Richard Hernandez13 said:Here it is, that Sofia Coppola piece! Playlists? Seriously? You're really going to open a thread just to drop that one word and nothing else? Is this some kind of minimalist art statement I'm supposed to be interpreting, or did you just forget to actually type out your thoughts before hitting send? Honestly, it’s a bit much. Are we talking about the curated, soul-searching collections that define a decade, or are we talking about those mindless, algorithm-generated loops that feel like they were composed by a toaster in a Silicon Valley basement? Because there is a massive, gaping chasm between a playlist that actually captures the lightning-in-a-bottle essence of a specific moment in time—something that feels alive, messy, and deeply human—and those sterile, "chill vibes only" lists that offer nothing but sonic wallpaper. Where is the passion? Where is the curation? If we aren't discussing how music can shape our entire perception of reality, then what are we even doing here?In case anyone actually gives a damn about this...
Well, that is certainly an interesting playlist... it’s quite obvious she’s actually picking artists she genuinely enjoys. There aren't any of those pretentious, "trendy" names you’d expect to see from someone who constantly haunts the high-end art galleries and fashion shows in New York, wouldn't you agree? 😁
I have to admit, though—to me, the whole movie felt more like a stylistic exercise exploring a theme we’ve already seen a dozen times before. Honestly, I found myself far more captivated by the sheer form of the film—the cinematography, that incredible soundtrack, the vibe of Tokyo... those elements pulled me in, while the actual plot left me cold. I was completely indifferent to whatever happened to Bob and Charlotte. Honestly, I would have enjoyed this film infinitely more if they hadn't dragged us through those two completely unnecessary scenes—you know, the one where Charlotte heads off to Kyoto all by herself, and that bit where she's busy arranging flowers? It felt less like storytelling and more like a cheap tourist postcard shoved into the middle of a movie. Look, I’ll be honest—as a massive, die-hard fan of My Bloody Valentine, I can almost forgive her for the questionable choices she made regarding the soundtrack... because the second those opening notes of Just Like Honey by Jesus and Mary Chain started playing toward the end of the film, everything else just evaporated. How could I even stay mad at the flaws when that music hit? It was an instant reset. 😁
I’ve already made my stance pretty clear regarding the whole decision about the Lucasfilm subforum—not that I consider myself some massive expert on the series or anything—but I’m genuinely struggling to wrap my head around one thing: is someone actually trying to stifle discussions about Star Wars now? Or is the implication that these conversations can only happen within their own dedicated little corner of the site? And honestly, what kind of logic are we supposed to use moving forward when deciding whether to open a new subforum? Is it going to be based on the genre, the sheer number of fans, the specific subject matter, or just how much hype it generates?! If we start going down this road, aren't we just inviting a massive flood of demands for separate movie-specific subforums later on?🤔
Jason Rogers said:Wait, wasn't that Goran Vejvoda's group?
"Kozmetika" was really more of a collective project that served as a revolving door for all sorts of talent—you had the painter Vlada Jovanovic, Goran Vejvoda, Sloba Konjovic (who was the music editor over at Studij B), Kosta Bunusevac, Misko "D' Boj", and even Oliver Mandic ... while they'd borrow vocals from people like Nebojsa Krstic and Srdjan Saper. I'm fairly certain they only ever dropped a single album.
I haven't actually sat down to watch this flick yet, but honestly, just based on the title alone and that plot description? It sounds absolutely fascinating!! 😁
I managed to squeeze in an edit during the downtime 😁 , and while Ricky Gervais did manage to snag an Emmy Award and has been getting quite a bit of love from the critics... the general audience doesn't seem particularly blown away, if you ask me. It feels like they've only put out two seasons so far ... though I certainly wouldn't be surprised if we see some new ones popping up on our screens soon.
I honestly can’t wrap my head around how that British version of *The Office* managed to generate such an insane amount of hype once it finally made its way over to the States. It’s almost baffling, isn't it? I remember catching the original production on a local channel about a year ago, and it was just so fundamentally different—that classic, skewed British sense of humor set within the most mundane, dreary office environment you could imagine. There isn't any of that forced, canned laughter you see everywhere else, just these incredibly awkward, double-edged dialogues that linger uncomfortably. It wasn't even designed to be aggressively funny in a slapstick sort of way! To think it actually found massive success in the USA is nothing short of a miracle, especially considering it didn't even cause a total sensation with the general audience back home, even if it did manage to snag a few Emmy Awards. How does something so subtle and dry translate to such a loud, boisterous culture?
If you look back at her role in >, it’s clear that Jennifer Lopez actually held her own, and she was quite decent in Bob Rafelson's > as well... though, let’s be honest, she wasn't exactly standing toe-to-toe with heavyweights like Michael Caine and Jack Nicholson, nor was she quite the centerpiece in Steven Soderbergh's >. You could even throw in her part in >, which was certainly a bold move, even if it didn't exactly set the box office on fire.
I only caught this flick on cable about ten days ago... and honestly, even though I haven't heard a massive amount of hype surrounding it, I thought it was just okay. Certain segments left me scratching my head, and that ending? It was downright bizarre. It feels to me like De Palma leaned a little too heavily on the fact that the film had "European" backing—I believe the producer is based out of France—so he basically gave himself a free pass to cram in all those idiosyncratic little nods and obscure references without giving a single thought to whether an actual audience could follow them. I suppose one more viewing might help me settle on a definitive opinion regarding the whole thing.
