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Author Topic: Some Recent Stuff I've seen  (Read 1331 times)
dean
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« on: August 28, 2005, 10:06:23 PM »

Land Of the Dead [George A Romero 2005]

Caught this at the cinemas a couple of weeks ago, but have been too slack to post anything until now.

For those not in the know, the storyline is a continuation of the 'post-zombiefied' world in which the living are now out numbered by the dead, and this story focuses on a city which has been barricaded to protect the inhabitants from getting eaten, where the rich live in luxury and the poor are forced to live on ground level, near the zombie threat.

I won't delve too much into story since as a bad movies website, most people should at least know the basic idea for it.

I enjoyed it overall, but not as much as Day of the Dead which is growing on me each time I've watched it [A group of friends and I gave it a viewing a few days before seeing Land of the Dead, and it was my third screening in 6 days, so I guess I'm enjoying it!]

Dennis Hopper's character was a bit of fun, and he had a few great lines, such as ''No, you're dead... oh you ARE dead" [or something close to that at least]  Simon Baker did well, though I hated the last line he has in the movie.  

In fact, I enjoyed this movie alot, especially the focus on the Zombies who are learning how to 'live' and who rebel against the humans who are persecuting them.  The only thing I didn't like was the ending, really.  Nice effects, and it was good seeing Tom Savini, famous effects man, on the big screen wielding a machete of some sort, so that's always fun.

Overall, the ending dissappointed me, and the film seemed a bit 'autopilot' but that didn't stop me from enjoying the great gore and some good dialogue.



Spartan [David Mamet 2004]


Watched this the other day and I liked it.  It's one of Val Kilmer's recent works that I actually like, so that's always good.

Anyway, Val Kilmer is a special agent and is sent to find the presidents daughter before anyone realises she has been kidnapped.  The catch is, this was a random kidnapping and, courtesy of a new haircut, the kidnappers didn't realise who they had taken, so it's up to Kilmer to get her before they do and just cut their losses.

Like I just mentioned, this is one of Val Kilmer's better films of recent years, and Mamet does a great job on top of this.

One of my favourite lines is Kilmer saying 'The TV was on,' whilst explaining why he had just broken into a hose, with a gun in his hand, to the kind of confused man who finds him.

Anyway, it has great dialogue in parts and had a generally good vibe about it that indicated I was watching a good movie.  See it if you want something that isn't a typical hollywood movie, but still feels like one that actually works well.



La Belle et la bête [aka Beauty and the Beast, Jean Cocteau, 1946]


Screened as part of my surrealism cinema class.  

Basically this is the story of beauty and the beast, but this is certainly no disney tale, and is in fact more faithful [but of course not totally] to the original tale.

Directed by the always brilliant Jean Cocteau.

Unlike the Disney version, Belle's father is not a crazy inventor but a merchant on the verge of bankrupcy.  She has a brother Ludovic who is a drunk,  and signs most of the family's house over to his loan shark, whose friend Avenant wishes to marry Belle. She also has two sisters who think they are all class and do nothing but pick on poor Belle, using her as a slave so they can enjoy the high life.  

On the way home from attempting to ressurect his business, Belle's father gets lost and finds himself in a castle in which strange arms hold candelabras and serve him wine.  As he leaves, he remembers a promise to Belle and picks a rose from the garden, which results in the Beast appearing, and telling him that he shall be punished with death, unless he, of course, has a daughter who would be willing to swap with the ill-fated father.

And of course the rest of the story follows a similar path to the disney film, although with a few major differences, one being the ending, which I won't get into.

This film really engaged my attention, and has some quite charming moments, such as Avenant flipping his hair in a masculine fashion, and some very interesting concepts [such as how the film ends.]

Though if you aren't a fan of black and white, subtitled French films, you may dissapprove, but otherwise its worth a look, especially if you are a fan of the tale, and of surreal films in general.



On a side note, I have seen a heap of movies the last few weeks, so I'll gradually try and update as I go, but I think I'll leave it here for the moment before I spend all my time writing instead of doing some actual work!! :-P



Post Edited (08-28-05 22:45)
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Mofo Rising
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« Reply #1 on: August 28, 2005, 11:28:16 PM »

That's odd, I just watched BEAUTY AND THE BEAST a few days ago.  (I'm making my way through the Criterion collection.)  Visually, the film is something else.  I really liked the living busts in the castle.

On the DVD, there is an opera by Phillip Glass set to the film.  The singing occurs whenever anybody on screen opens their mouth.  Interesting idea, although I didn't actually watch it.
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peter johnson
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« Reply #2 on: August 29, 2005, 12:28:14 AM »

One of the most brilliant pictures ever made --
If you haven't seen Cocteau's "Orphee" or "Le Sangre de Poete", oh, well, really you all need to --
"Poete" you can watch again and again and get something new every time --
peter johnson/denny crane

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dean
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« Reply #3 on: August 29, 2005, 04:53:57 AM »


I read about the Philip Glass thing on IMDB as I was writing this.  It's an interesting concept and I'll have to find a copy and see how it goes one day.

The film is really visually something else, even if the 'grand staircase' is just a glorified set ramp.  It's funny watching the beast glide down it in a somewhat extravagent fashion.  But that being said, especially considering what was going on when he made the film, it is quite unusual.  

I was told the other day that despite sounds of battle going on in the distance and all the political trouble in the area at the time, Cocteau refused to even talk about it in any of his writings at the time.  You have this instant in history that he just doesn't mention, which I find quite interesting in how his character was.

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LH-C
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« Reply #4 on: August 30, 2005, 04:07:50 PM »

<>

When I was 11, I went out on a weekday night to see it at one of the art house cinemas here in town. My mom, dad, younger sister, me, my aunt (who is from France), and 4 of my cousins (not all hers) went. (I don't remember if my younger brother was there or not.) I've only seen it twice since, but it's a film that had me completely mesmerized and has stuck with me for all these years.

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dean
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« Reply #5 on: August 31, 2005, 04:52:39 AM »


LH-C wrote:

> <>
>I've only seen it twice since, but it's a
> film that had me completely mesmerized and has stuck with me
> for all these years.
>

What did you think of the ending? I found Belle's reaction pretty darn funny...

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ulthar
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« Reply #6 on: August 31, 2005, 11:40:12 AM »

dean wrote:

>  explaining why he had just broken into a hose, with a
> gun in his hand

Oh man, what a mental image ...  ;)

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odinn7
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« Reply #7 on: August 31, 2005, 12:39:18 PM »

ulthar wrote:

> dean wrote:
>
> >  explaining why he had just broken into a hose, with a
> > gun in his hand
>
> Oh man, what a mental image ...  ;)
>

Oh stop...I just almost choked. You are too funny. Thanks for pointing that out.

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dean
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« Reply #8 on: September 01, 2005, 04:30:25 AM »


ahem... ok... oops...


hmmm... 'house'... that's the one...

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