Chase Distribution Corp.". Whaa?! Lol

[StanleyK]

It ended up being an overall good movie, but man, the first 40 minutes or so of Ossos were excruciatingly boring. I appreciate how Costa respects my intelligence and doesn't want to spoonfeed me exposition, but this goes too far to the other end; not having a clue who the characters are, what they're doing at any given time, or why they're doing it, is very frustrating. Around the half-way mark I sort of figured it out and it started getting interesting, but this is a long, long way from the arresting imagery and well-rounded people found in O Sangue.

[Skitch]

Fear City - A bony young Melanie Griffith, rocking Farrah Fawcett hair, stars along side young shaggy haired Tom Berenger. This tries really hard to be a gem in the rough thriller about a home-schooled-kung-fu serial slasher/killer hunting strippers in New York, but is little more than an average skinemax boob show with some better actors.

Billy Dee Williams is a racist cop, and apparently his beat is patrolling strip joints. Yep.

Disturbing vision of the week: fat cowgirl stripper that won't get off stage.

1/5

[Raiders]

I guess I really need to see something from this Costa fellow.

[StanleyK]

I guess I really need to see something from this Costa fellow.

Yes, you do. O Sangue is excellent.

[Derek]

Hey Derek, any thoughts on Ossos? I'm 3 films into Costa's filmography and his mastery is indisputable, but I couldn't get into that one as much as Blood and Vanda. Have you seen the latter? It takes the ascetism of the Ossos to an extreme, and all the better for it, making the prior film look like wishy-washy festival bait. Some of the most stunning DV imagery I've seen.

Haven't seen Vanda yet, but I'll be seeing it soon. Colossal Youth was also more extreme in its asceticism and I found it a bit more difficult to penetrate than Ossos, though still remarkably unique. I can understand Stanley K's reaction to Ossos as it is similar to late period Bresson in its obscuring of character relationships, causality and even the narrative itself, yet it's also quite different in the intensity of its focus on environment and the way time and space come to define the characters way of life. It's brutal in its materialism, using lighting, slightly off-kilter composition and windows, doorways and alleyways to create frames within frames while the textures of walls, the imperfections of characters clothes, the incessant sounds of chatter and music penetrating from off-screen essentially contain the mysteries of who these people are and what their lives are like.

The girl in the opening shot has no lines and her relationship to Clotilde or Tina, yet it's clear she lives nearby and more than likely knows them intimately. It's a simple technique, but merely having her observe in a number of scenes (and other recurring characters as well) suggests multiple perspectives, both in how the central narrative of Tina trying to get her child back can be observed (how we see it vs. how others privy to more or less information about it would), but also the layers of reality within the slums. Costa captures a true sense of community in the way he doesn’t allow his central story to dominate, rather weaving it intricately amongst everyday life, seemingly random encounters and people waiting. The long, often static shots along with the lighting give a real sense of time almost grinding to a halt, people living in the verge of oblivion yet struggling to get by. I think why I responded to this stronger than Colossol Youth is that there are small bits of hope scattered throughout, whereas the latter is closer to lost souls floating around like ghosts, abandoned and despairing. Both are great, but Ossos has more heart in my opinion. Still, this isn’t as great as O Sangue.

[Boner M]

I watched Alan Rudolph's Remember My Name and The Disappearance of Alice Creed back-to-back today, which was an interesting double bill. The former is a strange, elliptical psychodrama that uses exposition as the jumping point for jazzy riffing on a theme, both in form and especially performance. Geraldine Chaplin's face becomes a hypnotic blank canvas the longer that Rudolph leaves questions hanging, and even when the blanks are filled, they're done in a deliberately half-hearted manner that casts the real intrigue of the film into sharp relief.

Alice Creed, on the other hand, suffered quite a bit from being paired with such an effectively elliptical film, since its clever but ultimately mechanical accrual of double crosses and reversals just becomes tiring after a while. I think the moment that lost me was the nonsense with the hiding of the shell, which shows a filmmaker's priding of gimmicky visual storytelling over plausible character action; the latter flaw later emblemised by the one of the worst sex scenes ever. Saved by solid performances, esp. Eddie Marsan and strikingly sterile widescreen compositions.

[TripZone]

I love Geraldine Chaplin.

[Boner M]

I love Geraldine Chaplin.
This is the first film I've really taken notice of her, but she's totally mesmerising in it. And fuck, what a filmography; Rivette, Altman, Saura, Rudolph all at least twice, as well as Resnais, Scorsese, David Lean...

[StanleyK]

Both are great, but Ossos has more heart in my opinion. Still, this isn’t as great as O Sangue.

I liked your write-up. It's possible that with some hindsight I'd get more from a second viewing, but my initial impression was underwhelming. Still pretty excited for In Vanda's Room and Colossal Youth.

[Derek]

This is the first film I've really taken notice of her, but she's totally mesmerising in it. And fuck, what a filmography; Rivette, Altman, Saura, Rudolph all at least twice, as well as Resnais, Scorsese, David Lean...

My favorite performance of hers is in Carlos Saura's wonderfully surreal Peppermint Frappe. Worth tracking down if you're a fan of Bunuel.

[NickGlass]

I watched Alan Rudolph's Remember My Name and The Disappearance of Alice Creed back-to-back today, which was an interesting double bill.

Who cares. I want to know what you think of No Strings Attached!

[Mara]

Quite unintentionally, I ended up watching A Single Man and A Serious Man on the same weekend. I didn't make a plan to watch two films with almost the same name that deal with college professors in the 1960's who are going through personal crises, which both came out in 2009. It just happened.

A Serious Man is a substantially better film. For the record.

[Rowland]

esp. Eddie Marsan and strikingly sterile widescreen compositions.Pretty much. The film is directed with muscular efficiency and a keen eye, and while the other two performances are fine, Marsan almost single-handedly imbues the increasingly preposterous, underwritten material with menace and pathos. I admired that for a film of this nature, there were only really two serious twists, the second an especially enthralling game-changer, but then the potential inherent in its implications isn't probed or cultivated to any meaningful end, and the entire thing deflated for me by the time they left the room, so I was with the film longer than you. The ending is clever in its reveal of the meaning behind the title, but it also serves to encapsulate the film's superficiality. Nevertheless, I found the first two acts or so reasonably engrossing, the filmmaker's technique admirably stripped down, and Marson's presence magnetic enough to merit a mild-ish yay.

[Sycophant]

A Serious Man is a substantially better man than most films.

[megladon8]

More people need to watch A Town Called Panic.

[Sycophant]

Anyone else see Toshiaki Toyoda's 9 Souls? I saw it a few months ago and thought it was pretty great. I've got a copy of his Blue Spring I need to get to, too.

[Mara]

More people need to watch A Town Called Panic.

Yeah. Fun times.

My mother completely lost the thread in the last fifteen minutes. I kept explaining that you're not really supposed to "follow" the "story."

My sister and b-i-law love it, though, and occasionally quote it at each other. "JANINE!!!"

[megladon8]

Yeah. Fun times.

My mother completely lost the thread in the last fifteen minutes. I kept explaining that you're not really supposed to "follow" the "story."

My sister and b-i-law love it, though, and occasionally quote it at each other. "JANINE!!!"


The penguin tank was genius.

[Bosco B Thug]

What would we (movie-lovers) do without Brian De Palma? No one really makes movies like he does, even the people he lifts from. If it weren't for his enthusiasm for narrative and genre, I have a feeling he'd be almost Godard-esque in his abstract artiness.

Anyway, Raising Cain was uneven, but fascinating (of course). Best scenes were the reveries and memories of the wife character. I agree it feels slight by the end, it should've pushed for poignancy more.

[soitgoes...]

My favorite performance of hers is in Carlos Saura's wonderfully surreal Peppermint Frappe. Worth tracking down if you're a fan of Bunuel.Haven't seen that one, but she is pretty great in Saura's CrÃ*a cuervos too.

[Qrazy]

What would we (movie-lovers) do without Brian De Palma?

Be happier there was less schlock in the world?

[Bosco B Thug]

Be happier there was less schlock in the world? :pritch: You're the one with the bow.

Well, actually I was hoping my laying it on thick there would inspire something derisive. Cuz it's fun struggling with the fact that I find his films thematically and emotionally multi-layered (and mature), yet they are goofy.

[StanleyK]

Well damn if Once Upon a Time in the West isn't one of the greatest movies ever made. Seriously. I've seen it more times than I can count and it still floors me. Fucking speechless, I am. I'm gonna say it: this has the best plot to any movie ever made. I know Match Cut isn't big on plot structure and all, but that's got to count for something, right?

