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#1
Off Topic Discussion / Re: The IMDB
Last post by The Burgomaster - Today at 01:47:30 PMQuote from: Trevor on Today at 09:32:58 AMDoesn't allow you to leave bad reviews now.
I submitted a review of a 2008 docco I assisted on called HIDDEN HEART and my experience on it and the message of it wasn't good.
Review rejected. ☹️☹️
Maybe the review wasn't rejected. Maybe YOU were rejected. Just sayin' . . .
#2
Off Topic Discussion / Re: The New Happy Birthday Thr...
Last post by The Burgomaster - Today at 01:44:56 PMThanks for the birthday wishes. I'm an old bastich . . .
#3
Good Movies / Re: Recent Viewings, Part 2
Last post by M.10rda - Today at 11:44:56 AML'ARGENT (1928):
Recently I mentioned that Dreyer's PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC was probably the greatest silent film, using the qualifier "probably" as of course I haven't seen every silent film and a vast number of such films are lost/unwatchable anyway, but I haven't seen one as good as POJOA and most I've seen don't come remotely close. However I remain open-minded thanks to occasional discoveries like 1928's L'ARGENT, a 3+ hour epic that easily laps most other silents in terms of cinematic storytelling and (if it had sound!) would rank respectably w/ the Best Picture nominees of any subsequent year. It's basically just like watching any movie from the 70s or 90s or the 21st century... only quieter.
In Italian "argent" means "silver" (hence the origin of Argentina) and in French it means "money". L'ARGENT is a French film and it's all about the filthy lucre. Nearly the entire long film takes place in an office or boardroom or on the floor of the French stock exchange - just one offer, deal, sale, trade, takeover, and double-cross after another. If you're a fan of "Succession" or "Industry" or WALL STREET, you will be able to keep up, more or less. Money has never made much sense to me (hence perhaps I don't have much of it) but I could still follow the broad strokes of the plot... but even more importantly (and like "Succession" and "Industry") L'ARGENT still works as Suspense Melodrama because it focuses vividly and thrillingly on a small handful of characters, and even if I didn't understand exactly what they were doing or exactly why, I still understood that they cared and they were excited and infuriated and devastated from twist to twist. The French intertitles do have English subtitles, though one's precise comprehension will still depend a bit on one's literacy of modern corporate markets, which (fortunately for less savvy viewers like me) seem to function today just like they did in 1928.
Two major factors make L'ARGENT succeed. One is the direction by Marcel L'Herbier. He shoots and edits everything like... well, like Scorsese would today (maybe a little better!). There are frequent short tracking shots that emphasize the action but also help underline the emotions of the characters. There are shot/reverse shots on close-ups of characters having long dialogues with only occasional dialogue intertitles. I can't read lips in French so I don't know what those characters are saying - and yet I know what those characters are saying, 'cause L'Herbier directs his actors and shoots his actors to capture all the intentions in their faces and in their physical gestures. The second factor is lead actor Pierre Alcover, who is onscreen about 90% of the time and thus is indispensable to keeping the viewer focused and motivated. Alcover is decades ahead of his craft, giving a performance that would be less unusual in the late 20th century or today, but he's kind of breathtaking in the late 1920s. Alcover's monstrous "Saccard" is DeNiro as Al Capone, he's DeVito in OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY, he's James Gandolfini. The guy's amazing.
Brigitte Helm, who was figuratively and literally objectified in METROPOLIS, often complained that she only got to play hot young thing/damsel in distress roles. Although her character here is alluring to male characters and quite distressed, L'ARGENT gives her a lot to work with and she delivers a strong multi-dimensional performance. Antonin Artaud, playwright and creator of "Theatre of Cruelty" (the arts movement which paved the way for torture porn, alas), plays a supporting role here. (He is better showcased in POJOA, incidentally.) L'Herbier was considered an early master of Cinema by the likes of Renoir, Zulawski, and Jodorowsky. I haven't seen any of his other films...
4.5/5 ...But you bet I'm a-gonna' rectify that!
Oh PS the (brilliant) final scene is an indictment of global justice systems even today. Indeed some things never change.
Recently I mentioned that Dreyer's PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC was probably the greatest silent film, using the qualifier "probably" as of course I haven't seen every silent film and a vast number of such films are lost/unwatchable anyway, but I haven't seen one as good as POJOA and most I've seen don't come remotely close. However I remain open-minded thanks to occasional discoveries like 1928's L'ARGENT, a 3+ hour epic that easily laps most other silents in terms of cinematic storytelling and (if it had sound!) would rank respectably w/ the Best Picture nominees of any subsequent year. It's basically just like watching any movie from the 70s or 90s or the 21st century... only quieter.
