Cinema Paradiso

[tweety]

If you love movies, let's talk here!! I know we have a bunch of film fanatics and I'd say even experts here at OLS, and I would love to hear some of your new and old picks, your dislikes, what's coming up, and reviews!!! This will be about anything movies!!!

Saw a movie as a kid and cannot remember what it was? Ask here.

As for me, I am not an expert at anything, but I like a good film or a good book. I choose movies if recommended by someone, if it seems interesting, or by director. A really good director can make a story come to life and can even make me like an actor that I usually avoid.

Two of my favorite movies have never made anyone else's favorite list, but I really love these two movies, "Time of the Gypsies," and "Wings of Desire." They are both dreamy and thought provoking.

"Time of the Gypsies" is a Yugoslavian movie about a boy who lives in a gypsy tribe. I watched this and melted at the cinematic beauty and the haunting music. So interesting to watch the lives of these gypsies and the blending of their nomadic and accepted criminal aspect of their lifestyles with a more modern Europe. But it is more about the main young boy and the young gypsy girl.

"Wings of Desire," is directed by Wim Wenders. Some of my friends fell asleep in the theater when I took them to see this. Oh well. Peter Falk is in this movie.

There are two angels in Berlin who listen in on humans. One chooses to become human mostly because of his love for a woman. It is about life, love, souls, death, human sorrow, living....I guess you'd have to see it.

[askadanma]

The thread title alone got me. I loved Cinema Paradiso.

One movie I have been watching over and over lately is Fearless (Jet Li). I think it may be a director's cut or something because it's not the same as the DVD. It is so much better.

[gracepap]

Love Cinema Paradiso. One of my all time favs!

[Hhhyyyddd]

I'm not sure how I managed to miss this thread! I absolutely love cinema, I'm definitely a film geek. And you'd think "Cinema Paradiso" would have jumped out at me, I adored that movie.

I've wanted to see "Wings of Desire" for ages, I might try to pick that one up at the indie video shop this weekend. I've been watching a lot of German film so that will fit right in.

I've had a good movie week as I've been making my way through a box set of Werner Herzog/Klaus Kinski films. I had previously seen "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" and the 1979 version of "Nosferatu", the rest were new to me- "Woyzeck","Fitzcarraldo", and "Cobra Verde". "Fitzcarraldo" was my favorite of the bunch, what an astonishing movie. The things they do to a three story steamboat without use of any tricky effects are amazing. Also in the box is a good documentary about the Herzog/Kinski relationship, "My Best Fiend".

Another thing I saw lately that I can recommend is "The Honeymoon Killers". This is the best fact based serial killer flick I've ever seen, it's not gory but completely engrossing and unsettling. The female lead has a Divine-ish quality that makes the whole thing sort of surreal if you're familiar with Divine's work. The stark black and white really works here. The hair and clothes not matching the era the film took place in bugged me a bit but it's a relatively minor gripe.

[hort1]

Wings of Desire is a wonderful work.

[jhannum44]

I love Chinese films. Not the kung fu kind of films, but the "Raise the Red Lantern" kind. "Farewell My Concubine" and even "Curse of The Golden Flower" I just hate it when they dub them. I would rather read the translation as the dubbing just doesn't work for me.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Heads up- tonight 10/28 on Turner Classics there is a documentary about the great director Billy Wilder followed by a showing of his classic "Sunset Boulevard".

[Faulkner99]

Thanks Hhhyyyddd for turning me on to this group!

[Hhhyyyddd]

I continued my Herzog festival with Stroszek

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075276/

This is a great film, with one of the most disturbing endings ever.

[aesmith]

I absolutely love European films. I love watching these films and reading subtitles. Don't even get me started on dubbing. It's like "Movies for Dummies".

Here are some of my fav's:

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Persopolis
Camille Claudel
Antonia's Line
Babette's Feast
Ma vie en rose
Fanny and Alexander
The story of Adele H
Bread and Tulips

[Hhhyyyddd]

Speaking of Cinema Paradiso, it's on Ovation channel at 8 p.m. EST on Friday 10/31 for those that haven't seen it.

[Faulkner99]

Speaking of Cinema Paradiso, it's on Ovation channel at 8 p.m. EST on Friday 10/31 for those that haven't seen it.

Thanks for the tip. I don't know if I have the Ovation channel but if I do I'm going to set that to record.

Seen it already, want to see it again!

[gracepap]

Fanny and Alexander is my second all time favorite. A little long but a wonderful journey none the less.

[Faulkner99]

Did anyone see a movie called Lovers with Victoria Abril (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101317/)? Really good fictionalised true story set in post-WWII Spain. The acting was superb. I loved this movie but to this day I haven't met anyone else who has seen it, so I can never discuss it with anyone.

[jhannum44]

Fanny and Alexander is my second all time favorite. A little long but a wonderful journey none the less.

One of my all time favorites. One of the Indy channels runs it occasionally.

[hort1]

I recently rented this, on whim:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0325713/


"Luatlos" is the german title, "Soundless" is the English one.


It's a pretty stylish hitman/romance movie.....somewhat like The Professional, maybe? Interesting characters, sets, the violence moves the story along rather than becoming an over-the-top spectacle for its own sake.


I saw Tom Tykwer's name in the credits - he was not the director but it is from the same production company that made "Run Lola Run."

[hort1]

Did anyone see a movie called Lovers with Victoria Abril (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101317/)? Really good fictionalised true story set in post-WWII Spain. The acting was superb. I loved this movie but to this day I haven't met anyone else who has seen it, so I can never discuss it with anyone.

I actually looked for it (under both the Spanish and English titles) last night. My local store has an extensive foreign collection, but I didn't see it. The wiki entry says it's a region 2 DVD which I *think* means it is not available here.

[Faulkner99]

I actually looked for it (under both the Spanish and English titles) last night. My local store has an extensive foreign collection, but I didn't see it. The wiki entry says it's a region 2 DVD which I *think* means it is not available here.

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't available in the States. I don't think even Netflix has it, and my experience is that they even have obscure stuff.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't available in the States. I don't think even Netflix has it, and my experience is that they even have obscure stuff.

They didn't have it at the indie video shop either, and that place is remarkably well stocked with foreign/cult/underground films (until recently they didn't even carry the standard Hollywood fare). I'm pretty well on top of the TV Guide so if I see it coming up on Sundance or IFC I'll give a heads up.

I like Victoria Abril, and films from Spain in general so I was bummed they didn't have it.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Another film I love- "Il Conformisto"/"The Conformist"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065571/

From 1970, this is Bernardo Bertolucci's best and a nearly flawless film. The cinematography is amazing. From a visual standpoint, there is just too much going on here to take it all in during a single viewing.

[Hhhyyyddd]

DVR/Tivo alert for Sunday 11/09/08-

on IFC at 8 a.m. EST- Fellini's "Amarcord" followed by De Sica's neorealitst classis "Umberto D" at 10:05

[Faulkner99]

Oh nice, thanks. I'll set those to record.

[tweety]

Well this is bizarre, but a nice surprise. Posts!!

Speaking of German films, Fassbinder's "The Marriage of Maria Braun" with Hanna Schygulla is pretty good, too.

Originally posted by Hhhyyyddd
I've had a good movie week as I've been making my way through a box set of Werner Herzog/Klaus Kinski films. I had previously seen "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" and the 1979 version of "Nosferatu", the rest were new to me- "Woyzeck","Fitzcarraldo", and "Cobra Verde". "Fitzcarraldo" was my favorite of the bunch, what an astonishing movie. The things they do to a three story steamboat without use of any tricky effects are amazing. Also in the box is a good documentary about the Herzog/Kinski relationship, "My Best Fiend".
I saw a documentary on the making of "Fitzcarraldo," but never watched the movie. I will finally watch this. (I got cable - yea!!!)

"Noseferatu" was my first Klaus Kinski/Herzog film and "Aguirre" was my second.

Check out my friend's website for some great movie ideas and reviews. http://cinepad.com/home.html

[Hhhyyyddd]

Well this is bizarre, but a nice surprise. Posts!!

Speaking of German films, Fassbinder's "The Marriage of Maria Braun" with Hanna Schygulla is pretty good, too.





I've heard that is one of Fassbinder's better films and I'm reserving judgement on the whole Fassbinder thing till I see it. I'm not entirely sure I get him. Although I have to say that the films by him I've seen that I didn't "enjoy" in the traditional sense were at least interesting, much more so than your run of the mill American flick. If you've never seen "Whity" you might want to check that one out. Definitely the most deranged take on the concept of a Western I've ever seen.

[Hhhyyyddd]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095675/

Watched one of my favorite Pedro Almodovar films yesterday, "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown". It's a delightfully absurd movie, very theatrical and somewhat reminscent of the 1930's screwball comedies.

[Faulkner99]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095675/

Watched one of my favorite Pedro Almodovar films yesterday, "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown". It's a delightfully absurd movie, very theatrical and somewhat reminscent of the 1930's screwball comedies.

I haven't seen that in years.

I'm a fan of Almodovar's too. His style has really evolved over the years. "Bad Education" wasn't anything like his older movies (much more complex and sophisticated). I haven't had a chance to see "Volver" yet.

[Hhhyyyddd]

I haven't seen that in years.

I'm a fan of Almodovar's too. His style has really evolved over the years. "Bad Education" wasn't anything like his older movies (much more complex and sophisticated). I haven't had a chance to see "Volver" yet.

That's one of the things I like about him- although certain things about his style are very distinct and have remained consistent over the years, he's managed to do a lot of different things within that boundary. You never know exactly what you're going to get when you set out to watch one of his films.

I think you'll like "Volver". I saw it at a time when I was completely disgusted by the chick flick genre, even moreso than usual, and it definitely filled a huge void in my movie diet that Hollywood has totally missed.

[tweety]

Originally posted by Hhhyyyddd
I think you'll like "Volver". I saw it at a time when I was completely disgusted by the chick flick genre, even moreso than usual, and it definitely filled a huge void in my movie diet that Hollywood has totally missed.
Judging by your avatar, you're a huge chick flick fan.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Judging by your avatar, you're a huge chick flick fan.

He's the fabulous dancing chicken from Herzog's "Strozsek":smile3:although, taken out of the context of the film, he ceases to be disturbing and becomes kinda cute....that chicken is a star. I can watch him for hours....

[Hhhyyyddd]

I watched Monte Hellman's brilliant film "Two Lane Blacktop" tonight.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067893/

This movie is somewhat obscure, a lot of people have never heard of it and many of those who have heard of it haven't seen it because until recently, it was out of print on DVD and rarely plays on television. The Criterion Collection put out a deluxe 2 disc version a few months ago (pricey of course, darn Criterion Collection...) so now it's easily available again.

It is often mentioned in the same breath as "Easy Rider" and "Vanishing Point" but it is a far better and much more complex film than either of those. It stars three amatuers and Warren Oates,but you only need one real actor when that actor is Warren Oates.

