Here are some selections from what I rated as 5 stars:
12 Angry Men The Basketball Diaries Batman Begins Better Off Dead The Big Lebowski Boondock Saints The Bourne films Bull Durham Carnivale Seasons 1-2 Clue Cocaine Cowboys Deadwood Seasons 1-3 Desperado Dr. Strangelove Eight Men Out End of the Century: The Ramones Fierce Creatures Full Metal Jacket Good Morning, Vietnam Good Will Hunting The Greatest Game Ever Played Grosse Point Blank High Fidelity High Plains Drifter The Hudsucker Proxy The Hustler I Heart Huckabees Kingpin Layer Cake Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels The Man Who Knew Too Little The Natural Network North By Northwest Pixies The Professional Psycho Rear Window Road to Perdition Rushmore Shawshank Redemption Sin City The Sting Strangers on a Train Taxi Driver The Testament of Dr. Mabuse Thank You For Smoking This Is Spinal Tap Three Days of the Condor Twin Peaks Seasons 1-2 The Untouchables The Usual Suspects
One of Clive Owen's 1st films. Dope ish! He plays a writer that has writers block and becomes a croupier at a casino for research/bordom. He obviously gets caught up in the game. Some dope ish and the narration is bananas.
Oh man... I HATED grosse point blanke! I know a lot of people liked it though. I don't even remember why I hated it, I just remember thinking it sucked.
My buddy has been raving about Pittsburgh with Jeff Goldblum, he tells me its hilarious.
Hmmm, I havent even heard of this movie. I see it has 3 stars(but you really cant go by that at all). I'll give it a try..but if it sucks, I am coming after your friend.
I just watched the trailor for it. Is your "buddy" a girl by chance? Just sayin'..it kind of came off as a chick flick in the preview(but then again, you surely can't judge a film by that, either). Just wondering.
HA.
He is a big Jeff Goldblum fan, but to hear him tell it it's along the lines of Curb Your Enthusiasm moreso than being a chick flick. He does fall for a girl, but to get her he ends up trying to get a production of The Music Man put on on Pittsburgh and ends up in it himself. I am pretty sure he appears in the movie as himself as do a bunch of other people (from my understanding).
If i had to give a quick description just based on what he told me.....Waiting For Guffman meets Curb.
Oh man... I HATED grosse point blanke! I know a lot of people liked it though. I don't even remember why I hated it, I just remember thinking it sucked.
Well, I like a lot of John Cusack stuff. I can see how it might not work for some, but the premise and execution really worked for me. I like humor intermingled with violence. It's a winning combination.
As much as I dig John Cusack, it's hard to deny the spottiness of his filmography. Grosse Pointe Blank was just bland and unfunny. Jeremy Piven also tends to tapdance on my last nerve with his tired ass schtick.
"1408" was entertaining enough. Good plot twists and cool visuals.
Here's a partial rental history of my Netflix account w/ notes. I've listed movies I would recommend seeing as well as ones to steer clear of.
Cocaine Cowboys:[/b] Cool documentary about the coke phenomenon in 1980's Miami. The interview subjects give fascinating accounts of their experiences and the obscene amounts of cash that they made.
Inland Empire:[/b] I know I said I'd only list movies that I recommend, but I hated this movie so much I had to warn you NOT to rent it. David Lynch fell off HARD. He needs to stop with that transcendental meditiation bullshit and get back to channeling the surreal nightmare visions that fueled his most powerful films.
Undeclared:[/b] Lame. Doesn't compare to the greatness of Freaks and Geeks.
Freaks & Geeks: The Complete Series:[/b] Recommended
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters:[/b] Fan of the show, but this feels like one extra long episode and kinda made me struggle to stay interested during certain parts. Check it if you're a fan of ATHF
Weeds:[/b] Yawn, I dunno why folks make such a big deal outta this crappy show.
Zodiac:[/b] Ehhh.. it was OK... there's a long buildup with no payoff. The idea of this movie is better than the reality of it.
Hot Fuzz:[/b] Clever, well-paced and funny as fuck!
William S. Burroughs: Commissioner of Sewers:[/b] Recommended if you're already a fan of his work. Burroughs drinks whiskey and talks about the cut-up method, aliens, breakthroughs in consciousness, dream journals, etc... all the cool shit WSB is known for.
The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder: Punk & New Wave:[/b] A MASSIVE waste of time.
Portishead: Roseland New York Live:[/b] Yawn... yeah, ok we get it honey... you're sad, you chain smoke and sing the same song over and over and over again while the band ably backs you up, looking bored and over-rehearsed.
Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny:[/b] Surprisingly funny....
