28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[Spinal]

The story follows a U.S.-born teenage brother and sister, who, during the course of their travels abroad, become so completely drug-infested that they tap into the afterlife.

How exactly does that work? :lol:

[Melville]

As far as the location goes, I see it as To making a commentary on the HK film industry. The HK film industry has, for the most part, moved away from these kinds of films, a certain kind of heroic bloodshed. HK has turned its back on these films and has moved on. I think To pulled the narrative away from an HK setting out of respect for his characters. Why thrust them into a world that no longer wants them?
Oh, I see what you're saying now. The film serves as a swan song to the end of a movie-making era, not to the end of an era within the film itself; it's about the end of a certain type of Hong Kong gangster movie, rather than a certain type of Hong Kong gangster. Okay, I'll buy that.


Regarding the Exiled discussion, I don't see anything "tongue-in-cheek" about the movie and I don't think it's being cynical or post-modern about HK cinema other than the fact that it's a Triads story set outside Hong Kong.

I see it as a simple drama about friendship under fire and life-defining choices. The gravity-defying action sequences are a plus to me, not an in-joke from To. I think some of you (and when I say "some of you" I mean Melville) are reading too much into it, refusing to acknowledge the pure cinema that's right in front of your eyes.
Sweet, I get my username in bold!

If anything, I seem to be reading too little into the film, at least compared to Davis. As for the tongue-in-cheek tone, I certainly don't think the film is cynical or even postmodern; it just seems to be poking a bit of fun at its own flamboyance. For example, the bullet in the food seemed to be obviously making a joke out of the ridiculous nature of the preceding shootout. And the repeated scenes of indecision in the car, leading to the eventual sequence of decisions-via-coin-toss, seemed to be obviously played with deadpan humor. As Davis noted, these scenes of indecision are in contrast to other films of the genre, in which the heroes are always sure of themselves; the deadpan humor then makes this contrast into a humorous comment on the genre. Other things, such as the over-the-top action scenes and the crying baby that stops the first such scene, seemed so ridiculous that I couldn't fathom them being completely serious. However, I'll admit that in those cases I might simply have been out of tune with the film's style.

In any case, I acknowledged the "pure cinema" in the film--I just didn't particularly like it.

[soitgoes...]

I have Triangle, haven't watched it yet. I've heard mixed things. I am hoping to mildly enjoy it, at least on a technical level. With Tsui and To, it can't be terrible.

Knock Off...never mind. It might be.

The Bare-Footed Kid is To's take on the old school martial arts genre. It's his second Shaw Brothers film, made after The Mad Monk with Stephen Chow. It's good. It's totally To, but also totally Shaw Brothers. I like it. It's not amazing, but it is totally enjoyable.
Sweet. Thanks. Any other pre-1999 To you'd recommend?

[Eleven]

Read this in Film Comment and got excited:

Yeah, I am excited that I won't have to hear about it until 2009, too.

[origami_mustache]

Yeah, I am excited that I won't have to hear about it until 2009, too.

hardy harrr haaaarrr

[Spinal]

I kind of like Gaspar Noe. He's a magnificent bastard.

[D_Davis]

Sweet. Thanks. Any other pre-1999 To you'd recommend?

Yes, quite a few:

The Mission ('99)
Where a Good Man Goes ('99)
A Hero Never Dies
Mad Monk
Justice, My Foot!

His first film, The Enigmatic Case, is interesting, but not great. It is definitely an example of the HK new wave, and can be viewed as a companion piece to Tsui's The Butterfly Murders, although it is not as good. It contains a few good moments, but over all, it just kind of meanders along.

[soitgoes...]

Yes, quite a few:

The Mission ('99)
Where a Good Man Goes ('99)
A Hero Never Dies
Mad Monk
Justice, My Foot!

His first film, The Enigmatic Case, is interesting, but not great. It is definitely an example of the HK new wave, and can be viewed as a companion piece to Tsui's The Butterfly Murders, although it is not as good. It contains a few good moments, but over all, it just kind of meanders along.
Thanks again. A Hero Never Dies looks pretty interesting. I might try and give that one a go before the consensus too.

[origami_mustache]

I kind of like Gaspar Noe. He's a magnificent bastard.

I'm not a huge fan of I Stand Alone or his shorts, but I was impressed with Irréversible. For better or worse his films are anything but dull and I find them worth watching.

[Duncan]

Weekend:

La Blessure
Blissfully Yours

[D_Davis]

Thanks again. A Hero Never Dies looks pretty interesting. I might try and give that one a go before the consensus too.

I must warn you. It is cheesy as hell. This may be the most cheesy of all the heroic bloodshed films - it is super melodramatic. However, I also think it is really well made. It's well shot, has that interesting Johnnie To score, and contains some awesome images and moments.

It has this great tracking shot of these gangsters all taking a piss in a field. It's bizarre and strangely alluring at the same time.

Just be prepared.

Where a Good Man Goes may be the best of this bunch.

[origami_mustache]

I'm going to the LA premiere of Snow Angels tonight. Green and Beckinsale will also be in attendance. I know a few people here have seen it and it didn't seem to be well received if I recall correctly?

[transmogrifier]

I'm not sure what this means, but I believe you're saying that the middle section is too long, that Wright should have abandoned Robbie more rapidly to focus on Briony. I'll leave that in the middle, but I will say that this is as much about romance and separation as it is about atonement and from the start it is clear that all three characters deserve their time in the spotlight. I don't think the full extent of what Briony did is evident without spending at least as much time with Robbie and to a lesser extent Celia. I think it's a laudable balancing act and "drops the ball" seems a bit harsh. Had the movie focused more on Briony, it might have resulted in a more nuanced character study. I don't think it would have been quite as devastating had it sped through the Robbie segments though. And I'm certainly grateful that, tonally, the second half is very similar to the first with an undeniable sense of longing present.


No, quite the opposite, in fact: I think the middle section is too truncated and wrapped up in the mood of the first section - my use of "faster" relates more to narrative pacing than overall running time. Having read the book, I was disappointed with a lot of the omissions in Robbie's story, and it detracts from the entire point, that this part of the story is Briony's facing up to reality in her writing (for a little while at least), and dropping the affectations that she used earlier when describing the events leading up to the accusation. Wright doesn't seem to have any interest in exploring this rather crucial aspect of the novel.

Have you read that, by the way?

[Qrazy]

I'm not a huge fan of I Stand Alone or his shorts, but I was impressed with Irréversible. For better or worse his films are anything but dull and I find them worth watching.

Is I Stand Alone worth watching?

[Qrazy]

So is Pride and Prejudice worth seeing?

[Kurosawa Fan]

So is Pride and Prejudice worth seeing?

Absolutely. It's my favorite film of that year.

[Spinal]

Is I Stand Alone worth watching?

Sorta kinda. (http://filmepidemic.blogspot.com/2005/08/i-stand-alone-noe-1998.html)

[origami_mustache]

Is I Stand Alone worth watching?

Depends on who you ask...I wouldn't recommend someone to prioritize it, but I don't regret watching it.


Sorta kinda. (http://filmepidemic.blogspot.com/2005/08/i-stand-alone-noe-1998.html)

Yeah, I think you nailed it.

[DavidSeven]

So is Pride and Prejudice worth seeing?

It's only like the most worth seeing movie of 2005.

[soitgoes...]

I must warn you. It is cheesy as hell. This may be the most cheesy of all the heroic bloodshed films - it is super melodramatic. However, I also think it is really well made. It's well shot, has that interesting Johnnie To score, and contains some awesome images and moments.

It has this great tracking shot of these gangsters all taking a piss in a field. It's bizarre and strangely alluring at the same time.

Just be prepared.

Where a Good Man Goes may be the best of this bunch.
Cheesy can be good. To's fast becoming one of my favorite directors. Even when he's off the mark with a film he's still entertaing as hell.

[Yxklyx]

Weekend:

Easy Rider
Mississippi Mermaid
Sex and Lucia

[MacGuffin]

Is I Stand Alone worth watching?

Hell no.

[origami_mustache]

Weekend:
The Circus
Some Like It Hot

[Spinal]

I will most likely watch Haneke's The Castle this weekend. Black Snake Moan and The Cameraman are other possibilities.

[MacGuffin]

Black Snake Moan

I hope you don't like it.

[Spinal]

I hope you don't like it.

Uh ... thanks. :|

[MacGuffin]

Uh ... thanks. :|

I'm getting lonesome being the only one who doesn't. :cry:

[origami_mustache]

I'm getting lonesome being the only one who doesn't. :cry:

Doesn't look like something I'd enjoy...I might join you if I didn't have 0% desire to watch it.

[D_Davis]

Cheesy can be good. To's fast becoming one of my favorite directors. Even when he's off the mark with a film he's still entertaing as hell.

Cool. I didn't know if were in tune with his style or not. While I don't like everything he has done, I do agree that even his misses often contain an entertaining element. My least favorite film of his that I have seen is Fulltime Killer. I used to like it quite a bit, but after a recent rewatch I found that I really can't stand it.

Personally, I think he is one of the only directors keeping the HK film industry alive and vital, at least that I am aware of.

[MacGuffin]

Weekend:

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik)
Exiled (Johnnie To)
Mind Game (Masaaki Yuasa)
Punishment Park (Peter Watkins)
Zabriskie Point (Michelangelo Antonioni)

...and perhaps some others if I find time.

[Rowland]

No, quite the opposite, in fact: I think the middle section is too truncated and wrapped up in the mood of the first section For what it's worth, there were reportedly many more scenes of McAvoy and his two buddies traveling to Dunkirk that the producers forced Wright to cut for pacing purposes.

[D_Davis]

Wow!

Two people watching Mind Game this weekend. Awesome.

[MacGuffin]

Wow!

Two people watching Mind Game this weekend. Awesome.

Who else is? (And yeah, it looks like as you called it, an experience.)

[Russ]

Weekend

Mind Game



Weekend:

Mind Game (Masaaki Yuasa)

http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif

[MacGuffin]

http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif

Oh, far out.

[Rowland]

I always forget how popular Pride & Prejudice was around here. I loved it too, but I haven't seen it since my initial theatrical viewing, so I don't know how it holds up.

[D_Davis]

http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif

We're spreading the power of Mind Game.

[DavidSeven]

I always forget how popular Pride & Prejudice was around here. I loved it too, but I haven't seen it since my initial theatrical viewing, so I don't know how it holds up.

Got progressively better with second and third viewings for me.

[Ezee E]

I Stand ALone is garbage, but a lot of people like it.

