Forced Viewing

[Meatplow]

dibs

[Meatplow]

i shall be watching tonight

[honourosis]

awesome. i always get excited when i see this thread bumped.

[Meatplow]

yeah I would participate more but my KG ratio suffered a bit of a hit a while ago, i've built it up again however

Weekend

http://i42.tinypic.com/xpy6ad.jpg

My feature length introduction to Jean Luc Godard, my only familiarity with him is a short he worked on in the film Aria (which happened to be wonderful) and an awful lot of praise for his work. I went into this with high expectations, and I left with complete confusion.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, however. What struck me most was the use of typography erratically inserted in between scenes, whilst a simple idea this was genuinely effective in provoking a bizarre, surrealistic vibe that leads me to understand the comparisons between Godard and the much later films of Gregg Araki. The second thing that struck me was the long tracking shots, the scene towards the beginning where the camera pans an extremely lengthy distance showing the overview of a traffic jam was excellent as was the later scene with the piano player (if you've seen it you can't miss it). In this manner I could see this film being too "slow" for some, personally I liked the way these scenes were paced and in between a lot of eerie cutaways to peoples faces whilst dialogue or action existed outside of the frame of view, it came off as strangely humorous conflicting with the generally bleak tone of the film.

The story itself I couldn't grasp, if indeed there was one. The film was jumpy, it seemed to have a loose plot centered around a wife and a husband who were cheating each other that wanted to kill either one of their parents for inheritance money, then shifts into odd, politically themed vignettes whilst they travel through the countryside where crashed cars exist everywhere. Maybe I completely missed the point of the majority of it, the film seems to be one you have to be constantly immersed in thought throughout and whilst I caught some of it most of it didn't catch me.

I ended up just trying to enjoy it for its absurdity, which I guess could be the point somewhat. It certainly demands a rewatch, it trod a fine line between an extremely interesting film and a confusing mess however. I want to see more Godard as a result, which is a good thing.

7/10

Coonskin (1975)
Director: Ralph Bakshi
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071361/
Genre: Animation

Aria (1987)
Director: Robert Altman, Bruce Beresford, Bill Bryden, Jean-Luc Godard, Derek Jarman, Franc Roddam, Nicolas Roeg, Ken Russell, Charles Sturridge, Julien Temple
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092580/
Genre: Comedy/Drama

Elevator Movie (2004)
Director: Zeb Haradon
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0400399/
Genre: Drama

Sexmisja AKA Sexmission
Director: Juliusz Machulski
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088083/
Genre: Sci-Fi

Long Weekend (1978)
Director: Colin Eggleston
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079482/
Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller

Don't Deliver Us From Evil (1971)
Director: Joël Séria
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066040/
Genre: Horror

Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds (1989)
Director: Alex Proyas
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098373/
Genre: Arthouse

Angel Baby (1995)
Director: Michael Rymer
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112362/
Genre: Drama

Scum (1979)
Director: Alan Clarke
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079871/
Genre: Drama

[honourosis]

i'm glad you choose Weekend, seeing as it was the only recommendation i didn't have a clear defined opinion on (and still don't) and wanted to hear someone else's impression on it. i think we got wowed by similar scenes, but as a whole i'm not sure how i feel about it. i did recently come across a review that described it as Godard's take on 'Hell', which I thought was interesting and gave me an urge to re-watch it.

[Meatplow]

I was watching the special features it seems he really hated Sunday drivers and his motivation behind a lot of the film was to annoy the producer and humiliate the female lead, lol.

You should check out his short in Aria, it's awesome.

[thedeadwalk!]

I'll take dibs.

[thedeadwalk!]

http://www.conversationmarketing.com/1controversial-gal-scum.jpg

The movie acts as an "inspired-by-shocking-true-events" story of boys at a borstal (reformatory for severely delinquent youths, for the non-British). Despite its Caged Heat for men appeal, it is quite provocative in its exposition of the failing state of reform and the consequences of this on the detained and wardens alike.

Off the bat, we see the wardens are no less concerned with the safety of the "trainees" as the protagonist is assigned a dorm with a "big" fellow he's told is anxiously waiting to meet him. The wardens' attitude is even more explicitly stated when it is explained why Carlin has been transferred, and that they intend to exercise their will with impunity, not that there's anything stopping that already.

However, while, up to a point, the wardens just seem like misguided hard-asses, several key moments reveal not just the complicity in the infractions of the trainees, whenever it suits their desires, there is the conscious negligence towards, shall we say "less constructive" abuses, that reveal the fraying of more than just the children's identity/resourcefulness/independence/or anything else people usually like for themselves.

While these kids would give the men in Oz a run for their money, the movie is a bit melodramatic with events which detracts some overall. It is deftly constructed and highlights not just the ill-conceived planning of such a system for reform, but the contradictions in morality and values that lead to their implementation. So, it has a few more rapes and isn't as well-articulated, except for Archer, as other educational movies but is every bit as informative.

I also loved the scenes like this, where the power in relationships is translated beautifully:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/thedeadwalk/ScumDVDRip720xXviduncut-253096.jpg

8/10


picky picky:

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen - 1988 - Comedy
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096764/

Angel-A - 2005 - Fantasy
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473753/

Confessions of a Superhero - 2007 - d0cumentary
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1016164/

I Served the King of England - 2006 - Comedy
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0284363/

Special - 2006 - Drama
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479162/

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? - 1969 - Drama
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065088/

[Meatplow]

Nice. The film is a excellent character study, Archer in particular is very interesting. Borstals were very abusive places it would seem, my father (who is British) introduced me to this film years back we had on a worn out VHS so it's got a distinct nostalgic quality for me. I recently rewatched it and decided it is one of my favourite films, the themes of power struggle and abuse are very strong in their message.

[thedeadwalk!]

Yeah, Archer is my favorite character, though Carlin is interesting in his own right too. Archer's character really helps put the movie in perspective and keep it from deteriorating into just another "prison" movie.

[Meatplow]

seeing as nobody else did the honours i'll take dibs

[Meatplow]

They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

http://i40.tinypic.com/2ir6lcm.jpg

I don't believe i've ever seen a Sydney Pollack film, despite the name being quite familiar. This was set in depression era america, and is the story of a bunch of waywards trying to earn some money by winning a dancing marathon. Whilst on it's surface the film has a "golden age of cinema" appeal to it and the acting and direction shows a sense of true showmanship, what I find most unnerving is how hollow this feels because at heart this is a exceptionally tragic and depressing film.

These people need money in desperate times and are essentially railroaded into the event, which a public spectacle selling tickets to the public run by an enigmatic host. From there, it gets messy for a number of reasons. Without spoiling it too much, things aren't quite as clear as they seem and for some people the desperation is too much, ultimately culmunating in the films ending which to me was truly affecting. Throughout the film, the main story is intertwined with what appear to be surreal flashbacks with this one moment in particular tying everything up so well.

I enjoyed the acting , Jane Fonda was excellent in particular. The soundtrack was perfect, entirely composed of jazz standards it set the era well and provided something extra on an emotional level. I'm really quite in awe how the music would change during flashbacks, or during sections of the competetion completely change the tone of the scene to something much more melancholy.

It's a difficult film to me to review, because I can't get across just how it made me feel. It's something profound on a completely personal level, whilst it was far from perfect as a film it's poignancy just felt right to me.

9/10

Films

Coonskin (1975)
Director: Ralph Bakshi
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071361/
Genre: Animation

Aria (1987)
Director: Robert Altman, Bruce Beresford, Bill Bryden, Jean-Luc Godard, Derek Jarman, Franc Roddam, Nicolas Roeg, Ken Russell, Charles Sturridge, Julien Temple
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092580/
Genre: Comedy/Drama

Elevator Movie (2004)
Director: Zeb Haradon
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0400399/
Genre: Drama

Sexmisja AKA Sexmission
Director: Juliusz Machulski
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088083/
Genre: Sci-Fi

Long Weekend (1978)
Director: Colin Eggleston
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079482/
Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller

Don't Deliver Us From Evil (1971)
Director: Joël Séria
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066040/
Genre: Horror

Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds (1989)
Director: Alex Proyas
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098373/
Genre: Arthouse

Angel Baby (1995)
Director: Michael Rymer
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112362/
Genre: Drama

Ghosts... of The Civil Dead (1988)
Director: John Hillcoat
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095217/
Genre: Drama

[thedeadwalk!]

It's something profound on a completely personal level, whilst it was far from perfect as a film it's poignancy just felt right to me.
Nicely put.

[Meatplow]

bump

[thedeadwalk!]

I'd probably delete those other bumps too, if it were me. :)

Come on, people!

[Tillius]

Dibs. I always call dibs and then wind up taking forever but I promise I'm going to put my Netflix movies back in the mail and I'll have this within the next couple of days.

[Meatplow]

excellent i'm counting on you tillius :)

[Tillius]

Please don't say that. Such pressure. :(

[Tillius]

Okay took a little longer mailing out the movies than I though. Just got the movie in the mail though so should have it watched by Sunday. :)

[Tillius]

Triple post. \m/

Mais ne nous délivrez pas du mal(Don't Deliver Us From Evil)
http://www.dreadcentral.com/img/reviews/dontdeliverbig.jpg

Plot:

Two young girls, Lore and Anne, meet up in a Catholic school, both sharing the same desires, fantasies, and twisted curiosity. Though they both speak of Satanism early on in the film it isn't until later that it is began to be taken seriously by the two of them, leading into sadism through use of sex and other things, and eventually to murder.

I wouldn't really know what genre to fit this film into. Netflix calls it a horror and I guess, if you had to lump it into one category that would be correct, but it branches off more into a genre I wouldn't really be able to identify. I honestly might call it a love story, albeit a twisted one, and maybe simply a drama with some horror influences(the same way I might describe Let the Right One In and other films that might be able to lightly fall into a horror genre but really are not).

I'll go ahead and say I really enjoyed this movie. Director Joël Séria knew what he was going for with this. Some might say he tried too hard to be disturbing with it and maybe even that he overused some of his actions(for example the same girl attempted to be raped twice in the film, both after she seduces both men). But I think he pieced it together perfectly and it did what most films cannot do and actually did make me feel a bit uneasy while watching it.

I think my main complaint with this film also goes with my highest praise of it, those being Jeanne Goupil(Anne). I've never seen her before, but she did a very good job convincing me of herself, but, as I stated above, sometimes I didn't know what to think of her. At first I thought it might be her that, while carrying on this strength, also started to feel the guilt and fear of her actions, but at other points it seemed like she had no care in the world of her actions. Maybe this was intentional? Perhaps Séria wanted to do this to demonstrate her unstable nature. Either way, it threw me off at points and I started to feel more for Lore's character instead.

Another thing I stated above is that I feel I could easily refer to this as a love story. The extent of the love between the two characters is only implied, just enough to leave you curious as to how far it goes. The fascination between the two characters as they see two female nuns kissing, the way they focus so intently on the shadows of women undressing behind curtains, and the fact that, through all they have done, the only uneasiness they during the movie is when they are apart, all leaves me to suspect how truly in love with each other they are. Or maybe I'm just looking to far into it.

The ending to this is so very well done and left me simply staring at the screen when the credits began. It is rather chilling to watch everything unfold. I don't know how well I could execute it but it really reminded me of something I myself might write, which is always a plus for me.

All in all, I'll say again that I enjoyed this film, but I'm not sure it's for everybody(thedeadwalk should definitely stay away :p), but anybody who is into directors such as Svankmajer, Jodorowsky, and Lynch should probably check it out.

