Mixtape Movies Blogathon: Dude, It's A Volleyball!

Andy Hart AKA Fandango Groover has done it again, created another great Lamb Blogathon. This time he challenges us to bring back the mixtape: compile a collection of six movies that fit together, they are not expected to be definitive personal lists, they are just small expressions of creativity in linking the movies. Pick five movies within a chosen theme that compliment each other and one wild card that stands out as different but still maintains the theme.

"I would rather take my chance out there on the ocean than to stay here and die on this shithole island, spending the rest of my life talking TO A GODDAMN VOLLEYBALL!" - Tom Hanks CAST AWAY

I expect this third instalment of Mixtape Movies will be the last for a while but who knows what inspiration I might get between now and tomorrow? If you missed the last two tapes check out Home Sweet Home and A Tiny Flame now!

In honour of Wilson the volleyball from Cast Away this mixtape is intended to highlight loneliness and the various ways we as a species deal with it, at least in cinema anyway. With the idea that these mixtapes are intended to make friends and influence people I started making a list of movies that I love and that aren't widely seen or been used in one of the other mixtapes and I noticed this theme amongst them and it's a theme that has spread to my own writing projects of late. Lost connections, isolation and loneliness are what this mixtape is all about. That and sharing the way I see cinema.

Moon (2009) Dir. Duncan Jones

As with previous mixes I'm going to start the tape off nice and easy, Sam Rockwell in the modern science fiction classic Moon is probably as accessible as it gets when I start to think about this subject. The way he clings to his sanity via GERTY whilst an enjoyable watch is as obvious as it gets without painting a face on a volleyball with your own blood.

The Brown Bunny (2004) Dir. Vincent Gallo

A controversial choice for many but I find Gallo's sophomore effort to be a beautiful, atmospheric study of a man set adrift from society of his own doing. Sure the famous fellatio scene was perhaps a little indulgent but I can't blame the guy. Both of Gallo's films touch on the same subject matter but Brown Bunny is certainly more likely to ignite conversation versus the almost universally loved Buffalo 66.

Atmen (2012) Dir. Karl Markovics

Karl Markovics' debut is a very recent experience for me but it has stayed with me, barely a day passing without thinking about the life of its protagonist, Roman Kogler, a young man who has spent his entire life in an institution of one kind or another struggling to find his place in the world. Truly affecting cinema.

Man Push Cart (2005) Ramin Bahrani

The first film I ever got invited to watch at a film festival, it always struck me as deserving of a much wider audience than it got. Its subject is a lonely Pakistani immigrant in New York working towards his American dream and features a series of indiginities culminating in a heartbreaking ending. Bahrani has gone on to be considered a pioneer of the "neo-neo-realist" American cinema with his films Chop Shop and Goodbye Solo treading similar territory. A director well worth searching out.

Fish Tank (2009) Dir. Andrea Arnold

Fish Tank is my wildcard selection because it doesn't take the idea f loneliness as it's central theme but it underscores the entire piece by being the driving force for the behaviour one of the characters. Andrea Arnold is another director whose work consistently deals with similar events and emotions, whilst Red Road featured a woman who chooses isolation in an attempt to deal with her grief over a tragic event Fish Tank looks at a teenage girl in a working class single parent family and how she reacts to being essentially abandoned by her mother.

Wendy & Lucy (2008) Dir. Kelly Reichardt

Wendy starts the movie with three things, her car, her dog and hope. By the time the end credits roll she has had to give up all but the slightest slither of hope. A wonderful film featuring a wonderful performance from Michelle Williams.

I'm starting to think that I might not be making the best impression on people with all these less than cheerful movie mixtapes, maybe I'll make a bubblegum pop mixtape next. Join in the discussion in the comments or tweet @bbbgtoby #mixtapemovies. Did you make a mixtape I haven't seen yet? Leave a link. If you want to join in head over to Fandango Groovers for the full instructions and for more movie mixtapes check out the complete database here (after 22nd June.)

Mixtape Movies Blogathon: Home Sweet Home

Andy Hart AKA Fandango Groover has done it again, created another great Lamb Blogathon. This time he challenges us to bring back the mixtape: compile a collection of six movies that fit together, they are not expected to be definitive personal lists, they are just small expressions of creativity in linking the movies. Pick five movies within a chosen theme that compliment each other and one wild card that stands out as different but still maintains the theme.

