Recently Seen, Part 2 (Mar 2017)

plsletitrain

Member: Rank 5
Okay, I'll be the one to start the thread because I'll make it more formal-sounding, with all the guidelines in there, so outsiders can chip in too. There's a host for every week (who will suggest the film) so who wants to be first?????? If someone wants to be first, please tell me if you already have a film in mind so I can start the thread.
 

sitenoise

Member: Rank 5
Himeanole (2016)
I don't even know what to say about this film. It's both creepy and cringeworthy and overall it was such an unpleasant watch. I might be more lucky with other films from this director.
Don't pick My Little Sweet Pea next or you'll be done with him.
 

Zelena

Member: Rank 2
I'm tempted to post one on youtube. Or I'd be willing to, and maybe it would last long enough up there for all of us to see it before the copyright police take it down.

I'm about to watch this one (with subtitles) but since we all hate musicals, maybe it's not the best choice. There aren't even trailers on youtube for the ones I've seen.

 

plsletitrain

Member: Rank 5
that might be a lot of pressure to do it weekly. Maybe bat around ideas in the "Not Yet Seen" thread and when a consensus emerges make a thread for it.
Hmmm... that would be a bit tedious as we still have to wait for each other's responses and what if all of us have different suggestions. How do we come up with which movies to choose from?

Okay, I think we'll defer this idea for a while now. lol. My laziness kicks in. I suggest we just start with Zelena's shaw brothers suggestions and then just post our thoughts there.
 

divemaster13

Member: Rank 4
I'd be glad to watch whatever is recommended. I really hate watching anything on my computer, and if possible, will just order a DVD version. However, if no other option I'll do the YouTube thing. I think one of the Shaw Brothers dramas would be a good start. That would expand my horizons a bit.
 

Zelena

Member: Rank 2
Glad to hear you guys are into checking out those Shaw Bros films. I don't know if anyone else will like them, but you can expect the level of filmmaking is basically like the better kung fu movies, but in different genres.
@divemaster13 suggests dramas, so that narrows it down a bit from the musical melodramadies (MMDs). But there is nothing on youtube. It burns me up because you can even watch In the Mood for Love on YT, but this company Celestial Pictures takes down all their films, and meanwhile they are expensive and hard to find on DVD. The one I posted (The Purple Shell) is there, but I don't want to subject you guys to movies in 240p resolution. Nonetheless, I recommend it. I think you'll have to obtain them by other means, and even then, there are only a few available.
Here's a pretty complete list of 60s Shaw Bros. So many of them look fabulous (to me) but only a few available. I'm not drawn to the kung fu action / costume historicals, but I will probably cave in and check some out.
https://letterboxd.com/thewickerman/list/celestial-shaw-films/decade/1960s/
What I have from the usual sources that you can get are:
- Purple Shell (drama, youtube)
- Lover's Rock (drama, a classic)
- Blue Skies (MMD)
- Hong Kong Nocturne (MMD)
- Whose Baby Is In the Classroom (looks awesome, but comedy)
- Les Belles (MMD)
- trying to get Madame Slender Plum, which looks like a great drama
--EDIT--
also:
- My Dream Boat
- Moonlight Serenade
- Beautiful Duckling

I just watched Auntie Lan in Chinese, and it's one of the best films I've ever seen, even thought I didn't understand 10% of it. You don't really need the language to know what's going on, and these films are not really about clever dialog. Still, I would pay to get subtitles to this, because there are some long conversations. The photography goes from gorgeous to luscious to fantastic to gobsmackingly beautiful [all of these films are not as good as I say they are, but that's how I experience them]. I wish we could discuss this one, but no subs. Any other secret sources, @sitenoise ?
 
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sitenoise

Member: Rank 5
Patriots Day [2016] • USA
Director: Peter Berg

Something wrong in the home theater for this. Trent Reznor's score was twice as loud as any dialog, almost completely drowning it out. I recommend this setting. The score is good, created more mood than the real drama. Peter Berg is a man's moviemaker. I've seen all his movies. He's the first guy I heard say that a trailer is more important than a script when pitching a movie.
 

divemaster13

Member: Rank 4
Glad to hear you guys are into checking out those Shaw Bros films. I don't know if anyone else will like them, but you can expect the level of filmmaking is basically like the better kung fu movies, but in different genres.
@divemaster13 suggests dramas, so that narrows it down a bit from the musical melodramadies (MMDs).
Oh, I'm up for MMD's. I was just trying to not assume kung-fu action costume historicals, b/c that doesn't seem to be your bag. (I'd be all over that, though!).

I just checked my main source for HK DVDs (DDD House), and while most on your list are not available (Auntie Lan and Whose Baby Is In the Classroom are noted as OOP; the rest don't seem to pull up), they do have Hong Kong Nocturne and Les Belles. YesAsia has Beautiful Duckling. DDD House does seem to have about 200 Shaw Bros. DVDs in print and available, but most are probably the "kung-fu action costume historical" type.

I know I'm probably the only person on here who cares about DVDs, but at the very least, I'll pick these up for myself on my next orders.
 

