A few films recently watched.

  On 1/6/2012 at 9:12 PM, soundwave said:

Deathproof 2/10 - didnt even finish the film = shite

feel good Tarantino with Kurt Russel to boot?!

I loved Deathproof. I hope it's not that something's wrong with me again.

I have watched Lars Von Trier's Melancholia yesterday and I must confess i wasn't expecting to be that surprised. I frequently, almost always, stop a movie after the credits start showing, either if i loved or hated it, but when this movie ended i think i got paralyzed, couldn't move, couldn't think of anything else. It left me speachless and defenseless, staring at that black screen and all the names showing up, like a complete retard. Fuck it if this sounds like a depressing review, but this is a depressing movie. I loved the hell out of all its depression and i can totally feel it. I can understand now how LVT has audiences hating and others completely worshiping his work. I haven't watched anything else besides Antichrist and Melancholia, so i am not prepared to board one of the boats yet.

There is no complexity in this movie; it screams simplicity. It makes you think whether your perspective on life is Justine's or Claire's. It is that simple. If you identify yourself with Claire, then you are a happy person and you will get scared, often bored, sad, even fear this movie. You might not be able to watch it, because you can't stand the thought of being depressed, unhappy or the fact that something as unknown and faceless as a planet is coming to detroy everything you thought you understand. If on the other hand you're on Justine's side, then this might be your film. You will feel comfortable in this territory, because it is familiar to you. Justine is tired of all the mundane rituals and how no one is able to understand her sadness, her lack of hope, completely closed inside her bulletproof bubble. She might be depressed with life, but she sees things the realistic way (she knew exactly how much beans were inside the jar), so she has no illusions.

Being like Justine has a price, considering wordly proportions, but it is the only way of falling in love with a planet.

Melancholia is how i want films to be. It's not for those how have 2 spare hours to fill with friends and popcorn. It's not entertainment. It will even make you suffer a bit. And in the end you will either feel like Claire or Justine. Which one are you?

I have suffered from depression in the past, yet I wasn't blown away with the movie. What does that make me?

But I guess that's my biggest beef with the movie, I'm a bit confused as to its reason for existing. If Von Trier's point is that "if a big planet was actually going to crash into the earth, then all the people who live each day as if that was going to happen will be well prepared", well then, point taken. Maybe that's the punchline? I don't see Claire and Justine as evenly balanced because Justine is mentally ill. And Justine is not falling in love with a planet, she has simply fallen in love with the idea of oblivion.

You said it was a simple film and I agree, but I sort of hoped for a more nuanced vision from Von Trier (I know, he's not the master of subtlety). I don't equate depression with truth, but it seems he may (the bean comment, Justine's certainty about being alone in the universe, etc.)

Von Trier has made his career out of defiance of norms. So this is just another "fuck you" to someone. I think it's the same "fuck you" as in Antichrist, namely a "fuck you" to his therapist or the mental health profession. "They say I'm sick...but actually, I'm right!" In Antichrist I liked this, because he seemed to be repudiating the limits of rationality, and saying that nature is endlessly mysterious and bizarre and surreal - something I want to believe, even if it's not true (actually Antichrist and Jurassic Park have a lot in common, they should be a double feature!). But in Melancholia, it's "you say I'm all doom and gloom - but guess what? The joke's on you, because the world is actually gonna end! Hahaha" This sort of a concrete "answer" just seems a bit meh to me...too much wish fulfillment. Because the world is not going to end (in all likelihood), and depressives aren't clairvoyant and special, they're just fucked up sad people who need help. Unfortunately for Von Trier. Film made me feel a bit sorry for him, to be honest.

  On 1/7/2012 at 6:24 PM, lumpenprol said:

Because the world is not going to end (in all likelihood), and depressives aren't clairvoyant and special, they're just fucked up sad people who need help. Unfortunately for Von Trier. Film made me feel a bit sorry for him, to be honest.

This particular film seems to be deeply personal. I have read that it actually mirrors a state of depression that he himself was into while working on it. I believe such is the case and if it is true, then he really knew how to put that into images. It's a depressing movie made by a depressed human being. Could have been nuanced i agree, but instead it's raw, direct. For nuance there is Tarkovsky.

And by the way, the only thing i hated about this film is the way LVT used Bruegel's painting. There is really no context for it. If he loves Tarkovsky, he might as well say that in conference instead of assuming himself as a nazi, or write a book about it. Using the painting on his film is kind of just saying "Hey look, i love Tarkovsky and this painting he featured on Solyaris, just look how cool it is!". Lars Von Trier is too good to be making such a pretentious praise to another director on his movies.

white people...

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - 8/10

A very enjoyable and faithful interpretation of the book (which I didn't really like particularly much). Works well as a film, and uses the evidence/computers/photos well to progress the story. Rooney Mara is excellent as Salander, although Daniel Craig was a little bit underbaked as the lead character, Blomkvist. Really good soundtrack too.

