list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 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/Eternal_Sunshine_of_the_Spotless_Mind/219767/default.aspx Title: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Year: 2004
Director: Michel Gondry
Plot: The second feature from director Michel Gondry (Human Nature) finds the filmmaker reteaming with screenwriter Charlie Kaufman for this off-the-wall romantic comedy. Jim Carrey stars as Joel Barish, a man who is informed that his ex-girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) has had her memories of their relationship erased from her brain via an experimental procedure performed by Dr. Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson). Not to be outdone, Joel decides to have the same procedure done to himself. As Mierzwiak's bumbling underlings Stan (Mark Ruffalo) and Patrick (Elijah Wood) perform the operation on Joel -- over the course of an evening, in his apartment -- Joel struggles in his own mind to save the memories of Clementine from being deleted. Kirsten Dunst, David Cross, and Jane Adams also star. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 397
Number of Lists: 246
Number of blog posts: 28
Number of discussion threads: 14
SpoutRating: 4
]]>Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:19:44 GMTEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind2004Michel GondryThe second feature from director <a href="/players/P___290174/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Michel Gondry</a> (<a href=/films/192604/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Human Nature</a>) finds the filmmaker reteaming with screenwriter <a href="/players/P___271315/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Charlie Kaufman</a> for this off-the-wall romantic comedy. <a href="/players/P____11257/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jim Carrey</a> stars as Joel Barish, a man who is informed that his ex-girlfriend Clementine (<a href="/players/P___198332/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Kate Winslet</a>) has had her memories of their relationship erased from her brain via an experimental procedure performed by Dr. Mierzwiak (<a href="/players/P____76333/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Tom Wilkinson</a>). Not to be outdone, Joel decides to have the same procedure done to himself. As Mierzwiak's bumbling underlings Stan (<a href="/players/P___197651/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Mark Ruffalo</a>) and Patrick (<a href="/players/P____77309/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Elijah Wood</a>) perform the operation on Joel -- over the course of an evening, in his apartment -- Joel struggles in his own mind to save the memories of Clementine from being deleted. <a href="/players/P____20669/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Kirsten Dunst</a>, <a href="/players/P____15909/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>David Cross</a>, and <a href="/players/P______276/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jane Adams</a> also star. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide397Tag Target (>10)24628144http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u28846tv4m2.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Eternal_Sunshine_of_the_Spotless_Mind/219767/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/mconrad3/archive/2009/3/10/40920.aspx Post By: mconrad3
Post To: mconrad3 Blog
Post Date: 3/10/2009 12:36:46 AM
Body: Eternal Sunshine is a film that I seem to enjoy the more I watch it. The first time I saw it, it struck a chord with me. At the time there was this girl in my life that reminded me very much of Clementine and I think that's what first drew me into the film. The thing is, though, as I watched it a second time, I realized there was much more to it than the quirky love interest. There were a few themes going on that also rang true when I discovered them within the storyline. It's not a mainstream movie, but I'm counting that on the side of the pros. That being said, it no doubt does not appeal to people who aren't interested in thinking about what their watching. Aside from dissecting a relationship from the end backwards, I found this particularly intriguing kearnel commentary that may not have been intentional, but nevertheless spoke to me. It was the idea seen in many Greek and Shakespearian tragedies: fate cannot be escaped, and some things are meant to be. I'm not saying that there's a grand design to the universe, but I think there's a general procession to how it is going to unfold, and the story of Joel and Clem illustrates this theory. They erased each other from their memory, and yet something is left that goads them on to meet a second time. Even after they hear themselves talk about what they hated about their relationship, they decide to go for it anyway. I read that the director intended the last shot of the film to convey the repeating cycle that Clem and Joel would get sick of each other, wipe their memories, and start over again ad nauseum until their deaths. While that's not necessarily the interpretation I take away from this film, it also speaks volumes of this existential concept of rhyming events and repeating cycles. All of these little themes and ideas that get voiced throughout the film make me think about life, the universe, and everything. That's what I like about it. But because of this, it won't appeal to the crowd expecting another "zany" hollywood romantic comedy. It's more than that, which is probably why it doesn't gain wide appeal. Enough ramblings from my cynical mind. If you're into the arthouse scene, you'll like Eternal Sunshine. It's a dark film, a heartfelt film, and a funny film. It isn't the kind of film my dad is going to watch because he enjoys films like Epic Movie. I think all the people involved in the project did a wonderful job in telling a unique story (gasp! I know) that gives you and your friends something to talk about when the credits roll.
