28 Film Discussion Threads Later

**Dead & Messed Up** · 10-04-2010, 05:39 AM

Quoting Brightside (view post)

Silly. The Deer Hunter is great.

Eh. It has great things in it.

**Boner M** · 10-04-2010, 06:10 AM

I'm usually a defender of billowing long scenes that stretch way past their logical endpoint, but the wedding in The Deer Hunter makes my eyes glaze over.

**Derek** · 10-04-2010, 06:25 AM

Quoting Boner M (view post)

The Other Guys (McKay, 2010) ***½

Thoughts?

**DavidSeven** · 10-04-2010, 06:47 AM

Hate to return to the well on this one, especially after a round of Pixar ratings, but The Deer Hunter wedding scene is the most engrossing part of the film. The rest is a bit of a bore.

**Rowland** · 10-04-2010, 07:01 AM

Quoting soitgoes... (view post)

Against my better judgment I'm gonna give John Woo another chance with Bullet in the Head.

I love it. Given that it's only your second exposure to his pre-Hollywood work, it could go either way, but I'm gonna guess you won't like it. Hoping otherwise of course.

**soitgoes...** · 10-04-2010, 09:10 AM

Quoting number8 (view post)

Better than Deer Hunter.

Good news! You were right! And not necessarily in a sarcastic way. The film is actually good.

Quoting Rowland (view post)

I love it. Given that it's only your second exposure to his pre-Hollywood work, it could go either way, but I'm gonna guess you won't like it. Hoping otherwise of course.

You weren't right, but that's okay too. It's probably the best thing I've seen of Woo. I wouldn't say that it was great, and to be honest Woo's direction was the biggest reason for the film not being great, but the story and script as well as the acting were all top notch. I might give A Better Tomorrow a look some day in the future.

**trotchky** · 10-04-2010, 09:24 AM

i have a question: are larry clark's films other than ken park as good as ken park (ie. basically a masterpiece)?

**Rowland** · 10-04-2010, 09:36 AM

Quoting soitgoes... (view post)

I might give A Better Tomorrow a look some day in the future.

In terms of direction, it's the least flamboyant film I've seen by Woo, emphasizing the operatic narrative and his actors' charismatic performances. You'll probably like it.

**trotchky** · 10-04-2010, 09:46 AM

Quoting trotchky (view post)

i have a question: are larry clark's films other than ken park as good as ken park (ie. basically a masterpiece)?

wait i watched kids actually...i barely remember it...i don't know if i watched all of it but i think i did...definitely not as good as ken park

**Ezee E** · 10-04-2010, 10:07 AM

I don't understand how one could defend the wedding scene of The Deer Hunter and then call the rest of the movie boring. And I think the whole thing is a masterpiece.

**B-side** · 10-04-2010, 12:57 PM

Quoting trotchky (view post)

i have a question: are larry clark's films other than ken park as good as ken park (ie. basically a masterpiece)?

Haven't seen Kids yet, but Wassup Rockers is terrible and Bully is pretty good. Ken Park is easily my favorite of the 3.

**number8** · 10-04-2010, 02:40 PM

Teenage Caveman is the best Larry Clark film.

**Grouchy** · 10-04-2010, 05:49 PM

Quoting Ezee E (view post)

I don't understand how one could defend the wedding scene of The Deer Hunter and then call the rest of the movie boring. And I think the whole thing is a masterpiece.

That comment really baffled me too.

El Hombre de al Lado [The Man Next Door] is an acceptable dark comedy with a gorgeous cinematography and a couple of story problems. It's shot in the only house the French architect Le Corbusier built in South America, which is located in La Plata. In the film, that house is home to a pretentious architect, his neurotic wife and his disconnected teenage daughter. The conflict is kick-started when a working class salesman moves in the adjacent house and begins carving in a window next to the architect's study. The movie has remarkable shots and visual ideas, and it creates a memorable odd couple, a pair of very well written characters with quirks and great dialogue together. But the story has nowhere to go, and although the film never loses its funny, it never really develops either. The ending is supposed to be shocking, but it's more confusing than anything else. Still, recommended.

**MadMan** · 10-04-2010, 09:05 PM

Piranha (Dante 78) **

Bummer. I find it to be really campy, but also a funny and entertaining spoof of Jaws. And yes I do own the SE, which I bought at Half-Priced Books. The awful special effects and Kevin McCarthy's hammy performance are part of its charm.