After everything, I'd say a 4/5, possibly higher after a second viewing.





Recommendations:

Lunacy(2006)

Director: Jan Svankmajer
Genre: Horror

Dead Man's Shoes(2004)

Director: Shane Meadows
Genre: Drama

The Saddest Music In the World(2004)

Director: Guy Maddin
Genre:Drama/Arthouse

No te mueras sin decirme adónde vas
(Don't Die Without Telling Me Where You're Going )(1995)

Director: Eliseo Subiela
Genre: Drama

[Meatplow]

I'm glad you picked that one, it struck me quite boldly as horror at it's purest although you seem to have difficulty lumping it into one category. I guess that's what I find most effective about it, that it works more on a dramatic level then anything (love story as you put it). There's nothing unrealistic about it at all in this manner, it feels like a convincing, ugly truth. And props for praising the ending, it was nothing short of jawdropping for me.

I'll be going on a Svankmejer kick next month so i'll take dibs if someone else fails to between now and then.

[Luc214]

I might take dibs it's been awhile and I thought this thread disappeared

[Meatplow]

it did, it usually dies for months then gets resurrected

[Tillius]

I'm glad you picked that one, it struck me quite boldly as horror at it's purest although you seem to have difficulty lumping it into one category. I guess that's what I find most effective about it, that it works more on a dramatic level then anything (love story as you put it). There's nothing unrealistic about it at all in this manner, it feels like a convincing, ugly truth. And props for praising the ending, it was nothing short of jawdropping for me.

I'll be going on a Svankmejer kick next month so i'll take dibs if someone else fails to between now and then.

Yeah, like I said it definitely has its moments of true horror but I would have felt it was cheap to just call it a horror film. And yes, the ending just wowed me.

[Meatplow]

i'll take dibs

[Tillius]

Meatplow to the rescue. I have a feeling I know what you're going to choose. :)

[Meatplow]

it's kinda obvious yeah. but looking forward to it :)

[Meatplow]

Sileni AKA Lunacy

http://i43.tinypic.com/npmjhz.jpg

A week of watching nothing but Svankmajer (I been going through all his shorts and films I haven't seen) prepared me pretty well for this, but I have to say in it's own right as grotesque and bizarre as anything he has done. Despite this (though I skipped Little Otik cause I bungled up the chronology of his films so i'm not sure if I missed a crucial step) Lunacy would appear the mad animators most conventional film. There is an increasingly large focus on live action scenes rather then merely creating an adequate vehicle for his stop motion creations, the excellent cinematography losing that home camcorder feel i've associated with earlier films such as Conspirators of Pleasure and Faust. Still, there is certainly no lack of his animation talents or his trademark surrealism.

The primary theme of the film is centered around how to run a lunatic asylum, Svankmajer himself appears at the beginning to give a brief monologue. According to him there are two ways to deal with such a matter and that is either to let freedom reign or control through discipline and punishment. This is explored through the main characters exposure to both sides of the matter as events play out, he himself a sufferer of mental illness (who keeps envisioning men with a straight jacket who want to take him away) and as the voice of reason he would seem to be a flawed everyman in a world full of crazy people. Without spoiling too much, I will go on to say this leads on to several other themes including power control and it's abuse, athiesm and it's decadence in sin through making the decision to believe that god is dead. There are a number of powerful monologues here, not offering any radically new concepts to me but otherwise a very fine illustration of the point.

The entire film is peppered with short segues (featuring some music that will be eternally stuck in my head) composed entirely of animated meat, which furthers something I have found with a lot of Svankmajer feature lengths in that they always seem to throw something back to his earlier short films and here, it is meat. The relevance is not so obvious, but if anything it is visually intriguing. To me personally it could possibly be interpreted as representing something akin to the human condition, the one scene at the end of the film (which is not really a spoiler I guess) featuring a breathing piece of steak wrapped up in plastic on a meat tray on a supermarket shelf showing that we've packaged out emotions and desires in such a sterile manner. Giving the nature of the socio-political conditions in his home country, I wouldn't be surprised if this was the expression he was going for.

Either way, great film.

9/10

Films

Coonskin (1975)
Director: Ralph Bakshi
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071361/
Genre: Animation

Aria (1987)
Director: Robert Altman, Bruce Beresford, Bill Bryden, Jean-Luc Godard, Derek Jarman, Franc Roddam, Nicolas Roeg, Ken Russell, Charles Sturridge, Julien Temple
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092580/
Genre: Comedy/Drama

Elevator Movie (2004)
Director: Zeb Haradon
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0400399/
Genre: Drama

Sexmisja AKA Sexmission
Director: Juliusz Machulski
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088083/
Genre: Sci-Fi

Long Weekend (1978)
Director: Colin Eggleston
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079482/
Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller

Santa Sangre (1989)
Director: Alejandro Jodorowsky
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098253/
Genre: Horror/Surrealism

Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds (1989)
Director: Alex Proyas
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098373/
Genre: Arthouse

Angel Baby (1995)
Director: Michael Rymer
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112362/
Genre: Drama

Ghosts... of The Civil Dead (1988)
Director: John Hillcoat
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095217/
Genre: Drama

[Tillius]

Glad you liked it. From what I've seen by him so far(Faust, Little Otik, Alice, this) I'd say Lunacy was probably my second favorite, Faust being first. That meat made me feel really awkward the first time I watched the movie.

Doctor says I can't go back to work until Thursday so I have some time on my hands. If nobody dibs soon I might do the honors.

[Meatplow]

do it, watch santa sangre I think you'll like it

[Tillius]

Okay dibs. As always gotta finish my current queue but I'll get this done soon.


EDIT: Damn it's not on Netflix what to do what to do. I hate torrents.

[Meatplow]

bump

[Tillius]

Yeah. I have the movie I've just been putting it off. I'll have it watched within the next couple of days.

[Tillius]

Okay I have the day off today so I'll probably get around to watching this tonight.

[Meatplow]

b-bump

[Tillius]

Sorry man. Just posted in Last Movie/Film about this. My computer had the movie on it but then it got ****ed so I'm on a temp right now while the other one gets fixed. I'll get home from work tomorrow and start re-downloading and should have it watched by Monday.

[Meatplow]

oh thats cool man :)

[Tillius]

Okay I have the next few days off so I'll get this done then. I've been kinda sick and took some medicine so I think I'm too loopy to watch a film tonight that I want to give a review on, but I'll likely get this taken care of tomorrow.

[honourosis]

sup

[Tillius]

I'm so sorry everybody. I started watching it the other day and had to leave, and I've been in a kind of creative mood lately so I've been writing a lot on my free time. I have this Wednesday off and finally absolutely nothing to do, so I promise I'll watch it by then and if I don't have a review up by that time then somebody else can dib if they'd like.

[Meatplow]

lulz this thread is a slow work of art

[Tillius]

From now on after this I will not call dibs unless I am absolutely sure I will have the time to watch it.

[Meatplow]

i think we made some agreement where people can steal it if it takes an extraordinary amount of time ;)

otherwise, its cool. patience

[Tillius]

Santa Sangre

http://www.elvistobueno.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/santa-sangre.jpg

Jodorowsky is somebody who always leaves me wanting more. Not because his films lack, but because I tend to be so intrigued by them at the end that I just want to jump straight over to his next movie(something I never seem to do). This is no different. While it's certainly not up to the standards of The Holy Mountain, I do think I enjoyed this more than El Topo.

The movie opens up with a man sitting atop a large tree branch, locked away inside a room in a mental institution. He demonstrates complete animalistic behavior, screeching at the doctors as they try to speak to him and ripping away at his food. He is Fenix, and this is the only time that you see him in this form until the second half of the movie. The film immediately takes us back to Fenix's childhood growing up in a circus, watching the craziness that goes on around him between his parents and other performers, meeting a young girl and perhaps falling in love. But chaos strikes(chaos I won't elaborate on because anybody planning on watching this just needs to see it for themselves) and we see why he has this nature as an adult.

Cut to the second half of the movie and he is now an adult again, but less animalistic than before, and he soon escapes from the mental institution to be with his mother, a scarily religious woman without arms, using Fenix's hands as her own and ordering him as herself to kill any woman who comes his way.

The plot sounds like one that can go either good or bad and Jodorowsky handles it effortlessly. There are a few moments that do seem rather cheesy but the rest of the film more than makes up for it with it's dark, often bleak spiral into madness. Watching this movie, you start to almost loathe Fenix as you think about what it is he is doing but at the same time you start to feel undeniable pity for him as he continues along.

As is common with Jodorowsky, the movie is backed by a delightful score that really helps to carry it along. Darkly humorous and just dark when it needs to be, the score is played quite often but is never overdone.

I did like this movie quite a bit but I'm not sure quite how much. A great part of me thinks this was an incredible movie while another part thinks that while it was obviously good it was nothing too special. Definitely something that's going to require a re-watch before I can fully appreciate(or depreciate) it.

As for now, I'd go with a 4/5, quite possibly a 4.5 with a re-watch.



Recommendations:

Dead Man's Shoes(2004)

Director: Shane Meadows
Genre: Drama

The Saddest Music In the World(2004)

Director: Guy Maddin
Genrerama/Arthouse

No te mueras sin decirme adónde vas
(Don't Die Without Telling Me Where You're Going )(1995)

Director: Eliseo Subiela
Genre: Drama

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)

Director: Scott Glosserman
Genre: Horror/Comedy

[Meatplow]

Excellent. It's probably my favourite Jodorowsky, alongside both El Topo and The Holy Mountain all of which are patchy but have some incredible moments that make it worthwhile. Unfortunately, it's all downhill from there :(

[Tillius]

That sucks. I was looking forward to getting into some more from him.

[Meatplow]

I've found something to like in all of them, i'm a little less judgemental then some though ;) i've got a new found appreciation for his early short La Cravate and first feature Fando Y Lis (which I hated at first, but seems to get a fair bit of praise so still check it out) after reading this -

http://www.amazon.com/Anarchy-Alchemy-Alejandro-Jodorowsky-Persistence/dp/1840681454

It would seem a lot of his work is of the pretentious cross-referencing obscure literature type you have to be well read up on to fully understand, which is not necessarily a bad thing but it does unfortunately shut out some people. His life is so fascinating though.

Regarding his later stuff, Santa Sangre was the last great film he made. Tusk cannot be found anywhere with english subs (I actually sat through the whole thing in raw french), but it is an adaption of an indian childrens story about elephants which was pretty bland by all accounts and very impersonal to the rest of his work. Also due to studio bureaucracy he had no control over The Rainbow Thief which led him to later disown it, it was exceptionally mediocre but an interesting failure at least.

Look out for King Shot though, highly anticipating it as a potential "comeback" movie. It is produced by David Lynch as well so i'm sure you'd like that ;)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Shot

[Tillius]

Yeah I was checking out stuff about King Shot last night after I saw it mentioned on IMDB when I was looking at Santa Sangre. I'm really excited about that.

[Meatplow]

Yeah, same. He was also signed on to be the original director of Dune at one point. Fancy that.

[thedeadwalk!]

I'll take dibs.

[thedeadwalk!]

Dead Man's Shoes

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/thedeadwalk/DeadMansShoes2004DVDRipXviD-KooKoo-.jpg

Local toughs in a rural town find their past coming back to them when the brother of a mentally-challenged man they tormented returns from the military.

I was a bit skeptic going in to it as revenge flicks don't much appeal to me. Unless there's a good bit of style to them, I usually find them morally simplistic and subsequently uninteresting. However, this movie has a richness of character to it which is not surprising seeing Shane Meadows is also the man behind This is England, another character-rich film.

