Film Snobs: Ghostwritten by Ben Affleck's 70s Beard

Just when you thought they couldn't dig any deeper at the bottom of the barrel, they dig deep, punch through the bottom, keep digging, and resurface on the other side of the earth:

http://www.avclub.com/articles/supermarket-brands-sponsored-case-file-34-foodfig...

Thanks. I heard you the first time.

Stupid double posting.

Mark Kermode on "silent" cinema:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01qv1tt

Watched old sci fi film "Marooned" last night. Over-long and over-earnest. Gregory Peck impersonating a long, skinny tree limb. Emoting like granite. Richard Crenna comes off best and how Gene Hackman's character "Buzz" made it into the astronaut program with his twitchy temperament is a mystery to this Apollo buff.

Pretty dull throughout.

6: Gregory Peck impersonating a long, skinny tree limb. (Obligatory John Kerry reference)

Definitely separated at birth.

Little Stevie, still trying to line himself up with the immortals. Too bad the vast majority of his movies pander to audiences in a manner that would have revolted the Master:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21652878

The last line of the article made me gag: "The late filmmaker (Kubrick) is famed for his obsessive perfectionism, so his estate should find comfort working in the able hands of Spielberg," it said.

9: Meh, I'd be outraged, but then I realized it's a total waste of energy.

Little Stevie? Seriously, Cliff? Either 1: Get over yourself, or 2: Grow the hell up!

So what's the proper term instead of little Stevie, groyser tzuleyger?

I believe it's "Steven Spielberg".

I also like the work of his non-union Mexican equivalent, Senor Spielbergo.

12: Senor Spielbergo did direct that wonderful film starring Mr. Burns (not Cliff, though).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Keczuw7qo28

On the latest adaptation of THE GREAT GATSBY, directed by Baz Luhrman:

"The Great Gatsby features songs by Jack White and rapper Jay-Z - who is also due to attend the opening at Cannes..."

Huh?

14: Jack White and Jay-Z are part of something called rock and/or roll music. It all went downhill in the 1950s:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YkT-Cutz9s

Personally, I'd rather watch a Bela Tarr film festival ... without subtitles.

Room 237 free online:

http://documentaryheaven.com/room-237/

My son and his creative pal have their new short film up on Vimeo. Support a couple of fine young artistes:

https://vimeo.com/62587166#at=0

Watched the original (1978) version of "Piranha" last night. One of my favorite character actors, Bradford Dillman, was pretty terrible but I enjoyed the film. And, for a change, Sherron didn't fall asleep halfway through.

And, for the record, this film was written by none other than John Sayles and directed by Joe Dante. Both of whom went on to bigger and better things.

Best of the Worst: Red Letter Media mines some cinema gold:

http://redlettermedia.com/best-of-the-worst-deadly-prey-hard-ticket-to-hawaii-an...

I watched The Poker House which was just a well made flick except for the fact that it was an autobiographical tale about the director and author Lori Petty {Tank Girl & other movies}which made the whole thing a bit gut wrenching and angry for me. I thought I would mention it here because of the sharp contrast of the quality film she directed as opposed to the slick commercial films she has acted in. Amazing how some people can cope with the most dire circumstances.

Seen a few films of varying quality...

The Valet, a French comedy. Reminds me why I watch comedies in the first place. I grinned all the way through it, a rarity with me.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age, a costume drama. Pompous, overblown, heavyhanded in symbology, obnoxious in musical score, nice to look at but very disappointing compared to the original. I really don't know why Shekhar Kapur bothered, unless it was for the extra cash. Samantha Morton did make for an awesome Mary, Queen of Scots though.

The Getaway, based on a Jim Thompson novel. Not as good as I'd hoped - Ali MacGraw can't act. I ended up viewing most of the film with eyebrow raised. Only passable. I really hope Peckinpah's other stuff is better.

Posted without commentary:

http://www.cracked.com/article_20347_5-fan-theories-that-make-classic-movies-eve...

Watched Charlie Chaplin's "A King in New York". Sentimental and preachy. One or two good bits but it's a film made by an old man...and it shows.

Watched "Serpico" last night, for the first time in 25-30 years.

Still packs a wallop, Pacino and great supporting players. I like Sidney Lumet's economical direction too. Good "Bonus" material, including two featurettes on the making of the film.

The Ballad of Narayama (1958). The plot is boring and the characters exasperating but the imagery and the theatrical style were just absolutely brilliant.

http://www.criterion.com/films/28240-the-ballad-of-narayama

I earned my cinematic stripes last night, enduring Bela Tarr's "The Turin Horse".

For those of you who find Antonioni films and Stanley's Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon" too fast-paced.

I understand what Tarr was trying to achieve, showing us the relentlessly hard life of father and daughter, but did it have to be at viewers' expense? Not terrible, by any means, but unnecessarily ponderous, repetitious and, yep, dull.

Agree. It felt like a test of strength. Very elegant but very mean.

And the art is in portraying interminable, dull lives without, y'know, making the film itself seem dull and interminable. And there Tarr fails miserably.

Yes. Compare and contrast: The Spirit of the Beehive by Victor Erice, now playing on Hulu-Criterion. A movie about life in a small town immediately following the Spanish Civil War. Very little plot or dialogue, just small incidents that suggest a story. Beautiful and humane. My two thumbs and my two toes up.

http://www.hulu.com/movies/criterion

Won't play in Canada, drat it. But I shall take note of the title.

30: Criticizing Bela Tarr? Is that allowed? I mean, is "Turin Horse" any worse than the last half hour of "AI"?

I guess I'd earn my Film Snob Heretic stripes by liking "AI" and "Minority Report." Then again, I've always relished the role of contrarian. (Note: Not everything Spielberg makes is great. I enjoy poking the beehive of groupthink, but I'm no Armond White middlebrow apologist.)

Watched "You Only Live Twice" last night. Sherron fell asleep halfway through and I wish I'd done the same thing.

Godawful movie. Slow-moving, meandering, dumb even for a Bond film (and they're all pretty dumb when you get right down to it). Not a single redeeming feature I can think of. Except for the babes, of course. But they were just set dressing...

Fanny and Alexander. I didn't remember it was this odd. Very restrained tone but with many fantasy elements, an unusual mix. And beautiful to watch.

Recently watched Powwow Highway for the first time - it was really great. Even Chris, who is a cynical person who can spot a plot point from a mile away, had to admit it was a great time.

Now Cliff can read easy:

http://www.cracked.com/article_20406_5-reasons-superhero-movies-are-bubble-that-...

He can save his bile aimed at superhero movies and devote his time to more relevant matters, like writing strongly worded missives to JJ Abrams about the Star Wars franchise. Rage, rage, rage against the dying of the light, homey.

I wish.

Watched the remake of Total Recall last night. Not impressed. The parts of the planet left inhabited are the United Federation of Britain (sic) and the Colony (ie, Australia). And yet most people speak with American accents. At one point, Quaid and love-interest leave the UFB on a secret sealed underground train... which takes them into a toxic derelict London. But the map of the Earth in opening sequence shows most of the UK inhabited... Oh, and the UFB and Australia are connected by a single tunnel through the Earth's core, and halfway through the journey those aboard the skyscraper-like vehicle which travels through the tunnel experience zero gravity. The tunnel, incidentally, doesn't appear to be sealed or in vacuum.

