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[Mifune]

It feels slower than Malick's other films because it wasn't really doing anything interesting, for me. I found it pretty disappointing, although I've only watched one particular cut and apparently there are others out there that might make up for it. I pretty much agreed with Mark Kermode when he said that The Assassination of Jesse James felt more like a good Malick film even though it actually wasn't, or somesuch. That felt like a pretty spot-on assessment at the time.

I would give The New World another shot since you're a fan of his other movies. First viewing did absolutely nothing for me. But it really opens up with further viewings, to the point where now I kind of think it perfectly encapsulates the themes and ideas from all over his body of work.

 

[Timber]

what i've seen the past two weeks:

Great Expectations (1946)
Dickens is an author whose works are very filmable, and the material is in exceptionally capable hands here. all’s well except for some of the casting. WHY the hell is Pip twice as old as he should be? and why is adult Estella so lively and affectionate? the woman who plays her makes Jean Simmons seem like the world’s greatest actress by comparison. one thing i’ve noticed is that book adaptations have a habit of screwing up the ending. this, too, has an ending different from that of the book... but to my surprise, they actually did something quite interesting with it.

Cross of Iron (1977)
harsh the way only Peckinpah could be. a mixed bag of sorts: it drags a bit, the actions scenes are quite unnecessary, Schell is a bit too comic-book villainous at times and there’s some cheap melodrama near the end... but really, the good outweighs the bad by a great deal. Coburn is fantastic as an officer sick of the horrors of war. the scenes where he’s convalescing and where his outfit encounters a group of female soldiers are Peckinpah on top of his game.

The Circus (1928)
haven’t seen this in about ten years. the setting is just a perfect place for great slapstick. it’s not as affecting or engaged as Chaplin’s later work, but it is one of his funniest films. also quite special in that the tramp doesn’t get the girl in the end.

Spellbound (1945)
kinda like Marnie in the way it presents all these Hitchcock-isms in a manner that is just so IN YOUR FACE. the plot is ridiculous and silly. Bergman and Peck are both quite good, but it’s hitchcock’s visual mastery that’s the star here. also worth noting are Salvador Dali’s spectacular dreamscapes.

As Tears Go By (1988)
Wong Kar Wai was apparently influenced by Mean Streets when making this film, which is good because i’ve come to greatly prefer these tales of lowlife strife over the ‘rags to riches to belly full of lead’ epics. when you stick to ‘real’ people instead of these ubergangsters, the effect that violence has on people is shown much more... effectively. unrelated note: the film starts out with a dude who loves the company of his bedsheets receiving a call from his aunt who tells him his cousin is coming over, and he subsequently falls in love with her. i was starting to wonder whether i was watching a remake of Stranger than Paradise for a while.

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)
grade A Wilder and a nice way to cleanse my palate after that Guy Richie fiasco. the title is a bit misleading, but that’s probably due to the film being truncated. the first half may be about holmes' private life, but what follows is all about the case. incredible ending.

When Harry Met Sally (1989)
ack. why do i keep torturing myself with this kind of tripe. this was so rotten... a cheap Woody Allen imitation that packs no punch. i wonder if the writer was aware of how harry and sally’s vapid ruminations on casablanca that miss its point by a country mile were a great critique of these hollow yuppie douchebags... but i don’t think the movie is that self-aware.

California Split (1974)
“god dammit lady, you don’t throw oranges on an escalator!”

this is a great portrait of a friendship just as much as it is a movie about gambling. Gould and Segal are completely in their element. the ending was wasn’t exactly how the writer intended it, but it’s still incredibly well-conceived. it’s a ‘no matter how much you win, you still lose’ kind of affair, but presented in a totally original and believable way. Spielberg was originally scheduled to direct this, and afterwards he said that he could have made millions off of it. i’m so glad he didn’t; he would have ruined this movie.

The Red Desert (1964)
Antonioni’s movies can be difficult to stomach sometimes because he populates his movies - excepting the principal females - with such utterly despicable characters. Monica Vitti's character here is how you'd find the women from the incommunicability trilogy in a '10 years later' scenario, where all that desultory wandering down streets has finally caught up with them. wonderful how the landscape reflects her psychological state.

 

[JGS]

Up had more of the feel of Tom McCarthy in it, who coincidentally had a hand in writing the story (and I'm willing to bet was behind the opening and idea of a man grieving for his wife).

I'll check his stuff out. But it seems more than Up had the same vibe. I know he doesn't have anything to do with the story necessarily, but perhaps in the pacing and cinematography.

