Is this a good year for movies?

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I just don't know.

― s1utsky (slutsky), Friday, 10 October 2003 03:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Neither do I. But it could turn out to be. This one is the best I saw thus far:

http://images.art.com/images/products/regular/10093000/10093107.jpg

― Gear! (Gear!), Friday, 10 October 2003 03:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Seriously??

I don't know how to answer that, S1utsky. My immediate reaction would be a huge "no", but apparently I Love Film. It's been an okay year for franchise movies that proved to be more entertaining than maybe they had a right to be. But where's the new blood? The breakout talent? The controversy (Though I wait for Vincent Gallo's "Brown Bunny" with not a little trepidation)? Even the old masters putting the smack down and showing how it's done? I feel woefully out of sync with the rest of the moviegoing public recently. Lost In Translation, Swimming Pool, etc. have really done nothing for me.

Maybe I'm jaded.

― adaml (adaml), Friday, 10 October 2003 03:52 (twenty-one years ago)

You know what's so stupid? I haven't even SEEN the last two movies you mentioned, and they're probably the ones that appeal most to me this year! What the fuck is wrong with me?

― s1utsky (slutsky), Friday, 10 October 2003 03:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Well...maybe you would like them. I'm not saying you wouldn't, and a lot of people did.

― adaml (adaml), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I still really, really liked Charlie's Angels:Full Throttle. It feels sinful to even say that, for some reason.

― adaml (adaml), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Film rockism, maybe?

― adaml (adaml), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:01 (twenty-one years ago)

I liked the first one better (now THAT's film rockism)

― s1utsky (slutsky), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Is 25th Hour counting as 2002 or 2003, since it didn't open nationally until early January?

What I remember seeing and enjoying this year:

Once Upon A Time In Mexico
25th Hour
Identity
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
the School of Rock
Cabin Fever
Dirty Pretty Things
Raising Victor Vargas
The Good Thief
A Decade Under the Influence
The Shape of Things

Mystic River, the Station Agent and Elephant all look good, too.

Looks like a pretty good year

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:07 (twenty-one years ago)

God damn it, what movies have I liked this year? As I posted on another thread, The Italian Job, Pirates of the Caribbean, SWAT and Freaky Friday I seemed to enjoy than any other other movies this summer, which I never would have ever EVER predicted.

― s1utsky (slutsky), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:09 (twenty-one years ago)

PS 25th Hour doesn't count (sadly)

― s1utsky (slutsky), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:09 (twenty-one years ago)

25th hour was pretty good, but very flawed. (x-post)
Pirates of the Carribean was also enjoyable.

I mostly hated Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.

I want to see SWAT and Mystic River.

And yes, I'm curious about Elephant, but I don't think I will like it.

To my shame, I haven't seen Morvern Callar yet. I'm dying to see that, but that's as close as I am to *excited* about anything, and that film's over a year old.

― adaml (adaml), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:12 (twenty-one years ago)

I almost went to see Party Monster last week. I'm sure that's terrible.

As for trailers I have seen...Singing Detective, Veronica Guerin, and Intolerable Cruelty ALL look bad. I think SD might even join the turkey pantheon alongside Munchausen and Ishtar.

― adaml (adaml), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:15 (twenty-one years ago)

"Seriously, Dude Where's My Car?" might be something to see, though.

― adaml (adaml), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I loved Spellbound.

― Annouschka Magnatech (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, I got all excited about that being from this year, but I guess it's not. Right?

― s1utsky (slutsky), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:15 (twenty-one years ago)

(that was about MOrvern Callar)

I want Singing Detective to be good becaue I like Mel in a bald wig.

― s1utsky (slutsky), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:15 (twenty-one years ago)

man, that sounds like I'm the filthiest weirdest pervert ever

― s1utsky (slutsky), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Capturing the Friedmans was good too.

