Topic: Antares' Short Summations

[Najemikon]

They plan to move to Jerusalem. Or Jordan, to pink caves. I lose track. 

Jerusalem? I'm pretty sure in the original documentary they were ranting about how the Jews killed Christ. Oh...they'll be welcomed there for sure. 


Jon, can you upload this new segment? I'm dying to see it.

Yeah, Louis who is normally so laid back, couldn't stop a guffaw when they said that!

Give me a couple of days and hopefully it shall appear...

[VirtualScot]

There was also this documentary. Not fully up in it's entirety though.

[Antares]

Les diaboliques (1955) 4.5/5 - Wow!!! If all the films in this dictation are going to be this good, I'm going to blow right through my list of shame. At first, I thought Vera Clouzot was a little wooden, but as the film progressed, I realized that she was so supposed to appear detached after living with such a bastard of a husband. Simone Signoret and Paul Meurisse were both excellent in their roles, but the one character who made this film for me was Charles Vanel as Fichet, the retired police inspector. I can now see where they got the inspiration for the Columbo character. Every moment he is on screen, he is just annoying enough that I felt that the two women were going to find away to do away with him also. Great acting, a screenplay with enough twists to make a bag of pretzels and one of the best scenes of horror I've ever witnessed in a film. They say that this was the scariest film before Psycho was released in 1960, and while that film has two very scary scenes, both of the frightening moments are manipulated through the use of music to add to the fear and tension. For me, less is more, and the climactic horror scene in this film works better than the two in Psycho, because of the lack of music. It's pure imagery which forces you to feel the fear that Christina is experiencing in that moment. This is definitely going into my top twenty of all time.

[m.cellophane]

This is definitely going into my top twenty of all time.

Wow! That's quite a recommendation!

This forum is hell on my wish list. 

[Dragonfire]

This is definitely going into my top twenty of all time.

Wow! That's quite a recommendation!

This forum is hell on my wish list. 

Welcome to my world.   
And it really isn't just my wish list since I've bought several things after reading about them here.  And I've even gotten hooked on several shows on BBC America too...indirectly because of Doctor Who.

You could always do what I do...just blame Jon. It works well for me.   

[Antares]

Les quatre cents coups (The 400 Blows) (1959) 3.5/5 - This was an interesting film, on the one hand there wasn't much to the plot, but on the other hand, what there was, was captivating enough to hold my attention. But that being said, I felt like I was invited to a sumptuous buffet, but I only was served an appetizer. I just expected more from a film that many consider a bonafide classic. I will say that my favorite moment in the film is when Antoine and Rene are at the puppet show and Truiffaut stays transfixed on the younger children who are watching the show. The expressions on these children's faces is priceless and juxtaposes the difference from their innocence to Antoine and Rene's evolving delinquency. I thought it was the best part of the film. I would recommend this film to others, but with a little less of the hype that I've heard about it.


Hey Jon, how's it going with Gene Kelly? I've already finished two from my list, you need to kick it up a notch.

[Najemikon]

Hey Jon, how's it going with Gene Kelly? I've already finished two from my list, you need to kick it up a notch.

I know, I'll get to it soon. Just been busy as hell.

This was an interesting film, on the one hand there wasn't much to the plot, but on the other hand, what there was, was captivating enough to hold my attention. But that being said, I felt like I was invited to a sumptuous buffet, but I only was served an appetizer. I just expected more from a film that many consider a bonafide classic. I will say that my favorite moment in the film is when Antoine and Rene are at the puppet show and Truiffaut stays transfixed on the younger children who are watching the show. The expressions on these children's faces is priceless and juxtaposes the difference from their innocence to Antoine and Rene's evolving delinquency. I thought it was the best part of the film. I would recommend this film to others, but with a little less of the hype that I've heard about it.

I've been recently seeing a few Italian Neo-Realism films, which I think 400 Blows was some what influenced by. Not much to the plot? You should see some of those, with extremely no plot!  Have you seen Bicycle Thieves? That's one of the more famous ones. Tough story though. Of what I saw recently, I really liked Il Posto. I think you might too as the young star has a bit of Buster Keaton about him...

[Antares]

Have you seen Bicycle Thieves? That's one of the more famous ones.

Not yet, it's on my list of shame too.

