Schoolio's Movie Corner

[bmack86]

I saw Juno last night. Around the end of that scene you're describing, I was worried about the same thing. By the end, I was thoroughly charmed, and greatly enjoyed the film. it's twee as all hell, and doesn't have gooey happiness at the end.

[Neutral Milk Hotel]

Okay, then, I'll keep that in mind. I'm sure I'll end up seeing, that many ecstatic reviews usually aren't (completely) wrong, but it's not what I would call a top priority, with finals coming up and a lot of other films coming out. And I'll admit that part of my trepidation is probably just being burned out with this seeming new movement in the independent film world of quirky movies about growing up.

PS: Where did you see it? I wasn't aware they were holding any more early screenings in Los Angeles.

[schoolofruckus]

Yeah, there's two screenings of Juno next Tuesday alone. I could go to either one, but I'm leaning towards hitting the screening of Blade Runner: The Final Cut instead.

[Yablonowitz]

Didn't you see "Into the Wild" last night?

[schoolofruckus]

Speaking of that movie, I just made a lengthy post on criterionforum about my reservations about it and thought I might post it here, maybe it will generate some interesting discussion.

I'll preface this by saying that I haven't seen the film, only the trailer. I do know things about the general path the plot takes. So, this is by no means a definitive judgment and is probably not so fair to the movie, but I intend to see it with an open a mind as possible, so whatever.

The thing that bugs me about this is, from the trailer, it almost seems like the Juno character is something of an indie kid pin-up girl--she's sassy, quick-witted, precocious, cute in that left-of-center way, etc. However, I don't get the sense that this character is going to have any significant flaws, or any serious conflicts over her situation. Take, for example, the scene where she tells her parents about the pregnancy, which is available as a clip. This is what she tells them:

I'm pregnant. But I'm gonna give it up for adoption, and I already found the perfect couple, they're gonna pay for the medical expenses and everything, and in 30-odd weeks we can just pretend that this never happened.
(Dad: You're pregnant)
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, and if it is any consolation, I have heartburn that is radiating to my kneecaps, and I haven't taken a dump since... Wednesday...morning.

The first part of it works, I guess, but would any 16-year-old, hipster or not, really go into the heartburn thing? It feels more like a screenwriter's construct than anything authentic. I get the feeling that I won't get much out of this film if the main character is going to quip her way through her life crises. Again, maybe I'm reading it completely wrong, if so someone who has seen it can correct me.

A good way to look at it is to contrast it with Rushmore, a personal favorite of mine. One of the reasons the movie is a success is that Anderson/Wilson aren't afraid to depict Max Fischer in a less than flattering light. I'll quote the dialogue below, taken from a copy of the script I'm looking at online. I think the wording might be a little different in the film but it plays out the same way:

"MAX: You honestly believe you love Blume instead of me?
MISS CROSS: Yes.
MAX: Stop. If you don't stop with that ****-pong talk, I'm going to lose it. Do you understand me?

Max takes Miss Cross' hand and kisses it. She pulls her and away. Max tries to embrace her. They struggle and Miss Cross overpowers Max. She holds his arms behind his back.

MAX: Let me go!

Max struggles some more. Miss Cross pushes him hard across the room. Max smashes into some chairs and knocks over a desk. He yells at her:

MAX: I got kicked out because of you!
MISS CROSS: You got kicked out because -
MAX: Rushmore was my life. Now you are!

Silence.

MISS CROSS: What do you really think is going to happen between us? You think we're going to have sex?

Max looks shocked.

MAX: That's kind of a cheap way to put it, don't you think?
MISS CROSS: Not if you've never fucked before, it isn't.
MAX: Oh, my God.
MISS CROSS: How would you put it to your friends? Do you want to finger me? Or maybe I could give you a hand job in the back of a Jaguar. Would that put an end to all of this?

Miss Cross moves towards Max with her hand outstretched. Max retreats backwards, banging into desks and chairs. Miss Cross stops.

MISS CROSS: Please. Get out of my room.

Max walks out of the room and stands in the doorway.

Miss Cross turns away and goes back to taking down her maps from the wall. Max watches her for a minute.

Max leaves. "

This is a scene that's crucial to the film's success. Rushmore takes place in Wes Anderson's trademark melancholic fantasy world (perhaps less so than his later films), but this scene, above all others, establishes a believable and relatable interpersonal dynamic. Max's personality and actions affect other people, something this scene makes very clear. Up to this point in the film, we're kind of charmed by his enthusiasm and drive (with a few exceptions), but the scene makes us painfully aware of the immaturity of his infatuation with Miss Cross and the unpleasant side of his personality and some of the actions he takes. We watch the "A Quick One While He's Away"/revenge sequence and laugh at Max cutting Blume's brakes, but the accomplishment of the exchange between Max Cross is not only to kind of illuminate that some of the things Max has done are kind of inappropriate and transgressive, but that the movie is aware of the fact that the actions were inappropriate. This makes some of the outlandish aspects of the movie more acceptable, since it defines this as a world where actions have consequences, where people can be selfish and hurt other people, where everything doesn't turn out alright in the end. It also makes Max's coming of age more poignant.

This kind of turned into more of a rambling note about one of the reasons that I love Rushmore than anything about Juno, but returning to that film, I don't get that vibe at all, that it will have anything resembling the Rushmore scene. I mean, look at the part from the trailer with her parents talking about the whole deal. Maybe I'm taking it way too literally and they're joking around, but the father says that he would rather have his daughter get busted for a DWI or get into hard drugs than get pregnant. What believable parents in any movie universe ever would rather have their child either A. break the law and endanger lives by driving while under the influence of alcohol or B. develop a serious addiction to drugs? Especially when she has made the reasonably mature decision to give the child up for adoption, and has already found someone to give the child to? If this is a movie where serious issues are going to be addressed with nothing more than eccentric, jokey dialogue, then its effectiveness will be limited. I'm not saying the movie should be some sort of PSA about the consequences of unprotected sex or teen pregnancy, but if Juno herself doesn't seem to be all that bothered by the human being inside of her, how can I be bothered to care about what happens to her, or any of the characters?

Exceptionally well-stated.

I feel the same general impression as you. Despite occasionally enjoying films like Little Miss Sunshine, or everything Wes Anderson has done to this point, I'm growing exponentially tired of films built around a sense of quirk, and I'm fearful of Juno turning out that way as well. With a cast as good as that one, I'm hoping that it sidesteps its seemingly-inevitable status as the Official Overhyped Indie Dramedy of 2007. The reviews definitely make me want to at least give it a shot. But if this one turns out predictably, I'm going to swear off the O.O.I.D. of 2008, 2009, and probably 2010 just on general principle.

[schoolofruckus]

Didn't you see "Into the Wild" last night?

No. I found out it's playing the Living Room this weekend, so I've decided to see it tomorrow.

I'm fucking seeing it tomorrow.

[J~$$$]

What is the living room?

Denver is finally opening more independent theaters that cater to lounge/resturant atmosphere.

[schoolofruckus]

http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/landmk.jpg

It's a special screening room at the new upscale theatre The Landmark, which seats about 70 people on couches and beanbags, with side tables and shit. Comfy as can fucking be. You have to show up early to your screening and buy the tickets there (no online).

[miscorrections]

Fuck, our Landmarks don't have anything like that.

[schoolofruckus]

It's 'cause they love me more than they love you.

[J~$$$]

http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/landmk.jpg

It's a special screening room at the new upscale theatre The Landmark, which seats about 70 people on couches and beanbags, with side tables and shit. Comfy as can fucking be. You have to show up early to your screening and buy the tickets there (no online).

Thats so nice, mr. mark cuban was talking about bringing a theater like that here but I doubt it.

[J~$$$]

The reviews are everywhere today about "Diving Bell and The Butterfly". NPR had a hard on over it this morning now I see 5 different reviews on news sites.

[schoolofruckus]

Yeah, Cuban owns this one too. I love it - the more rich guys out there trying to provide a great moviegoing experience, the better our world is.

[luckyface]

http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/landmk.jpg

It's a special screening room at the new upscale theatre The Landmark, which seats about 70 people on couches and beanbags, with side tables and shit. Comfy as can fucking be. You have to show up early to your screening and buy the tickets there (no online).

That looks excellent! How much do tickets cost for a movie there?

[bmack86]

I saw Juno at UCLA. I hadn't heard of it until last night. At first I was worried about it being painfully quirky, and it was at times, but there was actually an impressive human heart beating beneath all the quirk. Like I said, I left very pleasantly surprised. And, I got one of the jogging shirts that Michael Cera wears in it.

[schoolofruckus]

Yeah, it's definitely a goal of mine to catch Diving Bell and the Butterfly - in addition to Into the Wild - this weekend as well. Maybe even tonight.

Meanwhile, Sweeney Todd had its first major critics' screening last night, and people are nutting. I'm going into that one with fingers crossed that it'll be awesome.

[J~$$$]

I saw Juno at UCLA. I hadn't heard of it until last night. At first I was worried about it being painfully quirky, and it was at times, but there was actually an impressive human heart beating beneath all the quirk. Like I said, I left very pleasantly surprised. And, I got one of the jogging shirts that Michael Cera wears in it.

I didn't get to the screening here last night but there is another one Monday that was able to Répondez s'il-vous-plaît for I cant wait.

hahaha yes Gabe! Sweeney Todd looks like one of those movies that you are either going to love or loath.

[schoolofruckus]

Glad to hear it, bmack. I'm still planning to see it.

Tessa will probably rape-murder you to get her hands on that shirt.

[KungFuJoe]

I'm pretty psyched for Sweeney Todd, but admit I have my worries too. It looks awesome from the previews.

Although this has been a great year for cinema does anyone else feel that it has been extremely weak for actresses? I can hardly think of one single standout female performance. Male testosterone has ruled the screen this year and that is kind of sad considering how strong this years competition has been. Kelly Macdonald was great in "No Country", the women of "4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days" were strong & Robin Wright Penn had a standout performance in "Breaking and Entering", but other than that who is there? Cate Blanchet in "Elizabeth Golden Age", Keira Knightley in "Atonement"? Sure Zoe Bell kicked ass in "Death Proof". Let me know if I'm missing something here

[schoolofruckus]

That looks excellent! How much do tickets cost for a movie there?

