I don't think he ever really fit the mold of those two guys who were actually part of a "band," if you know what I mean, but he definitely seemed like he had all the connections as a producer—and honestly, maybe even more than that, like the songwriter or the guy behind the whole vision and concept.
Uh-oh... this sounds pretty interesting. Is there any way to actually pick this up regularly? I mean, I'm looking for the CD, without having to sell my soul for it.
dustyridge12 said:Whether I want to admit it or not, all of us posting here are basically products of that whole era, so it’s totally natural that we all have our own specific vision of how things should be filmed and presented.
Preach!
Instead of me trying to make a point, I'll just give you a quote from my wife. She’s currently staying with my folks over in El Paso while I’m out here in Portugal, and she told me: "Hey, I was watching Smogovac yesterday, and they were heading to some concert by an old-school American rock band. Now it finally clicks why you turned out the way you did."
Pritt said:Regarding Juru—honestly, I’m kind of salty that his music isn't nearly as tight or meaningful as something by a band like The Killers, yet he still ended up getting just as much screen time in the movie as Rundek did.
Well, I think we’ll have to agree to disagree on that one. I mean, look... Wronz, it’s not that I hate that record or anything, but honestly, Film has maybe four or five albums that are way better than that one. You should really give them a spin if you haven't already.
Alright, look, I haven't actually sat down to watch the movie yet, but honestly, I’ve always felt like Jura was a completely different breed than Houra. To me, Houra was just playing the "punk" card whenever it was convenient for his image, and then he eventually pivoted—and actually pulled it off—to become this big-shot American version of Goran Bregovic. The way he basically exploited the memory of his own late mother feels like something only a guy like that would do. Though, I guess you have to admit the timing was perfect... all that nationalistic fervor and having 200,000 people out in the square. Honestly, anyone less bright than him would have jumped at a moment like that to catapult themselves into the top tier of Western North American pop stardom, or even bigger. Jura, on the other hand, really wanted to craft some decent pop music, and for a stretch there—from about 1980 to maybe '84 or '85—he actually nailed it quite often. Then he basically lost his mind, but even in all that madness, he still managed to come across as a pretty chill guy. Even if Drug mexico City is total nonsense, it really did come from a place of good intentions, mostly fueled by nostalgia. It was essentially the official end of that whole American New Wave era (more like Corbin's "response" to it). I'm not really sure what Jura is up to these days, though. And Stulic... man, let's not even go there.
hollowseal33 said:but hey, it's not like he's some kind of icon for them... movies and Prljavo Kazalište—nah...
Could you maybe walk me through that? Are we talking about this specifically in the context of this movie (where everyone's acting like total cowards or idiots), or is this just your general take on him?
FATHERS: Jimi Hendrix: Are You Experienced? Led Zeppelin: I Blue Cheer: Vincebus Eruptum
REBELLIOUS SONS: Stooges: Funhouse
HOLY SPIRITS: Deep Purple: Machine Head Black Sabbath: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath Kiss: Destroyer
EVERYTHING ELSE: Sleep: Dopesmoker Fu Manchu: In Search of... Mastodon: Remission Cro-Mags: Age of Quarrel High on Fire: Surrounded by Thieves Saint Vitus: Born too late Die Kreuzen: October File S.O.D.: Speak English or Die Nebula: Charged Oneida: C'mon Let's Rock Black Flag: Slip it in Thee Hypnotics: Liver than God Monster Magnet: Spine of God Mudhoney: Superfuzz Bigmuff
Look, I wasn't trying to say the movie had to be all about the Partibrejkers, it’s more that there just wasn't a real passing of the torch—you know, a proper generational shift that could have kept that kind of sound right where it belonged, basically in the mainstream. Anyway, if you ask me, the Partibrejkers were already a thing back in '82, maybe even as early as '81. But hey, that's beside the point. And as for Koja, honestly, I'm not even surprised. That's just classic Koja for you.
