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| Melody |
 Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2006 5:21 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 2242
Location: TX
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shannon wrote: Fuck if I know what it means and fuck if I care.
LOL! Exactly.
SPOILER
I think -- bear in mind I've only seen it once and that was last summer -- the scene on the train is supposed to be his novel. Did you get that, too?
END SPOILER
I'm curious -- what was it about 2046 that wouldn't let you give up on it? |
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My heart told my head: This time, no. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2006 5:29 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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Joe--Please don't lump Cinderella with Sleeping Beauty. Cinderella, as jeremy says, is one of the supreme Disney creations and Sleeping Beauty is a turkey. The reasons are many, but here are a few.
1) Most importantly, Cinderella has one of the best Disney musical scores. Even Bette Midler recorded "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes," and other gems include "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo" and the title tune. Sleeping Beauty contains mainly indifferently recycled classical music.
2) Cinderella has a sense of humor. The mice, the fairy godmother, the birds all know how to get laughs. Sleeping Beauty is serious minded. What happened?
3) Cinderella has better developed characters. Sleeping Beauty has no characterization at all.
4) Cinderella doesn't have the best animation in Disney history, but Sleeping Beauty has really bad animation.
I could go on. |
Last edited by billyweeds on Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:45 am; edited 1 time in total |
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| lady wakasa |
| Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2006 5:34 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 5911
Location: Beyond the Blue Horizon
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billyweeds wrote: Sleeping Beauty is a turkey
Man, that's just harsh. |
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| Earl |
| Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2006 5:38 pm |
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Joined: 09 Jun 2004
Posts: 2621
Location: Houston
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shannon wrote: I'd tried in vain several times to watch 2046 but I just couldn't take it. The other night I gave it another shot. And it worked. Maybe my viewing conditions were more appropriate this go-around. It's 2am, I'm not in a very analytical mood. I was comfortable just sitting back and letting the film take me where it wanted to take me. And I loved it. Fuck if I know what it means and fuck if I care. There were plenty of recurring motifs that may or may not signify a thing: the holes, Christmas Eve, the various numbers that repeat themselves time and time again, how we rarely see two characters in the same frame together during conversation, one always being obscured by a door frame, a wall, a lamp shade, a curtain, or something of the sort which creates sort of a split-screen effect... There's a line of dialogue in the film that I think tells us how we're supposed to react to the film. Chow, speaking of the novel that he writes, says, "'2046', a story about men and women looking for love, risking everything...I made it bizarre and erotic without crossing the line...Some didn't take to the science fiction angle, but all '2046' meant to me was a hotel room..." That's pretty much the film in synopsis right there. Don't let it overwhelm you. We're not supposed to think too hard. If Kar-Wai's previous films were Godard, this is his Last Year at Marienbad. Did I mention that I loved it?
Your post has inspired me to rent it again to see if I have a similar conversion. Silly me for watching it just the one time. |
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"I have a suspicion that you are all mad," said Dr. Renard, smiling sociably; "but God forbid that madness should in any way interrupt friendship." |
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| Ghulam |
| Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2006 9:42 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4742
Location: Upstate NY
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| The French/Japanese movie Fear and Trembling (2004) is an astute, psychologically resonant, and yet very funny movie based on Amelie Northomb's novel about a young Belgian woman, who had spent her childhood in Japan, and several years goes back to work in the offices of a Tokyo corporation. She and her supervisor, a Japanese lady, have an intense love/hate relationship. The difficulty in communicting between people of the two cultures, and the differences in emotionality, expression of anger and sense of humor are dramatized with a lot of humor and sensitivity. A really enjoyable movie. |
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| Nancy |
| Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2006 9:46 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4607
Location: Norman, OK
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| That one sounds interesting, Ghulam. I'll have to add it to my list of films to look for. (Which is not getting that much shorter, alas!) |
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"All in all, it's just another feather in the fan."
Isaacism, 2009 |
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| lshap |
| Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2006 10:35 pm |
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Joined: 12 May 2004
Posts: 4248
Location: Montreal
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| When You Wish Upon A Star is one of the true gorgeous melodies of the 20th century. |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2006 11:19 pm |
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Guest
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I seen a peanut stand,
I seen a rubber band.
I seen a needle that winked it's eye,
But I done see'in if I ever seen,
If I seen an elephant fly! |
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| mo_flixx |
| Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2006 11:24 pm |
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Joined: 30 May 2004
Posts: 12533
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I'm gonna do something I've never done before...which is recommend a movie I've seen only 3/4 of the way thru.
