What's the last movie you've seen?

[Gustaf]

I'm assuming Gustaf saw "The Fantastic Mr. Fox". Did they botch the translation to Swedish that badly? I've heard of even more oddly translated titles in foreign countries though.

Yeah, they did what they rarely do and translated the title to Swedish. I went with the closest literal translation I could think of instead of looking it up.

Last movie seen:

"Thirst"

Park Chan-Wok (or is it Park-Chan Wok?)'s film version of Emile Zola's 19th century novel Thérese Raquin, set in present day South Korea with vampires. Cool director, cool movie.

[Gustaf]

"Seems to be"?

I've only seen that one film and haven't read much about him. I'm wary to hurl such a crippling insult at someone I know so little about.

[Gustaf]

"Seems to be"?

I've only seen that one film and haven't read much about him. I'm wary to hurl such a crippling insult at someone I know so little about.

lol

Loach is... um... waaaaaaaaaaaay out there, so to speak. I think he still supports Britain's most popular Stalinist party (the SLP). He did a few years ago, anyway.

It always saddens me that someone who has that kind of understanding of humanity and has such artistic talent can lack common sense so much.

[Gustaf]

In Cinemas:

Saturday:

Fish Tank

Good, very well made (acting, directing, etc). Have to admit the story didn't really get to me. Maybe it's some kind of gender-narrowmindedness on my part.

Five Minutes of Heaven


Saw it without subtitles, which was bad because I couldn't understand a lot of the Northern Irish spoken in the film. The story started out as quite interesting but the characters were not really well developed and the ending was pretty unimpressive.

Sunday:

Up In The Air

Really good, very funny. Had its profound elements as well, I did have moisture in my eyes a couple of times. George Clooney was good and the girl who played the lead was even better. Also interesting for me since everyone at my university wants to be a management consultant.

An Education

Good. Female lead was gorgeous, though not in the creepy sexual way that Peter Saarsgard tries to get her to sleep with him, but more in a cute, daughter-way. I really felt with her. The depiction of lower middle-class England in the 60s was also interesting and touching. Didn't really perform its character-development as well as it should have though.

[Gustaf]

Avatar. Story sucked, script sucked, etc but the visuals were good enough to make me accept it anyway.

Das Weisse Band by Michael Haneke, very good. He is excellent at creating an eerie, uncomfortable atmosphere.   

[Gustaf]

A Serious Man

Not my most favourite Cohen but still good. Very funny at times but I'm not entirely sure of the message, which may be depressing, may be uplifting or may just be a modern version of Job (which is what I lean towards).

[Gustaf]

Let the Right One In.

It was Awesome.

GO SWEDEN!!1!

*turns off patriotism again*

[Gustaf]

Whip It

This was a very strong movie. Far better than the "Girl wants to be rebellious so she joins a roller derby team" simple plot it could've simply been. Drew Barrymore might have a strong directorial career.

Too bad it bombed. (I've only seen about half an hour of it though.)

I saw it in November and I liked it too. Certainly beat my expectations.

[Gustaf]

Antichrist

Whoah...

Anyone else here seen this?

Yup. And I liked it, even if it was far from von Trier's best work, imo.

The Bicycle Thief is great as well, probably my favourite Italian movie.

[Gustaf]

Xahar: you should be glad you get to see Almodovar. But sad that you didn't get to see one of his more acclaimed works. Although, I've been wanting to catch that one for quite a while.

The last film I saw was Woyzeck, by Herzog, based on the play by Büchner. I really liked it, very short and very intense but also very cool.

[Gustaf]

Hurt Locker

Shutter Island

Videocracy

Hurt Locker was excellent, though very reminiscient of Apocalypse Now. In Sweden people are angry because it doesn't criticize the Iraq war enough though.

Shutter Island was ok, but I got the twist way too early to really enjoy it. Also, I found it to be a bit of a rip-off on Memento.

Videocracy was awesome. It sure makes you feel that Italy sucks.

[Gustaf]

Thank you for smoking. Very similar to Up in the Air, but you can tell he hasn't found his touch quite yet. Still enjoyable.