Steven Soderbergh on the state of film today:

http://www.deadline.com/2013/04/steven-soderbergh-state-of-cinema-address/

(Thanks, Gord)

Piece on Scorsese. Note his quote on British film-maker Michael Powell:

http://www.neh.gov/humanities/2013/marchapril/feature/love-and-resolution-apprec...

Scorsese on Powell: “He never wavered. That was one of his greatest qualities and, for me, his most cherished legacy. He was steadfast. He reassured that in me most of all: You believe in an idea, a concept, a story, a statement you want to make, and that’s the foundation of the film. You do not waver from it. Whether it takes you all the way down, whether it takes you to the edge, then pushes you off, even to the point of not making another picture for thirty years, you do not waver. You’d better make that picture, even if you know it’s suicide.”

High praise.

Sean Penn and Crispin Glover in drag in 80s cult film:

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/the_beaver_trilogy_young_sean_penn_crispin_gl...

One reason we have Goodyear tires but not swastika spinning hubcap tires; new{ly restored}, good quality, film of the Hindenburg posted at The Public Domain Review.
http://publicdomainreview.org/2012/08/26/the-hindenburg-explodes-1937/

Isn't it wonderful the way corporations and artistes both bend over backwards to peddle their fucking wares to the Chinese?

Hollywood lately in the spotlight, even Tarantino cutting "Django" to please Chinese censors. So much for artistic integrity, eh? Not when there's a potential marketplace of nearly 2 billion people at stake.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22522580

Neither of those changes seem to be particularly important to the integrity of the film, actually. I am absolutely against censorship, but making blood spatter slightly lower in a frame of a Tarantino film does not really spark on my outrage meter.

How about the 20+ minutes cut from "Cloud Atlas"? The political adjustments to "SkyFall"? Not troubling?

And if I was Tarantino, I would make a VERY public statement that any changes to "Django" are contrary to my wishes and made at the insistence of the studio and film's producers to ingratiate themselves to tyrants. Wouldn't touch the film--let Sony do the dirty work and take the heat.

42: What does artistic integrity have to do with the Chinese subjects of a totalitarian regime? Totalitarians are mainly philistines, like their capitalist counterparts. Besides, China owns a large amount of US debt. Debtors usually don't want make their creditor overlords angry. This isn't a simple matter of compromised aesthetics.

On that note, here's something for the real Kubrick fan:

http://www.avclub.com/articles/you-can-now-buy-a-reproduction-of-the-phallic-scu...

44: I guess I don't know all that much about the history of film but I had the impression that film censorship is still very much a thing in most countries. In the US I know that the rating system by the MPAA functions about the same as having an official government censor - even people like Tarantino have to compromise with the MPAA board in order to not have an X rating, for example. I also understand that the public broadcasting standards for TV and radio are heavy on censorship of certain things like swearing, nudity etc.

When I lived in Egypt and got Saudi satellite TV, and I would watch their broadcasts of American films, it was pretty interesting how much got cut out. I remember (and have probably shared this "cool story bro" about a hundred times, sorry) that "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" was really super short once they'd cut out all the sex/nudity. It also made a hell of a lot less sense due to the fact that there is a fair amount of dialogue during the sex scenes.

It would be great to discuss the topic some more, as I would probably learn a lot from all you film buffs.

You're right, every country has censors--but artists shouldn't collude with them. Ever. Call them out every time they start brandishing their scissors.

My father watched a censored version of "The Crying Game" in the UAE, and the scene where Jaye Davison reveals himself was cut. So my dad didn't understand what all the fuss about the film was about.

48: Ha! Your story is cooler than mine.

47: From an email I just received today: "Remember the Academy Award-winning film Zero Dark Thirty? Well, last week news broke that the CIA edited the film’s script to make sure that it didn’t portray the “enhanced interrogation” program in a way that would make the agency look bad."

49: Unless one is incredibly naive or an ideological fanatic, who would think the CIA is in any way an institution with any moral purity? The CIA's PR concerns are downright laughable. "We orchestrate coups and waterboard people, but they are family-friendly coups and waterboardings!" Who heads the CIA's PR division, Buster Bluth?

So do you think it should censor films, or not?

Watched Once upon a time in Anatolia last weekend. Excellent film. I would guess more the Spirit of the Beehive end of the spectrum rather than the Bela Tarr end (although I did quite like Satantango)...

51: I'd like to see it try and then get sued. Then again, since most Hollywood films are made in Canada, they can go around the edict that forbids the CIA from working within the US. But Hollywood is still about show BUSINESS, even if that business is with a billion-strong dictatorship. Let's just say I'm not too concerned about Adam Sandler's artistic integrity in this matter.

Re: Our discussion about film directors and producers trimming/censoring their films to suit the Chinese marketplace. A few comments from Sir Alan Parker, recently broadcast on BBC:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-radio-and-tv-22552460

I saw and enjoyed Iron Man 3. It helps that it was written and directed by Shane Black, who did Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Also over the weekend, I saw the 2000 political drama, The Contender, starring Gary Oldman, Joan Allen, and Jeff Bridges as President The Dude (since Lebowski came out in 1998). Very smart and a little morbidly funny, since Allen was an pro-gun control atheist vice presidential candidate. Yeah, that'll never happen. Pure fantasy, but an amusing thought. Americans much prefer their elected officials to be dry-humping a cross made of solid gold.

Get on with it, Film Snobs!

http://www.avclub.com/articles/get-involved-internet-help-complete-an-andrei-tar...

Beasts of the Southern Wild: The little girl is brilliant and the movie has some very unique imagery. It is very original and I'm glad that it made to mainstream. On the other hand this earth-mother-civilization-is-bad-we-are-more-real-than-you kind of thing gets my cynical juices going.

Plus every time I see the title I hear Kansas singing People of the Southern Wind. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZz5TaNDrOU

The movie "Soldier" as B-movie poetry:

http://www.avclub.com/articles/soldiers-scifi-western-is-inadvertent-bmovie-poet...

Loved 'Soldier'. Kurt Russell's performance was very good. The scene near the end where he picks the little boy up - the expression on his face spoke volumes.

"A newly released, captivating film clip brings to colorful life the streets of New York City—in the summer of 1939. You read that right: The color footage, which comes from Romano-Archives and was recently released on the Web, is 74 years old."

The article has a link to the above mentioned clip. Having never been to NYC I would have believed it was made last week.
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/see-1939-york-city-vibrant-color-210550705.h...

Good piece on Werner Herzog:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/jun/01/werner-herzog-dark-films

(Thanks, Gord)

Number one at the box office this week? "Fast & Furious 6".

'Nuff said.

#62 It must really difficult to turn down a paycheck the size of which those flicks generate. "Just send all those complaints to my address in Maui" is probably a prevailing attitude.

Watched the 2003 television adaptation of Sons and Lovers and was not impressed. It was more Barbara Taylor Bradford than DH Lawrence. Neither Miriam nor Clara seemed like the same characters from the book, Walter was pretty much written out after the first 30 minutes, and everyone seem far more petulant than they did in the novel. The sets weren't especially convincing either - and that's by someone who remembers Nottinghamshire working-class homes as late as the early 1970s...

Resurrect Ken Russell.

P.S. What's going on in the UK with Samantha C. and Boris J.? Does everyone know even though they can't publish it? Enquiring minds wish to know.

