Heart of Glass*** by Werner Herzog
genre: historical docudrama, experimental film : all actors worked under hynotism
Photography is very beautiful and atmospheric with long shots of rolling hills, clouds, with gd music. The story is rather slow moving and the acting wooden - due to the experimental method of hypnotising all the actors. So everybody is ad libbing from somewhere else. Story of a glass making town when the receipe for Ruby Red glass is lost, everybody slowly becomes mad and townspeople kill each other, fights, the town returns to a stony island without much inhabitants.
Friday, 27 January 2012
I am my films***half
I am my films - Werner Herzog ***half
genre: interview of director Werner Herzog by Erwin Keusch
The film goes by a chronological order of works by Herzog. Herzog talks about what and in which circumstances where the films made, difficulties, actors, costumes, his own back ground, how he broke into houses as a youth to sleep here and there. Most interesting part is a recording of Klaus Kinski how he shouted at Herzog when he was a new director. I can imagine the crazy guy screaming non stop with spittles flying all over the place. Herzogs films are very authentic courageous self expressions. I watched Fitzcarldo many years ago and was amazed by the scenes shown in the movie, poetic, magical, powerful. But when I saw the making of this movie, thats when I discovered that they didnt "just hauled a boat over a mountain to make the film", not once, but twice!!
If you dont have the nerve to tackle difficulties which occurs in film making, you will never make it as a film maker.
He produces all his own films. Maybe his film making is his destiny? Such is the strength of his conviction of what should or not should be filmed? A natural film maker, it takes him 3, to 4 days to write a script as he could see everything in his head already. The movie plays in his head and he writes it down.
Inspires me to watch all his films.
genre: interview of director Werner Herzog by Erwin Keusch
The film goes by a chronological order of works by Herzog. Herzog talks about what and in which circumstances where the films made, difficulties, actors, costumes, his own back ground, how he broke into houses as a youth to sleep here and there. Most interesting part is a recording of Klaus Kinski how he shouted at Herzog when he was a new director. I can imagine the crazy guy screaming non stop with spittles flying all over the place. Herzogs films are very authentic courageous self expressions. I watched Fitzcarldo many years ago and was amazed by the scenes shown in the movie, poetic, magical, powerful. But when I saw the making of this movie, thats when I discovered that they didnt "just hauled a boat over a mountain to make the film", not once, but twice!!
If you dont have the nerve to tackle difficulties which occurs in film making, you will never make it as a film maker.
He produces all his own films. Maybe his film making is his destiny? Such is the strength of his conviction of what should or not should be filmed? A natural film maker, it takes him 3, to 4 days to write a script as he could see everything in his head already. The movie plays in his head and he writes it down.
Inspires me to watch all his films.
Thursday, 26 January 2012
La Buche***
La Buche***
genre: drama, family stories, family secrets, social norm stories; setting in contemporary Paris
Three sisters from a violin player father, mother re-married a man and the film opens when he just died. So; a cell phone rings, nobody knows whos phone is ringing and it turns out to be the dead mans. The wife never told the first wife that this man has passed away because she is mad at the first wife. Such is the tone of the whole film.
People with lovers left and right, nobody has a "happy perfect" life. Rich, poor, mentally unstable, all with children or wishing to have a child to be born, dancer entertainer at a restaurant, all, everyone is in the middle of break ups. Affairs left and right, whose child is by whom? Only the mother knows.
The violin player is about to die, he goes to the hospital, the doc says, nothing wrong with you, just your heart is a little big will be fine. He goes to the fancy shop and buys himself new clothes so that he would look better and meets with ex wife. They tell each other "truths".
The film weaves intricate human relationships, happy and unhappy things. Nobody gets everything they wish. But we all find some small items small events to console ourselves on Christmas eve.
Very nice details on scenarios, restaurants, decors, artisants courtyard atelier, motorcycle riders, Luxembourg garden, bourgeois shopping, various house for rents turns meeting places for love affairs (how mean and degrading, and maybe realistic form of romantic rendez vous, do as you can? The scriptwriter has eyes for showing the various social groups and their situations) at every level of life, all finely rendered.
genre: drama, family stories, family secrets, social norm stories; setting in contemporary Paris
Three sisters from a violin player father, mother re-married a man and the film opens when he just died. So; a cell phone rings, nobody knows whos phone is ringing and it turns out to be the dead mans. The wife never told the first wife that this man has passed away because she is mad at the first wife. Such is the tone of the whole film.
