Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[barton]

Ianucci has done it again. Creator of "Veep" and Alan Partridge, director of the wickedly funny The Death of Stalin, and In the Loop, and now a delightful reinvention of Dickens that seems faithful to the spirit of the original classic. Fine performances from an ensemble that includes Ben Whishaw (as the humble and oily Uriah Heep), Hugh Laurie (he IS Mr Dick) , Tilda Swinton, Peter Capaldi, and Dev Patel.

An odd experience attending a theatrical showing. We were the only audience at a late afternoon showing on a Tuesday, and other rooms I peeked in (to see a baffling three minutes of "Tenet" among others) were similarly sparse. Signs instructed us to remain masked during the film, unless we were consuming refreshments. Given the empty seats around me, I decided to define air as a refreshment and happily slurped it up throughout the show.

[Hairy Lime]

Watched I'm Thinking of Ending Things on Netflix. Or started to, before I thought of the title half way through and decided that the title was an apt suggestion and did.

[barton]

Ha.   Not every rock that's tossed in a Charlie Kaufman lapidary tumbler is a diamond.   I was going to watch because Jessie Buckley,  but then someone described the film as "Lynchian" and I backed away.   Still,  Ms Buckley has been terrific in everything of hers I've watched - she broke my heart in "Chernobyl."   Into small pieces that squidged around on the floor whimpering and leaking fluid.   

Which reminds me it's time to feed the cats.   

Watching "Adrift" tonight,  because I can't say no to anything with maritime misadventures or catastrophes.   

[Hairy Lime]

Ah. That is where I saw her. We also have Joni Thrombey and Knox Harrington. But the acting is irrelevant.

Lynchian. Ah, that explains my utter distaste. An accurate description.

[bodiddley]

Looking forward to I'm Thinking of Ending Things.
No interest in Mulan.
And pretty apathetic about Tenet, which I'll likely get around to at some point next year.

[barton]

IToET (ok,  I was a little curious,  so I started watching)

 I had to bail when the woman turns into Pauline Kael in the car driving home,  starts ranting about Gena Rowlands.   Meaningless grotesquerie -- seems to be self-indulgently bent on  subverting any connections we viewers might start to make.  Quasi-humorous moments that don't really amuse but rather steal uneasy laughs from you. 

[Hairy Lime]

IToET (ok,  I was a little curious,  so I started watching)

 I had to bail when the woman turns into Pauline Kael in the car driving home,  starts ranting about Gena Rowlands.   Meaningless grotesquerie -- seems to be self-indulgently bent on  subverting any connections we viewers might start to make.  Quasi-humorous moments that don't really amuse but rather steal uneasy laughs from you.

You made it further than I did.

[barton]

I was being stubborn,  kept thinking there was some reason Jessie and Jesse were a couple (aside from being two actors with homophonic names).   The only way a breakup story makes sense is if you have some understanding of why they're a couple in the first place.   

And you can't have a film where every moment is a "meta" one, where you are standing outside of the film.   That's why,  as you said,  the acting is irrelevant. 

What a sad misfire for Kaufman.   

[Hamilton Samuels]

The Oscars will require films seeking to qualify for Best Picture to meet new diversity standards in order to be considered, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Tuesday. The new rules are aimed at increasing representation for underrepresented groups in the film industry.

Starting in 2024, Best Picture nominees must feature women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people or people with disabilities in prominent roles both in front of and behind the camera. The Academy created four representation categories that will gauge the level of diversity in a film’s cast, its production crew, its marketing team and the opportunities it provides young filmmakers. To qualify, a movie must satisfy two of the four categories.

https://news.yahoo.com/oscars-diversity-rules-progress-or-patronizing-140825533.html


Remember, film-makers, it's only ART if it meets the political standards of the Academy.

Saving Private Ryan? No LGBQT, no women, no people with disabilities, no people of color! What a terrible movie!!!


A Beautiful Mind? No LGBQT, no people of color...women, but the main character is schizophrenic, so that checks 2 of the 4 boxes!

But wait We have to look off camera....directed by Ron Howard. And though based on a book written by a woman, the screenplay was written by a man. Music by a man, produced by a man, edited by two men, cinematography by a man...

Sorry. You don't qualify for Best Picture.

Terrible movie by the new standards.

 

Gladiator....All Quiet on the Western Front...Casablanca...

See how this works?

Fuck off, Academy.

[barton]

More generally,  it seems contrary to whole idea of art as a free and unfettered exploration of the human experience.   Such specific requirements seem to be antithetical to creativity.   I mean,  sure there should be ethnic minorities and people all over the gender spectrum and so on,  working in film,  and unhindered in pursuing film careers,  but this seems too formula driven.   How would this work with,  say,  a period drama about a time and place where some of those groups were simply not there?   Would a producer now require that Scott's failed South Pole expedition be rewritten with a lesbian,  a person of color,  and towing someone in a wheelchair?   

[Hamilton Samuels]

More generally,  it seems contrary to whole idea of art as a free and unfettered exploration of the human experience.   Such specific requirements seem to be antithetical to creativity.   I mean,  sure there should be ethnic minorities and people all over the gender spectrum and so on,  working in film,  and unhindered in pursuing film careers,  but this seems too formula driven.   How would this work with,  say,  a period drama about a time and place where some of those groups were simply not there?   Would a producer now require that Scott's failed South Pole expedition be rewritten with a lesbian,  a person of color,  and towing someone in a wheelchair?

Agreed.   

