SCREENING LOG -2/16-2/22, 2004

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I watched ALEXANDER NEVSKY, BERLIN: SYMPHONY OF A GREAT CITY, SPIDERS, DR. MABUSE: THE GAMBLER, WELCOME TO DESTINATION SHANGHAI, PAKEEZAH and SANJURO.

Alexander Nevsky (1938, Sergei Eisenstein) second viewing

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029850/

yes (While gracefully refraining from more gratuitous LORD OF THE RINGS-bashing, I'll just say that this -- for better or worse -- may very well be one of the most influential films on contemporary Hollywood blockbuster filmmaking, which is kind of sad as it's far less of an artistic achievement than either his best silents or IVAN THE TERRIBLE. I should also say that I watched this on a piss-poor DVD courtesy of Image Entertainment that made mincemeat of the soundtrack, so I'm afraid I wasn't able to appreciate the famous Prokofiev score. )

Berlin: Symphony of a Great City (1927, Walter Ruttmann) second viewing

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0017668/

yes

Spiders (1919, Fritz Lang)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0010726/

yes

Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler (1922, Fritz Lang)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0013086/

yes

Welcome to Destination Shanghai (2003, Andrew Cheng)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365917/

mixed (this got into Rotterdam??? What the hell am I doing wrong??? Who am I not sleeping with??? )

Pakeezah (1971, Kamal Amrohi)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067546/

yes (this may be the most "purely" cinematic Bollywood musical I've seen, one that dwells languidly on moods and moments with stunning results. I only wish the story was up to snuff... though maybe that shortcoming was what prompted Amrohi to go full out on the lyricism as compensation.)

Sanjuro (1962, Akira Kurosawa)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056443/

mixed

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