SF Film/Cinema Thread

[dkzzzz]

Originally Posted by Fuuma

On Rourke: +1, need to watch more of his work. I really enjoyed the "Bob le flambeur" remake (The good thief) thanks to his charisma.

The unbearable lightness of being: You need to read more Kundera, and watch out for translations as his style was notoriously butchered in many versions.

I read him in original and it did not do a thing for me. The book is all about him and his ramblings the movie hovewer is about all of us.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

I liked Mickey Rourke in Angel Heart. Check it out. Or don't.

 

[Manny Calavera]

Not to keep going off on tangents without discussing, but today I was gifted Norman McLaren: The Master's Edition DVD, containing Norman McLaren's entire body of work. This is my first exposure to McLaren and so far I'm ecstatic. Watching it as we speak; I'll post more later.

 

[pinchi22]

Hana-bi/Japon/Kitano/1997: A contemplative and poetic film punctuated by disturbing explosions of violence

+1. Beautiful film, especially the scene where Nishi tries to shoot a picture of himself and his wife, or the beach/painting scenes with Nishi´s partner (Horibe). Anyone expecting a typical Hollywood police flic will be sorely disappointed.

 

[.bishop.]

Originally Posted by jonglover

You haven't seen Kobayashi mentioned because I haven't completed my list yet.

How about The Human Condition trilogy?
No I haven't yet, but it is really high up on my list to watch.

 

[Fuuma]

Some great movies I didn't mention in the list:

"¢\tGoodfellas/USA/Scorsese/1990: The camera sweeps and turns to make us part of a mafia crew for a few exhilarating decades.
"¢\tDo the right thing/USA/Lee/1989: The look is firmly set in the 80s but the story concerning racism is anything but dated. I like how Lee manages to give a convincing performance in his own movie, something few directors accomplish.
"¢\tMy dinner with Andre/USA/Malle/1981: Just two guys talking during a restaurant meal, doesn't sound like much but you'll be impressed.

 

[Fuuma]

Detour/Ulmer/USA/1945
One of the biggest bang for the buck ever made, with a budget under 30k (if I remember correctly). Gripping, tightly paced noir with a memorable variation of the classic femme fatale who replaces her usual sultriness with a harsh and fretful personality that is a pleasure to behold, from the viewer seat that is...

 

[Fuuma]

Amants réguliers, les (Regular lovers)/France/Philippe Garrel/2005:
Semi-autobiographical story of lovers who meet during the « social revolution » of May 68 and later hang around with a bunch of disillusioned artistic youth in the luxurious apartment of a bourgeois friend.
May 68: pretty much the French pendant to the American Vietnam protests, but with more intellectual posturing and less patchouli. A lot of intellectuals of all stripes had their life shaped by what they lived during May 68; in French political thinking there is a pre and post 68 division, which doesn’t happen often in history unless the son of god comes to earth or something of that caliber. French new wave members were among those that were greatly involved in all this, the work of Jean-Luc Godard being a shining example.
Why you should see Les amants réguliers:
• Gorgeous black and white cinematography, the movie is striking, space and camera positioning are sharply put to use, all this without looking overproduced or too staged. In other words I don’t think a movie like 300 is visually impressive but this one is…
• Great elliptical narrative that often skips the “action” phase to go straight to what is important; how the character react, what they feel, what it means to them.
• Generates various question about art, creation and the place of creators.
• I want to dress like the main character, who happens to be played by Louis Garrel (the director’s son) which takes the autobiographical references to a whole different level. His
• The first act, which concerns the riots and their aftermath, is presented through a series of long takes where uncertainty and a certain unreality makes the proceedings all the more realistic by conveying how it felt, at least for one man, to be there. A lesser director might have used frantic editing and a standard cinema vérité, hand-held camera approach, creating a sort of newsreel but this is, thankfully, not the case here.
• Garrel, a child of May 68 himself, manages to tell how the “revolution’ collapsed afterward, without using dramatic gestures or overt symbolism; just by showing you how the characters react and interact with each others and the world at large.
• The male and female leads are excellent and bring a great sensitivity that is much needed, as this is, at the foremost, a film that should speak to you on a visceral level
• Be warned that it’s 3 hours and that I’m sure you could find people to say that “nothing happens”.

 

[imageWIS]

I saw Dr. Strangelove again this weekend, man what a great film. Kubrick was really a genius. The entire cast (including all 3 Peter Sellers roles are amazing). George C. Scoot as the straight-man Gen. Buck Turgidson was a big bonus (especially when looking back and recalling his very serious portrayal of Gen. Paton). The end scene with Major T. J. "King" Kong riding the A-bomb, and Vera Lynn singing "we'll meet again" while doomsday comes are truly amazing.

Jon.

 

[Ivan Kipling]

ImageWIS, I saw Dr. Strangelove at the 'show,' when it first got to theaters. Lolita, as well. My favorite film by Kubrick, is Spartacus.

 

[LabelKing]

Is there anything more chic than that name? It's smoking in the Facel Vega, adjusting your cuffs cool.

 

[Fuuma]

Originally Posted by LabelKing

Is there anything more chic than that name?

It's smoking in the Facel Vega, adjusting your cuffs cool.

One of my favourite films (I even think it was on the list but I can't remember, there are so many Melville I love and I restricted myself to two films from the same director). By the way a "flambeur" is a gambler or high roller or something similar, except that "flamber" can imply burning, as in "burning money". It can also be used for someone who throw away his money without a care (think some of the shoppers we have in here

).

Movies like this one are the reason I won't see Ocean13, I mean what's the point?

 

[Fuuma]

Originally Posted by Ivan Kipling

ImageWIS, I saw Dr. Strangelove at the 'show,' when it first got to theaters. Lolita, as well. My favorite film by Kubrick, is Spartacus.

Do you like both snails and oysters?

 

[Ivan Kipling]

I don't care for either.

 

[Fuuma]

Originally Posted by Ivan Kipling

I don't care for either.

I really enjoy seeing Spartacus however it is probably the film on which Kubrick had the less amount of control. Still a great epic.