movies

[JL21]

So who's stoked for Tree of Life? Everyone?

I am, insofar as someone can be excited about a Malick film. It apparently got booed by a few cretins at Cannes... But also won the Palme D'Or.

[heyzeus]

Today I learned that Terence Malick lives quite near where my wife and I had our first date and filmed a lot of Tree of Live in Austin. Also, I want to see this movie.

[JL21]

"Attack the Block" was kind of sort of really a crapload of fun. The Wire meets The Goonies meets Predator, with a cockney accent (and I feel sort of stupid pigeonholing it that way because it's unfair to "Attack the Block"). It's damned good filmmaking, with a really tight script and a lot of smart ways to build suspense on a budget.

[The Third Man]

Since school has finally ended, here's what I've watched in the last few days:

George Washington: As thematically rich and brilliantly offbeat as any movie I've seen in recent memory. A combination of Terrence Malick and Charles Burnett's Killer of Sheep, infused with a unique and refracted perspective on America and Americana. There's no plot to speak of, existing instead as a series of character moments and incidents which combine to paint a portrait of small-town destitution, coming-of-age, family and friendship, and probably a million other things. It's really difficult to nail down. I can't believe David Gordon Green went from stuff like this and All the Real Girls to stoner comedies. [expletive] the heck?

Touching the Void: A harrowing story told quite well; in 1985, while climbing a very daunting mountain face, on the descent, one man broke his leg and had to be cut loose by his partner. He fell several hundred feet into an icy crevasse and had to crawl his way to freedom and back down the mountain to camp. The combination of narration from the principals, and superb (and surprisingly realistic) recreations of the events, makes for a very gripping and detailed experience of Joe and Simon's plight. Mountains ain't nothin' to [expletive] with.

Sexy Beast: Stylish as hell, even if there's not tons of substance. Kingsley (who gets deserved accolades for this movie, despite the fact that he's in less than half of it), Winstone and MacShane are killer, and make this material more compelling than it otherwise would've been. However, the script isn't without its merits; it manages to twist and turn and reveal a few nifty surprises, while balancing a sense of cool with surprising humor. Very, very enjoyable - I'd recommend this to anybody who enjoys stuff like Snatch.

The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail: Entertaining but very slight. The bulk of the film, concerned with the efforts of the men to escape detection by the barrier guards, is entertaining and even tense on occasion; however, several elements bely its stage origins, particularly the obnoxious comic relief character and the awkward songs. And it ends on a very, very anti-climactic and absurd note. Worth a look, but a weaker effort from Kurosawa - in fact, the weakest of his I've yet seen.

[Jocephus]

watched recently:

"the god who wasn't there" - documentary on religion. kinda a poor mans "Religulous". it's good if not a tad bit short. as someone who definitely questions religion, i found it entertaining. 4/5

"trick r treat" - i remember it being mentioned on here a halloween or so ago as a movie to watch. its ok, not bad, not great, just some spooky tales. 3/5

"barton fink" - not sure what to say about this one. coen bros movie so its got that going for it. has the general "feel" of a coens movie, but its also kinda tragic, depressing. i enjoyed it (4/5) but after watching it i felt like i "missed" something...some underlying symbolism or something...but i read the wiki page for it (which has a lot of information, moreso than most movie entries) and it indicates that they weren't really going for a lot of symbolism or some hidden "story". tuturro is always awesome, same as john goodman. buschemi has a small part but is funny.

[haltz]

Hangover 2 was a complete rip-off of the previous romp. They didn't even try for any sort of a fresh take, but the punchlines, especially through the first half of the film, were hilarious. Also, I was hammered.

[JL21]

"barton fink" - not sure what to say about this one. coen bros movie so its got that going for it. has the general "feel" of a coens movie, but its also kinda tragic, depressing. i enjoyed it (4/5) but after watching it i felt like i "missed" something...some underlying symbolism or something...but i read the wiki page for it (which has a lot of information, moreso than most movie entries) and it indicates that they weren't really going for a lot of symbolism or some hidden "story". tuturro is always awesome, same as john goodman. buschemi has a small part but is funny.

Here's a really great read about that movie:

http://www.coenbrothers.net/viewer.html

[Maclowery]

Trolljegeren (The Troll Hunter) very entertaining Norwegian fake documentary about. Um. A dude who hunts trolls. Great buddies-and-intoxicants kinda flick.

[Radbird]

Boy, talk about movies at opposite ends of the spectrum. Our most recent Netflix views:

The Station Agent

300

I also suffered through Eat Pray Love. The price I pay for being outnumbered.

[TimeForGuinness]

I also suffered through Eat Pray Love. The price I pay for being outnumbered.

I'm guessing you were praying that it would end soon