28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[berlin wallflower]

Perhaps we should not get tangled up in the mess of how film is an art-form and its comparison with other art-forms, but instead, focus only on the phenomenon of cinema and its impact on the viewer. Cinema can be a rather subjective experience. What moves one person to tears will leave someone else cold. Whether or not the cinematic illusion succeeds (and to what degree) depends on the personality of the viewer. We can talk about how skillfully a filmmaker succeeds in sucking the viewer into the cinematic space, how believable (the acting, the plot/atmosphere, etc.) the film is. People have different views of reality, so there will always be contention on how well reality was captured by a certain film. I'm not thinking about a strict "realism." This encompasses poetic reality as well (such as "magical realism"). I'm referring to a general sense of how human beings experience life.

[Boner M]

Art that I'm watching this weekend (in accordance with the year consensuses):

Fear of Fear
Night Moves
Fists in the Pocket

As well as the latest Bennings, Meadows and Dardennes, and A Page of Madness marking the last stretch of fest screenings.

[Skitch]

SPOILERS for Inside



Holy crap Inside is a ridiculously gory film. I don't know if I can condone that much full-on splatter. The film is loaded with evocations of tumultuous contemporary French society and the maternal psyche (and those CGI baby shots! I rolled my eyes at first, but they became very effective), and there's a very powerful, unspoken story in there involving a petulant young pregnant woman, the kind who seems too willful and independent to be happy about overpopulating a stupidly violent world she gets her career kicks out of, having to brutally suffer in order to give birth to her [unwanted?] baby - but the problem is just that, it's unspoken. Then it's altogether made subliminal beneath loads of awful, gut-wrenching carnage. Man. I mean, a little restraint, people!


I might have cared about the gore if I had cared about any of the characters.

[Skitch]

I turned of P2 halfway through. Just awful.

[Winston*]

I'm like halfway through Smiley Face. This movie is awful, I am going to stop watching it now.

[Raiders]

"... if you like 'art' you'll probably like this. If you like movies, you might not."

-- Netflix reviewer on Killer of Sheep

I don't know 'bout all that, but great to see you really liked it!

[balmakboor]

just turned 50

That's a relief. I'm about to turn 47 so I guess we're allowed to sound alike. We were both in our 20s when this strange new invention came about called home video.

[balmakboor]

I'm like halfway through Smiley Face. This movie is awful, I am going to stop watching it now.

No it's not. I watched it three times in two days. And I'm not now nor have I ever even been a stoner. It's probably my fourth favorite Araki movie though.

1. Mysterious Skin
2. Totally F***ed Up
3. The Living End
4. Smiley Face
5. The Doom Generation

Haven't seen Splendor or the early ones.

[Sven]

So, I feel kind of bad for saying this, but a week or so ago I went to a book reading in the East Village ("The Hipster Zoo" I call it, because ridiculously, that's what it is) where Michael Atkinson read passages from his book Exile Cinema, and a few other critics who were featured in the book were there and also read (alas, Godfrey Cheshire was supposed to be there, wish he was, because I totally loved his epic article(s) about the transition to digital cinema). I'd always considered Atkinson to be one of my favorite critics... seemed like a pretty smart fellow. After the reading, my opinion of him was all but completely reversed. Still seemed like an okay guy, but it also seemed like he didn't really know what he was talking about. In the intro to his "manifesto", he has conflicting passages and half-thought out ideas and blanket denials of mainstream quality and generalizations left and right, all at the expense of "awareness" of peripheral filmmakers. It's very aggravating. My impressions have spread to his writing, which I can no longer read without thinking about his hypocritical championing of the ostracized filmmaker at the ridicule of the layman.

There, I met NickGlass, who was nice.

[Ezee E]

Weekend:
Something Wild
Weeds: Season 3

Get Smart

[Ezee E]

There, I met NickGlass, who was nice.

Did he write that post of yours too? It sure sounded... Nick.

[Benny Profane]

Weekend:

Sideways (wife has never seen it and we just got back from Sonoma)

And possibly I'm Not There.

[balmakboor]

I made a comment a short time ago in the Diving Bell and the Butterfly thread and it got me thinking. Generally, I don't care for biopics. It seems the most predictable of genres with movies like Walk the Line and Ray being two of the worst examples. I thought Gandhi was spectacularly dull. Etc.

When someone goes someplace really interesting with the genre though, the results often enter the ranks of my favorite films. Most recently films like The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, An Angel at My Table, and I'm Not There have blown me away. There have been great past examples as well like Lawrence of Arabia and Amadeus.

Anyway, that was my thought. Any other most favorite and least favorite biopic examples?

[balmakboor]

Btw, I still see Zombie's Halloween (a movie I loved) as a deliberate take on the biopic genre, maybe even a sly parody.

[Benny Profane]

I liked Ray.

[balmakboor]

I liked Ray.

Man, I squirmed and yawned all the way through it. And I love Ray Charles.

[balmakboor]

Weekend:

Probably nothing. I'll be going back and forth between a swim meet and a lake cabin all weekend.

I have out from Netflix:

Velvet Goldmine (re-watch)
The Steel Helmet
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (also a re-watch from eons ago)

[Ezee E]

It's tough to say because biopics are so vague. Some will try to take on the entire life of an individual, while others will focus on a small portion of their life. Smaller portions give you more opportunities to get creative I think, unless you go very outside-the-box like I'm Not There.

I have no problems with any of the films discussed so far. Ray and Walk the Line may be predictable, but there is a certain dedication to the person that makes it worth watching. In the case of those two movies, it's the performances that make it an enjoyable movie. I also thought Ray was pretty well-filmed.

A biopic also happens to be my favorite movie of all time, as it focuses on the birth and death of the type of life of Henry Hill.

[balmakboor]

A biopic also happens to be my favorite movie of all time, as it focuses on the birth and death of the type of life of Henry Hill.

That's another great example and Raging Bull would be another example of a very creative biopic. Other than being well shot and acted, Ray and Walk the Line just felt too much like those VH1 story-of-a-rock-star segments. Too by-the-numbers.

[Benny Profane]

Man, I squirmed and yawned all the way through it. And I love Ray Charles.

Did you at least like the performance by his mother?

[balmakboor]

Did you at least like the performance by his mother?

I suppose I liked all the performances. I can't actually remember the performance you're referring to though. It's been a while.

[Sycophant]

Weekend movies:
Norbit
CJ7
Two other Stephen Chow films

Weekend art:
The Seventh Seal
The Fall

[Sycophant]

My favorite biopic is Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, which is certainly different enough. Generally, I don't have much love for the genre. For example, I was bored and kind of irritated by Ray, even though Foxx and the rest of the cast did turn in pretty awesome performances.

[origami_mustache]

Weekend:

Juliet of the Spirits
Fellini's Roma
The Hawks and the Sparrows

[Derek]

I'm like halfway through Smiley Face. This movie is awful, I am going to stop watching it now.

Thank you! I found it completely insufferable.

[Qrazy]

I actually didn't like Vampyr very much. But I chalked it up to the terrible previous DVD. I plan to check the Criterion out right away.

Likewise, I watched a terrible print online, but I'm willing to give it another shot.

[Spinal]

Smiley Face was really funny. I think Anna Faris is an extraordinary talent.

What amused me about the Killer of Sheep quote is that there are people out there who don't consider themselves the kind of person who likes art. That's just weird to me.

Weekend:

Probably Get Smart and the Funny Games remake.

[Qrazy]

Art that I'm watching this weekend (in accordance with the year consensuses):

Fear of Fear
Night Moves
Fists in the Pocket

As well as the latest Bennings, Meadows and Dardennes, and A Page of Madness marking the last stretch of fest screenings.

Fists in the Pocket is alright, but far from excellent... don't set your expectations too high.

[Spinal]

I don't know 'bout all that, but great to see you really liked it!

The way it pieces together a portrait of that community is extraordinary. You get to know so many people without ever getting the feeling that the director is working to provide exposition. The film doesn't really build to anything, which is why it falls short of a top rating. But, for what it is, it's pretty incredible.

[Raiders]

Weekend:

Reprise
Life is Sweet
A Room for Romeo Brass
Get Smart

[Sven]

Life is Sweet

Hope you like. I think it's a Leigh best (among two others: Topsy Turvy and Secrets and Lies... a bit of a conventional opinion, I realize, but I can't help it).

[Sycophant]

Edmond Pang Ho-Cheung continues to make interesting movies with his 2nd 2007 film, Trivial Matters. While only two of his seven films are great (Men Suddenly in Black and Beyond Our Ken), he is a good reminder that there's still some vitality and freshness to be found in Hong Kong's new crop of filmmakers.

Trivial Matters is a string of seven three-to-thirty-minute long, mostly disconnected (both narratively and stylistically) vignettes adapted from Pang's own published fiction. The recently shamed Edison Chen's short piece involves him chatting up a girl in English by describing his model citizenship by way of crude bathroom (literally) humor. Eason Chan's segment revolves around him getting his prudish live-in girlfriend to fellate him on holidays that get increasingly obscure. The segment ends with and turns itself into a bizarre, stupid joke, that was so deathly silly, I giggled for several minutes. Chapman To's segment feels like a compressed, thematic cousin to Pang's Isabella, and not just because To's in this one, too. It's melancholy, funny, and poignant.

Then there's the longest segment, featuring Gillian Chung and Stephy Tang that could easily have turned into a feature in its own right, but Pang wisely strips its narrative down to key points, mostly relying on his actors to tell the story through restrained but telling performances. Pang also adroitly refutes the kind of moral easiness that generally characterizes lost-dream/coming-of-age, twelve-year stories like these. It's a good example of what Pang does best: replicating, interpreting, and borrowing conventions found in popular entertainments, and then mixing them in a way that is both personal and calculated, subversive and refreshing.

If there's a real problem with the piece as a whole, it's that it doesn't work as a whole. Each chapter has its own bright spots, but they don't really serve to complement each other.

