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Dungeon Ecology posted:Portland, Oregon. Ah, you're here in Portland. I bet some of your hipster friends went to this.
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Feb 11, 2011 22:16
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meanmikhail, you get Swimming to Cambodia because Spalding Gray is (was  ) the man.My assignment was Bourne Ultimatum, I also watched Supremacy: The Bourne Supremacy - Been a long time since I saw the first movie, and I don't remember much at all. But I remembered the basic gist of it, and the details didn't seem to matter that much in terms of following this sequel. I enjoyed the esponiage thriller aspects of it... a wee bit confusing at first, but as usual the pieces start to fall into place and it becomes an intriguing scenario. But the action left me pretty cold. One expects a certain amount of frenetic editing in modern action films, in this post-MTV era. But here it seems like Greengrass is using insanely quick cuts and ridiculous whip pans to cover up the fact that most of his action sequences are rote and unexciting. It gets kind of annoying. Damon is okay, although he's given very, very little to work with ("look grim and determined" seems like the only direction for 90% of the movie). We'll see what the third film brings. Rating: 6 The Bourne Ultimatum - A little better than Supremacy. The plot is pretty standard government conspiracy blah blah blah, but it moves along nicely and holds your attention well enough. The action scenes are an improvement, and although Greengrass still goes overboard with the hyperkinetic camera antics, this time it's not quite so obnoxious. Julia Stiles is an absolute dud, though, and David Strathairn is surprisingly flat. Not the type of movie that really pushes my buttons, but pretty good, solid fun. Rating: 7 Updated list: 1. Braveheart - It's on 17 lists, it's got to be good, right? I can't imagine myself liking this. 2. The Lion King - Not a Disney fan. 3. Beauty and the Beast - See #2. But the Cocteau film is a favorite, so maybe? 6. The Prestige - I know it's got some kind of twist and I think it has to do with twins. 8. The Green Mile - As I said when I constructed my first list way back, I think I might like it. 10. Aladdin - gently caress me, there's a lot of Disney. 11. The Wrestler - Aronofsky is hit and miss with me. 12. The Phantom of the Opera - Thankfully the 1925 version that has nothing to do with Andrew Lloyd Weber. 13. The English Patient - I know very little about this except it won a bunch of awards and a lot of people got mad about that. 14. Chariots of vvv whoops. typing too fast. FitFortDanga fucked around with this message at 09:03 on Feb 13, 2011 |
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Feb 13, 2011 08:59
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meanmikhail posted:Now I really want to see Soderbergh's collaboration with him (and that new documentary Soderbergh did about him). Both excellent (I just reviewed the new Soderbergh doc in the Rate the Latest thread). Monster in a Box is great too, and Terrors of Pleasure is good (although I don't think it was ever released on DVD).
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Feb 14, 2011 06:29
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TenSpadesBeTrump posted:The acting seemed off though. It seemed that the actors were only thinking about what their next line was, and when they remembered it they just blurted it out. Your first Bresson, I take it?
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Feb 19, 2011 17:50
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TenSpadesBeTrump posted:Correct. I assume I should expect this from his others too? Yes, he is known for using non-actors and an extremely minimalist style that basically strips away anything that looks like "performance".
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Feb 19, 2011 18:36
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The Green Mile - What is it about Frank Darabont + Stephen King + prison that makes IMDb users go loving bananas? The Shawshank Redemption has inexplicably been #1 or #2 for as long as I can remember, and this even more mediocre offering currently sits at #83. Why? I guess it's an attraction to the comfortably predictable (did anyone not see the sponge thing coming?), the division of the world into "good men" and "bad men" (ooh that Percy is so rotten!), the reassuring presence of a gentle giant, non-threatening Magical Negro (his initials are "JC"? You don't say!). The film is shot well enough and the cast does a very admirable job of handling their wafer-thin characters. For a three-hour production it's surprisingly watchable with enough story elements (predictable as they are) to keep moving. But it certainly isn't anything special, and the cheap sentimentality is off-putting. Rating: 6 And I'm taking another break from this thread. I've got some catching up to do on things I actually wanted to watch.
