Omar
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Post by Omar on Apr 17, 2006 2:00:15 GMT
Rust Never Sleeps(1979/Bernard Shakey [Neil Young]) [First Viewing] With Punk getting popular and Elvis's death, Neil Young throws a concert to save Rock n' Roll.From it's bizarre set pieces and staging, Young creates an interesting interpretation on the growth of Rock n' Roll, and his personal growth as a musician. With some impressive camera angles and Young's ability as a performer, this is one of the best concert films of all time. This film also helps to show how Young is both a Rock n' Roll legend, as well as the Godfather of Grunge.
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Post by Vercetti on Apr 17, 2006 2:43:58 GMT
Glad you like it so much Omar. I love Rust Never Sleeps. Neil Young's versatility from folk to heavy punkesque sounds is wonderful.
Let me know what you think of his album Sleeps With Angels.
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jrod
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Post by jrod on Apr 17, 2006 4:07:11 GMT
Why such a low rating for "The Man Who Wasn't There"? It should be three stars, didnt hit the button as many times as i thought...
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Post by Vercetti on Apr 18, 2006 19:32:50 GMT
Neil Young: Heart of Gold - (Jonathan Demme;2006;USA) Neil Young performs with family and friends over two nights at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium.Neil Young is excellent here, and it's put through the great direction of Demme. I think this redeems him of The Manchurian Canidate remake. Young's choice in music is great, especially the ones that inspired him. It comes across as beautifully nostalgic and sentimental in a positive way. My favorite performances are "This Old Guitar" and "Falling Off the Face of the Earth," but the peak of the show is definitely "Old Man." The atmosphere, music, and overall emotion put into the songs all come together wonderfully. A great rockumentary. I also loved listening to Young in between songs. The ending was also perfect.
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Omar
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Post by Omar on Apr 18, 2006 19:48:33 GMT
Glad you liked it Vercetti.
The story leading up to "Old Man" was greatly told, so that when he started playing the song itself, I got chills up my spine.
I love how the film keeps going after the credits, with Neil packing up his guitar and walking off stage.
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Post by Vercetti on Apr 18, 2006 20:00:57 GMT
A shame I was the only one who sat through the credits performance.
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Omar
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Post by Omar on Apr 19, 2006 1:43:25 GMT
Primary Colors(1998/Mike Nichols) [First Viewing] A young idealist becomes a campaign manager for a southern Governor who's running for President.The first half is an often funny and always interesting look at life on the campaign trail, loosely based on that of President Clinton's. But with the second half, after the departure of Billy Bob Thorton's character, the film manages to pull the carpet out from under you and become a dark and engrossing look at political secrets and cover-up. John Travolta gives his best performance as the flawed but persuasive candidate, and Kathy Bates is electrifying as a freelance crusader who fights for what she believes in. The rest of the cast is also great, and the filmmakers took an interesting angle at telling the story through the eyes of a supporting character. A very well done film that is definitely one of the greatest I've seen in awhile.
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Capo
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Post by Capo on Apr 19, 2006 16:33:23 GMT
A shame I was the only one who sat through the credits performance. A shame indeed; I almost always sit around until the end of the credits these days; the only time I've not been alone for this was when I went to see The Life Aquatic, and that Spanish song plays over the credits. Fond memories indeed.
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Post by Mike Sullivan on Apr 19, 2006 22:50:39 GMT
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Omar
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Post by Omar on Apr 20, 2006 2:29:07 GMT
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer(1986/John McNaughton) [First Viewing] A serial killer turns his roommate on to murder, while taking an interest in his sister.Gruesome, disturbing, and ultra low-budget look inside the actions of a serial killer. A few interesting scenes here and there make it watchable. It is, however, extremely dated. I was a little disappointed with the ending, hoping it would surprise the hell out of me, it instead felt rather open-ended. But, you can't see a film just for it's closing act.
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RNL
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Post by RNL on Apr 20, 2006 2:32:15 GMT
In what way do you mean it's open-ended?