Somewhat shockingly for Category IIB films (HK's equivalent of a harsh PG-13 to soft R rating), nudity, sex, drug use, and heavy profanity abound.

I'm going to keep talking about Pang till someone else watches his movies.

[soitgoes...]

Weekend:
One of Our Aircraft Is Missing
The Tale of the Crucified Lovers
Ordet

[Stay Puft]

I'm going to keep talking about Pang till someone else watches his movies.

This is the guy who directed Exodus? I have that one queued up to watch soon.

[Sycophant]

This is the guy who directed Exodus? I have that one queued up to watch soon.
Yes, it is! It's the other film he did in '07. When you get around to watching it, let me know what you think. It's weird. Especially in how not weird it is.

[Rowland]

Yeah, Smiley Face rocks, performed with brio and executed with genuine craft.

[Sven]

...executed with genuine craft.

As opposed to fake craft...?

[Rowland]

As opposed to fake craft...?well made mmmkay

[Grouchy]

Count me as another huge fan of Smiley Face. Here's my review (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=58457&postcount=71).

[Ezee E]

Is there a preview of Smiley Face out there?

[Qrazy]

I was positive on Mysterious Skin but not overly so. Something tells me I won't like Smiley Face.

[Spinal]

For those who have Netflix, Smiley Face is available for Instant Viewing. That's how I watched it. Probably wouldn't have queued it up myself, but I tried out the first few minutes and stuck with it because I was amused.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Yeah, Smiley Face rocks, performed with brio and executed with genuine craft.

I instant-viewed it like Spinal, but I thought it went on too long. Anna Farris did a great job, though.

[origami_mustache]

I was positive on Mysterious Skin but not overly so. Something tells me I won't like Smiley Face.

Mysterious Skin was mediocre...the accents were pretty over the top for even Western Kansans...lazy research.

[NickGlass]

For those who have Netflix, Smiley Face is available for Instant Viewing. That's how I watched it.

Me too. I enjoyed it, as well. After a certain point, however, one of my friends found it very difficult to watch.

One direct quote:
"This is harder to watch than Schindler's List."

[Qrazy]

The Harder They Come - An interesting failure. The aesthetic is rough and raw yet frequently compelling (ex: Mikey and Nickey). And while the acting is often subpar it manages to remain functional. It doesn't really work all that well as a character study or as social commentary but there is a certain something about the film's tone that keeps it alluring. The best part by far is the title song, with that killer bass line.

[Winston*]

I found to annoying to lulz ratio of Smiley Face to be undesirable.

[MadMan]

So I was pleasantly surprised by The Incredible Hulk. Get Smart on the other hand lived up to the high expectations. Good stuff indeed. No more theater viewings for now until Wall-E comes out.

Weekend:

*Get Smart-Already got to it. Success!
*Goldeneye (2nd viewing)
*Redbelt-Mamet's flick about MMA. Sounds cool.
*SLC Punk-I've sort of been putting this off
*Whatever I find at the video store that I want to watch.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Weekend
Get Smart
Silkwood
Summertime (1955)
3-Iron

[Qrazy]

Weekend:

Pygmalion
White Sheik
O Lucky Man
Chetyre
Muriel

[Philosophe_rouge]

Weekend:

Pygmalion
White Sheik
O Lucky Man
Chetyre
Muriel
I've been meaning to see Pygmalion for a long time, can't wait to see what you think...

[origami_mustache]

Weekend:
White Sheik


I planned on watching this soon during my Italian binge...I'll be eager to see what you think of it.

[Sven]

Derek, I'm curious about your thoughts on Hulk. Plz direct them to the Hulk thread.

[Sven]

I've been meaning to see Pygmalion for a long time, can't wait to see what you think...

I'm very upset that you haven't seen it at this point. Of all the friggin' movies for you to've not seen...

[Philosophe_rouge]

I'm very upset that you haven't seen it at this point. Of all the friggin' movies for you to've not seen...
I know! I'm dissapointed in myself :( I'll see if I can get it in the next week or so.

[megladon8]

I'm so very excited to see In a Lonely Place in the next couple of days.

And tonight I'm probably going to watch Spider Baby.

[Winston*]

Sweeney Todd was good but I think it would have been better if Burton had either cast these actors in a non-musical version of the story or cast a group of actors with a more consistent range of vocal ability. I don't think it helps the film that the strongest voice in it is the little boy's.

[Derek]

Derek, I'm curious about your thoughts on Hulk. Plz direct them to the Hulk thread.

Really? Because I'd much rather talk about seeing Claudia Cardinale in that blue top in all its newly restored 35mm glory. Actually, I don't think I'm capable of thinking about anything else for the rest of the night.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e100/dryobb/west4.jpg

So sexy she cannot be contained within the standard thread width. *Drools*


Um, but yeah, the new Hulk...I'll just post it here since there's not much to talk about. Painfully cliched score, pedestrian direction, Ed Norton pushing me closer to the opinion that he was never a particularly good actor, Liv Tyler unnecessarily reminding me she never was one, a love story that's so clumsily told that the standard kiss-in-the-rain scene occurs like right after the love story is actually introduced. In the end, the film practically embraces its own ineptitude by finishing with a cameo of a far more charismatic actor/character.

[Winston*]

Derek, I'm curious about your thoughts on Hulk. Plz direct them to the Hulk thread.
Ahem.

Pretty sure this invalidates your opinion, which means The Incredible Hulk is amazing and now officially Match-Cut's official movie. Also I am no longer attracted to Claudia Cardinale.

[Qrazy]

I planned on watching this soon during my Italian binge...I'll be eager to see what you think of it.

It was alright, a step up from Variety Lights and Il Bidone but a step down from La Strada, Nights of Cabiria and even I Vitelloni... there's actually a Cabiria cameo in it which makes for a nice crossover connection. It's Fellini in his gestation period.

[Qrazy]

Yeah I don't find Claudia Cardinale that attractive or Elizabeth McGovern... their faces that is... their bodies are clearly another matter.

[Spinal]

What I learned tonight is that you cannot put Naomi Watts in her underwear and then expect me to think about anything else but Naomi Watts in her underwear. It doesn't matter what kind of miserable things are going on around her. A sly maneuver, Mr. Haneke. Well played.

[Watashi]

I didn't know where to post this exactly...



Update: Prepare for House of the Dead: The Funny Version
Source:Lionsgate Home Entertainment
June 20, 2008

Milking the turkey they have, Lionsgate Home Entertainment will release House of the Dead: The Funny Version on DVD September 9th.

Uwe Boll has signed off on this director's cut that features new dialogue, pop up commentary and animation from the original video game. Says Lionsgate: Original cast includes Jurgen Prochnow and Clint Howard with a special appearance by famed breast augmentation specialist Siegfried Wienermeister. Even the most hardcore fans of the original cult classic will never discover that human flesh tastes like chicken until they watch this hysterically tasteless funny version!

http://shocktillyoudrop.com/nextraimages/house-of-the-dead-funny.jpg

House of the Dead first insulted audiences (those who went to the movie) in 2003. It grossed an estimated $13 million worldwide.



I wonder if they'll do the same thing with The Wicker Man and The Happening.

[Winston*]

That's incredibly lame.

[Boner M]

Wow, Kate Winslet really wants her Oscar already.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/06/20/article-1028049-01AFE6DE00000578-31_468x465.jpg

[dreamdead]

I'm going to keep talking about Pang till someone else watches his movies.

The only one of his films that's R1 is Beyond Our Ken. Is that worthwhile/a good stopgap until something else comes available?

[Sycophant]

The only one of his films that's R1 is Beyond Our Ken. Is that worthwhile/a good stopgap until something else comes available?It was my first, actually, And it's one of his best. In other words, yes! A good place to start.

[Derek]

Wow, Kate Winslet really wants her Oscar already.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/06/20/article-1028049-01AFE6DE00000578-31_468x465.jpg

:lol:

Is she playing a mentally handicapped widow who's keeping refugees in that apartment she looking up at before she leaves for her factory job where no one knows her name and the boss cops the occasional feel, but Kate puts up with it because she's strong, determined and, you know, those refugees depend on her? Because if not, they should really consider a rewrite.

[Derek]

I don't understand people not finding Claudia Cardinale attractive in that film. It hurts my head to even attempt comprehending it.

[Sycophant]

That House of the Dead thing could become a hideous trend.

[Qrazy]

I don't understand people not finding Claudia Cardinale attractive in that film. It hurts my head to even attempt comprehending it.

Well I mean obviously she's attractive on a certain level but when judged at the movie star level... I find there to be a certain stupidity in her expression/eyes that's a big turn off for me.

[NickGlass]

A heads up to anyone who really enjoys Sherman's March, subscribes to Netflix, and has 90 minutes to spare. Alex Karpovsky's The Hole Story, an insightful and charming pseudo-documentary, is available on Netflix's "Watch Instantly." I saw it at the Independent Film Festival of Boston in 2006 and it's even got a tinge of Herzog-style-obsession in its blood.

Also, I swear it's not associated with the mumblecore movement, despite certain labeling elsewhere (Karpovsky is just real-life buddies with Bujalski).

[Qrazy]

Pygmalion was fairly underwhelming. It doesn't have any major problems I can think of but there's nothing in it which elevates it to greatness either.

[Watashi]

Park Row is another masterpiece by Samuel Fuller. Of course I'm biased because I love all films based and saluted to the realm of journalism, but this is an important, if a bit preachy, film that features stunning camerawork. You could really tell Fuller had a large impact on Scorsese.

[Derek]

Park Row is another masterpiece by Samuel Fuller. Of course I'm biased because I love all films based and saluted to the realm of journalism, but this is an important, if a bit preachy, film that features stunning camerawork. You could really tell Fuller had a large impact on Scorsese.

Your embracing of Fuller is a genuinely awesome surprise. Even though I'd personally flip your Park Row and Pickup on South Street ratings, it's simply great to see someone so taken by his films. You've made Raiders proud. :)

[megladon8]

I'm sorry The Incredible Hulk was such a disappointment, Derek.