Regular price. $11-12?

There's actually 2 such rooms, both upstairs in the new complex. It's on Pico a little bit east of the 405.

[luckyface]

Regular price. $11-12?

There's actually 2 such rooms, both upstairs in the new complex. It's on Pico a little bit east of the 405.

Even better. Thank you for the info. I will definitely need to see some movies there.

[schoolofruckus]

I'm pretty psyched for Sweeney Todd, but admit I have my worries too. It looks awesome from the previews.

Although this has been a great year for cinema does anyone else feel that it has been extremely week for actresses? I can hardly think of one single standout female performance. Male testosterone has ruled the screen this year and that is kind of sad considering how strong this years competition has been. Kelly Macdonald was great in "No Country", the women of "4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days" were strong & Robin Wright Penn had a standout performance in "Breaking and Entering", but other than that who is there? Cate Blanchet in "Elizabeth Golden Age", Keira Knightley in "Atonement"? Sure Zoe Bell kicked ass in "Death Proof". Let me know if I'm missing something here

Cate Blanchet in I'm Not There.

Tilda Swinton and Amber Tamblyn were both really good in Stephanie Daley (a benadryl casualty that I need to see again).

Samantha Morton and Alexandra Maria Lara were both awesome in Control.

And of course, Anamaria Marinca in 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days is the best female performance of the year.

I heard that Angelina Jolie was great in A Mighty Heart, as hard to believe as that is.

[KungFuJoe]

Thanks Gabe. I really feel I need to go see some films with strong female performance. I totally forgot Samantha Morton is in Control. She's one of my favorites. That movie was on my priority list a while back, but I've forgotten about it. It's back at number one on my must see list right now, along with I'm Not There & Diving Bell.

[keriann]

I am so curious about Sweeney Todd. The huge billboard on Santa Monica Blvd made me increasingly excited about it.

The billboards and theater marquees on Santa Monica Blvd are really my main source of information/knowledge about movies. How sad is that.

[schoolofruckus]

Read the movie corner!

Joe, I definitely agree it's been a male dominated year. I blame Judd Apatow (JK JK JK JK).



No, but seriously - when you look at the likes of There Will Be Blood and No Country For Old Men and Jesse James and Zodiac, you become kind of overwhelmed with the idea that this year, more than most, has been dominated by films about men doing men stuff. Hell, even most of the best female performances have been in films about a man, either ostensibly or - such as with Knocked Up, which has two good if not attention-demanding turns from Kathryn Heigl and Leslie Mann - at least in terms of perspective. Fuck, after you get past 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days - the one truly great women's film of 2007 unless Juno is somehow extraordinary - the next best female performance this year is Blanchett playing a man. So, yeah, there's definitely something in the air with that this year.

Before we get on the "Hollywood is always like that every year!" see-saw again, let's not forget that last year was filled with great films about and performances by women: Babel, V For Vendetta, Manderlay, and Inland Empire were all among the year's finest.

[Neutral Milk Hotel]

Don't forget The Queen.

[keriann]

* and the movie corner

But I'm always waaaaay behind on movies so it ends up being a bit spoilery for me. And I like to see movies knowing as little about them as possible. But I do keep my eye on this thread for recommendations.

[schoolofruckus]

Actually, I never saw that. I have a kind of inherent disinterest in films about the British monarchy, and even though I'd heard that one was good enough to transcend that, I wasn't able to get past it in order to get out and go see it. Too many films and too little time.

[Yablonowitz]

No. I found out it's playing the Living Room this weekend, so I've decided to see it tomorrow.

I'm fucking seeing it tomorrow.

Between the two of us, I think we have almost gone to see it more times than it has actually played.

[Neutral Milk Hotel]

It's a good movie, Hal Holbrook was easily the best part.

[mountmccabe]

The reviews are everywhere today about "Diving Bell and The Butterfly". NPR had a hard on over it this morning now I see 5 different reviews on news sites.

I recommend it. I saw it at the Scottsdale Int'l Film Festival in October and posted a review (http://coachella.com/forum/showthread.php?p=312603#post312603) in this thread. It's not always (or even generally) a pretty movie but it's quite good.


Also, just so I mention it in here as well as the Phoenix Thread, Control is playing at Valley Art starting December 7th. I am def going that first week because I'm not going to count on it running any longer than that.

[schoolofruckus]

Yeah, definitely don't wait. It only played for a week here, so I doubt you'll have it for longer than that.

[inrainbows]

Control is going to be the best film of this year, remember it
my friends.
At this opportunity I would like to say hello to everyone, as I am new in this terrific forum, have fun

[schoolofruckus]

Do you say that from experience or anticipation?

It's definitely on the shortlist.

[KungFuJoe]

I agree with you Gabe that last year was a great one for women. That's what makes it a bit strange that this year is strongly lacking. Let's not forget "Little Children" & "Notes on a Scandal".

[schoolofruckus]

Oh, good call on Little Children. I was a bit restrained on the film overall - though I absolutely respected it - but Kate Winslet was terrific in it.

Never saw Notes on a Scandal.

[Courtney]

Tonight, I saw The Savages. I really enjoyed it. It felt almost like an observation, like nothing more than an account of a certain time in the lives of these characters. There aren't any tearful revelations, any big plot twists, just this brother and sister and their father, and the complex, imperfect relations between them. There are hints that the father treated the kids abusively/neglectfully when they were young, but we don't get the whole huge confrontation where the sins of the father are brought out into the open by the damaged children. It has some funny moments and some serious moments, but I wouldn't really call it a comedy or a drama, because it has the unpredictability of (again) real life, where sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, sometimes we get angry and say things we regret, etc. Some might say the ending is a little pat, but it worked for me, although I thought the last shot was pushing it a little.

I saw The Savages last month (comments here (http://coachella.com/forum/showpost.php?p=327583&postcount=3220)) and was also struck by how understated the whole thing is.

I don't think I remember what the last shot was?

[inrainbows]

Do you say that from experience or anticipation?

It's definitely on the shortlist.
I ve noticed the stats, at least in my country it's on no 1

[schoolofruckus]

"The Savages" sounds interesting. There's a free screening of that next Thursday I want to try and hit. And I share Courtney's infatuation with Philip Seymour Hoffman, so that definitely helps.

[schoolofruckus]

I ve noticed the stats, at least in my country it's on no 1

But did you actually see it? That was what I was asking.

And hello, by the way.

[KungFuJoe]

I was hesitant in initially seeing Little Children. I ended up watching it with my roommate over the summer and thought it was a great film. The performances were stellar as well as the direction. Easily one of the top five best films of last year that should have made my list. I too have yet to see Notes on a Scandal, but have been told that Blanchett & Dench's performances are fierce. I think I will be renting that & Inland Empire this week.

As for Control, I see it's playing at the Regency Fairfax Theater. I've never been there and expect it to be a run down crappy theater, but I will make it a priority to go check out the film this week.

[schoolofruckus]

It's definitely seen better days, and it was never an Arclight or a Landmark. But it's a perfectly fine place to see a movie. Chris and I caught Eastern Promises there a few weeks ago. And I remember seeing Primer there back in '04. I also know a guy who met Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufmann there watching some movie (I can't remember what).

Also, I just watched the Diving Bell and the Butterfly trailer (http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/thedivingbellandthebutterfly/trailer/) again and....wow. I can't imagine this being less than awesome.

[tessalasset]

Tessa will probably rape-murder you to get her hands on that shirt.only if it was michael's actual shirt.


i'll go with you to the living room tomorrow. don't get mad if i fall asleep in one of the couches tho cause im gonna be up at 6:30 and it's a long fuckin day tomorrow.

[Jerm05]

Cate Blanchet in I'm Not There.



Yess...Blanchet was amazing in that film. Charlotte Gainsbourg was also great. I was somewhat dissapointed with Heath Ledger's performance, thought i was looking at Lords of Dogtown for a second.

[wmgaretjax]

I loved Little Children. It was a little heavy handed, but there were some phenomenal moments (looking up at the gnats under the street lamp).

I'm very excited for The Savages.

[Neutral Milk Hotel]

I saw The Savages last month (comments here (http://coachella.com/forum/showpost.php?p=327583&postcount=3220)) and was also struck by how understated the whole thing is.

I don't think I remember what the last shot was?


SPOILERS
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It's of Laura Linney jogging, with the arthritic dog in this coach thing to help its hips, for a movie that was so, as you said, understated it felt a little out of place. But it was just one shot, and I really enjoyed the rest of the movie, so I can let it go.
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END SPOILERS

I feel the same general impression as you. Despite occasionally enjoying films like Little Miss Sunshine, or everything Wes Anderson has done to this point, I'm growing exponentially tired of films built around a sense of quirk, and I'm fearful of Juno turning out that way as well. With a cast as good as that one, I'm hoping that it sidesteps its seemingly-inevitable status as the Official Overhyped Indie Dramedy of 2007. The reviews definitely make me want to at least give it a shot. But if this one turns out predictably, I'm going to swear off the O.O.I.D. of 2008, 2009, and probably 2010 just on general principle.

I agree. The whole Quirky New Wave or whatever you want to call it never bothered me until this year. Napoleon Dynamite was a movie I didn't have many problems with (until it became massive overexposed). Garden State I thought was mawkish and kind of obvious, but it had some nice moments and was generally inoffensive. I loved Little Miss Sunshine the first time I saw it, liked it the second time, and continue to like it. I think the tides maybe started to turn when Abigail Breslin got nominated for an Oscar, and to a lesser extent the Best Picture nomination. I'm not gonna pretend that it wasn't just the overexposure getting to me, but I will never understand why Breslin was really among the best five supporting actress performances of 2006. She is a young, happy (I assume) child, and she played a young, happy child. Sure, she does a good job, but it didn't floor me. Then, Juno came along. I first heard about this film when it hit Sundance last year (or maybe before); I was initially reluctant because I hated Hard Candy and everything it stood for, but I was willing to give it a chance. I think my dislike began when I kind of assumed, "Hey, they're gonna market this as the next Little Miss Sunshine", and then that's exactly what they did. There's something soulless about how Fox Searchlight in particular seems to be turning independent film, which should be one of the more personal of film genres (genre isn't the right word, but I'm blanking) into a product. And then I saw the trailer, and it looked like a kind of soulless amalgam of all the latest trends in the aforementioned movies. But hey, I'm still trying to be open-minded, and bmack endorses it, so I'll try to be as reasonable as I can when and if I actually see it.

