Just watched The Next Three Days, which I felt was a solid thriller, but that's besides the point. As a Pittsburgh native, I can't help but notice the sudden burst of films being shot in Pittsburgh. Is there a reason for this? I'm assuming it's cheaper to film there or something?
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Movies You've Seen Recently: Return of the Revenge of the Curse of the...
- Thread starter Cosmic Bus
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harSon said:
Could be ending soon to :/
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11054/1127176-60.stm
Right now PA offers 25% Tax Credit to those who spend at least 60% of the budget in PA.
IcheckMovies:
http://www.icheckmovies.com/list/1930s/ymmv/
#502 in the charts
Am I the highest Gaffer in ICM? (I'm dropping in rank all the time, I'm simply watching too many movies not on any list)
http://www.icheckmovies.com/list/1930s/ymmv/
#502 in the charts
Am I the highest Gaffer in ICM? (I'm dropping in rank all the time, I'm simply watching too many movies not on any list)
TheKaeptain
Banned
Is that the same Swoon?
Yep. Also kinda worried..
http://www.icheckmovies.com/about/donate/
Maybe im paranoid and looking to much into it. But being a bullet point makes me worry people that don't donate will be limited checks.
http://www.icheckmovies.com/about/donate/
Maybe im paranoid and looking to much into it. But being a bullet point makes me worry people that don't donate will be limited checks.
RadioHeadAche
Member
I saw Bridesmaids with a friend last night. It was decent, but nothing special. I enjoyed seeing some recognizable actors (including a few from The Office). It was also nice to see Kristen Wiig doing something other than a horrible, recurring character on SNL.
Cosmic Bus said:
It took me 3 tries to get through Inland Empire. My mind kept wandering off at around the 45 minute mark, and knowing that the film was light on narrative I was worried that I might miss what little story was there. When I finally watched it, I found that there was even less narrative than I thought there would be, and like you I realized that it is not a story/plot driven film to be watched, it is a display of surrealism to be experienced. You are not meant to figure out the mystery, you are meant to soak up the ambience.
I love Lynch, I love surrealism/absurdism, I love mindfucks, I like strange and weird. And up until Inland Empire, every move I'd seen that fit into those categories still for the most part followed the standard formula of characterization, plot and progression. Mulholland Dr. and Lost Highway for example introduce plenty of absurd elements that have no bearing on the story and are there strictly to confuse and contribute to the atmosphere, yet even with all those absurd moments they are still plot driven films that you can make sense of. In Inland Empire those weird atmospheric scenes are the entire package with tiny elements of story and plot sprinkled in.
Inland Empire is like looking at one of those Magic Eye things and seeing the outline of a shape but never getting it into focus. The mind is frantically trying to piece everything together, but it doesn't know what to accept or reject, or where any of the pieces fit. When we watch regular movies, we recognize tropes and formulas. "Oh, here is the protagonist/antagonist/comic relief/twist/tragic event/uplifting scene/etc." We recognize all the tropes because we have seen them so many times before, and while we appreciate trends and norms being bucked, conventions toyed with or disregarded, almost never does the entire film remain unclassifiable. Unconventional things in film are almost always done within the confines of a familiar paradigm. Inland Empire succeeds, ironically enough, because no other film dares to deviate so fucking far from the well-worn templates we are so familiar with, lest it find itself unpopular and ignored. Inland Empire creates friction in our mind as we watch because it doesn't adhere to the norms we have been conditioned to expect from our standard fare. Early on in the film the viewer's mind sends the signal of "Hold on, this isn't making any sense. What the fuck am I watching?"
With every successive scene the film gets further out of our grasp, it further denies attempts by the viewer to make sense of it all, to derive meaning, to say "Ah I get it, this means that." At some point you come to the realization that you are not going to make sense of this thing, that it is not going to be coherent to a satisfactory degree or ever resemble a 'normal' film. It isn't going to 'click'. Those who are too dogmatic and rigid in their view of what a film should be will hate that realization. They feel cheated and betrayed and trolled, much like those who hated the ending of The Sopranos. Those who are able to revel in atmosphere and enjoy the tone of a film and who like scratching the mind-itch that the film creates will enjoy it (to varying degrees). And then there are those who are just so baffled that they genuinely have no opinion either way. In my experience there are very few of the third category.