Zelena

Member: Rank 2
my main source for HK DVDs (DDD House)
Thanks for the tip. I saw Auntie Lan for sale on Amazon for like $28. Yikes! If I ever make it to Hong Kong, I am going to look for street vendors that sell these DVDs. I bet they sell for a couple bucks.
Because it makes more sense to pay $719 for a plane ticket to Hong Kong + HK$20 for a DVD than to pay $28 on Amazon. It just does.
 

Daniel Larusso

Member: Rank 3

The Thin Red Line (1998) - 2nd viewing
Didn't click on me the same way The New World did, but it's still a great film. They are very similar in style, but The New World creates a more intimate experience as we follow the stories of just 3 main characters while in The Thin Red Line we follow multiple characters but I didn't feel much of an emotional connection to them because the film abandons them afterwards. But it also made more sense this way as the film describes every human beeing as part of a whole, so it was important to get to know different personalities instead of just putting all focus in just one main character. Overall, I think this film is a great look at war, nature and humanity. The cinematography and the action sequences look more impressive than in most war films, but I had a better experience with The New World. It's still my 2nd favourite war film behind Apocalypse Now and a good film to watch high.
8/10
 
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Zelena

Member: Rank 2
The Thin Red Line (1998) - 2nd viewing
Didn't click on me the same way The New World did, but it's still a great film. They are very similar in style, but The New World creates a more intimate experience as we follow the stories of just 3 main characters while in The Thin Red Line we follow multiple characters but I didn't feel much of an emotional connection to them because the film abandons them afterwards. But it also made more sense this way as the film describes every human beeing as part of a whole, so it was important to get to know different personalities instead of just putting all focus in just one main character. Overall, I think this film is a great look at war, nature and humanity. The cinematography and the action sequences look more impressive than in most war films, but I had a better experience with The New World. It's still my 2nd favourite war film behind Apocalypse Now and a good film to watch high.
8/10
I can't stand John Travolta, but I have to admit he was good here in his small role. Maybe because the character was a repulsive, cold-blooded lizard like him. I think there's a role for every actor. But you're right, generally, the characters were weak. It would have been better if it was 100% atmospheric, with no dialog at all. That's something Malick could do well. If I had students, I would give them that as an assignment: make a cut of The Thin Red Line with no talking.
 

divemaster13

Member: Rank 4
Breaking News (2004). Another good effort by Johnnie To, a director I have come to really appreciate for HK action/drama. Shamed by the televised escape of five bank robbers, the Hong Kong police pull out all the stops to catch them. When they happen upon the gang's hideout, they decide to use a perky and determined reporter to broadcast the stakeout. But an ultracool baddie has a few tricks up his sleeve. 4 / 5.
 

clayton-12

Member: Rank 4
Breaking News (2004). Another good effort by Johnnie To
Breaking News was the first Johnnie To film I saw - for some reason or other, it seemed to have been picked up by large chain video rental stores in Australia as part of their standard Foreign Language stock. For 2004, it was probably a bit ahead of the curve with its depiction of the rise of mobile phone cameras as a tool for anyone to record and control the news.
 

Zelena

Member: Rank 2
The Little Girl of Hanoi (1975)

Even if you think you're open minded and liberal, it's unsettling to see war from the other side's perspective. TLGoH was shot in Hanoi in 1974 or 1975 when the last blobs of napalm were still smoldering in Vietnam. It looks and plays a lot like Czech new wave, and although it was locally produced, I think it had some technical help from commie bloc allies. The film follows a little girl about 10 years old, frighteningly good actor, who is looking for her family through what they call the fog of war.

The imperialist aggressor is bombing Hanoi, and although they are at pains to call it the most precision bombing ever, they killed thousands of civilians. The film shows the manholes that people jumped into accurately. For dramatic effect it's not a great film, but pretty interesting if your goal is to see something you've never seen before, which is usually my guiding principle. Full movie is on youtube.

Live By Night (2016)
Oh my god, somebody stop Ben Affleck. 1/10. Zero redeeming qualities. This film sucks brain cells out of your head.

Ex Machina (2014)
I don't know if this is true, but I read once that the Somali people consider it the gravest affront to show someone the soles of your feet, and when the Americans were buzzing Mogadishu in helicopters in that invasion during the Clinton admin, they were dangling their feet out of the choppers and in effect, flipping off the whole city.

In this film about Silicon Valley dickheads, Oscar Issac goes around barefoot the whole time, as Steve Jobs did in the Apple offices. It's a brilliant conceit. Going barefoot in the office is the ultimate California passive-aggressive power move; making people around uncomfortable and viscerally aware of the power distinction between you and the boss, and the liberty he enjoys. Granted, in the movie it's his house, but it also serves as an office/research lab, and it's very intentional and effective. I don't want to see your goddamn toes at work. The send-up of Silicon Valley behaviors in this film is pretty on point.