As for Wes, the reason his films work for me is that the characters, while they inhabit this twee universe, have some serious baggage and problems, and his movies don't really dodge those issues or try to provide easier answers. I think it complements his aesthetic sense well.

PS: Are you any of you going to the screening of Persepolis the Monday after next at the Arclight? Should be good.

[idrive1life]

Thanks to NMH's post about criterionforum because somebody in that message board posted a you tube link to King Vidor's, The Crowd (yeah, that awesome classic 1928 silent film!). Somebody uploaded it in full by breaking it in 11 parts.

It will go down in my film watching history as the first ever I've seen in you tube in full.

Here's the first part:
pL1JyKSmjxE

The picture and sound quality is pretty good. I never had problem watching all of them.

[idrive1life]

I thought it's about time to watch or revisit (that are available in DVD) some of the films I've missed or I want to see again in '06 and '07 so I could make a decent Top 10 year-end best lists.

I signed up today with that Blockbuster 2 out at a time in-store rental program. I started with re-watching Babel A- (downgraded from A and after seeing some better '06 films, it's no longer my best of '06; it's not as great I thought it was the first time I watched it in theaters) and the mesmerizing Perfume: The Story of a Murderer A (wow, this film is going to be a contender as my top film of '06. I've now only seen 4 films made by Tykwer. 1998's inventively phenomenal Lola rennt (Run Lola Run), 2000's visually stylish & thought-provoking Krieger und die Kaiserin, Der (The Princess and the Warrior) and 2002' unforgettable & magnificent Heaven.

That Blockbuster has Blu-ray of The Fountain (need to see this again) and Casino Royale (have'nt seen this yet) so I'll probably swap what I have now with these 2 tomorrow. I could not find if they have Ratatouille in BD so I'll probably just see it in standard DVD. So after The Fountain and Casino Royale, I'm gonna take Ratatouille and The Lives of Others then ahhhhhhh ...Paris, Je T'Aime and Pan's Labyrinth.

I also bought 4 used sDVD (Notes on a Scandal, Children of Men, Volver and Little Children - never seen all of these) for $20. I'll probably start with Children of Men as soon I get offline.

[schoolofruckus]

I agree. The whole Quirky New Wave or whatever you want to call it never bothered me until this year. Napoleon Dynamite was a movie I didn't have many problems with (until it became massive overexposed). Garden State I thought was mawkish and kind of obvious, but it had some nice moments and was generally inoffensive. I loved Little Miss Sunshine the first time I saw it, liked it the second time, and continue to like it. I think the tides maybe started to turn when Abigail Breslin got nominated for an Oscar, and to a lesser extent the Best Picture nomination. I'm not gonna pretend that it wasn't just the overexposure getting to me, but I will never understand why Breslin was really among the best five supporting actress performances of 2006. She is a young, happy (I assume) child, and she played a young, happy child. Sure, she does a good job, but it didn't floor me. Then, Juno came along. I first heard about this film when it hit Sundance last year (or maybe before); I was initially reluctant because I hated Hard Candy and everything it stood for, but I was willing to give it a chance. I think my dislike began when I kind of assumed, "Hey, they're gonna market this as the next Little Miss Sunshine", and then that's exactly what they did. There's something soulless about how Fox Searchlight in particular seems to be turning independent film, which should be one of the more personal of film genres (genre isn't the right word, but I'm blanking) into a product. And then I saw the trailer, and it looked like a kind of soulless amalgam of all the latest trends in the aforementioned movies. But hey, I'm still trying to be open-minded, and bmack endorses it, so I'll try to be as reasonable as I can when and if I actually see it.

As for Wes, the reason his films work for me is that the characters, while they inhabit this twee universe, have some serious baggage and problems, and his movies don't really dodge those issues or try to provide easier answers. I think it complements his aesthetic sense well.

PS: Are you any of you going to the screening of Persepolis the Monday after next at the Arclight? Should be good.

After seeing the trailer tonight, I'm going to have to at least try. Is it publicly on sale? Or is it a list screening?

I don't know what has gotten into the filmmakers of the world this year, but there's definitely something special in the air. I feel like every film I'm getting it up to go see is turning out to be spectacularly alive and original, striking a perfect balance between creative entertainment and profound substance. It's like every director in the land made a conscious, collective decision to go balls out with every sliver of their respective talents, resulting in an ongoing game of "can you top this?" in which the winner is anyone lucky enough to set foot in a theater over the last/next few months.

Tonight's example is The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. I don't want to give too much away by talking about it, so again I implore you to watch the beat-perfect trailer (http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/thedivingbellandthebutterfly/trailer/) and decide for yourself if you want to see it. It's about a man named Jean-Dominique Bauby, the editor of French Elle magazine, a hedonistic playboy (is there any other kind?) who has been rendered paralyzed by a sudden and inexplicable stroke, and who has to learn how to communicate with the blinking of his left eye as his only remaining physical capability. It's a truly extraordinary, visionary work that takes us deep inside this man's mind, primarily telling the film (during the breathtaking first hour) literally through his one functioning eye. This is the kind of story I'm sure you think you've seen before, but you have never seen it done like this, I guarantee. It's a phenomenal piece of filmmaking that captures the powers of remorse and imagination in every corner of every frame.

[Neutral Milk Hotel]

They're on sale, there's a Q&A with Marjane Satrapi and the co-director, whose name escapes me, afterward.

[schoolofruckus]

Oh shit, it's on the 10th, not the 17th. Yeah, I can't go to that. But I'll definitely be checking this out in December/January whenever it gets released.

[schoolofruckus]

I just got back from this.

Some French journalist and editor for Elle had a stroke and was left paralyzed so he wrote a book about it. The movie is about, his life after waking up from having his stroke. It was extremely well done. I am not sure what I can say without giving stuff away. It's not like there're big spoilers I'm afraid of giving away... it'sn't that kind of movie.

It isn't terribly pretty, partially because much of it is shown from his perspective and he has vision issues. It isn't a particularly happy movie but it is warm and rich and beautiful and strong. It is touching but I don't think it ever gets over sentimental.

It has a lot of humor to it and also a lot of blinking.

I agree on all points. There's definitely a decent amount of humor (some of it is extremely morbid) for a movie about such a depressing state of existence.

[bmack86]

I missed three screenings of Persepolis because of work. Fuck work.

[roberto73]

I started with re-watching Babel A- (downgraded from A and after seeing some better '06 films, it's no longer my best of '06; it's not as great I thought it was the first time I watched it in theaters)

Taken on its own terms, I think it's pretty good, but in the context of Amores Perros and 21 Grams, Iñárritu's starting to look like a one-trick pony. Sure, it's a good trick, but he needs to branch out from these interlocking-storyline, life-is-shit depression-fests. As good as Babel is, I couldn't help but feel it was the third time I'd seen this movie. I'd love to see him do something like P.T. Anderson did by following up Magnolia with Punch-Drunk Love. If you look at most of the directors who have had lengthy, distinguished careers, versatility is one of their trademarks: Scorsese, Coppola, Altman – hell, over the years even Woody Allen went from Bananas to Manhattan to Crimes and Misdemeanors. To keep me interested in his work, Iñárritu's going to have to start showing me things it doesn't feel like I've already seen.

[idrive1life]

Roberto,

You pretty much nailed it. But if Inarritu is going to use the same technique in his next films, we can safely say that he wants to be none of those great directors you mentioned (unlike Inarritu though, they've directed so many that their career would not last that long if they did the same type of film or used the same technique in doing them over and over). He probably wants to be a Bergman or Bunuel or Almodovar or Lynch ... you know what I'm saying without elaborating? I'm with you but I'll use other versatile great modern directors as examples ... I wish he would be like Nolan or Kar-wai or Hanson or Zimou or Cuaron ...

[wmgaretjax]

Roberto,

You pretty much nailed it. But if Inarritu is going to use the same technique in his next films, we can safely say that he wants to be none of those great directors you mentioned (unlike Inarritu though, they've directed so many that their career would not last that long if they did the same type of film or used the same technique in doing them over and over). He probably wants to be a Bergman or Bunuel or Almodovar or Lynch ... you know what I'm saying without elaborating? I'm with you but I'll use other versatile great modern directors as examples ... I wish he would be like Nolan or Kar-wai or Hanson or Zimou or Cuaron ...

stop picking directors names out of thin air, you aren't making a coherent argument.

Inarritu is much like Wong Kar-Wai in the since that he is frequently unable to transcend the distilling of his film into a simple notion. Wong Kar-Wai's films always encompass the notion of "two ships passing in the night," and it is very similar to Inarritu's technique. Both need to branch out if they will ever be remembered in the canon that you get randomly pulling from.

EDIT: I would add Almodovar to this idea as well.

[idrive1life]

I agree Kar-wai is not a very good example (without me explaining in details why I included him) as most of his films have those gorgeous/saturated lush visuals along with moody music playing in the background (OR seemingly like Inarritu's use of the same technique in film making). But he keeps re-inventing himself and made some improvisations on other aspects of film making along with those trademarks his putting out in most of his films. He did find a way to use it seamlessly on his trilogy, Days of Being Wild, In The Mood for Love and 2046. But there's no way I felt like Chungking Express, Happy Together and Fallen Angel (though he originally intended this to be a sequel of CE) where he "unable to transcend the distilling of his film into a simple notion". Yeah, what can I say? If you have that low regard with Kar-wai, what should I really expect from you? (United 93 is a piece of whatever, right? ;) Our opinions on films seem to be mile apart)

So basically I'm using Kar-wai as an example, meaning yeah, Inarritu can stick to his "interlocking-storyline" technique but he needs to re-invent or maybe use that technique with some other genre like in musical or comedy.

Ratatouille deserves the unanimous critical praise & accolades it's getting. Thank God I did not listen to whoever eloquently said that Ratatouille is just a waste time. ;)

Ratatouille is high up there with the very best ... Spirited Away, The Iron Giant and Triplettes de Belleville, Les.

