[Hammer Michael]

Originally Posted by Spoony

He paid homage to Rainy Dog in Kill Bill(ripped off)

And what did you lot think of Wings of Desire?

Yes, yes, yes!!!!!!!! Beautiful film for so many reasons. Wenders is sometimes hit and miss, but when I think he gets it right - Wings of Desire, Paris Texas - he is awesome.

God help us with the awful Nic Cage abomination re-make...I feel a theme regarding re-makes coming on here!

[Hammer Michael]

Originally Posted by sphinx

Hi guys,

Maybe off topic here but I've just downloaded In the Mood for Love with Eng subtitle from utorrent but when I play it, the subtitle isn't there. Do you all know how to fix this prob?

Alternatively buy the dvd! Special edition through Tartan is packed with extras...

Can't believe I forgot this film when doing my favourites yesterday

[Spoonatov]

Originally Posted by Hammer Michael

Yes, yes, yes!!!!!!!! Beautiful film for so many reasons. Wenders is sometimes hit and miss, but when I think he gets it right - Wings of Desire, Paris Texas - he is awesome.

God help us with the awful Nic Cage abomination re-make...I feel a theme regarding re-makes coming on here!

I watched an hour of Wings of Desire before falling asleep. Great idea and fantastic cinematography. . .but ultimately I just couldn't get into it.

I'm downloading Les Enfants des paradis at the moment.

[olesmyhero]

Originally Posted by Hammer Michael

Alternatively buy the dvd! Special edition through Tartan is packed with extras...

Can't believe I forgot this film when doing my favourites yesterday

The Criterion Collection version is probably the best version available.

[Spoonatov]

Originally Posted by Hammer Michael

Alternatively buy the dvd! Special edition through Tartan is packed with extras...

Can't believe I forgot this film when doing my favourites yesterday

It's in my top 5. I loved it that much. I have become a bit of fan of WKW.

[cinc]

Originally Posted by Spoony

He paid homage to Rainy Dog in Kill Bill(ripped off)

And what did you lot think of Wings of Desire?

Great movie, but I like The State of things, Until the End of the World, Lisbon Story and above all Paris Texas more.

[Hammer Michael]

Originally Posted by olesmyhero

The Criterion Collection version is probably the best version available.

Is that Region 1?

[Spoonatov]

Originally Posted by olesmyhero

The Criterion Collection version is probably the best version available.

I think I'll get it along with Ran. Also thinking of purchasing Hard Boiled. 5.1 DTS. . .can't go wrong with it.

[Spoonatov]

Originally Posted by cinc

Great movie, but I like The State of things, Until the End of the World, Lisbon Story and above all Paris Texas more.

Like any Werner Herzog's films?

[olesmyhero]

Originally Posted by Hammer Michael

Is that Region 1?

Yes it is.

[Hammer Michael]

Originally Posted by Spoony

It's in my top 5. I loved it that much. I have become a bit of fan of WKW.

Very much a Western style director even when directing in his home country - really rate him.

Sorry probably being a bit vague there...distracted by an eight year old who wants to get on my laptop to do the BBC Premiership Predictor! Bloody kids...when's the summer holiday's over?

[Spoonatov]

Originally Posted by Hammer Michael

Very much a Western style director even when directing in his home country - really rate him.

How is he a Western style director?

[cinc]

Originally Posted by Spoony

Like any Werner Herzog's films?

Just Nosferatu.

I'm a big fan of Fassbinder though. Too bad he died so early.

[cinc]

Originally Posted by Hammer Michael

Very much a Western style director even when directing in his home country - really rate him.

Sorry probably being a bit vague there...distracted by an eight year old who wants to get on my laptop to do the BBC Premiership Predictor! Bloody kids...when's the summer holiday's over?

I agree that he incorporates many western(like french new wave) ideas/techniques, but he is a product of the East, no doubt

[Spoonatov]

Originally Posted by cinc

I agree that he incorporates many western(like french new wave) ideas/techniques, but he is a product of the East, no doubt

I don't think there's anything wrong with being influenced by different cultures. Just how important was Kurosawa to American cinema in the 60's?

