list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Requiem for a Dream on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Requiem_for_a_Dream/140444/default.aspx Title: Requiem for a Dream
Year: 2000
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Plot: Based on the novel by Hubert Selby Jr., this gritty drama concerns four people trapped by their addictions. Harry (Jared Leto), and his best friend Tyrone (Marlon Wayans) are impoverished heroin addicts living in Coney Island, NY, while Harry's girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly) is a fellow addict trying to distance herself from her wealthy father. Harry dreams of scoring a pound of smack, from which he could make enough money to open a clothing boutique with Marion, but so far he and his friends can barely scrape by supporting their own habits. Meanwhile, Harry's mother Sara (Ellen Burstyn), who spends her days watching television, is told she has the opportunity to appear on her favorite game show; wanting to lose enough weight to fit into her favorite red dress, she visits a sleazy doctor who gives her a prescription for amphetamines. Soon Sara has a drug habit of her own that is spiraling out of control. Requiem for a Dream was directed by Darren Aronofsky, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Selby; it was Aronofsky's second feature, following his acclaimed independent film Pi. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 153
Number of Lists: 133
Number of blog posts: 21
Number of discussion threads: 26
SpoutRating: 4
]]>Sun, 23 Aug 2009 22:07:15 GMTRequiem for a Dream2000Darren AronofskyBased on the novel by Hubert Selby Jr., this gritty drama concerns four people trapped by their addictions. Harry (<a href="/players/P___200349/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jared Leto</a>), and his best friend Tyrone (<a href="/players/P____75078/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Marlon Wayans</a>) are impoverished heroin addicts living in Coney Island, NY, while Harry's girlfriend Marion (<a href="/players/P____14510/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jennifer Connelly</a>) is a fellow addict trying to distance herself from her wealthy father. Harry dreams of scoring a pound of smack, from which he could make enough money to open a clothing boutique with Marion, but so far he and his friends can barely scrape by supporting their own habits. Meanwhile, Harry's mother Sara (<a href="/players/P_____9777/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ellen Burstyn</a>), who spends her days watching television, is told she has the opportunity to appear on her favorite game show; wanting to lose enough weight to fit into her favorite red dress, she visits a sleazy doctor who gives her a prescription for amphetamines. Soon Sara has a drug habit of her own that is spiraling out of control. Requiem for a Dream was directed by <a href="/players/P___235045/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Darren Aronofsky</a>, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Selby; it was Aronofsky's second feature, following his acclaimed independent film <a href=/films/116036/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Pi</a>. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide153Tag Target (>10)13321264http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t18158a6d26.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Requiem_for_a_Dream/140444/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Weekly_Theme_for_July_20_Television/625/43195/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 7/20/2009 12:52:07 PM
Body: "I like thinking about the red dress and the television and you and your father. Now when I get the sun, I smile." - Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn) from Requiem for a Dream. So, this week I'd like to talk about television in the movies. There is actually a lot to choose from. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind - George Clooney directed Charlie Kaufman's adaptation of Chuck Barris' (ehem) autobiography.... How could you go wrong? I remember when the book came out. I read some excerpts from it and thought how crazy it could be if the right people got involved to make the film. Audition - Lest we forget, the central plot of this film is about an audition for a television show. I think I would have completely fallen in love with this Takashi Miike film had I come into it knowing a lot less about it and Miike's reputation. Quiz Show - I like to mention this film about as much as I can. I think it's Redford's most underrated film and it's my personal favorite. It's about a scandal involving a game show but it was all of the intellectual banter scenes between Ralph Fiennes and Rob Morrow made this film so memorable. Also, John Turturro's performance was brilliant. Well folks, that's all I got for the moment. As I said before, there are a ton of films about television. So let's here about them.