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Omar
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Post by Omar on Apr 20, 2006 11:10:12 GMT
In what way do you mean it's open-ended? SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS Ok, so after he kills Otis, he and Becky leave with the same grey piece of luggage that Henry dumps on the side of the road at the end. Watching them leave the night before, I assumed pieces of Otis were in that luggage, and I assumed that Henry woke up early and finished disposing Otis's body. It was only when I looked on the IMDb message boards that Henry supposedly kills Becky.
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
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RNL
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Post by RNL on Apr 20, 2006 12:41:14 GMT
SPOILER Oh, I never assumed that Otis was in the suitcase. I knew he'd end up killing Becky, regardless of his apparent affection for her, I knew the film couldn't end any other way, so I thought to have him behave concerned and protective towards her and then to leave the motel alone, dumping a suitcase on the side of the road, was the perfect way to end the film. /SPOILER
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Omar
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Post by Omar on Apr 20, 2006 23:55:26 GMT
Clockers(1995/Spike Lee) [First Viewing] A young drug dealer in the New York projects faces a moral crisis when his older brother gets arrested for murder.Nothing could have prepared me for the power of "Clockers". Stripped to it's bare bones, it is without a doubt the best film to look at the American ghetto and the struggles that occur there, surpassing Lee's own "Do the Right Thing". The police procedural story, while a subplot, is riveting enough to hold our interest, but not too demanding that it takes away from the films central theme of isolation and confusion in the urban jungle. All of the actors turn in amazing performances, especially a very young Mekhi Phifer. Lee's films are so unique and so stunning, that I would go as far as to say that "Clockers" is the epitome of his work, not to mention one of the most underrated films of all time. The grainy cinematography is also brilliant, giving the film a gritty feel.
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Omar
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Post by Omar on Apr 21, 2006 4:30:12 GMT
Paris, Texas(1984/Wim Wenders) [Second Viewing] A man emerges from the desert and attempts to make things right with his estranged family.Quite simply, this is one of the best films I have ever seen, not to mention the best character study. "Paris, Texas", though the actual location is never really seen in the film, is a place in the mind. A place that exists inside of everyone's mind. A story of missed opportunities and redemption, "Paris, Texas" is the best road movie ever made, and who would have thought it would take a European to fully explore the emptiness and loneliness of America's back-country, and the isolation of one man. The photography by Robby Muller is breathtaking, and is perfectly complemented by Ry Cooder's Bluesy score. "Paris, Texas" plays like a dream; one man's dream of hope, the other's of an empty soul.
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Omar
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Post by Omar on Apr 22, 2006 19:09:11 GMT
Silent Hill(2006/Christophe Gans) ZERO[First Viewing] A woman takes her disturbed daughter to the ghost town of Silent Hill.Being a huge fan of the games, I was extremely disappointed. This movie is so ridiculous in every department, that even the usually reliable Sean Bean was bad. The scariest part by far was the first closing credit, when you realize that this trash was written by the co-writer of "Pulp Fiction". Many would argue that it would have been pointless if this had followed the original game closely, but anything other than what it was would have worked. Anything.
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Post by Vercetti on Apr 22, 2006 23:23:04 GMT
Derailed - (Mikael Håfström;2005;USA) A business executive is blackmailed after he's mugged during an affair with another woman.An average thriller. It's enjoyable at times but for the most part it's predictable. Clive Owen was good though this is clearly one of his lesser roles. Aniston isn't as good as some said, but she's okay for the most part. Nothing we haven't seen before and not directed in any interesting way.
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Omar
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Post by Omar on Apr 22, 2006 23:54:50 GMT
Un flic A Cop(1972/Jean-Pierre Melville) [First Viewing] After their bank robbery goes wrong, a group of criminals have to keep it cool while a local cop breaths down their necks.If it weren't for the over reliance on some very cheep looking special effects, this would have been a masterpiece. The foggy atmosphere and look of the film rival that of any other Melville film, and the casting of Richard Crenna is pleasantly random. You can really see how Michael Mann was influenced by Melville when watching this film.
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Post by Vercetti on Apr 23, 2006 0:17:14 GMT
Glad you liked it, and yeah the cheap effects due get annoying. I loved the ending though.
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Omar
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Post by Omar on Apr 23, 2006 0:34:58 GMT
I loved the ending though. Yes, a nice quiet way for Melville to exit cinema.
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