― Annouschka Magnatech (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:16 (twenty-one years ago)

I just mean I like his PRESENCE ONSCREEN when he is BALD (last capitalization added for no reason)

― s1utsky (slutsky), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, Spellbound was good. And Capturing The Friedmans. And American Splendor. but none of them blew me away. I'm messed up!

― adaml (adaml), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Why did I not see Spellbound and Friedmans? Man.

American Splendor was OK.

― s1utsky (slutsky), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:17 (twenty-one years ago)

We all have our little peccadilloes, s1utsky.

― adaml (adaml), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:18 (twenty-one years ago)

(this was in reference to Mel, btw)

― adaml (adaml), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:18 (twenty-one years ago)

There is some interesting stuff on at the London Film Festival that will be coming out soon (my mom sent me the brochure): Dogville, It's About Love, Girl With The Pearl Earring, and 21 Grams (New film from Amores Perros guy, with Sean Penn, at least I THINK that's what it is called).

― adaml (adaml), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm really looking forward to seeing Power Trip.

― Annouschka Magnatech (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:21 (twenty-one years ago)

That looks fascinating.

― s1utsky (slutsky), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:23 (twenty-one years ago)

That looks good, Jody.

Anyone for Grand Theft Parsons?

― adaml (adaml), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:24 (twenty-one years ago)

It got a decent review here.

― adaml (adaml), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Only if they make a video game version.

― s1utsky (slutsky), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:28 (twenty-one years ago)

*cries*

I miss video games.

― adaml (adaml), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Pac-Man would make a great movie. or Frogger.

― adaml (adaml), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:29 (twenty-one years ago)

They already did, it's called [uh, funny joke goes here]

― s1utsky (slutsky), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:31 (twenty-one years ago)

I want to see Pieces of April, it looks (to my shame) right up my alley.

The Jessica Alba as hip-hop dancer flick is essential, though I might wait for DVD to make it a Save the Last Dance double-bill.

Radio and Veronica Guerin look like they'll be the worst movies of the fall.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:37 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm seeing that Pieces of APril movie in a week-and-a-half. Maybe it'll be good. The title sure stinks though. Unfortunately I'm supposed to go see fucking RADIO on Saturday night.

― s1utsky (slutsky), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:40 (twenty-one years ago)

What's Radio?

I keep getting Pieces of April confused with Thirteen.

― adaml (adaml), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Still, at least Steven Soderbergh appears to be taking a break.

― adaml (adaml), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyone have any thoughts on Winged Migration?

― Annouschka Magnatech (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Ed Harris is a high school football coach, Cuba Gooding, Jr. is a mentally-handicapped dude. Much heart-warming ensues.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Winged Migration-No, I wanted to see it, but didn't. It actually sounds pretty good, though. Did you see it?

― adaml (adaml), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:44 (twenty-one years ago)

milo, that sounds awful.

― adaml (adaml), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Did you see it?

No... a friend swore it changed his life, but I watched the trailer and it seems a little precious and new-agey. Could just be a bad trailer.

― Annouschka Magnatech (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Thirteen was OK. Actually somewhat sub-OK.

Winged Migration came out here a year ago so it doesn't count for me.

― s1utsky (slutsky), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:46 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/radio/

I love the end where Ed Harris says "Truth is we're not the ones been teaching Radio, Radio been the one teaching us."

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Friday, 10 October 2003 04:55 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm seeing Power Trip tomorrow. I'll let you know how it is.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Friday, 10 October 2003 05:25 (twenty-one years ago)

This is either one of the worst years for film in recent memory, or my personal interest in film is just waning. My favorites this year: All the Real Girls, Spellbound, and Lilya 4-Ever. I also liked Capturing the Friedmans, American Splendor, and Lost in Translation, but wasn't totally blown away by them. What else have I seen? Not much, I'm afraid. Is it just me, or does it seem like A Mighty Wind came out like three years ago? Is anybody going to remember it by the end of the year?