In Italian "argent" means "silver" (hence the origin of Argentina) and in French it means "money". L'ARGENT is a French film and it's all about the filthy lucre. Nearly the entire long film takes place in an office or boardroom or on the floor of the French stock exchange - just one offer, deal, sale, trade, takeover, and double-cross after another. If you're a fan of "Succession" or "Industry" or WALL STREET, you will be able to keep up, more or less. Money has never made much sense to me (hence perhaps I don't have much of it) but I could still follow the broad strokes of the plot... but even more importantly (and like "Succession" and "Industry") L'ARGENT still works as Suspense Melodrama because it focuses vividly and thrillingly on a small handful of characters, and even if I didn't understand exactly what they were doing or exactly why, I still understood that they cared and they were excited and infuriated and devastated from twist to twist. The French intertitles do have English subtitles, though one's precise comprehension will still depend a bit on one's literacy of modern corporate markets, which (fortunately for less savvy viewers like me) seem to function today just like they did in 1928.
Two major factors make L'ARGENT succeed. One is the direction by Marcel L'Herbier. He shoots and edits everything like... well, like Scorsese would today (maybe a little better!). There are frequent short tracking shots that emphasize the action but also help underline the emotions of the characters. There are shot/reverse shots on close-ups of characters having long dialogues with only occasional dialogue intertitles. I can't read lips in French so I don't know what those characters are saying - and yet I know what those characters are saying, 'cause L'Herbier directs his actors and shoots his actors to capture all the intentions in their faces and in their physical gestures. The second factor is lead actor Pierre Alcover, who is onscreen about 90% of the time and thus is indispensable to keeping the viewer focused and motivated. Alcover is decades ahead of his craft, giving a performance that would be less unusual in the late 20th century or today, but he's kind of breathtaking in the late 1920s. Alcover's monstrous "Saccard" is DeNiro as Al Capone, he's DeVito in OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY, he's James Gandolfini. The guy's amazing.
Brigitte Helm, who was figuratively and literally objectified in METROPOLIS, often complained that she only got to play hot young thing/damsel in distress roles. Although her character here is alluring to male characters and quite distressed, L'ARGENT gives her a lot to work with and she delivers a strong multi-dimensional performance. Antonin Artaud, playwright and creator of "Theatre of Cruelty" (the arts movement which paved the way for torture porn, alas), plays a supporting role here. (He is better showcased in POJOA, incidentally.) L'Herbier was considered an early master of Cinema by the likes of Renoir, Zulawski, and Jodorowsky. I haven't seen any of his other films...
4.5/5 ...But you bet I'm a-gonna' rectify that!
Oh PS the (brilliant) final scene is an indictment of global justice systems even today. Indeed some things never change.
#4
Off Topic Discussion / Re: The IMDB
Last post by Trevor - Today at 10:24:24 AMQuote from: Rev. Powell on Today at 09:44:24 AMDid you mention you worked on it? They may refuse reviews from people who worked on the film to prevent biased ratings. Though it seems highly unlikely any human actually reads the user reviews.
No, I didn't mention my part in it. It's one of those nonsensical revisionist history hit jobs which states that Dr Chris Barnard didn't actually perform the first heart transplant. 🙄😳
#5
Off Topic Discussion / Re: The IMDB
Last post by Rev. Powell - Today at 09:44:24 AMDid you mention you worked on it? They may refuse reviews from people who worked on the film to prevent biased ratings. Though it seems highly unlikely any human actually reads the user reviews.
#6
Games / Re: Answer the question with a...
Last post by Rev. Powell - Today at 09:42:30 AM
What road should I take?
#8
Off Topic Discussion / The IMDB
Last post by Trevor - Today at 09:32:58 AMDoesn't allow you to leave bad reviews now.
I submitted a review of a 2008 docco I assisted on called HIDDEN HEART and my experience on it and the message of it wasn't good.
Review rejected. ☹️☹️
I submitted a review of a 2008 docco I assisted on called HIDDEN HEART and my experience on it and the message of it wasn't good.
Review rejected. ☹️☹️
#9
Television / Re: TV characters you hated?
Last post by M.10rda - Today at 08:52:16 AMMurdock was the heart and soul! 
#10
Bad Movies / Re: Generate Movie Poster with...
Last post by Rev. Powell - Today at 08:16:33 AM
Just gave copilot the title. Can't imagine what it thinks the plot is!