The Qrazy Recommendations Thread [Archive]

Qrazy

06-04-2009, 02:40 PM

Often recommendations become buried in the Film Discussion so I'm starting my own thread. I'll rec some of my favorite films or directors perhaps but mostly I'm going to be rec'ing the underseen/spoken about films I've seen and think people here would enjoy. I'll rec as I view or remember and systematically update the thread. Sometimes I'll post a blurb but if you have any questions about a film or wish to discuss just ask.

Private Eye:

Harper (Smight)

Prison(er)/Captive Films:

The Defiant Ones (Kramer)
A Pure Formality (Tornatore)

Western (region):

Hombre (Ritt)
Hud (Ritt)
Bad Company (Benton)

Spy:

The Spy Who Came in from The Cold (Ritt)
Les Espions (Clouzot)

Russian:

Checkpoint (German)
My Friend Ivan Lapshin (German)
Khrustalyov, My Car! (German)
20 Days Without War (German)
Days of Eclipse (Sokurov)
The Second Circle (Sokurov)
Russian Ark (Sokurov)
Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors (Paradjanov)
Kin Dza Dza (Daneliya)
King Lear (Kozintsev)
The Cranes are Flying (Kalatozov)
Soy Cuba (Kalatozov)

Hungarian:

The Red and the White (Jancso)
The Round-up (Jancso)
Cantata (Jancso)
Red Psalm (Jancso)

Polish:

Ashes and Diamonds (Wajda)
Kanal (Wajda)
A Generation (Wajda)
The Decalogue (Kieslowski)
Three Colors Trilogy (Kieslowski)
Double Life of Veronique (Kieslowski)
Camera Buff (Kieslowski)

Italian:

My Friends (Monicelli)
The Great War (Monicelli)
Big Deal on Madonna Street (Monicelli)
Toby Dammit (Fellini)
Rocco and His Brothers (Visconti)

French:

Le Trou (Becker)
The Tenant (Polanski)
Army of Shadows (Melville)
Le Samourai (Melville)
Playtime (Tati)
Trafic (Tati)
M Hulot's Holiday (Tati)

British:

The Servant (Losey)
These are the Damned (Losey)
Brighton Rock (Boulting)

Ealing Studios:

The Maggie (Mackendrick)
The Man in the White Suit (Mackendrick)
The Lavender Hill Mob (Chrichton)
Hue and Cry (Chrichton)

Court Drama:

The Verdict (Lumet)

Classic Hollywood

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Kazan)
Panic in the Streets (Kazan)

Animation:

The King and the Mockingbird (Grimault)

Beau

06-05-2009, 06:46 PM

You're recommending movies by Sokurov? I knew you liked Days of Eclipse, though. I still have to see it. Soon. I like everything I've seen by him.

Qrazy

06-05-2009, 06:57 PM

You're recommending movies by Sokurov? I knew you liked Days of Eclipse, though. I still have to see it. Soon. I like everything I've seen by him.

Yeah I'd say it's my favorite from him. Speaking of eastern european sci-fi I need to get on some Epi recs... Morning Patrol and Letters from a Dead Man primarily.

StanleyK

06-05-2009, 07:11 PM

My Friends (Monicelli)

This is definitely a great, underseen gem. Have you seen L'Armata Brancaleone? It's possibly even better.

Qrazy

06-05-2009, 07:26 PM

This is definitely a great, underseen gem. Have you seen L'Armata Brancaleone? It's possibly even better.

I have seen it and enjoyed it but I didn't find it great. Worth seeing for sure and fascinating as a precursor to Holy Grail but I found that a lot of the jokes missed their mark. When the jokes do hit they're hilarious though.

I have a Toto film by Monicelli right now... Cops and Robbers... but I need to find subs for it.

Beau

06-05-2009, 08:48 PM

Yeah I'd say it's my favorite from him. Speaking of eastern european sci-fi I need to get on some Epi recs... Morning Patrol and Letters from a Dead Man primarily.

Morning Patrol is very good. I don't know if you'll like it, but I enjoyed its drifting dreamy rhythm. Lots of post-apocalyptic wandering through empty terrain, a woman and her playground. It reminds me of the computer video-game Deus Ex. Just you, the empty sidewalks, and the sound of your steps. I'm sure the game designers were thinking: "Gee, it would really be a pain in the ass - not to mention a memory hog - to populate this entire Shanghai map with people so, um, let's make it really empty except for a few spots." Still, it works emotionally, so I liked it, and by extension, I also liked Morning Patrol.

Qrazy

06-05-2009, 09:02 PM

Morning Patrol is very good. I don't know if you'll like it, but I enjoyed its drifting dreamy rhythm.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. ;) Out of curiosity though what have I disliked that you find comparable thereby wondering if I'll engage with it?

Beau

06-05-2009, 09:11 PM

Thanks for the vote of confidence. Out of curiosity though what have I disliked that you find comparable thereby wondering if I'll engage with it?

Celine and Julie? :lol:

I honestly can't say. The movie's about vagueness, in a way. I don't know about you, but many people like a little bit of background with their science-fiction stories and this one's about the fact that nobody actually knows that background. I'm sure that will frustrate some viewers, as will the pace. We get a good forty-something minutes of a woman just existing in an abandoned city. Then the "escape plot" begins, but it's not done for excitement. It makes the "infiltration" sequence in Stalker look like Terminator 2, as far as action-inertia's concerned. As for aesthetic, I hope you like silhouettes, back-lighting, and wet pavement. I think you do, though.

Qrazy

06-05-2009, 09:16 PM

Celine and Julie? :lol:

I honestly can't say. The movie's about vagueness, in a way. I don't know about you, but many people like a little bit of background with their science-fiction stories and this one's about the fact that nobody actually knows that background. I'm sure that will frustrate some viewers, as will the pace. We get a good forty-something minutes of a woman just existing in an abandoned city. Then the "escape plot" begins, but it's not done for excitement. It makes the "infiltration" sequence in Stalker look like Terminator 2, as far as action-inertia's concerned. As for aesthetic, I hope you like silhouettes, back-lighting, and wet pavement. I think you do, though.