I haven't actually sat down to watch the movie yet, so I’m mostly just shooting in the dark here... I’d guess Sarla isn't in the mix because neither Milan nor DV are involved, and as for Kojina's reaction to someone making a film about this whole era, I imagine his vibe was basically "screw you and your 'new wave' nostalgia." To be totally honest, if we're talking about who truly pushed that entire scene beyond just tight-knit circles of superfans—and acknowledging the fact that the scene was once a legitimate part of the mainstream American cultural fabric—The Beach Boys deserve way more credit than those niche punk or new wave bands from Oakland or the Midwest. Before The Beach Boys hit the scene, the whole concept of "going to a rock concert" was pretty much unheard of in the hilly parts of the North America (maybe people went to a dance or something, but that was it). The growth of that whole movement back then was definitely fueled by the rise of punk; you could still grab a copy of Rolling Stone at any decent newsstand, Sasha Punkerton was writing about every single move the Sex Pistols made in Dubuque, and "original" vinyl records were relatively affordable considering what people were earning at the time (even if making ends meet was always a struggle). This might sound a little paradoxical, but the New Wave was really a byproduct of the democratization within the USA following the 1974 constitution. Josip Broz Marshall was always a master of political tightrope walking. For every instance where they cracked down on a nationalist or sent a "nationalist" to jail, or blacklisted an "anarcho-liberal," there was a corresponding loosening of the reins in other areas—this time hitting "youth culture," film, and very shortly after, even "high" culture. I mean, how else do you explain Polet during that era? For the first time, you see this ecstatic writing about the potential for a homegrown rock scene, ranging from the review of The Beach Boys' concert in Oakland (which was one of the first pieces published by the late Vladimir Cvitan, one of our sharper journalists) all the way to Frasov's review of the first Kazalist record, where he mentions Houra writing about the gap between "proclaimed and actual social values"—which was pretty risky for the time. On the flip side, the political pages of Polet—maybe not as much while Franicevica was editing, but right after that, when Polet managed to hit a circulation of 80,000—were still typical for the period: "Hey you young folks, if you don't know what to think about this , then let us tell you exactly how to feel about it." Plus, those pages were still pretty much complicit in those nasty political persecutions. But hey, nobody's perfect 😁. If anyone had an aesthetic influence on those bands, specifically the punkier side of things, it would have been the famous British punk bands of the era and definitely Buldozer when it comes to songwriting and everything they were "allowed" to pull off on stage. If you ask Kojina who influenced him, he’ll probably point to Pop Masin, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Jean Jacques Burnel, and early 70s soul music, so take it or leave it. Anyway, I’m curious if the film touches on the personal fates of these legends—like why Jura ended up being such a mess, why a massively popular singer and guitarist from a huge local band turned out to be such a loser, why Houra was always such a damn opportunist, and whether that first album was part of some "grand design" or just a sincere snapshot of a band where Bogovic was the only real punk. Also, why were those Oakland punk bands so incredible while Let 3 is mostly garbage (hey, Mrle, give me a shout... ah, obviously the movie doesn't cover that), how much did politics dictate those concert series like "Welcome" and "Glad You Found Us," how much of it was a true reflection of the health of society and the scene back then, and why was there never a real passing of the torch (aside from Partibrejkers), etc., etc...
1. Political movies A thread that actually made me rethink my whole stance on political cinema, especially when it comes to Costa-Gavras. I saw a lot of really constructive takes coming through from everyone.
2. Rules of Attraction A pretty engaging discussion about a movie that, honestly, left me totally cold. Obviously, plenty of other people felt differently, and most of them made some really solid points.
3. Pretty Village, Pretty Flame> I debated whether to include this one since I’ve personally jumped into the fray quite a bit. Regardless, it's an important conversation because it touches on how an artist's ideological leanings affect their work—and whether you can even offer an "objective" critique when those biases are staring you in the face.
If you're feeling up to it, check out these too:
Film education What is the problem with American cinema
Really instructive threads!
Post:
1. Carl Bennett78's Dante's Lantana, what a great movie! Just a really honest and beautifully written post about a truly excellent film.
2. Newcomer's Memento Such a lovely little parable regarding the experience of watching Memento. It almost convinced me to stop being so indifferent toward it.
3. Liberatore's Punch-Drunk Love That’s how someone who actually knows their stuff writes.
Forum user:
1 and 2. Carl Bennett78 and Newcomer — they're true cinephiles who think deeply about the movies they watch and write about them in such a way that gets you thinking.
3. Liberatore — because he just knows his stuff.
A special shout-out to Copa663 and Richard Hernandez13. They both write incredibly well. Personally, I love any post by Richard Hernandez13 that stretches beyond three sentences.
