Indies|Art House Appreciation

[Heartattack&Vine]

I would definitely go see Plan 9 from Outer Space in 3-D. 3-D is a gimmick which should be reserved for schlocky cult classics like Plan 9. :lol: It's really kind of perfect.

I was never particularly interested in Brokeback Mountain, so I'm yet to see it. So much of its acclaim hinged on how "progressive" it was to have a gay couple on screen that I couldn't help but feel the infernal presence of the hype machine. Maybe I'll see it someday, maybe not. It's not vital viewing for me.

I'm a fan of Joseph Gordon-Levitt as well, though I haven't seen Mysterious Skin. (500) Days of Summer, The Lookout, Brick, and Uncertainty are all very good movies in their own rights, though. Brick, as I've mentioned, is a favorite movie of mine.

I'm waiting to read the books before I see any of the movies in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series. I don't often do it that way (though I did read The Road before seeing the movie), but the story sounds interesting enough that I'd like to read the novels.

A great short film I watched recently was 2081, based on Kurt Vonnegut's short story, "Harrison Bergeron." It's well worth tracking down and very beautifully shot.

Another film I saw recently which probably ranks among my favorite films is Port of Shadows, a French tragic romance with some truly inspired dialog.

 

[Heartattack&Vine]

Whomever had the idea to turn Fellini's 8 1/2 into a musical deserves to be publically stoned.

In an attempt to keep this thread going, I present what's probably my favorite of the handful of great movies I've watched in the past week or two. It's a very viscerally stimulating story of a man in search of his missing wife. Proof positive that a simple story can still be relevant and interesting if done well.

 

[taovande]

I'm getting ready to watch Broken Embraces in about 15 minutes...I heard it's not as good as his previous films..but I love her so I figured it would be worth it.

I also couldn't stand Nine (Except for Marion and Penelope)...nearly walked out of the theatre....but that's for another thread.

 

[mukooh]

"i wish that i could quit you man"........

'brokeback mountain'.....overrated....corny dialogue.....easily dismissed...easily forgotten...the only thing that made it unique at the time was that it featured 2 popular actors in homosexual roles sharing intimate moments and kisses....since that time (and before) it's been done many times.....and in much better ways...

a good example of one of these "gay" themed films....(it's also one of my favorites)... from 2005....'mysterious skin'...with one of my favorite "smaller" film actors...joseph gordon-levitt.......beforewarned the film is not the easiest watch for some people....it also deals with child molestation......

recently i saw "i am love" with tilda swinton......her "daughter" in the film shares a kiss with another young woman......in a great close up...pulling away from each other there's a strand of siliva between their two mouths which glistens in the sun and finally breaks....it's one of the best onscreen kisses i've ever seen on the screen between any type of couple...

i've seen more than a few films that i haven't posted about yet...in any thread......and perhaps i'll do that here....it's good to see that the thread is still alive...albeit with only 4 or 5 posters.....tomorrow i plan on seeing 'the girl who played with fire'.......the second film of the millennium trilogy......all for now...

 

[ElectricHearts]

what seriously? :lol: i saw the film in my film course.. it was bad :lol: cant blame ed wood's enthusiasm for thinking he made awesome films :lol:

i didnt really like brokeback mountain.. gonna watch taking woodstock after i finishing watching bright star watching it for Jonathan Groff :lol:

 

[RockStar]

July 13th is my Mom's birthday. This sounds so good! Right now I'm broke, but if they have a another sale down the line, I hope to be prepared.

I started watching Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock but only managed 20 minutes. I guess it could get better, so I saved it on my DVR for later. The other Ang Lee movie I watched was Brokeback Mountain, which I hated because of the sloooowww pacing and and quiet passages. It seems like Taking Woodstock is similar, but I don't like to bail on movies. I love slow pacing and long scenes when the storytelling takes over (The New World, The Assassination of Jesse James); but I don't often enjoy scenes and moments that go on forever, stretching the substance and killing momentum.

