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    <title>Gates of Heaven's Recent Activity - Spout</title>
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    <description>Recent community activity around Gates of Heaven on Spout</description>
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      <title>Gates of Heaven's Recent Activity - Spout</title>
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      <title>Film:Gates of Heaven</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/films/Gates_of_Heaven/13026/default.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<table width='100%' style='font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><tr><td><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t59090w2txr.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' /></td>
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<strong>Title:</strong> Gates of Heaven<br/>
<strong>Year:</strong> 1978<br/>
<strong>Director:</strong> Errol Morris<br/>
<strong>Plot:</strong> Documentary filmmaker <a href="/players/P___103562/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Errol Morris</a>' debut immediately attracted acclaim for its straight-faced treatment of a subject practically begging for ridicule. When the Foothill Memorial Gardens pet cemetery, located north of San Francisco, closed (its land was sold for a housing project), the 450 animals interred there had to be moved to Bubbling Well Memorial Park in nearby Napa. Morris saw the transfer as an opportunity to explore the world of pet owners who are so devoted that they see nothing wrong with giving their animals a full dose of the last rites. His simple technique was to film his subjects, usually seated, talking about their loved ones, alternating with shots of the two cemeteries and the move. Critic <a href="/players/P___187959/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Roger Ebert</a> became an early champion of the film, and Morris' struggles to finish it resulted in a very amusing short film, <a href=/films/37832/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe</a>. The German filmmaker had bet Morris that he would never complete the film, and when he did, Herzog publicly boiled and consumed one of his shoes for the camera of director <a href="/players/P____82088/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Les Blank</a>. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide<br/>
<strong>Times Tagged:</strong> 40<br/>
<strong>Number of Lists:</strong> 13<br/>
<strong>Number of blog posts:</strong> 2<br/>
<strong>Number of discussion threads:</strong> 3<br/>
<strong>SpoutRating:</strong> 3<br/>
</td></tr></table>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2009 01:56:48 GMT</pubDate><spout:Title>Gates of Heaven</spout:Title><spout:Year>1978</spout:Year><spout:Director>Errol Morris</spout:Director><spout:Plot>Documentary filmmaker &lt;a href="/players/P___103562/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Errol Morris&lt;/a&gt;' debut immediately attracted acclaim for its straight-faced treatment of a subject practically begging for ridicule. When the Foothill Memorial Gardens pet cemetery, located north of San Francisco, closed (its land was sold for a housing project), the 450 animals interred there had to be moved to Bubbling Well Memorial Park in nearby Napa. Morris saw the transfer as an opportunity to explore the world of pet owners who are so devoted that they see nothing wrong with giving their animals a full dose of the last rites. His simple technique was to film his subjects, usually seated, talking about their loved ones, alternating with shots of the two cemeteries and the move. Critic &lt;a href="/players/P___187959/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Roger Ebert&lt;/a&gt; became an early champion of the film, and Morris' struggles to finish it resulted in a very amusing short film, &lt;a href=/films/37832/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe&lt;/a&gt;. The German filmmaker had bet Morris that he would never complete the film, and when he did, Herzog publicly boiled and consumed one of his shoes for the camera of director &lt;a href="/players/P____82088/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Les Blank&lt;/a&gt;. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide</spout:Plot><spout:TimesTagged>40</spout:TimesTagged><spout:taglevel>Tag Target (&gt;10)</spout:taglevel><spout:Numberoflists>13</spout:Numberoflists><spout:NumberOfBlogPosts>2</spout:NumberOfBlogPosts><spout:NumberOfDiscussionThreads>3</spout:NumberOfDiscussionThreads><spout:SpoutRating>3</spout:SpoutRating><spout:FilmCoverURL>http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t59090w2txr.jpg</spout:FilmCoverURL><spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL>http://www.spout.com/films/Gates_of_Heaven/13026/default.aspx</spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL><spout:type>Film</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Gates of Heaven</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/risselada/archive/2009/3/16/41074.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t59090w2txr.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/5353/default.aspx'>Risselada</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/risselada/default.aspx'>Risselada Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 3/16/2009 3:51:39 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Gates of Heaven Errol Morris' first film.  The movie that caused Werner Herzog to eat his shoe.  Roger Ebert put the film on his list of the Ten Greatest Films of All Time.  Many people have considered it the movie responsible for a revitalization of the documentary film.  I find it a very good film, but prefer many of Morris' subsequent films even more. If you are a fan of Morris and you have not seen it, you should see it, and you probably would see it no matter what I were to say.  It's actually a lot more understated and simple than any of his later films.  The cameras sit still on characters without any strange angles or staged or stock footage that he likes to add in some of his later films. I don't think we ever hear Morris' voice asking questions.  