Recently Watched Films 2012

[Dan Warburton]

Wonderful film! Must watch it again soon.. but just returned from England with 25 new DVDs so it might have to wait

[Lao Tsu Ben]

Itami's films strike a special note for me, I love especially that one, and Tales of a Golden Geisha.

[Dohol]

Itami's films strike a special note for me, I love especially that one, and Tales of a Golden Geisha.

For me this is his best...(The Funeral and Taxing Woman are also up there..)




My lifelong obsession with ramen (and noodles in general) stems from this film....


(all those ramen shops at Kyoto station..damn..)

[Dan Warburton]

Martin Scorsese, Cape Fear, 1991

"You looking at me? Or at my shirt? Who do you think I am, Mike Cooper?" There's a great scene which I wanted to find a screenshot of but couldn't where De Niro is hanging upside down while he calls the girl, which kind of sums up the whole affair, really. Can't decide whether Marty and Bobby really wanted this to be so bad it ended up being good, but, like Gangs of New York, it can't make that final leap into pure inspired schlock, and remains just.. bad. Everything overdone, from De Niro's accent to Elmer Bernstein's revamp of Bernard Hermann. Script is quite hilarious (Joe Don Baker gets the best lines), as are the special effects - since when did a sleepy backwater in North Carolina turn into something out of Fitzcarraldo?

[Dan Warburton]

Nikita Mikhalkov, Urga ("Close to Eden"), 1991

Sensational stuff, wish I could find more images of the Mongolian steppe, or the astounding crane shot when shepherd Gombo arrives in the city (Ulan Bator?), or the face Vladimir Gostyukin pulls when he tries the local alcoholic beverage (fermented horse milk, I imagine). Full of extraordinary scenes, well worth checking out. I'll even put up with Artemiev's rather flaky New Age bass flute doodles (produced by Steve Hillage, yeah mon). In fact, if the place was burning down and I only had room in the bag for one more DVD and the choice was this or Stalker, this is the one I'd take.

[Gaendaal]

Nikita Mikhalkov, Urga ("Close to Eden"), 1991

Sensational stuff, wish I could find more images of the Mongolian steppe, or the astounding crane shot when shepherd Gombo arrives in the city (Ulan Bator?), or the face Vladimir Gostyukin pulls when he tries the local alcoholic beverage (fermented horse milk, I imagine). Full of extraordinary scenes, well worth checking out. I'll even put up with Artemiev's rather flaky New Age bass flute doodles (produced by Steve Hillage, yeah mon). In fact, if the place was burning down and I only had room in the bag for one more DVD and the choice was this or Stalker, this is the one I'd take.

I'll have to try and catch this; the steppe looks much more verdant than when I was there! And the horse milk thing's not *that* bad...

[evil_scientist]

"A Dangerous Method" - I was afraid that this film might turn out to be boring and under-inspired, but I was surprised. No, it's far-far-far from being genius stuff. Maybe my expectations were just too lowered. The actors are good, the script is fine, there are some nice dialogues, but it just all lacks an edge. It is a historical drama. Maybe more on the BBC than on the Hallmark-side. But it should be at least memorable. Which it fails to be. I really like most of Cronenberg's films, his late output has been on the downside ("Spider" was way too boring, "History of Violence" was great until the last 15 minutes). "Dangerous Methods" could have been at least "Dead Ringers 2". It's watchable, keeps a good (mid-tempo) pace, camera-work is fine. But all to bland, it's all calming waves of Switzern lakes. Maybe those were meant to contrast the disturbed inner lives, but frankly, te film fails to channel those properly.

Has anybody else seen this movie?

[billygomberg]

no but your crits echo my concerns (and reasons for not rushing out to the theater). if only it WERE "Dead Ringers 2"....

