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I wish I'd managed to watch Ikiru by now so that I could make you watch Boogie Nights. It's loving great. (e for new page: directed at X-Ray Pecs)
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Dec 16, 2014 10:04
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X-Ray Pecs, I give you permission to watch The Holy Mountain though your next Jodorowsky should be Santa Sangre. I really enjoyed Some Like It Hot. I didn't know it was directed by Billy Wilder (seriously), and I'm a big fan of his. Marilyn Monroe was genuinely funny, and Lemmon/Curtis played well off each other. I rather enjoyed the contrast between the comedy of the men in drag with George Raft's character seeming to think that he was in a typical gangster movie. The film's "punch line" doesn't mean quite the same thing today that it did when the film was released, but I still think it holds up. 1. Singin' in the Rain - because I've never been one for musicals. 2. The General - never seen Buster Keaton 3. To Kill A Mockingbird - I read the book  4. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington - I like Jimmy Stewart! I do! It's just that this movie sounds corny. 5. All About Eve - Um, not sure I've seen a Bette Davis movie either 6. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - I kind of grew up with Nicholson becoming somewhat of a caricature of himself, though I've seen his excellent performances in Chinatown and The Shining. 7. Annie Hall - just mixed feelings about Woody Allen. 8. The Best Years of Our Lives - I've heard good things about it, just never had anyone say "yeah monster it's really good go see it." 9. Infernal Affairs - Stars Tony Leung who is one of my favorite actors and I would literally watch him do anything. Infernal Affairs seems to have a stellar rep (and was the influence for The Departed as I recall, and I do love me the Departed.) HK cinema I like in general though my favorite director is Wong Kar-Wai. NEW 10. A Fistful of Dollars - I haven't seen any films in the classic trilogy, even though I like this era of Westerns and especially Eastwood and Leone. I even have the DVD sitting on a shelf somewhere. Really no excuse here. Unshamed: City Lights, Some Like It Hot
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Dec 17, 2014 07:11
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Monster on a stick you get to watch Annie Hall! Definitely among the best he's done, if not the best. Enjoy! I've been lurking this thread for quite some time now pretty much to remind me of how many great movies I've missed out on so far. While I like to think of myself as a learned film aficionado my list is quite shameful, so I come asking for the help of you all! I have quite a bit of unshaming to do so lets get to it. 1. Sunset Blvd (1950) - Have only heard great things about this and it is considered a masterpiece by many, time to see what the hype is about 2. Diary of a Country Priest (1951) - I am a huge Bresson fan but have yet to see all his films 3. Elephant Man (1980) - Really enjoy the Lynch I have seen and the concept is interesting to me 4. Metropolis (1927) - I am painfully lacking in the silent department and thought this would be a good starting place 5. One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (1975) - Love Nicholson and have always heard this is one of his best 6. Amour (2012) - Really love the Haneke I've seen, plus this won the Palm d'Or 7.Barry Lyndon (1975) - Kubrick is one of my favorite directors so I am quite shameful of this 8.Aguirre The Wrath of God (1972) - I have seen very little Herzog and would like to change that 9.8 1/2 (1963) - Constantly hear great things about this and have yet to see a Fellini film so i figured this would be the best starting point 10. Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001) - Really like Curon's style and think he'd be great with a road movie
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Dec 17, 2014 08:56
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is really good and you should watch it. Kiki's Delivery Service was adorable as all hell. I really liked the approach of portraying ordinary life mixed with slight supernatural elements in My Neighbor Totoro and I liked it even better here. Just a really simple but elegant coming of age film all around that many, if not most people could easily be able to relate to in some way having gone through their pre- to early teen years. The animation was really well done as well, particularly the gorgeous city and countryside backdrops and the flying scenes, which conveyed a real sense of weight to them. My List: 1. 21 Jump Street - Didn't get around to seeing it when it came out, but love Lord and Miller's work on both Clone High and The Lego Movie. 2. Good Morning Vietnam - Continuing my Robin Williams film spree with one of the films that really put him on the map. 3. Back to the Future 2 - Thought I added this after watching the first film for the thread for some reason, but apparently I didn't, so I'm adding it now. 4. Fight Club - Often see this regarded as Fincher's magnum opus. The only thing I know going in is the first rule about Fight Club, which I'm not at liberty to talk about. 5. The Shawshank Redemption - I don't know much aside from bits of the ending, and even then I'm pretty vague on at best. I also know that it's considered one of the best films of all time, even topping the IMDb Top 250 list, so there's probably no excuse for me to have not seen it yet. 6. Jackie Brown - The only Tarantino movie I have left to see aside from Death Proof. I know that it's a crime drama that pays heavy tribute to 1970's blaxploitation films (a genre that I admittedly have just about zero personal experience with), and basically nothing else. 7. The Godfather - I feel like I should already be pretty familiar with this movie through sheer cultural osmosis, but I honestly don't know a whole lot going in aside from the horse head scene. 