Schoolio's Movie Corner

[bballarl]

I just finished "Don't Look Back". It was interesting.

[ivankay]

U23D at the IMAX was pretty amazing. fairly related (big screens) so i thought i'd mention it.

i just finished seeing it. It was awesome! Some of you might know i like to occasionally take pictures at shows. i really love good concert photos. U23D is a collection of some of the most excellent ways you can film a show, edited in different dimensions, HUGE IMAX, sounding fucking excellent great experience. i hope all the greatest live acts do this 3D IMAx thing with the same people who shot and edited this. Gimme a Radiohead/Roger Waters/Led Zepplin/Prince/next Coachella Movie 3D Imax version. A great way to spend your time in a theater.

i saw it at the Bridge and was running a little late. i asked the girl at the box office "Has it started yet?" She said "no". i go in, make a super fast detour to the bathroom, and miss all of "Vertigo" (no trailers). One of the managers and i talked after, so i got something to eat, and then saw "Vertigo" 45 minutes later. Fucking excellent.

[roberto73]

i just finished seeing it. It was awesome! Some of you might know i like to occasionally take pictures at shows. i really love good concert photos. U23D is a collection of some of the most excellent ways you can film a show, edited in different dimensions, HUGE IMAX, sounding fucking excellent great experience. i hope all the greatest live acts do this 3D IMAx thing with the same people who shot and edited this. Gimme a Radiohead/Roger Waters/Led Zepplin/Prince/next Coachella Movie 3D Imax version. A great way to spend your time in a theater.

i saw it at the Bridge and was running a little late. i asked the girl at the box office "Has it started yet?" She said "no". i go in, make a super fast detour to the bathroom, and miss all of "Vertigo" (no trailers). One of the managers and i talked after, so i got something to eat, and then saw "Vertigo" 45 minutes later. Fucking excellent.

Were you there for the 5:00 show? I was in row H, pretty much dead center. I thought it was pretty terrific. It captures the live experience in a way no other concert film ever has. The articles quoted by NMH above seem to be pretty spot-on for the promise represented by this technology.

[thinnerair]

I watched the original 'Funny Games' last night. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Has anyone seen this? Im curious to watch the upcoming remake.

[ivankay]

Were you there for the 5:00 show? I was in row H, pretty much dead center. I thought it was pretty terrific. It captures the live experience in a way no other concert film ever has. The articles quoted by NMH above seem to be pretty spot-on for the promise represented by this technology.

i was in sitting in the 3rd row from the back (i think row J) on the right hand side. Amen to the capturing comment. I was welling up more than a few times. The crowd was so energetic and joyful. The band was soooooo goooood. Edge was the best!

Anyone who said U2 would be lame at Coachella is just plain ol' wrong. They would be so perfect. It would be most goose bumply getting those Joshua Tree songs only a short distance from the trees.

[J~$$$]

holy tits schoolio

i just got back from watching THE KING OF KONG
it fukkin blew me away
it was packed and the audience were actually CHEERING! CHEERING!
FUKK!
they were that emotionally invested into it....
unbelievable...
i haven't seen something like that in a long time...
the fukkin characters too... i found myself a couple of times saying.. "oh mah caco/god, this is a documentary... this is real !!!"

i mean awesome man....
you have to admit.... even if lastgreatman and caco had a baby, it wouldn't be as strange as awesome man

i'll hang up and listen

I watched it last night. Awesome. Grown men crying over video games. It was true emotion though. I have stabbed my friend in the leg over mario kart so I understand their plight.

Next up.....Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade its documentary about the same group of nerds.

[PotVsKtl]

I'm not trying to shit in anyone's proscenium here but The Assassination of Jesse James by Etc. and the Malevolents was heartily and promptly ruined by an hour of endless expository voiceover and exceedingly drab and uninspired art design.

[bug on your lip]

Chasing Ghosts is next up on mah list now too

[J~$$$]

Oh and that dude steve is pretty badass on the skins.

[canexplain]

i watched and odd movie last night "Sunshine" reminded me a little of the 2001 feel ... and i watched scorsesy's sp movie about the daile lama sp geez my spelling sucks, that was long but had great images .. canx**

[wmgaretjax]

I'm not trying to shit in anyone's proscenium here but The Assassination of Jesse James by Etc. and the Malevolents was heartily and promptly ruined by an hour of endless expository voiceover and exceedingly drab and uninspired art design.

I generally hate voice over, but in this film it served some great purposes in regards to examining the nature of oral tradition.

[PotVsKtl]

I generally hate voice over, but in this film it served some great purposes in regards to examining the nature of oral tradition.

That's probably an accurate interpretation of the filmmakers' intentions, but it doesn't change my reaction to the technique. If you're going to give voice to the characters' internal monologues, I don't want to see the moment unfolding simultaneously. The worst example is the final few days with Bob and Jesse at his family home, the melancholy looks as he plays with his kids. I want to read the actors' face, not hear his thoughts. Leave something to the viewer.

[schoolofruckus]

I agree. This was one of my favorite voice-over tracks ever; for a film that seemed so novel-esque in its storytelling canvas, it felt wholly appropriate. A pox on the Skittle house.

There's a teaser on AICN for the new Shyamalan movie. The title is awful - The Happening? Really? - but this clip is extremely promising. (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/35498)

[PotVsKtl]

I've got $50 on the Rapture.

[wmgaretjax]

zombies?

[PotVsKtl]

No, just regular old sinners like you and me.

[Hawkings]

i just finished seeing it. It was awesome! Some of you might know i like to occasionally take pictures at shows. i really love good concert photos. U23D is a collection of some of the most excellent ways you can film a show, edited in different dimensions, HUGE IMAX, sounding fucking excellent great experience. i hope all the greatest live acts do this 3D IMAx thing with the same people who shot and edited this. Gimme a Radiohead/Roger Waters/Led Zepplin/Prince/next Coachella Movie 3D Imax version. A great way to spend your time in a theater.

got your link in the other thread. Jah loved the U2 3D too ! I didn't know when he got Miss Sarijevo how he do it, but Bono doing the Pavarotti part was pretty sweet. The flags of all the Latin American Countries, the discussion of MLK's dream as not just an American dream but a world dream was awsome, so many powerful moments. The crowd was so into the show too could feel their emotion in the soccer stadiums. Your so right about them needed to do 3D versions of other concerts.

[iv3rdawG]

http://i3.yesasia.com/assets/GalleryImage/r_g0000089587_0_02.jpg

http://i3.yesasia.com/assets/GalleryImage/r_g0000089587_0_01.jpeg

http://global.yesasia.com/en/ImageGallery.aspx/section-videos/code-w/version-all/pid-1005180368/#enlarge

This six-disc Japan release Grindhouse boxset comes with:
# Disc 1: Feature Film Death Proof
# Disc 2: Death Proof Bonus Features
# Disc 3: Feature Film Planet Terror
# Disc 4: Planet Terror Bonus Features
# Disc 5: Grindhouse (US Theatrical Release Version)
# Disc 6: Japan Exclusive Grindhouse Bonus Features
- Grindhouse US Version Original Trailer
- 2006 San Diego Comicon - Director and Cast Q&A
- Tarantino Interview in Japan
- Cast & Crew Comments (including Tarantino, Rodriguez, and Fake Trailer Directors)
- Grindhouse Films Featurette
- Making of Planet Terror

[Down Rodeo]

I just saw Werckmeister Harmonies, and I'm just speechless. I won't even attempt to describe it, but I'll just say it was one of the most glorious cinematic experiences of my life.

[wmgaretjax]

I just saw Werckmeister Harmonies, and I'm just speechless. I won't even attempt to describe it, but I'll just say it was one of the most glorious cinematic experiences of my life.

yes. this always makes me happy.

[Down Rodeo]

What are your thoughts on the film's meaning/possible allegory?

[Courtney]

I've seen two movies recently: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and 27 Dresses. I'm classy like that.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly has already been discussed here somewhat extensively, so I'll just say that I enjoyed it. As with Schnabel's other directorial projects, I am again taken aback by the fact that he is a much better filmmaker than painter. His visual idiom has lost all harshness from the bold, impasto, decadent neo-expressionist work of his 1980s heyday. What remains is just the sort of fragile, nuanced, thoughtful work that by revealing its imperfections in shades creates a sort of beauty that would have been unimaginable earlier.

27 Dresses is exactly the puffy, frivolous love story that it aims to be. Katherine Heigl is endearing as perpetual bridesmaid, although I'm not sure that she and love interest James Marsden have very much chemistry. The film is fairly predictable in its plot trajectory, touching all the expected highs and lows, but if you're a fan of the genre it will give you enough to keep you interested and rooting for the characters. Judy Greer is a delight in her best friend / comic relief role, and Ed Burns is believable as the crush-worthy boss. Malin Akerman is slightly less believable as the hotter younger sister to Heigl, but I guess it's fairly typical Hollywood convention to have blonde code for hot and brunette code for girl-next-door. Despite the numerous similarities to other wedding-themed romantic comedies (My Best Friend's Wedding, for example), 27 Dresses is a cute, amusing, neatly tied-up piece of froth. Just don't overthink it.

[whynotsmile99]

Courtney, you are a very good reviewer

[Courtney]

Thank you.

[whynotsmile99]

i just got El Topo on Netflix. Never even heard of it before, but reading the comments a few pages back I bumped it to the top of my list. I;m 40 minutes in right now and really digging it. Way out there, but pretty damn stunning.

I'll try and get Werekmeister Harmonies as well. Great thread guys.

