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Can I add my thoughts to the discussion on The Searchers? :)
Google it and you'll find many who think the film is overrated and some who think it's not good at all. So people that don't get it aren't alone!
It did become a university staple after the praise of such men as Spielberg. I even studied it at the University of Maryland back in 1978.
For me, I think it's great because in a way, it ended the western as we knew it. Ironic, no? John Ford and John Wayne ending the very mythology they created. Ethan's anti-hero is a forerunner to the anti-heroes of the 70s; it seems to be one of the first, or the first, to really look at the racism of Manifest Destiny. Ethan is and will always be an outsider. At one point, he desecrates an Indian burial ground, cementing his fate as outsider. No longer will society allow such racism. That final shot of the man who cannot come inside the home encapsulates the most basic of western themes: the western hero as outsider; the man who saves society only to be kept outside of it. (He's a bit like Moses....) He symbolizes the end of the western frontier as lawless and at the same time, asks us to think about how we created a society where we destroyed another people in the process.
It always struck me as the first apologist western, with the much clearer apology coming many years later with Dances With Wolves. (A film I also love but will agree The Searchers was obviously more complex.)
I love it. But that's just me. :D
I'd probably say that Ford's How Green Was My Valley is his best sentimental film. As far as most sentimental, I'll have to think on that. My fave Ford is The Quiet Man.
planet news
08-19-10, 01:26 AM
Lines, mark, and tramp. All awesome posts.
I dunno. I'll have to think about it. I'm not going to deny its masterfulness, IN PARTS, but I also won't deny it's flaws, either technically or ideologically. Some of the scenes just didn't work for me. The music was a failure in many placed, though it succeeded in the end, as did the famed cinematography disappoint and succeed. Just because Ford has great subjects for the rock formations doesn't mean the compositions were anything special. I just can't see it as THE BEST western as I said.
It's definitely a classic and a great film. I need to watch more westerns in general, but I'm not going to say it's the best western. I don't know that much so I won't list the films I think are better.
iluv2viddyfilms
08-19-10, 02:03 AM
I still don't get how The Searchers is considered the best western of all time.
Characterization of Ethan Edwards, and obsession. He's an Ahab set in a western.
One thing I dislike about many of Ford's films is his sense of humor. It seems at odds with much of the drama, and at times it's overly macho to the point of being self-parody.
iluv2viddyfilms
08-19-10, 02:04 AM
I'd probably say that Ford's How Green Was My Valley is his best sentimental film. As far as most sentimental, I'll have to think on that. My fave Ford is The Quiet Man.
I would say The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is his most sentimental, but also most self-reflective.
iluv2viddyfilms
08-19-10, 02:09 AM
Lines, mark, and tramp. All awesome posts.
I dunno. I'll have to think about it. I'm not going to deny its masterfulness, IN PARTS, but I also won't deny it's flaws... I just can't see it as THE BEST western as I said.
It's definitely a classic and a great film. I need to watch more westerns in general, but I'm not going to say it's the best western. I don't know that much so I won't list the films I think are better.
I think similar themes of being an outsider were explored in Shane, which is a much stronger film in my thoughts.
I think similar themes of being an outsider were explored in Shane, which is a much stronger film in my thoughts.
The difference, to me, is how Ethan is an outsider -- you can't escape his racism that is shown throughout the film. The audience has very conflicting feelings about him and I'm still amazed that Wayne played such a part. (It kind of reminds me of Eastwood's role in Unforgiven.) That last image also seems to say that Wayne is an outsider because society says he is; Shane seems to choose his status because of his own morality. Wayne looks so sad as he stands there at the end;; he sighs and walks away from the home, accepting his status as opposed to Shane's iconic riding off into the sunset. Ethan is being punished.... the ultimate outsider. :)
planet news
08-19-10, 10:59 AM
Now ARE their conflicting feelings? I mean, the Indians are portrayed as being real ********, to say the least.
Also, I can't help but feel that Wayne chose to stay an outsider because of himself; not necessarily society. Basically, with him walking off into the desert it's like he's not coming back. Almost like he's going to die. Like he's done this one last thing, and now he can go die.
Unfortunately, Shane is another film that I can't see has being THE BEST, though I think it is considered so more because of it's influence. Maybe I even like Searchers better... Need... to... think...
linespalsy
08-19-10, 11:33 AM
To me the ending looked more like Ethan is equated with the mythological wildness and independence that that western landscape seems to represent for some. To the extent that I found it to be a "statement" that is. It doesn't even really seem all that bittersweet to me as Ethan's dark side is pretty much forgiven with his reconciliation with the youngest daughter.
Also the view of racism in the film seemed pretty bad both in content (no really noticeable non-white actors or characters, even to the point where the main Indian character is played by a German; all the Indians are pretty stock villains; the "squaw wife" ends up being sympathetic more because you feel bad that she's the butt of a pretty excessive joke than because she's portrayed as a real character) and form (the fact that this is a pretty classic "revenge" narrative. Racism as "revenge" for atrocities committed by the Indians). The fact that you never really learn much about Ethan's motivations or even that major aspects of his relationship with his family are only hinted at, to me that just seemed like a device to make him larger-than-life. Perhaps the ending was saying that for "America and freedom" you need both the wildness of Ethan and the domesticity of Martin. I don't know, that discussion is just not what sold the movie for me.
Edit: beat me to it a little bit PN, but I think I agree with your above post.
linespalsy
08-19-10, 11:41 AM
Hey tramp, what class was it that you watched The Searchers in?
I feel like most of you have a better understanding of this movie in it's context as a western (and as mark points out in John Ford's personal vision) than I do, and maybe that's where you're coming from.
planet news
08-19-10, 11:47 AM
The film has some great aspects that work well. The girl reading the letter as a narration which blends with Martin's narration which cuts to the flashback. That's really great framing since its contained within the letter and the letter means a great deal to the girl. Obviously the beginning and the ending.
Ethan's dark side is pretty much forgiven with his reconciliation with the youngest daughter.'Tis is perfectly built reversal that really puts a smile on your face. As Godard said: "how can I hate John Wayne upholding Goldwater and yet love him tenderly when abruptly he takes Natalie Wood into his arms in the last real of The Searchers?"
Ethan's dark side is pretty much forgiven with the "squaw wife" ends up being sympathetic more because you feel bad that she's the butt of a pretty excessive joke than because she's portrayed as a real characterLet's be real here. This was AWFUL. I didn't find this funny at all. Really unsavory move by the film, that I would rather forget.
Do I consider it a failure even in the context of the genre, the times, and the film itself? Yes, yes, and yes.
I think not explaining Ethan's actions is a pretty cool move actually if for nothing else than simple negative capability and fanwankery. There are hints and clues throughout that make repeated viewings worthwhile.
linespalsy
08-19-10, 11:55 AM
Yeah I agree about the letter I enjoyed that part too. Without the visual-storytelling aspect that I already noted was my favorite part of the film, I would still probably give The Searchers 3 which is a good score from me.
So, I'm way, way, behind on Movie Tabbing, and I'm not possibly going to catch up, so I'll just list a few recents with a paragraph or two on each:
Wall Street
I started to write a review of this, but I think I might have enough to say to make up a "real" review, so I'll put this one on hold for the moment.
Thirteen Days
4
http://www.movieforums.com/community/resize/phpThumb.php?src=http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u230/ppcccaps/thirteen02.jpg&h=220]
Saw this in the theaters, then again recently. Good political thriller, often feels like a stage play or a low-budget effort, save for the military sequences interspersed throughout. Plus, a low-budget affair would have someone better than Costner rocking his Bostonian twang ("Repaht cahhhhhd!").
Love Greenwood and Culp as Jack and Bobby, and while they've clearly injected some inter-agency rivalry here where it may not have existed (or been as pronounced), it's a "fair" liberty to take to generate tension, and I kind of admire it for taking such a firm position. Accurate or not, it does raise interesting questions about just how much each President should defer to his military advisors, a tough question that seems to become tougher each year.
The most impressive aspect is probably how well the film draws us into the situation and makes the risks and rewards of each choice perfectly clear, which is no mean feat. There was some serious geopolitical chess going on at the time, but Thirteen Days is always just complicated enough to be interesting. Really like this film.
Surrogates
2.5
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30 years ago, this probably would've been groundbreaking. Now, it's just another sci-fi film asking us what it is to be human. It's a pretty predictable sorry, save for one nice little twist at the end, and questionable technology enters the story somewhere around the middle. Willis is quite good, and there are some nice wrinkles; it's always fun seeing how near-future films extrapolate the consequences of their new technologies. Just nothing special, though. The execution's pretty good, and it's not a bad film, it's just a couple decades too late, and a bit too predictable.
Rambo
2.5
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You really can't expect much from this kind of film other than stoic silences and loud guns, and Rambo has both. The violence is extreme, but not in a fun, ridiculous way: more in a depressing way, since the film spends the first 45 minutes showing us terrible atrocities, largely so that when Rambo flips out and starts mowing everyone down, we can revel in it, because we full-on hate the bad guys. There's only one stand-up-and-cheer sequences, though, which isn't quite enough. You'll get what you probably expect from this one, but not much more.
Big Fan
3
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This one feels like a real missed opportunity, but it's still good in its own right. Patton Oswalt plays a "big fan" of the New York Giants, and one player in particular. He's patently a loser, and his entire life rivals around the team, and some silly sports talk show rivalry with an Eagles fan. Obviously, it's depressing, though it's never really clear if some of the scenes are meant to be funny or sad.
I won't describe what actually takes place, because I think it's more interesting having no idea, but in the end I think Big Fan fails to make any really insightful points about the kind of person its depicting, and instead just depicts one of them. Which is fairly entertaining in its own right, but I'd expected a more thoughtful exploration of fandom.
planet news
08-19-10, 12:04 PM
I've seen none of these unfortunately. I know the plot of Rambo. Isn't that enough?
honeykid
08-19-10, 01:49 PM
+ repped just for liking Thirteen Days so much. I really liked that film, though I thought Costner was good in it. I've not seen it in years. I should try and find a copy.
In terms of acting, Costner was pretty good, yeah -- he's particularly good in his phone call to the second pilot. But his accent...ugh. Particularly given how good Culp's is; hearing the two alongside one another makes Costner's seem even worse.
voneil7
08-19-10, 02:39 PM
I've seen none of these unfortunately. I know the plot of Rambo. Isn't that enough?
Yes
+ repped just for liking Thirteen Days so much. I really liked that film, though I thought Costner was good in it. I've not seen it in years. I should try and find a copy.
OMG, we're two for two in agreement in what, less than 24 hours! Who would have thought?
I'm glad others have seen and appreciated that film. I've been rather smitten with Bruce Greenwood ever since. I thought the film was incredibly interesting, and my husband and I were friends with a man who was a Kennedy expert and was asked to consult on the film regarding the Oval Office and JFK's desk. He also got me Costner's autograph. :D
******
Linespalsy, I saw The Searchers in a class I took on John Ford. I think your statement, "Perhaps the ending was saying that for "America and freedom" you need both the wildness of Ethan and the domesticity of Martin," is part of what makes that ending so interesting to me. I agree with you; I see this as well.
Planetnews.... I disagree that Ethan chooses to be an outsider. He is purposely not invited inside the house, and the last shot of the film closes the door on him. I can see you interpreting it that Ethan chooses not to enter; I look at it more from Ford's point of view as director as he chooses to have the door close. And about the conflicting feelings -- yes, how cinematic and glorious is Wayne picking up Debbie and then saying, "let's go home." I agree with Linespalsy, it is like the audience forgives him (and thanks for the Godard quote!) -- but hey, then, isn't that conflicting? At other times, we are scared of him, don't understand him, and basically don't like him.
As to the lack of Indian actors, that was the times, unfortunately. But no matter, I still feel that Ford is saying something in his film about racism, whether he meant to or not. ;)
In terms of acting, Costner was pretty good, yeah -- he's particularly good in his phone call to the second pilot. But his accent...ugh. Particularly given how good Culp's is; hearing the two alongside one another makes Costner's seem even worse.
I had to rep you just because you said those words. I had to read them twice just to make sure. ;)
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
08-19-10, 07:02 PM
Little Ashes 1
I had such high hopes for this- Salvador Dali, Luis Bunuel and Gabriel Garcia Lorca are all very interesting artistically and in their personal life (Dali and Lorca fell in love and Lorca met a nasty end)- but the film was a failure. I couldn't even watch the entire thing.
One massive problem is accents. If you can't do an accent, DON't DO IT. Only one of the leads- Javier Beltran, the man playing Lorca- is actually Spanish, so his accent isn't annoying. However a lot of the actors in that film are British (we shall get on to a certain one later) and their accents are distracting. A lot of the time, you can't really hear what they're saying. It was literally unwatchable.
The second problem is the pace. It seems to plod and linger whilst not really getting anywhere. The subject matter is inherently interesting so why is the film not interesting?
But the biggest letdown is Robert Pattinson as Salvador Dali. This is clearly supposed to be his 'serious' role but it just descends into a film reel of what Pattinson can do. Look, he plays a real-life artist! Look, he's doing a funny accent! Look, he's playing a gay character! Look, he's naked! I don't believe Pattinson, not at his age at least, is capable of the acting ability required to play that role.
Perhaps one day I may try and finish it but the film didn't convince me that it was anything more than Pattinson's attempt to do a 'serious' role.
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
08-20-10, 12:22 PM
Anna Karenina (1935) 4
The film is an adaptation of Tolstoy's novel, a novel that often makes a high entry onto all-time classic novel lists. The doomed romance between Anna Karenina (Greta Garbo) and Count Vronsky (Frederic March) is absorbing and one is caught up in a 90 minute whirlwind of passion, duty, and the clash between the two.
Names can often be confusing in Russian novels (characters have three names- a first name, the name of their father which is given either a feminine or masculine ending depending on the gender of the child, plus their married name) but the film retains this practice without being confusing.
The star of the picture is of course Garbo. As soon as the smoke clears from the train and you see her face, you know this woman is doomed. She portrays both Anna's romantic passion for Vronsky and Anna's love for her son (Freddie Bartholomew, who is a sweet little boy) and duty to him very well- it's horrible when Karenin and Vronsky force her to choose passion or duty.
Frederic March has been criticised for not being passionate enough as Vronsky, which to an extent is true, but he does show a self-absorbed lover who does love Anna but he still cannot match her passion. In the end, he chooses duty over passion just like her husband.
Basil Rathbone is good as Karenin (Anna is called Anna Karenina because the wife takes a feminine version of the surname). I haven't got far enough into the book to judge how faithful his portrayal is, but this Karenin is bound by duty. On the whole he is cold but there's a tragic quality- he is unable to connect with his wife because he does not have her passionate nature.
As the first line of the novel famously says, "Happy families are all alike; unhappy families are each unhappy in their own way". There are traces of unhappiness in almost all the relationships.
Iroquois
08-22-10, 12:14 AM
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Hot Tub Time Machine (Steve Pink, 2010) - 3
As far as undemanding lightweight comedies go, this is pretty standard fare. A few good chuckles wrapped around a none-too-original time-travel plot with a decent soundtrack and stuff thrown in. Good way to kill time, but not especially great.
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Better Off Dead... (Savage Steve Holland, 1985) - 2.5
The same sentiments kind of apply here, though the strange surrealism that permeates the film was something of a double-edged sword. There's a few laughs to be had, though it's even more by-the-numbers than the last plot apart from the aforementioned strangeness.
http://affair-jupiterhotel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Not_Quite_Hollywood-5370.jpg
Not Quite Hollywood (Mark Hartley, 2008) - 3.5
This is more like it. A documentary about "Ozploitation" flicks from the 1970s and 1980s complete with a rogues' gallery of actors, filmmakers and critics (including Quentin Tarantino - mentioning him in conjunction with this film is practically obligatory). It's shot through with colourful animation and heavily stylised editing and effects - absolutely perfect for the low-rent films it features and covers. Given the subject matter (Aussie trash!), it's pretty clear that documentaries don't get much more fun than this.
http://www.rowthree.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/demonloverdvd.jpg
Demonlover (Olivier Assayas, 2002) - 2.5
Picture a generic corporate espionage thriller filtered through the mind of David Cronenberg and you get Demonlover, a film that proves too interesting to be totally bad yet too dull to be particularly good. The acting isn't great, the writing feels rather muddied throughout the film (though it does show some potential) and the film seems to be shot rather haphazardly. Regardless, I reckon it's not a total failure, just a bit of an endurance test at times.
ash_is_the_gal
08-23-10, 02:26 AM
i need to start updating in here more than every 6 months. there's no way i'll remember everything i've seen since i last posted. i usually write them down....
anyway, i'm only doing the movies that were first-time viewings for me.
The Princess and the Frog (2009) 3.5
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Cry Freedom (1987) 3
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Speed Racer (2008) 4
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Time Bandits (1981) 5
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The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) 4
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The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009) 4
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Lake Placid (1999) 3.5
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The House of the Devil (2009) 4
there should be an award for 'movie with the best opening/closing credits'.
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Toy Story 3 (2010) 3.5
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Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009) 4
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Please Give (2010) 4
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The Butcher Boy (1997) 3.5
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House on Haunted Hill (1958) 2.5
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Dark Victory (1939) 5
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All About Eve (1950) 4.5
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The Letter (1940) 3.5
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Jezebel (1938) 5
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The Virgin Queen (1955) 3/5
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The Watcher in the Woods (1980) 2
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The Prestige (2006) 4
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Sleeping Beauty (1959) 3
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Lovely & Amazing (2002) 3
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Some Like It Hot (1959) 4
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Harry Lime
08-23-10, 02:39 AM
Someone went on a Bette Davis bender.
ash_is_the_gal
08-23-10, 02:44 AM
ha! i'm kind of renting anything Bette Davis i can get my mitts on. i added nearly all of her films to my netflix a couple weeks ago...
Nice to see you ash :kiss:
Kick Ass (Vaughn, 2010) 3_5
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I had heard some mumblings about a controversy with the young girls language in this film. Other than that, I had no idea what it was about, and I had not an inkling of the tone of the film. Sorry, but, Hit Girl rocks, and she can say whatever the hell she wants. This flick was FUN. Goofy, but fun.
Strange Invaders (Laughlin, 1983) 1
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Bah - A weak attempt at 50's invasion satire. Not a fan. Not anywhere NEAR as fun as They Live.
Fanboys (Newman, 2008) 2_5
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On the fence with this one. Some of this just fell flat, but Kristen Bell was in it...
Heathers (Lehman, 1989) 4_5
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Always close to my heart, even though these days of my life are so far away at this point. A biting dark comedy about the high school experience.
linespalsy
08-23-10, 12:01 PM
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L'Atlante (Vigo, 1934)
I recently went through Jean Vigo's filmography (3 shorts and 1 feature film before he died) of which this is his longest and most ambitious. It's still pretty small-scale, telling the story of 3 characters on a barge with a few side-excursions including a trip to a Paris night club. Most of the drama comes from the jealousy of the Skipper that comes out every time his new wife so much as talks to another man. Although that description makes it sound pretty simple and straightforward, Vigo's cinematic inventiveness manages to create some surprises that make this seem pretty fresh compared to more-realistic "every-day life" stories.
3.5
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À propos de Nice (Vigo, 1930)
This was Vigo's first film, a series of photographic experiments taken in Nice. It's fairly episodic and doesn't have a plot but manages to be pretty entertaining for the duration of 20-something minutes.
3+
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Zero for Conduct (Vigo, 1933)
This is a prelude to L'atlante and seems to me to be an ancestor to anarchistic takes on modernity in films like Zazie. The story is kind of a mess (midget principal, teachers who walk on their hands, kids being told they shouldn't be friends with each other, a nonsensical animation sequence shoehorned in as well as the awesome slow-motion procession around the bedchamber instead of straight preaching. So it manages to convey Vigo's hatred of industrial education without coming off as very bitter.
3.5
http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/protectedimage.php?image=NoelMegahey/taris1.jpg
Jean Taris, Swimming Champion (Vigo, 1931)
Fun experimental swimming documentary that seems like an 11 minute experiment in learning to film the rhythm and technique of a swimming champion in the water. Pretty exuberant cinematically.
3
Late Spring (Ozu, 1949) 3+
The Outlaw (Hughes, 1943) 2.5+
The Misfits (Huston, 1961) 2.5
Phase IV (Bass, 1974) 2.5
Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Movie (2004) 2-
The Band Wagon (Minnelli, 1953) 3.5
I'm going to just go ahead and list mine. It's been so long. I doubt I can write anything too significant.
The International (Tom Tykwer, 2009) 3 -- This is probably as suspenseful as such a complex mystery involving financial corporation corruption and "crimes against humanity" could be.
Pontypool (Bruce McDonald, 2008) 3 -- Intense, claustrophobic thriller, set in a Canadian radio station, plays out similarly to Orson Welles' broadcast of The War of the Worlds. Stephen McHattie provides a wonderful voice and some rebellious authority.
Harold and Maude (Hal Ashby, 1970) 4 -- Almost perfect combination of black comedy and life-affirming romance with some fun anti-authority gibes thrown into the mix. It's often not given enough credit for being wonderfully photographed, edited and scored.
http://www.filminamerica.com/Movies/HaroldAndMaude/harold31.jpg
Bullets Over Broadway (Woody Allen, 1994) 4 -- One of Woody's best (and probably his best without him being in the film) tells of a conflicted writer, mobsters, Broadway theatre, molls becoming actresses, hitmen becoming playwrights and simple life lessons learned, the most-prominent of which is that the writer shouldn't speak.
The Fury (Brian DePalma, 1978) 3 -- Fun big-budget sell-out from the director plays even better if you think of it as a comedy. It's mostly played seriously (which contributes guffaws), but Kirk Douglas seems to be in on the joke, and the pyrotechnical finale with John Cassavetes is a hoot.
Great Balls of Fire! (Jim McBride, 1989) 3 -- Silly but exuberant biography of '50s rocker Jerry Lee Lewis. I've always said that Dennis Quaid's inspiration for Lewis was Disney's Goofy, but he almost seemed sedate this time. However, his PG-13 sex scene with Winona Ryder (playing a 13-year-old) is still pretty hot.
Casey's Shadow (Martin Ritt, 1978) 3 -- Likable family drama about a Cajun horse trainer (Walter Matthau) who, along with his sons, tries to accomplish his dream of winning a major race, even after the horse is injured. It gets plenty of mileage from Matthau whose character actually seems in the wrong half of the time.
Destiny (Fritz Lang, 1921) 2.5+ -- Big Lang production about Love and Death, with a principal story set in medieval times and then three alternate worlds set in Persia, Venice and China. There are opulent sets and special effects as this film clearly was a stepping stone to Lang's later Metropolis. Besides that film, it seems to have inspired The Thief of Bagdad, The Adventures of Prince Achmed and even The Seventh Seal.
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Lucky Lady (Stanley Donen, 1975) 3 -- Big commercial flop and troubled production aside, this flick still provides plenty of entertainment as it tells of bootleggers off the California coast doing battles with both the Coast Guard and the Mob. It's certainly nothing great, but Liza Minnelli, Gene Hackman and Burt Reynolds do make a good team, and there are several colorful supporting characters and actors.
The Ghost Writer (Roman Polanski, 2010) 3.5 -- Slow-buildng political/murder mystery plays out complexly and humorously leading up to some wonderful confrontations as it approaches its conclusion. Its main intention I believe is to keep you guessing who really did what and who knew it, and it's wildly-successful at that. I really loved the Alexandre Desplat musical score and the cinematic simplicity of the final shot which actually brings the film full circle to where it physically began.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Philip Kaufman, 1988) 2.5+ -- Elegant, erotic and fascinating film about Czechoslovakia in the 1960s covers lots of personal and political ground in its three hours. The problem I have, occasionally, is that the elongated scenes seem to work better when they're erotic than they do when they're political. I think my fave scene is when the two women take photos of each other in various states of undress. The dancing scene followed by the telegram is also powerful, but even though the film is watchable, it left me underwhelmed. Much in the same way that I can both admire and dislike Daniel Day-Lewis's main character, the film leaves me ambivalent and a bit cold. It is a serious attempt though by a world-class filmmaker to film a world-class novel, and most people feel it succeeds.
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Jagged Edge (Richard Marquand, 1985) 3.5 -- This is the opposite of the last one. It's a pulpy murder mystery but all it wants to do is rub sex and violence (and red herrings and some preposterousness) in your face. It succeeds at that and provides good entertainment. Jeff Bridges plays the accused murderer and Glenn Close is his defense attorney. Pariah screenwriter Joe Ezterhas topped himself later on with Basic Instinct.
House Calls (Howard Zieff, 1978) 3.5 -- Enjoyable romantic comedy with Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson as the intelligent, witty lovers and addle-brained Art Carney playing the quack head of a hospital. Old-fashioned in the best sense of the term, it provides smiles and laughs. Too bad the DVD still doesn't have George Harrison's "Something" playing during the romantic montage.
Black Robe (Bruce Beresford, 1991) 3.5 -- Beautiful photography, harsh violence and one of my all-time favorite musical scores (by Georges Delerue) help make this film a powerful comment on what it must have been like living in Canada in the 17th century. It basically tells the story of a young French Jesuit priest (Lothaire Bluteau) who travels with the Algonquin to a mission founded in the heart of the dangerous Iroquois country of Quebec. The film succeeds through its physical reality and its emotional honesty and even-handedness.
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t203/bejmaf/BlackRobe.jpg
Gastonbury (Julian Temple, 2006) 3 -- Concert film showing the 30th anniversary of Britain's premiere annual musical festival. It also contains many performances from previous years' shows. Highlights include Radiohead, Toots and the Maytals, Björk, David Bowie, Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros, Morrissey, Billy Bragg, Nick Cave, The Wailers and Pulp. If you're a fan, it's well-worth watching and hearing.
Mary of Scotland (John Ford, 1935) 2.5 -- Interesting early version of the rivalry and political chicanery between Mary Stuart of Scotland and Elizabeth I. Most all the principal historical figures are here and it's watchable, but it's not as sensatonalized as the version told later in Mary, Queen of Scots which is more-entertaining. It's still fun to see a young Katharine Hepburn as the headstrong Mary.
Quality Street (George Stevens, 1937) 2.5 -- Small scale but cute romantic comedy of manners based on a James M. Barrie play features Kate Hepburn as a twentyish woman who's crushed when the young man (Franchot Tone) she considers her beau enlists to fight Napoleon because he claims he has no "sweetheart". Ten years later, he returns to find the woman an "old maid", but she turns the tables on him by posing as her younger niece to once again try to gain his affection.
The Only Game in Town (George Stevens, 1970) 2.5 -- If anything, this is even smaller-scale than Stevens' above film. It's set in Las Vegas and tells of a chorus girl (Elizabeth Taylor) past her prime who hooks up with a gambling piano player (Warren Beatty). Its stage origins are emphasized since most scenes seem to take place in small interiors, and most of the dialogue is about love and whether it's possible or even real, and if so, how is it better than sex? It mostly seems like a drama, but its best parts are the comedic ones especially towards the end. Although Taylor had been appearing in films for 28 years, she was only 37 here and just five years older than Beatty.
Hud (Martin Ritt, 1963) 4 -- Archetypal Paul Newman role and performance (Joe Buck even has his poster in Midnight Cowboy) is the centerpiece of a seemingly-lowkey film about family which also contains Oscar-winning performances by Melvyn Douglas as Hud's father and Patricia Neal as the family's "housekeeper/cook". Brandon De Wilde (Shane) is also excellent as are Elmer Bernstein's spare acoustic musical score and James Wong Howe's evocative B&W photography. Hud is a powerful fim, full of strong dialogue and relationships. Not surprisingly, since it's also based on a Larry McMurtry novel, it seems to foreshadow Bogdanovich's later The Last Picture Show and is equally as great.
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The Sting (George Roy Hill, 1973) 4 -- The second teaming of Paul Newman and Robert Redford is this massively-popular conman flick with twists and turns from beginning to end. There's not much I can add to what most people know, but my fave scene remains the poker game set on the train where Newman is a low-comedy hoot constantly giving baddie Robert Shaw the burn. For a film almost completely shot on Universal backlots and stages, it looks really good, and Scott Joplin still sounds great on the soundtrack. I'm surprised that it hasn't been talked up more in the thread about "twists".
A Touch of Class (Melvin Frank, 1973) 3.5 -- Although not in the "class" of the Oscar-winning The Sting, this flick was also surprisingly nominated Best Picture. It's mostly a funny romantic comedy with plenty of broad humor but also some wit as well as real bite and pain filtered into it. George Segal is a married philanderer who begins an affair with divorcee Glenda Jackson (Best Actress Oscar). Beginning in London, then traveling to Malaga before returning back to London, the film has fun with the problems which secret lovers might have trying to take a vacation together. Paul Sorvino provides a few laughs as Segal's friend, but the strength of the film is the strong relationship between the two lovers. How they are affecting their families (which includes his two kids and her two kids) is never addressed, but it still works itself up to a poignant ending.
Jimi Plays Monterey (Chris Hegedus & D.A. Pennebaker, 1986) 4 -- This is a 50-minute documentary on the beginnings of Jimi Hendrix and features his entire performance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. Most of this footage was omitted from the film Monterey Pop. It begins with a street artist painting the face of Jimi on a brick wall, then has Papa John Phillips, the instigator of the festival, narrate a brief section about Jimi's early days which contains fascinating archive footage, and then it's on to the main course, the Jimi Hendrix Experience's performance following the Who at Monterey.
http://auteurs_production.s3.amazonaws.com/stills/7925/Film_169w_JimiPlays.jpg
This is certainly the greatest footage I've seen of Jimi playing live and I've seen plenty. It's a brilliant showcase for everything he could do, and the song choices and performances are impeccable. In between being amazed, I'm smiling like I'm an idiot and then at other times I just start crying. Whether you're a fan of Hendrix or don't know what the fuss is all about, watch this and find out. It's hard to mention specifics when everything is great, but this contains what is my fave version of "Like a Rolling Stone", a beautiful "The Wind Cries Mary" and the feedback-drenched, sexually-combustible finale "Wild Thing".
This comes as a Bonus Disc on the Criterion The Complete Monterey Pop Festival box, so if you are able to watch it, make sure to view the second part of the disc, Shake! Otis at Monterey with Otis Redding's complete performance. It's great too.
Classicqueen13
08-23-10, 08:16 PM
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I can't say I've ever watched an opening that did a better job of drawing me in. The characters develop a background quickly, and the tension never fades. However, the movie peaks at the credits sadly. The beginning is very choppy and quite hard to follow. Probably because there is a series of scenes no longer than five minutes a piece that fade in and out one after another for awhile. Even though I was oddly wound into the tension of the movie, the characters all felt too jittery and the script was very very bland. The acting is a rollercoaster going from quite good to bad throughout. Not even the plot twist that I didn't see coming could save this movie. Actually, it twists like a pretzel, but after so many moments that I wanted to kill the lead character myself for his stupidity and gutlessnes. I just wanted it to be over. I suppose the plot twist explains some of the annoying little things but it doesn't cover how overall unenjoyable the movie got to be. And certainly don't expect a horror/thriller movie because it wasn't the least bit scary.
Thr3e: 2-
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This movie I chose for nothing more than to kill time, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was even worth my time. Judd's capable, although quite self-destructive, heroine is far from praise worthy, but it's...interesting. Samuel L does a lot with a role that's actually pretty small. Andy Garcia is pretty much Andy Garcia. His character didn't have much depth anyway. The mystery got me, I must say. I thought I had spoiled the surprise ending for myself before hand, but I was confused and got the wrong guy. Therefore, I was rather shocked. The script is actually quite good with a few exceptions. There's a fair share of suspense and intrigue for ninety minutes.
Twisted: 2.5+
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This is like North by Northwest with Paul Newman winning a Nobel Prize. They stole quite a few scenes from Hitchcock, but it's enjoyable as its own movie. Newman's character is likable and funny straight off, and so that makes the adventure a little more fun. The supporting cast is very good as well including Diane Baker and Edward G. Robinson. The mystery Newman slowly unweaves for us kept me curious, and the last twenty minutes were a very efficent climax. The dialouge was excellent. It makes me look at the above two and think "why can't we do this anymore?". The storyline has enough going for it that I just had fun picking out the NBNW moments. The direction was worth a mention as well as it was quite good. I didn't notice anything particularly eye-catching (with the exception of some hilarious special effects) but overall it was a nice piece of work. It was a tad longer than I expected, but it only dragged when I had something to rush off to waiting for me.
The Prize: 4+
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The film starts off with some great character development. We can feel the romantic tension between Brick and Maggie right away. Newman and Taylor's chemistry was almost electric. Taylor's beautiful and frustrated Maggie "The Cat" is magnetic. Superb performances are the highlight to this movie with Newman and Ives in that category as well. The storyline dabbles into the mystery area when Brick's old friend Skipper is discussed (if you can call it that). The climax is powerful thanks to the emotional build-up felt since the beginning and some powerhouse acting. The screenplay had plenty of bright spots, but there wasn't much to say about it. The movie does have a "happy" ending as well. ;)
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof: 4
http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/custom/48/10012048.jpg
I've learned not to expect much from movies made in the last decade or so, especially comedies. This one was watchable, and that's about it. Tina Fey and Steve Carell are a cute couple, but there is no romance here. I was even longing for a little that never really comes through. The only thing that made me laugh out loud was the cab driver's face during the car chase. There were quite a few moments where I chuckled and some where I could clearly see where they could have been funny or the idea was humorous. The rest of the "comedy" was stuff like farting and puking for six-year-olds. Fey and Carell are likable enough to watch even though I felt the movie dragged some. For a newer movie, it's decent, but there are so much better ways to spend time.