The King of Comedy:[/b] One of Scorcese's lesser known films and one of DeNiro's most slept on roles. This movie is great!
Ask the Dust:[/b] Not even the beautiful Salma Hayek can save this unforgivable butchering of John Fante's awesome book. Colin Farrell as the great Arturo Bandini? What an awful squandering of what could have been a great book adaptation.
Hostel:[/b] Ridiculously awful horror flick. I don't care how many people rave about it or how many times Tarantino's stamp of approval appears on the packaging. this movie SUCKS!
Fast Food Nation:[/b] Tepid, barely watchable.
New York: Episode 3: Sunshine and Shadow (8-Disc Series):[/b] This is a really good series. The history of New York City, from it's humble beginnings as a Dutch trading post to the amazing city of today.
Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film:[/b] Cool documentary. Touches on all the well-known joints as well as the lesser known gems. Also discusses Dario Argento and the Italian horror flicks. Even has a one on one with special effects and make up master Tom Savini where he breaks down some of the tricks of his goriest scenes. Recommended if you dig classic slasher movies.
American Hardcore:[/b] Cool, nothing new here but the footage is impressive (especially Bad Brains). The best part is hearing the DIY stories about the hardcore scene as told by the old vets.
Escape from New York:[/b]You can't front on Snake Plissken
Beer League:[/b] If you like Artie Lange's crude NJ goombah brand of humor, then you'll like this. If not, steer clear. It's like the Bad News Bears for thirty-something guidos.
Rockers:[/b] If you haven't seen Rockers, you kinda need to... That's all I'm gonna say
Babel:[/b] Better than I thought it would be. Good acting, well-paced, good storyline. Comes together nicely at the end.
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints:[/b] Could a movie be a bigger piece of shit? I don't think so.
The Departed:[/b] Scorcese's going down the same inexplicably lame road that David Lynch has been traveling down. This should have been a no-brainer. Scorcese making a bad gangster picture is almost like a sign of the coming apocalypse or something. This movie is shit.
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?:[/b] Yawn...
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills:[/b] Enthralling as fuck. Great documentary on the three metalhead teens (the West Memphis Three) who were wrongly accused of savagely murdering and mutilating three little boys and sentenced to the death penalty with NO EVIDENCE whatsoever tying them to the murders. Fascinating film.
End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones:[/b] If you dig the Ramones, check this out.
Blue Velvet:[/b] Arguably David Lynch's best work. Dennis Hopper as Frank Booth is larger than life and equal parts terrifying and hilarious.
The Brothers Quay Collection:[/b] Masters of spooky, surreal stop animation. Nightmarishly beautiful.
The Cramps: Live at Napa State Metal Hospital:[/b] Although this suffers from being too short and having crappy production value, the fact that someone documented the Cramps playing a free show for the inmates of an insane asylum is pretty mind bending.
Waiting for Guffman:[/b] My favorite of the Christopher Guest mockumentaries... OK, second favorite... Spinal Tap is unbeatable in my book.
ARTMind: The Healing Power of Sacred Art:[/b] I could do without the new agey backing music and Alex Grey's thin creepy voice doing the narration but the artwork is really Frickin' cool!
Bad Brains: Live at CBGB 1982:[/b] There are no words to describe just how powerful and REAL this performance footage is. Just put this in your queue, thank me later...
The Clash: Westway to the World:[/b] Nicely assembled documentary on the Clash. Tons of footage. This band apparently filmed and taped everything they did. Visually appealing and informative. Recommended...
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Hobgoblins[/b] Nothing better than popping this in the player on a Sunday morning after your coffee and cereal, rolling up a fattie and laughing your ass off to some Mystery Science Theater.
Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media:[/b] A cut above the numerous Chomsky dvd's that are available. This one is actually a documentary and not the standard one camera shoot of Chomsky giving a lecture at some university. Very informative and interesting.
Touch of Evil:[/b] The "Noir" movie template. Dated but still holds up pretty well. Gotta be in the mood to watch this sorta thing but when the mood strikes, nothing else will do.
The Dick Cavett Show: Rock Icons: Disc 1 (3-Disc Series)[/b] David Bowie performs, then gives Cavett an interview while he's all hopped up on coke. Sly and the Family Stone tears it up, then Sly incoherently mumbles his way through an interview. These are gems.... I would almost categorize them as required viewing.
In the Mirror of Maya Deren:[/b] Very cool... Maya Deren was on some next-level shit.
The Short Films of David Lynch:[/b] Worth seeing only if you're a fan. Here we see the first hints of Lynch's trademark symbolisms and dream-consciousness imagery.
Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price:[/b] Watch this and feel like a Frickin' jerk every time you walk into a WalMart or Target store to give them your money.
