28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[Derek]

Fine. I'll list all movie titles in Romanian from now on.

Just to be clear, that wasn't meant in a mean-spirited way at all. It's just a minor pet peeve of mine when people list films in their original language when English-speaking cinephiles never refer to them as such. I mean, if we're trying to recommend Fassbinder films, can't we talk about them so that people unfamiliar with them will know which ones we mean? *hops off high horse*

[Velocipedist]

Just to be clear, that wasn't meant in a mean-spirited way at all. It's just a minor pet peeve of mine when people list films in their original language when English-speaking cinephiles never refer to them as such. I mean, if we're trying to recommend Fassbinder films, can't we talk about them so that people unfamiliar with them will know which ones we mean? *hops off high horse*

A valid point which I'll have to consider from now on. As a non-native English-speaking cinephile, I've gotten used to referring to films in their original language for three reasons:

1) If I'm given a name of a film, in original, it's easy for me to copy/paste it onto imbd to find it, seeing that, at least on cast and crew pages, they go with the originals and, in turn, they list all of the AKAs somewhere within the overview page of the movie itself. Not everyone does this, of course, so this is where my own system fails.
2) Authenticity obsessive.
3) Personal pet peeve: Romanian translations are obnoxious and insufferable, so I'm already used with the original titles.

[MadMan]

True, it rocks. And Rope is my favourite Hitchcock movie, by far.

His most underrated is The Trouble with Harry, though.I love The Trouble With Harry, and to some degree I do think its underrated.

Also I just finished viewing Series 7: The Contenders. I'm still collecting my thoughts, but goddamn what a movie that was. I think a lengthy review of it is the only way I can do the film justice.

As for Rope I think Raiders sort of taped into why I don't feel its a great film. I'm getting ready for work and thus will have to come back to this later, but I too admit being somewhat unsatisfied with the film's conclusion.

[Watashi]

Where is that crazy iosos?

I saw The Warriors and loved it! I fear for Scott's remake next year.

[Raiders]

Where is that crazy iosos?

I saw The Warriors and loved it! I fear for Scott's remake next year.

Um, iosos is a fan, right? He loves Walter Hill. Glad to see you loved it, too.

[Velocipedist]

Rope is very good, but 'best by far'?

Not 'best by far' but 'favourite by far'.


Stewart's character would have been much more interesting if he actually stood his ground at the end and had been made to seem at least a little morally responsible. He turns very quickly on the boys, acting as if his philosophies and teachings should be ignored when applied to actual humans. Of course he's right, but that's the easy way out. There never once seems any culpability on his part because the two boys who accuse him of guiding them are too comically exaggerated; one is a smug, egomaniac who thinks he's God and the other is scared and emotionally unstable. It's a very pat conclusion, which is a shame considering the interesting discussions of superiority and morality that the film had displayed earlier.

Isn't that a perfectly logical vicious cycle, right there? Boys are comically exaggerated -> Philosophies and teachings (not only Stewart's) are not applicable -> Stewart's character has no reason to be morally responsible -> Boys do exaggerated things. It seems overly simplistic, but I don't see how the "art of murder" could be positively moral anyway.

[Watashi]

Um, iosos is a fan, right? He loves Walter Hill. Glad to see you loved it, too.
I just know he loves Walter Hill, so I assume he must love The Warriors. Though, I think Undisputed is his favorite Hill.

[number8]

Oh my god, Rambo was freakin' hysterical. :)

[D_Davis]

Where is that crazy iosos?

I saw The Warriors and loved it! I fear for Scott's remake next year.

It's good. We're going to a Walter Hill double feature on Friday night. The Warriors and something else, can't remember.

[Ezee E]

Walter Hill week is coming right up.

How are his 80's movies?

[Qrazy]

I can't wait to see They Live by Night.

It's really nothing special. I don't understand the hype.

[Qrazy]

I don't recall any kids in Atlantic City so I think he's come to terms with that idea.

I do remember a terribly mediocre bordering on crappy movie though.

[Sycophant]

Walter Hill week is coming right up.Oh, shit. I've never seen any Hill films. Think I'm gonna go on a Netflix binge...

[Qrazy]

You should!

Does anyone care for a debate on what movie represents the best entry point into Fassbinder?

My first one was Die Ehe der Maria Braun, but I'd actually recommend Die Sehnsucht der Veronika Voss when it comes to his 'upscale' movies and Mutter Küsters' Fahrt zum Himmel when it comes to his 'downscale' ones.

Ali was my first and strikes me as the best entry point. Screw Veronika Voss.

[Qrazy]

The Warriors is pretty bad, a few stupid laughs.

[Watashi]

It's really nothing special. I don't understand the hype.


I do remember a terribly mediocre bordering on crappy movie though.


The Warriors is pretty bad, a few stupid laughs.

Hmmm...

[Raiders]

[in regards to They Live By Night]It's really nothing special. I don't understand the hype.


The Warriors is pretty bad, a few stupid laughs.

You're charming personality isn't going to save you forever.

[Winston*]

The Warriors is awesome.

[Spinal]

But it's true. The Warriors is pretty bad.

[megladon8]

I loved The Warriors.

I even love the comic-book recut.

[Qrazy]

You're charming personality isn't going to save you forever.

*puppy dog eyes*

[megladon8]

A theatre downtown is playing Blade Runner throughout the next week.

I really hope I can find time (and transportation) to go.

[Qrazy]

Hmmm...

Yeah, I realized after I wrote the fourth post how unproductively critical I was being... then I clicked post. Hiyo!

[Sven]

Where is that crazy iosos?

I saw The Warriors and loved it! I fear for Scott's remake next year.


I just know he loves Walter Hill, so I assume he must love The Warriors. Though, I think Undisputed is his favorite Hill.

Alriiiiiiiight! Rep. *drink*

Undisputed is a close second or third, after The Driver (if you liked The Road Warrior, you'll get a total kick out of this!) and maybe Trespass. Though really, it's all a-flux all the time. Mood thing, maybe. Saying I like one over the other does any of them a disservice.

[Sycophant]

Yeah, I realized after I wrote the fourth post how unproductively critical I was being... then I clicked post. Hiyo!Honestly, I was feeling a little irritated with you after your little "yeah, but it sucks" streak. Then you said "Hiyo!" and that warmed my heart.

[Sven]

Walter Hill week is coming right up.

How are his 80's movies?

Mostly good. I forgot about Crossroads in my earlier post, which may be my favorite Hill. Extreme Prejudice is friggin' fantastic, for a Wild Bunch meets Walking Tall kind of swagger. And of course, check with Raiders for his excellent thoughts on Southern Comfort.

[number8]

Not liking The Warriors is like not liking food.

[megladon8]

Not liking The Warriors is like not liking food.


:)

That's awesome. That should be on the DVD cover.

[Rowland]

Black Snake Moan is the most underrated movie of 2007. That movie is awesome on a stick.One of the most underrated, definitely. I was disappointed that so many critics forgot it at the end of the year. Only Charles Taylor and Kim Morgan were cool enough to include it on their top tens, as far as I recall anyway.

[megladon8]

I never saw Black Snake Moan.

But I had a very unfortunate incident playing its soundtrack on the blues show I hosted briefly on the radio.

Eek.

[Qrazy]

Not liking The Warriors is like not liking food.

I'm an ascetic.

[number8]

I'm an ascetic.

So I guess that's why you have no taste!

*ba-dum-tish*

I thank you for the set up.

[Stay Puft]

http://www.helveticafilm.com/images/sm.frankfurt.jpg

The documentary Helvetica is a compelling watch. It starts with a basic historical approach, looking at the origins of Helvetica, the people who worked together to create it, and the subsequent proliferation of it as a typeface of modernist choice. The ensuing discussions surround the popularity of Helvetica, typeface in general, graphic design, visual culture, etc. This is where the movie shines. Various opinions, schools of thought, and theoretical approaches clash in an attempt to understand the interrelationship of Helvetica, typeface, modernism, capitalism, etc. And just what is the nature of Helvetica itself? Fascist? Capitalist? Socialist?

Some of the "talking heads" have compelling arguments. Some commit egregious critical failings. One conflict in the movie is over the typeface's "neutrality." Some argue it is malleable, that it is a typeface capable of "disappearing" and providing neutral access to content. Some argue that such neutrality is impossible. Somewhat disappointingly, the movie itself seems to strive for a formal neutrality. It is largely talking head interviews with appropiate visual exhibits. I think there is only one instance in the movie wherein you hear the interviewer - the crew is otherwise hidden from sight and sound, as if not to pollute the discourse with bias. The ending does, however, seem to commit the movie to the "Helvetica is not the end of typeface" camp, holding out promise for a democratic (or postmodern) future of typeface and graphic design that emphasizes subjectivity.

Lots of rich content, though. It's an interesting movie to watch, and has some great segments, such as the awesome introduction of Massimo Vignelli ("Should I say something? Do I talk now?") and the hilarious sequence of Lars Muller pointing at random examples of Helvetica in the streets.

