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Author Topic: Top 100 Club: Teproc  (Read 22992 times)

colonel_mexico

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Re: Top 100 Club: Teproc
« Reply #150 on: October 26, 2020, 10:08:18 PM »
Thanks Antares! I am not sure if I remember all of them, the most memorable was Kyuzo who was shot, the master swordsman taken down by a faceless bandit with a gun--that scene was particularly moving with Katsushiro grieving his idol.  I will need to watch it again with the commentary, thanks for the suggestion!
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Teproc

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Re: Top 100 Club: Teproc
« Reply #151 on: October 27, 2020, 02:53:56 AM »
SEVEN SAMURAI (1954) - Kurosawa is a legend and rightly so, this is the third film of his that I've seen, the others being RASHOMON and SANJURO.  When I began the film and seeing it was so long, I had to break it up over 2 nights (fortunately I was out of town without my family so I had the alone time to really dig in those 2 nights).  What struck me initially, was that the film was going to be similar to SANJURO in a kind of samurai showdown between your traditional good and evil, but there is so much more nuance to this film. While the bad guys do largely stay faceless, nameless bandits, the 7 samurai selected for the mission seem to be only honor and circumstance away from being the same bandits, "but for the grace of God go I."  Each samurai seems to embody the noble virtues of being a samurai.  Service and dignity for the opponent, honoring those who cannot fight for themselves, and humility.  The most interesting character is of course a favorite actor of mine Toshiro Mifune's Kikuchiyo.  Again my initial thoughts went to SANJURO expecting him to be another warrior hero, but here was complex character who was from both worlds of the farmer and the samurai.  Putting the film in historical context, I felt like Kikuchiyo was essentially Japan in the post-WWII era of being a great nation torn to shreds by endless fighting and sacrifice and being born without a name or even birthday.  Kikuchiyo is the bridge whose sacrifice preserves the life of a child, the endless cycle of seeing himself in the baby who has just lost his family, but will somehow endure. 

The character of Kambei is also really well done by a masterful performance by Takashi Shimura, he would make these faces of worry and deep thought that bespoke the intellectual commander that he was, but also the compassionate samurai he embodied. The brilliance of Kurosawa is he shows and never tells and I love the introductory scene of Kambei that has nothing to do with the film plot, but speaks volumes of the kind of man Kambei is and what captures Kikuchiyo's respect.  If only all soldiers could have such commanders, even if they are not the greatest warriors, Kambei would be described by the MCU as "not a perfect soldier, but a good man." 

On a basic level the seven samurai are fighting for food, but on another they are fighting for the soul of Japan, which are the hardworking people in the small unheard of villages.  Katsushiro, our young samurai, is also torn by his love for one of the farmers, but like the Jedi class clearly cannot transcend his place in the samurai ranks to be with a young farm girl.  The love story itself does not try to do to much and even takes a clear shot at the absurd patriarchy of a father who fears for his daughter's life then casts her out as soon as she is "unclean."  The cast of farmers are certainly aggrieved characters, but when the spoils of armor and weapons are discovered (as is the secret of the murder of wayward samurai) who are also not very innocent.  Their struggles and pain are clear, but they aren't made out to be perfect victims.  Rather they are also just trying to eke out a meager existence and are victims of the same violence the samurai are victims of, the endless bloodshed of never ending war. Despite all the depravity of the world men with honor can still save the day, this is a bit idealized and overly romantic, but everything I believe a good film can and should be.  All my directorial heroes have clearly stolen from these themes, but they are just as important as they have ever been. 

I doubt I can share any profound thoughts or ideas and instead will defer to hyperbole and agree with the general consensus that this is a masterpiece with very few equals in terms of scope and storytelling.  Even the camera work is incredible, every horse-fall has a cut to a man hitting the ground, the deaths are theatrical, and the emotions of loss are very real.  It is technically brilliant and just a masterwork in almost every way I can think of, clearly my own Top 100, yet again, will have to make some room.

There's definitely a huge difference between the Kuroasawa of the 50s and the one who made Yonjibo and Sanjuro, which are almost exploitation films. Seven Samurai is a masterpiece because of the simplicity of its structure and because of Kurosawa's humanism showing through and looking at those samurai as characters rather than only archetypal heroes, even if some of them aren't that developped. You make an interesting point about Mifune representing a confused, post-war Japanese society, there's definitely something to that.
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Sandy

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Re: Top 100 Club: Teproc
« Reply #152 on: November 01, 2020, 12:17:29 AM »
Invasion of the Body Snatchers



My, how life imitates art. I've been disinvited to Thanksgiving at my step dad's, my mother-in-law says she's moving to New Zealand if Biden wins and my neighbor just sent me a nauseating Trump tribute to the tune of "I did it My Way." I just can't. The people around me are automatons of allegiance, where their words aren't anything but fear based rhetoric. For four years, no manner of reason, or presidential bad behavior makes a difference. Critical thinking has left the building.