I don't even remember there being much music, although there might be some.  I think I read another review that mentioned something about how it's a subject that is ripe for making fun of, but Morris brings it to us in a very simple and straightforward way.  I think that's how you could describe a lot of the best documentaries as well. The reason I just can't give this the highest rating is that there are some moments that are a lot more interesting than others.  Some characters beg for you to hear more from them.  And some seem to go on a little too long.  The highlight is this unusual old woman sitting on the steps of her front door talking about her son and some other things.  I don't even know what she had to do with the rest of the film but she is one of the most interesting things in it.  She didn't fit and yet she was the best thing in it.  What does that say?  I'm not too sure. Rating: 8/10<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:51:39 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>Risselada</spout:postby><spout:postto>Risselada Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>3/16/2009 3:51:39 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Gates of Heaven Errol Morris' first film.  The movie that caused Werner Herzog to eat his shoe.  Roger Ebert put the film on his list of the Ten Greatest Films of All Time.  Many people have considered it the movie responsible for a revitalization of the documentary film.  I find it a very good film, but prefer many of Morris' subsequent films even more. If you are a fan of Morris and you have not seen it, you should see it, and you probably would see it no matter what I were to say.  It's actually a lot more understated and simple than any of his later films.  The cameras sit still on characters without any strange angles or staged or stock footage that he likes to add in some of his later films. I don't think we ever hear Morris' voice asking questions.  I don't even remember there being much music, although there might be some.  I think I read another review that mentioned something about how it's a subject that is ripe for making fun of, but Morris brings it to us in a very simple and straightforward way.  I think that's how you could describe a lot of the best documentaries as well. The reason I just can't give this the highest rating is that there are some moments that are a lot more interesting than others.  Some characters beg for you to hear more from them.  And some seem to go on a little too long.  The highlight is this unusual old woman sitting on the steps of her front door talking about her son and some other things.  I don't even know what she had to do with the rest of the film but she is one of the most interesting things in it.  She didn't fit and yet she was the best thing in it.  What does that say?  I'm not too sure. Rating: 8/10</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Vernon, Florida</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/risselada/archive/2009/1/26/39911.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t59090w2txr.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/5353/default.aspx'>Risselada</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/risselada/default.aspx'>Risselada Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 1/26/2009 12:18:08 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Vernon, Florida Just as a little bit of interesting but not really essential bit of background information about this movie to begin with, I pulled this from wikipedia: Originally titled Nub City, this follow-up to Gates of Heaven was initially focused on residents of the Southern town who cut off their own limbs as a way to collect insurance money. After Morris' life was threatened by the subjects of the film, he re-worked Nub City into Vernon, Florida. Nothing about cutting off limbs or insurance ever gets brought up in this film, at least from what I remember.  What we get is one of the simplest forms of the talking heads that you expect from any Errol Morris.  Lots of eccentric personalities that aren't too related to each other either, other than that they all reside in this same town.  However a lot of them do seem to have a connection with animals.  After Gates of Heaven and after seeing some of his later films, Morris seems to find a lot of people who have some kind of special or unusual connection with animals.  Obviously the kind of animals a person is drawn to and the way they view them can say a lot about a person. I don't have too much more to pick apart in this movie.  It's certainly entertaining most of the time, but not profound or overly entertaining enough to raise it to the level of one of my favorites.  Still worth checking out especially if you've seen anything else by Morris and liked it. Rating: 8/10<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:18:08 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>Risselada</spout:postby><spout:postto>Risselada Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>1/26/2009 12:18:08 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Vernon, Florida Just as a little bit of interesting but not really essential bit of background information about this movie to begin with, I pulled this from wikipedia: Originally titled Nub City, this follow-up to Gates of Heaven was initially focused on residents of the Southern town who cut off their own limbs as a way to collect insurance money. After Morris' life was threatened by the subjects of the film, he re-worked Nub City into Vernon, Florida. Nothing about cutting off limbs or insurance ever gets brought up in this film, at least from what I remember.  What we get is one of the simplest forms of the talking heads that you expect from any Errol Morris.  Lots of eccentric personalities that aren't too related to each other either, other than that they all reside in this same town.  However a lot of them do seem to have a connection with animals.  After Gates of Heaven and after seeing some of his later films, Morris seems to find a lot of people who have some kind of special or unusual connection with animals.  