Y'all know the drill.

List it up.
Talk about it.

Go.

<----

Larry Otis!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeM89CITvMc

and his free new singles, produced by Tough Junkie!
http://soundcloud.com/toughjunkie/sets/larry-otis-leaks

It's a new month and i promise i will be nice and sweet. I won't be giving out any big red F's.

Bliss

having only seen the trailer, a long time ago, I had somehow avoided any spoilers of the actual plot. a pleasant surprise. I'm not a big fan of Woody, but I like Owen Wilson and this was mostly charming.

Margin Call
http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=6&topic_id=585535&mesg_id=585535&listing_type=search#593980
^ summed up my feelings. Irons killed it. the last half hour of Spacey reconciling with his inevitable decision wasn't really engaging to me. I enjoyed it though, especially the first hour.

Moneyball
I'm impressed this even became a movie, given the source material was a burden to adapt. that said, the end result was overly long and sterile. Pitt's emotionless family storyline was part of that, and I found his acting to be a compilation of go-to mannerisms, drawing from the "cool guy" persona that birthed Tyler Durden, Joe Black and Rusty (albeit toned down). I really like Pitt, Aaron Sorkin, PSH and baseball -- but this movie was *way* less than the sum of those parts.

--------

Made it all the way through the second and third seasons of Parks and Rec (skipped the first because I heard it was ass-awful) and I fucking loved it. I feel like a fool for not having Ron Swanson in my life before this. I'll try my best to catch up with Season 4 on Hulu.

Just started the first season of Community. About five episodes in. It's funny, but I'm preferring Parks and Rec so far. From what I understand, it becomes less about sexual tension between the two leads and more about Troy and Abed, which I'm certainly all for.

Also, saw the Descendants. Really enjoyed it.

-----------------

www.albumism.com

Checkin' Our Style, Return To Zero:

https://www.mixcloud.com/returntozero/

Didn't really care for this. It's far less absurd than the show-- they replace the true surreal nature of the show with a traditional movie narrative and grossout gags that simply aren't funny. The funniest part is the opening credits, which spoof the opening credits of films. (I like the TV show btw... it's hit-and-miss, but the funny stuff is very funny.)

The Mechanic (the Statham version): last 20 minutes were pretty fun, but everything before that was more or less stagnant. A lesser Statham flick.

Meteor Man: I liked this. It's sloppy, as Townsend is clearly trying to make this film everything to everyone, but the earnestness is charming and a few of the gags are legitimately funny. I wish someone could find a way to make this idea (earnest urban black superhero) work completely... but Meteor Man is enjoyable. It made me sad that Townsend doesn't really make films anymore.

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At least in my view.

That guy wanted to make movies, and dammit he did.

You can't make "Hollywood Shuffle" without throwing a few errant darts at the board.

<----

Larry Otis!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeM89CITvMc

and his free new singles, produced by Tough Junkie!
http://soundcloud.com/toughjunkie/sets/larry-otis-leaks

that make the weaker parts still worth it. The score is great too.

Who would be the ultimate black actor to have a Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon style game with? John Witherspoon? James Earl Jones?

My movies: http://russellhainline.com
My movie reviews: https://letterboxd.com/RussellHFilm/
My beer TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebeertravelguide

Especially considering it's his "follow-up" to Meteor Man.

-----------------

www.albumism.com

Checkin' Our Style, Return To Zero:

https://www.mixcloud.com/returntozero/

Statham would have to be a Jumper or Nightcrawler to cover the territory he does in it.

----
NBA MOCK DRAFT #1 - https://thecourierclass.com/whole-shebang/2017/5/18/2017-nba-mock-draft-1-just-lotto-and-lotta-trades

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Lot of spare time this month. I went whole hog on the movies, people.

Two things of note before I begin -
This month saw me reaching 489 on the TSPDT list, making my goal of 500 a virtual reality.
Beginning now I'm adding on the only two recommendations I really need to give, the STAMP OF APPROVAL and the SEAL OF APPROVAL. The seal, requiring wax AND a stamp, is naturally the stronger of the two. It's the difference between "see this movie" and "SEE THIS MOVIE."

In alphabetical order for my amusement:

Apocalypto - I was constantly surprised. I was surprised by how involved I was in the story, especially the first half. I wasn't surprised by how gory the film was, but I was surprised by how explicit it wasn't and by how cartoonish some of the action was. I honestly thought I would see knives get plunged into bodies instead of the cutaways I received. Not that it wasn't violent enough for me, I definitely got a fix, it's just that I expected it to be more brutal. Which brings me back to the cartoonish aspect - early on a man is yanked through his wall with such distance and force the invisible wires that did the trick bled into my mind. The same goes for the computerized bees, snake, and animal-trap spikes. The backdrop and violence were shown with so much realism that the diversions were painful. Despite these qualms I must admit I was gripped throughout and would gladly watch this again. Hell, I even listened to the commentary. STAMP OF APPROVAL.

Brick - I'll give it to Rian, the dialogue did its job; I instantly knew this was film noir. I guess. Sure, the dialogue was snappy, but outside of two exceptions ("You put Brad Bramish in the game!") it felt like a teen writing the way he assumes adults talk. Luckily the plot was strong enough to keep me interested because I don't know if I could have dealt with all that too-cool-for-school dialogue.

Crank 2: High Voltage - Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Yep, I'm in the cult now. I can't get this movie out of head. Must... see it.... again. SEAL OF APPROVAL

Dead Ringers - I am investigating Cronenberg slowly, but once every three months or so has worked fantastically. If I wait long enough I start to get a Cronenberg craving and he has yet to disappoint. I was nervous early on with this one because I found the lead actress wooden and unappealing. Once it switched to completely about the brothers it took off. STAMP OF APPROVAL

Death at a Funeral (the original) - The first movie I watched this month, it stayed middle of the pack for the duration. When, later in the month, another British comedy came up for viewing my girlfriend declined with the reasoning "British comedy isn't very funny." This got a few solid laughs, but I can't say it comes to my mind very often. The biggest positive of this movie came in my realization that my respect for farce does not match my enjoyment. A well done farce seems like the greatest of scripts, but the necessary foreshadowing and payoff work against my desire to be surprised by film. The acting was great yet I can't say I'm wholly for the notion that this version MUST be better than the remake. Don't know if/when I will see the Chris Rock version, but I'm not averse to it.