Fair enough, but as long as it's well shot, a slow pace and ambiguity don't bother me. Atmosphere, imagery and theme are what I'm interested in with my sci-fi.

If Celine and Julie had been shot in a way I found more interesting I probably would have liked the general narrative approach a great deal more.

Beau

06-05-2009, 09:16 PM

I wrote a long review of Morning Patrol on RT. I would link you to it, but the forums are closed until 2037.

Qrazy

06-05-2009, 09:20 PM

I wrote a long review of Morning Patrol on RT. I would link you to it, but the forums are closed until 2037.

Haha yeah I noticed how they pushed the tech work back yet further. I already read your review though. Good stuff.

Qrazy

06-05-2009, 11:44 PM

I'll now rank some of the director's whose filmographies I've seen in full (feature films only). Films within groupings (broken by a line) can often be shifted up or down within their groups.

Andrei Tarkovsky:

http://godisnotelsewhere.files.wordpr ess.com/2009/06/stalker.jpg

1. Stalker
2. Andrei Rublev
3. Ivan's Childhood

4. The Sacrifice
5. The Mirror

6. Nostalgia
7. Solaris

All seven are recommended.

Qrazy

06-05-2009, 11:49 PM

Orson Welles:

http://clarification.files.wordpress. com/2008/04/citizen-kane.jpg

1. Citizen Kane
2. The Trial
3. Chimes at Midnight
4. Touch of Evil

5. Othello
6. F for Fake

7. The Magnificent Ambersons
8. The Lady from Shanghai
9. Macbeth

10. Mr. Arkadin
11. The Stranger

The Immortal Story was made for television but I'd rank it near the bottom of Welles filmography.

The top nine are recommended. Although 7, 8, 9 slightly less so... Ambersons is good but suffers from the loss of it's final act. The Lady from Shanghai on the other hand is OK but has an excellent final act. Macbeth is just good but not great. The bottom three after Macbeth have their strengths but are not essential.

Qrazy

06-05-2009, 11:57 PM

I'm going to finish Mackendrick's filmography this weekend and then start on finishing up Fellini's.

MacGuffin

06-06-2009, 12:00 AM

I have Stalker to watch and know what to expect. I haven't seen a Tarkovsky yet though.

B-side

06-06-2009, 06:18 AM

I have Stalker to watch and know what to expect. I haven't seen a Tarkovsky yet though.

:eek:

I did not see that coming. As for my Tarkovsky rankings, because I know everyone's wondering:

1. Nostalghia
2. Mirror
3. Andrei Rublev
4. Ivan's Childhood
5. Stalker
6. The Sacrifice
7. Solyaris

Qrazy

06-06-2009, 08:03 AM

Alexander Mackendrick:

http://www.scene-stealers.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/sweet06.jpg

1. Sweet Smell of Success

2. The Ladykillers
3. The Maggie
4. The Man in the White Suit

5. Whisky Galore!
6. Don't Make Waves
7. A High Wind in Jamaica

8. Sammy Going South
9. Mandy

The top four are particularly recommended. Mandy isn't all that bad I just find it difficult to care about films featuring deaf girls learning to speak or similar overcoming the odds type pictures.

Beau

06-06-2009, 06:28 PM

The top four are particularly recommended. Mandy isn't all that bad I just find it difficult to care about films featuring deaf girls learning to speak or similar overcoming the odds type pictures.

Heartless bastard, I tell you.

To be fair, most of those kinds of movies are annoying and not very interesting.

Qrazy

06-06-2009, 06:59 PM

Heartless bastard, I tell you.

To be fair, most of those kinds of movies are annoying and not very interesting.

I'm going to give Penn's The Miracle Worker a shot at some point but yeah... for the above reason not really expecting to like it.

Qrazy

06-06-2009, 07:26 PM

Stanley Kubrick:

http://infomancie.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/2001-05.jpg

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
2. Paths of Glory

3. The Shining
4. Lolita
5. The Killing
6. Dr: Strangelove
7. A Clockwork Orange
8. Barry Lyndon
9. Spartacus

10. Full Metal Jacket
11. Eyes Wide Shut

Hrm I found it very difficult to rank everything except the first two and the last two. Three through nine could all be rearranged. All eleven are recommended.

I'm not included Killer's Kiss because I haven't seen Fear and Desire and I feel as though they ought to be grouped together and both slightly separated from the rest of his filmography.

Qrazy

06-06-2009, 07:34 PM

Jacques Tati:

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p71/arfolio/21plytme/pt14.jpg

1. Playtime
2. Trafic
3. Mr. Hulot's Holiday

4. Mon Oncle
5. Jour de Fete

The first three are particularly recommended but all five are worthwhile. Parade is made for television so it is not included in the ranking although I'd probably rank it last (still worthwhile). The short School for Postman is also worth checking out.

Beau

06-06-2009, 07:38 PM

Stanley Kubrick

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
2. Paths of Glory

Same two favorites! Nice. Most people underrate Paths of Glory, I find.

Qrazy

06-06-2009, 09:10 PM

Same two favorites! Nice. Most people underrate Paths of Glory, I find.

I agree, for a while it was my favorite but I think I have to give the slight edge to 2001.

Pathétique

06-07-2009, 03:50 AM

I'm going to give Penn's The Miracle Worker a shot at some point but yeah... for the above reason not really expecting to like it.
I wasn't expecting much from that picture but ended up really liking it. It's pretty expressionistic, actually. I remember watching it around the same time I watched The Wild Child and The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser and thinking that those films formed a sort of trilogy on the gulf between a language-less individual and the reality of a society based on language.

Qrazy

06-07-2009, 03:52 AM

I wasn't expecting much from that picture but ended up really liking it. It's pretty expressionistic, actually. I remember watching it around the same time I watched The Wild Child and The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser and thinking that those films formed a sort of trilogy on the gulf between a language-less individual and the reality of a society based on language.

Interesting, I should get on The Wild Child as well.