"These children, they're not really bad most of them, just products of rotten neighbourhoods and bad family situations." - Sixteen by No Doubt

I enjoyed making A Tiny Flame to Cup One’s Hand Around and Protect From the Wind so much that I couldn't stop thinking about new ways to share groups of films with people who are in need of my education and so several more mixtapes were recorded to my long play VHS tapes. First up is Home Sweet Home, a movie mixtape title that recalls one of my favourite music mixtapes that I ever made and an early blogging attempt. 

The phrase Home Sweet Home conjures up images of family dinners, cross-stitched sofa covers and a cat to sit on your feet whilst you watch TV but I can't say I've ever cared much for movies about warm, loving parents, hot dinners, family holidays and other such movie cliche. Perhaps because I had never experienced it in real life, when I think of families in cinema I think of the damage that they inflict upon each other without even trying and sometimes when they do.

In keeping with the previous theme of making a mixtape to educate or impress another human being I picked six films that demonstrate my cinematic taste, my "wide" knowledge of world cinema and my cynical outlook on life and family. If you were to watch one of these a day for a week and still want to hang out with me come Sunday then I think we're gonna be good friends.

Festen (1998) Dir. Thomas Vinterberg

A nice easy Dogme '95 movie about buggering your young son to start things off. Without making light of the scenario Vinterberg demonstrates the conflict within a group of adult siblings desperate for parental approval. Material that Arrested Development would mine frequently to great effect.

L'Enfant d'en Haut (2009) Dir. Ursula Meier

Either of Ursula Meier's acclaimed films could have found a home on this mixtape, but it is the more recent Sister that I eventually landed on due to the honest reality presented as opposed to the slightly surreal nature of Home. The familial relationship here whilst bleak also offers real hope that "modern family structures" can provide warmth and support for their young children.

The War Zone (1999) Dir. Tim Roth

I wouldn't be a true cinephile or mixtape impresario if I didn't include something obscure and in desperate need of being seen by more people. Tim Roth's The War Zone is exactly that movie in this instance. It's a film with a scene that made Ray Winstone cry during production and holds a mirror up to a Broken Britain that isn't getting fixed any time soon.

Dogtooth (2010) Dir. Giorgos Lanthimos

Considering some of the dark material included in this mixtape the unusual family situation presented in Dogtooth becomes a remarkably light watch for the most part. This choice allows you to ponder the bliss of not knowing that you are suffering abuse at the hands of your parents whilst thinking that you live in paradise.

Tillsammans (2000) Dir. Lukas Moodysson

I debated on the positioning of this one on the tape, whether to end with something slightly lighter or not. Tillsammans presents a Swedish comic alternative to the traditional family unit, a young boy is moved in to a hippy commune with his mother and all that that entails. Quirky yet serious, a social reevalutation with interesting characters.

There Will Be Blood (2007) Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson

My wild card is my choice to end the mixtape with. It doesn't fit with the whole in that it isn't solely about families but it does feature a relationship that is worth highlighting and any excuse to get somebody experiencing this masterpiece is good enough for me. There Will Be Blood is many things, including a not very pleasant portrait of Daniel Plainview, father. It had to be the last track, how do you follow this film other than a cup of coffee with your new friend who made you this mixtape?

What do you think? I'm bound to have left out some great films on similar subjects, what would you have included? Leave some comments here or on twitter @bbbgtoby with #moviemixtape. Did you make a mixtape I haven't seen yet? Leave a link. If you want to join in head over to Fandango Groovers for the full instructions and for more movie mixtapes check out the complete database here (after 22nd June.)

Mixtape Movies Blogathon: A Tiny Flame to Cup One's Hand Around and Protect From the Wind

“To me, making a tape is like writing a letter – there’s a lot of erasing and rethinking and starting again. A good compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do. You’ve got to kick off with a corker, to hold the attention, and then you’ve got to up it a notch, or cool it a notch, and…oh, there are loads of rules.” - John Cusack in High Fidelity.

Andy Hart AKA Fandango Groover has done it again, created another great Lamb Blogathon. This time he challenges us to bring back the mixtape: compile a collection of six movies that fit together, they are not expected to be definitive personal lists, they are just small expressions of creativity in linking the movies. Pick five movies within a chosen theme that compliment each other and one wild card that stands out as different but still maintains the theme.

