28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[MadMan]

The Foreigner



Hey look its Deborah Harry. Cool.

The Foreigner (1978) is an underground movie, at times punk driven even, and I watched it thanks to well....TCM's Underground theater that airs on Saturday's now. The copy was grainy, the audio scratchy, and yet I couldn't stop watching despite not really knowing what the plot exactly was. The main character, a French agent named Max, is stationed in New York City but he has little information about his mission or why he's there. I loved the opening credits, set to a rather cool sounding score: Max in the cab, looking quietly out the window as the taxi drives on through a tunnel into the New York City streets.

I was reminded of Michael Mann and Taxi Driver, however really this film is more Repo Man (1984) in terms of being about the punk scene and punks in general. Max wanders aimlessly through New York, getting in and out of trouble; there is a rather shocking scene where he is stabbed and assaulted by some toughs in a random dive which features...a punk band. Having Harry pop up in a back alley smoking is an amusing moment, as this film was made just as Blondie was beginning to achieve stardom, but it also speaks to this movie's odd moments.

However later on it appears this is as much about racial intolerance and fear of "The Other" as it is a spy thriller movie. Max proves unable to save others, and by the middle to later part of the film he is chased by the very tough youths that gave him trouble earlier. Desperate to gain further meaning and understanding, he achieves neither and chases it in strong drink and strange women. I love how the film ends, with a stark viewing of the Statue of Liberty. Apparently in this film the immigrant is not received warmly, but is rather cast out and abused, beaten and in the end, destroyed.

Sure this is a really low budget film and the acting is not the greatest, but I was captivated throughout and I really would like to see this again. Unfortunately I had to delete it from my parents' DVR (I no longer live there but I still use it heh) and according to an online search this is sadly not a better copy of this film. Too bad, as it should be seen by more and it reminded me of another equally underrated cult classic, the 1962 film Blast of Silence, which I own on Criterion.

[dreamdead]

Rewatched Syndromes and a Century yesterday. The ability to luxuriate in its languid pace was wonderful. Still bewildered at how anything other than the (clothed) erection could generate an irate ratings review from Thailand, but I thought the focus on the monks in the first half, and the subsequent divergence away from spiritual life in the city sequences, were quite powerful. The emphasis on architectural spirituality rather than living spirituality was interesting.

This did make me confident, though, that Tropical Malady and Uncle Boonmee... are his best films.

[wigwam]

Eric Rohmer is like the inverse of any of your classic rock legendary groups in that he was only good during the 80s.

[Derek]

Eric Rohmer is like the inverse of any of your classic rock legendary groups in that he was only good during the 80s.

I'm guessing you weren't very good at math, were you?

[dreamdead]

Generally I'm a fan of people loving Rohmer, but what the what? Barring the beginning of the Four Seasons set, there's nothing that Rohmer's done that exceeds the Six Moral Tales.

[elixir]

I don't agree with wigs (obviously), but I prefer his other stuff I've seen to the Moral Tales (still have to see Love in the Afternoon).

[dreamdead]

I neglected to consider The Green Ray with the earlier statement. That one can do battle with the best of Rohmer's 60s work.

[Raiders]

Generally I'm a fan of people loving Rohmer, but what the what? Barring the beginning of the Four Seasons set, there's nothing that Rohmer's done that exceeds the Six Moral Tales.

Perceval and The Marquis of O... are better than any of the Moral Tales films. They are also from the 70s as well.

[baby doll]

My favorite Rohmer film is the aforementioned Perceval le Gallois, but his strongest period overall was clearly the last decade of his career from Conte d'automne (1998) to Les Amours d'Astrée et de Céladon (2007) when he started mixing it up again. (Triple Agent in particular is bottomlessly fascinating.) I haven't seen Le Rayon vert, which I've heard is a bit of a departure from his usual routine, but his other films from the period give the impression of a filmmaker making the same damn movie again and again.

[baby doll]

I think we all know what's coming next:

1. Perceval le Gallois (1978)
2. Triple Agent (2004)
3. Le Genou de Claire (1970)
4. L'Anglaise et le duc (2001)
5. Les Amours d'Astrée et de Céladon (2007)
6. La Boulangère de Monceau (1963)
7. Conte d'automne (1998)
8. L'Amour, l'après midi (1972)
9. Ma nuit chez Maud (1969)
10. La Femme de l'aviateur (1981)

[elixir]

My favorite Rohmer film is the aforementioned Perceval le Gallois, but his strongest period overall was clearly the last decade of his career from Conte d'automne (1998) to Les Amours d'Astrée et de Céladon (2007) when he started mixing it up again. (Triple Agent in particular is bottomlessly fascinating.) I haven't seen Le Rayon vert, which I've heard is a bit of a departure from his usual routine, but his other films from the period give the impression of a filmmaker making the same damn movie again and again.

Perceval is probably more of a departure. I mean, if you like movies, you should like Le rayon vert. But then again, if you go in thinking he makes the same film again and again, a criticism which never ceases to be boring (and usually wrong no matter who it's aimed at), then maybe you won't. But you should! Because it's great. My second favorite behind The Aviator's Wife. I still have a lot to see; I'm on a Rohmer kick now, so some of those shall be viewed shortly!

[Winston*]

Seen 22 movies at the cinema in the last two weeks. Will probably be up to 30 by Sunday. I'm tired.