Obviously the kind of animals a person is drawn to and the way they view them can say a lot about a person. I don't have too much more to pick apart in this movie.  It's certainly entertaining most of the time, but not profound or overly entertaining enough to raise it to the level of one of my favorites.  Still worth checking out especially if you've seen anything else by Morris and liked it. Rating: 8/10</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Re:TOP 5 MOVIES TO TEACH AN ALIEN ABOUT EARTH: WE HAVE A WINNER</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Re_TOP_5_MOVIES_TO_TEACH_AN_ALIEN_ABOUT_EARTH_WE/563/32235/1/ShowPost.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t59090w2txr.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/5353/default.aspx'>Risselada</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/563/discussions.aspx'>Filmgaming</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 7/7/2008 2:20:55 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> [quote user="SkyPilot"] bavmotors1, you are hereby declared humanity's ambassador. Your films are the sole cargo of the unmanned spacecraft Image1, which launches this morning.  Your proposal:       Documentaries are right out because that makes the list no fun. [/quote] Ok, stop right there!  Seriously?  This is the first sentance from the proposal that won?  Why do documentaries not make the list any fun?  To me documentaries are probably the most appropriate for this kind of list.  And what's not fun about documentaries?  If you are implying that documentaries themselves just can't be fun, then sadly maybe you do represent more of the majority of life on earth and your list would be most appropriate to send to the aliens.     [quote user="SkyPilot"] And benthams_head made me want to see Gates of Heaven   [/quote] If our government or the governments of the world had to pick one person to be in charge of making this list who do you think they would pick?  Is Roger Ebert the currently living most recognized film lover and scholar?  If he was picked I wonder if you'd get this movie, because I think it may be his favorite movie of all time from what I've heard. [quote user="SkyPilot"]A few movies were mentioned more than once, and the two most-selected are Forrest Gump (4 votes) and The Seventh Seal (3). What do you guys think about that? Has democracy spoken -- are these the two films that best represent human experience? [/quote] You know how I feel about Forrest Gump being on this list.  See my previous post on the matter.  (Did you get mocked at all when this movie came out Adam?  Did people call you Adam Forrest Gump?)  As for the Seventh Seal, I don't know if unfamiliarity of the religious stories and icons of medival Christianity would keep this movie from being of any interest, but I think all of the different personalities of the characters towards life and faith would come through.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:20:55 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>Risselada</spout:postby><spout:postto>Filmgaming</spout:postto><spout:postdate>7/7/2008 2:20:55 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>[quote user="SkyPilot"] bavmotors1, you are hereby declared humanity's ambassador. Your films are the sole cargo of the unmanned spacecraft Image1, which launches this morning.  Your proposal:       Documentaries are right out because that makes the list no fun. [/quote] Ok, stop right there!  Seriously?  This is the first sentance from the proposal that won?  Why do documentaries not make the list any fun?  To me documentaries are probably the most appropriate for this kind of list.  And what's not fun about documentaries?  If you are implying that documentaries themselves just can't be fun, then sadly maybe you do represent more of the majority of life on earth and your list would be most appropriate to send to the aliens.     [quote user="SkyPilot"] And benthams_head made me want to see Gates of Heaven   [/quote] If our government or the governments of the world had to pick one person to be in charge of making this list who do you think they would pick?  Is Roger Ebert the currently living most recognized film lover and scholar?  If he was picked I wonder if you'd get this movie, because I think it may be his favorite movie of all time from what I've heard. [quote user="SkyPilot"]A few movies were mentioned more than once, and the two most-selected are Forrest Gump (4 votes) and The Seventh Seal (3). What do you guys think about that? Has democracy spoken -- are these the two films that best represent human experience? [/quote] You know how I feel about Forrest Gump being on this list.  See my previous post on the matter.  (Did you get mocked at all when this movie came out Adam?  Did people call you Adam Forrest Gump?)  As for the Seventh Seal, I don't know if unfamiliarity of the religious stories and icons of medival Christianity would keep this movie from being of any interest, but I think all of the different personalities of the characters towards life and faith would come through.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: TOP 5 MOVIES TO TEACH AN ALIEN ABOUT EARTH: WE HAVE A WINNER</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/TOP_5_MOVIES_TO_TEACH_AN_ALIEN_ABOUT_EARTH_WE_HAV/563/32120/1/ShowPost.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t59090w2txr.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/2470/default.aspx'>SkyPilot</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/563/discussions.aspx'>Filmgaming</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 7/4/2008 10:27:24 AM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> bavmotors1, you are hereby declared humanity's ambassador. Your films are the sole cargo of the unmanned spacecraft Image1, which launches this morning.  Your proposal:       Documentaries are right out because that makes the list no fun. Outside of that what an alien &ldquo;is&rdquo; carries such a broad range of possibilities that would alter what one might put on the list. Would the alien be like Alf or Galactus? Eating cats or eating planets? Ultimately every study of human kind will produce more questions than answers so that is where I came from with my list. After the number one pick the rest are in no particular order.   