Sarah Sil
verman: Jesus is Magic[/b] Ehhh, it's ok... thought it would be funnier.
Bukowski: Born into This[/b] Now THIS is a doc. Bukowski in all his drunken, ravaged, misogynistic glory.
Punk: Attitude:[/b] Nicely done and well-informed documentary on the trajectory of punk music and culture as told by the luminaries of the movement. Thankfully, it doesn't go into the inaccurate and heavy handed treatment (that most of the punk docs fall prey to) galvanizing the Sex Pistols as the "be all, and all" catalysts of the scene. When in fact, they were Malcolm McLaren's pre-fab "backstreet boys" of the punk movement. Don Letts comes correct. I could go on and on about how much I liked this doc. Sure, there are omissions, but this is the best one yet. Highly recommended.
Downtown 81:[/b] Other than this being rare visual footage of Basquiat, this is a huge waste of time.
Open City:[/b] Great Italian flick... kinda noir-ish touches here and there but very dramatic and heart-wrenching as most Italian dramas (real and celluloid) tend to be.
Our Latin Thing:[/b] What this lacks in production value is made up for (in spades) by the mind blowing performances by the Fania All Stars and the footage of NYC's lower east side in that era. Definitely put this in your queue, NOW.
The Bicycle Thief:[/b] THIS film will blow you away... it is beautiful.
The Cramps: Live at Napa State Metal Hospital:[/b] Although this suffers from being too short and having crappy production value, the fact that someone documented the Cramps playing a free show for the inmates of an insane asylum is pretty mind bending. Punk: Attitude:[/b] Nicely done and well-informed documentary on the trajectory of punk music and culture as told by the luminaries of the movement. Thankfully, it doesn't go into the inaccurate and heavy handed treatment (that most of the punk docs fall prey to) galvanizing the Sex Pistols as the "be all, and all" catalysts of the scene. When in fact, they were Malcolm McLaren's pre-fab "backstreet boys" of the punk movement. Don Letts comes correct. I could go on and on about how much I liked this doc. Sure, there are omissions, but this is the best one yet. Highly recommended.
Our Latin Thing:[/b] What this lacks in production value is made up for (in spades) by the mind blowing performances by the Fania All Stars and the footage of NYC's lower east side in that era. Definitely put this in your queue, NOW.
I just added these to my queue. That Can DVD set is pretty excellent as well, if you haven't seen it. It's the first entended live footage I'd seen of them, and man, Damo Suzuki was really out there. If he acted that way on a street corner, he'd probably be locked away.
Freaks & Geeks: The Complete Series:[/b] Recommended
The King of Comedy:[/b] One of Scorcese's lesser known films and one of DeNiro's most slept on roles. This movie is great!
Fast Food Nation:[/b] Tepid, barely watchable.
Rockers:[/b] If you haven't seen Rockers, you kinda need to... That's all I'm gonna say
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills:[/b] Enthralling as fuck. Great documentary on the three metalhead teens (the West Memphis Three) who were wrongly accused of savagely murdering and mutilating three little boys and sentenced to the death penalty with NO EVIDENCE whatsoever tying them to the murders. Fascinating film.
on these comments (note -- all are recomendations except for Fast Food Nation, which was a major let-down).
Undeclared:[/b] Lame. Doesn't compare to the greatness of Freaks and Geeks.
Hmm, I enjoyed this. Much prefer F+G, but by the end of the series I cared for the characters as much as with most Apatow-related tv/movies, and also thought the last few eps were some of the funniest things he's done.
Zodiac:[/b] Ehhh.. it was OK... there's a long buildup with no payoff. The idea of this movie is better than the reality of it.
Loved this one. Sharp script, nuanced acting, far more atmospheric than most anything else out of Hollywood in the last decade or so.
Hot Fuzz:[/b] Clever, well-paced and funny as fuck!
This isn't my kind of humor, which is obviously subjective, but I gotta disagree with the pacing comment. The first half is slow as hell in terms of narrative, and yet hyperactively edited in a way that annoyed me to no end.
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?:[/b] Yawn...
Damn. Strongly disagree. Very dark and effective film, one of the few in which the campiness actually enhances the drama and suspense. For those who do like this sort of thing, check out Lady in A Cage, a similarly twisted but little-known b+W psychological thriller from the same period with a similar collision of intentional campiness and riveting horror: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058283/
I just added these to my queue. That Can DVD set is pretty excellent as well, if you haven't seen it. It's the first entended live footage I'd seen of them, and man, Damo Suzuki was really out there. If he acted that way on a street corner, he'd probably be locked away.[/b]
...or asked to join a band! Isn't that how Can found him, doing twisted music/performance art on the street?
