Schoolio's Movie Corner [Archive] - Page 60 - Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival Message Board

Alligator Bogaloo

08-13-2009, 08:05 PM

The western is my favorite genre. From the old John Ford westerns up to the recent westerns like The Proposition, The Assination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and Appaloosa. No one has mentioned one of the best western directors Sam Peckinpah. He has made some of the best westerns back in the 60's and 70's, they include:

Ride The High Country
http://coachella.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=121&pictureid=1062

Major Dundee
http://coachella.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=121&pictureid=1063

The Wild Bunch
http://coachella.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=121&pictureid=1064

The Ballad of Cable Hogue
http://coachella.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=121&pictureid=1060

Junior Bonner
http://coachella.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=121&pictureid=1059

Par Garrett and Billy The Kid (my personal favorite)
http://coachella.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=121&pictureid=1061

wmgaretjax

08-13-2009, 08:06 PM

Watch all three seasons of Deadwood. It's possibly the best work that's ever been done in the genre.

definitely... one of the most unfortunate cancellations in TV history.

menikmati

08-13-2009, 08:09 PM

The unfortunate thing with Westerns is that so many of them are littered with bad acting and utter cheesiness that you almost have to view a lot of them with a different set of eyes than many other films. Each decade since the 20's seems to have it's own variation on the western and attempts to infuse elements of various genres. When I was growing up, my dad and uncle were always big fans of Westerns and exposed me to many of them, so I will always have a fondness for the genre, although I am quite familiar with it's limitations as well. I enjoy a lot of them for the scenery and locations as well. My family always took roadtrips all over the western US when I was a kid and explored all these obscure places like western ghost towns and Native American ruins, so I think that partially helped instill this romantic notion of the old wild west in my mind.

some westerns that I really enjoy:

Most Clint westerns are pretty damn fun and badass(for lack of a better term), but some of them are tied to the spaghetti western movement and it's inherent flaws, but are still fun to watch

Unforgiven
High Plains Drifter
Pale Rider
The Outlaw Josey Wales
Tombstone
Silverado (this was the go to movie in my house when growing up, really cool movie)
The Searchers
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The Wild Bunch
The Naked Spur
The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
The Missing

Pretty much what you said, though I would throw in My Darling Clementine, 3:10 to Yuma, Stagecoach, and even Appapaloosa.

JewFace

08-13-2009, 08:09 PM

Thanks for the recommendations, people. For "classic" Westerns, it looks like I will be hitting up The Good The Bad and The Ugly and The Wild Bunch first.

As for modern westerns, the one that looks the most appealing to me is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford . Any thoughts on this one? Humanoid, I know you recommended it.

Bobert:
So glad you mentioned Deadwood. I (and apparently only 10 other people) adored John From Cincinnati, so it's about time I gave Deadwood a look.

wmgaretjax

08-13-2009, 08:12 PM

TAOJJBTCRB is an incredible film. A masterpiece.

And definitely Once Upon a Time in the West. That should also go to the top of your classics list with The Good The Bad and the Ugly.

PotVsKtl

08-13-2009, 08:14 PM

menikmati

08-13-2009, 08:15 PM

I took a Western film class...I wish I still had the syllabus so I could recommend some more (old and post-modern)...can't remember all the ones we watched...some were pretty obscure. I really enjoy the western-genre, and wish it was explored more these days.

wmgaretjax

08-13-2009, 08:17 PM

El Topo is a great non-traditional suggestion.

SoulDischarge

08-13-2009, 08:19 PM

There's a pretty weird one (as far as memory serves) with Joan Crawford called Johnny Guitar that I believe hasn't been released on DVD yet. I'd really like to see it again.

menikmati

08-13-2009, 08:23 PM

The Ballard of Little Jo is alright too.

wmgaretjax

08-13-2009, 08:29 PM

There's a pretty weird one (as far as memory serves) with Joan Crawford called Johnny Guitar that I believe hasn't been released on DVD yet. I'd really like to see it again.

Yeah! Nicholas Ray directed that. It's a great film.

Drinkey McDrinkerstein

08-13-2009, 08:30 PM

i'd like to throw in more support for assassinaiton of jesse james...a fucking unbelievably good movie

sbessiso

08-13-2009, 08:31 PM

TAOJJBTCRB is an incredible film. A masterpiece.

Adding it on my netflix list now, it didn't look too appealing to me when it first came out but i'll give it a shot.

I thought the 3:10 to Yuma remake was pretty damn entertaining and spectacularly made

Drinkey McDrinkerstein

08-13-2009, 08:34 PM

3:10 to Yuma was indeed entertaining

Do not go in to Jesse James expecting a rollicking action piece though. It is the polar opposite of Yuma, really

M Sparks

08-13-2009, 08:34 PM

My Darling Clementine is on Westerns tomorrow at 1:10pm eastern.

EDIT- Sorry, the channel is called Encore Westerns now, I think, and it's on again at 9:50pm.

PotVsKtl

08-13-2009, 08:39 PM

I just realized I own the complete Thin Man collection. I have no recollection of purchasing it. I have too many DVDs.

PotVsKtl

08-13-2009, 08:39 PM

So my point is After the Thin Man is funny.

humanoid

08-13-2009, 08:42 PM

The Assassination of Jesse James...is far more than simply a western, it is a brilliant character study of Robert Ford, masterfully portrayed by Casey Affleck, with beautifully shot scenes and very solid characters throughout. Definitely not an action flick, and meandering at points, but never boring at all. I would echo wmgaretjax's assessment and call it a masterpiece without a second thought. I loved this movie.

sbessiso

08-13-2009, 08:44 PM

I think I need to bypass all this Curb Your Enthusiasm and 30 Rock and move TAOJJBTCRF to the top of the list!

SoulDischarge

08-13-2009, 08:47 PM

Did you ever rent Forbidden Zone? If not, you need to move that up there too.

whynotsmile99

08-13-2009, 09:49 PM

i'd like to throw in more support for assassinaiton of jesse james...a fucking unbelievably good movie

yea, totally agree. way under appreciated. Easily one of the most beautifully shot movies in years as well.

Another modern western classic is The Proposition with Guy Pearce. Takes place in the Australian outback. Nick Cave wrote the screenplay. it's excellent.

http://thisdistractedglobe.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/Proposition.jpg

Mr.Nipples

08-13-2009, 10:18 PM

they better not fuck this up again
<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oHxzAXaJOtU&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oHxzAXaJOtU&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>

wmgaretjax

08-13-2009, 10:25 PM

westworld...

whynotsmile99

08-13-2009, 10:36 PM

wmgaretjax

08-13-2009, 10:55 PM

the vote for most ridiculous upcoming film goes to:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/legion/

SoulDischarge

08-13-2009, 11:07 PM

Ahhahahaha. What makes it even worse is that it's the same plot from Dogma.

PotVsKtl

08-13-2009, 11:09 PM

I won't have these unkind words spoken against Charles S. Dutton.

Still-ill

08-13-2009, 11:11 PM

Phew... that CGI is baaaaaaaad. Thanks for sharing. 1:23-1:28 is hilarious.

Mr.Nipples

08-13-2009, 11:20 PM

i want to see this.

though it will certainly be missing Mayor Ebert

yeah that scene is peeled from a dream sequence from another japanese movie that has very little to do with godzilla but looks great nonetheless . i read an article this morning that legendary pictures picked up the rights to make another godzilla film in the US, and they better do it right. roland emmerich and that other assclown shouldve been shot through the back of their heads for that piece of shit...

I won't have these unkind words spoken against Charles S. Dutton.

mr. dutton has an interesting life story

PotVsKtl

08-13-2009, 11:28 PM

He saved Ripley from a vicious rape encounter.

Mr.Nipples

08-13-2009, 11:34 PM

lets not forget Rudy

mountmccabe

08-13-2009, 11:43 PM

http://sirjorge.com/blogx/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/mccabeandmrsmillerposter.jpg

Yeah, that was fun.

The Searchers

That'll be the day.

Damn, I need to see that movie again.

JewFace

08-14-2009, 12:49 AM

TAOJJBTCRB is an incredible film. A masterpiece.
And definitely Once Upon a Time in the West. That should also go to the top of your classics list with The Good The Bad and the Ugly.

Noted. Thanks again! :thu

Down Rodeo

08-14-2009, 01:33 AM

I'll echo the sentiments on Assassination of Jesse James. That film just continues to grow in stature in my mind, every time I see it or think about it. I can't recommend it to enough people. It's seriously one of the best handful of films I've seen this decade.

Down Rodeo

08-14-2009, 01:45 AM

roberto73

08-14-2009, 06:44 AM

While the words "From the director of Napoleon Dynamite" make my soul die a little, I'm inexplicably tickled by this trailer:

aO8YODeSRCg

captncrzy

08-14-2009, 09:32 AM

I know that this is a comedy set in the old west, but it's the only "western" I ever really liked

http://www.phillyfunguide.com/images/event/49243/Blazing_Saddles_1.jpg

(I have the Proposition recorded and plan on watching it this weekend).

higgybaby23

08-14-2009, 09:59 AM

^Blazing Saddles is in my top 20 movies of all time, without a doubt.

Richard Pryor was supposed to be the lead, but obviously that didn't work out.

Drinkey McDrinkerstein

08-14-2009, 10:48 AM

Blazing Saddles is one of, if not THE funniest movies of all time

The Proposition was kind of weak for me. It has some stellar performances, especially by Ray Winstone, but the movie as a whole is really weird, and kind of plods around.

SoulDischarge

08-14-2009, 04:14 PM

I won't have these unkind words spoken against Charles S. Dutton.

For a minute I thought it was Forest Whitaker slumming in yet another terrible movie.

CuervoPH

08-14-2009, 08:03 PM

If you're like me though, you might be disappointed that the film doesn't examine the sociological/ethical/moral questions it addresses in enough depth, but there's still plenty of action and intensity to satisfy most viewers. I'll wait until more people have seen it to discuss details, but I would surely recommend the film, especially for fans of sci-fi and action films.