[tweety]

Originally posted by Hhhyyyddd
I watched Monte Hellman's brilliant film "Two Lane Blacktop" tonight.
What a cast!!! I need something brilliant after "Twilight."

I think you mentioned this movie in the past and I'd love to see it. Warren Oates is great and underrated, but it also starts James Taylor (had to check to see if it was him), Dennis Wilson (had to check to see if that was him, too), Harry Dean Stanton, and Tom Green!!! (Must've been a babe. OK - not him.)

I wonder if this is available at the video stores now.

[Faulkner99]

I love Chinese films. Not the kung fu kind of films, but the "Raise the Red Lantern" kind. "Farewell My Concubine" and even "Curse of The Golden Flower" I just hate it when they dub them. I would rather read the translation as the dubbing just doesn't work for me.

I love those films as well, although I haven't seen Curse of the Golden Flower.

[Faulkner99]

Per Hort's suggestion, I watched "Brick" last week. Wow. It was fantastic. It is a very good modern take on noir, but the twist is that it is teenage noir. Completely unexpected take on the genre but it works. The dialogue is very stylized and it took me a bit to get used to (plus a little rewinding), but once I got the hang of it, I was hooked. The picture is also visually stunning. You don't see a lot of movies like this anymore that are willing to really stay on message this way. It was doubly refreshing after I attempted to watch another modern taken on noir (2006's Black Dahlia) which was horrible.

[Hhhyyyddd]

If you've got Sundance Channel on Demand, there are two Pedro Almodovar films available this month- "Bad Education" and "All About My Mother". They are both out of print on DVD in the US unless you want to buy a rather pricey boxed set, so it's a good chance to see them.

[Faulkner99]

If you've got Sundance Channel on Demand, there are two Pedro Almodovar films available this month- "Bad Education" and "All About My Mother". They are both out of print on DVD in the US unless you want to buy a rather pricey boxed set, so it's a good chance to see them.

Ooh thanks for the heads up, I love them both. I think Bad Education is on DVD though. Gael is so good in that.

I have no idea what I have on demand. I should check. I barely make it through the movies I record on the DVR and get through Netflix. I finally got to watching "Once" last night.

[hort1]

Per Hort's suggestion, I watched "Brick" last week. Wow. It was fantastic. It is a very good modern take on noir, but the twist is that it is teenage noir. Completely unexpected take on the genre but it works. The dialogue is very stylized and it took me a bit to get used to (plus a little rewinding), but once I got the hang of it, I was hooked. The picture is also visually stunning. You don't see a lot of movies like this anymore that are willing to really stay on message this way. It was doubly refreshing after I attempted to watch another modern taken on noir (2006's Black Dahlia) which was horrible.


Oh! Yeah, that is such a great little movie. The entire budget for it was only around $450,000.00.

It was one of the rare movies I immediately wanted to watch over agai (and did). There's so much in it - the characters, the dialogue, the plot strands...


Throw one at me if you want, hash head. I've got all five senses and I slept last night, that puts me six up on the lot of you.

[Faulkner99]

Throw one at me if you want, hash head. I've got all five senses and I slept last night, that puts me six up on the lot of you.

I loved that line. I loved that character, actually. He was just smart and clever and interesting and flawed all in one package. The Laura character was also great, and a throw back to another time.

I'm going to have to watch some more Joseph Gordon-Levitt films. I feel like I didn't get my fill.

[Hhhyyyddd]

I'm going to have to watch some more Joseph Gordon-Levitt films. I feel like I didn't get my fill.


He was very good in "Manic" if you haven't seen that one.

[Faulkner99]

He was very good in "Manic" if you haven't seen that one.

I just added that and "Mysterious Skin" to my Netflix queue.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Upcoming movie alert
"The Honeymoon Killers" 7:05 p.m. EST 12/6 Saturday on IFC, a few more showings Sunday daytime. This film is deranged and underrated. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064437/

[Faulkner99]

Upcoming movie alert
"The Honeymoon Killers" 7:05 p.m. EST 12/6 Saturday on IFC, a few more showings Sunday daytime. This film is deranged and underrated. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064437/

OMG this is the weirdest movie! Thanks for the heads up.

[Faulkner99]

For any "Trainspotting" fans, it'll be on IFC on Sunday night.

I'm setting the DVR to record "Children of Paradise" Tuesday on IFC at 330 am. I've never seen it.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037674/

[Hhhyyyddd]

I watched a film by Truffaut that I had never heard of last night, Mississippi Mermaid
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064990/

It stars Jean-Paul Belmondo and Catherine Deneuve. It's a flawed but interesting movie that oozes so much Hitchcockness it could reasonably be called a tribute.

[hort1]

I just added that and "Mysterious Skin" to my Netflix queue.

"Mysterious Skin" is.....intense and disturbing. It's worth watching, definetely, but....there's a high cringe factor all through it.

[Faulkner99]

I set up all of this IFC stuff to record and just found out we don't even have IFC. Bummer. I recorded plenty o' nothing. But I did manage to get some good stuff from Sundance, including "Capote" which I am going to try and stay up to watch tonight.

[Hhhyyyddd]

I set up all of this IFC stuff to record and just found out we don't even have IFC. Bummer. I recorded plenty o' nothing. But I did manage to get some good stuff from Sundance, including "Capote" which I am going to try and stay up to watch tonight.

No IFC really is a bummer. The fully loaded cable is my main luxury. I know I could get exactly the films I want from Netflix instead but I wouldn't run into so many things I never heard of otherwise.

I watched one of the most bizarre films ever yesterday, Werner Herzog's "Even Dwarfs Started Small".http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065436/

May cause nightmares involving the high pitched, maniacal giggling of mentally disturbed anarchist dwarves.

[Hhhyyyddd]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057091/

Visconti's "The Leopard"- I watched this last week and I'm already wanting to see it again. There is too much going on here to absorb in one viewing.

A big, grand, beautiful Italian epic starring....Burt Lancaster? It sounds like an odd casting choice and yet it works, he is excellent here (although he was dubbed by an Italian actor), Alain Delon and lovely Claudia Cardinale. Visually, it's absolutely stunning. It's a bit slow paced for modern/American tastes but I don't think that would bother the cinema group peeps.

If you decide to watch this one be sure to get the full length, Italian version, not the chopped up and dubbed American release.

[tweety]

Hhhyyyddd - will you pay for my IFC?

I noticed that several of us haven't seen most of the Oscar nominees this year because we wait for the dvd, but I am dying to make a trip to the theater to see these movies: Wendy and Lucy, Che, and Let the Right One In, a Swedish vampire movie.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1139797/


Thanks everyone for suggesting such wonderful movies, especially from the last 10 years or so. Some I have completely forgotten, and others, like Brick and The Leopard, I don't even know. I might have to sign up for Blockbuster or Netflix again.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Hhhyyyddd - will you pay for my IFC?

I noticed that several of us haven't seen most of the Oscar nominees this year because we wait for the dvd, but I am dying to make a trip to the theater to see these movies: Wendy and Lucy, Che, and Let the Right One In, a Swedish vampire movie.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1139797/


Thanks everyone for suggesting such wonderful movies, especially from the last 10 years or so. Some I have completely forgotten, and others, like Brick and The Leopard, I don't even know. I might have to sign up for Blockbuster or Netflix again.

I was kind of surprised that IFC isn't on all cable systems....I do have digital but it's squeezed into a "movie pack" with a bunch of other channels for two bucks a month or something cheap like that...they've been awfully repetitive lately, you're not missing much.

I really want to see that Swedish vampire flick too, I hear good things.

[Hhhyyyddd]

I never realized that The Criterion Collection (a company that releases important and often hard to find films on deluxe DVDs) had such an extensive web site, or that you could order directly from them a bit cheaper than going through amazon and other places. They also have a link to suggest new films for the collection. I'm going to start a begging campaign for "The Elephant Man" which is selling for thirty bucks used because it's been out of print so long.

http://www.criterion.com/

[secular]

I was kind of surprised that IFC isn't on all cable systems....I do have digital but it's squeezed into a "movie pack" with a bunch of other channels for two bucks a month or something cheap like that...they've been awfully repetitive lately, you're not missing much.

I really want to see that Swedish vampire flick too, I hear good things.

I have IFC but I don't have Sundance - and I live in Utah (go figure :rolleyes:)

We upgraded in December so my husband could get college sports but I didn't realize we had it until last week. Please give me a heads up if anything good is on so I can queue my DVR.

[Hhhyyyddd]

I have IFC but I don't have Sundance - and I live in Utah (go figure :rolleyes:)

We upgraded in December so my husband could get college sports but I didn't realize we had it until last week. Please give me a heads up if anything good is on so I can queue my DVR.

Gladly! I'm pretty obsessive when it comes to checking what's up in the next few days on IFC/Sundance/TCM. I know not everyone likes older films but to me the best stuff they have on all week on IFC has been on consistently from about 8-12 on weekend mornings. They pull out what you could call "arthouse hits", older foreign films that are pretty well known here in the states, and they're nearly always worth seeing.

[Faulkner99]

I never realized that The Criterion Collection (a company that releases important and often hard to find films on deluxe DVDs) had such an extensive web site, or that you could order directly from them a bit cheaper than going through amazon and other places. They also have a link to suggest new films for the collection. I'm going to start a begging campaign for "The Elephant Man" which is selling for thirty bucks used because it's been out of print so long.

http://www.criterion.com/

OK, well WTF? How can a movie like "The Elephant Man" be OOP? It's not even arthouse or obscure, that's a pretty famous film.

[Hhhyyyddd]

OK, well WTF? How can a movie like "The Elephant Man" be OOP? It's not even arthouse or obscure, that's a pretty famous film.

It even had eight Oscar nominations including Best Picture so it's pretty safe to call it mainstream film even though it's got David Lynch/black and white going against it in that respect. I am often surprised to find out certain films are out of print in the US. There's a few things that are in fairly heavy rotation on cable you can't get a DVD of, and I'm talking about movies that are only around ten years old.

[secular]

Speaking of unique and quirky have any of ya'll seen Ruben and Ed (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102817/)? I was thinking about it over the weekend - we have it VHS but have no VCR. Come to find out it is out of print. :(

If you have seen it - My cat can eat a whole watermelon. :grin3:

[Hhhyyyddd]

Speaking of unique and quirky have any of ya'll seen Ruben and Ed (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102817/)? I was thinking about it over the weekend - we have it VHS but have no VCR. Come to find out it is out of print. :(

If you have seen it - My cat can eat a whole watermelon. :grin3:

That looks bizarre and fun- I wish it was on DVD. Maybe they'll show it on cable...