]]>Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:36:46 GMTmconrad3mconrad3 Blog3/10/2009 12:36:46 AMEternal Sunshine is a film that I seem to enjoy the more I watch it. The first time I saw it, it struck a chord with me. At the time there was this girl in my life that reminded me very much of Clementine and I think that's what first drew me into the film. The thing is, though, as I watched it a second time, I realized there was much more to it than the quirky love interest. There were a few themes going on that also rang true when I discovered them within the storyline. It's not a mainstream movie, but I'm counting that on the side of the pros. That being said, it no doubt does not appeal to people who aren't interested in thinking about what their watching. Aside from dissecting a relationship from the end backwards, I found this particularly intriguing kearnel commentary that may not have been intentional, but nevertheless spoke to me. It was the idea seen in many Greek and Shakespearian tragedies: fate cannot be escaped, and some things are meant to be. I'm not saying that there's a grand design to the universe, but I think there's a general procession to how it is going to unfold, and the story of Joel and Clem illustrates this theory. They erased each other from their memory, and yet something is left that goads them on to meet a second time. Even after they hear themselves talk about what they hated about their relationship, they decide to go for it anyway. I read that the director intended the last shot of the film to convey the repeating cycle that Clem and Joel would get sick of each other, wipe their memories, and start over again ad nauseum until their deaths. While that's not necessarily the interpretation I take away from this film, it also speaks volumes of this existential concept of rhyming events and repeating cycles. All of these little themes and ideas that get voiced throughout the film make me think about life, the universe, and everything. That's what I like about it. But because of this, it won't appeal to the crowd expecting another "zany" hollywood romantic comedy. It's more than that, which is probably why it doesn't gain wide appeal. Enough ramblings from my cynical mind. If you're into the arthouse scene, you'll like Eternal Sunshine. It's a dark film, a heartfelt film, and a funny film. It isn't the kind of film my dad is going to watch because he enjoys films like Epic Movie. I think all the people involved in the project did a wonderful job in telling a unique story (gasp! I know) that gives you and your friends something to talk about when the credits roll. http://www.spout.com/blogs/yinali/archive/2009/1/30/40084.aspx Post By: Yinali
Post To: Yinali Blog
Post Date: 1/30/2009 10:51:26 AM
Body: Jim carrey does it again! Proving that he has the ability to portray any type of role on any type of movie. Funny, yet sad, sexy, and romantic. Get ready to go on a journey through Dr. Mierzwiak's magical forgetful service.