Floating Weeds - I never thought this would happen: an Ozu film was my favorite of the month. I had seen "Tokyo Story" and was not impressed. The story and style were underwhelming, I cared about no one and nothing. Why then did I watch "Floating Weeds?" Well, it was on. Duh. It's been a few weeks now and it still hasn't left me. I could go on for days with superlatives to describe this movie, but my joy is so great none of them will do it justice. That said, I'm still nervous about the rest of his catalog because this was barely over "too quiet" and it was his version of melodrama. This troubles me. SEAL OF APPROVAL

The Haunting - A very pleasant surprise. Because I don't believe in ghosts, I'm rarely scared by ghost movies. This movie effectively convinced me that the haunting was all inside our lead's head. As a result, I stayed engaged. Yes, there were times that were a bit talky, but I genuinely felt like I got closer to the characters during this time. I then was able to have my own reading of what was happening in each ghostly encounter, which it turns out I appreciate. STAMP OF APPROVAL

Hausu - I went into this movie wondering why the title sounded familiar. As soon as I realized the soundtrack wasn't going to relent to the dialogue I started laughing and it never let up. What a wild ride. If you watch it, watch with friends. There will be no end to the discussion. Thank you, TCM Late Night. SEAL OF APPROVAL

The Insider - Hated "Public Enemies," loved "Heat." This movie sits immediately between the two. Some good, some boring, some great, some bland.

Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance - I've never really liked martial arts movies, but seeing so much Kurosawa got me thinking I might be into samurai movies. This was the first of the two I watched this month. I think I will see more this series but not at any incredible rate. Has anybody seen this series? I know there is a stretch of 5 or so in a row, but I need to know if this handful has an overarching storyline. If so I'll be more anxious to check out the others. The shot of Lone Wolf and Cub walking between walls of fire and water was perfect.

The Lady Killers - Better than the Coens version but not as enjoyable as "Kind Hearts and Coronets" or "The Lavender Hill Mob." Alec Guiness grows larger in my heart with each new performance.

Murder! - Hitchcock count climbs to 42 and that was all this movie was good for. Not as bad as "Topaz" or "Number Seventeen," this was too dull to reach any significant height on my list.

Murder on a Sunday Morning - Sigh, Duval. Fun fact: 8 years to the day after the verdict, the two lead defense attorneys in this movie were fired from the public defenders office for "budget cuts." Ahem. SEAL OF APPROVAL

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind - I found this to be very similar to "Castle in the Sky" but better. I appreciated the relationship of the children in "Castle in the Sky," but I thought it was a bit too long. The solo lead in this was more well rounded than that co-leads in "Castle" and the story was told at just the right pace for me. There was a great mixture of the magical and the grotesque in this movie, one of my favorite things about Ghibli. STAMP OF APPROVAL

Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht - This is the German version of the Herzog/Kinski collaboration and the opposite of Van Sant's "Psycho." There was only one completely unique sequence, Lucy's wanderings through the devastated village, and I loved it. The rest I enjoyed because and in spite of the original. I'd watch another "Nosferatu."

The Palm Beach Story - I had seen the first scene of this movie a year or two prior and knew within that scene my mood couldn't handle it at the time. This month the proper mood finally came to me and I checked it out. Having bought into the quick pace this go-round, I strapped in and let myself go. The ending was bizarre, which I didn't mind, and abrupt, which I did. I could have watched this movie with twice as many scenes before I got my fill. STAMP OF APPROVAL cause I can't rank it with "Sullivan's Travels" SEAL.

Punisher: War Zone - I took the "How Did This Get Made Challenge" with this one and made it a drinking game with a few buddies. We chose 5 things to drink on, including "Every time there is a head wound" because we assumed this wouldn't happen very often. Wrong. Comically absurd and I loved it. Then I watched "Crank 2" and I now only like "War Zone."

Sleuth - Ugh. This was painful to get through. I thought the acting was great but even when things were twisting and turning I couldn't get into it. Too old school for me this month.

Stranger Than Paradise - My first Jarmusch. I can see the appeal in the minimalist style which I never though I would. That said, this particular story wasn't to my taste even if it was cool to see Vito. I like to imagine that he came back from this movie to work at Sal's. Anyways, unless recommended otherwise, I am putting "Dead Man" and "Ghost Dog" on my to watch list. I'll leave Jarmusch's other films out of my mind until I decide whether or not I'm committed.

The Tenant - I liked this more after the fact than I did during the watching, and it was my own fault. I, for some unknown reason, went into this thinking it would be more surreal. When the movie finished I could see the journey in my rear view and appreciated it more. "Nosferatu" and this I was introduced to Isabelle Adjani. More, please.

Thieves' Highway - If it wasn't for Jules Dassin's involvement I prolly never would have seen this movie. Nothing terrible, nothing special.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Vicky got a raw deal. She was by far the character I was most interested in; she got as much if not more screen time than Scarlett, let alone Penelope; her story drove the movie as much as Scarlett's did; yet she is nowhere to be seen on the cover because she isn't as famous as her co-stars. Bummer. In other news, Javier Bardem is one sexy man.

Z - I actually had to start this film from the beginning after SPOILERUNLESSYOUREADTHEBOX the assassination ENDSPOILERONTHECOVEROFTHEDVD because I thought the aforementioned DVD case had deliberately mislead me during the first 15-20 minutes. "Political campaign procedural? I didn't sign up for this!" WRONG. Everything after was a roller coaster for one reason only: as a viewing I inherently knew this was an assassination attempt and not a mundane accident. Had the director allowed from the beginning the idea that this could have been accidental it would have lost all of the dramatic intensity in the following cover up and investigation. I loved not being able to see the cover up. I grew increasingly frustrated along with our hero, who doesn't even show up until 30 minutes into the picture. I enjoyed being taken on the ride and felt satisfied with the end. Adding on to all of this was the films style: quick cuts, often to visualizations of the thoughts of different characters, made the pace of the film feel surprisingly modern even while the thickness of the subject threatened to slow things down. STAMP OF APPROVAL. (End note: The only reason this movie does not receive the SEAL is because the combination of subtitles and subject matter may turn some of our more conservative friends off)

Zatoichi: The Tale of Zatoichi - Because there are only two Yojimbo movies I will watch more Zatoichi. Even if it is a step below, it seems like a reliable series to get a samurai fix.

