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[Dragoon En Regalia]

talking about this quote.

I get what Truffaut's doing with the freeze-frame (implying that it's a scrapbook picture), but it feels suddenly artificial compared to the rest of the film. A simple track-to-fade would have worked better.

Fassbinder sounds great for the Film Club, especially since his earliest films are viewable on Hulu and elsewhere.

 

[Charles Foster Kane]

I get what Truffaut's doing with the freeze-frame (implying that it's a scrapbook picture), but it feels suddenly artificial compared to the rest of the film. A simple track-to-fade would have worked better.

What would make it artificial? It's all for the feels dude.

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

Dude, I already had the feels. Why do you think I'm panning the ending? I'm irritated by the freeze-frame because it takes me out of the experience. Antoine's already looking into the camera, so it feels self-aware enough that a freeze-frame feels gratuitous.

 

[Charles Foster Kane]

But the freeze frame plays on the uncertainty the character is left in to great effect. It's really a terrific shot.

It seemed to me you were more concerned with studying the film on your review than just experiencing it. And that's cool, but it can kill the magic with some films (specially on your first viewing and for movies that are a bit more simple). It's like hating on Bicycle Thieves for the restaurant scene.

Edit: To each his own I guess.

 

[swoon]

yea i mean it's suppose to be artificial and take you out of the narrative, because it's showing you are watching a film, it's part of the duality of the new wave - natural light and handheld camera, while at the same time having extended dance scenes, exposing the art of editing through jump cuts, silent film style inter-titles, etc

 

[big ander]

I get what Truffaut's doing with the freeze-frame (implying that it's a scrapbook picture), but it feels suddenly artificial compared to the rest of the film. A simple track-to-fade would have worked better.

ehhhhhh don't think the scrapbook interpretation is a be-all-end-all, that's quite narrow. and the freeze-frame in The 400 Blows is supposed to be anything but narrow. Everyone sees something different in Antoine's face in that final image, the uncertainty after the runaway buildup to that final moment is kind of maddening and confining and confusing...which is the point, I think. a fade wouldn't do that because the action's not arrested, it would be dissipating slowly.
and anyway I'm not sure I accept an argument that a fade is less artificial than a freeze-frame. what makes one more or less artificial? all editing is violently manipulative.

Fassbinder sounds great for the Film Club, especially since his earliest films are viewable on Hulu and elsewhere.

saw you had something about Dwan here, maybe keep it in mind for next month but I think 4 candidates is enough and the poll is already running

 

[HoJu]

But the freeze frame plays on the uncertainty the character is left in to great effect. It's really a terrific shot.

It seemed to me you were more concerned with studying the film on your review than just experiencing it. And that's cool, but it can kill the magic with some films (specially on your first viewing and for movies that are a bit more simple). It's like hating on Bicycle Thieves for the restaurant scene.

Edit: To each his own I guess.

wait why do people hate the restaurant scene
who are these people

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

Well, what the director does in Shoot the Piano Player works very well for me, because I know he's trying to play on that aspect of the movement (and succeeds). But The 400 Blows, if it's trying to have a level of artifice comparable to Breathless, doesn't do a very good job until the end. It feels more proto-New Wave than anything else: the subject matter, and how Truffaut treats it, definitely belongs, but not the style. Even British New Wave films from the time had plenty of stylization (i.e. Long Distance Runner's ending montage). For me, a freeze-frame makes an inherently artificial moment more obvious than it should be. Tracking into Antoine as he's come to a dead-end in his life already does the tough work of selling his situation. A fade's not much better, but at least it doesn't imply that someone took a photo of him in that exact state (why would the school do that when it has to track these kids down all the time?). I don't see how broad a freeze-frame could be either; that detail's the crux of this whole argument, so I'd like to be wrong on that and agree with you guys.

Yeah, I suggested Dwan for kicks. But that's overcomplicating things. And I don't remember disliking the restaurant scene, dammit.

 

[AnkitT]

POLL FOR JULY FILM CLUB

Dang man i'd prefer it if most of 'em were on netflix instant. Anyways, voted for Fassbinder.

Watched The Mask of Satan(AKA Black Sunday) today since it was showing at the local theater. Are all of Bava's movies so unintentionally amusing on the dialogue? Or is that just me not being retrospective enough or whatever. It really looked beautiful though, the lighting especially! They're showing some more of Bava this month here, should I check 'em out?