]]>Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:51:26 GMTYinaliYinali Blog1/30/2009 10:51:26 AMJim carrey does it again! Proving that he has the ability to portray any type of role on any type of movie. Funny, yet sad, sexy, and romantic. Get ready to go on a journey through Dr. Mierzwiak's magical forgetful service. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/1/9/39313.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 1/9/2009 1:00:40 PM
Body: We’re less than two weeks away from receiving this year’s Oscar nominations, and though none of the major categories are completely predictable just yet, each has at least three or four certain favorites. Meanwhile, the final slots for Best Picture, Best Director and the acting and screenwriting categories may be simply a random grab from small handfuls of rotating contenders. As of now, it doesn’t appear we’ll be seeing any huge surprises come the morning of January 22nd, when the Academy announces the nominees. The Dark Knight is sure to become the first comic book film up for Best Picture, and it won’t even be a shocker if animated feature Wall-E is listed alongside it in the same category. But the ballots don’t need to be mailed out until Monday, so I’m taking one last chance to reach out to the procrastinators within the Academy membership. If you still don’t know who and what to write in, and you’re unwilling to go the safe route and nominate the expected bunch of films and talent, then consider some of these underdogs, under-appreciated and pretty much unlikely possibilities: Best Picture: Rachel Getting Married There was a time when Jonathan Demme’s “Altmanesque” family drama was thought a frontrunner for the Academy’s top prize, but now it looks like it may not even garner a much-deserved Original Screenplay nod for Jenny Lumet, let alone Best Picture. Anne Hathaway is still a good bet in the Best Actress category, though she’s perhaps the least worthy element of the film. Demme deserves his first Best Director nomination in 17 years for reinventing and revitalizing his career with such a rich ensemble piece, while editor Tim Squyres needs to be recognized for piecing together the ingredients so perfectly. I could go on and on about more individual achievements that need be honored (I’ve already spotlighted Robyn Hitchcock’s worth), so let’s just sum it all up and say Rachel Getting Married is highly worthy of being nominated for Best Picture. Best Director: Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky Like Jonathan Demme, Mike Leigh is one of the finest living directors in terms of working with actors. They both constantly get Oscar-worthy (if not Academy-recognized) performances from otherwise serviceable thespians, yet Leigh is typically more regarded for his screenwriting, for which he’s received three Oscar nominations against two directorial nominations. With Happy-Go-Lucky, it’s more his directing skill that shines through, and if the Academy can’t find room to honor either Sally Hawkins or Eddie Marsan (respectively for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor) they might want to nominate Leigh, since neither would have been so remarkable without his leadership. Best Actress: Michelle Williams, Wendy and Lucy For the minimalist kind of films that Kelly Reichardt makes, most filmmakers would rather go with an unknown lead than with a familiar, gossip magazine-friendly actress, even one as talented as Michelle Williams. Yet the former Oscar nominee disappears into the role of Wendy in Wendy and Lucy, so much that it’s easy to forget that she’s a famous movie star. She seems as fresh and unknown as any actor in a De Sica or, more currently, a Ramin Bahrani film. The Academy will likely overlook Williams this year, not so much because the film was barely distributed, but because she doesn’t give a particularly flashy performance. Plus, although the actress appears relatively unfamiliar on screen, it isn’t the kind of “unrecognizable” transformation that Oscar prefers with beautiful young starlets. Best Supporting Actress: Bette Midler, Then She Found Me If a performance is great and nobody sees it, is it still Oscar-worthy? Of course, but it’s not likely to be nominated. I don’t foresee any Academy members scrambling to rent Helen Hunt’s terrific directorial debut, Then She Found Me, this weekend, which is too bad. Bette was back this past year and just as good as, if not better than, before. She was lively yet somewhat reserved compared to what we expect from her. The two-time Best Actress nominee will hopefully receive her due win one day, probably in the supporting category and as a career-honoring nod, but it may not be as deserving as this. Best Actor: Josh Brolin, W. I’ve already written a whole column about why Brolin should receive a Best Actor nomination for W., so I needn’t devote too much more space here. Apparently he’s gained more heat for his supporting role in Milk, though, and while that should be plenty recognition for him this year, I continue to hope for a double nomination. His two performances this year are equally amazing, and they couldn’t be more different, despite how they may both be deemed villainous roles. Best Supporting Actor: Mark Walton, Bolt