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 10 October 2003 06:14 (twenty-one years ago)

I didn't see Winged Migration, but I have good word from my usually trustworthy gorlfriend that it's very good. It's full of a lot of shots so close to flying birds that you can see thier wings hit the camera lens, and you wonder, "How the fuck did they do that?" And there are penguins. You can't front on penguins.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Friday, 10 October 2003 06:23 (twenty-one years ago)

The trailer for Radio made me want to cash in my chips and ship off to an alien planet. I don't care which one.

Kenan is a wise man. There will be no fucking with penguins in my house. Not now, not ever.

― rob geary (rgeary), Friday, 10 October 2003 06:34 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, penguins are pretty great.

― Annouschka Magnatech (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 10 October 2003 06:37 (twenty-one years ago)

I mean, Sweet Baby ODB, what happened to Cuba? He once had some modicum of actual, not-phony talent. Now he's rolling around with Alaskan huskies and mugging like crazy as an...um...handicapped person. The most insulting part is now and forever he is referred to in trailers as ACADEMY AWARD WINNER CUBA GOODING JR.

― rob geary (rgeary), Friday, 10 October 2003 06:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 165 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

i'm going to see 2046 in a few weeks at the edinburgh festival. i haven't seen a movie since 21 grammes about 4 months ago nor have i wanted to. i didn't even want to see that particularly (it was a date). it was pretty good though i suppose.

― jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 01:06 (twenty years ago)

garden state might be the worst movie i've ever seen

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 01:26 (twenty years ago)

What about it? It looked shit, but I couldn't put my finger on why from the promo kit.

― x j e r e m y (x Jeremy), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 01:28 (twenty years ago)

it's what happens when indie boys decide they want to make the next rushmore/donnie darko. i almost walked out of the press screening. my girl and i were both disgusted by how contrived and "quirky" the motherfucker was but most of the critics there were CRYING. it's really annoyed me how good the press for it has been.

(also, and this really has nothing to do with my dislike for the film, the skeleton plot for this is very, very, very similar to the first screenplay a friend and i wrote in 97 or 98. ours was awful. it is better than this garden state's.)

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 01:32 (twenty years ago)

um, that basically confirms what I'd suspected.

― x j e r e m y (x Jeremy), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 01:37 (twenty years ago)

It was good -- perhaps a little precious.

― ModJ, Critic, Tuesday, 10 August 2004 01:38 (twenty years ago)

how contrived and "quirky" the motherfucker was
That confirms my suspicions, too. The one shot (that I've whined about before) from the trailer - the guy from Scrubs in a paisley shirt that blends into the wallpaper while that weird song plays - gives me the fear.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 03:05 (twenty years ago)

that's the "wes anderson" shot.

― |a|m|t|r|s|t| (amateurist), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 03:11 (twenty years ago)

My skpeticism has a lot to do with Natalie Portman's involvement. I question her judgement these days.

― herbert hebert (herbert hebert), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 03:20 (twenty years ago)

that's the "wes anderson" shot.

The fact that such a thing exists after only three movies oughtta prove some sort of point, but I'm not sure exactly what it would be.

― x j e r e m y (x Jeremy), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 03:22 (twenty years ago)

that he has a very distinctive style the influence of which can be detected in the work of young filmmakers?

― |a|m|t|r|s|t| (amateurist), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 03:33 (twenty years ago)

Err, I think that if his stylistic influence is reducible (and recognizable) in a single shot, perhaps he should try a little harder.

― x j e r e m y (x Jeremy), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 03:38 (twenty years ago)

i don't think that's true; one can observe the influence of say, john ford, or antonioni, or murnau, or whomever, in a single shot. it just struck me as a very wes anderson type of thing: using color design to hammer home a sense of a character's anxiety. other directors do that of course, but wes anderson seems the most proximate precedent.

― |a|m|t|r|s|t| (amateurist), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 03:41 (twenty years ago)

although, actually, yes, you have something of a point there: this shot is noticeable as the "wes anderson" shot in part because anderson's films do have a kind of bag of tricks quality, stylistically. but i don't think that's so bad.