[tweety]

Let the Right One In is out on dvd.

http://www.bust.com/blog/2009/03/06/the-swedes-always-do-it-best.html

[Hhhyyyddd]

Let the Right One In is out on dvd.

http://www.bust.com/blog/2009/03/06/the-swedes-always-do-it-best.html

I just ordered it on blu ray from amazon, I can't wait till it's in my hot little hands!

Also ordered a copy of Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven becaue I saw it a few weeks ago and it's haunting me. Anyone seen this?

[tweety]

Originally posted by Hhhyyyddd
I just ordered it on blu ray from amazon, I can't wait till it's in my hot little hands!

Also ordered a copy of Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven becaue I saw it a few weeks ago and it's haunting me. Anyone seen this?
I've completely forgotten about this movie. I'm going to see if Blockbuster has it. Was this on IFC/Sundance? Unbelievable, your choice of movies, that is.

[Hhhyyyddd]

I've completely forgotten about this movie. I'm going to see if Blockbuster has it. Was this on IFC/Sundance? Unbelievable, your choice of movies, that is.

I actually got it from the library and being the film obsessed nutjob I am, I just have to have my own copy. It's one of those films that I wonder how I missed seeing it all these years. I thought it was the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen...that crazy golden light....I was glad to find a cheapo DVD version, the fat Criterion version is pricey.

Speaking of Sundance, John Cassavettes' "A Woman Under the Influence" is on Saturday night at 9:45 Eastern.

[tasslehoff]

Let the Right One In is out on dvd.

http://www.bust.com/blog/2009/03/06/the-swedes-always-do-it-best.html

I loved this movie. Its so different from what you normally see. The children are great in this, visually its absolutely gorgeous and the relationship between oskar and Eli is sweet. Movies like this are why I love foreign films.

[hort1]

I never realized that The Criterion Collection (a company that releases important and often hard to find films on deluxe DVDs) had such an extensive web site, or that you could order directly from them a bit cheaper than going through amazon and other places. They also have a link to suggest new films for the collection. I'm going to start a begging campaign for "The Elephant Man" which is selling for thirty bucks used because it's been out of print so long.

http://www.criterion.com/


The Criterion DVD's are great. My local - independent! - video store has an extensive collection of them. The extras on them are nice, but what I really like is that the prints are sharp and clear.

[Hhhyyyddd]

The Criterion DVD's are great. My local - independent! - video store has an extensive collection of them. The extras on them are nice, but what I really like is that the prints are sharp and clear.

They really are nicer. I didn't know they had downloads available for five bucks on the web, either, which could be a nice option for people that don't have access to a decent video store. I'm also lucky to have a good local indie shop- in Kentucky, no less.

[tweety]

Hey...thanks for the Criterion link. What a great collection, but I didn't see any Wim Wenders. What's up with his and other German directors' movies going for $50 or so on Amazon? Even Paris, Texas was about $38, I think.

I just wanted to mention that Barnes and Noble is having a sale on boxed sets. The Herzog-Kinski set is $41.99/$37.99 members and on Amazon, it's $80.99. I think it's the same set.

[tweety]

Originally posted by tasselhoff
I loved this movie. Its so different from what you normally see. The children are great in this, visually its absolutely gorgeous and the relationship between oskar and Eli is sweet. Movies like this are why I love foreign films.
I had been looking forward to this movie and it does not disappoint I guess you could say it's the story of a kid who doesn't fit in, but with a twist. That first scene with the tree was creepy.

[tweety]

Originally posted by Hhhyyyddd
Also ordered a copy of Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven becaue I saw it a few weeks ago and it's haunting me. Anyone seen this?
I checked this out, too. (Well, because you mentioned it.) "Haunting" is an accurate description of this movie. There's something very old about this film, the pacing, the rhythm, the animals, as if it were made in the 40s, but then you see Richard Gere and Sam Shepard (oh my god) and realize the decade is 70s or early 80s. Linda Manz stands out. This film is a spiritual experience. I am so glad you posted about this.

I didn't know he directed The New World.

[Hhhyyyddd]

I checked this out, too. (Well, because you mentioned it.) "Haunting" is an accurate description of this movie. There's something very old about this film, the pacing, the rhythm, the animals, as if it were made in the 40s, but then you see Richard Gere and Sam Shepard (oh my god) and realize the decade is 70s or early 80s. Linda Manz stands out. This film is a spiritual experience. I am so glad you posted about this.

I didn't know he directed The New World.

Somehow it doesn't surprise me to hear that he didn't make another movie for almost 20 years after this one. As corny as it may sound, sometimes the making of a work of art nearly sucks the life out of a person and it shows in the end result. This one is special.

While it's a very different film I can see that same otherwordly quality in "The New World", especially in the beginning.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Hey...thanks for the Criterion link. What a great collection, but I didn't see any Wim Wenders. What's up with his and other German directors' movies going for $50 or so on Amazon? Even Paris, Texas was about $38, I think.

I just wanted to mention that Barnes and Noble is having a sale on boxed sets. The Herzog-Kinski set is $41.99/$37.99 members and on Amazon, it's $80.99. I think it's the same set.

That's a good price on that Herzog/Kinski box, considering that there are five movies (at least two of which are masterpieces) and a cool documentary, that's just over eight bucks a disc. Wait, no math for me on Sundays....seven.

I would not be surprised to see Criterion do "Wings of Desire" or another Wenders film. Don't forget to ask them for the films you'd like to see...

[Hhhyyyddd]

For people who have Ovation Channel, there is a good documentary tonight at 8 p.m. EST about the art of cinematography called "Visions of Light". Repeats at 11 p.m.

[Faulkner99]

Has anyone seen "Insomnia"? I recorded it on the DVR and I'm home today so I'm thinking of getting caught up on movies. I've also got my Netflix movies ("Full Tilt Boogie" about the making of "From Dusk Till Dawn" and "Manic"), plus a handful of other stuff on the DVR: Capote, Breach, Michael Clayton, Internal Affairs. Mostly mainstream stuff. I'm going to try and knock out a couple of them today.

[tweety]

Originally posted by Faulkner99
Has anyone seen "Insomnia"? I recorded it on the DVR and I'm home today so I'm thinking of getting caught up on movies. I've also got my Netflix movies ("Full Tilt Boogie" about the making of "From Dusk Till Dawn" and "Manic"), plus a handful of other stuff on the DVR: Capote, Breach, Michael Clayton, Internal Affairs. Mostly mainstream stuff. I'm going to try and knock out a couple of them today.
For the life of me, I couldn't remember this movie. Finally checked it up on imdb and yes, I did see it. I remember enjoying it. What did you think? (I'm really intrigued by the recent Alaska three month sun and nine month dark movies. Such a weird concept.)

Also, I would love to see the Full Tilt Boogie and will look for it. Manic looks interesting, too.

[Faulkner99]

I didn't get to watch Insomnia. I think I ended up on a cleaning rampage that day.

I watched about 3/4 of Full Tilt Boogie and it wasn't as fascinating as I would have hoped it would be. Some interesting tidbits - the battle between the union and the producers was interesting - but nothing really grabbed me. I'm going to try and get to the last few minutes at some point this week so I can mail it back to Netflix and get another movie.

[tasslehoff]

I had been looking forward to this movie and it does not disappoint I guess you could say it's the story of a kid who doesn't fit in, but with a twist. That first scene with the tree was creepy.

I just read on Total Film that the US DVD release butchered the subtitles on let the right one in. :dontknow:

[Hhhyyyddd]

I just read on Total Film that the US DVD release butchered the subtitles on let the right one in. :dontknow:

Dang, I hate to hear that. Bad subtitling is obnoxious. I just got my copy today (Amazon needs to change the name of Super Saver Shipping to Slow Boat from China).

The day I started saying "I speak a little Spanish" as opposed to "I'm trying to learn Spanish" was the day I was watching a Spanish film and found myself saying, "That's not what he just said- not even close." I never realized until I started learning a bit more of other languages just how bad the subtitles are at times. I remember the subtitling on "Like Water for Chocolate" being particularly bad, the original language is beautiful and was reduced to the simplest possible English.

[Faulkner99]

Dang, I hate to hear that. Bad subtitling is obnoxious. I just got my copy today (Amazon needs to change the name of Super Saver Shipping to Slow Boat from China).

The day I started saying "I speak a little Spanish" as opposed to "I'm trying to learn Spanish" was the day I was watching a Spanish film and found myself saying, "That's not what he just said- not even close." I never realized until I started learning a bit more of other languages just how bad the subtitles are at times. I remember the subtitling on "Like Water for Chocolate" being particularly bad, the original language is beautiful and was reduced to the simplest possible English.

Oh man, I go through this all.the.time. with movies that are subtitled. Recently we watched this movie:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_Heaven
I thought it was really sweet, but I kept having to pause and re-translate stuff for DH, because for some reason whoever did the translation felt like they needed to westernize the phrases. Very very annoying, and a lot of the sweetness of the film was lost in the translation.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Oh man, I go through this all.the.time. with movies that are subtitled. Recently we watched this movie:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_Heaven
I thought it was really sweet, but I kept having to pause and re-translate stuff for DH, because for some reason whoever did the translation felt like they needed to westernize the phrases. Very very annoying, and a lot of the sweetness of the film was lost in the translation.

I'd love to see that film, adding it to my long list.

So much really is, as they say, lost in translation that I wonder if even more is lost than I think. That is the main reason I have been trying to learn more about other languages and hopefully become fluent in at least Spanish- so that I can enjoy the books and films I love in their original form and get all those little nuances and subtleties that I'm missing.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Two films worth seeing today (Friday 3/27) on Sundance-

2:30 p.m. "A Woman Under the Influence"- Gena Rowlands is wonderful in this

10:00 p.m.- Pedro Almodovar's "Volver"- I love this one.

[Faulkner99]

I'm going to set both of those to record.

[tweety]

Originally posted by Hhhyyyddd
10:00 p.m.- Pedro Almodovar's "Volver"- I love this one.
I keep looking at this and passing it up at Blockbuster, but I think I'll pick it up next time.

[tweety]

Originally posted by tasselhoff
I just read on Total Film that the US DVD release butchered the subtitles on let the right one in.
Do I feel like a dork. It is a good movie, but I will have to check out the revised version, if one comes out. I could not turn the English language off and heard the first five minutes or so in English, so the subtitles, which were completely different from the spoken English, were an improvement. I did see some of the transcript comparisons, minor, but enough to change the mood of the movie. (You know though, I swear that the copy I watched had the same subtitles as the theatrical version.) I really have to get to the bottom of this.

A friend of mine said to not open the package of preordered versions and return it right away.

[tasslehoff]

Do I feel like a dork. It is a good movie, but I will have to check out the revised version, if one comes out. I could not turn the English language off and heard the first five minutes or so in English, so the subtitles, which were completely different from the spoken English, were an improvement. I did see some of the transcript comparisons, minor, but enough to change the mood of the movie. (You know though, I swear that the copy I watched had the same subtitles as the theatrical version, including the line about the jungle gym and the Morse code "Sweet.".) I really have to get to the bottom of this.

