Aga_darkside

Yes I'm the biggest baby, I barely watch horrors But I agree with you it wasn't that scary,but there were 2 scenes that freaked me out: when that kid locked Laura in the bathroom and when that creepy old lady was run over by a bus. And I watched that first scene in the evening and decided to stop and finish it during the day
I loved the mood, how it was creepy without showing much. I didn't expext a tragic ending, maybe I should, since it's a not an American movie

I realized I haven't watched anything by Tarkovsky... Is Stalker a right movie to start?

I'm definitely interested in watching. we should come with a schedule or somthing

About Waltz with Bashir, wow what a bleak movie! it would probably help if I knew anything about that war, but I still loved the surrealistic mood, the animation and the soundtrack.

poehler-bear

Hmmm I'd start with his first movie to get you in the mood, Ivan's Childhood. It's less inspired than Andrei Rublev or Stalker but it's a great movie imo.

Yes! I started it already because I have 30 days off work and after that it will be hard to keep a daily challenge. But we should definitely pick some movies. So Short Story About Love and Abraham's Valley, in this order, as our first movies? Should we try to watch both this weekend? Or one now and the other next weekend?

Same here. I really enjoyed how its structure about memory and its complicated nature. I read a review that criticized the movie because in animating it is hiding from the truth like the memory, escaping from reality. I don't necessarily disagree with this pov but I also think taking the animation device makes it more human somehow, because it could show the scenes and focus on their faces and create an atmosphere. I think I was as emotionally taken by this as I would if I'd seen footage of the dead all throughout the movie.
Oh and this was my fave of our first movie club edition.

I watched The Innocents yesterday. What an incredible movie! I'm not one for horror movies but this one was so well put together (and Deborah Kerr in one of her best roles) that I can see myself rewatching a few times in the future. Beautiful cinematography and script as well. I highly recommend it, though it should be noted it's scarier than The Orphanage so be careful Aga

Aga_darkside

Ok, I'll start with this one then.

I think I could watch both this weekend. Let me know which version of A Short Film About Love you're watching, then I'll try to watch the same, so I'll know if there is anything wrong with the translation.

I believe the animation was a right choice for a movie not only about war but mostly about supressing memories and then trying to remember. The characters tried to distance themselves from the events and that's why I think the animation works and only makes the movie more haunting.
And it also was my favourite movie from this round, The Orphanage is the second.

I'll keeo that in mind

poehler-bear

I'm so sorry! I thought I had replied

Damn! I could have had privileged viewing. Oh well. I watched the untouched DVD version.
I haven't watched Vale Abrãao yet, slow download. But hopefully tomorrow.



So, Short Film About Love. Short indeed! That went by so fast! Apparently I watched the short version I'm still collecting my thoughts, but I really enjoyed it. The ending was fantastic. I have a problem though, every voyeuristic film automatically makes me read it as a metaphor for cinema (Rear Window, Blow-Up) which is both great and terrible. I think I end up missing some interesting nuances. I loved that recurring piece of music! At the beginning I interpreted it as cynical (super creepy scenario with romantic song?) but it's amazing how Kieślowski turned that around (even if I can't completely let the super creepy story pass like the woman did). Didn't love it as much as the color trilogy but still an interesting movie.

Aga_darkside

I watched it so I'm ready when you are.


So you watched that 58 min. version from The Decalogue? Both movies have different endings and other minor changes, but I don't remember what is exactly different besides the ending, I watched the shorter version 2 years ago If you did watch The Decalogue's version, here is the version we were supposed to watch.

Oh, I didn't think about that, interesting interpretation.

Yeah it's creepy, but on the other hand I felt really sorry for him, he was idealistic and naive, and what at first was simply peeping at her became something more, when he said that he used to watch as she had sex with all those guys but then he stopped... I guess it's creepy and sad at the same time...

I watched Design for Living, loved it!! I really have to watch more pre-code, because so far I've watched just a few movies from that period, but loved them all.
And now I'm watching Nothing Sacred, the second of your Fredric March recommendations

And I meant to ask about 1920's Jekyll and Hyde and History is Made at Night, I saw you checked them. I really enjoyed 1931's J&H and I'd like to watch that silent version as well, and I remember I have History is Made at night somewhere...

poehler-bear

Ohhh then no. I watched the long version but it was slightly shorter than the length on IMDB.

