Track the Films You Watch (2010) (1 Viewer)

[Mario Gauci]

 

[PatW]

The Big Lebowski (1998) http://www.hometheaterforum.com/img/vbsmilies/htf/star.gif">

I've always wondered at Americas resistence to socialize health care. As a Canadian, it's something we take for granted. We may bitch and moan about it from time to time but it does work pretty well for us. It was quite amusing watching this film. Michael Moore certainly has his own biases but his documentaries are entertaining and have a certain amount of credibility.

 

[Ruz-El]

A local bar changed itself into a movie theater last night to show a Grindhouse style double feature. The venue sucked, but it was a blast all the same and my early contender for being the best night in a theater for the year 2010.
[COLOR= rgb(255, 0, 0)]Sugar Hill[/COLOR] (1974) 4/5 - I had the vague idea that this was about a woman who's brother gets mixed up with a voodoo cult. Instead, it's about a woman who's boyfriend is killed by the mob, so she gets a voodoo priestess to summon an army of zombies to fight the mobsters! So in other words, this is the greatest movie EVER!
The Streetfighter (1974) 4/5 - I've seen this countless times and it still makes me giddy. Watching it in a bar while pissed on Ubersteins of light amber, it simply doesn't get much better then this!

 

[Michael Elliott]

It's been years since I saw the STREETFIGHT but I hope to get to it and its sequels later in the year.

Five with Bogart and Two Pre-Codes:

Love Affair (1932) http://www.hometheaterforum.com/img/vbsmilies/htf/star.gif">
Robert Florey
Mildly entertaining Pre-Code from Warner about various wild characters inside a hospital. The film centers around a nurse (Bebe Daniels) who is wanted by two different doctors (Lyle Talbot, John Halliday) but she is hiding a secret about a mysterious husband that no one knows about. These personal dramas have to be dealt with as well as countless patients. With some saucy dialogue and some mild sexual innuendo, fans of the Pre-Code era might want to check this one out but I'd say most will come away disappointed because the film has so many elements in place but in the end they really don't come together to make a complete winner. The biggest problem is the screenplay that really doesn't know if it wants to be a sassy comedy or a dark drama. We get light moments followed by dark moments and none of them ever mix and I'd also add that the entire love triangle comes off rather fake and forced. I think Daniels turns in a fine performance as she really digs into her role and manages to make a character we can feel for. Talbot and Halliday are both good as well and we also get to see Humphrey Bogart's infamous wife Mayo Methot. Sidney Toler gets the most outrageous moments in the film as a wrestling promoter who ends up with a broken leg after he beats up his wife. The entire beating of the wife sequence is played for laughs so that should tell you something.