/hyperbole

[dmk]

The former is a strange, elliptical psychodrama that uses exposition as the jumping point for jazzy riffing on a theme, both in form and especially performance. Geraldine Chaplin's face becomes a hypnotic blank canvas the longer that Rudolph leaves questions hanging, and even when the blanks are filled, they're done in a deliberately half-hearted manner that casts the real intrigue of the film into sharp relief.
It’s cool that you write this, because this is what – with my limited recent four-film sample – Ruldoph seemed to be most apt at creating within his films’ circulation of theme and mood. I always get so much from his films and so little at the same time – the nonchalance is breathtaking. Which leaves me asking what exactly went wrong with The Moderns – one I’ve yet to see – but is loved dearly by Rudolph fans. It's next on my list.

[Qrazy]

:pritch: You're the one with the bow.

Well, actually I was hoping my laying it on thick there would inspire something derisive. Cuz it's fun struggling with the fact that I find his films thematically and emotionally multi-layered (and mature), yet they are goofy.

Hehe yeah I do enjoy a number of his films quite a bit. He makes formally precise, entertaining cinema but there is sooo much goofiness. I think it's an issue with his close ups primarily. His long shots are tops but I find his close ups too tight and flat a lot of times... and then there's the thematic cheese factor of course.

[BuffaloWilder]

After a good while of searching, I've finally found a home for my expanded article on George Miller's Happy Feet and it's visual and thematic place within his previous filmography that I've been yammering on and on about for a - long, long time.

It was published at The Moving Arts Journal, and you can read it here (http://www.themovingarts.com/marching-through-a-blizzard-at-the-bottom-of-the-world-george-miller%e2%80%99s-microcosmic-penguin-mythmaking/), MC.

*takes a breath*

[D_Davis]

Solomon Kane

I had no idea they had made a film of Robert E. Howard's bad-ass Puritan warrior, Solomon Kane. Color me even more surprised to find that the film was quite good. The subject matter is treated seriously, and with respect, and yet it still maintains many of Howard's pulp-fiction traits. My only really complaint with the film is with its score - it's overly bombastic and mixed way to loudly. It's also completely uninspired.

However, in general the film is totally worth a watch. Probably the best low-fantasy since Conan the Barbarian. The sequence at the church as really cool, and the high point of the film.

I'd love to see this turned into a series. It'd be super cool to see more adventures of Solomon Kane on the screen.

[D_Davis]

Well damn if Once Upon a Time in the West isn't one of the greatest movies ever made. Seriously. I've seen it more times than I can count and it still floors me. Fucking speechless, I am. I'm gonna say it: this has the best plot to any movie ever made. I know Match Cut isn't big on plot structure and all, but that's got to count for something, right?

/hyperbole

It's the best.

And I'm all about plot ;)

[D_Davis]

Oh, and the best part about Solomon Kane?

None of that slow-down-speed-up-pseudo-bullet-time shit.

[EyesWideOpen]

Any interest in me making a netflix instant viewing thread where I update with the new movies/tv that they've added each day (i know instant watcher does this but I'll weed out all the non relevant stuff)?

I can also keep track of the stuff that's going to be disappearing.

[D_Davis]

Anyone seen Summer Wars, yet?

WD5QiLi2krk

It starts here in a couple of weeks. Looks great.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Oh, and the best part about Solomon Kane?

None of that slow-down-speed-up-pseudo-bullet-time shit.

I believe that's commonly called "speed ramping," and that's good news about Kane, since I've also grown weary of the ramped speeds.

[Ivan Drago]

Any interest in me making a netflix instant viewing thread where I update with the new movies/tv that they've added each day (i know instant watcher does this but I'll weed out all the non relevant stuff)?

I can also keep track of the stuff that's going to be disappearing.

I'd definitely be interested.

[Rowland]

Solomon Kane

I had no idea they had made a film of Robert E. Howard's bad-ass Puritan warrior, Solomon Kane. Color me even more surprised to find that the film was quite good. The subject matter is treated seriously, and with respect, and yet it still maintains many of Howard's pulp-fiction traits. My only really complaint with the film is with its score - it's overly bombastic and mixed way to loudly. It's also completely uninspired.

However, in general the film is totally worth a watch. Probably the best low-fantasy since Conan the Barbarian. The sequence at the church as really cool, and the high point of the film.

I'd love to see this turned into a series. It'd be super cool to see more adventures of Solomon Kane on the screen.
I've heard good things about the filmmaker's first two films as well, his debut a horror film set in the trenches of WWI that is available on Netflix Instant View. He's writing/directing the Silent Hill sequel, which will apparently be based on the third game, so I'm excited the word on his work is pretty positive.

[D_Davis]

I've heard good things about the filmmaker's first two films as well, his debut a horror film set in the trenches of WWI that is available on Netflix Instant View.

Oh cool - Deathwatch. I've seen the cover before. I'll probably end up checking it out.

[Stay Puft]

Deathwatch is lame.

[Winston*]

Anyone seen Summer Wars, yet?

It starts here in a couple of weeks. Looks great.

I did. Loved it.

[Sycophant]

Haven't seen Summer Wars yet, but it's releasing in about a month and I can't wait for my Blu-Ray to get here. I don't think I've read a negative word about it, and Mamoru Hosoda's the Girl Who Leapt through Time was really something special.

[Winston*]

I liked Summer Wars quite a bit more than The Girl Who Lept THrough Time.

[Boner M]

Weekend:

Down to the Bone
Black Swan and The Fighter
The Adjustment Bureau and How Do You Know (press)
Colossal Youth

[soitgoes...]

Revolutionary by Yevgeni Bauer is a slice of history. The film was made in early 1917 just after the overthrow of the Tsarist government, but still before the overthrow of the Provisional Government by the Bolsheviks. The film's stance is very much for the Provisional Republic, which on its own makes the film a curious addition to the Russian film canon, as there aren't many (any?) films that are left that take this stance.

The film follows a father who is sent away to Siberia in 1907 for anti-tsarist sentiments. He suffers. After 10 years the government is overthrown, and he is sent home to rejoin his son. The question of whether to rejoin the war against the Germans comes up, to which Bauer supports. The film again shows off Bauer's mastery (for its time) of mise en scène, but outside of historical context the film is more simplistic than his other works I've seen. Interesting to note, that within months of this film's release Bauer would be dead, never knowing that the Bolsheviks would seize power. One of those cinematic what ifs?

[Rowland]

Black Swan and The FighterSweet.

[soitgoes...]

Weekend:

The Outlaw and His Wife (Sjöström)
Max Manus (a couple Norwegian guys)
Egg (Kaplanoglu)
My Only Sunshine (Erdem)
To Die Like a Man (Rodrigues)

[Dukefrukem]

Watched Frankenstein (1931) last night. I'm so deprived.

[Dukefrukem]

Can someone please explain to me why some Charlie Chaplin movies in the 20s look sharper, better cut and faster paced than other silent movies in the 30s?

[kuehnepips]

Chaplin is from England :P

Valhalla Rising is excellent btw.

[Dukefrukem]

Chaplin is from England :P

Valhalla Rising is excellent btw.

added to Instant Watch queue!

[baby doll]

Chaplin is from England :PBut he only made two films there, at the end of his career (A King in New York and A Countess From Hong Kong). I've only seen the former, but as much as I like it, you have to admit that it's a bit shabby in spots, particularly alongside his best American films, like City Lights and Monsieur Verdoux.

[baby doll]

Can someone please explain to me why some Charlie Chaplin movies in the 20s look sharper, better cut and faster paced than other silent movies in the 30s?They look sharper, I would assume, because they've been well preserved and restored. As for better cut and faster paced, if we're just comparing them with his later works (and not other silent pictures in general), I'd say that his films beginning with The Gold Rush became more episodic than The Kid and A Woman in Paris (The Circus, I'd argue, is a bit of a throwback).

[Dukefrukem]

They look sharper, I would assume, because they've been well preserved and restored. As for better cut and faster paced, if we're just comparing them with his later works (and not other silent pictures in general), I'd say that his films beginning with The Gold Rush became more episodic than The Kid and A Woman in Paris (The Circus, I'd argue, is a bit of a throwback).

Well I guess I was referring to Silent Films in general. I would imagine as time goes on, filmmakers would perfect the art of cutting these movies together. The two Chaplin movies I've seen, The Kid and Gold Rush, (both made in the 20s) look incredible compared to 30s silent films like; Metropolis,

edit: actually Metropolis was made in 27, but still, the two Chaplin movies were made before it. It feels like it was a step back in the genre.

edit: 2 actually the other movies I was thinking of also take place in the 20s too... Nosferatu, & The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. So nevermind I guess.

[baby doll]

Well I guess I was referring to Silent Films in general. I would imagine as time goes on, filmmakers would perfect the art of cutting these movies together. The two Chaplin movies I've seen, The Kid and Gold Rush, (both made in the 20s) look incredible compared to 30s silent films like; Metropolis,

edit: actually Metropolis was made in 27, but still, the two Chaplin movies were made before it. It feels like it was a step back in the genre.

edit: 2 actually the other movies I was thinking of also take place in the 20s too... Nosferatu, & The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. So nevermind I guess.I dunno, dude, I think Metropolis is crazily well edited--in fact, in another league entirely from anything by Chaplin. As great as his films are, rhythmic Eisenstein-derived montage was never one of his strong-suits, while Lang's film contains sequences of pure ecstasy.

