Είδος: Taινία μικρού μήκουςΓλώσσα: English
Υπότιτλοι: Ελληνικά
Χρονολογία: 2005, US
Σκηνοθεσία: James Oxford
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468876/
Εμφάνιση αναρτήσεων με ετικέτα english. Εμφάνιση όλων των αναρτήσεων
Εμφάνιση αναρτήσεων με ετικέτα english. Εμφάνιση όλων των αναρτήσεων
Παρασκευή 14 Σεπτεμβρίου 2012
Παρασκευή 11 Μαΐου 2012
Manufacturing Consent - Noam Chomsky
Είδος: Ντοκιμαντέρ
Γλώσσα: English
Υπότιτλοι: Ελληνικά
Χρονολογία: 2010, Australia
Σκηνοθεσία: M. Achbar, P. Wintonick
Διάρκεια: 167'
One of the most important documentaries ever made.
Noam Chomsky has been called "arguably the most important intellectuals alive" by the New York Times and has been at the forefront of dissenting intellectual thought and activism for several decades now. This film takes a witty and intelligent look at Chomsky's well-documented theories on how the media serves the agendas of the corporate/government power structure - not as a conspiracy theory, but simply as an analysis of the way things necessarily operate.
This film is bound to polarize audiences. The ideas which are put forward and the facts which are revealed will shake some people's world. Many will disagree and argue against Chomsky and his ideas. Good. I think that's much of why this film was made. The disclaimer at the end of the credits states that the film was made with the intent to promote discussion about the media. If you aren't aroused one way or another by what is put forward in this film then either you must have been sleeping through it or else you are just plain apathetic.
The film is long. It has to be. Chomsky points out that part of the way in which the mass media manufactures consent is through concision. Sound-bytes. They don't take a lot of time to look at the facts or to thoroughly examine both sides of most issues. In order to think outside the paradigm of the mass media and to adequately discuss and defend views which go against mainstream thought, then you have to take some time. That's exactly what "Manufacturing Consent" does. However, the filmmakers, Mark Achbar and Peter Wintonick, keep it interesting. They keep it from turning into three hours of talking heads.
To do this the filmmakers use some of the very techniques which Chomsky identifies the mass media as using in order to influence their audiences. It's wonderful and humorous to see how they speak the very language which they (and Chomsky) are exposing and criticizing. Don't be fooled, this is a propagandist film in favor of Chomsky and in favor of thinking about the world around you and then getting off your butt and doing something about it! Keep in mind when I use the term 'propaganda', that propaganda isn't always necessarily bad (the USA used propaganda to muster support for World War II and consequently Hitler's genocide was stopped). 'Propaganda' it just basically means that it pretty blatantly favors one view over another. Don't get me wrong, "Manufacturing Consent" is not completely one sided. Both sides of the argument are given screen time, but Chomsky's views come out on top.
Watch this film. Even if you don't agree with it, the discussion of the issues presented is important. It will raise your consciousness of what is happening to you every day whenever you turn on the TV or the radio, or pick up a newspaper, or even when you go to a football game. It will change your perspective and maybe even your life. And how many films really do that? That's why I say it's one of the most important documentaries ever made.
This film is bound to polarize audiences. The ideas which are put forward and the facts which are revealed will shake some people's world. Many will disagree and argue against Chomsky and his ideas. Good. I think that's much of why this film was made. The disclaimer at the end of the credits states that the film was made with the intent to promote discussion about the media. If you aren't aroused one way or another by what is put forward in this film then either you must have been sleeping through it or else you are just plain apathetic.
The film is long. It has to be. Chomsky points out that part of the way in which the mass media manufactures consent is through concision. Sound-bytes. They don't take a lot of time to look at the facts or to thoroughly examine both sides of most issues. In order to think outside the paradigm of the mass media and to adequately discuss and defend views which go against mainstream thought, then you have to take some time. That's exactly what "Manufacturing Consent" does. However, the filmmakers, Mark Achbar and Peter Wintonick, keep it interesting. They keep it from turning into three hours of talking heads.
To do this the filmmakers use some of the very techniques which Chomsky identifies the mass media as using in order to influence their audiences. It's wonderful and humorous to see how they speak the very language which they (and Chomsky) are exposing and criticizing. Don't be fooled, this is a propagandist film in favor of Chomsky and in favor of thinking about the world around you and then getting off your butt and doing something about it! Keep in mind when I use the term 'propaganda', that propaganda isn't always necessarily bad (the USA used propaganda to muster support for World War II and consequently Hitler's genocide was stopped). 'Propaganda' it just basically means that it pretty blatantly favors one view over another. Don't get me wrong, "Manufacturing Consent" is not completely one sided. Both sides of the argument are given screen time, but Chomsky's views come out on top.
Watch this film. Even if you don't agree with it, the discussion of the issues presented is important. It will raise your consciousness of what is happening to you every day whenever you turn on the TV or the radio, or pick up a newspaper, or even when you go to a football game. It will change your perspective and maybe even your life. And how many films really do that? That's why I say it's one of the most important documentaries ever made.
