Minio's Ramblings on Cinema
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Yeah, I talked about Ford with Swan the other day. The thing with John Ford, and most directors, really, is that the more of his films you watch, the more you appreciate them. You also grow to appreciate John Ford more as a director. (There are, however, directors who have the opposite effect on me, including Caveh Zahedi.)
There's that thing with directors: Some filmmakers are consistently good/great. Add to that being prolific, and you have a recipe for one of the all-time greats (Fassbinder made more movies in the 70s than I can count, but he maintained a high quality; none of his films are bad, but hardly any are masterpieces either.). Now, there's a second group of filmmakers. Those filmmakers are usually only decent but somehow as if by a miracle, managed to spawn a masterpiece or two. Ridley Scott is that kind of director to me. He's not terrible but I couldn't call him a great director. But Blade Runner is a wonderful film, and one would wonder how come Scott managed to make it so good.
There's that thing with directors: Some filmmakers are consistently good/great. Add to that being prolific, and you have a recipe for one of the all-time greats (Fassbinder made more movies in the 70s than I can count, but he maintained a high quality; none of his films are bad, but hardly any are masterpieces either.). Now, there's a second group of filmmakers. Those filmmakers are usually only decent but somehow as if by a miracle, managed to spawn a masterpiece or two. Ridley Scott is that kind of director to me. He's not terrible but I couldn't call him a great director. But Blade Runner is a wonderful film, and one would wonder how come Scott managed to make it so good.
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Side note: does anyone else get really excited when you start digging further into a director’s filmography?
Alien is only ok.
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Haha. I think the issue is, much like Minio, Scott hasn’t done much to really wow me as a director.
I get Alien being very much influential, but I always came away thinking it’s a good, not great film.
I get Alien being very much influential, but I always came away thinking it’s a good, not great film.
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Quoted for truth. I watched it twice and disliked it both times.
Quoted for heresy. When the inquisition comes, you are marked Minio!
It's harder and harder to find tangible excitement in discovering directors' filmographies for me. Mainly because I've watched large chunks of filmographies of most great directors.
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I don't know, bro, Zombi: La creazione is much better. It's more of an Aliens rip-off, though, at least the last third is. Before that, it was a quality zombie flick. Bruno Mattei's final film, too. Recommended!
I have to see Terminator 2. I mean, Bruno Mattei's Terminator II AKA Shocking Dark. It's more of an Aliens rip-off than a Terminator 2 rip-off, though, confoundingly. I find it much easier to lose myself in these rip-offs than in the actual movies they steal from. A lot of US originals are so cheesy, bad, and basic I'm afraid to rewatch them. I have no idea how I'd react to something like Star Wars (1977) if I watched it now, but I sure as hell preferred Starcrash years ago. My guess is I'd still love Star Wars because I even love the new Star Wars movies, but there's no topping Starcrash for me. Recently, I've seen a Japanese Star Wars-core called Message from Space. The music is so powerful it made me cry. Kinda Morriconian:
I've been sorely missing films like that in my childhood so I'm making up for it in my adult life, I guess.
Anyway, it was directed by Kinji Fukasaku, the director of the Battles Without Honor and Humanity series, but also the antiwar masterpiece Under the Flag of the Rising Sun. That film was so powerful, so gnawingly harsh that it made me cry. I watched it years ago but bumped its rating to 10/10 only last year.
PS: I'm such a sucker for Chinese Ghost Story clones & rip-offs. I love even the weak ones, as long as they've been made before 1997. Some are (almost?) as good as the original.
I have to see Terminator 2. I mean, Bruno Mattei's Terminator II AKA Shocking Dark. It's more of an Aliens rip-off than a Terminator 2 rip-off, though, confoundingly. I find it much easier to lose myself in these rip-offs than in the actual movies they steal from. A lot of US originals are so cheesy, bad, and basic I'm afraid to rewatch them. I have no idea how I'd react to something like Star Wars (1977) if I watched it now, but I sure as hell preferred Starcrash years ago. My guess is I'd still love Star Wars because I even love the new Star Wars movies, but there's no topping Starcrash for me. Recently, I've seen a Japanese Star Wars-core called Message from Space. The music is so powerful it made me cry. Kinda Morriconian:
I've been sorely missing films like that in my childhood so I'm making up for it in my adult life, I guess.
Anyway, it was directed by Kinji Fukasaku, the director of the Battles Without Honor and Humanity series, but also the antiwar masterpiece Under the Flag of the Rising Sun. That film was so powerful, so gnawingly harsh that it made me cry. I watched it years ago but bumped its rating to 10/10 only last year.
PS: I'm such a sucker for Chinese Ghost Story clones & rip-offs. I love even the weak ones, as long as they've been made before 1997. Some are (almost?) as good as the original.
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I aspire to reach such a point where I can rattle off some obscure film and only a few will get a the reference.
