Movie Tab II

[Monkeypunch]

Ender's Game - I loved this movie...smart science fiction with a soul and humanity. I don't care what unpopular opinions Orson Scott Card holds, they don't detract from this fantastic film, at least not for me. It saddens me that more people at the cinema were seeing Bad Grandpa than a film that will make them think, feel, and debate as much as this one did for me.

[The Gunslinger45]

Ender's Game - I loved this movie...smart science fiction with a soul and humanity. I don't care what unpopular opinions Orson Scott Card holds, they don't detract from this fantastic film, at least not for me. It saddens me that more people at the cinema were seeing Bad Grandpa than a film that will make them think, feel, and debate as much as this one did for me.

Are you a fan of the book? I have not read it myself, but I have heard from a few fans of the novel that they screwed something up.

[Monkeypunch]

Are you a fan of the book? I have not read it myself, but I have heard from a few fans of the novel that they screwed something up.

Haven't read it yet. Went to see the film on a whim, had nothing to do on a Friday night, and it had Harrison Ford in it, who's usually reliably entertaining, so it seemed like a good idea. It turned out even better than that.

[The Gunslinger45]

I have been hearing from more then a few fans of the original book who HATE this movie. But hey, as long as you like the movie, who cares?

[Upton]

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974) 1

Please, someone tell me, how is this so great?

I also watched this for the first time ever this Halloween - on a big screen, outdoors and with an appreciative crowd so that helped. I loved it but I have no defense for it. Two word review: Accidental masterpiece

4.5

[Mr Minio]

3.5 Glorious horror movie if you ask me!

[Mr Minio]

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7s088XQbN1r84iplo1_500.gif
Hello!

The Circus - 3.5

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--aWmy4JF0ts/T_C5bgY514I/AAAAAAAAAAA/p0inTxpXZIM/s1600/vlcsnap-2010-09-11-12h23m44s52.jpg
Apparently she liked the whipping hence the moans like she's been given a cunningulus.

The Whip and the Body - 4

http://www.blogcdn.com/blog.moviefone.com/media/2007/10/killbabykilljma.jpg
Every time the girl appeared I got shivers down my spine. Good one Bava. However, I couldn't help thinking she was taking a huge pile of crap hence the bulging eyes.

Kill Baby Kill - 4

[mark f]

Between Midnight and Dawn (Gordon Douglas, 1950) 2.5-
Mask of the Avenger (Phil Karlson, 1951) 2
Land of the Zuider Zee (Ralph Donaldson, 1951) 2.5-
Alligator (Lewis Teague, 1980) 3-
http://www.huntertradertrapper.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/alligator-monster.jpg
Scandal Sheet (Phil Karlson, 1952) 2.5
Q (Larry Cohen, 1982) 2.5
Possession (Andrzej Zulawski, 1981) 2
Breaking Away (Peter Yates, 1979) 3.5
http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lioxtrmRFn1qzfoz1o1_500.jpg
Kelly’s Heroes (Brian G. Hutton, 1970) 3
The Running Man (Paul Michael Glaser, 1987) 3
The Mad Miss Manton (Leigh Jason, 1938) 2.5
Foul Play (Colin Higgins, 1978) 4
http://livedoor.blogimg.jp/sosegon226/imgs/2/d/2df851a1.jpg
Maisie (Edwin L. Marin, 1939) 2
Raspberry Magic (Leena Pendharkar, 2010) 2
Frances Ha (Noah Baumbach, 2012) 2.5
Five Graves to Cairo (Billy Wilder, 1943) 3.5- (slow buildup)
http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/images/film/five-graves-to-cairo/w448/five-graves-to-cairo.jpg?1289481775
Charlie’s Angels (McG, 2000) 2.5
Repo Man (Alex Cox, 1984) 2.5+
Wimbledon (Richard Loncraine, 2004) 2.5
Year of the Dragon (Michael Cimino, 1985) 3
http://mojtv.hr/images/e11a193d-abde-450a-b0cb-b2383fe661bc.jpg

[honeykid]

Frances Ha (Noah Baumbach, 2012) 2.5
Could you say a little bit about what you thought about this? I've heard people mention the tv series Girls when talking about this, so I'm interested.

Charlie’s Angels (McG, 2000) 2.5
Ahem. That's a 2.5 from mark for Charlie's Angels. Eat it, haters! :p

[mark f]

It's a flick about what it's like to be about five years out of college and still not be comfortable with making concrete plans about the future. It's in B&W and inspired by the French New Wave, especially Truffaut, and contains many moments of truth, but for me it tends to be a bit meandering and underdeveloped, even at 86 minutes. It's likable enough though.

[Tyler1]

http://thegreatwesternmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ridelonesomeBurningTree.jpg

Ride Lonesome (Boetticher, 1959) - 2.5+

Black Girl (Sembène, 1966) - 4

Wadjda (Al-Mansour, 2012) - 3.5

It's the Earth Not the Moon (Tocha, 2011) - 2+

Seven Men from Now (Boetticher, 1956) - 3-

Chameleon Street (Harris, 1989) - 4.5

The Kingdom (von Trier, 1994) - 4

[Gabrielle947]

Ahem. That's a Rating: 2.5 from mark for Charlie's Angels. Eat it, haters!
ha :D it's easily a 3.5 for me.But it's because I haven't seen it in quite a while.

[TokeZa]

This week in movies:

http://www.criticker.com/img/films/posters/The_Kid.jpg
The Kid (1921) by Charles Chaplin 3.5

http://www.criticker.com/img/films/posters/Orpheus.jpg
Orpheus (1950) by Jean Cocteau 4.5

http://cineawesome.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/the-gift-to-stalin1.jpg
Podarok Stalinu (2008) by Rustem Abdrashitov 3.5

http://www.criticker.com/img/films/posters/Papusza.jpg
Papusza (2013) by Krzysztof Krauze and Joanna Kos-Krauze 2.5+

http://www.criticker.com/img/films/posters/The_Story_of_Film_An.jpg
The Story of Film: An Odyssey (2011) by Mark Cousins 3.5

http://www.criticker.com/img/films/posters/Kinshasa_Kids.jpg
Kinshasa Kids (2012) by Marc-Henri Wajnberg 2

http://www.criticker.com/img/films/posters/The_Anabasis_of_May_and.jpg
The Anabasis of May and Fusako Shigenobu, Masao Adachi and 27 Years Without Images (2011) by Eric Baudelaire 2.5+

[linespalsy]

Pumpkinhead (1988) 1.5
Halloween (1978) 2.5

[Monkeypunch]

Pumpkinhead (1988) 1.5
Halloween (1978) 2.5

Finally, movies I actually know and have seen! LOL. Seriously I'm starting to feel incredibly out of place here because i don't watch obscure and/or art cinema...

Today I watched:

The Dark Knight - With the exception of Christian Bale's growly bat voice, this is pretty flawless. Watching it makes me hate the lazy, sloppy third film that much more.

Warm Bodies - Great parody of the Twilight movies about a "sensitive" zombie who falls for a girl...after eating her boyfriend's brains. Really fun stuff.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_]

Two classic Hollywood blondes here. Coincidentally both films came out in the same year:

Love Me or Leave Me 2
http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/images/film/love-me-or-leave-me/w448/love-me-or-leave-me.jpg?1310930388 (http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=vlIk4zFCKU2DvM&tbnid=tjF2wTVeFY_hIM:&ved=0CAgQjRwwADg8&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmubi.com%2Ffilms%2Flove-me-or-leave-me&ei=Oah3UraLELG00QWqoIC4BQ&psig=AFQjCNGx1-8Ug0XEE-w84_droeoeIDwaKg&ust=1383659961301110)

Doris Day takes a dark turn in this musical, a biopic about thirties chanteuse Ruth Etting. Cast against type, she is a sour taxi dancer with aspirations of becoming a star. In walks gangster Martin Snyder (James Cagney), who helps her get her foot on the ladder in order to help him get his leg over her. Unfortunately for him, Ruth is repulsed by him.

Whilst I admire the attempt at edginess (including an attempted rape scene), the film really has nowhere to go. Neither character budges from their opinion, which means that the film lacks the sexual chemistry that the situation should provoke. Ruth's dalliance with a bland pianist (Cameron Mitchell) does nothing to rectify the lack of sex or romance. Even the darkest musical relies on romance, so what we're really left with is two strong performances from the leads, but a film that is too long and too dull.

The film does pack a lot of songs in and some of them pack a punch (such as Ten Cents A Dance) but unless you're a big Doris fan, just YouTube Ten Cents A Dance.

The Seven Year Itch 3_5

http://content.internetvideoarchive.com/content/photos/099/004176_13.jpg (http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=LjW6NBXj0XBRkM&tbnid=tjPN3J0XpvBBCM:&ved=0CAgQjRwwADgk&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rottentomatoes.com%2Fm%2Fseven_year_itch%2Fmovies_like_seven_year_itch%2F&ei=gaN3Uq7eDYjF0QWp34HoAw&psig=AFQjCNHYnxwm0jlbV01YtrtFUVqNLhjycw&ust=1383658753272100)

Tom Ewell plays Richard, a middle-aged married man who's got the horn for his new nubile neighbour Ellen, who happens to be Marilyn Monroe. The boiling summer weather, abstinence from alcohol and cigarettes, and an absent wife only help to make him even more crazy.

It's a cute little sex comedy where the characters are all likeable (apart from the creepy plumber). What stops the film from being creepy is that Richard is shown to be a fantasist- cue lots of sexual fantasies gleaned from Hollywood films- most notably From Here to Eternity and Brief Encounter- and Ellen is, well, Marilyn. Monroe plays the quintessential Marilyn role- a little girl who knows that men fawn over her but is oblivious as to her sexual power. Therefore whatever happens in this film, we know that it is light-hearted and good humoured.

Obviously the most iconic moment in the film is the subway scene, where a gust of wind blows up Monroe's white dress. However she has many great sexy moments here, such as her first entrance where she walks up to her apartment in a dress that shows off her hourglass figure to the max.

Perhaps at times Richard's neurotic internal monologues to camera are a bit irritating, but it's a fun film that plays on every man's fantasy.

[mark f]

Stalker (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1979) 2
Johnny Got His Gun (Dalton Trumbo, 1971) 3 (I cried)
Dalton Trumbo: Rebel in Hollywood (Robert Fischer, 2006) 3
Silkwood (Mike Nichols, 1983) 3.5
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6gd6aQ33r1qzzh6g.jpg
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (Dito Montiel, 2006) 2
La Chienne (Jean Renoir, 1931) 2.5-
Alaska Passage (Edward Bernds, 1959) 2-
A Few Good Men (Rob Reiner, 1992) 3.5 (flawed but still entertaining)
http://imageshack.us/a/img802/8058/650233.jpg
Kismet (William Dieterle, 1944) 2.5
Leviathan (Lucien Castaing-Taylor & Verena Paravel, 2012) 1.5
Look at Me aka Comme une image (Agnes Jaoul, 2004) 2.5
The Fountainhead (King Vidor, 1949) 3 ('40s sex below)
http://elequipocat.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/fh001.jpg?w=400&h=293&crop=1
Movie Magic Moments (Robert Youngson, 1953) 2.5
Rain (Lewis Milestone, 1932) 2.5
Miss Sadie Thompson (Curtis Bernhardt, 1953) 2.5
Kung Fu Hustle (Stephen Chow, 2004) 3.5
http://www.hkcinemagic.com/en/images/docs/large/kung-fu-hustle-poursuite-bip-bip4_0ac17d274a8c96950e8a66a858c3a7f8.jpg
Black Peter (Milos Forman, 1964) 2+
That Mothers Might Live (Fred Zinnemann, 1938) 2.5
Along Came Jones (Stuart Heisler, 1945) 2.5
Story of a Prostitute (Seijun Suzuki, 1965) 2.5+
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i51Bh_JbwwA/UW9JLhROybI/AAAAAAAAOf4/V9r4TDk7PbU/s1600/storyofaprostitute3.jpg

[Tyler1]

Now that's an awfully low rating for Leviathan, mark. :) Personally I found the the use of tiny GoPro cameras quite innovative and is able to, as effectively employed in the film, take us from the deep bowels of the ship to the bird's eye view without the need for a human operator.

[mark f]

Leviathan was interesting (hi, TokeZa) and a couple of sequences moved me, but I felt it should have been a short. There was probably at least an hour of repetition and murkiness. I will admit that on the big screen it may be quite a visceral experience, but I'd probably feel the same way.

[Gabrielle947]

Johnny Got His Gun is a sad movie. :/ The scene where sun comes into the room really gets me.

[Tyler1]

Mark, what do you think of Anthony Mann and Budd Boetticher? I know Scorsese goes nuts over them. I have been watching a number of their Westerns (Jacque Tourneur made quite good Westerns as well, eg. Canyon Passage, Way of the Gaucho) but they're mostly hit-or-miss. Why is the Loner such a mythological character in the Old West? I think understanding this intrinsic idea would help me appreciate these Westerns better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vz-aZgOwxo

[mark f]

The western is mostly about freedom, and the "Loner" is trying to survive in a world where that freedom will always be challenged by others (either an individual or a society). The West was an open country so it invites freedom, but it's never as open as it seems; there are others seeking their freedom (starting a new life for whatever reason, exploiting the land for profit) or there are the Native Americans who already "own" the land. This almost always puts the Loner at conflict and makes for many variations on this basic theme of a man (or occasionally a woman) seeking to live free in a seemingly open environment and finding obstacles. Then there's the eventual realization that the Loner's vision of the West (the frontier and freedom) doesn't exist anymore - unless you hop a boat and go west across the Pacific (where the same cycle will start again). I love the themes found in westerns, as well as the rugged and gorgeous landscapes which parallel the appearances and dreams of the western heroes. It's a great genre, has many fine exanples and is still ripe for modern filmmakers and watchers. I hope you keep watching.

[mark f]

Mann and Boetticher are well worth watching. I give most of their films middling ratings, but they're thoughtful, classical western visual essayists who were often the muses of their stars of choice (James Stewart and Randolph Scott). Sometimes the seemingly simple revenge plots contain surprising twists and extreme violence for the era. They're thought of as auteurs more than their contemporaries John Sturges and Delmer Daves, but those guys have some equally-solid western titles.

[honeykid]

If you can find it, try and see Rich Hall's How the West Was Lost. I think you both (mark and Tyler) might like it.

He's also made a couple of other documentaries about US cinema. From his wiki page:

Rich Hall's The Dirty South (October 2010) challenges stereotypical Hollywood presentations of the Southern United States, Rich Hall's Continental Drifters (November 2011) examines the American road movie,

[Harry Lime]

Rich Hall's How the West Was Lost.
I'll take that recommendation too. Thanks.

[Sexy Celebrity]

I'll take that recommendation too. Thanks.

I recommend that you get your harry butt into the "Whoopi Waved at Harry Lime" thread and TELL US THAT WHOOPI STORY!

[Harry Lime]

I recommend that you get your harry butt into the "Whoopi Waved at Harry Lime" thread and TELL US THAT WHOOPI STORY!
I made it all up. I just wanted attention. But then when I got it I had buyer's remorse.

[Sexy Celebrity]

i made it all up. I just wanted attention. But then when i got it i had buyer's remorse.

No Refunds!

[Mmmm Donuts]

That's disappointing. So no 70's porno spoof then? :(

[Sexy Celebrity]

Oh, no, there's still going to be that.

