Terrific films on DVD & video ... Any suggestions?

Yes, I was really impressed with George. (I hadn't cared for Perfect Storm.)

(Partially because they kept stressing that it was a true story...

But... no one survived... so who was there to tell it?)

Yes, "The Perfect Storm" was a technical wonder but the human side of the story lacked any depth. I think the filmmaker should have spend more time telling the main character's story before the storm. The storm went on, and on, and on until the final and quite well known ending, although it wasn't really know how the ship met it's face, it was easy to speculate.

In another thread I posted this:



If any of you have any information on where I could obtain the English DVD of this film, I would be glad to hear it.

The road to Wellville.

40 Year Old Virgin - Sounds shite but is actually really funny

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I can now recommend "The Devil Wears Prada." Only Meryl Streep could have pulled off Miranda Priestly with such savory evilness -- or is she? Anne Hathaway (Jake Gyllenhaal's wife in "Brokeback Mountain") again shows a mature performance and Stanley Tucci is hilarious as the gay fashion expert. Okay, it's a chick flick but it is also a rather dark seriocomedy as an expose of the fashion magazine world, albeit with a satirical edge.

5 oldies borrowed from my video shop yesterday. Couldn't find a recent release that I wanted to see or that I haven't seen already.

So:
Mystic River
In My Father's Den
The Piano Teacher
Mad Dogs & Englishmen (No, not the Joe Cocker version, Kenneth Branagh. :wink: )
& Enduring Love.

Having a long weekend I am using the videoshop's offer of 5 films for 5 Euros. I already saw:
- Insomnia (2002), which was an OK thriller
- Hellbreeder (2004), a failed attempt to create a psychedelic horror film, borrow heavily from Stephen King's IT.
- Prozac Nation (2001), yet another film tinkering with tortured white middle class psyches à la Girl Interrupted.
- The Wool Cap (2004), I saw this movie entirely unprepared for I thought from the DVD cover that it was a Russian comedy (The sleeve text was in Finnish, which I could not read). This is a really nice Christmas Season movie with some quite impressive acting performances (esp. W.H. Macy and the girl Keke Palmer) and some strongly emotional moments (that succeed on staying on the safe side of melodrama).
- Decoys (2004), lousy horror movie.

I will see The Da Vinci Code in the restored theatre tonight and then I'll go for another batch of DVDs

Is that the original 1997 "Insomnia" from Norway or the Robin Williams remake?

It was the remake. I saw the Norwegian one years ago. I borrowed the US version, due to film scene discussion thread.

I saw them in the opposite order -- I did like the remake but the original Norwegian film was simply better paced, more suspenseful and atmospheric.

The original "The Vanishing" is leagues above it's American Hollywood remake. Another film I can recommend -- it is one of the few worthy of comparing to Hitchcock. The remake can be compared to Ed Wood. Well, almost.

I do so agree about The Vanishing. The original had one of the most eerie endings I ever saw, but the remake totally ruined it!

I have some difficulty comparing the two versions of Insomnia, because I saw the original so long ago, but I do remember Skarsgård's despair made more impact on me then than Pacino's sleepiness now.

Right, back from the video store, I have opted this time to bring back some old VHS tapes. It is funny, five years ago they had practically no DVDs, now they have practically no VHS left. I think I should pick my way thorough the remaining tapes before they are sold off or destroyed, because some of these flicks will not be reissued on DVD any time soon. This time I took:
- The Return of the Unnamable (1993), a horro flick that was not quite as bad as the corny cover picture would suggest (It even featured John "Gimli" Rhys-Davies) Based on a P.H. Lovecraft story, it had a gothic Hammer-horror feel to it.
- Blood Moon (1990)
- Caribe (1987)
- Thieves of Fortune/Chameleon (1990)
- Laurel Canyon (2002)

I haven't seen the latter four yet, but the day isn't over yet

Love "Laurel Canyon," a twisted tale of relationships in the libertine atmosphere of Hollywood's eccentric community of musicians and other denizens. THe performances are strong-blooded and a bit perverse.

I'd recommend "A History of Violence," although considered too commercial for Cannes, the audience rose to its feet to applaud after the film concluded. Viggo Mortensen, sproting a handlebar moustache, planted a kiss on the lips of David Cronenberg after the reaction of the audience. Now that's appreciation! It's a sordid study of what violence is but is also makes the viewer complicent in what is going on. It's a more masterful film from a graphic novel than those that have gone before, even "The Road to Perdition."

