The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

I'll have to watch the doc again because either you've misunderstood the film or it's a gross misrepresentation of the country.

My discussion with you does not stem from information garnered from the film. Remember, I kinda thought the film dropped the ball on the real (whole) story. I have followed MotoGP intensely and F1 (to a lesser degree) for four decades. Because of my insatiable appetite for all the latest info, and general exposure, I've become somewhat familiar with the cultures of numerous foreign contries, and their attitudes towards sports, specifically motorsports, and most specifically MotoGP and F1. Somewhat.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Personally, MJ doesn't do much for me - great athlete with poor character, and I give the latter more weight

Same boat here. And unlike many movie fans, I have the same problem when trying to separate an actors personal character from his work.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

I suppose I don't see much of a difference between finding a sport "boring" and "never having a good reason to follow it", since in both cases:
(a) dont' want to watch bball and
(b) because of (a), there would have to be some external influence to make an exception for an MJ game.

Not saying that all external influence is bad, but most (marketing, friends, trends, etc) shouldn't overrule our personal gut instinct on what we know we like/dislike. I say this out of personal experience, as I have capitulated multiple times and attended events or films or whatever, that I knew I probably wouldn't like, but did so because of external influence and in the end, most of the time my personal instincts were correct.

I can see your point though - it may be a matter of scale of interest. If your interest in bball is 3/10 and mine is 0/10, then I can see how it would be easier for you to want to go see MJ play. Personally, MJ doesn't do much for me - great athlete with poor character, and I give the latter more weight, especially when you have that much God-given talent. His HOF speech did him in with me.

Yea, that explains the difference in a nutshell. I know my participation would be genuine, yours wouldn't have been.

I think it might also be different down there because the US has so many more "legendary" athletes on the world scale. Brazil has Pele, Senna, and Royce Gracie. And all in commonly followed Brazilian sports. (No, Adriana Lima doesn't count. )

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I was agreeing with you. That my prevoius statement was worded incorrectly. I was agreeing that their common bond was not peripheral, regardles of ones belief that it (their belief) is either illogical or logical.

Sorry about that. When I came across the "rather, it was connected." I mistook it for some form of deep-rooted sarcasm.

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

My discussion with you does not stem from information garnered from the film. Remember, I kinda thought the film dropped the ball on the real (whole) story. I have followed MotoGP intensely and F1 (to a lesser degree) for four decades. Because of my insatiable appetite for all the latest info, and general exposure, I've become somewhat familiar with the cultures of numerous foreign contries, and their attitudes towards sports, specifically motorsports, and most specifically MotoGP and F1. Somewhat.

I see. Well, we both like Freddie.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by legendarymatt92

This is off the movie topic, but there's a fabulous article that talks about the beginnings of rap music from an "insider's point of view" that I'll link:

http://www.hiphopisread.com/2012/04/...rap-music.html

No one's really sure if it's true or just terrible rumour since it's all vague and anonymous, but it's a very interesting read regardless. I'd recommend anyone read it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US...line-clean.svg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison%...strial_complex

Conspiracy theory? Coincidence? Truth?

Dunno....

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Sorry about that. When I came across the "rather, it was connected." I mistook it for some form of deep-rooted sarcasm.

literal acknowledgement that you were 100% correct.

[Lepidopterous]

[Show spoiler]

The House Is Black - خانه سیاه است - YouTube

The House is Black

When The House is Black began, I thought it was going to go for the same kind of appeal as a circus freak show would--"fascinate" us with physical deformities. It was only after it ended that I learned of the power contained in that first shot and realized just how wrong I was.

The House is Black takes us on a tour of an isolated leprosy town in the north of Iran. The film is about the ugliness in the world, and is set to the poetry of the Quran. It takes elements from Resnais' Night and Fog and Hiroshima Mon Amour and combines them with the jarring artistry of Bunuel & Dali's An Andalusian Dog. It is an extraordinary fusion of passionate words, editing, and cinematography.

While Night and Fog uses the poetry to reconstruct the atmosphere of WWII, The House is Black uses its words to consume us in religious catharsis and the meaning of individual suffering. The film displays a wide emotional spectrum, from loneliness to happiness. It normalizes the community by depicting ordinary moments in their daily lives, yet also covers various treatments for the disease and physical compensations they must make. Besides the opening and ending scenes, two other scenes in particular stood out to me. The first is a little girl's wheelbarrow journey across the street, filled with so much visual and lyrical intensity, my mind almost exploded. The other was when the camera rotates around another girl getting her hair brushed, slowly revealing her face, which appears to be entirely normal. The camera lingers as she intently stares forward, and upon examining her beauty in a sea of "ugliness", I began to question the ethics of my own morality as to why my opinion of her beauty should change after the reveal.

The film was made by Forugh Farrokhsad, who died in a car accident a few short years after its release at the age of 32. Subtitles are white and almost impossible to read at times, which hopefully will be modified in the future for this exceptional film. The ending, briefly reminiscent of The Third Man, once again shuts us out of this colony that has exposed themselves to us. Are they the outsiders, or are we? It is a heavy film visually, spiritually, and philosophically, and the kind that you do not forget. Recommended, but with caution.

5/5

[Abdrewes]

DJmethod,
I was surprised as to how much you liked it! Well, its a phenomenal film, so it shouldn't have been that surprising. I figured if you liked Resnais, you would at least give this one a modest thumbs up.

Yeah, It's definitely not Todd Browning's Freaks.

The film really does feel like an existential cry. It poetically (there's that word again) ruminates on the space between us and our creator. Normally, heavy voice over can have a distancing effect, but not in this film. Many times it can almost be ironic: the verses of praise juxtaposed against images of illness.

