# I'm out of movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 13, 2007, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037 "2007-09-13T05:40:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037/21 "2007-09-13T16:36:10Z")
[QUOTE=Ichbin Dubist] Does the USA have any kind of _local_ cinema scene, analgous to music? It sure seems like it doesn’t. [/QUOTE] Some cities do, some don’t. Here in Memphis we’ve got a thriving local film community; one of our smaller festivals is next weekend. However, the movies are not (as far as I know) available outside of town. There’s one local video store that tries to get copies of as many local productions as it can, but for someone out of town, I don’t think there’s much available in the way of distribution. Some short films and trailers for features can be viewed [here](http://www.livefrommemphis.com/watch/films). SDMB member **vibrotronica** has made several feature-length pictures over the last few years (in which I’ve played small roles), and I’ve made short films that have played our biggest local festival several years running. He’s won a few awards, but so far the award-juries seem not to fully appreciate _my_ genius. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037/22 "2007-09-13T16:36:46Z")
How about **Cowboy Bebop?** Even if you don’t think you have an interest in anime, **CB** may appeal to you. It’s got good stories, interesting characters, action, pathos, humor and some of the best music in or out of film. You need to watch a few episodes (in order, of course) to get to know the characters and the amazing world(s). I’m re-watching it again after several years and I am blown away all over again. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037/23 "2007-09-13T16:43:32Z")
Some movies I’ve seen in recent years that I’ve really liked: _Memento, Super Troopers, Dark City, Breaker Morant, The Incredibles, Trading Places, Little Miss Sunshine, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, School of Rock, Aeon Flux_, and _Laputa: Castle in the Sky._ But you’ve probably seen them all. ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037/24 "2007-09-13T16:56:25Z")
Keeping with the foreign language theme and the recent thread about Canadian epics, how about trying some French-Canadian cinema:[ul][li]_Un Zoo la Nuit, Leolo_ - dir. Jean-Claude Lauzon[/li][li]_Jesus of Montreal, Decline of the American Empire, The Barbarian Invasions_ - dir. Denys Arcand[/li][li]_Le Confessionnal, Le Polygraphe, No_ - dir. Robert LePage[/li][li]_Les Boys (and sequels)_ - dir. Louis Saia[/li]_Mon Oncle Antoine_ - dir. Claude Jutra[/ul]All of these are good to excellent, particularly _Leolo, Jesus_ and _Le Confessionnal_ which are outright masterpieces. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037/25 "2007-09-13T17:08:46Z")
[QUOTE=Hodge] Keeping with the foreign language theme. . . [/QUOTE] [Italian for Beginners](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/italian_for_beginners/). Wonderful film. ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037/26 "2007-09-13T17:12:41Z")
Have you seen [UHF](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098546/)? p.s. Hi Shayna! ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037/27 "2007-09-13T17:19:21Z")
[QUOTE=Monster104] p.s. Hi Shayna! [/QUOTE] Whoa - **Monster104**? Cool 🆒 HI! It’s very nice to see you around again – you’ve been MIA for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Ultraviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c77e96/32.png) [@Ultraviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ultraviolet)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037/28 "2007-09-13T20:48:25Z")
I’ve been enjoying some Australian movies lately. Some of my favourites star Noah Taylor (maybe best known as the adolescent David Helfgott in _Shine_). I really enjoyed him in both _The year my voice broke_, and _Flirting_ (also starring a young Nicole Kidman). Also, _Love serenade_ (with Miranda Otto) was wicked with its dark humour. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037/29 "2007-09-13T22:01:34Z")
I’m taking a different tack. **lissener** , you’re everything I want to one day be. Since you’ve seen more movies than most people, you can help me decide what to watch next in my Netflix queue. I’m going to be getting a new movie shipped tomorrow–what should I choose? L.I.E.? My Boyfriend’s Back? The Ice Storm? Fallen? Halloween? or From Hell? (Sorry to hijack your thread, but I figure if by some chance you haven’t seen any of these already mentioned movies, I’m helping you out…and if not, you can give me some help!) ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037/30 "2007-09-13T22:09:01Z")
