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Has any of these ever finished a decent bit early? Seems like a few at least always use all of the given time.
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Has any of these ever finished a decent bit early? Seems like a few at least always use all of the given time.
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In the Mood for Love is at my library on blu ray so getting that should be easy. I want to be able to see that proper...the youtube upload has the subs all out of sync and I gonged it really fast! L'Avventura is something I'll find a good copy of, too. The Elephant Man, same thing. Then it's just my own nom for a reappraisal and I'm done. Good run! Can't say I hated anything so far.
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I just rewatched the Elephant Man but I'm not sure if I'll get anything written tonight since it's getting late for me.
I only have Out of the Blue and L'Avventura left now. I'm not working tomorrow so I should have time to get through at least one of them.
I only have Out of the Blue and L'Avventura left now. I'm not working tomorrow so I should have time to get through at least one of them.
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The Elephant Man (1980)
Dir. David Lynch
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Wendy Hiller
The Elephant Man handles the reveal of its titular character very well. We first get a feel for his appearance only through Treves' reaction to him, then later through his silhouette. John's face is constantly obscured from view until he has settled into the hospital's isolation ward. It's a slow build-up that is quite effective at generating intrigue. The prosthetics used are incredible, as is John Hurt's ability to convey emotion under that heavy makeup. Though it was actually Anthony Hopkin's outstanding performance that really engaged me with the film.
While unnecessary changes were made to the real Joseph Merrick's story, I can see how the added violence might be needed to help garner more sympathy from the audience. It's likely harder for many people to comprehend how harrowing and emotionally distressing that kind of isolation from society can be. Having more concrete abuse makes Merrick's growth as an individual much easier to understand. Whether those changes were intentional or simply a consequence of the screenplay's source material, it doesn't affect my overall impression of the film.
While most people focus on themes of humanity, there's another aspect of The Elephant Man that I find more interesting. Questions about whether or not John Merrick is being treated as a spectacle in the hospital can also be applied to the film as well, since the audience's curiosity of the Elephant Man is no different than that of the characters on screen. It's not exactly voyeuristic, but his appearance and personal story is still being used catch our attention and elicit a reaction. It's a clever way to make us reflect on ourselves, in the same way that Treves questions his own morals and intentions in the film.
While unnecessary changes were made to the real Joseph Merrick's story, I can see how the added violence might be needed to help garner more sympathy from the audience. It's likely harder for many people to comprehend how harrowing and emotionally distressing that kind of isolation from society can be. Having more concrete abuse makes Merrick's growth as an individual much easier to understand. Whether those changes were intentional or simply a consequence of the screenplay's source material, it doesn't affect my overall impression of the film.
While most people focus on themes of humanity, there's another aspect of The Elephant Man that I find more interesting. Questions about whether or not John Merrick is being treated as a spectacle in the hospital can also be applied to the film as well, since the audience's curiosity of the Elephant Man is no different than that of the characters on screen. It's not exactly voyeuristic, but his appearance and personal story is still being used catch our attention and elicit a reaction. It's a clever way to make us reflect on ourselves, in the same way that Treves questions his own morals and intentions in the film.
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The Elephant Man handles the reveal of its titular character very well. We first get a feel for his appearance only through Treves' reaction to him, then later through his silhouette. John's face is constantly obscured from view until he has settled into the hospital's isolation ward. It's a slow build-up that is quite effective at generating intrigue.
I'm glad you mentioned that, that long slow reveal really does work wonders in building our emotions. Did you notice how the face cover that Merrick wears is shaped sort of like an elephant? It has only one eye hole and is elongated by the mouth. When he is wearing it and slightly sideways to the camera it looks like he might be shaped like an elephant.
Ahh, I hadn't thought of that! Very good point. I guess I would say 'all the world loves a spectacle', and it's how we would treat that spectacle that defines us.
I enjoyed reading your review, very insightful.
there's another aspect of The Elephant Man that I find more interesting. Questions about whether or not John Merrick is being treated as a spectacle in the hospital can also be applied to the film as well, since the audience's curiosity of the Elephant Man is no different than that of the characters on screen...
I enjoyed reading your review, very insightful.
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Did you notice how the face cover that Merrick wears is shaped sort of like an elephant? It has only one eye hole and is elongated by the mouth. When he is wearing it and slightly sideways to the camera it looks like he might be shaped like an elephant.
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I finished watching Out of the Blue, but since I have to head to bed now I won't be able to write anything until after work tomorrow. I meant to put it on earlier but got caught up in other things.
While trying to see if I could find a higher quality version of the film earlier, I discovered that both of its titles (Out of the Blue and No Looking Back) have other films with the same name. It's completely irrelevant, but I found it somewhat amusing. Hopefully no one watches the wrong film haha.
While trying to see if I could find a higher quality version of the film earlier, I discovered that both of its titles (Out of the Blue and No Looking Back) have other films with the same name. It's completely irrelevant, but I found it somewhat amusing. Hopefully no one watches the wrong film haha.
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While trying to see if I could find a higher quality version of the film earlier, I discovered that both of its titles (Out of the Blue and No Looking Back) have other films with the same name. It's completely irrelevant, but I found it somewhat amusing. Hopefully no one watches the wrong film haha.
