Taking Sides on 90's Films Pt. 2: "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" vs. "Man Bites Dog"

I haven't seen "Henry," but I suspect "Dog" is the better movie anyway.

I have yet to watch this film a second time, and the wife's never seen it, but it's a hard thing to justify mentally as a "fun" rental... director also went on to genius stuff (Wild Things!) what the fuck else did the Man Bites Dog guys ever do...

what the fuck else did the Man Bites Dog guys ever do...

Well, they're Belgians. So, maybe they're big in Belgium? I do remember seeing Benoit again in something.

The flat acting I was talking about was more on the part of the supporting cast (specifically Otis' sister).

I don't remember much about the female lead's role in Henry, you may well be right. the only real dialogue I can recall is when Henry's talking to her about being abused as a child and killing his mother.

ugh, that videotaping scene. I don't know if I really could watch that again.

http://www.scifilm.org/images3/henryportrait2.jpg

And Natural Born Killers doesn't suck! It's great!

Just thinking of Tommy Lee Jones' head on a stick brings a smile to my face.

I liked Kalifornia too!

Is Psycho a serial killer movie?

I haven't seen Haneke's Funny Games either, but something tells me it probably fits in this category.

Technically, yes, but I would like Hitchcock if he'd only directed episodes of "The New Yankee Workshop".

x-post

'natural born killers' is the only good film that guy made.

robert altman's 'popeye' is great.

'three colours blue' is better than I remembered.

'man bites dog' is the best of these two.

the book is "inspired by" the ed gein case: i'm not sure that he killed that many either, though (as opposed to diggin em up)

did he kill his mom though?

he killed a neighbour and hung her up, gutted, in his garage.

I think, it's been a while since I read the book, maybe he killed another 2/3, or maybe just (haha spelled: '"just"') dug them up.

i'm not sure if the psycho tie-up is meant to be trustworthy fact, or just goofy

I assumed it was the same hit-men (mob?) that killed his family and pseudo-girlfriend.

'natural born killers' is the only good film that guy made.

robert altman's 'popeye' is great.

'three colours blue' is better than I remembered.

'man bites dog' is the best of these two."

no

no

no

no

no

J'adore the Trois Couleurs trilogy...Blanc in particular.

Although I think the copy of Henry I saw was censored.. I don't remember the video taping scene to be as hideous as many suggest, though perhaps I've become too desensitized to these sort of things.

upset me: this one scene where the crew takes part in the slaying of a family

make me laugh: best scene in the movie, where they run into another serial killer who's being followed around by another documentary crew!

"hook": 'rufio, rufio, RU-FI-OOO' - uh, who the hell is rufio?

what other good films did that guy make? "any given sunday"?!

"popeye" = cinema's "mario 2", ergo data SUM

"bleu" is nearly as good as the almost-great pts. of dekalog

"man bites dog" is the best of these two.

I realise I might have said nothing substantial.

(it was on TV last night)

I really like Wall Street, Platoon, Salvador, 8 Million Ways To Die, Conan The Barbarian, Scarface, The Hand, U-Turn, Any Given Sunday, Midnight Express, and Talk Radio.

I LOVE Natural Born Killers.

I like Born On The Fourth Of July okay. (like it more now then when it came out.)

The Doors and JFK have some great moments.

Other than that, I have no opinion.

-- scott seward (skotro...), November 7th, 2004. (scott seward)

cops: and then there wz a girl in wisconsin
hll: yes i did her
cops: she was 5'8" w.blonde hair
hll: yes that's right

hee hee! It takes all kinds!

just saw Man Bites Dog for the first time since early '90s, and it's good, not a wowzer. It'd be more challenging perhaps if the denouement didn't seem moralistic (evil punished etc).

Still haven't seen Henry.

I can't help but defend C'est Arrivé Près De Chez Vous. Just so utterly compelling. Especially the nauseating dinner scene It's been ages since I have seen it, but I still remember certain scenes. Also, it's a belgian movie, so I gotta defend it. lol I can't remember the end though. I really enjoyed the main actor Benoit Poelvoorde. Also how can you not like the faux documentary style of the movie?

saw Henry for the first time last night at BAM. As J.Ro hints, it's mostly a very well made drive-in movie. I was expecting a start-to-finish arthouse thing, and got "plug in the TV, Otis" and a head sawed off.

McNaughton did better with his first two studio films (excellent use of Bill Murray, and in Wild Things the young actors are in, um, great shape).

huh had no idea he made the Borrower, maybe I should see that.

I have next to no memory of Mad Dog and Glory (I assume that's the second studio film yr referring to)

IIRC Mad Dog and Glory is a Richard Price original. Haven't seem it since it came out, but my memory is that it was tonally very inconsistent - not quite a comedy, not quite a crime movie - and that McNaughton couldn't redeem the slightly distasteful idea at the heart of it (Uma as object passed between bros). It might've aged well, but Wild Things is more entertaining, and Henry definitely packs more of a punch, imho.

Murray is genuinely scary in Mad Dog

"C'est arrivé près de chez vous" is great but I have a hard time seeing how non french speaking people can really appreciate it since with Poelvoorde the words and expressions are essential.
to me its greatness is mostly (only ?) due to poelvoorde's outstanding performance. I mean he was for a while the funniest (and then saddest) man alive !
between "c'est arrivé" and "monsieur manatane" (tv show) it's some of the best comedy ever.

I mean...
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3bjii_mr-manatane-les-cyclistes_fun

my local arthouse cinema has gotten to be complete shit over the years, now basically shows indie movies that even Regals pick up and show 5 times a day, but the one thing they still do well is their Cult Classics, and what they call their Uncomfortable Brunch, which they show a fucked up movie at 12 noon on a Sunday.

today's is Man Bites Dog. i'm going. I've never seen it.

what should I...uh...expect

a man bites a dog

Goddammit well now that's spoiled. Gonna go see Naked Lunch then

It's really good and often very funny, in a very dry way. It's perhaps equally disturbing as "Henry," but more overtly darkly comedic. Maybe more of a meta message buried in there, too.

it's a good black comedy parody of a crime documentary, but doesn't really bear repeated viewings

Why would one watch it repeatedly though ? I don’t think I’ve watched it again since its release (and I liked it a lot back then !).

I rarely watch movies more than once anymore anyway.

Except for the Mad Max series

I’m not sure how enjoyable it is for non French speaking people though since it relies A LOT on the language and expression of B. Poelvoorde (who was a comedy genius back then).

And of course it was already pretty trash and non PC then so I don’t even know how it could be received now…

saw it when it came out, the friend I went with was I think somewhat disturbed by it. some of it was funny for sure, some of it very unpleasant and yeah may not have aged well.

I really don't remember why but I think I've seen it four times.

I saw it once when it came out, once via Criterion. No idea how it (or I) would hold up if I saw it again today.

Enjoyed it but damn