Let's Talk Movies #33: Star Wars: Jabba Rising...Captain America Trumps China...and MORE!

[PeterG]

Is it anything like "Maurice" or close?


My Beautiful Laundrette ....

Perhaps there are some who might say that Holding The Man is like a modern story similar to Maurice. But it's been a long time since I saw Maurice!

Same goes for My Beautiful Laundrette, I must have seen it around the time it came out, so most of what I remember about it is that it stars Daniel Day-Lewis and he has weird hair in it. But hopefully with about 100 years of film available to us, this is not the sole movie where gay people get to be happy.

 

[watchthis!!]

The Boss was better than I expected. The trailers made the movie look kind of harsh, but it had more heart than I expected. I was a bit surprised to see Kristen Bell's role being so thankless. She can be pretty funny, but they definitely made her the "straight man" to Melissa McCarthy. Peter Dinklage wasn't good, no idea why he's in a comedy because I swear everytime I see him in anything, his facial expression is one of unfathomable distate for anyone and everyone and everything around him. He just looks constantly miserable. One of the best scenes in the movie wasn't even in the movie. It was on the DVD, an alternative ending where McCarthy as a faux-Girl Guide leader gets into a rumble basically with Dave Bautista, who's leading a boy's group. Not sure why they didn't use this, maybe it was too violent (but funny!) for how they wanted a comedy to end. Overall it was worth seeing, but there's better Melissa McCarthy comedies out there for sure.

If you guys were filmmakers, which existing films would you think would best match your style? Feel free to give multiple films and even tonally different films as I'm sure people here would love to shoot different sorts of films.

I'd have to go with:

Edward Yang's Yi Yi (my favorite film of all time)
Hou Hsiao-Hsien's Millennium Mambo
Fellini's Nights of Cabiria
Sofia Coppolla's Lost in Translation
Jane Campion's The Piano and Bright Star
Ingmar Bergman's Autumn Sonata
and I know I may get flack for this below choice but...
Woody Allen's Another Woman/and aspects of Hannah and Her Sisters, especially the Dianne Wiest scenes.

Who directed Mean Girls? I want to say Tina Fey, but I'm pretty sure she's never directed. If I was a director, I'd want to make movies like this which are accessible, but fun, yet have a sharp edge to them.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Perhaps there are some who might say that Holding The Man is like a modern story similar to Maurice. But it's been a long time since I saw Maurice!

Same goes for My Beautiful Laundrette, I must have seen it around the time it came out, so most of what I remember about it is that it stars Daniel Day-Lewis and he has weird hair in it. But hopefully with about 100 years of film available to us, this is not the sole movie where gay people get to be happy.

Ok….. I have to disagree that there are no gay movies with happy endings. I can name you plenty.

My Beautiful Launderette: that ends well, they overcome the diffs, and it is obvious they will keep the relationship. Yes, no marriage, but it’s not Disney…… now days love forever is only in Disney’s films.

Both, French and American “Bird Cage” end VERY well…. Son gets married, politician’s family accepts, and the Guys live in love in their great manor……

Beautiful Thing – that ends very well, they are together, mother accepts - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115640/

Mambo Italiano .. it’s not Oscars, but it is funny …. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0330602/

Wedding Banquette .. is not exactly “gay happy ending”…… but it is light, funny and not tragic..
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107156/

……. And then there is always this….. who knows? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDybg9CNXcM

 

[cocotaffy]

Facebook: Name a movie everybody liked but you didn't.

Me: The Lord of the Rings (whole trilogy, and didn't even start with The Hobbit...)

The godfather, don't get the fascination
Forrest Gump, really annoying
Frozen, I know it's a cartoon but I didn't get the big deal
Gone with the wind, got bored

If you guys were filmmakers, which existing films would you think would best match your style? Feel free to give multiple films and even tonally different films as I'm sure people here would love to shoot different sorts of films.

What a great question !

I think I would be a wannabe pretentious artsy director Seriously, i'd go for quite a varied selection:

Period movies: Joe Wright Pride and Prejudice and Cary Fukunaga Jane Eyre
Dark crime: Cary Fukunaga (yes I like his stuff) True Detective, Joon-ho Bong Memories of Murder, Chan-wook Park Old Boy
Twisted, quirky: Coen Brothers Fargo, Wes Anderson Darjeeling Limited
Thoughtful, meditative: Yojiro Takita Departures, Jim Jarmusch Paterson
Sci-Fi: Ridley Scott Blade Runner and Andrew Nichol Gattaca
Comments on society: Deniz Gamze Erguven Mustang, Asghar Farhadi A separation and the salesman, Jeff Nichols Loving, Fernando Meirelles The constant gardener
Powerful/hits you in the guts : Jacques Audiard Rust and Bone

I realized I didn't include any old movies, I must have a short memory

 

[Tinami Amori]

If you guys were filmmakers, which existing films would you think would best match your style? Feel free to give multiple films and even tonally different films as I'm sure people here would love to shoot different sorts of films..