[Skepsis93]

Annoyingly enough my writing about films for assignments has prevented me from actually seeing very many of them of late.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (Powell & Pressburger, 1943) 4
Monsters University (Dan Scanlon, 2013) 3
Live and Let Die (Guy Hamilton, 1973) 2.5
Chungking Express (Kar Wai Wong, 1994) 4
Gravity (Alfonso Cuaron, 2013) 3.5
Spoorloos (The Vanishing, George Sluizer, 1988) 3.5+

http://www.artificial-eye.com/database/blu-ray/ART002BD/images/01.jpg

http://www.filmorama.nl/image.php?id=47&pid=1720

[mark f]

24 Hour Alert (Robert M. Leeds, 1955) 2
Underworld (Roger Christian, 1996) 2
Women of the Night (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1948) 2.5
The Three Musketeers (George Sidney, 1948) 3.5
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ayst9es4Joc/TnsEiEyH6tI/AAAAAAAAxM8/YZvalggEOdM/s400/Lana-Turner-and-Gene-Kelly.jpg
The Seafarers (Stanley Kubrick, 1953) 2
The Crime of Monsieur Lange (Jean Renoir, 1936) 2.5
Hunt the Man Down (George Archainbaud, 1950) 2
Dragonslayer (Matthew Robbins, 1981) 3.5
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L405_Wi-k58/Ue4YWUGf7aI/AAAAAAAAOkM/Z_Y8Qcl8gj8/s1600/Dragonslayer-1981-dragon.jpg
Where is Jane Doe? (Larry O’Reilly, 1956) 2
Too Young to Kiss (Robert Z. Leonard, 1951) 2
Robin Hood (Allan Dwan, 1922) 3-
Up to His Ears (Philippe de Broca, 1965) 3.5- (Nonsensical but fun precursor to Indiana Jones, not quite as successful as That Man From Rio)
http://www.imfdb.org/images/thumb/3/36/Mario_David-M-C96.jpg/550px-Mario_David-M-C96.jpg
Holiday for Sinners (Gerald Mayer, 1952) 2
My Brilliant Career (Gillian Armstrong, 1979) 3
Barrier (Jerzy Skolimowski, 1966) 2.5
Picnic at Hanging Rock (Peter Weir, 1975) 2.5
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BxRa0F81GaU/UcYdC_uiF5I/AAAAAAAAXFE/C2W44Nw719g/s640/picnic_at_hanging_rock_1975_dc_1080p_bluray_x264-cinefile_mkv_snapshot_00_29_58_2010_11_25_16_41_16.jpg
The Diabolical Dr. Z (Jesus Franco, 1966) 2.5
Alice in the Cities (Wim Wenders, 1974) 2.5
The Hunt aka La caza (Carlos Saura, 1966) 3
Animal Farm (Joy Batchelor & John Halas, 1954) 3.5
http://filmfanatic.org/reviews/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Animal-Farm-Animation2.png

[Daniel M]

Okay, I have finally decided to post up my long list of films that I have kept tabbed waiting to post, was going to write about all of them but I have realised that most I have already discussed on here somewhere, such as in the last movie thread, and there's far too many anyway!

http://theartdepartments.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/conformist2.jpg


The Conformist (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1970) 5
Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa, 1954) 5
Some Like it Hot (Billy Wilder, 1959) 4
The Deer Hunter (Michael Cimino, 1978) 3.5
Inland Empire (David Lynch, 2006) 4.5


http://wondersinthedark.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/chandler-big-sleep_1234882c1.jpg

The Big Sleep (Howard Hawks, 1946) 4+
The Bourne Identity (Doug Liman, 2002) 3.5
The Bourne Supremacy (Paul Greengrass, 2004) 4-
In a Lonely Place (Nicholas Ray, 1950) 4.5
The Wild Bunch (Sam Peckinpah, 1969) 3.5+

http://www.chud.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/mash-movie-1.jpg

MASH (Robert Altman, 1970) 2
Sherlock Jr. (Buster Keaton, 1924) 5
The Fighter (David O. Russell, 2010) 3.5
Three Kings (David O. Russell, 1999) 3.5
Falling Down (Joel Schumacher, 1993) 3-

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SPYL8UC1UCY/TDG8bgaQlTI/AAAAAAAAC-U/j_fqWzGVcZw/s400/The+Passion+of+Joan+of+Arc+(1928).jpg


The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1928) 3.5
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (Declan Lowney, 2013) 3+
Stand by Me (Rob Reiner, 1986) 3-
Eastern Promises (David Cronenberg, 2007) 4+
Erin Brockovich (Steven Soderbergh, 2000) 3.5

http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/images/film/el-topo/w448/el-topo.jpg?1331445234

El Topo (Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1970) 4.5
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (Peter Greenaway, 1989) 4.5
Princess Mononoke (Hayao Miyazaki, 1997) 4.5-
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Hayao Miyazaki, 1984) 4
Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001) 4

http://kaist455.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/uncle-boonmee.jpg

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2010) 4.5
Werckmeister Harmonies (Béla Tarr, 2000) 4.5
The Elephant Man (David Lynch, 1980) 4.5
District 9 (Neill Blomkamp, 2009) 3
My Neighbor Totoro (Hayao Miyazaki, 1988) 4.5

http://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/stills/130769-e0f1a74e4d1276e2e3f77fd6cb208eee/Film_218w_CercleRouge_original.jpg

Le Cercle Rouge (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1970) 4.5
House (Nobuhiko Ôbayashi, 1977) 4+
Lost Highway (David Lynch, 1997) 5
Le Mépris (Jean-Luc Godard, 1963) 4.5
Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman, 2008) 2.5
Fanny and Alexander (Ingmar Bergman, 1982) 5

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/images/noel/fannyalexander4.jpg

Side by Side (Christopher Keanneally, 2012) 3+
Grave of The Fireflies (Isao Takahata, 1988) 3+
Amadeus (Milos Forman, 1984) 4+
Heavenly Creatures (Peter Jackson, 1994) 2.5
Elmer Gantry (Richard Brooks, 1960) 4.5

http://images.askmen.com/entertainment/movie/1251312714_lethal-weapon_1019873.jpg

Lethal Weapon (Richard Donner, 1987) 3
The Ladykillers (Alexander Mackendrick, 1955) 3
Django (Sergio Corbucci, 1966) 3
The Breakfast Club (John Hughes, 1985) 3.5+


I know everyone won't agree with some of these ratings (I can already hear Mark sighing at the sight of Lost Highway and Inland Empire), and I know some of them maybe have changed slightly since I posted about them, but that's what happens after time. Please feel free to question and talk about the films here, and I'll be happy to explain my ratings :)

Actually, I'll expand on Elmer Gantry a little bit as I know Mark loves that film and wanted to see me post my thoughts.

Elmer Gantry is one of those films where it's not so easy to pinpoint exactly why it's a great film, you can't dissect every aspect of film making like direction, cinematography and such, it's not a film like that. Instead it's very much a script and character driven film led by Burt Lancaster (a bit like Sweet Smell of Success). It's a film where you become fascinated by the characters on screen, and Elmer Gantry is one of the most interesting characters I have ever seen, when he performs his speeches it's like you are there, you can feel what he is saying, his character is complex with his motivations and personality being questioned throughout. The supporting cast too are great, with women playing a huge role in the life of Elmer Gantry, with two top performances from Jean Simmons and Shirley Jones. Some of the dialogue in this film is brilliant, there's many great lines/moments and I wish I could take more specifically when it comes to scenes and such, but it was a while since I saw the film, I definitely want to watch it again sometime.

[TokeZa]

Very nice selection of film!

If you could post your thoughts on Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives i would be very interested. Its one of those film i am contemplating revisiting in the near future.

[Daniel M]

Very nice selection of film!

If you could post your thoughts on Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives i would be very interested. Its one of those film i am contemplating revisiting in the near future.

My rating for the film might be a bit too high, but these are the movies that stick with me, fascinate me and make me think about them over and over, they deserve to be given such ratings and to represent such, for me, although it's not something that everyone will love or I'd want everyone to watch.

It's a film like nothing I have seen before, and that's saying something considering some of the titles listed in the above post. The film is so beautiful and when I am watching it it feels like a meditation of sorts, as if I am relaxing in the natural widlife. It's almost two hours long, and it has some of the longest, drawn out scenes I have seen, but the natural sound and realistic human-like qualities of these scenes make them worthwhile and ensure that they never bore. It's delightful to see these people at peace with the nature, and although the film is completely unrealistic with many of it's scenes (the ape man, the fish scene), we are willing to accept them because the characters are, they feel so real.

The surrealistic scenes are open to discussion, which always makes a film better for me, despite the beauty of the film there's a deep sadness that seems to become especially more powerful towards the end, especially with the café scene which seems to mark a major transformation of sorts, the cycle of life is key throughout, but with these scenes it's strange how you can almost immediately feel the film coming to a close, dying.

I actually watched it for the first time pretty much back to back with Werckmeister Harmonies, and I give them both the same ratings for similar reasons. These are movies that make you think about life and nature, and although both are beautiful films they are both also filled with sadness.

[TokeZa]

Thanks a lot! Im going to rewatch that tomorrow!

[bluedeed]

Thanks a lot! Im going to rewatch that tomorrow!

Have you seen any other Weerasehtakul films? I'd recommend checking out his other films before rewatching this one.

[Daniel M]

No problem TokeZa. I am going to post a few random things every now and again relating to my tab post that I want to share about the films, they kind of explain why I like a lot of them.

First of all The Conformist I think is one of the beautiful and greatest shot films that I have ever seen, the cinematography and locations used to great long empty environments with the camera looking down them is superb. Then there's the use of colour, mainly blue and white, and the use of light as it flickers through onto the image we see (especially the forest scene).

This is an image heavy post, but it's near the bottom of the page so we shouldn't have too many people moaning :p

http://www.moviemail.com/MMgraphics/The-Conformist-Club-Part-III-3.jpg

http://www.weeatfilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/UNSET.png

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/7162/vlcsnap5465878og6.jpg

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/6651/vlcsnap5468604ue8.jpg

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/460/vlcsnap5469609lo4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/siochembio/movies%201970s/theconformistgun_zpsf00bbcd4.png

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/siochembio/movies%201970s/theconformistwindows_zpsd00fa4fa.jpg

http://10kbullets.com/images/2012/3/conformistaa-04.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xxzT_IBEoHY/ToXexBHDePI/AAAAAAAAAIo/Zd4y8AX6xwY/s1600/Screen004.JPG

[TokeZa]

Have you seen any other Weerasehtakul films? I'd recommend checking out his other films before rewatching this one.

So far i have seen:

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010)
Tropical Malady (2004)
Ashes (2012)
A Letter to Uncle Boonmee (2009)

[Gabrielle947]

I didn't like the Conformist but I loved the death scene in the car :up: I don't know what was it but it seemed just great.

[edarsenal]

REWATCH Gattaca 4 even when genetics perfect the human body and mind, creating a privelaged set, it is the will of a genetically flawed man that rises above them all.
http://www.filmequals.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/gattaca-clean.jpg

REWATCH The Big Bang 4 an existential, high-octane noir dectective story filled with metaphysical musings, on acid.
http://www.famemagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/antonio-banderas-the-big-bang2-e1331541043502.jpg

Dracula; Prince of Darkness 2.5 Christopher Lee's Dracula, to steal from the description on cable, takes the bite out of four travelers

Treasure Island (1934) 3 at times sappy, but in end quite an entertaining version.
http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a424/Subransu/aarhus/island/02.jpg

[Cobpyth]

I'm also posting all my non-reviewed films in a long tab!

Step Brothers (2003) 3
Has a few funny moments.

Dressed To Kill (1980) 3.5+
Very enjoyable 'Hitchcock parody' from Brian De Palma.

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001) 3.5(-)
Charming Woody Allen film with an absurd but intriguing plot.

Body Double (1984) 4.5 WATCH THIS ONE!!!
http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/protectedimage.php?image=MikeSutton/bd2.jpg
This tongue in cheek 'Hitchcock parody' by Brian De Palma must be one of the most insanely entertaining films I've ever watched. I absolutely loved it!

The Hangover Part III (2013) 2.5
Nothing special and not funny, except for the very last scene, which is hilarious.

Fantasia (1940) 3.5
Uneven, but very admirable and highly experimental animated film.

Cabaret (1972) 4
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-phfiIcaLuDg/TY5cOHLQhWI/AAAAAAAAEa0/r_MFXg1XFRw/s1600/New+Picture.bmp
A haunting piece of film that balances comedy, drama and musical sequences in a very satisfying manner.

This Is the End (2013) 3(+)
Its comedy wasn't always laugh-out-loud, but it's still a pretty enjoyable movie with a few unexpected turns.

Before Midnight (2013) 4(-)
Pure drama at its best!

Persona (1966) 4
http://palomitasconchoco.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/vlcsnap-2012-08-07-20h50m37s148.png
Hypnotic film that's full of deeper layers and wonderful cinematic images.

Fatal Attraction (1987) 3.5(+)
A very effective thriller with a memorable performance from Glenn Close.

Rush (2013) 3.5
A very well made sports drama.

High Fidelity 3.5+
An engaging and charming romantic comedy that tries to grave deeper into romantic relationships and succeeds.

Grosse Pointe Blank 3.5+
http://i39.tinypic.com/6yfywo.jpg
Entertaining, melancholic dark comedy!

Monsters University 3-
It has its moments, but ultimately it's a rather disappointing Pixar entry.

Sixteen Candles 3.5
Charming and funny! Molly Ringwald is wonderful!

The Croods 3.5(-)
It contains a lovely message and gets better towards the end.

Say Anything... (1989) 3.5
http://media.tumblr.com/293494c11c06c393cd6f0b7ffe57f427/tumblr_inline_mi2t1hE3og1qz4rgp.jpg
The mix between the dramatic father story and the charming love story works pretty well.

The Grifters (1990) 3.5+
Cool film with three awesome acting performances and some great neo-noir vibes!

Hollywood Ending (2002) 3
The concept is very good, but this time Woody doesn't get the full potential out of it.

The Way Way Back (2013) 3.5
This is a drama with some comic sequences and it's a pretty effective one!

The Darjeeling Limited (2007) 3.5(-)
http://media1.onsugar.com/files/2013/06/14/989/n/7179364/3acd4556f7e22da6_image.xxlarge.jpg
A very typical Wes Anderson film, but it seems a little bit uneven sometimes (particularly towards the end).

Despicable Me 2 (2013) 3+
It works because the comedy is great!

Bottle Rocket (1996) 3.5(+)
Funny, whitty, cool and still pleasing in a dramatic manner.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) 4(-)
It's an odd film, but it's extremely entertaining and amazing to look at!

The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988) 4(+)
http://img2.mtime.com/mg/2009/27/2d8f567f-2d26-47c7-b953-e0b98eb355ad.jpg
An erotic drama in the context of a historical event full of interesting psychological, political and historical material, based on the famous novel.

I Heart Huckabees (2004) 3(+)
It has a few interesting scenes and aspects, but ultimately it doesn't offer the deeper existential experience I expected from its premise.

The Witches of Eastwick (1987) 3.5
Funny, horrifying and memorable!

The Swimmer (1968) 4.5(+)
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6148/6017865992_50cfe9d623.jpg
Amazing psychological drama about a man and his life.

Sullivan's Travels (1941) 4
A classic comedy adventure with a great message that is put to screen wonderfully!

Atlantic City (1980) 3.5+
A sweet and yet thrilling film about lost people in a lost place.

Gravity (2013) 4.5
An incredible cinematic experience! See this on the big screen in 3D!

Ikiru (1952) 5
http://www.slantmagazine.com/assets/house/film/ikiru_2.jpg
A masterpiece about a man who is confronted with his own mortality and who tries to seek meaning in his empty life.

The Pink Panther (2006) 2.5
This renewed version of the classic series inherits the slapstick humor, but forgets the stylish charm.

Broken Flowers (2005) 3.5+
A stylish, episodic film about a bachelor whose life gets dismantled because of a strange letter.

The Fly (1986) 4
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lbay05wpUr1qa06e2o1_500.jpg
One of the most effective horror films I've ever seen. It's genuinly frightening and yet tragic in an engaging way.

The Sure Thing (1985) 3.5
There's a lot of chemistry between the two main protagonists and their 'It Happened One Night'-like roadtrip is a joy to follow!

Better Off Dead... (1985) 3.5
This film is full of weird stuff, but the end result is a very enjoyable comedy.

Mystery Train (1989) 4(+)
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii298/je_veux_manger_un_garcon/mty2.png
A very stylish and cool film that connects three storylines in time and space, using a decayed hotel in a decayed Memphis, the city of The King, Elvis Presley.

[Sedai]

V/H/S 2 (Various, 2013) 3_5

http://theghostdiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/vhs-2_nws1.jpg

I had enjoyed the first VHS to a certain extent, as I have a soft spot for horror anthologies. I liked the mockumentary feel and each story was creative and disturbing. I know these films are kind of pieces of **** in some ways, but I REALLY liked the second one, maybe more than the first - it was really creative!

[JayDee]

Oh Daniel I fear we're losing you to the dark side of art house! :bawling: When you initially appeared on the board I felt that you and I seemed to have quite similar tastes but we seem to be drifting apart now. So much so that I think it's time we started to see other people!

I mean just look at some of these scores!


The Bourne Identity (Doug Liman, 2002) 3.5
Falling Down (Joel Schumacher, 1993) 3-
Stand by Me (Rob Reiner, 1986) 3 -
District 9 (Neill Blomkamp, 2009) 3
Heavenly Creatures (Peter Jackson, 1994) 2.5
Lethal Weapon (Richard Donner, 1987) 3
The Breakfast Club (John Hughes, 1985) 3.5+


A few aside (Seven Samurai, Some Like It Hot, Princess Mononoke) these would represent my favourites of that bunch and the majority of them were amongst the lowest scores you gave out. :(


:p

[TokeZa]

Oh Daniel I fear we're losing you to the dark side of art house! :bawling: When you initially appeared on the board I felt that you and I seemed to have quite similar tastes but we seem to be drifting apart now. So much so that I think it's time we started to see other people!

I mean just look at some of these scores!



A few aside (Seven Samurai, Some Like It Hot, Princess Mononoke) these would represent my favourites of that bunch and the majority of them were amongst the lowest scores you gave out. :(


:p

This place needs more art house ;)

[Mr Minio]

This place needs more art house ;) Yeah, and I mean more, like:

http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/169/432/nic_cage_moar.gif

[Daniel M]

Oh Daniel I fear we're losing you to the dark side of art house! :bawling: When you initially appeared on the board I felt that you and I seemed to have quite similar tastes but we seem to be drifting apart now. So much so that I think it's time we started to see other people!

I mean just look at some of these scores!



A few aside (Seven Samurai, Some Like It Hot, Princess Mononoke) these would represent my favourites of that bunch and the majority of them were amongst the lowest scores you gave out. :(


:p

Haha JayDee, don't worry, it's not that I don't enjoy more accessible type of films any more like those you've listed, I just think those were a poor bunch.

The Bourne Identity was great, and 3.5 is not a shabby rating, the two parts together so far are worth a 4 between them. The Breakfast Club I really enjoyed too, and could probably fetch a 4 but I only watched that a couple of days ago, so didn't want to over rate it, most of the artistic films I appreciate, read about, and think about more over time, they last much longer than the initial viewing.

Falling Down was a good little film, 3 still means I like/enjoyed it, but I don't know, when it was over I wasn't sure what to feel, Douglas is good, but I am just not sure about the balance of violence and humour, at times it works but at other times, I dunno, I wasn't sure what to feel.

