In this thread you list(/discuss) the films you've recently purchased.

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I just bought a few things for my father on the occasion of his birthday (nevermind that I bought them today and his birthday was on Wednesday). Some CDs and two DVDs

Rules of Attraction - goddamn is this film like one of the most underrated things that came out last year. I'm not saying it's perfect, but as I've probably stated before, at the least it's Roger Avary's vindication over Tarantino. The editing, obtrusive as it is, is well done and is thematically justifiable. And the European vacation alone is worth the price of a ticket...er, rental...I wouldn't buy the film just for it, but you never know.

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three - Walter Matthau, Jerry Stiller, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam, Hector Elisondo (sp?), Matthew Broderick's dad, a hijacked NYC subway train, good humor and pacing, tension without being heavy-handed, and a good influence which so many films in the wake of the Die Hardification of the subgenre have not paid careful enough attention to.

― Girolamo Savonarola, Sunday, 12 October 2003 06:19 (twenty-two years ago)

goddamn is this film like one of the most underrated things that came out last year

Girolamo, your overall excellent taste bears you out, but...I hated this film more than any one person perhaps should hate a film. That said, the European vacation scene is a decent microcosm of everything I loathed about this film, so to each his own.

― adaml (adaml), Sunday, 12 October 2003 11:35 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't like it either. Too many film school-ish film references ("Look, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is playing in the background! Look, my characters talk about The Man With a Movie Camera! I know film!") and the whole thing felt like Roger Avery TRYING to do Pulp Fiction. The crazy drug dealer who talks about having an asshole on his elbow felt like a bad high school drama club imitation of Samuel L. Jackson in PF.

But then of course, as was mentioned, to each his own.

― Anthony (Anthony F), Sunday, 12 October 2003 15:04 (twenty-two years ago)

But now I will stick to the question. The films I've recently purchased:

Once Upon a Time in Mexico (bootleg): Take some Sergio Leone, a lot of guns and explosions, and a whole heaping of Mexican pride and toss them all in a blender. Splatter the contents across the screen and you've got this overedited, incomprehensible and really rather brilliant popcorn flick. I didn't care if it made any sense. I loved every minute of it.

Kill Bill vol. 1 (bootleg): God, how I loved this film. Anxious doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about the upcoming Volume 2. One thing I love about a good action film is that there's no psychological depth. She's pissed. She wants revenge. She kicks ass. That's it. Sometimes in life, that's all it is. I don't need QT to explore the depths of Uma Thurman's character. Just give me lots of sword fighting and plenty of good set pieces. Let's just say I was more than satisfied. This movie also really made me realize how hung up on art I have gotten. I'm in no way giving up on my old buddies Bergman or Antonioni, but I really need some good trash movies to cleanse my system. And you know what? I think I'll start by renting a bunch of Sonny Chiba films.

Fargo (Special Edition): I don't know why, but watching this film again recently, I loved it more than before. Maybe thats cause I already own the VHS and original DVD, and watching this new DVD it had this sense of familiarity, like I was visiting some old friends.

Scarface (Anniversary Edition): Pure bloody brilliance. Simple as that.

The Godfather Collection: I'm a cheap bastard, so it's taken me literally forever to finally get this thing. But I was in Target and there was a PRICE CUT (God, how I love those), and the collection was on sale for a measly 60 bucks. So now I can finally watch the trilogy without seeing the crappy chopped-up TV version. Amen to that.

― Anthony (Anthony F), Sunday, 12 October 2003 15:19 (twenty-two years ago)

God, Rules of Attraction was infuriating. I'm sure Avary didn't intend for me to laugh at Van Der Beeks' third-rate Christian Bale impression. Flashy rubbish.
Tarantino is worlds apart from Avary.

― David Steans, Sunday, 12 October 2003 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I'll take Rules of Attraction any day over Kill Bill Vol 1.

― Girolamo Savonarola, Sunday, 12 October 2003 21:15 (twenty-two years ago)

ok i am mixed on both, but try this: Rules of Attraction is about nihilism, while Kill Bill is nihilism.

thank you and goodnight.

― ryan (ryan), Sunday, 12 October 2003 23:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Rules of Attraction is about nihilism, while Kill Bill is nihilism.

I sense tautology...

