What Movies Are You Watching?

[Monte Smith]

Tampopo, 1985. I like a good life-affirming absurdity. This film reminds me very much of The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie. Good-humored, ridiculous, and warm.

[walto]

{Putting on my pain in the ass hat}

FWlittleIW: I don't like Julianne Moore (particularly bad in 30 Rock) and I hated Tampopo

[Monte Smith]

Ah well. Diff'rent strokes 'n' shit. Me, I'm getting some ramen at the local Japanese at lunchtime. That film made me hungry.

[steve(thelil)]

{Putting on my pain in the ass hat}

FWlittleIW: I don't like Julianne Moore (particularly bad in 30 Rock) and I hated Tampopo

It surprises me you hated Tampopo.

[mjb]

The Master, and Django Unchained
But seriously, is it just me that finds Tarantino's treatment of black people a little (or a lot) wrong?

I love Pulp Fiction but even after all these years I can't past QT's use of the N word, meaning the use by his character in the film (well, for that matter, I can't past his acting either).

It is possible that Samuel Jackson may not agree with you ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYYBJ8XRdh4

[LennyH]

Funny stuff.

I can kind of get where everyone is coming from when it comes to the use of the word. You can't just bury it and pretend it doesn't exist and I guess some think you can emasculate it by using it more but it still makes me cringe, especially back when Pulp Fiction came out and QT used it in "The Bonnie Situation".

Does it will make you cringe, mjb?

[Monte Smith]

I think Julianne Moore is one of the most beautiful actresses in Hollywood.

Hard to be sure, since JC is no more and we are stuck in this dump, but I believe you've said exactly the same thing about every actress in Hollywood.

[sozamora]

Moore is indeed a gorgeous woman.

I do agree that her Boston accent in 30 Rock was not her brightest moment, but everyone is allowed a misstep or two.

[mjb]

Funny stuff.

I can kind of get where everyone is coming from when it comes to the use of the word. You can't just bury it and pretend it doesn't exist and I guess some think you can emasculate it by using it more but it still makes me cringe, especially back when Pulp Fiction came out and QT used it in "The Bonnie Situation".

Does it will make you cringe, mjb?

No.

What makes me cringe is resorting to "N word," "C word," and the like.

I think that words alone cannot, or at least should not, offend.

In part it's my English background (I'm guessing).

I was at a media event last year for Matt Berry & Rich Fulcher (of, inter alia, Snuff Box). A question of Matt Berry was along the lines of "What has surprised you most about North America." His answer, "The remarkable effect caused by the use of the word 'cunt.'" I think that just about sums it up for me.

And http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9HaHOkUoGI

[LennyH]

I was at a media event last year for Matt Berry & Rich Fulcher (of, inter alia, Snuff Box). A question of Matt Berry was along the lines of "What has surprised you most about North America." His answer, "The remarkable effect caused by the use of the word 'cunt.'" I think that just about sums it up for me.

It would seem especially odd to people coming from somewhere else, I'm sure. In some countries, men call each other cunts regularly but in the US it's the most misogynistic word in the arsenal so...

I don't think the mere thought of that word makes people cringe so much. Civilized people just avoid using it.

[steve(thelil)]

The weird thing about "bad words' like "fuck" or "cunt" is that the masses just decide that a word is offensive for certain purposes in a rather arbitrary manner, and then once decided, that decision is treated by many as being of real importance. For instance, there are still huge federal penalties for uttering the word "fuck" over the airwaves, even though 1) we have no problem accepting that most of us, including older kids, use it quite casually in many contexts, and 2) many of its literal meanings are no different from more other acceptable words, such as "Darn" as an exclamation, "boink" as a slang verb and "idiot" as a noun.

And many people who would agree that it's absurd to give such power to the word "fuck" recoil at the word "cunt."

[LennyH]

The weird thing about "bad words' like "fuck" or "cunt" is that the masses just decide that a word is offensive for certain purposes in a rather arbitrary manner, and then once decided, that decision is treated by many as being of real importance. For instance, there are still huge federal penalties for uttering the word "fuck" over the airwaves, even though 1) we have no problem accepting that most of us, including older kids, use it quite casually in many contexts, and 2) many of its literal meanings are no different from more other acceptable words, such as "Darn" as an exclamation, "boink" as a slang verb and "idiot" as a noun.

And many people who would agree that it's absurd to give such power to the word "fuck" recoil at the word "cunt."

Points taken. But regardless of whether it was sensible or logical to empower these words (I think fuck and cunt are quite different in degree), I'm guessing you'd agree that calling a woman a cunt is generally a pretty vile thing to do and its potential effect on the recipient is more important than whether it made sense to empower the word in the first place.

Fuck has no shock value in my house. Cursing is an art form around here to everyone but the dog.