Here's what I wrote about Stand by Me:

I thought it was a decent film, but I was expecting something special, something that would actually feel nostalgic as described and be a whole lot of fun. I just didn't really find this journey with the four boys 'fun', I thought the actions of some of the boys were kind of annoying, and there wasn't really any suspense or sense of adventure to carry through the story in an enjoyable way like something like The Goonies, Keifer Sutherland and his gang were kind of generic jerks as well. My District 9 rating is a little harsh and maybe should of been a 3.5- or something, but I didn't like it as much as I hoped, again I think it's the balance of comedy in the film that I wasn't too happy about. At moments, I thought 'this is really great' and at other times it just felt silly, I didn't really care much for the main character sorry, he kind of annoyed me.

Heavenly Creatures, well, I was expecting something great again and was massively disappointed, I initially gave it a 3, but that was overrating it, I really didn't enjoy it. The two girls were really, really annoying, and even if that's the point, it was just frustrating watching them, not much happens in the whole film and it's just all to build up to that one horrific moment, and when it happens, that's it.

Lethal Weapon was good fun, but I have seen better action films (I still love Con Air, despite my art house turn!). I enjoyed it, but it was certainly not great, it has some good moments, and Danny Glover's shouting is funny, but the plot/film is pretty standard, I think the rating is fair to be honest.

[JayDee]

This place needs more art house ;)

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/JayDee87/More_zps4b75115d.jpg (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/JayDee87/media/More_zps4b75115d.jpg.html)


There's already a sizeable art house mafia on here, we really don't need any more! :D

[jiraffejustin]

We need more art house and more exploitation.

[Sexy Celebrity]

Looks like Cobpyth's been hanging out with Miss Vicky.

[donniedarko]

We need more cowbell

[bluedeed]

Art house needs more cowbell

[Sinny McGuffins]

Shame (Steve McQueen, 2011)
3.5

Sherlock Jr. (Buster Keaton, 1924)
3.5

[mark f]

Buster's crying, as am I. :( :)

[Sinny McGuffins]

It was good, and very funny. Maybe the score was a bit distracting (I'm sure I heard the Bond theme at one point). Not watched much Keaton to be fair, but I'll be checking out some more of films... at some point.

[mark f]

I meant being ranked with Shame. Ugh. :)

[Sinny McGuffins]

Haha! Don't know what you mean, mark, Shame was also very good! But I will say that Sherlock Jr. is the better film.

[bluedeed]

It was good, and very funny. Maybe the score was a bit distracting (I'm sure I heard the Bond theme at one point). Not watched much Keaton to be fair, but I'll be checking out some more of films... at some point.

Did you watch the netflix version? That one has a terrible score, I think it's totally wrong for the movie.

Haha! Don't know what you mean, mark, Shame was also very good! But I will say that Sherlock Jr. is the better film.

Shame so far has my vote for worst of the 2010s, a complete failure.

[Monkeypunch]

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/JayDee87/More_zps4b75115d.jpg (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/JayDee87/media/More_zps4b75115d.jpg.html)


There's already a sizeable art house mafia on here, we really don't need any more! :D

Agreed!

[Tyler1]

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Observer/Pix/pictures/2010/4/23/1272049676607/dogtooth-001.jpg

A Little Stiff (Zahedi, 1994) - 2

Computer Chess (Bujalski, 2013) - 4

Who Can Kill A Child? (Serrador, 1976) -4-

Dogtooth (Lanthimos, 2009) - 5

F*ck Cinema (Wu, 2005) - 3+

[Sinny McGuffins]

Did you watch the netflix version? That one has a terrible score, I think it's totally wrong for the movie.


Shame so far has my vote for worst of the 2010s, a complete failure.I didn't watch it on Netflix but I just checked and I think it's the same version. And yeah, it definitely used a bit from the Bond theme, when Keaton throws the exploding billiard ball at the car near the end. Unbelievable! Next time I watch it I'll find another version.

Don't know what the problem with Shame is. It was unpleasant to watch, but was brutally honest and uncompromising, and at times fascinating. I really like McQueen's style.

[mark f]

The Lodger (John Brahm, 1944) 2.5+
The Man in the Attic: The Making of the Lodger (No Director Listed, 2007) 2.5
Rails Into Laramie (Jesse Hibbs, 1954) 2
The Hellstrom Chronicle (Walon Green & Ed Spiegel, 1971) 3.5
http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j415/wimpel69/chronicle_zps920054ca.jpg
Premonition (Mennan Yapo, 2007) 2
No Holds Barred (Thomas J. Wright, 1989) 1.5
The Flame and the Arrow (Jacques Tourneur, 1950) 3
The Outsiders (Francis Ford Coppola, 1983) 3.5
http://i500.listal.com/image/4975855/500full.jpg
Pastoral Symphony (Jean Delannoy, 1946) 3
Don’t Say a Word (Gary Fleder, 2001) 2.5
Yol (Serif Goren & Yilmaz Gumey, 1982) 2.5
Conan the Barbarian (John Milius, 1982) 3.5+
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2011/5/10/1305038874692/conan8-007.jpg
Bird of Paradise (King Vidor, 1932) 2+
The Most Dangerous Game (Irving Pichel & Ernest B. Schoedsack, 1932) 2.5
Primrose Path (Gregory La Cava, 1940) 2.5
The Mattei Affair (Francesco Rosi, 1972) 3+
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L9tSB4wonWM/ThZpPMG6y9I/AAAAAAAABUY/bmThp0C4U-8/s1600/Snagit1.jpg
Safety Not Guaranteed (Colin Trevorrow, 2012) 2.5+
In the Name of the Father (Jim Sheridan, 1993) 3
The Only Son (Yasujiro Ozu, 1936) 3
Broadcast News (James L. Brooks, 1987) 3.5
http://50anosdefilmes.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/zzbroadcast9.jpg

[Tyler1]

Art house needs more cowbell

Bela Tarr has lots of cow porn.

[The Gunslinger45]

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/JayDee87/More_zps4b75115d.jpg (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/JayDee87/media/More_zps4b75115d.jpg.html)


There's already a sizeable art house mafia on here, we really don't need any more! :D

I demand more t!ts and violence! And as soon as my copies of Coffy and Foxy Brown get here we will have more funky 70's blaxploitation up in this bitch!

[bluedeed]

Bela Tarr has lots of cow porn.

It's too melancholic to be very erotic.

Don't know what the problem with Shame is. It was unpleasant to watch, but was brutally honest and uncompromising, and at times fascinating. I really like McQueen's style.

Outside of the film's funniest scene (the one where he chases after the girl on the subway and loses her in the crowd) it was the most dull and empty film I've seen in a long time. In understanding how much of McQueen's work is artificial (and unimaginative) constructs, let's break down the film into it's easily separable cliches.

"Brandon" lives in a "nice apartment" in a "city" by working a "corporate" "job." He has a "troubled" "sister," a "past" he's "running" from, an "addiction" that "harms" his "present," and a "girl" that "symbolizes" "hope." Did I miss anything that haunts this "modern life"? Combine these packaged products with a blatantly obvious (and often times hilarious) score, artificial attempts at Kubrickian detachment, and pandering to the audience, insisting that improbably handsome and successful men like "Brandon" is actually still unhappy, and you have one terrible movie.

[Guaporense]

Ikiru (1952) 5
http://www.slantmagazine.com/assets/house/film/ikiru_2.jpg
A masterpiece about a man who is confronted with his own mortality and who tries to seek meaning in his empty life.

Nice that you really liked it. A true masterpiece.

The Fly (1986) 4
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lbay05wpUr1qa06e2o1_500.jpg
One of the most effective horror films I've ever seen. It's genuinly frightening and yet tragic in an engaging way.

Really tragic.

[Sinny McGuffins]

Outside of the film's funniest scene (the one where he chases after the girl on the subway and loses her in the crowd) it was the most dull and empty film I've seen in a long time. In understanding how much of McQueen's work is artificial (and unimaginative) constructs, let's break down the film into it's easily separable cliches.

"Brandon" lives in a "nice apartment" in a "city" by working a "corporate" "job." He has a "troubled" "sister," a "past" he's "running" from, an "addiction" that "harms" his "present," and a "girl" that "symbolizes" "hope." Did I miss anything that haunts this "modern life"? Combine these packaged products with a blatantly obvious (and often times hilarious) score, artificial attempts at Kubrickian detachment, and pandering to the audience, insisting that improbably handsome and successful men like "Brandon" is actually still unhappy, and you have one terrible movie.

Wow. You really do hate it. I was too wrapped up in the film to be bothered by all the clichés you listed, but I can see your point. But what can I say? I still liked McQueen's style, and Fassbender was great. But yeah I can understand why you don't like it.

[mark f]

I think bluedeed overanalyzed it and gave it more thought than it deserves. To the point -http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110613211802/greenlantern/images/7/76/It_Stinks.jpg

[bluedeed]

Wow. You really do hate it. I was too wrapped up in the film to be bothered by all the clichés you listed, but I can see your point. But what can I say? I still liked McQueen's style, and Fassbender was great. But yeah I can understand why you don't like it.

It came to me as a pseudo art film. McQueen seems to have come to filmmaking with all of the knowledge of the individual concepts of an art film (the detachment, the crisp and uncluttered spaces, the occasional long take and out of focus shot, the taboos in subject matter), without knowing anything about art. I think he hides behind his "difficult" subject matter and flashy craftsmanship without having any insight.

[bluedeed]

I think bluedeed overanalyzed it and gave it more thought than it deserves. To the point -http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110613211802/greenlantern/images/7/76/It_Stinks.jpg

I wanted to understand why I found it so awful, watching and understanding bad movies makes watching and understanding the good ones much better.

[Mr Minio]

and you have one awesome movie. I saw you made a mistake, so I fixed it for ya really quick. :p

[honeykid]

I demand more t!ts and violence! And as soon as my copies of Coffy and Foxy Brown get here we will have more funky 70's blaxploitation up in this bitch!
Go over to Used Future's review threads and you'll find some good stuff there. If you need any more help with exploitation, just let me know. :)

[Brother Blue]

Computer Chess (Bujalski, 2013) - 4
I just watched that, I'd probably give it 4 also. Very interesting little film.

[bluedeed]

I saw you made a mistake, so I fixed it for ya really quick. :p

Always got my back, thanks Minio!

[Sinny McGuffins]

The Mirror (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1975)
Was NOT prepared for this.
3.5 (for now)

Stranger than Paradise (Jim Jarmusch, 1984)
3

Down By Law (Jim Jarmusch, 1986)
4

Gravity (Alfonso Cuarón, 2013)
3.5

...............

Also, forget to mention these two from last week:

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (Jeff Tremaine, 2013)
3

Thor: The Dark World (Alan Taylor, 2013)
2.5

[linespalsy]

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) 3.5

[mark f]

Grandad of Races (Andre de la Varrs, 1950) 2+
Come Back, Little Sheba (Daniel Mann, 1952) 3-
The Bucket List (Rob Reiner, 2007) 2.5+
The Killers (Robert Siodmak, 1946) 3
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8kbwGHaBDWY/SlLIkBvTm0I/AAAAAAAABpM/ewhuxORHe0A/s400/PDVD_006.BMP
Apache (Robert Aldrich, 1954) 2.5
Run the Wild Fields (Paul A. Kaufman, 2000) 2.5
A Geisha (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1953) 2.5
White Squall (Ridley Scott, 1996) 2.5+
http://img3.douban.com/view/photo/photo/public/p1548329134.jpg
This Man’s Navy (William A. Wellman, 1945) 2
The Happy Years (William A. Wellman, 1950) 3
The Next Voice You Hear... (William A. Wellman, 1950) 2.5
The Hunt aka Jagten (Thomas Vinterberg, 2012) 3+
http://img31.mtime.cn/mg/2013/03/26/140602.81457655.jpg
The Thin Red Line (Andrew Marton, 1964) 3
It’s a Big Country (7 Directors, 1951) 2.5
A Farewell to Arms (Charles Vidor, 1957) 2.5
The Deer Hunter (Michael Cimino, 1978) 3.5
http://i500.listal.com/image/3682549/500full.jpg
The White Angel (William Dieterle, 1936) 2.5
Cry ‘Havoc’ (Richard Thorpe, 1943) 2
Four Girls in White (S. Sylvan Simon, 1939) 2
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (Adam McKay, 2004) 3
http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID15166/images/Anchorman-movie-10.jpg

honey wanted me to say something about The Hunt. It's a slow-burning thriller about a situation getting way out of hand due to silence, assumptions and mass hysteria. Since it involves a teacher and inappropriate behavior, I could certainly relate to it. I took most of the film as really happening, but when it comes to the epilogue and especially the final scene, I have different thoughts, so those who like ambiguity may like the movie more because of it. I think it ended as well as it could have, and good movies from 50 years ago ended similarly but with even more depth. I disagreed with about 2/3 of those at IMDb about what it means, but there are some idiots over there. :cool: Anyway, I recommend it but it seems a tad overrated.

[Mr Minio]

Expanding my movie horizons - discovering the filmography of Russian maestro Alexander Sokurov.

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare7/fatherandson/father31.21.JPG
Father and Son 4.5
Mother and Son 4.5
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/5646/matysinimg3.jpg

After I saw Father and Son earlier today I couldn't wrap my head around its complex reverie atmosphere, but after I'd given it some time I figured some basic answers to questions that had been bothering me during the seance. The movie amazed me as much as the previous Sokurov work I've seen about a month ago - Days of Eclipse. Therefore, I decided to watch one more film today. Sokurov film. The first part of loose duology - Mother and Son. The movie took my breath away and touched me like very few movies manage to. Sokurov is a painter and uses film reels as canvas for his beautiful images. Every single take of Mother and Son could be put into a frame and imitate a painting of the very best painter. The story was way more simplistic yet more emotive compared to Father and Son while the ending made my face wet. (that sounds pretty gay) Explanation: I was crying, so you don't think it was something else. That's just great. Now I have to watch all his films. I've seen 5 so far.

[jiraffejustin]

the ending made my face wet. (that sounds pretty gay) Explanation: I was crying, so you don't think it was something else.

:randy:

Some people cry during things like that you know

[Mr Minio]

You are not everyone, jiraffejustin. Just so you know. http://www.movieforums.com/community/data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhDwAPAJkAAP//AAAAAAD/M////yH/C05FVFNDQVBFMi4wAwEAAAAh+QQBBwACACwAAAAADwAPAAACNpQdmceSAOFiASj7wqm5WxSFoVaJJjZGpbSeKve42TAol+RY9R7U X47hlTQgTGyyaWEaSUWjAAAh+QQBBwACACwAAAAADwAPAAACNpQdmceSAOFiIVp5KlD7bdR11RM41ylpUqSG6EV6KDkMCoeN9h7Y n9nhaUog0ZCYaXUaSUWjAAAh+QQBBwACACwAAAAADwAPAAACNJQdmceSAOFiIVp56r0ByadgGkh+lgagqbpFJHtWwTAooZjW+ix7 6z7KfB6rBtHVaSBsjQIAIfkEAQcAAgAsAAAAAA8ADwAAAjaUHZnHkgDhYiFaeSpQ+23UddUTONcpaVKkhuhFeig5DAqHjfYe2J/Z4WlKINGQmGl1GklFowAAOw==

[Monkeypunch]

Pacific Rim - Can I just say "Holy crap?" This was EPIC. This was like the big budget blockbuster version of all those movies I used to watch on Creature Double Feature on WLVI in Boston. It so immerses you in it's world of giant friggin' monsters vs. giant friggin' robots that it becomes almost hallucinatory. My eyesight is actually kind of wonky right now after finishing it. It's also beautifully, quirkily shot by the Mexican Genius Guillermo del Toro, artful set ups and big honkin' payoffs. THIS is how you make a monster movie. Can't imagine the new Godzilla movie being better than this. No way.

[mark f]

The Match King (Howard Bretherton & William Keighley, 1932) 2.5
Oil for the Lamps of China (Mervyn LeRoy, 1935) 2.5-
The Song of a Nation (Frank McDonald, 1936) 2.5
The Front Page (Lewis Milestone, 1931) 3+
http://blog.timesunion.com/movies/wp-content/blogs.dir/160/files/movies-about-newspapers/news-thefrontpage1.jpg
Executive Suite (Robert Wise, 1954) 3+
Patterns (Fielder Cook, 1956) 3+
The Power and the Prize (Henry Koster, 1956) 2.5
Eyes Without a Face (Georges Franju, 1960) 2.5
http://www.artguide.com/uploads/gallery_450w/uploads/article/gallery/s/28gYEiJi.jpg
The Three Musketeers (Stephen Herek, 1993) 2.5
So Your Wife Wants to Work (Richard Bare, 1956) 2.5
A Knight’s Tale (Brian Helgeland, 2001) 2.5
Mary and Max (Adam Elliot, 2009) 3.5+
http://data3.whicdn.com/images/46544597/tumblr_mc4uj9Cvj01qc2bleo1_500_original.gif
The Law and the Lab (Francis Dinsmoor, 1956) 2
Anatomy (Stefan Ruzowitzky, 2000) 2.5
Love Crazy (Jack Conway, 1941) 3
Bambi (David Hand, 1942) 3.5+
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m04zmbmgRg1qerpyko1_500.gif
A Dream of Love (James A. FitzPatrick, 1938) 2
Bella (Alejandro Monteverde, 2006) 2
Underworld (Josef von Sternberg, 1927) 2.5
College (James W. Horne & Buster Keaton, 1927) 3.5
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIyNFgxNTAw/z/b~QAAMXQWlFRonGi/$(KGrHqNHJEwFGT3bpvM9BRonGi,Qmg~~60_1.JPG

[Godoggo]

Glad to see your Mary and Max rating, Mark. I am incredibly fond of that movie.

