I want to watch some Korean films - any recommendations among these?
http://www.mardelplatafilmfest.com/es/programacion
I want to watch some Korean films - any recommendations among these?
http://www.mardelplatafilmfest.com/es/programacion
I watched Brawl last night. Crazy flick.Quoting Grouchy (view post)
Definitely Die Bad.Quoting Grouchy (view post)
Of the others I have seen, A Taxi Driver is rather conventional, but depicts an interesting moment in the country's history, and The Villainess has some inventive fight work, though the storytelling is needlessly convoluted with all the flashbacks. Both are worth a look, but I make no claims to greatness for them.
Haven't seen any of the others.
Last 10 Movies Seen
(90+ = canonical, 80-89 = brilliant, 70-79 = strongly recommended, 60-69 = good, 50-59 = mixed, 40-49 = below average with some good points, 30-39 = poor, 20-29 = bad, 10-19 = terrible, 0-9 = soul-crushingly inept in every way)
Run (2020) 64
The Whistlers (2019) 55
Pawn (2020) 62
Matilda (1996) 37
The Town that Dreaded Sundown (1976) 61
Moby Dick (2011) 50
Soul (2020) 64
Heroic Duo (2003) 55
A Moment of Romance (1990) 61
As Tears Go By (1988) 65
Stuff at Letterboxd
Listening Habits at LastFM
Thanks, man!
A Villainess was the most appealing to me, but I'll make sure to watch Die Bad now.
War of the Worlds just ends terribly is all.
Same here and I'm pretty sure that's because there was SO much marketing for it that I didn't want to hear the word again.Quoting D_Davis (view post)
The Most Dangerous Game (1932)
Breakneck one-thing-after-another adventure, in and out at just one hour. Creakily bombastic, thus very charming. All the set designs and special effects have a tangible quality that is highlighted by the swooping direction, which isn't afraid to go as grandiose and unsubtle as possible, making the whole thing full of pulpy atmosphere and fun action sequences. The big, stiff acting just adds to the charm. 7.5/10
Greetings (1968)
Curious to know what prompts De Palma to go from this early New Wave phase to the Hitchcock-inspired films that he'll forever be associated with. This has all the same loving cinephilia, sexual provocation, and (sometimes cringey) political frustration bundled in exhilarating pent-up energy of his next Hi, Mom!, but much, much rougher and too wandering. Still worth it for bits like De Niro curiously and seriously reading a book on voyeurism out loud. 5.5/10
Midnight Run (1988) - 9
The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) - 8.5
The Adventures of Robinhood (1938) - 8
Sisters (1973) - 6.5
Shin Godzilla (2016) - 7.5
De zee die denkt / The Sea That Thinks (Gert de Graaff, 2000) ****/****
Normally, a philosophical film about philosophy is definitely not my cup of tea. But, the context in which it's presented, about a screenwriter writing a screenplay about a screenwriter writing a screenplay for a film in which the screenwriter in question is the main actor, is brilliantly crafted by director Gert de Graaf (originally for Dutch television). The film integrates the themes of Eastern philosophies (mainly a school of Hindu philosophy, Advaita, and the teachings of nonduality) along with the heavy use of cinematic trickery in the form of optical illusions -- it's as it someone commissioned M.C. Escher to make a film about the creative process of a writer who is burdened by questions of purpose, perspective, and meaning.
It's truly a fascinating film that I can't recommend highly enough. I quote the following passage from a review because it contains the exact sentiment that I was telling myself while watching this visual feast for the senses:
"We eventually managed to find them near Biskupin, where demonstrations of prehistoric farming are organized. These oxen couldn't be transported to anywhere else, so we had to built the entire studio around them. A scene that lasted twenty-something seconds took us a year and a half to prepare."
Really fun moment tonight while watching Brigadoon for the first time. Gene Kelly starts singing "Almost Like Being in Love," and I'm like wait just a goddamn minute. That's the song that plays at the end of Groundhog Day. And then the whole idea of having one perfect day with someone thanks to a magical spell of some kind, well, now it makes twice as much sense that Groundhog Day ends on that song.
I'd always thought it ended that way due to the sort of quiet irony of ending a rom-com with a lyric about "almost" like being in love, similar to the way Murray adds "Let's rent to start" to his decision to move to Punxsutawney. But it also carries this extra connection to another fantasy romance.
Anyway, the flick's not bad, some fun dancing if a little arch, even for its day. Kelly convinces mostly, but when Brigadoon disappears behind him, his face doesn't stretch to a meaningful emotion beyond lemon-sucking. Mostly the production design stands out, with sumptuous matte paintings and larger-than-life costuming for the natives of the 'doon. It's hard to imagine a musical by Vincente Minelli that's better than Meet Me in St. Louis, and this one doesn't begin to match that one.
I think a much more melancholic conclusion would've improved the film, especially since the film demystifies the peace and joy of Brigadoon by introducing a character so despondent to leave that his frustration escalates into a death by the end of the film. That seems too important a story/thematic point to skip over for the feel-goodery (though it might also be a shameless pull from Jud in Oklahoma!). And the whole idea of Brigadoon feels like a big fat metaphor for the way we romanticize our pasts and give in to the tempting power of nostalgia. So maybe if it would've been framed as just that, as memories, the film would've been able to say a bit more or generate more emotion.