[QUOTE=zagloba] How many of [Andrzej Wajda’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrzej_Wajda) have you seen? _Pan Tadeusz_ is a pretty good screen adaptation of the epic poem of Poland (or Lithuania, depending on who you ask) by Mickiewicz [/QUOTE] In addition to Wajda, I’d add the works of the following directors\*: Frank Borzage (_Man’s Castle, Little Man What Now?, History is Made at Night_) Emir Kusturica (_Underground, Black Cat White Cat, Time of the Gypsies_) Eric Rohmer (_Chloe in the Afternoon, The Marquise of O…, A Summer’s Tale_) Theo Angelopoulos (_The Travelling Players, Eternity and a Day, Landscape in the Mist_) Budd Boetticher (_Decision at Sundown, Buchanan Rides Alone, Comanche Station_) R.W. Fassbinder (_The Bitter Tears of Petra van Kant, In a Year of 13 Moons, Beware of a Holy Whore_) Luchino Visconti (_The Leopard, Senso, La Terra Trema_) Julio Medem (_Vacas, Lovers of the Arctic Circle, Sex and Lucia_) Guy Maddin (_The Heart of the World, Brand Upon the Brain!, Cowards Bend the Knee_) Have you had a chance to explore African or Iranian cinema? Plenty of great directors to pursue there (Sembene, Kiarostami, Cisse, Makhmalbaf). I’d add Mikio Naruse, but am not sure how you’d find any of his films (almost unilaterally unavailable for home viewing). You didn’t mention Ozu in the OP, but he’s a pretty obvious choice, too (especially his less familiar work from the 30s). And as for animation and short material, you can’t go wrong with Norman McLaren, Bruce Conner, Wladyslaw Starewicz, Len Lye, or Karel Zeman. \*you may well know them, but I don’t remember having discussions with you about them before ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037/31 "2007-09-13T22:59:33Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] “My Summer Story”- the little known “sequel” to the much watched “A Christmas Story”. “Shultze Gets the Blues”. “Monster Camp”. Those are the three most obscure movies I liked, and can remember offhand. [/QUOTE] Seen the middle; will add the others to my list. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037/32 "2007-09-13T23:01:22Z")
[QUOTE=E. Thorp] I doubt I can stump the band here, but one of my favorites is **Das Schreckliche Mädchen** – mistranslated as **The Nasty Girl** – by Michael (not Paul) Verhoeven. Local (Seattle) movies I’ve enjoyed: **The Business of Fancydancing** (Alexie is a guilty pleasure for me) and **Under Heaven** (Molly Parker is a, uh, different kind of guilty pleasure for me). Buncha early Chaplin shorts playing at the Paramount on Monday nights this month. ETA: Second **Schultze Gets the Blues**. [/QUOTE] I own _The Nasty Girl._ Great movie (and no, I didn’t buy it because it was by Verhoeven; I bought it long before I was a Paul Verhoeven fan). And even though Alexie is a customer at my store, I haven’t seen _Fancydancing_. I should probably see that. Thanks. Will add both to my list. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037/33 "2007-09-13T23:20:03Z")
[QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] I just enjoyed a free stint in Blockbuster Online during a month with no classes, and made sure to only rent things I have never seen before: Deadwood Season 1 (amazing, fantastic, awesome HBO Western series – I got hooked and need to see the rest.) [/QUOTE] Not a fan, unfortunately. May go back at some point. [QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] Children of Men (very powerful, but you saw it already.) Hot Fuzz (surprisingly, I didn’t find it that funny or memorable.) Boondock Saints (not very original as an action/crime movie, but good for fans of Tarantino and Guy Ritchie.) [/QUOTE] Messy, but interesting. The documentary about (_Overnight_) it is far, far more fascinating. [QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] The Vanishing (creepy and unsettling Dutch suspense film. Unforgettable ending. I hear the American remake sucked, though.) [/QUOTE] Great movie. the American was less great, but the same director did it, so it has some chilling stuff. [QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] Prince of Darkness (not very good, but catch up on other John Carpenter movies: The Thing, They Live, and In the Mouth of Madness.) [/QUOTE] Huge Carpenter fan, but _Prince of Darkness_ is among my least favorites. [QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] District B13 (amazing French action movie highlighting parkour.) [/QUOTE] Way more fun than it deserves. Fast forward between the action scenes, like porno. [QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] The Fisher King (I didn’t like it, but love other Terry Gilliam movies: Brazil, 12 Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.) [/QUOTE] A little Gilliam goes a long way. Brazil is a masterpiece; he’s never matched it. Brothers Grimm is the worst movie of the last 3 years.Tideland smells like a career ender. But we’ll see; maybe this will give him the artistic discipline he lacks. [QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] Breakin’ (super-cheesy and fun '80s dance movie. I hear there is a sequel… 🙂 ) [/QUOTE] Oooookay . . . [QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] The Bourne Supremacy (I thought it was boring.) [/QUOTE] Fun, no need to see twice. [QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] Casino Royale (the new one with Daniel Craig – surprisingly boring.) [/QUOTE] One of my faves of last year; also watched twice. [QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] The Machinist (chilling, nightmarish Christian Bale movie. Very good.) [/QUOTE] OK. Brilliant performance, but in the end, all that effort in the service of a pretty mediocre movie. [QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] Session 9 (truly scary, creepy horror from the same director of The Machinist.) [/QUOTE] OK, not great. [QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] Versus (Yakuza fighting zombies in the middle of a forest. What’s not to love?) [/QUOTE] Added to my list. As good as _We Are Going to Eat You_, a kung-fu cannibal comedy? ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037/34 "2007-09-13T23:21:55Z")
