I get blank stares when I tell people that I thought “American Psycho” was absolutely hilarious. And it’s really difficult finding David Lynch fans outside of cinephile circles.
Trois Couleurs: Bleu. I was going through a very difficult time in my personal life and was contemplating removing myself from human contact to save myself from further pain. Bleu changed all of that for me: not only is it impossible to live in society without impacting/being impacted by another person, you’re not really living without human interaction. It’s easily the most personally affecting film I’ve ever seen.
There are too many brilliant actors for me to choose a “favorite” but two names just happened to pop in my head right now are Frances Sternhagen and Keith Szarabajka. I loved them together in “Golden Years” and in everything else they’ve done. Sternhagen in “Outland” and Szarabajka in “The Equalizer” are some of my favorite performances. Oh, and another one just popped up: Gary Cole.
Worst: I cannot STAND Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts. They make me cringe, they make me clench my jaw with irritation, they make me want to punch them in the face. They are SO excessively into themselves and far too self-aware of their performances.
“Melvin and Howard”, “Something Wild” and “Silence of the Lambs” are personal favorites. I’ve watched those films dozens upon dozens of times. Kael is right on the money about Demme being “democratically interested in everybody”. I think he has genuine compassion and empathy for people and lavishes attention on even the most mundane details with enthusiasm and affection.
I used to think I was too much of a cinephile to fall asleep during a movie but aging + sleep deprivation = drifting off at the cinema. I fell asleep during “Le Pont du Nord” which was screening here as part of a Jacques Rivette retrospective. I wasn’t disinterested, just really really tired. And I find it hilarious that someone else mentioned “Copland” — I too fell asleep even though I was psyched about watching it. “The Mummy Returns” and “Journey to the Center of the Earth” both put me to sleep due to sheer boredom… guess Brendan Fraser just doesn’t do it for me.
As a longtime Cronenberg fan, it shocked me how much I detested “History of Violence”. I don’t like it when fans use “selling out” as a reason for turning their backs on artists, but as Cronenberg’s films become more mainstream, the people who used to be turned off by him are now fans, and I walk away feeling deeply let down.
Popcorn is a staple for me. I’d love to wash it down with a Diet Coke except I have squirmed uncomfortably through too many screenings, desperate to run to the bathroom as soon as the credits roll. Once, a friend of mine filled the plastic Pom (pomegranate juice) bottles with red wine and snuck it in. That was a hoot.
I admire Mann’s uncanny grasp of machismo (fascinating to me, being female) and his obsessive attention to detail. His films overflow with testosterone. However, his work can sometimes be too slick for it’s own good and it bothers me that guns and masculinity are interchangeable in his world.
I enjoyed Viggo Mortensen’s performance as Lucifer in The Prophecy. Prince of Darkness really got under my skin — I had nightmares after watching it the first time. Constantine is not a great film, but Peter Stormare’s appearance as Satan (with the ethereal Tilda Swinton as Gabriel) was a visual show-stopper.
I happen to enjoy silly, campy, popcorn movies as much as serious, thought-provoking, auteur films. So I don’t fault “the public” for enjoying light-hearted, escapist entertainment. And there are plenty of people who view movie-going as nothing more than a casual activity, like going for coffee or picking up a magazine. This doesn’t necessarily make them ignorant. They could have other fascinating interests or hobbies. However, I will say that I’ve been fixed up on dates with men who were allegedly “into the arts” but who turned out to have no exposure to art, literature, music or cinema… I did not call them back.
I actually got into a heated argument with my Dad over this question just a few months ago. He thinks that film (and art in general) has one and only one obligation: realism. Which is not surprising given that my father is a scientist and a pragmatist. He had me foaming with rage when he said that fantasy and imagination is garbage.
I agree with the first few posts that film (art) can be whatever its creator wants it to be. Furthermore, in order to review and assess it, the only measure of its success should be, “did it meet its objectives?” A popcorn movie deserves a 5 out of 5 if it delivers what it promises. An art film that wants to upset or nauseate you is also a 5 out of 5 if it succeeds at evoking the intended response; I would expect nothing less.
