sorry about the bolding.


Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte (1964) - Robert Aldrich and Bette Davis's followup to their fabulously gothic Whatever Happened to Baby Jane is not as successful an attempt as that film, but is entertaining in its own way. This time Davis cant quite strike the right balance between 'over the top but still believable' and 'scenery chewing', resorting far too often to acting like a possessed marionette. Still, its magnificently shot and despite some unconvincing performances and an unnecessarily long length, Aldrich's inspired direction keeps it going.

6.5/10


From Here to Eternity (1953) - Set around the events of Pearl Harbour, but that is only a backdrop for what is really an attempt at examining the american psyche at the time. However, despite that ambition, it is actually a pretty corny film (some of the lines have to be heard to be believed) which only works because some of the actors deliver performances that are much better than the roles they were given (namely Montgomery Clift, Frank Sinatra and Donna Reed).

6/10 

A Tale Of Two Sisters (j-horror)
A fantastic, psychological horror with aspects of thriller/drama. Has some good scary scenes, but the whole movie doesn't make sense until you've got to the end, and realise what horrible events took place. I especially liked the pace of some scenes - done very slowly which just amps the suspense. Hollywood horrors are far too rushed. The best horror I've seen since Silent Hill. I think it is/was remade by Americans. No doubt the remake is rubbish. 

I thought it was decent but no more. Then again I hated Silent Hill so what do I know.

The next movie by the same guy is also worth checking out, A Bittersweet Life. There's a 20 min action scene in the middle that's just phenomenal and makes up for the average nature of the rest of the movie. 

The Furies (1951) - complex psychological western from Anthony Mann that is a great film until the last act which comes across as either a studio tack on or an ill advised attempt by the scriptwriters to overcome writers block.

Either way, the ending lets down the film which is otherwise a well performed, written and directed effort centring around the family poweplays at a new mexico ranch. Barbara Stanwyck is terrific in the main role and is aided by Mann's rather dramatic use of imagery.

7/10


Lars and the Real Girl (2007) - decent attempt at something a little different, but despite reasonable writing and acting, it struggles to overcome the central premise that is, at best, highly implausible. Its almost as if the writer came up with the central premise (a reserved, shy man buys a 'love' doll as his companion) without ever really thinking through its logical consequences.

I was ready to believe that some of the people in his life would play along with it for his sake, but to believe that a whole town would, especially in the manner depicted, is just asking a bit too much.

Still, not without merit as most the acting is quite good.

6-6.5/10


The Sicilian Clan (1969) - above average french heist film whose main attraction is having Alain Delon, Jean Gabin and Lino Ventura in the same film, in much the same way as The Score's main attraction was having De Niro, Norton and Brando in the same movie.

And much like those three actors were in The Score, the famous french trio is equally watchable in what is otherwise a fairly predictable, run of the mill, but entertaining affair.

6.5/10


30 Rock season 1 - bit too hit and miss, but the seer amount of jokes in any given episode means that it is more hit than miss. Still I wish it was more consistent in the quality of humour because it could b a great show (rather than just a good one).

7/10


Waltz with Bashir (2008) - stunning animated film from israeli director Ari Forlman which is hard to categorise.

Its a quasi documentary mixed with doses of surreal imagery that wouldnt be out of place in something like Apocalypse Now. The movie follows Forlman trying to reconstruct his memory from his time in the Israeli forces after he experiences a dream 20 yrs later that contains familiar yet unknown images.

Some of the war imagery is by the numbers in the manner it is depicted and theres a level of disconnect with the main character but this a very interesting, confronting and thought provoking effort.

7.5/10 

really surprised me, i was expecting some stupid comedy thing. You're right though, it just doesn't get better than 'good'. 

I started watching http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowboy_Bebop recently and really like it (4th episode now). Recommended! 

movie's decent too. 

naruto naruto naruto




tentacle porn 

Keeping Mum (2005)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0444653/
Do not read the user comment at imdb.
I enjoyed this movie. Sure it has some not-so-great moments but overall it is nice black humour. Definitely recommended as it seems rather unpopular.

And contrary to the terrible Johnny English, Rowan Atkinson is very nice in this movie (well, it's totally different, Johnny English is terrible all by itself). 

So i was wrong, the Quarantine opening soon in the U.S. is actually a remake of the Spanish [Rec], not an import of the original. 

See #2272 

as expected. Are Americans able to watch anything produced elsewhere?

The language can't be the barrier as even The Office series from UK had to be remade in USA.

That is scary. Reminds me of the iron curtain. 

jump! 

Parisian Michael Vartan played lead man in a series for years, the most popular TV personality is English man Hugh Laurie, Dominic West and Aidan Gillen lead in the best series that ever ran, Naveen Andrews plays the most popular character in another great show, Laura Logan is chief correspondent for CBS News division, so many actors are from Oz that it is difficult to keep track of them, Barack Obama might just win in a land slide and is doing well in States that Democrats haven't carried in over thirty years and you are tut tutting about American Xenophobia? Take your fucking blinders off, man. Get out of that glass house once in a while. 