Alright, that's it for me.

<----

Larry Otis!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeM89CITvMc

and his free new singles, produced by Tough Junkie!
http://soundcloud.com/toughjunkie/sets/larry-otis-leaks

That's all.

My movies: http://russellhainline.com
My movie reviews: https://letterboxd.com/RussellHFilm/
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It still did numbers if I remember right, but it should have been a game changer if it didn't come off the first salvo in Mel Gibson's career suicide.

I mean, while even in 2012 we complain about how white washed movies can be, particularly the action genre...that was as ethnic as it gets, lol. And it still hit on all the beats we are used to in our action flicks.

yes, im mexican

<----

Larry Otis!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeM89CITvMc

and his free new singles, produced by Tough Junkie!
http://soundcloud.com/toughjunkie/sets/larry-otis-leaks

full of historical inaccuracies, racial stereotypes, and a silly plot. if people want to take the it's just an action / chase movie, that's fine. I don't. Mel being an idiot or asshole has nothing to do with it either. it's just a bad movie

I don't want to speak for you, so I can't say to what degree I agree or disagree.

Here's my little train of thought the racial politics of this thing:

I don't think the setting and peoples represented inherently made me like or dislike the movie any more than a different setting.

It was nice to see a world not represented very often, but I cannot comment on the factual basis for sets, costumes, or actions.

I did think a wide range of characters were shown, so while I do believe it is possible it presented broad stereotypes I thought a good job was done of individualizing everyone.

If this movie was set in Middle Ages Europe I still think I would like it.

At the same time, Gibson has sort of already made that movie. He clearly likes historical pieces, and he's now been to Middle Ages Scotland, turn of the millennium Middle East, and 16th/17th century South America. (I know it was shot in Mexico, but I thought it was set in the continental south.)

Now, whether or not it is factually correct is something I will gladly learn more about, but I will reserve a moral judgment on it till later. I am a-okay with movies changing facts to serve the film, but if things were done out of laziness I can see it from your side.

<----

Larry Otis!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeM89CITvMc

and his free new singles, produced by Tough Junkie!
http://soundcloud.com/toughjunkie/sets/larry-otis-leaks

without wiki or imdb name three characters or two of the tribes that were depicted? you can't because they were basically nameless and grouped together like that wasn't a major factor. Any other film, and this small (but big detail) is immediately a strike for lack of focus or central storyline. Add that on top of all the famished looking, fucked teeth smiling, overly violent powers that be, and their is a lot of e-racing and stereotyping going on. If Mel had made a movie about the Aztecs, the brutal inter-tribe waring would've made much more sense, being that they tended to fight more than other indigenous civilizations, but Mel made a movie about the Maya.

As scholars like Acuna and Murguia have pointed out (about history and Apocolypto) the very idea of human sacrifice is so misrepresented and over-blown that it denies the fact that the Maya's historical record was looted, destroyed and misinterpreted by the very colonizers who try to frame the Maya (and other indigenous groups) as savages. So for Mel to base a whole movie on the supposed violence for sport / human sacrifice bullshit is to continue that very problematic narrative.

Than their is Mel's "commentary" on the film were he says he left the real "gnarly stuff" out. LOL, what a fucn clown. If he knew shit about anything he'd know that one of the main reasons Europeans were able to colonize the Maya civilization is because, they were in a state of stasis. Their leaders had grown lazy and un-alert of possible foreign invaders. their last real war was with Vikings nearly 400 years prior. Maya had an abundance of food, land and what the European thought of as material wealth. Their was no famine, drought and in-fighting, that came after the white-man polluted the civilization with his flu, guns, ideas on ownership and Christianity.

it's the same shit that makes me roll my eyes when a shitty movie about the slave trade, reconstruction, or jim crow America is made (ehhem... The Help). Did Apocalypto look good yes, was some of the violence intense/enjoyable yes, could i sit through it a 3rd time, fuck no. I find the movie, in particular it's story, ridiculous

You totally have the right to be offended. I obviously can't tell a person what is or isn't offensive.

But I think getting offended at the depiction of Mayans in Apocalypto is like being offended at the depiction of Asians in Crank 2. The filmmakers are trying to be so over-the-top and grotesque and insane that, for me, it goes past offensive and becomes like a big awesome violent cartoon.

Like, the PC part of me doesn't have flags shoot up when I'm busy thinking, "OH SHIT THAT DUDE'S HEAD IS STRAIGHT UP GETTING GNAWED ON BY A PANTHER." Know what I mean?

So it's not that it's not offensive or that it's historically accurate (my brother is a dead languages major and was laughing at some of the translations). It's just insane.

My movies: http://russellhainline.com
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<----

Larry Otis!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeM89CITvMc

and his free new singles, produced by Tough Junkie!
http://soundcloud.com/toughjunkie/sets/larry-otis-leaks

But I can't argue against dude if he finds the depiction inaccurate (which they certainly are) or offensive (subjective).

These super-extreme, awesomely violent movies full of shock and kinetic energy tend to not send up my red flags because they're about the visceral experience more than the accuracy.

One could argue Gibson IS going for more accuracy by using the ancient language though. One could also argue, like you did, that the characters are developed in a sympathetic manner (Jaguar Paw certainly is... but the rest you might have to be a bit of an apologist for).

I just know I wanna watch it again. Over and over. Because it's so fucking awesome.

