Recently viewed films

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Wed Apr 14, 2004 4:02 pm

Do not go and see Capturing the Friedmans. It is quite graphic, and I walked out after half an hour. I expected the content to be unpleasant, but didn't expect to have to see actual horrible pictures of sexual abuse.

Post by **BlueChair** » Wed Apr 14, 2004 4:08 pm

I guess it's one of those things, Mr. Crow. Film has always been seen by the mass audience as a form of entertainment resulting in pleasure, but often it is used in much different ways.

I haven't been to see a new film in a while, but I'm planning on seeing Kill Bill Vol 2 on Friday. Anybody else going to check that out this weekend?

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Wed Apr 14, 2004 4:14 pm

Yeah I cannae wait for that to come out here...anybody see the Conscience Spotless mind thingy with Jim Carrey/Kate Winslet...that looks ace!

martinfoyle · Post by **martinfoyle** » Wed Apr 14, 2004 5:14 pm

Saw Monster and Capturing The Friedmans recently. Sure Theron is great, the film is a let down due to the lacklustre direction. Ghastly early 80's music. Around 3 couples walked out , like Crow, from the Fiedmans film. Very understandable, it is disturbing stuff. Never mind the abuse images, no one comes out of this film in a good light. Probably the only one is the brother who refused to take part in the film. Still it was absorbing. After Touching The Void and Spellbound, it's good to see documentaries being screened in the multiplexes.

miss buenos aires · Post by **miss buenos aires** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 8:25 am

King of Confidence wrote:Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind probably deserves its own thread. I loved Kaufman's other movies, but in this one I think his cleverness serves his characters' humanity more than in the others, I think. It's an affecting, wonderful movie.

I think this is totally true; I saw the movie twice. Go see it!

Post by **BlueChair** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 11:00 am

I went to see Kill Bill Volume 2 last night. I won't say much more than that it has a MUCH different sense of flow than the first one. I was definitely satisfied with the 2nd part of the story though.

I don't want to say whether or not I liked Vol. 2 better than Vol. 1, because it's essentially one movie.

Mr. Average · Post by **Mr. Average** » Sun Apr 18, 2004 12:17 am

Excellent non-review, Blue. It isn't whether Vol II is better or worse than Vol. I that is relevant because the film is concieved and created as a single film. In fact, the opening scene is, as I recall from my late nite viewing last evening, Chapter 4.

Uma is wonderful, delicious, and defines the female heroine for me, and for my daughter, who adores her. I would love the opportunity to speak with her and Quentin more than any other actor/director team. They fascinate me. And they worked incredibly hard to pull this off. Bobster, with his incredible insight and knowledge of the industry may disagree, but I think the director of a high action flick like Kill Bill must be incredibly talented and respected by everyone in the production group in order for success to follow.
I gotta give Chaing Kwan Caine, aka David Carradine, a lot of credit. He defines his own charcter early. He cannot promise to be nice, because his soul is filthy with hate and evil. But he can be sweet. The perfect character description that he is able to pull off with memorable style. It was good of Quentin to pull him out of obscurity, as he did with Michael Madsen, John Travolta, Pam Grier, Sonny Chiba, and, in my opinion, Daryl Hannah, who was 'so over' before this film.

The best discription of II versus I is "Less Viscera, More verbiage"...the story is told and the heart of Kill Bill is revealed.

I love the entire film, and the entire attitude and culture that it is creating in the industry.

johnfoyle · Post by **johnfoyle** » Sun May 16, 2004 12:54 pm

Just seen , over two days , Troy , Shattered Glass and Bon Voyage.

Troy was fun too look at but , otherwise , awful. The leads just do not enage the viewers , therefore making the movie uninvolving and boring. Helen- The Most Beautiful Woman In The World - isn`t so ; in this film she`s a skinny , whiney girl who looks curiously incomplete without a mobile phone in her hand and sunglasses on her hair.

Shattered Glass was much better. This tale of journalistic delusions was played beautifully. That bloke out of the Star Wars films transferred his obnoxiousness intact , making his central character all the more believable. It`s 1998 setting was thought provoking - it`s staggering to think how much difference six years has made , as regards use of the `net etc. It just could not happen now.