8. Full Metal Jacket - More Kubrick. I know some of iconic scenes of the first half at boot camp and basically nothing else. 9. Pink Floyd - The Wall - I like Pink Floyd and I like surreal imagery, so I can only imagine this should be right up my alley. 10. Princess Mononoke - More Miyazaki, and from what I understand one of his more mature films. One of my friends added this to her top favourite movies after watching it a while back, but I don't actually know a whole lot about it myself. Deshamed (30): Monty Python's Life of Brian, My Neighbor Totoro, Alien, Back to the Future, Star Wars: A New Hope, Aliens, Hot Fuzz, Ghostbusters, The Fisher King, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Good Will Hunting, Wayne's World, One Hour Photo, This is the End, Inglourious Basterds, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, John Carpenter's The Thing, The Social Network, The Blair Witch Project, The Silence of the Lambs, Se7en, Fantasia, Kill Bill, The Iron Giant, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, The Avengers, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Zombieland, Grave of the Fireflies, Kiki's Delivery Service
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Dec 18, 2014 00:30
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Trash Boat go for Shawshank Redemption, it's #1 on the IMDB list of all time greatest. Definitely doesn't get that rank from me but it is a great film and probably the second best cinema adaptation of a King novel (second to The Shining obv). I watched SLC Punk. I don't have huge wads of text to spew about this film but I enjoyed it and it had a strong narrative and ending. Character driven and loosely based on truth, it's an interesting gonzo-esque tale of friendship, growth and change on a mundane and personal level. Worth watching if you can't find anything else. I watched a bunch of other stuff too like the spice world movie which was garbage as expected and doesn't require a lot said about it. Richard E. Grant was good as always though. I'm revising my list here a bit: The Great Dictator: I've never seen a Charlie Chaplin film and this seems like a good place to start especially since it's not silent. Also one of those "ought to have seen by now" types which is kinda the point of this thread, right? TMNT (2007): Wasn't there an old one from the 90s too? think i saw that, but figured i'd check this out as well. Probably just a lark and not expecting much. Nightcrawler (2014) Saw someone say this was the best film of 2014 in a thread in an off-hand comment and decided to add it to the list. These Final Hours (2013) Saw a brief snippet of the plot and decided it could be good. I like apocalypse films as a theme and this seems more character driven than action-packed, which I like. Gone With The Wind ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh i don't want to watch it but i feel i should've seen it les fleurs du mall fucked around with this message at 01:58 on Dec 18, 2014 |
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Dec 18, 2014 00:50
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Quickscope, I know Gone with the Wind is long, but it's worth it, I think. There's an intermission in the middle if you need a break. Since my last review, I’ve moved two thousand miles and completed my first term in graduate school (4.0!). Now, I’m back with my hundredth movie review. So, Patton. It was… good? I wasn’t blown away by it, but I did like it. Parts of it seemed like it was going through the motions, but Scott embodied the character well. Scott always has a sort of sadness to his performances, and it works here because of his regrets about not fitting into the twentieth century. I don’t know how accurate it was, but what I got was an impression of a man who cared about his soldiers but didn’t really understand them. The scene with him slapping a private for having a breakdown suggests to me that he assumes every soldier should be like him, and refuses to acknowledge some people aren’t perfect warriors. Patton seems a bit nuts, quite bloodthirsty, and yet still trying to do the right thing. He’s a gloryhound, and sometimes puts his ego ahead of the strategy, but he only charges so hard because he thinks he can win. He ends by arguing for the Churchill plan of immediately starting another war with Russia, and I think he was relieved after that. All in all, a pretty good overview of a career in WWII, though some of the scenes early on seemed a bit robotic to me (I was kind of distracted, though). One last thing: The opening speech doesn’t really fit in. When is he giving it? At first I thought it was a time skip, but he referenced fighting Germany, so I guess it was chronological, and he was talking to his own troops? Here’s the thing, though: the movie was made in 1970, as people were beginning to accept the Vietnam War was lost. So Patton speechifying about how America will never lose a war, how Americans hate the idea of war, and how “individuality is a bunch of crap” can’t help but feel politically motivated. Rating: 3.5/4 First 100: Best: Seven Samurai or Bonnie & Clyde Worst: Dirty Harry 90. Wall Street- Greed is good, I guess? I like Michael Douglas, and I don't know who else is in this movie. 