 

[mukooh]

more than a few years ago there was an "asian film" thread on this board....'my sassy girl' was one our favorite topics of discussion....sadly all of the original posters to that thread are gone....suddenly i feel very nostalgic....

taovande....i'd read in one of your posts on another thread that you were hoping to see 'broken embraces' by pedro almodóvar....it's not my favorite film by that director....i'm in love with 'hable con ella'......but in regards to 'broken embraces' i watched it in about the same time as 'nine' (which i refuse to comment on).....penelope cruz was nominated for another academy award for that film, but she's so much better in 'broken embraces'.....she's stunningly beautiful and the clothes that she's wearing...........'broken embraces' is worth the watch just to see her......

in regards to my comment on 'lady vengeance'....perhaps disappointment would have been a better word to have used....i'll see any film that chan-wook park directs....'oldboy' happens to be the standard by which i judge all of his films....it's probably because i was so blown away by it.....

 

[Heartattack&Vine]

I don't know if this goes for all stores, but starting July 13th, Barnes & Noble will be selling all Criterion Collection DVDs for half-price. There's nary a better opportunity to stock up on silver screen gems than this. I intend to blow a sizable chunk of my savings come July 13th; my list is growing by the minute...

 

[taovande]

I actually own the chan-wook park trilogy you mentioned but have yet to even open it! My sister is a big fan of his work so on her recommendation I went out and bought it...just haven't had the time to watch them yet.

 

[RockStar]

Hee. It could be a classic! :lol:



All Avatar had going for it were the visuals and Zoe Saldana's motion capture performance. I'll give them that. Everything else was atrocious. :nod:

What a title - The Exterminating Angel(!) We watched Buñuel's El for a sociology class. I found the film clever and interesting in an odd sort of way though I hardly remember it all. I would love to catch this.

 

[Heartattack&Vine]

It's my pleasure, really. I guarantee I don't know as much about films as it may seem, though. :lol:


Chan-Wook Park is one of my favorite directors. I own the "Vengeance Trilogy" on DVD. Thirst was a beautiful film, but it still doesn't top my favorite film of his, Oldboy. I don't agree that Lady Vengeance is disposable, though. I haven't seen Three Extremes.

 

[mukooh]

thanks for all of your suggestions....you've mentioned more than a couple of films i haven't ever watched or thought about for along time.....it's refreshing to read your posts....i just wish i knew alot more about films than the little that i do...

i watched 'the girl who played with fire' today...i posted about it in the "what was the last movie you saw" thread....so rather than post about it again....i thought i might mention a few other film trilogies that you and others might or might not be familiar with....and also enjoy.....

from the polish brothers....a trilogy on lonliness in america...
'twin falls idaho' "a different kind of love story"......cojoined twins and a hooker share love....directed and starring the identical twin brothers....
'northfork'
'jackpot'

it's been awhile since they've made any films...but according to imdb.com they have 2 films in post production...

from korea...a trilogy on vengeance....by director chan-wook park...
'sympathy for mr. vengeance'
'oldboy' which i liked the most followed by the first film....
'lady vengeance' which is kind of disposable...

he's also been involved, as one of the directors, on a film called 'three extremes'....a trilogy of horror films from some of asia's.....excuse the pun...cutting edge filmmakers....last year i watched his latest film....about vampires.....they seem to popular idea for movies these days....called 'thirst' it's about a priest who undergoes a blood transfusion and becomes a vampire with a sexual appetite.....i was kind of disappointed with this film.....but it's got a pretty good ending too it....i've attached a poster...this is an edited version of it...not because it's obscene....this one's in english and gives a little bit more information...

 

[taovande]

'Plan 9 from Outer Space' coming in 3-D: Brilliant or bonkers? | EW.com


The mix of low budget and 3-D!! I think the world might implode!

 

[Heartattack&Vine]

I'm holding out hope that Let Me In will actually be good, since the cast is actually fairly solid and they're working from phenomenal source material. I just hope they don't feel as though they have to "punch it up" too much for American audiences. Let the Right One In may be a bit too subdued and subtle in some spots to hold mainstream audiences' interest.

I watched a very intriguing, little noir film this evening; anyone who is into that sort of thing should check it out.

 

[Heartattack&Vine]

Avatar to me is really a pretty terrible movie; nearly everything about it is an unabashed cliché.