My movies: http://russellhainline.com
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did you just really compare Apocalypto racism to Crank 2 racism? Crank exist in the contemporary world were sex, race, to some extent class, and violence are put on visual roids to further suspend our belief (in the movie's world) and enjoy the action on a pure visceral level. it becomes comedic on a ironic and satirical level in Crank

Saying Apocalypto exist in that same filmed universe is disingenuous. It's a fucn period piece about Mayan's completely relying on under-informed misrepresentations of the indigenous to tell a tale of one man surviving against all odds; which if we really wanted to go deep into it, is another example of our white bigoted friend Mel using HIS Privileged world view to tell the story of people of color.

But if you want to keep telling yourself that one of the few major "mainstream" films populated by a non-white/non-black world is really about gore and violence, do you.

His shtick, with both The Passion and Apocalypto, is to make you *feel* the violence, to *feel* the action. He's far more interested in revealing imagery than developing the characters. Now, you can argue with both that because these films are set in period and the attempt is made to make the language accurate that he still should adhere to historical accuracy, which I can understand the argument for. But if Gibson's main objective is historical accuracy, that's not represented on the screen. In my opinion, not unlike the Neveldine/Taylor films (going back to my comparison), he is going for very over-the-top visceral violence and action over elements like dialogue, storyline, and "message" (the message IS the violence in The Passion, so that's kind of an exception).

Obviously because Crank is in contemporary LA, fleeting images provide satirical content. One could argue Gibson does the same thing with insensitivity. Again, I understand, and I can't tell anyone it is or isn't offensive... it just didn't bother me because its primary objective didn't seem to me to be to present a period piece.

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>without wiki or imdb name three characters or two of the
>tribes that were depicted?
Jaguar Paw
Cocoa Tree (Leaf? Bean? Dammit!)
Snake Tail

I think those guesses are correct, so I can see your point here. I wonder how much that has to do with the names being different than what I'm used to and my constant case of CRS. I definitely don't remember the names of the tribes, but I also didn't remember exactly where it was set. This prolly helps your stance because I prolly should have come away with a clearer idea of how these people were.
That said, I still think there are lots of characters I remember.
I remember the humor of Jaguar Paw's father,
I remember the loud mouth and eventual despair of the mother-in-law,
I remember the impotent man's resilience,
I remember the tumultuous father-son relationship of the rival tribe's two main hunters,
and I remember the different architecture and designs of each tribe separately.

Cultural whitewashing is evident, but I think it's unfair to say everyone is nameless when there are still discernible personalities on both sides.

Add that on top of all the famished looking, fucked
>teeth smiling, overly violent powers that be, and their is a
>lot of e-racing and stereotyping going on.

I can see this, but I wonder what his options for the physicality of the people is. Now, if the Aztecs were much more warlike than the Maya, this seems to be a definite problem. I don't know what would be lost placing this with the Aztec instead. Lazy. I don't like it.


>As scholars like Acuna and Murguia have pointed out (about
>history and Apocolypto) the very idea of human sacrifice is so
>misrepresented and over-blown that it denies the fact that the
>Maya's historical record was looted, destroyed and
>misinterpreted by the very colonizers who try to frame the
>Maya (and other indigenous groups) as savages. So for Mel to
>base a whole movie on the supposed violence for sport / human
>sacrifice bullshit is to continue that very problematic
>narrative.

I agree that everything was overblown, but I also want to take the movie as more of an allegory than true representation. Mel couldn't have known I would interpret it that way, and neither of us can say for certain how factual or allegorical he wanted it to be. I do know that I was not upset about the representation as one of the tribes as warlike because I did take it as an allegory, so I wasn't seeing only these people being represented. The first tribe was peaceful but overtaken by a stronger, vicious force from the outside. I accepted the tribes as extremes because it helped the dramatic tension - I always believed the characters I liked were in very real danger and it made me root for them.
As to the reinforcing of savage stereotypes - you are correct. I have no answers for this problem in past, present, or future examples. In some cases it really bothers me (The Searchers) in others I can get past it. It's a problem I don't like to think about very often because I still enjoy a good amount of John Ford movies, "Andrei Rublev," and this film. We need more education and more integration.


>
>Than their is Mel's "commentary" on the film were he says he
>left the real "gnarly stuff" out. LOL, what a fucn clown. If
>he knew shit about anything he'd know that one of the main
>reasons Europeans were able to colonize the Maya civilization
>is because, they were in a state of stasis. Their leaders had
>grown lazy and un-alert of possible foreign invaders. their
>last real war was with Vikings nearly 400 years prior. Maya
>had an abundance of food, land and what the European thought
>of as material wealth. Their was no famine, drought and
>in-fighting, that came after the white-man polluted the
>civilization with his flu, guns, ideas on ownership and
>Christianity.

All of this I was aware of but I honestly didn't think about it while watching. Let's not forget though that Mel also gave it a bit of a religious angle - the more forceful tribe ignored prophecy. I think it can be said that the stasis of which you speak was represented by the decadence of their violence. I felt famine and drought then were used to justify this stasis and desperate violence, so it was a whole chain of things really. Every time someone stepped up to be sacrificed there were shots of a fat kid (presumably in power or child of someone in power) giggling and clapping. It reminded me of that kid who was way too old to be sucking tit in "Game of Thrones."

>
>it's the same shit that makes me roll my eyes when a shitty
>movie about the slave trade, reconstruction, or jim crow
>America is made (ehhem... The Help).
Didn't see it.

> I find the movie, in
>particular it's story, ridiculous
I know I'm being an apologist for most of this stuff, but it's because I did enjoy this movie and the discussion is great too.

<----

Larry Otis!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeM89CITvMc

and his free new singles, produced by Tough Junkie!
http://soundcloud.com/toughjunkie/sets/larry-otis-leaks

you're being an apologist. That's the tricky thing about creating period pieces: we want things to be "authentic", while still being entertained. Yes, liberties should be taken, but at what cost?

For me as a person of color, with half of my ancestors being descendents of Maya/Azteca people, seeing us up on the big screen greedy, corrupted by power and destroying/killing each other is highly problematic; especially when in that moment it wasn't the case. It's the same argument Blacks have been making about representation in film for near a century. I think because Apocalypto exist outside of the American racial schism of Black/White, people (in particular whites) are quicker to dismiss to historical and racial inaccuracies to enjoy the film on a film for film's sake basis

either way, after this conversation, i think imma Netflix it this weekend and see if I still feel the same about it as i did the year it dropped

It is true that there is an overly violent tribe, but they are balanced out by a peaceful tribe.
I think specifically of the scene early on when Jaguar Paw's tribe is met by another tribe. Frightened, and a bit creepy in their own right, this third tribe is allowed free passage by Jaguar Paw's tribe.
The main dramatic thrust of the piece comes from the difference in ideology of the two main tribes, which is also born out in the characterization and set design each group is given.