Sure, it's all upbeat wish fulfillment for the most part about gettin' hitched and happy and singing and dancing your way through those first few moments of falling in love (or something similar).
I just like bittersweet endings, and the film could've maybe pulled off one of the all-timers, with Kelly returning to the spot where Brigadoon was, and it's not there anymore. It's all gone, even with him wishing for it. And maybe on the walk back, he meets a new girl, one who looks strikingly similar to the girl he loved, but it's just a woman, and she asks why he's visiting this part of Scotland. He says he fell in love here once, but only for a day. She says that's luckier than most. Some people live a hundred years without knowing a day of love. Fanfare against starlight on the waters. Credits.
Watching Outlander reminded me of Brigadoon. It's like the anti-Brigadoon. It's also about a modern (1940's) person transported to an 18th century Scottish town, but unlike Brigadoon, the town is a cruel and barbaric place.
I actually find the whole premise of Brigadoon slightly offensive. It was conceived by New Yorkers with a foolish, idealized view of old Scotland. A minister asks God to protect the town by having it appear for one day every 100 years, and no one is ever allowed to leave, or the town will disappear forever. I actually felt a lot of sympathy for the guy who wanted to leave the town. Why shouldn't he be allowed to?
Same! I thought this was going to lead to a more nuanced view of what Brigadoon is and what it means, and why it would've been better that Kelly doesn't return. It seems more prison than miracle by the end, since the people in the town have no say in the matter. Those poor people are doomed to frivolity and innocence for the rest of their lives. I haven't seen Outlander, but another film response might be something like Pleasantville, where the complexity of real life knocks the idyllic off its pedestal.Quoting Isaac (view post)
Really took too long for me to realize you guys weren't talking about the Ron Moore show.
Midnight Run (1988) - 9
The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) - 8.5
The Adventures of Robinhood (1938) - 8
Sisters (1973) - 6.5
Shin Godzilla (2016) - 7.5
One of only three theaters in my city (Charlotte) that shows indie and foreign films is closing this Sunday. It's a six-screener that's been open since 1964 and currently operated by Regal. Closing apparently due to rising rent in the shopping center it's a part of, which is going through a renewal. The theater's nothing fancy but it's very reliable in terms of variety of movies and quality of presentation. It's really going to put a dent in the number of choices in town. Such a damn shame. I've gone twice since Friday when the closing was announced and am going again tonight, likely for the final time. Closing it out with The Disaster Artist.
last four:
black widow - 8
zero dark thirty - 9
the muse - 7
freaky - 7
now reading:
lonesome dove - larry mcmurtry
Letterboxd
The Harrison Marathon - A Podcast About Harrison Ford
Rewatched three films on Saturday while hungover and all three fell in my estimation: Forrest Gump (68 --> 63), SW: The Force Awakens (59 --> 55) and Walk Hard (70 --> 66). I think I'm getting crankier in my old age.
Last 10 Movies Seen
(90+ = canonical, 80-89 = brilliant, 70-79 = strongly recommended, 60-69 = good, 50-59 = mixed, 40-49 = below average with some good points, 30-39 = poor, 20-29 = bad, 10-19 = terrible, 0-9 = soul-crushingly inept in every way)
Run (2020) 64
The Whistlers (2019) 55
Pawn (2020) 62
Matilda (1996) 37
The Town that Dreaded Sundown (1976) 61
Moby Dick (2011) 50
Soul (2020) 64
Heroic Duo (2003) 55
A Moment of Romance (1990) 61
As Tears Go By (1988) 65
Stuff at Letterboxd
Listening Habits at LastFM
It happens. Own it.Quoting transmogrifier (view post)
Hangovers get worse too.Quoting transmogrifier (view post)
The Last Jedi thread is proof that maybe I already am doing just that.Quoting Skitch (view post)
Last 10 Movies Seen
(90+ = canonical, 80-89 = brilliant, 70-79 = strongly recommended, 60-69 = good, 50-59 = mixed, 40-49 = below average with some good points, 30-39 = poor, 20-29 = bad, 10-19 = terrible, 0-9 = soul-crushingly inept in every way)
Run (2020) 64
The Whistlers (2019) 55
Pawn (2020) 62
Matilda (1996) 37
The Town that Dreaded Sundown (1976) 61
Moby Dick (2011) 50
Soul (2020) 64
Heroic Duo (2003) 55
A Moment of Romance (1990) 61
As Tears Go By (1988) 65
Stuff at Letterboxd
Listening Habits at LastFM
That Force Awakens score is too high.
Paprika is goddamn amazing, and yes Inception borrowed, stole from it, etc. Both own a bit to Dreamscape, however, and I love all three movies. Each brings something different to cinema.
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And everybody wants to be special here
They call your name out loud and clear
Here comes a regular
Call out your name
Here comes a regular
Am I the only one here today?
Yep, agreed.
Love this movie poster I'm seeing everywhere here in Chicago
That's awesome. I don't think anyone had had that visual idea before.
Can't tell if sarcastic or not, but it still works.Quoting Grouchy (view post)
No, no, I was serious. I tried to think back if I had ever seen an afro made of stuff from the movie and I couldn't recall anything.