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Samuel Clemens posted:8. Paris Is Burning (1990): Supposedly not about Paris? Doing the opposite to you and assigning a short one hehe Memories of Murder  If anyone ever needed any proof that Bong has always known exactly what he's doing you can't do much better than his second-ever feature already managing to be simultaneously grim and absurdly funny. At first it comes across as simply a darkly comic period piece about how woefully ill-equipped these detectives are to handle the concept of a serial killer, but as it goes on it becomes clear that it's far from just the police, but in fact the entire society. An excellent look at corruption (the casual nature of the torture of suspects just makes it even more shocking), impotence, and just general institutional dipshittery, with powerful yet subtle politics. Park, the lead detective, is an incredible character - this complete buffoon who values intuition and nonsense mysticism above any kind of actual police work eventually realising more than anyone just how out of their depth they are - and while the other main character, Seo, has a slightly more cliched arc, it's nonetheless very effective. Also there's a third detective who drop-kicks everyone, which is just fantastic. I'm really not a police procedural person, so after a fantastic opening few minutes I wasn't totally engaged for a lot of the first act - I have the same problem with stuff like Zodiac, so it's absolutely my own personal blind spot. But eventually, as it gets deeper and broader thematically, and brings in even darker undertones without affecting the satire, I grew to really love what Bong was doing. Dude's a master, what more is there to say? Shame List: 01. As Tears Go By: Got the WKW Criterion boxset so wanna go through it in order (I’ve already seen Chungking/Happy Together/In the Mood) 03. Being There: This is just the third Criterion I picked up as part of a sale once. I don’t know a whole lot about it other than people compare the Dougie sections of Twin Peaks season 3 to it, and I absolutely loved all that poo poo 04. Branded to Kill: Watched Tokyo Drifter in Jan and loved it and apparently this is even crazier???? 05. The Double Life of Veronique: I actually did watch this like a decade ago but remember almost nothing about it!!!! Irene Jacobs is cute though and I recently did a Three Colours rewatch. Oh my god I just realised I’m gonna have to put Dekalog on here eventually 06. F For Fake: This sounds great and I don’t know why I haven’t seen it but I just haven’t!!!! Owned on Criterion. 07. A Face in the Crowd: A few friends watched this at around the same time and all loved it so I picked the Criterion up. Seems like something I’d enjoy quite a bit. 09. Songs from the Second Floor: Picked up Artificial Eye’s Roy Andersson boxset recently. I remember adoring You, the Living when I saw it in 2008-9, but that’s my only experience with his work so far. 10. Ugetsu: Got really into watching the highest-ranked movies on the TSPDT 1000 list that I’d never seen at the start of the pandemic and burned out just before this, the last movie in the top 50 I still haven’t seen!!!! oops!!!!! 12. Mikey and Nicky: I'd never heard of this until last year when it started popping up all over the place. It sounds really interesting and I love me some Peter Falk. 13. Close-Up: First entry for a new bit "Films my best friends adore but I haven't bothered to see yet". Also obv one of the most acclaimed films ever that I'm yet to see and so on. Watched: Beau Travail, Harakiri, Memories of Murder
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Jul 11, 2021 07:46
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Escobarbarian, see Being There. Just saw The Departed. Wow! What a roller coaster ride. I have to see that it was a very good movie. Hard to get into at first, but when you do, it moves really fast. Really enjoyed this movie. Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio were all good in it. My List: Fort Apache - This will be my John Wayne spot for now. The Greatest Showman - My daughter recommended this one. NEWEST Jabberwocky - Following up one Terry Gilliam movie with another. The Cocoanuts - Working my way through the Marx Brothers movies. This is their first movie.OLDEST Sunrise - A friend of mine who likes silent movies recommended this one. Looking forward to seeing it. Pelle the Conquerer - Big fan of Max Von Sydow. Need to see more of his work. Transformers: The Movie - Taking a break from Studio Ghibli. Not the Michael Bay movies. The animated movie from the 80's. Holiday Inn - Star Trek: Nemesis - This is the only Star Trek movie I haven't seen. I haven't heard good things about it, but I'll give it a shot. Mulholland Drive - Just recently saw Twin Peaks: The Return and that got me in the mood for more David Lynch. Ocean's 11 - A slot here for Elvis, Sinatra, Beatles movies. This is the original with Frank Sinatra. Dmitri Russkie fucked around with this message at 03:17 on Jul 14, 2021 |
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Jul 14, 2021 03:15
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Dmitri Russkie posted:Mulholland Drive - Just recently saw Twin Peaks: The Return and that got me in the mood for more David Lynch. After Twin Peaks is the perfect time to watch Mulholland Drive. Your skills at deciphering Lynch will be put to good use.   Bicycle Thieves This was cool to see because I've read things about the film over the years and so when I watched it I was thinking about how it was breaking new ground and almost creating a new genre of more realistic and emotionally honest films. The experience felt a bit like when I saw Pather Panchali(which Ray made something like 7 years after Bicycle Thieves), in that I was transported to this other time and place and it's that type of film that really does act almost as a time machine. It's such an important contribution that film as a medium has made, the idea that all these years later someone like me can come along and have a ticket to post-war Italy or any number of interesting settings and time periods. But none of that would really work if not for the neo-realism aspect. It's kinda tough to imagine how big a deal that must've been at the time, to all of the sudden see these relatable characters that were three-dimensionally drawn and experiencing some of the same problems and struggles that I might have. It allows you to connect to a film in a way that didn't really exist before, so I can certainly understand why films like Bicycle Thieves are put on a pedestal and regarded as some of the most important work in the history of movies. Current List: 2. Bonnie and Clyde: One of those movies where I've seen the iconic ending but never actually sat down to watch the whole thing. It won a bunch of awards though so I guess I should. 3. Tampopo: I've considered blind buying the Criterion edition of this movie so there's really no excuse to not watch it if it's available for streaming 4. A Christmas Story: I grew up in a Jewish household and it's not like I wasn't allowed to watch Christmas movies but I guess I just never had the desire to. 5. Oliver Twist: David Lean is one of my favorite directors so I'd like to fill in the gaps I have left with his filmography. 6. Labyrinth: Not sure why I never saw this but I definitely want to, it seems like something I'd like. 7. Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance: I'm just going to put the first film in this series on the list and then if I like it I'll continue on. But I've heard great things about it. 8. Missing in Action: This may seem like an odd choice but it's actually a pretty important film in the pantheon of schlocky Cannon action flicks, and it's one of Chuck Norris biggest hits. And I'm an action fan so I definitely need to see it. 9. Cool Hand Luke: I don't even really know what this movie is about but it's very famous and I feel I should have seen it by now 10. Castle in the Sky: More Miyazaki
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Jul 14, 2021 17:29
