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Stop Making Sense Directed by: Jonathan Demme Starring: Talking Heads Country: US Year: 1984 Genre: Concert The Plot: Taken from several events, this film depicts a Talking Heads concert. Why You'll Love It: I know it seems strange to have a concert film of all things in this thread, but hear me out. Stop Making Sense is the gold standard for how concerts should be filmed. Instead of excessive shots of the audience, director Jonathan Demme instead focuses on the band, and lets them do the talking. This is the best decision he could have made. David Byrne's stage antics, sets, and lighting create striking visual imagery, and the cinematography does an expert job of showing off the best moments. The cinematography is really fantastic. In fact, this movie contains on of my favorite shots in any movie ever (the part in Once In A Lifetime with half of the band in the shot.) This really is a film about the mixture of musical energy and visual style. It balances these both perfectly, as the music is absolutely fantastic. Talking Heads hired five other musicians for these performances, which intensifies the sound and makes some of the most energetic music ever. It's also fun to see how the film mirrors the band's career. (The film starts off with just Byrne and an acoustic guitar, and more band members gradually gather on the stage; Talking Heads started as a minimalist art-punk band and gradually became more complex.) I recommend this to anyone who enjoys new wave or Talking Heads music. If you like this clip, you'll like the rest of the movie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cqg_ZGcuybs
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| # ? Jun 11, 2010 12:19 |
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| # ? May 24, 2013 00:27 |
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Johnny Got His Gun Directed by: Dalton Trumbo Starring: Donald Sutherland, Timothy Bottoms, Jason Robards Country: U.S.A. Year: 1971 Genre: Drama, War The Plot: Towards the end of WWI a young soldier, Joe (Timothy Bottoms), gets hit by a mortar attack that leaves him completely paralyzed. Now a quadruple amputee, he lies in a hospital bed aware of his surroundings but totally unable to communicate with anyone. His life consists of recalling the events that led up to this situation and desperately trying to find a way to to let the doctors and nurses know he's not a lost cause. Why You'll Love It: More frightening than any horror film, this is a unique anti war film with fantastic writing. It intermingles flashbacks of the war, imaginary conversations and the desperate attempts to communicate so perfectly that you really get to know Joe's emotional pain. The contrast between the inevitability of what's going to happen in the flashbacks and the sliver of hope in the present is a running theme, and the voice over of Joe's thoughts is one of the best uses of voice over I've ever seen in a film. Despite the very somber topic, this isn't a complete downer, and has some very nice light moments that keep it from becoming overbearing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz6dAxRIwBY IMDB, Criticker
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| # ? Jun 11, 2010 12:22 |
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THE HOLE a.k.a. DONG Directed by: Ming-liang Tsai Starring: Kang-sheng Lee, Tien Miao, Kuei-Mei Yang, Lin Kun-huei, Hui-Chin Lin, Hsiang-Chu Tong Country: Taiwan Year: 1998 Genre: Drama/Comedy/Musical/Sci-fi The Plot: As an epidemic spreads through Taipei, virus victims display odd symptoms. A man (Lee Kang-sheng) who runs a food store with few customers lives in a shabby building in a quarantined section, and a woman (Yang Kuei-mei) in the same building has a withdrawn existence. A plumber, checking a leak, makes a hole in the man's floor and leaves; the man then observes his neighbors through the hole. The film features four musical fantasy sequences that recall Hong Kong musical films of the '50s. (AllMovie.com) Why You'll Love It: There are many Tsai films that I adore with all my heart, but this might be my absolute favorite. It has quite a David Lynch feel to it, but without as much obliqueness. It sort of tapdances at the edge of reality: the constant downpour, the mysterious cockroach disease, the glorious musical sequences, the trash tumbling down from the upper levels of the building. Although we never leave the building, we get a sense of the emptiness of the evacuated city. The film is hilarious and haunting, captivating and ultimately very moving. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIfpCLrjXVU
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| # ? Jun 11, 2010 18:37 |
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...of SCIENCE! fucked around with this message at Jan 19, 2013 around 20:07 |
| # ? Jun 11, 2010 19:38 |
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Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai Directed by: Jim Jarmusch Starring: Forest Whitaker Country: United States Year: 1999 Genre: Samurai/Crime The Plot: Ghost Dog, a hitman for the local mob, botches a job given to him by his master, Louie, and gets a bounty on his head. He'll have to take on the Mafia's top men to save himself and his master. Why You'll Love It: Forest Whitaker is a large man, but he works perfectly as the humble, sword-wielding warrior who roams the urban streets. The anachronisms (swords, carrier pigeons, etc.) work because there's a timeless quality to the film; at no point does it feel like Jarmusch is just trying to "contemporize" some ancient ways. The soundtrack by The RZA isn't just garnish; it really adds to the film's purpose. Don't expect Tarantino — there are many quiet, contemplative (often humorous) scenes to balance out the action. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpf0NFVLEn8 thegloaming fucked around with this message at Jun 12, 2010 around 17:59 |
| # ? Jun 12, 2010 00:04 |
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QUIZ SHOW Directed by: Robert Redford Starring: John Turturro, Ralph Fiennes, Rob Morrow, Paul Scofield Country: USA Year: 1994 Genre: Drama The Plot: Charles Van Doren won the game show called "Twenty One" week after week. In the process, he captivated the minds of the American people. He was hailed as an American hero due to his charisma and skill which made him grace the covers of popular magazines such as Time. But beneath the smiles and impeccable skill in the game of Twenty One lies a rotten stench that would prove to be catastrophic. Why You'll Love It: John Turturro and Ralph Fiennes delivered magnificent performances here. It's a film that would captivate audiences from beginning to end especially the conspiracy buffs. It's a potshot to TV networks who are willing to sell their soul to the devil in the name of drawing the largest possible audience for its shows. It's also a timepiece representing the '50s gameshow craze marred by similar allegations of fixing and manipulation by the producers.