Where Time Stands Still (1945) ***One of the better entries in MGM's TravelTalks series, this one takes us to Guatemala where we get to see a group of Indians who are still living as they were decades earlier. We see them still carrying large packs on their backs even though there are automobiles around. We also get to visit the Hotel Santu and the famous volcano that looms behind it. The highligh to the film deals with a young man leaving a pile of sticks outside his girlfriend's house. If her father takes the sticks inside then it means he gives his blessing for them to marry. I won't spoil what he does but this is certainly one of the more entertaining entries. James A. FitzPatrick does his usual nice job narrating our events. The stories about the Indians were all very interesting as was all the buildings and various other items that they would work on. As usual, the Technicolor really brings everything to life.On the Shores of Nova Scotia (1947) ** 1/2TravelTalks entry takes us to Lunenburg where we learn a whole lot about fishing. We see the various waters off of Nova Scotia and then we learn their history, which includes some of the very best deep sea fishing around. We learn about a 800-lb tuna that was caught there and hear that this isn't such a rare thing. We also get to see the various types of boats, traps used to capture lobster and this episode also takes a look at handicapped folks and how they overcome their disabilities. We meet a one-armed fisherman as well as a painter who has no arms. Both stories are very interesting and they're certainly the highlight of this entry. Everything dealing with the fishing was also interesting but it's hard to out do a man being able to paint great pictures with his mouth.Georgetown, Pride of Penang (1941) ** 1/2Another fun entry in James A. FitzPatrick's TravelTalks series. This time out we travel to the "Prince of Wales Island" where we learn that 160,000 Chinese are currently living. We learn about their various old customs, which includes painting the front of their ships white to make "eyes" for them to see during bad weather. We also learn about the rice, coffee and spices that are major exports and we get to see a sacred funeral as it holds up traffic going through the streets. Finally, we get to see the sacred Snake Temple where various deadly snakes live out their lives with people stopping by to worship and give them food. Fans of the series will find this entry to be right up their with the rest. This one here offers the fine narration and great Technicolor and the stories told are fairly interesting. I think the highlight of the film has to be the Snake Temple but the various ways of the streets were also interesting. We also get to hear how firecrackers are used to scare off evil spirits.Johannesburg: City of Gold (1953) ** 1/2On of the final entries in MGM's TravelTalks series, this one here takes us to Johannesburg where a gold find put the city on the map and soon it became one of the biggest spots for gold hunters. We learn that natives of South Africa would try to work in the mines with hopes of earning a little money that they could then take home and live like Kings. We also hear a terrific story of a 2,520 oz. gold piece that was found there and we get to hear how the rocks are taken out of the mine and broken down. As is the normal case, the Technicolor is the real star here as some of the beautiful visuals of the city are the main highlight. The Sunday-Tribal dancers are another highlight.Glimpses of Austria (1938) ** 1/2Another TravelTalks entry, this one taking us to Vienna, the largest city in Astria. Once there we get to visit the large Schonbrunn Palce, which has a total of 1441 rooms and over 300 kitches. From here we go to the Charles Church, which was created due to a major plague that hit the town and then we see the historic Statut Opera House. We also get to see several folk dances as well as the many dazzling costumes that people were wearing around at the time. Fans of the James A. FitzPatrick series will certainly want to check this here out if, like me, they have a morbid desire to see every film in the series. As is the usual case, this here offers some great scenery with the Technicolor and the stories we're told aren't too bad either. The most fascinating stuff deals with the various famous people who ended up staying at the White Horse Inn and a famous joke that would come from that meeting (now politically incorrect). Calling on Costa Rica (1947) ** 1/2TravelTalks short takes us to Costa Rica where we learn that it's the second smallest American colony. We touchdown at the San Jose International Airport where we then take a look at the capital city and its 70,000 people. We learn how Columbus landed there in 1502 and how the U.S. paid $26,000 for the assassination of William Walker who was, at the time, trying to take the city over. Other stories include the orchids grown there and how the beautiful women also have a personality. I've seen dozens of these shorts and I believe this was the first one that showed us pretty girls and then told us that they also had a personality so I guess that makes this an original. The short once again features the nice narration and beautiful Technicolor that we've come to expect and the stories here are certainly above average. The entire story dealing with Walker was certainly the highlight so fans of the series will find enough here to keep them entertained.

 

[Tarkin The Ewok]

The first page of the thread takes a long time to load, so I am just going to chime in from time to time with a review instead of keeping my year-to-date list in this thread. I doubt anyone would take the time to read it anyway. As usual, first-time viewings will be in bold.

The Land Before Time (1988): 2.5/5

I remembered this movie as having some heartbreaking moments along with some decent dinosaur action and humor. Seeing it again for the first time as an adult, some of it still works, but it is so obviously kid-oriented. Some of the character motivation seemed to come from nowhere, such as Petrie's fear of flying and the group moving from Cera's rock to Littlefoot's pawprint. My favorite character is the older dinosaur that talks to Littlefoot after his mother dies.

The DVD edition leaves much to be desired from a video and supplemental perspective. It's hard to believe that this is the same studio that put out the excellent Jurassic Park and Jaws DVDs.