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Basebf555 posted:9. Cool Hand Luke: I don't even really know what this movie is about but it's very famous and I feel I should have seen it by now "Stay down. You're beat." Sunshine - The prologue explains that a crew is on a dangerous mission to reignite the sun. The first mission was a failure for unknown reasons. After seeing a few space travel films a lot of familiar tropes begin to emerge. But this one has enough twists and defined characters to keep things from getting too hackneyed. Alien (1979) probably prevails as the gold standard in this regard. It shows the contrast between the deadly coldness of space and the deadly hotness of the sun i.e. just a few of the horrors of outer space. The effects shown in the film are very good. There's a familiar story arc throughout. The last section of the film felt simultaneously underdeveloped but overproduced. A scarred antagonist (from the first mission) shows up. He's a theistic saboteur ready to destroy this second mission. It felt like something out of two films released in the summer of 1997: Contact and Event Horizon. He's given just a few cryptic sentences. In the end the sun is rehabilitated but none of the mutinous crew survives. It's hard to end a film sometimes. James Bond versus Godzilla (42/64 completed): Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II - Mechagodzilla lives. This should actually be part III. 6/20/21 Hesitation (64 completed): #54 I Confess - This is a Hitchcock film with critical praise but I never hear it mentioned much these days. 3/9/21 #66 Easy Money - A Rodney Dangerfield comedy I meant to watch at one point. 5/3/21 #67 Secrets & Lies - Recently released by Criterion. 5/8/21 #68 The Beast Within - One of those overlooked horror films from the 1980s. 6/20/21 new #69 Iceman (1984) - One of those films I saw briefly on cable many years ago but had trouble tracking down until recently. 7/18/21 BBC Culture: The 100 Greatest Foreign Language Films (98/100 completed): #95 Floating Clouds - Not to be confused with Floating Weeds. 3/21/21 Richard Roeper's Top Films 2000-2020 (17/21 completed): 2013 American Hustle - This was a really popular one that I missed. 6/20/21 2007 Michael Clayton - Something about lawyers. 7/2/21 2005 Syriana - IIRC George Clooney injured himself during the shooting of this one. 7/5/21
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Jul 18, 2021 22:25
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Zogo posted:BBC Culture: The 100 Greatest Foreign Language Films (98/100 completed): Let's get this list finished!!! Being There  I didn't really know what this movie was about aside from the basic premise......turns out that's basically it. It's one joke, told over and over for two hours. Yet somehow, magically, it's funny every single time. Sellers' performance is astonishing, this master of farce being so incredibly toned-down in every single moment in a way that anchors the film extremely well. It's amazing how this movie could have gone wrong at any moment, becoming too ridiculous or annoying, yet stays the course throughout. Ashby's subtle and melancholy direction pairs perfectly with Sellers' performance to accomplish this - it's absolutely top-tier work from both of them. I guess I'm still having trouble putting my thoughts on this movie into words, but I found it to be very touching as well as hilarious, and a great depiction of how people are capable of seeing only what they want to. Some fantastic use of music and one scene towards the end I was NOT expecting at all that was fully  . I liked this way more than I expected to.Shame List: 01. As Tears Go By: Got the WKW Criterion boxset so wanna go through it in order (I’ve already seen Chungking/Happy Together/In the Mood) 04. Branded to Kill: Watched Tokyo Drifter in Jan and loved it and apparently this is even crazier???? 05. The Double Life of Veronique: I actually did watch this like a decade ago but remember almost nothing about it!!!! Irene Jacobs is cute though and I recently did a Three Colours rewatch. Oh my god I just realised I’m gonna have to put Dekalog on here eventually 06. F For Fake: This sounds great and I don’t know why I haven’t seen it but I just haven’t!!!! Owned on Criterion. 07. A Face in the Crowd: A few friends watched this at around the same time and all loved it so I picked the Criterion up. Seems like something I’d enjoy quite a bit. 09. Songs from the Second Floor: Picked up Artificial Eye’s Roy Andersson boxset recently. I remember adoring You, the Living when I saw it in 2008-9, but that’s my only experience with his work so far. 10. Ugetsu: Got really into watching the highest-ranked movies on the TSPDT 1000 list that I’d never seen at the start of the pandemic and burned out just before this, the last movie in the top 50 I still haven’t seen!!!! oops!!!!! 12. Mikey and Nicky: I'd never heard of this until last year when it started popping up all over the place. It sounds really interesting and I love me some Peter Falk. 13. Close-Up: First entry for a new bit "Films my best friends adore but I haven't bothered to see yet". Also obv one of the most acclaimed films ever that I'm yet to see and so on. 14. Schindler's List: The most well-known x acclaimed movie worldwide that I've never seen. I'm not the biggest Spielberg fan but I'm still not sure how I've managed to never catch this one. Watched: Beau Travail, Harakiri, Memories of Murder, Being There
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Jul 19, 2021 21:59
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Truth. Being There is loving great and Sellers gives an all time performance to where I can't picture anyone else in the roll. Maybe Bill Murray (?) Also one of the best endings of any movie I think I've ever seen that delivers a fantastic payoff in a really understated way that works so well tonally.
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Jul 23, 2021 23:47
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Yeah, I really liked the ending. And Sellers was just so good. I always seem to kill this thread so badly lmao
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Jul 24, 2021 14:18
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Escobarbarian posted:14. Schindler's List: The most well-known x acclaimed movie worldwide that I've never seen. I'm not the biggest Spielberg fan but I'm still not sure how I've managed to never catch this one. "Finish the page and leave one space at the bottom." Floating Clouds - This feels like a darker companion piece to Spring in a Small Town (1948) in many ways. It's gender reversed, more jaded, more world-weary and also set in Japan rather than China. We don't see any military battles but one can feel the aftereffects of WWII strongly throughout. These characters fit with those found in Hiroshima, My Love (1959). More scathed people who are futilely trying to refind their prewar lives. But that's the big issue. No one can go back in time. The Japanese are having financial troubles and US hegemony is ever-present what with all the US products seen in the background shots. The other dilemma is that a lot of these characters are having dangerous affairs. War can be devastating but so can infidelity. And when the dust settles these characters all know it. Much more could be said... PS For a film released in 1955 it uses flashback scenes very well. Also watched: Syriana - This one covers some of the shady deals made between US companies and various countries in the Middle East. We see some of the United States ghastly foreign policy decisions. The film is teeming with cynical and dopey characters lecturing and threatening each other over oil deals, assassinations and prosecutions et al. Selfish characters vomiting out sloppy ideological diatribes over the barbecue. It's one of those cliched films where most Muslims are at best traitorous hypocrites and at worst raging/screaming terrorists. And most Westerners are at worst dirty murderers and at best reluctant but dutiful pawns. Characters dealing with their domestic gripes before being sent off to be cannon fodder. At times it comes across like a bunch of stale propaganda. To its detriment it's still wishy-washy due to the juxtaposed editing. In the end it stokes peak oil fears and tries to put much of the blame on Texas oil barons which fits well with its release year of 2005. Just like having characters use BlackBerry phones. James Bond versus Godzilla (42/64 completed): Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II - Mechagodzilla lives. This should actually be part III. 6/20/21 Hesitation (64 completed): #54 I Confess - This is a Hitchcock film with critical praise but I never hear it mentioned much these days. 3/9/21 #66 Easy Money - A Rodney Dangerfield comedy I meant to watch at one point. 5/3/21 #67 Secrets & Lies - Recently released by Criterion. 5/8/21 #68 The Beast Within - One of those overlooked horror films from the 1980s. 6/20/21 #69 Iceman (1984) - One of those films I saw briefly on cable many years ago but had trouble tracking down until recently. 7/18/21 new #70 Lilya 4-ever - Don't know much about this one. 7/26/21 BBC Culture: The 100 Greatest Foreign Language Films (99/100 completed): Richard Roeper's Top Films 2000-2020 (18/21 completed): 2013 American Hustle - This was a really popular one that I missed. 6/20/21 2007 Michael Clayton - Something about lawyers. 7/2/21 new 2003 In America - Something about immigrants in NYC. 7/26/21
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Jul 27, 2021 05:54