Let me first acknowledge that I got this idea from Bolt’s biggest fan, Kristopher Tapley of In Contention, who called Mark Walton’s voice acting, “the closest I’ve ever come to considering a vocal performance Oscar-worthy since Ellen Degeneres in ‘Finding Nemo.’” I don’t necessarily agree with Tapley’s decision to put Bolt at #2 on his Best of 2008 list, but I would love to see a non-actor like Walton be recognized non-traditionally for vocal work, a form of acting that doesn’t garner enough consideration. Who needs big name casting in an animated film when a storyboard artist gives a more hilarious vocal performance than even Jack Black? Best Original Screenplay: Charlie Kaufman, Synecdoche, New York Kaufman may need some fine-tuning in the directorial department (though he did a pretty good job for a first-timer), but his latest screenplay, for Synecdoche, New York, is every bit as brilliant as his three Oscar-nominated scripts (one of which, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, was a winner). There’s not much originality in the attempt to put everything into a screenplay — in fact, it’s a common mistake for narcissistic novices — but Kaufman is quite original for having been the first to be successful at it. Best Adapted Screenplay: James Marsh and Philippe Petit, Man on Wire There is no screenwriter credited for Man on Wire, but there had to have been some sort of adaptation involved, even if it was simply a single-page treatment and some notes about how to turn Petit’s unexceptional (though fairly enjoyable) book To Reach the Clouds into one of the most riveting documentaries of all time. Unfortunately, the lack of credit means that the Academy will certainly overlook this, the greatest cinematic storytelling of the year. And now, some extra-long shots in two of the non-major categories: Best Cinematography: Jeremy Lasky, Martin Rosenberg, Danielle Feinberg, Roger Deakins, Wall-E I almost chose Wall-E, which I don’t think should be given a Best Picture nod, for the Best Director slot, for Andrew Stanton. But if any animation filmmaker is going to break such ground, I’d rather first see Brad Bird recognized in that category. Besides, much of the innovative camera work in Wall-E is courtesy of new concepts in cinematographic technique for animation. Even if the Academy blew our minds and nominated Wall-E for Best Cinematography, Deakins, whom Pixar hired for some uncredited consultation, wouldn’t be named as one of the nominees. But since the guy is so deserving of an Oscar, why not just name him in some additional slots this year (a repeat of his double duty from 2007, he’s expected to receive two nods, for Doubt and Revolutionary Road)? Best Foreign Language Film: Tony Manero Pablo Larrain’s Tony Manero, which is Chile’s official submission to the foreign language category, is currently without a distributor in the U.S. How might that change? An Oscar nomination. Sure, not every Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language film is guaranteed distribution, but it could help a film as highly praised as this one — recently it placed third on indieWIRE’s Critic’s Poll of the best undistributed films of the year. Currently, it’s a strong contender, though it may be just on the outside of the Academy’s top choices (it’s up against either Sweden’s Everlasting Moments or Germany’s The Baader Meinhof Complex for that last spot). Personally, I haven’t actually seen Tony Manero, but I’d really like to, and that is why I wish for it to be recognized. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:00:40 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com1/9/2009 1:00:40 PMWe’re less than two weeks away from receiving this year’s Oscar nominations, and though none of the major categories are completely predictable just yet, each has at least three or four certain favorites. Meanwhile, the final slots for Best Picture, Best Director and the acting and screenwriting categories may be simply a random grab from small handfuls of rotating contenders. As of now, it doesn’t appear we’ll be seeing any huge surprises come the morning of January 22nd, when the Academy announces the nominees. The Dark Knight is sure to become the first comic book film up for Best Picture, and it won’t even be a shocker if animated feature Wall-E is listed alongside it in the same category. But the ballots don’t need to be mailed out until Monday, so I’m taking one last chance to reach out to the procrastinators within the Academy membership. If you still don’t know who and what to write in, and you’re unwilling to go the safe route and nominate the expected bunch of films and talent, then consider some of these underdogs, under-appreciated and pretty much unlikely possibilities: Best Picture: Rachel Getting Married There was a time when Jonathan Demme’s “Altmanesque” family drama was thought a frontrunner for the Academy’s top prize, but now it looks like it may not even garner a much-deserved Original Screenplay nod for Jenny Lumet, let alone Best Picture. Anne Hathaway is still a good bet in the Best Actress category, though she’s perhaps the least worthy element of the film. Demme deserves his first Best Director nomination in 17 years for reinventing and