What Movies Have You Watched Recently?

[Enrique]

[ QUOTE ]
Wow, I envy you seeing La Jetee! I saw this ages ago and was blown away by it. Since then I've tried to find it, and haven't been able. I'd love to have this in my collection.

[/ QUOTE ]

Criterion is coming up with a new version in May (I think).
That DVD Short:2 has the version in English, apparently the director wanted it in English for the DVD (even though originally it was in French). The DVd is also known as Dreams, the producers are Gordon Biielonic, Jonathon Stearns if that helps you find it.

They showed the movie in the local theater on Wednesday, unfortunately I wasn't able to watch it. I still saw it to be able to discuss it in the local film society meetings.

I'd like to add, that the DVD has commentary from Terry Gilliam. I am a big Terry Gilliam fun, so it was a nice extra.

[Blarg]

Hmm, wonder if Netflix has this. Thanks for the info; I'll have to take a look around.

I think I may have seen La Jetee in a Criterion edition, now that I search my memory a little -- but was intimidated by it because it was ferociously expensive for a DVD.

[Enrique]

[ QUOTE ]
Hmm, wonder if Netflix has this. Thanks for the info; I'll have to take a look around.

I think I may have seen La Jetee in a Criterion edition, now that I search my memory a little -- but was intimidated by it because it was ferociously expensive for a DVD.

[/ QUOTE ]

The Criterion DVD is released June 26, 2007.
It has two movies for $30 at amazon
.

[SoloAJ]

fyodor,

I don't disagree that it wasn't too fantastic of a movie, but you are at least aware that it was SUPPOSED to be based off Shakespeare's play right? I assume so from your comment, but I didn't know.

Either way, it was pretty bush-league and didn't have a great deal to offer IMO.

[fyodor]

Solo: Well I didn't know going in but while viewing I figured that Bob must be Falstaff. Then I read later that it was Henry IV or whatever. Unfortunately I hadn't read Henry in over 30 years so I don't exactly remember the storyline from it.

In any event I still don't understand why the acting had to get so bad for the Bob segments. I know they acted that bad on purpose but what was the purpose? Cause what I got was "oh we can just make fun of Shapespeare prodcutions and call it art". Well somepeople will put a pail of garbage on stage and call it art.

I did watch the rest today and the last 20 minutes wasn't quite as bad. This was probably because I only had to do a 20 minute chunk.

[SoloAJ]

fyodor,

It wasn't that great at all. And like you said, and I agree, what was the point of basing it off Shakespeare just to have it be so pathetic? I didn't know the point of it either, but I thought I'd make sure you knew it was Henry IV....I mean, it really is the most compelling thing about the film...and it wasn't all that compelling.

[Barcalounger]

Let's Go To Prison

Ah, what the hell. I might as well destroy any shred of credibility I ever had with you fine folks of the lounge. It's funny. Very funny. I heard nothing but bad things about it and the previews made it look like a bad movie version of a Nickelodeon show. But it has Will Arnett, and is directed by Bob Odenkirk, so I'm one of a handful of people that had this on a "must rent no matter how painful it turns out to be" list. I'm pretty sure they didn't get Odenkirk for his directing or editing skills, but if you've ever seen Mr. Show then you'll see his influence all over the humor in this one. Will Arnett does his normal hilarity and carries the movie while Dax whats his name doesn't annoy me as much as normal and that's a step forward for him. It's dark, it earns it's R rating for language, it suprisingly has some social commentary about the state of America's prisons, and most of all it has several laugh out loud moments. Very pleasantly surprised.

[diebitter]

Spirit of the Beehive

This is a fantastic little film. It's slow, quiet and you need to be relaxed and in a calm place to get the most from it, but it is definitely one to see. It centres on a little girl and her imaginings/curiousities after seeing a screening of the 1931 version of 'Frankenstein'. It's set in a small quiet village in Spain, and the little girl has a slightly older sister, a mother occupied with someone far away, a father occupied with his bees and his writing, and lots of space to roam.

The two little girls are brilliant in this, well used by the director to convey a realistic performance and sense of childhood. He also has a wonderful eye for composition - the film looks beautiful in almost every shot. Ana, the main character, has beautiful, haunting eyes, and says a lot with so few words. One of the most atmospheric and timeless films you'll ever see.

Definitely one to see.

[diebitter]

Bande a part

A slight (IMHO) but cool French film, involving two men and a woman involved in planning and executing a robbery. It's light, fun, fluffy and never boring. It's a little overrated among filmies I think, but the light jazzy music, the vivid characters (most notably the beautiful Anna Karina), and some little filmic tricks (one minute of silence; a bit where the characters do a cool dance whilst the music keeps stopping and starting while the narrator conveys what each is thinking) are cool and memorable rather than distracting (which is often the case in films using such showy filmmaking).

[fyodor]

A Woman Under the Influence (1974) Written & Directed by John Cassavetes, Starring Gena Rowlands & Peter Falk



Rowlands plays a pyschotic housewife. Falk is her only slightly less psychotic husband. Their parents are psychotic. Their friends are psychotic. The doctor is psychotic. The entire planet is aflicted with psychosis.

Movies don't get any more real than this.

A brilliant piece of film. The camera is at times so intimate it's scary. The scene where Rowlands is reunited with her children for instance.

The tension never stops. This film is frightening, uncomfortable, mesmerizing, tender and rewarding to view.

I need to watch it again... but I have to wait a week or two.