First, there's the local toughs. Unlike other criminals in other movies, these guys do not even possess much false bravado in the face of defiance. Like in the picture above, they seek strength from each other while also making themselves prisoners in their own little world. This also works well for the film's narrative on monsters, as well as the added depth of not having stark good and bad contrasts in the opposing sides.

Second, we have Richard, away from the military, with revenge on his mind. Once again, an otherwise simple character has been revamped, this time with the consideration that the good guy is, perhaps, more evil than the bad guys. Seldom without his brother, Richard hunts down the miscreants and reveals their leader was not entirely wrong when berating his brother on why Richard left for the military. And, it's this little truth that haunts him.

I was going to write a little about the last character on Richard's "list," who wraps up the narrative on monsters, but I need to move on. The soundtrack is another highlight. From the protagonist's perspective, the music, I imagine, is very cathartic. The simplicity of the folk songs culminating in the epiphanies of the boisterous cathedral piece speak volumes to the characters' mindsets. It's really the first thing about the movie I noticed, but without the characters it would not have made as much an impression.

In closing, everything throughout the movie works to its advantage, thematically, but some of them did not work for my own tastes. Still, it's a pretty good watch.

7.5/10




Angel-A - 2005
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473753/

I Served the King of England - 2006
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0284363/

Special - 2006
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479162/

The Signal - 2007
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780607/

[Meatplow]

dibs

[Meatplow]

http://i41.tinypic.com/35lyh3m.jpg

*In here be spoilers*

The story of an unremarkable man named Les with a crap job who undergoes an experimental anti-depression drug which he has some adverse affects to. The film is quite sad from the beginning, despite many people claiming this to be a "comedy" because the man ends up believing he has super powers whilst everyone around him thinks he is nuts the reality of the situation has a rather bleak tone to it. Add in some shady men in suits who hound the guy to no end and the doctor who administered the drug claiming not to know anything about it, and you are left wondering if the guy has dreamed it all up or not.

This blur between reality and fantasy is handled rather well, with scenes such as Les jumping through a wall to impress his stoner friends and returning with a face caked in blood provoking some kind of a response at the very least. His life as the lonely everyman sort of hits home, the dramatic angle as he becomes increasingly unhinged definitely the strongest thing about the film. Michael Rapaport does a very good job acting here.

The film is low-budget, but for the most part doesn't have that feel about it. It looks great, with some nice shots of urban landscapes providing something extra to the quality of cinematography. The music seems to be some repetitive bell synths looped over and over, which is decent enough but feels a little tacked on as an afterthought. Overall though, this was a decent film and worth a lazy afternoon watch.

7/10

Coonskin (1975)
Director: Ralph Bakshi
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071361/
Genre: Animation

Aria (1987)
Director: Robert Altman, Bruce Beresford, Bill Bryden, Jean-Luc Godard, Derek Jarman, Franc Roddam, Nicolas Roeg, Ken Russell, Charles Sturridge, Julien Temple
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092580/
Genre: Comedy/Drama

Elevator Movie (2004)
Director: Zeb Haradon
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0400399/
Genre: Drama

Sexmisja AKA Sexmission
Director: Juliusz Machulski
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088083/
Genre: Sci-Fi

Long Weekend (1978)
Director: Colin Eggleston
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079482/
Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller

Kiss Of The Spider Woman (1985)
Director:Hector Babenco
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089424/
Genre: Drama

Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds (1989)
Director: Alex Proyas
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098373/
Genre: Arthouse

Angel Baby (1995)
Director: Michael Rymer
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112362/
Genre: Drama

Ghosts... of The Civil Dead (1988)
Director: John Hillcoat
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095217/
Genre: Drama

[honourosis]

dibs

[thedeadwalk!]

Good review. I really want to see it again. Les is such a great character.

[Meatplow]

He is, indeed. I was quite impressed with that role.

Can't remember if i've seen that guy elsewhere though.

[thedeadwalk!]

I happened to catch True Romance the other night and Rapaport plays a struggling actor in that. Never really paid much attention to him, but he does well with these eager/anxious roles.

[Meatplow]

oh yes! that's exactly where i've seen him from, I remember him perfectly now

[honourosis]

Elevator Movie
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3JjxWz9qxF4/SSOz9arez6I/AAAAAAAAAH8/vtKSaQftnjY/s320/elevator+movie+2.jpg

So a lonely pervert who is obsessed with anal sex gets stuck in an elevator with an ex-slut now born again Christian for weeks, months, possibly years? Although quite improbable and weird in general (trust me the conversations these characters have are some of the strangest I've heard), director Zeb Haradon made what feels like a "try hard" dark romantic comedy at times into something worth becoming intrigued over simply because of these characters circumstances. The characters are painfully flat, one dimensional and even a bit annoying, but it's with its surreal plot, lure of what will come next and how it will resolve that kept me entertained and hooked. What's strange is that looking back on the movie I honestly didn't enjoy any of its content, but more so the movie as a whole. Weird.

6/10

I wish I could write more about this, but this one has me stumped.


Mala Noche (1985)
Director: Gus Van Sant
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089537/
Genre: drama

Trouble Every Day (2001)
Director: Claire Denis
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0204700/
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Drama

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Director: Robert Zemeckis
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096438/
Genre: Animation

À ma soeur! or Fat Girl (2001)
Director: Catherine Breillat
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243255/
Genre: Drama

Hable con ella or Talk to Her (2002)
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0287467/
Genre: Drama

[Meatplow]

Awesome, glad someone else here has actually has actually watched it. It's a perfect example of no-budget minimal location filmmaking (I was seeking films of this nature when I came across this).

It's awful in many ways (what was with the end?) but like you described somehow it managed to keep me hooked just to find out where it would end, there was a curious surrealism at work. You should check this out at some point Tillius.

[honourosis]

it reminded me of a short film turned feature length

[Meatplow]

It was pretty "student quality" I agree. :)

[thedeadwalk!]

Dibs.

[Matt?]

i heard Talk to Her is excellent from someone just this week actually. i'll have to check it out.

[Tillius]

Awesome, glad someone else here has actually has actually watched it. It's a perfect example of no-budget minimal location filmmaking (I was seeking films of this nature when I came across this).

It's awful in many ways (what was with the end?) but like you described somehow it managed to keep me hooked just to find out where it would end, there was a curious surrealism at work. You should check this out at some point Tillius.

I probably will, mainly since I myself am currently shooting a no/low budget film with minimal locations. And I also typically wind up enjoying to a great extent most of the films you recommend me(minus All the Vermeers In New York, which I thought was just okay).

Also god damn. I was gonna call dibs as I'm vacationing in California for a couple weeks and probably won't have much to do in the wee hours of the morning.

[thedeadwalk!]

I should have my review up in a day or two, so you can dibs then.

[thedeadwalk!]

À ma soeur! aka Fat Girl

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/thedeadwalk/Fat_Girlxvid110-sickboy88-505993.jpg

Raising questions about underage sex and loss of virginity, this movie is every bit a vehicle for its writer/director, Catherine Breillat, as it is for its subjects. Not being familiar with her work, or views, only brings this to light after watching the movie, but it does explain some of my complaints.

Not wanting to get into a diatribe on her views seems difficult to ignore, but in this respect, were it her goal to spark discussion on these matters that she is certainly vocal on, I think she has failed. At this point is probably where I stop sounding half way intelligent.

Ironically, for its subject matter, this movie is nowhere near as provocative as the director's own opinions. There's not much compelling about it and there's almost an unimportance throughout the whole film. Relationships are uninteresting, characters are bland, and there seems to be an aimless motivation to the themes that prevents them from going anywhere.

Then, there's the ending...I don't even know what to say about that. I think had there been more cohesiveness to the story then I could've pulled something out of how the girl reacts, but I just don't get it.

Personally, there's too many long shots that really slow scenes down, and I don't see the importance in a lot of what is going on. And, did I mention that WTF? ending...

4/10


:(


Angel-A - 2005
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473753/

I Served the King of England - 2006
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0284363/

The Signal - 2007
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780607/

Jigoku kôshien aka Battlefield Baseball - 2003
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0384832/

[Meatplow]

dibs

[thedeadwalk!]

Tillius will not be pleased.

[Meatplow]

well i'll make a deal, if he wishes to steal dibs in the meantime he may as this will take me quite some time to get this film.

[Tillius]

**** you Mr. Plow. I do not need your charity. :angry:



Actually I might check something out but I dunno. The only movie that really interests me out of those is Angel-A and I've seen it. We'll see. Dibs away Mr. Plow. Dibs away.

[thedeadwalk!]

When I take dibs, the last thing I consider is what I want to see. Not that that is really a problem with a lot of you guys' arty picks. Think next time, I'll come in with some Michael Bay, see if that kills the thread worse than the difficulty of trying to find other movies mentioned.

But, I wouldn't want it any other way. :)

Can't wait to watch Angel-A again. I love me some tall chicks.

I also have a feeling that Meatplow is going to pick Battlefield Baseball. That seems right up his alley.

[Tillius]

Haha, true. I dunno I'll probably watch something and review it if Meatplow hasn't done so here within the next couple of days. I was actually considering Battlefield Baseball myself.

[Meatplow]

k within several hours i should have this up

[Meatplow]

Jigoku kôshien AKA Battlefield Baseball

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f339/fanpantae/4947127529242.jpg

I think this can best be summed up with a conversation I had with somebody regarding this film the other night. After a quick google search this person came across the wikipedia article for Battlefield Baseball, and claimed it to have perhaps the most incredibly retarded plot they had ever come across in their life. Lets have a look -

It's every high school baseball team's dream to go to the legendary Koshien Stadium Tournament. For the first time in years, Seido High School has a chance—star player Gorrila Matsui has finally given the team an opportunity to succeed. Most delighted at this prospect is Principal Kocho. His hopes are dashed, however, when the Head teacher reveals to him that the first game will be played against the infamous Gedo High School.

Gedo is notorious for its brutal killings during games. They hardly play at all, instead engaging in a form of martial arts combat called "fighting baseball". Their matches erupt into brutal battlefields, Gedo slaughtering its opponents in any way possible, and the competing team vainly struggling for their lives. The Gedo team is almost inhuman in its slaughter, their bizarre weapons and attire coupled with their green-grey skin only increase this reputation. Understandably, Kocho is distressed—not only at the likely murder of his students, but at yet another chance to win the Koshien Stadium Tournament having been lost.

I felt somewhat speechless, and rather humbled at the prospect of this. In effect though, the film isn't quite as entertaining as it could be, which is a shame. Ironically, you pretty much know what to expect from these types of Japanese films (in that you never know what to expect). The film is full of so many "random" moments it felt like my head was going to cave in and I don't know where to begin, so I won't. Essentially, a new troubled student, Jubeh, who constantly gets expelled and shifts through the school system (this must be a homage to Buddy Revell from 3 o'clock High right down to all the students discussing rumours about him at the beginning) just happens to be the repressed key to their victory. More wikipedia -

Jubeh reveals why he has stopped playing baseball – in song. He musically laments his pitching skill, explaining how he became so skilled he was a danger to himself and others. Only his father, his hand confined to an absurdly huge catcher's mitt, will allow Jubeh to pitch. He soon regrets this, however, when an accidental ball to the head kills him. Jubeh vows never to pitch again.