I agree with this assessment of District 9. There were a number of questions/issues raised that I was hoping would be pursued further than they were. However, despite that, I was satisfied with the film. The same can't be said for the audience members next to me who were apparently hoping for Independence Day 2 and complained the entire movie.

Castanets

08-14-2009, 08:53 PM

Andrew, listen to these people. Add Assassination of Jesse James... to your queue now! It's an absolutely perfect film. This might be a somewhat shallow observation, but if you enjoy Terrence Malick's films, you should really enjoy this one. BTW, I just spent half an hour reading all of your funny and interesting responses in the Get to Know... thread. Stop sucking precious time away from my weekend, young man!

nbvcide

08-14-2009, 09:32 PM

i maintain that Deadwood is far & away better than almost any western FILM out there... that being said, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is one of the rare exceptions..

no one has brought up this movie yet, and it's fairly commercial for this thread, but The Time Traveler's Girlfriend was actually quite good.. fairly original, with enough enjoyable twists & turns.. one of the few chick-ish flicks that don't insult your intelligence while still being something that can be equally enjoyed by dudes..

plus, Rachel McAdams & Eric Bana partial nudity is a def plus!!

PotVsKtl

08-14-2009, 09:41 PM

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.
...

wmgaretjax

08-14-2009, 09:50 PM

I generally hate voice over heavy movies... but i think given the relationship between the story itself and oral traditions, that this film is an exception in my mind because it's hyper aware of this relationship and capitalizes on it constantly.

I just flat out disagree about the art design. I thought it was beautifully sparse... but it definitely treads a fine line between that and being bland.

PotVsKtl

08-14-2009, 09:55 PM

Disney has acquired pic rights to a new rendition of "The Diary of Anne Frank," to be written and helmed by David Mamet.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118007173.html?categoryid=10&cs=1&nid=2248

...

Alchemy

08-14-2009, 09:59 PM

cDvq7XMESas

Hannahrain

08-14-2009, 10:01 PM

Oh, this is a good idea. Starring Dakota Fanning and some very cleverly applied brown shoe polish.

Hannahrain

08-14-2009, 10:05 PM

I wonder if they're going to give her a cheerful talking CGI rat friend at Auschwitz.

Alchemy

08-14-2009, 10:08 PM

I wonder if Bill Nighy is going to play the villain.

Or James Woods. I hope its James Woods.

nbvcide

08-14-2009, 10:22 PM

BBC/HBO already put out a "Diary of Anne Frank" earlier this year (jan/feb).. and it was excellent. Easily the best version of that film yet done.. one of the best of the year if you watch it as one 2 1/2 hour movie

SoulDischarge

08-14-2009, 11:46 PM

COFFEE IS FOR UBERMENSCHES ONLY

wmgaretjax

08-14-2009, 11:46 PM

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118007173.html?categoryid=10&cs=1&nid=2248

...

hahahaha.

wmgaretjax

08-15-2009, 01:39 AM

I watched Heat... I would have liked it a little more than most Mann movies if it wasn't so bloated. I could tolerate the shallow characters a little more because the style wasn't so overblown... There were some absolutely retarded segments... Mostly I had trouble tolerating the characters for so long... Not because I disliked them (although I did), mostly because they were completely unbelievable. Except Tom Sizemore, who played the most interesting and underused character in the film. I wanted to shove something down Pacino's throat to stop him from chewing another scene to pieces.

indietron

08-15-2009, 01:41 AM

On another note, I caught an advanced screening of District 9 tonight. I won't give anything away, so don't worry about spoilers. I'll say that overall I was very pleased with the film. The first half is excellent, efficiently crafting the narrative in pretty tense and surprisingly unsettling sequences. About midway through the film, the plot ventures into more formulaic territory, not fully delivering on the intriguing promises established early on. The premise is very original and the movie is pretty well-crafted for a directorial debut on a modest budget. If you're like me though, you might be disappointed that the film doesn't examine the sociological/ethical/moral questions it addresses in enough depth, but there's still plenty of action and intensity to satisfy most viewers. I'll wait until more people have seen it to discuss details, but I would surely recommend the film, especially for fans of sci-fi and action films.

************SPOILER-ISH****************

I agree with you completely here. I was expecting them to touch on that alot more. However, maybe they will discuss that more in the next movie? Which raises the question: is a sequel to this inevitable? Christopher did promise the MNU agent (/morphing guy/whatever his name is) that he would return in three years time. Additionally, he just left two million of his kind in the concentration-like camps. I don't see them just ending it now.

CuervoPH

08-15-2009, 02:00 AM

*** District 9 Spoiler Alert ***

I also thought the ending basically promised a sequel. Several things point to it, including the aforementioned Christopher promising to return in three years time, not to mention the fact that Christopher repeatedly stressed that he wanted to get his people home. Also I don't think they would have included the part where Wikus leaves the rose on Tania's doorstep if they didn't plan on eventually continuing the story.

clumsy342

08-15-2009, 02:38 AM

Anyone interested in Todd Solondz' Life During Wartime?

When the shit are we going to see a trailer?
Since it is showing at a few upcoming film festivals, I'm sure it won't be too long. But still, the anxiety is killing me. Mostly because I assume that it will be far better than Palindromes.

I feel like the time I've spent waiting is at least worth a couple of still photos, a poster, or something!

wmgaretjax

08-15-2009, 02:42 AM

Palindromes is Todd Solondz best film...

Ya... I said it.

clumsy342

08-15-2009, 02:49 AM

wow. really?
I feel Palindromes severely pales in comparison to his other films. And, as a fan, I found it almost embarrassing and desperate at times.

wmgaretjax

08-15-2009, 03:10 AM

i loved how desperate it was. all his other films are desperate as well though. they try so fucking hard... but Palindromes felt the most genuine to me... it still has it's forced moments, but they seemed to be coming from a more honest place... like he was self aware of his own desperation as he made the film... i don't know how to describe it... in a wood allen kind of way, i don't know. i also think the pacing is pretty dead on, the laughs hit at the right moments.

ignore me.

SoulDischarge

08-15-2009, 03:54 AM

Yeah. Palindromes is definitely my least favorite. Excluding Fear, Anxiety & Depression, which I still haven't seen and which he has renounced, I'd say his films are rated in order of their release, with Welcome To The Dollhouse high on top. That one is just a string of perfectly struck moments. Happiness is considerably more desperate but I enjoy it, but almost as a guilty pleasure.

I just watched Stephen Frears' Prick Up Your Ears. I knew nothing about Joe Orton beforehand but I enjoyed it immensely. The structure isn't perfect but the relationship at the core is fascinating and realistic, even though there's a theatricality to the whole thing. It'd be a very depressing movie if it weren't for all the moments of dark humor throughout. The acting is the best part of the film, although Gary Oldman kind of reminds me of Dana Carvey in this movie. Check it out if you haven't already.

whynotsmile99

08-15-2009, 11:08 AM

i love Palindromes

7VeKWiMcDGM&feature=related

sbessiso

08-15-2009, 07:16 PM

Did you ever rent Forbidden Zone? If not, you need to move that up there too.

Thank you for reminding me, pumpkin!! That one looks right up my alley, cant wait to see it

nbvcide

08-15-2009, 10:49 PM

i finally saw (500) Days of Summer , great flick, highly recommended...

wmgaretjax

08-15-2009, 10:53 PM

yeah, if you want your eyes cloyed out.

real talk

08-16-2009, 12:35 AM

My high school classmate is in that movie.

ps I also liked Palindromes, better than Welcome to the Dollhouse and Happiness because those two were too much for me, like sadness for days. My favorite is Storytelling.

wmgaretjax

08-16-2009, 12:46 AM

yeah. storytelling is great. i think the first bit could have been a little less abrupt... but that's just quibbling.

HorseTears

08-16-2009, 03:50 AM

Just finished the first season of Mad Men on DVD. Good God is this show good. Totally lives up to the hype. Why aren't more people watching this?

Mr.Nipples

08-16-2009, 03:56 AM

HORSE SHIT!!!

JewFace

08-16-2009, 05:53 AM

HORSE SHIT!!!

Wrong.

Mr.Nipples

08-16-2009, 05:59 AM

RIGHT!!!

HORSE SHIT!!!

SoulDischarge

08-16-2009, 06:11 AM

IMDB message boards make a pretty good case for exterminating the human race. It makes this place seem downright refined by comparison.

Watched Frailty. The idea of Bill Paxton running around killing people because God told him to "destroy demons" is appealing enough, and there's probably a really good movie to be made from this concept (and a really fun, campy movie too), but the way it was executed here was mostly retarded, especially the twist ending.

schoolofruckus

08-16-2009, 11:25 AM

http://sirjorge.com/blogx/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/mccabeandmrsmillerposter.jpg

http://www.drafthouse.com/lakecreek/admin/Images/eltopo.jpg

http://www.musiccataloger.com/images/THE%20JOHN%20WAYNE%20COLLECTION%20-%20THE%20COWBOYS%20-%20DVD_LG.jpg

yea, totally agree. way under appreciated. Easily one of the most beautifully shot movies in years as well.

Another modern western classic is The Proposition with Guy Pearce. Takes place in the Australian outback. Nick Cave wrote the screenplay. it's excellent.

http://thisdistractedglobe.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/Proposition.jpg

I'll echo the sentiments on Assassination of Jesse James. That film just continues to grow in stature in my mind, every time I see it or think about it. I can't recommend it to enough people. It's seriously one of the best handful of films I've seen this decade.

I know that this is a comedy set in the old west, but it's the only "western" I ever really liked

http://www.phillyfunguide.com/images/event/49243/Blazing_Saddles_1.jpg

(I have the Proposition recorded and plan on watching it this weekend).

Yes to all of you.

Palindromes is Todd Solondz best film...