Irreversible is considered garbage by many as well, but I find it masterful.

Consider his new movie on the top of my list of movies to see.

[Qrazy]

Doesn't look like something I'd enjoy...I might join you if I didn't have 0% desire to watch it.

Did you guys see Hustle and Flow? I thought it was pretty weak.

[Qrazy]

Weekend:

The Servant (Losey)
Underground (Kusturica)
Pigpen (Pasolini)
The Silence (Bergman)
All that Jazz (Fosse)

[Rowland]

Clipper Ship, Derek didn't like Black Snake Moan either, and I'm pretty sure Trans gave it a fairly low score, so you aren't alone.

[transmogrifier]

Clipper Ship, Derek didn't like Black Snake Moan either, and I'm pretty sure Trans gave it a fairly low score, so you aren't alone.

63, for me, so positive, if only slightly. It starts off well, but totally runs out of ideas by the end, and I truly disliked that they had to give Jackson's character a cheating wife in order to motivate him to re-educate the girl -it did nothing but offer cheap psychoanalysis. Plus, Timberlake's character was totally pointless AND annoying AND had one of the stupidest afflictions in film.

Oops, going negative again. Ricci and Jackson were excellent, and the film has a strong overall mood and atmosphere.

[Ezee E]

The music is great, and when dealing with Ricci's character, it offers a unique approach to a character, without demonizing her. The role is perfect for Samuel L., who hasn't had a good role for who knows how long. Justin's role may be a wimp, and his resolution is rushed, but everything else is pretty solid.

[Rowland]

Justin's character was a marginal element in the movie, but I thought he played the role well. The resolution may be rushed in a sense, but the scene at the end with him and Ricci in the car ends the movie on an arrestingly ambiguous note that works as an effective chaser to the otherwise upbeat third act, which I actually enjoyed for a change.

[Qrazy]

Just finished L'enfant. It was OK, didn't really do that much for me.

[Qrazy]

So it's Mizoguchi month on Karagarga kiddies. I encourage you to download those hard to find Japanotitles by the master before the month dead ends in the next two days.

[Ivan Drago]

I hardly remember Black Snake Moan, now that I think of it.

[Rowland]

Just finished L'enfant. It was OK, didn't really do that much for me.I was disappointed with this as well, especially after most of the critical community went apeshit for it. I thought The Son was much better.

[Duncan]

So it's Mizoguchi month on Karagarga kiddies. I encourage you to download those hard to find Japanotitles by the master before the month dead ends in the next two days. Do they disappear after the month ends? Or is there some advantage to downloading them during the featured month?

[Qrazy]

Do they disappear after the month ends? Or is there some advantage to downloading them during the featured month?

Bigger percentage for your upload ratio, but I guess that's only during the month it's going on.

---

What are everyone's favorite Ken Loach films? Aside from Kes I've been pretty underwhelmed so far. I've also seen My Name is Joe, Sweet Sixteen and The Wind that Shakes the Barley.

[Rowland]

The Other Boleyn Girl opens tomorrow? Damn, that came out of nowhere.

[ledfloyd]

Plus, Timberlake's character was totally pointless AND annoying AND had one of the stupidest afflictions in film.
I dunno man, I know Brewer put that character in cause he was struggling with panic attacks around the time he did Hustle & Flow. As someone who has dealt with similar things I think Timberlake did a relatively good job of portraying it. The last scene in particular felt really real for me.

I just watched Paprika. I have no fucking clue what I just saw. But I think it was really good?

[Boner M]

We Own the Night was very good. I really like James Gray's style, he's a bonafide auteur and has an unfussy sense of poetry to his direction (I loved stuff like repeated shots of hands and feet being caressed), and he knows how to make his milieu feel lived-in by lingering over the minutia of his locations. It covers pretty similar thematic ground to The Yards and Little Odessa, and some of family dynamics are a little hamfisted and by-the-book, but it always feels straight from the heart and intimate, which is quite a feat given the blockbuster scope. Plus it has some truly intense and imaginatively subjective suspense set-pieces, name the drug bust and car chase scenes that many reviewers have already pointed out. I'm surprised this doesn't have a bigger following 'round here, it strikes me as an iosos or Raiders kind of movie in particular.

[Rowland]

I mostly just felt that We Own the Night was sorta boring. The characters, their motivations, and the performances driving them weren't that interesting. It's just an obvious fatalistic tragedy that, for me, never amounts to much emotionally or intellectually. The sequence with Phoenix going into the drug lair with a wire is pretty intense though.

[Boner M]

I mostly just felt that We Own the Night was sorta boring. The characters, their motivations, and the performances driving them weren't that interesting. It's just an obvious fatalistic tragedy that, for me, never amounts to much emotionally or intellectually. The sequence with Phoenix going into the drug lair with a wire is pretty intense though.
I though all the performances were uniformly fantastic, most surprisingly Eva Mendes who I hadn't seen in anything but always hear bad things about (the brief shot of her walking sultrily down the hallway in slo-mo as everyone parties to The Clash in the next room has strongly lingered with me). And Wahlberg hasn't been as emotionally affecting since Boogie Nights; he's especially good in his latter scenes, after being wounded by the gunshot. I agree that the material isn't exactly dynamite, but it's handled with impressive sensitivity and atmosphere, and I found it a helluva lot more engaging than American Gangster.

[Raiders]

I have kinda wanted to see We Own the Night, so I'll use that as an incentive to prioritize it.

[Rowland]

I though all the performances were uniformly fantastic, most surprisingly Eva Mendes who I hadn't seen in anything but always hear bad things about (the brief shot of her walking sultrily down the hallway in slo-mo as everyone parties to The Clash in the next room has strongly lingered with me).Well, that shot isn't really a performance. She's fine, given what she has to work with, which is nothing.
And Wahlberg hasn't been as emotionally affecting since Boogie Nights; he's especially good in his latter scenes, after being wounded by the gunshot.I thought he was one-note to a fault, but it's difficult to argue over what one person finds emotionally affecting and another doesn't.
I agree that the material isn't exactly dynamite, but it's handled with impressive sensitivity and atmosphere, and I found it a helluva lot more engaging than American Gangster.The atmosphere is well-modulated, if a bit overly self-conscious in its gloominess, but I didn't sense much sensitivity in the material. In fact, it's all rather reductive. I'm not sure if American Gangster is much more interesting (it's certainly cheesier), but I found it more compulsively watchable, hackwork or not.

[Boner M]

Well, that shot isn't really a performance. She's fine, given what she has to work with, which is nothing.
Oh, I was just mentioning that as an aside.

[Rowland]

Boner, what did you think of Dance Party, USA? It's not as aesthetically evolved as Quiet City, but I thought it was an extremely impressive debut feature. Katz knows how to write characters and direct actors so that they register convincingly and generally free of condescension. It almost struck me as the inverse of Larry Clark's Kids. The scene between the main character and the girl from his past in particular was a doozy, maybe the single finest sequence between his two movies. That said, I'm a bit biased, since the movie probably resonated for me as much as it did because the lead character reminded me so much of my younger cousin as to almost be creepy. I can only hope that he has a similar epiphanic moral awakening as the character in this movie.

[Boner M]

Boner, what did you think of Dance Party, USA? It's not as aesthetically evolved as Quiet City, but I thought it was an extremely impressive debut feature. Katz knows how to write characters and direct actors so that they register convincingly and generally free of condescension. It almost struck me as the inverse of Larry Clark's Kids. The scene between the main character and the girl from his past in particular was a doozy, maybe the single finest sequence between his two movies. That said, I'm a bit biased, since the movie probably resonated for me as much as it did because the lead character reminded me so much of my younger cousin as to almost be creepy. I can only hope that he has a similar epiphanic moral awakening as the character in this movie.
Basically agree word-for-word, although the lead reminded me of an old high school friend instead. :P I found the film more evocative of All the Real Girls albeit rougher and younger, and though the 'swaggering manslut with a vulnerable side' is becoming a tiresome archetype, it's easily transcended by strong writing/acting. The scene you mentioned is definitely a keeper.

[monolith94]

I'm getting lonesome being the only one who doesn't. :cry:
I didn't like it!

[MacGuffin]

I didn't like it!

Hurray!

[Qrazy]

The Servant was fucking fantastic. The entire film centers around a brilliant metaphor for class conflict, superbly realized. Talk about an unsustainable relationship. Keep your servants in check or you're likely to be mated without prior consent. That idle life will catch up to you in the end.

[Bosco B Thug]

Woah there! Jack Black's certainly not entirely necessary and seems to be there mostly to provide some light comic touches inappropriate for the other characters, but I don't see how Margot's son isn't crucial. So much of the film is centered on the way Margot manipulates him, using him as a crutch and essentially as an earpiece to which she can always turn to to prop up her ego and undermine others behind their backs. As a character himself, I agree he's not all that interesting, since he's really just there to illuminate Margot's psychological tendencies, but still I found his passiveness interesting in parts and I loved their interactions whenever he had the balls to call her bullshit. You could take Black out and have a pretty similar film, but I don't think you can say that about Margot's son. Well, yeah, I agree. I don't mean those characters have no thematic/psychological bearing on the film or that they should be completely stricken from the film... they're just not as effective within the film as they should be. Malcolm's offense is, right, that his comedy relief is definitely out of place and his role in the film dramatically is limp. As for Claude, I just didn't get enough from his scenes with Margot. Margot tells him to not be rude or to use a condom; he feels compelled one night to sleep in his mom's room, etc. - we see these numerous effective hints at the interdependence they have with each other... but they come off as one-off moments instead of a textured examination. I think that might be the problem with the film as a whole, actually. Too many "one-off" gags... the film doesn't successfully accumulate the impact of its moments in any effective way at the end.

Yeah, a vague, unsolidified argument. I wish I had made the time to watch it twice; I liked a lot about it and a 2nd viewing with a preliminary idea of the characters might create some of those continuities I want.


Remember the news about a Suspiria remake? Might it be directed by David Gordon Green? (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-et-green26feb26,1,2762002.story?t rack=rss&ctrack=3&cset=true) Whoa. Remaking iconic horror movies is always inherently a bad idea, but nevertheless, I'd freakin love to see this come to fruitation. The curiousity factor it has is by itself through the roof, but YES, David Gordon Green, PLEASE go and do a horror movie.

[MadMan]

Weekend:

*Chopper(2000)
*Swimming Pool(2002)
*The Day of the Jackal(1973)-this will be the only second viewing of the bunch
*Three Days of the Condor(1975)
*Marathon Man(1976)
*Boys From Brazil(1978)

[Qrazy]

Has anyone seen beginning of career Dreyer, Bergman, Antonioni, Ozu or Mizoguchi and would care to comment?