I won't repeat the plot blurb about this one, you can look it up, and there's too many spoilers to get into it. It's about artificial intelligence, jammed into an Alicia-Vikander sexbot in a c-cup. Thinky science fiction is my favorite genre, but this film is not very intelligent, and not nearly as intelligent as it thinks it is. I don't know about AI, but human intelligence has come a long way down since 2001 came out in 1968. This subject needs to be discussed and I recommend watching this, but it's pretty vapid. Ultimately it says nothing more than "AI bad." Well no shit. But this film is by the kind of people who say things like that on Facebook and carry on feeding the beast.

The idea is worth making a film into -- a Turing test on artificial intelligence and whether it develops the kind of human moral turpitude that defines our "intelligence." But the script is dumb. The dialog is bad, the acting is poor (not the actors fault -- Issac did what he could non-verbally, but bad acting is what you get when you have a bad script) and the directing is poor -- most shots are just like "why?" It's kind of sad that you have to pay $15 million budget for something that feels so amateur, when the best korean films were in the $1-$4 million range.

This is about the worst review I can give of a film that I recommend watching. I agree with those who think Ray Kurzweil is a moron. There will be no "singularity," and there is no such thing as artificial intelligence, only artificial stupidity.

The Hudsucker Proxy (199-smth)
Been re-watching some Coen bros films. Can't stand Tim Robbins and most of this film is pretty bad but Jennifer Jason-Leigh is just so fantastic in this, I sometimes just re-watch her scenes. Some of the best lady-banter ever filmed.

The Big Lebowsky (1998)
When I was younger I despised this film and it's ilk and the people that loved it. Now I'm a middle-aged man, I've retired from being cool, and it's funny. Smokey this is not 'Nam, this is bowling. There are rules

The Man that Wasn't There (2001)
Pretty sure this is the worst Coen bros film, and it's a six. It has some of the clever dialog. They have a good thing going, where they can write dialog by having one bro write what a character would say straight, and the other bro comes out with an off the wall line to take the piss out of him. I don't think an individual writer could make stuff like this.

A lot of the supporting acting in this is not up to snuff. You win some, you lose some. Frances McDormond deserved her Oscar for Fargo, but here it just feels like Joel was giving his wife a job and she phoned it in. Still, they won a prize at Cannes for this turd -- that's how badly people want their pictures taken with the Coens. I'm no fan of Billy Bob Thornton. At all. But he annoyed me only minimally by deadpanning. And why does Scarlett Johansson let herself get pervert-Director-fantasy-raped in just about every movie she does. Is that a career? My goodness, she was 16 when they shot this.

I liked that this one took place in Santa Rosa, CA. You don't see that every day. The Coens know how to write against sterotype and expectation rather than for it, which 99% of writers don't understand. Other than that, not much going for this one. I think most of their films start from a desire to get immersed in a certain time and place -- just this one didn't get off the ground.
 
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sitenoise

Member: Rank 5
The Little Girl of Hanoi (1975)
I took a look at this. I kind of love movies like this. I'm downloading it in case Youtube thinks it's a Coen Bros Film. What's up with the subs swimming around. lol

I used to think Affleck was the redeeming one. Now, I dunno. His name hardly gets my attention any more. Did he direct Live By Night ? I was going to say he seems to have some director chops but if his head isn't on straight, he can be a blunderpuss.

Going barefoot in the office is the ultimate California passive-aggressive power move; making people around uncomfortable and viscerally aware of the power distinction between you and the boss, and the liberty he enjoys.
New York much? lolflying.gif I punted Ex Machina real fast a while back. And the bare feet played a role.

Coen Bros Agree in reverse, kind of, on Hudsucker. I can't stand Jennifer Jason-Leigh (but love her movie The Anniversary Party) but think she nailed this one. Good writing helps ease the process. It's been years but I remember literally L'ingMAO at this film, and it felt really subversive. I might have been in college or something. Tim Robbins is kind of icky but he's kicked my ass in at least a couple: Jacob's Ladder and The Player.

Big Lebowsky is a film I've always liked and admired. But recently, as in watching a movie with my wife, I was embarrassed by it. Yeah plenty of good moments, but John Goodman ruined it. All the yelling. I was feeling the discomfort of my co-watcher. Now I don't know if I can watch it again and not feel annoyed by it.

Haven't seen The Man that Wasn't There.
 

divemaster13

Member: Rank 4
The Hudsucker Proxy is my favorite Coen Bros. movie, hands down. So many great lines and scenes! The "invention of the hula hoop" montage set to the music of Khachaturian is one of my favorite scenes in any film. That is inspired filmmaking right there. Interesting trivia: the three follows silhouetted, trying to brainstorm a name for the "dingus"? One is Sam Raimi, and one is Bruce Campbell. (I forget who the other one is).


In my office we pass along letters to be signed in blue folders. Sometimes when someone brings one to me, I'll shout in horror, "It's a Blue Letter!" Most folks don't get the reference, but that's okay.

One time when my supervisor wanted me to confirm something over the phone, I said, "You don't believe me? Well, come on down here, Hammerhead, and I'll show it to ya!"

"You know! For kids!"

"Yeah-yeah. Sure-sure."

"Well, they wouldn't have hired me if they thought I was some kind of schmo."

I could probably get through an entire day at the office just quoting this movie.
 
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