Now anyone can just film crazy shit that makes no sense. What makes Lynch work even at his most extreme is that he gives us just enough narrative and cohesion to make that teasing feel good. It's all just familiar enough that our mind is reaching and stretching and clawing at the meaning, which feels as though it is ever within our grasp. If it were just pure absurdity with no semblance of purpose, we would disconnect completely and find zero value in watching it. It is a tightwire act of which Lynch is a master. Inland Empire comes very close to being the film equivalent of the blank canvas as modern art showpiece. I look at those pieces of "art" and I refuse to buy into it. I can't see it as anything other than a troll of the art viewer. And yet I know that there are those who view Inland Empire the same way, as an empty gesture or piece of troll wankery. Just as all the meaning in the blank canvas is created by the viewer, so too must the artistic merit of IE be created by its viewer, right? I'd be forced to agree were not the performances so great, the composition and lighting (even with the ugly digital format) so brilliant, and Lynch's particular style of fucked up weird shit not always so interesting to look at. The precise meaning may elude us forever, but there is no question that Lynch is putting something worth looking at on his canvas. By crafting a world that is overwhelmingly absurd yet just familiar enough to keep us engaged, he succeeds in making a pure mood piece that washes over those willing to just soak it in. For those who aren't it is just a bunch of weird shit that makes no sense and it sucks, the end.
I can totally understand the rejection and negative view of those who can't or prefer not to let go of their notions of what a film is, and who find no pleasure or redeeming factor in watching something like Inland Empire, but honestly I find such a view terribly narrow and limiting. Inland Empire is the film analogue of a great guitar solo by Jimi Hendrix or Jimmy Page. Sure, what they are doing is not *technically* a song, but music need not be confined to such rigid parameters to be enjoyable and worthwhile. I can't imagine listening to them jam, and critiquing "Well, it isn't in a standard verse-chorus form, so I reject it". Sometimes people just want to jam the fuck out, and if you let them and listen with an open mind, you might really hear some sweet shit. I for one am glad Lynch and others like him are able to jam the fuck out from time to time, I *need* that kind of film making to be happening.
Havent been watching a lot of movies lately. Last one that deeply affected me was The Thin Red Line. Anyways, here's my iCM: http://www.icheckmovies.com/profile/ankitt/
TRON Legacy: I don't understand why some people are so negative on this film. It didn't capitalise on it's potential enough, and the dialogue is kinda hokey, but for what it's worth (the visual/audio splendour) you can't go much wrong.
127 Hours: Incredible, uplifting, inspirational film. Danny Boyle's attention to detail in sound design, choice of music, etc. is brilliant. The cinematography is perfect in making us feel claustrophobic and alone. James Franco absolutely kills it and shows us that a positive outlook on life really does make a difference.
127 Hours: Incredible, uplifting, inspirational film. Danny Boyle's attention to detail in sound design, choice of music, etc. is brilliant. The cinematography is perfect in making us feel claustrophobic and alone. James Franco absolutely kills it and shows us that a positive outlook on life really does make a difference.
indigo-cyclops
Member
Love the Mr. Show reference!
Recent stuff...
Riki-Oh: The Story Of Ricky
So yeah this was pretty effing amazing. That's all I really have to say on that.
The Magnificent Butcher
My buddy and I were browsing the trailers section on the Riki-Oh DVD and came across this one. It seemed really cool so we netflix'ed it. It had some really awesome choreography. A fun kung-fu movie.
I Saw The Devil
Kept hearing about this one from different sources so decided to check it out. I enjoyed it. I'd recommend it if you're into the whole revenge film movie scene.
Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance
Definitely a great movie. Really sad at times but I thought it was very good.
Guess this past week or so has been an asian/revenge kinda week. I caught the first part of Sympathy For Lady Vengeance but I missed out on most of it due to lack of sleep. I'll have to finish the rest of it soon. I've already seen Oldboy as well.
Riki-Oh: The Story Of Ricky
So yeah this was pretty effing amazing. That's all I really have to say on that.
The Magnificent Butcher
My buddy and I were browsing the trailers section on the Riki-Oh DVD and came across this one. It seemed really cool so we netflix'ed it. It had some really awesome choreography. A fun kung-fu movie.
I Saw The Devil
Kept hearing about this one from different sources so decided to check it out. I enjoyed it. I'd recommend it if you're into the whole revenge film movie scene.
Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance
Definitely a great movie. Really sad at times but I thought it was very good.
Guess this past week or so has been an asian/revenge kinda week. I caught the first part of Sympathy For Lady Vengeance but I missed out on most of it due to lack of sleep. I'll have to finish the rest of it soon. I've already seen Oldboy as well.
Satyamdas said:It took me 3 tries to get through Inland Empire. My mind kept wandering off at around the 45 minute mark, and knowing that the film was light on narrative I was worried that I might miss what little story was there. When I finally watched it, I found that there was even less narrative than I thought there would be, and like you I realized that it is not a story/plot driven film to be watched, it is a display of surrealism to be experienced. You are not meant to figure out the mystery, you are meant to soak up the ambience.
