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1. Objective Aggie said:

   February 14th, 2008 at 7:40 pm

   Nice reachback for Memento. One of my favorite mindfuck films.

   One I would recommend is Fallen with Denzel Washington, primarily for a nice surprise ending.

   As an Aggie, however, I think I am obligated to suggest Triumph of the Will. Wouldnt want to disappoint you guys.

2. Facebook User said:

   February 14th, 2008 at 7:50 pm

   Go, Leni, Go.

   Actually, The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl is a good film.

   What’s more, these guys can score quality trim. Who knew?

   Willem Dafoe in Born on The Fourth of July.

   Scip – Expand on the politics one. Sounds like a timely pick.

3. CallKevin said:

   February 14th, 2008 at 8:23 pm

   More on Street Fight here: http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2005/streetfight/

   The Wikopedia article (spoiler included) on Booker here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cory_Booker

   Borges also said: “There are people who barely feel poetry, and they are generally dedicated to teaching it.” Your dad might get a kick out of that. Also “There is no intellectual exercise which is not ultimately useless.” And “To die for a religion is easier than to live it absolutely.”

   The quote you were looking for might be “One of the schools in Tlön has reached the point of denying time. It reasons that the present is undefined, that the future has no other reality than as present hope, that past is no more than present memory.”

   Found them all here: http://www.themodernword.com/borges/borges_quotes.html

4. Facebook User said:

   February 14th, 2008 at 10:34 pm

   Wow. I can watch it right now: Street Fight

   Nice.

5. DrJHorn said:

   February 15th, 2008 at 12:03 am

   These all look appealing. Thanks for the recommendations.

   Meanwhile, I eagerly await the arrival of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (in Tamil with Thai subtitles) coming soon to the Video Ezy near me. I’ll post a review of that one soonest.

   Then again, I could actually acquire one of the recommendations here by collecting the change behind the cushions of my couch, crossing into Malaysia, and standing expectantly on the street corner for about three or four minutes.

   I would just have to hope that no one in the front of the theater chose to rudely pop up out of his seat to go get popcorn – temporarily blocking the view of the enterprising videocam operator in the back row and adversely affecting the video quality on my newly purchased DVD.

6. scagnetti said:

   February 15th, 2008 at 2:17 am

   street fight was remarkably disappointing.
   nice call on Lives of Others, and to connect Leni and her Nazi past, with current-kinda german oscar nominees, chickity check out downfall with bruna ganz…
   and speaking of bruno ganz, there will forever be a need to view mr ganz and deenis hopper in wim wenders’ The american friend…
   murderball is good, but old school errol morris thin blue line was infinitely better…
   last thought, memento was never better on second viewing, and never good at all again…
   fallen is a nice substitute, as is denzel and an early don cheadle on devil in a blue dress…

   special pre 1970 pick of the year?
   In a Lonely Place with Bogart and Gloria Graham, directed by Nicholas Ray.

7. Mack Tripper said:

   February 15th, 2008 at 8:58 am

   The Lives of Others was a great, great movie.

8. South '06 said:

   February 15th, 2008 at 9:43 am

   You just couldn’t resist, could you?

   Solid picks, Scip. I can vouch for 3 of them, but I was unfamiliar with “Street Fight” until this writeup. Sounds interesting.

   I’m really impressed with movies that don’t bash you over the head with their message. That’s why I loved “No Country for Old Men” so much. If you haven’t seen it, do it now.

9. Scipio Tex said:

   February 15th, 2008 at 11:24 am

   scagnetti:

   Elaborate on your distaste for Street Fight and Memento if you would. I’ll have to check out In A Lonely Place and Downfall.

   South:

   You knew I had to do it.

   I liked No Country For Old Men. I’m a Cohen brother’s fan. It’s a rare movie that will actually make me go to a theater these days. The abrupt ending wasn’t anticipated, but upon reflection I didn’t mind it at all.

   Of course, I had to spend the next day explaining to friends who saw it that Javier Bardem killed the wife. So much for not providing a map to the viewer.

