After a brief talk about the [sure to be nominated for an Oscar] Colin Firth film, The King’s Speech, the boys get into their overall impressions of the 2010 theatrical experience including a “quick” explanation of their top ten films of the year. A not surprising, but heated discussion about the merits of Scott Pilgrim vs. Inception debate ensues, but all in all a rather civil look at the year’s finest. We round it out very quickly with some DVD talk and what we look forward to in the coming week. Lots to get into here, so let the show begin…
As always, please join the conversation by leaving your own thoughts in the comment section below and again, thanks for listening!
http://rowthree.com/audio/cinecast_11/episode_196.mp3
ALTERNATIVE (no music track):
http://rowthree.com/audio/cinecast_11/episode_196-alt.mp3
Full show notes are under the seats…
IN-HOUSE BUSINESS:
James Bond January
– Andrew’s entry: (Dr. No)
MAIN REVIEW:
The King’s Speech (Tom’s review)
2010 Year in Review:
Overall: good year? Bad year?
documentaries
hidden gems
animated
fever dreams
3D
bad movies
comedies
horror
action
Top Ten Films of 2010:
Kurt
10) Stake Land
9) Easy A
8 ) Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
7) Inception / The Social Network
6) Womb
5 – 1) listen.
Matt
10) Guardians: Legend of the Gahoule
9) The Last Exorcism
8 ) The Good, the Bad and the Weird
7) The Fighter
6) Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
5 – 1) listen.
Andrew
10) I’m Still Here
9) Never Let Me Go
8 ) The American
7) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
6) The Ghost Writer
5 – 1) listen.
Full List of Row Three Staff Picks
Aggregated list of Top Ten Lists from around the webz
| DVD PICK #1: | |||||
ANDREW: The American (Kurt’s review) (Netflix) |
KURT: Catfish (Mike’s review) (Netflix) |
MATT: The Last Exorcism (IMDb) (Netflix) |
|||
| DVD PICK #2: | |||||
ANDREW: JFK (IMDb) (Netflix) |
KURT: Howl (IMDb) (Netflix) |
MATT: Machete (IMDb) (Netflix) |
|||
OTHER DVDs NOW AVAILABLE:
Dinner for Schmucks
Camille
Case 39
Backdraft [Blu-ray]
A Walk in the Clouds [Blu-ray]
My Dog Skip [Blu-ray]
Hope Floats [Blu-ray]
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me [Blu-ray]
Austin Powers in Goldmember [Blu-ray]
“Big Love” (s4)
OTHER STUFF MENTIONED:
Art of the Title
– - Scott Pilgrim Opening credits
NEXT WEEK:
Somewhere
Season of the Witch
PRIVATE COMMENTS or QUESTIONS?
Leave your thoughts in the comment section below, or email us:
feedback@rowthree.com (general)
andrew.james@rowthree.com
kurt@rowthree.com
Two films I’m surprised we never mentioned in the entire discussion here: 127 Hours and Winter’s Bone
I wasn’t much of a fan of Winter’s Bone, it was ok, I do agree the central performance is strong, but everything else didn’t really interest me.
As wrong as it probably is, I can’t help comparing 127 Hours with Touching the Void, and it makes it lesser in my mind, in my honorable mentions.
Here is a question up for debate. What film had the worst TITLE of 2010.
Ghost Writer (if only because every time I started to say it, it wanted to come out as that Nic Cage superhero biker movie, GhostRider)
How Do You Know (Can’t remember if it had a question mark or not, but either way, a terrible title)
Winter’s Bone (ahem!)
The 41-Year-Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It (Yea, all these spoofy movies have bad titles, but no need to make it a paragraph
Agnosia (Sounds like a type of head-cold)
Restrepo (Sounds like a sore throat)
Charlie St. Cloud (Generic and Bible-ish? All I can think of is Homer Simpson ‘cloud goes up, cloud goes down!’)
Cop Out (it’s not just a title, it’s a summary of the films intentions!)
Little Fockers (A little desperate!)
Norwegian Wood (See Winter’s Bone)
The Virginity Hit (See, uh, well you get it.)
Ghost Writer is actually just The Ghost in the UK. But the marketing department felt the need to change it – for obvious reasons. I’m alright with the title but yeah, having to clarify that I’m not talking about the movie in which Nic Cage rides around on a motorcycle for 2 hours and occasionally bursts into flames was definitely annoying.
The Other Guys
Red (retired extremely dangerous? really?)
The Town
I think they should have just used the European Title “THE GHOST” – it’s a bit more vague and a whole lot better in light of the flaming motor cycle movie.