― Girolamo Savonarola, Monday, 13 October 2003 01:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, come on...

;)

― adaml (adaml), Monday, 13 October 2003 03:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I rarely buy movies but I'm going to sell some tomorrow cuz I'm broke!

― s1utsky (slutsky), Monday, 13 October 2003 04:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Whaddaya got for sale?

― Anthony (Anthony F), Monday, 13 October 2003 05:29 (twenty-two years ago)

A bunch of crap I got from work. Nothing you'd want, I think, unless you're really into straight-to-video.

― s1utsky (slutsky), Monday, 13 October 2003 14:34 (twenty-two years ago)

I enjoyed "Rules of Attraction" quite a bit. I'm a bit sick of seeing it get beat up on. It's not a masterpiece but it's probably the only relevant teen movie to have been made in a long time. The overall concept of a love triangle where each person loves someone who doesn't love them back played itself out in an interesting way. Especially the irony that each person is simply applying human characteristics to the subject of their adoration that they don't posses. The movie definitely indulges in its vices while condemning them but that's completely true to the world of the characters. These people are shallow and they hate themselves and they don't know where to even begin looking for something meaningful.
There's a supposedly New Wave-ish Japanese film (from 2002) called "All About Lilly Chou Chou" which sounds thematically and formalistically similar to "Rules" that I'm curious about. Has anyone seen it?

― theodore fogelsanger, Monday, 13 October 2003 15:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, it was kind of interesting-looking but very long and boring.

― s1utsky (slutsky), Monday, 13 October 2003 17:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Let me just say one thing about Rules of Attraction. Any of its good qualities can be attributed to the novel. The movie sucks on its own terms. If you read the book, the movie sucks even more.

There, I've said my piece.

― Anthony (Anthony F), Monday, 13 October 2003 18:21 (twenty-two years ago)

I've read the novel and everything else by Ellis. I honestly prefer the film (although I prefer the novel for American Psycho over the film). Especially toward the end of "Rules" when Sean realizes he can't have Lauren. There's a faint trace of human emotion fighting its way to the surface. I think Avery tragi-comically heightens these characters desire for some sort non selfish human experience more effectively than in the book. The novel never gave much of a sense that the characters had feelings period.

― theodore fogelsanger, Monday, 13 October 2003 19:54 (twenty-two years ago)

rules of attraction i liked a lot. movie of american psycho was lame. i recently wondered if it could have been o.k. if it were made by a french director. say the 'irreversible' dude. basically i thought it was lacking in violence. anyways the last movies i bought were all the real girls, beautiful girls, x: the unheard music, grand canyon and eversmile, new jersey.

― ron (ron), Thursday, 16 October 2003 04:08 (twenty-two years ago)

As soon as I get DVD player, I will be posting to this thread, but I will most likely be getting the aforementioned Brakhage Criterion thing and the Fargo re-release.

― adaml (adaml), Thursday, 16 October 2003 06:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Spacehunter: Adventures In The Forbidden Zone
Blue Sunshine
Flirting
Away With Words (directed by Chris Doyle, Wong Kar Wai's DP)

love The Taking of Pelham One Two Three btw. ROA too.

― PVC (peeveecee), Monday, 20 October 2003 19:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I went to a flea market the other day and found a few movies (VHS) for a quarter a piece...besides a "Police Squad" collection, the one I remember the most is "Sweeney Todd", the filmed theatrical performance of the Sodheim musical. For some odd reason, I once rented it and loved it and foisted it on my then 4-5 year old daughter. Since it IS about a barber who is unfairly sentenced on trumped up charges by a decadent judge who wants Todd's wife (and daughter) and who (Todd) returns to London to seek revenge by being "the demon barber of Fleet Street" while helping Angela Landsbury make the "worst pies in London", filling them with unspeakable ingredients.....you get the idea.

Oh, I remember another one....Smooth Talk with Treat Williams and Laura Dern.

― ed dill (eddill), Monday, 3 November 2003 06:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I got CAPRICORN ONE out of a clearance bin yesterday. Even at 5 bucks it seemed like a stretch, but with Elliot Gould, James Brolin, OJ Simpson and Telly "Kojak" Savalas all in the same movie how could I pass it up. Haven't *watched* it yet though.