revitalizing his career with such a rich ensemble piece, while editor Tim Squyres needs to be recognized for piecing together the ingredients so perfectly. I could go on and on about more individual achievements that need be honored (I’ve already spotlighted Robyn Hitchcock’s worth), so let’s just sum it all up and say Rachel Getting Married is highly worthy of being nominated for Best Picture. Best Director: Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky Like Jonathan Demme, Mike Leigh is one of the finest living directors in terms of working with actors. They both constantly get Oscar-worthy (if not Academy-recognized) performances from otherwise serviceable thespians, yet Leigh is typically more regarded for his screenwriting, for which he’s received three Oscar nominations against two directorial nominations. With Happy-Go-Lucky, it’s more his directing skill that shines through, and if the Academy can’t find room to honor either Sally Hawkins or Eddie Marsan (respectively for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor) they might want to nominate Leigh, since neither would have been so remarkable without his leadership. Best Actress: Michelle Williams, Wendy and Lucy For the minimalist kind of films that Kelly Reichardt makes, most filmmakers would rather go with an unknown lead than with a familiar, gossip magazine-friendly actress, even one as talented as Michelle Williams. Yet the former Oscar nominee disappears into the role of Wendy in Wendy and Lucy, so much that it’s easy to forget that she’s a famous movie star. She seems as fresh and unknown as any actor in a De Sica or, more currently, a Ramin Bahrani film. The Academy will likely overlook Williams this year, not so much because the film was barely distributed, but because she doesn’t give a particularly flashy performance. Plus, although the actress appears relatively unfamiliar on screen, it isn’t the kind of “unrecognizable” transformation that Oscar prefers with beautiful young starlets. Best Supporting Actress: Bette Midler, Then She Found Me If a performance is great and nobody sees it, is it still Oscar-worthy? Of course, but it’s not likely to be nominated. I don’t foresee any Academy members scrambling to rent Helen Hunt’s terrific directorial debut, Then She Found Me, this weekend, which is too bad. Bette was back this past year and just as good as, if not better than, before. She was lively yet somewhat reserved compared to what we expect from her. The two-time Best Actress nominee will hopefully receive her due win one day, probably in the supporting category and as a career-honoring nod, but it may not be as deserving as this. Best Actor: Josh Brolin, W. I’ve already written a whole column about why Brolin should receive a Best Actor nomination for W., so I needn’t devote too much more space here. Apparently he’s gained more heat for his supporting role in Milk, though, and while that should be plenty recognition for him this year, I continue to hope for a double nomination. His two performances this year are equally amazing, and they couldn’t be more different, despite how they may both be deemed villainous roles. Best Supporting Actor: Mark Walton, Bolt Let me first acknowledge that I got this idea from Bolt’s biggest fan, Kristopher Tapley of In Contention, who called Mark Walton’s voice acting, “the closest I’ve ever come to considering a vocal performance Oscar-worthy since Ellen Degeneres in ‘Finding Nemo.’” I don’t necessarily agree with Tapley’s decision to put Bolt at #2 on his Best of 2008 list, but I would love to see a non-actor like Walton be recognized non-traditionally for vocal work, a form of acting that doesn’t garner enough consideration. Who needs big name casting in an animated film when a storyboard artist gives a more hilarious vocal performance than even Jack Black? Best Original Screenplay: Charlie Kaufman, Synecdoche, New York Kaufman may need some fine-tuning in the directorial department (though he did a pretty good job for a first-timer), but his latest screenplay, for Synecdoche, New York, is every bit as brilliant as his three Oscar-nominated scripts (one of which, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, was a winner). There’s not much originality in the attempt to put everything into a screenplay — in fact, it’s a common mistake for narcissistic novices — but Kaufman is quite original for having been the first to be successful at it. Best Adapted Screenplay: James Marsh and Philippe Petit, Man on Wire There is no screenwriter credited for Man on Wire, but there had to have been some sort of adaptation involved, even if it was simply a single-page treatment and some notes about how to turn Petit’s unexceptional (though fairly enjoyable) book To Reach the Clouds into one of the most riveting documentaries of all time. Unfortunately, the lack of credit means that the Academy will certainly overlook this, the greatest cinematic storytelling of the year. And now, some extra-long shots in two of the non-major categories: Best Cinematography: Jeremy Lasky, Martin Rosenberg, Danielle Feinberg, Roger Deakins, Wall-E I almost chose Wall-E, which I don’t think should be given a Best Picture nod, for the Best Director slot, for Andrew