Schoolio's Movie Corner

[HowToDisappear]

I guess I'm as amazed as anyone that Kathryn Bigelow would make a film this good.

You've never seen Strange Days? I love that film.

[bobert]

You've never seen Strange Days? I love that film.

Yes, I've seen Strange Days and I've also seen Point Break. Both very entertaining, very silly action movies. Based on those films I'd say that it was fair to say that K-9: The Widowmaker was more of the quality movie we could reasonably expect from her. The Hurt Locker is in another league, and I think it's fair to say that is surprising.

[PotVsKtl]

There's nothing silly about Strange Days.

[PotVsKtl]

Well, there's plenty that's silly about Strange Days, but I feel that as a whole it's very effective and not just or even primarily a straight action movie.

[bobert]

Well, there's plenty that's silly about Strange Days, but I feel that as a whole it's very effective and not just or even primarily a straight action movie.

Agreed. There were was plenty to like in that film.

[Ardentbiscuit]

Sorry about busting in with this randomness, I know you don't care fact, but I was an extra in the New Year's Eve scene in Strange Days. It was filmed in Downtown LA.

I only went because it was billed as an Dee Lite, Aphex Twin concert. And yes they did play.

I didn't know I was going to be an extra until I got there.

It was cool with all of the paid extras dressed up as riot police with fake guns, fake tanks, the sets and all of the search lights from the ground and helicopters.

It was a brilliant way to get a bunch of people as free extras.

We also got free access to the catering trucks.

They only needed to utilize a small group of paid extras for the serious stuff.

The most annoying part was that we did the midnight countdown and cheering 20 plus times because they kept wanting the crowd to be more excited.

[schoolofruckus]

This is like Harmony Korine all over again. Although I think Depp is full of shit. Of course I do.

KwkS-ERuNuk

[anti-square]

Christian Bale said something similar in an interview. How its all about the immersion of the role rather than the finished product or some shit. Being vague and mysterious makes actors so intriguing.

[PotVsKtl]

I believe him. If you think he's pretentious, it's a pretentious move. If you think he's an artist, it's artistic integrity. As I suspect he is neither in any extreme, it's still a winner of a position.

[PotVsKtl]

New Jeunet:

http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/jeunet-returns-and-returns-to-form-the-first-micmacs-teaser-arrives/

[JewFace]

Did I express even the slightest befuddlement as to why Warner Bros. is in the Eastwood business? Or are you just pretending that I did so that you can bring up irrelevant facts?


My apology! I obviously mis-read your original post as having questioned why WB funded Eastwood's films. This is what I get for posting on the board first thing in the AM. I'll give you this, there are some very heavy-handed moments in this film (the paramedics/police officers literally spelling out that the gang members would be locked up was one such particularly annoying moment). You'll no doubt hate this, but I think because it's Clint and because the movie stands as a very self-conscious commentary on his career, I'm able to overlook such moments. Anyway, sorry for mis-reading and mis-characterizing your original post. EOD.


This weekend I saw Casablanca at a lovely outdoor theatre in San Diego. I hadn't seen the film since high school when it had put me to sleep. This time I was fairly entranced. Bogart was such a presence!

This evening my friend Kevin and I watched Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire. While I found the Peter Falk scenes a bit hammy and jarring in tone, the first 20-30 minutes of the movie, in which the angels listened in on the thoughts of ordinary Berliners, was one of the most spellbinding things I've seen on film. I mean spellbinding almost literally; I felt like I was under a spell. Are there other Wenders films you lot would recommend checking out?

[roberto73]

Are there other Wenders films you lot would recommend checking out?

I think Wenders can be pretty hit or miss, but I like Hammett a lot, and I love love love Paris, Texas.

[schoolofruckus]

New Jeunet:

http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/jeunet-returns-and-returns-to-form-the-first-micmacs-teaser-arrives/

Footage looks good. Tonally, it looks to be about what I was expecting. Can't wait to see more.

[SoulDischarge]

I love love love Paris, Texas.

I'll second this.

[wmgaretjax]

I'll second this.

thirded. easily one of my favorite movies.

i'm fairly certain Harry Dean Stanton is my favorite actor to watch in pretty much any role.

[SoulDischarge]

He definitely improves any movie for the amount of time he's in it. I love him in Repo Man and Wild At Heart.

[Down Rodeo]

Speaking of Paris, Texas and Wings of Desire....I loved the crap out of these movies when I rented them. Now they're apparently out of print on DVD. Any word on a Criterion or other release?

[M Sparks]

Yes, I've seen Strange Days and I've also seen Point Break.

Ahem...Near Dark?

[buddy]

im sure plenty of movie fans here have probably already seen this, but i finally got around to seeing the documentary Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse. and im glad i finally did. found it on youtube. ive been looking for it for awhile. whether or not you like Apocalypse Now its a good documentary on its on. must see if you have an 1 1/2 or so.

here's part 1 of 9:
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9guA7y0bzbY&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9guA7y0bzbY&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[Principal Onyx Blackman]

A lot of crazy shit happened on that set. Coppola threatened suicide on several occasions.

Edit: As I'm sure the documentary explains...

[buddy]

yeah not to mention the heart attack by martin sheen.

edit: if you havent seen it do. i love youtube for bringing it to me.

[schoolofruckus]

It came out on DVD sometime last year, too. I've heard the quality is pretty terrible, but it can't be worse than the YouTube rip.

[humanoid]

personally, i found the documentary to be more interesting than much of Apocalypse Now

[RotationSlimWang]

The doc is fascinating, but fuck the idea that it's better than Apocalypse Now. The editor for that flick should have gotten an Oscar though--Coppola turned in something like 398 hours of footage to cut.

[MissingPerson]

Editing 398 hours ought to qualify a guy for the Congressional Medal of Honour.

[nbvwes]

I enjoyed the first Transformers immensely.

Don't really understand the complaints about it either. A little too much time with the damn humans, but beyond that, it's a film about giant fucking fighting robots. What did you hate about it, the lack of a believable emotional arc in the giant fucking fighting robots? The giant fucking robot fights?

Or were you just not aware when you sat down to watch it that the film "Transformers" was going to feature giant fucking fighting robots?

no, when i sat down i expected the Transformers i grew up with, not the abomination i witnessed... Michael Bay even said he never watched the old cartoon, if you want to keep fans of a franchise, you need to have it headed by someone who is himself a fan of the franchise...

the only people who should like the newer transformers movies are people under the age of 21 who don't know any better...

Saw The Hurt Locker this weekend. Highly recommended.

Great! I'll just go buy a plane ticket and jet off to one of the 4 theaters in the country that's showing it!

(That's not humorous exaggeration. It's playing on 4 screens... versus 4000 for Transformers 2: We All Transformin'. I hate you, general American moviegoing public.)

odd... i've had The Hurt Locker on my computer for like six months... (january 23rd, 2009)... haven't watched it yet, but the number of movies released by scene groups online only to have official releases six months later is astounding (The Edge of Love, Easy Virtue also come to mind)

This is like Harmony Korine all over again. Although I think Depp is full of shit. Of course I do.


hm, i wonder what he's doing when he's attending his own premiers? sit in the restroom staring at the walls?

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

no, when i sat down i expected the Transformers i grew up with, not the abomination i witnessed... Michael Bay even said he never watched the old cartoon, if you want to keep fans of a franchise, you need to have it headed by someone who is himself a fan of the franchise...

the only people who should like the newer transformers movies are people under the age of 21 who don't know any better...


Have you tried rewatching the original series any time recently? it's so fucking bad it's virtually unwatchable. The only part of it worth watching at all is the original movie, which, while awesome, doesn't make any more sense or is any less ridiculous than these new movies

[nbvwes]

here's something interesting...

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/smg-transformers-10-questions.html


Have you tried rewatching the original series any time recently? it's so fucking bad it's virtually unwatchable. The only part of it worth watching at all is the original movie, which, while awesome, doesn't make any more sense or is any less ridiculous than these new movies

yes, i still love the original movie... and yeah, the original cartoon was sometimes silly, but that's why a live-action movies SHOULD BE badass... it's just not.

i hate the design of the new bots... awful.

i hate the casting/acting of the humans... awful.

i hate the storyline, rewriting of transformers history, and all the other changes...

the only similarity between the two is Optimus Prime, the sound effects, and the fact that there is a yellow autobot named Bumblebee...

nothing else is the same.

[RotationSlimWang]

I don't understand how any of you cockless fucks can defend Transformers. Go back to junior high.

[Principal Onyx Blackman]

I don't understand how any of you cockless fucks can defend Transformers. Go back to junior high.

Win.

[humanoid]

The doc is fascinating, but fuck the idea that it's better than Apocalypse Now. The editor for that flick should have gotten an Oscar though--Coppola turned in something like 398 hours of footage to cut.

I don't really mean to disparage Apocalypse Now, it's just difficult for me to feel the same way about it now after watching it 3,672 times with every stoner friend of mine in high school and for several years afterward.