I was trying to think of what I meant to say. It has more to do with the look and feel and probably a little with the music since Bird was the first to use Michael Giacchino (I think).

I'm probably just too much of a Brad Bird fan.

 

[afternoon delight]

Don't Look Now (1973) Too hyped for me. What started off as one of the best openings of all time turned into a very, very long engagement of mild creepiness. Loved the sex scene though, surprised it was R-rated. Still, the ending deserves all the praise in the world, and the editing. 3/5

Pickup on South Street (1953) Samuel Fuller filmed a movie about "two-bit cannons" and conspiracy and betrayal. If anyone disagrees with Thelma Ritter's portrayal of Moe, they don't understand film, period. Perfection. 5/5

Point Blank (1967) Classic. Lee Marvin plus multiple time-line editing and some surreal cinematography. Very surprising and definitely better (in my opinion) than Payback, the second version of the source material. 5/5

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

So... Paths of Glory is easily one of the best war movies that I have ever seen. Just saying.

 

[Commodore_Perry]

I watched Holy Mountain last night. So much WTF material, jam-packed into this movie. There's tons of nudity (mostly dudes), a gang of naked 12yo boys throwing rocks at Jesus, a half-naked tourist getting raped while she smiles for other tourists taking her picture, etc. So much blasphemy and other fucked up shit, throughout the movie.

 

[Minamu]

Just finished Mel Gibson's Apocalypto. Frankly, rewatching Lethal Weapon 1 that was on TV tonight would've been a better idea. Pretty interesting mystery story in a way & a cool portrayal of the Mayans but damn, that chase scene was LONG :lol

Spoiler

And the main character turning into the Hulk / John Rambo was just weird. Not to mention the underwater birth scene. I almost fell out of my bed laughing :lol

Redeeming quality would have to be the whole wtf is going on aspect that went on from the very start.

I was kinda expecting M Night Shyamalan at the end

 

[Discotheque]

I loved Apocalypto. Leave it to Mel Gibson to make his next big film a gory Mayan chase movie with underwater birth.

 

[jakncoke]

March Madness defeated my quest at a respectable number

watched

Flatliners 8.0

Snatch 9.0

for the first times and watched Pulp Fiction for the umpteenth

 

[~Kinggi~]

Just saw Red Cliff aka Dynasty Warriors: the movie. Seriously, Dynasty Warriors seem to be an apt depiction of Chinese battle tactics. It was also preposterous that

Spoiler

the battle of Red Cliff wasn't even in the film! "To be continued" my ass! D:

Also saw Le Samourai again last night after being thoroughly reminded of it by A Bittersweet Life and it is still as stylish as ever.

Did you only see part 1 of the international Red Cliff??? I have both parts coming in netflix and i assumed the full international version was preferable to the theatrical which included both combined....

 

[_Isaac]

Just finished Mel Gibson's Apocalypto. Frankly, rewatching Lethal Weapon 1 that was on TV tonight would've been a better idea. Pretty interesting mystery story in a way & a cool portrayal of the Mayans but damn, that chase scene was LONG :lol

Spoiler

And the main character turning into the Hulk / John Rambo was just weird. Not to mention the underwater birth scene. I almost fell out of my bed laughing :lol

Redeeming quality would have to be the whole wtf is going on aspect that went on from the very start.

I was kinda expecting M Night Shyamalan at the end

Hmm. I also liked Apocalypto. It is the ultimate chase movie and it's pretty good with visual story telling. I saw this movie with my grandparents. They can't read a lick of English and they were glued to the screen.

 

[~Kinggi~]

Hmm. I also liked Apocalypto. It is the ultimate chase movie and it's pretty good with visual story telling. I saw this movie with my grandparents. They can't read a lick of English and they were glued to the screen.

Im looking forward to his Viking movie. that shit is gonna be brutal Mel.

 

[Minamu]

Well, it's not like I was bored watching it or anything. I didn't even grasp that they were Mayan until the fucked up stuff

Spoiler

in their mayor city. It was just a bit weird that he couldn't shake the crazies until he reached his own forest, where he suddenly turned into the ultimate stealth predator :lol And his unborn son surviving at least two serious high falls & getting pushed out of the womb in 3 seconds flat was just a tad unrealistic

Also, didn't Mayans know how to swim/stay afloat? You'd have to be pretty inept to drown in that situation unless there's a current sucking you down or something. The kids, I could understand.

 

[Futureman]

I really like all of seen of Cronenberg's work. I'm also into the Beat writers, though I haven't read "Naked Lunch."

Worth watching? I really want to watch something odd as hell.