Spaceman Spiff

06-07-2009, 05:36 AM

11. Eyes Wide Shut

:sad:

Qrazy

06-07-2009, 05:58 AM

:sad:

All eleven are recommended.

:) I had to put something last.

Pathétique

06-07-2009, 02:21 PM

Interesting, I should get on The Wild Child as well.
I was much more lukewarm on The Wild Child, though it does have some interesting things to say.

Qrazy

06-11-2009, 03:21 PM

Martin Scorsese (leaving out shorts as I already specified but also docs and omnibus because I find them difficult to rank in relation to features... I'll come back and rank the docs separately later):

http://www.hundland.org/hd/r/ragingbull6.jpg

1. Raging Bull
2. Taxi Driver
3. Goodfellas

4. The Aviator
5. Mean Streets
6. The Departed
7. After Hours
8. Bringing Out the Dead
9. Kundun

10. The King of Comedy
11. The Color of Money
12. Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
13. The Age of Innocence
14. Who's That Knocking at My Door
15. Casino

16. New York, New York
17. The Last Temptation of Christ
18. Gangs of New York
19. Cape Fear
20. Boxcar Bertha

The top three are highly recommended, the top nine are recommended. Ten through fifteen were hard to rank.

Robby P

06-11-2009, 03:37 PM

I think I'd put Dr. Strangelove in Kubrick's 1st tier, alongside 2001 and Paths of Glory. I'd also put F for Fake into Welles' top tier of filmography, right after Citizen Kane and Touch of Evil.

Qrazy

06-11-2009, 03:43 PM

I think I'd put Dr. Strangelove in Kubrick's 1st tier, alongside 2001 and Paths of Glory. I'd also put F for Fake into Welles' top tier of filmography, right after Citizen Kane and Touch of Evil.

I wouldn't put it into his first tier but after a rewatch I could probably put it in third. Like I said three through nine I can't really rank effectively. They're all so different and interesting but at the same time I have small gripes with all of them.

F for Fake is very good but sometimes the budget shows on the framing and quality of the footage. And while sometimes the quick edits work flawlessly, at other times the aesthetic doesn't quite flow as much as I would hope. His monologue about art and time is of course fantastic.

Mara

06-11-2009, 03:45 PM

Qrazy

06-11-2009, 03:55 PM

Touch of Evil was pretty good, but I really can't rank it as high as most people seem to do. Other than the spectacular opening shot, I thought it was pretty... I was going to say unremarkable, but what I'm trying to say is more "non-genius."

[Royal Tennenbaums: "Why would a reviewer make the point of saying someone's not a genius? Do you especially think I'm not a genius?"]

I find there are a number of exceptional shot and moments throughout. The first time we see Quinlan, when Quinlan commits murder, the shot of Vargas in the hall of records (or something) and the final scene of the film. Plus I find the script and overall approach of the story (cop falsifying evidence) fascinating and worthwhile film noir material. Touch of Evil is to film noir as The Wild Bunch is to the western.

However, I think I will put Chimes at Midnight above Touch of Evil. While formally I find the lack of budget shows in places on Chimes, in terms of raw emotional power that final scene can not be beat. I might even put it above The Trial.

Mara

06-11-2009, 04:02 PM

I might even put it above The Trial.

That one completely freaked me out. The scene with the children trying to get in to the cage-type room actually frightened me. I had to pause the film and compose myself, but I couldn't put my finger on why it was so scary.

That's good filmmaking.

Qrazy

06-11-2009, 04:03 PM

That one completely freaked me out. The scene with the children trying to get in to the cage-type room actually frightened me. I had to pause the film and compose myself, but I couldn't put my finger on why it was so scary.

That's good filmmaking.

Indeed.

Melville

06-11-2009, 09:03 PM

Tarkovsky:

1. Andrei Rublev
2. Solaris
3. The Mirror

4. The Sacrifice
5. Nostalgia

6. Stalker
7. Ivan's Childhood

Kubrick:

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey

2. Dr: Strangelove
3. A Clockwork Orange

4. Eyes Wide Shut
5. Barry Lyndon
6. Full Metal Jacket
7. Paths of Glory

8. The Killing
9. Lolita

10. Spartacus
11. The Shining

Qrazy

06-11-2009, 09:12 PM

I've kind of cooled on A Clockwork Orange over the years. Both in relation to the film's aesthetic but also it's thematic material (the original novel as well). I'm not sure if I fully endorse it's definition of 'free will' and 'choicelessness' in the conditioned individual.

Qrazy

06-16-2009, 07:18 PM

Reposted from Film Discussion.

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/4268/vlcsnap3010195.png

Khrustalyov, My Car! (1998 - German) is complete madness. This is Aleksei German as Fellini meets Herzog meets Pasolini meets Tarr meets Klimov meets Kusturica meets Beckett and Kafka. This is German's Salo, his Satyricon, his Aguirre, his Underground, his Satantango and Come and See. You will never see anything like this film. Is it a masterpiece? I don't know. The film is so meandering, so impenetrable and disjointed it's hard to get a foothold on the material. Characters break the fourth wall on a whim, plot threads spiral out of control, new characters are introduced and abandoned never to be seen again.

However, German's command over the medium, his lighting, his compositions and most significantly his mise-en-scene are remarkable as always. Like Fellini German enjoys keeping his images extraordinarily busy. Each frame is full of characters and information, character enter from the left, right, top and bottom, dialogue overlaps, the camera tracks everywhere shifting the image from a long shot to a close-up and back again. This film is not for everyone. In fact it's probably for very few. Even arthouse fans may balk at German's psychotic approach to absurd material. All of German's films function as commentary on the totalitarian Soviet Union, but this one most fully embodies the madness of the era it portrays. This is a film where there is so much going on it demands to be watched again. Perhaps in a few weeks I will watch it again.

