Metacritics Graph of Best Reviewed Movies

Interesting! I dug "Squid" but was not surprised that it wasn't nominated. Too small scale a film for Oscar consideration, no doubt...

The token "big studio movie" was "Munich," a straight line action flick from Spielberg, good but lacking in substance. It was as straightforward as "Duel."

Cool, interesting. Buncha films on there I seen, without much direct correlation between what I thought of em and how often they were mentioned. But there's also a lotta films I havent even heard of, probably havent reached these lands yet.

It's always a good source, nimh, to set one's priorities on what to see, whether in the cinema, on cable or on DVD. I know I'm going to be busy this year as it was actually a good year for film.

Lightwizard:

I think I recall you saying you belong to Netflix because of the number of Indie films they have in their selection. I also belong for the same reason. Can you give me names of your favorites...so I can add them to my que?

The films I would quickly recommend are likely available at the other services and I can delve into more but I think that should be on a seperate thread. Why not start a Recommended Indie and Alternative Cinema Thread? You could also include foreign cinema.

"The Station Agent" A film aimed straight at the heart, but also veering off the head, poignantly mixing happiness and sadness (sound like real life?) When his only friend and co-worker dies, a young man born with dwarfism moves to an abandoned train depot in rural New Jersey. Though he tried to maintain a life of solitude, he is soon entangled with an artist who is struggling with a personal tragedy and an overly-friendly Cuban hot dog vendor.

"Chasing Amy" Hey, Ben Afflick can actually act! In Kevin Smith's best movie , Holden (Afflick) and Banky represent two average guys who just need to encounter someone to bring out their hidden secrets. Enter Alyssa Jones and Hooper LaMont, two homosexuals who are slightly more experienced. Together, Hooper and Alyssa show Holden and Banky that being gay isn't as bad as they might think. Meanwhile, Holden develops an 'untainted' love for Alyssa, one which she finally sees in him as well, taking Holden on a journey through the complexities of love in the 90's.

Thanks, LW for the tips on those two! I will try to start a thread when I have more time....gone for most of this weekend!

I see Grizzly Man was on quite a few lists; I definitely agree with that....That was an absolutely fascinating film. Anybody else see it?

The DVD is out and I was thinking of renting it.

Spike Lee's interview on the BBC re why "Brokeback" could not be the Oscar choice -- spells it out in no uncertain terms (he is also talking about his new movie with Jodie Foster), and about George Clooney's condescending comments about "liberal" Hollywood. You don't suppose there is a latent conservatism in Hollywood?

SPIKE LEE INTERVIEW LINK

LW, you really should get Grizzly Man, it was so interesting. Let me know what you think of it if you see it.

All this talk about "liberal Hollywood.' Yet, there are dozens of films out there that run contrary to liberal precepts. Not just John Wayne and Arnold schwartzenager, either. We have a spate of Vietnam War movies, where they figure we couldn't do it with the US military, so we'll just fake it on film with a bunch of Rambos and the like. Dirty Harry. All the big heist films. I don't go to the movies, just limited to what I buy or borrow, so I miss lots of stuff. But I am sure all of you can name a lot more. Forest Gump makes me sick, the way it shows every liberal influence it comes into contact with as either destructiveness or wide eyed naivette. It also helped set up the public perception of an inarticulate dummy as acceptable to be the US president.

Hollywood has become self-conscious with a major filming facility now open in New York, the film industry in Canada and India. I doubt it will dissapear but the Hollywood establishment better start getting smarter. The next time someone in a boardroom makes the suggestion that a remake from TV's "Dukes of Hazard," a lame series to being with, will make any money and then casts it with Jessica Simpson, they should be sent quail hunting with Dick Cheney.

"Grizzly Man" was terrific. Treadwell, the protagonist, has enough going on to provoke a debate for hours. And Herzog's narration is unforgettable...

Brokeback Mountain on DVD April 4
Source: Universal Studios Home Entertainment March 20, 2006



Universal Studios Home Entertainment has announced that Brokeback Mountain, starring Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway, will be available on DVD April 4. The film was directed by Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), who earned an Academy Award.

"As one of the most talked-about movies of the year, 'Brokeback Mountain' has not only established a new benchmark in filmmaking but it has also permeated the public consciousness to an unprecedented level," commented Craig Kornblau, President, Universal Studios Home Entertainment. "We are confident that this DVD will profoundly resonate among consumers and that it will quickly become an integral part of every DVD collection."

Winner of three Academy Awards, including Best Director (Lee), Best Adapted Screenplay (Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana) and Best Original Score (Gustavo Santaolalla), Brokeback Mountain tells the story of Ennis Del Mar (Ledger) and Jack Twist (Gyllenhaal), two young men dispatched to work as sheepherders up on the majestic Brokeback Mountain in the summer of 1963. During their experience, Ennis and Jack are drawn into an unexpected life-long relationship, filled with love and loss.

The DVD is priced at $29.98 SRP.

(Apparantly there's a block on the DVD cover image):

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/topnews.php?id=13713