A few films recently watched.

(untitled) 6.5

blade runner (1982) [the final cut version]

i remember the first time i watched this film, quite clearly actually. i used to spend the afternoon at my grandma's house after having elementary school in the morning and there was this shelf full of VHS films my uncle had been recording from tv, that i had never heard of. he had the good, the bad and the ugly, de Palma's blowout, the bridge on the river kwai, the deer hunter, some twin peaks episodes or the movie (i can't recall what it was specifically), lynch's lost highway, amongst many other cult and alternative movies. they were quite complex films for a 9 yeard old kid, but with so much time in my hands i started exploring. this might have been the first, dunno, but i guess so. and i remember i had chosen it because i loved the name, written with black pen on the white label also with 'ridley scott' on the bottom. it just seemed so suggestive.

it's futuristic dark, polluted atmosphere in contrast with beautiful scenes as Tyrell's office with the owl or the flying dove in the end and vangelis music really got stamped deep in my mind.

but i got the final cut version a few years ago and that one is the version i have watched the most until now. so much that i had forgotten the original ending and had to search youtube for it recently.

it is actually quite hollywood-esque and cliché. and i find it disappointing because it happens during the day, and one thing that i will always remember about blade runner is it's intense night atmosphere and how it almosts suggests the absence of day in such time. at least i like to imagine it that way.

also i prefer the final cut ending as it kind of matches my own questions about whether deckard is a replicant or not and the whole meaning.

in fact i think deckard behaves in a very replicant way most of the time, or shall i say it in another way, it doesn't show emotional responses or the average human behaviour. on the other hand some replicant's human attitudes contrast with this, which might contribute to the whole ambguity of the story. and the origami unicorn in the end might suggest he is a replicant as well, and as others he too had memories implanted.

the variety of themes explored really are the brilliant part of the film, some almost in a prophetic way, like the massive globalization, the genetic manipulation and creation of beings or space colonization.

but the whole human and philosophical meaning still seem ambiguous to me.

the one thing i am most certain of is that the boundaries between replicants and humans really fade away throughout the whole story, as the passion between deckard and rachael, or the heroic ending of roy show.

maybe it needs a couple more views, because i am still missing something.

Deckard is a replicant, there is no question about it. Also watched Blade Runner a while ago, but the narrated version which I had never seen before (been familiar only with the 92 directors cut and the final cut version). I thought the narration brought little to the movie, but I guess they were looking for that typical film noir feel with it. The narration ruined the whole end scene where after Batty's amazing death monologue you get the deadpan narration from Ford.

watched a few films recently

the thing - im no horror film fan but ive been meaning to get into carpenter's films recently and caught this just starting on tv the other day, watched it with a friend stoned out of my mind and the atmosphere the film creates is incredible. rarely do i get so sucked into a film. instantly became one of my favourites. 9/10

drag me to hell - watched it with a bunch of friends. again very stoned. many lols were had. absolutely awful film. worst cgi ive ever seen. fuck sam reimi. poop/10

mind games - trippy anime, watched the whole thing on youtube. quite hard to follow at times but it's very visually interesting (similar to tekkonkinkreet at most points). i loved the scene with god. 8/10

  On 9/19/2010 at 5:48 PM, azatoth said:

Deckard is a replicant, there is no question about it.

 

the end showing deckard catching the little unicorn from the floor is kind of a strong argument in that direction.

but if deckard is a replicant, where is the human presence in the movie then?

  On 9/19/2010 at 6:49 PM, ruiagnelo said:

  On 9/19/2010 at 5:48 PM, azatoth said:

Deckard is a replicant, there is no question about it.

 

 

the end showing deckard catching the little unicorn from the floor is kind of a strong argument in that direction.

but if deckard is a replicant, where is the human presence in the movie then?

I always thought that what makes us human is made ambiguous in the movie. Are the replicants really that different from humans that they can be 'retired' just like that in the middle of a street? All they wanted is to live longer and what human wouldn't like to live a long life? The case for Deckard being a replicant is also the distinct reddish eye shine that is seen on all the replicants, it can be seen on Deckard when Rachel and Deckard are in the apartment after he got beat up by Leon.

  On 9/18/2010 at 8:52 PM, azatoth said:

Blood Into Wine 8/10

 

Documentary about Maynard James Keenan and his wine mentor Mike Glomski endeavour to start a vineyard and make wine in Arizona. An interesting look at both the trouble of starting a vineyard at an unusual place and Maynard as a person. He came off as a driven and passionate person and his interest in wine making came off as genuine and not some vanity project of a bored millionaire. He is still very much a noob in the wine business and acknowledges this. It's quite funny at times and Maynard definitely has a funny bone and is somewhat of a goof.

I totally forgot about this, thanks!

  On 9/19/2010 at 6:49 PM, ruiagnelo said:

  On 9/19/2010 at 5:48 PM, azatoth said:

Deckard is a replicant, there is no question about it.

 

 

the end showing deckard catching the little unicorn from the floor is kind of a strong argument in that direction.

but if deckard is a replicant, where is the human presence in the movie then?

Read the book. It's 10x better. Though the film has some epic filmography and character developments, the book simply has the better plot imo. Also found it more entertaining to read.

Watched this documentary last night, and wow...had to go to the gas station, buy a pack of cigs and smoke half of it just to dry up the tears.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h-scpQ_szM

If you have the time, it is an excellent doc to watch.

  On 9/20/2010 at 2:49 AM, tontonz said:

Read the book. It's 10x better.

how quaint

red riding trilogy - amazing, although 1974 was significantly better than the other two

  On 9/20/2010 at 4:43 AM, remy marathe said:

  On 9/20/2010 at 2:49 AM, tontonz said:

Read the book. It's 10x better.

