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I'll do up my list in a sec, I'm having a little trouble deciding what to put on it, but Super Nintendo 64, watch Videodrome next. (Also, Catch-22 is super meh compared to the book, not sure if I would classify it as shameful.) e: My list: 1. Night of the Living Dead (1968) - I've seen Dawn and Day, but somehow I've just never gotten around to watching this one. I have a feeling I'll really dig it, though, since I slightly prefer Day to Dawn and the Argento cut of the latter to the theatrical. 2. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - I've technically seen this, but I was like four and the only things I remember about it are things that everyone knows through osmosis (face-melting, giant boulder, etc). 3. Army of Shadows (1969) - This is one that I've tried to watch but always got sidetracked like five minutes in. I know for a fact that if I can sit through it I will love the hell out of it, though. 4. Apocalypse Now (1979) - Basically see above. I love it in concept, I've just never been able to make it past the first bits without something coming up and distracting me. 5. The Godfather (1972) - ...same as the above two, pretty much. 6. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1968) - I've seen parts of this on TV and I know big chunks of it from osmosis (plus having a close friend who loves it), but I've never gotten around to watching it start to finish. 7. Come and See (1985) - I've been putting this one off because I know it's going to absolutely ruin my day even if I end up loving it. 8. Die Hard (1988) - I've seen about half of this movie all together just from flipping channels on TV, but again, never start to finish and never uncut. 9. The Empire Strikes Back/Return of the Jedi (??) - I watched both of these when I was a kid, but the only one I've seen since I was like six is A New Hope. I'm putting them together because otherwise I'd probably just be putting Return of the Jedi as #10 and I know some wag would probably tell me to watch that before ESB. 10. A History of Violence (2005) - I love batshit Cronenberg, but my familiarity with serious Cronenberg is super limited and I feel like I should change that. SALT CURES HAM fucked around with this message at 19:18 on May 28, 2014 |
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May 28, 2014 19:04
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Boy is that a great list. I hope you stick around!
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May 28, 2014 19:55
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SALT CURES HAM, start with Night of the Living Dead. Watch it in the dark. My greatest fear is becoming anything like the people in Grey Gardens. Delusional, completely unaware, clamoring for dreams that were never going to come. Convincing yourself you had a chance at the big time that you would have gotten if it weren't for X or Y or Z. Big Edie isn't too bad actually, she's just old and is content to live out the rest of her days in her home with her daughter. But Little Edie is something else, and likely mentally ill. Well, I guess they were affluent once. And maybe this psychosis comes from slowly losing everything until the raccoons and cats become your friends. It's a purely American sort of tragedy. My List: The Lady Eve (1941) - I picked up the book "Cinematic Mythmaking" by Irving Singer because it looked really good. However, the essays in it tend to focus on single films and this is one of them. I'd like to go through a few of them before I crack into the book. (Added 7/31/2013) The Beaver Trilogy (2001) - We were supposed to show this at the theater I work at with the director in person, but it got cancelled for whatever reason. Anyway, since finding out about it my interest is peaked. Technically three films in one. (Added 12/17/2013) Black Jesus (1968) - But what about Black Santa?  (Added 12/17/2013)Damnation (1988) - I've never seen a Béla Tarr film. I know Werckmeister Harmonies is the favorite, but something about this one is calling me. (Added 12/21/2013) Fort Apache (1948) - The first in John Ford's Calvary trilogy. (Added 1/2/2014) King Boxer: Five Fingers of Death (1972) - Getting more into classic Kung Fu. Also, this is apparently one of Quentin Tarantino's favorite movies. (Added 2/7/2014) Playtime (1967) - Is this an alright jumping in point for Tati? (Added 3/11/2014) Zardoz (1974) - Guns. Penises. One of them is good and the other's bad, but I don't remember which is which. (Added 4/5/2014) Andrei Rublev (1966) - It's been awhile since I watched a Tarkovsky. I liked Stalker and Solaris a lot but didn't connect too deeply with either. (Added 4/19/2014) Showgirls (1995) - Is this actually bad or Verhoeven-style "bad." (Added 5/29/2013) Watched: Harold and Maude; The Third Man; Inland Empire; Godzilla; Big Trouble In Little China; Y Tu Mamá También; Marathon Man; Hunger; A Woman Is A Woman; Black Narcissus; A Hard Day's Night; Scarface; Le Doulos; On The Waterfront; Rocky; 3 Women; Airplane!; Duck Soup; Clash of the Titans; Singin' In The Rain; The Cow; Straw Dogs; Stop Making Sense; Bad Timing; Once Upon A Time In America; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade; Robocop; Shane; WALL·E; The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin; The Man Who Fell To Earth; Mr. Smith Goes To Washington; Divorce Italian Style; Some Like It Hot; To Kill A Mockingbird; An American Werewolf In London; Buffalo '66; Lawrence Of Arabia; Manhattan; Cul-De-Sac; The Birth of a Nation; Braveheart; Sex, Lies, and Videotape; Malcolm X; Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai; The Passion of Joan of Arc; The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; Le Samouraï; The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance; Marat/Sade; His Girl Friday; A Woman Under the Influence; Close Encounters of the Third Kind; Rio Bravo; Triumph of the Will; Titanic; Strike; The General; Jules et Jim; Tokyo Story; Once Upon A Time In Anatolia; L'Âge d'Or; Stroszek; Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky; Faust; Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom; Frankenstein; Rebel Without a Cause; Gone with the Wind; Barry Lyndon; The Grapes of Wrath; Midnight Cowboy; My Darling Clementine; Hoop Dreams; Close-Up; Begotten; The Goddess; The Apartment; Hell's Angels; All About Eve; Night and Fog; Grey Gardens (TOTAL: 82)
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May 29, 2014 15:04
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TrixRabbi, I have so much curiosity about Zardoz, I'd love to read more about it. Let me know how it goes! The Buddy Holly Story felt like a tongue in cheek pick when it was recommended for me. I've always liked Gary Busey. There's a genuine sense to him that I find truly refreshing. And yes, he was absolutely tuned in for his performance, he did a great job. As for the movie itself... It was really empty. The story of Buddy Holly lacks a lot of punch. Yes, he was doing things that no white person did at the time, and that's certainly a big deal. And yes, he revolutionized Rock and Roll. I'm not discounting that Buddy Holly is a really important figure. I have a feeling that the book this was based off of was much better. Buddy Holly's story, I would guess, is a largely intellectual one. As is stands, the beats of his story though just weren't terribly gripping. The movie was watchable and pleasant, but didn't have anything to get the audience invested. 7/10 New List 1. *NEW* The Blues Brothers*NEW* - Interested, not much else to say though. 2. The Purple Rose of Cairo - More Woodie! 3. The Rules of the Game - I don't know what's wrong with me. 4. Poolhouse Junkies - Looks like fun. 5. The Last Starfighter - I know nothing about this other than the bits that were referenced in Plinkett's Episode 1-3 reviews. It looks cool though! 6. Senna - Heard this about some car jesus that everyone in the world reveres outside of the USA. 7. Sherlock Jr. - Keaton has yet to disappoint me. The General actually brought me to tears. More please. 8. Intolerable Cruelty - Continuing along with my quest to complete the Coens! I'm getting there! 9. Gojira - I just saw the new one, and I loved the hell out of it. I'm really really interested in going back to the origin of this franchise. 10. Pleasantville - I know it's in black and white and is some kind of period piece? I think? Seems like the less I know going in, the better. 89 Total De-Shamed Yojimbo 7.5/10, Aliens 6.5/10, Brazil 8/10, Cool Hand Luke 9.5/10, 28 Days Later 6/10, Predator 8.5/10, Blade Runner 7.5/10,Crimes and Misdemeanors 9/10, Vertigo 7/10, Being There 7.5/10, Psycho 10/10, Apocalypse Now 7.5/10, Citizen Kane 8.5/10, Dr. Strangelove 7/10, Close Encounters of the Third Kind 8.5/10, The Bicycle Thief 7/10, Raging Bull 8/10, Ikiru 10/10, Terminator 2: Judgement Day 7/10, The Night of the Hunter 8.5/10 How to Train Your Dragon 6.5/10, There Will Be Blood 8/10, Manhattan 7/10, Rashomon 8.5/10, Unforgiven 8.5/10 The Third Man 9.5/10, Requiem For A Dream 4/10, Charade 5.5/10, Sunset Blvd. 8/10 , Badlands 6.5/10, Dead Man 8.5/10, On The Waterfront 9/10, Mad Max 6/10, Singin' In The Rain 9.5/10, Sleeper 7.5/10, Enter The Dragon 6.5/10, The Hustler 8/10 , The Town 9/10, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 5.5/10, Boogie Nights 7.5/10, Hanna 8.5/10, The Conversation 7.5/10, Serpico 8/10, Hoop Dreams 9/10, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind 8/10, Blood Simple 7.5/10, Roman Holiday 8.5/10, Miller's Crossing 8/10, M 7.5/10, Moonrise Kingdom 6.5/10, Rope 7/10, Tiny Furniture 1/10, On The Town 5.5/10, Gosford Park 5.5/10, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, 8.5/10, City Lights 8.5/10, The Exorcist 6.5/10, California Split 7/10, Aguirre, The Wrath Of God 8/10, Following 8/10, The General 10/10, Barton Fink 8.5/10, Tombstone 8/10, The Hudsucker Proxy 9/10, Love Actually 6.5, La Dolce Vita 7/10, Chop Shop 9.5/10, Duck Soup 6/10, When Harry Met Sally 8/10, Tokyo Story 7/10, Kelly's Heroes 8/10, The Thing 8.5/10, Lost In Translation 9.5/10, Anchorman 6.5/10, Mulholland Dr. 8.5/10, Rebecca9/10, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans 7/10, Steamboat Bill Jr. 9/10, Double Indemnity 9/10, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum 6.5/10, The Man Who Wasn't There 8.10, Synecdoche, NY 10/10 , Leaving Las Vegas 9/10, The Hidden Fortress 8.5/10, Magnificent Seven 8/10, Dear Zachary -/10, The Fly 9/10, Time Bandits 6/10, Before Sunrise 6.5, The Buddy Holly Story 7/10
