28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[soitgoes...]

On the topic of Eastern Europe, what are your top 5 (or 10) Hungarian films? I'll admit to only being familiar with Tarr and Jancso, but they're all truly great and I'd like to delve deeper.

1. The Red and the White
2. Satantango
3. The Round Up
4. Werckmeister Harmonies
5. Damnation (well okay, this is maybe not truly great but I still dug it)

1. The Red and the White (Jancsó)
2. My Way Home (Jancsó)
3. Love (Makk)
4. Satantango (Tarr)
5. Father (Szabó)

Szabó's short Variation of a Theme is also great. Of course I've probably only seen 5 other Hungarian films, and they're all by the same guys who directed the films above. That said I do feel strong enough with these five to list them as great.

[soitgoes...]

Awesome. Love the Millennium Mambo av, too.

Thanks! I find it easy to see so many ever since I quit the TV.

I'm not hot on the film, but the opening scene with her walking down that walkway! Perhaps the best sequence Hou directed? Well... the opening shot of Flowers of Shanghai probably trumps it, but damn if it still isn't amazing.

[Winston*]

500+

More during the rainy months before hiking/camping season hits.

That's amazing. I will maybe make it to a tenth of that this year.

[Rowland]

I've seen worse (or better?). Slant's Ed Gonzalez claims to watch 800+ movies a year according to his Top 10s page, or at least he was at the time he made the page.

[DavidSeven]

Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair (Tarantino, 2003-04) ****

How does this compare with your rating of the films separately? Also, could you tell if there was additional editing beyond putting the two pieces together? For example, did he tighten it up at all or change the chronology of the scenes?

[Derek]

How does this compare with your rating of the films separately? Also, could you tell if there was additional editing beyond putting the two pieces together? For example, did he tighten it up at all or change the chronology of the scenes?

Pretty much exactly the same ratingwise (both would get **** from me, though I slightly prefer Vol. 2). The editing of individual scenes and sequences is different, but not in a lot of places. The anime sequence was slightly longer with a few different shots, but the Pa Mei sequence was the most noticeably different. It had at least a dozen additional shots, including an extra couple minutes from before and right after Bill drops her off. It also felt tighter and had a more serious tone, which served the film better. Overall, the chronology was exactly the same, but it was broken up into 10 chapters, so I'm pretty sure there were sequences that were on their own in the original that were presented as a slightly extended chapters here. Honestly though, it's not a big enough difference to say you're missing much, but as a fan, it's definitely worth seeing.

[eternity]

2006-2009 had me watching three movies a day just about every day. Then I just kind of stopped...now it's only a movie every two days, which is still plenty but you know.

[B-side]

Which Jancso have you seen? Cantata is up your alley. It's like Malle's The Fire Within.

I've seen The Red and the White and Red Psalm, neither of which I disliked. I have a feeling I'd appreciate them more now. Grabbing Cantata right now.

[D_Davis]

Mesrine: Killer Instict

Pretty good crime biopic. I like that it doesn't get bogged down with exposition and set up. It is only concerned with the stuff that makes for great crime cinema - mainly, the crime, and the story of the main character, Mesrine. As a matter of fact, there are only a few moments in the entire film that he is not on screen. It's his story, and his movie. Looking forward to watching part 2.

[Watashi]

Pretty much exactly the same ratingwise (both would get **** from me, though I slightly prefer Vol. 2). The editing of individual scenes and sequences is different, but not in a lot of places. The anime sequence was slightly longer with a few different shots, but the Pa Mei sequence was the most noticeably different. It had at least a dozen additional shots, including an extra couple minutes from before and right after Bill drops her off. It also felt tighter and had a more serious tone, which served the film better. Overall, the chronology was exactly the same, but it was broken up into 10 chapters, so I'm pretty sure there were sequences that were on their own in the original that were presented as a slightly extended chapters here. Honestly though, it's not a big enough difference to say you're missing much, but as a fan, it's definitely worth seeing.

Yep.

Also...

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Show Spoiler

The reveal of the daughter towards the end of Volume 1 is cut out so you don't know she's alive until Beatrix finds out. It works much better as a devestating punch in the gut

]

I don't know why Uma doesn't get more acclaim for her performance. She's on the same level as Naomi Watts in Mulholland Dr. for best female perfomances of the last decade.

[D_Davis]

Is the Michael Jai White fight edited back in?

[Watashi]

Is the Michael Jai White fight edited back in?

No.

[D_Davis]

No.