[D_Davis]

I did. Loved it.


Haven't seen Summer Wars yet, but it's releasing in about a month and I can't wait for my Blu-Ray to get here. I don't think I've read a negative word about it, and Mamoru Hosoda's the Girl Who Leapt through Time was really something special.

Cool. I'll definitely be checking it out next week. I liked The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, but didn't love it.

[D_Davis]

C
Valhalla Rising is excellent btw.

:pritch:

[Derek]

I dunno, dude, I think Metropolis is crazily well edited--in fact, in another league entirely from anything by Chaplin. As great as his films are, rhythmic Eisenstein-derived montage was never one of his strong-suits, while Lang's film contains sequences of pure ecstasy.

This. The editing in Metropolis is amazing.

[Dukefrukem]

I'm a silent film n00b. What do I know? I can't even put grades to them.

[Mysterious Dude]

Anyone seen Summer Wars, yet?
I saw it yesterday. It's okay, but succumbs to certain anime cliches (it's always up to adolescents to save the world (http://satwcomic.com/child-s-play)).

[megladon8]

I'm a silent film n00b. What do I know? I can't even put grades to them.


It's cool you're getting into them. Jen really got me into silent film by introducing me to Lon Chaney Sr.

If you can, try to get your hands on a copy of the TCM Lon Chaney Collection DVD. There's a movie on there called The Unknown that's fantastic.

Also check out the 1925 version of The Phantom of the Opera (with Chaney as the Phantom).

[Melville]

Danton (1983) ****
Have you read Buchner's play Danton's Death? If so, how does this compare? I haven't read The Danton Case, which Wajda's film is based on, but it would be cool to read or see a play or movie that approaches the event from a different angle than, but equal awesomeness as, Buchner.

[Dukefrukem]

It's cool you're getting into them. Jen really got me into silent film by introducing me to Lon Chaney Sr.

If you can, try to get your hands on a copy of the TCM Lon Chaney Collection DVD. There's a movie on there called The Unknown that's fantastic.

Also check out the 1925 version of The Phantom of the Opera (with Chaney as the Phantom).

I'll look em up! Thanks.

Phantom of the Opera is in my Netflix queue.

[Sven]

Seen this? It's so awesome.

http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lex3s2CgQN1qe0eclo1_r9_ 500.gif

[Mysterious Dude]

Have you read Buchner's play Danton's Death? If so, how does this compare? I haven't read The Danton Case, which Wajda's film is based on, but it would be cool to read or see a play or movie that approaches the event from a different angle than, but equal awesomeness as, Buchner.
I haven't read the play, but I can speak for the movie's awesomeness. I've become quite fascinated with the French Revolution. Their revolution was so much messier than ours.

The only thing is, I'm not sure Gérard Depardieu was the best choice to play Danton. I'm not saying Depardieu is all that, but Danton...

http://i879.photobucket.com/albums/ab356/FREN3112/chapitre%206/ZZZZDanton.png

Yeesh.

[baby doll]

Weekend:

The Small Back Room (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, 1949)
Enter the Dragon (Robert Clouse, 1973)

[soitgoes...]

Weekend:
Enter the Dragon (Robert Clouse, 1973)This seems like a weird viewing for you. I guess the iconic room of mirrors fight is worth seeing, but there are many better options for kung fu films out there.

[elixir]

Not sure how much people care about it, but I love They Shoot Pictures, Don't They (website) and they just updated their top 1000 and 21st century list! I'm a list maniac, so I'm excited to look through (however small it may be) the changes!

Links: Top 1000--http://www.theyshootpictures.com/gf1000.htm
21st Century: http://www.theyshootpictures.com/21stcentury_films1-50.htm

[soitgoes...]

Not sure how much people care about it, but I love They Shoot Pictures, Don't They (website) and they just updated their top 1000 and 21st century list! I'm a list maniac, so I'm excited to look through (however small it may be) the changes!

Links: Top 1000--http://www.theyshootpictures.com/gf1000.htm
21st Century: http://www.theyshootpictures.com/21stcentury_films1-50.htmThe 21st century list hasn't been updated yet. Soon.

[Adam]

I don't understand why the TSPDT list changes so dramatically every year. In 2008, for example, Withnail & I is the 737th greatest film and then the next year it's not even on the list

[soitgoes...]

I don't understand why the TSPDT list changes so dramatically every year. In 2008, for example, Withnail & I is the 737th greatest film and then the next year it's not even on the listThey are continually adding ballots. Almost 100 new ballots were added this year, which would definitely change the results.

[elixir]

The 21st century list hasn't been updated yet. Soon.

Sorry! I saw 2010 January update, and I thought we were still in 2010 for some reason...I'm an idiot.

[soitgoes...]

Sorry! I saw 2010 January update, and I thought we were still in 2010 for some reason...I'm an idiot.:lol:

Nah. It takes me until some point in February to place myself in the correct year without thinking too hard on it.

[MadMan]

Weekend:

*The Green Hornet
*Maybe George Washington, if it does arrive in the mail

[Stay Puft]

Weekend...

A Prophet
35 rhums
In the Beginning
Villa Amalia (know nothing about this, but Isabelle Huppert is all I need)

I doubt I'll get to all of those, and will probably prioritize the first two.

[Sycophant]

Weekend (Sundance)!

Abraxas (Sundance!)
Vampire (Iwai; Sundance!)
The Only Son

And if I can get enough time between my homework, actual work, and standing in Sundance wait lines, I think I'll try to get to Mochizuki's Onibi.

[kuehnepips]

Weekend:

Kick-Ass (with my sons and their friends, should be fun)
13 (w/o kids)

[Yxklyx]

Fin de semana:

Black Hawk Down
Salò
Animal Kingdom

[D_Davis]

Weekend:

Death Kappa
True Legend

[endingcredits]

Weekend:

Marclel Proust's Time Regained (Ruiz, 1999)
Get The Car! (German, 1998)

[Spun Lepton]

Watched Inception again. A few more plot inconsistencies became apparent, and some of the spoon-feeding moments were a little much, but it didn't keep the movie from being a big ol' barrel of fun.

Rating goes from 9/10 to 8/10.

[Sven]

...
Abraxas (Sundance!)
...

Did you order this?!

[Raiders]

Weekend:

Exit Through the Gift Shop
Blue Valentine
O Sangue
The Packers and the Jets' wins

[Melville]

I haven't read the play, but I can speak for the movie's awesomeness. I've become quite fascinated with the French Revolution. Their revolution was so much messier than ours.
I highly recommend Buchner's play. It's an immense dramatization of ideas, grim and intensely pitched, structured around towering speeches (portions of which incorporate parts of actual speeches by the revolutionary leaders). Danton is cast as a larger-than-life figure, sensuous and brooding, spouting awesome monologues about humanity and fate. Definitely not aiming for historical accuracy, but I think you'd like it.

[Watashi]

A new Peter Weir movie opens wide today and yet there has been absolutely zero buzz about it. I still want to see it.

[B-side]

The Turin Horse and Pina are playing at Berlinale this year. One of you go record them on your cell phone and upload them and email them to me as compressed 240p files.

[MacGuffin]

The Turin Horse and Pina are playing at Berlinale this year. One of you go record them on your cell phone and upload them and email them to me as compressed 240p files.

Then you could watch them on your FUCKING telephone.

[B-side]

Then you could watch them on your FUCKING telephone.

It's such a sadness.

[B-side]

For the sake of my reputation, I'd like to be counted among those who loved O Sangue. All accolades and praise can be sent to my inbox. Just click on my name, then click on "Send a private message to Brightside." Ladies, keep it sexy but tasteful.

[Russ]

Animated classics don’t come any more obscure than this 1981 Hungarian feature from director Marcell Jankovics. The narrative of Fehérlófia (“Son of the White Mare”) uses as its source an abundance of eastern European legends and folk tales and crafts an epic adventure of three brothers and their quest into the underworld to rescue three exiled princesses. Jankovics infuses this simple story with modern touches ranging from contemporary social critiques to the use of an eclectic and primarily electronic-based score. The big stunner, though, is Jankovics’ use of mind-bending avant-garde and experimental visuals to tell this story. The art technique is amazing: images are stylized sometimes to the point of non-recognition, but are constantly morphing and changing in such a creative fashion as to always convey the image’s essence. The use of colors is unequaled in its audaciousness (it’s the most retina-scorching use of color I’ve ever seen, rivaled years later by the day-glo madness of the Wachowski’s Speed Racer). Numerology is an important aspect of the fable’s lore, particularly the numbers three, seven, and twelve. Accordingly, there is often a precise symmetry utilized in the animation style. There’s not a lot of dialogue, but what little voice-work there is, is immaculately rendered and meshes wonderfully with the characterizations throughout the film. It reaches as bold and adventurous a plateau as any animated film (ostensibly for children) will likely ever reach. Any fan of foreign cinema should seek out this masterpiece of alternative animation.


http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/8021/54800837.jpg


http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/6898/30652965.jpg


http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/7434/98680593.jpg

[B-side]

I bookmarked that when I saw it at the top of your top 10 films first seen in 2011 list.