[RotationSlimWang]

I've never really known my appreciation for a truly great flick to dissipate with repeated watching. The documentary took away from it a little bit, just because it showed how they had no fucking idea how to end it. But the ending was always the weak link in that flick anyway, so whatevs. Either way, it has like 10 of the 100 best lines in movies ever, and is probably the best war pic of all time.

[schoolofruckus]

I finally saw Tetro tonight. It was highly enjoyable and visually outstanding - luscious, evocative monochrome for the most part, with the occasional color flashback (most of these are mildly surreal dance sequences). The movie is about a young man named Bennie who ends up in Buenos Aires and seeks out his estranged brother, played by Vincent Gallo in probably the best and most complete acting performance of his career. Gallo here combines all of the traits that have made his past characters fascinating and entertaining, fusing a broken, troubled soul with genuine emotional accessibility and the occasional hilarious temper tantrum. The narrative turns are pretty absurd and occasionally redundant, so the film never quite manages to rise above the sum of its parts. But it's compulsively watchable and definitely worth seeking out if you're in the mood for something unique as summer counter-programming.



I know you're all going to write this off as me being a Vincent Gallo fanboy, but the movie really is quite decent outside of his contributions.

[miscorrections]

And to counter Gabe's cultured movie watching I just finished Flight Of The Living Dead. Zombies + planes + a couple of actors from The Mummy = mindless entertainment, hooray!

[RotationSlimWang]

"compulsively watchable" is the antithesis of Vincent Gallo.

[wmgaretjax]

"compulsively watchable" is the antithesis of Vincent Gallo.

but it's not a Gallo in a Gallo film... it's Gallo in a Coppola film. Something tells me it might be different...

i actually met him while he was in town for SIFF. randomly. on the street. he was wearing a funny hat and needed directions. i was too surprised to say anything. he was polite enough, and clearly recognized that i recognized who he was as he shook my hand and gave me a nice smile.

[hawkingvsreeve]

And to counter Gabe's cultured movie watching I just finished Flight Of The Living Dead. Zombies + planes + a couple of actors from The Mummy = mindless entertainment, hooray!

Fuck yeah. That movie was such a piece of shit. And I loved every second of it.

[schoolofruckus]

When I met him at Coachella '05, he was really nice. I was determined to say hi, pay respect, and then move on without wasting any more of his time than necessary, but he was totally cool about it.


I don't think this is going to be the film that changes Randy's mind re: Gallo. But even though I said he draws from certain characteristics of his past characters, both the film and his character are worlds removed The Brown Bunny or Buffalo '66. Those are two of my favorite movies ever, but naturalistic character work isn't exactly the strongest aspect of either one. In Tetro, despite Coppola's multiple offbeat distractions, Gallo is always invested and committed to being a real human being.

[RotationSlimWang]

A really talentless human being who's an asshole.

[Young blood]

Brand New? Transformers? Southland Tales???!!??? My god, it's worse than I thought.

As for the WB thing, your answer is vague so I will assume you are either trash clean up or work in the mail room.

I think someone has a crush on gabe.

[C DUB YA]

personally, i found the documentary to be more interesting than much of Apocalypse Now

ummm, what?

The doc is great, but we need to keep in mind what the doc focuses on - the film itself. A film which (apart from the ending) becomes even better when one sees what went into it.

[garrett222]

I just finished the latest Charlie Kaufman movie...Without searching through the entire thread...was the general opinion that it is a masterpiece? I liked it alot, but it took a second watching to grasp it even a little bit.

Any thoughts on the last half hour of the movie, and what was really happening?

[schoolofruckus]

I'm inclined to think this might be Soderbergh's worst film in quite some time:

0hxi-z3ZZBI

[schoolofruckus]

I just finished the latest Charlie Kaufman movie...Without searching through the entire thread...was the general opinion that it is a masterpiece? I liked it alot, but it took a second watching to grasp it even a little bit.

Any thoughts on the last half hour of the movie, and what was really happening?

It was one of my 3 favorite movies of last year - often I think it was #1. I can't remember it terribly well - the combination of seeing it 7 months ago, one time only, and the density of the material don't lend themselves well to easily recalling it for discussion. But I just bought it on DVD and I would love to discuss more when I get a chance to revisit.

[hawkingvsreeve]

Matt- Daaaaaaaaamonnnnnn

[schoolofruckus]

Faaaatt Daaaaaaaamon.

ZWTzyU5MFgM

[hawkingvsreeve]

I watched that the other night. So wonderful.

[bobert]

I just finished the latest Charlie Kaufman movie...Without searching through the entire thread...was the general opinion that it is a masterpiece? I liked it alot, but it took a second watching to grasp it even a little bit.

Any thoughts on the last half hour of the movie, and what was really happening?

I really liked Synecdoche, New York. I think it was a really impressive directorial debut from Kaufman - reminded me a lot of Fellini's 8 1/2.

[bobert]

I'm inclined to think this might be Soderbergh's worst film in quite some time.

Ocean's Twelve/Thirteen will be hard to top.

[PotVsKtl]

Everything about Oceans Twelve that didn't involve Julia Roberts was perfectly fine. I've got nothing against Soderbergh continuing to make capers and I could think of worse actors than Damon to use.

[nbvwes]

I enjoyed the first Transformers immensely.

Don't really understand the complaints about it either. A little too much time with the damn humans, but beyond that, it's a film about giant fucking fighting robots. What did you hate about it, the lack of a believable emotional arc in the giant fucking fighting robots? The giant fucking robot fights?

Or were you just not aware when you sat down to watch it that the film "Transformers" was going to feature giant fucking fighting robots?

No, when i sat down i expected to see The Transformers...

...instead all i got was a movie about robots fighting...


...directed by Michael Bay.

[bobert]

No, when i sat down i expected to see The Transformers...

...instead all i got was a movie about robots fighting...


...directed by Michael Bay.

Millions of people shilled out their hard earned money to see this movie, and without analyzing what this says about the movie-going public or the human race in general, it seems like the majority of audiences were satisfied with what they saw. You on the other hand fall into a highly irritating subset of the Transformer audience; someone who knew damn well what film you were going to see and who made it, yet still has the audacity to complain that it was bad. Kind of like a little kid who deliberately steps in dogshit and then complains about the smell. Can we please quit discussing this film?

[wmgaretjax]

Can we please quit discussing this film?

jesus christ, please can we?

On another note, I saw [Rec] after seeing it mentioned in this thread. Very enjoyable and my sister and i pretty much flipped out towards the end there... good fun.

[M Sparks]

Ocean's Twelve/Thirteen will be hard to top.

You know, at the time of viewing, I thought 12 wasn't that bad, but 13 was awful. I've seen them since on TV, and now I feel the opposite. 12 wasn't badly made, but the story was awful and it was deadly boring.

13, on the other hand, I now find quite entertaining. I mean, yeah, it's crap, mainly due to Pacino. But it has much more of the sense of fun that the first one had. It was a good concept too, just a lousy execution.

[schoolofruckus]

Everything about Oceans Twelve that didn't involve Julia Roberts was perfectly fine. I've got nothing against Soderbergh continuing to make capers and I could think of worse actors than Damon to use.

I agree with all of this, except that I actually liked the Julia Roberts joke in Ocean's Twelve (the "Just smile a lot, that's all she ever does anyway" joke made it worth it). I just don't think this particular caper looks to be all that promising. But Soderbergh has always been in the business of alternating his Informants with his Girlfriend Experiences, and I have no problem with things continuing this way.

[schoolofruckus]

You know, at the time of viewing, I thought 12 wasn't that bad, but 13 was awful. I've seen them since on TV, and now I feel the opposite. 12 wasn't badly made, but the story was awful and it was deadly boring.

13, on the other hand, I now find quite entertaining. I mean, yeah, it's crap, mainly due to Pacino. But it has much more of the sense of fun that the first one had. It was a good concept too, just a lousy execution.

Twelve is fun because it's wide open about flaunting the jazzy, improvisational, motherfuck-a-narrative attitude it has. It's clearly a travelogue where everyone in the movie is having fun, and I thought it was contagious.

Thirteen was just kind of bland. But I have a soft spot for it because it was the coolest set I've ever seen in real life (the interior of Pacino's casino was built as a three-story functioning set inside a soundstage), and because it gave me the memory of Matt Damon peeing on the floor of my office restroom.

[schoolofruckus]

I mean - just kidding, Lurky Jerky. It wasn't my office restroom. I was just the janitor who cleaned it up.

[miscorrections]

REQUIRED VIEWING!!!!! Dead Snow (Død snø, it's Norwegian) is fucking brilliant. Nazi zombies. Plenty of gore. All around amazing, lots of references to rad American movies, plus Nazi. Zombies.

[RotationSlimWang]

Everything about Oceans Twelve that didn't involve Julia Roberts was perfectly fine. I've got nothing against Soderbergh continuing to make capers and I could think of worse actors than Damon to use.