Contact. The alien has searched the &ldquo;big ass sky&rdquo; to find tiny Earth. Contact relates what the experience is like for human kind. The search for alien life might be the only similar effort the two species share. The question Elanor Arroway asks at the end is one I think we'd hope to get the answer to.  You know... as long as we're talking.   Blood Diamond. Of all the geopolitical movies out there an exposition of the ultra poor dying so the ultra rich can have (or even worse lock away in a box) symbolic trinkets that neither feed nor clothe them is probably the most telling.   Legends of the Fall. The story of the most important unit in human interaction &ndash; family &ndash; intertwined with race, war, romance, human frailty, nature and economics (albeit all North American variations) would give a sense of what cannot be taught &ndash; human love.   The Shawshank Redemption. Hope is the most important human emotion &ndash; love being a subset of hope (in my opinion). And to quote a different movie, &ldquo;Hope. It is the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of your greatest triumph, and your greatest weakness.&rdquo; Also a fairly accurate description of how prisoners are treated would be educational according to Pearl S. Buck and Winston Churchill.   Predator. The message here: don't f*ck with us. Perhaps the alien being is so far advanced that the destruction of Earth and/or human kind is laughably easy but they should know we go down fighting.       We like how AlexaSchlosser changed up the conversation to include the Top 5 Movies to Confuse an Alien About Earth. leeroy 711 responded with a great list:  1. Delicatessen - yeah, we eat each other  2. Night of the Living Dead - sometimes it gets out of hand  3. American Movie - this is a documentary of our president  4. The Doom Generation - another gripping documentary  5. Brazil - we all lived happily ever after    I'd like to give nods to jackfly11 (list on page 2) and Labuza (page 3). Labuza said something very interesting: "The alien is trying to answer the question 'what is life like on Earth,' but the great question is actually 'What does it mean to be human?'"  And benthams_head made me want to see Gates of Heaven by writing this: "A perfect ending to an alien journey through human nature and society. We arrive at the western-most shore of the USA; the last stop on the road to manifest destiny. Morris's film hits on so many things that are conspicuously American: our attitude towards death, our treatment of pets as human surrogates, our rampant use of self-help idioms, and, most importantly, our willingness to accept loneliness in exchange for individual identity. Also, that woman singing to her dog may actually be speaking in an alien tongue."    A few movies were mentioned more than once, and the two most-selected are Forrest Gump (4 votes) and The Seventh Seal (3). What do you guys think about that? Has democracy spoken -- are these the two films that best represent human experience?   <br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:27:24 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>SkyPilot</spout:postby><spout:postto>Filmgaming</spout:postto><spout:postdate>7/4/2008 10:27:24 AM</spout:postdate><spout:body>bavmotors1, you are hereby declared humanity's ambassador. Your films are the sole cargo of the unmanned spacecraft Image1, which launches this morning.  Your proposal:       Documentaries are right out because that makes the list no fun. Outside of that what an alien &amp;ldquo;is&amp;rdquo; carries such a broad range of possibilities that would alter what one might put on the list. Would the alien be like Alf or Galactus? Eating cats or eating planets? Ultimately every study of human kind will produce more questions than answers so that is where I came from with my list. After the number one pick the rest are in no particular order.   Contact. The alien has searched the &amp;ldquo;big ass sky&amp;rdquo; to find tiny Earth. Contact relates what the experience is like for human kind. The search for alien life might be the only similar effort the two species share. The question Elanor Arroway asks at the end is one I think we'd hope to get the answer to.  You know... as long as we're talking.   Blood Diamond. Of all the geopolitical movies out there an exposition of the ultra poor dying so the ultra rich can have (or even worse lock away in a box) symbolic trinkets that neither feed nor clothe them is probably the most telling.   Legends of the Fall. The story of the most important unit in human interaction &amp;ndash; family &amp;ndash; intertwined with race, war, romance, human frailty, nature and economics (albeit all North American variations) would give a sense of what cannot be taught &amp;ndash; human love.   The Shawshank Redemption. Hope is the most important human emotion &amp;ndash; love being a subset of hope (in my opinion). And to quote a different movie, &amp;ldquo;Hope. It is the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of your greatest triumph, and your greatest weakness.&amp;rdquo; Also a fairly accurate description of how prisoners are treated would be educational according to Pearl S. Buck and Winston Churchill.   Predator. The message here: don't f*ck with us. Perhaps the alien being is so far advanced that the destruction of Earth and/or human kind is laughably easy but they should know we go down fighting.       We like how AlexaSchlosser changed up the conversation to include the Top 5 Movies to Confuse an Alien About Earth. leeroy 711 responded with a great list:  1. Delicatessen - yeah, we eat each other  2. Night of the Living Dead - sometimes it gets out of hand  3. American Movie - this is a documentary of our president  4. The Doom Generation - another gripping documentary  5. Brazil - we all lived happily ever after    I'd like to give nods to jackfly11 (list on page 2) and Labuza (page 3). Labuza said something very interesting: "The alien is trying to answer the question 'what is life like on Earth,' but the great question is actually 'What does it mean to be human?'"  