I've been huffing Lars Von Trier movies lately. Poll time.

I assume there's some Kingdom love out there tho.

http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/cl-et-dancer25may25,0,5115094.story?coll=cl-movies

Clickable version of that link, I think.

Just saw The Boss Of It All last night. Surprisingly good! Not hilarious, but definitely a funny movie. The guy who plays Gorm really needs to get work outside of Denmark.

It's probably going to end up being the Lars Von Trier Movie For People Who Don't Like Lars Von Trier.

Like me, kinda!

I really dislike von Trier's films from a thematic standpoint, so I am actually excited to see this.

I hate peoples who hate LvT. But I was on the we won side. Hipster monkeys.

Fay-yuld

i missed this poll. but i really liked dogville, a lot. and i love love loved the five obstructions. actually i found it pretty moving.

Well done Alex in SF on account of yr talking shite about Fuck All.

The Idiots is great. A beautifully awkward, sad film that is very aware of the lines it is treading. I dislike Breaking the Waves the more I see it, and, like others, I did love it when I first watched it. The destructiveness should have been emphasised, not the redemption. In real life, there is no redemption.

I think The Kingdom is probably the most worthy winner (although not my favourite), and I'm guessing the second one got no votes because people either haven't seen it or wanted to vote for the first (I'm in the former camp).

"Well done Alex in SF on account of yr talking shite about Fuck All."

I lives to serve.

saw epidemic last night -- pretty chill movie, i thought. it's a real toss-up as to which of the europa trilogy i like best.

antichrist was my film of 2009, easy. i'd better catch up on the rest of his oeurve.

"von Trier has said that he considers all of his previous films to end happily, and that this will be the first with an unhappy ending."

i can only imagine what would constitute an "unhappy ending" for lars.

trailer for his new film, looks amazing imo - http://vimeo.com/22072654

That looks just as batshit as Antichrist, albeit in a different way. I'm into it.

y'huh. i hadn't realised that charlotte gainsbourg was in it, again, whispering. i regularly <3 john hurt, too. seems like it'll be another of those movies where you have you submerge your knowledge of where all the actors come from, to maintain the illusion of family.

i spied some titty at 1:14

Mission accomplished, movie trailer. I want to watch this movie.

charlotte gainsbourg looks like she could be the daughter of charlotte rampling and john hurt; keifer and dunst looks like brother and sister. good casting imo!

shit this looks rad as hell

lol this movie look hilarious

SAD WHISPERS

he's become the Steve Shasta of filmmakers

= ??

lotsa wakeboarding

he trolls at 24 fps

super excited about this

"von Trier has said that he considers all of his previous films to end happily, and that this will be the first with an unhappy ending."

i can only imagine what would constitute an "unhappy ending" for lars.

― strongohulkingtonsghost, Tuesday, August 31, 2010 6:15 AM (7 months ago)

Strongo pretty much nailed it with that one.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/images/splash/bnews.gif lvt is a moron http://www.huffingtonpost.com/images/splash/bnew

I had to chuckle at the Suzanne Bier jab because a friend of mine thinks she's the worst filmmaker currently working.

But yeah, smdh.

So the new one got good reviews tho, right?

nobody's gonna link it?

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/film-festivals/von-trier-yes-i-am-a-nazi.html

He said he grew up thinking he was a Jew, and he was very happy to be a Jew. Then he discovered he was a Nazi, and that also gave him some pleasure. "Yes, I am a Nazi!", he declared.

While his cast (Charlotte Gainsbourg, Udo Kier and John Hurt) looked on in horror, Kirsten Dunst tapped him on the shoulder and whispered to him to moderate his comments. He looked at her in confusion and said, "But this has a point, it will be okay."

Then he proceeded to dig himself in deeper, saying that he understood Hitler, and that he could sympathize with his being down in that bunker toward the end. He continued, "Well that doesn't mean I have anything against Jews, except Susanne Bier (Danish filmmaker, "In a Better World").

"Well, Israel is a pain in the ass ...

"Okay, I am a Nazi...

"Nazis tend to do things on a grander scale...

"Perhaps we can have a Final Solution for journalists...."