[Bosco B Thug]

Oh. Big Bang Love, Juvenile A was quite lovely as well. Hmm, didn't know quite what to make of this one. Miike goes on to show that he might as well be working in theater with his wonderful lighting, staging, mise en scene, etc. It starts off very very well... figured it was saying something about alienated male youths (well, duh, I know) coming of age/existence in an ageless, unloving environment... and I thought it was doing it well in its cryptic, abstract visual way... but then I felt it failed to go anywhere at the end. When the

investigation begins, it becomes [relatively, disappointingly] straight-forward and its approach to its array of characters suddenly becomes somewhat reductive. We need to learn more about both main characters' psyches, but with the one's death, the film takes on the need to look backward, which halts thematic richness and gives us half-baked exposition (he raped the prison director's wife... why and how did it effect him?). The scenes with the two men and their journey outside to the spaceship and pyramid were hopeful signs of the film reaching some emotional conclusion, but instead the film seems to degrade into a mere collection of cinematic puns on a burgeoning but repressed homosexual relationship that should inform the story until the very end (not to belittle the visual grace and sensitivity Miike does bring to the table, or not that I've seen a Miike film possibly about homosexuality other than Gozu, which I hardly remember thus can't really rate, though I suspect it was a darkly comic, non-sentimental version of this).

Or maybe the film just frustrated me because it's too hard to get the damn thing! :P I certainly felt at a loss at the end.

[Watashi]

Man, I've been reading a lot of Armond White lately. The guy is one bizarre dude. You should read his positive reviews for First Sunday and How She Move.

[Rowland]

Man, I've been reading a lot of Armond White lately. The guy is one bizarre dude. You should read his positive reviews for First Sunday and How She Move.You're just catching on to the bizarro joys of Armond White? :pritch: As a fan of Sick Droogy, it seems that Armond would be up your alley. I find that he pisses me off more than he enlightens, but I keep reading anyway.

[D_Davis]

Lots of rich content, though. It's an interesting movie to watch, and has some great segments, such as the awesome introduction of Massimo Vignelli ("Should I say something? Do I talk now?") and the hilarious sequence of Lars Muller pointing at random examples of Helvetica in the streets.

This sounds strangely compelling and interesting. I need to check this out.

[Rowland]

This sounds strangely compelling and interesting. I need to check this out.Yeah, I've been juggling Helvetica near the top of my Netflix queue for awhile now. Maybe I'll finally bump it up for this weekend.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Two rewatches today,

First The Haunting (1963), it holds up fairly well but doesn't have nearly the same impact it had initially. Then again, I've never been a great admirer. I prefer his earlier horror effort The Body Snatcher. The extreme angles, and the paranoid anxiety of Harris' character is very well executed. My favourite Claire Bloom as Theodora, and the sexual tension between her and Harris. I think, while a different director The Innocents is very similar to this, and I really prefer it entirely.

Second up was a much needed rewatch of His Girl Friday (1940). It was one of the first films I watched and fell in love with when I first fell for cinema. I haven't seen it since, and while I don't love it nearly as much as I did intially it still makes for a great romp. The performances are brilliant, the lines quick, lively and funny. It drags a little when Grant and Russell aren't onscreen together, but the supporting cast does a tremendou job. I'm a screwball comedy fanatic, and even at their worst I love them. This for me is above average in the genre, but I still can't rank it among the very best. I need to get on watching more Cary Grant films...

[megladon8]

Two rewatches today,

First The Haunting (1963), it holds up fairly well but doesn't have nearly the same impact it had initially. Then again, I've never been a great admirer. I prefer his earlier horror effort The Body Snatcher. The extreme angles, and the paranoid anxiety of Harris' character is very well executed. My favourite Claire Bloom as Theodora, and the sexual tension between her and Harris. I think, while a different director The Innocents is very similar to this, and I really prefer it entirely.


I think the comparison between The Haunting and The Innocents is made pretty often. They have definite similarities.

I actually wasn't overly impressed with The Innocents. It was beautifully shot and Deborah Kerr was fantastic, but it just didn't scare me like The Haunting did.



Second up was a much needed rewatch of His Girl Friday (1940). It was one of the first films I watched and fell in love with when I first fell for cinema. I haven't seen it since, and while I don't love it nearly as much as I did intially it still makes for a great romp. The performances are brilliant, the lines quick, lively and funny. It drags a little when Grant and Russell aren't onscreen together, but the supporting cast does a tremendou job. I'm a screwball comedy fanatic, and even at their worst I love them. This for me is above average in the genre, but I still can't rank it among the very best. I need to get on watching more Cary Grant films...


I completely agree with this. I really enjoyed His Girl Friday, but I certainly wouldn't consider it one of the best screwball comedies.

[Philosophe_rouge]

I think the comparison between The Haunting and The Innocents is made pretty often. They have definite similarities.

I actually wasn't overly impressed with The Innocents. It was beautifully shot and Deborah Kerr was fantastic, but it just didn't scare me like The Haunting did.


I completely agree with this. I really enjoyed His Girl Friday, but I certainly wouldn't consider it one of the best screwball comedies.
I don't really know which scared me more, I'd probably lean towards the Haunting... but I find the Innocents more compelling. I think they're both good films though, so it's small fry or something...

Happy we can agree, I feel weird about these things because I love His Girl Friday enough to probably rank it among my favourite films, but it would have a hard time breaking my top 10 favourite screwballs/classic comedies... maybe not hard, but it would be on the fringes.

[megladon8]

Happy we can agree, I feel weird about these things because I love His Girl Friday enough to probably rank it among my favourite films, but it would have a hard time breaking my top 10 favourite screwballs/classic comedies... maybe not hard, but it would be on the fringes.


Again, I agree! :)

It's a brilliant film - some of the best writing in a film, ever.

But it's not really a screwball comedy. I think it's just mislabelled.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Again, I agree! :)

It's a brilliant film - some of the best writing in a film, ever.

But it's not really a screwball comedy. I think it's just mislabelled.
This might be true, I personally tend to throw most comedies from the era carelessly into the category. I think a good case could be made either way for this one.

[megladon8]

This might be true, I personally tend to throw most comedies from the era carelessly into the category. I think a good case could be made either way for this one.


What are some of your favorite screwball comedies?

Some of mine are Holiday, My Man Godfrey and The Philadelphia Story.

[Mysterious Dude]

His Girl Friday, not a screwball comedy? Am I taking crazy pills or something?

[Philosophe_rouge]

His Girl Friday, not a screwball comedy? Am I taking crazy pills or something?
Traditionally speaking, most screwballs are about the higher classes and are set in very swank settings. There are variations of course, it's a rather loose set of rules.

[Philosophe_rouge]

What are some of your favorite screwball comedies?

Some of mine are Holiday, My Man Godfrey and The Philadelphia Story.
I love all three of those, I was planning on rewatching Holiday in the near future. Another one that has been a while for me.

My ABSOLUTE favourites are probably The Awful Truth, My Man Godfrey, Twentieth Century, Nothing Sacred and the Palm Beach Story. I'm not exactly sure I'd rank these as screwballs per-say, I don't think Lubitsch really dabbled in the genre much, although he no doubt had influence and was influenced by it, I'd also include Sullivan's Travels, To Be or Not to Be and Cluny Brown.

[Ezee E]

Mostly good. I forgot about Crossroads in my earlier post, which may be my favorite Hill. Extreme Prejudice is friggin' fantastic, for a Wild Bunch meets Walking Tall kind of swagger. And of course, check with Raiders for his excellent thoughts on Southern Comfort.
Extreme Prejudice was the one I was thinking of renting.

Southern Comfort is one I'm liking more after seeing it a few months ago.

How about the one with Richard Pryor? Seriously.

[Sven]

Extreme Prejudice was the one I was thinking of renting.

Beware: the R1 DVD is full screen with a nasty picture transfer. I imported mine from Australia.


How about the one with Richard Pryor? Seriously.

It's okay for an 80s PG comedy with Richard Pryor and John Candy. It's funny and interesting, but not really a breakthrough or anything.

[Raiders]

The TV mini-series/movie Broken Trail is some quality Hill stuff, too.

[EvilShoe]

Southern Comfort's final ten minutes are some of the most nerve-wrecking I've ever seen.

What a great film.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I'm trying to line up a babysitter for tonight so my wife and I can catch The Orphanage before it leaves. I couldn't believe it came to our area, but it's staying for a whole week (tonight being its last night), so I'm sure that trend will continue.

Anyone want to fly over here and hang out with our kids for a bit?

[Benny Profane]

I'm trying to line up a babysitter for tonight so my wife and I can catch The Orphanage before it leaves. I couldn't believe it came to our area, but it's staying for a whole week (tonight being its last night), so I'm sure that trend will continue.

Anyone want to fly over here and hang out with our kids for a bit?

I can't, but I know a guy.

http://www.mugshots.net/michael_jackson/michael_jackson.jpg

[EvilShoe]

Anyone want to fly over here and hang out with our kids for a bit?
I could be there tonight, if you'd just drop the restraining order.

[Raiders]

A night with your kids will be much more entertaining and fulfilling than The Orphanage. Stay home.

[EvilShoe]

A night with your kids will be much more entertaining and fulfilling than The Orphanage. Stay home.
The Orphanage can't be that bad.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I can't, but I know a guy.

http://www.mugshots.net/michael_jackson/michael_jackson.jpg

That doesn't give me a phone number. How do I get in touch with him?


I could be there tonight, if you'd just drop the restraining order.

Not a chance. Breaking into my house and standing in my shower is completely unacceptable. I gave you enough chances.


A night with your kids will be much more entertaining and fulfilling than The Orphanage. Stay home.

It doesn't start until 9:05. They'll be sleeping anyway.

[Raiders]

It doesn't start until 9:05. They'll be sleeping anyway.

Then have a lot of sex instead.