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Zogo posted:#54 I Confess - This is a Hitchcock film with critical praise but I never hear it mentioned much these days. 3/9/21 I don't know that you can really go wrong with Hitchcock, but I guess we'll find out! I finally got through The Human Condition and it was totally worth it! Every part was a 5/5 for me. The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (1959) The first part of The Human Condition trilogy is epic and devastating. Kaji is a socialist and pacifist in 1940s Japan. He is offered an opportunity for an exemption from military service in exchange for working as a labor supervisor at a mining camp in Manchuria. This deal lays the groundwork for over three hours of escalating misery with occasional hopeful moments. The entire film takes place within in a paradox. Because Kaji is a pacifist, he seeks to avoid military duty. Because he is a humanist, he sees the potential and value of all human beings. His exemption from military service means that someone else will have to serve in his place. At the camp, Kaji works to improve conditions for the workers, arguing that laborers who are happier are also more productive. He is opposed at every turn by others who see violence as the best tool for motivating the miners. Luckily, Kaji is given substantial depth. He has flaws and is forced to compromise his beliefs. It’s also definitely worth pointing out the that cinematography is beautiful and brutal at the same time. The scale of the mining operation is immense and it’s startling to see how much humans were able to alter the landscape even in the 1940s. The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity (1959) Road to Eternity is a more straightforward film than No Greater Love, but it’s no less powerful. Like the first, this installment is divided into two parts. The first is about Kaji’s experience in basic training. The second cover’s Kaji’s experiences at the front and contains the big battle set pieces. Both spend a lot of time hammering home the idea that war and the armed forces themselves, are absurd and arbitrary. Commands exist to be followed, regardless of how ridiculous they may seem. During basic training, Kaji’s humanism manifests as compassion for his fellow recruits. Later, when finds himself in charge of training recruits even greener than himself, he advocates for their humane treatment. Tatsuya Nakadai continues to be amazing as Kaji. I suppose when you get over nine total hours to develop a character, you can give him substantial depth. Michiko only appears for a short while, but Michiyo Aratama makes the most of the screen time that she gets. The Human Condition III: A Soldier’s Prayer (1961) A Soldier’s Prayer is the heartbreaking conclusion to a trilogy full of misery. With the conflict in Manchuria seemingly winding down, Kaji is left to face his regrets as he navigates the desperate aftermath of war. This is definitely Tatsuya Nakadai strongest performance, but he also gets so much emotion to work with. He’s just fantastic at communicating with just his face — especially his eyes. The cinematography is just amazing. There are so many beautiful shots, but interior and exterior. It’s also an exhausting watch, not just because of the runtime. By the time you even start this film, Kaji’s suffering has been built up over six hours and you just keep waiting for there to be some kind of reward. Maybe the suffering itself is really the point. Overall, I’d say that The Human Condition is the most impressive cinematic achievement I’ve ever witnessed. I can’t imagine watching it in its entirety, start to finish. I definitely had to break it up with other movies. I’m sure other folks have though and I am both awed and terrified by that kind fo stamina and devotion. My list of shame: 1. Casablanca (1942) It's me. I'm the one who has never seen Casablanca all the way through. 2021-07-07 2. Minari (2020) One of the Oscar nominees I didn’t get to see and really wanted to. 2021-05-28 3. Metropolis (1927) This is another great one I've only seen bits and pieces of. 2021-04-01 4. First Blood (1982) I’ve actually never seen any of the movies in this series, so I may as well start at the beginning. 2021-07-28 5. The Deer Hunter (1978) A 70s classic I should have seen by now, but never have. 2021-04-20 6. Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Probably the best non-Miyazaki Studio Ghibli film. 2021-03-29 7. Ivan the Terrible, Part II (1944) I need to get off my butt and watch this sequel. 2021-06-28 8. Us (2019) I sort of missed the boat on this one and definitely want to see it before Candyman comes out. 2021-07-01 9. The Tale of Zatoichi (1962) I've wanted to get into this series for a long time. 2021-06-17 10. Before Sunrise (1995) Watching Reality Bites reminded me of this other big 90s blind spot. 2021-07-07 Watched: The Godfather 5, The Godfather: Part II 4.5, Alien 4.5, The Hills Have Eyes 3, The Rules of the Game 4, Battleship Potemkin 4, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 4.5, Schindler’s List 5, Halloween 4, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4, A Woman Under the Influence 4.5, Harakiri 4.5, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb 4.5, 8 1/2 4.5, Get Out 4.5, M 4.5, The Evil Dead 3.5, Safety Last! 4, City of God 5, Portrait of a Lady on Fire 4.5, Wild Strawberries 4, Some Like It Hot 4.5, Amadeus 5, Tokyo Story 5, Platoon 4, Friday the 13th 3.5, The Passion of Joan of Arc 5, Stop Making Sense 4.5, The Bride of Frankenstein 4, A Fistful of Dollars 4, Ran 5, The Innocents 4.5, The Searchers 4, Reality Bites 3, Barry Lyndon 4.5, Hoop Dreams 4.5, The Human Condition I: No Greater Love 5, The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity 5, The Human Condition III: A Soldier’s Prayer 5
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Jul 29, 2021 04:03
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twernt posted:1. Casablanca (1942) It's me. I'm the one who has never seen Casablanca all the way through. 2021-07-07 You deserve something short and uplifting after ten hours of pure misery. --- Paris Is Burning  Recently, CPL593H and I talked in a different thread about how The Rocky Horror Picture Show became a cult phenomenon in large part because it directly spoke to a minority audience which had little means of expressing itself in the oppressive, heteronormative environment of the time. The New York ball culture, focal point of Paris Is Burning, fulfils a similar role, though obviously on a much more intimate level. The documentary depicts the nightlife in Harlem as a safe haven for predominantly black gays, transwomen, and drag queens (lesbians and transmen are mostly glossed over, though I can’t say whether that’s an omission by the film crew or a result of how the scene was organised in the late 80s), allowing them to live out their fantasies and desires without fear of violent reprisals. No documentary can provide an all-encompassing perspective on such a phenomenon, and it’s to the filmmakers' credit that they don’t even try to speak from a position of authority. Instead, they constrain themselves to showing a handful of people and their environment, offering just enough glimpses into the subculture to make us aware of its complexity. Even the technical imperfections (such as the mic being visible in multiple shots) add to the authentic feeling. There’s a real vibrancy and warmth to the depicted balls. What shines through is how much the participants value the ability to perform for a crowd which implicitly understands and supports them. Some of the most heart-warming moments occur when the interviewees talk about finding a surrogate family within the scene. At the same time, Paris Is Burning doesn’t turn a blind eye to the difficulties its subjects face, both materially and psychologically. What stood out to me in this regard is how surprisingly bourgeois everyone’s aspirations are. People dress up as CEOs, military leaders, or aristocrats, and they dream of becoming actresses or models. Above all else, they’d like nothing more than to become respected by the very society which despises them, and there are times when that inherent contradiction almost tears them apart. In a way, Paris Is Burning strikes me as an even more important film now than back when it came out because the culture it observes has mostly vanished and, like any culture outside the mainstream, left few traces. Allowing us to see how the LGBT community expressed itself three decades ago makes the documentary both a fascinating historical document and a potential source of inspiration for those who feel as marginalised today as these people did back then. 1. A Page of Madness (1926): My knowledge of Japanese silent cinema begins and ends with Ozu. 2. Kuhle Wampe (1932): Brecht worked on the script, and I do love me some Brecht. 3. The Naked Spur (1953): More than anything, the Shameful thread got me to watch a lot of great westerns. I hope the trend continues. 4. Suspicion (1941): More Hitchcock. 5. When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960): I literally know nothing about this film other than it being directed by Naruse, but I can't pass up a title this great. 6. The Earth (1968): I was a bit lukewarm on Chahine's supposed magnum opus Cairo Station, but his style's definitely interesting enough to warrant a second look. 7. The Pearls of the Crown (1937): Still have to see more by Sacha Guitry. 8. (new) Minamata: The Victims and Their World (1971): A documentary on mercury poisoning and corporate greed. 9. Dil Chahta Hai (2001): This Aamir Khan fellow seems to be kind of a big deal. 10. Burning (2018): Trying to catch up with some of the big releases from the past few years.