People with lovers left and right, nobody has a "happy perfect" life. Rich, poor, mentally unstable, all with children or wishing to have a child to be born, dancer entertainer at a restaurant, all, everyone is in the middle of break ups. Affairs left and right, whose child is by whom? Only the mother knows.
The violin player is about to die, he goes to the hospital, the doc says, nothing wrong with you, just your heart is a little big will be fine. He goes to the fancy shop and buys himself new clothes so that he would look better and meets with ex wife. They tell each other "truths".
The film weaves intricate human relationships, happy and unhappy things. Nobody gets everything they wish. But we all find some small items small events to console ourselves on Christmas eve.
Very nice details on scenarios, restaurants, decors, artisants courtyard atelier, motorcycle riders, Luxembourg garden, bourgeois shopping, various house for rents turns meeting places for love affairs (how mean and degrading, and maybe realistic form of romantic rendez vous, do as you can? The scriptwriter has eyes for showing the various social groups and their situations) at every level of life, all finely rendered.
Look at me ***, Freaky Friday **half
Look at me ***,
french
genre: psychological, family, drama
Very nice fine touches, portrait of a fat girl with a famous writer father. Her piano teacher, fiction writer husband on his way up, the famous writer father is a sort of rude insensitive person, young wife with young child, human comedy.
Very finely tuned, nice french setting, in country side, in nice ordinary restaurants, partying, making out.
Freaky Friday **half
Fairy tale story
genre: family romance with a magic twist via fortune cookies
stereotypical american mother daughter brother, new husband, moto bike boyfriend, rock band girl, cheesy girlfriends, wedding, stereotypcial asian characters, magic fortune cookies... fun. Even though everything is stereotypcial, it is fun. And the scenario does depict ordinary upper middle class America.
french
genre: psychological, family, drama
Very nice fine touches, portrait of a fat girl with a famous writer father. Her piano teacher, fiction writer husband on his way up, the famous writer father is a sort of rude insensitive person, young wife with young child, human comedy.
Very finely tuned, nice french setting, in country side, in nice ordinary restaurants, partying, making out.
Freaky Friday **half
Fairy tale story
genre: family romance with a magic twist via fortune cookies
stereotypical american mother daughter brother, new husband, moto bike boyfriend, rock band girl, cheesy girlfriends, wedding, stereotypcial asian characters, magic fortune cookies... fun. Even though everything is stereotypcial, it is fun. And the scenario does depict ordinary upper middle class America.
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Irina Palm**half
Irina Palm**half
genre: kinky drama romance family love
grandma goes to do a whanking job to make money for a medical operation for the grandson and son and daughter in law are kept in secret, super grandma falls in love w angel boss. They kiss and live happily ever after in a sunset romance.
The film has an interesting outline, Marianne Faithfull is superb. However, the script is a little rough. We cannot believe, or are not allowed to see why the son is so clunky, hes just totally wishy washy and hard headed. We dont know why he is so hard on his mother, and dont know why his wife is not getting on w the super grandmother. As to the young couple, why are they so useless? poor? A lot of story line is missing. We only have eyes for Marianne Faithfull, but she alone could not save the film. Miki has an interesting face. We also dont know how he fell into this sleazy business. All cardboard characters.
genre: kinky drama romance family love
grandma goes to do a whanking job to make money for a medical operation for the grandson and son and daughter in law are kept in secret, super grandma falls in love w angel boss. They kiss and live happily ever after in a sunset romance.
The film has an interesting outline, Marianne Faithfull is superb. However, the script is a little rough. We cannot believe, or are not allowed to see why the son is so clunky, hes just totally wishy washy and hard headed. We dont know why he is so hard on his mother, and dont know why his wife is not getting on w the super grandmother. As to the young couple, why are they so useless? poor? A lot of story line is missing. We only have eyes for Marianne Faithfull, but she alone could not save the film. Miki has an interesting face. We also dont know how he fell into this sleazy business. All cardboard characters.
Thursday, 19 January 2012
Yayoi Kusama documentary ***, Basquiat***, Suzan Pitt***half, Hula Girls***half
Yayoi Kusama documentary ***,
Very interesting to see her walking around, answering interviews, directing assistants, speaking to international critics. You see someone slightly in their own world, but still functions very well in everyday situations. She murmurs that she is a genius, and that she is the greatest, the bestest, the most extraordinary better than anyone anyone alive. And she also adds that as an artist, if you didnt think you were the best, you would have given up along the way.
