You know, I can't really say that it's a "good" movie or even one that I liked, but man it's unforgettable. I can't get out of my head that scene with Al from Quantum Leap lip-syncing to Roy Orbison's "In Dreams." Incredible song and scene.
I'm not really sure what that means. I thought it was mostly that capitalism is competition is struggle and replaces and destroys familial and social relations; in the end stasis can only be reached if the competitor is destroyed.
I think my saracasm detector went off -- false alarm?
They present this picture of purified Evil -- evil come into it's own, brooking no rival. This Evil crossed Brolin's character's path -- by being seemingly ubiquitous -- and he was led into temptation by the money. He makes a mistake by trying to mitigate, or bargain with that evil (in going back with the water.) I think that is the point of the movie. The rest is his attempting to placate that evil his is contending with, but in the end, obviously loses that struggle -- the Evil is completely consistent, it has to rule, or a least rule those who dabble with it.
Jones' character seems capable enough in solving each individual crime, but Cattle gun guy and the entity/struggle he represents are in a much wider far-flung conflict -- so he his helpless to intervene, and in the end he loses his nerve. Maybe I need to watch that conversation between Jones and Corbin again. The conversation in the diner seemed to tie in with what Brolin was doing -- no matter what, he just couldn't let that money go, his greed and hubris not allowing him to understand what he was dealing with.
Hats off to the Cohen brothers, I thought they were going to Hollywood their way out in the end -- have the villain monologue for five minutes -- Jones would dole out some pithy wisdom, and then blow him through a plate-glass window, out a 150 story building, only to be impaled on a water wheel covered in rusty spikes, spilling flesh-eating eating beetles instead of water.
You know, I don't get what people see in that flick.
It's a bewildering film at first, and the end turns into some bizarre action pieces, but stylistically it borrowed heavily from Metropolis and Nosferatu (heavy German Expressionism and Gothic elements) and had a huge influence on a whole crop of science-fiction films that followed... notably, The Matrix (Blade and Alien also had big chunks of influence on The Matrix).
It's a bewildering film at first, and the end turns into some bizarre action pieces, but stylistically it borrowed heavily from Metropolis and Nosferatu (heavy German Expressionism and Gothic elements) and had a huge influence on a whole crop of science-fiction films that followed... notably, The Matrix (Blade and Alien also had big chunks of influence on The Matrix).
Dark City definitely hits that sci-fi/noir/puzzle sweet spot. Video games like Max Payne and Bioshock are also in the same vein, stylistically.
Good list. I tend to pick movies by director also, then by certain stars.
Yeah, I usually go through directors and, secondarily, sountrack/composer. I'm a big fan of Angelo Badalamenti, who has scored chunks of most of David Lynch's films (sometimes together with Lynch), and Zbigniew Preisner, who did most of the music for Kieslowski. Wong Kar-wai and Wes Anderson are two others who are really notable for having consistently awesome music in their films.
Actually, as much as I like the other two, most films by Wong Kar-wai and any films scored by Preisner are really in a league of their own when it comes to the music.
I think my saracasm detector went off -- false alarm?
Sorry! I mixed up No Country and There Will Be Blood. They're so similar, you know!
Quote:
They present this picture of purified Evil -- evil come into it's own, brooking no rival. This Evil crossed Brolin's character's path -- by being seemingly ubiquitous -- and he was led into temptation by the money. He makes a mistake by trying to mitigate, or bargain with that evil (in going back with the water.) I think that is the point of the movie. The rest is his attempting to placate that evil his is contending with, but in the end, obviously loses that struggle -- the Evil is completely consistent, it has to rule, or a least rule those who dabble with it.
See, I read him as Fate, not evil. Hence, all the coin flipping and the unstoppableness and all that. The title is what's important. The first line of the Yeats poem is "THAT is no country for old men," suggesting that the speaker is already on his way, looking back in disgust as what his country has become. It's about the "surface" of the world changing?always already changing?even though the world is inhabited by the same forces and just plain opting out. Indeed, the speaker in the poem, like TLJ, desires complete self-abnegation?he wants to become the aeolian harp or windchime on which the songs about the past, present, and future are played. Hence, the voiceover is TLJ's voice
set upon a golden bough to sing
To lords and ladies of Byzantium
Of what is past, or passing, or to come.