Stanton. But if any animation filmmaker is going to break such ground, I’d rather first see Brad Bird recognized in that category. Besides, much of the innovative camera work in Wall-E is courtesy of new concepts in cinematographic technique for animation. Even if the Academy blew our minds and nominated Wall-E for Best Cinematography, Deakins, whom Pixar hired for some uncredited consultation, wouldn’t be named as one of the nominees. But since the guy is so deserving of an Oscar, why not just name him in some additional slots this year (a repeat of his double duty from 2007, he’s expected to receive two nods, for Doubt and Revolutionary Road)? Best Foreign Language Film: Tony Manero Pablo Larrain’s Tony Manero, which is Chile’s official submission to the foreign language category, is currently without a distributor in the U.S. How might that change? An Oscar nomination. Sure, not every Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language film is guaranteed distribution, but it could help a film as highly praised as this one — recently it placed third on indieWIRE’s Critic’s Poll of the best undistributed films of the year. Currently, it’s a strong contender, though it may be just on the outside of the Academy’s top choices (it’s up against either Sweden’s Everlasting Moments or Germany’s The Baader Meinhof Complex for that last spot). Personally, I haven’t actually seen Tony Manero, but I’d really like to, and that is why I wish for it to be recognized. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/sci_fi/Re_Sci_Fi_Recommendations/4/38624/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: firegiver
Post To: sci-fi
Post Date: 12/19/2008 2:38:21 PM
Body: [quote user="mciocco"] [quote user="Risselada"] [quote user="firegiver"] I really enjoyed Primer and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for movies that were in a similar vein. Thanks :) [/quote] I haven't actually seen it, but I heard this Spanish movie Timecrimes deals with a lot of similar types of ideas. [/quote] Timecrimes is definitely a great movie and well worth a watch if you like Primer. The time travel concept is a little more basic and easier to follow in Timecrimes, but it still works really well. I remember when Primer was showing at a local film fest, the buzz was that it was "the next Pi" (Pi isn't a time travel story, but it's an artsy math/paranoia movie - the first directed by Darren Aronofsky) If you liked Primer, I'd imagine you'd also like the storytelling of Charlie Kaufman (i.e. stuff like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or Adaptation), though we're starting to get away from SF now... [/quote] Excellent suggtestions guys. I have seen Eternal Sunshine (one of my favorites) and Adaptation (it was less memorable but maybe I'll rewatch it.) Thanks again, Im definitely going to pick up Timecrimes soon.
]]>Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:38:21 GMTfiregiversci-fi12/19/2008 2:38:21 PM[quote user="mciocco"] [quote user="Risselada"] [quote user="firegiver"] I really enjoyed Primer and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for movies that were in a similar vein. Thanks :) [/quote] I haven't actually seen it, but I heard this Spanish movie Timecrimes deals with a lot of similar types of ideas. [/quote] Timecrimes is definitely a great movie and well worth a watch if you like Primer. The time travel concept is a little more basic and easier to follow in Timecrimes, but it still works really well. I remember when Primer was showing at a local film fest, the buzz was that it was "the next Pi" (Pi isn't a time travel story, but it's an artsy math/paranoia movie - the first directed by Darren Aronofsky) If you liked Primer, I'd imagine you'd also like the storytelling of Charlie Kaufman (i.e. stuff like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or Adaptation), though we're starting to get away from SF now... [/quote] Excellent suggtestions guys. I have seen Eternal Sunshine (one of my favorites) and Adaptation (it was less memorable but maybe I'll rewatch it.) Thanks again, Im definitely going to pick up Timecrimes soon. http://www.spout.com/groups/sci_fi/Re_Sci_Fi_Recommendations/4/38419/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mciocco
Post To: sci-fi
Post Date: 12/15/2008 6:02:14 PM
Body: [quote user="Risselada"] [quote user="firegiver"] I really enjoyed Primer and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for movies that were in a similar vein. Thanks :) [/quote] I haven't actually seen it, but I heard this Spanish movie Timecrimes deals with a lot of similar types of ideas. [/quote] Timecrimes is definitely a great movie and well worth a watch if you like Primer. The time travel concept is a little more basic and easier to follow in Timecrimes, but it still works really well. I remember when Primer was showing at a local film fest, the buzz was that it was "the next Pi" (Pi isn't a time travel story, but it's an artsy math/paranoia movie - the first directed by Darren Aronofsky) If you liked Primer, I'd imagine you'd also like the storytelling of Charlie Kaufman (i.e. stuff like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or Adaptation), though we're starting to get away from SF now...
