currently watching “Bad Ronald” on Youtube!
have some goodies on the way in the mail that I ordered.
hope to getting around to re-watching “amores perrors” tomorrow, great film.
think there’s a time and place for big budget movies. Good film making can reside in both the art house and the mall theaters as can total crap. Also, although I love cinema as art, sometimes I just want a good laugh.
Truer words were never spoken - although I generally approach mainstream cinema with a considerable degree of trepidation and caution. I’m fairly cynical when it comes to The Blockbuster also, because I’ve been let down on so many occasions.
And yes, I agree The Matrix was a joke.
The last great dvd I watched was ‘See No Evil’ a British made for tv film about the Moors Murders. Definitely recommend it to all and sundry, but I’m not sure if this is available in America.
The point Green Death makes about shit films pooling on both sides of the fence (arthouse and mainstream) is correct. And while you can expect to find a ferocious amount of crap in blockbusters and star vehicles (eg. all the Oceans films: Clooney, Pitt, zzzzzzzzzzz) you get complete nonsense in lesser known arty films. An example would be some of the stuff of B Bertolucci… up its own arse, self indulgent, vacuous crap. Ive only seen ‘Cache’ of Michael Haneke which I enjoyed (I do love Juliette Binoche, even now despite her age) but the remake of ‘Funny Games’ to me sounds horrendous. Its basically just a remake of a film he did a few years back just in a different language. Ive also heard there is a scene where the plot is just “reversed” so to speak and it made me cringe when I heard that. To be honest much of French cinema is crap.
Herzog, Bergman (I’d go with ‘Persona’ or ‘Seventh Seal’ as his best), Kubrick, Lynch, Fellini, Kurosawa and Hitchcock are the dudes who know/knew how to make films. One can learn so much from closely observing their films.
Yes the remake of Funny Games was very infuriating, especially the aforementioned WTF rewind scene. My take on it though was as a commentary on films where the heroine escapes, or kills the intruders when more often than not in real life they are powerless. The foreshadowing of a knife on the boat was another good example of a movie cliche that simply got thrown out literally. Not a film I would watch again.
Anyone here like Von Trier’s Element of Crime? Or the films of Andrei Tarkovsky? His film Stalker takes some patience to get through for me, but overall its quite a experience.
The Kingdom is most certainly worth picking up if you can find it. I saw it in '95 when it first came out and it blew me away…still one of the greatest experiences I have ever had at the cinema (even though technically it is a tv series and not a film per se…but I still saw it at the cinema).
Fanny And Alexander is long but indeed sublime. Not one of Bergman’s greatest (that title goes to Wild Strawberries and The Virgin Spring).
Check out the films of Michael Haneke also, if you like challenging cinema.
…you can probably tell from my choice of film that I’m not one for the Hollywood schlockbuster. I hate most of them. Occasionally one will come out that I love (like The Incredibles) but usually they leave me cold. Fucking HATED The Matrix when every other fanboy my age was reduced to a drooling mess. Ditto the Star Wars prequels. The Dark Knight was…passable I suppose, but only just. Still took itself way too seriously and was was too crammed with far too many plots and sub plots. I just found the storyline convoluted and the dialogue was pretty lopsided.
Can’t believe so many guys my age (34) jizz themselves over shit like Batman and Spiderman or Harry Potter And The Magic Golden Sneakers or whatever the fuck. Doesn’t anyone appreciate the ‘art’ of cinema anymore? Doesn’t anyone love arthouse?
Apparently not. It’s all fucking superhero shit or boring, contrived crap with the same actors over and over and over. It’s as if people can’t go and see a decent film unless they have posters of the actors on their bedroom wall.
Then you my friend owe it to yourself to go out and rent a movie by the name of “howard the duck”. You’ll be changed forever.
and if you’re a really movie connosiurre (spelling wrong)
then get yourself a copy of “cabin boy”
Or the films of Andrei Tarkovsky? His film Stalker takes some patience to get through for me, but overall its quite a experience.
Tarkovsky is an interesting filmmaker alright. The first film of his I saw was Andrei Rublev; a very long tale set in late middle ages Russia. The film has some mesmerising scenes but does plod a bit. In fact plodding is what Andrei does in most of his films (except the excellent ‘Mirror’, he got it right with this one). ‘Stalker’ is very good but could have been excellent with more judicious editing to pare off some minutes. But some contend making the film more of an endurance adds to the experience. The score for ‘Stalker’ is brilliant, very atmospheric and half makes the film in my opinion. They cast and crew certainly suffered for their art on that film, many including Solonitsyn developing cancer from the toxic locations. Have you seen ‘The Sacrifice’? Now that is a hard grinding film to watch! The ending is wonderful but its all about building up to it which is not a good thing really, bit of a waste. Still it is a great ending.
Saw ‘Che’ (both parts) yesterday. Longest film ive seen in a cinema yet, 4.5 hours. I was pleased with it. Part 1 charts the 50s from Mexico to Cuba with interludes of New York in '64. Part 2 is all about Bolivia. The two parts are quite different from each other in delivery. Part 1 cuts back and forth using different colour. Spends a fair bit in the Sierra Maestras (probably wrong spelling) before moving to Santa Clara which is the highlight of the film, very well done. Part 1 contains some comic relief here and there but it was needed more in Part 2 as Part 2 is very bleak. Its told in a linear narrative but pretty much from the start its a lost cause for Che/Ramon. Part 2 maybe could have a few mins shaved off but it does show effectively how difficult fighting for such a cause is when there is feck all real support for it. All in all a decent effort and well worth checking out. Better than what I was expecting.
Showed the lovely mirror mask to the little ones. It’s this story by neil gaiman (sandman comic and a million other things) and it’s animated by the jim henson (muppets) company. Fabulous movie.
I can’t wait to see coraline when it comes to theaters. The book was great (yeah it’s for younger people… so what)
Well my fav part of the year, sci-fi’s twilight zone marathon, is over. Oh what to do with myself.
Eh spend my time tracking down out of print psychic tv stuff i guess.
Barely legal teens vol. 2
Showed the lovely mirror mask to the little ones. It’s this story by neil gaiman (sandman comic and a million other things) and it’s animated by the jim henson (muppets) company. Fabulous movie.
I can’t wait to see coraline when it comes to theaters. The book was great (yeah it’s for younger people… so what)
Mirror Mask wasn’t that engaging for me despite loving Neil Gaiman and Dave Mckean. I am not quite sure what it was missing for me, but I just cannot watch it all in one sitting. Coraline looks pretty good, and Henry Sellick usually delivers the goods (Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach).
What I am looking forward to however is the second part of the Dark Crystal, Brian Henson is directing this with the original creature designer Brian Froud (Dark Crystal, Labyrinth) who is simply an amazing artist and a nice guy. Here in Atlanta we have the Center For Pupperty Arts which is the largest puppet museum in the world I believe. They have some amazing Henson puppets, as well as the last remaining Skeksis from the Dark Crystal on display.
I like that some traditional puppet, and stop motion pictures are still being released now that the market is glutted with wretched CGI anthropomorphic comedies. Pixar is still doing some quality stuff, The Incredibles was very good, and Wall-E had its moments, but the majority of these other features remind of the sub-par hand drawn animation that America was producing in the '80s.
What I am looking forward to however is the second part of the Dark Crystal, Brian Henson is directing this with the original creature designer Brian Froud (Dark Crystal, Labyrinth) who is simply an amazing artist and a nice guy.
I didn’t know they were making a sequel.
Could be interesting…
Barely legal teens vol. 2
I was going to rent that, but I haven’t seen vol. 1 so I’m afraid I’ll be completely lost.
Xtraterrestrial and the good Rev., here is your WIN.
I ust watched a cool little number called “Once Were Warriors,” and I am exceedingly compelled to call up a friend of mine who reminds me an awful lot of the male lead and tell him just how evil he is.