[baby doll]

This seems like a weird viewing for you. I guess the iconic room of mirrors fight is worth seeing, but there are many better options for kung fu films out there.Yeah, David Bordwell recently posted a list of twenty-five classic Hong Kong movies (http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/?p=11612) on his blog (among them Fist of Fury), but I picked this one up on a whim from the local library.

[Sycophant]

Yeah, David Bordwell recently posted a list of twenty-five classic Hong Kong movies (http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/?p=11612) on his blog (among them Fist of Fury), but I picked this one up on a whim from the local library.

I've seen just eleven of these. I should fix this.

[B-side]

For the sake of my reputation, I'd like to be counted among those who loved O Sangue. All accolades and praise can be sent to my inbox. Just click on my name, then click on "Send a private message to Brightside." Ladies, keep it sexy but tasteful.

I'll have you guys know, my mom once laughed at something I said, so clearly she thinks I'm funny, even if she is schizophrenic.

[Melville]

Weekend viewings:

My Friend Ivan Lapshin
Time Regained

Finally I'll be able to settle the question: Qrazy vs. Brightside—who wins?

[B-side]

Weekend viewings:

My Friend Ivan Lapshin
Time Regained

Finally I'll be able to settle the question: Qrazy vs. Brightside—who wins?

I wouldn't have chosen that film for such a prestigious battle, but I think we both know who is the superior man.

Hint: His name doesn't not start with a Q.

[soitgoes...]

Weekend viewings:

My Friend Ivan Lapshin
Time Regained

Finally I'll be able to settle the question: Qrazy vs. Brightside—who wins?
Since my opinion is unbiased, and I've seen 1 out of 2 of those films, I can say that the Alexei German film is the better one. Without bias. No question.

[D_Davis]

This seems like a weird viewing for you. I guess the iconic room of mirrors fight is worth seeing, but there are many better options for kung fu films out there.

Yeah - I wouldn't even include Enter the Dragon on a top 100; it's just not very good. Maybe if I were making a list of "important" (whatever that means) kung fu films I'd include it, just because of how it helped make the genre more popular in the west. But as a movie, I'd pass. There are literally hundreds of better kung fu movies out there.

[D_Davis]

Yeah, David Bordwell recently posted a list of twenty-five classic Hong Kong movies (http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/?p=11612) on his blog (among them Fist of Fury), but I picked this one up on a whim from the local library.

I've seen 24 of them them. The ones I haven't seen:

Rogue
The Wild Wild Rose
The Private Eyes

Funny, never even heard of these three. I should check them out.

Interesting list. I think mine would only be slightly different. I'd probably include A Touch of Zen even though it was a Taiwanese production, and for an artistic wuxia I'd definitely pick Tsui Hark's The Blade over Ashes of Time; it's a superior film in every way. I'd also chose Project A over Young Master, and I'd swap something out for either Spooky Encounters or Mr. Vampire, because the comedy-horror genre has to be included. I'd also probably add at least one Ching Siu Tung film to the mix, with either A Chinese Ghost Story, or Duel to the Death. But for the most part, it's a pretty good list.

But not a single Shaw Brothers martial arts film? Really? No Chang Cheh or Lau Kar Leung, easily two of the most important filmmakers in Hong Kong. Some of those movies included probably wouldn't even exist if not for Chang Cheh.

edit - Golden Swallow was Chang Cheh. Odd choice, though. Oh yeah, and 36th Chamber is on there for pops, so never mind! :)

[Sycophant]

Sundance report:

My first failed wait list attempt. No Abraxas for me. One of the only two films I even wanted to see. :|

[Ezee E]

Sundance does multiple showings don't they?

[Sycophant]

It was the only showing of this one in SLC. I don't have a car and it's too difficult to get to Park City.

[Milky Joe]

You better go see The Terrys.

[Sycophant]

You better go see The Terrys.

*finds trailer*

*watches*

I don't think I care.

[Milky Joe]

http://media.bside.com//films/t/theterrys/images/l/001_1The_Terrys1_l.jpg

No? It's only 15 minutes.

[Watashi]

Did anyone catch the new "Ebert Presents At the Movies" yesterday?

I liked it. Ignatiy loved everything including Green Hornet, No Strings Attached, and The Dilemma, while Christy hated everything. They also have a spotlight for what Ebert is watching that is narrated by Werner Herzog. Despite Ignaity's love for mainstream entertainment, it seemed way more geared towards cinephiles than housewives.

[Ezee E]

I think it's going to be shown online. I'll have to look for it.

[balmakboor]

I can confidently say that "Charles Laughton Directs The Night of the Hunter" is the best bonus material I've ever seen.

[Adam]

Did anyone catch the new "Ebert Presents At the Movies" yesterday?

Ya, it was good. I'll watch it going forward, I think. Ignatiy's kind of a spaz on camera, but endearingly so

[Sycophant]

http://media.bside.com//films/t/theterrys/images/l/001_1The_Terrys1_l.jpg

No? It's only 15 minutes.

Part of a 2-hour shorts program that would cost me $15 and require me to stand outside for probably 2-hours in the hopes that I get tickets? Nah.

And after 30 seconds of it in the trailer, I'd be hard-pressed to watch it for free on the Internet for 15 minutes.

[B-side]

So, apparently Jon Jost is a relatively active member on MUBI (http://mubi.com/users/178420).

[TripZone]

So, apparently Jon Jost is a relatively active member on MUBI (http://mubi.com/users/178420).

"And thx for the great news on your soon to be released HD transfer of your films"

Whoa.

[D_Davis]

I don't think I've ever been more pleasantly surprised with a film than I am right now with Yuen Woo Ping's True Legend. It has all of the heart, energy, life, and excitement as the glory days of martial arts cinema; it is a beautiful treat for the eyes and ears; and it has some amazing action utilizing Vincent Zhou's natural prowess and Woo Ping's uncanny ability to add force and power to his choreography. While Zhou may not be the best actor in terms of dramatic work, he more than makes up for this shortcoming with his physical abilities; he is a true wonder to behold. Yuen Woo Ping hasn't directed a film in over a decade, and it seems as though he's used that time wisely, because True Legend is really something special.

[D_Davis]

Think I'll continue the martial arts cinema with either Bruce Lee, My Brother, or The Warrior's Way.

And tomorrow I'm going to pick up Detective Dee; let's see if Tsui Hark still has it.

[Derek]

I can confidently say that "Charles Laughton Directs The Night of the Hunter" is the best bonus material I've ever seen.

Spoken like a man who has not seen "Quinoa" on the Inland Empire DVD, in which David Lynch prepares quinoa and tells of a nonsensical dream he had.

[soitgoes...]

Spoken like a man who has not seen "Quinoa" on the Inland Empire DVD, in which David Lynch prepares quinoa and tells of a nonsensical dream he had.
I like quinoa.

[Yxklyx]

Yeah - I wouldn't even include Enter the Dragon on a top 100; it's just not very good. Maybe if I were making a list of "important" (whatever that means) kung fu films I'd include it, just because of how it helped make the genre more popular in the west. But as a movie, I'd pass. There are literally hundreds of better kung fu movies out there.

It's part of the AV Club's "Old Cult Canon" which is at least why I watched it.

[TripZone]

And tomorrow I'm going to pick up Detective Dee; let's see if Tsui Hark still has it.

He does.

[balmakboor]

Spoken like a man who has not seen "Quinoa" on the Inland Empire DVD, in which David Lynch prepares quinoa and tells of a nonsensical dream he had.

Actually, I'm not that kind of man.

[Boner M]

Encounter at Raven's Gate (de Heer, 1988) **
What prompted you to see this? Got it in my collection with a De Heer set, but haven't heard enough good things to get me to watch it.

[Rowland]

What prompted you to see this? Got it in my collection with a De Heer set, but haven't heard enough good things to get me to watch it.Ten Canoes randomly drifted into my consciousness while considering what I was in the mood to watch tonight, and from there I decided on Encounter at Raven's Gate because the idea of viewing something for which I had no preconceptions sounded mega appealing, especially since all the 2010 catching up I've been doing has left me feeling a little burnt out. The film doesn't really work, but it's an appealingly offbeat mess all the same that is of a piece with the Australian genre cinema's outback fixation.

[Dukefrukem]

Chaplin is from England :P

Valhalla Rising is excellent btw.