[EvilShoe]

Not a chance. Breaking into my house and standing in my shower is completely unacceptable. I gave you enough chances.

It's not like I was using it.

[Kurosawa Fan]

It's not like I was using it.

Well you were using the soap.

[Sycophant]

January 2008 Week III: At Week's End

There Will Be Blood
Falling
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
300
Ghost Rider
Wild Strawberries
5 centimeters per second
Dororo
The 400 Blows

I'm particularly excited about seeing Falling, local (formerly Mormon) director Richard Dutcher's newest film, playing one screen here in town.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Weekend
Winter Light
Holiday
Reckless Moment
The Set-Up

[Velocipedist]

There Will Be Blood
Falling
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
300
Ghost Rider
Wild Strawberries
5 centimeters per second
Dororo
The 400 Blows

That's one hell of a line-up.

[origami_mustache]

Hmm, didn't know quite what to make of this one. Miike goes on to show that he might as well be working in theater with his wonderful lighting, staging, mise en scene, etc. It starts off very very well... figured it was saying something about alienated male youths (well, duh, I know) coming of age/existence in an ageless, unloving environment... and I thought it was doing it well in its cryptic, abstract visual way... but then I felt it failed to go anywhere at the end. When the

investigation begins, it becomes [relatively, disappointingly] straight-forward and its approach to its array of characters suddenly becomes somewhat reductive. We need to learn more about both main characters' psyches, but with the one's death, the film takes on the need to look backward, which halts thematic richness and gives us half-baked exposition (he raped the prison director's wife... why and how did it effect him?). The scenes with the two men and their journey outside to the spaceship and pyramid were hopeful signs of the film reaching some emotional conclusion, but instead the film seems to degrade into a mere collection of cinematic puns on a burgeoning but repressed homosexual relationship that should inform the story until the very end (not to belittle the visual grace and sensitivity Miike does bring to the table, or not that I've seen a Miike film possibly about homosexuality other than Gozu, which I hardly remember thus can't really rate, though I suspect it was a darkly comic, non-sentimental version of this).

Or maybe the film just frustrated me because it's too hard to get the damn thing! :P I certainly felt at a loss at the end.

I agree with many of your thoughts. The film had a lot of potential, but some of the ideas don't seem fully developed. That being said I still think the film is worth seeing, and it once again proves Miike's versatility and unpredictability as a director. The allegoric symbols of the pyramid, representing to path to heaven and Ariyoshi's faith in an afterlife, and the rocket, which represents Kazuki's faith in science and the path to space rather than heaven are interesting because it results in Earth being hell, but as you mentioned Gozu sort of explores this idea as well and perhaps in a more fitting fashion.

[Raiders]

Weekend:

Cloverfield
Rescue Dawn
My Brother's Wedding

[Dukefrukem]

does everyone remember the BOMC we did long ago in a forum far far away?

I'd love to start that up again.

[origami_mustache]

What are some of your favorite screwball comedies?
My Man Godfrey

I love this film...Capra's It Happened One Night is pretty solid too, but I think Bringing Up Baby is my favorite screwball comedy.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Weekend:

12:08 East of Bucharest
The Orphanage



That's probably it.

[Ezee E]

Weekend:
Bodysong
Red Road
Cabaret (for realz)

Michael Clayton

[origami_mustache]

Weekend:
Syndromes and a Century
The Human Condition (although I said this last weekend and it didn't happen)

[Sycophant]

Favorite screwball comedies? I'm never exactly sure what thirties and forties comedies are of that genre. But I adore:
The Awful Truth
Bringing Up Baby
Arsenic and Old Lace
His Girl Friday

I apparently think screwball comedy means Cary Grant.

Oh, and anything Sturges did that would qualify (Palm Beach Story, perhaps?)

[megladon8]

I love this film...Capra's It Happened One Night is pretty solid too, but I think Bringing Up Baby is my favorite screwball comedy.


I, too, love Bringing Up Baby, but if I remember correctly it's not very popular 'round these parts.

Same with Arsenic and Old Lace - I think it's brilliant, but it has some really adament haters on MatchCut.

[origami_mustache]

I, too, love Bringing Up Baby, but if I remember correctly it's not very popular 'round these parts.

Same with Arsenic and Old Lace - I think it's brilliant, but it has some really adament haters on MatchCut.

That's just crazy talk.

[megladon8]

That's just crazy talk.


Which part? :)

[Kurosawa Fan]

Arsenic and Old Lace is one of the worst films I've ever seen. No hyperbole. Just facts.

[origami_mustache]

Which part? :)

Bringing Up Baby + unpopular

I haven't seen Arsenic and Old Lace

[megladon8]

Arsenic and Old Lace is one of the worst films I've ever seen. No hyperbole. Just facts.


:cry:

I can't fathom this.

[Kurosawa Fan]

:cry:

I can't fathom this.

I wanted to shut it off. I should have shut it off. I found the entire thing insufferable. I wanted to punch every character in the film, and I'm a pacifist. I've never thrown a punch in my life, and I was thinking violent thoughts after about 30 minutes.

[Sycophant]

Bringing Up Baby + unpopularOh, I know. It never ceases to amaze me.

[megladon8]

I wanted to shut it off. I should have shut it off. I found the entire thing insufferable. I wanted to punch every character in the film, and I'm a pacifist. I've never thrown a punch in my life, and I was thinking violent thoughts after about 30 minutes.


I know, you've said many times how much you hate it.

I just can't understand it, though - it doesn't seem like a hate-inspiring movie to me at all.

Are there any other screwball comedies that you're a fan of?

[balmakboor]

Anyone seen the Shaw Bros film The Killer Snakes? I saw it sitting on the shelf at Best Buy today and thought "That looks interesting." I fell short of a blind buy though.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Are there any other screwball comedies that you're a fan of?

Not many, no. There are a few, but they aren't quite as zany. They tend to be much.. tamer, for lack of a better word.

[dreamdead]

Weekend:

Eastern Promises
Damnation

Probably:
Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

[Velocipedist]

I'll probably grab some Haneke. I've only seen Caché, loved it. Any recs?

[Derek]

I'll probably grab some Haneke. I've only seen Caché, loved it. Any recs?

My favorites are Code Unknown and The Seventh Continent, so I'd say go with those. The Piano Teacher is fantastic as well, especially if you're a Huppert fan.

[Rowland]

Joshua is like a secular interpretation of The Omen directed by Polanski. Much of it qualifies as black comedy, especially in retrospect if I'm reading the ending correctly, and the horror is derived through subtly unnerving touches that crescendo an aura of dread throughout, punctuated by a few outright creepy scenes. The third act stumbles a bit, but the epilogue makes up for this, ending with a chillingly discomfiting freeze frame. Also notable is Rockwell, who gives a very sturdy performance.

[origami_mustache]

I'll probably grab some Haneke. I've only seen Caché, loved it. Any recs?

Time of the Wolf and Code Unknown are some of my favorites, but I feel they would be better appreciated after becoming more accustomed to Haneke's style. I suppose I'd recommend you start with the thematic "Glaciation Trilogy": The Seventh Continent, Benny's Video, and 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance. Benny's Video is my favorite of those three.

[Velocipedist]

My favorites are Code Unknown and The Seventh Continent, so I'd say go with those. The Piano Teacher is fantastic as well, especially if you're a Huppert fan.

What's up with him reworking Funny Games, shot by shot, with Naomi Watts?

She does get to work with great directors, though.

[Sycophant]

Joshua is like a secular interpretation of The Omen directed by Polanski. Some of it almost qualifies as black comedy, especially in retrospect if I'm reading the ending correctly, and the horror is derived through subtly unnerving touches that crescendo an aura of dread throughout, punctuated by a few outright creepy scenes. The third act stumbles a bit, but the epilogue makes up for this, ending with a chillingly discomfiting freeze frame.Glad to hear it. I'm planning on watching this soon. The trailer was very hard to pin down tonally and I realized a little while ago that I knew almost nothing about it. At first I pretty much wrote it off as a bland creepy kid film, but there were some really intriguing aspects about it. Even more curious now.

[Qrazy]

Who here saw Polanski's Oliver Twist? I really thought it was one of the better films of 2005.

[MadMan]

Weekend:

Adaption(2002)-I'll see what all of the fuss is about as I continue my endless attempts to finish major viewing from this decade. Which will probably take me another two decades. Heh.

The Host(2007)-Another viewing from last year. This sounds more up my alley. And yes I made sure I found a copy that wasn't dubbed. I hate dubbing.

Support Your Local Sheriff!(1969)
Support Your Local Gunfighter(1971)-Both are revisits.
The Kids Are Alright(1979)-TCM's Underground Series is screening this documentary of The Who tomorrow night at 1:30 am.

[Ezee E]

What's up with him reworking Funny Games, shot by shot, with Naomi Watts?

She does get to work with great directors, though.
Luckily you're new. We've had this discussion many a times.

Some, like myself, will call it a dumb move, and that he should've started off in America with something new. While others will say that he's bringing his themes from that movie, which are kinda relevant now (a stretch I say), and would be a better welcome to the states.

I have a feeling that the American version is going to fail anyways because of the horrible trailers.

Tough to say really.

[Dukefrukem]

Why do you guys write Weekend before everything? is that just want you're expecting to watch?

[Raiders]

Why do you guys write Weekend before everything? is that just want you're expecting to watch?

Of course. Is it really that hard to figure out?

[Dukefrukem]

Of course. Is it really that hard to figure out?