1. Only Lovers Left Alive
2. Ilo Ilo
3. Omar
4. You're Next
5. Prince Avalanche
6. A Hijacking
7. Like Father Like Son
8. Leviathan
9. The Missing Picture
10. The Past
11. Upstream Colour
12. The Act of Killing
13. Stranger By the Lake
14. A Field in England
15. The Selfish Giant
16. Ginger and Rosa
17. Blackfish;
18. North by Northwest
19. Behind the Candelabra
20. The Weight of Elephants
21. In the House
22. It Boy;
23. The Spectacular Now
24. Soul in the Sea
25. Twenty Feet from Stardom
26. The Summit
27. Ernest & Celestine;
28. Much Ado About Nothing
29. The Crowd with live orchestra / new score;
30. Museum Hours

A lot of them wouldn't have been my choice, but whatever I didn't pay to see them.

[Derek]

A lot of them wouldn't have been my choice, but whatever I didn't pay to see them.

I'm assuming that list is chronological not by preference, right? What'd you think of Museum Hours? I've read a couple raves about it and the preview makes it look pretty fascinating.

[Winston*]

I'm assuming that list is chronological not by preference, right?

There is no order. I do not think You're Next is a better film than The Act of Killing.

I'm assuming that list is chronological not by preference, right? What'd you think of Museum Hours? I've read a couple raves about it and the preview makes it look pretty fascinating.

Found it pretty boring and repetitive to be honest. I had just watched two other films and had been out till 3am the night before though. Maybe I might have been more receptive otherwise.

[Derek]

There is no order. I do not think You're Next is a better film than The Act of Killing.

I find that hard to believe.

Found it pretty boring and repetitive to be honest. I had just watched two other films and had been out till 3am the night before though. Maybe I might have been more receptive otherwise.

Fair enough. I'd rather go in with my expectations in check. I'll still try to see it when it plays here later this month.

[Winston*]

The score for The Crowd was by a Kiwi composer and was really great. If Criterion releases the film they should license it.

[Winston*]

Fair enough. I'd rather go in with my expectations in check. I'll still try to see it when it plays here later this month.

There's a 15 minute lecture on the painter Brugel in the middle of the film that's pretty interesting.

[Boner M]

Wasn't a big fan of Museum Hours either. Felt like I was watching a manual of how to watch the film I was watching. And not in an interesting way.

How'd you like the Jarmusch & Stranger by the Lake?

[Winston*]

Wasn't a big fan of Museum Hours either. Felt like I was watching a manual of how to watch the film I was watching. And not in an interesting way.

It was pretty annoying when they hammer home the point at the end. Yeah, I got that.

How'd you like the Jarmusch & Stranger by the Lake?

Really liked both. Thematic similarities between the two come to think of it. More penises in Stranger by the Lake.

[MadMan]

I would love to see A Field in England based on the trailer for it I recently watched.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Little battle with sleep lately. Tonight I wasted my time watching Trouble With the Curve. What a steaming pile that was. One of the worst films in recent memory. Not an exaggeration. Poorly acted (including Adams, though the writing was so putrid it likely couldn't be helped), poorly written, poorly plotted, corny and cliched as all fuck, and a complete waste of time on all levels. It's like the anti-Moneyball (the book and the ideology, not necessarily the film, though that probably still applies). Old grizzled vets are superior to computers and Sabermetrics. Just staggeringly inept in all regards. One of the rare times in my life when I can honestly say I would have rather been sleeping than watching that film.

[Boner M]

It's pretty bad, but it's also so movie-that-exists-y that it had a certain charm for me.

[dreamdead]

Digging into Powell and Pressburger's films further reveals that they're not all magnificent like The Red Shoes, but I like how they maintain a stable cast of character actors. The 49th Parallel isn't a classic, but as WW2-propaganda, it's interesting enough. There's a few nakedly ironic bits about Hitler being crazy to let a baker leave his profession, which are weak, but the actual baker storyline was rather powerful. It has nuance about upbringing, ideology, and the ability to change--and never feels strident. That said, the ending is a little weaker, lacking the nuance that the film elsewhere teases.

[Spinal]

Marina Abramovic's Top 10 list is basically what you would expect:

1. Color of Pomegranates (1968), Sergei Parajanov
2. Last Year at Marienbad (1961), Alain Resnais
3. Underground (1995), director - Emir Kusturica
4. Teorama (1968), director - Pier Paolo Pasolini
5. L’avventura (1960), director - Michelangelo Antonioni
6. 8 1/2 (1963), director - Federico Fellini
7. Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975), director - Pier Paolo Pasolini
8. Melancholia (2011), director - Lars von Trier
9. The Silence (1963), director - Ingmar Bergman
10. Blue Velvet (1986), director - David Lynch

[Ezee E]

Marina Abramovic's Top 10 list is basically what you would expect:

1. Color of Pomegranates (1968), Sergei Parajanov
2. Last Year at Marienbad (1961), Alain Resnais
3. Underground (1995), director - Emir Kusturica
4. Teorama (1968), director - Pier Paolo Pasolini
5. L’avventura (1960), director - Michelangelo Antonioni
6. 8 1/2 (1963), director - Federico Fellini
7. Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975), director - Pier Paolo Pasolini
8. Melancholia (2011), director - Lars von Trier
9. The Silence (1963), director - Ingmar Bergman
10. Blue Velvet (1986), director - David Lynch

So, how about we contribute to her kickstarter, and have her screen one of those for us, and discuss afterward???