saw a talkie at the picture show: new film thread

[jebreject]

Wow, A Separation was really incredible.

[elpollodiablo]

Probably mentioned at some point over the years that I'm a bit of an Oliver Stone apologist. Rewatching JFK after finishing a reread of DeLillo's Libra reminds me why: the cast ranges from Michael Rooker to Gary Oldman to Wayne Knight to fucking John Candy. It's completely preposterous, lumbering along under the weight of exposition. And the director's cut is 3h15m. And it's been as entertaining as I remembered it. People are chewing the scenery all over the place. Ed Asner pistol whips Jack Lemmon. The accents are atrocious.

[Babar]

There's a director's cut of JFK? I think the director's cut is the theatrical cut. Anyway it's a great film and would be Stone's best if weren't for Platoon. I recommend you watch Talk Radio if you're looking for overlooked gems, if you haven't seen it. It's one of those films that takes place on the same set and it works.

[Black Amnesia of Heaven]

the cast ranges from Michael Rooker to Gary Oldman to Wayne Knight to fucking John Candy. It's completely preposterous, lumbering along under the weight of exposition.

replace the actor names and this is also in support of southland tales

which i've watched twice in the past 24 hours

[auto-da-fey]

Jeb, I'd probably agree with you if I'd been in less distracted headspace when I saw A Separation; I didn't walk away raving quite as much, but definitely admiring greatly. And I'm also a total Oliver Stone apologist, though I've stopped keeping up with him in recent years (Pollo, whenever you feel a vitriol-deficiency {which may not be an issue, I realize}, check out his simpering documentary about Latin American leftism, it is almost surely the worst thing he's ever done).

The last film I saw was Mysterious Object at Noon, which I believe catches me up on my Apichatpong Weerasethakul feature films, unless someone knows where to see that Adventures of Iron Pussy thing. I was a latecomer to Joe, and when I finally entered with Blissfully Yours, I think I was a bit confused about the nature of his project. I guess there's a certain baggage invoked by labels like arthouse or experimental--cold and cerebral is often the expectation. So the utter warmness and humaneness of his work seemed to clash with the formal radicalism. Seemed. Like some BasedGod epiphany, I only later "got" what he was doing, by which I probably really mean, rendered it legible to myself, since I'm not at all certain I get him on whichever level he's actually working. Point being, I've come to really love him, even if Uncle Boonmee was a slight step down from the previous three.

So, Mysterious Object at Noon, his exquisite-corpse experiment, fell into place for me more easily than it would have four years ago. It's a tricky film of ever-shifting narrative, but the real continuity is the affection with which he films his subjects, a bunch of Thai villagers taking turns extending a story of a teacher and her pupil. The grainy black and white does make it a little easier to read, perhaps--it looks like something screening at the Anthology Film Archives in 1967, the latest Shirley Clarke or Newsreel piece, so its underground affiliations are more self-evident. Anyway, there's a late scene with several tiny schoolkids jostling each other while taking the story into ridiculous swords-and-tigers-and-aliens territory that is truly one of the most adorable things I've ever seen onscreen.

[auto-da-fey]

also I have a serious headcold and didn't proofread that, so if it's incoherent, blame the dope I'm taking

[elpollodiablo]

Yeah the most recent Stone I've seen was W. and that was pretty damn poor. Didn't see World Trade Center, Alexander or Wall Street 2 (lol) though I did see the last one getting filmed in NYC a few years ago.

[Anne the Man]

I watched Never Let Me Go last night with a friend. We both agreed that it always felt on the verge of something but didn't quite go there. Which isn't necessarily bad, to my mind--it was interesting to have something set in a dystopia but not at all about the dystopia itself. I was a bit disappointed by excessive music, but then I notice that in a lot of movies. I'm ambivalent. Also I would've liked to see more Sally Hawkins.

[G.C.R]

I really liked Never let Me Go!

The last film I saw was Mysterious Object at Noon, which I believe catches me up on my Apichatpong Weerasethakul feature films, unless someone knows where to see that Adventures of Iron Pussy thing. I was a latecomer to Joe, and when I finally entered with Blissfully Yours, I think I was a bit confused about the nature of his project. I guess there's a certain baggage invoked by labels like arthouse or experimental--cold and cerebral is often the expectation. So the utter warmness and humaneness of his work seemed to clash with the formal radicalism. Seemed. Like some BasedGod epiphany, I only later "got" what he was doing, by which I probably really mean, rendered it legible to myself, since I'm not at all certain I get him on whichever level he's actually working. Point being, I've come to really love him, even if Uncle Boonmee was a slight step down from the previous three.