The way the film plays out is kind of awkward. It is downright confusing, and the more "out there" scenes are sandwiched in between some apparent filler which is slow and takes a while to wind up to anything truly interesting. It isn't quite as vibrant in energy as I was hoping for (its no Kung Fu Hustle, unfortunately), indeed a lot of scenes present a faux-melancholy in terms of music and dialogue to try and create a cheesy poignancy which is mostly funny but a little out of place. The filters bothered me a bit as well with red, blue, and green interchanging to shade everything, but these shortcomings are forgivable as the film is clearly not trying to take itself seriously on any note.

Overall, pretty damn entertaining for what it is.

6.5/10

-------------------------------------------------

Coonskin (1975)
Director: Ralph Bakshi
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071361/
Genre: Animation

Aria (1987)
Director: Robert Altman, Bruce Beresford, Bill Bryden, Jean-Luc Godard, Derek Jarman, Franc Roddam, Nicolas Roeg, Ken Russell, Charles Sturridge, Julien Temple
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092580/
Genre: Comedy/Drama

Pierrot Le Fou (1965)
Director: Jean Luc Godard
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059592/
Genre: Drama/Arthouse

Sexmisja AKA Sexmission (1984)
Director: Juliusz Machulski
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088083/
Genre: Sci-Fi

Long Weekend (1978)
Director: Colin Eggleston
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079482/
Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller

Kiss Of The Spider Woman (1985)
Director:Hector Babenco
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089424/
Genre: Drama

Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds (1989)
Director: Alex Proyas
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098373/
Genre: Arthouse

Angel Baby (1995)
Director: Michael Rymer
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112362/
Genre: Drama

Ghosts... of The Civil Dead (1988)
Director: John Hillcoat
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095217/
Genre: Drama

[Matt?]

dibs

[thedeadwalk!]

Really disappointed your review didn't include:

http://www.badmovierealm.com/reviews/battlefield_baseball/battlefieldbaseball05.jpg

Otherwise, I can understand your critiques. I felt about the same on my second viewing, but absolutely loved it the first time.

Anyway, a 6.5's not bad at all for it.

[Meatplow]

haha don't worry I lol'd pretty hard at that. but, it's only one of many similar moments I just can't do justice to with words :)

go go matt

[Meatplow]

bump

someone else could probably take dibs unless matt is still around

[Matt?]

i just got this in the mail today actually, so i should have the review up tommorow or the next day

[Meatplow]

speak of the devil :]

[Matt?]

i'll be honest i had a few on my queue i wanted to get to first though hah

[Meatplow]

oh its cool this thread is notorious for long lengths in between posts

[Tillius]

Bumpity bump.

[Meatplow]

yeah, re-bump someone take dibs. unless Matt? objects :]

tillius i give you permission to do flower and snake if you wanna take it

[Tillius]

Okay but it's going to take me around a week to get to it.

If Matt hasn't gotten to this by then then I'll have a review up.

[Tillius]

Watched the movie last night. Will have a review up in the next couple days.

Also...wtf?

[Meatplow]

idk how exactly you would have responded to it but I thought it might have been along those lines :lol:

[Tillius]

Hana to hebi(Flower & Snake)

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Q4N1DCTNL._SL500.jpg

I don't think I can write out too lengthy of a review for this one because try as I might I'm still at a loss of words. This is definitely one that will require a second and maybe a third viewing because I can' tell if I loved or loathed it. Either way, I can't deny that I was intrigued.

The story centers around a world famous dancer and her husband. The movie opens with a scene reflecting her skills as a dancer and then we are immediately tossed into the surreal world that is this movie. We're taken through about a half hour of the film, developing the relationship between the woman and her husband and witnessing the nightmares that she suffers though on a nightly basis, and then the film starts to hit you when our "protagonist" is sold by her husband to a show featuring countless live rape and snuff videos.

Everything about this film looks good. Some of the cinematography is brutally beautiful and in that aspect everything is fine, a nice example of the "artsy animal photographs" sir Plow will often reference. It's definitely a great aspect. Another positive thing about this movie would have to be the way it made me feel. I'm not too familiar with "extreme Japanese cinema", but I can imagine the hype if they portray the complete feeling of misery as well as this does. Rarely watching a movie do I ever feel truly uncomfortable but more than a few scenes had me squirming while I was viewing them.

I guess that just leaves me with the one question: What's the point? I know not all films need to necessarily have a point and I'm fine with those that don't but this just seems completely over that line. Once this all begins, it pretty much stays this way with new means of torture over the characters and that's all we're given until we reach the end, which gives us about ten minutes relief from this world.

I didn't really know what to expect going in but this came across much more as a snuff film than an "art animal photographs". All this aside, there were several scenes that had me watching the screen in awe, whether it be negative or positive I'm unsure. I can't really rate this film at the moment because, like I said, I believe it will take some more viewings for me to figure out exactly how I feel about it, but it's definitely something worth seeing once if just to satisfy the curiosity.



Recommendations:

The Saddest Music In the World(2004)

Director: Guy Maddin
Genrerama/Arthouse

No te mueras sin decirme adónde vas
(Don't Die Without Telling Me Where You're Going )(1995)

Director: Eliseo Subiela
Genre: Drama

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)

Director: Scott Glosserman
Genre: Horror/Comedy

Man Bites Dog

Director: Rémy Belvaux/André Bonzel
Genre: Drama/Horror/Dark Comedy

Faust

Director: Jan Svankmajer
Genre: Horror/Arthouse

[Meatplow]

I guess that just leaves me with the one question: What's the point? I know not all films need to necessarily have a point and I'm fine with those that don't but this just seems completely over that line. Once this all begins, it pretty much stays this way with new means of torture over the characters and that's all we're given until we reach the end, which gives us about ten minutes relief from this world.

I didn't really know what to expect going in but this came across much more as a snuff film than an "art animal photographs". All this aside, there were several scenes that had me watching the screen in awe, whether it be negative or positive I'm unsure. I can't really rate this film at the moment because, like I said, I believe it will take some more viewings for me to figure out exactly how I feel about it, but it's definitely something worth seeing once if just to satisfy the curiosity.

It's very exploitative, I can't quite defend it as much else. Still, as you say in a lot of ways it is nothing short of captivating. In particular I felt the ending was great, and worth sitting patiently through the slow, slow wind-up of several sections to get to.

[thedeadwalk!]

Dibs.

[thedeadwalk!]

http://mnfilmtv.org/mndialog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/saddestmusic.jpg

Hoping to boost the sales of their beer on the horizon of the end of Prohibition, Canadian baroness Lady Port-Huntley launches a global contest to find the world's saddest music. This contest reunites two brothers and their father as each competes for their new home countries, and reveals the personal tragedies that drove them apart.

At first glance, I wondered if I had gotten the right movie. The aesthetic is overwhelming and, at times, quite authentic looking for scenes right out of a silent picture. But, this appears to be a trademark of writer/director Guy Maddin. In this sense, the movie is a major success in replicating the visuals, and adding to the atmosphere of the movie. As I said, though, it is overwhelming. The graininess, editing, under- and over-exposures, acting, expressionist set designs, and on and on, while working perfectly for the movie, do little for me. At least, when it's longer than thirty minutes. It's just not something I can sit through.

The story itself is good too, but is too long. It may just feel that way because of the aesthetic but I do think there is a bit much going on at times in the plot. Had the movie been a bit faster in pace, like movies of that time, it might have worked better.

In the end, there's really not much I can complain about. It's mostly well done and everything works together and to its benefit. It's just not my thing. It's a good movie I don't like. I think this appeals more to arthouse or experimental film lovers given its looks. It also creates an experience to be had as much as it is a movie to watch. If you're that kind of person who likes the film "experience," then this is probably something for you.

For me? 6/10



Angel-A - 2005
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473753/

I Served the King of England - 2006
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0284363/

The Signal - 2007
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780607/

Confessions of a Superhero - 2007
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1016164/

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen - 1988
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096764/

[Der Übermensch]

Dibs. Putting it on netflix. top of the queue :)

[Meatplow]

Der Übermensch is back!

we've kept your thread alive, with very slow bi-monthly resuscitation mind you

[thedeadwalk!]

I just remembered, when the opening credits were on, a friend of a roommate came in, saw the title on the screen and laughed. He then said, "if you really want to see a funny movie, check out..." I forget what he said, but I thought that was kind of funny.

[Der Übermensch]

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3d/Adventures_of_baron_munchausen.jpg

In the typical fanciful/farcical style of Terry Gilliam, Baron Munchausen is an exceedingly strange story about the titular character and his quest to save a town under siege from the Turks. Accompanied by a young girl and his cohort of assistants, he travels to, among other places, the moon and the inside of a giant fish.

I've always really liked Gilliam - pretty much anything related to Monty Python for that matter - but I really wasn't feeling this one I must say. All in all, it seemed to me to simply be Time Bandits with only one Midget, and a little girl instead of a little boy. The same blending story in a story frame was used, with characters from 'reality' manifesting themselves as people within the secondary story. I'm still not entirely sure what to make of the ending.
The acting was mixed as well. The guy who played the Baron (I thought it was William Hurt for half the movie, but it wasn't) was fine, but the girl got on my nerves a bit, and the appearance of Robin Williams was really annoying - I can't stand the guy.
On the plus side, the visuals were, as with all of Gilliam's films, great. He is completely crazy as far as I can tell, but of the mad genius sort. Especially with his 80's films, he manages to blend an almost cartoonish quality with a real nitty-grittiness that I've always liked.
So all in all, I was entertained, but certainly underwhelmed compared to what I was expecting.
5/10


The Picks:

Le Samouraï - Jean-Pierre Melville - 1967 - French Crime Thriller : Again stars Alain Delon, who plays a expert hitman attempting to evade capture after doing a job. Highlight of French New Wave Cinema.

Barry Lyndon - Stanley Kubrick - 1975 - Anglo-American Period Drama : Ryan O'Neal stars as the title character in this story about the life and travels of morally ambiguous Irishman during mid 1700's Europe.

Heaven's Gate - Michael Cimino - 1980 - American Western : Infamous as the film that bankrupted United Artists, this expansive Epic also happens to be on of the best western films of all time.

Die Faelscher The Counterfeiters - Stefan Ruzowitzky - 2007 - Austrian Drama : The winner of best foreign film at the last Oscars, it tells the story of a group of concentration camp prisoners whose unique talents were put to use by the SS to try and destroy the Allies economies.

[Meatplow]

dibs

[thedeadwalk!]

Yeah, the similarities in the two movies can make one off-putting, but, regardless of it being made later, I like it better than Time Bandits.

[Kyle]

Hey guys, just found this thread it's a really cool idea. Hopefully I'll participate in the future. Not sure if this website will help things;

http://www.watch-movies-links.net/

One of the better movie link sites, although will struggle with most of the selections in this thread. It has Barry Lyndon though if Meatplow was thinking of watching that one.

[Meatplow]

i've seen barry lyndon, thanks though ;]

I have the film will watch it later

[Tillius]

Bump.

Great new avatar by the way.

[Meatplow]

Thanks. Speaking of i'm planning to watch this tonight, i've been quite distracted.

[Tillius]

I hope I'm around in time to call dibs. I have a day off work and filming tomorrow for the first time in weeks and I intend to do nothing but sit on my *** watching movies and playing FF VIII.

[thedeadwalk!]

'Fraid I'm comin' in for the steal. Just a heads up.

:/

[Tillius]

It's on, goddammit.

[Meatplow]

lol, i've watched half of it

should be done sometime over the next.... 16 hours

[thedeadwalk!]

Di...

Ooh, not yet.

[Tillius]

Haha. I came in here thinking the exact same thing.