My point is that I don't think this is Brolin's character's story. It's TLJ's character's story.
Quote:
Have you seen Lives of Others?
Half of it, and I thought what I saw was brilliant. I haven't been in a position to watch a subtitled flick in months, so I haven't gotten back to it. Have YOU seen King of Kong?
Sorry! I mixed up No Country and There Will Be Blood. They're so similar, you know!
See, I read him as Fate, not evil. Hence, all the coin flipping and the unstoppableness and all that. The title is what's important. The first line of the Yeats poem is "THAT is no country for old men," suggesting that the speaker is already on his way, looking back in disgust as what his country has become. It's about the "surface" of the world changing—always already changing—even though the world is inhabited by the same forces and just plain opting out. Indeed, the speaker in the poem, like TLJ, desires complete self-abnegation—he wants to become the aeolian harp or windchime on which the songs about the past, present, and future are played. Hence, the voiceover is TLJ's voice
set upon a golden bough to sing
To lords and ladies of Byzantium
Of what is past, or passing, or to come.
My point is that I don't think this is Brolin's character's story. It's TLJ's character's story.
Half of it, and I thought what I saw was brilliant. I haven't been in a position to watch a subtitled flick in months, so I haven't gotten back to it. Have YOU seen King of Kong?
Haven't seen that -- I may make an attempt wrestle my wife for a spot in her Netflix queue.
Back on NCFOM, near the beginning, there's a weird passive-aggressive thing that went on in the store, that seemed to really pull into focus a go-along, get-along/make nice mentality. The shopkeeper was clearly creeped out with cattle gun guy, but couldn't confront him honestly/forthrightly -- a combination of cowardice and social conditioning; but then he didn't/couldn't apprehend what he was dealing with. That seemed like a dig on the South. Maybe it's just another take on TLJ's route.
Haven't seen that -- I may make an attempt wrestle my wife for a spot in her Netflix queue.
You can watch it online on Netfrix.
Quote:
Back on NCFOM, near the beginning, there's a weird passive-aggressive thing that went on in the store, that seemed to really pull into focus a go-along, get-along/make nice mentality. The shopkeeper was clearly creeped out with cattle gun guy, but couldn't confront him honestly/forthrightly -- a combination of cowardice and social conditioning; but then he didn't/couldn't apprehend what he was dealing with. That seemed like a dig on the South. Maybe it's just another take on TLJ's route.
sin city is a very good stan lee graphic novel adaptation. that is one of my favorite movies as well.
In my opinion, Sin City is the only successful comic book put to film so far.
My reasons are complicated. In the early period of comic books, the layout and style of sequential art was stiff and the storytelling was bland. Two of the early pioneers, Jack Kirby and Will Eisner were big movie fans and just like their medium, American film was stiff and bland. Then Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane" came out. When they saw this film and saw the leaps and bounds Welles had made with the medium, they both decided to strive and create comics that leapt from the page and expanded the viewer's horizon with light, perspective, angles and storytelling just as Welles did.
Come to today and here a comic book creator and a filmmaker set out to do the same, but from the opposite direction and with new technology. I think they pulled it off grandly.
I saw Iron Man yesterday. Though the critics were gushing and praising this movie, I thought it was mediocre as far as a comic book film. It reminded me of Robo-Cop. Though Robert Downey Jr. redeemed it.
Now Speed Racer, that was an amazing, faithful and revolutionary piece of film making. One that overstepped the boundaries again. But the critics and the general public snubbed it. Most kid's cartoon remakes to film are disasters (Scooby Doo, Garfield, Underdog...), but In my opinion the Wachowski brothers did a stellar job with Speed Racer.
Clint Eastwood has advised rival film director Spike Lee to "shut his face" after the African-American complained about the racial make-up of Eastwood's films.
In an interview with the Guardian published today, Eastwood rejected Lee's complaint that he had failed to include a single African-American soldier in his films Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima, both about the 1945 battle for the Japanese island.
In typically outspoken language, Eastwood justified his choice of actors, saying that those black troops who did take part in the battle as part of a munitions company didn't raise the flag. The battle is known by the image of US marines raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi.
"The story is Flags of Our Fathers, the famous flag-raising picture, and they didn't do that. If I go ahead and put an African-American actor in there, people'd go: 'This guy's lost his mind.' I mean, it's not accurate." Referring to Lee, he added: "A guy like him should shut his face."