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May 30, 2014 01:29
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Chili posted:10. Pleasantville - I know it's in black and white and is some kind of period piece? I think? Seems like the less I know going in, the better. This has been on your list for quite a while. Time to watch it and tell us what you think. --- Patton By all accounts, the real George S. Patton was a fascinating historical figure, torn between extremes. A great leader, but also stubborn, argumentative and short-tempered. A brilliant tactician, yet one whose idea of combat came from a romanticised version of the past. And a devout Christian, but also a staunch believer in reincarnation. Had he lived in more peaceful times he might have died an eccentric old man, instead he became one of the most famous generals in US history. Add in the political machinations at play during World War II and you have the perfect foundation for a cinematic character study. Schaffner's Patton fully delivers on that front. Indeed, despite being a WW2 film, its best moments take place far away from the battlefield. It's when Patton sits alone in his room, contemplating his own role in the war, or when he gives a speech to a group of British ladies that we really come to understand the man. George Scott does a tremendous job as the main character. He doesn't shy away from showing Patton's eccentricities, but there is always a kind of sly self-awareness to his performance that saves it from becoming a simple caricature. He accomplishes the greatest feat any actor could hope for by essentially becoming his role. When we talk about Patton today we talk about Scott's Patton, in the same way that T. E. Lawrence will forever be Peter O'Toole. If there is a flaw to the film's portrayal of Patton, it's that it takes great care to show us who the man was, but never delves too deeply into why he was that way. It's understandable that a big Hollywood production doesn't want to engage in speculative psychoanalysis, but as a result it does come across as a bit cold and distant at times. I've also felt that as a whole the film is a little too kind to Patton, excusing his flaws and focusing more on his achievements, but then perhaps I've simply become too enamored by Scott's charming performance. There is one other thing that stood out for me while watching Patton: the speech he gives at the beginning. Originally I thought it was written specifically for the film, but apparently it's a combination of different speeches he made to his troops shortly before D-Day. Which made me wonder why they removed it from its narrative context and placed it at the start. Obviously it's a great way to open the film, immediately capturing our attention and telling us a lot about the general character of the general. But I feel there's more to it than that. Taking the speech out of the story gives it a sense of timelessness that it would otherwise lack. When Patton talks he doesn't just address his own troops, but us, the audience. And when he speaks of America's love for war and its hatred of losing he's not just referring to WW2, but to war in general. Given that this film came out shortly after the US started to withdraw its troops from the disastrous war in Vietnam, this is a pretty bold assessment and it's perhaps because of this frankness that the speech, and by extension the film as a whole, has stood the test of time so well. 1. Touch of Evil (1958) - Might as well make this the designated Welles slot. 2. A Streetcar named Desire (1951) - All I know about it is that it stars Marlon Brando and a woman called STELLA. 3. High Noon (1952) - Slowly making my way through the classic studio westerns. 4. The Grapes of Wrath (1940) - Another one from John Ford. Love the book, never seen the film. 5. (new) Stalag 17 (1953) - The 17th entry in the highly popular Stalag series. 6. 1776 (1972) - I'm not American, but I do enjoy a good musical. 7. Scarface (1932) - I know the remake, but I've never seen the 1932 version. 8. Broken Blossoms (1919) - More good stuff from the Silent Film thread. 9. Wizards (1977) - Any Bakshi film really, but this one has the most interesting premise. 10. Ran (1985) - I'll take any opportunity to see more Kurosawa. Watched: The Shawshank Redemption (1994), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), The Great Escape (1963), Psycho (1960), Mad Max (1979), Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972), Tangled (2010), Stagecoach (1939), City Lights (1931), The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), Shane (1953), The Trial (1962), Patton (1970)
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May 30, 2014 12:26
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Samuel Clemens posted:10. Ran (1985) - I'll take any opportunity to see more Kurosawa. My ideas about Good Will Hunting going into it were fairly wrong. It's a kind reminder of how much I enjoy going into a movie without actually knowing anything about it (except in this case the main two actors). I really enjoyed this movie, especially the characters. I almost feel like I basically entered their lives, felt their triumphs, and felt their heartbreaks. I was genuinely surprised at how engaging the movie was. I wish I could put this in words better because I enjoyed the film, greatly enjoyed the acting, and I thought the story was interesting enough to not detract from the performances. I guess it played by the numbers (excusing the unintentional pun) at times, but I only consider it a small mark against it. New List: 1. Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Spielberg. Aliens. 2. Planet of the Apes - I've probably watched about a quarter of this movie including the ending. I've never seen it all the way through. 3. Three Colors: Blue - I remember seeing the trilogy brought up quite a bit from other lists. Might as well take a look myself. 4. Oldboy - Everyone always says great things about Oldboy. I might as well actually watch it. 5. The Hustler - I haven't seen a Paul Newman movie in a while, and this has always been part of cinematic lore. 6. The Intouchables - Highest top 250 movie I haven't seen. I know nothing about this. 7. Grave of the Fireflies - I'll try a non-Miyazaki Ghibli film. I know this gets a lot more dark. 8. Rain Man - I guess I know the premise, but I've never really thought of seeing it. 9. Wings - I've set a goal to watch every movie that won best picture which I'm a bit of a third of the way through. So the nine and eventually eight slot will be random best pictures I haven't seen. Might as well see the first! 10. 12 Years a Slave - This slot will go to the last best picture I haven't seen which just so happens to be the most recent. I've elected to get rid of the ratings because of how much I go back and revise them. Some movies have impacted me much more than I thought they would for example All Quiet on the Western Front. Some films I rated fairly highly on first viewing, but haven't had the same impact. I will say that all the films have been worth their watch at the very least, and Goodfellas is now my birthday movie because it's my current favorite movie ever. Watched Count 94: Chinatown, 12 Angry Men, Gone With the Wind, Casablanca, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Godfather Part I, The Godfather Part II, Goodfellas, Do the Right Thing, A Clockwork Orange, Wall-E, Citizen Kane, Aliens, The Shawshank Redemption, Back to the Future, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Dr. Strangelove, Raging Bull, Rear Window, The Green Mile, Braveheart, Apocalypse Now, Seven Samurai, The Great Escape, City of God, Vertigo, Blue Velvet, Ratatouille, All Quiet on the Western Front, Mulholland Dr., Sunset Blvd., Bridge on the River Kwai, Memento, Unforgiven, The Usual Suspects, Network, The Social Network, Psycho, Black Swan, The Professional (Leon), Duck Soup, Up, The Silence of the Lambs, The Hurt Locker, Animal Crackers, American Beauty, The Princess Bride, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Great Dictator, The King's Speech, American History X, Taxi Driver, The Philadelphia Story, Cars, Dial M for Murder, Amélie, Spirited Away, North by Northwest, Paths of Glory, Some Like it Hot, On the Waterfront, Platoon, Annie Hall, Patton, Harvey, Nikita, Yojimbo, How to Train Your Dragon, To Kill a Mockingbird, This is Spinal Tap, Fargo, Sin City, Wayne's World, A Streetcar Named Desire, Barton Fink, Slumdog Millionaire, No Country for Old Men, Rashomon, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Wild Strawberries, Rebecca, Dog Day Afternoon, The Departed, The Graduate, V for Vendetta, My Neighbor Totoro, E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial, City Lights, Life is Beautiful, Stand by Me, The Artist, Howl's Moving Castle, Good Will Hunting
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May 31, 2014 16:02