No but why dont you just say: "Im gonna watch this and this and this" :pritch:

[dreamdead]

Why do you guys write Weekend before everything? is that just want you're expecting to watch?

To commemorate the awesomesauceness of Jean-Luc Godard, each weekend we watch Weekend. But each weekend we inexplicably fail to watch Weekend. Lo, another weekend appears and we give it another shot. Ergo the inclusion of Weekend. Strangely, we never get around to discussing Weekend, though we frequently post thoughts on random films.

[origami_mustache]

I have a feeling that the American version is going to fail anyways because of the horrible trailers.

Tough to say really.

Really? I thought the theatrical trailer I saw was fantastic, Although I still am not enthused about seeing a shot for shot remake, nor do I think this film will be wildly successful.

[Dukefrukem]

To commemorate the awesomesauceness of Jean-Luc Godard, each weekend we watch Weekend. But each weekend we inexplicably fail to watch Weekend. Lo, another weekend appears and we give it another shot. Ergo the inclusion of Weekend. Strangely, we never get around to discussing Weekend, though we frequently post thoughts on random films.

LOL k.

Weekend:


I plan on watching the first film in my The Rate My Unwatched DVDs and I'll Watch/Review Them Thread (http://match-cut.org/showthread.php?t=434) suggested by Spinal. Brazil.

[Rowland]

No but why dont you just say: "Im gonna watch this and this and this" :pritch:Tradition... and less typing. ;)

[origami_mustache]

To commemorate the awesomesauceness of Jean-Luc Godard, each weekend we watch Weekend. But each weekend we inexplicably fail to watch Weekend. Lo, another weekend appears and we give it another shot. Ergo the inclusion of Weekend. Strangely, we never get around to discussing Weekend, though we frequently post thoughts on random films.

hahaha rep!

[Grouchy]

Finally saw This is Spinal Tap and should've done so sooner, man. It's an inmensely creative comedy riff, and the performances hit all the right notes - in some cases, the British accent they pulled off was incredible too. Lots of cameos, music, Stonehenge. Not much to be said except that I dug.

Almost inmediately afterwards my dad came into the room with a Brazilian movie he had bought because he remembered having seen it in cinemas, called Macunaima. The VHS sucked, and it's a testament to a quite curious movie that we stayed hooked anyway. Surrealist fable about Macunaima, a man who is born fully grown and, after his mother dies, finds a fountain that turns him into a white person. It quickly becomes a racially charged fable, but the best part is actually the adventures and the women on display. It's part of the Cinema Novo, a movement I read about in film school but haven't really bothered to investigate so far.

[Sycophant]

Support Your Local Sheriff!(1969)
Support Your Local Gunfighter(1971)-Both are revisits. I love these films (particularly the former). Or at least I think I do. A revisit is probably in order on my end, too.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Backpeddling! I'm not a huge fan of Bringing up Baby, although I do enjoy it. I liked it a lot the first time, but have a hard time getting through it on repeat viewings. I like the third act the best, which is a shame because I rarely make it that far :(

[Sycophant]

I have a feeling that the American version is going to fail anyways because of the horrible trailers.

Tough to say really.
I haven't seen either version (though I'll be seeing the original some time in the next two weeks, before the American remake), but I actually rather like the trailer that's being played at my local independent theater. *shrug*

[Boner M]

Weekend, aside from the stuff in my unwatched DVD thread:

Gangs of New York (rpt)
Sweeney Todd
My Brother's Wedding

[Bosco B Thug]

I agree with many of your thoughts. The film had a lot of potential, but some of the ideas don't seem fully developed. That being said I still think the film is worth seeing, and it once again proves Miike's versatility and unpredictability as a director. The allegoric symbols of the pyramid, representing to path to heaven and Ariyoshi's faith in an afterlife, and the rocket, which represents Kazuki's faith in science and the path to space rather than heaven are interesting because it results in Earth being hell, but as you mentioned Gozu sort of explores this idea as well and perhaps in a more fitting fashion. Yeah, I definitely liked the incongruity between the two symbols of faith and how heaven isn't dichotomized between two very different ideologies or two very different people, and hell is here.

Anyway, what I'm wondering if the rainbow is a cultural symbol for homosexuality in Japan as it is here. Probably... is?


Joshua is like a secular interpretation of The Omen directed by Polanski. Much of it qualifies as black comedy, especially in retrospect if I'm reading the ending correctly, and the horror is derived through subtly unnerving touches that crescendo an aura of dread throughout, punctuated by a few outright creepy scenes. The third act stumbles a bit, but the epilogue makes up for this, ending with a chillingly discomfiting freeze frame. Also notable is Rockwell, who gives a very sturdy performance. I love how the ending makes people (well, people I watched it with) go "Ewww creepy!" Or I don't love it, I love how it's probably the reaction Ratliff expects and wants us all to carefully reconsider.

The third act does stumble because so quickly does he become truly calculating (and it's a little slow and convoluted as a thriller), but yeah, good to see people liking this one. Rockwell and Farmiga are great as the, I'd describe them, "all-around good, but mentally bumbling, parents."

[Winston*]

Volver
Once Upon a Time in the West (r)
Beauty and the Beast (Cocteau)

Maybe Sweeney or Darjeeling.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I'm encouraged by the Joshua love. It's currently #2 on my queue. I thought it looked great from the trailer, but it kind of disappeared after its release.

[Rowland]

I love how the ending makes people (well, people I watched it with) go "Ewww creepy!" Or I don't love it, I love how it's probably the reaction Ratliff expects and wants us all to carefully reconsider.So how do you take the ending, then?

[Rowland]

Has anyone heard of the movie How She Move (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/how_she_move/) that is apparently opening this weekend? I just happened across it while checking the local listings, and was surprised to discover that its critical reception is pretty respectable. Armond White's quote intrigues me: "How She Move has the distinction of being the most visually stylized movie yet made about the hip-hop generation."

[Kurosawa Fan]

Has anyone heard of the movie How She Move (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/how_she_move/) that is apparently opening this weekend? I just happened across it while checking the local listings, and was surprised to discover that its critical reception is pretty respectable. Armond White's quote intrigues me: "How She Move has the distinction of being the most visually stylized movie yet made about the hip-hop generation."

My friend, who's the manager of one of our local theaters, told me about this. His theater is getting it, and he had never heard of it before, so he looked it up and was shocked at how positive the reviews have been thus far. I watched the trailer, and I can't imagine enjoying it, but stranger things have happened.

[Bosco B Thug]

I'm encouraged by the Joshua love. It's currently #2 on my queue. I thought it looked great from the trailer, but it kind of disappeared after its release. Mr. Valentine gave it an F in his sig. :(

Mr. Valentine, thoughts?


So how do you take the ending, then? Plotwise...

He was realizing how incompatible he is with his parents, became a little demon, and stumbled across a way to make the Uncle their new parental guardian?

Then the decision to make the Uncle fit into a gay stereotype in mannerisms and vocation becomes really really clever when by the end, viewers are led to maybe lead themselves thoughtlessly into thoughts of incestuous relationships, desires, etc.

[balmakboor]

Robin Wood chimed in on Romero's Diary of the Dead calling it -- after a bit of a backslide with Land of the Dead -- possibly the supreme installment in the Dead series. I hope it gets a theatrical release.

[Duncan]

Weekend possibilities:

Still Life
For Daniel
Cotton Candy
Brief Crossing

[Rowland]

Plotwise...

He was realizing how incompatible he is with his parents, became a little demon, and stumbled across a way to make the Uncle their new parental guardian?

Then the decision to make the Uncle fit into a gay stereotype in mannerisms and vocation becomes really really clever when by the end, viewers are led to maybe lead themselves thoughtlessly into thoughts of incestuous relationships, desires, etc.Alright, I figured you were talking about what's in your second paragraph, just wanted to make sure. I thought I may have been stretching when I thought of that as well.

[Rowland]

Robin Wood chimed in on Romero's Diary of the Dead calling it -- after a bit of a backslide with Land of the Dead -- possibly the supreme installment in the Dead series. I hope it gets a theatrical release.So he used to consider Land of the Dead the supreme installment? That virtually negates his opinion. :lol:

[Duncan]

Who here saw Polanski's Oliver Twist? I really thought it was one of the better films of 2005.

I liked it at the time, but haven't thought about it since and can barely remember any of it now.

[Watashi]

I have so many choices for the weekend, I don't know where to start:

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
Harvey
Anatomy of a Murder
Killer of Sheep
Matewan
The Fisher King
The Good German
Paris, Je T'aime
Pickup at South Street
Tokyo Drifter
The Savages

[Eleven]

I have so many choices for the weekend, I don't know where to start

Any of the following:

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
Killer of Sheep
Matewan
Pickup at South Street
Tokyo Drifter

[Philosophe_rouge]

I have so many choices for the weekend, I don't know where to start:

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
Harvey
Anatomy of a Murder
Killer of Sheep
Matewan
The Fisher King
The Good German
Paris, Je T'aime
Pickup at South Street
Tokyo Drifter
The Savages

If you love me, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

[lovejuice]

Has anyone heard of the movie How She Move (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/how_she_move/) that is apparently opening this weekend? I just happened across it while checking the local listings, and was surprised to discover that its critical reception is pretty respectable. Armond White's quote intrigues me: "How She Move has the distinction of being the most visually stylized movie yet made about the hip-hop generation."

as a sucker for a dance film -- i even watch stomp the yard in theatre -- i have always been intended to watch it. the positive reviews do help.