I heard a little bit about Lee but not the Eastwood stuff. Despite what he's up to now, Do the Right Thing was a good movie that I would hope would stand the test of time. Malcolm X seems to be forgotten.
Eastwood's next project, The Human Factor, will be about Nelson Mandela's attempts to foster national unity in post-apartheid South Africa. Asked if he would remain historically accurate with depictions of the former president, he said: "I'm not going to make Nelson Mandela a white guy."
I don't believe you heard the latest on Spike Lee's racist bullshit rant on Clint Eastwood and Eastwood's reply...
IMO, Spike Lee has personal issues. He's carelessly used charges of 'racism' his whole career. I used to think he was a social critic with merit, now I know he's just a jerk with a grudge.
Comments
Blue Velvet
You know, I can't really say that it's a "good" movie or even one that I liked, but man it's unforgettable. I can't get out of my head that scene with Al from Quantum Leap lip-syncing to Roy Orbison's "In Dreams." Incredible song and scene.
I'm not really sure what that means. I thought it was mostly that capitalism is competition is struggle and replaces and destroys familial and social relations; in the end stasis can only be reached if the competitor is destroyed.
I think my saracasm detector went off -- false alarm?
They present this picture of purified Evil -- evil come into it's own, brooking no rival. This Evil crossed Brolin's character's path -- by being seemingly ubiquitous -- and he was led into temptation by the money. He makes a mistake by trying to mitigate, or bargain with that evil (in going back with the water.) I think that is the point of the movie. The rest is his attempting to placate that evil his is contending with, but in the end, obviously loses that struggle -- the Evil is completely consistent, it has to rule, or a least rule those who dabble with it.
Jones' character seems capable enough in solving each individual crime, but Cattle gun guy and the entity/struggle he represents are in a much wider far-flung conflict -- so he his helpless to intervene, and in the end he loses his nerve. Maybe I need to watch that conversation between Jones and Corbin again. The conversation in the diner seemed to tie in with what Brolin was doing -- no matter what, he just couldn't let that money go, his greed and hubris not allowing him to understand what he was dealing with.
Hats off to the Cohen brothers, I thought they were going to Hollywood their way out in the end -- have the villain monologue for five minutes -- Jones would dole out some pithy wisdom, and then blow him through a plate-glass window, out a 150 story building, only to be impaled on a water wheel covered in rusty spikes, spilling flesh-eating eating beetles instead of water.
Have you seen Lives of Others?
You know, I don't get what people see in that flick.
It's a bewildering film at first, and the end turns into some bizarre action pieces, but stylistically it borrowed heavily from Metropolis and Nosferatu (heavy German Expressionism and Gothic elements) and had a huge influence on a whole crop of science-fiction films that followed... notably, The Matrix (Blade and Alien also had big chunks of influence on The Matrix).
Sorry, I don't have 10. Grouped by director.
.........
Damn, that's too long. Anyway, does HBO count? I say yes, so Deadwood and Carnivale
Good list. I tend to pick movies by director also, then by certain stars.
It's a bewildering film at first, and the end turns into some bizarre action pieces, but stylistically it borrowed heavily from Metropolis and Nosferatu (heavy German Expressionism and Gothic elements) and had a huge influence on a whole crop of science-fiction films that followed... notably, The Matrix (Blade and Alien also had big chunks of influence on The Matrix).
Dark City definitely hits that sci-fi/noir/puzzle sweet spot. Video games like Max Payne and Bioshock are also in the same vein, stylistically.
Good list. I tend to pick movies by director also, then by certain stars.
Yeah, I usually go through directors and, secondarily, sountrack/composer. I'm a big fan of Angelo Badalamenti, who has scored chunks of most of David Lynch's films (sometimes together with Lynch), and Zbigniew Preisner, who did most of the music for Kieslowski. Wong Kar-wai and Wes Anderson are two others who are really notable for having consistently awesome music in their films.
Actually, as much as I like the other two, most films by Wong Kar-wai and any films scored by Preisner are really in a league of their own when it comes to the music.
I think my saracasm detector went off -- false alarm?
Sorry! I mixed up No Country and There Will Be Blood. They're so similar, you know!
