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bigstickbonzo

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I know that many will disagree but I watched some of 'Taxi Driver' yesterday and as much as I like Deniro I think it's a pretty dumb movie.

I think I understand your feelings about "Taxi Driver", as I have had problems with this film, too. But I wouldn't say it's a "dumb movie"; more that it's a movie about a "dumb guy".

De Niro's Travis Bickle is barely literate, can barely mumble more than a syllable or two. It is implied that he's a Vietnam Vet, and whatever he experienced over there has damaged or de-humanized him in some way.

He is such an idiot, or anti-social, that he takes Cybill Shepherd to a porno movie on their first date. Now, I realize that "porno-chic" was in vogue at the time of the filming of "Taxi Driver". Post-"Deep Throat", it became hip for thrill-seeking couples to go to see it. But only an idiot would do something like what Travis Bickle does in the movie. I remember I lost all respect and sympathy for the character right then and there. After that, the film becomes an exercise in vigilante violence.

Granted, a well-made, well-photographed, well-acted, and well-scored film...but in the long run, sort of gratuitous and pointless. Especially with that tacked on ending.

I've gotta say though...De Niro was great as that dumbass Travis Bickle.

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Just watched a very disturbing German movie with subtitles on Netflix.
The earth is burning up after solar flare activity has raised the temperature by 10 degrees Celsius.

It's got the same dystopian hopelessness of The Road, but probably even more intense.

It comes off as very realistic and plausible, filmed in a bright, HDR-style that really recreates an environment where the sun is literally lethal.

Definitely worth a watch.

MOV_fd22eae0_b.jpg

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I know that many will disagree but I watched some of 'Taxi Driver' yesterday and as much as I like Deniro I think it's a pretty dumb movie.

I have to agree in terms of the story line. The film however is visually beautiful to watch. To me Taxi Driver plays more like a comic book story than anything else. It's an art film.

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Saw "Zero Dark Thirty" at last, obviously there is quite a bit of truth-based violence, so it may not be for everyone. After a busy winter, I need to get out to see "Argo" before it leaves the cinemas. I think I've already missed "Django Unchained".

A funny aside. I often play close attention to how non-American actors articulate an American accent, and vice-versa. Jennifer Ehele who had a part in "Zero" is my favorite Elizabeth Bennet ("Pride and Prejudice"). I always thought she was British. I was thinking to myself that her American accent was not very good. She's American. :blush:

Edit to add:

A silly but entertaining movie I recently saw on TV "Love Actually". Loved the aging rock star and the relationship with his manager, and of course the Colin Firth restaurant scene. I was in tears during the closing momnets when the Beach Boys "God Only Knows" was playing while footage of real people greeting at an airport (Heathrow?) was shown.

Edited by jb126
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I think the last movie I saw at the theatre was The Hobbit so I've missed out on lots of stuff like Argo (which is out on DVD in the U.S.) and Zero Dark Thirty. I've also heard good things about Silver Linings Playbook which is I believe is still in theatres in these parts. Lincoln (which I also never got around to seeing) is playing at a local cinema/grill so I still have a chance to catch it. Been meaning to check out that theatre anyway.

Watched this a couple of nights ago and really enjoyed it. Then again, I tend to enjoy most anything Phillip Seymour Hoffman is in anyway. I admit to having next to no knowledge of Truman Capote other than seeing him on The Tonight Show (and other talk shows) back in the 70's. Hell, I'm not sure I knew what his claim to fame was back in those days, I just knew he was famous enough to be on the talk show circuit. I also seem to remember him being the topic of a lot of tabloid type stuff that involved Warhol and Studio 54. A couple months ago I watched the American Masters feature on author Harper Lee called Hey, Boo which covered her friendship with Capote. It was also a reminder that I need to read To Kill A Mockingbird and In Cold Blood. Watching that bio at least helped lay the groundwork for Capote. I always found his speech pattern very irritating, something which Hoffman absolutely nails in the movie (along with his portrayal of Capote in general) but I was willing to set that aside in favore of some top shelf acting and a very compelling storyline.

