Movies you've just watched

[GaijinPunch]

I've been on a real musical kick as of late.

Check out Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

[Moniker]

Been watching Peep Show as per the recommendation from GP's sig. The raw quantity of incredible one-liners humbles me. Although, I wish they hadn't adopted Flag Pole Sitter as the theme music for season 2.

[Skykid]

Been watching Peep Show as per the recommendation from GP's sig. The raw quantity of incredible one-liners humbles me. Although, I wish they hadn't adopted Flag Pole Sitter as the theme music for season 2.

Peep Show fucking rules. Not a movie though.

[jonny5]

Been watching Peep Show as per the recommendation from GP's sig. The raw quantity of incredible one-liners humbles me. Although, I wish they hadn't adopted Flag Pole Sitter as the theme music for season 2.

Peep Show fucking rules. Not a movie though.

Just watched the first 3 episodes, when does it get funny?

Now Phone shop, that is a funny show!!

EDIT: OK, started the second season of Peep Show; it's already 10x funnier than the first season. Way more over the top.

[MX7]

Sunday night: Gattaca. Had big hopes for this. The premise was compelling, and I enjoyed how visually captivating it was given such a comparatively modest budget. While at its heart it's a hackneyed 'American Dream' flick like any other, it was still fairly original and ultimately pretty fun. 

Yesterday afternoon: The Seventh Continent. Christ, I don't even know where to begin. Haneke is so far beyond almost every other living director in terms of sheer skill at filmmaking it's ridiculous. Seventh Continent isn't an enjoyable watch; it's actually downright harrowing for every minute of its runtime. But the perfect execution of this depiction of the banality of middle class life is heart-breaking. Every shot is presented with surgical precision, every cut is deployed with pinpoint timing to maximise the sense of desolation. There is a lengthy sequence towards the end that actually bought me to tears because it was so beautiful. Of course, this being Haneke, absolutely any discussion of the plot will lessen the impact of the film. Just do yourself a favour and allow yourself to be absolutely destroyed by a film. 

Last night: I Don't Want To Sleep Alone. I consider Tsai Ming-Liang to be kind of similar to Haneke in that he's absolutely a master of making films. Both also employ an extremely considered mise en scene and cinematography. Unlike Haneke however, Tasai's films are alienating and lovely, not alienating and horrifying. Just like The Wayward Cloud, ...Sleep Alone focuses on the idea of communication and the impossibility thereof. Most exchanges in the film are exclusively delivered extra/paralinguistically, but moreover through expert editing. The brusque washing of a comatose man's face is juxtaposed with the gentle, considered washing of a badly beaten up homeless man. A mattress heaved through the city links three separate people who sleep on it. The long takes are painterly and endlessly compelling. Often I found myself wanting to rewind a three minute, dialogue free shot because i'd been looking in the 'wrong' part of the screen, distracted by a rusty fan or the conversation of of duty day labourers. On reflection I feel The Wayward Cloud got across this theme of the impossibility of communication better, if only for the humorous dance interludes and the joyous bombast of the (ahem) climax, but this was amazing. It really made me feel invigorated, and I loved it as a film, and felt no need to deconstruct it to enjoy it. Just lovely.

[GaijinPunch]

Just watched the first 3 episodes, when does it get funny?

Now Phone shop, that is a funny show!!

EDIT: OK, started the second season of Peep Show; it's already 10x funnier than the first season. Way more over the top.

I believe the specific moment when the show reaches legendary status is when they let Super Hans off the leash. Same can be said about Gob & Tobias in Arrested Development, which was somewhere around Season 2.

Moniker, you ever tried Children's Hospital?

[MX7]

Just watched the first 3 episodes, when does it get funny?

Now Phone shop, that is a funny show!!

EDIT: OK, started the second season of Peep Show; it's already 10x funnier than the first season. Way more over the top.

I believe the specific moment when the show reaches legendary status is when they let Super Hans off the leash. Same can be said about Gob & Tobias in Arrested Development, which was somewhere around Season 2.

