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| Syd |
 Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 1:40 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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| Oh, and there should have been at least one more murder. Here I am absorbed in a 19th century period piece and...what the hell is James Carville doing in this picture? It took me right out of period every moment he was on the screen. It's as if Larry King had made a cameo appearance in The New World. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 2:04 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
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Location: Shanghai
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Syd wrote: what the hell is James Carville doing in this picture? It took me right out of period every moment he was on the screen. It's as if Larry King had made a cameo appearance in The New World.
Speaking of James Carville:
From The Onion's political dictionary:
Quote: political consultants
Individuals who are very savvy politically, but don't have enough hair to run for office themselves.
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| lady wakasa |
| Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 12:28 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Location: Beyond the Blue Horizon
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Syd wrote: Oh, and there should have been at least one more murder. Here I am absorbed in a 19th century period piece and...what the hell is James Carville doing in this picture? It took me right out of period every moment he was on the screen. It's as if Larry King had made a cameo appearance in The New World.
Don't agree - Carville was playing a governor. He's a political operator, so there's a clear link. He didn't have to be in the movie, but it added a bit a flavor.
It would be like Larry King in Network - or any role requiring an ass, I suppose.
It's a shame this movie didn't get the attention it deserved - I think it was done as a favor that Pitt called in, so the studio was at most tepid about marketing, etc. There's a lot of tension and both Pitt and Affleck play off it very well.
Rod wrote a really good piece about it, you should check it out. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 2:06 pm |
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lady wakasa wrote:
It's a shame this movie didn't get the attention it deserved - I think it was done as a favor that Pitt called in, so the studio was at most tepid about marketing, etc. There's a lot of tension and both Pitt and Affleck play off it very well.
It seems to be doing very well as a DVD rental, at least in Oklahoma. I finally bought a copy because all the rental copies were out, and Hastings had a lot of rental copies.
Your comment on Larry King in Network doesn't work because (1) that was a satire, (2) it was contemporary and (3) he'd probably being playing himself, like he does in other movies (such as Contact and Dave). I'd have no problem with Carville in a contemporary political movie. For that matter, if they'd made some effort to make him look like someone other than James Carville. |
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Rocky Laocoon foretold of Troy's doom, only to find snaky water. They pulled him in and Rocky can't swim. Now Rocky wishes he were an otter! |
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| Nancy |
| Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 2:31 pm |
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Location: Norman, OK
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Syd wrote: lady wakasa wrote:
It's a shame this movie didn't get the attention it deserved - I think it was done as a favor that Pitt called in, so the studio was at most tepid about marketing, etc. There's a lot of tension and both Pitt and Affleck play off it very well.
It seems to be doing very well as a DVD rental, at least in Oklahoma. I finally bought a copy because all the rental copies were out, and Hastings had a lot of rental copies.
I'm next in line to watch Syd's copy. I really must inflict The Long Riders on him. |
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| Nancy |
| Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 10:28 pm |
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| mo_flixx |
| Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:27 am |
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Joined: 30 May 2004
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Marty Scorsese's new doc. with the Val Lewton box set (also available separately) is a wonderful tribute to this producer. So sad too because Lewton died in his forties...and during a low point in his career. Lewton's son is interviewed.
Makes me want to run out and rent all the titles in this box set. I haven't seen some of them...and haven't watched the major Lewtons for quite some time. |
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| mo_flixx |
| Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 3:37 pm |
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Joined: 30 May 2004
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First-time director John August's film THE NINES gets a mild nod from me. Previously August wrote for Tim Burton.
THE NINES reminded me a bit of MEMENTO (fragmented pieces of time). This is a script with 3 interrelated stories. Listening to the commentary will help sort out the 3 stories...but the viewer probably won't find a cohesive answer.
The first story involves an actor (Ryan Reynolds) in a CSI-type TV series. He's under house arrest and begins to have strange encounters with his next door neighbor, Hope Davis. The second story (the best IMO) has Reynolds playing a reality show writer who's pitching his series to TV exec. Hope Davis. The final story shows Reynolds as a husband stranded with his family somewhere outside of L.A. In an attempt to get help, he encounters a strange hiker, Hope Davis.
The cast is excellent. Reynolds succeeds in creating 3 totally different characters. Hope Davis is awfully good at creating 3 mysterious women you know you just can't trust.
The number nine is a recurring theme. There are other recurring images such as Toyota Priuses, the same house, etc. The movie is a bit like trying to put the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle together. Definitely fascinating and worth renting. |
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| Nancy |
| Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 7:01 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Norman, OK
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I watched Syd's copy of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and liked it. I thought Casey Affleck's performance was extremely good. I've seen him in other things, but this is by far the best performance he has given. Sam Rockwell was also good as Charley Ford. Brad Pitt didn't impress me as much -- his character was hardly developed at all.
