THE BLACK DAHLIA is a crushing disappointment. It’s not very special in any respect. The script is so-so, the performances range from forgettable to outright bad (save for Mia Kershner), and even visually, it’s not much to write home about. I don’t know quite what went wrong here, but precious little about it works.
The Stroyeva film version of BORIS GODUNOV is pretty neat. A poor version of Mussorgsky’s work—it uses the Rimsky-Korsakov hackjob of Mussorgsky’s score—but as a film, it navigates the tension between the languages of cinema and opera more successfully than just about any opera film I’ve seen.
And I still think that somebody needs to make a film out of Bernard Herrmann’s WUTHERING HEIGHTS. It’s probably more suited to the screen than stage, honestly.
The digitized bodies were removed from EYES WIDE SHUT for the most recent release. And, personally, I love Kidman’s monologue. So marvelously artificial. Like the majority of the film, really, which is appropriate for a film based on a book called Traumnovelle.
It’s ambitious, but Wong, a filmmaker who is always “searching” for his films while making them, never quite finds this one. But it is a noble, interesting failure, despite being one of his weaker efforts.
“Certainly, not to incite theological debate but to explain my posting of a Nietzsche quote is the idea that the duality Faust manages to overcome at the end through realizing that neither extreme of divinity nor evil can salvage him, that their reconciled evolution begets Love, which is what takes him to a higher level of being.”
I think this is a reading you have to impose on the film, rather than derive from it.
2046 is the great accomplishment of Wong’s career, a grand summing up of all of his preoccupations and ideas.
The notion that the story is somehow deeply confusion or complicated makes no sense to me. It’s fairly clear what the story is, even if you haven’t seen IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE.
“The ‘Milestone’ release of the Trial was quite decent”
It’s fair, but it doesn’t stand up to HD treatment, even with the quality upgrade. The print isn’t very clean, and the sound is still pretty poor. I don’t know how much better we could get THE TRIAL, but I imagine with some real focus on restoring the print, we could get a much finer release.
I’m not sure that DRIVE is “about” anything. It’s a stylistic exercise that exists for its own sake. There are of course references, images, tropes that abound in the film, but they never cohere into a statement or idea.
THE GHOST WRITER has a splendid ending, but it’s not as strong or interesting as many of the films Polanski has made over his career. Standard potboiler stuff.
Why do people dislike this film? about 1 year ago
THE BLACK DAHLIA is a crushing disappointment. It’s not very special in any respect. The script is so-so, the performances range from forgettable to outright bad (save for Mia Kershner), and even visually, it’s not much to write home about. I don’t know quite what went wrong here, but precious little about it works.
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Perfect Movie Endings about 1 year ago
Two pages already and nobody has mentioned VERTIGO. For shame.
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Do people think of Nicolas Roeg as an arthouse director? about 1 year ago
Is Roeg a first-class artist? Yes, but that doesn’t mean his films—even his best work—don’t exhibit some noticeable weaknesses.
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OPERA ON FILM about 1 year ago
The Stroyeva film version of BORIS GODUNOV is pretty neat. A poor version of Mussorgsky’s work—it uses the Rimsky-Korsakov hackjob of Mussorgsky’s score—but as a film, it navigates the tension between the languages of cinema and opera more successfully than just about any opera film I’ve seen.
And I still think that somebody needs to make a film out of Bernard Herrmann’s WUTHERING HEIGHTS. It’s probably more suited to the screen than stage, honestly.
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art house films masquerading as mainstream flicks about 1 year ago
The digitized bodies were removed from EYES WIDE SHUT for the most recent release. And, personally, I love Kidman’s monologue. So marvelously artificial. Like the majority of the film, really, which is appropriate for a film based on a book called Traumnovelle.
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Trailer for Lars Von Trier's Melancholia about 1 year ago
Buh-dum-ching!
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Best Films About a Genius or Innovators about 1 year ago
AMADEUS.
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Great directors with terrible first films. 10 months ago
Kubrick: FEAR AND DESIRE.