(although Tarantino takes it to a new level)

[cinc]

Originally Posted by Spoony

I don't think there's anything wrong with being influenced by different cultures. Just how important was Kurosawa to American cinema in the 60's?

(although Tarantino takes it to a new level)

No, there's nothing wrong with that. You cannot be not influenced by all those different cultures.

[Spoonatov]

Originally Posted by cinc

No, there's nothing wrong with that. You cannot be not influenced by all those different cultures.

The mood of WKW's films are typically is own style. Others have copied. . .but none do it better than him. By this I mean, the non linear, less is more, character driven style of his films. . .and I love his use of music. Love Kitano's work too, not seen a bad film by him either. Sontaine was fantastic, a non action, action film about Yakuzas sitting around and filling in their time. I think you were right about the mindset of the Far East. Very different. (taking aesthetics out of it)

[Hammer Michael]

Originally Posted by Spoony

How is he a Western style director?

As I said I was a bit distracted...but what I meant to say was that while his films are definatley products of his own culture, his style is very accessible to a Western audience. Chungking Express and ITMFL for example, are brilliantly both visually and narratively and can appeal to any audience I feel...as long as the mindset is right. The themes are global, but I agree that both films might have been approached differently by western directors.

I'm thinking also of the Pang brothers with this in mind as well...

Maybe there isn't such a wide divergence of global cultural film styles in this 'postmodern' age? Just a thought....

[Spoonatov]

Originally Posted by Hammer Michael

As I said I was a bit distracted...but what I meant to say was that while his films are definatley products of his own culture, his style is very accessible to a Western audience. Chungking Express and ITMFL for example, are brilliantly both visually and narratively and can appeal to any audience I feel...as long as the mindset is right. The themes are global, but I agree that both films might have been approached differently by western directors.

I'm thinking also of the Pang brothers with this in mind as well...

Maybe there isn't such a wide divergence of global cultural film styles in this 'postmodern' age? Just a thought....

I'm not exactly sure his films are that accessible to the wider audience. The majority like popcorn flicks. I bet if you gave most people ITMFL, they'd find it boring. Sofia Coppola's a big fan of WKW. . .and Lost in Translation is her version of a WKW film. It's even set in the Far East, but it centres around two American actors. . .as it's primarily aimed at the American audience. Now that film did polarise opinions in the West. . .most think it's pointless and boring. However, that style of film making is very popular in the Far East. In fact most Far Eastern films are slow paced. Kitano's work's even more slower paced. Dolls was amazing. . .and probably the most beautiful film I have ever seen. Again, not for everyone.

That said, Kurosawa's one of the greatest directors, ever. . .and his work has been loved by a huge audience for decades. And he's arguably the most influential director in the history of film-making.

PS. Watch Last 'Life in the Universe'. Very similar to LiT. Takeshi Miike plays a Yakuza!

[Hammer Michael]

Originally Posted by Spoony

I'm not exactly sure his films are that accessible to the wider audience. The majority like popcorn flicks. I bet if you gave most people ITML, they'd find it boring. Sofia Coppola's a big fan of WKW. . .and Lost in Translation is her version of a WKW film. It's even set in the Far East, but it centres around two American actors. . .as it's primarily aimed at the American audience. Now that film did polarise opinions in the West. . .most think it's pointless and boring. However, that style of film making is very popular in the Far East. In fact most Far Eastern films are slow paced. Kitano's work's even more slower paced. Dolls was amazing. . .and probably the most beautiful film I have ever seen. Again, not for everyone.

That said, Kurosawa's one of the greatest directors, ever. . .and his work has been loved by a huge audience for decades. And he's arguably the most influential director in his history of film-making.

PS. Watch Last 'Life in the Universe'. Very similar to LiT. Takeshi Miike plays a Yakuza!

Think I'm going up a blind alley on this one! I kind of know what I want to say but can't quite put my finger on it...which is not good form coming from a film lecturer!