[Gustaf]

Fitzcarraldo
An amusing epic adventure farce.

I'm a big Fitzcarraldo fan..

I'd never seen anything by Herzog before, but will now definitely be keeping an eye out for it.

I kind of wish I had never seen anything by Herzog, you have  a lot left to explore.

Aguirre and Woyzeck would be my top recommendations.

[Gustaf]

Aguirre and Woyzeck would be my top recommendations.

Aguirre is the best Herzog movie I've seen, definitely my favorite.

I would also recommend the Nosferatu remake from 1979, I've seen it long ago, but i remember i liked it very much.

I'm inclined to agree, even though I really liked Woyzeck as well. Nosferatu is good but doesn't compare to the other two, imo.

As an aside, I kind of found Hotel Rwanda a bit overrated as well, to be honest.

[Gustaf]

Something on the plane, what was it now?  I can't even remember it was so bad.  I should have watched Precious, which was the only worthwhile thing offered, but I wasn't up to it.  Oh I also rewatched Avatar from the eastward journey, if you can believe it.

But I'm just desperate to see Synecdoche, New York.. I just don't know when I'll get the change over here

Have you become that poor over in Thailand?

[Gustaf]

Yojimbo by Kurosawa. Interesting to compare to Leone's For a Fistful of Dollars. The Japanese version was more society-oriented, had a more complex story and was more raw as opposed to cool when it came to depicting of violence.

[Gustaf]

Last one is probably Youth in Revolt

It was allright, kind of funny to see two sides of Michael Cera as a confident bad boy for a change. Maybe he won't be completely type-cast.

[Gustaf]

Conception (2010) starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Very good.

Is that a prequel to Inception?

That's my most recent as well.

Eraserhead: I found Shutter Island was too twist-based with the twist being a little too predictable to really work all the way, if you know what I mean?

[Gustaf]

I hated Mary Louise Parker's character(I just don't like her in general).

Are you sure you are not gay or asexual?

Conception (2010) starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Very good.

Is that a prequel to Inception?

That's my most recent as well.

Eraserhead: I found Shutter Island was too twist-based with the twist being a little too predictable to really work all the way, if you know what I mean?

I didn't know much of what it was about when seeing it beyond the basic premise and didn't spoil it for myself, so I found it more intriguing. I wasn't sure if it'd be a supernatural or conspiracy or psychological type movie that it all played with being at times. I agree the last twist kind of downgraded the scope of the story, but was interesting in a way, unlike the otherwise excellent State of Play where I felt the last twist kind of let the whole story down.

That kind of twist is cool the first time you see it, but I had already seen it in another movie. Once you know it is on the table, so to speak, you are able to spot it fairly early.

[Gustaf]

Two disturbing films:

The Piano Teacher by Michael Haneke
The Wicker Man

Both were movies rented by people I know that I borrowed from them on their recommendation and watched on my own as I was taking breaks from my thesis.

Very dark and weird, but enjoyable. The Piano Teacher was a very good movie, The Wicker Man less so, but both were worth my time.

[Gustaf]

Two disturbing films:

The Piano Teacher by Michael Haneke
The Wicker Man

Both were movies rented by people I know that I borrowed from them on their recommendation and watched on my own as I was taking breaks from my thesis.

Very dark and weird, but enjoyable. The Piano Teacher was a very good movie, The Wicker Man less so, but both were worth my time.

The original Wicker Man, or that hysterical Nicholas Cage remake?

I had no idea there was a hysterical Nicholas Cage remake!

The British original.

[Gustaf]

The remake is great but only as a comedy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6i2WRreARo

I'm speechless.

[Gustaf]

I'm guessing they removed all the nudity from the American version as well?

[Gustaf]

The remake is great but only as a comedy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6i2WRreARo

I'm speechless.

I still never watched the remake all the way through - just some of the lulziest scenes. The original is a great film though.

Yeah, I liked it.

[Gustaf]

Welcome to the Dollhouse.

Depressing. I see now why people hate New Jersey.