[Watashi]

Looks like I'm seeing The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp.

[Melville]

Is Nicholas Ray's On Dangerous Ground worth seeing?

[lovejuice]

Is Nicholas Ray's On Dangerous Ground worth seeing?

not unless it's a sequel to

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/MMPO/503624~On-Deadly-Ground-Posters.jpg

[Melville]

not unless it's a sequel to

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/MMPO/503624~On-Deadly-Ground-Posters.jpg

Maybe it's a prequel. They both appear to be set in snowy landscapes.

[D_Davis]

I'm watching a movie tonight!!! At home!!! On DVD!!! First time since November I think.

I'm so excited.

I'm watching the new Andy Lau, Jet Li flick, The Warlords.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Is Nicholas Ray's On Dangerous Ground worth seeing?
I think so

[Sycophant]

I'm watching a movie tonight!!! At home!!! On DVD!!! First time since November I think.

I'm so excited.

I'm watching the new Andy Lau, Jet Li flick, The Warlords.Good luck with that! Do report!

[D_Davis]

Good luck with that! Do report!

I hope I do it!

I bought The Warlords and Eye in the Sky today. I was eating some tonkatsu down town and decided to head over to the VCD/DVD shop. I walked in and the guy goes, "Ah...new Jet Li, new Jet Li!"

I had to buy it after that. Plus I have a rule: when buying one DVD, always buy two, just in case the first one sucks.

[Watashi]

I was hoping it would be the Bird film.

[Rowland]

Speaking of Joshua, Michael Sicinski just gave it a 2 (out of 10) over at The Academic Hack (http://www.academichack.net/), which ranks it as his worst movie for 2007. That's pretty damn harsh... I look forward to reading his thoughts, which he hasn't posted yet. He also recently gave a 4 to Into Great Silence, that three-hour monastery documentary that so many critics were falling over themselves to praise, which I really appreciated, because I didn't like it much either and found most of my criticisms generally unaddressed by its more ardent admirers like Ed Gonzalez.

[D_Davis]

I was hoping it would be the Bird film.

You mean the Rat film? It's a ways down on our queue, and my wife has been watching lots of TV shows. I'll get to it.

[Wryan]

Dunno why such bile was spewed at Juno. Thought it was the bees knees. I paid for my ticket in change. Thought that would be appropriate.

[Ezee E]

Is Nicholas Ray's On Dangerous Ground worth seeing?
You have to ask?

[Stay Puft]

Weekend:

Gonin 1 / 2

Potential 2007 catching up:

2 Days in Paris
3:10 to Yuma
4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
Once
Tears of the Black Tiger
Time

No way do I get to all of that. Just stuff I'm lining up. Watch whatever I feel like, have time for, etc.

[Watashi]

You mean the Rat film? It's a ways down on our queue, and my wife has been watching lots of TV shows. I'll get to it.
But I saw Exiled just for you. :evil:

[Duncan]

Speaking of Joshua, Michael Sicinski just gave it a 2 (out of 10) over at The Academic Hack (http://www.academichack.net/), which ranks it as his worst movie for 2007. That's pretty damn harsh... I look forward to reading his thoughts, which he hasn't posted yet. He also recently gave a 4 to Into Great Silence, that three-hour monastery documentary that so many critics were falling over themselves to praise, which I really appreciated, because I didn't like it much either and found most of my criticisms generally unaddressed by its more ardent admirers like Ed Gonzalez.

What were your criticisms of Into Great Silence? Maybe I can address them. I had a few myself, but liked it a lot overall.

[Rowland]

4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
Download, I presume? I found a copy that looked great, but then I couldn't find any subs for the damn thing.

[Watashi]

4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days is on Pay-Per-View. That's probably how Puft saw it.

[Rowland]

What were your criticisms of Into Great Silence? Maybe I can address them. I had a few myself, but liked it a lot overall.Well... I know the answers I'll probably get to most of my criticisms. I should say that they don't convincingly address my problems, at least enough so to satisfy me. It's a slog, when I really don't believe it had to be.

[Rowland]

4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days is on Pay-Per-View. That's probably how Puft saw it.Oh, cool. You know, I never use the ppv service, but I may for this. They probably don't offer it in HD, do they?

[Yxklyx]

Weekend:

Cenizas del Paraiso

[D_Davis]

But I saw Exiled just for you. :evil:

Awe, how sweet. I didn't know you did that just for me!

[Winston*]

I watch all of my films for D_Davis.

[D_Davis]

I watch all of my films for D_Davis.

REP!

[Winston*]

REP!

On a related note, I saw that parrot movie you've got on your top 100 the other day. Liked it a bunch. It's kind of like Grizzly Man, except the complete opposite.

[D_Davis]

On a related note, I saw that parrot movie the other day. Liked it a bunch. It's kind of like Grizzly Man, except the complete opposite.

Yeah. It's like Grizzly Man, except for instead of wanting to punch the dude in the nads, you want to be the dude's best friend and smoke pot with him and play guitar with him and hang out with him and give him a great big hug.

[Ivan Drago]

Weekend:

Sweeney Todd

And that's it. On Friday I'm camping out for College Gameday at Carbondale, and on Saturday I'll be at the arena all day for the game against Creighton. Should be fun.

[Rowland]

I think I may switch to the /100 rating system. Stars are getting boring, especially when I go through long stretches of similar ratings. Maybe...

[Dead & Messed Up]

I watched Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, and I got a kick out of it, but not much more than that. The film is damn near great for the first hour, but then it falls back into the same damn pattern I've seen in a hundred other slashers. It reminds me of how Scream poked fun at horror conventions...right before falling back into them towards the end.

It seems like no one really wants to tear down expectations in a slasher...just kinda poke them lovingly.

[Rowland]

I watched Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, and I got a kick out of it, but not much more than that. The film is damn near great for the first hour, but then it falls back into the same damn pattern I've seen in a hundred other slashers. It reminds me of how Scream poked fun at horror conventions...right before falling back into them towards the end.

It seems like no one really wants to tear down expectations in a slasher...just kinda poke them lovingly.I thought Behind the Mask was reasonably amiable, but not much else. It's about half as clever as it thinks it is, and the last act tonal switcheroo doesn't work. I'm reminded of just how easy to please the horror community generally is when they praise mediocrity like this and Black Sheep as the second coming.

[megladon8]

I'm reminded of just how easy to please the horror community generally is when they praise mediocrity like this and Black Sheep as the second coming.


That's a bit harsh.

I consider myself a part of the horror community - horror and westerns are my two favorite genres - but I definitely see myself as pretty critical with these films.

I would almost say I'm more critical of horror films because I have seen so many.

I thought Behind the Mask was great, but certainly not "the second coming". I thought most of it was carried by Nathan Baesel. He gave a great and very charismatic performance.

[balmakboor]

So he used to consider Land of the Dead the supreme installment? That virtually negates his opinion. :lol:

No, he considers Land to be a backslide. He actually considered Day to be the supreme achievement -- something I agree with.

[Sycophant]

That's a bit harsh.


I'm reminded of just how easy to please the horror community generally is when they praise mediocrity like this and Black Sheep as the second coming.

The keyword here is "generally." This is a trend I've noticed, too, with people who call themselves horror fans, particularly when I worked at a video store. It's a big fat generalization to make, but most so-called genre fans aren't interested in delving into the roots of the genre or seeking out auteurs like Dario Argento. They're content to catch whatever airs late at night on basic cable or rent those horrible direct-to-DVD shitfests with titles like "Blood Farm" so long as they have the proper body count and hit a couple genre tropes. The enthusiasm various emissaries of the horror community have exhibited toward utter shit actually closed my mind to the genre for a while.

I've pretty much renounced the title of "fan" of any genre or person because fans in general irritate the piss out of me.

[Raiders]

I consider all four Dead films virtually equal in quality. On any particular day I could feel driven to call any one of them the best in the series.

[Rowland]

No, he considers Land to be a backslide. He actually considered Day to be the supreme achievement -- something I agree with.Ohh, okay. I somehow misread that.

[megladon8]

My rankings/ratings would look something like this...

Night of the Living Dead - 10
Dawn of the Dead - 10
Day of the Dead - 5.5
Land of the Dead - 5

Those first two are pretty interchangeable.

[Melville]

Hitchcock's Marnie was pretty great. Sure, Marnie herself was a contrived bundle of repressed memories and neuroses, and the final "revelatory" scene was psychological hogwash, but occasionally the image of a woman walking on the edge of despair, desperate for self-control and desperate to escape, shone through all that. Plus, Sean Connery's character, with his mixture of smarmy sexuality and tenderness, was awesome; the scene in the car where he tells Marnie he knows the truth about her was infinitely compelling because of him. Of course, the film also worked beautifully as a thriller, with simple things like the fear of a shoe dropping made wonderfully tense, and with more elaborate set-pieces like the fox hunt executed with delirious virtuosity.

[Spinal]

Only one of the Dead films has Asia Argento. This is key.

They're all good though.

[Dead & Messed Up]

The keyword here is "generally." This is a trend I've noticed, too, with people who call themselves horror fans, particularly when I worked at a video store. It's a big fat generalization to make, but most so-called genre fans aren't interested in delving into the roots of the genre or seeking out auteurs like Dario Argento. They're content to catch whatever airs late at night on basic cable or rent those horrible direct-to-DVD shitfests with titles like "Blood Farm" so long as they have the proper body count and hit a couple genre tropes. The enthusiasm various emissaries of the horror community have exhibited toward utter shit actually closed my mind to the genre for a while.

