28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[Boner M]

w/e

Fanfare + Bert Haanstra shorts
Sonic Outlaws (Craig Baldwin)
some other shit

[Beau]

I quite liked Trouble Every Day. It's Claire Denis playing around with a schizophrenic conspiracy straight out of Rivette, adding lots of blood and emotional intensity, and mixing it up with Vincent Gallo and a contemplative gaze (this last point being expected). I don't know, that's good stuff to me.

My rankings:

1. L'Intrus
2. Trouble Every Day
3. Beau Travail
4. 35 Rhums

They're all impressive. I do agree L'Intrus is not accessible. I think the only reason I liked it was because at the time I was coincidentally interested in open-narratives (still am, but when I watched it I was just starting to throw the darts around).

[Bosco B Thug]

Ah yeah I actually started my reply with Shepitko in mind but forgot to put her name down. I think she's also my favorite.

I hope her remaining and undistributed films are as powerful as The Ascent and Wings... and I hope they get distributed.

You know, I saw The Piano a few months ago on the big screen, and though I liked it quite a bit, I wasn't that impressed by it. The feminist symbolism ("She's lost her voice," or something to that effect) was a bit on the nose for my liking, and Sam Neill as the villain is like something out of a D.W. Griffith melodrama--except not as awesome. Good film, but did it really deserve the Palme d'Or over King of the Hill, Ma saison préférée, Naked and The Puppet Master?

I totally expected Campion to drop the ball with the Sam Neill character, and I thought she had when he does the finger deed, but his send-off moment is pitch perfect. Also, The Piano = best demystification of hoop skirts ever. The film's realy a riot, I love it.

[BuffaloWilder]

There's a French critic, Yannick Dahan, who hosts Operation Frisson - it's a serialized review show that's actually pretty popular over there. And, I've got a couple of his videos that a friend sent me - unfortunately, they are in French. And, I cannot make use of a translation service, because - well, it's a video.

Now, I may be talking entirely out of my ass-crack, but isn't there some audio translation program, out there? I'm sure I've seen something like that floating around somewheres. However, I may, in fact, be wrong and this may be totally illogical nonsense.

Still -

Also, other types of valid responses include: other possible solutions.


(This is semi-related to film, so I figured 'why not?')

[trotchky]

With all this talk of Bergman, I decided to jump onto the Bergman Bandwagon:

I fell asleep 30 minutes into Persona (exhausting couple of days) but already it's caused me to both ruin a pretty decent pair of jeans and break a hole through my television. The film seems to reveal itself the way a great novel might: With an insanely gripping opener that appears simply done because of the mastery behind it (is simple, indeed because it is the work of a master) and progresses at a logical thematic pace that keeps your mind working just enough for you to always think you know what's being done. I guess I'll have to watch the rest of it tomorrow! For now? Second viewing of The Hangover on hitflix dot net!

[Qrazy]

With all this talk of Bergman, I decided to jump onto the Bergman Bandwagon:

I fell asleep 30 minutes into Persona (exhausting couple of days) but already it's caused me to both ruin a pretty decent pair of jeans and break a hole through my television. The film seems to reveal itself the way a great novel might: With an insanely gripping opener that appears simply done because of the mastery behind it (is simple, indeed because it is the work of a master) and progresses at a logical thematic pace that keeps your mind working just enough for you to always think you know what's being done. I guess I'll have to watch the rest of it tomorrow! For now? Second viewing of The Hangover on hitflix dot net!

Um... so the film gave you a hard on which smashed your TV?

[trotchky]

Um... so the film gave you a hard on which smashed your TV?

Rep. You got it.

[Grouchy]

So I just saw all three Terminator movies back to back. Seriously. I'd obviously seen the first two a bunch of times as a kid and teenager, and it was a cool world to visit again, but this was the first time I saw the third one. It's significantly worse, I think, because until the very end it doesn't feel like an "earned" sequel, only a retread of typical Terminator scenarios and situations. Most of it is just played for homage and camp, and seeing that coming straight off the epic climax of the second one only makes it worse. I bet I would've liked it if I had gone to the cinema back in 2003. It's not offensively bad, just kind of a dull and predictable film to make. The worst part of it is that the John Connor character is turned into a retard. Where are his hacking abilities? Or his personality?

Those t-shirts are the cat's fucking pyjamas. I want one NOW.

[MacGuffin]

I'm the screenwriter around here. Scripts will be five pages long maximum and consist of the mere basics; dialogue and actual scenes will be purely improvised.

[MacGuffin]

This was already a must-buy when it was announced (I haven't seen it yet), but between the Adrian Martin commentary and all the written material, Criterion keeps adding extras that make it a potential DVD of the year along with Last Year at Marienbad, which I'll hopefully pick up soon after it comes out.

[ledfloyd]

i'm binging on animation.

[Qrazy]

i'm binging on animation.

I've been thinking of watching the Disney canon lately. I saw many only as a kid and there's still a large number I've never seen before.

[ledfloyd]

I've been thinking of watching the Disney canon lately. I saw many only as a kid and there's still a large number I've never seen before.

i haven't seen any of them since i was about 10. until the last week or so. pinnochio, fantasia and snow white held up really well. not sure if i'm brave enough to attempt tackling the entire canon. there are alot of duds in there.

[Watashi]

Animated films are for kids.

lol led

[ledfloyd]

Animated films are for kids.

lol led

...

[Watashi]

...

Aw, I still love you.

[ledfloyd]

Aw, I still love you.

i'm confused by what you were saying with teh last post.

[Watashi]

i'm confused by what you were saying with teh last post.

Goddammit led. I was making fun of you because you watch children movies.

[ledfloyd]

Goddammit led. I was making fun of you because you watch children movies.

but... you wa...

oh nevermind.

[balmakboor]

I get very few comments on my reviews at blogcritics.org (I need to promote them more or something) but when I do they are often pretty strange. I kind of got stuck reviewing a piece of junk recent version of Call of the Wild and some guy really took exception to my calling its director incompetent. (I almost replied back with something along the lines of "Plant" or asking him if he's Richard Gabai's brother. I suppose what I ended up saying in reply was a bit more tactful.)

http://blogcritics.org/video/article...l-of-the-wild/

[trotchky]

Animated films are for kids.

lol led

Untrue.

Kid's films are for kids, though.

[baby doll]

I've been thinking of watching the Disney canon lately. I saw many only as a kid and there's still a large number I've never seen before.

I watched Snow White and Alice in Wonderland again recently, and they were both boring as hell.

[kuehnepips]

Rohtenburg (2006, Germany) opened in German theatres yesterday.

[Mysterious Dude]

I caught some of Finding Nemo on TV the other day, and I thought it was pretty lame. Some of the "family" moments (Nemo swimming to his dad and hugging him sideways at the end) were really gag-inducing.

[Beau]

I bet I would've liked it if I had gone to the cinema back in 2003.

That didn't work for me, unfortunately.