Recently viewed films

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 4:41 am

Otis Westinghouse wrote:Radiohead has lots of soul. Modern soul music.

I don't see it.

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 6:50 am

Well, there's your problem then. You have to use your ears. (Come on, that was an invitation!)

miss buenos aires · Post by **miss buenos aires** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 1:57 pm

Exercising my Netflix option: The Beat that my Heart Skipped.

French movie about a really hot guy who can't decide if he wants to be a real estate thug or a concert pianist. Very good--even my brother-in-law liked it, and he has a thing about French movies.

alexv · Post by **alexv** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 10:44 pm

Also on the Net Flix beat, "The Piano Teacher" with Huppert's performance redeeming an otherwise unbearibly creepy movie. The Net Flix bonus is that you get to hear Huppert analyse the movie, making you wonder if you were watching the movie she thought she was making. A great performance though. Totally controlled.

Got around to seeing "Match Point". I was prepared to dislike it, since i'm not big on Woody these days, but I actually enjoyed the movie. I got a kick out of his no-nonsense direction: no tricks, plot gets moved along quickly, just plain story telling. Got the sense he was trying to copy Strangers on a Train, doing a no frills film noir thing. And he kinda did it. A little contrived, but for once not pretentious.

Chabrol's "Les Bonne Femmes" (old Chabrol). Highly recommend "Les Bonne" for a dose of original French New Wave filmmaking. Great shots of Paris, and the late 50s French masculine/feminine thing is a treat to behold all these years later.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 5:25 pm

Saw "The Devil Wears Prada" today. I should just cut off my penis now.

Meryl Streep playing an unbelievably over-the-top fashion bitch. You could see the plot twists coming from miles away. Ugh.

Post by **BlueChair** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:21 am

alexv wrote: Got around to seeing "Match Point". I was prepared to dislike it, since i'm not big on Woody these days, but I actually enjoyed the movie. I got a kick out of his no-nonsense direction: no tricks, plot gets moved along quickly, just plain story telling. Got the sense he was trying to copy Strangers on a Train, doing a no frills film noir thing. And he kinda did it. A little contrived, but for once not pretentious.

His new one, Scoop, which comes out on July 28 is supposed to be good too. It's a comedy this time and Woody is actually in it, along with Scarlett Johannson and Hugh Jackman.

El Vez · Post by **El Vez** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 11:49 am

BlueChair wrote:
alexv wrote: Got around to seeing "Match Point". I was prepared to dislike it, since i'm not big on Woody these days, but I actually enjoyed the movie. I got a kick out of his no-nonsense direction: no tricks, plot gets moved along quickly, just plain story telling. Got the sense he was trying to copy Strangers on a Train, doing a no frills film noir thing. And he kinda did it. A little contrived, but for once not pretentious.
His new one, Scoop, which comes out on July 28 is supposed to be good too. It's a comedy this time and Woody is actually in it, along with Scarlett Johannson and Hugh Jackman.

And don't forget Ian "Best Actor in The World" McShane!

miss buenos aires · Post by **miss buenos aires** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 6:21 pm

Recently saw two separate movies called "Night Watch." One is about Russian vampires--it's very good, not too scary or gory, and the subtitles really expand the notion of what subtitles can be. Why has no one ever thought to play with them before? The other was about a hustler in Buenos Aires. Skippable, unless you like watching hot skinny naked guys make out. Which I, um, do.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:42 am

Saw "Strangers With Candy" while I was in LA. Good twisted fun, sort of a prequel to the TV show. Lots of laughs.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Sat Jul 15, 2006 11:18 pm

Not a recent film, but recently seen by me...

Watched Jacques Becker's French classic "Touchez pas au grisbi" tonight. Great performance by Jean Gabin - cool as a cucumber. The DVD included several interesting interviews - I never realized that Gabin's career was essentially on the rocks by the time this film was made and that this role rescued him as an actor. Highly recommended for any fans of gangster films - definitely one of the better examples of the genre.

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 3:55 am

Been living it up the last two weekends, went with family to see Pirates of the C Dead Man's Chest and Superman Returns. Both enjoyable in parts but both over long with way too much padding. Does anybody make 90 minute films anymore?

miss buenos aires · Post by **miss buenos aires** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 6:31 am

Kate Bosworth totally ruined Superman for me. Is Lois Lane supposed to be so unattractive? And I know she's supposed to be kind of a jerk, but does she have to be such a jerk? And do all the Superman movies hinge on real estate schemes? And I don't really understand the timing of the conception of that little boy, unless superfetuses from supersperm take a superlong time to supergestate. Yawn yawn yawn.

Watching Pirates of the Caribbean was like eating a huge tub of popcorn...It's kind of enjoyable, and you're not thinking about it too much while you're doing it, but then afterwards, you're like, "Oh. That was a lot of popcorn. I think I need to lie down."

I agree with solack: Bring back the 90-minute movie!

mood swung · Post by **mood swung** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 7:39 am

Saw Pirates yesterday. Fun, but long (like everyone else has said). Like some of EC's songs. They need a visual Nick Lowe to cut it down into separate movies. In fact at the end ***tiny spoiler alert***, I thought Jack Sparrow was going to come down the stairs and we'd be off again chasing Davy Jones. So that was a surprise ending, I guess!