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Planet of the Apes is a great one. It's smart, it's daring, and it's got fuckin' apes riding fuckin' horses. Go watch that poo poo. It was no surprise that when Pleasantville’s ending credits came up, everything was revealed to have been done by one man (written, produced, and directed). This film was very much driven by one vision, and it did not apologize for it at all. The trouble, however, is that it doesn’t feel like at any point that vision was challenged. The artistic direction of Pleasentville had a lot of potential but ultimately, it was unrealized. The concept of coloring a world is an interesting one, but there was really no good direction that the film went towards. It touches on a bunch of thematically evocative, historical moments that the audience is expected to resonate with [spoiler]eating the apple, jim crow law, book burning etc[/b] but when everything is just cobbled together, the theme loses its meaning and everything ultimately feels diluted. Visually, this is a strong film, its presentation does just enough to keep it feeling fresh and worth watching, but there’s just a lot more that this film could have been. 7/10 New List 1. The Blues Brothers - Interested, not much else to say though. 2. The Purple Rose of Cairo - More Woodie! 3. The Rules of the Game - I don't know what's wrong with me. 4. Poolhouse Junkies - Looks like fun. 5. The Last Starfighter - I know nothing about this other than the bits that were referenced in Plinkett's Episode 1-3 reviews. It looks cool though! 6. Senna - Heard this about some car jesus that everyone in the world reveres outside of the USA. 7. Sherlock Jr. - Keaton has yet to disappoint me. The General actually brought me to tears. More please. 8. Intolerable Cruelty - Continuing along with my quest to complete the Coens! I'm getting there! 9. Gojira - I just saw the new one, and I loved the hell out of it. I'm really really interested in going back to the origin of this franchise. 10. *NEW* Ashes and Diamonds *NEW* - There was some kind of list of famous director's favorite movies. A lot of directors I liked listed this and I had never heard of it. Let's go! 90 Total De-Shamed Yojimbo 7.5/10, Aliens 6.5/10, Brazil 8/10, Cool Hand Luke 9.5/10, 28 Days Later 6/10, Predator 8.5/10, Blade Runner 7.5/10,Crimes and Misdemeanors 9/10, Vertigo 7/10, Being There 7.5/10, Psycho 10/10, Apocalypse Now 7.5/10, Citizen Kane 8.5/10, Dr. Strangelove 7/10, Close Encounters of the Third Kind 8.5/10, The Bicycle Thief 7/10, Raging Bull 8/10, Ikiru 10/10, Terminator 2: Judgement Day 7/10, The Night of the Hunter 8.5/10 How to Train Your Dragon 6.5/10, There Will Be Blood 8/10, Manhattan 7/10, Rashomon 8.5/10, Unforgiven 8.5/10 The Third Man 9.5/10, Requiem For A Dream 4/10, Charade 5.5/10, Sunset Blvd. 8/10 , Badlands 6.5/10, Dead Man 8.5/10, On The Waterfront 9/10, Mad Max 6/10, Singin' In The Rain 9.5/10, Sleeper 7.5/10, Enter The Dragon 6.5/10, The Hustler 8/10 , The Town 9/10, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 5.5/10, Boogie Nights 7.5/10, Hanna 8.5/10, The Conversation 7.5/10, Serpico 8/10, Hoop Dreams 9/10, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind 8/10, Blood Simple 7.5/10, Roman Holiday 8.5/10, Miller's Crossing 8/10, M 7.5/10, Moonrise Kingdom 6.5/10, Rope 7/10, Tiny Furniture 1/10, On The Town 5.5/10, Gosford Park 5.5/10, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, 8.5/10, City Lights 8.5/10, The Exorcist 6.5/10, California Split 7/10, Aguirre, The Wrath Of God 8/10, Following 8/10, The General 10/10, Barton Fink 8.5/10, Tombstone 8/10, The Hudsucker Proxy 9/10, Love Actually 6.5, La Dolce Vita 7/10, Chop Shop 9.5/10, Duck Soup 6/10, When Harry Met Sally 8/10, Tokyo Story 7/10, Kelly's Heroes 8/10, The Thing 8.5/10, Lost In Translation 9.5/10, Anchorman 6.5/10, Mulholland Dr. 8.5/10, Rebecca9/10, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans 7/10, Steamboat Bill Jr. 9/10, Double Indemnity 9/10, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum 6.5/10, The Man Who Wasn't There 8.10, Synecdoche, NY 10/10 , Leaving Las Vegas 9/10, The Hidden Fortress 8.5/10, Magnificent Seven 8/10, Dear Zachary -/10, The Fly 9/10, Time Bandits 6/10, Before Sunrise 6.5, The Buddy Holly Story 7/10, Pleasantville 7/10
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Jun 2, 2014 00:20
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Chili posted:
I feel the same way - only I've watched it but didn't connect with it all that much. I'm looking forward to your take on it. Dr. Strangelove Nothing much else I can say that you haven't heard before. Peter Sellers is amazing in three distinct performances. George C. Scott provides great facial expressions, body language, and tone in his voice as Buck that will stick with me forever. The number of memorable lines in the film are too many to count - it's fantastic comedy that doesn't hammer you over the head. The few sets we get are memorable and helped further with great camera shots - particularly the full view of the war room. It's a masterpiece that earns every bit of praise it gets, and will be so fun to go back and revisit. LIST Amour (2014.02.22) - I've had two festival opportunities squandered due to film print damage. I've waited long enough! Arsenic and Old Lace (2014.01.05) - *changed from It Happened One Night* to another Capra film that I already own. My own mistake. A Few Good Men (2014.03.13) - I haven't been able to handle the truth until now.. wow that was lame. Holiday (2013.12.15) - the title made this choice appropriate to add around this time of year. Jack Goes Boating (2014.02.17) - it took Philip Seymour Hoffman's passing to make his only directorial effort a higher priority.. for me, pretty drat shameful. Leon: The Professional (2014.05.04) - highest film on IMDb 250 list I haven't watched. Also seems like the kind of film I should've watched already. The Life & Death of Colonel Blimp - **new** (2014.06.01) - more Archers is never a bad thing as I've loved The Red Shoes & Black Narcissus The Player **oldest** (2013.12.04) - this just seems right up my alley. Playtime (2014.04.21) - really enjoyed the only other Tati film I've watched, M. Hulot's Holiday. The Searchers (2014.04.27) - somehow I've watched the opening shot of the film, but nothing more? A classic western long overdue. De-shamed: Aliens (4.5/5), The Bridge on the River Kwai (5/5), La Dolce Vita (4/5), The Hustler (5/5), Blue Velvet (4.5/5), Close-Up (4.5/5), The Lady Vanishes (4.5/5), Grave of the Fireflies (5/5), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (3.5/5), Oldboy (4.5/5), Gattaca (3.5/5), Children of Men (5/5), The Great Dictator (4.5/5), Diabolique (4.5/5), Aguirre, the Wrath of God (3.5/5), Rashomon (4.5/5), Singin' in the Rain (5/5), Le Samourai (5/5), Hiroshima, Mon Amour (5/5), Battleship Potemkin (4/5), Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (3.5/5), Network (5/5), Once Upon A Time In The West (5/5), Sleeper (2.5/5), Y Tu Mama Tambien (4.5/5), Lawrence of Arabia (3.5/5), Amadeus (4/5), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (4.5/5), The Postman Always Rings Twice (3.5/5), Ben-Hur (4.5/5), Bug (4/5), All The President's Men (4.5/5), Through a Glass Darkly (4/5), The Leopard (2/5), The Aviator (4.5/5), Duck Soup (4/5), The Good The Bad & The Ugly (5/5), Werckmeister Harmonies (4/5), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (4.5/5), To Kill A Mockingbird (2.5/5), Brazil (2.5/5), M (5/5), The Sweet Hereafter (4/5), Princess Mononoke (5/5), High and Low (5/5), The Sting (5/5), The King of Comedy (4.5/5), Stand By Me (4.5/5), The Wages of Fear (4/5), Amores Perros (3.5/5), The Music Room (4/5), The Spirit of the Beehive (4/5), Cape Fear (3.5/5), The Passion of Joan of Arc (4/5), The Magnificent Ambersons (3/5), Tokyo Story (5/5), Quiz Show (3/5), Witness For The Prosecution (4/5), The Last Picture Show (4.5/5), Robocop (2.5/5), Grand Illusion (2.5/5), Ikiru (5/5), The Bride of Frankenstein (4/5), The Taste of Cherry (4/5), Eastern Promises (3.5/5), What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (4/5), Le Doulos (4.5/5), Million Dollar Baby (3/5), Akira (5/5), Lone Star (3/5), Barry Lyndon (2.5/5), Dr. Strangelove (5/5), [Total:72]
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Jun 2, 2014 06:13
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friendo55 posted:
This one. I'm eager to hear the opinion of a film buff who hasn't seen this film. Ok this is my first post in this thread, so maximum shame time. 1. Citizen Kane - might as well get that one out of the way. Don't know why I haven't watched it, just haven't. 2. Schindler's List - equally shameful 3. Lawrence of Arabia - I watched this as a kid but don't remember anything. I need to watch this again. 4. Roshomon - I've seen Ran, Throne of Blood, and Kagemusha (loved them all) but not this one. 5. Barton Fink - This is the only Coen Brothers film I have not seen. 6. Cool Hand Luke - No excuse. 7. Chinatown - I love Gene Hackman but every time I sit down to watch this something interrupts me. 8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Sitting in my Netflix queue for the last 2 years. 9. Her - My best friend keeps bugging me to see this one. 10. The Wild Bunch - my grandpa's go-to movie that I can't admit to him I haven't seen all the way through
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Jun 3, 2014 16:23
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Unzip and Attack posted:This one. I'm eager to hear the opinion of a film buff who hasn't seen this film. Me too. I would also advocate greatly to try and get your hands on the international cut. Generally, different cuts aren't something I pay much attention to, but the international director's cut of Leon is ENTIRELY different than the American one. They're both good, but the director's cut is a very special movie. Chili fucked around with this message at 17:31 on Jun 3, 2014 |
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Jun 3, 2014 17:27
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Chili posted:Me too. I would also advocate greatly to try and get your hands on the international cut. Generally, different cuts aren't something I pay much attention to, but the international director's cut of Leon is ENTIRELY different than the American one. They're both good, but the director's cut is a very special movie. I don't have the blu-ray in front of me that I blind-bought a couple months ago, but I think it has both versions of the film? It says so on the cover on amazon, anyway. I'll make sure to watch the extended version - thanks for the heads up!