Confirmed Valhalla Rising is excellent.

[D_Davis]

He does.


Sweet! It looks awesome.

[Derek]

Actually, I'm not that kind of man.

Ok, then you're probably just wrong. ;)

[Russ]

I am unsure how to properly rate Joseph Losey's Boom! Rating it on a "bad movie" scale, it's just off the charts -- simply magnificent. However, conventional wisdom will award it a very deserved critical panning. I say, "convention be damned", and am simply in love with this severely misguided Tennessee Williams vehicle, starring Richard Burton in a stunningly miscast turn as the "twenty-something" poet, Chris Flanders, and Elizabeth Taylor, about whom enough can't be written, as the tragically (and very unintentionally comic) deathbed-ridden center of this unbelievably campy exercise in homosexual angst. Never mind that the parts as written weren't gay in formal presentation. Look no further than Noel Coward's deliciously prissy turn as the "Witch of Capri" (a role originally written for a woman) to glean some insight into the coded narrative to which Burton and Taylor find themselves in. Taylor plays the role of the aged siren who's desperately trying to hold on to beauty (and the beautiful things that she cherishes) with such...it would be an understatement to say "reckless abandon"...a heretofore unrivaled self-parody that one can't help but be completely enamored of her breathtaking performance. It's that type of unhinged commitment that really makes this film so special...and Ms. Taylor's bravura screen presence so memorable that it literally has to be seen to be believed.


http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/2194/elizabethtaylorinboomel.jpg

[megladon8]

"So bad it's good" ?

[Russ]

"So bad it's good" ?

So bad it's phenomenal. Plan 9 from Outer Space ain't got nothing on this.

[megladon8]

So bad it's phenomenal. Plan 9 from Outer Space ain't got nothing on this.


Have to admit, you have me intrigued.

[Raiders]

So bad it's phenomenal. Plan 9 from Outer Space ain't got nothing on this.

Really??? I haven't seen it, but I refuse to believe Losey's craftsmanship could ever sink that low.

[Bosco B Thug]

So bad it's phenomenal. Be a bit more discordant in your opinion next time. ;)

Yes, Boom is a hot mess of embarrassing creative choices and over-the-top camp, but that doesn't discount that it's also artistic and rich. I liked it too. :)

[Russ]

Really??? I haven't seen it, but I refuse to believe Losey's craftsmanship could ever sink that low.
By all accounts, Losey was hitting the bottle pretty hard during filming. But don't fear, the mise-en-scene of the island hideaway on Sardinia was amazing -- it's Williams' screenplay and the WAAAAAAAAAY-over-the-top gloriousness of Liz Taylor that place this little nugget of disbelief on the crown of that most elusive of titles - 1st place in the WWTT sweepstakes of 1968.

[transmogrifier]

So bad it's phenomenal. Plan 9 from Outer Space ain't got nothing on this.

Funnily enough, just watched P9FOS, and it's just...boring. I guess I'm not really a "so bad it's good" type guy.

[megladon8]

Funnily enough, just watched P9FOS, and it's just...boring. I guess I'm not really a "so bad it's good" type guy.


No, you're right.

For its legendary status, there are much, much better "so bad it's good" experiences to be had.

[D_Davis]

So Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame starts off awesome, and then gets more awesome with each passing minute. Tsui Hark hasn't hit a home run since Time and Tide, but he's done so with Dee. I pretty much had a smile on my face for two hours. Tsui has made a fantastical historically-set wuxia pian (in the tradition of the great martial arts mysteries popular with the Shaw Brothers decades ago) with all of the modern trimmings, but what's more he hasn't forgotten the things that made him the most important Hong Kong filmmaker of his time, namely the gender issues, politics, and kinetic energy.

I can't remember the last time two major Hong Kong martial arts action films have impressed me as much as Detective Dee and True Legend. Part of me is really happy. However, there is also something problematic here - where are the new directors of this genre? We cannot continue to rely on Woo Ping and Tsui. Where are their proteges?

[megladon8]

Great write-up D, and as usual your enthusiasm bleeds of the screen and really makes me want to see these two movies you loved so much!

I fully intend on re-watching both Time and Tide and The Blade (among other things) when I get back to Canada.

[D_Davis]

The Phantom Bazaar sequence in Detective Dee is one of the coolest things Tsui Hark has ever put in a film. He and Sammo Hung really out did themselves on this one. It's full on creativity overload. I now remember why I fell in love with HK cinema in the first place.

[Sycophant]

Went and saw Iwai Shunji's Vampire today. It's certainly interesting, and I liked a lot of parts of it an awful lot, but I think I still need some time to process it entirely. I'd recommend checking it out to any parties who might be interested.

Also, I had the incredibly happy fortune of asking Iwai-san something during the Q&A (I was very happy to see he was in attendance) after the film, then got to shake his hand, express my appreciation for his films (though I wish I'd done that more articulately), and asked him another question out in the lobby.

I hope Iwai makes more movies. He hasn't done that enough recently.

[Sycophant]

I also watched Mochizuki Rokuro's 1997 yakuza film Onibi: The Fire Within. It's a powerful, emotionally charged, intensely sensual picture. Tom Mes's Mochizuki article (http://www.midnighteye.com/features/rokuro_mochizuki.shtml) from a couple years back got me to check out the man's films, and I hope the other three films in the box set I have exhibit the same visual and human eye that this one did.

[Henry Gale]

I actually liked The King's Speech quite a bit. It never feels like a particularly biting or revelatory portrait of anything it chooses to deal with, but it does spend quite a bit (or if not all) of its time sufficiently developing and presenting its major characters, setting, locations, politics and emotions with enough lively details to make it come through as a very thorough and properly realized world to live in for its two hours.

The scenes of just Firth and Rush speaking to one another, whether it's in a place as small and shabby as Rush's office or as grand and other-wordly as the inside of Westminster Abbey, the two of them are just so good working together and off of one another that it almost feels lopsided when the script isn't providing scenes of just the two of them interracting since it's those scenes that are the most electric. But it does seem like, aside from them two, that the film doesn't quite know how it wants to involve the rest of its characters. Helena Bonham Carter is the only other person that gets anywhere near the amount of screentime as the two male leads, but she often doesn't seem to function as more than the loving, supportive wife once we get past her first couple of scenes where she seeks out and finds Rush's Logue in the first place. She feels way more spunky and unpredictable when we first meet her, and then it feels like we see much more of that as things progress.

In the end though, the film never feels like it wants to go too far outside of the sort of convention that it seems informed by with other classy British royal family films, and it doesn't feel like it strives to reach any sort of perfection in ways more unique than what any those past films may have. But at the same time it also doesn't often underwhelm or find ways to fail in any of its individual and even trickier aspects, and the final product fits together and flows very nicely. It feels like it's exactly the film it needs to be to get across the story it possesses. It's not any more or (for the most part) any less.

***1/2

[D_Davis]

Just rewatched a bunch of parts from Detective Dee. I cannot put into words how good it feels to say that Tsui Hark has made another rockin' film. It's definitely one of his most outwardly political films, and it's a whole heck of a lot of fun to boot. The best comparison in his filmography is Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain, and his work with Ching Siu Tung on the Chinese Ghost Story films. God I hope there are going to be more Detective Dee films coming. I want to see more of this character on the screen. He's like a mix between Indian Jones, Sherlock Holmes and Wong Fei Hung. I can't imagine anyone into genre cinema being disappointed with this. It's just rock solid filmmaking all around.

[elixir]

If someone has never seen a film by this guy Tsui Hark, where would you recommend he start? I am intrigued by your enthusiasm.

[D_Davis]

If someone has never seen a film by this guy Tsui Hark, where would you recommend he start? I am intrigued by your enthusiasm.

Man, that's a tough one. He's my favorite director, and he's made so many different kinds of films, so it's kind of hard to pick. He's also made a ton of films (as director and hands-on producer/co-director (~50 films total)) that are totally worth seeing.

I'd say that any of these 5 would be a good place to start:

1. The Blade - his darkest and most serious work. The most artistic wuxia pian I've seen; it was Tsui saying to Wong Kar Wai, after Ashes of Time, "No kid - this genre belongs to me." And it does.

2. Danger Encounter of the First Kind aka Don't Play With Fire - A very young, very angry Tsui made this nihilistic little thriller. Here he set the mood for the entire Hong Kong new wave by actually making movies about and set in Hong Kong.

3. Once Upon a Time in China - Tsui Hark helped launch the HK new wave, and with this he defined the new school wire-fu film of the '90s, and also made Jet Li a super star.

4. Peking Opera Blues - Tsui the feminist in full effect here. A highly energetic, politically-charged action film with an amazing cast of female leads.

5. Green Snake - Sensuous, spiritual, beautiful and incredibly entertaining.

[Bosco B Thug]

Precious, I'm Still Here, and Trash Humpers, 4.5 films, all of terribly sincere poseur-ing, but all poseur-ing nonetheless, and not too impressively. And all < The Last Airbender.