I didn't get very far into the episodes of "Undeclared" to really get into the characters. Maybe it was because it was fresh after watching the whole F+G series and the actors as new different characters was a bit jarring. I may try to watch these again at a later time.
I agree on your points regarding Zodiac, but it still fell short for me on the satisfaction scale. Robert Downey always delivers a solid performance too.
You're also right about the pacing of Hot Fuzz, though I think that was done intentionally. The first half marking the slow deliberate pace of the town's police force, the second half, paying a tongue-in-cheek homage to American buddy-cop flicks (Bad Boys, Lethal Weapon, etc.). True, this brand of humor is not for everyone. I liked it a lot.
Baby Jane? Everyone made such a big deal out of the dvd issue, I quickly queued it up on my Netflix. I wasn't really all that impressed. Had some funny moments and Bette Davis as the crazy sister was really not all that menacing. I didn't get the appeal of it. My girl liked it though...
I just added these to my queue. That Can DVD set is pretty excellent as well, if you haven't seen it. It's the first entended live footage I'd seen of them, and man, Damo Suzuki was really out there. If he acted that way on a street corner, he'd probably be locked away.[/b]
...or asked to join a band! Isn't that how Can found him, doing twisted music/performance art on the street?
I didn't get very far into the episodes of "Undeclared" to really get into the characters. Maybe it was because it was fresh after watching the whole F+G series and the actors as new different characters was a bit jarring. I may try to watch these again at a later time.
I can see what you're saying about Undeclared. When it was originally on, I tried to catch it on the regular, and was very disappointed -- did not think it lived up to Freaks and Geeks at all. Part of that might've been how much it got dicked around by the network; I'd be surprised if they ever had new episodes of the show on the same time two weeks in a row. I was also accustomed to the hour-long F+G format, and felt like Apatow and co were struggling to adjust to only having 22 mins per ep to work with.
On DVD, I felt completely different about it. Watching them back-to-back really let the characters and story build in a way that approached, but didn't meet, the excellence of F+G (from time to time I still catch myself thinking of those characters as actual people I know).
Baby Jane? Everyone made such a big deal out of the dvd issue, I quickly queued it up on my Netflix. I wasn't really all that impressed. Had some funny moments and Bette Davis as the crazy sister was really not all that menacing. I didn't get the appeal of it. My girl liked it though...
In regards to Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, I think the enjoyment comes in revelling in the insulting dialogue and just watching two old, mean-spirited and washed-up people mentally torture each other. Not everyone's idea of a good time, for sure.
Touch of Evil:[/b] The "Noir" movie template. Dated but still holds up pretty well. Gotta be in the mood to watch this sorta thing but when the mood strikes, nothing else will do.
I have this at my house and am going to watch it at my dad's place tonight. I haven't seen it since junior high. I wasn't into movies then like I have been in the recent few years, but I remember it being very good. I have a lot of "essentials" to catch up on, though. Anyhow, here are some recent returns...
Bad Day at Black Rock The Abominable Dr. Phibes / Dr. Phibes Rises Again The Last of Sheila Black Caesar Ocean's Eleven Steve Smith: Drumset Technique McQ White Zombie Ed Wood Topkapi White Fire (fun, violent 80s crapfest) Rosemary's Baby Carnal Knowledge
In regards to Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, I think the enjoyment comes in reveling in the insulting dialogue and just watching two old, mean-spirited and washed-up people mentally torture each other. Not everyone's idea of a good time, for sure.
See, this is what I thought the story was, two sisters at each other's throats. But it doesn't play out like that at all. The more talented, good natured and favored of the two girls ends up in a wheelchair at the hands of her jealous, less talented, rotten evil sister. They grow up and the fighting and torment is all one-sided. The good sister doesn't resist or fight back at all. Her escape attempts are feeble and she doesn't take advantage of any opportunity to cry out for help. It just asked the audience to suspend too much disbelief. They could also have ended it better and made it move a bit faster. I wanted to like it... just didn't get it.
In regards to Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, I think the enjoyment comes in reveling in the insulting dialogue and just watching two old, mean-spirited and washed-up people mentally torture each other. Not everyone's idea of a good time, for sure.
See, this is what I thought the story was, two sisters at each other's throats. But it doesn't play out like that at all. The more talented, good natured and favored of the two girls ends up in a wheelchair at the hands of her jealous, less talented, rotten evil sister. They grow up and the fighting and torment is all one-sided. The good sister doesn't resist or fight back at all. Her escape attempts are feeble and she doesn't take advantage of any opportunity to cry out for help. It just asked the audience to suspend too much disbelief. They could also have ended it better and made it move a bit faster. I wanted to like it... just didn't get it.