7/10

Rise of the planet of the apes - 7.5/10

Serenity - 6/10

Inbetweeners - first half 7/10 second half 5/10

I am legend (seen before) - 8/10

Alien (seen a few times before) 10/10

The Bedford Incident, 1965

excellent UK film with sidney poitner and a grumpy eastwood-like captain on a boat, patrolling greenland waters for russian subs. they find a sub, and grumpy captain goes in for the hunt, narrowly avoiding conflict in tense times or so it seems.

stunning colorless visuals with deep contrast, with high level of detail at all times. grimy. featuring lots of old-school machines, gear, early cold war paranoia and, of course arctic scenery in broody grainy style.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058962/

fat 8 maybe higher.

  On 1/7/2012 at 7:27 PM, ruiagnelo said:

  On 1/7/2012 at 6:24 PM, lumpenprol said:

Because the world is not going to end (in all likelihood), and depressives aren't clairvoyant and special, they're just fucked up sad people who need help. Unfortunately for Von Trier. Film made me feel a bit sorry for him, to be honest.

 

This particular film seems to be deeply personal. I have read that it actually mirrors a state of depression that he himself was into while working on it. I believe such is the case and if it is true, then he really knew how to put that into images. It's a depressing movie made by a depressed human being. Could have been nuanced i agree, but instead it's raw, direct. For nuance there is Tarkovsky.

And by the way, the only thing i hated about this film is the way LVT used Bruegel's painting. There is really no context for it. If he loves Tarkovsky, he might as well say that in conference instead of assuming himself as a nazi, or write a book about it. Using the painting on his film is kind of just saying "Hey look, i love Tarkovsky and this painting he featured on Solyaris, just look how cool it is!". Lars Von Trier is too good to be making such a pretentious praise to another director on his movies.

well we can agree on that last point, for sure.

50/50 - nice film , made me smile - 9/10

Kill List - thanks for explaining your film asshole filmmakers/10

  On 1/7/2012 at 11:16 PM, beerwolf said:

Alien (seen a few times before) 10/10

What version of this did you watch? I'm assuming it was the original theater length?

The version I saw had a stupid fucking cat in it for no reason and ruined an otherwise awesome movie. Biggest disappointment in the universe.

What? You're telling me there's a version without Jonesy?

Just watched Captain America, what a pile of poop.

kalifornia

weak 6/10

the only character i didn't hate was brad pitts, and he was more funny than scary. and what is it with juliette lewis always acting like a total retard in all of her movies? like she's 12 years old in a grown womans body, annoying as fuck.

she always strikes me as mental, really adhd or something. And I don't understand why she was in so many 90's flicks, as she's way ugly and obnoxious, as you said. She always sticks out like a sore thumb, like in Strange Days, she does some really cringe-worthy singing. Seems like she's probably a fun/wacky gal though.

  On 1/8/2012 at 7:12 AM, lumpenprol said:

 

Just watched Captain America, what a pile of poop.

Steaming pile qft

I'm looking forward to star trek 2 and the hobbit

  On 1/8/2012 at 6:53 AM, Smettingham Rutherford IV said:

  On 1/7/2012 at 11:16 PM, beerwolf said:

Alien (seen a few times before) 10/10

 

What version of this did you watch? I'm assuming it was the original theater length?

 

The version I saw had a stupid fucking cat in it for no reason and ruined an otherwise awesome movie. Biggest disappointment in the universe.

The original cut of the first film. And yes the cat is in it. And that cat creeps the fuck out of me when it hisses. I watched this film aged about 9 (not my parents doing), and believe me even today it fucks with my head.

  On 1/8/2012 at 6:03 AM, YO303 said:

 

Kill List - thanks for explaining your film asshole filmmakers/10

I watched this too. Dunno what too think of it tbh. It was kind of awesome but too many loose ends. Not that I want a film to be explained too me, I can use my imagination to create certain bits. But in the end I thought it could of been much better.

yep, one thing is leaving interpretation to the audience (E.I Inception) but this movie didn't bother giving us enough information to make up our own version of what happen.

  On 1/8/2012 at 6:35 PM, YO303 said:

yep, one thing is leaving interpretation to the audience (E.I Inception)

LOL

yeah

  On 1/8/2012 at 9:39 PM, THIS IS MICHAEL JACKSON said:

  On 1/8/2012 at 6:35 PM, YO303 said:

yep, one thing is leaving interpretation to the audience (E.I Inception)

LOL

why is this lol (besides the mangling of "ie., ")? Seems Nolan did try to leave it open to interpretation....

sorry, maybe i didn't understand the movie inception

its hard to understand movies when you are dead.