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Letterboxd

I am interested in what other people of the forum think. I know Mark and TokeZa have seen it if you guys want to give your opinions

Bad Education is basically Almodovar's version of Vertigo, so you missed a lot of what the movie was trying to do by turning it off.

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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
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I like your ending better. Im going with it.

The ending of All Is Lost is certainly open to interpretation, but using everything shown previously in the film (the film language), the way the ending is edited, the reading of the man's letter at the beginning, I'd side with Daniel.

It seemed so definitive to me while watching. You guys have me second guessing myself. I like that interpretation, like Mark says it seems to go with the tone of the film more.

Ya I don't really like leaving movies unfinished, especially as of late. I guess I'll try to finish it tonight - I only started yesterday anyways- and post if any of my thoughts changed.

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The story of Poto and Cabengo really intrigues me. The film doesn't go into the medical details of the girls but works as a free-flowing essay about communication and identity. Jean Pierre Gorin was afterall an admirer of the Chris Marker. The language is still a mystery, but this proves that the brain is more than just 'tabula rasa'.

The final scene where the general's authority is questioned by a doctor and the camera just zooms in onto his face, you could see how this "nice" guy was about to explode in anger. A truly terrifying moment that anticipates the genocide to befall on an entire nation.

Looks like Mark is a Jess Franco fan.

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DId you notice that Les Blank was the cameraman?

A follow-up to the meeting where Amin says that he'll get rid of any minister not doing his job properly and a minister subsequently is found dead.

I have seen quite a few of Franco's, but that was the worst.

Do you like any Franco fans? I've never seen any of his films.


EDIT: Yes, any Franco fans. Not Franco films. Because I am an idiot.

The one I like the most is The Diabolical Dr. Z. It was so stylishly-directed-and-photographed that it was like he was possessed by Mario Bava.

As of Franco watch Venus in Furs. I loved it!

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Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.

Stripes (1981) - Ivan Reitman
I saw this at the movies when I was 12 and thought it was the funniest movie I had ever seen. Watching it again now it really feels like it is made for 12 year olds. Everything and everyone is a cliché and the only funny part is Bill Murray - once or twice.

The Horse Thief (1986) - Tian Zhuag Zhuang
If anyone wants to watch a movie that doesn't follow any "rules" of film-making they should watch this. It felt a bit like a collection of images and scenes that, individually, seem almost unrelated but by the end they put together a very good story of a family's life in Tibet.

Besieged (1998) - Bernardo Bertolucci
As I watched this I kept thinking "I like what Bertolucci is trying to do but it's not working" but by the end it kind of did. It's very flawed, and David Thewlis puts in his worst performance, but it builds a really good romantic story and Thandie Newton is great.

Pi (1998) - Darren Aronofsky
So I had an epiphany of sorts this week. I thought "why do I watch so much crap? I've never even seen a Darren Aronofsky film for god's sake and I'm about to watch Beverly Hills Cop II!" This was the first step in making a change and it was worth it. Now have to see the rest of his films. +

The Fifth Element (1997) - Luc Besson
This is one of those films that I won't bother with too much in the future but it was already on my iPad. Decent.

Killer Joe (2012) - William Friedkin
An odd film. Didn't enjoy the first hour too much - felt McConaughey was great but everything else was pretty lightweight. However the last 40 minutes was excellent. -

Gauche the Cellist (1982) - Isao Takahata
Animals help a young man practice his cello playing. Really nice movie - probably Takahata's second best film.

Iron Man (2008) - Jon Favreau
Watched this for the comic book countdown. It's pretty good but probably won't make my list. -

aww poo on you

Okay, you've redeemed yourself...but that first hour is damn good too.

Шахматная горячка [Chess Fever] (1925) -



The first movie Pudovkin directed is a light comedy and does not resemble his later effort Mother. There's no in-your-face propaganda present in here and therefore no powerful images. Good montage and Barnet as a lead.

Liebe ist kälter als der Tod [Love Is Colder Than Death] (1969) -



Although there's no Godard nor Melville among directors mentioned during the beginning credits, the easiest way to describe Liebe ist kälter als der Tod is a French New Wave film that's not French and has a hero not as badass as Delon's Samurai, but much more cold-blooded instead. I loved the cinematography. The movie consists of long, mostly static, black-and-white takes combined with outstanding music, which creates one hell of a mood. Simple scenes like the one of protagonists at supermarket are made like they are crucial for the plot and therefore create an incredible atmosphere. Speaking about the plot. There's a plot, but it's very minimalist and honestly I didn't care about it too much. I just let the visuals take me in. The images in, say, Veronika Voss are more profound and technically advanced, but it's the crude style of this film I prefered more. I would even go as far as to say it's my favourite Fassbinder film I've seen so far. Even though Berlin Alexanderplatz is his magnum opus, Love Is Colder Than Death does the same to me in much shorter period of time. I really can't believe how much I loved it.

Cremaster 1 (1996) -



Sense. This movie doesn't make any. It's hypnotizing and has eye-candy visuals along with cool music. I really had to fight myself to don't rate it higher, because I'm usually a sucker for this kind of avangard senseless video art experiments.

Жестокий романс [Cruel Romance] (1984) -



A beautiful melodrama. The best I've seen recently. It's starring Mikhalkov as a guy in white, there's another actor who's a parvenu and a beautiful actress. Simply, a love triangle. Can't really say anything more as I don't want to spoil anything. Ah, the music is outstandingly beautiful.

달마가 동쪽으로 간 까닭은? [Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East?] (1989) -



It's said to resemble Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring and to be better. I'd agree there's a similarity, but to me Kim Ki-Duk's film is better. It's a contemplative piece. Not much talking and if there is any, it is Buddhist theology. You can clearly see Ki-Duk was inspired by this movie. Same young-old monk hierarchy and young monk torturing animals.

Carrie (1976) -



Love, love, love De Palma! The whole prom scene is an ultimate bliss. Until the bucket fell. Then it was only very good. Then all these preposterous scenes. Still cool. Can't wait to see more of this director. He seems to be a King of Kitschiness of American cinema and I love it! De Palma must be obsessed with shower scenes, or only uses them as an excuse to show boobs. Either way, I'm OK with that. "Plug it up"? What a bunch of hoes.

I think the problem that I had was that McConaughey was excellent but I thought Hirsch was pretty poor - and it was Hirsch who was the focus for much of the first hour. Hence me feeling it was a bit lightweight. Once it was all about McConaughey I loved it.