[Meatplow]

Le samouraï

http://i30.tinypic.com/x0o1mq.jpg

An incredibly stylish French New Wave outing, drawing heavily from US film noir and French pop culture. Main protagonist Jef Costello is a lone wolf hitman who lives by the Bushido code (a notion clearly paid homage to in Jarmusch's Ghost Dog: Way of The Samurai in more ways then one) who gets entangled in a mess involving the police and his disgruntled employers after being witnessed after a contract killing.

The plot seemed kind of flaky and unremarkable as far as crime films go, though by no means dull. It seems to depend on the unusual turn of a French noir style detective living by a perfectionist Samurai code, certainly an interesting, original idea but it would seem in this case the story about Costello is primarily a vehicle for style and this film oozes it.

Alain Delon's portrayal of the hitman protagonist is quite flashy and has the feel of an iconic film character, slinking around a rather drab greyish-blue world which always looks wonderful. The cinematography is spot-on in every aspect, very few moments of Le samouraï seem to have been handled with a lack of care and if there are any shortcomings which could be made of anything else if anything it looks pretty. I found the soundtrack somewhat minimalist and haunting, built around some unusual textures that seem quite at odds with the era. The film is slow paced and this suits it down to the ground.

Pretty good film, probably my only other exposure to the French New Wave apart from the many films of Jean-Luc Godard and this seemed a whole lot more sensible in approach.

8/10

Films

Mondo Trasho (1969)
Director: John Waters
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064683/
Genre: Exploitation

The Swimmer (1968)
Director: Frank Perry
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063663/
Genre: Drama

Dr. Bizarro (1983)
Director: Phil Prince
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0123810/
Genre: Exploitation

Pierrot Le Fou (1965)
Director: Jean Luc Godard
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059592/
Genre: Drama/Arthouse

Sexmisja AKA Sexmission (1984)
Director: Juliusz Machulski
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088083/
Genre: Sci-Fi

Viva la Muerte (1971)
Director: Fernando Arrabal
www.imdb.com/title/tt0066530/
Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller

Kiss Of The Spider Woman (1985)
Director:Hector Babenco
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089424/
Genre: Drama

Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds (1989)
Director: Alex Proyas
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098373/
Genre: Arthouse

Targets (1968)
Director: Peter Bogdanovich
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063671/
Genre: Thriller

Ghosts... of The Civil Dead (1988)
Director: John Hillcoat
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095217/
Genre: Drama

If you have incredible difficulty finding what you are interested in send a msg to the email in my profile after you take dibs and I can arrange something.

[Kyle]

dibs!

[thedeadwalk!]

I didn't see that coming!

[Tillius]

What the ****?

Haha.

[Kyle]

Haha, should have kept your eyes on the ball!

So I've had a little look around the internet and found a streamed version of Kiss of the Spider Woman, which I might potentially watch. I'd love to watch Targets or Ghosts...of the Civil Dead though, as they are two movies I've been meaning to see for a while. I might have a look in town tomorrow to see if I can pick either up, but I doubt i'll be able to. Either way, should have this done within a week, and if I get busy I'll relinquish dibs.

[Meatplow]

I was hoping Kyle would take dibs actually to screw you two guys up :p

[smith_]

can someone explain how this game works? id love to try it thanks

[Meatplow]

somebody reviews a film, then offers a list of movies to pick from. whoever wants to do the next one takes dibs, gets the film and reviews it offering another list of movies. repeat process ;]

[Kyle]

Kiss of The Spider Woman (1985)

http://l.yimg.com/eb/ymv/us/img/hv/allposters/89/1800085789p.jpg

So first of all I should say that this is not the sort of film I would ever pick out by myself, which I guess is the beauty of this thread.

The film tells the story of a masculine political prisoner, Valentin (Raúl Juliá), sharing a prison cell with a homosexual, Molina (William Hurt), who has been imprisoned for sex offences. Their relationship is explored on screen, and developed both delicately and convincingly. Molina is a romantic soul who seeks to escape his grim surroundings through fantasy, while Valentin prefers to remain firmly rooted in reality allowing his political and romantic torment to weigh heavy on his mind. Without giving too much of the plot away, throughout the film the sharp contrast between the two characters is relaxed and a mutual understanding is formed.

Both central performances are strong, I was particularly impressed with Raúl Juliá who’s character is given real texture; often reserved but explosive when he needs to be. I believe William Hurt won an academy award for his portrayal of Molina, which is obviously a good performance but a little theatrical for my tastes.

I think the narrative builds really nicely, the pace is slow and steady but goes in several directions that I had not expected from the beginning. The running length of the film is 2 hours which feels a little long, but I don’t think the relationship between the two lead roles could have developed convincingly in any less time. Also, there seems to be a lot of metaphor and hidden depth in this film, some of which I got, and some of which I’d have to go back and watch again.

Overall, this was an enjoyable watch, even if I probably wouldn’t go back and re-watch it. I guess I can appreciate the film because it is really nicely put together and features strong performances, but It doesn’t resonate as much as it might have done in 1985.

7/10

Here are my film choices;

Happiness (1998)
Director: Todd Solondz
Genre: drama, DARK comedy
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0147612/

American Splendor (2003)
Directors: Shari Springer Berman and Rober Pulcini
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0305206/

Videodrome (1983)
Director: David Cronenberg
Genre: Sci-Fi
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086541/combined

Shouldn't be too dificult to find, but give me a shout if you have problems

[thedeadwalk!]

Seen all those, so don't really want dibs.

Happiness is the obvious choice to go with, though. Deserves a write-up in here.

[Kyle]

Oooh was worried that people might have seen all the films, I can add more if its a problem?

[thedeadwalk!]

That's up to you. It is "forced" viewing after all.

I may take dibs just so there's no Videodrome review.

[Meatplow]

I love the whole notion of the German propaganda film in Kiss Of The Spider Woman.

i've seen two of those films, but dibs. this one won't take so long for me to get to

[Kyle]

That's up to you. It is "forced" viewing after all.

I may take dibs just so there's no Videodrome review.Haha you don't like Videodrome? Which film haven't you seen Meatplow?

[Meatplow]

American Splendor. Videodrome is one of my favourite films and Happiness was great as well.

yes, thedeadwalk! is one of those people <_<

[thedeadwalk!]

You Videodrones are all the same!

[Tillius]

You got it out quickly, Kyle. Very nice. I've sadly only seen Videodrome once. I don't know why I haven't purchased it yet.

[Meatplow]

http://i31.tinypic.com/2wdn2iu.jpg

A pretty cool biopic about a comic book writer who was previously completely unknown to me, Harvey Pekar. Dwelling in obscurity as a file clerk for almost his entire life whilst dealing with lots of mundane issues, Harvey met Robert Crumb at a yard sale hunting for jazz records back in the day (a recurring theme in the few Crumb comics I have read), became friends and ultimately pitched the idea of writing a comic book detailing his everyday existence which Crumb and several other artists would ultimately illustrate called American Splendor.

I found the way this film was presented very interesting, as a partial adaption of the comics themselves starring Paul Giamatti as the lead fused with narratives and scenes featuring Pekar himself and the many people in his life. It had the whole comic book feel about it, using panels and captions and illustrated characters together with footage reminding me of the excellent Ron Mann d0cumentary Comic Book Confidential.

The acting was credible, Harvey Pekar jokes about Paul Giamatti looking nothing like him during the course of the film but he still does a good job. The difference is a little strange during a couple of sections (such as where Giamatti walks on stage for the David Letterman show to leave his wife watching a TV monitor of the original footage of Pekar walking in) but forgivable. The woman who plays his eccentric wife is great, as is the guy who plays the bumbling high-functioning austistic nerd Toby Radloff. The only thing in this area that bugs me a little is the portrayal of Crumb, who has a very defined personality IRL which just feels a little underplayed here.

The story of Pekar itself I found genuinely interesting, the idea of drawing some kind of profound truth out of mundane life has always been appealing to me and the man himself comes off as a kind of Byronic hero in that for all his flaws he seems to have touched on something through his life and his art. There has rarely been a happy conclusion for him, whether its his failed marriages, constant bickering with his current wife, envy of people he grew up with who have gone on to bigger, better things and he comes off as a kind of struggling everyman despite having built a following in the comic book world and becoming a minor celebrity after a stint on the David Letterman show as a recurring guest and running joke for these very reasons.

His comics seemed to offer a kind of escape to remove himself from the experience, but apart from that what we are left with is just a regular dude and his life. He struggles on, despite all the setbacks and mistakes he has made and for this I guess a lesson could be learned. Pretty good movie, overall.

9/10

Films

Mondo Trasho (1969)
Director: John Waters
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064683/
Genre: Exploitation

The Swimmer (1968)
Director: Frank Perry
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063663/
Genre: Drama

Dr. Bizarro (1983)
Director: Phil Prince
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0123810/
Genre: Exploitation

Pierrot Le Fou (1965)
Director: Jean Luc Godard
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059592/
Genre: Drama/Arthouse

Sexmisja AKA Sexmission (1984)
Director: Juliusz Machulski
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088083/
Genre: Sci-Fi

Viva la Muerte (1971)
Director: Fernando Arrabal
www.imdb.com/title/tt0066530/
Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller

Wizards (1977)
Director: Ralph Bakshi
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076929/
Genre: Fantasy/Animation

Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds (1989)
Director: Alex Proyas
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098373/
Genre: Arthouse

Targets (1968)
Director: Peter Bogdanovich
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063671/
Genre: Thriller

Ghosts... of The Civil Dead (1988)
Director: John Hillcoat
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095217/
Genre: Drama

Once again some of these might be really hard to find, if you email me (check my profile) after you take dibs (and let me know) I can point you elsewhere.

[thedeadwalk!]

I'll take dibs. I've got a torrent going, so we'll see how it goes.

[thedeadwalk!]

So, yeah, that torrent worked well:

http://www.compressed-data.com/wizards.jpg

A post-apocalyptic animated film about the warring factions of magic and technology.

Everything about it exudes the 70's, from which it sprang: the Schoolhouse Rock animation, the funkadelic music, and psychedelic visual effects. The effects were the most appealing for me, in their use of animated live action footage, usually with devil horns for added effect. It kind of clashes with the regular animation, but not so well like in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Maybe the movie works best as a time capsule of the period, but there's not much to it anymore. I can understand the usage of Nazi footage, but, by the same token, I didn't care for it all the same. The story and characters are lacking but the overall message of the movie seems to be what is most important, which, because of everything else, I just have no interest in hearing; not that it's anything that makes you think anyways.

I'm really kind of struggling to find the importance/enjoyment in any aspect (except animation) of this movie.

5/10



Angel-A
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473753/

I Served the King of England
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0284363/

The Signal
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780607/

But I'm a Cheerleader
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0179116/

[Tillius]

Hm. Dibs.

[thedeadwalk!]

It better not be Angel-A! I know you've seen it!

[Tillius]

It won't be.

[Meatplow]

So, yeah, that torrent worked well:

http://www.compressed-data.com/wizards.jpg

A post-apocalyptic animated film about the warring factions of magic and technology.

Everything about it exudes the 70's, from which it sprang: the Schoolhouse Rock animation, the funkadelic music, and psychedelic visual effects. The effects were the most appealing for me, in their use of animated live action footage, usually with devil horns for added effect. It kind of clashes with the regular animation, but not so well like in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Maybe the movie works best as a time capsule of the period, but there's not much to it anymore. I can understand the usage of Nazi footage, but, by the same token, I didn't care for it all the same. The story and characters are lacking but the overall message of the movie seems to be what is most important, which, because of everything else, I just have no interest in hearing; not that it's anything that makes you think anyways.