And benthams_head made me want to see Gates of Heaven by writing this: "A perfect ending to an alien journey through human nature and society. We arrive at the western-most shore of the USA; the last stop on the road to manifest destiny. Morris's film hits on so many things that are conspicuously American: our attitude towards death, our treatment of pets as human surrogates, our rampant use of self-help idioms, and, most importantly, our willingness to accept loneliness in exchange for individual identity. Also, that woman singing to her dog may actually be speaking in an alien tongue."    A few movies were mentioned more than once, and the two most-selected are Forrest Gump (4 votes) and The Seventh Seal (3). What do you guys think about that? Has democracy spoken -- are these the two films that best represent human experience?   </spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Re:TOP 5 MOVIES TO TEACH AN ALIEN ABOUT EARTH</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Re_TOP_5_MOVIES_TO_TEACH_AN_ALIEN_ABOUT_EARTH/563/31735/1/ShowPost.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t59090w2txr.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/16438/default.aspx'>benthams_head</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/563/discussions.aspx'>Filmgaming</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 6/26/2008 1:40:20 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong>  There are a few rules we should establish when setting up a Netflix queue for extraterrestrials. First, while we can&rsquo;t possibly cover every culture in the world, it&rsquo;s important that our selections reflect adequate breadth. Therefore, we&rsquo;ll allow no more than one American film. Second, stories of people like Ghandi and Oskar Schindler are compelling, but these were extraordinary people. And let&rsquo;s face it: most of us are plum ordinary. We need to reach for films that reflect everyday experience rather than big people and moments in history. Third, let&rsquo;s avoid too much arty surrealism and stick with straight story telling. We need to teach the basics before we deluge them with Godard or Lynch. Fourth, and I can&rsquo;t stress this enough, no movies about aliens!!! It&rsquo;ll only make us look stupid and may leave us vulnerable to a mass invasion.    So, without further adieu, here is our queue:     1. Late Spring (Ozu, Japan)   It&rsquo;s hard to pick one Ozu film, because they all have so much insight about the family life and intra-generational values of a Japanese culture lurching into modernity. We go with &ldquo;Late Spring&rdquo;, because it&rsquo;s so aesthetically simple, and yet so profound and affirming in its exploration of the central father-daughter relationship.    2. The Circle (Panahi, Iran)   We head west to Iran for a much bleaker cultural examination. While Ozu&rsquo;s film shows us the blossoming of an egalitarian society, Panahi&rsquo;s shows us a place where the subjugation and oppression of women remains the rule of the day.    3. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (Puiu, Romania)   While also very bleak, this film combines important elements of each of the first two. Again we see a society confronting the modern world, but we&rsquo;re reminded that progress is a messy business that inevitably leaves certain people and institutions behind; in this case, the poor and elderly (represented by Lazarescu) and the Romanian national health care system; an adrift relic of the Communist dictatorship.   4. Claire&rsquo;s Knee (Rohmer, France)   Taken in context with &ldquo;Lazerescu&rdquo;, this film provides a study in continental social dichotomy. We move from the withering slums of Eastern Europe to the foothills of the French Alps where members of the French intellectual class are on extended holiday. The contrast shows not only the disparities in wealth and lifestyle, but also the way in which human beings stratify their problems. There is no concern over basic survival here, and yet, among this upper echelon of petit bourgeoisie, ruminations about love, sex, and whether a young girl&rsquo;s knee represents a form of aesthetic perfection take on a feverish importance.   5.      Gates of Heaven (Morris, USA)   A perfect ending to an alien journey through human nature and society. We arrive at the western-most shore of the USA; the last stop on the road to manifest destiny. Morris&rsquo;s film hits on so many things that are conspicuously American: our attitude towards death, our treatment of pets as human surrogates, our rampant use of self-help idioms, and, most importantly, our willingness to accept loneliness in exchange for individual identity. Also, that woman singing to her dog may actually be speaking in an alien tongue.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:40:20 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>benthams_head</spout:postby><spout:postto>Filmgaming</spout:postto><spout:postdate>6/26/2008 1:40:20 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body> There are a few rules we should establish when setting up a Netflix queue for extraterrestrials. First, while we can&amp;rsquo;t possibly cover every culture in the world, it&amp;rsquo;s important that our selections reflect adequate breadth. Therefore, we&amp;rsquo;ll allow no more than one American film. Second, stories of people like Ghandi and Oskar Schindler are compelling, but these were extraordinary people. And let&amp;rsquo;s face it: most of us are plum ordinary. We need to reach for films that reflect everyday experience rather than big people and moments in history. Third, let&amp;rsquo;s avoid too much arty surrealism and stick with straight story telling. We need to teach the basics before we deluge them with Godard or Lynch. Fourth, and I can&amp;rsquo;t stress this enough, no movies about aliens!!! It&amp;rsquo;ll only make us look stupid and may leave us vulnerable to a mass invasion.    