A friend of mine said to not open the package of preordered versions and return it right away.

When I find a copy that has this on it.. Subtitles: ENGLISH (Theatrical) I will buy it.
http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/03/24/magnet-to-correct-let-the-right-one-in-subtitles-but-not-offering-exchanges/

For those that wish to purchase a version with the theatrical subtitles, you will be able to tell in the tech specs box at the back/bottom of the package because it will read “SUBTITLES: ENGLISH (Theatrical), SPANISH.” Magnet refuses to offer exchanges to anyone who has bought the altered version, which is really upsetting to me as a consumer.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Sigh. Another idiotic remake is in the works, this time they're going to mangle French crime classic "Le Cercle Rouge".http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065531/

Orlando Bloom is no Alain Delon.

[tweety]

Originally posted by Hhhyyyddd
Sigh. Another idiotic remake is in the works, this time they're going to mangle French crime classic "Le Cercle Rouge".http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065531/

Orlando Bloom is no Alain Delon.
Have you ever liked any remake? Just curious.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Have you ever liked any remake? Just curious.

Definitely "Nosferatu", and not just because it was Herzog, it was a very good version of the story.

I didn't despise Tim Burton's version of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", I think the two versions are so different from each other that I can find things to like about both of them. I did hate his "Planet of the Apes" though....

It isn't quite a remake but I didn't mind the Hong Kong treatment given to a different Meliville film, "Le Samourai", which became John Woo's "The Killer".

I pretty much consider John Waters' "Polyester" a remake of "All that Heaven Allows" and I vastly prefer it to the original. I just can't love Douglas Sirk the way I've been told I should. But, oh, speaking of him I like his version of "Imitation of Life" better than the first one.

There's also a huge amount of material I consider fair game for anyone who wants to give it a try- most plays, and all literature that is old enough to be in the public domain. They can't crank out new versions of Brit Lit classics fast enough for me. There are probably a few more remakes out there I didn't hate that I'm not thinking of at the moment.

If they gave "Le Cercle Rouge" the same kind of treatment "Le Samourai" got I wouldn't gripe, but I'm taken aback by this Orlando Bloom thing. I don't categorically hate him, either, he's just no Alain Delon. No one is. I'm not sure even Alain Delon is Alain Delon anymore (he is slated to be in the movie as well).

[Hhhyyyddd]

DVR alert for IFC subscribers for Thursday 4/8- De Sica's neorealist classic "Umberto D" at 9 a.m. or 3 p.m.- great film, but be warned this is not a happy movie

also, for the Herzog-ites like myself, the documentary about the making of Fitzcarraldo is on twice tomorrow, "Burden of Dreams" at 7:15 a.m. or 12:45

I haven't seen this movie so I'm not vouching for it, but I will say that I've liked most of the films I've seen by Claude Chabrol so I'm including it- "The Flower of Evil" at 11 a.m. or 4:30 p.m.

[tweety]

Originally posted by Hhhyyyddd
Definitely "Nosferatu", and not just because it was Herzog, it was a very good version of the story.

I didn't despise Tim Burton's version of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", I think the two versions are so different from each other that I can find things to like about both of them. I did hate his "Planet of the Apes" though....

It isn't quite a remake but I didn't mind the Hong Kong treatment given to a different Meliville film, "Le Samourai", which became John Woo's "The Killer".

I pretty much consider John Waters' "Polyester" a remake of "All that Heaven Allows" and I vastly prefer it to the original. I just can't love Douglas Sirk the way I've been told I should. But, oh, speaking of him I like his version of "Imitation of Life" better than the first one.
I am so used to the Kinski Noseferatu that I forget it's not the original.:joker:

I did not know that about Polyester. (See how much I learn from you and the gang here.) Did you watch it in Odorama? I was warned about #2 and made sure not to scratch off that number. I actually got to watch this with John Waters....well, it was a small room screening, but he wasn't with me personally.

On a John Waters note, has anyone read Shock Value or Crackpot? OMG, if you want to just escape and laugh, read these.

[Hhhyyyddd]

I am so used to the Kinski Noseferatu that I forget it's not the original.:joker:

I did not know that about Polyester. (See how much I learn from you and the gang here.) Did you watch it in Odorama? I was warned about #2 and made sure not to scratch off that number. I actually got to watch this with John Waters....well, it was a small room screening, but he wasn't with me personally.

On a John Waters note, has anyone read Shock Value or Crackpot? OMG, if you want to just escape and laugh, read these.

I read "Shock Value" on a long plane ride, I think I frightened the other passengers with my frequent uncontrollable laughter. I did see "Polyester" in Odorama, at my local arthouse ever so long ago....

[Hhhyyyddd]

Friday 4/10- Ovation Channel, 8 p.m. EST or 11 p.m.- "The Bicycle Thief". This is one of the all-time greatest films IMO. It drives me a little batty that they go to commercial what feels like every five minutes, but they have some excellent programs.

Saturday 4/11 at 12 p.m. or 8 p.m.- Martin Scorsese's very long (6 hours with the too frequent ads!) and amazingly informative documentary on film as he sees it- "Martin Scorsese:A Personal Journey Through American Film" (silent era to 1969).

[Hhhyyyddd]

Turner Classics, Monday 4/13 at 10 p.m. EST- Jean Renoir's 1937 classic "Grand Illusion"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028950/

[Hhhyyyddd]

A movie I saw a few months ago has been popping up on the various Encore channels

Golden Door (Nuovomundo)http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465188/

This immigrants' story is worth seeing for the cinematography alone. It is beautfully filmed, especially the early scenes in Sicily.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Tuesday 4/21 IFC at 9 a.m. EST- "Mon Oncle Antoine" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067439/

French Canadian film. Somewhat bleak period piece and coming of age film that does an excellent job of capturing a time and a place.

[Hhhyyyddd]

http://www.tcm.com/movienews/index/?cid=239081

Due to the popularity of its annual "Summer under the Stars" festival, where each day in August is devoted to the works of one movie star, Turner Classics is going to do a Great Director's festival in June. Looks like it will be very interesting, and I am happy they are including some directors from overseas.

[tweety]

Originally posted by Hhhyyyddd
Due to the popularity of its annual "Summer under the Stars" festival, where each day in August is devoted to the works of one movie star, Turner Classics is going to do a Great Director's festival in June. Looks like it will be very interesting, and I am happy they are including some directors from overseas.
Finally, something I can watch. (I'm so jealous - don't have Sundance or IFC.) Those all look great, although I am especially looking forward to Fritz Lang, Fellini, and Preston Sturges. Hopefully can catch up on some movies this summer.

Thanks for posting.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Finally, something I can watch. (I'm so jealous - don't have Sundance or IFC.) Those all look great, although I am especially looking forward to Fritz Lang, Fellini, and Preston Sturges. Hopefully can catch up on some movies this summer.

Thanks for posting.

For what it's worth, if I had to choose one of the three- TCM, Sundance, and IFC- I'd take Turner Classics. I love that they show movies that are lesser known on the other two, but for sheer quality of the films available Turner wins. Be sure to watch out for the August thing too, last year they picked some interesting actors besides the usual suspects that they do every year. Peter Lorre day was my favorite!

[Hhhyyyddd]

Monday 4/27 in the early a.m. on Turner Classics-

12:15 a.m.- "The Phantom Carriage" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0012364/ - this is a well known and influential silent Swedish horror film from 1920.

2 a.m. Ingmar Bergman's "Wild Strawberries"

[tweety]

Got some good deals on dvds today at Blockbuster and Big Lots. I bought Cecile B. DeMille's Greatest Show on Earth for $1.99, five episodes of Three Stooges for $3.99, Barry Lyndon brand new for $3.00, and a movie recommended by Faulkner and Hort, Brick, new for $3.00. Most excited about Barry Lyndon. Yea.

Guess what I'll be watching?

[Faulkner99]

Got some good deals on dvds today at Blockbuster and Big Lots. I bought Cecile B. DeMille's Greatest Show on Earth for $1.99, five episodes of Three Stooges for $3.99, Barry Lyndon brand new for $3.00, and a movie recommended by Faulkner and Hort, Brick, new for $3.00. Most excited about Barry Lyndon. Yea.

Guess what I'll be watching?

Those are great deals!

[Hhhyyyddd]

Got some good deals on dvds today at Blockbuster and Big Lots. I bought Cecile B. DeMille's Greatest Show on Earth for $1.99, five episodes of Three Stooges for $3.99, Barry Lyndon brand new for $3.00, and a movie recommended by Faulkner and Hort, Brick, new for $3.00. Most excited about Barry Lyndon. Yea.

Guess what I'll be watching?

Based on this and a post in another thread I went down to Big Lots to look over the DVDs. They really do have some good stuff, cheap. I grabbed a shamefully large pile. No "Barry Lyndon", though, boo. I'll check the one in the next town over tomorrow when I'm out doing stuff.

Some highlights of my pile of cheap DVD-

1966 Best Picture winner "A Man For All Seasons"

Paul Muni classic "I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang"

Roger Corman's bizarre beatnik-horror-comedy "A Bucket of Blood"

[Hhhyyyddd]

Friday May 22 on Ovation Channel 8 p.m. EST- Fellini's "8 1/2"

[Hhhyyyddd]

Reminder- Turner Classics great directors festival starts Monday June 1st and continues all month.

First up- Leo Mc Carey and John Ford

[Hhhyyyddd]

Turner Classics Great Directors Festival June 2

Victor Fleming - a.m.

Frank Capra- p.m.

[Faulkner99]

Per Hort's suggestion, I watched "Brick" last week. Wow. It was fantastic. It is a very good modern take on noir, but the twist is that it is teenage noir. Completely unexpected take on the genre but it works. The dialogue is very stylized and it took me a bit to get used to (plus a little rewinding), but once I got the hang of it, I was hooked. The picture is also visually stunning. You don't see a lot of movies like this anymore that are willing to really stay on message this way. It was doubly refreshing after I attempted to watch another modern taken on noir (2006's Black Dahlia) which was horrible.

If you've got HBO (or HBOHD) and you are interested in this movie, it'll be on tomorrow.
http://www.hbo.com/apps/schedule/ScheduleServlet?ACTION_DETAIL=DETAIL&FOCUS_ID=620889

[Hhhyyyddd]

Friday 6/5 at 6 p.m. EST- Orson Welles and Joseph Cotten in Carol Reed's excellent film "The Third Man"

[Hhhyyyddd]

6/6 - for Bette Davis fans, Bette in back to back films by William Wyler on Turner Classics starting at 6 p.m. Eastern. "Jezebel" and "The Letter"

[Faulkner99]

Friday 6/5 at 6 p.m. EST- Orson Welles and Joseph Cotten in Carol Reed's excellent film "The Third Man"
I LOVE this movie. I got rid of most of my DVDs a few years ago and swore I was done buying DVDs, but I'm seriously tempted to buy the Criterion version and keep it.