No idea. Don't much care. I despise Boris Johnson.

Well if it brings down the Cameron government it would be no bad thing. It amazes me than in the 21st century the country is still being run by upper class twits.

62: That's what Netflix is for. The plot looks ridiculous, then again, it has Michelle Rodriguez in it.

Cliff's reaction brings to mind this passage from the movie reviews at Somethingawful:

"Somewhere in the world, someone is complaining that the vehicular warfare depicted in this movie between five nitrous-enhanced muscle cars with attached firearms and a stolen military-grade tank down a busy highway filled with civilians and suspiciously few police isn't realistic enough. This person is an idiot. Don't be this person." - A Public Service Announcement from People Who Understand How Movies Work.

http://www.somethingawful.com/d/current-movie-reviews/fast-furious-peeples.php

Its a film aimed at dumb teenagers and the world has a lot of dumb teenagers. I'd save my bile for fan fiction writers and JJ Abrams.

Watched The Great Gatsby, not Luhrmann - an old A&E release (forever behind the times as I am) with Mira Sorvino. Very nice. A faithful adaptation that nevertheless improved upon the book - since the book is so very short and surface-oriented, it is actually more entertaining and thought-provoking on the screen (sacrilege, I know). Surprisingly low-key. Glad I watched it.

The Master by Paul Thomas Anderson. Very impressive, despite a weak ending. Great acting, great cinematography. It had verve.

Saw an art-film masquerading as a costume drama called The Serpent's Kiss, with Ewan MacGregor, Greta Scacchi and Richard E. Grant. Rural estate, imposter gardener, mad young lady, vengeance-seeking wastrel, verbal eroticism and the poems of Andrew Marvell. What a blast. It avoided the typical character treatments and crescendos of Hollywood and of course it looked great.

In the mood for a thriller, so it was Point of No Return, the American remake of La Femme Nikita (which I haven't seen). The plot was kind of dopey and predictable but engrossing at points and I loved the cast. Gabriel Byrne and Harvey Keitel were the big attraction before I watched it but I thought Bridget Fonda did a good job as well and I enjoyed her chemistry with Byrne.

Watched The White Ribbon, written & directed by Michael Haneke

According to wiki - p Haneke claims it shows "the origin of every type of terrorism, be it of political or religious nature."

Which may or may not be true. But a nice piece of film making all the same.

Have that Haneke film downstairs--gotta watch it soon.

Watched "Raging Bull" last night with Sam, our youngest, a film-maker in development. His first time seeing the film but even after the fifth or sixth time through, I still found it mesmerizing. Good discussion about it afterward. Smart lad...

Watched "Iron Sky" and thought it great fun. It was actually a lot less campy than I expected. Loved the design and steampunk-style Nazi airships.

74 de Niro, Scorcese and Schrader in their pomp and Pesci before he started playing it for laughs.

Haneke is one of the most interesting directors currently making films. I have every film he's made on DVD, except the US remake of Funny Games. Which reminds me, I really must get around to watching Amour...

We watched an oldie last night, They Might be Giants, I had never seen it before, I thought it was a well-done absurdist plot, and touching.

"They Might be Giants" is a fave around Casa Burns, as well.

> 75: I have this horrible feeling that the "Let us help" speech that the Nazi woman gives President Palin when she's pitching the concept might just be a translation of one of Hitler's. I wouldn't put it past them to find something that reasonable-sounding and inspirational...

> #75 I thought Iron Sky was great {it is now on Netflix}, I had expected an amateurish production but like you say the special effects were as good as they come IMOHO. I thought helium 3 was a contrivance for the movie until I looked it up on wiki - still learning stuff from SF.

I also think Iron Sky was awesome. "The Space Nazi turned me white!" Classic. It also had a wonderful ending that somehow transcended the campiness.

"The Kids in the Hall" on appreciation of great cinematic writing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPunyM6eiPo

Saw the Star Trek reboot, directed by JJ Abrams. Let me put it this way: Not as bad as Michael Bay's Transformers, but not nearly as good as the recent Iron Man films. As a caveat: I've always been more of a Star Wars fan than a Star Trek fan (at least until the prequels) and I've found the original Star Trek series had glacial pacing and TNG never held my interest.

Watched a bonkers brains-swapping Czech comedy from 1970 last night. "Pane, vy jste vdova!" ("Sir, you are widow!") was immensely silly but had a couple of laugh-out-loud moments. Also watched "Sound of My Voice", Brit Marling's second film. It was very good. Her third film, "The East", has been getting good notices at the cinema. She's definitely proving a name to watch.

Orson Welles' lost tapes:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/jun/29/orson-welles-criticism-hollywood-star...

86: "Rosebud ... Frozen Peas":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH1PJTY9AVA

Gotta love The Critic

Watched "Liar's Autobiography", the animated adaptation of Graham Chapman's memoir. I'd heard some spotty reviews but we found it quite good and the accompanying featurette was also fun.

#88 I have that on my Netflix list, thanks for the heads up.

Enjoy! No true Python-ite will be disappointed by "Liar's Autobiography".

Went in to Saskatoon yesterday, got a few good books, saw two good films, reviewed 'em here:

http://cinemaarete.wordpress.com/2013/07/07/mud-and-the-angels-share-movie-revie...

Chris and I just watched a 1995 Depp vehicle, "Dead Man." Shot in black and white with lots of cool and rather accurate footage of native american stuff. We liked it. Apparently it was panned at the time because it is rather bleak and not your typical Western. The main reason I made Chris pull it up on Netflix was that it was Robert Mitchum's last film, and he is my favorite bad guy actor of all time.

ETA: The other reason I really wanted to watch it was Gary Farmer, who I adore.

Doesn't "Dead Man" have a guitar-laced soundtrack by Neil Young?

Yes, yes it does.

Think I have an old cassette--not much of a Jarmusch fan but I have fond recollections of the soundtrack. It had snippets of dialogue, including a short scene featuring a very cranky-sounding Billy Bob Thornton...

Yes, he has a cameo.

Although Chris is a very enthusiastic Neil Young fan we actually found the guitar riffs a little off-putting, because the score was much louder than the dialog, so we were constantly having to mess with the volume in order to hear the people talk and then not get blasted with guitar.

I want to give a plug to a little sleeper of a film Sherron and I watched the other night. It's called "Special", written and directed by Hal Haberman and Jeremy Passmore. Featuring an excellent Michael Rappaport and a no-name cast.

The plot: man volunteers to take part in a trial of a new pharmaceutical drug and discovers he has super powers. But...are they all in his mind? Smart and charming film, took us by surprise. Recommended.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo18EMnTY6o

A dud the other night, a thriller that wasn't--"Franklyn", a film that really didn't know what it was doing. Even the silly noir-ish narration tacked on (a la "Blade Runner") didn't help. A decent cast, including Sam Riley, but the story makes no sense, the visual design the only interesting thing about the show.

Re watched Withnail and I. It seems rather slow and mannered (as opposed to lightly subversive) by today's standard, but I still enjoyed it. My boys! My boys!

One of my faves--the first 1/2 of that movie is about as funny as it gets.