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| # ? Jun 12, 2010 04:15 |
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SPRING, SUMMER, AUTUMN, WINTER...AND SPRING Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom  Directed by: Kim Ki-Duk Starring: Oh Yeong-su, Kim Ki-Duk, Kim Young-min, Seo Jae-kyeong, Ha Yeo-jin Country: South Korea/Germany Year: 2003 Genre: Drama The Plot: An old Buddhist monk, living on a floating temple in a remote valley, teaches his young student the ways of Buddhist life. Why You'll Love It: Told in five chapters (identified by their respective seasons) that jump ahead in time sporadically, Kim's international breakthrough is a remarkable story about life, learning, and sprituality. The film is anchored by the understated lead performances of Oh Yeong-su, as the old monk, and the two Kims and Seo, as the student at various points in his life, and they act out an unconventional but undeniably universal coming-of-age story in the breathtaking confines of their forest habitat. Regardless of whether you've come in contact with Buddhism or any religion, the young monk's tale is immediately recognisable, a boy, and then a man, trying to reconcile what he's learned with what the real world is. Spring, Summer is a meditative and poignant tale that intertwines a subtle magic realism and some majestic cinematography with a tale of basic human truths, and it really is one of the most unforgettable films I've ever seen. A Korean trailer with an utterly awful piece of music backing it. -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2t85ihpMWs Pigeon Shamus fucked around with this message at Jun 12, 2010 around 05:09 |
| # ? Jun 12, 2010 04:35 |
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Fists in the Pocket  Directed by: Marco Bellocchio Starring: Lou Castel, Paola Pitagora, Marino Masé Country: Italy Year: 1965 Genre: Drama The Plot: Ale, an epileptic young man, is trapped in a rural manse with his family. He hatches a plan to rid the world of his genetic disease-ridden family, so that his brother Augusto, the only healthy one, can be free to go off and marry. Why You'll Love It: This is a wonderfully crafted family drama with maybe a slight edge of psychological horror. Lou Caste's performance as Alessandro is mesmerizing, one of the best in cinema history, in my opinion. Through the cinematography and dialogue, Bellocchio does a great job at making the audience experience the claustrophobia that our hero feels being stuck in (and part of) his doomed family. Happily, although this film carries some rather morbid subject matter (disease, matricide, possibly incest...) it is able to avoid any hint of melodrama or sensationalism. Also of note is the great score by Morricone. I couldn't find a trailer for the film but I did find a great video of Bertolucci talking about it, if it's of interest to anyone - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swDPnaTSUrI
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| # ? Jun 12, 2010 04:47 |
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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde   IMDB Directed by: Rouben Mamoulian Starring: Frederic March and Miriam Hopkins Country: USA Year: 1931 Genre: Pre-Code Horror The Plot: Dr. Henry Jekyll is a nice guy, one who wants to divorce himself form his shadier half. With a rather disturbing concoction, his darker half is suddenly free to do all of the ignoble misdeeds that Jekyll couldn't do. As his double life threatens to destroy his other half, Jekyll has to try to repress his baser feelings-- but it might be too late. Why You'll Love It: Rouben Mamoulian takes an interesting story and ratchets it up with first person shots and spectacular special effects that still look damned good-- god, eighty years later. Frederic March is undeniably brilliant in the double role with both the saintly Jekyll and the apish, and Miriam Hopkins is stunning as a prostitute that Jekyll desires and Hyde controls. Of all the adaptations of this classic story, this is the definitive one you have to see. (I should also note that I wrote this movie up for Movie of the Month a while ago; I love it so  )
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| # ? Jun 12, 2010 05:34 |
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Wings of Desire/Der Himmel Uber Berlin Directed by: Wim Wenders Starring: Bruno Ganz, Solveig Dommartin, Otto Sander, Peter Falk Country: Germany Year: 1987 Genre: Drama The Plot: Bruno Ganz plays Damiel, an angel, watching over West Berlin with another angel, Cassiel, played by Otto Sander. The angels are there to observe humanity, and have been living in Berlin, invisible to everyone, from before humans even existed. Damiel finds himself in love with a lonely woman called Marion, and decides to become human to pursue this romance, with the help and support of another ex-angel, Peter Falk. The film acts as both a highly unconventional romance and as a look at Berlins past, present and future, through the people the angels observe. Why You'll Love It: Remember that movie with Nic Cage and Meg Ryan called City of Angels? Ever wondered what that would be if it was good? Well this is the film it was based on, and it couldn't be any more different. The film is beautifully shot, switching between monochrome (for the angels point of view) and full colour (for the human point of view), showing off the city of West Berlin as it was then, really giving the audience a feel for the city. Wenders direction is masterful, handling the odd romantic plot very well. His method of casting actors who were old friends to play the angels plays off, the film really takes these very fantastical elements and yet makes them very grounded. The script is minimalistic, the film being about the city, it's people, and a yearning to experience life rather than just observing it. A very interesting film that really handles what could be a very cheesy story (see City of Angels) very well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY8uDNkOLHM
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| # ? Jun 12, 2010 14:08 |
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CLUE Directed by: Jonathan Lynn Starring: Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd, Madeline Kahn, Martin Mull Country: USA Year: 1985 Genre: Comedy Mystery The Plot: A group of seemingly unrelated strangers are invited to an ominous mansion for a pleasant dinner. It's all fun and games until someone breaks out the lead pipe. Why You'll Love It: Everything about this movie is fun. It features an incredible ensemble cast of comedy actors, a great script, awesome moments of improvisation, and behind it all there is a compelling mystery. The mansion itself becomes a bigger-than-life character, as the guests stumble about in a foggy, futile attempt to either find the killer or another stiff drink, blaming and insulting each other the entire time. The ending was also something of a novelty at the time, as three seperate conclusions were filmed and shown randomly in theaters, so people who saw it in one city came out with an entirely different perspective than people who saw it in another. The DVD, barebones as it is, features all three endings AND an option to either watch them all one after the other, or to select one at random. If you've never seen it, I would recommend the random option as when you re-watch it a second time [which you will], you may find yourself focusing on a 'red herring', as the movie puts it, the entire time.