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Jul 31, 2021 12:32
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Samuel Clemens posted:4. Suspicion (1941): More Hitchcock. I haven't seen this one either so you can let me know how it is. Took me forever to get around to it but I watched Cool Hand Luke. This was a film that I had been aware of because of the iconic "failure to communicate" line, but really knew nothing about it. Turns out it's a prison film along the lines of Bridge on the River Kwai or The Shawshank Redemption. Triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity and all that. So I can't say there were too many surprises, it hit the expected notes at the expected times, but this type of film usually depends on the strength of the characters and Cool Hand Luke is very strong in that department. I'd assumed it was just a Paul Newman movie but was pleasantly surprised to see George Kennedy, Harry Dean Stanton, and even Dennis Hopper. And obviously the Captain played by Strother Martin is iconic. So Cool Hand Luke is one of the best versions of this kind of film I've seen, even if cultural osmosis had somewhat drained it of any surprises. And obviously recommended if you enjoy the actors involved, it's certainly a top tier Paul Newman performance. One last thing to mention is that I enjoyed discovering the meaning of the title, it was funny to me that for such an iconic film that I've been aware of most of my life, I never knew exactly what the title was referring to. At one point Luke is playing poker and he says "sometimes nothing is a cool hand". So it basically means that sometimes having nothing to lose can be a good thing, and/or that a person with nothing to lose can sometimes be the most dangerous. Current List: 2. Bonnie and Clyde: One of those movies where I've seen the iconic ending but never actually sat down to watch the whole thing. It won a bunch of awards though so I guess I should. 3. Tampopo: I've considered blind buying the Criterion edition of this movie so there's really no excuse to not watch it if it's available for streaming 4. A Christmas Story: I grew up in a Jewish household and it's not like I wasn't allowed to watch Christmas movies but I guess I just never had the desire to. 5. Oliver Twist: David Lean is one of my favorite directors so I'd like to fill in the gaps I have left with his filmography. 6. Labyrinth: Not sure why I never saw this but I definitely want to, it seems like something I'd like. 7. Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance: I'm just going to put the first film in this series on the list and then if I like it I'll continue on. But I've heard great things about it. 8. Missing in Action: This may seem like an odd choice but it's actually a pretty important film in the pantheon of schlocky Cannon action flicks, and it's one of Chuck Norris biggest hits. And I'm an action fan so I definitely need to see it. 10. Castle in the Sky: More Miyazaki
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Aug 2, 2021 14:37
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Basebf555 posted:7. Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance: I'm just going to put the first film in this series on the list and then if I like it I'll continue on. But I've heard great things about it. I think I've described this before as art house exploitation and if you like it, the whole series is definitely worth watching. Casablanca (1942) Directed by Michael Curtiz “In Casablanca, Morocco in December 1941, a cynical American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.” The overview for Casablanca from TMDB is one of history’s greatest attempts at underselling a film. The story on the surface is fantastic and the cast is full of memorable characters. There are so many compelling little side plots and they’re given just enough screen time to enrich the setting and make Casablanca feel like it takes place in a living, breathing world. Beyond the surface, there are probably dozens of ways to interpret the film. The two that seem the most likely to me are that Rick Blaine is a symbol for the United States during World War II and that Casablanca is a sort of sequel to Grand Illusion. Rick wants to maintain the appearance of neutrality while surreptitiously putting his thumb on the scale, until he finally decides to openly act on his altruistic impulses. I don’t think it’s a stretch to compare him to US policy in early years of the war, or at least how the US saw itself during that time. Both Casablanca and Grand Illusion are about war, but they’re conflicts between gentlemen who operate according to a shared set of unspoken principles. In Grand Illusion, it’s two upper-class officers clashing in the most genteel way possible. In Casablanca, I think the real story is really about Rick and Captain Renault, with the rest of the plot proving context for their interactions. My list of shame: 1. Notorious (1946) A great Hitchcock that I've never seen. 2021-08-04 2. Minari (2020) One of the Oscar nominees I didn’t get to see and really wanted to. 2021-05-28 3. Metropolis (1927) This is another great one I've only seen bits and pieces of. 2021-04-01 4. First Blood (1982) I’ve actually never seen any of the movies in this series, so I may as well start at the beginning. 2021-07-28 5. The Deer Hunter (1978) A 70s classic I should have seen by now, but never have. 2021-04-20 6. Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Probably the best non-Miyazaki Studio Ghibli film. 2021-03-29 7. Ivan the Terrible, Part II (1944) I need to get off my butt and watch this sequel. 2021-06-28 8. Us (2019) I sort of missed the boat on this one and definitely want to see it before Candyman comes out. 2021-07-01 9. The Tale of Zatoichi (1962) I've wanted to get into this series for a long time. 2021-06-17 10. Before Sunrise (1995) Watching Reality Bites reminded me of this other big 90s blind spot. 2021-07-07 Watched: The Godfather 5, The Godfather: Part II 4.5, Alien 4.5, The Hills Have Eyes 3, The Rules of the Game 4, Battleship Potemkin 4, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 4.5, Schindler’s List 5, Halloween 4, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4, A Woman Under the Influence 4.5, Harakiri 4.5, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb 4.5, 8 1/2 4.5, Get Out 4.5, M 4.5, The Evil Dead 3.5, Safety Last! 4, City of God 5, Portrait of a Lady on Fire 4.5, Wild Strawberries 4, Some Like It Hot 4.5, Amadeus 5, Tokyo Story 5, Platoon 4, Friday the 13th 3.5, The Passion of Joan of Arc 5, Stop Making Sense 4.5, The Bride of Frankenstein 4, A Fistful of Dollars 4, Ran 5, The Innocents 4.5, The Searchers 4, Reality Bites 3, Barry Lyndon 4.5, Hoop Dreams 4.5, The Human Condition I: No Greater Love 5, The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity 5, The Human Condition III: A Soldier’s Prayer 5, Casablanca 4.5
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Aug 5, 2021 03:42
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twernt posted:4. First Blood (1982) I’ve actually never seen any of the movies in this series, so I may as well start at the beginning. 2021-07-28 "Nothing is over! Nothing!" I Confess - A sociopathic man commits a murder over $2,000 and confides in his priest. But the priest (Montgomery Clift) is bound by the seal of confession. This sets off a chain of events that uncovers blackmail and other scandals. It brings up ethical dilemmas and religion vs. law conflicts. How people lie and deceive and how police can twist statements. Some of the issues reminded me of those found in A Man for All Seasons (1966). Its weakness is that it's straightforward and predictable. There's also a war/love story that's kind of tepid. And it probably won't resonate with postmodern or post-postmodern (or whatever you want to call 2021) audiences who might find the predicaments to be laughably pious. Also watched: Michael Clayton - The film opens with seemingly schizophrenic narration from an unhinged lawyer (Tom Wilkinson). It turns out he's bipolar and riding one of those manic highs. He's just reveling in his lunacy. There are lots of other memorable performances. Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is in various financial binds and becomes that familiar selfless hero. Tilda Swinton plays a disturbed and manipulative counsel. And Sydney Pollack plays a partner at the law firm. He truly was that rare bona fide actor and director. I won't detail the story too much but it fits in well with two other dysfunctional lawyer nightmares: Better Call Saul (2015-) and Erin Brockovich (2000). However, it doesn't hit as hard or subvert as much as something like American Beauty (1999). The upper echelons of the corporate world are already seen as being unscrupulous and dirty compared to Middle America. James Bond versus Godzilla (42/64 completed): Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II - Mechagodzilla lives. This should actually be part III. 6/20/21 Hesitation (65 completed): #66 Easy Money - A Rodney Dangerfield comedy I meant to watch at one point. 5/3/21 #67 Secrets & Lies - Recently released by Criterion. 5/8/21 #68 The Beast Within - One of those overlooked horror films from the 1980s. 6/20/21 #69 Iceman (1984) - One of those films I saw briefly on cable many years ago but had trouble tracking down until recently. 7/18/21 #70 Lilya 4-ever - Don't know much about this one. 7/26/21 new #71 Atlantic City - I've heard this is another one of those underwatched classics. 8/7/21 new #72 Moonstruck - I've seen that clip of Nicolas Cage being slapped dozens of times over the years but I don't know anything else about this. 8/7/21 BBC Culture: The 100 Greatest Foreign Language Films (99/100 completed): Richard Roeper's Top Films 2000-2020 (19/21 completed): 2013 American Hustle - This was a really popular one that I missed. 6/20/21 2003 In America - Something about immigrants in NYC. 7/26/21
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Aug 7, 2021 06:00
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twernt posted:Tatsuya Nakadai continues to be amazing as Kaji. I suppose when you get over nine total hours to develop a character, you can give him substantial depth. Michiko only appears for a short while, but Michiyo Aratama makes the most of the screen time that she gets. I haven't seen The Human Condition yet but another one like this is Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) in that Günter Lamprecht plays Franz Biberkopf for nearly sixteen hours. I watched it over the course of a year or so but some have watched it all in one day. I'd call that a nightmare. Basebf555 posted:Turns out [Cool Hand Luke is] a prison film along the lines of Bridge on the River Kwai or The Shawshank Redemption. Another similar one is I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932).
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Aug 7, 2021 06:02
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Zogo posted:I watched it over the course of a year or so but some have watched it all in one day. I'd call that a nightmare. As someone who did that, I think spreading the episodes out would have been the better approach in hindsight. Fassbinder constantly repeats important motives throughout the series, which is sensible in a TV format where you can't expect audiences to remember every detail after a week but makes the experience somewhat monotonous when you watch everything in one piece. The whole thing definitely feels like a weird fever dream at times, especially the finale.