Date Night: 2.5
honeykid
08-23-10, 10:52 PM
I've learned not to expect much from movies made in the last decade or so, especially comedies.
I feel exactly the same way. People round here will tell you different, but they're wrong. I'd probably give Date Night 2 but only because it's an inoffensive nothingness of a film, it's short (yet still outlives it's welcome) and I have a thing for Tina Fey.
Tacitus
08-24-10, 06:19 AM
In The Electric Mist (2009, Bertrand Tavernier)
3/5
It's got a hokey detective story more at home in an episode of Frost.
It's had no discernible money spent on it (they couldn't even afford to hire a real sports car for the day and instead brought in this horrible kit car thing which kinda looks like a Ferrari. If you're four years old) and thus resembles a TV movie from the 80s.
It's directed with no style whatsoever. Had he not been involved in some decent films in the past I'd have suspected that old Bertrand was an accountant who'd either won a competition to helm the film or was one of the receivers desperately trying to claw some money back from the black hole that comes from hiring John Goodman. There's a difference between 'sparse', 'workmanlike' and 'flat'.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b69/greenspagbol/news_2478_user_3650.jpg
However...
I liked In The Electric Mist and was struggling to put my finger on quite why.
It's got a fantastic cast - Tommy Lee Jones, Peter Sarsgaard (worryingly channelling Robin Williams playing an alcoholic movie star - think how subtle that would be), the aforementioned Goodman, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Levon Helm (who probably lives in Tommy Lee's wardrobe), Kelly McDonald, Ned Beatty and Mary Steenburgen (who looks even more beautiful today than she did 20 years ago). It's even got John Sayles. ;)
Of course, a great cast does not mean a great movie. Look at Magnolia...
Tommy Lee, as is his wont, holds the whole thing together with his patented gruffness but there's nothing here that we haven't seen from him countless times before. "So what?" I hear you mumble, and I suppose you're right. Were it not for TLJ's contribution I might not even have bothered watching the film.
Everyone else turns up, hits their marks and emotes in a professional manner. No one is memorable. No one is poor. Kelly McDonald is underused.
So why did I quite like In The Electric mist?
Even with the aforementioned deficiencies in the direction lack of direction, there's a nice feel to the film. The post-Katrina Louisiana setting and Jones' troubled detective (he's more of a gumshoe, truth be told, because we rarely see him in an actual police station) bring to mind the sweaty, jambalaya and bourbon infused scent of a cut-price Angel Heart. More than cut-price actually, more of a Poundland Angel Heart. ;)
So it's the scenery and the cast, then? Nope, look at Rob Roy...
I really shouldn't like the movie at all - Remove a few cases of sweary behaviour and a couple of graphic fight scenes and the film is akin to an episode of Murder, She Wrote in both style and content. I'm not even going to touch on the primary school way in which the screenplay seems to have been adapted or the almost laughably incongruous supernatural shenanigans - but I do.
Sort of.... I dunno.
Nurse! NURSE!!! ;D
Of course, a great cast does not mean a great movie. Look at Magnolia...
+rep! :D
Sleezy!
Did you ever see/post thoughts on Kick Ass?
voneil7
08-25-10, 03:32 AM
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4
I really enjoyed this movie! Spacey, I thought was great, as usual. I thought the supporting cast did a really good job as well. The characters were well written and made me empathize with most of them (the one exception being Robin Williams character). I felt even though it was a minor role, it felt a little out of place and I never really bought into his character. I loved the atmosphere and the multiple story lines. The score really added to the atmosphere of the film. I think this movie is generally underrated, mainly because I had not heard much buzz about this one, despite the strong cast, unless it's just me and I missed it. The pace may be considered slow by some, but I felt that it was just right. I would definitely recommend this film.
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
08-25-10, 03:01 PM
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The film starts off with some great character development. We can feel the romantic tension between Brick and Maggie right away. Newman and Taylor's chemistry was almost electric. Taylor's beautiful and frustrated Maggie "The Cat" is magnetic. Superb performances are the highlight to this movie with Newman and Ives in that category as well. The storyline dabbles into the mystery area when Brick's old friend Skipper is discussed (if you can call it that). The climax is powerful thanks to the emotional build-up felt since the beginning and some powerhouse acting. The screenplay had plenty of bright spots, but there wasn't much to say about it. The movie does have a "happy" ending as well. ;)
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof: 4
Ah, you know what the mystery area is? In the play, Skipper is gay and made advances to Brick (it's not totally clear whether Brick is gay or not). I'd be very happy at the ending if I was her ;)
linespalsy
08-25-10, 03:41 PM
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The Thief of Bagdad (Berger et al., 1940)
This is a messy epic with some pretty hokey special effects and a herky-jerky plot. That's not a really big mark against it but it's just nowhere near as visually arresting or fantastic as it aims to be, in spite of some cool decorating on the otherwise-stagy sets and a lively color sceme, and a huge scale in some places. The story has a lot of twists and turns such a king and his servant becoming a blind beggar and his dog and telling the first half of their story in flashback to an evil sorcerer's harem. You could imagine someone doing something with that story within a story structure but this movie just seems to flail around. If you need a fix of some classic film orientalism, check out The Adventures of Prince Achmed before this.
2-
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King of Chess (Yim, 1991)
This is an interesting and ambitious Film Workshop feature, one of the many that it appears producer Tsui Hark took over from its initial director. It tells two major stories, one about an ad-man from Hong Kong trying to save his girlfriend's career as a flavor-of-the-week Taipei talk show hostess. They find a kid who appears to be a genius at games (they play a game called Xiangqi in the movie which is also known as "Chinese Chess", hence the title) until they find out he can predict the future. The actual power he has is poorly defined, at times he reads people's minds but he can also predict fluctuations in the stock market and "predicting the future" fits more with the films themes of melancholic, unpredictable fate, memory and being caught in history.
The second story is told in flashback about the ad-exec's experiences as a child on the Cultural-Revolutionary mainland and the fate of an actual "chess" genius he knew there. Like I said, interesting but I felt like it could have been done better.
2.5
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (Tatopoulos, 2009)
This prequel in the series (I haven't seen either of the other two films) is kind of like Braveheart with werewolves in place of Scottish protonationalists and vampires instead of the British. The sets and effects are okay but there's nothing really original or fun in this. The plot and characters are of course completely run-of-the-mill.
1
My Man Godfrey (La Cava, 1936)
Very witty and novel depression-era comedy with a decent message. Everything about this movie right up to the last line - "It'll all be over in a moment." is just about perfect.
4+
October (Eisenstein, 1928)
Influential, cinematically sophisticated "prole propaganda" that had me lost quite a bit as to who was who and what the history they were trying to "tell" was. Some of this is taken to incredible extremes of juxtaposition and metaphor, such as the "two Napoleans" sequence. Overall pretty interesting and watchable, though I kept the sound off because it was really getting to me. The images themselves are over-the-top as it is.
3
Surrogates (Mostow, 2009)
Pretty good sci-fi mystery that does a lot with the idea of external Avatar-bodies that you control from the comfort of your home and a weapon that kills when you look at it. You should be able to guess a large chunk of the who-done-it as soon as you see James Cromwell, typecast once again. Still, worth seeing.
3
Also watched these short films:
Fiddlesticks (1930)
Early color Ub Iwerks (The Skeleton Dance) cartoon after he left Disney. Mostly dialog-less with some music and a dancing frog in a forest "nightclub." Has some good animation and a Mickey Mouse lookalike on backing violin.
2.5
The Soup Song (1931)
Another Iwerks 'Flip the Frog' cartoon set in a dodgy animal-restaurant which is in Black and White. This one has Flip and a chorus of buddies "singing" a funny onomatopoeic number.
2.5
http://www.awn.com/heaven_and_hell/svank/IMAGES/svlt4.jpg
The Last Trick (Svankmajer, 1964)
Early Svankmajer short using a pair of guys with giant wooden heads who sit on a stage and take turns doing bizarre tricks, while an ever-present black beetle crawls around.
2.5-
A Ballad About Green Wood (Barta, 1983)
Okay short stop-action with autonomous wood splinters that for some reason look tasty to a bird. The strongest point about this film is that the eye takes two stances: flying and walking depending on the subject matter, but it wasn't all that effective for me.
2.5
Billion Dollar Limited (Fleischer, 1942)
Maybe someday I'll revisit the various incarnations of Superman. This cartoon version has some excellent animation. The big theme that I think runs throughout is the secret identity. It's kind of a reversal of an insecurity story, where the man pretends to be better than he actually is to impress a girl. The girl is still a dupe though, with Clark always winking at us. Into this scenario the Fleischer's would inject some sort of monster or cinematic disaster for Superman to solve, in this one it's a runaway trainload of gold.
2.5
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The Arctic Giant (Fleischer, 1942)
The same "Lois is right, I might faint so I shouldn't go... but Superman never faints" idea as above, but this time he battles a massive dinosaur in downtown Metropolis.
2.5
I also wanted to go back to a couple that I posted earlier:
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Late Spring (Ozu, 1949)
I found it sometimes very slow but overall liked the characters quite a bit. It's about a girl who doesn't want to get married and leave her father, so he fools her. Within that "play" there's a Noh performance that they attend that's somewhat hard to grasp but seems significant, so I'll try to describe it as best I can. There's a sort of triple play going on in this one scene: one in the performance of her father to get her to marry, another one on the stage that is comparatively very abstract and symbolic, and finally the show of devotion by the girl toward her father. The Noh play seems to be about earthly concerns, telling the story of the spirit of a Boddhisattva that appears in the form of a shobu iris (what they refer to as a "blue flag" in the movie's subtitles), but the shobu is also a Japanese symbol of late spring, being used in the Boys' festival in May. The nested structure of play and film is pretty clear and effective in how it gets mixed up in the Girl's own emotional story, even if the symbolism is far from accessible.
I liked this but for now I'm going to recommend seeing the more accessible later Ozu film, Floating Weeds, which features a similar play-within-a-film.
3+
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The Outlaw (Hughes, 1943)
I really enjoyed this campy western, shot by Gregg Toland for Howard Hughes. There's some camp humor but also some real oddness going on here, including a busty Jane Russel who secretly (even to the groom) marries the irresponsible Billy the Kid while he's asleep. Russel, it turns out, was the girlfriend of Doc Holiday (played by Walter Huston) first, and the two thereafter keep trying to trade the girl for a horse and be done with all the trouble. The whole thing has that odd misunderstood feel you get when seeing something that is so ridiculously cliched that it somehow becomes original, for example in the completely over-the-top musical cues (including gratuitous wah-wah-wah horns of course.) Another part that really gets me is the almost erotic fatherly "friendship" between Billy and Doc, which culminates in by far the most violent and disturbing scene of the film.
I originally gave this 2.5+ but after thinking about it some more I think I have to raise it to a 3.
Lastly I watched a couple episodes of one of the 90s Cutie Honey series... 2.5
ash_is_the_gal
08-26-10, 12:56 AM
Of Human Bondage (1934)
4.5
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Sleezy!
Did you ever see/post thoughts on Kick Ass?
Hey man! Yeah, sure did. Pretty fun flick. Had to dig up the post. :laugh:
Not surprised you liked it, too. :D This is what I said back in May (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=618365):
Kick-Ass (Vaughn, 2010) 3_5
Pretty good adaptation of the graphic novel, which chronicles a teen's ill-concocted decision to become a costumed vigilante. The source material was already a bit too bloody and profane for my tastes (haven't we done that enough, already?), but the story itself is well-paced and unique. The film runs pretty close but diverges in the final act. Kudos to Chloe Moretz for being a much more substantial Mindy than I thought possible... and kudos to Nicholas Cage for a hilarious and unexpected Adam West parody.
Also, if you liked the film and find yourself with some free time, the graphic novel (Mark Millar!) is a quick read and well worth your attention. John Romita Jr.'s art still sucks, though.
Red Cliff Parts 1 & 2 - 5/5
Once I finally sat down and watched these films (or rather, had my arm twisted), I couldnt help wondering why I had put it off so long. If you are into bloody war epics, honor and political intrigue, these films will be a great addition to your collection - with the added benefit that the visual landscape and cinematography are quite compelling. So, too, are the male leads! ooooh la! la! :D:yup::up:
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I was never a Chinese history buff, but their envisioning of that time was at minimum a compelling story, and inspired quite the google search - we discovered a lot more about old Cao Cao - in fact, when I gifted my The Art of War book to a friend last week, I flipped thru and found passages from Cao Cao in there as well. Now, rather than dubbing someone "rich as Croesus" I'm making real effort here to say, "rich as Cao Cao." (See history? See multiculturalism? I do my part. ;)) A definite must watch, and there's even the love triangle in there for those who only deal in chick flick type films.
The Warlords - 3/5
Ok. Saw this one tonight at the behest of a friend, and was willing to give it a whirl after Redcliff. Shallow/Vapid Point of the Day: Jet Li is one awfully unattractive man. I love the guy - I do. But after the visual beauty of Redcliff (and by that I mean by the clothes / customs of the time), swallowing the look of that particular era (half-shaved heads with long braids and muted armor) was a turnoff. But Im convinced they cast one of the male leads from Redcliff, and the other guy in the movie for the sole purpose of giving us girls a reason to keep watching.
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t313/theladycat/warlords.jpghttp://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t313/theladycat/4zyf87.jpghttp://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t313/theladycat/the_warlords.jpghttp://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t313/theladycat/thewarlords_2.jpg
Vanity aside, this film was darker, and more gritty/bloody than Redcliff. The underlining theme, like the ending - like life? - was not a happy one, tho the telling of this story by one of the same narrators of Redcliff, was fascinating. Not necessarily a must watch, but watchable, if you get my drift.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - 5/5
I had to give this one a 5, because it was so cute. This one is a great family film, and will have you laughing and cringing. I was shocked by the fact that the mother looked like she was about 38yrs - and I cant even imagine staring up at a teenage son. Time flies. :eek:
meatwadsprite
08-28-10, 10:25 AM
Are these the new 16:9 posts I've been hearing about ?
They need some spaces between the images.
re93animator
08-28-10, 04:00 PM
Went on a silent horror binge last week:
Destiny (1921) – 3+
After an ominous stranger arrives in a small town, we get to watch the mysterious nature of the stranger build for fifteen minutes, only to watch the film take a 180 into an early anthology piece depicting a woman attempting to save her lover in three different expressionistic settings.
The first and second part of the anthology compliment the film’s vision fine, but it loses track around the third, getting a little too fantastic. Nevertheless, the film has a strong opening and a powerful ending.
Faust (1926) – 4
One of the best things about the silent era (especially in the fantasy and horror realm) is that much of its grandeur relies on atmosphere. Faust is a gleaming example of that. It’s also exemplary of imagination, and an excellent composition of fantasy, melodrama, horror, Grand Guignol, expressionism and even a slight mix of comedy.
Haxan (1922) – 3_5+
The somewhat rare genre hybrid of documentary and drama rarely gets as weird as it does here. For a film made almost a hundred years ago, the effects work remarkably well, and some of its dark imagery most likely served as a major inspiration for many horror films made afterward. The true to life story that it details is just as chilling as the fantastic one it depicts.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) – 3+
I’m not sure if it’s technically accurate, but Quasimodo is almost universally regarded as the first Universal Monster, and he’s certainly up there with Frankenstein and The Wolfman as the most sentimental.
To most, it may not be as good or emotionally involving as the 1939 version, but it definitely has the dark edge in the thrill department. It also seems very ahead of its time. If it weren’t for the dialogue cards popping up, it almost wouldn’t feel like a silent film.
The Penalty (1920) – 3_5
Seven years before Lon Chaney played a perverse, desperate amputee in The Unknown, he portrayed a similar mad, power-hungry amputee in The Penalty, and he did it to perfection. As a ruthlessly dominant mobster that feeds upon others’ fear, Chaney’s character is shown attempting to wreak vengeance upon the man that needlessly amputated his legs in childhood.
Regardless of its early spook show & mystery clichés (such as trap doors and hidden passageways), it’s still one hell of a film, and though the plot doesn’t quite match the label that this is often tagged with, some of Chaney’s raving facial expressions alone make it one of the creepiest films of the 1920’s.
Waxworks (1924) – 3
It’s a two part anthology piece that, as a single film, doesn’t quite stand up strait enough. The expressionism may elevate the second part’s eeriness, but it hinders the first part, thus making half of the film plainly uninteresting to watch. Nonetheless, a great ladder half, depicting a fictional story of Ivan the Terrible, makes it worth the time.
Caitlyn
08-29-10, 12:01 AM
In The Electric Mist (2009, Bertrand Tavernier)
3/5
It's got a hokey detective story more at home in an episode of Frost.
It's had no discernible money spent on it (they couldn't even afford to hire a real sports car for the day and instead brought in this horrible kit car thing which kinda looks like a Ferrari. If you're four years old) and thus resembles a TV movie from the 80s.
It's directed with no style whatsoever. Had he not been involved in some decent films in the past I'd have suspected that old Bertrand was an accountant who'd either won a competition to helm the film or was one of the receivers desperately trying to claw some money back from the black hole that comes from hiring John Goodman. There's a difference between 'sparse', 'workmanlike' and 'flat'.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b69/greenspagbol/news_2478_user_3650.jpg
However...
I liked In The Electric Mist and was struggling to put my finger on quite why.
It's got a fantastic cast - Tommy Lee Jones, Peter Sarsgaard (worryingly channelling Robin Williams playing an alcoholic movie star - think how subtle that would be), the aforementioned Goodman, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Levon Helm (who probably lives in Tommy Lee's wardrobe), Kelly McDonald, Ned Beatty and Mary Steenburgen (who looks even more beautiful today than she did 20 years ago). It's even got John Sayles. ;)
Of course, a great cast does not mean a great movie. Look at Magnolia...
Tommy Lee, as is his wont, holds the whole thing together with his patented gruffness but there's nothing here that we haven't seen from him countless times before. "So what?" I hear you mumble, and I suppose you're right. Were it not for TLJ's contribution I might not even have bothered watching the film.
Everyone else turns up, hits their marks and emotes in a professional manner. No one is memorable. No one is poor. Kelly McDonald is underused.
So why did I quite like In The Electric mist?
Even with the aforementioned deficiencies in the direction lack of direction, there's a nice feel to the film. The post-Katrina Louisiana setting and Jones' troubled detective (he's more of a gumshoe, truth be told, because we rarely see him in an actual police station) bring to mind the sweaty, jambalaya and bourbon infused scent of a cut-price Angel Heart. More than cut-price actually, more of a Poundland Angel Heart. ;)
So it's the scenery and the cast, then? Nope, look at Rob Roy...
I really shouldn't like the movie at all - Remove a few cases of sweary behaviour and a couple of graphic fight scenes and the film is akin to an episode of Murder, She Wrote in both style and content. I'm not even going to touch on the primary school way in which the screenplay seems to have been adapted or the almost laughably incongruous supernatural shenanigans - but I do.
Sort of.... I dunno.
Nurse! NURSE!!! ;D
I finally watched this... and really liked it. Thanks for the recommendation. I kept thinking... I know where that is... or they look familiar... and a few scenes even had me thinking... welcome to my world (especially when he was driving in the fog)... which is why I'll probably rate it a wee bit higher than you did. Truthfully I don't know a lot I could add to what you've already said other than In the Electric Mist had one of the best lines I've heard in a while...
"We used to have bats but the mosquitoes ate them."
That is soooo Louisiana.... :D
In the Electric Mist (2009) 3.5
ash_is_the_gal
08-29-10, 12:04 AM
Now, Voyager (1942)
4
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews14/a%20bette%20davis%20collection%20dvd%20review/a%20%20Now%20Voyager%20bette%20davis%20collection%20dvd%20review%20PDVD_005.jpg
http://www.premiere.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/list/the-100-greatest-movie-lines/47.-oh-jerry-don-t-let-s-ask-for-the-moon.-we-have-the-stars./533214-2-eng-US/47.-Oh-Jerry-don-t-let-s-ask-for-the-moon.-We-have-the-stars._imagelarge.jpg
Tacitus
08-29-10, 05:52 AM
I finally watched this... and really liked it. Thanks for the recommendation. I kept thinking... I know where that is... or they look familiar... and a few scenes even had me thinking... welcome to my world (especially when he was driving in the fog)... which is why I'll probably rate it a wee bit higher than you did. Truthfully I don't know a lot I could add to what you've already said other than In the Electric Mist had one of the best lines I've heard in a while...
"We used to have bats but the mosquitoes ate them."
That is soooo Louisiana.... :D
In the Electric Mist (2009) 3.5
Glad I gave you the heads-up, Caity. Films like this often go up a few notches when you've got some sort of personal investment. :)
ash_is_the_gal
08-30-10, 08:36 PM
Don't Bother To Knock (1952)
3.5
this was early Marilyn Monroe in a very unconventional role. it wasn't what i expected at all, either. i was pleasantly surprised.
http://i.acephotos.org/images/orig/6/2/62iz8mubkkozumki.jpg
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
08-31-10, 08:36 AM
Two films starring Rupert Graves, in very different roles. I'll post the second review later but here's the first:
Intimate Relations 4
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:6H2vX-1KCjahXM:http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTI2MzQ5NzA4OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNTM5OTc2._V1._SX475_SY311_.jpg&t=1
Note- the film is in colour but I could only find a black and white picture. Typing 'Intimate Relations' into Google Images is understandably risky.
Could this be the bizarrest film ever? It's a black comedy based on a real-life murder in the 1950's. Marjorie Beasley (Julie Walters) is repulsed by her invalid husband Stanley. When a handsome young lodger called Harold Guppy (Rupert Graves) comes to stay, she finds a nice outlet for all those pesky frustrations. Unfortunately her fourteen-year-old daughter Joyce (Laura Sadler) quite fancies Harold too, and he is chased by mother and daughter.
For about the first half-hour, you start to wonder whether it is a comedy. After all, they're participating in a quasi-incestuous triangle with some rather creepy moments. But then the film's intentions slowly become clear- the scandal/perversity of the affair is contrasted with jolly 1950's nostalgia. It's a look at sexual frustration/attitudes to sex in the fifties and bizarrely the choice to make it a black comedy works (there's a great bit where Marjorie has just been arguing with Harold about the affair and then she makes him some sandwiches with the crusts cut off). Julie Walters is very good as mumsy/predatory Marjorie and she creates a good balance between the two, thus making it more creepy. Laura Sadler is suitably schoolgirlish as Joyce and Rupert Graves is very good as Harold, who is frustrated at the surburban coyness and bemused as to why he is in this situation. Although this is rather a shallow observation, he is suitably attractive to make Marjorie turn crazy.
The majority of people will either shy away from this film or totally condemn it. Everybody will gasp at at least some of it. But for those who love a black comedy, this is about as black a comedy as you can get. If you want a challenging provocative film, watch this.
Shabutie
08-31-10, 04:48 PM
Don't know what to give Paranormal Entity. Let's just say it sucked as of right now.
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
08-31-10, 05:30 PM
Here's my second review:
Different for Girls 4
In this one, Rupert Graves plays Prentice, a friendly but immature blokey man, who bumps into a sophisticated woman called Kim (Steven Mackintosh) who used to be his schoolmate Karl. As Prentice tries to understand, he begins to fall in love in his own clumsy way. Instead of being a 'gross out' comedy, this is a quirky rom-com about gender and identity. Great acting from the two leads (although would a transgender woman have a muscular back?)- I would have liked a little more on their relationship as schoolboys but I suppose the film's about embracing the new. This is a challenging but enjoyable rom-com and it manages to avoid being really coy or exploitively explicit.
MacGruber (2010)- It's one of those stupid comedies that crack you up it reminded me almost of a Will Ferrell movie it was quite funny though, I havent seen the SNL shorts of MacGruber but this guy if hilarious
Classicqueen13
09-01-10, 05:24 PM
^ They aren't all that funny. IMO at least.
Holden Pike
09-01-10, 05:39 PM
I haven't seen the SNL shorts of MacGruber, but this guy if hilarious.
He if? Is you say so.
You seem to be about the only human being on the planet who thinks so, as it got TERRIBLE reviews and almost zero box office.
Well, technically, he did say the guy was hilarious. If he means Will Forte, I think he'll find a lot of people agree. If he means the character, I think some people would agree (I liked the skits, myself). But if he means the movie, yeah, prolly not a lot of company there. Though I wouldn't say the reviews were terrible at all; 43 at Metacritic, 47 at Rotten Tomatoes.
Holden Pike
09-01-10, 05:51 PM
Well, technically, he did say the guy was hilarious. If he means Will Forte.
I'm sure he means the character, that guy, but whatever.
frank456
09-02-10, 04:04 AM
Inception ****
Alice in Wonderland ***
He if? Is you say so.
You seem to be about the only human being on the planet who thinks so, as it got TERRIBLE reviews and almost zero box office.
I'm sure he means the character, that guy, but whatever.
Compared to all the comedies I've seen lately it was the only one that I laughed. Plus I dont watch movies for the gross they make in the box office neither I read reviews
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
09-02-10, 01:06 PM
Death At A Funeral 2
The funniest thing about this film is probably the critical reaction to it. In Britain- the country it was made in- it was pretty much universally panned; in America, the critics seemed to love the 'British humour.' When the American remake came out this year, British critics said it was a mild improvement on the original whilst the Americans seemed to be shocked by the idea of a remake. Ah, the irony.
Now onto the film. It's a black farce which takes place- in Britain, ha ha- at the funeral of the father of nice guy Daniel (Matthew MacFadyen) who lives in the shadow of Robert (Rupert Graves- appropriate for a funeral, hey? Yes, lame joke.), his louche successful novelist brother. It all seems to be going relatively okay until a gay dwarf (Peter Dinklage) turns up with some photos of him and the father 'together'. This was British humour...fourty years ago. If treated as an old-style Ayckbourne/Orton comedy, it's mildly funny, although it takes a while to get kicking off. There are worse things you could watch. So why the mauling from the critics?
The script is dreadful- I don't think I've ever heard such a flat uninspiring script. I really liked one line- 'Tea can do many things but it can't bring back the dead', especially because of Jane Asher's delivery of it- but the rest of the script is just terrible. You see the perfect moment for a really good sharp joke and then you get...nothing. There's an overeliance on the humour of the father being gay which just makes everybody look homophobic (again, you could have really played on that by having the father apparantly straight as a gate and the sons as total homophobes, but that trick is missed). The gags- for a long part of the film, there are only two running gags, although one provides a good amount of farce- overshadow the actors. Absolutely nothing is done with the actors- and these are all really good actors, except for some random people I've never seen before on screen and have no desire to see again. It's a bit like the actors decided to do this on a lunch break or Sunday afternoon or something for a mild diversion.
The parking space joke is modern British humour but apart from that, it's more like modern day American humour (except for the fact that the actors are British and it's set in Britain) or old British humour. If you like British seventies comedy, you'll probably like this. I suppose it beats going to a funeral.
EDIT: Rupert Graves' hair is horrible in this. Just greasy slicky louche...I sincerely hope it was done for the film.
Rain Man
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Arts/Arts_/Pictures/2008/09/24/rainman-copy-3.jpg
Honestly, I hated a good chunk in the first half of this film. I understand the role of Cruise's character in the beginning, I know that he is supposed to be the stuck up, yuppy, selfish prick -- but he played a#shole a bit over the top to where I almost stopped watching. Once Charlie (Cruise) began the redemptive (I use this term very loosely) portion of the film, I really buckled down and witnessed some great moments, especially their time in the casino. Hoffman really was amazing as Raymond, Charlie's older autistic brother. Was the film worthy of it's best picture award? Probably not. Overall, it was pretty solid though.
2.5/5
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
09-02-10, 05:27 PM
Dostana (Friendship) (2008) 3
East meets West in this enjoyable Bollywood rom-com about some Indian ex-pats in America. Kunal (John Abraham) and Sameer (Abhishek Buchan) really need a house. They see a lovely flat but unfortunately the landlady says they only have women and she is worried about men coming and being violent/loutish. So what do the guys do? Pose as a gay couple- apparantly their citizenship in America will be processed quicker that way. But it's hard to keep up the pretence when they meet the landlady's beautiful niece (Priyanka Chopra). It starts off a little predicatably and you start to wonder how far the gag can go. When the film starts on the comic complications, that's when it picks up pace.
Then the second half gets a little more romantic. As the two men have become friends with the niece and they realise how preferable that is to simply perving at her, they fall in love with her. But she has her eyes on Abhi Singh (Bobby Deol) editor of the fashion magazine she works at. Of course, Kunal and Sameer are up for a bit of sabotage...
A whole film about being gay is relatively daring for India. The Western style songs are annoying but there are some fun Bollywood style ones (particularly the one where the mother is singing about the horror of her son being gay). Quite a bit of this is in English and I think it will appeal to more people than the Bollywood crowd. And it should do, because it is actually quite funny.
Blue Lou
09-02-10, 08:38 PM
I know that he is supposed to be the stuck up, yuppy, selfish prick -- but he played a#shole a bit over the top to where I almost stopped watching.
This means he gave us a great performance. Playing the role as a complete *******-douchebag is a big part of what made this movie work.
linespalsy
09-02-10, 11:08 PM
Heh, I've met the guy Hoffman apparently modeled his character after in that movie, he works at the same university where I work.
Heh, I've met the guy Hoffman apparently modeled his character after in that movie, he works at the same university where I work.
How about some info, if available?
I give Rain Man 4. I can certainly understand why people might not like parts of it, but I believe that overall it's very sophisticated and emotional. You can say it was Oscar bait, but at the time, I don't believe that people thought it was any more Oscar bait than the other "important" films from that year. I believe my fave film from that year was Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but I also give that 4.
linespalsy
09-03-10, 01:07 PM
How about some info, if available?
I've been told the story by a couple people I've worked with over the last five years here but I don't remember it well enough to feel comfortable saying too much. The gist is that this guy who works over in the main office was one of the guys Hoffman "studied" while he was researching for his role as an autistic person. Casinos also won't let the guy in, supposedly.
When I was doing some job training there about five years he would come in every day to deliver inter-department mail in the office I was in, and talk to everyone about our favorite baseball teams (it seemed to annoy him that I didn't have one), local restaurants and everyone's birthdays which he had memorized, but that was pretty much the extent of my interaction with the guy.
linespalsy
09-03-10, 02:41 PM
Now, on to the movies.
http://www.international.ucla.edu/media/images/aiOneArmedSwordsman1Color.jpg
The One-Armed Swordsman (Cheh, 1967)
This classic wuxia film was the source for one of my favorite remakes in Tsui Hark's 1995 film, The Blade. In Tsui's version the narrative becomes almost a martial arts version of Pale Fire where the seemingly-insane daughter of a sword school tries to narrate herself into the role of femme-fatale lover for the one-armed swordsman played by Chiu Man Cheuk. This version is played as more of an unselfconsciously omniscient melodrama where the girl herself bizarrely chops off the arm of the guy she likes at the end of the first act. The swordsman is played by Jimmy Wang Yu, who seemingly got typecast into one-armed roles with the sequels to this and the unrelated One-Armed Chinese Boxer series (which includes the camp-classic "Master of the Flying Guillotine.")
Anyway, there is a lot of stuff that is pretty weird in this entertaining and nice-looking old martial arts movie and I thought it was pretty good on it's own as well.
3.5
http://www.brokenprojector.com/images/contempt3.jpg
Contempt (Godard, 1963)
A French play-write is hired by a big-headed, obnoxious American producer to rewrite the screenplay for a troubled Fritz Lang film of The Odyssey. Meanwhile he has trouble of his own with his ultra-sexy wife, who inexplicably started hating him sometime between when he woke up and when he got offered the writing gig. Much of the movie is taken up by their bickering, and bickering about their bickering, and so on in a sort of helpless self-referential morass that is reflected in the generally frustrating and opaque film-making experience Godard seems to lament in this film. I thought this was okay, but I probably won't come back to it until I've tried some others of his films.
2.5
http://www.moviewallpapers.net/images/wallpapers/1944/cover-girl/cover-girl-263-174.jpg
Cover Girl (Vidor, 1944)
I found this a pretty interesting movie for a few reasons. For one thing it's a 1940s musical with a good dance scene by Gene Kelly. Another is it's a movie that tries to sell us Rita Hayworth and that's what the plot is about, trying to sell Americans a Brooklyn Nightclub dancer as a magazine cover girl. The movie itself seems to want to reverse that because it has her choosing the dancing career in Brooklyn (which I think would have been understood at the time to represent ethnicity and the ghetto) with Gene Kelly over the upper crust WASPy Manhattan life. A couple more interesting and worthwhile things: there's an audition scene early on where Rita seemingly flubs her big break by "acting" too energetic when they want someone demure and quiet to model a bridal gown (funny joke: "I should have known better than to try acting. I'm a dancer.") Later the editor of the magazine sees her dancing at the night club, with a bunch of other girls. She really does have a lot of energy -- a physical presence that stands out from the other girls in that scene -- that may have been very studied but seems effortless now; the magazine editor instantly falls in love with her. This has a pretty simplistic bit about "love" vs. "money" but overall is well worth seeing.