They present this picture of purified Evil -- evil come into it's own, brooking no rival. This Evil crossed Brolin's character's path -- by being seemingly ubiquitous -- and he was led into temptation by the money. He makes a mistake by trying to mitigate, or bargain with that evil (in going back with the water.) I think that is the point of the movie. The rest is his attempting to placate that evil his is contending with, but in the end, obviously loses that struggle -- the Evil is completely consistent, it has to rule, or a least rule those who dabble with it.
See, I read him as Fate, not evil. Hence, all the coin flipping and the unstoppableness and all that. The title is what's important. The first line of the Yeats poem is "THAT is no country for old men," suggesting that the speaker is already on his way, looking back in disgust as what his country has become. It's about the "surface" of the world changing?always already changing?even though the world is inhabited by the same forces and just plain opting out. Indeed, the speaker in the poem, like TLJ, desires complete self-abnegation?he wants to become the aeolian harp or windchime on which the songs about the past, present, and future are played. Hence, the voiceover is TLJ's voice
set upon a golden bough to sing
To lords and ladies of Byzantium
Of what is past, or passing, or to come.
My point is that I don't think this is Brolin's character's story. It's TLJ's character's story.
Have you seen Lives of Others?
Half of it, and I thought what I saw was brilliant. I haven't been in a position to watch a subtitled flick in months, so I haven't gotten back to it. Have YOU seen King of Kong?
Sorry! I mixed up No Country and There Will Be Blood. They're so similar, you know!
See, I read him as Fate, not evil. Hence, all the coin flipping and the unstoppableness and all that. The title is what's important. The first line of the Yeats poem is "THAT is no country for old men," suggesting that the speaker is already on his way, looking back in disgust as what his country has become. It's about the "surface" of the world changing—always already changing—even though the world is inhabited by the same forces and just plain opting out. Indeed, the speaker in the poem, like TLJ, desires complete self-abnegation—he wants to become the aeolian harp or windchime on which the songs about the past, present, and future are played. Hence, the voiceover is TLJ's voice
set upon a golden bough to sing
To lords and ladies of Byzantium
Of what is past, or passing, or to come.
My point is that I don't think this is Brolin's character's story. It's TLJ's character's story.
Half of it, and I thought what I saw was brilliant. I haven't been in a position to watch a subtitled flick in months, so I haven't gotten back to it. Have YOU seen King of Kong?
Haven't seen that -- I may make an attempt wrestle my wife for a spot in her Netflix queue.
Back on NCFOM, near the beginning, there's a weird passive-aggressive thing that went on in the store, that seemed to really pull into focus a go-along, get-along/make nice mentality. The shopkeeper was clearly creeped out with cattle gun guy, but couldn't confront him honestly/forthrightly -- a combination of cowardice and social conditioning; but then he didn't/couldn't apprehend what he was dealing with. That seemed like a dig on the South. Maybe it's just another take on TLJ's route.
Any idea if the book goes there?
Haven't seen that -- I may make an attempt wrestle my wife for a spot in her Netflix queue.
You can watch it online on Netfrix.
Back on NCFOM, near the beginning, there's a weird passive-aggressive thing that went on in the store, that seemed to really pull into focus a go-along, get-along/make nice mentality. The shopkeeper was clearly creeped out with cattle gun guy, but couldn't confront him honestly/forthrightly -- a combination of cowardice and social conditioning; but then he didn't/couldn't apprehend what he was dealing with. That seemed like a dig on the South. Maybe it's just another take on TLJ's route.
Any idea if the book goes there?
No idea. I have never read it.
Giant
Dr Zhivago
Lawrence of Arabia
Ghandi
On the Waterfont
Raging Bull
Gone with the Wind
A Streetcar Named Desire
In the Heat of the Night
The Killing Fields
The Seventh Seal
No Woody Allen movies? No Spike Lee?
sin city is a very good stan lee graphic novel adaptation. that is one of my favorite movies as well.
In my opinion, Sin City is the only successful comic book put to film so far.
My reasons are complicated. In the early period of comic books, the layout and style of sequential art was stiff and the storytelling was bland. Two of the early pioneers, Jack Kirby and Will Eisner were big movie fans and just like their medium, American film was stiff and bland. Then Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane" came out. When they saw this film and saw the leaps and bounds Welles had made with the medium, they both decided to strive and create comics that leapt from the page and expanded the viewer's horizon with light, perspective, angles and storytelling just as Welles did.
