Because I was blown away with the ground-breaking special effects. If I’d had the choice of never have seen any other version but the original, I would’ve had chosen the original only. It’s so appealing even for today’s standards. It is really quite entertaining and there are so many interesting issues in the film like the erotic-sexual relationship bewtween the beast and the woman, the obsessiveness of the director ( the character)and the greed of the show business. Visually is just stunning. I’m not exaggerating.
Mmm…It depends. If it’s something on the line of Barry Lyndon for example then it’s OK. Long brilliant films are fine with me because I can’t even tell the time.
Alejandro Jodorowsky’s La Cravate. A short silent film (35 minutes) about a girl who sells heads. Surreal fable in mime, with a deep spiritual message and lots of humour. A real little gem.
Yes, Hitchock is up there with the greatest. His movies have an appeal that it’s difficcult to match, it satisfies all sorts of viewers. His movies go beyond one particular genre and technically, he and Kubrick are the best for me.
< Hitch was American, and certainly an American filmmaker: he became a citizen in 1956>
I don’t see him as an American director. I see him as a British director who made many movies for the American audience. That’s where the business was and always has been. I mean the real business side of it. Hitchcok was also a very practical man and it was convenient for him to take American citizenship. Luis Buñuel became a Mexican in 1949 but he was very Spanish and even more if he had stayed in Spain. He also made excellent mexican movies and some made him internationally famous, but we KNOW he was a spaniard. We all know Hitchcock was British no matter his citinzenship or type of movies.
I have just watched Good Morning and I honestly liked it more than Tokyo Story which I loved. I am not saying it’s a better film but a more enjoyable one for sure. Am I being superficial? Does anybody feel the same?
Orlando. Although the book written by Virginia Wolf is a brilliant one, I favour the movie because of the music, the costumes, and of course Tilda Swindon.
I didn’t like that movie at all. I got bored and for the characters, I disliked Cate Blanchett’s rol; it wasn’t believable at all. Let’s not even mention Brad Pitt. He was just average and quite boring. No, it doesnt deserve the Criterion treatment in my very humble opinion.
I think Criterion is cheating people. When I buy Criterion I know that even if I’m not familiar with the film or director, it will be somehow special or interesting. Benjamin Button is neither.
The Silver Castle by Clive James. Makes Slumdog Millionaire’s tale quite plain.
From an editorial review:
A fable about India’s vast misery amid its pockets of affluence falls uneasily between modern fairy tale and acid social satire. The metamorphosis of its winsome, cunning protagonist, Sanjay, from street urchin in Bombay’s slums to Bollywood film star and back again to beggar is believable enough. Writing like an empathetic cultural anthropologist, James tracks Sanjay through successive phases: runaway from a physically abusive family; gang member; boy prostitute catering to male tourists; movie stuntman; bodyguard to a leading lady named Miranda. A critic and popular BBC talk-show host, James is, as usual, an urbane, digressive guide through the Third World’s maze of customs, superstition and self-defeating fatalism, and there are flashes of Voltairean wit. But he overdoes the cocktail-party and filmic chatter, and the satire of India’s escapist movie industry palls and the steamy accounts of Sanjay’s affairs with sexually voracious Miranda and with previous girlfriends cannot help but seem meretricious, stuck as they are in the middle of this nobly intentioned if not always successful look at the misery hidden underneath India’s much-touted economic boom.
You should try one of those box sets in Amazon with titles like the best of the silent era or German expressionism. Others to try are:
The Son of the Shiek ( and you will fall in love with Rodolfo Valentino)
City Lights and Gold Rush ( for an introduction to Charles Chaplin)
Mother, 10 days that shook the world or Battlefield Potemkin by Sergei Eisenstein
I’m writing my list based on directors that I keep watching his movies or will always be interested to see what they release next. I guess they are the 10 to for me. Funny how some of them aren’t my favourite directors but I do watch a lot of their films or repeat watching their films.
Stanley Kubrick
Alfred Hitchcock
Luis Buñuel
Jasujiro Ozu
John Ford
Sergei Eisenstein
Vittorio De Sica
Mike Leigh
Woody Allen
Pedro Almodóvar
Sorry, but I also have to mention Carlos Reygadas. I am interested in whatever he makes so he should be in this list.
Recommend a Movie about 3 years ago
King Kong 1933
Because I was blown away with the ground-breaking special effects. If I’d had the choice of never have seen any other version but the original, I would’ve had chosen the original only. It’s so appealing even for today’s standards. It is really quite entertaining and there are so many interesting issues in the film like the erotic-sexual relationship bewtween the beast and the woman, the obsessiveness of the director ( the character)and the greed of the show business. Visually is just stunning. I’m not exaggerating.
I recomend also (in black and white):http://chiaroscuroandmore.blogspot.com/2009/03/movies-i-liked-lot-in-last-couple-of.html
Go to Comment
Is length intimidating? about 3 years ago
Mmm… It depends. Something on the line of Barry Lyndon is OK. If it’s brilliant why not?
Go to Comment
Is length intimidating? about 3 years ago
Mmm…It depends. If it’s something on the line of Barry Lyndon for example then it’s OK. Long brilliant films are fine with me because I can’t even tell the time.
Go to Comment
Great Directors and their most underated films about 3 years ago
Alejandro Jodorowsky’s La Cravate. A short silent film (35 minutes) about a girl who sells heads. Surreal fable in mime, with a deep spiritual message and lots of humour. A real little gem.
Go to Comment
Movies to get somemone into films. about 3 years ago
Sorry about the typo…I obviously meant “someone”
Imagine you are about to introduce someone to the world of cinema. What movie would you choose for this?