I feel like you missed something at the end, but I don't want to drop any spoilers for others.
Great post iron_monkey. A few comments. I loved Zodiac. The minor role by the guy who played the husband in FArgo was creepy as fuck. Good music. Fincher reighned it in. I had no complaints.
Paradise Lost is a one of my favorite docs. Did you know they made a follow-up. Not as gripping for sure but worth it because there is scads of footage of that really fucked up father of one of the unfortunate victims. That Damian kid and the fucked up father are inherently watchable.
Couldn't agree more w/ your comments on MST. Stoner bliss. Weekend treat. Seems like that show could still be going on and still be hilarious.
Thanks for the heads-up on the Clash deal. I've been revisting their records lately so this will be perfect.
here are the last 11 movies i've watched from netflix:
mr klein
slept on movie which i had never heard of til recently about a jackal art 'dealer' who gets reluctantly drawn into a jewish world in nazi occupied france wwII. alain delon has the acting range of a pile of logs but he still has a tough guy vibe which gives this one sort of a crime movie feel. the ending is
padre padrone
italian movie about a shepherd in sardinia who gets abused by his crazy father. italian movies take some getting used to cause of the cheesy acting and horrible sound dubbing. still a good movie though.
idiocracy
i am recomminding this movie to everyone i know. this shit is hilarious making fun of the 'dumbed down america'. bush people and fox wouldn't get it (why they put it on the shelf for two years, then dumped it straight to video). mike judge did it. future cult classic here.
touch the sound
corny title but strangly evocative documentary about a deaf percussionist from scotland.
the tv set
kind of low key movie but hilarious in it's hopeless dipiction of the way tv is run. see idiocracy.
the wild parrots of telegraph hill
a recluse takes care of parrots in san francisco. kind of moving, especially the grim reality of the parrots.
the three burials of melquidas estrada
this is an allegory or a fable of man's lonely reality set in right wing centered america's obsession with immigration.
knocked up
i usually don't go for these real slick mainstream comedies with top 40 music in the soundtracks, but this one is really funny. by 40 year old virgin director, who is now my favorite 'mainstream' comedy director.
belle de jour
bunuel's surreal journey through the mind of a sexually repressed frenchwoman.
the devil and daniel johnston
genius is always borderline insanity i think.
the italian
poignant russian movie about an orphan kid who tries to find his mother. orphans are a tad bit cliche but this one is good.
Comments
12 Angry Men
The Basketball Diaries
Batman Begins
Better Off Dead
The Big Lebowski
Boondock Saints
The Bourne films
Bull Durham
Carnivale Seasons 1-2
Clue
Cocaine Cowboys
Deadwood Seasons 1-3
Desperado
Dr. Strangelove
Eight Men Out
End of the Century: The Ramones
Fierce Creatures
Full Metal Jacket
Good Morning, Vietnam
Good Will Hunting
The Greatest Game Ever Played
Grosse Point Blank
High Fidelity
High Plains Drifter
The Hudsucker Proxy
The Hustler
I Heart Huckabees
Kingpin
Layer Cake
Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
The Man Who Knew Too Little
The Natural
Network
North By Northwest
Pixies
The Professional
Psycho
Rear Window
Road to Perdition
Rushmore
Shawshank Redemption
Sin City
The Sting
Strangers on a Train
Taxi Driver
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse
Thank You For Smoking
This Is Spinal Tap
Three Days of the Condor
Twin Peaks Seasons 1-2
The Untouchables
The Usual Suspects
One of Clive Owen's 1st films. Dope ish! He plays a writer that has writers block and becomes a croupier at a casino for research/bordom. He obviously gets caught up in the game. Some dope ish and the narration is bananas.
I just typed them out. But it's company time, so I don't mind at all.
You could attempt to watch all the Woody Allan movies in reverse order like I'm doing or you could also
GO TEAM VENTURE!!!
whats that about? will it get me in trouble with the wife?
HA.
He is a big Jeff Goldblum fan, but to hear him tell it it's along the lines of Curb Your Enthusiasm moreso than being a chick flick. He does fall for a girl, but to get her he ends up trying to get a production of The Music Man put on on Pittsburgh and ends up in it himself. I am pretty sure he appears in the movie as himself as do a bunch of other people (from my understanding).
If i had to give a quick description just based on what he told me.....Waiting For Guffman meets Curb.
Well, I like a lot of John Cusack stuff. I can see how it might not work for some, but the premise and execution really worked for me. I like humor intermingled with violence. It's a winning combination.
"1408" was entertaining enough. Good plot twists and cool visuals.