1 October 1999
Author:A. Tad Chamberlain (script2screen@hotmail.com) from Provo, Utah
Author:A. Tad Chamberlain (script2screen@hotmail.com) from Provo, Utah
Παρασκευή 16 Μαρτίου 2012
Born into this (Bukowski)
Είδος: Ντοκιμαντέρ
Γλώσσα: English
Υπότιτλοι: Ελληνικά
Χρονολογία: 2003, US
Σκηνοθεσία: J. Dullaghan
Διάρκεια: 115'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0342150/
This is an extraordinary documentary, capturing Bukowski in the 1970's and 1980's mostly, telling the story of his incredible life and alternatively capturing private moments that define him as well as defy his reputation. The film uses interviews of those that lived with him and knew him to portray a man that waded through an interpersonal sewer of a life, only to conquer the literary world on his own terms and make a decent living from it to boot. It's the story of a man, a writer, who just lived life as it presented itself to him. He had an unflinching ability to face the realities of his life with charm, wisdom, and a determination that even he would not be able to recognize. Whether he spoke of his upbringing, his drinking, his laziness, his unattractiveness, his women, and especially about love, death and sex, he remained steadfast in his cynicism laced with humor, much like the comic artist Robert Crumb. Most of the highlights in the film occur when Bukowski is either conversing or reading his own work. He reads his own work in a world weary tone of voice that possesses a cadence that seems to say he's tired of it all. Just then though, he hits us with another gem, another truth about ourselves and the world around us. If you like Bukowski, see this at all costs.
Γλώσσα: English
Υπότιτλοι: Ελληνικά
Χρονολογία: 2003, US
Σκηνοθεσία: J. Dullaghan
Διάρκεια: 115'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0342150/
This is an extraordinary documentary, capturing Bukowski in the 1970's and 1980's mostly, telling the story of his incredible life and alternatively capturing private moments that define him as well as defy his reputation. The film uses interviews of those that lived with him and knew him to portray a man that waded through an interpersonal sewer of a life, only to conquer the literary world on his own terms and make a decent living from it to boot. It's the story of a man, a writer, who just lived life as it presented itself to him. He had an unflinching ability to face the realities of his life with charm, wisdom, and a determination that even he would not be able to recognize. Whether he spoke of his upbringing, his drinking, his laziness, his unattractiveness, his women, and especially about love, death and sex, he remained steadfast in his cynicism laced with humor, much like the comic artist Robert Crumb. Most of the highlights in the film occur when Bukowski is either conversing or reading his own work. He reads his own work in a world weary tone of voice that possesses a cadence that seems to say he's tired of it all. Just then though, he hits us with another gem, another truth about ourselves and the world around us. If you like Bukowski, see this at all costs.
Author: CitizenCaine from Las Vegas, Nevada
Δευτέρα 27 Φεβρουαρίου 2012
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
Είδος: Ταινία
Γλώσσα: English
Υπότιτλοι: Αγγλικά
Χρονολογία: 1968, US
Γλώσσα: English
Υπότιτλοι: Αγγλικά
Χρονολογία: 1968, US
Σκηνοθεσία: Robert Ellis Miller
Διάρκεια: 124'
Διάρκεια: 124'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063050/
Author: lilybear5923 from CA
A story of one man's isolation from others by the fact of being a deaf-mute individual with apparently only one true friend (another deaf-mute whom he love's like a brother). In spite of this physical disability he becomes an important part of all the other characters involved by being a confidant and sounding board for their lives. His patience and quiet concern and attention allows them to sort through their own motives and problems and come to an understanding of them.
Unfortunately because of this disability he remains isolated from being able to take comfort from them when he needs it most. The HEART of the story. To be able to give so much and yet still be denied the love and understanding of the very people you have helped so much.
Unfortunately because of this disability he remains isolated from being able to take comfort from them when he needs it most. The HEART of the story. To be able to give so much and yet still be denied the love and understanding of the very people you have helped so much.
A wonderful and introspective movie about feelings and motivations. View it if you can.
Τετάρτη 8 Φεβρουαρίου 2012
Waste Land
Είδος: Ντοκιμαντέρ
Γλώσσα: Portuguese, English
Υπότιτλοι: English
Χρονολογία: 2010, Brasil / U.K.
Σκηνοθεσία: L. Walker, K. Harley
Διάρκεια: 99'
Γλώσσα: Portuguese, English
Υπότιτλοι: English
Χρονολογία: 2010, Brasil / U.K.
Σκηνοθεσία: L. Walker, K. Harley
Διάρκεια: 99'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1268204/
An uplifting feature documentary highlighting the transformative power of art and the beauty of the human spirit. Top-selling contemporary artist Vik Muniz takes us on an emotional journey from Jardim Gramacho, the world's largest landfill on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, to the heights of international art stardom. Vik collaborates with the brilliant catadores, pickers of recyclable materials, true Shakespearean characters who live and work in the garbage quoting Machiavelli and showing us how to recycle ourselves.