Jen and I had a fantastic time seeing it a few days ago at the WhiteStone, a big theatre in the Bronx. However, she and I both agreed that Lee's film is still better.

But it's great to see that you adored Once Upon a Time in the West. One of the all-time greats, by one of my favorite filmmakers. No one has done westerns like him, and I doubt anyone ever will.

[Derek]

I'm sorry The Incredible Hulk was such a disappointment, Derek.

Jen and I had a fantastic time seeing it a few days ago at the WhiteStone, a big theatre in the Bronx. However, she and I both agreed that Lee's film is still better.

But it's great to see that you adored Once Upon a Time in the West. One of the all-time greats, by one of my favorite filmmakers. No one has done westerns like him, and I doubt anyone ever will.

I thought Lee's film was better in almost every way imaginable, so I'm glad you at least prefer his version.

I agree with you completely on West. This was actually my fourth time seeing it, second on 35mm, but the newly restored print looks better than anything else I've seen from Leone. They also remastered the sound which made a huge difference especially for that film. If you can catch it in the theater, definitely see it, but if not, I imagine Paramount will release a (more) definitive version by next year.

[soitgoes...]

Pygmalion was fairly underwhelming. It doesn't have any major problems I can think of but there's nothing in it which elevates it to greatness either.
Fail.

[megladon8]

I agree with you completely on West. This was actually my fourth time seeing it, second on 35mm, but the newly restored print looks better than anything else I've seen from Leone. They also remastered the sound which made a huge difference especially for that film. If you can catch it in the theater, definitely see it, but if not, I imagine Paramount will release a (more) definitive version by next year.


Seeing any of Leone's four big westerns in the theatre would be a life-affirming experience, I imagine.

Speaking of which, I swear to god that the city of New York (or, at least, their midnight classics theatre) is conspiring against me.

There's a theatre here called the Landmark that plays classic films at midnight, and every single time I have come here, without fail, they have either stopped playing something incredible the day I arrived, or started playing something equally amazing the day I leave. And during the time I'm here, they play crap.

I arrived here on June 14th - the day that they stopped playing 2001: A Space Odyssey. And during my entire trip, the movie they've been playing has been Grease.

During my last trip, they played absolutely nothing. Then the day after I left, they played Blade Runner.

:frustrated:

[Qrazy]

Fail.

Succeed.

There isn't a single memorable shot in the film. I watch films for the visual storytelling. If it's not there, I don't care, I'd rather see the play.

Plus I've seen My Fair Lady so many times in both film and theater form that I could care less about the story at this point.

[Winston*]

I don't understand people not finding Claudia Cardinale attractive in that film. It hurts my head to even attempt comprehending it.
I've decided to let you be right on this one. So when you say people, it's just Qrazy.

[Qrazy]

I've decided to let you be right on this one. So when you say people, it's just Qrazy.

Do you find Elizabeth McGovern attractive as well?

[Derek]

I've decided to let you be right on this one. So when you say people, it's just Qrazy.

Unfortunately, I've heard this from 1 or 2 other people regarding her in this film. Baffling.

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/f/fb/300px-OnceUponaTimeintheWestCardinal e.jpg

Absolutely baffling.

[Derek]

Do you find Elizabeth McGovern attractive as well?

Comparing Elizabeth McGovern to Claudia Cardinale is like comparing a nice bowl of macaroni & cheese to sex.

[Winston*]

Do you find Elizabeth McGovern attractive as well?
Don't remember what she looks like.

[Derek]

Don't remember what she looks like.

She's a lot like Claudia Cardinale except for the gorgeous face, hot body, golden tan and sexy voice.

[Qrazy]

Comparing Elizabeth McGovern to Claudia Cardinale is like comparing a nice bowl of macaroni & cheese to sex.

For me it's the same turn off, something in the eyes/brow.

But I'll give it to you that Cardinale is the more attractive of the two.

http://www.archiveimages.com/Publishing/Prints/POE/Personalities/CC-76.jpg

[Qrazy]

What about Bob - How is blowing someone up less messy than shooting them?

[megladon8]

Normally I'm not one for big breasts, but yes, Clausia Cardinale is divine.

[Watashi]

Where the hell is my damn rep from Raiders? :frustrated:

[Grouchy]

Yeah I don't find Claudia Cardinale that attractive or Elizabeth McGovern... their faces that is... their bodies are clearly another matter.
Claudia Cardinale is my grandma's cousin. And yeah, she looks gorgeous in West.

Just finished Call of Cthulhu and, I gotta say, to adapt the story as a silent film is a stroke of genius. It works very much like a Guy Maddin film, with those expressionistic sets and such. Although it never really does feel like you're watching a genuine '20s movie, it's easy to buy its suspension of disbelief and the device also helps in selling the handmade special effects.

[Qrazy]

Claudia Cardinale is my grandma's cousin. And yeah, she looks gorgeous in West.


If you're into incest and have low standards I guess. ;)

[Winston*]

Wasn't very excited to see Michael Clayton but I ended up liking it a lot. Good storytelling.

Kind of a weird role for Swinton to win the Oscar for but whatever, she was good with what she had to do.

[megladon8]

In a Lonely Place was wonderful.

Probably my favorite performance from ol' Bogie.

[MacGuffin]

I haven't seen many war movies, admittedly, but La France may be the best I've seen. As Bozon said at the screening, it's not a movie that depicts love and war, it's a movie that depicts the quest for love and war. That said, there are many beautiful nature shots of French WW1 soldiers walking through hillsides, rainy forests, darkness, and snow. Variety says that it is like Robert Bresson meets the Beatles, and I'd agree even if I've only seen three Robert Bresson movies. The musical numbers serve as the songs do in Rushmore which is to say chapter changes. Most directors, I think, use music to tell the audiences how they're supposed to feel, but with this movie, Bozon does an honest job showing us how the soldiers want to feel. It's truly a great, great movie. Highly recommended.

[megladon8]

(Added: Criterion #268 Youth of the Beast)


Your review is great.

Jen got this for me about a year ago, and we never got around to watching it.

But now I know what I'm watching as soon as I get home :)

[MacGuffin]

Your review is great.

Jen got this for me about a year ago, and we never got around to watching it.

But now I know what I'm watching as soon as I get home :)

I'm excited to see more Suzuki. I hope you enjoy this one. It's truly a gem. Thanks.

[Spinal]

Normally I'm not one for big breasts ...

I don't recall ever using this phrase.

[Russ]

I wonder what Makoto Shinkai (Voices of a Distant Star, The Place Promised in Our Early Days) thinks of the critical coronation that has already dubbed him "the next Miyazaki?" I decided to check out his latest, 5 Centimeters Per Second, to see how accurate the claim was and, I gotta admit...they may be on to something. Although, where Miyazaki's tales are played out in worlds of imagination and magic, Shinkai's are much more down-to-earth, choosing to spend its time exploring themes of love, loss and longing. I've seen Shinkai's stuff classified as a "shoegaze" version of Miyazaki, and the description is not without merit. At its best, 5 Centimeters is a three-part tone poem whose melancholia is perfectly captured in the beautifully rendered landscapes. At its worst, convention occasionally rears its ugly head, particularly in the wtf decision to end the astonishing virtuosity of the film's first 55 minutes with a sub-pedestrian pop music video montage. Still, taken as a whole that's a rather minor quibble, although it does prevent it from becoming the masterpiece it should have been. I think D Davis would have loved this one.


http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/3563/resized5centtrimmedil5.jpg

[Skitch]

That House of the Dead thing could become a hideous trend.


And my wallet will be paying the price! :lol:

[Skitch]

Watched Spirited Away for the second time...fantastico!

[Morris Schæffer]

Watched Spirited Away for the second time...fantastico!

Yeah, it is. Blew my mind frankly. How odd then that I didn't really care about Princess Mononoke.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Jesus Camp was almost great, but the Air America segments and overdone score offered a little too much editorializing. The footage of children "speaking in tongues" and shamefully admitting to having doubts about the Bible are more than enough.

It reminded me very much of the superb BBC documentary, The Most Hated Family in America (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7735501683185935638&q=most+hated+family&ei=-hNISNqbCYum-wHm5syWDA). I really do suggest everybody watch it. It's only one hour long.

There's this girl in it, Jael Phelps, whose crush on the documentarian is almost as affecting as her subtle awareness that she's all alone in life. The last two or three minutes of the doco are unbearably sad to me.

[Skitch]

Yeah, it is. Blew my mind frankly. How odd then that I didn't really care about Princess Mononoke.

I still like Princess Mononoke more than Spirited Away.

[MacGuffin]

5 Centimeters Per Second was too artificially sentimental for my tastes, but the animation was great. I prefer The Place Promised In Our Early Days.

[Cherish]

I wonder what Makoto Shinkai (Voices of a Distant Star, The Place Promised in Our Early Days) thinks of the critical coronation that has already dubbed him "the next Miyazaki?" I decided to check out his latest, 5 Centimeters Per Second, to see how accurate the claim was and, I gotta admit...they may be on to something. Although, where Miyazaki's tales are played out in worlds of imagination and magic, Shinkai's are much more down-to-earth, choosing to spend its time exploring themes of love, loss and longing. I've seen Shinkai's stuff classified as a "shoegaze" version of Miyazaki, and the description is not without merit. At its best, 5 Centimeters is a three-part tone poem whose melancholia is perfectly captured in the beautifully rendered landscapes. At its worst, convention occasionally rears its ugly head, particularly in the wtf decision to end the astonishing virtuosity of the film's first 55 minutes with a sub-pedestrian pop music video montage. Still, taken as a whole that's a rather minor quibble, although it does prevent it from becoming the masterpiece it should have been. I think D Davis would have loved this one.

I can't wait to see this one. I've only seen The Place Promised in Our Early Days but I loved the almost tangible feelings of longing and loss. And the things he does with sunlight...!