3
Piranha 3D (Aja, 2010)
A local teen at Lake Victoria (in a fictional American South West rather than the real one in Africa) signs on to take a visiting Girls-Gone-Wild-esque film crew around during spring break. Meanwhile an underwater earthquake unleashes prehistoric, subterranean piranhas into the lake. The Piranhas of course start to bite everyones' boobies and junk. This sort of genre exercise is so thoroughly mined by now that I think it would take a lot more than this -- even the corny lampooning of its own exploitation-status -- to make something even remotely interesting. Scream 3 did a little bit better with the slasher genre, but I'm having trouble to think of any great post-Gremlins creature movies.
1.5
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FPLXIK0wH4c/R1TGpv7JxVI/AAAAAAAAARc/lBTH4yaUqlw/s400/phantom+paradise.jpg
The Phantom of the Paradise (De Palma, 1974)
Brian de Palma retells The Phantom of the Opera as a rock opera, with a lot of deliberate camp that I think hits the mark more than it doesn't, but really comes through with the psychedelic finale. It's a really awesome tragic hallucinatory combination occult-ritual/rock show/wedding and by far the catchiest song in the film's Paul Williams soundtrack.
The story of course is an emotionally loaded one about an idiosyncratic visionary composer who just wants the show done his way with his lead. He runs up against Paul Williams (the actual composer for the film) as a bizarre ultra-vain satanic munchkin record-promoter who wants everything for himself.
3.5
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Y32nBaee2kw/SqQp2qgVJjI/AAAAAAAAAhU/COsMJthdUsk/s400/playhouse2%5B1%5D.jpg
The Playhouse (Keaton, 1921)
Awesome Buster Keaton short featuring an amazing "all-Keaton" dream show in which he plays every role as well as directs, and writes. The plot is very lose and seems to be just a thematic rack on which to hang lots and lots of innovative gags. For a 21-minute film there is a seemingly endless list of funny bits in this movie. The two old one-armed guys in the front row, who have to combine their hands to applaud and can never agree on when to clap and when to hoot are great.
4+
http://thisdistractedglobe.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/The%20Stunt%20Man%20pic%201.jpg
The Stunt Man (Rush, 1980)
On the whole I liked this movie but thought it could have been even better. Especially the acting which for the most part seemed little more than emoting by the lead. Some of it seems a little too sly and chummy for me, like the final line of the movie, and the war-movie and Vietnam vet headcase stuff is unsatisfying in spite of the lengthy attention it's given. It's interesting enough though and has a few tremendous scenes that exploit the parallel realities of the movie we're seeing and the movie the characters in the film are making (as well as the paranoid fantasy of the protagonist). Could have been something really exceptional for me but as is it's still pretty good.
3+
http://www.horrorphile.net/images/the-innocents-deborah-kerr12.jpg
The Innocents (Clayton, 1961)
Extremely effective ghost story that makes excellent use of shadows in building it's mood. Also very cleverly exploits the unreliable narrator heroine played by Kerr who is truly obsessive. I would say this is left deliciously ambiguous as to whether this is a story about sinister ghosts acting out their abusive sexual relationship using two child bodies or whether the ghosts are an imaginative and untrustworthy part of the woman's personal explanation for how the childrens' past experiences have affected them. The ending does seem to imply the supernatural but it's hard to say to what end...
I think I owe mark a discussion on this in his Innocents tread(s!), but after just one viewing I might have a hard time coming up with something that hasn't already been covered there. This one is also something I suspect will be highly worthy of multiple viewings.
3.5+
http://parallax-view.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/matter_of_life_and_death_02_0.jpg
A Matter of Life and Death (Powell & Pressburger, 1946)
I didn't really get into this movie, which is admittedly pretty complicated. There's a framing narrative from heaven that tells you (I think) that this story takes place partly in a facsimile of the real World War II world, and partly inside the mind of a fighter pilot who jumps from his crashing plane with no hope for survival. He miraculously wakes up alive and picks up an American woman who he fell in love with over the radio. I think you can interpret what happens thereafter either literally as a visit from heaven or as a metaphoric (and very elaborate) sort of explanation and negotiation fantasy he has with himself perhaps while in a coma. I'm not entirely sure. There's a scene at the end that is about 20 minutes or so and seemed much longer to me because of the clumsy way it squeezes in a political love story that extends the romantic one the movie started out to tell, this time between all America and all Britain. It's interesting but ultimately left me kind of cold.
2.5
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2452/3596763228_7a4f6f9077.jpg?v=0
Green for Danger (Gilliat, 1946)
Another post-war British war movie, this time a murder mystery. Has a cool dark look and setting in the odd corridors and grounds of the seemingly-makeshift hospital and there's kind of a clever nod in the solution of the mystery involving covering colors with black and white paint (I think this is hinted at overtly through narration so it shouldn't be much of a spoiler). The set-up was a bit slow for me so I think I missed some details but by the end it had won me over, including the narrator detective who goes to some pretty funny lengths to rile his suspects up (and let them know he's doing so).
2.5+
http://www.kratkyfilm.com/catalogue/images/large/157.jpg
The Club of the Laid Off (Barta, 1989)
At first it seemed like this Czech stop motion mannequin movie (about 25 minutes I think) was going to be like some of Jan Svankmajer's more anal exercises in repetition but it actually went in a pretty good and unexpected direction. There's some pretty sad and funny stuff in this short "actorless" film.
3-
I also watched two discs from vol.3 of the Looney Toons golden collection
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d0/Looney_Tunes_Golden_Collection_-_Volume_3.jpg
which has cartoons from the 30s, 40s and 50s that vary a lot in entertainment.
A couple faves include Hare Tonic (where Bugs tricks Elmer Fudd and the audience into thinking we have Rabbititis) and A Hare Grows in Manhattan. Some of the 50s tv parody episodes such as The Honey-Mousers and The Mouse That Jack (Benny) Built weren't as interesting for me.
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
09-03-10, 03:34 PM
Heh, not really related to my previous post but I also am friends with a woman who has done Chinese Calligraphy Scrolls for various movies, including War (2007) starring Jet Li. Now she teaches the History of Math and Science at Harvard...
Now, on to the movies.
A Matter of Life and Death (Powell & Pressburger, 1946)
I didn't really get into this movie, which is admittedly pretty complicated. There's a framing narrative from heaven that tells you (I think) that this story takes place partly in a facsimile of the real World War II world, and partly inside the mind of a fighter pilot who jumps from his crashing plane with no hope for survival. He miraculously wakes up alive and picks up an American woman who he fell in love with over the radio. I think you can interpret what happens thereafter either literally as a visit from heaven or as a metaphoric (and very elaborate) sort of explanation and negotiation fantasy he has with himself perhaps while in a coma. I'm not entirely sure. There's a scene at the end that is about 20 minutes or so and seemed much longer to me because of the clumsy way it squeezes in a political love story that extends the romantic one the movie started out to tell, this time between all America and all Britain. It's interesting but ultimately left me kind of cold.
2.5
I believe it was originally intended as a propaganda film to keep relations between the Brits and the Americans good. Not my fave Powell and Pressburger but still worth a watch.
I realize that this is cherry-picking but the "most romantic film ever made" (quoting myself) left you cold? :cool: When I have more time, I'll discuss some of the others.
linespalsy
09-03-10, 03:54 PM
I believe it was originally intended as a propaganda film to keep relations between the Brits and the Americans good. Not my fave Powell and Pressburger but still worth a watch.
I also read that about the movie's British/American relations charter on IMDB. I didn't think it was a bad movie but so far it might be my least favorite of their films, including some of their other "propaganda" ones like The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp and A Canterbury Tale.
Other than The Red Shoes which I've seen at least 4 times I'd have to go back and re-watch the rest of their films to really know what my favorites are though.
Used Future
09-03-10, 04:09 PM
The Stunt Man (Rush, 1980)
On the whole I liked this movie but thought it could have been even better. Especially the acting which for the most part seemed little more than emoting by the lead. Some of it seems a little too sly and chummy for me, like the final line of the movie, and the war-movie and Vietnam vet headcase stuff is unsatisfying in spite of the lengthy attention it's given. It's interesting enough though and has a few tremendous scenes that exploit the parallel realities of the movie we're seeing and the movie the characters in the film are making (as well as the paranoid fantasy of the protagonist). Could have been something really exceptional for me but as is it's still pretty good.
3+
I think The Stunt Man is an allegorical masterpiece with so many great sequences - the horrified crowd of beach spectators being a particular highlight. I know what you mean by the the Vietnam vet stuff, but I just took it as back story for Railsback's character Cameron; an explanation for the possibility that he's completely mad and trapped between contrasting realities. Peter O'Toole is magnificently charming and devilish as the megalomaniac director, and I like the idea that he offers Cameron redemption through complete exploitation and manipulation; that to me is pretty ironic. At least that's my take on it, but I'm only really scratching the surface.:)
Hey what's all this two and a half average score for A Matter of Life and Death nonsense? Surely you jest.
linespalsy
09-03-10, 04:20 PM
I realize that this is cherry-picking but the "most romantic film ever made" (quoting myself) left you cold? :cool: When I have more time, I'll discuss some of the others.
Hey mark, I'd like to hear which others you'd like to discuss, and hope this response doesn't distract you from that too much.
I almost cherry picked you in rebuttal (old habits etc.) but actually you're right "Left me cold" probably isn't the right phrase to describe my problems with that movie, but I also can't really think of a better one after just one viewing.
Sure it's romantic but how many people do you expect to fully buy the bit about proving to the spirit of an 18th century American jingoist that a Brit and an American really can love each other, in a court room in heaven, using a tear as evidence? I mean I can almost buy it myself when I write it down but not with the straight face that movie seems to call for.
I think I came close to shedding a tear myself at the very beginning of the movie so I won't write it off. I also enjoyed the scene where the pilot first meets the French angel and a few others really stood out.
linespalsy
09-03-10, 04:28 PM
I think The Stunt Man is an allegorical masterpiece with so many great sequences - the horrified crowd of beach spectators being a particular highlight. I know what you mean by the the Vietnam vet stuff, but I just took it as back story for Railsback's character Cameron; an explanation for the possibility that he's completely mad and trapped between contrasting realities. Peter O'Toole is magnificently charming and devilish as the megalomaniac director, and I like the idea that he offers Cameron redemption through complete exploitation and manipulation; that to me is pretty ironic. At least that's my take on it, but I'm only really scratching the surface.:)
Hey what's all this two and a half average score for A Matter of Life and Death nonsense? Surely you jest.
Ah not you too :p. Seriously I hope you'll write why you think A Matter of Life and Death is a masterpiece. I'm curious what you would rate that and the rest of the Archers' films. For me it's something like this right now, though I'll have to re-watch some of them:
The Red Shoes 4+
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp 4-
Black Narcissus 3.5
A Canterbury Tale 3.5
I Know Where I'm Going 3
A Matter of Life and Death 2.5
Re: The Stuntman. That beach scene is fantastic and one of the most pleasantly confusing scenes in the film.
what Barbara Hershey does in that scene is great.
Your summation of the movie is good, I'm glad you touched on the things that I left out of mine.
I actually set my alarm clock and woke up at 3 am on Saturday to catch it on tv, and I would say it was worth doing to see it.
O'Toole is always fun to watch but he's been in better stuff in this period, namely My Favorite Year.
Heh, I've met the guy Hoffman apparently modeled his character after in that movie, he works at the same university where I work.
is it sad that ive read this entire thread, and all i wanna know is the university where lines works?? :p
linespalsy
09-03-10, 05:59 PM
:)
ash_is_the_gal
09-03-10, 06:54 PM
Black Narcissus 3.5
i'm probably going to rent this next week. i've never seen it before, and my boyfriend recently watched it and hated it. therefore, i need something to argue with him about!
Tacitus
09-04-10, 06:06 AM
Nuns! Nuns! Reverse! :D
Iroquois
09-04-10, 12:03 PM
http://media.ifc.com/img/movies/main-image/310x229_proof1.jpg
Proof (Jocelyn Moorehouse, 1991) - 3
Intriguing character-driven drama centring on a trio of disparate characters - a blind photographer (Hugo Weaving), his best friend (Russell Crowe) and Weaving's housekeeper (Genevieve Picot). The film starts off like a quirky comedy but quickly turns serious as the relationships between the three leads complicate in a variety of strange and terrible ways. The acting is a standout here - Crowe proves dependable, but Weaving and Picot are the true standouts. It's solid and unconventional and manages to stay surprising (albeit in a rather jarring fashion at times) throughout its brief running time.
http://www.iwatchstuff.com/2008/03/28/where-wild-things-are-sun.jpg
Where The Wild Things Are (Spike Jonze, 2009) - 3
At first I wasn't really into it and thought it was kind of weak, though it managed to grow on me a bit before the end and left me wanting to re-watch it almost immediately (I didn't). The effects are alright, the soundtrack is irritating, the acting is passable, the plotting is haphazard, etc. Still found it vaguely enjoyable, though.
http://content7.flixster.com/movie/10/91/98/10919805_det.jpg
Lucky Miles (Michael James Rowland, 2007) - 3
Unusual comedy-drama about a trio of illegal immigrants getting lost in the Australian outback and struggling to find their way to civilisation, all the while trying to avoid capture by the authorities or survive the harshness of the desert. Fairly simplistic and rife with comic turns, but it still manages to be quite captivating for most of its run and is held up by some good acting, even if the filmmaking itself feels a bit hit-and-miss.
http://slog.thestranger.com/files/2008/09/americanpsycho460.jpg
American Psycho (Mary Harron, 2000) - 3
I felt like rating this a little higher to differentiate it from the last three movies (which were in all honesty rather passable and ones I'll probably never watch again), but I'm going to concede that somehow I don't completely groove to it. Way I figure it, this is something of a minor favourite that I'll probably watch once in a very long while since it's kind of short and faintly amusing with its twisted black comedy and ham-fisted satire - so...yeah. Nothing to report, really.
http://www.assumption.lib.la.us/images/1a2052f39a324fcd2689b98167369e69.jpg
The Great Gatsby (Jack Clayton, 1974) - 2
Giving a film a 2 is usually my way of conceding that a film isn't exactly terrible, but it's just so incredibly flawed that it might as well be genuinely bad. The fact that it's based off a good book and actually features some half-decent photography falls by the wayside in the face of incredibly uncharismatic performances, an unnecessarily padded adaptation of the novel and heavy-handed romanticising of a setting and characters that were never intended as such.
ash_is_the_gal
09-04-10, 12:20 PM
American Psycho (Mary Harron, 2000) - 3
have you read the book? it's bloody, but great.
Iroquois
09-04-10, 12:24 PM
Yeah, I've read it. I think I've mentioned this before, but the book is actually considered so offensive that it's actually banned completely in my home state (every other state requires it to be sold in shrink wrap and marked with an 18+ tag). Remember Ellis showing up for a writers' festival a few weeks ago and in an interview he wanted the ban to remain because he found it "cute".
But yeah, the book's a hell of a read.
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
09-04-10, 02:31 PM
i'm probably going to rent this next week. i've never seen it before, and my boyfriend recently watched it and hated it. therefore, i need something to argue with him about!
Sexually repressed nun goes mad- what's there not to like?
The Insider
http://bullmurph.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/1541__insider_l.jpg
http://www.teachwithmovies.org/guides/insider-DVDcover.jpg
Pacino and Crowe with top form acting. Michael Mann creates an incredibly suspenseful, perfectly paced film, and manages to do so with no violence. I love the caliber of integrity that Pacino's character shows throughout the film, it is definitely one of his great performances although severely underrated. One of my favorite moments didn't come from Pacino or Crowe, but Bruce McGill's verbal beatdown in the courtroom.
5
TheUsualSuspect
09-06-10, 01:48 AM
Machete
http://www.firstshowing.net/img/machete-poster-big.jpg
Grindhouse was the most fun I had in the theatre in a long time and that experience I believe won't be matched. It had the right amount of everything and the entire audience was enthralled by it. It failed at the box office, which made it even more of a true Grindhouse film. Now we have Machete, a full length feature film based on one of the trailers that was attached to Grindhouse. Out of all the trailers, this one had the most potential to be an actual film, and here we are. Machete was a lot more fun in trailer form, then it is in feature form.
I had fun here, but the film is a lot less Grindhouse and a lot more political. It starts off with a great bang and has the audience set up for a bloody good time. It's violence was unrelenting. Then it starts to suffer from it's story line, it's lack of tongue in cheekiness and the length. The film still has great moments, but they are only scattered throughout a disjointed piece. Machete was perfect for the trailer, and only mediocre for it's film.
The film surprisingly has a strong cast. Danny Trejo is the title character and the story of the trailer is the exact story here. He is hired to do a job and is double crossed. He was hired by Lapidus, I'm sorry, Jeff Fahey, to assassinate Robert DeNiro. We later find out that it was all an attempt to get more sympathy votes for him when he survives the assassination and the police start looking for Machete. There are subplots about immigration that really take over the story and are in your face with it's content. Jessica Alba is the Immigration Officer, she still is a bad actress, even in a piece like this. Michelle Rodriguez is apart of a resistance called The Network, who go after DeNiro, the Senator.
Other parts of the cast are played by horror make-up legend Tom Savini, Robert Rodriguez long time pal Cheech Marin, Don Johnson, Lindsay Lohan who seems to be playing herself and Steven Freakin Seagal. With a cast like this you would expect it to be really campy and B style, but it takes itself way to seriously at moments and it loses it's sights on things. Seagal could have been great in this piece, but instead he sits around and talks the whole time until a fight at the end, which clearly shows his age and the fact that he has let himself go. The standouts are Don Johnson and Jeff Fahey, they play their evil roles perfectly and fit right into this film. DeNiro is a bit off here, he isn't his usual self and he seems out of place at times. I didn't know if he was trying to hard or was phoning it in.
The film is violent and bloody. People loose limbs, heads and what not. It's clearly over the top and it plays on that very well. The rest of the time you're waiting for it to get to the good parts. Danny Trejo is great, but he is no leading man. He should stick to character pieces, although I am glad he finally got his spotlight. He is one scary and ugly looking guy, who always seems to get the ladies *cue porn music*.
Machete is something that could have been great fun, but it leaves most of the fun in 2007 with Grindhouse. A heavy political theme drowns it out too much and it actually tries to give the viewers a message instead of simply being a low grade trashy film. I had more fun with Piranha 3D than Machete, which is a surprise.
3
Blue Lou
09-06-10, 02:33 AM
Cashback (2006)
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTNWYfeTUWUDhjki_mepRDbDzHuYDQRhMdmMusqbOkNFnmQOX8&t=1&usg=__hZTBlXSgCpyzfKxUbFLntuWzX-E=
The art of time. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt, and sometimes you get lucky. Judging by the the cover, I was expecting more of a goofy teen movie. But I was surprised to find it more of a cerebral, romantic comedy. Overall, entertaining and worth a look.
3
ash_is_the_gal
09-06-10, 02:23 PM
Little Foxes (1941)
3.5
http://www.kviff.com/image/7610-the-little-foxes.jpg
Nine to Five (1980)
4
http://flavorwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/dolly_parton1.jpg
Black Narcissus (1947)
3.5
http://trickylittleimp.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/black_narcissus.jpg
http://www.nisimazine.eu/local/cache-vignettes/L600xH439/EX_BLACK_NARCISSUS_1web-7f898.jpg
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
09-06-10, 03:45 PM
yay! Love for Black Narcissus. Isn't the lipstick scene great?
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
09-07-10, 08:59 AM
A critical examination of a film in my top 100:
The History Boys 4
Almost thirty years ago, Another Country was the play that launched the career of Colin Firth, Rupert Everett and Kenneth Branagh- or at least, introduced them to the world. This time it's The History Boys launching careers (though mainly in TV work). There's nothing like a brainy schoolboy drama to get your acting career started (unfortunately there isn't an equivalent for women).
The film is slightly different from the play. In the play the action is looked back on by a boy called Scripps, whose role is slightly reduced here, so if you liked the film, check out the play and see the differences (one feels that the play will receive many a revival/be studied at school). It's more edgy than Dead Poets Society- some viewers complained about the swearing in this film but there isn't that much and it's perfectly plausible. Teenage boys, shockingly enough, do swear. This is a funny and heartwarming film- the only problem is the ending, which feels too much like a theatrical conceit. Recommended for those who liked Another Country, Dead Poets Society, and trying to pick out which of the boys will have the best career and which will vanish into obscurity.
ash_is_the_gal
09-07-10, 11:50 PM
the day's Bette Davis film:
Old Acquaintance (1943)
http://dcairns.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/vlcsnap-8257.png
http://cinefilia.fezocasblurbs.com/archives/aquaintance1.jpg
unconventional ending and out of character. she reminded me of Charlotte in Now, Voyager.
4.5
meatwadsprite
09-08-10, 01:10 AM
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTL8ydOnS6ts9HgKQ7241EmK6pkVG89JLMPOnAgmK_sEGiZlTA&t=1&usg=__FJmrPW7fd2K_7lGf4oYaRP0-m9E= http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQmeiqmwdwFuVGLIQgwKUz62OwXzzmL4ieh2DPWpNZSPQgTBTA&t=1&usg=___aopEUNjDoSqU8jXlDT6yjr-I9U= http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRdhW6Y6uboz_jHWRwosD_PkH-RDHY-Mj5YwEfuWe8PGm7qkEE&t=1&usg=__ILxCh-IdeWlKudMH56vB0Ja7i4o=
Exit Through the Gift Shop 2010
Where do I begin ? With a couple days to analyze the movie and events, I'm sure I could find a hard answer to whether it's a real documentary, completely fictional, or the most likely - a real story with liberties taken when and wherever. I won't bother, because the shroud of mystery surrounding it is one it's best features.
It's an exciting and ambitious idea, a documentary about a guy who follows street artists and records them on video tape - only to later become a mega-commercial sensation him self. The recording man Thierry Guetta, has thousands of hours of footage of nights roaming and painting the streets with prolific street artists. Bound to be some awesome footage in there right ? Not a lot of that finds it's way on screen, which is what the director (whoever that is) doesn't entirely understand.
The craft of this movie is so messy and even with a couple brilliant ideas to at the heart, without good technique - go no spoils. You're filming people making art, but you should really worry about your own art, is this footage immersive or just stock. For all the brilliant techniques we see from the makers of graffiti, stencils, and everything else art - there isn't a lot of cinematic marvel here.
It's a lot less than what I wanted, but still worthwhile viewing - if only to figure out what's real.
3
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTnMRVze8ktaWJYHN6jUWA0r1EoVXBjg8LSeIExDpGvrH_Mx00&t=1&usg=__pLMX-9cQoQPP6-M_hEseWJTkq_o= http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ7m5kEpGI8x6WotlTzsvc1wthhuAfpdqRhY7DHER_GQWeLZVA&t=1&usg=__u37_aC9Uwa_A7v-z_HaLaeZC5qc= http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS6XuOky48lIzwkQX293FsWIpUcuOPJFjBBPiizPd0jjOfuT_4&t=1&usg=__sNE3nMdFCZwUtN5aurReBFVEx6M=
Picnic at Hanging Rock 1975
A bunch of girls climb up on a rock with a bunch of poisonous ants and dangerous snakes and kill themselves. Director Peter Weir tries to make a mystery out of why a couple of beautiful college girls would want to off themselves with their whole lives still ahead of them, or if it was a suicide at all. Maybe the girls we're just f**king dumb ? Was there a killer ? The rock itself is a main suspect, with a bunch of hazy editing and scary music surrounding it. Ambiguity for the sake of it almost, none of these options are explored half way. It's so subdued, that not even Michael Bay and M. Night Shamaylan on a coke binge could come up with a conclusive ending.
2
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRL5vMXbez4kiE1mO-f_s6-ReK_U79T1Ja2pB_hsAIBikDFk_c&t=1&usg=__FzEGqSNEc4el9lofqv2u248ien4= http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRaT91Fg055kaMoW4JEJju4hnEmLf6yS5zDmn8ahONCSVRxBUQ&t=1&usg=__tN6azj7ZjJT-LpwynkD2fXIfh_c= http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSegSzlhCfQaAwEKATbcGtUwvWeBIt0NVSHL1TnFm2bCSeMP9Y&t=1&usg=__3kU6Z2Hx2qlBh55m-1gEuJG9QjM=
The Other Guys 2010
Once Sam Jack and Rock die it's over, walk out. The worst thing I've seen for awhile (since 187 with none other than Sam Jack). It would be the worst of the year, but I don't want to steal that title from Cop Out just yet. It's really surprising too, Will Ferrell is usually in the best movies like Elf and other stupid **** that sucks major balls.
1
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRvm_GQE_YNVxe5S6kK9d8qzghlNxH4zyCSp7ybNZx6BThXOog&t=1&usg=__YxeTLaStByLr42UGPZ3P00bBV4g= http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSuJwxsy4kVcEs8Nb9KkiJiUKJwDnw-dmO63IuWjU94aSw5clc&t=1&usg=__DhSW9eQ7pjoYCkVt2MOH6bJ1TKw= http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ_si9Fqz43fSFyGTLTvq85D-o6Yb0vnSu3uS1TTbjscJjFYug&t=1&usg=__hlm1a82hrICbZU0MGLQxTjn3EjU=
The Sweet Hereafter 1997
Strong performances all over the place, with some well placed intrigue and some really bewildering twists. It doesn't really tie together like it should, but I really couldn't guess what would happen next (except sometimes).
2.5
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTlpuJR_RIi8Wp3QxCuHs8jKeDEnVmM9sGmf-8XNvZXtVixGn8&t=1&usg=__ZeZ0srjYy-1qKLGdPflJ9C4JTgU= http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQzT5W1OB6VM1JhXUQALlvTckZ1RXpcN6V7IpYJtFpXPiarlU4&t=1&usg=__QvLh-6oeC2ZDglRcAgOwH0eS3yQ= http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSucNT42LTVR-UWipjCF3K7dMowA5CsfdPuPy2iOxiNdU5mhQc&t=1&usg=__n8BL6ARUFCmEftjxQIzOSknXt8I=
The Expendables 2010
By all means this should have been the worst movie out of this group (in the post). Apart from the awesome cast, Stallone isn't a director, and this met with bitter critical reaction. Nope. The shootouts are awesome, with very few mis-steps in the action itself. The short worded back and forths between the action-stars are just about brilliant. Not to say it isn't bullet ridden with gaping flaws - like it's worst plot ever plot. Expendables has it where it counts, in the chemistry and the gun-play.
3
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
09-08-10, 09:19 AM
The Golden Bowl 3
Henry James may have written verbose and rather dense prose but he sure knew how to write about adultery and the psychology of it.
In this Merchant-Ivory film, the premise is intriguing. Maggie (Kate Beckinsale), the shy daughter of billionaire Adam Verver (Nick Nolte), marries an Italian prince (Jeremy Northam, whose accent may not be authentic but at least it's relatively consistant). So that her widowed father doesn't get lonely, Maggie marries him off to her childhood friend Charlotte (Uma Thurman). However, unbeknown to Maggie and her father, Charlotte and the Prince were former lovers...
However the novel is very internal and so it is hard for the film to fully explore the depths of the relationships- especially the intense father-daughter relationship that makes the two neglect their spouses. It also focused more on Maggie's struggles to keep the two men she loves as opposed to the actual affair. Adultery becomes almost a positive thing, character-building. But the actors all give good performances and James Fox and Anjelica Huston add light relief as Bob and Fanny Assingham. Merchant-Ivory fans will love the detail and costumes.
Tacitus
09-08-10, 10:55 AM
Youth is wasted on the young, Seds. ;)
Apparently...
*Eats his prunes*
voneil7
09-08-10, 11:09 AM
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2f/Vicious_kind.jpg
This movie started off promising, but I thought it kinda fell apart at the end. I thought Adam Scott's performance was great, not to take anything away from the others, but his really stood out. The direction was ok, nothing really stood out for me, but I think the writing is what ended up being the downside for me. Overall, it was an ok movie, not great, but not terrible either.
2.5
I've watched at least 20 films since my last tab, but I just can't sit here and type a lot right now. The films include the fun Hollywood murder mystery The Last of Sheila, the song-and-dance extravaganza Stormy Weather, Hitchcock's The Wrong Man, De Palma's Blow Out, the funny and moving Ruggles of Red Gap, two Clint "spaghetti westerns" made on opposite sides of the Atlantic, A Fistful of Dollars and Hang 'Em High, two solid adaptations of Frederick Forsyth thrillers, The Odessa File and The Day of the Jackal, and the cool, twisty French thriller One Deadly Summer with a very naked Isabelle Adjani.
Others include Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons in the sex comedy The Grass is Greener, the ultra-offensive Where's Poppa? which has probably the funniest courtroom scene I've ever seen and several other tasteless laughs, Matthau and Clayburgh clashing on the Supreme Court in First Monday in October, two Michael Curtiz flicks from 1950, Kirk Douglas in Young Man with a Horn and Gary Cooper, Lauren Bacall and Patricia Neal in Bright Leaf.
I've also seen a fascinating three-hour documentary about films shot in Los Angeles called Los Angeles Plays Itself and an early talkie gangster flick with silent screen icon John Gilbert called Gentleman's Fate. Add in rewatches of the harrowing Naked and the beautiful and crazily-cinematic A Matter of Life and Death, and that just leaves Alain Resnais' Last Year at Marienbad about which I was able to write up a little bit here (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=672423#post672423).
So tell me, what should I do? Should I pick and choose and slowly catch up? Should I just post ratings and a sentence? Should I do nothing because I'm not all that interesting? I still owe linespalsy a response to his last Tab with comments about A Matter of Life and Death, Green for Danger, The Stunt Man and a few others. I would certainly discuss Phantom of the Paradise but I should rewatch it first. I should have it on VHS around here. One thing about that flick I love is the "Psycho shower scene". Too bad I can't spoil things and post at least an image. :cool:
Well, I try to do "rating and a sentence" when I'm behind, but when I start I always end up writing more! :) I'd say go with that, and if you start one and have a bit more to say, great. Why not mix and match? When there's something to say, say more, and when there's not, just a rating. That's what I'd vote for, at least, but I do think it's cool to have the updates there to catch us all the way up. I've gotten ideas from the updates more than once when I see that someone loves something.
Powdered Water
09-08-10, 10:08 PM
I say just completely stop posting in here for about 6 months and then just pop back in like nothing ever happened... that's what I would do. Hey!
meatwadsprite
09-08-10, 10:13 PM
Oh, Meaty...
http://i51.tinypic.com/35it7ax.gif
I say just completely stop posting in here for about 6 months and then just pop back in like nothing ever happened... that's what I would do. Hey!
So you're recommending I pull a Powdered Water (at least in this thread)? :cool:
Or are you saying, Good riddance. "Adeus, Casablanca."
Powdered Water
09-08-10, 10:27 PM
I recommend nothing. That's the mystery of me.
That's true. You just plant little yucky (unnamed) things in people's brains and they fester and grow and turn into the PW Army without the host's knowledge...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5KuI7ZJyhQ
Powdered Water
09-08-10, 10:40 PM
That does have a certain ring to it.
But that kinda, sorta, means that I've blown your cover. Crap, now you'll become even more insidious.
Powdered Water
09-08-10, 11:08 PM
:laugh: I guess we'd better knock it off. Someone is bound to come along and think we're serious.
OK. But we need to get some members to post over here more often. I think there are several newer members who only look at the "What is the Last DVD You Watched" thread, and don't understand the concept of "Movie Tab". I know that some go back and forth, but there are a significant few which I've never seen in here.
linespalsy
09-09-10, 12:34 AM
The movie tab is the overall most-essential thread at mofo for me, and definitely the first one I try to read every new post in.
Which I guess is me saying you should post whatever you feel physically up to posting in this thread, even if only a sort of mini-update like your recent one, mark. heck I'll let you in on a little secret: I don't even care that much about the ratings if you can just write a little bit. There's my completely selfish response.
You seem to be going through a mini DePalma-watching phase yourself, with recent viewings of The Fury and now Blow Out. What's your favorite of his films? The shower scene in Phantom of the Paradise was awesome. I want to live in a mansion called "linespalsy henge" when I grow up.
lines, do you know how old you'll be when "you grow up"?
I still think I love Carrie the most. I need to rewatch Casualties of War though because it's been awhile, and I still haven't seen his recent political brouhaha.
Harry Lime
09-09-10, 12:53 AM
I've also seen a fascinating three-hour documentary about films shot in Los Angeles called Los Angeles Plays Itself...
I've had this on my computer for a while now, just haven't gotten around to watching it yet. Personally, I'd like to read a review of this film by you.
linespalsy
09-09-10, 01:14 AM
lines, do you know how old will you'll be when "you grow up"?
I still think I love Carrie the most. I need to rewatch Casualties of War though because it's been awhile, and I still haven't seen his recent political brouhaha.
i don't know how old i'll be but i'll know when i'm grown up because i'll be living in linespalsy henge.
cool. all i remember from carrie really is the beginning. i'll see it in the coming months. i'm trying to somewhat-evenly space the ones i haven't seen before or saw very, very long ago with the re-watches. i liked redacted enough to give it 4, and write like 5 paragraphs about it in april, 2008 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=426434) but i'll have to see it again.
I've had this on my computer for a while now, just haven't gotten around to watching it yet. Personally, I'd like to read a review of this film by you.
My wife is dead tired now because her first day of school was today and she's been working her cute butt off for a week now. Maybe I can respond to this since my workload isn't as time-consuming.
I suppose the more you know about Los Angeles, its history and all the various big-budget and homemade movies which were shot there, the more you would enjoy this. I had no problem going along for the three-hour ride, but I will admit that the director/narration writer has quite a few political axes to grind. He does spend plenty of time debunking and verifying different bits of Chinatown and L.A. Confidential, plus Philip Marlowe gets his own chapter. I found much of this political material quite interesting (the more left-wing you are, the more you'll agree), but it apparently turns off people who don't believe that Jack Webb was a walking Hitler (even if that makes Steve McGarrett a Nazi too!).
http://www.filmforum.org/films/laplays/LAPI_3.jpg
Three hours is a little long although for people who want to see some flicks they may have missed, the final half-hour highlights three "working man's flicks", and the only one I'd actually seen was Killer of Sheep. My rating is 3
Il Caso Mattei (Francesco Rosi)
Based on the true story of Enrico Mattei.
Mattei was a Italian industrialist that tried to use oil and methane resources to make Italy less influenced by foreign interests in a post World War II Italy.
Mattei died in a suspicious plane crash in 1962.
For the making of this film, Rosi hired journalist Mauro De Mauro.
He also disappeared suspiciously.
As interesting as the subject matter was, this film didn't work very well.
The shots were set up documentary style and poorly.
The acting was stiff and forgettable.
2
Velikiy Perelom (Fridrikh Ermler)
Russian with no subtitles.
This is the dullest war movie I have ever seen. A bunch of generals lounging in a basement plotting a attack.
By far the worst film I have watched on the MoFo lists.
0.5
linespalsy
09-09-10, 01:36 AM
You can understand Russian?
You can understand Russian?
Nope
Iroquois
09-09-10, 01:39 AM
Very tempted to play the whole "you just didn't like because you didn't understand it" defense, though I don't care about the film either.
Very tempted to play the whole "you just didn't like because you didn't understand it" defense, though I don't care about the film either.
I can definitely see that point, but I'm not going any farther out of my way to experience these lame films on the Cannes list.
I'll just uncheck them.
I can definitely see that point, but I'm not going any farther out of my way to experience these lame films on the Cannes list.
I'll just uncheck them.
Look here, Loner. I don't know what drugs I was on when I came up with the "mark f whatchamacallit", but you never have to uncheck any film you've ever seen and hated. I don't want you to waste any more of your life then you already DO! :cool:
I am interested in your sharing the films you love though, and I mean with everybody, Bro!
meatwadsprite
09-09-10, 02:13 AM
Stuart Little is awesome in spanish with no subs.
Look here, Loner. I don't know what drugs I was on when I came up with the "mark f whatchamacallit", but you never have to uncheck any film you've ever seen and hated. I don't want you to waste any more of your life then you already DO! :cool:
Hey thanks Mark. I'm sorry if you thought this was pointed at you. As far as the "mark f whatchamacallit" I was just being silly. I won't bring it up again.
I am interested in your sharing the films you love though, and I mean with everybody, Bro!
This isn't going to happen. You and Harry Lime wanted my top 100 list. I got really tried of trying to put them in order. Especially when dealing with different genres. Repo Man kept messing things up.
Stuart Little is awesome in spanish with no subs.
I use to watch Jabberjaw in Spanish when I was drunk and sometimes when I wasn't.
Why put them in order? Just post your faves and maybe why they're better or worse than Repo Man. :)
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
09-10-10, 12:52 PM
A Canterbury Tale 3
In WW2, a land girl (Sheila Sim), American soldier (John Sweet), and a sergeant (Dennis Price), are making their way to Canterbury when they stumble upon a mystery- the mystery of the 'glue man', who pours glue on girls' heads. All the facts suggest that it's the magistrate, Thomas Colpeper (Eric Portman). But what's his motive? And do these modern-day pilgrims share the spirit of Chaucer's pilgrims, many a year ago?
The film has that wonderful Powell and Pressburger charm, though it's probably even more bizarre than A Matter of Life and Death. The 'mystery' drags a little and its link to the historical patriotism is a little strange but lovers of history and of course, Canterbury, will enjoy it. A worthy addition to the Powell and Pressburger collection, but non-converts may not be able to embrace the film's very strange aspects.
Thursday Next
09-11-10, 09:18 AM
Erin Brockovich
http://www.impawards.com/2000/posters/erin_brockovich.jpg
Honestly not as bad as I expected it to be. Julia Roberts takes on big corporations and lawyers in smart suits while swearing and wearing low cut tops, leaving her beardy boyfriend to watch her kids.
3
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
http://www.impawards.com/2001/posters/hedwig_and_the_angry_inch.jpg
Memorable rock musical telling the story of transsexual singer Hedwig from childhood in East Germany to betrayal by ex-boyfriends, one of whom stole her songs. Striking and worth watching.
4
A Single Man
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Qzd9HIsRWeA/TChXD5f-UrI/AAAAAAAAh5w/YsPRCjK8bSs/s1600/A+Single+Man+DVD.jpg
Colin Firth plays a middle-aged English college professor living in America in the 1960s who is suffering from a broken heart, his partner of 16 years, Jim (Matthew Goode), having died recently in a car crash. An exquisite film, well acted, well shot, stylish and emotionally resonant.
4.5
Resident Evil:Afterlife(2010)-Well the aclaimed technology used in Avatar doesn't live up to our expectations in Resident evil if any of you was hoping for that. The 3D is alright I guess even from time to time Paul Anderson sticks it in your face too much which is kind of anoying. The action is quite good and for fans of the game can make a lot of references to characters and places from the fourth and the fifth game. I'd say its a fun movie to watch if you are into zombies like me. However there is too much cliches and Albert Wesker talks so freaking anoyingly :D
http://www.filmofilia.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/resident_evil_afterlife_30-535x356.jpg
3.5
The Darjeeling Limited
http://youcallthatamovie.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/the_darjeeling_limited.jpg
This is the one Wes Anderson film that I put on the back burner for a while. I finally watched it tonight, and I was really shocked. I always hear that the film is Anderson's worse, but I completely disagree. I am actually having trouble convincing myself that this wasn't better than The Royal Tenenbaums.
The Darjeeling Limited is probably the most visually stunning film Wes Anderson has created, and anyone that is a fan knows how great of a feat that is. The film follows three brothers (Brody, Schwartzman, Wilson) that haven't seen or heard from each other in over a year. They meet up on a train ride through India, and a great story of family, relationships, and self realization begins. Great performances by all three, but I really feel Adrian Brody's character had the most to give.
Wes Anderson isn't for everyone, thats for sure. In my book, The Darjeeling Limited is one of his best.
5
Tacitus
09-12-10, 06:06 AM
This isn't going to happen. You and Harry Lime wanted my top 100 list. I got really tried of trying to put them in order. Especially when dealing with different genres. Repo Man kept messing things up.
What about flinging up a list but just ordering them alphabetically? Everyone's happy!
Tacitus
09-12-10, 06:11 AM
Julia Roberts takes on big corporations and lawyers in smart suits while swearing and wearing low cut tops, leaving her beardy boyfriend to watch her kids.
You make her sound like my ideal woman. Top summation! :D
Harry Lime
09-12-10, 06:58 AM
What about flinging up a list but just ordering them alphabetically? Everyone's happy!
I saw his list. Unfortunately, I deleted it when I had to clean my messages due to a lack of space. Not like I'd have posted it here or anything, that'd be kinda rude.
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
09-13-10, 09:32 AM
A Disney double here:
Dumbo 3_5
I'm not exactly the target market for the film- I prefer my Disney films to have more wit and be more fun (although I do find Lady and The Tramp very romantic). Small children will most likely enjoy it, although some parts are distressing. The songs are sweet- the plot is thin but small children won't care about that. Dumbo is mute but the animators did a top job making him look cute. It gets 3_5 because the appeal is mainly for young children, though the moral is admirable (older children looking for the same moral would do well to watch Hunchback of Notre Dame) and those interested in animation.
Adults may snigger at the repeated use of 'climax'- "Dumbo, you're a climax!" and the hilarious scene with Timothy Mouse asking the Ringmaster in his sleep "Are you getting that climax?" and the infamous pink elephant sequence is genius. Recommended for small children, sentimental adults, and the non-PC brigade.
Hercules 4
If you're a stickler for staying true to the classics, you might want to avoid this- or at least, suspend your disbelief (many films are historically inaccurate). Instead of being a serial rapist, Zeus is a jolly old god with a magnificent chest and his wife is a goddess, not a mortal that he raped. Just go with it, okay? Because this is a fun film.
The songs have a sort of gospel thing going on, except 'Go The Distance', which is the obligatory 'I want to belong/I'm having an existential crisis' song. They're fun songs, although none of them scream 'Disney classic', in the way that 'The Bare Necessities' or 'When You Wish Upon A Star' does. In the context of the film, they work very well though.
The best thing about the film is probably the screenplay, which is very witty. They really go for it with the Ancient Greek theme- attention to detail in this film is simply brilliant (watch out for a familiar lion skin...). It may not be a Disney classic but both adults and children can enjoy it, and it's one of the few Disney films that won't terrify anybody.
I'd refer to Dumbo as a film for all parents and their children so that basically covers everybody. If people can't take the crows at the end, they have a lot bigger problems than being "P.C." I'm happy that you seemed to like it but it does sound a bit like you feel you're "above" it. I find it exhilirating and one of Disney's best, but everybody knows I'm sentimental and like to laugh at unintentional sex jokes. :cool:
Iroquois
09-13-10, 09:18 PM
This isn't going to happen. You and Harry Lime wanted my top 100 list. I got really tried of trying to put them in order. Especially when dealing with different genres. Repo Man kept messing things up.
Repo Man is like that. I second the whole "alphabetical" deal Tacitus suggested - PimpDaShizzle put up such a list, why not you?
ash_is_the_gal
09-13-10, 11:00 PM
Butterfield 8 (1960)
http://content8.flixster.com/photo/12/17/69/12176942_gal.jpg
4
linespalsy
09-14-10, 02:18 AM
Add me to the list of people who want to see Loner's list. I kind of wish I had done some more open-ended and un-ranked favorites kind of thing, like mark's been doing with his post-100 favorites. I keep wanting to go back and switch movies around on my "top 100", add a bunch and maybe drop a couple.
A Canterbury Tale 3
In WW2, a land girl (Sheila Sim), American soldier (John Sweet), and a sergeant (Dennis Price), are making their way to Canterbury when they stumble upon a mystery- the mystery of the 'glue man', who pours glue on girls' heads. All the facts suggest that it's the magistrate, Thomas Colpeper (Eric Portman). But what's his motive? And do these modern-day pilgrims share the spirit of Chaucer's pilgrims, many a year ago?
The film has that wonderful Powell and Pressburger charm, though it's probably even more bizarre than A Matter of Life and Death. The 'mystery' drags a little and its link to the historical patriotism is a little strange but lovers of history and of course, Canterbury, will enjoy it. A worthy addition to the Powell and Pressburger collection, but non-converts may not be able to embrace the film's very strange aspects.
That's a good brief description of A Canterbury Tale. I think the oddness of that movie really worked for me. I remember the glue man but I don't recall the resolution to that plot-line. I'll have to watch it again and see what I think.
Here's what I've seen since my last post here. a bunch of re-watches in this recent batch:
http://www.phil.uu.nl/~rob/2010/hum291_Spr/i/triumph_of_the_will.jpg
Triumph of the Will (Riefenstahl, 1934)
This movie is pretty interesting and more-entertaining than I remember it, though at almost 2 hours, much of it very long crowd scenes this almost seems like an art film rather than "propaganda" for the masses. Aesthetically I think some of the beauty and power of this film - particularly the much-celebrated editing - was lost on me in some of those very long crowd and ceremonial scenes, but on the other hand I can appreciate much of it. I first learned of this movie in high school where my media arts teacher told us that Leni Riefenstahl basically tricked the Germans into taking Hitler seriously by shooting him at a low angle. I wish I had spoken up then because that's barely the tip of the iceberg in terms of rhetorical tactics this movie uses.
There's an important speech maybe 40 minutes or so in (I watched it over a week ago and didn't take notes) when Hitler is giving a speech to his army of shoveleers. Much of the lead-up to this is fun-and-games and cleverly-orchestrated footage of masses of revelers filling the streets and outlying fields of Nuremberg, followed by a quick run-through of the talking heads of the party, complete non-entities, yipping about how much they support Hitler. Then Hitler comes on and his speech to the crowd is about how not just the 1,000s there but all of Germany is there, watching and taking part in this. This point gets hammered throughout the film but it really got my attention, being told that by watching this I'm part of the Nazi party. This is a pretty effective and interesting film, certainly worth seeing.
3.5
Day of Freedom (Riefenstahl, 1935)
This one is also pretty engaging though it's basically an expo for German Military technology and organization, it's well made and at less than half an hour pretty engaging.
2.5
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/9654/littlemurdersmilkglasswe2.jpg
Little Murders (Arkin, 1971)
Really cruel satire of 1970s America adapted by Jules Feiffer from his own play. If you liked Carnal Knowledge I think this is even darker and weirder. Through that lens of sadistic voyeurism told in weird set-pieces the movie becomes something closer to a science-fiction alternate universe of New York rather than straight-up satirical lampooning but for me that made the movie all the creepier and funnier. The movie basically wants to show a logical but completely crazy progression for a misanthrope to become a violent sociopath, so if you're ready for something dark you might enjoy this as much as I did.
3.5
http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/theyearone.jpg
Year One (Ramis, 2009)
Passably decent "historical-epic" farce that follows the mold a little too faithfully for my taste, but Black and Cera both had some good moments. I may be underrating this slightly
2
http://i.bnet.com/blogs/untouchables.jpg
The Untouchables (DePalma, 1987)
The last time I saw this was around when I put it up on my top 100. I think I enjoyed it slightly less overall this time around but it's still really good in my book, mainly because I don't see myself ever getting tired of DePalma's approach, where he seemed to take each scene in this movie as a chance for a fantastic standalone set-piece, of which there are many here.
3.5
http://www.legalmoviesdownloads.com/still-frames-movie-pictures/jaws/jaws-11-richard-dreyfuss-robert-shaw-matt-hooper-quint.jpg
Jaws (Spielberg, 1975)
Another extremely fun action-adventure with some truly harrowing moments on the cramped ship of an archetypal shark-hunting lunatic (though of course there's a pretty great explanation for his lunacy). I think this one may actually be a little better as a whole and the cinematography and natural lighting have plenty of outstanding moments. I got to take my girlfriend to see it on the big screen and I'm surprised she went for it since she got so grossed out at Piranhas 3-D that she actually had to leave the theater for a few minutes to cool her head. They basically both have all the same ingredients with the exception that Jaws seems to have been made by someone who knows how to cook them.
3.5
http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/6000000/Never-Been-Kissed-never-been-kissed-6013090-800-451.jpg
Never Been Kissed (Gosnell, 1999)
Another one that I didn't actually dislike but didn't particularly like either. Drew Barrymore seems to like starring in and producing these movies where she plays a writer or a quirky actress playing a role in a romantic movie within a cynical movie. In this one the cynical movie is the news paper Ebert writes for which is neutralized by the magically stratified movie world of "high school", which in turn is bested by Drew's writing and acting. I think they may have piled it on a little too thick and complicated on this one because it didn't really work for me, though as I said I don't dislike it. The messiness is actually kind of entertaining too.
2
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4RKNUuVV_48/SkmFZdlcBvI/AAAAAAAAEoc/2aXKj1CUjHA/s1600/Undercover%2BDining.jpg
A Taxing Woman (Itami, 1987)
Okay, I feel like this one deserves it's own whole post which maybe I'll feel up to doing some time. I've watched it either 4 or 5 times now since I first saw it about 10 years ago and I don't think I've ever really appreciated before this time how beautiful this movie is. There's all this really fantastic natural lighting and camerawork that grabs you from the first shot which shows you snow piling up through a window. Instead of the deep-focus of Kurosawa Itami really seems to want to keep you aware of depth while still having a lot of layered action going on within and in between shots.
This is a funny but also very serious movie in that for every esoteric example of incomprehensible, desperate scheming by people who want to avoid giving up anything at any cost, there's some detail so unexpected but so well-observed that you can't miss it, but it almost never seems to register consciously at first.
It's also very ambiguous as-satire in that it's really hard to say who are the good guys and who are the bad guys in this police procedural, though there are some all-too-human moments on both sides of the law.
Really I think I could enjoy this movie enough to have it as a favorite just on an aesthetic level, even if no matter how many times I watch it I might never fully "get" it.
I remember the sequel being darker in that it actually finds a villain (played by Rentaro Mikuni) who cloaks himself in a death-obsessed religion while he's in bed with gangsters on the one side and a little girl on the other, but I'll have to see it again.
Great theme song too.
4
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2009/4/23/1240486326433/Hue-And-Cry-UK-1947-001.jpg
Hue and Cry ([i]Chricton, 1947)
Interesting comical mystery with a cast of hundreds of kids who band together to take on a gang of fur-stealing crooks right out of a comic book. The mystery itself (whodunnit) is kind of silly and predictable but there's a lot of fun stuff in this movie, including a great bit where the hero of the movie is walking through the streets of London reading a crime comic and just stumbles into the scene he's reading. From there it becomes a battle to find and alter the comic book, which he figures is being used by real-life criminals to send coded messages to each other about who's turn it is to pull the job. I won't give it away but it gets pretty complicated from there. I rented this when I looked up some movies featuring Alastair Sim, who played the detective in Green for Danger and shows up briefly here as the eccentric "genius" writer.
3.5
http://dvdmedia.ign.com/dvd/image/article/635/635651/crazed-fruit-criterion-collection-20050721035436693-000.jpg
Crazed Fruit (Nakahira, 1956)
Nihilistic portrayal of taiyozoku (Sun Tribe) youths in 50s Japan. Kind of a label for reckless, idle, disconnected teenagers growing up in the post-war Japan. This movie portrays them mostly as rather spoiled and jaded. It's about a doomed romance between one girl and two brothers, in which the older brother and girl are both hiding their self-serving antics from the younger, supposedly-innocent brother. It's brutal and very stylized and the all-around nastiness of the ending really did grab me pretty effectively, even if it doesn't seem to want to say anything.
About four years after this Nagisa Oshima did his own "sun" film which I think tries to bury the sun tribe in even more nihilism and style.
3
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
09-14-10, 06:14 PM
I'd refer to Dumbo as a film for all parents and their children so that basically covers everybody. If people can't take the crows at the end, they have a lot bigger problems than being "P.C." I'm happy that you seemed to like it but it does sound a bit like you feel you're "above" it. I find it exhilirating and one of Disney's best, but everybody knows I'm sentimental and like to laugh at unintentional sex jokes. :cool:
It was a bit scary at times :(
Blue Lou
09-17-10, 12:28 AM
Layer Cake (2004)
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRpP4VOrsmanbe63pN7ZayyWDiOGqgp4UyR6oxU-1hQnsOH9Xs&t=1&usg=__BO60kkWglkOdRjv0u-9wxbzF_OM=
Not much here. Only a watered down version of every gangster drug movie you've ever seen. Craig's character stood out as an unusual one. At times we were expected to believe that he is a shrewd, drug dealing criminal but most of the time we see him in situations where he's confused and scared. For example, I found it hard to believe that he was dealing $1 million worth of cocaine and totally unfamiliar with guns. For those who havent seen this, I would recommend rewatching something like Go, New Jack City, Blow etc. before sitting through this lame attempt at the double crossed, drug dealer genre.
2
First Person (T.V. Series 2000)
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRf4nrgkxGwv0wvHKdcTiT5Fno7nv1gZH6_E1f1G8tEEa3N0AU&t=1&usg=__VLgsNS255auBZNR8ZIx6niZzoH0=
I decided to go back and watch some of the episodes I missed in this T.V. series by Errol Morris. Morris' subjects have amazing stories with the personalities to match. The manner in which Morris pulls storytelling from the people in this documentary series is not something you will soon forget.
5
ash_is_the_gal
09-17-10, 12:33 AM
A Disney double here:
Dumbo 3_5
I'm not exactly the target market for the film- I prefer my Disney films to have more wit and be more fun (although I do find Lady and The Tramp very romantic)
so wait. are you saying that Lady and the Tramp isn't witty and fun?
honeykid
09-17-10, 01:09 AM
No, Lady And The Tramp is like most Disney... Crap. :p
ash_is_the_gal
09-17-10, 01:11 AM
No, Lady And The Tramp is like most Drew films... Crap. :p
^ is that what you meant? i agree. :up:
Iroquois
09-17-10, 09:58 AM
http://flyingfortress.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/dark-city.jpg
Dark City (Alex Proyas, 1998) - 4
Still a favourite of mine despite its relative weakness and being a little too dark (literally).
http://kingdomofstyle.typepad.co.uk/my_weblog/images/2007/11/18/picnic_at_hanging_rock.jpg
Picnic at Hanging Rock (Peter Weir, 1975) - 3.5
I may be underrating this (or even overrating it, as I was initially going to rate it a little lower) but I kind of like it. The film feels like it could've been trimmed quite a bit in some spots, but as it stands it's an interesting if mildly tiresome experience.
http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2008/04/21/va1237303331162/Mel-Gibson-and-Mark-Lee-in-Gallipoli-5997422.jpg
Gallipoli (Peter Weir, 1981) - 3.5
At once so similar yet so completely different to the previous film, this is a much more immediately gripping film that also moves at a fairly slow pace for the most part and could also do with some trimming, but it builds to one of the better cinematic conclusions I've seen in a long time.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BjnUpLXyduc/S1gMzye_mSI/AAAAAAAABgg/JpM-jSMwUHM/s400/BOOK+OF+ELI+MOVIE+REVIEW.jpg
The Book of Eli (Hughes brothers, 2010) - 2.5
It may have some fairly flash production design, but the rest of the movie feels largely unremarkable. Everything about it feels pretty passable, though the plot had some half-decent developments. Pretty disposable.
http://thecia.com.au/reviews/t/images/ten-canoes-poster-0.jpg
Ten Canoes (Rolf de Heer, 2006) - 3.5
A genuinely interesting little film based around a handful of Aboriginal tribesmen going hunting, with the focus being on one tribesman telling another a fable. It's far superior than it sounds and I may even be underrating it here. Surprisingly good developments, carried by naturalistic non-professionals and photographed incredibly well, filled with vibrancy and humour...it's just an all-around good film.
http://www.esquire.com/cm/esquire/images/6s/esq-away-we-go-0709-lg.jpg
Away We Go (Sam Mendes, 2009) - 3
Sure, it's got that whole "Hollywood indie" thing going on, but underneath it is a simple but compelling road movie narrative. It's nothing particularly special or memorable, but it's got a fair amount of humour and some surprisingly well-executed sentiment.
Caitlyn
09-17-10, 03:19 PM
Sunshine (2007)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/Caitgee/Movies/sunshine2.jpg
I have no idea why I waited so long to see this... but I'm kicking myself for doing so... 'tis a beautiful film... and when I get around to redoing my top 100, Sunshine will find a spot in it... the whole cast is excellent... but Cillian Murphy is fast becoming one of my favorite actors... the part where he left the message was so touching because you knew that he knew the end of his message was never going to happen... but he had to say it anyway... My only complaint about the whole film was a few of the scenes dealing with Pinbacker seemed a little far fetched to me... other than that, I can't believe they shot this with the budget they did... some folks should take a lesson....
5
The Chumscrubber (2005)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/Caitgee/Movies/chumtrailerpic01-1.jpg
Tagline: A darkly satiric story about life crumbling in the midst of a seemingly idyllic suburbia.
And that is exactly what it is... with a great cast who made it so compelling I wanted go arrest them... or at least turn their arses in... this film takes dysfunctional to a whole new level... but a level that everyone should check out if they haven't already...
4
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/Caitgee/Movies/muir-1.jpg
I loved this film years ago... and still do... probably because it's a wee bit different than your average romance... Rex Harrison should have kept the beard...
5
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/Caitgee/Movies/alice_in_wonderland_91-535x300-1.jpg
The story is a little lacking but the film, itself, is beautiful... I wasn't overly impressed with Alice (Mia Wasikowska)... and as for Depp, I thought he did a good job on the Mad Hatter but he's played so many quirky characters now, that I think a few characteristics of the others are going to pop up from time to time in each new character he plays... and we're probably going to be judging him, perhaps a little too harshly, at times, because of it... the real stars, for me, were the Red Queen (Helen Bonham Carter) and Stayne (Crispin Glover)…I didn't even recognize Glover at first... my niece loves this so much, I'm sure I will OD on it before long...
4
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/Caitgee/Movies/mls-1.jpg
Great little film full of quirky characters that are so engaging that you can't help but end up liking each and everyone of them... and they show you from beginning to end what being a family is really about... My Mom used to own a VW that had to be pushed off the same way...
4
Killers (2010)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/Caitgee/Movies/a.jpg
I wasn't expecting much so wasn't disappointed... I figured the whole thing out pretty quick but there were still a few moments of kinda silly cheesy fun...
2
Letters to Juliet (2010)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/Caitgee/Movies/2010_letters_to_juliet_002-1.jpg
My younger cousins loved this... and it's a cute film... not great... but cute. I had no idea 'Juliet's secretaries' really exist until one of my cousins told me she had looked it up... anyway, I enjoyed getting to see Vanessa Redgrave...
3
I also watched:
My Life in Ruins (2009) 2
The Secret Life of Bees (2008) 3.5
Admissions (2004) 2.5
And I tried to watch Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) but the DVD messed up and I haven't bothered to get it again...
ash_is_the_gal
09-17-10, 06:36 PM
Sunshine
I have no idea why I waited so long to see this... but I'm kicking myself for doing so... 'tis a beautiful film...
that's about all it had to offer, in my opinion. as i can recall, i was completely underwhelmed when i watched it a few years ago.
Caitlyn
09-18-10, 12:55 AM
that's about all it had to offer, in my opinion. as i can recall, i was completely underwhelmed when i watched it a few years ago.
You didn't like it? Ah well, like I said, I loved it... but we all like different things... I'm sure you like a few films that I would use for target practice... :D
TheUsualSuspect
09-19-10, 12:39 AM
The Town
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/the-town_300.jpg?t=1284867529
A bank robbery goes a little different than planned when one of the robbers takes a hostage. Doug (Affleck) has to duty to check up on the hostage after she is let go, to see if she knows anything about the crew. Surprise, they start dating. Can he continue his life of robbing banks and have a love life? Will his crew accept that he is with her? Will she ever find out? This is The Town.
Gone Baby Gone was his first directorial effort set in the city of Boston, The Town is his second. Ben obviously loves the city and if he keeps making films like these two, I'll be happy with some more Boston. I'm not going to preach about which film is better, their both different. Gone Baby Gone has more of an emotional punch with it's climax and tough decisions. The Town doesn't reach those heights, but it's a well made tense action thriller with a bit of a romance thrown in.
This time Affleck is in front of the camera as well. He seems to have left his pretty boy blockbuster image behind him. I'm thankful, I can only take so many Armageddons or Pearl Harbors. He's matured as an actor, this is evident by his roles as of late. State of Play and Hollywoodland are two examples. Of course he's had some fun films in between, but he's probably the best thing about those. Extract anyone?
For The Town he has assembled quite the cast. Jeremy Renner, who is hot off of The Hurt Locker plays his buddy with an attitude who won't think twice about pulling the trigger if you're in his way. Mad Men's Jon Hamm who is the FBI agent on their trail, his partner is Man in Black actor Titus Welliver, who was also in Gone Baby Gone. I wouldn't mind seeing more of him in films and if he's Affleck's good luck charm, all the better. Blake Lively has a small role and she does skanky a little too well. She has a thing for Affleck's character and she has a daughter, but he's obviously fallen for someone else. Rebecca Hall, who has the hard role of playing the woman who is dating her abductor. Things don't look too well for this relationship.
The Town shows Affleck's ability at directing action sequences. Gone Baby Gone wasn't full of gunfights and car chases, but The Town is. There are three separate heists in the film, the opening, the middle section and the climactic ending. All three are different from each other, one is in a bank, the other a truck and finally a baseball stadium. Each heist was exciting to watch and gave you those Heat moments. It's obviously the Heat was influential in the making of this film. It seems all movies that have robberies in them look to Heat.
Ben Affleck had a hand in writing the film, he of course won an Oscar with Matt Damon for writing Good Will Hunting. It appears he's found his footing once again and hopefully the allure of the blockbuster won't claim him once more. The Town is a successful film made for adults. It's slick, well acted and has enough thrilling moments to keep those who seek it entertained. The film centres mostly on Affleck and his new love and the heist bits are second fodder. Renner is the only one who gets some spotlight from the crew, the other two are simply background faces. The Town does it's job as a movie and Ben Affleck has found himself a new career.
4
TheUsualSuspect
09-19-10, 12:42 AM
Hercules 4
Instead of being a serial rapist, Zeus is a jolly old god with a magnificent chest and his wife is a goddess, not a mortal that he raped. Just go with it, okay? Because this is a fun film.
Well....it is Disney.
Caitlyn
09-19-10, 02:00 PM
Robin Hood (2010)
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e331/jshacklett_2008/Movies/robin_hood_2010_600x400_523886.jpg
Okay, I'll admit I'm a sucker for this kind of film... and I did really like this... the costumes and sets were awesome... and for the most part, the actors delivered... even a few really silly lines... so yeah, I had a problem with the story/script itself... and my backside was a bit on the numb side when it was over because it is just too drawn out... or at least the Director's Cut was, I haven't watched the Theatrical version yet. I also had to distance myself from believing Crowe was Robin Hood much in the same way I did with Costner's version... considering this was an origins story, Crowe seemed a little too old for the part... as did Cate...
4
If I were to rate the DVD... I would give it a 5 for including both the Theatrical version and the Director's Cut... something I've always thought they should do with all DVDs...
Before I type anything else, let me see how long it takes to put up the ratings for the films in my last post and the ones I've seen since then. After that, maybe I can add some comments or, if people actually care, I'll try to write something up more worthwhile if somebody specifically asks for it.
The previous batch:
The Last of Sheila (Herbert Ross, 1973) 3.5+ - Cool, fun parlor game about Hollywood backstabbing (sometimes literally), but it could piss you off that most all the characters are unlikable.
Stormy Weather (Andrew L. Stone, 1943) 3 - Razzamatazz musical comedy with an all-black cast flies by in about 80 minutes but is non-stop entertainment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlE-Zv4Pyhk&p=700245E37706E643&playnext=1&index=1
The Wrong Man (Alfred Hitchcock, 1957) 2.5 - Often cited as the least Hithcockian flick the master made, this docudrama still has plenty of subjective camerawork and Hitchcock curveballs to identify it as his work. What it really lacks is his twisted sense of humor.
Blow Out (Brian De Palma, 1981) 3 - De Palma pays homage to both Blowup and The Conversation and comes up with a couple of bravura moments, but overall it doesn't really hold together and ends on a sick joke (which you may like but I found too easy).
Ruggles of Red Gap (Leo McCarey, 1935) 3 - Fun combo of screwball comedy and sentimental Americana contains one of my fave scenes, English gentleman's gentleman Charles Laughton's quotation of Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHIjrZCAYp0
A Fistful of Dollars (Sergio Leone, 1965) 2.5 - I realize that this film is highly thought of, but I find it draggy and overlong, especially in the middle section. It's still watchable but I think it's the least of Leone's spaghetti westerns (sorry viddy).
Hang 'Em High (Ted Post, 1968) - Clint wanted Leone to direct his first American western inspired by the Trilogy, but instead journeyman Ted Post handled the chores (he later made Magnum Force). I'll admit it's nothing special but it seems smoother (and shorter) than the last film.
The Odessa File (Ronald Neame, 1974) 3.5 - Thoroughly compelling mystery thriller about reporter Jon Voight trying to track down a Nazi concentration camp commandant (Maximillian Schell) in 1970s Germany. What pushes it past the "only good" zone is the killer revelation at the very end of the film which explains the reporter's motivation.
The Day of the Jackal (Fred Zinnemann, 1973) 4 - Superb film which follows the efforts of a mysterious hitman (Edward Fox) to kill French President Charles De Gaulle while a French detective (Michel Lonsdale) does his best to find him even though he basically knows nothing about him. The target practice scene is an all-time classic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql_HLbndGNo&feature=related
One Deadly Summer (Jean Becker, 1983) 3.5+ - Twisty thriller shows off the acting skills of Isabelle Adjani as well as her gorgeous naked body. It's almost impossible to predict the film's awesome ending, but be prepared to feel as if the world is an uglier place after it occurs.
The Grass is Greener (Stanley Donen, 1960) 3.5 - Witty comedy about marital love and sexual bliss, played out at a lovely English estate by four world-class actors: Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons.