Πέμπτη 29 Σεπτεμβρίου 2011
Examined Life
Είδος: Ντοκιμαντέρ
Γλώσσα: English
Υπότιτλοι: English
Χρονολογία: 2008, Canada
Σκηνοθεσία: Astra Taylor
Διάρκεια: 88'
Γλώσσα: English
Υπότιτλοι: English
Χρονολογία: 2008, Canada
Σκηνοθεσία: Astra Taylor
Διάρκεια: 88'
Examined Life pulls philosophy out of academic journals and classrooms, and puts it back on the streets. In Examined Life, filmmaker Astra Taylor accompanies some of today's most influential thinkers on a series of unique excursions through places and spaces that hold particular resonance for them and their ideas. Peter Singer's thoughts on the ethics of consumption are amplified against the backdrop of Fifth Avenue's posh boutiques. Michael Hardt ponders the nature of revolution while surrounded by symbols of wealth and leisure. Judith Butler and a friend stroll through San Francisco's Mission District questioning our culture's fixation on individualism. And while driving through Manhattan, Cornel West - perhaps America's best-known public intellectual - compares philosophy to jazz and blues, reminding us how intense and invigorating a life of the mind can be...
Παρασκευή 8 Ιουλίου 2011
Catch 22 (1970)
Είδος: Ταινία
Γλώσσα: Αγγλικά
Υπότιτλοι: Ελληνικά
Χρονολογία: 1970, US
Σκηνοθεσία: Mike Nichols
Διάρκεια: 122'
Γλώσσα: Αγγλικά
Υπότιτλοι: Ελληνικά
Χρονολογία: 1970, US
Σκηνοθεσία: Mike Nichols
Διάρκεια: 122'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065528/
Η έκφραση catch 22 στα αγγλικά δημιουργήθηκε από τον Joseph Heller στο ομώνυμο μυθιστόρημα του (1961) για να αποδώσει αυτό το λογικό παράδοξο που προκύπτει από μια κατάσταση στην οποία ένα άτομο χρειάζεται κάτι το οποίο μπορεί να αποκτήσει μόνο αν δεν βρίσκεται σε αυτή την κατάσταση. Η έκφραση χρησιμοποιείται κυρίως για κανόνες, κανονισμούς, διαδικασίες στις οποίες κάποιος έχει γνώση ότι είναι ή ότι γίνεται θύμα αλλά δεν έχει τη δύναμη να τις αποτρέψει.
Σάββατο 18 Ιουνίου 2011
Gandhi
Είδος: Ταινία
Γλώσσα: Αγγλικά
Υπότιτλοι: Ελληνικά
Χρονολογία: 1982, UK / India
Σκηνοθεσία: Richard Attenborough
Διάρκεια: 199'
Γλώσσα: Αγγλικά
Υπότιτλοι: Ελληνικά
Χρονολογία: 1982, UK / India
Σκηνοθεσία: Richard Attenborough
Διάρκεια: 199'
Biography of Mahatma Gandhi, the lawyer who became the famed leader of the Indian revolts against the British through his philosophy of non-violent protest.
Δευτέρα 30 Μαΐου 2011
The Insider_Eng subs
Είδος: Ταινία
Γλώσσα: Αγγλικά
Υπότιτλοι: Αγγλικά
Χρονολογία: 1999, US
Σκηνοθεσία: Michael Mann
Διάρκεια: 157'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0140352/
Balls-out "60 Minutes" producer Lowell Bergman sniffs a story when a former research biologist for Brown & Williamson, Jeff Wigand, won't talk to him. When the company leans hard on Wigand to honor a confidentiality agreement, he gets his back up. Trusting Bergman and despite a crumbling marriage, he goes on camera for a Mike Wallace interview and risks arrest for contempt of court. Westinghouse is negotiating to buy CBS, so CBS attorneys advise CBS News to shelve the interview and avoid a lawsuit. "60 Minutes" and CBS News bosses cave, Wigand's hung out to dry, Bergman is compromised, and the CEOs of Big Tobacco may get away with perjury. Can the truth will out?
Γλώσσα: Αγγλικά
Υπότιτλοι: Αγγλικά
Χρονολογία: 1999, US
Σκηνοθεσία: Michael Mann
Διάρκεια: 157'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0140352/
Balls-out "60 Minutes" producer Lowell Bergman sniffs a story when a former research biologist for Brown & Williamson, Jeff Wigand, won't talk to him. When the company leans hard on Wigand to honor a confidentiality agreement, he gets his back up. Trusting Bergman and despite a crumbling marriage, he goes on camera for a Mike Wallace interview and risks arrest for contempt of court. Westinghouse is negotiating to buy CBS, so CBS attorneys advise CBS News to shelve the interview and avoid a lawsuit. "60 Minutes" and CBS News bosses cave, Wigand's hung out to dry, Bergman is compromised, and the CEOs of Big Tobacco may get away with perjury. Can the truth will out?
