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Rand-o
[cooldance2]Some of my favorite films (short list):
Rear Window Rosemary's Baby Jackie Brown Nashville Citizen Kane 2001: A Space Odyssey Memento The Third Man Boogie Nights Pulp Fiction The Servant The Garden of the Finzi-Continis Hud Suddenly Last Summer The Graduate La Belle et la bete The Marriage of Maria Braun Chungking Express Belle de Jour The Maltese Falcon Manhattan Tokyo Story Touch of Evil M Faster Pussycat Kill! Kill! All About Eve Dr. Strangelove Last Year in Marienbad The Bicycle Thief Trainspotting Amelie Notorious Lost Highway Repulsion The Innocents Persona Au Revoir, Les Enfants Atlantic City His Girl Friday Aguirre: The Wrath of God Black Narcissus Carnival of Souls Psycho Battle of Algiers The Heiress Radio Days Julia The Awful Truth Secrets & Lies Spetters Blow Up Giant The Snapper An Ideal Husband I Shot Andy Warhol Female Trouble Rebecca Now, Voyager Les Diaboliques Howard's End North by Northwest The Red Shoes The Palm Beach Story Run Lola Run Gosford Park Knife in the Water Meshes of the Afternoon A Tale of Two Cities Sunset Boulevard Topsy-Turvy Strangers on a Train The Beguiled United 93 Cet obscur objet du desir Darling The Grifters Imitation of Life
My favorite director of all time is Alfred Hitchcock. He was truly &The Master&!
Some of my other favorite directors:
Luis Bunuel Roman Polanski Quentin Tarantino Paul Verhoeven Billy Wilder George Cukor John Huston Mike Leigh Vittorio De Sica Woody Allen Orson Welles Leo McCarey Ingmar Bergman Todd Haynes Yasujiro Ozu Christopher Guest Stephen Frears Russ Meyer John Waters George Stevens Robert Altman Stanley Kubrick Fritz Lang Jean-Pierre Jeunet Elia Kazan James Whale P.T. Anderson David Lean Howard Hawks Mary Harron David Cronenberg Douglas Sirk R.W. Fassbinder James Ivory Jean-Luc Godard Preston Sturges Lina Wertmuller Louis Malle John Cassavetes Francois Truffaut Paul Greengrass Tim Burton Jane Campion Vincente Minnelli Alain Resnais Luchino Visconti David Lynch Fred Zinnemann Roberto Rossellini Jean Renoir Mike Nichols William Wyler Federico Fellini Wong Kar-Wai Gillian Armstrong Maya Deren Jean Cocteau John Ford
A Few of my Fave Reviews from other people on this site:
1) by Chris Newfield http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0422720/usercomments-10
2) by RossRs http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062430/usercomments-58
3) by brocksilvey http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082766/usercomments-96
4) by jessfink http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114436/usercomments-252
5) by Poseidon-3 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071455/usercomments-41
6) by johnny betts http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0384833/usercomments-59
7) by cacikra http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0203009/usercomments-1088
8) by bigtommyboy http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047673/usercomments-46
9) by ccoppola http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087425/usercomments-19
10) by GulyJimson http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102057/usercomments-127
11) by gregsrants http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0327554/usercomments-49
12) by Vince-5 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049966/usercomments-12
Some of my favorite albums:
The Velvet Underground and Nico Oh, inverted world by The Shins Dummy by Portishead Mezzanine by Massive Attack Twin Cinema by The New Pornographers Aladdin Sane by David Bowie Scissor Sisters' debut album Wild Gift by X Psychedelic Jungle by The Cramps Franz Ferdinand (debut) Fever to Tell by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs Goat's Head Soup by the Stones The Raincoats (debut) Gimme Fiction by Spoon White Blood Cells by The White Stripes Exile in Guyville by Liz Phair Let it Bleed by the Stones I'm With Stupid by Aimee Mann Sublime (debut) Up All Night by Razorlight The Dresden Dolls (debut) Absolution by Muse Power, Corruption & Lies by New Order Colossal Youth by Young Marble Giants Final Straw by Snow Patrol One Beat by Sleater-Kinney Little Earthquakes by Tori Amos [Blue Album] Weezer JuJu by Siouxsie and the Banshees [White Album] Beatles The Velvet Undergound I Just Can't Stop It by the (English) Beat The Libertines (debut) Cut by The Slits Easter by Patti Smith Group Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not by Artic Monkeys Germfree Adolescents by X Ray Spex Is This It by The Strokes The Outernational Sound by The Thievery Corperation Doolittle by The Pixies For Your Pleasure by Roxy Music Rocket To Russia by The Ramones Extraordinary Machine by Fiona Apple Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins East Side Story by Squeeze London Calling by The Clash Version 2.0 by Garbage Louder Than Bombs by the Smiths Yes, Virginia... by The Dresden Dolls Nevermind by Nirvana On Fire by Galaxie 500 Brighten The Corners by Pavement It's a Condition by Romeo Void Car Wheels On A Gravel Road by Lucinda Williams Computer World by Kraftwerk A Rush of Blood to the Head by Coldplay Welcome To The Monkey House by The Dandy Warhols Mass Romantic by The New Pornographers Plastic Letters by Blondie Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga by Spoon Too Much Pressure by The Selecter
Some of my favorite &so bad that they're good& films:
Valley of the Dolls Showgirls Mommie Dearest The Bad Seed Beyond the Forest Earthquake
Reviews
Petulia (1968)
Bizarre, Different and ultimately Poignant and Wonderful
Tonight was my first ever viewing of this film by Richard Lester. As the movie began, I was somewhat thrown off, as the editing is somewhat "jumpy" and the story is presented out of sequence, so it's rather like pieces of a puzzle coming together.