Moniker, you ever tried Children's Hospital?

I think they rely too much on Super Hans in later series. He's an amazing character, but there's not much you can do with him.

I was drunk yet also seriously hungover in Brighton a while back, looked up and awkwardly locked eyes with the guy who played him as we walked past. That shit me right up, I can tell you.

[hzt]

When I first watched Peep Show I skipped a night's sleep and watched ALL seasons while drinking. Next morning I was sitting on a train in Brighton station when Super Hans's actor came walking down the platform looking directly at me... for a few seconds I wasn't sure whether I was a real person or a character in a TV show.

[MX7]

Do you think the guy who plays Super Hans just spends his time stalking bony/fatigued young men to scare the shit out of? Because I see absolutely no evidence to the contrary.

[Skykid]

When I first watched Peep Show I skipped a night's sleep and watched ALL seasons while drinking. Next morning I was sitting on a train in Brighton station when Super Hans's actor came walking down the platform looking directly at me... for a few seconds I wasn't sure whether I was a real person or a character in a TV show.

Lol, that's a legendary story.

Yesterday afternoon: The Seventh Continent. Christ, I don't even know where to begin. Haneke is so far beyond almost every other living director in terms of sheer skill at filmmaking it's ridiculous.

Boy, that's like throwing the gauntlet down Mike, you've slapped me in the face with your glove! I'm going to have to get this movie now. "The finest living director in terms of sheer skill at filmmaking" EDIT: This Haneke is Austrian it seems, I assumed it was a Japanese name. That's way less of a gauntlet because I instantly have more faith. Still, looking forward to it.

I've also got into bed with Tsai Ming-Liang recently, and love all the stuff I've seen so far so any similarities with that director are always encouraging. I'll have to check out I Don't Want To Sleep Alone too. Are the long takes on par with Goodbye Dragon Inn?

Incidentally I watched Bertolucci's The Conformist last night, and it was so beautifully composed in its every shot it knocked my socks off.

[xbl0x180]

I am suprised Michael Haneke films aren't as renown here. His "glacial trilogy" is one of the best set of contemporary movies ever made. This includes Der Siebente Kontinent, 71 Fragmente Einer Chronologie Des Zufalls, and, finally, Benny's Video. His films have a cold, calculating, crisp, sharp/contrasted cinematography - you feel their clinical stoicism right down to your very spine. Admittedly, they are beautiful to look at even if one were to not follow the story (which is how I initially saw Benny's Video as an unsubbed bootleg in German). Coincidentally, watching Benny's Video was a bit inspirational for me to begin collecting videos




Even Haneke's weakest film, which may be Les Temps De Loups ("The Time Of The Wolves") or his remake of his own film Funny Games, are leaps and bounds better than most stuff being made in the past two decades. This reminds me I need to buy copies of Cache and Code Inconnu to complete Haneke's opus.

[Skykid]

Wow, what an evening I had.

It was a beautiful hot day and I was on my way home around 9pm when I had an urge to swing by the local independent to see if there was anything good on.

There was a big crowd out front with tons of people drinking Stella Artois and a Stella Artois marquee thing with a photographer taking pics of people. There was also a red carpet leading inside. I went in to ask what was on, and the woman said it was the Stella Artois Cannes film club, and I needed a special online invite to see the movie: Pulp Fiction. I asked if I could buy a ticket cos I fancied it, and she told me to wait 15 minutes. She said they were technically at capacity, but they reckoned it wouldn't fill up because the day was too nice and folks would be at the beach.

15 minutes later I went back and she said there was plenty of room. Great! I asked how much the ticket was and she handed it to me and said, "it's free."

Bonus. Then she hands me two Stella Artois casino chips and tells me to take them inside the theatre for two free beers. On my way into the theatre the stewardess hands me a box of popcorn and says "it's on the house."