Are you fucking kidding me? Everything except that? How about the fucking frog dancing his way through the sweeping lasers at the end? You better have just forgotten about that, 'cause if you try to claim that wasn't nauseating then I'm never putting out for you again.

[miscorrections]

Shut the fuck up about fucking casino shit. Død snø!

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

Thirteen was just kind of bland. But I have a soft spot for it because it was the coolest set I've ever seen in real life (the interior of Pacino's casino was built as a three-story functioning set inside a soundstage), and because it gave me the memory of Matt Damon peeing on the floor of my office restroom.
a couple friends of mine that were working on the WB lot at the time walked around in that set as well and were going on and on about it at the time. It sounds like it was fucking amazing

[miscorrections]

You are such an asshole.

[RotationSlimWang]

I really liked Synecdoche, New York. I think it was a really impressive directorial debut from Kaufman - reminded me a lot of Fellini's 8 1/2.

Kaufman should stick to writing. Sorry. He's brilliant and I love his work, but he just has no sense of how to balance his comedy which is very clever and dry and dark and his melodrama which is excessive and almost always goes on for too long and is even more uncomfortable than it normally would be because you know he can't possibly be serious when he lets the sad piano and string score play for 12 straight fucking minutes of everything he loves dying in succession. If you're going to be ironic you can't also be insanely depressing and morbid and earnest about it for that fucking long. He practically drowns the audience in those sequences at points especially at the end of the second act/start of the third. Sometimes our boy gets a little too wrapped up in emotions and mistakes them for story.

[miscorrections]

http://assault-fps.heteml.jp/images/DeadSnow2.jpg

[thefunkylama]

hey so.


nazi zombies, huh?

The trailer is awesome.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

you know, i watched the trailer for Dead Snow months ago, also excited about the concept, and the movie looks like absolute fucking shit

[miscorrections]

It is not shit, it is amazing. I was worried it would be TOO much about the funny but it's not, it's a proper mix.

[Down Rodeo]

Kaufman should stick to writing.

Didn't you walk out of Synecdoche, NY? How can you even comment on the film when you didn't even finish it?

[RotationSlimWang]

How can I not comment on a film that I couldn't even stand to bother with the last twenty minutes?

[garrett222]

How can I not comment on a film that I couldn't even stand to bother with the last twenty minutes?

Of course you can comment. It just holds less weight than if you waited until the end. If I walked out of the sixth sense a half hour early saying it was completely boring and went nowhere...would that matter much to those who had seen the whole thing?

[sbessiso]

Wasn't there someone here that saw an early screening of "Bruno"? How was it? I think it looks really fucking good but i'm a little skeptical

[JewFace]

Being laid off affords one a lot of movie viewing time!

Thank you for the Paris, Texas recommendation, people. I saw it on Monday. Absolutely loved it. It's just so beautifully paced. I love Harry Dean Stanton in Big Love, but I had no idea he had such a soulful performance in him.

I'm a sucker for a well made period piece. Saw Terrence Davies' 2000 adaptation of The House of Mirth yesterday. It's a deliberately paced, subtle film. It's beautiful to look at and paints a rather devastating portrait of Lily's decline into abject poverty and despair. I read the book in high school, so it's been a few years, but I think the film is a bit darker than the novel. If I hadn't seen Gillian Anderson's work in the wonderful BBC adaptation of Bleak House, I would not have expected such a richly layered performance. She's really superb here. As far as Edith Wharton adaptations go, I think Davies fared much better than Scorsese did with The Age of Innocence.

[schoolofruckus]

Wasn't there someone here that saw an early screening of "Bruno"? How was it? I think it looks really fucking good but i'm a little skeptical

Jennie and I had a pass for one, but they filled up their quota of 20-somethings before we got to the front of the line.

I'm excited to see Bruno. I'm hoping it's relatively close to Borat the movie in terms of quality, although like that one, I can't imagine it'll be as good as the show.

[chairmenmeow47]

i was quite grateful when randy pulled us outta that movie, christ. the funny was not worth the massive discomfort.

[amyzzz]

REQUIRED VIEWING!!!!! Dead Snow (Død snø, it's Norwegian) is fucking brilliant. Nazi zombies. Plenty of gore. All around amazing, lots of references to rad American movies, plus Nazi. Zombies.
I will have to check that out.

[schoolofruckus]

EVERYONE will have to check that out.

[wmgaretjax]

I saw Dead Snow at SIFF. It was a fucking blast.

[Young blood]

REQUIRED VIEWING!!!!! Dead Snow (Død snø, it's Norwegian) is fucking brilliant. Nazi zombies. Plenty of gore. All around amazing, lots of references to rad American movies, plus Nazi. Zombies.

netflixzed.

[bobert]

Wasn't there someone here that saw an early screening of "Bruno"? How was it? I think it looks really fucking good but i'm a little skeptical

You're excited for this movie? I find that hard to believe.

[schoolofruckus]

That made me laugh.

[luckyface]

Bobert bringing some mighty fine posting to this thread.

[Down Rodeo]

As far as Edith Wharton adaptations go, I think Davies fared much better than Scorsese did with The Age of Innocence.

I haven't seen House of Mirth, but I find this really hard to believe.

[garrett222]

i was quite grateful when randy pulled us outta that movie, christ. the funny was not worth the massive discomfort.

i had it on dvd..and i didn't make it through the whole thing the first time around..then i started it over from the beginning, and I found that it was much more engaging the second time over.

[schoolofruckus]

I think it helps knowing when you go in that it's going to be a gloomy experience, but I still have a hard time imagining how anyone who appreciates Kaufman could not be at least somewhat taken with it.

[chairmenmeow47]

because it wasn't a well made movie. it was like watching someone's uncomfortable inside joke for hours on end.

[schoolofruckus]

Saying a film "wasn't well made" means nothing. Visually, it was excellent. Appropriately drab in terms of the color pallete, but shot with a clear, confident eye. The production design was unique and I can see how it would be off-putting, but it's not like it was sloppy; it seemed to be exactly in line with the rest of the aesthetic. Editing was good. Sound was fine. There's really nothing about the craftsmanship of it that was lacking.

If you don't like the subject matter, the tone, the story, the characterizations, the use of music, the inward-directed logic.....those are all artistic choices, and I don't begrudge anyone for having that opinion. All I'm saying is that I'm surprised that you - and many others - feel that way, especially if you like Kaufman's past work.

[chairmenmeow47]

i don't care how pretty a film is, if it doesn't have an entertaining story to watch, why bother? a scanner darkly is another example of this pretentious crap. i love kaufman's scripts, i just didn't this movie had any entertainment value whatsoever. and i personally go to movies to be entertained so a movie is not well made to me if it doesn't provide an entertaining story.

[BROKENDOLL]

i was quite grateful when randy pulled us outta that movie, christ. the funny was not worth the massive discomfort.
Odd. That's the same way I feel about Randy.

[bobert]

Now that's funny

[schoolofruckus]

I can't argue that Synecdoche was made to entertain anybody. All I'm saying is that I object to saying a film wasn't well-made, when it does have some measure of objective quality regardless of whether one finds it enjoyable or interesting.

[nbvwes]

http://assault-fps.heteml.jp/images/DeadSnow2.jpg

add this to the list of dvdrips that have been available for free on the internet for almost six months now, yet have either just been released or are awaiting release...

Dead Snow
The Hurt Locker
Easy Virtue
The Edge of Love

[iv3rdawG]

Thought this was funny.

I mean, I can’t s- on this movie because it did give me a career and open all these doors for me. But I don’t want to blow smoke up people’s a-. People are well aware that this is not a movie about acting.

She says some very ridiculous things because she’s 23 years old and she still has a lot of growing to do.

Bay says he “100 percent disagrees” with Fox.

Nick Cage wasn’t a big actor when I cast him, nor was Ben Affleck … Shia LaBeouf wasn’t a big movie star before he did Transformers — and then he exploded. Not to mention Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, from Bad Boys.

Nobody in the world knew about Megan Fox until I found her and put her in Transformers,” he says.

http://www.wwtdd.com/2009/07/go-kill-yourself-michael-bay/

[Still-ill]

I give Megan Fox props for that.

[PotVsKtl]

Thirst, July 31st:

New York
Landmark’s Sunshine Cinema (143 East Houston Street, near 2nd Avenue)

Los Angeles
Laemmle’s Sunset 5 (8000 Sunset Boulevard, at Crescent Heights)

San Francisco
Landmark’s Bridge Theatre (3010 Geary Boulevard, near Blake Street)

[schoolofruckus]

Opening weekend, along with Lorna's Silence and Funny People.

[MissingPerson]

I'm glad Megan Fox is funny as well as being ridiculously good-looking.

EDIT:

No wait, I'm actually bitter and angry.