Saw Being John Malkovich. I was expecting a mind-warping comedy. Instead it was a warped horror story. All the good jokes were in the trailer, everything else in the film was a story of grotesque personal violation and parasitism. Worse yet, it didn't have ANYTHING interesting to say about any of it. I was anticipating all sorts of ideas about identity and perception but Spike Jonze didn't deliver anything except wacky hijinks surrounding bodysnatching and voyeurism. To top it all, it had been on my queue for ages. I feel ripped off.

#101: I've always thought Charlie Kaufman over-rated, myself.

But be of good cheer, the original "Wicker Man" is about to be re-released, restored and uncut:

http://www.liveforfilms.com/2013/07/23/original-print-of-the-wicker-man-has-been...

(Thanks, Gord)

The remake being the worst in a long line of bad Nick Cage movies.

Remakes...a pox on them.

102: Guess I should avoid Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?

My wife liked that one...and you're dealing with a superior director (Michel Gondry). Personally, haven't seen it but I know it has its following (as does Kaufman, he just ain't my cup of tea--there's something contrived about his visions).

I liked "Sunshine."

I just saw the original "Bedazzled" with Dudley Moore for the first time. I have to work with some people who remind me of Satan with the loophole thing.

I had seen the Brendan Frazier remake when it came out. I liked both of them, to tell you the truth, but I am sort of a film gourmand.

102: But be of good cheer, the original "Wicker Man" is about to be re-released, restored and uncut

Finally! Good to know someone in Hollywood is reading all my suggestions.

I'm not the only one sick of CGI:

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20130730-special-effects-get-physical-agai

Hey, everyone! We can expect 3 more "Avatar" films!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23546537

Love this quote:

"In writing the new films, I've come to realize that Avatar's world, story and characters have become even richer than I anticipated," Cameron said in a statement.

D'you think ol' Jimmy is smart enough to intend that to be, er, ironic?

110: Your childishness doesn't even merit a response.

***

David Lynch's guide to filmmaking:

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/david_lynchs_guide

110: To me the last sentence said it all: "Last year, Sigourney Weaver said she will appear in the sequel, despite her character dying in the first instalment."
We shouldn't be surprised or even annoyed about this kind of thing. Hollywood is a business, and Avatar may have been a "bad film," but it made a lot of money. At least for the sequels, they have realized it might be a good idea to have screenwriters involved. Not that any of them wrote anything I would watch. But these movies are not aimed at me. Someone will probably enjoy them.

Apologies for responding to your childishness.

110: The three Avatar sequels isn't even news. What is this, Facebook? But hey, let's gum up threads with bitching and whining rather than talking about, say, good movies and stuff.

Never seen Avatar in the first place nor plan to. Titanic IS on the queue (hey, Kate Winslet fan).

Seen a couple of action movies, a rewatch of The Thirteenth Warrior and Mission Kashmir, a Bollywood-meets-Terrorism film that didn't work too well. Some things just shouldn't be mixed. I did kind of like the film despite it having some of the dopiest love songs on the planet and way over-the-top acting. I do wish the ending had been darker than it was. That would have made me more likely to rewatch it. Still, not a waste of time.

"13th Warrior" is a fun film--people really missed that one when it came out. It had a fraught production and release history--seems someone at the studio lost faith it. Too bad, it's miles beyond most action-adventure flicks these days.

What I remember was how handsome the Viking king was. Who was that actor?

This fella?

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474520/?ref_=tt_cl_t2

He doesn't seem to have aged all that well.

Looks like Sting after a particularly harrowing day of philanthropy and lute playing....

#115 Was it "13th Warrior" where they had the sequence of the odd guy out {Antonio Banderas} finally learning to speak the language while sitting around a campfire? I thought that was excellently done with the audio segue from unintelligible gibberish to understanding the language. That seemed to come from someone's experience at learning a new language to me, it was so vivid. I don't know of any other film that went to the effort, at least with the skill that makes me remember that scene but not a lot else in the movie other than I enjoyed it thoroughly. I am surprised no one has copied the scene technique, I know I certainly would.

::Dodging rotten fruit::: I liked Avatar and was too engrossed in the movie to pick apart cliches or flaws. Any sequels seem a lifetime away however at this stage of the game. ;-)

I recall that scene and, you're right, it was exceptionally well-handled.

Gradually, he begins to understand their rough lingo and one night unexpectedly responds to an insulting rejoinder with one of his own. Their reactions are wonderful...

Put this one in your NetFlix lists, folks, along with "Near Dark" and "Let's Scare Jessica To Death". Neglected classics, every one...

Regarding 13th Warrior, I liked it too. My Egyptian American kids enjoyed the idea of an Arab explorer protagonist, and the Omar Sharif cameo at the beginning. I would like to watch it again. I think it is based on a Crichton novel?

Indeed, EATERS OF THE DEAD.

But don't hold that against it.

Not all his novels were that terrible. I definitely don't hold it against the film!

Sometimes a not so good book can make a great movie.

See: "Jaws" and "The Godfather".

Also, The Committments and Marnie.

HATED "Marnie"--like most Hitchcock, it left me incredulous and emotionally cold.

I like Marnie. But the book really is terrible.

128: I know. If it's one thing I can identify with the cinematic oeuvre of Hitchcock is his warmth and humanity. Watching Psycho just left me all warm and fuzzy inside. It was like a My Little Pony episode, but with more stabbing.

Watched Orson Welles' adaptation of "Othello" last night. Welles had to make some hard aesthetic decisions, take some shortcuts due to constant financing woes but I think the adaptation, though flawed, contains enormous power and beauty. I was very impressed. Never much cared for his version of "Macbeth" but "Othello" and "Chimes At Midnight" prove he knew his Shakespeare.

Watched another A&E called Catherine the Great starring Catherine Zeta-Jones (so I already had the red flags going up before I even sat down with the thing). That lady can't act worth a damn (begging your pardon, fans). Also, the "film" was actually an edited miniseries. Also, seemingly the whole budget was spent on A-list costumes and actors, leaving script and direction in a wooden state. Boring and clumsy from start to finish. Rotten excuse for a costume drama. It was that or Mighty Joe Young - man, I wish I'd chosen the ape...

Footage from "The Day the Clown Cried", directed by Jerry Lewis:

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/holy_shit_holy_grail_bts_footage_from_jerry_l...

A cinematic gem is unearthed!

133: My Flemish is a bit rusty, but I got most of it. Never been a fan of Jerry Lewis, but this was interesting.

I just watched a movie on Netflix , Starlet, which I enjoyed a lot. My motivation was the ad which showed a lot of leg {leg man here} but the "independent" film was nuanced and instead of deleting the film after 5 minutes I watched it through - with interruptions over a weekend. There is a short bit of explicit content but oddly not salacious. I looked up info on the movie after watching it and was surprised at the chops of the lead actress, Dree Hemingway, who "Trained in classical Shakespearean acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London" according to IMDb. A co star who really held her own was an 85 year old,Besedka Johnson, who passed away very recently and it was surprisingly her first film role. Worth a watch if that sort of thing floats your boat.

I watched Annie Hall, having never seen it before. All through it I kept saying, "Oh, THAT'S where that line is from..."

And last night it was Mighty Joe Young. Complete bonkers but it knew it was bonkers. When it got to the heroes driving past a burning children's home I laughed out loud. On the other hand, Harryhausen's work was great, even if Joe's facial expressions seemed more cartoonish than those of his later stuff. As usual, he got the audience on the side of the monster. Good popcorn flick (though I substituted cake for popcorn).

