Mass Access to Video Editing + Internet Distribution + Fair Use = Fantastic New Forms of Film Criticism
Sometimes you need to step back and remind yourself that videos like this essentially did not exist a decade ago. They certainly were not so plentiful, so easy to access, and so likely to inspire intelligent imitations. Whatever doldrums are afflicting Hollywood, we're living in an amazing era of cinematic flourishing.
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I don't know how many movies I just watched, but they left me with a sore head.
No I have an overwhelming urge to watch some Kubrick. Or perhaps to do some heroin thanks to the soundtrack from Requiem for a Dream.
But how will we ever know what to say and think without the professional critics explaining it all to us first?
A _ N _ A _ R _ C _ H _ Y _ !
It's a wonder we're still able to eat with all those food and restaurant critics.
Your refusal to starve to death signifies what a resentful, authority-hating anarchist you are.
Everyone knows that vegans and the NYT are the shit, man!
I've been running out of decent movies to watch - any recommendations out there?
Prefer gritty/dark films ranging from the 30s up to the 80s.
For modern stuff - I really liked some of the S. Korean flicks - Memories of Murder, I Saw The Devil, and Oldboy.
I generally don't like CGI-errific flicks.
Several folks around here seem to like Zodiac. I finally watched it a couple weeks ago and thought it was intensely boring shit, but it might be what you're looking for.
Is that the RDJ vehicle about the Zodiac killer?
Yeah. My wife and I both had a hard time staying awake through the whole thing.
It was slow, but weirdly watchable. I wouldn't watch it again, but I didn't feel cheated either.
seen it... I kinda liked it, but was pretty familiar with the book.
This one was pretty good. No CGI or special effects at all. Just a story that makes you stop and think when it's all over.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338309/
will add - thanks!
Have you seen The President's Last Bang?
Not sure if you're into documentaries but there are some really great ones on Netflix Watch Instantly. I recommend The Thin Blue Line and The Two Escobars which both do enough to make any libertarian's blood boil. Also Senna.
love documentaries - heck, I even watched one one the last man who knew how to run the machinery that made player-piano rolls.
I watched an episode of How It's Made where they showed the spools being made. The whole thing was controlled by an Apple IIe. I shit you not.
When will they make the documentary about the last man who knew how to run an Apple IIe ?
I dunno. But when that computer finally breaks down or the floppy disk wears out, there will be no more player-piano spools. Ever.
Have you seen HG Clouzot's films? French thrillers, late 40's, early 50's. Diabolique, Le Corbeau, Wages of Fear, and Quai des Orf?vres are all good.
only saw the Wages of Fear remake, Sorcerer. Will check them out, thanks!
Diabolique is especially great -- it feels like a Hitchcock movie. (But avoid the remake; it's awful.)
Sin City is like film noir on steroids, if you're looking for that. Very stylish and dark.
Audition is a pretty good Asian horror flick (not sure if it's Korean though, they all look the same to me)
saw Audition... not really my bag.
Will look into Sin City...
Open the fair use doors, HAL.
I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid my lawyer says I can't do that.
Someone should edit this clip into the Clockwork Orange scene where Alex is pinned to the chair having to watch clips of Kubrick.
I watched '2001' yesterday on the big screen at AFI Silver. Man is that a boring movie without hallucinogens. I fell asleep at lest twice. Why is it one of the top 25 films (according to those smarty critics)?
Well, I like it.
Me too. But to be fair I thought the ending was a bit too long.
Disclaimer: 1) I'm a huge scifi nerd 2)I got my first blowjob after this girl and I finished watching it for the first time.
Positive reinforcement. Do you also have an almost perverse fondness for popcorn?
No, but I do get oddly aroused when I walk into half-finished basements.
"Aroused he could kill. But it's a risk I'll have to take."
I'm actually with you. You could have cut an hour off that movie, maybe 2 and told the story. Pretty much every scene is at least a minute longer than it has to be.
Here's a tip from me to filmmakers everywhere:
If nothing is going to happen as a person walks from point A to point B, just cut the film to have them BE at point B. I don't think we need to watch a person spend 5 minutes just walking somewhere.
Really, anything more than one minute is waste. All movies should be reduced to one minute by law.
Go ahead, be a mocking mocker. See if I care.
No, no, you're on to something here. I say get rid of the whole system and replace movies with still images. One frame is all you really need.
Sparky - Do not watch Jim Jarmusch films.
Actually, I think that's good advice for everyone.
I approve of this comment.
Um, 2001 is not necessarily about "telling the story." If you watch 2001 expecting a "good story" you're watching it for the wrong reason.
Exactly, Juicy. Thank you. And people complaining about the over-long shots must be incapable of seeing the enormous artistry present in each of those shots. I pity them
Take any still frame from 2001 and I guarantee there will be things to analyze and ponder.
Not enough EXPLOSIONS!!!!OMG@#IJROIJROIOIRHIO!!! for you, Bardas?
2001 is one of the best movies ever made, and that has nothing to do with smarty critics. Most of them hated it when it was relelased. It's not supposed to be "entertaining". Is the Mona Lisa entertaining? It's meant to provoke thought, but I suppose that is too much to expect from today's Michael Bay crowd
I was with you till you brought up the Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa sucks.
Kubrick loved really "square" shots like the ones here... Vincent Lo Brutto noted this in his bio of Kubrick. So it's easier to do a vid like this from Kubrick's stuff than most other directors. Still excellent, though.
Nothing from Lolita? They're not looking hard enough.
I'll have to look again, but did I not see any Strangelove?