[Sinny McGuffins]

Stalker (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1979)
4

Fitzcarraldo (Werner Herzog, 1982)
4

[The Gunslinger45]

My weekend so far:

Faces 2

Dark City 3

Thor: The Dark World 4

Stalker 5 and the best movie I have ever seen. Not my favorite, but definitely one of the highest peaks of cinematic art from my humble point of view.

[mark f]

You guys make me feel like I'm an alien here. You and everybody at the other thread who's impressed by Stalker. It doesn't mean anything, but...
From last Sunday:
Stalker (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1979) 2
Make that "crazy alien". :)

[The Gunslinger45]

You guys make me feel like I'm an alien here. You and everybody at the other thread who's impressed by Stalker. It doesn't mean anything, but...
From last Sunday:

Make that "crazy alien". :)

Hey I am the guy who thinks Inglorious Basterds was a flaming turd and Pulp Fiction is overrated. If anyone is an alien here it is me! :p

[bluedeed]

Hey I am the guy who thinks Inglorious Basterds was a flaming turd and Pulp Fiction is overrated. If anyone is an alien here it is me! :p

But you're absolutely right about Pulp Fiction, and Inglorious Basterds was definitely on fire.

[Mr Minio]

You guys make me feel like I'm an alien here. You and everybody at the other thread who's impressed by Stalker. It doesn't mean anything, but...
From last Sunday:

Make that "crazy alien". :)

Arthouse lovers are taking over the site! Bend over and embrace our power!

[The Gunslinger45]

But you're absolutely right about Pulp Fiction, and Inglorious Basterds was definitely on fire.

Oh good it is not just me.

[Mr Minio]

Not a fan of Pulp Fiction neither, but Inglorious Basterds I loved.

[The Gunslinger45]

Arthouse lovers are taking over the site! Bend over and embrace our power!

Yeah but I still love me some Marvel superhero movies though! :D

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9R3Rq6Pso4w/T08go5zJO5I/AAAAAAAABo8/RJ4HccWxM0M/s1600/The-Avengers-2012-Movie-Poster2-600x888.jpg

[Daniel M]

Shut up all of you, you don't know what you're talking about, both are fantastic ;)

[bluedeed]

Arthouse lovers are taking over the site! Bend over and embrace our power!

I approve of this right down to the kinky innuendo!

[mark f]

Don't get too cocky. I can get you guys and David Bordwell banned in a second. :) "You could be a trifle polite."

[Sane]

Stalker 5 and the best movie I have ever seen. Not my favorite, but definitely one of the highest peaks of cinematic art from my humble point of view.
That's a really good way to describe it. I struggle a little with Tarkovsky's films - I can't help but be stunned from a visual perspective and Stalker is amazing in that respect. The only problem I have is that, to me, his films lack a bit of heart - I don't connect with them emotionally. Still, I gave Stalker 8/10 because it is so great visually that it kept me engrossed.

[Mr Minio]

I can get you guys and David Bordwell banned in a second. :) Blackmail! We can imprison you and make you watch Stalker until you rate it 5 stars.

[mark f]

If I watch it one more time and add up the three watches that would make, I'd be at 5. :)

[Lucas]

So far this week I've seen:

One hour photo 4

The Fountain 3

Rear Window 2.5

and Robocop 4

[bluedeed]

Blackmail! We can imprison you and make you watch Stalker until you rate it 5 stars.

Make it 6!

[Lucas]

Stalker 5 and the best movie I have ever seen. Not my favorite, but definitely one of the highest peaks of cinematic art from my humble point of view.


Yeah Stalker really is one of the best films ever made. I give it a 4.5. A rewatch might be necessary in the future. I watched it on a computer screen, and I think maybe viewing it on a TV might be an entirely different experience altogether.

[The Gunslinger45]

Yeah Stalker really is one of the best films ever made. I give it a 4.5. A rewatch might be necessary in the future. I watched it on a computer screen, and I think maybe viewing it on a TV might be an entirely different experience altogether.

I was unable to watch it on full screen on YouTube, looking forward for a rewatch via DVD. But yeah that movie is awesome!

[Tyler1]

http://artsonline.monash.edu.au/mojo/files/2013/09/Frances-Ha-01-e1380176062772.jpg

Frances Ha (Baumbach, 2012) - 3.5

Mes Petites Amoureuses (Eustache, 1974) - 3.5+

Times and Winds (Erdem, 2006) - 2

The Free Will (Glasner, 2006) - 4.5

*On a side note, I'm so pumped for the 2nd match of the World Chess Championship. The first ended in a draw and I hope Anand would win this round. :yup:

[Tyler1]

I was unable to watch it on full screen on YouTube, looking forward for a rewatch via DVD. But yeah that movie is awesome!

The quality of Stalker on YT is much better than that on the KINO DVD. You should watch it on YT. :)

[JayDee]

Thor: The Dark World 4


Nice to see that you gave The Dark World thor out of thive!



:facepalm: I'll get my coat! :p (and yes I may have stolen that from somewhere :D)

[The Gunslinger45]

Nice to see that you gave The Dark World thor out of thive!



:facepalm: I'll get my coat! :p (and yes I may have stolen that from somewhere :D)

dude bad pun. lol

[Lucas]

Oh god that pun made me laugh harder than it should have. Good one JayDee.

[Guaporense]

if i watch it one more time and add up the three watches that would make, i'd be at 5. :)

lol

[Guaporense]

Stalker 5 and the best movie I have ever seen. Not my favorite, but definitely one of the highest peaks of cinematic art from my humble point of view.

Indeed. It has an incredibly powerful atmosphere.

It's the most visually impressive live action film I ever watched and my favorite color film.

That's a really good way to describe it. I struggle a little with Tarkovsky's films - I can't help but be stunned from a visual perspective and Stalker is amazing in that respect. The only problem I have is that, to me, his films lack a bit of heart - I don't connect with them emotionally. Still, I gave Stalker 8/10 because it is so great visually that it kept me engrossed.

Russians are a bit harder than other peoples: they are not very external about their emotions and so films like this tend to be less easy to digest from a western perspective. But I regard Stalker to be one of the most accessible and entertaining films Tarkovsky made.

I identified with the characters in Stalker because they look a bit like people I know. The writer character looks a bit like my father and the whole feeling of the film reminded me of the vibe of the 1980's, since I was born in the late 1980's this cultural vibe resonates with me.

Yeah Stalker really is one of the best films ever made. I give it a 4.5. A rewatch might be necessary in the future. I watched it on a computer screen, and I think maybe viewing it on a TV might be an entirely different experience altogether.

I see. I am very glad that a movie that I nominated for the Hall of Fame is being loved by people here. :)

[TokeZa]

http://cinemasights.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/mirror-flameofcuriosity.jpg

This week in movies:

The Mirror (1975) by Andrei Tarkovsky 5

Summer Hours (2008) by Olivier Assayas 3+

Days of Heaven (1978) by Terrence Malick 3.5+

The Blood of a Poet (1930) by Jean Cocteau 3+

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010) by Apichatpong Weerasethakul (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apichatpong_Weerasethakul) 4

Persona (1966) by Ingmar Bergman 5

At Berkeley (2013) by Frederick Wiseman 3+

Our Nixon (2013) by Penny Lane 3

Apicula Enigma (2013) by Marine Hugonnier 2

Hair (2012) by Agnieszka Polska 0 (I left the theater after 25 min, even though it was a short)

Disorder (2009) by Huang Weikai with music by Snöleoparden 3.5+

Jodorowsky's Dune (2013) by Frank Pavich 3+

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) By Stanley Kubrick 4.5

Stone Roses: Made of Stone (2013) by Shane Meadows 1

Chung Kuo, Cina (1972) by Michelangelo Antonioni 3.5

[mark f]

Straight to Hell [Returns] (Alex Cox, 1987/2010) 1 (basically Straight to Hell Redux)
Hell Ride (Larry Bishop, 2008) 1.5
Hearts of the West (Howard Zieff, 1975) 3
Tabu: A Story of the South Seas (F.W. Murnau, 1931) 2.5
http://www.rowthree.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Tabu-1.jpg
Night Key (Lloyd Corrigan, 1937) 2
Within Our Gates (Oscar Micheaux, 1920) 2+
Rawhide (Henry Hathaway, 1951) 2
The Natural (Barry Levinson, 1984) 3.5
http://kinofilms.tv/images/films/8/7298/big/1.jpg
Congo Maisie (H.C.Potter, 1940) 2
Sergeant Rutledge (John Ford, 1960) 3
The Reformer and the Redhead (Melvin Frank & Norman Panama, 1950) 2
Gold Diggers of 1933 (Mervyn LeRoy, 1933) 3+
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zYR5wpxHk8g/T9X2lDYu31I/AAAAAAAAAC0/XKpjz9RUML8/s1600/digger2.jpg
Fear and Desire (Stanley Kubrick, 1953) 2
Calgary Stampede (Saul Elkins, 1948) 2.5
The Docks of New York (Josef von Sternberg, 1928) 2.5
The Lost Boys (Joel Schumacher, 1987) 3+
http://www.moovie.cc/images/movies/14349/2.jpg
10 Things I Hate About You (Gil Junger, 1999) 3-
Across 110th Street (Barry Shear, 1972) 2.5
The Slams (Jonathan Kaplan, 1973) 2.5
Disco Godfather (J. Robert Wagoner, 1979) 1.5 Camp Rating: 4
http://24hourstomidnight.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/2090112269_a809352936.jpg

[Mr Minio]

Nice to see that you gave The Dark World thor out of thive! I think you've got a dentist appointment. At tooth hurty!

[Daniel M]

Out of interest Mark how do you rate Killer's Kiss and The Killing from Kubrick?

[mark f]

Killer's Kiss 2.5 - Pretty good example of how to make an ultra-low budget movie with basically a non-existent story and lots of cinematic invention and great cinematography.

http://thehollywoodprojects.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/poor-al.png?w=300&h=225 http://www.gmanreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/The-Killing-300x230.jpg


The Killing 3+ - Takes Killer's Kiss's flashback structure to outlandish extremes and adds a real story with lots more substance, reminiscent in many ways to Huston's The Asphalt Jungle. The narrator this time is anonymous and not a central character.

Both are endlessly interesting in the context of Kubrick's development and arrival as an important filmmaker.

[Daniel M]

Killer's Kiss 2.5 - Pretty good example of how to make an ultra-low budget movie with basically a non-existent story and lots of cinematic invention and great cinematography.

http://thehollywoodprojects.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/poor-al.png?w=300&h=225 http://www.gmanreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/The-Killing-300x230.jpg


The Killing 3+ - Takes Killer's Kiss's flashback structure to outlandish extremes and adds a real story with lots more substance, reminiscent in many ways to Huston's The Asphalt Jungle. The narrator this time is anonymous and not a central character.

Both are endlessly interesting in the context of Kubrick's development and arrival as an important filmmaker.

I remember you watched Killer's Kiss quite recently actually and you made a little comment about the cinematography, I'd probably give it the same rating, it's not that good, but I think it gets better and when you get to the building scenes (if I remember correctly), it improves and there are quite a few enjoyable bits where you can see Kubrick's talent. I'd give The Killing 3.5, so pretty similar to your rating once again, I know you love Paths of Glory too and it's pretty awesome to think how he made that film one year after it.

[mark f]

Paths of Glory is practically a perfect film. One can quibble about the acting and the dialogue being occasionally too extreme in a certain direction, but it's amazingly economical, visceral and powerful in my opinion.

[JayDee]

Disco Godfather (J. Robert Wagoner, 1979) 1.5 Camp Rating: 4

Never heard of this film before but that title and the high camp rating make me highly intrigued :D

[mark f]

Oh man, it has some crazy stuff. The godfather inhales PCP from that gas mask in the photo and hallucinates about zombies and his aunt! There's crummy disco and kung fu, horrible acting and haircuts, preachy anti-drug rallies and exorcisms with gospel singers, etc. Too bad most of it's just plain bad.

[JayDee]

Oh man, it has some crazy stuff. The godfather inhales PCP from that gas mask in the photo and hallucinates about zombies and his aunt! There's crummy disco and kung fu, horrible acting and haircuts, preachy anti-drug rallies and exorcisms with gospel singers, etc. Too bad most of it's just plain bad.

:eek: That sounds truly epic!!! I think I should pencil it in as my new favourite movie ever right now.

[linespalsy]

Before we were married or even dating, my wife brought what she thought was Disco Godfather over to a movie night at a mutual friend's house. The wrong tape was in the box, though (she'd bought it at a thrift store the same day), and we ended up with Dolemite. From the sound of it I wish we had seen Disco Gadfather instead.

[mark f]

The Distant Drummer: Flowers of Darkness (William Templeton, 1972) 2.5
The Devil’s Needle (Chester Withey, 1916) 2 (artist becomes heroin addict and goes mad)
Travels with My Aunt (George Cukor, 1972) 2.5
Persuasion (Roger Michell, 1995) 3
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1x7luq0F11qzq5rv.jpg
So You Think You're Allergic (Richard L. Bare, 1945) 2.5-
Knights of the Round Table (Richard Thorpe, 1953) 2.5+
Witchcraft (Don Sharp, 1964) 2.5
Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1942) oh, screw it! 4.5
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r5UAGPFANbc/T8vuXtxKvZI/AAAAAAAADrc/LMEmttpafkw/s1600/Casablanca+(1942)1.gif
Little White Lie (Paul Burnford, 1945) 2
The Titfield Thunderbolt (Charles Crichton, 1953) 3+
Monte Walsh (William A. Fraker, 1970) 3
High Plains Drifter (Clint Eastwood, 1973) 3
http://la-pellicule-brule.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/l-homme-des-hautes-plaines4-e1329656361718.jpg
Deadline - U.S.A. (Richard Brooks, 1952) 3-
The Enforcer (Bretaigne Windust, 1951) 3
Go West (Buster Keaton, 1925) 3-
An Eastern Westerner (Hal Roach, 1920) 3
http://prettycleverfilms.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/harold-lloyd-an-eastern-westerner-pretty-clever-films.jpg
Paris on Parade (James A. FitzPatrick, 1938) 3
Glimpses of Australia (James A. FitzPatrick, 1939) 2.5
The Cars That Ate Paris (Peter Weir, 1974) 2
Walkabout (Nicolas Roeg, 1971) 2.5
http://michaelgloversmith.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/walkabout.png?w=490&h=275

[Daniel M]

Caché (Michael Haneke, 2005) 5

http://www.moviemail.com/images/large/17438_5-Hidden-Cache.JPG

Wow, what a film. I thought this would be the type of film I would enjoy, but even with certain expectations the film was a lot different to what I expected. It's a cliché but I haven not stopped thinking about this film since I first saw it, like it or not, it's a film that stays with you for much longer than the viewing.

I have seen the film pretty much twice now, individual scenes many times more. Much like the tapes that play a huge part in the films story, I find myself rewinding the film, looking to find something that I might have missed.

The film is definitely one of the most effective thrillers I have seen (not a conventional, action thriller, but this is still the most appropriate adjective) in the way there is a dark, tense and creepy atmosphere throughout, with suspense building all the way through as we scratch our heads hoping to solve the mystery. The film deals with a lot of issues that play a bigger part than the plot and answers themselves, questions of guilt, paranoia, responsibility, all taken to the next level by the excellent acting on show from the likes of Daniel Auteuil and Maurice Bénichou.

The film leaves you with many questions, I won't discuss them much and spoil the film for those you have not seen it, even the title itself poises us a question, what exactly is hidden? Whilst dissecting certain scenes and facts that the film gives us, the answer to the questions might become clearer, but even then it is impossible to say, some might find this frustrating, but that is the point. Also the film has what I found to be genuinely one of the most shocking scenes I have ever scene, it honestly surprised me, and those who have seen it should know what I am talking about.

Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino, 2012) 4 RW

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2013/1/16/1358352976188/Django-Unchained-010.jpg

I had already watched this a couple of times last year when it was released, but I watched it again last night as it was on Sky Movies, and my rating is pretty much the same - well, okay, it's lower, but I am trying to refine my ratings and my actual thoughts on the film pretty much remain about the same.

It's a whole lot of fun, and definitely one of the most entertaining films in modern times. It has it's flaws, the editing is proper pure Tarantino just throwing in everything he finds fun, and some of the cuts are pretty bad (the killing of the Brittle brother as he rides across a field, and that woman in the house), but as a deliberately over top and delightful homage to Westerns and films in general, it's an trip that you can not help but go along with. I enjoyed the first half better than the second this time, which is probably the main difference in viewings, particularly the small role of Don Johnson as 'Big Daddy'.

I caught quite a bit of Kill Bill Vol. 1 also on Sky before I watched this too, another great Tarantino film that I think I actually like more on each viewing, the direction, stunts, editing etc. is brilliant, and it really does feel like some type of fantasy comic book brought too life.

Goodfellas (Martin Scorsese, 1990) 5 RW

http://www.themovies.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/goodfellas1_group.jpg

I have seen this a couple of times before, and I had already had this down as a great film, but this viewing just seemed so much better than was ever possible.

Since my last viewing I have been tempted to change the rating of this to a 4.5 or 4, but now I have to ask myself, why? This really is cinema at it's very best, there's just so many brilliant moments in the film. It has to be one of the funniest films that I have any seen, I found myself laughing almost all the way through.