Παρασκευή 15 Απριλίου 2011
Inside (Μέσα)
Είδος: Taινία μικρού μήκους
Γλώσσα: English
Υπότιτλοι: Ελληνικά
Χρονολογία: 2002, US
Σκηνοθεσία: Trevor Sands
Διάρκεια: 5'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298934/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298934/
`Inside is a riveting story about a man with multiple personalities whose incarceration in an asylum is up for review. This short shocking tale is deftly told, from expressionistic start to an astonishing denouement, with expressive acting and elegant camera work.' - T.Sands
Inside (Μέσα) from Iptamenos Ollandos on Vimeo.
Πέμπτη 14 Απριλίου 2011
The Wobblies
Είδος: ΝτοκιμαντέρΓλώσσα: English
Υπότιτλοι: -
Χρονολογία: 1979 ,US
Σκηνοθεσία: Stewart Bird, Deborah Shaffer
IWW: Industrial Workers of the World
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080142/
Και ένα κείμενο που αφορά και εμάς τους Έλληνες.
Δευτέρα 28 Μαρτίου 2011
Rabbit-Proof Fence
Είδος: Ταινία
Γλώσσα: English, Aboriginal
Υπότιτλοι: English
Χρονολογία: 2002, Australia
Σκηνοθεσία: Phillip Noyce
Διάρκεια: 94'
Γλώσσα: English, Aboriginal
Υπότιτλοι: English
Χρονολογία: 2002, Australia
Σκηνοθεσία: Phillip Noyce
Διάρκεια: 94'
A Scathing Attack on Racism, 2 December 2002
Author: Howard Schumann from Vancouver, B.C.
Author: Howard Schumann from Vancouver, B.C.
"And miles to go before I sleep/ And miles to go before I sleep"
- Robert Frost
Set in Western Australia in 1931, Rabbit-Proof Fence, a new film by Australian director Philip Noyce (The Quiet American, Clear and Present Danger), is a scathing attack on the Australian government's "eugenics" policy toward Aboriginal half-castes. Continuing policies begun by the British, the white government in Australia for six decades forcibly removed all half-caste Aborigines from their families "for their own good" and sent them to government camps where they were raised as servants, converted to Christianity, and eventually assimilated into white society.
Based on the 1996 book, "Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence" by Doris Pilkington Garimara (Molly Kelly's daughter), the film tells the story of three Aboriginal girls, 14-year old Molly Kelley, her 8-year old sister Daisy, and their 10-year old cousin Gracie. It shows their escape from confinement in a government camp for half-castes and their return home across the vast and lonely Australian Outback. It is a simple story of indomitable courage, told with honest emotion. Abducted by police in 1931 from their families at Jigalong, an Aboriginal settlement on the edge of the Little Sandy Desert in northwest Australia, the three girls are sent to the Moore River Native Settlement near Perth. Here the children must endure wretched conditions. Herded into mass dormitories, they are not allowed to speak their native language, are subject to strict discipline, and, if they break the rules, are put into solitary confinement for 14 days.
Followed by the Aborigine tracker, Moodoo (a great performance from David Gulpilil), the girls make their escape. Using a "rabbit-proof fence" as a navigation tool, they walk 1500 miles across the parched Outback to return to Jigalong. The rabbit-proof fence was a strip of barbed-wire netting that cut across half of the continent and was designed to protect farmer's crops by keeping the rabbits away. The girls walked for months on end often without food or drink, not always sure of the direction they are going, using all their ingenuity and intelligence along the way just to survive. The stunning Australian landscape is magnificently photographed by Christopher Doyle, and a haunting score by Peter Gabriel translates natural sounds of birds, animals, wind and rain into music that adds a mystical feeling to the journey.
The performances by amateur actors Evelyn Sampi, Tianna Sansbury, and Laura Monaghan (who had never seen a film before let alone acted in one) are authentic and heartbreakingly affecting. Though the white officials and police are characterized as smug and unfeeling, they are more like bureaucrats carrying out official policies than true villains. Kenneth Branagh gives a strong but restrained performance as Mr. Neville, the minister in charge of half-castes. Rabbit-Proof Fence is an honest film that avoids sentimentality and lets the courage and natural wisdom of the girls shine through. This is one of the best films I've seen this year and has struck a responsive chord in Australia and all over the world. Hopefully, it will become a vehicle for reconciliation, so that the shame of the "Stolen Generation" can at last be held to account.
Σάββατο 5 Μαρτίου 2011
The Man From Earth
Είδος: Ταινία
Γλώσσα: English
Υπότιτλοι: Ελληνικά
Χρονολογία: 2007, US
Σκηνοθεσία: Richard Schenkman
Διάρκεια: 87'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0756683/
A minimalist sci-fi drama.
Author: duggam from Boston, MA
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I saw this movie when it premiered at the Rhode Island International film festival. It was the main attraction of a sci-fi block that I went to without any knowledge of what the file was about, save the IMDb plot summary. What I saw was much different than what I expected, and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised.
The film starts very simply with the main character John packing his truck, and then joined by colleagues of his who have come to wish him farewell. His colleagues, however, cannot help but express how puzzled they are about him leaving, since he has established himself very well as a professor and is well liked. Each time he is asked, John either avoids the question or gives an evasive answer. He eventually responds to them by posing a hypothetical question to the group (which by now have been established as Ph.D.s in fields including anthropology, biology, and history) about what a man would be like if he had lived since prehistoric times and had the appearance of the same age for sixteen-thousand years. This question starts an innocent discussion, but changes in tone as John implies more and more that the situation is not hypothetical. The group all have diverse reactions that become more intense as they pose questions to John regarding the story he has put forth.