[Hannahrain]

Don't worry, she's a fucking moron (http://trendstoday.today.com/files/2009/06/megan_fox_maxim-exposing-tattoos-mom-is-worried-too-many.jpg). It's purported to be her original poetry.

[sbessiso]

You're excited for this movie? I find that hard to believe.

oh come on, you know it looks good

[MissingPerson]

Sacha Baron Cohen has respectably scant concern for his own welfare.

[JewFace]

I haven't seen House of Mirth, but I find this really hard to believe.

Well thanks for that contribution. Let's talk after you've seen House of Mirth. I thought Age of Innocence was absolutely beautiful to look at and Scorsese was quite faithful to the novel. Michelle Pfiefer was absolutely lovely, too. But I thought it was more a film to admire than to love or to be deeply involved in. With The House of Mirth I thought Davies was perhaps a little less faithful to the original novel, but his film benefited from that. While it was lovely to look at (arguably, not as sumptuous as The Age of Innocence) and full of interesting period detail, it was also intensely moving. Can't say the same about The Age of Innocence for me.

[Still-ill]

Sacha Baron Cohen has respectably scant concern for his own welfare.

Yeah... its brilliant :)

[wmgaretjax]

Don't worry, she's a fucking moron (http://trendstoday.today.com/files/2009/06/megan_fox_maxim-exposing-tattoos-mom-is-worried-too-many.jpg). It's purported to be her original poetry.

I would like to hear this poem set to pan flute music.

[BlueDevil50]

Don't worry, she's a fucking moron (http://trendstoday.today.com/files/2009/06/megan_fox_maxim-exposing-tattoos-mom-is-worried-too-many.jpg). It's purported to be her original poetry.

hey, jealousy :winkiss

[Hannahrain]

You're right. If she were ugly, I'd be lauding her as the next E.E. Cummings. I've seen the error of my ways. I, too, will have a Megan Fox poetry tattoo, from her earlier works. I've chosen this haiku:

Love is hard
Just like math and birth control
Buy me a Zima?

I think it really illustrates the never-ending plight of the modern woman, don't you?

[whynotsmile99]

saw Public Enemies last night. Almost was surprised how much I liked it. I thought it was great, though when I think back on it I can't figure out why.

It's a very simple cat and mouse gangster thriller and that's about it. Almost zero depth into the characters yet I thought it worked really well. It's 2 hrs and 20 minutes, yet it never dragged for me. Reminded me of Mann's Collateral a bit. That said, the biggest problem was the romance which was forced and tacked on. And yet, while the scenes were going on they didn't' bother me. It was never boring, just unimportant. Dillinger says some shit real humans never say, she swoons, gets pissed, he says more bullshit she swoons again, etc. the movie would have been stronger as an 1hr 45 minute non stop cat and mouse.

I liked Depp and I liked Bale and even thought the digital was well done, far better used than in Miami Vice. Sound, costumes, all that were top notch and there were some excellent shoot outs and bank robberies. didn't let me down in that regard at all. The movie could have been fleshed out much more and the script was pretty lackluster but Mann and his crew made the whole experience very entertaining. Rather polarizing movie it seems though. One of my friends liked it, though not as much as me, another friend totally hated it.


I just woke up and watched "This is England" on the Sundance channel. What a great movie that was. Young boy joins a skinhead gang in 1980s England. Check it out, terrific performances

[bobert]

Watched Waltz With Bashir the other night. Pretty great film, certainly a must-see for any animation fans. I wasn't very familiar with the historical events of the film, so that was really interesting in its own right. Loved the way the director interspersed his own experiences with real life interviews from other men involved in the Lebanon War. The animation was extremely effective in bringing their stories to life - much more so than if it had been recreated with live actors.

[bobert]

oh come on, you know it looks good

I do think Bruno looks good and I'll certainly see it when it comes out. But since you're a proud gay man I thought you may object to Sasha Baron Cohen making a mockery of your sexuality. Sort of the same way black people frown on minstrel shows - that kind of thing.

[MissingPerson]

I don't think that's Cohen's intention any more than he was being anti-semitic with the "Throw The Jews Down the Well" song.

[lmntz4]

Saw "Moon" this afternoon. I'm not sure I had seen Sam Rockwell in anything before, but I thought he and the movie were both fantastic.

Trailers for The Cove, Paper Heart, Adam and Thirst all looked promising too.

Next up...Public Enemies.

[PotVsKtl]

Satire is hard.

[RotationSlimWang]

I do think Bruno looks good and I'll certainly see it when it comes out. But since you're a proud gay man I thought you may object to Sasha Baron Cohen making a mockery of your sexuality. Sort of the same way black people frown on minstrel shows - that kind of thing.

This is dumb. Bruno, much like Borat, is about using cultural stereotypes to expose racism and homophobia respectively. There's no reason any gay person should feel offended by Bruno and I sincerely doubt you could find that many that do. Rather, they just seem to love it.

[SoulDischarge]

2QqgIzlmdBc

I always figured the best scenes were the ones on YouTube and the rest would just be boring as opposed to insanely, hilariously bad, but I'm happy to report that I couldn't have been more wrong. I'm claiming The Wicker Man best comedy of the 00s.

[Still-ill]

2QqgIzlmdBc

I always figured the best scenes were the ones on YouTube and the rest would just be boring as opposed to insanely, hilariously bad, but I'm happy to report that I couldn't have been more wrong. I'm claiming The Wicker Man best comedy of the 00s.
Awesome...

[SoulDischarge]

I had never read this before but it's pretty interesting: http://www.paulrossen.com/paulinekael/trashartandthemovies.html

[schoolofruckus]

I saw Public Enemies the night before last. Without trying to shoot the film in the foot right out of the gate, I'm going to say I liked it about as much as I did Miami Vice.

See, this might scare the lot of you off from ever giving PE a chance, but remember, I liked Miami Vice - a lot (http://coachella.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2999&postcount=1). It was little more than entertainment, but it was visually arousing (though imperfect) and with just enough character substance for it to stick to my ribs. The very same can be said of Mann's new film, and with a more engrossing story to serve at that. I would also apply the same criticisms I had of Vice - some ineffective acting and minor flaws in the HD photography - to Enemies, and that's why it will end up falling short of being on Mann's top shelf. Nevertheless, a decent Michael Mann film is often, in my eyes, better than 80% of the rest of the film world.

First off - the acting. You're no doubt expecting this to be centered on Johnny Depp, but I am delighted to surprise you by saying that he's actually the single best thing about Public Enemies. His work here is a reminder that when he drops the horseshit conceptual affectations that sink many of his performances, he's capable of completely digging into the soul of his characters. He's so effortlessly charming, inspired, and haunted here that it brings into question whether his John Dillinger is one of the best gangster characters ever depicted on film. Marion Cotillard, as his girlfriend Billie Frechette, is also exellent; her control over her natural French accent comes and goes, but somehow it matters very little because she's so fully immersed in every single scene.

Instead, it's time for me to rant about Christian Bale. Memo to Hollywood: it's time to put this dude on time-out. Now, I'm not going to accuse him of being another movie-star-in-actors-clothing just because he's become the default choice of every blockbuster that wants an injection of automatic artistic credibility (a role that Johnny Depp used to serve prior to Batman Begins being released). But at the same time, I'm tired of him. It would be one thing if, at his best, Bale could command the screen the way that Depp is capable of doing. But that just isn't the case; rather, he's often the most boring actor and character in every film he appears in. He's overshadowed by all the villains in both Batman films and by the new guy playing the cyborg in T4 (at least as far as the reviews go; I didn't see it); he was the least interesting of the Bob Dylans in I'm Not There; he was just kind of there in The New World and added very little to the movie. In Public Enemies, it's not even close; anytime his Melvin Purvis is the center of attention, it slows the film to a crawl. Part of it is the writing (Mann is clearly more interested in Dillinger), and part of it is Bale's sleepy-eyed, strained Southern drawling, same-old-shit portrayal. I wish both aspects would have been stronger, but the end result is that his very inclusion in the film has the air of a half-hearted attempt to shoehorn a Heat-style interplay that just doesn't stick.

My other major complaint would be the photography. The composition is mostly great, as is routine for Mann's films and particularly his action sequences, with evocative use of shadows and some fleet-footed handheld framing. The chase scene where the FBI closes in on both Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson in the woods of Wisconsin - seemingly lit only with smoke and moonlight - is a fucking clinic on how to film a shoot-out. But as with Vice and - to a lesser degree - Collateral, the limitations of the Viper camera (Mann's HD head of choice) are impossible to ignore. In fact, it was even more of a distraction here than it had been in the past. There's been a lot of sniping across the net about this film's use of HD undermining the period vibe. I didn't have this reaction, exactly - after all, Soderbergh's Che was an HD feast that took place in the 60's; ditto the 70's-set Zodiac. And that, if anything, is the reason why the heavy digital grain and frequent dim focusing was more offensive in Enemies. Films like Che and Zodiac have raised the bar for how stunning and immersive HD can look. It's inexcusable for a 2009 film on this budget, with such a skilled filmmaker at the helm, to have these problems. I understand why Mann is so committed to HD - he's the modern-day Kubrick in terms of the amount of footage he shoots on each picture - but I really wish he would look into adopting the Red so his style can avoid undercutting his future work.