]]>Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:52:07 GMTleeroy711Weekly Theme7/20/2009 12:52:07 PM"I like thinking about the red dress and the television and you and your father. Now when I get the sun, I smile." - Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn) from Requiem for a Dream. So, this week I'd like to talk about television in the movies. There is actually a lot to choose from. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind - George Clooney directed Charlie Kaufman's adaptation of Chuck Barris' (ehem) autobiography.... How could you go wrong? I remember when the book came out. I read some excerpts from it and thought how crazy it could be if the right people got involved to make the film. Audition - Lest we forget, the central plot of this film is about an audition for a television show. I think I would have completely fallen in love with this Takashi Miike film had I come into it knowing a lot less about it and Miike's reputation. Quiz Show - I like to mention this film about as much as I can. I think it's Redford's most underrated film and it's my personal favorite. It's about a scandal involving a game show but it was all of the intellectual banter scenes between Ralph Fiennes and Rob Morrow made this film so memorable. Also, John Turturro's performance was brilliant. Well folks, that's all I got for the moment. As I said before, there are a ton of films about television. So let's here about them. http://www.spout.com/blogs/mconrad3/archive/2009/3/21/41158.aspx Post By: mconrad3
Post To: mconrad3 Blog
Post Date: 3/21/2009 1:00:28 PM
Body: It's not often that someone manages to successfully create the genre of Greek tragedy in a modern setting. If I were to pin any director's name to such a project, it would be Darren Aronofsky. That being said, he's already managed to create said-tragedy in Requiem for a Dream. The story about a group of druggies attempting to break out of their sorry states but ultimately failing and ending up worse off then they they started is something that, had it not revolved around drugs, could have come from Sophocles. It is a story that is well constructed and well executed, but a story I can only watch a handful of times over a period of years. I can only liken watching Requiem of a Dream to watching a train wreck happen. On some primal, horribly morbid and vulgar level, it is entertaining and interesting to watch. It isn't until you realize you're watching people being hurt that you start to feel bad. In most cases, this transition last only seconds, but in Requiem for a Dream, the audience is constantly presented with new "train wreck" scenarios. Each one becoming more painful to watch then the next. It is as if the film is stuck in its second act, plummeting to Earth without the hope of there being any sort of salvation before the end. That being said, it is a well executed train wreck. Aronofsky and the actors make you feel for these characters. Yes, they are locked in their fateful course of self-destruction, but there is sympathy and pity for them. Not unlike infamous Greek tragedies, we watch these characters orchestrating their own doom in an effort to understand human flaws. One of my friends said this movie was a two hour long anti-drug commercial and I am inclined to agree with him under one condition: it is an anti-addiction story. Not just to drugs, but other habits that can be just as destructful. I know Requiem for a Dream is considered a hallmark of film, but it is a difficult one to watch without promise of resolution.
]]>Sat, 21 Mar 2009 17:00:28 GMTmconrad3mconrad3 Blog3/21/2009 1:00:28 PMIt's not often that someone manages to successfully create the genre of Greek tragedy in a modern setting. If I were to pin any director's name to such a project, it would be Darren Aronofsky. That being said, he's already managed to create said-tragedy in Requiem for a Dream. The story about a group of druggies attempting to break out of their sorry states but ultimately failing and ending up worse off then they they started is something that, had it not revolved around drugs, could have come from Sophocles. It is a story that is well constructed and well executed, but a story I can only watch a handful of times over a period of years. I can only liken watching Requiem of a Dream to watching a train wreck happen. On some primal, horribly morbid and vulgar level, it is entertaining and interesting to watch. It isn't until you realize you're watching people being hurt that you start to feel bad. In most cases, this transition last only seconds, but in Requiem for a Dream, the audience is constantly presented with new "train wreck" scenarios. Each one becoming more painful to watch then the next. It is as if the film is stuck in its second act, plummeting to Earth without the hope of there being any sort of salvation before the end. That being said, it is a well executed train wreck. Aronofsky and the actors make you feel for these characters. Yes, they are locked in their fateful course of self-destruction, but there is sympathy and pity for them. Not unlike infamous Greek tragedies, we watch these characters orchestrating their own doom in an effort to understand human flaws. One of my friends said this movie was a two hour long anti-drug commercial and I am inclined to agree with him under one condition: it is an anti-addiction story. Not just to drugs, but other habits that can be just as destructful. I know Requiem for a Dream is considered a hallmark of film, but it is a difficult one to watch without promise of resolution. http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmmakers_Forum/In_Search_Of_Filmmaking_Advice_Ask_Critically_Acc/435/39916/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: seely
Post To: Filmmakers Forum
Post Date: 1/26/2009 1:32:00 PM
Body: Zeke Zelker, director of 2008's critically acclaimed In Search Of, has graciously agreed to let us pick his brain! Do you have questions about In Search Of, filmmaking, the independent film industry, or about how you can get started as a filmmaker? Here's your chance to interview a filmmaker who's latest work has been compared to Darren Arofonsky's Requiem for a Dream. Just post your questions here and Zeke will give the best answer he can! Here's what Independent Films Direct has to say about Zeke and his latest film In Search Of: The story revolves around several characters and their various sexual behaviors and how it affects their lives and their loved ones. From the opening shots, the cinematography grips the audience and gives them an intimate look at the daily lives of the protagonists. Zelker utilizes mirror shots and other brilliant techniques to add the realistic feel of being there in the scene. Not one to let something small like a "budget" get in his way, Zeke refinanced his home twice to help get his vision out. After attempting to go the traditional fund-raising route (which he likened to "pulling teeth from an infant") Zelker decided he had to do it all himself. He was able to raise the budget through private equity and loans and succeeded in completing his film…all from his hometown of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Mr. Zelker was adamant about filming from home, as it serves not only as his inspiration but gives ISO the "everyday American town" feel that is intrinsic to the film's message.