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/9743/vlcsnap3014322.png

Sort of a plot synopsis:

Winter is never-ending in Aleksei Guerman's impenetrable film ''Khroustaliov, My Car!,'' a nearly two-and-a-half hour absurdist nightmare of life in the Soviet Union during the final days of Stalin's rule. Snow falls in almost every scene of this starkly grim, black-and-white movie, which follows the triumph, fall from grace and hasty rehabilitation of a hulking Red Army general and brain surgeon named Yuri Glinshi (Yuri Tsourilo). Processions of black government vehicles are forever materializing like ominous phantoms through the curtains of snow that drift over a dilapidated town decorated with gleaming white statues of the beady-eyed, mustached Soviet dictator.

In this land of horrors everything that isn't white (the snow, the statues, the characters' breath, the clouds of steam and smoke rising from ashcans) is inky black. The soundtrack is studded with harsh, grating whistles and screams, the dialogue fragmentary and hysterically agitated. In the scenes of Yuri at home with his large family, everyone runs around in circles shouting at once like lunatics in a mental hospital. When they're not yelling, they're spitting, coughing, smoking and drinking cognac out of mugs, pretending it is tea.

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/9937/vlcsnap3014990.png

Before he is arrested in an anti-Semitic purge and shipped off to the gulag, Yuri rules the roost like a miniature Stalin. He has a string of mistresses. And when he visits the local hospital, his staff follows him around him like terrified minions.

The ugliest moment in a film that portrays human beings as stinking, phlegmatic beasts comes while Yuri is being transported to the gulag. In the back of the truck, his trousers are ripped off, and he is assaulted anally with the handle of a shovel.

''Khroustaliov, My Car!'' is a nightmare all right. But it is one virtually impossible to decipher. Its characters aren't properly identified, its politics not elucidated, its geography vague. The best way to appreciate the film is to sit back and view it as a Boschean vision of hell.

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/2705/vlcsnap3029116.png

I took the above screen caps myself.

MacGuffin

06-16-2009, 07:20 PM

Yeah, that looks awesome. I'm gonna have to see that.

Qrazy

06-16-2009, 07:25 PM

Reposted from Film Discussion Thread (page 806):

I watched Aleksei German's Checkpoint. Anatoli Solonitsyn (i.e. Andrei Rublev/The Ascent) is great as always in a secondary role but the other leads are also wonderful. The film revolves primarily around Lazarev, a POW who briefly enlisted with the Nazis but since regrets his actions. Lazarev is given a chance to prove himself to the partisans but winning back their trust is no easy task.

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll106/serdar002/Proverka%20na%20dorogakh%20197 1/proverka002.jpg

Overall it was very good but I have a few minor complaints. First the bad, one problem was that here and there the acting becomes a bit histrionic, particularly with certain death scenes. This is fine in theory but it contrasted sharply with the more naturalistic acting throughout. Secondly the film stumbles structurally because although it is not ultimately an episodic film a few of the scenes book ending the main story are episodic and removed from the primary narrative. The scenes themselves are often good but this almost complete separation from the narrative only half works.

Now the good, it's a very solid, politically valuable, beautifully shot, terrifically acted and uniquely executed war film. It would make a great companion piece to The Ascent, another Russian World War II film focused on the plight of POWs amidst the backdrop of the bitter cold and snowy wasteland of the war. It also reminded me a little of Closely Watched Trains but that probably has more to do with the fact that a train-related mission plays a central role in the narrative than with stylistic similarities.

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll106/serdar002/Proverka%20na%20dorogakh%20197 1/proverka003.jpg

Checkpoint is also known as The Road Test and was banned for 15 years in the Soviet Union for ideological reasons. The film presents the basic humanitarian notion that not all Nazi collaborators are bad people and that whether it's the Nazis or the Partisans at any given moment it's the peasants who suffer most in the presence of war.

The film is not as formally fluid as My Friend Ivan Lapshin. However the rawer nature of certain cuts suits the material well enough. I recently procured the subtitles for Khrustalyov, My Car! so I'm psyched to give that a viewing as soon as possible. Then hopefully someone will make subs for Twenty Days without War and put German's The Seventh Companion online. His most recent film Hard to be a God (working title) has finally entered post-production as well.

Qrazy

06-16-2009, 07:26 PM

Yeah, that looks awesome. I'm gonna have to see that.

Nice. I'm going to have to watch it again. There's so much going on it's impossible or rather extremely difficult to take it all in.

MacGuffin

06-16-2009, 07:27 PM

Nice. I'm going to have to watch it again. There's so much going on it's impossible or rather extremely difficult to take it all in.

I love movies like that. So much better than having to take everything in the first time. ;)

Qrazy

06-16-2009, 07:58 PM

I love movies like that. So much better than having to take everything in the first time. ;)

http://www.emerchandise.com/images/p/TTS/pdMTTTS0006.jpg

B-side

06-16-2009, 08:02 PM

I do like my films crazy...

Qrazy

06-16-2009, 08:27 PM

I do like my films crazy...

Nice to see you enjoyed Porco Rosso. I think you like it more than I do actually but I still like it. Actually I should probably do a Miyazaki filmography ranking.

B-side

06-16-2009, 08:43 PM

Nice to see you enjoyed Porco Rosso. I think you like it more than I do actually but I still like it. Actually I should probably do a Miyazaki filmography ranking.

I was surprised at how political it was. I haven't quite worked out any specific critiques outside of the alienation of political undecideds in Europe in early-mid 20th century. I loved its noir-ish feel and playful attack on the misogyny of the era. Also kinda surprised at its distinct lack of weird monsters being that it's Miyazaki and all.:P

MacGuffin

06-16-2009, 08:45 PM

Speaking of Miyazaki, you can watch Cagliostro instantly on Netflix. I may just have to do that, because I've only seen a little bit of it.

Beau

06-16-2009, 09:07 PM

I want to see that automobile movie.

Qrazy

06-16-2009, 09:09 PM

Speaking of Miyazaki, you can watch Cagliostro instantly on Netflix. I may just have to do that, because I've only seen a little bit of it.

I like it quite a bit. It's an early work so the animation is much rougher but the story is a lot of fun. Maybe I'll watch the TV series at some point.