“what kind of…” is a tricky term…..

1) If I wanted to tell few short stories in 1 film, I would do something like

- Mikhail Kalik’s “Love”
- “The Witches” short stories, by De Sica, Visconti, etc.

2) If I wanted to show my emotional world at peace:

- “Nostalgia” and “Stalker” by Tarkovsky
- “Derzu Uzala” by Kirosawa

3) If I wanted to tell a story about “society and twists and works of human mind”

- “Rashamon”, “All About Eve” and “12 Angry Men”, "Garage"

4)... to have an exercise in camera work…

- "Run Lola Run", "The Arc", "Ivan’s Childhood", "A Man follows the Sun" (Russian neo-realism by Kalik).

5) ….. a comedy…. Must be “theatre setting”, strictly “verbal exchange”, NO SLAPSITC, in BLACK AND WHITE, comedies to me are about dialogues, and some camera work, nothing else.

- “1-2-3”, “The man who came to dinner”, “The Law is the Law”, “Golden Calf/12 Chairs”.

6) … an immigrant story…. Would be long, in 2-3 parts, with flashbacks between times and generations.

- "Joy Luck Club"; "Enemies, A Love Story"; Combine few short stories by Jerzy Kosinski after he came to USA into one film.

7) my memories of how "Europe used to be and how i would want it"...
- Visconti's "Il gattopardo"
- Two for the Road
- Roman Holiday
- Termini (Indiscretion of American Wife)
- 8-1/2
- Cinema Paradiso

8) And I would love to make a film and do a screen play adaptation from “Painted Bird” by Jerzy Kosinski.

 

[MacMadame]

Gone with the wind, got bored

I burst out laughing when Scarlet got pushed down the stairs. (Or fell or whatever.)

 

[Cachoo]

I watched "La Belle et Le Bete" last night and liked it. I've long been a fan of certain literary compilations edited by Erin Datlow and Terri Windling. These two would find authors who had written modern fairy tales or who had taken old tales, scrubbed clean by the Victorians, and produced more adult versions. Compilations included "Silver Birch, Blood Moon" "Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears" "Black Thorn, White Rose" and other titles. Like those books, I felt the French version of this film was a little darker, a little more adult. The only weakness was the development, or lack of, the relationship between Belle and Beast. There just wasn't a lot of time together and then suddenly she loves him. Still the film is enjoyable and of course so watchable because the Beast's palace is so mysterious and beautiful. I might watch it again tonight just for the visuals.

 

[VGThuy]

I always liked the idea that The Beast/Prince and the rival Avenant (precursor to Gaston?) were all played by the same actor and how Belle seemed a little disappointed with the Prince's appearance after the transformation.

 

[Cachoo]

If you guys were filmmakers, which existing films would you think would best match your style? Feel free to give multiple films and even tonally different films as I'm sure people here would love to shoot different sorts of films.
.

First I would like to make a children's film and that would be to make a book that my nieces and I love : "CinderEdna." The book is a hoot with a fun message that I think would translate to the screen with the right girl as Cinder E (nicknamed by one niece.)

Holiday (Christmas) Film: I don't know what material I would choose but I think the ultimate compliment is hearing people enjoy it so much that the film is part of their annual celebration. It would be incredible to capture the joy of "It's a Wonderful Life" in a film.

And that brings me to another category and the other holiday must-see film: "Love Actually." I am enamored of feel-good ensemble films. The casts are very large, so many different scenes and stories. I think people throw around the term "ensemble" too much and many films do not seem "ensemble" to me. The mostly gentle, lovable ensemble films that inspire me:

Love Actually (love, love, LOVE this film..actually)
The Big Chill
American Graffiti
Dazed and Confused
Everybody Wants Some (newest addition to the list)
Cloud Atlas
Hannah and Her Sisters
Night on Earth
Go
200 Cigarettes
Beautiful Girls
Queens Logic
The Outsiders
St. Elmo's Fire
and a special spot for Robert Altman ensembles (the King!)
Gosford Park
Nashville
Short Cuts
Cookie's Fortune
The Wedding
Mash

There are other films that I'd love to try but the ensembles wore me out....I admire the directors that weave these layered stories together most.