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Feb 20, 2011 00:01
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meanmikhail skipped over Ratedargh
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Feb 21, 2011 23:55
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penismightier posted:PA: So after what looks like 50+ movies down there, what's your favorite that this thread made you watch (so far)? I'm guessing one of these, unless time has dimmed his opinion: Peaceful Anarchy posted:Neotpravlennoye pismo 10/10 All fine selections. I'd go with Neotpravlennoye pismo or Napoleon out of that bunch.
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Feb 22, 2011 20:08
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Alright, I'm jumping back in again. penis, you get Hypothesis of the Stolen Painting because it's a really cool movie. I've decided to stick using ICheckMovies as a guide. But instead of doing films that appear on the most checklists, my new entries will be dedicated to completing specific checklists. Because then I get "awards" and I love meaningless internet milestones that no one else could possibly care about. Braveheart - It's on 17 lists, it's got to be good, right? I can't imagine myself liking this. The Lion King - Not a Disney fan. Beauty and the Beast - See #2. But the Cocteau film is a favorite, so maybe? The Prestige - I know it's got some kind of twist and I think it has to do with twins. Aladdin - gently caress me, there's a lot of Disney. The Wrestler - Aronofsky is hit and miss with me. The Phantom of the Opera - Thankfully the 1925 version that has nothing to do with Andrew Lloyd Weber. The English Patient - I know very little about this except it won a bunch of awards and a lot of people got mad about that. Chariots of Fire - I've always liked that Vangelis tune. Dodsworth (checklist: "1930s") - Looks okay. I like some Wyler.
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Feb 28, 2011 20:29
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Matrix2k4 posted:I don't like Marilyn Monroe, she's like the Paris Hilton of the 1950's That's just patently false. Paris Hilton is famous for being rich and stupid. Monroe started from nothing, crafted her own persona, found a niche for herself, and could act (comedy and drama), sing and dance. I'm hardly the world's biggest MM fan, but comparing her to Hilton is silly.
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Mar 2, 2011 01:18
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Matrix2k4 posted:Marilyn Monroe can actually ACT. Told you  I just watched Don't Bother to Knock and she's excellent in it (and playing a completely different type of character).
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Mar 8, 2011 07:02
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BisonDollah posted:29. The 400 Blows (1959, François Truffaut) I'm not sure what you're afraid of, it's an easy watch. Enjoy. The English Patient - I was reminded a lot of Atonement (which, oddly enough, features Anthony Minghella in a minor role). Dull wartime drama with pretty but uninspiring cinematography, unbearably bland characters and stiff performances. Ralph Fiennes is like a black hole vortex of charisma, so utterly lacking in personality that he seems to suck the life out of everyone around him. His romance with Kristin Scott Thomas feels absolutely passionless, and written by someone who doesn't quite understand human beings. The best parts of the film involve Juliette Binoche, who gets more and more charming as Fiennes gets more and more boring, and her scenes with Naveen Andrews are especially intriguing. What a shame the film isn't more focused on their characters, because all the Fiennes flashbacks are strictly snoozeville. Rating: 5 Braveheart - It's on 17 lists, it's got to be good, right? I can't imagine myself liking this. The Lion King - Not a Disney fan. Beauty and the Beast - See #2. But the Cocteau film is a favorite, so maybe? The Prestige - I know it's got some kind of twist and I think it has to do with twins. Aladdin - gently caress me, there's a lot of Disney. The Wrestler - Aronofsky is hit and miss with me. The Phantom of the Opera - Thankfully the 1925 version that has nothing to do with Andrew Lloyd Weber. Chariots of Fire - I've always liked that Vangelis tune. Dodsworth (checklist: "1930s") - Looks okay. I like some Wyler. One Way Passage (checklist: "1930s") - If nothing else, it's short.