I guess this further proves that the Netflix star prediction system is not infallible. TLBT is part of the group that they thought I would give four stars or better. I hope that the next ones are closer to that mark.

 

[Martin Teller]

Quince Tree of the Sun - An unusual and fascinating film. A semi-documentary about artist Antonio Lopez and his quest to a paint a quince tree in his backyard. Lopez's techniques are startlingly rigid: he pounds stakes into the ground so that his feet are always planted in the same spot, he makes marks on the tree to record the changing position of a leaf or fruit and adjusts his work accordingly, he painstakingly measures and re-measures in his attempts to be precise. His family and associates patiently and good-naturedly tolerate this obsessive attention to precision. But Lopez's enemy is time and chaos. The marks he makes on the tree multiply as the fruit continues to grow heavier, and the changing weather means the light is unreliable. Eventually defeated by his inability to capture the same sunlight every time, he abandons the painting he's been working on for weeks, and starts it all over as a sketch instead. But he never appears frustrated about it, for him the joy is being with his tree, not the end product. Along the way are several discussions about his work and art in general, especially interesting are the ones with his old art school chum. What struck me most is how the art of the film is contrasted with Lopez's art. Film is made to capture time, and Erice frequently reminds us of that with meaningful fades and edits, and the radio which chronicles developing world events. Another interesting contrast is provided by the three Polish workers who are doing some renovations to the house. Their art (and their ideas about quinces) is more pragmatic, but no less valid. Although the movie requires some patience, it gives you a lot to think about. It's a shame Erice hasn't done more... a mere three features over the past 37 years, but all of them of fine quality. Rating: 9
Jimi Plays Monterey and Shake! Otis at Monterey (Blu-Ray) - Two of the most electrifying performers from Monterey each get their own mini-feature. Jimi starts off with a brief selection of meaningless fluff... an artist doing an impressive quick & dirty portrait of Hendrix on a wall, some hippie moron talking about how "groovy" the festival is, and some throwaway background narration by pervy daughter-fucker "Papa" John Phillips. Once the concert starts, however, it's golden. Hendrix was an incredibly dynamic stageman, and Pennebaker wisely keeps the camera focused squarely on him most of the time. Shake is a bit shakier. Redding is one of my favorite artists at the whole show, and it's a shame they gave him a mere 17 minutes. His performance is dynamite, and there's none of that pointless intro nonsense. But Pennebaker does fuck up in one crucial way. When "Try a Little Tenderness", one of Redding's signature songs, starts up the director picks that moment to cut away and show us a goddamn 3-minute montage of festival attendees (usually in relation to the lyrics... weary women, people being tender). We only get to see Otis again during the final minute of the song. So fucking stupid. Rating: 7 (Jimi) / 6 (Otis)
Wagon Master - Oh joy. Another John Ford western. It didn't annoy me too much, probably because it doesn't have John Wayne in it, but it is pretty simplistic and forgettable. Most of the characters are bland western archetypes, none more bland than Ben Johnson in the lead. Only Ward Bond stands out... his speech is peppered with a lot of ridiculous "dadblasted"s and "consarnit"s but he does command the screen, and his character is the most complex. The photography is the definite highlight, Ford's beautiful landscapes looking gorgeous as ever (the scenes shot on sets, however, look kinda tacky). The moments of humor are hit and miss... more miss than hit, I'd day, but the misses aren't too groan-worthy. I could have done without the square dancing, which comes right after line dancing and Irish step dancing in terms of lame dances. Overall, I didn't hate the movie but I doubt much of it will stick with me. Rating: 6
Mother - As with The End of St. Petersburg, Pudovkin's work here rivals that of Eisenstein, and ranks right up there with Strike as one of the great early Soviet films. It's an adaptation of a Gorky novel, about an elderly mother at first indifferent to the cause, but gets converted after being disillusioned by the imperialist/capitalist regime. It's about as propagandistic as it sounds, but the narrative is quite strong, and the camerawork is terrific. Some clever editing techniques (including a wonderful "Tell-Tale Heart"-esque moment) and a lot of dynamic cutting. Nice symbology and good performances, particularly Vera Baranovskaya in the title role. Pudovkin has a good eye for memorable, expressive faces. My only complaint is that I thought the story lost sight of the mother too often, especially as it builds towards its chaotic climax. But man, what an ending! Rating: 9