I agree wholeheartedly on this standing outside America's usual racial conversation - had this been set in Africa during the same time period I can imagine tons of uproar. Hell, I don't even know if a film version of "Things Fall Apart" could be made because of the many cultural elements Achibe gave to the story that would be shouted down on a public release. (Why are they all dancing around a fire? Why are these people wearing masks, the villagers have to know they aren't gods!)

I watched "Braveheart" tonight and couldn't help bring myself back to this conversation. When it was over my lady and I went online and found a slew on factual inaccuracies, and the homo- and Anglophobic elements were in full force.
I think at the end of the day we can make a few assessments on Mel Gibson the film maker:
He makes entertaining, engaging films from a fresh perspective.
He likes violence. A lot.
He has lots of inner demons that work themselves into his films.
He thinks about religion with a deep zealotry that he then gives to all of his characters. This does not mean it always manifests in the characters as religious devotion, but the majority of his characters are driven by an unwavering belief in something.
To paraphrase one of my favorite teachers, he cares more about "Truth" than he does about "truth," and it is this desire to get to the heart of a story that gets him into hot water.


EDIT: And since I forgot to mention it above... if as you say there was little to no conflict amongst the Maya at the time this movie takes place that is a pretty big leap and does reinforce a myth which screams laziness. If you want it in that time and place, why not move it north a bit and put it with the Aztec? And they shot in Mexico? Cmon, Mel.

<----

Larry Otis!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeM89CITvMc

and his free new singles, produced by Tough Junkie!
http://soundcloud.com/toughjunkie/sets/larry-otis-leaks

of how this schism/dynamic could/would play out. I wonder if it would fall into the Ali movie bait of a "Black director must to do it in order for it to be "authentic"". I mean it's one of the reason i just wrote fuck this movie to begin, because these conversations cane derail very quickly into the "ohh you're just ignorant" or "take your racial agenda to activist" shit. Back in the day i use to be mad a people who liked movies like this, now i just understand different films work for different people and that's how it should be, but debating the merits/value of a film is also, well valuable.

Even with that I agree on your points about Mel, I love Braveheart too, well i haven't seen it in a long time, but i did. He's a strange man who does violence very well and religiosity bleeds into his films. some times they work, some times they don't.

One of my favorite films ever. Such a unique visual experience.

-------------------------------
If life is stupendous one cannot also demand that it should be easy. - Robert Musil

The floating heads,
the sparkling eyes,
the drawings on the screen,
there was always something new on the screen.
I could not get enough.

<----

Larry Otis!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeM89CITvMc

and his free new singles, produced by Tough Junkie!
http://soundcloud.com/toughjunkie/sets/larry-otis-leaks

I've watched all six (LOVED all six!) but the main arc as you move forward is that the camp factor ramps up. essentially Ogami Itto, the action star, gets increasingly bad ass. so yeah, personally I loved it, but I was appreciating the camp a lot as it went on.

I've read the whole manga, too. if you dig the themes / content of the early movies, you might dig most of the stuff in the 1st 10 books or so. like the movies, the books increasingly start pushing towards an ultimate resolution and get increasingly filler-ish the closer he gets to Edo. and for the last books in the 20s? siiiiigh, I have NEVER seen so much filler in a story. it's kinda amazing just in that respect, but yeah, if you're not looking to find the amazing ways someone can pump filler to extend a story to sell more units, don't ever read past book 15 or so.

___________

HOPE!
https://vine.co/v/i7JjIBL3Qix
https://vine.co/v/i7JtqEFwxDu

I think the Academy loves Hugo & The Artist so much because they're movies about movies. Specifically old school movies. Neither lived up to expectations.

I think I'm in love with Shailene Woodley but not the rest of The Descendants.

Coriolanus was OK. Nothing amazing but I didn't know the play so I was interested.

Morning Glory and True Grit are new on Netflix so they became the movie I put on as I go to bed. Morning Glory is a charming yet poorly made as I remembered.

Started watching The Take, the British show with Tom Hardy, but wasn't feeling it. It was OK, just seemed like a standard gangster getting out of prison story.

I watched the first ep of Shadow Game, Chiwetel Ejiofor's BBC show, and it was OK.

Kill List is terrible. The stuff with the hit men is OK but I have no idea how it's getting such great reviews. It's not even like Drive where I could see how people might have connected with the character and liked the movie; this is one where I don't know what the hell the people are lauding because most of what they're saying is great, I found laughable.

----
NBA MOCK DRAFT #1 - https://thecourierclass.com/whole-shebang/2017/5/18/2017-nba-mock-draft-1-just-lotto-and-lotta-trades

Three episodes into BSG; really good so far.

Chronicle was solid but standard. I was surprised to find out that it was so short, felt longer. Still, not a bad way to spend an hour or so.

----
NBA MOCK DRAFT #1 - https://thecourierclass.com/whole-shebang/2017/5/18/2017-nba-mock-draft-1-just-lotto-and-lotta-trades

...Game of Thrones.

Five hours later, I was debating if I really needed to sleep before work or whether I should just finish the last half of the season.

----
NBA MOCK DRAFT #1 - https://thecourierclass.com/whole-shebang/2017/5/18/2017-nba-mock-draft-1-just-lotto-and-lotta-trades

weekday night, I figured I'd put on the first episode before I fell asleep. big mistake!

--------

I didn't look too much into it before so was surprised it used the origianl language but that's fine. I enjoyed it though i was gettng antsy near the end.

__________________________________

*Note to self: Add Sig*

After Hours - This movie is pretty slept-on - Griffin Dunne is fantastic and it has BOTH the MOM AND THE DAD from Home Alone. Pretty dark. It's usually pretentious to mention Kafka - but there are clear influences here.