One of the producers who was in attendance described the film as a science fiction Twelve Angry Men, and I found that statement to be very apropos. The focus of the story was the interaction of the people in the situation, rather than the situation itself. You will find that as an audience member you are put in a similar position as John's colleagues in thinking about the logistical aspects of living for such a long time and what you would say if a friend came to you with the same story. The writer, the late Jerome Bixby, did this well by presenting people that could analyze the finer points of the hypothetical situation by being experts in many relevant fields. I highly recommend this film if you enjoy the more human side of science fiction, or if you like pondering what-ifs.
Γλώσσα: English
Υπότιτλοι: Ελληνικά
Χρονολογία: 2007, US
Σκηνοθεσία: Richard Schenkman
Διάρκεια: 87'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0756683/
A minimalist sci-fi drama.
Author: duggam from Boston, MA
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I saw this movie when it premiered at the Rhode Island International film festival. It was the main attraction of a sci-fi block that I went to without any knowledge of what the file was about, save the IMDb plot summary. What I saw was much different than what I expected, and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised.
The film starts very simply with the main character John packing his truck, and then joined by colleagues of his who have come to wish him farewell. His colleagues, however, cannot help but express how puzzled they are about him leaving, since he has established himself very well as a professor and is well liked. Each time he is asked, John either avoids the question or gives an evasive answer. He eventually responds to them by posing a hypothetical question to the group (which by now have been established as Ph.D.s in fields including anthropology, biology, and history) about what a man would be like if he had lived since prehistoric times and had the appearance of the same age for sixteen-thousand years. This question starts an innocent discussion, but changes in tone as John implies more and more that the situation is not hypothetical. The group all have diverse reactions that become more intense as they pose questions to John regarding the story he has put forth.
One of the producers who was in attendance described the film as a science fiction Twelve Angry Men, and I found that statement to be very apropos. The focus of the story was the interaction of the people in the situation, rather than the situation itself. You will find that as an audience member you are put in a similar position as John's colleagues in thinking about the logistical aspects of living for such a long time and what you would say if a friend came to you with the same story. The writer, the late Jerome Bixby, did this well by presenting people that could analyze the finer points of the hypothetical situation by being experts in many relevant fields. I highly recommend this film if you enjoy the more human side of science fiction, or if you like pondering what-ifs.
Πέμπτη 10 Φεβρουαρίου 2011
Gran Torino
Είδος: Ταινία
Γλώσσα: English
Υπότιτλοι: -
Χρονολογία: 2008, US
Σκηνοθεσία: Clint Eastwood
Διάρκεια: 116'
Γλώσσα: English
Υπότιτλοι: -
Χρονολογία: 2008, US
Σκηνοθεσία: Clint Eastwood
Διάρκεια: 116'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1205489/
Walt Kowalski is a widower who holds onto his prejudices despite the changes in his Michigan neighborhood and the world around him. Kowalski is a grumpy, tough-minded, unhappy an old man, who can't get along with either his kids or his neighbors, a Korean War veteran whose prize possession is a 1972 Gran Torino he keeps in mint condition. When his neighbor Thao, a young Hmong teenager under pressure from his gang member cousin, tries to steal his Gran Torino, Kowalski sets out to reform the youth. Drawn against his will into the life of Thao's family, Kowalski is soon taking steps to protect them from the gangs that infest their neighborhood. Written by alfiehitchie
Παρασκευή 3 Δεκεμβρίου 2010
Network
Γλώσσα: English
Υπότιτλοι: -
Χρονολογία: 1976, US
Σκηνοθεσία: Sidney Lumet
Διάρκεια: 121'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074958/
Author: dead47548 from United States
I can't put it more perfectly than Turner Classic Movies' Robert Osborne who said "What was originally a satire is a stinging mirror of television news today." I strain to think of a film that is a more brilliant take on society, and all of the flaws it has. It's obedience and entertainment by those who rebel, no matter how insane they are. The exploitation of those in peril for any kind of economic profit. And the fact that everything Beale preaches is completely true and completely bashes the people who are producing him. I was amazed by how much he sells out while continuing to rant about how terrible the people he works for are, and the fact that they just keep him on the air because they want ratings.
It couldn't be more related to today. Turn on the news and you see videos of how horrific the war on terror is and how horrific American society has become, but it stays on the air because people don't want to see the good things in life. They care about the bad and the corrupt. People must have laughed it off back then, but it was such a foreshadow to the near future. The performances are just as brilliant as the social commentary. Each actor becomes so absorbed into their characters that you can't even tell they're acting. It feels like you're watching these people in their daily lives, interacting and becoming more and more corrupt. Finch and Dunaway easily give two of the greatest performances of all time. I just have to say that it's so rare to find a film as incredibly flawless as this.