10. Facebook User said:

    February 15th, 2008 at 11:51 am

    No Country For Old Men presented me with a serious dilemma. A novel by one of my favorite authors and a movie adaption by my favorite film guys.

    I opted for the book first and while it was obvious to me that this was a great movie while watching it, the pleasure was mitigated by knowing exactly what was going to happen.

    The ending in the movie was jarring to the folks who only saw the movie but since the rest of the movie was so closely hewn to the novel, I new he was going to get smashed.

    Great book and great movie.

11. Horn In Exile said:

    February 15th, 2008 at 1:43 pm

    I’m putting Street Fight on the top of my must-see list. Thanks.

    My favorite documentary to date is Startup.Com. Nothing has come so close in capturing the gravity-defying illogic that fueled the dotcom bubble.

    Call me a wuss, but I watched Once with my wife last night (it was Valentine’s Day, after all) and thoroughly enjoyed it. This movie would be impossible to pull off if the music wasn’t good as well.

12. HenryJames said:

    February 15th, 2008 at 1:46 pm

    I saw Once in the theater and also thoroughly enjoyed it.

13. CallKevin said:

    February 15th, 2008 at 2:03 pm

    I’ve got very different taste in movies than you, Scipio–so I’m not sure there’ll be much value here–but a few films I’ve enjoyed recently, or popped into my head while putting a list together are below. I was a drama major for my first few years at Texas, then moved into English. You’d think I’d like “great” movies, but instead I’m generally more happy with pure pappy entertainment. Depressing movies (and books) piss me off. I’ve got the news if I feel like reading about the ugly side of life.

    High Fidelity, starting John Cusack. I like just about everything John Cusack or Nick Hornsby has been associated with. I don’t think all the Nick Hornsby films or books have been great, or challenging, but they’re enjoyable and relatable (is that even a word). I find that interesting, since he and I would have, on the surface, very little in common.

    Notting Hill. I like it. Fuck off. I liked Four Weddings and a Funeral as well. Hugh Grant with tall american actress works for me.

    Rock Star. Stupid name of a movie, but it’s loosely based on the fascinating story of Tim “Ripper” Owens, who replaced Rob Halford in Judas Priest when Rob decided to leave Priest closet. It stars Mark Wahlberg, who is genuinely interesting as an actor–and whose interview on Inside the Actors Studio blew me away. It took me years to dissociate him from Good Vibrations and underwear ads–but now I can enjoy watching his films.

    The Princess Bride. Haven’t seen it in years, but have read it a few times and get a kick out of William Goldman’s writing & Rob Reiner’s directing every time.

    Searching for Bobby Fisher. A very well-done movie, with fascinating lessons for fathers like myself.

    Rent. I’ve never seen the stageplay, but felt this movie showed me enough to know that the world lost a tremendous talent when Jonathan Larson died. I can’t say the movie moved me the way it does some people, but several of the songs absolutely stuck in my head. More on that in another post.

    My Favorite Year. I haven’t seen it in far too long. Wonder if I’ll still think it’s quietly quite good.

    Elizabethtown. I’m among those who find Kirsten Dunst oddly compelling. Whether in Wimbledon, Spider-Man, Bring it On, or Drop Dead Gorgeous, I like to see her act. I wouldn’t call Elizabethtown great, but as with most Cameron Crowe movies, I was glad I saw it and don’t mind seeing it come on tv again from time to time. I haven’t seen Vanilla Sky, but liked his other six films.

    Crank–watched it once, and if you like a movie that goes very full speed, and enjoy watching Jason Statham do his thing, see it.

    Invincible–I’m a sucker for a sports movie.

14. CrazyJoeDavola said:

    February 15th, 2008 at 6:14 pm

    Everyone should see “There Will Be Blood”, if for no other reason than to get the full context of “I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE. I DRINK IT UP!”

15. Facebook User said:

    February 15th, 2008 at 7:01 pm

    Now check your inbox you silly twat.

16. ChrisApplewhite said:

    February 15th, 2008 at 8:02 pm

    Um . . . I watched The Notebook last night. Don’t watch it in front of whom you wish to maintain your dignity as a man.

    Ahem.