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Aug 7, 2021 08:15
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Zogo, go with: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II Watched Starship Troopers and it left me feeling far more than I expected. There's a lot to talk about here and perhaps this isn't quite the place to do it. I couldn't help but notice a lot of themes in the movie that parallel the here and now. But most of all? This movie made me feel old. Maybe it's because all of the soldiers just look like kids, or because I so greatly prefer these visual effects, or that my whole attitude during the film was one of foreboding and worry as opposed to adrenaline and giddiness but boy, I didn't expect to be rattled here. I think my biggest concern is that I kept on waiting for the turn. I wanted to get some kind of payoff for what the bugs were up to. Everything was billed in such a way that it sure made it look like the humans weren't supposed to just be the default good guys and it certainly doesn't seem like they are, but their attitudes don't seem to be punished. This basically feels like a Black Mirror episode without the payoff to make you feel terrible about yourself, people, and the world at large. But yeah, visually, this was a feast. Couldn't get over how good everything looks. It was also delightful seeing faces that I love pop up in the film (Carver from The Wire was a special treat). I guess I just wanted a little more. 7.5/10 My new ten: 1. The Florida Project - Go ahead, break my heart. 2. You Were Never Really Here - Kevin was a loving knock out that has stuck with me. Very interested in this. 3. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind - Know nothing about it apart from Miyazaki, so I'll probably like it. 4. *NEW* Midnight Run - No idea how I missed this. I've missed so many things. 5. Mother Bong joon ho's that is. I've seen everything else of his (apart from barking dogs, and that's just never gonna happen) , and have enjoyed everything. 6. Moonlight Missed it in theaters, but I hear it's worth watching. 7. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three *NEW* - Love Matthau, and I understand this is a bit of a change of pace for him. 8. Anatomy of a Murder Another classic that I've missed. 9. Paprika - New to Kon. 10. Uncut Gems - OK, I'm just really curious about this. 149 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, The Rules of the Game 6/10, Senna 7.5/10, Kiki's Delivery Service 8/10, Gojira 9/10, The Blues Brothers 5/10, Notorious 7/10, Little Shop of Horrors 9/10 , The Last Starfighter 7/10, Rebel Without A Cause 8.5/10, Sherlock Jr. 7.5/10, Intolerable Cruelty, 9/10, The Ladykillers 9/10, Spring Breakers 7.5/10, Touch of Evil 8/10, The Purple Rose of Cairo, 9/10, My Cousin Vinny 7/10, Galaxy Quest 8/10, First Blood, 9/10, Arsenic and Old Lace, 7/10, Mad Max 2, 9/10, The Raid: Redemption, 8/10, Kramer vs. Kramer 9.5/10, Nightcrawler 10/10, Frank 9/10, Strangers On A Train 8/10 , Wild Strawberries 7.5/10, They Came Together 5.5/10, The Squid and the Whale, 10/10, Poolhall Junkies 1/10, Citizenfour 10/10, The 400 Blows 9.5/10, Event Horizon 2/10, Ashes and Diamonds, 8/10 Defending Your Life 9/10, The Informant! 8.5/10 The Lady and the Tramp 8.5/10, Memories of Murder 8.5/10, Ordinary People 8.5/10, Blue Ruin 7/10, F For Fake 9/10, The Best Years of Our Lives 6.5/10, Saturday Night Fever 7/10, We Need to Talk About Kevin, 10/10, Beasts of the Southern Wild, 10/10, 2011: A Space Odyssey ???/10, The Master, 9/10 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, 7/10 Certified Copy, 8/10, Ace in the Hole, 9/10, Tinker Tailor Solider Spy 6.5/10, The Grand Budapest Hotel 7/10, Train to Busan 4/10, Her 10/10, In the Mood for Love 6.5/10, Rififi 6.5/10, Murder on the Orient Express 7/10, The Nice Guys 9/10, Starship Troopers 7.5/10
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Aug 8, 2021 02:09
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Chili posted:3. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind - Know nothing about it apart from Miyazaki, so I'll probably like it. Enjoy. --- Suspicion  Hitchcock had a real knack for taking an established star's persona and coaxing out the dark elements hiding underneath. Just like James Stewart's morally ambiguous characters in Rear Window and Vertigo undermine our perception of him as an all-American hero, so does Cary Grant's Johhnie draw us in with the actor's famous boyish charm before forcing us to question the true nature of the man hiding behind the wholesome facade. The first half of Suspicion plays out almost exactly like the romantic comedies of the 30s that put Grant on the map, even going so far as to give him a similar breed of dog as he had in The Awful Truth. Only gradually does his questionable behaviour add up until the very end, when we fully believe him capable of murder. What particularly impressed me is how Hitchcock constantly repeats motifs throughout the film and imbues them with a more sinister meaning the second or third time around (the cliffs, the crime novels, the Vienna waltz etc.). One part every review seems to lambast, even the favourable ones, is the ending, and I must admit that it left me wanting as well. Studio interference prevented Hitchcock from shooting the conclusion he wanted, and it clearly shows. I’m not opposed to the idea of Johnnie turning out to be innocent per se, but the way the final turn of events essentially clears him of all faults doesn't gel with everything that came before. At the same time, I don't agree with the Times reviewer who felt this ruined the film. Suspicion works because it successfully puts us into the shoes of Lina, showing us what it feels like to suspect that the person you love above all means you harm. Whether the ending lands or not is a small matter when the rest of the film already carries you so far. Where does that place Suspicion in Hitchcock's overall filmography? The work it most closely resembles is the one that immediately preceded it, Rebecca. They share not only the lead actress and the milieu of British nobility, but also a particular kind of subjective storytelling with an accompanying sense of paranoia. The period seems to have been something of a transitional stage for Hitchcock, from his more straightforward thrillers of the 30s (which I quite like as well) to the psychologically dense films of the post-war era. I probably wouldn't put Suspicion in my personal top 10 of the director, but it's not far off either. 1. A Page of Madness (1926): My knowledge of Japanese silent cinema begins and ends with Ozu. 2. Kuhle Wampe (1932): Brecht worked on the script, and I do love me some Brecht. 3. The Naked Spur (1953): More than anything, the Shameful thread got me to watch a lot of great westerns. I hope the trend continues. 4. (new) To Catch a Thief (1955): Even more Hitchcock. 5. When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960): I literally know nothing about this film other than it being directed by Naruse, but I can't pass up a title this great. 6. The Earth (1968): I was a bit lukewarm on Chahine's supposed magnum opus Cairo Station, but his style's definitely interesting enough to warrant a second look. 7. The Pearls of the Crown (1937): Still have to see more by Sacha Guitry. 8. Minamata: The Victims and Their World (1971): A documentary on mercury poisoning and corporate greed. 9. Dil Chahta Hai (2001): This Aamir Khan fellow seems to be kind of a big deal. 10. Burning (2018): Trying to catch up with some of the big releases from the past few years.
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Aug 9, 2021 13:39
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Suspicion is iconic if just for that glass of milk.
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Aug 9, 2021 15:58
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Question for y'all. I've only ever watched Miyazaki subbed, not dubbed. But I've heard Miyazaki insist that audiences watch his films in the audio language they are most comfortable with. Any thoughts on that? Also, if anyone has watched Nausica dubbed, is the dubbing decent?
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Aug 9, 2021 16:27
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I find it easier to vibe with the subbed versions, which feel more subdued to me for some reason.
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Aug 9, 2021 16:37
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Magic Hate Ball posted:Suspicion is iconic if just for that glass of milk. That was the only scene I knew about before going in, and I was worried that its impact would be dulled because of that. But the moment's so perfectly integrated into the overall structure that it still managed to give me chills. Chili posted:Any thoughts on that? Also, if anyone has watched Nausica dubbed, is the dubbing decent? It's been ages since I last saw the dubbed version. I remember it being competent, but not quite as good at hitting the dramatic beats as the original, so I'd recommend the latter. I guess Miyazaki doesn't want his viewers to spend their time reading subtitles instead of looking at the images, but it's not like Nausicaä contains rapid-fire dialogue sequences.