To me the two most prominent icons in pop culture regarding mixtapes are High Fidelity in which John Cusack discusses the reasons and method for making a mixtape and Love is a Mixtape by Rob Sheffield, the true story of a relationship told through mixtapes and it is the title of Rob Sheffield's book that inspired my movie mixtape.

In general isn't that why we all make or most likely made mixtapes? We all want to be loved. Whether we want to tell the object of our affection how we feel through a handful of well chosen songs or impress them with just how intelligent and thoughtful we are or even just show off how obscure your tastes are, making the perfect mixtape can get you laid, can make you friends, can even be a cathartic experience. It's that attempt to find the perfect match between pretentious and pop, the attention to detail in your artwork, thinking up a really clever title and waiting anxiously for the response from the recipient, that's where the real pleasure in making the mixtape comes from. And that is the joy experienced once more in this digital world as I made this mixtape of movies.

As I said, making a mixtape is all about love and I've taken that idea literally with this one. Love is what these films have in common, films about that moment, however fleeting, when one soul connects with another and all the joy and pain, laughter and tears that it can bring.

So I give you the blahblahblahgay entry to the Fandango Groovers Mixtape Movies Blogathon:

Lost in Translation (2003) Dir. Sofia Coppola

Bill Murray forms an unlikely bond with Scarlett Johansson whilst they are both in Tokyo. A wonderful way to start the mixtape, it's a cornerstone of modern American cinema that most girls I'd give this to would have at least heard of if not seen already. The mesmerising nature of the cinematography and direction perfectly compliment the melancholy nature of the love story and the punch to the gut as the film closes sums up the entire nature of the mixtape.

Weekend (2011) Dir. Andrew Haigh

The second track is as important as the first, you've hooked them with that opener and now they want to see more but it's important not to peak too soon, so you change it up a little. This is the one I put the most thought in to selecting. Initially I considered the wonderful poetry of Kim Ki-Duk's love story Bin Jip but dismissed it as too difficult for a novice, the second option was Zach Clark's mumblecore romance Quiet City. What hipster wouldn't want to share how awesomely hip they are with a piece of mumblecore? But Weekend is the perfect mix of pretension and pop, it also says the compiler is open to people who choose lifestyles different to their own, see how considerate of others I am? Don't you want to come over whilst my mum is out of town? It's also one of the greatest movies about love ever made.


In The Mood For Love (2000) Dir. Wong Kar-Wai

I'm making this for a female right? This one is a beautiful devastating picture that oozes style and I haven't met a woman yet who hasn't found Maggie Cheung and her costumes to be jaw droppingly beautiful. The third track is the point where you really need to make a statement with this kind of mixtape, and with In The Mood For Love I am saying, hey doesn't loneliness suck, I am guy with heart, I could be good for you, putting the possibility of a relationship out there for consideration as a counterpoint to that loneliness.

Harold and Maude (1971) Dir. Hal Ashby

It's time for the wild card, Hal Ashby's beautiful love story of a really old lady with a lust for life and the teenage boy who has a fascination with death. It shouldn't work but it does and whilst it might creep someone out it also demonstrates the power of love and how little differences between two people can be overcome. See, she might have doubts about our compatibility but if Harold can love Maude surely she can love this hipster even if he doesn't wear skin tight cords or enjoy the music of Morrissey.


Last Life in the Universe (2003) Dir. Pen-Ek Ratanaruang

Two lost and lonely souls are brought together by tragedy in Bangkok. Neither of them speak the same language but their relationship helps them to find meaning in their lives. It's also another weapon in overcoming obstacles, it tells the viewer that love could be fleeting, that life is fleeting and you shouldn't hesitate to make the most of the time you have with this person you are connected with. After Harold & Maude and Last Life if they aren't sending you suggestive snapchat images then you're pretty much out of luck. Either that or you picked a cold, heartless woman who could never love you.

Brief Encounter (1946) Dir. David Lean

Heart wrenching performances from the two leads in this perfect example of how repressing your passions can cause great pain. This is the piece de resistance but also the deal breaker, if she doesn't love this film then I don't want to know her.