As I'm watching the movie, I find myself saying, "Good luck with trying to stop them." I'm cynical before the exposition is even over. I've seen too many people willfully put themselves to sleep and allow their thoughts to be conscripted into nonsense, to think this story will give us a rosier outcome. The 1956 version also clued me in, as well as this version being from 1978, where pessimism was basically the motto of the decade. So, I sit back and let the invasion commence. I almost want to soothe the panicked, tuck them in and say, "Night, night, resistance is futile," but the few sure put up a fight and I can't help but get caught up in it. Futility never keeps some down and I'll root for them until the bitter end. There's catharsis in that.
« Last Edit: November 01, 2020, 12:19:01 AM by Sandy »

Teproc

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Re: Top 100 Club: Teproc
« Reply #153 on: November 01, 2020, 04:06:41 AM »
Invasion of the Body Snatchers



My, how life imitates art. I've been disinvited to Thanksgiving at my step dad's, my mother-in-law says she's moving to New Zealand if Biden wins and my neighbor just sent me a nauseating Trump tribute to the tune of "I did it My Way." I just can't. The people around me are automatons of allegiance, where their words aren't anything but fear based rhetoric. For four years, no manner of reason, or presidential bad behavior makes a difference. Critical thinking has left the building.

As I'm watching the movie, I find myself saying, "Good luck with trying to stop them." I'm cynical before the exposition is even over. I've seen too many people willfully put themselves to sleep and allow their thoughts to be conscripted into nonsense, to think this story will give us a rosier outcome. The 1956 version also clued me in, as well as this version being from 1978, where pessimism was basically the motto of the decade. So, I sit back and let the invasion commence. I almost want to soothe the panicked, tuck them in and say, "Night, night, resistance is futile," but the few sure put up a fight and I can't help but get caught up in it. Futility never keeps some down and I'll root for them until the bitter end. There's catharsis in that.

I didn't think of how this would play right now in the US, and I can only empathize with your woes, I can't imagine what it would be like to have my family divided in this way. Hopefully this week can be the start of some kind of healing, both for the US and for you all.

I think this also speaks to how versatile this film is, that its metaphor works for basically any political context even though it comes from such a specific place. It's a powerful film in that way.
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Sandy

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Re: Top 100 Club: Teproc
« Reply #154 on: November 02, 2020, 09:51:04 AM »
I didn't think of how this would play right now in the US, and I can only empathize with your woes, I can't imagine what it would be like to have my family divided in this way. Hopefully this week can be the start of some kind of healing, both for the US and for you all.

I hope so too. This week is going to be extremely interesting, human behavior wise. How will people deal with a "life and death" decision that may or may not go their way? "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy [week]."

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I think this also speaks to how versatile this film is, that its metaphor works for basically any political context even though it comes from such a specific place. It's a powerful film in that way.

I agree. The metaphor is strong with this one. That feeling of powerlessness taps into our frustration about our world and makes the film a personal experience.



I have another movie still to watch. It's been out of the library all month, but hopefully I can get it soon.

colonel_mexico

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Re: Top 100 Club: Teproc
« Reply #155 on: November 02, 2020, 07:48:50 PM »
To complete Teproc's month, what a fun ride, thank you so much for a glimpse into a very impressive list!