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Jun 3, 2014 21:24
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Unzip and Attack posted:
So many great choices! I've got it down to these 3. Unless I'm forgetting, I don't think Gene Hackman is in Chinatown - you may be confusing Hackman with Jack Nicholson. ... Enjoy Barton Fink! (Citizen Kane seems like the obvious choice, but I'm a huge Coen brothers fan and it always feels good to finish a filmography.) Leon the Professional Well, I can now lump this in with the rest of the good, but highly overrated 90s films near the top of the IMDb Top 250 list. While the extended version allowed for great character development and a payoff that felt earned, most of the movie felt like a connect-the-dots action thriller - complete with all the tropes of two people coming together from different walks of life. The charades scene alone was cringeworthy, reminding me of another overrated film The Intouchables from a couple years back that was so manipulative using this exact scenario. What makes this film worth mildly recommending was young Natalie Portman's performance. The film hinges entirely on her strength and conviction and she pulls it off without any major misstep. Combined with the effortless charisma of Jean Reno as the stoic hitman, it's two leads are leaps ahead of the simplistic dialogue they're forced to work with. It's worth a watch, but not much else. LIST Amour (2014.02.22) - I've had two festival opportunities squandered due to film print damage. I've waited long enough! Arsenic and Old Lace (2014.01.05) - *changed from It Happened One Night* to another Capra film that I already own. My own mistake. A Few Good Men (2014.03.13) - I haven't been able to handle the truth until now.. wow that was lame. Harakiri **new** (2014.06.03) - I've heard so much praise given to this film lately that I feel left out. I wanna join in on the conversation! Holiday (2013.12.15) - the title made this choice appropriate to add around this time of year. Jack Goes Boating (2014.02.17) - it took Philip Seymour Hoffman's passing to make his only directorial effort a higher priority.. for me, pretty drat shameful. The Life & Death of Colonel Blimp (2014.06.01) - more Archers is never a bad thing as I've loved The Red Shoes & Black Narcissus The Player **oldest** (2013.12.04) - this just seems right up my alley. Playtime (2014.04.21) - really enjoyed the only other Tati film I've watched, M. Hulot's Holiday. The Searchers (2014.04.27) - somehow I've watched the opening shot of the film, but nothing more? A classic western long overdue. De-shamed: Aliens (4.5/5), The Bridge on the River Kwai (5/5), La Dolce Vita (4/5), The Hustler (5/5), Blue Velvet (4.5/5), Close-Up (4.5/5), The Lady Vanishes (4.5/5), Grave of the Fireflies (5/5), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (3.5/5), Oldboy (4.5/5), Gattaca (3.5/5), Children of Men (5/5), The Great Dictator (4.5/5), Diabolique (4.5/5), Aguirre, the Wrath of God (3.5/5), Rashomon (4.5/5), Singin' in the Rain (5/5), Le Samourai (5/5), Hiroshima, Mon Amour (5/5), Battleship Potemkin (4/5), Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (3.5/5), Network (5/5), Once Upon A Time In The West (5/5), Sleeper (2.5/5), Y Tu Mama Tambien (4.5/5), Lawrence of Arabia (3.5/5), Amadeus (4/5), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (4.5/5), The Postman Always Rings Twice (3.5/5), Ben-Hur (4.5/5), Bug (4/5), All The President's Men (4.5/5), Through a Glass Darkly (4/5), The Leopard (2/5), The Aviator (4.5/5), Duck Soup (4/5), The Good The Bad & The Ugly (5/5), Werckmeister Harmonies (4/5), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (4.5/5), To Kill A Mockingbird (2.5/5), Brazil (2.5/5), M (5/5), The Sweet Hereafter (4/5), Princess Mononoke (5/5), High and Low (5/5), The Sting (5/5), The King of Comedy (4.5/5), Stand By Me (4.5/5), The Wages of Fear (4/5), Amores Perros (3.5/5), The Music Room (4/5), The Spirit of the Beehive (4/5), Cape Fear (3.5/5), The Passion of Joan of Arc (4/5), The Magnificent Ambersons (3/5), Tokyo Story (5/5), Quiz Show (3/5), Witness For The Prosecution (4/5), The Last Picture Show (4.5/5), Robocop (2.5/5), Grand Illusion (2.5/5), Ikiru (5/5), The Bride of Frankenstein (4/5), The Taste of Cherry (4/5), Eastern Promises (3.5/5), What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (4/5), Le Doulos (4.5/5), Million Dollar Baby (3/5), Akira (5/5), Lone Star (3/5), Barry Lyndon (2.5/5), Dr. Strangelove (5/5), Leon the Professional (3/5), [Total:73] friendo55 fucked around with this message at 17:45 on Jun 4, 2014 |
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Jun 4, 2014 16:33
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Yeah, Leon is a good movie, but it's not great and I don't quite get where the obsession comes from. However, it is one of Gary Oldman's best performances.
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Jun 4, 2014 17:21
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TrixRabbi posted:Yeah, Leon is a good movie, but it's not great and I don't quite get where the obsession comes from. However, it is one of Gary Oldman's best performances. That mystery is real easy to solve.
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Jun 4, 2014 17:28
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TrixRabbi posted:Yeah, Leon is a good movie, but it's not great and I don't quite get where the obsession comes from. However, it is one of Gary Oldman's best performances. I wasn't a big fan of his comic pill-popping method, but he does make great use of the short time he's actually on screen - particularly the bathroom scene with Mathilda. I liked unhinged Gary Oldman much better in State of Grace, which is criminally underseen - overshadowed by Goodfellas that year and never got a proper DVD release when the company Orion went bankrupt.
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Jun 4, 2014 17:49
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For a lot of 30 somethings I think there is some serious nostalgia for The Professional because it was the first film I ever saw with Jean Reno, Natalie Portman, or Gary Oldman in it. Being introduced to these three plus the way Reno effortlessly portrays his role was a real eye opener for my 19 year old self. I think your review is spot on. My favorite bit in that film is Oldman screaming EEEEEEEVVVVERYOOOONNNNNNE! in that poor underling's face. Cracks me up each time.
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Jun 4, 2014 20:15
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Unzip and Attack posted:For a lot of 30 somethings I think there is some serious nostalgia for The Professional because it was the first film I ever saw with Jean Reno, Natalie Portman, or Gary Oldman in it. Being introduced to these three plus the way Reno effortlessly portrays his role was a real eye opener for my 19 year old self. I think your review is spot on. I forgot about that EVERYYONEEE line! Thank you for reminding me, that had me laughing too. It was great, plus they linger on his face for a second afterwards to great effect. I'll be 28 in a month or so, and yea a lot of those 90s films that are edgy and violent were our first exposure to anything like that, and thus placed highly on a pedestal. But you talk rationally about these good, but not great, films and you get glares as if you kicked their dog in the face. Nostalgia definitely plays a huge role for a lot of them - Shawshank, Fight Club, American History X, Usual Suspects, etc.