Ya... I said it.

i loved how desperate it was. all his other films are desperate as well though. they try so fucking hard... but Palindromes felt the most genuine to me... it still has it's forced moments, but they seemed to be coming from a more honest place... like he was self aware of his own desperation as he made the film... i don't know how to describe it... in a wood allen kind of way, i don't know. i also think the pacing is pretty dead on, the laughs hit at the right moments.

ignore me.

Interesting....Palindromes felt way more labored-over than Happiness and Storytelling (even though I think the straining and the disingenuousness was one of the main points of Storytelling). Some of Palindromes was hilarious, and the concept was genuinely brilliant, but I thought he really ran out of steam midway through.

Of course, I saw it on a double bill with Mysterious Skin, which is one of my favorite movies of the last decade. So I may just not have been in the mood for it.

wmgaretjax

08-16-2009, 11:36 AM

that is a draining double bill...

PotVsKtl

08-16-2009, 03:26 PM

Cinemapocalypse:

Ugh got assigned front row. I could practically touch QT's belly. Eli Roth also there for Q & A. People had a lot of ?s for Roth which was weird. QT 1st pick The Losers, 2nd pick Siege of Firebase Gloria. Next was Vigilante intro'd by Robert Fucking Forster. Then Q & A with him. Black Gestapo!!! Then the neck spasms took over & we left. Last movie was IP Man.

M Sparks

08-16-2009, 04:01 PM

the vote for most ridiculous upcoming film goes to:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/legion/

I saw this last night and laughed all the way through the trailer. But the ridiculous factor was easily upped just seconds after it ended...

Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPC-5VoCkNE)

EDIT- By the way, maybe it was the discussion that went on last week, but I came out of District 9 wondering what Cronenberg would have done with it.

M Sparks

08-16-2009, 04:12 PM

Excluding Fear, Anxiety & Depression, which I still haven't seen and which he has renounced

I quite love Fear Anxiety & Depression. I mean, it's hugely flawed, but just the songs alone make it worthwhile. I actually saw it a couple of years before Dollhouse came out, so I was just able to enjoy it as a weird little underground comedy, not as a film history student.

I used to be in a band and we had a few little video intermissions throughout the show while we changed guitars or whatever. One was Junk's performance art piece from F,A,& D.

I still maintain he only renounced it because he's so uncomfortable in his own skin, he can't stand to see himself onscreen for 90 minutes straight. Admittedly, it's nothing but a Woody Allen ripoff, but it's still funny stuff.Gs0Jtt_aF-M

schoolofruckus

08-16-2009, 05:34 PM

that is a draining double bill...

Yes, but entirely worth it for the moment in Palindromes where Dr. Dan the abortionist assassin runs in the room and starts dancing with a room full of kids....and I realize it's the same guy (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0726223/) who nearly chewed Gordon-Levitt's dick off in the earlier picture.

seandlr

08-16-2009, 05:37 PM

"You got it, Joben."
5 points for anyone who knows that

schoolofruckus

08-16-2009, 05:49 PM

That movie sucked.

seandlr

08-16-2009, 05:55 PM

Regardless of the plots creativity, I thought Paul Rudd played his role very well

atom heart

08-16-2009, 06:04 PM

I saw Ponyo on Thursday. In classic Miyazaki style its story is very meandering, and that I think got its Disney dub in a bit of trouble. The contrivances and over-explained parts are painful. Where the sub (which I haven't seen but my sister has) talked in terms of balance the dub is all "OMG the MOON is going to CRASH into EARTH!" Other than that the performances are all good with a brownie point to Tina Fey for doing a fantastic job as Soske's mother. And of course the animation is beautiful.

joppy-slow

08-16-2009, 06:30 PM

While the words "From the director of Napoleon Dynamite" make my soul die a little, I'm inexplicably tickled by this trailer:

aO8YODeSRCg

this looks fantastic.. and I hated Napolean Dynamite..

SoulDischarge

08-17-2009, 10:30 AM

Been actually watching a lot of movies for once.

Little Children is terrible, but in a weird, compelling kind of way. Still, it felt like a bad reproduction of a Todd Solondz film. It's heavy handed, the story is unfocused, the narration is completely unnecessary and at odds with the tone of the movie, and the way the characters interact just isn't believable or consistent. There were some interesting moments here and there, but the damned thing couldn't make up it's mind on what it wanted to be. Generally, you can't be a detached, ironic satire and a sympathetic character study at the same time. Also, the way the movie randomly followed different characters and let others just disappear for no reason was really irritating. I got the impression the filmmakers couldn't distance themselves enough from the literary source material.

Watched The Deer Hunter for the first time. It wasn't something I particularly enjoyed or would want to watch again any time at all soon, but I'll give it credit for being a good piece of filmmaking with some unforgettable scenes. It made me feel a little bit hollow inside afterward, so I suppose that means it's effective.

High Art is pretty standard issue indie/artist/junkie/dyke first feature drama stuff. Not bad, but not memorable (unless you have a hard on for Ally Sheedy).

Finally, I watched The King Of New York, hoping for some character actors chewing a little scenery, some brutal and stylish acts of violence, plenty of New York atmosphere, and maybe some sort of statement about the morally ambiguity of the criminal underworld, and that's exactly what I got. I love when movies deliver on their promises.

Drinkey McDrinkerstein

08-17-2009, 10:38 AM

watched Withnail and I last night...there was a lot of stuff in it that i thought was brilliant, but I found myself having a hard time fully investing myself into it. Iy felt like maybe it was too long, or it wasn't pushing itself as far as it should have...or maybe everything I wasn't enjoying about it was the entire point of it and i should digest it a bit more

SoulDischarge

08-17-2009, 10:42 AM

Watch it again in a couple of months. It's a little loose so it doesn't quite add up on the first viewing. It's better every time you see it.

faxman75

08-17-2009, 10:49 AM

Drinkey McDrinkerstein

08-17-2009, 10:51 AM

Watch it again in a couple of months. It's a little loose so it doesn't quite add up on the first viewing. It's better every time you see it.

yeah, that's pretty much what i had in mind. it also doesn't help that i had just gotten back from vacationing in Mexico so my brain was fried bit. Not the best movie for that condition

chairmenmeow47

08-17-2009, 10:51 AM

funny people had no business being that long.

kitt kat

08-17-2009, 11:05 AM

my little sister made me take her to see the goods the other night. it was terrible.

bobert

08-17-2009, 11:23 AM

***some district 9 spoilers below***

I saw District 9 over the weekend. It was very mediocre and some parts were downright cheesy. How does a nigerian gang get inside the district? Cat food, really? Is this like the sour milk in Alien Nation? Prawns? I almost died laughing when the guys hand turned into a prawn hand and he wanted to cut it off, Evil Dead anyone?

I would have rather watched Will Smith punch aliens in the face...almost.

I pity anyone who didn't enjoy that movie as much as I did. Summer movies that smart and entertaining are rare indeed.

A heads up for those who haven't seen: get to the theater early and get a good seat. I sat front row and got so noxious from all the hand-held cameras I almost spewed.

faxman75

08-17-2009, 12:01 PM

I pity anyone who didn't enjoy that movie as much as I did. Summer movies that smart and entertaining are rare indeed.

What exactly was smart about the movie? It avoided all the normal nerdy sci fi science and then said fuck real science too. I guess I just prefer ominous and creepy aliens who are kept secret by the government or those who are found in the Abyss or out in space, to giant fucking shrimp. So take your pretentious pity elsewhere. I'm not sure how a million aliens living in tent city were unable to leave their FEMA setup and work together to at least escape and roam the planet. The idea of aliens an intelligent life form that obviously were technologically advanced enough to come here on a giant craft but unable to be more than cat food eating slaves was just far from interesting. They went low budget on special effects and if I want a fun summer movie with aliens, I at least want some kick ass expensive special effects.

kreutz2112

08-17-2009, 12:27 PM

I saw Julie and Julia this weekend. I enjoyed it a lot. I REALLY want to see Ponyo. Like right now. Fuck work.

captncrzy

08-17-2009, 12:44 PM

God, defensive much?

atom heart

08-17-2009, 01:01 PM

I sat front row and got so nauseous from all the hand-held cameras I almost spewed.

The one time I snuck into a Bourne movie I basically didn't see any of it for that reason

amyzzz

08-17-2009, 01:02 PM

Ponyo is geared toward children ages 5 and under. No conflict. I was dozing off near the end. But the animation is lovely.

atom heart

08-17-2009, 01:06 PM

What's annoying about Ponyo is how Disney tried to put conflict in it. All that crap about the moon was sort of forced in there.

amyzzz

08-17-2009, 01:17 PM

I'm just trying to warn kreutz here that the movie can be incredibly boring if you are not a child. I enjoyed the first part with all the beautiful creatures and Ponyo's cuteness and metamorphoses, but there's just no tension. Soske's mom drives crazily all over road on a cliff during a tsunami and her child is never scared? Really? I was disappointed.

kreutz2112

08-17-2009, 01:21 PM

I am aware of the age the movie is geared toward. I don't care though. I have never been disappointed with a Miyazaki film and have heard nothing but good things about this one.

atom heart

08-17-2009, 01:25 PM

Anyone who reasonably enjoyed My Neighbor Totoro will have not too much of a problem with the structure of Ponyo

amyzzz

08-17-2009, 01:25 PM

Ok. I'm only saying it because I also knew it was geared towards children, but I didn't realize it was geared towards preschoolers, and I wish someone would have warned me. The adult characters talk to themselves a lot which gets tiresome.

amyzzz

08-17-2009, 01:26 PM

Anyone who reasonably enjoyed My Neighbor Totoro will have not too much of a problem with the structure of Ponyo
But there's no catbus in Ponyo. :thu I was thinking the same thing though.

atom heart

08-17-2009, 01:46 PM

True, catbus is unbelievably awesome. That manic grin!
http://www.nutsidea.net/wombats/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/catbus_totoro.jpg

M Sparks

08-17-2009, 02:44 PM

What exactly was smart about the movie?