I figured something out about Shyamalan in my recent re-watch of The Last Airbender: he has a thing for camp and quirky affectation. Instead of applying it to indie romances, he applies it to his really shitty genre scripts. But he owns the camp, and he realizes how it functions, even if it's ultimately blah. While his owning of his camp is mind-numbing in The Happening and treacly in everything else, I finally find it just plain charming in service of his New Age-y children's fantasy and crash course in Buddhism.

[MadMan]

Plan 9 From Outer Space isn't even the worst movie I have ever seen. Not even close. Its bad, but on two viewings I've enjoyed it-there's fun camp within, and its clear that Ed Wood (and this was before I saw Tim Burton's excellent film about the director) honestly believed he was making something epic and special, when it was just crap. Gotta admire the effort involved, despite the non-existent budget and the lack of talent. I'd rather bash Michael Bay, who gets tons of money for his movies and releashes annoying lamebrained shit than hate on a guy like Ed Wood who at least tried his hardest and was given nothing.

I blame the Packers for not getting around to seeing The Green Hornet. Judging from the reviews, I'm apparently not missing much.

[TripZone]

I'd say that any of these 5 would be a good place to start:

Seen Shanghai Blues? Very screwball/Classic Hollywood but in Hark's usual breathless cartoonish nature. I don't usually enjoy farce at all, but irreverence and creativity help it. I will prioritise the two you listed I've not seen.

[Rowland]

Ahem. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTuI5gEYlQo)

[kuehnepips]

I blame the Packers for not getting around to seeing The Green Hornet. Judging from the reviews, I'm apparently not missing much.

Even my 15 yrs old son called it horrible.

[Dukefrukem]

Dark Knight was on TNT last night.. i couldn't turn it off.

[D_Davis]

Seen Shanghai Blues? Very screwball/Classic Hollywood but in Hark's usual breathless cartoonish nature. I don't usually enjoy farce at all, but irreverence and creativity help it. I will prioritise the two you listed I've not seen.

Yeah, it's great. Tsui Hark has great comedic timing. A Chinese Feast is also quite good, and We're Going to Eat You has some hilarious moments.

[Rowland]

Let's see, if I wanna go to a movie theater this week, my options are Rabbit Hole, The Way Back, Tangled... or I could just see Black Swan again. Hmm.

[Stay Puft]

D, you're killing me. I couldn't get tickets to Detective Dee back in Toronto and I'm dying to see it. Your enthusiasm is not helping!


Ahem. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTuI5gEYlQo)

Yes. Greatest movie ever.

[Wryan]

I underestimated The Phantom Menace when it came out. I was probably just pissed off. Take out Jar-Jar and some terrible writing/acting, and it's actually pretty decent. Some parts were even...moving. Episodes II and III don't fare as well, I think. But the action and effects in all three are good.

[D_Davis]

D, you're killing me. I couldn't get tickets to Detective Dee back in Toronto and I'm dying to see it. Your enthusiasm is not helping!



Yes. Greatest movie ever.

It's out on DVD now.

I wish they'd release a good DVD of Knock Off. It really sucks that there are so many Tsui Hark films are either completely unavailable on a legit DVD, or are available on really shitty DVDs.

I mean, Danger Encounter of the First Kind is considered one of the most important films in HK history, and by that measure world cinema history, and yet it has never been officially released on DVD. That's just crazy. And don't even get me started on the lack of a proper DVD for The Blade. If it wasn't for the bootleggers, a bunch of Tsui Hark films would be totally lost.

I remember reading an interview with Lau Kar Leung and Gordon Liu and they were talking about how they relied on bootleggers to see movies that they actually made!

HK cinema, still treated like a second class.

[Stay Puft]

It's out on DVD now.

Import?

[Qrazy]

If someone has never seen a film by this guy Tsui Hark, where would you recommend he start? I am intrigued by your enthusiasm.

Shanghai Blues and Once Upon a Time in China are both good. I don't care for him that much in general though.

[megladon8]

Another great Tsui Hark movie (which I saw thanks to D_Davis - that should be a disclaimer in front of every HK film I've seen) is We're Going to Eat You.

It's a horror/comedy/kung-fu flick, it's loads of fun, super gory, and genuinely funny.

Just a great time.

[Qrazy]

Hey Brightside did you notice endingcredits gave Lapshin a 10 and Time Regained a 6? Pwned.

[B-side]

Hey Brightside did you notice endingcredits gave Lapshin a 10 and Time Regained a 6? Pwned.

There's no accounting for taste. This dismissal of Ruiz I'm seeing is absolutely beyond me. He's certainly not an easy filmmaker, but I didn't think he'd alienate so many people so quickly.

[D_Davis]

Import?

Yep.

[Ezee E]

Saw the preview for the Blood Simple remake by Yimou. Looks great. Is it really not worth the time?

[Russ]

Saw the preview for the Blood Simple remake by Yimou. Looks great. Is it really not worth the time?
You always see US remakes of foreign classics (Seven Samurai, Solaris, Infernal Affairs, etc. etc) but don't usually see much of the reverse (well, I can't name very many).

What are the really notable ones?

[transmogrifier]

The Japanese one of Sideways?

[baby doll]

You always see US remakes of foreign classics (Seven Samurai, Solaris, Infernal Affairs, etc. etc) but don't usually see much of the reverse (well, I can't name very many).

What are the really notable ones?Tokyo Story.

[Boner M]

The Beat That My Heart Skipped.

[MadMan]

Saw the preview for the Blood Simple remake by Yimou. Looks great. Is it really not worth the time?I'm reminded of how when I rented one foreign film (I can't recall which one) from Netflix, there was a preview for a Russia remake of 12 Angry Men that looked fairly decent. A foreign remake of Blood Simple sounds really cool to me.

[megladon8]

I often find the very best remakes are those done by someone in a completely different culture.

It's cool to see what themes are emphasized, what style is presented, and just overall how the story and characters are interpreted by someone not only of a different language, but of a totally different lifestyle.

[Skitch]

I underestimated The Phantom Menace when it came out. I was probably just pissed off. Take out Jar-Jar and some terrible writing/acting, and it's actually pretty decent. Some parts were even...moving. Episodes II and III don't fare as well, I think. But the action and effects in all three are good.

Hell, I think subtitling JarJar and giving him an alien language woulda been much more acceptable.

[soitgoes...]

Fantômas was good. You can definitely see Feuillade still tweaking his craft. It still amazes me the growth of cinema at that time. Five years earlier and the films looked primitive compared to Fantômas. Five years later, and again technically Fantômas is backwards. Sure it does things very well for its time. It manages to loosely tie together over 5 hours of film, which in any era can be a chore. This serial definitely wasn't as tight as Les Vampires even though it was shorter. Things happen that are inexplicable, but that doesn't take away from the fun. I would definitely recommend this to someone looking to delve deeper into early cinema.

[Rowland]

Schumacher is such a fucking hack. Batman Forever has aged so badly, though I can't imagine it would have played much better had I not been ten at the time of its release, when I saw it an unconscionable three times in theaters. What the hell was your problem kid me?

[number8]

The worst of all the Batman movies.

[EyesWideOpen]

The best of all the Batman movies. (pre Nolan)

fixed

[MadMan]

From what I recall, I found Batman Forever to be painfully mediocre. Batman and Robin, on the other hand, is indeed the worst of the series, and sadly my younger self at the time chose to go see that over viewing Men in Black. Sure the Will Smith movie is merely good, but it would have been a better viewing choice (I was up in Wisconsin staying in a log cabin, and the local town's theater had only two showings).

[Ezee E]

I remember liking it at the time.

I've since rewatched, and aside from Nicole Kidman looking at her all-time best... Aye yi yi.

[balmakboor]

TV Batman > Burton Batman > Schumacher Batman = Nolan Batman

Schumacher's are too silly and Nolan's are too ponderous. Those cancel each other out. Honestly though, I'd take the camp and bright colors of Batman & Robin over the grim dirge that is Batman Begins any day.

[transmogrifier]

Schumacher's are too silly and Nolan's are too ponderous.

Truth. Burton was on the money.

http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lc738lDRh31qe0eclo1_r1_ 500.gif

[Grouchy]

Batman Forever is atrocious.

You know what else is terrible? Nine. I just saw a couple of scenes on TV and I honestly felt embarassed to be witnessing that shit.

[DavidSeven]

I re-watched Batman Returns a month or two ago. There's a lot of production design and costume design, but not much else. The direction is otherwise fairly banal. I really dug Pfeiffer's performance, but the rest came across as a painfully standard action flick with mediocre direction. I think recent contrarianism is starting to overrate what Burton did with this franchise.