Dominic West and Aidan Gillen lead in the best series that ever ran

Unless I missed it, which is quite possible, I haven't seen any love for that series in this thread. That series is, of course, "The Wire", and better critics than myself have failed to express just how good a show it is.

Although on the American/British divide, it is interesting to note that while all 5 series of The Wire are currently bestsellers on amazon.co.uk, only the most recent series sneaks in at number 93 on amazon.com. :-p 

And they have been americanized. Speak english in a completely american setting and culture. Laurie has british accent and that's it, that's a counter somehow to my point? I think it rather proves it than counters it. 

Although on the American/British divide, it is interesting to note that while all 5 series of The Wire are currently bestsellers on amazon.co.uk, only the most recent series sneaks in at number 93 on amazon.com. :-p

That is curious, though I suspect word of mouth will lead to a steady sales stream in the long run. I only started to watch the DVDs recently on Netflix, and David Simon has been on my radar since Homicide came out (first two seasons of the show that is based on are good as well).

Hugh Laurie can pass for Mid Atlantic prep school, but Dominic West' Baltimore accent is phenomenal.

Bambuz, not even close. Laura Logan, and Naveen Andrews are hardly Americanized. I could give you a dozen more examples but I thought I made my point brutally enough as it was that you would understand how little that over the top Euro-Chauvenist (which you are the worst example I have come across, and no doubt you embarrass other Europeans by its frequency) that you would compare American cinematic preferences to Stalinist Russia for Chrissakes actually reflects anything resembling reality.

Have you ever actually met an American? You continually proffer opinions about us that are
so off base as to make me wonder. 

(first two seasons of the show that is based on are good as well).

(first two seasons of the show that is based on it are good as well).

The book came first, of course ;)

Oh, and Preach, I'm really getting into the fifth season over the last few weeks. The Newspaper culture presented there is one of the sharpest digs I've seen Simon deliver yet. 

Just the laws of supply and demand. When everything is remade and nothing shown as original, it's weird.

Oh, I'm a purist and have strong opinions on many things. I may oversimplify and provoke too to make the argument short and easy to understand.

But Euro-Chauvenist (sic), that I thank you for. (*Adjusts monocle*) I have been upgraded from Euro-Trash. 

Yeah, the fifth season was a great capstone for the show in my eyes, although not everyone agrees. Notably, quite a few media critics didn't like it so much, perhaps because they dislike having the spotlight on them! Some people said that the newsroom felt "tacked on", but to me that was kind of missing the point. The criticism is that the newspaper misses most of the stories in the series, so it has to be "disconnected" in those places.

Anyhow, I got me the 5th season DVD now, which just got released over here, and had a listen through the commentaries, when I get a chance I'll watch through the full series again. Also, you said about the Homicide book, is that worth getting? I just picked up a copy of Clockers, which is by a Wire staff writer called Richard Price, and if you liked season 1 of The Wire then you'll enjoy this one too. 

One of the few books that are worth the awards it has earned. Baltimore has produced more than its fair share of first rate social commentators.

I agree with you about them missing the point. After the 'Amsterdam' fiasco where media sensationalism killed that project and a few careers in the police force, making them part of the story arc feels inevitable instead of tacked on.

You're welcome, Bambuz. When I think of Eurotrash I have images of heroin abuse and raves in my head and not hermetically sealed academians so that word didn't feel right and thus 'Euro-Chauvinist' was born (funny, this spell checker on Firefox didn't catch that misapplied 'e' for me). 

name the last five books of foreign authors you read ;) 

but Borges, Gaimon, Graham Greene, Hayek, and Darwin. 

I got season one a couple of weeks ago, havent got around to it but I have heard/read great things. 

Don't you consider it weird that if a Japanese or English movie or TV series exists, and the idea, concept and execution all are good and fascinating and raise the interest of movie studios or TV channels, then that is not imported to USA as it is but is rather remade? Why? There must be a reason for spending all that money on making it. Why wouldn't the original sell or get viewers?

Be it Ring, Haneke's movies, Rec, The Office... Not that it's a phenomenon just in USA. Most of the western world is used to Hollywood and wants to see the world through it.

I don't know much about US television or movie theaters and what they offer for viewing, having very limited experience, but still.

Either it ain't so, or then it is so, and in case it is, I'd like to hear your reasoning and speculations as to why.

I think the latest specimen in weirdness, taking it to the furthest point so far in my view, is an upcoming future TV fiction series of American emigrants/refugees leaving USA and forming "americatowns" around the world. Talk about keeping insulated in your culture. :)

Are there tv shows there in USA which are foreign directed with foreign people acting and speaking a foreign language so that you can still identify with them despite the differences? I'm not talking about one foreign born actor in an American tv series. What about in Germany or the UK or France? Do they do a lot of remakes for themselves too... and if their domestic audience and entertainment industry was bigger, would they do it much more?

Every country and ethnicity does localization. It's easier to identify with your own people. Big brothers and survivors are made everywhere. That's natural. But people in most places (I assume, I don't really know) can enjoy a good film or TV series made in a foreign culture as well. People have similarities, and sometimes even the outward differences can accentuate them.

Blah, this post is a disorganized mess and all over the place, I hope you can get the carrying thought in there...