What do you think? Would you be putty in my hands after this manipulative mixtape? Leave some comments here or on twitter @bbbgtoby with #moviemixtape. Did you make a mixtape I haven't seen yet? Leave a link. If you want to join in head over to Fandango Groovers for the full instructions and for more movie mixtapes check out the complete database here (after 22nd June.)

Around the World in 30 Countries Project

Over on Letterboxd I'm taking part in Berken's exciting Around the World in 30 Countries Project this May. The challenge is to watch 30 films from 30 different countries over the course of one month. The only rules are that you shouldn't have seen them before and try not to pick something obvious like Slumdog Millionaire for India.

I sort of cheated a bit in making my selections, making the most of the movies I've had laying around the house being ignored for the past several years and taken advantage of the multitude of funding sources open to modern filmmakers in establishing the country of origin for each selection, essentially what I'm saying is that where more than one country was listed as country of origin I picked the one most convenient to my cause.

The full list complete with country of origin follows. Stop back over the course of the month for reviews as I go. If you want to join in come see the announcement page at Letterboxd.





Days of Glory AKA Indigenes (2006) Dir. Rachid Bouchareb (Algeria)
Tetro (2009) Dir. Francis Ford Coppola (Argentina)
Wake In Fright (1972) Dir. Ted Kotcheff (Australia)
Hidden AKA Cache (2005) Dir. Michael Heneke (Austria)
Mr. Nobody (2009) Dir. Jaco Von Dormael (Belgium)
Surveillance (2008) Dir. Jennifer Lynch (Canada)
Little Red Flowers (2006) Dir. Yuan Zhang (China)
Kawasaki's Rose AKA Kawasakiho Růže (2009) Dir. Jan Hrebejk (Czech Republic)
The Celebration AKA Festen (1998) Dir. Thomas Vinterberg (Denmark)
The Singer AKA Quand j'étais Chanteur (2006) Dir. Xavier Giannoli (France)
Dogtooth AKA Kynodontas (2010) Dir. Giorgos Lanthimos (Greece)
Tokyo Sonata (2008) Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Hong Kong)
Children of Glory AKA Szabadság, Szerelem (2006) Dir. Krisztina Goda (Hungary)
Breaking the Waves (1996) Dir. Lars von Trier (Iceland)
Cairo Time (2009) Dir. Ruba Nadda (Ireland)
The Unknown Woman AKA La Sconosciuta (2006) Dir. Giuseppe Tornatore (Italy)
Yojimbo (1961) Dir. Akira Kurosawa (Japan)
Tulpan (2008) Dir. Sergei Dvortsevoy (Kazakhstan)
Julia (2008) Dir. Erick Zonca (Mexico)
Soldier of Orange AKA Soldaat van Oranje (1979) Dir. Paul Verhoeven (The Netherlands)
Reprise (2006) Dir. Joachim Trier (Norway)
Police, Adjective AKA Politist, adjectiv (2009) Dir. Corneliu Porumboiu (Romania)
Tears For Sale AKA Čarlston za Ognjenku (2008) Dir. Uros Stojanovic (Serbia)
The Man From Nowhere AKA Ajeossi (2010) Dir. Jeong-beom Lee (South Korea)
Jamon Jamon (1992) Dir. Bigas Luna (Spain)
Melancholia (2011) Dir. Lars von Trier (Sweden)
Home (2009) Dir. Ursula Meier (Switzerland)
Three Businessmen (1998) Dir. Alex Cox (UK)
The Girlfriend Experience (2009) Dir. Steven Soderbergh (USA)
Alice in the Cities AKA Alice in den Städten (1974) Dir. Wim Wenders (West Germany)

Elevenses (Liebster Award)

Today, it's time to respond to an award from a fellow blogger! Dan Heaton from Public Transportation Snob has generously passed along the Liebster Award, which asks each recipient to respond to a series of questions. You all know Dan as that massively entertaining guy whose posts are almost always themed and attacks a subject en masse. His current marathon theme is International Gangsters and started with a bang thanks to a great review of French flick A Prophet. I've since received the award twice more, the incredibly beautiful blog Love & Squalor and everyone's favourite film maker blog And So It Begins were also kind enough to pass on the love.

I'm giving it a go, but by this point there can't be many blogs left to pass it on to. If any of you fine readers feel like answering any one of the 11 questions I pose at the end feel free to leave it in the comments, I'm sure it'll be fascinating.