Here's a partial rental history of my Netflix account w/ notes. I've listed movies I would recommend seeing as well as ones to steer clear of.
Cocaine Cowboys:[/b] Cool documentary about the coke phenomenon in 1980's Miami. The interview subjects give fascinating accounts of their experiences and the obscene amounts of cash that they made.
Inland Empire:[/b] I know I said I'd only list movies that I recommend, but I hated this movie so much I had to warn you NOT to rent it. David Lynch fell off HARD. He needs to stop with that transcendental meditiation bullshit and get back to channeling the surreal nightmare visions that fueled his most powerful films.
Undeclared:[/b] Lame. Doesn't compare to the greatness of Freaks and Geeks.
Freaks & Geeks: The Complete Series:[/b] Recommended
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters:[/b] Fan of the show, but this feels like one extra long episode and kinda made me struggle to stay interested during certain parts. Check it if you're a fan of ATHF
Weeds:[/b] Yawn, I dunno why folks make such a big deal outta this crappy show.
Zodiac:[/b] Ehhh.. it was OK... there's a long buildup with no payoff. The idea of this movie is better than the reality of it.
Hot Fuzz:[/b] Clever, well-paced and funny as fuck!
William S. Burroughs: Commissioner of Sewers:[/b] Recommended if you're already a fan of his work. Burroughs drinks whiskey and talks about the cut-up method, aliens, breakthroughs in consciousness, dream journals, etc... all the cool shit WSB is known for.
The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder: Punk & New Wave:[/b] A MASSIVE waste of time.
Portishead: Roseland New York Live:[/b] Yawn... yeah, ok we get it honey... you're sad, you chain smoke and sing the same song over and over and over again while the band ably backs you up, looking bored and over-rehearsed.
Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny:[/b] Surprisingly funny....
The King of Comedy:[/b] One of Scorcese's lesser known films and one of DeNiro's most slept on roles. This movie is great!
Ask the Dust:[/b] Not even the beautiful Salma Hayek can save this unforgivable butchering of John Fante's awesome book. Colin Farrell as the great Arturo Bandini? What an awful squandering of what could have been a great book adaptation.
Hostel:[/b] Ridiculously awful horror flick. I don't care how many people rave about it or how many times Tarantino's stamp of approval appears on the packaging. this movie SUCKS!
Fast Food Nation:[/b] Tepid, barely watchable.
New York: Episode 3: Sunshine and Shadow (8-Disc Series):[/b] This is a really good series. The history of New York City, from it's humble beginnings as a Dutch trading post to the amazing city of today.
Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film:[/b] Cool documentary. Touches on all the well-known joints as well as the lesser known gems. Also discusses Dario Argento and the Italian horror flicks. Even has a one on one with special effects and make up master Tom Savini where he breaks down some of the tricks of his goriest scenes. Recommended if you dig classic slasher movies.
American Hardcore:[/b] Cool, nothing new here but the footage is impressive (especially Bad Brains). The best part is hearing the DIY stories about the hardcore scene as told by the old vets.
Escape from New York:[/b]You can't front on Snake Plissken
Beer League:[/b] If you like Artie Lange's crude NJ goombah brand of humor, then you'll like this. If not, steer clear. It's like the Bad News Bears for thirty-something guidos.
Rockers:[/b] If you haven't seen Rockers, you kinda need to... That's all I'm gonna say
Babel:[/b] Better than I thought it would be. Good acting, well-paced, good storyline. Comes together nicely at the end.
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints:[/b] Could a movie be a bigger piece of shit? I don't think so.
The Departed:[/b] Scorcese's going down the same inexplicably lame road that David Lynch has been traveling down. This should have been a no-brainer. Scorcese making a bad gangster picture is almost like a sign of the coming apocalypse or something. This movie is shit.
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?:[/b] Yawn...
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills:[/b] Enthralling as fuck. Great documentary on the three metalhead teens (the West Memphis Three) who were wrongly accused of savagely murdering and mutilating three little boys and sentenced to the death penalty with NO EVIDENCE whatsoever tying them to the murders. Fascinating film.
End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones:[/b] If you dig the Ramones, check this out.
Blue Velvet:[/b] Arguably David Lynch's best work. Dennis Hopper as Frank Booth is larger than life and equal parts terrifying and hilarious.
The Brothers Quay Collection:[/b] Masters of spooky, surreal stop animation. Nightmarishly beautiful.
The Cramps: Live at Napa State Metal Hospital:[/b] Although this suffers from being too short and having crappy production value, the fact that someone documented the Cramps playing a free show for the inmates of an insane asylum is pretty mind bending.