It is a trend: horror fans aren't discriminate. I suppose that's what makes them "fans," given its root in the term "fanatic."

It's kind of a drag, because horror "fans" tend to hurt the genre more than help, because they'll throw their money at pretty much anything. That kind of blind love is what allows a lot of crap to return on investment, and so goes the great Circle of Suck.

I do think Behind the Mask is significantly superior to Man Bites Dog.

[D_Davis]

I'm reminded of just how easy to please the horror community generally is when they praise mediocrity like this and Black Sheep as the second coming.

The horror community is strange. They all flock to see crap like Saw and Silent Hill, but they avoid stuff like Slither and The Mist. The horror fandom is the one that puzzles me the most. I can never guess what they will embrace or discard, and I often find myself at odds with their tastes.

Genre fans in general are too easy to please. This is the reason why crappy genre films keep getting made. It really saddens me. This paints genre fans as an undiscerning lot, makes us look like marketing tools. Sadly, the phrase, "if they make it, they will come," is too often true, except for when it should be.

People often assume that because I like one genre film, that I must like them all. That being a fan of some genre cinema makes me a fan of all genre cinema.

If there is one thing that will dilute, poison and ruin a genre, it is undying fandom.

[Qrazy]

Gilda was decent. It a very solid noir script that in better hands could have been made into an excellent film. As it stands now, aside from a few mid-shots of Hayworth, there's nothing particularly visually compelling about the film. Plot points and set locations move along haphazardly and although the cast and dialogue deliver, nothing about the execution is all that memorable. This is one script that I wouldn't mind being remade.

[Dead & Messed Up]

No, he considers Land to be a backslide. He actually considered Day to be the supreme achievement -- something I agree with.

From my understanding, he considered Day's original script to be the supreme achievement, and, despite his disappointment with the initial results, his favorite experience was on the set of Day. But I can't say with certainty where I remember that from, so, you know, grain of salt.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I just got back from The Orpha-meh-ge. That certainly wasn't worth bribing my brother into babysitting. What the hell do all of its supporters see in that tired story?

[Melville]

Gilda was decent. It a very solid noir script that in better hands could have been made into an excellent film. As it stands now, aside from a few mid-shots of Hayworth, there's nothing particularly visually compelling about the film. Plot points and set locations move along haphazardly and although the cast and dialogue deliver, nothing about the execution is all that memorable. This is one script that I wouldn't mind being remade.
Yeah, it was a compelling story told in a completely uninteresting manner. Although Rita Hayworth singing "Put the Blame on Mame" was gold.

For those who haven't seen it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3uzB-q0jsU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVI0A4DTVgg&feature=related

Gold.

[Dead & Messed Up]

The Orpha-meh-ge

Wow, dude.

[Winston*]

The Orpha-meh-ge.
I'm sorry KF, but this just isn't good enough warrant posting in two threads. Actually, this isn't good enough to warrant posting in one thread. Actually, go stand in the corner.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I'm sorry KF, but this just isn't good enough warrant posting in two threads. Actually, this isn't good enough to warrant posting in one thread. Actually, go stand in the corner.

It's a shame when I can't even capitalize on my own joke.

*stands in corner*

[Qrazy]

Yeah, it was a compelling story told in a completely uninteresting manner. Although Rita Hayworth singing "Put the Blame on Mame" was gold.

For those who haven't seen it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3uzB-q0jsU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVI0A4DTVgg&feature=related

Gold.

Looking back, Hayworth deserved a much better career than she got.

[megladon8]

I haven't seen anything with Rita Hayworth - at least that I can think of right mow.

I've wanted to see Gilda for a while, and figured it might be on sale somewhere, but I never see it for less than $20. It's on my library queue, but they've lost the copy somewhere.

[Mr. Valentine]

weekend viewings:

Cloverfield
Aqua Teen Hunger Force: The Movie
Eastern Promises

and since i missed the Joshua talk, i hated it. it's tied with Transformers for the worst 2007 film i've seen.

[MadMan]

I think I may switch to the /100 rating system. Stars are getting boring, especially when I go through long stretches of similar ratings. Maybe...I'm considering going over to it as well. I just like being able to use it to further distinguish films even further than I can now. With the 10 system I've found that too many 7s and 8s become possible. Its kind of annoying.


I love these films (particularly the former). Or at least I think I do. A revisit is probably in order on my end, too.I didn't think anyone else had seen them. Awesome. They're being shown tomorrow night on TCM, which is where I'm going to view them. I can't remember which one I liked more, but I do remember one of my favorite scenes being Jack Elam spoofing Clint Eastwood lighting the cannon in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Heh.

As for the horror genre, I'm becoming somewhat of a fan but I'm usually smart enough to avoid the films that look horribly unoriginal and crappy. I am interested in seeking out films like Behind The Mask though because they appear to be at least trying something different or twisting familiar conventions. Even if they fail they should be commended for not being a damn Saw clone.

Sadly I've only seen some of Romero's "Dead" series:

Night of the Living Dead-100
Dawn of the Dead-100

As for what I've overall seen from Romero Martin is pretty damn good and The Dark Half is decent yet interesting. The flick of his I actually really want to get my hands on is The Crazies, which is hard to find.

[Boner M]

Adding to weekend schedule, I also have The House of Mortal Sin and a choice between Putney Swope or The Incredible Melting Man as the cine. Will probably see the former out of the last two.

[megladon8]

What are peoples' feelings on The Spiral Staircase?

It's been compared to The Haunting (which I loved), and The Innocents (which I thought was pretty decent).

[Spinal]

Adding to weekend schedule, I also have The House of Mortal Sin and a choice between Putney Swope or The Incredible Melting Man as the cine. Will probably see the former out of the last two.

Set expectations to low and you might have a laugh or two.

[Wryan]

What are peoples' feelings on The Spiral Staircase?

It's been compared to The Haunting (which I loved), and The Innocents (which I thought was pretty decent).

I was really hoping to love The Haunting. Really wanted to. Just...couldn't. And yes I do mean Wise.

[Watashi]

Pleasantville (Gary Ross, 1998) **

:evil:

[Duncan]

Very cool Ernie Gehr film called Serene Velocity (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYfNFtLSuv4). Not for everyone.

[Derek]

Weekend possibilities:

Day Night Day Night
Into Great Silence
Park Row

Theater: Woman on the Beach & Cool as Ice

Say what you will about LA, but where else in the world are you given the opportunity to see those two films theatrically, on the same night no less? I will do my best not to blow this chance.

[Winston*]

Volver is a movie with excellent performances. This is all I have to say on the subject of Volver.

[Yxklyx]

What are peoples' feelings on The Spiral Staircase?

It's been compared to The Haunting (which I loved), and The Innocents (which I thought was pretty decent).

It's fine but I liked the other two films more, especially The Haunting.

[Velocipedist]

Pleasantville (Gary Ross, 1998) **

Sacrilege!

[Benny Profane]

Shortbus -- WTF!

(Turned it off at male threeway)

[balmakboor]

From my understanding, he considered Day's original script to be the supreme achievement, and, despite his disappointment with the initial results, his favorite experience was on the set of Day. But I can't say with certainty where I remember that from, so, you know, grain of salt.

In CineAction, Wood wrote a fairly extensive analysis of Day, now included in his revised edition of Hollywood From Vietnam to Reagan. He calls the film the trilogy's supreme achievement. He hardly mentions the script if at all.

In the bonus materials on the Day DVD (one of my favorite DVD packages), Romero clearly feels the script was his greatest achievement and has mixed feelings about the film. I even heard somewhere recently that Romero would like to remake Day, I presume to film the entire script.

[Dukefrukem]

yay for today!

[Velocipedist]

What he means is,

Happy Birthday, Duke!

[Rowland]

What are peoples' feelings on The Spiral Staircase?.It's pretty damn good, and gorgeous as hell to watch. At the very least, you should find it interesting from a historical perspective, since you can witness the first baby steps of visual and thematic slasher/giallo tropes.

[Dukefrukem]

What he means is,

Happy Birthday, Duke!

yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!

[D_Davis]

The Warlords

Started off great. It is based on the same story as the Chang Cheh film, Blood Brothers. The first big battle is truly awesome. Swords, canons, spears, rifles - it has it all. Jet Li kicks some serious ass, and he can act. His performance is quite good. Andy Lau's performance is good as well. The first half of the film is really great.

However, the second half completely looses its focus. It's almost as if the filmmakers forgot what they were doing. What's there is good, but the problem is what's not there.

Like Tsui Harl's Seven Swords, it feels chopped up, and I would bet that the stuff they edited out really adds a lot to the dramatic tension. It's a shame too, because it is a very nice looking film.

The soundtrack however, is bad. The score is bombastic and almost never shuts up. What's worse, there aren't any recurring or memorable themes. It sounds like a bunch of randomly chosen war-movie music.

It's not a bad film, and I do think I will watch it again, or at least parts of it. It's too bad it falters during the second half because for the first hour I was enjoying it quite a bit.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Happy birthday Duke.

[Grouchy]

Shortbus -- WTF!

(Turned it off at male threeway)
Well you should try and finish it, but it's really disappointing. The characters are contrived and superficial, and the movie's attitude reveals the filmmakers thought it a lot smarter than it was.

I thought Jet Li was gonna retire. Where did I read that?

[Dukefrukem]

Happy birthday Duke.

thanks very much!