Where's Poppa? (Carl Reiner, 1970) 3 - Tasteless cult comedy which has many "classic" scenes depending on your tolerance level (meaning that it's a cult fave for a reason). Ruth Gordon thinks her dead husband is still around, but meanwhile her son George Segal would like nothing better than to throw here out his apartment's window down to the street below. Add in the tush scene, the gorilla rape scene and the hilarious first courtroom scene, and you probably won't mind that it's an elongated comedy sketch milked as a short movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4qUk0EcMt4
First Monday in October (Ronald Neame, 1981) 3 - Semi-serious look at the U.S. Supreme Court's first female justice (Jill Clayburgh), from behind the conservative "Orange Curtain" (just like me, HA!) and how she clashes with the wise old liberal of the Court (Walter Matthau).
Young Man with a Horn (Michael Curtiz, 1950) 3 - Gorgeous B&W photography accents Kirk Douglas's powerful portrayal of a rebel trumpeter who is only slightly masked as the actual tragic wunderkind Bix Beiderbecke. Juano Hernandez adds his usual awesomeness as Douglas's mentor, and Lauren Bacall and Doris Day are the women in his life.
Bright Leaf (Michael Curtiz, 1950) 3 - Gary Cooper stars in something resembling a Gone with the Wind about the manufacturing of cigarettes in the Deep South after the Civil War. It's superficially-entertaining all the way through with a solid cast (Gary Cooper, Lauren Bacall, Patricia Neal, Jack Carson, Donald Crisp, Jeff Corey). It's another striking B&W flick directed by Curtiz in 1950.
Gentleman's Fate (Mervyn LeRoy, 1931) 2+ - Interesting early gangster flick where John Gilbert and Louis Wolheim play unlikely sons of a local Godfather, although Gilbert never knew who his father was until Daddy was on his deathbed. Marie Prevost has a significant supporting role, and if you've ever heard Nick Lowe's song about her shocking real-life death, then you'll find this unknown flick, directed by LeRoy immediately after his archetypal Little Caesar, even more significant.
The new batch:
Passengers (Rodrigo Garcia, 2008) 2.5 - Survivors of a plane crash get together to try to support each other through a seemingly-never-ending series of traumatic experiences. Anne Hathaway and Patrick Wilson are a good team, and there is certainly an air of mystery but it's not all that compelling overall.
Words and Music (Norman Taurog, 1948) 2.5 - Lightweight but colorful "biographical" musical about Richard Rodgers (Tom Drake) and Lorenz Hart (Mickey Rooney) is full of hooey but has their monumental music.
Get Carter (Mike Hodges, 1971) 3 - Idiosyncratic yet crowd-pleasing revenge thriller seems to have Hodges and Michael Caine on the same wavelength. Caine certainly turns in one of his better performances (among dozens) but here he works in a similar shorthand as does his director, and the whole seems to be better than the sum of its parts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHLwVkOA9ic
Song of the Islands (Walter Lang, 1942) 2.5 - Old-fashioned, corny, but colorful Betty Grable musical with Victor Mature (her co-star in four movies) has just enough silly fun and comedy bits (mostly provided by Jack Oakie, Thomas Mitchell and Billy Gilbert) to make it watchable for fans of the cast.
This Could Be the Night (Robert Wise, 1957) 2.5 - Slight but entertaining flick which gets by mostly due to its cast of Jean Simmons, Paul Douglas and Anthony Franciosa. It's not too realistic but it involves an "innocent schoolteacher" who goes to work at a nightclub run by borderline gangsters.
Phantom of the Paradise (Brian De Palma) 3 Entertaining rock opera musical involving true love contains homages to many flicks. The "shower scene" is wonderful, Jessica Harper is excellent in her debut, William Finley proves that he deserved to be more than a De Palma extra, and Paul Williams gets to be a real jerk. I honestly believe that it's more deserving of cult status than The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and besides that, it's rated PG!
Forgotten Silver (Costa Botes and Peter Jackson, 1995) 3 - Wild and crazy documentary about Colin McKenzie, a New Zealander who was basically unknown until a cache of film was discovered about all his mind-boggling exploits in the early 20th century. The less you know about the movie, the better it is, so please, nobody spoil it. :cool:
Bad Taste (Peter Jackson, 1987) 2.5 - Ultra low-budget gorefest was Jackson's calling card and seems to be his preparation for the much-better Dead-Alive (Braindead). It has some highlights, mostly near the end, and Jackson gives what must be his largest "performance" in any film. :cool:
Rosemary's Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968) 4 - Perfect realization by the adapter/director of Ira Levin's novel makes one of the greatest horror films ever made. The tension is non-stop, the dark humor is rampant, the acting is incredible, the visuals and music could scarcely be better, and please, don't ever call this movie slow-moving again, if you remember who you may have been. HA!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwqMv_ci2jU&feature=related
Von Ryan's Express (Mark Robson, 1965) 3.5 - Big-budget combo of a POW camp movie and a WWII action adventure gets better and better as it moves along. Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard make a good team as friendly rivals. The film isn't really as good as Frankenheimer's The Train, but it would make a solid double bill with that terrific film.
Kick-Ass (Matthew Vaughn, 2010) 4 - Bigtime entertainment which also critiques the idea of how some of the super hero movies whitewash their violence. I know nothing of the source material but the flick is almost a tidal wave of cool situations, dialogue and action, even if you think you've seen it before. There were a few times when I was watching this that I thought it made The Dark Knight seem like a kindergarten girl's birthday, but hey, maybe it was Hit Girl's 6th birthday party. :cool: Kudos to Nic Cage for his Adam West impression.
I also watched Naked Killer for the movie trade-off do-hickey, but I'll get to that later, as well as Tales from the Gimli Hospital.
TheUsualSuspect
09-20-10, 01:44 AM
Kick Ass source material is pretty much the same save for some plot details that they changed for the film regarding Big Daddy and Red Mist.
As for Bad Taste, I seem to be more of a fan. I'd rate it at least a 3.
Tacitus
09-20-10, 08:12 AM
Robin Hood (2010)
4
Dunno if any Robin Hood will compare to Robin of Sherwood. ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb5v5vtPlx4
At least Angry Russ doesn't sport a mullet, like Costner did in that other Robin Hood film...
Caitlyn
09-20-10, 09:50 AM
Dunno if any Robin Hood will compare to Robin of Sherwood. ;)
When I read this, I heard Connor McLeod saying, "There can be only one!" (in my head, of course... where silly things tend rattle around ... :p )... in the case of Robin of Sherwood... I guess there were actually two... but still, he/they were and perhaps always will be the Hooded Man/Robin in the Hood...
Dunno if any Robin Hood will compare to Robin of Sherwood. ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb5v5vtPlx4
That's Enya!
I think she is the ABBA of her generation.
There are a lot of fans that don't admit it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfVJ11GXzXQ&feature=related
Caitlyn
09-20-10, 12:26 PM
That's Enya!
I think she is the ABBA of her generation.
There are a lot of fans that don't admit it.
I'll admit it... I love Enya... she has an absolutely beautiful voice... and I would be hard pressed to pick out my number one favorite of her songs...
Tacitus
09-20-10, 12:50 PM
That's Enya!
It's Máire Brennan, actually. Enya's her (copycat) sister. :)
It's Máire Brennan, actually. Enya's her (copycat) sister. :)
Hey that's not Enya!
http://i37.tinypic.com/2n87wrd.jpg
http://www.ebudae.ru/pictures/mag/magazines3/enya_00_515.jpg
I stand corrected.
Actually I'm sitting here typing.
Tacitus
09-20-10, 08:46 PM
Easy mistake to make for anyone who's not from the Provence of Ulster, although I'm guessing that Enya lives in a magical palace somewhere on the outskirts of Tír na nOg. ;)
linespalsy
09-23-10, 05:24 PM
I've watched a bunch more of Warner Brothers cartoons from the 40s and 50s, but other than that all I haven't seen many films since my last tab.
First up, here's what I wrote about The Young in Heart (Wallace, 1938) in the
Trade-off Tab (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=677884):
http://lh4.ggpht.com/oohdahling/R6x6E2eE7_I/AAAAAAAACVA/HUadqueUTcs/s400/young%20in%20heart%204.jpg
The Young in Heart (Wallace, 1938)
This movie was recommended to me by mark f as a sentimental classic, and I can see that it is in some degree both of those things. First a brief synopsis.
A family of four down-on-their-luck con-artists hits a change in fortune when they "rescue" a kind-hearted old heiress from a train wreck. When they're invited to stay at the old woman's stately home in (or outside of?) London they decide to try their luck "playing it straight"; finding jobs to appear on-the-level, so that they can insinuate themselves into Miss Fortune's heart and her will. In other words this is a movie about people pretending to be something they're not, who end up ironically catching what it is they pretend to have: self-respect and true love. As a final self-referential nod the patriarch of the family is a former stage actor who specialized in playing an pompously exotic British stereotype and humorously tries to "live" the role.
Anyone who's seen a rom-com from the last 10 years or so should be familiar with this formula. The only thing that's missing to make it fully modern is the dénouement where-in after the deception gets revealed, the characters confess their "real" feelings in front of an on-screen audience, leading to the inevitable reconciliation in which the boundary between the theatrical and the genuine (theoretically) collapses. This movie seems odd now in how it offers an alternative to this form, perhaps because the formula hadn't become set in stone at the time this was made, though it does feature the old "tell the message of the story through a speech" device.
Overall I found it pretty sweet and (perhaps more importantly) interesting so would recommend it on those merits and wouldn't mind seeing it again. The movie features two romances with charm and chemistry. I particularly enjoyed Fairbanks' and Goddard's tête-à-têtes, though as I think about it now perhaps the most important character for the audience to understand is the old woman, who gets relatively little of the screen time but is nevertheless the "p.o.v." who observes and judges the other characters for us. The cinematography is nice with some cinematically exaggerated sets (even the desk that the son gets as an entry-level employee is wonderfully huge and opulent) and lots of shadows and reflections. There are also a couple book-end scenes where all the leads are gathered together that I found cleverly conceived and staged, and an exciting train crash, so there's plenty of entertainment.
My rating for now: 3.5-
Here are the others I've watched:
http://www.rowthree.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/vlcsnap-15580939.png
The Gold Diggers of 1933 (Mervyn LeRoy, guess the year)
Very flashy early show-biz musical with some fantastic and deeply cinematic numbers choreographed by Busby Berkeley (but the conception and editing deserve equal notice). This being the first of his movies that I've seen I can't really place it comparatively but I'm willing to say 3.5 for now, with the unforgettable "forgotten man" number and an entertainingly tongue-in-cheek story about the pleasures and dangers of falling for a lowly - ahem - "woman of the stage."
http://www.slantmagazine.com/images/film/raisingcain.jpg
Raising Cain (DePalma, 1992) 3
Started off very weird and engaging with a series of bizarre nested dreams but I felt a little let down once it settled into a sort of self-deprecating b-thriller groove which I feel DePalma has mined with more success on a number of occasions. Still worth seeing though, with John Lithgow brilliantly mugging in multiple personalities (including a psychotic Norwegian shrink) for 3 times the "Lithgasm".
The other one is a rewatch that deserves a write-up as well but I'm feeling kind of "written-out" at the moment:
The Drunken Master (Yuen, 1978) 3-
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
09-24-10, 07:54 AM
Chopper 3
There's not much of a story to this film but it follows the old saying 'truth is stranger than fiction'. It's based on the real life story of Australian Mark 'Chopper' Reid, who served 14 years in prison for abducting a judge, exacts violence on his mates and underworld scum, and then becomes a bestselling author. The main reason to watch it is Eric Bana, who is suitably creepy and cocky, and has the necessary presence. You can believe this guy could be a bestseller.
It's sort of a black comedy- if it wasn't, I doubt many would watch it- and gives a nice portrait of seedy eighties Australia. The beginning in the prison is slow and boring but things pick up when Chopper is released. It's really a random collection of events and although it's short, sometimes it feels quite long- worth a watch for Eric Bana's spot-on performance (who decided he'd be suitable for The Time Traveller's Wife?) but it's a pretty thin story. The irony and Eric Bana are what carry you through. Good talking point though.
Caitlyn
09-24-10, 03:52 PM
Ondine (2009)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/Caitgee/Movies/fhg.jpg
I knew that, per Mythology, Ondine was a water nymph... but having read absolutely nothing about this beforehand, had no idea how the name was going to play out in the film… but I normally like Neil Jordan films so decided to check this out… and am very glad I did. Ondine is a thoroughly engaging modern day romantic fairy tale... with several unexpected twists and turns… I loved the scenes between Syracuse (Colin Farrell) and the Village Priest ( Stephan Ray)… and the scenery is so stunning that I am extremely jealous of Tatty and Silas…
4
Annie Hall (1977)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/Caitgee/Movies/anniehall2.jpg
I forgot to mention earlier that I had finally gotten around to watching this… probably because I'd rather forget I ever did as long as I don't make the mistake of renting it again… so, yes, I thought it was that bad… and kept asking myself what so many other people see in it… and I did take into consideration that my reaction could have had something to do with the fact I can't stand Allen… but no, that wasn't it… I just did not like it… the dialog was annoying as was Woody's character…and Diane's wasn't much better… the only time I laughed was at a few of the car scenes when she was behind the wheel scaring the **** out of him… I did like some of Annie's clothes though… Diane Keaton has a way of making quirky cute… so for her and the car scenes, I'll give it a…
1.5
Ever After (1998)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/Caitgee/Movies/drewbarrymore2.jpg
This has to be my favorite Cinderella story so I introduced a few of my younger cousins to it and they fell in love with it as much as I did way back when… and it was a lot of fun hearing them laugh at all the same scenes I did the first… second… third… fourth (well you get the picture) time I watched it… :)
4
The President's Lady (1953) 2.5
The Apostle (1997) 4
Florence Nightingale (1985 -tv movie) 4
I've also been watching the first season of...
Robin of Sherwood (1984) 4.5
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/Caitgee/Movies/veikot-1.jpg
Tacitus
09-25-10, 04:31 AM
Robin of Sherwood (1984) 4.5
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/Caitgee/Movies/veikot-1.jpg
Hooray! :D
It's quite reflective (and mystical, with all the Hern the Hunter guff) for an early evening ITV Saturday (I think) night show. I remember being in a constant fight with my mum to watch it or have a bath.
Many times she forced me ... to watch it. ;D
Your next assignment, Caity, is to track down and watch Dick Turpin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Turpin_%28TV_series%29), starring Richard 'Man About The House' O'Sullivan and a prototype LOTR Hobbit.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b69/greenspagbol/images.jpg
Should you choose to accept it, of course. ;)
Caitlyn
09-25-10, 10:07 AM
Your next assignment, Caity, is to track down and watch Dick Turpin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Turpin_%28TV_series%29), starring Richard 'Man About The House' O'Sullivan and a prototype LOTR Hobbit.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b69/greenspagbol/images.jpg
Should you choose to accept it, of course. ;)
I've tried to track that down before... but need to buy a region free DVD player... as it's Region 2... maybe after I get my ceiling fixed... :)
meatwadsprite
09-25-10, 10:50 AM
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTj3q3qmKjY6ZkJGChlzLzZ7Gc05dvV6BBPUld4fXpps8bV2ck&t=1&usg=__KK-c72dOAY9Jt1lbw17GvHhCCzY= http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcToql8iL8KN2Y07MUA7WI8JBGxXVEvVNIInChFjGIuFFtifMb4&t=1&usg=__wLxOfl9kI-LW2BNI-YHXPanyE2Y= http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTMqoyg6OQkWvkpMBEZvDallHBtu6gVVQIKIgtqYH-e-RZ26Aw&t=1&usg=__SJS29mbLqpALe6cx5WSBDD2eFOY=
Animal Kingdom 2010
Newcomer David Michod says he spent years upon years writing this, and the script is fine don't get me wrong, but everything else is top grade. He's assembled a terrific cast and the atmosphere is genuinely tense. We don't really learn anything about how deep these guys are into crime, just that the police are through trying to put them in jail. A lot of these generalizations are made, as the movie doesn't care about these kind of details - rather the crumbling of the intimate crime family. Out a million new directors in these recent years, Michod is one I really see some great potential in. Kingdom is the best crime film to come out in years.
3.5
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTFPFujQt87gzILdGFC0jXLbf9cxoWlgdmyanu_KrR6yrXjDmM&t=1&usg=__dBLxb7wvWzzQpbps-u3g_m-AyUE= http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQr0cojHyCJBTyo6dNAJFhLEogSBXfoJQQvUyccibhCrcYKrvo&t=1&usg=__ysywasOiTlBlZ9EujlsChyaJgGY= http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSAI_BrTMtrS8YTwXwPCUZmuNF8KHEq2VDHfRIfKoN3xk1Wt90&t=1&usg=__Rjs_TzA66dToJW4MM9HHncUuS-I=
Machete 2010
It's wildly evident this is a Rodriguez film, because everything bad he's known for appears in this movie. It's like him personally admitting that the bulk of his work is in fact the quality of some low rate grindhouse flick. Except Grindhouse is by far his best movie, so what gives ? Ambition apparently, because there's none here.
1.5
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRmFFuPXmNoMEYBG0fiqcEmTmInezgXKa9CUEJbRusRThAhjSQ&t=1&usg=__71w6WvzS-WJmd_HeXjvN9NCVAGk= http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR57kwY575IN3xi9wUfjTC-HlauyMu1AucisfZHjFm7OPqitN0&t=1&usg=__WAvsNDzL2FcsZJw41IWAPxmnqc8= http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSsopMu4CEqATU22zVP97c-atRmvA5_NEuVLoTUOTWAYpm3lxM&t=1&usg=__WM_PQa2BQsandnvjThXmI6v49n0=
Predator 1987
Full of fake tension, short-sighted technical work, and running on a minimalistic screenplay. It's hard to believe the same director brought such brilliant action flicks (Die Hard, Red October) to the screen. There's so much wrong with this I don't know where to begin. Why are there so many shots of the stupid predator with his thermal vision on, why is the predator so stupid to begin with. Some alien that has ridiculously overpowered weaponry, wants to go toe to toe with some super toughest guys, but he also wants it to be fair - but he also doesn't realize humans don't have invisibility cloaks and lasers. So after he kills everyone, THEN he decides to even the odds and get rid of some OP weapons. Then Arnold kills him, lol. Idiot.
1.5
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSxY1V29Bz4CGgObdmBUt-Zs4pHPKxpKG1mgNpRw6u3IDuiIYQ&t=1&usg=__Q3SW-m3Mjm2JGyKrx_r0cvq04Yc= http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRACgmYXnyi19uBz3-hmLonM-K1kEnYqRU8IpkItSz7yE8HmgU&t=1&usg=__e9FigYpGpjt8DowA4GNlWffld6g=
Wall Street 1987
Man, this movie has some great performers. Unfortunately, it's written and directed by Stone. It has no relevant commentary on anything, it's simply a twist and turn story about a guy playing the stock game.
"Who am I ?"
2
Caitlyn
09-25-10, 11:30 AM
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRmFFuPXmNoMEYBG0fiqcEmTmInezgXKa9CUEJbRusRThAhjSQ&t=1&usg=__71w6WvzS-WJmd_HeXjvN9NCVAGk= http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR57kwY575IN3xi9wUfjTC-HlauyMu1AucisfZHjFm7OPqitN0&t=1&usg=__WAvsNDzL2FcsZJw41IWAPxmnqc8= http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSsopMu4CEqATU22zVP97c-atRmvA5_NEuVLoTUOTWAYpm3lxM&t=1&usg=__WM_PQa2BQsandnvjThXmI6v49n0=
Predator 1987
Full of fake tension, short-sighted technical work, and running on a minimalistic screenplay. It's hard to believe the same director brought such brilliant action flicks (Die Hard, Red October) to the screen. There's so much wrong with this I don't know where to begin. Why are there so many shots of the stupid predator with his thermal vision on, why is the predator so stupid to begin with. Some alien that has ridiculously overpowered weaponry, wants to go toe to toe with some super toughest guys, but he also wants it to be fair - but he also doesn't realize humans don't have invisibility cloaks and lasers. So after he kills everyone, THEN he decides to even the odds and get rid of some OP weapons. Then Arnold kills him, lol. Idiot.
1.5
I don't think we saw the same film... :p ... 'cause that is totally not what I got from it. The alien is not stupid... he's a big time sportsalien and man is his game... other than the fact he's an alien, he's really no different than any other big game hunter who wants the head of an animal to hang on his wall... and respects a prey that can outlast him for any length of time... I always kinda thought it might be poking a little fun at the big game hunters who only hunt for the trophy... but that's just me and my own thoughts... anyway, after I saw it the first time and thought about it, Predator is one of the only films that ever truly scared me because we really don't know what's out there or what they would want...
meatwadsprite
09-25-10, 12:36 PM
What about Mars Attacks ?
I just dipped in and out of like my 1000th viewing of Predator last night, and as much as the technical shortcomings are evident, i think they made it work as a pulpy daylight 'horror' of sorts. I still found it eminently watchable (even if I was only really dropping in for my favourite bits). Maybe you have to have watched back in the day, as a kid, when the sfx side was more immersive?
Agree with Caity that the hunter side mainly holds up. In terms of the weapons thing, you could look at how bullfights weaken the bull with more formidable weapons first, then go a touch more mano-a-mano (with the now thoroughly depleted beast) to feel more macho. Enjoying the vague risk they might still be overpowered by the dumb, sense-blinded, panicked, blood-seeping beast.
But it's not really worth taking that seriously ;). It's dumb action fun, reasonably done, with some fun performances, and the spin of the heroes being the hunted.
(I just read recently about a psyop trick used in the Philippines and wondered whether it inspired some of the story. The US spread rumours that a local Asuang vampire was loose, then picked off a straggler from a group and drained him of his blood, leaving him for the others to find. Never know. But maybe now I'm taking it too seriously again ;))
beelzebubbles
09-25-10, 09:22 PM
Young Man with a Horn 4
Likable drama based on the life of Jazz great Bix Biederbeke. Filmed in the 1950's with Kirk Douglas as Rick Martin the young man in question. It starts off with Rick as a boy of nine burying his mom, his dad has already passed away. He is now in the car of an older sister who has her own life to lead and often leaves him on his own. During his lonely rambles he meets a gentlemanly Jazz musician who becomes his mentor.
As a young man he has two love interests Doris Day and Lauren Bacall. Doris plays a lovely band singer who has her head screwed on straight. Bacall is a troubled intellectual bound to hurt our hero. Guess who he falls for?
This movie is beautifully shot and has great leads and Hoagy Carmichael has a supporting role as a piano player. It is well worth your time.
http://fedora.dlib.indiana.edu/fedora/get/iudl:14074/SCREEN
Tacitus
09-26-10, 06:26 AM
I've tried to track that down before... but need to buy a region free DVD player... as it's Region 2... maybe after I get my ceiling fixed... :)
According to Wiki, series 1 and 2 are Region 0. You'll need a TV capable of displaying PAL/50HZ etc.
Might track them down myself, actually. The thought of Richard O'Sullivan's little crooked face in a pointy hat is too good to turn down! :D
EDIT - Heh, I love Wikipedia. After clicking on 'Richard O'Sullivan' (can't believe he's only 66) I came across this little gem:
Richard O'Sullivan's early education was at St. John the Evangelist's RC primary school in Brentford, Middlesex. After a family holiday in Ireland as a boy, O'Sullivan returned with a strong Irish accent and was sent to the famous Corona Stage Academy to try to get rid of it, thus starting a distinguished acting career. He appeared in his first film at the age of eight. ;D
ash_is_the_gal
09-26-10, 11:53 AM
here's some stuff i've watched in the last week or two.
http://southwor.tripod.com/DavidCronenberg/fly04.jpg
The Fly (1986)
4
http://thecia.com.au/reviews/c/images/cashback-5.jpg
Cashback (2006)
3
http://www.cinemasterpieces.com/phonejuly08.jpg
Phone Calls From A Stranger (1952)
4
http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/2476/326374-unclebuck_super.jpg
Uncle Buck (1989)
4
http://gloaminganddawn.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/189303941.jpeg
Being John Malkovich (1999)
5
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
09-27-10, 11:33 AM
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World 4
I was surprised at how funny the film actually was. Initially I was sceptical about the cartoony graphics but they actually blend in the film's graphic novel origins in a fun way. Michael Cera plays the loveable geek, as he does in every film and as he is quite good at it, who, before he can win the heart of his girlfriend, must battle her seven evil exes. The special effects are fine and the battles are fun (I normally get bored watching battle scenes). Keiran Culkin is funny as Cera's gay housemate.
This is a fun film to see with a group of friends- it got our cinema audience laughing anyway.
Caitlyn
09-27-10, 12:43 PM
According to Wiki, series 1 and 2 are Region 0. You'll need a TV capable of displaying PAL/50HZ etc.
Guess it'd be too simple for them to make one DVD that would play in any region...
Might track them down myself, actually. The thought of Richard O'Sullivan's little crooked face in a pointy hat is too good to turn down! :D
EDIT - Heh, I love Wikipedia. After clicking on 'Richard O'Sullivan' (can't believe he's only 66) I came across this little gem:
Richard O'Sullivan's early education was at St. John the Evangelist's RC primary school in Brentford, Middlesex. After a family holiday in Ireland as a boy, O'Sullivan returned with a strong Irish accent and was sent to the famous Corona Stage Academy to try to get rid of it, thus starting a distinguished acting career. He appeared in his first film at the age of eight. ;D
Now you've really got my curiosity up... and so far, it looks like I'll have to buy Dick Turpin if I want to see it... which is okay with me... if I can get another DVD player... or figure something else out... ;)
Predator 1987
Full of fake tension, short-sighted technical work, and running on a minimalistic screenplay. It's hard to believe the same director brought such brilliant action flicks (Die Hard, Red October) to the screen. There's so much wrong with this I don't know where to begin. Why are there so many shots of the stupid predator with his thermal vision on, why is the predator so stupid to begin with. Some alien that has ridiculously overpowered weaponry, wants to go toe to toe with some super toughest guys, but he also wants it to be fair - but he also doesn't realize humans don't have invisibility cloaks and lasers. So after he kills everyone, THEN he decides to even the odds and get rid of some OP weapons. Then Arnold kills him, lol. Idiot.
I think the problem is you're looking at Predator through a 2010 lens. In terms of believable character motivation, I'm sure you've seen much more competent sci-fi action/adventure films. We all have. Nobody is going to go to bat for this film's plot. But in its day, Predator was all about getting the most bang for its buck, story be damned. The base infiltration scene, for example, is ridiculous and nonsensical... but damned if it isn't full of awesome, balls-to-the-wall action. That's the whole pervading focus of the film, and every little piece serves it.
As for the thermal vision shots, I'm guessing this also isn't the first "Predator" film you've seen. You already knew what the alien looked like. But if you'd seen this film during its theatrical release, you probably would have been caught up in the tension and dread created by those scenes: knowing that something deadly and inhuman is watching the soldiers, not knowing what it is, the constant visual tease, and the incredible reveal (which, by the way, included some extremely cutting-edge animatronic, makeup, and costume work).
So, yeah. Give it some slack. I think the "minimalist" screenplay was deliberate and complemented the real goal of the film at the time. Not sure why you say it's "full of fake tension." To me, the building tension still holds up. Also, can you give an example of what you thought was short-sighted about the technical work?
linespalsy
09-27-10, 05:44 PM
I'm going on a distant memory of Predator and Die Hard so I can't fairly evaluate either, but my first reaction to meatwad's post was "those were by the same director?!" Predator just seems so cliched and old fashioned in comparison (and just a year's difference between them), but maybe it's just my memory. I found Predator pretty entertaining but judging by how "impactful" the jungle action is I'd probably rate Eastern Condors (also 1987) a little higher.
meatwadsprite
09-27-10, 09:48 PM
Also, can you give an example of what you thought was short-sighted about the technical work?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liF0pZwFHKE
I've argued this a hundred times on different movies, just the use of really bad looking SFX. Not to say the normal photography is even on par with McTiernans best movies, the walks through the jungle are mundane as they are repetitive. The predator himself is a guy in a cheap costume, it really doesn't look good. In the clip above, I am just confused as to what's happening. The predator has to flash his yellow eyes apparently, then point a laser at the guy, THEN he can finally shoot some blue thing at the guy and have the worst explosion ever through the guys chest.
What kind of destroys the "good at the time" argument, is that the cloaking effects for the predator actually still look good. What's even worse is that the editing tries to milk these effects. Maybe instead of killing the guy in slow motion, you should make it move fast and throw some camera movement in there - to not put as much pressure on your limited SFX. So many different ways I can picture alternates in my head. As you pointed out the base raiding scene was pretty awesome, I agree, it's my favorite part. It pretty much used all conventional effects though, which should have been more abundant in the hunting bulk of this movie.
meaty, the "yellow eyes" aren't really something the predator does. It's closer to when you see cat's eyes "glowing" at night when they look a certain direction. That allows Carl Weathers to get his machine gun ready but the Predator still lases him, although it's obviously in the shoulder and not in the chest.
I notice a lot meaty that you have objections with many films' photography and things which seem poorly-done or "dated" according to you, but I can rarely understand any of them. It's been a long time since I've seen Predator, but I still recall being highly-impressed with the jungle cinematography on the large screen.
I've argued this a hundred times on different movies, just the use of really bad looking SFX.
Again, I think this is a classic case of "you've seen far better since 1987."
Not to say the normal photography is even on par with McTiernans best movies, the walks through the jungle are mundane as they are repetitive.
I'll give you that. I have some issues with framing and sequencing in the film, but this was only McTiernan's second feature. And like I said, the technical flubs don't really damage the best aspects of the film, in my opinion. In fact, some of the editing at the end is really good.
The predator himself is a guy in a cheap costume, it really doesn't look good.
Whaaaaat?! You're crazy. :rolleyes:
In the clip above, I am just confused as to what's happening. The predator has to flash his yellow eyes apparently, then point a laser at the guy, THEN he can finally shoot some blue thing at the guy and have the worst explosion ever through the guys chest.
Dude! All tension, all mystique. The yellow eyes adds to the fact that you still don't know what it is. The laser sets up the shot that's coming, as a hunter lines up his scope. The shot is a very large, very alien blast - the payoff we were waiting for. And the chest explosion? It was the 80's, man. You won't find the crisp SFX you see today. Cut it some slack. ;)
What kind of destroys the "good at the time" argument, is that the cloaking effects for the predator actually still look good.
I think you've got it backwards. This is one of the most dated effects in the film. It was cool at the time, and a very new concept, but has been done far better since then. These days, the effect can be done pretty easily with something like Adobe After Effects. But a latex alien suit with complex facial animatronics? Not so much. ;)
What's even worse is that the editing tries to milk these effects. Maybe instead of killing the guy in slow motion, you should make it move fast and throw some camera movement in there - to not put as much pressure on your limited SFX.
Again, I think super-fast motion has been the recent trend in action films (thanks in large part to Gladiator in 2000). But prior to that, action films tended to use slow motion to punctuate important climaxes.
As you pointed out the base raiding scene was pretty awesome, I agree, it's my favorite part. It pretty much used all conventional effects though, which should have been more abundant in the hunting bulk of this movie.
Yeah, the FX are great there, but the story is ridiculous. One thing I always giggle at is Arnold sliding through dry leaves while he's supposed to be silent. If you pay attention, you can tell they cut the sound in that scene because there's no way anyone would buy them getting in undetected otherwise. And of course, they're not exactly subtle about their attack. Stupid writing, but that's the kind of thing that made 80's action films great. :D
Iroquois
09-28-10, 11:15 PM
Meatwad should watch Commando.
Miss Vicky
09-28-10, 11:51 PM
http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MoFoPics/ben_hur.jpg
Ben Hur (1959)
I've been slowly working on completing my lists and decided to give this one a shot. I went into this expecting to like it. I've always had a soft spot for swords and sandals flicks and this is supposed to be a "classic" of the genre.
To put it nicely, this did not meet my expectations. Sure the sets and costumes were impressive and that chariot race was awesome, but the oversaturation of melodrama killed any enjoyment I might get out of it. Don't get me wrong, I'm used to melodrama and expect it in this sort of film, but the others I've seen balanced it out with camp and humor. This movie had none.
In the end, this Ben-Hur seemed to me to be less "epic" and more "ordeal." Oh well. At least now I can say I've seen it.
2-
Monkeypunch
09-29-10, 12:55 AM
I've seen a ton of movies since I last signed on, but here's some recent ones:
Robin Hood (Ridley Scott) - I heard a lot of bad things about this one, so I was surprised that I ended up liking it. It's not what you expect from a Robin Hood movie, which is kind of okay, because it's all been done to death, hasn't it? Still pretty fun.
MacGruber - Okay, this made me laugh so loudly I woke my roommate up. It's so plain WRONG that it's kind of awesome.
honeykid
09-29-10, 01:44 AM
Meatwad should watch Commando.
Everyone should watch Commando. That film rocks!
Repo Man is like that. I second the whole "alphabetical" deal Tacitus suggested - PimpDaShizzle put up such a list, why not you?