ZODIAC (2007) - I have enjoyed all of David Fincher's films and this sort of noir/serial murder mystery is very interesting, but the overall film was a bit long and shrouded in as much mystery as the reality itself.  An ensemble cast driven by solid performance from Jake Gyllenhaal (whom I actually not a huge fan of generally) very much made it an intriguing watch.  My knowledge of serial killers is limited, but this one is frightening considering he was never caught.  Though I would imagine with today's forensics and the ubiquitous cameras the odds of catching him are a bit greater.  Still compared to the 2002 version of NIGHTSTALKER which was like a Swedish heavy metal mess (though with some really cool shots and ideas of being inside the killer's mind), this was an interesting look at the interplay of the media and police in piecing together complicated puzzles.  Gyllenhaal plays a sort of autistic savant (I'm not a huge fan of the idea that all autists are geniuses, rather they are simply people not superhuman or abnormal humans), but I believe this to be the author of this particular story who knows himself well enough to accurately portray the character, haha. The weird friendship he shares with Robert Downey Jr and Mark Ruffalo's characters are interesting to keep the story rolling along as we hope that they figure out from the clues who the Zodiac killer really is.  The strange turns the case takes are as weird as the time lapses that range from a few days or weeks to many years, it was hard to keep up with where we were in relation to the killings.  The movie never tries to be a horror (unlike the aforementioned NIGHTSTALKER), though the opening sequence is pretty frightening, and I do like how the cop scenes are mostly in the station or at night, I don't think we see Anthony Edwards character once in the daylight.  Fincher use of lighting and music are well done and sets up suspense, but I was not as enthralled as I was with other films like GONE GIRL or SEVEN.  Also, I think I prefer a David Lynch MULHOLLAND DRIVE or a LA CONFIDENTIAL noir to this, but still not a bad film overall.

BARTON FINK (1991) - I'm a huge Coen bros. fan and this was such a fun to watch, as I was not quite sure if this was shaping up to be a comedy or a tragedy.  In the vein of most of their films we get allusions to the bible, Homer, Goethe, and so many others that I'm not well enough read to even come close to recognizing.  Barton's disdain for Hollywood is as surface deep Jack Lipnick's actual appreciation of Barton's work. Barton is an aspiring artist yearning for a new kind of theater as soon as he can become a part of the old theater, pretending not to enjoy the critical success he has obtained on Broadway.  Barton's tormented artist finds refuge in an amazing hotel, its our Coen Bros version of the Grand Budapest (I could almost see Anton Shugur nursing a broken arm in one of the rooms) and connects, sort of at least on an impersonal level, with a working man Charlie Meadows played by John Goodman. If only Barton would listen to a story of Charlie's he might overcome his writer's block! I thought of Faust as we got near the enigmatic end, but I am not sure if Barton actually sold his soul as much as he has reached the innermost circle of writing Hell (an ode to Dante's 9th Circle of Hell where the traitors reside in a lake of ice). The cast is a lot of fun and there are the usual awkward comedic moments and a total pot shot at noir-era cops that reminded me of something out of Hawks version of SCARFACE, just a lot more silly.  John Mahoney is a golden spot as an alcoholic writer who recognizes the absurdity of his profession, while also being not as genuine (or perhaps not even the actual author) as he appears to be. A lot of fun and mystery (one I'd like to revisit), I enjoyed this one quite a bit, thanks for sharing, a very fun month!
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Teproc

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Re: Top 100 Club: Teproc
« Reply #156 on: November 03, 2020, 09:16:19 AM »
To complete Teproc's month, what a fun ride, thank you so much for a glimpse into a very impressive list!

ZODIAC (2007) - I have enjoyed all of David Fincher's films and this sort of noir/serial murder mystery is very interesting, but the overall film was a bit long and shrouded in as much mystery as the reality itself.  An ensemble cast driven by solid performance from Jake Gyllenhaal (whom I actually not a huge fan of generally) very much made it an intriguing watch.  My knowledge of serial killers is limited, but this one is frightening considering he was never caught.  Though I would imagine with today's forensics and the ubiquitous cameras the odds of catching him are a bit greater.  Still compared to the 2002 version of NIGHTSTALKER which was like a Swedish heavy metal mess (though with some really cool shots and ideas of being inside the killer's mind), this was an interesting look at the interplay of the media and police in piecing together complicated puzzles.  Gyllenhaal plays a sort of autistic savant (I'm not a huge fan of the idea that all autists are geniuses, rather they are simply people not superhuman or abnormal humans), but I believe this to be the author of this particular story who knows himself well enough to accurately portray the character, haha. The weird friendship he shares with Robert Downey Jr and Mark Ruffalo's characters are interesting to keep the story rolling along as we hope that they figure out from the clues who the Zodiac killer really is.  The strange turns the case takes are as weird as the time lapses that range from a few days or weeks to many years, it was hard to keep up with where we were in relation to the killings.  The movie never tries to be a horror (unlike the aforementioned NIGHTSTALKER), though the opening sequence is pretty frightening, and I do like how the cop scenes are mostly in the station or at night, I don't think we see Anthony Edwards character once in the daylight.  Fincher use of lighting and music are well done and sets up suspense, but I was not as enthralled as I was with other films like GONE GIRL or SEVEN.  Also, I think I prefer a David Lynch MULHOLLAND DRIVE or a LA CONFIDENTIAL noir to this, but still not a bad film overall.

