CurtBlog : Movies

Movie Quote Quiz

skills0 — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:30:00 GMT

So I don't usually do these "tagged" things, but I kinda think this one is cool. I was tagged by Scott, he has a pretty obscure set of quotes up. Plus I'm curious if my movie geek friends will get some of these. I'm not sure if the point is to be obscure (something I tend to be without trying) or to pick a quote that is easily guessed. There are some of both here. It helps if you know my varied taste in movies and favorite directors. I'm not going to tag anyone else though, sorry. (Correct guesses I will put in italics)

By the way, here is the premise.

INSTRUCTIONS:
Look up 15 of your favorite films on IMDb. Take a quote from each. List them below. When someone guesses the quote correctly, cross it off the list. I trust you will not cheat (Google).

If you know one of these, put it in the comments and I'll update. I think after a week or so, I'll just put up the answers because some of these are kinda cool.

1. She tried to sit in my lap while I was standing up.

2. Sometimes it's interesting to see just how bad bad writing can be. This promised to go the limit.

3. I got the pool, she got the pool-man.

4. Hang on tightly, let go lightly.

5. Don't you think one of the charms of marriage is that it makes deception a necessity for both parties? May I ask why a beautiful woman who could have any man in this room wants to be married?

6. Not only did I enjoy that kiss last night, I was awed by its efficiency.

7. -- She sure is the "eat, drink and be merry" girl.
-- Yeah, she'll wind up fat, alcoholic and miserable.

8. My dear girl, there are some things that just aren't done, such as drinking Dom Perignon '53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. That's just as bad as listening to the Beatles without earmuffs!

9. I think you do. There's another kind. Not high-minded, not pure, but alive. Now, that your tastes at this time should incline towards the juvenile is understandable; but for you to marry that boy would be a disaster. Because there's two kinds of women. There are two kinds of women and you, as we well know, are not the first kind. You, my dear, are a ***.

10. New lovers are nervous and tender, but smash everything. For the heart is an organ of fire.

11. -- Who are you?
      -- Doesn't matter.
      -- What do you want?
      -- To kill you.

12. Should I bolt every time I get that feeling in my gut when I meet someone new? Well, I've been listening to my gut since I was 14 years old, and frankly speaking, I've come to the conclusion that my guts have *** for brains.

13. And to think that in some countries these dogs are eaten.

14. To eat good food is to be close to God.

15. Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave.

Awake My Soul

skills0 — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:37:37 GMT

Growing up in a Mennonite church, worship and singing meant acapella, 4 part (at least) harmony with no instruments. While I grew to love all sorts of instruments in music and even learned to play some, that experience shaped a love of vocal music in me that remains. There is nothing like a magnificent harmony of human voices in this world.

When the movie Cold Mountain came out a number of years ago, there were a lot of things I loved about it. But one unexpected thing was the use of Sacred Harp singing, something I hadn't exactly been exposed to before. It's a very old American music tradition based in the South which uses an old hymn book called "The Sacred Harp" which uses shaped notes. I was exposed to shape notes growing up, they used to use it to teach sight singing at my school. If you are familiar with the "Do Re Mi" approach, where each note of the scale has a name, it's similar with the addition of a shape to represent each interval in the scale.

Sacred Harp singing always starts with a "sing through" where the singers sing the name of the note first for their part (Do Do Do Re Mi Re Mi). It sounds rather other worldly, until you figure out what they are doing. If you've never been exposed to shape note singing, it probably still doesn't make sense. Combine that with a very joyful and boisterous singing style, not always exactly on pitch, with slides up and down to notes and the end result is quite electrifying. The tradition hasn't really died because there is enough interest that new people are taught in each generation and the singing carries on.

Anyway, there is now a documentary on this American folk art form made by a couple from Atlanta who got into Sacred Harp singing in college. It's actually produced by a couple of the guys from Third Day. The great songwriter Jim Lauderdale from Nashville narrates. It's been playing on some PBS stations, but looks like it might have come and gone before I noticed. You can buy the special edition 2 DVD set on the Awake My Soul website or through Amazon. I really need to check this out. You can also go to the web site to hear some examples.

Cloverfield - believe the hype

skills0 — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:05:58 GMT

As a J.J. Abrams fan from way back, I was probably going to be interested in Cloverfield anyway. And I thought the viral marketing stuff was pretty brilliant. It's always fun when the internet fan boys start hyping things way ahead of time. Kristin and I haven't been going to many movies lately, but we are trying to rectify that in the new year. We added a movies line item to our budget, that's how serious we are. Ha ha.

Anyway, it was desperately cold on Saturday and I had been working on computer stuff for most of the day, so we decided to head out into the arctic chill and go to the movies. Surprisingly enough, Kristin was up for seeing Cloverfield. It was basically between that and Juno, a film we both still really want to see.