Cross of Iron - Pecinpah FTW. A classic. Intense. Must-see.

Affliction - It takes place in NH. Also - Nolte and Coburn are great. And PREZBO!!!

Mean Streets - I had not seen this yet and I was not disappointed. DeNiro.

Horrible Bosses - I expected MUCH more with this cast. Some funny moments but pretty dull overall.

>After Hours - This movie is pretty slept-on - Griffin Dunne
>is fantastic and it has BOTH the MOM AND THE DAD from Home
>Alone. Pretty dark. It's usually pretentious to mention Kafka
>- but there are clear influences here.

Yeah, this was pretty damn good. And kind of unexpected from Scorcese. I dug it.

>Affliction - It takes place in NH. Also - Nolte and Coburn are
>great. And PREZBO!!!

Loved this movie. Nolte and Coburn did their damn thing, and the latter definitely deserved his Oscar. I had zero idea PRez was in it. Wow.

-----------------

www.albumism.com

Checkin' Our Style, Return To Zero:

https://www.mixcloud.com/returntozero/

I've basically kept to the "gangsters and murder" side of Scorsese. My only real venture outside of this was "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore." I thought it proved Scorsese wasn't able to handle a film outside his comfort zone, but I liked it nonetheless. Here's my question: Does it feel like a whole movie or an exercise? If it's the latter I'll respectfully hold it off for another day.

<----

Larry Otis!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeM89CITvMc

and his free new singles, produced by Tough Junkie!
http://soundcloud.com/toughjunkie/sets/larry-otis-leaks

outside of the moving camera shots you wouldn't know it was scorcese - rent it!!

>I've basically kept to the "gangsters and murder" side of
>Scorsese. My only real venture outside of this was "Alice
>Doesn't Live Here Anymore." I thought it proved Scorsese
>wasn't able to handle a film outside his comfort zone, but I
>liked it nonetheless. Here's my question: Does it feel like a
>whole movie or an exercise? If it's the latter I'll
>respectfully hold it off for another day.

He didn't really have a comfort zone yet though, he had only just made Mean Streets the year before and Boxcar Birtha the year before that. I think Scorsese has had a lot of relatively successful excursions outside of his comfort zone (...but then again, I love Scorsese.) Nonetheless, you should really check out The King of Comedy and After Hours. A lot of people swear by Bringing Out the Dead, but I haven't seen that in 13 years and I was only 14, so I can't really say if it's worth it. I've not seen The Age of Innocence, Kundun, or Last Temptation of Christ, so I can't really speak on those, but they certainly have their ardent supporters. After Hours, if I remember it correctly, is pretty much a just a (masterful) exercise in style within the framework of a quirky, 80s (very) dark comedy. Check it out some day.

----

Pina was awesome...a documentary/tribute to Pina Bausch but in 3d. What made it good was that in the current fad of 3D it's really not necessary to enjoy the movie, but with this doc it's integral...the pieces they chose and the editing really compliments the technology well.

Shame...technically great but soulless. Carey Mulligan is having a good run as a reincarnated Michelle Williams tho.

Carnage. It was good, but like many theater to film translations is a much better play then movie.

Also finally caught Capt. America. I can see how people hate on the film since it's totally not a superhero blockbuster movie...it's very pulpy and I thought THAT made it a better film.

Besides that I finished the Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margret Season 1...great but it felt more like a long form film then a serialized show.

had no idea it was in 3D

SO FUCKING PISSED.

My movies: http://russellhainline.com
My movie reviews: https://letterboxd.com/RussellHFilm/
My beer TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebeertravelguide

The Examined Life (doc) @@@
The Perfect Host @@@ 1/2
I Will Follow @@@ 1/2
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark @@
Cowboys & Aliens @@
The Debt @@@, maybe @@@ 1/2
Ides of March @@@ 1/2, maybe @@@@
Laugh at My Pain @@ 1/2
Shame @@@@, maybe @@@@ 1/2
50/50 @@@

I can't even lie, i did. what was strange i in a way found it "admirable" that they would have actors of that age engage in such a scene, a nice break from the norm, but it was also just comedy. I left the Debt wanting more. Ithink the writers punked out of some better plots for the sake of trying to be original

The Help @@@ 1/2; can't even front i enjoyed this shit a lot. yes i got criticisms of it, but it made me hate white people, which means it wasn't sugar coating race-relations

The Artist @@@ 1/2; maybe just a @@@
I'm lock-step with everything Longo has been saying about this film for the past couple of weeks

just watched the 6th ep so I'm officially halfway. kudos to whoever made the post encouraging people to watch it! pretty damn good.

tinker tailor soldier spy - i wanted to like it. im going to blame the slow pacing and the fact that i'd just gotten out of the hospital/was hopped up on meds for the fact that i fell asleep about 45min into it. i'll give it another shot sometime probably.

i have "drive" and "the fades" on deck (along w random stuff that's been lingering for years). might watch drive tonight if i don't feel like watching AHS after top chef and modern family.

i swear i feel like i watch too much tv even tho i know people that watch so much more than i do :o/

---

But hell, what do I know?

>just watched the 6th ep so I'm officially halfway. kudos to
>whoever made the post encouraging people to watch it! pretty
>damn good.
>
>tinker tailor soldier spy - i wanted to like it. im going to
>blame the slow pacing and the fact that i'd just gotten out of
>the hospital/was hopped up on meds for the fact that i fell
>asleep about 45min into it. i'll give it another shot sometime
>probably.
>
>i have "drive" and "the fades" on deck (along w random stuff
>that's been lingering for years). might watch drive tonight if
>i don't feel like watching AHS after top chef and modern
>family.
>
>i swear i feel like i watch too much tv even tho i know people
>that watch so much more than i do /

My movies: http://russellhainline.com
My movie reviews: https://letterboxd.com/RussellHFilm/
My beer TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebeertravelguide

I'd watched the first ep a while back (free on itunes) and it didn't really do anything for me. Decided to give it a go again when I saw it on Netflix instant and I was hooked. The sketch format actually works very well because no character overstays their welcome. You probably have to be a hipster yourself (or at least devote part of your time to the almighty tumblrz) to enjoy the show, since most of the jokes are inside ones, but I thought it was well-written and acted. Definitely not groundbreaking by any means, especially not at a time when comedy is killing it on TV, but how can I hate on a show that uses Washed Out for its intro.
Also a big fan of the British-style 6-episode format. I believe one of the reason most network shows have been bad at generating online buzz is that 24 episodes is just too damn much for people to watch unless they're really motivated. 6 or 13 episodes is the way to go, especially when you're catching up on a show a few seasons in.