One of the things I love so much about film is you can never see all there is. I've been a huge film buff all my life and exposed my friend to many unique and interesting movies from all over the world, and yet I had never seen any Jodrowsky before. Awesome

[schoolofruckus]

27 Dresses is exactly the puffy, frivolous love story that it aims to be. Katherine Heigl is endearing as perpetual bridesmaid, although I'm not sure that she and love interest James Marsden have very much chemistry. The film is fairly predictable in its plot trajectory, touching all the expected highs and lows, but if you're a fan of the genre it will give you enough to keep you interested and rooting for the characters. Judy Greer is a delight in her best friend / comic relief role, and Ed Burns is believable as the crush-worthy boss. Malin Akerman is slightly less believable as the hotter younger sister to Heigl, but I guess it's fairly typical Hollywood convention to have blonde code for hot and brunette code for girl-next-door. Despite the numerous similarities to other wedding-themed romantic comedies (My Best Friend's Wedding, for example), 27 Dresses is a cute, amusing, neatly tied-up piece of froth. Just don't overthink it.

Is it less sexist than Knocked Up?

You'll have to excuse my continued dead horse beating, but I've been waiting to pop this question since I saw the trailers for this movie.

[Courtney]

Is it less sexist than Knocked Up?

You'll have to excuse my continued dead horse beating, but I've been waiting to pop this question since I saw the trailers for this movie.

The male and female characters are all equally one-note, which differentiates it fairly significantly from Knocked Up.

[canexplain]

I saw something in a movie that cracked me up over the weekend … die hard with a vengeance... Don’t know how many remember this part … (part of the plot is they are trying to figure out who the 42 and 21st presidents were (try google dude) …… so jacksonl and willis are in a car racing around the city …. This woman pulls in front of them and Samuel yells “who do you think you are , hillary Clinton” then he says something like, who is the 42 president, and willis says “I don’t know, but she (hillary) will be the 43rd president” … one pres off, but it was kind of ironic being that the flick was made in 1995 so years ago … canx**

[schoolofruckus]

The male and female characters are all equally one-note, which differentiates it fairly significantly from Knocked Up.

Fair enough. I can't really reply with anything concrete - having not seen the movie. But I'd be really surprised if my preconceptions of it were inaccurate.

[schoolofruckus]

I saw something in a movie that cracked me up over the weekend … die hard with a vengeance... Don’t know how many remember this part … (part of the plot is they are trying to figure out who the 42 and 21st presidents were (try google dude) …… so jacksonl and willis are in a car racing around the city …. This woman pulls in front of them and Samuel yells “who do you think you are , hillary Clinton” then he says something like, who is the 42 president, and willis says “I don’t know, but she (hillary) will be the 43rd president” … one pres off, but it was kind of ironic being that the flick was made in 1995 so years ago … canx**

You're right - that IS funny.

[wmgaretjax]

What are your thoughts on the film's meaning/possible allegory?

Everytime I watch this movie I think I can get a hold on it, but I always want to watch it again before putting it to words. I haven't watched it in a while, I'll check it out this weekend and try and post my thoughts in as coherent a manner as possible.

[phxunderground]

I watched the original 'Funny Games' last night. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Has anyone seen this? Im curious to watch the upcoming remake.

Yes, saw it a couple of years ago. I liked it too but I'm not too sure about the remake with Naomi Watts and Tim Roth. They're both strong actors and the Michael Haneke is directing it again. He makes amazing and complex films with so much subtext that I don't know how that can be captured in an english version of the film. I'm afraid they're going to change the ending to make it more American audience friendly.

If you like Funny Games, check out some of the director's other films like Benny's Video, The Time of the Wolf or Cache. But definitely check out The Piano Teacher which I think is Haneke's best. Talk about repression. It's essential viewing for Haneke's admirers!

[PotVsKtl]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51OJwWWldzL._AA240_.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Collection-Continent-Fragments-Chronology/dp/B000SIWHAK/

[wmgaretjax]

He makes amazing and complex films with so much subtext that I don't know how that can be captured in an english version of the film. I'm afraid they're going to change the ending to make it more American audience friendly.

Subtext? Haneke said this film was originally about America, why wouldn't it translate into english?

Also, it's been said explicitly that it will be a shot for shot remake.

[phxunderground]

Well Gus Van Sant said the same thing about Psycho and look what happened there.

[PotVsKtl]

Luckily Gus Van Sant is not Alfred Hitchcock.

[KungFuJoe]

I'm going to watch The Ten now.

just watched D-Wars. man was that bad, although at 80 minutes it's fairly amusing.

[roberto73]

Last night I watched Mamet's House of Games for the first time in about ten years. I'd forgotten how good that movie is.

Today will be, I think, Persepolis. I'd see it anyway, but it makes the choice easier when the competition is Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins and Fools Gold. Man, I hate January and February.

[Jenniehoo]

I loved the first 4 to 5 sketches in The Ten - I think after a certain point both Gabe and I got bored. I can't speak for Schoolio - it's just a hunch. But it's still a very funny movie, either way.

[Courtney]

Why do Mamet videos always have such bad cover design?

[amyzzz]

I watched Sherrybaby last night (on regular TV). Heartbreaking movie. I gave my kids a hug after watching it.

[roberto73]

Why do Mamet videos always have such bad cover design?

Beats me. Does a director have any input in that area? At any rate, I also think his musical scores are usually pretty weak – pseudo-jazzy stuff. I've been a big fan for years and years, and I've always had the impression that he's a genius at what he does, but that fact has rendered him out of touch with the larger culture, which includes music and graphic design. Kind of like Woody Allen, who's been plowing the same furrow for thirty years, regardless of trends.

[schoolofruckus]

I think directors are at least allowed to offer opinions on marketing concepts - both print art and the trailer - but it's usually a marketing chief's decision as to the final product. Some directors are able to attain final say over the way their posters/video covers/trailers are designed. But it's pretty rare unless you have a ton of clout, or unless you're making independent films and the distributor likes your ideas.

The MGM DVD cover of House of Games sucks, but the Criterion cover is terrific:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41X-0XfC6vL._SS500_.jpg

I like the slightly-archaic jazzy quality to Mamet's scores. It complements his characters, who are always old-pro types.

[schoolofruckus]

I loved the first 4 to 5 sketches in The Ten - I think after a certain point both Gabe and I got bored. I can't speak for Schoolio - it's just a hunch. But it's still a very funny movie, either way.

You know, you're right. The bigger problem was really that this was one of many films I passed out in. I remember digging a few of the early sketches - though I have a hard time recalling which ones....and then thinking the idea was running out of gas....zzzz.....

[schoolofruckus]

I think directors are at least allowed to offer opinions on marketing concepts - both print art and the trailer - but it's usually a marketing chief's decision as to the final product. Some directors are able to attain final say over the way their posters/video covers/trailers are designed. But it's pretty rare unless you have a ton of clout, or unless you're making independent films and the distributor likes your ideas.


I just posted this in the Post Your Picture thread....but this may have something to do with why directors are not automatically given jurisdiction over their marketing elements:

PEEPS (http://www.thapeeps.com/trailer.htm)

[KungFuJoe]

I loved the first 4 to 5 sketches in The Ten - I think after a certain point both Gabe and I got bored. I can't speak for Schoolio - it's just a hunch. But it's still a very funny movie, either way.

Yes. I thought the movie was hilarious. The first skit with Adam Brody was kind of dumb, but after that the movie picked up some steam. I never got bored because it move along pretty fast and was very short. Overall I was very pleased. That Ken Marino cracks me up.

[schoolofruckus]

I watched my first movie in about a week this morning, and it was Cronenberg's Naked Lunch. What a twisted thing that was. I enjoyed it - it's off the fucking wall and morbidly funny. The lead actor, Peter Weller, was outstanding. I've never read any of William S. Burroughs' writings, but apparently this is an amalgam of many of them (with some autobiographical elements), rather than a straight adaptation of the novel Naked Lunch.

[Yablonowitz]

I just posted this in the Post Your Picture thread....but this may have something to do with why directors are not automatically given jurisdiction over their marketing elements:

PEEPS (http://www.thapeeps.com/trailer.htm)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA! Fucking Peeps had to have kicked ass, Gabe. You know this to be true.

Actually, what would a studio do with this movie to make it more palatable?

[Down Rodeo]

I watched Bringing Out the Dead today. This has to be one of the most underrated movies Scorsese has ever done. I thought it was great, but it gets very little praise and if I remember correctly, did poorly in theaters. It's similar in theme and style to Taxi Driver, and it has some pretty brilliant sequences in it. It's worth checking out if you haven't seen it yet.

[thestripe]

I just watched "Fearless Freaks: The Flaming Lips". It's a 2005 documentary directed by Bradley Beesley (also directed most of the Lip's music videos) that chronicles the band from their beginnings in Okalahoma. Most of the film consists of interviews with the band and their families, along with live performances and studio footage. The film stretches from their small time stage shows, signing to WB, battles with drug addiction, loss of guitarist Ronald Jones, to the Lips crazy live shows that they are known for now.
I really enjoyed this movie, and how it portrayed the band on a human level. The interviews with Wayne are very personal and funny. The film also shows how the band came up with the concept of Zaireeka (the four-CD album which is intended to be heard by playing all four CDs in four separate CD players simultaneously) and how the band conducted a series of parking lot experiments, and later boom box experiments with their fans. I could go on about the film, but it's really worth taking the time to watch, even if you are not a huge fan. I give it an A+.

[schoolofruckus]

I watched Bringing Out the Dead today. This has to be one of the most underrated movies Scorsese has ever done. I thought it was great, but it gets very little praise and if I remember correctly, did poorly in theaters. It's similar in theme and style to Taxi Driver, and it has some pretty brilliant sequences in it. It's worth checking out if you haven't seen it yet.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. I think this film is amazing.

