What Movies Have You Seen, Part 12

[lazarus]

[Monte Smith]

Laz, was it The Most Awful Movie Ever Made, as its admiring critics claim?

[walto]

Way too much plot for one movie. Could have been good if all the God/angels/aliens/blonds-in-trenchcoats stuff were cut out of it. Just a horror-type thriller about somebody who could predict future disasters. But all the epic-apocalypse stuff wrecked it IMHO. Anyhow, the effects were really good and the first 1/3 of the movie was fun.

[lazarus]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

Laz, was it The Most Awful Movie Ever Made, as its admiring critics claim?

The film is disturbing and visually beautiful at the same time. It is dedicated to Tarkovsky and it really shows in some of the images.
It´s a very originell horrormovie by VonTrier. I can absolutely recommend this film but I´m not very surprised that some critics hates the film. Here in Sweden it has mostly got very positive reviews.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by walto

Way too much plot for one movie.

Ha! That comment about too much plot reminds me of one of my dad's famed quotes. I took him out to the Gramercy Tavern restaurant in NYC and at the time I was working on chef Tom Collichio's first book, so I was erroneously accorded VIP status. That meant a crazy adundance of free appetizers (I will never forget the slab of roasted bacon), free sides, and free desserts including a dozen different exotic ice creams (yellow corn, white pepper, pink tea, blue Smurf, etc). As we wobbled out, I asked my father if he enjoyed it. Yes, he said, but there were "too many flavors." He was more eloquent than I was, though, as I marched right up to a trash dumpster and vomited. Only time in my life I have eaten myself sick. It was friggin Imperial Rome in there.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by lazarus

The film is disturbing and visually beautiful at the same time. It is dedicated to Tarkovsky and it really shows in some of the images.
It´s a very originell horrormovie by VonTrier. I can absolutely recommend this film but I´m not very surprised that some critics hates the film. Here in Sweden it has mostly got very positive reviews.

One critic I read said he could only understand the work as a parody of art film and an attack by Von Trier on people who enjoy Von Trier.

[lazarus]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

One critic I read said he could only understand the work as a parody of art film and an attack by Von Trier on people who enjoy Von Trier.

Well, Von Trier has made a provocative film. That´s for sure. It´s very hard to interpret and it´s definitely a challenge even for his old fans.
I was never a big fan of films like "Breaking The Waves" and "Dancer In The Dark" but I like "Europe" and "Dogville" very much. Also enjoyed his TV-serie "Kingdom".

[lazarus]

[clinthopson]

We tried to watch Slumdog Millionaire the other night and made it through about 15 minutes. Violent, jumpy camera, just headache making.

The last time the Academy got it right was Chicago.

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by lazarus

I was never a big fan of films like "Breaking The Waves" and "Dancer In The Dark" but I like "Europe" and "Dogville" very much.

I'm not sure one can "like" a Von Trier film in any traditional way. I'm usually compelled, but never sure if I "enjoyed" any of them.

I'm also fascinated by his cohort Vinterberg's "The Celebration."

[Pete C]

Fixed

Originally Posted by clinthopson

The last time the Academy got it right was Wings.

[rollhead]

Clara Bow is HOT.



The one thing I miss about the great old movies, is that the actors really knew how to bug out their eyes. That is a lost art.

[jesus marion joseph]

[rollhead]

Oh,yea, but Marty Feldman cheated. He had exophthalmos.

The last true virtuoso of the bugged-eyed art was on the small screen:

[clinthopson]

Are you nervous?

[timoleon]

ok,new woody is good as the old times finding his perfect ground in new york.
really works in all sections and it's a simple,funny and feelgood movie with an ideal amount of cynicism,nostalgia and relationships chaotic routes.

nothing like the last year's tourist brochure void picture about barcelona!

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

[Pete C]

Steve, how many times have you seen that film?

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Originally Posted by Pete C

Steve, how many times have you seen that film?

Counting this time, once. Why do you ask?

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by Squaredancecalling Steve

Counting this time, once. Why do you ask?

It used to be on TV so often I figured you'd have seen it before.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Yeah, but we didn't have a television from the mid-eighties until the the Warriors got Baron Davis. I'm still catching up.

[clinthopson]

I watched 8 1/2 the other day. I first saw it in some L.A. arty flick house in the 50s and couldn't figure what the hell it was all about.

Now, a half-century later, I'm still confused.

And Fellini is about my favorite director.

[Pete C]

Fellini 2, Clint 0

[stonemonkts]

Originally Posted by jesus marion joseph

Return to Paradise has a good role by Pheonix, IMHO, although I think it was a remake. It also starred Anne Heche, before we all knew what a wingnut she was.

Phoenix was very good in it. I wished he had more screen time. It was also interesting to see Vince Vaughn play a serious role, since all I've ever seen him do was play the same wisecracking fast talker over and over.

So far though Two Lovers remains my favorite Phoenix film.

[Jeffrey Wozniak]