It couldn't be more related to today. Turn on the news and you see videos of how horrific the war on terror is and how horrific American society has become, but it stays on the air because people don't want to see the good things in life. They care about the bad and the corrupt. People must have laughed it off back then, but it was such a foreshadow to the near future. The performances are just as brilliant as the social commentary. Each actor becomes so absorbed into their characters that you can't even tell they're acting. It feels like you're watching these people in their daily lives, interacting and becoming more and more corrupt. Finch and Dunaway easily give two of the greatest performances of all time. I just have to say that it's so rare to find a film as incredibly flawless as this.
Σάββατο 20 Νοεμβρίου 2010
The Cube
Είδος: Ταινία (horror, mystery, thriller, sci-fi)
Γλώσσα: English
Υπότιτλοι: -
Χρονολογία: 1997, Canada
Σκηνοθεσία: Vincenzo Natali
Διάρκεια: 88'
Γλώσσα: English
Υπότιτλοι: -
Χρονολογία: 1997, Canada
Σκηνοθεσία: Vincenzo Natali
Διάρκεια: 88'
Author: Christopher Byrne from Brisbane, Australia
Cube is a movie that explores human nature and our instinctive urges for survival vs our humanitarianism. Not a new concept, I know, however this movie does it in style, with a plot so simple that it could only be the work of a conceptual genius. I don't intend to give too much away, as the power of the film lies in it's mystery, but I will say that this movie could almost be classified as disturbing, not due to its content, but rather the thoughts that it instills in the audience. I found myself rather shaken as I left the cinema, feeling as though I had been exposed to an ugly, hidden side of humanity and society. Don't get me wrong, this movie is definitely worth seeing, I would even be so bold as to say that it must be seen! I must admit that there are few movies I have seen that have had such a profound affect on me, and I don't think I am alone in my feelings.
Cube is a movie that explores human nature and our instinctive urges for survival vs our humanitarianism. Not a new concept, I know, however this movie does it in style, with a plot so simple that it could only be the work of a conceptual genius. I don't intend to give too much away, as the power of the film lies in it's mystery, but I will say that this movie could almost be classified as disturbing, not due to its content, but rather the thoughts that it instills in the audience. I found myself rather shaken as I left the cinema, feeling as though I had been exposed to an ugly, hidden side of humanity and society. Don't get me wrong, this movie is definitely worth seeing, I would even be so bold as to say that it must be seen! I must admit that there are few movies I have seen that have had such a profound affect on me, and I don't think I am alone in my feelings.
Πέμπτη 28 Οκτωβρίου 2010
Gasland
Είδος: Ντοκιμαντέρ
Γλώσσα: English
Υπότιτλοι: -
Χρονολογία: 2010 ,US
Σκηνοθεσία: Josh Fox
Διάρκεια: 113'
Plot Summary:It is happening all across America-rural landowners wake up one day to find a lucrative offer from an energy company wanting to lease their property. Reason? The company hopes to tap into a reservoir dubbed the "Saudi Arabia of natural gas." Halliburton developed a way to get the gas out of the ground-a hydraulic drilling process called "fracking"-and suddenly America finds itself on the precipice of becoming an energy superpower. Written by Sundance Film Festival
Watch it here: http://www.letmewatchthis.com/external.php?title=GasLand&url=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5kaXZ4bW92aWVzaGFyZS5jb20vZmlsZS5waHA/ZmlsbT0zNTE3MDk=&domain=divxmovieshare.com&loggedin=0
Πέμπτη 9 Σεπτεμβρίου 2010
Collapse
Γλώσσα: Αγγλικά
Υπότιτλοι: Ελληνικά
Χρονολογία: 2009 , USA
Σκηνοθεσία: Chris Smith
Διάρκεια: 80'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1503769/
Whether Michael Ruppert is a madman or a prophet, I do not know. What I do know is that all of his suppositions are based on the hardest and most chilling of facts. You will recall your teachings on Cassandra and the famous Cassandra Complex, whereby a person who bears valid warnings and terrible foresight is doomed to watch it happen. They are helpless to stop it because no one will listen to them. Meet Cassandra.
Collapse is an amazing documentary that works on several levels. We'll start with the first: Ruppert's analysis of the world around us is stunningly bleak. Our entire civilization is based on oil. This is fact. All transportation requires oil in some form. All manufacturing (and civilization as we know it) is based on energy, which is finite, and requires some oil in some form. Building the resources to harvest ANY energy source requires manufacturing and transportation, which requires oil. Cultivating food requires energy to produce and transportation to get to your grocery store or home. Even if we discover some new energy source - algae, for example, which is not addressed in the film - all the components needed to harvest or utilize that energy are oil-based. Even if we invent cars without tires (which require 8+ barrels of oil to make, PER TIRE), the plastics and metals and components in those vehicles all require oil as either a direct ingredient or as an indirect part of the manufacturing.
Now imagine a world without oil. See where this is going?