Come to today and here a comic book creator and a filmmaker set out to do the same, but from the opposite direction and with new technology. I think they pulled it off grandly.
I saw Iron Man yesterday. Though the critics were gushing and praising this movie, I thought it was mediocre as far as a comic book film. It reminded me of Robo-Cop. Though Robert Downey Jr. redeemed it.
Now Speed Racer, that was an amazing, faithful and revolutionary piece of film making. One that overstepped the boundaries again. But the critics and the general public snubbed it. Most kid's cartoon remakes to film are disasters (Scooby Doo, Garfield, Underdog...), but In my opinion the Wachowski brothers did a stellar job with Speed Racer.
Go figger...
I'm trying to list some I haven't seen here yet.
Giant
Dr Zhivago
Lawrence of Arabia
Ghandi
On the Waterfont
Raging Bull
Gone with the Wind
A Streetcar Named Desire
In the Heat of the Night
The Killing Fields
The Seventh Seal
Damn good list mydo.
No Woody Allen movies? No Spike Lee?
Both great directors in their own right. Both in serious trouble right now creatively (Allen) and in keeping their damn mouth shut (Lee).
I don't believe you heard the latest on Spike Lee's racist bullshit rant on Clint Eastwood and Eastwood's reply...
Spike Lee gets in Clint Eastwood's line of fire
Clint Eastwood has advised rival film director Spike Lee to "shut his face" after the African-American complained about the racial make-up of Eastwood's films.
In an interview with the Guardian published today, Eastwood rejected Lee's complaint that he had failed to include a single African-American soldier in his films Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima, both about the 1945 battle for the Japanese island.
In typically outspoken language, Eastwood justified his choice of actors, saying that those black troops who did take part in the battle as part of a munitions company didn't raise the flag. The battle is known by the image of US marines raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi.
"The story is Flags of Our Fathers, the famous flag-raising picture, and they didn't do that. If I go ahead and put an African-American actor in there, people'd go: 'This guy's lost his mind.' I mean, it's not accurate." Referring to Lee, he added: "A guy like him should shut his face."
Eastwood's next project, The Human Factor, will be about Nelson Mandela's attempts to foster national unity in post-apartheid South Africa. Asked if he would remain historically accurate with depictions of the former president, he said: "I'm not going to make Nelson Mandela a white guy."
That should be an interesting film, I hope.
The million hour cut.
The score so far is gorgeous.
No Woody Allen movies? No Spike Lee?
One of my all-time favorites: What's Up, Tiger Lily?
I don't believe you heard the latest on Spike Lee's racist bullshit rant on Clint Eastwood and Eastwood's reply...
IMO, Spike Lee has personal issues. He's carelessly used charges of 'racism' his whole career. I used to think he was a social critic with merit, now I know he's just a jerk with a grudge.
I'd definitely include "Airplane" and "The Blues Brothers"
The Blues Brothers was great fun: rawhide!
-The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
Classic! Haven't thought of that one in years!
In my opinion, Sin City is the only successful comic book put to film so far.
How about 300 -- I preferred that one to Sin City (though Sin City was good).
Hard Candy (Please, do yourself a favor and watch one of the most brilliantly written movies. If you like a psychological movie then this is it!!!)
Quite good. Disturbing, but Ellen Page was amazing.
----------
My list:
1. Kill Bill (it's the soundtrack as much as anything else)
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (was a well-timed movie -- I saw it not long after the end of my first serious relationship)
3. It's a Wonderful Life (saw this for the first time just five years ago -- simply excellent)
4. American Beauty (the first movie that I really loved -- I've seen it more than any other, though Kill Bill is catching up quickly)
5. 2001: a Space Odyssey (best science fiction film ever)
6. The Matrix (what can I say?)
7. Fight Club ("Now, a question of etiquette - as I pass, do I give you the ass or the crotch?")
8. 300 (I can almost smell the ink rising off the page as I watch this one)
9. The Usual Suspects (so much fun -- If KS could have actually shed a tear in his mock-sob, I might move this up a couple spots)
10. Moulin Rouge (while I like The Sound of Music and White Christmas, this is the best film where people break out in song)