I'm really kind of struggling to find the importance/enjoyment in any aspect (except animation) of this movie.

5/10

Most of Bakshi's films are like that. :p

I do admire his style somewhat, though his characters tend to be drawn rather ugly. I've come to really like this film after a couple of viewings, not so much as having an important message or anything but rather for being the time capsule you speak of. Something about the psychedelic animation, the fantasy angle and the nazi symbolism just does it for me.

[thedeadwalk!]

I could see it being used in a 70's film class to dissect political culture and ****, and, really, it can be pretty valuable as an educational resource. It's just not entertaining for me, on most levels, so the little value it has doesn't make up for anything.

[Meatplow]

fair call. I liked his animated version of LOTR as well

[Der Übermensch]

Did he do that weird rotoscoped version?

[Meatplow]

Yep. Essentially, his biggest problem was always funding so he had to make tonnes of compromises. In Wizards he figured out a way of symbolising epic battles with rotoscoped sillouettes which he carried over to LOTR (which had a much better standard of animation overall). An interesting, if failed experiment.

[Tillius]

I've got a movie I'd like to watch tonight and then I'll get this done tomorrow.

[thedeadwalk!]

Quit teasing me!

[Meatplow]

bump

[Tillius]

I've watched the movie. Review up tonight or tomorrow.

[Meatplow]

I am going to stake my intentions to take dibs if anybody wants to challenge me

[Tillius]

I don't think that's how it works, sir. :p

[Meatplow]

y'all had a big "i'm going to be the next guy to take dibs" thing last time

[thedeadwalk!]

Challenge accepted.

[Tillius]

The Signal

http://www.horrorphile.net/images/the-signal-dvd-cover1.jpg

Plot: A mysterious transmission becomes suddenly displayed across all phones, radios, televisions, and other electronics all throughout the city of Terminus, turning a large percentage of the population into raving maniacs.

So the plot might not be entirely accurate. It might not just be Terminus that has been affected by these signals. For all we know it could be the whole world, but Terminus is the centerpiece for this story. I could go on and on and probably not be able to form the right words for exactly how I feel about this movie, but I'll certainly try.

I'll start like this. Good, bad, who knows? But it's certainly original and I'll give it that. This movie nearly effortlessly changes between B-grade horror film to black comedy to something often genuinely disturbing and just plain ****ed up. At first I was sure I hated it. Quite positive in fact and I nearly turned it off and decided on another choice from the list but something about it kept me intrigued. It took me the entire movie to decide that I didn't hate it, but the real question is did I enjoy it. Certainly.

This movie is divided into three different segments, each one written and directed by another person. The first and third segments are rather similar in the dark paths they take but the mid section, well, it's just hilarious. I couldn't help myself from laughing at how absurdly played out this was. On one side you have certain scenes that seem to be taking themselves a bit too seriously, but then they turn around and show you something that the filmmakers cannot honestly take seriously(jump starting the brain of a severed head in order to get it to talk and reveal information...but only if it has a cigarette first).

The acting here, of course, is nothing spectacular but it can be ignored because no matter how good or bad this film may be you can't help but feel a great sense of enjoyment from it(or at least I couldn't). My mouth jaw dropped several times, not out of shock but simply because I can't believe how absurd this movie actually is.

I wish I could better phrase some of the things I'm trying to say about it. I wish I could go on longer but this is just one you have to see for yourself, so I'll just end like this. Giving this movie a rating is something I don't feel I can do at the time. I don't think I could honestly say it's a good movie, but it's a movie I very much enjoyed in the long run and one I would recommend to fans of horror(or black comedy) just so you can form your own opinion on it. And if you have a Netflix, what easier way to kill 1:45 than to just view it instantly out of curiosity?

Will watch again/5



Recommendations:

Dancer in the Dark(2000)

Director: Lars von Trier
Genre: Drama/Musical

No te mueras sin decirme adónde vas
(Don't Die Without Telling Me Where You're Going )(1995)

Director: Eliseo Subiela
Genre: Drama

Faust(1994)

Director: Jan Svankmajer
Genre: Horror/Arthouse

[thedeadwalk!]

Cool. I loved Part 2 a lot, too. The humor really is out there.

I've got it lying around, waiting to be watched again.

[Meatplow]

did you not take dibs?

if so, dibs

[Tillius]

Cool. I loved Part 2 a lot, too. The humor really is out there.

I've got it lying around, waiting to be watched again.

It was unlike anything I've ever seen. Like I said, there were many parts during the movie that I thought I hated but then they grew on me and I wound up having a blast with it. Definitely something I'd like to watch again at least a couple more times.

[Der Übermensch]

Noooo.... too late :(

[Meatplow]

mine won't take long

[Tillius]

Which one are you going to watch, or are you going to surprise us?

EDIT: I know it won't be Faust. Process of elimination.

[honourosis]

Dancer in the Dark d00d

[Tillius]

<3.

[Meatplow]

you are right, it will be one of the other two

[thedeadwalk!]

I shall allow mensch to take the next. My kindness knows no bounds!

[Tillius]

How does one become as kind as you?

[Meatplow]

a steady diet of Korean movies has reinforced many a virtue within him

[thedeadwalk!]

True that.

****, I'ma go watch one right now.

[Meatplow]

http://i34.tinypic.com/29iflk.jpg

I found this absolutely heartwrenching, as Bjork plays a diminutive Czechoslovakian immigrant who has moved to America to get an eye operation for her son in a role that seemed completely tailor made for her. The main character Selma is a complete dreamer, gradually going blind from a hereditary disease but hiding it from everyone whilst stuck in a world of admiration for classic musicals, and imagining elaborate dance sequences during mundane situations such as the dreariness of working in a factory line.

Anyway, things are tough and very depressing in her life and her dreamer nature ultimately ends up at odds with the reality around her and she ends up in desperate trouble. Bjork's performance is just perfect, it gives the character of Selma an affectionate, loving persona tormented by the world around her all the way up until the miserable final scene which is just absolutely tearjerking. The hand-held camera and loose cuts give much of the film a gritty, realistic feel, whilst the musical sequences fantasised by Selma seem to work as a hyperrealistic counterpoint to this. I don't know whether to laugh or to cry as these scenes jerk back and forth, and the manipulation of these emotions is one of the strongest things going for Dancer In The Dark.

Up until this point I had only seen von Trier's Dogville, which I was quite impressed by. I just loved the overall feel of this one though, I can't find a single thing to complain about as it just seemed wonderfully poignant to me.

10/10

also, wtf was this I saw on google image search I hope its not a game and one of those fancy mini-DVD movies -

http://i34.tinypic.com/119nodt.jpg

Films

Mondo Trasho (1969)
Director: John Waters
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064683/
Genre: Exploitation

The Swimmer (1968)
Director: Frank Perry
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063663/
Genre: Drama

Dr. Bizarro (1983)
Director: Phil Prince
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0123810/
Genre: Exploitation

Pierrot Le Fou (1965)
Director: Jean Luc Godard
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059592/
Genre: Drama/Arthouse

Sexmisja AKA Sexmission (1984)
Director: Juliusz Machulski
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088083/
Genre: Sci-Fi

Viva la Muerte (1971)
Director: Fernando Arrabal
www.imdb.com/title/tt0066530/
Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller

Razorback (1984)
Director: Russell Mulcahy
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087981/
Genre: Horror

Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds (1989)
Director: Alex Proyas
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098373/
Genre: Arthouse

Targets (1968)
Director: Peter Bogdanovich
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063671/
Genre: Thriller

Ghosts... of The Civil Dead (1988)
Director: John Hillcoat
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095217/
Genre: Drama

Once again email me at the address in my profile after you take dibs if you need a link for the harder to find of these.

[Kyle]

dibs, gonna do it this afternoon cos I've got nothing to do.

[Kyle]

Razorback (1984) Dir. Russell Mulcahy

http://wpcontent.answers.com/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/da/Razorback_movie.jpg/200px-Razorback_movie.jpg

Essentially, this is a film about a huge wild boar that terrorizes the Australian outback. It’s a simple concept, but the film is actually driven by a strong narrative that I had not expected. Beginning with the killing of a small child, there are two groups of unrelated central characters that are thrown together by the Razorback’s destruction. At first there is grandfather, Jake Cullen, who has been wrongly accused of killing his grandchild and since dedicated his life to hunting boar. Then there is an American animal rights campaigner, Beth Winters, who visits the town to do a report on Kangaroo hunting in the area. The town has a strong hunting community and is particularly hostile to Beth, and when she is later killed by the Boar nobody takes much notice. People of the town are initially reluctant to believe tales of the almost mythical Razorback, but when Beth’s husband arrives looking for answers the evidence becomes difficult to ignore.

What I like about this film is that the Razorback has a genuinely frightening presence because it isn’t given much screen time. The boar is in fact barely seen on screen, as the film takes time to establish the attitudes of the town’s people and the character’s motivations. The film handles this well, as it can be difficult to make this kind of threat seem realistically scary – reminded me a bit of the Stephen King film, Cujo, which I think was made around the same time. Even so, despite some tense passages and some nice touches here and there, this was pretty standard horror fare. I can see an attempt was made to create sympathy for Beth and Jake, but in the end I didn’t care enough about either of them to carry the film. Luckily, I’m a big fan of trashy horror and enjoyed this for what it was, but others might not be so forgiving.

7/10

Films

The Believer (2001)
Director: Harry Bean
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0247199/
Genre: Drama

Dans Paris (2006)
Director: Christophe Honoré
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0769508/
Genre: Drama

Live Flesh 1997
Director: Pedro Almodovar
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118819/
Genre: Drama

Dead Man 1995
Director: Jim Jarmusch
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112817/
Genre: Drama, Western

There's a good chance people have seen these, if so, I'll suggest some more.

[Meatplow]

Nice, you did that quick. A record for this thread, I think.

I'm on a bit of an ozploitation kick atm, Razorback is one of the better horror films that has came out of this country :) I quite admired the cinematography, it and the dramatic element really lends something more to it then just "a killer pig" story. It's corny, but I love it.

[thedeadwalk!]

Why does Kyle keep taking my dibs/dibs givings!? I better dibs now before he does it again. Sorry, mensch, it's a brutal world we live in.

[Kyle]

Haha sorry, currently unemployed and looking for ways to fill my day. Had it done in a couple of hours to be fair, though.

[Meatplow]

Haha sorry, currently unemployed and looking for ways to fill my day.

amen to that, lol

[thedeadwalk!]

I know! Making everyone else look bad to boot. Have you no shame?

[Tillius]

http://i34.tinypic.com/29iflk.jpg

all the way up until the miserable final scene which is just absolutely tearjerking.

That's one of the few scenes that's brought me to the verge of actual tears and actually got a couple out of me. Absolutely heartbreaking. I'm glad you liked it.

[Meatplow]

Yeah, i've always hesitated with von Trier for some reason but idk it's just the sort of film i've needed for a while.

I can't decide why I find Bjork so appealing, she's not particularly attractive or anything but something about her weirdness makes her a QT even with big thick coke bottle glasses on.

[Tillius]

Yeah, i've always hesitated with von Trier for some reason but idk it's just the sort of film i've needed for a while.

I can't decide why I find Bjork so appealing, she's not particularly attractive or anything but something about her weirdness makes her a QT even with big thick coke bottle glasses on.

Bjork is ****ing beautiful, even if she wouldn't be considered attractive by any traditional means.