[schoolofruckus]

I just watched "Fearless Freaks: The Flaming Lips". It's a 2005 documentary directed by Bradley Beesley (also directed most of the Lip's music videos) that chronicles the band from their beginnings in Okalahoma. Most of the film consists of interviews with the band and their families, along with live performances and studio footage. The film stretches from their small time stage shows, signing to WB, battles with drug addiction, loss of guitarist Ronald Jones, to the Lips crazy live shows that they are known for now.
I really enjoyed this movie, and how it portrayed the band on a human level. The interviews with Wayne are very personal and funny. The film also shows how the band came up with the concept of Zaireeka (the four-CD album which is intended to be heard by playing all four CDs in four separate CD players simultaneously) and how the band conducted a series of parking lot experiments, and later boom box experiments with their fans. I could go on about the film, but it's really worth taking the time to watch, even if you are not a huge fan. I give it an A+.

I also agree with this wholeheartedly. This is possibly the best rock band documentary I've seen. It doesn't hurt that the Lips are one of my most favorite bands.

[schoolofruckus]

I watched Syndromes and a Century last night. This Thai film is ultimately a paradoxical, dual story about a medical community - primarily focusing on the pretty Dr. Toey and the recently-arrived Dr. Nohng, but also extending to their colleagues, their romantic interests, and their memories. The story unfolds once in a hospital in rural Thailand - in an undefined but definitely decades-ago time period - and then again in a modern day big city (Bangkok?). It's a subtle and wholly unique narrative (not the device, but the way it unspools) that, at times, had me mystified as to what it was all adding up to. But the power of the filmmaking kept me absorbed, and reflecting on it this morning, the movie makes sense in an elemental (if not entirely tangible) way. If you're into cinema-as-tone-poem, this is a great place to go.

[roberto73]

Has anyone seen The Orphanage? I had to drive to Oxnard to see it because it only lasted for a week in Santa Barbara. That's a loss for SB because I thought it was really, really great. After years and years of movies, I'm so desensitized that not much bothers me, but there were sequences in this movie that were genuinely creepy. I'm not used to watching a movie with squinted eyes, but that was the case yesterday. I also thought the ending hit just the right note. It could have gone for crushing and depressing or shmaltzy and sentimental, but it somehow managed to strike a nice balance between the two. Recommended if it's still playing around you.

[Yablonowitz]

I watched Bringing Out the Dead today. This has to be one of the most underrated movies Scorsese has ever done. I thought it was great, but it gets very little praise and if I remember correctly, did poorly in theaters. It's similar in theme and style to Taxi Driver, and it has some pretty brilliant sequences in it. It's worth checking out if you haven't seen it yet.

Oh yeah, according to Wikipedia, "Bringing Out the Dead" gets little acclaim primarily because it sucks big hairy scab-ridden donkey balls.

[PotVsKtl]

Bringing Out the Dead is the only narrative Scorsese film I haven't seen. I really dislike Nicholas Cage, despite Raising Arizona.

[PotVsKtl]

Who fucking cares?

[PotVsKtl]

Delete.

[schoolofruckus]

I just looked over Scorsese's filmography, and I'm kind of shocked to realize that I've only seen just over half of his 20 narrative features. The unseen:

Who's That Knocking At My Door?*
Boxcar Bertha
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore*
New York, New York
King of Comedy
After Hours*
The Color of Money
The Age of Innocence
Kundun


Which ones are absolutely essential?


* - Denotes that I own it but have not yet watched.

[thestripe]

The Color of Money is classic.

[whynotsmile99]

i just watched John Carptenter's "They Live" the other night. GOd I loved it so much. Probably one of the best, awesomly bad 80s movie i've ever seen.

I started watching right when he found the glasses. Need to see the begining stuff. I must say, it started pretty creepy. Loved the black and white. I thought it was going to be a pretty intense sci fi conspiracy movie with heavy satire, but went the way of the bad action film. I can't say I fault it because it was still the most entertaining thing I've seen in a while.

That fist fight was ridiculous and I busted out laughing when Rowdy Roddy Piper busted out the wrestling moves.

Bank shoot out was awesome and totally pointless.

damn I loved this movie

[whynotsmile99]

I just looked over Scorsese's filmography, and I'm kind of shocked to realize that I've only seen just over half of his 20 narrative features. The unseen:

Who's That Knocking At My Door?*
Boxcar Bertha
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore*
New York, New York
King of Comedy
After Hours*
The Color of Money
The Age of Innocence
Kundun


Which ones are absolutely essential?


* - Denotes that I own it but have not yet watched.

I'm embarassed to say I have both Scorsesse box sets with a lot of those films in there and have yet to watch them all. Kundun I remember being absolutly enthralled with. it's not like a lot of other Scorsesse films. Very beautiful movie.

[wmgaretjax]

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore and The Age of Innocence are great. Kundun and King of Comedy are passable.

[PotVsKtl]

I just looked over Scorsese's filmography, and I'm kind of shocked to realize that I've only seen just over half of his 20 narrative features. The unseen:

Who's That Knocking At My Door?*
Boxcar Bertha
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore*
New York, New York
King of Comedy
After Hours*
The Color of Money
The Age of Innocence
Kundun


Which ones are absolutely essential?


* - Denotes that I own it but have not yet watched.

Who's That Knocking At My Door?*
Essential. This is, thematically, essentially a Mean Streets prequel. Also Scorsese's first feature.

Boxcar Bertha
Depends. I like this movie more than most critics seem to. It's often surprisingly mean-spirited. A Roger Corman production, with bonus real on-camera David Carradine intercourse.

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore*
Essential. Ellen Burstyn is great and the film is pretty unique in Scorsese's career; a small, focused drama.

New York, New York
Fuck Liza Minnelli. Trying to watch this made me nauseous.

King of Comedy
Most people will tell you this is essential. It's an interesting character for DeNiro but the movie didn't do much for me.

After Hours*
Essential. A comedy featuring Cheech and Chong directed by Scorsese? Fuck you.

The Color of Money
The peak of Scorsese's career. There will never be a better movie about Tom Cruise dancing around a pool table.

The Age of Innocence
I don't really remember this movie.

Kundun
I don't really remember this movie.

[C DUB YA]

I just looked over Scorsese's filmography, and I'm kind of shocked to realize that I've only seen just over half of his 20 narrative features. The unseen:

Who's That Knocking At My Door?*
Boxcar Bertha
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore*
New York, New York
King of Comedy
After Hours*
The Color of Money
The Age of Innocence
Kundun


Which ones are absolutely essential?


* - Denotes that I own it but have not yet watched.


After Hours and Color of Money

[roberto73]

I'm not as well-versed in Scorsese's earliest films, but of his later stuff, I think King of Comedy and The Color of Money are worth a look, with After Hours and The Age of Innocence being essential.

[Down Rodeo]

Yeah, Scorsese is my favorite director and I'm ashamed to admit I haven't seen most of those films either. I vaguely remember seeing The Color of Money, and thinking it was pretty good. I've heard The Age of Innocence is excellent and will watch it very soon.

Oh, and I should remind everyone that Raging Bull is one of the best films ever made, period. Taxi Driver, too.

[schoolofruckus]

I saw The Color of Money on TV when I was a kid. I remember thinking it was cool, but I can hardly count that as something I've seen.

I'm glad that the three I own are considered essential/borderline essential by most. I will probably give Boxcar Bertha a shot as well, if for no other reason than to find out why Cassavetes told him it was a piece of dogshit.

[PotVsKtl]

From watching the Scorsese on Scorsese doc on the Departed DVD I got the sense that it wasn't so much that Cassavetes said the finished product was dogshit, but that as a whole Scorsese should be doing more personal films. When you contrast Boxcar Bertha with Who's That Knocking At My Door, it's an obvious step down. It's a fucking Corman B movie.

[Somewhat Damaged]

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1182611/bio

I produced this guy's 2nd short film, Children of the Arcana. He's had the same trivia information -- "one of the youngest Hollywood directors" -- for the past 5 years or so. Does anyone else think he's a douche or am I just an asshole?

[schoolofruckus]

"what bugs me about directors is their inherent ability to be the opposite of who they really are. When directors try to be weird (when they are not) or vice versa, they lose the beauty in the person they really are. That's why most films are just an ugly metaphor of the directors who deny the true beauty in their original talent"

+

http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/M/==/QM/zc/TM/yg/zM/wc/TZ/tF/kX/nB/na/B5/lM/B5/VN/5k/DM/1Y/DO/xM/TM/B5/VM._SY400_SX600_.jpg

=

Yeah, no. You're right.

[thefunkylama]

i'm pretty sure that person is afraid of stabbing themselves with their own hair.


Ok so when I go onto my website that I have rented dvd's sent to me from, I tend to just add whatever movies that seem interesting. I suspect I may have added the film "The Lost Boys" without thinking it through all the way, because the description reads as follows:

"After moving to Santa Carla, California with his older brother Michael and mother, Sam starts to suspect that Michael has fallen in with a cult of punked out biker vampires."

Should I bother? Should I just send it back without watching it? It doesn't sound like something remotely anywhere near good, by which I mean something I would like.


Speaking of things I like, I really liked the movie Delicatessen (came out 1991). It's a French film directed with the same guy who did Amelie, another film I love. Has anyone else seen it?

[wmgaretjax]

Not a big "The Lost Boys" fan, but I love "Delicatessen" I was really happy when it finally got a region 1 release.

