Posts by Nicole Nelson772

rapidorca22 said:The first one's a masterpiece, but the sequel? Total letdown..

So, swapping Kill Bill for Jaws on my list. I live for that movie; seen it a million times. 😍

Sure. I suppose I can do that. I think.😉 I actually have that one in my home collection too. I picked it up a few months back—I really should get around to watching it again. Honestly, maybe it's just me, but The Apartment is right up there alongside that film.

rapidorca22 said:Totally blanked on my favorite classic Jaws 🙏, and that Spielbergian Life is Beautiful.

Well, they’re all fantastic films, truly. Though, I suppose I have to say that Kill Bill just doesn't quite belong in that same league for me. Maybe it's just my taste, but I guess it's not quite there.

Hmm... I don't quite get the whole dancing thing, but these tracks definitely get me moving:

1. "Sex on fire" (Kings of Leon)
2. "Fluorescent adolescent", "I bet you look on the dancefloor" (Arctic Monkeys)
3. "Zero", "Gold Lion" (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
4. "Steady as She goes" (Raconteurs)
5. "Love you Better", "One hand holding" (Maccabees)
6. "taka me out", "do you Want to"... (Franz Ferdinand)
7. "Walking on a dream" (Empire of The Sun)
8. "Idiotheque" (Radiohead)
9. "Lazy", "Glass, concrete & stone" (David Byrne)
10. "That's not my name" (The Tin Tings)
11. "I'm on Fire" (nick Cavo & The bad Seeds)

Maybe give these bands a shot too (if the rhythm isn't hitting, at least the music might): Calexico, Arcade Fire, Bloc party, Killers, MGMT, vampir Weekend, White Stripes, and for some classics—Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Violent Femmes, Clash, Steely dan... oh man, I'm getting tired just listing them, and you probably know most of them anyway 😛 oh, right, I almost forgot the legends like Springsteen, Jerry Lee Lewis, and folks like that. Enjoy 😉

wiredbison82 said:When I used the phrase "Tarantino is just Tarantino," I wasn't making a judgment on his quality. But honestly, if you were blown away by *Pulp Fiction*, I don't quite grasp how nothing since then has felt "substantial" enough for you. *Jackie Brown* is pure Tarantino, just dialed back a notch, as is *Kill Bill*...

Well, those two notches down are exactly what made the movie feel tedious. I don't know. Maybe it's just me, but I used to sit there and debate whether a film offered something unique despite being a slog. Now? I don't bother. If a piece of art gives me a headache, I'm not going to try to justify it. And "Kill Bill"... I guess it just reminds me of some silly game a kid would make up out of spite when they lose at Monopoly.

It’s a bit depressing, isn't it? This whole debate over what counts as mainstream versus what doesn't. But hey, I suppose we shouldn't get too philosophical about it. For me, the heavyweight champion of mainstream directors has to be Ridley Scott—and he probably is, globally speaking. Now, look, certain Scorsese films are nothing short of genius. Specifically, "Goodfellas." In my estimation, if you pair that with "The Godfather" and "The Departed," you've basically got the greatest gangster movies ever made. However, that doesn't really excuse his decision to dive into that incredibly dull biopic, or his choice to churn out such a greasy, uninspired remake of an already great film. And honestly, that "Tarantino is just Tarantino" argument? That’s one of the biggest reasons why I can't quite stand him. He’s essentially living proof of how you can package anything and sell it to people under the guise of being "original." No offense intended, truly.

Lisa Ross65 said:Soderbergh is an excellent director—I wouldn't dream of putting him on this list. He’s prone to experimentation and stylistic exercises (think *Solaris* or *Good German*...). That Ocean trilogy is top-tier filmmaking. It’s textbook directing. The movies just "glide" while you watch, regardless of how many characters or subplots they throw at you.

Well, I suppose everyone watches things through their own lens. I don't have anything against experimentation, really, but I wouldn't call "Solaris" or "Good German" successful examples.
As for the Ocean trilogy—though I still need to find the motivation to sit through the third one—when I was watching those, the only thing "gliding" was my head hitting the pillow. But, I guess, all credit to Soderbergh for "Erin Brockovich" and "Traffic."