Go to Comment
The Most beautiful scores in cinema about 3 years ago
The soundtracks for Orlando and Perfume. Both stunningly beautiful.
Go to Comment
HITCHCOCK about 3 years ago
Yes, Hitchock is up there with the greatest. His movies have an appeal that it’s difficcult to match, it satisfies all sorts of viewers. His movies go beyond one particular genre and technically, he and Kubrick are the best for me.
Go to Comment
HITCHCOCK about 3 years ago
< Hitch was American, and certainly an American filmmaker: he became a citizen in 1956>
I don’t see him as an American director. I see him as a British director who made many movies for the American audience. That’s where the business was and always has been. I mean the real business side of it. Hitchcok was also a very practical man and it was convenient for him to take American citizenship. Luis Buñuel became a Mexican in 1949 but he was very Spanish and even more if he had stayed in Spain. He also made excellent mexican movies and some made him internationally famous, but we KNOW he was a spaniard. We all know Hitchcock was British no matter his citinzenship or type of movies.
Go to Comment
When I say "A Perfect Film", What One Film Pops Into Your Head First? about 3 years ago
Orlando and Barry Lyndon
Go to Comment
Movies to get somemone into films. about 3 years ago
Yes, I agree with BobbyWise. And for Noel Danesco: How cool of you showing them those movies and how fantastic that they actually liked them!
Go to Comment
Tokyo Story VS. Good Morning about 3 years ago
I have just watched Good Morning and I honestly liked it more than Tokyo Story which I loved. I am not saying it’s a better film but a more enjoyable one for sure. Am I being superficial? Does anybody feel the same?
Go to Comment
Films that are better than the books that they are are based on about 3 years ago
Orlando. Although the book written by Virginia Wolf is a brilliant one, I favour the movie because of the music, the costumes, and of course Tilda Swindon.
Go to Comment
IS "BENJAMIN BUTTON" WORTHY OF BEING IN THE COLLECTION? about 3 years ago
I didn’t like that movie at all. I got bored and for the characters, I disliked Cate Blanchett’s rol; it wasn’t believable at all. Let’s not even mention Brad Pitt. He was just average and quite boring. No, it doesnt deserve the Criterion treatment in my very humble opinion.
Go to Comment
Benjamin Button!?!? What the Hell? about 3 years ago
I think Criterion is cheating people. When I buy Criterion I know that even if I’m not familiar with the film or director, it will be somehow special or interesting. Benjamin Button is neither.
Go to Comment
Worst Criterion DVDs about 3 years ago
Armagedon and the Curious Case Of Benjamin Button have to be the worst for me.
Go to Comment
The Best books that haven't been made into films about 3 years ago
The Silver Castle by Clive James. Makes Slumdog Millionaire’s tale quite plain.
From an editorial review:
A fable about India’s vast misery amid its pockets of affluence falls uneasily between modern fairy tale and acid social satire. The metamorphosis of its winsome, cunning protagonist, Sanjay, from street urchin in Bombay’s slums to Bollywood film star and back again to beggar is believable enough. Writing like an empathetic cultural anthropologist, James tracks Sanjay through successive phases: runaway from a physically abusive family; gang member; boy prostitute catering to male tourists; movie stuntman; bodyguard to a leading lady named Miranda. A critic and popular BBC talk-show host, James is, as usual, an urbane, digressive guide through the Third World’s maze of customs, superstition and self-defeating fatalism, and there are flashes of Voltairean wit. But he overdoes the cocktail-party and filmic chatter, and the satire of India’s escapist movie industry palls and the steamy accounts of Sanjay’s affairs with sexually voracious Miranda and with previous girlfriends cannot help but seem meretricious, stuck as they are in the middle of this nobly intentioned if not always successful look at the misery hidden underneath India’s much-touted economic boom.
Go to Comment
CONFESSIONS--FILMS YOU ARE ASHAMED TO SAY YOU HAVE NOT SEEN (YET) about 3 years ago
Pandora’s Box
M
Battleship Potemking
The Passion of Joan of Arch
I know, I know, I have neglected. And I’m so looking forward to them.
Go to Comment
Top Scorsese about 3 years ago
Number 1 has to be Taxi Driver for me.
Go to Comment
BEST SEQUENCE OR SCENE FROM ANY FILM(CAN BE AN OPENING OR ANYTHING ELSE) about 3 years ago
There are so many but one that I have never forgotten because of its beauty and strangeness is the opening sequence of 8 1/2.
Go to Comment
Any suggestions on introducing myself with Silent Pictures. over 2 years ago
You should try one of those box sets in Amazon with titles like the best of the silent era or German expressionism. Others to try are:
The Son of the Shiek ( and you will fall in love with Rodolfo Valentino)
City Lights and Gold Rush ( for an introduction to Charles Chaplin)
Mother, 10 days that shook the world or Battlefield Potemkin by Sergei Eisenstein
Go to Comment
Top 10 Directors. over 2 years ago
I’m writing my list based on directors that I keep watching his movies or will always be interested to see what they release next. I guess they are the 10 to for me. Funny how some of them aren’t my favourite directors but I do watch a lot of their films or repeat watching their films.
Stanley Kubrick
Alfred Hitchcock
Luis Buñuel
Jasujiro Ozu
John Ford
Sergei Eisenstein
Vittorio De Sica
Mike Leigh
Woody Allen
Pedro Almodóvar
Sorry, but I also have to mention Carlos Reygadas. I am interested in whatever he makes so he should be in this list.
Go to Comment