[wmgaretjax]

My problem with Ratatouille stems form it's use of old and tired Disney character revelations. Like most of the Pixar films, it is incredibly formulaic (but without the insane humor of other films by them). It is nothing like Triplets of Bellville, Spirited Away and The Iron Giant (all great films that transcend simple morality fables). You are comparing these films simply because they are animated, and that's far from fair when dealing with more mature material.

As far as Wong Kar Wai, you seem to have gravely misunderstood me. I love his films, but to deny that they are flawed and tend to rely on the same foundation is naive (which you didn't, for the most part). He has evolved, but not in the manner that he potentially could. From the lists of directors you have spewed off, I imagine our tastes in film are actually potentially similar, but when you actually assert an opinion such as:

"Inarritu can stick to his "interlocking-storyline" technique but he needs to re-invent or maybe use that technique with some other genre like in musical or comedy."

It is very clear that our understanding of cinema is "miles apart." You believe that a director will declares himself on genre lines, I personally believe it takes place in the shades of grey in between.

I will leave "eloquent" descriptions of cinema, to films that are deserving.

[idrive1life]

Ah okay. Agreed (to close this case).

[Neutral Milk Hotel]

Seeing Juno on Tuesday for free.

[Yablonowitz]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v682/yablonowitz/bardemcountry.jpg

[atom heart]

When is Persepolis out? My entire class had to read the book, and I really liked it, plus the animation looks really neat. The school might actually be working to get a showing here, which would be cool because the area is way behind on the movie front. When I get home I catching up on all this stuff!

[Neutral Milk Hotel]

IMDb has it down for Christmas.

[wmgaretjax]

I watched "Ravenous" today. While it is not without it's flaws, it's a pretty brilliant, yet ridiculous look at Manifest Destiny through the lens of cannibalism. It doesn't take itself serious, and that is vital to the film's success.

[roberto73]

Holy God, Spider-Man 3 is terrible. What a vile, loathsome movie. It's not bad in a disappointing, "gee, I wish that had been better" kind of way. It was gloriously, ridiculously bad – so wrong-headed and off the rails on so many different levels that I have no idea how Sam Raimi didn't realize what he had on his hands. I can sort of live with clunky CGI and silly dialogue, but the performances and pacing were so awkward and weird that I was physically uncomfortable for most of the movie. And that Tobey Maguire montage where he wanders around the city showing off how hunky and debonair he is? Cringe-worthy. The previous low-point for superhero movies was Joel Schumacher's Batman and Robin, but no longer. I've been a fan of Sam Raimi ever since I saw Evil Dead 2 in 8th grade, but this movie is so bad it makes me completely reevaluate my opinion of the man.

[thelastgreatman]

Worse than Batman and Robin? Seriously? I haven't watched Spiderman 3 yet, but if you're being serious I might have to check this out.

[roberto73]

Worse than Batman and Robin? Seriously? I haven't watched Spiderman 3 yet, but if you're being serious I might have to check this out.

I'm willing to admit that the revulsion I felt toward Batman & Robin might be dulled because I haven't seen it in years, but yeah, right now I'd put Spider-Man 3 on top. I remember Batman & Robin being bad because it's stupid – cheesy and hokey and campy and just full of dumb stuff. Spider-Man 3 is all those things, too, only it also looks borderline incompetent. And – and this might be the capper – it's almost two and a half hours long. Some movies have enough ideas and substance to warrant 150 minutes. Spider-Man 3 is not one of those movies.

[schoolofruckus]

I saw Ravenous in high school. I remember thinking it was pretty hilarious.

The more I hear about Spider-man 3, the more certain I become that I will never watch it. My, how the mighty have fallen - a filmmaker who once used low budgets as his aesthetic muse is now falling to pieces before our eyes with virtually unlimited financial resources.

I watched a couple yesterday.

Miller's Crossing - In honor of No Country For Old Gregg day, I decided to finally watch one of the few unseen Coen Bros. movies left on my list. It was awesome. Of course it was. It's a heavily-stylized Prohibition gangster yarn, beautifully shot by Barry Sonnenfeld (another former shoe-stringer who's gone to the dark side) and well-acted by a signature great Coen cast. There's enough tasty dialogue in this one to feed the state of Delaware through the winter.

Into the Wild - Yeah, I finally saw it. And it was worth the wait too. It's a terrific, multi-faceted portrayal of the final act in the life of the infamous Christopher McCandless (a.k.a. Alexander Supertramp). After years of dutiful college-going and party line-towing, his anger at his materialistic and somewhat heartless upbringing drives him to forsake his $24,000 college fund and hit the road. He hitchhikes his way through a minimalist existence, seeing as much of America as possible until he reaches his personal Utopia - Alaska, where he co-opts an abandoned bus and lives in complete solitude until....well, you know.

I don't know anything about the real Christopher McCandless except that he's widely reviled by a lot of people who live in Alaska. It wouldn't surprise me if the movie soft-pedaled some of his exploits, but based on what's represented here, I don't see what the big deal is. Sure, McCandless could have escaped his inevitable fate had he simply followed a map or been less blindly confident in his approach to his quest, but I saw nothing here to suggest that he even wanted those things. Seems to me like he was living his life exactly the way he wanted to. He certainly should have called his sister - his suddenly solo ally throughout all the traumatizing events of his childhood - and it's to the movie's credit that it doesn't ignore the ramifications of his selfish pursuit on the people he connects with on his journey (let alone his family). But the film's biggest accomplishment is to make McCandless' ideals worthy of our admiration, if not total agreement. There's a unified sense of purpose in everything he's doing, and despite his tendency to forge a relationship and then leave at the drop of a hat, he seems to see the world with genuine concern for the greater good.

The film is perfectly cast. William Hurt's mere presence as the hurtful McCandless patriarch suggests things that a dozen expository scenes never could. Jena Malone admirably performs the film's most thankless character and role (McCandless' sister, Carine) mostly through off-screen narration. Catherine Keener, Kristen Stewart, and Vince Vaughn play various friends who take in and love the film's protagonist at various stops on his journey. And Hal Holbrook makes easily the biggest impression among the supporting cast with his late appearance as the elderly man that befriends Christopher on his last stop before Alaska. But the film really belongs to Emile Hirsch, a promising young actor who I liked very much in The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys. This is the role of a young lifetime, and he confidently carries this long film from start to finish. Praise is also due to writer/director Sean Penn, whose intimate camera and solid script create a thoughtful, balanced film around a spirit he clearly empathizes with on a very deep level. Like with 90% of movies, I could definitely have done without the chapter/date/place subtitles, though.

Given the decidedly un-Oscar characteristics of most of this year's great films, I would guess right now that this film gets a series of non-technical nominations (Hirsch, Holbrook, probably Penn for writer, and maybe even picture and director as well) and possibly even some wins. It won't make my personal final five, but I would be perfectly happy with it taking home some gold.

[menikmati]

well its so long because the studio wanted to shove, what, like 4 villians into the movie or something? I picked up the first spidermans the other day for 4 bucks a piece, and I've watched the first one (which was ok)...part 2 sometime today.

[thelastgreatman]

If anyone wants to ask John Landis about why Werewolves of London wasn't in An American Werewolf In London in person, Mr. Landis is going to be fielding a Q & A following screenings of that and Tremors at the New Beverly on Dec. 10.

This is part of December's series of screenings, all of which are being hosted by Edgar Wright of Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz fame. Other nights of the year I might be attending: Dec 12 with the Zucker Brothers, Dec 7 with Shane Black (actually I can almost guarantee I won't be attending that, but in theory it's worth noting).

[mountmccabe]

Heath Ledger plays an incarnation of Dylan that, frankly, I have no idea about the history of; he ends up getting what little conventional biopic material there is here, but apart from that (which is so minimal as to be noticed but forgiven), he does a nice job and is given some strong scenes.

Dylan never acted much; the acting details are stand-ins. Heath - like most of the other characters - is playing an impressionistic Dylanesque character. He's playing a translation of Dylan from a musician to an actor.

And, before getting too far, I love that Charlotte Gainsbourg's Claire was the lead for their sections; the change of perspective not only allows us to see her better but our view of him adds greater depth to the overal portrait of Dylan that the movie presents.

I really liked the fact that half the Dylanesque characters played here weren't musicians.

I didn't like that since Cate Blanchett's parts were so direct and traditionally biopic that they were littered with awkward surrealism and clumsy, blunt symbolism.

I liked that there were parts of the movie that I didn't like, though. That it was challenging and chameleonic and not perfect.

I really liked how the guest artists on the soundtrack worked. And I really liked hearing the songs that stayed in their original versions - but I was a little surprised that there weren't any of Dylan's modern-reworkings of the old songs. That seems like the film's biggest compromise to me. Sure, the credits ends with Sonic Youth and then Antony and the Johnsons but it starts with a clip of the version of "Like a Rolling Stone" released on Highway 61 Revisited. Yes, it's what Dylan fans want... but Dylan fans also wanted him to stay acoustic. And then the ons that caught up wanted him to keep doing that sound. And then to not turn Christian and....


But yeah, basically this was amazing. It is full of flaws, it is full of things taken too far and then abandoned. The narrative is an undercurrent, tenuous. It's also arresting and full of wonderfully set-up moments, fantastic sustained scenes and utter brilliance.

[mountmccabe]

Also I just realized that it's possible that you knew that Dylan wasn't an actor and that what you meant was that you didn't know about Dylan's marriage falling apart.

[schoolofruckus]

I basically knew that Cate Blanchett was playing the early electric-years incarnation of Dylan; that Gere was playing the post-motorcycle-crash hermit Dylan (though influenced by Peckinpah's Billy the Kid, which Dylan had a small role in years after the period in the film); that Marcus Carl Franklin was playing the young Dylan who named himself after Woodie Guthrie. The rest was news.

And of course, I knew it was all impressionism and nothing was directly based on absolute fact, although the Blanchett sections had a considerable amount of concrete events (Newport, Sedgwick, et. al.).

[Yablonowitz]

If anyone wants to ask John Landis about why Werewolves of London wasn't in An American Werewolf In London in person, Mr. Landis is going to be fielding a Q & A following screenings of that and Tremors at the New Beverly on Dec. 10.

