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| gromit |
 Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 5:24 pm |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9010
Location: Shanghai
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| Abouna (2002) the second film by Chadian director Mahamat Saleh Haroun is reasonably good. Some nice compositions and use of colors and locations. But the storyline is kind of basic and the end is kind of choppy and somewhat abrupt. You can see promise, but the film is just okay. I was impressed with his next film Daratt (2006) which was powerful and well-told. |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2014 12:00 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6958
Location: Black Hills
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| Tried to watch Herzog's "Heart of Glass," an experimental bit of surrealism from the 70's. It seemed to owe some influence to Dr. Caligari, as it involved somnambulism and terrified pre-industrial German villagers. I couldn't make much sense of it, but there is some lush and evocative nature photography and, as the title hints at, glassware with mystical qualities. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| yambu |
| Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2014 8:22 pm |
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Joined: 23 May 2004
Posts: 6441
Location: SF Bay Area
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I so enjoyed Sita Sings the Blues. One of the world's great myths reduced to 1&1/4 hours. Gods, anti-gods, such creatures passing into humanity and back again. There would be only confused perception and understanding by the viewer if it were not presented in this vivid animation. Not a lotus leaf is out of place. It has a symmetry that guides the eye.The music, mostly 20's jazz vocals, is perfect.
Joseph Campbell, here I come. |
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That was great for you. How was it for me? |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 1:18 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9010
Location: Shanghai
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I think it's all, or almost all, Annette Hanshaw songs.
She's wonderful.
It's all late '20's and early 30's recordings.
Her first recording was in 1925 and her final recording in 1934.
She says That's All at the end of every recording, which I'd bet is where Porky Pig got his signature salutation from.
Some Annette Hanshaw I'd rec:
Big City Blues
Everything is Made for Love
Am I Blue?
Do Do Do
Fit as a Fiddle
I Can't Give You Anything But Love (for Bringing up Baby fans)
Walkin' My Baby Back Home |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 6:33 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| Sita Sings the Blues is that very rare thing, a truly great film--and that arguably even rarer thing, a truly great animated film. |
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| whiskeypriest |
| Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 9:20 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 6916
Location: "It's a Dry Heat."
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| Adding my name to the "I heart Sita" list. |
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I ask you, Velvel, as a rational man, which of us is possessed? |
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| jeremy |
| Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2014 3:31 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 6794
Location: Derby, England and Hamilton, New Zealand (yes they are about 12,000 miles apart)
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| I couldn't believe how bad Gangster Squad was. I felt sorry for Emma Stone, having nothing to work with made her look miscast or worse. |
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I am angry, I am ill, and I'm as ugly as sin.
My irritability keeps me alive and kicking.
I know the meaning of life, it doesn't help me a bit.
I know beauty and I know a good thing when I see it. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2014 10:00 pm |
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Site Admin
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12921
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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bartist wrote: Tried to watch Herzog's "Heart of Glass," an experimental bit of surrealism from the 70's. It seemed to owe some influence to Dr. Caligari, as it involved somnambulism and terrified pre-industrial German villagers. I couldn't make much sense of it, but there is some lush and evocative nature photography and, as the title hints at, glassware with mystical qualities.
I tried to watch his early documentary "Land of Silence and Darkness" once, and couldn't. It was like nails on chalkboard. "Heart of Glass" is after "Aguirre," but I haven't seen it.
He's doing a fictional biography of the archeologist/explorer Gertrude Bell, with Nicole Kidman and James Franco. Now there's a film I want to see. |
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I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 11:58 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9010
Location: Shanghai
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Try The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner, an early short doc, where Werner does his offbeat Wide World of Sports imitation.
I was somewhat disappointed by Kid Galahad.
Not a bad Warners flick about the boxing game and corrupt managers.
For its time it was considered to have realistic fight scenes.
But today it looks like they are unrealistically throwing punches every second. I was glad when the ref finally had something to do and stepped in and broke up a one second semi-clinch in about the 8th fight shown.
Edward G does what he does. Tough guy with a heart underneath. Bogey's role is completely one-dimensional, mostly he just glares and looks menacing. It's a tale of ruthless managers going head to head. Finally they shoot it out and kill each other in the locker room bathroom, which seemed kind of silly. Bette Davis is fairly good in high chipper mode. Or at least she has a fairly developed character to work with. Wayne Morris seems quite promising as a boy next door hunk.
Interesting how they tried to work in a romance, plus gave Bette Davis a significant role, in a boxing picture. But it all seem so clearly constructed with the seams showing from Point A to B to C. Not at all subtle.
Seemed like the script needed a good deal more polish, Michael Curtiz maybe a smoother hand, and Bogey's character really needed fleshing out, or excising. |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 12:19 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6958
Location: Black Hills
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Syd wrote:
I tried to watch his early documentary "Land of Silence and Darkness" once, and couldn't. It was like nails on chalkboard. "Heart of Glass" is after "Aguirre," but I haven't seen it.
He's doing a fictional biography of the archeologist/explorer Gertrude Bell, with Nicole Kidman and James Franco. Now there's a film I want to see.
I like the term "fictional biography." Some would say that's the only kind there is.
(but you meant it's not a documentary, I presume) Hope it's better than Kidman's last biographical outing, which IIRC was Arbus. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| yambu |
| Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 1:04 pm |
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Joined: 23 May 2004
Posts: 6441
Location: SF Bay Area
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bartist wrote: [I like the term "fictional biography." Some would say that's the only kind there is.....
Polonius thought he knew something when he took it further:
"...tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral, tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical, one-act plays, or long poems...." |
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That was great for you. How was it for me? |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 1:28 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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yambu wrote: bartist wrote: [I like the term "fictional biography." Some would say that's the only kind there is..... Reminds me of In Cold Blood,s "nonfiction novel", which is absolutely correct.
Polonius thought he knew something when he took it further:
"...tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral, tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical, one-act plays, or long poems...."
"one-act plays, or long poems...."
These are not the words Shakespeare used. These are from "No Fear Shakespeare." |
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| yambu |
| Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 3:27 pm |
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Joined: 23 May 2004
Posts: 6441
Location: SF Bay Area
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billyweeds wrote: yambu wrote: bartist wrote: [I like the term "fictional biography." Some would say that's the only kind there is..... Reminds me of In Cold Blood,s "nonfiction novel", which is absolutely correct.
Polonius thought he knew something when he took it further:
"...tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral, tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical, one-act plays, or long poems...."
These are not the words Shakespeare used. These are from "No Fear Shakespeare."
Polonius:
"The best actors in the world, either for tragedy, comedy,
history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral,
tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical-pastoral; scene
individable, or poem unlimited. Seneca cannot be too heavy, nor 1480
Plautus too light. For the law of writ and the liberty, these are
the only men."
- ACT II, Scene ii.
It always gets a silly laugh. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 3:37 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| If you'll look closely, I was referring only to "one-act plays" and "long poems." They were amended from the original Shakespearean "scene individable" and "poem unlimited." |
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| jeremy |
| Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 5:18 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 6794
Location: Derby, England and Hamilton, New Zealand (yes they are about 12,000 miles apart)
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| I saw "Cloud Atlas" and can understand why so many people hated it. I think I am more forgiving of those who aim high and fall short. |
_________________
I am angry, I am ill, and I'm as ugly as sin.
My irritability keeps me alive and kicking.
I know the meaning of life, it doesn't help me a bit.
I know beauty and I know a good thing when I see it. |
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