A hearty thumbs up for "Lion of the Desert," made entirely on location (Italy and Libya) and backed by Qaddafi.
"Lion of the Desert" is looong - too long to see before it's due back tomorrow. Actually I plan to buy a copy. Gt. gift for my dad, I think.
This movie (1981 - tho' I suspect it was actually filmed earlier) is the REAL DEAL. No CGI crowd scenes. Just a ton of Libyan extras. Oliver Reed at his finest - in his 'Clooney "Syriana" mode' - a little plump, still rather hot and very pompous as a Fascist. Rod Steiger chews the scenery as the bald Mussolini - one of the better Mussolini's IMO.
Anthony Quinn is very good as the Libyan rebel and martyr Muftar - but this part is rather small. Gielgud is miscast as Muftar's childhood friend.
As someone who visited Libya in fall 2005, I am amazed to see the _very_ location of the Muftar battle, complete with bridge and all...and it hasn't changed a bit. Truly awe inspiring.
From the comments on amazon.com re: DVD, the film is extremely authentic. I thought the desert scenes were spectacular - from choice of locations to the amazing costumes and jewelry of the Libyan women. Mussolini actually documented all the abuses against the Libyans who were put in camps - so this film is able to painstakingly recreate the authentic footage. In addition, the 'extras' contain the _actual_ footage shot in the '30's. This is part of why I want to buy this DVD.
I wonder if this DVD is hard to rent. It certainly explains the Libyan hatred of Westerners.
Thanks Marc, for having this DVD at MONDO VIDEO. |
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| Marj |
| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:47 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Location: Manhattan
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Gary - But do you know which Disney film those lyrics are from? When you've heard Barbara Cook do "When I see an Elephant Fly" then you've really heard it. Dumbo is so good.
I'm not absolutely sure which of Disney's Cartoons is my favorite, but certainly Cinderella and Alice and Wonderland are right up there. And much of that is due to the animation and wonderful scores. Both as well as Snow White are used by jazz musicians all the time.
I used to be fascinated with Ilene Woods the voice of Cinderella. I loved her voice and could never understand why she wasn't a star. Now I understand they did a feature on her with the new DVD version of the movie. But ... You have to buy it.
Peter Pan was also wonderful but took a huge hit from the Charlap, Comden & Green and Julie Styne version with Mary Martin. I used to know the Charlaps and they were big fans of the Disney films. Especially Peter Pan. They wanted their kids exposed to all music. Now Billy Charlap is one of the world's top jazz pianists. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:59 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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Now Billy Charlap is one of the world's top jazz pianists.
What a great piece of info. I always thought it was funny how Billy's dad could never make up his mind whether his professional name was Mark or Moose. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 1:01 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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| Marj--What is your take on the (IMO) terminally dull Sleeping Beauty? (My favorite of all Disney features, btw, is Pinocchio.) |
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| Marj |
| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 1:09 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Location: Manhattan
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I never knew that Billy. He was always Moose to me.
Re: Sleeping Beauty? I agree with you. I remember feeling a real letdown by the Disney people when I first saw it. The animation was so dull, and all the music was from (I can't spell it) the classical ballet.
I could never understand what happened?
I love Pinocchio too, Billy. And especially the song, "With a Smile and a Song." Have you ever heard Barbara Cook do it? |
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| ehle64 |
| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 1:11 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 7149
Location: NYC; US&A
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| I know this probably won't jibe and gel with all you crazy musical theater cats out there in third eye land, but one of my favorite Disney covers is by Sinead O'Connor, she does "Someday My Prince Will Come" and it's a magical kingdom all it's own. |
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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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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 1:11 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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Marj wrote: I never knew that Billy. He was always Moose to me.
Re: Sleeping Beauty? I agree with you. I remember feeling a real letdown by the Disney people when I first saw it. The animation was so dull, and all the music was from (I can't spell it) the classical ballet.
I could never understand what happened?
I love Pinocchio too, Billy. And especially the song, "With a Smile and a Song." Have you ever heard Barbara Cook do it?
Often--and I thought one of the instances was in the credits to Peter Pan--Moose became the more mainstream "Mark."
I don't think I've ever heard Barbara Cook do that number. Bet it's amazing, as almost everything she essays turns out to be. |
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