BARTON FINK (1991) - I'm a huge Coen bros. fan and this was such a fun to watch, as I was not quite sure if this was shaping up to be a comedy or a tragedy.  In the vein of most of their films we get allusions to the bible, Homer, Goethe, and so many others that I'm not well enough read to even come close to recognizing.  Barton's disdain for Hollywood is as surface deep Jack Lipnick's actual appreciation of Barton's work. Barton is an aspiring artist yearning for a new kind of theater as soon as he can become a part of the old theater, pretending not to enjoy the critical success he has obtained on Broadway.  Barton's tormented artist finds refuge in an amazing hotel, its our Coen Bros version of the Grand Budapest (I could almost see Anton Shugur nursing a broken arm in one of the rooms) and connects, sort of at least on an impersonal level, with a working man Charlie Meadows played by John Goodman. If only Barton would listen to a story of Charlie's he might overcome his writer's block! I thought of Faust as we got near the enigmatic end, but I am not sure if Barton actually sold his soul as much as he has reached the innermost circle of writing Hell (an ode to Dante's 9th Circle of Hell where the traitors reside in a lake of ice). The cast is a lot of fun and there are the usual awkward comedic moments and a total pot shot at noir-era cops that reminded me of something out of Hawks version of SCARFACE, just a lot more silly.  John Mahoney is a golden spot as an alcoholic writer who recognizes the absurdity of his profession, while also being not as genuine (or perhaps not even the actual author) as he appears to be. A lot of fun and mystery (one I'd like to revisit), I enjoyed this one quite a bit, thanks for sharing, a very fun month!

What makes Zodiac special for me is how playful it is, with Fincher almost openly manipulating us and showing us how easily he can make us believe that this person or that person is or isn't the Zodiac killer. I don't remember Gyllenhaal fitting in the "autistic genius" trope (which I despise as well), I remember him more as singularly obsessed, something to think about next time I rewatch it.

I love that Dante over Faust comparison for Barton Fink, don't think I'd particularly thought of Dante but it's definitely spot-on. Tragedy or comedy is also an interesting question, the obvious answer being that it's very much both, though perhaps more horror than tragedy really.
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Sandy

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Re: Top 100 Club: Teproc
« Reply #157 on: November 16, 2020, 11:27:19 PM »
Dawn of the Dead



“You can't get so hung up on where you'd rather be that you forget to make the most of where you are.” - Aurora Lane, Passengers

Ever since reading From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, a kid's book about a brother and sister who take up residence in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I've wondered what it would be like living in unusual spaces. Natalie Portman gets creative camping in a Walmart in Where the Heart Is and Nicholas Hoult makes a pretty sweet bachelor pad in the interior of a Boeing 767, so when the little band of survivors in Dawn of the Dead find and secure a shopping mall, I'm curious how they will make it their own. I'm not disappointed. A large section of the movie is about just that. There is no lack of resources and amusements to be had, as long as they can get the threat out of the premises. I laugh when they become the best dressed survivalists around. Armed to the teeth and fashion forward, they own the place; at least for a while. I like how the film does not shy away from having humor among all the horror. It takes the edge off and lets me enjoy the ride.

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Re: Top 100 Club: Teproc
« Reply #158 on: November 16, 2020, 11:39:42 PM »
I laugh when they become the best dressed survivalists around. Armed to the teeth and fashion forward, they own the place; at least for a while.

One of my favorite things about Dawn of the Dead is the theme of consumerism and consumption.

"The only person who could miss with this gun is the sucker with the bread to buy it."

"Some kind of instinct. Memory of what they used to do. This was an important place in their lives."


I think of the zombie sitting in the fountain, scooping up the coins. It's something I wanted to do as a kid and didn't understand why it was wrong. Now I don't understand why people see a fountain and instinctively throw in coins.

Sandy

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Re: Top 100 Club: Teproc
« Reply #159 on: November 17, 2020, 12:00:01 AM »

One of my favorite things about Dawn of the Dead is the theme of consumerism and consumption.

"The only person who could miss with this gun is the sucker with the bread to buy it."

"Some kind of instinct. Memory of what they used to do. This was an important place in their lives."


Great observation. There are a lot of levels to this movie. No wonder it has staying power.

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I think of the zombie sitting in the fountain, scooping up the coins. It's something I wanted to do as a kid and didn't understand why it was wrong. Now I don't understand why people see a fountain and instinctively throw in coins.

:)

I read that city workers call people who take coins out of fountains, entrepreneurs. That's a nice name for a thief!

 

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