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| # ? Jun 12, 2010 14:29 |
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CASABLANCA Directed by: Michael Curtiz Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Dooley Wilson, Conrad Veidt Country: USA Year: 1942 Genre: Drama/Romance The Plot:In World War II Casablanca, Rick Blaine, exiled American and former freedom fighter, runs the most popular nightspot in town. The cynical lone wolf Blaine comes into the possession of two valuable letters of transit. When Nazi Major Strasser arrives in Casablanca, the sycophantic police Captain Renault does what he can to please him, including detaining Czech underground leader Victor Laszlo. Much to Rick's surprise, Lazslo arrives with Ilsa, Rick's one time love. Why You'll Love It: It's just a perfect movie. Not one thing about it bothers me. It's not mind-blowing in any way, but the pieces fit together so well that it's an absolute joy to watch, it sweeps you off your feet. Funny and thrilling and romantic and moving. Clips along so smoothly that you don't realize that time is passing. I honestly believe I could watch Casablanca once a week, every week, for the rest of my life and be enthralled every time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28Ud8O3KBSM FitFortDanga fucked around with this message at Jun 12, 2010 around 23:25 |
| # ? Jun 12, 2010 14:33 |
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The Sweet Hereafter Directed by: Atom Egoyan Starring: Ian Holm, Sarah Polley, Bruce Greenwood Country: Canada Year: 1997 Genre: Drama The Plot: As a small town in British Columbia tries to cope with a tragic school bus accident, a lawyer approaches bereaved parents in hopes to get together a class-action lawsuit. Why You'll Love It: Few characters see each other eye to eye, but we empathize with everyone and understand why they make the decisions they do. There's a lot more to the film than just the bus accident — in fact, it takes a back seat by the end. It's not a story about justice, or good versus evil, it's a contemplation on loss with no easy answers. One of Ian Holms's greatest performances, and a good place to start with Egoyan. 
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| # ? Jun 12, 2010 22:36 |
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...of SCIENCE! fucked around with this message at Jan 19, 2013 around 20:07 |
| # ? Jun 13, 2010 01:08 |
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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three Directed by: Joseph Sargent Starring: Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam, Hector Elizondo, James Broderick, Jerry Stiller Country: USA Year: 1974 Genre: Crime/Thriller The Plot: A group of criminals disable a subway car on the middle of the underground track, taking the passengers hostage. They contact the subway operators, demanding a $1 million ransom. The authorities scramble to try and figure out how they could possibly plan to get away and whether to pay the money. Why You'll Love It: This a great film that is an exquisite piece of its time. The characters, set design, costume design, dialog, and police procedure are so early-mid 70's that it's really endearing. The script also balances thriller suspense and comedic relief really well. All the characters are fun and real, including New York City, which becomes a character itself in its authentic quirkiness. Matthau and Shaw are on point to the last frame, and I can't help but think Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber in Die Hard learned a thing or two from Shaw's Mr. Blue. This film has as many laughs and tense moments as you would want from any modern comedic thriller, but pulls it all off a lot better than most. (Not linking a trailer 'cause all the ones I found gave away too much. Go in blind.)
