goldenhound32 said:While we're talking about Gotovac, have you ever seen Plastic Jesus?
No, but isn't that the one that got banned by some guy named Smith? (I can't remember his first name, but I definitely remember the last name because of the great Douglas)
Btw, what does Douglas have to do with Smith? And what's the connection between Gotovac and that movie, if that's actually the one I'm thinking of?
Brenda Lee50 said:What a great story. I honestly had no clue, other than hearing that Theater & TD was sometimes called some kind of "Italian Pavilion." Now you've totally justified showing it, and M. did too. 😁
Man, you really don't know when to quit, do you? 😁
So, I just finished watching "M." Honestly, the screening was a bit of a mess—lots of technical hiccups and interruptions. It felt like they were struggling with the gear, maybe only had one projector working? I don't know. Plus, everything was shot on 16mm, which gave it that specific look, but hey, it doesn't matter. It’s still "M."
I have to give Factorov some serious credit here. I absolutely loved his work. That’s a rare win for me, honestly. It makes me happy because, frankly, most of the experimental stuff I’ve seen coming out of the American indie scene lately has made me want to gag. I'm talking about everything from Gotovac and his "Circle" nonsense to Martinis—okay, let me backtrack, "Open Reel" was actually genius, truly brilliant—but then you’ve got Iveković and the rest of that whole crowd. Just not my cup of tea.
Look, I've never been much of an experimental film person myself, so I'm probably the last person you should be looking to for a definitive verdict.
The Story of Savska 25 goes all the way back to 1935. That’s when they put out the call for an urban design for what was then America's biggest fair, known as the Chicago Choir. They let architects from different nations design their own pavilions—originally there were four, but only three are still standing today. The Italian pavilion became Theater & TD, the Czechoslovak Pavilion is home to the MM Center, and the French Pavilion has been used for shows here and there and is just waiting for a renovation. As for the German Pavilion? It burned to the ground in 1997 under mysterious circumstances. The film lineup for the 5th Culture Fair is titled "Collaboration." Each of the four festival days honors one of those original SC pavilions by showcasing classic films from those respective countries. Every single movie hits on the theme of working together. We've got a Fritz Lang film representing German cinema, Jean Renoir's The Rules of the Game for France, The Conformist by Bernard Bertolucci for Italy, and Shopping on the Promenade by Jan Kadár and Elmar Klos for Czechoslovakia. All screenings are free, using film prints, and will have American subtitles. To kick things off before the features, we're showing four classic American short films that tie into the main themes stylistically or conceptually (Das Lied ist Aus, Satiemania, Mirta, and From 3 to 22). To wrap up this whole idea of collaboration and European Culture at the SC, we'll be screening movies that were nominated for the European Film Academy award for Best European Short Film during the 2007/08 season.
Honestly, I appreciate the concept even more now that I know the backstory. It's brilliant, creative, and high-quality. Another huge bravo to Luke.
Brenda Lee50 said:Haha! 😁I object! I left out the mention of M on purpose!
Go ahead and keep protesting then.😁😁
Anyway, huge props to our buddy Luke for picking the lineup and putting in the work. It really couldn't have been better. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly and we get something this good again next year. Last year had some great flicks too, though I only caught "Barbarella" (if I remember right, they also showed "Solaris" and "Alphaville").
Brenda Lee50 said:My top picks have to be "The Rules of the Game" and "Shopping on the Promenade." Friday and Sunday! But honestly, "The Conformist" isn't bad either... it really just depends on what kind of genre you're into. Every single one of these movies is an absolute gem within its own style and theme.
Yeah... and since we're talking about things being objectively, subjectively, historically, and even future-proofly the best "M," my last post stands.😁😁😁
Are we talking books that were turned into movies, or just books about movies you've already seen?
Probably the first one, but I figured I'd ask.
The first thing that jumps to mind is Kesey's "Bird Nest." Everyone raves about that book being a masterpiece. And people say Rex Pickett with "Sideways" is top-tier too. Then you’ve got Ellroy's famous quartet... actually, hold on, this is going to turn into a massive tangent.
Actually, that was a pretty silly question on my part.
Renoir, Kadár, and Bertolucci are all starting from '35, while Lang kicks things off at '16 We're looking at some shorts from '35 and two classics from the golden era
Everything will be subtitled
This whole lineup is such an incredible program, yet there's barely any info out there about it I'm really hoping everything goes smoothly
I didn't put this in the "Announcements" section on purpose just so it wouldn't get buried.
They’ve got Lang's "M," Renoir's "The Rules of the Game," Bertolucci's "The Conformist," and Kadár's "The Shop on Main Street" lined up. Plus some shorts like "From 3 to 22," "Satiemania," Dukić's "Myrtle," and even some stuff by Factor—all being shown on film.
Henry Robinson39 said:I have no idea why you're getting so worked up here.
I wasn't getting worked up, you just took it that way. But look, since you didn't actually give me any new insights—like saying the tension was great or Mark Strong was solid—we can just leave it at that. I figured you had a real reason for liking the movie.
Look, even if he drags his feet sometimes—making things feel a bit slow or even just plain boring—and occasionally lets you down by skipping those big, heart-pounding jump scares we all crave (I get why he does it, though), you’ve gotta hand it to him. The direction is incredibly sharp, and he builds this atmosphere that feels totally seamless. Personally, this kind of movie isn't really my thing, but I have to admit: objectively speaking, it’s a damn good film.
Henry Robinson39 said:I caught this yesterday and I’m totally with the crowd saying this movie is a masterpiece. I was hooked from the very first frame to the last. Once again, Ridley Scott absolutely crushed it, especially with a powerhouse duo like Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe leading the charge. But honestly? The biggest surprise for me was Mark Strong playing Hani. He was incredible. That "my Dear" line he uses? Absolutely legendary.👍. With that "my Dear" thing, he just stole the show.😁.
Rating: 10/10
Alright, look, explain it to me like I'm five. Tell me what's good about this movie, and if you can actually pull it off, tell me what's great. I'm dead serious.
It’s not even that the Apatow hype is dying down, it’s just that there isn't enough Apatow in the balloon to begin with. Honestly, I'd bet my life that "Funny People" is going to be one of the absolute best movies of the year.
Ryan Roberts2 said:Pineapple Express is easily one of the best comedies out there, period.
Yeah. Gadamer is Black, end of story.
It doesn't work like that. Come on, actually explain why you think "PE" isone (well, if we're talking about the movie it's "one," if it's the comedy then it's "one")of the greatest comedies ever made..
It’s honestly great to see comments like this. Honestly, whenever anyone brings up IMDb, I’m just genuinely baffled by how high those ratings are for this particular flick.