[MadMan]

I'll save my thoughts on The Incredible Hulk and Get Smart for their respective threads, although I may have to look for the thread created for the latter film.

Funny enough a couple weeks after the whole debate/discussion about Casino I actually saw the film two days ago. I think while its not as great as Goodfellas its still a great film, really well made and certainly an awesome deconstruction of the rather silly myths surrounding Vegas. I think that Joe Pesci was better in this than in Goodfellas, but the DeNiro performances are about even when comparing the two films. Oh and that final shot is perfect.

So I finally got around to seeing Blue Velvet, and I'm not entirely sure what to think. Part of me believes I saw a great film, one that is thrilling and expertly touches on sex and voyorism. However another part of me thinks that the fact that Lynch threw the art of being subtitle to the side of the road both helped and hurt the picture. And I really don't think the film deserves the overrused "masterpiece" title. But Dennis Hopper completely steals the film and I really liked the main title score as well. The last act takes suspense to a fairly high level as well.

PS: In roughly a week and a half I've seen two films that Ebert really didn't like, and left thinking both were really great. Perhaps I should try that more often.

For all rankings either ask me or just visit my Criticker page. That website is still fairly useful.

What I have left is Roger and Me, which will get me closer to completely seeing all of Michael Moore's filmography.

[chrisnu]

Has anyone seen When Did You Last See Your Father? Colin Firth and Jim Broadbent interest me, but the only film of Anand Tucker's I've seen is Shopgirl, which wasn't that great. Other than Claire Danes.

[Winston*]

Has anyone seen When Did You Last See Your Father? Colin Firth and Jim Broadbent interest me, but the only film of Anand Tucker's I've seen is Shopgirl, which wasn't that great. Other than Claire Danes.
Hilary and Jackie was good. Excellent performances. I realise this doesn't help you with your When Did You Last See Your Father? problem.

What is it about Colin Firth that interests you? Mr Darcy crush?

[chrisnu]

Hilary and Jackie was good. Excellent performances. I realise this doesn't help you with your When Did You Last See Your Father? problem.

What is it about Colin Firth that interests you? Mr Darcy crush?
I remember him being very good in Girl with a Pearl Earring. That was a few years ago, though. I actually haven't seen much else with Firth, other than bits and pieces of the Bridget Jones movies and Love Actually on TV.

[soitgoes...]

I watched One of Our Aircraft Is Missing last night. Another good P&P film. Not as good as some, but definitely worth seeing. I find the time period in which it was made extremely interesting for world cinema. It seems that most films made between 1940 and 1945 have some level of nationalism and/or blatant propaganda regardless of where the film originated. Of course most of the surviving films from this period are from the UK and USA. With One of Our Aircraft Is Missing we have a sort of displaced nationalism. P&P have an English plane shot down over The Netherlands, and the Dutch resistance coming to the rescue. I haven't seen many films dealing with the Dutch during WWII so that in itself made the film interesting. P&P were able to instill a good amount of tension over the last third of the film, but as with most films of this era, the in your face propaganda kinda detracts from the film, especially when watched 65 years after the events are depicted. Check it out if you're a fan of P&P, but I'd recommend the string of films they made after this one to be viewed first.

[megladon8]

Michael Mann's Thief was good, but frankly a little disappointing.

It really felt like it was building to something bigger, but instead the last 30 minutes just sort of fizzled out.

James Caan was fantastic, easily the best performance I have seen from him.

And I got the distinct feeling throughout the film that this was just Mann warming up for Heat.

It was good, but could have been better.

[origami_mustache]

Anyone seen Mongol?...I'm thinking about seeing it.

[Qrazy]

Anyone seen Mongol?...I'm thinking about seeing it.

No, but I kind of want to see it as well. I say see it.

[Sycophant]

I'll be seeing Mongol when it comes here. Seems I haven't heard that many good things about it, but I'm interested enough just on the strength of Tadanobu Asano.

[origami_mustache]

I'll be seeing Mongol when it comes here. Seems I haven't heard that many good things about it, but I'm interested enough just on the strength of Tadanobu Asano.

Yeah, my interest in the film is mild, but I've always found Genghis Khan to be an interesting historical figure and it did get an Oscar nomination.

[Sycophant]

Watched CJ7 last night. Stephen Chow is changing as a filmmaker. And if this is how he's going to change, I'm all for it. It was beautiful.

[Grouchy]

So I finally got around to seeing Blue Velvet, and I'm not entirely sure what to think. Part of me believes I saw a great film, one that is thrilling and expertly touches on sex and voyorism. However another part of me thinks that the fact that Lynch threw the art of being subtitle to the side of the road both helped and hurt the picture. And I really don't think the film deserves the overrused "masterpiece" title. But Dennis Hopper completely steals the film and I really liked the main title score as well. The last act takes suspense to a fairly high level as well.

PS: In roughly a week and a half I've seen two films that Ebert really didn't like, and left thinking both were really great. Perhaps I should try that more often.
If you ask me, a good mark of a movie that's probably excellent is if Ebert really didn't like it. I'm glad you mention how suspenseful Blue Velvet is, by the way, because it doesn't get enough recognition as an excellent genre picture besides being a study on voyeurism, sex, pop culture ('50s innocence vs. film noir) or whatever.

I really don't remember the last shot in Casino. If you could put it in spoiler tags, please.

Seen Incredible Hulk today. A review on the works, link to be sigged soon.

[Yxklyx]

I watched One of Our Aircraft Is Missing last night. Another good P&P film. Not as good as some, but definitely worth seeing. I find the time period in which it was made extremely interesting for world cinema. It seems that most films made between 1940 and 1945 have some level of nationalism and/or blatant propaganda regardless of where the film originated. Of course most of the surviving films from this period are from the UK and USA. With One of Our Aircraft Is Missing we have a sort of displaced nationalism. P&P have an English plane shot down over The Netherlands, and the Dutch resistance coming to the rescue. I haven't seen many films dealing with the Dutch during WWII so that in itself made the film interesting. P&P were able to instill a good amount of tension over the last third of the film, but as with most films of this era, the in your face propaganda kinda detracts from the film, especially when watched 65 years after the events are depicted. Check it out if you're a fan of P&P, but I'd recommend the string of films they made after this one to be viewed first.

If you haven't already - you should see 49th Parallel. Most of it has the Germans as protagonists. Makes for an interesting twist on the propaganda film.

[soitgoes...]

If you haven't already - you should see 49th Parallel. Most of it has the Germans as protagonists. Makes for an interesting twist on the propaganda film.
I have this and plan on watching it soon. I've actually seen the first 20 or so minutes of it before having to go do something else.

[Mysterious Dude]

I want to see every Yasujiro Ozu film there is, just so I can drive down their ridiculously high scores on IMDB.

[Qrazy]

I want to see every Yasujiro Ozu film there is, just so I can drive down their ridiculously high scores on IMDB.

I want to see Samurai Saga and other Inagaki films just so I can drive up their scores.

[Mysterious Dude]

I want to see Samurai Saga and other Inagaki films just so I can drive up their scores.
That will probably be more fun than my plan.

[soitgoes...]

I want to see every Yasujiro Ozu film there is, just so I can drive down their ridiculously high scores on IMDB.:|

[Qrazy]

U Turn - A thoroughly ugly and depressing experience ever so slightly buoyed by a strong cast and formal inventiveness.

[Rowland]

U Turn - A thoroughly ugly and depressing experience ever so slightly buoyed by a strong cast and formal inventiveness.Too bad, I love this movie.

[Spinal]

If you ask me, a good mark of a movie that's probably excellent is if Ebert really didn't like it.

Let's test this theory. Here are all the films between the years 2000-2005 that Ebert gave one star or less:

13 Ghosts
A Cinderella Story
A Dirty Shame
A Lot Like Love
All The Queen's Men
American Outlaws
Anatomy of Hell
Bad Boys II
Baise Moi
Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever
Basic
Battlefield Earth
Beautiful
Boat Trip
Bride Of The Wind
Catwoman
Chaos
Charlie's Angels
Christmas with the Kranks
Company Man
Corky Romano
CSA: Confederate States of America
Daddy Day Care
Death To Smoochy
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
Diamonds
Diary of a Mad Black Woman
Dirty Love
Doom
Double Take
Fantastic Four
Formula 51
Freddy Got Fingered
Good Boy!
Half Past Dead
High Tension
In Praise Of Love
Isn't She Great
Jason X
Jeepers Creepers 2
Josie And The Pussycats
Just A Kiss
Just Friends
Life Or Something Like It
Masked And Anonymous
Monster-in-Law
National Lampoon's Van Wilder
No Such Thing
Old School
On The Line
Pootie Tang
Raise Your Voice
Reign Of Fire
Resident Evil
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
Rollerball
Saving Silverman
Say It Isn't So
Scooby-Doo
Slackers
Sleepover
Sorority Boys
Stealing Harvard
Sweet November
Swept Away
Taxi
Team America: World Police
The Amati Girls
The Dukes of Hazzard
The Flintstones In Viva Rock Vegas
The Grudge
The Hot Chick
The Ladies Man
The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen
The Life Of David Gale
The Master Of Disguise
The Next Best Thing
The Perfect Man
The Perfect Score
The Prince and Me
The Skulls
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The Village
The Whole Ten Yards
Thomas And The Magic Railroad
Tomcats
Underclassman
Wet Hot American Summer
What Planet Are You From?
What's The Worst That Could Happen?
Wolf Creek
Zoolander

[Winston*]

His review of Zoolander is pretty weird. He gets all up in arms about the fact that they used the Prime Minister of Malaysia instead of the Prime Minister of a fictional country.

[origami_mustache]

Let's test this theory. Here are all the films between the years 2000-2005 that Ebert gave one star or less:


I disagree with these three, but only by a star or so:

CSA: Confederate States of America
Wet Hot American Summer
Zoolander

the rest sounds about right...