96. The Bourne Supremacy- Love the first one, eager to find out more. 101. Spartacus- In the end, aren't we all Spartacus? Yeah, I know how this one ends, but that's basically it. Also, I think it's popular among labor organizers. 102. Enchanted- I love Disney movies, but I also know their problems. I think this must have come out during the period when I was too old to be in Disney's target audience and too young to admit I still liked these sorts of movies without being embarrassed. 103. Judgment at Nuremberg- I had never heard about this until Slacktivist mentioned it. Sounds interesting. 107. Trois Couleurs: Blanc- I liked the first one, and I want to see where it goes next. 108. King Lear- I changed my mind- I should view the original version before Kurosawa's take. This is probably the only major Shakespeare play I've never experienced, and as I said with Hamlet, I find Shakespeare easier to watch than read. Of course, there is no truly "original" version, so... Olivier's, perhaps? 109. Repo Man- Weird cult classic about... a glowing alien in the trunk of a car, maybe? Or am I getting mixed up with Pulp Fiction? 110. Ben-Hur- There's, like, chariots and stuff? 111. The Great Escape- There's some guys in a Nazi prison, and some of them escape. Spoilers! Okay, tell me what I’m watching! Shame relieved: The Godfather: 3.5/4, The Godfather Part II: 4/4, Taxi Driver: 4/4, Casablanca: 4/4, Duck Soup: 2/4, Pulp Fiction: 4/4, Barton Fink: 3.5/4, Annie Hall:3/4, Rashomon: 4/4, Blade Runner: 3.5/4, Chinatown: 4/4, Nashville: 3.5/4, Goodfellas: 4/4, The Seven Samurai: 4/4, Superman: 2/4, The Exorcist: 3/4, A Face in the Crowd: 3.5/4, The Seventh Seal: 2.5/4, Treasure of the Sierra Madre: 3.5/4, Apocalypse Now: 4/4, 2001: A Space Odyssey: 2.5/4, The Deer Hunter: 3/4, Schindler's List: 4/4, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari: 3/4, Young Frankenstein: 3.5/4, Yojimbo: 3.5/4, Brazil: 3.5/4, Hamlet: 4/4, The Aviator: 4/4, Rocky: 3.5/4, Gandhi: 3.5/4, City Lights: 4/4, Battleship Potemkin: 3.5/4, Predator: 3/4, Easy Rider: 1.5/4, Platoon: 3.5/4, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: 4/4, Get Carter: 3.5/4, Full Metal Jacket: 4/4, My Dinner with Andre: 4/4, Lethal Weapon: 3/4, 3 Women: 4/4, Ikiru: 4/4, The Maltese Falcon: 2.5/4, Midnight Cowboy: 3/4, Gattaca: 4/4, Gone with the Wind: 3/4, Jaws: 4/4, The Bicycle Thief: 3/4, Sophie's Choice: 2/4, On the Waterfront: 4/4, North by Northwest: 3.5/4, Stagecoach: 3.5/4, E.T.: 2/4, Nosferatu: 4/4, Lawrence of Arabia: 4/4, Dirty Harry: 1/4, Vertigo: 3.5/4, Rebecca: 4/4, The Pink Panther: 3/4, Children of Men: 4/4, Wings of Desire: 3/4, Metropolis: 3.5/4, Born on the Fourth of July: 4/4, The Bridge on the River Kwai: 3.5/4, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: 4/4, Being John Malkovich: 3/4, Adaptation: 4/4, Bonnie and Clyde: 4/4, Goldfinger: 3/4, A Streetcar Named Desire: 4/4, Dog Day Afternoon: 3.5/4, Leon: The Professional: 4/4, 8 1/2: 3/4, Mulholland Drive: 4/4, 12 Angry Men: 4/4, Safety Last: 3.5/4, Dogville: 4/4, The Rapture: 2/4, Blue Velvet: 3/4, Irreversible: 4/4, Airplane!: 3.5/4, Tokyo Story: 2.5/4, Big Trouble in Little China: 3.5/4, American Psycho: 3.5/4, Dr. Zhivago: 3/4, Leaving Las Vegas:4/4, The Bourne Identity: 4/4, Out of Africa: 3/4, The Usual Suspects: 3/4, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang: 4/4, Rain Man: 3.5/4, The Lost Weekend: 3.5/4, Ratatouille: 3/4, City of God: 4/4, Ed Wood: 4/4, Top Gun: 2.5/4, Trois Couleurs: Bleu: 3.5/4, The Hidden Fortess: 3/4, First Blood: 4/4, The Ten Commandments:3.5/4, Patton: 3.5/4
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Dec 18, 2014 18:09
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Jurgan, if you loved Bourne Identity then you should definitely go for The Bourne Supremacy. It's also great, and you're one film closer to Ultimatum, which is easily the best of the trilogy. Ikiru was spectacular. I liked the deliberate pace, which worked well for the self-examination that was the center of the story. Takashi Shimura's performance was amazing, especially the singing scene. Also, the ending (specifically, the worker standing up and then chickening out and sitting back down behind his huge piles of busywork - GREAT shot, by the way) was brutal. I also watched Grease! It was definitely fun, although I am really really iffy on the gender politics. Danny basically had to do nothing and Sandy completely changes herself in order to be with him, which isn't a great message. Still, the songs are good, the greasers' ridiculousness is super entertaining, and it's quite well-shot. Updated list! Invasion of the Body Snatchers (either one, I guess) - a classic that I haven't gotten around to, even though I've referenced the pointing at someone and screaming scene at least once in my life. I think this'll be my horror slot (if Body Snatchers counts as horror? It seems like it would.) Shane - I love Westerns and I've heard this is a classic. Also, penismightier's old avatar with the "low-down Yankee liar" quote always made me want to watch it. La Strada (NEW!) - I don't know Italian cinema all that well, and since my girlfriend is Italian I should probably give it a go. Bringing Out the Dead - another missing Scorsese, and the premise sounds cool. Barton Fink (NEW!) - The Coen Brothers are way up there on my list of favorite directors, so I'm gonna start going for the ones of theirs I haven't seen yet. Also, John Goodman's presence will basically sell me on most movies. Punch Drunk Love - gonna make this my PTA slot for the last three of his films I haven't seen yet. The Maltese Falcon - missing classic, not much of an anecdote here.
