28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[balmakboor]

I read that without the "in" the first time and was equally confused and amused.

[Qrazy]

I read that without the "in" the first time and was equally confused and amused.

Ah yeah no, that would have been much more uncomfortable.

[B-side]

Woody Allen (another director I'm not too crazy about).

Can't really blame you for that. I've seen less than 10 of his films and I'm already getting tired of his love triangles.

[Pop Trash]

Can't really blame you for that. I've seen less than 10 of his films and I'm already getting tired of his love triangles.

Funny, I've been on a Woody kick lately. His stuff from the 70s and 80s is like comfort food for me.

[B-side]

Funny, I've been on a Woody kick lately. His stuff from the 70s and 80s is like comfort food for me.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm a fan, but even in the dramas of his I'm especially fond of, the sense of deja vu surrounding the love triangles is very palpable.

[MadMan]

Woody Allen's movies are more than just about the love triangle. At least that's what I've gotten out of viewing Annie Hall, Sleeper, Crimes and Misdemeanors and Radio Days.

[B-side]

Woody Allen's movies are more than just about the love triangle.

Well, yeah. If they weren't, then I wouldn't be very fond of his films.

[Ivan Drago]

While we're on the topic of Antichrist - the more I think about it, the more I like it. And to me, the freakiest part besides the [

Show Spoiler

genital mutilation

] was the part when Dafoe's character is looking through the diary in the attic, and as the diary gets closer to the end, the handwriting gets less and less legible.

It only lasted for a few seconds, but it was very effective I thought.

[BuffaloWilder]

Oh my god. Just got back. First night down - nine more to go. Amazing. Uncollected thoughts right now:

Had extended conversations with director Brooks Branch, whose film Multiple Sarcasms we attended with a Q&A, and Bill Paxton - ooh, Bill Paxton got his drunk breath all over me and rambled about Spring in Texas for a little while; it was just surreal.

During the after-party, some old drunk Jeweller guy came out of nowhere and started trying to hit on our photographer-lady, followed her around the crowd the whole time.

The filmmaker lounge was just bumpin' - but, I'm still terribly jittery and excited.

ritch:ritch:ritch:

[soitgoes...]

Weekend choices could be any of the following:

Last Tango in Paris
The Wayward Cloud
Brutal Story at End of the Tokugawa Shogunate
The Affair
Jeanne Dielman
Loulou
Within Our Gates

[B-side]

I highly suggest anyone looking for a good western outside of the typical recommendations seek out Monte Hellman's 3 westerns. They are all very much worthwhile. Netflix has his first 2 on IW.

[baby doll]

I hope you're not referring to his writing on Hawks, Siegel, Walsh, "White Elephant vs. Termite Art", etc. And his ambivalent piece on Godard is the best I've ever come across regarding JLG.

I meant more the shorter pieces he wrote between 1942 and '47, and most of his fifties stuff (excluding some of the longer pieces). Overall though, it seems to me that, given his background as a painter and an art critic, he was well tuned to the non-narrative aspects of movies, which may explain why he seems more comfortable writing about Akerman and Warhol than about commercial cinema. With regards to the Godard piece in particular, I guess it's a matter of taste; I think he does a good job of describing the textures of Godard's '60s films, but I would've liked more analysis (the last sentence in particular feels like him throwing up his hands in defeat). What can I say? I'm a Bordwell man.

[Ivan Drago]

Have to catch up since I've been busy editing a movie and working on an animation project:

- For the reasons above (plus 2 presentations and 2 papers), I haven't been watching as many movies as I'd like. Hell, I'd be getting out of class at 6pm only to be working on homework until 11, and by then I'm too tired to watch a movie. I'm planning on going all out in the summer though, as I'm staying in my campustown over the summer, and their library is full of movies.

I've seen only one film in the last two weeks and that was The Room. So sad.

YUUR TEARING ME APAHT, SPINAL!!!

[dreamdead]

After the first half-hour of The Hudsucker Proxy, which feels labored, the introduction of Leigh's reporter character to the narrative moves the interest and plot forward. And while she herself is basically a stand-in for the Hepburn motormouth, her ability to control situations feels fresh, and rejuvenates a narrative in need of a counter to Robbins' airy innocence. And everything about the time freeze is awesome. I don't know if the Coen Brothers achieve much beyond surface homages here, but the fun is infectious.

[Grouchy]

After the first half-hour of The Hudsucker Proxy, which feels labored, the introduction of Leigh's reporter character to the narrative moves the interest and plot forward. And while she herself is basically a stand-in for the Hepburn motormouth, her ability to control situations feels fresh, and rejuvenates a narrative in need of a counter to Robbins' airy innocence. And everything about the time freeze is awesome. I don't know if the Coen Brothers achieve much beyond surface homages here, but the fun is infectious.

The musical sequence where the hula hula starts selling is incredibly fun to watch. It was guest directed by Sam Raimi, I think. I love the movie.

[Pop Trash]

Derek, I'm sorry, but your Gattaca rating sucks balls.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Derek, I'm sorry, but your Gattaca rating sucks balls.

It's one of my favorite new views of the year.

[Spinal]

I'd rate it a little higher than Derek, but Gattaca is not that good. Great idea for a film. Great look for a film. But it's dramatically inert. Ethan Hawke in the lead certainly doesn't help.

[Watashi]

Gattaca has an amazing score.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I'd rate it a little higher than Derek, but Gattaca is not that good. Great idea for a film. Great look for a film. But it's dramatically inert. Ethan Hawke in the lead certainly doesn't help.

What was inert about it? Were the stakes insufficient for you, or was the drama poorly delivered? Is there another option I'm not thinking of?

I thought the tension was palpable, and I found Hawke's performance fine, if not exemplary. Given his character's need to avoid being found, a minimalist perf makes sense. Jude Law's certainly allowed a lot more to chew on.

[Derek]

I'd rate it a little higher than Derek, but Gattaca is not that good. Great idea for a film. Great look for a film. But it's dramatically inert. Ethan Hawke in the lead certainly doesn't help.

Totally agree. Dramatically inert not only because of the performances, but a poor script that never follows through with the promise of the premise. The voice-over is horrible and serves mostly to blatantly provide exposition and explanations rather than allow the inner workings of the world to come out naturally. Niccol needs a lesson from Davis on SF - show don't tell.

Gattaca has an amazing score.

On it's own, I'm sure it's good, but it's incredibly overbearing throughout the film.

[Spinal]

I will defer to Derek who has seen it more recently than I. But that sounds about right. Great premise, flat script, unengaging performances, major disappointment.

[number8]

I may have to miss a screening of Tetsuo: The Bulletman this Sunday. This will probably irritate me the next day.

[megladon8]

Put me in the "Gattaca is great" camp.

[balmakboor]

Oh be still all ye Gattaca detractors. It's one of the best sci-fi films I've ever seen.