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| # ? Jun 13, 2010 04:12 |
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Fast Times at Ridgemont High IMDB Directed by: Amy Heckerling Starring: Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Lee, and Judge Reinhold Country: California, Dude Year: 1982 Genre: The surfer high school sex comedy to end them all The Plot: From IMDB: The movie follows a group of high school students growing up in southern California, based on the real-life adventures chronicled by Cameron Crowe. Stacy Hamilton and Mark Ratner are looking for a love interest, and are helped along by their older classmates, Linda Barrett and Mike Damone, respectively. The center of the film is held by Jeff Spicoli, a perpetually stoned surfer dude who faces off with the resolute Mr. Hand, who is convinced that everyone is on dope. Why You'll Love It: Everything that you don't know you miss from crappy sex comedies is here. Heart, believable characters, and a drat good sense of what it's actually like to be a teenager elevate this from among it's many derivatives and contemporaries. It's also pretty drat funny, especially in the strange rivalry between Jeff Spicoli and Mr. Hand, and in the many ways it knocks Judge Reinhold's character through humiliation after humiliation. (PS The trailer is terrible, don't watch it)
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| # ? Jun 13, 2010 05:44 |
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THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL Directed by: Luis Bunuel Starring: Silvia Pinal, Enrique Rambal, Claudio Brook, José Baviera, Augusto Benedico, Antonio Bravo Country: Mexico Year: 1962 Genre: Comedy/Drama/Mystery The Plot: After a lavish dinner party, the guests find themselves mysteriously unable to leave the room. Why You'll Love It: It's witty and clever and insightful and strange as all get-out. Bunuel takes an absolutely brilliant concept and explores it to such a degree that it never feels gimmicky or forced. The film holds many mysteries, which I look forward to investigating with future viewings. What brings on this event? The Freemasons? The woman with the voodoo-ish tendencies? Or is it just a random skewering of the bourgeois by the powers that be? What is the significance of the bear, and the sheep? Or the disembodied hand? This is surrealism at its finest -- going on tangents to reality and raising questions that may or may not have answers, engaging the mind and also tickling the funny bone.
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| # ? Jun 13, 2010 09:05 |
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Samurai Fiction: Episode one Directed by: Hiroyuki Nakano Starring: Morio Kazama, Mitsuru Fukikoshi, Tomoyasu Hotei, Tamaki Ogawa Country: Japan Year: 1998 Genre: Action/Comedy/Adventure The Plot: A ruling clan has a priceless sword stolen by Kazamatsuri, a fearsome samurai warrior. Heishiro, the son of one of the clan's officials brashly heads off with two friends to try and get the sword back. The clan sends ninjas to secretly follow him to try and ensure his safety, as they fear he's no match for the thieving samurai. After Heishiro is wounded and a friend is killed in their first encounter with Kazamatsuri, Heishiro has to recover in the small rural house of a samurai and his daughter. He becomes more obsessed with revenge against Kazamatsuri than retrieving the sword itself. While Heishiro's recovering, Kazamatsuri falls in with a woman who runs a gambling center. Why You'll Love It: Samurai Fiction is heavy and thick with aesthetic twists. The story is far from original in the samurai genre, but it's told with a funky, post-modern style. Black-and-white cinematography is broken up by flashes of bright red. The anachronistic soundtrack is upbeat and attention-grabbing. There is solid comedy strewn throughout as well, making this a fun movie, full of awesome, over-the-top characters,that appeals to a fairly broad audience. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV1J0ZpwxYc
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| # ? Jun 13, 2010 22:47 |
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REAR WINDOW Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock Starring: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, Raymond Burr, Wendell Corey Country: USA Year: 1954 Genre: Suspense The Plot: A wheelchair bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder. Why You'll Love It: My favorite Hitchcock. I've seen this I don't know how many times, but it still fills me with tension and dread. And the characters are all wonderful, particularly Thelma Ritter. I can't imagine ever being sick of this movie, everything about it is perfection. Wonderfully plotted, perfectly paced, sparkling dialogue, tense atmosphere, great humor. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kCcZCMYw38
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| # ? Jun 14, 2010 14:39 |
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...of SCIENCE! fucked around with this message at Jan 19, 2013 around 20:07 |
| # ? Jun 14, 2010 17:27 |
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Z Directed by: Costa-Gravas Starring: Yves Montand, Irene Papas, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Jacques Perrin Country: France Year: 1969 Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller The Plot: Based on real events, Z examines the lead up to the assasination of a Greek politician and the resulting investigation shrouded in mystery and corruption. Why You'll Love It: It's a great political thriller, but even if you don't like political thrillers the energy put into the film by Costa Gravas will still engage you. Without ever shying away from political content, Costa-Gravas makes sure that his primary goal is crafting a satisfying and well paced story full of intrigue and suspense. It's got fantastic performances and a story that takes a bit of effort to follow but never lets you down. Everything is shrouded in mystery and once the films gets its claws in and has you firmly along for the ride it reveals depths of corruption in what is both a scathing political critique and one of the best thrillers I've ever seen. It's also been compared to goon favorite TV drama The Wire. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E3QUHUMe5I IMDB, Criticker Peaceful Anarchy fucked around with this message at Jun 14, 2010 around 21:54 |
| # ? Jun 14, 2010 17:30 |