Qrazy

06-16-2009, 09:13 PM

I want to see that automobile movie.

You should and then you should become an Aleksei German fanboy like me and we can anticipate his new film together.

Qrazy

06-16-2009, 09:14 PM

I was surprised at how political it was. I haven't quite worked out any specific critiques outside of the alienation of political undecideds in Europe in early-mid 20th century. I loved its noir-ish feel and playful attack on the misogyny of the era. Also kinda surprised at its distinct lack of weird monsters being that it's Miyazaki and all.:P

Yeah, my girlfriend has seen most of his films except Porco Rosso, Kiki's Delivery Service, Castle of Cagliostro and Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea so I'll probably rewatch those four with her in the next month or so.

The noirish vibe was definitely nice... although yeah it was bizarre seeing a pig in an aviation noir without really any other weird creatures to speak of.

MacGuffin

06-16-2009, 09:16 PM

1. My Neighbor Totoro ****
2. Kiki's Delivery Service ****
3. Spirited Away ***1/2
4. Howl's Moving Castle ***1/2

Qrazy

06-16-2009, 09:27 PM

1. My Neighbor Totoro ****
2. Kiki's Delivery Service ****
3. Spirited Away ***1/2
4. Howl's Moving Castle ***1/2

You still haven't seen my favorites.

Princess Mononoke and Laputa: Castle in the Sky!

MacGuffin

06-16-2009, 10:47 PM

You still haven't seen my favorites.

Princess Mononoke and Laputa: Castle in the Sky!

Yeah, I definitely need to see those ones.

Sven

06-16-2009, 11:30 PM

Since when did Porco Rosso have noir elements? Cigarettes? Lonely protagonist? What am I missing?

right_for_the_moment

06-16-2009, 11:37 PM

You're making Aleksei German's films sound mighty intriguing, but where do you find them? I searched for My Friend Ivan Lapshin on Netflix, but all I got was My Best Friend's Girl. :sad:

Qrazy

06-16-2009, 11:44 PM

Since when did Porco Rosso have noir elements? Cigarettes? Lonely protagonist? What am I missing?

Well not in terms of the lighting but... the character seems rather noirish with his gruff voice, trenchcoat and fedora. Cynical characters also abound at the Hotel Adriano which possesses a rather ominous and sleazy tone.

You're right though that the noir elements are muted, dunno why I repeated the term quite a bit in that sentence. It's more of a hard boiled aviation film.

Qrazy

06-16-2009, 11:45 PM

You're making Aleksei German's films sound mighty intriguing, but where do you find them? I searched for My Friend Ivan Lapshin on Netflix, but all I got was My Best Friend's Girl. :sad:

Karagarga, invitation only download site. I can't help you with an invite but someone on Match-Cut probably can.

right_for_the_moment

06-16-2009, 11:50 PM

Karagarga, invitation only download site. I can't help you with an invite but someone on Match-Cut probably can.
Oh yeah, I've heard of it actually. It's a shame so many great films are more or less unavailable

Qrazy

06-17-2009, 12:01 AM

Oh yeah, I've heard of it actually. It's a shame so many great films are more or less unavailable

Indeed... but now they are available. :)

Qrazy

06-18-2009, 03:09 AM

Malick:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion_images/current/img_current_1079_244.png

1. Days of Heaven
2. The Thin Red Line
3. Badlands
4. The New World

All are recommended.

Qrazy

06-18-2009, 03:16 AM

Miyazaki (excluding television series):

http://www.albatross1.com/ANIMIMG/MIYAZAKI/pm_c1.jpg

1. Princess Mononoke
2. Laputa: Castle in the Sky
3. Spirited Away

4. Howl's Moving Castle
5. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
4. My Neighbor Totoro
5. Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea

6. Castle of Cagliostro
7. Porco Rosso
8. Kiki's Delivery Service

All are recommended.

MacGuffin

06-18-2009, 03:18 AM

Do you not like Kiki's Delivery Service? The cityscapes during the night and the scenes after she takes flight are among the best I have ever seen in any animated movie.

Qrazy

06-18-2009, 03:24 AM

Directors with three or fewer films:

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReview/spirit%20of%20the%20beehive/beehive07.jpg

Electra Glide in Blue (Guercio)
Night of the Hunter (Laughton)
L'atalante (Vigo)
Zero for Conduct (Vigo)
Spirit of the Beehive (Erice)
The Quince Tree Sun (Erice)

Qrazy

06-18-2009, 03:25 AM

Do you not like Kiki's Delivery Service? The cityscapes during the night and the scenes after she takes flight are among the best I have ever seen in any animated movie.

I like it, I just like it least.

Qrazy

06-18-2009, 03:28 AM

Paul Thomas Anderson:

http://chelsealightmoving.files.wordp ress.com/2008/12/therewillbeblood.jpg

1. There Will Be Blood
2. Boogie Nights
3. Magnolia
4. Punch-Drunk Love

5. Hard Eight

The top four are particularly recommended. This ranking is arbitrary. Each film brings something fresh and unique to the table. Hard Eight is solid as well, another strong debut but it doesn't stand up to his later work in my opinion.

Winston*

06-18-2009, 03:31 AM

Do John Sayles

Qrazy

06-18-2009, 03:32 AM

Wes Anderson:

http://www.wilson-brothers.com/luke/photos/movies/royal/royal-tenenbaums2.jpg

1. Royal Tenenbaums
2. Rushmore

3. Bottle Rocket
4. The Darjeeling Limited
5. Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

The top two are particularly recommended. Bottle Rocket is funny and interesting as a formative debut. The bottom two I don't find hit their dramatic notes as successfully. The style and humor also begins to feel forced. They are still worth seeing.

Qrazy

06-18-2009, 03:33 AM

Do John Sayles

I've only seen Matewan and Lone Star. Matewan was OK, wasn't particularly enthusiastic. Lone Star was quite good. I love the scope of the film. Three generations, multiple families, two countries, four languages. Woof.