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Mar 11, 2011 06:17
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Peaceful Anarchy posted:From the "C'était un rendez-vous" inspired opening sequence Carax signals two things, that Les amants du Pont-Neuf is going to be dynamic and stylish and that it's going to be grimy and bleak. That he's able to mix these two things together so well, with sequences that could be almost straight out of musicals yet never lose the tone of a film shot on filthy streets featuring people who haven't bathed in days, is a testament to Carax's vision. There are quite a few incredible dynamic visual sequences that give the film a pulse and contrast with the almost unspoken tragedy of the three lead characters. I really loved this and it opens up another side of French cinema I have yet to explore. Iwas also somewhat surprised by the ending and the Titanic like shot at the end. I also really like Mauvais Sang. I need to check out more Carax.
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Mar 14, 2011 18:53
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FYI, the version of Brighter Summer Day floating around is extremely poor quality (at least the one I saw about 5 years ago). Criterion is rumored to be working on it, you may want to wait for that.
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Mar 17, 2011 01:42
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Electronico6 posted:The Trial I read somewhere that Orson Welles thought this to be his best. And I agree with him. The Prestige - My favorite Nolan so far, which isn't saying a lot, but it's something. Nolan is immensely popular among certain types (let's just say "nerds" for simplicity's sake) for two reasons: Batman, and puzzle movies. This is really the ideal example of the latter. Nerds love movies that give you little bits of mindbender business to sort out (especially if you have to watch them again to catch all the "clues"), and this movie not only contains them, but is about them. And on an additional level, it opens up thoughts about the trickery of filmmaking itself. So it's a fun mental exercise with some nice meta touches. I'm neither a Jackman fan nor a Bale fan, but I found both of them enjoyable in their roles (Caine, Johannsen and Bowie are largely forgettable, however). And there's certainly a fine level of craftsmanship involved. But it's the same old problem with Nolan... his movies are neither soulful enough to be emotionally involving nor insightful enough to be very thoughtful. There's craft to it, but very little art. But I did like the craft of it. Rating: 8 new list: Braveheart - It's on 17 lists, it's got to be good, right? I can't imagine myself liking this. The Lion King - Not a Disney fan. Beauty and the Beast - See above. But the Cocteau film is a favorite, so maybe? Aladdin - gently caress me, there's a lot of Disney. The Wrestler - Aronofsky is hit and miss with me. The Phantom of the Opera - Thankfully the 1925 version that has nothing to do with Andrew Lloyd Weber. Chariots of Fire - I've always liked that Vangelis tune. Dodsworth (checklist: "1930s") - Looks okay. I like some Wyler. One Way Passage (checklist: "1930s") - If nothing else, it's short. Mutiny on the Bounty (checklist: "1930s") - I'm on a boat!
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Mar 18, 2011 05:16
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SGRaaize posted:the bad action scenes  please elaborate
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Mar 18, 2011 21:02
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penismightier posted:Just had this conversation in the general chat thread. Everybody loves The Trouble with Harry but apparently not Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I think I actually might prefer Smith by a hair.
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Mar 19, 2011 10:18
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cthulusnewzulubbq posted:Taxi Driver- A man likes to talk to himself and carry a gun. Maybe he drives a taxi? Lots of good stuff on your list, try this one out. Okay, because Disney is loving obnoxious with their limited releases, neither Netflix nor the public library has Lion King. I wasn't that anxious to see it anyway. So here's my revamped list, just concentrating on specific checklists now: Dodsworth (checklist: "1930s") - Looks okay. I like some Wyler. One Way Passage (checklist: "1930s") - If nothing else, it's short. Mutiny on the Bounty (checklist: "1930s") - I'm on a boat! Beau Geste (checklist: "1930s") - Not a big Gary Cooper fan, but Wellman is sometimes good. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (checklist: "1930s") - Yeah I really should have seen this by now. The Little Foxes (checklist: "1940s") - Looks good. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (checklist: "1940s") - Doesn't look that good. I Remember Mama (checklist: "1940s") - Not "I Dismember Mama" La grande guerra (checklist: "1950s") - I liked Big Deal on Madonna Street Watch Out for the Automobile (checklist: "1960s") - Haven't seen much Russian comedy
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Mar 22, 2011 03:02
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Magic Hate Ball posted:So this is, what, list no. 12? Yeah I'm wishy-washy. I can never decide how to put together my list. I don't want to just list stuff I was planning to watch anyway, but on the other hand I don't wanna watch stuff that there's not much chance of my enjoying. Magic Hate Ball posted:You're burning through these at a rate higher than most! I'm sure there's an apropos joke to be made... Those jokes has been obnoxiously prevalent lately.