This is part of December's series of screenings, all of which are being hosted by Edgar Wright of Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz fame. Other nights of the year I might be attending: Dec 12 with the Zucker Brothers, Dec 7 with Shane Black (actually I can almost guarantee I won't be attending that, but in theory it's worth noting).

Werewolves of London was such a good fucking movie. Landis never really produced anything of that high quality again.

But can we just talk about "No Country For Old Men" for the rest of the day? The ending just fucking haunted me.

And SPOILERS -


















Do you think the sheriff knew that sugar was in the hotel room when he went in there? Fuck, that movie was so good. I have to see it again. So overwhelmingly good. It amazes me sometimes how powerful of a medium cinema can be.

[miscorrections]

I saw No Country again last night and the lack of a score is so right.

[bballarl]

What's that Dylan movie called?

[Yablonowitz]

I saw No Country again last night and the lack of a score is so right.

Amazing that I never even become conscious that it didn't even have a score. Good point.

[Yablonowitz]

What's that Dylan movie called?

No Country For Old Men.

Go see it now.

[miscorrections]

That was what I particularly wanted to verify this time. The first time I saw it I thought it didn't have music (except for the brief mariachi) but wasn't completely sure because I was focusing on everything else; the second time I made a point of listening.

[miscorrections]

Also I was wishing I had an air gun to murder the woman sitting behind me. She had running commentary and gasps going the whole damn time.

[mountmccabe]

What's that Dylan movie called?

I'm Not There


And yes, Greg, he did. That's my take on it.

[Yablonowitz]

I think it worked to prevent distancing from the realities it was portraying.

[mountmccabe]

That was what I particularly wanted to verify this time. The first time I saw it I thought it didn't have music (except for the brief mariachi) but wasn't completely sure because I was focusing on everything else; the second time I made a point of listening.

Wasn't there at least a low-key score? Are you gonna make me see this again?

Also, I really want to see this again. Such a great movie.

[Yablonowitz]

And yes, Greg, he did. That's my take on it.

Me too.

The end. God damn, the end. I guess that's exactly how the novel ended too. So, kudos to Cormac McCarthy and to Tommy Lee Jones for one of the most profound closures that I can remember.

Sorry...I'm in rapture mode.

[schoolofruckus]

No, that movie deserves it for sure. It's a penetrating fucking film.

Penetrating.

[miscorrections]

Wasn't there at least a low-key score? Are you gonna make me see this again?

Also, I really want to see this again. Such a great movie.

There really is no score. Really. But see it again anyway, it's just as good the second time.

[schoolofruckus]

When Chris and I saw the "Music by Carter Burwell" credit come up, we were both like "what?"

[miscorrections]

Maybe he directed the mariachis. Unless I slipped up last night and did miss some music, which I guess is possible.

[schoolofruckus]

I'm sure there's a little non-diagetic music somewhere, but I can't think of where it was. And if you went for a second time for the express purpose of finding it and are still looking, then that leads me to believe that maybe Carter's credit was just a function of habit on the Coens' part.

[wmgaretjax]

It amazes me sometimes how powerful of a medium cinema can be.

It's also amazing how much the "cinematic perspective" has infiltrated our own way of looking at the world. It's not uncommon for us to view things as a film, editing our field of vision in real-time, and absorbing events and occurrences like a film.

It'll be interesting as technology develops, to see how cinema changes. I mean, we aren't far off from being able to project a quality higher than HD onto a persons retina. What happens when you can plug straight into someone's fucking brain? What does cinema become?

Oops... sorry. Yeah, I want to go see No Country for Old Men again. It was an awesome film.

[thinnerair]

First Look: On the Set of the Thundercats Movie
Warner Bros. is bringing Lion-O and company to a theater near you. Esquire got the exclusive first look.
By Jason Notte (http://www.esquire.com/the-side/thundercats0707?src=sem&mag=esq&dom=gog&ad=g2371&ad_grp=0161&kw=ist&s_kwcid=ContentNetwork|1207432895)

Tell me this is bullshit.

[Neutral Milk Hotel]

I'm sure there's a little non-diagetic music somewhere, but I can't think of where it was. And if you went for a second time for the express purpose of finding it and are still looking, then that leads me to believe that maybe Carter's credit was just a function of habit on the Coens' part.

He did the music for the closing credits. The OST would be one of the shortest soundtracks ever.

PS: No Country for Old Men is absolutely the best film of the year, it's one of two at best I would feel comfortable calling a masterpiece.

[Deviate_420]

SIGNS IS THE BEST FILM THIS DECADE!!!!

[schoolofruckus]

He did the music for the closing credits. The OST would be one of the shortest soundtracks ever.

PS: No Country for Old Men is absolutely the best film of the year, it's one of two at best I would feel comfortable calling a masterpiece.

Have you seen Jesse James? Have I asked you this already? I'm determined to pimp this film down everyone's throats until it gets the respect it deserves.

Also, wait until Christmas (or the day after, rather) before deciding what the year's best film is.

[schoolofruckus]

Trailer for a new Lars von Trier-written film about film school. (http://www.filmtrailer.dk/trailer/824/De+Unge+Aar.html)

Supposedly Lars wrote the script, based on his own film school experiences, and then handed it off to someone else to direct. But he still retains a narrator credit and, supposedly, a large degree of authorial influence over the film. It looks really polished for one of his pieces, though.

Fuck it...it can't possibly be worse than The Boss of It All.

[wmgaretjax]

Fuck it...it can't possibly be worse than The Boss of It All.

I thought The Boss of it All was funny as hell.

tough to read that trailer.

[keriann]

So I recently saw the trailer for Sweeney Todd, and the fact that they only show Johnny Depp singing for about 10 seconds has me concerned.

[Neutral Milk Hotel]

Have you seen Jesse James? Have I asked you this already? I'm determined to pimp this film down everyone's throats until it gets the respect it deserves.

Also, wait until Christmas (or the day after, rather) before deciding what the year's best film is.

Yeah, I forgot to put in the proviso that There Will Be Blood is the one film that could top it, and maybe will.

No I haven't seen Jesse James, I wanted to but didn't have the time, unless it's still playing anywhere.

[mountmccabe]

So I recently saw the trailer for Sweeney Todd, and the fact that they only show Johnny Depp singing for about 10 seconds has me concerned.

I will report back on Tuesday.

[schoolofruckus]

I've been reading really good shit about Sweeney Todd for the last week, including Johnny Depp's vocal performances (now Helena Bonham Carter is another story....). I'm starting to become optimistic that it'll be a return to classic Burton form.

[idrive1life]

Top 10 or best of 2007 films by major leading critic organizations/award giving bodies will be announced starting sometime next week. Some music/movie magazines already did. I saw this while I'm at B&N ...

Here's Paste Magazine's Best Films of 2007 (Top 50)

1. Juno [Jason Reitman]
2. Once [John Carney]
3. Eastern Promises [David Cronenberg]
4. Away From Her [Sarah Polley]
5. Margot at the Wedding [Noah Baumbach]
6. Michael Clayton [Tony Gilroy]
7. The Wind That Shakes the Barley [Ken Loach]
8. No Country for Old Men [Joel and Ethan Coen]
9. The Kite Runner [Marc Forster]
10. Syndromes and a Century [Apichatpong "Joe" Weerasethakul]
11. Ratatouille [Brad Bird]
12. Ten Canoes [Rolf de Heer/Peter Djigirr]
13. Great World of Sound [Craig Zobel]
14. Ghosts of Cité Soleil [Asger Leth/Milos Loncarevic]
15. Offside [Jafar Panahi]
16. My Kid Could Paint That [Amir Bar-Lev]
17. 2 Days in Paris [Julie Delpy]
18. Waitress [Adrienne Shelly]
19. Manufactured Landscapes [Jennifer Baichwal]
20. The King of Kong [Seth Gordon]
21. Sunshine [Danny Boyle]
22. This is England [Shane Meadows]
23. Knocked Up [Judd Apatow]
24. Hanna Takes the Stairs [Joe Swanberg]
25. Bella [Alejandro Gomez Monteverde]
26. The Darjeeling Limited [Wes Anderson]
27. Grindhouse [Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez]
28. Paris, Je T'aime [Various Directors]
29. God Grew Tired of Us [Christopher Dillon Quinn]
30. No End in Sight [Charles Ferguson]
31. The Bourne Ultimatum [Paul Greengrass]
32. Hot Fuzz [Edgar Wright]
33. 3:10 to Yuma [James Mangold]
34. Year of the Dog [Mike White]
35. The Simpsons Movie [David Silverman]
36. Hairspray [Adam Shankman]
37. Sicko [Michael Moore]
38. Rescue Dawn [Werner Herzog]
39. The Short Life of José Antonio Guitierrez [Heidi Specogna]
40. Forever [Heddy Honigmann]
41. Persepolis [Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud]
42. Talk to Me [Kasi Lemmons]
43. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead [Sidney Lumet]
44. Superbad [Greg Mottola]
45. Zodiac [David Fincher]
46. The Savages [Tamara Jenkins]
47. Rocket Science [Jeffrey Blitz]
48. The Signal [David Bruckner, Dan Bush, Jacob Gentry]
49. The Lookout [Scott Frank]
50. American Gangster [Ridley Scott]

I've bolded what I saw in the list (with 3 1/2 of them only just this weekend). I've seen 1/2 of Grindhouse (rented Death Proof early this afternoon in Blockbuster).

[miscorrections]

I thought Ten Canoes was fucking awful, but maybe I'm just not cultured enough to appreciate it.

[wmgaretjax]

I thought Ten Canoes was fucking awful, but maybe I'm just not cultured enough to appreciate it.

well... Once, Waitress, Paris Je'Taime, The Bourne Ultimatum, Hot Fuzz, and The Lookout all made the list... So I doubt it is that you are not cultured.