Andrew– You know you’re getting old when you start calling someone who is nearly 30 (Jay Baruchel) a kid.
http://www.farfetchfilm.com/2011/01/my-top-50-films-of-2010.html
my list dudes, including mentioned films like Uncle Boonmee, Rubber, Of Gods & Men, Marwencol & all round favs like Social Network, Winter’s Bone & Inception
Reccomendationn to Kurt –
TEMPTATION OF ST TONY cause its only B&W film around
Reccomendation to Andrew –
REVOLUCION Mexican Paris I Luv You
Reccomendation to Gamble – which of ur films made my…
http://www.farfetchfilm.com/2011/01/my-10-worst-films-of-2010.html
Hey Darcy, nice list. I added to the list of lists post.
A couple of those I haven’t even heard of before now. Will investigate for sure. I like your words on A-Team. Agreed much better than RED, Expendables and The Losers combined.
http://www.farfetchfilm.com/2011/01/top-50-films-i-still-need-to-see-2010.html
NORWEGIAN WOOD what Kurt? Could be epic
ANH-HUNG+KIKUCHI+GREENWOOD
Listen to the score
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xYbK53vs2s&feature=&p=E357AE56F67182AA&index=0&playnext=1
(have now see 127 Hours which was very good, The Fighter good & True Grit a great film though would have been in my 40-50 region on my best of 2010 list)
I’ve Seen Norwegian Wood, caught it at TIFF, and it is pretty solid if a tad unremarkable (considering the love for the novel, there is bound to be disappointment if you’ve read the book, which I’ve not, and found the film just fine.)
Kurt I am pretty sure the Complete Metropolis is on Netflix
Yes! It is! Now I have to explain to myself why I opted to watch Zwartebook (at 2h35min) over Metropolis last night….
Well, Black Book is a pretty solid film. Been wanting to rewatch for some time. How does it hold up on subsequent viewings?
Gamble argument against the originality of the concept of Inception is ridiculous. We can all make arbitrary divisions for where the granular aspects of an idea compiled in such a way make something new. On the most basic level, virtually everything is a copy of something before, you can reduce any movie to that feigned critique, but that is a lousy way to argue a point.
What it is new about Inception is that it makes cinematic the time dilation idea of dreams within dreams as a minefield for a crime caper. It establishes rules that are original, the notion of limbo as dying in a dream within a dream, the synchronizing of kicks as a concept of maneuvering multiple tiers of dreams, the dependence on tokens to discern reality from dream, none of this is in The Matrix or Total Recall… if you want to get so granular in your argument to say any modification of the mind challenges the originality of Inception, that is ridiculous. Jurassic Park didn’t invent cloning, but I think most of us can agree there is something original enough to its story to qualify it so.
As for Scott Pilgrim vs The World I think it is stylistically original enough to make note of it, although Speed Racer is similar in kinetic flash, the 8-bit anything goes freewheeling kind of universe Wright makes is distinct enough to notice. Fighting through a game world to win the one you love, I am not aware of any films that do this other than Scott Pilgrim (I haven’t seen Tron).
Rot, agreed. I’m not saying Pilgrim does nothing new. The overall concept hasn’t really been done before, but all of the specifics within the film seem like rehash to me. I have no problem with people loving the film – I’m glad they do! Inception to me just has so many (as you pointed out) bits of ideas that are fleshed out and weaved together to create this world and I don’t feel Pilgrim did this. The chick pulls out a giant hammer and fights another chick who explodes into coins. Fine. Sure, no one has ever pulled a giant, glowing hammer out of their purse before but it’s still just a basic fist fight – there’s no truly interesting idea there (in comparison to Inception that is). So yes, there are some new things in there, but none of them are interesting to me. Where as taking all of these conventions about dreams and mashing them all together on various levels that really deal with the human psyche is FAR more meaningful and have depth and intelligence to them. Scott pilgrim has the vegan police.
On top of all that I didn’t really find it funny or exciting or dramatic. It has its moments but for the most part was one big, “meh.”
I was really really surprised how much I enjoyed Pilgrim… after not liking Kick-Ass and getting the vibe I would be on the Jay side of the argument about Pilgrim as well, but the movie fucking delivers. I also found it extremely funny… the divide on what is funny lives on at Row Three.
The Vegan Police are awesomesauce. End of story.
Frankly I’m surprised with myself that I didn’t have SCOTT PILGRIM higher on my list, I adore that film, gangly-awkward dialogue (Karina Longworth nailed it when she said Edgar Wright “is one of the few directors working at the studio level who can tell jokes with shots and construct rebus-like series of images that make arguments or express emotional states. “) to its eye melting business (Stan Brakhage inspired opening credits are icing on the cake!)
Seriously, my biggest gripe with SPvs.TW is that the characters actually like Pizza-Pizza, possibly the worst pie sold on the planet, and they like it unironically)
Trivia on THE VEGAN POLICE -> Clifton Collins Jr. and Thomas Jane are the two OLDEST actors in the film with speaking parts. And Jane is only 41.
