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Author Topic: 90s US Round 5: Out of Sight vs. My Own Private Idaho  (Read 24560 times)

pixote

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Re: 90s US Round 5: Out of Sight vs. My Own Private Idaho
« Reply #40 on: April 29, 2009, 12:15:47 AM »
I'm wanting to watch both these films again.  I've seen Idaho more recently, and I don't remember it feeling incohesive much at all (though I barely remember some of these screenshots, so who knows; also, let's pretend incohesive is a word).  All I remember is that the scene at the house with "Getting Into the Outside" playing is really beautiful, and I've spent hours looking for that song, all to no avail.

Oh, and Out of Sight is really entertaining.  I have no non-favorite in this matchup.  Looking forward to reading more about both films, though.

[/procrastination]

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worm@work

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Re: 90s US Round 5: Out of Sight vs. My Own Private Idaho
« Reply #41 on: April 29, 2009, 12:21:32 AM »
I really like both films too and have watched Out of Sight more recently and more number of times. But I remember loving Idaho too. Fun matchup for sure.

Melvil

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Re: 90s US Round 5: Out of Sight vs. My Own Private Idaho
« Reply #42 on: April 29, 2009, 01:00:05 AM »
It's difficult to explain what makes My Own Private Idaho so enjoyable. Even now, having just watched it last night, I am having trouble piecing together any significant reason for what makes it work. Instead I remember very clearly individual aspects of the movie, bits and pieces throughout. So let's talk bits and pieces.



There's this guy. One of Mike's regular customers, who is obsessively clean and has interesting fetishes stemming from that. Also he dances as he gets turned on. We could get into the way sex is depicted in this movie more, there's certainly no shortage of kinks and other issues to discuss, but I'm more interested in just how much fun scenes likes this are approached with. It's silly and stylish, and there's no great reason why we're shown this over a more typical prostitution encounter, but it's certainly more entertaining.

The above dance sequence was a highlight for it's absurdity and quirk, but then it's outdone by this guy.

Oh, Hans, what can I say about Hans? He's delightful in every scene, and his "performance" here is just amazing. It's absolutely pointless, but one of my favorite scenes in the movie. In a following scene, Mike and Scott are checking in at the airport and very suddenly break into and out of this really phony laughter at the mention of his name. It can't be explained, but it's perfect.

And then there's Bob. Bob is an interesting character, he is talked up far before we meet him, so when he appears he is already an almost legendary character. The bulk of the Shakespearean scenes (maybe all of them) take place around Bob, so there is a very distinct change in tone when he is around. I mentioned earlier it's pretty abrupt when there is a transition into this very different style, but that doesn't stop me from absolutely loving the scenes themselves. I really enjoyed how it was all done, and you can pretty much expect every scene with Bob to be really fun and playful.


The last thing I want to talk about for now is these two scenes, which I think best sum up the major relationship in the film, Mike and Scott. The first screenshot is from a bit of a throwaway scene, but is a nice moment. After one of Mike's (many) narcoleptic episodes, Scott is seen just holding him until he comes to. For me it was the first time I realized the extent of their relationship, although at this point it's not clear that they are coming at it from different angles. The second scene is kinda self explanatory, wherein Mike expresses his love for Scott. Maybe it's most important because it's the first time their sexuality is discussed, which obviously plays into the rest of the story, but it's just a really sad and touching scene.

(More tomorrow, it's probably better when the other people in the matchup are, you know, posting)

Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: 90s US Round 5: Out of Sight vs. My Own Private Idaho
« Reply #43 on: April 29, 2009, 07:34:17 AM »
Of all the things in MOPI I think the sex scenes work the best...which is something I know none of you expected me to say.


Also, I still don't get how people can be all ga ga over Out of Sight. Is it simply because it's fun? Because it isn't a good story or all that well shot. The only charm I can see the film having is George Clooney. And telling me a film is good because it's fun is like telling me drugs are good because they are fun (bad example). I need more than that. So many more things are just as fun, if not even moreso, that movies. If I want to have fun I go play a video game, not watch a movie.  :P

jbissell

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Re: 90s US Round 5: Out of Sight vs. My Own Private Idaho
« Reply #44 on: April 29, 2009, 09:03:08 AM »
Also, I still don't get how people can be all ga ga over Out of Sight. Is it simply because it's fun? Because it isn't a good story or all that well shot. The only charm I can see the film having is George Clooney. And telling me a film is good because it's fun is like telling me drugs are good because they are fun (bad example). I need more than that. So many more things are just as fun, if not even moreso, that movies. If I want to have fun I go play a video game, not watch a movie.  :P

What exactly is so bad about the story?  Sure, it's fun, but there are quite a few scenes that are fantastic, though the diamond heist was the least interesting part of the film for me.  The chemistry between Clooney and Lopez is wonderful.  I like the supporting characters.  I can see not liking the film, but despising it seems like a curiously strong reaction.

worm@work

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Re: 90s US Round 5: Out of Sight vs. My Own Private Idaho
« Reply #45 on: April 29, 2009, 09:10:02 AM »
Also, I still don't get how people can be all ga ga over Out of Sight. Is it simply because it's fun? Because it isn't a good story or all that well shot.