With that moderator Henri Behar called a halt to the conference because it was clear at that point that Von Trier just could not stop himself.

needs frequent punching

i wont lie, "Perhaps we can have a Final Solution for journalists...." cracked me up

great filmmaker being a social retard loudmouth shockah

the man loves to troll

mark s had a theory that von trier only makes movies so he can orchestrate the press extravaganzas that come along with them, and i kinda believe him now

Morbs hates Von Trier like Salieri hated Mozart.

find it depressing how easily european auteurs do this shit. but ok, he's probably not a nazi, just a twat: but not an interesting one. this gets called 'provocative', but it isn't coherent enough to be provocative. can anyone even parse what he said? how much of a cock do you need to be to find it funny when he says 'i don't hate jews, ooh except israel'? feel bad that lovely kirsten dunst is mixed up in all this. #pray4kirsten

i mean 'at least he makes great movies' hang on oh dear

how much of a cock do you need to be to find it funny when he says 'i don't hate jews, ooh except israel'?

he actually just said "israel is a pain in the ass" which is empirically true

I think "trolling" is exactly the right word for this

in more interesting news his new one is supposed to be contemplative and shock-free

yeah I really wanna see it. Antichrist was... memorable

The man knows how to attract attention, and that isn't a useless skill. I mean, I didn't know he had a new one out until this "story" broke.

yeah LVT the person is basically a carnival barker crossed with a mosquito but imo the world needs more filmmakers like him

this reads very differently (i.e. funnier & more good-natured & less creepy and weird):

1. In response to a question about his German roots and his interest in the Nazi aesthetic: "The only thing I can tell you is that I thought I was a Jew for a long time and was very happy being a Jew, then later on came [Danish and Jewish director] Susanne Bier, and suddenly I wasn't so happy about being a Jew. That was a joke. Sorry. But it turned out that I was not a Jew. If I'd been a Jew, then I would be a second-wave Jew, a kind of a new-wave Jew, but anyway, I really wanted to be a Jew and then I found out that I was really a Nazi, because my family is German. And that also gave me some pleasure. So, I, what can I say? I understand Hitler. I think he did some wrong things but I can see him sitting in his bunker. [Kirsten Dunst goes, "Oh God!" and hides uncomfortably behind Lars.] I'm saying that I think I understand the man. He is not what we could call a good guy, but yeah, I understand much about him and I sympathize with him ... But come on! I'm not for the Second World War. And I'm not against Jews. No, not even Susanne Bier. I am very much for them. As much as Israelis are a pain in the ass. How do I get out of this sentence? Okay, I am a Nazi. As for the art, I'm for Speer. Albert Speer I liked. He was also one of God's best children. He has a talent that ... Okay, enough"

yeah he's really just bullshitting.

(xp from http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/05/the_10_most_controversial_thin.html )

history mayne hating on von trier is one of my fave ilx reads <3

This video is hilarious, if only for Kristen's facial expressions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rABBll3dbnE&feature=player_embedded

haaaaa dunst

awwww poor kirsten

That's kind of disappointing. The earlier description of events it made sound like he stood up in the middle of the press conference and declared "YES! I AM A NAZI!" in a Jon Lovitz master thespian voice.

Yeah I kind of wish I hadn't seen that - it was funnier before. This guy's hilarious.

I don't like KD at all but that's the best she's looked in ages.

how can u not like kirsten dunst she is so adorable.

I'm sorry but I find this totally hilarious

in the frame that youtube clips is frozen on von trier kind of looks like donal logue.

HS - I hate her. I'm sure we've had this discussion before. It's probably an irrational thing but her teeth creep me out and the fact that she's considered really attractive baffles me. Except for Bring it On - she was cute in that and this video too. Like I said, she looks surprisingly great.

dunst's expression at 0:45 otm

lol

the world needs more filmmakers like he was before his brain exploded.

how can u not like kirsten dunst she is so adorable.

― horseshoe, Wednesday, May 18, 2011 2:23 PM (10 minutes ago) Bookmark

:I

i dont much care for miss dunst at all tbqh

i don't understand that emoticon but if it means you dislike dunst i won't respond to it. >:[

xp >:[

The man knows how to attract attention, and that isn't a useless skill. I mean, I didn't know he had a new one out until this "story" broke.

― StanM, Wednesday, May 18, 2011 6:56 PM (36 minutes ago) Bookmarkk

yeah but in fairness you have a soft spot for actual anti-semites

xposts

never thought i'd suggest-ban tamtam and enbb but, well, a lady's honour is at stake here

i would suggest erica and ade rewatch bring it on and reflect on dunst's GENIUS

the emote looks better like this

:I

so there's cheeks

... But come on! I'm not for the Second World War. And I'm not against Jews. No, not even Susanne Bier. I am very much for them. As much as Israelis are a pain in the ass. How do I get out of this sentence? Okay, I am a Nazi.

this is srsly hilarious imo, 'ok i totally dug myself into a hole and i know you guys are gonna make me sound like a nazi.......okay, i'm a nazi lollll y is no one laughing'

you guys should be Oscar voters, the way Hollywood babes utterly derail your thoughts

lol :I

HS you're lucky I'm giving you Bring it On here!! It's just one of my things. I don't get her. You know, we can't love ALL the same things ;p.

i think shes a solid enough actress but something about her demeanor or something bugs me idk

oh man if this goes south lars von trier might be reduced to making obscure art films or something

8. On how he found a way to put Udo Kier, who plays the event planner, in ten or eleven of his movies: "I typecast him as a homosexual. And that helped very much. Your performance is fantastic, Udo. I don’t know where you get it from."

von trier should become like a roastmaster or something

something about her demeanor or something bugs me idk

otm

i'll bug your demeanor

<3

<3 <3

lmao

I'm sorry but I find this totally hilarious

― underrated earl sweatshirt fans i have boned (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, May 18, 2011 11:24 AM (28 minutes ago) Bookmark

but yeah, this:

the world needs more filmmakers like he was before his brain exploded.