[Hairy Lime]

More generally,  it seems contrary to whole idea of art as a free and unfettered exploration of the human experience.   Such specific requirements seem to be antithetical to creativity.   I mean,  sure there should be ethnic minorities and people all over the gender spectrum and so on,  working in film,  and unhindered in pursuing film careers,  but this seems too formula driven.   How would this work with,  say,  a period drama about a time and place where some of those groups were simply not there?   Would a producer now require that Scott's failed South Pole expedition be rewritten with a lesbian,  a person of color,  and towing someone in a wheelchair?

I think your last part is silly - even from the blurb the off screen roles for inclusion are pretty broad. The onscreen inclusion parts probably aren't going to be uniform and should include some recognition of the needs of the story being told. Or else the Gettysburg remake will wind up featuring an all transgender wheelchair brigade taking part in Pickett's Charge.

They are not applying the rules for four years, and there are at least two years of preliminary data being collected. I suspect we are dealing with reasonable people and the final rules will take artistic vision into account. No.reason to get one's.panties in a bunch quite yet. It is a commendable goal. There is time for the details.

[barton]

I was being silly,  for rhetorical purposes, and I do take your point re "reasonable people," even if I'm never sure where Hollywood keeps them.   I confess I skimmed and missed the four years,  which does somewhat de-elasticize my panties.  I think if they would focus on that one bit about enhanced opportunity for young filmmakers,  you'd get quite a ways towards demographic broadening and some of the other aspirations would follow.   

[bodiddley]

Of course they are not forcing anyone to do anything or impeding folks from making whatever art they want.  They are simply saying if you want an award from our org, you'll need to be inclusive.  Not many films are actually vying for a Best Picture Oscar.
It's aspirational and trendsetting.  I don't know the process, but I suspect this was voted on by industry insiders and filmmakers/actors who make up the Academy and make films.

[bankshot1]

Almost Famous-Anita's Albums

I posted this elsewhere about 2 months ago and am importing it to Elba's shores for SnG.

So I'm re-watching Almost Famous, for the gazillionth time, a really good coming of age movie, about a 15 year old wannabe rock critic to be and his life on the road and adventures with a rock n roll band. Most of you folks probably know the movie, if you don't, watch it, most won't be disappointed. Its sweet and funny, has a pretty good cast, and has pretty good sound track.

But as to the thread title, watch this brief scene (below) as William (the kid writer) says good-bye to his older sister (Zooey Deschanel) as she needs to break away from her mom, (Frances McDormand) leave the nest, and literally flies away. She becomes a stewardess.

in any case, sis, a somewhat free-spirit, tells William, to look under his bed and

"it will set you free"

ANITA SAYS GOODBYE SCENE-SAFE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmVaCbxkd34

After she bolts with a young Tom Brady look-a-like, William goes to his bedroom and finds a bag filled with albums. and he starts to flip through Anita's stash.

Listed below are the albums we see (in order)

Pet Sounds, The Beach Boys
Sweet Baby James, James Taylor
High Tide and Green Grass The Stones
Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! The Stones
Zep II, Led Zeppelin
Axis Bold as Love, The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Wheels of Fire, Cream
Blue, Joni Mitchell
Blonde on Blonde, Bob Dylan
Tommy, The Who

After getting to Tommy he opens it up and finds a note from Anita which reads,

"Listen to Tommy with a candle burning, and you will see your entire future"

For the record (heh) I had all this vinyl WBW, new with cellophane, WITH the exception of Joni Mitchell's Blue.

After watching and saying, had it, had it, had it, etc, my first thought was there's no Beatles.

No Beatles?

No Beatles-Cameron are you shitting me?

Everyone had a Beatles album, in particular as these albums were from roughly 1965-1973, everyone had Sgt Peppers.

And there was no Motown.

No Aretha, no Smokey, no Marvin

Cameron, what's going on?

In any case, it got me to thinking, if you had to represent the 10 albums from the period, as the director Cameron Crowe did, to help young William see the future, which albums from this list would you keep and which would you swap out and for what?

To keep it simple, and keeping with the movie which is set in 1973, let's say you need to keep at least 5 of Crowe's albums (fuck it, if you really want an original 10 album playlist -feel free I guess) but keep it in the approximate time period of 1965-1973.

Since everyone had Sgt Peppers this will be a freebie bonus for everyone

I'm going to swap 5 albums

Doors (1) IN--
Blue OUT (I didn't have it any way)

Live at Fillmore East Allman Bros in
Sweet Baby James OUT

Are You Experienced IN
Axis out (Hendrix for Hendrix swap)

Let it Bleed IN
Get Yer Ya Yas OUT (Stone's swap)

Aretha I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You - IN
Zep2 OUT

So I have
1-Doors 1
2-Allman Bros-LAFE
3-Hendrix Are you Experienced
4-Stones-Let it Bleed
5-Aretha I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You
6-Beach Boys Pet Sounds
7-Stones-High Tide and GG
8-Cream Wheels of Fire
9-Dylan-Blonde on Blonde
10-Who-Tommy

Bonus track
11-Sgt Pepper

I'm not sure this is the stash I'm going to leave young William, as there are so many great albums to choose from. (Who's Next, Layla, Cheap Thrills, Janis and Big Brother, Otis Redding, Iron Butterfly) But its what I came up with on the fly.


What albums would you leave young William to broaden his horizons and to set him free?


As an aside, yesterday I gave my collection of vintage '60s and 70s albums to my kid.