On the sliding scale of summer action movies, it was smart. But I think a lot of people went in expecting it to be a great movie. It wasn't. It was a summer movie that didn't suck.

It was essentially a mash-up of The Fly, the second half of The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe, Alien Nation, ET, the beginning of Iron Man, and The Office. And I like all those things. (Maybe not ET anymore, but I loved it when I was in 5th grade.)

faxman75

08-17-2009, 03:06 PM

On the sliding scale of summer action movies, it was smart. But I think a lot of people went in expecting it to be a great movie. It wasn't. It was a summer movie that didn't suck.

It was essentially a mash-up of The Fly, the second half of The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe, Alien Nation, ET, the beginning of Iron Man, and The Office. And I like all those things. (Maybe not ET anymore, but I loved it when I was in 5th grade.)

I can agree with all of this. It didn't suck. It was an average movie. I certainly went in expecting it to be exciting to watch and was let down.

schoolofruckus

08-17-2009, 04:45 PM

Regardless of the plots creativity, I thought Paul Rudd played his role very well

The "plots creativity" has nothing to do with why it's a shitty movie. It sucks because:

1. The characters are lame.
B. The characters are not funny in the way that they are lame.
I. Paul Rudd is not funny in it, even though he usually makes me laugh in everything else.
Lastly - Nobody is funny in this movie.

schoolofruckus

08-17-2009, 04:54 PM

Apparently, we can also add Gomorrah (which I was a little underwhelmed by) and A Christmas Tale (which I still need to catch) to the Criterion slate this November. I wish they would get pick up Ballast instead, as well as that rumored Che set.

mountmccabe

08-17-2009, 05:02 PM

I was delighted by Ponyo throughout. It was silly and there were hilarious things going on in the background and I wasn't bored at all.

M Sparks

08-17-2009, 08:18 PM

I can agree with all of this. It didn't suck. It was an average movie. I certainly went in expecting it to be exciting to watch and was let down.

I'm rarely let down by a movie. I always assume that if Harkins is willing to show it in Flagstaff, it must suck.

Alchemy

08-17-2009, 08:31 PM

I saw District 9 today and loved it. There were weird things in the script that seemed a little forced, but not enough that I didn't enjoy the hell out of what was happening. The filming and acting were great enough to make-up for some of the silly plot technicalities.

M Sparks

08-17-2009, 10:40 PM

nbvcide

08-18-2009, 01:27 AM

The one time I snuck into a Bourne movie I basically didn't see any of it for that reason

^^THIS.

It was essentially a mash-up of The Fly, the second half of The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe, Alien Nation, ET, the beginning of Iron Man, and The Office. And I like all those things. (Maybe not ET anymore, but I loved it when I was in 5th grade.)

or, it was the concept of "V" turned upside-down.. sorta like the opposite of "V" i guess.

Alchemy

08-18-2009, 09:02 AM

VERY MINOR SPOILERS

One thing about District 9 I've heard people complain about (though maybe not in this thread) is the fact that all the aliens are idiots, and how did they get across the galaxy. I actually thought they explained that...that this was basically a ship full of manual laborers. In my mind, this was ripped off almost directly from Douglas Adams...the concept of loading a ship up with the most useless residents and sending them away. In Adams, they were told they were being sent ahead to prep a new planet for the leaders, but really they were just getting rid of them.

I've also heard someone complain about their leader hiding out instead of helping them. I don't really think he was a leader...just a mid-level engineer or something. He was really just trying to save his own skin until he figured out what was going on.

I don't know, I thought it was a good movie with something to say about immigration. And not in an overly preachy way...we were supposed to sympathize with the aliens for how they were treated, but they were also portrayed as complete scumbags. It's just too bad a halfway interesting story had to degenerate into a giant robot fight.

EDIT- and the last shot was actually kind of touching.

I don't know if I'd say the worker thing was ripped off from Douglas Adams. It's sort of an open scenario. Plus, aliens have done a lot in past works, so its hard not to be reminded of other things. "Ripped off" is a bit much though. It was also necessary, because it's not so much about immigration, but segregation of normal people. The director made direct reference to the District 6 events in South Africa.

And that engineer guy was helping out the entire time. He looked for fuel the entire time he was there, for twenty years, so that he can get help and take every one home.

AlecEiffel

08-18-2009, 10:49 AM

Did anyone else get tickets to one of the special screenings of Avatar this weekend?

M Sparks

08-18-2009, 10:49 AM

MINOR SPOILERS

"Ripped off" is a bit much though.

Agreed. But it did contain a LOT of elements and themes from other books and movies. Which is fine.

And that engineer guy was helping out the entire time. He looked for fuel the entire time he was there, for twenty years, so that he can get help and take every one home.

For some reason, I got the impression he was going to go with just his kid and his friend. Maybe I missed something.

And why DID he go alone at the end? Something about going to get help to save his people, but there were a million of them right there he could have helped evacuate.

And now that I'm thinking about it, why was D9 so deserted at the end? They had just started moving them a few days before, and they didn't seem to be moving very fast.

AlecEiffel

08-18-2009, 11:22 AM

I kept wondering why there weren't aliens all over the place constantly, especially during the fight at the end. I think it must have been budget constraints.

schoolofruckus

08-18-2009, 11:27 AM

Did anyone else get tickets to one of the special screenings of Avatar this weekend?

Screenings of 16 minutes of Avatar. Not the full film.

AlecEiffel

08-18-2009, 11:31 AM

Screenings of 16 minutes of Avatar. Not the full film.

I knew it wasn't the full film, but it's only 16 minutes? Is there anything else? This is shaping up to be a waste of time.

captncrzy

08-18-2009, 11:34 AM

MINOR SPOILERS

And now that I'm thinking about it, why was D9 so deserted at the end? They had just started moving them a few days before, and they didn't seem to be moving very fast.

I liked the movie but this bugged me too. Considering there were 1.8 million of them living in those slums, it seemed awful vacant.

iv3rdawG

08-18-2009, 12:20 PM

I knew it wasn't the full film, but it's only 16 minutes? Is there anything else? This is shaping up to be a waste of time.

It's free. I'm not gonna go. Might as well just wait a couple of months and see the whole thing then.

Drinkey McDrinkerstein

08-18-2009, 12:25 PM

I knew it wasn't the full film, but it's only 16 minutes? Is there anything else? This is shaping up to be a waste of time.

it's just a promotional thing to show people the 3D technology and give a real taste of the film rather than a normal trailer

Why would you want to see more than 16 minutes if not the whole film?

Alchemy

08-18-2009, 12:31 PM

MINOR SPOILERS

For some reason, I got the impression he was going to go with just his kid and his friend. Maybe I missed something.

And why DID he go alone at the end? Something about going to get help to save his people, but there were a million of them right there he could have helped evacuate.

And now that I'm thinking about it, why was D9 so deserted at the end? They had just started moving them a few days before, and they didn't seem to be moving very fast.

I think he was going to just go with his kid and friend the whole time. I mean, considering how much of a pain it was to get their little ship up to the big ship, it probably would be too much of a hassle to try and save everybody then and there. He would have had to send little ships up and down to District 9, and the humans probably would have been shooting them down. Christopher seemed like a genuinely nice guy, and I'm sure he'll come back to save everyone.

My only guess to the desertedness is that they heard all the gun fire and stuff and hid. They were already bothered by humans as it is, they might have thought that people were killing them for whatever reason... or because of the budget.

AlecEiffel

08-18-2009, 12:38 PM

it's just a promotional thing to show people the 3D technology and give a real taste of the film rather than a normal trailer

Why would you want to see more than 16 minutes if not the whole film?

If it was easier for me to get to I would be stoked to see the 16 minutes for free in IMAX 3d, but it's going to be a pain in the ass to get to the theater and I don't think it'll be worth it for only 16 minutes. I assumed it was going to be the comic-con presentation(which I just looked up and is 25 minutes, but for some reason I was under the impression it was 45).

iv3rdawG

08-18-2009, 12:48 PM

Tarantino talking about There Will Be Blood:

1rp5NjLRRyw

Also:

qmKEJ2iovRg

nbvcide

08-18-2009, 02:52 PM

speaking of Quentin..
-starts off strong, but he starts to lose me around the middle (The Host wasn't THAT great..) and by the end i think he's lost his mind.
Wz4K-Rxx2Bk

I liked the movie but this bugged me too. Considering there were 1.8 million of them living in those slums, it seemed awful vacant.

weren't most of them evicted to the relocation camp? they seemed to kill most of the ones who resisted.. i thought there were just a few stragglers behind..

...

amyzzz

08-18-2009, 02:57 PM

I really didn't like District 9. It was violent and ridiculous, and I had trouble feeling sorry for CGI characters. Is anyone else fucking sick of CGI?

faxman75

08-18-2009, 02:59 PM

Tarrantino was on Stern Monday morning. I'm guessing that interview is the only one that's great. I think he mentioned something about Brad Pitt still smoking weed.

nbvcide

08-18-2009, 03:08 PM

I believe Brad Pitt mentioned something about Brad Pitt still smoking weed last friday during his interview with Bill Maher..

.

Blinken

08-18-2009, 03:22 PM

I believe Brad Pitt mentioned something about Brad Pitt still smoking weed last friday during his interview with Bill Maher..

.

Brad Pitt said that he doesn't smoke weed anymore because he is a dad, and needs to be alert. Although he did seem kinda high.

M Sparks

08-18-2009, 04:43 PM

Tarrantino was on Stern Monday morning.

Does Stern pre-tape? QT was making the rounds at Sirius on Friday afternoon.

M Sparks

08-18-2009, 04:48 PM

speaking of Quentin..
-starts off strong, but he starts to lose me around the middle (The Host wasn't THAT great..) and by the end i think he's lost his mind.

By the END? Any best of list that includes the phrase "that's the Jason Biggs movie" is pretty crazy.

weren't most of them evicted to the relocation camp? they seemed to kill most of the ones who resisted.. i thought there were just a few stragglers behind..
...