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Boogie Nights Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore Country: USA Year: 1997 Genre: Drama The Plot: Edie Adams (Wahlberg) finds his life on the up-and-up when his unique talent is exploited by porn film director Jack Horner (Reynolds). The film follows his career arc as well as the lives of those around him and the end of porn's Golden Age. Why You'll Love It: There are many, many reasons to love Boogie Nights. It's a frenetic, fast-paced film that is both funny and tragic, filling all of its two-and-a-half-hour runtime with a multitude of colorful characters and bravuara camerawork. Not only is the rise and fall of Edie Adams massively entertaining but the film's documentation of the bastardization of porn is fascinating. First we see the glory days, a world of film cartridges, theatrical releases, and glitzy awards ceremonies where Edie Adams stars in a series of pornographic films starring "Dirk Diggler", a womanizing b-grade James Bond, and then gradually things change. VHS tape comes in, the art is lost; towards the end a "Jack Horner" production has come to mean two huge-breasted lesbians in a hot tub. And that's not even going into all the stories of Edie Adams' friends and peers: Amber Waves (Moore), who is trapped in a nasty custody battle, Buck Swope (Don Cheadle), who spends the first half of the film trying to convince people that his cowboy outfit is real cool, Little Bill (William H Macy), who can't keep his wife from playing around, so on and so forth. There are at least ten orbiting characters with these kinds of stories. The film is just jam-packed with life. And that's not even mentioning the awesome cinematography. To boil it down, Boogie Nights is a great film about porn and people and various combinations of the two. Trailer
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| # ? Jun 14, 2010 20:16 |
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THE FUGITIVE Directed by: Andrew Davis Starring: Harrison Ford & Tommy Lee Jones Country: USA Year: 1993 Genre: Thriller The Plot: Richard Kimble, a wealthy doctor, is wrongfully accused and convicted of his wife's murder. He escapes confinement and sets out to find the men behind the crime, while also being pursued by a determined U.S. Marshall. Why You'll Love It: The Fugitive is a relatively straightforward and standard mystery/thriller that approaches greatness because it's so well-executed. Tommy Lee Jones steals the movie as the U.S. Marshall in pursuit of Kimble. Everyone remembers his funny one-liners, but it's a nuanced performance: we slowly watch his character come around to believing Kimble's story even though the movie is never that overt about it. Davis has a great eye for the city of Chicago which gives the movie a really authentic air. Everything feels like it's happening in a real city and not on a Hollywood backlot or stages. Consequently, it's one of the best uses of the city of Chicago I've ever seen for a movie, which gives a better feel for the city than other movies that may hit more of the big landmarks. The attention to detail persists down through the script, as we see all the small, believable things Kimble does to evade capture and track down his wife's real killers. In the end, that believability is a large part of the movie's success. While there are a few big moments that are somewhat implausible, The Fugitive goes to great lengths to make us believe we are watching something that could happen, and keeps us on the edge of our seats the whole time.
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| # ? Jun 14, 2010 21:08 |
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The Trial (1962) Director: Orson Welles Cast: Anthony Perkins, Jeanne Moreau, Romy Schneider, Orson Welles, Akim Tamiroff Country: France (English dialogue) Genre: Drama, Mystery, Fantasy The Plot: Josef K. (Perkins) awakes one morning to find two police officers searching his apartment. They state he is under arrest, but do not tell what he is charged with. Josef spends the rest of the film stumbling around an unnavigable, nightmarish legal system which only further confuses and frightens him. Why You'll Love It: "The Trial is the best film I have ever made." -Orson Welles to BBC It's hard to disagree with Welles himself; if this isn't his best, it's real drat close, and was one of the few films he made, post-Citizen Kane, over which he managed complete creative control. The results are stunning. Anybody who describes themselves as somebody who likes surreal or nightmarish films (and there seem to be a lot of those on SA) will adore this. It's one of the most haunting and dreamlike movies I've ever seen. It's also available for free online, because it's in the public domain; unfortunately, this has also largely kept it from being circulated in high quality prints, though there does exist one really good transfer by Milestone.
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| # ? Jun 14, 2010 22:23 |
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Roman Holiday IMDB Directed by: William Wyler Starring: Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck Country: USA (though it is set in Rome, believe it or not) Year: 1953 Genre: Romantic comedy The Plot: From IMDB: A bored and sheltered princess escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman in Rome. Why You'll Love It: The film that made Audrey Hepburn into Audrey Hepburn (and won her an Academy Award), this sweet and charming confection is a joyous and fun romp through the streets of Rome. Gregory Peck, who often seems too dignified and stolid for movies, gives a charming performance that matches Hepburn's tone for tone. Also of note is the hilarious Eddie Albert as the photographer, who gets dragged along for most of the proceedings. One of my favorite comedies and probably one of my favorite endings. Really want to stab the narrator on this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIFo0txAvuE
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| # ? Jun 15, 2010 04:50 |
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The Long Good Friday Directed by: John Mackenzie Starring: Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, Derek Thomspon, P.J. Moriarty Country: UK Year: 1980 Genre: Thriller/Drama/Crime The Plot: The leader of a successful crime syndicate, Harold Shand, is on the verge of breaking a land deal, to revitalize the London docks for the coming Olympics, that will finally legitimize his business. But somewhere, someone's money has been stolen. Soon, Harold's men are being killed one-by-one, and his establishments being destroyed. Someone is moving in on his turf, and Harold sets off on a mad quest to find those responsible. Why You'll Love It: This film's tight focus on a crime boss's emotional well-being while his empire crashes around him makes for a surprisingly thrilling and mature mystery to watch unfold. It's above most in the genre by virtue of Hoskins' and Mirren's performances that really get you wrapped up in the characters. Harold is a strong man, fraying at the edges from multiple pressures while he struggles to maintain his grip on his operations and his cool. Mirren's character is vastly different from the typical battered-wife-of-the-mob-boss cliches that populate these kind of movies. She's a full, intelligent character that is almost as responsible for the success of Harold's criminal empire as he is. A unique soundtrack you'll either love or hate adds another dash of style to how the story unfolds, and it has multiple twists still in-store when you think it's just about over. You can also spot Pierce Brosnan's first role and future Guy Ritchie gangster bosses. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tiH5oAwkYE
