Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Once Upon a Time in America – Both Cuts
- Who's watched: M & G (G many times)
- Mentions: *1* *2*
- Commentary: Another movie for which I have an unreasonable love which my mother tolerates. All I can say is, the scene where Noodles stirs his coffee? Devastates me every time.
I don't think my mother gets the garbage truck scene, although she gets the rape scene and doesn't like it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Robert De Niro Noodles James Woods Max Elizabeth McGovern Deborah Joe Pesci Frankie Monaldi Burt Young Joe Tuesday Weld Carol Larry Rapp Fat Moe Danny Aiello Police Chief Aiello James Hayden Patsy William Forsythe Cockeye Darlanne Fluegel Eve Amy Ryder Peggy Jennifer Connelly Young Deborah Scott Tiler Young Noodles Rusty Jacobs Young Max/David Bailey Brian Bloom Young Patsy
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 229 minute cut-1983; 251 minute cut-2014
As far as I know, the original 269 minute version has yet to be released to the public, or, at least the the U.S. public. I'm not sure about any other public.
Directed by Sergio Leone.
Update 09/13/2019: I am now a proud owner of the extended director's cut of this movie. Owning director's cuts is not really my style, but this is one of my all-time favorite movies and the extension adds an additional 22 minutes. I've read that the inclusions are not particularly smooth, since the optics put them a bit out of joint with the rest of the picture. I have no problem with them. In fact, since I haven't recently watched the initial European theater version, which is the cut I first owned, I can't actually tell, yet, which are the added scenes. There are special features on this version, as well, which I haven't yet watched, but I'm looking forward to seeing them.
Update 8/27/2024: I've actually had this movie for quite awhile, at least 5 years, but the post became corrupted and I had to salvage what I could, repost and redate it and re-enter it into my Alpha List. It seems to be okay, now.
Labels: dramaC, dream2, gang-movie, james-woods, jennifer-connelly, joe-pesci, me-favorite4, period5, robert-de-niro, tuesday-weld, violence3
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Hero
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: I rented this movie a couple of weeks ago just to undergird my decision to purchase it. Mom was thoroughly bored, so bored that she wandered around looking for things to do, at one point, while doing crosswords, asked, "Is that thing still on?!?", so my viewing was highly distracted.
No matter. Martial Arts movies of all stripes are another of my guilty movie pleasures. I am particularly fascinated with the use of color in this movie. I am approaching it rather more as though it were a Little Buddha movie, rather than a "guilty pleasure" movie. I like the idea of the telling of stories being the subject as well as the discipline of the movie. I find the depiction of the 'heroine', as well, thoughtfully complex, and the world view thought provoking and disturbing.
Update 11/17/2021: This post was originally published February 6, 2005. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Jet Li Nameless Tony Leung Broken Sword Maggie Cheung Flying Snow Chen Daoming King of Qin
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2002; 2004 in the U.S.
Directed by Zhang Yimou.
Labels: §1, action3, dramaC, dream2, period6, political5, spectacle2, suspense3
Amélie
- Who's watched: Was recently given to me as a gift by someone who thought I'd love it; finally watched over a year after we received it.
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: I trust the person's judgment who gave it to me, but I haven't yet seen it. I'm trying to watch it alone and prepare myself before I spring it on Mom.
Update: We both finally watched this movie when we had nothing better to do one rainy Sunday afternoon. I think I enjoyed it more than Mom, I was charmed, but she stayed with it, despite the French-with-English-subtitles, and smiled broadly at many of the inventions. It's become one of my favorites. I love the fable atmosphere, the cartoon-like directing and filming, the inventiveness of the character, and especially love that the characterizations are not nearly as simple as one would expect from a broadly drawn canvas. On my second watching, a few days after our first watching, I paid no attention to the subtitles and simply let myself float with the screen. Absolutely magical.
Update 11/17/2021: This post was originally published February 6, 2005. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Audrey Tautou Amélie Poulain Mathieu Kassovitz Nino Quincampoix André Dussollier The Narrator Rufus Raphaël Poulain Serge Merlin Raymond Dufayel Lorella Cravotta Amandine Poulain Clotilde Mollet Gina Claire Maurier Suzanne
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up for this film.
Release Date: 2001
Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet.
Labels: comedy2, dream2, me-favorite4, popcorn-and-soda6
Sunday, May 08, 2022
Thelma & Louise
- Commentary: Blew me away when I was watching this movie on cable, one evening, late, Mom awoke within the first 15 minutes of the movie, I decided to keep it on because I really wanted to see it again and she was riveted. She even likes the end of it, which leads me to believe that she understands the real power of this movie: that it isn't a dirge for the female spirit, but a celebration of it. She has even been heard to mutter, during the semi scene, "Good for them!"
