1344 replies to this topic

[Nathaniel]

I'll list my DVDs by order of interest (I've already seen "Freedom Writers," but Sarah hasn't). Do I need to re-prioritize these?

1. Half Nelson
2. Fast Food Nation
3. Shaun of the Dead
4. Out of the Past
5. Freedom Writers

Um, yes. Out of the Past should be at the very top!

Remember that old Sesame Street tune?

One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?

Edited by Nathaniel, 18 May 2007 - 02:17 PM.

[theoddone33]

Hmm, something called Black Book is playing nearby and sounds interesting. I'm sure there's already a thread on it. I may go see that. Otherwise I have a host of DVDs to pick from... just thinking through ones I may want to watch, I'm coming up with this list:

Sunrise(Murnau)
The Battleship Potemkin
Wild Strawberries (or one of about 29 other Bergman films I haven't seen)
All Quiet on the Western Front

One or two of those will probably happen, any priorities?

[Christian]

Two DVDs on tap for the long holiday weekend:

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Mrs. Henderson Presents

--I still have watched only one of the VHS tapes I ordered from New York/Facets, so maybe I'll dig into one of those films.

Edited by Christian, 24 May 2007 - 09:49 AM.

[Darrel Manson]

If we don't get to it tonight, we watch Old Joy over the weekend. Probably get to either The Valet or Angel-A on Sat. And may get to either Shrek or Spidey sometime over the long weekend.

[Christian]

If we don't get to it tonight, we watch Old Joy over the weekend. Probably get to either The Valet or Angel-A on Sat. And may get to either Shrek or Spidey sometime over the long weekend.

Darrel, which of Veber's other films have you seen? I was reading Jon Podhoretz, who called Veber's "The Dinner Game" a "perfect" movie. I saw that movie years ago, during its theatrical run, with my then-fiance (now wife), and neither of us remembered thinking it was *all that* funny. Cute, but not uproarious. Which makes me think French farce just isn't my cuppa.

Would another Veber film convince me otherwise?

[MrZoom]

I'm planning a double feature of The Searchers and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope for Friday night. (30th anniversary of the latter's release, and 100th birthday of John Wayne.)

EDIT - Actually his birthday is Saturday, but close enough.

Edited by MrZoom, 24 May 2007 - 11:45 AM.

[The Invisible Man]

This weekend I intend to watch "Laura" (Otto Preminger), "The Woodsman" and "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada". The last film I watched was "Little Miss Sunshine" which was dreadful.

[Buckeye Jones]

Last 1/2 hour of "Ran" (again, because the wife skipped out on it last week), and maybe "Howard's End." Netflix is making a killing off us this year.

Mr. Zoom, have you already seen "The Searchers?"

[BethR]

I hope to see Waitress, which is finally opening in our little backwater of America. May also watch American Desi (for Kal Penn pre-Namesake) and some episodes of Keen Eddie on DVD. Hey--it's summer--my brain is tired.

[MrZoom]

Mr. Zoom, have you already seen "The Searchers?"

It was one of the films that was screened in my film appreciation class during my freshman year in college.

That was 18 years ago, and the only time I've seen it.

[Darrel Manson]

If we don't get to it tonight, we watch Old Joy over the weekend. Probably get to either The Valet or Angel-A on Sat. And may get to either Shrek or Spidey sometime over the long weekend.

Darrel, which of Veber's other films have you seen?

Actually, I haven't seem Veber before, and still won't. My wife came up with a Plan C: rather than The Valet or Angel-A, we'll be seeing Once Saturday.

[Buckeye Jones]

Mr. Zoom, have you already seen "The Searchers?"

It was one of the films that was screened in my film appreciation class during my freshman year in college.

That was 18 years ago, and the only time I've seen it.

Oh, you're in for a treat. I think you'll find the experience quite different. Its the kind of film that can transfix one even if, like my father-in-law, you can't understand more than 10 words in English.

[Ron Reed]

Invizz, let me know what you think of THE WOODSMAN. We're staging it at my theatre next spring (it was a play before a film).

