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Foreign / independent / art house films

Started by splattermac, February 03, 2004, 12:31:41 AM

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splattermac

All those lovely words and recommendations lost, and not a mention of Donnie fucking Darko in sight. (i'm not a snob, Frank was the best bit, the rest was *yawn*)

I suppose I'll throw this out there and see what you guys are recommending, bearing in mind I think those familiar with the old thread will remember the ones we covered.

Within the last 2 months at least the whore called '9' was asking about Matthew Barney's slick art flick 'Cremaster III' (actually the fifth movie in the series)  


http://www.cremaster.net/

Well... there was mention of David Lynch and general wowsers trousers talk, having bought the DVD I'd say wait for it to appear on Channel4, its 30 minutes long and at best pretty. It's on a few P2P's if you look or ebay when I sell my copy. The buggering thing is the trailers make the previous outings look really interesting. Thinking about it, he made 30 minutes feel very long.

But don't listen to me, if one of your mates has it, grab a watch.

- -
just a quickie - avoid El Crimen del Padre Amaro, utter stereotypical plot and character gash, the best bit in it is the fucking gorgeous female lead who will make anyone over 25 feel like a paedo, and she gets her norks out, corrr! And how did I end up watching this crap, well it has Gael Garcia Bernal from Y Tu Mama Tambien & Amores Perros, two mighty foreign flicks. Sadly he was painful to watch as the young sincere but soon to sin priest.
- -


Tillsammans aka together on the other hand was a big fucking hug, I'm probably bias because I've seen Lukas Moodysson's other films, Show me Love aka Fucking Amal and Lilya-4ever, so I'm used to his often darting low budget camera work but he tells a great story with it so what the hell, a bit like Lars von Trier.
a Swedish dysfunctional commune in 1975, new beginnings new experiences, and Abba never sounded so good.

- -

Camera Buff 1979 Krzysztof Kieslowski
Out of the recent ones this was my chin stroker, a really simple tale, guy buys camera to record his new baby's first days etc, soon realises the power of the camera and his fanaticism takes him on a relationship ruining micro adventure, its all low key but very thought provoking and I'm waiting for some other bugger to watch it so I can have a chinwag.

Well I've shown you mine, now show me yours

I am a terrible reviewer, these are good movies, con your mum or friends into buying them so that you can watch them.

terminallyrelaxed

I've been waiting for you to start this thread so I can blither on endlessly about Lost In Translation. kidding.

Today I watched Christie Malry's Own Double Entry, but was a bit dissapointed actually. It seemed like a poor man's Poisoner's Handbook, with semi-realised jusitifcations, and generally just felt messy. I don't think the ending works very well either, but having said all that it was actually quite entertaining all in all.

Silver SurferGhost

This is a bugger this, I've not seen any foreigns for a while, Splats.
I've seen Camera Buff  about, and it looks intriguing.

Can we re-list some of the ones from the old thread and wax about them again, seeing as it's all gawn?
I know it's repeating ourselves, but it might turn on some of the noobs, or they may have some of their own opinions to add,
as well as introducing us to their own selections.

Your thread, you decide.
.

butnut

Has anyone seen Elephant yet? I know it's not a foriegn language film, but it's a serious one, so I think it's at home here. Anyway, I'm going to see it sometime this week and I'm really looking forward to it.

Here's a nice review from the Guardian

european son

when i was at the pictures last i saw a trailer for 21 Grams, directed by the bloke who made the wonderful Amores Perros, which looked interesting.

splattermac

sorry, of course you can, talk about what you like, stupid of me to have written that, I was just thinking it might be a bit stale to verbatim the last thread, but it did have lots of groovy gear in it,

Nelly old boy, you don't have a link to it do you, searches on the archive forum aren't working, low priority of course, very low, belly of a worm.

Maybe Munday's can post that film rental site he's a member of, I remember looking and seeing a stack of great forry flicks to watch, plus it saves trips to crappy video stores, its all posted out and most places have at least a post office.

Capuchin

See Twilight Samurai. It's got an Oscars nod and it is good, though I've only seen the first half as my DVDplayer went all fucky. But what a good half.

And I highly recommend Attack the Gas Station. Action/comedy type Korean film from a few years back. A bunch of teen thugs rob a petrol station, get some noodles and return to rob it again. When they find they already took all the cash, they kidnap the staff and run the station for the cash. It is very good and you should seeeee iiiit.

The main actor from that plays the baddie in Public Enemy, another decent Korean flick you should see. Over the top police procedural about a dirty cop (literally) and a well-to-do psycho.
It's out on DVD over here but you'll have to import Attack the Gas Station.

Wrigby

I recently watched Alejandro Jodorowsky's 'El Topo' again - an utterly potty Western full of obscurities, symbolism and obscure symbolism... (I'm no Halliwell, I know).
I found it all a bit tormented and baffling as a teenager  (and all I remembered subsequently was the scene with some blood-covered tits) but it was well worth a second viewing.. I want more Jodorowsky!