 

[OrangeGrayBlue]

Could someone recommend me a good film? I've hit a bit of a wall in my collection. My favorite films are probably There Will Be Blood, Requiem for a Dream, and Citizen Kane. If I had to pick a connecting factor between them, it seems to be that all the characters have much deeper problems than their outward appearance suggests. Anything along those lines would be much appreciated, and I'll surely update the thread with my thoughts on whatever is recommended.

 

[I leik Halo]

I watched Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas yesterday, and I would have to say thats some of the best acting I have ever seen from Depp.

 

[Panda1]

Triangle 5,
Brooklyn Finest - 8

 

[wRATH2x]

Heavy Metal Parking Lot


:lol :lol :lol

 

[creativity]

Could someone recommend me a good film? I've hit a bit of a wall in my collection. My favorite films are probably There Will Be Blood, Requiem for a Dream, and Citizen Kane. If I had to pick a connecting factor between them, it seems to be that all the characters have much deeper problems than their outward appearance suggests. Anything along those lines would be much appreciated, and I'll surely update the thread with my thoughts on whatever is recommended.

I recommend Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles.

Here's why: it's focused on a single, disturbed personality like Kane and TWBB, and it also has the mother/son dynamic and the domestic-turned-bizarre quality of Requiem for a Dream.

But I have to also give you a disclaimer. Jeanne Dielman will probably move much slower than you're accustomed to, and it's also over 3 hours long. But if you bear in mind that it's a very challenging film, intended as art more than entertainment, and just relax and allow it to pull you in, I think it could really blow your mind.

 

[OrangeGrayBlue]

I recommend Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles.

Here's why: it's focused on a single, disturbed personality like Kane and TWBB, and it also has the mother/son dynamic and the domestic-turned-bizarre quality of Requiem for a Dream.

But I have to also give you a disclaimer. Jeanne Dielman will probably move much slower than you're accustomed to, and it's also over 3 hours long. But if you bear in mind that it's a very challenging film, intended as art more than entertainment, and just relax and allow it to pull you in, I think it could really blow your mind.

Thanks. I'll give it a try.

 

[harSon]

Memo by David Mamet to the writers of The Unit :lol
http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/03/23/a-letter-from-david-mamet-to-the-writers-of-the-unit/

 

[DustinC]

Big Fan - Eh, it was ok. I don't think I've watched Oswalt in anything other than a comedy role before, but he does play a pretty good socially inept crazy guy here. The movie kind of frustrated me at the end though, Oswalt's character doesn't really have much of an arc, and the whole finale

Spoiler

with the gun being a paintball gun and not a real gun

lacked much of a punch. I don't think it's anything I'd ever watch again.

House of the Devil - Really enjoyed this, it's a slow burn but really tense through the second half of the film. Everyone involved did a great job with the late 70's early 80's aesthetic, so many shots and film tricks that were taken from movies like Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Halloween, but without feeling like a cheap homage. The payoff is probably a little underwhelming for people who have only watched horror from 90's onward, but I love that short 15 minutes or so of fucked up imagery and terror and thought it worked really well.

Universal Soldier: Regeneration: I'll preface this by saying I'm a big Van Damme and Lundgren fan, I've watched more than my fair share of their DTV offerings, so take this with a grain of salt when I say it's one of the best DTV action movies I've ever seen. It's not a great movie, there's not a great deal of solid acting from anyone involved, but it's really fast paced, takes the bits of the original Univeral Soldier that worked and doesn't spend much time getting bogged down by what went on before and who all these characters are. Basically, it's just a really brisk action film with a lot of unknowns, that culminates in a pretty impressive ending sequence with Van Damme, and a really great vs. scene between him and Lundgren. If you've ever liked either of these dudes, I think it's totally worth watching.

 

[Futureman]

I was thinking of starting Netflix back up again, but shit, the Carnegie Library system in Pittsburgh is pretty damn sweet.

Right now I have checked out Jules et Jim, Naked Lunch, and La Dolce Vita and I have the Hustler and the English Patient being sent to my local library.

I also just checked out the book The Converstations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film. Basically a transcribed convo between the film editor Murch and the author of the English Patient Michael Ondaatje. Very interesting so far.

 

[AndyD]

Ponyo - 6

Not nearly as good as his other movies in my opinion.

 

[_Isaac]

I just saw The Man from Earth. I was actually a little disappointed by it. There is something about it that gives it a cheesy vibe. I can't put my finger on it. I think it's the combination of the sound, the music, the look, and the acting. I liked the premise, but I was surprised at how uninteresting it became with how they approached it. Looking at some of his friends' reactions eventually got frustrating

I also just saw Observe and Report, which was pretty good. Dark and humorous just like I wanted.