While I respect Spielberg and his earlier body of work, I am appalled by the idea of this remake. There are fundamental cultural differences between East and West and I am afraid that so much will be lost in translation. It’s like the “Shall We Dance” remake which simply could not work as a Western film (ok never mind the atrocious decision to cast Jennifer Lopez) because the whole point of the original was to contrast the conservative and reserved nature of the Japanese against the flair and individualism of Latin dance. “Oldboy” worked in its original form primarily because the Korean attitude towards repentance and guilt is so vastly different from the Western inclination to avert rather than face penitence. Why remake rather than create something entirely new that makes sense in the Western context?
It depends on what got me down. When I’m frustrated about my line of work, especially with male colleagues ego tripping at my expense, I turn to “Silence of the Lambs” to regain my drive and determination. Or if I need a morale-boosting reminder of why I got into my line of work in the first place (IT security), I watch “Sneakers”. If a man is the source of my blues, I always watch “Beautiful Girls”, “Surviving Picasso”, “Breakfast on Pluto”, “Gonin 2”, “Black Angel 2” or any number of female action hero flicks (like the Tomb Raider movies or “Kill Bill”). For overall cheer, I watch “Happy Go Lucky” or “Amelie”. For meditative peace, I watch “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring”, “Waking Life”, “Enlightenment Guaranteed” or “13 Conversations About One Thing”.
And people wonder why I have such a burgeoning DVD library.
One dream sequence that disturbed the hell out of me recently was not in a film, but was on the TV series “Damages” in which a lawyer has a nightmare about his teeth falling out. This is one of my recurring nightmares and it was the first time I had ever seen it expressed by anyone else. I was really freaked out by the familiarity of it.
Jaeger and Maxwell’s interpretations are spot on with how I see the film. It is filled with that hopeless ache for something so desperately desired/needed but so far beyond grasp.
My first was The Red Shoes (1948) by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. It must have been a special screening at a repertory theatre. I really don’t know why my parents chose this as my first — it’s not exactly family fare with its bleak, morbid ending and I was definitely no more than 5 years old. But it has left a lasting impression on me.
I think she’s one of the best actresses working today. She definitely has an unworldly quality about her that made her perfect for Orlando, Narnia and Constantine. She also has great versatility going from the icy bitches in Michael Clayton/Burn After Reading to the wonderfully sympathetic part in Benjamin Button (frankly, the only good thing about that film). I can’t wait to see Julia after reading the phenomenal reviews.
@ Nathan — I don’t think what you are describing is a superficial or “shallow” response to an individual. In Japanese, there is actually an expression that captures exactly what you described: an instinctual, impulsive aversion to somebody that makes you dislike or mistreat them for no discernable reason. It could be pheromones, psychological association, bad aura/mojo, or something more supernatural swaying you. Whatever the explanation, it can’t be rationalized or verbally expressed. I felt that way for a long time about Meryl Streep, for example. I knew she was brilliant but simply could not enjoy any scenes with her in it. Ridiculous, I know.
Tora Tora Tora comes closest. The American and Japanese sequences were handled like two separate productions, with a Japanese director, writers and cast working on the latter. I think it was an attempt at creating a balanced perspective on the attack on Pearl Harbor, which is a nice idea, but I think the end result felt rather disjointed instead of cohesive.
D – I like your follow-up question. I was wondering the same thing myself, especially after seeing a lot of reviews that trash movies I love, and the primary explanation given was that the reviewers had over-hyped the film for themselves thereby creating the inevitability of disappointment. This applies in life as well: if you create unrealistic expectations and bury yourself in your fantasies about how great something or someone is going to be, no good will come out of that. Some of my best film experiences came from screenings of films I didn’t know anything about — no trailers, no reviews, no big names, no expectations of any kind. Every film deserves to stand on its own two legs that way.
