Look, dragutinović isn't Seva, he doesn't even like Imagine. Also, fair point—I agree the devil's band is better than Rambo Amadeus, even if they have a few classics. Their solo careers? Total flops. Lennon is one of the greats, sure, but his solo work just can't touch The Beatles. As for judolino, he's just a witless, rude troll...
So, what’s the verdict on that FC theory that Ben and John are actually the same person?
I went down a rabbit hole of interpretations after watching this, and honestly, I'm just more confused than when I started.
To me, things like the bracelets, the makeup, then later the watch and the cat, felt like signs that Amy was staying—and eventually living—with Ben. Using a serial killer's trophy collection as a plot device just felt lazy and beneath the story... It also meant that since I never saw Ben as a killer, his staring at the lake made zero sense.
And what about the well? John keeps obsessing over it, yet we get no payoff. Why the little thing in her room while she stares at the tower? Or is her room even real? Maybe Amy is just a figment of John's imagination, and he’s still just sitting in his studio apartment typing out everything that's happening...
Then there are the knives. John's father was in the military, and those combat knives end up with Ben. The lawyer mentions investing in Manhattan, and Ben has an apartment there. Plus, John clearly has money if he tells his mom he'll fix her problems, which ties back to the idea of the cow symbolizing wealth. It all circles back to my first question. 😁
Maybe the key is her pantomime... that bit about the orange: you don't have to believe something is there, you just have to not believe it isn't. 😵 😵 🤦
I had this collection of vinyl, tapes, and CD-ov that my family picked up over the years. When I moved, I actually wanted to give them away since nobody listens to them anymore. But nobody wanted them. So, I just packed them in a box and left them by the dumpster, hoping some music lover might stumble upon them and find a little unexpected joy... 😁
I’m leaning hard into minimalism lately, so I rarely buy anything—including physical books. I’ve donated a bunch to the local library. I have less and less desire to own "stuff," and honestly, I’m pretty relieved we have all these digital resources now that don't take up any space at all. 🙂
A few years back, I found a box near a dumpster filled with about fifty perfectly preserved records. Personally, I think Deezer is a solid enough substitute for physical media.
As for books, I mostly pick them up on the street. Once, I snagged a totally intact copy of srce tama for next to nothing. It was one of those giveaway promos from USA Today. The only catch? After page 32, it jumps straight to page 64, then hits page 95, and somehow loops right back to 64 again... 😵
Morgan Brown4 said:Yeah... there was some stuff about Tupac Shakur too, right? And you totally missed Sid & Nancy from the 80s. 🙂
But honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if we see a massive wave coming, just like with superheroes (who were around way before X-Men kicked off their era of dominance back in 2000)... The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Prince, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Madonna, Nirvana, Guns N' Roses, David Bowie, Amy Winehouse, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Chaka Khan, Eric Clapton, KISS, Van Halen, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Ramones, Joy Division, The Clash, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Metallica, Iron Maiden... plenty of untold stories still waiting for the big screen. 🙂
Joy Division actually has—and it's an amazing film.
Bryan Rogers87 said:Okay, but this sounds a bit ridiculous. It basically implies that the only thing with any actual value is the music you personally happen to like. So, your taste becomes the ultimate metric for worth 🙂
I guess it just came out sounding unrefined...
Sure, I could factor in music or art that I just don't get—stuff I have zero connection to. My point was more about reacting to someone treating something they think is "borderline garbage" as if it's high art. That seems impossible to me. And there wasn't really a point to making it a whole debate:
...but I see why some people dig it, so I try to stay out of arguments about his movies.
Ashley Brown81 said:If we're just talking about style preferences, what does that mean? That if I can't stand country music because it's boring, it somehow lacks value? Not at all. I can objectively judge who’s actually talented versus what's just straight-up garbage, even if it isn't my thing. Personally, I find von Trier to be right on the edge of being pure pretension, just manipulating the audience... but I get why some people dig him, so I usually just avoid getting into debates about his movies.
By the way, I just remembered another movie that was brutal to sit through—Threads, about nuclear war and the aftermath.
I don't like music that lacks any actual value. If it had value, I'd actually enjoy it instead of finding it tedious.
Why would anyone like Lars, and why on earth is that a reason to dodge a debate? You should be able to say a few words about the pretentiousness and the manipulation...
Ashley Brown81 said:Some people are just heavy and exhausting... everything by von Trier, for instance. I don't actually like his work, though I do respect the hustle...
I mean, I basically make it my mission to neutralize anything that bores me or gets on my nerves. Lars isn't exactly part of that plan...