Here are the rules for the Liebster Award:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the 11 questions the person giving the award has set for you.
3. Create 11 questions for the people you will be giving the award to.
4. Choose 11 people to award and send them a link to your post.
5. Go to their page and tell them.
6. NO TAG BACKS


Eleven Random Things About blahblahblahToby

1. Currently enjoys his lack of employment way too much for it to be healthy and can be found most days laying on the sofa reading.

2. Wishes he was still a 21 year old hipster and dresses like it.

3. If he were to have a fight with any character from The Dark Knight Rises it'd be Bruce Wayne becaue he has a gimpy leg.

4. Has an addictive personality and is currently working on filling his apartment with books so that one day they might topple over and crush him - death by book porn?

5. Is endlessly procrastinating, never finishes anything and allows each new creative idea to push the current one aside.

6. Once dreamed of being a lawyer because he'd read too much John Grisham at a young age but Theodore Boone got there first. There's a reason Disney hasn't made a movie about lawyers you know.

7. Has noticed that any picture relating to Harry Potter or Disney gets more page views than anything else he's posted and is not ashamed of using that fact to boost his blogs stats.

8. Would have answered Maura Tierney to any question relating to picking an actress for anything until relatively recently and is sad that her career never really got going on the big screen before getting stuck on ER.

9. Loves the writing of Megan Abbott and the depressing yet true, shocking story of Barbara Payton, Franchot Tone and Tom Neal that features in the background of her novel The Song Is You.

10. Still considers becoming a professional football manager because a) he loves the sport and b) he's excellent at the Sports Interactive game Football Manager.

11. Enjoys comparing movie love affairs to his own life because his own life always seems perfect in comparison.


Eleven Questions From Dan 
 
1. What's the best movie of 2012 so far?

 

OK, so according to letterboxd I've seen eighteen movies released in 2012. The one I enjoyed the most has got to be Chronicle. I expected so little from the (relatively) small budgeted sci-fi thriller but director Josh Trank provided so much. It was a real pleasure to watch a good idea turned in to a highly enjoyable movie thanks to the talent of a new director, especially when it would have been so easy to make it generic and derivitive and a horrible mishmash of pop culture.

2. What's the worst movie of 2012 so far?

The Dark Knight Rises. Simply for how disappointed I was. It's not anywhere near as bad as John Carter in reality but then DKR provided my worst experience of a movie.

3.What is your favorite band or artist?

The Decemberists win this one hands down at the moment and for the past few years. Just taking a look at my all time plays on last.fm will tell you that I've played The Decemberists 8 times more than anyone else. Colin Meloy has a wonderful voice and he's a fantastic storyteller. He even writes kids books.

4. What's your opinion on singing karaoke?
Never. No way. You can't make me.
One of my most horrifying formative experiences is as a ten year old being left on stage by my sister to sing a song I'd never heard of n front of hundreds of people. Even now I wince at the thought of it and my heart is racing from the terror.

5. Spike Lee: Overrated or underrated?

When he's on form there's nobody better than Lee but he's his own worst enemy with some of the terrible films he's made, but then so is Woody Allen and he married his own daughter. At least Spike Lee's only apparent crime in the eyes of Hollywood is that he's black.

6. Although he won't admit it, does Tommy Wiseau realize that The Room is terrible?
Oh. I certainly hope so. Can you imagine the state of that guys mind if he didn't? But admitting so would cook the golden goose and he'd never be able to attend screenings as a superstar.

7. Beyond movies, what is your area of expertise for a trivia team?

Arsenal Football Club. Somehow this is what my brain is wasted on and why I identify so readily with Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch.

8. What's your favorite brand of cereal?

No cereal required when you live in the land of Vegemite on toast.
If we're ever out for breakfast and I don't feel like eggs I will however have the bircher muesli.

9. Is The Tree of Life a brilliant movie, a self-indulgent mess, or somewhere in between?
I haven't seen it yet, it's long. I am lengthist.

10. Are you excited about the Olympics? If so, which competitions?
I haven't cared about the Olympics since 1992, I don't even care about the fact that Great Britain has a football team entered this time around. It's not real football.