Wouldn’t Auteur Porn be more like anti-porn, i.e. weird, twisted, disturbed yet analytical stuff about perversions that make you queasy or at least uncomfortable? In which case, that would defeat the purpose of porn, wouldnt it? (Well, unless queasy floats your boat.)
Films you love but most people hate. over 4 years ago
I get blank stares when I tell people that I thought “American Psycho” was absolutely hilarious. And it’s really difficult finding David Lynch fans outside of cinephile circles.
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Which film has changed your life forever? over 4 years ago
Trois Couleurs: Bleu. I was going through a very difficult time in my personal life and was contemplating removing myself from human contact to save myself from further pain. Bleu changed all of that for me: not only is it impossible to live in society without impacting/being impacted by another person, you’re not really living without human interaction. It’s easily the most personally affecting film I’ve ever seen.
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Movies That Should Be In the Criterion Collection over 4 years ago
I have been begging/praying for Criterion to add Michael Tolkin’s “The Rapture”. It’s most fearless piece of filmmaking I’ve ever seen.
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Whats the scariest film ever or some of ur favorites over 4 years ago
Kiyoshi Kurasawa’s “Cure” (or “Kyua”) is very psychologically unnerving and frightening.
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Whats your favourite actor,and what actor is so bad you cant look at him over 4 years ago
There are too many brilliant actors for me to choose a “favorite” but two names just happened to pop in my head right now are Frances Sternhagen and Keith Szarabajka. I loved them together in “Golden Years” and in everything else they’ve done. Sternhagen in “Outland” and Szarabajka in “The Equalizer” are some of my favorite performances. Oh, and another one just popped up: Gary Cole.
Worst: I cannot STAND Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts. They make me cringe, they make me clench my jaw with irritation, they make me want to punch them in the face. They are SO excessively into themselves and far too self-aware of their performances.
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Jonathan Demme? over 4 years ago
“Melvin and Howard”, “Something Wild” and “Silence of the Lambs” are personal favorites. I’ve watched those films dozens upon dozens of times. Kael is right on the money about Demme being “democratically interested in everybody”. I think he has genuine compassion and empathy for people and lavishes attention on even the most mundane details with enthusiasm and affection.
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Favorite film composers over 4 years ago
James Horner, Zbigniew Preisner , Mychael Danna. And I’m really hoping “There Will Be Blood” won’t be the last Jonny Greenwood score.
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Favorite Kurosawa flicks? over 4 years ago
Rashomon most definitely does it for me: it tops my list. Next would be Ikiru.
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MOMENT OF TRUTH: HAVE YOU EVER GONE TO THE MOVIES AND FALLEN ASLEEP DURING THE FILM? over 4 years ago
I used to think I was too much of a cinephile to fall asleep during a movie but aging + sleep deprivation = drifting off at the cinema. I fell asleep during “Le Pont du Nord” which was screening here as part of a Jacques Rivette retrospective. I wasn’t disinterested, just really really tired. And I find it hilarious that someone else mentioned “Copland” — I too fell asleep even though I was psyched about watching it. “The Mummy Returns” and “Journey to the Center of the Earth” both put me to sleep due to sheer boredom… guess Brendan Fraser just doesn’t do it for me.
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Movie's you just don't like. over 4 years ago
As a longtime Cronenberg fan, it shocked me how much I detested “History of Violence”. I don’t like it when fans use “selling out” as a reason for turning their backs on artists, but as Cronenberg’s films become more mainstream, the people who used to be turned off by him are now fans, and I walk away feeling deeply let down.
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D.I.Y. Film Playlist over 4 years ago
Foodie
1. Big Night
2. Babette’s Feast
3. Tampopo
4. Like Water for Chocolate
5. Eat Drink Man Woman
6. Ratatouille
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popcorn/candy almost 4 years ago
Popcorn is a staple for me. I’d love to wash it down with a Diet Coke except I have squirmed uncomfortably through too many screenings, desperate to run to the bathroom as soon as the credits roll. Once, a friend of mine filled the plastic Pom (pomegranate juice) bottles with red wine and snuck it in. That was a hoot.