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I don't know, bro, Zombi: La creazione is much better. It's more of an Aliens rip-off, though, at least the last third is. Before that, it was a quality zombie flick. Bruno Mattei's final film, too. Recommended!
I have to see Terminator 2. I mean, Bruno Mattei's Terminator II AKA Shocking Dark. It's more of an Aliens rip-off than a Terminator 2 rip-off, though, confoundingly. I find it much easier to lose myself in these rip-offs than in the actual movies they steal from. A lot of US originals are so cheesy, bad, and basic I'm afraid to rewatch them. I have no idea how I'd react to something like Star Wars (1977) if I watched it now, but I sure as hell preferred Starcrash years ago. My guess is I'd still love Star Wars because I even love the new Star Wars movies, but there's no topping Starcrash for me. Recently, I've seen a Japanese Star Wars-core called Message from Space. The music is so powerful it made me cry. Kinda Morriconian:
I've been sorely missing films like that in my childhood so I'm making up for it in my adult life, I guess.
Anyway, it was directed by Kinji Fukasaku, the director of the Battles Without Honor and Humanity series, but also the antiwar masterpiece Under the Flag of the Rising Sun. That film was so powerful, so gnawingly harsh that it made me cry. I watched it years ago but bumped its rating to 10/10 only last year.
PS: I'm such a sucker for Chinese Ghost Story clones & rip-offs. I love even the weak ones, as long as they've been made before 1997. Some are (almost?) as good as the original.
I have to see Terminator 2. I mean, Bruno Mattei's Terminator II AKA Shocking Dark. It's more of an Aliens rip-off than a Terminator 2 rip-off, though, confoundingly. I find it much easier to lose myself in these rip-offs than in the actual movies they steal from. A lot of US originals are so cheesy, bad, and basic I'm afraid to rewatch them. I have no idea how I'd react to something like Star Wars (1977) if I watched it now, but I sure as hell preferred Starcrash years ago. My guess is I'd still love Star Wars because I even love the new Star Wars movies, but there's no topping Starcrash for me. Recently, I've seen a Japanese Star Wars-core called Message from Space. The music is so powerful it made me cry. Kinda Morriconian:
I've been sorely missing films like that in my childhood so I'm making up for it in my adult life, I guess.
Anyway, it was directed by Kinji Fukasaku, the director of the Battles Without Honor and Humanity series, but also the antiwar masterpiece Under the Flag of the Rising Sun. That film was so powerful, so gnawingly harsh that it made me cry. I watched it years ago but bumped its rating to 10/10 only last year.
PS: I'm such a sucker for Chinese Ghost Story clones & rip-offs. I love even the weak ones, as long as they've been made before 1997. Some are (almost?) as good as the original.
As for Fukusaku? I love his Battles Withour Honor and Humanity series. I’ve seen the first 5 so far. Didn’t care for Virus. I missed an opportunity to watch Message from Space, but I’m sure it’ll be back soon enough. I have legend of the 8 Samurai, Samurai Reincarnation, Fall Guy and The Fall of Ako Castle saved and ready to watch.
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Side note: does anyone else get really excited when you start digging further into a director’s filmography?
This week I have a Melville, a few Rollins, a handful of Fukasaku, and some Godard films planned on along with a few others here and there.
This week I have a Melville, a few Rollins, a handful of Fukasaku, and some Godard films planned on along with a few others here and there.
Hmmm, someone I haven't mentioned before.
Tom Noonan has a few awkward man-woman date that you might like. "What Happened Was.." and "The Wife".
Tom Noonan has a few awkward man-woman date that you might like. "What Happened Was.." and "The Wife".
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Tom Noonan has a few awkward man-woman date that you might like. "What Happened Was.." and "The Wife".
I just finished watching a 16-hour-long film in one sitting. I'm going to spend the rest of the night either watching another film before going to bed or writing down all my thoughts from watching the gargantuan movie. Oh, that film is titled 15 Hours by Wang Bing. And yes, it's 16, not 15 hours long, though at such a behemoth length one hour more or less makes little difference.
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I'm an unabashed leftist and I can confirm I love John Ford. What matters most is to read and analyze auteurs/artists/thinkers/writers in new ways which they themselves could not have foreseen. What matters is to look at their concepts/ideas which can be used to explore problems we face today. Theres a universality to concepts/ideas as Strauss puts it. We rehabilitate thinkers of the past whom may appear problematic but have their way of approaching things. Take the best ideas and run away with it. Why focus on for example Nietzsche's misogynism, when he has created far more interesting concepts like the Will to Power, Eternal Recurrence, etc.?
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It took me years to realise that but Wang Bing is one of the most important contemporary filmmakers.
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It took me years to realise that but Wang Bing is one of the most important contemporary filmmakers.
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I haven't got time for the 16 hour one as I have young children.
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