28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[StanleyK]

The Mirror (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1975) 10

This is correct, yo. First Tarkovsky?

[B-side]

The Mirror (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1975) 10
Possession (Andrzej Zulawski, 1981) 9
Mauvais Sang (Leon Carax, 1986) 8

ritch:

[

Show Spoiler

It's Leos, btw.

]

[elixir]

This is correct, yo. First Tarkovsky?

Second (other is Solyaris). Pretty much one of the best films I've ever seen.

[elixir]

ritch:

[

Show Spoiler

It's Leos, btw.

]

Ah, thanks!

[soitgoes...]

Second (other is Solyaris). Pretty much one of the best films I've ever seen.

This bodes well for you since Stalker and Nostalghia are even better than The Mirror.

[StanleyK]

Second (other is Solyaris). Pretty much one of the best films I've ever seen.

You have three more of the greatest movies ever ahead of you, and a couple of pretty good ones too.

[StanleyK]

So many people loving Possession lately. I must've missed something in it. Might have to rewatch that sucker soon.

[B-side]

This bodes well for you since Stalker and Nostalghia are even better than The Mirror.

The former isn't, but the latter might be.

[B-side]

The 19th Century Georgian Chronicle is sort of a companion piece to The Step from the same director. Both films suggest a need for mutually productive cohabitation with nature via a push-and-pull narrative featuring young dreamers determined to do their best for their respective communities. In a rather memorably serene, yet subtly disturbing scene, Nico's small room is invaded by water slithering down the walls like snakes. Nature's way of reminding him of his duty to his people, perhaps. The committee in charge of deciding the fate of his small community and the forest around it, conducts their meetings in the middle of the wilderness; tables, chairs and formal attire and all. A refreshing bit of cutting irony. Including the previously mentioned elements invading Nico's room, Tarkovsky's influence shows itself here as well with winds whipping through tall grass in an almost spiritual manner, further symbolizing the symbiosis of man and nature. The only real negative here is the fact that the only version of this film available features a Russian language track dubbed over the original Georgian in a really awkward fashion in which the Georgian is spoken, then interrupted partway through for the sake of translation by the Russian voiceover. A straight dub would've been easily preferable.

[soitgoes...]

I'm going to have to dive into Kyrgyzstani cinema in order to out-obscure you Brightside.

[Qrazy]

The former isn't, but the latter might be.

Other way around douche nozzle.

[DavidSeven]

Anyone here ever see the Hungarian film Gloomy Sunday? I guess it's a really popular film in some areas of the world. Fairly trite melodrama, but man, the lead actress is incredibly gorgeous.

[B-side]

I'm going to have to dive into Kyrgyzstani cinema in order to out-obscure you Brightside.

A few nice-looking films from there on KG.:P

[Ivan Drago]

Anyone here ever see the Hungarian film Gloomy Sunday? I guess it's a really popular film in some areas of the world. Fairly trite melodrama, but man, the lead actress is incredibly gorgeous.

I was scanning through Netflix Instant one day and came across that, and I almost mistook her for Anne Hathaway.

[B-side]

Anyone here ever see the Hungarian film Gloomy Sunday? I guess it's a really popular film in some areas of the world. Fairly trite melodrama, but man, the lead actress is incredibly gorgeous.

I see a German film set in Hungary with that title. I'm assuming this is what you're referring to?

[Winston*]

Anyone here ever see the Hungarian film Gloomy Sunday? I guess it's a really popular film in some areas of the world. Fairly trite melodrama, but man, the lead actress is incredibly gorgeous.

I've seen it, don't remember it at all though.

It ran for like a decade in some Christchurch, New Zealand cinema for some reason .

[transmogrifier]

Movie Titles that Review Themselves:

1. Sweet Smell of Success

[DavidSeven]

I see a German film set in Hungary with that title. I'm assuming this is what you're referring to?

Yeah, that's it. My mistake. Someone recommended it to my girlfriend; it was watchable, but not really worth seeking out. Unless epic holocaust romances with a fair amount of nudity are your thing.

[Rowland]

My weekend is more along the lines of Sunday-Tuesday, during which I will continue my 1981 project with a combination of these along with a new release or two:

Certified Copy
Possession
Blood Wedding (Carlos Saura, not another obscure horror movie)
Heavy Metal
Southern Comfort
Blind Chance
Knightriders

[soitgoes...]

My weekend is more along the lines of Sunday-Tuesday, during which I will continue my 1981 project with a combination of these along with a new release or two:

Certified Copy
Possession
Blood Wedding (Carlos Saura, not another obscure horror movie)
Heavy Metal
Southern Comfort
Blind Chance
Knightriders

How many 1981 films are you up to?

[Sven]

Movie Titles that Review Themselves:

1. Sweet Smell of Success

There are a couple of titles I haven't seen, but your top ten this year is amazing.

[transmogrifier]

There are a couple of titles I haven't seen, but your top ten this year is amazing.

I'm trying to watch pretty much whatever American movies from the 40s-70s I can lay my hands on this year (focusing mainly on well-known directors), and it's a strategy that is paying off. So much good stuff out there.

I was always lead to believe that the Hollywood studio system of the 40s and 50s was the definition of formulaic, cookie-cutter and generic output, movies neutered by the Hays code, and slavishly devoted to the three act structure.

That's bullshit. So many of these movies have story beats, rhythms and characterizations that put modern day Hollywood studio product to absolute shame. There's an intelligence underlying so much of what you see on screen borne of technical, legal, cultural, political and industrial limitations.

These days, all our technological breakthroughs and increasing democratization of film-making have somehow made studio films lazier and more homogenized - as soon as you are allowed to show whatever you want on screen, you tend to just put it there and say "Well, there it is". There is no filtering of ideas anymore, no sitting back and thinking "What's another way I could try this?" No, it's "I want the lead and his girlfriend fucking on the back of a flying orange dragon by next week, and Justin Beiber in for his cameo the week following".

And indie films can be just as tiring, at least in the Sundance sense of a bunch of amateurs bascially trying to crack Hollywood by mindlessly aping the last indie hit in the hopes of making similar waves. And because of the internet, prospective filmmakers are constantly bombarded with "success" stories, with memes, with a false sense of the worth of ironic distance between filmmaker and audience, and as such there's less room for an individual creative personality to take root - and thus many first films are depressingly samey. Go back in time to the time of the cavemen, give individual caves a camera and teach them to use it, and by God, then you'd see unique cinematic visions across the board. At least until they organise their first film festival and the film where the guy steps in woolly mammoth shit wins top prize and for the next 300 years you can't get finance without some sort of animal faecal matter featuring in the script.

[Dukefrukem]

I think the Star Wars trilogy is playing commercial free on Spike.

[MadMan]

Tron (1982), despite dated FX and a different aim in mind, is just as good as its sequel, which was made last year. The only thing I really like more about the sequel is the soundtrack, and the fact that it has a better ending and is more ambitious in some ways than the original. Both films have problems with dialogue and script issues, but I looked past that, largely thanks to the fact that Jeff Bridge's mere presence elevates the weaker elements of both movies. Oh and watching them back to back in Blu Ray was really radical, as both looked stunning in the format. CGI Jeff Bridges though is still one of the creepiest, weirdiest looking things I've seen in a movie in the past two years.
Part of me is willing to admit that watching '82 Tron high would be quite the trip, especially considering the weird use of color. Also I didn't know that David Warner was in the original, either. I'll be eagerly awaiting a third installment in the series, especially considering what happens in Legacy.

[Raiders]

The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (Fritz Lang, 1933) 5

Hmmm...