------------------------------
For the record, my teams:
MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG
NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan
NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets

This would've been a lot better with anyone else besides McG directing

for a second there I thought you were talking about the French flick (France's entry for the best foreign movie Oscar) and was wondering what McG had to do with it

------------------------------
For the record, my teams:
MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG
NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan
NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets

not too sure how I feel about it yet.

no matter how many dusty Hawaiian shirts, tacky haircuts or glasses you put on George Clooney, he's still George Clooney. and that's where this movie falters. he's simply not a believable actor for his character's problems. not for little stuff, like awkwardly running to his friends' house or snooping around the beach. not for bigger moments, like the hospital visits or a trustee meeting speech where his own persona overwhelms the character.

Clooney tried, he really did, but he never reached *that place* -- not like Giamatti, Nicholson and Broderick did in Payne's previous movies. Shailene Woodley and the kids were awesome though.

--------

It was smart for Payne not to go with Clooney over Payne in Sideways and I think Payne's lovable loser vibe would have been a better fit in this movie as well. Not that Clooney was bad but I agree he never really fit and I really don't get all of the Best Actor love.

----
NBA MOCK DRAFT #1 - https://thecourierclass.com/whole-shebang/2017/5/18/2017-nba-mock-draft-1-just-lotto-and-lotta-trades

If I'm interpreting that ending correctly, when Gyllenhaal breaks off and creates that new/alternate reality, does he basically just steal that other dude's whole existence. AND his girl?

Kind of a dick move no?

-----------------------------
http://talestosuffice.com/
@kennykeil

One of the many problems with the ending.

----
NBA MOCK DRAFT #1 - https://thecourierclass.com/whole-shebang/2017/5/18/2017-nba-mock-draft-1-just-lotto-and-lotta-trades

-----------------------------
http://talestosuffice.com/
@kennykeil

I kinda got the vibe that it was an ending they thought would be cool without worrying about how much sense it actually made.

Of course, the whole movie, as enjoyable as it is, hangs together by a tenuous thread. My vote is that the narrator is not reliable.

<----

Larry Otis!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeM89CITvMc

and his free new singles, produced by Tough Junkie!
http://soundcloud.com/toughjunkie/sets/larry-otis-leaks

They should have gone with him just dying. It actually would have been happier than the ending they had.

My movies: http://russellhainline.com
My movie reviews: https://letterboxd.com/RussellHFilm/
My beer TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebeertravelguide

And he's trapped in a world where he'll never look like Jake Gyllenhaal again

-----------------------------
http://talestosuffice.com/
@kennykeil

It's been awhile so my mind is fuzzy,
why exactly does his world start to crumble?
Self-awareness? Fatigue?
I want to say it was the former because it adds credence to my thought that the final section is in his mind. Maybe he dies, maybe he is allowed to create his own reality. He can have the girl (though we all know the finer of the two wasn't in the field) and he can be the hero he desperately wants to be.
Part of me wants to scrap all this and call the movie bullshit on principle, but Monaghan aside I enjoyed most of this thing. I want it be better than it prolly is.

<----

Larry Otis!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeM89CITvMc

and his free new singles, produced by Tough Junkie!
http://soundcloud.com/toughjunkie/sets/larry-otis-leaks

I didn't mean to dismiss the whole thing just because of that ending. There were even aspects of the ending I liked, but the romance aspect doesn't hold up to scrutiny. The science doesn't either but that's not as problematic for me. My main problem with the "science" is how much the guy who "invented" source code didn't understand it. That's not a bad twist in and of itself, but again: If he had been paying as much attention as I was, he would have realized his concept of it was bullshit to begin with. It actually feels forced that he's only considering this incredibly narrow application of the technology and not asking questions that this semi-brain dead dude figures out in a matter of minutes.

I like that you're considering the whole "unreliable narrator" angle. I don't think that's the case here, but stories like this are fun because they're open to multiple interpretations.

-----------------------------
http://talestosuffice.com/
@kennykeil

Why exactly wasn't he running things? Why not just have Vera be the inventor as well as communicator? Either way, it seemed like nobody really understood how it worked and neither did the director. The movie seemed to set up a "he has to die" rule with the first few trips. He dies at the EXACT SAME TIME for various reasons, but then that isn't important for the rest of the picture? I choose to believe in the unreliable narrator because this thing is sloppy without it.

<----

Larry Otis!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeM89CITvMc

and his free new singles, produced by Tough Junkie!
http://soundcloud.com/toughjunkie/sets/larry-otis-leaks

Weird balance between the funny & serious scenes but the Blunt & Kristen Scott Thomas make it work for the most part.

Regardless of whether it is good or not, I don't see how that movie connects with audiences here. CBS Films has a horrific track record and already got rid of their first lead exec. I don't think this one is going to put them in the black (although it has to be better than their previous attempts.)

----
NBA MOCK DRAFT #1 - https://thecourierclass.com/whole-shebang/2017/5/18/2017-nba-mock-draft-1-just-lotto-and-lotta-trades

this weekend

_________________________________________________________________________
Baby, I'm your carpenter, please let me lay your tile

And Gambit could be good so maybe they're turning things around over there.

----
NBA MOCK DRAFT #1 - https://thecourierclass.com/whole-shebang/2017/5/18/2017-nba-mock-draft-1-just-lotto-and-lotta-trades

... using his fishing rod like Indian Jones' whip. If that's true, I mean, how bad could the rest of it really be?

