28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[MadMan]

Test Footage of Eric Stoltz as Marty McFly

I love Back to the Future, but I feel like the film might have been better with Stoltz.

I disagree. Although I still wonder how the Indy movies would have been had they casted Tom Selleck instead of Harrison Ford.

Tony Leung is indeed fantastic. No surprise there.

Weekend:

*20 Million Miles To Earth
*Cujo
*Burnt Offerings
*Freddy versus Jason

Probably won't get to all of these.

[Watashi]

I'm having a real hard time continuing Mother. The stupidity and absolute unawareness of all the characters is really annoying me. It's making me really hard to put any investment in the Mother's quest to free her son. It's visually well made, but argh... every character seems oblivious to the fact that the son is mentally challenged.

[EyesWideOpen]

I'm having a real hard time continuing Mother. The stupidity and absolute unawareness of all the characters is really annoying me. It's making me really hard to put any investment in the Mother's quest to free her son. It's visually well made, but argh... every character seems oblivious to the fact that the son is mentally challenged.

Some societies treat the mentally challenged (and mental handicaps in general) alot differently then we do here in the US.

[baby doll]

Weekend:

Foreign Correspondent (Alfred Hitchcock, 1940)
A Letter to Three Wives (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1949)
Privilege (Peter Watkins, 1967)
The Producers (Mel Brooks, 1968)
Punishment Park (Peter Watkins, 1971)
The Oath (Laura Poitras, 2010)

I'm still hoping to find time to squeeze in The Last Emperor; I may just say to hell with it and watch the theatrical cut. In theatres, I'd like to check out Catfish, but it's playing way out in the suburbs; downtown, there's a documentary about David Suzuki, a documentary about El Salvador, and Never Let Me Go--none of which I'm particularly eager to see. Oh, and Jackass 3 (in 2D), which may be the front-runner at the moment.

[soitgoes...]

My weekend:

Winter's Bone
Last Year at Marienbad
Il Posto
A Difficult Life
Catfish
Farewell

[baby doll]

My weekend:

Last Year at Marienbad

First viewing?

[soitgoes...]

I'm having a real hard time continuing Mother. The stupidity and absolute unawareness of all the characters is really annoying me. It's making me really hard to put any investment in the Mother's quest to free her son. It's visually well made, but argh... every character seems oblivious to the fact that the son is mentally challenged.

I thought it was pretty clear his mental state was noted, but respected. The one detective treats him very kindly for a man who is first in trouble with the law, and then is accused of murder. His best friend uses his forgetfulness to his advantage. They live in a small rural city. Most people are aware of who he is. Those who don't do make fun of him, which causes him to flip out. Either way the film is meant to be very tongue in cheek, and his mental "shortcomings" are a source of humor.

[B-side]

Weekend hopefuls:

Jackass 3D (Tremaine, 2010)
La belle captive (Robbe-Grillet, 1983)
Catfish (Joost/Schulman, 2010)

[soitgoes...]

First viewing?

Yes. You could say it is one of my biggest oversights thus far. Outside of a couple early shorts, Hiroshima mon amour and Wild Grass I've seen nothing by him.

[B-side]

Yes. You could say it is one of my biggest oversights thus far. Outside of a couple early shorts, Hiroshima mon amour and Wild Grass I've seen nothing by him.

Damn. You're in for a treat.

[MacGuffin]

Weekend:

Absurd (Joe D'Amato, 1981)
The Sister of Ursula (Enzo Milioni, 1978)
Zombie Holocaust (Marino Girolami, 1980)

[soitgoes...]

Oh I forgot to add to my weekend viewings, Big Tits Zombie. My girlfriend made me aware of this film's existence 6 months ago. Today it has made itself available to me. Greatest viewing experience ever? Well, it has a lot of work ahead just to live up to the title. Fucking Japanese and their awesome film titles.

[baby doll]

Yes. You could say it is one of my biggest oversights thus far. Outside of a couple early shorts, Hiroshima mon amour and Wild Grass I've seen nothing by him.

Have fun. I also recommend checking out Muriel ou Le Temp d'un retour, Providence, Mon oncle d'Amerique, Pas sur la bouche, and Coeurs. I wrote something about Marienbad for my blog a few months back, if you're interested, but that's obviously best left until after seeing it.