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Aug 9, 2021 17:03
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Samuel Clemens posted:1. A Page of Madness (1926): My knowledge of Japanese silent cinema begins and ends with Ozu. This is another one that I haven't seen myself but I've heard good things about it, so I will once again use you as a guinea pig. I watched Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance. I was going to add the next film in the series to my list if I liked this one, and I'm not going to do that because I didn't like it. I loving loved it. Art House Exploitation is a great way of describing it, because it's such a perfect blend of over the top violence with stunningly beautiful scenery and an often somber, meditative mood. But when the limbs start flying hooo boy, there's nothing quite like it that I've ever seen. The story structure has me hooked too, Ogami has a long-term quest for vengeance but he also works as an assassin out of necessity so I'm thinking that each sequel will move the revenge story forward somewhat but some of them will also have self-contained adventures. The action is really top notch though. A big part of that is Tomisaburo Wakayama, he has a way of handling the sword that is just slicker and more precise than I think I've seen anywhere else. And the gore is absolutely ridiculous and absurd, to the point that Ogami almost has like a Jason Vorhees aura about him. You want to see what he'll do to the next poor sap that is dumb enough to threaten him. So I'm not going to add the next entry to my list because I don't want to wait until someone selects it, I'm gonna be powering through the rest of these ASAP. And probably buying the Criterion set as well.   Current List with some new entries: 1. Superman: The Movie: Very odd that I've never actually sat down and watched this from start to finish. I feel like I know all the parts are and what they look like but I don't know how they fit together. 2. Bonnie and Clyde: One of those movies where I've seen the iconic ending but never actually sat down to watch the whole thing. It won a bunch of awards though so I guess I should. 3. Tampopo: I've considered blind buying the Criterion edition of this movie so there's really no excuse to not watch it if it's available for streaming 4. A Christmas Story: I grew up in a Jewish household and it's not like I wasn't allowed to watch Christmas movies but I guess I just never had the desire to. 5. Oliver Twist: David Lean is one of my favorite directors so I'd like to fill in the gaps I have left with his filmography. 6. Labyrinth: Not sure why I never saw this but I definitely want to, it seems like something I'd like. 7. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre: Now having seen Casablanca, this is one of the bigger Bogart films that I still need to check off my list. 8. Missing in Action: This may seem like an odd choice but it's actually a pretty important film in the pantheon of schlocky Cannon action flicks, and it's one of Chuck Norris biggest hits. And I'm an action fan so I definitely need to see it. 9. The Hero: I've enjoyed everything I've seen from Satyajit Ray so far and I've been meaning to delve into his work further. 10. Castle in the Sky: More Miyazaki
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Aug 9, 2021 17:37
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Basebf555 posted:The action is really top notch though. A big part of that is Tomisaburo Wakayama, he has a way of handling the sword that is just slicker and more precise than I think I've seen anywhere else. Wakayama was an actual martial artist, and though is major background was in judo(i believe), he had training with a whole bunch of japanese martial sword arts. He's also the older brother of super star actor and director Shintaro Katsu aka Zatoichi, who produced the Lone Wolf series.
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Aug 9, 2021 17:51
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Chili posted:Question for y'all. I've seen a lot of them with both subbed and dubbed (with the kids) and the dubs are generally good enough that they don't take you out of the movie. I'd even go so far as to say that the dubs for Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away are actually really good. Personally, I'd rather watch the subbed version of anything but I'm not going to gatekeep about it.
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Aug 9, 2021 18:21
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twernt posted:I've seen a lot of them with both subbed and dubbed (with the kids) and the dubs are generally good enough that they don't take you out of the movie. I'd even go so far as to say that the dubs for Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away are actually really good. I think they’re all quite good except for Mononoke, actually, because Billy Bob Thornton just completely mails his performance in, he’s distractingly bad. Ponyo probably has the dub that diverges most from the subs DeimosRising fucked around with this message at 04:47 on Aug 10, 2021 |
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Aug 9, 2021 18:45
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twernt posted:I've seen a lot of them with both subbed and dubbed (with the kids) and the dubs are generally good enough that they don't take you out of the movie. I'd even go so far as to say that the dubs for Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away are actually really good. Yeah, this is pretty much my sentiment as well. Think I'll stick with what works for me and go subbed! Thanks all!
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Aug 9, 2021 18:49
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From what I've seen so far of Miyazaki, they typically seem to get really star studded casts to do them so that's nice.
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Aug 9, 2021 19:03
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I almost forgot that to say I'm excited you enjoyed the first Lone Wolf and Cub so much, Basebf555!
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Aug 10, 2021 01:34
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Basebf555 posted:7. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre: Now having seen Casablanca, this is one of the bigger Bogart films that I still need to check off my list. "Give us our money." Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II - This entry is a monster mash rehash for the most part as it shares a lot with some of the 1960s films. When one watches this series it's never known if Godzilla will be the hero or the villain or something in between. The fights between the monsters are brutal. First, we get a match between Rodan and Godzilla as an appetizer. But the main fight is Godzilla/Rodan vs. Super-Mechagodzilla (an enhanced rebuilt version of the mecha). There's so much destruction that the human casualties are merely an afterthought. PS Mechagodzilla could've been called Diamond Godzilla in this one. James Bond versus Godzilla (43/64 completed): Hesitation (65 completed): #66 Easy Money - A Rodney Dangerfield comedy I meant to watch at one point. 5/3/21 #67 Secrets & Lies - Recently released by Criterion. 5/8/21 #68 The Beast Within - One of those overlooked horror films from the 1980s. 6/20/21 #69 Iceman (1984) - One of those films I saw briefly on cable many years ago but had trouble tracking down until recently. 7/18/21 #70 Lilya 4-ever - Don't know much about this one. 7/26/21 #71 Atlantic City - I've heard this is another one of those underwatched classics. 8/7/21 #72 Moonstruck - I've seen that clip of Nicolas Cage being slapped dozens of times over the years but I don't know anything else about this. 8/7/21 new #73 Bug (1975) - A horror film that may or may not be good. 8/12/21 BBC Culture: The 100 Greatest Foreign Language Films (99/100 completed): Richard Roeper's Top Films 2000-2020 (19/21 completed): 2013 American Hustle - This was a really popular one that I missed. 6/20/21 2003 In America - Something about immigrants in NYC. 7/26/21 Zogo fucked around with this message at 06:14 on Aug 12, 2021 |
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Aug 12, 2021 06:11
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Zogo posted:"Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II Not a title I was expecting to see, but very welcome! Love that movie, one of my favs. For me that era of Godzilla has an informal trilogy of really good ones, the ones I'll rewatch over the years. Biollante, Mechagodzilla II, and Destoroyah. Those are three mighty fine films. No disrespect to the omitted ones, just those three speak to me (and my inner G). Zogo posted:#72 Moonstruck - I've seen that clip of Nicolas Cage being slapped dozens of times over the years but I don't know anything else about this. 8/7/21 I also need to see this, I say go for it! It's gotta be good. Also, since you mentioned Rodney Dangerfield, I gotta say his book It's Not Easy Bein' Me is really really good. Read that last year. Alrighty, I'll post a list of five from my mighty watch list: The Apartment - I hear it's great, my Mom is a fan of it, and it's on a googled list of David Lynch's top 10 movies. Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 - Keeping the Lemmon and/or Matthau thing going, everybody says it rules. Hard Times - Looks like a better Bronson movie, and is said to be must see by Tarantino. Duck You Sucker a.k.a. Fistful of Dynamite - keeping the Coburn going, and I love Leone and Morricone of course. The Fog - Carpenter, cool cast, 1980, everybody digs it. For all of these, not really sure why I haven't gotten around to them, I guess they just weren't the marquee titles of their area for me, with so many to choose from. And sometimes they just fall down the list with time and whatnot, even if they are must see.
