Film Experience Blog: Something Cinematic On Your Mind?

Saturday, February 06, 2010

Something Cinematic On Your Mind?

I'm inspiration free this morning... which film is unspooling in your head right now? Time for an open discussion thread.

77 comments:

Hofverberg said...: The only movie on my mind right now is "I Could Never Be Your Woman". I saw this for only twenty minutes and could fastly say this is Pfeiffers worst performance ever...; 9:14 AM
NATHANIEL R said...: well... she gets better as it goes. But yes. Unfortunately one can get rusty when one doesn't work.

she quickly recovered though with hairspray/stardust; 9:19 AM
Joel said...: I would like to know when the rest of the Film Bitch nominees will be up, The suspense is killing me!; 9:20 AM
OtherRobert said...: My brother and I are going to watch Big Fan today. I already saw it during the very limited release and really liked it. My brother has not. He's agreed to it solely because of Patton Oswalt.

I know I'll be lectured later for "forcing" him to watch a boring indie film, but it's totally worth it.

He'll probably get revenge by shoving an XBox controller in my hand and making me play Left 4 Dead 2. I love games, but I don't do well outside of puzzle, rhythm, and platformers. If I have to control perspective or switch out weapons, I'm screwed.; 9:36 AM
Juno101 said...: I'm watching Laws of Attraction with Julianne Moore and it's terrible. Why do good people do bad things?; 9:40 AM
Lara said...: Well, I revisited Beetlejuice a couple of days ago and was somewhat surprised how much I enjoyed Catherine O'Hara. It was all Winona Ryder before.; 9:47 AM
NATHANIEL R said...: Joel -- i'll work on them today; 9:59 AM
Julian Stark said...: I'm seeing Crazy Heart in a little while. Hoping it's as good as everyone is saying. Expecting a good turn from Jeff Bridges and, because of what I've heard here and elsewhere, I'm a bit skeptical about Gyllenhaal

And I saw Avatar again yesterday. Talk about a movie that loses its effect each time you see it!; 9:59 AM
kent said...: i disagree that AVATAR loses its effects each time. i've seen it several times now and its still quite the spectacle.

speaking of which, TITANIC seems to be on my mind right now, nathaniel. i haven't seen it in years and i didn't love it at the time. but it seems to have aged well in memories. should i give it another go?; 10:16 AM
Andrew K. said...: Watching Coraline for the tenth time with my nephew. This film gets better every time I watch it, which is more than I can say for many of last year's films.

And why is Steel Magnolias so good even when it goes wrong? Sally Field is excellent.; 10:17 AM
Anonymous said...: I just watched ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, and I'm bummed that I didn't really love it the way a lot of people did.; 10:21 AM
Robert said...: Saw Crazy Heart a few days ago. Bridges is fantastic but the movie didn't really transcend my expectations (though the first scene is Bridges in a bowling alley and my heart was elated).

Finally seeing Avatar on Monday. Can't think of the last time I went into a movie so begrudgingly.

And tonight (if the weather holds) 35 Shots of Rum. Now that makes me happy.; 10:26 AM
NATHANIEL R said...: yeah it's too bad that Crazy Heart the film isn't anywhere in the ballpark of quality as Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart. (sigh)

but a lot of people are taken with the movie so i might be an odd duck in this case.

Andrew -- i have grown to hate Steel Magnolias with a passion (because some people i love watch it so frequently. I literally can't stand it now). That said i agree on Field. It seems like it's too big but she sucks me in and breaks my heart... that is when i can't stand watching it which is now rare.

Kent -- i love Titanic and am not a bit embarrassed about that. I've seen Avatar only twice but it was just as good the second time.; 10:30 AM
Amir said...: nathaniel, do you think there can be an award for 'perfect use of music' regardless of the originality of its composition?
i watched kill bill again last night and inglourious basterds for a third time a few nights ago. we've heard the music elsewhere before but the man just knows how and when to use the songs.
i had the same feeling when i watched 'the young victoria' (one of the most dull movies of the year, mind you)buti think the schubert was played perfectly and in the right moments in that film as well.; 10:45 AM
Anonymous said...: I'm going to see Shutter Island in a little while and I'm a little worried it's not going to be that good. Still I'm hoping it will at least follow the book. Here's hoping......

