A US torture/horror movie. Anything from the Saw or Hostel franchises is especially painful to sit though — not because of the aforementioned torture content, but for the torture of watching what the 18-24 demographic generally considers to be a “great movie.”
I’m going off the beaten track and saying that the 2007 US Indie ROCKET SCIENCE had an excellent, non-traditional score by Eef Barzelay. There’s not an orchestral section in the entire film, save for a few amusing cello covers. Not for everyone, but it truly gave the film its own identity.
There are two things that would increase the functionality of this site. First, create sub-categories for the forums. The current gigantic list of posts can be tough to sort through. Simple sections such as “Directors” and “Polls” would help greatly. Also, when it comes to which films are in the Auteur database, I think they should have to maintain at least a 3-star community average to be here. If after a certain period of time they can’t maintain it, they should be taken off. I also think that every film in the database should be available as a profile header, not just the pre-created ones. Just a few suggestions.
Conceding that Korine makes films about what he knows, while I find it admirable, that does not immediately give his films critical or artistic merit. If some find his films to be enjoyable, I can respect that. When all is said and done, however, a film that has no humanity (with all due respect) and not one likable character, is a tough ride.
I was weary about this one considering that it has garnered unanimous acclaim and already won a boatload of mainstream awards, but it was an excellent film. Truly better than the sum of its parts.
I agree that the US film rating system is completely broken, and has only gotten worse with age. The 4 main ratings are all over the place, and it seems as though many can be interchangeable. Looking back in time, films that were rated PG pre-90’s would almost certainly get an R today, simply for suggestive sexual dialogue. And that’s where the line is drawn, any sort of suggested or assumed sexuality means an R. Which I find to be interesting since pervasive violence and action are allowed to maintain PG-13’s (i.e. The Dark Knight and Live Free or Die Hard). Yet one sexual reference sends harmless fare such as the musical Once and teen films like Rocket Science to an immediate R. And the descriptors that accompany the ratings are just as ridiculous; I’ll never forget that the Crocodile Hunter movie was rated PG for “mild peril.” Classic.
Frost/Nixon will win Best Picture. Not that it should, but it will.
Sam Mendes will win Best Director.
Sean Penn will win Best Actor.
Anne Hathaway will win Best Actress — remember, this is the Academy.
Heath Ledger will NOT be nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
Slumdog Millionaire will win for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona will win for Best Original Screenplay.
I do not believe that these SHOULD be the winners, but it’s entirely plausible that this is how it will shake out.
Kazu – I have no issues with the performance of Anne Hathaway. I just have a feeling that with a relative unknown actress in a foreign film winning last year, the Academy may go as mainstream as possible this year. Hathaway is a media darling and her win would raise some eyebrows. She’s an above average actress with a terrible body of work, save for Rachel Getting Married.
No surprises in these nominations. Safe, safe, mainstream year for the Oscars. And someone please justify to me why Robert Downey, Jr deserves a nomnation as best supporting actor for Tropic Thunder. The film was mildly amusing, and his performance was the strongest in the film. But one of the five best supporting performances by an actor in ALL of film last year? Not a chance.
I would have to disagree. While I did enjoy Benjamin Button on some level, in the end I found the film to be a prefabricated, “this film is made only to garner Oscar buzz” piece. And of course, it did. When taken on its own merit, it’s an enjoyable film. When viewed from the perspective of its Oscar prowess, expectations can crush opinions. Was it one of the best films of 2008? Hardly. But it was far from abysmal; yet completely unworthy of many of its nominations.
I don’t believe it’s the headlines that sway me when it comes to enjoying an actor’s performance. Rather, it occurs to me when it’s a performance by an actor who is indistinguishable from film to film. That is to say, “I can’t believe Actor A in this role because he is as he is in every film.” For me, this is the case throughout all film eras. In regards to Jolie, she simply has a very pretentious manner of delivering dialog that suspends belief. I enjoyed her performance in Girl Interrupted, but otherwise I’ve been unimpressed.
The only sure-fire way to play a DVD from a different region is to copy it by removing the zone restriction. I believe this is illegal in most countries, but it can be done easily if you know what to look for.
The main reason Blu-ray will stick around is that there will always be a market for the highest-quality viewing experience available. Once you experience the medium on an HDTV of 40" or more and genuine lossless surround sound, going back to standard DVD’s (especially older releases) is a bit rough. Unfortunately, most films that utilize the medium are currently popular contemporary hits. Hopefully Criterion will continue to release their back catalog and other like-minded studios will start to release the classics.