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Hi VK, if you are a fan of Hoffman, check out, "A Late Quartet"......Hoffman, Christopher Walken, Cathleen Keener and Mark Ivanir. A little movie about a NY string quartet you may enjoy. Took a flyer on it, at the video store, the other night and I thought it was a nice movie. cheers Rich

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I think the last movie I saw at the theatre was The Hobbit so I've missed out on lots of stuff like Argo (which is out on DVD in the U.S.) and Zero Dark Thirty. I've also heard good things about Silver Linings Playbook which is I believe is still in theatres in these parts. Lincoln (which I also never got around to seeing) is playing at a local cinema/grill so I still have a chance to catch it. Been meaning to check out that theatre anyway.

Watched this a couple of nights ago and really enjoyed it. Then again, I tend to enjoy most anything Phillip Seymour Hoffman is in anyway. I admit to having next to no knowledge of Truman Capote other than seeing him on The Tonight Show (and other talk shows) back in the 70's. Hell, I'm not sure I knew what his claim to fame was back in those days, I just knew he was famous enough to be on the talk show circuit. I also seem to remember him being the topic of a lot of tabloid type stuff that involved Warhol and Studio 54. A couple months ago I watched the American Masters feature on author Harper Lee called Hey, Boo which covered her friendship with Capote. It was also a reminder that I need to read To Kill A Mockingbird and In Cold Blood. Watching that bio at least helped lay the groundwork for Capote. I always found his speech pattern very irritating, something which Hoffman absolutely nails in the movie (along with his portrayal of Capote in general) but I was willing to set that aside in favore of some top shelf acting and a very compelling storyline.

Hoffman is great, isn't he?

Recently had an exchange with a friend about favorite books and movies. I believe that both "To Kill A Mockingbird" and "In Cold Blood" made it to each of our books and movies lists. If you enjoy the books, try to watch the films as well if you haven't seen them yet.

"Capote" was excellent too. Without going into too much detail, I had a hard time getting the "heads in gauze" scene out of my head. If I watch that movie again, I think I'll skip that scene.

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I think I understand your feelings about "Taxi Driver", as I have had problems with this film, too. But I wouldn't say it's a "dumb movie"; more that it's a movie about a "dumb guy".

De Niro's Travis Bickle is barely literate, can barely mumble more than a syllable or two. It is implied that he's a Vietnam Vet, and whatever he experienced over there has damaged or de-humanized him in some way.

He is such an idiot, or anti-social, that he takes Cybill Shepherd to a porno movie on their first date. Now, I realize that "porno-chic" was in vogue at the time of the filming of "Taxi Driver". Post-"Deep Throat", it became hip for thrill-seeking couples to go to see it. But only an idiot would do something like what Travis Bickle does in the movie. I remember I lost all respect and sympathy for the character right then and there. After that, the film becomes an exercise in vigilante violence.

Granted, a well-made, well-photographed, well-acted, and well-scored film...but in the long run, sort of gratuitous and pointless. Especially with that tacked on ending.

I've gotta say though...De Niro was great as that dumbass Travis Bickle.

It's funny, when I first saw it back in the 70's it was the rage (You talkin' to me?) but recently I saw the TCM commentator talking about how our views of movies change over the years and that's right on with me on this flick. A lot of Scorsese's films irk me, but not all are bad. I do think he tends to overdo it with the music though in a lot of his movies. 'Mean Streets' really got on my nerves. :zzz::lol:

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I didn't see Taxi Driver or Saturday Night Fever until the 90's when I caught them on HBO. I liked them both and was pleasantly surprised by Saturday Night Fever since there was much more to it than I was expecting. In recent months I've continued to play catch up with several movies I missed the first time around such as Velvet Goldmine, Being John Malkovich, Kramer vs. Kramer, Ordinary People and Grand Canyon. Midnight Cowboy may be next.

Being John Malkovich is awesome.

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Yo fishhead how you doin......ever heard of a band called fishbone ?

Saw it when it came out . my memory's a bit naff - will after to watch it again

Yeah "Being John Malkovich" is fantastic!

.....speaking of JM, "Rounders" with JM, Matt Damon and Ed Norton is a great movie too imho, especially if anyone is a Texas Hold'em fan......ciao

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Being John Malkovich is awesome.

Any Charlie Kaufman-scripted film is awesome. Do yourself a favour and also check out "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", "Adaptation" and "Synecdoche, New York"(also a must for you Phillip Seymour Hoffman fans).