― |a|m|t|r|s|t| (amateurist), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 03:43 (twenty years ago)

sorry that was a bit muddled. tell me if it wasn't clear and i'll try again.

― |a|m|t|r|s|t| (amateurist), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 03:46 (twenty years ago)

I agree partly ... in ford, antonioni, murnau (why stop there, even), carne, hawkes, huston, leone, almodovar you can recognize certain styles, graphic elements, whatever, that'll peg themselves to their director. BUT: individual setups aren't nearly as recognizable, aren't usually contrived for the purpose of marking the film as the work of one creator and the promotion of an auteurist. I'm not insulting wes anderson - bottle rocket was good and rushmore was great - but his middle-american ugly-anachronism schtick needs some reevaluation, and a reason for inclusion other than an ironic-trucker-hat gee-whizness, IMHO.

― x j e r e m y (x Jeremy), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 03:50 (twenty years ago)

okay, I think we're on the same page. Sorry for the xposting.

― x j e r e m y (x Jeremy), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 03:51 (twenty years ago)

i guess one reason it's not, say, the "douglas sirk" shot (aside from "douglas sirk = who? to most people") is that the use of the color design is pretty strident, and that kind of stridency is characteristic of anderson. also: the rectilinear quality of the shot. that too has an anderson-esque quality.

― |a|m|t|r|s|t| (amateurist), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 03:55 (twenty years ago)

rectilinear and: arranged perpedicular to the camera. again, lots of people use such setups (esp. many 70s/80s art films), but anderson uses it in a special way.... there's like a mug-shot quality of embarrassed exposure.

― |a|m|t|r|s|t| (amateurist), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 03:57 (twenty years ago)

or character revelation, i mean.

― |a|m|t|r|s|t| (amateurist), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 03:58 (twenty years ago)

It's funny, you actually just articulated (the rectilinear quality of the shot) something that's always bothered me about WA films that I've never been able to put my finger on. The sort of 90-degree staging, the one-plane-at-a-time movement, it is all so ... rectilinear. Cheers!

― x j e r e m y (x Jeremy), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 03:59 (twenty years ago)

i don't really anticipate this movie being any good, but mostly because the director/writer/star seems to have been under the mistaken impression that natalie portman can act. she is gorgeous, seems like a class act all around...but she cannot act. on the available evidence.

― |a|m|t|r|s|t| (amateurist), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 04:02 (twenty years ago)

how bad does that mike nichols film with portman and jude law--closer-- look? the audience booed after the trailer for that one.

― |a|m|t|r|s|t| (amateurist), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 04:03 (twenty years ago)

I get, natch, the motive behind it. It's just that the deliberate antiquing can grate a little, and it seems to lack a little discipline in its application. Also ... JW's chubby gay friend was dancing on a table and fell on Portman at a party once.

― x j e r e m y (x Jeremy), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 04:04 (twenty years ago)

lots of my friends had portman encounters when i (and she) was living in boston. none of them were unflattering to her.

― |a|m|t|r|s|t| (amateurist), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 04:05 (twenty years ago)

|a|m|t|r|s|t| = natalie portman?

― x j e r e m y (x Jeremy), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 04:07 (twenty years ago)

i fancy me

― |a|m|t|r|s|t| (amateurist), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 04:12 (twenty years ago)

ok wait now my head is exploding hold on

― |a|m|t|r|s|t| (amateurist), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 04:12 (twenty years ago)

Garden State set off all my B.S. meters too because the damn thing is being hawked everywhere here in LA, on IFC, etc. etc.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 04:16 (twenty years ago)

I can't think of any Portman movies I've liked recently, except for the glorified LIfetime movie with her and Ashley Judd.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 04:17 (twenty years ago)

The backlash begins before we've even seen the movie. At least the ILX haters waited to hate Lost in Translation until it was out.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 04:18 (twenty years ago)

(i liked LIT, more or less)

― |a|m|t|r|s|t| (amateurist), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 04:20 (twenty years ago)

Okay I am kind of rowing back on Teh Dreamerz. But it has been a good year:

demonlover (2002 -- what the shit)
eternal sunshine
before sunset
last life in the universe
the dreamers
[2046 i hope]
red lights -- really good french thriller
it all about love dogg

and some others i have now forgotten. anchorman looks good, the documentaries have been interesting (including this 'hamberg cell' in the UK about the 9/11 guys), and there's still another 4.5 months.