1) Annie Hall — a no brainer; the quintessential Woody film
2) Zelig — his most original work, bizarre and hysterical
3) The Purple Rose of Cairo — my favorite film in which he doesn’t also act
4) Manhattan — he should shoot anamorphic more often; gorgeous
5) Oedipus Wrecks — can’t nail why, but I love this short film
These are the winners in the major categories for this years Spirit Awards.
Best Feature — The Wrestler
Best Director — Tom McCarthy for The Visitor
Best First Feature — Synecdoche, New York
Best Screenplay — Woody Allen for Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Best First Screenplay — Dustin Lance Black for Milk
Best Female Lead — Melissa Leo for Frozen River
Best Male Lead — Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler
Best Supporting Female — Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Best Supporting Male — James Franco for Milk
Best Foreign Film — The Class
Best Documentary — Man on Wire
On a personal note, I didn’t expect the amount of love that The Wrestler received from Film Independent. I found it to be the weakest and most mainstream of the nominees for Best Feature.
Normally, I can look past my opinions and understand why a certain film has gained critical acclaim. This is not one of them. The main criticism I have is that I found the main character to be so poorly acted and contrived that I was in complete disbelief. As soon as I heard him mutter the term “breasteses” in the first 5 minutes I knew I was in for a long ride. And frankly, If I can’t believe the protagonist I find myself unable to believe or care about what’s happening around them. Boo.
I’ve completely lost interest in this series. It’s not necessarily awful, but if I didn’t know that Joss Whedon created it, I would never have guessed. His other projects had a sort of surreal addictive nature to them. To me, Dollhouse is just another show that’s going to last 12 episodes. The ratings are awful, and it has the worst timeslot in primetime television.
More than half of Watchmen’s success will come from home video sales. I’m sure that the studio is aware of this, considering that it has already announced a solid release date of mid-July for both an unrated extended version AND a director’s cut (which will incorporate the Tales of the Black Freighter animated film). Guaranteed, Watchmen will be among the top 5 DVD & Blu-ray sellers by the end of the year.
Feelings about image quality has a lot to do with exposure. If you have an HDTV with a Blu-ray player and watch high definition content often, HD really is preferable and noticeable. Going back to DVD’s can be an eyesore, especially on non-anamorphic widescreen and older transfers. As for VHS, if the VCR is connected to a smaller analog TV I can deal with the picture; on an HDTV, a VCR looks like someone has smeared vaseline on the screen and pulled a net over it, and is thus unwatchable. If I’m really interested in a film, I’ll see it and be able to enjoy it regardless of the medium. But, damn, that high-def experience is sweet.
Other than Singin’ in the Rain, I tend only to enjoy humorous musicals these days. I heap loads of praise on Little Shop of Horrors, and the made-for-tv Reefer Madness (Listen to Jesus, Jimmy…). I haven’t enjoyed any mainstream musical film in 20 years.
What Is "Movie Hell" For You? over 3 years ago
A US torture/horror movie. Anything from the Saw or Hostel franchises is especially painful to sit though — not because of the aforementioned torture content, but for the torture of watching what the 18-24 demographic generally considers to be a “great movie.”
Go to Comment
Outstanding Original Score in any Film over 3 years ago
I’m going off the beaten track and saying that the 2007 US Indie ROCKET SCIENCE had an excellent, non-traditional score by Eef Barzelay. There’s not an orchestral section in the entire film, save for a few amusing cello covers. Not for everyone, but it truly gave the film its own identity.
Go to Comment
Help make The Auteurs totally awesome over 3 years ago
There are two things that would increase the functionality of this site. First, create sub-categories for the forums. The current gigantic list of posts can be tough to sort through. Simple sections such as “Directors” and “Polls” would help greatly. Also, when it comes to which films are in the Auteur database, I think they should have to maintain at least a 3-star community average to be here. If after a certain period of time they can’t maintain it, they should be taken off. I also think that every film in the database should be available as a profile header, not just the pre-created ones. Just a few suggestions.
Go to Comment
Thoughts on "Gummo" over 3 years ago
Conceding that Korine makes films about what he knows, while I find it admirable, that does not immediately give his films critical or artistic merit. If some find his films to be enjoyable, I can respect that. When all is said and done, however, a film that has no humanity (with all due respect) and not one likable character, is a tough ride.
Go to Comment
Last movie you saw and rate it over 3 years ago
Slumdog Millionaire — 9/10
I was weary about this one considering that it has garnered unanimous acclaim and already won a boatload of mainstream awards, but it was an excellent film. Truly better than the sum of its parts.
Go to Comment
IS THERE ANY POINT TO THE RATINGS 'R' SYTEM USED FOR MOVIES? over 3 years ago
I agree that the US film rating system is completely broken, and has only gotten worse with age. The 4 main ratings are all over the place, and it seems as though many can be interchangeable. Looking back in time, films that were rated PG pre-90’s would almost certainly get an R today, simply for suggestive sexual dialogue. And that’s where the line is drawn, any sort of suggested or assumed sexuality means an R. Which I find to be interesting since pervasive violence and action are allowed to maintain PG-13’s (i.e. The Dark Knight and Live Free or Die Hard). Yet one sexual reference sends harmless fare such as the musical Once and teen films like Rocket Science to an immediate R. And the descriptors that accompany the ratings are just as ridiculous; I’ll never forget that the Crocodile Hunter movie was rated PG for “mild peril.” Classic.
Go to Comment
Best title over 3 years ago
Oedipus Wrecks
Go to Comment
You choose the book to make into a film. Then choose the director. Go! over 3 years ago
The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Joss Whedon. Sorry, that was a personal geek out moment…
Go to Comment
A Character Just Like You over 3 years ago
I’m alarmingly like Joel from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Go to Comment
Age / Level of education? (An informal poll) over 3 years ago
25. Never went to college.
Go to Comment
Your favorite title sequence over 3 years ago
Every Woody Allen film since Annie Hall. Always simple and classy.
Go to Comment
Best Picture Oscar 2009 over 3 years ago
Some slightly cynical predictions…
Frost/Nixon will win Best Picture. Not that it should, but it will.
Sam Mendes will win Best Director.
Sean Penn will win Best Actor.
Anne Hathaway will win Best Actress — remember, this is the Academy.
Heath Ledger will NOT be nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
Slumdog Millionaire will win for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona will win for Best Original Screenplay.
I do not believe that these SHOULD be the winners, but it’s entirely plausible that this is how it will shake out.
Go to Comment
Best Picture Oscar 2009 over 3 years ago
Steve, Ledger SHOULD be nominated. I hope he is. But the Academy has an odd history of snubs and surprises. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s snubbed.
Go to Comment
Best Picture Oscar 2009 over 3 years ago
Kazu – I have no issues with the performance of Anne Hathaway. I just have a feeling that with a relative unknown actress in a foreign film winning last year, the Academy may go as mainstream as possible this year. Hathaway is a media darling and her win would raise some eyebrows. She’s an above average actress with a terrible body of work, save for Rachel Getting Married.
Go to Comment
Best Picture Oscar 2009 over 3 years ago
Anthony – If Robert Downey Jr gets a nomination for an Oscar in his Tropic Thunder role, that would be pathetic. Yikes.
Go to Comment
Oscar Nominations - 2009 over 3 years ago
No surprises in these nominations. Safe, safe, mainstream year for the Oscars. And someone please justify to me why Robert Downey, Jr deserves a nomnation as best supporting actor for Tropic Thunder. The film was mildly amusing, and his performance was the strongest in the film. But one of the five best supporting performances by an actor in ALL of film last year? Not a chance.
Go to Comment
Am I the only one who liked Benjamin Button? over 3 years ago
I would have to disagree. While I did enjoy Benjamin Button on some level, in the end I found the film to be a prefabricated, “this film is made only to garner Oscar buzz” piece. And of course, it did. When taken on its own merit, it’s an enjoyable film. When viewed from the perspective of its Oscar prowess, expectations can crush opinions. Was it one of the best films of 2008? Hardly. But it was far from abysmal; yet completely unworthy of many of its nominations.
Go to Comment
Is the cult of celebrity and PR destroying our ability to suspend disbelief? over 3 years ago
I don’t believe it’s the headlines that sway me when it comes to enjoying an actor’s performance. Rather, it occurs to me when it’s a performance by an actor who is indistinguishable from film to film. That is to say, “I can’t believe Actor A in this role because he is as he is in every film.” For me, this is the case throughout all film eras. In regards to Jolie, she simply has a very pretentious manner of delivering dialog that suspends belief. I enjoyed her performance in Girl Interrupted, but otherwise I’ve been unimpressed.
Go to Comment
DVD Region Coding over 3 years ago
The only sure-fire way to play a DVD from a different region is to copy it by removing the zone restriction. I believe this is illegal in most countries, but it can be done easily if you know what to look for.