Also saw Hurt Locker finally....WOW!; 11:14 AM
Alex said...: I've been feeling like I should rewatch The Hurt Locker. I liked it when I first saw it, but I have it ranked down at about 7 or 8, while most people have it a lot closer to the top. I have Duplicity ranked above The Hurt Locker...; 11:23 AM
jimmy said...: i love hating "Steel Magnolias" - especially olympia dukakis who sounds like a new jersey-ite desperately trying to sound southern - "Weeza!" i like dolly & sally tho. Olympia, shirley, daryl (especially daryl) are beyond bad. julia is OK.; 11:25 AM
Lea said...: I intend to watch "A Streetcar Named Desire" tonight. I have never seen it before and I am rather surprised about that fact. I mean, how could I oversee SUCH a film with Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh?; 11:49 AM
NATHANIEL R said...: everyone be jealous of Lea's first time!; 11:50 AM
Jim T said...: I just got that it's Pfeiffer. She looked more like Judith Light.

I don't really have something cinematic on my mind because these days I watch clips from the tenth anniversary of Les Misérables and I'm crying all the time. How did I not know more about that show except the name? I think I'm going to London to watch it! Has anyone watched it? West End, Broadway or anywhere?; 11:53 AM
Anonymous said...: Saw Julie and Julia last night. Thought I would mildly enjoy it. I HATED it. Couldn't believe they stretched out 30 minutes' worth of story into 2 hours and 5 minutes?! Meryl Streep amusing for the first half hour or so, then the impression gets old. The less said about the Amy Adams half, the better. Poorly conceived movie, boring, and as lifeless as a fallen souffle.; 11:58 AM
Jim T said...: Yes on Titanic! I recently rewatched it and expected it to go wrong on almost everything but I enjoyed and amired it a lot!

And, Nathaniel, I know we are always expecting so much from you but can you pick a winner for that "say what" contest? :); 11:59 AM
Anonymous said...: Hurt Locker is just so perfectly made. Tight as a drum.; 12:04 PM
Andrew K. said...: I am jealous of Lea, the first time is always delicious.

re Jimmy & Nathaniel Steel Magnolias hatred is wrong. When has Dolly Parton ever been so effective?; 12:04 PM
Lara said...: Yes, the "Say what" contest with Bigelow and Bullock. I'm still rooting for Tia's comment.; 12:06 PM
Unknown said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 12:31 PM
Indie Film Guide said...: The 10-title Best Film category is a nice addition. Always wise to rank cinema like Maxim would for "Hottest Cleavage Scenes in 2009."; 12:32 PM
Evan said...: I'm snowed in--18 inches and counting--and am planning on watching either the Class or the first part of The Best of Youth tonight. Can't wait.; 12:33 PM
notanotherblog said...: I'm watching Silence of the Lambs tonight, in digital. I guess it's crossing Lambs sooner or later, but I'm wondering if digital is a good idea.; 12:42 PM
Chris Na Taraja said...: Just saw JULIE AND JULIA, and it's even better the second time around.

Streep and Tucci are delightful as ever.

The first time I saw the movie, i kind of got sick of the Julie parts. I found her to be desperate and lame, while the Julia parts were glorious.

This time around, I saw that Adams and Mesina were doing a great job with the lesser material.

Also the sets and costumes were are really great in this film, I'm surprised that they didn't get a nod.; 12:45 PM
Iggy said...: Papa!

If I hear someone say that word now, I think I'll begin to weep uncontrollably. :(

Note to myself or any other one: don't go to see an extremely sad movie when you're sick. Your immune system won't be ready for it. Right now I feel like going to bed to take delight in my own sadness and viruses.; 1:32 PM
Deborah said...: Saw Moon last night. People should frickin see that.; 1:52 PM
Supreme said...: I just can't forget the opening credits for UP IN THE AIR. They were really good! And the music was excellent! This land is your land!; 2:28 PM
Michael B. said...: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Had a dream that the first few minutes of the film was an utter disaster.

