Film Thread

[Angelica]

I'll be in the mood for plaguing the gentleman friend with the obligatory anniversary romantic film fest later this afternoon, after I've gone to the video rental place. Recommendations please, and bear in mind my idea of romance tends to end up involving sadomasochism, wittiness, authority figure conflict, adolescent homoerotica, blood, psychosis, a Leonard Cohen soundtrack, necrophilia, criminally deranged tendencies, ageplay or any elaborate mixture of the above.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is the best date movie ever! Seriously, it's brilliant and hilarious and somewhat damaging. It's probably not anniversary material, but if you haven't seen it, you should.

[Lithium]

I'll be in the mood for plaguing the gentleman friend with the obligatory anniversary romantic film fest later this afternoon, after I've gone to the video rental place. Recommendations please, and bear in mind my idea of romance tends to end up involving sadomasochism, wittiness, authority figure conflict, adolescent homoerotica, blood, psychosis, a Leonard Cohen soundtrack, necrophilia, criminally deranged tendencies, ageplay or any elaborate mixture of the above.

Spiderman 2

[Becket]

I'll be in the mood for plaguing the gentleman friend with the obligatory anniversary romantic film fest later this afternoon, after I've gone to the video rental place. Recommendations please, and bear in mind my idea of romance tends to end up involving sadomasochism, wittiness, authority figure conflict, adolescent homoerotica, blood, psychosis, a Leonard Cohen soundtrack, necrophilia, criminally deranged tendencies, ageplay or any elaborate mixture of the above.

Check out Natural Born Killers. Has most of what you listed.

[nameless_girl]

I'll be in the mood for plaguing the gentleman friend with the obligatory anniversary romantic film fest later this afternoon, after I've gone to the video rental place. Recommendations please, and bear in mind my idea of romance tends to end up involving sadomasochism, wittiness, authority figure conflict, adolescent homoerotica, blood, psychosis, a Leonard Cohen soundtrack, necrophilia, criminally deranged tendencies, ageplay or any elaborate mixture of the above.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is the best date movie ever! Seriously, it's brilliant and hilarious and somewhat damaging. It's probably not anniversary material, but if you haven't seen it, you should.

I've read the play - as evidenced by the sig quote - but I've never seen it performed. Truth be told, I was mildly frightened to, as I always tend to be with amazingly witty but claustrophobic theatre material getting altered for a feature film, but if you like it, it's going into the cart!

[Angelica]

I'll be in the mood for plaguing the gentleman friend with the obligatory anniversary romantic film fest later this afternoon, after I've gone to the video rental place. Recommendations please, and bear in mind my idea of romance tends to end up involving sadomasochism, wittiness, authority figure conflict, adolescent homoerotica, blood, psychosis, a Leonard Cohen soundtrack, necrophilia, criminally deranged tendencies, ageplay or any elaborate mixture of the above.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is the best date movie ever! Seriously, it's brilliant and hilarious and somewhat damaging. It's probably not anniversary material, but if you haven't seen it, you should.

I've read the play - as evidenced by the sig quote - but I've never seen it performed. Truth be told, I was mildly frightened to, as I always tend to be with amazingly witty but claustrophobic theatre material getting altered for a feature film, but if you like it, it's going into the cart!

I KNEW I knew that line from somewhere! The film is exactly what the play deserves, IMO. All four of the performances are absolutely, devestatingly perfect.

Other movies strange girls might find romantic - Notorious, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Angel Face, Days of Heaven, Belle Du Jour, Fun, Sex Lies and Videotape, Bitter Moon and of course, Harold and Maude. Oh, and pretty much anything by Hal Hartley, especially Trust and Amateur. It's incredibly depressing, but I find Jude very romantic. In part because I consider Kate Winslet and Chris Ecclston to be two of the most attractive people who have ever lived.

No fan of homoerotica could pass up Red River, although the participants are not exactly adolescant.

The only conventionally romantic films that I ever actually find romantic tend to be old screwball comedies - Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story, The Thin Man, etc. God knows why.

Edited December 11, 2008 by Angelica

[Spuffy78]

I'll be in the mood for plaguing the gentleman friend with the obligatory anniversary romantic film fest later this afternoon, after I've gone to the video rental place. Recommendations please, and bear in mind my idea of romance tends to end up involving sadomasochism, wittiness, authority figure conflict, adolescent homoerotica, blood, psychosis, a Leonard Cohen soundtrack, necrophilia, criminally deranged tendencies, ageplay or any elaborate mixture of the above.