Qrazy

06-18-2009, 03:35 AM

David Fincher:

http://img5.allocine.fr/acmedia/medias/nmedia/18/35/91/33/18777933.jpg

1. Se7en
2. Fight Club
3. Zodiac

4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

5. The Game
6. Panic Room
7. Alien3

The top three are particularly recommended.

Qrazy

06-18-2009, 03:41 AM

Christopher Nolan:

http://www.cinespacio.pe/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/memento.jpg

1. Memento
2. The Dark Knight

3. The Prestige
4. Batman Begins

5. Following
6. Insomnia

The top four are particularly recommended. Following is another interesting formative debut. Insomnia is a solid thriller with strong leads and (special thanks to composer David Julyan) a moody atmosphere. To the detractors of The Prestige, I wasn't that bothered by the final twist.

Winston*

06-18-2009, 03:42 AM

I've only seen Matewan and Lone Star. Matewan was OK, wasn't particularly enthusiastic. Lone Star was quite good. I love the scope of the film. Three generations, multiple families, two countries, four languages. Woof.

Limbo, Men With Guns and City of Hope would be my highest recommended. I've seen almost all his films and they're all worth seeing except maybe Silver City.

Qrazy

06-18-2009, 03:49 AM

Coen Brothers:
(omnibus features excluded)

http://images.starpulse.com/Photos/Previews/Fargo-movie-04.jpg

1. Fargo
2. Raising Arizona
3. Miller's Crossing
4. Barton Fink
5. The Big Lebowski

6. No Country for Old Men
7. Blood Simple
8. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
9. Burn After Reading
10. The Man Who Wasn't There

11. The Hudsucker Proxy
12. The Ladykillers
13. Intolerable Cruelty

The top five are particularly recommended, the next five are recommended to varying degrees and the last three are not recommended.

Qrazy

06-18-2009, 03:49 AM

Limbo, Men With Guns and City of Hope would be my highest recommended. I've seen almost all his films and they're all worth seeing except maybe Silver City.

Nice well I'll check 'em out then, coming off of Lone Star I'm much more enthusiastic now.

Qrazy

06-18-2009, 04:00 AM

Directors which I will be listing soon (1-4 films left to see)... Wong Kar Wai, Lynch, Ang Lee, Peckinpah, Jodorowsky, Mann, Peter Jackson, Melville, Pasolini, Spielberg, Clouzot.

Directors who are not too far behind (4-6 films left)... Kazan, Fellini, Cronenberg, Polanski, Forman, Soderbergh, Oliver Stone.

Qrazy

06-18-2009, 04:03 AM

Kieslowski (excluding shorts, documentaries and TV dramas... the two 'short films about' films will be counted as Decalogue entries):

http://deeperintomovies.net/journal/image08/decalogue1c.jpg

1. The Decalogue
2. Red
3. Double Life of Veronique
4. White
5. Camera Buff
6. Blue

7. Blind Chance
8. No End
9. The Scar

The top six are particularly recommended.

MacGuffin

06-18-2009, 04:15 AM

Qrazy

06-18-2009, 11:53 AM

Qrazy

06-18-2009, 01:41 PM

This is turning into a cool thread. Maybe you should add screens of your favorite for each director. Just an idea. Looking forward to your Kusturica ratings; Underground sounds really interesting. I haven't seen a Kielslowski movie yet.

Actually I only have TV films, shorts and documentaries left to see from Kusturica so perhaps I'll just post it now.

Kusturica:

http://www.kulturcinema.ch/Archiv/prog_frue05/undergroundfrue05.jpg

1. Underground
2. Time of the Gypsies

3. Do You Remember Dolly Bell?
4. Black Cat, White Cat
5. Life is a Miracle
6. When Father was Away on Business

7. Arizona Dream

8. Promise Me This

The top two are particularly recommended. The next four are highly recommended. Arizona Dream is still very solid. Promise Me This is OK but it shows Kusturica's weaknesses.

Robby P

06-18-2009, 03:49 PM

I thought Magnolia was mostly rubbish and I quite enjoyed Wes Anderson's last two movies. No Country for Old Men is definitely first-tier Coens.

Qrazy

06-18-2009, 04:18 PM

I thought Magnolia was mostly rubbish and I quite enjoyed Wes Anderson's last two movies. No Country for Old Men is definitely first-tier Coens.

Magnolia's operatic excesses can sometimes grate... there's a lot of histrionics on display... but the film has a wonderful sense of flow and rhythm. The style, aesthetic and plot weaving are superb. Still it does get a bit much at times when it comes to the shouting/crying and I have my problems with the film's central thesis.

I stand by my Wes Anderson comments. I think those two films are decent, they have quite a bit going for them but Anderson's style has become more forced with time and certain stylistic (dead kid slo-mo funeral in Darjeeling... fish in Life Aquatic) decisions rob integral thematic moments of their potential power.

No Country I find to be too shallow and obvious. It's first tier Coens like North by Northwest is first tier Hitchcock... both formally excellent, tense and precise films by their respective filmmakers but also both lacking in the content department.

Wryan

06-18-2009, 04:21 PM

Alexander Mackendrick

http://www.scene-stealers.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/sweet06.jpg

Argh, so damn good. Match me, Sidney.

Qrazy

06-18-2009, 04:23 PM

Argh, so damn good. Match me, Sidney.

Match me, Sidney.

James Wong Howe, Alexander Mackendrick, Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis are my heroes.

Beau

06-18-2009, 04:55 PM

Yeah, Lone Star is pretty good. It's been too long since Men With Guns, but I remember it being interesting.

Milky Joe

06-18-2009, 08:39 PM

I stand by my Wes Anderson comments. I think those two films are decent, they have quite a bit going for them but Anderson's style has become more forced with time and certain stylistic (dead kid slo-mo funeral in Darjeeling... fish in Life Aquatic) decisions rob integral thematic moments of their potential power.

This could be me talking about The Royal Tenenbaums. That film is just too easy, with a different pop song playing every five minutes, it's too much. The Life Aquatic is much subtler. How much more forced can you get than playing an Elliott Smith song while a character attempts suicide?

origami_mustache

06-18-2009, 08:49 PM

I need to see Underground.