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Dec 18, 2014 18:34
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Mahlertov Cocktail, you need more Coens so Barton Fink it is. So Annie Hall. There were parts I loved. Marshall McLuhan calling out the professor. The split screen where Annie's family is talking with Alvy's family during dinner. The interaction between Alvy's journey of his past and his present self (like the classroom scene.) The dichotomy between LA and New York. There was a lot going on in this film, with the mixture of comedy and poignancy. Diane Keaton was great (and I have to say, absolutely beautiful.) Overall it was excellent, though it's not really something that I'd really want to watch again - not because the film was bad, but some parts cut a little too close to home. But I'm glad I saw it, and understand why it's one of those classic American films (and why many people consider it Allen's best film.) I give it an 8/10. Onward! 1. Singin' in the Rain - because I've never been one for musicals. 2. The General - never seen Buster Keaton 3. To Kill A Mockingbird - I read the book 4. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington - I like Jimmy Stewart! I do! It's just that this movie sounds corny. 5. All About Eve - Um, not sure I've seen a Bette Davis movie either 6. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - I kind of grew up with Nicholson becoming somewhat of a caricature of himself, though I've seen his excellent performances in Chinatown and The Shining. 7. The Best Years of Our Lives - I've heard good things about it, just never had anyone say "yeah monster it's really good go see it." 8. Infernal Affairs - Stars Tony Leung who is one of my favorite actors and I would literally watch him do anything. Infernal Affairs seems to have a stellar rep (and was the influence for The Departed as I recall, and I do love me the Departed.) HK cinema I like in general though my favorite director is Wong Kar-Wai. 9. A Fistful of Dollars - I haven't seen any films in the classic trilogy, even though I like this era of Westerns and especially Eastwood and Leone. I even have the DVD sitting on a shelf somewhere. Really no excuse here. NEW! 10. Bottle Rocket - I love Wes Anderson. I've loved all of his films (except Rushmore, which I will give another chance someday.) I had a discussion with the SO about who our favorite directors were, and Wes was up there with the Coens and Scorsese. Unshamed: City Lights, Some Like It Hot, Annie Hall
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Dec 18, 2014 18:34
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monster on a stick posted:Mahlertov Cocktail, you need more Coens so Barton Fink it is. Everyone always needs more Coens. I'm on it!
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Dec 18, 2014 18:37
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Mahlertov Cocktail posted:
I dunno, Danny has to be honest and more forthcoming around everyone he knows that he is a sensitive guy and not the hard-rear end his reputation expects, and Sandy has to lose her inhibitions. They both have to learn to be more "themselves" regardless of what other people think, which is a pretty common theme in all romance. Here lies one of (if not the) gayest thing i've ever said. RIP.
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Dec 18, 2014 18:38
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Mahlertov Cocktail posted:Everyone always needs more Coens. I'm on it! but I need a movie to watch next 
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Dec 18, 2014 18:39
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Quickscope420dad posted:I dunno, Danny has to be honest and more forthcoming around everyone he knows that he is a sensitive guy and not the hard-rear end his reputation expects, and Sandy has to lose her inhibitions. They both have to learn to be more "themselves" regardless of what other people think, which is a pretty common theme in all romance. Here lies one of (if not the) gayest thing i've ever said. RIP. Ah, that's true. That was just my first impression of it. monster on a stick posted:but I need a movie to watch next Oh, do I also give you one? I thought that whoever finishes a movie assigns one to the previous poster, hence my giving Jurgan Bourne Supremacy. You can do Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, which may indeed be a little corny but is also great. 
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Dec 18, 2014 18:43
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Mahlertov Cocktail posted:Ah, that's true. That was just my first impression of it. No, you only recommend to the person above you. Monster on a Stick gets to play the waiting game until the next person posts a review, and that person gives a movie to Monster. quote:Jurgan, if you loved Bourne Identity then you should definitely go for The Bourne Supremacy. It's also great, and you're one film closer to Ultimatum, which is easily the best of the trilogy. I'm going to have to find a plot summary, because I've forgotten a lot of what happened in the first one. It's been a while.
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Dec 18, 2014 20:02
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Okay that's what I thought. Monster on a stick, you should still watch Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, but I guess it's not officially your assignment 
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Dec 18, 2014 21:41
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Mahlertov Cocktail posted:Okay that's what I thought. Monster on a stick, you should still watch Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, but I guess it's not officially your assignment Well, I've been on a big movie run recently, maybe I'll watch that too. It certainly can't be worse than Under The Skin.
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Dec 18, 2014 21:44
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Jurgan posted:Quickscope, I know Gone with the Wind is long, but it's worth it, I think. There's an intermission in the middle if you need a break. Holy gently caress it's longer than Barry Lyndon.. 3hrs 53 minute runtime what the hell please tell me that intermission is an hour of the playing time anyway it's my first-to-watch tomorrow so i guess i'll have a lot to say about this exceptionally long and acclaimed classic which I have avoided through fear of it being horribly boring and sexist.
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Dec 19, 2014 08:14
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The secret is that Scarlett O'Hara is a horrible witch, and she's hideously entertaining in the same way Richard III is.
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Dec 19, 2014 08:59
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I was more worried it was going to be racist, but... well, I'll let you come to your own conclusions.
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Dec 19, 2014 19:00
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Politics aside, Gone with the Wind is fantastic. Once you start watching it you immediately forget the length. Or at least I did. Although it was helpful that I chose the night of a big snowstorm to finally sit down and watch the whole thing from start to finish.
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Dec 19, 2014 19:24
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Jurgan posted:I was more worried it was going to be racist, but... well, I'll let you come to your own conclusions. My vague knowledge of this film tells me it's a ye olde love story where women are portrayed as totally helpless idiots and men are brainless testosterone machines but i just started watching, and the opening text scrawl does indeed make me think "wtf... is this idolizing the old deep south and slavery?"
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Dec 19, 2014 19:28
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Scarlett O'Hara is a lot of things, but helpless is not one of them.