]]>Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:32:00 GMTseelyFilmmakers Forum1/26/2009 1:32:00 PMZeke Zelker, director of 2008's critically acclaimed In Search Of, has graciously agreed to let us pick his brain! Do you have questions about In Search Of, filmmaking, the independent film industry, or about how you can get started as a filmmaker? Here's your chance to interview a filmmaker who's latest work has been compared to Darren Arofonsky's Requiem for a Dream. Just post your questions here and Zeke will give the best answer he can! Here's what Independent Films Direct has to say about Zeke and his latest film In Search Of: The story revolves around several characters and their various sexual behaviors and how it affects their lives and their loved ones. From the opening shots, the cinematography grips the audience and gives them an intimate look at the daily lives of the protagonists. Zelker utilizes mirror shots and other brilliant techniques to add the realistic feel of being there in the scene. Not one to let something small like a "budget" get in his way, Zeke refinanced his home twice to help get his vision out. After attempting to go the traditional fund-raising route (which he likened to "pulling teeth from an infant") Zelker decided he had to do it all himself. He was able to raise the budget through private equity and loans and succeeded in completing his film&hellip;all from his hometown of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Mr. Zelker was adamant about filming from home, as it serves not only as his inspiration but gives ISO the "everyday American town" feel that is intrinsic to the film's message. http://www.spout.com/blogs/mciocco/archive/2009/1/17/39625.aspx Post By: mciocco
Post To: mciocco Blog
Post Date: 1/17/2009 3:33:51 PM
Body: The Wrestler: When I was in high school, I joined the wrestling team. Now, amateur wrestling of the sort I was participating in is not the same thing you see on TV. That wrestling is usually called "professional" wrestling. Both sports have some things in common, but amateur wrestling is much closer to other martial arts while the professional variety is closer to the theatrical arts. Thus professional wrestling is usually referred to as "fake" wrestling... and no one was more guilty of that than us "real" wrestlers. Of course, in some ways, our griping was justified, but on the other hand, we were also rather ignorant of the realities of professional wrestling. There is still quite a bit of physicality involved in the sport, and over time, it can certainly take quite a toll. Bill Simmons gives an excellent description of this in his review: Pro wrestling chews up and spits out its athletes with grueling schedules, brutal physical punishment and a tacit understanding that performance enhancers are okay—as are greenies, sleeping pills and painkillers. These guys destroy their bodies, then their hearts give out and they die. Google the phrase "dead wrestlers," and your computer will start to smoke like an overtaxed car engine. From the first shots of The Wrestler, you see just how much of a toll it takes. The scene is simple - it just features our main character, Randy "The Ram" Robinson, sitting in a chair preparing for a match. It's instructive that you don't need to see his face or hear him talk about it to know just how broken down and battered The Ram is (even before the match). You can see it in his posture and you can hear it in his breathing. This represents most of what The Wrestler has gotten right, which is Mickey Rourke's performance (which is as excellent as everyone says and yes, the parallels between Randy and Mickey Rourke himself are eerie. I won't belabor the point any more than that becaues it's been covered so extensively by everyone else...) and the inside look at the professional wrestling world that drives everything. In the 1980s heyday of wrestling, Randy the Ram was at the top of his game, performing at venues like Madison Square Garden in front of sold out crowds. 20 years later, he's battered and broken, playing tiny venues, signing autographs at small, local conventions, and working part-time at a grocery store. He dreams of reclaiming past glory, but hits a roadblock when he has the inevitable heart attack after a match that exemplifies the physical nature of "fake" wrestling. The doctor is clear: if he keeps wrestling, he'll die. This forces Randy to take stock of his life, and he attempts to restablish a relationship with his daughter while expanding his existing friendship with a stripper. The stripper, played by Marisa Tomei, parallel's Randy's story. Like Randy, she has chosen a career with a shelf life, and she's nearing the point where she will no longer be able to rely on her body to make money. She seems better prepared to face this fact than Randy though, and has done a reasonable job separating her personal life from her professional life. Randy is not so lucky. How these relationships play out comprise the rest of the story. As previously hinted at, the wrestling bits in the movie are fantastic. Despite my high school activities, I never knew much about professional wrestling, but this movie feels right. It hits all the notes of authenticity, from the aformentioned brutality to the backstage banter and wrestling jargon. Unfortunately, the two main relationships described earlier in this review are less successful. Of course, reuniting with an abandoned daughter and a relationship with a stripper represent a mine field of potential cliche, so it's somewhat impressive that screenwriter Robert Siegel is able to navigate with reasonable success. He doesn't emerge unscathed, particularly with respect to the relationship with the daughter (not that stripper subplot is perfect), but he managed to avoid the most troubling cliches. The movie's themes come through loud and clear. It ends on the perfect note, and I'm hard pressed to think of a better ending shot this year, if not this decade. I loved director Darren Aronofsky's first film, the creepy, paranoid math-based thriller Pi, and was duly impressed by his manic drug addiction tale Requiem for a Dream. I was less impressed by his last effort, 2006's gorgeous looking The Fountain, a movie best described as an "interesting failure." In The Wrestler, Aronofsky has toned down the manic style that impressed so many, but in doing so he has lost none of his visual potency. Instead of the quick cuts and spastic style of his previous efforts, he takes a much simpler, almost verite aproach. The camera follows Randy the Ram in long unbroken takes, often from behind, giving you his view of the world almost as if we're watching a documentary. I can't say it's always fun, but it's usually compelling. In the end, it's not Aronofsky's best movie and it's not perfect, but it's an improvement over The Fountain and one of the better movies of this year. The simple story basically amounts to a small, character based drama, and at a high level, it proceeds mostly as you'd expect, but it's definitely worth a watch (even if it's just for Rourke's performance). I haven't watched profession wrestling in probably over 20 years, but that doesn't matter - the movie is compelling for other reasons, and can be interpreted in several ways. (Cross posted at my blog)