[schoolofruckus]

1. Juno [Jason Reitman]
2. Once [John Carney]
3. Eastern Promises [David Cronenberg]
4. Away From Her [Sarah Polley]
5. Margot at the Wedding [Noah Baumbach]
6. Michael Clayton [Tony Gilroy]
7. The Wind That Shakes the Barley [Ken Loach]
8. No Country for Old Men [Joel and Ethan Coen]
9. The Kite Runner [Marc Forster]
10. Syndromes and a Century [Apichatpong "Joe" Weerasethakul]
11. Ratatouille
12. Ten Canoes [Rolf de Heer/Peter Djigirr]
13. Great World of Sound [Craig Zobel]
14. Ghosts of Cité Soleil [Asger Leth/Milos Loncarevic]
15. Offside [Jafar Panahi]
16. My Kid Could Paint That [Amir Bar-Lev]
17. 2 Days in Paris [Julie Delpy]
18. Waitress [Adrienne Shelly]
19. Manufactured Landscapes [Jennifer Baichwal]
20. The King of Kong [Seth Gordon]
[B]21. Sunshine [Danny Boyle]
22. This is England [Shane Meadows]
23. Knocked Up [Judd Apatow]
24. Hanna Takes the Stairs [Joe Swanberg]
25. Bella [Alejandro Gomez Monteverde]
26. The Darjeeling Limited [Wes Anderson]
27. Grindhouse [Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez]
28. Paris, Je T'aime [Various Directors]
29. God Grew Tired of Us [Christopher Dillon Quinn]
30. No End in Sight [Charles Ferguson]
31. The Bourne Ultimatum [Paul Greengrass]
32. Hot Fuzz [Edgar Wright]
33. 3:10 to Yuma [James Mangold]
34. Year of the Dog [Mike White]
35. The Simpsons Movie [David Silverman]
36. Hairspray [Adam Shankman]
37. Sicko [Michael Moore]
38. Rescue Dawn [Werner Herzog]
39. The Short Life of José Antonio Guitierrez [Heidi Specogna]
40. Forever [Heddy Honigmann]
41. Persepolis [Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud]
42. Talk to Me [Kasi Lemmons]
43. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead [Sidney Lumet]
44. Superbad [Greg Mottola]
45. Zodiac [David Fincher]
46. The Savages [Tamara Jenkins]
47. Rocket Science [Jeffrey Blitz]
48. The Signal [David Bruckner, Dan Bush, Jacob Gentry]
49. The Lookout [Scott Frank]
50. American Gangster [Ridley Scott]

Bolding the ones I've seen.

Did they just not see any of the year's truly great films outside of No Country For Old Men?

[schoolofruckus]

well... Once, Waitress, Paris Je'Taime, The Bourne Ultimatum, Hot Fuzz, and The Lookout all made the list... So I doubt it is that you are not cultured.

Did you not like Once?

[wmgaretjax]

Did you not like Once?

no. i was bored, i thought the characters and story line were a flimsy vessel for mediocre music. I didn't hate it. But it is certainly not one of the best of the year.

I saw Into the Wild, and I do not agree with many of you. I thought it was a sensationalized, dewy eyed pic designed to simply canonize an unworthy figure. Penn doesn't bother really investigating the character, he is simply enamored by him. I didn't buy it. You get the sense there is little or no complication in Penn's picture of the guy.

[idrive1life]

Put me in ignore if you hate lists OR if you don't fucking care about critics and/or award giving bodies ... but for those who are interested, here's the

Awards Calendar

November

Nov. 27 - Spirit nominations; Gotham winners

Edit:
2008 SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS
BEST FEATURE
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
I'm Not There
Juno
A Mighty Heart
Paranoid Park

Nov. 30 - Satellite nominations

Edit:
MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
"The Lookout" Miramax
"Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead" (ThinkFilm)
"Away From Her" (Lionsgate)
"Eastern Promises" (Focus Features)
"No Country For Old Men" (Miramax Films)
"3:10 To Yuma" (Lionsgate)

MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
"Hairspray" (New Line Cinema)
"Juno"(Fox Searchlight)
"Shoot ‘Em Up" (New Line Cinema)
"Lars and the Real Girl" (MGM)
"Knocked Up" (Universal Pictures)

MOTION PICTURE, FOREIGN LANGUAGE
"Ten Canoes" Australia (Palm Pictures)
"Offside Iran" (Sony Pictures Classics)
"La Vie En Rose" France (Picturehouse Entertainment)
"Lust, Caution" China (Focus Features)
"4 Months 3 Weeks & 2 Days" Romania Ifc Films
"The Orphanage" Spain (Picturehouse Entertainment)
"Margot at the Wedding" (Paramount Vantage)

MOTION PICTURE, ANIMATED OR MIXED MEDIA
"Persepolis" (Sony Pictures Classics)
"The Simpsons Movie" Twentieth Century Fox
"The Golden" Compass (New Line Cinema)
""Ratatouille"" (Buena Vista Pictures)
"300" Warner Brothers
"Beowulf" (Paramount Pictures)

MOTION PICTURE, DOCUMENTARY
"The King Of Kong" (Picturehouse Entertainment)
"The 11th Hour Warner" (Independent Pictures)
"Sicko" (Lionsgate)
"No End In Sight"(Magnolia Pictures)
"Darfur Now Warner" (Independent Pictures)
"Lake Of Fire" (ThinkFilm)

December

Dec. 3 - Annie noms
Dec. 5 - NBR winners
Dec. 9 - LAFCA winners; Boston Film Critics winners
Dec. 11 - BFCA noms
Dec. 13 - Golden Globe noms
Dec. 14 - Chicago Film Critics winners
Dec. 16 - AFI winners; Satellite winners
Dec. 20 - SAG noms

January

Jan. 3 - BAFTA longlists; USC Scripter noms
Jan. 7 - NYFCC winners, BFCA winners; Visual Effects Society noms; ASC noms
Jan. 8 - DGA noms; NAACP noms
Jan. 9 - USC Scripter winners
Jan. 10 - Cinema Audio Society noms; WGA noms
Jan. 11 - ACE Eddie noms; ADG noms
Jan. 13 - Golden Globe winners
Jan. 14 - PGA noms
Jan. 16 - BAFTA noms
Jan. 22 - Oscar noms
Jan. 25 - MPSE noms
Jan. 26 - DGA winners; ASC winners
Jan. 27 - SAG winners

February

Feb. 2 - PGA winners
Feb. 8 - Annie winners
Feb. 9 - WGA winners
Feb. 10 - BAFTA winners; Visual Effects Society winners
Feb. 16 - Cinema Audio Society winners; ADG winners
Feb. 17 - ACE Eddie winners
Feb. 19 - Costume Designers Guild winners
Feb. 23 - Spirit winners; MPSE winners
Feb. 24 - Oscar winners
Feb. 29 - NAACP winners

[wmgaretjax]

Put me in ignore if you hate lists OR if you don't fucking care about critics and/or award giving bodies ... but for those who are interested

I think blindly posting lists is pretty uninteresting (I saw both of these several days ago), but if you provide some of your own commentary (and maybe a link instead of posting the four page long list) it'd be cool.

[KungFuJoe]

you saw Sunshine Gabe? I don't remember reading a review by you. I was always curious about your thoughts on the film because I seem to be in the minority on that one. I reallly enjoyed the film, despite it's third act. It was one of my favorites of the year.

That big list up there is horrendous. I really hope and pray that 3:10 to Yuma isn't up for all the awards that Jesse James should rightfully be up for. If so I'm certainly boycotting watching any of that shite. As of right now my top ten would loook something like this. This won't be the exact order of things because I'm sure it will change a great deal by the end of the month. Anyways, here goes:

Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford, No Country For Old Men, Brand! Upon the Brain, Rescue Dawn, Sunshine, Across the Universe, The Host, I'm A Cyborg but That's Ok, Paris Je T'aime, Zodiac and/or American Gangster.

Bare in mind I have a lot of catching up to do and still need to see films such as Eastern Promises, Once, Control, Into The Wild, Gone Baby Gone, Michael Clayton, I'm Not There, There Will Be Blood, Lust Caution, Juno, Persepolis, The Diving Bell and The Butterfly, The Kite Runner, Before the Devil Knows Your Dead, Margot at the Wedding, The Savages, etc.... I expect to knock out a few of these this week.

[thelastgreatman]

Sunshine was good at first, some beautiful visuals, but really fell apart due to the sinking into Event Horizon territory in the third act. Even before that though it lost all credibility with one of the most dubious plot twists in an otherwise fairly realistic sci-fi movie. I mean seriously, they're on a ship specially designed for a mission that involves traveling dangerously close to Sol, their only protection being this special shield, and when they go to plot a new course the navigator FORGETS TO ADJUST THE FUCKING SHIELD? Are you kidding me, Danny? One would think that on a ship that advanced there might be some kind of automatic failsafe that, oh, I dunno... prevents you from turning without adjusting the fucking shield?

If not for those flaws it could have been really good.

[Mr.Nipples]

http://us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/allposters/98/1804555498p.jpg

[schoolofruckus]

no. i was bored, i thought the characters and story line were a flimsy vessel for mediocre music. I didn't hate it. But it is certainly not one of the best of the year.

I saw Into the Wild, and I do not agree with many of you. I thought it was a sensationalized, dewy eyed pic designed to simply canonize an unworthy figure. Penn doesn't bother really investigating the character, he is simply enamored by him. I didn't buy it. You get the sense there is little or no complication in Penn's picture of the guy.

I can't really argue with your impression of either movie - although I strongly disagree with them both. But you did like Before Sunrise, didn't you? I can't see why you would think the characters or storyline of Once would be any more flimsy than those of Linklater's film. Unless you vehemently dislike the music that much.

[wmgaretjax]

I can't really argue with your impression of either movie - although I strongly disagree with them both. But you did like Before Sunrise, didn't you? I can't see why you would think the characters or storyline of Once would be any more flimsy than those of Linklater's film. Unless you vehemently dislike the music that much.

I think a BIG part of it is the music. I mean, that's the disparity between it and Before Sunrise (which I like a lot, but do not love). Before Sunrise wasn't trying to woo or sell me mediocre music. I could take it for what it was. Once simplicity was complicated by the music, and not in a good way for me.

Into the Wild I am being a little harsh on, I was in a bad mood. I'm still not big on the film. I think Penn's idolatry got in the way of how conflicted the story actually is.

[schoolofruckus]

I'll give you that.

[schoolofruckus]

Posting this for the sake of fairness, but I don't want to re-ignite the debate. I lost a little respect for Katherine Heigl with this one.