― PVC (peeveecee), Thursday, 6 November 2003 11:11 (twenty-one years ago)

The Pianist
Confessions of A Dangerous Mind
25th Hour

― Chris Hungus (Chris V), Thursday, 6 November 2003 16:16 (twenty-one years ago)

As yet unwatched - Le Cercle Rouge, Schizopolis, Vivre Sa Vie, Angel Season Two, Godard's Sympathy For the Devil

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Friday, 7 November 2003 06:26 (twenty-one years ago)

I just ordered a dirt-cheap used DVD for the serious Roger Corman movie about racism starring William Shatner. It better not disappoint.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Friday, 7 November 2003 06:35 (twenty-one years ago)

I haven't bought it yet myself (already have a crappy VHS of it) but I highly reccomend checking out George Franju's EYES WITHOUT A FACE which came out recently on DVD.

btw I watched Carpricorn One and was surprised at how much I dug it.

― PVC (peeveecee), Tuesday, 11 November 2003 23:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Gifts, self-presents, gratis stuff...

Straw Dogs - man oh man oh man. Why did I go so long without Mr. Peckinpah in my life? Criterion, I once again get down on my knees to offer supplications.

Casual Fridays - TV Carnage - the greatest there ever was. I haven't laughed this hard for longer than I can remember.

In the Bathtub of the World
I Was Possessed by God
A Little Stiff - Caveh Zahedi as Caveh Zahedi, experientialist and prospector of Holy Moments. His obscurity is quite unjustified.

Finding Nemo - worth every cent of praise it got. Anniversary present for my girlfriend.

The Doors - I found this double-disc set on sale new for $10 and I certainly couldn't pass that by. And I refuse to bend in my support for the Stony one. This movie also got me into the band back in middle school, and as such was my first introduction to real music (regardless of your opinion of the Doors, I never really listened to rock seriously before them). Yes, it does frequently indulge in caricaturization, but as a film metaphoric (as all Stone's films are) of the darkness latent in 1960's America that happens to be based somewhat faithfully upon the events, if not the personality, of a key musician during that time period, it is completely classic. And it does mark the beginning of his more creative editing - without this movie, JFK would have had no style whatsoever.

Roman Holiday - another one for my girlfriend. I like the way it doesn't give a Hollywood ending.

Roger Dodger - and one final one for my girlfriend. Neither of us have actually seen this one, but I've heard enough from people I trust about it that I'll buy it for her on faith.

― Girolamo Savonarola, Wednesday, 12 November 2003 04:00 (twenty-one years ago)

that is a weird movie to buy for your girlfriend dude!

― s1utsky (slutsky), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 05:27 (twenty-one years ago)

I can only assume you mean Roger Dodger? Tell me why - I still have time to return it for something else if you really think it's disasterous as a gift.

― Girolamo Savonarola, Wednesday, 12 November 2003 05:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Nemo was a little disappointing for me actually. Can't really say why, because I saw it on a plane w/ sleep deprivation.

Me:
Titus
Spirited Away
Exotica
Miller's Crossing
Thin Red Line
Tears of the Sun
Legally Blonde
Pianist

Hooray for C0lumbiah0use!

― L(E^24) (Leee), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 06:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Whoa. Eyes Without a Face is on DVD now? How long have I been hibernating?

Haven't bought anything since that post from a few days ago (... Lord...) but I am getting review copies of Boys Life 4 and, I believe, a box of Miike's Dead or Alive fairly soon.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 06:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, and an Andy Lau movie from the early '90s: The Sting.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Thursday, 13 November 2003 22:52 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

hmmm... i saw upthread that pvc bought 'away with words' but i can't seem to find anything online indicating it's available at all.

― firstworldman (firstworldman), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 11:12 (twenty years ago)

nevermind... ordered it.

― firstworldman (firstworldman), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 11:37 (twenty years ago)

Fat Girl

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 19:44 (twenty years ago)

Why doesn't the local Best Buy carry:

New York, New York
Leave Her to Heaven
Monkey on My Back
The Palm Beach Story

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 19:46 (twenty years ago)

is that Palm Beach Story dvd really out? i haven't seen it anywhere, either.

― a spectator bird (a spectator bird), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 20:03 (twenty years ago)

Apparently so, but I guess online ordering is the way to go.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 21:17 (twenty years ago)

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