___

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v318/75/122/810420595/n810420595_3955028_32.jpg

"You can't imbue awesomeness into something that actually sucks." - Steve Albini

http://www.mpsinger.com
http://twitter.com/mpsinger

>... using his fishing rod like Indian Jones' whip. If that's
>true, I mean, how bad could the rest of it really be?

was actually pretty good. and funny 2/3rds of the way.
the last third got to be a little much.
lotta of awkward laughing in the theater.
everyone was pretty funny, ewan with aspergers was funny.
cant see it being too popular here in the US. especially with that title.
i havent seen one ad for this thing yet either.

..|.,

If you still don't know what Jade Typhoon is, click here:
http://jadetyphoon.blogspot.com/ (WS)

Television:
BBC America's The Fades (i'm catching up on BBC America On Demand) LOVE IT!
BLUEBLOODS
REVENGE
SOUTHLAND
THE GOOD WIFE
LOST GIRL (i like this show!)
BEING HUMAN
WHITE COLLAR

Movies/DVD:
THE GREY
CHRONICLE (planning to see both this weekend)
THE TAKE (BBC miniseries Tom Hardy co-wrote that came on back in 2009, I think. I am going to watch it straight through since I missed this when it actually premiered and I hear it's good)
PHASE 7 (spanish apocalytic (sp?) thriller)
THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (i missed this when it came out in 2007 and I hear Brad Pitt *SHOULD* have been nominated for this but wasn't. This is the movie that Casey Affleck got an oscar nomination for)
adding more horror to my netflix queue since i'm on Dae021's horror movie podcast and I want to make sure I can chime in when i'm officially on (mid February, here I come!!!!)

and i'm sure i'll catch whatever indie and other movies coming out this month that I haven't checked for yet.

Get Out the Room
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/get-out-the-room/id525657893

Some of y'all need this in your life: http://www.psychology.com

Saw the first two episodes, and now I'm hooked.

*****************************
Pay no attention when I laugh. I'm a notorious pervert in that respect

http://atrackbrown.blogspot.com/

"Contagion" starring Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet, and a lot more
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1598778/

"The Experiment" staring Forest Whitaker and Adrien Brody
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0997152/
-Remake of the German film that I hope to see soon.

"Closer" starring Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Clive Davis and Julia Roberts
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0376541/
-Liked it better than I expected to.

but with march madness creeping up, I'm going to break down soon, also seems like live sports links are drying up with the quickness.

TV
*Enterprise* yeah, I am clearly hitting bottom and will do anything to satisfy my space opera fix. I saw a few episodes of this when it was on and never really formed a strong opinion. Just knew compared to TNG it felt too light-hearted and watered down, not as smart. But it is on Amazon Prime, so I've started going through season 1. Not too bad, not great, but good enough to keep going sporadically. I actually like Bacula as captain, and the vulcan is hot, but the writing is lacking.

*Shark Tank* I streamed season 1. Really like this show, love the concept and really connects with my own interest. The musical score is so corny and over the top, and they add drama for no reason at times, but its really good considering the premise they are taking on. Oleary is really over doing it with the fake persona. Show is always 50% better when Cuban is on.

*Happy Endings* Stumbled on to it a few weeks back and fully caught up, my new "community" not saying they are similar, but its my in my 1-2 network sitcoms I actually track.


MOVIES

I've probably watched more movies since getting rid of cable than I have in a long time:

*50/50* Maybe I'm getting soft, but this movie hit me in the heart a bit. Only "-" was Seth Rogan, I just hate that guy

*Moneyball* Similar to Will's comment, but in the end I enjoyed it, wasn't impressed but a fun 90 min. Maybe its because I'm not a baseball fan, and this is the only Michael Lewis book I haven't read.


*Drive* Ehh, visually compelling, but felt no emotional connection. There was so many pointless decisions/actions taken that made no sense but to make a cool visual (like him putting on the mask to eventually merc perlman, the blood-stained jacket, etc). Cinematographic porn, but I did got a woody off some of the scenes.

*Apollo 18* Worst movie I've ever seen, maybe. Scratch that, not sure I can say "seen" since I stopped it after 50 minutes and couldn't finish (see above my scifi withdrawal that forces me to try shit like this)

*Beginners* Liked. But I've always been a big McGreggor fan.

A handful of others I'm probably forgetting right now

The details of the animation are nothing short of amazing, some shots of the garden were just beautiful. This isn't an adventure epic but it doesn't try or need to be. Definitely worth watching if you're an anime fan.

-
Gang Starr / Nujabes blend - https://youtu.be/lsci1vu6ick
DOOM Tribute - https://youtu.be/qmBQ2BDefKM
Donut of the Heart cover in Javascript - https://youtu.be/afLc2CkC8lk

Grave:

One of the saddest movies I've seen. They pulled no punches with this one. Some nice moments, but overall it was pretty rough. 4/5

Hanna:

Didn't like this one. Most of the characters here were real goofy, which might have been intentional, but shit bothered me. I don't know if over-directed is the right term, but there were a couple of scenes where I was thinking to myself "errr...why is this happening?" Some of the sets/locations were great, but the story was kinda boring. 2.5/5

Bombay Beach - Another indie that straddles the line between documentary and feature (see: Putty Hill), this one had a very dream-like quality to it that I really enjoyed. Great cinematography that managed to show some beauty amidst the desolation of the Salton Sea (7.5/10)

Chronicle - Good fun, went a little darker than I was expecting, which was good. Did not feel that involved in the characters, but enough to pay attention till the end. Impressively realistic-looking, as these things go (7/10)

Design For Living - Jules and Jim by Lubitsch. This wasn's as fun as I had hoped, but it was still enjoyable and breezy. Pretty amazing this film is from the 30s though, what with the girl getting with 2 guys (I think this is one of the first Hollywood films where they explicitly refer to having sex, though I might be wrong) (8/10)

Rear Window - I tend to consider the latest Hitchcock that I've watched to be the GOAT, but in this case it really might be true. But since Vertigo is on Netflix Instant right now, this opinion might change in the next week (9/10)

Detour - Kind of a by-the-numbers noir. The main actor was good but the femme fatale was really shrill and annoying (6/10)

------------------------------
For the record, my teams:
MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG
NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan
NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets