The Hidden Fortress **

Probably my favorite Akira Kurosawa movie. This was the movie that inspired George Lucas to create his Star Wars empire. However, is it me or do most if not all Akira Kurosawa movies just seem to drag on. Again I did enjoy this movie but it seemed unbearably slow (like others of his I've seen).

Boogie Nights ** 1/2

I know quite a few people that like this movie and I'd seen parts of it but never the whole way through (at least that I can remember). I didn't think it was anything "extradinar" but the cast was very deep with Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore, Luis Guzman, Mark Wahlberg, John C. Reilly, Don Cheadle, Heather Graham, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Thomas Jane, Michael Jace, Alfred Molina

Gummo
Harmony Korine 1997 US (2nd time)
In an Ohio town, which hasn't recovered from a tornado, youths search for ways to pass the time.
Because of its utter disregard for narrative, this episodic succession of anti-climaxes, full of unpleasant images and characters, is a demanding, challenging film. In many ways it is quite clearly a feature debut, while in others it has the feeling of an assured master playing with the medium; in this respect, it is like no other film, which must account for something.

Julien Donkey-Boy
Harmony Korine 1999 US (1st time)
A schizophrenic lives with his brother, who aspires to be a wrestler, his pregant sister (father unknown) and stern, military father.
Willing, and succeeding, to create new images and new contexts for familiar images, Korine's second film, the first American feature made under the Dogme manifesto, is powerful, even gut-wrenching, in much of its raw aesthetic. Shot on lightweight DV, it is deliberately the anti-everything, in turns poignant and hilarious, at once uplifting and bleak.

The Thin Red Line
Terrence Malick 1998 US (2nd time)
In 1943, US forces land on Guadalcanal, and are ordered to take a heavily defended position.
An absorbing war film with much killing and little blood; Malick instead focuses on how war itself is the enemy, and how it lamentably only exists among humans and the civilised world: as much as they're trying to defeat the Japanese, the Americans still get caught up in the corruption of their own hierarchy and chain of command. Meanwhile, amid all the noisy chaos, there are plenty of placid shots of the natural world at peace, accompanied by multi-faceted, ruminative voice-overs.

Kárhozat (Damnation)
Béla Tarr 1987 Hungary (1st time)
A hopeless man, distanced from society, is in love with a singer, but she's married…
An absolutely astonishing piece of work, decidedly not for everyone, but essential viewing for those who appreciated assured visions, and they don't come more firm than this; a methodic film shot in long takes and slow pans, with a bleak mise-en-scene and cynical poetry to match. Surreal, haunting, astounding.

I watched American History X in Sociology the other day.. it was such an amazing movie. I ALMOST cried at the end. I can't believe I'd never seen it before. I'd started it, but only watched the first few minutes.

Haha, like, if I had the star system like you guys do.. I'd give it 4/4 stars.

Nice one Bogey, it's a great film. And you get to see Norton naked. Always a plus.

I like me some naked, raped, neo-nazi's.

Excellent film... Although, as far as Norton is concerned (my personal favorite actor), I still enjoyed Fight Club more, but I think that Edward Norton's portrayal as Derek Vinyard could be one of the best performances of the 1990s, if not the best.

Mulholland Dr. - (David Lynch;2001;France/USA)
After a car accident, a woman with amnesia joins with an aspiring actress to find out what happened.
A perplexing but oddly powerful film that has some of the most interesting pieces of imagery in film. This has a very interesting effect on me. I keep thinking of it, in the way I kept thinking of Memento. I will definitely be seeing this again this week. Naomi Watts was great, as well as Laura Harring. The scene of the woman singing the Orbison song in Spanish was excellent.

I rented Mullholland Drive a long time ago but had to return it before I could see it. I was so pissed off.

The Island **

Not as bad as I was predicting or as I've heard. A more interesting story than I originally thought it was and I really became a big fan of Scarlett Johansson in this 1 film. However, Steve Buscemi shined the brightest from this cast with his humor

YEAH STEVIE B!

Lock, Stock and two Smoking Barrels
Guy Ritchie, 1998 UK
One of the classiest movies on my list for excellent cast, humour, style and a genius at the camera.

Pillow Talk '59, Michael Gordon

A great Comedy/Romance that I happened to catch it on satellite TV. They don't make it like this anymore.

I'm sure there are those who'll disagree, but while Elektra wasn't exactly terrific, it was better than I thought it'd be.

Yet Michael Bay's THE ISLAND wasn't as bad as ARMAGGEDON or PEARL HARBOR(read my BOMB! column on that floater sometime), but you know what? Its still fuck-you insultingly mediocre.

Werckmeister harmóniák (Werckmeister Harmonies)
Béla Tarr 2000 Hungary (1st time)
A travelling truck, with a huge whale inside and a mysterious figure called the Prince, arrives in a small town, and hell breaks loose.
This is an absolutely spellbinding film, full of awe-inspiring images and haunting, beautiful music and sounds. The camera follows its characters like a loyal dog, and becomes increasingly impersonal as the chaos erupts, becoming like a distant observer to a town under its own spell of fear. Original, innovative, marvellous.

I've been thinking about picking up Les Triplettes de Belleville (The Triplets of Belleville), but I don't know of anyone who has seen it. I remember seeing commercials for it a couple years ago, and it looked like a very intriguing animated film.

Has anyone here seen it, and if so, do you recommend it?

Sorry, can't help xXx, but a friend of mine in love with French cinema highly recommends it.

Yeah it wasn't as bad as Pearl Harbor (I still have nightmares that I actually PAID to see it in the theaters), and I have never seen all of Armaggedon (only parts). I did see The Rock but after watching it I remember it wasn't great like my friend told me. And yes I agree that The Island was mediocre. I'm just glad the gates of Hell didn't open beneath me after watching it

You Only Live Twice *** 1/2

Wow, I never knew James Bond went Japanese. Not to mention this movie had ninjas and the continuation of the Spectre organization (where we FINALLY get to see No. 1). A great James Bond flick with plenty of action and his usual one-liners

That swing-round on the chair, when we first see Blofeld, is amazing, and one of the most memorable Bond moments ever. Other than that, the film's only watchable.

If I'm not mistaken, this film is Belgium cinema.

Excuse me for this burst of patriotism.

Broken Flowers-
This movie reminds me of a scene in The Simpsons where Lisa reminds Homer that her "movie machine" has more than a star fade. Someone needs to remind Jim Jarmucsh that there is more than fade up, fade down. Aside from that, the movie was very drawn out with no purpose to it. It had some good moment, like the farmhouse and the last scene(which almost made up for the rest of the film)but it felt like it tried too hard to be "arty" and pretentious.
Mediocore

"Star wipe to Ned paying his bills, Star wipe to Ned being a good father" Man I loved that episode of the Simpsons and Homers response to Lisa
"Yes Lisa but why have hamburger when you could have steak?"

Other than that I've never seen Broken Flowers

Goddamn, why does the word "pretentious" constantly come up with Jim Jarmusch films?

As for the fade in/outs, that's simply part of his visual style. What's wrong with it?

Mulholland Dr. - (David Lynch;2001;France/USA)
After a car accident, a woman with amnesia joins with an aspiring actress to find out what happened.
Seeing this again felt very different in a better way. I think I understand most of it and was able to pay attention to smaller details I overlook as meaningless before. This is truly one of the most meticulous films to come out in the last several years. An excellent character study and partial jab at the Hollywood lifestyle. The film's imagery is breathtaking. Naomi Watts was great, and the rest of the cast was very good as well.

Awwwwwww isn't that such a cute movie? Rock Hudson's the best. This is the movie where he sings the same song to all those women, right? And then in French, too, for Yvette. I love that movie. And I love Thelma Ritter in it, as the alcoholic maid, Alma. Have you seen Lover Come Back? That's a good one too, very similar to Pillow Talk though.

"You are my inspiration......Marie", etc. I liked that movie too. It was a big hit at the time. However, does any of our young members here actually know what a "party line" is??? When I was a kid, we had one. You'd pick up the phone to dial and hear someone else's conversation, and simply had to wait for them to hang up. Sometimes if there was a really important call that my mom had to make, she'd as if they'd mind hanging up...and sometimes the person on the other end was very rude.

TIS

Ordinarily I wouldnt mind, but when it becomes so annoying it distracts from the film, then you might have a problem. Fades (I think) only work when used at the right time. Jarmusch overused them.

For me it accompanies the downbeat feeling of the film, much like Dead Man, which works even better with the fades.

I think the only reason it's distracting is because most people are used to standard directing with simple cuts or wipes.

Yojimbo ** 1/2

I think this is the most I have ever enjoyed an Akira Kurosawa movie. Not to put him down because I do enjoy his work (espeically for its time) but his movies, as I've said, seem to drag. This one didn't and I also liked Toshiro Mifune who played Yojimbo. I wasn't a huge fan of his from The Seven Samurai when he acted all stupid and crazy. I'm looking forward to watching Sanjuro.

Final Destination **

I always did enjoy this movie even if it was at times corny or not believable. However, I'm gearing up for Final Destination 3 on Tuesday. This was probably the first movie I remember seeing Ali Larter in.