[D_Davis]

I thought Jet Li was gonna retire. Where did I read that?

The quote was mistranslated into English. He said he was no longer going to play the martial arts, monk-like character any more after Fearless. But to tell you the truth, I really don't know what he meant by it. I also read that he wanted to do more films that promoted his Buddhist faith, and that he wasn't going to do any more violent films. The Warlords is the most violent and brutal thing he's ever been in!

[Ivan Drago]

Happy birthday Duke! Hope it's a good one!

[MadMan]

Happy b-day Duke. Have a good one man :cool:

[Rowland]

Weekend:

A Mighty Heart
Regular Lovers
The Lookout
Breach
Hard Boiled (re)

[megladon8]

Weekend:

A Mighty Heart



I've read some surprisingly good things about this one.

I always thought Angelina Jolie could potentially be great, but she has made some awful career choices.

Oh and Hapy Birthday, Duke :)

[Rowland]

I've read some surprisingly good things about this one.

I always thought Angelina Jolie could potentially be great, but she has made some awful career choices.I'm not really that interested, but Winterbottom is an interesting director, and enough praise by some people I respect has convinced me to give it a chance. I hope to be pleasantly surprised.

[Sven]

Winterbottom is an interesting director

Have you seen 24 Hour Party People? It's one of the best movies ever. Outside of that, I don't much care for Mr. Bottom.

[Raiders]

I'm a big fan of Winterbottom's Code 46 and Welcome to Sarajevo.

[Velocipedist]

I'm not really that interested, but Winterbottom is an interesting director, and enough praise by some people I respect has convinced me to give it a chance. I hope to be pleasantly surprised.

I think Winterbottom can be compared to Soderbergh, which we were earlier discussing, career-wise. Neither of them knows where they want to take their careers, it's just that Soderbergh knows where he wants to take his movies and Winterbottom doesn't.

Um... :)

[Wryan]

Shortbus -- WTF!

(Turned it off at male threeway)

If it had been a female threeway would you have kept watching in the interest of art?

[megladon8]

I'm a big fan of Winterbottom's Code 46 and Welcome to Sarajevo.


Code 46 is another I was interested in at the time it was released, but never got around to seeing it, and then just kind of forgot about it.

[Yxklyx]

If it had been a female threeway would you have kept watching in the interest of art?

There were two scenes that disgusted me but I thought the movie was very solid after all was said and done. I liked it.

[Rowland]

If anything, Shortbus could have used more male threeways and less dunderheaded angst. I didn't care for it either.

[Benny Profane]

If it had been a female threeway would you have kept watching in the interest of art?


The interest of art? Now that's funny!

[Wryan]

The interest of art? Now that's funny!

:)

[jesse]

Gilda was decent. It a very solid noir script that in better hands could have been made into an excellent film. As it stands now, aside from a few mid-shots of Hayworth, there's nothing particularly visually compelling about the film. Plot points and set locations move along haphazardly and although the cast and dialogue deliver, nothing about the execution is all that memorable. This is one script that I wouldn't mind being remade. The real interest in Gilda--aside from the sizzling "Put the Blame on Mame" number--is the subversive sexual politics on display. It's one of classic Hollywood's most interesting films in that respect.

[Benny Profane]

If anything, Shortbus could have used more male threeways and less dunderheaded angst. I didn't care for it either.

I don't know what dunderheaded angst means, but it's gotta be better than a male threeway.

In all honesty I should have turned it off after the former mayor of NYC gave some old-man soliloquy about sin and then got kissed by some teenager. The whole film up to the point where I turned it off was absolutely ludicrous and it had very little to do with the sex.

[lovejuice]

I don't know what dunderheaded angst means, but it's gotta be better than a male threeway.

In all honesty I should have turned it off after the former mayor of NYC gave some old-man soliloquy about sin and then got kissed by some teenager. The whole film up to the point where I turned it off was absolutely ludicrous and it had very little to do with the sex.

i think hedwig is the second coming, but care zilch either for shortbus. i once engaged in a friendly discussion with doclop about how Cameron Mitchell was a hypocrite with this one.

[jesse]

In all honesty I should have turned it off after the former mayor of NYC gave some old-man soliloquy about sin and then got kissed by some teenager. The whole film up to the point where I turned it off was absolutely ludicrous and it had very little to do with the sex. How is this ludicrous? It happens more than one would suppose, unfortunately.

Though personally I didn't think that particular kiss was really spurred by sexual impulse...

[origami_mustache]

I really liked the Shortbus soundtrack. The film itself was mediocre.

[Benny Profane]

How is this ludicrous? It happens more than one would suppose, unfortunately.



I was referring to pretty much everything I'd seen til I turned it off, not that particular kiss. What bothered me most about that scene was the way that guy was trying to talk with extra gravitas. I got pangs of embarrassment for an old guy reading such bad lines and failing miserably at it in the process.

[Stay Puft]

Like Tsui Harl's Seven Swords, it feels chopped up, and I would bet that the stuff they edited out really adds a lot to the dramatic tension. It's a shame too, because it is a very nice looking film.

Are we ever getting a Seven Swords sequel? I kind of liked Seven Swords, rough and messy as it is. I wanted more.

The Warlords sounds interesting. I'll certainly watch it when I get a chance.

[Dukefrukem]

Happy b-day Duke. Have a good one man :cool:


Happy birthday Duke! Hope it's a good one!



thanks again. gonna eat a huge steak tonight and watch Brazil!

[Ezee E]

thanks again. gonna eat a huge steak tonight and watch Brazil!
Enjoy your steak! What are you now, 16? :)

[D_Davis]

Are we ever getting a Seven Swords sequel? I kind of liked Seven Swords, rough and messy as it is. I wanted more.

The Warlords sounds interesting. I'll certainly watch it when I get a chance.

Yes we will see a SS sequel. Tsui announced that he will begin filming next year. He has two films to be released this year. If the SS series is ever finished, I think it has a chance of being really good.

I also like SS, quite a bit actually. It is messy as hell, but what's there is really good. I just hope we get the fill 3+ hour cut on DVD before the next movie.

[Dead & Messed Up]

In CineAction, Wood wrote a fairly extensive analysis of Day, now included in his revised edition of Hollywood From Vietnam to Reagan. He calls the film the trilogy's supreme achievement. He hardly mentions the script if at all.

Interesting. I may have to seek this out...thank you!

::hunts::

Just put it on inter-library loan.


In the bonus materials on the Day DVD (one of my favorite DVD packages), Romero clearly feels the script was his greatest achievement and has mixed feelings about the film. I even heard somewhere recently that Romero would like to remake Day, I presume to film the entire script.

This would be very interesting.

[Ezee E]

Bodysong is an ambitious documentary that fits in the same type of avant-garde category that the Cremaster Cycle was in. It may not be something you can watch over and over again, but it's something you certainly won't forget.

Bodysong tries to tell the story of human life, with only images and music. Both are captivating as they break it down into six sections, half of them being about birth and the good side of life, the other half looking at death and the dark side of life. Although I'd like to say that there's a stronger look at death.

It's not a mind-blowing movie like Baraka, but worth seeing, especially with the score by Greenwood.

[number8]

Shortbus -- WTF!

(Turned it off at male threeway)

Homophobe!!!!!!!

[number8]

The quote was mistranslated into English. He said he was no longer going to play the martial arts, monk-like character any more after Fearless. But to tell you the truth, I really don't know what he meant by it. I also read that he wanted to do more films that promoted his Buddhist faith, and that he wasn't going to do any more violent films. The Warlords is the most violent and brutal thing he's ever been in!

Plus he plays an actual monk in Forbidden Kingdom. :P

[D_Davis]

Plus he plays an actual monk in Forbidden Kingdom. :P

Yeah - strange, eh?

This seemed like the exact kind of role he said he would no longer be playing.

[number8]

But it's not exactly unique. Jackie Chan's been saying he wants to do strictly romances and comedies for years. But the money's just too good.

I know he builds his house like the Batcave, with poles and secret rooms and shit. Maybe the maintenance needs a lot of money. Hence Rush Hour 3, a sequel to films he hated himself. Dollars, dollars.

[MadMan]

I really honestly don't blame Jackie Chan for making Rush Hour 3. Hell I'd do it if someone waved a six figure (or more in the case of Chan) check in my face, telling me it would be mine if I did some crappy sequel. Micheal Caine's famous house comment when asked about Jaws 4 perfectly sums up why so many actors make questionable films.

[D_Davis]

But it's not exactly unique. Jackie Chan's been saying he wants to do strictly romances and comedies for years. But the money's just too good.

I know he builds his house like the Batcave, with poles and secret rooms and shit. Maybe the maintenance needs a lot of money. Hence Rush Hour 3, a sequel to films he hated himself. Dollars, dollars.

True. What's worse is when an HK actor/director wants to retire but the triads say no. Nothin' like a mafia controlled movie industry! I bet if the mafia ran Hollywood there wouldn't be no silly writers' strike!

[D_Davis]

I really honestly don't blame Jackie Chan for making Rush Hour 3. Hell I'd do it if someone waved a six figure (or more in the case of Chan) check in my face, telling me it would be mine if I did some crappy sequel. Micheal Caine's famous house comment when asked about Jaws 4 perfectly sums up why so many actors make questionable films.

They are working actors.

[number8]

True. What's worse is when an HK actor/director wants to retire but the triads say no. Nothin' like a mafia controlled movie industry! I bet if the mafia ran Hollywood there wouldn't be no silly writers' strike!

