What are you watching? (Film edition)

[Bu Lai En]

Mau Mau Sex Sex (2001) Documentary about Dan Sonney and David Friedman, leading makers of nudy and slasher exploitation films in the 60s and 70s. Somewhat interesting, but more for the subjects themselves than the cinematic matter.

Cinematographer Style(2006) Oh dear. A film about cinematography that consists entirely of talking heads. I'm sure interviewing several of the worlds leading cinematographers at some conference is a great aachievement, but why not show their actual work? If you want to see a documentary about cinematograhpy, skip this, and watch 'Visions of Light' instead.

One Day (2010) Sometimes promising, but overall unfulfilling Taiwanese film starting with the interesting premise of two people who meet on a ferry to Jinmen when something strange happens, but for one of them it is before they have had a relationship together and for the other it is after. The film doesn't really resolve well though.

Momento Mori(1999) A sort of sequel to Whispering Corridors, but with a different story and characters. I liked this much better too. More haunted goings on in a Korean girls' school, with a lesbian romance, suicide and a diary with deadly secrets. Fun movie.

Movies of Color: Black Southern Cinema (2002) Fairly interesting documentary about (American) Black cinema in the first half of the 20th century.

Russian Ark (2002) Mesmerising film notable not only for it's technical achievements - the entire film was made in a single 96-minute shot (with post sound), with a cast of over 2000 actors and 3 orchestras in 33 rooms in the Winter Palace State Heritage Museum of Saint Petersburg. The story and style is dreamlike with an unseen narrator (who may be a ghost) who we never see as the whole movie is filmed as if from his eyes. As he wanders around the rooms of the museum with a companion (a 19th century French traveller) he also moves from time to time. The occupants sometime see him and sometimes can't. Low on plot or logic, but high on visual thrills and atmosphere - I loved it.

[Bu Lai En]

Beat the Devil (1953) Outstanding Bogart movie which seems like a cross between a Bogie classic romance thriller like 'Casablanca' or 'To Have and Have Not' and a camp Ealing crime comedy like 'The Ladykillers' or 'The Lavender Hill Mob'. Its a combination that works amazingly well.

Pulse (2001) Excellent Japanese atmospheric cult horror about ghosts invading through the Internet. This film has few special effects or gore-based thrills, but is probably the creepiest horror I've seen (in a very long time at least). It's alittle difficult to follow at first, but don't let that put you off.

In the Shadow of Hollywood: Race Movies and the Birth of Black Cinema (2007) Good documentary about early Black American cinema.

Frenzy (1972) Excellent late Hitchcock film set in a London stalked by a serial killer who may or may not be the lead character. Quite unlike most of Hitch's earlier work, and very good indeed.

Captain Blood (1935) Fairly light entertaining Errol Flynn pirate movie.

The Future of Food (2004) Interesting and disturbing film about the consequences of the patenting of GM forms of life and the consequences of the actions of comapnies such as Monsanto in North America.

Detour (1945) Much acclaimed low-budget early film noir. I can see why it's praised for being ahead of its time and influential, but I found it rather dull.

Hell Up in Hollywood: Soul Cinema and the 1970s (2003) Pretty good doco about Blaxploitation films.

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News on The Life of Pi:

First up, the studio has moved up one of their biggest new projects - Ang Lee's take on Yann Martel's previously-billed-as-unfilmable novel "Life of Pi." The film will now release a full month ahead of time, moving from a crowded Christmastime release (on December 21) to a clever Thanksgiving window (November 21). The film will now go up against the long-delayed "Red Dawn" remake, the animated "Rise of the Guardians," and David O. Russell's "The Silver Linings Playbook." It should prove to be family-friendly counter-programming for families without little kids to keep busy. Its previous release date would have put it in competition with stuff like "One Shot," "This Is 40," Kathryn Bigelow's untitled next film, "Django Unchained," "The Great Gatsby," and "The Guilt Trip," all opening in a crowded holiday field.

http://social.entertainment.msn.com/mov ... 5b5&page=2

Oh, oh, going against The Great Gastby won't be easy. And the stills from the movie look... weird. Nevertheless, seems critics liked it:

The 3D film has surely benefited from immensely positive buzz over the last few months, much of kicked off by the screening of some reportedly incredibly impressive material at Cinema Con.

[ceevee369]

Anyone saw Coriolanus? I found the trailer misleading, but kudos creating a 2012 movie using Anno 1600's scripts.
A level of acting which can only be done by Britons and Scots.

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Watched Ghost in the shell this weekend. No wonder it is a classic. The music is eerie, the images burn in your mind.

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In honor of Prometheus, a review of the best ten of Scott's movies:
http://movies.msn.com/movie-guide-summe ... y/feature/

[ceevee369]

Hemingway & Gellhorn is showing on HBO. Released on May 28 2012

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemingway_%26_Gellhorn

Clive Owen and Kidman become od news but the story isn't so bad.

[John Yu]

Am I the only one who desperately wants to see Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter?

[bismarck]

John Carter - Not bad. I like the Sci Fi aspect. The SFX were decent and the stroyline wasn't bad. The heroine didn't hurt things either.

Larry Crowne - Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. Not their best effort. It had it's moments, but nothing special. I even fell asleep twice towards the end and had to rewind.

Perfect Two (新天生一對）- With Ella of S.H.E. Not too bad, mostly about an ex Bike racer meeting up with his son he never knew about and reconnecting with him and his racing past (and future?). It was ok, if you like Chinese language movies. Nothing special.

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Am I the only one who desperately wants to see Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter?

Yes and no. I've been rather dissapointed this year with Hollywood selections. The only one I can't wait for is Batman.