I thought "House of 1000 Corpses" was amateurish. "The Devil's Rejects" has a gonzo, over-the-top insouciance that was not unappealing. I found it a stone gas that Sig Haig, the bad guy of every Pam Grier celluloid wet dream I paid to see in the 70's was still working (at 68). I enjoyed Zombie's "Halloween," especially the white trash preface he effectively used to connect the dots to the monster young Michael Meyers became. I also think Zombie is a better filmmaker than John Carpenter who, I always felt, had better ideas than execution. Replacing the great Donald Pleasence with Malcolm McDowell was an inspired choice.
~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, "grayson.reyescole" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > BTW... I saw A History of Violence and I liked it... I'm interested > in your take on Rob Zombie... > > --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, "ravenadal" <ravenadal@> wrote: > > > > If you have given "Children of Men" one viewing, I suggest you > watch > > it again (and then again, if necessary). Director Alphonso Cuaron > > does something cinema should always do but seldom does. He tells > his > > story visually with as little verbal exposition as he can get away > > with. I admit to being a little stumped by "Men" also, but on > > subsequent viewing, I realized Cuaron had given me all information > I > > needed in televison news reports and commercials that, on first > > viewing, are assumed to be just part of the busy mise-en-scene. > For > > instance, he does not direct our attention to the commercial for > the > > suicide medicine Quietus as it plays and when one of the characters > > picks the box of Quietus off the shelf and sits caressing the box > in > > his lap as he spends his last moments with his loved one, it is > done > > quietly, without fanfare. If you have not been paying attention, > you > > have no clue as to what is about to transpire. Other bits of > > exposition are givin in throwaway lines. > > > > I loved "Dead Ringers" and Jeremy Irons scene-chewing turn as very > > disturbed twin gynecologists. Have you seen Cronenberg's "A > History > > of Violence"? If not, I would be curious as to what your opinion > of > > that film. > > > > I am a huge Tarantino fan (no apologies needed). "Pulp Fiction" > is my > > favorite movie of all time. My list is composed entirely of films > I > > can watch again and again with full satisfaction. Further, I think > > Eli Roth is a gifted filmmaker. I had avoided "Hostel" because of > the > > subject matter, but I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it. It > is > > very well made. Roth wields a masterful camera. I also think he > is > > lightyears ahead of where Cronenberg was at the same time in his > career. > > > > ~rave! > > > > > > > > --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, "grayson.reyescole" <grayson@> > > wrote: > > > > > > I enjoyed Children of Men a great deal but was disappointed with > the > > > ending. I won't put any spoilers in but I wached it intently all > the > > > way through just *captivated* then sort of went "huh"?. > > > > > > I also just saw Eastern Promises two days ago and I liked it a > lot > > > maybe *because* of the clinical approach. I am ridiculously easy > to > > > distract. So, sometimes the very straightforward, removed tone > helps > > > me focus on the intensity of the story. I saw Dead Ringers when > I was > > > way too young to see it and it scarred me for life lol. I > haven't > > > seen it again in maybe ten years, but what I remember is that it > was > > > an absolutely horrible and fascinating story that had an almost > > > nonchalance in the voice without being something ludicrous like > the > > > silly Eli Roth and Tarentino fare (sorry Roth and Tarentino > fans). I > > > didn't realize until like a week ago that both Eastern Promises > and > > > Dead Ringers were directed by David Cronenberg, but then I > understood > > > even better why Eastern Promises hit "my movie spot." Although, > I was > > > left with a sexuality question... Stangely enough, I'm thinking > back > > > to Dead Ringers and I think I had a sexuality question there, > too. > > > > > > All of this to say that maybe I listen to news radio too much on > my > > > way to work. Calm soothing voices telling me about the horrors > of the > > > world. :) . > > > > > > Just my 2ยข > > > > > > --Grayson > > > > > > In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, KeithBJohnson@ wrote: > > > > > > > > Great comments! I was amazed at the Simpsons take, but i went > to > > > BoxOfficeMojo.com and confirmed it did half a *billion* dollars > so > > > far! Holy crap! And most of that was overseas! Can't wait to > see > > > Children of Men. I agree with you on "Eastern Promises". Looked > > > great, was a good movie, but left me