[plazamama]

Did anyone else get so much out of The Saddest Music In the World?
It really helped me a lot. I was mourning, and it didn't cure me, but helped me over a bad spot.

Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence helped me through a different bad time in 85.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Thursday 6/25 (and early Friday) on Turner Classics- Fellini films will be on all night.

8 p.m. EST- La Strada
10 p.m. EST- Juliet of the Spirits
12:30 a.m.- Satyricon
2:45 a.m.- Roma

[tweety]

Can't believe I missed Fellini. Every time I get to TNT, I get something like Fast and Furious. LOL.

[Hhhyyyddd]

amazon has a good sale on some of the Criterion Collection DVDs- they're around half price. There is a good selection including several Fellini films, some Antonioni, old David Lean films, Carol Reed's "The Third Man", etc.

Look for the "indie and international" sale on the DVD Deals page.

[Faulkner99]

The woot.com special today is a set of DVDs. It ends up being $30 with shipping for 12 DVDs.

http://www.woot.com/

12 United Artist DVDs in three 4-set collections
Volume 1 includes A Fistful of Dollars, Dr. No, The Magnificent Seven and The Pink Panther in a collector’s box
Volume 2 includes Rocky, The Great Escape, The Thomas Crown Affair and West Side Story in a collector’s box
Volume 3 includes 12 Angry Men, A Bridge Too Far, Judgment at Nuremberg and Paths of Glory in a collector’s box
Each DVD is in it’s own 7 1/2” X 5 1/4” X 1/4” storage case with full sleeve

They all appear to be widescreen editions except "Paths of Glory".

[Hhhyyyddd]

Another sale on Criterion DVDs and their other brand, Essential Art House, this time at J&R Music World. Prices not as low as the recent amazon sale but an entirely different selection than that sale.

[Faulkner99]

I just discovered we have "Ovation" channel. Tomorrow they're showing "Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle" if any of you are interested.

[Faulkner99]

Ooh and "Heavenly Creatures" will be on that channel on the 20th. Creepy and good.

[Hhhyyyddd]

I just discovered we have "Ovation" channel. Tomorrow they're showing "Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle" if any of you are interested.

Keep an eye on that one, they have some really good programs. There is, unfortunately, a commercial what seems like every 30 seconds so they are best for the DVR. There's a one hour show that's on now and then called "Film Genre" that I think you would like. It's what it sounds like, they examine a different genre in each episode.

[Faulkner99]

Keep an eye on that one, they have some really good programs. There is, unfortunately, a commercial what seems like every 30 seconds so they are best for the DVR. There's a one hour show that's on now and then called "Film Genre" that I think you would like. It's what it sounds like, they examine a different genre in each episode.

I'll have to record an episode or two of that.

[hort1]

I recently watched Otto Preminger's "The Cardinal" from 1963. It's one of those sprawling, lengthy, colorful movie epics from that period. So long (175 minutes) that there's an actual intermission, while the score plays. Dorothy Gish, Ossie Davis, Burgess Meredith, Romy Schnieder.....it was better than what I expected.

[Hhhyyyddd]

9/21- tonight would be a good night to set up the DVR to start recording Turner Classics at 10:15 p.m. Good movies all night, starting with "On The Waterfront" and continuing with "Dr. Strangelove" and "2001:A Space Oddesy". Also tomorrow 9/22 they seem to have an all day Paul Muni thing going on.

[Hhhyyyddd]

I went to Big Lots to see if there was anything new in the $3 movie bin. They have most of the James Bond films, including all of the Connery titles (for the purists). I picked up a big stack of those for my Dad's Christmas.

A few other good titles- Desperado, Gosford Park, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner. Your local mileage may vary.

[Faulkner99]

On the off chance that someone in or near So Cal reads this thread, the Aero has an interesting program that starts tomorrow.
http://www.americancinematheque.com/mail09/german/german09.html

German Currents: New Films From Germany
September 30 - October 4 at the Aero Theatre
Presented by the American Cinematheque with Goethe Institut-Los Angeles. 
In collaboration with Filmstiftung NRW. 
With the support of E.L.M.A. (European Languages and Movies in America).

German cinema has contributed an array of cinematic icons to film history - from the Weimar-era post-Caligari, pre-Hitler gallery of Lang, Murnau and Dietrich, to the early ’70s of the New German Cinema driven by Werner Herzog, Wim Wenders, Rainer Werner Fassbinder and others. After the fall of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago, German producers generated individual hits that betrayed a lighter touch in their direction and performances. If the films of the New German Cinema were marked by introversion and alienation, recent German films are extroverted and kinetic. Recently, American audiences applauded Sebastian Koch playing cat-and-mouse with voyeuristic Stasi agent Ulrich Mühe in THE LIVES OF OTHERS and Uli Edel’s Oscar-nominated THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX, a discovery of last year’s series now playing in U.S. cinemas. Join us for 10 Los Angeles Premieres, including the riveting mountain adventure NORTHFACE, period dramas CLARA and BUDDENBROOKS, the moving documentary NOBODY'S PERFECT, comedy SHORT CUT TO HOLLYWOOD, fantasy KRABAT, political drama STORM, the rave scene-set BERLIN CALLING and more.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Good day for the DVR-

Sundance 4:55 p.m. - Fellini's "Nights of Cabiria"

IFC 1:05 p.m.- Truffat's "Jules and Jim"

Turner Classics 8 p.m.- Preston Sturges' "Sullivan's Travels"

[Faulkner99]

Good day for the DVR-

Sundance 4:55 p.m. - Fellini's "Nights of Cabiria"

IFC 1:05 p.m.- Truffat's "Jules and Jim"

Turner Classics 8 p.m.- Preston Sturges' "Sullivan's Travels"

I've never seen Sullivan's Travels, or else if I did I forgot.

LOVE the other two movies.

[blueshield]

Yeah I love movies alot though I skip the heavy dramas mostly. Of the old movies I love, "Harvey", "Arsenic and Old Lace", "Mr Smith Goes to Washington" and many many more I can't think of at the moment.

I don't watch as many American movies these days as I generally go in for more asian action movies or french and english comedies. One of my favorite French movies is "The Closet". Lately my favorite horror movie was "Let the Right One In" which I believe was Swedish or Norwegian? I can't remember which.

I'm decent at guessing the oscars winners and most years do fairly well in those contests and even won a grand prize once for doing so.

[Hhhyyyddd]

DVR alert (sorry for the short notice) 10/12

1:45 p.m. EST Turner Classics- Fellini's "8 1/2"

and 10/13 8:35 a.m. EST on Sundance- Akira Kurosawa's "Ran"

[Hhhyyyddd]

Yeah I love movies alot though I skip the heavy dramas mostly. Of the old movies I love, "Harvey", "Arsenic and Old Lace", "Mr Smith Goes to Washington" and many many more I can't think of at the moment.

I don't watch as many American movies these days as I generally go in for more asian action movies or french and english comedies. One of my favorite French movies is "The Closet". Lately my favorite horror movie was "Let the Right One In" which I believe was Swedish or Norwegian? I can't remember which.

I'm decent at guessing the oscars winners and most years do fairly well in those contests and even won a grand prize once for doing so.

I hear they're doing an American remake of "Let the Right One In" and I so wish they wouldn't. I'm sure they'll turn it into some idiotic "Twilight" type thing.

[hort1]

"landscape No.2"

http://www.pokrajina-st2.org/


On the surface it's a kind of crime thriller, but there seems to be a lot of layered meanings within the storyline. As always, with subtitles, one wonders just how much nuance is lost, or how much of the storyline skips by because the culture (Slovenia) is not very familiar.

[Hhhyyyddd]

A Halloween present from Turner Classics late Sunday/early Monday

Monday 10/19 all times EST

12 a.m.- The great Lon Chaney in the silent classic "The Phantom of the Opera"

2 a.m.- Carl Theodore Dreyer's 1932 film "Vampyr"

3:30 a.m. - Polanski's "Fearless Vampire Killers"

[Hhhyyyddd]

Big Lots continues to be a surprisingly good source of cheap DVDs. I picked up Orson Welles' "The Lady From Shanghai" and a nice edition of Hitchcock's "Saboteur" for 3 dollars each today.

[Faulkner99]

Big Lots continues to be a surprisingly good source of cheap DVDs. I picked up Orson Welles' "The Lady From Shanghai" and a nice edition of Hitchcock's "Saboteur" for 3 dollars each today.

I need to stop in there soon and see if they've added anything new.

[hort1]

Paraiso Travel

I picked this off the shelf on a whim - the packaging was entirely in spanish and my meager reading skills only sorta/kinda gave me hint of the storyline.

John Leguizamo was in it though, so that made me kind of curious.

Here's a brief synopsis that doesn't give too much away:
http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/445869/Paraiso-Travel/overview


And an article I found that has spoilers, but has a pretty good analysis of the political context of the film:

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1721458,00.html


It's very watchable on several different levels - part romance, part drama, part political commentary on immigration issues.

[tweety]

Originally posted ny Hhhyyyddd
Big Lots continues to be a surprisingly good source of cheap DVDs. I picked up Orson Welles' "The Lady From Shanghai" and a nice edition of Hitchcock's "Saboteur" for 3 dollars each today.
My Big Lots has nothing, although I did pick up a six-disc copy of the "History of Rock'n'Roll" a while back.

I finally watched "Brick." Wow. I felt like I was watching a movie made in a different time. Very enjoyable and without the pretentious indie feel that too many movies have now.

Watched "Volver," too. I don't know how many times I passed by that movie at Blockbuster before I finally took it home. I'm going through that Spanish phase right now, but also decided to watch "Belle du Jour," which means I'm going to have to see "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie" again. That movie completely freaked me out when I was in college.

[Faulkner99]

I'm going through that Spanish phase right now, but also decided to watch "Belle du Jour," which means I'm going to have to see "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie" again. That movie completely freaked me out when I was in college.

That movie freaked me out too. It starts as such a calm, normal movie, and by the end you're just pinching yourself because it gets so weird.

[Hhhyyyddd]

If anyone has Sundance Channel and has been wanting to see Stephen Soderberg's two-part "Che", it's available on demand.

[tweety]

Originally posted by Hhhyyyddd
If anyone has Sundance Channel and has been wanting to see Stephen Soderberg's two-part "Che", it's available on demand.
Darnit. That's one of the movies I've been dying to see. I'll wait for the dvd. Just wondering if you or anyone else has seen it and what you thought.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Darnit. That's one of the movies I've been dying to see. I'll wait for the dvd. Just wondering if you or anyone else has seen it and what you thought.