[QUOTE=zagloba] How many of [Andrzej Wajda’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrzej_Wajda) have you seen? _Pan Tadeusz_ is a pretty good screen adaptation of the epic poem of Poland (or Lithuania, depending on who you ask) by Mickiewicz [/QUOTE] About half; I should see his others. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037/35 "2007-09-13T23:24:24Z")
[QUOTE=Panurge] Maybe some European films: Lucas Moodyson (Sweden): _Lilja 4 ever_, _Fucking Åmål_, _A hole in my heart_ Michael Haneke (Austria): _Funny games_, _Benny’s video, The Piano Teacher_ and many more. Ulrich Seidl (Austria): _Hundestage, Animal Love_ All of the above are relatively new (1990-present), as far as older films go: One of my favorites: Hans-Jürgen Syberberg (Germany): _Hitler - A Film from Germany_ - Very long, but definitely worth it. Mallarmé (IIRC) (France): _Children of Paradise_ Alain Resnais (France): _Last Year in Marienbad_, _Hiroshima mon Amour_ And a whole lot more (Tarkovsky, Dreyer, Herzog, Angulobulos etc.) Oh - and if you can find it: von Stroheim’s _Greed_ in the remastered, restored version. [/QUOTE] Seen about 2/3 of those; Haneke and Resnais are favorites. I own Greed and Children of Paradise, and have pretty complete libraries of Dreyer and Tarkovsky, who are probably my two favorite directors. Thanks, great list! I’ll definitely add the ones I haven’t seen. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037/36 "2007-09-13T23:25:38Z")
[QUOTE=Eleanor of Aquitaine] You saw _Chronicles of Riddick_, but have you seen its predecessor, _Pitch Black_? It’s a better movie. _Equilibrium_ is a pretty good dsytopian sci-fi thriller. I recently saw a small independent film called _Primer_ that had an interesting take on time-travel. [/QUOTE] I agree _Pitch Black_ is better. \*Equilibrium \*is flawed, but worthwhile. \*Primer \*RAWKS! ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037/37 "2007-09-13T23:27:03Z")
[QUOTE=Trunk] Ever seen **Dancign Outlaw**? Possible new arrival that you might have looked past (but I doubt it): **Vacancy**. I thought it was pretty tense, made more so because the villains weren’t actually superhuman, and the main characters weren’t total tards, and the director had the sense not to drag it out. [/QUOTE] HAven’t seen Dancing Outlaw. Vacancy didn’t look good, and I’d heard nothing about it, so I skipped it. Maybe I’ll check it out. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037/38 "2007-09-13T23:28:04Z")
[QUOTE=Cervaise] How much Ming-liang Tsai have you seen? _[Goodbye Dragon Inn](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377556)_ was one of my very favorite movies in its year. Very, _very_ slow, but not ponderous at all: rather, it’s as delicate as gossamer. There’s a shot toward the end, where the lights come up in a mostly empty auditorium, that’s as beautiful and moving as anything I’ve seen in many years. I suspect you’d get into it. [/QUOTE] Will seek out. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037/39 "2007-09-13T23:28:36Z")
Holy crap. There are movies that **lissener** hasn’t seen? That’s it - I’m asking to be buried with my ice skates. Not much chance that you haven’t seen these, but here goes: [_Map of the Human Heart_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104812/) I’m a big fan of Carroll Ballard. Some of his movies get a bit sentimental, but [_Never Cry Wolf_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086005/) avoids that, and is terrific. [_Let it Ride_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097731/) is agreeable quirky movie, although somewhat well known. Silents? I’ve always loved [Harold Lloyd](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0516001/), more than Keaton and as much as Chaplin. There’s a great collection of his work out now. I know you like Sergio Leone. Along those lines, how about [_My Name is Nobody_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070215/)? Or any of the [Terence Hill westerns](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001352/)? And I have to believe that you’ve seen [_The Decalogue_.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092337/) ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037/40 "2007-09-13T23:30:39Z")
[QUOTE=Ichbin Dubist] African cinema doesn’t get much attention. I dont know much about it, but I really enjoyed Djibril Diop Mambéty’s _Hyènes_ – it’s about a rich woman who returns to her Senegalese village, offering them a fortune if they kill the man who impregnated and abandoned her when she was 16. I also liked Ousmane Sembene’s _Guelwaar_ – I think his more recent film (ah, thanks Wikipedia, _Moolaadé_) got great reviews and some prize or other at Cannes, but I haven’t seen it. I’m pretty sure Netflix has all of these, so they’re on DVD. Does the USA have any kind of _local_ cinema scene, analgous to music? It sure seems like it doesn’t. [/QUOTE] Good point; Tsotsi’s probably th only African movie I’ve seen since The Gods Must Be Crazy. Noted. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-out-of-movies/419037.md?page=3)