― the gay bloggers are onto the faggot tweets (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, May 18, 2011 11:32 AM (21 minutes ago) Bookmark

History Mayne, I'm against all religions equally. Some are just easier and funnier to troll about

credit card on standby for StanM complimentary IDF care package

What I find funny is how he uses "I am a Nazi" like an escape hatch to get himself out of a controversial topic, and how nonchalant he does it. Hard not to find some charm in that.

didn't work at nuremberg

what is his bief with Bier?

demeanor dey are, da better i like em

it's weird how this guy found a way to say "I am a nazi" that makes me like him more

he needs to work on better ways to say "Israelis are a pain in the ass" though

i'm sure you can offer some pointers

credit card on standby for Dr Morbius complimentary IDF care package

love lars no matter what. he IS charming, no more so than when he's trolling. (plan to continue avoiding antichrist tho.)

you're an idiot

speaking of charmers

serious question about Bier, btw. is it just competition or is there some actual war of words going on

i was wondering too. couldn't find any easy evidence of a feud, but i didn't spend a lot of time digging. suspect that it's a simple jab at her popularity and supposed mainstream-ness.

lol DG

I am probly having drinks w/ someone who was in the IDF tom'w btw! He's a doll. I don't blame people for their shitty governments (except Americans).

lol

Melancholia looks pretty awesome. I am afraid of Antichrist too but maybe i'll gut it up in anticipation for this new one. funny Cannes-themed double bill with Tree of Life I'm sure, considering the directors and their approach to the media (and achieving similar effects!)

I averted my eyes for several minutes of Antichrist but loved the rest of it.

i always get worked up in anticipation for stuff like that, but then when i actually see it im all "eh" and brush it off.

i agree with this poll's results -- the kingdom is lars at his best (and funniest). those monologues at the ends of the episodes are priceless.

i do think LvT is up to some (theoretically) interesting stuff most of the time, it's a shame i find most of his movies such a headache and/or unpleasant. and that may just be a function of my own temperament rather than any failing of the movies.

Dunst reminds me of a girl in my EMT class in that vid

it's probably just French for 'filmmaker' or something, but I think 'realisateur' is probably the perfect word to describe von Trier

(when i said it in my mind, it meant "someone who is a provocateur through the creation of realities")

réalisateur = director or film-maker

yeah i figured

J. Hoberman's review has me very curious.

I cannot imagine there will be many who care for them equally

Huh. Well, scratch Melancholia off my to-see list then.

(Not really. I hate when people with axes to grind set up these diads.)

Every other review makes the Malick comparison in one way or another. Sounds like a fun double bill to me.

More like "these are the only two movies in competition all my readers are sure to know about" I bet.

is the fact that gainsbourg and dunst are sisters in this movie supposed to be completely ridiculous? i praised the casting upthread thinking dunst and keifer sutherland were the brother and sister and that gainsbourg was from the other side of the family but no. maybe it's intentionally loopy or maybe von trier doesn't give a shit for verisimilitude.

also true! xp

Weirdest thing about that review is his insistence that LvT is somehow the antithesis of kitsch. Come again?

Wow. I can't believe The Five Obstructions: Scorcese vs. Trier is actually happening.

yeah its gonna be gangster as hell

I actually love The Five Obstructions so this is awesome news.

me too. close to my favorite LVT.

lol

“The Festival de Cannes provides artists from around the world with an exceptional forum to present their works and defend freedom of expression and creation. The Festival’s Board of Directors, which held an extraordinary meeting this Thursday, 19 May 2011, profoundly regrets that this forum has been used by Lars Von Trier to express comments that are unacceptable, intolerable, and contrary to the ideals of humanity and generosity that preside over the very existence of the festival. The Board of Directors firmly condemns these comments and declares Lars Von Trier a persona non grata at the Festival de Cannes, with effect immediately.”