]]>Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:33:51 GMTmcioccomciocco Blog1/17/2009 3:33:51 PMThe Wrestler: When I was in high school, I joined the wrestling team. Now, amateur wrestling of the sort I was participating in is not the same thing you see on TV. That wrestling is usually called "professional" wrestling. Both sports have some things in common, but amateur wrestling is much closer to other martial arts while the professional variety is closer to the theatrical arts. Thus professional wrestling is usually referred to as "fake" wrestling... and no one was more guilty of that than us "real" wrestlers. Of course, in some ways, our griping was justified, but on the other hand, we were also rather ignorant of the realities of professional wrestling. There is still quite a bit of physicality involved in the sport, and over time, it can certainly take quite a toll. Bill Simmons gives an excellent description of this in his review: Pro wrestling chews up and spits out its athletes with grueling schedules, brutal physical punishment and a tacit understanding that performance enhancers are okay&mdash;as are greenies, sleeping pills and painkillers. These guys destroy their bodies, then their hearts give out and they die. Google the phrase "dead wrestlers," and your computer will start to smoke like an overtaxed car engine. From the first shots of The Wrestler, you see just how much of a toll it takes. The scene is simple - it just features our main character, Randy "The Ram" Robinson, sitting in a chair preparing for a match. It's instructive that you don't need to see his face or hear him talk about it to know just how broken down and battered The Ram is (even before the match). You can see it in his posture and you can hear it in his breathing. This represents most of what The Wrestler has gotten right, which is Mickey Rourke's performance (which is as excellent as everyone says and yes, the parallels between Randy and Mickey Rourke himself are eerie. I won't belabor the point any more than that becaues it's been covered so extensively by everyone else...) and the inside look at the professional wrestling world that drives everything. In the 1980s heyday of wrestling, Randy the Ram was at the top of his game, performing at venues like Madison Square Garden in front of sold out crowds. 20 years later, he's battered and broken, playing tiny venues, signing autographs at small, local conventions, and working part-time at a grocery store. He dreams of reclaiming past glory, but hits a roadblock when he has the inevitable heart attack after a match that exemplifies the physical nature of "fake" wrestling. The doctor is clear: if he keeps wrestling, he'll die. This forces Randy to take stock of his life, and he attempts to restablish a relationship with his daughter while expanding his existing friendship with a stripper. The stripper, played by Marisa Tomei, parallel's Randy's story. Like Randy, she has chosen a career with a shelf life, and she's nearing the point where she will no longer be able to rely on her body to make money. She seems better prepared to face this fact than Randy though, and has done a reasonable job separating her personal life from her professional life. Randy is not so lucky. How these relationships play out comprise the rest of the story. As previously hinted at, the wrestling bits in the movie are fantastic. Despite my high school activities, I never knew much about professional wrestling, but this movie feels right. It hits all the notes of authenticity, from the aformentioned brutality to the backstage banter and wrestling jargon. Unfortunately, the two main relationships described earlier in this review are less successful. Of course, reuniting with an abandoned daughter and a relationship with a stripper represent a mine field of potential cliche, so it's somewhat impressive that screenwriter Robert Siegel is able to navigate with reasonable success. He doesn't emerge unscathed, particularly with respect to the relationship with the daughter (not that stripper subplot is perfect), but he managed to avoid the most troubling cliches. The movie's themes come through loud and clear. It ends on the perfect note, and I'm hard pressed to think of a better ending shot this year, if not this decade. I loved director Darren Aronofsky's first film, the creepy, paranoid math-based thriller Pi, and was duly impressed by his manic drug addiction tale Requiem for a Dream. I was less impressed by his last effort, 2006's gorgeous looking The Fountain, a movie best described as an "interesting failure." In The Wrestler, Aronofsky has toned down the manic style that impressed so many, but in doing so he has lost none of his visual potency. Instead of the quick cuts and spastic style of his previous efforts, he takes a much simpler, almost verite aproach. The camera follows Randy the Ram in long unbroken takes, often from behind, giving you his view of the world almost as if we're watching a documentary. I can't say it's always fun, but it's usually compelling. In the end, it's not Aronofsky's best movie and it's not perfect, but it's an improvement over The Fountain and one of the better movies of this year. The simple story basically amounts to a small, character based drama, and at a high level, it proceeds mostly as you'd expect, but it's definitely worth a watch (even if it's just for Rourke's performance). I haven't watched profession wrestling in probably over 20 years, but that doesn't matter - the movie is compelling for other reasons, and can be interpreted in several ways. (Cross posted at my blog) http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Re_PINEAPPLE_EXPRESS_DVD_Giveaway/563/39135/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Zampano
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 1/5/2009 10:36:30 PM
Body: [quote user="spout"] Win a copy of Pineapple Express on DVD. Watch the trailer.How do you win? Simple:Tell us a movie that makes you feel high.Does Dumb and Dumber get you high on laughter? Is Jacob's Ladder a bad trip? Does Fear and Loathing make you feel like the village drunkard in some early Irish novel? Tell us the film that most alters your brain state. Check back here on 1/12 to see if you've won. [/quote] I always feel a bit perturbed when I watch Requiem for a Dream (2000). I was very overwhelmed the first time I watched Requiem. Not knowing anything about the film, just the trusting words of my friend who said to me, "Dude! You gotta see this movie!" One Saturday night, my friend who told me about the movie, brought it over to my other friend's house and watched it down in his basement late afternoon. Throughout the film I felt very anxious and despondent for the characters in the film. After the climactic quick cut montage of everything going to shit and turn of events that worsen with every frame, I felt as if I was on some sort of drug. I have revered Requiem for a Dream ever since my stoner 17 year old self saw it for the first time. With the addition of Clint Mansell's elegiac score and Aronofsky's choatic use of editing that puts your head in a whirling tornado. This movie is the anti-drug. If I was a high school Health teacher and did a week of drug awareness, this is the film that I would show them.