Waiting for Guffman:[/b] My favorite of the Christopher Guest mockumentaries... OK, second favorite... Spinal Tap is unbeatable in my book.
ARTMind: The Healing Power of Sacred Art:[/b] I could do without the new agey backing music and Alex Grey's thin creepy voice doing the narration but the artwork is really Frickin' cool!
Bad Brains: Live at CBGB 1982:[/b] There are no words to describe just how powerful and REAL this performance footage is. Just put this in your queue, thank me later...
The Clash: Westway to the World:[/b] Nicely assembled documentary on the Clash. Tons of footage. This band apparently filmed and taped everything they did. Visually appealing and informative. Recommended...
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Hobgoblins[/b] Nothing better than popping this in the player on a Sunday morning after your coffee and cereal, rolling up a fattie and laughing your ass off to some Mystery Science Theater.
Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media:[/b] A cut above the numerous Chomsky dvd's that are available. This one is actually a documentary and not the standard one camera shoot of Chomsky giving a lecture at some university. Very informative and interesting.
Touch of Evil:[/b] The "Noir" movie template. Dated but still holds up pretty well. Gotta be in the mood to watch this sorta thing but when the mood strikes, nothing else will do.
The Dick Cavett Show: Rock Icons: Disc 1 (3-Disc Series)[/b] David Bowie performs, then gives Cavett an interview while he's all hopped up on coke. Sly and the Family Stone tears it up, then Sly incoherently mumbles his way through an interview. These are gems.... I would almost categorize them as required viewing.
In the Mirror of Maya Deren:[/b] Very cool... Maya Deren was on some next-level shit.
The Short Films of David Lynch:[/b] Worth seeing only if you're a fan. Here we see the first hints of Lynch's trademark symbolisms and dream-consciousness imagery.
Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price:[/b] Watch this and feel like a Frickin' jerk every time you walk into a WalMart or Target store to give them your money.
Sarah Sil verman: Jesus is Magic[/b] Ehhh, it's ok... thought it would be funnier.
Bukowski: Born into This[/b] Now THIS is a doc. Bukowski in all his drunken, ravaged, misogynistic glory.
Punk: Attitude:[/b] Nicely done and well-informed documentary on the trajectory of punk music and culture as told by the luminaries of the movement. Thankfully, it doesn't go into the inaccurate and heavy handed treatment (that most of the punk docs fall prey to) galvanizing the Sex Pistols as the "be all, and all" catalysts of the scene. When in fact, they were Malcolm McLaren's pre-fab "backstreet boys" of the punk movement. Don Letts comes correct. I could go on and on about how much I liked this doc. Sure, there are omissions, but this is the best one yet. Highly recommended.
Downtown 81:[/b] Other than this being rare visual footage of Basquiat, this is a huge waste of time.
Open City:[/b] Great Italian flick... kinda noir-ish touches here and there but very dramatic and heart-wrenching as most Italian dramas (real and celluloid) tend to be.
Our Latin Thing:[/b] What this lacks in production value is made up for (in spades) by the mind blowing performances by the Fania All Stars and the footage of NYC's lower east side in that era. Definitely put this in your queue, NOW.
The Bicycle Thief:[/b] THIS film will blow you away... it is beautiful.
I just added these to my queue. That Can DVD set is pretty excellent as well, if you haven't seen it. It's the first entended live footage I'd seen of them, and man, Damo Suzuki was really out there. If he acted that way on a street corner, he'd probably be locked away.
Hmm, I enjoyed this. Much prefer F+G, but by the end of the series I cared for the characters as much as with most Apatow-related tv/movies, and also thought the last few eps were some of the funniest things he's done.
Loved this one. Sharp script, nuanced acting, far more atmospheric than most anything else out of Hollywood in the last decade or so.
This isn't my kind of humor, which is obviously subjective, but I gotta disagree with the pacing comment. The first half is slow as hell in terms of narrative, and yet hyperactively edited in a way that annoyed me to no end.
Damn. Strongly disagree. Very dark and effective film, one of the few in which the campiness actually enhances the drama and suspense. For those who do like this sort of thing, check out Lady in A Cage, a similarly twisted but little-known b+W psychological thriller from the same period with a similar collision of intentional campiness and riveting horror:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058283/
...or asked to join a band! Isn't that how Can found him, doing twisted music/performance art on the street?
I agree on your points regarding Zodiac, but it still fell short for me on the satisfaction scale. Robert Downey always delivers a solid performance too.
You're also right about the pacing of Hot Fuzz, though I think that was done intentionally. The first half marking the slow deliberate pace of the town's police force, the second half, paying a tongue-in-cheek homage to American buddy-cop flicks (Bad Boys, Lethal Weapon, etc.). True, this brand of humor is not for everyone. I liked it a lot.