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Jun 4, 2014 21:16
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Friendo, you get to go watch Arsenic and Old Lace. I realized part way through Chinatown that I'd heard the twist before, but that didn't stop it from being excellent all the way through. The cinematography really stood out to me for some reason. There were some absolutely beautiful shots all throughout the movie, and there was something about the camera movements I'm not sure I have the right vocabulary to describe beyond "noticeable." Maybe the general blend of noir and New Hollywood aesthetics, I guess. The acting was superb all around. I was going to write about how fascinating it was to watch Jake slowly break from the film noir protagonist mold over the course of the story, but as I was thinking about it I realized that Evelyn and Noah did the same thing. Definitely deserves a re-watch to see if that follows through with other characters or anything else. My gut tells me yes. Knowing about Polanski as a person did make the big twist a bit more disturbing though. Bonus roommate quote: "I liked Rango better." _________________________ My Shame List: 1) Days of Heaven: Never seen a Malick movie. This was strongly recommended to me since I really liked Upstream Color. (added 10/27/13) 2) Rio Grande: Another Ford/Wayne western for the western slot. (added 12/7/13) 3) The Fly: The Cronenberg one. (added 1/4/14) 4) La Dolce Vita: 8 1/2 was good. How about another Fellini? (added 1/4/14) 5) Galaxy Quest: Star Trek in all but name? (added 1/4/14) 6) Children of Men: Don't know much about this one. (added 2/4/14) 7) Birth of a Nation: Continuing the "know thy enemy" series. (added 3/11/14) 8) Rocky: I have no idea how I missed this one for this long. (added 3/11/14) 9) Night of the Hunter: Don't know much about this beyond the knuckle tattoos. (added 5/5/14) 10) The Long Good Friday: Bob Hoskins and gangsters? I like both of those things. (added 6/5/14) De-Shamed (46) [Top
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Jun 6, 2014 00:51
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Rango is really good though.
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Jun 6, 2014 22:50
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Hey I'm getting in on this. Nolanar, watch Children of Men. I saw it on a movie review show late at night years ago and it looked good. Here's my list! 1. Being John Malkovich - I got it off a friend's laptop years upon years ago. I loved Adaptation and Synecdoche, New York but I never got around to watching this. 2. Black Swan - It looks cool and I like ballet. 3. Metropolis - The sets are all beautiful and I heard about it in a film course recently - afterwards I watched 'M'. 4. Triumph of the Will - I'd love to watch some old propaganda and this is pretty famous. 5. The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans - I think Nicolas Cage is a genuinely good actor and I hear this is good. 6. The Last Temptation of Christ - I downloaded this recently after watching Raging Bull and I loved Jesus Christ Superstar. 7. The Passion of the Christ - I remember it was really controversial and really long. 8. Her - I hear it's great, I like the premise. 9. Edward Scissorhands - I've only heard good about it and I want to think more about Tim Burton. 10. Dogville - Why not!
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Jun 7, 2014 10:06
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Bigup DJ, I'm giving you the keys to Bad Lieutenant: Port of etc. I hated Cage with a passion in the Face/Off days, but Bad Lieutenant and Lord of War quickly brought me round. Good god do I hate Face/Off though. Videodrome (1983) My finger was hovering over the stop button for the first 20 or so minutes trying to stomach the godawful acting of Deborah Harry, then the hallucinations started and I realised I loved this movie. The pre-CG violence is beautifully awful, moreso in HD. The director clearly said "gently caress it" to trying to convey a message or even a real story and instead tried to disturb the viewer in a way they have never felt before. I really like mixtapes like Traces of Death and Shocking Asia so I could kind of relate to James Woods' character's drive to see the most messed-up media humanity has to offer. I don't know how this movie would have looked back when VHS and Betamax were the best technology available but there's a otherworldy creepiness seeing people reprogammed against their will via infected videotapes shoved in their guts. With games like Hotline Miami and Far Cry: Blood Dragon on the market, Videodrome seems currently retro. Radio Days (1987) - I've never seen a Woody Allen movie, this one has been recommended to me the most. Kiss of Death (1947) - Don't know anything about this other than it being noir which is right up my alley. Lone Wolf and Cub 1: Sword of Vengeance (1972) - I saw the first 5 minutes, then the electricity went out. Coincidence???? The King of Comedy (1982) - No excuse for not seeing this other than laziness. Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981 - Oh the shame! What's worse is... the only Indiana Jones I've seen is the crappy fourth one with aliens. May god have mercy on my soul. First Blood (1982) - May god have a similar level of mercy on my soul for also not seeing this. Again, I've seen the fourth one and none of the others (though at least Rambo (2008) isn't a pile of crap). Last Tango In Paris (1972) - I know literally nothing about this but hear it recommended all the time. Catch-22 (1970) - I feel semi-shamed by not seeing this. Reactions by my friends are 50/50 best movie/worst movie. History of the World Part 1 (1981) - I've never seen anything by Mel Brooks! I don't know how this happened! NEW - Once Upon A Time In America (1984) - I'll come right out and say it, until very recently I assumed that this, Once Upon A Time In China and Once Upon A Time in the West were a trilogy. Sounds like a pretty cool trilogy though, right guys? G...guys? Shameless: Misery (1990), Videodrome (1983). Super Nintendo 64 fucked around with this message at 14:16 on Jun 8, 2014 |
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Jun 8, 2014 14:14
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Super Nintendo 64 posted:The director clearly said "gently caress it" to trying to convey a message or even a real story and instead tried to disturb the viewer in a way they have never felt before.
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Jun 8, 2014 15:09
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Super Nintendo 64 posted:The director clearly said "gently caress it" to trying to convey a message or even a real story and instead tried to disturb the viewer in a way they have never felt before. Did we watch the same movie? Videodrome couldn't be more overt with it's message if it had a psychologist come out at the end of the movie to deliver a monologue about the dangers of media influence.