[Antares]

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (1968) 4/5 - This is one of those forgotten little gems from the mid-sixties which at first comes across as your atypical southern pot-boiler. It has elements of bigotry, coming of age and teenage angst which were prevalent in a lot of the films of the time. But this film had a soul, and that soul belonged to John Singer, a lonely man who happens to be deaf and mute. Marvelously played by Alan Arkin, I had forgotten how great an actor he could be, when given the right performance. He never utters a word throughout the film, but his sincerity and also his inner pain is richly portrayed. The story meanders its way through the people that Singer comes in contact with throughout a lazy summer in rural Georgia. Each has their own personal strife and Singer becomes their sounding board as he becomes therapeutic in resolving these issues, just by listening to their troubles. But in the end, his own loneliness and despair will trigger a serious event, which those who have come to know him, will not expect.

Is this a great film? No...it has moments that tend to drag a bit, and at times the portrayals of a few of the lesser characters is extremely wooden, but I would recommend this film just to see Arkin's memorable performance. Also, if you can only think of Sondra Locke in those old Clint Eastwood beer and brawling films from the late 70's, then I also recommend it to see why she was at one time considered, an up and coming prospect in films. After watching this film, I now believe that hooking up with Clint Eastwood, probably sabotaged her career, there was a true gleam of promise there.

[Antares]

The Social Network (2010) 3/5 - A Disclaimer before I start: I don't own a cel phone, nor a laptop or Ipad. I shut down my Facebook account last year because I got sick and tired of "friends" sending me endless invitations to Yoville, Farmville and Mafia wars. I decided that my real life was much more entertaining than wasting my time posting un-important bullshit on a wall.

Unless you are into the latest trend in computer technology, then this film is a snooze-fest. I kept looking at the timer on my DVD player every 10 or so minutes, and couldn't believe how uninteresting this film was. Yes, I will agree that at times Aaron Sorkin wrote some great exchanges between the characters, but my wife and myself both felt the same thing at the end of this film... that this was acclaimed by many because they felt a need to validate their existence and lifestyle perpetuated in the Facebook community. My sister is heavily addicted to her Facebook page and when I closed my account last year, and she noticed it, she sent me an e-mail first to see if anything had happened to me. She couldn't understand how I could close my account. But the ironic part of this story is this... she sent an e-mail instead of just picking up the phone and calling me. Have we become so afraid of personal contact that we use social networks as not only a crutch, but like a guardian angel? Do people now "hide" behind their social wall at Facebook, afraid of personal interaction?

[m.cellophane]

The Social Network (2010) 3/5 - A Disclaimer before I start: I don't own a cel phone, nor a laptop or Ipad. I shut down my Facebook account last year because I got sick and tired of "friends" sending me endless invitations to Yoville, Farmville and Mafia wars.

On Facebook, you can choose to block all invitations from apps such as Farmville or Mafia Wars. I don't receive any invitations for those any longer. When new ones pop up, I block those too.

I decided that my real life was much more entertaining than wasting my time posting un-important bullshit on a wall.

I see "real life" and my Facebook wall as two different things. Things that people post to my FB wall that make me smile, laugh or reflect are things that add to my life rather than detract from it.

Unless you are into the latest trend in computer technology, then this film is a snooze-fest. I kept looking at the timer on my DVD player every 10 or so minutes, and couldn't believe how uninteresting this film was. Yes, I will agree that at times Aaron Sorkin wrote some great exchanges between the characters, but my wife and myself both felt the same thing at the end of this film... that this was acclaimed by many because they felt a need to validate their existence and lifestyle perpetuated in the Facebook community.

I loved it for its depiction of different sides of the same story. That didn't have anything to do with the fact that I have a FB account. I enjoyed the plot in the same way that I enjoyed The Fighter without being a boxer, or Black Swan without knowing how to ballet dance or The King's Speech without being either a stutterer or a teacher.

My sister is heavily addicted to her Facebook page and when I closed my account last year, and she noticed it, she sent me an e-mail first to see if anything had happened to me. She couldn't understand how I could close my account. But the ironic part of this story is this... she sent an e-mail instead of just picking up the phone and calling me. Have we become so afraid of personal contact that we use social networks as not only a crutch, but like a guardian angel? Do people now "hide" behind their social wall at Facebook, afraid of personal interaction?

Posting on a FB wall is a form of personal interaction IMO. My sister and I share FB posts, emails, phone calls and in-person interaction. I changed my profile pic the other day and she commented on it in such a way that it made me smile. For me, FB adds to my real life relationships. Occasionally, my internet relationships, such as those with people in this forum or other forums (:waves:) touch my real life.

Also, I remember the day when phone calls were not considered "personal interaction". It was bad form to do many things over the phone rather than face to face.