The movie Cannibal covers that expect the Leonard Cohen soundtrack.

[Angelica]

angelica, you are so wonderful. purple rose of cairo and belle de jour are two of my favorites. while i can see belle de jour being romantic to strange girls, purple rose? it's so sweet and old fashioned. i'd think anybody man/woman/strange/average would find that one romantic.

but notorious always leaves me cold. i never get too into their love story. to me, the character i felt the most for was the guy bergman left for grant. can't remember the name.

Notorious boasts arguably *the* best ever screen kiss. And I enjoy masochism in my love stories, I'm a horribly damaged girl. Have you seen Secretary yet?

[-Laura-]

^ I have seen Secretary. It was uhm ... weird!

Today I watched A Christmas Story. I liked it. It was a pretty cute movie.

[TheSpecialist]

I saw the director's cuts of "Troy" and "Alexander". The latter seems to have vastly improved with Oliver Stone's new cut. Colin Farrell's acting is dodgy as always though he's certainly more convincing as Alexander than Brad Pitt is as Achilles. Alexander is beautifully lensed and some of the locations and battle sequences are realized in an epic way. I'm not sure the film works completely but it's hardly the outright failure many called it. Troy on the other hand is still underwhelming. It's lavishly produced and filmed and that's about it. A hollow film through and through. Instantly forgettable.

[TheSpecialist]

Am I the only who thinks that Natural Born Killers was just terrible? I had a debate with some friends about it last night

It's just incredibly awful, particularly the oft-praised visual sensibility. It's not just my taste, it really is a complete waste of Stone's talent (on display in the awesome Nixon and the excellent JFK). Basically he's doing what a second year film major would do, fiddling around with as many fliters and effects as possible.

I disagree...I actually think Oliver Stone's directing was the best part of the film. What gets me is the casting. Juliet Lewis is just a fucking terrible actress. I didn't care much for Tarantino's script either.

[Kickingthehabit]

Alexander is beautifully lensed.

That one battle scene, in which Alexander's army is fighting elephant-riding warriors in India, and everything on screen goes to a saturated, photo negative red, is one of the most beautiful things I've ever witnessed in a theater. It reminded me of when I first saw the girl in the red coat during Schindler's List; it's one of those really poignant moments where you can't help but marvel at the vocabulary of cinema..

-Kickingthehabit

[TheSpecialist]

I liked the Grindhouse experience as a *whole*. This seperate films with no fake trailers bullshit annoys me endlessly.

It was okay but I have to say Robert Rodriguez has fallen a long way from the days of El Mariachi and Desperado. I'd rather take a course about maverick filmmaking from him than sit through another one of his movies. I'm also sick and tired of tarantino's love affair with 70's b-movies. I hope this was his last little indulgent love letter to that era. He also made Kurt Russell cry (!). That was unacceptable.

Alexander is beautifully lensed.

That one battle scene, in which Alexander's army is fighting elephant-riding warriors in India, and everything on screen goes to a saturated, photo negative red, is one of the most beautiful things I've ever witnessed in a theater. It reminded me of when I first saw the girl in the red coat during Schindler's List; it's one of those really poignant moments where you can't help but marvel at the vocabulary of cinema..

-Kickingthehabit

KTH it's funny you bring that scene up because I saw this movie about 2 hrs ago on blu ray and that sequence just about made my jaw drop. From the minute Alexander's horse and the elephant both raise their front legs to the crimson red hues as Alexander lies on the ground with leaves falling on him....simply stunning.

Did you see the director's cut? What are your thoughts on the film?

[Kickingthehabit]

Did you see the director's cut? What are your thoughts on the film?

The Final Cut was good, but while you can probably take a dozen screenshots that would showcase Stone’s amazing visionary eye, I don't think the film in any of its formats was the sweeping epic he intended for it be. A valuable misfire is perhaps the best description I can give. At times, the acting is more than underwhelming; Colin Farrell is decent, but he's not convincing at all as a visionary warrior and conqueror – a contender for one of the greatest men in history. The film's inherent flaws would have easily been disguised had there been a lead performance on par with Russell Crowe's Gladiator or Mel Gibson's Braveheart. Farrell just does not have that kind of presence. For me, the film's true value is in its cinematography, which was breathtaking. It's criminal it didn't receive a single nomination in that category..