I thought I was going to have to wait on the DVD too, I was very happy to see it there.

I watched Part One yesterday and I'll watch Part Two today or tomorrow. I liked it a great deal but it was a bit different than what I thought it would be- it was more a biography of a revolution with a slight feel of documentary than that of a person. The film limits its audience pool a bit a by expecting us to know at least a little about Che and the Cuban Revolution to begin with, a person without a working knowledge of history would probably be baffled by the entire thing, but this was never going to be a mainstream hit to begin with.

[Faulkner99]

How was Benicio?

[Hhhyyyddd]

How was Benicio?

I think he tends to be a bit flashy as an actor (which I'm not saying is always bad) and manages to turn it down a notch, which the script and the style of filming definitely calls for. He's subtler than normal here and it works.

[Hhhyyyddd]

They have a 400+ title $5.79 DVD sale going on at amazon and there are some really good movies mixed in there. Don't sort by "classic", there's a glitch and it's only showing a few titles but there actually lots in there if you sort by "all".

[Faulkner99]

I think he tends to be a bit flashy as an actor (which I'm not saying is always bad) and manages to turn it down a notch, which the script and the style of filming definitely calls for. He's subtler than normal here and it works.

Good to hear. There's something about him that I find interesting, but you're right, sometimes I think his face gets a little too expressive.

Did you ever see 21 Grams? I thought he was fantastic in that.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Good to hear. There's something about him that I find interesting, but you're right, sometimes I think his face gets a little too expressive.

Did you ever see 21 Grams? I thought he was fantastic in that.

I've got 21 Grams sitting in the Needs To Be Watched Again pile, it's been long enough that the details are blurred, but I do remember him being very good in it.

Exactly, he is fun to watch doing his thing but he can't be mugging at the camera playing Che Guevara. It wouldn't work. There is an almost complete lack of close-ups so he wouldn't have had a chance if he had wanted to.

[Faulkner99]

I've got 21 Grams sitting in the Needs To Be Watched Again pile, it's been long enough that the details are blurred, but I do remember him being very good in it.

Exactly, he is fun to watch doing his thing but he can't be mugging at the camera playing Che Guevara. It wouldn't work. There is an almost complete lack of close-ups so he wouldn't have had a chance if he had wanted to.

That's interesting about the lack of close-ups. My DH works in the film industry, and he's always talking about coverage, master shots, etc. I am looking forward to watching Che with him because he always takes that stuff in and comments on it insightfully.

[Hhhyyyddd]

That's interesting about the lack of close-ups. My DH works in the film industry, and he's always talking about coverage, master shots, etc. I am looking forward to watching Che with him because he always takes that stuff in and comments on it insightfully.

He'll enjoy these. They are two very interesting films visually and quite different from one another in their style so he can happily compare and contrast.

[Hhhyyyddd]

There is a Criterion Collection sale at amazon- just a tiny one. The selection is very small but the prices are good.

[tweety]

I'm going to check out that Amazon sale. I did check out Che Part 1 and will watch that tonight or tomorrow.

Anyone see Persepolis? I was pleasantly surprised, having heard nothing about it.

[Faulkner99]

I'm going to check out that Amazon sale. I did check out Che Part 1 and will watch that tonight or tomorrow.

Anyone see Persepolis? I was pleasantly surprised, having heard nothing about it.

I was a wee bit disappointed, probably because I had read the graphic novels and I guess I expected more from the movie. But had I not read them first, I probably would have enjoyed it more. Visually, it was pretty cool to watch.

[tweety]

I wondered what you would think. I really liked the main character and especially her grandmother. I am going to read the books now.

In my opinion, more people should watch this movie and not Slumdog Millionaire. :duck:

[Faulkner99]

I wondered what you would think. I really liked the main character and especially her grandmother. I am going to read the books now.

In my opinion, more people should watch this movie and not Slumdog Millionaire. :duck:

I'm probably the only person on the planet who hasn't seen Slumdog Miliionaire. I have it saved on the DVR.

I'm guessing that Persepolis isn't quite as uplifting as Slumdog, based on the previews and trailer and buzz I've heard about Slumdog. People want to hear a happy story. Well, at least the masses do.

Persepolis (the graphic novel & the sequels) were tough for me to read because that was pretty much the story of my life on paper. DH, who doesn't read much of anything, even read it, and he was kind of stunned. I think it helped him gain some insight on what my life was like before he met me.

[tweety]

Originally posted by Faulkner
I'm probably the only person on the planet who hasn't seen Slumdog Miliionaire. I have it saved on the DVR.
I'm probably the only person on the planet who thinks it's dreadful. There. I said it. Notice how I don't dare post that in the other thread.

Persepolis (the graphic novel & the sequels) were tough for me to read because that was pretty much the story of my life on paper. DH, who doesn't read much of anything, even read it, and he was kind of stunned. I think it helped him gain some insight on what my life was like before he met me.

Back to Persepolis just for a moment, I thought you may have been too young to experience much of that. I wish I'd seen this movie during the uprising this past summer and spring. Marjane reminds me of more than one friend originally from there (and I certainly thought of you) and I found it particularly interesting that her family was so, well, western. I think that some viewers (not me) would be surprised at how educated and progressive so many Iranians are and I love the perspective that came from a young, independent girl and how the veils, repression, and war affected her the same way it would any of us here in the states. All her emotions are universal.

I really love her grandmother. What an incredibly wise woman.

[Faulkner99]

I'm probably the only person the planet who thinks it's dreadful. There. I said it. Notice how I don't dare post that in the other thread.



Back to Persepolis just for a moment, I thought you may have been too young to experience much of that. I wish I'd seen this movie during the uprising this past summer and spring. Marjane reminds me of more than one friend originally from there (and I certainly thought of you) and I found it particularly interesting that her family was so, well, western. I think that some viewers (not me) would be surprised at how educated and progressive so many Iranians are and I love the perspective that came from a young, independent girl and how the veils, repression, and war affected her the same way it would any of use here in the states. All her emotions are universal.

I really love her grandmother. What an incredibly wise woman.

We fled when I was 4 (I'm about 6 years younger than Marjane), but I remember it pretty vividly. My uncle was killed like Marjane's. It's a memory I will never for the rest of my life forget. I also remember being on the phone with my grandmother (once we moved to France and again when we were in the States) and hearing the air raid sirens from the Iran-Iraq war going in the background. I didn't go back to Iran until 2002.

My family is the same way - all college educated, even the women. And I'm talking every.single.person in the family, both sides. Most of them went to school in Iran, but many studied overseas.

Marjane now lives (at least part time) in Paris and is friends with my aunt, which I think is a trip.

[tweety]

Originally posted by Faulkner
Marjane now lives (at least part time) in Paris and is friends with my aunt, which I think is a trip.
Now that is so cool. My relatives came to the states via Germany.

[Hhhyyyddd]

I haven't read the "Persepolis" graphic novels either, but I did enjoy the movie. I saw it at a time when I'd just seen a lot of blah, stale movies so it was a nice novelty. It's interesting to me how a prior relationship, or one after the fact, with the source material for a movie sways our opinion of it.

[Hhhyyyddd]

I'm probably the only person on the planet who thinks it's dreadful. There. I said it. Notice how I don't dare post that in the other thread.







I didn't hate it, but I certainly didn't love it. I think it's quite mediocre and the amount of awards and praise it received wasn't merited. I think the awards sweeps were the result of an overall weak movie year and also because of confused industry people rewarding Danny Boyle for the movies they weren't "allowed" to praise because they were about unOscary things like zombies and Scottish junkies. A sort of Trainspotting effect. Plus there's that feel-good factor Faulkner was talking about. Every best picture nominee (and the also rans) was at least a little bit bleak except this one so voters picked the happy film.

While we're on the subject of 2008 awards season films we hated, The Reader was a drag. A big old all around drag, brilliant Kate Winslet couldn't save it.

[Faulkner99]

Now you guys are making me curious about Slumdog. I'll have to watch it this week.

You guys aren't the only ones who were lukewarm about it or didn't like it. One of my best friends said it was the most overhyped movie she's ever seen. Which reminded me of the hype about "Crash" which I thought was a terrible movie.

I'll give it a fair shake though.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Now you guys are making me curious about Slumdog. I'll have to watch it this week.

You guys aren't the only ones who were lukewarm about it or didn't like it. One of my best friends said it was the most overhyped movie she's ever seen. Which reminded me of the hype about "Crash" which I thought was a terrible movie.

I'll give it a fair shake though.

There have been a lot of really stinky Best Picture winners in recent decades, much moreso than in the 70s and earlier. The two that always spring to mind are "Titanic" and "The English Patient". I wonder if the decision to start having ten nominated pictures as of next year will make things better or worse.

[Hhhyyyddd]

!2/7- Turner Classics is showing all seven films of the Frank Capra "Why We Fight" series today starting at 10:30 a.m. until 8 p.m.

These are very well made WW2 propaganda films by Capra for the government to try to help persuade the American public to get involved in the war.

[Hhhyyyddd]

!2/7- Turner Classics is showing all seven films of the Frank Capra "Why We Fight" series today starting at 10:30 a.m. until 8 p.m.

These are very well made WW2 propaganda films by Capra for the government to try to help persuade the American public to get involved in the war.

I didn't notice that the Capra festival continues at eight, starting with the wonderful "It Happened One Night" and continuing well into the a.m.

[hort1]

I'm probably the only person on the planet who hasn't seen Slumdog Miliionaire. I have it saved on the DVR.


Haven't seen it either. Probably will at some point I suppose.


Salaam Bombay! is a movie that deals with the subject of child poverty in India. I saw it maybe 15-20 years ago and it has always stuck with me.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096028/

No happy ending, but I'd recommend it.




I was disappointed in Persepolis the movie. While I thought the look of the movie captured the feel and look of the book, I just didn't think that the story made much sense on screen. I'm not sure that, had I not already read the books, that I would have know what was going on in the movie.

[Faulkner99]

A real treat - the Hammer Museum screened Red Ballon and White Mane this morning.

http://hammer.ucla.edu/programs/detail/program_id/378

DH & I both loved Red Balloon as children, and DH hadn't seen it in over 20 years. We thought it would be cool to take the little one. He liked it as well.

I didn't love White Mane as much but I enjoyed it. The foley was really bad, and at some point it got distracting. It was like someone HAD to have horse hoof noises, loudly, so they flew it in and it just sounded really out of place.

All in all, a good morning.

[Hhhyyyddd]

A real treat - the Hammer Museum screened Red Ballon and White Mane this morning.

http://hammer.ucla.edu/programs/detail/program_id/378

DH & I both loved Red Balloon as children, and DH hadn't seen it in over 20 years. We thought it would be cool to take the little one. He liked it as well.

I didn't love White Mane as much but I enjoyed it. The foley was really bad, and at some point it got distracting. It was like someone HAD to have horse hoof noises, loudly, so they flew it in and it just sounded really out of place.