They were sending crews of paper pushers house to house trying to get them to sign stuff. Even if they just walked in and shot them all in the head, they couldn't have done it 2 million times in 3 days. There was like 8 trucks in that convoy.

faxman75

08-18-2009, 04:54 PM

Does Stern pre-tape? QT was making the rounds at Sirius on Friday afternoon.

The show was live and it was Monday. It looks like they spent quite a bit of time with him. I didn't listen to it yet. He confesses to sleeping with Margaret Cho and making out with Kathy Griffin. I figured he would be pulling better tail than that. Either way, they discussed the Pitt-Jolie's and David Carradine's death. QT said he wants to retire at age 60 from directing and stick to writing and raising a family.

Uma Thurman was apparently off the table, he didn't want to talk about it.

humanoid

08-18-2009, 05:00 PM

The show was live and it was Monday. It looks like they spent quite a bit of time with him. I didn't listen to it yet. He confesses to sleeping with Margaret Cho and making out with Kathy Griffin. I figured he would be pulling better tail than that. Either way, they discussed the Pitt-Jolie's and David Carradine's death. QT said he wants to retire at age 60 from directing and stick to writing and raising a family.

Uma Thurman was apparently off the table, he didn't want to talk about it.

why anyone would freely admit to those errors in judgment, I'm not exactly sure

SoulDischarge

08-18-2009, 05:04 PM

He confesses to sleeping with Margaret Cho and making out with Kathy Griffin.

Quentin Tarantino is gay?

stinkbutt

08-18-2009, 05:26 PM

I really didn't like District 9. It was violent and ridiculous, and I had trouble feeling sorry for CGI characters. Is anyone else fucking sick of CGI?

http://www.darkworks.org/uranidiot.jpg

bobert

08-18-2009, 05:34 PM

And why DID he go alone at the end? Something about going to get help to save his people, but there were a million of them right there he could have helped evacuate.

MORE DISTRICT 9 THOUGHTS / SPOILERS

It was my understanding that he planned on returning in 3 years to help the remaining aliens evacuate, as well as offer medical assistance to his human friend. It was never explicitly stated; but it would make sense that since they aliens were extremely malnourished when their ship was discovered, that they simply did not have enough food aboard the ship to sustain the entire population on their journey home.

Also, it seemed pretty obvious that his plan to board the mother ship met with quite a bit of resistance from the human military. Something tells me that if he had made an additional 40,000 trips - or however many it would have taken to get everyone on board - that he probably would have been shot down eventually.

M Sparks

08-18-2009, 08:12 PM

SPOILEY MCSPOILSTER!

Also, it seemed pretty obvious that his plan to board the mother ship met with quite a bit of resistance from the human military. Something tells me that if he had made an additional 40,000 trips - or however many it would have taken to get everyone on board - that he probably would have been shot down eventually.

How did they get down to begin with? It wasn't in that ship...that was the command module that "fell off".

Also, there wouldn't have been any military resistance if they hadn't been chasing the main character. Nobody wanted them around, and the company just wanted the weapons and a way to fire them. Getting rid of the aliens would have been the best thing for them at that point.

You make a good point about the food though.

faxman75

08-18-2009, 08:26 PM

I thought they transported them from the ship to the ground by helicopter. I remember a scene with tons of helicopters picking up and dropping aliens off in District 9.

humanoid

08-18-2009, 10:10 PM

Quentin Tarantino is gay?

wait.....he's not?

M Sparks

08-18-2009, 11:06 PM

I thought they transported them from the ship to the ground by helicopter. I remember a scene with tons of helicopters picking up and dropping aliens off in District 9.

I don't remember that, but that would explain it.

PassiveTheory

08-19-2009, 01:51 AM

District 9 was pretty good. The pacing was good and the character development for the lead was adequate. B+

Down Rodeo

08-19-2009, 02:42 AM

I finally saw Dead Ringers tonight....yikes. Not light watching at all.

sonofhal

08-19-2009, 02:48 AM

Did anyone else get tickets to one of the special screenings of Avatar this weekend?

I'm off to check this out at the London IMAX on Friday afternoon. I'm assuming it's going to be an exteremely impressive preview, otherwise it's the worst PR stunt ever.

whynotsmile99

08-19-2009, 02:51 AM

just a heads up: David Lynch Short FIlms Collection is streaming from Netflix.

some interesting art to say the least

SoulDischarge

08-19-2009, 02:58 AM

I finally saw Dead Ringers tonight....yikes. Not light watching at all.

I rewatched it the other day. It just gets better and better every time. I some times forgot how disturbing and painful it is because it doesn't have as many grotesque set pieces as other Cronenberg films.

humanoid

08-19-2009, 03:36 AM

I finally got around to watching Rachel Getting Married...very glad I did, I thought it was a fantastic film. Great characters throughout, well acted by everyone involved and a fairly interesting depiction of a story that has been told many times over. It was very sad, frustrating, touching and even mildly funny. I am no expert in filming technique, but I felt some of the camera work greatly enhanced the intimacy and tension in several of the scenes. I always thought it looked decent, but I really enjoyed it much more than I expected to.

nbvcide

08-19-2009, 04:09 AM

^YES!

PotVsKtl

08-19-2009, 09:39 AM

Thanks for your valuable input nbvcide.

M Sparks

08-19-2009, 11:51 AM

I finally saw Dead Ringers tonight....yikes. Not light watching at all.

I just read this last night.

http://www.avclub.com/articles/dead-ringers,31625/

Time for me to revisit this...it's probably been 15 years since I've seen it.

nbvcide

08-19-2009, 04:35 PM

Thanks for your valuable input nbvcide.

ditto to you Black! :)

DruggyFestivalGuy

08-19-2009, 06:45 PM

I fucking really liked Watchmen. Especially the first 2 hours.

iv3rdawG

08-20-2009, 08:23 AM

Avatar trailer:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/avatar/

edit: Looks like Apple messed up the links. Keep checking back I guess.

Try this: http://www.apple.com/movies/fox/avatar/avatar2009aug0820a-tsr_480p.mov

schoolofruckus

08-20-2009, 09:38 AM

Try this one:

http://specials.divertissements.fr.msn.com/cinema/avatar/default.aspx

Young blood

08-20-2009, 09:42 AM

That trailer is awesome.

faxman75

08-20-2009, 09:43 AM

I finally wathced all of The Hurt Locker last night. It was intense. I had no idea it was directed by a female. That made me wonder when the last time a female directed a war movie. Definitely one of the best movies I have seen this year so far.

I also started watching Funny People. I'm about 45 minutes in so far and I like it. It reminds me of Punch Line. I'm getting really sick of Seth Rogan though.

schoolofruckus

08-20-2009, 09:48 AM

That trailer is awesome.

I'm fucking excited for it. It's not going to forever close the gap between CG and live action the way some people are expecting, but for a fantasy action film about a guy who becomes a half-alien/half-gazelle, I think it looks amazing. Cameron is maybe the best action filmmaker around; if the script isn't awful, there's no way this isn't going to kick ass.

schoolofruckus

08-20-2009, 09:49 AM

Also, I'm seeing Inglourious Basterds at midnight at the Arclight dome. Tarantino in person to introduce. Holla.

RotationSlimWang

08-20-2009, 09:52 AM

You son of a bitch bastard.

Young blood

08-20-2009, 09:54 AM

Tell him I say hi.

AlecEiffel

08-20-2009, 10:10 AM

So, Zemeckis is trying to remake Yellow Submarine.

http://weblogs.variety.com/bfdealmemo/2009/08/disney-zemeckis-board-yellow-submarine.html

I think THE BEATLES 3D SPOOKTACULAR featuring his beloved weightless, dead behind the eyes mo-cap characters is exactly what we need.

Drinkey McDrinkerstein

08-20-2009, 11:28 AM

saw Dog Day Afternoon for the first time last night. Absolutely spectacular. Phenomenal performance by Pacino, and Lumet does such a great job at making a really crazy situation very real and life like. Especially great job on the part of the whole supporting cast.

I can see now where a good majority of robbery and hostage movies in the last 30 years have gotten their inspiration from

M Sparks

08-20-2009, 11:30 AM

I finally wathced all of The Hurt Locker last night. It was intense. I had no idea it was directed by a female.

I saw Kathryn Bigelow on Colbert a few weeks ago. I couldn't believe how girly she looked. I was expecting at least a tomboy. Nothing to do with her sexuality...I just didn't expect someone who would so lovingly film Bill Paxton cutting into a guys throat with a boot-spur would bother with getting all gussied up.

I also started watching Funny People. I'm about 45 minutes in so far and I like it.

Again, thanks for supporting the arts. (Or texting in the theater.) :D

amyzzz

08-20-2009, 11:44 AM

ok, the trailer is purdy.

schoolofruckus

08-20-2009, 11:47 AM

How THIS is a piece of shit trailer:

vWjDc-d2DSQ

SoulDischarge

08-20-2009, 11:47 AM

Oh fuck off.

Today in puzzling remake news: Robert Zemeckis to remake Yellow Submarine
by Nathan Rabin August 20, 2009

In profoundly puzzling remake news, Variety reports that Robert Zemeckis will be remaking kiddie stoner favorite Yellow Submarine using that creepy 3-D motion-capture technology he's so enamored of. The remake has apparently been in the works for a long time, with Zemeckis' army of lawyers negotiating with The Beatles' battalion of bewigged barristers for the rights to sixteen Beatles tunes for the remake and a proposed Broadway adaptation of the remake of an animated film adapting the classic Beatles song. Got it?