Interestingly he seems to have collaborated with French comix master Moebius on some strips ... anyone read these?

smoker

read my lips / sur mes levres - decent french noir about an ex-con who uses his lip reading boss to help him rob some gangsters

ichi the killer - just plain bizarre but really entertaining

101 rekjavik - funny little flick about a waster who thinks he's accidentally got his mum's lesbian lover up the duff

wasp_f15ting

Quote from: "butnut"Has anyone seen Elephant yet? I know it's not a foriegn language film, but it's a serious one, so I think it's at home here. Anyway, I'm going to see it sometime this week and I'm really looking forward to it.

Here's a nice review from the Guardian

I saw elephant the other day, based on the review in the guardian I ehm acquired it and watched it.

The story is a kind of a take on the whole columbine murders, it starts of gorgeously with some Beethoven to boot, The camera is the story teller in this tale, and becomes the narrative of the story, so watch carefully and enjoy the ambience of the superb sound track too.

The story is talked from several angles of explanation so expect some wonderful time cohesions, Its like a jigsaw that fits near toward the end. Like so many things in life this film does not want to explain or justify the actions of the killers, it merely takes the angle of "it happened" The dulled palette really emphasises the sombre mood, the use of time scales in perfect harmony with a great script makes it watch able. I think as someone IMDB said you either like it or loathe it, simple as that, if you do not appreciate great film work then you will not like this film.

As for the cast and the portrayal of the story, it is utter shite. The director again like many others of his position try and tap into "how kids are" today, and this is done very poorly with the popular girls doing bulimia and the unpopular kids being great artists at heart. This kind of shit on a semantic level suggest that he (the director) himself may have been privy to the bullying and harshness of schools. The redeeming feature of this however is that he does not make the killers look justified. The film answers nothing. It is just a day in the life off. With some truly great moments. But overall there was so much potential here and it was not utilized well.

But as a film, it is groundbreaking. It has taken cinematography to a new level, I'd go as far as to say its doing to cinema what Welles' camera men did to Citizen Kane. I'd rate this as 8/10 with most of the marks going to the soundtrack and cinematography. The use of the camera is at its best in this picture, hopefully it has inspired other people to make films which use the camera instead of Maya 5 for special effects.

splattermac

Quote from: "Wrigby"I recently watched Alejandro Jodorowsky's 'El Topo' again

bloody marvellous bloke he is, I reckon you should do holy mountain next, then one of his later ones, Santa Sangre (1983)

....

You could be lucky and find Holy and Santa in your local blockbusters, the latter having just enjoyed a recent DVD release with extras, ooo.

daveytaylor

Foreign Films. There are two you have to see.

Man Bites Dog

La Haine (although the middle-class bit is a bit off-putting)

Brigadier Pompous

Quote from: "Capuchin"
The main actor from that plays the baddie in Public Enemy, another decent Korean flick you should see. Over the top police procedural about a dirty cop (literally) and a well-to-do psycho.
It's out on DVD over here but you'll have to import Attack the Gas Station.

Arrh, Public Enemy is a top film, didn't realise it had a release in this country though?  The disc I have is a bit knacked, missing about 5 minutes.

A couple of other quality Korean films:

Sympathy for Mr Vengeance  -  very black comedy. About vengeance.

Save the Green Planet  -  man who may/may not be mad kidnaps CEO he believes to be an alien.  With hilarious and painful consequences.

Smackhead Kangaroo

SO has no one mentioned Cho Cho the karate dog yet? It was at Cannes once you know honest! Ok so it's not foreign but where else can I mention shit like this?

splattermac

Quote from: "Brigadier Pompous"

A couple of other quality Korean films:

Sympathy for Mr Vengeance  -  very black comedy. About vengeance.

Save the Green Planet  -  man who may/may not be mad kidnaps CEO he believes to be an alien.  With hilarious and painful consequences.

I'm glad you've mentioned Sympathy for Mr Vengeance, I saw an intriguing trailer for it and the other day I had the DVD in my hand and just passed it over in favour of some euro flicks instead, I see its £15 delivered on play.com

Have you seen Samehada Otoko to Momojiri Onna (1998) aka Peach hip girl & Shark skin man by any chance?
, fucking cool hit man in it :)

ooo and Dolls and Visitor Q, there's a double bill to confuse your senses

- - -

edit: erm is this really old news?

John's not mad

Due for release on 09/02/2004

5:09am

I finally got round to watching 'Irreversible' t'other night. It contains possibly the most graphic piece of violence I've ever seen in a film. I was actually physically shaking by the time the particular scene ended and I consider myself a bit of a hard bastard.

It's probably most famous (or should I say infamous!!!!!!!) for the ten minute rape scene but that didn't have the same kind of effect on me as the violence. I was more admiring monica bellucci's acting ('eight minutes in and she's still yelping away...fair dos'), than being overly shocked. The rape scene in 'Baise Moi' seemed a lot harsher if not as prolonged.