Why do you think it's not all that well-shot? Can you elaborate on that for me? Maybe I'll go first and talk about why I think it's well-made and pretty well-shot even.
Let's start with the car-trunk scene. Foley & Sisco are locked together in the trunk of the getaway car. Jack's all filthy and covered in grime and Sisco is wearing that $900 suit that her dad gave her. Soderbergh lights that scene with the red glow of the brake lights and the camera is positioned as if we're seeing things from the back seat of the car.. she's in the foreground mostly and he's in the background with his filthy hand on her skirt and thigh. We can see both of their faces but they can't see each other.


They start having a conversation. At some point, she makes a snide remark about him fancying himself as another Clyde Barrow. Clooney hesitates for just a moment and then voila, he gets the reference and he says aloud "Bonnie & Clyde". The conversations goes off into a tangent about Faye Dunaway films and they start talking about Network (already we can see Lopez warming up to Clooney ever so slightly); Clooney then incorrectly quotes Peter Finch's dialogue from Network as, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take any more of your shit". She smiles but doesn't bother to correct him and then he talks about how he felt when Bonnie & Clyde were being shot in the movie and how he thought to himself that it might not be such a bad way to go and we see her turn her head towards him for the first time and her face lights up with a smile. We're not quite sure whether the smile is for what he said or because she can hear a police siren in the distance.

A minute or so later they are back to Faye Dunaway and discussing Three Days of the Condor and this is the first time we see Lopez actually take the lead in the conversation where she says that she never quite bought into the plot twist or something. She then turns towards Clooney and an overhead shot and now we see Foley and Sisco and if we didn't know any better, they look like they could be lovers in bed.


I think it's a great setup.

Pardon the terrible screenshots but I don't have the DVD and am relying on youtube videos and Google images. I'll post some more stuff later.

worm@work

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Re: 90s US Round 5: Out of Sight vs. My Own Private Idaho
« Reply #46 on: April 29, 2009, 09:11:28 AM »
So many more things are just as fun, if not even moreso, that movies.

 :'(

worm@work

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Re: 90s US Round 5: Out of Sight vs. My Own Private Idaho
« Reply #47 on: April 29, 2009, 09:53:06 AM »
Okay, one more scene. The fantasy scene. I vaguely remember this being discussed in one of the Filmspotting episodes but no harm repeating it anyway. Buddy and Jack are walking back to the apartment and Jack talks about getting all cleaned up. In the meantime, we see Karen in the apartment hallway. She opens the apartment door, gets to the bathroom and just looks at Clooney for a while. She goes towards him and he reaches up and grabs her gun and then pulls her down for a kiss. We see the kiss (mmmmmm) and then she wakes up in the hospital.

I love the way this scene is shot. It is never quite clear that this is a fantasy going in. But there are these little hints. Something seems off. Firstly, he starts filling water in the tub. Would he use a tub? Maybe. Secondly, just the way Jack takes his shirt off in front of the mirror. It all looks a bit too movie-like and theatrical. Candles? Really? And the fussy seashell floor pattern. These are such feminine touches. Of course, it's a female fantasy we're seeing on screen. And I love that... considering we hardly ever get to see those on film.


Youtube doesn't have the hospital scene but I'm pretty sure she has an amused smile on her face when she wakes up.
« Last Edit: April 29, 2009, 10:01:32 AM by worm@work »

Melvil

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Re: 90s US Round 5: Out of Sight vs. My Own Private Idaho
« Reply #48 on: April 29, 2009, 12:19:59 PM »
Those are some good examples, worm. I don't think Out Of Sight broke any new ground, but it put it's own unique spin on things and does what it does very well. Those scenes perfectly set up what is really the whole premise of the movie, and they do it in a slick and effortless way. I also think the final scene (with a brilliant guest star appearance) really caps the film nicely, in a "this isn't over" sorta way.

Also, I still don't get how people can be all ga ga over Out of Sight. Is it simply because it's fun? Because it isn't a good story or all that well shot. The only charm I can see the film having is George Clooney. And telling me a film is good because it's fun is like telling me drugs are good because they are fun (bad example). I need more than that. So many more things are just as fun, if not even moreso, that movies. If I want to have fun I go play a video game, not watch a movie.  :P

My mind can't comprehend this argument, but I guess we are fundamentally opposed on the issue because I found both the story and the film-making more than passable. A movie like this doesn't need high-drama for the story to be good. Again, the aim of the movie (and my experience with it) is to have a fun ride, so if the story serves that purpose, then I call that "good".

FLYmeatwad

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Re: 90s US Round 5: Out of Sight vs. My Own Private Idaho
« Reply #49 on: April 29, 2009, 12:27:58 PM »
Okay, so that is Jackson at the end of the film, right? I wanted to bring that up but I wasn't sure if that was him. I'll add that into my extraneous information once I finish these papers and come back here to follow up.

 

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