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Dec 19, 2014 19:33
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There's no debating the sinister racism of that film, but like a lot of sinisterly racist films it's extraordinarily watchable. Also it's like way ahead of the curve into like third wave feminism.
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Dec 19, 2014 20:54
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TrixRabbi posted:Scarlett O'Hara is a lot of things, but helpless is not one of them. I think she is one of the stronger female characters of the era. Also Vivien Leigh knocked it out of the park.
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Dec 19, 2014 21:10
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penismightier posted:There's no debating the sinister racism of that film, but like a lot of sinisterly racist films it's extraordinarily watchable. I don't know, while there's definitely problems in the relationships between the slaves and masters, it seemed like a lot of the movie was about deconstructing the myth of the Old South. Rhett basically spends the entire movie mocking the aristocrats and their old-fashioned ways, and he realizes before anyone else that the slaveocracy is a house of cards that will collapse under its own weight. It's easy to look down on it seventy-five years later, but it was at least somewhat progressive for its time.
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Dec 20, 2014 00:38
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Jurgan posted:I don't know, while there's definitely problems in the relationships between the slaves and masters, it seemed like a lot of the movie was about deconstructing the myth of the Old South. Rhett basically spends the entire movie mocking the aristocrats and their old-fashioned ways, and he realizes before anyone else that the slaveocracy is a house of cards that will collapse under its own weight. It's easy to look down on it seventy-five years later, but it was at least somewhat progressive for its time. I've never heard that interpretation of it before. Can you point to any specific examples with Rhett? Nothing's coming to mind for me at the moment.
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Dec 20, 2014 00:40
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sorry for talking about the film i haven't finished watching / reviewed yet too much and derailing the whole thread with a discussion about it
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Dec 20, 2014 00:55
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Quickscope420dad posted:sorry for talking about the film i haven't finished watching / reviewed yet too much and derailing the whole thread with a discussion about it I think it is good to discuss cinema, in the Cinema Discusso forum.
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Dec 20, 2014 02:16
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Hoooooo boy, well here it goes. Jurgan gave me Gone With The Wind. Okay. I'm not going to bother spoiler-hiding anything in this, but I won't give too much away either. This film was really, really long. The opening sequence begins with a marked prelude / overture (this and the interlude sections really intrigued me as it's not something I'm used to in cinema at all, and it made it all so... official. I liked it.) before scrolling text stains the whole film with a horrible overtone of "lol these were the true good old days, but that world is lost...." or, as it actually says, "gone with the wind." Whether or not these were good times or bad times doesn't actually seem to be a key theme for the film at all (Maybe i'm mistaken in that judgement) which is what makes it all the more cringey. However, the racist and sexist overtones that I had been lead to expect from it actually weren't prominent at all from my observation. For its time and its story arc, the cinematics of this film are genuinely impressive and inspiring, especially the defining establishing shots of the sunset / firey backdrops against a silhouette (see final paragraph of this review for my take on the thematics and why i used the word "firey" here). Concerning previous discussion - yeah, Scarlett wasn't the cliche wailing maiden I was scared she was going to be, and was simultaneously an infuriatingly selfish but inspired, strong and willful character, not afraid to exploit every means at her disposal to acquire self-determination and her own individual happiness (with her selfishness ultimately defining her downfall, and the hope of her 'resurrection' at the end of the story) With regards to the narrative: obviously the story is wholly character driven, following the life of Scarlett O'hara. The first half chronicles her bratty and selfish youth before a marked turn in her character for the second act, becoming all the more focused and determined with a goal greater than her original one - to marry Ashley Wilkes - when she discovers that everything she took for granted is both ever present and terribly fragile, in need of nurturing. Personally the change feels slightly disjointed and sudden, but that's also pretty typical of classical theatrics like this. Overall the story is undeniably excellent, although personally Scarlett's character development up to the second part of the second act is far more interesting than the remainder of the film. Acting: Vivien Leigh does an amazing job of portraying new Scarlett's attitudes and principles whilst always revealing hints and mannerisms typical of old Scarlett, which really makes the character more consistent than perhaps she would seem from just reading through the script (yes I'm aware it's an adaptation of a book). I do feel a lot is lost to cringey cheesiness just through the fact that it has that old-timey, classical melodrama threatrics going on, wailing lines and exaggerations of behaviors, but that's not necessarily wholly detrimental to the film, and for all I know could be an accurate portrayal of the behavior of peoples of the time period. The delivery of the final line is horrible though. I just didn't like that at all... "tomorrow...IS another day..." ughhh cringe. Thematics is where the film really wins out though. Natural elements seem to play a huge role; the "wind" of the moving Yankee armies, the war-caused fires that rage through the cities, the "earth" of Tara (sound so much like "terra", too), the "spirit" of Scarlett and Rett, and the very distinct lack of "water" in any form is really interesting to me and I believe this is highly intentional. The most water we see in the film is 1. when it's raining, and the old man is trying to kill the cockrell in the rain.. which