Really? That's a major bummer.

I wonder why it's still not a full cut?

[D_Davis]

The House of Blue Leaves is in color thought, right?

[Qrazy]

Is the Michael Jai White fight edited back in?

I like a couple shots in that scene but the scene as a whole didn't work. It was right to be cut.

[soitgoes...]

That's amazing. I will maybe make it to a tenth of that this year.

I've been working hard to amaze you Winston*.

I guess I'm on pace for 600 this year (150 through the first 3 months), but as I said, when the sun pops out my rate will drop. Also being out of country for a month will put a sizable gap in my viewing. I don't remember a time where I went that long without seeing a film.

[Kiusagi]

The House of Blue Leaves is in color thought, right?

Yup, and it's also slightly longer.

[Henry Gale]

Yep.

Also...

[

Show Spoiler

The reveal of the daughter towards the end of Volume 1 is cut out so you don't know she's alive until Beatrix finds out. It works much better as a devestating punch in the gut

]

I don't know why Uma doesn't get more acclaim for her performance. She's on the same level as Naomi Watts in Mulholland Dr. for best female perfomances of the last decade.

Nice. The spoilered bit is how I would have hoped it to play out once edited back. Only other things I'm assuming could be altered drastically is The Bride's opening soliloquy to the audience at the beginning of Vol. 2, seeing as how it references the trailers to Vol. 1 and whatnot. Otherwise, I was lucky enough to get the Japanese DVD of Vol. 1 years ago, so when it comes to the first half, I can agree the extended anime portions and House of Blue Leaves battle (in addition to it being in colour) are very cool.

I don't know why Uma doesn't get more acclaim for her performance. She's on the same level as Naomi Watts in Mulholland Dr. for best female perfomances of the last decade.

This was the one thing I also couldn't help but take away the most from watching both halves back to back for the first time since Vol. 2's opening weekend. Having taken much of it for granted around the time it came out, it wasn't until now did I really see how much of a varied, emotional, intimidating in a suave but undeniably strong way, and ultimately genuine performance it is, especially in the context of story that likes to amp up things above the ceiling of realism so often otherwise. Also, I forgot how amazing David Carradine is in it (and not just in a "suddenly thinking of something as great work because they've recently died"-sort of way). He's just so magnetic, especially when he carries those long monologues towards the end (the Superman / Clark Kent one being the most wordy but amazingly carried of them) and how he, just like Thurman, makes his character so cryptically amiable in a way that grounds him any time he's on screen, despite what conflicting ideas we should have about him otherwise.

I'm really looking forward to seeing The Whole Bloody Affair, since I realized with that recent view how potentially endlessly watchable Kill Bill is as a film (plural or not), and how I wouldn't mind owning or seeing one more version of it, especially if it's the most definitive one.

[Sycophant]

I was under the impression that Tarantino was having Production I.G. put together a brand new extension of the anime sequence for the combined cut. Is this the same one that was in the original Japanese cut?

Hoping this makes it onto Blu-Ray before too long. Really looking forward to revisiting these films (which I could do now, but with the end of the wait in sight, I'm thinking I'll hold off for now). I drink my coffee out of a Kill Bill mug every morning.

[Winston*]

I expected Centurion to be more fun than it is. Doomsday was more fun.

Neil Marshall loves his Lord of the Rings shots.

[kuehnepips]

... Same goes with Yugoslavia and its baby countries ... Recommendations are always welcome.

May I recommend Petrovic's Skupljaci perja from 1967, my second all-time-fav.? Might be called I Even Met Happy Gypsies outside the "baby countries"

[B-side]

May I recommend Petrovic's Skupljaci perja from 1967, my second all-time-fav.? Might be called I Even Met Happy Gypsies outside the "baby countries"

Bookmarked. Looks good. Thanks for the rec, though I'm not soitgoes. At least not yet.

[Qrazy]

May I recommend Petrovic's Skupljaci perja from 1967, my second all-time-fav.? Might be called I Even Met Happy Gypsies outside the "baby countries"

Gypsy fetishist!

[soitgoes...]

May I recommend Petrovic's Skupljaci perja from 1967, my second all-time-fav.? Might be called I Even Met Happy Gypsies outside the "baby countries"

I actually almost went with that one instead of Three, so yes you may recommend.

[soitgoes...]

Bookmarked. Looks good. Thanks for the rec, though I'm not soitgoes. At least not yet.

It's my recommendation jerk! Get your own!

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