Soderbergh—ever since "Traffic," he’s either making mindless stuff (like those endless Ocean heist movies) or just plain boring films like "Che"

Scorsese—I don't know why, but "The Aviator" reminds me of those PBS documentaries made specifically for retirees, and honestly, "The Departed" and everything else surrounding it is just an embarrassment

Tarantino—as someone else already pointed out, he hasn't offered anything truly substantial since "Pulp Fiction"

Shyamalan—he is definitely the champion among directors who have lost their way. "The Village" felt a bit cliché, though I guess it's okay for a watch. As for "Lady in the Water" and "Happening"... I'm not sure what to say about those... and man, I really liked that damn Indian actor

Lisa Ross65 said:I have a fair amount of DVDs myself—but for anything I don't already own, or for any new releases, I'm strictly buying Blu-ray.

Aha, that’s smart. 😉 Once I pick up some DVDs or Blu-rays, maybe we can swap some movies—though I suppose you've probably already seen most of my collection anyway.

Lisa Ross65 said:Just hold off a bit longer and grab a Blu-ray player instead. Investing in that kind of Collection is definitely worth it.😁.

But then what am I supposed to do with all these DVDs? I've actually built up quite a nice collection of originals...

By the way, I really think Peter Weir is just incredible 👍

Lisa Ross65 said:I’m a fan of Dead Poets Society too. I mean, it’s Peter Weir—you can tell. 🙏
If you want a real fix, check out Rope. It’s pure Alfred Hitchcock...

Thanks for the suggestion. I've actually been eyeing it at the library for a while now, but I just haven't pulled the trigger. Ever since my old Sony and Corleone devices basically kicked the bucket at the exact same time, I've been a bit hesitant to go out and splurge on some new high-tech monster

wiredbison82 said:It’s an interesting selection—rather unpredictable. I find it difficult to grasp how one person could appreciate both The Color Purple and Vera Drake simultaneously, much like pairing Dog Love with Dead Poets Society. But then again, people are creatures of infinite variety. Still, placing Marnie alongside Psycho feels off; Alfred Hitchcock has far superior works to offer than that.

I don't know, it's not like I'm trying to be unpredictable—though maybe I would be if I were still in high school, I guess.😁
Well, shoot, I think every movie is good in its own way. The sentimentality in "Dead Poets Society" and "The Color Purple" doesn't bother me at all because it actually fits there, if that makes sense. I don't know how to describe it, but everything just feels like it's in its right place. On the other hand, "Dog Love" and "Vera Drake" are works of art on a completely different level, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're dearer to me than those first two... and as for "Marnie"—well, who knows? It just happened to resonate with me most. "North by Northwest" is my third favorite, though some scenes bother me because they seem kind of silly by today's standards (I won't pretend to be some kid from the 50s or 60s, obviously), "Vertigo" is just... exhausting, I'm not sure why, and I feel like "The Birds" has aged poorly. "Rear Window" is pure genius until those last ten minutes where everything feels unnecessarily rushed; at least that was my impression... so that's why it's sitting at number four. Anyway, I haven't even seen the others yet, but I plan to sooner or later. These ones were just my priority, I suppose.😉

1. Gladiator
2. The Godfather
3. Scent of a Woman
4. Dog Love/21 Grams
5. Insider
6. The Exorcist
7. Dead Poets Society
8. Life is Beautiful
9. Man on Fire
10. Silence of the Lambs
11. Shawshank Redemption
12. Rosemary's Baby
13. There Will Be Blood
14. Se7en
15. Blade Runner
16. Annie Hall/Match Point
17. Rear Window
18. Some Like It Hot
19. Saving Private Ryan/Schindler/Empire of the Sun/The Color Purple
20. The Goonies
21. Vera Drake
22. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
23. Dead Man Walking
24. Life is a Wave
25. Brokeback Mountain
26. Boys Don't Cry
27. Into the Wild
28. Juhu
29. Psycho/Marnie
30. Shine

etc, etc... I guess I went a bit overboard there 😲

It’s an excellent documentary. It really avoids all those unnecessary subjective judgments and that preachy moralizing you see so often.
I guess Werner Herzog just knows how to tackle a subject while maintaining that necessary sense of distance from certain things.

this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoXsxYf2UMA

and this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCw9zo0CAZU

maybe this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loNU4fVpO8E

or perhaps this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsaEHpf1Zlk

but definitely this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ProJeWcQ4vg

wiredcyclist said:Okay, but I think your list is starting to look more like a matter of taste. I was actually thinking about how music in the 90s just felt more organic. It felt like people were more hands-on, you know? The sound itself was fundamentally different. Nowadays, you can just open up one software program and suddenly you're a musician, a producer, a DJ... it’s all just electronics, layering rhythms, bass, pounding beats...

