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Eli Goodspeed's Posts

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Our Favourite Poems- for a site anthology about 3 years ago

Ahh, is this a forum about film or poetry? Why are we reciting poems on a film critique site? Or books, or Dr. Dre for that matter? If we’re going to be discussing poem, books and song in this forum, shouldn’t they be in context to certain movies, like Dante’s “Inferno” to Pasolini’s “Salo,” or Shakespeare’s “King Lear” and “Henry the 4th” to Kurosawa’s “Ran” and Van Sandt’s “My Own Private Idaho,” respectively?

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Favorite Films For Shakespeare's Birthday(s) about 3 years ago

I posted this on a thread I created, not knowing this thread already existed. Sorry about that MIchael:

Just saw Kurosawa’s “Ran,” and thought it was perhaps the best adaptation of a Shakespeare work ever. It really worked in this film, and the colors – the reds, the blues and the greens – were absolutely captivating.

A couple of other adaptations that are among my faves: “My Own Private Idaho,” “O” and “Throne of Blood.”

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The Immortality of Italian Neorealism about 3 years ago

Italian neorealism is dark, it’s bleak, it leaves you contemplating the grim nature of the world, man’s despair in facing his own mortality, worth and contribution to society. Of course, I love it.

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Let the Right One In about 3 years ago

This is one of my favorite films this year, if not this decade. What an amazing take on the vampire film. The cinematography was breathtaking. So melancholic, and such good performances and direction.

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Do You Like Wes Anderson? about 3 years ago

You’ll either love this guy’s work or you’ll hate it. I don’t find too many “in betweens” when it comes to Anderson. I fall in the “love him” camp. His incorporation of theater into his films, his colorful and eccentric characters and his original and well-crafted stories make for some of the most unique films to have graced the screen in the last 20 years. A real gem. My personla favorites are “The Royal Tanenbaums” and “Rushmore,” in that order. Owen Wilson factors heavily into Anderson’s work, too, for partially penning Tanenbaums.

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SEXUALITY, EROTICISM, PORNOGRAPHY & REPRESSION IN FILM about 3 years ago

I believe sex is used either for exploitation purposes to sell movies or to illustrate underlying themes of masculinity, female empowerment or the complexities of the sexual dynamic in modern society. Sam Peckinpah did this brilliantly with “Straw Dogs,” Kubrick with “Eyes Wide Shut” and Pasolini with “Salo.”

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Most violent films you've seen about 3 years ago

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. It’s one that literally made my stomach turn.

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blaxploitation about 3 years ago

The Harder They Come is my personal favorite. I love Jimmy Cliff and always thought Bob Marley stole all the thunder, and for good reason. But Cliff put out some really catchy rhythms, and the film itself caught a perfect snapshot of Jamaican reefer culture.

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Opinions of Van Sant? about 3 years ago

Van Sant rules because he can make the films he wants. Some of his films will connect and others won’t. People in general are multifaceted, and Van Sant is one unique guy with some pretty gritty personal demons, as his work makes obvious, in particularly “Mala Noche” and “My Own Private Idaho,” perhaps his two most personal films. In a way, “Idaho” could be considered a sequel to “Noche.” Phoenix’s character in “Idaho” was originally supposed to be a 13-year-old Puerto Rican boy. Anyway, I loved the originality, grit and tragedy that oozed from “Idaho” and Van Sant’s signature incorporation of still photography into moving picture. Amazing, groundbreaking stuff. Drugstore Cowboy is another great film, albeit more mainstream friendly, though there’s certainly nothing wrong with that.

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Opinions of Van Sant? about 3 years ago

Van Sant rules because he can make the films he wants. Some of his films will connect and others won’t. People in general are multifaceted, and Van Sant is one unique guy with some pretty gritty personal demons, as his work makes obvious, in particularly “Mala Noche” and “My Own Private Idaho,” perhaps his two most personal films. In a way, “Idaho” could be considered a sequel to “Noche.” Phoenix’s character in “Idaho” was originally supposed to be a 13-year-old Puerto Rican boy. Anyway, I loved the originality, grit and tragedy that oozed from “Idaho” and Van Sant’s signature incorporation of still photography into moving picture. Amazing, groundbreaking stuff. Drugstore Cowboy is another great film, albeit more mainstream friendly, though there’s certainly nothing wrong with that.