Warts and all, I think Public Enemies is still one of the best films of the summer so far.

[Down Rodeo]

Gabe, I pretty much agree with you on all counts about Public Enemies. I've been of the mindset for quite some time that Christian Bale is a very overrated actor and this role just confirmed it. He does nothing in the film aside from looking very angry and concerned, which he does in pretty much every film he's been in. Johnny Depp was great as you pointed out, so no need to elaborate there.

As for the style of the film, you know way more about the technical details of the HD photography than I do, so I won't bother discussing it. However, the more I thought about the style of filming, the more I think it worked in the context of this film. The scenes you discussed where the limitations of the camera became apparent were pretty glaring and looked amateurish. As a whole though, I think the photography gave the film a realistic, documentary-style feel to it that stripped the veneer off any glamorization of Dillinger and the rest of the characters, providing an objective a portrayal as possible.

Also, the action scenes were tremendous and were probably made more effective by this objective style. It reinforces my belief that there are few directors who are as capable of filming action sequences as Michael Mann.

Overall, it's good - no Heat by any stretch - but a solid film nonetheless.

[schoolofruckus]

Gabe, I pretty much agree with you on all counts about Public Enemies. I've been of the mindset for quite some time that Christian Bale is a very overrated actor and this role just confirmed it. He does nothing in the film aside from looking very angry and concerned, which he does in pretty much every film he's been in. Johnny Depp was great as you pointed out, so no need to elaborate there.

As for the style of the film, you know way more about the technical details of the HD photography than I do, so I won't bother discussing it. However, the more I thought about the style of filming, the more I think it worked in the context of this film. The scenes you discussed where the limitations of the camera became apparent were pretty glaring and looked amateurish. As a whole though, I think the photography gave the film a realistic, documentary-style feel to it that stripped the veneer off any glamorization of Dillinger and the rest of the characters, providing an objective a portrayal as possible.

Also, the action scenes were tremendous and were probably made more effective by this objective style. It reinforces my belief that there are few directors who are as capable of filming action sequences as Michael Mann.

Overall, it's good - no Heat by any stretch - but a solid film nonetheless.

I agree that the approach was well-suited to the material. That's why I disagree with people who complain about it not looking "period appropriate". It was also, generally, a beautifully shot film. I just wish Mann's HD was as spotless as Soderbergh's HD.

[hawkingvsreeve]

I am not sure how many of you have blu ray players, but for those that do I stumbled across this review site (http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/reviews_overall.html) and thought I would share. The reviews of the films can be suspect at times (Blazing Saddles got 2.5/5 stars), but the reviews of the discs themselves are helpful in deciding whether or not kicking down extra cash for a movie in HD with (and sometimes without) more special features is going to be worth it. All of the extra content is reviewed and explained so you know exactly what you are getting, and if those "collectors editions" of certain titles are worth looking into. Anyway. There you go.

[schoolofruckus]

I had never read this before but it's pretty interesting: http://www.paulrossen.com/paulinekael/trashartandthemovies.html

She was a hell of a writer and thinker, but I have a hard time taking her taste seriously.

[SoulDischarge]

Yeah. I've been reading a bunch of her reviews today and I definitely have some disagreements, and she sometimes comes off as the film critic version of Robert Christgau, but she makes quite a few valid points. And there's a lot in that article that I relate to as a connoisseur of trash. It pretty much sums up my love for Gummo perfectly.

[schoolofruckus]

More than anything, I take exception to critics who defend or attack films based on their conception of what "the audience" wants to see. I'm a member of the fucking audience, and I would rather watch 2001 eighteen times consecutively before sitting through The Thomas Crown Affair once.



Yesterday, I watched two (not including the first 15 minutes of The Hurt Locker, up until I got a work phone call that I had to take and had to leave the theater because the experience was already fucked up after that):

The Edge of Heaven - A Turkish film from a couple years ago. Structurally, it reminded me of Amores Perros - an old Turkish man living in Germany pays a prostitute to live with him, and then accidentally kills her. The man's son - a professor at a German university - then tries to find her daughter, a political activist who flees to Germany and begins a love affair with a young German woman who attends the school where the son teaches. The intersecting stories are brilliantly woven together and never forced. I would recommend this to anyone who has a taste for the tragic.

Aliens - A balls-out ass kicking of the highest order. I really don't have much more to say about it than this.

[woogie846]

The two most recent movies I've watched were Goodfellas and Sukiyaki Western Django.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

Aliens - A balls-out ass kicking of the highest order. I really don't have much more to say about it than this.

WHOAH, had you never seen this before? Definitely one of the finest action-adventure movies of all time. Meticulous film making at it's absolute best

[schoolofruckus]

I had seen it a couple times as a kid in bits and pieces or on TV. No proper adult or even teenage viewings. I'm a big James Cameron fan (I think he is, along with Michael Mann, the best American action filmmaker around), so it was high time I caught up with it.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

I had seen it a couple times as a kid in bits and pieces or on TV. No proper adult or even teenage viewings. I'm a big James Cameron fan (I think he is, along with Michael Mann, the best American action filmmaker around), so it was high time I caught up with it.

i would also HIGHLY recommend both the commentary track and especially the making of documentaries on the second disc. it is incredible to watch that man work and listen to his thoughts about the experiences of making films

Did you watch the theatrical cut or the special edition? The special edition is definitely worth watching in that the cuts were made specifically for time and, while the film works great without the additional footage of Newt's family and the colony pre-invasion, the scenes ultimately add a lot to newt's character and are frankly just as well done as the rest of the flick

the extended cut of ABYSS is really, really good too (and very long)

[schoolofruckus]

I watched the special edition. It was fucking long, but it's a sign of the cut's merit that I couldn't really tell what would have been added (i.e., scenes that a studio exec would consider chop-worthy). But yeah, I guess I could see the first scene with Newt's parents being one that wasn't commercially "necessary".

[hawkingvsreeve]

i would also HIGHLY recommend both the commentary track and especially the making of documentaries on the second disc. it is incredible to watch that man work and listen to his thoughts about the experiences of making films

Did you watch the theatrical cut or the special edition? The special edition is definitely worth watching in that the cuts were made specifically for time and, while the film works great without the additional footage of Newt's family and the colony pre-invasion, the scenes ultimately add a lot to newt's character and are frankly just as well done as the rest of the flick

the extended cut of ABYSS is really, really good too (and very long)


The Abyss really needs a proper HD treatment, if not a proper anamorphic DVD treatment. That and surround sound. It's ridic.

[M Sparks]

I'm not sure I had seen Sam Rockwell in anything before

:nono

[PotVsKtl]

I've watched The Thomas Crown Affair at least 6 times and enjoyed it every time.

[TallGuyCM]

^ Great movie, I'm assuming you're obv. talking about the original.

Watched Taken last night, enjoyed it throughly. Liam Neeson was badass.

[PotVsKtl]

The remake.

[SoulDischarge]

There's no fucking excuse for DVDs not to have an English subtitle track. Your mix may sound fucking great for people with surround sound home theaters, but usually the effects are way too loud and people's voices are way too quiet on my piece of shit tv. It's even more annoying when it's a British/Irish/Scottish film with thick accents (The War Zone).

[Down Rodeo]

So I finally got around to watching A.I. this weekend. I assume we can all agree that Spielberg botched the ending.

[iv3rdawG]

Red band trailer for Jennifer's Body:

Y07RutRoxTY

Uh.

[miscorrections]

Hey look it's the mom from Dead Like Me. Man, I loved that show.

[PotVsKtl]

That show was gayer than two Bronx hounds in a Dannon tin.

[M Sparks]

Red band trailer for Jennifer's Body:

Y07RutRoxTY

Uh.

uN86SzY5RCk

[sbessiso]

"Am I too big?"

I thought Jennifer's Body sounded awful but that trailer rocks and I hate Megan Fox she's so unbelievably bland. This looks like a decent horror comedy

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

Jennifer's Body looks like a horrible piece of shit

[schoolofruckus]

So I finally got around to watching A.I. this weekend. I assume we can all agree that Spielberg botched the ending.

