When do we live? That's what I want to know.

365 films in 2013 | 120 | Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970,...

Fri, 24 May 2013 23:51:53 +0100

365 films in 2013 | 120 | Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970, Russ Meyer)

★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

“Can you dig it?”

No, Roger Ebert and Russ Meyer, I can not, in fact, dig it. I guess this was supposed to be a parody but I think the joke was on me.

vulgarauteurism: Predator (John McTiernan, 1987)

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:59:49 +0100

vulgarauteurism:

Predator (John McTiernan, 1987)

365 films in 2013 | 119 | À bout de souffle(1960, Jean-Luc...

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:52:48 +0100

365 films in 2013 | 119 | À bout de souffle(1960, Jean-Luc Godard)

★★★★★★★☆☆

Godard proves that all you need for a film is a gun and a girl. It’s a lot of fun and fairly straightforward in comparison to his subsequent films, and is just oozing with cool. The jump cuts are great as well.

365 films in 2013 | 118 | Airplane II The Sequel (1982, Ken...

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:55:12 +0100

365 films in 2013 | 118 | Airplane II The Sequel (1982, Ken Finkelman)

★★★★★☆☆☆☆

So close to being a good sequel. I mean, it even has a Shatner cameo! Unfortunately the reliance on repeating gags from the first one sinks this one, but there are a few moments of inspired lunacy.

Photo

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:21:00 +0100

365 films in 2013 | 117 | Stagecoach (1939, John...

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:40:00 +0100

365 films in 2013 | 117 | Stagecoach (1939, John Ford)

★★★★★★★☆☆

While I’m not a big fan of Westerns (maybe I just haven’t seen enough), I really enjoyed this. The characters are broad archetypes but the actors bring interesting touches to them and they bounce off each other in great ways. I was particularly surprised by the compassion shown to Dallas. Doc Boone was also a favourite. I didn’t really care about John Wayne’s character (this film propelled him to stardom), and there’s a really improbable surprise halfway through the film, but on the whole I really enjoyed it.

Photo

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:36:31 +0100

This banker who absconds with the bank’s money protests...

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:30:00 +0100

This banker who absconds with the bank’s money protests the idea of government regulation of the banks. Stagecoach came out in 1939, so this was possibly a veiled reference to critics of the New Deal. Sadly it could equally apply today.

Photo

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:01:50 +0100

I wish i was as good-lookin as Mark from "The Room"

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:14:00 +0100

Don’t we all? He’s a really nice guy and when he’s not “acting” he’s also a model.

365 films in 2013 | 116 | 8 1/2 (1963, Federico...

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:50:37 +0100

365 films in 2013 | 116 | 8 1/2 (1963, Federico Fellini)

★★★★★★☆☆☆

This quote pretty much sums up the film: “I have absolutely nothing to say, but I want to say it anyway.”

Still, it’s not bad for a load of self-indulgent nonsense. I liked the scene with the magician and his childhood encounter with La Saraghina. I’ll definitely need to watch it again when I’m feeling more enthusiastic and have a copy with better subtitles. And when I’m caught up with the rest of Fellini’s films. Or maybe I should stop making excuses for my opinion.

getyourspoons: Bashful Mark.

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:55:07 +0100

getyourspoons:

Bashful Mark.

365 films in 2013 | 115 | Bernie (2012, Richard...

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:46:02 +0100

365 films in 2013 | 115 | Bernie (2012, Richard Linklater)

★★★★★★★★★☆

An utterly charming comedy-noir (I guess that’s what it is, because I definitely got a Sunset Boulevard vibe). Jack Black is great, Shirley MacLaine is great, Matthew McConaughey continues his career reinvention as a real actor, and I really enjoyed the use of real townspeople through interviews. One minor nit-pick: although the real case took place in ‘96, the film features iPhones. This is pretty much the only piece of modern technology, so it couldn’t have been that hard to be a complete period piece. Maybe Linklater is messing with our conception of a docudrama or something, I don’t know.

elliotpavelin replied to your post: elliotpavelin replied to your photo: 365 films in… Hmm,...

