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Dark City: Director's Cut -
http://culturazzi.org/review/c...or’s-cut-alex-proyas

quote:

Originally posted by 742:
Dark City: Director's Cut -
http://culturazzi.org/review/c...or’s-cut-alex-proyas

I liked it when you say the Director's Cut is 11% longer and therefore about 11% slower. That is how I usually feel about Director's Cuts. As much as I may have loved the original version the director's cut to me usually just seems LONGER but not better. The only film that occurs to me where I like the Director's Cut as much as the original is "Almost Famous". Even though all three "Lord of the Rings" films made my top ten lists in their various years, and "Return of the King" topped it, I have never seen the Director's Cuts since the major flaw of all three films is overlength even in the theatrical release versions.

Apocalypse Now Redux turned an interesting failure into a masterpiece for me.

Samuel Fuller's truncated The Big Red One also achieved greatness in his original version.

quote:

Originally posted by seanflynn:
Apocalypse Now Redux turned an interesting failure into a masterpiece for me.

Samuel Fuller's truncated The Big Red One also achieved greatness in his original version.

Forgot about "The Big Red One". The best thing about my old apartment in Los Angeles, and believe me there were a lot of bad things about that place, was its location as it was in walking distance to The Royal and even better NuArt movie theatres. The Director's Cut of "Red One" may have been the best thing I ever saw at the NuArt. I enjoyed the original version but the Director's Cut is a masterpiece.

Disagree on "Apocalypse Now". I love the original version even if it is somewhat pretentious. The longer version just made it longer, slower and hiked the pretentiousness factor up by about 300%. Also, seeing the longer version made me agree with the ranting Francis Ford Coppola in "Hearts of Darkness" that we should all just forget the plantation scenes even existed. To me the original is a masterpiece, despite its flaws, and the Redux is a big, fat mess.

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I haven't watched "The Lord of the Rings" extended editions either. Loved the films (except for "Fellowship," which I only liked), but I've never been able to bring myself to watch those four-hour versions. And my brother owns all of them, so it's not like I'd have to go out of my way.

quote:

Originally posted by 742:
I haven't watched "The Lord of the Rings" extended editions either. Loved the films (except for "Fellowship," which I only liked), but I've never been able to bring myself to watch those four-hour versions. And my brother owns all of them, so it's not like I'd have to go out of my way.

I've seen all three of the extended versions; also I often prefer the "directors" cuts, since I have no problem with length, unless the original version was unpleasant for me.

But I wont watch the original versions of TLOTR, because I find the extended versions better.

I've wanted to purchase the Director's Cut for Dark City, but havent yet. You dont sound overly enthused by it, but like you, I love that movie.

If you're a fan of the movie, I say the director's cut is definitely worth owning. On Amazon, it's only $8.49, less than the price of a first run movie ticket. For that you get the director's cut of the film and the two great featurettes, which total about 90 minutes. A very good buy.

http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Cit...id=1252096422&sr=8-1

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Os Normais 2 - A Noite Mais Maluca de Todas (2009, directed by José Alvarenga Jr.) - C+

The Tracey Fragments (2007)
dir. Bruce McDonald

I finally got a chance to see this film as I promised babypook and puxzkkx that I would.

This is by far the weirdest, most-experimental I've seen in a while. I really don't know what to make of it. It was just so weird. Maureen Medved, the writer, must have been pretty depressed to come up with a story like this. But I have to give props to Bruce McDonald because it was well-shot, but after a while the whole split-screen/25-images-on-the-screen thing got old, annoying, and confusing. Ellen Page was decent... I mean nothing to write home about. She plays, as Tracey Berkovitz likes to call herself in the film, a "normal" teenager, and when she means "normal," she is far from it. It's just really weird, and it makes me think "Oh crazy Canadians... what can you come up with next?"

This film could either be seen as a brilliant piece of work because it was so experimental, or it can be seen as a piece of crap. I think it's somewhere in between that, but I think I am leaning more towards this film as a piece of crap.

Grade: C-

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Up

A good, but not great, entry by Pixar that even with its flaws was a welcome return from the abomination that was Wall-E. As many have said, the early montage of Carl and Ellie is beautiful and one of the best things Pixar has done; Carl was a wonderful character all around.

What has made Pixar so good over the years - among other things - was there ability to tell a story on multiple levels. Its why there films appeal to such a wide audience; kids and adults (and everyone in between) can watch it and enjoy it in completely different ways. In Up, though, this felt very calculated. Here is the adult part, now here is the kid part, now here is a joke for kids, not here's "awwwwww" moment for adults, look kids you can't tell they had a miscarriage but the adults can. It almost felt like the marketing department had gotten ahold of the movie and checked off demographic boxes as they got enough jokes for them. Didn't ruin the movie, but it kept it from being up the standard we've come to expect from Pixar.

And lastly, I know the talking dogs are popular, but I found them to be easily the worst part of the movie. Ugh.

B

Dead and Buried
directed by Gary A. Sherman, 1981

Paranoia begins at home.