B-side

06-18-2009, 09:54 PM

No Country I find to be too shallow and obvious. It's first tier Coens like North by Northwest is first tier Hitchcock... both formally excellent, tense and precise films by their respective filmmakers but also both lacking in the content department.

I don't know that I'd call it shallow or too obvious.

Qrazy

06-18-2009, 10:46 PM

This could be me talking about The Royal Tenenbaums. That film is just too easy, with a different pop song playing every five minutes, it's too much. The Life Aquatic is much subtler. How much more forced can you get than playing an Elliott Smith song while a character attempts suicide?

Well to be fair I haven't seen it since I was just getting into film so perhaps I would find it as mediocre on a rewatch as I find his later works to be.

The other problem I have with the Life Aquatic is that I didn't find it funny. I found most of the jokes fell flat... and I don't mean oh it's deadpan humor kind of flat... I mean oh it's deadpan humor and your joke fails miserably flat.

Qrazy

06-18-2009, 10:46 PM

I don't know that I'd call it shallow or too obvious.

Right. Well that's what I'd call it, not necessarily what you'd call it. To be fair though I find most Coen films to be rather shallow (albeit layered) so this is as much a problem with the directors for me as it is with the film. I prefer them with a sense of humor.

B-side

06-18-2009, 10:49 PM

Right. Well that's what I'd called it, not necessarily what you'd call it.

I thought you were speaking for both of us? I was lied to.

B-side

06-18-2009, 10:51 PM

To be fair though I find most Coen films to be rather shallow (albeit layered) so this is as much a problem with the directors for me as it is with the film. I prefer them with a sense of humor.

Shallow, albeit layered? Is that like profound, albeit ignorant?

Beau

06-18-2009, 11:34 PM

Shallow, albeit layered? Is that like profound, albeit ignorant?

It's complicated. Actually, it might be kind of what Derek said in his write up about Raising Arizona, a film I haven't seen since I was roughly about the same age as the toddlers. Derek has seen it more recently, I gather, and he wrote this: "The Coens’ characters are often cardboard cutouts, a fact that ultimately will dissuade some altogether. What is so fascinating is usually not the depth of characterization, but the worlds they inhabit and the way the Coens are able to weave them into their complex narratives." Qrazy seems to be talking less about the characters and more about the themes (of course, the two can be and are often connected), but I think his shallow-layered comment is trying to say: "Well, I don't find their themes particularly deep, but their world-building is top-notch and layered stuff."

Qrazy

06-18-2009, 11:34 PM

Shallow, albeit layered? Is that like profound, albeit ignorant?

No, it's like if you are a quality formal craftsman and can manage your themes well you can pack a lot of relevant information into your film but that doesn't make the film profound. They are intelligent filmmakers, there are layers to their films. They can deconstruct a genre, visually communicate, etc... but the ultimate ideas they are communicating, the depth of their themes and the way they handle their characters is not particularly contemplative in my eyes.

Qrazy

06-19-2009, 12:05 AM

It's complicated. Actually, it might be kind of what Derek said in his write up about Raising Arizona, a film I haven't seen since I was roughly about the same age as the toddlers. Derek has seen it more recently, I gather, and he wrote this: "The Coens’ characters are often cardboard cutouts, a fact that ultimately will dissuade some altogether. What is so fascinating is usually not the depth of characterization, but the worlds they inhabit and the way the Coens are able to weave them into their complex narratives." Qrazy seems to be talking less about the characters and more about the themes (of course, the two can be and are often connected), but I think his shallow-layered comment is trying to say: "Well, I don't find their themes particularly deep, but their world-building is top-notch and layered stuff."

Correct.

Robby P

06-19-2009, 01:43 AM

I have a feeling that if you told the Coens they were shallow, they'd probably take it as a compliment.

I agree that their movies can often appear superficial and aloof but I thought No Country was a bit more substantive than we're giving it credit for. The source material may not be top tier McCarthy, but it's still quite thematically rich.

Pathétique

06-19-2009, 02:43 AM

You didn't rank Hard Eight.

Qrazy

06-19-2009, 03:23 AM

You didn't rank Hard Eight.

Woops, thanks.

MacGuffin

06-19-2009, 03:26 AM

Qrazy, should I go watch The Scent of Green Papaya?

Qrazy

06-19-2009, 03:29 AM

Qrazy, should I go watch The Scent of Green Papaya?

Yes, it's a beautiful film.

Kurious Jorge v3.1

06-19-2009, 04:06 AM

Qrazy, should I go watch The Scent of Green Papaya?

FUCK YES.

Qrazy

06-19-2009, 04:27 AM

FUCK YES.

Ooh harsh: Bi-mong aka Dream (Ki-Duk Kim - '08) 23

Guess it's to be avoided then?

MacGuffin

06-19-2009, 07:02 AM

Great movie.

Qrazy

06-21-2009, 04:09 AM

All Studio Ghibli Features Ranked:

1. Princess Mononoke
2. Laputa: Castle in the Sky
3. Spirited Away
4. Whisper of the Heart

5. Howl's Moving Castle
6. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
7. Grave of the Fireflies
8. Pom Poko
9. My Neighbor Totoro
10. Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea

11. Only Yesterday
12. Porco Rosso
13. The Cat Returns
14. Castle of Cagliostro

15. Kiki's Delivery Service
16. My Neighbors the Yamadas
17. Tales from Earthsea

All are recommended but particularly the top 10. Ocean Waves (Made for TV) is the only one I don't recommend but even it isn't completely awful.

MacGuffin

06-21-2009, 05:25 AM

4. Whisper of the Heart

Hmm, really? I must have missed something, because I didn't find this that good. I mean, don't worry Watashi, I didn't think it was bad, or even mediocre, but I was just kind of ambivalent towards it. I can't really remember my thoughts, but I'll try to dig them up using the search engine. I only remember the emotions displayed by the characters were a bit heavy-handed, but maybe that's just because I watched the English dubbing.