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Opinions of Van Sant? about 3 years ago

Hmmm, two in one shot. Sorry, itchy trigger finger I guess.

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what actors do you consider creepy? about 3 years ago

BILLY BOB THORNTON (He necessitates all caps)
Willem Dafoe
Christopher Plummer
Nicolas Cage
Robert De Niro

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Benjamin Button!?!? What the Hell? about 3 years ago

People really like to complain a lot about this film for some reason. Who cares if Criterion is releasing Benjamin Button? It’s nowhere near as bad as some of the other ones I’ve seen in the collection, and I will not repeat those titles because I know you all know what they are, for they appear to have gotten their equal share of gripes in this forum as well. I recommend Criterion release “Showgirls.”

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Thoughts on 'Donnie Darko' about 3 years ago

Could someone please tell me what the significance of Frank the Bunny is?

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Philip Kaufman's Greatest film to date: about 3 years ago

The Right Stuff. No more need be said.

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The Girlfriend Experience about 3 years ago

And now he’s copying Roger Corman by putting a porn star in his movie. Could it be dismissed as coincidence that Marilyn Chambers, who appeared in Corman’s “Rabid,” just died? Hmmmm! Hope it doesn’t suck, literally.

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Thoughts on 'Donnie Darko' about 3 years ago

I think this film is the 2001: A Space Odyssey for a new generation. The more you watch it, the better it gets, and the more meaning you find in it. At least that’s what it’s like for me.

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Action movies that deserve to be in the Criterion Collection about 3 years ago

Michael Mann’s Collateral – I can see a great special feature on the nightclub scene alone. Perhaps the best action sequence in film in recent memory.

T2 – Before the Matrix, this film redefined special effects in film and threw down the gauntlet for the next film, which is . . .

The Matrix – It spawned two horrible sequels. They should have left well enough alone. This one does it. The second-best action film of the 90s, hands down.

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Action movies that deserve to be in the Criterion Collection about 3 years ago

Michael Mann’s Collateral – I can see a great special feature on the nightclub scene alone. Perhaps the best action sequence in film in recent memory.

T2 – Before the Matrix, this film redefined special effects in film and threw down the gauntlet for the next film, which is . . .

The Matrix – It spawned two horrible sequels. They should have left well enough alone. This one does it. The second-best action film of the 90s, hands down.

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Crash (1996) about 3 years ago

Stupid movie. Cronenberg is a disgusting freak. Why anyone would watch his misogynistic, freak-sex films is beyond me. And people think this guy’s actually an artist.

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CRITICAL OF ONE'S OWN PEOPLE. CRITICAL OF ONE'S OWN TIME about 3 years ago

Uh, OK. Is this the ESL thread?

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BREAKING BAD about 3 years ago

This show rules! The only decent thing on tv that’s not in syndication.

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Dazed and Confused about 3 years ago

My favorite character is Slater, despite the “stoner caricature,” it works here.

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MOVIES TO WATCH WHEN YOU'RE PISSED about 3 years ago

Mary Poppins!

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Crash (1996) about 3 years ago

Well, if that’s what floats your boat. Meanwhile, back on the farm . . .

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Dazed and Confused about 3 years ago

Yeah, and you know it’s pretty bad when Linklater had the animation to help suspend that disbelief in “Darkly.” I don’t think Kubrick would have been able to get a decent performance out of that tree stump.

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Crash (1996) about 3 years ago

Nay, don’t want to waste my time on this guy. If you like his films, great. Like I said, “Whatever floats your boat.” But watch “Dead Ringers” and maybe you’ll know what I’m talking about.

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film related tattoos about 3 years ago

Tattoos are sooo 2001. You all realize they’re for trendy followers, right?

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Criterion Coming Soon and Discussion about 3 years ago

Brandon – You some sort of industry insider? Where are you finding this stuff out?

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