Jaws 3D, an underrated masterpiece:

http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-reasons-worst-jaws-movie-underrated-masterpiece/

Chris is on an early Woody Allen binge and I heroically sat through "Bananas." I informed him that the only other W.A. Film I am the slightest bit interested in seeing, ever, is "Love and Death." I am hoping he dies in the end?

Leave Her to Heaven - corny and queasy with the gorgeous Gene Tierney wearing the most unflattering clothes in almost every scene. Wardrobe must have hated her. Silliest courtroom scene I've ever sat through (even THE DOORS MADE ME DO IT!!! can't compare) and Vincent Price was wasted potential. Oh well.

The Whole Wide World - Renee Zellweger and Vincent D'Onofrio in a human-interest drama about Robert E. Howard. Perfection.

Pom Poko - the silliest Ghibli I've seen so far, and raccoon bollocks really were quite off-putting.

141: ... and raccoon bollocks really were quite off-putting.

Is this opinion from a cultural or sexual perspective? I've watched my share of Studio Ghibli movies and have noticed the anatomical accuracy of Catbus, but choose not to dwell on such filthy matters. Then again, the "butter scene" from Last Tango in Paris isn't without cinematic merit.

The raccoon bollocks in Pom Poko are really obvious, so much so they're used as weapons in one scene.

143: OK, now I'm genuinely interested. There's nothing not-interesting about weaponized genitalia.

The House I Live In- "From the dealer to the narcotics officer, the inmate to the federal judge, a penetrating look inside America's criminal justice system, revealing the profound human rights implications of U.S. drug policy."

As a documentary it felt a little bit sprawling and unfocused. It does have some excellent arguments and it does leave you thinking about what's the engine of this "war on drugs" thingy.

Seen a couple of excellent chillers, one being my first taste of Francis Ford Coppola, The Conversation. Creepy as hell, glacially paced (seems to be a given with 70s art-films), with an excellent twist. Biggest problem was Gene Hackman's surveillance man, supposed to be the best of the best and he's got no affiliates, no hardware, no street smarts and no initiative. Hence spending the film being walked over, a bit improbably.

Also saw the adaptation of Sarah Waters' Affinity, a stunningly good costume drama that deserves way more acclaim than it received. Another film containing an excellent twist (though the final five minutes should not have been included), and an impeccable gothic atmosphere thanks to being set in a landscape of Victorian séances and prisons. Deliciously grim evocation of desire.

146: A fine introduction to Coppola. For next steps, I'd suggest the Godfather trilogy. (Parts I and II for sure. Don't not see Part III, but it falls short of the first two, but those two films are some of the greatest modern movies ever made.) Also check out Apocalypse Now, Coppola at the height of his visionary power, hubris, insanity, and colossal budget overruns ... kinda like the very war it satirizes.

Saw Sleepy Hollow, by Tim Burton and the omnipresent Johnny Depp. Not a bad film -- it looks beautiful, especially the costuming and set design -- but it's just ... meh. Not cinematic genius like Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice, but not abominations like the Alice in Wonderland he directed. (I won't say "reboot" or "remake", since Alice in Wonderland has been adapted a bunch of times over the decades. Burton's just goes on the Sucky Pile.)

Finally catching up with this thread.... Some great suggestions here that I've added to our Netflix queue as well.

This past weekend, we watched The Reluctant Fundamentalist. I loved the book and was curious how they'd make that book-length monologue work as a movie. I think it might have been better if I had come to the movie without any knowledge of the book at all.

I wrote about the whole thing here and included the trailer: http://storyacious.com/movie-notes-reluctant-fundamentalist/

2 highlights:
1) Lead Riz Ahmed - his presence in every frame just keeps you glued
2) The music - Stunning Sufi song, contemporary Pakistani music and fusion Western compositions - all way better than Slumdog Millionaire. (I've added links in the post above if you want to hear)

147: Sleepy Hollow was a fine gothic vehicle that morphed into a cartoonish action-flick and buried its talent under a mountain of severed heads. My first and (possibly) my last experience with Burton.

I keep hearing that The Godfather is one of the greatest movies ever made. Nobody ever says why. I'll have to find a copy. Only other Coppola I've currently got to hand is Youth Without Youth, which as a Tim Roth fan I'm hoping will be good.

148: Thanks for the world music! Don't have time to hear it all at once but that sixteen minute qawwali song was excellent.

149: Man, you have the worst luck with movies. Yes, there are good Tim Burton movies, you just need to actually see them and not judge the man based on that accursed train wreck. That's like throwing the entire opus of Anthony Burgess away because Any Old Iron kinda sucked. You're doing yourself a disfavor.

I keep hearing that The Godfather is one of the greatest movies ever made. Nobody ever says why. Read Pauline Kael's write up of The Godfather films, all your questions will be answered. Granted, over the years the film has acquired sacred status among gangster film aficionados, but it deserves its place in the American film pantheon. The first film is an epic masterpiece and a critique of American capitalist corruption. The second film is both an immigrant's tale and the depiction of Michael Corleone's soul slowly rotting away amidst wealth and power.

>150 kswolff: - I agree re. The Godfather. There are so many great lines and monologues in that movie. Aside - An ex-boyfriend had so many of the movie's speeches/lines committed to memory that he often quoted them in normal conversation (in the right contexts, though, it still had the unsettling effect that I think he was after). I used to often tease him he'd give me the Hyman Roth speech when he wanted to end things with us (no, we didn't end like that, but it would have been one for the books if we had).

150: Well, I was thinking of trying Ed Wood someday, but Sleepy Hollow IS considered one of his best films and feeling totally underwhelmed by it and dismissive of Burton afterwards is at least partially justified. Maybe not. Maybe I should try earlier stuff before I shoot my mouth off. I do not treat Sam Peckinpah the same way, for instance, because all I've seen of his was The Getaway, nowhere near a major work.

Read Kael's review of The Godfather. Got my interest up, so thanks for the directions.

152: Sleepy Hollow considered one of Burton's best films? Um ... according to who? (Seriously, I'm totally ignorant of that film's alleged reputation.) And this is coming from someone who adores Burton's "Batman" movie ... and to a much lesser extent "Batman Returns." (Mainly due to my adolescence and Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman costume. What?)

But, as I might have said before, taste is a fickle, subjective beast. I enjoy David Lynch's critically acclaimed Blue Velvet and Eraserhead -- pretty garden variety film snob preferences -- but I also love Dune, Lynch's critical and commercial disaster. Some gonzo combination of lush set design, the costuming, Lynch's trademark psychological use of sound, the non-linear vision sequences, and way too many voice-overs.

151: I think a lot of us probably have exes that love to quote "The Godfather," but not to that extent. I personally prefer to quote from comedies...

>154 anna_in_pdx:: Anna, I'm hopeless at remembering lines, but I like your idea of quoting from comedies - indicative of a better relationship than one where quotes from The Godfather are flung about, I imagine. :)

Tim Burton is one of the most over-rated directors working in Hollywood. I don't think any of his films are that good. And I see now they've made a television series of "Sleepy Hollow".

#56 And it's dreadful.

Agreed. I watched because it was getting good preliminary press. Either they were paid off or something was in their coolade.

If this group could have a movie that embodies everything we hold dear, it would be this one:

http://www.avclub.com/articles/do-hollywood-movies-come-any-bleaker-than-they-sh...