[steve(thelil)]

The weird thing about "bad words' like "fuck" or "cunt" is that the masses just decide that a word is offensive for certain purposes in a rather arbitrary manner, and then once decided, that decision is treated by many as being of real importance. For instance, there are still huge federal penalties for uttering the word "fuck" over the airwaves, even though 1) we have no problem accepting that most of us, including older kids, use it quite casually in many contexts, and 2) many of its literal meanings are no different from more other acceptable words, such as "Darn" as an exclamation, "boink" as a slang verb and "idiot" as a noun.

And many people who would agree that it's absurd to give such power to the word "fuck" recoil at the word "cunt."

Points taken. But regardless of whether it was sensible or logical to empower these words (I think fuck and cunt are quite different in degree), I'm guessing you'd agree that calling a woman a cunt is generally a pretty vile thing to do and its potential effect on the recipient is more important than whether it made sense to empower the word in the first place.

Fuck has no shock value in my house. Cursing is an art form around here to everyone but the dog.

Agreed. And again, I note that the ONLY reason that cunt is more offensive to Americans is that we decided it would be and the only reason it isn't as offensive to Brits is that they decided it isn't.

[Monte Smith]

The Brits can say "cunt" all day long, the lucky bastards. It's not because they have the right view of the word and we have the wrong view. Americans can call each other "spazzes" and we won't even think of it as an insult, let alone a grievously offensive insult for which our reputations will suffer. In the UK, as Tiger Woods once found out when he called himself a spazz, that's not the case. The word there carries far more serious freight.

[stonemonkts]

The Raid: Redemption

Any fan of martial arts action films would like this one. I'm not familiar with the genre all that much, but I have to say the choreography of the fighting was amazing to behold. I've never seen this particular style. Recommended to fans of this genre.

[mjb]

We went to see Gravity. IMAX 3D.

Stunning to look at and listen to, except for the words.

I am told that Ms. Bullock's performance is getting decent reviews. If so, just add it to the list of items I don't understand. Awful, awful, awful etc.

[stonemonkts]

The Devil's Backbone (Guillermo del Toro) 2000 - The misleading title aside (sounds more like an Argento feature), this is a pretty good movie. Not quite as fantastic as Pan's Labyrinth, but similar in how it is set in war torn Spain, features children, and has some supernatural elements (just one, really). I would say it is a more adult drama than Pan, which I also enjoyed. He does a great job incorporating very memorable moments and images. Definitely three montes.

[A. Kingstone]

Charlie Wilson's War - Hoffman is sensational.


Hugo - Beautiful homage.

[Monte Smith]

Like all Bollywood pictures, this one was two days long. Still worth it. It's, you know, your basic 70s nostalgia reincarnation romance musical.

[walto]

Continuing my pain-in-the-ass period. I didn't like Hugo. Most of the plot was based on an absurd McGuffin that made no difference when the protagonist (Finally!) got it, and there was too much nostalgia during the last 20 minutes for an art form that, in reality, most people only pretend to care about.

[Monte Smith]

Continuing my pain-in-the-ass period. I didn't like Hugo. Most of the plot was based on an absurd McGuffin that made no difference when the protagonist (Finally!) got it, and there was too much nostalgia during the last 20 minutes for an art form that, in reality, most people only pretend to care about.

Ah, it was a beautiful picture. I love movies about movies, you grump.

[walto]

Right up there with Tampopo--oh, and that shitty silent movie that won the Oscar a year or two ago because the dog was cute, but that no one will ever watch again--because they couldn't wait to go home the first time.

You know what's beautiful? Little Buddha--and that's in spite of Keanu Reeves as Siddartha and the even grumpier Chris Isaac. Bertolucci is a master. Didn't win anything AFAIK, but so beautiful.

[walto]

Speaking about movies about movies, how about movies about plays? Anybody seen Synecdoche, NY? That thing was deep.

[mjb]

... oh, and that shitty silent movie that won the Oscar a year or two ago because the dog was cute, but that no one will ever watch again--because they couldn't wait to go home the first time.

Agree about that film - The Artist - a one note tedium. I thought I was alone in my irritation.

[Monte Smith]

Speaking about movies about movies, how about movies about plays? Anybody seen Synecdoche, NY? That thing was deep.

I really enjoyed Synecdoche, despite its every attempt to ward off audience interest and understanding. It was an engaging puzzle.

Of course you like Keenu Reeves as the Worthy Enlightened One. That's practically The Story of Walto.

I watched this recently:



The Special Relationship is the third film in the Tony Blair trilogy from writer Peter Morgan, who also wrote the play and the film Nixon/Frost and the screen adaptation for The Last King of Scotland. These all star Michael Sheehan: The Deal, with David Morrissey as Gordon Brown, The Queen, with Helen Mirren, and now here come the Clintons in The Special Relationship. Covers approx the last six years of the Clinton administration. Of the three, this one has the weakest story but it was OK. Sheehan does his now familiar impression, but the stand-out is Hope Davis as Hillary. Good portrayal. Quaid handled the former President capably. Three Montes.