Yes, definitely.

I'm glad you liked it! And I'm taking that as an invite to recommend films It's not my favorite but "The Divorcee" is a must if you wanna get into pre-code. "Baby Face"! That's also a must. Pre-code 101, really (I actually watched this in the pre-code lecture at uni). "Freaks" and "Scarface" are also essential pre-codes. Oh and once again, Lubitsch musicals.
Now let me see, favorites: "Queen Christina" (Garbo plays a bi-sexual queen how isn't that awesome?), "Twentieth Century" (Carole Lombard and John Barrymore playing egomaniacs in a Hawks screwball), "Dancing Lady" (Crawford/Gable chemistry is out of this world, if you like it check out "Possessed", not as good but exploding chemistry), "Torch Singer" (idk, I'm very into melodramas about mothers so I'm biased here - Colbert is really great though), "Evelyn Prentice" (Loy/Powell -always a win- in a melodrama). I also really enjoyed "A Farewell to Arms" (what imagery!), "Night Nurse" and "Safe in Hell". And I liked "A Free Soul" more than "The Divorcee". Good lord, this is big list!

Jekyll and Hyde was okay. The best part of it was Barrymore. His acting was very theatrical yet very effective.
I really enjoyed "History is Made at Night"! Warning, very melodramatic, as per usual with Frank Borzage. But he has a great ability to render love visually. And camera movements! It's amazing how fluid "A Farewell to Arms" is, and made in 1932! Jean Arthur and Charles Boyer are really great in it too.

EndlessღLove

Hello everyone I haven't gone to the movies in a while but I did today and I saw this Argentinian film that everyone was talking about so I gave it a shot and I loved it .
It was nominated in Cannes and it's called Relatos Salvajes (Wild Tales) and it's a 6 shorts film (yes, 6 unrelated tales). It's black comedy and drama and it's about wrath, vengeance, meltdowns and violence.

But what's interesting about it is that each short is less than 20 minutes long but yet you experience a wide range of feelings and emotions in each story so this is a shout out to the actors who managed to create the perfect atmosphere (and eventually reach the climax) with so little screentime.

My favorite Argentian actor (Ricardo Darín) is on it and it's produced by Pedro Almodóvar.

Here's the trailer with english subs if you are interested

Aga_darkside

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to respond, but uni is back and I had a really crazy week on top of that

Ah I see

And wow what a list! I'm going to add them to my watchlist

Ok, so I'm going to watch it

I'm still in my Fredric March phase, I watched Nothing Sacred after Design for Living. I really liked, but enjoyed Design for Living more. And I watched I Married a Witch yesterday. boy what a silly movie, but kinda cute Now I want to watch A Star is Born and Death of a Salesman, but I wasn't in the mood to watch movies without subtitles. And I should rewatch Inherit the Wind, now that is a fantastic movie

Oooh, I need to check it out

poehler-bear

Don't worry, I'm super slow as well. Sorry, I'll catch up on movie club. Damn me, I suggest the thing and then fail. I got caught up on a Gilmore Girls rewatch and it's been hard to watch anything else.

Never heard of it, Eug, but I'll add to the watchlist

I enjoyed Nothing Sacred much more on second viewing but that might be because I was in my Carole Lombard phase Hazel is great though.
Did you watch A Star is Born? I really enjoyed that one. Not as much as the Judy Garland's version though, Janet Gaynor is not as exciting.

Hmm Fredric March, Spencer Tracy and Gene Kelly? I'm intrigued! I'll check it out after I finish watching the ten thousand movies I downloaded.

poehler-bear

I just watched Annie and I need to share probably the most bizarre moment I've had watching a Hollywood film. A children's movie about the most optimistic child in the world suddenly stops to showcase one of the most depressing Garbo (a high standard for depressing) movies. And it doesn't anything to the movie. Amazing.

Did you guys watched anything good lately?

Gelfling

I am soooooo behind on this thread!

I don't have much time for movies lately. I barely squeeze in a few shows while I'm in the subway

I finally found A Catered Affair with Borgnine and Davis but I have yet to see it.