Also, contrary to received opinion, Historic beach town + charming old Victorian house + romantically foggy nights ≠ a highly desirable real estate investment. No, strangers, don't stop here to ask for directions, and perhaps you should be wary when the pretty blonde you just met flashes her rack at you, and for pete's sake, don't go down into the basement of that dark, deserted house looking for ice(?!) when your child bumps his head. Does that sound ridiculous to you? Apparently it makes perfect sense to somebody.

Still, there is something to be said for grainy-looking, excruciatingly acted 1970/80s horror flicks, especially those with special makeup effects by Stan Winston. I bet Quentin Tarantino loves this film.

Grade: C+

quote:

Originally posted by MysteriousRent:
Up

A good, but not great, entry by Pixar that even with its flaws was a welcome return from the abomination that was Wall-E. As many have said, the early montage of Carl and Ellie is beautiful and one of the best things Pixar has done; Carl was a wonderful character all around.

What has made Pixar so good over the years - among other things - was there ability to tell a story on multiple levels. Its why there films appeal to such a wide audience; kids and adults (and everyone in between) can watch it and enjoy it in completely different ways. In Up, though, this felt very calculated. Here is the adult part, now here is the kid part, now here is a joke for kids, not here's "awwwwww" moment for adults, look kids you can't tell they had a miscarriage but the adults can. It almost felt like the marketing department had gotten ahold of the movie and checked off demographic boxes as they got enough jokes for them. Didn't ruin the movie, but it kept it from being up the standard we've come to expect from Pixar.

And lastly, I know the talking dogs are popular, but I found them to be easily the worst part of the movie. Ugh.

B

I totally agree with that paragraph. Glad to know someone else around here wasn't as in love with this movie as the rest of the world.

^Yes we are all unwillingly aware of your prediliction for Dreamworks' animated formula with their Borscht-belt-era one-liners and tedious pop culture references.

Beauty and the Beast: I have seen the movie before a handful of times and have always considered it the only movie that could have beat "The Silence of the Lambs" and I wouldn't have objected. After watching it again for quite some time, I must say that it was an amazing effort not just for an animated movie but just a movie in general.

You can see why it got that Best Picture nomination despite how the Academy has a noticeable bias against nominating them in Best Picture.

It still holds up remarkably well and the voice actors are just superb (you can't go wrong with Jerry Orbach and Angela Lansbury).

Grade: A

Fame: Being a Theatre major, I definitely can understand and "get" this movie and I tend to enjoy it more and respect it more with each viewing.

****SPOILERS****

My only qualms with the film would be that there are some structure problems involving the people the movie focuses on. Some are shown a lot while some are very underused to the point where you don't even know who they are when they come back on screen (this happens with the Lisa character and the one other ballet dancer, whose name, I believe, was Natalie). I also am not a fan of the ending, which is too abrupt and almost feels unfinished just because there are so many character arcs left unfinished and there is one particular story involving Irene Cara's character Coco that I felt needed to be addressed again. I know movies don't necessarily have to address everything by the end or tie up every loose plot point but this one, I feel, should have at least continued for 10 or 15 more minutes and wrapped things up more smoothly.

****End Spoilers****

Other than those issues, I think the movie feels very real and hits close to home to those who want to succeed in the Performing Arts.

Grade: A-/B+

Saw most of Pieces of April again last night. It's a pretty good film, a bit clumsily scripted but the acting is very good (save Hayes) and the ending is probably one of the most breathtaking filmmaking choices in American independent film of recent memory - no lie.

quote:

Originally posted by puxzkkx:
Saw most of Pieces of April again last night. It's a pretty good film, a bit clumsily scripted but the acting is very good (save Hayes) and the ending is probably one of the most breathtaking filmmaking choices in American independent film of recent memory - no lie.

I love that film. Holmes and Clarkson are fantastic in that film. But I dunno...that ending. I liked it...but I wanted to see a scene between Holmes and Clarkson.

Most people live on a lonely island...

South Pacific
directed by Joshua Logan, 1958

Unforgettable songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein and brave, frank themes based on the book by James Michener.

Also featuring astounding, dreamlike cinematography by Leon Shamroy (Leave Her to Heaven; Planet of the Apes). Sometimes, like when the two lovers played by Mitzi Gaynor and Rossano Brazzi gaze at each other, the intensity of the color palette is electrifying.

And for me, personally speaking, one of the most lustful, even homoerotic, musicals ever. For example, the "Look But Do Not Touch" men's shower (LOL); dozens upon dozens of hot sailors in various stages of déshabillé (now that made me stand up and salute!); and last but not least the wonder who plays Stewpot and how he fills out a bathing suit. The double entendres and sight gags are more apparent and better appreciated through the original exended, non-bowdlerized "road show" version now available on blu-ray.

Some Enchanted Evening, indeed.

Grade: A

Bruno

Rather disappointing since skewering the path to fame isn't exactly groundbreaking material. Funny, memorable moments were with the psychic, the UFC finale, the PR twins and the martial arts instructor! Darfur, Darfive!

I guess there's no way for Baron Cohen to top the audacity of Borat.