Add me to the list of people who want to see Loner's list. I kind of wish I had done some more open-ended and un-ranked favorites kind of thing, like mark's been doing with his post-100 favorites. I keep wanting to go back and switch movies around on my "top 100", add a bunch and maybe drop a couple.
If y'all are really interested I'll PM you some kind of a list.
linespalsy
09-29-10, 02:22 AM
hmmmm... :p, yeah i'm interested. repo man was number 46 on my list.
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
09-29-10, 05:50 PM
Splendor in the Grass 4
It's the 1920's. Bud (Warren Beatty) and Deanie (Natalie Wood) are teenage sweethearts but the lives of both are controlled by Bud's father and Deanie's mother. Circumstance and the Great Wall Street crash change their lives forever, and Deanie finally understands the meaning of the poem she read aloud in class:
What though the radiance which was once so brightBe now for ever taken from my sight,Though nothing can bring back the hourOf splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;We will grieve not, rather findStrength in what remains behind... (Ode: Imitations of Immortality by William Wordsworth)
Natalie Wood is particularly good as the heartbroken Deanie. It's a very poignant film but very true of life. The premise may be simple- the subject of many a chick flick- but the film's exploration of repression and depression- literal and metaphorical- is sobering.
Iroquois
09-30-10, 12:02 AM
If y'all are really interested I'll PM you some kind of a list.
Colour me interested.
He Who Must Die (Jules Dassin, 1957) 3.5
http://www.cyprusevents.net/assets/event/celui.jpg
I have 15 minutes to type something. I just watched Jules Dassin's scathing He Who Must Die, a French film with an all-star cast shot on the beautifully sparse Island of Crete. It was American Dassin's follow-up to his classic Rififi, only I find it much better. I've been waiting about 35 years to watch this flick but all of a sudden, it's on Netflix's "Play Now (Instantly)" mode. It's from 1957, in widescreen B&W and tells the story of what was going on in Crete in the early 1920s where the island was shared by the Greeks and the Turks, but the Turks were in charge, The chief Agha says that he's amused by Christians because Allah made them to kill each other and this film basically documents such an incident.
http://www.readthespirit.com/visual-parables/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2014/03/ManKat.jpg
The flick is simple, yet complex. It's predictable but mind-expanding. I reallize that many people will not watch it because it's in French and has something to do with religions which they hate. I find that very short-sided in multiple ways, but if that pisses you off even more, then this beautiful, tragic, deeply-moving film is not meant for you. The cast is terrific. It includes Pierre Vaneck who's been picked by the rich priest (Fernand Ledoux) to represent Jesus in the village's Passion Play. It also has Maurice Ronet (Elevator to the Gallows) as one of his rebels and apostles in the Passion which never quite materializes. The cast has far too many others to mention but Melina Mercouri is great as the Mary Magdalene/whore of the flick and Jean Servais (Rififi) brings dignity to the role of another priest who leads what's left of the citizens from his destroyed village to the more-prosperous one.
http://cinecollage.net/images/celuiQui_b.jpg
The parallels between the founding of Christianity and the numerous conflicts down through the ages, especially in the 20th century, are amazing, amusing and sad. This is truly a film I believe everyone would think was powerful because it's neither pro- nor anti-religion. Rather, it shows all the flaws of most humans, especially when they attempt to protect their own self-interests against those less-fortunate. The amazing thing about the film is that you could completely dispense with the "religious" angle, but if you kept the politics, it would still be just as violent, wrong and contemporary.
honeykid
10-01-10, 08:35 PM
Thanks for this, mark. I was completely unaware of this film and, as I like Rififi, I'll be sure to take a look at it should I ever get the chance. :up:
TylerDurden99
10-01-10, 09:23 PM
American Beauty (1999)
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ3hqd9i56MZfBV7eio365V68vEBH7QtxTmMsbEdn8gP5yM0T4&t=1&usg=__1bw8kxs13dghMT24le6vHbVlKpE=
Is there anything left to say about American Beauty? 5 Oscars, an ensemble cast, the most talked about film of 1999? There is plenty left to say about American Beauty, one of the most funniest dark comedies ever made.
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTNU794Rbq1K7q59HoE1pKmalATCOy5kq4Qc1eZ-rjPA5_WX8s&t=1&h=157&w=236&usg=__u7q516V6iJ4X6wMVDsLkDPmoNsI=
Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is a middle aged, depressed office worker stuck in a midlife crisis, married to an unloving, blood sucking woman (Annette Bening) with a rebellious daughter who hates him. That all changes after he develops an infatuation for his daughter's attractive friend. Lester begins to turn his life around. Meanwhile, his daughter falls in love with their troubled teenage neighbor, son of Col. Frank Fitts (Chris Cooper), an abusive homophobe.
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT2gpbN3qts7eIuaxRLTNMDB7_RsSPH78wN9ScDO2dPxt0KhEg&t=1&h=182&w=205&usg=__9Fcq7zESHeRCxey9emEoBIBtlE4=
Kevin Spacey's astonishing performance remains the best of his career and it awarded a much deserved Academy Award for Best Actor. Annette Bening also delivers a dazzling performance as Carolyn Burnham, while the rest of the cast provides flawless support. The script, written by Alan Ball, is one of the best ever written and Sam Mendes directorial debut is nothing short of incredible.
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American Beauty is a dark, humorous, look at life and the way we look at it. I would recommend American Beauty to anyone and everyone.
*****/*****
"It's hard to stay mad, when there is so much beauty in the world."
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
10-02-10, 02:31 PM
American Beauty (1999)
American Beauty is a dark, humorous, look at life and the way we look at it. I would recommend American Beauty to anyone and everyone.
Except the kiddies. I loved it but that plastic bag was ill-judged.
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
10-02-10, 03:05 PM
Shakespeare in Love 4
Finally I got around to seeing it!
The premise: William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) has writer's block. Phillip Henslowe (Geoffery Rush) needs him to write a new play- one which he informed his creditors will be called 'Romeo and Ethel the Pirate's Daughter'. Shakey has no muse, until he meets Viola de Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow).Shakey's married but he doesn't care. However Viola is betrothed to pompous Lord Wessex (Colin Firth). Shakey's love life begins to follow the pattern of Romeo and Juliet (with a bit of cross-dressing).
It has a modern style to it, despite it being set in the sixteenth century, so it's a fun film for students to watch and discover that Shakespeare really was fun. Tom Stoppard's screenplay is suitably comic, bawdy, and full of theatre references. Few others will pick up on this but being a total sonnet fan, I was a little displeased to see Sonnet 18 written and addressed to Viola, seeing as that sonnet is actually to a man. Within the sonnet cycle, it's not simply a nice poem about love- it's a declaration of unashamed love for someone who for the seventeen previous sonnets he has been trying to marry off. But I am willing to overlook that small detail, because the sonnets are only briefly mentioned (perhaps because they'd bring up a can of worms as to Shakespeare's private life).
The cast list is chock-a-block of well-known actors. I was actually really surprised at how good Ben Affleck was as the actor playing Mercutio- I found him annoying in Good Will Hunting but he was practically unrecognisable here.
The probing into Shakespeare's life is relatively shallow- this is how teenagers imagine Shakespeare, except he's pretty and has no cool pirate earring. But Fiennes is suitably young (Rupert Graves was a bit too old) and convinces as a hardworking writer (Shakey has not earned genius status yet). Paltrow puts on a romantic British accent, which works, and she earned her Oscar. Firth is hilarious as Lord Wessex- like Darcy but much grumpier and more arrogant.
Just when you think it's going to have a fluffy ending, it actually has a pretty cool bittersweet ending, which I found sort of ambiguous.
I'd recommend this film to those who like rom-coms with intelligence and for those trying to prove Shakespeare is cool.
meatwadsprite
10-02-10, 03:26 PM
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTHLNlRQwZtCRnvf0rcyKA0pL9y9ZKk8pqb1BCJO71lvNBqXf4&t=1&usg=__fMM9pbG9er1XYvpxuwijwiwRl_k= http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ_1fba2u8qfcAW5IRXtAKcJdK7bGPyMEcd-3U38jfVqFl8NMk&t=1&usg=__BKwHkGwvEvlAqREO23x_3UmnPkI= http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS6KhSjXjw_qbSQ5ywPXF1LGJSeDXHUURJhUw85KhEQvSlTULY&t=1&usg=__u2BDO9cyB5YvCITYXzXRfZcnVT8=
The Social Network 2010
Another masterpiece for Fincher's canon. What a year it's been for film editing, prepare to be floored again as Social Network takes you through and out of two court depositions and the start of facebook. Eisenberg embodies Zuckerberg, a Harvard boy who's frustration and loneliness is about to be unleashed in the form of a website venture. It's as much about the (de?)evolving technological nature of communication in our society, as it's about timeless themes of betrayal, isolation, corruption. Credit obviously can't go to one person in a beautiful collaboration like this, the screenplay, the acting, the photography, the music - people in Hollywood are earning their pay.
5
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ-DkrugdHke7EfGb72FqmJ9VDtAcaGiCsHa1Z-AMZ_p1WZCEU&t=1&usg=__PptgQa5PuxXrkWm3U7AWeqwLwOc= http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSuZeWp6Nk17ikWIbh-2sCVrxxDXLfJVmaOolUrOL4HzJEYCHE&t=1&usg=__JzowTPKdAbfXz1Wg5O3v0arMLqk= http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSV6_VABO355c8ottV6YR-1NO0SQ93Ya7O-khVQV9u4ND6POdU&t=1&usg=__ZljfcEeh2Mk-Z9GvT9lY2gj3CpI=
The Town 2010
Affleck directs apparently and while he's miles ahead of himself as an actor - the man has filled this with some top notch shootouts. He treads over super overdone stuff, with a trustworthy cast and pulls it off. Although his direction outside of the tight action, is nothing short of manically erratic, with cameras flying all over Boston for no reason. He's got the humor and shooting down, now for the rest ...
3
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTl3TrsNsZbWsqaR4A4V-lBnz-Y6fidPMBCJOccJtGM2wF97kI&t=1&usg=__rzC0XPjBq90z3xvUT3-DxjVZYQQ= http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS-wgX7gpbxXT1x3RLxOt4AcmDlcSkSKiL2XtdR4UQ3a9kNqQE&t=1&usg=__g3zOrXxAsRYVeUcxxmakMT_DT-A= http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSK1b9a12mf1KlKoMM_PcIBSecaVxmM32kD527iyZkzclHV4WE&t=1&usg=__p3-Z0n2j-Fd5IsdBxqaPyF-vE8k=
Paprika 2006
Another rewatch for this one and my final conclusion is .... it's boring. Wonderful imagery and no heart or soul to take it somewhere.
2
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All the President's Men 1976
I don't know any of the players (Nixon was involved i think). I think had I actually known who's who, maybe that would raise the stakes, but the heart of this are in the performances of Hoffman and Redford. How they grind down their interviewees, how journalism was done in the 70's, as well as the lurking fear of digging up dirt on a supposedly crooked president. My biggest problem is, it's such a relentless pursuit of facts and leads, that there's only a very small story happening between the lines.
3
TheUsualSuspect
10-03-10, 01:33 AM
The Social Network
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/The-Social-Network.jpg?t=1286080231
Mark Zuckerberg is dumped by his girlfriend in the opening scene and in a drunken rage he goes online and hacks into different websites to take student photos and create a site called FaceMash, where people pick which girl is hotter. This leads to some academic probation, but it catches the eyes of three other students who want to create a social networking site that would be exclusive to Harvard students. They tell Zuckerberg the idea and he joins the team. Unfortunately Zuckerberg shuts them off from communication and writes his own codes and brings in his best friend as CFO. Thus The Facebook is born. As the site gets more popular, Zuckerberg loses his connection with his best friend and ends up getting sued by him and the three students for millions of dollars.
When I first heard that there was going to be a movie based on Facebook, I rolled my eyes and asked why even bother. Then, to my surprise, I heard that David Fincher was set to direct. My interest perked up a little bit, after all the guy directs some stellar films. It wasn't until the trailers starting popping up did I really want to see this film. The accolades that it has been receiving added more anticipation. Now that I've seen the film, all I can say is bravo.
Fincher and soon to be nominated for best adapted screenplay Aaron Sorkin, have created a film that defines what this generation is all about. Facebook is such a cultural impact that some people can't live their lives without it. I have it open in another window as I'm writing this review right now. The film will undoubtably receive more award nominations than screenplay, I'm just curious to see if any of those are in the acting department because this cast is great.
Jesse Eisenberg, who people always claimed to be a Michael Cera rip off, commands the screen with his awkward and pseudo intelligent riffs in his speeding bullet laced monologues. The guy (Zuckerberg) is brilliant at code writing, but his social skills are clearly lacking. His best friend, Eduardo Saverin (soon to be Spiderman Andrew Garfield) is desperate to get into elite clubs and has his emotions close to the surface. Eventually they explode when he learns he's being shifted out of his CFO position. Garfield plays well opposite Eisenberg. To my surprise Justin Timberlake wasn't irritating. He plays egocentric Sean Parker and while I don't see any awards heading his way, he does help complete a well put together cast.
The story jumps between two timelines. The present, in which Zuckerberg is facing two lawsuits and the past, which we see the creation of facebook. Heaps of praise should be thrown on Fincher and Sorkin, they pulled off this structure perfectly. The film feels just like his previous efforts, dark and cold. Much like the depiction of Zuckerberg. I can't comment on how true the film depicts the events, but we all know he did get sued and the filmmakers stand by the truths they tell in this film. It's all heightened to be entertaining, but with Zuckerberg trying to steer clear, I see a lot of truth in this film.
The Social Network is one of the years best films. It's solid direction from Fincher, who knows what he wants from every aspect. Sorkin delivers a timeless story set in our age of the internet and facebook. Friendship, greed and loyalty are all called into question. The performance are strong across the board with such a young cast. Eisenberg standing out in the lead role of Zuckerberg. The score is phenomenal, Fincher knew what he wanted and he got it with Trent Reznor. His style of music perfectly matches the film with the technology it's bringing to the forefront.
I wouldn't call this the film of the decade, but it is good enough to be in the high ranks of Fincher's best work and one of the best works this year. For a film that is simply people talking, it feels natural and goes at a breakneck speed. I highly recommend The Social Network.
4.5
The Backwoods - 2.5/5
This is the Gary Oldman one where he's in Spain and they find the deformed girl with the syndactyly hands. Watching this movie filled me with incredulity over the storyline - the only redeeming parts where Gary Oldman's character, who at least made common sense decisions, the guy head who was hunting them and looking for the kid, who at least seemed in full faculty and to care about common decency, and the visual landscape, which was nice. All other characters were complete idiots, and the women had brains the size of peas - the other fella? marginally bigger, at best. This is no Deliverance, but it'll do in a pinch.
Outsourced - 1/5
Watched this one b/c I was a captive audience, and it was as underwhelming as I thought. Basic premise - american marketing guy's company fires all his people, and moves the call center to India. He must go as well to train his replacement, with the carrot that he "might" have a job at the company if he trains him well, and cannot return until he does. Cue lots of Indian culturalism, and the requisite preaching for the wonders of multiculturalism as well.
One point that I found asinine was the attempt of the writers to suggest that
(1) Indians speak the "corrrect" english, and Americans do not,
[rebuttal: who in the _______ cares? its business, and the customer can barely understand you. it is imperative that the customer understand, and at minimum not be antagonized/alienated by the "customer service."]
(2) it is somehow wrong of Americans to want to speak with someone they can understand,
[rebuttal: why? service is not "good service" if i have to repeat myself 5 times to be understood, or I have to ask the person speaking to me to repeat themselves 5 times to understand them. at this point, im irritated.]
The one thing I thought the movie did well was convey that it wasnt the Indian workers' fault for simply getting job - being upset with them is not the solution, because they are not the problem. Corporate interests, on the other hand, are. It also conveyed that they, too work in a precarious environment, and mercenary corporate interests will just as swiftly downsize them as well. Pissed? Vote with your dollar. ;)
Lastly. I did have this thought: we spend a ridiculous amount of time bemoaning the poor Indian women who have arranged marriages to some random (possibly old?) dude from birth (poor her, right?). I couldnt help thinking to myself - WHAT ABOUT THE POOR DUDE? If the girl has a prearranged marriage, doesnt it necessitate that the dude does as well? How come no one cares that this dude has an arranged marriage to someone he could be completely uninterested in?
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
10-04-10, 05:02 PM
King Kong (1933) 4_5
Classic film. Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) wants to make a movie but he has no leading lady. Then he finds Ann Darrow (Faye Wray) and whisks her off on a boat to the ominously named Skull Island, inhabited by savages and ruled by- you guessed it- King Kong, a massive ape.
It's only a short film but it packs a massive punch. The special effects for the time were incredible and even now, they are still frightening. CGI is not overly scary- it's all too fluid and neat. This 1933 Kong is wild and jerky, yet there is something tragic about him.
Let's dispel a common myth now. King Kong is not a love story- it's not about a love triangle between two people and a gorilla. It's a cautionary tale of the consequences of people meddling with primitive tribes that they know nothing about. In the end, are the humans really superior to Kong? Or are they the savages, ripping a creature- a ruler- from his land and turning him into entertainment? Ann is not in love with Kong but she sees that he is an emotive creature, not merely a monster.
Perhaps if you're looking for pure melodrama, then you'll enjoy the modern remake. However King Kong is not merely a melodrama- in fact, it's more of a tragedy. Anybody who is not moved by the last line must be heartless.
Classicqueen13
10-04-10, 06:31 PM
Some from while I was away:
http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/coverv/41/133541.jpg
The definition of 80s sci-fi/action. Arnie kicks some @$$ and pulls off his best collection of one-liners. There's a pretty girl in a tight jumpsuit and an evil game show host in for the fun as well. Predictable but exciting. The most fun is probably the now campy technology and special effects. Not for the romantic-drama crowd.
The Running Man: 3
http://content7.flixster.com/movie/10/85/07/10850741_det.jpg
This is like memory erasing meets Charade. The mystery dwindled down too much for me, and there were a number of scenes drawn out way too far. We all know Affleck is not the ideal leading man, but he's not unbearable here. Eckhart is hardly on camera, and he isn't particularly spectacular when he is. Uma didn't work at all for the cutie eye candy of the movie. The plot is intriguing enough to hold interest, but the script is totally forgettable. This movie doesn't really have anything much going for it, but it wasn't boring.
Paycheck: 2.5
http://cdn-0.nflximg.com/us/boxshots/large/60023380.jpg
This does movie does not look promising, but I found it really enjoyable. It's not for everyone and probably best suited for those Sutherland fans or those having a bad day. I happened to be having a bad day and enjoyed Sutherland's often humorous way of showing his character's frustration. Comically, the movie is surprisingly good. The ideas that are supposed to be funny actually turn out quite funny unlike many movies of this type where the ideas are painfully obvious and fall flat. The cast is good as a whole, but I honestly didn't evaluate this movie too much. (I was one of the bad day crowd looking for a little lift.) The only thing I found as horrible as reviews and first-glance would suggest was the awful soundtrack. I sincerely hope the composer never got another movie. Fingers-crossed :)
Dead Heat: 4
Fort Apache, the Bronx: 4+
Goldfinger: 3.5+
Lethal Weapon 2: 3.5+
linespalsy
10-04-10, 07:16 PM
"Here is Sub-Zero, now Plain-Zero."
re93animator
10-05-10, 12:39 AM
Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010) – 3+
It’s fun, especially for fans of the Batman comics. It successfully blends the styles of the classic comic line and the more realistic Batman that most modern viewers have become accustomed to.
Run Lola Run (1998) – 3
The trippy, ultramodern MTV style grew a little repetitive, and it felt like it was trying too hard to be slick, but the fast-pacing does add a memorable quality. Not to mention that the filmmaker’s eye for detail stands out. I just couldn’t get into it as much as most.
The White Ribbon (2009) – 3_5+
As well as being gorgeous to look at, it has an engaging plot with a perfectly idle pace. Even those who aren’t keen about art house cinema should suspend their reluctance with this.
Concerning The White Ribbon, I reviewed it earlier this year in here and found it to be almost a complete waste of time. I agree that it has an idle pace but I find it far from perfect. I think it's the weakest Haneke I've seen thus far and I've seen several. I'm not saying that it wasn't interesting while I was actually watching it. It was only after it finished that it seemed twice as weak (and pointless) as it was while I was watching it. I gave it 2.
re93animator
10-05-10, 05:04 AM
Concerning The White Ribbon, I reviewed it earlier this year in here and found it to be almost a complete waste of time. I agree that it has an idle pace but I find it far from perfect. I think it's the weakest Haneke I've seen thus far and I've seen several. I'm not saying that it wasn't interesting while I was actually watching it. It was only after it finished that it seemed twice as weak (and pointless) as it was while I was watching it. I gave it 2.
The only other flick from Haneke that I've seen is the original Funny Games, and while I enjoyed it, I still can't really judge his style based on two very diverse films. I am looking into some of his others though.
After reading your brief criticism, I can't really understand the 'pointless' remark. Maybe you were looking for symbolism when there was none, but the story does highlight its 'wronged childhood' message quite prominently. I don't always take 'pointless' as a derogatory remark, but this film does contain social commentary.
Perfect might be a word I use too loosely, but I still thought the idle pacing was very well done without reaching any point of tedium. Of course, when it comes to film, I don't get bored as easily as most.
The pointless comment meant that although the film was meant to be something resembling a mystery, when it was all said and done, I just found it far too obvious. Maybe I should have said "obvious" instead of "pointless", but in this case they seem to amount to the same thing, at least for me.
re93animator
10-05-10, 06:01 AM
The pointless comment meant that although the film was meant to be something resembling a mystery, when it was all said and done, I just found it far too obvious. Maybe I should have said "obvious" instead of "pointless", but in this case they seem to amount to the same thing, at least for me.
True, but I think that making the outcome obvious was inevitable.
The children were supposed to be the generation in Germany that lead to Nazism. So, in modern commentary, of course they would be the ones that ended up committing atrocity.
But, you're right. It did have an air of mystery, and if the Teacher's speech at the end weren't the giveaway, it would've even seemed open ended. Nonetheless, I still found myself enjoying it.
linespalsy
10-05-10, 01:25 PM
Here's what I've seen lately, I don't feel up to doing write-ups at the moment so here they are with some tentative (give or take half a box) ratings. Feel free to ask if you want my thoughts on a specific film:
Hell's Angels (Hughes, 1930) 3.5
Zatoichi (Katsu, 1989) 3-
Horror of Dracula 2+
The Old Dark House 2.5++
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) 3.5
Queen Christina 3.5-
rewatches:
Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood 3.5++
The Ninth Gate (Polanski, 1999) 4
Hulk (Ang Lee) 3.5
Kudos for The Ninth Gate! Not many seem to care for that one...
linespalsy
10-05-10, 08:38 PM
It's one of my favorites. I think that makes 9 times that I've seen it. Do I get a prize from Satan? How about eternal life and absolute power over my own destiny (maybe in the form of a copy of "How to Make Friends and Influence People")?
I guess the only one that I really feel the need to add a comment on right now is Hulk (2002).
http://www.princeton.edu/~ddunham/cinema/hulk.jpg
I saw this when it came out and liked it, but didn't really remember why. I basically agree with those who think this is fair to middling as an Ang Lee Melodrama, though I'm leaning towards fair. This might be his most purely visual film however, with a constant barrage of exciting and novel transitions and uses of split-screen and collage. It borrows heavily from some of DePalma's thrillers such as Dressed to Kill but goes even further with a seemingly endless list of ways to combine images. Many of these -- such as the bit where an exploding oxygen canister pingpongs between several "panels" -- are pretty sophisticated, while others (Jellyfish in the desert?) are quite lyrical and mysterious; it requires a bit of effort but I never found it tiresome. Compare it to the split-screen of Doctor Octopus's tentacles in SpiderMan 2.
It also tends to go for unusual camera placement with interesting uses of space to really bring home the unusualness of Hulk as he interacts with his environment. Like a far-away shot of him running along the side of a giant sand-dune while sliding down it.
If I have a complaint I think there are a couple of awkward set-ups (like the final confrontation between father and son) and the female love interest was a bit of a miss, in spite of the parallel father-daughter relationship to add a counterweight to the Banner family drama. Connely also just seemed not to bring much other than a pretty face to her character leaving Nick Nolte to pretty much steal the show much of the time, as he's clearly an actor able to deploy his entire body and soul, even in a somewhat camp role like this. The other big "full-body actor" in this is Ang Lee who donned the motion-capture suit to act out the big green monster of the movie. Maybe that is also why he was able to get the Hulk's interactions with the environment to be so physically seamless.
I've heard a couple people complain that they found the Freudian "subconscious mumbo-jumbo" of the film to be pretentious and overblown, and extra hard to take with the straight-face that the movie seems to demand. I guess I'm neutral on this, I didn't find it to be a particular strength or weakness, not enough to strongly influence my rating in either direction. To me the story almost seemed like a half-apology/half-celebration for the oddness of the form. Nick Nolte's mad scientist character practically says as much in his confession about what motivated him to experiment on his own flesh and blood.
I'd probably rate it just above average for the story, but I truly feel this is a must-see for anyone who is interested in the cinematic form. That it's a big pile of brightly-colored pop-fun didn't hurt it any. With me, at least.
Cadillac Records (Darnell Martin, 2008) 3 - Story of Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody) and the founding of Chess Records with its awesome list of stars, including Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright), Chuck Berry (Mos Def), Willie Dixon (Cedric the Entertainer), Howlin' Wolf (Eamonn Walker) and Etta James (Beyoncé). Just as fake as a '40s biopic but full of entertainment.
http://itpworld.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/cadillac_records_8.jpg
Tales from the Gimli Hospital (Guy Maddin, 1987) 1.5 Cult Rating: 3 - Although this feature debut basically shows Maddin almost fully-developed stylistically, it's just weak compared to all his technical advancements and sharpening of his dark humor which came later.
Ever After (Andy Tennant, 1998) 3 - Likable, different Cinderella story is good entertainment and Leonardo da Vinci steals the show. I'm not really sure where Drew got her accent but she and Dougray Scott make a good romantic couple.
Sweet Charity (Bob Fosse, 1969) 3.5 - Fosse's first film has aged well and contains a score of songs which seem better now than when first released. I guess the more you like Shirley MacLaine the more you'll like this adaptation of Fellini's Nights of Cabiria, but it's still very good, even if you don't.
http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/imgs/090506/Big-Spender-Sweet-Charity_l.jpg
Legends of the Fall (Edward Zwick, 1994) 3 Beautifully-looking early 20th century flick with an equally-enthralling musical score comes across as something resembling an Edna Ferber adaptation. The cast is probably what makes most people enjoy it. I wouldn't go so far as to agree with Holds and say it's Anthony Hopkins' worst performance, but his mumbling near the end is really something. :cool:
The Rookie (Clint Eastwood, 1990) 2.5 - This is certainly one of Clint's stupidest films but if you accept it as intentional stupidity (a la his orangutan flix), you'll probably get more enjoyment out of Charlie Sheen's insane rookie cop who gets teamed up with Clint at just about the time the "old man" gets kidnapped by Raul Julia and raped in a chair by Sonia Braga!
The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (Otto Preminger, 1955) 3- - True-life tale of the visionary pilot (Gary Cooper) who foresaw the air as the key place for most wars after WWI. He intentionally gets himself court-martialed to bring attention the U.S. military's lack of awareness of the importance of air power and the complete unsafeness of the planes they had available. Rod Steiger comes on at the end to prosecute and make him seem crazy.
The Assignment (Christian Duguay, 1997) 4 - Unsung action thriller about hunting and putting down terrorist Carlos the Jackal has terrific direction and performances by Aidan Quinn, Donald Sutherland and Ben Kingsley. I cannot recommend this flick more and don't understand why it's not considered some kind of classic. It's just so much smarter than most similar crap.
http://imgboot.com/images/fasamoo/dvdvideo2010051903084101.jpg
The Runaways (Floria Sigismondi, 2010) 3 - Interesting biopic about about the founding of the all-teenage-girl rock band the Runaways in the 1970s. Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) and Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning) come across "producer" Kim Fowley (the unpredictable, as usual, Michael Shannon) and the rest is history. This is more of an art film than a mainstream Hollywood bio, but it certainly is well-made.
Robin Hood (Ridley Scott, 2010) 3.5 - The "prequel" to most Robin Hood films is actually an epic action adventure film which grafts the Robin Hood legend onto it. I certainly found it entertaining and loved seeing the greatest living actor (Max von Sydow) again. I don't really understand the gripes about it from a cinematic point of view, but that's fine. Oh, the music was another big plus.
The Karate Kid Part II (John G. Avildsen, 1986) 3 - OK, I realize that you may think this rating is too high for a basically unnecessary sequel, but the characters are certainly likable enough to revisit even if the plot is far-fetched. I rewatched it, expecting full-well to give it a crap rating, but I just couldn't do it. And don't call me nostalgic. I was 30 when this flick came out. :cool:
Adventure (Victor Fleming, 1945) 2+ - A combo naval war adventure/romance basically toppled Clark Gable as the box-office King of Hollywood. It's not really all that bad, but it's certainly underwhelming. However, a guy could do worse than make love to both Greer Garson and Joan Blondell in the same film.
The Killer Inside Me (Michael Winterbottom, 2010) 3.5 - Brutal adaptation of Jim Thompson's cult novel begins as if it's something resembling a Kubrick flick. Casey Affleck is a deputy/dormant serial killer who awakens when he gets turned on beating and bedding Jessica Alba. This doesn't really sit well with his fiancee (Kate Hudson). The film seems a bit misunderstood to me. I take much of what happens, especially the entire ending, as non-literal, so I don't have as many problems with the plot's alleged incoherence. I also think that many people are turned off by the violence but that's obviously the entire point. This is a film which will certainly split audiences, but Alba proves that she can actually act and Hudson is also good.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_MuapTIBKloo/S0EPLdkb2NI/AAAAAAAABCc/PKUrkDQKWrE/s400/the+killer+inside+me.jpg
The Road (John Hillcoat, 2009) 3 - Cormac McCarthy's apocalyptic tale of a man and his son holds one's interest both visually and through its characters. I just found it less-moving than many viewers who have read the novel. What's on screen is more thought-provoking than emotional (Sorry, McClane).
Man on a Tightrope (Elia Kazan, 1953) 2.5 - Unusual film about a circus troupe in Communist Czechoslovakia whose leader (Fredric March) wants to sneak them over the border to escape totalitarianism. Meanwhile, there are the usual romantic melodramas among the employees before the film turns into an almost-straight-up action flick.
Orphans of the Storm (D.W. Griffith, 1921) 3 Classic Rating: 4 - Gargantuan silent epic about the French Revolution contains most all the historical characters, plenty of action and many cinematic innovations including Griffith's masking of the top and bottom of the screen to produce something resembling a widescreen image during an action scene. One of the director's best films.
http://www.seraphicpress.com/images/Gish,%20Lillian%20(Orphans%20of%20the%20Storm)_03.jpg
Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero, 1968) 2 Cult Rating: 4 - Seminal low-budget horror/zombie film suffers from amateurish acting, stupid character actions, mostly cliched music and lousy photography. However, it did introduce all kinds of lore to the zombie film and provides a few shocks and gore, as well as some snippets of eerie electronic music. I find the final five minutes, including the end credits, to be easily the most-artistic things about the flick.
http://www.moviesonline.ca/movie-gallery/albums/NightOfTheLivingDead//NotlD-4.jpg
Thursday Next
10-06-10, 04:57 PM
A few films I've seen recently:
Never Been Kissed
http://blogue.us/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/NeverBeen-KissedBigPic.jpg
Pretty awful. The premise is daft and the execution doesn't make it any more believable. Drew Barrymore fails to be convincing or charming and the whole thing is a mess. If you want a high school comedy watch Clueless instead.
1.5
The Magnificent Seven
http://www.cinemaretro.com/uploads/magnificentseven.jpg
I'm not really a fan of Westerns, it seems a very specific thing to make an entire genre out of. But I enjoyed this quite a bit more than I was expecting to. Yul Brynner is particularly memorable.
4
Highlander
http://www.highlanders.co.nz/images/highlander_resam.jpg
It's really rather terrible and really rather fun all at once. It does seem ever so slightly ripped off from The Terminator at times and I'm not sure which was least convincing, the romance or the special effects. But I did quite enjoy it all the same, I can see why it has a certain cult appeal.
3
Monkeypunch
10-10-10, 04:29 AM
Elmer Gantry - I'll admit to having never heard of this movie til it came on TV at 2am the other day, but I was very impressed. Burt Lancaster plays a opportunistic, womanizing traveling salesman who works his way into the world of evangelical tent revival meetings to win over a woman minister, and becomes a famous preacher, but also a monstrous human being and hypocrite in the process. I loved the performances, especially Lancaster, who is both charming and strangely feral, he seems likely to rip your throat out while overpowering you with his huge smile and eloquent speeches.
TylerDurden99
10-10-10, 04:59 AM
Snatch
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In the genre of British gangster films, Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels comes up as the prime example as the definitive BGF. However, some find Snatch, Guy Ritchie's other BGF, marginally better. As do I. While I find LSA2SB a 3 star piece of entertainment filled with a fair amount of humor and colourful characters, Snatch is a definite 4 star affair, loaded with laughs, violence and great tunes. In other words, Snatch is a brilliant flick.