The cinematography was also quite good. The interiors and the landscape (which looked nothing like Kansas or Missouri, but worked anyway), along with the music, reminded me of In Cold Blood. If I had seen this film earlier, I might have nominated it for Best Score; it was a bit derivative, but very effective.
Definitely worth a rental, even if it is a bit too long. |
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| mo_flixx |
| Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 7:16 pm |
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Chilean director Raul Ruiz's KLIMT gets a solid thumbs down. John Malkovich is completely miscast as Klimt. The rest of the cast is a combination of English and German-speaking actors. Saffron Burrows wears nothing most of the time and is stunning as one of Klimt's lovers.
The plot is incoherent.
From the "extra" documentary, it looks as if many scenes were cut from the final version of the film.
The best thing about this film are Klimt's paintings (excellent recreations), sets, and gorgeous period costumes -- and plenty of BIG HATS.
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COMMUNE is a documentary about the Black Bear Ranch commune in northern Calif. founded in the '60's. Apparently it still exists in some form today, but most of the early residents had moved on by the late '70's.
Peter Coyote, a former member, narrates. In many respects this film is like THE SAME RIVER TWICE or OLD JOY. It is probably better than either but only slightly more so. (It's interesting that Coyote stresses how left wing his parents were. In his bio. a few years back they were portrayed as wealthy New Yorkers involved in real estate.) Later in his "extra," he said he spent every summer after age 12 at his father's cattle ranch (as if he's some kind of man of the West). What is it with this guy??
The commune's former members look aged now and a few have passed on. Some of the most interesting moments involve the commune's children (now adults) telling of their upbringing and of the commune's takeover by the cult Shiva Lila, which spirited at least one child away to live in terrible conditions in India. She was lucky to survive and currently works at an alternative publishing house.
Today the former residents seem to live comfortable middle class lives and practice such trades as acupuncture or herbal medicine. The commune still exists as a refuge for anyone who wants to live the free life.
The sixties was a dynamic and exciting time. Too bad this film fails to capture much of that. |
Last edited by mo_flixx on Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:03 am; edited 1 time in total |
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| Marj |
| Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 2:30 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Location: Manhattan
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Nancy wrote: I watched Syd's copy of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and liked it. I thought Casey Affleck's performance was extremely good. I've seen him in other things, but this is by far the best performance he has given. Sam Rockwell was also good as Charley Ford. Brad Pitt didn't impress me as much -- his character was hardly developed at all.
The cinematography was also quite good. The interiors and the landscape (which looked nothing like Kansas or Missouri, but worked anyway), along with the music, reminded me of In Cold Blood. If I had seen this film earlier, I might have nominated it for Best Score; it was a bit derivative, but very effective.
Definitely worth a rental, even if it is a bit too long.
I couldn't sit through it. I felt as if it were school assignment. But I don't like westerns - never have. That said I agree with you, Nancy. But giving credit where it's due, at least Brad Pitt didn't overplay what little was given to him. Yes, his character was poorly developed. I was also very impressed with Affleck.
I also loved the lighting and cinematography. But after an hour or so not even that couldn't keep me from itching. |
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| Rod |
| Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 8:46 am |
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Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 2944
Location: Lithgow, Australia
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Just watching Mirage, vintage '60s thriller - spectacularly entertaining, sleekly handled by Edward Dmytryk, and beautifully photographed by Joseph MacDonald. Utterly delightful supporting performances by Diane Baker, Kevin McCarthy, and Walter Matthau back up good work from Gregory Peck. Only problem - really, really thin MacGuffin.
Odd detail: script by Peter Stone, who also wrote Charade, which also had George Kennedy as a thug. |
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| lady wakasa |
| Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:25 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 5911
Location: Beyond the Blue Horizon
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Not sure this belongs here, but there really isn't any place else to put it...
If anyone's interested in David Bordwell's book on Ozu, it's available online here.
And the European archive article's good news. Serge whats-his-name at Lobster Films has spent years trying to make a lot of the ealy obscure stuff better-known, and it looks like his efforts are finally gaining some traction. He does an annual roadshow called Retour de Flamme, and I keep meaning to email Lobster and finding out just how much of the material is available through their DVDs (there are a couple of items I'm really trying to get a gander at). |
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| lady wakasa |
| Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 4:00 pm |
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| whiskeypriest |
| Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 5:14 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: "It's a Dry Heat."
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lady wakasa wrote: Did anyone notice that Kon Ichikawa died last Wednesday?... |
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