Excellent point.

[MadMan]

They are working actors.I know. But honestly its hard for actors to do only good films. Even the greats have stinkers in their filmographies. That said, its when they only appear in crappy films-that's when it becomes problematic and sad. Cuban Gooding Jr. should be forced to give back his Oscar, and he's not the only one.


True. What's worse is when an HK actor/director wants to retire but the triads say no. Nothin' like a mafia controlled movie industry! I bet if the mafia ran Hollywood there wouldn't be no silly writers' strike!Pretty much :lol:

[Dead & Messed Up]

Finally bought the Indiana Jones trilogy.

:)

Watching Last Crusade right now. Love that intro.

[Yxklyx]

Yi-Yi was good even though it was a bit soapy. It took a while to figure who was who and where they lived (not even sure on that). 8/10

The Duelists was decent. The movie looks amazing especially considering it was made in 1977 - then I considered that Scott also directed Alien just two years later and that also looks amazing. No name cinematographers in both so I figure Scott must have a very good eye and has exceptional control over the look of his films. 7/10

Cenizas del Paraiso was disappointing. Good acting but story was kind of weak - very soapy indeed. Felt more like a very good TV show episode. 6/10

[Rowland]

The movie looks amazing especially considering it was made in 1977 An odd comment. Are you saying that movies never looked as good as those made by Ridley Scott before 1977?

[Yxklyx]

An odd comment. Are you saying that movies never looked as good as those made by Ridley Scott before 1977?

Generally speaking, yes.

[Raiders]

Generally speaking, yes.

OK, you win. I'll install the invert function.

[MadMan]

Man I'm really glad I chose to revisit the "Support Your...." duo of films. Support Your Local Sheriff is much funnier, but both it and Support Your Local Gunfighter are both funny, highly enjoyable and quite entertaining. I really love how both sport a sort of hybrid of slapstick and sharp witty humor as well. James Garner really sells each film along with Jack Elam and a relatively similar cast for the two films abeit with some different players of course. What I thought was interesting is how in the first flick (the second one isn't a sequel btw) James Garner portrays a rather laid back, cool cat of a gunman who's quick with a gun, with Elam being actually competant. But in the second flick Garner plays a rascal con man and Elam is a complete fool.
Anyways I give the first a 90, the second a 88, and I really would like to own both movies on DVD. They're really awesome western/comedies, and I enjoyed how they spoofed some classic westerns while adding new cliches as well.

[number8]

Why is Cry-Baby so awesome?

[Sycophant]

Tom McCarthy's second film, The Visitor--while not the revelation that was The Station Agent--was pretty damned good. His style's somewhat more elliptical than the majority of American films and he really lets his actors act. Hopefully the guy does more work, because I need more of this.

[Yum-Yum]

Why is Cry-Baby so awesome?

I don't know, but I'm sure it has something to do with Patricia Hearst and Susan Tyrell being in the cast.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Tom McCarthy's second film, The Visitor--while not the revelation that was The Station Agent--was pretty damned good. His style's somewhat more elliptical than the majority of American films and he really lets his actors act. Hopefully the guy does more work, because I need more of this.

:pritch:

I can't wait to see this.

[Boner M]

Bought a bunch of used VHS, so I've changed my weekend schedule accordingly.

The Neon Bible (Terence Davies)
The Driver (Walter Hill)
The Blade (Tsui Hark)
The Bad and the Beautiful (Vincente Minelli)

[D_Davis]

So last night was the Walter Hill double dill, with Streets of Fire and The Warriors. I really liked Streets of Fire. This was the first time I had seen it. It has so much energy, and through the editing, the filmmakers keep this incredibly intense pacing throughout the entire film. It's really good. It kind of peters out at the very end, the last song the band performs is way too long, but all in all, it's a coo flick.

And of course The Warriors still rules. Although, I prefer the newer version with the comic book transitions.

[Sven]

So last night was the Walter Hill double dill, with Streets of Fire and The Warriors. I really liked Streets of Fire. This was the first time I had seen it. It has so much energy, and through the editing, the filmmakers keep this incredibly intense pacing throughout the entire film. It's really good. It kind of peters out at the very end, the last song the band performs is way too long, but all in all, it's a coo flick.

I just rewatched this two days ago! It's awesome because the whole time I was thinking about how fitting a double bill with The Warriors would be. Both take place in just about the same neon drenched mythical nighttime New York City, turf wars, acquisitive nature, etc, etc. I love the way the final fight is not really about Cody v. nasty biker dude, but instead they become avatars for biker v. community, and how epically blown up it is (they're fighting with sledgehammers!). I think the editing during the last song is absolutely rapturous, so I'm happy it's a bit extended. And I love Michael Pare's Stallone impression. And Paxton is the greatest bartender ever.


And of course The Warriors still rules. Although, I prefer the newer version with the comic book transitions.

The comic book transitions a) are redundant because the film is mythical enough itself that the transitions make it far too explicit, b) transform film into another medium, which is a modus operandi that I contend with whole-heartedly because if they wanted to make it a comic, they should've just printed a comic, c) jarring, because the film stock and lighting in the film are so much a product of a 70s aesthetic that when the photoshopping colors start to fill it in, it begins to look like a cel-shaded flash animation, which is totally disparate in terms of style to the rest of the movie.

I'd be interested to hear why you prefer the comic transitions.

[Sven]

The Driver (Walter Hill)

:air guitar:

I can't wait for you to see this.

[D_Davis]

I just rewatched this two days ago! It's awesome because the whole time I was thinking about how fitting a double bill with The Warriors would be. Both take place in just about the same neon drenched mythical nighttime New York City, turf wars, acquisitive nature, etc, etc. I love the way the final fight is not really about Cody v. nasty biker dude, but instead they become avatars for biker v. community, and how epically blown up it is (they're fighting with sledgehammers!). I think the editing during the last song is absolutely rapturous, so I'm happy it's a bit extended. And I love Michael Pare's Stallone impression. And Paxton is the greatest bartender ever.


I'd be interested to hear why you prefer the comic transitions.

It's simple. I think they add a really cool visual flair. I like them purely for aesthetic reasons. When did they add these? We were disappointed that the print we saw didn't have them.


Did you notice how mythological Streets of Fire is? It's practically a fantasy adventure story. Some black clad demons on dragons swoop into town and kidnap the princess. A warrior is called, comes to town, goes to the tavern to get companions, then goes to the blacksmith to get his weapons. The small party mounts up and descends into hell, meets a troll under the bridge, and learns more of their quest. They rescue the princess and bring her back to the village. Back at the tavern, the party disbands. Then the demons come to take their revenge, but this time the town is ready for them and peasants take a stand.

That's farking awesome.

The editing on Streets of Fire is remarkable. That first 30 minutes is simply stunning.

[Sven]

Did you notice how mythological Streets of Fire is?

Of course! That's why it's the perfect companion to the mythological The Warriors.


The editing on Streets of Fire is remarkable. That first 30 minutes is simply stunning.

Yes. Hill always assembles immaculately. Have you seen The Driver? You'd loooooooove The Driver.

[dreamdead]

Despite some individual moments, found mostly in Mortensen and Mueller-Stall's very strong performances, Cronenberg's Eastern Promises feels just a little bit too limp narratively. That feeling, to me, is found in the film's climax at the river, which just lacks any real tension or drama. Perhaps that's a little bit of subversion there and circumventing any real genre expectation, because Cassel's character truly is more like Mortensen's morality than his father's immorality, but whereas everything up until the final river sequence has narrative pay-off, that section feels too sublimated and internal to work. On one hand I like that lack of pay-off, but then the coda feels too conventional and unfulfilling. Not sure, but this one's not quite clicking yet.

[Velocipedist]

Cronenberg is just degrading. Spider may be the only movie of his from 1992 onwards that I like (oh, I haven't seen his latest two, though, and since Spider was just previous to those, who knows...)

[number8]

I don't know, but I'm sure it has something to do with Patricia Hearst and Susan Tyrell being in the cast.

Perhaps.

"What does fuck mean, dear?"
"Oh, honey. It's just a teen nonsense word Wanda uses to make herself feel all grown-up."
"Oh. Your Honor, could we take Wanda the fuck home?"

[Dead & Messed Up]

Okay, seriously: Temple of Doom's final forty minutes could be the greatest stretch of suspense/action in cinema history.

[MadMan]

Okay, seriously: Temple of Doom's final forty minutes could be the greatest stretch of suspense/action in cinema history.Family Guy's spoof of the scene where Indy gets attacked by the cult leader and then after screaming something about how he betrayed Shiva, pushes the guy to his death where he hits every single cliff on his way on down to get eaten by alligators never ceases to amuse me. I'm not sure I can agree with your claim though, although the last 40 minutes of TOD do indeed rock.

The Kids Are Alright(1979) was a solid rock/concert documentary, although I don't feel that it completely touched upon the band's greatness. There were some interviews yes, but on the whole I felt that perhaps a more talented and well known film maker could have handled this project in a more better fashion. I still liked the film though, and getting to see The Who in action was really awesome. I'm glad I can die happy knowing I got to see them perform Won't Get Fooled Again live, even though its concert footage and I wasn't there to see it in person. I need a bloody time machine. 82

[megladon8]

And of course The Warriors still rules. Although, I prefer the newer version with the comic book transitions.


Me too!

It was always meant to be a comic-book type movie, and I think these transitions fit in really well.