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Snatch tells three different stories: 1. Turkish (Jason Statham), a illegal bare knuckle boxing promoter, sends his partner Tommy (This Is England's Stephen Graham) and star fighter Gorgeous George to buy a caravan from gypsy fighter Mickey O'Neill (Brad Pitt, in dazzling form). After a fight between Gorgeous George and Mickey goes wrong, George is hospitalised and cannot fight in the next match against a vicious gangster Brick Top (Alan Ford) and his fighter. But Turkish figures a way around it: use Mickey in the fight. 2. Frankie Four Fingers and a group of thieves steal an expensive diamond. Frankie is then sent to London by his employer, Avi (Dennis Farina). While there, he goes to Boris The Blade (Rade Sherbedgia), a arms dealer. Boris gives him a gun free of charge, if Frankie will place a bet for him. Frankie has had previous problems with gambling, but still accepts the offer. Boris then hires two pawn shop owners, Sol & Vinny to steal the diamond from Frankie while he is at the bookies. They will be paid with the money that they steal from the bookies while they try to take the diamond from Frankie. But the situation soon turns wrong, which results in Sol & Vinny going after the wrong person, not getting any money from the bookies and their faces are seen on the security cameras. They kidnap Frankie after their driver Tyrone identifies him and shoves him in their getaway car. Boris offers them $10,000 in place of the money, but Sol & Vinny want to keep the diamond and soon need to pay off Brick Top after he threatens to kill them over the bookie incident. But Boris takes the diamond. 3. Avi does not hear from Frankie, so he calls Doug The Head, his contact in London. Doug informs him that Frankie went to place a bet. Avi heads to London, concerned with Frankie's gambling problem and the fact that he may gamble the diamond away. After they cannot find Frankie, they hire Bullet Tooth Tony, who helps them track down the diamond. These 3 stories all fit together perfectly, like Pulp Fiction in it's structure.
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The British & American cast work well in Snatch. Jason Statham gives quite a good performance as Turkish, Stephen Graham also works to the best of his ability. Dennis Farina is at his best as Cousin Avi and Alan Ford is vicious as Brick Top. Benicio Del Toro & Rade Sherbedgia don't have much screen time, but deliver underplayed performances. The cast standouts are Brad Pitt as bare knuckle gypsy fighter Mickey O'Neill & Vinnie Jones as Bullet Tooth Tony. Pitt, straight off Fight Club, immerses himself in the role of an Irish gypsy, providing an ace accent in his dialogue delivery. Vinnie Jones gives a better performance than Lock, Stock, showing he has acting skills, especially in the scene where he delivers a speech about balls shrinking. The script is well written and entertains throughout, since most of this film is dialogue driven. Guy Ritchie's direction has grown better since Lock, Stock. The film's one weakness is that some of the time, the humor is silly and tries to force laughs. Other than that, Snatch is a winning production that refuses to live Lock, Stock's shadow.
http://www.movieforums.com/images/popcorn/4box.gif A-
meatwadsprite
10-10-10, 01:26 PM
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Badlands 1973
Two uncertain youngsters try to squeeze fun out of their police dodging. Martin Sheen becomes fond of Holly, but he works a garbage route and her father would never allow it. So he shoots the father and they run away, then they shoot a couple more people and continue to flee. The dread of being hunted is obliterated by Spacek's (Holly) care free narration. It's a loud examination of relationships full of angst and erraticism, they don't end well. Holly doesn't seem to care much.
3
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Pirates of Silicone Valley 1999
As far as made for tv movies go, this is the king. It tells the intimate origins of these now towering corporations. Steve Jobs is painted like a psychopath, leaving you to root for Bill Gates to come in there and steal some ideas. If ever a movie deserved a remake it's this one.
3
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The Third Man 1949
Novelist Holly Martins arrives in post-war Viena, with no money but a hope for work with his long time friend Harry Lime. Well there goes that plan, Lime died in a car accident. Martins isn't so ready to go back home yet though, as the "accident" is too awkward and disputed to accept. He digs deep enough to find that his friend is involved in some dirty penicillin business (which goes over my head, not sure how you kill people with penicillin, or how you sell this low rate substance). The love interest for Martins is non-sense, Anna Schmidt (Alida Valli). A woman still obscenely obsessed with Lime, who is about to be deported back to stupid old Russia. Why would any man fall for a woman as deranged as she ? He wouldn't.
Parts of The Third Man strike me as brilliant and others as inappropriate. The musical score done completely with some weird guitar (zither), is upbeat and adventurous, no matter what the situation. The photography is fine for the most part, a few nice shots scattered around, it really starts to pickup towards the end with the ferris wheel and the sewer chase. Orson Welles kicks everything up a couple notches when he finally arrives.
3
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The Game 1997
Michael Douglas is at the top of his game here, which is a shame because this isn't a very good one. Fincher's technical precision is evident, but the descending nature of this joke gone wrong is way too implausible and it doesn't have any big set pieces to justify that.
2
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Citizen Kane 1941
This one really doesn't age. It's still confusingly modern. The time bending structure/performances, atmosphere, the mystery of Kane, there's nothing to say that hasn't been said already by everyone else. I don't think it's perfect though, because we're still missing some pieces of Kane. His whole social arc seems rushed in spots (People will think ... " WHAT I TELL EM TO!"). Welles is brilliant on screen, there's almost too much authentic variety in his performance to believe it's one guy.
4
Oh meaty meaty. It was ever such a strange day when you flew through the window onto the petri dish.
Hopefully The Third Man will grow on you over time :)
ash_is_the_gal
10-11-10, 06:35 PM
http://blog.80millionmoviesfree.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/watch_worlds_greatest_dad.jpg
World's Greatest Dad
Bobcat Goldwaith, 2009
4
i think i'm rating this one higher than it really deserves.
http://geekonfilm.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/worlds-greatest-dad.jpg
TheUsualSuspect
10-11-10, 08:22 PM
4
i think i'm rating this one higher than it really deserves.
Care to tell us why?
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
10-12-10, 12:15 PM
eXistenZ 3
Entertaining sci-fi from David Cronenberg. The premise is that a famous computer game designer (Jennifer Jason Leigh) has invented this snazzy new virtual reality game called eXistenZ. She convinces a nerdy guy who works in marketing (Jude Law) to play the game with her. Confusion over reality and virtual reality ensues.
The pods (game consoles) look like body parts and there's much humour to be had from the inherent innuendo of jacking into portals. The premise is interesting, although it's a bit routine sci-fi, but the writing is mediocre. There's an obvious joke about a game character whose dialogue is written really badly and he's not developed enough, but one can't help but feel there's truth in it. Cronenberg clearly has ideas but not the writing skill to show them off. The virtual reality vs. reality theme is explored only on a very basic level. The ending is predictable but still unsettling.
Now for the acting. Jennifer Jason Leigh is probably the strongest element of the film. She copes with the dull dialogue she's given and I don't know whether she's been in many sci-fi films but she appears to 'get it'. She's convincing as a game designer. Jude Law adopts a rather unconvincing American accent and he's unable to do anything with the bad dialogue. He succeeds in his role of eye candy but in a thankless role, he does little to make it any better.
Recommended for sci-fi fans and it's not a bad film to rent but the film doesn't entirely work and doesn't reach its potential. It's more of a film of ideas than an actual film.
genesis_pig
10-12-10, 12:24 PM
I wish Cronenberg would continue to make such films again.
linespalsy
10-12-10, 01:24 PM
i saw eXistenZ when it was in theaters. i thought the whole thing worked pretty well, the humor, plot, the acting makes sense and feeds into both the humor and ideas, and there's a pretty good explanation for law's bad american accent at the end, too. it didn't really seem incomplete to me. i'm a little confused about whether the girl who had all the luck meant plot or dialog or both when she said it was poorly written. other than that i agree that the ending is simultaneously predictable but effective, and that leigh's acting was a strong point.
Death at a Funeral - 2/5
Chris Rock, et al were quite funny in this film, but it was odd how they made the film have a quirk. A person watching the film with me was irate, and felt that it was the Hollywood way to shove the gay agenda down the throat of an obviously conservative african-american populace, but i tried to explain that a guy like Chris Rock is the type to push the envelope, and since these types of comedy-funeral films are a dime a dozen, he had to come up with some new and shocking. Im not 100% sure I believe that myself, but I must admit the film was quite funny. Loses all stars for being preachy and paternalistic, but gains a few back for the superb cast.
Just Wright - 4.8/5
Queen Latifah, Common & Pam Grier? Oh Yes! Im a huge Latifah fan (pun intended! :p;)), and despite the myriad rumors surrounding her personal life, you gotta give a girl credit for being big, down to earth, and keeping it real in her roles on the big screen. I made my lil sister and my mother watch this one with me, and we all had massive emotion (namely, rage :yup: ) and there was a lot of yelling. Basically, you had the age old problem of girlfriends where one is the hottie, the other is the uber cool down-to-earth girl-next-door whom everyone loves, but just not enough to wanna "hit it" with. (It actually brought to mind the 80s hit by MC Lucious: called Boom, I Got Yo Boyfriend! (I Got Yo Man!) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmEpgnRGZTI).) All in all, the movie was well cast, well written, and well played. My only beef was the Happy Hollywood cookie cutter ending - we all know in real life all bets are off, and in some cases, things happen in the converse: my sisters and I surmise amongst ourselves that one of our friend who is the hottie that "shouldve" married our brother, gave him away to a friend who told her not to be selfish, and still has the broken heart to prove it. Matters of heart. Dicey things! :eek:
Why Did I Get Married, Too? - 0/5
Awful - no, GODawful movie. I cringed every time Tyler Perry featured as the lead actor on screen because it was like watching a train wreck (or at least, his career go down the toilet). What was worse is that they had a lot of actors who can act, and it was as though they could not - clearly they had no chemistry, and it was as if the Director could care less. The other awful thing was the plot - the first movie was an obvious hit with the same actors, so the only reason we could deduce for the horror of the sequel was the writing and direction. As far as I'm concerned, I might be done with TP - and I think if Im not alone, he may be losing his entire conservative base - which is a shame, because they are what made him. Beyond that Malik Yoba was hands down the best and most convincing actor in this film, so he gets a huge :up:
Repo Men - 0/5
Another tanker of a movie - this one goes over like a lead balloon, and instead of enjoying the film, I spent the entire movie fast forwarding thru its dullery while simultaneously trying to figure out if it was (1) a movie about wanting to bang another chick while you're married, or (2) a movie about the future of health care. Suffice to say, I could not believe they gave this piece of garbage almost 2 hours of screen time, and I watched the theatrical version, not the unrated version with extra footage. Jude Law has lost all appeal to me, and apparently is headed toward losing his looks as well, because this film showing him balding! This movie has no redeeming quality, and I liked the head of The Union, Liev Shreiber best (though I do like him in everything). If nothing else, Forrest Whittaker and Liev have again shown that they can play complete jerks, which fact we already knew.
Iroquois
10-13-10, 01:40 AM
Think you mean Repo Men, mack. Repo Man is a whole different kettle of fish.
:blush: yeah thats what I meant - thanks Iro! :up:
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
10-13-10, 12:18 PM
i saw eXistenZ when it was in theaters. i thought the whole thing worked pretty well, the humor, plot, the acting makes sense and feeds into both the humor and ideas, and there's a pretty good explanation for law's bad american accent at the end, too. it didn't really seem incomplete to me. i'm a little confused about whether the girl who had all the luck meant plot or dialog or both when she said it was poorly written. other than that i agree that the ending is simultaneously predictable but effective, and that leigh's acting was a strong point.
I meant plot and dialogue but predominantly dialogue.
ash_is_the_gal
10-13-10, 11:57 PM
http://images.contentreserve.com/ImageType-100/1314-1/%7B5CB34FFD-B7C5-4893-AEE1-81B061477369%7DImg100.jpg
Ethan Frome
John Madden, 1993
i rented this after i finished reading the book, which i liked quite a lot. from the reviews, it was supposed to be a wonderful, atmosphereic adaptation to the book, and in that regard, it did not disappoint. Liam Nelson's performance was spectacular, too.
Patricia Arquette left a lot to be desired, however.
http://www.allaboutliamneeson.com/ethan.jpg
i don't know, i should probably stop watching movies straight after i read the book.
3.5
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Snow White: A Tale of Terror
1997, Michael Cohn
beautiful-looking, but otherwise a bit of a disappointment.
http://www.bloodygoodhorror.com/bgh/files/snow-white-a-tale-of-terror-cadi-ve-kiz.jpghttp://img.listal.com/image/450023/450full.jpg
2.5
Blue Lou
10-14-10, 12:19 AM
Moon (2009)
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This film not only provides great shots and set design, but an exceptional performance by Sam Rockwell . It takes a little from 2001, but adds an interesting spin. Sci-Fi fan or not, its worth your time.
3.5
The Girlfriend Experience (2009)
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Soderbergh's experimental flick gives us an inside look at the life of a high priced call girl. This film has a unique style that has Soderbergh's tremendous talent on display from the very beginning. It doesnt aim to represent a traditional movie. Its more of a documentary-style film that provides a sort of "fly on the wall" view for the audience. Its worth watching to witness the genius of Soderbergh alone but it also has a realistic feel that viewers rarely get to enjoy.
3
The Pool (2007)
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Perspective changes everything. Director Chris Smith, of American Movie fame, created a foreign film of substance and style. It gives the viewer many thought provoking elements that is likely to strike a chord on some level, but more likely, on multiple levels.
3.5
Caitlyn
10-14-10, 11:52 AM
Death at a Funeral - 2/5
Chris Rock, et al were quite funny in this film, but it was odd how they made the film have a quirk. A person watching the film with me was irate, and felt that it was the Hollywood way to shove the gay agenda down the throat of an obviously conservative african-american populace, but i tried to explain that a guy like Chris Rock is the type to push the envelope, and since these types of comedy-funeral films are a dime a dozen, he had to come up with some new and shocking. Im not 100% sure I believe that myself, but I must admit the film was quite funny. Loses all stars for being preachy and paternalistic, but gains a few back for the superb cast.
I haven't seen this yet... but I liked the 2007 version with Matthew Macfadyen... have you seen that one?
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
10-14-10, 01:20 PM
Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) 4
The story- a hunchback bellringer (Quasimodo) is shut away in his tower by his guardian, the brother of the Archdeacon of Notre Dame (Frollo). At the Festival of Fools, we meet a young poet/playwright (Gringoire) and a caddish soldier (Phoebus). All four men's hearts become entangled with a beautiful gypsy girl. Okay, it's not quite as simple as all that in the book. The novel is filled with history, architecture, lust, religion, love, and pretty gruesome deaths- very gothic. So, how does the film fare?
Charles Laughton gives real humanity to Quasimodo, the deformed bellringer who has been deafened by the ringing of his beloved bells (this is not a jolly story). Anything this guy loves ends up destroying him. Maureen O'Hara as Esmerelda doesn't look like a gypsy of Egyptian descent as Esmerelda is in the novel but she has a very tragic-sounding voice and she looks young enough and beautiful enough to have captured the hearts of four men. But Alan Marshal as Phoebus- the caddish soldier- is very dull. He's on for such a short amount of time that his presence is practically pointless and it is impossible to believe that Esmerelda would have been infatuated with this Phoebus, thus throwing a massive spanner into the works.
The two best performances are Edmund O'Brien as Gringoire, the poet/playwright, and Cedric Hardwicke as Jehan Frollo (for those of you who read the novel and are confused, I will explain in a minute). Gringoire is one of my favourite characters in the book and possibly the only character that isn't all doom and gloom. O'Brien plays his sensitivity and good-heartedness beautifully, plus he's pretty nice-looking, making it even more unbelievable that Esmerelda would fancy Phoebus.
Any reader of the novel will be judging this film on the strength of the actor playing Frollo- a very complex character and incredibly hard to play. Hardwicke is brilliant as Frollo, looking suitably cold but tortured and burning inside for the love of Esmerelda.
So, how far does the film go with all the creepiness of the novel? Well, in the novel, Jehan Frollo is the younger drunkard brother of the Archdeacon Claude Frollo- Claude is the one who lusts after Esmerelda. Unfortunately the filmmakers either had to or chose to wuss out, thus taking away from the power of the novel. Unsuprisingly, they don't use the very gruesome ending of the novel (I think none of the films did, actually). Frollo's lust has been diluted by the director/screenplay writer, and Hardwick just isn't given enough screen time so that at some points I actually became annoyed with Quasimodo because Hardwick does Frollo's torture so well. The film often feels slow-paced with the crowd scenes and lots of the action in the novel has been cut. Although it is impressive, the film is not nearly as brooding or probing enough.
The Disney film takes a lot of its inspiration from this. Ironically, it manages to go further with the lust theme, making it very clear what Frollo wants from Esmerelda (and the Disney dance is overtly sensual whereas in the 1939 film, she just gets to skip around). Disney Frollo is actually a man of power, being a judge, so the hypocrisy theme is still kept. Although Quasimodo is cute in Disney, he's still cute in the 1939 film, taking away from his complexity. Frollo may be totally evil in Disney but in the 1939 film they also neglect to show the relationship between Frollo and Quasimodo, which is central to understanding the novel's complexity. So let's not be snobbish about the Disney film because the 1939 film isn't perfect either.
In conclusion, the film as a whole is a little slow-paced, favouring crowd scenes over personal scenes, but apart from Phoebus, the cast is top-notch, hence the reason why it gets four stars. And to be fair, it's an incredibly hard novel to film. Worth watching if you haven't got the stomach or the time for the novel. If you thought Wuthering Heights was creepy, wait until you read The Hunchback of Notre Dame...
Iroquois
10-15-10, 11:30 AM
This is what happens when I don't tab regularly for several weeks at a time...
http://www.onlygoodmovies.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/wicker-man.jpg
The Wicker Man (Robin Hardy, 1973) - 3
It's kind of annoying how there are all these classics that are way too easily spoiled by just knowing about them at all (that and maybe watching abysmal Nicolas Cage remakes first). The film was pretty solid overall - maybe the folksy nature of the first half or so seemed overwrought, though it was undercut very well. Good performances from Woodward and Lee, some deceptively brilliant writing - and of course, that damned ending.
http://www.amoeba.com/dynamic-images/blog/Sarah/grizzlyman.jpg
Grizzly Man (Werner Herzog, 2005) - 3
The first Herzog documentary I've ever seen - hopefully not the last one. Makes for fascinating viewing all the way through, though eponymous grizzly man Treadwell's footage naturally proved more interesting than anything else in the film (except maybe the "last tape" scene).
http://www.desiclub.com/bollywood/movie_reviews/movie_images/07darjeeling_limited.jpg
The Darjeeling Limited (Wes Anderson, 2007) - 3
Another Wes Anderson film, another 3. The guy makes some decent films, though I never completely get into them on a first viewing. Darjeeling was more of the same, anchoring good performances to idiosyncratic storytelling and throwing in some questionable but fitting marriages of image and sound.
http://www.offoffoff.com/film/2003/images/pianist.jpg
The Pianist (Roman Polanski, 2002) - 4
Review elsewhere.
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Ratatouille (Brad Bird, 2007) - 3
Review elsewhere.
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Conan the Barbarian (John Milius, 1982) - 3.5
Maybe not quite as awesome as I'd been led to believe, but damned if the whole thing wasn't some fun. Elaborate production design, simple but engaging story, deliciously cheesy performances and just some awesome action. Just brilliant.
http://www.thevine.com.au/resources/imgdetail/111108035523_dying-breed-review.jpg
Dying Breed (Jody Dwyer, 2008) - 2.5
Local horror film about a quartet of horror archetypes that head into the heart of "Deliverance country" and end up coming into contact with a bunch of cannibals. I'll give it the edge for being genuinely unsettling, but it relies on well-worn tropes and is ultimately a bit forgettable.
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Animal Kingdom (David Michôd, 2010) - 4
Already being touted as the best Australian film of the year, this focuses on an orphan who becomes involved with the criminal activities of his extended family. Well-done performances by a variety of talented actors and based around a genuinely unpredictable story - recommended viewing for everyone.
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Daybreakers (Spierig brothers, 2009) - 3
A nice high-budget B-movie from the creators of the very schlocky Undead. Slick and well-written, carried by some surprisingly decent actors and some inventive action. This is the sort of film that feels like it should have been made for less in the 1980s - and I mean that as a compliment.
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The Graduate (Mike Nichols, 1967) - 3.5
Review elsewhere.
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Strange Days (Kathryn Bigelow, 1995) - 4
Sometimes I'll just watch something that is my kind of movie, and Strange Days is most definitely that. A sort of lurid cyberpunk version of Chinatown set in the leadup to the new millenium, it's got some amazing effects (the "clips" are something of a technical marvel), anchored to a great mystery. The performances range from brilliant to ordinary, but they all service one hell of a film. I hope it's still available on DVD around here.
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
10-16-10, 10:39 AM
Wilde 3_5
Biographical film based on the life and loves of Oscar Wilde. Stephen Fry is pretty much the only person they could have cast as Oscar Wilde- not only is the resemblance uncanny, but he understands the erudite wit. Wilde's wit can easily come off as irritating and glib but Fry manages to avoid that trap.
Surprisingly, Jude Law is very good as Bosie, Wilde's spoilt pretty boy lover. Obviously the prettiness and the pouting come easily but Law manages to show Bosie's petulance and boyishness, whilst indicating a genuine affection. Wilde seems to be quite the charmer, bagging two other handsome men. There's a lot of voyeuristic pleasure to be had here.
At times, the voyeurism takes over. Jennifer Ehle does a good job as the wife and it's a shame that there's an imbalance between Wilde as a family man and Wilde as a homosexual. For those wanting an insight into Wilde's genius, you won't find it here.
The film is more of a celebration than an insight but there are good performances (acting, I mean, not in the steamy scenes. Although saying that...)
TheUsualSuspect
10-17-10, 12:07 AM
RED
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/Posters/red_poster07.jpg?t=1287284235
R.E.D stands for Retired and Extremely Dangerous. That's what has been tagged to Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) and he is a target of a hit. The ones trying to kill him underestimated his skills and he is out on a mission to find out who is trying to kill him and his maybe girlfriend (Mary-Louise Parker). So he rounds up the gang and they set out to find out who is behind everything.
RED is pretty much exactly like the other films I mentioned before (Losers, A-Team, Expendables) with only difference is that this film's angle is that the people who are dangerous are retired old people. The cast has Bruce Willis, doing his John McClane thing without the one-liners and more precision. Morgan Freeman pulling his Wanted role but in a good guy role. John Malkovich playing a retired CIA test subject that has been given daily doses of LSD for 11 some odd years. He seems like one of the Malkovich's that crawled out of the tunnel to his body in Being John Malkovich. Helen Mirren, in an offbeat choice. She plays sexy and dangerous and can hold her own against the boys. Karl Urban is the lead CIA officer sent to take them out, he plays his assassin role from Bourn Supremacy. He follows orders, not knowing if he is doing good or bad. Of course we have the Mary-Louise Parker character, who is like the audience, not knowing any of these things we are experiencing and are along for the ride.
Malkovich steals the show. He plays the role of conspiracy nut with a gun very well. He's off kilter and has the funniest bits in the film. The film is based on a comic book so you can expect over the top action and stunts. A revolver showdown versus a bazooka? Check. Playing baseball with a grenade? Check. Casually exiting a vehicle spinning out of control and nearly getting hit by the bumper while shooting at another vehicle and not blink an eye? Check. RED is over the top and funny. If you enjoyed The Losers or the A-team, Red is more of the same.
I enjoyed it, the plot revolves around a cover up and an old job that comes to bite those RED members in the behind. The twists it tries to give us is half baked but forgivable because the film is, overall an enjoyment. I must criticize the relationship between Bruce Willis and Mary- Louise Parker, it doesn't seem fleshed out enough to be taken at face value. They chit chat over the phone and he kidnaps her to protect her from people who are trying to kill her because he has had so many phone conversations with her. She ends up liking the thrill and excitement of his life, yet he says that she makes him feel like he can have a normal life. This conflict is never resolved or brought up again.
Morgan Freeman doesn't have enough screen time and the role could have been played by virtually anyone. Karl Urban is a likable guy, I seem to appreciate his role in everything he does, even if the film turns out to be uneven. He's good here too jumping onto moving vehicles to catch other moving vehicles (did I mention this film is over the top?)
RED is enjoyable and like I said, fans of those previously mentioned films will get a kick out of this one. It blends comedy and action well enough to pass the time. It's enjoyment hangs on the fact that these old people are kicking ass. It works. I keep mentioning how over the top it is, but it never reaches the heights of the over the topness of the A-Team. If that is any indication of this style of violence. I forgot to mention Brian Cox, he plays a Russian who becomes an integral part of the 'team'. Poor guy is nowhere to be seen in the promotional ads for the film and yet he has more screen time than Freeman. Anyways, RED is good popcorn fun. It's problems are obvious ones for a film like this, but the direction is slick and the film is funny.
3
Miss Vicky
10-17-10, 12:59 AM
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How To Train Your Dragon
I'd been a bit skeptical about the quality of this one since I first saw the ads for it. DreamWorks can be very hit or miss with their animation, leaning a lot more on the miss side with many of their most recent offerings, so I opted to take a pass on this one when it was in the theaters.
Having seen it, I'm rather regretting that decision. The story is touching, the animation is beautiful and there's plenty of humor and action to keep my ever-shortening attention span from failing me.
4
re93animator
10-17-10, 11:06 PM
House of Games (1987) – 3+
The substance is there for the most part, but its formulaic predictability detracts from it a bit. The score reeks of noir, and the dialogue is incredibly sharp, but the plot seemed like it was trying too hard to surprise the audience at the end. Despite that weakness, the film is very worthwhile.
Day of Wrath (1943) – 3_5
A very mundane approach to dramatizing a period of witch hunting, perhaps the most mundane there is. Here, Carl Theodor Dreyer brings tragic and powerful drama out of downbeat composure and (for the most part) suppressed paranoia.
linespalsy
10-18-10, 12:53 AM
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (Snyder, 2010) 2.5
The Black Dahlia (DePalma, 2006) 4
Silk Stockings (1958) 2
Kaidan (Kobayashi, 1964) 4
Strangers on a Train (Hitchcok, 1951) 2.5
Frankenstein (Whale, 1931) 3
The Grand Illusion (Renoir, 1937) 3
The Spiral Staircase (1945) 2
Urutsukidoji II: Legend of the Demon Womb 2+
Encounters of the Spooky Kind (Hung) 3.5
Olympiad (Riefenstahl, 1938) 4
Olympia 2 (Riefenstahl, 1938) 4+
Classicqueen13
10-18-10, 06:14 PM
Finally!
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Diane Lane is the diamond sparkling in the center of this project. She leads a great cast. John Malkovich, however, is probably the most memorable as the eccentric horse trainer, and of course he's good for laughs. It's a perfect family movie because the plots good for the kids to follow and they'll enjoy the story. At the same time, adults will enjoy it a lot as well. The race scenes were definately the best part. The director did a nice job of stretching out the tension.
Secretariat: 3+
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So, as you can all imagine, I could hardly wait to see this one! While it would've been tough to disappoint me, this one really was good. The overall mood of the movie is simply fun. It was nice to see Bruce Willis in a movie that literally said "I may be old, but I can still kick your ass!" The cast was absolutely perfect for that theme. As suspect said, Malkovich stole the show as the quirkiest spy I've ever seen. I even liked Mary Louise Parker even though not all her jokes were funny. Even though the movie is kinda all over the place, it retained a nice flow. The action made up for the mystery that didn't quite shock me. Lots of fun and quite funny.
RED: 3.5+
http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/cover_art/lonesomedove.jpg
I'm only half way through the episodes. Watching this movie, I forget who the actors are and that I'm just watching a movie. It's really remarkably directed and created in general. The cast is spectacular. The script keeps you chuckling. I can't say I entirely enjoyed it though, however, because the story is so far from "uplifting". It's a true cowboy movie for sure, though. Must-see for any fan of the western genre.
Lonesome Dove Part 1: 3.5
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This was truly painful for me because no matter what I was routing for Nicolas Cage. :( The only thing (besides having to look at Nic Cage) I disliked was the corny slow motion and overdramaticized action moments. That I thought was the only flaw in John Woo's direction which other wise was very impressive. I have to say that Cage and Travolta did an amazing job of playing two characters at once. When I looked at Travolta, I could see Cage and vica versa. The script had some real high points, and the storyline was unused enough to really feel original. It was tad long for my attention span, but overall it was worth the pain of watching ;)
Face-off: 3
First off, I'd like to know more about what lines thinks of Olympia. How many times was your mind blown?
Secondly, I don't expect any rep for this post, but I want to clear this set of movies off my MoFo To-Do List. I do think I could probably come up with some interesting longer posts about The Secret in Their Eyes, Showgirls, La Notte, The Magician, Singin' in the Rain, Pygmalion, Earthquake, Last Holiday and Rififi, but not unless anybody cares.
A third thing I realize is that just looking at the ratings, I'd be the first to admit that they often seem ridiculous and indefensible. However, if somebody wants me to defend something, I'll try my darnedest. If I'm wrong, I'll change my ratings appropriately.
All right then; here are the most-recent films I've watched, as raw as I can make them.
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (Félix Enríquez Alcalá, 1998, TV, w/Edward James Olmos, Vincent D'Onofrio) - 2.5-
Skyscraper Souls (Edgar Selwyn, 1932, w/Warren William, Maureen O'Sullivan) - 3-
The Secret in Their Eyes (Juan José Campanella, 2009, Argentina) - 3.5-
La Notte (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1961, w/Marcello Mastroianni, Jeanne Moreau, Monica Vitti) - 2.5; Art House Rating: 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vpgYkte1i8
The Shawshank Redemption (Frank Darabont, 1994) - 4
Showgirls (Paul Verhoeven, 1995) - 3.5
Donnie Brasco (Mike Newell, 1997, w/Al Pacino, Johnny Depp) - 3.5
Appointment with Death (Michael Winner, 1988, Hercule Poirot played by Peter Ustinov) - 2.5
A Walk with Love and Death (John Huston, 1969, w/Anjelica Huston) - 2.5
Iron Man 2 (Jon Favreau, 2010) - 3.5
I Confess (Alfred Hitchcock, 1953, w/Montgomery Clift, Karl Malden, Anne Baxter) - 2.5
Harry Brown (Daniel Barber, 2009, w/Michael Caine) - 2
The Magician (Ingmar Bergman, 1958, All-Star Cast) - 3.5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBPTo8dQ4lo
On the Riviera (Walter Lang, 1951, w/Danny Kaye, Gene Tierney, Corinne Calvet) - 3
Contact (Robert Zemeckis, 1997, w/Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, James Woods, Tom Skerritt) - 3.5+
The Secret of Kells (Tomm Moore & Nora Twomey, 2009, Animated) - 3+
Singin' in the Rain (Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen, 1952) - 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW02c5UNGl0
Yes, you unfortunately have to click on Watch on YouTube, but it's worth it.
Pygmalion (Anthony Asquith & Leslie Howard, 1938, w/Leslie Howard, Wendy Hiller) - 4.5
Last Chance Harvey (Joel Hopkins, 2008, w/Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson) - 2.5
Earthquake (Mark Robson, 1974) - 3; Camp Rating - 4
Last Holiday (Henry Cass, 1950, w/Alec Guinness) - 4
Rififi (Jules Dassin, 1955) - 3; Art House Rating: 4
linespalsy
10-20-10, 11:07 PM
First off, I'd like to know more about what lines thinks of Olympia. How many times was your mind blown?
I loved Olympia. I watched the diving scene at the end of part 2 about 5 times, and the whole movie twice; I finally put the dvds back in the mail this morning... I also watched the shorter documentary of the 1936 winter Olympics, which seemed to be a preliminary experiment for a lot of the editing and camera-choreography used in Riefenstahl's summer olympics films. I think if you want to see a movie where the camera is freed from being a passive eye watching a play to being an active subject with it's own soul and sense of dance these movies are some of the most inventive and amazing that I've seen and stand up incredibly - still fresh after 70-plus years. How can you beat that? I'm sad it seems Riefenstahl never really got the chance to try afterwards, did she? I remember craning my neck during the pole-vault sequence and the fencing portion, which is introduced with the shadows of fencers filmed with an upside-down camera and was such a clever surprise I just had to laugh. There's fantastic stuff spread throughout the entire two films.
What do you think, mark?
Do you know if the two parts were shown separately or were they done as a huge, 3+ hour feature with a break in between them?
I haven't seen this yet... but I liked the 2007 version with Matthew Macfadyen... have you seen that one?
I believe I did, because I remember thinking "I saw this!" - but my memory is so vague that I'll probably have to watch it again just to get the shout-outs and homages, if any.
Used Future
10-25-10, 03:54 AM
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Hunter Prey (Sandy Collora, 2009) 2.5
Sandy Collora started out as an assistant creature designer to the likes of Stan Winston, Rick Baker and Rob Bottin, before gaining critical praise for the visually impressive fan short Batman: Dead End back in 2003. It's no surprise then that Collora's debut feature is a low budget, but aesthtically striking piece of science fiction with the emphasis heavily on retro styled costume and creature design that harks back to the pre-CGI era of the 70's.