[Dan Warburton]

I think Leroysghost liked it, as I recall. Haven't seen it yet myself. Enjoyed History of Violence, hated the Russian mafia thing that came after (blame that on Vincent Cassel). But at least it wasn't as godawful as Existenz or The Fly. As I see Cassel is in this one too, I can't say I'm in a hurry

[leroysghost]

i liked it a lot, but then again i usually hate cronenberg so take that for whatever it's worth.

hilarious accents and character relationships. i like that the culture is at a point where we can use the psychological foundation laid out a century ago to mock those who laid it.

[cheerios]

I too loved History of Violence but couldn't get through Eastern Promises and I used to be a huge Naomi Watts fan.

Recently watched: Zemestan (It's Winter) dir. Rafi Pitts



Pretty decent. I'm a big fan of Iranian cinema now, I like the usual bitterness in Iranian films. The cinematography is usually pretty top notch and awesome as well. Was pretty excited when A Separation, an Iranian film, won best oscars for foreign language film this year tho I have yet to see it...

[P. Wretch]

But at least it wasn't as godawful as Existenz or The Fly. As I see Cassel is in this one too, I can't say I'm in a hurry

As I've stated many times before, I consider eXistenZ one of the great films of the last 30 years, and feel doubtful that Cronenberg will be able to better it in the remainder of his career.

As for A Dangerous Method, my low expectations were comfortably exceeded. It does indeed have a touch of the mainstream period drama about it, but it's stylishly executed (Peter Suschitzky is a better DoP than anyone working for British TV), and arguably an improvement on the last couple of Cronenberg features. Keira's hamminess is, for once, surprisingly entertaining, and Mortensen makes a plausible Freud.

No return to body horror is on the cards, but I am quite hopeful about DC's next, Cosmopolis, even if it does star Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson. The DeLillo novel, about a bratty billionaire financier cruising through New York in a stretch limo, is promising source material, at least.

[MRS]

Road to Nowhere (Monte Hellman, 2010)

What was said re: Titles of movies titular in the opening song? Film within a film, ugh. Midsummer Night's Dream it isn't. The director and attendant staff of our film are credited as characters e.g. "directed by Mitchell Haven." More caves from Iguana, more emphasis on "facts" as in much Hellman ("wanna play again? It's called fuck the facts"), yet here we're sharpened down to an actuary in lieu of observer. Young, good looking turks are filming an apparent romantic thriller surrounding corrupt western North Carolina politics. Again cheap drops on incidental televisions, an interview with Nicholson and DiCaprio, Hank Fonda from The Lady Eve, The Spirit of the Beehive, The Seventh Seal. Strung among these are countless shots of end cards, "FIN" and such. John Diehl turns up, which made my evening to no shock of anyone reading. Sporadic footage of Fabio Testi in some wealthy Cuban environ adds to the confusion. Strange phone/flawed telecommunications play works, which actually shone memorable in Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out!

Incessant are the mawkish autobiographical swunts, the director reminds that "90% of directing is casting" which Hellman drops in any interview available online. Also, our director to his immediate advisors: "You know what Sam Fuller said to Robert Stack when he asked him how he wanted to act? He said don't!" One more for posterity, this is egregious: "Remember what Warren said? 'Beauty is only skin deep. . .but ugly goes clean to the bone.'"

I can't help but think since the character of the director (early in the film) declines Scarlett Johansson in favor of a stunning woman at the bar, whom he turns out to engage biblically, this couldn't be some speed of sound "I fucked her" salvo from Two-Lane Blacktop's production. Trying not to spin a joke on the title as every other review does, and I will not appreciate/accept this as middle finger to Hollywood.

"FOR LAURIE"

[Dan Warburton]

Worked your way through all the Hellmans now, Michael? Did you catch China 9? Would like to read yr thoughts on that. Meanwhile, underwhelmed by this



Tomas Alfredson, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, 2011

I don't see what all the fuss is about. Far too difficult to compress all the details of the book into just two hours, the result being numerous plot ellipses and much confusion, none of which makes up for the evident absurdities of the story, which prides itself on being '"realistic" (i.e. boring?) and is in fact nothing but (starting with the Budapest fuckup and ending up with the assassination of the mole.. no, I won't spoil it for you and tell you who it is). No sense of pace, no feeling of rhythm. Oddly bland filming, except for a few gratuitously flashy shots which serve no purpose whatsoever (putting the camera in the service lift with the documents, the silly opening shot of Budapest panning back through the tower..). As for Gary Oldman, can't see what the fuss is about there either. He only says about a couple of hundred words in the entire film and half of them sound like Alec Guinness.