The whole project feels a little sketch but then so did the original, a Beatles musical in which the Beatles didn't even bother providing the voices for their animated selves. It's hard to lose money with The Beatles, a quartet of lovable mop tops from Liverpool renowned for their tight pants and infectious ditties, so the film makes a whole lot of sense commercially, if not artistically. We are, as always, cautiously optimistic.

amyzzz

08-20-2009, 12:04 PM

$$$$$$$$

iv3rdawG

08-20-2009, 06:03 PM

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/2466/antichristalltextukpost.jpg

whynotsmile99

08-20-2009, 07:01 PM

^^^^^can't friggin wait

atom heart

08-20-2009, 07:08 PM

Wow I wish I had gotten that rating/warning on Cries and Whispers before I walked in

whynotsmile99

08-20-2009, 07:14 PM

what do you guys think of "Shortbus"?

i love it

nbvcide

08-21-2009, 04:01 AM

HOLY SHIT, INGLORIOUS BASTERDS IS BAD-ASS !!!!!!!!!!

nbvcide

08-21-2009, 04:04 AM

it may just be me.. but, at least so far this year, i'd say Melanie Laurent is a leading contender for a best supporting actress nomination.

and Eli Roth is :) .

schoolofruckus

08-21-2009, 04:58 AM

Inglourious Basterds is a fucking BLAST - nearly as much as I thought it would be when I read the original script a little over a year ago.

That said - it falls well short of my prediction that it could be "the movie that goes on Tarantino's tombstone". In fact, I would rate it lower than each of his other films apart from Death Proof, although it's so much more compelling than that film that it feels wrong to put them side by side. It's extremely talky, but for a 150 minute movie full of exposition (and less-showy or intricate exposition than QT usually employs at that), this fucking thing HUMS. It's extremely funny throughout, and for a midnight screening that I came into pretty damn tired from work today (and with only a 30 minute nap beforehand), my interest never waned for a second.

Melanie Laurent gives by far the best performance as Shosanna Dreyfuss, the theater proprietor whose cinema is the setting for the film's masterful final act. Brad Pitt plays MUCH better in the film than he appears in the promo materials, and nails the character every bit as much as I thought he would when the casting was first announced. Michael Fassbender (the guy who played starving IRA prisoner Bobby Sands in "Hunger" last year) is also excellent in his limited time here.

Objectively, the biggest problem is, strangely, the editing. I know I just said that the film moves well, which is obviously the mark of strong editing, but so many of the close-ups in this film are really fucking distracting. Quentin's stuff is usually masterfully edited - cut to punctuate each moment perfectly - but this time, I noticed major continuity discrepancies on just about every punch-in. Also - I love B.J. Novak on "The Office", but he sticks out like a sore thumb here even among the many distracting casting choices, and also taking into consideration the film's complete and intentional wankery in terms of creating a world that is anything approaching realistic.

Other than that, the things that diluted my enjoyment of the movie were basically a result of my having read the script in advance - a mistake I will never make again with any film. The audacity of Tarantino's fuck-you to realism - and his whole-hearted embrace of "I will make this movie do WHATEVER THE FUCK I want to see onscreen" attitude - is its biggest selling point; while this certainly translates to screen, I still robbed myself of the pleasure of experiencing it tonight in unadulterated, fist-chewing, "holy fuck, is he SERIOUSLY GOING TO DO THIS???" ecstasy. The film's last scene - which Pitt plays BRILLIANTLY - is really the only one where knowing what came next didn't even remotely impede my joy. And I have to say - I thought Christophe Waltz was miscast as the Jew Hunter. His face doesn't have anywhere near the ice-cold menace that I saw when I read the script. The role is so good that he can't help but do some nice things with it with it, and he delivers a lot of the lines well, but he pervasively sports this look of vaguely-effeminate silliness that ever-so-slightly undermined the character's effectiveness. Also, one of the film's five chapters was written as being shot in black-and-white - a decision that is scrapped here without any possible good reason. This sequence would have KILLED in monochrome; as it is now, it's kind of dull visually.

Needless to say - if most of my "strikes" are a product of having read the screenplay first and thus having nearly the entire narrative spoiled for me, it's a film that gave me very little problems. I think most of you who are inclined to see this will enjoy the holy living shit out of it.

BlueDevil50

08-21-2009, 05:14 AM

great review...how did YOU like eli roth?

schoolofruckus

08-21-2009, 05:24 AM

I thought he was okay. Enjoyable, but nothing spectacular. Tarantino clearly throws him a self-indulgent bone in a piece of the final sequence that is changed from the screenplay, a move that I found slightly excessive but hardly out of character with the film's aesthetic.

faxman75

08-21-2009, 08:54 AM

That said - it falls well short of my prediction that it could be "the movie that goes on Tarantino's tombstone". In fact, I would rate it lower than each of his other films apart from Death Proof, although it's so much more compelling than that film that it feels wrong to put them side by side.

Very nice review.

I will be seeing it this weekend. So what would your Tarrantino film rankings look like?

schoolofruckus

08-21-2009, 10:36 AM

Pulp Fiction
Reservoir Dogs
Jackie Brown
Kill Bill 2 / Kill Bill 1
Inglourious Basterds

Death Proof

(That super-long and irritating scroll is for all of you who liked it.)

M Sparks

08-21-2009, 10:39 AM

In profoundly puzzling remake news, Variety reports that Robert Zemeckis will be remaking kiddie stoner favorite Yellow Submarine using that creepy 3-D motion-capture technology he's so enamored of.

Watched a bit of Used Cars last night. Still one of the funniest movies of all time. What the hell happened to this guy?

The remake has apparently been in the works for a long time, with Zemeckis' army of lawyers negotiating with The Beatles' battalion of bewigged barristers for the rights to sixteen Beatles tunes

He got the rights to a ton of Beatles songs thirty years ago when he was a nobody. Why is he having trouble now? Is it because he has to deal with heirs now? Or is it because "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" was a sweet little homage, and this sounds like a nightmare.

SoulDischarge

08-21-2009, 10:39 AM

(That super-long and irritating scroll is for all of you who liked it.)

Thanks for your consideration.

M Sparks

08-21-2009, 10:43 AM

Death Proof

(That super-long and irritating scroll is for all of you who liked it.)

I fucking loved Death Proof. But not as a Tarantino film. It's kind of like Ocean's 11...a hell of a lot of fun, but I'm not going to try to compare it to Schitzopolis

iv3rdawG

08-21-2009, 10:45 AM

SoulDischarge

08-21-2009, 10:46 AM

There's very little you actually can compare to Schizopolis.

amyzzz

08-21-2009, 10:48 AM

I think Jackie Brown is my favorite.

SoulDischarge

08-21-2009, 10:50 AM

I might agree with you. While I recognize Pulp Fiction as the better film, I just enjoy the hell out of Jackie Brown.

chairmenmeow47

08-21-2009, 10:51 AM

M Sparks

08-21-2009, 10:58 AM

There's very little you actually can compare to Schizopolis.

I don't know...Nameless Numberhead Man is pretty much a standard archetype at this point.

wmgaretjax

08-21-2009, 11:04 AM

interesting...

Pulp Fiction
Kill Bill 2
Reservoir Dogs
Inglorious Basterds
Kill Bill 1
Death Proof
Jackie Brown

I like death proof more than most I guess... And I do enjoy Jackie Brown, it's just not my favorite.

faxman75

08-21-2009, 11:18 AM

same here. it's honestly the only QT film i ever tune into if it's on. i've just seen pulp fiction WAY too many times and as much as i like reservoir dogs, it's not exactly something i want to watch over and over again.

I agree with this. I can't watch Pulp anymore. It's safe to say i've grown tired of it and that's not something I want to blame QT for, I simply watched the hell out of it. So in 2009 my current list goes something like this.

1. Kill Bill-Way too much fun. I love the story, love the most bad ass female super hero. It just had the best of everything QT is good it. Snappy dialogue, amazing fight scenes and random comedic quips.

2. Resevoir Dogs-The one that started it all, this movie could have been made in 1958 or 2009. It still works as I watched it a few weeks ago and I would say it's one of the best heist movies ever made. The whole thing could have been shot in black and white even. Very violent, very memorable and it's hard to argue he's made a much better film. All around solid achievment.

3. Jackie Brown-This movie was casted so well. It has so many small entertaining things going on like Deniro's love for black women, Robert Forester seemingly playing a role he was born to do, Chris Tucker in a trunk. I can go on and on.

4. Pulp Fiction-I had to have watched it a million times for a reason, but I think it's starting to look dated where QT's other movies don't seem to be affected by the time passing.

RE: Death Proof, I don't exactly know why but I consider this a half ass experiment project or something. I never saw it and I don't even know why as I love everything the guy has done, including stuff he just produced like "Curdled" or the room he did in Four Rooms.

unitedwesuck

08-21-2009, 11:55 AM

district 9 sucks.

schoolofruckus

08-21-2009, 11:55 AM

Yeah, Gabe you're so right about Melanie Laurent. She stole the movie. Her main segment (Chapter 3) is absolutely fantastic. Yesterday was one of the best days. Went to the Dome showing and earlier met and got my Kill Bill Vol. 1 vinyl soundtrack signed by Quentin. Kill Bill is still my favorite QT film.

That's the one that should have been monochrome.

Sorry - not trying to build any kind of resistance against Basterds. I want to see it again sometime soon. And that kicks fucking ass that you got to meet and get an autograph from Tarantino.

Did he seem like he was coked out last night? Because that's the impression I got from his introduction.

SoulDischarge

08-21-2009, 11:58 AM

If anyone has an interest in meeting Tarantino in the flesh, just go to the New Beverly all the time.

iv3rdawG

08-21-2009, 11:59 AM

He always seems really energetic. I think he was just pumped that his film was finally opening. He was the same at the signing as the screening. He liked my shirt and was happy to see that I was the first one with a Kill Bill vinyl.