Suppose what I'm trying to say is while WKW's films will ever appeal to a mass audience in the west, there is enough accessibilty in them to attract attention from the arthouse circuit, for example.

Agree that the style of eastern film-making is quite different and this is another attraction to some sections of a western audience looking for something different from the mainstream. Asian horror springs to mind, particularly with the initial success of Ringu and the fall-out from that.

I showed one of my classes Battle Royale a year ago and they were dumbstruck...this is a class of 17-19 y/os. Two of them vowed never to watch another Hollywood film for a whole year after that (even if I did see them queing up to see Transformers the other day - mind you, I was queing for The Simpsons Movie at the same time! (but then I did have my eight year old twins with me and it was their choice...cough cough)

[Spoonatov]

Originally Posted by Hammer Michael

Suppose what I'm trying to say is while WKW's films will ever appeal to a mass audience in the west, there is enough accessibilty in them to attract attention from the arthouse circuit, for example.

Battle Royale - agreed. Fantastic.

Hmm. You could test that theory at college, Michael. See what the kids think of ITMFL, Fallen Angels, Chungking Express or Happy Together. Although, I agree that his work is more accessible than say Kitano's.

Have you seen Inland Empire(Lynch), by the way? That is a hard watch.

Oh and Eastern cinema has always has a following in the West. Martial Arts films have always been very popular!

[Hammer Michael]

Originally Posted by Spoony

Battle Royale - agreed. Fantastic.

Hmm. You could test that theory at college, Michael. See what the kids think of ITMFL, Fallen Angels, Chungking Express or Happy Together. Although, I agree that his work is more accessible than say Kitano's.

Have you seen Inland Empire(Lynch), by the way? That is a hard watch.

Oh and Eastern cinema has always has a following in the West. Martial Arts films have always been very popular!

No I haven't yet seen Inland Empire yet, as I waiting til I have three spare hours to watch it all the way through! Heard its way off the scale regarding narrative structure, which sounds fine by me!!! Mulholland Drive and Lost Highway took about three viewings til they made some kind of sense (and thats being optimistic), but for me Lynch can do no wrong. Twin Peaks is still one of the best things I've seen on TV and Blue Velvet rocks!

Last year while teaching the A Level Film course I had an option to do a case study on either Chungking Express or La Haine for their World Cinema module. I went with La Haine as I had more back-up texts and references for it, but might well go with WKW in the future. Unfortunatley I don't have time to do both. Also chose La Haine as it fitted in with Neo-Realism, which was another module.

[Spoonatov]

La Haine's a great film, I can see why you chose it.

Inland Empire. I was prepared for it being a demanding film. . .and there's no doubt it was an endurance test. But I'm glad that I did watch it. I reckon I'll rewatch it, in a month or so.

Watched any Tarkovsky's films?

[Spoonatov]

Watched Tokyo Fist earlier. Good film. . .again, perhaps not one for everyone. Apparently it inspired Darren Arronofsky. . .probably Fight Club too(in fact it most certainly did). The film was about a love triangle, which ultimately lead to anger, jealousy and then violence. I reckon most of us are primitive when it comes to it. Say it was a good example of catharsis.

[Hammer Michael]

Originally Posted by Spoony

La Haine's a great film, I can see why you chose it.

Inland Empire. I was prepared for it being a demanding film. . .and there's no doubt it was an endurance test. But I'm glad that I did watch it. I reckon I'll rewatch it, in a month or so.

Watched any Tarkovsky's films?

No...Tarkovsky is one director I haven't really got round to watching. Solaris should be on my list...any others?

[Spoonatov]

Originally Posted by Hammer Michael

No...Tarkovsky is one director I haven't really got round to watching. Solaris should be on my list...any others?

Solaris is brilliant. That should be the first one you watch. I've seen Stalker as well, but I should've done some research before watching his films. I found it really difficult to watch. Never mind, I'll rewatch it again sometime. I'll probably watch 'Mirror' and 'Andrei Rublov' over the weekend. Must say he's an aquired taste. Not sure if I'll like these. . .but I think I should watch them.

Oh and I've just started downloading Rififi (and Deep Red).