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Aug 13, 2021 04:59
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Heavy Metal posted:The Apartment - I hear it's great, my Mom is a fan of it, and it's on a googled list of David Lynch's top 10 movies. If nothing else, it'll give you something to talk about with your mom. --- A Page of Madness  Silent film preservation is a depressing subject. Even conservative estimates indicate that over two thirds of all silents are lost to time. The situation looks even grimmer in Japan, where few productions survived both the 1923 earthquake and the bombings of Tokyo during World War 2. The only reason we can enjoy A Page of Madness today is that its director kept a print in his private archive. (From which Flicker Alley created an impressive restoration with a beautiful score.) The fact that such a brilliant gem nearly vanished without a trace makes me wonder how many great films weren’t so lucky and will likely never be seen again. The plot of A Page of Madness – insofar as I understood it – concerns an elderly employee at a mental institution, his wife, who is one of the patients, and their daughter, who comes to visit. Tormented by sadness (or guilt?), the man fantasises about freeing his wife, slowly losing his grip on reality. I'd be lying if I claimed to understand the relationship between these characters perfectly, but given both the style and subject matter, the ambiguities presented by the story seem to me a strength rather than a weakness. Barring a handful of scenes taking an objective perspective, primarily those showing the patients roaming the institution's garden, the entire film unfolds from the subjective point of view of its protagonist. I don't know how popular expressionism as a movement was in Japan at that time, but director Kinugasa clearly knew its techniques, using every trick of the trade to pull us into the employee's distorted world. The slanted camera angles, superimpositions, lap dissolves, upside-down or distorted images as well as the rapid-fire editing at times suggest a mix between Murnau and Eisenstein, though the overall structure reminded me most strongly of Epstein's later The Fall of the House of Usher. I’ve tried to take a few screenshots that highlight how visually sumptuous the experience is, though mere still images can’t fully capture the complex interplay of shots. So instead I urge everyone in here with even the slightest bit of interest in either horror or silent cinema to seek out a copy of the film yourself and let its torrent of impressions wash over you. Your time will be well rewarded.       1. (new) The Water Magician (1933): Silent Mizoguchi. 2. Kuhle Wampe (1932): Brecht worked on the script, and I do love me some Brecht. 3. The Naked Spur (1953): More than anything, the Shameful thread got me to watch a lot of great westerns. I hope the trend continues. 4. To Catch a Thief (1955): Even more Hitchcock. 5. When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960): I literally know nothing about this film other than it being directed by Naruse, but I can't pass up a title this great. 6. The Earth (1968): I was a bit lukewarm on Chahine's supposed magnum opus Cairo Station, but his style's definitely interesting enough to warrant a second look. 7. The Pearls of the Crown (1937): Still have to see more by Sacha Guitry. 8. Minamata: The Victims and Their World (1971): A documentary on mercury poisoning and corporate greed. 9. Dil Chahta Hai (2001): This Aamir Khan fellow seems to be kind of a big deal. 10. Burning (2018): Trying to catch up with some of the big releases from the past few years. Samuel Clemens fucked around with this message at 23:12 on Aug 16, 2021 |
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Aug 16, 2021 17:51
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Samuel Clemens posted:5. When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960): I literally know nothing about this film other than it being directed by Naruse, but I can't pass up a title this great. I hadn't heard of this before I saw it on your list and now I also really want to see it! First Blood (1982) Directed by Ted Kotcheff  First Blood is not really he movie I was expecting. John Rambo has been referenced and parodied thousands of times, but it must be the Rambo from the later movies. Here, he is a reluctant action hero, looking to connect with the sole surviving member of his unit, when he is hassled and run out of town by a sheriff who says he is just doing his job. Things quickly get out of hand after the sheriff arrests John Rambo, who promptly escapes custody and heads for the hills. The scenery is beautiful and First Blood really takes advantage of hills and forests to set up some fantastic action sequences. Sylvester Stallone does a very good job portraying the damaged Vietnam vet. Brian Dennehy is also great as the sheriff who refuses to just let go of Rambo. Richard Crenna is decent as Colonel Trautman, who is both Rambo’s hype man and the closest thing he has to a friend. My list of shame: 1. Notorious (1946) A great Hitchcock that I've never seen. 2021-08-04 2. Minari (2020) One of the Oscar nominees I didn’t get to see and really wanted to. 2021-05-28 3. Metropolis (1927) This is another great one I've only seen bits and pieces of. 2021-04-01 4. Modern Times (1936) City Lights is the only Chaplin I've seen, which seems like a shame. 2021-08-18 5. The Deer Hunter (1978) A 70s classic I should have seen by now, but never have. 2021-04-20 6. Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Probably the best non-Miyazaki Studio Ghibli film. 2021-03-29 7. Ivan the Terrible, Part II (1944) I need to get off my butt and watch this sequel. 2021-06-28 8. Us (2019) I sort of missed the boat on this one and definitely want to see it before Candyman comes out. 2021-07-01 9. The Tale of Zatoichi (1962) I've wanted to get into this series for a long time. 2021-06-17 10. Before Sunrise (1995) Watching Reality Bites reminded me of this other big 90s blind spot. 2021-07-07 Watched: The Godfather 5, The Godfather: Part II 4.5, Alien 4.5, The Hills Have Eyes 3, The Rules of the Game 4, Battleship Potemkin 4, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 4.5, Schindler’s List 5, Halloween 4, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4, A Woman Under the Influence 4.5, Harakiri 4.5, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb 4.5, 8 1/2 4.5, Get Out 4.5, M 4.5, The Evil Dead 3.5, Safety Last! 4, City of God 5, Portrait of a Lady on Fire 4.5, Wild Strawberries 4, Some Like It Hot 4.5, Amadeus 5, Tokyo Story 5, Platoon 4, Friday the 13th 3.5, The Passion of Joan of Arc 5, Stop Making Sense 4.5, The Bride of Frankenstein 4, A Fistful of Dollars 4, Ran 5, The Innocents 4.5, The Searchers 4, Reality Bites 3, Barry Lyndon 4.5, Hoop Dreams 4.5, The Human Condition I: No Greater Love 5, The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity 5, The Human Condition III: A Soldier’s Prayer 5, Casablanca 4.5, First Blood 4
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Aug 18, 2021 16:05
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twernt posted:5. The Deer Hunter (1978) A 70s classic I should have seen by now, but never have. 2021-04-20 "Is this what you want?" Moonstruck - A bunch of superstitious Italians in NYC are all caught up in their own cheating. A marriage proposal sets off a chain of events that leads to Loretta (Cher) and Ronny (Nicolas Cage) getting together. It's one of those romantic comedies that shares things with Mystic Pizza (1988) and Return to Me (2000). The story was a little too silly for my taste and I saw the resolutions coming but it's easy to see why this is a favorite of many people. Also watched: American Hustle - This one centers around FBI agents and reluctant art cons teaming up to take down politicians. Things get a little out of hand as there are lots of layers of deception and misdirection among the principal characters. Most of them are overdressed in these garish getups. So there's some unintentional comedy at times. It becomes a question as to just how many big politicians should be targeted as the bribing gets more extravagant. Jeremy Renner's character seems inspired by Rod Blagojevich. It reminded me of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) and A Fish Called Wanda (1988). Or going back a lot earlier: Trouble in Paradise (1932) and The Story of a Cheat (1936). Also, it shares some of the decadence found in The Sweet Life (1960). PS I was struck by how much of the cast has been in superhero films. James Bond versus Godzilla (43/64 completed): Hesitation (66 completed): #66 Easy Money - A Rodney Dangerfield comedy I meant to watch at one point. 5/3/21 #67 Secrets & Lies - Recently released by Criterion. 5/8/21 #68 The Beast Within - One of those overlooked horror films from the 1980s. 6/20/21 #69 Iceman (1984) - One of those films I saw briefly on cable many years ago but had trouble tracking down until recently. 7/18/21 #70 Lilya 4-ever - Don't know much about this one. 7/26/21 #71 Atlantic City - I've heard this is another one of those underwatched classics. 8/7/21 #73 Bug (1975) - A horror film that may or may not be good. 8/12/21 new #74 Baby Driver - I saw a clip from this recently and it got my attention. 8/19/21 BBC Culture: The 100 Greatest Foreign Language Films (99/100 completed): new #81 Celine and Julie Go Boating - I would've watched this one years ago but it's been very hard to track down. It looks like Criterion has come to the rescue once again and released it. 8/19/21 Richard Roeper's Top Films 2000-2020 (20/21 completed): 2003 In America - Something about immigrants in NYC. 7/26/21
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Aug 20, 2021 05:31
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I'm sure I saw American Hustle in theatres when it came out, but I struggle to recall anything about it. I hope your memory of the film ages better than mine.