Go to Comment
DVD vs. Blu Ray? over 3 years ago
The main reason Blu-ray will stick around is that there will always be a market for the highest-quality viewing experience available. Once you experience the medium on an HDTV of 40" or more and genuine lossless surround sound, going back to standard DVD’s (especially older releases) is a bit rough. Unfortunately, most films that utilize the medium are currently popular contemporary hits. Hopefully Criterion will continue to release their back catalog and other like-minded studios will start to release the classics.
Go to Comment
A Random Film You Like over 3 years ago
I’m a big fan of an Australian film called HE DIED WITH A FELAFEL IN HIS HAND. I wouldn’t consider it a great work, but it strikes a chord.
Go to Comment
FAVORITE 5 OR 10 WOODY ALLEN MOVIES over 3 years ago
1) Annie Hall — a no brainer; the quintessential Woody film
2) Zelig — his most original work, bizarre and hysterical
3) The Purple Rose of Cairo — my favorite film in which he doesn’t also act
4) Manhattan — he should shoot anamorphic more often; gorgeous
5) Oedipus Wrecks — can’t nail why, but I love this short film
Go to Comment
2009 Spirit Awards Results over 3 years ago
These are the winners in the major categories for this years Spirit Awards.
Best Feature — The Wrestler
Best Director — Tom McCarthy for The Visitor
Best First Feature — Synecdoche, New York
Best Screenplay — Woody Allen for Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Best First Screenplay — Dustin Lance Black for Milk
Best Female Lead — Melissa Leo for Frozen River
Best Male Lead — Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler
Best Supporting Female — Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Best Supporting Male — James Franco for Milk
Best Foreign Film — The Class
Best Documentary — Man on Wire
On a personal note, I didn’t expect the amount of love that The Wrestler received from Film Independent. I found it to be the weakest and most mainstream of the nominees for Best Feature.
Go to Comment
Running OSCARS Commentary over 3 years ago
I cringe every time Benjamin Button is up for an award. I just don’t get it.
Go to Comment
Last movie you saw and rate it over 3 years ago
The Wackness – 1/10
Normally, I can look past my opinions and understand why a certain film has gained critical acclaim. This is not one of them. The main criticism I have is that I found the main character to be so poorly acted and contrived that I was in complete disbelief. As soon as I heard him mutter the term “breasteses” in the first 5 minutes I knew I was in for a long ride. And frankly, If I can’t believe the protagonist I find myself unable to believe or care about what’s happening around them. Boo.
Go to Comment
Atheist movies? over 3 years ago
Not just Crimes and Misdemeanors, but nearly every Woody Allen film mentions the lack of a god, and sometimes even the futile search for one.
Go to Comment
Dollhouse? over 3 years ago
I’ve completely lost interest in this series. It’s not necessarily awful, but if I didn’t know that Joss Whedon created it, I would never have guessed. His other projects had a sort of surreal addictive nature to them. To me, Dollhouse is just another show that’s going to last 12 episodes. The ratings are awful, and it has the worst timeslot in primetime television.
Go to Comment
What does the success of watchmen mean about the future of action movies? about 3 years ago
More than half of Watchmen’s success will come from home video sales. I’m sure that the studio is aware of this, considering that it has already announced a solid release date of mid-July for both an unrated extended version AND a director’s cut (which will incorporate the Tales of the Black Freighter animated film). Guaranteed, Watchmen will be among the top 5 DVD & Blu-ray sellers by the end of the year.
Go to Comment
How important is a perfect image quality for cinephiles? about 3 years ago
Feelings about image quality has a lot to do with exposure. If you have an HDTV with a Blu-ray player and watch high definition content often, HD really is preferable and noticeable. Going back to DVD’s can be an eyesore, especially on non-anamorphic widescreen and older transfers. As for VHS, if the VCR is connected to a smaller analog TV I can deal with the picture; on an HDTV, a VCR looks like someone has smeared vaseline on the screen and pulled a net over it, and is thus unwatchable. If I’m really interested in a film, I’ll see it and be able to enjoy it regardless of the medium. But, damn, that high-def experience is sweet.
Go to Comment
Musicals? about 3 years ago
Other than Singin’ in the Rain, I tend only to enjoy humorous musicals these days. I heap loads of praise on Little Shop of Horrors, and the made-for-tv Reefer Madness (Listen to Jesus, Jimmy…). I haven’t enjoyed any mainstream musical film in 20 years.
Go to Comment