Hunter Prey is about a trio of prison guards (pictured) who touch down on a barren planet in pursuit of a particularly dangerous escaped alien convict. What follows is a desperate cat and mouse chase accross the desert with the lines between good and evil seriously blurred once the identitly of their quarry is revealed...
Ok so it looks promisingly like Star Wars and has a plot like a cross between Enemy Mine (one alien race are even refered to as Draks) and any number of westerns - I'm thinking Sollima's The Big Gundown, but others have also compared it to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Sadly though Hunter Prey fails becasue Collora's script just isn't eventful enough to sustain a feature. The story is adequate but stretched over ninety minutes it quickly becomes tedious; bogged down with pretty, yet endless filler shots of sunbleached vistas and dusty trudging boots. The action scenes are way too sparse (and dull) for the film to create any sense of urgency, and I was left feeling Collora and co had just put all their effort into creating cool costumes, and forgotten to deliver an imaginative funpacked narrative. Where are all the deadly indigenous creatues in this movie? Where's the sense of adventure? Forget about it, all you get in Hunter Prey are some guys who can't act and dress like Boba Fett carrying big guns that (occassionally) fire like pea-shooters. I'm all for what they tried to do here (create a story driven movie with cheap but solid old school effects). Unfortunately without decent actors and pacing to back it up Hunter Prey falls rather flat. It's by no means terrible; just forgettable. I really wish Collora had taken a leaf out of Roger Corman's book and delivered a bit more fun.
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Blue Sunshine (Jeff Lieberman, 1976) 3.5
This is the film Lieberman made before his underrated (and probably better known) nature-runs-amok flick Squirm. The plot concerns a group of ex hippy students who lose all their hair and turn homicidal, 10 years after taking a brand of LSD called Blue Sunshine. A friend of one of the victims Jerry Zipkin (Zalman King doing his usual moody brooding routine) is present when his buddy inexplicably barbecues three girlfriends in the fireplace on a weekend trip to the country. After a chase his friend is killed leaving Jerry as a prime suspect for the killings, and a mystery that leads to politics...
Hokey as it may sound this is finely acted, and Leiberman injects a healthy dose of black comedy and social satire into the proceedings (murderous bald ex hippies sold killer acid by a guy now running for state senate anyone?). The anti-drug references would seem a little obvious, but the film never wallows in self righteousness; content at being an amusing and effective B-movie thriller. It's suitably suspensful, particulary a sequence in which a strung out mother chases her young children round their flat with a kitchen knife; not to mention Zipkin's sleazy surgeon friend who threatens to lose it at the operating table. Best of all however is the climactic scuffle inside a disco, almost as if Lieberman was trying to comment on the entire scene. To sum up Blue Sunshine often feels like a Larry Cohen film with better editing which can only be a good thing. I enjoyed this immensely and highly recommended it to fans of cult cinema.
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The Dark Lurking (Gregory Connors, 2010) 1.5+++
This Australian made poverty row sci-fi outing looks considerably less inspiring than Hunter Prey, and is markedly less original; not to mention technically competent. The Dark Lurking (talk about a duff title) shamelessly rips off/homages the first two Alien films, whilst unfathomably stealing much of the story from the godawful 2005 Doom adaptation. It's no secret that I've got a real soft spot for space bound creature features though, and whilst almost all the blurb surrounding The Dark Lurking was screaming at me to steer clear; I just couldn't help myself...
The film begins with a small band of mercenary soldiers receiving a distress call from an underground research facitlity whilst orbiting a mysterious planet. Some sloppy editing later and they're trapped deep in the complex fighting off flesh eating demons with a hanful of scientists, and a couple of test subjects - one of whom has something nasty inside her. With everything in lockdown to contain the monsters, our hammy heroes head for operations, and a way back to the surface...
Scientist - at Mexican soldier Kirkland: Shut up moron! you haven't got the IQ to throw consecutive punches.
Blimey!
I've seen some audacious crap in my time, but nothing quite as bare faced as The Dark Lurking. Originality asside it's laughably incompetent on so many levels, but worst of all are the performances. Bret Kennedy as OTT tough guy Michaels, and Tonia Renne as doomed test subject Lena come off best, but the supporting cast are painfully amature. It would almost be forgivable if this was dubbed, but it's not, and the cast members in question survive way too long for me to let it go. Second up is the woefully poor coverage many of the (suprisingly effective and abundent) gore and creature effects get. There seems to be a complete lack of mid and wide shots during action sequences here, meaning we experience every squib, slashing, decapitation and explosion, in claustrophobic close up. It's extremely frustrating because this movie has action, creatues, slime and gore on tap; not to mention beakneck pacing to make your head spin. One minute they're blasting away at demons, the next, huge tentacles, and don't forget the mock alien/pumpkinhead thingly Michaels runs into on the surface. It's well lit, CGI free (barring the initial orbital shot) and there's a hell of a lot up on screen for the money spent. Despite everything I ended up enjoying this a great deal, but I just can't give it a decent score.
http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww335/GialloFunk/bucktown_poster_01.jpg?t=1287945704 http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww335/GialloFunk/Bucktown2.jpg?t=1287945738
Bucktown (Arthur Marks, 1975) 2.5
I've wanted to see this one for a while considering it teams two of the biggest (and most enduring) stars from from the blaxploitation era in Williamson and Grier. Bucktown also features on many best of lists, but resounding critical praise is thin on the ground. I knew nothing about the director Arthur Marks, only that he made a handful of similar genre films; the only other one I've heard of being Detroit 9000.
Anyway Bucktown is about Duke (Williamson) who rocks up your stereotypical southern town to bury his brother who was murdered by the corrupt local sheriffs, after refusing to pay protection money for his bar. Naturally they don't take too kindly to Duke taking over, and after the usual series of racial slurs, a bar room brawl, love interest from Grier, and drive by shooting; he's forced to call in some heavy duty friends from back up north (Blacula star Thalmus Rasulala, Tony King, and a very young Carl Weathers)...
Bucktown is a hoot to begin with, subversively riffing off In the Heat of the Night with Williamson's rough hewn tough guy an amusing substitute for Poitiers clean cut Mr. Tibbs. The sight of him stepping off the train knowing full well what awaits is hugely satisfying as is the ensuing tit for tat with the police. In fact the first twenty or so minutes of this flick are a blast, but once Rasulala (wonderfully intense here) and his cronies show up, things nosedive. The tense standoff with the law is smashed as Duke's buddies steamroll all opposition, then begin to prey on the town in the same corrupt manner the sheriffs did. Naturally they kidnap Grier's character, and Duke springs into action to bring them all down. You could argue there's a statement about black on black violence somewhere in here, but if that's true then it's a muddled unsavoury message within the context of this movie. Unltimately I found the second half way too predictable and was staring at the clock well before the end credits.
http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww335/GialloFunk/0075809.jpg?t=1287948997 http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww335/GialloFunk/the_car-1.jpg?t=1287949124
The Car (Elliot Silverstein, 1977) 2
Meh. Not much to say about this one. It's a third rate cash-in on Duel, Jaws and even The Exorcist that also draws some comparison to the later (and far superior Christine).
James Brolin looks bored out of mind whilst attempting to put a stop to the titular car as it mows down all comers in a nameless desert town. Set phasers for snooze as teenagers are knocked off bikes, a woman ker-splatted in her sitting room, and school children terrorised whilst rehearsing for the town parade. Completely bloodless, with stock characters, and ridiculously speeded up vehicle sequences. Mostly we just get daft shots of said car doing doughnuts in the desert?. There's a half decent finale involving a quarry, lots of dynamite, and one hell (literally) of an explosion, but it's harldly enough. Skip it.
I also watched...
http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww335/GialloFunk/lahorde.jpg?t=1287950560 http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww335/GialloFunk/lxldf.png?t=1287951809
The Horde (Yannik Dahan & Benjamin Rocher, 2009) 3
It's zombie time again, but the protagonists are so dumb in this movie they never cotton on that you'e just got to shoot them in the head. Where are Ken Foree, Hugo Stiglitz, Joe Pilato, and Ian McCulloch when you need them? No really, this is actually a contrived but entertaining French zombie flick, made more fun by the fact the protagonists would rather beat, slash and blow the gouls to bits than pop them in the head. It's very well made for this sort of thing as a covert team of undercover cops try to bust some extremely nasty Nigerian hoods holed up on the top floor of an inner city high rise. Things go awry on the bust, and before the two factions can wipe each other out; a zombie epidemic is trying to beat them to it. The rest of this well acted flick has the surving cast battling their way out, helped by a very funny shell shocked old man who leads them to a handy cache of world war 2 firearms. Highly recomended slick splattery fun for zombie fans, and the ending is great.
MadMikeyD
10-25-10, 06:02 PM
Over the weekend I watched
The Hoax (2006) and
The Forgotten (2004) on TV, and rented
Oceans (2010) for Family Movie Night.
I wasn't particularly impressed with any of them.
meatwadsprite
10-25-10, 11:09 PM
Future do you pick what movies you watch based on their posters ?
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT57JOqlg-i8KlbGXy7dPPKyTj-84nJ1jQlpWm7PeFG92TKaek&t=1&usg=__yynspVEDaHfK52P56jU-dUSV3dk= http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQJI4mbXimokEVQWgwFigQx-f3jWtLBdHX-xKgXPHWsvgMEa0A&t=1&usg=__51aKqHcaqiDUiFDlIT_wv0T8c7Y= http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSKCfoMD2oqML3cyNAMlGcCapveegT-QxWQN9_lsZIrGsmrza0&t=1&usg=__fm6PwD8y3ZGYEd2R5cvQLsAUhk0=
Red 2010
Did Bruce Willis not take a bigger role in The Expendables to be in this and Cop Out ? If so, congratulations Bruce ... you idiot (btw he's closing the year with a movie, where he will be co-starring with Malin Akerman). Whatever plot was attempted, didn't really work. The story is genuinely absent, the crappy characters change sporadically, the best part is when Malkovich shoots an RPG rocket with a bullet (which is in the trailer).
1
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRttqM7iV2OigCeAPvwvFh0-wwC3CvRupIcP2Snm-DVMGvLF8k&t=1&usg=__n6O6Ju3PwFpO3lmRLutrACQdBIw= http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT50NgSfydF9CXVFrxANE1sOnnj2-DaprygYXhuE-N9hfhDpLE&t=1&usg=__U5TMbh8NDWXUF4Qs5DWupLCuI20= http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQQI4qaSI2Ij3jVKM7_n6o0EwhXWJPQnuXgx1rBXPy5I4t79sc&t=1&usg=__lHdn95h5hN_aNsuotC7qPsZECYI=
Double Indemnity 1944
The second thing from Billy Wilder I've seen, it's more than evident his knack for technicality. For everything I believe it does really right, the romance at the middle seems dead wrong. I really don't buy into it and I doubt I ever will.
3
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTnRjcgLeoHLScV4okyrZxuVNbaszHcs3qMGUNTs2LYkdpnJAs&t=1&usg=__daPDh7frjW0TULkiFYHoBZdPR2E= http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSmF9g_w2cSfS-WnG-KGDyjFWav4UOxcc24eVfCgDkhQ84TSGo&t=1&usg=__9zNI7QH70yd5TWLnersDF2T7S4Y= http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRtz_gqPsl3Nw2u43NqAV-JQCz4OsCyaONECD6wePkSNvGWQq4&t=1&usg=__gahB05zOjodlOF84lZtQqtephqE=
The Evil Dead 1981
The characters are so dumb that one of them gets raped by a tree. Evil Dead fails to dodge a single bad horror movie cliché, terrible acting being the stand out. It's jump scare to jump scare narrative is more exhausting than scary. I can totally understand why I previously thought of this to be the all time worst thing ever made, but on this second viewing I realized it's not by any stretch a horror movie. It's a completely over the top slam bang action flick, with not an ounce of dignity. The main objective is to cover everything in gallons of blood and guts.
Mission complete.
3
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSE6YUM3NyngnP5zTsBPuO02Ybo-_EoQHy8-bkJ3HPw-VHJv1g&t=1&usg=__TE8e593YXwfP2fqITsr_u-vFl40= http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSVWj74k__AENY4hFP27hy22NnLVzcwe3LhMJkJa0bncAR1DSc&t=1&usg=__0sJm9EGcD4uJMEzRj1IOZLGrwZw= http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT14xhtEu2ac0atW6BZoyZ3smU7mdfGJHPaQUvgoX2P_KIu9no&t=1&usg=__gaMTIZvxVRHDiY4lReb-j8kk_ak=
Best Worst Movie 2010
Documentary about Troll 2, the supposed best worst movie ever made. It spends the most time with the dad (from Troll 2), George Hardy who is easily one of the most down to earth people you'll see in a movie. Everyone in his town loves him (and he's a dentist), but they don't know about his acting repertoire. Likewise Hardy doesn't know about the dedicated fans of Troll 2 and the screenings of the movie around the U.S.
Director Michael Stephenson (son in Troll 2) gets interviews with pretty much everyone from the movie. Some of them are truly strange, such as Margo Prey (the mother) who has a lot of ominous signs in front of her house and seems completely isolated with her mother who she takes care of. She of course is now a very inverted person and refuses to come along with them to the screenings.
My favorite guy is the director of Troll 2, Claudio Fragasso. Who thinks of Troll 2 to be a great film, he is baffled when he attends the screenings of his movie to find the audience laughing at parts he intended to be dead serious. He's genuinely pissed that even the people who love his movie think it's terrible.
I got a kick out of this and I haven't even Troll 2.
3
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTSdBmyCwp1ABoh7oF3cOxJIXC72uPBEX9bguZbxb6NUpoFVJw&t=1&usg=__nMRZJWPUB5oK9BxwtSOVeVzLc6k= http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSestCTpljJ76R424NSy6ss2kdmoQVEJe5S8ZqUSVR6KYcwBXo&t=1&usg=__rNLSS7L0WV0w0afj2JxRUI_Pmx8= http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSg2NtKC0qCuRAsNU7GALa-VSViOwBkBTlVl5LlTo7rninGbD0&t=1&usg=__-HZVSvUuny2U5q4s_GSLHi_kNaE=
A Prophet 2010
I'm glad I revisited this one. This was probably one of the first movies I saw of this year and I pretty much forgot about it, didn't really care so much for. But there really is a lot here, a lot of real ambition behind the project. The relationship between Malik and Cesar is masterful. Malik himself is too hard to read though, even though you are going through this journey with him you don't really ever know how he feels about it.
3.5
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ4AoFpteBMF3UQcQoDA4afB51pJ2NC9_LWV_ZtdqI_kLWvxVw&t=1&usg=__snodpCB2L0SafuCPfPDTnXOkhHQ= http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRHFhUppNOE8936ff04yTmxh_NEKHDI1mCsFIFt8-JTUD-6x4E&t=1&usg=__1NofXDj1HcMUX6WW0wTxa5Tj9kY= http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQQ_NNAUvWN8eyX730m_o0HHWkH6TF1f7u5F6t31zgc9xttgeQ&t=1&usg=__ea41-wzYGuQ3xKJCk6euxP1GeL4=
Dog Day Afternoon 1975
Al Pacino's best performance. I enjoy the slow burn nature of the negotiations and wondering if the government even really reserved a plane. Al Pacino carries the whole movie through a bunch of weak stabs at social commentary with his ridiculous involvement and realism. The ending being the piece of s**t that it is, still hits you with the truth that you wanted these guys who we're threatning to kill hostages, to get away.
3
TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_
10-27-10, 10:08 AM
The Wind That Shakes The Barley 3_5
Set in 1919 Ireland, this film is about the conflict that arose from the treaty that was meant to give Home Rule (Ireland could rule itself and be apart from Britain). The Irish underdogs form a rebellion against the British, but to what avail? Two brothers- Damien (Cillian Murphy, who has a very nice profile) and Teddy (Padraic Delaney) are divided on the issue, which leads to tragedy.
The first half of the film is mainly scene setting, because it's a conflict many viewers probably aren't that familiar with. The scene setting is done quite well but it takes an hour to establish the conflict and torment that the treaty will bring. Truth be told, this film probably needed to be longer than 2 hours in order to explore the two brothers and the two viewpoints in more detail. It feels like the film has cut off prematurely. Still, good performances all round and the film succeeds in making the conflict dramatic. However, it feels more like a starting point than a full exploration. Recommended for those interested in the battles and conflicts of the 20th century.
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQQI4qaSI2Ij3jVKM7_n6o0EwhXWJPQnuXgx1rBXPy5I4t79sc&t=1&usg=__lHdn95h5hN_aNsuotC7qPsZECYI=
Double Indemnity 1944
The second thing from Billy Wilder I've seen, it's more than evident his knack for technicality. For everything I believe it does really right, the romance at the middle seems dead wrong. I really don't buy into it and I doubt I ever will.
3
That's the thing, meaty. There is no "romance". It's sex and money. Poor Walter has no idea what the hell he's doing. If he ever "thought" about it for a second, he'd know that he'd end up like her husband, but his little head does what "thinking" occurs.
meatwadsprite
10-27-10, 12:42 PM
For a guy who's job it is to look for meticulous details and be cynical about everything, I can't buy that he is completely smitten by a hot woman (which happens in an instant).
honeykid
10-27-10, 12:56 PM
I don't know if it makes any difference to Meat, but I watched this with a class full of 16-18 years olds about 15 years ago and the giggled through every time he called her "baby" or "doll", the scene in the supermarket being particularly amusing to them, IIRC. Maybe that's what meat was refering to as, like mark said, there's not really any romance to speak of.
TheUsualSuspect
10-28-10, 12:19 AM
The Evil Dead 1981
The characters are so dumb that one of them gets raped by a tree. Evil Dead fails to dodge a single bad horror movie cliché, terrible acting being the stand out. It's jump scare to jump scare narrative is more exhausting than scary. I can totally understand why I previously thought of this to be the all time worst thing ever made, but on this second viewing I realized it's not by any stretch a horror movie. It's a completely over the top slam bang action flick, with not an ounce of dignity. The main objective is to cover everything in gallons of blood and guts.
Mission complete.
3
You never fail to amaze me, although I think you did give this a higher rating then you previously did before.
Let's take a look at the film though. It follows the horror movie rules. A character hears a noise out in the woods and goes to investigate. Isn't that half the fun of watching horror movies? Dumb characters investigating strange noises? Scream made fun of this aspect in the horror genre.
As for the acting, let's take a look at the cast...of people who've never acted before. Did you not realize that this is a film made by a bunch of friends on a next to no budget in the middle of the woods. All they had going for them was the love of making movies and the creative mind of Sam Raimi. I wouldn't say the film has terrible acting, just bad acting. I can live with a horror film that has bad acting, specifically one that is called The Evil Dead.
Jump scare to jump scare? Have you not seen the 2010 remake of Nightmare on Elm Street. Now that is a jump scare to jump scare narrative. The Evil Dead is not. The Evil Dead has this little thing called atmosphere. The possessed girlfriend laughing while sitting in the middle of the room is scary, not jump scary. Worst thing ever made? you clearly need to see more films, this is regarded as one of the greatest horror films of all time. I know and understand that you might not feel that way, but there are far worse out there. I would give my left kidney to go into the woods with some friends, make a film and have it come out a quarter as good as this.
The main objective is to cover the screen and objects in gallons of blood? Please, don't watch the second one then. You clearly do not like, or appreciated the horror genre. But what am I saying here, continue to dislike the good films because you like to go against the popular opinion.
You are the Armond White of Mofo.
All the above may be true, but I don't disagree at all with meaty's rating. :cool: Call me Ishmael White.
TheUsualSuspect
10-28-10, 01:07 AM
Ratings aside. I didn't complain about what he rated the film.
I could disagree with rating RED a 1. It's better than that.
I think meaty gave it a 1 or less last time.
Monkeypunch
10-28-10, 01:17 AM
Machete - This was just plain fun, and makes yet another case for Robert Rodriguez becoming one of my favorite directors. Don't go in expecting a serious film, and you'll enjoy the insane, funny action carnage that unfolds.
Predators - Mostly made me forget about the awful AvP series, and that's a good thing.
Saw - Okay, I was surprised to find out that the original Saw film is actually clever and well plotted, not just "torture porn."
TheUsualSuspect
10-28-10, 01:20 AM
Saw - Okay, I was surprised to find out that the original Saw film is actually clever and well plotted, not just "torture porn."
I genuinely love the first film and a lot of people who haven't seen it are passing on it because of what the series has become.
A solid flick with a great ending that has yet to be matched (in the series)
4.5
YES, that high.
The rest average out to about 2.5 or 3
Iroquois
10-28-10, 06:08 AM
You are the Armond White of Mofo.
I would've thought that honour should go to Honeykid, but okay.
I genuinely love the first film and a lot of people who haven't seen it are passing on it because of what the series has become.
A solid flick with a great ending that has yet to be matched (in the series)
4.5
YES, that high.
The rest average out to about 2.5 or 3
Come on you guys...Saw's screenplay is AWFUL. Full of holes and one of the most contrived and yawn-inducing police procedural hack jobs I have ever seen. Glover is ridiculously bad as he mumbles his way through the worst performance of his career, and the two detectives have the uncanny ability to induce a power nap at will.
I will concede the point that the first 20 minutes or so are pretty well done, but then the whole thing goes to hell once the flashbacks start...which are one of the main issues with the flick. Flashbacks need some point of reference. You know, like, someone needs to be having them. Instead, we are treated to flash-reveals, a cheap ass form of exposition really bad writers use.
Lee Whannel is such a poor talent, in both writing and acting, and his stamp is all over this piece of garbage. From his whiny, annoying performance in the locked room, to his mishandling of the screenplay, his work is sophomoric and amateurish. He had no idea how to expose his story as he told it, so he just shows the audience random scenes when needed. Some amorphous, God's eye perspective of events from no particular point of view.
At some point in post, these guys had to have figured out that they had destroyed any real tension with their lazy attempt at avant guard structure. Their solution to keep tension up was to insert a slew of silly editing tricks to grate on the nerves of the audience to keep them tense. Well, that worked. Too bad it was a terrible idea, and falls straight down into the basement of hack film making.
Last but not least, Elwes actually makes me embarrassed to watch some scenes, his acting is so ludicrously bad. Already a b-list talent, this film pulls him completely out of his range. Luckily for us, we get some great (unintentional) comedy to keep us from falling into a drooling fugue state.
I must say, LT and I have been watching really bad horror all month, cause it's Halloween and all. We have managed to sit through some pretty foul flicks during all this, but none of the flicks put us off like Saw...
ash_is_the_gal
10-28-10, 02:45 PM
The characters are so dumb that one of them gets raped by a tree.
oh, i forgot. successful horror movies require smart people!
Iroquois
10-28-10, 09:48 PM
That leads me to wonder what successful horror movies do feature smart people as victims. I'm sure there's a few.
linespalsy
10-29-10, 01:23 PM
http://www.newdirectors.org/2010/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/i_am_love.jpg
I Am Love (Guadagnino, 2009)
I wanted to see this movie because Tilda Swinton is in it and now I wish I'd seen it when it was playing at the local cinema. Swinton plays the mother of a big super-rich Milanese family who goes through a personal crisis and eventual growth that's sparked by two of her children. This could have been a cliched tragedy about sex and isolation but it keeps you guessing with its full emotional range. The camera starts off almost impersonal with an introduction to the family house where all the shots are composed to emphasize the architecture of this impressive interior, but quickly slides into an ambiguously personal frame where you sometimes don't know if what you're seeing is what's happening or what the person you're watching is fantasizing into existence. It's all so fresh and unique that you can almost miss all the clever and astute film-references on the first viewing. One of my favorite scenes is when the main character falls in love for the first time, which is a direct reference to Ratatouille, of all movies. Which makes this another great movie about cooking, among other things.
4.5
Dersu Uzala (Kurosawa, 1975) 3.5
Rob Roy (Caton-Jones, 1975) 3+
Youth of the World (Riefenstahl, 1936) 3-
Doctor X (Curtiz, 1932) 2.5+
Only Angels Have Wings (Hawks, 1939) 2.5
The Return of Doctor X (Sherman, 1939) 2.5-
A few rewatches:
I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (Wayans, 1989) 3-
Van Helsing (Sommers, 2004) 3.5
Curse of the Were Rabbit (Box, Park, 2005) 3.5
Spirited Away (Miyazaki, 2001) 3-
Miss Vicky
10-29-10, 11:01 PM
http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MoFoPics/taxi_driver.jpg
Taxi Driver
To be perfectly honest, I was disappointed with this. I wanted to like it. I liked the moodiness and look of the film. I liked the cast. Some of the imagery was really powerful. But, as I have found with a lot of other highly acclaimed films, I simply could not connect. I couldn't really find a way empathize with Bickle and found myself rather disinterested in his fate. Maybe that was the point, I don't know, but this movie just didn't work for me.
3
The Three Musketeers (1973)/The Four Musketeers (1974)(both directed by Richard Lester) both 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thJiAITu1-4
Alexandre Dumas' epic romantic adventure The Three Musketeers is perfectly brought to the screen by a wonderful cast and a director at the height of his imagination who is willing to provide tons of offbeat humor to the rip-roaring tale. The only reason it's two movies is because they were faithful enough to the plot and George MacDonald Fraser's humorous adaptation that it took three-and-one-half hours to film the whole thing. It's basically non-stop Joy and easily the best version of the novel or any other swashbuckler for that matter. (Well, unless you think that Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark are actually swashbucklers instead of westerns :cool:.)
The first film establishes all the characters and the plot and ends up with the good guys winning. Yes, in that way it's reminiscent of the first Star Wars. The casting is really incredible, David Watkin's cinematography is spectacular, Michel Legrand's score is gorgeous, and there are far too many memorable scenes to get into or try to spoil. However, the relationship between Michael York's D'Artagnan and Raquel Welch's Constance is at the forefront. Charlton Heston as Richelieu and Christopher Lee as Rochefort are two of the greatest villains in screen history.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMhwGUGNuxI
The wonderful The Four Musketeers really does live up to the trailer's assertion that it has more action. That is probably true. It's also much darker (as is The Empire Strikes Back, and remember, these films predated Star Wars). The centerpiece of this flick is the past relationship between the heartbroken Athos (Oliver Reed) and the treacherous Milady (Faye Dunaway) and how it plays out in the context of the rest of the famous plot. Lalo Schifrin takes over the musical duties and composes a haunting theme for Milady, who certainly qualifies as what was that other thread? Favorite Female Sociopath? If you haven't seen these films, you really owe it to yourself to see how a romantic swashbuckling adventure comedy SHOULD be done. To quote Mr.s K & H, "A splendid time is guaranteed for all!"
Candyman (Bernard Rose, 1995) 3 - It's still a solid horror flick but in some ways (the script), it's lost a little luster. However, the art direction, cinematography, Phillip Glass score and sound design are spectacular.
Being Julia (Istvan Szabo, 2004) 3 - Highly theatrical but entertaining tale about Annette Bening cheating on her husband (Jeremy Irons) with a young Brit in 1930s London. It's a comedy, a social satire and a soap opera.
The Tripper (David Arquette, 2006) 2.5 - Here's another social satire which takes on Ronald Reagan and incorporates his policies into a serial killer farce with Jason Mews, Pee-wee Herman and Thomas Jane. It'a all just a little too one-note to be effective, but there are some moments of sex, gore and comedy. It's just extremely thin and behind the times. I actually found the biggest joke to be that a bunch of stoned teenagers in the early 2000s recognized Ronald Reagan from a lousy mask.
The Human Condition, Part III - A Soldier's Prayer (Masaki Kobayashi, 1961) 3+; Art House Rating: 4 - Having watched all nine hours of this film, which I believe both Harry Lime and Holden Pike believe to be one of the all-time greatest, my main comment is that it's watchable but that it's also maddening. It does cover a lot of ground in the life of the protagonist, but I can't help believing that some of the time could have been spent with a few more lighter moments. Look, I agree with what this film says: War is Hell, it should be abolished and people should find a way to truly communicate with each other. It's a very significnt film. I just wished I liked it as much as Bondarcuk's War and Peace which I'm watching now. I'd call The Human Condition "War and More War".
The Card (Ronald Neame, 1952) 3.5 - Another wonderful Alec Guinness comedy, one of his lesser-known, about a guy who really seems to have a knack for taking financial advantage of his situation in life. He really is a nice guy so he doesn't really break any laws, but he seems to be someone whom Fate shines down upon and provides with many happy returns. The female cast is most attractive and includes Glynis Johns, Valerie Hobson and Petula Clark (yeah, from "Downtown"). There are some really bizarre scenes which just add to the overall entertainment value of this forgotten winner. I watched it streaming on Netflix.
How to Train Your Dragon (Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders, 2010) 3.5 - Thoroughly-engaging 3-D animated flick about how the Vikings needed to kill dragons to be fulfilled in life. (Who knew?) That is, until the Viking Chief's son discovers a dragon no one else has ever seen and treats him as a pet, which pays off bigtime for him and his clan. The film does provide plenty of humor, action and aerial dynamics, as well as some heart-rending moments. It's a totally class act and my second fave Dreamworks animated feature, just a tad behind Kung Fu Panda. The voice cast is wonderful.
Quintet (Robert Altman, 1979) 1 - I really think this IS Altman's worst. Besides being mind-numbingly boring, it's ridiculous, laborious and borderline incomprehensible. However, like the Everready Bunny, it just keeps on going and going and going. How many times can somebody watch Paul Newman walk up what appears a snow-covered mountainside? Where is he going? Why does he always end up back in what's left of civilization? What is the point of, of... anything? Fernando Rey's "Tuna Mint"?
More soon...
http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MoFoPics/taxi_driver.jpg
Taxi Driver
To be perfectly honest, I was disappointed with this. I wanted to like it. I liked the moodiness and look of the film. I liked the cast. Some of the imagery was really powerful. But, as I have found with a lot of other highly acclaimed films, I simply could not connect. I couldn't really find a way empathize with Bickle and found myself rather disinterested in his fate. Maybe that was the point, I don't know, but this movie just didn't work for me.
3
I actually find this a reasonable response after one viewing. There are just so many maddening things about the film. I'll admit that I've warmed up to it in my Old Age, but 34 years ago, I didn't even give it as high a rating as Miss Vicky just did. I still think my problems are legit but the overall look and sound of the film is great and the acting is good, even if I still find some of the characters and their motivations suspect.
genesis_pig
10-30-10, 01:28 AM
3/5 is still a good rating, I was expecting you to hate it.
I am glad we kept our promises before the month-ends.
planet news
10-30-10, 01:55 AM
3/5 is pretty low for Taxi Driver. For me at least. I'd give it a 10 easy out of sheer love. It's not perfect, but I love the film dearly. It's fascinating on a technical level---incredible Hermann score, awesome cinematography (stunning tracking shots)---a narrative level (epic before/after structure), a philosophical level (what it means to be a revolutionary), and a personal level (I can relate to Bickle's loneliness).
But I am glad you didn't hate.
meatwadsprite
10-30-10, 01:41 PM
A character hears a noise out in the woods and goes to investigate. Isn't that half the fun of watching horror movies? Dumb characters investigating strange noises?
Maybe, but there has to be some restraint somewhere. Like when a demonic voice yells "join us" and then you walk out into the pitch black forrest with no clothes on by yourself (even though your character goes apes**t scared merely when her friends listen to the audio recording of the guy chanting from the book).
I can live with a horror film that has bad acting, specifically one that is called The Evil Dead.
Personally it's one the most effective things in scaring me, to have actors that are genuinely traumatized and tense, not just screaming loud.
Jump scare to jump scare? Have you not seen the 2010 remake of Nightmare on Elm Street. Now that is a jump scare to jump scare narrative. The Evil Dead is not. The Evil Dead has this little thing called atmosphere. The possessed girlfriend laughing while sitting in the middle of the room is scary, not jump scary.
The atmosphere I get is annoyance and grotesqueness. I guess this is something I can point to, where you are unnerved by his girlfriend sitting there, I am laughing along with her. I really doubt I'm the only one who doesn't think of Evil Dead as truely scary. It's like watching Three Stooges with blood and guts (and clay) flying around.
Example : Everytime Ash kills anything all the gore lands right on his face.
Even after the demons are running around the house, or just blatantly sitting there on the floor. Raimi still has these moments where Ash walks really slow towards something and then BAAAAAAAAAAA !!!! There are a LOT of jump scare moments in there and it's only 80 minutes long.
The main objective is to cover the screen and objects in gallons of blood? Please, don't watch the second one then. You clearly do not like, or appreciated the horror genre.
Mulholland Drive, The Shining, and Psycho are stuff I consider to be real horror movies. Not that I'm an authority on horror movies, but I've seen a lot and these are really the only ones that I can't watch by myself in the dark. Constant unease and tension, The Shining being my favorite example.
But what am I saying here, continue to dislike the good films because you like to go against the popular opinion.
3 = dislike, gotcha
You are the Armond White of Mofo.
Even to a guy like me, that's cold.
Monkeypunch
10-30-10, 05:30 PM
Planet Terror - I have seen this numerous times, and it's still funny as hell. I think that this and Death Proof would have been more successful if they had run in Drive-in theaters, they seem to be tailor made for that.
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