movie finds

[Grimlock]

El Topo is like a garbage can of dead mummy meat compared to Holy Mountain, which has a few of the most amazing, terrifying, and hilarious sequences ever (literal alchemal transformation of shit to gold, giant sex computer, revelation of masters of the world, etc.)

It's great, funny, and no where near as stupid as Topo.

Also, I just saw a projection of El Topo at the movies, and I was amazed at how blue the sky was, and dynamic the contrast. As pretty as it was, I liked the video version I'd seen better, which had been murky and dusty. I liked the poor look better for the story, and ended up not liking the "restored" version as much as the crappy one.

[Rainer]

Some of my arthouse faves: 

The Mother and The Whore  One of just a handful of movies written and directed by Jean Eustache.  Stars Jean-Pierre Leaud (Francious Truffaut's alter-ego).  I think it clocks in at around 4 hours.  People listening  to Edith Piaf records or eating meals in real-time.  Guys with ascots.  Jean-Paul Sartre spottings. In short, a party.  Like the early films of Wim Wenders (e.g. Kings of The Road, Alice in the Cities, etc) I'm very much looking forward to this being released on DVD (only available on a double tape, currently).  No word yet, unfortunately.

Charles Mingus in Greenwich Village This is a Rhapsody Films re-release of a film-student documentary of Charles Mingus (jazzbo) in his apartment the day of (or before) he was to be evicted.  Even if you hate jazz, you will like this documentary.  Highlights are his reciting his version of the "Pledge of Allegiance" and shooting a rifle into the ceiling.

WR: Mysteries of the Organism This just got released on DVD after only being available on the bottom shelf of your local, non-virtual, free-tongue-piercing-with-every-rental Downtown Video Store for many years.  A documentary of Wilhem Reich -- the psychologist who advocated world peace through better orgasms.  Includes footage of a woman making a plaster cast of a banana. Only, its not a banana.  The movie has the look-and-feel of that Chief Iron Eyes Cody PSA, "Keep American Beautiful."  The DVD is a two-fer that also includes "Sweet Movie."  I like that movie, too, but not as much as WR.  It includes the ultimate "Street Garbage" scene of a group of shaved-head hippies (I didn't even know that was possible!) running all combos of eat/excrete/procreate in truly revolting ways.  Just skip over that part.

[buffcoat]

Babys getting anxious, the hours getting late
The night is almost over, she cant wait
Oh, things are complicating, my love is in her hands
And theres no more waiting, she understands

The plasters gettin harder and my love is perfection
A token of my love for her collection, her collection

Plaster caster, grab a hold of me faster
And if you wanna see my love, just ask her
And my love is the plaster
And yeah, shes the collector
She wants me all the time to inject her

The plasters gettin harder and my love is perfection
A token of my love for her collection

Plaster caster, plaster caster
Grab a hold of me faster, plaster, faster
And if you wanna see my love, just ask her, ask her
Go on, ask her

The plasters gettin harder and my love is perfection
A token of my love for her collection, her collection

Plaster caster, plaster caster
Grab a hold of me faster, plaster, faster
If you wanna see my love, just ask her, ask her

Plaster caster, plaster caster
She wants my love to last her, last her, last her
And she calls me by the name of master, master

Plaster caster, plaster caster
Grab a hold of me faster, plaster, faster
If you wanna see my love, just ask her, ask her

Plaster caster, plaster caster
Grab a hold of me faster, plaster, faster
And if you wanna see my love, just ask her, ask her
Plaster caster, plaster caster

[Gore Marie]

Brand Upon the Brain! directed by Guy Maddin.  It came out recently, I saw it in the Montclair movie theater a couple months ago, but when it is available on DVD I highly recommend it.  It is black & white/ silent (with an amazing score).  It left me speechless--it was beautiful and completely crazy.

[bruce]

I would like to add I really enjoyed "Once." I'm so grateful they did not go for some crap ending that would have ruined it all.

[dave from knoxville]

Brand Upon the Brain! directed by Guy Maddin.  It came out recently, I saw it in the Montclair movie theater a couple months ago, but when it is available on DVD I highly recommend it.  It is black & white/ silent (with an amazing score).  It left me speechless--it was beautiful and completely crazy.

Maddin's an interesting case; I recently saw Dracula: Pages From a Virgin's Diary, The Saddest Music in the World, and the one I would most recommend, Cowards Bend the Knee. I can't explain why I like it, but it's really interesting stuff. If you don't know his work, everything's done in a visual style that hearkens back to the days of Lillian Gish and silent movies, but generally with sexual, if not salacious themes and content. Fun stuff, but hide the kiddies. This means you, Petey.

