Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Seems like a popular idea

There does seem to be considerable interest in having the Duck and I talk about a film. Lets have the Duck pick out a film on Turner Classics and battle it out. Fortunately there does not seem to be
any Robeson films on schedule and Mission to Moscow hasn't been shown in a while.

If we are lucky we may get some input from Sonia as well.

The rules for selection are

1 The film has to be at least five years old.
2 The film has to be showing on Turner Classic or Fox Movies over the weekend
3 We would prefer the more obscure titles
4 We have to have the film on Friday so that everyone has a chance to participate.

Now even film heads do get things wrong at times. I am not a film head and represent myself as the mass consumer. Some of the more devoted film types have a disdain for the public. Then again there are just some films that these types like that baffle me. I have yet to find what Sonia
sees in the dreadful Johny Guitar. This may have been intended as its generation's Rocky Horror
Show and its charm may be over my head.

We encourage all non banned posters to watch and let it rip. Duke it out with the Duck and the Beak on Film. We may have to change that title if Sonia participates.

19 comments:

Ducky's here said...

Might want to reconsider, Beak. TCM is showing "Seven Samurai". You couldn't be more in my wheelhouse.

Always On Watch said...

With enough notice, I might be able to participate in a discussion of this sort. However, this coming Friday evening, I'm committed to attending an Eagle Scout ceremony.

But I do belong to NetFlix, which streams some of the older movies on the NF web site.

Ducky's here said...

Just what is a "film head"?
What is an "art film"?
What separates an "art film" from so called mass consumption films?

Why isn't there ample room for both and why do Americans especially tend to treat art like "American Idol". Zero sum, winners and losers.

If Beak decides to take me on with "Seven Samurai" is he prepared to discuss the deconstruction of bushido starting with Yamanaka's "Humanity as a Paper Balloon"?
Is he prepared to discuss why we relegate an important topic like this to the dingy realm of "art house".

Can "Seven Samurai" be discussed without attention to focal lengths and multiple camera set-ups.

beakerkin said...

Ducky

I will accept your challenge and will review the film from a laymans perspective. This is a snob vs slob format.

At least this was not Ethan Frome

SecondComingOfBast said...

Great idea. This should be fun.

Ducky's here said...

Johnny Guitar, frankly I don't get that one either.

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

I admit to being interested in what people think of the movie Donnie Darko.

Ducky's here said...

Beamish, i doubt your commitment to sparkle motion.

Please, for the next class please research the work off Weimar graphic novel artists Otto Dix and George Grosz and be prepared to comment on their influence on Frank Miller.
Also be prepared to refute the thesis that the high popularity of the graphic novel (and junk movie adaptations by no talent jerk off Rodriguez) in both contemporary America and Weimar Germany is a sign of our similar societal schism

Always On Watch said...

Beamish,
I admit to being interested in what people think of the movie Donnie Darko.

Isn't that film loosely based on the legend of the Bunnyman?

One of my students just completed a reasearch paper on the topic.

beakerkin said...

Ducky I did not see the Seven Samuri
on this weekends schedule.Let everyone know the time and station.
I am staying up late to watch Blacula
on Friday.

A conversation about Blaxpoitation would probably get more heat than your selection.

We are billing this as Snobs vs Slobs
on Film.

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

AOW,

Every time I watch Donnie Darko I discover a new angle in it. It's definitely a mind-bender.

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

Ducky,

I'm more prone to believe that leftists such as yourself paying money to watch people shit on each other as "art" is an example of societal schism. But that's low-hanging fruit.

Why not examine the success of gross-out slasher franchises like Hostel and Saw juxtaposed against snuff films produced by Baathist torturers in Saddam Hussein's Iraq?

Always On Watch said...

Beamish,
I just put Donnie Darko at the top of my queue at NetFlix. I should have the DVD on Saturday.

I've just finished watching The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. I rarely watch foreign films.

Z said...

I still think your point about snobs v slobs was a good one. It's so not fun to discuss a film when a member of the discussion's using allusions he knows most people haven't heard of, etc etc....ah, well!

Ducky's here said...

Beak, here are some from the weekend of the 16th on the TCM channel.

Saturday 3 A.M. "Seven Saturday"

Note that Turner generally puts the best on at morning hours. Got TIVO?

Sunday 10 A.M. "Born Yesterday"

Terrific comedy. This one really crosses all "art house" vs. "populist" boundaries.


Lot of Sinatra for the next couple weeks but they aren't doing either "From Here to Eternity" or " Ryan's Express".


What you might want to do is let the public vote on something we both have access to. Note: I don't waste money on cable. Most of this stuff I can Netflix or have in my film library.

beakerkin said...

Lets go with Born Yesterday. It is not reasonable to ask those who wish to join in to get up at 3 AM.

Anonymous said...

Damn, and I was going to rake Kurosawa over the coals for plagiarizing Aeschylus...

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

AOW,

Although Donnie Darko is set in the fall after the year I graduated high school, I remember the time vividly - the soundtrack is spot on.

I can't wait to hear what you think of it. I love the movie alot.

Z said...

I think BORN YESTERDAY is my least favorite film ever.
just to solidify my unpopularity with Ducky!
true story.

maybe I should give it another shot, but MAN, I don't love Judy Holliday BIG time. go figure.

I'm going to get Donnie Darko on my Netflix list, too.