[Qrazy]

Weekend:

*Chopper(2000)
*Swimming Pool(2002)
*The Day of the Jackal(1973)-this will be the only second viewing of the bunch
*Three Days of the Condor(1975)
*Marathon Man(1976)
*Boys From Brazil(1978)

I was very underwhelmed by Marathon Man and I really like the other stuff I've seen from Schlesinger (Midnight Cowboy and Billy Liar).

[megladon8]

Hope you enjoy CHopper, MadMan.

It's great. Eric Bana is quite a force in that movie.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Whoa. Remaking iconic horror movies is always inherently a bad idea...

The Fly, The Thing, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Dawn of the Dead disagree with you.

[MadMan]

The Fly, The Thing, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Dawn of the Dead disagree with you.Hell I'd even add the Halloween remake to the list, as it did bring something to the table.

[Wryan]

I love Hawks as much as the next person, but I really couldn't get into The Thing From Another World.

[Qrazy]

Hell I'd even add the Halloween remake to the list, as it did bring something to the table.

It brought something alright. Something terrible.

*Hasn't seen it.*

[Bosco B Thug]

The Fly, The Thing, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Dawn of the Dead disagree with you. Point taken. Reminds me, I should revisit the original The Fly. I was really attached to the film as a kid, I wonder if it would hold up in any way. And I'm totally hoping to see the 'Fly' Opera when it opens in L.A.

But what I really meant was it's a bad idea from Gordon Green's standpoint, what with the doubt and scrutiny he'll get from the horror fanbase. But Neil LaBute survived, so...

[Qrazy]

Point taken. Reminds me, I should revisit the original The Fly. I was really attached to the film as a kid, I wonder if it would hold up in any way. And I'm totally hoping to see the 'Fly' Opera when it opens in L.A.

Help meee! Help meee!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qP81havHnE

[Dead & Messed Up]

I love Hawks as much as the next person, but I really couldn't get into The Thing From Another World.

I think the film's got a great command of craft, and a so-obvious-it's-fun patriotism. The monster's kinda lame, though.

[origami_mustache]

Snow Angels (David Gordon Green, 2007)
http://www.indiewire.com/movies/SNOW%20ANGELS_Filmstill%206_by %20Chris%20Reardon.JPG

Snow Angels is David Gordon Green's first adaptation (of a novel by Stewart O'Nan), and features his biggest name cast to date with Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale, Griffin Dunne, and Amy Sedaris. Despite these small changes the film is undeniably true to David Gordon Green's style. Tim Orr once again takes care of the photography and Jeff McIlwain and David Wingo contribute the score. Technically speaking the film has a lot of problems, some of which it manages to get away with due to the lo-fi indie nature of it, and others that are too glaring to write off such as the scene where Arthur (Michael Angarano) brings his girlfriend, Lila (Jeanetta Arnette), a plate full of pancakes for breakfast only to magically transform into waffles in the subsequent shots. The cinematography wasn't as impressive as I remember some of Green's other films being and there are some soft focus issues, however there are still a lot of beautiful shots, particularly of the snow covered wooded areas and frozen lakes. The most noticeable problem was the overmodualated production audio, especially during scenes where character's yelled or raised their voices. Even though this is obviously a low budget film, it is still a professional project and there is really no excuse for such a blemish.


http://img5.allocine.fr/acmedia/medias/nmedia/18/64/11/96/18753098.jpg

Like Green's other film's the story takes place in a small town, with working class characters and the camera captures the natural beauty and ugliness of nature and humanity. The writing and the acting comes across as very naturalistic and believable, and despite the overall serious tone there are quite a few awkward moments of humanistic comedy, perhaps even more so here than in his previous work. The narrative explores several different relationships including two young teenage lovers just getting to know each other, Arthur's parents who have recently separated and are attempting to cope with that, and Annie (Kate Beckinsale) and her Husband Glenn (Sam Rockwell) who have a four year old child, and have been separated for some time. Although Rockwell, Beckinsale, and Angarano are the most fleshed out characters, Snow Angels works as a great ensemble piece, and shifts focus between the different characters fluidly and without looking forced which many films with multiple plotlines tend to do. The youthful couple are probably the weakest part of the film, but serve as a foil as well as a reminder of what Glenn and Annie once were. Although this film has more of a central story to it than Green's first two efforts, it still has that meandering feel to it, as the tragic story is almost secondary to the joy, pain, confusion, ambitions, suffering, and irrational actions of the characters. The tonal shifts are impressively handled and probably what I enjoyed most about the film it's just a shame at how amateurish parts of the film come across as due to technical flaws.

[Boner M]

Beau travail (Denis, 1999) **1/2
Aww man. :sad:

[Yxklyx]

The Fly, The Thing, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Dawn of the Dead disagree with you.

Were the originals iconic when they were released or did they only become iconic after the remake?

[Qrazy]

Were the originals iconic when they were released or did they only become iconic after the remake?

They were iconic.

[D_Davis]

The Fly, The Thing, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Dawn of the Dead disagree with you.

Yeah. I like all of these remakes more than the originals.

And I don't think Susperia is really all that great to begin with. It's okay, it looks great and has some wonderful atmosphere, but there is a lot of room for improvement. As time goes on, I like this film less and less. I like my memories of it better than I like the actual film.

The only thing they shouldn't touch - EVER - is the soundtrack. Best part of the entire film.

However, I guess it would be cool if they got another prog-rock, or post-rock band to actually record a new soundtrack.

An original M83 score could totally kick ass.

Okay, I've convinced myself. Re-do the soundtrack as well. :)

[balmakboor]

I randomly came across this blog post listing the top criticism of 2007. I just thought I'd post it because it looks pretty juicy. I just read Rosenbaum's piece on Bergman and have to say he captured my thoughts exactly.

http://aschenker.blogspot.com/2007/12/five-great-pieces-of-criticism-from.html

The pieces on Godard/Tarantino and I'm Not There look particularly interesting to me.

[balmakboor]

Yeah. I like all of these remakes more than the originals.

Oh be quiet. When are you finally going to admit that Romero's Dawn is the T&A. :)

Actually, I still need to get around to the remake of Dawn. Maybe I'm afraid I'll agree with you.

[Rowland]

I just read Rosenbaum's piece on Bergman and have to say he captured my thoughts exactly.Really? I haven't read the piece, but I don't think any single piece of film writing from last year has caused more of a backlash than his Bergman piece.

[D_Davis]

Oh be quiet. When are you finally going to admit that Romero's Dawn is the T&A. :)


Never!

:)

[Spinal]

Aww man. :sad:

I couldn't get on her vibe this time. The film just kind of sat there for me like beautifully shot homoerotic stasiscore. I never really felt like I ever understood the purpose of the whole thing and so I remained fairly disengaged throughout.

[balmakboor]

Really? I haven't read the piece, but I don't think any single piece of film writing has caused more of a backlash than his Bergman piece.

I'm largely alone on this around here I'm sure, but I've never gotten into Bergman (Ingmar anyway). I've always found his films well-made and engaging (I'd be a fool not to). I've never latched onto them as favorites though.

I thought Rosenbaum expressed many of my reservations very succinctly.

It was odd timing I guess for a negative re-appraisal to appear at a time when most critics were stepping all over each other to heap praise.

[balmakboor]

The best movie I've seen lately by far is WR: Mysteries of the Organism. It's my kind of movie. I want to queue up Sweet Movie but am hesitant. Who has seen it? Is it more artful or more disgusting? Are the more unpleasant aspects (shitting and vomiting) presented in a way that makes them watchable?

[Duncan]

I couldn't get on her vibe this time. The film just kind of sat there for me like beautifully shot homoerotic stasiscore. I never really felt like I ever understood the purpose of the whole thing and so I remained fairly disengaged throughout.

It's one of my favorites. If you're interested, here (http://matchcut.org/viewtopic.php?t=9971)'s a pretty lengthy essay I wrote on it.

[Spinal]

It's one of my favorites. If you're interested, here (http://matchcut.org/viewtopic.php?t=9971)'s a pretty lengthy essay I wrote on it.

I'll definitely take a look when I get a chance. I like Denis a lot, so a key in would be welcome.

[Duncan]

Anybody seen The Unforeseen (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0912596/)? Looks pretty cool. Terrence Malick is executive producer, and Slant's review makes a comparison to Herzog's The Wild Blue Yonder.

[MadMan]

Swimming Pool(2002) has the distinction of being one of the most boring films I've ever seen. Sure its well made and the cast is solid, but guess what: nothing really happens. I kept looking at my computer, noting how much time had passed in the film and wondering when the hell the movie's director was going to do something with all of the atmosphere that had been built up. It became pretty obvious 40 minutes in that this film was a straight trip to pretentious dullsville. Not even T&A was enough to make the film interesting or anything of the sort. Sure Dial M For Murder was equally dull, but at least something happened in between the really dull moments.
What's even more sorry is the film's too late attempts to actually have something intriguing occur. If anything the last act smacked of desperation, and a lack of any smart or sensible way to end the film. Avoid this movie at all costs, as it doesn't really inspire any feelings at all. Swimm-meh-ing Pool is what this movie should be called. 50

[Sven]

Anybody seen The Unforeseen (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0912596/)? Looks pretty cool. Terrence Malick is executive producer, and Slant's review makes a comparison to Herzog's The Wild Blue Yonder.

I'm a-gonna get on this.

[balmakboor]

I'm Not There (Haynes, 2007) *1/2

I wouldn't go quite that low, but I too was pretty disappointed. Bob Dylan is like my favorite performer ever.

[Spinal]

I wouldn't go quite that low, but I too was pretty disappointed. Bob Dylan is like my favorite performer ever.

It would probably be higher if I liked Dylan more. Not that I dislike Dylan, but I've never really got into him apart from a couple of songs.

[Stay Puft]

An original M83 score could totally kick ass.

This is an awesome idea. I would buy a ticket for that.

[Rowland]

Aww shit, a new M83 album came out last year and I didn't even realize it! *opens soulseek*

[Kurosawa Fan]

It would probably be higher if I liked Dylan more. Not that I dislike Dylan, but I've never really got into him apart from a couple of songs.

This need to change. I'll send you a crash-course that will change your mind.

[Rowland]

This need to change. I'll send you a crash-course that will change your mind.You guys can make it mutual. You'll teach him to love Dylan, and he'll make you sit through Across the Universe again and again until you love the Beatles.