]]>Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:36:30 GMTZampanoFilmgaming1/5/2009 10:36:30 PM[quote user="spout"] Win a copy of Pineapple Express on DVD. Watch the trailer.How do you win? Simple:Tell us a movie that makes you feel high.Does Dumb and Dumber get you high on laughter? Is Jacob's Ladder a bad trip? Does Fear and Loathing make you feel like the village drunkard in some early Irish novel? Tell us the film that most alters your brain state. Check back here on 1/12 to see if you've won. [/quote] I always feel a bit perturbed when I watch Requiem for a Dream (2000). I was very overwhelmed the first time I watched Requiem. Not knowing anything about the film, just the trusting words of my friend who said to me, "Dude! You gotta see this movie!" One Saturday night, my friend who told me about the movie, brought it over to my other friend's house and watched it down in his basement late afternoon. Throughout the film I felt very anxious and despondent for the characters in the film. After the climactic quick cut montage of everything going to shit and turn of events that worsen with every frame, I felt as if I was on some sort of drug. I have revered Requiem for a Dream ever since my stoner 17 year old self saw it for the first time. With the addition of Clint Mansell's elegiac score and Aronofsky's choatic use of editing that puts your head in a whirling tornado. This movie is the anti-drug. If I was a high school Health teacher and did a week of drug awareness, this is the film that I would show them. http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Re_PINEAPPLE_EXPRESS_DVD_Giveaway/563/39131/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 1/5/2009 9:06:48 PM
Body: Dazed and Confused always made me want to get high. Requiem for a Dream made me never want to get high. Prometheus' Garden was such a bizarre claymation film that I actually felt high.
]]>Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:06:48 GMTmercurialFilmgaming1/5/2009 9:06:48 PM Dazed and Confused always made me want to get high. Requiem for a Dream made me never want to get high. Prometheus' Garden was such a bizarre claymation film that I actually felt high. http://www.spout.com/groups/Directors/Re_Directors_who_have_yet_to_make_their_masterpie/406/38193/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: seely
Post To: Directors
Post Date: 12/10/2008 2:41:14 PM
Body: Funny, Aronofsky is the first I thought of too. I felt like Requiem for a Dream, although excellent, was too 'rough' to be a masterpeice, and had a lot of themes explored in similar ways in other films. The Fountain, which I also enjoyed, was however almost too ambitious. The task Aronofsky set out to accomplish was enourmous. Four seperate stories that are intertwined but are seperate? Huh? Exactly. He handled it with alplomb, but it was still too alienating and lofty of a concept for it to ever work in a way that would connect with every filmgoer. [quote user="Risselada"] I'm thinking maybe Darren Aronofsky. I know a lot of people consider Requiem for a Dream a modern masterpiece, but I think he could do better. I still have yet to see The Fountain, but I know there was enough dissention that it still can't have been a masterpiece. [/quote]
]]>Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:41:14 GMTseelyDirectors12/10/2008 2:41:14 PMFunny, Aronofsky is the first I thought of too. I felt like Requiem for a Dream, although excellent, was too 'rough' to be a masterpeice, and had a lot of themes explored in similar ways in other films. The Fountain, which I also enjoyed, was however almost too ambitious. The task Aronofsky set out to accomplish was enourmous. Four seperate stories that are intertwined but are seperate? Huh? Exactly. He handled it with alplomb, but it was still too alienating and lofty of a concept for it to ever work in a way that would connect with every filmgoer. [quote user="Risselada"] I'm thinking maybe Darren Aronofsky. I know a lot of people consider Requiem for a Dream a modern masterpiece, but I think he could do better. I still have yet to see The Fountain, but I know there was enough dissention that it still can't have been a masterpiece. [/quote] http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_weirdest_movies/190/37870/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: GradysGhost
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 12/2/2008 7:10:33 PM
Body: [quote user="seely"] Hm, so many of the ones I would pick have already been picked. Theres a few notables missing, however. One of the all-time weirdest: The Fountain Darren Aronofsky (sp?) at his weirdest. I would try to explain it, but I'm not sure I can anymore. If you're interested, I reviewed it here. Requiem for a Dream Same director as Pi and the Fountain. The really trippy drug induced fantasies and hallucinations, plus the steady downward spiral of all the characters in this film make it a weird one. Fantasia Satan. Mickey Mouse. Pluto. Wizards. Demons. Nuff said. Me and You and Everyone We Know I saw this one twice and still can't really figure out quite what it is about. I've heard a wide range of theories. All I know is there is a 5 year old making out with a 35 year old woman, and he's obsessed with 'pooping back and forth forever'. Is it a metaphor? Is it funny? I don't really know. Stranger than Fiction / The Science of Sleep I don't know why, but I always think of these films together. Anyways, I think they both should be included on any 'weird' list. Both have pretty strange concepts that seem like they wouldn't work/be that interesting, but somehow both of them turned out to be good films--a big compliment to STF considering I don't like Will Ferrel as a rule of thumb. Both will definately mess with your mind a bit. [/quote] It's been ages since I've seen Fantasia, but I will vouch for The Science of Sleep and Me and You and Everyone We Know for being weird. Science of Sleep is such an amazing movie. Another thread around here somewhere spoke of Amelie as being a "gateway drug" to other foreign flicks. My brother has always