Oh, and I can't get the soundtrack of Crazy Heart out of my head. It's fantastic!; 2:35 PM
ak said...: I just saw Thelma and Louise for the first time last night. I found it to be amazing and completely pulling at my heartstrings. Geena Davis was UH-MAZING. Anyway, two things came to mind:

1. I didn't think the movie was that feminist or anti-men. I saw it as much more of a woman breaking free of the stifling life she had before which was a product of men, yes, but also rural Arkansas in general.

2. 1991 was a great year, wasn't it? Silence, Beauty and the Beast, T2, T&L. Anyone remember details about the Oscar race that year? I was too young to follow then...; 2:45 PM
Anonymous said...: snowed in - figure its about time i see inglorious basterds; 2:47 PM
tony d said...: i woke up and twister was on tbs a good brainless way to start a saturday - but TCM has Bonnie and Clyde on tonight which I havn't seen so Im eagerly awaiting that; 2:47 PM
Ben said...: Also snowed in and just watched "Whip It!" Have to say I was disappointed. Good performances (especially Marcia Gay Harden) but the story was so over-familiar and that love story was truly terrible.; 3:31 PM
Mike Lippert said...: I saw Crank: High Voltage the other night and although I could never recommend it in any sort of good faith, you have to give it credit for following through with it's vision down to the last gory detail. I admired that quality. Although the film is self is completely tasteless, there's a certain skill to not only making a movie like Crank, but making it well. Which got me to thinking, is it acceptable to praise movies for pushing audiences into new territores, even if they are ones we don't nessecarily want to be pushed into?; 3:42 PM
Kamila said...: That my city SUCKS! When we are on the middle of the Oscar season, the movie theaters here insists on the same movies... I wanna see "Nine", "The Hurt Locker", "The Fantastic Mr. Fox", among others...; 3:57 PM
Joseph said...: I'm also snowed in with about 2 ft, so no going out to theaters for me...Last night I watched Wes Anderson's "Bottle Rocket."

The first time I watched an Anderson flick ("Rushmore") I couldn't stand his aesthetic and extremely quirky characters. I've since then come to enjoy his trademark style. Some of his characters though, especially those in supporting roles, for me, are still too quirky that they either remain incomprehensible as human beings, or seem to be nothing more than the sum of their quirks...I still kind of enjoyed "Bottle Rocket" though.

Tonight, it's either David Cronenberg's "Crash" or Gus van Sant's "Mala Noche." Neither are very long, so I could do both, but I've got so much homework to do...; 4:09 PM
The Pretentious Know it All said...: Seriously, if someone had told me that Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock(?!) were going to be 1 and 2 in the race for best actress, even a month ago, I would have referred them to the nearest shrink.

Doesn't it seem like less than six weeks ago, there was this whispery buzz about Sandra Bullock possibly pulling on Oscar nod for "The Blind Side"? Things can really change in just a few short weeks, which is why I don't think Bullock is locked and loaded for a win just yet. There's miles to go before the finish line.; 4:24 PM
Walter L. Hollmann said...: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane is working on Day Three of occupying my brain. If only that title song weren't so catchy!; 4:57 PM
Ian said...: Okay, so, I've been thinking about the Academy's voting system, and I've developed this theory about Best Picture. It goes like this...

Because of the way the votes will be tallied (divided into stacks of number one votes, film with the least number one votes gets it's stack dispersed based on those ballot's number two votes, etc.) I predict the following occurrences:

1.) Avatar gets a whole lot of #1 votes (possibly the most of any nominee) but hardly any #2 or #3 rankings (except for maybe Blind Side ballots). This means that while it will start out the leader during the tally, it will not gain many votes as the dispersion process goes on.

2. The Hurt Locker will get a whole lot of #1 votes (the second highest amount), but will only be ranked #2 or #3 on A.) Avatar ballots, where voters didn't bother to actually watch the nominees and are voting based on hype, and 2.) Critical Darling ballots (An Education, A Serious Man, maybe Precious).

3.) Inglourious Basterds and Up will receive sizable amounts of #1 votes, and additionally, both are populist and critically acclaimed enough to show up as #2 or #3 on just about any given ballots, especially populist nominees (District 9, Blind Side, each other).

4. As much as Up In the Air and Precious would have been our contenders if there were only five nominees, the final four stacks of ballots will be Avatar and Hurt Locker, and, due to there #2 and #3 rankings, Inglourious Basterds and Up.

Here's where it gets fun.

5.) The stacks with the highest amounts of ballots at this point will be Inglourious Basterds or Hurt Locker (due to all the #2 and #3 rankings)

6.)
Up will likely have the least amount of ballots of these four films, and on Up's ballots, Inglourious Basterds will be ranked higher more often than either Avatar or Hurt Locker, giving it a nice lead. Avatar now has the smallest number of ballots, and while there will be significant numbers of voters who put Hurt Locker as #2 because of hype, there will be more people who voted for Avatar because it was a good time at the movies, and those people will have Inglourious Basterds ranked Higher than Hurt Locker. WINNER: INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS.

I'm thinking that maybe we're going to see an upset folks.

Nathaniel, you're the expert on the voting system here. Do you think it could come down to which film has the most #2 and #3 votes, with both of the front-runners having large segments of the academy who could likely place them in their bottom 5?; 5:27 PM
Ian said...: My previous comment was way too long. Got excited. Excited = verbose. Sorry.; 5:28 PM
Sadner said...: All I've been thinking about these last few days is Julianne Moore, so disappointed she didn't get that nomination (I haven't watched A single man though) but after so many outstanding performances , it's about time she wins that golden statuette.
Also, for some reason , I can't stop thinking about Felicity Huffman in Transamerica, I can't decide if her performance is overrated or not, although there's no doubt there's more to it than just "deglam".
That brings me to Nicole Kidman in "the Danish girl" ( I know , two completely different stories and characters) yet I can already predict how she's gonna be bashed again for
1) " not moving her face"
2) getting credit only because she transformed herself physically and not because she happens to be an extremely talented actress.; 6:04 PM
jimmy said...: i think i feel like watching "moonstruck" tonite. snowy night.....one of my favorite movies of all time. "who's dead"..."why do men cheat?"....."a wolf without a paw"....."snap out of it." "do you love him loretta?"...."old man, give that dog one more piece of food from my table, and i'll kick ya til your dead." "It's TEMPORARY!!!"; 6:04 PM
1994 said...: I just watched the Korean movie "Mother". OMG. Best since "Old Boy".; 6:29 PM
Anonymous said...: Please give the Academy enough balls to ignore the media blitz for Bullock and give Streep her well deserved 3rd Oscar...; 6:39 PM
Ryan said...: @Anon 6:39, I TOTALLY agree! I'm just so sick of waiting to be alive when she wins an Oscar (I was born in 1983, so just missed!). She'll never "deserve" it like Sophie's Choice again, and she really needs to win a third. I thought she was lovely in J&J and would be thrilled to see her beat Bullock from The Bland Side.

Cinematically, I just watched Wall Street for the first time. Is it possible for a film to be both better and worse than you expected?; 7:35 PM
ak said...: @Ryan. Was it good/bad in the way Basic Instinct or Indecent Proposal was? Because I can totally understand that; 7:39 PM
Dennis said...: Two Lovers is such a beautiful, underrated gem.

I'm in love with it.; 9:44 PM
Alexa said...: Dennis, I am with you. Two Lovers. Fantastic, transcendent performance by Joaquin Phoenix that was totally overshadowed at the time by his oddball behavior promoting it.; 10:09 PM
Lucky said...: I don't know how I feel about Two Lovers. i liked it fine, and Joaquin Phoenix was great but I felt like it didn't earn a lot of the biggest moments. Sometimes the characters were saying something, and it really didn't feel like the story had build up to that. I could be more specific, but it's hard to explain.