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2011/05/19/cannes_festival_bans_filmmaker_von_trier_for_saying_he_sympathized_with_hit/

TheFilmChair TheFilmChair.com
RT @montimer: *BREAKING NEWS* Lars Von Trier has just invaded Poland
16 minutes ago
»

TheFilmChair TheFilmChair.com
RT @indiewire: Lars Von Trier Declared "Persona Non Grata" at Cannes, Effective Immediately http://ow.ly/1cKzW0
16 minutes ago

for full disclosure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LayW8aq4GLw&feature=player_embedded
pretty funny imo. cannes get a life.

seems awkward and foolish imo

he's completely sincere about speer isn't he?

i don't give a shit about that, exactly, it's just that it's *such* a pseudo-intellectual 'provocative' move

he seems a bit of a div tbh

there, i said it

if ever a director needed to pull a kubrick and only give like one interview a decade, it's this guy.

dunno. have a feeling he'd save it up and refine it.

Oh Larspaws.

Appropriate for this to be so close to the "depression and what it's really like" thread.

Oh Larspaws.

― more horses after the main event (Eazy), donderdag 19 mei 2011 16:06 (1 hour ago) Bookmark

Ha! Came here only to post exactly that!

more like Lars CON Trier

Paws

He's a dick and his movies are crap. There I said it.

that's what he *wants* you to say

Eh? LOL

kinda can't believe they banned him

that seems silly given that this seems like obvious foot-in-mouth-disease from the get go?

http://fourfour.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b8c369e201538e946132970b-pi

@LarsfromMars
Lars von Trier, director
Vichy govt French press types on my last fucking nerve I tell you what
1 hour ago via web Favorite Reply Delete

Favorite

von trier vs. zee french

Von Trier movies are shit. por quoi?

Because he *wants* you to think they are shit

suggest canne(s)d

no suggest abt it

@SamuelAAdams Sam Adams

Stealing pt. from Charles Taylor: Does this mean #Cannes will ban actual anti-Semites like Gibson and Godard?

Meanwhile, let's give Roman Polanski another award! He only raped a young girl, that's not as bad as liking Hitler, apparently.

Whatever clears the field for a Susanne Bier Palme.

http://cdn.theatlanticwire.com/img/upload/2011/05/18/LVTknuckles__.jpg

smh @ everyone actin brand new about my mans lars

Awaiting photoshops of those four letters. (maybe H E I L ?)

H I T LER

S S : )

L O L JK

You can do five letters, but six is difficult.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lars-von-trier-cannes-ban-190283

Lars von Trier has accepted his ban by the Cannes Film Festival but said he's no Mel Gibson.

lol

“The Festival de Cannes provides artists from around the world with an exceptional forum to present their works and defend freedom of expression and creation. The Festival’s Board of Directors, which held an extraordinary meeting this Thursday, 19 May 2011, profoundly regrets that this forum has been used by Lars Von Trier to express comments that are unacceptable, intolerable, and contrary to the ideals of humanity and generosity that preside over the very existence of the festival. The Board of Directors firmly condemns these comments and declares Lars Von Trier a persona non grata at the Festival de Cannes, with effect immediately.”

whoops, wrong c/p

here:

I'm proud to have been declared persona non grata. This is maybe the first time in film history that has happened. I think one of the reasons is that the French themselves treated the Jews badly during the second world war. Therefore it is a touchy subject for them. I highly respect the Cannes festival, but I also understand that they are very angry with me right now. I'm no Mel Gibson, but once again I would like to say sorry everybody.

I think one of the reasons is that the French themselves treated the Jews badly during the second world war.

NEVER STOP DIGGING

He's a dick and his movies are crap. There I said it.

― Tom D has taken many months to run this thread to ground (Tom D.), Thursday, May 19, 2011 3:21 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

that's what he *wants* you to say

― tylerw, Thursday, May 19, 2011 3:24 PM

good lol

"How can I get out of this sentence?" is basically Von Trier's life motto.

So ridiculous that he would get banned for this. For his films, sure. But for this silly non-transgression? Bah.

Of course, I say this as a Nazi, so sue me. Especially if you are Jewish. But I don't mean it that way at all. I love Jews. Not the Jews that sue, of course. Which some of them do. But not all Jews! Just the Jews I don't like. But I like Jews! OK, not all Jews, just most Jews. Probably most Jews. Some Jews? That sounds even worse, doesn't it? But it would be worse if I said 'I love some Jews,' which makes it sound like I don't love the rest of the Jews, which I do! Do love them, that is. At least, the Jews that I've met. Did I mention that some of my best friends are Jewish? Those would be examples of Jews I like. I'm sure even Hitler liked some Jews. Of course, there were many more Jews he did not like. You could say Hitler did not like most Jews. But I am not Hitler, though I understand that Hitler, in fact, was. And many people did not like him, but many people did. Including many Germans! I've been to Germany, by the way. Full of some wonderful people, wonderful Jews. German Jews. Who do not like Hitler, but do like Israel, which is like liking Hitler, but of course not at all the same.