 

how quaint

 

red riding trilogy - amazing, although 1974 was significantly better than the other two

lol, they were all shit, especially the first one. different strokes and all that...

  On 9/19/2010 at 4:47 AM, Fishtank said:

The Town 8/10

great crime drama, Ben Affleck is a good director but he should probably stay behind the camera because he's the worst part of this movie (which is ironic)

he can't hold the accent to save his life

I'm surprised at how much I liked The Town.

  On 9/20/2010 at 5:56 AM, The Overlook said:

  On 9/20/2010 at 4:43 AM, remy marathe said:

  On 9/20/2010 at 2:49 AM, tontonz said:

Read the book. It's 10x better.

 

how quaint

 

red riding trilogy - amazing, although 1974 was significantly better than the other two

lol, they were all shit, especially the first one. different strokes and all that...

how were they "shit"? lol

shutter island - a bit of a wtf. good with it though. 7/10

spoiler for anyone that's seen it ...

  On 9/20/2010 at 7:33 AM, remy marathe said:

  On 9/20/2010 at 5:56 AM, The Overlook said:

  On 9/20/2010 at 4:43 AM, remy marathe said:

  On 9/20/2010 at 2:49 AM, tontonz said:

Read the book. It's 10x better.

 

how quaint

 

red riding trilogy - amazing, although 1974 was significantly better than the other two

lol, they were all shit, especially the first one. different strokes and all that...

 

how were they "shit"? lol

i've only seen the 1974 one:

- "into the wild" lead

- sex with the victim

- cartoonish evil character

- the whole "evil power is powerful and evil" thing that's hammering the viewer right from the start is annoying and makes the movie very predictable

- the final execution

i think the film would have worked much better if it went the comic book adaptation route, sort of like "sin city".

i don't consider it a complete shit, it's well produced and sort of entertaining but it's really, really overrated.

The Proposition 3/10

Hated the music queues the most, quite boring movie.

  On 9/20/2010 at 3:52 PM, vasio said:

The Proposition 3/10

 

Hated the music queues the most, quite boring movie.

i loved everything about it

  On 9/20/2010 at 3:55 PM, keltoi said:

  On 9/20/2010 at 3:52 PM, vasio said:

The Proposition 3/10

 

Hated the music queues the most, quite boring movie.

 

i loved everything about it

The photography for me was the best thing, also liked the bounty hunter character.

  On 9/20/2010 at 4:09 PM, vasio said:

  On 9/20/2010 at 3:55 PM, keltoi said:

  On 9/20/2010 at 3:52 PM, vasio said:

The Proposition 3/10

 

Hated the music queues the most, quite boring movie.

 

i loved everything about it

 

The photography for me was the best thing, also liked the bounty hunter character.

aye, it was a fine looking film. but the characters, acting, soundtrack were all top notch too imo. i'm not usually a nick cave fan but it really fitted the film, pretty menacing, reminded me of there will be blood... you got a real sense of the stifling heat and dust of the outback. the plot wasn't complicated or ground-breaking. just a simple cowboy/western type story of betrayal/revenge... it was slow at times but intentionally i think and really tense as a result.

i don't understand how you could not like nick cave

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFdUTM4gU-o

i watched exile on main street doc last night. i bought the hype about that album and forgot i found jagger a little cheesy at times. i want that dark stones sound but maybe they didnt go dark enough. sounded better in my head. as a documentary it was ok.

  On 9/20/2010 at 5:44 PM, Benedict Cumberbatch said:

i don't understand how you could not like nick cave

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFdUTM4gU-o

 

dunno i just don't like im. the gf's a big fan so she's already tried to persuade me otherwise.

Fell asleep to 'Straight Story' after biking 70kms through foresty terrain. Have seen it before, just a lovely little film 9/10

kick ass - 7.5/10 - surprisingly entertaining and nicely twisted comic super-hero romp. nick cage suits this kind of role.

  On 9/20/2010 at 4:21 PM, keltoi said:

  On 9/20/2010 at 4:09 PM, vasio said:

  On 9/20/2010 at 3:55 PM, keltoi said:

  On 9/20/2010 at 3:52 PM, vasio said:

The Proposition 3/10

 

Hated the music queues the most, quite boring movie.

 

i loved everything about it

 

The photography for me was the best thing, also liked the bounty hunter character.

 

aye, it was a fine looking film. but the characters, acting, soundtrack were all top notch too imo. i'm not usually a nick cave fan but it really fitted the film, pretty menacing, reminded me of there will be blood... you got a real sense of the stifling heat and dust of the outback. the plot wasn't complicated or ground-breaking. just a simple cowboy/western type story of betrayal/revenge... it was slow at times but intentionally i think and really tense as a result.

downloaded it recently, so thanks for putting my mind at ease, I heard it was good and will definitely watch it soon. There Will Be Blood was excellent.

I watched The Pervert's Guide to Cinema again the other night.

  Quote

THE PERVERT'S GUIDE TO CINEMA takes the viewer on an exhilarating ride through some of the greatest movies ever made. Serving as presenter and guide is the charismatic Slavoj Zizek, acclaimed philosopher and psychoanalyst. With his engaging and passionate approach to thinking, Zizek delves into the hidden language of cinema, uncovering what movies can tell us about ourselves. Whether he is untangling the famously baffling films of David Lynch, or overturning everything you thought you knew about Hitchcock, Zizek illuminates the screen with his passion, intellect, and unfailing sense of humour.

And I love it. Even though I'm not always sure about what the big picture is I love his completely free view and open mindedness towards on movies.

oh yes..

zizek! documentary is recommended too.