There's just so much to love about this film, it really is cinema at it's best and I would honestly say now this could be one of my very favourite films, one that will be very high up come my next top 100. The performances are fantastic, the script is filled with great lines and some of the funniest moments ever, the soundtrack is one of my all time favourites and a lot of scenes feel like mini masterpieces in themsleves, I noticed a lot more this time some of the skill behind particular shots that help weave the film together so seamlessly, some of the tracking shots (when Henry takes Karen to the resturaunt) are great. The film is just full of energy, and for a story that covers many years and characters, it flies by.

Frost/Nixon (Ron Howard, 2008) 3

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2009/1/17/1232222239488/Michael-Sheen-FrostNixon--001.jpg

A good film, yes, but it wasn't as great as I hoped it would be. I just felt that the story took too long to get to where it wanted to be, and there wasn't really any enjoyable suspense to help it on its way, and once it got there I was not really over excited by what should of been the best moment. The performances were good, but the portrayal of David Frost's character did not really make him all that likeable to me, I would say that it actually showed Nixon in a better light. An interesting film, for the story behind it, but not much much more, I will probably take a look at the actual tapes sometime in the future if possible.

[donniedarko]

Wow, four great films Daniel (nice write ups to)! Imo Frost/Nixon is the best of the lot though

[bluedeed]

The film is definitely one of the most effective thrillers I have seen (not a conventional, action thriller, but this is still the most appropriate adjective) in the way there is a dark, tense and creepy atmosphere throughout, with suspense building all the way through as we scratch our heads hoping to solve the mystery. The film deals with a lot of issues that play a bigger part than the plot and answers themselves, questions of guilt, paranoia, responsibility, all taken to the next level by the excellent acting on show from the likes of Daniel Auteuil and Maurice Bénichou.

The film leaves you with many questions, I won't discuss them much and spoil the film for those you have not seen it, even the title itself poises us a question, what exactly is hidden? Whilst dissecting certain scenes and facts that the film gives us, the answer to the questions might become clearer, but even then it is impossible to say, some might find this frustrating, but that is the point. Also the film has what I found to be genuinely one of the most shocking scenes I have ever scene, it honestly surprised me, and those who have seen it should know what I am talking about.

I tend to think of most Haneke films as horror films with an astute visual design. They're darn effective horror movies too, really terrifying. While I don't think Cache is as good as Code Unknown, it's still a great film and deserves watching even if all you see is the last scene.

[Daniel M]

Wow, four great films Daniel (nice write ups to)! Imo Frost/Nixon is the best of the lot though

I knew you like all four of those films Donnie, especially Frost/Nixon, so sorry that is the lowest rated. I did enjoy it, just not as much as you :)

Anyway, something random, and it's probably nothing, but is this the same guy in Caché? In the first screen capture he looks very suspicious in the scene, the second one he's merely in the background but otherwise the scene doesn't do much in the overall context of the film considering Georges has already been there, but the film deliberately shows two people walking through the door. Obviously you could never prove it has any significance, but I just thought it was interesting outside the normal theories I have read about the film.

http://imageshack.us/a/img199/1755/6nam.png

[donniedarko]

Nice catch with the suspicious look, but it doesn't look like the same guy to me. Have you considered the boss as a possibility. I thought it was a very suspicious scene when when he said he got the tape and then confiscated it. Maybe a competitive move or something, just a scene that stood out from when it first showed for me.

[honeykid]

Stone Roses: Made of Stone (2013) by Shane Meadows 1
Why so low, TokeZa?

[TokeZa]

Why so low, TokeZa?

In my perspective it was what we in Danish would call "bestillingsarbejde". It seems as if it was made purely out of promotional reasons, in relation to their reunion, and was just another way of squeezing a few extra bucks out of their fans.

Stylistically i thought i was quite messy, with shifts in between color and B/W, and with fanboyish shots / commentaries from the director. There is nearly no content in the movie and when the movie gets a tad interesting, the drummer leaves a show in Europe and the rest of the tour is cancelled, the director isn't even able to get commentaries from the band, instead he shoots himself in a diary kind of way. He is not even close to the subject he is documenting.

From a personal perspective, being a part of the DIY scene in Copenhagen, it was just a reminder of how much i genuinely hate commercialization of music. All in all i would rather watch old youtube videos of The Stone Roses than watching this again.

[honeykid]

Thanks for the reply, TokeZa. If you have 20 minutes, I'd be interested on your reaction to this.

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/fivelive/kermode/kermode_20130531-1057a.mp3

Go to 30 minutes for the beginning of the interview and review.

[Sinny McGuffins]

Withnail & I (Bruce Robinson, 1987)
3

It Happened One Night (Frank Capra, 1934)
2.5


http://www.operadisc.com/images/immagini_opere/amadeus.jpg

Amadeus (Milos Forman, 1984) (Director's Cut)
4

[TokeZa]

Thanks for the reply, TokeZa. If you have 20 minutes, I'd be interested on your reaction to this.

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/fivelive/kermode/kermode_20130531-1057a.mp3

Go to 30 minutes for the beginning of the interview and review.

My initial thought is that it pretty much confirms my view of the film. Even though he is a fanboy. As far as i recall, there is not a single sequence in the film, on why the director loves The Stone Roses so much, instead there is a ridiculous clip of him, filming a concert, saying "This is freaking awesome" or something similar to that. There is also a lot of (unnecessary) clips of agitated fans which could just as easily have been taken from a movie about One Direction. We never really get under the skin of either the fans, the band or the director. If i wasn't into the music i could easily, just have seen some documentary praising "insert mainstream musician" by MTV or the like.

In the interview he says that he really haven't made any documentaries or knew what he was going into. But the narrative in the documentary is so clear cut that i simply have a hard time believing that it is not primarily promotion.

Im not sure you can compare it, but i would say that Last Days Here about Pentagrams lead singer is what i would call an intimate love letter to music and the band. Now that's a good documentary with a fanboyish perspective.

[rauldc14]

Withnail & I (Bruce Robinson, 1987)
3

It Happened One Night (Frank Capra, 1934)
2.5


http://www.operadisc.com/images/immagini_opere/amadeus.jpg

Amadeus (Milos Forman, 1984) (Director's Cut)
4

Just put of curiosity, what didn't you like about It Happened One Night? It is one of my favorites of all time!

[mark f]

The Set-Up (Robert Wise, 1949) 3
Beware, My Lovely (Harry Horner, 1952) 2
The Little Prince (Stanley Donen, 1974) 3
Crossfire (Edward Dmytryk, 1947) 3
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VFu6iw996Fo/TxcAclHG8VI/AAAAAAAABdU/lzxuUjiul9g/s1600/crossfire.jpg
Bad Day at Black Rock (John Sturges, 1955) 3.5
Sierra (Alfred E. Green, 1950) 2
The Plague Dogs (Martin Rosen, 1982) 3.5
Jesus Christ Superstar (Norman Jewison, 1973) 4
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KZsio1KTsk4/UMmPZvrPn-I/AAAAAAAAAXs/9JfKihVH7vY/s1600/jesuschristsuperstar01.jpg
South Pacific (Joshua Logan, 1958) 3.5
Paranormal Activity (Oren Peli, 2007) 1.5
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky, 2012) 3
Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975) 5
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mapvzc6rIt1qaxm50o1_500.gif
Unstoppable (Tony Scott, 2010) 3
Bright Lights (Busby Berkeley, 1935) 2.5
I Live for Love (Busby Berkeley, 1935) 2
Enter the Dragon (Robert Clouse, 1973) 3
http://oi54.tinypic.com/veqf4o.jpg
In Caliente (Lloyd Bacon, 1935) 2+
Stage Struck (Busby Berkeley, 1936) 2
Poppy (A. Edward Sutherland, 1936) 2.5
You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man (George Marshall, 1939) 3
https://lh6.ggpht.com/RSeezMbpH6D0LW8IDy4QkrrCBLwl1qxK9K_hK0xRfVpaSWb9uQY11O_R87JoDeMDIZ8=h310

[honeykid]

Thanks again, TokeZa. You mentioning fanboys is what made me remember that interview and I think you see the film the same way as those talking about it, with the major exception that they love it all while, for you, it appears to be everything that's wrong with the film and, from what I gather, much of the music industry at large.

I was just interested to see what you thought of hearing a couple of people who saw it the way you did, but loved it instead of hating it. :)

The only thing I would point out is that I doubt that it was made as cynically as you suggest, simply because it's made by Shane Meadows.

[Mr Minio]

mark f probably knows Jaws by heart.

[Skepsis93]

mark f probably knows Jaws by heart.

That's actually an interesting point. What are your viewings of Jaws and other established favourites like, Mark? Do you still get something new from them or is it just like spending time with old friends? I just realised I have no idea what it's like to know a film as well as I assume you know those by now.

[Mr Minio]

I bet he watches the movie and says everything characters are supposed to say 5 seconds before. xD

[Sinny McGuffins]

Just put of curiosity, what didn't you like about It Happened One Night? It is one of my favorites of all time!I liked it up until about half way, but started to lose interest when the love story began to take shape. I know it was made in the early thirties, so maybe it was different at the time, but the last act was very predictable and I didn't feel like it was handled well enough for me to care. It was OK though, glad I've finally watched it (been meaning to for a while now), but I just think it's dated and hasn't stood the test of time.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

all ratings out of 100
*=rewatch

Pscyho - 90

Trainspotting - 58

A Woman Under the Influence - 80: Gena Rowlands gave an unbelievable performance

Husbands - 50: had it's moments, but overall it was incredibly boring

The Godfather - 83: had some dull moments, but overall pretty great

Mikey and Nicky - 82

Michael Clayton - 59: had a few alright parts, but i never remotely cared

Minnie and Moskowitz - 79

The Emperor's New Groove* - 71: some great voice acting, and really entertaining

Sleepwalk with Me - 72: pretty amusing

Opening Night - 83: my favorite cassavetes, and possibly his most interesting

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie - 62: i found myself pretty bored by the end, but in the beginning i was pretty entertained

Love Streams - 66: maybe i was just tired, but i found it hard to stay awake by the end of this. i definitely felt a lot of the same things that make cassavetes films great, but i felt a lot of the things that make them boring, too.

Gloria - 82: very different for cassavetes, but it was cool seeing him out of his comfort zone a bit, yet still making it his.

Dressed to Kill - 75: has some fantastic sequences, but the acting and the awful script and some truly stupid moments kind of prevent this one from being great.

Becket - 73

The Big Picture - 59: christopher guest's weakest that i've seen

To Live and Die in LA - 68: i dunno, it just wasn't interesting or exciting for a thriller. that car chase was great, though.

Lost in America - 87: awesome comedy. albert brooks is amazing.

Stranger than Paradise - 60: i don't think i got this one. it seemed kind of boring to me, but it had a cool feel, i guess.

Mystery Train - 70: definitely got better as it went along

Down By Law - 85: really cool movie. jarmusch's style is perfect here.

Blow Out - 74: was lacking the great scenes that made dressed to kill good, but it only had some of the stupidity.

Night Shift - 74: was pretty funny, but not funny enough to be at all memorable

Out of the Blue - 85: the first and last scene alone make this movie great, and the stuff in between was good too.

The American President - 57: had some good lines, but felt too much like an episode of full house most of the time.

Body Double - 77: very interesting, but the execution was pretty inconsistent

The Elephant Man - 71: at times i felt like i loved it, but it made me cringe too often at how sappy and over-dramatic it was.

The Untouchables - 79: a de palma thriller that wasn't heavily flawed in the writing and acting department

Casualties of War - 69: generally good performances and stuff, but something about the plot felt too obvious and it was way too dramatic most of the time. also, that last scene was really stupid.

Dead Poet's Society - 56: kind of entertaining, until you start thinking about how stupid it is.

Bottle Rocket - 81: incredibly likable

Fanny and Alexander - 70: i guess i didn't get this one either, but i found the first half really boring. it definitely picked up a bit, though, or maybe i just wasn't as tired.

Raise the Red Lantern - 74: the film itself would be incredibly boring, but the cinematography is simply amazing

The Social Network* - 72: i liked it better this time, but i really don't like aaron sorkin dialogue, and i found mark zuckerburg really annoying.

Hannah and Her Sisters - 69: not really very funny, and most of the time i didn't see anything special.

Se7en - 94: really exciting thriller with some great twists, even if i already had most of them spoiled for me already

The Godfather Part II - 84: i was kind of bored in the beginning, but the last half was full of greatness

Stardust Memories - 70: eh

The Purple Rose of Cairo - 82: everything about this movie is so likable and charming, especially jeff daniels

Crimes and Misdemeanors - 80: didn't love the beginning, but definitely one of allen's more thought-proking and meaningful films.

Zelig - 59: it just wasn't that funny, and even the best lines barely amounted to smiles. i did like the style and the story, though.

Radio Days - 81: i wasn't even alive when this film was made, but it made me feel nostalgic for the old days.

Another Woman - 55: i love gena rowlands, but her performance here really kind of brought this movie down.




if you want me to go in-depth on any of them, i could try.

[Gabrielle947]

Godfather?Dull moments?How dare you? :D

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

there were very, very few, and i never lost interest, but yes, i was slightly bored at a couple moments. nothing too bad, though.

[mark f]

Men Are Such Fools (Busby Berkeley, 1938) 2
Fast and Furious (Busby Berkeley, 1939) 2.5
Blonde Inspiration (Busby Berkeley, 1941) 2+
The Go Getter (Busby Berkeley, 1937) 3
http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/images/film/the-go-getter--2/w448/the-go-getter--2.jpg?1301211699
The Man Who Knew Too Much (Alfred Hitchcock, 1934) 2+
The Party (Blake Edwards, 1968) 2.5
The Island (Michael Ritchie, 1980) 2.5
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Stanley Kubrick, 1964) 5
http://cdn0.dailydot.com/uploaded/images/original/2013/6/13/nickgif.gif
The New Kids (Sean S. Cunningham, 1985) 2
Union Station (Rudolph Maté, 1950) 2.5+
Modern Romance (Albert Brooks, 1981) 3-
Gate of Hell (Teinosuke Kinugasa, 1953) 3
http://pixhost.me/avaxhome/a7/84/002684a7_medium.jpeg
Wandering Here and There (James A. FitzPatrick, 1944) 2.5
Now, Voyager (Irving Rapper, 1942) 3
The Dark Mirror (Robert Siodmak, 1946) 3
The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea (Lewis John Carlino, 1976) 3.5
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F7U17RlwihU/T9jtI4K_naI/AAAAAAAAFZA/cnHPWrNikic/s400/sailor5.png
Ghosts... of the Civil Dead (John Hillcoat, 1988) 2+
When a Stranger Calls (Fred Walton, 1979) 2 (watch first 22 min., skip the rest)
When a Stranger Calls (Simon West, 2006) 2
Brief Encounter (David Lean, 1945) 3.5-
http://thumbnails66.imagebam.com/18535/e776ce185344552.jpg

[The Gunslinger45]

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Stanley Kubrick, 1964) 5
http://cdn0.dailydot.com/uploaded/images/original/2013/6/13/nickgif.gif


I think we both know where I stand on this movie... BRILLIANT!

[Harry Lime]

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Stanley Kubrick, 1964) 5


Finally you get one right!

[gandalf26]

Zomg Mark F awarded 5/5. Take a look folks you may never see this again.

[edarsenal]

actually, lightning struck twice: one page back, Jaws 5 but then, that IS mark's fav

[mark f]

Gun to Gun (D. Ross Lederman, 1944) 2+
The Prince of Tides (Barbra Streisand, 1991) 3.5
The White Diamond (Werner Herzog, 2004) 2.5
The Monster Squad (Fred Dekker, 1987) 3
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llsm5uFDHP1qb7328o1_r6_500.gif
Side by Side (Christopher Kenneally, 2012) 3-
Project X (Jonathan Kaplan, 1987) 3
Badman’s Country (Fred F. Sears, 1958) 2
Sweet Smell of Success (Alexander Mackendrick, 1957) 3.5
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8bfrlWWaW1qcay1ao1_500.gif
Professional Sweetheart (William A. Seiter, 1933) 2
Rafter Romance (William A. Seiter, 1933) 2.5
Sing and Like It (William A. Seiter, 1934) 2+
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (John Sturges, 1957) 3.5+ ('Bones' McCoy as Wyatt Earp's brother)
http://img2.mlstatic.com/dvd-sem-lei-e-sem-alma-burt-lancaster-kirk-douglas-orig-novo_MLB-O-3581537033_122012.jpg
We’re Rich Again (William A. Seiter, 1934) 2
The Life of the Party (William A. Seiter, 1937) 2
Destroyer (William A. Seiter, 1943) 2 (farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish ladies)
I Like It Like That (Darnell Martin, 1994) 3
http://netflowers.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/lauren-velez-28.jpg
Jane Austen's Mafia! (Jim Abrahams, 1998) 2+
Timecrimes (Nacho Vigolando, 2007) 3.5-
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (Oliver Stone, 2010) 2.5
The Fearless Vampire Killers aka Dance of the Vampires (Roman Polanski, 1967) 3
http://cdn1.cdnme.se/cdn/8-2/569081/images/2008/sharontate_17794144.jpg
http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lt55fhAEQm1qdx4k4o1_500.gif

[Daniel M]

Some interesting films there Mark, I give Side by Side the same rating, although I thought it was very interesting too watch, then I love Sweet Smell of Success, which is one of the films I am actually a little surprised you didn't give slightly higher despite 3.5 being a very good rating.