Oh dear. How do I get out of this sentence?

Right. Get out of Cannes, Josh.

"I'm no Mel Gibson."

can see #nomelgibson achieving classic status fairly rapidly

what a disaster for mel gibson

when are those two going to make a movie together? and please god let it be lethal weapon 5.

more likely to be crucifixion 2: let's get metaphysical

The Lethal Weapon 5 Objections

passion of the antichrist. oh man they could get defoe to be jesus! again!

omg!

Mad Larx!

http://fourfour.typepad.com/fourfour/2011/05/dunsts-finest-role.html

http://fourfour.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b8c369e201538e9460ab970b-800wi

lmao those gifs

lol is she saying something to him out of the corner of her mouth here?

http://fourfour.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b8c369e20154326749b2970c-800wi

<3 u kiki

"ixnay"

looks like "shtttttup"

"ixnay on the itlerhay"

"Go on, tell them."

LOL

"ixnay on the itlerhay"

lol

^

there could probably just be a thread of pics with lars and his ladies
http://nicolekidmanunited.com/NicoleKidmanFilmography/Dogville/ChelleAkilisTriersNicole.jpg

“Because even if I was Hitler – and I must now state for the record I am not Hitler – but even if I was Hitler and I made a great film, Cannes should select it.”

http://www.filmfestivals.com/cannes99/img/trier.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/9OheK.png

Just realized that i don't think I've ever seen one of his movies in full. I remember trying to watch Dancer when it first came out but iirc I was really really high and freaked me out and I had to turn it off and I never tried again. I want to try again now.

poll results OTM btw - start with the Kingdom

the kingdom is on netflix watch instantly fyi. been meaning to watch again actually.

actually never got through the second one's first episode because my wife was eight months pregnant at the time and well ... not the thing to be watching when you're in that condition.

lol we went to see Children of Men when my wife was 8 mos pregnant

From a Guardian interview:

When (Paul) Bettany arrived in Copenhagen, Von Trier collected him from the airport and took him to the little town where they were staying during the shoot. En route they stopped for petrol, and Von Trier returned to the car with a stack of porn magazines which he gave to Bettany, despite his protestations that he 'was good for porn right now'.
When they got to the hotel, they were chatting in Bettany's room when there was a knock at the door. It was Nicole Kidman, whom Von Trier introduced, and they exchanged small talk. The director then said, entirely straight-faced, 'Nicole, has Paul shown you his porn collection?' and he gestured to the side table, stacked with the magazines.

owns

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Qa-wn60e4es/Swm9ZGKaVrI/AAAAAAAAAik/qUcCdKPhJDQ/s1600/von+trier+great.jpg

lol

i didnt realize how much i loved this guy until now

omg that bettany story

he should quit movies and just be a human meme i guess

#triering

^^^

i didnt realize how much i loved this guy until now

― anime hitler, the futanari führer (Princess TamTam), donderdag 19 mei 2011 23:12 (25 minutes ago) Bookmark

credit card on standby for Dr Morbius complimentary IDF care package

― Romford Spring (DG), Wednesday, May 18, 2011 2:50 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark

tooootally read this as "IDGAF care package"

none of this is bugging me very much, because I doubt seriously that he is actually a nazi. cannes reaction is bullshit considering they gave The Beaver a standing ovation and it starts an unrepentant public anti-semite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyM68DCq9hE

i didnt realize how much i loved this guy until now

― anime hitler, the futanari führer (Princess TamTam),

you're my new enemy.

:'(

kind of old at this point but i laffed at all of these

http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/05/the_10_most_controversial_thin.html

"I would say that Kirsten has some knowledge of depression. Can I say that? If not, forget it."

Yeah, those are hysterical.

On what he has coming up next: "I would like to talk about my next film, which is, Kirsten insisted, going to be a porn film. And we made this famous beaver shot [Admittedly, he could have said "River." We couldn't tell because of the accent] in the film where Kirsten was naked, and I said, 'It doesn’t really fit the film,' and she said, 'I feel strongly for this.' And I said, 'Yeah, it’s pretty good.' And now she wants more. And Charlotte is behind this. They want a really, really hard-core film. And I’m doing my best. I said, 'But then let’s make a lot of talking in between. There should be a lot of dialogue.' And they said, 'We don’t give a shit about dialogue. We just want to have a lot of very, very unpleasant sex.' And that’s what I’m working on. And it’s going to be about three or four hours long, and the only reason for that is that this press conference will be a little later."

. . . And Udo, maybe a little bit. So next time you will be typecast not only as homosexual, but also extremely drunk. We won’t have to change anything. You can just go on with your life."

