What movie did you watch last night? (8 Viewers)

[Andy_aurel]

Ah, I wasn't being serious about the ending.

Actually, I'd recommend starting with 'Shadows', his first film. Very refreshing and much more tender than most 'realist' films that claim to have been influenced by it. The soundtrack is suburb and the acting really gets you there. Most of all possibly is it's quite funny.
The boxset was going for 50e in tower - that's a good reduction from 90e originally. I'd recommend a purchase if you like good actors being given their head. Cassavetes wasn't one for caring about the actual cinematography so to speak. He notoriously kicked gifted dp Caleb Deschanel off 'A woman under the influence' - but Deschanel just couldn't get what Cassavetes was all about.
I'm sorry, I've read Cassavetes on Cassavetes and could probably be here all day. An interesting, contrary complex man who I didn't get personally, but I understood where he was coming from completely. It's all a quest for truth y'know.
'A woman under the influence' was actually shown at the Galway Fleadh this year, introduced by Cassavetes authority Ray Carney. Did anyone see it? Ironically, possibly the hardest of his films to watch, it proved his biggest hit. Peter Falk is exceptional in it. Then exceptional performances are the norm when it comes to Cassavetes' films.

Sold. Shadows is currently on its way from Amazon rental..|..|

 

[nlgbbbblth]

Ah, I wasn't being serious about the ending.

Actually, I'd recommend starting with 'Shadows', his first film. Very refreshing and much more tender than most 'realist' films that claim to have been influenced by it. The soundtrack is suburb and the acting really gets you there. Most of all possibly is it's quite funny.
The boxset was going for 50e in tower - that's a good reduction from 90e originally. I'd recommend a purchase if you like good actors being given their head. Cassavetes wasn't one for caring about the actual cinematography so to speak. He notoriously kicked gifted dp Caleb Deschanel off 'A woman under the influence' - but Deschanel just couldn't get what Cassavetes was all about.
I'm sorry, I've read Cassavetes on Cassavetes and could probably be here all day. An interesting, contrary complex man who I didn't get personally, but I understood where he was coming from completely. It's all a quest for truth y'know.
'A woman under the influence' was actually shown at the Galway Fleadh this year, introduced by Cassavetes authority Ray Carney. Did anyone see it? Ironically, possibly the hardest of his films to watch, it proved his biggest hit. Peter Falk is exceptional in it. Then exceptional performances are the norm when it comes to Cassavetes' films.

Shadows is the Cassavetes movie you should start with.
A Woman Under The Influence is easier to watch than Faces (both are excellent).

Not too keen on Opening Night. Need to watch it again.
The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie .|..|

Re: the Cassavetes box set.
I have the region 1 version which was brought out by Criterion.
It has the excellent 200 minute documentary called A Constant Forge and a very informative 70 page book. Pricey but worth it.

The documentary is not on the region 2 version.

 

[SONYMEGADRIVE]

i watched this:

i enjoyed it, dunno about the veg-head i was watchin it with

with music from:
Acid King Om Totimoshi
Drunk Horse The Pirate Band Dirty Power
Hidden Hand Night After Night Dixie Witch
Parchman Farm Suplecs Western Dark
High Tower High on Fire Old Grandad
The Hitch Earthless TransAm …and more


some definite wife material on that dvd

 

[tin robots]

junebug.

pretty good actually.amy adams deserved the praise she got. she was excellent.

 

[Andy_aurel]

Shadows is the Cassavetes movie you should start with.
A Woman Under The Influence is easier to watch than Faces (both are excellent).

Not too keen on Opening Night. Need to watch it again.
The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie .|..|

Re: the Cassavetes box set.
I have the region 1 version which was brought out by Criterion.
It has the excellent 200 minute documentary called A Constant Forge and a very informative 70 page book. Pricey but worth it.

The documentary is not on the region 2 version.

Which version of "Chinese Bookie" would you recommend?

 

[Andy_aurel]

IZO - Takashi Miike

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377079/

Really like this alot. Rivals Happiness of the Katikurus in the sheer madness stakes. For starters after he gets quite hideously excecuted back in 1865
Izo becomes the personification of chaos, rage and the ridiculous who shags mother earth and slashes his way through hundreds of warriors throughout time on his path to destroy the ultimate symbols of order and authority.

Oh yeah and it's full of buddhist, karma etc. philosophical exposition

Plus Kazuki Tomokawa http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:k7w4WwoIsNMSPM:cover6.cduniverse.com/MuzeAudioArt/700/705349.jpg turns up throughout the film playing songs that comment on the story.

The more I think about it the more I love it. But it's one of those I don't know if I could recommend.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

Which version of "Chinese Bookie" would you recommend?

Watched the 135 minute cut a couple of months ago.

Think I prefer the shorter version. Some of the scenes dragged but still, a great movie.

 

[Andy_aurel]

Watched the 135 minute cut a couple of months ago.

Think I prefer the shorter version. Some of the scenes dragged but still, a great movie.

Cheers, I'll give the shorter one a go then.

