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From: Dishuiguanyin

Re: Red River Valley (a Chinese film about Tibet, showing how the Communists liberated Tibet from the Western devils)

I did see "Red River Valley" for the first time about a month ago on CCTV whatever... definitely good for a giggle, the Tibetans were all speaking perfect putonghua, the British soldiers' accents wandered drunkenly through all possible regional variations from Welsh to Scouse (including some American). The "Scottish" sergant had three different accents in one scene. Everybody kept on blowing themselves up at the end and it all got wonderfully melodramatic. Hey, it brightens up my dull little life out here (though possibly my memories of the film are a tad clouded by several glasses of vodka drunk during  the proceedings).

May 15

From: DR 

re: The Virgin Suicides

Okay, so it’s not exactly The Wonder Years, but yet another treacly tome hoping desperately to tell us something new about that whole early 70s adolescent girl-thing.  The Virgin Suicides, produced in that irritating backlit and washed-out color reminiscent of a bad print of a 1969 Yardley of London cosmetics commercial, (designed to make us squeal out   “ISN”T THIS REALISTIC!!”) is a look back at a Midwestern upper-middle class family, run by the strict Catholic Mrs.Lisbon (Kathleen Turner).

If Turner’s face and body aren’t the most interesting things in this film, I don’t know what are.  If I sit in the darkened theater wondering about the seam by Turner’s ears on what must have been a very recent facelift, than it appears likely that the film in not very engaging.  If I wonder why James Woods (Mr. Lisbon) isn’t getting offered roles the overrated Kevin Spacey now plays; then perhaps the dialogue’s just a bit too precious.  If, for a moment, I need to rub my eyes and think that The Virgin Suicides is what the Bradys were really all about; then I guess there’s no one likeable here, either.  

Watching this film with it’s morbid themes should make one hungry for background, analysis, and understanding, as four out of five of the Lisbon family’s offspring commit suicide.  Without providing enough history on the parents’ relationship (which, presumably was cut for time), The Virgin Suicides practically sneers at the very characters it should pity.  Aching for either some well-placed humor, or a tweaking of the macabre angle, The Virgin Suicides ultimately falls flat, not due to bad acting or bad timing, but just another victim of a story that’s all dressed up with no place to go.

May 12

From: DR

re: Up At the Villa

Too bad there wasn't more going on 'up at the villa' to enliven this maudlin film.  The production is based on a Somerset Maugham short story, but without Maugham's descriptive prose, costumes wear the actors and the millinery steals the show.

Kristen ("the ice queen") Scott Thomas (Mary Panton)  heads an interesting, if not inspired cast of misfits, as a young down-on-her-luck society widow who has come to Florence to regroup after the death of her alcoholic husband.  Anne Bancroft (Princess San Ferdinando), falling in and out of a confused accent, provides the comic relief as an aging matron who proudly married for money and encourages Scott Thomas to do the same.

The action centers around the Princess' attempts to integrate her friend into various swanky Florentine galas, dinners, and clubs, as the murky malcontent of 1930s Italy provides a flimsy backdrop. 

So its all so many dreary fox-trots and waltzes for our heroine, until she meets Sean Penn (as Robert Mitchum, for my money), who plays the small-time semi-tough con artist and roué, Rowley Flint, and whom she has been unwittingly set-up to meet by the Anne Bancroft character.

The limited action that takes place begins at Princess San Ferdinando's dinner party, where, after learning that the tenor scheduled to perform was AWOL, the chef snags a prep cook, who also happens to play the violin. 

After much coaxing (and for good reason), the scruffy cook (Jeremy Davies) begins to play for the tony soiree, poorly, and becomes the butt of some tired jokes uttered by Bancroft, "He's even worse than Jack Benny!" she intones.

As the guests prepare to depart, a tip tray is offered as appreciation for the violinist.  Mary is the only guest to leave a folded bill (which, we assume she can ill afford), amidst the stingy coinage of the others.  Penn then drives her home, detouring in an unsuccessful attempt to get some lip service, but ending up with a smack, and the dust of Mary's model T as she drives away leaving him at Florence's answer to "lover's lane".

As she speeds recklessly away, upset by the turn of events, our Mary  nearly hits a shadowed figure out strolling in the wee hours.  It is our violinist-- greasy and stale from his walk home.  Yum!  Just what every lonely widow needs!  She proceeds to seduce him through a series of laughable ploys (etchings, anyone?)  and soon the two are passionately ensconced (baths, anyone?) til morning.

Oh well, I'm boring myself with this, but to wrap things up; the greasy kid falls for her, she rejects him as she was just using him anyway, he goes berserk, and gives a soliloquy about being a victim of political unrest, and then shoots himself in the heart.

With no Ghostbusters to call, Mary calls her good friend, Rowley (Penn), since he's a crook anyway, and should know his way out of this mess. 

He does.  They dump the body, there's a gratuitous Fascism scene, poor Derek Jacobi makes a ridiculously gratuitous appearance as the town homosexual, and Mary and Rowley get away with their secret, smiling knowingly, that they'll be together forever.  Yeccch!  What's on the WB?