Thanks for that link, fantastic read.

"If I'd been a Jew, then I would be a second-wave Jew, a kind of a new-wave Jew"

So if I loved Dogville and liked Melancholia a lot, I should probably see Mandelay and Antichrist, right?

Manderlay is really terrible.

Man bites dog is good I thought. Riget or kingdom hospital or whatev it's called easily the best thing he's been involved with. That and the video for Bakerman by Laid Back!

He didn't do Man Bites Dog...

How/where did you see Melancholia?

melancholia's been leaked

Could write what I think about Melancholia but since Peter Bradshaw's already gone to the trouble:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/sep/29/melancholia-film-review

really just want to express my ambivalence about this film sufficiently to prevent others from bothering to catch it. just kinda v unfocused. dunst is good & all.

ambivalent was my dominant feeling too. AGGRESSIVELY AMBIVALENT. it seems so unbalanced and patchy that it's hard to make a real judgement, and i'm not sure i can really be bothered thinking beyond that.

for sure - like i would have been satisfied for it to follow any of its concerns through to their end - a portrait of dunst's depression; the end of the world; the behaviour that would precede the end of the world; conflicting, festen-esque family dynamics - any of them, and it didn't hit any of them right. it can get to a point with films where you start talking about the film you wish someone had made, or you would have made, but it really felt ineffective enough to be kinda a glossy failure (i thought its camera-style was a neat metaphor for the films overall effect; fluttering in and out of focus, occasionally illuminating something without evident rhythm or purpose). the second part, in which it dutifully, procedurally logged the preparations for the collision, didn't whole-heartedly indulge in suspense!, nor in what it really meant for anyone, which you'd think would've been the note to hit. & then the overtures towards like- depressive-mysticism?, or the philosophical blank slate of children?, were just wasted add-ons.

Toronto's Cinematheque is just about to launch a big series. I guess I'll use this thread as a rough guide--all I've ever seen is Breaking the Waves, which I liked because of the bizarre soundtrack (and probably wouldn't have given a second thought to otherwise). From everything I've read about or from him, I expect this is not going to be what I generally refer to as "fun."

If Idiots is the second best Lars Von Trier movie I think I'll skip the rest thank you.

there is probably lots of way more complex & reasoned discussion of it above, & i'm just going off what i remember thinking many years ago, but be sure to catch dogville, it's great & is him doing what he does incredibly successfully imo (characters embodying themes etc). it's kinda long, also, so really useful to be able to see in a cinema.

The results of this poll are problematic.

Today at 2 pm I was questioned by the Police of North Zealand in connection with charges made by the prosecution of Grasse in France from August 2011 regarding a possible violation of prohibition in French law against justification of war crimes. The investigation covers comments made during the press conference in Cannes in May 2011. Due to these serious accusations I have realized that I do not possess the skills to express myself unequivocally and I have therefore decided from this day forth to refrain from all public statements and interviews.

Lars von Trier
Avedøre, 5. October 2011

von trier otm

"I do not possess the skills to express myself unequivocally"

goes for his films too.

He must be joking, right?

no

well that's terrible, I like his jokes.

He told GQ magazine in their October issue: “To say I’m sorry for what I said is to say I’m sorry for what kind of a person I am, I’m sorry for my morals, and that would destroy me as a person. It’s not true. I’m not sorry. I am not sorry for what I said. I’m sorry that it didn’t come out more clearly. I’m not sorry that I made a joke, but I’m sorry that I didn’t make it clear that it was a joke. But I can’t be sorry for what I said — it’s against my nature.”

hmmm

I can't believe that I didn't know until today that Kingdom hospital was Lars Von Trier. It makes so much sense. I saw it for the first time when I was young and stoned and I think about it all the time.

manderlay detractors hate fun

Melancholia was good. I marginally liked Antichrist. So with those two and The Five Obstructions, I now like three of his films.

I've just been to see this. I liked it!

if von trier wants to chuck a planet at the international high middle class to see what happens, then I'm ok with that. a study of extreme death & isolation in the face of socially constructed happiness and achievement.

needed his typical humour.

I liked when after the mother's incredibly bitter speech about marriage there was some scattered applause. that was my favourite bit.

'melancholia' as a high concept sounds fantastic to me; i'm not sure as to whether it's a film i want this particular dude to have made though

also, is gainsbourg the first actress to appear in > 1 film of his

i liked melancholia but im a bit of a lvt apologist, thought the set up of dunst's character vs gainsbourg's character as sisters & how they differently cope w/ whats impending was interesting. i generally like dunst a lot but i didnt really think she was partic amazing here, who else of note could have won best actress @ cannes?

looks like melodramia to me

I really could care less about Lars Von Trier or any of his films. I have liked things about them, but he basically seems like a total dork and I doubt I would watch any more of his work unless I was bored and they were the only thing available.