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Jun 8, 2014 15:15
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TychoCelchuuu posted:Yikes, talk about damning with faint praise. You really got no message out of the movie? TrixRabbi posted:Did we watch the same movie? Videodrome couldn't be more overt with it's message if it had a psychologist come out at the end of the movie to deliver a monologue about the dangers of media influence. To me the movie was about the main character's passion for extremes and testing the limit. He criticises a movie with a chick riding a dildo as 'too soft', and when he sees people being killed on Videodrome he only wants to know who's behind it so he can get more. It's all for his job but he clearly enjoys it. I've often thought before watching something on bestgore or similar sites, "Is this it? Is this the video that's gonna cross the line in my head and gently caress me up?", and that seems to be what James Woods' character finally encounters. He doesn't slow down for a second until the nature of Videodrome is revealed to him and he realises the damage that's been done to him purely from watching it. I don't know if that's what Cronenberg was trying to show but that's what I took from it anyway. I considered that all the violence might be overt representations of what mass media does to peoples minds, but if Cronenberg was so hamfisted and melodramatic with the way he delivers a message to the audience there's no way in hell he could still be making movies 30 years later... right? I haven't seen any of his other movies but I always thought he was considered to be above average. There just seemed to be more to think about in regards to insatiable curiosity than there was about the power of television. Super Nintendo 64 fucked around with this message at 17:29 on Jun 8, 2014 |
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Jun 8, 2014 17:27
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Super Nintendo 64, go watch Raiders. First Blood was very good. I knew going in that it wasn't the glorious kill-fest people associate with Rambo and was actually a polemic about the mistreatment of veterans, so I thought that meant there wouldn't be much action in it. Wrong! This is an action movie, but what makes it different is that the hero is more of an anti-hero- you understand why he's doing what he does, but it's very clear that he's not exactly a good guy. He's a broken, angry man who is fighting because that's all he knows how to do. The police harrass him for no good reason, and he has all sorts of PTSD flashbacks that trigger a fight or flight response he doesn't know how to let go of. I don't have PTSD, so I can't say how accurate the symptoms are, but I felt what he was feeling and it seemed real. The message is not subtle- the army trained him to be a killer, then threw him out once they didn't need him anymore. Plenty of veterans are told they are valuable and then ignored when they need help readjusting (sadly, this is still all too relevant). I don't agree with Rambo's angry condemnation of protesters (the images of protesters spitting on Vietnam vets is probably apocryphal), but I understand his rage. I also like that it took someone treating him like a human being, someone he trusted, to bring him in. It's clear that Stallone can be good, but for some reason in the mid-80's they decided he shouldn't be. As for the action itself, it's thrilling. The Rocky Mountain scenery is gorgeous, and the traps are inventive. Rambo taking out the town's power supply and blowing things up to throw everyone off balance works well. I can see why people would think "we need more of Stallone inflitrating and blowing things up," but glorifying this character would really miss the point. I get the appeal of a straight action movie, but I would have preferred they change the name. Rating: 4/4 90. Wall Street- Greed is good, I guess? I like Michael Douglas, and I don't know who else is in this movie. 93. Patton- On second thought, if I'm going to put a George C. Scott movie on here, it should really be this. 94. The Ten Commandments- Another (pseudo) historical epic. 96. The Bourne Supremacy- Love the first one, eager to find out more. 101. Spartacus- In the end, aren't we all Spartacus? Yeah, I know how this one ends, but that's basically it. Also, I think it's popular among labor organizers. 102. Enchanted- I love Disney movies, but I also know their problems. I think this must have come out during the period when I was too old to be in Disney's target audience and too young to admit I still liked these sorts of movies without being embarrassed. 103. Judgment at Nuremberg- I had never heard about this until Slacktivist mentioned it. Sounds interesting. 107. Trois Couleurs: Blanc- I liked the first one, and I want to see where it goes next. 108. Ran- This is Kurosawa's version of King Lear, I think. I've never read King Lear. Also, Kurosawa's black-and-white filming is so good that I'm scared to see him in color. 109. Repo Man- Weird cult classic about... a glowing alien in the trunk of a car, maybe? Or am I getting mixed up with Pulp Fiction? Okay, tell me what I’m watching! Shame relieved: The Godfather: 3.5/4, The Godfather Part II: 4/4, Taxi Driver: 4/4, Casablanca: 4/4, Duck Soup: 2/4, Pulp Fiction: 4/4, Barton Fink: 3.5/4, Annie Hall:3/4, Rashomon: 4/4, Blade Runner: 3.5/4, Chinatown: 4/4, Nashville: 3.5/4, Goodfellas: 4/4, The Seven Samurai: 4/4, Superman: 2/4, The Exorcist: 3/4, A Face in the Crowd: 3.5/4, The Seventh Seal: 2.5/4, Treasure of the Sierra Madre: 3.5/4, Apocalypse Now: 4/4, 2001: A Space Odyssey: 2.5/4, The Deer Hunter: 3/4, Schindler's List: 4/4, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari: 3/4, Young Frankenstein: 3.5/4, Yojimbo: 3.5/4, Brazil: 3.5/4, Hamlet: 4/4, The Aviator: 4/4, Rocky: 3.5/4, Gandhi: 3.5/4, City Lights: 4/4, Battleship Potemkin: 3.5/4, Predator: 3/4, Easy Rider: 1.5/4, Platoon: 3.5/4, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: 4/4, Get Carter: 3.5/4, Full Metal Jacket: 4/4, My Dinner with Andre: 4/4, Lethal Weapon: 3/4, 3 Women: 4/4, Ikiru: 4/4, The Maltese Falcon: 2.5/4, Midnight Cowboy: 3/4, Gattaca: 4/4, Gone with the Wind: 3/4, Jaws: 4/4, The Bicycle Thief: 3/4, Sophie's Choice: 2/4, On the Waterfront: 4/4, North by Northwest: 3.5/4, Stagecoach: 3.5/4, E.T.: 2/4, Nosferatu: 4/4, Lawrence of Arabia: 4/4, Dirty Harry: 1/4, Vertigo: 3.5/4, Rebecca: 4/4, The Pink Panther: 3/4, Children of Men: 4/4, Wings of Desire: 3/4, Metropolis: 3.5/4, Born on the Fourth of July: 4/4, The Bridge on the River Kwai: 3.5/4, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: 4/4, Being John Malkovich: 3/4, Adaptation: 4/4, Bonnie and Clyde: 4/4, Goldfinger: 3/4, A Streetcar Named Desire: 4/4, Dog Day Afternoon: 3.5/4, Leon: The Professional: 4/4, 8 1/2: 3/4, Mulholland Drive: 4/4, 12 Angry Men: 4/4, Safety Last: 3.5/4, Dogville: 4/4, The Rapture: 2/4, Blue Velvet: 3/4, Irreversible: 4/4, Airplane!: 3.5/4, Tokyo Story: 2.5/4, Big Trouble in Little China: 3.5/4, American Psycho: 3.5/4, Dr. Zhivago: 3/4, Leaving Las Vegas:4/4, The Bourne Identity: 4/4, Out of Africa: 3/4, The Usual Suspects: 3/4, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang: 4/4, Rain Man: 3.5/4, The Lost Weekend: 3.5/4, Ratatouille: 3/4, City of God: 4/4, Ed Wood: 4/4, Top Gun: 2.5/4, Trois Couleurs: Bleu: 3.5/4, The Hidden Fortess: 3/4, First Blood: 4/4
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Jun 8, 2014 18:14
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Super Nintendo 64 posted:To me the movie was about the main character's passion for extremes and testing the limit. He criticises a movie with a chick riding a dildo as 'too soft', and when he sees people being killed on Videodrome he only wants to know who's behind it so he can get more. It's all for his job but he clearly enjoys it. I've often thought before watching something on bestgore or similar sites, "Is this it? Is this the video that's gonna cross the line in my head and gently caress me up?", and that seems to be what James Woods' character finally encounters. He doesn't slow down for a second until the nature of Videodrome is revealed to him and he realises the damage that's been done to him purely from watching it. I don't know if that's what Cronenberg was trying to show but that's what I took from it anyway. Oh, that's certainly there and this post is completely right. Cronenberg actually said that he was inspired by when he was a kid and would listen to American AM radio stations late at night and always worried about accidentally tuning into some sort of secret CIA channel or anything else not meant to be heard. So there's also this sense that Videodrome (the "show") is this thing that was never meant to be seen. It's just that you seemed dismissive by claiming that Cronenberg was only trying to shock people and didn't have any sort of message to convey, because that couldn't be further from the truth. Videodrome is really overt in its messages, but it never feels hamfisted or melodramatic. Which is precisely why Cronenberg is still making movies 30 years later.
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Jun 8, 2014 21:57
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Jurgan, random number generator says to see The Ten Commandments. Just saw The Great Dictator. That was definitely one of Chaplin's best. Up there with Modern Times and City Lights. It had a suprising amount of depth and seriousness for a Chaplin film. The final speech was awe inspiring. Also saw Despicable Me. It was a ver enjoyable movie and quite touching. My List: Patton - George C. Scott is a very underrated actor. Was great in The Hustler and A Christmas Carol. The King's Speech - Trying to see more recent movies. Faust - Don't think I've ever seen a Murnau film. True Grit - The original version. Been a while since a western was on my list. A Day at the Races - More Marx Brothers madness, please. Howl's Moving Castle - Need to see some more Miyazaki. The Bad Sleep Well - Having just seen Kurosawa's version of MacBeth, his version of Hamlet is next. The King and I - 1956 version. The Wolf Man - Next in my monster movie queue. The Man Who Knew Too Much - More Hitchcock here. This will be the remake with Jimmy Stewart. Movies Seen: Seven Samurai, Dune, Singin' in the Rain, Animal Crackers, Once Upon a Time in the West, Amadeus, Double Indemnity, The Day the Earth Stood Still, 12 Angry Men, Ed Wood, Sunset Boulevard, The Dark Knight, Plan 9 From Outer Space, Brazil, Rashomon, Yojimbo, No Country For Old Men, There Will Be Blood, M, Duck Soup, The Princess and the Frog, Sanjuro, The Hidden Fortress, Dracula, It's a Wonderful Life, Lawrence of Arabia, Ikiru, High and Low, Frankenstein, The Mummy, Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, Kagemusha, Best In Show, Modern Times, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Red Beard, Monty Python's The Life of Brian, Cars, Cool Hand Luke, The Public Enemy, Time Bandits, Adaptation, The Producers, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Gone With The Wind, My Fair Lady, City Lights, A Christmas Carol(1951), Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, West Side Story, Caddyshack, My Neighbor Totoro, Throne of Blood, The Phantom of the Opera, Yellow Submarine, Little Caesar, The Third Man, The Godfather, Persepolis, The Godfather Part II, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Invisible Man, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Bridge on the River Kwai, A Beautiful Mind, The Kid, Fiddler on the Roof, The Gold Rush, Metropolis, Rear Window, Enter the Dragon, Horse Feathers, The Great Dictator, Despicable Me Dmitri Russkie fucked around with this message at 23:53 on Jun 8, 2014 |
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Jun 8, 2014 22:47
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Dmitri, go watch The Bad Sleep Well. Night of the Living Dead was... odd. I didn't hate it, but at the same time it really hasn't aged all that well, and it's a lot cheesier than I expected it to be. Also, it's really obvious looking at the movie that the racial politics were a complete accident- Ben's race is never brought up, not even once, and the only time it's indirectly addressed is the ending. It's also misogynist as gently caress. Not a bad movie, just very much of its time. 6/10 --- 2. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - I've technically seen this, but I was like four and the only things I remember about it are things that everyone knows through osmosis (face-melting, giant boulder, etc). 3. Army of Shadows (1969) - This is one that I've tried to watch but always got sidetracked like five minutes in. I know for a fact that if I can sit through it I will love the hell out of it, though. 4. Apocalypse Now (1979) - Basically see above. I love it in concept, I've just never been able to make it past the first bits without something coming up and distracting me. 5. The Godfather (1972) - ...same as the above two, pretty much. 6. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1968) - I've seen parts of this on TV and I know big chunks of it from osmosis (plus having a close friend who loves it), but I've never gotten around to watching it start to finish. 7. Come and See (1985) - I've been putting this one off because I know it's going to absolutely ruin my day even if I end up loving it. 8. Die Hard (1988) - I've seen about half of this movie all together just from flipping channels on TV, but again, never start to finish and never uncut. 9. The Empire Strikes Back/Return of the Jedi (??) - I watched both of these when I was a kid, but the only one I've seen since I was like six is A New Hope. I'm putting them together because otherwise I'd probably just be putting Return of the Jedi as #10 and I know some wag would probably tell me to watch that before ESB. 10. A History of Violence (2005) - I love batshit Cronenberg, but my familiarity with serious Cronenberg is super limited and I feel like I should change that. De-Shamed: Night of the Living Dead (1968): 6/10
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Jun 9, 2014 09:47
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Night of the Living Dead is a better movie specifically because they never address Ben's race.