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| # ? Jun 15, 2010 08:15 |
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Dragonwyck USA - 1946 - Romance/Thriller Dir: Joseph L. Mankiewicz Cast Gene Tierney Vincent Price What is it? Governess Miranda Wells (Tierney) takes a position at Dragonwyck manor at the request of her distant cousin Nicholas Van Ryn (Price), there she is school Van Ryn's daughter. When Van Ryn's wife dies in mysterious circumstances (involving cake) he immediately sets his sights on young Miranda. They get married, but she soon finds that Van Ryn's mental state is not entirely stable. What's so special about it? Nobody does a twisted romance quite like Mankiewicz; here he perfectly crafts a tale of a misguided young woman enamored with a lifestyle that comes with her rash decision to marry, only to find that the man is not all she hoped he would be. What really makes this film shine is Vincent Price's extreme performance. His sudden, extreme shifts of mood could easily be considered schizophrenic jumps to different characters at an instant's notice. As Van Ryn's mantal state comes more and more into question, the film becomes more focussed on Price and, in turn, his performance becomes more outlandish and theatrical until the startling climactic sequence is carried entirely on his shoulders. He may be a ham, but nobody does ham better. Professor Clumsy fucked around with this message at Jun 15, 2010 around 15:39 |
| # ? Jun 15, 2010 11:25 |
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The New World (2005) Director: Terrence Malick Cast: Colin Farrell, Q'Orianka Kilcher, Christian Bale Country: USA Genre: Romance, Drama, Epic, Period Piece The Plot: A retelling of the romance between John Smith and Pocahontas during the establishment of the Jamestown colony in Virginia in the 17th century. Why You'll Love It: This is not a dry, historical reenactment or an overblown action epic (the idea of Malick making one of those is kinda funny). It's a quietly poetic character-driven epic, and is incredibly beautiful and poetic, with jaw-droppingly gorgeous cinematography (courtesy of Malick's collaboration with Emmannuel Lubeski, who also shot Children of Men and Burn After Reading for reference) and a moving, bittersweet romance at the center of it. I just watched it for the first time last night, and it delivered on every expectation I had for it. Malick is unlike any other director I've seen; he's got an unmatched ability to capture natural beauty, and give his films a dreamy, threadbare quality. Everything sort of seems at arm's length but it's still incredibly captivating and moving.
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| # ? Jun 15, 2010 11:48 |
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SEVEN SAMURAI Directed by: Akira Kurosawa Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima, Yukio Shimazaki, Kamatari Fujiwara, Daisuke Kato, Ko Kimura, Minoru Chiaki, Seiji Miyaguchi, Yoshio Kosugi, Bokuzen Hidari, Yoshio Inaba Country: Japan Year: 1954 Genre: Action/Drama The Plot: A small village hires seven ronin (masterless samurai) to protect them from marauding bandits. Why You'll Love It: There are a lot of canonical films that don't really measure up to the hype, but this isn't one of them. It's 50 kinds of awesome and deserves every ounce of praise it gets. It's almost impossible to find fault with it. Compulsively watchable and relentlessly engaging despite its hefty length. It's the ultimate action epic, with strong characters, brilliant fight choreography, splendid comic relief and an entirely compelling story. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPV6LmhD4zI
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| # ? Jun 15, 2010 15:29 |
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FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS Directed by: Terry Gilliam Starring: Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro, Craig Bierko, Tobey Maguire, Cameron Diaz, Christina Ricci, Ellen Barkin, GARY BUSEY Country: USA Year: 1998 Genre: Drama, Comedy, Whacked-out Drug Trip The Plot: Unhinged journalist Raoul Duke is tasked with covering the Mint 400 desert race in Las Vegas, and takes his sociopath lawyer, Dr. Gonzo, and a boot full of narcotics and alcohol along for the ride. Why You'll Love It: Gilliam applies his vast and peculiar imagination to one of the greatest pieces of writing ever published, and produces an incredibly idiosyncratic head trip that is never not entertaining. Depp and Del Toro are perfect in the roles of Duke and Gonzo respectively, capturing the immense grotesqueness of these two human beings who are taking the quickest route to rock bottom, and the film's episodic feel makes it into some kind of demented vacation slide show that you can't help but stay glued to, so vivid and garish and enthralling is it. With a vicious takedown of the get-rich-quick side of the 'American Dream' buried in there for good measure, Gilliam has developed a visual masterpiece that captures the essence of the text and has Gary Busey as an unnaturally creepy highway patrolman. The American trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm7r491n-8o
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| # ? Jun 16, 2010 00:38 |
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Good Night, and Good Luck  Directed by: George Clooney Starring: David Strathairn, George Clooney, Robert Downey Jr, Patricia Clarkson, Frank Langella Country: US Year: 2005 Genre: Historical Drama  The Plot: In the 1950's Edward R. Murrow and his news team take on Joseph McCarthy and the red scare on their program for CBS. Murrow fights pressure from corporate as well as sponsors in his crusade to get the truth out there. Why You'll Love It: This movie is a new classic, in my eyes. It seems to fly under the radar, but there's so much good in it. First and foremost, it's beautiful. The black and white is perfect for capturing the era and the set design is flawless. Watching a room full of these newsmen smoking and hashing out the stories is just fun. Clooney's direction is deft and his love for the project(Clooney not only directed and acted in the movie, he also co-wrote it with Grant Heslov and agreed to be paid $1 for each of his duties). The cast shines. There are so many great supporting actors on Murrow's news team. Strathairn and Clooney have magnificent chemistry. Ray Wise plays Don Hollenbeck and is so heartbreakingly sad that every scene he's in is brimming with uncomfortable pity. The use of actual footage for Joseph McCarthy was perfect. Minor down point: a subplot with Downey Jr. and Clarkson sometimes feels like padding to fill out the runtime, but other than that the movie is entrancing. Strathairn's numerous speeches and monologues (specifically the ones framing the story proper) are expertly delivered and proves that this man, often relegated to supporting characters, has leading charisma. 