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...While trying to see if I could find a higher quality version of the film earlier, I discovered that both of its titles (Out of the Blue and No Looking Back) have other films with the same name....Hopefully no one watches the wrong film haha.
So I didn't finish it, but it looked really good. Later I read about it and it sounds way too intense for me. So I told Cricket about it, seem like his kind of movie...and I gave it to my parents to watch. I don't know if they have watched it or not.
Out of the Blue (2006)
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I did! We started watching Out of the Blue, and I said to my wife, 'wow! the cinematography is really advance for an older movie, it's like what they do today.'....Then I wondered why it was set in New Zealand and they were driving 1990s cars. Ha!
So I didn't finish it, but it looked really good. Later I read about it and it sounds way too intense for me. So I told Cricket about it, seem like his kind of movie...and I gave it to my parents to watch. I don't know if they have watched it or not.
Out of the Blue (2006)
So I didn't finish it, but it looked really good. Later I read about it and it sounds way too intense for me. So I told Cricket about it, seem like his kind of movie...and I gave it to my parents to watch. I don't know if they have watched it or not.
Out of the Blue (2006)
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I just need to get hold of all these movies. I'll make the deadline but it's not a race. 
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The Elephant Man (1980)
Dir. David Lynch
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Wendy Hiller
The Elephant Man
While most people focus on themes of humanity, there's another aspect of The Elephant Man that I find more interesting. Questions about whether or not John Merrick is being treated as a spectacle in the hospital can also be applied to the film as well, since the audience's curiosity of the Elephant Man is no different than that of the characters on screen. It's not exactly voyeuristic, but his appearance and personal story is still being used catch our attention and elicit a reaction. It's a clever way to make us reflect on ourselves, in the same way that Treves questions his own morals and intentions in the film.
While most people focus on themes of humanity, there's another aspect of The Elephant Man that I find more interesting. Questions about whether or not John Merrick is being treated as a spectacle in the hospital can also be applied to the film as well, since the audience's curiosity of the Elephant Man is no different than that of the characters on screen. It's not exactly voyeuristic, but his appearance and personal story is still being used catch our attention and elicit a reaction. It's a clever way to make us reflect on ourselves, in the same way that Treves questions his own morals and intentions in the film.
Ahh, I hadn't thought of that! Very good point. I guess I would say 'all the world loves a spectacle', and it's how we would treat that spectacle that defines us.
I enjoyed reading your review, very insightful.
I enjoyed reading your review, very insightful.
The only thing that had changed was the attitude of those seeing him. Or perhaps, the reaction was kept hidden while the intrigue and the marvel of the human being within was at the forefront of the visits.
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Has any of these ever finished a decent bit early? Seems like a few at least always use all of the given time.
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I did! We started watching Out of the Blue, and I said to my wife, 'wow! the cinematography is really advance for an older movie, it's like what they do today.'....Then I wondered why it was set in New Zealand and they were driving 1990s cars. Ha!
When I stumbled across that Out of the Blue and saw that Karl Urban was in it, I kind of wanted to watch that one instead. I think I will check it out later.
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some spoilers for Aguirre
rewatched Aguirre. It's such a good f*cking movie, man. I don't know how Herzog managed to make a film this great, because it's a crazy way to make a film. It almost feels like a documentary at times. The opening shot of the party traversing their way through the mountain and the camera moving to show some people in armor barely in frame is just crazy, because it illuminates the scope of the achievement of this film. It's crazy enough that he got enough people willing to agree to go to this place in those outfits in what has to be awful conditions, but then to capture it so artfully. I almost can't believe this film exists. And those aren't even the craziest things some of these people did, I mean, the fact that these people actually agreed to get on those rafts is crazy to me. I almost feel like this film was Herzog's own El Dorado, except it exists. I am fascinated by the shots of the dirty river flowing right up to the camera, and the shot just sits there like we are in the same peril the characters are. I wonder if the film Hard to Be a God was inspired by this film, because it is the only other film that I've seen that made me feel this dirty. Not in like a pervy or disgusting way, but actually from grime like mud, dirty water, mosquitoes, sweat, and the stink of human filth. The film is beautiful to look at and that contrast of how it makes me feel has an affect on me that I can't quite put into words. The final sequence with everybody on the raft slumped over and dying, or hunched over but dead and Aguirre still spouting about his plans is amazing. At first I wondered if everybody just naturally ended up in those positions or if Aguirre pulled them up so that his illusion of having these subjects would be more visually appealing to him than laid out flat. Not that that is an important element of the film, but it would be something that his character could conceivably do. His mind was always gone, but to see it spiral like the rafts seemingly moving in unknowing circles is tremendous. And it also has some silly moments that might be moments of levity, or they could just be silly dream-like moments in a film that sometimes feels like a fever dream. The guy commenting on the length of the spear that pierced his heart and ended his life felt like something out of Monty Python, and when the dude said the arrow from the blowgun must have been fired by a dwarf got a legitimate chuckle out of me because I forgot all about it. And of course Aguirre chucking the monkey is all-time gif material. This was also one of the first films I ever saw that made me think "oh wow, I didn't realize movies could be this type of thing." Luckily for me, the top 100 movies of all-time list I was looking at made their list in alphabetical order.