Go to Comment
Your opinion on Michael Mann? almost 4 years ago
I admire Mann’s uncanny grasp of machismo (fascinating to me, being female) and his obsessive attention to detail. His films overflow with testosterone. However, his work can sometimes be too slick for it’s own good and it bothers me that guns and masculinity are interchangeable in his world.
Go to Comment
Satan Films almost 4 years ago
I enjoyed Viggo Mortensen’s performance as Lucifer in The Prophecy. Prince of Darkness really got under my skin — I had nightmares after watching it the first time. Constantine is not a great film, but Peter Stormare’s appearance as Satan (with the ethereal Tilda Swinton as Gabriel) was a visual show-stopper.
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GREAT FILMS DEPICTING INSANITY AND MENTAL ILLNESS almost 4 years ago
Harvey!
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Why is the public opinion so mixed up? almost 4 years ago
I happen to enjoy silly, campy, popcorn movies as much as serious, thought-provoking, auteur films. So I don’t fault “the public” for enjoying light-hearted, escapist entertainment. And there are plenty of people who view movie-going as nothing more than a casual activity, like going for coffee or picking up a magazine. This doesn’t necessarily make them ignorant. They could have other fascinating interests or hobbies. However, I will say that I’ve been fixed up on dates with men who were allegedly “into the arts” but who turned out to have no exposure to art, literature, music or cinema… I did not call them back.
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what did you watch today? almost 4 years ago
Gosford Park
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What should be the purpose of Film? almost 4 years ago
I actually got into a heated argument with my Dad over this question just a few months ago. He thinks that film (and art in general) has one and only one obligation: realism. Which is not surprising given that my father is a scientist and a pragmatist. He had me foaming with rage when he said that fantasy and imagination is garbage.
I agree with the first few posts that film (art) can be whatever its creator wants it to be. Furthermore, in order to review and assess it, the only measure of its success should be, “did it meet its objectives?” A popcorn movie deserves a 5 out of 5 if it delivers what it promises. An art film that wants to upset or nauseate you is also a 5 out of 5 if it succeeds at evoking the intended response; I would expect nothing less.
Go to Comment
Oldboy remake - Good idea or sacrilege almost 4 years ago
While I respect Spielberg and his earlier body of work, I am appalled by the idea of this remake. There are fundamental cultural differences between East and West and I am afraid that so much will be lost in translation. It’s like the “Shall We Dance” remake which simply could not work as a Western film (ok never mind the atrocious decision to cast Jennifer Lopez) because the whole point of the original was to contrast the conservative and reserved nature of the Japanese against the flair and individualism of Latin dance. “Oldboy” worked in its original form primarily because the Korean attitude towards repentance and guilt is so vastly different from the Western inclination to avert rather than face penitence. Why remake rather than create something entirely new that makes sense in the Western context?
Go to Comment
which movie picks you up when you're down? almost 4 years ago
It depends on what got me down. When I’m frustrated about my line of work, especially with male colleagues ego tripping at my expense, I turn to “Silence of the Lambs” to regain my drive and determination. Or if I need a morale-boosting reminder of why I got into my line of work in the first place (IT security), I watch “Sneakers”. If a man is the source of my blues, I always watch “Beautiful Girls”, “Surviving Picasso”, “Breakfast on Pluto”, “Gonin 2”, “Black Angel 2” or any number of female action hero flicks (like the Tomb Raider movies or “Kill Bill”). For overall cheer, I watch “Happy Go Lucky” or “Amelie”. For meditative peace, I watch “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring”, “Waking Life”, “Enlightenment Guaranteed” or “13 Conversations About One Thing”.
And people wonder why I have such a burgeoning DVD library.