The Fearless Vampire Killers looks interesting too, because I like Polanski but also because my old IT teacher also liked him as a director and said it was her favourite film in general, although people seem to have different opinions on it, I know Donnie dislikes it although he loves Polanski.

[Mingusings]

Before Midnight (2013): 3_5
We're the Millers (2013): 2_5-
The Kings of Summer (2013): 3_5-
Captain Phillips (2013): 3+
Blue is the Warmest Color (2013): 3_5

[Skepsis93]

*Rewatch

Elizabeth (Shekhar Kapur, 1998) 3.5+
Educating Rita (Lewis Gilbert, 1983) 3.5
My Beautiful Laundrette (Stephen Frears, 1985) 3
Rashômon* (Akira Kurosawa, 1950) 4
Don't Look Now (Nicolas Roeg, 1973) 3.5
Orlando (Sally Potter, 1992) 3.5
Ju Dou (Yang Fengliang & Xhang Yimou, 1990) 3.5-
Blow Out (Brian De Palma, 1981) 3.5

http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/images/2011/06/Dont-Look-Now-5.jpg

[The Gunslinger45]

+Rep for Rashomon

[Daniel M]

Swap your ratings for Rashomon and Blow Out and you have a decent post ;)

[Gabrielle947]

Some stuff:

Pineapple Express (2008) 2
A Fish Called Wanda (1988) 2
Charlies Angels (2000) 3.5
The Beach (2000) 3 :/
Bicycle Thieves (1948) 3
Forrest Gump (1994) 5

Requiem for a Dream (2000) - this movie made my top 100 list but I have mixed feelings.To start with,I think it's a perfect mood movie.The music,the acting (which was I think much much better towards the end),the weird and unconventional camera angles allows us to see the world of an addict from their point of view.I mean,the movie is so insane,it's full of adrenaline and these hallucinations and it's all so well-done.I cried at the end not because I was sorry for the characters but basically the cinematography was just too much to take.

But I think it lacks storytelling.It seems that the movie tries to conclude itself and shove the message as soon as possible and it doesn't do much for development.It's way too fast.Add the fact that's it's surreal and you just can't get get used to the characters and the film ends.No wonder when you ask someone what Requiem is about,they just tell it's sad story about drugs.No one can tell the plot because it's just so banal and a bit absurd.

Anyway,it's good to watch it for the visuals and music and some acting pieces,I would recommend it for the few people who skipped it.I'm pretty sure it's a future classic as it is way too original to be forgotten.3.5

[Brother Blue]

Love Streams (Cassavetes, 1984) 5
Prisoners (Villeneuve, 2013) 4
The Dirties (Johnson, 2013) 3.5
Detour (Ulmer, 1945) 3
Faces (Cassavetes, 1968) 4.5+*
Gravity (Cuaron, 2013) 4
Starship Troopers (Verhoeven, 1997) 4.5*
Computer Chess (Bujalski, 2013) 4-
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Ceylan, 2011) 5*
A Field in England (Wheatley, 2013) 4
Beverly Hills Cop (Brest, 1984) 3.5*
Miami Vice (Mann, 2006) 3.5*
From Beyond (Gordon, 1986) 3
Resolution (Brenson & Moorhead, 2012) 2.5

*-rw

[mark f]

The Tall Target (Anthony Mann, 1951) 2.5
Stranger Than Paradise (Jim Jarmusch, 1984) 2
Enchanted April (Harry Beaumont, 1935) 2
Dames (Ray Enright & Busby Berkeley, 1934) 3-
http://i1130.photobucket.com/albums/m525/Mmmmmmokay/BusbysDAMES2ndtry.gif
Dead Reckoning (John Cromwell, 1947) 2.5+
Pitfall (Andre De Toth, 1948) 2.5-
Easy Living (Jacques Tourneur, 1949) 2
Stalag 17 (Billy Wilder, 1953) 3.5+
http://cinemafanatic.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/1953_stalag_17.png?w=604http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6003/5947705795_ece1caca8b_n.jpg(fake cover)
The Company She Keeps (John Cromwell, 1951) 2
The Racket (John Cromwell, 1951) 2+
Bad for Each Other (Irving Rapper, 1953) 2
The Turin Horse (Béla Tarr & Ágnes Hranitzky, 2011) 2
http://img.tyzhden.ua/Content/Digest/week/2013/may/17/horse.jpg
Theodora Goes Wild (Richard Boleslawski, 1936) 2.5
Twentieth Century (Howard Hawks, 1934) 2.5
Easy Living (Mitchell Leisen, 1937) 2.5+
Hell in the Pacific (John Boorman, 1968) 2.5
http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/9791/snapshot20081016000523.jpg
It’s a Wonderful World (W.S. Van Dyke, 1939) 2.5
Merrily We Live (Norman Z. McLeod, 1938) 2.5
Double Wedding (Richard Thorpe, 1937) 2.5
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Nuri Bilge Ceylan, 2011) 2
http://www.universcine.com/films/il-etait-une-fois-en-anatolie/photos/5.jpg

[Mr Minio]

The Turin Horse (Béla Tarr & Ágnes Hranitzky, 2011) 2


http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Morgan-Freeman-shocked.gif

[bluedeed]

http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Morgan-Freeman-shocked.gif

[/CENTER]

He gave the two best films of 2012 and the best Jarmusch films all 2 stars :(

[mark f]

I gave Stranger Than Paradise the same rating in 1984. Watch out, I'm going to watch Davies' The Deep Blue Sea now. :) I wasn't really a fan of Litvak's, but I know Davies will make it over in his image.

[The Gunslinger45]

I gave Stranger Than Paradise the same rating in 1984. Watch out, I'm going to watch Davies' The Deep Blue Sea now. :) I wasn't really a fan of Litvak's, but I know Davies will make it over in his image.

For a second I thought you said you were going to watch a different movie. :D

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LDw04OB32AI/T3jNwJ4SGpI/AAAAAAAABKU/jxmSNSpx1Ag/s1600/Deep+Blue+Sea.jpg

[mark f]

That's entertaining, in spite of its idiocy. :)

[The Gunslinger45]

That's entertaining, in spite of its idiocy. :)

I agree completely. :)

[Tyler1]

It took me 4 days to complete the entire Heimat. That's 15 1/2 hours of pure cinematic bliss.

http://mmimageslarge.moviemail-online.co.uk/Heimat-3-02.jpg.asset_cmyk.jpg

Heimat: A Chronicle of Germany (Reitz, 1984) -4.5


And I even had time to throw in a Ford and a Boetticher, to mark's surprise.

The Sun Shines Bright (Ford, 1953) - 4+

*Seven Men from Now (Boetticher, 1956) - 5

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dU6HzhHGBZM/UWNhtQUXDnI/AAAAAAAADbs/zXOXQDB6IfM/s1600/seven+men+from+now.jpg

http://auteursnotebook.s3.amazonaws.com/multiple%20images/The%20Sun%20Shines%20Bright/2.jpg

* rewatch

[mark f]

So what's the scoop with Heimat and how did you see it? Have you seen Berlin Alexanderplatz?

[Tyler1]

Well actually I downloaded it from a website :o, but there's a DVD which I might consider getting. As for the film itself, it alternates between black-and-white and colour but it does not distract at all. I love how the film is set entirely in a German village, and we see the changes occurring in this village over the years without witnessing the whole scale of events that were engulfing Germany (for example World War 2) at that time. Apparently Stanley Kubrick loved the film so much that he kept a screenshot of a scene on his desk.

I have seen the first hour or so of Berlin Alexanderplatz. I do plan on watching the whole thing (it's finally on youtube by the way).

[Harry Lime]

Computer Chess (Bujalski, 2013) 4-
I liked this one too, something different that's for sure.

The Sun Shines Bright (Ford, 1953) - 4+
One of Ford's best, and finally given a proper release.

[honeykid]

He gave the two best films of 2012 and the best Jarmusch films all 2 stars :(
That's because he actually knows what he's talking about. Of course, he also gave Timecrimes a ridiculously high rating, so nobody's perfect.

[mark f]

I thought Timecrimes was both suspenseful and funny while it was on. I just don't take it too seriously, which can be a relief in and of itself. :)

[TylerDurden99]

What I've been watching over the past few weeks:

Serenity (2005) 5
This Is The End (2013) 4.5
In The Line Of Fire (1993) 3.5+
Bulletproof (1996) 2.5
Enough (2002) 3
Flash Gordon (1980) 5
Metallica: S&M (1999) 4
Miami Vice (2005) 4+
Hot Fuzz (2007) 4.5
BASEketball (1998) 3+
Another 48 Hrs. (1990) 3

[honeykid]

I thought Timecrimes was both suspenseful and funny while it was on. I just don't take it too seriously, which can be a relief in and of itself. :)
Ah, see, I didn't really think it was either of those. :shrug:

[mark f]

Didn't both Charlie's Angels make your top 100? :)

[honeykid]

No, only the first one. But that's brilliant, so I don't see the connection. :p

[Sinny McGuffins]

Spirited Away (2001, Hayao Miyazaki) 3
The Night of the Hunter (1955, Charles Laughton) 2.5
The Sting (1973, George Roy Hill) 3.5
Eraserhead (1977, David Lynch) 3
Fanny and Alexander (1982, Ingmar Bergman) 4

http://faculty.washington.edu/tmack/images/film/spirited.gifhttps://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-s1ES2sZdhVw/TY4sT69XWII/AAAAAAAACHI/_LLTStj5dGg/s200/night-of-the-hunter-robert-mitchum.jpghttp://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/images/post/1/1497/original.jpeg
http://img.bluray-disc.de/files/review/Eraserhead-review-001.jpghttp://www.cyfraplus.pl/ms_galeria/fotobase/31135_b.jpg

[Lucas]

The World's End 2

Shame 4

My Neighbor Totoro 2.5

Clue 2.5

Blow Out 4

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQI3JmtKb9vWZFotCW9_V-eJSyBFXoLXLphujIKPtfoUSEWcThRGg

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQEfDlFKjaX_ZA0yeSG6DZc1N8hS7GhphZcCUPPE9wdKuDcxr6z

http://www.fact.co.uk/media/12443274/001_kukudm_com.jpeg

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT6Ai4F53kZUW4dILD-YQgnAonLS0n1fNsF_Y1Fd0FZQ_Q9_8AK

http://cynicritics.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/blowout.jpg

[bluedeed]

Shame 4

My Neighbor Totoro 2.5

Switch these now

[Guaporense]

Switch? Totoro is the most aesthetically powerful film ever made.

It's not very accessible to most western people though.

[Lucas]

Switch? Totoro is the most aesthetically powerful film ever made.

It's not very accessible to most western people though.

Totoro just didn't do anything for me Guap sorry. I mean I thought the animation was beautiful and the film was cute, but I didn't fall in love with it. I do remember really liking Spirited Away though.

[linespalsy]

Home Alone (Chris Columbus, 1990) 3+
Christmas Vacation (Jeremiah S. Chechik, 1989) 3
In Bruges (Martin McDonagh, 2008) 3.5

[Gabrielle947]

Switch? Totoro is the most aesthetically powerful film ever made.
once an animation maker(or whatever it's called in English) was at my school talking about his profession and, as he presented Ghibli films,he said that Totoro might be the most impressive one.I haven't seen it and I don't care much for animation but I already was in this forum and when I heard him praising Totoro,I just thought of Guap for some reason. :D

[bluedeed]

Switch? Totoro is the most aesthetically powerful film ever made.

It's not very accessible to most western people though.

Obviously I'd like it if Totoro could be higher than 4 stars and Shame less than 2 1/2, but I didn't want to push it.

[mark f]

If You Could Only Cook (William A. Seiter, 1935) 2
Auto Antics (Edward L. Cahn, 1939) 2+
Dolan’s Cadillac (Jeff Beesley, 2009) 2.5
Deception (Irving Rapper, 1946) 3-
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kwZO0O9p29g/TUhzPtVX6LI/AAAAAAAAC2c/FGNqsU5tdrM/s1600/deception1.png
Gold Rush Maisie (Edwin L. Marin, 1940) 2
She (Robert Day, 1965) 2
The Deep Blue Sea (Terence Davies, 2011) 2
The Prisoner of Zenda (Richard Thorpe, 1952) 3.5
http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/images/film/the-prisoner-of-zenda--3/w448/the-prisoner-of-zenda--3.jpg?1308004597
Strange Fascination (Hugo Haas, 1952) 2
The Ritz (Richard Lester, 1976) 2.5+
The Opposite Sex (David Miller, 1956) 2.5
The Women (George Cukor, 1939) 3-
http://caseykoester.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/thewomen1939.jpg?w=500&h=372
The Young Americans (Danny Cannon, 1993) 2
Ancient Egypt (James A. FitzPatrick, 1939) 3
An Old Spanish Custom (Carlos Navarro & Antonio Samaniego, 1932) 2.5-
The Spanish Main (Frank Borzage, 1945) 3-
http://i.imgur.com/MWYse.jpg
Hatchet for the Honeymoon (Mario Bava, 1970) 2.5-
10 Rillington Place (Richard Fleischer, 1971) 3
Victory Through Air Power (4 directors, 1943) 3
Ghost (Jerry Zucker, 1990) 3.5
http://sp0.fotolog.com/photo/48/46/70/all_that_movies/1202943332_f.jpg

[bluedeed]

Films I have watched this week:
Vertigo (rewatch)
http://www.seraphicpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/vertigo.jpg
While I still think Hitchcock surely has made better films, I think the film worked much better for me the second time around. The 360 degree camera movement in Judy's apartment is not only the best moment in the film, but the only proper use of the technique I've ever seen.

Pierrot le Fou (rewatch)
http://morningpassages.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/pierrot-le-fou-white-dress-550x366.jpg
Cinematic bliss and eccentricity in Technicolor! Vertigo may have blood red wallpaper, but Godard has paint red blood.

Blissfully Yours
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z43/sevenarts/cinema/blissfullyyours1.jpg
The perfect summer afternoon. Apichatpong's lazy day plotting is as good as ever here and the film contains a wonderful extended shot from the back of a car that gives a great look at how film lenses work!

Do the Right Thing (rewatch)
http://nicolasheller.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/do-the-right-thing-screenshot-10.jpg
Had to watch this again for my film class, a bunch of middle class white college kids get to talk about poverty and race, yeah! The left hand is still kicking much ass.

A City of Sadness
http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/City-A-300.jpg
As distinctive a style as Ozu and Mizoguchi, and with the knowledge and insight into a national history that's filled with suffering and complexity. One of the best films I've seen this year. Everyone who can should watch this for the 80s list.

[TokeZa]

This week in movies:

http://refractionsfilm.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/vlcsnap-2013-04-14-00h39m51s20.png¨

The Thin Red Line (1998) by Terrence Malick 4.5

Late Spring (1949) by Yasujiro Ozu 4.5

Hunger (2008) by Steve McQueen 3.5

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) by Julian Schnabel 2.5+

The Godfather (1972) 4.5 by Francis Ford Coppola

Rushmore (1998) by Wes Anderson 3.5+

The Argentine (2008) by Steven Soderbergh 2.5

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) by Wes Anderson 3.5

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003) by Kim Ki-duk 2

[Mr Minio]

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003) by Kim Ki-duk 2 What's up with people rating great films so low lately? :laugh:

[bluedeed]

What's up with people rating great films so low lately? :laugh:

The only Kim Ki-Duk I've seen so far (Dream, because it was available on Netflix) was really bad, so I've been wary of him and haven't considered watching any more.

[Mr Minio]

Yeah. Dream is like his weakest film. I'd say it's as good as Sherlock Jr., though. Trololololo.

[bluedeed]

Yeah. Dream is like his weakest film. I'd say it's as good as Sherlock Jr., though. Trololololo.

From what I've heard that seems to be the case, I didn't like his aesthetic though as it felt more generic than the other Korean auteurs I'm interested in so I still wasn't compelled to see more. I think we can all agree that Sherlock Jr. is probably the weakest film of all time.

[Sinny McGuffins]

Late Spring (1949, Yasujirō Ozu)
3.5

The Godfather (1972, Francis Ford Coppola)
4.5

[mark f]

Even I give Kim's beautiful The Isle and "Five Seasons" 2.5, and that's meant as a compliment, sort of.

[Mr Minio]

The Isle is like the best rom-com ever. xD

[honeykid]

Yeah. Dream is like his weakest film. I'd say it's as good as Sherlock Jr., though. Trololololo.
Wow. That bad, huh?

[Mr Minio]

Still better than Jaws.

[jiraffejustin]

Have you seen any of the Lone Wolf and Cub movies, Mr Minio?

[Mr Minio]

No, but would like to.