I love Lynch, I love surrealism/absurdism, I love mindfucks, I like strange and weird. And up until Inland Empire, every move I'd seen that fit into those categories still for the most part followed the standard formula of characterization, plot and progression. Mulholland Dr. and Lost Highway for example introduce plenty of absurd elements that have no bearing on the story and are there strictly to confuse and contribute to the atmosphere, yet even with all those absurd moments they are still plot driven films that you can make sense of. In Inland Empire those weird atmospheric scenes are the entire package with tiny elements of story and plot sprinkled in.
Inland Empire is like looking at one of those Magic Eye things and seeing the outline of a shape but never getting it into focus. The mind is frantically trying to piece everything together, but it doesn't know what to accept or reject, or where any of the pieces fit. When we watch regular movies, we recognize tropes and formulas. "Oh, here is the protagonist/antagonist/comic relief/twist/tragic event/uplifting scene/etc." We recognize all the tropes because we have seen them so many times before, and while we appreciate trends and norms being bucked, conventions toyed with or disregarded, almost never does the entire film remain unclassifiable. Unconventional things in film are almost always done within the confines of a familiar paradigm. Inland Empire succeeds, ironically enough, because no other film dares to deviate so fucking far from the well-worn templates we are so familiar with, lest it find itself unpopular and ignored. Inland Empire creates friction in our mind as we watch because it doesn't adhere to the norms we have been conditioned to expect from our standard fare. Early on in the film the viewer's mind sends the signal of "Hold on, this isn't making any sense. What the fuck am I watching?"
With every successive scene the film gets further out of our grasp, it further denies attempts by the viewer to make sense of it all, to derive meaning, to say "Ah I get it, this means that." At some point you come to the realization that you are not going to make sense of this thing, that it is not going to be coherent to a satisfactory degree or ever resemble a 'normal' film. It isn't going to 'click'. Those who are too dogmatic and rigid in their view of what a film should be will hate that realization. They feel cheated and betrayed and trolled, much like those who hated the ending of The Sopranos. Those who are able to revel in atmosphere and enjoy the tone of a film and who like scratching the mind-itch that the film creates will enjoy it (to varying degrees). And then there are those who are just so baffled that they genuinely have no opinion either way. In my experience there are very few of the third category.
Now anyone can just film crazy shit that makes no sense. What makes Lynch work even at his most extreme is that he gives us just enough narrative and cohesion to make that teasing feel good. It's all just familiar enough that our mind is reaching and stretching and clawing at the meaning, which feels as though it is ever within our grasp. If it were just pure absurdity with no semblance of purpose, we would disconnect completely and find zero value in watching it. It is a tightwire act of which Lynch is a master. Inland Empire comes very close to being the film equivalent of the blank canvas as modern art showpiece. I look at those pieces of "art" and I refuse to buy into it. I can't see it as anything other than a troll of the art viewer. And yet I know that there are those who view Inland Empire the same way, as an empty gesture or piece of troll wankery. Just as all the meaning in the blank canvas is created by the viewer, so too must the artistic merit of IE be created by its viewer, right? I'd be forced to agree were not the performances so great, the composition and lighting (even with the ugly digital format) so brilliant, and Lynch's particular style of fucked up weird shit not always so interesting to look at. The precise meaning may elude us forever, but there is no question that Lynch is putting something worth looking at on his canvas. By crafting a world that is overwhelmingly absurd yet just familiar enough to keep us engaged, he succeeds in making a pure mood piece that washes over those willing to just soak it in. For those who aren't it is just a bunch of weird shit that makes no sense and it sucks, the end.
I can totally understand the rejection and negative view of those who can't or prefer not to let go of their notions of what a film is, and who find no pleasure or redeeming factor in watching something like Inland Empire, but honestly I find such a view terribly narrow and limiting. Inland Empire is the film analogue of a great guitar solo by Jimi Hendrix or Jimmy Page. Sure, what they are doing is not *technically* a song, but music need not be confined to such rigid parameters to be enjoyable and worthwhile. I can't imagine listening to them jam, and critiquing "Well, it isn't in a standard verse-chorus form, so I reject it". Sometimes people just want to jam the fuck out, and if you let them and listen with an open mind, you might really hear some sweet shit. I for one am glad Lynch and others like him are able to jam the fuck out from time to time, I *need* that kind of film making to be happening.
Great impressions, I should repost your hitting the nail on the head image. What I will say though is that even after you accept Inland Empire on the terms you have, I think there's still criticism to be applied. For me, some of the scene's didn't work on any level at all and not just because of a lack of narrative cohesion. But I guess that's what Inland Empire does, it clicks on different levels for different viewers - that is if it clicks at all.
Battle Los Angeles - Not nearly as horrible as I was lead to believe but still nothing great. It was not nearly as epic as the trailers presented it.
Gladiator - This is not a top film for me. It's not even the top Roman gladiator movie for me. With that said, the ending is so perfect it has me getting dust in my eye every time.