 

[PatW]

Sunshine Cleaning (2008) /img/vbsmilies/htf/star.gif">
Johnny Depp is Gilbert Grape the man of the family that has to deal with two sisters, a mentally handicapped brother who likes to climb tall structures and a morbidly obese mother whose every day life is a struggle. Gilbert also has to deal with an affair that has turned dangerous and a young woman stranded in town that he has developed serious feelings for. The cast is excellent especially Darlene Cates who gives an emotional performance as the mother. But the standout here is Leonardo DiCaprio as Arnie the retarded younger brother. I didn't have much respect for him years ago but this movie changed my mind and made me a fan. Great little movie.

 

[filmfandan]

Scarface (1983)
Cant really give much reason, I just felt let down by the humour, it just did not do it for me. I think the Coens have done far better and I think theres loads better films about crimes. I am willing to give it another go in the future to see if it improves.

 

[PatW]

Cloverfield (2008) http://www.hometheaterforum.com/img/vbsmilies/htf/star.gif">
Goodness, this one takes me back to the good old days of Godzilla.
I've avoided watching this movie for a long time, not because I wouldn't like the subject matter but because of the camera work. I certainly can see though that the shakey cam style of filming suited this material. Luckily I only had to close my eyes a couple of times, didn't get sick and managed to watch the whole thing. I had a massive headache at the end though. Good gut-wretching experience of a movie but I would be pushing my luck if I watched it again.

 

[filmfandan]

[FONT= 'Trebuchet MS']Requiem For A Dream (2000) [/FONT]../../img/vbsmilies/htf/star.gif">../../../../img/vbsmilies/htf/star.gif../../../../img/vbsmilies/htf/star.gif../../../../img/vbsmilies/htf/star.gif../../../../img/vbsmilies/htf/star.gif../../../../img/vbsmilies/htf/star.gif
[FONT= Arial]Director Darren Aronofsky beautifully crafts the horror and shockingness of drug addiction with outstanding use of music, wonderful direction and superb performances. This is a beautiful, raw, groundbraking horrifying and amazing experience. A masterpiece in my opinion and I also think its the best film that deals with Drugs, even better than Trainspotting in my opinion.
The Road (2009) [/FONT]../../img/vbsmilies/htf/star.gif">

 

[PatW]

The Road (2009) /img/vbsmilies/htf/star.gif">

 

[Ruz-El]

An update from the past couple days. I fit in another Sam Fuller classic and caught a couple of anticipated flicks at the movies.
[COLOR= rgb(255, 0, 0)]The Crimson Kimono[/COLOR] (1959) 3.5/5 - Another tight Fuller crime film. The man was born for this style of movie, and he's one of the few directors who can hammer you over the head with a message and not annoy me. At any rate, you get snappy dialog, racial tension and a kick ass kendo fight.
[COLOR= rgb(0, 0, 255)]Avatar [/COLOR](2009) 3.5/5 - James Cameron is back in the Sci-Fi saddle, and he's bringing it in 3D. Sadly, I have pretty much only one eye, so even though I went to the 3D, it looked like a regular movie to me. It's a good one, Cameron has never made a film I didn't like. That said, I wanted to love this one but just didn't. You know exactly what's going to happen from the get go, the numerous heavy handed messages are a bit much and it had me thinking "get on with it!" before the big wham bams started happening. The visual splendor and insanely well thought out alien world make it more then worth the time to sit through the more mundane aspects. So good stuff, just not great. Maybe seeing it in actual 3D will make it a great one.
[COLOR= rgb(0, 0, 255)]The Boondock Saints II : All Saints Day[/COLOR] (2009) 2/5 - Felt as much like a remake then a continuation, it just simply never worked. Duffy wants this to be the coolest movie ever made, and instead it's one of the most annoying with every character seeming to attempt to win the "King Asshole" title. Not too surprising since this was written by Duffy as well. No wonder it debuted at the $3 theaters. Maybe "The Boondock Saints III : Saint Misbehavin'" will be better.