If you haven't seen it, I recommend it if only to gauge your own reaction to these two particular scenes.[/i]

5:09am

If we're talking classic foreign films, then you can't go far wrong with the following:

Bertolucci- 'La Strategia del ragno' - ruddy gorgeous to look at, with a neat twist. Interesting to watch if only to see how it inspired the opera scene in Godfather 3. And the old fucker's still banging them out.

Renoir- 'La Règle du jeu'- french farce (definition of).

Rossellini- 'Roma, città aperta'- child actors who don't annoy is a feat in itself.

If you haven't caught any of these, prepare three spaces in you top ten list.

king mob


Brigadier Pompous

Quote from: "splattermac"
I'm glad you've mentioned Sympathy for Mr Vengeance, I saw an intriguing trailer for it and the other day I had the DVD in my hand and just passed it over in favour of some euro flicks instead, I see its £15 delivered on play.com

It's thoroughly worth a watch.  Very dark in tone, with some stylised visuals.
Not a lot of dialogue, but then one of the protagonists is a deaf-mute.

Quote from: "splattermac"
Have you seen Samehada Otoko to Momojiri Onna (1998) aka Peach hip girl & Shark skin man by any chance?

I've heard the name, not seen it though.

Quote from: "splattermac"
ooo and Dolls and Visitor Q, there's a double bill to confuse your senses

Have Visitor Q on the way.

Kitano's latest, Zatoichi, sounds excellent.

Watched Suicide Club recently.  Very strange japanese schoolkids mass suicide film.  With a glam-rock torture scene.  Bonkers.

splattermac

Quote from: "king mob"Myself & Mundays have bought this bit of Japanese zombie mayhem to geek over like schoolboys.

fuck me that looks ace, is it as good as it looks?

costs?

king mob

Quote from: "splattermac"
Quote from: "king mob"Myself & Mundays have bought this bit of Japanese zombie mayhem to geek over like schoolboys.

fuck me that looks ace, is it as good as it looks?

costs?

Don't know yet (should get it tomorrow or Friday) but its coming highly recommended from some American friends.

You might like Versus, which has to be seen




Try Wild Zero which is just fantastic.


Spaced Cadet

I watched "The Son's Room" (Nanni Moretti, Italy, 2001) on BBC 4 the other week. I have to say I found it one of the most genuinely moving films I have ever seen. Also it turned me one to a Brian Eno track called "By The River" which is featured, taken from his "Before and After Science" album. Recommended viewing.

king mob

for more Japanese zombie fun try Junk


Its just what you need from a zombie film.



Its not in a foreign language (well a little maybe) but has anyone else seen the Aussie movie Undead ?  

If you like your zombie movies slightly tongue in cheek then don't miss.

http://www.undeadmovie.com/

smoker

has anyone seen the happiness of the kakturis? it's billed as the japanese sound of music meets brain dead about this family running a guest house in the mountains, but their lodgers keep dying on them

it's in my lcoal choices and looks suitably weird

king mob

Quote from: "smoker"has anyone seen the happiness of the kakturis? it's billed as the japanese sound of music meets brain dead about this family running a guest house in the mountains, but their lodgers keep dying on them

it's in my lcoal choices and looks suitably weird

It's worth a look, why it wasn't in C4's 100 top musicals is a mystery?

splattermac


Katakuri-ke No Kôfuku (2001) aka Happiness of the Katakuris

Shame you won't get to see this at the cinema, it had our local howling with laughter, the first scene where it goes musical is fucking ace and the ... nah, can't say, you already know too much.  Look out for Richard's meeting with the daughter, funny as fuck.

Watch it if you can but the small screen will be nowhere near as good as big screen, damn shame.

aww this is a nice pic

http://prettybug.com/vitagraph/images/Katakuris/miike2.jpg

http://prettybug.com/vitagraph/images/Katakuris/miike1.jpg

Brigadier Pompous

Quote from: "smoker"has anyone seen the happiness of the kakturis? it's billed as the japanese sound of music meets brain dead about this family running a guest house in the mountains, but their lodgers keep dying on them

It is quality.

Myself and a mate watched it in the cinema.
There was one other person watching.
He left after half an hour, looking confused and a little scared.

Has anyone seen the Korean film it was inspired by:  The Quiet Family?
Plot sounds much the same, just without the musical numbers.

Capuchin

Speaking of Miike Takashi, I acquired Full Metal Yakuza via bittorrent the other day and it came in a folder with the subtitles as an .srt file.
What the hell am I meant to do with that?!
Seeing as I couldn't see it at the London sci-fi fest recently, I was overjoyed that I found it on suprnova, but now I can't watch it and understand it.
Help anyone?

splattermac

I could be wrong but doesn't vobsub play .srt's and all you have to do is put all the files in one place and make sure the movie has the same name as the film

filmname.avi
filmname.srt