Gladiator - This is not a top film for me. It's not even the top Roman gladiator movie for me. With that said, the ending is so perfect it has me getting dust in my eye every time.
I absolutely loved it, and my friends as well. Most beautifully shot. Super stylish. Very long, quiet but intense scenes. I thought the music was a bit pretentious, but the others loved that as well. Sounded a bit like 2001 as a drama/romance.
Tilda Swinton is genious, as always, but she's also very soft and feminine in this one.
4/4
Fallout-NL
Member
Senna documentary: it was awesome. I was too young to appreciate Formula 1 back when Senna was racing so it was great for this documentary to point out why this particular period and Senna were so special. The late eighties / early nineties footage is fascinating to watch since it's so reminiscent of my early childhood (just the aesthetic of TV footage and clothes during that time).
If you're not really into fast cars, or the skill involved racing them, you might not like this film as much, but for me it was mind blowing to see what Senna could do with cars from that era.
pieatorium
Member
I think it means you have a goatee and are evil.Red UFO said:
pieatorium said:
well, i don't HATE bttf, so i guess my theory was wrong. but yeah, the idea was that my reaction to both 127 hours and tron legacy was pretty much diametrically opposed to yours.Red UFO said:
see here: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=26043363&postcount=15132
and here: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=25682809&postcount=14662
BaronLundi
Member
So GAF, I bought a shitload of second hand DVD's today and among them is Enter the void (French edition).
There are two versions on disc one called "Theatrical version" (runtime is 154 min) and the other called "Alternative version" (runtime : 139 min). I'm guessing the latter might be the US/UK theatrical version (missing a reel from what I gathered).
Which one should I watch first and is being high recommended/necessary ?
There are two versions on disc one called "Theatrical version" (runtime is 154 min) and the other called "Alternative version" (runtime : 139 min). I'm guessing the latter might be the US/UK theatrical version (missing a reel from what I gathered).
Which one should I watch first and is being high recommended/necessary ?
Mister Wilhelm
Member
BaronLundi said:
Theatrical, bro. Theatrical.
Agreed. In addition, I'd be lying if I said that the lack of coherent narrative doesn't diminish my enjoyment in some capacity. For as much as I appreciate the abstract nature of the film, I can't help but be conscious of the fact that there is nothing to "get", no strong theme or concept presented. My mind craves understanding and meaning and the film actively denies me that.EliCash said:
I watched Ninja Assassins last night.This film was so bad I mean some of the fight scenes were cool but overall it was weak.Felt like this was written by a 13 year old who thinks ninjas are cool.I just kept thinking this could have been a cool movie has they really fleshed it out.
3/10
I found the stuff where they were young and doing the training and what not interesting I think this was the only time where the film was decent it's just the modern day stuff that was awful I really wish they would have made a gritty revenge story.I mean every time one of the two main characters are about to die the other shows up and saves them at the last moment it was ridiculous at time.
3/10
If you were to ask my personal preference, I'd suggest taking that DVD out for skeet shooting.BaronLundi said:
Saw Transformers 3 last night and it was even dumber than I was expecting. That said, I didn't actually hate it; I think the growing number of facepalm-worthy scenes and moments ended up going so far that it gets to be oddly compelling to watch. It's certainly a step up from the completely miserable second film.
thestopsign
Member
I just finished watching In Bruges. I think it surpasses both Man on Wire and Slumdog as my favorite movie from 2008. I was crying big man tears when (movie spoiler)
. The movie just had a great tone about it and really left just enough to make me question beliefs and leave me pondering afterwards.
Brandon Gleeson died. He put on a really fantastic performance
Lazy Jones
Member
Tropa de elite 2.
It's about the elite police force that fights in the Rio de Janeiro slums.
First one was really good, had doubts that the sequel would deliver but it really did.
Randy Lanzarote
Member
thestopsign said:
Talk about a film that had a bad advertising campaign. All I got from the trailer was that Colin Farrell karate chopped a midget, and he might've been a hitman or something. Oh, and Belgium is a boring country. So I was expecting a piss-poor attempt at a Snatch/Lock Stock film. When I sat down to watch it I was blown away; great characters, dialogue, story with a big helping of some very dark themes and humour.
A Human Becoming
More than a Member
Enter the Void I enjoyed it, but would have liked fewer sex scenes and the sky view parts shortened. I might have loss movie selecting privileges with my friends.
Count Dookkake
Member
A Human Becoming said:
A pity for them.
TheKaeptain
Banned
Lazy Jones said:
Tropa de elite 2.
It's about the elite police force that fights in the Rio de Janeiro slums.
First one was really good, had doubts that the sequel would deliver but it really did.
So want to watch this. I've heard great things.
http://www.icheckmovies.com/blog/theres+no+limit/#comments
they reversed course on checking thankfully.
they reversed course on checking thankfully.
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