is an otherwise arbitrary and superfluous scene if not to indicate water being indicative of luxuries and that which is taken for granted; and 2. in the final scenes between Scarlett and Rett, where the thick mist / fog hangs low around the houses; the water's there, but you couldn't drink it - luxury just out of reach, but not gone or forgotten. The air is still because of it, and so the wind which carried away the old life has stopped blowing - and this matches with Scarlett's undying hopefulness in the final moments of the film [/b]BONUS: I watched like 7 other films before this since my last post and they were mostly garbage except for These Final Hours which is an excellent apocalyptic disaster movie with a moerately original twist. Again very character driven, it's not particularly complex but it is emotionally compelling and I'd say go check it out for sure. Warning: is not an action film, so if you want apocalyptic explosions go somewhere else. I also watched Tusk, an incredibly dark comedy thriller which gave me the rare feeling of empathetic "oh god i hope this is all a dream" towards the main character. Truly disturbing imo, whilst being funny.. but so disturbing that you won't laugh even when you recognize the jokes as great. Also very good film, but not groundbreaking or anything. I hope that scrawl was interesting to anyone who bothered to read it all. Anyway, here's the current list: 1. The Great Dictator: Talking Chaplin film, really want to see this. 2. I Origins: noticed it on IMDB and without going too deep into the plot summary for fear of it not being what i hope it might be, it looks like it has potential to be awesome. 3. Nightcrawler - I know nothing about this, but goons liked it so I wanna know what the fuss is about. 4. The four Starship Troopers films (including the fourth, CGI one) - Not seen any of them as far as i can remember. 5. Das boot - Was trying to think of films that are longer than Gone With The Wind. les fleurs du mall fucked around with this message at 03:56 on Dec 20, 2014 |
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Dec 20, 2014 03:47
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And unless monster on a stick already went ahead, I'd give them One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest as the most urgent of the "HOW THE HELL HAVE YOU NOT SEEN THIS YET" list
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Dec 20, 2014 03:54
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Quickscope420dad posted:
4. My list: 1. Chinatown - I enjoy noir detective stuff and it's supposed to be one of the best. 2. Platoon - I've heard this is one of the best war movies around aside from Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket. 3. Jacob's Ladder - I like psychological horror and I've heard this is just about the best it can get. 4. 2001: A Space Odyssey - I'm pretty sure anyone who likes movies is supposed to have seen this. 5. Jorodowsky's Dune - I love Jorodowsky's comics and Dune, so I would like to see what he'd have done with Dune. Dystram fucked around with this message at 05:00 on Dec 20, 2014 |
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Dec 20, 2014 04:56
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Dystram, you should watch 2001, it's an amazing film by one of the finest directors we've known. OK, I got two films from the good goons of this thread. First, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. I thought this film would be corny, and avoided watching it for years. But you know what? I loved it. Jimmy Stewart gave an amazing performance as a boy scout leader sent to the Senate with his state's political machine thinking he'd just roll over, when his suggestion of a scout camp goes into conflict with the machine's dam proposal. Claude Rains plays the state's senior Senator who is part of the machine, at first trying to talk Smith into the compromises he had to make when he joined the machine, then fighting him head-on when Smith won't give in. Jean Arthur does a great job as Smith's assistant - there's a great scene early in the film where Smith has her helping out with the camp bill, first asking what everyone calls her (by her last name only), then teasing out her first name; Stewart turned on the charm to great effect. Another performance I'd like to call out is Harey Carry, who played the President of the Senate and wants to see what Smith is made of (and does he find out.) One thing I liked is that we really don't know which party Smith belongs to; I imagine it would have been easy to play to the popularity of FDR but Capra avoids that, and I think the film remains timeless as a result. "Liberty's too precious a thing to be buried in books" indeed. 8.5/10 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. This film - and the book it was based on - came at a time where deinstitutionalization (effectively shutting down mental hospitals in favor of outpatient care, and frankly in many cases no care at all) was big; the film is about more than that though, it's about another struggle that we saw during this time - strict conformity and belief in the state as an institution vs. the rising tide of nonconformity and loss of respect in government. OK, enough politics, onto the film. This film has a very good cast - Nicholson has top billing of course and does a tremendous job as a criminal who acts crazy to get into the (presumably) much easier life in a mental hospital, only to find that things are not that easy. Louise Fletcher plays Nurse Ratched, a bitter name for a bitter woman who is more interested in power than in helping her patients, and only gets worse as the battle of wits begins between her and Nicholson. The other patents have a number of actors who would become more well known in later years - Christopher Lloyd, Danny DeVito - but it was also the breakout role for Brad Dourif as Billy, a very young patient who maybe shouldn't be there at all. It's kind of sad what became of Dourif's career - he went from getting an Oscar nomination for this role to TV roles and horror movies in the '80s, and hasn't really recovered from that. Anyway, this is a powerful film, and Milos Forman (who also directed Amadeus, another great movie) does a superb job. 8/10 I'm adding the next two films from the AFI list. 1. Singin' in the Rain - because I've never been one for musicals. 2. The General - never seen Buster Keaton 3. To Kill A Mockingbird - I read the book 4. All About Eve - Um, not sure I've seen a Bette Davis movie either 5. The Best Years of Our Lives - I've heard good things about it, just never had anyone say "yeah monster it's really good go see it." 6. Infernal Affairs - Stars Tony Leung who is one of my favorite actors and I would literally watch him do anything. Infernal Affairs seems to have a stellar rep (and was the influence for The Departed as I recall, and I do love me the Departed.) HK cinema I like in general though my favorite director is Wong Kar-Wai. 7. A Fistful of Dollars - I haven't seen any films in the classic trilogy, even though I like this era of Westerns and especially Eastwood and Leone. I even have the DVD sitting on a shelf somewhere. Really no excuse here. 8. Bottle Rocket - I love Wes Anderson. I've loved all of his films (except Rushmore, which I will give another chance someday.) I had a discussion with the SO about who our favorite directors were, and Wes was up there with the Coens and Scorsese. NEW! 9. Bonnie and Clyde - 42 on the AFI list. It's supposed to be a classic, I've only seen a few Warren Beatty films, a few more of Faye Dunaway. NEW! 10. Midnight Cowboy - I haven't seen many Dustin Hoffman movies. The Graduate of course, not much else, this is supposed to be one of his stronger works. Unshamed: City Lights, Some Like It Hot, Annie Hall, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest monster on a stick fucked around with this message at 06:28 on Dec 21, 2014 |
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Dec 21, 2014 01:02
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monster on a stick, go ahead and watch A Fistful of Dollars. Barton Fink was really interesting. It still hit the Coen tendency to follow people who get themselves too deep into a situation they don't fully understand, although in this case it's not about criminals. John Turturro's and John Goodman's central performances were both great - Turturro's neurotic writer contrasts nicely with Goodman's jocular everyman/murderer/literally the devil?. In conclusion, I'LL SHOW YOU THE LIFE OF THE MIND! I'LL SHOW YOU THE LIFE OF THE MIND! I'LL SHOW YOU THE LIFE OF THE MIND! Updated list! Invasion of the Body Snatchers (either one, I guess) - a classic that I haven't gotten around to, even though I've referenced the pointing at someone and screaming scene at least once in my life. I think this'll be my horror slot (if Body Snatchers counts as horror? It seems like it would.) Shane - I love Westerns and I've heard this is a classic. Also, penismightier's old avatar with the "low-down Yankee liar" quote always made me want to watch it. La Strada - I don't know Italian cinema all that well, and since my girlfriend is Italian I should probably give it a go. Bringing Out the Dead - another missing Scorsese, and the premise sounds cool. Miller's Crossing (NEW!) - another early Coen Brothers film that I haven't seen. Punch Drunk Love - gonna make this my PTA slot for the last three of his films I haven't seen yet. The Maltese Falcon - missing classic, not much of an anecdote here. Already watched: A Nightmare on Elm Street, Upstream Color, The King of Comedy, Ikiru, Grease, Barton Fink.
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Dec 21, 2014 06:24
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Mahlertov Cocktail posted:Invasion of the Body Snatchers (either one, I guess) - a classic that I haven't gotten around to, even though I've referenced the pointing at someone and screaming scene at least once in my life. I think this'll be my horror slot (if Body Snatchers counts as horror? It seems like it would.) Both are honestly worth a watch. Some people swear by the Ferrara version too, though I haven't seen it.
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Dec 21, 2014 06:26
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The ending of Barton Fink might be my favorite thing the Coens have done.
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Dec 21, 2014 07:10
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Alfred P. Pseudonym posted:The ending of Barton Fink might be my favorite thing the Coens have done. It was simultaneously such a crazy surprise and a totally sensible ending. I love it too. morestuff posted:Both are honestly worth a watch. Some people swear by the Ferrara version too, though I haven't seen it. In that case, I'll just watch both if someone assigns it to me.
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Dec 21, 2014 16:02
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Mahlertov Cocktail posted:monster on a stick, go ahead and watch A Fistful of Dollars. I watched so many great movies thanks to this thread, I think it's time for me to get in on the action! I just watched La Strada and enjoyed it so you get to watch it too. The list: 1. Gesualdo: Death for Five Voices - just watched Little Dieter Needs to Fly and The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner . I want more Herzog 2. Lolita - need to see this and Spartacus to complete the Kubrick filmography. 3. La Dolce Vita - Fellini makes very special movies and I want to watch them all 4. The Baby of Mâcon - thorougly enjoyed The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, Her Lover and I hope this one is just as good 5. To Catch a Thief - watched a few Hitchcocks, i'm down to watch a few more 6. Chinese Roulette - that Fassbinder guy sounds interesting, never watched a single movie by him 7. À bout de souffle - french new wave is probably a thing I should get into 8. The Ladykillers - one of the last Coen brothers movies I haven't seen 9. Yojimbo - never worked up the courage to watch a Kurosawa 10. Touch of Evil - heard lots of crazy stories about Orson Welles, he seems like a fascinating character
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Dec 22, 2014 00:34
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RollingBoBo, welcome to the thread! I'm a big Kurosawa fan, and if you've never seen one then there's plenty of great films awaiting you. Yojimbo is my pick for you and it's a good choice for a first Kurosawa too. (you say you've never worked up the courage, don't know if that's just a phrase you went with, but Kurosawa films are very easy to watch, there's no barrier to get over and get used to before you can start enjoying his films, so I hope you enjoy and I look forward to reading your thoughts on Yojimbo) _____________________________ monster on a stick, gave me Paths of Glory, declaring it to be "an amazing film"... And it is. Set during World War 1, it is the story of an assault on a fortified position by the French army, the decision to make that assault, the assault itself, and the aftermath of it are covered in a brilliant film. It's only about 1hour 30minutes long and from the opening shot - of a character arriving to meet about the planned assault, with a voiceover describing the stalemate of trench warfare