 

[VGThuy]

I forgot to add two films to my list, both from Studio Ghibli:

The first is Only Yesterday directed by Isao Takahata and my favorite Studio Ghibli release. It only just received an American release after 25 years. It's about a 27 year-old Tokyo woman who likes to go to the countryside to farm for vacation, but in this trip she has flashbacks to her 5th grade self and reevaluates her life. This sort of slice of life film is not the typical subject matter for an animated film, but the animated format is actually perfect for it.

The second is Whisper of the Heart directed by Yoshifumi Kondou, who was being groomed to take over for Hayao Miyazaki but predeceased him at a relatively young age. It's about a junior high school-aged girl who discovers her hidden aspirations to become a writer. She meets a similarly-aged boy, after seeing his name as a borrower of all the books she checked out at the library, who she discovers has aspirations to be a famous violin maker. It's really about both their journeys and growing up.

 

[PeterG]

Trailers For Movies Released 2017-04-21st
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuI4-fSHhipQKXqCNxywEyN5EtaySLYh9

Only documentaries for me this week.


April 21st - Free Fire (Wide) – Action thriller with Brie Larson, Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy and Sharlto Copley

April 21st - Unforgettable (Wide) – Thriller with Rosario Dawson, Katherine Heigl, Cheryl Ladd and Whitney Cummings

April 21st - The Promise (Wide) – Historical drama with Christian Bale, Oscar Isaac, James Cromwell and Jean Reno

April 21st - Born In China (Wide) – Documentary narrated by John Krasinski. From imdb.com: “Venturing into the wilds of China, "Born in China" captures intimate moments with a panda bear and her growing cub, a young golden monkey who feels displaced by his baby sister, and a mother snow leopard struggling to raise her two cubs.”

April 21st - Phoenix Forgotten (Limited) – Horror mystery sci-fi, new cast. From imdb.com: “20 years after three teenagers disappeared in the wake of mysterious lights appearing above Phoenix, Arizona, unseen footage from that night has been discovered, chronicling the final hours of their fateful expedition.”

April 21st - Tomorrow (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “Climate is changing. Instead of showing all the worst that can happen, this documentary focuses on the people suggesting solutions and their actions.”

April 21st – N.O.L.A. Circus (Limited) – Comedy, new cast. From imdb.com: “In this over the top comedy a rivalry between two competing barbershops in New Orleans escalates dramatically, sending the lives of the owners, their families, and their friends spiraling out of control.”

April 21st – Ozzy (Limited) – Animated, new cast. From imdb.com: “When his family goes on vacation, a young dog finds himself at a dog prison where he must escape with the help of his new friends”

April 21st - Citizen Jane: Battle for the City (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “Writer and urban activist Jane Jacobs fights to save historic New York City during the ruthless redevelopment era of urban planner Robert Moses in the 1960s.”

April 21st - Slack Bay (Limited) – French comedy with Juliette Binoche. From imdb.com: “Summer 1910. Several tourists have vanished while relaxing on the beautiful beaches of the Channel Coast.”

April 21st - The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki (Limited) – Finnish romantic drama. From imdb.com: “The true story of Olli Mäki, the famous Finnish boxer who had a shot at the 1962 World Featherweight title.”

 

[Jay42]

Who directed Mean Girls? I want to say Tina Fey, but I'm pretty sure she's never directed. If I was a director, I'd want to make movies like this which are accessible, but fun, yet have a sharp edge to them.

Mark Waters directed Mean Girls, Tina Fey wrote it.

I'm watching Inception, I haven't seen it in ages but the video of Hans Zimmer playing a medley of songs from the soundtrack at Coachella this past weekend made me think of it. I had kind of forgotten how much I love this movie. It's so well shot and the soundtrack is beautiful and it's so creative. Even though it starts to fall apart a bit at the end I think the rest of the movie more than makes up for it.

 

[Japanfan]

I watched a very interesting yet understated movie called Paterson by Jim Jarmusch. It's the type of movie which gets under your skin and stays with you, the best kind for me. We follow the week in the life of a bus driver, his routine in the small city of Paterson, NJ. The main character carries the same name as the city he lives him, city which gave birth to couple of famous artists. He is himself inspired by the city's particular link with poetry as he writes poems in a simple notebook. Nothing is pretentious about this movie, it's a simple tale of a man whose life is full of little pleasures.
Something else was striking and revealing (I'll put it as spoiler because it was an element of surprise for me),

Spoiler

at every corner, I was expecting something terrible to happen as we've been used to expect plot twists and drama, exaggerated dangers and an exacerbated sense of doom in our societies. Living in a state of imminent fear. But none of it, no drama and even absolutely no tension arise. I can't tell you how peaceful and wonderful it is to watch a movie which depicts beauty and art available at everyone's fingertips. I felt like picking up a notebook and starting writing. But I also felt I had become quite cynical and disenchanted, constantly expecting the worst of people.