adamently refused to watch foreign movies on the basis that he doesn't like to "read his movies." But he caught the last half of Science of Sleep and loved it. Something about how they keep switching between three languages for the entire film has this whirlwind effect that just sucks you up and moves you through the narrative, even when it's not so narrativey. Stranger Than Fiction is a pretty good metafiction film, but as far as metafiction is concerned, I have to offer up a couple of Michael Haneke films, Cache and Funny Games. While neither of these movies might be considered "weird," they have a fourth-wall-breaking aspect that your average film doesn't. And that's the understatement of the century. Cache has some disturbing imagery at one point, which seems more gruesome than that of Funny Games, even though Funny Games is far gorier. I think it has something to do with the way Funny Games incorporates its violence, the way that the "bad guys" let you, the audience, know that you know what these games are all about, and you're used to it by now. It's quite convincing, which I guess is the true horror of the film.
]]>Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:10:33 GMTGradysGhostTop 512/2/2008 7:10:33 PM[quote user="seely"] Hm, so many of the ones I would pick have already been picked. Theres a few notables missing, however. One of the all-time weirdest: The Fountain Darren Aronofsky (sp?) at his weirdest. I would try to explain it, but I'm not sure I can anymore. If you're interested, I reviewed it here. Requiem for a Dream Same director as Pi and the Fountain. The really trippy drug induced fantasies and hallucinations, plus the steady downward spiral of all the characters in this film make it a weird one. Fantasia Satan. Mickey Mouse. Pluto. Wizards. Demons. Nuff said. Me and You and Everyone We Know I saw this one twice and still can't really figure out quite what it is about. I've heard a wide range of theories. All I know is there is a 5 year old making out with a 35 year old woman, and he's obsessed with 'pooping back and forth forever'. Is it a metaphor? Is it funny? I don't really know. Stranger than Fiction / The Science of Sleep I don't know why, but I always think of these films together. Anyways, I think they both should be included on any 'weird' list. Both have pretty strange concepts that seem like they wouldn't work/be that interesting, but somehow both of them turned out to be good films--a big compliment to STF considering I don't like Will Ferrel as a rule of thumb. Both will definately mess with your mind a bit. [/quote] It's been ages since I've seen Fantasia, but I will vouch for The Science of Sleep and Me and You and Everyone We Know for being weird. Science of Sleep is such an amazing movie. Another thread around here somewhere spoke of Amelie as being a "gateway drug" to other foreign flicks. My brother has always adamently refused to watch foreign movies on the basis that he doesn't like to "read his movies." But he caught the last half of Science of Sleep and loved it. Something about how they keep switching between three languages for the entire film has this whirlwind effect that just sucks you up and moves you through the narrative, even when it's not so narrativey. Stranger Than Fiction is a pretty good metafiction film, but as far as metafiction is concerned, I have to offer up a couple of Michael Haneke films, Cache and Funny Games. While neither of these movies might be considered "weird," they have a fourth-wall-breaking aspect that your average film doesn't. And that's the understatement of the century. Cache has some disturbing imagery at one point, which seems more gruesome than that of Funny Games, even though Funny Games is far gorier. I think it has something to do with the way Funny Games incorporates its violence, the way that the "bad guys" let you, the audience, know that you know what these games are all about, and you're used to it by now. It's quite convincing, which I guess is the true horror of the film. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_November_17_In_The_Nude/625/37420/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 11/18/2008 8:43:22 PM
Body: So many to list . . . so how about I go with the most shocking (to me). Julianne Moore / Heather Graham / Mark Wahlberg in Boogie Nights Kevin Bacon in Wild Things Never have I wanted to rip out my eyes so badly before. Denise Richards in Wild Things Makes up for Kevin Bacon. Kate WInslet in Titanic Jennifer Connelly in Requiem for a Dream Holly Hunter in Crash Mena Suvari in American Beauty Michael Pitt in The Dreamers Kate Hudson in Almost Famous Get your pause buttons ready. Dina Meyer in Starship Troopers Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love Monica Bellucci in Irreversible Laura Harring in Mulholland Dr. Out of the middle of nowhere, BAM! Lesbian Sex Scene! Elizabeth Berkley / Gina Gershon in Showgirls From Saved By The Bell to this. Nice transition. Jaime King in Sin City Vinessa Shaw in Eyes Wide Shut Wait? She was wearing a mask? I didn't notice. Milla Jovovich in The Fifth Element Selma Blair in Storytelling Some people only saw a big black censored square over her. Find the unrated version of the film. Selma Blair in A Dirty Shame So they are obviously fake, but holy &#$%! Uma Thurman in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen So she's almost completely naked. Who cares! Sheryl Lee in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me They couldn't do that on television! Rose McGowan in The Doom Generation Erika Eleniak in Under Siege Happy Birthday to me! Erika Eleniak in Chasers Amy Adams in Psycho Beach Party Before she was an Academy Award Nominee. Natalie Portman in Hotel Chevalier Heather Matarazzo in Hostel 2 Christina Ricci in The Opposite of Sex Christina Ricci in Black Snake Moan WOW! Isabella Rossellini in Blue Velvet Ewan McGregor in Velvet Goldmine Emmanuelle Seigner in The Ninth Gate Straddling Johnny Depp next to a burning castle. Hot! Demi Moore in Striptease I think that's enough for now. And yes, I am a pervert.
]]>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:43:22 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme11/18/2008 8:43:22 PMSo many to list . . . so how about I go with the most shocking (to me). Julianne Moore / Heather Graham / Mark Wahlberg in Boogie Nights Kevin Bacon in Wild Things Never have I wanted to rip out my eyes so badly before. Denise Richards in Wild Things Makes up for Kevin Bacon. Kate WInslet in Titanic Jennifer Connelly in Requiem for a Dream Holly Hunter in Crash Mena Suvari in American Beauty Michael Pitt in The Dreamers Kate Hudson in Almost Famous Get your pause buttons ready. Dina Meyer in Starship Troopers Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love Monica Bellucci in Irreversible Laura Harring in Mulholland Dr. Out of the middle of nowhere, BAM! Lesbian Sex Scene! Elizabeth Berkley / Gina Gershon in Showgirls From Saved By The Bell to this. Nice transition. Jaime King in Sin City Vinessa Shaw in Eyes Wide Shut Wait? She was wearing a mask? I didn't notice. Milla Jovovich in The Fifth Element Selma Blair in Storytelling Some people only saw a big black censored square over her. Find the unrated version of the film. Selma Blair in A Dirty Shame So they are obviously fake, but holy &amp;#$%! Uma Thurman in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen So she's almost completely naked. Who cares! Sheryl Lee in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me They couldn't do that on television! Rose McGowan in The Doom Generation Erika Eleniak in Under Siege Happy Birthday to me! Erika Eleniak in Chasers Amy Adams in Psycho Beach Party Before she was an Academy Award Nominee. Natalie Portman in Hotel Chevalier Heather Matarazzo in Hostel 2 Christina Ricci in The Opposite of Sex Christina Ricci in Black Snake Moan WOW! Isabella Rossellini in Blue Velvet Ewan McGregor in Velvet Goldmine Emmanuelle Seigner in The Ninth Gate Straddling Johnny Depp next to a burning castle. Hot! Demi Moore in Striptease I think that's enough for now. And yes, I am a pervert. http://www.spout.com/blogs/leeroy711/archive/2008/10/12/36210.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: leeroy711 Blog
Post Date: 10/12/2008 3:24:45 AM
Body: ** Stars out of 5 Directed by: Asia Argento Starring: Asia Argento, Peter Fonda, Cole Sprouse, Dylan Sprouse, Running Time: 97 minutes Rated: R Released: 2004 Language: English Review: We begin this story with a young Jeremiah being gleefully reunited with his estranged biological mother after years in foster care… Well, maybe gleefully is a bit of a strong term. How about cautiously content... No, I’m not quite there yet am I? Ok, he was terrified, and with good reason as we find out in the next 97 minutes of this feature directed by and starring Asia Argento. You see, unfortunately for Jeremiah, his mom makes Courtney Love look like mother of the year. She controls him with a cocktail of mental, sexual, physical and substance abuse. His pitiful fate is pretty much sealed. There were a few things I liked about this movie. As disturbing and disgusting some of the scenes were, I was actually suspecting much worse having read some of the other reviews. In one scene, Asia Argento actually plays the part of her son pretending to be her. I don’t really think this was purely an artistic decision. I have a feeling that this was also serving the purpose of saving what little innocence the Sprouse twins had left. Thankfully the most graphic of scenes were simulated rather than shown. I’m not sure if I could have choked this one down if it had been much worse. The acting by Asia Argento was pretty good here. It wasn’t great but some of the scenes that showed the desperate logic and rage that clouds the mind of a junkie were done really well. I also got a kick out of some of the cameos. Peter Fonda, Winona Rider, Michael Pitt and Jeremy Sisto are all in this film in very small portions. Unfortunately for this film, there were just too many things I disliked and a few that I outright hated for this to get a good review from me. I will probably be the first reviewer to mention this but, I was thoroughly disgusted with that afro that Argento had in a headlock. Of all things in this film, this could have been the most unnerving and completely unnecessary. I mean, come on, I’ve been to some dive strip bars in my time, but I have never thrown down a dollar for a dancer who looked like she had just given Bigfoot a noogie. CAUTION – SPOILER ALERT The biggest problem this movie had was that it quite simply had no soul. It was filled with antagonists and victims. You wait through the entire 97 minutes waiting for someone with a heart to come and save this poor kid from his life. But alas, no such person exists. Even to the very end of the film you feel as though it can’t be over. There isn’t even a light at the end of the tunnel. You are left with a sense that what awaits will just be more of the same, only worse. I really just can’t get behind a movie like this. I’m really not sure even what I just watched. It