tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20538142.post6631878718727834288..comments2023-04-07T06:58:04.580-07:00Comments on Cinecism: CINECISM: RATED 18Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20538142.post-36334957111070907092007-12-21T13:07:00.000-08:002007-12-21T13:07:00.000-08:00I know it's late but Happy Birthday Emily.I know h...I know it's late but Happy Birthday Emily.<BR/><BR/>I know how you feel about the generic hollywood movie. I tend to avoid at all costs the comedy that comes out these days. It is total crap. And I look forward to movies like Sweeney Todd because they tend to be not the usual fare.<BR/><BR/>I don't know if you have seen it yet, but the one movie that has really blown me away recently is Hard Candy. I have two or three other but I think I remember you mentioning them at other times. But Hard Candy really hit me hard. <BR/><BR/>Hope your trip to this side of the pond goes great. Happy Holidays.Willhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12721391205169499355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20538142.post-21336821660884552952007-12-07T15:35:00.000-08:002007-12-07T15:35:00.000-08:00Happy Birthday!I know what you mean, kind of, abou...Happy Birthday!<BR/><BR/>I know what you mean, kind of, about being sick of film. One difference, I think, is that I've never been a great fan of pure plot, though. I'd be hard pressed to give you an accurate synopsis of many of my favourite films; but I could probably give you a vivid description of a scene, tell you how it made me feel, wax lyrical on the cinematography. I often don't mind what happens in the end, as long as getting there is enjoyable, thought provoking, interesting. Totally disagree with your dismissal of Adaptation as "tedious", as well.<BR/><BR/>But I'm going to take you up on your suggestion and recommend some films that speak to me. I don't know you very well and can't gauruntee that these will be to your tastes, but here goes:<BR/><BR/>All About My Mother (and everything Almodovar)<BR/>Jindabyne<BR/>Short Cuts<BR/>[safe]<BR/>The Squid and the Whale<BR/>Gloria (original, not remake)<BR/><BR/>Acually, take special note of that last one. It's most def a genre film, that accepts the limitations of being a genre film and totally has fun with the fact. Gena Rowlands is a hoot in it tooCatherinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09258493877737555910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20538142.post-267130549332278312007-12-06T06:14:00.000-08:002007-12-06T06:14:00.000-08:00First off, Happy Birthday! :) I hope you had a gre...First off, Happy Birthday! :) I hope you had a great 18th birthday and revel in the fact you'll be ab<BR/><BR/>Secondly, I can empathise with your feelings on movies at the moment. I've been debating with myself if I've been losing interest in the medium. I work through classics I'm indifferent to, but also avoid awful looking mainstream fare. Speaking of which, I've found the average age for nearly everything I attend (films, concerts etc.) is 55+, which is somewhat depressing.<BR/><BR/>But every now and again, something comes by and really blows everything else out of the water. <I>The Assassination of Jesse James</I> did that to me very recently, mainly through the pure beauty of the whole film. <I>Persona</I> did it through raw impact. But there are a couple of movies that really remind why I love film so much.<BR/><BR/><I>Requiem For a Dream</I> is the first one. A bit of a cliche choice and it's a flawed film, but no other movie, before or since, has had such an emotional impact on me. I'd never reacted to a movie like this before and it jumped straight into my Top 20 simply by hitting me harder than any other film before.<BR/><BR/>Next would be <I>Network</I> because it's just the best damn writing, and probably acting, I've seen in any movie. There are contenders (<I>All About Eve</I> is certainly up there) but this one takes the cake by giving line after line, monologue after monologue of pitch perfect scripting. One of the best casts ever put together, as well (William Holden, Robert Duvall, Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch, Ned Beatty and Beatrice Straight are all fantastic).<BR/><BR/>I know I'm always talking about it, but <I>Aguirre</I> really does live up to its legend. It's mindbogglingly good with what may be the most intense performance ever put to celluloid in Kinski's Aguirre. As I've said before, I first saw it when I was 8 and it scared the hell out of me. I've seen it five or six times since then and it has not once disappointed. Make sure you get the version with subtitles, though. The dubbed version is poorly done and distracting.<BR/><BR/>And finally, my number one recommendation for someone who has lost faith in film : <I>Eraserhead</I>.<BR/><BR/>No movie before it has created an atmosphere so effectively and held it, from first frame to last (Hell, if you get the DVD, it starts from the menu). It has so many images that will never ever leave you, no matter how hard you try to forget them. And I mean that in the best way possible.<BR/><BR/>It'll restore your faith that someone out there is completely insane enough to make something like this and to do it well. <BR/><BR/>I showed it to the girl I sit next to in English class, a quiet, mild-mannered lass who told me her mother had seen it before and refused to talk about it. When she returned the DVD, she said she couldn't get over how good it was.<BR/><BR/>And if you can't take the word of a friend of some guy on the internet, who can you trust?<BR/><BR/>So, those are my recommendations and Miller's Crossing, although a damn fine movie, will probably not make you take great joy in film as a whole again.<BR/><BR/>I should have been sleeping a long time ago, so I apologise for the incoherence and again, happy birthday.Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07056272087886564663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20538142.post-36023535004641404922007-12-04T05:11:00.000-08:002007-12-04T05:11:00.000-08:00...and happy birthday!...and happy birthday!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20538142.post-5382159696270500952007-12-04T04:58:00.000-08:002007-12-04T04:58:00.000-08:00Heh, I've been there. But are you asking for recom...Heh, I've been there. But are you asking for recommendations within the "mainstream film"? Because if you're open to anything, there's plenty of sources from which you can get good recommendations. One thing I've come to realise over the years is that if a movie has lasted 40, 50, 60 years as a Great Movie, it's probably because there's something great about it (i.e. it'll usually be a unique experience, even if you don't like it). <BR/><BR/>Directors that can change the way you look at movies: Bergman, Bresson, De Sica, Ozu, Rossellini, Herzog, Buñuel, Cassavetes, Resnais, and more... there's so much stuff out there. <BR/><BR/>(Let me know if you want a more precise recommendation. I'll do my best even though I don't really know what you've seen, what you like, <I>etcetera</I>)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com