It was good, just... inconsistent.; 10:35 PM
Evan said...: I was thinking today: for all the talk we had this year about the Academy not like genre films, they did a pretty good job of spreading out the BP lineup. It includes:

-2 sci-fi pics (District 9 and Avatar, the latter of which is also an adventure film)
-1 dark comedy (A Serious Man)
-1 sports movie (The Blind Side, also part-drama)
-3 which sort of defy categorization as part-comedy, part-drama (Inglourious Basterds, Up in the Air, and Up, which is also animated)
-and of course, 3 classic dramas (An Education, The Hurt Locker, Precious)

Not bad, Academy...; 11:03 PM
Stella said...: "Angels in America". Ok, it's a tv miniseries, so it's kind of cheating, but it *feels* film-y, since it's directed by Mike Nichols and has Pacino, Streep, and Thompson. It is GLORIOUS stuff. Compelling as hell, and astoundingly well-written. I'm an hour in and I feel like fifteen minutes have gone by. The acting, complexity, the pace....just another reminder of how tv can easily transcend film at times. Cannot recommend this enough.; 11:24 PM
Simon said...: @Evan: does the Hurt Locker really count as a regular drama? I think it's more action, in which case, the Oscars get a bonus point.; 11:25 PM
Cinesnatch said...: Just saw "Fish Tank." Not what I expected.; 11:46 PM
Sean G said...: I can't wait for "Scott Pilgrim VS. The World." I just read the first two volumes and they're a lot of fun. I think with Edgar Wright at the helm, the movie could be explosive. And it might feature the most adorable cast in motion picture history.

I'm sooo excited. Which of course means I'll be let down when it comes out in August.; 12:18 AM
Ian said...: @Evan: I totally agree with you.

#BP nominees x 2 = hipness of academy x 50; 12:25 AM
Ian said...: I'm thinking about other films starring Melanie Laurent. Anybody able to suggest where I should start? (I remember feeling the same way about Audrey Tautou after Amelie); 12:27 AM
Morgan Leigh Davies said...: Just saw Crazy Heart... was not into it. Neither were the two people I was with. Everything that happens is simultaneously so predictable in terms of plot and so inexplicable in terms of character. I didn't even think Bridges was amazing -- decent, certainly, but not anything to go write home about.

I thought the only really interesting dynamic was between Bridges and Farrell and they didn't go into that at all. Meh.; 12:30 AM
Seeking Amy said...: I keep thinking about Bright Star a lot. I've been listening to the soundtrack late at night, it clears my mind. Can't decide if its number one from last year or The Hurt Locker. Either way, its really high up there. I'd like to get a blown up still from the scene with the field of purple flowers, or the butterflies. Or even the opening part with the sewing! It's stuck with me.; 1:07 AM
Evan said...: @Seeking Amy: You're right- Bright Star has so many good scenes. My favorites are almost all right in a row: the picnic scene, Fanny and Keats secretly following Toots home, the scene with Fanny on her bed and the curtain flapping in the breeze, Keats laying in the tree... They all deserve 3ft by 2ft posters.

@Simon: Good point with The Hurt Locker. I simply overlooked that.; 1:49 AM
Rebecca said...: I just re-watched 'Inglourious Basterds' (saw it at the drive-in, amazing experience) and watched 'Dogville' for the first time. I want to rewatch both 3+ times in the near future!

I am always so torn on re-watching movies vs. watching new ones. I want to figure out what makes certain movies so great, make the inscrutable understood - but there's so many unknown worlds out there that I haven't even experienced! Blergh.; 3:54 AM
Andrew R. said...: I STILL HAVEN'T SEEN AVATAR. Or An Education, which no one has seen anyway. But I've seen the other 8 Best Picture nominees. Precious or The Hurt Locker deserve it.

Just saw Crazy Heart. Great job Jeff Bridges, but Maggie Gyleenhaal? Meh. Also, the film itself was just OK.

And watching a 50-ish year old alcoholic give a 30-ish year old reporter a handjob made me want to run out of the theater. It's traumatic. The whole relationship is traumatic.; 10:21 AM
NATHANIEL R said...: Rebecca... sometimes i think it would be wise to stop seeing new movies altogher for like a short period of time. Maybe 6 months and just devote that to seeing classics I've missed or things i haven't seen in years.

but i can never quite ignore the new stuff. BLEAARRRRGGH is right.

so much to see. only two eyeballs.; 10:33 AM
JTag said...: Totally snowed in, but thankfully still have electricity and Internet. Introduced my roomie to the cinematic masterpiece that is "Point Break", and will be showing him "Near Dark" and "Strange Days" today. I've been on a revisit Kathryn Bigelow kick all week.