[Qrazy]

I re-watched Batman Returns a month or two ago. There's a lot of production design and costume design, but not much else. The direction is otherwise fairly banal. I really dug Pfeiffer's performance, but the rest came across as a painfully standard action flick with mediocre direction. I think recent contrarianism is starting to overrate what Burton did with this franchise.

Agreed.

[Rowland]

I haven't seen Batman Returns in a long time, but I just rewatched the first Batman a year or two ago, and I can safely say that every single conceivable aspect of its production is far superior to Batman Forever.

[transmogrifier]

I think recent contrarianism is starting to overrate what Burton did with this franchise.

Yep, that's it. In fact, I haven't watched a movie in years. I just base my opinions on IMDB ratings.

[DavidSeven]

Yep, that's it. In fact, I haven't watched a movie in years. I just base my opinions on IMDB ratings.

What's so great about it besides being "not as somber as Nolan's film"? Everyone talks about Burton's Batman flicks in relative terms. This isn't Goldilocks & The Three Bears. All I ever hear about it is that it isn't as serious as Nolan's film, and that it's not as silly as Schumacher's, so IT'S JUST RIGHT. Two hours of relative "tone" cannot be the reason this is a great film.

[Eleven]

A Woman, a Gun, and a Noodle Shop is pretty engaging as it goes, with silliness punctuated by darker wit and Ashes of Time-esque skies and vistas that are as fitting to its milieu as the noir-inflected cinematography is to Blood Simple. I hadn't seen BS in a while, so besides the obvious ending sequence, I couldn't readily compare them visually. Fun but strictly a Yimou lark.

[number8]

I'm not sure you can call Batman Returns a standard action movie, given how poor Burton is at shooting action scenes.

[DavidSeven]

I'm not sure you can call Batman Returns a standard action movie, given how poor Burton is at shooting action scenes.

Yeah, I basically agree. I pointed out Burton's mediocre direction. I think it follows the rhythms of a standard action movie, but with totally unimaginative set-pieces.

I can understand preferring the tone that Burton establishes over what Nolan did, but the films themselves just aren't that great.

[transmogrifier]

I'm not sure you can call Batman Returns a standard action movie, given how poor Burton is at shooting action scenes.

Nolan is just as bad, IMO.

[transmogrifier]

What's so great about it besides being "not as somber as Nolan's film"? Everyone talks about Burton's Batman flicks in relative terms. This isn't Goldilocks & The Three Bears. All I ever hear about it is that it isn't as serious as Nolan's film, and that it's not as silly as Schumacher's, so IT'S JUST RIGHT. Two hours of relative "tone" cannot be the reason this is a great film.

You were right the first time: CONTRARIAN BACKLASH!

[endingcredits]

There's no accounting for taste. This dismissal of Ruiz I'm seeing is absolutely beyond me. He's certainly not an easy filmmaker, but I didn't think he'd alienate so many people so quickly.

I respect Ruiz and give him credit for taking a stab at something as daunting as Proust, but Time Regained was a stylistic flop for me. There were parts where it wasn't clear what was motivating the camera movement. And while it worked well at times; e.g., the scene at the party at the end in which the slow whirling around enhanced my sense of Marcel's alienation, most of the time it seemed extraneous, tacked on, and pretentious. I thought it worked much better in Hypothesis.

German, on the other hand, seems to have a keener sense of how to apply his camera skill to the content and he makes it seem effortless and natural. Sorry Brightside.

[Rowland]

Burton's direction of the first Batman, action sequences included, gets a bum rap. It's also one of his least Burton-esque efforts.

[Grouchy]

Nolan is just as bad, IMO.
Even you have to realize deep inside that that's wrong.

[Ezee E]

I will say that I dig the world that Burton creates, and it definitely feels like a "comic book" movie. More along the lines of Spider-Man then Nolan's Batman world.

I like both a lot.

[transmogrifier]

Even you have to realize deep inside that that's wrong.

The action in The Dark Knight is poorly choreographed, murky and lacking in inspiration. Batman Begins was even worse. Inception made good use of the dreamworld conceit for the most part, except the ice world section is monumentally bland and blah.

So no. Nolan has strengths, but directing action is definitely not one of them.

[Dead & Messed Up]

The action in The Dark Knight is poorly choreographed, murky and lacking in inspiration. Batman Begins was even worse. Inception made good use of the dreamworld conceit for the most part, except the ice world section is monumentally bland and blah.

So no. Nolan has strengths, but directing action is definitely not one of them.

True. In fact, this is such a defining characteristic of his films so far that I have to wonder if it's intentional. It seems like he rejects wide shots, slow motion, longer shot lengths, and, for the most part, wit. He simply wants to communicate the information in the shot as quickly as possible. However, I do think that Nolan's a master of creating story premises that pull viewers through such sequences, and so, while I was aware that he wasn't shooting his Inception finale with much style (excluding JGL's dapper gravity battle), I was completely invested and excited by the situation.

[Boner M]

Did my first famous person interview today; Ivan Reitman. I recommended Los Angeles Plays Itself to him at one point.

[Qrazy]

Did my first famous person interview today; Ivan Reitman. I recommended Los Angeles Plays Itself to him at one point.

Nice, what for?

[Boner M]

Nice, what for?
Local street press; re: his latest movie.

[soitgoes...]

Did my first famous person interview today; Ivan Reitman. I recommended Los Angeles Plays Itself to him at one point.Great film! I would have recommended Kindergarten Cop just to fuck with him.

[DavidSeven]

I think the knocks against Nolan as an action director primarily have to do with how films hand-to-hand combat and perhaps armed combat (Inception's snow level). I agree there's a lot to be desired in that respect in his Batman films, but he seems to have answered some of those knocks in Inception by going wide in the hallway fight. His direction of non-combat action scenes, like the Mack Truck chase in The Dark Knight and the van chase in Inception, is exceptional. Those scenes are certainly more rousing and more intricately filmed/choreographed than anything in Burton's Batman movies.

[megladon8]

I think the knocks against Nolan as an action director primarily have to do with how films hand-to-hand combat. I agree there's a lot to be desired in that respect in his Batman films, but he seems to have answered those knocks in Inception by going wide in the hallway fight. His direction of non-combat action scenes, like the Mack Truck chase in The Dark Knight and the van chase in Inception, is exceptional. Those scenes are certainly more rousing and more intricately filmed/choreographed than anything in Burton's Batman movies.


You've said it all perfectly.

Rewatching some of The Dark Knight on TNT the other night, I really noticed how clunky some of the hand-to-hand combat was.

In the scene where Batman breaks into Lau's office tower and takes him - the combat between Batman and Lau's guards certainly leaves something to be desired. Batman seemed to be kind of slow and clunky, and despite his ability to disappear and re-appear behind the guys, I found myself thinking "a handful of trained guys with guns can't hit him once?"

I suppose the nature of the Batman costume - even with the advancement of being able to move/turn his head - makes it hard to film a convincing fight scene, and Nolan purposely uses shadows and darkness to try to mask as much of the clunkiness as possible.

But, like you said, when it came to the Batpod/Joker truck chase scene, the action is exceptionally well shot and rousing.

I loved the zoomed-out, wide-angle lens for the shot of the truck flipping over. No cuts, no mock bullet-time around the truck, no Zack Snyder-style slow motion. A fairly simple shot that is made so much more impressive for it.

[transmogrifier]

His direction of non-combat action scenes, like the Mack Truck chase in The Dark Knight and the van chase in Inception, is exceptional .

The shot of the Mack truck flipping looked way cooler in the trailer - in the movie, it was deadened with the lack of grace in the editing around it. And was it during the Mack truck sequence that we had the god awful comic relief reaction shots? The film just blurs together for me into a mush of heavy themes, turgid action, and misbalanced narrative.

I don't remember anything about the van chase except the eternity it took to hit the water. The only truly visionary sequence was the hallway fight, and that was like 2 minutes at most.

He's NOT a good action director. Yet. He could get better the more he practices.

[transmogrifier]

Batman seemed to be kind of slow and clunky, and despite his ability to disappear and re-appear behind the guys, I found myself thinking "a handful of trained guys with guns can't hit him once?"

I have come to despise any movie that resorts to scenes where the good guy dodges a hail of bullets from the bad buys, especially if it features them running behind metal bars or machines and we see the sparks of the bullets hitting them and not the hero.

If you are forced to include a scene in your screenplay where the hero escapes a hail of gunfire by running and crouching, you have failed. Simple as that.

[megladon8]

Burton's Batman is truly one of the most poorly edited films of all time. It also has - as others have stated - horrid action direction, and some effects work (especially with miniatures) so bad that I don't really think they're even "dated"...just bad.

Batman Returns improved on it in just about every way, with Burton doing what he does best - stylish gothic soap opera. I love it.

I honestly couldn't choose between the two Schumacher films which one was "better". I guess I'd probably watch Batman & Robin again before I'd watch Batman Forever, because at least its entirely one-liner based script provides some entertainment value.