Not only is this not incoherent, it pretty much nails what is awesome about Joe perfectly. Especially about how warm his work is (and sexy, too.) I have never seen Mysterious Object at Noon, though I'd like to. And I think you would like Adventures of Iron Pussy, though it is a very different thing from the rest of his work  -  think Tears of the Black Tiger, but sillier.

[jebreject]

I really need to watch more of his stuff, because I loved Uncle Boonmee in a way that I rarely love films. If that makes sense. Too tired to try to explain I guess.

[elpollodiablo]

I feel asleep about ten minutes into Uncle Boonmee the other night. Guess I should try again when more energized?

[auto-da-fey]

My lady passed out mid-Boonmee too, despite loving it. She also passed out during Damnation despite loving Bela Tarr (like, literally crushing on him even), and also when I recently put Nasum on. I think it may be my couch.
Jeb, I could see it being a point-of-entry thing, where the first film one encounters makes the greatest impression--though yeah, you should see more if you loved it! And I should see Adventures of an Iron Pussy!

[auto-da-fey]

and to answer my own question,

also, is Day Night Day Night worth seeing? for some reason I only vaguely remember it existing, but something led me to it and its en route from my library soon.

YES. I only dimly remembered this movie existing, as "that girl-suicide-bomber flick from a half-decade ago." Retracing my steps, I think it must have been a review of Essential Killing that brought it back to my attention, and this time it caught my eye. Glad it did; such an intense fucking film, it left me kinda dazed as I set off through the city streets immediately upon finishing it (it might also be the cough medicine, admittedly).

M dismissed it based on the cover art because the suicide bomber looks like a model. IIRC, that was a critique back in 2006 too. It doesn't really pertain; I had preemptively mounted a defense around the tight (basically all-close-up) cropping that invokes cinematic-Joan-of-Arc tropes, who probably didn't look like Jean Seberg either, and &tc, but really, her journey from Jersey motel to Times Square is so unrelenting that I can't imagine the dopiest frat boy ogling her as he watches. I am all for this type of anti-psychologizing direct cinema.

[elpollodiablo]

Yessss the Ralph Fiennes Coriolanus screener finally leaked!

[G.C.R]

I really need to watch more of his stuff, because I loved Uncle Boonmee in a way that I rarely love films. If that makes sense. Too tired to try to explain I guess.

it could be that first-one-makes-greatest-impression thing that Whit was talking about, but Blissfully Yours is one of my all time favourites.

[Ah_Pook]

me and the lady watched Hear No Evil, See No Evil last night. we're going to watch Silver Streak and Stir Crazy soon too. shes never seen any of those, so. theyre real funny, you know.

[Ignatius]

I'm gonna go see the Osc-nommed Anim8d Shortz in an hour, and then maybe see Jeanne Moreau in Mademoiselle? Does LPTJ collective wisdom recommend?

[peacocks]

I read this too late but I would definitely see anything with Jeanne Moreau!

[Ignatius]

They picked the worst animated short for the Oscar. Like it was obsvious how this bit was the worstest most bad piece.

[Ignatius]

PS Peacocks come visit cuz we got a whole barrel of Jeanne Moreau. It's a series just for her!

[G.C.R]

Except for A Separation, these academy awards pretty much sucked! And either a lot more friends of mine are buds with Bret McKenzie than I realised, or all of New Zealand are just wetting their collective pants all over facebook because someone from here won an Oscar.

[clare]

My lady passed out mid-Boonmee too, despite loving it. She also passed out during Damnation despite loving Bela Tarr (like, literally crushing on him even), and also when I recently put Nasum on. I think it may be my couch.

Or it may just be that she's really tired, and watching movies at night isn't going to work? I got through phases like that. No matter how much I want to see them, or how good they are I just can't stay awake :-(

[RoyBiggins]

A good friend of mine scored the Best Documentary winner!  I'm pretty proud of that dude.

[peacocks]

My lady passed out mid-Boonmee too, despite loving it. She also passed out during Damnation despite loving Bela Tarr (like, literally crushing on him even), and also when I recently put Nasum on. I think it may be my couch.

Or it may just be that she's really tired, and watching movies at night isn't going to work? I got through phases like that. No matter how much I want to see them, or how good they are I just can't stay awake :-(

Oh yeah I've totally been there. She probably is tired and you and your couch are probably too comfy.

IG: dude I would love to visit/ live in a place that has movie theaters that play good old and new movies! You live in new York right? Adro and I are sorta planning a trip there this summer...............?

[Ignatius]

I live about 30 miles from the middle of New York, but I won't by summertime. But NYC itself is full of movie theatres that play good old and new movies! Though I guess they are not as free as mine.