The film is both set and shot in 1967 San Francisco and does a beautiful job presenting what it was like there at that time (or, at least how I imagined things were, as I wasn't around at that time.) The first scene is just flat out bizarre: A dance for car accident victims being held in the lobby of a posh-looking San Francisco hotel. The guests all looking very mod yet rich and "establishment," many of them over 50. And the live band providing the entertainment is none other than San Francisco's own Big Brother and the Holding Company with Janis Joplin on lead vocals. There's a shot of an elderly woman in a wheelchair, dressed and coiffed beautifully, with her neck in a tortuous looking brace being pushed quietly through a service area on her way to the festivities and then a quick, jarring cut to James Gurley, one of Big Brother's guitarists, playing a psychedelic riff, then a quick cut back to the woman in the wheelchair, then back to the lobby floor festivities where Joplin is singing at the top of her lungs next to Sam Andrews playing guitar whilst well-dressed party goers (looking very decidedly unlike a typical Big Brother crowd,) boogie all around them.
What a way to start a film!
I was initially distracted, but soon enough the characters began to emerge and the story unfolded. The main characters include George C. Scott as a newly divorced 40ish doctor and the incredibly beautiful Julie Christie as a newly married 20ish "kooky" character who decides somewhere between Big Brother's "Road Block" and "Down On Me" that she's going to have an affair with the good doctor.
Despite the rather raucous and disjointed beginning, this film does have an interesting plot, as it turns out; one just has to be patient as it slowly and tantalizingly begins to unfold. Nothing is as it seems at first, and there are plenty of surprises in store.
Also featured in the cast are the wonderful Shirley Knight, who gives a powerhouse performance, and Richard Chamberlain in a very off-beat role for him.
I didn't know where the film was going for awhile. But I think that is one of its many charms: It's unpredictability. I would highly recommend this to anyone who appreciates something different and thought-provoking. 9/10
Marie Antoinette (2006)
A Two Hour Beautiful Bore
This film starts off well enough with the great Marianne Faithful (in a wonderfully off-beat role, to be sure) as the Empress Maria Teresa of Austria sending her 14 year-old daughter, Marie Antoinette, off to France to marry the 15 year-old dauphin, Louis Auguste.
But from there it's unfortunately downhill as far as this movie goes. The film quickly dissolves into a thick mush-like bog of beautiful nothingness, the likes of which I've never seen. Exquisitely beautiful Kirsten Dunst (who absolutely looks the part) stands around for most of the two hours of the film dressed up in the most gorgeous period clothes looking more like she's at a Vanity Fair shoot rather than acting in a major motion picture. I can't help but wonder if, with the right direction, Dunst might have pulled it off. But, evidently, Sofia Coppola is not the director to give Dunst the right direction. Coppola inexplicably fills the soundtrack with 1980's post-modern music updating (or juxtaposing, one is never sure) the 18th Century French court at Versailles. This has the undesired effect of further exacerbating the film's deficiencies and flaws.
I thought it was cool how Coppola was able to obtain permission to shoot at Versailles and the Petit Trianon--both places where the real Marie Antoinette spent much of her life as Queen of France. But, unfortunately, these two structures have the odd effect of dwarfing Dunst down to the size of a miniature porcelain doll. A beautiful one, yes, but one that bears very little resemblance to anyone living or dead.
And then comes the end of the film.
WARNING MAJOR SPOILERS!
The film just stops dead at the onset of the French Revolution. My mouth dropped open as the credits came up! Just about all the major dramatic (i.e., interesting) events in Marie Antoinette's life happen AFTER the period where the film ended! I just couldn't believe it! And still don't. What in the world could Coppola been thinking? Ah, well, at least my friends and I got to see the film at half price during the matinée.