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/968/66450011.jpg

Drinkey McDrinkerstein

08-21-2009, 01:19 PM

i am in the absolute minority when it comes to my love of Death Proof...i actually put it above the Kill Bill flicks. i couldn't explain WHY I love it so much, but it connects with me on a bunch of levels for some reason

EDIT: it may have been the very visceral experience of being in a packed house on opening night and really being a part of the entire Grindhouse experience...but i enjoy the longer dvd cut on its own just as much

wmgaretjax

08-21-2009, 01:30 PM

I enjoy the longer DVD cut as well.

whynotsmile99

08-21-2009, 01:31 PM

Drinkey McDrinkerstein

08-21-2009, 01:52 PM

i never saw the full cut of Grindhouse, though I did catch the deleted lap dance scene. Such a great scene to such a great song. Why that was cut was beyond me.

it was cut because in the theatrical presentation its omission was extremely fucking hilarious, and one of the biggest laughs of the entire three hours

M Sparks

08-21-2009, 04:28 PM

The largest segment that was cut was the entire introduction of the second group of girls. There is some interesting stuff in there, mainly Mike getting a bit pervy with some feet (gee what a surprise), but mostly it just drags on and on, not to mention having yet another B&W segment for no good reason. I prefer the short version, despite the missing dance scene. Bless Starz for showing Grindhouse in it's original form. Unfortunately, when I tried to record it to a DVD, I put it on a duel-layer DVD-R so I wouldn't have to compress it so much...my player didn't like it and it craps out towards the end of Planet Terror. I might have to try to split it onto two discs.

nbvcide

08-21-2009, 08:34 PM

TallGuyCM

08-21-2009, 08:36 PM

Was gonna see District 9/Inglourious in one trip this afternoon, but with the 150 minute running time of IB just saw District 9 instead. From all the glowing reviews I expected maybe a little more, but at the same time I appreciated the fact that it wasn't a spaceship/gunfire filled alien movie. It dealt with things on the ground, which was unique and appealing to me. Decent flick.

Drinkey McDrinkerstein

08-21-2009, 08:56 PM

iv3rdawG

08-21-2009, 09:07 PM

I totally forgot, but how awesome was the Universal logo for Inglourious Basterds? That specific one has always been my favorite logo.

nbvcide

08-22-2009, 02:43 AM

does anyone know the name of the Cohen-esque song that played near the middle of Basterds? i checked the end credits (which were on a high-speed btw) and couldn't catch it..

(btw, Down in the Valley / The King.. same movie/same year.. which one has Ed Norton in it again? i get the two confused..)

for anyone debating on Basterds or D9... go with QT..

JewFace

08-22-2009, 03:07 AM

Just watched Sindey Lumet's Murder On The Orient Express

it is ine4scapably an Agatha Christy murder mystery, but it's done incredibly well, especially considering that almost the whole flick takes place on a train. It starts off slow, but once the murder happens, the pace really picks up and Albert Finney really gets to shine

I got In The Wild and Down In The Valley at home now, and am going to see D9 in the morning

Those silly Agatha Christie mysteries are a guilty pleasure of mine; books and film/tv adaptations. She had quite an interesting life herself. Murder on the Orient Express is one of the better films made of her work. What an amazing ensemble cast, too!

hawkingvsreeve

08-22-2009, 04:32 AM

I just gave Watchmen another go with the added 24 minutes. Still sucks. I ended up in Coachella chat somewhere in the middle of the third act to help pass the time.

faxman75

08-22-2009, 09:48 AM

I became happy as hell last night when I popped in some old VHS tapes and came across the movie The Blues Brothers. Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker, all performing. This is one of my all time favorite movies. It really seems to have everything. Illinois Nazis, Carrie Fisher, Pee Wee Herman (first movie role as a waiter), Frank Oz, Steven Speildberg cameo, John Candy, driving through malls and the greatest car chases maybe of all time. This was Belushi and Akroyd at their best in a really funny movie full of great music and the heart and soul of Chicago.

There are so many awesome things about this movie but I just want to say to you younger people who maybe haven't had a chance to see it. It's well worth the time and for those of you who haven't seen it in a long time, it's time to revisit. Here's a pretty extensive fan page that covers just about everything from the script to the real locations of where scenes were filmed.

http://www.bluesbrotherscentral.com/

I leave you with a youtube clip...

JZUZEYswj_U

fober

08-22-2009, 04:49 PM

I watched this on TV (HDMOV) on Wednesday.

Fucking awesome movie with fucking perfect soundtrack.

Written and directed by BOBCAT GOLDTHWAIT

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1262981/

ivankay

08-22-2009, 05:45 PM

So i wanted to see a movie in Paris before i leave. i was excited to go to the Grand Rex to see Inglorious Basterds (the theater sits 2800). i got there and the guy selling tickets lets me know the whole movie is dubbed in French. "Rats" i say. The Rex ticket seller tells me to walk down the street to an Opera Movie Theater that would more than likely be playing a non dubbed with French sub titles. i walk over there about 25 minutes from where i was and it is starting NOW. i buy the ticket and go up 3 flights to Salle 1 in this multi floor multi plex. i walked into a very large, dark theater right as IG started; and the only seats i could get was in the very front row (fortunately far away from the screen). Unfortunately for me this night, the movie is in French, German, Italian and English....the subtitles are in French. Did i mention i can't read or speak French?

Anyway, i liked it. i look forward to seeing it again when i get home so i can know what the fuck was being said during 50-60% of it. It looks good and had a good pace. The Basterds are excellent and funny.

Oh, there is a musical choice that bugs me though. Maybe i'll appreciate it more the second time, but i doubt it because my reason for being bugged was thinking the song distracted instead of enhanced. If you saw the movie, i think you know what song i'm talking about.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3453/3846247485_1f022dd1f4.jpg

SoulDischarge

08-22-2009, 05:54 PM

We were going to see it at the drive in tonight, but my friend has a gift card for the multiplex so I guess we're seeing it there. I feel cheated.

iv3rdawG

08-22-2009, 05:56 PM

Such an awesome movie.

pkvXsLGAxqY

ivankay

08-22-2009, 05:59 PM

We were going to see it at the drive in tonight, but my friend has a gift card for the multiplex so I guess we're seeing it there. I feel cheated.

That friend owes a night at the drive in. This would include intoxicants, food and such.

whynotsmile99

08-22-2009, 06:07 PM

So i wanted to see a movie in Paris before i leave. i was excited to got to the Grand Rex to see Inglorious Basterds (the theater sits 2800). i got there and the guy selling tickets lets me know the whole movie is dubbed in French. "Rats" i say. The Rex ticket seller tells me to walk down the street to an Opera Movie Theater that would more than likely be playing a non dubbed with French sub titles. i walk over there about 25 minutes from where i was and it is starting NOW. i buy the ticket and go up 3 flights to Salle 1 in this multi floor multi plex. i walked into a very large, dark theater right as IG started; and the only seats i could get was in the very front row (fortunately far away from the screen). Unfortunately for me this night, the movie is in French, German, Italian and English....the subtitles are in French. Did i mention i can't read or speak French.

Anyway, i liked it. i look forward to seeing it again when i get home so i can know what the fuck was being said during 50-60% of it. It looks good and had a good pace. The Basterds are excellent and funny.

Oh, there is a musical choice that bugs me though. Maybe i'll appreciate it more the second time, but i doubt it because my reason for being bugged was thinking the song distracted instead of enhanced. If you saw the movie, i think you know what song i'm talking about.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3453/3846247485_1f022dd1f4.jpg

perhaps i just can't see it in the picture, but did they remove the swastikas for the French promotional material?

hope you had nice time in Paris

humanoid

08-22-2009, 06:13 PM

That friend owes a night at the drive in. This would include intoxicants, food and such.

is there still a drive in within reasonable distance of OC? I used to go all the time, but it's been years...

whynotsmile99

08-22-2009, 06:15 PM

i saw District 9 last night....

without getting too much into it, i enjoyed it for what it was. i like the make up, the special effects, the weapons, the originality, etc but the movie seemed very underwritten to me. There were so many weird gaping plot holes, contrived plot and biggest fault of all: boring as fuck aliens. Having the aliens pretty much playing humans was a weird misstep. the main alien character was barely a character, just a plot device in a red sweater vest. I dunno. parts of it were great and my hats off to the filmmakers for doing an exceptional job with 30 million dollars but there needed to be a lot more going on. I agree with whoever said it was a summer action movie that didn't suck, but that's about it.

and the lead character was bizarre. i thought it was the actor that was rubbing me the wrong way, but i liked him during his moments of distress. he was just a poorly written character, going from goofball to asshole to suave super hero...just didn't work. He looked like the manager from Flight of the Concords and Spike Jonze.

ivankay

08-22-2009, 06:19 PM

perhaps i just can't see it in the picture, but did they remove the swastikas for the Italian promotional material?

hope you had nice time in Paris

i didn't see an IG promotional material during our drive through the northern part of Italy (Venice, Florence, Pisa, Turin). i have a picture of a different French poster and there are no swastikas on that one.

whynotsmile99

08-22-2009, 06:23 PM

i didn't see an IG promotional material during our drive through the northern part of Italy (Venice, Florence, Pisa, Turin). i have a picture of a different French poster and there are no swastikas on that one.

yea, whoops meant to say French. sounds like your trip was great. I have very fond memories of Florence. Did you make it to the beautiful Almafi coast by any chance? I guess not if you only did the north. Whenever you get your pictures up I'd love to see them

ivankay

08-22-2009, 06:26 PM

is there still a drive in within reasonable distance of OC? I used to go all the time, but it's been years...

There's this place in Montclair. (http://www.missiontiki.com/#/coming/)

Pretty far, but might be worth the drive for the experience of a drive in again.

Whenever you get your pictures up I'd love to see them

The editing will be overwhelming. i was in full tourist mode and trying to narrow it down for something presentable is gonna take some time. Hopefully i get a lot done on the flight back.

humanoid

08-22-2009, 06:29 PM

I believe it is illegal to display swastikas in France as well as Germany...not positive about France, but that's what I recall from a few articles I read on the subject a while ago...

thanks for the drive in link ivankay

MissingPerson

08-22-2009, 06:34 PM

They're obliged not to have the swastikas on printed material in Germany only, I daresay the swastika omission in Paris was either an economic consideration or a nod to local courtesy.

