Resurrecting the Movies thread...

[Ellemeno]

I just watched The Celluloid Closet on Netflix Watch Instantly.  I may well be the last person here to have seen it, I know I've seen it mentioned a number of times on BetterMost.  It was pretty wonderful.  Narration written by Armistead Maupin and spoken by Lily Tomlin. 

I think it came out about 1995, and Tony Curtis is interviewed in it, talking about his roles in Some Like It Hot and Spartacus.  I was surprised to see that he didn't really exhibit homophobia in his remarks, though I would say he sounded kinda ignernt.  Didn't he say something homophobic about BBM being nominated for Academy Awards?  That didn't come across in The Celluloid Closet.

[oilgun]

I just watched The Celluloid Closet on Netflix Watch Instantly.  I may well be the last person here to have seen it, I know I've seen it mentioned a number of times on BetterMost.  It was pretty wonderful.  Narration written by Armistead Maupin and spoken by Lily Tomlin. 

I think it came out about 1995, and Tony Curtis is interviewed in it, talking about his roles in Some Like It Hot and Spartacus.  I was surprised to see that he didn't really exhibit homophobia in his remarks, though I would say he sounded kinda ignernt.  Didn't he say something homophobic about BBM being nominated for Academy Awards?  That didn't come across in The Celluloid Closet.

He defended himself, however unconvincingly, in his recent auto-bio by saying his words were taken out of context and that all he meant was that the subject of BbM was no big deal and that he's had many wonderful friendships with gay people over the years. 
I met him once, back in the mid nineties, when he was in Toronto for an Opening of a show of his horrible paintings and he sounded ignorant then.

UPDATE on the movie CANNIBAL:  Oh.  My.  God.   I was expecting a kind of exploitation film with artistic pretensions, but man, I bit off way more than I could chew.  (Pun intended, of course)  I actually felt physically ill afterwards.  The violence is so graphic and realistic (and relentlessly gory) that at times it felt like I was watching a snuff film.  I'm still numb.  Not recommended!

[serious crayons]

UPDATE on the movie CANNIBAL:  Oh.  My.  God.   I was expecting a kind of exploitation film with artistic pretensions, but man, I bit off way more than I could chew.  (Pun intended, of course)  I actually felt physically ill afterwards.  The violence is so graphic and realistic (and relentlessly gory) that at times it felt like I was watching a snuff film.  I'm still numb.  Not recommended!

 

When I read your previous post with the description of the film and your question of whether you'd regret buying the DVD, I was tempted to respond, YESSSSS!!!!! But I held back, knowing that your tastes are bolder and stomach stronger than mine (recalling that you liked Funny Games, for example).

Whereas I can't handle even mainstream splatter flicks. Hell, I can barely handle the commercials I've been seeing for Last House on the Left. So I'm not the best judge.

[Ellemeno]

He defended himself, however unconvincingly, in his recent auto-bio by saying his words were taken out of context and that all he meant was that the subject of BbM was no big deal and that he's had many wonderful friendships with gay people over the years. 
I met him once, back in the mid nineties, when he was in Toronto for an Opening of a show of his horrible paintings and he sounded ignorant then.

Thanks Gil.  That's interesting that he cares enough to want to defend himself against being seen as homophobic.  Jamie Lee Curtis seems like a great person, I'm going to give her father the benefit of the doubt.

[oilgun]

When I read your previous post with the description of the film and your question of whether you'd regret buying the DVD, I was tempted to respond, YESSSSS!!!!! But I held back, knowing that your tastes are bolder and stomach stronger than mine (recalling that you liked Funny Games, for example).

Whereas I can't handle even mainstream splatter flicks. Hell, I can barely handle the commercials I've been seeing for Last House on the Left. So I'm not the best judge.

Speaking of Trailers.  You should see the ones included on the DVD!  Titles like FRANKENHOOKER, BONE SICKNESS; VISIONS OF SUFFERING; NAILS, a bizarre Russian underground  existentialist splatter film, and  CITY OF ROTT, a gory animated film.  Basically a blood-smeared window into a cinematic world that I knew existed but had never explored.  Until now, anyway.  To paraphrase Jay Baruchel in KNOCKED UP after he looked into the delivery room during the birth: "I SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE THERE!"

It's funny that you should mention LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT.   The original was the only other movie to make me physically ill.  And that was back in the early seventies!  The remake is supposed to be quite nasty and pointless, one reviewer gave it 1 star.

Tonight, I think I'll watch HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, lol!  (After DOLLHOUSE, natch!)

[serious crayons]

Tonight, I think I'll watch HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, lol!  (After DOLLHOUSE, natch!)

I'll be interested in hearing your take on Happy-Go-Lucky. It's in my queue, and I'm looking forward to seeing it.

When you mentioned Dollhouse, at first I was thinking of the movie Welcome to the Dollhouse. That's a movie I've never seen. I'm kind of afraid to, given my low threshold for post-cinema depression.

I've never seen Dollhouse, either, for that matter. I've heard interesting things about it, though.

[delalluvia]

Finally saw Milk.  Strange movie.  A little uneven, heavily unbalanced in its treatment of characters and it meandered into small subplots that didn't impact or enhance the plotline at all.  White was a cipher.  He was in the movie so little, his backstory so vague that when the time comes for him to snap, you have no idea what his motivation is or why he's so upset in the first place.  I'm not sure if they played it this way because in reality no one did know why he went postal.  I expected a better soundtrack to help set the time and place and a lot more sex.  This was the 70's, before AIDS came in and destroyed a way of life, sex was everywhere.  The movie was kinda gimmicky with some of the cinematography, but for the most part it was extremely well done.  Sean Penn was inspired casting, his Oscar well deserved.

[BelAir]

I saw Slumdog finally.  I thought it was quite good, but not in the class of Brokeback...  And I'm not certain where I would rank it in the 'best movies of all time' list...

I have to admit I'm a little surprised it won the Oscar - not because it wasn't good enough, just because it doesn't seem like typical Oscar fare.  That said, I haven't seen any of the other best pic nominees.

One thing that I find especially amazing about Slumdog, despite all the awful things that happen, I never really felt "down" - only worried and hopeful for Jamal and Latika.

[Kd5000]

I saw Slumdog finally.  I thought it was quite good, but not in the class of Brokeback...  And I'm not certain where I would rank it in the 'best movies of all time' list...

I have to agree with you on that matter. I've seen all pictures this year that were critically acclaimed and I wasn't big on SLUMGDOG MILLIONAIRE.  Not since CRASH have I seen a movie as weak to have won best picture. I liked NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN and the THE DEPARTED, but SLUMDOG didn't grab me.   

I saw THE READER last weekend and it was better then I thought it would be.  So much moral ambiguity in THE READER.  What is evil?  What's it like to live in a post genocide society? Whose to blame and how much responsibility do ordinary ppl who just looked share?  How does a society come to term with it's recent atrocious past?
It touches on these issues and many many more...

[southendmd]

Which reminds me, did you ever watch THE TATTOOIST with Mr. Behr?   Blockbuster's had a previously viewed DVD of it on sale for under $10 and I stupidly didn't buy it.

Hey Gil, I finally saw The Tattoist.  (Netflix streaming video--pretty good.)  I'd see Jason Behr in just about anything.  The story was interesting, and not as violent as I'd thought it might be, a little light overall.  Jason was very cute, but unfortunately just as wooden as he was in Roswell.