Bon Voyage was the best of the lot . A French film set during the fall of Paris in 1940 it was visually stunning and vastly entertaining. It never let up - gliding and dashing from scene to scene , with delightful use of French exteriors. The `american` subtitling ( the amount of `gonnas`etc shows the difference from English) was relatively unintrusive ; French actors can , of course , say a thousand things with just a shrug. One intentional irony was the the vast array of food and drink evident - their country may have been collapsing but there was always time to dine. Gabriel Yared`s incidental music was , as always , excellent.

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Sun May 16, 2004 2:59 pm

Just got round to seeing KB Vol.2 last night. Excellent film and great performances from David Carradine, Daryl Hannah, Uma Thurman and Gordon Liu. What has David Carradine been doing for last 20 years, he should be in a lot more big budget films.

I am glad that it wasn't trimmed into one film as we got to see all the parts and the full story was explained in V2.

bobster · Post by **bobster** » Sun May 16, 2004 3:24 pm

I saw KB VII a couple of weeks ago -- unfortunately didn't have cash to buy coffee (the great Vista theater in Silverlake is wonderfully old fashioned, yet being set up for credit cards would have been nice right then).

My preliminary opinion is that the whole thing would have flowed better as one long movie, with a couple of lengthy excisions from the "House of Blue Leaves" and Bud's unpleasant but not exactly earthshaking encounter with his employer being obvious places to cut. To me, the relative lack of action was sort of a let down -- but coming after the house of blue action-orgy, I suspect the change would have been welcome. I'd love to see this as one 3 hour film (including credits!).

Still, filled with delights and playfully disturbing tidbits, particularly from a parental point of view. Darryl Hannah was, for me, the acting revelation this time -- and much better looking than in Vol. 1, for some reason. I'll check it out again before it leaves theaters to see if it the above was just the lack of caffeine talking!

Also so the original Godzilla last night directed by Kurasawa's buddy, Inishiro Honda. Interesting historically and some actually very beautiful photography and -- minus the Raymond Burr segments shot for America -- a shockingly somber film, almost a monster movie meditation on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Still, all of the above didn't prevent me from almost falling asleep several times -- and this time I had coffee! But, apparently, not enough.

wehitandrun · Post by **wehitandrun** » Sun May 16, 2004 3:51 pm

I recently saw Shaun Of The Dead for the fifth time... it is wonderful. Such a genius comedy, with Romero references that are to die for. Simon Pegg is brilliant.

I believe that Vol. II of Kill Bill blows Vol. I away.

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Mon May 31, 2004 9:43 pm

Went to see Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban today (well, yesterday now). To say it is good would be a gross understatement....then again I am a devoted little fangirl, so I would say that. But, seriously, it's fucking excellent.

You're missing all the fun, my fanboy LCrow!

Post by **spooky girlfriend** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 9:13 am

I have to agree with you PoP. This third movie was deeper and darker and even with twisted humor this time. With four children between the ages of 10 - 15, I have no choice but to know about Harry Potter. And when I dragged them off to the movies last Friday, I thought it might be similar to the other two - which were good, but very different.

Yeah, it might be written for kids I suppose, but this one won't be a waste of money. There's hidden meanings and messages that I think you almost have to be an adult to see in this one. My kids, I'm sure - at the horror it will bring to my wallet - will be wanting to see this one again. And I won't hate taking them again at all.

El Vez · Post by **El Vez** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 10:30 am

I like how all of the Harry Potter films are chock full of Great British Thespians. If you were to drop a bomb on their soundstage while filming you would bankrupt West End theatre for all times.

crash8_durham · Post by **crash8_durham** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 10:49 am

I saw Harry Potter last night and really enjoyed it. I have not read that book. My wife, who had read the book, was very disappointed in the movie saying that they left far too much of the book out of the movie.

bobster · Post by **bobster** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 1:19 pm

Interestingly, Kenneth Turan on NPR gave it an overall positive, but complained at length that far too much of the book had been left in. Rick Nelson was right -- you sure can't please everyone.

