Posts by Morgan Brown4

Man, damn. I’m turning 27 in less than a month. 😁

I think I used to pause movies on purpose when I was a kid, just out of habit. Even back then, I was the type of person who’d watch the same flicks over and over again—think Home Alone, Jurassic Park, or just endless marathons of cartoons.

Later on, the only time I actually hit pause was if something went wrong technically. Like back in the day, if I had a scratched DVD, or more recently, when theaters show these terrible low-quality copies—there was actually one time a glitch was so annoying I had to walk out mid-movie. Or, if we're talking about those outdoor movie nights, nothing ruins the vibe faster than rain. That happened to me just eight days ago while I was trying to watch Logan's Run. -.-').

I’ve been riding that student banking package at JPMorgan Chase, but I just got word that it’s expiring soon. Apparently, they're flipping me over to a standard account on August 31st.

Honestly, the student deal was fine, but I keep hearing people say, "Stay far away from JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup," and stuff like that. It's making me seriously consider jumping ship.

Is JPMorgan Chase actually that bad? And if it is, what's the deal?

Is there a trick to timing a switch? Like, should I move right when the student perks end, or will I run into headaches, fees, or penalties if I try to bail too fast?

Also, which bank would you guys recommend?

There’s really no comparison here. ☕

Quote : The Great Duck

mistybison said:I don't think you will. 🙂

Even after all these years, it remains a great film. 👍

I actually rewatched it about two years ago...

Well, I finally did it. 👎

Two-thirds of the way through the movie, the heavens just opened up. They had to cut the projection. Honestly, it was such a bummer. $10 That’s nearly four hours of my life gone. Just like that. 👎 As long as they don't cancel the screenings just because we get a little drizzle at six in the evening. Seriously. 🤦

That part of the movie I caught was actually pretty solid. Really hoping they schedule a re-release or some kind of encore screening somewhere soon.

I've been dying to catch this one for ages. If the weather holds up and we don't get rained out, I'm heading to the Hollywood Bowl tonight for a screening during South by Southwest.

Really hoping it lives up to the hype. 😁

Last year, little Martin Stephens really blew me away in... The Innocents.

That kid is seriously creepy. Just great. 👍 It’s a shame he walked away from acting. I was just browsing IMDb and saw he actually went into architecture and became a meditation instructor. Talk about an interesting career pivot. 😁

Nathan Murphy said:I haven't had any ice cream yet, but you know, maybe next time 😁

You've got a great piece here https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion...-small-moments

Good catch on that metaphor for Christian faith. The only other film that hits that same level regarding that theme is Roman Polanski's Knife in Water. It's packed with just as much Christian allegory.

Don't.
It's way too expensive.
Plus they charge extra for the cone. 🤣

Actually, I didn't notice the Christian metaphor myself—I just read about it later on Wikipedia. 😁 I was looking more at Balthazar as a metaphor for Christ Himself.

By the way, I've noticed that in more of Bresson's films, things tend to break or fall. I don't know if there's some deep symbolism there or if it's just a coincidence or random stuff. 🤣

Dennis Hall41 said:I’d love to catch something like A Condemned Man Escaped on the big screen, but honestly, I had a massive issue with the crowd back at the local indie theater—especially during screenings of the more demanding stuff. You had the enthusiasts, sure, but then you had the bored crowds who probably only showed up because their spouses dragged them along, secretly expecting gunfights, glamorous socialites, or some muscle-bound action stars. There were also those awkward, uninspired students just checking a box for class, but the absolute worst—the reason I rarely go there anymore—were the pseudo-intellectual types. Basically, the equivalent of Nikica's inner circle from a local community college—people who felt the need to flex their supposed brilliance by chiming in with stuff like, "Oh, look, a classic Bergman close-up," or "Handheld camera! This is totally Dogme 95, man," or "What a great wide shot, so Antonioni-esque, fits the story perfectly."

Basically, lately I’ve been watching the heavy hitters strictly within my own four walls. I’ve always felt that consuming serious cinema is an activity that demands solitude and peace—I usually satisfy my cinematic itch by hitting up screenings for thrillers or mainstream hits instead.