rewatched Aguirre. It's such a good f*cking movie, man. I don't know how Herzog managed to make a film this great, because it's a crazy way to make a film. It almost feels like a documentary at times. The opening shot of the party traversing their way through the mountain and the camera moving to show some people in armor barely in frame is just crazy, because it illuminates the scope of the achievement of this film. It's crazy enough that he got enough people willing to agree to go to this place in those outfits in what has to be awful conditions, but then to capture it so artfully. I almost can't believe this film exists. And those aren't even the craziest things some of these people did, I mean, the fact that these people actually agreed to get on those rafts is crazy to me. I almost feel like this film was Herzog's own El Dorado, except it exists. I am fascinated by the shots of the dirty river flowing right up to the camera, and the shot just sits there like we are in the same peril the characters are. I wonder if the film Hard to Be a God was inspired by this film, because it is the only other film that I've seen that made me feel this dirty. Not in like a pervy or disgusting way, but actually from grime like mud, dirty water, mosquitoes, sweat, and the stink of human filth. The film is beautiful to look at and that contrast of how it makes me feel has an affect on me that I can't quite put into words. The final sequence with everybody on the raft slumped over and dying, or hunched over but dead and Aguirre still spouting about his plans is amazing. At first I wondered if everybody just naturally ended up in those positions or if Aguirre pulled them up so that his illusion of having these subjects would be more visually appealing to him than laid out flat. Not that that is an important element of the film, but it would be something that his character could conceivably do. His mind was always gone, but to see it spiral like the rafts seemingly moving in unknowing circles is tremendous. And it also has some silly moments that might be moments of levity, or they could just be silly dream-like moments in a film that sometimes feels like a fever dream. The guy commenting on the length of the spear that pierced his heart and ended his life felt like something out of Monty Python, and when the dude said the arrow from the blowgun must have been fired by a dwarf got a legitimate chuckle out of me because I forgot all about it. And of course Aguirre chucking the monkey is all-time gif material. This was also one of the first films I ever saw that made me think "oh wow, I didn't realize movies could be this type of thing." Luckily for me, the top 100 movies of all-time list I was looking at made their list in alphabetical order.
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Warning: Spoilers for Aguirre, the Wrath of God below!
I was always uncertain as to whether or not he even realized his daughter was dead. It's not until he sees the blood on his hand while trying to fix her hair that the fact that she was shot seems to really sink in. So I always just assumed that he was too delusional to notice that he was alone. But I do like the idea of him arranging the bodies to have an audience haha. It would definitely fit his ego.
The final sequence with everybody on the raft slumped over and dying, or hunched over but dead and Aguirre still spouting about his plans is amazing. At first I wondered if everybody just naturally ended up in those positions or if Aguirre pulled them up so that his illusion of having these subjects would be more visually appealing to him than laid out flat. Not that that is an important element of the film, but it would be something that his character could conceivably do.
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Out of the Blue (1980)
Dir. Dennis Hopper
Starring: Linda Manz, Sharon Farrell, Dennis Hopper
Out of the Blue features realistically gritty and seedy looking locations and characters, and I actually think that the DVD's less than optimal video quality worked well with the film's aesthetic. Though I definitely would've preferred a better mix on the audio, since at times it was almost painful for my sensitive ears to listen to. Luckily the film's incredibly appropriate soundtrack made the sound issues a little more bearable.
As one of a small minority of people who dislikes Easy Rider, I was worried about how I'd feel about Hopper's direction, but I actually quite enjoyed it here. It fit the tone of the film quite well. His acting was also great, possibly even one of his best, though I can't help but wonder how much of his performance was drawn from real experiences, given his history with addiction. The other actors did an amazing job as well, particularly Linda Manz.
And that brings me to the major issue I have with this film: Cebe. Despite Manz' great performance, I just hated her character too much to care about anything. From the very first scene when we see her as a child, I just thought she was irritating. I tried to be more sympathetic towards her since her behaviour was heavily influenced by a past filled with trauma and neglect, but it just didn't work. As such, it was quite difficult to sit through her antics sometimes. I did really like the ending though, and thought it was quite appropriate. So this film was a mixed bag for me, but it was an interesting one.
As one of a small minority of people who dislikes Easy Rider, I was worried about how I'd feel about Hopper's direction, but I actually quite enjoyed it here. It fit the tone of the film quite well. His acting was also great, possibly even one of his best, though I can't help but wonder how much of his performance was drawn from real experiences, given his history with addiction. The other actors did an amazing job as well, particularly Linda Manz.
And that brings me to the major issue I have with this film: Cebe. Despite Manz' great performance, I just hated her character too much to care about anything. From the very first scene when we see her as a child, I just thought she was irritating. I tried to be more sympathetic towards her since her behaviour was heavily influenced by a past filled with trauma and neglect, but it just didn't work. As such, it was quite difficult to sit through her antics sometimes. I did really like the ending though, and thought it was quite appropriate. So this film was a mixed bag for me, but it was an interesting one.
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