― ENRQ (Enrique), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 11:28 (twenty years ago)

the shot with the matching shirt/wallpaper seems more like the "parapluies de cherbourg" shot to me (or the almodovar shot!--bad education has a couple of those)

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 13:48 (twenty years ago)

"parapluies de cherbourg" sort of has a blocked-off primary colors thing happening, though (god, what a beautiful movie). the almodovar--maybe. i'll have to see the film. i guess the whole "americana" angle led me to think of anderson.

― |a|m|t|r|s|t| (amateurist), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 14:41 (twenty years ago)

i'm thinking specifically of the scenes where catherine deneuve's blouse exactly matches (in pattern and colour) the wallpaper behind her

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 14:42 (twenty years ago)

oh yeah! it's been a while since i've seen it (and i even own it duh).

so anyway have you seen the trailer for this pierce brosnan/woody harrelson jewel thief movie? i think brett ratner is the worst name-above-the-title director working today, and this preview doesn't exactly give me cause to revise that opinion.

― |a|m|t|r|s|t| (amateurist), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 14:49 (twenty years ago)

the phrase "catherine deneuve's blouse" is strangely arousing. well, not so strangely.

― |a|m|t|r|s|t| (amateurist), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 14:50 (twenty years ago)

Yes, that's a pretty memorable one. But that film exists entirely under the auspices of contrivance, traditionalism, whatever - and Almodovar's films are so utterly lyrical and self-contained that the kind of playfulness GS seems to be demonstrating looks quite lame and 'here's what I learned in film school' without having any of the cinematographic restraint and overall control of the others. Also, FWIW, the opening credits of parapluies de cherbourg are among the coolest I've ever seen.

― x j e r e m y (x Jeremy), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 14:51 (twenty years ago)

that should be an indie band/song (xp)

yeah uh brett rattner the thing about that guy is that i uh well it's kinda hard to say this but ok I ALWAYS KINDA LIKE HIS MOVIES DESPITE MYSELF ESPECIALLY FAMILY MAN AND I AM ASHAMED OF MYSELF

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 14:51 (twenty years ago)

jeremy i'm not sure what you're saying (possibly because i haven't seen this movie yet)

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 15:07 (twenty years ago)

Almodovar is horseshit

― ModJ, Critic, Tuesday, 10 August 2004 15:09 (twenty years ago)

that's a powerful argument.

― |a|m|t|r|s|t| (amateurist), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 15:10 (twenty years ago)

and a dead-wrong one.

― x j e r e m y (x Jeremy), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 19:13 (twenty years ago)

What is this mysterious Almodovar movie that keeps being referenced? I wasn't aware he had a new one.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 19:18 (twenty years ago)

"bad education," it's awesome!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 19:53 (twenty years ago)

amodovar sucks - his old films are ridiculous and boring the more recent ones are dull and boring.

― jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 19:57 (twenty years ago)

told!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 10 August 2004 20:01 (twenty years ago)

Dull and boring how? Not to start a holy war (and I'm one of his greatest crusaders, so my opinion's extremely biased), but how do you call Carne Tremula or Hable con Ella boring? They're chock-a-block with insanity, prettiness, and a rather muted (though not insignificant) physical violence, no?

― x j e r e m y (x Jeremy), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 02:03 (twenty years ago)

the whole horseshit thing

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 02:42 (twenty years ago)

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