Moviegoing Falling in US

[R Michael Pyle]

Just give me Bogart and a good beer (I'm in the wine business) - couldn't care less about the venue - and leave me alone. When I'm finished with that, I'll even take Geoff Chaucer in the original (his father was a vintner, so Geoff HAD to be a good guy!) - and I don't care if it's in black letter or some modern typography, either...

[Mitch Farish]

I have no problem with explicit sex and violence, as long as there's a good story or at least interesting direction and camerawork to back it up. For instance, I love love LOVED the film KICK-ASS, which is extremely bloodily violent, but the story and heroes were charming, the villains truly horrendous, and the direction and editing absolutely divine.

I'm not a prude, and I would like to go out to the movies with my wife. I don't mind a modicum of expletives, or of violence and sex. It's the amount and the extreme nature of those things that keeps me away from adult films at least. The top filmmakers today seem not to believe that less is more. They believe, rather, that if a little is a good thing, a whole lot must be a lot better, especially CGI enhanced violence. As for "villains being truly horrendous" I would rather see characters portrayed in a more complex, ambiguous way. I want to see smart writing, not easy writing. It's the easiest thing in the world to pander; it's difficult to make people think. And thinking is the last thing today's filmmakers want audiences to do.

[WaverBoy]

I have no problem with explicit sex and violence, as long as there's a good story or at least interesting direction and camerawork to back it up. For instance, I love love LOVED the film KICK-ASS, which is extremely bloodily violent, but the story and heroes were charming, the villains truly horrendous, and the direction and editing absolutely divine.

I'm not a prude, and I would like to go out to the movies with my wife. I don't mind a modicum of expletives, or of violence and sex. It's the amount and the extreme nature of those things that keeps me away from adult films at least. The top filmmakers today seem not to believe that less is more. They believe, rather, that if a little is a good thing, a whole lot must be a lot better, especially CGI enhanced violence. As for "villains being truly horrendous" I would rather see characters portrayed in a more complex, ambiguous way. I want to see smart writing, not easy writing. It's the easiest thing in the world to pander; it's difficult to make people think. And thinking is the last thing today's filmmakers want audiences to do.

I didn't say the villains were one-note characters. They're not; quite well-written, in fact. You should check it out; you might be surprised.

At any rate, I think we're somewhat on the same side; I'm not into "torture porn" like HOSTEL or HUMAN CENTIPEDE for instance. BUT, I love stuff like GOODFELLAS, SUSPIRIA and RE-ANIMATOR.

[drednm]

Wow someone mentioned SUSPIRIA.... This is a film that's weird, disjointed, and thoroughly mesmerizing. I assume you meant the original....

[WaverBoy]

I wasn't aware that it had been remade, but to clarify, I'm referring to the 1977 horror film by Italian director Dario Argento, which many consider to be his masterwork (I say it's a toss-up between that and DEEP RED).

EDIT: I see a remake is in the works and scheduled for release in 2013, but of course I haven't been able to catch that one yet. I don't imagine I'll be too excited to see it; I haven't seen the remakes of PSYCHO or THE WICKER MAN either, and most likely never will...

[Christopher Jacobs]

Went out to another matinee today at a real theatre showing real 35mm film (again in CinemaScope), a picture that many if not most Nitratevilleans might enjoy. THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, based on a novel originally titled "These Foolish Things," follows the adventures of a group of seven very different British senior citizens who for various reasons travel to India and stay at a rundown old hotel that had looked like an exotic paradise in the brochure, and which the young owner-manager is struggling to turn into the paying proposition his late father never managed to do. It's directed by John Madden, who also did SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, and stars Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom WIlkinson, among others, a great cast all around. It's one of those stories full of heartwarming predictabilities yet just enough surprises and plenty of wit along the way as the characters each learn something about themselves and each other and the meaning of life. This is the kind of staple movie that mainstream Hollywood rarely if ever makes any more -- this was a British production distributed by Fox Searchlight, the artfilm subsidiary of 20th Century Fox. The other Fox Searchlight titles in the prevue trailers also looked promising, and they again ran the cute-looking Meryl Streep/Tommy Lee Jones senior-citizen sex comedy trailer, which is apparently MGM's major summer release and is titled HOPE SPRINGS.