De Palma: MURDER A LA MOD
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Top 5 Hitchcock 10 months ago
1. VERTIGO
2. PSYCHO
3. REAR WINDOW
4. THE BIRDS
5. STRANGERS ON A TRAIN
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Worst Criterion DVDs 10 months ago
“The Last Wave is horribly minimal.”
Yep. But it’s still a terrific film.
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Your Views On Kar-Wai's Ashes Of Time 9 months ago
It’s ambitious, but Wong, a filmmaker who is always “searching” for his films while making them, never quite finds this one. But it is a noble, interesting failure, despite being one of his weaker efforts.
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Faust - A cheap tale? 9 months ago
“Certainly, not to incite theological debate but to explain my posting of a Nietzsche quote is the idea that the duality Faust manages to overcome at the end through realizing that neither extreme of divinity nor evil can salvage him, that their reconciled evolution begets Love, which is what takes him to a higher level of being.”
I think this is a reading you have to impose on the film, rather than derive from it.
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Favorite Morricone Score? 9 months ago
I’m partial to ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST.
An oft-cited favorite I don’t much care for is his work on THE MISSION.
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YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT 2046 9 months ago
2046 is the great accomplishment of Wong’s career, a grand summing up of all of his preoccupations and ideas.
The notion that the story is somehow deeply confusion or complicated makes no sense to me. It’s fairly clear what the story is, even if you haven’t seen IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE.
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Your 5 Favourite Directors 9 months ago
ALFRED HITCHCOCK
STANLEY KUBRICK
ALAIN RESNAIS
ORSON WELLES
KAR-WAI WONG
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The Game - Possible Release? 9 months ago
There’s a magnificent film somewhere inside THE GAME, but it only occasionally rears its head (ala the clown/key/television scene).
The ending would have been wonderful were it not for the closing suggestion of romance. That party is marvelously surreal.
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Heads up!!!! 50% off Criterions 9 months ago
Yes.
I often opt for DVDs over the Blu-Ray so that I have the option to share a film with those who don’t own a Blu-Ray player.
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Popmatters' 100 Essential Directors 9 months ago
I hate when lists are given slideshow style presentation.
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The Immortal Story Criterion? 9 months ago
I’m hoping they release it. It’s a lovely film. We also need cleaned-up releases of THE TRIAL and CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT.
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What are the best Brian De Palma's films? 9 months ago
BLOW OUT is my favorite of De Palma’s stuff.
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The Immortal Story Criterion? 9 months ago
“The ‘Milestone’ release of the Trial was quite decent”
It’s fair, but it doesn’t stand up to HD treatment, even with the quality upgrade. The print isn’t very clean, and the sound is still pretty poor. I don’t know how much better we could get THE TRIAL, but I imagine with some real focus on restoring the print, we could get a much finer release.
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The Immortal Story Criterion? 9 months ago
Yeah, they’re French DVD releases.
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films that aren't great but have at least one great scene 9 months ago
De Palma’s OBSESSION is an awkward, clumsy film for the most part, but it has moments of great elegance. That final scene is a winner.
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The Immortal Story Criterion? 9 months ago
Where are you finding the screenshots?
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Coppola's Twixt get a TIFF trailer 9 months ago
Many of the reviews severely undersell YOUTH WITHOUT YOUTH and TETRO, so I’ll have to make up my own mind on TWIXT.
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Drive (2011)--An Art Film About Manliness 8 months ago
I’m not sure that DRIVE is “about” anything. It’s a stylistic exercise that exists for its own sake. There are of course references, images, tropes that abound in the film, but they never cohere into a statement or idea.
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3 most visually pleasing films you've ever seen 8 months ago
LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD
THE RED SHOES
VERTIGO
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Carnage 8 months ago
THE GHOST WRITER has a splendid ending, but it’s not as strong or interesting as many of the films Polanski has made over his career. Standard potboiler stuff.
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Criterion Coming Soon and Discussion Redux 8 months ago
I’m still waiting for the day when we get a glorious Criterion release of the Corman Poe films as a box set.
And, having just seen MYSTERIES OF LISBON, I’m hoping Criterion snatches that film up, too.
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Criterion Coming Soon and Discussion Redux 8 months ago
Shame.
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