Sigh....proof that you should always trust the art, not the artist. (http://www.vanityfair.com/services/presscenter/pressrelease/katherine_heigl200801)

[Mr.Nipples]

http://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/1/A70-917

[rage patton]

Call me fucking crazy... but Grindhouse was the most enjoyable movie I have seen this year.

[thelastgreatman]

Posting this for the sake of fairness, but I don't want to re-ignite the debate. I lost a little respect for Katherine Heigl with this one.

Sigh....proof that you should always trust the art, not the artist. (http://www.vanityfair.com/services/presscenter/pressrelease/katherine_heigl200801)

Can you really call her "the artist?" I mean... she's a fucking actress.

[schoolofruckus]

After those comments, I guess the best word would be "mercenary", since she's apparently so willing to forsake her principles and make a movie that turned her into a fucking millionaire even though it was personally offensive to her.

[thelastgreatman]

Seriously. Ungrateful cunt. Yeah, I'm sure it was really hard for her to act like a bitch in front of the camera every day. Sounds like it. Being a bitch definitely doesn't come naturally to her or anything.

[J~$$$]

I went to see Juno last night....kind of. Who the hell lines up two hours before a screening? Anways the movie filled up and we were left to come up with our own vices. I was tempted to sneak in and muscle in on the elderly to give up their seats, but I'll just wait til it opens in most theaters.

[Neutral Milk Hotel]

I'm going to that tonight. People were lined up that early? Fuck.

[J~$$$]

Its colorado, we dont get very many screenings so most in line had blog boners to see it first.

[Courtney]

Emmy-winning actress Katherine Heigl tells Vanity Fair contributing editor Leslie Bennetts that she thinks Knocked Up, the movie that catapulted her onto the A-list, is “a little sexist. It paints the women as shrews, as humorless and uptight, and it paints the men as lovable, goofy, fun-loving guys. It exaggerated the characters, and I had a hard time with it, on some days. I’m playing such a bitch; why is she being such a killjoy? Why is this how you’re portraying women? Ninety-eight percent of the time it was an amazing experience, but it was hard for me to love the movie.”

I don't understand why it is so offensive for her to say that. At least she thinks about it.

[thelastgreatman]

I don't understand why it is so offensive for her to say that. At least she thinks about it.

Because it's offensive to attack two characters out of a story as being representative of ALL womankind for starters. And also because her character wasn't particularly bitchy, I don't know what the fuck she's talking about. Just because her character didn't fall head over heels for the lovable fat slob right away she interprets it as bitchy? Character felt pretty reasonable to me.

But the main point being that attacking a work as being misogynist when there's two main female characters--one of whom is a ball-breaker and the other one just a normal woman who displays a decent amount of both being judgmental and moody as well as being accepting and loving--is fucking bullshit. IT'S TWO WOMEN. That's all. Even if they were both cunts, it shouldn't be taken as a reflection upon all women just because the two characters of this story HAPPEN to be cunts.

[KungFuJoe]

I saw I'm Not There yesterday. I'm glad I did because now I don't feel as pressured to rush out and see Into The Wild, Gone Baby Gone or Michael Clayton before they leave theaters. I'm sure they are all great films, but I doubt they can truly match up to the overwhelming fullfillment I felt after watching this one. Just when I think I saw the best film of the year I have to go and reevaluate my decision. Easily the most inventive & innovative film I've seen all year. This a film of the utmost fearless originality and uncompromising vision. The way it manages to balance it's ideals while having a great amount of fun with the material is what truly holds the film together. I don't know what else to say. I'm not the most articulate whe it comes to reviews. All i know is I loved this film and it stands a great chance to make it atop of my list at the end of the year.

[schoolofruckus]

I wouldn't call it offensive; there's little that deserves that label in my opinion. My word would be questionable, because she read the script and signed up for the movie - knowing exactly what it was about and how - and has since proceeded to become a huge star. If she was so offended, why did she take the money - and all the future career heat she'll enjoy as a result of it's success - in spite of her objections to the material?

It's also disputable because I really don't think the guys are presented as being any more "lovable" than the women. All the characters are presented as being imperfect. The guys are almost all slackers and geeks, albeit sometimes hilariously so. The women may scold them, sure, but they also clearly have their shit together, and if there's anyone's way that "wins out" in the end, it's Allison's because Ben has to learn to be an adult. And the characters are all clearly on the receiving end of affection from the film's narrative perspective. To call it sexist is to see things from a conveniently one-sided poitn of view.

[full on idle]

good luck, Courtney

[schoolofruckus]

I mean, if you want to attack sexism in Hollywood, have at it. For serious. But why talk about "Knocked Up" when you have the likes of "Cinderella Man" or "American Gangster" or any other movie where the females are just asked to play the caring/nurturing/danger-foretelling love interest, rather than a movie that tries to find the humor and the sweetness in the woman's perspective?

[thelastgreatman]

Honestly, this is horseshit. I suppose by this rationale you could call One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest sexist too because there's basically just the evil Nurse Ratchet and the whores, but it's bullshit. If you start trying to make artists feel responsible for not putting enough "positive" images of this that or the other group depicted in their movie when there's only TWO fucking roles of that group in the script you're going to end up with incredibly shitty stories.

[schoolofruckus]

Kung Fu Joseph:


I saw Sunshine last week - it was fantastic as well. The ending turns into a bit of Event Horizon-esque horror, which I could see turning some off. But the imagery in that film is some of the most delicious I've seen in quite some time, and the story (though somewhat preposterous) still worked on its own terms.



I agree that there is a significant degree of improbability in the conditions that lead to the ship going to shit, but the film was so fucking gorgeous that I didn't really care.

Glad you loved I'm Not There as well.

[amyzzz]

Gabe, is that a re-post of a really old post? It's not on video yet, right?

[wmgaretjax]

If you start trying to make artists feel responsible for not putting enough "positive" images

I don't think that is what Courtney is saying.

I don't really care about this, but I think the actress is pretty fucking stupid to have not figured out what her character was going to be like from the script/screenplay (not to mention Apatow's other films).

I'm going to see Superbad tomorrow, should be coming via netflix. I have heard good things, but then again, I've hated all these other films. But I love Michael Cera.

[thelastgreatman]

I wasn't saying that's what Courtney is saying, I was saying that's where viewpoints like Katherine's get us. hence, fuck them and fuck her.

[Yablonowitz]

I haven't seen this movie. Are there men and women in it?

[schoolofruckus]

Gabe, is that a re-post of a really old post?

Yes.

It's not on video yet, right?

No.

[Courtney]

I have no interest in arguing when the parties involved are going to get all upset about it and describe women as "cunts" and "bitches" and such just because these women actually call some film out on gender inequalities. That's no way to have a rational discussion.

Gabe, I do see what you're saying, and I can see how you might consider Heigl's choice questionable. Although I personally appreciate it when artists can look back on their work once finished and in retrospect have a clearer understanding of both its strengths and flaws. I don't think that is unusual.

[thelastgreatman]

Way to cunt it up, Court. =)

[thelastgreatman]

Also, bitch was Katherine's term if you want to go back through the article. That's no way for her to have a rational discussion either, then?

[Courtney]

Heigl calls her character in the film a bitch. There's a difference between calling a one-dimensional fictional character a bitch and calling a real person one.

[thelastgreatman]

I don't understand how. If the term is fair game it's fair game. Good for the goose...

[Neutral Milk Hotel]

Its colorado, we dont get very many screenings so most in line had blog boners to see it first.

It's Juno though, there'll be blog boners out to see it everywhere. And hateful people like me who just want to make fun of it afterward.

Oh well, if I end up getting there too early there's always an Amoeba a few feet away from the theater.

[wmgaretjax]

I don't think that is unusual.

I hope not.

I feel like Apatow's films are really typical when placed in the context of our culture (which I personally find misogynist and frustrating in these respects). You can't blame it for being a relatively smart realization of the lame parts of our culture, it's one up on so much stuff out there, but at the same time it doesn't add anything worthwhile or anything investigative to this mix. It's just more noise. I mean, for all intensive purposes, Knocked Up was a "the baby will bring us together" film. Fuck that.

[schoolofruckus]

I have no interest in arguing when the parties involved are going to get all upset about it and describe women as "cunts" and "bitches" and such just because these women actually call some film out on gender inequalities. That's no way to have a rational discussion.

Gabe, I do see what you're saying, and I can see how you might consider Heigl's choice questionable. Although I personally appreciate it when artists can look back on their work once finished and in retrospect have a clearer understanding of both its strengths and flaws. I don't think that is unusual.

I agree with that - most artists learn as much about their work after its completion/public digestion than they did in making it. But in this case, the way she words her complaint, it makes it sound to me like she felt that way even as they were making it. And in that case, why not try to make a difference in that moment?

I completely agree that Randy's uses of "cunt" and "bitch" are a disruption to this discussion.

Randy - Obviously you and I have similar opinions on this question. But you sound like you're more trying to get a rise out of the ladies than to actually hold a discussion. Your points would more than stand on their own if you presented them sans-epithets.

[thelastgreatman]

Jesus Christ, there are few things as irritating as grown people who still try to enforce grammar school policies about what words are appropriate. My points stand on their own regardless, fuck this.

[Courtney]

I hope not.

I feel like Apatow's films are really typical when placed in the context of our culture (which I personally find misogynist and frustrating in these respects). You can't blame it for being a relatively smart realization of the lame parts of our culture, it's one up on so much stuff out there, but at the same time it doesn't add anything worthwhile or anything investigative to this mix. It's just more noise. I mean, for all intensive purposes, Knocked Up was a "the baby will bring us together" film. Fuck that.

I agree. It is significantly better than a lot of the stuff out there, which I think is precisely why it's getting attacked. So much of the junk that Hollywood is producing these days is a lost cause. Apatow seems to be succeeding in setting himself apart by developing the mindless gross-out comedy into something actually watchable. But there's still a lot of work that could be done to more self-consciously investigate the ways in which our culture is choosing to portray people on screen.

[thelastgreatman]

Yes, let's attack the women in Knocked Up, they're quite condemning. Excuse me, but do you fuckwits actually look around at all? Have you seen reality television at all recently? Do you realize the kind of idiotic bimbos that are running around all over the place? Would it be sexist if there was a character like them in the movie? That's real fucking people, they exist.