Here though, "Basterds" was the offensive bit. It was just promoted on the ads as "Inglourious".

Ardentbiscuit

08-22-2009, 06:55 PM

I'm slightly intrigued by this..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbE6KXBuzbE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQJZ8rUAzz4

Alligator Bogaloo

08-22-2009, 06:57 PM

while seeing Ponyo today they had a trailer for Wes Anderson's new film The Fantastice Fox (based on the book by Roald Dahl), Holy Shit! it looks so fuckin' awesome. It will be out at Thanksgiving. STOP MOTION ANIMATION. All of his films are superb and this trailer looks incredible. the art direction and production design look fantastic...

<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wJbY3QrIifE&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wJbY3QrIifE&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>

Ardentbiscuit

08-22-2009, 06:58 PM

M Sparks

08-22-2009, 09:03 PM

i don't know what this 'Death Proof' is that everyone keeps talking about...
but Grindhouse was an excellent film..

(if you watched the QT half on DVD, please don't comment on it, as you haven't seen the real movie)

Technically speaking , Death Proof came out first. The long cut premiered at Cannes before Grindhouse came out.

But yeah...the whole thing works better as a whole, and damn Dimension (I think) for not figuring out how to get it out on DVD. Watch it on Starz!

stinkbutt

08-22-2009, 09:19 PM

Goonies is on! Why can't they make children's films like this anymore?

M Sparks

08-22-2009, 09:25 PM

I became happy as hell last night when I popped in some old VHS tapes and came across the movie The Blues Brothers.

Blues Brothers is one of the best-worst movies ever. It's a fuckin' mess, but how could anybody not love it.

SoulDischarge

08-23-2009, 12:09 AM

I would say Inglourious Basterds is Tarantino's worst film so far, which isn't to say it isn't a lot of fun. The main problem is that it doesn't justify its length. Say what you want about Death Proof, but at least it had the common sense not to stretch out towards 3 hours. Like that film, Basterds is basically just an exploitation genre exercise without much substance. I suppose you could say that about most Tarantino films to some degree, but it's especially true here. What ends up happening is you get the soul of a piece of entertaining, trashy fluff like Death Proof trying to fit into the body of an epic like Pulp Fiction. Like Gabe says, it moves along quickly. There's a good amount of campy outrageous scenes and a good amount of tense, dramatic scenes, but they never quite resolve themselves with one another. I felt like I was watching two very different movies slammed together into one.

Also, some of the stylistic choices were a bit confounding. Some times it worked and provided major laughs due to their incongruity, while at others it just fell flat. The music choice Mike was referring to definitely toed the line. Same thing with the casting choices. Eli Roth didn't significantly damage the film (he didn't have the screen time to), but there's no way he was even close to any kind of best choice for the role. I'm glad Tarantino made some of the outrageous choices that he did, because they were half the fun (especially the climax), but I definitely would have liked to have seen more focus and just a tiny bit more restraint or consistency in terms of stylistic flourishes.

To summarize, on a critical level, it's kind of a terrible movie. On an entertainment level, it's worth your $9 or however much you're paying.

RotationSlimWang

08-23-2009, 12:36 AM

Based on Soul hating it, I am confident to expect that Inglorious will be at least his third best movie.

SoulDischarge

08-23-2009, 02:05 AM

I didn't hate it. I had a lot of fun watching it. It's just a total mess.

faxman75

08-23-2009, 04:57 PM

I really enjoyed IB. My roommate had a complaint that it was too stylistic using the cream on the desert scene as an example. I love the way QT used it to build tension, it works and it's a pure joy to watch if you like his style and he seems to be a polarizing director. I thought Shosanna Dreyfus and Chrhistoph Waltz dynamic was the best part of the story. I can't wait to see it again. As time passes I see it settling nicely in the middle of his catalog of films. I continue to buy into QT's brand of cinema. So my fanboy love for his films remains in tact.

SoulDischarge

08-23-2009, 05:22 PM

I agree with your friend about the cream close-ups. I felt they broke up the tension that he had otherwise been building so effectively. It seemed random and misplaced.

RotationSlimWang

08-23-2009, 05:22 PM

I'm annoyed it looks like I'm not going to get the chance to see it this weekend.

SoulDischarge

08-23-2009, 05:31 PM

Watched Lynch's Dune (theatrical version) for the first time. I've never read the books, so I have no loyalty to them. It wasn't as bad as it's reputation, but it wasn't very good either. Lynch's voice got lost in the grandeur of cheesy 80's sci-fi epics. Still, there were certain scenes, actors, pieces of set design, etc. that were completely captivating. It's a shame that Jodorowsky version never came to fruition.

faxman75

08-23-2009, 05:38 PM

I agree with your friend about the cream close-ups. I felt they broke up the tension that he had otherwise been building so effectively. It seemed random and misplaced.

I love that shit. I think it just added to the kind of "hunter" Waltz character was. He observed everything. IMO that type of style in film making coupled with how he films violence is what makes him a great director.

SoulDischarge

08-23-2009, 05:40 PM

For me, it was more an editing thing than a character thing. Those close ups made no fucking sense.

faxman75

08-23-2009, 05:41 PM

Watched Lynch's Dune (theatrical version) for the first time.

I saw this movie in the theater as a kid and I remember sitting down and there was a pamphlet or booklet on my seat. I guess it gave you some back story to the movie so you would have a better understanding when you watched. I remembered it being a very long and boring movie with the only excitement coming from the scenes with the giant worms in the sand.

wmgaretjax

08-23-2009, 05:58 PM

It's a shame that Jodorowsky version never came to fruition.

Yes. You know Dali was going to star in it right?

Down Rodeo

08-23-2009, 05:59 PM

Yes. You know Dali was going to star in it right?

Wow, that would have been fucking nuts.

SoulDischarge

08-23-2009, 06:01 PM

Yeah. I was reading the Wikipedia entry earlier:

Alejandro Jodorowsky was set to direct. In 1975, Jodorowsky planned to film the story as a ten hour feature, in collaboration with Salvador Dali, Orson Welles, Gloria Swanson, David Carradine, Geraldine Chaplin, Alain Delon, Hervé Villechaize and Mick Jagger.

whynotsmile99

08-23-2009, 06:33 PM

Yeah. I was reading the Wikipedia entry earlier:

what a shame it never came to pass. that would have been something else. I've yet to read the book or see any of the movie/tv shows on it. are any of them worth my time?

"Congo" is on ActionMax right now. such a damn funny movie. i smile ever time someone mentions it. So bad in all the right ways

http://www.channel4.com/film/media/images/Channel4/film/C/congo_xl_02--film-B.jpg
"Amy good gorilla"

atom heart

08-23-2009, 07:37 PM

Dune? No.

sbessiso

08-23-2009, 07:52 PM

iv3rdawG

08-23-2009, 08:45 PM

NNVlwIHqpzY

Alligator Bogaloo

08-23-2009, 10:15 PM

Move over Gandhi, I have a new hero to admire. Or. I never knew I could love a nazi so much... Too many great characters in the film, but man, Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz, is a character I will never forget.

http://coachella.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=118&pictureid=1121

iv3rdawG

08-23-2009, 10:15 PM

His introduction got one of the biggest laughs. That and Brad Pitt trying to speak Italian.

whynotsmile99

08-23-2009, 10:36 PM

I loved Inglorious Basterds so much. That ending was simply amazing, as memorable and exciting as The House of Blue Leaves sequence from Kill Bill. that entire end sequence just floored me. I was laughing, shocked, disturbed, and excited. it was an incredible climax to a film probably one of the best i've ever seen in a movie. I loved the movie references, the soundtrack, the perfect sound mix.

The cast was just perfect, literally everyone in the movie hit the exact right note, though Mr. Meyers was a bit strange. I too loved Sgt. Stiglitz, could have used a bit more of him actually. He had...what, 5 lines in the entire movie? but certainly a lasting character. I also like Eli Roth as the bear jew. He just looked right for the role. Pitt was great, loved the female leads. I haven't been so smitten by an actress since seeing Shanon Sossoman get off from a flower in that Josh Hartnett "no sex for lent" movie

and the jew hunter...wow oscar nod for sure.

nothing more to say than it was incredibly entertaining throughout. i love how tarintino uses violence sparingly, but when he unleashes it packs a punch.

i saw the 11:40(am) show and it was so packed i waited for the 12:20 which also filled up. got nice applause at the end. made 37 million this week. Good for Tarintino. he deserves it
http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/arts/photos/2009/08/18/basterds-shoshanna-392.jpg

mountmccabe

08-23-2009, 11:54 PM

HEY THIS MIGHT HAVE MILD District 9 SPOILERISH DISCUSSION

i saw District 9 last night....

without getting too much into it, i enjoyed it for what it was. i like the make up, the special effects, the weapons, the originality, etc but the movie seemed very underwritten to me. There were so many weird gaping plot holes, contrived plot and biggest fault of all: boring as fuck aliens. Having the aliens pretty much playing humans was a weird misstep. the main alien character was barely a character, just a plot device in a red sweater vest. I dunno. parts of it were great and my hats off to the filmmakers for doing an exceptional job with 30 million dollars but there needed to be a lot more going on. I agree with whoever said it was a summer action movie that didn't suck, but that's about it.

and the lead character was bizarre. i thought it was the actor that was rubbing me the wrong way, but i liked him during his moments of distress. he was just a poorly written character, going from goofball to asshole to suave super hero...just didn't work. He looked like the manager from Flight of the Concords and Spike Jonze.

I thought the humanization of the aliens and the portrayal of most (if not all) of the humans as monstrous was one of the best aspects of the film.

And I think the lead human was supposed to rub you the wrong way. He had no grasp of the situation and was a selfish half wit pencil pusher playing out of his league.

Also what were the plot holes of which you speak?