I also managed to watch one of the Netflix movies that I've had for about 4 weeks now because no one wants to see them but me and I haven't had time with the soccer lately. Brokeback Mountain. Yes, I always wait for the video. Heath Ledger channels Tommy Lee Jones! Beautiful movie, made me miss the wild wild west, but I found myself staring at Jake G's eyebrows - they were just a little too perfect. Anyway, I could be Ennis. I have that kind of rage. Watch out. Next up, Jake and his eyebrows again in Jarhead.

VonOfterdingen · Post by **VonOfterdingen** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 2:41 pm

'The Death of Mister Lazarescu'.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0456149/

Brilliant film. Demanding but worthwhile.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 10:58 pm

Watched "De-Lovely" tonight with my wife. Kevin Kline was exceptionally well-cast as Cole Porter - and sang well. Good old man makeup too. The narrative device was contrived to say the least - I thought I'd been dropped into "A Christmas Carol" for a moment there. Whoever enlisted Alanis Morisette to sing "Let's Do It" with that grating drawl should be shot on sight. The white jacket was perhaps not the best costume choice for EC, who performs a rousing version of "Let's Misbehave" with some puzzling hand gestures (was there a deaf person in the audience?). Diana was on screen towards the end for a song as well. Like so many movies these days it was about 20 minutes too long.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:40 pm

If you like Jack Black and think a film with him as a monastery friar and wannabe wrestler is going to be good, then Nacho Libre is for you. Completely ludicrous, pleasingly off-the-wall and unpredicatable in a lot of places, and with the added attracton as Penelope Cruz-esque Ana De La Reguera as entirely lovely love interest nun Sister EncarnaciÃ³n:

There's a scene where he sings a song inspired by her before his biggest ever fight which had me entirely helpless with laughter, singing her name over anbd over with ridiculous expressions and little trumpet trills. He makes me laugh. Great film to see with a couple of 13-year-olds.

ReadyToHearTheWorst · Post by **ReadyToHearTheWorst** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 6:47 pm

Graveyard of the Fireflies
Heartbreaking anime, telling the story of 2 Japanese children orphaned during the tale end of WWII.

Shown recently during the excellent Film4 Studio Ghibli[/] season.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 9:16 pm

ReadyToHearTheWorst wrote:Graveyard of the Fireflies
Heartbreaking anime, telling the story of 2 Japanese children orphaned during the tale end of WWII.

That is an absolutely devastating film. Not sure I could watch it again.

Tim(e) · Post by **Tim(e)** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 5:29 am

Who Shot Sam? wrote:
ReadyToHearTheWorst wrote:Graveyard of the Fireflies
Heartbreaking anime, telling the story of 2 Japanese children orphaned during the tale end of WWII.
That is an absolutely devastating film. Not sure I could watch it again.

I have to agree. I consider it to be one of the greatest anti-war films of all time. It gives a completely neutral view of the war, rather choosing to concentrate on the fultility of war and its impact on the innocent.

As an aside, there is now a live action version of this film available on DVD in Japan, but it does not carry English sub-titles... it is supposed to be quite good.

lostdog · Post by **lostdog** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 6:17 am

so lacklustre wrote:Does anybody make 90 minute films anymore?

Sadly, they disappeared about the same time as the 40-minute album....

Post by **BlueChair** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 7:49 am

Saw Little Miss Sunshine last week (a truly recent film!). Very clever, funny and touching. A solid debut from first-time husband and wife directors Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton (like Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry, they directed tons of music videos before moving into the feature film arena).

Excellent performances from the always-excellent Greg Kinnear and Toni Colette, but also Alan Arkin who isn't in nearly as many movies as he should be anymore and Steve Carell who on the surface isn't much more than a Will Ferrell clone but manages to be a much better actor.

Highly recommended.

ReadyToHearTheWorst · Post by **ReadyToHearTheWorst** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 6:22 pm

Tim(e) wrote:
Who Shot Sam? wrote:
ReadyToHearTheWorst wrote:Graveyard of the Fireflies
Heartbreaking anime, telling the story of 2 Japanese children orphaned during the tale end of WWII.
That is an absolutely devastating film. Not sure I could watch it again.
I have to agree.

First born doesn't though. She considers the choice 'not to get a job' as a fundamental flaw. Perhaps the Prostestant Work Ethic runs too deep hereabouts.

Next up: Barefoot Gen

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 3:03 pm

BlueChair wrote:Saw Little Miss Sunshine last week (a truly recent film!). Very clever, funny and touching. A solid debut from first-time husband and wife directors Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton (like Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry, they directed tons of music videos before moving into the feature film arena).

Excellent performances from the always-excellent Greg Kinnear and Toni Colette, but also Alan Arkin who isn't in nearly as many movies as he should be anymore and Steve Carell who on the surface isn't much more than a Will Ferrell clone but manages to be a much better actor.

Highly recommended.

Thanks Blue. Think I'll be seeing this one this weekend. Wife's back from Baltimore and I get an afternoon to myself.

newlacesleeves · Post by **newlacesleeves** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 3:05 pm

rented The matador last night.... Didn't get into it at all...

mood swung · Post by **mood swung** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 3:28 pm

She considers the choice 'not to get a job' as a fundamental flaw

I wouldn't, if I could get away with it. Work is vastly overrated.