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Best Dream Sequence in a film? almost 4 years ago
Does the first half of “Mulholland Drive” count?
One dream sequence that disturbed the hell out of me recently was not in a film, but was on the TV series “Damages” in which a lawyer has a nightmare about his teeth falling out. This is one of my recurring nightmares and it was the first time I had ever seen it expressed by anyone else. I was really freaked out by the familiarity of it.
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What's Your Thematic Interpretation Of Mulholland Drive ? almost 4 years ago
Jaeger and Maxwell’s interpretations are spot on with how I see the film. It is filled with that hopeless ache for something so desperately desired/needed but so far beyond grasp.
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What is the very first film you remember seeing in the cinema? almost 4 years ago
My first was The Red Shoes (1948) by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. It must have been a special screening at a repertory theatre. I really don’t know why my parents chose this as my first — it’s not exactly family fare with its bleak, morbid ending and I was definitely no more than 5 years old. But it has left a lasting impression on me.
What do you remember as your first?
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What is the very first film you remember seeing in the cinema? almost 4 years ago
Thanks Rumplesink. Sorry I didn’t see the earlier thread (haven’t logged in for a long, long time).
A follow-up question I’d like to ask is how much did that first film influence your current passion for cinema? Was it love at first sight?
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What do you think of Tilda Swinton? almost 4 years ago
I think she’s one of the best actresses working today. She definitely has an unworldly quality about her that made her perfect for Orlando, Narnia and Constantine. She also has great versatility going from the icy bitches in Michael Clayton/Burn After Reading to the wonderfully sympathetic part in Benjamin Button (frankly, the only good thing about that film). I can’t wait to see Julia after reading the phenomenal reviews.
@ Nathan — I don’t think what you are describing is a superficial or “shallow” response to an individual. In Japanese, there is actually an expression that captures exactly what you described: an instinctual, impulsive aversion to somebody that makes you dislike or mistreat them for no discernable reason. It could be pheromones, psychological association, bad aura/mojo, or something more supernatural swaying you. Whatever the explanation, it can’t be rationalized or verbally expressed. I felt that way for a long time about Meryl Streep, for example. I knew she was brilliant but simply could not enjoy any scenes with her in it. Ridiculous, I know.
Go to Comment
2 Films about the Same Battle almost 4 years ago
Tora Tora Tora comes closest. The American and Japanese sequences were handled like two separate productions, with a Japanese director, writers and cast working on the latter. I think it was an attempt at creating a balanced perspective on the attack on Pearl Harbor, which is a nice idea, but I think the end result felt rather disjointed instead of cohesive.
Go to Comment
Does something being popular make you automatically hate it? almost 4 years ago
D – I like your follow-up question. I was wondering the same thing myself, especially after seeing a lot of reviews that trash movies I love, and the primary explanation given was that the reviewers had over-hyped the film for themselves thereby creating the inevitability of disappointment. This applies in life as well: if you create unrealistic expectations and bury yourself in your fantasies about how great something or someone is going to be, no good will come out of that. Some of my best film experiences came from screenings of films I didn’t know anything about — no trailers, no reviews, no big names, no expectations of any kind. Every film deserves to stand on its own two legs that way.
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The Gultiest of Guilty Pleasures. almost 4 years ago
My brother and I quote “Tommy Boy” lines to each other all the time. “Fat guy in a little coat… fat guy in a little cooooaaaat.”
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Underrated Films... almost 4 years ago
Dreamchild starring Ian Holm. I adore that film but I’ve never seen it discussed anywhere and it’s not available on DVD <*sniff*>
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if godard made a porno would you buy it? almost 4 years ago
Wouldn’t Auteur Porn be more like anti-porn, i.e. weird, twisted, disturbed yet analytical stuff about perversions that make you queasy or at least uncomfortable? In which case, that would defeat the purpose of porn, wouldnt it? (Well, unless queasy floats your boat.)
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