It would have been Spielberg's best film ever if it would have ended at the bottom of the ocean.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

A BOY AND HIS DOG was not really what i was expecting

it's mostly pretty terrific though, and has the best ending of any post-apocalyptic movie ever made

Great acting by Don Johnson too, considering that 75% of his scenes were him talking to a dog

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

Hey, anybody here very familiar with much of Howard Hawks' library? I'm interested in a bunch of his flicks, and looking through the list of them he definitely directed some fairly significant ones

[humanoid]

Jennifer's Body looks like a horrible piece of shit

that's exactly what that trailer showed me as well

[SoulDischarge]

Bringing Up Baby and His Girl Friday are two of the greatest comedies ever. Usually comedies from that era don't work very well these days, but those two are just so sharply written and everyone in them are obviously having so much fun, it's hard not to get swept up in it all. The Big Sleep is fantastic as well. The plot gets increasingly more incomprehensible as the movie goes on (even the screenwriter has gone on record as not knowing what happened in one case), but that's not really important because it's all about the atmosphere and Bogart and Bacall trading pretty blunt innuendos.

[roberto73]

A BOY AND HIS DOG was not really what i was expecting

it's mostly pretty terrific though, and has the best ending of any post-apocalyptic movie ever made

Great acting by Don Johnson too, considering that 75% of his scenes were him talking to a dog

Brief literary aside: You should try to track down the Harlan Ellison story of the same title that the movie's based on. It's been a while since I've seen the movie, but the story is one of my all-time faves.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

roberto i'll see if i can hunt that down, see how it's being published lately

SD thanks for the tips, all 3 of those are currently on my queue as well as severel other HH films

[wmgaretjax]

A BOY AND HIS DOG was not really what i was expecting

it's mostly pretty terrific though, and has the best ending of any post-apocalyptic movie ever made

Great acting by Don Johnson too, considering that 75% of his scenes were him talking to a dog

Whoa. Never heard of this. Thanks for the tip.

[roberto73]

Red band trailer for Jennifer's Body:

Y07RutRoxTY

Uh.

I'm more frightened that some people will be enticed by the phrase "From the mind of Diablo Cody" than I am by the trailer itself.

[SoulDischarge]

I need to rewatch A Boy And His Dog. All I remember about it is something about an underground community.

I finally watched Terminator 2 all the way through. Is the general consensus on T3 that it's a waste of time?

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

T2 is one of my favorite movies of all time. It's extremely rewatchable too

i can't even remember much of T3 though; i dont think it was terrible, just mostly forgettable

[whynotsmile99]

I need to rewatch A Boy And His Dog. All I remember about it is something about an underground community.

I finally watched Terminator 2 all the way through. Is the general consensus on T3 that it's a waste of time?

i only saw it once but remember liking it. it's very fun, has some great action scenes and was surprisingly very funny. It's no 1 or 2 but certainly a better time spent then the most recent one

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

i think i'm the only person that really enjoyed Salvation

[C DUB YA]

Jennifer's Body looks like a horrible piece of shit

this coming from the president of the Michael bay fanclub... and yes the only one that I know of that enjoyed the craptastic Terminator Salvation.


that said, I highly doubt i will seek out Jennifer's Body.

[M Sparks]

Bringing Up Baby and His Girl Friday are two of the greatest comedies ever.

Agreed, and I'd like to throw in a recommendation for Monkey Business. I don't think it's really considered one of his better or more well known films, but damnit...it just kills me every time. So many hilarious bits in there, though most of the best stuff is in the second half...be patient.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

this coming from the president of the Michael bay fanclub... and yes the only one that I know of that enjoyed the craptastic Terminator Salvation.


that said, I highly doubt i will seek out Jennifer's Body.

fair enough hahaha

But just because I like some shitty movies does not mean i like ALL shitty movies

....and I hated Juno, so I highly doubt I am going to want to venture further into this bitch's "mind"

[TallGuyCM]

Watched Paul Blart: Mall Cop tonight (yeah, yeah, laugh it up). It was an entertaining hour and a half, and light because of the PG rating.

I realize Adam Sandler grew up with all that late-70's/early 80's shit rock, but why do all the Happy Madison movies have to feature that music so prominently?

[Down Rodeo]

It would have been Spielberg's best film ever if it would have ended at the bottom of the ocean.

This isn't far off from my thoughts on the film.

[sbessiso]

Last time I saw AI was in the theater and I remember thinking it fucking sucked. 2 hours of Haley Joel Osment not blinking looking for a fairy or something

[M Sparks]

Last time I saw AI was in the theater and I remember thinking it fucking sucked. 2 hours of Haley Joel Osment not blinking looking for a fairy or something

Did he ever find you?

[wmgaretjax]

clap. clap. clap.

[humanoid]

Did he ever find you?

that was set up way too easily for you!!

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

While I also agree about the ending, I think A.I. is a pretty amazing movie. I rewatched it about a year ago for the first time since the theater and was pretty stunned by it

[humanoid]

I haven't seen A.I. since the theater, all I remember was feeling dissatisfied...maybe I'll have to give it a chance one of these days

[amyzzz]

^ Great movie, I'm assuming you're obv. talking about the original.

The original Thomas Crowne Affair? With all those cheesy camera/film effects? WTF.

[amyzzz]

It would have been Spielberg's best film ever if it would have ended at the bottom of the ocean.
Agreed. I love A.I. and watch it about once a year with my kids.

[bobert]

This is dumb. Bruno, much like Borat, is about using cultural stereotypes to expose racism and homophobia respectively. There's no reason any gay person should feel offended by Bruno and I sincerely doubt you could find that many that do. Rather, they just seem to love it.

Hence the sarcastic joke, Randy. I was also joking about the minstrel shows, as they seem to be alive and well in the comedic offerings of Tyler Perry and Martin Lawrence.

[PotVsKtl]

Bringing Up Baby and His Girl Friday are two of the greatest comedies ever. Usually comedies from that era don't work very well these days, but those two are just so sharply written and everyone in them are obviously having so much fun, it's hard not to get swept up in it all. The Big Sleep is fantastic as well. The plot gets increasingly more incomprehensible as the movie goes on (even the screenwriter has gone on record as not knowing what happened in one case), but that's not really important because it's all about the atmosphere and Bogart and Bacall trading pretty blunt innuendos.

Bringing Up Baby is so fucking good. Philadelphia Story may edge it out for best screwball comedy, but both Cukor and Hawks wrecked shop in the '30s/early '40s.

[wmgaretjax]

Philadelphia Story > Bring Up Baby

By a hair.

[sbessiso]

Did he ever find you?

come on!

[amyzzz]

I must have watched this one scene from Bringing Up Baby 20 times as part of a film class and it never got old. That's such a great movie.

[PotVsKtl]

Shut up.

[amyzzz]

hahaha

[M Sparks]

that was set up way too easily for you!!

OK, I admit it. Sbessiso is my alias.

[SoulDischarge]

Speaking of screwball comedies, I watched Peter Bogdanovich's What's Up Doc? last night and it just didn't work. I think the main problem was it was all surface imitation with no real chemistry or plausibility. The whole movie I just wanted to cut off Barbara Streisand's big fucking nose and replace it with C4. And Ryan O'Neal is no Cary Grant. The chase scene was pretty cool, but even then it didn't supply the laughs it should have because it's impossible to care what happens to any of the characters. It's kind of amazing that a large chunk of the same people would do comedy so well the next year in Paper Moon.

[amyzzz]

What's Up Doc was completely forgettable for me.

[M Sparks]

Ryan O'Neal is no Cary Grant.

This is the least necessary statement I've seen all week.

[SoulDischarge]

It's necessary if you see how hard he tries to be and fails in What's Up Doc?.

[M Sparks]

It's necessary if you see how hard he tries to be and fails in What's Up Doc?.

Yeah, but it's like saying "Dermot Mulroney is no Spencer Tracy"

[Young blood]

There is no way somebody invested money in this. It had to be a Demi solo venture. I cannot believe I made it through the trailer.

WhNTMgQxnAg

[M Sparks]

Netflix doesn't think area man is ready for 'Blue Velvet' (http://www.theonion.com/content/radio_news/netflix_doesnt_think_area?utm_source=a-section)

[HowToDisappear]

I'd like to add My Favorite Wife (Cary Grant, Irene Dunne 1940) to the list of screwball comedies.

[whynotsmile99]

There is no way somebody invested money in this. It had to be a Demi solo venture. I cannot believe I made it through the trailer.

WhNTMgQxnAg
JESUS CHRIST

that really was, quite possibly, the worst movie trailer I have ever seen

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

this looks like it will be pretty great

x-i42Mrw3no

[bobert]

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j38/bobertrgb/ReadMyLips.jpg

Watched Read My Lips the other night - pretty great movie. It's about a deaf girl who get's involved with a petty thief (Vincent Cassel) that works in her office, and the two of them begin planning a robbery together. This is the second film I've seen by the writer/director, Jacques Audiard, the other being The Beat That My Heart Skipped, and I really like his style. I heard that his latest film, Un prophète, is his best yet - it won the Grand Jury Prize at Canne this year. Comes out next month, I believe. I can't wait.

[wmgaretjax]

I'm very excited for Un Prophete. I loved The Beat That My Heart Skipped, I'll have to check this out.

[schoolofruckus]

I don't think Un Prophete is coming out in August here....I think SPC will release it in late '09 / early '10 along with The White Ribbon.