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Jun 9, 2014 16:03
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SALT CURES HAM posted:Also, it's really obvious looking at the movie that the racial politics were a complete accident- Ben's race is never brought up, not even once, and the only time it's indirectly addressed is the ending. Would that have improved the film at all?
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Jun 9, 2014 17:55
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The racial politics weren't accidental though. Sure, the casting of Duane Jones was purely because he was the best actor to audition. But once they did, it caused the film to change drastically. Somebody posted a great article on it with stories from cast and crew, but it seems the site that it was on is down now (it was thewrap.com if it ever comes back online). Some of the things include that Ben was originally a hick whose dialogue was written in that backwoods slang. Jones refused to say the lines like that because he didn't want to appear as a stereotype. So the screenplay was rewritten for Ben to be smarter and articulate. This was just one example of many. Basically, once a black actor was cast, the film became very much about race.
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Jun 9, 2014 19:40
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penismightier posted:Would that have improved the film at all? Not really, more of an observation. I was expecting them to be waaaaay more on the nose, from how everyone calls bullshit on the notion that they were accidental. Honestly my biggest issue with it was that I'm just not all that big on 60s horror. SALT CURES HAM fucked around with this message at 22:39 on Jun 9, 2014 |
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Jun 9, 2014 22:37
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SALT CURES HAM posted:Not really, more of an observation. I was expecting them to be waaaaay more on the nose, from how everyone calls bullshit on the notion that they were accidental. Nobody calls bullshit on the notion that they didn't write the script for a black man, they call bullshit on the notion that they didn't adapt it for that character. This is not subtle: 
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Jun 9, 2014 22:40
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Yeah, I guess that's fair.  Still not a huge fan of the movie, and that still isn't related to why I wasn't a huge fan of it, but I do kinda dig that. The Romero movies are all weirdly good about race given their time periods and genre.
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Jun 9, 2014 22:43
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Salt Cures Ham, you get Raiders of the Lost Ark Well, I'm not sure if I found It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World especially funny, but I was entertained throughout. At first I found it a bit much as well as grating, but I enjoyed it in the end. I'm still not quite sure what it was about other than putting a bunch of comedians in a movie and letting them do their thing and a couple of the sequences drug on way too long. I know it sounds like I hated it but I actually really dug it and I can't quite figure out why. ) Le Deuxieme Souffle- love that Melville 2) Carlos- everyone I know who has seen this raves about it 3) The Act of Killing- I've heard this raved about for the last year 4) Bringing Up Baby- I like early screwball comedies 5) The Umbrellas of Cherbourg- love those musicals 6) Rebel Without A Cause- I've never seen a James Dean movie 7) Stalag 17- I love all the Wilder I've seen so far 8) The Wolf Man- more Universal monsters 9) Swing Time- last musical on the AFI top 100 I haven't seen 10) A League of Their Own- I know the famous line, but that's about it. Is this any good? New List of Unshamed: The Invisible Man; Paris, Texas; Dr Strangelove, Ran, Stripes, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Throne of Blood, Touch of Evil, Blow Out, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The Sound of Music, The Apartment, The Rules of the Game, The Last Picture Show, Bicycle Thieves, Manhattan, The Conversation, All That Jazz, Two Lane Blacktop, The Deer Hunter, Island of Lost Souls, Tokyo Story, Nashville, A Woman Under the Influence, The Earrings of Madame de..., Rope, The Phantom Carriage, The Magnificent Seven, Go West, Cabaret, Five Easy Pieces, To Live and Die in L.A., A Fistful of Dollars, The Nightmare Before Christmas, For A Few Dollars More, Sanjuro, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Great Dictator, Around The World In 80 Days, Our Hospitality, Rain Man, Thief, Gun Crazy, It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World
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Jun 10, 2014 20:57
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Mistletoe, I say go watch The Act of Killing. Pretty great, pretty horrifying. 1.) Total Recall- My dad's the sort of dude who just got me into Kurosawa and Bergman and stuff like that and refuses to see any value in camp or blockbusters or sci-fi or action movies (as you can imagine he's not really the most fun guy to watch movies with but he was sort of my "cinema mentor" as a kid), so I never really saw many fun Arnold movies growing up. Just like, Commando and the Terminator movies. 2.) The Outlaw Josey Wales- I like Clint Eastwood and westerns well enough but I haven't really dabbled much deeper than stuff like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and A Fistful of Dollars, and I've heard interesting things about this movie. 3.) Manhattan- I love 1970s Woody but this is just one of those movies that slipped through the cracks, I guess. It just felt like I'd already seen a bunch of movies with Woody Allen in New York having neurotic issues with attractive women and it just blended in and got forgotten. 4.) The Sting- Just never really saw many movies with Paul Newman or Robert Redford, not sure if I consciously avoided them but I've heard this is a classic. 5.) The Long Goodbye- I've heard cool things about this and I like neo-noir, I guess I just never saw many Robert Altman movies that were made before 1990. 6.) The Man Who Would Be King- I'm vaguely familiar with the Kipling short story and I dig plenty of the other movies I've seen with young Connery and/or young Caine. Just never caught this one. 7.) Grizzly Man- I dig Werner Herzog and I've heard plenty about Timothy Treadwell, pretty horrifying and fascinating it seems, but somehow I just haven't ever caught this...or many of Werner's other docs. 8.) Dirty Harry- See Total Recall. 9.) The Last Picture Show- I like Jeff Bridges and Ellen Burstyn, never seen this though. Just so many good American films of the 1970s that I haven't covered half of them yet despite watching a ton. 10.) This Is Spinal Tap- Shameful, I know, but that's the name of this thread. Loved Best in Show, not so much A Mighty Wind or that other one about movies but I know I like Christopher Guest's style of humor. Punkin Spunkin fucked around with this message at 00:18 on Jun 11, 2014 |
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Jun 11, 2014 00:15
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Alright, you gotta go with Dirty Harry. Fantastic film all the way through. I finally got around to watching Sunset Boulevard; only took two months. But it was quite good. For some reason I thought it was a comedy/goofy film from that era and not a noir. Only when I was making this list did I realize what genre it was, and I'm sorry to have waited so long because of a misconception. Anyway, Swanson killed every scene she was in, and though I knew where it was all going, I still enjoyed the spectacle. Also Nancy Olson looks a lot like Jennifer Lawrence, holy poo poo. 9/10 Because it had been so long since I posted my original list, I watched another from it, Oldboy, yesterday afternoon. T'was a mindfuck and an enjoyable experience. The moments of comedy - octopus, guy with dog, entire first scene - actually made me laugh, if only out of relief from the tension throughout. Although I wouldn't say the whole experience was a pleasant one, it certainly kept me on my toes and with a permanent expression of whatthefuck on my face for the last half. 9/10 My shameful top ten: 1. Once Upon a Time in the West - I've seen tons of Leone's other ones, but for some reason this has always slipped by. 2. Solaris - the last Tarkovsky - Stalker - had me squirming with boredom (the book had me believing that the movie was going to be amazing). 3. Witness for the Prosecution - Courtroom dramas can really just go on. 4. Some Like it Hot - I dunno why. It's always been on my list. 11. Infernal Affairs - enjoyed The Departed, so why not? 6. Alone in the Woods - just recently heard about this one while doing research for something else. 7. The Lives of Others - I enjoy espionage stuff, but this has always felt like it could be too heavy. 8. Saving Private Ryan - war makes me sad. I have enough of that these days, but if it's worth it, let's do it. 12. Y Tu Mama Tambien - skipped over this in college; never returned to my old lists. 10. The Princess Bride - I remember nothing else of this film other than the torture scene when my parents took me to see it when I was 4, and I had to be carried out crying. I've had a block against it since, even though everyone I know loves it.