[Andy]

Gummo is a 1997 cult film written and directed by Harmony Korine, better known for his writing contributions to Larry Clark's controversial 1995 film, Kids. The film stars Nick Sutton and Jacob Reynolds. Rather than following a linear plot, the film is presented in a series of seemingly unrelated vignettes.

[Gregory]

Mark Gonzales wrestling a chair.

Gummo is classic.

[Laurie]

The only movie I hate more than Gummo is Kids. Fact.

[Matt]

Hey, first post!

I have to agree with whoever suggested "The Holy Mountain". Just an mesmerizingly off-the-wall movie - you're going to get a totally inane (or profound, I can't tell anymore) message at the end, but don't worry about it. This is a movie that's all about the journey, so just enjoy the ride.

Also on the inane/profound topic, I'll recommend this documentary directed by the guy who wound up directing "Capote" called "The Cruise". It's about Timothy "Speed" Levitch, who's a tour guide in NYC on some line of double-decker buses. There's no real narrative thread; the entire movie consists of the crew following this guy around the city as he relates his musings on life, architecture, etc. I couldn't decide whether I was watching an unheralded genius or a complete crackpot (as always, the answer is probably a little of both), but I was never once bored or restless watching this movie; it's got laughs, it's got tears, it's got thinkies - what more could you want?

Edit: Actually, most of the movie is on Youtube - just search for "Timothy Levitch".

[Martin]

Brand Upon the Brain! directed by Guy Maddin.  It came out recently, I saw it in the Montclair movie theater a couple months ago, but when it is available on DVD I highly recommend it.  It is black & white/ silent (with an amazing score).  It left me speechless--it was beautiful and completely crazy.

Maddin's an interesting case; I recently saw Dracula: Pages From a Virgin's Diary, The Saddest Music in the World, and the one I would most recommend, Cowards Bend the Knee. I can't explain why I like it, but it's really interesting stuff. If you don't know his work, everything's done in a visual style that hearkens back to the days of Lillian Gish and silent movies, but generally with sexual, if not salacious themes and content. Fun stuff, but hide the kiddies. This means you, Petey.

Haven't seen Brand Upon the Brain! yet, but I've seen everything else by Maddin, including all his short films, all of which are hilarious, beautiful, sad and twisted. And wonderfully crafted. I love them all, but Dracula: PfaVD, Careful and Tales from the Gimli Hospital are my favourites. The only real dud (in an oeuvre of greatness) is Twilight of the Ice Nymphs. Check them out, people! Almost all of them are available on DVD.

[buffcoat]

Gummo is a 1997 cult film written and directed by Harmony Korine, better known for his writing contributions to Larry Clark's controversial 1995 film, Kids. The film stars Nick Sutton and Jacob Reynolds. Rather than following a linear plot, the film is presented in a series of seemingly unrelated vignettes.

What a coincidence!  My life is also presented as a series of seemingly unrelated vignettes.


MJC: Ew, boy.  Kids was APPALLING.  Not for the moral content of it, but for the "THIS HAPPENS!" sensibility of it all the way through.  And if you don't believe that that exact same stuff is happening RIGHT NOW DOWN YOUR VERY STREET, you are willfully blind!  Blind, my friend, blind! 

I've never had a stronger urge to kick everyone involved in a film in the nuts or an equally painful female place.

[John Junk]

I was the exact age of the characters in Kids when that movie came out and I always thought it was pretty hilarious when suburban N.J. people I knew would be like "That does really happen!  It's so real!"  I was just like, really??  Man, I must be missing out on this huge wippits/date-rape scene that my Manhattanite peers are pioneering.  What a drag!  The only part of that movie that I related to was when they were watching skateboard videos on weed and laughing a lot.  The soundtrack is awesome though.  You can't get those Folk Implosion songs on iTunes or nothing.  It's criminal.  I actually know someone who had a very small role in that movie.  Anyway, she's really normal and a nice person.  "Telly" used to work at a skate shop at the Willowbrook mall and I saw him there one time playing video games and being boring. 

[Martin]

It was my birthday yesterday. Ingmar Bergman passed away today. Coincidence?

Anyway, if you haven't already, you should look up some Bergman. Start with the lighter stuff if that's your thing - Smiles of a Summer's Night is one of the best rom-coms of all time. Then, if the newly restored print of The Seventh Seal comes by your area (it's currently being screened in London), see it. And of course there's Fanny & Alexander, Persona, Wild Strawberries... He's one of the masters.

[SpaceBootz]

Mark Gonzales wrestling a chair.

Gummo is classic.

Speaking of Mark Gonzales, I recently saw the video for "West Coast" by Coconut Records and it features footage of him skating at this museum in Germany. I thought it was amazing. Plus, I happen to like the song as well.

So, in trying to keep this on-topic for Sarah, I suppose this would be a video find.