I enjoyed Half Nelson, particularly Gosling's performance.


That has been one movie which has been highly recommended to me by Netflix for a long time, but I've yet to watch it. I'll be sure to give it a look, since it's up for streaming, so I literally have nothing to lose except a couple hours of my time.


I'm a big Kurosawa fan, but I've yet to sit down and watch this one. I've heard great things. Stray Dog is my favorite.


I really don't know what I'd do without them. I hear rumblings of them putting out a remastering of Hausu, a psychedelic Japanese film from the 70s which I've been very interested in seeing for some time.

I can't believe I forgot this one until now, but I highly recommend Luis Bunuel's The Exterminating Angel. It's a very clever film and darkly funny.

 

[taovande]

Mukooh: Your thoughts and what you remember about The Believer are still accurate even after having not viewed it in a while

 

[ElectricHearts]

i havent seen infernal affairs before but i heard it was really good and it was supposedly better than the departed..

they were gonna remake an american version of it with daniel and carey? as well as let the right one in? out: i hate how there is always these remakes out: i watched my sassy girl.. the original korean film was way better than the american version which basically copied everything of the original but based it in new york.. which made everything really weird and the whole hollywood factor at the end roll_eyes: it was really bad..

 

[mukooh]

in a way this thread reminds me of a old old thread on this board called "the movie board club" or something like that.....it was a free flowing type of thread...the posts started on one idea or thought and ended up somewhere else....unfortunately that thread was a long time ago...and sadly everyone else that use to post to it is now gone....



i'm in total agreement on that....a freind brought over a bluray copy of 'avatar' to the house for us to watch.....and instead we did something else......we did make a copy of it though....and while i've seen bits and pieces of it....i still haven't watched all of it....nor do i chose to....it's really not that good a film to begin with imo....



the good news is most of the "smaller" films are now available from netflix or even from alot of video stores if you ask and look.....one of my favorite places to rent from is my local library....new releases for $1 dollar a day.....older films are 7 day free rentals....such a deal....libraries are such a commnuity resource....



i've seen both of them as well in theaters....i thought the ending of 'the believer' was a little bit too metaphysical for me....and if i remember right....he "sold out" on what he believed in......however reprehensible that might been....his sudden conversion just didn't make sense....of course it's been many years since i've watched the film and those are my thoughts now...



criterion puts out such a great product....wong kar wai's 'in the mood for love'...akira kurosawa's 'the hidden fortress' and one of my all time favorites 'la belle et la bête' (beauty and the beast) by jean cocteau....it's stars his lover, jean marais as the "beast"....it's from 1946....it's filmed in black and white.....and it's not like the disney film of later years.....it was recommended to me by one of the original members of the movie board club.....and so i'm recommending here....because imo it's too good a film not to watch.....

 

[taovande]

I also am apparently a fan of Deakins as well and just wasn't aware...gotta love this thread!

the assassination of jesse james by the coward robert ford is one of my all time favorite movies...it's one of the most beautifully shot films I've ever laid eyes on. I'd much rather sit through a film that looks like that than an Avatar type up film.

I don't live in a huge market (the closest art house theatre is a 45 minute drive) so it's hard to catch a small film for me. I should invest in netflix, seriously!

Another movie I was thinking about the other day was The Believer. It's the movie that introduced me to Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson was another good one--slow going but still good).

 

[mukooh]

sharing an 'inception' "smaller" movie stars interview here.....article courtesy of the los angeles times online....

will be seeing 'the girl who kicked the hornets nest' tomorrow....also plan on seeing 'restrepo' 'the killer inside me' and 'wild grass' sometime this week too....

thought I'd mention the american remakes of recent foreign "art house" films in this post....'the girl with the dragon tattoo' will star daniel craig and carey mulligan...

the swedish vampire, children's tale, love story 'let the right one in' is being retitled 'let me in' for western audiences and will star chloe moretz ('kick ass')

i know i won't be seeing either of these films after seeing the originals....

final thoughts for this post....isn't it ironic that martin scorsese finally won an oscar for 'the departed' which is a remake of 'infernal affairs' a series of films from hong kong?