Fillums

You and sideshow are probably right. I have become over-sensitive to western portrayals of "orientals" (and of course eastern portrayals of westerners, which almost never rise above the hideously cliched). I still haven't found a film that really captures modern Tokyo - it's an endlessly complex place. The Big Onion perhaps
Anyway, what is humour if it isn't about the subversion of sterotypes and preconceptions? Maybe some of our more philosophically inclined members could enlighten us on humour

Yes, it is an art film in the very best sense of the word. Layers of textual and visual meaning.

Excellent choices.
Talking of Big Jack, Il Passagere is an old favourite. And also Marlin in Gilles Pontecorvo's anti-colonialist tract Quemada. For some reason I really like that film.
If you haven't seen Bertrand Blier's Buffet Froid, you should. It's hilarious, beautiful and pitch black.

 

...timeless parable of a man who gains wealth and power and loses much more...

Sorry to go on about this, but even the storyline of Citizen Kane is as old as the hills. Timeless is one way of putting it, I suppose. King Midas ring any bells?

The only original thing about the film, to my mind, is the very long opening 'take' right at the start, which was groundbreaking at the time but is now a bit 'old hat' to say the least. Once you've got past that, you are left with wooden acting, a very slow-paced plodding film, and a creaky script.

For committed buffs only, IMO.

 

Kind of on topic but not, has anyone seen "Kids" or "Thirteen", and if so, are they any good? Also, "Four rooms"?

What about "School of rock"?

This long opening shot in Citizen Kane - is that where the camera goes "through" a neon sign etc etc? I've seen bits of that clip - not bad for the day but that was a loooong time ago...

 

Call me a sick fool, but I far prefer Welles's A Touch of Evil to Citizen Kane. Much as I can admire the formal invention of Kane, I think it's lacking a touch in the script department. A Touch of Evil, OTOH, has both invention (an even longer tracking shot, for a start) and an excellent plot.

Excellent films, both. And don't forget Vigo's Zero de Conduit.

Anyway, anyone seen Dogville yet?

-- Ian

 

My jaw drops every time I start watching Touch of Evil (particularly the restored version) but always closes after about 45 minutes. The problem for me is Welles' Hank Quinlan character. He's a grotesque, which is fair enough, but it's hard to connect that with the upstanding, inspiring lawman we're told he once was. In Kane we get to see and understand the long, slow corruption and for me that makes the difference.

While we're on the subject of Welles, what about the Magnificent Ambersons? A sublime movie, even in its butchered state. But what could have been? At previews, the audience cards were among the most positive ever seen. Still, the studio, running scared from the reaction to Kane, took it away and snipped out thirty minutes.

 

I've only seen Citizen Kane once, a long time ago and I thought it was incredibly dull. Quite why so many people rank it as the best film ever made I have no idea. It's now got this de facto "best film ever" tag that people are afraid to say they don't rate it.

For a film with Welles involvement (as an actor only) I'd much rather watch "The Third Man"

BTW voodoo, totally agree about "Down by Law". Jarmusch's best and one of my all time faves. Also only seen it once, at the cinema in Paris when it came out (I was living in Paris at the time). It's quite a rare one unfortunately - wonder if it's come out on DVD...

Michael.

 

Kane is exocet-fast compared to the films of Yasuhiro Ozu. Tokyo story is 2.5 hours of low-angle bum-numbing hell. We all have a limit (except, possibly, sideshow).

 

The Japs have quite talent for long and boring, supposedly arty, films it seems. The only film I've ever walked out of because I was just bored stupid was "Ai no Corrida" (In the Realm of the Senses).

I was about 20 and went to see it, admittedly, for all the wrong reasons - it had only just been "unbanned" in the UK. I thought I was going to see some...err.. porn, whilst claiming to see an arthouse movie

The thing is, most real porn movies have a more interesting plot :SLEEP:

Once the novely of seeing a woman "lay an egg" from her ***** had worn off there wasn't even the bizzarre aspect to hold my interest.

The other "most boring film I've ever seen" that comes to mind is also basically Japanese allthough it was directed by Peter Greenaway (who's films I like on the whole): The Pillow Book.

Michael.

 

There's some extremely good fun and insanely violent Japanese films too. I quite liked Battle Royale (about a group of troublemaking schoolkids sent by the authorities to a deserted island to kill each other off). And Audition, but not if you're squeamish.

No, I definitely have a limit. As I get older I find myself checking out how long a film is before deciding whether I want to see it. 90 minutes is enough for most stories I
reckon.

-- Ian

 

Not supposedly. Many of the very best directors and cinematographers have been Japanese.
Two of my favourite directors are Shohei Imamura and Kenji Mizoguchi. Plenty of art, but also life and, each in their own way, beauty. Imamura is a genius and probably the Greatest Living Director. Check out the Ballad of Narayama, Black Rain (not the Tony Scott film ), or The Eel. All masterpeices IMHO.
The artiest and most strikingly beautiful film ever made was IMHO Woman of the Dunes (Tsuna no Onna) directed by the late Hiroshi Teshigahara. Yes, I've already mentioned it, but it's damned good.

 

I know his name is mud in some quarters, but we should surely mention Kurosawa. The Seven Samurai and Throne of Blood are thrilling films.

 

Don't know about his name being mud but the sheer majesty, colour and sweep of Ran and Kagemusha transpoprted me from an arthouse in Brixton across the ocean and back through time to the unknown world of feudal Japan.

A good way to spend an afternoon.

Auric

 

I am decidedly uncultured.

The nearest thing to a Japanese film i have ever seen is probably The Bridge over the River Kwai.

I can say 'I love you' and 'You are beautiful' in Swedish though, so i don't class myself as a complete brute.

 

The theme muisc is very popular as Muzak here

 

Excellent choice Ian. I'm a big fan of Lars' and others Dogma films. Festen (The Party, should be the obvious translation) is also good, as is the tv series he did called Riget (Badly translated as The Kingdom). Another norwegian dogma film that is worthwhile is NÃ¥r Nettene Blir Lange (Cabin Fever).
Other favourite films (in no particular order)
Dazed and Confused
Man Bites Dog
Bad Taste/Braindead
Fargo
and probably too many more to mention

Fave Japanese
Tetsuo: The Ironman and Tetsuo II: Bodyhammer
Akira

Last movie I saw at the pictures was Brother Bear...

 

Serious stuff, still complex and twisted even when screened on CH4 with a certificate. I must admit I find some of the the Tentacle Manga good fun with a couple of beers under the belt, although some of the manga like offerings (don't know the types) I find somewhat disturbing.

Auric

 

I really liked Festen as well, very dark and brilliantly acted.

BTW, you have a PM on Pink Fish re. Mayo Thompson-ish things...

-- Ian

 

Has anyone seen Kung Pow Enter The Fist???

My mates were on about it this weekend - is it funny (in a so bad it's good) kind of way, or just total w**k?