[Kurosawa Fan]

You guys can make it mutual. You'll teach him to love Dylan, and he'll make you sit through Across the Universe again and again until you love the Beatles.

From what I hear, that's not a very solid approach.

[Spinal]

The issue with the Beatles and KF is supersaturation, not lack of exposure.

[balmakboor]

No thoughts on Sweet Movie?

[Spinal]

No thoughts on Sweet Movie?

Seen it. Liked it. Was meaning to respond when I had time to give you a fuller answer. I honestly don't remember the particular moments you're referring to. There were other things that I found much more striking and/or memorable. Great film for startling visuals. Kind of loose and rambling and semi-coherent. (The film, not me.)

[balmakboor]

Seen it. Liked it. Was meaning to respond when I had time to give you a fuller answer. I honestly don't remember the particular moments you're referring to. There were other things that I found much more striking and/or memorable. Great film for startling visuals. Kind of loose and rambling and semi-coherent. (The film, not me.)

I actually just stuck it at the top of my queue. It's encouraging to read this short version of your reply. I've read so many references to how disgusting it is and comparing it to Salo (which I haven't seen). I saw a few shots from it in Hole in the Soul though and really found them striking.

Needless to say though that, like WR, I won't be watching it with my kids.

I'm kinda hoping Criterion/Eclipse will put out a boxset of Makavejev's first three features.

[Derek]

The best movie I've seen lately by far is WR: Mysteries of the Organism. It's my kind of movie. I want to queue up Sweet Movie but am hesitant. Who has seen it? Is it more artful or more disgusting? Are the more unpleasant aspects (shitting and vomiting) presented in a way that makes them watchable?

I love Mysteries as well, but I'm usually a fan of the Godardian essay-film approach when it works. I really need to get around to checking out the Criterion edition. I honestly didn't find Sweet Movie all that disturbing, so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it considering your fondness for Mysteries.

[Spinal]

I have seen Salo and it is not nearly as nauseating as Salo. There's a striptease that a woman does for a pretty young boy that I found kind of troublesome morally. There's also a banquet scene where people gorge on food in a fairly disgusting way. Perhaps that's where the vomiting and poo comes in, but like I said, I honestly don't remember.

[Spinal]

Just picked up my tickets to go see Glen and Marketa in late April. :pritch:

[Derek]

I have seen Salo and it is not nearly as nauseating as Salo.

I'm pretty sure this isn't what you meant, but I agree. Salo the film isn't as nauseating as its reputation would have you believe. Not to say there aren't several very disgusting parts, but Pasolini frames a good deal of it in medium to long shots to make it a little more bearable. Plus, I think it's a great film so I'm sure that helps.

[balmakboor]

Weekend:

The Red Balloon/White Mane
Across the Universe
The Host (if time allows)

I Netflixed Across the Universe because it's a hot movie with teenagers right now and my daughter wanted me to get it. We'll see. I have very low expectations which always help.

[Spinal]

I'm pretty sure this isn't what you meant, but I agree. Salo the film isn't as nauseating as its reputation would have you believe. Not to say there aren't several very disgusting parts, but Pasolini frames a good deal of it in medium to long shots to make it a little more bearable. Plus, I think it's a great film so I'm sure that helps.

Agreed with everything. I was thinking specifically of the poo scene, which actually did nauseate me a bit.

[Sycophant]

I haven't seen the movie yet, but when I was visiting my mother and seventeen-year-old sister over Christmas, they were both listening quite obsessively to the Across the Universe soundtrack. I heard quite a bit of it and most of the covers were... decent to occasionally good. However, I found out that my mother doesn't like The Beatles and prefers the covers.

:crazy:

[balmakboor]

I'm pretty sure this isn't what you meant, but I agree. Salo the film isn't as nauseating as its reputation would have you believe. Not to say there aren't several very disgusting parts, but Pasolini frames a good deal of it in medium to long shots to make it a little more bearable. Plus, I think it's a great film so I'm sure that helps.

What I think he meant is "I have seen Salo and [Sweet Movie] is not nearly as nauseating as Salo."

[Rowland]

I haven't seen the movie yet, but when I was visiting my mother and seventeen-year-old sister over Christmas, they were both listening quite obsessively to the Across the Universe soundtrack. I heard quite a bit of it and most of the covers were... decent to occasionally good. However, I found out that my mother doesn't like The Beatles and prefers the covers.

:crazy:Yeah, I thought the covers were mostly pretty decent. The music was one of the better parts of the movie.

[Derek]

Agreed with everything. I was thinking specifically of the poo scene, which actually did nauseate me a bit.

Yeah, there's no getting around that. If I remember correctly, that was one of the few times he got a little closer to the subjects which didn't make for a pleasant few minutes.


What I think he meant is "I have seen Salo and [Sweet Movie] is not nearly as nauseating as Salo."

I figured as much, but thought I'd take the opportunity to chip away at Salo's reputation as almost purely taboo and revolting.

[Rowland]

Hmm. With Raiders' Zoo score, I think I may stand as its only admirer around here. Heck, I may be the only person who doesn't flat-out hate it. :lol: If nothing else, it's one of the more gorgeous movies I saw last year.

[balmakboor]

I read once -- I think it was by Christian Braad Thomson -- a comparison between Salo and Querelle, both swan song films by great directors that due to their morbid nature seemed to be by men aware of their near deaths. I like Querelle and find it one of Fassbinder's most fascinating and troubled and sad. For that reason and the fact that Fassbinder listed it on his top 10, I've always had an interest in seeing Salo.

[balmakboor]

Hmm. With Raiders' Zoo score, I think I may stand as its only admirer around here. Heck, I may be the only person who doesn't flat-out hate it. :lol: If nothing else, it's one of the more gorgeous movies I saw last year.

Isn't that the "death from sex with a horse" film? About all I've read so far is that it's an ineptly made documentary riding along solely on its sensational premise.

Gorgeous huh. You got my interest.

[MadMan]

Torque (Joseph Kahn, 2004) ***:pritch: One of us...one of us...

[Rowland]

:pritch: One of us...one of us...I've already been one. This was just a repeat viewing.

[Sven]

The Tracker (2002) 88

Ooooo, nice.

[Rowland]

Isn't that the "death from sex with a horse" film? About all I've read so far is that it's an ineptly made documentary riding along solely on its sensational premise.

Gorgeous huh. You got my interest.It's divisive, for sure. And I understand why people don't like it. When I read negative appraisals of the movie, I see where they're coming from. Nevertheless, I think it's an engaging experiment, sometimes even moving, and certainly oppressive in its aesthetic approach. Then again, you may not want to trust me, since everyone seemed to love the documentary Into Great Silence last year, and yet it struck me as an ineptly made documentary riding along solely on its sensational premise.

http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/5172/vlcsnap319448cf3.jpg

http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/1332/vlcsnap321362or7.jpg

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/2880/vlcsnap319079pp7.jpg

[Winston*]

Yeah, The Tracker is terrific. How good is David Gulpilil in that film? Answer: very good.

[Derek]

It's divisive, for sure. And I understand why people don't like it. When I read negative appraisals of the movie, I see where they're coming from. Nevertheless, I think it's an engaging experiment, sometimes even moving, and certainly oppressive in its aesthetic approach. Then again, you may not want to trust me, since everyone seemed to love the documentary Into Great Silence last year, and yet it struck me as an ineptly made documentary riding along solely on its sensational premise.

I really need to get around to seeing Zoo. As for Into Great Silence, I'm no great admirer, but your response seems a bit too dismissive. I thought the film's pacing worked well for capturing the peacefulness and mundanity of the monks daily activities and the simplicity of the editing, cutting in shots of the surrounding environment throughout, was effective in at least attempting to mirror life in that particular monastery. I agree it got a bit more praise than it deserved, though the fact that this wasn't as good a year for doc's as the past few certainly helped it. It's not expertly made, but calling it inept is a bit absurd.

[D_Davis]

I have seen Salo and it is not nearly as nauseating as Salo.

You're blowin' my mind.

[Rowland]

I really need to get around to seeing Zoo. As for Into Great Silence, I'm no great admirer, but your response seems a bit too dismissive. I thought the film's pacing worked well for capturing the peacefulness and mundanity of the monks daily activities and the simplicity of the editing, cutting in shots of the surrounding environment throughout, was effective in at least attempting to mirror life in that particular monastery. I agree it got a bit more praise than it deserved, though the fact that this wasn't as good a year for doc's as the past few certainly helped it. It's not expertly made, but calling it inept is a bit absurd.It's frequently beautiful, and I like the conceptual approach, but it doesn't feel right to me at all. Gröning didn't assemble his footage in a manner that was terribly thought-provoking or even engaging. I had to watch the film in pieces over several sittings just to get through it, which to me is hardly the sign of a successful piece.

That said, if I were to interpret it as a critical perspective of the monastic lifestyle (which I was initially tempted to do), I'd label it a brilliantly subversive documentary. But I'm not convinced that this was the case.

[Wryan]

Yeah. I like all of these remakes more than the originals.

The first two I can understand, but the original Body Snatchers and Dawn!?

No way, Ho-say!

[D_Davis]

My disliking of the original Dawn is legendary.

I've already been berated, chastised, and ridiculed, but go ahead and pile it on. In only makes me stronger.

I'll bee reading the original Body Snatchers book soon. Looking forward to it.

[Boner M]

I've gotta see The Tracker, especially after Raiders/iosos/Winston's praise. I'm a casual fan of De Heer, with Bad Boy Bubby being a masterpiece, Ten Canoes being good, and Alexandra's Project being head-slappingly terrible.

[Derek]

It's frequently beautiful, and I like the conceptual approach, but it doesn't feel right to me at all. Gröning didn't assemble his footage in a manner that was terribly thought-provoking or even engaging. I had to watch the film in pieces over several sittings just to get through it, which to me is hardly the sign of a successful piece.

People are bored or unable to pay attention to a lot of films and I would more often fault them, myself included, for piecemeal viewings than I would the filmmaker. I didn't find it terribly thought-provoking either, nor do I think it was meant to be. Engaging is another matter though, because I found it often approached the sense of peace and transcendence that the monks seem to have found. I can understand why someone would find it a slog, but that has more to do with one's involvement with the subject rather than a failure of the director to make it more entertaining or accessible.


That said, if I were to interpret it as a critical perspective of the monastic lifestyle (which I was initially tempted to do), I'd label it a brilliantly subversive documentary. But I'm not convinced that this was the case.

I'm glad you resisted that temptation because it would've been quite silly. I'm all for interesting and unusual interpretations, but that one seems too far a stretch.