This film, and Ruppert, go much further than that. Oil dependency is just the appetizer. Then we get to Peak Oil (or the Hubbert Peak). Then an economy based on floated, imaginary, (fiat) money. And so on. Ruppert builds his case with hysterically grim anecdotes and considerable authenticity. It's difficult to disagree with him precisely because he doesn't allow 'theory' or partisan/ideological opinion to seep into the discussion. The facts are accurate. The conclusions... are up to you.
Let's talk about the film-making itself: Chris Smith's film is shot 'bunker-style' for effect. It works. There are hardly any miscues in the technical aspects, and the editing style is absolutely riveting and never boring. As pure entertainment, if we can call it that, this film will absolutely command your attention for 80 minutes. The film does not subscribe - one way or another - to Ruppert. It just shows him as he is and allows you to draw your own conclusions. Right or wrong, Ruppert's quest to seek this knowledge and tell it to the world has subtly destroyed him. Collapse works on an intensely personal level, too. This film burns itself into the mind. It's point blank brilliant.
Others have noted a major flaw in Ruppert's arguments, including the filmmaker himself: Ruppert does not allow for miracles or human ingenuity in his apocalyptic scenarios. Ruppert has already decided we've passed the point of no return and is now looking to "build the lifeboat on the Titanic". When confronted about this directly, Ruppert's non-answer more or less says that he won't trust his fellow humans to think a way out of this. Ruppert has so expertly identified the problems, but he has no answers. All his "hope" is directed at ways to survive what's to come. Again, right or wrong, this man absolutely believes what he's saying and is absolutely terrified. You should be, too.
What's the way out? Well, I personally choose to believe the first part of Ruppert's argument and disregard the second. We are in trouble. But I choose to have faith in my fellow man, that we can "fix the Titanic" before it's too late. In the meantime, you must see this film. See it, soak it in, let it shake you, and tell your friends. Draw your own conclusions. Ruppert's role is to sound the warning. Perhaps if enough people see this film, someone out there will figure out what to do.
Collapse is an amazing documentary that works on several levels. We'll start with the first: Ruppert's analysis of the world around us is stunningly bleak. Our entire civilization is based on oil. This is fact. All transportation requires oil in some form. All manufacturing (and civilization as we know it) is based on energy, which is finite, and requires some oil in some form. Building the resources to harvest ANY energy source requires manufacturing and transportation, which requires oil. Cultivating food requires energy to produce and transportation to get to your grocery store or home. Even if we discover some new energy source - algae, for example, which is not addressed in the film - all the components needed to harvest or utilize that energy are oil-based. Even if we invent cars without tires (which require 8+ barrels of oil to make, PER TIRE), the plastics and metals and components in those vehicles all require oil as either a direct ingredient or as an indirect part of the manufacturing.
Now imagine a world without oil. See where this is going?
This film, and Ruppert, go much further than that. Oil dependency is just the appetizer. Then we get to Peak Oil (or the Hubbert Peak). Then an economy based on floated, imaginary, (fiat) money. And so on. Ruppert builds his case with hysterically grim anecdotes and considerable authenticity. It's difficult to disagree with him precisely because he doesn't allow 'theory' or partisan/ideological opinion to seep into the discussion. The facts are accurate. The conclusions... are up to you.
Let's talk about the film-making itself: Chris Smith's film is shot 'bunker-style' for effect. It works. There are hardly any miscues in the technical aspects, and the editing style is absolutely riveting and never boring. As pure entertainment, if we can call it that, this film will absolutely command your attention for 80 minutes. The film does not subscribe - one way or another - to Ruppert. It just shows him as he is and allows you to draw your own conclusions. Right or wrong, Ruppert's quest to seek this knowledge and tell it to the world has subtly destroyed him. Collapse works on an intensely personal level, too. This film burns itself into the mind. It's point blank brilliant.
Others have noted a major flaw in Ruppert's arguments, including the filmmaker himself: Ruppert does not allow for miracles or human ingenuity in his apocalyptic scenarios. Ruppert has already decided we've passed the point of no return and is now looking to "build the lifeboat on the Titanic". When confronted about this directly, Ruppert's non-answer more or less says that he won't trust his fellow humans to think a way out of this. Ruppert has so expertly identified the problems, but he has no answers. All his "hope" is directed at ways to survive what's to come. Again, right or wrong, this man absolutely believes what he's saying and is absolutely terrified. You should be, too.
What's the way out? Well, I personally choose to believe the first part of Ruppert's argument and disregard the second. We are in trouble. But I choose to have faith in my fellow man, that we can "fix the Titanic" before it's too late. In the meantime, you must see this film. See it, soak it in, let it shake you, and tell your friends. Draw your own conclusions. Ruppert's role is to sound the warning. Perhaps if enough people see this film, someone out there will figure out what to do.