First of all the bad news. One of the reasons I haven't gone to the movies much lately is that audiences suck. The movie theater was almost empty, but that didn't stop several supremely annoying teenage girls from talking at inopportune points during the movie. Quieter passages mean pay attention, numbskulls. It's called character development. But what can you expect from suburban kids whose idiot parents probably gave them $100 for the weekend and said "Go entertain yourselves". I think I'm going to have to stick to art houses because I have to say during "There Will Be Blood" you could've heard a pin drop (if such a thing were possible over Jonny Greenwood's magnificent score) because everyone was into the movie and paying attention. Okay, I'll get off my soapbox.

It's a testament to Cloverfield that although I knew the party scene at the beginning was just establishing material before all hell breaks loose, I still was totally into what was going on with the characters right up until the big bad appears. (Extra points for anyone who can connect that last phrase and Cloverfield).

There is already lots of commentary on the movie online, so I won't repeat all the stuff other people have said. Suffice it to say, there is a genuine feeling of menace throughout the movie and it feels more real, whatever that means. It is hard to stay detached. So in that sense, the handheld camera really works. It makes you nauseous a few times, but it works. I also really like the fact that the footage is taped over a much happier event for two of these characters that happened a few weeks earlier. For more on that, I'll refer you to an awesome post from Brett McCracken called Godzilla for the YouTube Age.

To be honest, I kinda want to see it again. Preferably in a much more packed theater with people who are actually into the movie. Because that is the kind of movie going experience this is supposed to be.

Worthwhile analysis of Inland Empire and Lynch in general

skills0 — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 19:42:32 GMT

A month or so back Kristin and I watched Inland Empire and it turned out to be a most perplexing film, even for a Lynch fan like myself. Kristin is not familiar with Lynch and the film left her most unsettled. It is not an easy film to watch, but like most of Lynch's work it rewards introspection and time spent in the mind unraveling its mysteries.

Jeffrey Overstreet points out an awesome essay on Lynch and Inland Empire from Adam Walter, perhaps the best one I've read yet.

Technorati Tags: David Lynch, Inland Empire, film criticism, film, Mulholland Drive, Lost Highway

Great news for film geeks

skills0 — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 11:30:09 GMT

If you are a film nerd like me who still misses the chemistry and brilliance of the original Siskel and Ebert movie review show, some really cool stuff just went up on the Ebert and Roeper (gag) website. Yeah, just not a fan of Roeper, he's not enough of a reviewer to be worthy to tie Siskel's shoes, but I digress. At least Siskel wasn't afraid to say something sucked. Anyway, they have digitalized a ton of the old shows and put them online, so you can go back and watch the original reviews of all kinds of old movies. Check out the news from Roger.

Two great DVD release news bits

skills0 — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 11:19:05 GMT

First of all, it appears there will finally be a full release of all the episodes of one of my top 3 TV shows of all time, Twin Peaks. It's been quite a struggle to get all the licensing worked out on this one and for a long time the pilot was very hard to find.

Also, a brand new 5 disc collectors edition of Blade Runner, with a totally new director's cut (cleaned up, added scenes, etc.). Should be quite interesting.

New Over the Rhine coming in August as well.

Thanks to Jeffrey Overstreet's blog for alerting me to this stuff. If you love movies and popular culture in general from a thoughtful Christian perspective, I highly recommend checking him out.

Favorite NetFlix Rentals of 2006

skills0 — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 12:19:00 GMT

An uncommonly good year for Netflix rentals, due to the fun of watching/rewatching movies with Kristin and the cancelling of my cable package this past summer. In addition to these, we watched a number of Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV shows on DVD as well. One interesting trend I notice in my viewing habits is more documentary/message movies than I used to watch. The documentary scene has really become quite compelling in recent years, with some really great work that not only is educational, but intriguing to watch as well. Also, a lot of movies whose titles start with The.

Cache
Wages of Fear
An Inconvenient Truth
Once Upon a Time in the West
The Future of Food
The Color of Paradise
The Machinist
The Corporation
The Innocents
A Very Long Engagement
Brick
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Das Boot
Good Night, and Good Luck
Inside Man
Syriana
Devil's Playground
Dave Chappelle's Block Party
Diary of a Country Priest
Grizzly Man
Ikiru
The Shining
Run Lola Run
The Long Goodbye
Layer Cake
Batman Begins
The Bridge on the River Kwai
The Aviator
Wings of Desire
Le Cercle Rouge

Favorite Netflix rentals of 2005

skills0 — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 11:38:00 GMT

Here are my favorite movies rented from Netflix in 2005
Maria Full of Grace
Bonhoeffer - great documentary
Monster
Sin City
Rififi
Finding Neverland
Red Beard - a great Kurosawa classic with lots of soul and grace
Nine Queens - a twist of a movie ala Usual Suspects or The Spanish Prisoner
Amores Perros
The Woodsman
The Devil's Backbone - intense mood and suspense
The Last Metro
Castle in the Sky
Luther - this is a bit flawed, but still interesting look at Martin Luther
8 1/2
Garden State
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring
Time Out
The Sweet Hereafter
The Big Heat

bunch of new Narnia stills here

skills0 — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 23:32:00 GMT

Narnia production shots

Nine Queens

skills0 — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 08:53:00 GMT

Anybody who is a fan of heist/swindle films like The Spanish Prisoner or The Usual Suspects should check out Nine Queens. It's a great little Argentinian movie that will keep you guessing. You just know somebody is getting played, but the movie keeps twisting around, making it difficult to figure it out. The less you know the better, but well worth checking out.