I actually didn't consider owning this movie until, a couple of times after the above mentioned viewing, when I exclaimed that it was "on", again, Mom always has wanted to watch it.
Aside from his initial review link to the title of this post, Roger Ebert wrote yet another thought provoking review of the film six months later.
Twenty-five years later three female journalists write an article about how the film has held up, in relevence, over the last quarter century. They make a point of mentioning that the film has not engendered more women-buddy-movies. I know. I think about this every time I watch this movie, and it's one of those that I watch about once a year. It's like, someone in the male coterie that is still film production, is constantly asking about women-buddy-scripts, "What's the point?" and dropping them into the circular file. This article does, though, increase my desire to see Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road.
And, I have to ask, considering the plethora of male-buddy-movies made since the beginning of movie history and the ignoring of the fact that women do "buddy up", for all kinds of reasons, what the hell are you guys thinking?!? Do you think, as women, that we should be grateful that at least this movie was made? And, frankly, do you feel that delusionally safe because female buddy movies make up a very, very small percentage of films? Holy goddess! Are you in for a surprise!
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Susan Sarandon Louise Sawyer Geena Davis Thelma Dickinson Brad Pitt J. D. Harvey Keitel Det. Hal Slocumb Michael Madsen Jimmy Lennox Christopher McDonald Darryl Dickinson Lucinda Jenney Lena Timothy Carhart Harlan Puckett
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1991
Directed by Ridley Scott.
Update 5/8/22: This is a reposting of a previous post dated 2/7/2005 that I managed to recover.
Labels: action3, adventure4, buddy, dream2, geena-davis, harvey-keitel, me-favorite4, michael-madsen, popcorn-and-soda6, revenge2, ridley-scott, road-movie, suspense2, women's-movie1
Little Buddha
- Who's watched: M & G, many times
- Mentions: *1* *2* *3* *4* *5* *6*
- Commentary: This is a sort of "grahsshoppah" movie, for me, but of a somewhat more serious vein, like listening to Alan Watts tapes.
Mom enjoys the movie, as well, as adult religio-spiritual fairy tale. We actually view this movie, or parts of it, a lot.
I know there are many detractors of this movie. I don't care.
I know people take swipes at the acting, especially that of Keanu Reeves. I don't care, and further, he was playing an icon, being introduced to children in the form of a myth. What the hell were you expecting? I know the story seems implausible, but the point of the movie isn't to relate a true story, it's to relate a story, like the book that is read to one of the children in the movie. Finally, if you want to be a film critic about this movie, fine, but, I can't explain why, I can't critique this movie. I love this movie. I watch it at least a couple times a year and have since I acquired it in 2005 (I'm having to rewrite this post on 5/7/2022 because, somehow, while working on this journal, I deleted it). I always watch it with pleasure and in rapt attention, and I suspect I will until the day I die.
Update 5/08/22: This is a reposting of a previous post dated 2/7/2005 that I managed to recover.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Keanu Reeves Prince Siddhartha Chris Isaak Dean Conrad Bridget Fonda Lisa Conrad Alex Wiesendanger Jesse Conrad Ying Ruocheng Lama Norbu Raju Lal Raju Greishma Makar Singh Gita Sogyal Rinpoche Kenpo Tenzin
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1993
Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci.
Labels: dramaC, dream2, keanu-reeves, pseudo-cgi-animation, religion1, shared-favorite, spiritual2
Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: This movie is one of a trilogy of graphic expeditions. You can read more about the trilogy and the individual films at the link provided. They are visually provocative to watch. I've seen all three at least once, own two, and I can't say that the films provoke within me what the Navajo words that entitle each episode 'mean'. This has its frenetic moments but it is so well put together that when you have just about had enough visual speed, it slows down and your mind begins to make sense of what it's seeing, again.
Of the two we own Mom stayed with this one the longest. She had absolutely no patience for the second one, Powaqqatsi.
Of the three, this one is my favorite. It is like an animated coffee table book that makes you think and feel. Of the three it is the most active.
Update 5/8/22: This post was originally published on 2/7/2005, but I accidentally deleted it a few days ago. Now, it's back, in its original glory.
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1982
Directed by Godfrey Reggio.
Labels: dream2, film-art2, me-favorite4, political4, spectacle2
