28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[Irish]

Was just doing the dishes and "Trust," Prince's theme from Batman came on shuffle and I remembered how much I love that song and that movie. Other excellent movie pop song themes, go!

The entire album he did specifically for that movie is absolutely grand.

[Qrazy]

Inglourious Basterds and Death Proof are both incredibly rich for analysis. You could probably convince me that it isn't entirely by conscious design, but that doesn't really matter when evaluating the films on their own.

Being rich for analysis doesn't mean it's intellectually nuanced or stimulating.

[DavidSeven]

Being rich for analysis doesn't mean it's intellectually nuanced or stimulating.

Nuanced, no. But I would think that, by definition of the word, anything warranting analysis would require some level of mental stimulus too. Anyway, I think Inglourious Basterds leaves the audience with a lot to ponder, as long as they choose to view the film beyond its superficial elements. I'm not sure what else you might mean by "intellectually stimulating."

[Qrazy]

Nuanced, no. But I would think that, by definition of the word, anything warranting analysis would require some level of mental stimulus too. Anyway, I think Inglourious Basterds leaves the viewer with a lot to ponder, if they choose to view beyond its superficial elements. I'm not sure what else you might mean by "intellectually stimulating."

Antonioni is nuanced and intellectually stimulating. Something like Faster Pussycat Kill Kill! Is still rich for analysis though. Almost any formally well constructed film is rich for analysis.

[DavidSeven]

Antonioni is nuanced and intellectually stimulating. Something like Faster Pussycat Kill Kill! Is still rich for analysis though. Almost any formally well constructed film is rich for analysis.

Well, I think what's interesting about Inglourious Basterds goes a lot further than how its formally constructed. Oddly, the most interesting thing to me about L'Avventura is its formal construction. The existential elements I can take or leave.

[Sven]

Almost any formally well constructed film is rich for analysis.

Doesn't even have to be well constructed. Everything is rich for analysis, formal, social, structural, cultural, economic, et al. I like how Grant Morrison put it: "The thing is that you can study anything. You can pick up even the crappy [comics] and they’ll somehow manage to be some kind of holographic splinter of the entirety of creation."

[DavidSeven]

Sure, I can buy that, but I was merely refuting the claim that the film was not intellectually stimulating. If claiming something is rich for analysis is empty praise, then saying something is lacking in intellectual stimulus is an equally empty criticism.

[Sven]

Sure, I can buy that, but I was merely refuting the claim that the film was not intellectually stimulating. If claiming something is rich for analysis is empty praise, then saying something is lacking in intellectual stimulus is an equally empty criticism.

I totally agree with you. Neither Q nor I were mounting much of an offensive with that sentiment.

[Qrazy]

Sure, I can buy that, but I was merely refuting the claim that the film was not intellectually stimulating. If claiming something is rich for analysis is empty praise, then saying something is lacking in intellectual stimulus is an equally empty criticism.

It's not a criticism in and of itself it's a statement about the film. I find Inglorious Basterds not intellectually compelling... you can find more of my comments about this at length in the Basterds thread in response to other peoples arguments.

All of this is to say I'm not that interested intellectually/philosophically in what Tarantino has to say about slavery because I find his ideas about history lacking. His ideas about genre, that's another matter.

[Sven]

For me, too, coincidental with Q's explanation, some things trump other things. Sometimes a movie's surface is just too unappealing to want to spend any more time with it.

[B-side]

This is fantastic. Steven Spielberg talks about meeting John Ford:

[youtube]tfiCdpmuFUE[/youtube]

[B-side]

I was watching a video essay on She Wore a Yellow Ribbon by Tag Gallagher and he made some interesting comments. He said that there's a sort of confrontation between the cavalry and the land itself, citing the motif of smoke and the harsh weather, like the cavalry battles the natives and nature wielding their American customs i.e. manners and ways of life and imposing them as they go along. He pointed out that Brittles always answers war with non-violence, which I never noticed, and that the quote about old people stopping wars is precisely what MacArthur said when he left his troops in the Philippines. He also compared the shared feeling of guilt and tragedy that everyone felt after WWII with how the film ends with a plea that their fighting was actually worth something. And the clips I saw in addition to the essay have convinced me I likely underestimated it the first time around, on a technical level as well.

[Mr. Pink]

Was just doing the dishes and "Trust," Prince's theme from Batman came on shuffle and I remembered how much I love that song and that movie. Other excellent movie pop song themes, go!

Keep in mind, I categorize "excellent" as things I like:

Bobby Brown -- On Our Own (Ghostbusters 2)
Arts & Crafts -- Surely (House Party)
Cyndi Lauper -- Goonies 'R' Good Enough (The Goonies)
Lindsay Buckingham -- Holiday Road (National Lampoon's Vacation)

And, of course, Huey Lewis songs in Back to the Future.

[Qrazy]

Annaud's Quest for Fire was a lot of fun. Obviously kind of absurd on a lot of levels and a very truncated conception of early man... In one week first time witnessing hand-drill fire creation, first time experiencing missionary sex, first time experiencing laughter, first time domesticating a woolly mammoth. That's a lot of firsts! But at the same time Annaud creates a richly textured world and it's a joy to watch Ron Perlman and Everett McGill pal around as hairy early men spewing Anthony Burgess grunts and growls in their Promethean journey.

[Spinal]

Was just doing the dishes and "Trust," Prince's theme from Batman came on shuffle and I remembered how much I love that song and that movie. Other excellent movie pop song themes, go!

"We Don't Need Another Hero" - Tina Turner

[Sven]

"We Don't Need Another Hero" - Tina Turner

While I was writing a final paper on this film, I went to a farmer's market where someone was blasting the vinyl of the soundtrack. I couldn't help but lip-diva along, much to the embarrassment of Kristen. It was a religious moment.

Shit, now I'm going to play this on my iTunes.

[Spinal]

My favorite song on the Batman soundtrack was this:

[youtube]n2zyL72Yr_w[/youtube]

I don't remember if it's even used in the movie. Maybe the credits?

[elixir]

L'Argent was really good. Thought the close-up on actions worked very well here. Elliptical, but still very direct at times...definitely no excess. I feel like I missed a lot and it doesn't have the emotional impact of Balthazar, but I thought it was masterful. I dug the color scheme.

[Mara]

Rewatching The Incredibles for the first time in a couple of years to unwind from, frankly, a really crappy week.

Two thoughts.

1. Yeah, this might be my favorite Pixar. It is so freaking good.

2. Sheesh, childbirth must have been a snap for Elastigirl. She probably popped those suckers out like a Pez dispenser.

[Russ]

Sheesh, childbirth must have been a snap for Elastigirl. She probably popped those suckers out like a Pez dispenser.

OK, that's just too funny not to reuse. :lol:

[Watashi]

The funny thing is that I own a Mrs. Incredible Pez dispenser.

[Scar]

The funny thing is that I own a Mrs. Incredible Pez dispenser.

I'm guessing you have... other things, too.

[Derek]

L'Argent was really good. Thought the close-up on actions worked very well here. Elliptical, but still very direct at times...definitely no excess. I feel like I missed a lot and it doesn't have the emotional impact of Balthazar, but I thought it was masterful. I dug the color scheme.

Wait a while and come back to it. I had the same initial reaction as you (it's so elliptical that it's quite difficult to see how everything intersects on a single viewing), but have loved it more with each subsequent viewing. It's now one of my all-time faves and right behind Balthazaras my favorite Bresson. And of course, it contains the greatest axe murder in the history of cinema.

[Derek]

The funny thing is that I own a Mrs. Incredible Pez dispenser.

And hopefully the only thing you put in it is Pez...right?

[Watashi]

And hopefully the only thing you put in it is Pez...right?

I actually haven't opened it yet. It's still in its packaging.