[soitgoes...]

Have fun. I also recommend checking out Muriel ou Le Temp d'un retour, Providence, Mon oncle d'Amerique, Pas sur la bouche, and Coeurs.

Thanks. The first two will probably be seen in due time. His newer stuff, depending on how those sit with me.

60's French films (I know Providence isn't one) tend not to sit as well with me as films of other national cinemas. Sacrilege, I know. Especially when talking to you.

[Ezee E]

I'm having a real hard time continuing Mother. The stupidity and absolute unawareness of all the characters is really annoying me. It's making me really hard to put any investment in the Mother's quest to free her son. It's visually well made, but argh... every character seems oblivious to the fact that the son is mentally challenged.

I wouldn't say that it's being unaware. Keep watching. I had the same thoughts at first as well, but things changed.

[soitgoes...]

First viewing?

Twas fascinating. I don't think I've ever seen a film like it. I'm not sure I have fully digested what I have seen. I do know that it's a film whose comprehension takes a back seat to all else, but there's still so much going on. The one negative I took away from the film is the organ. I know it was supposed to copy the baroque architecture, and lend a feeling of dreaminess, but it also distracted me from what I was being presented visually.

An interesting sidenote: Something that bothered me, not the the fault of the film or Resnais, was that the exteriors showed the palace to not be symmetrical. When symmetry was obviously so important in the design of palace, I noticed someone left off some chimneys.



After I finished watching the film I was curious about where it was filmed, and I noticed that all the chimneys are now present.



The two missing chimneys were not present when Kubrick filmed there for Paths of Glory too. I imagine that the cause was WWII, and the reconstruction since has corrected this. Just a little inside into how my mind works. Things like this are almost as interesting to me as the films.

[Qrazy]

Twas fascinating. I don't think I've ever seen a film like it. I'm not sure I have fully digested what I have seen. I do know that it's a film whose comprehension takes a back seat to all else, but there's still so much going on. The one negative I took away from the film is the organ. I know it was supposed to copy the baroque architecture, and lend a feeling of dreaminess, but it also distracted me from what I was being presented visually.

Haha we had the exact same reaction. I too find the film fascinating but I can't stand the soundtrack.

[Sxottlan]

January Criterion titles:







I know we were talking about comicbook artists doing a lot of these covers lately, but I'm starting to think it's a bit of overkill.

Apparently there's a thread in Criterion's forum that pretty much spoils what titles are coming out well in to the future, but I like just checking out the Coming Soon section and being surprised.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Nuh uh. Clowes needs to be doing more work, not less. Love that Shock Corridor cover.

[MacGuffin]

Yeah, the Shock Corridor cover is glorious. I've never seen the movie though.

[Watashi]

All three covers are great.

Loves me the Holly Hunter.

[Sxottlan]

I guess I just prefer more of the photo work.

So they've reissued eight of their first twenty titles. Perhaps this means we'll get The Killer and Hard-Boiled again. Seems like it's been awhile since those other editions were released after the Criterions.

Yeah, the Shock Corridor cover is glorious. I've never seen the movie though.

Admittedly, I haven't seen any Samuel Fuller films.

[Derek]

Admittedly, I haven't seen any Samuel Fuller films.

The comic book style is very fitting for his pulpy style. I do hope they don't over-do it with covers like that, but if they're as good as most of the ones they have already, it'll be hard for me to complain.

[Watashi]

The Game is a psychological noir version of A Christmas Carol, and it really really works.

The film is chock full of implausible plot holes, but Fincher embraces the absurdity of it all and its clear that this film is all about the journey. Everyone is on their A-game here.

I have now seen every Fincher film and I've liked-loved all of them.

[Dead & Messed Up]

The Game is a psychological noir version of A Christmas Carol, and it really really works.

The film is chock full of implausible plot holes, but Fincher embraces the absurdity of it all and its clear that this film is all about the journey. Everyone is on their A-game here.

I have now seen every Fincher film and I've liked-loved all of them.

Benjamin Button's the only one I still have to watch. I've also like-to-loved all of his movies. I think he's tied with Joon-Ho Bong for my favorite current director.