Passolini--S/D

Well, I haven't personally seen any of his films..I'm in the same boat as you, because he definitely sounds interesting.

Didn't "RoGoPaG" feature one of his shorter works with Orson Welles, Jesus, his issues with Catholicism, etc.?

Anyway, from what I read, most of the 60's work is worth looking into. In particular: "Accattone", "Mamma Roma", "Uccellacci e Uccellini", "Teorema", or "Porcile." The last one, in particular, would be of great interest to you -- I think -- since you're a fan of "Weekend."

Side-note: I had an Italian professor who raved about his earlier films, especially Accattone and Mamma Roma. She really liked how he challenged Italy's censorship at the time. She also liked how he was sympathetic to these people, who were the "undesirables" and were usually treated with contempt (and in contrast, attacked the bourgeoisie/upper-crust, who she felt were far worse, etc.).

In any case, let me know what you end up renting and what you thought.

I've always been a fan of the Trilogy of Life - Decameron, Canterbury Tales, and Arabian Nights. Accattone is very much of the neorealist school, and it doesn't do too much for me, esp. when I'm aware of how much more he did. And of course there's Salo. Other than that, I'm shamefully ignorant of the rest of his work...it is something I'm trying to rectify. My top three I want to see are Hawks and Sparrows, Gospel According to..., and Teorema.

PS - It's Pasolini

Eh, at least I didn't call him Assolini. That would have just been crude....

I'm lucky enough to have a local video store (for now--they may be forced to shut down due to some stupid "city redevelopment" project) that has all of Pasolini's films. I have seen Accattone now that I think of it (probably forgot about because I wasn't that impressed--early Fellini had a better take on "twisted neorealism".

The have "Hawks & Sparrows", "Gospel..." and "Teorema" on DVD so I'll probably pick those up these week (I get a paid week off from work so I'm going on a movie binge...)

Search -Teorema
Search - Gospel According To...

wait...l'eclisse is an antonioni film unless i'm missing something here...

salo might be my favorite film that i may never watch again (i stress *may*)

it made me unbelievably happy to see such a wealth of new pasolini dvds pop up at virgin megastore during my christmas shopping, by the way - would that i had enough cash to get the whole lot...(teorema is on dvd, yes/no?)

I have at least two votes (from other people, big Pasolini fans both) for Hawks and Sparrows. I'll let you know if there's a third after I watch it.

wait...l'eclisse is an antonioni film unless i'm missing something here...
Yes, you are certainly right about that. I don't know why none of us commented on this before you.

I have seen Accattone now that I think of it (probably forgot about because I wasn't that impressed--early Fellini had a better take on "twisted neorealism".
I don't think of Accatoneas some textbook example of neorealism, twisted or otherwise, but more of a personal, autobiographical film. For brilliant use of neorealist technique from PPP, see the Gospel According To... - an instance of "period" neorealism.

"wait...l'eclisse is an antonioni film unless i'm missing something here..."

Mixed up my Criterion references; sorry.

Rented "Gospel..." today; I'll post my thoughts after I watch it.

Um. So, perhaps without spoilers, just how gruesome/graphic/explicit is Salo?

Gospel & Teorema, possibly Mamma Roma and Hawks & Sparrows are my favorites... also that short he did w/ Welles about the Jesus movie.

I haven't seen Salo either.

Salo, by today's post-Irreversible/Pink Flamingos standards, is not really that outrageous. Still, there's plenty of Nazi masochism, hetro & homosexual orgies, feces & urine consumption, etc. It's mostly in long shots, so it's not too graphic.

I'm actually more worried about gore or close-ups of injury. I can handly pretty much anything intellectually, but even the representation of, say, that scene in Saddest Music in the World makes me unhappy.

I just watched Medea: WTF?

Lars Van Trier? w/ Udo Kier?

What?

Oh, Pasolini did a Medea too!

It has Maria Callas in it (as Medea)! She doesn't sing in it, but she gets to look fierce. Also there is nearly no dialogue. Also, it is a very, very odd film.

After spending far too long trying to get the subtitle file to work (is it really possible that the copy I have is missing 20 seconds from the middle of a comparatively pedestrian scene?), I watched Salo.

I was mostly sad to see the woman from Arabian Nights in her role. It brought home just how unrelenting this film was.

Nice music, though, and some exceptionally well hung young men.