WORLD CUP: 1/4 FINAL MATCH LINE-UPS!
Have seen most of the films from Japan, Italy, Germany and Iran except for The Conformist and Gabbeh. Haven’t seen anything from China, Russia, India and Africa though.
Think I’ll start with Russia’s Nine Days of One Year (Mikhail Romm) first.
An intellectual drama about nuclear scientists… sounds interesting!
Team Africa’s manager, Blue K, was wondering if we could post another odds mix for this set of teams/films. I talked to my bookie, Bermuda Jake, about this and he is hesitant to commit himself based on his surprise over France’s elimination in the last round. “Cinema begins and ends with France,” he told me. “It is the country that really invented the auteur and where directors are treated with the respect they deserve.” Well, I don’t know about that, but with hesitation as to his own sagacity, here’s Jake’s current take, with his odds simplified for us of who he still picks to go all the way:
Japan 2-1
China 3-1
Germany 4-1
Iran 5-1
Italy 6-1
Africa 7-1
India 8-1
Russia 9-1
The top four he picks to advance, but he admits that the pairings of Japan vs Italy and Iran vs Africa are particularly hard to call. He thinks these will be very close. He feels Russia without Tarkovsky is now no match for team China. I think he is underestimating India’s challengers, as he tends to go by film recognition factor, hence his favoring team Germany. I think Ray and Sen could probably hold their own with anybody. Team Iran he feels is too strong with filmmakers like the mighty Kiarostami and Makhmalbaf, but concedes that by using Mambety and Sembene, and that intense Egyptian melodrama Nightingale’s Prayer, Africa still has a fighting chance. He thinks the Japan vs Italy matchup is really too close to call and could go either way.
We will soon see if Jake is off his tree or how his predictions pan out. He is going with China, Japan, Germany, and Iran to advance – but I doubt this will happen, based on the unpredictability of voters here. I hope some new faces voting will change the dynamics. Anyway, tomorrow starts the voting, so let’s see how this works out.
@ Joe,
Thanks to you and your bookie Bermuda Jake. He was pretty astute with his predictions for the round of 16s, so we’ll see how he does for the quarterfinals.
@ everyone,
Okay, all 6 selections of the Iran vs Africa match can be watched in less than a total of 8 hours! And I kid you not when I say that I care more about the voter turnout than the particular win-loss result of this match. 6 great films, I assure you guys. I know that the Japan vs Italy and Germany vs India matches will get good turnouts. But give up some love for the Iran vs Africa match (Team Africa almost certainly has had the smallest turnout so far in terms of votes of the remaining teams…) as well as for the China vs Russia match.
3-1 odds for China? Really? Jake has too much trust in Team China! I don’t know… I have a feeling I’m going to disappoint, even if I make it out of this round alive against Russia…
Yes to what Blue said. The Iran vs. Africa match is emotionally taxing on me, for making me have to choose! :’(
“I have a feeling I’m going to disappoint”
no one disappoints when they reach the quarterfinals,don’t forget….China hasn’t even won a match yet in the actual World Cup ;)
Hehehe, yes, football was never our forte sadly. :(
If Italy beat Japan they must be favourites. Africa have been wonderful, so many discoveries and they keep on coming! Russia may struggle without Tarkovsky v China, Jorge made a selfless selection, but if they still win that one they too have a fair chance, Iran have been consistent. Apursanssar has been creeping up silently..There are fine managers. i think it’s pretty open, especially if Japan beat Italy, as i’ve used up so many big guns already- anyone can win the cup.
Myra, in football even litle Wales has played 5 world cup matches and only lost once, 1-0 v Brazil- but i’m doubtful i’ll live to see us in the world cup again. China will surely improve! But i fancy your chances in this one
“Jorge made a selfless selection”
true but this is the most original Russian line-up i’ve seen in all the World Cup!
i do wonder how Wales declined so much,especially when they had a Ryan Giggs for a period of 10+ years!
Almost four hours to the start of the quarter-finals. Let me do some prediction and see how accurate I am afterwards!
CHINA vs RUSSIA
2 – 1
Daybreak and City of Life and Death wins
Raise the Red Lantern loses narrowly.
JAPAN vs ITALY
3 – 0
Japan thrashes Italy easily with all its selection!
GERMANY vs INDIA
1 – 2
Paris, Texas wins
Fitzcarraldo and The Marriage of Maria Braun loses
IRAN vs AFRICA
2 – 1
Gabbeh and Where is My Friend’s Home? wins
The Day I Became a Woman loses
Were we not supposed to restart on the 5th?
“Paris, Texas wins”
no way dude,hehe.
Daffy and Joe are in the mood for predictions and all i can say is:
“At the Copa, Copacabana
The hottest spot north of Havana”
I posted the dates a week ago on the “1/4 FINAL- ONLINE STREAMING LINKS” thread. You must have somehow got this mixed up, Ralch.
Well, my bookie Bermuda Jake has now thrown in his betting towel – and is jumping on his Tilley hat in frustration at his dismal showing in his predictions (see above). He was feeling pretty smug about the advancing of teams China and Japan in the first matchs, but he blew it on tthe Iran vs Africa and Germany vs India pairings. He was going by film recognition for Germany and director recognition for Iran – and that was a fatal mistake, even though the Germany vs India match was a real squeaker – which he didn’t predict either. He is now sulking and watching a parade of Bergman and Kubrick classics to console himself. I personally prefer watching the new discoveries myself. Daffy was a better predicter, but was fooled on the trouncing of Iran by Africa, too.
Btw – Bermuda Joe is no longer betting on the teams to advance, except to say that the Rising Sun will rule the day. Based on his track record, who knows?
Hmm, I predicted China, Japan and India as winners correctly but was surprised that Iran was ousted by Africa!
7 out of 12 films correct. Slightly more than 50% accuracy which is almost the same as a random guess.
Predicted wrongly for the following films
- Raise the Red Lantern
- City of Life and Death
- Human Condition
- Gabbeh
- Where is My Friend’s Home
Daffy, actually Japan beat Italy 2-1 (Human Condition lost by a vote to Bicycle Thieves), but Mizo hammered The Conformist, amazing
Yah, I got the scoreline for the Japan-Italy match wrong. Haven’t seen The Conformist yet but I was not at all surprised that Ugetsu won comfortably as it is such a wonderful film!
yes Daffy but the Conformist is a Bertolucci classic and i found the hatred towards Conformist simply unbelievable,i’d understand the scoreline if it were against The Last Emperor but against the Conformist?
The Conformist is far worse than the beautiful Emperor. :))
down with Oscars,hahahaha ;)
down with the Emperor, ha! ;)
The Conformist is one of the greats…
Law
Is there any secret profile we are going to for links this time?