[evil_scientist]

But at least it wasn't as godawful as Existenz or The Fly. As I see Cassel is in this one too, I can't say I'm in a hurry

As I've stated many times before, I consider eXistenZ one of the great films of the last 30 years, and feel doubtful that Cronenberg will be able to better it in the remainder of his career.

As for A Dangerous Method, my low expectations were comfortably exceeded. It does indeed have a touch of the mainstream period drama about it, but it's stylishly executed (Peter Suschitzky is a better DoP than anyone working for British TV), and arguably an improvement on the last couple of Cronenberg features. Keira's hamminess is, for once, surprisingly entertaining, and Mortensen makes a plausible Freud.

No return to body horror is on the cards, but I am quite hopeful about DC's next, Cosmopolis, even if it does star Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson. The DeLillo novel, about a bratty billionaire financier cruising through New York in a stretch limo, is promising source material, at least.

I'm not opting for the return of body horror - I aplaud Cronenberg's decision to move away from it, but he can do better, that's it. I am looking forward to Cosmopolis as well. And I'm ready to give Pattison a chance. He might turn out like Leonardo DiCaprio (type-casted as something awful, then becoming a not-so-bad-after-all actor).

[Dan Bennett]

The DeLillo novel, about a bratty billionaire financier cruising through New York in a stretch limo, is promising source material, at least.

I sincerely love Dondy's writing but I thought Cosmopolis was just a really terrible novel written by an excellent crafter of prose. Somehow formless despite the short form and incredibly narrowing conceit. All the characters were unbelievable, the dialogue stretched belief even for Delillo, most of the events seemed conspicuously arbitrary.

I enjoyed it because I'd read (and enjoy reading) him writing the minutes to a local council meeting. But I thought it was that world-beating prose writing draped over a nearly non-existent novel. Dave's camera is no match for Don's typewriter when it comes to fleshing out a thin conceit, and I'm really surprised anyone stumped up the cash to make this.

[3um]

Recently watched: Zemestan (It's Winter) dir. Rafi Pitts



Pretty decent. I'm a big fan of Iranian cinema now, I like the usual bitterness in Iranian films. The cinematography is usually pretty top notch and awesome as well. Was pretty excited when A Separation, an Iranian film, won best oscars for foreign language film this year tho I have yet to see it...

If you enjoyed Zemestan, you should also try his next one - Shekarchi (The Hunter).
A Separation is one of the best movies I've seen last year.

[MRS]

Did you catch China 9?

What's the current verdict on this? It seems any iteration on Amazon US is shit. Is there even a formidable cut available? Any advice would be appreciated.

[Dan Warburton]

I bought it dirt cheap in a hideous 4DVD trash boxset (daren't even try to remember what the other three were), and the print was execrable. Then I found it again separately and the copy was just as bad. So I guess the best bet is to DL it somewhere (and as I'm a Neanderthal when it comes to things like Netflix and Karawhatsitsname, you'd better ask some of the other hipper punters here). But it's certainly an intriguing film, not just for Peckinpah's whisky-soaked cameo.

[Lao Tsu Ben]

I bought it dirt cheap in a hideous 4DVD trash boxset (daren't even try to remember what the other three were), and the print was execrable. Then I found it again separately and the copy was just as bad. So I guess the best bet is to DL it somewhere (and as I'm a Neanderthal when it comes to things like Netflix and Karawhatsitsname, you'd better ask some of the other hipper punters here). But it's certainly an intriguing film, not just for Peckinpah's whisky-soaked cameo.

I downloaded a good copy but I still haven't seen it yet.