rather despondent and empty > > > feeling inside. It is indeed cold and clinical (what my review > was > > > called, i believe) where History of Violence was more intense. > still > > > i liked them both. So for Ratatouille, is it the 3D cgi you > don't > > > like? Are you and old school 2D "hand drawn" fan? I am, and very > few > > > of the CGI stuff has really captured me, though "The > Incredibles" > > > certainly did. > > > > > > > > > > > > -------------- Original message -------------- > > > > From: "ravenadal" <ravenadal@> > > > > I started with "The Simpsons Movie" which, I am glad I did not > pay > > > to > > > > see in a theatre as it comes nowhere near any of the great > Simpson > > > > episodes. It is, however, the environmental movie with the > largest > > > > box office, thus far: $525,797,315 (as much of an inconvenient > truth > > > > as that may be for Nobel laureate Al Gore). > > > > > > > > I followed that with "Children of Men," which I have had > forever, > > > but > > > > just now got around to seeing. Keith, this is a marvelous > movie. > > > > Alphonso Cuaron's film is so organic and fully realized, it is > like > > > > you are not even watching a movie. Paul Greengrass gets lots > of > > > press > > > > for the immediacy of his handheld camera style in the Bourne > sequels > > > > but he has nothing on Cuaron. > > > > > > > > One of the lovely things about watching DVDs at home, besides > the > > > > ability to pause, rewind and fast forward, is the ability to go > > > > on-line while you are watching. When the question "who is > that?" > > > > popped into my head, I could go to IMDB and find out "who dat > was." > > > I > > > > spent another two hours online researching "Children of Men" > while I > > > > let the movie play through again. Chocked full > visually, "Childrn" > > > > rewards frequent viewing (you'll be surprised what you missed > the > > > > first time). > > > > > > > > I followed "Children" with "Eastern Promises." I wanted to see > > > > "Eastern Promises" because I simply adore David Cronenberg's > last > > > > film, "A History of Violence." "History" was the movie where I > first > > > > became aware of how far Cronenberg had come as a filmmaker. > > > > Cronenberg is a visual artist fully in charge of his > filmmaking > > > gifts. > > > > And he brings these gifts to "Promises." The film is a > sumptuous > > > > view of London. Everything seems to be informed by the high end > > > > Russian Restaurant that is at the heart of the evil that > saturates > > > > this film. > > > > > > > > I did not enjoy "Promises" on anywhere near the visceral level > I > > > > enjoyed "History." "History" contains two of the hottest sex > scenes > > > > in film history. "Promises" contains one of the most desultory > ones. > > > > Viggo Mortensen and Mario Bello have tangible heat > in "History." > > > > Mortensen and Naomi Watts barely glance off one another > > > in "Promises." > > > > > > > > Both the Tom Stall/Joey Cusack character played by Mortensen in > > > > "Violence" and the Nikolai character he plays in "Promises" are > > > > avenging angels. In fact, "Eastern Promises" is virtually an > > > > inside-out version of "Violence," with the heroes on a similar > > > though > > > > inverse journies toward redemption. > > > > > > > > I was annoyed and disappointed by "Ratoutille." Although > critics > > > > hailed it, to me it seems like the lesser of a string of great > Brad > > > > Bird animated movies, starting with "the Iron Giant." Part of > my > > > > problem was the old school 2-D animation. Part of my problem > is the > > > > needed suspension of belief. EYE was never able to get past the > > > > premise of that fat rat preparing food in the kitchen. YEEECH! > > > > > > > > ~rave! > > > > > > > > --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, KeithBJohnson@ wrote: > > > > > > > > > > wow! That is quite a feat.How do you process them. I reviewed > > > > "Eastern Promises", you remember. A good but rather dreary and > > > > oppressive feeling movie. I guess you'd have to cleanse your > mind > > > with > > > > "The Simpsons" after that, then watch "Children of Men", which > I > > > hear > > > > i good, then use "Ratatouille" to give you a light heart > again. > > > > > Did you watch 'em like that, alternating the serious with the > > > > comedic, ending on a happy note? How were "Children of Men" and > > > > "Ratatouille"? Never seen them > > > > > > > > > > -------------- Original message -------------- > > > > > From: "ravenadal" <ravenadal@> > > > > > Today I watched "the Simpsons Movie," "Children of > Men," "Eastern > > > > > Promises" and "Ratatouille," back to back to back and, right > now, > > > they > > > > > are not all getting along inside my head. > > > > > > > > > > ~rave! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > >
