32 response about Cinecast 78 - Alright Ramblers…Let’s Get Ramblin’ »

1. 

   Filmspotting is claiming that apparently In the Shadow of the Moon is NOT being released on DVD this week due to some legal issues between Thinkfilm and Image Entertainment or something.

   Whatever; it’s still a great movie and I encourage people to seek it out when it becomes available.

   Comment by Andrew James — February 13, 2008
2. 

   Andrew - I have a feeling you hacked into my computer and took a peek at the show we recorded this weekend where I - nearly word for word - share the same thoughts on “Across the Universe”. Loved it but disliked the “Blackbird” cover.

   Big Love - Love that show. Haven’t caught up with it since the middle of season 2 but I hope to return to it soon. They really messed with the airing of season 2 (I think the wait was 8 months between the end of one and start of the next).

   Haven’t watched the Movie Club Movies either. Hopefully it won’t be too difficult to track down Freddy Got Fingered…

   Hot Sauce Dude - HAHAHAHA

   I like Farrell but I think folks are still hung up about “Alexander”. I didn’t see “Intermission” but I loved him “A Home at the End of the World” and “Phone Booth” ended just before it started getting old. Had fun with that one. Should probably revisit it at some point.

   Kevin Costner - I’m feeling the love…and it’s fantastic!

   “Seven” - my intro to Fincher as well. I *love* that film and watching that on the big screen was the first time I really paid attention to opening and closing credits.

   “2001″ played a few weeks ago in Vancouver. Show sold out almost as soon as it was announced. I expect it’ll likely come back soon.

   Oh good god. The reference to the Seven Samurai Criterion DVD…this is uncanny. You’ll see what I mean when I post our show.

   Andrew mentioned grenade shaped bottle and I wrote down: STUBBY!

   Great show guys!

   Comment by Marina Antunes — February 13, 2008
3. 

   I will never understand the love for 12 Monkeys, but I do share the Costner love. He’s done alot of good films, and he’s good in alot of them.

   The 25th Hour came off as way too heavyhanded for me. For me, Inside Man is a way more effective post-9/11 New York movie for me. It’s not as completely on the nose, and even incorporates imagery of the Iraq War (particularly the infamous Abu Ghraib stills) in a very elegant and subtle way. I hated the Edward Norton monologue in 25th Hour, and also I can’t fucking stand Barry Pepper. He’s a shitty actor. The ‘beat me up’-scene? Such a fucking cliché. Seemed to me Edward Norton thought he was going back to the AHX prison.

   One thing that I do love however (see how much thought went into the structure of this comment?): 2001: A Space Oddysey. There is a film that could be talked about from now untill the end of time, and there would still be interesting topics to cover. And it’s exactly right that it does feel like you have to plan to watch it for at least a week. It’s worth it though. Another film comparable to that (if only for it’s length) is Gettysburg, which is also worth it.

   ‘Big Love’ eh? TV sounds like it’s in the shape of its life.

   And Gone Baby Gone was great! I tried to reach out and listen to your original review of it when I saw it recently, but the podcast didn’t work! What gives?

   United 93 stumbling near the end? I couldn’t disagree more. The ending of that film is one of the most intense and emotionally engaging endings I can remember seeing in a long time. The first hour or so, I felt originally was a tad tedious and dragging (even though I understood it was done in real-time for a reason), but on second viewing it didn’t bother me. I definitely didn’t have the “Do Something!” reaction, I thought the movie always played as a tribute to all the people trying to assess the situation, rather than charge headfirst into it and ask questions later. It’s actually quite similar to ‘Thirteen Days’. But that ending man - I don’t know how you could feel it stumbled? Unless you’re of the mind that since they can’t prove it happened they shouldn’t show it, I don’t see how that can’t affect you. And also, strangely Paul Greengrass in this pseudo-documentary film - or reenactment based on gathered information - doesn’t let his style confuse the viewer. His camera is far less shaky and out-of-control in this film, than in the latest Bourne film, even though you’d think there would be more of a reason for it in something like United 93. I for one am glad. TBU was way too much for me, since it didn’t do anything creative with it. It still had stock shots like the over-the-shoulders in cafes, but they were just shaking them like crazy. And with all the editing going on every 0.5 seconds, all of the action just came off as fake as something like Transformers to me. United 93 on the other hand? Incredibly authentic. Unless you believe the people were offloaded on an island in the pacific, and loaded unto two other small planes, that then crashed into WTC as the controlled demolition was about to go off.