This is such a refreshing movie and came at a great time for me, sandwiched between the Turkish referendum and the French elections which are very taxing on my nerves.

Good to know that Jarmush has another film out. I've enjoyed all of his films. Particularly memorable was 'Night on Earth' (or something like that), which was about cab drivers on the night shift in several parts of the world. The scene with Roberto Begnini confessing to a priest in the cab or the cab driver (don't remember which, must have been the priest) about how he once had sex with a pumpkin as a child was priceless.

 

[Cachoo]

Good to know that Jarmush has another film out. I've enjoyed all of his films. Particularly memorable was 'Night on Earth' (or something like that), which about cab drives on the night shift in several parts of the world. The scene with Roberto Begnini confessing to a priest in the cab or the cab driver (don't remember which, must have been the priest) about how he once had sex with a pumpkin as a child was priceless.

That is one of my favorite ensemble films. I happened to be watching the film with my father which was a little weird given that scene but it was so funny I could not help but laugh.

 

[Buzz]

Footage of Black Panther was recently screened at Marvel's Burbank CA., studios for a select audience. We can expect the first trailer to drop this summer. Maybe with Spider-Man?! (minor spoilers ahead)
http://ca.ign.com/articles/2017/04/...ge-screened-and-first-trailer-due-summer-2017

 

[watchthis!!]

100 Movies You Need To See Before You Die (20 - 1)
http://entertainment.ie/cinema/news/100-Movies-You-Need-To-See-Before-You-Die-20-1/392458.htm

So I missed the three other parts of this list due to not keeping up with my google alerts. But the above link provides links to the other parts of the list. For now, how about we check out the last/fifth part of this list and see what we think of it?

Memento I agree with...they like the remake of Cape Fear over the original...Hell Or High Water, so something current on the list (still haven't seen it yet, but want to)...then The Crying Game and a whole lot of other Irish movies to remind us of where this list was compiled from. But these are good movies, not just good Irish movies...haven't seen them all, but I've liked all that I recognized. Any of your favourites make this list?

 

[Tinami Amori]

100 Movies You Need To See Before You Die (20 - 1)
http://entertainment.ie/cinema/news/100-Movies-You-Need-To-See-Before-You-Die-20-1/392458.htm

the following is not "at you" but "at the person who comprised this list"..... To you: thank you for providing info, ANY info is always interesting!

- ok, last 20 are anime.
- but the other 80, except for 7!!!, are ALL American.......???!!! Surely there must be more than 7 out of 80 "must see in your lifetime" non-American movies.
I am going to say it: The person who put together that list is AN AMERI-CENTRIC IDIOT!

 

[PeterG]

If you guys were filmmakers, which existing films would you think would best match your style? Feel free to give multiple films and even tonally different films as I'm sure people here would love to shoot different sorts of films.

I'm glad this topic got bumped up again because I meant to respond to it but didn't get around to it. As for films to match my style, I'd go with those listed in my Top 100 list I posted a while back. But if I were to pick directors whose style I admire the most, Ang Lee would be at the top. What I admire about Lee is the diversity of his work. Not to mention directing movies successfully in both Chinese and English. He started off his career with two romantic comedies, The Wedding Banquet and Eat Drink Man Woman. Then a historical drama with Sense and Sensibility, followed by the contemporary drama The Ice Storm (Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver). Ride With The Devil (Tobey Maguire, Skeet Ulrich, Jewel) was a historical war drama, followed by the Chinese-language martial arts movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Then the comic-book action movie Hulk (Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly), the gay romance Brokeback Mountain and the musical comedy drama Taking Woodstock. His next movie will be about the third and final Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fight, entitled "Thrilla In Manila". I would like to see him continue with tackling a few other genres he has yet to tackle. A big sci-fi movie. A horror movie, something like the Nicole Kidman movie The Others. And a straight-ahead musical. And maybe a real wacky comedy, would love it if he were the director of the new female-led Oceans 8 movie.

Off the top of my head, it's tough for me to pick my #2 favourite director. Maybe James Cameron?

 

[manhn]

It's not like what I actually do for a living, I love. If I were a filmmaker, I would be doing car commercials and episodes of CW shows. But I do love the CW.

 

[Tinami Amori]

With so many movie-lovers here, i would like to use this opportunity, and ask if anyone have seen Visconti's "The Stranger".
I have many questions about this movie, but would be interested to hear/read any opinions about it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-ChQ33SII4

 

[watchthis!!]