All in all, a good morning.

I have such fond memories of Red Balloon from when I was very small. The first time I saw it my father was curating a small museum and did a showing. They used to show it in school from time to time also but they don't seem to do that any more, at least not around here, because my kids have never seen it.

[Faulkner99]

I have such fond memories of Red Balloon from when I was very small. The first time I saw it my father was curating a small museum and did a showing. They used to show it in school from time to time also but they don't seem to do that any more, at least not around here, because my kids have never seen it.

DH and I both saw it in school. I don't know whether they show it anymore around here. I hope they do.

[aesmith]

I just saw a couple of movies from Netflix that were really good. Cheri and Every little Step.

Cheri is based on a novel by Colette. Michelle Pfeifer and Rupert Friend star in it. It is about an aging prostitute that takes another prostitutes son under her wing to teach him the ways of the world and ends up falling in love with him. I liked it very much.

Every Little Step is a documentary about the casting of the 2008 revival of A Chorus Line.

I have one that I am going to watch this week.

A Christmas Tale (French)

[Hhhyyyddd]

There is a good sale on Criterion Collection DVD and blu-ray at Deepdiscount.com- free shipping

[Hhhyyyddd]

http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/rip-miramax-13606?page=1

No more Miramax.

[Faulkner99]

http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/rip-miramax-13606?page=1

No more Miramax.

That was weird news. It has quite the legacy. At first when I heard about the Weinsteins buying it I thought, "How could they afford it?" and then I read that it was just the name they would buy.

[Hhhyyyddd]

The amazon gold box special today only is a Sylvania blu ray player for 89.99. This player doesn't have all the bells and whistles but if you don't need things like ethernet and just want to play blu ray discs this is a good deal.

[Faulkner99]

Turner Classic Movies has some incredible films this month. Also, on Sunday they're showing 8/12 followed by Juliet of the Spirits.

http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/index/

[Hhhyyyddd]

Turner Classic Movies has some incredible films this month. Also, on Sunday they're showing 8/12 followed by Juliet of the Spirits.

http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/index/

I forgot all about the whole 31 Days of Oscar thing on Turner Classics....so many awesome films will be on this month.

[Faulkner99]

I forgot all about the whole 31 Days of Oscar thing on Turner Classics....so many awesome films will be on this month.

I recorded a bunch of them, and will probably watch at least 2 or 3 this week.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Another great movie night on Turner Classics tonight, starting at eight-

Greta Garbo in "Ninotchka", followed by Billy Wilder's "Stalag 17"

[Hhhyyyddd]

http://www.criterion.com/current/posts/1366

Well, this is bad news for movie collector geeks. Quite a few Criterion Collection titles are going out of print because they have lost the rights to Lionsgate, who will not give the releases the same TLC. This seems to be happening more and more- they had to put "The Third Man" out of print recently because they lost the rights to the British portions of the film, and now the blu ray that sold for a reasonable price a few months ago is already fetching $60. In other words, if you want any of these, get them now while Criterion is offering a nice discount.

It's also worrisome because the company in question, StudioCanal, also owns the rights to quite a few other classic Criterion releases. I hate to see these go out of print and end up costing a fortune on the aftermarket.

[Hhhyyyddd]

They have excellent prices on some classics on blu ray at amazon.

Both the "Wizard of Oz" and "Gone with the Wind" were only available in super deluxe, pricey sets, they've got editions with less bells and whistles for around $17.

Same thing with "Casablanca", the box set is nice but a bit pricey, now they've got a basic edition for $14.49.

[tweety]

Originally posted by Hhhyyyddd
Well, this is bad news for movie collector geeks. Quite a few Criterion Collection titles are going out of print because they have lost the rights to Lionsgate, who will not give the releases the same TLC. This seems to be happening more and more- they had to put "The Third Man" out of print recently because they lost the rights to the British portions of the film, and now the blu ray that sold for a reasonable price a few months ago is already fetching $60. In other words, if you want any of these, get them now while Criterion is offering a nice discount.

It's also worrisome because the company in question, StudioCanal, also owns the rights to quite a few other classic Criterion releases. I hate to see these go out of print and end up costing a fortune on the aftermarket.

Haven't checked in for awhile, but thanks for the dvd updates. I wondered why some movies were insanely expensive.

And now for a dvd slumming note: Big Lots prices went up to $5. My store still had some for $3, but I'll bet most things are gone with the 20% off event last weekend.

I also noticed you've been watching Hitchcock and I'd love to see the movies you mentioned on Blu-Ray. Everyone always thinks I'm crazy for marveling at the colors, even on regular dvds, so I can't even imagine how they look now. I may just invest in a Blu-Ray player now. And love "Ninotchka."

[Hhhyyyddd]

Haven't checked in for awhile, but thanks for the dvd updates. I wondered why some movies were insanely expensive.

And now for a dvd slumming note: Big Lots prices went up to $5. My store still had some for $3, but I'll bet most things are gone with the 20% off event last weekend.

I also noticed you've been watching Hitchcock and I'd love to see the movies you mentioned on Blu-Ray. Everyone always thinks I'm crazy for marveling at the colors, even on regular dvds, so I can't even imagine how they look now. I may just invest in a Blu-Ray player now. And love "Ninotchka."

Oh, boooo to the Big Lots price hike! I got so many good movies from the $3 bin. I was going to go there later this week and I'm glad I knew about this in advance, now I won't throw a hissy fit in the store. If they're going to be like that I'd rather save my five dollar bills for the twice a year amazon $5.79 sale where they include most of the classic films that are regularly priced up to 19.99.

So far I think only "North by Northwest" is on blu-ray but I'm certain more will follow- I'm hoping in the same format because even the packaging is extra nice, it's like a little bound book instead of a plasticy box. If you get a blu-ray player you'll be glad you did. I really didn't expect there to be any real difference in the way a properly done (there are some bad blu ray releases out there) blu ray looks vs. a DVD, but there is.

I'm with ya, most people don't get my fixation on the colors, you'd think I was on some sort of permanent acid flashback for even mentioning them:laugh:

[Hhhyyyddd]

http://www.hulu.com/zatoichi-the-blind-swordsman

Criterion collection has started showing movies on hulu, which is awesome. Up first- the Blind Swordsman movies.

[Faulkner99]

http://www.hulu.com/zatoichi-the-blind-swordsman

Criterion collection has started showing movies on hulu, which is awesome. Up first- the Blind Swordsman movies.

Oooh nice.

[jesslag]

I watched Citizen Kane on Sat or Sun morning. I love that movie!!:loveu:

[Hhhyyyddd]

I watched Citizen Kane on Sat or Sun morning. I love that movie!!:loveu:

Isn't it fabulous? Every time I watch it, I see something new that I never noticed about it before.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Tuesdays on Turner Classics in March- films by Akira Kurosawa. I'm pleased about this, there are some lesser known ones I haven't seen being shown and I've been wishing Turner would show more non-English language movies. Other than the occasional showing of a Fellini film they usually bury the very few foreign movies in a late-night Sunday time slot.

http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/article/?cid=290029

[Hhhyyyddd]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/science/02angi.html?ref=science

I thought this was absolutely fascinating. It's a NY Times article about how the editing and pace of movies has changed over the last several decades to more closely approximate the way the human brain works.

It explains quite a lot about why people who have seen very few older movies find them dull or slow paced.

[tweety]

Why doesn't my Hulu work anymore?

[Hhhyyyddd]

Why doesn't my Hulu work anymore?

I wonder too? The only thing I can think of is to restart, sometimes that helps when programs go wonky. Or maybe it was a temp site problem. I hope you get it resolved...

[Hhhyyyddd]

amazon has a nice discount on Pedro Almodovar films.

[Faulkner99]

Hhhyyyddd, I saw this in the Egyptian Theater email newsletter and thought of you:

http://www.americancinematheque.com/archive1999/2010/Egyptian/Werner_Herzog_ET2010.htm

Werner Herzog will be there in person to screen & discuss two films. I can't make it, but it looks interesting.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Hhhyyyddd, I saw this in the Egyptian Theater email newsletter and thought of you:

http://www.americancinematheque.com/archive1999/2010/Egyptian/Werner_Herzog_ET2010.htm

Werner Herzog will be there in person to screen & discuss two films. I can't make it, but it looks interesting.

I am crazy jealous of anyone that gets to go to that, I adore Werner and I'd love to hear what he has to say about "Strozek" (the infamous dancing chicken movie).

His Bad Lieutenant movie is out on DVD next month, I didn't get to see it yet as it didn't play anywhere near me so I'm totally looking forward to that.

[Hhhyyyddd]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/movies/homevideo/21KEHR.html?ref=movies

One of my favorite movies, "The African Queen", is finally available on DVD and blu ray.:bounce:

[Faulkner99]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/movies/homevideo/21KEHR.html?ref=movies

One of my favorite movies, "The African Queen", is finally available on DVD and blu ray.:bounce:

Oh nice! We just watched that (again) not too long ago.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Oh nice! We just watched that (again) not too long ago.

I've now seen the restoration and can vouch for it, it looks lovely and is presented in its correct aspect ratio. I'd have liked more extras and special features after waiting so long for this to come to disc but the one feature- a making-of type documentary, is a good one.

[Faulkner99]

I've now seen the restoration and can vouch for it, it looks lovely and is presented in its correct aspect ratio. I'd have liked more extras and special features after waiting so long for this to come to disc but the one feature- a making-of type documentary, is a good one.

I always wonder how different the picture looks with restoration, but after being treated to a restored version of The Third Man (as you know it's my fave) at a friend's house, I'm sold.

[Hhhyyyddd]

I always wonder how different the picture looks with restoration, but after being treated to a restored version of The Third Man (as you know it's my fave) at a friend's house, I'm sold.

Those Criterion discs often have a little before and after sample included so you can see the difference it makes, I think there was one on The Third Man disc.

[Faulkner99]

Hhhyyyddd, if you're on Twitter, follow Roger Ebert (@ebertchicago).
http://twitter.com/ebertchicago
He's hilarious, and he's been hanging out with Werner Herzog. He started this insane "Herzog vs. Chuck Norris" topic that has some of the funniest tweets.
http://backstage.blogs.com/blogstage/2010/04/the-meme-that-refuses-to-die-just-got-awesome.html

A photo he took of Ramin Bahrani and Herzog:

http://twitpic.com/1dj19i

[Hhhyyyddd]

Hhhyyyddd, if you're on Twitter, follow Roger Ebert (@ebertchicago).
http://twitter.com/ebertchicago
He's hilarious, and he's been hanging out with Werner Herzog. He started this insane "Herzog vs. Chuck Norris" topic that has some of the funniest tweets.
http://backstage.blogs.com/blogstage/2010/04/the-meme-that-refuses-to-die-just-got-awesome.html

A photo he took of Ramin Bahrani and Herzog:

http://twitpic.com/1dj19i

I love it! :yay:

[tweety]

Hhhyyyddd, if you're on Twitter, follow Roger Ebert (@ebertchicago).
http://twitter.com/ebertchicago
He's hilarious, and he's been hanging out with Werner Herzog. He started this insane "Herzog vs. Chuck Norris" topic that has some of the funniest tweets.
http://backstage.blogs.com/blogstage/2010/04/the-meme-that-refuses-to-die-just-got-awesome.html

A photo he took of Ramin Bahrani and Herzog:

http://twitpic.com/1dj19i
OMG you guys. jeemerson (Jim Emerson) in the background of that photo is my college buddy!! He works for roger now and has an excellent blog. (Sorry - not trying to change subject of fabulous Herzog.) This is a pic from the Conference of World Affairs.