Τετάρτη 21 Ιουλίου 2010
The Pervert's Guide to Cinema
Είδος: Ντοκιμαντέρ
Γλώσσα: Αγγλικά
Υπότιτλοι: Spanish
Χρονολογία: 2006 ,US
Σκηνοθεσία: Sophie Fiennes
Διάρκεια: 150'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0828154/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0828154/
THE PERVERT'S GUIDE TO CINEMA takes the viewer on an exhilarating ride through some of the greatest movies ever made. Serving as presenter and guide is the charismatic Slavoj Zizek, acclaimed philosopher and psychoanalyst. With his engaging and passionate approach to thinking, Zizek delves into the hidden language of cinema, uncovering what movies can tell us about ourselves. Whether he is untangling the famously baffling films of David Lynch, or overturning everything you thought you knew about Hitchcock, Zizek illuminates the screen with his passion, intellect, and unfailing sense of humour. THE PERVERT'S GUIDE TO CINEMA cuts its cloth from the very world of the movies it discusses; by shooting at original locations and from replica sets it creates the uncanny illusion that Zizek is speaking from 'within' the films themselves. Together the three parts construct a compelling dialectic of ideas. Described by The Times in London as 'the woman helming this Freudian inquest,' director Sophie Fiennes' collaboration with Slavoj Zizek illustrates the immediacy with which film and television can communicate complex ideas. Says Zizek: 'My big obsession is to make things clear. I can really explain a line of thought if I can somehow illustrate it in a scene from a film. THE PERVERT'S GUIDE TO CINEMA is really about what psychoanalysis can tell us about cinema.' Written by P Guide Ltd.
Famous movies are subject to Freudian analysis: Possessed, The Matrix, The Birds, Psycho, Vertigo, Duck Soup, Monkey Business, The Exorcist, The Testament of Dr Mabuse, Alien, Alien Resurrection, The Great Dictator, City Lights, The Tramp, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, Dr Strangelove, The Red Shoes, Fight Club, Dead of Night, The Conversation, Blue Velvet, Solaris, Stalker, Mulholland Drive, Lost Highway, Persona, In The Cut, Eyes Wide Shut, The Piano Teacher, Three Colours: Blue, Dogville, Frankenstein, The Ten Commandments, Saboteur, Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, North by Northwest, Star Wars, Dune, Kubanskie Kazaki, Ivan The Terrible, Pluto's Judgment Day (Walt Disney), Wild at Heart.
Famous movies are subject to Freudian analysis: Possessed, The Matrix, The Birds, Psycho, Vertigo, Duck Soup, Monkey Business, The Exorcist, The Testament of Dr Mabuse, Alien, Alien Resurrection, The Great Dictator, City Lights, The Tramp, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, Dr Strangelove, The Red Shoes, Fight Club, Dead of Night, The Conversation, Blue Velvet, Solaris, Stalker, Mulholland Drive, Lost Highway, Persona, In The Cut, Eyes Wide Shut, The Piano Teacher, Three Colours: Blue, Dogville, Frankenstein, The Ten Commandments, Saboteur, Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, North by Northwest, Star Wars, Dune, Kubanskie Kazaki, Ivan The Terrible, Pluto's Judgment Day (Walt Disney), Wild at Heart.
Παρασκευή 14 Μαΐου 2010
Validation
Γλώσσα: English
Υπότιτλοι: -
Χρονολογία: 2009, US
Σκηνοθεσία: Kurt Kuenne
Διάρκεια: 16'
"Validation" is a fable about the magic of free parking. Starring TJ Thyne & Vicki Davis. Writer/Director/Composer - Kurt Kuenne. Winner - Best Narrative Short, Cleveland Int'l Film Festival, Winner - Jury Award, Gen Art Chicago Film Festival, Winner - Audience Award, Hawaii Int'l Film Festival, Winner - Best Short Comedy, Breckenridge Festival of Film, Winner - Crystal Heart Award, Best Short Film & Audience Award, Heartland Film Festival, Winner - Christopher & Dana Reeve Audience Award, Williamstown Film Festival, Winner - Best Comedy, Dam Short Film Festival, Winner - Best Short Film, Sedona Int'l Film Festival.
You Tube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/hughnewman1024
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0986272/
Movies today seem to have difficulty making something happy. No matter how hard they try, it almost always comes off as being fake. This is where Validation comes in. A short film directed by Kurt Kuenne that oozes joy. And not the fake kind. By the end of this 17 minute film I was beaming. I was so happy that I immediately watched it a second time just to make sure I wasn't imagining it. I wasn't. Then I began showing it to every single person I could, and each one of them was smiling at the end. In fact, I have yet to see one single person who did not care for this movie, or did not feel great at the end of it.
The plot it simple, a man gives out free validation. Yes, the car kind. But he also throws in a bit of the other validation, and brightens the day of everyone he meets. Except as he is going out to get his drivers license renewed, he sees a girl and instantly falls in love. The only problem? She doesn't smile. I won't delve any deeper into the plot, but rest assured, it ends well.
The movie is filmed in black and white for no other reason than that it looks good. And after seeing the whole thing, you really couldn't imagine it in color. The music, to put it simply, is genius. An upbeat Gospel tune rings out throughout almost the entire movie, and every time I hear it I want to dance. The actors of course do a great job, overacted yes, but it's clearly on purpose.
Validation is a movie I believe everyone should see. It's funny, charming, and at the end of it all, a piece of joy. Look it up and watch it. I can guarantee you'll be glad you did.
Author: Oblivious93 from United States
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