11. What's the last movie that you watched?
Bill Cunningham, New York

Who's Next? - Eleven Blogs That Deserve Your Attention
These 11 bloggers are all doing amazing work and deserve your attention. For that reason, they get the dubious pleasure of answering some essential questions. The "winners" are:
Cinemanarcs
Cinematic Spectacle
Can You Dig It?(feminisingfilm)
Defiant Success
Brian vs. Movies
Blondoner
What Indie Nights?
The Great Movie Project
Dangerous Dans Bookblog
OCD Viewer
Split Reel(This is me cheating because she's taken a break)



What I Really Really Want To Know Is: (Eleven Questions Paid Forward)
1. If the events of Purple Rose of Cairo could really happen, which movie character would you want to walk off of the screen in to your miserable little life?
2. If you were marooned on another planet with a limited space hard drive on your solar powered Macbook Pro (I'm sure Steve Jobs had them working on this before he died) what three movies would you like to have in your videos folder?
3. Is reading 50 Shades of Grey on public transport a badge of pride, a cry for help, a statement of sexual dissatisfaction or a label that screams "easily led by media fads"?
4. If you had to live in the world of crime fiction would you prefer to be in an Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler or Steig Larsson book?
5. You're stranded for 227 days in a boat with one animal, do you think a Bengal Tiger would eat you?
6. What superhero franchise would you give a dark and depressing Batman style reboot to on the big screen?
7. Gotham Central is a series of comic books about the lives of the gotham City Police Department and Death Comes To Pemberley is a detective novel set in the world of Pride & Prejudice, what fictional world would you like to see turned in to crime fiction and what type would it be?
8. Mint, Sage, Rosemary and Cinnamon, what flavour would you choose for your old fashioned tooth powder recipe?
9. You're tasked with programming an independant film festival, what genre do you focus on? Documentary, Horror, Anime, Martial Arts or World Cinema?
10. Witches, burn them at the stake or dunk them in the lake?
11. Which city in Europe would you most like to visit during the 2012 London Olympics?

World In Film Blog-a-Thon

Alan the crazy guy behind The Great Movie Project (a movie review a day for 365 days?! That means no time off for good behaviour) came up with the World in Film Blog-A-Thon without realising that we're all surely going to have to choose the same movie for Antarctica.

The Challenge: Pretend you’re taking a geography class and your instructor wants you to pick a movie that is set (or filmed) in one of each of the seven continents: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America. The movies do not have to be “authentic” but they should be reasonable facsimiles of the continents. They can be in any language, any country, any genre, and feel free to sub-theme these movies in any way that grabs your fancy.

Choosing a theme that works with Whiteout was difficult. I'm not sure I've succeeded but I'm definitely intrigued by what everyone else comes up with. My theme? People living on the outskirts of society.

Antarctica - Whiteout (2009)


It was an interesting idea for a movie but the end product really wasn't very interesting at all. I'm told the graphic novel it was based on was quite good though. A jewel heist in the most remote place on the planet?

Australia - Animal Kingdom (2010)


Australia. My home. Not really a continent. More of a bloody big rock with some desert wrapped around it. I didn't love this film as much as most other viewers but it certainly is one of the best Australian films I've seen. A slow moving look at an underworld family, worth watching if it's only for Jacki Weaver.

Europe - Down Terrace (2009)


Initially my pick was going to be non-English, specifically A Prophet, but I couldn't resist another opportunity to share how much I love Down Terrace. It took me completely by surprise and introduced me to a very talented director. Another slow moving look at the inner workings of an underworld family. Full review here.

North America - Sin Nombre (2009)


The violent documentary like film from the director of the new Jane Eyre. Take a journey through the North American underworld with a young girl as she dreams of moving from Honduras to USA. Powerful and compelling viewing.

South America - City of God (2002)


Often called the Brazilian Goodfellas this is one of the greats of modern world cinema. A look at the everyday reality of Brazilian poverty, crime, drugs and violence through the connected stories of two young friends who take different paths in life. If you haven't seen this yet then stop reading and go watch it.

Africa - Tsotsi (2005)


A week in the life of a young thug in the Johannesburg slums. It's not quite City of God but it's another eye opener and well worth seeing. Turns out that it won the Oscar in 2006, probably because this film is more about hope than despair.

Asia - Bad Guy (2001)


Kim Ki-Duk takes another look at the underside of love and obsession in this wonderfully dark film set in the underworld of Seoul. This isn't machine guns or organised crime, it's not chocolate boxes and roses, it's dirtier than that, it's grimy and bleak and mesmerising.