[thefunkylama]

Here's imdb's list of plot keywords for Lost Boys:

Plot Keywords:

Teen Angst (http://www.imdb.com/keyword/teen-angst/) / Wine (http://www.imdb.com/keyword/wine/) / Spear Through Chest (http://www.imdb.com/keyword/spear-through-chest/) / Teenager (http://www.imdb.com/keyword/teenager/) / Dysfunctional Family (http://www.imdb.com/keyword/dysfunctional-family/)

Wine and Spear Through Chest. Throwing back the little fish seems like the best course of action.

[amyzzz]

DEATH BY STEREO

[PotVsKtl]

iOk so when I go onto my website that I have rented dvd's sent to me from, I tend to just add whatever movies that seem interesting. I suspect I may have added the film "The Lost Boys" without thinking it through all the way, because the description reads as follows:

Should I bother? Should I just send it back without watching it? It doesn't sound like something remotely anywhere near good, by which I mean something I would like.

Lost Boys is essential '80s viewing.


Speaking of things I like, I really liked the movie Delicatessen (came out 1991). It's a French film directed with the same guy who did Amelie, another film I love. Has anyone else seen it?

City of Lost Children.

[amyzzz]

I liked that movie when I was 13.

[PotVsKtl]

Here's imdb's list of plot keywords for Lost Boys:



Wine and Spear Through Chest. Throwing back the little fish seems like the best course of action.


No, fuck you. You will watch Lost Boys. I want a report next week.

[thefunkylama]

alright, I guess that means I have to stop using it as a candle holder. I was going to make a mobile out of it next, but if you insist!


I'll watch it after I get back from urgent care.

[full on idle]

I wouldn't be who I am today without the repeated viewings of the Lost Boys.

Fucking saxophone man, it still haunts me.

[PotVsKtl]

Haha you need so much care it's urgent.

[schoolofruckus]

Lost Boys FUCKED ME UP when I saw it at the tender age of 8.

I have not seen Delicatessen yet, but Pot's right - City of Lost Children is fucking great. I would also highly recommend A Very Long Engagement.

[PotVsKtl]

While I would inform you that A Very Long Engagement is a jumbled mess.

[full on idle]

Movies that fucked me up because I watched them when I was too young
Cybil
Scarecrow
Night of the Living Dead
Watership Down

[wmgaretjax]

Watership Down

holy shit yes.

[kreutz2112]

Boys in da hood fucked me up when I was a little kid. i watched it when I was like 6.

[PotVsKtl]

I saw most of Wizard of Gore when I was about 8 at my brother's birthday party.

[full on idle]

I was watching Boyz in da Hood when the news broke that Kurt Cobain died. In Florida, with a sunburn.

[amyzzz]

Exorcist fucked me up.

[kreutz2112]

I need to watch Boyz n the hood again. I think I would find it much more entertaining and culturally significant now (of course). Anyway, I thought every black person was going to kill me if I looked at him wrong for like a year after I watched that. Keep in mind I lived in the most mormon suburb of SLC you could imagine so black people were hard to come by.

[Down Rodeo]

I was very disturbed by Labyrinth as a child.

[roberto73]

I wouldn't be who I am today without the repeated viewings of the Lost Boys.

Fucking saxophone man, it still haunts me.

The saxophone man! Forget Coreys Feldman and Haim. He's the true star of the movie.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/insomniacmonty/lost_boys_sax1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/insomniacmonty/saxman2.jpg

Thank you, Joel Schumacher. You are truly the unsung hero of American cinema.

[amyzzz]

My church youth group used to play that music by The Call at our Wednesday night meetings. I think that was the name of the band with the saxophone man.

[Down Rodeo]

I saw Breathless last night. It was cool, but nothing spectacular. I don't really see what the big deal is about Godard yet.

[schoolofruckus]

I saw Breathless last night. It was cool, but nothing spectacular. I don't really see what the big deal is about Godard yet.

I didn't after seeing Breathless, either. It was a huge stylistic leap in 1959, but it's not all that impressive once you get past the surface. But take the advice that I was given (and heeded) - hold out until you see Week-End and Masculin Feminin at least before you form an impression of him.

[schoolofruckus]

I watched The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford again last night. And while I'm pretty sure that There Will Be Blood is still my favorite film of last year, this one is seriously on its heels. I'd almost forgotten how funny it was.

[mountmccabe]

The last three movies I've seen where all rather slight and dumb.

T3: Rise of the Machines a week ago. It seemed really, really short even though it's the same length as the original. The ending seemed like throwing in the towel, especially after how T2 ended. They had to, I suppose, if they were going to make another one. Anyway watching it was made bearable by the RiffTrax commentary which was about average for them, I'd say.

The other afternoon I watched Idiocracy. This voice over filled satire is about how everything is becoming stupid and crass and demonstrates this by being incredibly stupid and crass. Their point was exceedingly superficial and they offered no novel solutions. It was imaginative and at times humorous but mostly it was annoying.

Tonight I saw Jumper. It is based on a 1992 sci-fi novel I have not read. It is about a young man that can teleport himself at will. He becomes decadent and lives alone and doesn't even realize it. There is the smallest measurable amount of character development over the course of a brisk 90 minutes. It was somewhat interesting even though it does most everything you think it would (except for the lack of character change) and little else. Hayden Christensen basically plays Hayden Christensen, often in full whiny brat mode. Liman has directed much better films before.

[xXThirdManXx]

The next Judd Apatow flick. Written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.

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[wmgaretjax]

jesus christ I'm sick of this guy... David Gordon Green has not lived up to any of the potential he exhibited with his debut.

[bmack86]

I saw Be Kind Rewind last night on campus at UCLA. I didn't expect a whole lot, but I was laughing the whole way thru. It was, on one level, an entirely predictable story about how, with ingenuity and the help of friends, you can do anything, but there was much more humanity to it than one of those normal films. Also, it was really, really funny. I was laughing through most of it because of the insane, absurd humor that Jack Black and Mos Def throw out repeatedly. Much better than it looked initially.

[breakjaw]

That sax guy was Tina Turner's sax guy for the Private Dancer tour in like,1984.Don't ask how I know,I just do,OK?!

[triceratops oatmeal]

I was never a huge fan of David Gordon Green, but I'll definately be peeping Pineapple Express. looks funny.

[breakjaw]

I just looked over Scorsese's filmography, and I'm kind of shocked to realize that I've only seen just over half of his 20 narrative features. The unseen:


Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore*

King of Comedy
After Hours*

The Age of Innocence


Absolutely Essential!

Age of Innocence for Day-Lewis alone.After-Hours is the ultimate paranoid fantasy movie ( a genre I particularly enjoy,see Three O'Clock High and The Neighbors also)
King Of Comedy for DeNiro brilliance
and Alice is a good Seventies realism flick.I haven't seen it in thirty years,though,from when it first showed on the first form of cable TV,something called Cineamerica,around the same time they were showing The Towering Inferno and The Drowning Pool.Elliot Gould was still a big deal.

[C DUB YA]

INDY 4 trailer up in HD!

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/indianajones.html;_ylt=AsY7qv8MSH6wl3g1GC6bw55fVXc A

[whynotsmile99]

INDY 4 trailer up in HD!

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/indianajones.html;_ylt=AsY7qv8MSH6wl3g1GC6bw55fVXc A

i'm excited. that looked good

[Young blood]

YES!

[C DUB YA]

I am very excited!

Something about that music always gets me. May 22 won't get here soon enough!

[Stefinitely Maybe]

I am as excited as Ronnie in a room full of schoolgirls.

[triceratops oatmeal]

That looks a lot better than what I was expecting. Cate Blanchett looks great & Ray Winstone kicks ass. This should be another fun one.

[C DUB YA]

Anyone seen ZODIAC? I just got it in the mail from netflix.

[canexplain]

C dub, my gal watched Zodiac and said it was pretty suspenseful, I fell asleep but not because of the movie …We saw 3 10 to Yuma with Crowe and bales …. Good western …. Saw No Reservations (the cooking movie) last night, not as light as we thought it would be ….
And over the weekend I watched Across the Universe … that movie sort of got to me because it was like a story of my life at that age … even down to the organization the dude belonged to, I think in the movie it was the SDD ? … well I worked with the SDS until they seriously started talking about blowing up corporations which I didn’t agree with, being a pacifist …I had a 50 passenger school bus too, painted red as a barn, but on the back it said in big letters “Church of the Nazareth” we thought that might keep the establishment off our butts …. It was pretty cool with beds and a small kitchen, the works ….. Oh and btw, I was never as good looking as that gang of kids …. Fun times … x****

[triceratops oatmeal]

did you enjoy "Across The Universe"? I loved it, but I've also noticed that some people who lived during those times seem to appreciate it more.

[Down Rodeo]

Anyone seen ZODIAC? I just got it in the mail from netflix.

Yeah, a lot of people on here loved Zodiac, myself included. One of the best movies of 2007 that doesn't get the praise it deserves.

[Down Rodeo]

I finally saw The Lives of Others last night. That movie was amazing, probably one of the best I've seen in the last few years.

[canexplain]

did you enjoy "Across The Universe"? I loved it, but I've also noticed that some people who lived during those times seem to appreciate it more.

i treated the flick mostly as a music movie, although there was some plot ... i loved the movie, yes because it brought back those turbulent times which made you feel alive every morning you woke up ... x****

[C DUB YA]

I really enjoyed Across the Universe - but I also really enjoy Beatles music in most forms.

[amyzzz]

I finally saw Juno yesterday. I liked it a lot, and I cried maybe 3 or 4 times, and I also got the sweats in the scenes with Jason Bateman and Ellen Page. Uncomfortable scenes make me sweat--what can I say. It was a sweet movie, and actually a perfect movie to see with my husband the day before Valentine's Day (we played hooky yesterday).