MacGuffin

06-21-2009, 05:26 AM

Here. (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=103052&postcount=19756)

Qrazy

06-21-2009, 06:52 AM

Hmm, really? I must have missed something, because I didn't find this that good. I mean, don't worry Watashi, I didn't think it was bad, or even mediocre, but I was just kind of ambivalent towards it. I can't really remember my thoughts, but I'll try to dig them up using the search engine. I only remember the emotions displayed by the characters were a bit heavy-handed, but maybe that's just because I watched the English dubbing.

I probably placed it a bit too high but I liked it's atmosphere, tone and the world it created.

MacGuffin

06-21-2009, 07:00 AM

I probably placed it a bit too high but I liked it's atmosphere, tone and the world it created.

Fair enough.

Qrazy

06-21-2009, 07:05 AM

Fair enough.

I'd definitely put it somewhere in the top 8 though. Kiki is well animated but I find the story and approach too kiddie (clearly intentional but it still makes it less engaging for me), same thing with Ponyo except with Ponyo the animation is even more amazing.

MacGuffin

06-21-2009, 07:06 AM

I'd definitely put it somewhere in the top 8 though. Kiki is well animated but I find the story too kiddie, same thing with Ponyo except with Ponyo the animation is even more amazing.

Really? I thought Kiki was about growing up.

Qrazy

06-21-2009, 07:14 AM

Really? I thought Kiki was about growing up.

Not what the story is about but how it's about it... the animation and character designs, the general style. Whisper of the Heart is also lighter (compared to Laputa or Mononoke) but I think the real world setting perhaps gave it some more emotional weight. I didn't really care about the plot in Kiki either but it's been a long time.

MacGuffin

06-21-2009, 07:16 AM

Not what the story is about but how it's about it... the animation and character designs, the general style. Whisper of the Heart is also lighter (compared to Laputa or Mononoke) but I think the real world setting perhaps gave it some more emotional weight. I didn't really care about the plot in Kiki either but it's been a long time.

Okay, I was thinking that's how you had approached it.

Qrazy

06-30-2009, 04:53 AM

A rewatch of Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea confirmed my initial reaction. Beautifully filmed, immaculate world building, the narrative begins to stumble slightly as the story progresses and finally closes with another pat and abrupt ending which seems to unfortunately have become a staple of late period Miyazaki. It's also a bit too childish for my taste. Still, the film is still filled with an intense sense of wonder, magic and creativity and as such it's well worthwhile.

Also the first post has been updated.

soitgoes...

06-30-2009, 05:09 AM

It's also a bit too childish for my taste. Still, the film is still filled with an intense sense of wonder, magic and creativity and as such it's well worthwhile.Hmm, I thought these two sentences go hand in hand. Isn't it childish (less mature) because of the sense of wonder, magic and creativity? Yes, the film seems to be geared more toward kids than some of his other films, but I thought it was very good (2nd tier) nonetheless. I gave it 8/10.

Qrazy

06-30-2009, 05:19 AM

Hmm, I thought these two sentences go hand in hand. Isn't it childish (less mature) because of the sense of wonder, magic and creativity? Yes, the film seems to be geared more toward kids than some of his other films, but I thought it was very good (2nd tier) nonetheless. I gave it 8/10.

All of his films are filled with wonder, magic and creativity but Mononoke, Laputa and even Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle are not childish in the way this film is geared towards a younger audience. Much of the problem has to do with the fact that we're dealing with 5 year old characters who act like 5 year olds most of the time, but also the closing credits song, the general levity and lack of danger in most circumstances (after a tsunami everyone seems relatively fine, a character mentions a ship graveyard but no attention is paid to what this entails, speedy car segments while genuinely kinetic never suggest serious danger to me, and also only one character seems to really care that the moon is about to destroy the entire world and then a 5 year old has to show he will be romantically faithful in order to stave off this destuction). But yeah I did like it as well and would probably give it a B-... 7.5 or something.

Qrazy

06-30-2009, 05:43 AM

Terry Gilliam:

http://www.oilempire.us/oil-jpg/brazil53.jpg

1. Brazil (1985)
2. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
3. Twelve Monkeys (1995)

4. Time Bandits (1981)
5. The Crimson Permanent Assurance (1983)

6. The Fisher King (1991)

7. Tideland (2005)
8. Jabberwocky
9. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)
10. The Brothers Grimm (2005)

The first three are favorites. The middle three are above average. The last four are below average with a couple redeeming moments/ideas.

Been too long to rank Jabberwocky properly so that ranking might change.

trotchky

06-30-2009, 05:45 AM

Shallow, albeit layered? Is that like profound, albeit ignorant?

Profound and ignorant aren't necessarily contradictory.

B-side

06-30-2009, 06:10 AM

Profound and ignorant aren't necessarily contradictory.

You'd know about ignorance, wouldn't you?

:D

soitgoes...

06-30-2009, 07:57 AM

All of his films are filled with wonder, magic and creativity but Mononoke, Laputa and even Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle are not childish in the way this film is geared towards a younger audience. Much of the problem has to do with the fact that we're dealing with 5 year old characters who act like 5 year olds most of the time, but also the closing credits song, the general levity and lack of danger in most circumstances (after a tsunami everyone seems relatively fine, a character mentions a ship graveyard but no attention is paid to what this entails, speedy car segments while genuinely kinetic never suggest serious danger to me, and also only one character seems to really care that the moon is about to destroy the entire world and then a 5 year old has to show he will be romantically faithful in order to stave off this destuction). But yeah I did like it as well and would probably give it a B-... 7.5 or something.
I think the film works best when it is viewed as a child's fantasy. It's as if Miyazaki channelled his inner child, and made a film through that part of him. Some of the artwork in the film even has a childlike quality. The ocean has a rough crayon look to it. We're obviously pretty much on the same page with our ratings, but we differ on where the film missteps. I think the film loses steam when they get on the toy boat, and the film never regains its momentum. A side note, the opening sequence has some of the best hand-drawn animation I've ever seen.