Anyway, I don't like the film nearly enough to defend it. I just thought your outright dismissal was overly harsh.

[Spinal]

You're blowin' my mind.

"It" = Sweet Movie. It made sense to the person I was responding to, so suck it, Davis! :P

[Spinal]

I really need to get around to seeing Zoo.

I realize that trying to talk people out of seeing movies actually has the opposite effect, but it's really quite poor.

[Derek]

I realize that trying to talk people out of seeing movies actually has the opposite effect, but it's really quite poor.

*moves to top of queue*

Actually, my queue is full at the moment, so I could up forgetting about it before I have the chance to add it. :)

[Qrazy]

*moves to top of queue*

Actually, my queue is full at the moment, so I could up forgetting about it before I have the chance to add it. :)

What does BM stand for? Bowel Movement? Are you giving it a rating on the shit scale?

[Derek]

What does BM stand for? Bowel Movement? Are you giving it a rating on the shit scale?

The Bad Movie or Bowel Movement scale are equally applicable. It fails in every way imaginable as a film, yet succeeds admirably as an awful but highly amusing film...or piece of shit, if you wish. :)

[Rowland]

People are bored or unable to pay attention to a lot of films and I would more often fault them, myself included, for piecemeal viewings than I would the filmmaker. I didn't find it terribly thought-provoking either, nor do I think it was meant to be. Engaging is another matter though, because I found it often approached the sense of peace and transcendence that the monks seem to have found. I can understand why someone would find it a slog, but that has more to do with one's involvement with the subject rather than a failure of the director to make it more entertaining or accessible.I think you're oversimplifying here with your subjectivity argument, as well as stating the obvious, albeit in a misdirected manner. You could just as easily apply this argument to anything. For instance, if I find a movie ugly, is this only because the visual approach doesn't strike a chord with me personally, and if so, should I not criticize the director, instead faulting myself for not being on his wavelength? In this case, as I said, I liked the conceptual premise. I think a fascinating or even formally involving documentary could be made about the subject. Nevertheless, this movie didn't engage me, and the fault for this lies, as far as I'm concerned, with the director's inability to shape the material in such a manner so that its three-hour length is justified.

[Qrazy]

Holy shit! Melville used 'the vertigo shot' in Les Enfants Terribles, nearly 8 years earlier. I wonder when the shot was first actually used. Anyone know?

[D_Davis]

"It" = Sweet Movie. It made sense to the person I was responding to, so suck it, Davis! :P

My mind is still blown.

Reading your post was like being at the nexus of the universe, where first intersects with first.

[Derek]

I think you're oversimplifying here with your subjectivity argument, as well as stating the obvious, albeit in a misdirected manner. You could just as easily apply this argument to anything. For instance, if I find a movie ugly, is this only because the visual approach doesn't strike a chord with me personally, and if so, should I not criticize the director, instead faulting myself for not being on his wavelength? In this case, as I said, I liked the conceptual premise. I think a fascinating or even formally involving documentary could be made about the subject. Nevertheless, this movie didn't engage me, and the fault for this lies, as far as I'm concerned, with the director's inability to shape the material in such a manner so that its three-hour length is justified.

You said it was inept and your reasons for disliking it, as far as I could tell, was that the director didn't do his job to keep you engaged. So yes, I did state the obvious since it was obvious what was wrong with your argument as stated. It's certainly your right to fault him for not entertaining you or keeping you engaged, but my point was that you never discussed how he failed other than overly vague comments about how it doesn't feel right to you or he didn't assemble the footage the right way. If you want to expound, that's fine, but please don't fault me with oversimplifying when that's all you've done re: your reasons why the film is inept; a pretty strong word in my book.

EDIT: And why do we always end up arguing about films that neither of us feel all that strongly about. :)

[Qrazy]

EDIT: And why do we always end up arguing about films that neither of us feel all that strongly about. :)

I haven't seen Blue but I dislike Jarman on general principals so... you fail.

[Spinal]

I like Jarman more on principles than I have most of his films. Still, Edward II is awesome.

And it looks like Netflix decided to go down my queue a bit and send me Real Fiction rather than The Devil. Doesn't look like Real Fiction has been received very favorably, but I'm curious about any Ki-Duk joint.

[Sycophant]

I'm interested in your thoughts on Real Fiction, Mr. Spinal. I liked it.

[Qrazy]

I demand people go back and respond to some of my last 10 or so posts which no one seems to have responded to... until then I'm holding the thread hostage.

[Spinal]

I'm interested in your thoughts on Real Fiction, Mr. Spinal. I liked it.

That's good to hear, even if you are my least similar Netflix friend. :)

[Spinal]

Holy shit! Melville used 'the vertigo shot' in Les Enfants Terribles, nearly 8 years earlier. I wonder when the shot was first actually used. Anyone know?

I do not know.


(How's that?)

[Qrazy]

I do not know.


(How's that?)

It's a start.


A bad start.

[Sycophant]

It brought something alright. Something terrible.

*Hasn't seen it.*This is the Qrazy post I decided to respond to. I haven't either.

[Rowland]

You said it was inept and your reasons for disliking it, as far as I could tell, was that the director didn't do his job to keep you engaged. So yes, I did state the obvious since it was obvious what was wrong with your argument as stated. It's certainly your right to fault him for not entertaining you or keeping you engaged, but my point was that you never discussed how he failed other than overly vague comments about how it doesn't feel right to you or he didn't assemble the footage the right way. If you want to expound, that's fine, but please don't fault me with oversimplifying when that's all you've done re: your reasons why the film is inept; a pretty strong word in my book.
Damn you, all forcing me to think and stuff. :P

Anyway, I only used the word inept because I copied that entire descriptive sentence verbatim from fasozupow's post regarding Zoo. I was mostly just being cheeky, though after thinking about it, I sort of do believe the movie is inept.

Now, as to why I feel that way... well, with a formal exercise like this, it's hard to go too in-depth. As far as I'm concerned, he never establishes any interesting rhythms. Gröning jumps back and forth between film and (arrestingly low-definition) video to no discernible logic or effect. Time lapse photography is used at random intervals that, in conjunction with the material, plays as a bit tacky. As for the "narrative" material, Gröning hints at all sorts of intriguing dimensions that are never explored, from the family visits to the nature walks and even the embracing of some modern technology in the monastery. As an experience, there simply isn't much to chew on. I read vague justifications about how he is exploring transcendence, but I didn't sense much cohesive rhyme or reason, which is exactly why it grows so exhausting to watch.

[Derek]

I haven't seen Blue but I dislike Jarman on general principals so... you fail.

Well if you dislike his direction or visual style, I think he may have at least solved that problem here. :) Honestly though, it's quite a remarkable film about his struggle to come to terms with his inevitable blindness. The sound design and use of music is invigorating and while I'm sure the stream-of-consciousness nature of his voice-over could lose some viewers (I myself was certainly lost during some of the more mythical ramblings), the way it flows seamlessly through memories, blurring the past and present into a feverish dream state is amazing. It becomes less about following through on any of the ideas and stories he goes through in the film than about the intensity of his desire to express them in an art form he's quickly becoming unable to relate to/with. It's the first Jarman film I've seen so I had no preconceptions about him, but I can say this one runs the full gamut of emotions.

[Derek]

Damn you, all forcing me to think and stuff. :P

Sorry, I'm not always a fan of being asked to give thoughts, particularly on a film I dislike, months after I've seen it either. :)


Anyway, I only used the word inept because I copied that entire descriptive sentence verbatim from fasozupow's post regarding Zoo. I was mostly just being cheeky, though after thinking about it, I sort of do believe the movie is inept.

Now, as to why I feel that way... well, with a formal exercise like this, it's hard to go too in-depth. As far as I'm concerned, he never establishes any interesting rhythms. Gröning jumps back and forth between film and (arrestingly low-definition) video to no discernible logic or effect. Time lapse photography is used at random intervals that, in conjunction with the material, plays as a bit tacky. As for the "narrative" material, Gröning hints at all sorts of intriguing dimensions that are never explored, from the family visits to the nature walks and even the embracing of some modern technology in the monastery. As an experience, there simply isn't much to chew on. I read vague justifications about how he is exploring transcendence, but I didn't sense much cohesive rhyme or reason, which is exactly why it grows so exhausting to watch.

Much of what you say here makes sense and is probably why I was relatively mixed on the film myself. I do think it establishes a certain rhythm, but the use of time lapse photography did come off as a bit gimmicky and took me out of the film. It's a remarkably simple film and personally I don't see the problem with not giving much to chew on...I agree with you that critics tended to give it more credit than its due in this regard. I actually liked its almost purely observational nature and avoidance of commentary on some of the things you mentioned. The downside is that it remains shallow on a thematic level, but I thought this strengthened it on a pure experiential level where you're simply stuck within the space of the monastery and expected only to get a glimpse of what that might be like over the course of many months/years. In that sense, I think it succeeds and why, at least for me, it wasn't terribly exhausting to watch...or rather, why the exhaustion is at least somewhat justified. Anyway, I at least see where you're coming from now so thanks for the additional thoughts.

[MadMan]

I've already been one. This was just a repeat viewing.Oh. Cool.

Is The Tracker that one Aussie western where three guys and their guide are hunting down a killer in the Outback? If its that flick I believe its down at my local library back in my hometown. I should eventually see it.

[Sycophant]

Running Scared. Whoa.

[Winston*]

Running Scared. Whoa.
"Whoa. What a piece of crap"?

Because that was my reaction. Y'know...because that movie sucks.

[Grouchy]

Sweet, I get my username in bold!

If anything, I seem to be reading too little into the film, at least compared to Davis. As for the tongue-in-cheek tone, I certainly don't think the film is cynical or even postmodern; it just seems to be poking a bit of fun at its own flamboyance. For example, the bullet in the food seemed to be obviously making a joke out of the ridiculous nature of the preceding shootout. And the repeated scenes of indecision in the car, leading to the eventual sequence of decisions-via-coin-toss, seemed to be obviously played with deadpan humor. As Davis noted, these scenes of indecision are in contrast to other films of the genre, in which the heroes are always sure of themselves; the deadpan humor then makes this contrast into a humorous comment on the genre. Other things, such as the over-the-top action scenes and the crying baby that stops the first such scene, seemed so ridiculous that I couldn't fathom them being completely serious. However, I'll admit that in those cases I might simply have been out of tune with the film's style.