[Rowland]

(out of ****)

13 Ghosts - **
Bad Boys II - *
Charlie's Angels - ***
Death To Smoochy - *½
Doom - **
Fantastic Four - **
High Tension - ***
Jeepers Creepers 2 - ***
Just Friends - **
Resident Evil - **½
Resident Evil: Apocalypse - **
Team America: World Police - **
The Grudge - **
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - **½
The Village - **½
Wolf Creek - ***½
Zoolander - **

Eh.

[Spinal]

For comparison's sake, here is a printer-friendly version of Ebert's Great Movies list (http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=greatmovies_f ulllist_print) which, in my humble opinion, contains films that are superior to the previous list I posted.

[Spinal]

I disagree with these three, but only by a star or so:

CSA: Confederate States of America
Wet Hot American Summer
Zoolander

the rest sounds about right...

So, you would say that if I chose a film at random from the list of low-rated movies, the chances of it being excellent would not be great?

[origami_mustache]

So, you would say that if I chose a film at random from the list of low-rated movies, the chances of it being excellent would not be great?

I'm saying Grouchy's comment has been been proven thoroughly incorrect.

[Winston*]

Ebert also gave one star to Down to Earth with Chris Rock- The worst movie of all time™.

[origami_mustache]

I want to see every Yasujiro Ozu film there is, just so I can drive down their ridiculously high scores on IMDB.

it's a conspiracy huh?

[Grouchy]

So, you would say that if I chose a film at random from the list of low-rated movies, the chances of it being excellent would not be great?
Sorry to get so Wikipedia on all of your asses, but:

Hyperbole (pronounced /haɪˈpɝːbəli/ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English) hye-PER-buh-lee; "HYE-per-bowl" is a mispronunciation) comes from Greek "υπερβολή"=exaggeration and is a figure of speech (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figure_of_speech) in which statements are exaggerated. It may be used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression, and
is not meant to be taken literally.

[Spinal]

I just want to put an end to all the lies in this sad world. Is that not worth fighting for?

[Qrazy]

Well anyway, I agree with Grouchy's primary intent which I believe was to suggest that Ebert often has fairly bland taste and many films which put any pressure on his middle class moral comfort zone he'll condemn, while other syrupy sub-par schlock fests get a free pass.

He's a solid writer who knows his film history, but when it comes to issues of taste he's a fairly predictable bore, especially in the last few years, imo.

[Grouchy]

Well anyway, I agree with Grouchy's primary intent which I believe was to suggest that Ebert often has fairly bland taste and many films which put any pressure on his middle class moral comfort zone he'll condemn, while other syrupy sub-par schlock fests get a free pass.

He's a solid writer who knows his film history, but when it comes to issues of taste he's a fairly predictable bore, especially in the last few years, imo.
This is my beef. He's more than a solid writer, actually, but his taste is boring and he certainly has something against challenging and uncomfortable directors. He's been going out of his way to find stuff to condemn in nearly everything Cronenberg and Lynch have directed, for example, only to suddenly change his views when those directors have become almost universally praised.

And Spinal, that page is way too printer-friendly. Everytime I go back to the list it asks me if I want to print it. I can't take the friendliness anymore.

[Spinal]

Well anyway, I agree with Grouchy's primary intent which I believe was to suggest that Ebert often has fairly bland taste and many films which put any pressure on his middle class moral comfort zone he'll condemn, while other syrupy sub-par schlock fests get a free pass.



A completely different issue and not one that was even hinted at in the original post.

[Skitch]

Dammit Spinal, why did you have to remind me of Baise Moi?

:|

[dreamdead]

Watched Brotherhood of the Wolf over the weekend. Save for an unimaginative visual design for the creature, and for some needless camera wankery that entrenches the film firmly in the post CTHD and Matrix style and thus hopelessly dates the flick, it's not all that bad. Some of it feels a bit too bland and, well, unimaginative, but the archetypal development of the Indian is at least respectable, even if there's a bit of an issue regarding the creature's origins from Africa, which feels as though it accidentally harbors a misguided critique of evil residing in Africa. But that's subtext that likely isn't meant to be there; if taken at face value, Belluci is good and the light touches of history integrated into action work well enough. Nothing great as far as entertainment goes, but it's serviceable.

[Sycophant]

Norbit: Not worthless.

[Sycophant]

Language in a film like CJ7 is tough. When I watched it the other night, it was in Mandarin, which is the native language of most of the speakers. Unfortunately, Chow doesn't speak Mandarin so well, so he was dubbed by someone who did a decent job, but Chow's distinctive voice was missing. However, I watched a bit of the Cantonese dub, and most of the cast became that much more grating, particularly whoever dubbed Kitty Zhang. *sigh*

[Qrazy]

A completely different issue and not one that was even hinted at in the original post.

I can read minds.

[Mysterious Dude]

Norbit: Not worthless.
I doubt that.

[Grouchy]

Language in a film like CJ7 is tough. When I watched it the other night, it was in Mandarin, which is the native language of most of the speakers. Unfortunately, Chow doesn't speak Mandarin so well, so he was dubbed by someone who did a decent job, but Chow's distinctive voice was missing. However, I watched a bit of the Cantonese dub, and most of the cast became that much more grating, particularly whoever dubbed Kitty Zhang. *sigh*
Wow, I never even asked myself what Chinese were they speaking.

In fact, now that I think about it, I really can't tell the difference between Mandarin and Cantonese just by hearing it.

[MadMan]

If you ask me, a good mark of a movie that's probably excellent is if Ebert really didn't like it. I'm glad you mention how suspenseful Blue Velvet is, by the way, because it doesn't get enough recognition as an excellent genre picture besides being a study on voyeurism, sex, pop culture ('50s innocence vs. film noir) or whatever.Hah, I know how little you like Ebert. Also I'm also surprised that people fail to mention the level of suspense in "Velvet." I did note the film noir elements especially, which I also loved, and of course the shattering of 50s innocence was one of those "unsubtitle" moments that was part of a larger point, yet still failed to shock me. The sex elements are the most shocking part of the film, at least to me anyways.


I really don't remember the last shot in Casino. If you could put it in spoiler tags, please.The last shot in the film is: DeNiro is sitting down, and he's older. He's still doing sports gambling. The final shot is him simply looking into the camera, reflecting on his life and his past glory. Its really an emotionally satisfying moment, and DeNiro just nails it.


Seen Incredible Hulk today. A review on the works, link to be sigged soon.Cool. I look forward to reading it.

You know me folks. I love Roger Ebert's reviews, even if I don't always agree with the man. Although as of late I'm more interested in reading stuff from David Ansen, who I think is underrated.

[Grouchy]

The last shot in the film is: DeNiro is sitting down, and he's older. He's still doing sports gambling. The final shot is him simply looking into the camera, reflecting on his life and his past glory. Its really an emotionally satisfying moment, and DeNiro just nails it.
Yeah, I remember now.

I completely forgot to mention here I saw Paranoid Park. It's Van Sant, straight out of a trilogy of very experimental art movies (of which I've only seen Elephant), going back to narrative territory. He still manages to work in an overbearing style with disfunctional background noise and anti-chronology storytelling. It works and distracts from the movie on equal parts, methinks. Sometimes, like the shower scene with the kid reliving the traumatic episode in the railways, it's very effective and, at other times, just feels unnecessary and too fancy. Still, the movie is very nicely structured, and Gabe Nevin's non-performance really carries the character through. Those sudden iris changes are weird. I don't know if it was Christopher Doyle's idea. In fact, I don't know if Doyle was even on the set most of the time, since the lighting looks very natural, unlike his beautiful but very artificial style. A worthy movie, all things considered.

[origami_mustache]

Going to see My Winnipeg tonight...been dying to see it since I first heard about it. New Guy Maddin films always excite me.

[megladon8]

Watched Gamera: Attack of Legion (Gamera 2) last night.

'Twas awesome.

I hadn't watched it in about 2 years. This time it actually reminded me a lot of Cloverfield, especially the stuff in the subways.

[megladon8]

An official teaser site is up for The Green Hornet (http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/thegreenhornet/).

A little soon, methinks.

[MacGuffin]

I doubt that.

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll265/staticshotcinema/critic.jpg

Pfft, hipster.

[Winston*]

At some point during the course day Sycophant sat down and proclaimed to himself "Now I'm going to watch Norbit".

[Qrazy]

At some point during the course day Sycophant sat down and proclaimed to himself "Now I'm going to watch Norbit".

He loves to champion the underdog.

[Winston*]

He loves to champion the underdog.
'Course now you've seen someone say something mildly positive about it, you know you know have to see it.

[Qrazy]

'Course now you've seen someone say something mildly positive about it, you know you know have to see it.

Hell no, if he had panned it we'd all have to see it, isn't that how match cut recommendations work?

[origami_mustache]

http://data-allocine.blogomaniac.fr/mdata/1/8/4/Z20050915014319810894481/img/fellini_-_roma.jpg

I love the plotless, fragmented style of Fellini's Roma, and there are some great scenes and stunning imagery as should be expected, but this didn't work as well for me as Amarcord. It seemed to lack the nostalgic emotional connection. Fellini just gets a little too preoccupied with pageantry and self indulgence here I think.

[Qrazy]

O Lucky Man - lol @ sheep man.

[Qrazy]

Speaking of O Lucky Man list some films where the protagonist just seems to kind of drift through the film like a twig down a river.

Little Big Man
Barry Lyndon
O Lucky Man
A Clockwork Orange (maybe?)

[chrisnu]

Speaking of O Lucky Man list some films where the protagonist just seems to kind of drift through the film like a twig down a river.
The Big Lebowski
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Playtime

[origami_mustache]

Speaking of O Lucky Man list some films where the protagonist just seems to kind of drift through the film like a twig down a river.


Waking Life
Satyricon
La Dolca vita

[Grouchy]

Speaking of O Lucky Man list some films where the protagonist just seems to kind of drift through the film like a twig down a river.
Pickpocket
Smiley Face
Barton Fink

I love Roma. It's not supposed to be nostalgic like Amarcord, methinks, more like satiric and dream-like beautiful. That Pope scene origami posted a screenshot from is brilliant.