[jiraffejustin]

I was going to recommend them, but you already want to see them...so hop on it. ;)

[mark f]

She’s Having a Baby (John Hughes, 1988) 2.5
Midnight Crossing (Roger Holzberg, 1988) 2-
East Side, West Side (Mervyn LeRoy, 1949) 2+
To Be or Not to Be (Ernst Lubitsch, 1942) 3.5
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pfez4F3IcQ0/USKbSC32G7I/AAAAAAAAQI8/oJUBMn1inN4/s1600/CC1372-2.jpg
Thunder Over the Plains (Andre De Toth, 1953) 2
The Limits of Control (Jim Jarmusch, 2009) 1.5
Tumbling Tumbleweeds (Joseph Kane, 1935) 2
The Thing (John Carpenter, 1982) 3.5
http://sp1.fotolog.com/photo/33/51/30/krispin111/1328736294775_f.jpg
The Comancheros (Michael Curtiz, 1961) 3
Under the Yum Yum Tree (David Swift, 1963) 2.5
Johnny Eager (Mervyn LeRoy, 1941) 2+
Despair (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1978) 3
http://www.salles-cinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/despair1.jpg
Johnny Apollo (Henry Hathaway, 1940) 2+
Some of the Greatest (Robert Youngson, 1955) 2.5
Upstream (John Ford, 1927) 2
3-Iron (Ki-duk Kim, 2004) 2.5
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ma30iaRm5j1qanqu5o1_500.png
Happy-Go-Luckies (Paul Terry, 1923) 3
The Wedding in Monaco (Jean Masson, 1956) 2.5
Baby Face (Alfred E. Green, 1933) 2.5
La Strada (Federico Fellini, 1954) 3
http://www.filmotv.fr/elts/programmes/2543/gallerie/2543_LA_STRADA_PHOTO_w_450.jpg

[donniedarko]

Was this your first watch for The Limits of Control, Mark? Also I'd like to hear your thoughts on it, the rating seems appropriate from you, but I personally found it the most visually stunning film I've seen from Jarmusch,at least Paz de la Huerta was :dizzy:

[mark f]

Yes, first watch. I can and do appreciate stunning visuals, but ultimately they can only take a film so far in and of themselves. More and more people do seem to go along with these exercises, and I thought The Limits of Control was such an exercise which actually almost held my interest despite its seeming trivial minimalism, at least until its point (if any) was sorta revealed at the end. Although DP Christopher Doyle's work was the best thing, I didn't think it was stunning. Paz was smokin' though. :)

[Guaporense]

once an animation maker(or whatever it's called in English) was at my school talking about his profession and, as he presented Ghibli films,he said that Totoro might be the most impressive one.I haven't seen it and I don't care much for animation but I already was in this forum and when I heard him praising Totoro,I just thought of Guap for some reason. :D

I think that I am the most hardcore praiser of Miyazaki films that wrote my praises to him in English.

I think that technically the most impressive animated films ever made are Nausicaa, Mononoke, The End of Evangelion and PMMM the film version. Those are movies that are complex in plot and visually (even nonsensical in plot the third case) and very dramatic and very muscular (in the third case, I can say it's almost vulgar and pretentious).

Totoro is not really impressive in a muscular way, instead it is simply extremely elegant and beautiful in a way that nothing else I have watched. It's simply a pure movie that feels like a masterpiece in simple beauty in every second of it. Truly amazing and I don't think nothing else I have watched is quite as elegant as it.

[Guaporense]

Have you seen any of the Lone Wolf and Cub movies, Mr Minio?

The writer of the manga (which is much, much more respected than the movies in Japan) said that watching PMMM made his blood boil with excitement. Now he is writing his own magical girl manga.

I began reading that manga after reading that fact.

[donniedarko]

Yes, first watch. I can and do appreciate stunning visuals, but ultimately they can only take a film so far in and of themselves. More and more people do seem to go along with these exercises, and I thought The Limits of Control was such an exercise which actually almost held my interest despite its seeming trivial minimalism, at least until its point (if any) was sorta revealed at the end. Although DP Christopher Doyle's work was the best thing, I didn't think it was stunning

I pretty much agree with everything you said here, but I was more amused by the minimalism, my interest also did retrieve during the time of assanation, but came back right at the end


Paz was smokin' though. :)


Fully agreed

[mark f]

Possessed (Clarence Brown, 1931) 2.5+
What Price Hollywood? (George Cukor, 1932) 2.5+
The Hollywood You Never See (Herbert Moulton, 1934) 2.5-
Bremen Freedom (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1972) 2.5+
http://i47.tinypic.com/2n7prbm.png
Comet Over Broadway (Busby Berkeley, 1938) 2
Three Cheers for the Girls (Jean Negulesco, 1943) 3
Happy Endings (Don Roos, 2005) 2.5
East of Eden (Elia Kazan, 1955) 3.5
http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/1363/eastofeden1955usadrama6.jpg
2010: The Odyssey Continues (Les Mayfield, 1984) 2.5 (promotional short)
Raising Cain (Brian De Palma, 1992) 2.5
12 Years a Slave (Steve McQueen, 2013) 2.5
Gregory’s Girl (Bill Forsyth, 1981) 3.5
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2010/3/3/1267636465512/Dee-Hepburn-and-John-Gord-001.jpg
Undertow (David Gordon Green, 2004) 1.5
Executive Decision (Stuart Baird, 1996) 3
The Silent House (Gustavo Hernandez, 2010) 1.5
The Elephant Man (David Lynch, 1980) 4-
http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/4480/elep2ij6.png
The Bow (Ki-duk Kim, 2009) 2+
Awakenings (Penny Marshall, 1990) 3.5
The Rising of the Moon (John Ford, 1957) 2.5+
Far from the Madding Crowd (John Schlesinger, 1967) 3.5
http://jinsan1234.cocolog-nifty.com/photos/uncategorized/2012/12/12/haruka13.jpg

[Mr Minio]

I like you for giving Elephant Man a high rating, but dislike you for giving The Bow a low rating. I love you anyway, mark!

[meatwadsprite]

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[Gabrielle947]

uuuu,Julie Christie ^^ Mark,why did you like Awakenings?And don't you think that Elephant Man is a at least a bit sentimental?


I'm now watching movies which I've seen only once and disliked and now I'm glad to be reminded of In Bruges :D

[seanc]

Mark I am wondering what your major issues with 12 Years A Slave are? I have not seen a lot of chatter about it here yet and would love to hear your opinion.

[mark f]

Awakenings is very sentimental, but most of the sentiment is earned. It's meant as a crowd-pleasing entertainment with a bitter pill to swallow in the end, and as that, it succeeds. Yeah, The Elephant Man is Eraserhead with a patina of sentimentality, but I think it's Lynch's most beautiful film, both visually and spiritually.

I'm not ready to talk too much about 12 Years a Slave but I will say I thought the storytelling was muddled, especially at the beginning and that there was a lot of overacting (Fassbender and Dano) while the central performance was underacted. Nyong'o rang true though and can probably expect some awards. It mostly seemed like a compendium of slavery atrocities rather than a focused story, and although what's depicted is repugnant and disturbing, it didn't feel like the lead character suffered for 12 years. That's another flaw with it - the detached direction. But I'm in the minority so I expect it will receive a myriad of nominations and awards.

[Tyler1]

http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/images/film/terror-in-a-texas-town/w448/terror-in-a-texas-town.jpg
The best use of a harpoon in a Western.

The Untold Story (Yau, 1993) - 3+ (aka Human Pork Chop)

Wagon Master (Ford, 1950) - 5

Terror in a Texas Town (H. Lewis, 1958) - 3-

Run of the Arrow (Fuller, 1957) - 2-

Vera Cruz (Aldrich, 1954) - 3.5+

The Naked Dawn (Ulmer, 1955) - 4

Lone Star (Sayles, 1996) - 4.5

Guess the odd one out.

[Daniel M]

Awakenings is very sentimental, but most of the sentiment is earned. It's meant as a crowd-pleasing entertainment with a bitter pill to swallow in the end, and as that, it succeeds. Yeah, The Elephant Man is Eraserhead with a patina of sentimentality, but I think it's Lynch's most beautiful film, both visually and spiritually.

I'm not ready to talk too much about 12 Years a Slave but I will say I thought the storytelling was muddled, especially at the beginning and that there was a lot of overacting (Fassbender and Dano) while the central performance was underacted. Nyong'o rang true though and can probably expect some awards. It mostly seemed like a compendium of slavery atrocities rather than a focused story, and although what's depicted is repugnant and disturbing, it didn't feel like the lead character suffered for 12 years. That's another flaw with it - the detached direction. But I'm in the minority so I expect it will receive a myriad of nominations and awards.

Give this a read :p http://www.colesmithey.com/reviews/2013/10/12-years-a-slave.html

[bluedeed]

Give this a read :p http://www.colesmithey.com/reviews/2013/10/12-years-a-slave.html

Yeah, basically what I've been saying about him. A dull and unintelligent director who hides his poorly thought out exploitation films behind self-seriousness, difficult subject matter, and his interpretation of the art house aesthetic.

[seanc]

I certainly respect that take. I don't know if you saw what I wrote in my review thread but I mentioned I had an issues with a couple of characters that ultimately I thought the strong narrative overcame. While Fassbender was not one of those characters, Dano was my biggest problem with the film. If his character had spent more time on the screen it would have affected my score for sure.

This was response to markf's take

[seanc]

Give this a read :p http://www.colesmithey.com/reviews/2013/10/12-years-a-slave.html

"This is a movie for Confederate-flag wavers to get their jollies."

This is like saying Schindler's List was made for the Nazis or Passion Of The Christ was made for non believers. It is an absurd statement. If anyone is enjoying the violence in this film they have their own issues to deal with it is in no way shape or form the director's intent. The violence (of which their is not as much as I expected) is realistic and appalling.

"it’s demeaning to the film that the weeks during which Solomon allegedly performs music to the delight of paying audience members is not included"

He must have missed the scene 5 minutes earlier where Solomon seen playing the fiddle. Or the half a dozen other scenes in which he is shown playing. I am always hearing critics say how directors need to let the audience fill in the blanks sometimes. McQueen does and it works. To have an issue with this is much different than calling it demeaning, again absurd.

"Cut to the suddenly demoted black citizen being whipped for several minutes by his callous captors. Oh the brutality. “Didja looka looka lookit alla blood?”

No I didn't, because there was none in this scene.

"Quentin Tarantino’s slavery masterpiece “Django Unchained” facilitates a catharsis that “12 Years a Slave” never even glimpses."

These two movies could not be trying to tackle two more different themes. People need to stop comparing them immediately. Tarantino's Django is a revenge fantasy, one I enjoy, but still a fantasy. 12 Years is showing the brutality and horrors that a real man had to endure. I believe absurd is the word that comes to mind.

I have no issue with someone not enjoying this film. markf brings up some valid points, and while I may not agree it his opinion of the film. This critic is going the way of Armand White and that ruffles my feathers a bit. He is not making any attempt to have a legitimate conversation about McQueen's film. He is trying to put the attention on himself and get clicks. ABSURD

[Skepsis93]

This critic is going the way of Armand White and that ruffles my feathers a bit. He is not making any attempt to have a legitimate conversation about McQueen's film. He is trying to put the attention on himself and get clicks. ABSURD

I haven't seen 12 Years a Slave yet (out in January here, looking forward to it immensely) but I got the same feeling reading that review. That last point you pick out isn't even a valid criticism.

[Daniel M]

Cole Smithey is controversial and you won't agree with him a lot, I don't take him too seriously, just thought I'd link the article as it was kind of relevant :p

[bluedeed]

Cole Smithey is controversial and you won't agree with him a lot, I don't take him too seriously, just thought I'd link the article as it was kind of relevant :p

It got more ridiculous as you read further down, but I like anyone who's smart enough to call McQueen on his ********.

[mark f]

His self-advertisement above his name is the first of his "controversial" statements, but seanc already called him "absurd". :)

[mark f]

I’ll Cry Tomorrow (Daniel Mann, 1955) 2.5
The Inspector General (Henry Koster, 1949) 2.5
Something of Value (Richard Brooks, 1957) 2.5
Me and You and Everyone We Know (Miranda July, 2005) 3-
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxu44puZFq1rnsxm4o1_500.png
Goodbye, My Fancy (Vincent Sherman, 1951) 3
Sharknado (Anthony C. Ferrante, 2013) 1 (that includes the laughs)
Monkey on My Back (Andre De Toth, 1957) 2.5
The Maltese Falcon (John Huston, 1941) 4
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Vh7UZOVWvdE/TIxV2B5kFAI/AAAAAAAAA2g/iZza4zr7OcA/s400/MF_10.jpg
Strange Lady in Town (Mervyn LeRoy, 1955) 2.5
Tension at Table Rock (Charles Marquis Warren, 1956) 2
San Antonio (David Butler, 1945) 3-
The Beguiled (Donald Siegel, 1971) 4-
http://www.bloodygoodhorror.com/bgh/files/beguiled460.jpg
The Hasty Heart (Vincent Sherman, 1949) 3
Command Decision (Sam Wood, 1949) 3
The Sellout (Gerald Mayer, 1952) 2
Mildred Pierce (Michael Curtiz, 1945) 3.5
http://mattsko.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/mildred-pierce-gif.gif?w=560
Bad Biology (Frank Henenlotter, 2008) 2
Frankenhooker (Frank Henenlotter, 1990) 2.5+
Brain Damage (Frank Henenlotter, 1988) 2.5+
Street Trash (Jim Muro, 1987) 2.5+ (unrated 101 min.)
http://www.drippedblood.com/wpimages/wp8f871b72.gif

[Tyler1]

Cole Smithey? Yuck...

[Upton]

(Donald Siegel, 1971)

Only his mother called him that

[mark f]

That's how he's credited in the movie. :cool:

[Thursday Next]

Zombieland (2009) 4
Maybe a little high, but this was just great fun.
Mephisto (1981) 4.5
Really good, amazing lead performance. Probably doesn't have a shot at making the 80s list, but I'd recommend you check it out.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/95/Mephisto_DVD.jpg
Notes on a Scandal (2006) 2.5
Watched this immediately after reading the book, which was probably a mistake. The book is fascinating, the film is not.
Black Cat, White Cat (1998) 3
The climax with the riotous wedding is entertaining, but not quite enough to make up for the rest of the film. Underground was always going to be a tough act to follow, though.
The Handmaid's Tale (1990) 3
Margaret Atwood's brilliant novel reimagined as a softcore made for tv melodrama. It's not a great film, but there are interesting bits, and some good performances make it watchable.
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988) 4
Completely nuts, Almodovar on form.
Lawless (2012) 3
Tom Hardy is worth watching, but this film is not half as epic as it thinks it is.
Stoker (2013) 2
Flashes of stylistic flair do not make up for a second rate erotic thriller plot.
Plan B (2009) 5
I just finished watching this - I laughed, I cried and I want to watch it all over again, and if that doesn't deserve 5 stars I don't know what does. One of the most convincing depictions of falling in love I've seen in years of watching rom coms. I liked all the lingering shots of buildings and deliberately awkward camera angles. It reminded me of Show Me Love but with hairy Argentinian blokes. This has probably not recommended it to any of you, but I loved it.
http://img.rakuten.com/PIC/37408030/0/1/300/37408030.jpg

[linespalsy]

Black Cat, White Cat (1998) 3

It felt like more of a direct follow-up to Time of the Gypsies to me, you might like that one better.

[Godoggo]

I had no idea there was A Handmaid's Tale movie. I'm going to have to check it out. Atwood is one of my favorite authors and I always thought The Handmaid's Tale would make a good movie.

[Gabrielle947]

omg,just wrote a bunch of mini reviews and accidently turned off the thread. :/ Ok,this will be reviewless:

Dead Man's Shoes (2004) 3.5

The Silence of The Lambs (1991)4

The Departed (2006)3.5

50/50 (2011) 2

The Dark Knight (2008) 5

The Dark Knight Rises (2012) 3.5

Funny Games (1997) 2

Red State (2011) 1

28 Days Later (2002) 3

Jarhead (2005) 2.5

American Psycho (2000)2.5

Mysterious Skin (2004)4

[Cobpyth]

omg,just wrote a bunch of mini reviews and accidently turned off the thread. :/ Ok,this will be reviewless:

Did you close the tab? Otherwise you could've used ctrl+shift+t.

Anyway, I more or less agree with your ratings for The Silence of the Lambs, The Departed, TDKR and Mysterious Skin, but I personally rate The Dark Knight a little lower (although it's still good) and American Psycho a bit higher.

[Godoggo]

I agree with all her ratings except I'd rate The Dark Knight two popcorns lower and give one each to Funny Games and 50/50.

[mark f]

Every Which Way But Loose (James Fargo, 1978) 2.5
Seconds Apart (Antonio Negret, 2011) 2.5
Cavalcade of San Francisco (James A. FitzPatrick, 1940) 2.5
Judgment at Nuremberg (Stanley Kramer, 1961) 3.5
http://cfs4.tistory.com/upload_control/download.blog?fhandle=YmxvZzYwNDBAZnM0LnRpc3RvcnkuY29tOi9hdHRhY2gvMC82LkpQRw%3D%3D
Midnight Son (Scott Leberecht, 2011) 2
What Planet Are You From? (Mike Nichols, 2000) 2.5
The Night Stalker (John Llewelyn Moxey, 1972) 3
The World’s End (Edgar Wright, 2013) 3.5
http://file1.npage.de/004692/97/bilder/worldsendc.jpg
South Sea Woman (Arthur Lubin, 1953) 2.5+
Ten Tall Men (Willis Goldbeck, 1951) 2.5+
Week End in Hollywood (No Director Listed, 1947) 2
Gravity (Alfonso Cuaron, 2013) 3.5+
http://25.media.tumblr.com/ec6890ba04ff92ce76d4448ef85f094f/tumblr_mvmrwqCRoA1qchyazo1_500.jpg
Shadow in the Sky (Fred M. Wilcox, 1952) 2
Glory Alley (Raoul Walsh, 1952) 2
Code Two (Fred M. Wilcox, 1953) 2+
Prisoners (Denis Villaneuve, 2013) 2.5+
http://fan.elfagr.org/Portal_News/Big/1053242013923527.jpg
Jeopardy (John Sturges, 1953) 2+
The Parallax View (Alan J. Pakula, 1974) 2.5
Primary (Robert Drew, 1960) 2.5
Blue Thunder (John Badham, 1983) 3.5 (harebrained but very entertaining popcorn flick)
http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/images/film/blue-thunder/w448/blue-thunder.jpg?1323554326

[Gabrielle947]

Did you close the tab? Otherwise you could've used ctrl+shift+t.
no,I didn't but it's too late anyway. :D

I just don't care for American Psycho.It's quite stylish and it seems like a suitable role for Bale yet,I'm not sure,it lacks drama since I feel emotionless the whole movie.