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| # ? Jun 16, 2010 04:36 |
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The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover Directed by: Peter Greenaway Starring: Helen Mirren Country: UK Year: 1989 Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance, and Her Lover The Plot: From IMDB: The wife of an oafish restaurant owner becomes bored with her husband and considers an affair with a regular patron. Why You'll Love It: Meticulously sexy and revolting, Greenaway's gorgeous film revels in equal parts the barbarianism and higher aspirations of the human race. It plays on your emotions like a finely tuned piano, racing between highs and lows. This is hands down one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen, with the characters and sets treated as giant canvases by the imaginative Greenaway; I really wish I had my DVD on me so I could captures some screens to show you. A unique and gorgeous film. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXLRdeYFHss
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| # ? Jun 16, 2010 04:43 |
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THE VERTICAL RAY OF THE SUN Directed by: Anh Hung Tran Starring: Tran Nu Yên-Khê, Nhu Quynh Nguyen, Le Khanh, Quang Hai Ngo, Chu Hung Country: Vietnam/France Year: 2000 Genre: Drama The Plot: On the anniversary of their mother's death, three sisters in contemporary Hanoi meet to prepare a memorial banquet. After the banquet, the calm exteriors of the sisters' lives begin to give way to more turbulent truths. Why You'll Love It: A breathtaking work of tranquility and harmony, even while the lives of the characters are thrown out of balance. Tran seeks out beauty wherever he can find it -- in faces, in food, in nature, in walls and ponds and rainstorms. Beauty in mood and music and emotion, and in family. Watching The Vertical Ray of the Sun is like taking a warm bath, or like... well, like being in a ray of sunlight. It's intoxicating and mellowing, and feeds the heart. An achingly gorgeous film about keeping up appearances, among other things. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeWQSEvLaoU
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| # ? Jun 16, 2010 15:54 |
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THE LAST WAVE Directed by: Peter Weir Starring: Richard Chamberlain, David Gulpilil Country: Australia Year: 1977 Genre: Suspense The Plot: An Australian lawyer, David (Chamberlain) finds himself losing touch with reality when he represents a group of Aboriginal men accused of murder. As his cryptic dreams start to blend in with his waking life, David must find the source of his nightmares and discover a terrible, inevitable truth. Why You'll Love It: After he did Picnic at Hanging Rock, Peter Weir made this movie in the same creepy, esoteric tone, and in my opinion it's better. All the ingredients are there: the minimalistic electronic music, Russell Boyd's cinematography that emphasizes vast spaces, and unique depictions of dreams that leave the viewer in a timeless stupor. Richard Chamberlain performs magnificently as a frightened outsider to the horrors crashing into his existence. It's hard to talk too much about it without giving anything away, but The Last Wave is most certainly a journey worth experiencing. Trailer The First Five Minutes of the Film
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| # ? Jun 16, 2010 18:39 |
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...of SCIENCE! fucked around with this message at Jan 19, 2013 around 20:07 |
| # ? Jun 16, 2010 23:03 |
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BLAST OF SILENCE   Directed by: Allan Baron Starring: Allan Baron, Molly McCarthy, Larry Tucker Country: USA Year: 1961 Genre: Crime The Plot: There's this hitman stuck in New York City at Christmas. Why You'll Love It: Ambling along at brisk 77 minutes, Blast of Silence is either the last great noir or the first great neo-noir. I dunno. It's also the only movie I can think of with narration in the second person. All of that you can find on the DVD box, though. There's something about this movie. It's rough around the edges in the emerging French New Wave style and (alongside Casavettes, Engels, and the Maysles) predicting the kind of New York style Scorcese and Lumet would develop ten years later. It's funny. Big Ralph is a great villain - reminding me at once of Peter Lorre in Casasblanca, Sydney Greenstreet in The Maltese Falcon, and Andy the gun salesman in Taxi Driver. But more bizarre than any of them. The ending is stunning, weather conditions were cooperating and it ends up achieving better storm footage than movies with ten times the budget just by getting lucky. There's a great shot in the middle where the protagonist walks past Rockefeller Center when the tree's up - his loneliness and bitterness is almost palpable. The camera tracks from a car - you can see it bounce with the potholes - but there's just no way to do that shot better. It doesn't matter what resources you have. The opening shot is one of my all-time favorites - it's a visual tribute to Hopper and just had to have been the inspiration for the opening of The Vanishing, which seems to be a minor CineD classic. It's aged in this very strange way where it's kind of campy but kind of gritty at the same time. It's just a cool, fun movie from a time where there weren't too many like it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6PbJbaDAyk
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| # ? Jun 17, 2010 00:11 |