 

[filmfandan]

Originally Posted by PatW /forum/thread/296410/track-the-films-you-watch-2010/30#post_3647499
I'm hoping to be able to catch this. Have you read the book and if so does it follow pretty closely?

I haven't read the book, PatW, but its definitely a film I would recommend a lot and I can see it doing at least reasonably well at the Oscars.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Taken (2008) /img/vbsmilies/htf/star.gif">

 

[42nd Street Freak]

"Infestation"- /img/vbsmilies/htf/star.gif">

 

[Mario Gauci]

 

[Tarkin The Ewok]

The Karate Kid (1984): 4.5/5
I went in thinking that it would be mostly about Daniel's journey as a fighter, but The Karate Kid is really a coming-of-age story with lessons and struggles that apply to all aspects of life. All of the cast and crew turned in some superior work, but special praise must be given to Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio, the anchors of the film. The sequence from the drinking scene to the end of Daniel's birthday is filmmaking at its finest.

 

[PatW]

The Karate Kid (1984): 4.5/5

It's been years since I saw this one and I can remember liking it a great deal. Not enough to buy but close. I'm not too anxious to view the re-make when it arrives but I suppose I'll give it a chance. I find most re-makes inferior to the original.

 

[Tarkin The Ewok]

I don't expect The Karate Kid (2010) to live up to the original, but with the basic story and Jackie Chan, I think it will still be an entertaining trip to the movies.

 

[Martin Teller]