Loved the concept of Melancholia but really wasn't very moved by it. Also the Wagner everywhere pumped up to the hilt was clumsily used and ended up being really oppressive.

"Marcel Proust's 'In Search of Lost Time' has a 30-page discussion of what is the greatest work of art of all time. Proust reaches the conclusion that it's the overture to Wagner's 'Tristan and Isolde', so that's what we pour all over this film, pushing it for all it's got. I haven't used so much music in a film since 'The Element of Crime' (from 1984, ed.), but here we wallow in it. It's kind of fun, actually. For years, there has been this sort of unofficial film dogma not to cut to the music. Don't cut on the beat. It's considered crass and vulgar. But that's just what we do in 'Melancholia'. When the horns come in and out in Wagner's overture, we cut right on the beat. It's kind of like a music video that way. It's supposed to be vulgar. That was our declared intention. It's one of the most pleasurable things I've done in a long time.

http://www.dfi.dk/Service/English/News-and-publications/FILM-Magazine/Artikler-fra-tidsskriftet-FILM/72/The-Only-Redeeming-Factor-is-the-World-Ending.aspx

God I want to take an apprenticeship with this guy. I would do * anything.

watched this last night (it is on iTunes for anyone looking for it). I thought it was very good; I didn't like it as much as Dogville which remains my favorite of his films. It's certainly incredibly beautiful. Keifer Sutherland is a fucker.

Really intrigued by what I've read of "Melancholia," which makes that the first time a Von Trier movie has made me want to see it since ... ""Breaking the Waves?" Ever since then I've known better, since this guy is like a cinematic cancer (which I feel is an aptly Von Trier-ian description). But this new one, I dunno. If I didn't know better, the concept seems appealing. Though of course I know better, which means I know I will leave the theatre hating myself, everyone else but most of all hating Von Trier with renewed vigor. Call it the Von Trier paradox.

Ha. Also stayed away after Breaking The Waves but went to see this one last night and enjoyed it.

I'm encouraged since Amy Taubin says this is the first film by him she didn't hate.

It's good!

I was underwhelmed! It was pretty much Antichrist mk ii w/ swapped-out genre signifiers. And not as bracing. And about 40min. too long.

Really? I liked Antichrist (one of the three LvT films I do) but it felt like an elaborate joke. I think there's a real honesty in Melancholia that I find missing in most of his work. I think the ending is great and oddly human for him, which is why I wasn't surprised to find out he wished he had changed it because it felt too soft.

I find Melancholia to be the sillier movie. I realize that's a minority opinion.

I liked the way in the first half it was a Scandinavian family festival gone awry mixed with Antonioni-ennui with Kirsten Dunst in the Monica Vitti role and then it turned into a different movie so that the first half was partly in quotes.

Melancholia's only my second Von Trier film (I still have great memories of how audacious the musical interludes in Breaking the Waves were). The opening section will stay in my mind for a while, I'm sure. Once the film proper started, it held my interest for a while--Rachel Getting Married, more or less, however different their origins may be--then got really dragged-out towards the middle. (When I saw my friend starting to nod off, I nudged him and said, "Wake up, they're just about to get to the big prison break.") The final section works fine; genuinely frightening, and ultimately very sad. Much to my surprise, both the prologue and the ending are on YouTube. I'm going to show a couple minutes of the former to my class tomorrow, and even be rotten enough to show them the ending. (They won't mind at all--last year, when I showed the opening of Kane, they begged me to tell them what Rosebud was. I wouldn't.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaNoM_QTDns&feature=related

fuck

antichrist was absolutely the worst piece of shit fuck cunt crap i'd seen in ten years. but then i saw that rom-com with ryan gosling as a slick well dressed hustler and that was even worse.

I liked the way in the first half it was a Scandinavian family festival gone awry mixed with Antonioni-ennui with Kirsten Dunst in the Monica Vitti role and then it turned into a different movie so that the first half was partly in quotes.

this is about right!

even down to Dunst in extreme long shot getting fucked on a gulf course

A couple days ago I watched Von Trier's earliest known work... a stop-motion animated short from 1967 called "The Trip to Squash Land" --- every Von Trier movie derives from it, sorta.