 

[Charles Foster Kane]

wait why do people hate the restaurant scene
who are these people

They exist. I have seen them here, but don't remember who they were.

Well, what the director does in Shoot the Piano Player works very well for me, because I know he's trying to play on that aspect of the movement. But The 400 Blows, if it's trying to have a level of artifice comparable to Breathless, doesn't do a very good job until the end. It feels more proto-New Wave than anything else: the subject matter, and how Truffaut treats it, definitely belongs, but not the style. Even British New Wave films from the time had plenty of stylization (i.e. Long Distance Runner's ending montage). For me, a freeze-frame makes an inherently artificial moment more obvious than it should be. Tracking into Antoine as he's come to a dead-end in his life already does the tough work of selling his situation. A fade's not much better, but at least it doesn't imply that someone took a photo of him in that exact state (why would the school do that when it has to track these kids down all the time?). It's not a sacred-cow ending to me, and I really enjoyed the film anyway.

Yeah, I suggested Dwan for kicks. But that's overcomplicating things. And I don't remember disliking the restaurant scene, dammit.

Why would it try to be comparable to Breathless when it came out almost a year before?

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

Why would it try to be comparable to Breathless when it came out almost a year before?

It wouldn't. The style's smooth, distant, and moderate throughout. It's not Hollywood, but not as adventurous as later stuff. The film's like a transition, actually—and now I've conflicted my own argument, since the ending feels more in line with the movement and works from a certain perspective.

 

[big ander]

Well, what the director does in Shoot the Piano Player works very well for me, because I know he's trying to play on that aspect of the movement (and succeeds). But The 400 Blows, if it's trying to have a level of artifice comparable to Breathless, doesn't do a very good job until the end. It feels more proto-New Wave than anything else: the subject matter, and how Truffaut treats it, definitely belongs, but not the style. Even British New Wave films from the time had plenty of stylization (i.e. Long Distance Runner's ending montage). For me, a freeze-frame makes an inherently artificial moment more obvious than it should be. Tracking into Antoine as he's come to a dead-end in his life already does the tough work of selling his situation. A fade's not much better, but at least it doesn't imply that someone took a photo of him in that exact state (why would the school do that when it has to track these kids down all the time?). I don't see how broad a freeze-frame could be either.

again, why are you making the direct jump from the freeze-frame to "someone at the school took a picture" and how is it so necessarily narrow? I just don't at all get how there could be one and only interpretation of that.
and also again, beyond the actual mechanics of the freeze-frame, there's so much room for interpretation in Antoine's face. some think that he's happy for finally having seen the sea, that it's a release and he gets to be frozen in that moment. some think he's disappointed and trapped and underwhelmed.
The track doesn't assert the dead end on its own, because the track is motion, motion is change. With any other technique that moves, Truffaut would be implying continuation. the freeze-frame is needed for the stoppage, for––hell––FREEZING the action. without such a jarring halting of action you wouldn't have the same kind of finality.

Dang man i'd prefer it if most of 'em were on netflix instant.

Where were you yesterday to object

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

The dolly could always stop. Then it wouldn't be moving. That's my suggestion.

Enough of that, this argument's going to be endless. I've got The Sea Hawk and something else lined up for later, and I have chores.

 

[Charles Foster Kane]

Conversation over.

 

[Meliorism]

2013 so far:

01. Before Midnight
02. Stories We Tell
03. Like Someone in Love
04. Frances Ha (the last topic discussion about Modern Love was pretty silly, you guys)
05. Spring Breakers
06. The Act of Killing
07. Fourplay
08. Computer Chess
09. Side Effects
10. Drinking Buddies

HM: Behind the Candelabra, Post Tenebras Lux, Leviathan, Mud

Worst of the year so far:

Pieta
Don Jon
Evil Dead

Raved about but I feel are pretty ehhh:

Upstream Color
Stoker
Prince Avalanche

Oh, I voted for Kurosawa btw. I haven't seen any Hong still because I'm the worst. I am seeing The Big Sleep and The Long Goodbye this evening, though, so that's a pretty good start for me in the month.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

2013 so far:

01. Before Midnight
02. Stories We Tell
03. Like Someone in Love
04. Frances Ha (the last topic discussion about Modern Love was pretty silly, you guys)
05. Spring Breakers
06. The Act of Killing
07. Fourplay
08. Computer Chess
09. Side Effects
10. Drinking Buddies

HM: Behind the Candelabra, Post Tenebras Lux, Leviathan, Mud

Worst of the year so far:

Pieta
Don Jon
Evil Dead

Raved about but I feel are pretty ehhh:

Upstream Color
Stoker
Prince Avalanche

Oh, I voted for Kurosawa btw. I haven't seen any Hong still because I'm the worst. I am seeing The Big Sleep and The Long Goodbye this evening, though, so that's a pretty good start for me in the month.