Inside they have a 'Foot Massage' going on beneath the screen and two mobile bars on either side of the front of the theatre, with Stella on draught. I cashed in my chips (didn't have a foot massage) and then watched Pulp Fiction with two big cold glasses of beer. And I'm not talking about any of that paper cup shit - I'm talking a glass of beer.

Best random film encounter ever, and it was awesome to see PF on the big screen for the first time.
Anyone who doesn't think that film is absolutely brilliant must have an ass where their head is meant to be - it's just terrific!

[Ed Oscuro]

I recently discovered that there are two films from last year with the title "The Battle of Los Angeles."

I saw the direct to video one.

It seemed promising at first due to the no-nonsense way in which it dropped you straight into the action and started to develop things...sure, it was looking pretty bad early on, but it didn't have to remain terrible. I took a break at the halfway mark, right when somebody from MJ-12 showed up and dropped straight down onto an alien death machine from 30 feet, impaling the cockpit with a sword. That was at a point where the movie could have gotten better or worse. It got worse, unfortunately; much worse. This was one of those "Sci-Fi originals" I think. It's odd...it's like the script was written by aliens using Wikipedia as a source, as translated by dogs. There were tons of interesting ideas (alien deceptions, time travel, extraterrestrial politics) and some pretty interesting characters, but they weren't given any respect or time to develop properly. Both of my favorite characters (the guy who thinks he's Patton, and the cynical Captain from early on) especially got bum deals. Oh, and you gotta love long takes of the (surviving) main cast running across deserted fields to the sound of lasers, said lasers being nowhere in sight. Yep, that's drama alright. It devolved into the main characters being stuck on a catwalk or under a floor grating for what seemed like the entire ending sequence. I think this one's scored 1.8 on IMDB, while the "real" blockbuster film gets a 5.8 (and a video game).

[GaijinPunch]

Best random film encounter ever, and it was awesome to see PF on the big screen for the first time.

Whoa? For real? Shit was awesome... I might even remember seeing it at the theater. Figured anyone would have.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

That's cool to see Pulp Fiction properly as it was originally meant to be seen...on the big screen. Yeah, I watched it on the big screen back when it debuted in 1994. Quite interesting that all those interwined stories take place in the span of two days. Now go back & rewatch PF on Blu-Ray with some deleted scenes that further explain some stories in greater detail.

Film Factoid Time:

There's a connection between PF and Kill Bill Vol. 2 in that there are two characters whom are brothers by birth. Can you find out whom they are?

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[chum]

Yesterday afternoon: The Seventh Continent.

This is an incredible film that people should watch sooner than anything else by Haneke.

[emphatic]

I think I saw Pulp Fiction three times at the cinema. Didn't get beer though.

[MX7]

Good to see some Haneke love on the forum. I've adored him since I first saw Caché. I saw it at The Screen Room in Nottingham, officially the smallest cinema in the world (now sadly closed). I was one of only three people in the tiny room. I knew nothing of the film, other than the fact that that Caché meant 'hidden' and that it had Juliette Binoche in it. I was gripped from the very first shot, an impassive long shot/long take of a gated middle class French apartment that, after an oppressive length of time was perversely rewinded. Throughout the film I was astonished and even shocked at the lack of exposition. Down the pub afterwards we argued for over an hour about how to interpret the film. For such a somber film, it was really quite joyous to interact with. I made a point of never reading anything about his films before seeing them. There is an immense purity in his ouvre. Upon critical reflection his films can be offputtingly po-faced and even worryingly moralistic, but none of this detracts from the fact that these films are frankly more affecting than anything else out there. Only two films have have driven me to to having a panic attack while watching them. The first, Gaspar Nóe's Irreversible achieved this through vertiginous camerawork and transgressive violence. Hankeke's Funny Games achieved this through an absolute feeling of alienation and helplessness. Haneke proves time and time again that we must surrender unconditionally to cinema and allow ourselves to be emotionally manipulated, and I've yet to find another director I'm more willing to surrender to than Haneke. 