Consider too that you and I only have an internet relationship. We've never met or talked on the phone. Yet you posted a review of The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter yesterday and I thought  I meant to pick that up. And now I've ordered it.  And when you posted your review yesterday, you had the potential to interact with at least 98 people (the number of members on this forum) or even more since anyone on the internet can read this thread. You would never pick up the phone to tell 98 people about The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, yet you've potentially communicated about that movie with many, many people.

Anyway, getting back to The Social Network, I thought one of the final scenes in which Mark Zuckerberg...

(click to show/hide)

...clicked repeatedly to see if his ex-girlfriend accepted his friend request was as heart-breaking as other unrequited love stories have been depicted in film history.

The technology has changed, but human nature remains the same. It is in that way that I embraced The Social Network.

And now I will click "Post" to share my thoughts with you. 

[Antares]

I loved it for its depiction of different sides of the same story. That didn't have anything to do with the fact that I have a FB account. I enjoyed the plot in the same way that I enjoyed The Fighter without being a boxer, or Black Swan without knowing how to ballet dance or The King's Speech without being either a stutterer or a teacher.

I felt it was a poorly paced movie about one person backstabbing a bunch of people. If I want to see something like that, I can just watch one episode of Survivor. Then I'd be done in less than an hour. 

Also, I remember the day when phone calls were not considered "personal interaction". It was bad form to do many things over the phone rather than face to face.

I should state that my sister lives in another state, so face to face is a little bit difficult in a pinch.

[Kathy]

I look at Facebook just about every day. I don't really say too much but I read what my family and friends post.

There are a few animal sites, Buffalo sports sites, etc. that I "liked" and I skim those.

Generally the posts I get are pictures, funny or informative.

As far as the movie - I don't plan on seeking it out or buying it. But, if one of my friends gets it I'll take a run over and see it with them.

[Najemikon]

Unless you are into the latest trend in computer technology, then this film is a snooze-fest [snip] but my wife and myself both felt the same thing at the end of this film... that this was acclaimed by many because they felt a need to validate their existence and lifestyle perpetuated in the Facebook community.

  Why did you want to put people on the defensive straight away? James already said what I thought, but to continue, I make use of the site and get some pleasure from it, but I don't rely on it, yet I loved the film. I was disappointed that you focused your review on Facebook, not the film which, without judgement, captures the Zeitgeist. Facebook is the tip of an iceberg of a modern phenomenon in social networking and a world many people are trying to get their heads around; one in which kids can bring down mighty record companies, capture a generations imagination, and deal in tens of billions of pounds while doing it.

You don't even need to own a computer to be fascinated and possibly frightened by that and the film is about the people right in the middle of it.

By the way, Aaron Sorkin? He doesn't use Facebook.  If he doesn't need it in his life and he wrote about its creation, you certainly don't need it to just watch.

[Antares]

Marwencol (2010) 3/5 - I had been looking forward to viewing this documentary for a while and for the first hour or so, it tells a pretty good story about a man who is almost beaten to death at the hands of five young men. After awakening from a coma, all his memories of his previous life are wiped away, not to mention the reconstructive surgery needed to repair his disfigured face. At first, normal psychological therapy doesn't work for him, so he takes it upon himself to rehabilitate himself through an imaginary WWII Belgian town he creates in his yard called Marwencol. Through his imaginary village, Hogencamp slowly pieces together, not only memories of his past, but of the night of the attack. It is during this exploration into Marwencol that we come to know that Hogencamp was a talented artist before the attack. When the focus of the documentary stays on Hogencamp's ingenuity and talent in building this imaginary world, the story remains compelling. But at around the one hour mark, it takes a more awkward turn in that we start to witness Hogencamp's pent up anger towards his assailants, which he portrays in torture scenes in the village. It was at this point in the documentary where I started to feel that maybe this guy was a ticking time bomb, who will someday go Columbine on the people in his town. The scenes he portrayed in his revenge fantasy were extremely violent and somewhat twisted in Hogencamp's sexually repressed mind.

Then all of a sudden, the director shifts the focus to Hogencamp's little secret. He shows us a closet filled with over 200 pairs of women's shoes. Seeing how compulsive Hogencamp is throughout the first hour, the viewer believes that he started to collect them after the beating as some kind of release for his sexual repression, but it is then disclosed that Hogencamp was a cross-dresser before the attack. At this point in the film I was expecting a little exposition into what kind of person he was before the attack. It had been touched upon in the opening minutes of the film, but for the most part had been pretty much glossed over. And I feel that this omission from the documentary weakens the overall presentation.