   Comment by Henrik — February 13, 2008
4. 

   No, my issue with United 93’s ending (and it’s a minor one) was the rush up towards the cabin. It didn’t feel clumsy enough or right to me for some reason. Need to watch the movie a second time to properly articulate the thoughts though, a single viewing in the theatre a while ago is all I’m going on. I have liked everything I’ve seen from Greengrass up to this point, including Bourne 2 & 3. The man is the real deal, and U93 was a beautifully executed film experiment. It’s impressive how he makes it all look so easy.

   Comment by Kurt — February 13, 2008
5. 

   @Henrik:

   The GONE BABY GONE show streams/downloads fine for me. Check it here:
   Movie Patron Cinecast Episod 66

   Comment by Andrew James — February 13, 2008
6. 

   two quick comments:

   at all costs avoid the horrendous film that is ‘Intermission’, amateur to the max.

   And Andrew have you ever seen the Criterion doc ‘For All Mankind’? That is the definitive doc on the moon landing, and while I had hopes for In the Shadow of the Moon (a film I did catch in the cinema) it does not have half of the awe-factor that Reinhart’s doc has… his is a masterpiece. I was wondering why they would even bother making another doc on the exact same subject after ‘For All Mankind’, it was perfect.

   Comment by rot — February 14, 2008
7. 

   Boo! Boo!

   Perhaps if every movie was a derivative Beatles knock-off with simple and puerile visuals designed and marketed for teenage girls you two would just have liked In Bruge. God forbid something challenges you to like a character or mixes genres to make you question what entertains you. Nope, give me something smooth and simple so that I might go to sleep and dream the dream of the dead.

   Boo! Boo!

   PS - Kurt’s wife rulez!

   Comment by Matt Gamble — February 14, 2008
8. 

   @Matt: I loved everthing behind the intention of In Bruges (genre mashing, tone shifting, dark satire elements), I just think they fell short of a full follow thru on a lot of things, particularly a highly flawed 3rd act. The fact that the film flirted with greatness only enhanced the disappointment. See “Save the Green Planet, The Host, and The King and the Clown, and (possibly) The Duelist for somewhat better examples of tonal shifts handled well.

   I don’t disagree that there are a plethora of pleasures to had with the movie.

   But I guess the road to Bruges was paved with good intentions… (da da da. )

   Comment by Kurt Halfyard — February 14, 2008
9. 

   I admit visuals are a big source of happiness or dreariness for me in film. A film can be fairly high grade shit, but if it has really nice cinematography or something really cool to look at, I’ll probably like it…

   Elizabeth: The Golden Age
   Across the Universe
   300

   and so on…

   Comment by Andrew James — February 14, 2008
10. 

    Add “What Dreams May Come” to that list…great visuals for a really, really awful film, and I like Vince Ward a lot as a director….but oi….this one was tough…

    Comment by Kurt Halfyard — February 14, 2008
11. 

    You like 300? My god…

    Comment by Henrik — February 14, 2008
12. 

    heh. ditto on the 300 thing. oi.

    Comment by Kurt Halfyard — February 14, 2008
13. 

    enjoy:

    http://www.somethingawful.com/d/news/diablo-cody-screenplay.php

    Comment by Goon — February 14, 2008
14. 

    I loved the scene with the Oracle in 300. The way she and her hair moved was totally stunning. The rest of the movie was pretty much a big meh… of course I bought it on DVD and haven’t even considered watching it again.

    The same thing for me and Beowolf. If it wasn’t for the fact that it was CGI the movie would have ended up as a direct to DVD that no one would have cared about.

    I somewhat enjoyed Across the Universe. Some of the songs sucked a bunch were good. My biggest complaint was that a bit of it was too forced. The whole Prudence character was simply there so they could fit the Prudence song in. The movie should have been a bit more creative instead of just relying on the characters to have the names in the songs.

    Oh and I loved Joe Cocker showing up in ATU.

    Comment by John Allison — February 14, 2008
15. 