No movie studio today would dare make a picture as bitter and hopeless as They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? That’s not exactly a bad thing—the movie is so unrelievedly pessimistic that only the most dedicated misanthrope could love it. But there’s something oddly bracing—noble, even—about a Hollywood picture that’s willing to say, without even a hint of soft-pedaling, that life isn’t worth living, and that it’s squalid, unfair, and disappointing.

Wonderful short film about creativity and eccentricity:

http://vimeo.com/13596774

Good-looking book on the creation and all too brief existence of Handmade Films:

http://io9.com/its-a-miracle-that-terry-gilliams-time-bandits-even-g-1332560707

King Missile on Martin Scorsese:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSfa56tjBQo

Watched Youth Without Youth. Every shot was a thing of beauty and I liked how it assumed its viewers are geniuses. A brave attempt at adapting an essentially unfilmable story and I spent most of the film dying to get my hands on the Mircea Eliade original. Good, unique score made with a host of foreign instruments. A bit uninvolving on the emotional level but I was getting used to that by the end, so a rewatch would probably improve my opinion of it.

163: Next steps in the Coppola filmography: The Godfather, Part I and II.

Saw The Perks of Being a Wallflower, directed by Stephen Chbosky, based on his own book. It was actually quite beautiful. Got to the heart of what it's like to be a high schooler -- trading mix tapes, first love, rampant homophobia, etc. Also, a phenomenal soundtrack -- Bowie, Smiths, L7, etc. -- and a luscious use of Bowie's "Heroes":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPH1I1-SUp4

And Emma Watson as Not-Hermione Granger.

Watched the latest version of "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" again this week.

Still incredible the second time through.

What a movie...

I agree. It is as if the director did everything he could to make the picture understated, so that only over time and after the event would the narrative release itself and fizz to the surface.

"Understated", yes, exactly.

And how often would you use that adjective to describe films these days? As opposed to "bombastic", "overblown", "excessive", "idiotic", etc.

167: As opposed to "bombastic", "overblown", "excessive", "idiotic", etc.

Although, to be fair, that would be an accurate and consistent description of your posts.

"Comanche Station" tonight. Well-crafted, beautifully photographed old western, directed by Budd Boetticher and starring the inimitable Randolph Scott.

Karl, dial it back, please. No ad hominems.

A pleasant surprise: the decidedly non-CGI, non-comic book film "Prisoners" is number one at the box office in America.

Watched "The History Boys" tonight--charming but not without flaws. Richard Griffiths and Clive Merrison both excellent.

National Film Board of Canada's top-grossing films:

http://blog.nfb.ca/blog/2013/10/02/nfb-biggest-box-office-successes/?utm_campaig...

Behind the scenes of your favorite movies:

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2aIwZO

Canada's greatest contribution to cinema ... THINGS!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiqSuC8KkNU

How about something different this Hallowe'en:

http://www.popmatters.com/post/175734-10-alternative-halloween-horror-films/

(Another find from "Gruesome" Gord)

American? Ms. Alice? Why, she's as Canadian as back bacon and hockey violence.

I'll wait and see if Ms. Munro mentions the Queen in her acceptance speech. Wouldn't hold my breath...

178: I thought Canada was in North America?

**re-checks map**

That would still make Ms. Munro, technically, an American author.

Still, it is nice to see the Nobel Committee break out of their shell and not nominate yet another Scandinavian poet. But Pynchon and Philip Roth go another year without the prize.

#182 Perhaps Carlos Fuentes would be more apt that Llosa.

Just saw the 2004 released SF movie Primer on Netflix & it was great! Jeez, it was made for $7,000 according to wiki. Other reviewers on LT liked the flick about accidental discovery of time travel & its paradoxes also.

When did the film thread get hijacked into the Nobel Prize thread?

Anyway, I saw Hysteria and it was ... um ... stimulating.

They must be film critics:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-24566287

#187 Now that's a movie!!!! I hope they got the fight scene with more than one camera. I am certain the ghost of Bruce Lee and the Ip Man were smiling while watching over the scene. Another capitalist exploiter foiled by the protective ki of the righteous.

"Another capitalist exploiter foiled by the protective ki of the righteous."

Brilliant.

Ho, ho, Bobby DeNiro in a car advert:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCPSNHkyzvc

(Thanks, Gord)

Watch the "movie that inspired '2001: A Space Odyssey'":

http://blog.nfb.ca/blog/2013/10/18/universe-kubrick-2001/?utm_campaign=122157_NF...

Seen a couple of action movies: The Matrix, which I hadn't expected much from. It was surprisingly awesome. Hasn't dated an inch visually, the love interest was refreshingly understated, the fight scenes were great fun and that was the best acting I've ever seen from Keanu Reeves.

Also watched One for the Money with my mom, which was quite well done as chick flicks go.

Back to my more usual fare with the old 90s adaptation of Les Miserables. Decent. No singing. Geoffrey Rush as Javert did the usual good job but the highlight was Uma Thurman's Fantine. Makeup was not afraid to make her look like hell and her performance cut to the bone.

Had the place to myself last night and finally got around to viewing "Lawless".

Moonshiners and gangsters, yeehaw!

Good performances, gritty look...well worth my time.

Tonight I'm off to see "Nosferatu", accompanied by musicians from the Saskatoon Symphony.

http://saskatoonsymphony.org/event/nosferatu-silent-movie-orchestral-event-sat-e...

A feast for cineastes.

I'll be writing about it on my film blog.

We're going to see 'Nosferatu' in Birmingham Town Hall at Halloween, with improvised organ accompaniment...

Good to see folks in Birmingham know how to get into the spirit.

It's not Birmingham, Alabama, where everyone is related to everyone else-- No, wait...

Randy Newman (well, one of his characters) responds to Ian.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0PZB6TWNw-o

My (brief) report on the latest installment of "Silence is Golden" at Saskatoon's Roxy Theater:

http://cinemaarete.wordpress.com/2013/10/27/the-original-schreck/

Nice work Cliff!

Rob Zombie loves silent movies:

http://www.avclub.com/articles/rob-zombie-on-loving-any-and-all-silent-movies,10...

(Thanks, Gord)

We watched the 1979 Warner Herzog Nosferatu film last night. I liked it, especially the creepiness and the Popul Vuh soundtrack. I have never seen a Herzog film before - Chris loves initiating me into weird directors. His next project is to have me watch Aguirre: The Wrath of God but that one might be a bit too disturbing for me.

To me, "Aguirre" is his best film, an absolutely must-see flick. Don't miss it!

#202 I saw the flick years ago & liked it though I found it a little depressing. During most of the movie however I was thinking "That's Klaus Kinski, the dad of Nastassja Kinski in the snake photo! That image was burned in my brain for a while for some reason.

https://people.creighton.edu/~cmb22326/375/Book%20Report/bookreport.html

204: Aha, that was why I knew her name so well. I was looking in her wiki entry and trying to explain to Chris why she was so famous. I got her mixed up with Ursula Andress for some reason and kept saying "wait, wasn't she a Bond girl?" but this is obviously what my senile brain was trying to remember.

And who could forget her turn in Cat People. Edited to get the right touchstone.

Halloween marathon: three days worth of scary films (scary for a wimp like me anyway).