The next couple days I plan to dig into A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS, another play we're staging next year. Read for the director Monday, found out the casting today, I'm excited to dig in. Going to watch both versions, compare them to the two versions of the script I've got in hand, start thinking about what trimming we might do. Excited!

Oh, Sunday night, a pal and I may do a double feature, probably JINDABYNE and either AWAY FROM HER or EL AURA. (Any opinions on the latter decision?)

[The Invisible Man]

Invizz, let me know what you think of THE WOODSMAN. We're staging it at my theatre next spring (it was a play before a film).

SPOILERS AHOY!

I have to say that I found much of the film contrived and unconvincing. The writer piles coincidence upon coincidence: a paedophile just so happens to find an apartment opposite a school haunted by another paedophile; the paedophile's new girlfriend just so happens to have been a victim of child abuse herself; the paedophile's intended victim just so happens to be already abused by her father...

Then we are asked to suspend our disbelief still further and buy that a lady as attractive as Vicki (Kyra Sedgwick) would actually be interested in setting up house with a paedophile. I mean, it's not as if Walter (Kevin Bacon) tries that hard to woo her, and he is hardly Mr Charisma or Mr Smoothtalk. He is frequently shown to be withdrawn, unresponsive and inarticulate, and sometimes even downright creepy. Take it from me, beautiful women don't throw themselves at men with mental health problems. They just don't.

Naturally, after the first five minutes I was rooting for Walter to do the right thing and make good, but after about half an hour I was almost empty of empathy. After about an hour (round about the time he asked the little bird watcher to sit on his lap - a deeply disturbing scene) I was out of sympathy too.

It was at that point that I began to wonder what actual purpose the film served. Does it have anything meaningful to say to us at all, or is it just another sad piece of sensationalism trying to pass itself off as art? I found that I couldn't honestly answer that question.

I would also mention in closing that I wouldn't have watched this film had I known in advance that it contained female nudity. The first sex scene was perhaps forgivable as it served to establish the growing intimacy between the two main characters, but everything after that looked like gratuitous filler. I guess that bare breasts are the cheapest way to make a filmed play more cinematic...

Edited by The Invisible Man, 25 May 2007 - 05:23 PM.

[Peter T Chattaway]

Link to the thread for The Woodsman.

[Joel C]

I'm not sure of what I'm watching this weekend, which leads me to a quick question: My family really wants a good Saturday night feature, and I'm a bit stumped on something we can all agree on. the sky's (blockbuster) the limit. Genrewise, something intruiging, perhaps action adventure/suspense/romance. I drawing a blank at the moment. I know that's a bit vague, but I'm short on time, and if there's a place to come for suggestions, I know it's here. Any quick suggestions?

[Darrel Manson]

perhaps action adventure/suspense/romance.

How about a Hitchcock. Maybe North by Northwest or Torn Curtain.

[Joel C]

North by Northwest it is. What a fine thriller. I haven't seen it in years.

[theoddone33]

North by Northwest it is. What a fine thriller. I haven't seen it in years.

Yes, excellent choice. Saw it for the first time on TCM a couple months ago. Very very good film.

As for me, I'm probably going to try to get to Black Book tomorrow, since I didn't end up seeing it last weekend. No other movie plans, sadly.

[Christian]

North by Northwest it is. What a fine thriller. I haven't seen it in years.

Isn't it amazing? Probably my favorite Hitchcock, and although "Rear Window" has my favorite kissing scene of all time, this is the only Hitchcock film that actually, ummm. aroused me. It was odd to see Eva Marie Saint in a recent Walden adaptation. She's lovely, of course, but much, much older. Watching her in the twilight of her life made me uncomfortable, cuz, umm, her presence in "North by Northwest" gave me certain thoughts, and .... oh, I've said too much, haven't I?

As for my two weekend selections, neither made it to the end credits. I fell asleep during both -- I always do these days, it seems -- woke up, but then acquiesced when Sarah said the movies were boring her. "Dead Man's Chest" was surprisingly flat on the TV screen, without any pre-opening hype and crowd buzz to prop it up.