    Extremely well written story, though. Everyone is great in it except for Rachael McAdams’ cartoon dad.

17. TaylorTRoom said:

    February 16th, 2008 at 12:47 pm

    “Ripley’s Game” was never released in theaters, but made Ebert’s list of great movies (so you just don’t have to take my word for it). Malkovich is great as the completely conscience-free Tom Ripley. “Ripley’s Game” and “The Last Seduction” may be the best straight-to-dvd movies ever.

    It has also inspired me to read the Ripley novels, and I am contemplating composing a Patricia-Highsmith-as-sportswriter post for the BC (”Young sat down. Chow stood before a chalkboard, scrawling diagrams and gesticulating wildly. Young was becoming increasingly bored, and stopped listening. Did that man not realize how ridiculous he looked with cuffed pants and sneakers?”).

18. Facebook User said:

    February 16th, 2008 at 1:34 pm

    Plein soleil, Taylor.

19. Parlin Hall said:

    February 16th, 2008 at 4:27 pm

    First a Spenser allusion on this board. Now a sensitive
    German-language film with a plot that works like a Rolex.

    You guys aren’t well represented by “King of the Hill,” I’ll
    tell you that.

20. DrJHorn said:

    February 16th, 2008 at 4:47 pm

    If Dale Gribble’s nom de plume wasn’t “EyesOfTX”, I’d be inclined to agree, Parlin.

21. scagnetti said:

    February 16th, 2008 at 11:05 pm

    i state street fight was remarkably disappointing due to the fact that michael curry, a director displaying fine craftsmanship, lifted no veil as to where his allegiances lie, and highlights the dirty and degradable element of american politics…
    sometimes theres a point where a movie or one of its characters impresses upon the viewer such disgust that the viewer is forced into an emotional disgust for the film itself. this happened with the overt stance the filmmaker made, and the distasteful nature of the subjects of his craft.
    the film may be well made, but contains despicable subject matter. i have the same problem with michael moore and his obvious propagandist work. you have to admire the guys and their craft, but still be saddened by the story…

    as a filmmaker myself, i admire craftsmanship, and admire street fight for that same reason. ibid for chris nolan’s memento. but i sincerely maintain, that after a viewer’s second run through the film, there are no surprises left in store. and sometimes, in these films, you start finding the cracks in the surface, holes in plots, poor shot selection, etc. that can come from being over exposed to a piece of art.
    mona lisa, while smirking magnificently, is one helluvan ugly bitch. we know that now only because we’ve all had to look at the odious tramp forever and a year thus far…

    short and sweet? i become disenchanted.

    and much like playing baylor following OU year after year, only disappointment can follow. we know how the memento’s gonna end, we learned in our second viewing HOW the filmmaker ends his tale, and after that, only the certainty of a fourth quarter interception in the form of unfortunate acting or editing, we barely escape with a fond memory.

    we’re supposed to like films like these. just as we’re supposed to handily beat the livin’ shit outta the baylor bears every goddamned season…

22. Jeff said:

    February 18th, 2008 at 11:32 am

    100% agree on “No Country for Old Men”. I was surprised by the ending, and then spent the next 24 hours obsessing over the facking film until I put it all together in my head. The message, I mean – what the movie was actually about, which was different than what I THOUGHT it was about while I was watching it. And then I read the book in the next 24 hours.

    Scipio, the book was more explicit about the wife, but I thought the film version was better because it was more subtle. Just a casual check of the bottom of the boots.

    Best movie I’ve seen in years.

23. sinless1 said:

    February 18th, 2008 at 11:49 am

    I second “There will be blood.” Not the feel good movie of the year, but the irony is delicious – like a milkshake.

    Here’s another must see from 2006 ( I think): Brick. Brick is a quirky detective movie set in high school. At the theatre they passed out a glossary to help with the slang, that was a nice touch. Now excuse me, I gotta take a powder.

24. Damion Albor said:

    March 12th, 2010 at 4:16 pm

    Nice one! If I could write like this I would be well happpy. The more I see articles of such quality as this (which is rare), the more I think there could be a future for the Net. Keep it up, as it were.

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