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| ehle64 |
 Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 8:25 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 7149
Location: NYC; US&A
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What a game of catch-up I have for 2009
Y'all are actually discussing Gus van Sant films that don't feature STARs, *shocking*!
much love.
Paranoid Park was so two years ago, though.
It's MILK time, Mommies. |
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It truly disappoints me when people do something for you via no prompt of your own and then use it as some kind of weapon against you at a later time and place. It is what it is. |
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| mo_flixx |
| Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 10:08 pm |
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Joined: 30 May 2004
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My colonial India film marathon continues...
FAR PAVILIONS was great. It was an '80's mini-series, but is on DVD now.
It stars a young Amy Irving (playing a half-caste - Indian/Russian) and Ben Cross (100% English by birth who was raised with Indians as a boy and knows the culture thoroughly).
The series was based on M.M. Kaye's book (her father was head of intelligence in Shimla - the summer Vice-Regal capital of India). She's written many novels. "Pavilions" is set in the mid-19th C., unlike the much later _A Passage to India_ by E.M. Forester. It's more of a romance/melodrama than a psychological study - but it tackles an interesting period of Indian history and its locale is set in the remote Himalayan northern areas including what is now Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Another thing that makes "Pavilions" interesting is the extent of location shooting (much more so than "Passage") in real locales and real palaces.
In addition, I was fascinated by the elaborate costumes which reflect the opulence of Indian royalty at this time. This is a rare opportunity to see clothing that is now on display only in museums. Granted this was most likely re-created for the film -- but on the small screen, it's impossible to tell the difference.
For some reason, I think this series came behind "A Jewel in the Crown" and "Passage." But nonetheless I found it engrossing. Forgive the page-turning plot, and you may discover some really worthwhile viewing. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 10:23 pm |
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Site Admin
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12944
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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| The new year just hit Greenland and Rio. In seven minutes it will hit Newfoundland, including its glorious city of Sydney. |
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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: Wed Dec 31, 2008 10:24 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4607
Location: Norman, OK
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Syd wrote: The new year just hit Greenland and Rio. In seven minutes it will hit Newfoundland, including its glorious city of Sydney.
You'd better duck. |
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"All in all, it's just another feather in the fan."
Isaacism, 2009 |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 4:15 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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Watched The Apartment for the umpteenth time yesterday. This movie just gets better and better. It's as fresh as tomorrow even though the milieu has dated. The shots of the office are reminiscent of Metropolis. The vibe of the job is depressing. The plot involves adultery, suicide, and sexual abuse. And yet it remains a romantic comedy--possibly the best one the screen has ever offered. Billy Wilder is a bona fide genius and Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray are as accomplished and charismatic a star trio as one could hope for. This was MacLaine's breakthrough role into superstardom, Lemmon's breakthrough into dramatic acting, and one of MacMurray's two great film performances (not coincidentally, the other was another non-hero in another Billy Wilder movie, Double Indemnity).
Something that struck me for the first time during yesterday's viewing was the amount of intelligence with which Wilder credits his audience. The dialogue in the final scene has no less than three echoes of previous dialogue in the movie, dialogue which was not hammered home in the earlier scenes but which Wilder expects the audience to retain.
Namely:
SPOILERS? OKAY (in white):
"I'd spell it out for you, but I can't spell."
"Is your knee all right?"
"We'll send him a fruitcake every Christmas."
No current director or writer of rom-com would ever trust his/her audience this much.
The Apartment is one of the handful of Oscarwinning movies (for Best Picture, that is) that is also not just a good, not just an excellent, not just a superb, but a great movie.
It's also one of my top ten and one which I may see again tonight. Yep. Tonight. In fact, I can't wait. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 4:20 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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| Also saw (for the first time in about 40 years) the documentary Salesman, the 1968 trailblazer by the Maysles Brothers that paved the way for Errol Morris and every other new-style documentarian. It's an amazing achievement, capturing a soul-destroying job that makes The Apartment's 31,000-worker beehive look cheery by comparison. Has there ever been a worse job than door-to-door salesman? And these guys are peddling fifty-dollar, cheesily-illustrated Bibles to poor people. That they keep their sanity is only the tip of the iceberg. After 40-odd years of cinema-verite that followed, one might expect Salesman to have dated. But no. It's still as graphic, sad, funny, and indelible as ever. |
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| mo_flixx |
| Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 4:49 pm |
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Joined: 30 May 2004
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billy -
I'm surprised to hear you make a reference to "Metropolis" regarding "The Apartment." I haven't seen "The Apartment" for a long time, but I'd think the obvious reference would be to "Mad Men." |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 4:56 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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mo_flixx wrote: billy -
I'm surprised to hear you make a reference to "Metropolis" regarding "The Apartment." I haven't seen "The Apartment" for a long time, but I'd think the obvious reference would be to "Mad Men."
I was talking visuals. There's a shot of the office which is very Lang. As for Mad Men, I've said before that it seems a composite of Wilder and Sirk. |
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| mo_flixx |
| Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 5:18 pm |
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Joined: 30 May 2004
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billyweeds wrote: mo_flixx wrote: billy -
I'm surprised to hear you make a reference to "Metropolis" regarding "The Apartment." I haven't seen "The Apartment" for a long time, but I'd think the obvious reference would be to "Mad Men."
I was talking visuals. There's a shot of the office which is very Lang. As for Mad Men, I've said before that it seems a composite of Wilder and Sirk.
Just out of curiosity, can you describe the Langian shot? I'm intrigued, now. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 5:45 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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mo_flixx wrote: billyweeds wrote: mo_flixx wrote: billy -
I'm surprised to hear you make a reference to "Metropolis" regarding "The Apartment." I haven't seen "The Apartment" for a long time, but I'd think the obvious reference would be to "Mad Men."
I was talking visuals. There's a shot of the office which is very Lang. As for Mad Men, I've said before that it seems a composite of Wilder and Sirk.
Just out of curiosity, can you describe the Langian shot? I'm intrigued, now.
I'll do better than that. I'll link a shot from Ebert's website which gives the essence of the shots I'm talking about.
And Ebert says it's like King Vidor's The Crowd, which I've never seen.
http://tinyurl.com/lamgu |
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| lissa |
| Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 7:00 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 2148
Location: my computer
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Quote: It was my Blanche pick two years ago. Melanie's, too. I don't remember the soundtrack, though.
yambu, you don't remember that very haunting lullaby sung and played throughout the film? I knew I needed the soundtrack the minute I heard it. But the rest is just as masterful. Javier Navarette is someone whose work I must explore.
here's a short video of clips from the movie set to the lullaby - maybe it'll help remind you. It makes me want to see the film again - maybe I'll hunker down tonight, it's a good night for popcorn...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIZsf1BEbMQ |
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Statistically, 6 out of 7 dwarfs aren't happy. |
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| ehle64 |
| Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 7:04 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 7149
Location: NYC; US&A
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| lissa! welcome back babers. |
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It truly disappoints me when people do something for you via no prompt of your own and then use it as some kind of weapon against you at a later time and place. It is what it is. |
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| lissa |
| Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 7:05 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 2148
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| thanks Wade!! Good to be back! |
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Statistically, 6 out of 7 dwarfs aren't happy. |
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| yambu |
| Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 7:22 pm |
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Joined: 23 May 2004
Posts: 6441
Location: SF Bay Area
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lissa wrote: yambu, you don't remember that very haunting lullaby sung and played throughout the film? I knew I needed the soundtrack the minute I heard it. But the rest is just as masterful. Javier Navarette is someone whose work I must explore.
here's a short video of clips from the movie set to the lullaby - maybe it'll help remind you...... |
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| yambu |
| Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 7:28 pm |
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Joined: 23 May 2004
Posts: 6441
Location: SF Bay Area
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billyweeds wrote: .....These guys are peddling fifty-dollar, cheesily-illustrated Bibles to poor people...... |
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