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 1:36 pm

I really want to see it!

I love Alan Rickman. How could you not, with that voice???

Post by **spooky girlfriend** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 2:39 pm

Oooh, the voice.

Don't even get PoP started on that.

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Mon Jun 07, 2004 6:18 pm

crash8_durham wrote:I saw Harry Potter last night and really enjoyed it. I have not read that book. My wife, who had read the book, was very disappointed in the movie saying that they left far too much of the book out of the movie.

True - even I was majorly miffed at the amount of things they left out/slipped in/changed beyond all reason - but no one wants a 7-hour movie.....do they?

spooky girlfriend wrote:Oooh, the voice.

Don't even get PoP started on that.

Yeah, don't get me started....

*dies*

girl out of time · Post by **girl out of time** » Mon Jun 07, 2004 9:58 pm

i went to see the a german-russian co-production last night, the russian ark.......impressive film...2 hours, 1 take, no editing........i couldn´t believe my eyes.......great story.....you guys have to see this one......you won´t regret it! totally original.....a work of art!!!!!

maria · Post by **maria** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 5:41 pm

Anyone else see "The Company", Robert Altman's latest on Chicago Ballet? Pretty much wall to wall dance; fab dance it is too. Elvis' "My Funny Valentine" is in there in the backdrop, along with a few other interpretations. It never fails to press poignancy button for me. I especially loved the opening sequence: the movie's worth the effort for that alone. I mean, wow. Wasn't too crazy about end result of (I though v OTT) conceptual production (costumes inSANE along with pantoesque mechanical monster puffing smoke and moving eyes). Although being fly on the wall getting to nuttsville end was riveting. I do love Robert Altman.

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 7:01 pm

Hey...I went to see the Harry Potter film today with a couple of pals, who waited for me before they saw it...what pals eh! Anyway, I thought it was ace...I can't be arsed with getting dissapointed that they left stuff out the book...different media and all that...but was majorly chuffed at the dark undertones in there...any kids film that dark HAS to be good. Plus....David Thewlis was nails as Lupin, Tim Spall is a genius actor, AND IT HAD IAN BROWN (FROM THE STONE ROSES) IN IT....DID ANYONE ELSE SPOT HIM??? PoP???? HE WAS THE WIZARD STIRRING HIS TEA WITH HIS HAND AT THE START!!!! MAGIC!!!!!!!!!

Incidentally...anyone seen The Football factory yet? Martin?

martinfoyle · Post by **martinfoyle** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 7:14 pm

The Football Factory has'nt opened here yet, I intend seeing it when it does. Saw Intimate Strangers, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363532/ , and The Cooler over the weekend. The latter was a bit convuluted, still great performances from Baldwin and Macy. The former is wonderful, a silly story beautifully realised by Leconte with sublime performances.

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 3:47 am

Ahhh, I knew you'd love PoA, Crow. I did indeed see the Brownmeister, and I am now officially in love with Remus Lupin and his big bar of chocolate.

EDIT: Forgot to mention this: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Fifteen Minutes.

THE KIDS: Lupin!

SIRIUS: Remus!

LUPIN: Sirius!

SIRIUS: Hug!

HERMIONE: Werewolf!

RON AND HARRY: What?

SNAPE: BLACK!

THE KIDS: Snape!

SNAPE: EXPELLIARMUS!

LUPIN: Noooo!

SIRIUS: Pettigrew!

THE KIDS: What?

SIRIUS: Map!

LUPIN: Dead!

SIRIUS: No!

LUPIN: Yes!

SIRIUS: No!

LUPIN: Yes!

SIRIUS: No!

LUPIN: Yes!

SNAPE: Christ, you two bicker like an old married couple.

SIRIUS/LUPIN SHIPPERS: YAY!

Oh God! So. Funny.

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 5:10 am

WANTED POSTER: RAAAA! LOOK AT ME! I’M SO CRAZY! I’M CRAZY GARY OLDMAN!

c'est genius!