Huh, megladon... Where's the Green Hornet trailer on that page? Don't tell me it's US only.

[megladon8]

Huh, megladon... Where's the Green Hornet trailer on that page? Don't tell me it's US only.


There's no trailer, it's just the teaser site.

[Boner M]

Speaking of O Lucky Man list some films where the protagonist just seems to kind of drift through the film like a twig down a river.
Barbara Loden's Wanda is great example.

[Winston*]

There's no trailer, it's just the teaser site.

Don't think that counts as a site.

[megladon8]

Man, Superman Returns is such a beautiful movie.

Flaws aside - Kate Bosworth, poor CGI - I think it's just about perfect.

It works as a nostaliga piece, which Bryan Singer freely admits was like 90% of the purpose of the film. It works as social commentary, with an examination of America's cynical attitude towards heroes. It works as an action film, with the rescue of the plane being one of the best action sequences in years.

It brings me to tears every time I watch it. Especially when Superman is rescued by Loi and Richard, has the kryptonite dagger removed from his side, then says "goodbye, Lois".

And physically, it is such a gorgeous film to look at. The semi-art-deco style, the pastel colour scheme, Singer's impeccable ability to create iconic images.

It feels like this movie was hand-made for me.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Man, Superman Returns is such a beautiful movie.

Flaws aside - Kate Bosworth, poor CGI - I think it's just about perfect.

It works as a nostaliga piece, which Bryan Singer freely admits was like 90% of the purpose of the film. It works as social commentary, with an examination of America's cynical attitude towards heroes. It works as an action film, with the rescue of the plane being one of the best action sequences in years.

It brings me to tears every time I watch it. Especially when Superman is rescued by Loi and Richard, has the kryptonite dagger removed from his side, then says "goodbye, Lois".

And physically, it is such a gorgeous film to look at. The semi-art-deco style, the pastel colour scheme, Singer's impeccable ability to create iconic images.

It feels like this movie was hand-made for me.

I may be due for a rewatch soon, but I remember being intensely disappointed by the film's lack of fun (the original Donner film is poised just about perfectly between honesty and parody), the overlength, the child given little to do, and the stubborn refusal of the movie to actually engage the idea of how the world would feel if Superman actually came back.

And I'm still amazed that we don't get access to a single word of Bosworth's - I'm sorry - of Lane's award-winning article on why the world doesn't need Superman.

Having said all that...it's definitely beautiful.

[MadMan]

Speaking of O Lucky Man list some films where the protagonist just seems to kind of drift through the film like a twig down a river.

Little Big Man
Barry Lyndon
O Lucky Man
A Clockwork Orange (maybe?)Dead Man sort of qualifies.

I really dug Superman Returns, but I feel that it was a tad on the really unnecessarily long side. Singer was the perfect choice to direct the picture, and I thought that Brandon Routh nailed the title role.

[megladon8]

I may be due for a rewatch soon, but I remember being intensely disappointed by the film's lack of fun (the original Donner film is poised just about perfectly between honesty and parody)

I agree completely that Donner's film is superior - but it's like trying to make a movie that lives up to, I dunno, God :)

As for the film's "lack of fun", as you say, I think that was very much the point.

As I mentioned in the Jonah Hex thread, Superman Returns is a reflection of the world post-9/11. That incident robbed America of its feelings of security and innocence.

There are subtle feelings of resentment towards Superman, for not having saved the people who were killed in 9/11. Which is why the rescue of the plane has such strong emotion behind it, besides also being a brilliantly executed action sequence.

And I actually found a lot of the film to be very fun. On the whole it's pretty melancholy, yes, but scenes like the aforementioned plane rescue, young Clark learning about his powers, the playful scenes with Jimmy Olsen, Perry White's much less intimidating role...

Also, the final shot of him flying by the camera in space, smiling and nodding, was just great. I was giddy when I saw that in the theatre.



...stubborn refusal of the movie to actually engage the idea of how the world would feel if Superman actually came back.

I thought it did this pretty well. Lois was obviously representative of the world, moving on to another man and having a child.

There were also scenes such as the bank robbery, where the guy with the chaingun tries repeatedly to shoot Superman down, even attempting to shoot him in the eye.

The world had forgotten about him quickly, and I think that says loads right there.


Oh, and Brandon Routh is gorgeous, and perfectly cast.

He is Superman, and it would kill me if the retards over at WB decided to recast him.

[Spinal]

Boy, My Left Foot was really not that great. I had always assumed that I would love it when I got around to it, but the story is just not that compelling once you get past the fact that his commitment to becoming a painter was commendable. The structure of the film is fairly artless, as they simply string together key moments from Brown's life and then ramp up the melodrama. Even though I'm sure there is biographical inspiration for all of these scenes, the execution simply did not ring true for me. I found it hard to get involved because I was constantly aware of the filmmakers' efforts to achieve an effect. Although they claim Brown is a great painter, you learn next to nothing about the impact and/or importance of his art.

[ledfloyd]

i watched paths of glory tonight. i blind bought it for $3. not a poor investment, as it's a great film, i just can't imagine a time in the future when i'd ever want to watch it again. still, glad i saw it.

[Raiders]

Boy, My Left Foot was really not that great. I had always assumed that I would love it when I got around to it, but the story is just not that compelling once you get past the fact that his commitment to becoming a painter was commendable. The structure of the film is fairly artless, as they simply string together key moments from Brown's life and then ramp up the melodrama. Even though I'm sure there is biographical inspiration for all of these scenes, the execution simply did not ring true for me. I found it hard to get involved because I was constantly aware of the filmmakers' efforts to achieve an effect. Although they claim Brown is a great painter, you learn next to nothing about the impact and/or importance of his art.

Another one? Bah. Another awful quirk of this site.

[Qrazy]

Boy, My Left Foot was really not that great. I had always assumed that I would love it when I got around to it, but the story is just not that compelling once you get past the fact that his commitment to becoming a painter was commendable. The structure of the film is fairly artless, as they simply string together key moments from Brown's life and then ramp up the melodrama. Even though I'm sure there is biographical inspiration for all of these scenes, the execution simply did not ring true for me. I found it hard to get involved because I was constantly aware of the filmmakers' efforts to achieve an effect. Although they claim Brown is a great painter, you learn next to nothing about the impact and/or importance of his art.

In the Name of the Father is much better, again not formally exceptional but the drama and story is quite potent.

[Spinal]

In the Name of the Father is much better, again not formally exceptional but the drama and story is quite potent.

I agree.

[Watashi]

A Sound of Thunder (2005) 9

At first, I thought you changed your rating system to out of 10.

I was about to say "Only on Match Cut...."

[monolith94]

i watched paths of glory tonight. i blind bought it for $3. not a poor investment, as it's a great film, i just can't imagine a time in the future when i'd ever want to watch it again. still, glad i saw it.
For three dollars it's a great investment, if only to share with friends who might not have seen it!

[bac0n]

Watched Gamera: Attack of Legion (Gamera 2) last night.

Fantastic movie. It gets props on the feat alone of managing to give a monster played by a man in a rubber suit actual pathos.

[origami_mustache]

http://media.tribecacinemas.com/images/MYWINNIPEG_STILL01_PREF.jpg

The rhythmic prose of Guy Maddin's narration in My Winnipeg has been running through my head all day. It's reminiscent of Pare Lorentz's The River only with more of a sense of humor. The film features unique surrealistic imagery of Guy's exaggerated memories with his patented silent film era aesthetic. It is all at once entertaining, informative, humorous, and deeply saddening as Maddin mourns and pays tribute to the the forgotten people and places he loved so dearly and made him who he is today. A man sitting behind me at the theater commented that he thought it is Maddin's most accessible film yet. Although I don't necessarily agree completely, it definitely strikes a universal emotional nerve.

I made a banner with a great still from this film:

http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=75082&postcount=160

[megladon8]

FYI to everyone - the 5-disc Blade Runner BLU-RAY is currently $16.95 on Amazon!!

[Boner M]

The Taira Clan Saga was stylistically rich, but also the first film where the criticisms of Mizoguchi's didacticism really hold true for me; I just tuned out emotionally roughly halfway through and grooved on those ghostly crane shots he loves so much.

[Winston*]

Some like it Hot was entertaining. I dunno, it was pretty funny but I expected moar funny. Marilyn Monroe is teh sex.

Breach - Very uninteresting movie with potentially interesting subject matter. Super dull.

[Wryan]

Going to see My Winnipeg tonight...been dying to see it since I first heard about it. New Guy Maddin films always excite me.

Good stuff in your sig. Have you seen Fellini's Nights of Cabiria? If you have not, pls fix this. It's his best, imo. Yes, above La Strada and 8 1/2 and Amarcord and Dolce.

[Raiders]

Good stuff in your sig. Have you seen Fellini's Nights of Cabiria? If you have not, pls fix this. It's his best, imo. Yes, above La Strada and 8 1/2 and Amarcord and Dolce.

Indeed.

[Wryan]

Marilyn Monroe is teh sex.

That solo number she does for Curtis in the darkened nightclub in...that...dress...is eyeball-fuckingly good.

[Qrazy]

I had no idea Peter Medak (Ruling Class, The Changeling) did some work on Carnivale and The Wire. Cool.

[MadMan]

A Sound of Thunder (2005) 9What possessed you to see this? Having read the Ray Bradbury short story and having seen the trailer for the film I knew it was going to suck. So I avoided it like the plague.

Hard Boiled was my first forrary into Hong Kong action films, and yes it was pretty awesome. Despite being largely style over subsistance, Woo still managed to make me care about the characters while also featuring some really badass action sequences. I think that while the hospital scene lived up to its billing I prefered the shootout in the teahouse, if only because it was shorter and was slightly more exciting. There's one thing I'm unclear on: Did the ending signify that Tony Leung's character simply faked his death, or was it simply showing him in a metophorical sense, flashing back to a moment in his life as his boss burned his case file? I'm sensing that maybe its purely open to interruption, but I could be wrong.