The Mothman Prophecies - thoughtful, gorgeous to look at, Richard Gere doing a fine job in a dramatic role, reliant on atmosphere rather than jump scares. Very nice.

The Woman in Black - scared the bejeezus out of me, had to pause the film twice. All the scare tactics as old as the hills, too. Daniel Radcliffe was very expressive even while spending most of the film silent. Ciaran Hinds is a treat in anything. Swoonworthy set design. Did some cheap telegraphing but I was too freaked out to notice until the film was over and I was cooling down with Buffy's Halloween episode.

Speaking of Sarah Michelle Gellar, also watched The Return, a forgotten 2006 film doomed by the marketing committee. Supernatural murder mystery about the cyclical nature of life, Gellar magnificent as a dark, troubled waif haunted all her life by memories of someone else's death. Should have been longer with more character development but definitely a film I'm going to rewatch. Texan desolation in every shot. Horror fans hate it, I loved it. Go figure.

Also saw Horror of Dracula, the Hammer classic. Geez. Only of historical interest, mostly thanks to the use of overhead lights robbing it of even a split-second's worth of atmosphere. The Lugosi version had more mystery, menace and sultriness in any random minute of footage than is contained in the entirety of this B-flick. Much as I love Peter Cushing....

James Franco reviews Spring Breakers, starring James Franco, for Vice Magazine:

http://www.avclub.com/articles/franco-this-james-franco-writes-a-rave-review-of-...

Further proof we live in the Golden Age of Print.

Hidden western gem, now being re-released:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/61946/shoot-the-sun-down-directors-cut/

I'm an admitted western movie buff, but my pal Gord mentioned this one to me and I went "Hmmm?"

Interesting cinema-oriented site, Film School Rejects:

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/7WqJXS

Farewell Blockbuster Video (last 300 stores closing):

http://jordanandeddie.wordpress.com/2013/11/08/opinion-piece-why-we-should-miss-...

"Escape From Tomorrow"--cool new movie surreptitiously filmed at Disneyland and DisneyWorld. Have a look at the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nfU_5NWBoE

This one's currently playing at the Broadway Theatre so a big "head's up" to any of our members in the Saskatoon area.

I heard on the news that there will still be Blockbusters in Texas and Alaska because they have a different franchise owner.

#213 Yes and, due to their Republican Governors cutting education spending, they are too illiterate to use the Internet to download movies.

214: When did Internet usage presuppose literacy? If that was the case, then Matt Drudge and Alex Jones would be unemployed and poor.

Watched Elia Kazan's Panic in the Streets. Very good, if implausible, noir with a cast of hard-bitten, argumentative heroes and a great turn from Jack Palance as one of the scariest villains I've come across in old movies. Excellent camerawork. Not on the level with Out of the Past, but definitely a keeper.

Saw "Escape From Tomorrow" last night (alluded to in #212).

Not an altogether successful movie but intriguing and original. And an unrepentant Disney hater like me was delighted by the concept of using the Magic Kingdom as the backdrop for a surreal horror movie.

Watched "Harold and Maude" for the first time in over 20 years. Cried like a baby. Chris and I are on a "let's watch films we saw when we were a lot younger" kind of kick, we also watched "The Fisher King" last week.

"Harold & Maude"--one of Sherron's favorites.

Here's my review of "Escape From Tomorrow"--for those who might be willing to give a brave l'il indie flick a look:

http://cinemaarete.wordpress.com/2013/11/12/escape-from-tomorrow-2013/

"Nebraska" by Alexander Payne:

http://www.avclub.com/articles/nebraska,105563/

But besides its main characters—a father (Bruce Dern), teetering on the edge of senility, and his patient, concerned son (Will Forte)—the actual people populating this rural wasteland are so grotesquely buffoonish, so designed for ridicule, that it’s hard to take the melancholy seriously.

Wow, who knew Payne could nail the attitude of this group so perfectly. Where would we be without populist straw men to ridicule? Where, indeed?

David is less a character than a surrogate—a vessel through which the audience, and Payne himself, can feel embarrassed by and superior to these hopeless rubes.

Bruce Dern, talking about working with Payne on "Nebraska" and various stories about his long film career. Fascinating man:

http://www.bloomberg.com/video/bruce-dern-s-nebraska-charlie-rose-11-11-_ZITxzSQ...

Here ya go Cliff, you can complete your Disney experience by shaking a couple of million out of the spare change bottle and picking up one of these, Mickey Approved, bungalows. I heard a radio description of one of these places the other day - surreal.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/08/first-look-inside-golden-oak-homes...

What gets me are the gushing comments afterward. Sickening.

Sustainable living. Simplicity, Down-sizing. Conservation.

Don't those words mean anything on an increasingly resource-starved, poverty-stricken, polluted planet?

> 223: If you can control your rising gorge, some of the comments do touch on the issues you raise, Cliff - and from out-and-out Disney fans, as well. But truth to tell, they're not in the majority.

223: Don't those words mean anything on an increasingly resource-starved, poverty-stricken, polluted planet?

Not bloody likely. We're overdue for a Permain extinction-level species course correction. I look up to the sky not for God, but in hopes the Cylon Basestars get their aim right.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_39avaboNTI

On the making of one of my favorite films, Mike Leigh's "Naked":

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/nov/18/how-we-made-naked

(Cheers, Gord)

Old Hollywood is given universal love but I find more misses than hits in their catalog. Latest was Double Indemnity with a miscast Barbara Stanwyck and a "perfect murder" too ludicrously dumb for words. And the protagonist was too poorly developed as a character for his instant involvement in murder and insurance fraud to ring true in the first place. Other than the "stalled car" scene (brilliantly underplayed) and Edward G. Robinson, I got nothing out of this one.

This morning I somehow I ended up spending over an hour bewitched by Dziga Vertov's "Man With A Movie Camera", filmed in 1928-29.

Awe-inspiring film, one of the best from the silent age. And you can view it like I did, for free, on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Fd_T4l2qaQ

Just finished watching "The Campaign" with Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis. Hardly snob material, but I have to say, Will Ferrell is a much underrated satirist. The humor is broad and exaggerated, but so is politics in this country and most of the gags are right on the mark. The characters in the movie are hardly more ridiculous than actual politicians and the ludicrous excesses of corruption are only slightly overblown versions of the reality of the political system. Plus, I laughed a lot and got to share those laughs with my 17 year old daughter. That alone makes it worthwhile.

#228 I was impressed with that film too, Cliff, when I saw it earlier this year.

Oh, and I finally got to see Gravity. In IMAX 3D. Visually spectacular, some cool hardware, but a few niggles came close to spoiling it - orbital rendezvous is suspiciously easy, everything in orbit is suspiciously close, that astronauts also seem badly trained and remarkably injury-free given the battering they take, and some of the freefall manoeuvring doesn't quite look right. But all the same, definitely worth seeing.

Finally was in the mood for the full treatment of Das Boot. Director's Cut but the pacing was so superb I never checked the clock nor could I guess as to what was left out from the theatrical release. Nothing extraneous. A complete downer - I couldn't speak for several minutes after the credits rolled. Genuinely great film.

231: It is indeed a great film. I can never watch it quite the same way as most people because a U Boat torpedoed the ship my uncle was on. My grandmother never recovered from the loss. So I can't help wanting every depth charge to sink the sods.

Mr. Harry Dean Stanton:

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/nov/23/harry-dean-stanton-interview

Saw "Another Earth," directed by Mike Cahill. Pretty good stuff.