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Jun 11, 2014 22:23
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artichoke, watch Once Upon A Time in the West, one of my favorite movies Well The Act of Killing was certainly something. It was hard to watch at times and infuriating at others. I'm still thinking about it the next day and probably need to watch it again to come to grips with it. It's beautifully shot and the sheer hubris of its subjects as they recreate their atrocities is kind of galling. I'm still kind of searching for words on how to approach it, but it may be the best movie from last year that I have seen. Just powerful stuff. 1) Le Deuxieme Souffle- love that Melville 2) Carlos- everyone I know who has seen this raves about it 3) Dead Man- haven't seen much Jarmusch, this looks interesting 4) Bringing Up Baby- I like early screwball comedies 5) The Umbrellas of Cherbourg- love those musicals 6) Rebel Without A Cause- I've never seen a James Dean movie 7) Stalag 17- I love all the Wilder I've seen so far 8) The Wolf Man- more Universal monsters 9) Swing Time- last musical on the AFI top 100 I haven't seen 10) A League of Their Own- I know the famous line, but that's about it. Is this any good? New List of Unshamed: The Invisible Man; Paris, Texas; Dr Strangelove, Ran, Stripes, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Throne of Blood, Touch of Evil, Blow Out, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The Sound of Music, The Apartment, The Rules of the Game, The Last Picture Show, Bicycle Thieves, Manhattan, The Conversation, All That Jazz, Two Lane Blacktop, The Deer Hunter, Island of Lost Souls, Tokyo Story, Nashville, A Woman Under the Influence, The Earrings of Madame de..., Rope, The Phantom Carriage, The Magnificent Seven, Go West, Cabaret, Five Easy Pieces, To Live and Die in L.A., A Fistful of Dollars, The Nightmare Before Christmas, For A Few Dollars More, Sanjuro, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Great Dictator, Around The World In 80 Days, Our Hospitality, Rain Man, Thief, Gun Crazy, It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World, The Act of Killing
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Jun 12, 2014 03:26
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Time for Rebel Without a Cause! I used to show it to my Juniors after they finished Catcher in the Rye and they'd write essays comparing and contrasting the two main characters. It's also one of those movies that you're going to go "oh hey, now I get that cultural reference" while watching. So we sat down and watched Once Upon a Time in the West on Friday and it was highly entertaining. I was so in the mood afterwards that I insisted we watch The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly right away, even though it was already past midnight. Fonda and Bronson were just two sides of the same coin, it felt like, with Robards as the wildcard who I found myself rooting for way more than the two big stars. The end kind of bummed me out - Why did Cheyenne have to die? I saw no point to it, and his death was part of the reason I wanted to watch GBU right away so I could half-root for Tuco. Also the weird misogyny and rear end grabbing...uh ok... Morricone seemed to have gotten a small check or something, too, for the entire soundtrack was the same two songs on a loop. Anyway, it was good, I'm glad I watched it, but it didn't hit the mark that the trilogy had set a few years before. 7/10 Then last night we watched Ikiru, so I guess that's not going on my list now. 13. Yi Yi - it's on so many top 10/50/100 lists but I've never gotten to it. 2. Solaris - the last Tarkovsky - Stalker - had me squirming with boredom (the book had me believing that the movie was going to be amazing). 3. Witness for the Prosecution - Courtroom dramas can really just go on. 4. Some Like it Hot - I dunno why. It's always been on my list. 11. Infernal Affairs - enjoyed The Departed, so why not? 6. Alone in the Woods - just recently heard about this one while doing research for something else. 7. The Lives of Others - I enjoy espionage stuff, but this has always felt like it could be too heavy. 8. Saving Private Ryan - war makes me sad, so I have avoided it. 12. Y Tu Mama Tambien - skipped over this in college; never returned to my old lists. 10. The Princess Bride - I remember nothing else of this film other than the torture scene when my parents took me to see it when I was 4, and I had to be carried out crying. I've had a block against it since, even though everyone I know loves it.
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Jun 16, 2014 10:06
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Artichoke, watch Some Like It Hot. Zardoz is a bizarre mixture of gorgeous shots with hideous flower-child costuming and plastic set design. The cinematography is spotty, but when it's on it's on. The acting is strange and stunted, not in a natural surreal manner but in a way that draws too much attention to itself. It's all over the place in terms of tone, the effects range from spectacular (the floating Zardoz head) to laughably terrible (you can actually see the strings holding the floating book in the library scene). I can see both why it tanked horridly at the box office and also why some have dusted it off for reappraisal, but it doesn't work for me. It should have been directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky. I'm also trying to figure out how the hell Sean Connery of all people agreed to do this film. My List: The Lady Eve (1941) - I picked up the book "Cinematic Mythmaking" by Irving Singer because it looked really good. However, the essays in it tend to focus on single films and this is one of them. I'd like to go through a few of them before I crack into the book. (Added 7/31/2013) The Beaver Trilogy (2001) - We were supposed to show this at the theater I work at with the director in person, but it got cancelled for whatever reason. Anyway, since finding out about it my interest is peaked. Technically three films in one. (Added 12/17/2013) Black Jesus (1968) - But what about Black Santa? (Added 12/17/2013)Damnation (1988) - I've never seen a Béla Tarr film. I know Werckmeister Harmonies is the favorite, but something about this one is calling me. (Added 12/21/2013) Fort Apache (1948) - The first in John Ford's Calvary trilogy. (Added 1/2/2014) King Boxer: Five Fingers of Death (1972) - Getting more into classic Kung Fu. Also, this is apparently one of Quentin Tarantino's favorite movies. (Added 2/7/2014) Playtime (1967) - Is this an alright jumping in point for Tati? (Added 3/11/2014) Andrei Rublev (1966) - It's been awhile since I watched a Tarkovsky. I liked Stalker and Solaris a lot but didn't connect too deeply with either. (Added 4/19/2014) Showgirls (1995) - Is this actually bad or Verhoeven-style "bad." (Added 5/29/2013) Chelsea Girls (1966) - Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey both make a movie, and then shove them both together. Curious to see how this plays out. (Added 6/16/14) Watched: Harold and Maude; The Third Man; Inland Empire; Godzilla; Big Trouble In Little China; Y Tu Mamá También; Marathon Man; Hunger; A Woman Is A Woman; Black Narcissus; A Hard Day's Night; Scarface; Le Doulos; On The Waterfront; Rocky; 3 Women; Airplane!; Duck Soup; Clash of the Titans; Singin' In The Rain; The Cow; Straw Dogs; Stop Making Sense; Bad Timing; Once Upon A Time In America; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade; Robocop; Shane; WALL·E; The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin; The Man Who Fell To Earth; Mr. Smith Goes To Washington; Divorce Italian Style; Some Like It Hot; To Kill A Mockingbird; An American Werewolf In London; Buffalo '66; Lawrence Of Arabia; Manhattan; Cul-De-Sac; The Birth of a Nation; Braveheart; Sex, Lies, and Videotape; Malcolm X; Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai; The Passion of Joan of Arc; The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; Le Samouraï; The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance; Marat/Sade; His Girl Friday; A Woman Under the Influence; Close Encounters of the Third Kind; Rio Bravo; Triumph of the Will; Titanic; Strike; The General; Jules et Jim; Tokyo Story; Once Upon A Time In Anatolia; L'Âge d'Or; Stroszek; Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky; Faust; Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom; Frankenstein; Rebel Without a Cause; Gone with the Wind; Barry Lyndon; The Grapes of Wrath; Midnight Cowboy; My Darling Clementine; Hoop Dreams; Close-Up; Begotten; The Goddess; The Apartment; Hell's Angels; All About Eve; Night and Fog; Grey Gardens; Zardoz (TOTAL: 83)
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Jun 16, 2014 19:58
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