I’ve been spending a little more time out in civilization lately, which actually gave me enough breathing room to hit the theater! Over the last couple of weeks, I finally sat down to watch Lady with a Dog by Joseph Heifetz (that's how you spell it, right?), Bresson’s Au Hasard Balthasar, and one of Leone’s westerns for the first time. Honestly, Bresson stays firmly in my top 10 or 20—I can't decide if it's this one, Pickpocket, or Diary of a Country Priest—and this particular flick is one of those that triggers a genuine physical and psychological reaction in me. Lady was such a pleasant surprise (though, deep down, I kind of expected it to be good), mostly because Heifetz managed to bring a much more human touch to all the characters, even when adapting Czech stories, which is a huge deal. It almost feels like he caught a glimpse of Lean’s Brief Encounter (which is arguably the superior film) before he decided to tackle the Czech stuff.
As for Leone, it turns out my favorite ended up being Hide Yourself! (also known as Duck you sucker, or sometimes linked to the Zapatin Revolution). It’s his final western and his last film if you don't count Once Upon a Time in America. Unlike his first four films, where he basically just pulled apart western myths in this super fun, clean way, here Leone seems interested in what you might call the "socio-political context"—the Zapatin Revolution is really just a stand-in for those various revolutionary movements we saw in Italy from WWII through the post-'68 era—and the characters have way more complicated motivations. The tone is a bit cheeky and ironic, but the ending hits you with some real, heavy pathos. It feels like Leone is clearly disillusioned with the "revolutions" of '68 (and even those failed partisan movements back in the 40s), and he puts that disappointment right into the mouth of one of the two leads. He plays a Mexican peasant who’s a bandit by necessity and a "revolutionary" by circumstance, and Rod Steiger is just incredible in the role. He says something like, "What's the point of a revolution if the peasants end up dead anyway?" (at least, that's how I remember it). The response from the other lead—the uber-cool James Coburn, who was actually Leone's original choice for those roles Clint usually played—is basically throwing Bakunjinev’s idea of Statehood and anarchy straight into the gutter. He plays a disillusioned former IRA member acting as a pro-dynamite guy, and his reaction to that comment is just... wow.
Stylistically, the movie is "pure Leone," though maybe not quite as stripped-down as Once Upon a Time in the West. There’s this scene in a carriage where Steiger is surrounded by these wealthy types. He’s obviously starving and miserable while they’re all stuffing their faces with these insane delicacies. Leone keeps cutting to extreme close-ups of their mouths—so close you could practically count their career achievements—and then cuts "mouth to mouth" in perfect rhythm with the rat-tat-tat of machine guns. Eniov’s score is as effective and catchy as ever, though there's definitely a dose of over-the-top silliness mixed in here. Every time Leone dips into a flashback to explain Coburn’s motivation, these angelic voices start singing "Sean, Sean, Sean" in slow motion—since that’s his character's name. Hilarious! There are plenty of other phenomenal sequences too. If you haven't seen it yet, seriously, go check it out.
I mean, if someone is a massive fan of Vin Diesel, I’m guessing it’s either because they live for XXX or they’re just really into that whole car-centric nonsense. The Knockaround Guys is more of this little "old school" B-movie where the characters and the actual story carry way more weight than the mindless action—it’s almost like a modern Western, if you could even find anything like that being made these days. Basically, I don't think someone who's obsessed with XXX or those fast cars is ever going to vibe with the Knockaround Guys.
I honestly don't get how anyone could think Legally Blonde and Legally Blonde 2 are on the same level. The first one is actually such a charming comedy with a decent script and some genuinely funny moments. But the sequel? There isn't even a coherent plot to speak of. It’s just total garbage that pushes past the line of good taste and common sense way too easily. In a sea of pathetic remakes designed just to milk a bit more cash off the success of the original, this one is easily one of the most miserable things I've ever sat through.
I have to say, Knockaround Guys was such a pleasant surprise for me too. Honestly, alongside Boiler Room, it’s probably the best Vin Diesel movie out there. And man, Malkovich is just being his usual over-the-top self, isn't he?
Good grief... I think I'm actually starting to develop dyslexia. I keep getting my wires crossed lately. Like, I saw some Chris Lee CD sitting in a shop window just yesterday and totally blanked, and then I had a moment where I thought Sunburn was a record by the Blaka Babies. My brain is officially mush. And man, Jack Lee really was such a legend back in the day. I have this nagging feeling there's an old release out of New Rosa that collected all his recordings, but it probably only ever hit vinyl and has been out of print forever.
If I’m remembering correctly, that was written by Chris Lee from The Nerves, but you won't find it on their original 70s EP. Actually, it pops up on some French compilation that supposedly gathered all the Nerves recordings, though even that seems a little sketchy to me.
Based on Dean Kennedy's recommendation, I'm heading out tomorrow to pick up some Dept S.