1. City of God (an absolute masterpiece) 2. All The Real Girls (and that incredible soundtrack 😍 featuring Sparklehorse, Mogwai, Explosions In The Sky, Bonnie Prince Billy, Mark Olson...) 3. American Splendor (honestly the most inventive film of the year, blending live action, documentary elements, and comics so seamlessly) 4. Oasis (easily the most gut-wrenching cinematic experience I had all last year) 5. 28 Days Later (a massive, triumphant return for Danny Boyle)
Honorable mentions:
The Magdalene Sisters Mystic River Talk To Her Lilya 4Ever Good bye, Lenin! Rodger Dodger Far From Heaven Noi Albinoi Pirates of the Caribbean Owning Mahowny Demonlover The Sea 24 Hour Party People Sex and Lucia Last Life In Universe
Beyond just being a damn good movie—I mean, it swept the Academy Awards with wins for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Director!—"Good Bye Lenin!" turned into this massive political and sociological phenomenon. After sitting on the shelf for years, the film finally hit the mainstream and sparked some intense media debates: everything from deep dives into the reunification of the US to exploring those previously ignored perspectives from the former Eastern Bloc... not to mention the whole "nostalgia" craze where people started obsessing over old-school products from the old regime and their modern-day knockoffs.
Movie of the Year Topic: 1.All or Nothing 2.Matrix Reloaded 3.Sundance Film Festival and Russia
Post of the Year: 1.In the Lepa sela lepo gore thread by Zhabotinsky 2.In the All or Nothing thread by user_name 3.In the Requiem For a Dream thread by ABC part I... followed by the continuation in the Requiem For a Dream thread by ABC part II😂
User of the Year: (just a quick heads-up: besides the first one, I’ve shuffled the other options around quite a bit since we’ll be turning these suggestions into a poll... I figured we should keep things a bit more "democratic," don't you think?) 😉
1. Zhabotinsky 2. lighting Blue Eyes 3. Kozz --------------------- 4- user123!care!, Dante, Liberatore, newcomer, kaeovo, Jose Miller17, user_name, el duderino, glupinickname, ramona... (to be continued)
The Filth and The Fury (2001), the documentary about the Sex Pistols, directed by Sex Pistols , R : Julien Temple It’s absolutely brilliant! Or, if you want to go by that punchy IMDb tagline: A Sex Pistols film - uncut, unseen, unbelievable. 👍
While I’m sitting here waiting to see which of my own personal "favorites" actually make the cut for the top spots... well, here is the annual best-of list from UNCUT magazine, which—if you ask me—is easily one of the most reliable publications out there when it comes to actual, thoughtful film criticism.
1. City of God 2. Kill Bill 3. Adaptation 4. Lilya 4-Ever 5. The Pianist 6. Far From Heaven 7. About Schmidt 8. Gangs of New York 9. Secretary 10. Mystic River 11. Igby Goes Down 12. Rodger Dodger 13. Comandante 14. Confessions of Dangerous Mind 15. Belleville Rendez-vouz 16. Russian Ark 17. All the Real Girls 18. Intolerable Cruelty 19. Pirates of the Caribbean 20. Spellbound 21. Spirited Away 22. Good Bye, Lenin! 23. Solaris 24. The Rules of Attraction 25. Once Upon a Time In Mexico 26. Punch Drunk Love 27. Buffalo Soldiers 28. Man of the Year 29. Animal Factory 30. 25th Hour
p.s. Just a heads up, they calculate the year based on the theatrical release dates in the States... so you'll notice a few holdovers from last year, or even the year before that—like Spirited Away.
John Thomas2 said:But did you seriously just forget about Cave? 🙂 😁
😘
Honestly, I realized almost immediately that I’d left out some pretty killer albums—Massive Attack, Jayhawks, Martin L. Gore... but hey, that's just how it goes whenever you start trying to list the "all-time greats," isn't it? And Cave? Well... ahem... his album is actually quite solid; I have no idea why I "overlooked" him in the first place. 😉
Radiohead - "Hail to the Thief" The Shins - "Chutes Too Narrow" The Rapture - "Echoes" Calexico - "Feast of Wire" My Morning Jacket - "Fleet Foxes" Tindersticks - "Waiting for the Moon" The Sleepy Jackson - "Lovers" The White Stripes - "Elephant" Matthew Herbert Big Band - "Goodbye Swingtime" Grandaddy - "Sumday" Songs: Ohia - "Magnolia Electric Co." The Thrills - "So Much for the City" Postal Service - "Give Up" Finger and Gel - "Afro Finger and Gel" Erykah Badu - "Worldwide Underground" Warren Zevon - "The Wind" The Cinematic Orchestra - "The Man with a Movie Camera" Burnt Friedman - "Can't Cool" Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Fever to Tell"
"The Apartment" is such a phenomenal film... honestly, one of my absolute favorites! Monica Bellucci is incredible, but in this particular movie, she truly just completely outshines Roman Bohringer.
Look, I’ll be honest... the movie is solid enough, but if it had just trimmed about thirty minutes off its runtime, it would have been absolutely stellar. As it stands, once you hit that second act, the momentum just starts to fizzle out, doesn't it? It loses that edge it had at the start. Natalie Portman actually gave a much more compelling performance in Wes Anderson's "Lost in Translation"—you know, that scene where she's in that brief black-and-white sequence? 😁 😁
It sounds like an intriguing concept... though I can't help but wonder if the sheer logistics of preparation would pose a massive headache, specifically regarding the distribution of the right films, because if we’re aiming for more exclusive titles, they become notoriously difficult to track down. On the flip side, there are likely plenty of attendees who actually live "outside" the Western North America—people who aren't stuck scavenging for DivX copies just to see something decent, and who have actually experienced these things at legitimate, high-end festivals. So, perhaps the answer lies in curating a massive pile of interesting titles first... then, depending on how accessible they are through local distributors, you could narrow it down into a proper selection.
Here are a few names I've come across on various DivX collections that I think are absolutely worth a deep dive discussion: American Splendor, Whale Rider, Owning Mahowny, Demonlover, Raising Victor Vargas, All the Real Girls...