Just saw hamlet 2 yesterday… meh… it’s ok to pass time…
now i’m watching this christian bale movie called “equilibrium” so far excellent… futuristic tale where people got to inject this serum to surpress emotions and he plays a cop out to stop those who break the rules. art is forbidden as is personal expression… one morning he breaks his dosage and winds up skipping it and starts to notice a different world… that’s all i’ll spoil
Xtraterrestrial and the good Rev., here is your WIN.
I ust watched a cool little number called “Once Were Warriors,” and I am exceedingly compelled to call up a friend of mine who reminds me an awful lot of the male lead and tell him just how evil he is.
Now MAKE DA MAN SOME FUCKIN EGGZ!!!
And of course don’t forget to give your uncle Bully a kiss goodnight[cool]
What I am looking forward to however is the second part of the Dark Crystal,
The Skeksis were the original Black Metallers with all their bad-ass spikety spikes. The Gelflings were straight up Emo panzys.
As for Wall-E…you’re insane if you think Wall-E had it’s momments…Wall-E is pure genius all the way!!!
It just doesn’t come any more Black Metal than this…
And check this pussy Emo couple. They’re both guys by the way…
Saw ‘The Wrestler’ yesterday. Very good, but maybe a bit overrated with all this hype of late.
Rourke does put himself through the ringer no doubt but apart from building himself up and the stunts he just has to play a regular enough guy. His performance is convincing though and he does deserve to be awarded I suppose. Tomei is one smokin 40+ girly. Amazing t and a for a woman her age.
Its a gritty film, an obvious attempt at realism by Aronofsky (quite different from his previous more stylish works). Have to say I was pleased with the ending. Could have been a very soppy exaggerated happy/sad ending but he took the best option. The last 15-20 mins is the best part. And of course the hardcore match was something alright, the females beside me were in bits watching that scene.
Would recommend it to anyone who’s interested in a story of the struggles of a real character (be it a wrestler or another form of sportsperson or entertainer). But dont expect to be blown away.
I could just imagine if Nic Cage got the part… it would have been utter hilarity. I would pay anything to see that guy jump off a turnbuckle.
MaggitTooth: YOU’LL DO WHAT THE FUCK YOU’RE TOLD!!!
In other news, I saw “Gummo” a week or so ago, and that one really hit close to home. See, I was raised in a very rural, VERY white community, and that whole movie was basically daily life for me. Not to say that I was killing cats, fucking someone’s mentally-challenged sister, or eating spaghetti in the tub, but my GOD, the mentality of the film pervades the place.
I love Mexicans. So much.
MaggitTooth: YOU’LL DO WHAT THE FUCK YOU’RE TOLD!!!
In other news, I saw “Gummo” a week or so ago, and that one really hit close to home. See, I was raised in a very rural, VERY white community, and that whole movie was basically daily life for me. Not to say that I was killing cats, fucking someone’s mentally-challenged sister, or eating spaghetti in the tub, but my GOD, the mentality of the film pervades the place.
I love Mexicans. So much.
If you haven’t already you NEED to hunt down Bad Boy Bubby. That is the greatest most hilariously disturbing beautiful deep & profound film on the face of the planet.
Meet The Feebles is bad-ass too.[cool]
[reply]Xtraterrestrial and the good Rev., here is your WIN.
I ust watched a cool little number called “Once Were Warriors,” and I am exceedingly compelled to call up a friend of mine who reminds me an awful lot of the male lead and tell him just how evil he is.
Now MAKE DA MAN SOME FUCKIN EGGZ!!!
And of course don’t forget to give your uncle Bully a kiss goodnight[cool][/reply]
YES! JAKE THE MUSS!
Saw ‘Gran Torino’ last night.
A stinker
Dreadful acting. Poor directing. Cliche ending.
Clint is a cool actor. Not much of a range, but always enjoyable. Usually has a few good lines in whatever he does too. He had a few in this film, but it just got so repetitive. I’ve always thought Clint was a dodgy director, moreso his recent directing attempts. Think he directed ‘Outlaw Josey Wales’, that was well put together, but films like ‘Mystic River’, ‘Million Dollar Baby’, and the WWII films were riddled with problems.
This film is also supposed to be his last acting job. It’s a shame. He’s not necessarily poor in it, but the film is.