[Faulkner99]

OMG you guys. jeemerson (Jim Emerson) in the background of that photo is my college buddy!! He works for roger now and has an excellent blog. (Sorry - not trying to change subject of fabulous Herzog.) This is a pic from the Conference of World Affairs.

That's really cool!

Working for Roger must be incredible. He's so smart and savvy. He has totally changed my Twitter experience.

[Hhhyyyddd]

OMG you guys. jeemerson (Jim Emerson) in the background of that photo is my college buddy!! He works for roger now and has an excellent blog. (Sorry - not trying to change subject of fabulous Herzog.) This is a pic from the Conference of World Affairs.

That has got to be an awesome job to have!

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2010/04/the_ecstary_of_the_filmmaker_h.html
Ebert's blog entry about going through "Aguirre" frame by frame with Herzog is the next best thing to being there. And it makes me want to go watch the movie right now.

[tweety]

That has got to be an awesome job to have!

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2010/04/the_ecstary_of_the_filmmaker_h.html
Ebert's blog entry about going through "Aguirre" frame by frame with Herzog is the next best thing to being there. And it makes me want to go watch the movie right now.
Yep. He ran the film series on campus for two years and introduced me to so much great stuff. You would have loved it....everything from the classics to John Waters to Freaks to Bunuel (he had the picture of that eye which is about to be sliced up on his wall) to Aguirre. (I don't know who's the bigger Herzog famnatic...Hhhyyyddd or Jim!!! - Thanks for including Ebert's blog entry. )

Jim is a panelist at the conference, two with Herzog. I still love reading his reviews and commentary.

[Hhhyyyddd]

More free stuff on Criterion hulu channel...another dozen Blind Swordsman movies, and Polanski's first film.

http://www.criterion.com/current/posts

[Faulkner99]

More free stuff on Criterion hulu channel...another dozen Blind Swordsman movies, and Polanski's first film.

http://www.criterion.com/current/posts

Thanks for the tip.

[Hhhyyyddd]

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/450292/75_movie_remakes_and_reboots_currently_in_the_works.html

Seriously, what a bunch of garbage. The list of movies being remade is enough to make you wish they'd go back to butchering classics. If I needed a reminder of why I watch nearly all older and foreign movies this list would be it. I see that, among other bad ideas, they've ruined "Let the Right One In".

[tweety]

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/450292/75_movie_remakes_and_reboots_currently_in_the_works.html

Seriously, what a bunch of garbage. The list of movies being remade is enough to make you wish they'd go back to butchering classics. If I needed a reminder of why I watch nearly all older and foreign movies this list would be it. I see that, among other bad ideas, they've ruined "Let the Right One In".

This is getting truly bizarre. I know movies are a business, but an original idea would be nice. I now understand your loathing of remakes. After the Herzog posts, I am dying to get my hands on Aguirre and watch it tonight, frame by frame. Bwahahah.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/2010/04/what_price_masterpiece_werner.html#comment-918837

Just to let you know, Big Lots movies are back down to $3 and my store has racks of new stuff.

[Hhhyyyddd]

This is getting truly bizarre. I know movies are a business, but an original idea would be nice. I now understand your loathing of remakes. After the Herzog posts, I am dying to get my hands on Aguirre and watch it tonight, frame by frame. Bwahahah.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/2010/04/what_price_masterpiece_werner.html#comment-918837

Just to let you know, Big Lots movies are back down to $3 and my store has racks of new stuff.

Happily, I've got my own copy of Aguirre. I just read today that Wener is using the new 3D technology for his cave paintings documentary.

Good to know about the Big Lots films- I haven't been there in a good while, hopefully mine has some new stuff also.

[Hhhyyyddd]

People in bigger cities will get a chance to see "Breathless" on the big screen, it's going to make the limited release rounds soon for its 50th anniversary.

[Hhhyyyddd]

This Sunday night (or early Monday) 2 a.m. on Turner Classics- they've slipped Roberto Rosselini's "Paisan" into the Memorial Day war movie marathon. I'm not sure this has ever been on TV before.

I wish TCM wouldn't bury the foreign language films in such an obscure time slot. It makes it difficult for anyone without a DVR to catch them, and unlikely that people who aren't deliberately seeking them out will stumble across them an enjoy them.

Also, the very same dead time slot on THIS (a secondary digital channel that some cable systems also carry) has something called Art House Cinema, sometimes it's a dreadful movie and sometimes it's something very surprising (they've had some out of print Truffaut films amog other things).

[Hhhyyyddd]

http://www.ioncinema.com/news/id/5041#

Pedro Almodovar and Antonio Banderas will be working together for the first time in 20 years. I'm excited about this one. The last Almodovar film was somewhat disappointing so I'm pleased to see him go in a different direction.

[Hhhyyyddd]

http://criterioncast.com/2010/06/01/redbox-ceo-sees-large-netflix-library-as-uninteresting-and-irrelevant/

This amused me a little. The CEO of redbox is an idiot and thinks everyone else is one, too.

[Faulkner99]

For any Jean Reno fans, Amazon has Léon: The Professional on Blu-ray for $12.

[Hhhyyyddd]

http://www.dvd2blu.com/products.html

Warner Bros. has a DVD to blu ray upgrade program- up to 25 films off a select list. You can send in the DVD (disc only, no box, they send a prepaid mailer after you make your order) plus $4.95 per movie (a few are $6.95 instead) and they will send a new, sealed blu ray copy. There are some good films here, including Kubrick stuff that looks insane on blu.

[Faulkner99]

Hhhyyyddd, were you the one who liked "Let the Right One In"?

Mel Gibson's company (Icon) made an American version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjavOLdPk1c

Why oh why do they do this? Are there NO original ideas that they have to keep making movies that have already been made?

[Hhhyyyddd]

Hhhyyyddd, were you the one who liked "Let the Right One In"?

Mel Gibson's company (Icon) made an American version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjavOLdPk1c

Why oh why do they do this? Are there NO original ideas that they have to keep making movies that have already been made?

Yeah, it's bound to be a travesty. It was such a good film, too, and stupid people will think this is the original and only version. Also because it deals with adolescence people will accuse it of being a Twilight ripoff while the wondeful Swedish version was released well before the hysteria over that particular bad series.

It's very disheartening to see almost nothing in the way of new ideas coming out of Hollywood. We once had the world's greatest film industry.

[driven873]

Anyone see inception? what did you think?

[Faulkner99]

Anyone see inception? what did you think?

I enjoyed it a lot. I'm not head over heels like a lot of people (my best friend was downright giddy about it) but I thought it was very well made and particularly well acted. Some movies you find very moving, and others are not as moving but are highly highly entertaining, and that's what category this one fell into for me. I would recommend it. You can tell the care that went into making it.

[Hhhyyyddd]

http://twitchfilm.net/news/2010/07/the-criterion-column-october-2010.php

Criterion current and new releases report here...the one I'm most excited about is probably Kubrick's "Paths of Glory". I've yet to see "M" on blu ray and am also looking forward to seeing what the restoration of "Breathless" looks like, as it didn't play anywhere near me when it made the rounds of the theatres recently.


Also, Turner Classics "Summer Under the Stars" is back. There's some interesting things on the schedule this month.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Warner Brothers has added some TV shows to the DVD to blu upgrade program.

I might have to take them up on that Sopranos season 1 upgrade, even though it's 19.95 plus the DVDs....still a much better deal than purchasing it outright.

[Hhhyyyddd]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/13/movies/13chabrol.html

French film director Claude Chabrol has passed away at age 80. RIP, Mr. Chabrol.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Also from the NY Times, a short article about the current state of the movie business.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/12/movies/12scott.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=movies

[Hhhyyyddd]

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/17/she-wont-forget-about-him-molly-ringwald-remembers-john-hughes/

Molly Ringwald on John Hughes

[Faulkner99]

Thanks for posting that interview. John Hughes was so interesting because he's so non-Hollywood.

[Hhhyyyddd]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/movies/30penn.html?src=mv

"Bonnie and Clyde" director Arthur Penn has died at age 88.


On a much happier note, there is a Hammer Films/Christopher Lee Dracula marathon on Turner Classics Friday night.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Turner Classics has a great lineup tonight, starting with Citizen Kane at 8 p.m. and followed by The Seventh Seal, The Third Man, and two films from German director Max Ophuls.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Marlene Dietrich marathon tonight on Turner Classics, starting at 10:15 p.m.

Although "The Blue Angel" is probably the better film, I have a soft spot for "Morocco", and Marlene's character in "Rancho Notoriouso" was the inspiration for Madeline Kahn's hilarious Lily Von Schtupp from "Blazing Sadedles".

[Hhhyyyddd]

Saturday night at 8 on Turner Classics, a movie I adore- "Kind Hearts and Coronets". It's a delightfully wicked little dark comedy featuring Alec Guiness in eight different roles. It will be followed by a whole night of the old Ealing studios Alec Guiness films, my other two favorites of the bunch are "The Lavender Hill Mob" and "The Ladykillers" (the latter film was badly, badly butchered in the form of a remake starring Tom Hanks a few years back, the original is a gem).

[Hhhyyyddd]

Massive amounts of silent films this month on Turner Classics all month, starting tonight.

[Hhhyyyddd]

50% off Criterion Collection blu-ray and DVD at Barnes and Noble with free shipping on orders over $25.

Some of the best movies of all time are in the collection and this is about as cheap as they ever get- they remain expensive even on the aftermerket.

[Hhhyyyddd]

http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/classic/features/magnificent-obsession-200201?currentPage=all


Vanity Fair article about Orson Welles and "The Magnificent Ambersons". Click on the Grace Kelly head/More Hollywood icon to go to a page that links to several good articles and other fun content. I was particularly interested in the Preston Sturges article.

[Hhhyyyddd]

Tomorrow on Turner Classics during the daytime- a whole batch of films by Ernst Lubitsch, all of them delightful. The Shop Around the Corner, To Be or Not To Be, Ninotchka, etc.