Basquiat***,
Very well made, this Julian Schnabel film with David Bowie playing Andy Warhol and Basquiat is such a handsome man in real life and in this film, everybody else acts and speaks, surrounds themselves in the realistic decors. Unlike art films made by "non artists", this film has a good pace and shows more or less truthfully what actually happens in the market place when a new artist comes into the arena. Glossified but the basic reference points are accurate, so I think its a great film. A collectable.
Suzan Pitt***half,
Surrealistic animation, very sexy, erotic, somber, everything all mixed. El Doctor is a very funny film based on tabloid newspaper stories. Very original and I see her style has been borrowed by certain younger artists. Especially the very rich lush flower motifs and dark midnight backgrounds.
Hula Girls***half
tones are brown, sun burnt, and retro colored, because the film is an old film but what a story. Very good dialogues, everybody speaks from their stand points and the Japanese girls, mother, over size gentle giant girl, tough as nail dance teacher, everybody is wonderful. The dance teacher runs into a male bath house to kick this guys ass, shes fully dressed and she jumps into the pool with all these fat naked men! Very good scenes. Brings tears to my eyes! Even though I already knew what the story is going to be about. :)
Very interesting to see her walking around, answering interviews, directing assistants, speaking to international critics. You see someone slightly in their own world, but still functions very well in everyday situations. She murmurs that she is a genius, and that she is the greatest, the bestest, the most extraordinary better than anyone anyone alive. And she also adds that as an artist, if you didnt think you were the best, you would have given up along the way.
Basquiat***,
Very well made, this Julian Schnabel film with David Bowie playing Andy Warhol and Basquiat is such a handsome man in real life and in this film, everybody else acts and speaks, surrounds themselves in the realistic decors. Unlike art films made by "non artists", this film has a good pace and shows more or less truthfully what actually happens in the market place when a new artist comes into the arena. Glossified but the basic reference points are accurate, so I think its a great film. A collectable.
Suzan Pitt***half,
Surrealistic animation, very sexy, erotic, somber, everything all mixed. El Doctor is a very funny film based on tabloid newspaper stories. Very original and I see her style has been borrowed by certain younger artists. Especially the very rich lush flower motifs and dark midnight backgrounds.
Hula Girls***half
tones are brown, sun burnt, and retro colored, because the film is an old film but what a story. Very good dialogues, everybody speaks from their stand points and the Japanese girls, mother, over size gentle giant girl, tough as nail dance teacher, everybody is wonderful. The dance teacher runs into a male bath house to kick this guys ass, shes fully dressed and she jumps into the pool with all these fat naked men! Very good scenes. Brings tears to my eyes! Even though I already knew what the story is going to be about. :)
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Big Monster Coming to Taiwan***
Big Monster Coming to Taiwan 大怪獸台湾上陸 ***
Documentary by Tang ChengWei 唐澄暐, a young film maker from Taiwan.
Very charming film. It shows Godzilla, from the first look to the evaluation of what Godzilla means, how he must hide all the books from his mother, the teachers words about himself the Godzilla monster specialist, what shared memories of Godzilla are like, the Japanese history of Godzilla, the Hollywood Godzilla flop - how Godzilla really doesnt look like Gozilla himself but a giant lizard, only the original Godzilla has the spirit of Godzilla... Gozilla Gozilla Gozillarama galore!! and more,... crazy fans of pop monster culture, the loving obsessions with pop icons of monsters.
The opening credit title with walking paper cutouts of Gozilla drawn by a childs hand is so full of love, its impossible to not watch it to the end.
Documentary by Tang ChengWei 唐澄暐, a young film maker from Taiwan.
Very charming film. It shows Godzilla, from the first look to the evaluation of what Godzilla means, how he must hide all the books from his mother, the teachers words about himself the Godzilla monster specialist, what shared memories of Godzilla are like, the Japanese history of Godzilla, the Hollywood Godzilla flop - how Godzilla really doesnt look like Gozilla himself but a giant lizard, only the original Godzilla has the spirit of Godzilla... Gozilla Gozilla Gozillarama galore!! and more,... crazy fans of pop monster culture, the loving obsessions with pop icons of monsters.
The opening credit title with walking paper cutouts of Gozilla drawn by a childs hand is so full of love, its impossible to not watch it to the end.
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