What did you watch today? v 33.0

[The Professor]

Welcome to version 33, the Egg McMuffin of discussions. 

 

The first post in this thread will be # 14,394. 

 

The ghost of George Sanders reminds you to link your films, and that one should feel free to move on if bored. 

[eviltimes]

Dark Portals The Chronicles of Vidocq   IMDb   2006   R   98 min   IW    French w/ENG subs  4x3 pic upconverts

In 1830 Paris a varied group of people investigate the death of a famous detective in the mysterious underground city beneath Paris. Some one has discovered the secret to control lightning and is killing off various personages whenever a storm comes by. In the midst of revolution against the King and the normal bloody business of criminal activity our intrepid investigators swiftly peruse the city's haunts for clues to the selling of virgin girls for human sacrifice for the mirror faced man.

Come! Visit Pihkal's most secret abattoir! A murder mystery most awesome. Quite entertaining, with good music. 9/10

[Mr. Bad]

It Felt Like A Kiss


Adam Curtis' 1 hour historical documentary version of Mad Men seen on CIA acid, starring Rock Hudson, Saddam Hussein, Lee Oswald, HIV, Doris Day, Richard Nixon and Angela Davis. Fragmenting narratives of a disintegrating empire.

.

It felt like a kiss by Adam Curtis from Pia Hakko on Vimeo.

[Nerves]

The Illusionist (2010)

3/5 Stars

The screenplay is by Jacques Tati and like some of his films this one is tedious at times. The animation is stunning and the soundscape is very realistic. The overall mood is dark and bittersweet and the depiction of vaudeville entertainers losing their audience to rock bands is somewhat depressing and sentimental.

[eviltimes]

I found it sad and depressing.

[macroman]

  I really liked all three movies I'm reviewing.

(1) Zindagi Na Milegi (2011. India)=This is one of the best Bollywood movies I've seen.  Three longtime buddies embark on an extended bachelor party style vacation in Spain when one of them is about to marry.

  Once there, they meet a beautiful diving instructor who is attracted to one of the guys and tags along with them.

  This is a fun movie to watch with adventure, romance and very good cinematography. 

  (1) the four leads are great.  (2)  British Indian actress Katrina Kaif provides a balancing counterpoint to the three men.  She has been voted the sexiest woman in the world in several Indian polls.  (3)  The fact that this is a Bollywood movie not filmed in India but In Spain gives it a refreshing quality, a breath of fresh air.  (4) the gorgeous beaches and coastal areas of Spain will make most viewers dream of taking a vacation there.

  4.5-5 stars.  Almost a third of the dialogue is in English.  As of now, Zindagi is easily available after being on continuous wait status for months.

(2) Windfall (2010)=Despite its average reviews, I thought this was an excellent documentary on the downside of wind energy and it may force changes in the industry over time just as the film Gasland helped ignite the anti-fracking movement.

  Some disadvantages include:  (1) noise pollution, which cannot be underestimated.  (2)  the health problems suffered by people living near the turbines, including hearing problems, heart palpitations and dizziness.  (3)  the fact that many wind energy companies are owned by the same corrupt multinational corporations that got us into this recession.

  4.5 stars.  The one bonus feature is very good.

(3) Shall We Dance? (1996. Japan)=this is the original and not the American remake.  A career office worker decides to take dance lessons initially because he is attracted to the dance instructor.  Much to his surprise, he discovers he has a natural affinity for ballroom dancing and enjoys it.

  But his wife is not too thrilled with his newfound hobby.

  4.5 stars.

 

[don]

Shall We Dance? looks like one I'll like. Thanks Mac. Have you seen Poetry? You might like it. I did 4.5 Stars.

[Ando]

40 years old and still the best doc on Jimi Hendrix. Somebody put up the whole thing. It's one to keep, though I hear that the sound on the new deluxe edition wasn't expanded. Love Jimi's ex-girlfriend, The Dick Cavett Big Band version of Purple Haze and even Little Richard. 4 Stars

[Mr. Bad]

In the process of watching this. Really good.

[Ando]

Mitchell Greenberg does a credible Rod Serling in this American Masters special. I suppose Greenberg reads from Serling's memoirs. It's eerily effective in the confessional passages, but almost campy in others. The best aspect of the bio is its coverage of the era of live television. There's a good version up now. 4 Stars (On a roll)

[Nerves]

Steal This Movie! (2000)

3/5 Stars

I've heard it said that people who try to change the world do so in order to avoid dealing with their own problems. Abbie Hoffman's life seems to be a good example to support that argument. Bi-polar and drug user, he took his own life at 52. I'm not saying his cause was unworthy but the way to dispel darkness is not by fighting with it but by creating light. A man like Buddha changes humanity more than all the political revolutionaries combined. No matter what the political structure humanity remains divided into the haves vs. the have-nots. The real revolution is a change in the consciousness of man. End of sermon.

[eviltimes]

I stole that paperback as a teen and then someone stole it from me!  I vaguely remember it being an interesting read at the time.  What teen doesn't want to learn how to make pipebombs?

The film I barely remember - more about Abbie being a paranoid than changing the world.

[Mr. Bad]

Hoffman reestablished that the individual can make a difference, especially if they stage things in a media friendly way. Such as throwing dollar bills off a balcony onto the NY Stock Exchange and bringing business to a halt because the traders just had to stop and scoop them up.