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Mar 22, 2011 05:50
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SGRaaize posted:Pulp Fiction 8/10 | Goodfellas 7/10 | Seven Samurais 6/10 | Rear Window 7/10 What movies are 10/10 for you?
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Mar 23, 2011 16:51
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SGRaaize posted:10/10 = Perfect  alright then, what movies are 9/10 for you?
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Mar 23, 2011 17:47
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I'm going to time my next post so that I get to pick El sol del membrillo for PA because it's really amazing and I wanna hear what he thinks. Yeelen is cool too, though.
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Mar 29, 2011 20:09
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TenSpadesBeTrump posted:Gun Crazy was very good. It was nice to see a couple truly in love in a noir, and I believed their romance the whole way. The ending was a surprise, but it fit perfectly with the characters. 4/5 More of a one-sided romance, though, isn't it? If you want a great romance in a noir, check out They Live By Night. BTW, the reason I haven't posted in this thread in a while is because I stole the idea and started the same thing on another forum. Getting assignments from two different "shameful" threads would just get too confusing (and I've already got enough stuff to watch). It seems to be very popular so far over there, although no one's had a chance to watch their assignment yet.
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Apr 4, 2011 21:06
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tokillthesunflower posted:Watch this one. Yay! tokillthesunflower posted:I was rather underwhelmed by Au Hasard Balthazar. Boo!
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Apr 6, 2011 01:39
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Zogo posted:My 9th recommendation to you of a film I haven't seen. Someday, somewhere, somehow I'll recommend you a movie that I've seen. Don't worry, you picked very wisely.
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Apr 8, 2011 05:56
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Revolutionaut posted:Can anyone recommend more noir or a good resource for exploring the genre? Here. I've been working through the list, got about 40 left to go. My favorites: Sweet Smell of Success Nightmare Alley Odds Against Tomorrow Double Indemnity The Lineup The Night of the Hunter The Asphalt Jungle Beyond the Forest Murder By Contract The Third Man The Burglar Notorious The Phenix City Story Sudden Fear Force of Evil Blast of Silence Cry of the City Le Doulos Human Desire The Lodger (1944) Moonrise Night and the City The Set-Up Shadow of a Doubt They Made Me a Fugitive Thieves' Highway I better stop there.
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Apr 8, 2011 14:26
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Peaceful Anarchy posted:Subarnarekha was a great film, though maybe a little heavy handed I think the point about class struggles and modernizations got through even without contrived deaths. Even so, it was beautiful both to watch and listen and I really like what the film has to say. Even outside the stuff that's specific to India's rigid caste system society, there's a lot of interesting stuff about the more general human condition. What we work for, what we value, social and economic pressures, etc. There's actually quite a bit of nuance underneath the very direct exterior. Definitely going to check out more Ghatak, hopefully it won't take me another 2 years to do so. Woot! I recommend Nagarik, Jukti Takko Aar Gappo and Komal Gandhar.
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Apr 9, 2011 04:11
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Electronico6 posted:What other Godzilla movies are worth checking out? Godzilla vs. Hedorah is amazing
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May 22, 2011 19:10
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Wade you need to pick one for Dmitri
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Jul 13, 2011 20:59
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Ratedargh posted:Question to those who have seen it and more Pasolini. How different is this to the rest of his filmography? I hate to let a filmmaker be judged entirely on one bad experience. He didn't make a career out of people torturing each other and eating poo poo. In fact, he had quite a varied career. I recommend The Gospel According to St. Matthew, Accattone, Teorema and Mamma Roma.
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Jul 25, 2011 15:57
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| # ¿ May 9, 2024 12:25 |
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I think any "essential" Kurosawa list would be: Seven Samurai Rashomon Ikiru Yojimbo Ran My personal favorites also include: Red Beard High and Low The Bad Sleep Well Dodes-kaden Hidden Fortress is a ton of fun.
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Jan 3, 2012 21:15
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