28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[Sven]

I finally saw Inherent Vice. It is a film of many textural pleasures, but I'm afraid the few histrionics were pretty embarrassing, and honestly, the whole thing felt sub-Lebowski. Brolin was again amazing. After this and Hail Caesar, I'm seeing his appeal. A movie of many good scenes and an impressive emulation of blitzedness, but all the movies it compares to are better.

[bac0n]

Tomorrow is the 60th anniversary of the release of one of most groundbreaking, important works in cinematic history (not to mention it's just an altogether awesome movie), Forbidden Planet. You all should watch it.

[Sven]

I remember Rashomon being longer...

[Winston*]

I remember Rashomon being longer...

I don't.

[Spinal]

Boy, Peter Greenaway has deteriorated from one of the most exciting filmmakers in the world to a complete and utter bore. I walked out on Eisenstein in Guanajuato tonight after about an hour. All the characters talk like they are recounting history books they read the previous night. The film has absolutely no stakes and nothing so coarse and unrefined as a plot. I have no idea who this film is for or why it exists. I used to see his films and be blown away by how he revealed the possibilities of film. His 21st century work has been largely intolerable, I am forced to admit.

[transmogrifier]

Drowning By Numbers ftw

[D_Davis]

I remember Rashomon being longer...

I remember it differently.

[baby doll]

I didn't like Eisenstein in Guanajuato either, but then I had just heard Greenaway himself say exactly the same things that his characters say verbatim, twice--first at a talk he gave at the British Council, where my wife used to work, and then again when he introduced the film at a public screening--so by the time I actually saw the movie, I'd already heard all the best lines.

Incidentally, I suppose I'll have to give Nightwatching another look one of these days, because it can't possibly be as bad as I'm remembering it.

[Spinal]

I didn't like Eisenstein in Guanajuato either, but then I had just heard Greenaway himself say exactly the same things that his characters say verbatim, twice--first at a talk he gave at the British Council, where my wife used to work, and then again when he introduced the film at a public screening--so by the time I actually saw the movie, I'd already heard all the best lines.

Incidentally, I suppose I'll have to give Nightwatching another look one of these days, because it can't possibly be as bad as I'm remembering it.

Yes, this is exactly the issue. It's material more suited to a lecture than a film. It's painful to watch the actors try to breathe life into material that is simply not actable. In his best films, the characters are battling for something. Here, the dialogue is like a high-brow version of Colonial Williamsburg. "Hi, my name is Sergei Eisenstein. In 1928, I directed October. In America, it was called 10 Days That Shook the World. I was a film pioneer know for my use of montage."

And, Nightwatching is pretty bad. I can't imagine trying to watch it again. Which is saying something for a movie with Martin Freeman.

[Dukefrukem]

http://io9.gizmodo.com/19-times-some...-to-1753938085


19 Times Someone Gets Thrown Into the Vacuum of Space, From Worst to Best

[Mysterious Dude]

I can't believe they left out the best one:

[Yxklyx]

Yes, this is exactly the issue. It's material more suited to a lecture than a film.....

Like how The Falls is more suited to an encyclopedia?

[baby doll]

Like how The Falls is more suited to an encyclopedia?

No, not really. That movie's encyclopedic form is a device for organizing different narratives which are much wittier than anything in Eisenstein in Guanajuato, where the narrative is merely a device for putting Greenaway's ideas into the actors' mouths.

[Mysterious Dude]

I watched the 1959 Ben-Hur in anticipation of the upcoming remake, and for Easter! The last time I saw it was on VHS on a small TV, and I could tell it was not meant for the format. There are shots where the actors look so small.


Jesus: the only man in ancient Judea with long hair.

So I watched it on Blu-ray on a big TV, and it still doesn't look quite right. I suspect even in most movie theaters it would look too small.

I noticed that when the characters have a conversation, the camera tends to pick a spot and never move away from it, so we're often looking at the actors' profiles. Unusual technique.

[baby doll]

I watched the 1959 Ben-Hur in anticipation of the upcoming remake, and for Easter! The last time I saw it was on VHS on a small TV, and I could tell it was not meant for the format. There are shots where the actors look so small.


Jesus: the only man in ancient Judea with long hair.

So I watched it on Blu-ray on a big TV, and it still doesn't look quite right. I suspect even in most movie theaters it would look too small.

I noticed that when the characters have a conversation, the camera tends to pick a spot and never move away from it, so we're often looking at the actors' profiles. Unusual technique.

This is common in early 'Scope films. In those days, it wasn't capable of the same depth of field as black and white, and given the necessity to fill the frame with something, directors often arranged the actors horizontally in a frieze-like composition.

[Russ]

The Reflecting Skin (Philip Ridley, 1990)

The new Canadian blu-ray is a revelation. Imagine David Lynch channeling Malick's Days of Heaven.

I know Raiders is a fan -- anyone else here seen this gem?

[Yxklyx]

Watched a couple of early Dafoe films. The campy but entertaining Streets of Fire (Walter Hill) and the moody atmospheric The Loveless (Kathryn Bigelow & Monty Montgomery) which I really liked a lot. Read up on Monty (The Cowboy from Mulholland Dr.) who produced Wild at Heart and Twin Peaks and that started me thinking about how Producers are neglected when discussing films. Some of them can make very significant contributions to a film's style or story. They can be just as creative as directors but would rather have someone else put their ideas onto film - maybe due to lack of technical skills in the media.

[Yxklyx]

The Reflecting Skin (Philip Ridley, 1990)

The new Canadian blu-ray is a revelation. Imagine David Lynch channeling Malick's Days of Heaven.

I know Raiders is a fan -- anyone else here seen this gem?

...

This looks good - Netflix doesn't carry it but has another film from the same director which I'll check out.

[transmogrifier]

For no reason, what are the best three films of the 21st century so far?

For me they are obviously:
Mulholland Dr.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Before Sunset

With Before Sunset being my pick for the best final scene of all time. All time, I tell ya!

[Dukefrukem]

1. Inception
2. Mad Max: Fury Road
3. The Devil’s Backbone

With Inception being my pick for the best final scene of all time. All time, I tell ya!

[Spinal]

1. Mulholland Dr.
2. Dogville
3. Y tu mamá también

[D_Davis]

1. Mad Max: Fury Road
2. Mind Game
3. Inland Empire

[Mysterious Dude]

1. Children of Men
2. Requiem for a Dream
3. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

[Dukefrukem]

2. Requiem for a Dream

Wrong century

[Peng]

From my all-time list it would be...

1. Be With You (2004)
2. Toy Story 3
3. Before Sunset