Comparatively they make Whiteout look tame. A fun exploration of great world cinema though. I can't recommend the other six films highly enough.

Cool Off With The Classics Blog-a-Thon

The second of Go-See-Talk's Winter Blog-a-Thon's is essentially a Top 10 Classics which became the hardest decision making process I've experienced since I started blogging.

The rules: Must be black & white, must be pre-1960's. That's it.

It's just cruel to set such a wide selection criteria. Bad Marc! Being a fan of noir my instincts were to include more from that canon that I have but in the interests of, well, interest I've abandoned that track and tried to select a mere ten of my all time favourite movies that I would happily watch again and again.

In chronological order I submit my selection for the Cool Off With The Classics Blog-a-Thon:

The Maltese Falcon (1941)


I know it can be considered a bit camp and a bit soft compared to the source material but I just love watching Bogie and Lorre and Greenstreet, I could watch this movie once a week with no hesitation.

Brief Encounter (1945)


Quite often I think that this is my favourite movie ever made. I love the absolute Britishness of it all. The stylised speech patterns and the repressed passions. Andre Bazin himself lavished praise on it for it's apparent realist approach towards painting a portrait of British society and manners. Although he did later recant his praise when he realised he's been had by David Lean's fabulous melodrama.

Sunset Boulevard (1950)


What isn't incredible about this movie? I don't know. Nothing. It's a special piece of film making from one of the masters of the art, Billy Wilder.

Rashomon (1950)


There's something so simple and appealing about this movie. Possibly the Kurosawa I enjoy the most and one of the earliest films to offer this kind of narrative structure. I haven't come across any before 1950 anyway.

Tokyo Story (1953)


Beautifully shot, haunting portrayal of the loss of traditional family values in Japanese society of the 1950's. It's easy to say but this is my favourite film from Ozu.

The Killing (1956)


Possibly the only Kubrick film that I have fully enjoyed. I know, blasphemy. Another movie I could just watch and watch and watch. Among other things there's the clown masks being used by Nolan for The Dark Knight and the ending, wow, the ending will stay with me forever I think.

Touch of Evil (1958)


It seemed only right that I would feature the first and last films from the classic film noir period. This one is definitely may favourite from Welles if only for the excellent opening sequence.

Some Like It Hot (1959)


I know. It's another obvious choice. But I actually got so carried away writing a list of noir movies that I forgot that this film qualified. A late addition but oh so good indeed. Another Wilder movie but with an entirely different mood, this is a jolly good time all round.

Our Man in Havana (1959)


A film that seems to have been forgotten about and my attempt to have at least one unexpected pick. Based on the superb spy farce from Graham Greene, the film comes close to matching the novel for it's pace, intrigue and absurdity but doesn't quite reach the same stellar heights. Starring a young Old Ben Kenobi.

A Bout de Souffle (1960)


The ultimate in cinematic cool non? Barely scraping in as a classic with a release year of 1960 but Godard's New Wave figurehead features the infinitely cool Belmondo and the irresistible Jean Seberg in an enjoyable take on the film noir style.

I'm looking forward to seeing what others have done with this, I feel like I've been way too obvious. Any arguments over my selections? Any replacements you care to suggest? You know where the blahs are kept.

Double Feature Blogathon: Port Cineaste Grand Re-Opening

As part of Go, See, Talk's new exciting blogathon I decided to dig out the old dream of re-opening the Fremantle Port Cineaste as a cinema instead of the amateur dramatics that goes on there at the moment.

The dream is to have a place that will serve great coffee in the foyer and screen old DVD's too, a boutique bar for those who like a beer or wine with their movie, perhaps an outside screen for summer season and truly delicious baked goods all year round.


Alas I heard about this blogathon a little too late to give it my full attention so I've come up with a schedule that should suit Fremantle (and possibly cheated a little too) in less time than I would have liked.

Back To Work Mondays for something a little more upbeat, something fun and perhaps farcical to make Mondays a day to look forward to instead of dreaded.

Noting like the combination of Billy Wilder and Jack Lemmon to lighten the mood, sit back, sip some champagne perhaps and enjoy Lemmon and MacLaine in The Apartment and follow it up with the wonderful any day of the week Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot.