[Raiders]

What possessed you to see this? Having read the Ray Bradbury short story and having seen the trailer for the film I knew it was going to suck. So I avoided it like the plague.

It's among my favorite short stories and I didn't even know the film existed. The version I saw was the Sci-Fi channel airing, so it wasn't ideal, but I'm fairly certain the film was simply an abomination. I mean, dino apes? What is that? A Baboonosaurus?

I just don't know why Kingsley does this to himself.

[MadMan]

It's among my favorite short stories and I didn't even know the film existed. The version I saw was the Sci-Fi channel airing, so it wasn't ideal, but I'm fairly certain the film was simply an abomination. I mean, dino apes? What is that? A Baboonosaurus?

I just don't know why Kingsley does this to himself.Ah, I see. Fair enough. There were really dino apes and a Baboonosaurus in the film? WTF?

As for Kingsley, my guess is that the morguage payment has to come from somewhere.

[Spinal]

Yeah, Kingsley appears in a surprising amount of bad films.

[Sycophant]

Yeah, why he wouldn't appear in Cleaver when he shows up in half the shit he's in is pretty baffling.

[/lame Sopranos reference]

[Ezee E]

Yeah, why he wouldn't appear in Cleaver when he shows up in half the shit he's in is pretty baffling.

[/lame Sopranos reference]
He wasn't promised any gift baskets.

[Qrazy]

The Ruling Class was simultaneously funny and enjoyable as well as disjointed, meandering and unwieldy. However, while the formal vision lacks clarity the overall experience is buoyed by it's comic absurdity, particularly for the first three quarters of the film.

[Spinal]

I think The Ruling Class is an extraordinary play that has not been successfully adapted for film. O'Toole is great, but the direction just kills it. Too many long shots.

[Rowland]

What was the first movie I watched at the drive-in last night? Oh yeah... Get Smart. Eh. Indiana Jones is still lame, ugly, and bursting with dull exposition. I do love that nuclear testing sequence though. Argento's Phenomena was a lot worse than I recalled. Unimaginative direction, flat lighting, terrible writing and acting, and dull pacing. Thankfully there are enough entertaining elements, most in the realm of pure camp, so that I give it a very mild positive score.

[balmakboor]

I'm sure many of you have bigger tvs than my 21 inch so I'm seeking a bit of advice. I'd like to buy a really big set, probably a 60-65 inch DLP 1080. I'd like to get a PS3 and gradually start picking up Blu-Rays. I guess my question is what do I need to be aware of to keep my standard DVDs from looking sucky? Do I need an up-convert player or something? Are they going to look terrible using a standard player? Or not?

Or can I just pop standard DVDs into the PS3 and have the look good on such a tv? It's probably my biggest unanswered question before taking the plunge.

[MadMan]

While I'm not alone in liking Indy 4, so far I think I'm the only one on this site that really loved Get Smart. Oh well.

[megladon8]

Ugh. I know the movie has its fans, but I have to say...30 Days of Night was bad.

Totally uncharistmatic lead, equally uncharismatic and totally lame baddie-leader, unconvincing passing of time, and it's very, very hard to care about a story when it's inhabited by a town full of people who suffer from a bad case of the stupids.

Also, the movie couldn't make up its mind regarding the vampires' strength. The characters would go on and on about "how do we kill these things?", "we can't kill these things!", "not even bullets kill these things!"...but they seemed pretty damn easy to kill.

[Boner M]

Ugh. I know the movie has its fans, but I have to say...30 Days of Night was bad.
Was Ben Foster at least EXTREEEME in it?

I watched The Invasion last night. I can't really think of anything good to say about it, but the Body Snatchers template always works for me, so I was entertained enough. But good god, does the film ever wear its studio-mangling on its sleeve. Some of the worst editing I've seen. Kidman was amazingly hot in this, though. Especially in those see-though pajamas she wears near the beginning. Jebus.

[Ezee E]

Was Ben Foster at least EXTREEEME in it?

I watched The Invasion last night. I can't really think of anything good to say about it, but the Body Snatchers template always works for me, so I was entertained enough. But good god, does the film ever wear its studio-mangling on its sleeve. Some of the worst editing I've seen. Kidman was amazingly hot in this, though. Especially in those see-though pajamas she wears near the beginning. Jebus.
Worst editing indeed. It never held on a scary moment, or had any buildup. It had potential, and I can see that it was there at some point.

Then all of a sudden it becomes Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead, and then ends.

[Boner M]

I liked how Daniel Craig acted pretty much the same before and after he's snatched.

[Ezee E]

I liked how Daniel Craig acted pretty much the same before and after he's snatched.
That's the British for ya.

[Bosco B Thug]

Yeah, Kingsley appears in a surprising amount of bad films. The Love Guru looked downright embarrassing to be in. But there's nothing harmful (to others, anyway) about respectable actors just doing their business being in low rent junk, right? I enjoy seeing them in the low rent junk I choose to see.


Ugh. I know the movie has its fans, but I have to say...30 Days of Night was bad. Yup, definitely not good.

I thought Hartnett was okay, but gee his character was a downer. A mopey and unbelievably resentment-filled man of less than 30 years with a weird hang up about family is not a very fun hero for a brainless horror movie. The gore had a certain stupidness to it, too, which works against the film's grim tone.

I'm not sure Weerasethakul trademark crypticism is my thing, nor helps much Syndromes and a Century 's sometimes very perceptive look at (maybe...?) modern-age compliance and amusingly self-assured progressiveness (the scenes with the shrewd/pathetic con-artist monks or the drinking old doctor lady were my favorite bits), and what can be lost or gained on the way, but even if I don't think any commentary comes together as pointedly as it should in the end, the film is quite emotional and beautiful, and it is much more engaging and consistently stimulating than Tropical Malady.

[origami_mustache]

Good stuff in your sig. Have you seen Fellini's Nights of Cabiria? If you have not, pls fix this. It's his best, imo. Yes, above La Strada and 8 1/2 and Amarcord and Dolce.


Yeah, I've seen all aforementioned.

[balmakboor]

Everyone here is watching stuff on a tiny tv? Anything special I need to know about watching standard DVDs on a big HDTV?

[Boner M]

Weakened:

Female Trouble
Night Moves
Joan the Maid
The Last Detail

[Ezee E]

Weekend:
Wanted
Wall-E

Weeds: Season 3 - Disc 2/3
In Bruges
Something Wild

[Boner M]

Might check out Happy-Go-Lucky and The Band's Visit at the cine too.

[Ezee E]

Ebert owns The Love Guru:


Myers has made some funny movies, but this film could have been written on toilet walls by callow adolescents. Every reference to a human sex organ or process of defecation is not automatically funny simply because it is naughty, but Myers seems to labor under that delusion. He acts as if he’s getting away with something, but in fact all he’s getting away with is selling tickets to a dreary experience.

There’s a moment of invention near the beginning of the film (his flying cushion has a back-up beeper), and then it’s all into the dump. Even his fellow actors seem to realize no one is laughing. That’s impossible, because they can’t hear the audience, but it looks uncannily like they can, and don’t.


And that's why Ebert is more entertaining of a read than any other critic.

[dreamdead]

Weekend:

Wall-E
July Rhapsody
Buffy Season 7, disc 4

[Raiders]

Weekend:

Wall-E
Up the Yangtze
Life is Sweet

[Wryan]

I thought 30 Days of Night had its moments. Lots of standard fare, but Mark Boone Junior was great and the gore was nice. The buildup was excellent (in particular that guy that gets yanked offscreen in half a second while he's in the middle of playing rock-paper-scissors with his coworker).

Gets by-the-numbers, though, perhaps inevitably.

Huston's fun.

[Spinal]

Weekend:

Wall*E
The Brute

[origami_mustache]

Weekend:

White Nights
Wall-E
The Girlfriends

[MadMan]

Weekend:

*Croupier(1998)
*Clue(1985)

[Watashi]

Like you really need to know my weekend plans.

[Ezee E]

Like you really need to know my weekend plans.
The question is, how many times?

[MadMan]

The question is, how many times?I'd cap the over/under at around 36.

[soitgoes...]

Weekend:

Up the Yangtze

I want to see this.

Weekend:
In Bruges
Antonio Gaudi
Street Without End
Ministry of Fear

[Sycophant]

Weekend;
Wanted
Wall-E
The Seventh Seal
Bully

Anyone seen Sputnik Mania? It's opening here and I think I might check it out.

[Rowland]

I'll be seeing Wanted tomorrow, and I might make a double feature of Crank and Running Scared on Saturday because the GF loves crazy action movies and I'm a big fan of both. Wall-E will have to wait until the drive-in next week, where I'm hoping it will be paired with Kung Fu Panda.

[megladon8]

You're so lucky to have access to a drive-in, Rowland. I'm extremely jealous.

I'm surprised there aren't more drive-in's and classic/grindhouse theatres in existence today.

I would love to open a theatre that resurrects Saturday afternoon Black-Belt Theatre.

[Spinal]

Drive-ins are fun if you don't really want to see the film you're seeing. Otherwise, I'd rather go somewhere I can actually hear and see the movie with reasonable quality.

[Watashi]

Drive-ins are fun if you don't really want to see the film you're seeing. Otherwise, I'd rather go somewhere I can actually hear and see the movie with reasonable quality.
Seriously. Why the hell would you see WALL-E at a drive-in?

[Winston*]

The girlfriend wants to and Rowland does what the girlfriend wants. Girlfriend. Rowland's girlfriend. This being the girlfriend which Rowland has.

Might catch Speed Racer this weekend if I get around to it. Got Violent Cop on DVD to watch also.