[downingthief]

My church youth group used to play that music by The Call at our Wednesday night meetings. I think that was the name of the band with the saxophone man.

Actually, the Call did the song originally, but saxaphone man did a cover of it. He also played sax and keys with Tina Turner in the 80's.

Don't ask me how I remember all this crap...

[downingthief]

Ok...movies.

So, I broke out the next installment of my Kubrick Collection; A Clockwork Orange. It's been probably close to 6-7 years since I have seen it last. It was like meeting up with an old, but severly disturbed friend.

I may have to move Clockwork up on my all time Kubrick list (ok, maybe not...I'm still partial to Strangelove). The "singing in the rain" scene has to rank up there with one of the most disturbing and wicked of all time. Love the opening shot...the pan out on Alex stays with you for days.


Next up...rented some movies over the weekend.

Elizabeth, the Golden age was...well, ok. Blanchett was good, as usual. But I never felt lost in her character as I was in the first movie. I needed to feel empathy, and fear her, at the same time...never got to that point.

Across the Universe. Loved it. I found myself being amazed at how good the Beatles songs were. I mean, I KNEW they were incredible songs. Some of the best of all time. But, seeing them in this new form breathed new life into the songs. Really enjoyed the look of the movie, as well.

[schoolofruckus]

Indy IV looks like it could be a blast, but I also feel that - as with the trailers for Die Hard IV - it's making a distinct statement that it's going to be a more new-school affair and less in the everyman, street-level vein of the earlier films. All that Tarzan swinging whip shit seemed designed to debunk the talk of Harrison Ford being too old for this shit. Either that, or Spielberg's developed a huge Spider-man fetish recently. But Blanchett does look like she'll be a kick and my hopes for this are now renewed.

Pineapple Express on paper sounds, to me, like a potentially genius film. An action-comedy about potheads played by Apatow graduates and filtered through the poetic eye of David Gordon Green? Sounds like my kind of ride. Alas, neither the extended clip from a couple months ago nor this new trailer - both of which were red-band - seem to be all that interesting either in terms of comedy or photography. I'm sure I'm still going to see this, but I hope it's not a blown opportunity.

I watched My Own Private Idaho again tonight. No "potentially" or "could be" about this one - it's just a flat-out masterwork.

[PotVsKtl]

But the exploding car.

[amyzzz]

I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark recently, and I was sad to discover that it all seemed so dated now. I loved it as a kid.

[downingthief]

I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark recently, and I was sad to discover that it all seemed so dated now. I loved it as a kid.

It will never feel dated to me. Simply the best adventure movie of all time. Period, the end.

[roberto73]

It will never feel dated to me. Simply the best adventure movie of all time. Period, the end.

I agree. But I also admit that my judgment could be clouded by sentimentality. Raiders is the movie that got me hooked on movies in the first place, so I'm willing to overlook some of its flaws.

[PotVsKtl]

It was dated when it was made. That's kind of the idea.

[canexplain]

It was dated when it was made. That's kind of the idea.

smart ass lol .... i watched Murder on the Orient Express last weekend knowing i hadnt seem it since it came out ... i even forgot the ending which is good cuz it surprised me .... not a bad flick ... x****

[kreutz2112]

I saw Definitely Maybe yesterday. I went in thinking I was going to hate it, but i actually liked it. It never got boring and the acting wasn't half bad. I liked it.

[PotVsKtl]

I watched half of Before the Devil Knows Your Dead. Marisa Tomei's breasts delivered an excellent performance.

[roberto73]

I finally saw The Lives of Others last night. That movie was amazing, probably one of the best I've seen in the last few years.

I'll jump on the Lives of Others bandwagon, too. I've had it sitting on my shelf since October and finally watched it this morning. Really great, although I thought the multiple codas at the end were only slightly less ridiculous than the false endings in Lord of the Rings. Otherwise, I thought it was a terrifically nuanced view of these characters, and much more complex than I was expecting. It's such a shame that Ulrich Mühe, who played Wiesler, died shortly after the film was released. His performance was the standout in a uniformly strong cast.

[wmgaretjax]

I watched half of Before the Devil Knows Your Dead. Marisa Tomei's breasts delivered an excellent performance.

yeah, her tits and Hoffman were great. Too bad the movie sucked.

I agree with Roberto... Minus the ending it's an incredible film. The ending was totally forgivable, albeit frustrating.

[Down Rodeo]

I loved the ending. Every once in a while there needs to be a redemptive conclusion to a movie. Not all of them have to end on a depressing note.

[PotVsKtl]

Yes, but they don't have to suddenly turn the movie into schmaltzy bullshit either.

[wmgaretjax]

Yes, but they don't have to suddenly turn the movie into schmaltzy bullshit either.

bingo. Redemption doesn't require saccharine sentimentality.

[Down Rodeo]

Agreed, but I don't think the ending of Lives of Others was "schmaltzy". It was touching, but in a more restrained, realistic way.

[Neutral Milk Hotel]

http://www.somethingawful.com/d/news/diablo-cody-screenplay.php?page=1

[wmgaretjax]

Agreed, but I don't think the ending of Lives of Others was "schmaltzy". It was touching, but in a more restrained, realistic way.

It's not that it was unbelievable or unrealistic, it was in the portrayal.

[roberto73]

King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is a must-see. I didn't know much about it other than the basic premise, but man oh man was I surprised. It was weirdly inspirational, despite the collection of sad, scary people on display. I can't quite figure out how the movie managed to make me care about the quest for the Donkey Kong world record, but I was as involved in this story as I've been in just about anything else I've seen recently. I think there's just something relatable about the poor guy who loses his job, seeks the record, and then falls prey to this bizarrely Machiavellian gang of nerds who want to deny him his success. It's a helluva great time.

[mountmccabe]

I saw Blade Runner: The Final Cut last night. I am not sure I appreciated it.

They overdid the sharpness and resaturation and whatnot making it look fake in a George Lucas sort of way. They added back in a few exceedingly brief scenes of violence... which doesn't amount to much, really. There are some bad voice dubs too. But worst of all they went to the "I want more life, father" version of Roy's line during the deicide. Fuck that.

Still one of my favorite movies of all time but I'm starting to think it isn't aging well. It felt a little unintentionally clumsy at times. Then again, it's an odd balance and maybe it's just this cut that sucks. I need to rewatch my VHS copy of the Director's Cut sometime soon.

[Yablonowitz]

I can't find Gabe's original diatribe against Juno, but I think he's blown an overreaction gasket.

It wasn't perfect, but it was a hell of a lot better than what I was expecting. I wouldn't give it a best picture nomination or anything. But it was well done overall. The story was organic and it had a touch of sentimental sweetness to it. But it wasn't overplayed. And Michael Cera is the most lovable creature on Earth.

[schoolofruckus]

http://www.somethingawful.com/d/news/diablo-cody-screenplay.php?page=1

Thank you for posting this. I meant to put it up earlier.

For those that don't blindly follow links - this is a "leak" of the new script by Diablo Cody (writer of the infamous Juno). And it made me laugh harder than anything I've encountered in the last few months.

[schoolofruckus]

In other words, I just watched Juno. And now I have to write the review I've been afraid I was going to have to write ever since I saw the fucking trailer, and that I was really hoping to avoid when the lights went down tonight at The Landmark.

In my opinion, the hype here was all for naught. This is an empty, insincere film that - for all the verbal showmanship - is so poorly-written as to be stunning. There's a great deal of funny lines or exchanges that are entertaining as unto-themselves bon mots, but I didn't get any of the humanity or warmth or even grudging respect towards the characters that would be absolutely necessary to make a film this precious work. It's frustrating too, because you can tell that there's a lot of talent here both in the cast (obviously) but also in the pen of the infamous Diablo Cody. I was really hoping that she'd at least somehow justify all her relentless self-promotion, but all this film did was confirm that it exists to mask severe deficiencies in her work. The script shipwrecks and abandons some truly fine acting work on the parts of Ellen Page, Jennifer Garner, Allison Janney, and especially Michael Cera (the only one whose character is written to be even remotely authentic) by foisting upon them characters that are one-dimensionally and irritatingly flip as often as they're funny (nevermind being endearing). This is amateur cinematic conversation at its complete and total nadir.

I'm sorry I have to be saying all this; part of the reason the movie angered me is that I found large bits of it to be funny (or at least amusing), but the pervasively-bloggy banter and half-hearted attempts at emotional resonance kept nagging at me that I was watching a film that should have been much, much better. Maybe if someone had pulled the wunderkind aside and told her that Tarantino she ain't....I don't know. I'm done talking about this because I'm not here to beat up on someone personally, and that's all too easy to do given the unfortunately predictable results.

This might be the most precise review I've ever written. Although I'm trying to remember the "large funny bits" I spoke of, and all I can think of are the Sonic Youth joke and the oh-so-Freudian "I try really hard, actually" line.

[Benis23]

This might be the most precise review I've ever written. Although I'm trying to remember the "large funny bits" I spoke of, and all I can think of are the Sonic Youth joke and the oh-so-Freudian "I try really hard, actually" line.

I agree entirely with your review. It felt like a lame Wes Anderson rip-off that was a little too satisfied with itself. I liked the music and some of the exchanges, but overall I found it more annoying than amusing.

[Ardentbiscuit]

I have a question. I saw the trailer for 10,000 BC and it showed an ancient civilization with buildings and pyramids.

My question is, what civilization is this? 10,000 BC is before the earliest civilizations, and if it existed where are the ruins??

Or is this movie just a crazy fantasy film and shouldn't be taken too seriously?