**soitgoes...** · 10-04-2010, 11:09 PM

Quoting MadMan (view post)

Bummer. I find it to be really campy, but also a funny and entertaining spoof of Jaws. And yes I do own the SE, which I bought at Half-Priced Books. The awful special effects and Kevin McCarthy's hammy performance are part of its charm.

I seem to always undervalue Joe Dante films. I never like them as much as others seem to, even though they're enjoyable enough for what they are. I figured Piranha would be awful, and I actually came away surprised that it's as good as it is. Spoof or not my biggest complaint of the film, something I just couldn't buy into was that the piranha are able to pull their victims into the water. [

Show Spoiler

] Whatever, like I said it's better than what I thought, but isn't something I'd label as good. Up soon: James Cameron's sequel!!!

**DavidSeven** · 10-04-2010, 11:20 PM

Quoting Ezee E (view post)

I don't understand how one could defend the wedding scene of The Deer Hunter and then call the rest of the movie boring. And I think the whole thing is a masterpiece.

OK, it was an overstatement. The Russian roulette scene is incredible. The De Niro/Streep scenes are strong. But those are only individual scenes. I like the film, but the roulette scene and the wedding are the only parts I consider "masterful" and the only ones where Cimino's direction feels alive. His direction for the rest of the film feels kind of rote and boring.

**Watashi** · 10-05-2010, 12:05 AM

I saw American History X last night because several of my so-call "friends" stated I must see it. Meh. Outside of Norton's performance, the film is really amateurish in its direction, handling symbolism, and the other performances. It's a pretty simplistic take on a serious topic, and I don't think it worked as a character study or a message film.

**soitgoes...** · 10-05-2010, 12:10 AM

Quoting Watashi (view post)

It's a pretty simplistic take on a serious topic, and I don't think it worked as a character study or a message film.

Well I don't know, I haven't beaten up a single person based on their race since I watched the film ten or so years ago. So I definitely got the message.

**soitgoes...** · 10-05-2010, 12:23 AM

Okay Mr. Godard, you got me! I'm not as smart as you. I have absolutely no idea what your new film is about. Maybe it's because I watched it with complete English subtitles instead of the Navajo English subtitles you wanted me to see the film with. You still have an eye for making things look beautiful though.

Granted I haven't seen a Godard film newer that Week End, so I'm probably out of touch with what it is to be a Godard film. Well when someone else watches this, please take the time to explain it to me. Or not. I'm not sure I really care.

**Spinal** · 10-05-2010, 12:56 AM

Quoting Watashi (view post)

I saw American History X last night because several of my so-call "friends" stated I must see it. Meh. Outside of Norton's performance, the film is really amateurish in its direction, handling symbolism, and the other performances. It's a pretty simplistic take on a serious topic, and I don't think it worked as a character study or a message film.

Let me take the opportunity to wholeheartedly agree with you.

**DavidSeven** · 10-05-2010, 01:05 AM

Yeah, never understood the regard for that one in the general public. Palatable enough for pure narrative, but Norton's arc is pretty unbelievable (supposedly the actor's doing) and it's definitely lacking in the complexity that the topic begs for.

**baby doll** · 10-05-2010, 01:06 AM

Quoting soitgoes... (view post)

Okay Mr. Godard, you got me! I'm not as smart as you. I have absolutely no idea what your new film is about. Maybe it's because I watched it with complete English subtitles instead of the Navajo English subtitles you wanted me to see the film with. You still have an eye for making things look beautiful though.

Granted I haven't seen a Godard film newer that Week End, so I'm probably out of touch with what it is to be a Godard film. Well when someone else watches this, please take the time to explain it to me. Or not. I'm not sure I really care.

I'm torrenting as we speak. Can't wait!

**transmogrifier** · 10-05-2010, 02:16 AM

Does this thread load much slower than others on this site for anyone else, or is it just my crappy connection?

**Mysterious Dude** · 10-05-2010, 02:49 AM

I once attempted to watch one of Godard's post-Week End movies. Tout va bien. It was like an anti-movie.

Yes, the thread loads slowly for me, too.

**D_Davis** · 10-05-2010, 04:03 AM

Quoting transmogrifier (view post)

Does this thread load much slower than others on this site for anyone else, or is it just my crappy connection?

Not just you. A lot of the site's been slow lately. Maybe it's time to lock the big epic threads? Archive some stuff?

Thread: 28 Film Discussion Threads Later

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