[Watashi]

Big Trouble in Little China is another one of those film that wears its cult status on its sleeve. Like films like The Goonies, if you don't have any nostalgic attachment to it, it's a pretty subpar movie. I guess I like my Carpenter when he's self-serious.

[Winston*]

Have you seen Vampires, Watashi?

[Philosophe_rouge]

WEEKEND!!
WALL-E (I have to wait until Saturday!!!)
3-Iron
Summertime
Cloverfield

[Watashi]

Have you seen Vampires, Watashi?
Nope. I want to though. Carpenter is a director I've still only scratched the surface on. I still haven't seen Halloween.

[Qrazy]

Big Trouble in Little China is another one of those film that wears its cult status on its sleeve. Like films like The Goonies, if you don't have any nostalgic attachment to it, it's a pretty subpar movie. I guess I like my Carpenter when he's self-serious.

Agreed and don't see Vampires. It's much worse than Big Trouble. Check out Halloween, Assault on Precinct, Escape from NY, The Thing and when you get around to it... They Live, The Fog, Christine, Starman are all OK... In the Mouth of Madness, Dark Star and Prince of Darkness somewhere after those... actually knowing your sensibilities you might enjoy Starman quite a bit.

[Winston*]

I could've predicted that Qrazy would not see the magic of a badass James Woods killing the shit out of vampires.

[koji]

Everyone here is watching stuff on a tiny tv? Anything special I need to know about watching standard DVDs on a big HDTV?I have 46" Sony HD and use a DVD player with upconverting capabilities. I have Samsung DVD-1080P7 Up-Converting 1080p DVD Player (http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-DVD-1080P7-Up-Converting-1080p-Player/dp/B000NEKMFQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1214523529&sr=1-1) and it's presents an outstanding picture, much better than a standard DVD player. It's not quite Bluray, but very sharp, works on all DVDs, and is not expensive. If you want a Bluray, those include the upconvert capability for standard DVDs, so won't need a separate upconverting player. I'm waiting for the price/performance of Blurays and the selection to improve before I make the leap.

[megladon8]

Escape From New York is one of the boring-est movies I've seen in recent years.

I'd rank Carpenter as follows...

Halloween - 10
The Thing - 10
Prince of Darkness - 8
In the Mouth of Madness - 8
Cigarette Burns - 7.5
Vampires - 6.5
They Live - 6
The Fog - 5.5
Escape From New York - 5
Ghosts of Mars - 5
Village of the Damned - 4
Pro-Life - 4


Ghosts of Mars is horrible, but I freaking love it. Such a great "drink beer and eat pizza with the guys" movie.

I never understood the extreme backlash that Vampires gets. It's no horror masterpiece, but it's gory, action-packed fun from start to finish, with a badass James Woods playing a vampire hunter, and Thomas Ian Griffith playing a surprisingly feral vampire.

Griffith actually gave me some pretty bad nightmares when I saw that movie for the first time, when I was 13.

[MadMan]

Nope. I want to though. Carpenter is a director I've still only scratched the surface on. I still haven't seen Halloween.You should seen that before Wall-E. Its only one of the best damn horror films ever made.


Big Trouble in Little China is another one of those film that wears its cult status on its sleeve. Like films like The Goonies, if you don't have any nostalgic attachment to it, it's a pretty subpar movie. I guess I like my Carpenter when he's self-serious.That, or its actually a really fun, entertaining movie that manages to not only include many humorous bits but also playfully deconstruct the action conventions Carpenter and Kurt Russell created in Escape From New York, and the same conventions that Carpenter also established with Assault on Precinct 13. But hey I just have an nostaglic attachment to the film. Nevermind that I've seen it 7 times and its held up everytime. Carpenter is awesome because he is capable of giving us a serious and non-serious picture, and he's often combined the two.

Starting last year I've become a really steady fan of Carpenter's work. I'll eventually get to Christine next, and after that I want to tackle Starman and In The Mouth of Madness. And eventually I will view Escape From LA and Vampires. Plus Prince of Darkness as well.

[Watashi]

Agreed and don't see Vampires. It's much worse than Big Trouble. Check out Halloween, Assault on Precinct, Escape from NY, The Thing and when you get around to it... They Live, The Fog, Christine, Starman are all OK... In the Mouth of Madness, Dark Star and Prince of Darkness somewhere after those... actually knowing your sensibilities you might enjoy Starman quite a bit.
I've seen Starman. It's easily my favorite Carpenter. Mainly for Karen Allen oozing out pure sex.

[Rowland]

I thought Big Trouble in Little China was a blast, no nostalgic value required. They Live on the other hand is a pretty bad movie that I feel really requires one to embrace its cult status to enjoy. Vampires is one of those movies for a Sunday afternoon when you're too comatose to give a shit about what you're watching while flipping through cable, it's not worth seeking out. Ghosts of Mars is probably the nadir of his career.

[MadMan]

Oh and I love They Live. But I acknowledge the film as largely a guility pleasure, although I think that in many ways its infused Carpenter's views about Reagan America. If he had really tried to advance it as more of a satire/social commentary oriented film perhaps it would have been near great, or at least something truly special. As it stands mostly what I get out of it is that its cool to wear sunglasses all the time and that the film features possibly the best damn fight scene ever.

[balmakboor]

I have 46" Sony HD and use a DVD player with upconverting capabilities. I have Samsung DVD-1080P7 Up-Converting 1080p DVD Player (http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-DVD-1080P7-Up-Converting-1080p-Player/dp/B000NEKMFQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1214523529&sr=1-1) and it's presents an outstanding picture, much better than a standard DVD player. It's not quite Bluray, but very sharp, works on all DVDs, and is not expensive. If you want a Bluray, those include the upconvert capability for standard DVDs, so won't need a separate upconverting player. I'm waiting for the price/performance of Blurays and the selection to improve before I make the leap.

Thanks! What is it about Blu-ray performance that you are waiting to see improve?

[soitgoes...]

The Crucified Lovers is finally a Mizoguchi film that I can call unquestionably great. It might not be perfect, but Mizoguchi is able to take a simple story and execute it. Beautifully shot, even better score, great acting. All in all highly recommendable.

FWIW I have seen 8 Mizoguchi films, and I never got his greatness. A couple I've seen I'd consider very good (8-8.5/10), but not ever have I been blown away. He just never clicked with me like some his contemporaries. Hopefully this'll mark a change for me.

[Boner M]

The Crucified Lovers is finally a Mizoguchi film that I can call unquestionably great. It might not be perfect, but Mizoguchi is able to take a simple story and execute it. Beautifully shot, even better score, great acting. All in all highly recommendable.

FWIW I have seen 8 Mizoguchi films, and I never got his greatness. A couple I've seen I'd consider very good (8-8.5/10), but not ever have I been blown away. He just never clicked with me like some his contemporaries. Hopefully this'll mark a change for me.
Which ones, may I ask? Sansho the Bailiff is my #2 of all time, both Ugetsu and Life of Oharu I found very good but lacking somehow (both need repeats), and The Taira Clan Saga I found dull (as mentioned a page ago). The Crucified Lovers is on my radar now, especially since it's available on R2 as part of a twofer with The Woman in the Rumor, which is supposed to be great as well.

[Watashi]

Eeeeeva.

[soitgoes...]

The Crucified Lovers>Osaka Elegy>The Lady from Musashino=Ugetsu>Sisters of the Gion>The Woman in the Rumor=Princess Yang Kwei-fei=The 47 Ronin

Granted they are all good. Obviously I've skipped some of his biggies. I'll be watching Sansho next, then either Street of Shame or Oharu.

[Skitch]

While I'm not alone in liking Indy 4, so far I think I'm the only one on this site that really loved Get Smart. Oh well.

Indy 4 was excruciating. Get Smart I'm seeing Monday, with high probability that I'll love it.

[Skitch]

I never understood the extreme backlash that Vampires gets. It's no horror masterpiece, but it's gory, action-packed fun from start to finish, with a badass James Woods playing a vampire hunter, and Thomas Ian Griffith playing a surprisingly feral vampire.

Griffith actually gave me some pretty bad nightmares when I saw that movie for the first time, when I was 13.

Extoling the virtues of Vampires while hating on 30 Days of Night?

Tsk, tsk.

I like both films, but ya' know...just sayin'...

[Yxklyx]

Weekend:

My Winnipeg
The Forest for the Trees
Manji

maybe the new Pixar movie

[megladon8]

Extoling the virtues of Vampires while hating on 30 Days of Night?

Tsk, tsk.

I like both films, but ya' know...just sayin'...


At least Vampires had a charismatic hero and a menacing baddie.

Danny Huston was hilarious in 30 Days of Night. I think he used all the unused Klingon dialogue from "Star Trek: The Next Generation".

[MadMan]

Indy 4 was excruciating. Get Smart I'm seeing Monday, with high probability that I'll love it.Good. I'm don't want to have an iosos opinion. Its too lonely :P


Eeeeeva.Most predictable rating in the history of Match-Cut. Part of me wishes you had actually been disappointed, just to read your reaction. Alas all I got was a whole heap of boring. Lame.

[Sven]

For creepy films about fish-out-of-water Americans backpacking through Europe encountering horror as expressive of sexual pressures and basic Western corruption of democratic curiosity (rather, American refusal to engage in a foreign culture on its own terms), An American Werewolf in London is leagues ahead of Hostel. Funnier, too. Just saying.

[Watashi]

Most predictable rating in the history of Match-Cut. Part of me wishes you had actually been disappointed, just to read your reaction. Alas all I got was a whole heap of boring. Lame.

The 8.7 average rating on RT means absolutely nothing then?

[Raiders]

Most predictable rating in the history of Match-Cut. Part of me wishes you had actually been disappointed, just to read your reaction. Alas all I got was a whole heap of boring. Lame.

This is a strange thing to say. You are disappointed the man loved it? It is actually lame he didn't will himself to not love the film because you wanted to see him disappointed?

Anyway, I'm seeing it in about six hours. I hope I'm not disappointed. That would be lame.