Oh, and for the record, I think that Gamble wasn’t making an argument about Inception, so much trying to point out Andrew’s logic on Scott Pilgrim would make Inception not an original film by his criteria. A subtle difference, but an important one, and usually when arguing with Gamble, the thrust of his arguing technique. This is probably the case with his ‘highest resolution format’ argument as well, The theatre has been and will continue to be the best way to see a movie in terms of picture and sound (particularly a good calibrated cinema) so why split hairs about home-entertainment set-up, particularly if you are watching stuff on Netflix-Instant. The argument is pointless because the quality jump is staggeringly extreme.
so then Gamble does agree that Inception is an original concept?
so then Gamble does agree that Inception is an original concept?
It doesn’t matter what I think, as that wasn’t the point of my argument.
Exactly. So I’m right, then above, Matt? I think after a couple years of arguing on the cinecast, I’m hip to your idiom!
you should really consider a career in politics, Matt. nice dodge.
well Kurt you thought Micmcas was okay and I though it was epic, better than Amelie in everyway, lets hope Norwegian Wood at least for me is a return to Cyclo greatness for Tran Ahn Hung.
Oh and here is something for the two Matt’s…
http://www.farfetchfilm.com/2011/01/2011-box-office-predictions-game-fun.html
Going to try and get to Micmacs over the weekend, but not sure if I’ll find time. The Blu is sitting on my coffee table. Jeunet was a favorite director of mine for some time, but his lustre just wore off for me for some reason.
I actually think that A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT is my favourite Jeunet film. Micmac’s is merely a handsome doodlepad for the director, there is not a lot of passion in that project, more a re-charging of his batteries.
City of Lost Children hates all of you.
City of Lost Children was the first Jeunet film I saw in the Cinema (VHS for Delicatessen) so there will always be a special place, but the film is even more muddled and unfocused than your average Terry Gilliam picture (while Jeunet’s films look nothing like Gilliams, I feel the two directors often play in the same sandbox)
How can you love Jeunet and then fall out of love with him, I heard that said on Sound On Sight, FIlm Junk as well, its crazy!
Who out there was a fan of him prior to Alien 4, his only mistep, I suspect Kurt might have known of him in the mid-90′s, I don’t know. I just think that as a silent movie, which Micmacs is for a good hour is just bliss to me, and Danny Boon is the funniest frenchman since Tati (piss off Louis de Funes) though of course his other features could be better, Jeanut & Boon is like Welles & Chaplin to me as a combo, brilliance.
Here it topped my ‘top films of late 2009′ i.e films I saw in 2010 that r 2009 films or that r had their US/UK/AUS releases in 2010
http://www.farfetchfilm.com/2010/12/my-top-25-of-late-films-of-2009.html
Ignore whatever Film Junk says about him, I don’t think they’ve (Sean or Jay) seen either Delicatessen or City of Lost Children.
while Jeunet’s films look nothing like Gilliams
Huh? Both have artistic backgrounds (he’s a self-taught animator though admitedly Caro was more the artistic force in their collaborations), are heavily influenced by German Expressionism and they both overuse wide angle and fish eye lenses whenever they can. I’m not sure you can find two more visual stylistically similar directors than the two of them.
Good Lord, I had no idea that Micmacs was released over here already. Can’t wait to get my hands on him. Andrew, it surprises me your lack of excitement over this, as I always remember how much you and I used to gush over Jeunet. The man is godly and The City of Lost Children is one of my absolute favorites.
As for Marc Caro, did anyone ever catch the mess of his that was Dante 01? So promising, but so poorly executed.
As for Darcy, if you find Rob Cordry grating then I’m not suprised at all that you didn’t like Operation: Endgame. He’s practically the main character. I myself find the fact he’s built a career around a persona that most likely is a date rapist ridiculously entertaining but can see how some people might not appreciate it.
I call those people pussies.
I do like Jeunat’s version of a WKW film (Amelie). Why can more actress be like Audrey Tautou?
The way that Andrew and Jay Cheel feel about Scott Pilgrim is the way I feel about Delicassatent.
Jeunet. I don’t love his films any less. I too saw City of Lost Children in the cinema. Love that movie to death – as well as Amelie and A Very Long Engagement. And I’m one of the few who really really likes Alien 4. So like I said, I don’t love him any less. I should’ve said that it’s hard to stay excited about him when he only does a film every five years. I am looking forward to Micmacs, but I’m not excited for some reason. Can’t really explain why.
And yes, Dante 01 was a horrible piece of shit. I didn’t even finish it I thought it was so bad.
you’re my pussy Gamble, two questions, that is you’re favourite comedy? And what’s you’re favourite John Hughes? (The latter being a good question to judge one’s taste in comedy, as much as the former)
I did like Hot Tub Tima Machine & loved The A-Team, but dude, Operation Endgame & Red can suck my balls, cause all they did was serve me a soft-ball, I’d rather get comically abused my Harmony Korine or Takeshi Kitano.
Rob Curdruy has nothing on Billy Bob Thornton, ultimate date rapist, at his teething best in U-Turn.
New Drinking Game
Here’s the rules: everytime Matt says a film is showy, take a shot. Trust me you won’t last 10 minutes.