The trick to finding interesting movies playing in theatres is to look for titles that don't get a lot of mainstream media publicity, check out a few comments on line, and then see the movie. Often the trailers programmed with it will be for other off-beat movies ignored by the mass market and will be just as entertaining if and when they ever show up (keep bugging the theatre managers, as they can often recommend titles to their bookers if they hear enough requests).

Regarding recent horror films, some of the more intelligent titles included the Spanish ORPHANAGE, the Swedish LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, and amazingly also its American remake LET ME IN, and from about 20 years ago the Mexican CRONOS. I have not yet seen that much Dario Argento, though found DEEP RED well above average as a suspense thriller. I just got the British Blu-ray of FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET and will check that out in the next few weeks (probably will save it for Friday the 13th).

[WaverBoy]

Regarding recent horror films, some of the more intelligent titles included the Spanish ORPHANAGE, the Swedish LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, and amazingly also its American remake LET ME IN, and from about 20 years ago the Mexican CRONOS. I have not yet seen that much Dario Argento, though found DEEP RED well above average as a suspense thriller. I just got the British Blu-ray of FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET and will check that out in the next few weeks (probably will save it for Friday the 13th).

Agreed on LET THE RIGHT ONE IN and CRONOS; haven't seen LET ME IN (though I'm definitely up for that, 'cause Chloe Grace Moretz is fantastic) or THE ORPHANAGE. I'm curious to know your thoughts on FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET, which I first saw on the big screen in a newly-struck 35mm print at the Olympia Film Festival some time in the '90s; loved the hell out of it. You should definitely put the incredible SUSPIRIA on your list; it's out on British Blu as well.

Another fairly recent horror film that floored me was THE MIST, in the black-and-white Director's Version included on the Blu-ray. An absolutely physically and emotionally draining experience, and the scariest part wasn't the creepy-crawlies, it was the religious whacknut played by the peerless Marcia Gay Harden. You gotta check it out if you haven't already.

[Christopher Jacobs]

Another fairly recent horror film that floored me was THE MIST, in the black-and-white Director's Version included on the Blu-ray. An absolutely physically and emotionally draining experience, and the scariest part wasn't the creepy-crawlies, it was the religious whacknut played by the peerless Marcia Gay Harden. You gotta check it out if you haven't already.

Yes, I've got that Blu-ray and after watching the B&W version first I could never get through the entire film in its color incarnation (I watched the deleted scenes, which were color only, and might have watched the color version with the audio commentary but not by itself). THE MIST reminded me of a feature-length, sort of heavy-duty "Twilight Zone," "Outer Limits," or "Night Gallery" episode. I may need to add SUSPIRIA to my next Amazon u.k. order, but I've been hoping it will get a US release. DON'T LOOK NOW is another.

[Kevin2]

I'd wait on Susperia. The Nouveaux Pictures blu-ray boosts the contrast making it way too bright.

A good Argento in Blu is The Bird With the Crystal Plumage from Blue Underground. The Cat o' Nine Tails from Blue Underground has a good transfer, too. A favorite Argento of mine (along with Susperia) is Phenomena, and the Arrow Video blu-ray is very good, as well.

[Christopher Jacobs]

I'd wait on Susperia. The Nouveaux Pictures blu-ray boosts the contrast making it way too bright.

A good Argento in Blu is The Bird With the Crystal Plumage from Blue Underground. The Cat o' Nine Tails from Blue Underground has a good transfer, too. A favorite Argento of mine (along with Susperia) is Phenomena, and the Arrow Video blu-ray is very good, as well.

I forgot to mention THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE, which is the only other Argento I've seen so far besides PROFUNDO ROSSO, and seems sort of a cross between Hitchcock and Chabrol. I guess I'll hold off on SUSPIRIA for a while, but may try one of your other recommendations.