that is ongoing - not a moment is wasted. (yes, I spoilered the establishing opening shot of film...) The film is obviously about war, but it deals more in how decisions are made and the actions of the military than of the experiences of certain soldiers. As a result of the disastrous assault, ultimately three soldiers are selected (each for difference reasons) and are given a quick trial for cowardice with the intention to execute them for failing to carry out the assault. It is a great film, obviously an anti-war film but it feels as much of an anti-military film, with the decisions being made by individuals putting lives at risk or outright dooming them to their deaths with no consideration for the individuals who will die. I'm a bit muddled in talking about it, having just finished watching it about a hour ago, but it's themes and the film's quality have gotten more impressive as I've thought about it. Rightly regarded as the classic that it is. My List of Shame: 1 - A Prophet - Heard almost nothing but good things about this, and prison films are usually interesting. 2 - The Host - South Korean monster movie. teenage love triangle featuring a monster based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer? [this reference is now old and even crapper] 3 - Assault on Precinct 13 - Interesting premise & got a good interesting review earlier in the thread too. 4 - Haywire - Another apparently solid action flick, Soderbergh is usually realiable and entertaining in genre mode. 5 - Youth of the Beast - A Seijun Suzuki film that I know nothing about, which is possibly the best thing going in to a Seijun Suzuki film. 6 - 13 Assassins - Takashi Miike's acclaimed samurai epic is one that I've not caught yet, must make amends. 7 - Achilles and the Tortoise - final film of Kitano's 'surrealist autobiographical trilogy'...[Catching up with Kitano 2/4] 8 - What Richard Did - Only film by the brilliant Lenny Abrahamson that I haven't seen yet. [Irish Film Slot] 9 - It's a Wonderful Life - Allegedly. I'll tell you if it actually is when this gets picked. 10- Blackfish - new - Very interested in the subject matter, I need to start watching more documentaries too. [Documentary Slot] Shame No More: [30] [top three] Psycho | The Third Man | The Long Goodbye | Harakiri | The Silence of the Lambs | Pi | Jaws | Panic Room | Black Swan | Star Trek II | The Brothers Bloom | Hugo | Badlands | Shame | LA Confidential | The Right Stuff | The Evil Dead | Hanna | The Master | The Untouchables | Glengarry Glen Ross | The Seventh Seal | The Apartment | The Player | Ronin | The Grand Budapest Hotel | Glory to the Filmmaker! | Frank | Dreams | Paths of Glory
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Dec 22, 2014 01:32
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Wow RollingBoBo, you've seen all of 'em now then? including Fear and Desire etc? I also kinda count AI as a Kubrick even though it's not really, just cause he worked on it a bit before he died. Anyway, go complete your list - Lolita for you. Dystram gave me ALL OF THE GODDAMN STARSHIP TROOPERS FILMS. In short, 1 & 3 are good-ish, whilst 2 and 4 are mostly garbage. The first is a great satire, and the "would you like to know more?" bits are really fun. The second takes itself way too seriously although Dax's story arc is really consistent with the setup of the first film. The third film returns more to the roots of the first, but the acting and production values get infuriatingly bad at times. The fourth feels like it should be straight to DVD. Action films aren't my favourite as it is, so i'm kinda biased against the series but it's good, crap fun i guess. I also watched Nightcrawler. This is a great character piece for Jake Gyllenhaal, with and interesting premise and narrative. It doesn't do anything cinematically magnificent and I'm an aesthetics nerd so i'm not gunna rate it as highly as the goon who inspired me to watch it in the first place, but it's certainly an enjoyable film and doesn't lose any points anywhere. If you had any doubts about Gyllenhaal as an actor, though, this will definitely change your mind for the better. My list: 1. The Great Dictator (Charlie Chaplin) - on the list of classics that should be watched 2. I Origins - a 2014 film with what looks like the potential for an awesome premise 3. Das Boot - saw some of it as a kid. This is long and subtitled and will take some effort to watch, I think. 4. African Queen - apparently my grandad used to watch this traditionally every christmas. BoBo's inspired me to join the Kubrick completionist club so: 5. Day of the Fight - Documentary work doesn't strike me as something that's gunna show Kubrick's power, and it's his first film. However, it is one of his few where he's credited as director, producer AND writer (and more), which I think is what I love most about Kubrick (same criteria as 2001, which is my film-to-end-all-films favourite) 6. Fear and Desire - I know the premise and the ending, and although i really, really like both, knowing the ending has put me off watching it so far 7. The Seafarers - I don't know anything about it. 8. Killer's Kiss - again, I know nothing about it. 9. The Killing - once more, I know nothing about it. les fleurs du mall fucked around with this message at 01:51 on Dec 22, 2014 |
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Dec 22, 2014 01:37
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Yo, Quickscope420dad, you have now learned a valuable lesson in this thread (one I also learned quite some time ago): Always check the thread before posting in case somebody has posted just before you and you end up missing them and doubling up a pick for somebody else. So could you pick a film from my list if you wouldn't mind... Thanks! (also, yikes, all for Starship Troopers films in that quick a timespan is scary...)
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Dec 22, 2014 01:53
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Chewy Bitems posted:Yo, Quickscope420dad, you have now learned a valuable lesson in this thread (one I also learned quite some time ago): Always check the thread before posting in case somebody has posted just before you and you end up missing them and doubling up a pick for somebody else. oh drat! sorry! our post times were so close that you must've made yours while I was still typing mine. Okay, you get Assault on Precinct 13 (assume you're talking about the original 70's one and not the Laurence Fishburne one). Killer soundtrack. Yeah, I watched them back to back to get it over and done with.
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Dec 22, 2014 02:11
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