[roberto73]

I have a question. I saw the trailer for 10,000 BC and it showed an ancient civilization with buildings and pyramids.

Or is this movie just a crazy fantasy film and shouldn't be taken too seriously?

It's from the director of Independence Day, Godzilla, and The Day After Tomorrow. Oh, and the Dolph Lundgren/Jean-Claude van Damme spectacular, Universal Soldier. I believe that should answer your question.

[Ardentbiscuit]

It's from the director of Independence Day, Godzilla, and The Day After Tomorrow. Oh, and the Dolph Lundgren/Jean-Claude van Damme spectacular, Universal Soldier. I believe that should answer your question.


enough said, no wonder..

[Neutral Milk Hotel]

I’m kind of ashamed now, but I can’t imagine I’m the only person who preemptively dismissed Atonement with the “English Patient” excuse (and as a side note, is the movie actually good? It seems to me that every time I hear about it it’s not that The English Patient itself was bad, it’s that The English Patient wasn’t as good as Fargo. But I digress.) It seems to me that that film started a turning of the tides (or maybe it was already there, who knows). Now there’s a certain aura around adaptations of prestigious Brit lit, an expectation for sophistication and poise at the expense of raw humanity.
So then, I have to say it was quite a surprise to me that Atonement, an extraordinary achievement, is actually something of an anti-Romantic Epic. The plot, by now, is probably familiar to most, if not all of you. Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan), a 13-year-old girl with literary aspirations, misinterprets the nature of the relationship between her older sister (Keira Knightley), and a servant’s son (James McAvoy), and, fueled by her own hormonal desires and insecurity, tells a lie that reverberates through the years and destroys all three of these lives.
It’s a powerful story, well told, but I’d like to focus on Joe Wright’s directing and, in a minute, the ending. My friend Sky Hirschkron express surprised at the neurotic style of Wright’s directing on this project, and I tend to think that’s what gives this film its immediacy. A lot of historical films fall into the trap of regarding their subjects as beautiful artifacts, be they people or battles or objects, etc. Wright is completely engaged with his characters. It’s probably why the first third of the film, the part where the things are misunderstood and the lies told, is also the most alive. The country estate vibrates with psychosexual energy and social tension. A large part of this is Saoirse Ronan. Knightley and McAvoy are very good, but Ronan is fascinating in a way I’m not sure has to do with her performance. Her piercing blue eyes, the mole on her cheek, the spindly arms and legs that evoke a praying mantis; young Briony is a completely captivating character, and the most involving parts of the film are those that focus on her.
By contrast, the Dunkirk scenes are disconnected and dreamlike. Some might call them plotless, but it makes sense. By all conventional logic, Cecilia and Robbie should have gotten married and had children and Briony finds success as a playwright and everyone is happy etc. etc. etc. It’s how these things are expected to work out. But the expected way was destroyed when Briony tells her lie, so it follows that the plot only drives the movie up through the fateful mistruth, and then becomes looser and more episodic. Even the shores of Dunkirk are presented with a detached eye. Here, as established by that extraordinary unbroken shot every review about the film has already mentioned, war is established as a grotesque carnival of both the horrific and the mundane.

SPOILERS BELOW:





And then, of course, we have the ending. The thing about the film that’s so brilliant is its restless, peering intelligence; it deconstructs itself as it goes along. At the end of the film, the older Briony says “So, my sister and Robbie were never able to have the time together they both so longed for... and deserved…But what sense of hope or satisfaction could a reader derive from an ending like that? So in the book, I wanted to give Robbie and Cecilia what they lost out on in life.” But the final shots of Robbie and Cecilia in romantic bliss (in front of that postcard house, to boot) aren’t satisfying, they’re sad and ludicrous. In a sense, McEwan and Wright call the bluff of countless mediocre period romances. As a film, it works in a specific way. A bevy of potential clichés are trotted out—the couple separated by adversity, war, betrayal, a bitter rivalry, etc.—and then the ending has us question the value of every single one of them. Even beyond Briony’s fictionalization of her story’s conclusion, we’re invited to consider even McEwan’s and Wright’s fictionalization of this entire story, and to ask ourselves which kind of truth is more important, the emotional or the factual. Most fiction would suggest the former, but Atonement challenges this assumption. It’s not another The English Patient. A wolf in sheep’s clothing, it asks the questions most costume dramas wouldn’t dare thinking about.

9.4/10

[roberto73]

I'm really glad you liked it, NMH. A few pages back I was lamenting how it had been mismarketed – aimed at the Merchant/Ivory crowd, when it's so much darker and more complicated than your standard costume drama. I think your review is spot-on, and I'd like to think its Oscar nomination means more people will give it a chance.

I remember Stef or SonofHal (I think) writing about Atonement months ago when it was first released in England, and saying how unexpectedly great it was. It really is a surprising film in a lot of different ways, and as much as I enjoyed it at the time, it grew on me even more in the days that followed.

[mountmccabe]

So the Mesa Community College International Film Festival is running next week Tuesday through Saturday. It is free. This is a bad week for me but I may be able to skip out to catch one or two of the films. They are all by Krzysztof Zanussi. I don't know who that is and haven't seen any of these films. Can anyone offer comments/recommendations?

19th - The Constant Factor (1980)
20th - Wherever You Are (1988)
21st - The Silent Touch (1992)
22nd - Life As A Fatal Sexually Transmitted Disease (2000)
23rd - Persona Non Grata (2005)

For other folks in the area the films show each night at 7 pm at Arizona Mills. Also Zanussi will there each night for a Q & A.

[schoolofruckus]

I'm really glad you liked it, NMH. A few pages back I was lamenting how it had been mismarketed – aimed at the Merchant/Ivory crowd, when it's so much darker and more complicated than your standard costume drama. I think your review is spot-on, and I'd like to think its Oscar nomination means more people will give it a chance.

I remember Stef or SonofHal (I think) writing about Atonement months ago when it was first released in England, and saying how unexpectedly great it was. It really is a surprising film in a lot of different ways, and as much as I enjoyed it at the time, it grew on me even more in the days that followed.

It was Stef. His review was one of the best I've ever read here.

NMH's latest is another. That was flat-out perfect.

I saw The English Patient a long time ago and I remember thinking it was good. Its biggest crime definitely seems to be that it won the Oscar in the same year as Fargo.

[Neutral Milk Hotel]

Wow, thanks.

[ivankay]

I have a question. I saw the trailer for 10,000 BC and it showed an ancient civilization with buildings and pyramids.

My question is, what civilization is this? 10,000 BC is before the earliest civilizations, and if it existed where are the ruins??

Or is this movie just a crazy fantasy film and shouldn't be taken too seriously?

Although there is nothing that is accepted by the main stream, there are curiosities that point to advanced civilizations going back beyond the Egyptians that built the pyramids. Some of the man made holes (for planting posts) near Stone Henge are suspected to date back to 8000 BC. Then there are the underwater structures of Yonaguni (http://www.morien-institute.org/yonaguni.html). Those are being placed in the 10,000 BC range because of the estimated time that area would have been above the sea. Some theorist even have the early verions of the Sphinx going back that far. None of these are accepted to the point where you will hear them in a classroom, but the grumblings are out there abount certain physical evidence being older than history says it is.

Oh yeah, don't forget Conan.

[Courtney]

I finally saw There Will Be Blood yesterday. I'm still processing, but I wasn't as impressed as seems to be the general consensus here. It all felt a bit overwrought and heavy-handed, to me. It wasn't a bad movie, but after reading some of the comments here, I was expecting better.

[boarderwoozel3]

Daniel Day-Lewis' decent into madness was incredible.

[PotVsKtl]

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/35655

What?

[PotVsKtl]

I'm stating categorically that Atonement is the first modern take on a period piece without a hint of irony. Prove me wrong and earn yourself a signature welt.

[full on idle]

That and Juno are first on my netflix when I'm done with the wire.

[schoolofruckus]

I'm stating categorically that Atonement is the first modern take on a period piece without a hint of irony. Prove me wrong and earn yourself a signature welt.

I take it you're not in the mood to give out a signature welt? You speak the truth. It's what made the movie sing.

[schoolofruckus]

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/35655

What?

This is highly interesting. I'm glad the clip didn't get yoinked before I got to check it out.

The look of the film is cool shit. All of Moriarty's talk about reshoots and James Gandolfini's voice being changed is a bit disconcerting, but I have no doubt this will be as awesome as we all expect it to be.

[Mr.Nipples]

remember jumanji...let them take their time...

[thelastgreatman]

remember jumanji...let them take their time...

This is like a Zen koan.

[wmgaretjax]

I have no clue what to think after watching that clip.

[Neutral Milk Hotel]

This is highly interesting. I'm glad the clip didn't get yoinked before I got to check it out.

The look of the film is cool shit. All of Moriarty's talk about reshoots and James Gandolfini's voice being changed is a bit disconcerting, but I have no doubt this will be as awesome as we all expect it to be.

Actually it turns out the leaked footage was just a screen test, hence the lack of Gandolfini. I had a chance to see this last November but I blew it, now it's hitting me pretty hard.

[HowToDisappear]

We saw Across the Universe last weekend, and I must say, we really enjoyed it. I think they did a pretty good job of incorporating the songs into the predictably thin plotline. Some forced or clichéd moments to be sure, but definitely forgiveable. Breathe easy, Beatles fans, this is not another abomination like Sgt. Pepper's.

The film looks great, and happily, all the principals can sing, which is most helpful in a musical. (That was my major complaint with Sweeney Todd. The art production was stunning, but Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter simply cannot sing.)

[schoolofruckus]

I watched Quiet City tonight. It's a suuuuuper shoestring, mumblecore movie about a young woman who arrives in New York City to visit a friend; that friend flakes on meeting up with her, so the guy she has asked for directions offers to let her stay with him. They spend the next few days wandering around the city and getting to know each other. It's like an even lower-key, New York-based version of Before Sunrise - and also bears a strong aesthetic kinship to Mutual Appreciation - but it's far more visually striking than either of those films. If you're down with minimalism, this one's great.

[Down Rodeo]

I watched Touch of Evil last night. What can I say, it's a brilliant movie. Orson Welles is fat as hell, and he does an awesome job playing a crooked cop. It's a bit hilarious watching Charlton Heston play a Mexican, but the movie's greatness overshadows it. Hell, just the film's opening tracking shot is worth watching. Orson Welles = genius.

[bballarl]

I have no clue what to think after watching that clip.

Yeah. Me too.

[PotVsKtl]

Atonement. Best film of 2007.

[kingsblend420]

I watched The Fugitive last night from 3:30-5am.

[triceratops oatmeal]

I watched Rocket Science last night from 3 - 430 am. There was a copy of it laying around at work. So, last night I decided to take it home with me. Popped it in the dvd player at 3 am thinking it would be a good flick to fall asleep to. This was not to be. I enjoyed the film enough to stay up for the whole thing. It was a bit overbearing at times, yet pretty damn funny & charming throughout. If you enjoyed Juno there's a good chance you will enjoy this film too. They're pretty much on the same level, but I think Rocket Science might be slighly better.

[corbo]

i saw jules and jim this past weekend.
can someone enlighten me as to why this is considered a masterpiece?
at least...thats what the person who recommended it to me made it out to be.
the narrator rushes through a ridiculous plot about this grandiose harlot and
these two friends who fall head over heels for her as if she was some goddess and continue to try and please her despite the fact that she is a total bitch. please. and the war scenes were fucking laughable.

[TomAz]

Ok...movies.

So, I broke out the next installment of my Kubrick Collection; A Clockwork Orange. It's been probably close to 6-7 years since I have seen it last. It was like meeting up with an old, but severly disturbed friend.

I may have to move Clockwork up on my all time Kubrick list (ok, maybe not...I'm still partial to Strangelove). The "singing in the rain" scene has to rank up there with one of the most disturbing and wicked of all time. Love the opening shot...the pan out on Alex stays with you for days.


Interesting coincidence. I watched this movie last week as well, probably the first time in 15 years for me.

I reached a very different conclusion from yours. I've moved ACO down to near the bottom of my Kubrick list. Below Barry Lyndon, even.

My main problems were the acting and the storyline. It's not a comedy but I found it impossible to take seriously as a drama. Other than that it was fine.

[roberto73]

I watched Rocket Science last night from 3 - 430 am. There was a copy of it laying around at work. So, last night I decided to take it home with me. Popped it in the dvd player at 3 am thinking it would be a good flick to fall asleep to. This was not to be. I enjoyed the film enough to stay up for the whole thing. It was a bit overbearing at times, yet pretty damn funny & charming throughout. If you enjoyed Juno there's a good chance you will enjoy this film too. They're pretty much on the same level, but I think Rocket Science might be slighly better.

I think Rocket Science is absolutely better than Juno. I've been hesitant to express my love for this movie too strongly on here because I know the allergic reaction some people have to quirk – even well-placed and effective quirk – but I saw this in the theater and again recently on DVD, and I think it's great. I never get the feeling that its quirkiness is simply adornment – like I often felt in Juno and Lars and the Real Girl and even The Darjeeling Limited. Maybe it's that I relate too much to the protagonist, but I really do think Rocket Science holds up as one of the best movies of last year.

At the other end of the spectrum, I watched Kevin Bacon in Death Sentence last night. It's exactly as bad as you think it is.

[thelastgreatman]

Interesting coincidence. I watched this movie last week as well, probably the first time in 15 years for me.

I reached a very different conclusion from yours. I've moved ACO down to near the bottom of my Kubrick list. Below Barry Lyndon, even.

My main problems were the acting and the storyline. It's not a comedy but I found it impossible to take seriously as a drama. Other than that it was fine.

... the fuck is wrong with you?


I went and saw The Strangers on Monday because nothing else that even seemed potentiall good was playing. I don't think I've seen anyone mention it in the thread, so I'm gonna do a review.

It was quite a good movie, although it was written by a playwright, perhaps adapted from a play, and thus there are a lot of scenes written for stage acting, which is to say overacting. Thankfully, Philip Seymor himself is one of the two main characters (Laura Linney being the other, who's adequate) and thus keeps the boring scenes still interesting to watch and the melodramatic scenes not too irritating. It's quite quippy when it's not being dramatic--if you're at all into plays there's a lot of in-jokes as both the brother and sister protagonists are playwrights--and is good at quipping.

It is also, however, largely about an unfunny subject matter--the brother and sister of an abusive, alcoholic father are called after years without any contact with their dad to be told that he's developed dementia. So they come home and have to wrestle with the issues of caring for people too old/insane to care for themselves, which can be really tiresome fucking issues to watch on screen. I might have related to it a bit more than most would because I know my mother went through this exact shit with her parents, it was a two year long debacle that if I wrote it up would probably be a better movie than this. But, it's unfair to judge this movie against something I would write, as they all lose in that battle.

So if you're really into plays and the writing thereof or you can relate/are interested at all/are remotely tolerant of watching a story that includes a lot of screen time about how shit sucks when you get old and sucks even more if you're the child and you have to decide how much of your playwright's income (read: diddly-squat) you're willing to spend on a nursing home to take care of the man who never took good care of you... by all means, go out and see it. You'll love it.

If you're not any of those things, you better be really into patriarchal relationships and dry wit about stuff you'd probably hear on Frasier (except Frasier played out like a fucking Marx Bros. movie for some reason). Or you better have such good taste that you can get into any movie, but don't go see it if old people with dementia give you the creeps. Cause they kinda do it to me, and if I didn't personally relate to it the skin-crawling factor I get from the subject probably would have overridden its humor.

But I'm saying all this as someone who can't bear to watch that Gilbert Grape movie because down syndrome makes me so fucking uncomfortable.

It gets a B.

[roberto73]

I went and saw The Strangers on Monday because nothing else that even seemed potentiall good was playing. I don't think I've seen anyone mention it in the thread, so I'm gonna do a review.

Good review, except it's called The Savages. Unless there's another movie with an identical plot that goes by a different name. Kinda like Dante's Peak and Volcano.

[TomAz]

... the fuck is wrong with you?


I can understand why that movie is so appealing to you, Randy. the whole 'rebel-boy-manipulated-by-the-state' thing is right in your wheelhouse. hell it could be your autobiography.

[amyzzz]

Good review, except it's called The Savages. Unless there's another movie with an identical plot that goes by a different name. Kinda like Dante's Peak and Volcano.
Wow. Lay off the e, Randy.

[schoolofruckus]

I can understand why that movie is so appealing to you, Randy. the whole 'rebel-boy-manipulated-by-the-state' thing is right in your wheelhouse. hell it could be your autobiography.

That's a really easy way of relegating A Clockwork Orange to the scrap heap. It deserves far better than that in spite of your problems with its tonal juxtaposition.

[wmgaretjax]

But I'm saying all this as someone who can't bear to watch that Gilbert Grape movie because down syndrome makes me so fucking uncomfortable.


You should watch "Who Is It?" If you ever get the chance.

[downingthief]

Interesting coincidence. I watched this movie last week as well, probably the first time in 15 years for me.

I reached a very different conclusion from yours. I've moved ACO down to near the bottom of my Kubrick list. Below Barry Lyndon, even.

My main problems were the acting and the storyline. It's not a comedy but I found it impossible to take seriously as a drama. Other than that it was fine.

What problems did you have with the acting? I thought Malcolm was absolutely perfect in that role. So much so, one can argue that he basically played "Alex"-like throughout his career.

You are not the first person I have heard say they liked the look and feel of the movie more than the story. I love the story personally.

And, you are right about it not being a comedy, or a drama. But, that is part of its appeal. It can't be pigeonholed into a genre.

[thelastgreatman]

Good review, except it's called The Savages. Unless there's another movie with an identical plot that goes by a different name. Kinda like Dante's Peak and Volcano.

Fucking A, I knew something was going wrong while I was typing that.

I can understand why that movie is so appealing to you, Randy. the whole 'rebel-boy-manipulated-by-the-state' thing is right in your wheelhouse. hell it could be your autobiography.

Granted, sure, it's very accomodating to my sensibilities. I still don't understand how you can have the complaints you claim to have. The acting is all fucking great--Alex, Dim, the parole officer or whatever he is in the beginning is fantastic at menacing friendly. The story does take backseat to the style, but that's what happens when Kubrick unleashes his full abilities. ANY story would get drowned out under the crushing effect of that man's command of music, tone, and visuals. The story is still solid enough, why does it rate lower because it's a more visceral experience?

Part of the reason Kubrick is the fucking man--and Clockwork is a great example of it--is that he's SO FUCKING GOOD at creating overwhelming mood and tone that he's one of the few that could get away with no story if he wanted to. The Shining doesn't have much of a story, and neither does Full Metal really. But this doesn't change the fact that all three are among the top fifty movies of all time.

Scenes like the Singin In The Rain sequence are a perfect example of why Stanley owns all. No one had the balls to do juxtaposition like that back then. Seriously, below Barry Lyndon? That's not remotely possible, I don't believe you.

Wow. Lay off the e, Randy.

Staying up all night is the problem, the e is fine.

You should watch "Who Is It?" If you ever get the chance.

Are there retards in it? if so, I will avoid it at all costs. Actually, just the fact that you recommend it means I had better avoid it at all costs.

[schoolofruckus]

You should watch "Who Is It?" If you ever get the chance.

*What

[schoolofruckus]

Granted, sure, it's very accomodating to my sensibilities. I still don't understand how you can have the complaints you claim to have. The acting is all fucking great--Alex, Dim, the parole officer or whatever he is in the beginning is fantastic at menacing friendly. The story does take backseat to the style, but that's what happens when Kubrick unleashes his full abilities. ANY story would get drowned out under the crushing effect of that man's command of music, tone, and visuals. The story is still solid enough, why does it rate lower because it's a more visceral experience?

Part of the reason Kubrick is the fucking man--and Clockwork is a great example of it--is that he's SO FUCKING GOOD at creating overwhelming mood and tone that he's one of the few that could get away with no story if he wanted to. The Shining doesn't have much of a story, and neither does Full Metal really. But this doesn't change the fact that all three are among the top fifty movies of all time.

Scenes like the Singin In The Rain sequence are a perfect example of why Stanley owns all. No one had the balls to do juxtaposition like that back then. Seriously, below Barry Lyndon? That's not remotely possible, I don't believe you.


I don't agree at all that the story in Clockwork Orange takes a backseat to the style. The filmmaking is overpowering, absolutely - but what makes Clockwork Orange a masterwork isn't the bombastic visuals or music or comedy (if you're a sick fuck - which I am). It's the allegory on free will, and how much we're going to allow in order to protect it and continue to be entitled to it. The question of whether it's better to be virtuous but soulless.....or evil with integrity. That's what gives the film resonance. The complexity of that dilemma is equalled by the dichotomic reactions we have towards Alex as our protagonist. He charms and appalls in equal measures, and it's a struggle to figure out which quality wins out.

Please, marvel at the film's technical prowess all you want....lord knows it's an all-time great in that aspect. But let's never forget that this is a deep, powerful, intellectually and emotionally challenging work that has a very real - and always relevant - philosophical question at its core.

[PotVsKtl]

* Courtesy of Burgess
** Missing the final chapter

[thelastgreatman]

Gabe, you're talking about theme, not story. Tom's right--the story is pretty sparse. It's not that it's not a good story, it's just that there's not a lot of developments in the plot. Alex gets betrayed, Alex gets conditioned, Alex gets released, Alex gets revenged, Alex gets cured. Having a philosophical question and a "story" aren't really the same thing. And this isn't my usual bullshit about story with you, I'm just saying--there's not a lot you can point to in terms of plot points in the flick. Same thing with The Shining, same thing with Full Metal.

[downingthief]

But, can't plot development be thematically based?

[thelastgreatman]

Um... well, no, not really, but even then you're still not changing the argument. The developments in the theme are pretty few and far between too. There's basically five, maybe seven big tentpole changes in the direction of the theme and the actual plot itself, that's all. That's true of most movies, but there's usually a lot of connective tissue inbetween providing a link of causes and effects that lead each situation to the next. You don't really have that in Clockwork. It just kinda has sections of different tone and mood, but broad sections, when Kubrick really drowns you in the note he's decided to be hitting for the next 20 minutes.

[schoolofruckus]

Gabe, you're talking about theme, not story. Tom's right--the story is pretty sparse. It's not that it's not a good story, it's just that there's not a lot of developments in the plot. Alex gets betrayed, Alex gets conditioned, Alex gets released, Alex gets revenged, Alex gets cured. Having a philosophical question and a "story" aren't really the same thing. And this isn't my usual bullshit about story with you, I'm just saying--there's not a lot you can point to in terms of plot points in the flick. Same thing with The Shining, same thing with Full Metal.

I personally don't think a story needs to be told in plot points. And I promise this isn't my usual bullshit, either. I personally feel like I've gone for a ride inside Alex's life story every time that movie ends. If you reduce it down to the major "events" - sure, it sounds thin. But there's plenty of storytelling going on in between those points.

Take, for example, the scene where he comes home to dad and mum after getting out of jail - not included in your breakdown of the major happenings in the story. You're telling me that scene wasn't telling Alex's life story? That this scene with his parents, and the conflicts they themselves undergo in their feelings towards him, don't spin a great deal of this young man's progression through life? You can chalk that up as character development - but what is character development if not further weaving off-screen story into the world that we're enveloped in?

[wmgaretjax]

Holy Shit. Randy and I agree on a couple movies.

[TomAz]

jeezus look what I started. sorry ma.

let me say first off I freely admit I am an amateur and not as scholarly or as well-viewed as most of you. i'm just a guy who watches movies sometimes.

I personally do not find ACO's plot to be all that compelling because it seems thin or facile to me. Gabe I think you hit the nail on the head with "The question of whether it's better to be virtuous but soulless.....or evil with integrity" -- and to that I add, why are those the only two choices available?

Randy your point about Kubrick's juxtaposition is a good one, and I agree he is in full command of his forces. But compare the "singing in the rain" scene to the "going to the chapel" scene in Full Metal Jacket. The difference to me is that in FMJ I actually gave a shit about the characters and so the juxtaposition was more than just a bit of cleverness -- it actually carried real power.

which leads me to the acting. maybe the overacting was intentional, an artistic statement that was supposed to add to the atmosphere or something. No one had any depth, it all came across like an extended skit. maybe there's supposed to be some sort of existential distance implied there? it's beyond me. The characters are all caricatures. A prison guard who looks and screams like Hitler... how novel.

mostly though, the movie just doesn't seem to me to be very good storytelling. there is not a single character I can think of where I can even begin to understand why they are doing whatever they're doing. (well, the government minister. there's one.) Why is Alex violent? Why does he like Beethoven and only Beethoven? Why do they drink milk? Why did his droogs go along with him for so long and then suddenly turn on him? Why does the guy in the wheelchair pretend not to know who Alex is rather than have his bodyguard beat the crap out of him then and there? etc. I scratch the surface.

And the string of coincidences -- Alex is back out on the street, "cured", and immediately runs into the drunk bum he beat up, and when the bums are beating him up the cops come but it's Dim, and they take him out and beat him up and dump him right near the house with the guy in the wheelchair? i mean, really??

anyway , have at it.

[PotVsKtl]

Burgess.

[schoolofruckus]

I personally do not find ACO's plot to be all that compelling because it seems thin or facile to me. Gabe I think you hit the nail on the head with "The question of whether it's better to be virtuous but soulless.....or evil with integrity" -- and to that I add, why are those the only two choices available?

In real life, they're not. This particular novel (thank you, Pot) and film decided to tackle that specific question.

mostly though, the movie just doesn't seem to me to be very good storytelling. there is not a single character I can think of where I can even begin to understand why they are doing whatever they're doing. (well, the government minister. there's one.) Why is Alex violent? Why does he like Beethoven and only Beethoven? Why do they drink milk? Why did his droogs go along with him for so long and then suddenly turn on him? Why does the guy in the wheelchair pretend not to know who Alex is rather than have his bodyguard beat the crap out of him then and there??

There are things suggested as to Alex's violent nature - possible parental neglect; potential working-class frustration; a society that seems to be generally decaying - but really, the point is not why he's violent. Do you care about about the motivations of a violent person when they're being violent in your midst? I would wager not - your primary concern is how to handle them. Same with this story.

His droogs follow him for the same reasons that we as viewers do - they're not sure how they feel about him. Sometimes he's repulsive; other times he's extremely charismatic. They also happen to directly benefit from the crimes he leads them into. One day, they tire of his undesirable qualities, after years of brushing them aside. Have you never seen someone do that in a relationship before? I never once thought this was unbelievable.

The writer - already having an opinion on the treatment that was administered to Alex - decides that rather than just get revenge on him in the most primally satisfying way, they should exploit him in the name of their political motives.

Does his taste for milk and/or Ludwig van feel that unrealistic that it needs to be explained?

And the string of coincidences -- Alex is back out on the street, "cured", and immediately runs into the drunk bum he beat up, and when the bums are beating him up the cops come but it's Dim, and they take him out and beat him up and dump him right near the house with the guy in the wheelchair? i mean, really??

I can see this bothering some people. But that's where you either choose to accept the film as an allegory, and let it make those points without having to adhere to complete and total believability, or you decide that it's garbage and turn it off.

[wmgaretjax]

Burgess.

probably...

[TomAz]

Does his taste for milk and/or Ludwig van feel that unrealistic that it needs to be explained?


well, yeah, I guess so, because without explanation my gut reaction is to see it as affectation rather than anything substantive. (Kubrick's affectation, that is, not Alex's).

[wmgaretjax]

well, yeah, I guess so, because without explanation my gut reaction is to see it as affectation rather than anything substantive. (Kubrick's affectation, that is, not Alex's).

or maybe... everyone with a soul's affection?

[schoolofruckus]

I always just figured that milk is the fashionable way to take drugs in this film's society. I have no idea where Beethoven came from.



I know, I know.....Burgess.

[thelastgreatman]

I personally don't think a story needs to be told in plot points. And I promise this isn't my usual bullshit, either. I personally feel like I've gone for a ride inside Alex's life story every time that movie ends. If you reduce it down to the major "events" - sure, it sounds thin. But there's plenty of storytelling going on in between those points.

Take, for example, the scene where he comes home to dad and mum after getting out of jail - not included in your breakdown of the major happenings in the story. You're telling me that scene wasn't telling Alex's life story? That this scene with his parents, and the conflicts they themselves undergo in their feelings towards him, don't spin a great deal of this young man's progres