The Rite (rewatch) - Even more impenetrable than Persona. Individual scenes work on their own, for the most part. The interrogation scenes are especially strong, with all those Kafkaesque power plays and sudden emotional outbursts and twisted bureaucracy. But the film as a whole doesn't hang together, and after a second viewing I still have no idea what Bergman is getting at beyond exorcising a few random personal demons. It's a hodge-podge of themes: censorship, acting and artistry, emotional breakdown, sexual politics, marital issues... and a cult ritual with giant dildos (it's amazing what you can get away with on Swedish television). It gets really ridiculous and hysterical at times but has a host of strong moments, and some powerful performances. I kind of feel like I'm rating this too high, and if it wasn't so short I'd probably be harsher on it, but it's such an odd curiosity that I find it compelling. Rating: 7
Alone Across the Pacific - A disappointing film from Ichikawa, especially considering it was made in the same year as the magnificent Revenge of a Kabuki Actor. A young man decides to sail his tiny yacht from Osaka to San Francisco, just for the hell of it. Ichikawa cranked out a lot of movies in his lifetime, and this feels like one of the more half-hearted efforts. The naval cinematography (is that right? seems like there ought to be a better phrase for that) is superb, capturing the enormity of the Pacific, the cramped confines below deck, and a few exciting sequences. There's some nice attention to detail and good use of the ultra-wide frame. But there's just not much heart and soul or depth to it. Star Yûjirô Ishihara is likeable enough in the lead role, but we don't really get too attached to him or get invested in his journey. Because the journey itself is almost entirely geographical; he doesn't evolve much as a character. Perhaps the whole thing is a response to the Japanese "Sun Tribe" films (Ishihara had a small role in Crazed Fruit, and most likely did other work in the genre), some kind of critique on the restlessness of youth. But I didn't really get that from it. Just sort of felt like an average survival/adventure tale. Rating: 6
The Straits of Love and Hate - Another Mizoguchi film about a woman in a bad situation. Kenkichi is the layabout son of wealthy resort owners. He impregnates Ohumi, one of the maids, takes her to Tokyo, and soon abandons her. This movie, based on a Tolstoy novel, isn't as soul-crushing as Mizoguchi's other works, though. The film has a casual pace, moments of comedy (often in conjunction with moments of tragedy) and Ohumi gains support from Yoshitaro, a kindly bohemian young man. Although you couldn't say that things go swimmingly for Ohumi, her fate is not as cruel as most Mizoguchi heroines. Unfortunately the print was severely battered, so it's hard to comment on the technical aspects, but there were a number of impressive tracking shots. Not one of his greatest films, but certainly a good one with excellent characterization, and it's nice to see a lighter-hearted touch. Rating: 8
Take Aim at the Police Van - Seijun Suzuki's film in the "Nikkatsu Noir" set starts off beautifully: a sniper looks through his scope to read signs that warn caution drivers about frequent accidents. Then the credits kick in with a jazzy score over a POV shot from a car driving at night. It gets you really psyched to be watching another crazy, stylish Suzuki film. But these kind of moments are few and far between, and the bulk of the film is just an average noir mystery/thriller. The plot is confusing, including at least one instance of the hero suddenly realizing something that he already knew long beforehand, but usually it comes together to make sense. Except the ending, the reveal of who the elusive criminal mastermind "Akiba" is. Maybe I missed something, but I couldn't see any reason for it. Still, the movie is pretty fun, though I'd hoped for a little more style from Suzuki. Rating: 7
The Hangover - I mostly wanted to see this because of Zach Galifianakis, and he definitely has most of the best laugh-out-loud moments. But there's some other funny stuff here too, especially the small roles by Rob Riggle and Ken Jeong. The movie is a nice twist on the "guys have a wild night" chestnut, and doesn't ever get too obnoxious. The whole business with the tiger was kind of stupid, and the Ed Helms story resolves itself quite predictably, but other than that I had no problems. It's rare for me these days to find a comedy I would want to watch a second time, and this one wasn't exceptional enough to break that pattern, but I enjoyed it enough. Rating: 7
Sada (rewatch) - I know I just watched this about 2.5 months ago, but I just bought the DVD so I figured I'd give it a second look and make sure it was a good purchase. Truth is, I'm a bit less fond of it than I was the first time. The slapsticky parts really annoy me. But it's still a really good movie with a lot of exciting, stylish moments, and a damn sight better than In the Realm of the Senses. If it were up to me, people would be forced to watch them as a double feature, because Obayashi's version of the Sada Abe story deserves a lot more attention than Oshima's. I wouldn't say it was a bad purchase, but I'm slightly less jazzed about it than I was before. Just bring on Hausu! Rating: 8
Paranormal Activity - Well, not only did I miss all the hype and excitement about this movie, but apparently I've missed the subsequent backlash as well. That was fast. Usually it takes people about a year to start bad-mouthing the movie they previously couldn't shut up about. But this one seems to have gone from "greatest thing ever" to "piece of shit waste of time" in about 3 months, judging by the ratings I'm seeing around the interwebs. I thought it was good. The worst thing about it is the acting. The two leads don't succeed in coming off as natural, it's like they're trying a little too hard. This problem actually starts to go away as the story gets creepier and they don't have to do so many casual banter/establishing the relationship scenes, so overall I'd say the performances are slightly better than Blair Witch Project. And really, for a low-budget horror movie, you don't expect high-caliber acting anyway. What you want are scares, and it delivers. Although you pretty much know when most of the scares are coming, you never know what form they'll take, and they do a good job of mixing it up and keeping it fresh. There's probably nothing I haven't seen somewhere else, but I liked how it progressed and it certainly creeped me out a couple of times. The ending does leave something to be desired... not terrible, but a bit cheesy. I usually consider an "alternate ending" on the DVD to be a bad sign, but in this case I think the alternate was a slight improvement. On another day I might rate this a notch lower, but it just seems like it's been a while since I've seen a good scary movie. Rating: 8