Spoiler

Seth Rogen was also very handsome in this one.

I also just saw Following. I quite liked it. Burglarizing would probably be a more fitting title. The whole thing seemed to be a bit too complex to be realistic, but I still had fun with it.

Thanks to Costanza's TRU blu-ray deal, I got to see The Princess and the Frog. It was very good, but I think someone had said that it lacks a bit of epicness that many other Disney movies have. I'd have to agree with that. It has a very small and focused scope, but I still enjoyed it. I was afraid of the musical style they were going for, but it wasn't bad at all. The comedic relief characters were especially good, and I got chills when

Spoiler

I saw the star

. :lol I thought it was a good moment. Nice villain too.

 

[Zozobra]

Shutter Island - 5.5/10 - Ehhh, I'm a big Scorsese fan, but I feel this movie simply did not have the man's magic touch to it.

I went in with full knowledge of the twist, along with preconceived notions of how that twist was going to play out. It did not pan out as I expected, which I was pleased with. While it was happening I was thinking to myself "oh, this is actually pretty cool." But just like any of M. Night Shyamalan's movies, after the initial shock of the twist wears off you start to think about it and realize how improbable and silly it really is. That's exactly how I felt about Shutter Island. Leo's performance was pretty good though.

I'm Here - 7.5/10 - Finally got to see this on the damn website (thanks anyways for the YouTube links, Timbuktu). It was pretty cool. I'm really liking the minimalist CG Jonze is using as it adds a unique feel to his work. Definitely enjoyed this more than 'Where the Wild Things Are' though.

Baraka - 9.5/10 - I've seen this many times, but I checked it out on Blu-Ray for the first time last night. Wow. Awesome transfer and I enjoyed the movie just as much as I did the first time I watched it. For me at least, this movie was such an eye-opener in terms how cut off a lot of us are from the rest of our planet. People and cultures that may be thought of as primitive or ancient relative to our modern-day lifestyles existing in the same time we are (well, 1992 in this case). Truly extraordinary. They should do a Baraka 2 to show how drastically things have changed for everyone over just the past 18 years.

 

[_Isaac]

Ponyo - 6

Not nearly as good as his other movies in my opinion.

Agreed. That movie goes downhill after the typhoon scene.

 

[~Kinggi~]

Saw Brothers last night

I havent seen my copy of Brodre yet which i hear is better, although im not quite sure of its impact after watching this one. Anyway, i thought the film was very moving. It went in some directions i wasnt expecting and Tobey Maguire was totally heartbreaking in the last half of the movie. Im surprised there wasnt more hype about his acting job, especially after coming off of Spider Man movies. Definitely had a lasting impact. One day ill finally get around to seeing the original, not now though as ill remember the other too well.

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

Was really good. It started off pretty average and kept getting better and better until the end where it was amazing.

Also

Spoiler

the movie had one of the greatest plot twists of all-time.

Overall- Great movie but just wish that the momentum that was apparent toward the last third of the movie was consistent throughout.

Didn't find it that funny. It was alright I guess.

Overall - It was an entertaining film, did it's job.

AMAZING! Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki are God! GOD!!

Overall - God-tier!

 

[Minamu]

Saw Streets Of blood yesterday. Was fairly awesome. Val Kilmer's presence on screen is as powerful as ever And 50 Cent :lol I'd sleep with Sharon Stone anytime.

 

[jakncoke]

The Contender 8.0

Dreamland: Area 51 7.0

Category 6: Day of Destruction 7.0

A Beautiful Mind 9.0

Arsenic and old Lace 9.0

Lakeview Terrace 6.0

 

[TOM f'N CRUISE]

great shooting scenes and greater fight scenes this makes up for US2

 

[frankie_wilde]

amazing movie, gripping till the end!!!

amazing and heavy storyline

slow story line but very very funny with a great SoundTrack

 

[beelzebozo]

two george clooney vehicles, UP IN THE AIR and FANTASTIC MR. FOX.

both were quite good. UP IN THE AIR seemed a little false and affected at some moments, particularly when anna kendrick was running through the firing procedures. i guess that was intentional, but i just couldn't buy it as anything more than a heavy-handed attempt to show the robotic, diametric opposite of clooney's warm method. still, it had some great surprises for me personally, and doesn't compromise, which was nice. vera farmiga was fantastic. i fell in love with her a little.