[Kyle]

I ordered Dancer in the Dark the other day and it just dropped through my post box, excited to watch it. I'd agree that Bjork is 100% beautiful.

[Der Übermensch]

Why does Kyle keep taking my dibs/dibs givings!? I better dibs now before he does it again. Sorry, mensch, it's a brutal world we live in.

DAMN YOU! I actually have the believer on my que, and it is supposed to arrive today. Coincidence, but I think fate it saying it should be my dibs...

:(

[thedeadwalk!]

Aw, shoot! Sounds like you'd be done before me, so you can take it.

[Tillius]

You're such a good guy thedeadwalk can we be friends?

[Der Übermensch]

Aw, shoot! Sounds like you'd be done before me, so you can take it.
Haha. My timing seems to be impeccable. You get retroactive dibs for mine. I promise to have it up by Friday night :)

[Kyle]

I was hoping somebody would do The Believer, yay.

[thedeadwalk!]

You're such a good guy thedeadwalk can we be friends?
Lets Facebook each other!

[Tillius]

I prefer Twitter.

[thedeadwalk!]

I don't use Twitter. :upset: I don't have that many updates in my life.

[Tillius]

I jest. I despite twitter. If you do want to find me though I'm the first Mitch McLeod on facebook.

[thedeadwalk!]

Damn, wish I had a cool name like that, but I guess there can be only one. Yes!

Look for a request from one Christopher Hall.

EDIT: Hmm, I'm getting some baseball player as first, surely that's not you? What's your school?

[Tillius]

I'm in Dallas.

[thedeadwalk!]

Alright, I think I got you.

Anyone else for the Facebook bandwagon? We can start Forced Viewing group that does nothing.

[Meatplow]

i'm out of the social networking loop I am afraid

I do have a last.fm

http://www.last.fm/user/haz567

[Der Übermensch]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/78/Believerposter.jpg
The Believer

The plot of the film follows a young man who isa rising start of the neo-fascist/anti-semite movement in the US. Unknown to his compatriots however is the fact that he is in fact Jewish himself.

Right off the bat, the film definitely seemed like it was going to be a good one.
The story is for the most part well written and engaging. Daniel - the protagonist - is a character with whom you really want to sympathize with due to his inner conflicts, but at the same times turns you off with his outward behavior. As more of his past and inner turmoil is revealed with the progression of the plot, it opens him up to the viewer in what I felt to be a very natural development, until by the end he is very much a tragic figure, deserving of our sympathy.
The acting is mixed, with Ryan Gosling delivering an excellent performance as Daniel.
The art and direction was quite good. I thought that the grain might be enhanced, which provided a more gritty, rough look to the images, and although I might have been imagining it, there was defiantly a overt attempt at keeping it from seeming too polished, which played out well for the atmosphere of the film.
All in all, I thought it was a great movie. Would certainly consider watching it again down the road.

8/10

The Picks
Barry Lyndon - Stanley Kubrick - 1975 - Anglo-American Period Drama : Ryan O'Neal stars as the title character in this story about the life and travels of morally ambiguous Irishman during mid 1700's Europe.

Heaven's Gate - Michael Cimino - 1980 - American Western : Infamous as the film that bankrupted United Artists, this expansive Epic also happens to be on of the best western films of all time.

Die Faelscher The Counterfeiters - Stefan Ruzowitzky - 2007 - Austrian Drama : The winner of best foreign film at the last Oscars, it tells the story of a group of concentration camp prisoners whose unique talents were put to use by the SS to try and destroy the Allies economies.

Yojimbo - Akira Kurosawa - 1961 - Samurai Drama : Toshiro Mufune played a wandering, nameless Samurai who comes across a town torn apart by a power struggles of two powerful families. By playing both sides, he sets out to save the town.

Aelita: Queen of Mars - Аэлита - Yakov Protazanov -1924 - Silent Sci-Fi : A rare piece of early Soviet era filmmaking, Aelita is one of the first sci-fi feature films, as well as a masterpiece of the silent era.

12 - Nikita Mikhalkov - 2007 - Court Drama : A Russian remake of 12 Angry Men.

Assuming he shows up soon, thedeadwalk gets free dibs on this for being awesome!

[thedeadwalk!]

Aw, shucks...go on.

If I get dibs it'll be sometime next week before I get the review up. If someone else can go earlier, feel free to do so.

This thread's no stranger to down time, though.

[Meatplow]

i'll take dibs

i'm happy with the level of activity in here of late actually

[Tillius]

Yeah this thread has been running quite nicely lately.

[thedeadwalk!]

Seems it's not going to be much of a problem for me after all, and I should have this up on Monday.

[Kyle]

Glad you enjoyed The Believer Mensch. Pretty much agree with your review wholeheartedly, Gosling is great in it.

[Meatplow]

http://i34.tinypic.com/v8g1t1.jpg

The story of a Jewish man, who starts off the film frivolously spending money until a woman who catches his eye takes him to bed and notices he has a concentration camp tattoo on his arm. After this the film takes us back to WWII and explains his situation, he was a notorious counterfeiter whose skills the Nazi's end up taking advantage of with a group of other Jewish prisoners in a secret operation to flood the UK economy with a heap of fake money.

This dramatisation of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp is an interesting part of WWII that probably hasn't been focused on in film before, but apart from its value of being a unique historical recount the biggest problem here is that the film just doesn't feel all that necessary. As you could expect, there are plenty of sadistic prison guards to be found as the Jews are dehumanised and brutally treated like animals whilst profit is made off their blood. This has been done in films before, and whilst a solid effort is made at drumming up melodramatic sympathy for the Jews the film just doesn't feel distinctive.

There is little that stands out about its directorial style (except that it's grim) which makes it feel like its just going through the motions of displaying Nazi atrocities for all to see, and despite some superb acting it just doesn't seem like it was written to go anywhere. The beginning and the end of the film (the parts which don't deal with the Jewish man's history) feel like an afterthought, and don't really offer much to sandwich around the bulk of the film and offer some closure to make it mean something relevant.

The film is by no means bad, it just felt remarkably average to me :(

5/10

Films

Mondo Trasho (1969)
Director: John Waters
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064683/
Genre: Exploitation

The Swimmer (1968)
Director: Frank Perry
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063663/
Genre: Drama

Dr. Bizarro (1983)
Director: Phil Prince
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0123810/
Genre: Exploitation

Pierrot Le Fou (1965)
Director: Jean Luc Godard
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059592/
Genre: Drama/Arthouse

Sexmisja AKA Sexmission (1984)
Director: Juliusz Machulski
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088083/
Genre: Sci-Fi

Viva la Muerte (1971)
Director: Fernando Arrabal
www.imdb.com/title/tt0066530/
Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller

Easy Rider (1969)
Director: Dennis Hopper
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064276/
Genre: Drama

Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds (1989)
Director: Alex Proyas
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098373/
Genre: Arthouse

Targets (1968)
Director: Peter Bogdanovich
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063671/
Genre: Thriller

Ghosts... of The Civil Dead (1988)
Director: John Hillcoat
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095217/
Genre: Drama

Email me after you take dibs (and let me know) if you need help finding one of these.

[thedeadwalk!]

I'm honestly afraid to dibs after Meatplow.

[Meatplow]

You can do it.

[thedeadwalk!]

I'll take it tonight if someone else hasn't by then.

EDIT: le sigh, looks like I'm watching some Meatplow recommendation...I'll drop you line if I'm having trouble finding one.

[Tillius]

And here I was coming in to swoop in. Have fun with that.

[Meatplow]

I'll take it tonight if someone else hasn't by then.

EDIT: le sigh, looks like I'm watching some Meatplow recommendation...I'll drop you line if I'm having trouble finding one.

No problem.

[thedeadwalk!]

Might be as early as tomorrow, I get a review up. Shouldn't take too long.

And here I was coming in to swoop in. Have fun with that.
Ahh! You're always too late!

[Tillius]

Yes yes. I know. I'm curious to see what you'll watch.

[Meatplow]

I would say there are 3 or 4 distinct choices he is more likely to choose over the others.

[thedeadwalk!]

I'm staying true to the spirit of the thread and going with one I will really need to force myself to sit through.

I will say it's not Easy Rider, as I've already seen that.

[thedeadwalk!]

Page bump for me, page bump for you?

[thedeadwalk!]

http://wellmedicated.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/pierrot-le-fou.jpg

I'd summarize it (even though I can't) but I don't think Godard even cares.

Now, I know there are Godard fans here, but, for me, this is definitely a chore to sit through. À bout de souffle and even Alphaville were no small tasks either.

The whole French existential crisis is tedious. Line after line of all these postmodern ponderings just sound like teenage philosophy to me. I haven't the didactic wherewithal to care, let alone figure out, why these rooms have their own color tinting, or any of the other thematic elements when the story is so glossed over. I can appreciate certain artistic endeavors, but I need to be met half way. This is just not my kind of movie.

That said, if color arrangements, symbolism, and 50's French pop-culture dissection interests you, this movie probably will to. I'm probably missing some of the finer points of this flick, but even if I didn't, how the movie is written and made are much bigger problems for me than any conflicts in message.

Sorry, guys, I can't get into these kinds of movies.

3/10




Angel-A
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473753/

I Served the King of England
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0284363/

Confessions of a Superhero
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1016164/

Attack the Gas Station
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0262246/

[Meatplow]

ouch

I expected no less though :) it's cool

[Tillius]

Dibs.

EDIT: I really want to watch Pierott Le Fou. Looks interesting. A good introduction to Godard, Haz?

[Meatplow]

yeah it'll be up your alley for sure

[Tillius]

Awesome. I'm sure I'll be checking it out. I've had to cancel filming for this week so now I just have two days off to just kick back and enjoy some free time. I'd like to spend one of the days just watching some movies.

[thedeadwalk!]

It's sure got some ending on it.

[Meatplow]

haha

that's at least one thing you won't forget... maybe not for the better ;]

[Tillius]

Confessions of a Superhero

http://monsterscifishow.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/csh_poster.jpg

I don't watch enough d0cumentaries. Not enough good ones, anyway. The last few good d0cumentaries that come to mind that I have watched are Don't Deliver Us From Evil, Religulous, and This Movie Is Not Yet Rated. And now we have this one.

Confessions of a Superhero is a rather emotional d0cumentary that focuses on the lives of several people making their living dressing as costumed heroes and characters from movies and comic books. Many lives are displayed but there are four that are really focused on, those being Christopher Dennis(Superman), Maxwell Allen(Batman), Jennifer Wenger(Wonder Woman), and Joseph McQueen(The Hulk). These people stand on the streets of Hollywood daily and welcome tourists to take pictures with them, trying their best to earn tips for their "services".

I don't have a lot to say about this movie, seeing as the above description pretty much sums it up, following the daily lives of the heroes and showing some of the difficulties they experience as they pursue this route. They are four completely different people, all sharing the same dream of acting and hoping for that small chance that they just might be discovered in doing this.

The most interesting character in this movie would have to be Christopher/Superman. Truly dedicated to his job, his interests go much further than just work as we see in his home his obsessions with Superman. His room is filled with posters and action figures displaying the character, his book shelf is crammed full with books and magazines all centered around Superman. He even gets married wearing his Superman outfit. He's just a genuinely good human being it seems, doing what he can to do his job well, and the scene with him at the costume competition is pretty heartbreaking.

That's all I can say about this one really. Definitely something to check out at a short hour and a half even.

