28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[baby doll]

I like how you always belittle Frears but are going to see his new film. This is funny to me. :lol: I'm also seeing The Illusionist (at TIFF), here's to hoping it delivers. I think it will personally.

Well, I did rather like Sammy and Rosie Get Laid, High Fidelity, and Dirty Pretty Things, and there's still a bunch more I haven't yet seen. Given a solid script, he's perfectly competent craftsman. Even in the case of Chéri, there's nothing particularly wrong with it so much as it lacks any compelling reason to exist in the first place.

Edit: I also saw The Grifters and The Van, which I liked at the time but can barely remember now, and The Queen, which bored me to tears. Helen Mirren as Elizabeth II should at least get me to half-mast, if you know what I mean.

[Qrazy]

Ahh, in that case I'm totally in agreement.

Feel free to express your agreement in large sacks of rep. :lol:

[Qrazy]

Well, I did rather like Sammy and Rosie Get Laid, High Fidelity, and Dirty Pretty Things, and there's still a bunch more I haven't yet seen. Given a solid script, he's perfectly competent craftsman. Even in the case of Chéri, there's nothing particularly wrong with it so much as it lacks any compelling reason to exist in the first place.

Fair. I like High Fidelity. Dirty Pretty things was decent. The Grifters was okay. And I dislike Dangerous Liaisons. I would quite like to see Prick Up Your Ears and The Hit though.

[baby doll]

They're releasing both versions theatrically.

That's good, but it doesn't help me. Anyway, some Assayas is better than no Assayas.

[soitgoes...]

I can see where commercially a 2 and a half hour version of Carlos would be beneficial, but man the 5 hour version is sooooo good.

[megladon8]

This just in...Troma has made its second good film (Toxic Avenger being the first). Poultrygeist: Night Of The Chicken Dead. Lunacy, but hilarious lunacy.

Ugh. I couldn't even finish this one.

[Stay Puft]

I'm seeing it in Halifax at the Atlantic Film Festival.

Ah, ya, Halifax. I keep thinking you're in Montreal for whatever reason.

I was hoping Carlos would be at TIFF, but it won't be screening in Toronto until October or something. A week long theatrical engagement of the TV version, I think, at the new Lightbox. Which would be fine, if I still lived there, but I don't.

[Barty]

Dr. Strangelove has never been that funny of a comedy to me (at least in laugh-out-loud factor), but it is my number 3 film of all time because it's absolutely brilliant in every way.

The funny thing about it is, well, the characters really aren't pure satirical portrayals by any means.

[MacGuffin]

Kikujiro was wonderful and I get the feeling that I'm going to want to revisit it again very soon, so it's a shame that the North American DVD is absolute crap and the only decent DVD is from Japan and it's $45. I understand that America doesn't seem to care about Kitano like they do Miyazaki, but even with Kikujiro, Kitano effectively demonstrated that he's just as talented as Miyazaki at conjuring scenes of wondrous life-affirming cinema magic. Dolls is the same way to a lesser extent and Fireworks has its charms also. Overall, I have that same exciting feeling I get when I'm first exploring a filmmakers' work and know he will become a favorite of mine. I'm just a little perturbed that Japan's biggest star is so underrepresented in my home country.

[Winston*]

The funny thing about it is, well, the characters really aren't pure satirical portrayals by any means.

What does this mean?

[Ezee E]

Do I pass up the chance to see Once Upon A Time in the West on an outdoor screen tomorrow???

[transmogrifier]

Do I pass up the chance to see Once Upon A Time in the West on an outdoor screen tomorrow???

Short answer: No.

Long answer: No, you fool.

[Skitch]

Ugh. I couldn't even finish this one.

That's okay. Troma's so piss-poor they hardly count as real movies, but this one I found amusing.

[Boner M]

I can see where commercially a 2 and a half hour version of Carlos would be beneficial, but man the 5 hour version is sooooo good.

I dunno, I loved the 5-hr version but I can see a shorter, tighter version working equally as well beyond commericial imperatives, ala Killing of a Chinese Bookie and Fanny & Alexander.

My weekend/coming week:

Hell House
La Bete
I'm Going Home
Christmas in July (Sturges)
The Kids are Alright
The Killer Inside Me

[Dukefrukem]

Weekend; gonna be tough, going to Maine for lobsters for Labor day and working on my new place all day Friday and Saturday, but I'm gonna try to fit in;

The Hurt Locker and maybe go see the Expendables.

[baby doll]

I dunno, I loved the 5-hr version but I can see a shorter, tighter version working equally as well beyond commericial imperatives, ala Killing of a Chinese Bookie and Fanny & Alexander.

I'm partial to the longer version of The Killing of a Chinese Bookie myself.

[baby doll]

Ah, ya, Halifax. I keep thinking you're in Montreal for whatever reason.

I flit about.

[Qrazy]

What does this mean?

I believe he means because some of the characters are rather closely based on actual real individuals.

[Fezzik]

This weekend there will be no movie watching.

Instead, I'm going on a trip kind of inspired by one.

5 friends and I are going to Biloxi, MS for a bachelor party. That's right. It's The Hangover, southern style

Hey, as long as there is good food and casinos, I'll take it.

[Spinal]

This weekend is for college football. Sorry, movies, I'm seeing someone else.

[Ezee E]

5 friends and I are going to Biloxi, MS for a bachelor party. That's right. It's The Hangover, southern style

Hey, as long as there is good food and casinos, I'll take it.

Find a crawfish boil party somewhere. That's really all that matters for Biloxi. Otherwise, be ready for disappointment.

[Qrazy]

I'm partial to the longer version of The Killing of a Chinese Bookie myself.

I'm partial to the longer versions of both of 'em.

[number8]

It's pissing me off that I won't be able to see a press screening of Carlos next Wednesday because I can't take a 6-hour lunch break.

[baby doll]

It's pissing me off that I won't be able to see a press screening of Carlos next Wednesday because I can't take a 6-hour lunch break.

Can you take a personal day?

[soitgoes...]

I dunno, I loved the 5-hr version but I can see a shorter, tighter version working equally as well beyond commericial imperatives, ala Killing of a Chinese Bookie and Fanny & Alexander.

There's a one hour period (the Vienna scene) in Carlos that is just phenomenal. There is no need to cut into that. It is just about perfect. The problem is that if there aren't any cuts made to it, but then you trim off two and a half hours from the rest of the film, everything becomes uneven. So a sacrifice to a great scene must be made. A sidenote: I do think an entire film could be made around this scene and it would be fantastic, but that would go against what Assayas had set out to do with his film.

My only problem with the film was that it was overlong, but not overlong by a couple hours. A snip here and there and I'd be left with my favorite film of the year. I think at half its length we'd be left with a bullet point version of Carlos's terrorist life.