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Aug 20, 2021 10:44
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Zogo posted:
It was based on the real life "Abscam" operation conducted by the FBI in late 70s and early 80s and Renner's character is based the IRL Mayor of Camden, NJ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abscam
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Aug 20, 2021 16:34
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Zogo posted:new #74 Baby Driver - I saw a clip from this recently and it got my attention. 8/19/21 Sorry to pick the newest one on your list but it's the only one I really know anything about. Solid action! I watched The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. This was an extremely tight, consistently entertaining film. They clearly started from a great script(and apparently a novel), and the editing was excellent because it feels like no scene is wasted and the movie flies by. One great surprise, and I'll spoil this because for me it was fun to not know it going in, but Bogart is more or less the villain of the film. That's something I didn't expect, and it's a progression so it sort of dawns on you about halfway through that his character is headed that way.. It's not just the Bogart show though, Walter Huston puts in a wonderful performance as well and it turns out he actually won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for it! Well deserved in my opinion, because he's really the lynchpin that holds the group together and without his character there really is no movie. I wonder if this is the only time that a son has directed his father to an Academy Award winning performance? Anyway the movie really did keep me guessing as to how things would turn out, because you can feel pretty early on that it's all gonna go to poo poo but you're hoping that not all of the characters will have to suffer the consequences of it. And the first half is actually very satisfying in the same way that the opening act of There Will Be Blood is. There's something about watching guys out in the wilderness trying to force nature to give up it's treasure so that they can stumble back to civilization in a better place than how they left it. So for me this was a perfectly structured film and I can understand why it's preserved at the Library of Congress.    Current List: 1. Superman: The Movie: Very odd that I've never actually sat down and watched this from start to finish. I feel like I know all the parts are and what they look like but I don't know how they fit together. 2. Bonnie and Clyde: One of those movies where I've seen the iconic ending but never actually sat down to watch the whole thing. It won a bunch of awards though so I guess I should. 3. Tampopo: I've considered blind buying the Criterion edition of this movie so there's really no excuse to not watch it if it's available for streaming 4. A Christmas Story: I grew up in a Jewish household and it's not like I wasn't allowed to watch Christmas movies but I guess I just never had the desire to. 5. Oliver Twist: David Lean is one of my favorite directors so I'd like to fill in the gaps I have left with his filmography. 6. Labyrinth: Not sure why I never saw this but I definitely want to, it seems like something I'd like. 8. Missing in Action: This may seem like an odd choice but it's actually a pretty important film in the pantheon of schlocky Cannon action flicks, and it's one of Chuck Norris biggest hits. And I'm an action fan so I definitely need to see it. 9. The Hero: I've enjoyed everything I've seen from Satyajit Ray so far and I've been meaning to delve into his work further. 10. Castle in the Sky: More Miyazaki
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Aug 24, 2021 15:16
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Basebf555 posted:8. Missing in Action: This may seem like an odd choice but it's actually a pretty important film in the pantheon of schlocky Cannon action flicks, and it's one of Chuck Norris biggest hits. And I'm an action fan so I definitely need to see it. "This is Braddock. I'll go." Baby Driver - The film is stylish and polished. A classic case of style and action over substance. It's basically an extended music video with lots of car chases, guns and a little romance. Baby (Ansel Elgort) has to work off a debt by driving getaway cars throughout Atlanta. I've seen a fair amount similar to this: The Driver (1978), Drive (2011) and Drive Angry (2011) to name a few. Most of the actors came across as a little fake tough with fake anger to me. Maybe it was just Baby doing all that lip-syncing to soft rock and wearing earbuds that made the mood a little too jokey. Also watched: Celine and Julie Go Boating - The film starts off with a protracted chase that feels like a callback to Meshes of the Afternoon (1943). Two women have a lot of long chats. Eventually they spend a lot of time taking psychotropic lozenges and potions that throw them into a soap opera fantasy world. It's a more restrained Daises (1966) or Valerie and her Week of Wonders (1970). More broadly, it's one of many, many films where reality and fantasy converge and diverge: -Altered States -House (1977) -The Matrix -Mulholland Dr. -TRON: Legacy -World on a Wire Just a few films that make us question reality. This one takes its time and is more restrained and relaxing than most of those however. PS The original title included "Phantom Ladies Over Paris" and I think that fits better. There's barely any boating! James Bond versus Godzilla (43/64 completed): Hesitation (67 completed): #66 Easy Money - A Rodney Dangerfield comedy I meant to watch at one point. 5/3/21 #67 Secrets & Lies - Recently released by Criterion. 5/8/21 #68 The Beast Within - One of those overlooked horror films from the 1980s. 6/20/21 #69 Iceman (1984) - One of those films I saw briefly on cable many years ago but had trouble tracking down until recently. 7/18/21 #70 Lilya 4-ever - Don't know much about this one. 7/26/21 #71 Atlantic City - I've heard this is another one of those underwatched classics. 8/7/21 #73 Bug (1975) - A horror film that may or may not be good. 8/12/21 new #75 Zabriskie Point - Something about the counterculture. 8/25/21 new #76 Force 10 from Navarone - A WWII film I meant to watch a long time ago. 8/25/21 Richard Roeper's Top Films 2000-2020 (20/21 completed): 2003 In America - Something about immigrants in NYC. 7/26/21
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Aug 25, 2021 23:52
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Zogo posted:#66 Easy Money - A Rodney Dangerfield comedy I meant to watch at one point. 5/3/21 This seems oddly out of place in your list and I would really like to read what you think about it. The Deer Hunter (1978) Directed by Michael Cimino  Even when The Deer Hunter is at its bleakest, it can still be an astonishingly beautiful film. The elevator pitch here is something like Kubrick’s Apocalypse Now, written by John Cassavetes. Three friends from a small Ohio steel town head to Vietnam, but not before they get a chance to experience one of most amazing weddings I’ve ever witnessed. Some people may say that it’s too long, but I think that it’s incredibly important for character development. If The Deer Hunter is all about how war changes these three men, you have to know who they are before the film abruptly shifts gears, dropping them into combat, then a miserable POW camp. To me, this didn’t feel like a three-hour film. Even though Cimino never rushed things I feel like the runtime was just right. The ending was perfect and if I had gotten there without carrying the full emotional impact of the rest of the story, I don’t think it would have hit as hard. My list of shame: 1. Notorious (1946) A great Hitchcock that I've never seen. 2021-08-04 2. Minari (2020) One of the Oscar nominees I didn’t get to see and really wanted to. 2021-05-28 3. Metropolis (1927) This is another great one I've only seen bits and pieces of. 2021-04-01 4. Modern Times (1936) City Lights is the only Chaplin I've seen, which seems like a shame. 2021-08-18 5. They Live (1988) A weird John Carpenter gap. 2021-08-26 6. Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Probably the best non-Miyazaki Studio Ghibli film. 2021-03-29 7. Ivan the Terrible, Part II (1944) I need to get off my butt and watch this sequel. 2021-06-28 8. Us (2019) I sort of missed the boat on this one and definitely want to see it before Candyman comes out. 2021-07-01 9. The Tale of Zatoichi (1962) I've wanted to get into this series for a long time. 2021-06-17 10. Before Sunrise (1995) Watching Reality Bites reminded me of this other big 90s blind spot. 2021-07-07 Watched: The Godfather 5, The Godfather: Part II 4.5, Alien 4.5, The Hills Have Eyes 3, The Rules of the Game 4, Battleship Potemkin 4, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 4.5, Schindler’s List 5, Halloween 4, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4, A Woman Under the Influence 4.5, Harakiri 4.5, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb 4.5, 8 1/2 4.5, Get Out 4.5, M 4.5, The Evil Dead 3.5, Safety Last! 4, City of God 5, Portrait of a Lady on Fire 4.5, Wild Strawberries 4, Some Like It Hot 4.5, Amadeus 5, Tokyo Story 5, Platoon 4, Friday the 13th 3.5, The Passion of Joan of Arc 5, Stop Making Sense 4.5, The Bride of Frankenstein 4, A Fistful of Dollars 4, Ran 5, The Innocents 4.5, The Searchers 4, Reality Bites 3, Barry Lyndon 4.5, Hoop Dreams 4.5, The Human Condition I: No Greater Love 5, The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity 5, The Human Condition III: A Soldier’s Prayer 5, Casablanca 4.5, First Blood 4, The Deer Hunter 4.5
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Aug 26, 2021 14:08
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The Deer Hunter was I guess technically a period piece when it was made, but it really holds up in that context when you watch it today. The wedding is the best example, it transports you to a pretty specific time and place and you can really get immersed in it. There's so much detail and genuine texture to the whole setting.
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Aug 26, 2021 14:21
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Zogo posted:PS The original title included "Phantom Ladies Over Paris" and I think that fits better. There's barely any boating! 
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Aug 26, 2021 15:19
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