[Courtney]

But in this case, the way she words her complaint, it makes it sound to me like she felt that way even as they were making it. And in that case, why not try to make a difference in that moment?

I agree entirely that if indeed she initially read through the script and thought it was sexist, then her decision to work on the project and later criticize it in the media was extremely questionable. And it's not like she was some starving artist prior to the film.

[schoolofruckus]

Jesus Christ, there are few things as irritating as grown people who still try to enforce grammar school policies about what words are appropriate. My points stand on their own regardless, fuck this.

I don't give a shit what words you use, but you use them excessively and out of context. When someone's trying to discuss gender politics and your response is interspersed with "cunt cuntity cunt cunt cunt", whatever you're saying is going to get lost. It's inevitablee.

But no matter. Get irritated. Keep calling names. Continue to be taken less seriously than you deserve.

[thelastgreatman]

I used the word "cunt" twice and perfectly in context. "Bitch" is Heigl's word, I refuse to acknowledge any culpability for merely using the term offered up in the point of discussion. And there's no way to take this conversation seriously--it's a bunch of art fags jerking each other off about a non-issue.

[KungFuJoe]

Your review on Sunshinewas spot on on how I feel about the film Gabe. Sure it's not perfect, but it's imagery and score are magnificent. I can forgive a lot in a film if those elements are in place and the themes are strong. This film is a lot better than most people give it credit for.

As for Knocked Up, I don't want to enter the discussion, but I don't get what all the fuss is about.

[Neutral Milk Hotel]

I saw I'm Not There yesterday. I'm glad I did because now I don't feel as pressured to rush out and see Into The Wild, Gone Baby Gone or Michael Clayton before they leave theaters. I'm sure they are all great films, but I doubt they can truly match up to the overwhelming fullfillment I felt after watching this one. Just when I think I saw the best film of the year I have to go and reevaluate my decision. Easily the most inventive & innovative film I've seen all year. This a film of the utmost fearless originality and uncompromising vision. The way it manages to balance it's ideals while having a great amount of fun with the material is what truly holds the film together. I don't know what else to say. I'm not the most articulate whe it comes to reviews. All i know is I loved this film and it stands a great chance to make it atop of my list at the end of the year.

Which Dylan did you like best? Gere's segment is the one that resonated with me the most strongly.

[full on idle]

It seems the fuss is more angry reactions to the possibility of an issue being brought up, rather than being the issue brought up being the fuss. If that makes any sense, probably not.

I'm going to go see I'm Not There tonight.

[Courtney]

It seems the fuss is more angry reactions to the possibility of an issue being brought up, rather than being the issue brought up being the fuss. If that makes any sense, probably not.

That's a fairly accurate summary.

I would like to see I'm Not There.

[PotVsKtl]

That's not accurate at all. Knocked Up is not sexist. Next topic.

[thelastgreatman]

Yay, the voice of reason v. skittles appears.

[KungFuJoe]

Which Dylan did you like best? Gere's segment is the one that resonated with me the most strongly.

I enjoyed the film as a whole. I'm not a fan of Richard Gere by any means, in fact he is one of my least favorite actors, but I agree that his segment was strong. Cate Blanchett's was a treat. If I had to choose one that resonated with me the most I would be apt to say Marcus Carl Franklin's. But like I said, I enjoyed the film as a whole and the way each segment fit into it. I thought Christian Bale was phenomal as always too.

[full on idle]

That's not accurate at all. Knocked Up is not sexist. Next topic.

So what's the fuss about?

[PotVsKtl]

Why don't you ask the people who are vocally and publically wrong?

[TomAz]

this thread gets more action than ronnie at the junior high dance.

[thelastgreatman]

Pedophile face.

[wmgaretjax]

My copy of Heima just came. The movie is definitely a concert film, there is no doubt about it. It is incredibly well shot, absolutely gorgeous. The audio recordings are almost good enough to have tricked me into thinking they were studio tracks. It's the first time I've watched a concert film where I thought I got the perfect impression of who the band where; above and beneath. It's not like "Meeting People is Easy" where you get this snapshot of Radiohead, it literally IS Sigur Ros. If you like the band, there is no way you can miss this. If you like music docs, or concert films, you should see it as well. If you don't know who the band is, see it also.

Today begins my attempt to watch Berlin Alexanderplatz, Fassbinder's 15 hour long mini-series.

Oh yeah... And I just crossed the 200 mark with my burned Criterion films. Almost half way there.

[schoolofruckus]

It's too bad you didn't get to see Heima live in the theater. Both times I saw it, the performance of "Untitled #8" left my fucking ears ringing.

[luckyface]

Only 7 more months...

http://photos.imageevent.com/batmanonfilm/thedarkknightimages/TDK_first-one-sheet_sm_12-04-07.jpg

[iv3rdawG]

It's too bad you didn't get to see Heima live in the theater. Both times I saw it, the performance of "Untitled #8" left my fucking ears ringing.

Well if he lives near any of these theaters he should definitely check it out.

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=4685333&blogID=334389871

http://www.hvarf-heim.com/events/

[wmgaretjax]

Well if he lives near any of these theaters he should definitely check it out.

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=4685333&blogID=334389871

http://www.hvarf-heim.com/events/

Nah, I'm in seattle. i wish I could have. I have the memory of them live.

[Mr.Nipples]

K5le9sYdYkM&rel=1

[wmgaretjax]

i bought that movie at safeway two years ago.

[mountmccabe]

I saw Sweeney Todd last night. I love Burton. I have no idea how he got anyone to approve this movie. It is a fairly straight adaptation of the Sondheim musical. With the songs, even. To match with that it's a very dark story, about a murderous barber bent on revenge and his partnership with a woman that hits upon the idea of cooking the bodies into pies. And it is done with lots of (fake looking) blood.

The fantastic (as in outlandish) musical plot is such a great fit for Burton; his other movies are just as full of unrealistic plot elements that aren't detrimental to the enjoyment of his films.

This London is grey and dirty. The people are much the same, with a few exceptions. And various fantasy/dream type sequences where the overall aesthetic shifts long enough to remind us how drab the base movie is.

I thought Johnny Depp was a fine singer. Helena Bonham Carter gets the second most amount of singing and does particularly well. Alan Rickman probably sings the least of the major characters; he talks more than he sings. Sasha Baron Cohen provides most of the attempts at comic relief but only in brief scenes.

So yeah, a musical bloody enough to turn off most fans of musicals and singy enough to turn off most fans of the macabre. Simply genius. So good.

[miscorrections]

Burton, Depp, and a penny-dreadful were made for each other. I really want to see this once I get the chance.

[roberto73]

National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Awards for 2007:

Best Film
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Top Ten Films
(In alphabetical order) THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD, ATONEMENT, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, THE BUCKET LIST, INTO THE WILD, JUNO, THE KITE RUNNER, LARS AND THE REAL GIRL, MICHAEL CLAYTON, SWEENEY TODD

Best Foreign Film
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY

Top Five Foreign Films
(In alphabetical order) 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, 2 DAYS, THE BAND'S VISIT, THE COUNTERFEITERS, LA VIE EN ROSE, LUST, CAUTION

Top Five Documentaries
(In alphabetical order) DARFUR NOW, IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON, NANKING, TAXI TO THE DARKSIDE, TOOTS

Top Independent Films
(In alphabetical order) AWAY FROM HER, GREAT WORLD OF SOUND, HONEYDRIPPER, IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH, A MIGHTY HEART, THE NAMESAKE, ONCE, THE SAVAGES, STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING, WAITRESS

Best Actor
GEORGE CLOONEY, Michael Clayton

Best Actress
JULIE CHRISTIE, Away From Her

Best Supporting Actor
CASEY AFFLECK, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Best Supporting Actress
AMY RYAN, Gone Baby Gone

Best Ensemble Cast
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Breakthrough Performance by an Actor
EMILE HIRSCH, Into The Wild

Breakthrough Performance by an Actress
ELLEN PAGE, Juno

Best Director
TIM BURTON, Sweeney Todd

Best Directorial Debut
BEN AFFLECK, Gone Baby Gone

Best Adapted Screenplay
JOEL COEN and ETHAN COEN, No Country For Old Men

Best Original Screenplay
DIABLO CODY, Juno and NANCY OLIVER, Lars and the Real Girl

Best Documentary
BODY OF WAR

Best Animated Feature
RATATOUILLE

[Deviate_420]

Watching Dead Man and must say, it ties Signs for best film ever made...

[Neutral Milk Hotel]

I have seen Juno:

The movie annoyed the hell out of me for the first half hour or so, what with the pop culture references and snark and self-impressed writing and etc., etc., etc. I was prepared to write the film off. But then a funny thing happened on the way to the forum, so to speak: there's this scene where Jennifer Garner feels the baby kick for the first time and has this kind of beatific look on her face, and I had this feeling in my stomach, a feeling that I later realized was warmth. All of the labored attempts at being witty and hip were annoying and unnecessary, but there's a sweet movie hidden underneath it all, and that movie made me smile. Cera and Garner are a huge part of what makes this work, their characters have this kind of innocence that remains untouched by the self-conscious sarcasm of the rest of the film. So, I can't give this a bad review, it actually made me feel goodwill of all things.

PS: It would have been a much better movie without her cheerleader friend, man was that character fucking annoying.

[chrislasf]

I saw Sweeney Todd last night. I love Burton. I have no idea how he got anyone to approve this movie. It is a fairly straight adaptation of the Sondheim musical. With the songs, even. To match with that it's a very dark story, about a murderous barber bent on revenge and his partnership with a woman that hits upon the idea of cooking the bodies into pies. And it is done with lots of (fake looking) blood.

The fantastic (as in outlandish) musical plot is such a great fit for Burton; his other movies are just as full of unrealistic plot elements that aren't detrimental to the enjoyment of his films.

This London is grey and dirty. The people are much the same, with a few exceptions. And various fantasy/dream type sequences where the overall aesthetic shifts long enough to remind us how drab the base movie is.

I thought Johnny Depp was a fine singer. Helena Bonham Carter gets the second most amount of singing and does particul