Hey, I'm watching The Big Sleep tonight too!

And what's wrong with Pieta? I've been looking forward to it since Kim's last few recent films don't seem to have made it to Netflix and I'm curious what he's been up to.

 

[big ander]

The Squid and the Whale - About even with Highball as my least favorite Baumbach, meaning it's average. Mistakes honesty, acid and self-consciousness for import. Linney's pretty great and I want to see a movie with Baldwin's character in the lead brother.

04. Frances Ha (the last topic discussion about Modern Love was pretty silly, you guys)
...
07. Fourplay

Oh, I voted for Kurosawa btw. I haven't seen any Hong still because I'm the worst. I am seeing The Big Sleep and The Long Goodbye this evening, though, so that's a pretty good start for me in the month.

How so? for the record, I still like Frances Ha plenty. and the run to Bowie is for a different purpose, slightly, in Frances Ha than in Mauvais Sang so it's fine. definitely a pretty big lift but "steal from the best" proves true.

I don't think I've even heard of Fourplay, making a mental note.

I voted Kurosawa too, but fassbinder's running away with it.

 

[OfWhiteSkinOnRedLeather]

Wow what a weird remark. Malick knows where to point his camera and how to use light in his pictures. His stories also make sense. Carruth's movies feel like unfinished student films in comparison.

Haha! You think so? It's not like I don't like Malick or think he not as good of a filmmaker as Carruth, just ATM I've enjoyed UP a bit more. There's always been something a little off for me about Malick's work, but I can't figure out what it is. For what it's worth, I enjoy everything I've seen of Malick's more than Primer and I definitely like the look of his films more.

 

[Charles Foster Kane]

I haven't seen any good films this year :/

 

[UrbanRats]

Viso abbracciare, MAMMA MIA!

Spoiler

google translate

re-translated: Face embrace

lol

As far as i know they're just called "face huggers" here, though if it's an original, old poster, they could've just started using the English name later on, with all the sequels.
Me and my friend always called them Face Huggers.

That said, the correct literal translation would be something like "Abbraccia Faccia", which not only rhymes, but it also sounds like the name of ergonomically shaped, thermally regulated pillow, to sleep on trains and airplanes.

 

[t-ramp]

Minority Report - Spielberg makes solid movies, and Cruise is a reliable actor. Overall an enjoyable film.

Wasn't Sculli pestering you about watching this movie, CFK? Have you seen it yet?

 

[Charles Foster Kane]

Yes he was. lol

I liked it too.

 

[DrEvil]

Just finished watching the 2013 Evil Dead. Dear god did it suck.
I know they were going for the serious horror, but the "jerky motion, bone cracking wet look bloody girl" trope is so overdone.. Meh, color me disappointed :/


Oh, and:

1. Favorite Movie?
Back to the Future (trilogy)

2. Top Three Actors?
1) Christoper Lloyd
2) John Noble
3) Benedict Cumberbatch (this is a recent addition, mostly due to Sherlock and STID)
Hon. mention) Jason Lee in Vanilla Sky. Seriously.

3. How horrible is Avengers?
It was a decent popcorn movie, but focused on the lamest of the antagonists for it's plot line. No one gives a fuck about Loki, or Thor for that matter.

4. How many films do you watch a year?
Too many to count. In the theater every other week, in my home probably every other day.

5. Favorite Genre?
SciFi / Suspense

6. What is your favorite performance in film?

1) Robert Downy Jr. - Tropic Thunder ( )
2) Dustin Hoffman - Rain Man
3) Heath Ledger as Joker

7. Who is your favorite director?
Stanley Kubrick

 

[Messofanego]

Finally framed my Take Shelter poster.

Uh wow, I'm jealous. Favourite movie of 2011. Where did you find this?