233, I was just thinking of him the other day in the context of The Straight Story, wondering how old he must be and whether he was still alive....

One of those actors who can convince you to watch a film just by their presence it. Probably helped by the fact he has been in some good quality cultish films in his time, Two Lane Blacktop, Straight Story, Repo man.... But a singular fellow all the same.

Reminds me that I need to watch The Straight Story again, one of those rare films that improve with each viewing.

Support a good cause:

http://www.fairleedrivein.com/

#236 I would like to share from my long past experience remind all to never stuff your girlfriend and your best buddy into the trunk of the car when sneaking them into the drive in. It can cause a change in your dating dynamics, especially if you go over speed bumps fast while they are still in the trunk!

#235 Two Lane Blacktop....yay James Taylor !

235: The Straight Story - great film.

Watched Gone With the Wind for Thanksgiving. Soap opera. Started as a Civil War epic and turned into a precursor for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? with some material that was exceptionally edgy for the Hays Code era. Three out of four main actors were good but Vivien Leigh had no acting ability at all and was the weak link in every scene. Decent enough spectacle. Not a waste of time.

I watched Alice's Restaurant for Thanksgiving. The YouTube version I watched had an extra ten-minute beginning that I'd never seen. It was a lot of fun, as usual.

>239 nymith: Agreed. I always told myself it was an okay fit because Scarlett O'Hara was supposed to be such an extraordinarily shallow individual. A shame Leslie Howard didn't survive the war.

Watched a couple terrible movies a la MST 3K's Turkey Day tradition, including "Puma Man" and "Skydivers." The latter was a film by MST 3K regular Coleman Francis. Both were delightfully terrible in their way.

Then ended the evening by watching a couple episodes of the US version of Shameless Gotta love William H. Macy as a self-destructive alcoholic and clinical narcissist.

Best under-rated films of 2013:

http://www.wired.com/underwire/2013/12/best-movies-2013-underrated/?cid=15438114...

The 15 Worst Films of 2013:

http://www.avclub.com/article/the-15-worst-films-of-2013-200611

Cuz this thread always lacks schadenfreude and negativity. Enjoy!

Watched "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" last night. A clever, subversive film (written by Charlie Kaufman, directed by George Clooney); it stands up well.

Sam Rockwell is one likable dude.

Seen a bunch since I was last here.

Run Lola Run, a foreign art-film that skips town on pretention and is just good fun. Have now seen it twice.
Melancholia, which absolutely took my breath away. I was expecting something nihilistic, instead I got an elegy and appreciation of life on earth. Visually arresting, genuinely cathartic and Kirsten Dunst's portrayal of depression was searing.
So then I watched Wimbledon. I hate chick flicks but it worked perfectly well. The script offered nothing new but made the clichés feel as fresh as possible, Paul Bettany starred and it even made tennis exciting. A pleasant surprise made from predictable material.

246: But tennis IS exciting.

Melancholia has been on my list. Moving it up a few notches!

Inside Llewyn Davis. Elegantly directed. Some of the imagery and sound effects, specially during a road trip, are really unforgettable, worth the price of admission. The plot feels at times like a frame for the songs. This putting the main characters through a series of cruel ordeals is getting old. I also wish they attempted more psychological insight. Overall though a very good, enjoyable movie.

Time to add more chlorine to the community gene pool:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25557758

What a sorry-ass roster of films.

That's a pretty sad list. I had no desire to see any of them, but did see The Hobbit because somebody dragged me to it. It wasn't bad, just incredibly long.

First film of the new year: The Petrified Forest. One of those rare oldies that holds up perfectly well. Melodramatic, but that by itself never hurt anything. More importantly, a fun group of characters, Leslie Howard in perhaps his definitive role, plenty of tension, excellent dialogue, and Humphrey Bogart playing the inarticulate criminal with incredible soul. Loved it when I was 14 (it was the first serious, talk-driven film I ever loved) and I'm relieved to find it held up so well.

Indulged in a little Ingmar Bergman last night, one of his lighter efforts, "Summer With Monika".

Both Sherron and I thought it was exceptional.

Tonight Sherron and I watched "Take Shelter"--directed by Jeff Nichols, starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain. Very convincing and unnerving.

Nichols also directed "Mud", one of my favorite movies of 2013.

Sherron and I watched Rene Clement's "Forbidden Games" tonight.

A classic...but utterly heart-breaking.

Ha! That's great! Too dumb to ad lib, no sound, just fury...

Last night, a curio, Sidney Furie's "Little Fauss & Big Halsey", with Robert Redford and Michael J. Pollard.

VERY difficult to find this film. I heard rumblings that Redford views it with great distaste and keeps it out of circulation.

Not sure why; other than an execrable score (sung by Johnny Cash), the movie's quite good, though downbeat. Redford's character is a complete fucker (even less likable than the dude in "The Downhill Racer").

"I Vitelloni" tonight. A film that helped make Fellini a star.

Affable, though overlong. Good ensemble cast, excellent use of setting.

The seeds are all there. Much more likable than "La Strada" and devoid of the excesses that mar some of his later films.

The only Fellini film I've seen so far that I really liked was "8½", which I liked a lot.

For a limited time you can watch Chris Landreth's latest animated short through the National Film Board site:

http://www.nfb.ca/film/subconscious_password?utm_campaign=126080_NFB_Films_2014-...

Landreth is the Oscar-winning creator of "Ryan", brilliant film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrsVa3CzQj0

Saw Fargo. Not my favorite genres (idiot film, crime film) but I loved it. Oddly soft and gentle in tone despite the bodies stacking up and the black humour. I especially enjoyed seeing a film set in my neck of the woods, though on the downside the accents were all wrong. Part of the stylization process, I suppose. Actors were all excellent but William H. Macy stole the show. I'll want to see more Coen Bros. now.

Yes, Fargo took me by surprise when I first saw it, too.

Popped in to Saskatoon to see two fine films, Alexander Payne's "Nebraska" and another movie being touted for multiple Oscars, "Dallas Buyers Club". You'll find my reviews here (no spoilers, promise):

http://cinemaarete.wordpress.com/2014/01/12/double-feature-at-the-roxy-theater-s...

262 good films such as Fargo transcend their genre I find.

As example, I re watched Stalker the other day, a Russian science fiction film doesn't sound appealing, but of course Tarkovsky produces something much more than that. I could watch the whole film without the English translation, the images are so powerful in their own right.

Also viewed Searching for Sugarman this week. Slightly disingenuous in terms of Rodriguez's complete detachment from the music world outside of South Africa ( it wasn't mentioned that he toured New Zealand and Australia in the late 70s I think). Nevertheless a pleasant portrayal of someone who seems to be a genuine working class hero.

This weekend, I watched Iron Man 3, which was rubbish, and Princess Mononoke, which I enjoyed - but I still think the best Studio Ghibli films I've seen to date are Only Yesterday and Whisper of the Heart.

Tonight, a classic from the French "New Wave", Francois Truffaut's "Jules and Jim".

Jeanne Moreau gorgeous and the love triangle at the core of the film convincingly portrayed, but I found the movie overlong and the soundtrack annoying. Good, but not great cinema.

Watched Richard Ayoade's "Submarine" again. Just as good the second time around--a coming of age movie with soul.