Screenshots to follow

Little Lars Trier hadn't yet taken the "von" affectation

http://www.quartzcity.net/images/TurenTilSquashland0001.jpg
http://www.quartzcity.net/images/TurenTilSquashland0002.jpg
http://www.quartzcity.net/images/TurenTilSquashland0003.jpg

Three rabbits frolic around Squashland

http://www.quartzcity.net/images/TurenTilSquashland0004.jpg

"Oh yeah? This is Squashland! Beware!"

http://www.quartzcity.net/images/TurenTilSquashland0005.jpg

"LA LA LA! We don't care!"

http://www.quartzcity.net/images/TurenTilSquashland0006.jpg

"Do you really want to know?"

http://www.quartzcity.net/images/TurenTilSquashland0007.jpg

Super Sausage seems to be ineffectual...

http://www.quartzcity.net/images/TurenTilSquashland0008.jpg

Hey, one rabbit is missing!

http://www.quartzcity.net/images/TurenTilSquashland0009.jpg

?????? WTF?

http://www.quartzcity.net/images/TurenTilSquashland0010.jpg

The end

On a serious note, the "Justine" chapter's assured tone and pace almost compensated for risible ideas that (a) only Von Trier could conceive (Justine's boss asking her to think of taglines on a wedding night. REALLY?!) and (b) only a male director can conceive (e.g. Justine can release her existential angst only by fucking on a golf course and acting like Kirsten Dunst).

Still, I don't get the complaints about Dunst -- she's one of those actresses who's excellent at projecting sensuality. Charlotte Gainsborough is the rotten egg here. After this and I'm Not There she's cornered the market on bourgeois sourness.

as far as apocalyptic dramas go I prefer Take Shelter.

im not sure as to the ultimate worth of Melancholia but it struck me as kind of remarkable as a defense of depression as a certain kind of truth, or a way of knowing. i can't remember the exact words, but Dunst says something to the effect of "I know things."

Von Trier said several times that he found himself bored mid-way through Melancholia and it shows. The second half (despite looking great) was just a mess of histrionics from Gainsbourg and Sutherland and by the end I was muttering DIAA (die in an apocalypse). Thought Dunst was great...

I didn't mind Sutherland one bit; that raspy voice is good at sardonic remarks.

sutherland was awesome in this! he kept owning the shit out of everyone

i think i said in another thread that i found this to be pretty minor, but not bad. i was really into some of the imagery, like the shot of the two 'moons' lighting the courtyard

Really? I was so happy when Sutherland finally left the movie.

http://d1oi7t5trwfj5d.cloudfront.net/80/a8/06029ea745fb9ff17ed1531aa0ca/nympomaniac-character-posters.png

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/which-is-your-favorite-check-out-the-beautifully-strange-character-posters-for-nymphomaniac-20131010

And, for posterity:

http://d1oi7t5trwfj5d.cloudfront.net/a5/e4/5213fecc4da1ab6c6e38b1641d5f/characters-udo.jpg

stoked for this. i think von trier's last two movies have been his best.

smelling lars von trier movies?

Well, this one would be an interesting one to huff, yeah.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e9/Scanners.jpg

20 Seconds.
You Explode.

Sorry. This never happened to me before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSOONAsCG0U

nws

He's gone Colonel Kurtz

http://multimedia.pol.dk/archive/00894/trier-14_894972y.jpg

(English summary: http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/nov/28/lars-von-trier-i-was-addicted-to-drugs-and-alcohol)

Lars von Trier has revealed that he is undergoing treatment for drugs and alcohol addiction. Speaking to the newspaper Politiken, the Danish film director reported that he is now clean and attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings daily.

In his first major interview since a self-imposed vow of silence following his controversial comments expressing empathy for Adolf Hitler in 2011, the director, 58, said almost all his films had been written under the influence.

Von Trier explained he felt a daily bottle of vodka helped him enter a “parallel world” necessary for creation and that coming off both alcohol and drugs might mean he could only produce “shitty films”.

Von Trier has before spoken of previous struggles with depression. In the interview, he expresses scepticism about the potential value of any future work, as well as his capacity to produce it.

“I don’t know if I can make any more films, and that worries me,” he said. “There is no creative expression of artistic value that has ever been produced by ex-drunkards and ex-drug-addicts. Who the hell would bother with a Rolling Stones without booze or with a Jimi Hendrix without heroin?”

There's A Tasteless Shakey Cam Joke In This Somewhere...

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/feb/12/lars-von-trier-admitted-to-a-care-centre-following-parkinsons-diagnosis

Danish film-maker Lars von Trier, who has Parkinson’s disease, has been admitted to a care centre, his production company said on Wednesday.

One of the biggest names in contemporary auteur cinema, Von Trier has directed more than 14 feature films, often disturbing and violent.

“Lars is currently associated with a care centre that can provide him with the treatment and care his condition requires,” Zentropa producer Louise Vesth posted on Instagram.
“It’s a complement to his own private accommodation. Lars is doing well under the circumstances,” she added, lamenting the “need to pass on very personal information” following speculation in the Danish media.

Von Trier made public his diagnosis in 2022, when he was aged 66.