-Kickingthehabit

[Tater Totts]

Started to watch Smallville from the start...

I like it!

[TheConstant]

Is no one else here familiar with the classic 90s drama series Homicide: Life on the Street? I know there are a lot of fans of The Wire. It was originally based on a book that was written by David Simon. It was utterly brilliant.

Anyone?

Yes, it's really great. Not as good as The Wire though.

[Lithium]

Is no one else here familiar with the classic 90s drama series Homicide: Life on the Street? I know there are a lot of fans of The Wire. It was originally based on a book that was written by David Simon. It was utterly brilliant.

Anyone?

Yes, it's really great. Not as good as The Wire though.

That and The Corner is on my wishlist for Christmas.

[Angelica]

I liked the Grindhouse experience as a *whole*. This seperate films with no fake trailers bullshit annoys me endlessly.

It was okay but I have to say Robert Rodriguez has fallen a long way from the days of El Mariachi and Desperado. I'd rather take a course about maverick filmmaking from him than sit through another one of his movies. I'm also sick and tired of tarantino's love affair with 70's b-movies. I hope this was his last little indulgent love letter to that era. He also made Kurt Russell cry (!). That was unacceptable.

Agreed. I never thought Rodriguez was anything special, though. QT needs to get the fuck out of his comfort zone and show us something, anything, that we haven't seen from him before. As a writer too.

Is no one else here familiar with the classic 90s drama series Homicide: Life on the Street? I know there are a lot of fans of The Wire. It was originally based on a book that was written by David Simon. It was utterly brilliant.

Anyone?

Yes, it's really great. Not as good as The Wire though.

Oh, bless you! Pembleton! Bayliss!

[-Laura-]

I just finished watching The Duchess. Whoa absolutely loved it. Keira Knightley was awesome in it.

Edited December 13, 2008 by -Laura-

[Guest RonMexico82]

Wolverine Trailer:

[krissirge]

mmm recently on a Hong-Kong action movie spree

saw

Hard Boiled

The Killer

A Better Tomorrow

plus got

Full Contact

A Better Tomorrow II

[Moose]

The colour purple

[Agent Jeffries]

You've seen his later classic but avoid Eyes Wide Shut.

It was shame he died before he could put his magic into the film.

Appetite recommend probably his best two early films.

I haven't seen Sparactus but Lolita was dreadful.

I have to correct you about Eyes Wide Shut. Kubrick died shortly after post-production, so he did, in fact, put whatever magic he had left into the film. The film that was marred by Kubrick's death was A.I.

Eyes Wide Shut has a poor reputation compared to the rest of Kubrick's ouevre, but I liked the movie and would give it a 7/10. The film represents its source material quite well, and the photography is grade A as usual for a Kubrick film.

Lolita, while not my favorite, features an excellent performance by Peter Sellers. From having read the novel, however, it's apparent that the movie pales in comparison. Nabokov's prose in his second language is better than that of most native writers.

Forgetting Kubrick, the last two movies I watched were Little Miss Sunshine and The Virgin Suicides.

Little Miss Sunshine: 9/10

The Virgin Suicides: 4/10

Edited December 17, 2008 by Agent Jeffries

[Spuffy78]

Wolverine Trailer:

-Blob

-Gambit

-Deadpool

-Sabertooth

-Iceman?

Only other X-men/villians I could recognize.

Other than the first looking a bit like BB it looks great.

How can you not love The Virgin Suicides?

Edited December 17, 2008 by Spuffy78

[Stranger]

Saw Hancock a few days ago... meh. Didn't like the CGI special effects. Almost never looks believable (can't think of any movie where it does) and this one was no exception.

Lately I haven't seen as many movies as I saw earlier in the year. I'm more interested in series. The Mentalist is completely unoriginal but I find it entertaining. Same as Fringe. Got tired of watching Weeds. Didn't have the necessary focus and patience to watch The Wire. I'll miss The Shield, the last season was superb. Season 3 of Dexter didn't possess the same quality and adrenaline from the previous two, but Hall was once again great. And there are lots of other shows...

[TheSpecialist]

mmm recently on a Hong-Kong action movie spree

saw

Hard Boiled

The Killer

A Better Tomorrow

plus got

Full Contact

A Better Tomorrow II

Full Contact is pretty decent, but A Better Tomorrow 2 is AWESOME. It outguns the original. Also see John Woo's "Bullet in the head" and "City on Fire", another Chow Yun Fat classic.