4/5








The Virgin Suicides(2000)

Director: Sofia Coppola
Genre: Drama

No te mueras sin decirme adónde vas
(Don't Die Without Telling Me Where You're Going )(1995)

Director: Eliseo Subiela
Genre: Drama

Faust(1994)

Director: Jan Svankmajer
Genre: Horror/Arthouse

Altered States(1980)

Director: Ken Russel
Genre: Drama/Horror

[thedeadwalk!]

Two of the reasons why I love that documentary are because of how the people's lives sort of mimic the characters they play, and, thematically, this movie plays out the death of the American Dream, to me. It's a very rich film.

[Der Übermensch]

Dibs!

[Tillius]

Two of the reasons why I love that d0cumentary are because of how the people's lives sort of mimic the characters they play, and, thematically, this movie plays out the death of the American Dream, to me. It's a very rich film.

Indeed. Such a depressing documentary.

Like I said, the scene at the costume contest was just ****ing heartbreaking. Another very notable scene was when the guy dressed as Batman was in the therapist's office telling him about his revenge spree and the people he murdered in the process.

[Der Übermensch]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ce/VirginSuicidesPoster.jpg

The Virgin Suicides

The easiest way to sum this up is 'exceptionally strange'. I didn't really know what to think while watching it. I never really got the point, but more on that later.

The way that the frame story was set up was pretty well done, with the neighborhood boys reminiscing about their youth and investigating the mysterious deaths of the girls next door. The occasional use of "present" interviews I thought was jarring at first, but in hindsight I rather liked how it pushed the story forward.
The stylistic features of the movie were great. The subdued direction and cinematography fit the mood of the film.
The main problem was the story itself. As I said, I still am not sure what the point was. Was it a commentary on the ills of a strict religious upbringing? The ennui of modern childhood? Or am I trying to be too deep with it? I kept expecting the story to pick up, and it never really did. When the girls finally died (not a spoiler, it is revealed they will from the start) it didn't feel like any resolution had come about.
In summation, it was a very beautiful film to watch, but suffered from a not very engaging plot that progressed too slowly.
5/10


The Picks
Barry Lyndon - Stanley Kubrick - 1975 - Anglo-American Period Drama : Ryan O'Neal stars as the title character in this story about the life and travels of morally ambiguous Irishman during mid 1700's Europe.

Heaven's Gate - Michael Cimino - 1980 - American Western : Infamous as the film that bankrupted United Artists, this expansive Epic also happens to be on of the best western films of all time.

Yojimbo - Akira Kurosawa - 1961 - Samurai Drama : Toshiro Mufune played a wandering, nameless Samurai who comes across a town torn apart by a power struggles of two powerful families. By playing both sides, he sets out to save the town.

Aelita: Queen of Mars - Аэлита - Yakov Protazanov -1924 - Silent Sci-Fi : A rare piece of early Soviet era filmmaking, Aelita is one of the first sci-fi feature films, as well as a masterpiece of the silent era.

12 - Nikita Mikhalkov - 2007 - Court Drama : A Russian remake of 12 Angry Men.

[Tillius]

James Woods is ****ing phenomenal in the movie.

[Der Übermensch]

What movie can you not say that about?

[Tillius]

That's true, but he especially stands out to me in The Virgin Suicides and that movie actually made him one of my favorite actors. He's just so good.

I'm disappointed that you didn't really enjoy it. It used to be and really might still be a favorite of mine.

[Der Übermensch]

Like I said, it was aesthetically great... I just didn't know what I watched. My roommate and I both were very confused by the end.

[Meatplow]

Ghosts of Mississippi was the best James Wood role I can remember

The Hard Way was fun, too

[Tillius]

Considering dibs but don't know how much time I'll have over the next few days.

[Der Übermensch]

Is that a dibs or not though?

[Tillius]

I was really going to let somebody else do it.

[Meatplow]

If I take dibs it won't be for a couple of weeks yet.

[thedeadwalk!]

I'll take it.

[Tillius]

Great avatar Haz.

[Meatplow]

i'm in a very Bjork mood of late :)

[Tillius]

I got that way after watching Dancer in the Dark as well. I've always enjoyed her music but now I really just love her and keep listening to her tunes.

[thedeadwalk!]

http://www.fundaciondoctordepando.com/CINE-ESTRENOS%20DE%20CINE%202009/ESTRENOS%20UK%20ENERO%202009/Barry%20Lyndon%20(1975).jpg

An Irish rogue wins the heart of a rich widow and assumes her dead husband's position in 18th Century aristocracy.

I'm not such a fan of Kubrick, excluding Dr. Strangelove, to begin with, so I'm pretty much dreading his methodical approach going into it. To further exacerbate my predicament, it's a narrated period piece nearly three hours long. None of which bodes well for me. I don't like narration because it often tells us what the film should be showing us, removing us from the story and characters, and, indeed, it does here, but it's a part of what people laud it for.

Most of the people singing its praises do so more of Kubrick rather than the film itself, and his daring to make such a detached piece with character as removed from his hardships as we are from the story because of the narrator. There's no suspense as everything is laid out by the narrator. There's no excitement as the protagonist is hardly invested in what's going on. It's just this story Kubrick is daring us to like. And, people do. But, I don't.

I'm not one to "appreciate" directorial visions like Kubrick's, and I know that makes me sound like a cretin, but I don't see in it what others do. The story is ruined for me by the narration and I see no reason to take interest in the story of this guy. I hope mensch will enlighten me.

I feel like a caveman when I see a lot of you guys' recs as to how anyone can deride pleasure from these.

4/10




Angel-A
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473753/

I Served the King of England
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0284363/

Attack the Gas Station
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0262246/

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061184/

[thedeadwalk!]

Hello!? Anybody!?

[Der Übermensch]

I would, but I had the last one. I'm taking it if no one does by tomorrow though.

[thedeadwalk!]

What are your thoughts on Barry Lyndon? I'd like to know why someone would like it.

[Meatplow]

The soundtrack is one of my favourites of all time.

[Der Übermensch]

What are your thoughts on Barry Lyndon? I'd like to know why someone would like it.

Like meatplow said, the soundtrack is amazing.

But mainly it is the cinematography that attracts me. The use of natural lighting as much as possible, even for indoor scenes, is a real rarity. Plus there are so many scenes that are set up perfectly, and look like a painting. I know it is the exact reason so many people are turned off from it, but the slow pace of the film allows Kubrick to frame scenes and just let you take them in. Nothing moves in them for a few seconds, or even longer at times, and I just find it hauntingly beautiful.

[thedeadwalk!]

Yeah, I'm not one to particularly notice lighting. Can't say the music was memorable either. It's all well and good for the director to frame things so everything can be taken in, but the story and characters didn't make me want to take anything in.

[Meatplow]

idk, I found it aesthetically pleasing all around. The way it looked to me felt flawless, plus the aforementioned soundtrack just did it for me on every level and i've listened to the OST hundreds of times since.

The story didn't have the same kind of bent that usually attracts me to Kubricks films, but as a lengthy historical epic at its most boring I found it a lot easier to take in then say, The Leopard (which I took as dibs off Übermensch a long while back) and at it's best I found myself quite caught up in proceedings (I particularly enjoyed the ending).

Personal taste accounts for a lot I guess, you seem very story driven as a viewer. I watch movies with some of the worst premises, most poorly planned out dialogue and unlikeable characters ever but I still manage to find a way to enjoy them. I approach films that are supposed to be "high art" but are full of pretentious babble and the type of directorial moves only film school students and smug critics give a damn about in the same manner, it's all **** to me really.

/ramble

[thedeadwalk!]

I'm very much about straight story and characters. If they're allegorical of something else, great, but I don't want what they're symbolizing to take precedence over the literal object used to represent them. And, the more artsy or technical aspects of a movie aren't going to save it for me if I'm not enjoying the mimesis of the movie. Sorry, Eraserhead.

I hate personal taste. I just know everyone else is wrong.

[Der Übermensch]

Yeah, I'm not one to particularly notice lighting. Can't say the music was memorable either. It's all well and good for the director to frame things so everything can be taken in, but the story and characters didn't make me want to take anything in.

Its pretty subtle. The way he catches sunrays and such. Indoor scenes are lit with candles. Pretty unique.

[Meatplow]

I hate personal taste. I just know everyone else is wrong.

You know what, me too. And that guy. And Tillius.

Ideas of good personal taste are one of the few things which will always result in a distorted opinion from individual to individual. All that you hold high and mighty, is but a disease upon life to someone else. So **** it.

[Tillius]

Opinion is far too subjective. A good movie is a good movie and a bad movie is a bad movie, regardless of whether or not you enjoy it. That's where "opinion" comes into play.

[Tillius]

Dibs.

[thedeadwalk!]

Woohoo!

[Tillius]

It's probably going to be a week or so before I can get to this though I just called dibs in an attempt to bring back a little life to this thread.

[Kyle]

What's going on with this? Any closer Tillius?

[Tillius]

Haven't even thought about it tbh. Calling dibs was just an attempt to keep this going but I just haven't really thought about it. If you'd like you can steal from me.

[thedeadwalk!]

And even without clucking like a hen
Everyone gets noticed, now and then
Unless, of course, that personage should be
Invisible, inconsequential me

:(

[Kyle]

Right ok, I'll take dibs. Got a link for Angel A, so I'll watch it tonight and get a review up.

[thedeadwalk!]

There goes the surprise!

[Kyle]

Geez, sorry about that.

Maybe I'll watch a different movie now. I'm a pretty mysterious guy.

[Kyle]

Not that mysterious...

http://www.streeteditors.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/angel_a_poster2.jpg

Angel A (2005)

So this is a film that I've always wanted to check out just from looking at the cover. I've never really known what the film is about, but something about watching a beautiful tall girl on screen for an hour and a half appeals to me.

Written and directed by Luc Besson, better known for films like Leon and The Fifth Element, Angel A tells the story of Andre; a troubled ex convict who owes money all over Paris. After struggling to resolve his issues, and with the pressure mounting to stump up the money, he almost accidently decides to end his life; scrambling on to a bridge where he spots a lanky blonde with the same idea. The blonde is in fact an angel, aptly named Angela, who has been sent to help Andre resolve his issues. As the pair travel around Paris repaying his debts, Andre falls in love with the girl who teaches him to care about himself.

I guess the first thing to point out is that Angel-A is very aesthetically pleasing. Beautifully shot in monochrome, the film makes a feature out of glorious parisian settings that are ever present throughout. The two lead characters are warm and likable, despite their faults, and for the most part the acting is pretty good. There are a few funny moments, which combine physical and slapstick humor with the occasionally witty script.

I like that the film explores gender roles in a striking way, through the obvious height and power relationship through Andre and Angela. I think, however, that its the exploration of these themes that takes precedent over the narrative. Obviously there is a certain amount of imagination required with a plot such as this, but I found the relationship of the lead characters difficult to believe, and the character of Angela underdeveloped.

Still, for a fairly short film, Angel A packs a lot in and I found it a very enjoyable watch. Will watch again.

7.5 / 10

Films

Dans Paris (2006)
Director: Christophe Honoré
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0769508/
Genre: Drama

Reprise (2006)
Director: Joachim Trier
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0827517/
Genre: Drama

Bad Education (2004)
Director: Pedro Almodovar
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0275491/
Genre: Drama

Dead Man (1995)
Director: Jim Jarmusch
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112817/
Genre: Drama, Western

[SgtBaker]

I like this thread a lot, it has helped me find some good movies, thanks yous guys for contributing.

[Meatplow]

it's good to see lurkers are getting something out of it as well

dibs

[thedeadwalk!]

I love Andre's character, as well as the Parisian setting; beautifully shot. A tall woman's never too bad, either.