In any case, I acknowledged the "pure cinema" in the film--I just didn't particularly like it.
Yeah, I see what you're saying, and there's a great deal of comedy in the film, but what I wanted to stress is that I don't think it means it should be taken as a satire or as a film on genre. I see it as a honest drama. It's true, though, that the style is exaggerated and the action enters the realm of fantasy.

If you've seen them, how did you feel about the Election films? They're a lot more realistic.

[Qrazy]

Well, Les Enfants Terribles was garbage. Is the book as bad as the film? To say it goes nowhere is an understatement. Character development or motivation is next to non-existant and all your left with at the end of the film is a seething desire to firebomb the entirety of France.

[monolith94]

So, did we ever have a thread about Kim Ki-Duk's Time?

It wasn't perfect - it felt like Ki-Duk attempting melodrama via Almodovar and more commercial instincts, but the project was somewhat... off the hook. Half-baked. Still, this film gave what seems to me, the creepiest visual conceit of the year, and some very good scenes mixed in with the unpoetically obvious. Plus, it had the very best opening shot of this year in cinema, so that counts for something.

[Stay Puft]

So, did we ever have a thread about Kim Ki-Duk's Time?

It wasn't perfect - it felt like Ki-Duk attempting melodrama via Almodovar and more commercial instincts, but the project was somewhat... off the hook. Half-baked. Still, this film gave what seems to me, the creepiest visual conceit of the year, and some very good scenes mixed in with the unpoetically obvious. Plus, it had the very best opening shot of this year in cinema, so that counts for something.

Agreed. It starts strong and ends strong, but not everything in between works. The exposition in the earlier segments strike me as clumsy more than anything (do I blame the writing? the acting?), probably some of the worst stretches of the film, but there are so many brilliant moments sprinkled throughout (like when the "random date" walks away without turning around).

Conceptually, I think it was one of the strongest films I saw last year. And I'll go with creepy as well. Far from Kim's best, though.

[monolith94]

stay puft, it's like we're brothers from another mother. I think part of the problem was the score, which at times just was overloads with strings, and some far too blunt symbolism. I mean, Ki Duk really laid it on thick at times. Agreed with you that the "random date" scene was fun. Actually, this movie had some moments of humor which I wasn't expecting.

But yeah the image of Seh-hee with that monochramatic mask over her face walking through Seoul... SUPER creepy to me.

[Dead & Messed Up]

My disliking of the original Dawn is legendary.

I've already been berated, chastised, and ridiculed, but go ahead and pile it on. In only makes me stronger.

I'll bee reading the original Body Snatchers book soon. Looking forward to it.

Have you read Puppet Masters? It may be better to begin with that one if you haven't.

[D_Davis]

Have you read Puppet Masters? It may be better to begin with that one if you haven't.

Why is this?

I don't think they have anything to do with each other beyond a similar concept.

Kind of like Bester's The Demolished Man, and Dick's Minority Report. Both are about pre-crime, and written with a few years of one another, but when it's all said and done they accomplish different things.

Dick also had a "pod-person" story called The Father-Thing. It, like Body Snatchers, was written in 1954.


Unless I'm totally missing something?

I am trying to avoid Heinlein for a while longer - my experiences with him have been less than stellar so far.

[Stay Puft]

I think part of the problem was the score, which at times just was overloads with strings

I kind of like some of the music on its own, specifically the recurring theme, but it is a rather conventional film score, and its use here is heavy handed. There's way too much of it, I'll agree.


and some far too blunt symbolism. I mean, Ki Duk really laid it on thick at times.

I find he often paints in simple and broad strokes. See: the ending of Samaria, the yin and yang fish pond in 3-Iron, etc.

What makes a difference is the context, the function of a particular symbol in relation to others or other elements, etc. The ending of Samaria works because it also functions as a dramatic crutch and a structural resolution (the father spends the entire movie driving around after his daughter, instead of with her). The pond in 3-Iron works because it serves as the punctuation to what is ostensibly a naive and idealistic dream sequence (Kim almost admits this on the commentary track, too).

I like what D'Angelo says about his work, that given Kim's style, a particular element, or the movie as a whole, is either going to work, or fail miserably. I don't think Time fails miserably, but I do think there is often a lack of poetry, as you say, given the structural weaknesses of other elements, or the network of images. His broad strokes basically run dry.

[Spinal]

Seeing Buster Keaton playing opposite a trained monkey is the sort of thing that makes life worth living.

[Watashi]

You and your damn monkeys, Spinal.

[Sxottlan]

They sell Criterion Collection T-shirts?!?

I'm getting one.

[Velocipedist]

They sell Criterion Collection T-shirts?!?

I'm getting one.

I can't wait for their release of Teshigahara's Antonio GaudÃ*. I've been wanting to see that for years!

[Duncan]

La Blessure:

La Blessure is a tough journey through three hours of the oppression and mistreatment of Africans seeking asylum in France. It is a film that falls into a category that I rarely find myself relating to, and that is the explicitly political message movie. I would estimate that roughly 25 mins of this film is long takes of men and woman explaining their horrific stories. From the introduction by the director (Nicolas Klotz) and writer (Elisabeth Perceval), I gather that many of these stories are true. Yet, I was unmoved by any of them, and quite exhausted by film’s end. Much more emotionally charged is the close-up of a woman with the scars of a mutilated face (not makeup), or of another woman entering an episode of psychological self repression by covering herself with a scarf (tenuous connection to Islam not confirmed). This subject matter has the potential to be devastating, but Klotz takes much too literary an approach. Four or five resonant visual compositions are not enough to sustain interest in a film that has made its important but blunt political statement within twenty minutes.


Blissfully Yours:

This was my introduction to Thai director “Joe,� as he is known. It took me two tries to get through the first half hour. The film opens with a visit to the doctor’s office by Min, Roong, and Orn. The camera is conspicuously static as we learn about Min’s rash and Orn’s sex life. We also learn that Min might have some citizenship issues. I found most of this scene intolerably boring. It’s well written exposition, but it’s still amounts to little more than exposition. I cannot fathom much aesthetic interest either. The minimalism is so strict, and the setting does not allow for the poetics that the jungle does later on.

After a seriously extended introduction, Min, Roong, and Orn do eventually end up in the jungle. Here the lovers are free to interact charmingly, and Joe’s eccentricities are more evident and endearing. There are open ended narrative ellipses, scribble overlays, and graphic nudity – endearing, like I said. There is one unsettling tracking shot through the jungle that stands out as disparate for a number of reasons. The sunlight is not as intense, the shot is not populated by human characters, the voice over seems to be about a different time and place, and I think Joe even alters the focal length of the lens to flatten the image as he tracks (or maybe not). In any case, only someone who really knows what they’re doing can capture a shot like that, or thinks to shoot it in the first place.

And then there’s some frolicking, head, a hand-job, and an ending of sorts. Blissfully Yours is bemusing and perhaps a little befuddling, but it's not a film I feel passionate about one way or the other.

[Morris Schæffer]

Seeing Buster Keaton playing opposite a trained monkey is the sort of thing that makes life worth living.

Have you seen Every Which Way But Loose and Any Which Way You Can? ;)

[Boner M]

Blissfully Yours:

This was my introduction to Thai director “Joe,� as he is known. It took me two tries to get through the first half hour. The film opens with a visit to the doctor’s office by Min, Roong, and Orn. The camera is conspicuously static as we learn about Min’s rash and Orn’s sex life. We also learn that Min might have some citizenship issues. I found most of this scene intolerably boring. It’s well written exposition, but it’s still amounts to little more than exposition. I cannot fathom much aesthetic interest either. The minimalism is so strict, and the setting does not allow for the poetics that the jungle does later on.
I know it's not a very compelling argument, but I think the whole first 'act' is supposed to be boring, and I really don't consider that a bad thing in this film's context. When the credits finally arrive nearly halfway into the film it's as if Joe is almost dismissing the fact that all that time has passed... one of the things I think is most effective about the film is how the expository parts are a slog, while the bits where we just watch these characters/actors existing as people outside of the narrative are (at least in my eyes) extremely absorbing. The use of diary entries from the real actors superimposed over the screen at certain points is a genius touch, as is the scene featuring Min's growing erection in real time. That said, I can see how anyone, no matter how 'open' their tastes are, could react indifferently to the film.

At any rate, check out Joe's next two post haste!

[Winston*]

I think this av suits Spinal's posting style more than his current one.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a332/colpot/monkeyav.jpg

EDIT: Ditto for Boner.

[Boner M]

lolz

[Rowland]

Time has too much dialog. If the writing is anything to go by, Ki Duk would be better off keeping his characters mute from now on. And while I liked the visual conceit with the mask, I'm not sure he earned it, if that makes any sense. Its impact wasn't half as powerful as it would have been if the movie had been firing on all cylinders.

[D_Davis]

I saw Be Kind Rewind last night.

It was okay. It's sweet, cute, and has a cool story, but I didn't think much of it. The end is cool, in that it has a really positive vibe similar to Block Party, and I enjoyed that aspect of it.

The best part was the trailer for Red Beard. I heard dozens of people around me ask, "Is that Tim Allen?" in total shock. That movie is going to rule. Tonally, for some reason, it looks like Johnnie To's Throwdown.

[Russ]

Seeing Buster Keaton playing opposite a trained monkey is the sort of thing that makes life worth living.
You need to check out Harold Lloyd's 1927 masterpiece, The Kid Brother, if you really want to see Outstanding Performance by a capuchin monkey in a sailor suit.

[Sven]

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a332/colpot/monkeyav.jpg

Ha-cha-cha-cha.

[Spinal]

You need to check out Harold Lloyd's 1927 masterpiece, The Kid Brother, if you really want to see Outstanding Performance by a capuchin monkey in a sailor suit.

Oh, I do, Russ. I do.

[D_Davis]

This is my favorite monkey picture

http://kecute.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/monkeydove.jpg

[Russ]

Oh, I do, Russ. I do.
The Kid Brother (1927) is, of course, the first of the little-known Capuchin Monkey Trilogy, costarring some silent comedians, and followed by The Circus (1928) and The Cameraman (1928).


http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/493/monkeyeasterxu0.jpg


ok, I'll stop now.

[monolith94]

Time has too much dialog. If the writing is anything to go by, Ki Duk would be better off keeping his characters mute from now on. And while I liked the visual conceit with the mask, I'm not sure he earned it, if that makes any sense. Its impact wasn't half as powerful as it would have been if the movie had been firing on all cylinders.
While I can see what you're saying, to me the visual effect was so shocking and unexpected, that it just totally sent me chills.