 

[skinnerchinner]

in the name of the father
ecxellent almost esculent flim

 

[therealjohnny]

I watched An American Werewolf in London again for the firts time in years

I love it but my girlfiriend thought it was shit! Comments like "this isnt very good is it?" all the way through ruined it for me

I think I'm going to have to give her the old heave ho

 

[SONYMEGADRIVE]

i think the butler did it....i kept getting disctracted by my cats o'one tails

 

[Wilbert]

I watched An American Werewolf in London again for the firts time in years

I love it but my girlfiriend thought it was shit! Comments like "this isnt very good is it?" all the way through ruined it for me

I think I'm going to have to give her the old heave ho

Nobody would blame you Johnny.
"this isn't very good, is it?" means "turn this off NOW!".
Mmmmmmmmm Jenny Agutter.

 

[Nate Champion]

A Woman Under The Influence is easier to watch than Faces (both are excellent).

.
The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie .|..|

I just find 'A woman under the influence' more emotionally involving - I was in tatters after watching it, even if the last scene ends it on a hopeful note. Perhaps it explains why it's his only real hit. The scenes with Rowlands and her children particularly got to me. I felt somewhat distant from 'Faces', except for Seymour Cassel's insatiable joie de vivre. The version that exists is Rowlands' preferred version. There was a really long version that I would like to see, I think 4 hours plus. Cassavetes showed it to his friend Robert Aldrich, who told him he was better off releasing the longer version because it wasn't going to be a hit anyway and he knew deep down that the longer version had more clarity . Maybe Al Ruban has a copy of it.

'Faces' was shot in continuity and took years to make. He brought the film with him to London whilst making 'the dirty dozen' so he could edit it had night. The guy was like a giddy child in the editing booth. I quite like 'Faces', it's just knowing this longer version exists , which I think would justify the film a lot more and the lives of the characters detailed within.

 

[Nate Champion]

Which version of "Chinese Bookie" would you recommend?

I watched the shorter version recently enough. MMMMm. I saw a version years ago on vhs and was really drawn into it. I can't remember which version it was. I would say the longer version is easier to comprehend.

Ben Gazzara reportedly had trouble 'getting' Cosimo. But the writing of the character evolves so that Cosimo is Ben. This style of writing is a stable of Cassavetes' work, wherein the character becomes the actor, and the level of honesty needed has been reached. It was odd for Cassavetes to do a genre film, but it works purely for me as an anology of an independent filmmaker trying to work without compromise. But of course money becomes a major issue. He hammered out the original idea with Scorsese, who's end imput is very small.

The level of sympathy we lend to Cosimo is all down to him in the end, and as usual Gazzara is difficult about it!

While I'm here, Monday I went to see 'Little Fish', which seemed to be trying not to swallow it's tongue. I wasn't really involved in it.
Last night - 'Cronos' - which I enjoyed to some extent.

 

[ICUH8N]

IZO - Takashi Miike

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377079/

Really like this alot. Rivals Happiness of the Katikurus in the sheer madness stakes. For starters after he gets quite hideously excecuted back in 1865
Izo becomes the personification of chaos, rage and the ridiculous who shags mother earth and slashes his way through hundreds of warriors throughout time on his path to destroy the ultimate symbols of order and authority.

Oh yeah and it's full of buddhist, karma etc. philosophical exposition

Plus Kazuki Tomokawa http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:k7w4WwoIsNMSPM:cover6.cduniverse.com/MuzeAudioArt/700/705349.jpg turns up throughout the film playing songs that comment on the story.

The more I think about it the more I love it. But it's one of those I don't know if I could recommend.

You seen "Burst City" by Sogo Ishii?
Ishii is sort of a precursor to Miike in terms of style. Worth checking.

 

[Andy_aurel]

You seen "Burst City" by Sogo Ishii?
Ishii is sort of a precursor to Miike in terms of style. Worth checking.

Aint seen it. the cover look like madness anyway

 

[ICUH8N]

Aint seen it. the cover look like madness anyway

Oh, it's complete madness. Soundtrack is deafening, too.

 

[Bellatrix]

Asian cinema leaves me cold* ** ***

I even hated Sympathy For Mr Vengeance.

There. I said it.



* apart from Asian documentary cinema, which is a whole other thing
** and I mean Far-Eastern cinema really
*** oh and I'm clearly speaking from limited experience, but still

 

[theoootini]

Asian cinema leaves me cold* ** ***

I even hated Sympathy For Mr Vengeance.

i thought it was the weakest by far of the three...as you say yourself it just left me feeling a bit cold and empty, as if id been staring at a blank screen for the last 2 odd hours

 

[Andy_aurel]

Asian cinema leaves me cold* ** ***

I even hated Sympathy For Mr Vengeance.

There. I said it.



* apart from Asian documentary cinema, which is a whole other thing
** and I mean Far-Eastern cinema really
*** oh and I'm clearly speaking from limited experience, but still

Mr. vengeance is quite cold but engaging none the less, I would have thought. What Asian docs do you like?