@Skykid: I'm absolutely envious of your Pulp Fiction experience! A few beers and a huge screen really make a Tarrantino film for me. I refuse to believe that anyone could in all honestly claim that Pulp Fiction is anything less than perfect. Regarding checking out Haneke San's films: The Seventh Continent is amazing, but you could just as well watch Code Unknown, the aforementioned Hidden, Funny Games if you're feeling brave, Benny's video or indeed any of his films. I look forward to discussing your experience with you! 

[Skykid]

Whoa? For real? Shit was awesome... I might even remember seeing it at the theater. Figured anyone would have.

I was too young on release, I had to wait for the VHS in most cases. I remember my old man went to see it in the theatre and came back saying it was terrific. Unfortunately there was no way I was getting in.

@Skykid: I'm absolutely envious of your Pulp Fiction experience! A few beers and a huge screen really make a Tarrantino film for me. I refuse to believe that anyone could in all honestly claim that Pulp Fiction is anything less than perfect.

Big success always spawns detractors, they're lurking in here somewhere. But yeah, it's just fantastic. I love the way you can see all his influences, from cinema both foreign and domestic, and how he cannibalises everything to make it completely his own.

I look forward to discussing your experience with you!

I need to get my hands on that film. I'll try and do that today.

[njiska]

Went out to see The Dictator the other day and man was I disappointed. I was really hoping the humour would be taking the piss out of the ludicrousness of Dictators, but that's only a small portion of the film. Most of the humour is Cohen trying to go for is stupid laughs (Two hands meet in a vagina. No joke.) and it doesn't work at all. First time I've left a movie feeling disappointed in a long time. But then again, I don't know why i was ever expecting more.

Also watched Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Hadn't seen it in years and it's still as good as I remember. I don't think any other actor of the era could have conveyed the necessary emotion as well as Jimmy Stewart.

[GaijinPunch]

I was too young on release, I had to wait for the VHS in most cases. I remember my old man went to see it in the theatre and came back saying it was terrific. Unfortunately there was no way I was getting in.

How the fuck old are you?

[Skykid]

I was too young on release, I had to wait for the VHS in most cases. I remember my old man went to see it in the theatre and came back saying it was terrific. Unfortunately there was no way I was getting in.

How the fuck old are you?

Well I would have been either 13 or 14 when it came out in 94, depending on the month.

[GaijinPunch]

Pussy. A real man would have bought a ticket for bambi and snuck in.

[Skykid]

Pussy. A real man would have bought a ticket for bambi and snuck in.

Bambi was 1942 dipshit.

[trap15]

Pussy. A real man would have bought a ticket for bambi and snuck in.

Bambi was 1942 dipshit.

[GaijinPunch]

Pussy. A real man would have bought a ticket for bambi and snuck in.

Bambi was 1942 dipshit.

You didn't mention you had a time machine when you saw Pulp Fiction 2 days ago.

[Skykid]

Pussy. A real man would have bought a ticket for bambi and snuck in.

Bambi was 1942 dipshit.

You didn't mention you had a time machine when you saw Pulp Fiction 2 days ago.

Ha ha touché! (That was a good comeback, must improve potential counter response telegraphing.)

[GaijinPunch]

Bambi was 1942 dipshit.

You didn't mention you had a time machine when you saw Pulp Fiction 2 days ago.

Ha ha touché! (That was a good comeback, must improve potential counter response telegraphing.)

Why not use your time machine to go back and rethink your post?

[mesh control]

lolz

[xbl0x180]

.... Only two films have have driven me to to having a panic attack while watching them. The first, Gaspar Nóe's Irreversible achieved this through vertiginous camerawork and transgressive violence... 

Gaspar Noe also added high-pitched sounds that made people lose their balance. It's not so obvious on video, but at the cinema with surround sound, it is very noticeable. That was a great score by one of the guys from Daft Punk