Susan Taylor72 said:I posted the spoilers for Incendies here on the forum, but honestly, the emotional weight just didn't hit me while watching. I also read some critiques regarding how it handles different religions, which left me feeling like the whole thing was a bit too formulaic and forced... It makes me think there are two ways to tell a story: the sincere way, where you lay all your cards on the table from the start, and the less honest way, where you rely on those end twists that clearly have a limited impact...
I’m not a fan of excessive violence, so those kinds of movies are a tough sell for me by default—it always brings back memories of the occupation... sometimes I just turn them off if they lose their way, like Django Unchained. But when it comes to heavy intellectual lifting? I actually enjoy that more than complaining about how hard it is...
Exactly. The movie is a total fraud, just like the director. It’s basically the US national soccer team at the World Cup... all shock value with absolutely nothing to show for it. The plot is hollow, cliché, and riddled with holes, only saved by a heavy-handed soundtrack that masks how thin the story actually is. That twist was straight out of a daytime soap opera. I’m done with this guy; I have no idea what he did with that other overrated director's remake, and honestly, I don't even want to know about his take on Linch...
Henry Campbell5 said:I feel like we shouldn't go overboard with the videos (it makes me less likely to click a link 🤷), otherwise the thread just turns into a bunch of playlists. It would be better if people actually wrote about the artists—like how this started—and gave us a little intro so we actually have time to listen to them. But hey, great thread!
I feel like we shouldn't go overboard with the videos (I’m way more likely to click a link like 🤷), otherwise this whole thing just turns into a bunch of playlists. It would be better if people actually wrote about the artists—like the thread was intended—and gave us a little intro so we actually have time to listen... But hey, great topic!
frozenskipper12 said:Until I actually see the math, I’m just gonna assume you’re on a mission to derail this thread. Honestly, you probably loved The Cabin in the Woods because of all those deep social commentaries or whatever... now suddenly it’s no good.
He was still obsessed with Cloverfield back then. I haven't even seen this one. I think I'll just use my free passes for Farhadija instead...
Ashley Grant66 said:The movie really reminded me of my favorite author, Flannery O'Connor. She was a hardcore Catholic, but also completely 😁 merciless. Her work is always so ambiguous; from my non-religious perspective, the endings of her novels and short stories feel like a complete subversion of those cheap, easy interpretations of Christian salvation being something purely sublime or blessed. With her, everything sits right on the edge between irony and a radical grasp of Christian doctrine that goes way beyond "small-town tradition." John Huston captured her tone perfectly in his adaptation of Wise Blood, and McDonagh makes direct nods to her in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
I’ve been listening to her letters on NPR. Absolutely fascinating. It’s a shame about her illness, though I think it shaped her quite a bit, if I recall correctly...
Dennis Martin6 said:Merging spiritual angst with ecology is an original move and a step in the right direction, but unfortunately, it's delivered through that outdated symbolic lens of Christian metaphysics... which feels like at least five steps backward. Schrader was never actually any good...Yeah, there are a few laughably bad calls here too, like that cycling scene, the soup kitchen bit, or that whole Tumblr-style levitation thing... 😁
It’s a shame things aren't even more chaotic. *Love Exposure* still stands as the ultimate example of modern Christian cinema...
A... MishimaI wouldn't go so far as to say the movie is absolutely flawless, but some of those creative choices were pure genius. Also... People are cats...Even if the whole thing feels a bit flimsy, there's an energy there that makes it a cult classic. Maybe it’s all thanks to Nastassja, but she should have been the one calling the shots... or at least being used better... Bowie... For the cover story. Even Tarantino recognized that vibe... Merciless bastards....
The last ten minutes just hit me out of nowhere. Honestly, it’s bizarre! I think this movie needs a total re-evaluation (or at least those final ten minutes). "A jerk? How original." That forced naivety is actually kind of refreshing—where exactly did Dad lose his way along the road? Or maybe he didn't... maybe I need to watch the whole thing again through the lens of the creator's genius! Maybe—and I’m almost afraid to say this—maybe Matanic becomes my version of Scott Ajutokintum!
That Scout film totally floored me. I checked out after maybe thirty minutes... just a total overdose of centered compositions. It feels weird if a director doesn't insist on being bizarre and using those saturated colors in every single shot.
Why on earth would you doubt she’s actually —get this—desperately hoping for it? 🙄 And who was talking about endless gossip? Or me—mind you—desperately hoping for it too? You following me? 🤣
Can we maybe change the name on this little gadget in Washington?