[ledfloyd]

The Kid Brother (1927) is, of course, the first of the little-known Capuchin Monkey Trilogy, costarring some silent comedians, and followed by The Circus (1928) and The Cameraman (1928).

capuchin monkeys have never shined brighter than ampersand in Y: the last man. but i guess that belongs in the comic book thread.

i really liked Time it disturbed me and it's a film i thought about for a long time after i saw it.

[Grouchy]

I thought Time was inferior to 3-Iron, which is my only other movie from Kim, probably because it was too meandering and overcooked for my tastes. Unpredictable little film, though, and filled with scary stuff like the mask. I should get to Samaritan Girl anytime soon, my storie carries it.

[ledfloyd]

I thought Time was inferior to 3-Iron, which is my only other movie from Kim, probably because it was too meandering and overcooked for my tastes. Unpredictable little film, though, and filled with scary stuff like the mask. I should get to Samaritan Girl anytime soon, my storie carries it.
I've seen Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter which is my favorite of what I've seen. I've also seen 3-Iron. I think Time is easily his worst. However I'd still give it a strong *** rating.

[monolith94]

Yeah, I think the consensus is that Time is inferior to those two films, and I couldn't see how someone could argue against that. Looking forward to Breath, though.

[Spinal]

The only Ki-Duk film I haven't liked so far is The Coast Guard.

[Bosco B Thug]

Michael Clayton recalls very well when I'm reading reviews elucidating on character nuances and emotional parallels and ideological currents, but while I was watching it, I unfortunately felt it was disappointingly rudimentary, both filmic-wise and story-wise. The film may present an effective montage motif with Swinton, give some dreamy shots of Wilkinson in his heightened state, and then occasionally get to the marrow of Clayton's plodding and lugubrious life, but they're lost (or were lost to me, at least) in the film's overall conventional construction. One "construct" that would've been cool to see the film take on would be a saturated look at U/North and the law firm. Not saying that's what it has to have done, it's just an obvious way it could've been a more distinct portrait. But that's another thing about the film we do have - the movie pretends to show/tell us things about U/North as a corporation or Clayton's law firm and how it works, but it really doesn't show/tell us all that much. Just rudimentary stuff.

Also saw Severance, which coincidentally has a very similar flashback framing like Michael Clayton. Movie very meh. I expected a lot more from this, didn't think it would be near so schematic and uninspired. Thought it would do something allegorical with its international cast of characters, or reveal something more clever about its villain, or have any sort of twist, but nope. Has a low-taste charm sometimes but I think a lot of that is the director being unspectacular as a director. Watchable, though.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I feel exactly the same about both films Bosco. Especially Severance, which was a huge disappointment for me. I saw it at a film festival last year in an abandoned warehouse. The setting seemed perfect, so it was pretty upsetting to walk away from a great setup like that feeling so unfulfilled.

[Sycophant]

The only thing I'd object to in your summary of Severance is that it is watchable.

[Qrazy]

The only Ki-Duk film I haven't liked so far is The Coast Guard.

Bad Guy is formally well made but thematically the stupidest piece of shit I've ever seen.

[transmogrifier]

Bad Guy is formally well made but thematically the stupidest piece of shit I've ever seen.


Bad Guy, Address Unknown and The Coast Guard are three of the worst films I have ever seen in my life. But then, somewhere around 2003/2004, Kim Ki-Duk decided to make good films. Good choice.

[Derek]

Bad Guy, Address Unknown and The Coast Guard are three of the worst films I have ever seen in my life. But then, somewhere around 2003/2004, Kim Ki-Duk decided to make good films. Good choice.

Spoken like a man who has yet to see The Bow. :)

Or I'm at least willing to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you haven't...

[Derek]

I don't know who did this new banner, but show yourself and collect my rep points immediately.

[megladon8]

I'm still baffled by the hate Severance has gotten here.

I thought it was really clever.

[MadMan]

I don't know who did this new banner, but show yourself and collect my rep points immediately.Check the thread in the Maintance forum. Wryan made this new banner, and he made the last one. There's a whole bunch of banners he made that are in that forum. Go check 'em out.

I enjoyed all of the 70s thrillers last night on TCM, although I failed to finish The Boys From Brazil since it started at 1:45 am and I was tired. I had seen Day of the Jackal before though and thus I only watched some of it-besides I don't need to really revisit the film more than once or twice as the first viewing pretty much solidify my conviction that its one of the best of the 60s/70s thrillers, a special school of suspense that is really different from Hitchcock's older, 30s, 40s and 50s thrillers. I'd say that even his 60s thrillers are more in line with the other, more different 60s and 70s thrillers than his older ones.

[baby doll]

Bad Guy is formally well made but thematically the stupidest piece of shit I've ever seen.I don't even think it's that well made. After Bad Guy and 3 Iron, I can't bring myself to see anymore of his movies.

[Wryan]

I don't know who did this new banner, but show yourself and collect my rep points immediately.

Thanks for the pimp Mad, and thanks for the kind words Derek. :)

[Kurosawa Fan]

The only thing I'd object to in your summary of Severance is that it is watchable.

This is a good point.

[transmogrifier]

Spoken like a man who has yet to see The Bow. :)

Or I'm at least willing to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you haven't...

Ha, I haven't seen The Bow, actually.

:)

[Duncan]

I've only seen 3-Iron. Wasn't that impressed. I'll return to him eventually.

[Benny Profane]

Not a bad little film is this Moolaade. Not bad at all.

[Stay Puft]

Not a bad little film is this Moolaade. Not bad at all.

Hell yes.

It has been three years or so since I've seen it. I need to get a DVD copy soon.

[MadMan]

Thanks for the pimp Mad, and thanks for the kind words Derek. :)I aim to please heh. Besides its awesome work. :cool:

Tonight I will view Radio Days(1987). I already have seen Crimes and Misdemeanors so I won't be viewing that, although it is a great film and one of the best of the 1980s.

PS: I viewed All About Eve(1950) for the first time tonight, and I think what I viewed might have been a masterpiece. At the very least its a fantastic film. More on this later as I'm gathering my thoughts.

[Wryan]

All About Eve is certainly a whopper.

[Qrazy]

Underground (Kusturica) was a flawed masterpiece. Holy shit what a film.

[Qrazy]

I don't even think it's that well made. After Bad Guy and 3 Iron, I can't bring myself to see anymore of his movies.

Well when I say well made in this instance I mean purely visually but I suppose there's a lot of subjectivity to that. I'm fairly certain you won't like The Isle but if you do give him another look, try Spring, Summer... It's a very simple film in many ways but the simplicity lends a compelling tranquility to the proceedings.

[Raiders]

I got sort of "suckered" in to watching the 2005 slapstick comedy Just Friends, and much of it was as unfunny and lame as I expected. But by the end, I found I had laughed and smirked at more than I thought I would. I have to give credit to Ryan Reynolds here. I know a lot about him but have not seen much by him. Here, despite the material, he has a certain "je ne sais quoi" that made much of what he does more charming and humorous. He has a little smugness in his comedy, kind of like a Chevy Chase, that, at least for a character like this, makes the flat comedy actually quite appealing. I think I'm going to check out some more of his work. He seems much more able and charming than I expected.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Three good films in the last two days; Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, Peeping Tom and Out of Sight. I don't feel like talking about them... just want to say, yea rock on! See these movies.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Wow. White Heat kicked some serious ass. I'm pretty sure that was my first Cagney. I can't wait for The Public Enemy, The Roaring Twenties, and Angels with Dirty Faces, all of which I should be seeing soon.

[Sven]

Wow. White Heat kicked some serious ass. I'm pretty sure that was my first Cagney.

:eek:

You have got some serious watching to do. I think Cagney may be my favorite actor that has ever lived.

[origami_mustache]

I don't know who did this new banner, but show yourself and collect my rep points immediately.

the banner > the film

[Kurosawa Fan]

:eek:

You have got some serious watching to do. I think Cagney may be my favorite actor that has ever lived.

Yeah, that's always been a source of shame for me, but White Heat will motivate me for sure.

[Wryan]

Wow. White Heat kicked some serious ass. I'm pretty sure that was my first Cagney. I can't wait for The Public Enemy, The Roaring Twenties, and Angels with Dirty Faces, all of which I should be seeing soon.

Fuck yes it's a serious ass-kicker. The mother-son interaction (for past-his prime Cagney no less!) is always chilling and his seizures are terrific. The film builds in quietly terrific power (even though undercover cop guy really isn't much to watch) and it's capped off magnificently. All of those films are definitely worth the watch, maybe even G-men too, and don't ignore his non-gangster work. He can sing and dance too!

:lol:

[Eleven]

You have got some serious watching to do. I think Cagney may be my favorite actor that has ever lived.

If you've seen it, what do you think of his perf in One, Two, Three?

[Sven]

If you've seen it, what do you think of his perf in One, Two, Three?

Fucking awesome. (Coincidentally, I am, at this moment, writing a paper on Wilder that is incorporating that film to a smallish degree.)

[origami_mustache]

If you've seen it, what do you think of his perf in One, Two, Three?

I love One, Two, Three as well. It seems to be underrated though.

[Eleven]

Fucking awesome. (Coincidentally, I am, at this moment, writing a paper on Wilder that is incorporating that film to a smallish degree.)

Cool. Knowing how difficult some of the dialogue was for him to ultimately deliver makes what's in the final product awe-inspiring. I don't think anybody else could shoot out their lines with the same attitude and physicality, no matter age he was.

[Wryan]

If you've seen it, what do you think of his perf in One, Two, Three?

That's definitely a lesser Wilder, and Hortz Bucholtz (sp) is awful awful awful, but Cagney is great in almost anything so he's fun to watch anyway.

[Sven]

and Hortz Bucholtz (sp) is awful awful awful

He's better in One, Two, Three than he is in The Magnificent Seven, though, but perhaps that's not saying much. I read some of Cagney's autobiography in which he describes Bucholtz as "a puke". Which was hilarious.

[Wryan]

He's better in One, Two, Three than he is in The Magnificent Seven, though, but perhaps that's not saying much. I read some of Cagney's autobiography in which he describes Bucholtz as "a puke". Which was hilarious.

HA! That's incredibly funny.

But yes, you're right about Bucholtz: that's not saying much.

[Sven]

But yes, you're right about Bucholtz: that's not saying much.

I just looked him up and I totally didn't even realize that he was the doctor in Life is Beautiful that asks Benigni about the riddle. That's weird.

[Eleven]

I never realized how many flicks and TV shows Buchholz was actually in, mostly German, from being the least magnificent of the Seven to portraying Cervantes. Boy was he aggravating in One, Two, Three, but I don't think the character allowed him much more to be.