There were a few movies I was hoping to see on the big screen but I missed them so I'll have to wait for the dvd now. And well, they were playing Casablanca at the Desperado... I couldn't miss that one so it was an easy choice between this and Magic in the Moonlight, sorry

well it's an "old" children movie.

poehler-bear

Casablanca on the big screen! What a treat
There are also quite a few movies I missed. I haven't been to the movie theater in so, so long. I really need to find a place to live in Rio, easier to have a cultural life.

But it's still very, very bizarre. Because it goes on for ages! I felt like I had seen Camille all over again. I've never seen such a long and complete insert of a movie in a movie (er that's gotta be a better way of saying this).

Currently hating movies as I try to write an essay on Lang's "Secret Beyond the Door". I didn't think I could ever spend so much time analyzing shots and symbols... yet, I haven't been able to write past page one, woo-hoo! (But even being stuck, there's something so compelling about watching something over and over and delve into possible meanings, realizing new things every time)

Gelfling

I couldn't resist it!

Go, Nanda! I imagine it's not that easy but probably rewarding. Even here, multiplexes only show the big blockbusters, and the selected few "indies" from FOX Searchlight and the likes so it's hard to see anything recent under 100 million budget
Half the movies I had been tracking from Sundance have yet to be released, if ever at all.

I finally saw Magic in the Moonlight and though I must admit my expectations might have let me down, the movie was disappointing.
The cast is superb ofc, as is the setting but the direction feels stiff and very methodical, nothing unexpected. It definitely didn't have the charm of Midnight in Paris.
I can't think of one and I know exactly what you mean. And damn, now you made me want to see Camille again

isn't that great? I so wish I studied cinema! I was doing this on the side while spending way too much time analyzing tax laws and accounts

Especially with someone like Lang. Man, was he an expert in hidden meaning

poehler-bear

Yeah :/ An amazing thing happened though. They re-opened my uni's movie theater! And apparently it has one of the best screening rooms of the city. And ofc, they show "cult" movies.

Aw :/ The good thing is I still have some classic Woody Allen movies to watch. Did I mention I finally watched The Purple Rose of Cairo? I think it's fairly obvious that I adored it.

Do it!! I recently rewatched it, and so good! Well, the movie has its weakness but GRETA GARBO!! And George Cukor, bless his heart for caring so much about female characters and actors

Anything would look good next to that
But, like I said, it's really fascinating. I especially like looking into Old Hollywood movies to see how the greats worked things under the Code and Hollywood's industrial rules. It's amazing how any art could be born out of that system! Oh that reminds me that I have to watch more Douglas Sirk movies...

Right?? And having now taken a class on his work, it's amazing to see the themes working through different movies. My thesis on this paper is basically saying that pretty much every frame demands truth. Then I stopped for one moment, and hell! All of his movies (that I've seen and remember) have this! And he always finds an interesting way to explore the same idea, his visuals are quite something.

I know I can just scroll down a bit, but I'm lazy. Did I mention I watched Close-Up? It became an instant fave. If you haven't watched it yet, please do it. And I'd love to discuss it (as much as I can remember of it at least).

Gelfling

That's pretty cool! We tried to get that started at our business school because they had a large library of movies from all over the world and a large amphitheatre that was only used occasionally and it was great for a while but then they decided to have people vote on the movies and we ended up with a lot of boring action flicks ofc.

and I can't emphasize enough how much I hated it when I first saw it
Of course, I was 12 and barely out of the Disney movie phase soooo....
It's a brilliant movie! I wish I could see it again for the first time, with a more mature mind
Jeff Daniels has said many times it was one of his most cherished movies and he called his theatre company "The Purple Rose" as an homage to it.

It's interesting to see how Woody Allen's work evolved through the years. He definitely works in phases.

Heh I'll add it to the never-ending watchlist. I don't have much time lately so I tend to see "new" movies first but there's always room for beloved classics.

He did so much for Hollywood as an industry, in terms of storytelling and character development. And ofc Garbo. She could do no wrong, even in terrible movies
We talked about Mata Hari, right?

I think creativity is only spurred by censorship, not impaired. People tend to work even harder to find ways to express themselves, through symbolism, metaphors, hyperbole, imagery etc.

well your watchlist just got much much longer.

that's a verrrry interesting theme and I love your argument.

Talking about someone who used symbolism to escape censorship...

Are we talking about the Noir from the 40ies or something more recent?
I'd love to watch and discuss it!