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:06:17 +0100

elliotpavelin replied to your post: elliotpavelin replied to your photo: 365 films in…

Hmm, Apocalypse Now Redux sort of ruins the original, which is obviously a masterpiece. But no, I couldn’t argue if any of his 70s films was your favourite of his. AND YES YOU DO!!! When are you getting to it? And I need to see Rumble Fish too.

June. If not June then July. I’ve been watching loads of great films this month and I’d like to keep it up. I think next month though I’ll have to space out the classics with some crap, just to keep me sane.

Harrison Ford is so young in this film.

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:25:12 +0100

Harrison Ford is so young in this film.

So among all the auditioning Hitlers there’s a guy in a...

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:19:35 +0100

So among all the auditioning Hitlers there’s a guy in a Speedo? Who doesn’t even have a Hitler ‘tache?

365 films in 2013 | 115 | The Producers (1968, Mel...

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:17:10 +0100

365 films in 2013 | 115 | The Producers (1968, Mel Brooks)

★★★★★★★★★☆

One of the few films I’ve watched alone and actually laughed out loud at. Zero Mostel (man, I need to rewatch A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) and Gene Wilder are great, and play it perfectly over the top. Dick Shawn essentially reprises his character Sylvester from It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World - no complaints from me. He’s also great. The lack of Mel Brooks on screen is also nice - he’s fine, but sometimes I wonder if the discrepancy in how his films have been received is related to his presence in them (absent in Young Frankenstein and only a small role in Blazing Saddles). The only iffy moments come from the weird gay stereotypes, but at least he’s allowed to become a character - there is literally one female “character”, and she’s only there for cheap gags.

Other than that though, pretty great. And fuck the musical remake. Musically remake something that’s terrible, like Little Shop of Horrors. And while I’m on this soapbox, for all his crimes at least Mel Brooks never escaped justice for killing two women in a car crash.

elliotpavelin replied to your photo: 365 films in 2013 | 113 | The Conversation...

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:55:28 +0100

elliotpavelin replied to your photo: 365 films in 2013 | 113 | The Conversation (1974,…

Finally! Oh my god I love this film too much! But your favourite Coppola?? I guess I can forgive you since all his films from the 70s are masterpieces and difficult to choose between! xD Glad you liked it though.

Guess what’s still on my Coppola unwatched list?

The Godfather Part II

Also

Rumble Fish
Apocalypse Now Redux

But having The Conversation be your favourite Coppola isn’t such a bad thing, is it? Also you need to see Night Moves.

365 films in 2013 | 114 | L’Année dernière à...

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:52:11 +0100

365 films in 2013 | 114 | L’Année dernière à Marienbad(1961, Alain Resnais)

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Memory and reality, dreams and fantasy merge into one. Great black & white cinematography, great subversive use of classical editing to disorientate the viewer, but I just didn’t get into the characters that much. I’ll need to watch it again.

On another note, the UK DVD (Studio Canal/Optimum) has a lovely restored picture but absolutely awful subtitles. Criterion or bust.

365 films in 2013 | 113 | The Conversation (1974, Francis Ford...

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:27:55 +0100

365 films in 2013 | 113 | The Conversation (1974, Francis Ford Coppola)

★★★★★★★★★★

Wow. Very well acted, very tense, great sound design… a few moments in particular feel like you, the viewer, have been dropped into a guilt/paranoia-fuelled audio-visual nightmare (the repeating, distorting screams, the blood). Closely influenced by Antonioni’s Blow Up and full of Watergate overtones, the constant repetition of the central conversation throughout the film transcends its seemingly mundane subject matter, drawing you in to Caul’s obsession. May have just beat Apocalypse Now for my favourite Coppola.