Tight Arse Tuesdays is a Perth tradition if not the rest of Australia and is a great night for all those couples looking for a cheap date. Something for him, something for her and maybe some free pizza thrown in (whilst stocks last.)

I may be thinking with my financial brain here but is there a bigger girlie movie than Pretty Woman? Perhaps putting baby in the corner but I'm not sure. Julia and Richard, yuk to both of them, Jason Alexander is great in it though! And after sitting through Pretty Woman the guy deserves some good old fashioned man time, Scorsese's finest and bloodiest (?) Goodfellas.

Monster Movie Wednesday may well turn in to Disaster Movie Wednesday as there is a finite demand for nothing but Godzilla movies but the suggestion was made and Leah said she'd definitely want to go to there (as Liz Lemon might say,) free dinosaur origami with every ticket purchased.

Mega Shark is a truly laughable movie, totally undeserving of cinematic play but can you imagine seeing the plane getting eaten by a shark on a giant screen. Cool. And Leah loves Godzilla, I don't know why.

Punky Brewsterdactyl

Cult Thursday is the place to come for your fix of all the hippest flicks, the skinniest black ties, the most spoons to throw and all those movies that I generally like to blog about (spoons only available during screenings of The Room.) I read Cult Thursday and think Tofurkey, perhaps a name change might be needed?

Alex Cox and Gregg Araki, like two peas in a pod. Repo Man is beyond awesome and heavily influenced Araki who then influenced Cox with his own pieces of wonder such as The Doom Generation. I wanted to have a Ben Wheatley double feature but I've reviewed both of his films recently (here and here) so that can wait for a later week in my cinemas existence.

Sci-Friday I couldn't resist, you can use it, I know it's probably the best pun ever (thank you Archer.) Aside from Alex at Film Forager I'm not sure who else would turn up to watch classic sci-fi but I intend to mix and match, one vintage, one modern every week. Sci-Friday is sponsored by Elizabeth's Bookshop Fremantle, providing awesome vintage science fiction for as little as $1.

Anytime you pass up the opportunity to use the incredible artwork from Metropolis you're passing up looking at something wonderful. How amazing would it be to see this at the cinema? And to follow up with the finest piece of science fiction cinema in recent memory, Moon, which I'm certain Hels at a whole load of blah will agree with me on.

Matinee Saturday a last minute cheat because I realised I'd neglected an entire revenue stream, the kids. Specialising in great movies for all the family but probably not Disney as it will cost a lot! Free activity bags and 'Let's Make Movies' workshops for the kids whilst the adults get drunk in the bar.


Family films aren't all animated, I really loved Shorts, it was so silly and so much fun and featured the line "your canyon needs more doom." I know I said no Disney but I almost picked Brave Little Toaster in the last blogathon because it holds such fond memories for me, it finally gets it's turn. And shout out to the blogger who created this fun re-imagining of the poster - El Guapon and La Flaca.

Film Noir Saturday Night was going to be classic cinema night but again my own particular interests take more importance here. A style and mood of film making more impressive than any other providing hundreds of incredible films largely forgotten and influencing countless modern films. Spotlights on full, providing ample shadows to hide in with your dames.

Something old, something new perhaps. One of my favourites of the genre combining everything that is great of the classic period, The Maltese Falcon. Bogie, Lorre, Greenstreet, to see the three of them on the big screen where they belong, what a rush. Directed by John Huston and written by pulp writer extraordinaire Dashiell Hammett, the only thing that comes close is the pairing of Wilder and Chandler on Double Indemnity. Paired with a riotous blast of a movie, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, in which even Val Kilmer is great. So much fun paying homage and taking off all the classic noir cliche's but still remaining very much it's own wonderful movie.

Sunday Session is another Perth tradition, this chilled out cinema version will be bringing all you laid back cinema goers the very best in World Cinema with the bar open from midday, cheesy chips optional.

An incredibly tough choice for opening weekend of the Sunday Session, but in the end I plumped for combining two of my absolute favourite films of all time. Godard's incredible debut A Bout De Souffle is super cool thanks to Seberg and Belmondo. Then Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's Last Life In The Universe is just so melancholy and beautiful and touching, a perfect Sunday night movie.

That was fun, can I count on wonderful readers to keep my business alive or is my schedule not up your alley? Don't forget to blah below.