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MYSTERIOUS SKIN Directed by: Gregg Araki Starring: Brady Corbet, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michelle Trachtenberg, Elisabeth Shue Country: USA Year: 2004 Genre: Drama The Plot: Two teenage boys coming of age in 1980s Kansas take wildly different paths to acknowledging their shared link: victimization at the hands of their pedophile Little League coach. Brian (Corbet) believes he was abducted by aliens, unable to explain the missing hours of his life; Neil (Gordon-Levitt) fully remembers the experience and believes Coach was his first love. Both will have to come to terms with Coach if they ever hope to be adults of their own. Why You'll Love It: If you're like me, you hate Gregg Araki. I hate Gregg Araki. Up until Mysterious Skin, nothing of his impressed me. Some of it, I downright hated (I'm looking at you, Doom Generation). Regardless, Mysterious Skin is a masterpiece. It's one of the most effective films about child molestation ever made, brutal in its honesty. But don't let that discourage you; although Araki sidestepped the MPAA on the way to distribution, he never exploits his actors or shows more than what's necessary. For once, he takes the high road, suffusing gritty realism and a dreamlike atmosphere (the opening shot, of brightly colored cereal falling around an 8-year-old Neil shortly before his encounter with the lecherous Coach, is a perfect example of this). It's a beautiful film, a haunting film, a film that explores how childhood traumas shape adulthood without getting preachy or even stating the obvious. And, as with all good films, it transcends a message and its subject matter to simply allow its characters to exist in this time and place. Araki does such a faithful job of recreating 1980s Kansas and 1991 New York City, it's a kick in the groin to those of us who grew up during that time and never realized what happened behind close doors. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r439Zu_W-28 Keanu Grieves fucked around with this message at Jun 17, 2010 around 02:53 |
| # ? Jun 17, 2010 02:25 |
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Double Indemnity Directed by: Billy Wilder Starring: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson Country: U.S.A. Year: 1944 Genre: Noir The Plot: An insurance rep lets himself be talked into a murder/insurance fraud scheme that arouses an insurance investigator's suspicions. Why You'll Love It: Wilder is at the top of his game here. And so is MacMurray. And so is Stanwyck. And so is Robinson. In fact, this is a nearly perfect movie. The plot is air tight, the script is intelligent, intense and enveloping, and the direction and cinematography are quintessential film noir. There's just nothing to complain about here. What a great, enjoyable movie.
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| # ? Jun 17, 2010 06:05 |
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8½ Directed by: Federico Fellini Starring: Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimée, Sandra Milo Country: Italy Year: 1963 Genre: Drama The Plot: Stalling on the production of his next movie, the filmmaker Guido (Mastroianni) retreats to a luxurious resort, where he struggles to find some ultimate truth about his life and the women he's loved. Why You'll Love It: From the very first shot -- a nerve-wracking nightmare sequence -- 8½ is a gorgeous, effective examination of what it means to be an artist, what it means to be a lover and what it means to be a human being. This is a Deserted Island kind of film (i.e. the only one you'd take), for the richness of the dialogue and the honesty with which Fellini examines his own ennui through his fictional other, Guido. Let's be clear: Guido is not a Mary Sue -- although his eloquent end-game plea for empathy engenders just that on the strength of the character. Instead, Fellini (with the help of three other screenwriters apparently) infuses Guido with his own strengths and failings. Watching Guido struggle to make his next film, you're looking through a thin veil at Fellini finally coming to terms with himself and making 8½. It's all very meta, it's all very good: the dream imagery, the vastness of the resort, the interplay between dark and light, Guido's relationship with three women and a producer... Truly a classic, and hugely influential on the film-within-a-film dramas of the following decades. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtDQOF_pU8A Somebody fucked around with this message at Jun 17, 2010 around 12:53 |
| # ? Jun 17, 2010 09:26 |
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| # ? May 24, 2013 00:27 |
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AMERICAN MOVIE Directed by: Chris Smith Starring: Mark Borchardt, Mike Schank, Tom Schimmels, Joan Petrie, Monica Borchardt, Ken Keen, Bill Borchardt, Cliff Borchardt, Chris Borchardt Country: USA Year: 1999 Genre: Documentary The Plot: A hapless amateur filmmaker struggles to produce his latest horror film, "Coven." Why You'll Love It:Populated by a host of memorable characters, but at the center is Mark Borchardt -- the classic lovable loser (though not so lovable when he's had a few), a dynamo of homespun charm and undying drive, he walks a wobbly line between brutal cynicism and carefree optimism. The film follows his triumphs and frustrations like a rollercoaster, always offering new info to you, never once dwelling too long on anything. A compelling and completely re-watchable documentary that will make you love its subjects, and movies in general. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7N2Jz1en4w
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| # ? Jun 17, 2010 15:29 |
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