Well, I don't really see it that way... I mean, sure, we aren't getting those earth-shattering guitar solos that make you drop to the floor, but let's be honest, they weren't exactly everywhere in the 90s either (with a few exceptions in both eras). What you did have back then were incredible vocals, beautiful melodies on the piano, violin, and things like that. To be perfectly frank, I can't think of a single 90s band where the vocals moved me nearly as much as some of today's artists—the big exception being Jeff Buckley. Just thinking about Gallagher's self-indulgent noodling or Cobain's crude screaming gives me the chills... brrrr.

p.s. Look, I promise... I won't do this anymore. This has definitely drifted way too far into off-topic territory. 😲

Adam Moore said:I really don't want to get into a whole debate about the musical quality of the bands you listed, and honestly, I won't even weigh in on whether Nirvana was actually good, because I suppose quality is just a totally subjective thing. I think there are more great bands out there today simply because the way music is produced and distributed has changed so much. Plus, once you step outside of a specific decade, all those "small" bands tend to just slip through the cracks and vanish. I mean, who even remembers Built to Spill or Olivia Tremor Control anymore? In my opinion, probably 90 percent of those famous indie bands will suffer the same fate, where in ten years, the only people who will remember them are the ones who lived through the nineties 🤷

Yeah, you're right... I actually agree with both points you made. Regarding the Nirvana comment, I didn't mean for it to be an insult, but man, they just get under my skin sometimes. 😠I truly believe that our understanding of art—whether we're talking about music, literature, or even film (just to keep things somewhat on track, if I can use three words🙂)—is constantly shifting, and by extension, so is the perceived quality of certain works. And, I guess, that change is actually a healthy thing. Just imagine if music had stayed stuck in the grunge era and its endless variations, or if movies were still just about deciding whether Spielberg, Zemeckis, or Cameron could tell a better story? This current state of things is actually quite alright, if you ask me. 😛

Adam Moore said:Man, the 90s really did have some incredible music. I don't necessarily favor them above all else, but still—Pavement, Björk, Spiritualized, Massive Attack, Aphex Twin, Tricky, Neutral Milk Hotel, Jeff Buckley, Mogwai, Tortoise, Sonic Youth, Beta Band, Modest Mouse, Yo La Tengo, Stereolab, Mercury Rev, Slint, Flaming Lips, Dr. Octagon, Daft Punk, Blur, Weezer, Portishead, Jesus Lizard, PJ Harvey, Godspeed!, Wu-Tang Clan, Beastie Boys, DJ Shadow, Public Enemy, Air, Wilco, Belle & Sebastian, Guided by Voices, My Bloody Valentine, and finally, damn Nirvana. Is there even anything else worth mentioning?

Hehe... no, you've covered it—everything is right there. But, I suppose, if you look at bands like the Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, Portishead, or Belle & Sebastian today, you'll find another hundred bands just like them. Plus, there are so many high-quality singer-songwriters now (Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, My Morning Jacket, Sigur Ros, White Lies, Fever Ray, Franz Ferdinand, Explosions in the Sky, The Raconteurs, Antony and the Johnsons, Bon Iver, Damien Rice, Rufus Wainwright, Kings of Leon, The Killers, Coldplay, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Iron & Wine...)—all in all, I honestly think this decade might actually surpass the 90s in terms of musical quality. I know plenty of people will disagree with me, but, well, I guess you can't ignore a decade defined by a band like Nirvana...👎

Sorry, I won't get side-tracked again... I promise. 😉

David Price5 said:Well, there were some great Asian films made before 2000 too... we just didn't have the internet to make finding them easy😁, so we weren't very well acquainted with them...

Hehe... I mean, I never actually downloaded movies from the web, so I was pretty much limited to whatever came out in American theaters (though, honestly, if it weren't for the Discovery Channel, we’d be totally lost 😁). From the 90s, the only one I really remember is that Iranian film "Children of Heaven"🙏 Actually, there was this other fantastic movie—it was Chinese, I think, if I recall correctly—about a young teacher who loses a kid and goes looking for him. Our local title for it was something like "everyone to be important," or something similar... I believe that one was also from the 90s..

David Price5 said:Exactly. But I mean, it all really kicked off when Asia started waking up. A little bit of Tiger and Dragon, some Japanese horror flicks... then in 2000, there was just this massive boom...

You're right there, that's just a fact. Though, if you ask me, the real high-quality stuff from Asia didn't truly arrive until after 2000. But then again, I suppose it all comes down to personal taste.🙂