So, without further adieu, here is our queue:     1. Late Spring (Ozu, Japan)   It&amp;rsquo;s hard to pick one Ozu film, because they all have so much insight about the family life and intra-generational values of a Japanese culture lurching into modernity. We go with &amp;ldquo;Late Spring&amp;rdquo;, because it&amp;rsquo;s so aesthetically simple, and yet so profound and affirming in its exploration of the central father-daughter relationship.    2. The Circle (Panahi, Iran)   We head west to Iran for a much bleaker cultural examination. While Ozu&amp;rsquo;s film shows us the blossoming of an egalitarian society, Panahi&amp;rsquo;s shows us a place where the subjugation and oppression of women remains the rule of the day.    3. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (Puiu, Romania)   While also very bleak, this film combines important elements of each of the first two. Again we see a society confronting the modern world, but we&amp;rsquo;re reminded that progress is a messy business that inevitably leaves certain people and institutions behind; in this case, the poor and elderly (represented by Lazarescu) and the Romanian national health care system; an adrift relic of the Communist dictatorship.   4. Claire&amp;rsquo;s Knee (Rohmer, France)   Taken in context with &amp;ldquo;Lazerescu&amp;rdquo;, this film provides a study in continental social dichotomy. We move from the withering slums of Eastern Europe to the foothills of the French Alps where members of the French intellectual class are on extended holiday. The contrast shows not only the disparities in wealth and lifestyle, but also the way in which human beings stratify their problems. There is no concern over basic survival here, and yet, among this upper echelon of petit bourgeoisie, ruminations about love, sex, and whether a young girl&amp;rsquo;s knee represents a form of aesthetic perfection take on a feverish importance.   5.      Gates of Heaven (Morris, USA)   A perfect ending to an alien journey through human nature and society. We arrive at the western-most shore of the USA; the last stop on the road to manifest destiny. Morris&amp;rsquo;s film hits on so many things that are conspicuously American: our attitude towards death, our treatment of pets as human surrogates, our rampant use of self-help idioms, and, most importantly, our willingness to accept loneliness in exchange for individual identity. Also, that woman singing to her dog may actually be speaking in an alien tongue.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:music</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/music/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/music/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>music</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 4341</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 144</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 481</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:51:44 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>4341</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>144</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>481</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:death</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/death/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/death/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>death</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 4306</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 140</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 526</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:27:13 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>4306</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>140</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>526</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:documentary</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/documentary/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/documentary/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>documentary</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 402</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 127</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 496</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:11:06 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>402</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>127</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>496</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:of</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/of/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/of/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>of</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 96</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 87</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 105</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2009 06:13:39 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>96</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>87</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>105</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:a</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/a/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/a/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>a</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 69</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 69</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 78</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 13 Feb 2009 20:47:14 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>69</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>69</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>78</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:original</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/original/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/original/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>original</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 77</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 52</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 94</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:02:07 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>77</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>52</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>94</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:dog</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/dog/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/dog/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>dog</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 1373</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 47</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 161</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:00:53 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>1373</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>47</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>161</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:funeral</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/funeral/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/funeral/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>funeral</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 300</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 28</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 45</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:36:34 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>300</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>28</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>45</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:California</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/California/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/California/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>California</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 84</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 25</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 91</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:42:04 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>84</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>25</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>91</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:dogs</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/dogs/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/dogs/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>dogs</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 35</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 25</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 52</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:35:26 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>35</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>25</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>52</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:guitar</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/guitar/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/guitar/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>guitar</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 1576</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 24</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 45</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:31:34 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>1576</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>24</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>45</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:animals</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/animals/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/animals/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>animals</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 61</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 23</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 77</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:06:53 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>61</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>23</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>77</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:cat</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/cat/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/cat/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>cat</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 346</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 23</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 48</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:09:08 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>346</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>23</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>48</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:One</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/One/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/One/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>One</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 26</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 23</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 27</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:21:35 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>26</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>23</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>27</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:grief</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/grief/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/grief/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>grief</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 539</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 20</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 32</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:02:59 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>539</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>20</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>32</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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