Those annoying groups can be a pain (I still remember the nightmare during the Stalker 2017 screening—constant munching, slurping, people walking in and out, talking, typing, phone calls, you name it), but usually they aren't enough to totally ruin the experience (except for those rare cases, like those idiots during Stalker).

I haven't heard those wannabe intellectuals during screenings, though. If anything, I'd say they're mostly academics. The few college kids I know who show up are actually pretty polite and quiet; they just sit down, watch the movie, and shut up. 😁

But then you’ve got this one big-shot member of the elite American film circles, right? She shows up to these screenings and actually uses ribbons to block off seats just so she can sit next to her guy. Then, instead of watching the movie, she spends the whole time flirting with him or just scrolling away on her phone...😠😠😠 😠

Susan Taylor72 said:So, now that you've seen it again, how does it stack up against Nomadland?

You're asking me? 😕

Honestly, I don't see the connection to Nomadland, and where did that movie even come from? 🤷

That said, it definitely hits harder on a second watch. Seeing it on the big screen was totally worth it, too. 👍 All those landscapes they ride through look way more massive and striking this way.

Actually, watching it now—ten years after my first time—I'm picking up on vibes similar to those movies Nicholson did later, like The Last Detail, or the ones with the Foundation guys like Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry. Now, whether those films were intentional nods to Easy Rider or just a total coincidence... who knows. 😁

I saw it maybe ten years ago, and honestly? I wasn't feeling it at all.

Probably just had the wrong expectations back then. Wasn't really ready for a movie like this. 😁

Watching it tonight on the big screen at Central Park, so hopefully it hits different this time. 😁

Did you happen to grab some ice cream before the movie? 🤣

I actually know a couple of people from the local indie theaters who hang out on this forum too. Well, one guy I met at a screening and quickly realized was a regular here, plus one famous user—who hasn't posted much lately but is super active online as a blogger.

There’s also this one female user where it feels like she keeps showing up at the exact same screenings I am, yet we never actually meet up. 😁 At one point, I was almost positive it was her, but then she told me she hadn't even been to the theater during the days she supposedly appeared there. 🤣

Then, of course, there are those people who post later saying they were at the same screening I was, but I have zero clue who they might be. 😁

Anyway, let's get back to Bresson.

Watching Balthazar really got me thinking about what actually triggers empathy in an audience.
I realized that (at least for me) empathy comes way more from being able to actually *see* the suffering.
Because even though Balthazar gets mistreated throughout the whole film, he almost never shows that he's hurting.
A great example is that one scene where we see something leaking from Balthazar.
At first glance, I thought it was a tear falling from Balthazar's eye, and that really touched me.
Then I realized it was actually blood from his body, and honestly, that hit me a lot less hard.

Also, with that stoic way he endures pain and injustice, Balthazar reminds me quite a bit of Christ. I don't know if that's the "correct" interpretation... but I saw on Wikipedia that he's a metaphor for Christian faith, so close enough, I guess. 😁

Oh, and I watched the famous Pickpocket yesterday too.
It wasn't nearly as bad or boring as my friend claims it is—though it didn't totally click with me either. Then again, watching movies in a theater without AC during this brutal summer heatwave isn't exactly the best environment for heavy stuff; right now, I'm more in the mood for mindless, "turn your brain off" popcorn flicks. 😁

Anyway, I really liked how the film portrays pickpocketing, bringing such a relatively minor act right to the forefront (which could be considered a sort of defamiliarization?).
That train scene with the bills passing from hand to hand reminded me a little of the opening heist in Nolan's TDK. I'm curious if there's a direct influence there (since I know Nolan is influenced by directors like Bresson)...

And who exactly would step up to take his place?
Would it be Anušić, backed by the newly resurfaced Miriti Kovač and Stier?

Then what? A total slide back into Karamarking and some weird coalition with Škoro?

Or will they just stick to their usual routine—picking some random, forgettable nobody to lead the party, like a Jasen Mason, Dario Nakić, or Gari Cappelli? 😁

Man, it’s good to see some fellow cinephiles hanging out here. 👍 Do you get out to the theater (relatively) often? Maybe we’ve even bumped into each other before...