Nathaniel, I'm with you on the whole loving the "Battle of the Exes" thing because I've been a Bigelow/Cameron fan since when they were married. If the Oscars become a Bigs/Cam lovefest, that's all right with me.

Speaking of Oscars, is a new podcast coming up shortly? Maybe you should put the edited out Cameron/Bigelow conversation from the last one back in.; 11:31 AM
Clarence said...: Really Nathaniel? If you could stop time to watch five movies right now, what will they be? Oh and they can't be from the last two decades.

I have to admit I've never ever seen West Side Story but I sure would love to. Too bad I'm so busy :( or I'm too lazy to find it >.>; 11:32 AM
Anonymous said...: I am thinking of The Blind Side...and how the hell it scored a best picture nomination...; 12:57 PM
Jake TX said...: Was it common knowledge that Lee Daniels has a teenage daughter? I oouldn't stand his direction in "Precious", but he becomes more and more interesting the more I read about him.

Saw "Crazy Heart" last night. Jeff Bridges will have no problems winning that Oscar. Maggie Gyllenhall should thank her lucky stars that she was in this film with him for that blatant coattail nod of hers.; 1:34 PM
Michael W. said...: Right now I'm thinking about Lars von Trier and his leading ladies.

Antichrist just won 7 awards from the Danish film academy, including best film, director and screenplay, but since I don't think it's the best Danish film of the year, the most interesting thing was hearing that the editor Anders Refn talked about Triers next film, Melancholia. Apparantly Trier wants Penélope Cruz for the lead. And Charlotte Gainsbourg again. Very interesting if it turns out that way.; 4:50 PM
rosengje said...: I read the most recent edition of Entertainment Weekly yesterday, so my cinematic thoughts have been occupied with terror over this year's ceremony. Has anyone read the interview with Adam Shankman aka my new arch-nemesis? Not only has he previously referred to the Oscar's as the world's biggest reality show, but this article features lots of comments about skewing the ceremony younger and making it dramatically shorter. One of his great ideas was to have Stephanie Meyer present the Best Adapted Screenplay award (I could feel my blood turn to ice when I read that), and he would neither confirm nor deny whether or not Taylor Lautner would present. When will the Oscars producers realize that such blatant pandering alienates both the general public and the dedicated traditional followers.; 8:24 PM
Jeremy said...: Late to this party BUT here was my moviegoing weekend:

FROZEN
Monsoon Wedding (on DVD)
The White Ribbon

Thank god for New York and its marvelous cinematic options.

Movies I found myself thinking about was Whip It... I still am bummed for Drew that this did not get a better response from the public. Deserved much better, and it mystifies me that America did not bite.

-J; 9:08 PM
Jeremy said...: (More from me:)

Frozen -- delivered the low-budget B-movie survival goods as expected... Think 'Open Water' on the slopes.

White Ribbon -- so glad I saw it in the theaters. Love good old Film Forum and its audiences (at least at the first matinee before the place is a crowdaganza). Film is curious. Gorgeous, gorgeous to watch. 'Medicinal' is the first word that comes to mind for the movie itself... though not in a bad way that that word might be interpreted as. Haneke is a master at NOT answering questions and forcing the audience to engage and be an active, thinking spectator. Still, Cache or Piano Teacher is more my style. Among the sinister Europeans of the last 30 years, I guess I'm more of a Chabrol man.

And Monsoon Wedding -- what a delight. Wonderful internationalist presentation of India. Made me think of the marvelous wedding sequence in Deer Hunter... and what a joy this was as a whole movie as wedding sequence! And (thankfully) no nauseating chanting of "Sydney, Sydney...! Rachel Rachel...!" :)

And with that, good night, fellow film lovers and actressexuals!; 9:17 PM
Glenn Dunks said...: The upcoming musical of The Color Purple, actually. Watching clips online with Fantasia wondering how it'll go. I've been on a Fantasia kick all week.; 11:30 PM
Jimbob said...: Saw the Batman film from 1966 yesterday. The best of the lot in my opinion for entertainment. "some day you just can't get rid of a bomb!"; 2:06 PM