Speaking of Hoffman and his award-winning turn as Truman Capote, I would like to direct your attention to the little seen Toby Jones take on Truman Capote, "Infamous", based upon George Plimpton's book on Capote, written and directed by Douglas McGrath. It had the unfortunate timing of coming out the year after Hoffman's "Capote", and it deals with much of the same subject matter...the "In Cold Blood" period.

But it has its own perspective...it is not a copycat film by any means, and in some ways, the film and Toby Jones' performance as Truman Capote is better than the Hoffman version. It also has a great Harper Lee, played by Sandra Bullock. In fact, there are a heap of good actors in the cast...Hope Davis, Jeff Bridges, Daniel Craig, Sigourney Weaver, Isabella Rossellini.

My first exposure to Truman Capote came as an author. I knew him first as the guy who wrote the book that the movie "In Cold Blood" was based on. I saw the movie in 1969 or 70, then read the book a couple of years later. That's when I discovered he also wrote "Breakfast at Tiffany's", so I read that as well. Around the same time...this would be 1972...Truman Capote popped up as one of the unctuous hangers-on following the Rolling Stones' STP tour that summer. A few television appearances followed, where I first got a fix on his physical appearance, including his unusual speaking style.

Then, in 1976, he appeared in a goofy comedy "Murder by Death", a spoof of Augusta Christie and mysteries in general. Starring Peter Falk, Peter Sellers, Maggie Smith, Alec Guinness, David Niven, James Coco, and written by Neil Simon, it was a sizable hit when it came out...I went to see it several times..but it is rarely shown today. It is rather tame compared to the "Airport"-"Animal House"-type comedies that came out shortly afterwards, but it is worth a look if you want to see Truman Capote in the flesh.

By now, Truman Capote as a character, or caricature, was firmly established in the public's mind...much like Tom Wolfe was, with his dopey white suits and hat. So, when "Annie Hall" came out in 1977, and Alvy and Annie are people-watching in the park, and he says "Here comes the winner of the Truman Capote look-alike contest", most people got the joke.

Later, in either my junior or senior year in school, I read his "Other Voices, Other Rooms". But it is "In Cold Blood" that first comes to mind when I think of him.

Edited by Strider
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Yo fishhead how you doin......ever heard of a band called fishbone ?

Saw it when it came out . my memory's a bit naff - will after to watch it again

doing well Wes G and yes, I am familiar with Fishbone, especially the tune "Freddy's Dead". Great song!

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^^^

"Billy Elliot" is a fine film and I'm glad you finally caught up with it. Unfortunately it has recently been turned into a maudlin Broadway musical, and methinks that is perhaps the ad you saw...an ad for the musical. For why would a trailer for a 13-year old movie be shown on North Carolina tv at this late date?

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Seems like I saw a trailer for this recently so I had no idea it had originally been released so long ago (2000). Believe it or not, even movies released within the past 10-15 years can seem dated but not this one. This movie has a gritty realism to it that is also one of it's biggest strengths. Some may be turned off by the premise which finds the title character eschewing boxing for ballet but don't let that stand in your way. The pressures he faces, especially at home, only help to strengthen his character as well as his resolve. I thought it was very well done.

Love "Billy Elliot". Surprised you did not mention the soundtrack - did you not care for it? The final scene is gorgeous.

I'll admit to turning on the subtitles for a few viewings. Although they are speaking English, my American ears had a rough time with some of the dialogue. But I've done the same for some American actors.

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^^^

Best use of T. Rex's "Cosmic Dancer" ever.

I saw the movie twice in the theatres...no subtitles that I recall and none needed. But then, I suppose I've gotten used to the various English, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish accents and dialects over my lifetime.

I can understand many British movies better than some movies set in the Southern States of the U.S.

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Yes, I made it through, NP. It didn't really bother me at all until quite near the end, IIRC. Anyway, after the true life horrors I've seen, I'm hardened.

I watched it because a friend gave it to me a few months ago (I'd never heard of it before). He made it quite clear that it was a gift, not a loan - he said he knew he wouldn't ever want to watch it again. So yesterday I finally got around to watching it.

Just how notorious is it then?

Oh it's fairly notorious here in the U.S...as any movie with a baby-rape and actual skull-fuck would be. Just about every underground and cult movie website had articles and reviews of the film months before it got any sort of distribution. I don't think it has actually played at any theatres here in the States. Not officially at least. But it is out on DVD after a long delay.

Edited by Strider
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I've seen Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (which I loved) but not the other ones. I tend to avoid most anything with Nicholas Cage in it aside from maybe Raising Arizona as nine times out of ten, I simply don't enjoy the movies he's in but I will give Adaptation a chance considering the Charlie Kaufman factor. Another Kaufman movie not mentioned is The Science of Sleep. I liked it but not nearly as much as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Given Nicolas Cage's recent output over the last 10-15 years, I can understand your reticence to seeing any of his films. Too many "National Treasure", "Ghost Rider" and sub-"Con Air"-knock-off-wannabes. Plus, his hairpieces have really gotten ridiculous and distracting lately.

But there are some good films among the minefield of his oeuvre. Like many actors who aren't true A-list superstars, Cage has to subsidize the roles he takes because they are interesting with roles that are basically little more than hack-for-hire work for the paycheck.

Not counting the good films early in his career where he barely appears(like "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"), here are the Cage films worth checking out...you already mentioned "Raising Arizona", so I'll leave that out.

"Valley Girl"...also notable for an appearance by the Plimsouls.

"Rumble Fish"

"The Cotton Club"...both "Rumble Fish" and "The Cotton Club" got undeserving critical reviews, in my opinion, and having revisited both lately, I find they hold up much better than better-reviewed films of their time such as "Ordinary People" and "The Big Chill". I think there was an anti-Coppola bias that affected writers perspective.

"Peggy Sue Got Married"

"Moonstruck"

"Wild at Heart"...just saw this tonight at the Cinematheque; David Lynch's take on "The Wizard of Oz"...as always with Lynch, an unusual cast and great soundtrack and visuals by cinematographer Frederick Elmes.

"Guarding Tess"

"Leaving Las Vegas"...Cage won Best Actor and Elisabeth Shue was nominated for Best Actress...this is the dividing line in Cage's career, where the wheels started coming off a bit and he started doing the big bloated action stuff like "The Rock" and doing his crazy Cage-schtick...from here on after you have to tread lightly.

"Face/Off"...I struggled with recommending this but in the end, the brilliance of John Woo's action scenes and the sheer craziness of the premise won out...basically Cage plays John Travolta while Travolta does Cage and it's kind of fun to see them take on each other.

"Adaptation"...Charlie Kaufman's movie within a movie...it's ostensibly an adaptation of Susan Orlean's bestseller "The Orchid Thief", but it's also a film about a Kaufman-like character played by Cage, and the troubles he has trying to adapt the book.

"Matchstick Men"...probably the last good movie he did that I can recommend without reservations.

"Lord of War"

"Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans"...a controversial choice...I have some reservations about the film but many other film buffs I know love this film so you might like it, too.

I was aware of the other Capote movie but not until after I saw Capote. Apparently there was also a movie adaptation of In Cold Blood back in 1967 as well as a mini-series which aired in 1996 but I haven't seen either of them.

That is the movie I saw, the 1967 adaptation directed by Richard Brooks and starring Robert Blake(one of the original 'Little Rascals') and Scott Wilson. It's a measure of how distribution patterns have changed over the years that "In Cold Blood" was still in theatres in 1969.

You have to see this film. It is one of the seminal movies of the 60s and gave me nightmares. Blake is very good in this, and the stunning black and white cinematography is by legend Conrad Hall.

Edited by Strider
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Seven Psychopaths

just watched it last night.

Before I put it on, I had a notion of what it might be about, but there is way more to it than simply what the title may lead you to believe. It was entertaining.

Walken is always good.

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For some reason the lead actor here reminded me of the young Christopher Walken -his name is Aksel Hennie.

(And just reading his filmography on imdb I realise that he's the same actor who portrayed Max Manus!)

I really liked the acting of Eivind Sander as a security guard, I think his was the only "true" character in the movie, easy-going and good natured but not naïve.

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* As I side note, I didn't place Jo Nesbø as being the lead singer of Di Derre, a very good band from Norway which I happen to like, no wonder they say it's a small world we live in.

Edited by Janvier
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Seven Psychopaths

Another thing to like about this forum. In addition to discussing Led Zeppelin and other music, I enjoy the movie recommendations and reminders (like fishhead's post) about movies I've missed.

Saw "Argo" on the weekend. Thumbs up from me.

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