Red Eye (2005)
The most fun I've had at the movies in ages!
Wes Craven's new action thriller RED EYE kept me (and the rest of audience in attendance) on the edge of my seat from almost the very first shot until the last. I really did have the most fun I've had in ages at the movies watching this film! This movie rocks! Admittedly, it isn't quite in the same league as some of Hitchcock's masterpieces such as REAR WINDOW, PSYCHO or STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, but one can see the clear influences Hitchcock had on Craven in this film. Craven brilliantly mixes the Hitchcock type suspense/thriller genre with a subtle dose of his own 1980's brand of slasher film. It's just subtle enough not to be disgustingly gory, but with enough heart pounding, knuckle clenching "oomph" to take your breath away.
Rachel McAdams, in the lead, seems to be this season's new hot young star. She is mesmerizing to watch. It's hard to take your eyes off her when she's on screen, which is virtually during the entire film. (She was equally mesmerizing in WEDDING CRASHERS!) I highly recommend this film!
House of Wax (2005)
Trite, Slick and Tedious
Elisha Cuthbert doesn't quite carry this film, which incidentally, bears very little resemblance to the 1953 film version, directed by Andre de Toth and starring Vincent Price. My best guess is that with some formal training and hard work, Ms. Cuthbert may some day prove herself to be a proficient in her chosen field of work (presumably acting). Brian Van Holt, as the creepy Bo, shows some promise as well. The rest of the cast is pretty much forgettable, especially during the first half of the film, which seems more like an episode from a TV series off the W.B. than a feature length theatrical release. The movies drags along filled with such inane dialogue such as, "Why'd ya dime me out to the police?" "How did I know the car was stolen?" I found myself dangerously close to lapsing into unconsciousness when--FINALLY--the action got going.
I should pause here to say, Paris Hilton, forgettable? Well, perhaps not entirely forgettable. Let's just say that it's unfortunate that Ms. Hilton's waxen screen countenance invites the inevitable inferences which I shall leave to a more capable wag to explore.
Director Jaume Collet-Serra has a chance to really prove himself during the film's second half when the action begins. But the action quickly turns predictable and routine. Nothing really original here just the same old slash and scream seen a thousand times before. Pity, as I really thought there for a few minutes that the film wouldn't lapse back into formula after the very weak first half. The predictable ending leaves open space for a sequel, as previously noted by others. So, what's next? I can't help but wonder: "House of Wax II: Yo Dude, I'm melting"?
Mystic River (2003)
Disappointingly tedious
I really wanted to like this film, but the truth is I found it tedious and overwrought. Both Sean Penn and Tim Robbins grated on my nerves as they played their scenes in uber-soap opera style, alternately mugging, glowering and preening before the camera. I think both performances lack the subtlety of some of their previous works. For instance, Penn in "Dead Man Walking" (directed by Robbins) and Robbins in "Shawshank Redemption." I found Kevin Bacon to be marginally better than his co-stars and I thought Marcia Gay Harden's performance was uniformly excellent and faultless. Eastwood's directorial style I found to be drab and the story itself highly unoriginal.
I left the theatre feeling very disappointed and somewhat depressed, as the characters in this film are the type of people I'd want to avoid at all costs in real life and the sordid, ugly story nothing I'd ever want to experience.
Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001)
Exquisitely beautiful film
Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet somehow brilliantly manages to make just about every shot in this hauntingly gorgeous film a work of art. Lead actors, Audrey Tatou and Mathieu Kassovitz are seemingly perfect in their respective roles. The cinematography, music and story blend all together in glorious synergy rarely seen in film. The music by Yann Tiersen matches the brilliance and beauty of the film. The fifth time I saw this film was just as exhilarating as the first. The film captures the viewer from almost the very first frame and sweeps you up into Amelie's alternately funny and bittersweet story with expert panache and style. It is a film not to be missed, in my opinion. Definitely in my top 10 favorite films of all time.
The Rules of Attraction (2002)
Refreshing and different
I personally rather enjoyed this sleeper film. It recently aired on one of the premium cable networks and I sat riveted as I watched. Avary certainly uses a very stylized approach and yet manages to capture the flavor of Bret Easton Ellis' novel, which originally was set in 1985 in Bennington, VT. I thought, as I watched, how cleverly Avary brought the film up-to-date and still kept the basic flavor of the novel's plot and kept true to the central characters. I was rather surprised at some of the other comments that the film was trashy, vulgar and boring. I found none of that to be true. Avary certainly didn't sugarcoat anything which I found to be a refreshing change from many of today's films out of Hollywood. He didn't stick to trite formula, but rather he displayed an art-house kind of feel in presenting the story. I thought the actors were all well cast and convincing. I laughed, cried and cringed during the film and I believe it is going to end up a cult classic.