 

[big ander]

So Fassbinder it is but someone else has to figure out which ones to watch

 

[swoon]

So Fassbinder it is but someone else has to figure out which ones to watch

does hulu have in a year with 13 moons? for some reason it doesn't let non-members search. just browse

i'd select these films for you guys.

the bitter tears of petra von kant
ali: fear eats the soul
in a year with 13 moons

good cross section of his work and avoids his series/longer works.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Here's what they have:
http://www.hulu.com/search?q=fassbinder
no In a Year with 13 Moons, unfortunately. Sounds interesting though, and I was thinking of suggesting it anyway.

and Feat Eats the Soul is a must see.

 

[Discotheque]

I just saw Lone Ranger

there's some really nice looking shots in here. the gunshots were loud as fuck. every gunshot was bass-heavy as many as there are. i actually enjoyed johnny depp in here, him and armie hammer made an enjoyable team. final setpiece/action scene was great.

too fucking long though. you can easily tell that they could have cut 45-60 minutes out of this film. not enough scenes with the duo together, too many scenes with other lame shit.

i want gore verbinski to keep making summer blockbusters, but he really needs to work with some different scriptwriters and an editor. because this sure did look nice as hell. best looking blockbuster we'll get this summer, but it drags.

also the prologue and all other scenes concerning it (again so much useless shit that could be cut) was stupid.

soundtrack has zimmer's best motif since inception. it appears throughout the film. use of william tell's overture for the final battle was great too. though audiences will probably be like "wtf is this clown music"

 

[B For Bendetta]

Minority Report - Spielberg makes solid movies, and Cruise is a reliable actor. Overall an enjoyable film.

Wasn't Sculli pestering you about watching this movie, CFK? Have you seen it yet?

Really liked Minority Report.

Just watched Moneyball. Great film and great performances if you're a sports fan

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

So I lied: The Goodbye Girl was on and my dad wanted to watch that instead. It's good, but not in any memorable way. Dreyfuss not only had the best lines, but also the sympathy of the director, even though Mason's the better cast member. Simon's not my favorite writer, too maudlin and prone to crutches (reference humor being an offender), but this was enjoyable enough. ***/**

 

[Kwixotik]

I'm trying to get into the habit of watching more movies. Watched Ghost in the Shell last night and Taxi Driver today. Both were great, but Taxi Driver was on another level.

Tomorrow, Breathless because someone keeps shoving Godard down my throat.

 

[Cosmic Bus]

Finishing up the second half of the series for the first time:

Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives ***½
Part VII: The New Blood **
Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan *½
Jason Goes to Hell ??!?!?
Jason X *******************
Freddy Vs Jason **½

I can appreciate how JGTH and JX both go for some wildly different, borderline crazy concepts, and clearly one is more successful in its attempt than the other.

Now on to the Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween franchises.

 

[Grinchy]

I finally saw Moonrise Kingdom. I'm kinda pissed that I didn't know about its existence until recently. I would have gladly gone to the theater for it. I don't have much to say about the movie other than the fact that I really enjoyed it. The kids were remarkable.

 

[sharnaak]

Finally back with my normal work schedule so I can watch more stuff.

Hugo: Beautiful. It's not a classic Scorsese movie, that's for sure, but it still has all the quality of his best works. It's visually stunning and would deserve some love just for that. I'd recommend it.

Into Darkness: I'm not sure why but it simply didn't work with me.I've never been a huge fan of science fiction movies (especially those with spaceships etc) but the first one of this star trek reboot felt "ok" at least. This one was just boring. Also bring over a pair of sungless if you want to see it in a movie theatre.

Angels & Demons: Bleah. What a waste of two hours.

 

[Divius]

Uh wow, I'm jealous. Favourite movie of 2011. Where did you find this?

There was this contest on some facebookpage where you had to guess the amount of dvd's in a photo to win them, I got the answer right but said I'd rather have the poster in the background than the dvd's. So they send me it and made someone else happy with the dvd's.

 

[Deputy Dangle]

Top Films of 2013 so far:

1. Wolf Children
2. Before Midnight
3. The Place Beyond The Pines
4. Iron Man 3
5. Wrong
6. Monsters University
7. Fast & Furious 6
8. This Is The End
9. Spring Breakers
10. Man of Steel

Honorable Mention: The short, "Safe Haven", in V/H/S 2.