    I’m not saying that 300 didn’t have a moment or two (I like Leana heady + oracle, although both sequences could have almost as easily been in a perfume or jeans commercial…It’s just that the movie stank overall.

    Comment by Kurt Halfyard — February 14, 2008
16. 

    I thought anytime people talked (except for the evil king who had a cinematic voice that was fine to listen to no matter what he was saying) it was ridiculous. The whole wife-looking-out-the-window-longingly-while-fighting-conspiracy was TV material. Terrible. Outside of a few cool shots (very few, the boats crashing comes to mind as one) the movie was complete shit. Movies like that makes me feel like MTV has taken over the american film industry (Batman Begins being another big one).

    Comment by Henrik — February 14, 2008
17. 

    Leaving the theater, yes. I liked 300.
    Saw it a second time on DVD, no. It’s total pants.

    Still, I think it’s visually interesting to enjoy.

    Comment by Andrew James — February 14, 2008
18. 

    Great podcast guys! Always so entertaining

    Although I agree that most doc’s I wouldn’t say would be great or required to see in the theatre but, seeing King of Kong at the Bloor was awesome. The crowd was quite responsive with giggles, cheers, tsk’s and applause. Totally fun.

    The Magnificent Seven is awesome! Go see it.. now! Yul rocks.

    Loved the crazy top ten theme. I hope to see 3-Iron soon, just saw Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring and it was divine.

    Comment by Shannon the Movie Moxie — February 14, 2008
19. 

    And 3-Iron is even better. You’ll be in heaven, Shannon. And you should really, REALLY, give The Big Lebowski another try.

    Comment by Kurt Halfyard — February 14, 2008
20. 

    My goodness, I don’t think I’ll ever live The Big Lewboski down. Maybe I will… one day

    Comment by Shannon the Movie Moxie — February 14, 2008
21. 

    “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring and it was divine.”

    You are correct! I adore, adore, ADORE that movie!!

    Comment by Andrew James — February 14, 2008
22. 

    @Goon.

    I read page 1. Brilliant.

    Comment by Andrew James — February 14, 2008
23. 

    Just curious have you guys seen Kim Ki-Duk’s Bad Guy?

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0307213/

    Comment by John Allison — February 14, 2008
24. 

    There are a few holes in my KKD viewing. Bad Guy, The Isle, The Bow and recently Breath to name a few. I was one of the few that really, really like TIME (a recent KKD film that was widely panned for being overly misogynistic - a criticism leveled at much of his SSFWaS films…)

    Comment by Kurt Halfyard — February 14, 2008
25. 

    The thing about 300 is that the trailer is actually the film successfully condensed into 3 minutes.

    Comment by Rusty James — February 14, 2008
26. 

    Uhhh Kurt, you seem to have forgotten that Three Amigos is a remake of Seven Samurai as well. A film that should have been on both of your lists as well. Sheesh.

    Comment by Matt Gamble — February 14, 2008
27. 

    Also Seven Chances was remade into The Bachelor. Starring Chris O’Donnell as Buster Keaton. Inspired casting to be sure.

    Comment by Matt Gamble — February 14, 2008
28. 

    @Matt. funny enough, that is mentioned in the cinecast somewhere…

    Comment by Kurt — February 14, 2008
29. 

    Wow, I had no idea on The Bachelor…i remember the movie coming out way back when, but Zelweger and O’Donnell was enough to scare me away.

    Don’t tell me that The Bachelor is actually a watchable film… There is a lot of interesting actors in that film, but yie. Mariah Carey.. oi.

    Comment by Kurt — February 14, 2008
30. 

    I wouldn’t say it is watchable, but with Ed Asner, James Cromwell, Peter Ustinov, and Hal Holbrook their is at least some meat hiding within the film.

    Comment by Matt Gamble — February 15, 2008
31. 

    I don’t think anyone mentioned this in the comments yet, but Fiona Apple’s ‘Across the Universe’ video was actually directed by P.T. Anderson. I love that video.

    However, I HATED Across the Universe.

    Comment by Jay C. — February 18, 2008
32. 

    Thanks Jay. I totally didn’t know that, I thought it was directed by Gary Ross, like the film. No wonder Fiona Apples version quickly replaced the Beatles version as my favorite of that song. It’s all in the directing.

    Comment by Kurt Halfyard — February 18, 2008

Leave a comment