was far too intense to be a melodrama. There were far too many far-fetched things going on to call it any sort of realism. And a tragedy will always at least give you some sort of closure in the end. This film lacks those crucial elements that allow the audience to get any sort of satisfaction. Recommendations: If you are interested in seeing other films that portray graphic drug abuse and its consequences. Look no further than Requiem for a Dream and Trainspotting. These both fall under the category of: if you were thinking about trying it, watch this first and then you won’t. Bonus: (New Feature) I’ve decided to implement a new feature into my reviews. You see, I like music and sharing my music with others. So, from now on, I will be embedding a song that I think would be appropriate to listen to while reading my review. I will try to make it associated with the theme or an element of the film. Failure – “The Nurse Who Loved Me”
]]>Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:24:45 GMTleeroy711leeroy711 Blog10/12/2008 3:24:45 AM ** Stars out of 5 Directed by: Asia Argento Starring: Asia Argento, Peter Fonda, Cole Sprouse, Dylan Sprouse, Running Time: 97 minutes Rated: R Released: 2004 Language: English Review: We begin this story with a young Jeremiah being gleefully reunited with his estranged biological mother after years in foster care&hellip; Well, maybe gleefully is a bit of a strong term. How about cautiously content... No, I&rsquo;m not quite there yet am I? Ok, he was terrified, and with good reason as we find out in the next 97 minutes of this feature directed by and starring Asia Argento. You see, unfortunately for Jeremiah, his mom makes Courtney Love look like mother of the year. She controls him with a cocktail of mental, sexual, physical and substance abuse. His pitiful fate is pretty much sealed. There were a few things I liked about this movie. As disturbing and disgusting some of the scenes were, I was actually suspecting much worse having read some of the other reviews. In one scene, Asia Argento actually plays the part of her son pretending to be her. I don&rsquo;t really think this was purely an artistic decision. I have a feeling that this was also serving the purpose of saving what little innocence the Sprouse twins had left. Thankfully the most graphic of scenes were simulated rather than shown. I&rsquo;m not sure if I could have choked this one down if it had been much worse. The acting by Asia Argento was pretty good here. It wasn&rsquo;t great but some of the scenes that showed the desperate logic and rage that clouds the mind of a junkie were done really well. I also got a kick out of some of the cameos. Peter Fonda, Winona Rider, Michael Pitt and Jeremy Sisto are all in this film in very small portions. Unfortunately for this film, there were just too many things I disliked and a few that I outright hated for this to get a good review from me. I will probably be the first reviewer to mention this but, I was thoroughly disgusted with that afro that Argento had in a headlock. Of all things in this film, this could have been the most unnerving and completely unnecessary. I mean, come on, I&rsquo;ve been to some dive strip bars in my time, but I have never thrown down a dollar for a dancer who looked like she had just given Bigfoot a noogie. CAUTION &ndash; SPOILER ALERT The biggest problem this movie had was that it quite simply had no soul. It was filled with antagonists and victims. You wait through the entire 97 minutes waiting for someone with a heart to come and save this poor kid from his life. But alas, no such person exists. Even to the very end of the film you feel as though it can&rsquo;t be over. There isn&rsquo;t even a light at the end of the tunnel. You are left with a sense that what awaits will just be more of the same, only worse. I really just can&rsquo;t get behind a movie like this. I&rsquo;m really not sure even what I just watched. It was far too intense to be a melodrama. There were far too many far-fetched things going on to call it any sort of realism. And a tragedy will always at least give you some sort of closure in the end. This film lacks those crucial elements that allow the audience to get any sort of satisfaction. Recommendations: If you are interested in seeing other films that portray graphic drug abuse and its consequences. Look no further than Requiem for a Dream and Trainspotting. These both fall under the category of: if you were thinking about trying it, watch this first and then you won&rsquo;t. Bonus: (New Feature) I&rsquo;ve decided to implement a new feature into my reviews. You see, I like music and sharing my music with others. So, from now on, I will be embedding a song that I think would be appropriate to listen to while reading my review. I will try to make it associated with the theme or an element of the film. Failure &ndash; &ldquo;The Nurse Who Loved Me&rdquo; http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspxlove
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