I was there yesterday too. Out of the three films I've seen so far, Balthazar is definitely my favorite. L'Argent was solid, too, but honestly, I was starting to fade a bit. Watching Robert Bresson in a room without AC during these nasty hot summer days just isn't ideal—plus, I was running on zero sleep after waking up early for work and getting back late from the theater 😁.

I'm definitely going to check out The Hole. I'm (im)patiently waiting for the local indie theater—or some other downtown art house—to put it on the schedule so I can catch it in all its glory. 😉

Just starting this thread to let the locals and anyone passing through town these days know that a Bresson retrospective kicked off yesterday over at the local cinema near Tuškanac. It runs until Wednesday, so it’s a great chance to catch most of his work on the big screen. 🙂

I actually caught A Condemned Man Escaped yesterday. It’s an interesting way to shoot a film, though I can't say it totally clicked for me on the first watch. 🙂

I'm really curious to see how I'll feel about Pickpocket. A friend of mine saw it last year and told me she found it pretty boring. 😁

cosmiccobra2 said:So close, yet so far. We could've had the first turbo-pop album of the week right here. 🤣

edit: someone actually voted for Jay right on cue 🎉

Jay wasn't doing turbo-pop during that era. ☕

Noah Roberts46 said:Not everyone takes pride in pirating movies online like you do.

What internet thefts?
Right, because apparently Amazon Prime, Max, Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and Apple TV+ don't exist in this day and age. :🙄

Besides that, I stopped watching movies at home ages ago. These days, if I want to see a movie, I hit the theater. At home, I might catch something if it's a sequel to something I haven't actually seen yet—last time I sat through an entire movie at home was when I watched Bad Boys.

This might not be the exact right spot for this, but I figured it’s probably the best one we’ve got. So, here goes...

I think we’ve all been there: Finally, the weekend hits. It's Friday or Saturday night, and since you don't have to work the next morning, you stay up until the crack of dawn. Maybe you were out at a bar, hitting some clubs, or just staying in for a massive movie marathon, bingeing a series, reading, or gaming... You're hitting the hay at 5 AM and sleeping in until 10. Living the dream, right?
And then, Sunday night rolls around. Because of that late night, you're still wide awake and wired. But tomorrow? Tomorrow you've got a lecture or work at 8 AM, which means being up by 6...

So, here's the deal: how do you actually fall asleep on time and get enough rest for an early start—especially when your internal clock is totally trashed from sleeping in late earlier that day? And ideally, I'd love to do this without relying on any pills or supplements.

I know that classic piece of advice: "If you can't sleep, get out of bed and do something else until you feel tired." But honestly, that's just not an option for me. I can't be wandering around aimlessly at 3 AM if I have to be up at 6...

The other choice is forcing myself to wake up early even after a short night, but man, I'd really rather avoid that misery if possible. 😁

Does anyone have any other tips or solutions for this?

goldenhound32 said:Hold up!

But why can't I name even one major director from:
Portugal, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia, or Czechia?

Yet with Romanians, I actually know quite a few names. At least I could recognize them if they were on a movie poster.

You don't know about...
Manoela de Oliveira?
Shepitko and Dovzhenko?
Zemeckis? 😛
Menzel, Forman, Chytilová!?

Mark Cruz15 said:Because:
There's no magic formula. You just have to be good and get noticed for goldenhound32 to hear your name. Honestly, though, it’s more important to have one killer scene that gets you into festivals, helps cover costs through grants, and brings in all that technical support.
Every country has its heavy hitters; some just stay local while others break out globally. You probably wouldn't even know Krst Papić exists if we weren't from the same place, yet you definitely know Menzel.

To the rest of the world, it feels like North American cinema starts and ends with Kusturica. 😁 Or
Mexican Film. 😬

It seems to me that sometimes the most hyped director in a country isn't the one getting the most love abroad. For example, I feel like when it comes to international acclaim, Kieślowski is probably the biggest name in Polish cinema, even if Wajda holds a higher status back home in Poland. Or maybe that's just my take. 😁

So, have you guys actually seen or heard about those top-tier, hand-picked hits coming out of there? 🤔

My primary care doctor is actually over 300 miles away from Washington, D.C., if you can believe that. 😛