Baby Jane? Everyone made such a big deal out of the dvd issue, I quickly queued it up on my Netflix. I wasn't really all that impressed. Had some funny moments and Bette Davis as the crazy sister was really not all that menacing. I didn't get the appeal of it. My girl liked it though...
I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me a bit.
I can see what you're saying about Undeclared. When it was originally on, I tried to catch it on the regular, and was very disappointed -- did not think it lived up to Freaks and Geeks at all. Part of that might've been how much it got dicked around by the network; I'd be surprised if they ever had new episodes of the show on the same time two weeks in a row. I was also accustomed to the hour-long F+G format, and felt like Apatow and co were struggling to adjust to only having 22 mins per ep to work with.
On DVD, I felt completely different about it. Watching them back-to-back really let the characters and story build in a way that approached, but didn't meet, the excellence of F+G (from time to time I still catch myself thinking of those characters as actual people I know).
In regards to Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, I think the enjoyment comes in revelling in the insulting dialogue and just watching two old, mean-spirited and washed-up people mentally torture each other. Not everyone's idea of a good time, for sure.
I have this at my house and am going to watch it at my dad's place tonight. I haven't seen it since junior high. I wasn't into movies then like I have been in the recent few years, but I remember it being very good. I have a lot of "essentials" to catch up on, though. Anyhow, here are some recent returns...
Bad Day at Black Rock
The Abominable Dr. Phibes / Dr. Phibes Rises Again
The Last of Sheila
Black Caesar
Ocean's Eleven
Steve Smith: Drumset Technique
McQ
White Zombie
Ed Wood
Topkapi
White Fire (fun, violent 80s crapfest)
Rosemary's Baby
Carnal Knowledge
See, this is what I thought the story was, two sisters at each other's throats. But it doesn't play out like that at all. The more talented, good natured and favored of the two girls ends up in a wheelchair at the hands of her jealous, less talented, rotten evil sister. They grow up and the fighting and torment is all one-sided. The good sister doesn't resist or fight back at all. Her escape attempts are feeble and she doesn't take advantage of any opportunity to cry out for help. It just asked the audience to suspend too much disbelief. They could also have ended it better and made it move a bit faster. I wanted to like it... just didn't get it.
I feel like you missed something at the end, but I don't want to drop any spoilers for others.
Maybe I'll give it another shot.
If you do, make sure you channel the 70-year-old gay man that lurks inside each of us.
Paradise Lost is a one of my favorite docs. Did you know they made a follow-up. Not as gripping for sure but worth it because there is scads of footage of that really fucked up father of one of the unfortunate victims. That Damian kid and the fucked up father are inherently watchable.
Couldn't agree more w/ your comments on MST. Stoner bliss. Weekend treat. Seems like that show could still be going on and still be hilarious.
Thanks for the heads-up on the Clash deal. I've been revisting their records lately so this will be perfect.
FYI, their semi-fictional feature Rude Boy also came out on DVD in the last year or two and is well worth a look.
mr klein
slept on movie which i had never heard of til recently about a jackal art 'dealer' who gets reluctantly drawn into a jewish world in nazi occupied france wwII. alain delon has the acting range of a pile of logs but he still has a tough guy vibe which gives this one sort of a crime movie feel. the ending is
padre padrone
italian movie about a shepherd in sardinia who gets abused by his crazy father. italian movies take some getting used to cause of the cheesy acting and horrible sound dubbing. still a good movie though.
idiocracy
i am recomminding this movie to everyone i know. this shit is hilarious making fun of the 'dumbed down america'. bush people and fox wouldn't get it (why they put it on the shelf for two years, then dumped it straight to video). mike judge did it. future cult classic here.
touch the sound
corny title but strangly evocative documentary about a deaf percussionist from scotland.
the tv set
kind of low key movie but hilarious in it's hopeless dipiction of the way tv is run. see idiocracy.
the wild parrots of telegraph hill
a recluse takes care of parrots in san francisco. kind of moving, especially the grim reality of the parrots.
the three burials of melquidas estrada
this is an allegory or a fable of man's lonely reality set in right wing centered america's obsession with immigration.
knocked up
i usually don't go for these real slick mainstream comedies with top 40 music in the soundtracks, but this one is really funny. by 40 year old virgin director, who is now my favorite 'mainstream' comedy director.
belle de jour
bunuel's surreal journey through the mind of a sexually repressed frenchwoman.
the devil and daniel johnston
genius is always borderline insanity i think.
the italian
poignant russian movie about an orphan kid who tries to find his mother. orphans are a tad bit cliche but this one is good.