The Mechanic was a pleasant surprise as I see Jason Statham movies as being action fluff usually. But this movie had a much better script than I expected. Ben Foster stars opposite Statham and he usually picks really good movies to be in, so maybe I should have expected more from a Ben Foster movie...even though it's basically a Jason Statham movie. This movie is a real twists and turns action drama. All throughout the movie, the story gets flipped on it's head and nothing is as it seems. So it was quite entertaining from start to finish, right up until the very last shot. Donald Sutherland has a small role in this, and he makes the most of his time on screen. Tony Goldwyn [Scandal] also stars, but his role is probably smaller than Sutherland's...it's basically a thankless role.

Trailer for The Mechanic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQXygp9r1EA

 

[MacMadame]

It's not like what I actually do for a living, I love. If I were a filmmaker, I would be doing car commercials and episodes of CW shows. But I do love the CW.

Supergirl and iZombie FTW! (CW shows)

 

[gk_891]

I'm glad this topic got bumped up again because I meant to respond to it but didn't get around to it. As for films to match my style, I'd go with those listed in my Top 100 list I posted a while back. But if I were to pick directors whose style I admire the most, Ang Lee would be at the top. What I admire about Lee is the diversity of his work. Not to mention directing movies successfully in both Chinese and English. He started off his career with two romantic comedies, The Wedding Banquet and Eat Drink Man Woman. Then a historical drama with Sense and Sensibility, followed by the contemporary drama The Ice Storm (Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver). Ride With The Devil (Tobey Maguire, Skeet Ulrich, Jewel) was a historical war drama, followed by the Chinese-language martial arts movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Then the comic-book action movie Hulk (Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly), the gay romance Brokeback Mountain and the musical comedy drama Taking Woodstock. His next movie will be about the third and final Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fight, entitled "Thrilla In Manila". I would like to see him continue with tackling a few other genres he has yet to tackle. A big sci-fi movie. A horror movie, something like the Nicole Kidman movie The Others. And a straight-ahead musical. And maybe a real wacky comedy, would love it if he were the director of the new female-led Oceans 8 movie.

Off the top of my head, it's tough for me to pick my #2 favourite director. Maybe James Cameron?

Have you ever seen Ang Lee's Lust Caution? I thought it was fascinating.

 

[watchthis!!]

Only a True Movie Buff Will Pass This Quiz
http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/quizzes/a53982/movie-quotes-quiz/

"It's just you vs. 50 iconic film quotes."


The quiz starts off easy and then gets more difficult. The hardest ones are where you know the actor who is speaking, but two or more his movies are shown and you have to think, "which movie was it again"? Or you start second-guessing yourself.

I got 72. How did you do?

 

[Tinami Amori]

Have you ever seen Ang Lee's Lust Caution? I thought it was fascinating.

It is a beautiful movie in many respects. But historically inaccurate, and of all things the "spy" and "romance" parts.

 

[cocotaffy]

Only a True Movie Buff Will Pass This Quiz
http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/quizzes/a53982/movie-quotes-quiz/

"It's just you vs. 50 iconic film quotes."


The quiz starts off easy and then gets more difficult. The hardest ones are where you know the actor who is speaking, but two or more his movies are shown and you have to think, "which movie was it again"? Or you start second-guessing yourself.

I got 72. How did you do?

Nice one, I'm pretty close, I got 71. Old movies drop my average. I should brush up I guess.

 

[PeterG]

Have you ever seen Ang Lee's Lust Caution? I thought it was fascinating.

Hmm. Just watched the trailer and it seems I haven't seen this one. It's one of those trailers that has no dialogue in it, but none of the footage shown triggered anything for me. So I've added it to my list. Weird that I haven't seen it, because I really like both Tony Leung and Joan Chen.

Only a True Movie Buff Will Pass This Quiz
http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/quizzes/a53982/movie-quotes-quiz/

How did you do?

I got 89!! It was tricky at points. They kind of lulled you into a haziness by throwing some softballs at you.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

Fun game. I got 85. Some of the lower level ones were hard for me & I couldn't figure out why some of the higher level ones were considered higher level. Unless it's because they were older films.

 

[VGThuy]

I got 92, but I really got lucky on some of them, while others I only got because I recognized the voice and it was like one of those where there weren't like 3 choices with David Strathairn but there was one question that had like all four choices featuring Chloe Sevigny and the quote was obviously her voice.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

I got the Chloe Sevigny quote because I just watched that movie a few months ago. Better late than never.