[iv3rdawG]

Those wondering when they can see Antichrist, IMDb lists it as October 23 (limited).

[rage patton]

No midnight screenings of Bruno in my area? Lame.

[JewFace]

I'm so glad you mentioned Read My Lips, Bobert. I'll have to check it out. I saw The Beat That My Heart Skipped fairly recently and absolutely loved it. I was so floored by Romain Duris' incendiary performance that I had to seek out some of his other fine performances in films like L'auberge espagnole and Dans Paris. I never got around to checking out any other of Jacques Audiard's films.

On the topic of modern French cinema, I saw Francois Ozon's Under the Sand earlier this week. What a lovely film! Ozon does such a fine job of conveying the emotional state of the lead as she grieves for her husband and yet seems to refuse closure. No spoiler here, but my friend found the ending frustratingly and unnecessarily ambiguous, but I quite liked that Ozon left us that way. By the way, Gold bless Francois Ozon and French cinema in general. If it were left up to American cinema, Charlotte Rampling and other fine actresses of a certain age would be relegated to solely playing Keira Knightley's mother.

Speaking of fine British actresses of a certain age playing grieving women in French films, has anyone seen I've Loved You So Long? I thought I could rent that one, then re-read The Year of Magical Thinking and then take a bubble bath with my hair dryer.

[RotationSlimWang]

Watching Blindness right now. First of all, pretty fucked up flick. Not sure there's quite enough of a point to it to justify all the horrible crap happening, but did anyone else find themselves laughing hysterically at the entire room of blind people on fire?

Before you all start calling me callous, they were specifically blind rapists.

[MissingPerson]

Where the one-eyed rapist is king.

[RotationSlimWang]

No no no, the one-eyed rapist was on fire, and because he was blind he just kept grabbing mattresses and blankets that were already on fire and throwing them onto other blind people. It's really quite hysterical.

[bobert]

Watching Blindness right now. First of all, pretty fucked up flick. Not sure there's quite enough of a point to it to justify all the horrible crap happening, but did anyone else find themselves laughing hysterically at the entire room of blind people on fire?

Before you all start calling me callous, they were specifically blind rapists.

Yes, I laughed. That movie was so awful it gave rape a bad name.

[humanoid]

No no no, the one-eyed rapist was on fire, and because he was blind he just kept grabbing mattresses and blankets that were already on fire and throwing them onto other blind people. It's really quite hysterical.

until now, I didn't really have much interest in this, but who can resist a roomful of blind rapists engulfed in flames?

[TallGuyCM]

Yes, I laughed. That movie was so awful it gave rape a bad name.

Wow, that's pretty awful.

[tessalasset]

so i just watched donnie darko for the first time ever (directors cut). first question - why were the two "bullies" (seth rogen etc) at the death grandma's house at the end? i didn't understand that at all. did they just happen to be strolling by in robber gear and see an open cellar door or something?

[M Sparks]

this looks like it will be pretty great

x-i42Mrw3no

I'm torn. I don't like trailers that reveal too much of the plot. But I wasn't really interested until they revealed too much of the plot.

I've always had the feeling that Patton would be a good dramatic actor. He was pretty good on Dollhouse this season.

[indietron]

I just spent like 2 hours on the District 9 websites. Its pretty intricate and detailed. And the new trailer is awesome.

[ivankay]

Bruno is pretty fucking funny. i was in a packed midnight screening and the laughter was good and loud.

[MissingPerson]

until now, I didn't really have much interest in this, but who can resist a roomful of blind rapists engulfed in flames?

I have to say, yes, I am going to make an effort to see it now.

[schoolofruckus]

I'm so glad you mentioned Read My Lips, Bobert. I'll have to check it out. I saw The Beat That My Heart Skipped fairly recently and absolutely loved it. I was so floored by Romain Duris' incendiary performance that I had to seek out some of his other fine performances in films like L'auberge espagnole and Dans Paris. I never got around to checking out any other of Jacques Audiard's films.

On the topic of modern French cinema, I saw Francois Ozon's Under the Sand earlier this week. What a lovely film! Ozon does such a fine job of conveying the emotional state of the lead as she grieves for her husband and yet seems to refuse closure. No spoiler here, but my friend found the ending frustratingly and unnecessarily ambiguous, but I quite liked that Ozon left us that way. By the way, Gold bless Francois Ozon and French cinema in general. If it were left up to American cinema, Charlotte Rampling and other fine actresses of a certain age would be relegated to solely playing Keira Knightley's mother.

Speaking of fine British actresses of a certain age playing grieving women in French films, has anyone seen I've Loved You So Long? I thought I could rent that one, then re-read The Year of Magical Thinking and then take a bubble bath with my hair dryer.

I didn't like I've Loved You So Long. The acting is brilliant, but the storytelling was pretty flat.

[schoolofruckus]

I saw The Hurt Locker last night. I thought it was top-shelf in a lot of ways. These days, there's only so much affection I can feel for a film whose primary concern is the lives of US soldiers. But the apoliticism of this movie, combined with an inciteful understanding of adrenaline-driven machismo, makes the characters far more humanized than the likes of, say, Jarhead. It works primarily as a technically superior thriller, told in a series of scenarios that, for the most part, don't necessarily boil in a classic narrative sense, but instead work almost as vignettes in that each one builds to its own pulse-quickening climax. The lead actor, Jeremy Renner, is terrific. Overall, I think that many critics are overrating this movie (possibly out of reverse-sexism due to the fact that it was directed by a woman, since that's what a lot of the reviews I've read tend to focus on), but I would still highly recommend it.

[woogie846]

I watched half of Godfather Part II last night.

[AlecEiffel]

so i just watched donnie darko for the first time ever (directors cut). first question - why were the two "bullies" (seth rogen etc) at the death grandma's house at the end? i didn't understand that at all. did they just happen to be strolling by in robber gear and see an open cellar door or something?

Just don't worry about it.

[tessalasset]

ok.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

i didn't like Godfather II nearly as much as everyone else, especially not in the context of it somehow being superior to the brilliant first film. I do LOVE LOVE LOVE all the Deniro flashback stuff and would have liked to see a movie of just that, but I have such a hard time getting into all the Cuba stuff

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

so i just watched donnie darko for the first time ever (directors cut). first question - why were the two "bullies" (seth rogen etc) at the death grandma's house at the end? i didn't understand that at all. did they just happen to be strolling by in robber gear and see an open cellar door or something?

If you've seen Southland Tales or Domino you'll know that Richard kelly really doesn't give two shits about making any sort of sense, whatsoever. I've come to realize that the fact that Donni Darko has anything redeeming about it was just a fluke

[rage patton]

Bruno is pretty fucking funny. i was in a packed midnight screening and the laughter was good and loud.

Good to hear. I just read a review and it wasn't good. It basically said Borat was hilarious, but Bruno is a one-trick pony. With that being said, it had no impact on my want to see the movie. I expected reviews to trash this movie. Im seeing it after work tonight.

[iv3rdawG]

If Brüno is the same as when I saw it a couple months ago, it's worth the admission price alone for the opening credits. It includes this song set to the Universal logo, something that will never be seen again:

u9odvl3tfEU

[TallGuyCM]

If you've seen Southland Tales or Domino you'll know that Richard kelly really doesn't give two shits about making any sort of sense, whatsoever.

Keira Knightley's never looked hotter than she did in Domino. Holy moly.

[amyzzz]

Keira Knightley's never looked hotter than she did in Domino. Holy moly.
QFT.

[schoolofruckus]

I thought she was significantly hotter in Atonement. Part of it was the erotic undercurrent of the role, part of it was that her performance was so much more alive and unaffected. But mostly, it was just because she was sexy as can be in it.

[bobert]

Saw Bruno tonight. It had about the same amount of laughs as one of the 10 minute Ali G Show segments, but for what it's worth they were pretty big laughs. The rest of the audience laughed hysterically the entire time, so maybe my appreciation for dildo jokes isn't as honed as the typical LA movie goer.

[wmgaretjax]

Saw Bruno tonight. It had about the same amount of laughs as one of the 10 minute Ali G Show segments, but for what it's worth they were pretty big laughs. The rest of the audience laughed hysterically the entire time, so maybe my appreciation for dildo jokes isn't as honed as the typical LA movie goer.

This was my problem. There were some side splitting moments, but they were few and far between. I was fairly bored for the rest of it. The funny bits were fucking hysterical though.

[SoulDischarge]

Eh. In today's wide release cinematic climate, I'll take those as rave reviews.

[MeowMixer]

lol

[bmack86]

It was decent.