Hopefully, I'll get around to seeing Stoker and Upstream Color soon.

 

[Divius]

Well, to chime in the top movies of 2013 then. In no particular order:

Upstream Color ****
To The Wonder ****
Spring Breakers ****
The Place Beyond The Pines ****
Trance ****

The Act of Killing ***½
Sightseers ***½

--

A bit more extensive; Worst of 2013 so far:
Movie 43 ½
Identity Thief ½
Evil Dead *
A Good Day to Die Hard *
The Purge *
Hummingbird *½

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone **
Jack the Giant Slayer **
Gangster Squad **
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters **
Oz the Great and Powerful **
Parker **
Rapture-Palooza **
Texas Chainsaw 3D **
Warm Bodies **

jeez that are a lot of shitty movies

 

[mxgt]

2013 so far:

1. Upstream Color
2. The Hunt
3. Spring Breakers
4. Side Effects
5. Star Trek Into Darkness
6. Fast 6
7. Iron Man 3
8. To The Wonder
9 .Trance
10. World War Z

It's funny, I only really like the top 4, 5-8 are 'meh', I didn't like Trance and WWZ is shit.

I need to watch more 2013 movies, problem is my local cinema is garbage and only shows blockbusters

 

[Divius]

I'm seeing WWZ this saturday and I'm really tempted to go see Before Midnight beforehand, although nobody wants to go see it with me.

 

[BrokenEchelon]

So I just finished watching this guy:

God damn.

 

[Anton Sugar]

So I just finished watching this guy:

God damn.

 

[Messofanego]

A bit more extensive; Worst of 2013 so far:
Movie 43 ½
Identity Thief ½
Evil Dead *
A Good Day to Die Hard *
The Purge *
Hummingbird *½

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone **
Jack the Giant Slayer **
Gangster Squad **
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters **
Oz the Great and Powerful **
Parker **
Rapture-Palooza **
Texas Chainsaw 3D **
Warm Bodies **

jeez that are a lot of shitty movies

Do you get to see these movies for free, because good lord! Feel for your pain.

 

[Count Dookkake]

Jason X *******************

My man!

This guy knows what the fuck is up. Jason X is by far the best in the series - it's the unexpectedly clever and fun treat waiting for you at the end of the road, especially rewarding after the bewilderment of Jason Goes to Hell. I don't even hate that movie, honestly, I just had no idea really how to respond to its weirdness. Excluding the scene where somebody eats a heart, 'cause I mean, well, duh that's awesome.

Nightmare on Elm Street is probably my favorite, mostly thanks to the concept and all of the possibilities it opens kill-wise. All of them have something to enjoy (including the unfairly maligned 2) even if 1, 3, and New Nightmare are pretty clearly tops. I dunno, I'm very fond of that particular slasher franchise.

This girl knows what the fuck is up.

 

[Thug Waffle]

This is the End

Minus a few overplayed jokes, the film and its self-deprecating humor seldom grew tiresome. Funny cameos galore (

Spoiler

fucking Channing Tatum lol

). It's a good summer comedy. I'm not sure it's worth the $10 I spent to get into the theater, though. My friends insisted on the Regal Cineplex over a cheaper ($6.50/ticket), humbler theater with an incredible legacy.

 

[Solo]

I just saw Lone Ranger

there's some really nice looking shots in here. the gunshots were loud as fuck. every gunshot was bass-heavy as many as there are. i actually enjoyed johnny depp in here, him and armie hammer made an enjoyable team. final setpiece/action scene was great.

Gore Verbinski in a nutshell. Every one of his Pirates films had several quite spectacular setpieces. The man can do action. But his movies also run 45 minutes long.

 

[HoJu]

hey solo, did you see Stoker yet?

 

[Discotheque]

Gore Verbinski in a nutshell. Every one of his Pirates films had several quite spectacular setpieces. The man can do action. But his movies also run 45 minutes long.

this one might be a whole hour too long lol. but it's definitely the best looking blockbuster you'll see this summer.

 

[Solo]

hey solo, did you see Stoker yet?

Nope. I should get on that ASAP though - thanks for the reminder!

 

[Charles Foster Kane]

Solo, that avatar makes him look so hip.

 

[Solo]

Solo, that avatar makes him look so hip.

James Bond meets Jesse Pinkman.