Movies you've recently watched

[Lucidor]

Cinema Paradiso. Great one, the score is perfect, and the actors especially when the protagonist is a child are all very well played.

[Queequeg]

Apocalypto.

For some reason, I am especially disturbed by the fact that they had nets at the bottom of the temple to catch their victim's heads.  It seems so festive.   

[Martinus]

Apocalypto.

For some reason, I am especially disturbed by the fact that they had nets at the bottom of the temple to catch their victim's heads.  It seems so festive.   

For someone who purports to have an interest in history, you should stay clear of anything Mel Gibson does.

It's like his every "historical" movie (whether as an actor or producer/director) is there to showcase some form of bigotry, whether it is homophobia (Braveheart), chauvinism (Patriot), antisemitism (Passion) or racism (Apocalypto).

[Josquius]

Braveheart had homophobia?
Far more pressing was the silly anglophobia and complete rewrite of Scotish history.

[jimmy olsen]

Braveheart had homophobia?
Far more pressing was the silly anglophobia and complete rewrite of Scotish history.

Took me a sec to remember what he was talking about as well. He's referring to the scene where the King throws his son's male lover out the window.

[Queequeg]

I'm not totally sure I buy the charge of Homophobia in Braveheart. Edward II had that reputation.  He let Scotland go free, was generally incompetent, and probably gay.  In the movie, it is actually pretty clear that he is a lot more sympathetic than his father, and you surprisingly feel for him when he defenestrates (spelling) Edward II's boytoy.  The movie is guilty, however, of Anglophobia and Scotophilia, both equally bad.

Again, I think Gibson was kind of sticking to the traditional anti-Semitic playbook in The Passion. 

To be honest, I think Gibson is a great artists, but his sensibilities belong in the early 19th century with the Romantics more than anyone.  That goes for the good (unironic, well plotted, highly dramatic plot, loose historical setting) and the bad (sexism, anti-Semitism, insane Latin-loving Catholicism).  I like him a lot, on the understanding that he is a somewhat brutish anachronism.

That said, that little detail in Apocalypto struck me as believable, though probably taken from the Toltec or Aztecs.  They were both big into human sacrifice and games involving balls,  so a game involving a severed head falling down the steps would make a certain kind of macabre sense.

And I really don't see any racism in this movie.  The Maya are depicted as cruel and viscious, with the upper class being decedent and violent, but its worth remembering that these people tore out the hearts of the living to keep the sun in the sky, and then ate their flesh. Decedent and violent don't begin to describe that.  On the other hand, the forest-dwellers are textbook Noble Savages.

[Ed Anger]

Braveheart had homophobia?
Far more pressing was the silly anglophobia and complete rewrite of Scotish history.

Took me a sec to remember what he was talking about as well. He's referring to the scene where the King throws his son's male lover out the window.

Who is this person who speaks to me as though I needed his advice?

*toss*

One of the best parts. 

[saskganesh]

in Marty's special world, anything bad that happens to any gay character in cinema is automatically homophobic.

[Queequeg]

Before Night Falls is a fantastically homophobic movie.  Just look at the final scene!   

[BuddhaRhubarb]

The Hangover. Funny, though not nearly as funny as I was led to believe. ok What happens in Vegas comedy.

7.00001 quickie weddings to movie star hot hookers outta 10

[CountDeMoney]

Apocalypto.

For some reason, I am especially disturbed by the fact that they had nets at the bottom of the temple to catch their victim's heads.  It seems so festive.   

For someone who purports to have an interest in history, you should stay clear of anything Mel Gibson does.

It's like his every "historical" movie (whether as an actor or producer/director) is there to showcase some form of bigotry, whether it is homophobia (Braveheart), chauvinism (Patriot), antisemitism (Passion) or racism (Apocalypto).

Apocalypto was a fun chase flick.  Relax.
And more faggots need to be tossed out of windows, you sissy Mary fuck.  One day, hopefully it'll be you.

[Sophie Scholl]

That said, that little detail in Apocalypto struck me as believable, though probably taken from the Toltec or Aztecs.  They were both big into human sacrifice and games involving balls,  so a game involving a severed head falling down the steps would make a certain kind of macabre sense.

In the Popol Vuh, a translated Mayan Myth story, one of the myths contains a story where twin gods play a soccer-esque game using one of the twin's heads as the ball.

[Malthus]

That said, that little detail in Apocalypto struck me as believable, though probably taken from the Toltec or Aztecs.  They were both big into human sacrifice and games involving balls,  so a game involving a severed head falling down the steps would make a certain kind of macabre sense.

In the Popol Vuh, a translated Mayan Myth story, one of the myths contains a story where twin gods play a soccer-esque game using one of the twin's heads as the ball.

From my trip to Chichen Itza - the great ball court:



I always thought this would make a great punk image (a skull with a mohawk breathing fire!  )

[BuddhaRhubarb]

watched Infernal Affairs and it's sequel, the cleverly titled Infernal Affairs 2. Both very solid flicks that mesh their stories quite well giving more depth to both films. in a Chinese way very Godfathjer, Godfather 2. I only hope that number 3 doesn't continue that analogy as I'm watching it tonight. great style, a few great performances, especially the guy playing Inspector Wong.

8.56478 audiophile undercover cops who spend all their payoffs on ultra high end stereos outta 10

[grumbler]

Saw Cat People last night (one of my 27-for-$100 HD-DVDs I just got), after having not seen it since it came out when i was living in London.

I had actually thought it a British movie, when I first saw it.  I remembered that it had great music and lots of Natassia Kinsky skin, but not anything else about it.

Second time around, mostly the same impressions:  great music, great cinematography, and not a lot of direction.  Hearing the director talk about the film and his technique (which was basically "insert skin wherever the audience expects blood, insert blood wherever the audience expects skin, and trust my production designer"), the aimlessness of the story is explained.

Still, I enjoyed it.  The US actors were pretty stiff, but Kinski's minimalism worked well against Malcolm McDowell's highly emotive style, and the silliness of the plot was pretty easy to ignore since the movie isn't about plot anyway. Loved the kinky ending.

5.5 Mountain lions spray painted black to look like black leopards of of 10.