[DRcube]

it was too much dancing penis

[nbvwes]

Public Enemies... i wasn't impressed.

to me, it felt like Bonnie & Clyde meets Dick Tracy... but not as good as either.



finally got around to watching my dvdrip of Hurt Locker i've had since January... it's pretty damn good. possibly the best micro-war movie of all time, in dealing with a few soldiers and their day-to-day duties.. maybe the best screenplay this year, so far

[Castanets]

My roomie convinced me to watch Unfaithful with her yesterday. Anything that screams Lifetime Movie of the Week with a bigger budget makes me want to wretch. And it was, as expected, very Lifetime-esque. I only mention this stupid film because of Diane Lane. Holy Mother Teresa, this woman was mesmerizing. Even in scenes in which Oliver ("ooh la la") Martinez barely had a stitch on, I found myself glued to Lane. She truly elevates this film from being a soft-core emotional thriller to something fare more interesting and complex every time she's on screen. That wave of lustful rememberance on her face as she takes the train ride home? That was steamier than a close up on Martinez' V line. It's not that Gere or Martinez are particularly bad; they're both perfectly adequate and up for the job, but she's just so damn good. If only she got better scripts.

[Xenocide]

Unfaithful on mute with a fast-forward button is a very enjoyable experience...

[real talk]

I watched Before Night Falls and despite being a little too long for me, it was ultimately an emotionally moving story. Some of the timeline was choppy for me but I was also drinking wine so that could be my bad. Javier Bardem was excellent and the Sean Penn cameo was pretty brilliant.

[TallGuyCM]

Unfaithful on mute with a fast-forward button is a very enjoyable experience...

Yeah, Ms. Lane shows off her ta-tas in that one scene, pretty hot for an old chick.

[Xenocide]

Yeah, Ms. Lane shows off her ta-tas in that one scene, pretty hot for an old chick.

i love your avatar... it reminds me of the Scott Tennerman episode of south park... in fact, i think i'm gonna start calling Supre 'scott tennerman'...

[wmgaretjax]

I watched Before Night Falls and despite being a little too long for me, it was ultimately an emotionally moving story. Some of the timeline was choppy for me but I was also drinking wine so that could be my bad. Javier Bardem was excellent and the Sean Penn cameo was pretty brilliant.

I really love this movie. It's fucking beautiful. I agree that it feels a little lengthy, but I've never been able to figure out what parts should have been trimmed...

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

My roomie convinced me to watch Unfaithful with her yesterday. Anything that screams Lifetime Movie of the Week with a bigger budget makes me want to wretch. And it was, as expected, very Lifetime-esque. I only mention this stupid film because of Diane Lane. Holy Mother Teresa, this woman was mesmerizing. Even in scenes in which Oliver ("ooh la la") Martinez barely had a stitch on, I found myself glued to Lane. She truly elevates this film from being a soft-core emotional thriller to something fare more interesting and complex every time she's on screen. That wave of lustful rememberance on her face as she takes the train ride home? That was steamier than a close up on Martinez' V line. It's not that Gere or Martinez are particularly bad; they're both perfectly adequate and up for the job, but she's just so damn good. If only she got better scripts.

if you like Lane, i highly recommend these two very early films of hers. they're both fantastic

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FABULOUS STAINS
http://www.worshipworthy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/stains.jpg

and

STREETS OF FIRE
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qUKzPjLgX8Y/RxPjNiMOuSI/AAAAAAAAA2c/ODAQ-9XH1zI/s400/Soundtrack_-_Streets_Of_Fire_(Front).jpg

I took my girlfriend to see AWAY WE GO this afternoon, and I actually really enjoyed it. It's disjointed because the first half is genuinely funny, despite being very silly, and the second half is a total sobfest

very well done though

[TomAz]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qUKzPjLgX8Y/RxPjNiMOuSI/AAAAAAAAA2c/ODAQ-9XH1zI/s400/Soundtrack_-_Streets_Of_Fire_(Front).jpg

I remember this movie. This movie came out in the early 80s right? it totally sucked. her tit's bare and his gun's up. it goes downhill from there.

[MissingPerson]

Nothing about the phrase "Rock Fantasy" inspires great confidence in me, to be honest.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

Really? Streets of Fire is pretty great. Directed by Walter Hill and featuring crazy Willem Dafoe as the bad guy and lots of anachronistic 80s musical scenes (even though it takes place in the '50s). It even has Rick Moranis in it!

[TomAz]

there's a chick singing with a bare tit. that seems like a pretty typical late 70s/early 80s rock fantasy.

[MissingPerson]

Damn.

Is there any blind rapists on fire at any point?

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

Nothing about the phrase "Rock Fantasy" inspires great confidence in me, to be honest.

you people have no fun in your lives

another 'rock fantasy' that must be seen by all

ROCK AND RULE
http://www.strand-theatre-shelbyville.org/wp-content/uploads/image/Rock%20and%20Rule.jpg

[MissingPerson]

Well now that's not true, I enjoy a blind flaming rapist as much as anybody...

[TomAz]

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0767809548.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg


you may laugh at the morrison & skynyrd but the lead cartoon guy was pretty much a lou reed take and the punk scenes were fun.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

American pop is indeed great. I'm a big Ralph Bakshi nerd though and love pretty much all of his flicks

[nbvwes]

Damn.

Is there any blind rapists on fire at any point?


that should have it's own movie...
i'd watch it!

[SoulDischarge]

I haven't seen these movies, but I'm sure they're mere child's play in comparison to

http://ondeafears.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/stunt-rock-poster.jpg

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

AWWW not on Netflix

Have you actually seen it before?

[SoulDischarge]

Yeah. As a double feature with The Apple. It's pretty terrible in a lot of the right ways.

[paulb]

I saw Bruno yesterday, it had its really funny moments. Overall as a film, its pretty bad, but it was exactly what a Sasha Baron Cohen film does, shock, lots of raunch and get some really loud laughs... I enjoyed it...but I do think Borat was alot better.

[hawkingvsreeve]

I watched Ed Wood, Field of Dreams and Tombstone yesterday. Kind of a movie day apparently.

[M Sparks]

TCM had an astoundingly awful marathon of 60's rock movies the other day. They had both Herman's Hermets movies, and "It's A Bikini World" with Tommy Kirk, (and Sid Haig as a beatnik skateboard designer!)

But the best/worst one was "Get Yourself A College Girl." Behold the awesomely racist scene where the old man watches in horror as the kids shake and shimmy and he mentally compares them to an African tribe .

bF9euqXHzog

[lmntz4]

I fully realize I'm two and a half years, and over 13,000 posts late, but what exactly is "the p word" gabe refers to in the first post in this thread?

[Still-ill]

What the fuck, "With a Cast that is the Last!"
What does that even mean?

[Ardentbiscuit]

I haven't seen these movies, but I'm sure they're mere child's play in comparison to

http://ondeafears.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/stunt-rock-poster.jpg

They are having a screening of Stunt Rock at the New Beverly on July 31st..

july 31

* New 35mm print!

* Stunt Rock (1978)

o Midnight (11:59 p.m.) - all seats $7

[SoulDischarge]

Yeah. That's where I saw it. <3 New Beverly.

[M Sparks]

What the fuck, "With a Cast that is the Last!"
What does that even mean?

I think they mean everyone in it was the casting director's last choice.

Boy, that Dave Clark Five sure was dynamic. No wonder they got into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame ahead of The Stooges.

[schoolofruckus]

I watched a few movies this weekend:

Moon - I really enjoyed what I saw of this one. Unfortunately, I had a couple drinks before the 10 pm show on Friday night, and ended up dozing off for bits and pieces of it. I feel like I got pretty much all of the narrative, but missed a lot of the interaction between the characters. It's an excellent low-budget sci-fi film about a lonely astronaut (Sam Rockwell) harvesting alternate energy on the moon. Excellent score by Clint Mansell and a pretty impressive visual achievement seeing as how it was shot for around $4 million. I'll be seeing it again.

Mysterious Skin - I rewatched this one on Saturday. It's still one of my most favorite films of this decade. Everything about it is tremendous.

The Dark Knight - I watched this one again when I was hungover on Sunday. It's held up surprisingly well since I saw it a year ago. In fact, apart from the discrepancy between IMAX and DVD, I may have liked it more this time; strip away the exorbitant box office performance and the hyperbolic ravings of everyone who wanted to be first to call it Oscar-worthy, and you still have a deeply satisfying, pretty-close-to-great superhero action movie.

Withnail and I - This movie was delightful. I hadn't heard about it until Randy quoted it on here a few years ago, and I was quite impressed. It's a hilariously literate comedy about two hard-drinking English actors whose "recuperative" holiday to the country home of one of their uncles proves to be even more nerve-wracking than their chaotic everyday lives. Funny as hell.

[wmgaretjax]

The score for Moon was absolutely dreadful. The only real complaint I had about the film. I actually groaned out loud during some of the final sequences of the film. I despise Clint Mansell's scores with a passion. Can you ask for any more to be shoved down your throat? Please soundtrack, tell me how to feel...

[AlecEiffel]

When you mentioned the Mysterious Skin at first I thought you were talking about

http://www.lovefilm.com/lovefilm/images/products/5/26075-large.jpg

and I got really pumped.