Pikachiu, what's with the Funny Games love? :/

[Mr Minio]

Judgment at Nuremberg (Stanley Kramer, 1961) 3.5 Please, tell me you've seen Epilog Norymberski. It's just as good as Judgment at Nuremberg!

[mark f]

There's very little info about it in English. It's on YouTube without subtitles. This doesn't need subtitles though. Some of it is from Night and Fog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVw7H5wivTc

[Mr Minio]

I don't think there are English subtitles available anywhere, which is a pity given how good the movie is.

[Godoggo]

no,I didn't but it's too late anyway. :D

I just don't care for American Psycho.It's quite stylish and it seems like a suitable role for Bale yet,I'm not sure,it lacks drama since I feel emotionless the whole movie.

Pikachiu, what's with the Funny Games love? :/

I didn't love it. I'd give it three popcorns which for me means I think it's a decent to good movie. It was well acted and I thought it had interesting things to say.

[honeykid]

omg,just wrote a bunch of mini reviews and accidently turned off the thread. :/ Ok,this will be reviewless:

Dead Man's Shoes (2004) 3.5
Some thoughts on Dead Man's Shoes? I've only seen it once and I was completely unprepared for it and it knocked me sideways.

[Gabrielle947]

Yeah,I enjoyed the movie.

I don't know how to explain it but I saw This is England (also directed by Shane Meadows) and I like how he deep he goes with the emotions of the characters.

What seemed to be a racism story in This Is England,turned out that it's just jealousy for immigrants who are lucky(Combo pouring his hate on the black guy towards the end,loved that scene).Of course,TIE is not all about that but I like to search for similarities. :P

What seemed to be a typical revenge movie in Dead Man's Shoes,ended up being a self-redemption story.It starts as a typical Oldboy type movie and then you see the twist about Anthony and the climax is so unpredictable and in the end you realize that this movie is not about revenge at all.Yet it makes perfect sense.

That's what I liked most about both of these films - they are very clever and easy to connect with.Hope you got the idea what I'm talking about. :D

Anyway,I didn't give a maximum because I rarely do for the first time watches. But I can easily see it growing on me.Maybe I should give it an 8 in IMDB as I normally never get back to "7" movies,I've been thinking about it a lot since my watch.

[honeykid]

Thanks, Gab. :) Have you seen either of the tv 'sequels' of TIE? They're a continuation of the story (one set in 1986 the other in '88) and have the main cast and Meadows directing. You might also like Twenty Four Seven and Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee.

[Gabrielle947]

no,I'm putting all of that on my watchlist. :))

[gandalf26]

Dead Man's Shoes. So powerful and deep especially the relationship between Richard and Anthony. "They all shook your hand but I didn't" and " we'll he was an embarrassment to me".

Based on Meadows own experience in living in those type of crappy towns with the type of Drug dealing lowlife we see in the film. As you say not just a straightforward revenge movie.

9/10

[The Sci-Fi Slob]

Based on Meadows own experience in living in those type of crappy towns with the type of Drug dealing lowlife we see in the film.

9/10


I live in one of those crappy towns, which makes the film kind of documentary for me.:p

[Brother Blue]

Slow week:

Cannibal Holocaust (Deodato, 1980) 3
Ice (Kramer, 1970) 4
The Ox-Bow Incident (Wellman, 1943) 4.5
Medium Cool (Wexler, 1969) 4
Alps (Lanthimos, 2011) 3.5

[mark f]

PT 109 (Leslie Martinson, 1963) 2.5
It Happened on Fifth Avenue (Roy Del Ruth, 1947) 2.5+
Four Days in November (Mel Stuart, 1964) 3+
Earthlings (Shaun Munson, 2005) 3+
http://pixhost.me/avaxhome/52/7b/00107b52_medium.jpeg
Judge Priest (John Ford, 1934) 2.5
Break of Hearts (Philip Moeller, 1935) 2
Two Flags West (Robert Wise, 1950) 2+ (fine B&W photography)
Cold Mountain (Anthony Minghella, 2003) 3
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a55/franzpatrick/Films/ColdMountain.jpg
By Your Leave (Lloyd Corrigan, 1934) 2+
Gridiron Flash (Glenn Tryon, 1934) 2
Star of Midnight (Stephen Roberts, 1935) 2+
Syriana (Stephen Gaghan, 2005) 3
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lx7hirL0f91r55jaf.jpg
Sylvia Scarlett (George Cukor, 1935) 2.5
Somewhere I'll Find You (Wesley Ruggles, 1942) 2
Shop Talk (Lloyd French, 1936) 2
Oslo, August 31st (Joachim Trier, 2011) 3- (probably overrated it, but it is affecting)
http://filmbalaya.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/oslo3.jpg?w=486&h=259
Medea (Lars von Trier, 1988) 2.5+
Doctor Who (Geoffrey Sax, 1996) 2.5-
Journey to Italy (Roberto Rossellini, 1954) 2.5
My Man Godfrey (Gregory La Cava, 1936) 3.5+
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_2vGMHPazncQ/SsSe2JYpCXI/AAAAAAAAQOA/HCApWZwvj44/carole38.jpg

[Miss Vicky]

Earthlings (Shaun Munson, 2005) 3+



That film is a tough watch. Some of those scenes are nightmare inducing.

[mark f]

It certainly upset me. My main problem with it is that it's literally overkill.

[Lucas]

http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/KWhS0xN3C0g/maxresdefault.jpg

Prisoners 4
One of the best films of the year, and probably my favorite so far. Not perfect and with issues but it's gripping throughout and boasts terrific performances and crisp direction. Great thriller.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-72SJDewoEU0/UOs-fIFv0gI/AAAAAAAAEiA/AHEX92zbugs/s1600/eyes-wide.jpg

Eyes Wide Shut 4.5
Movie blew me away. Kubrick's final film is incredible and one of his best. The movie is surreal,absorbing and beautiful. It will haunt you. It's one of the most mysterious films I have ever seen.

Videodrome 2.5
The film is okay. I'm not quite sure what to make of it. It's creepy and certainly disturbing, but i feel it's kind of convoluted. Not a movie I want to rewatch either.Still pretty good though.

The Cabinet of Dr.Caligari 3.5
Very well made for a film from the 1920's. Highly influential and pretty interesting. Numerous films have borrowed heavily from this one.

Network 3.5. Good movie with sharp political commentary and interesting themes. A bit dull in parts, but still a good film. One of the best of the 70's.

[Daniel M]

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2013/10/23/1382549063707/Enders-Game-009.jpg

Ender's Game (Gavin Hood, 2013) 2.5-

I went to watch this with my friend who wanted to see the film as he is a big fan of the book, and whilst he did not like the film, and there seems to be poor reviews from those expecting it to be closer to its source, I went in to it without having read the book or without any expectations of what to expect.

Unfortunately, the film was not great. It felt a lot like a Disney film marketed at kids. Whilst kids play a huge part of the film, there was something about the first half of the film that still left me wanting more. I do not think Asa Butterfield was particularly convincing as the main character, but I am not sure that is his fault. The film seemed to rush from one place to another without a whole lot of development. Hailee Steinfeld is underused/developed, and the other characters are rather one dimensional (the strict captain, the annoying rival kid etc.). The whole thing just felt rushed, you know exactly where it is heading from the get go.

Fortunately, the second half brings some improvement. Whilst I felt the main character was underdeveloped, you could clearly see the idea that they were trying to force on you, with the morale issues and themes of the film becoming more prominent as we head towards the main battle.

Once it is all over we get a series of scenes that invite us to spend our money on the film's sequel, but these seemed again rather cheap and undeveloped, stuck on the edge of the CGI spectacular battle.

The effects are good enough, although I did not find them as spectacular as some have suggested. When you compare it to another zero-gravity movie that appears in this post, there is no comparison.

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2008/06/06/bourneultimatum460.jpg

The Bourne Ultimatum (Paul Greengrass, 2007) 4

The concluding film to the Bourne trilogy is, as its predecessors were, another fantastic action film, filled with twists and turns, thrills, and plenty of action, handled in expert style by British director Paul Greengrass.

I mentioned this in my recent review of Captain Phillips (another recommended Greengrass film), about how some people are critical of the director's constant cutting and 'shaky cam', but such complaints are dumbfounded and should be ignored. Unlike some directors who needlessly apply their displeasing techniques to their films with the result me an assault on the senses that makes what you see and hear a user unfriendly experience, Greengrass uses the style appropriately, the action flows beautifully, there's a gritty realism about it, and even though we are constantly looking at different images, you can always be sure about what you see and we feel we are there, following the action, you can feel the tension as the action unfolds.

In this film we know where Bourne is heading from the beginning, back to his beginning, but it seems as if he goes everywhere across the world to get their, with plenty of great action scenes in various cities taking place as he attempts to uncover the truth. I noticed a lot of nods to the other two films in this one too. The ending was satisfying for me, as the music hit and the end credits began rolling I smiled, I do not know why it took until this year for me to watch the Bourne trilogy, so if you have not, you should too.

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2013/11/11/1384189194138/MAN-WITH-A-MOVIE-CAMERA-1-008.jpg

Man with a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov, 1929) 3

This is undoubtedly a fantastic achievement and a very important film in the history of the medium, and some of the techniques used in it are fascinating to watch being put to use for a film of its time, but I can not say I loved it as much as some people, and awarding it a higher rating would be a false assessment of how much I enjoyed the film.

I am not saying I disliked it, I did enjoy watching it, but as a film, even at just over an hour long, there is only so much of certain 'techniques' you can take, and quite frankly, it is not as fascinating and engaging now. However, that probably sounds harsh, I know some people love it and for them the hour will probably fly by, there are some genuine moments of 'magic' if you like in the film, and it is something that demands to be seen for those interested in film.

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Archive/Search/2011/11/28/1322502945333/Double-Indemnity-007.jpg

Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder, 1944) 4.5+

Now this film has everything I love about films, and I do not know how someone could dislike this. It is one of the best noir films I have seen, could it be the best? Possibly.

From the beginning we know what is going to happen, much in the same way as another great Wilder film, Sunset Boulevard. The character's fate is confirmed within the early lines of their narration, yet still the story manages to be so compelling and powerful.

This film reminded me of Sweet Smell of Success in the way that its dialogue is so brilliantly written, with the script filled with some of the best lines I have ever heard.

"Yes, I killed him. I killed him for money - and a woman - and I didn't get the money and I didn't get the woman. Pretty, isn't it?"

Prior to those lines we know nothing about the character or what has lead him to say such, but already I was feeling sorry for the character in a tragic way, the look on his face, the inevitable romance and heartbreak that was created in just a couple of lines of dialogue.

The tragic romance storyline that ensues does not disappoint, with Barba Stanwyck's female lead one of the most memorable and powerful character's on screen, her performance may not match that of Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard, but if you have seen that film you will not that is no insult, instead though in this film I enjoyed much more the chemistry between her and Fred MacMurray, its an enjoyable one despite its dark undertones, unlike the frustrating relationship of the main characters in Sunset Boulevard. Everything else about the film is what you would expect from a great film noir, cinematography, supporting performances, and suspense and mystery even though we know the fates of the characters beforehand.

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/About/General/2013/11/7/1383843698713/2013-GRAVITY-009.jpg

Gravity (Alfonso Cuarón, 2013) 4+

On a technical level this film is definitely a masterpiece and it will surely be remembered in the future as a significant film in terms of what it will do for cinema, especially in the ever changing world of now digital filming and 3D.

This was actually the first film that I have seen in 3D at the cinema, I have seen other things in 3D, and I don't particularly like it, well at least not when it is used needlessly as it is in most cases, but in this film it is absolutely justified. The whole film is a joy to look at, there are not enough superlatives available to describe just how good it is. The 17 minute opening shot in which the camera moves from one character to another and we establish the station they are working on is what most people will talk about, but after that first cut I did not take much notice of just how long the long takes were, everything just moved along seamlessly, adding to the horror of what is on screen as it feels as if we are following the characters in real time, we feel their terror.

This film was for me, at least, genuinely quite scary, at least for what it is. It is a disaster movie, but I had no idea what was going to be around each corner, whether the character would end up in safety or peril with each action that is took. Many moments I had my heart in my mouth, with scenes such as when the lock pads are opened to enter different stations, you can fully feel the force of them rip open - this is not spoiling it, and those who have seen it will not what I mean.

Sandra Bullock is getting all the plaudits for her performance in the film, and rightly so, but that is not to take away from George Clooney, who I thought was brilliant in his role, his character provides some comedy but made the whole thing seem a lot more real and human, despite his celebrity status, I feel some people take the option to criticise such characters because its easy to do in a film with not many faults.

Because the film is so well made, looks real, and tries to stay quite scientifically truthful, it does not mean that it does not follow the storyline of other 'disaster movies'. We soon realise that when something looks like it will go wrong, it probably will, Cuarón himself says that of course the series of events happening is very unlikely, but its a film after all, even if it feels all too real.

[Sinny McGuffins]

Sansho the Bailiff (1954, Kenji Mizoguchi) 4
The Seventh Seal (1957, Ingmar Bergman) 4.5
Jules and Jim (1962, François Truffaut) 3.5
The Godfather: Part II (1974, Francis Ford Coppola) 4
The Hunger Games (2012, Gary Ross) 3

EDIT:

The Counselor (2013, Ridley Scott) 2

[mark f]

Joy of Living (Tay Garnett, 1938) 2.5
Severance (Christopher Smith, 2006) 2.5+
Maisie Was a Lady (Edwin L. Marin, 1941) 2.5
You Can't Take It with You (Frank Capra, 1938) 3.5+
http://criminalbrief.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/you-cant-take-it-with-you.jpg
Morocco (Josef von Sternberg, 1930) 2
Kaleidoscope (Jack Smight, 1966) 3
A Serbian Film (Srdjan Spasojevic, 2010) 2
The Wicker Man (Robin Hardy, 1973) 3+
http://diaboliquemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Wicker-Blu-Featured-480x330.jpg
Open Water 2: Adrift (Hans Horn, 2006) 2
Point Blank (John Boorman, 1967) 2.5
Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard, 1960) 3-
The Sugarland Express (Steven Spielberg, 1974) 3.5+
http://cinemasights.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/sugarland-mirror.png
Who's That Knocking at My Door (Martin Scorsese, 1967) 2
Heavenly Bodies (Lawrence Dane, 1984) 1
Season in Tyrol (Kurt Jetmar, 1969) 3
Whisper of the Heart (Yoshifumi Kondô, 1995) 3
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m32itvsmrM1qbn47r.gif
Beyond the Time Barrier (Edgar G. Ulmer, 1960) 1+
Speedway (Norman Taurog, 1968) 2
Stuff for Stuff (No Director Listed, 1949) 2
Bend of the River (Anthony Mann, 1952) 3+
http://www.diariodecine.es/nranthonymann02.jpg

[Sinny McGuffins]

Mark, do you enjoy the films you give a 2 rating to? Just curious.

[Mr Minio]

He enjoys giving them 2. That's for sure.

[mark f]

Let me put it this way; I've probably seen 10,000 movies I give 2 or lower (many of them considered classics), so I have to get some enjoyment from them. If I give it a 2+, it might be more than a little, but the main thing to remember about the ratings is that they're all relative. No film is totally perfect just as no film is totally imperfect. Also, you have to consider my age and cultural background. They have to affect my appreciation and rating of some (most? all?) films, although for most of the 40 years I've been rating them, I've tried to convince myself they haven't too much. But I've discussed that probably too much in my six years here. :)

[Sinny McGuffins]

I've been reflecting on the way I rate films lately. I usually reserve two stars or less for films I don't like. But then there's a few films I have given two and a half or even three stars to that I didn't particularly like either. I feel like my criteria for ratings films is all over the place at the minute. I'm just trying to understand where you're coming from with your ratings to perhaps re-evaluate my own rating system. Sometimes I reflect and feel as though I've been too generous, and other times feel I've been too harsh.

:shrug:

[Daniel M]

I've been reflecting on the way I rate films lately. I usually reserve two stars or less for films I don't like. But then there's a few films I have given two and a half or even three stars to that I didn't particularly like either. I feel like my criteria for ratings films is all over the place at the minute. I'm just trying to understand where you're coming from with your ratings to perhaps re-evaluate my own rating system. Sometimes I reflect and feel as though I've been too generous, and other times feel I've been too harsh.

:shrug:

Yeh I am like this sometimes, I don't feel ratings are too important though, as long as they give a rough idea of what you think of the film. I think most people use 7/10 as the centre point for like an average film, when I think as Mark has said before 5/10 is halfway and should be the average, so 6 is a positive rating, and 4 is slightly negative but by no means terrible, with using 7/10 it means the lower ratings never get used so they are pretty pointless and you are only really using 4-10.

I think as long as you can explain your rating its fine, everyone has their different opinions and thoughts, and sometimes reading about films is a lot better than just a number. I always find this an interesting thread from Mark when it comes to ratings/writing, and I'm sure he won't mind me linking it for the point I'm trying to make :) http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=16076 .