But really, animated Batman is where it's at.

[transmogrifier]

Burton's Batman is raggedy and has poor action sequences, but it has a pulse and genuinely loopy, psychotic edge to it. Plus Michael Keaton is the best Batman by a country mile.

Batman Returns still has pretty poor action, but it is even loopier and grander and more atmospheric and is just gorgeous.

[megladon8]

Burton's Batman is raggedy and has poor action sequences, but it has a pulse and genuinely loopy, psychotic edge to it. Plus Michael Keaton is the best Batman by a country mile.

Batman Returns still has pretty poor action, but it is even loopier and grander and more atmospheric and is just gorgeous.


The Prince music in Batman is still just...mind-boggling to me. There's "inspired", and then there's "what the hell were they thinking", and I think it safely sits in the latter.

I do agree about Michael Keaton being the best live action Batman (Kevin Conroy > Keaton), and I also agree that Batman Returns is better than the first film in pretty much every way possible.

[Chac Mool]

Michelle Pfeiffer's performance in "Batman Returns" is still one of my favorite cult turns -- and that movie is downright creepy at times.

[dreamdead]

Alright D_Davis, explain how Tsui Hark uses women in The Blade. I love the way he shoots the fight sequences and the story is obviously archetypal, but I flinch at the way Ling dives headfirst into danger and causes Ding On the loss of his arm, in addition to the carefree way she wants he and Iron Head to do battle for her honor and heart.

Is this part of the original One-Armed Swordsman, general Chinese kung-fu narratives, or what, because I feel a bit sexist for blindly accepting that moment--after King Hu's more compassionate treatment of women in Come Drink With Me, it's the one major false note(s) in what is otherwise a monumental display of choreography, visual space, and editing.

[D_Davis]

It's not one of his feminist films.

The Blade is all about the men, which is why it's homoerotic overtones are often the first place people look when discussing it. It's also a nod back to the original - you might say that Chang Cheh had a problem with women. They were often at the root of his male protagonist's problems (something often used as proof of Chang's own closeted homosexuality).

Tsui was simply updating the style of Chang's original, and was not concerned with updating the politics or gender roles. He did this in other films such as Peking Opera Blues.

So while some have made the claim that Tsui Hark is one of the world's leading feminist filmmakers (especially in terms of genre cinema), I can't make that argument with The Blade.

It really is all about the brotherhood of the jiang hu.

In my original review, I say:



Like The One-Armed Swordsman, The Blade is a multi-layered study of martial arts, manhood, and brotherhood. The term “homoerotic” is often thrown about in discussions because of how it fetishizes the male body and the psychosexual symbolism of the sword. I think this is a lazy categorization of the themes on display because it is often done at the expense of the jiang hu: the world of the insider, the milieu of the martial artists, and everything important to their existence. It is easy to write off the bare-chested, heroic bloodshed of martial heroes as displays of homoeroticism because we are outsiders, we are not part of their jiang hu, and so we do not understand their intense feelings of brotherhood and camaraderie; it is easy to misinterpret intense feelings of brotherhood for sexual attraction. I am not saying that the homoeroticism isn't there, I just wish it was wasn't among the first “serious” topics of discussion critics and scholars often turn to.

The two “brothers” in The Blade are Ding On and To Tao, two young men who work at a sword factory where the best swords in the land are made. The two are more than friends, they are like brothers, and share the same qualities as siblings, even the rivalry. They both see themselves as protectors of one girl, their master's daughter, and as would-be lovers for another, an attractive prostitute. They also see each other has “martial heroes,” and act accordingly when a monk is brutally murdered by a local gang of thugs. When their master retires, he passes control of the sword factory onto Ding On, much to the chagrin of To Tao and the other brothers. This causes a rift in Ding On's and To Tao's brotherhood, and is one catalyst for a series of life changing events, including a severed sword-arm and the nearly complete destruction of the sword factory.

It's all about an attack on manhood.

[D_Davis]

The Blade is actually quite unique in Tsui's filmography in that it doesn't have a strong, central, positive female lead. He rarely made films that focused so much on men. This is why I often compare it more to Don't Play With Fire,; While that film did have a female lead, she was actually a majorly fucked up chick who manipulated some dudes into doing some messed up things. The two films have a lot in common; they are both kind of nihilistic, dark, very serious, and lack one of Tsui's trademark touches - his strong female roles.

[megladon8]

Yeah, the main female character in the original The One-Armed Swordsman was...less than honorable.

[D_Davis]

Yeah, the main female character in the original The One-Armed Swordsman was...less than honorable.

At best, Chang Cheh makes his women characters females in distress, while they are more often prostitutes and conniving manipulators.

This was what was unique about Chang Cheh. The wuxia pian was seen, largely, as a female dominated genre. If the leads weren't actually women, they were men who looked very pretty. There was more Yin than Yang in the mix, as is often the case in the genre (even if the women characters had to dress as men to blend in. Remember, they were blending into a male dominated society, even if the genre was not). When Chang Cheh came on the scene, he and super-producer Mona Fong worked to make the genre more masculine, and thus the kung fu pian - films focusing on open handed combat - was born.

[MadMan]

All this talk about Batman reminded me that, even though I liked Burton's first Batman movie and Nolan's two Batman films, that he's really beyond boring as a character.

IFC showed Blood Simple tonight, and I was reminded why I think so highly of the film. Its suspense combined with nihnistic film noir, and the ending is darkly comedic on multiple levels. Anyone who's seen this movie (and Miller's Crossing, although I have yet to view that one) shouldn't have been so surprised that the Coens did No Country for Old Men. Oh and I'm probably the only person who actually thinks Blood Simple is better than NCFOM.

[elixir]

I also think Blood Simple is better than No Country...I think a good amount of Coen Bros movies are.

[Rowland]

I think most fans of the Coens would agree with that sentiment, though I only recently watched Blood Simple for the first time, and maybe it has something to do with seeing most of the films they made later into their evolution as filmmakers first, but I found it to be a middle-tier effort, which is still damn good for the Coens, but it struck me at times as gimmicky and glib in the manner of first-time filmmakers itching to strut their stuff. As a clever, hyperstylized yarn it's deeply pleasurable to take in, but it never feels emotionally engaged in itself or justified in its existential trappings.

[Dukefrukem]

All this talk about Batman reminded me that, even though I liked Burton's first Batman movie and Nolan's two Batman films, that he's really beyond boring as a character. .

http://i.imgur.com/2uvaU.jpg

[Adam]

...though I only recently watched Blood Simple for the first time, and maybe it has something to do with seeing most of the films they made later into their evolution as filmmakers first, but I found it to be a middle-tier effort, which is still damn good for the Coens, but it struck me at times as gimmicky and glib in the manner of first-time filmmakers itching to strut their stuff. As a clever, hyperstylized yarn it's deeply pleasurable to take in, but it never feels emotionally engaged in itself or justified in its existential trappings.

I had the same thing with Blood Simple - Saw it for the first time about a year ago and felt it was kinda lifeless (although still very entertaining and oozing with atmosphere and all that)


Animal Kingdom (Michôd, 2010) ***½

This is nice to see. Probably the most tense movie-watching experience I had last year. Seriously left me shaking at certain points

[Grouchy]

I somewhat agree that the hand-to-hand combat left something to be desired (although more so in Batman Begins), but I consider the car chase, the abduction of Lau or the fall from the building to be great moments of action filmmaking. I would put them as an example that Nolan can create a great action scene.

Whereas Burton clearly can't.

[Sven]

Did I miss an explanation for that white-text-black-background joke? I don't get it.

[Derek]

Did I miss an explanation for that white-text-black-background joke? I don't get it.

"Batman" was changed to "Madman". It's supposed to be when Madman says something especially Madmanesque. Duke did it wrong there, which adds to the confusion. Also, Duke puts a "*" after his rating for Inception simply because it's the highest rating he's given and the "*" refers to nothing. Personally, that's as vexing as anything Madman's said. :)

[MacGuffin]

Also, Duke puts a "*" after his rating for Inception simply because it's the highest rating he's given and the "*" refers to nothing.

How is this any different than a red ****? If Duke hasn't seen nearly as many movies as you have, shouldn't we assume the * represents a red **** for you?

lolz :frustrated:

[Ezee E]

We're all a little madman sometimes.

[Derek]

How is this any different than a red ****? If Duke hasn't seen nearly as many movies as you have, shouldn't we assume the * represents a red **** for you?

lolz :frustrated:

He uses a numerical rating system.

I don't put ****100^infinity. :)

[D_Davis]

So is ** > ****?

[transmogrifier]

Yay, ratings discussion!!

100 point scale is still the best.

[Derek]

So is ** > ****?

A is **? Are you insane Davis!? The red is just a simple way to differentiate them from the plain old ordinary **** films. Red = unfuckwithable masterpiece. :)