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399146/

Well, Bloodmoon turned out to be a very unsurprising serial killer thriller.
Thieves of Fortune/Chameleon, however, had its good moments. It reminded of Romancing the Stone, but had more plot holes and less humour. Still what can one expect of a flick combining Lee van Cleef (in his last performance) with a Baywatch babe (who was willing to disrobe for this role).
And Caribe was an action adventure that lacked a plot and chemistry between the heroes.

I'm saving Laurel Canyon for tomorow.

I didn't see A History of Violence in the racks this time, but I'll keep it in mind.

I saw and liked Laurel Canyon. It was a neat plot with no loose ends. I could identify with different characters. I just wondered how come the psychiatrist did not see his own inhibitions for what they were.

I now rented:
- A Clockwork Orange (1971)
- Il Fiore delle mille e una notte (Arabian Nights, 1974)
- Fight Club (1999)
- Traffic (2000)
- Secret Window (2004)

Kubrick was excellent and behoves no comment.
Arabian Nights was the second to last Pasolini film. It surprised me in several ways. Of course, there was the gratuitous full frontal nudity, but that did not bother me so much (in fact it was quite pleasing to the eye as most of the disrobed players were young and beautiful, especially the Ethiopian actress that I remembered for her bit part in Salo, but some scenes of men/boys may be frowned upon.). I was just disappointed that the film seems to be so sketchily put together; characters disappear without a trace, there are some unnecessarily clumsy special effects, some of the actors are too obviously amateurs.
However, having said that, I think this film is a monumental document to times gone by. It was filmed in Ethiopia, Persia, Yemen and Nepal before these countries were ripped apart by revolutions and (civil) wars. It shows wonderful landscapes and architecture of great antiquity and cultural interest. This film could not be made today. I have now become curious to see the other two titles in Pasolini's trilogy of life (Il Decameron, 1971, and I Racconti di Canterbury, 1972)
Fight Club was a title I had seen mentioned several times in different threads on A2K, but I had never looked into it. It turned out to be a flim with a very interesting premiss, that unfortunately escalates off track (had this film been made after 9/11 I think the script could have been molded to reflect the reality of a group of men reaching a point where they commit heinous acts of violence and terrorrism). I have yet to see a film in which Brat Pit is not overshadowed by other cast members.
Traffic was a good film that shone a light on the complexities and absurdism of the war on drugs (before it was replaced with the war on terrorrism).
Secret Window was a thriller that was too predictable IMO, but it was acted out well.

All in all I saw 17 films last weekend

My son got me a NetFlix subscription. The first two movies I got were "Enron: the Smartest Guys in the Room" and "My Best Fiend: Klaus Kinski." We're watching the Enron movie tonight. Anyone seen either of them?

Got a new batch of 5 oldies but goodies from my video shop. As is my habit. Some I get to watch, others I don't. That's OK, it's a very reasonable rental deal & eventually I'll see most of what interests me. Anyway, yesterday I watch Happiness (Todd Solandz) . I was transfixed, engrossed, fascinated for the entire 133 minutes. How come no one told me about this film before? 9 out of 10 stars!

I put Happiness on my list it sounds like my kind of film.

My batch of weekend films this time consists of:
Xing xing wang (The Mighty Peking Man, 1977), a hilariously amateurish B-film and King Kong rip off. If you are a fan of people in rubber suits destroying minature buildings and special effects that were not so special even in the 1970s, this is a flick for you!
Around the World in 80 Days (2004), a failed attempt to combine Jules Verne adventure with Hong Kong karate comedy (With Westerns it worked better).
The whole 10 Yards (2004), whereas the original had its funny moments, this sequel falls utterly flat (a blubbering Bruce Willis is not funny).
Atame (Tie me up, tie me down, 1990), interesting and controversial Almodovar.
The Singing Detective (2003). I have fond memories of the original mini series of 1986, so I am afraid this film will not manage to live up to that, but I haven't seen it yet.

I loved the mini series, too, Paaskynen. I had no idea that a film of The Singing Detective had been made. (Why? ) Let us know what you think of it.