[Wryan]

I just looked him up and I totally didn't even realize that he was the doctor in Life is Beautiful that asks Benigni about the riddle. That's weird.

I have the same low opinion of Lew Ayres from All Quiet on the Western Front. He and Bucholtz have the same halting sort of desperation that makes it seem like they are trying too hard.

[Bosco B Thug]

the banner > the film
OW. The perils of "for the record" comments, they scurry out of the bushes and headbutt you in the balls. The Birds is my favorite movie! lovely banner btw!

[origami_mustache]

Reebok is doing some lame short film series where they allow celebrities to be first time directors of athletes.

http://explore.yahoo.com/reebokframed/

The Baron Davis one "Framed" by Emmanuelle Chriqui from Entourage is hilarious and unique compared to the rest which are basically just interviews aside from the Vince Young one which is just cheesy.

[MadMan]

Wow. White Heat kicked some serious ass. I'm pretty sure that was my first Cagney. I can't wait for The Public Enemy, The Roaring Twenties, and Angels with Dirty Faces, all of which I should be seeing soon.Cool, someone else who recently viewed their first Cagney. Public Enemy, which was recently my first, is pretty radical.

Why didn't anyone tell me that Radio Days was such a heartwarming, tender, beautifully moving sentimental homage to old memories from the past? I think the movie really does benefit from not having Woody Allen star in it, and I was surprised that Seth Green is in this as the kid representing 1940s Woody Allen as a child. I laughed at this but at the same time I was pretty moved by the very pretty and rather touching final scene of the movie and the excellent last shot. 90

I'll end 31 Days of Oscar with the modern classic western Unforgiven, which is one of the best films of the 90s. Then it will be back to watching whatever TCM features and renting movies. Maybe even a few theater viewings and some catching up on 2007 movies. I have to say that because of 31 Days of Oscar my average for Feburary was un-naturally high (I saw 17 films and the average rating was a 87.6). So hopefully March will result in me not dishing out so many 80s and 90s, although looking back I only gave a 100 to three films, and all of those were second viewings.

[Sycophant]

Just wanted to get in real quick and say that I love One Two Three. That's all.

[ledfloyd]

Why didn't anyone tell me that Radio Days was such a heartwarming, tender, beautifully moving sentimental homage to old memories from the past?

you never asked. woody was unstoppable in the 80s.

[Watashi]

Vengeance is Mine was pretty damn great. An extremely disturbing and haunting portrait of a killer that defies all the typical serial killer cliches. Imamura really restrains himself and gives a docu-drama approach to show the ugliness of humanity that causes people to downward spiral into cold-blood machines.

Semi-Pro just sucked. A few decent lines doesn't save a wish-washed script that tries to fit 50 subplots in a very minimal timeframe. The corndog scene is the only highlight.

[Qrazy]

That's definitely a lesser Wilder.

Agreed.

[Qrazy]

you never asked. woody was unstoppable in the 80s.

New York Stories begs to differ.

[Raiders]

New York Stories begs to differ.

As does September. Yeesh.

[ledfloyd]

i agree new york stories blows, but i love september.

[MadMan]

you never asked. woody was unstoppable in the 80s.I guess I should have. I regret missing out on seeing Manhatten, which was shown weeks ago on TCM.

Whoa I think I'm on pace to actually seeing most of my weekend viewings. I can't remember the last time this has happened.

[MacGuffin]

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, aka If You Thought the Title Was Too Long, Just Wait Until You See the Damn Movie. Seriously, though. One of the most disappointing, worst movies I've seen from last year. I loved the cinematography in No Country for Old Men, but with this, aside from the brightly light shots, all of the low light shots were astonishingly bland (usually, there's just the character and a pitch black background). Also, the narrative attempts to be poetic, but just sleepwalks through lines and lines of pseudo intellectual or maybe just pseudo Hey This Is A Movie That Means Something Spiritually!!!LOL!!! gibberish. The train robbery scene was perhaps the only good part of the movie, and it's strange how everyone seemed so intense during those five minutes of the one hundred and forty five minute movie and the rest, they all felt so dull. Garbage. A monumental waste of almost over two and a half hours.

[Derek]

Underground (Kusturica) was a flawed masterpiece. Holy shit what a film.

Yup, amazing film.


the banner > the film

I'm not entirely sure I disagree with you, though I do like the film quite a bit.

[Qrazy]

Yup, amazing film.



After that and Black Cat, White Cat I'm inspired to seek out more Kusturica. Gonna check out Time of the Gypsies, any other recs?

[Derek]

After that and Black Cat, White Cat I'm inspired to seek out more Kusturica. Gonna check out Time of the Gypsies, any other recs?

Yay, another Black Cat, White Cat fan! Time of the Gypsies is fantastic, but unfortunately I haven't really loved the others I've seen (When Father Was Away..., ...Dolly Bell? and Arizona Dream) though the latter is weird enough where I could see pulling a 180 after seeing it again. I mean, it's Vincent Gallo, Johnny Depp and Jerry Lewis in a Kusturica film ferchrissakes, so it's at least worth a look.

[Winston*]

The German version of The Blue Angel's the one should be watching, yes?

[Derek]

Oh yes, and Vacancy...in a world where incessant knocking and door rattling = tension. I liked that no matter what happened, Luke Wilson never appeared more than moderately annoyed.

[Derek]

The German version of The Blue Angel's the one should be watching, yes?

Dah.

[origami_mustache]

I'm not entirely sure I disagree with you, though I do like the film quite a bit.

The banner is pretty great...I've talked about my dislike for The Birds in this thread before, or perhaps it was on the old site so I won't go into great detail. Hitchcock's artifice is just too much for me to handle in this one. He creates a fantasy world where the sets and colors resemble a Hollywood lot more than even a skewed reality; the worst is when they are in the boat with that atrocious blue screen. The birds aslo look phony as hell, the sound design, although innovative, is purposely expressionistic, and quite frankly I find everything about the film to be dated. It fits better in the framework of the 60s and the Cold War era and unfortunately comes across as more frivolous than frightening to me.


After that and Black Cat, White Cat I'm inspired to seek out more Kusturica. Gonna check out Time of the Gypsies, any other recs?

I've only seen Time of the Gypsies and a short film from him. I'd like to see more from Kusturica, but neither of these inspired me enough to check them out anytime soon.

[Watashi]

As a Tarantino fan, I wondered why I never bothered to check out From Dusk Til Dawn. It has its shares of silly flaws, but damn, what a ride.

[Boner M]

Oh yes, and Vacancy...in a world where incessant knocking and door rattling = tension. I liked that no matter what happened, Luke Wilson never appeared more than moderately annoyed.
Yeah, I don't get the warm response to this one here. I suppose it's admirable for choosing old-school suspense over torture porn shenanigans, but it didn't have much tension either way. And Frank Whaley plays his villain so obviously that he's never remotely threatening.

[DavidSeven]

Vengeance is Mine was pretty damn great.

This movie is going to be the next Le Samourai-like marvel of Match Cut.

[origami_mustache]

The Circus (Charles Chaplin, 1928)


http://chaplin.bfi.org.uk/images/420/circus.jpg

As expected The Circus offers a lot of good universal sight gags, although I found most of my favorites to be overloaded during the beginning of the film, such as the bit where the tramp is eating the baby's food or when he disguises himself as an animatronic robot after getting lost in the hall of mirrors.


http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8UZHYfqOY0Q/default.jpg (http://youtube.com/watch?v=8UZHYfqOY0Q)

The final trapeze act with the monkeys is pretty solid too, and I always enjoy bittersweet endings. Despite their simplicity, Chaplin's films are always a joy for me and this was another truly entertaining one, but perhaps not as poignant as some of his other more mature films that incorporate more of a social commentary.

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/08nZ2vsZHL8/default.jpg (http://youtube.com/watch?v=08nZ2vsZHL8)

[Boner M]

Jia Zhang-Ke's debut, Xiao Wu, is a film that gains resonance immediately after the credits roll. I was a little disengaged throughout, but the cumulative effect of its succession of low-key scenes, that observe the eponymous pickpocket as he reluctantly struggles to maintain his way of living against an amorphous socio-political landscape, is somehow quietly devastating. I'm warming to Jia with each film I've seen, this is probably my favorite (liked Still Life, was 'meh' on The World).

[Boner M]

On another note, I just watched a few clips of Samurai Cop on youtube and I now must buy it. Amazing.

[D_Davis]

I'll be surprised if I see another film this year as good as Sukiyaki Western Django.

This is pure, cinematic brilliance.

It is now my favorite Miike film.

[MacGuffin]

Everybody disliked The Assassination of Jesse James... too? Far out.

[ledfloyd]

Everybody disliked The Assassination of Jesse James... too? Far out.
It's one of the best films of the year.

[MadMan]

Everybody disliked The Assassination of Jesse James... too? Far out.I haven't seen it yet. But I bet I'll like it. Simply because yes its a western. I'm heavily biased towards that genre, although the genre where I'm most likely to like almost anything, no matter how stupid, is the comedy genre.

[trotchky]

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, aka If You Thought the Title Was Too Long, Just Wait Until You See the Damn Movie. Seriously, though. One of the most disappointing, worst movies I've seen from last year. I loved the cinematography in No Country for Old Men, but with this, aside from the brightly light shots, all of the low light shots were astonishingly bland (usually, there's just the character and a pitch black background). Also, the narrative attempts to be poetic, but just sleepwalks through lines and lines of pseudo intellectual or maybe just pseudo Hey This Is A Movie That Means Something Spiritually!!!LOL!!! gibberish. The train robbery scene was perhaps the only good part of the movie, and it's strange how everyone seemed so intense during those five minutes of the one hundred and forty five minute movie and the rest, they all felt so dull. Garbage. A monumental waste of almost over two and a half hours.

I don't think it was trying to spiritual; it seems to be more interested in artificiality and showmanship, particularly how these affect our understanding of history. I think it was successful in that regard. Also maybe the reason they were more intense during the train robbery than in other scenes is because that scene demanded more intensity? Still though, I thought the actors were appropriately emphatic, to the point of almost being over-the-top - specifically, as someone else mentioned, Sam Rockwell's guilt-ridden histrionics - but were for the most part spot on, particularly towards the end as Pitt becomes increasingly menacing and delusional.

[Spinal]

Everybody disliked The Assassination of Jesse James... too? Far out.

I felt pretty indifferent to it, but I didn't feel strongly enough about it to stir up the ire of the large number of people who loved it.