FANTASTIC MR. FOX was anderson's best work since ROYAL TENENBAUMS. i won't elaborate on why, since so many critics have already done so, but i suggest you see it, if for no other reason that it's one of the most interesting visual experiments i've seen in quite a long time.

 

[phillipgessert]

Hell of the Living Dead was a disappointment. Really didn't want to see the wierd mondo stuff. At least the soundtrack was cool, and brought a superior movie to mind.

 

[Dead]

Just watched Extract.

Waaaay better than Idiocracy. Hilarious, great cast, and a nice companion piece to Office Space imo.

 

[Lafiel]

Watched "Coraline" with my family on DVD, today. Fantastic movie, i'm going remember that scene with the "other dad" being played by the piano, for a while. Great music too.

And the changes they made from the novel, managed to make it not feel like a familiar experience.

 

[eznark]

Saw Sherlock Holmes this week. I went in expecting the worst based on the marketing. I was pleasantly surprised. Lose the more absurd fight scenes (boxing match?) and the completely incompetent director (man he has turned to shit) and the sequel might actually be an above average experience.

 

[anddo0]

The Hangover- felt it was a bit overrated 3/5, the humor was hit or miss. I loved Ed Helms (The Office). Decent flick.

I'm going to watch 2012 today, should be interesting:lol

 

[Steppenwolf]

Das Weisse Band (The White Ribbon)
Very nice cinematography, interesting story and atmosphere. I found the acting quite awful tho mostly due the lack of dialect. It annoyed me all the time and made the dialogues/characters very wooden and artificial. I guess non-german speakers who watch the movie with subtitles can enjoy it more then i did.
6/10

 

[jonnybryce]

It was pretty good. It was a nice change of pace for me, and was a nice look at stereotypes and race and how we're more alike than we are different. It was pretty generic at times, but at others it was pretty great.

I fucking hated the very end though.

Spoiler

I didn't see the need to show the health insurance lady get rear ended and stand screaming racial comments at the driver who did it. I suppose I'm supposed to say, "Ha ha ha! Everyone's racist, even her! How funny." but it just made me think that it was disappointing that the one character who was so wise had to be brought down to everyones level for a laugh about racial insults. It disappointed me :/

 

[LabouredSubterfuge]

Das Weisse Band (The White Ribbon)
Very nice cinematography, interesting story and atmosphere. I found the acting quite awful tho mostly due the lack of dialect. It annoyed me all the time and made the dialogues/characters very wooden and artificial. I guess non-german speakers who watch the movie with subtitles can enjoy it more then i did.
6/10

Heh, interesting point. I think I often give performances and dialogue in foreign non-English movies a free pass because I don't know any better. Thanks for giving us a different perspective man.

 

[demon]

god why, what the fuck

 

[VistraNorrez]

Husbands directed by John Cassavetes.

As intense as any of his films, maybe even more uncomfortable than average. That's not to say there aren't any laughs to be had. Often in the way he edits the film you notice its great sense of humor. Probably not too bad as a first Cassavetes film for one to see.

 

[Feel the Swift]

:lol I don't know what to say.

the antichrist

I can't believe you watched that.

 

[demon]

I can't believe you watched that.

I didn't know what the hell I was getting into. I hit the fast-forward button a couple times toward the end, though. I mean seriously, did I really need to see her

Spoiler

cut her own clit off with a rusty pair of scissors

?

I'm still struggling to get some of the imagery out of my head.

 

[Feel the Swift]

I didn't know what the hell I was getting into. I hit the fast-forward button a couple times toward the end, though. I mean seriously, did I really need to see her

Spoiler

cut her own clit off with a rusty pair of scissors

?

I'm still struggling to get some of the imagery out of my head.

Yeah, it's one movie that I refuse to watch. Hearing about stuff like that was bad enough.

 

[_Isaac]

Yeah, it's one movie that I refuse to watch. Hearing about stuff like that was bad enough.

Okay it's not that bad, but that was probably the worst. That along with the

Spoiler

bloody ejaculation. The animals were cool though.

 

[bud]

in the loop. hilarious political satire about a war in the middle east with great performances throughout. one of them is by hollander, who's great as the pretty stupid and innocent secretary of state. but peter capaldi--god bless him--steals the show as the foulmouthed fixer. he was a joy to watch.

''maybe subconsciously it was a last-ditch attempt to stop this awful war, you know?'' :lol

 

[demon]

Okay it's not that bad, but that was probably the worst. That along with the

Spoiler

bloody ejaculation. The animals were cool though.

I Shia Lebeouf "Nononononono"ed when she

Spoiler

smashed his junk with a log

.