April 18, 2000

From Hagen 

re: American Psycho

I just saw "American Psycho" last night and naturally I thought of you. Not because of this particular movie but whenever the topic of "movie" comes up, I think of you. I enjoyed the movie. I found it to be funny and disturbingly scary. I was amused that the movie 
seem to gauge that the average audience would be action movie-loving male because the three trailers that preceded the movie were "U-571," "Mission Impossible 2," and "X-Men." I didn't realize that the 
80's was so narcissistic and excessive and it was interesting to feel that this was somewhat of a period film when it happened so recently.

Now, I am interested in seeing "I Shot Andy Warhol" and "Go Fish." I don't know if the local Blockbusters would have it since the local stores don't even carry "Wilde."

March 29, 2000

From: Rekleov

re: Chinese vs. American movies

I’ve given some thought to your comments about Chinese movies, especially Hong Kong movies, and how they are probably some of the best of the past ten years. I think there is a simple reason why the best movies no longer come out of the US and Europe.
Why do movies generally suck in the West these days? Easy: we have good lives now. Movies in olden times, even up until 20 years ago or so, were able to show a better world—even in a dystopia, 
like "Planet of the Apes", or "Soylent Green", people have perfect skin. Life has caught up to the movies, so people don't care anymore. They want either "true life" crap, or, thankfully, the novel will return to promenence. I doubt that video games will overtake novels anytime soon, but give it twenty years and we’ll see. The problem with video games is that there is so much work involved—movies are relatively low-tech, in comparison, and all you need for a novel is a good light source.

So why are movies good elsewhere, at least more? Life isn’t so good in many parts of the world, and people in those places want to see something that is better than what they have, just like it was in the West for so long. Story is very important, but story 
can only go so far. There has to be something more, something that can grab a person and make them pay attention, and design can do that. That’s why the old black-and-whites are so cool - they paid a lot of attention to how the shadows worked, how to put people on the screen. I think a lot has been lost by going to color, since scenery has taken the place of plot and acting. Now as decadence overtakes us in the West, and the sun goes down on us, of course the East will prosper in film. India is probably 
the next to be great, and then, perhaps, parts of Africa. I’m not sure about the Muslim countries, mainly because I’m not familiar with the current state of film in those nations, and what they will be able to do. Perhaps story and acting can really take their place in such cultures.

These are a few half-thought-through-thoughts, but I figured you’d be interested. Later!

Bill

If you ever check out an international film festival like the one I was lucky to check out in San Francisco this April, you'll see how every continent has great cinema going for it -- and it's sad how they are completely ignored by most Americans, even those who claim to be movie literate. But you can't blame them when these films can't find a distributor in the states, even for video.  That's why we need to get the word out -- and keep your eyes peeled for these movies because you'll run into them sooner or later. - KBL

March 22

From Grant 

re: Best Films of '90s

the site looks great. i haven't seen half the movies on your top ten, but absolutely agree with you on the other half. thanks for putting up the site. it's exactly what i've been looking for--smart, savvy critiques of good movies by a person whose taste in film i've always trusted. i'll tell my friends about this cool site.

magnolia and flowers of shanghai were the two best films i've seen this year. glad to see them on your list. i'm looking forward to clicking through the rest of the site at some point. now that i know it's there,
maybe my video renting will be a bit less haphazard.

March 21

From Sisi Lee re: Magnolia

great that your reveiw of magnolia was long! i loved it. but, i didn't think that Moore's performance was especially good, but then again, i really didn't care much for her character. i actually found her story line to be one of the least interesting ones in the whole movie. did you catch where you actually saw the word magnolia in the movie? it was on the street sign at the intersection where all the madness started with the frogs. although, you probably knew that b/c of your superior movie knowledge.

i hate your website b/c it makes me procrastinate too much. i find myself reading reviews of movies i would rather eat shit and die than watch.

March 20

From Billistic

 re: The Insider

Kevin, last weekend I had a real treat. The political institute rented a room in the local theater for a screening of "The Insider." There's nothing like the feeling of having a movie put on just for you (and the other people in your group). And today the institute invited Jeffrey Wigand to speak about his fight against big tobacco. He said that the movie captures most
of the important facts about his ordeal: he did receive death threats and a bullet in his mailbox, and CBS really did capitulate to Brown and Williamson. From what he described, the feeling of paranoia was actually worse than portrayed in the movie. Although he wasn't tailed by a burly man at a golf driving range, he was followed 24-7 by an ex-FBI agent hired by B&W. And the harassment didn't end after the security guards came in to his home. Amazingly, during the legal proceedings B&W stepped up their menace. Several times the cars of his attorneys were broken into, with just documents pertaining to his case stolen, and not any other documents nor valuables in the car were stolen. B&W even managed to wheedle documents from the concierge at one courthouse.

Of course the details of the movie were fudged a bit. Interestingly, his daughter has spina bifida, not asthma as the movie portrays. Russell Crowe managed a good impersonation: his accent sounds like Wigand's New England brogue, Crowe did a good job of talking bluntly. Wigand is practically a human PowerPoint presentation: when he makes points, he asks a question and then answers it (Would I do it again? Most certainly.) or he itemizes them (Number one, number two...). But at the talk, Wigand was boisterous, irrepressible. I get the feeling that he didn't have the deep internal crisis that Crowe presented in the movie.

Wigand has a website describing his ongoing battle with B&W and big tobacco. Check it out: www.jeffreywigand.com

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