Review: The Woodsman

skills0 — Sat, 23 Jul 2005 23:52:00 GMT

<i>The Woodsman</i>, starring real-life couple Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick is a thoughtful, plaintive movie about a difficult subject. Walter, played with grace and restraint by Kevin Bacon, is a sex offender recently released from prison after 11 years. He takes a job based at a lumberyard based on a favor and is befriended by Vicki (Sedgwick) who wonders about his reticence and secrets. When he finally tells her his secret, she first laughs and then is stunned that he is telling the truth.

Their relationship, along with other relationships in the movie, are refreshing in that they do not follow typical clichés. Two roles in particular -- Benjamin Bratt as Walter’s brother-in-law and Mos Def as the sergeant responsible for keeping an eye on Walter -- take on additional depth and honesty because of good performances and nuanced characterization.

Bacon and Sedgwick are both playing down their natural screen charisma here, with unflattering haircuts and sallow faces. In particular Bacon’s body language and the feel of his character are very convincing. This becomes rather uncomfortable at times, as Bacon’s character is sympathetic even while he struggles with the temptations of falling back into his old ways. The movie takes several unsuspecting turns, even as you think you have things figured out. Although the path Walter takes may ultimately not seem completely believable, the strength of the performances and the willingness of the film to tackle the subject matter head-on make it a good choice for fans of more serious and thought-provoking dramas.

Review: March of the Penguins

skills0 — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 17:53:00 GMT

It’s rather ironic that because of improvements in technology we are better able to study nature. March of the Penguins joins other recent nature documentaries such as Winged Migration in giving us a more intimate view of the life of animals than ever before. The emperor penguin is the sole subject of this film and other than an occasional glimpse of underwater life and a rather scary encounter with a leopard seal, most of the time we are watching penguins. And they are a funny subject, inherently funny animals really. Between their tuxedo-like coloring, upright swaying gait and belly slides on the ice, they can be rather fun to watch.

The main thrust of the film is the yearly migration these birds make across the ice to their birthplace to mate. It’s a hard journey in treacherous conditions that change frequently. The ice flows and mountains can be different from year to year, yet some internal compass guides their way. The whole process of bringing a baby penguin into the world is rife with struggle and hardship, in temperatures where a new egg will freeze solid and burst if left unattended for more than a minute. The movie focuses a lot on the interesting role reversals between mommy and daddy penguin, who trade off duties tending the egg and if all goes well, the newly hatched chick for a number of months during the bitter winter.

All in all, this is an interesting film for both adults and kids and between the pace and the beauty of the cinematography, neither should be bored watching the penguins march across the ice.

Sin City - the first must see of the year?

skills0 — Mon, 21 Mar 2005 14:07:00 GMT

If the advance screening previews are to be believed, this movie could be similar to the experience I felt after walking in to see The Matrix for the first time and getting my head blown off. This looks really interesting and the cast is quite impressive. I just keep seeing rave after rave online from people who have seen it, so I'm definitely looking forward to seeing if it lives up to the hype. It doesn't hurt that it is basically a comic book version of a film noir, except without shirking from the violence and grittiness those '40s and '50s directors weren't allowed to show.

Will you be my Netflix friend?

skills0 — Wed, 09 Mar 2005 19:29:00 GMT

Not sure how many of you subscribe to Netflix, but if so... They have that new friends thing where you can share recommendations, ratings, etc. Ping me if you want to be Netflix pals.

Review: Sideways

admin — Tue, 08 Mar 2005 11:27:00 GMT

I finally had a chance to see Sideways Friday night and to be honest, I was afraid after all the hype I wouldn't be into it. Often movies get all kinds of hype and I end up very disappointed. I'm happy to say Sideways was not one of those movies. While on the surface a caustic and sometimes ribald tale, there is a lot of meaning and insight lurking under the surface. I think that's why it has connected with people, although maybe not with everybody. Lots of interesting themes that have been mentioned before: the tendency of men to stray even while having a good thing, the difficulty of having the energy to even want to start over after divorce, the way old friends who you don't appear to have much in common with somehow know you in a way others never will. I also like the questioning that often comes in the late 30s/early 40s when you've tried to seek after your dreams and maybe everything didn't work out and you feel like you are left with nothing. These are all very real emotions and while men may use rather crude methods to try to cope and forget, there is very real pain and hurt often lurking under the surface. And the wine, if you like wine, this has to go down as one of the best wine movies ever. It makes you want to drop everything and go on a wine tour. I know the whole wine as a metaphor for life has been used before, but it's certainly used very effectively here. This is a movie to inhale deeply, to swirl around in your head, to look at from different angles and ultimately to savor in spite of the sometimes strong tannins and lack of structure. To use a crude metaphor myself, but hey, you have to try.