That final paragraph caught me off guard. I felt the ideas you were talking about, but didn't visually link them to The Third Man. That's a great observation.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

DJmethod,
I was surprised as to how much you liked it! Well, its a phenomenal film, so it shouldn't have been that surprising. I figured if you liked Resnais, you would at least give this one a modest thumbs up.

I not only really like Resnais, I am a huge Bunuel fan. Andalusian Dog is my favorite short ever. This is the best of both worlds (minus the romance of Hiroshima).

The film really does feel like an existential cry. It poetically (there's that word again) ruminates on the space between us and our creator. Normally, heavy voice over can have a distancing effect, but not in this film.

Absolutely, and the weight of that space on our lives.

Many times it can almost be ironic: the verses of praise juxtaposed against images of illness.

True, which is why it is not only spiritual, but philosophical.

That final paragraph caught me off guard. I felt the ideas you were talking about, but didn't visually link them to The Third Man. That's a great observation.

Thanks, and thank you for the recommendation! It was totally up my alley.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

I not only really like Resnais, I am a huge Bunuel fan. Andalusian Dog is my favorite short ever. This is the best of both worlds (minus the romance of Hiroshima).


Absolutely, and the weight of that space on our lives.



True, which is why it is not only religious, but philosophical.



Thanks, and thank you for the recommendation! It was totally up my alley.

Hmm? Does it recall Bunuel because of the disturbing imagery and symbolic (spiritual as opposed to political) context?

I may only be speaking for myself, but the beauty of the film is it's ambiguity. It's not a clean 3 act film in which all the members of the audience will gather the meaning. I don't think any two viewers will have the same exact response and reading. It's the purest and best type of filmmaking: to paraphrase you, every visual and aural choice is motivated.

[legendarymatt92]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US...line-clean.svg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison%...strial_complex

Conspiracy theory? Coincidence? Truth?

Dunno....

Could be any one of those, but that's where the beauty lies in this little mystery: the truth would probably just let us down.

Would the CEO's of any music companies buy stock in prisons? Would the potential benefits outweigh the risks when you're investing money into a venture you know nothing about? Does music really have the ability to influence people so dramatically?

I have no idea but, what's for damn certain is that this could make a very fascinating doc...if no one's already done it, which they probably have somewhere

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Hmm? Does it recall Bunuel because of the disturbing imagery and symbolic (spiritual as opposed to political) context?

Yep, both, but especially the style. The jarring editing and certain moments like the woman putting on the eyeliner.

I may only be speaking for myself, but the beauty of the film is it's ambiguity. It's not a clean 3 act film in which all the members of the audience will gather the meaning. I don't think any two viewers will have the same exact response and reading. It's the purest and best type of filmmaking: to paraphrase you, every visual and aural choice is motivated.

Well said. It is not overpowered by any one particular message, yet engrossing in its execution.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Yep, both, but especially the style. The jarring editing and certain moments like the woman putting on the eyeliner.



Well said. It is not overpowered by any one particular message, yet engrossing in its execution.

I can see the connection now.

As it stands, Forugh Farrokhzad's film, along with Maya Deren's Meshes of the Afternoon (which heavily inspired David Lynch) must be two of the most spectacular one offs in the history of short, very low budget films. I wonder what more they would have accomplished had they continued making films.

[SpartanX]

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

I honestly don't feel I have a lot to say about this...other than its a fantastic film. Jack Nicholson as MacMurphy is one of his best performances. And Nurse Ratched will probably end up in my list of my favorite movie villians. I really, really loved this film despite its tragic and dark ending.

A+

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I can see the connection now.

As it stands, Forugh Farrokhzad's film, along with Maya Deren's Meshes of the Afternoon (which heavily inspired David Lynch) must be two of the most spectacular one offs in the history of short, very low budget films. I wonder what more they would have accomplished had they continued making films.

That's another good one. It's a great distortion of time and space, while Bunuel was more about editing and imagery. I never knew she died young as well.

With these comparisons, I just realized The House is Black is one of the most unconventional and artistically expressive documentaries I have ever seen. Right up there with Blood of the Beasts (Eyes Without a Face Criterion DVD extra) and Jean Vigo's A Propos de Nice. Even the poetry in Resnais' work is more descriptive, whereas this film, with the exception of the doctor's medical commentary, is a meditation.

[BelindaParke]

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[volcomsocal]

Drive - 2011

Yes, I watched it again.




6/5


Yes, that's 6 out of 5.

[jvince]

Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away (2012)
dir. Andrew Adamson

The Good: Impressive choreography and acrobatics. Colorful and imaginative (and crazy) art direction and set designs. The insane vertical wall battles and the 'Wheel of Death' from KÀ.

The Bad: Bare bones romantic story. The main plot and protagonists should've been integrated better rather than being pushed aside about 90% of the time. Gets pretty tedious after a while. Since this is a film, I wish they shot this on an epic scale instead of filming everything on a single stage.

The Bottom Line: Simply a best-of compilation lazily connected by an extremely thin plot. Worlds Away plays like a 90-minute advertisement, however, it doesn't sell itself quite well as the magic and wonder fails to translate into film. Maybe they should've just stayed on the stage.

[jvince]

Originally Posted by volcomsocal

Drive - 2011

Yes, I watched it again.




6/5


Yes, that's 6 out of 5.

I need to see this again.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by legendarymatt92

Could be any one of those, but that's where the beauty lies in this little mystery: the truth would probably just let us down.

Would the CEO's of any music companies buy stock in prisons? Would the potential benefits outweigh the risks when you're investing money into a venture you know nothing about? Does music really have the ability to influence people so dramatically?

I have no idea but, what's for damn certain is that this could make a very fascinating doc...if no one's already done it, which they probably have somewhere

It would be the safest way to make insider trades via stock price manipulation. By safest I mean least likely to get busted.

Yeah, a Doc would be cool.