]]>Mon, 15 Dec 2008 23:02:14 GMTmcioccosci-fi12/15/2008 6:02:14 PM[quote user="Risselada"] [quote user="firegiver"] I really enjoyed Primer and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for movies that were in a similar vein. Thanks :) [/quote] I haven't actually seen it, but I heard this Spanish movie Timecrimes deals with a lot of similar types of ideas. [/quote] Timecrimes is definitely a great movie and well worth a watch if you like Primer. The time travel concept is a little more basic and easier to follow in Timecrimes, but it still works really well. I remember when Primer was showing at a local film fest, the buzz was that it was "the next Pi" (Pi isn't a time travel story, but it's an artsy math/paranoia movie - the first directed by Darren Aronofsky) If you liked Primer, I'd imagine you'd also like the storytelling of Charlie Kaufman (i.e. stuff like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or Adaptation), though we're starting to get away from SF now... http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/12/9/38154.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 12/9/2008 7:02:15 PM
Body: Is romance dead? David Carr seems to think so, at least in American cinema (both Hollywood and “Indiewood,” as he inclusively clarifies). While celebrating the subway station meet-cute from the beginning of Milk, a scene he claims to be of an increasingly rare sort, Carr states that American filmmakers “can do romantic pathology and entropy, but the kind of love for the ages, a big-movie kind of love? Not so much.” If you agree with him, blame the back-to-back Best Picture winners Titanic and Shakespeare in Love for feeding us the kind of romance that’s so cheesy it clogs our arteries and gives us a coronary. Left with a burst heart and a lack of quality Nora Ephron movies, most of us have been cynics when it comes to love stories these past ten years. Yet cynics can still be swept off their feet, and American filmmakers have adequately supplied them with new kinds of love for the ages. Just take a look at these ten films from the past decade. They may be full of cynicism, but they’re also filled with big-movie love, in their own way. If you can’t see the romance, then the problem is with you, not the movies. Love & Basketball (2000) This underrated film has something for everyone: sports for the boys and romance for the girls; and sports for the girls and romance for the boys. See, it’s a love story that avoids clichés and speaks to both sexes equally. And as far as meet-cutes go, it’s hard to top Quincy’s first encounter with Monica: she beats him at basketball, he knocks her to the ground, and they instantly fall in love, at the age of 13. Plenty of recent films have done the whole love-since-childhood thing, including the contrived Love Me if You Dare and this year’s less-sexually-balanced Slumdog Millionaire. But while others treat this kind of story as fairy tale, Love & Basketball is more real, and true love is definitely more romantic than fantastical love. Punch-Drunk Love (2002) Who knew that Adam Sandler, as a modern-day Popeye, could be so romantic? Apparently Paul Thomas Anderson did, and he was able to transform the typical Sandler man-boy persona into an old-fashioned man-as-protector sort of romantic hero. A bit sexist and a little creepy, sure, but Sandler’s Barry Egan manages to fall on the right side of the fine line between stalker and sentimentally drastic admirer (kind of like a male “Amelie”). All the Real Girls (2003) The direction this film may seem too ironic and cynical to be considered truly romantic, but then think of how cynical our favorite romantic classics are. Gone With the Wind and Casablanca? Neither is as positive and hopeful as we pretend Hollywood romance to be. And while those films’ dialogue may be memorable after all these years, none of their lines are as simply and sweetly romantic as the stuff said by Paul (Paul Schneider) and Noel (Zooey Deschanel) to each other when they’re still falling in love. Cold Mountain (2003) Nicole Kidman and Jude Law may be the worst actors to play romantic leads, considering how stiff and plastic they are. But forgetting the performances and concentrating on the epic love story, this relatively modernized take on The Odyssey (set during the Civil War) is as classically romantic as it gets, right down to the tragic denouement. Surprisingly, it was not well received by either critics or audiences. The problem may have been the fault of Kidman and Law, whose characters were hardly believable as in love, although their compatibility is beside the point. The romantic quest made by Inman (Law) to get back to his barely-familiar sweetheart is powered by the concept of love more than the certainty of love. 50 First Dates (2004) Another Adam Sandler movie? That’s right, and this one is even sweeter and more thoughtfully romantic than Punch-Drunk Love. The plot, which is like a reciprocal Groundhog Day, is a tad too gimmicky to grab your heartstrings right away, but the final scene (ironically in the Arctic) could warm the center of even the most pragmatic, unemotional viewer. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Two of the best films of 2004 were deconstructions of love. But while Jonathan Glazer’s Birth shattered romance to pieces, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind showed us what it’s made of. The film also somewhat argues that love and romance aren’t necessarily about “happily ever after,” even if the two main characters do seem destined to be together at the end, nor are these concepts limited to good times. The Notebook (2004) It doesn’t get more traditionally romantic than this: forbidden love; correspondence; longing; a World War. But how is this more beloved than either Pearl Harbor or Australia? And why is Nicholas Sparks more respected and read than most romance novelists? Well, if it were that easy to determine, Hollywood wouldn’t keep failing in its attempts to make more films like this. Or, maybe it’s just that The Notebook doesn’t seem to be trying too hard –– it just tells a genuine love story without tugging or overreaching for your presumed romantic buttons. Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005) If Amelie is the most romantic non-American film of the last ten years, and if Punch-Drunk’s Barry Egan is the male Amelie, then Miranda July’s character is simply the American Amelie. She’s a little weird, a little too forthcoming, but she’s so sweet and creative in her pursuits that she’s not just forgivable; she’s completely lovable. Of course, lovable doesn’t exactly equal romantic, but then there are plenty of oddly romantic scenes in the film, too, such as the metaphoric first walk shared by July and John Hawkes’ characters. It’s frank, it’s harsh, but it’s also the best flirtation seen in American cinema in a long time. Brokeback Mountain (2005) It’s upsetting to think of any story involving adultery as being romantic (though Unfaithful almost made this list for other, spoilerific reasons), but the two lovers in Brokeback Mountain are given an exception because of the society they live in. The unapproved affair also makes for one of the most heartbreaking romances ever put on screen. And of all the films selected, this is easily the one that’s liable to make you lose your cynical perspective, at least for a couple of hours. WALL-E (2008) In a way, this animated film is not romantic at all for humans, who are viewed as plump slugs with no real interaction with other people (seriously, a time when we all just use video chat, even when we’re in the vicinity of one another, is not too far off). But for robots, it’s the most romantic thing to come along since the implied relationship between C-3PO and R2-D2. And it’s gender-equal (or, if you believe the characters are gender-neutral, the film is partner-equal) as far as the pursuing, the rescuing and the responsibility go regarding WALL-E and EVE’s relationship. Hopefully, this most recent film on the list will inspire future romantic films to be so progressive and so lacking in cynicism (such optimism: even two humans seem to fall in love at the end). Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:02:15 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com12/9/2008 7:02:15 PMIs romance dead? David Carr seems to think so, at least in American cinema (both Hollywood and “Indiewood,” as he inclusively clarifies). While celebrating the subway station meet-cute from the beginning of Milk, a scene he claims to be of an increasingly rare sort, Carr states that American filmmakers “can do romantic pathology and entropy, but the kind of love for the ages, a big-movie kind of love? Not so much.” If you agree with him, blame the back-to-back Best Picture winners Titanic and Shakespeare in Love for feeding us the kind of romance that’s so cheesy it clogs our arteries and gives us a coronary. Left with a burst heart and a lack of quality Nora Ephron movies, most of us have been cynics when it comes to love stories these past ten years. Yet cynics can still be swept off their feet, and American filmmakers have adequately supplied them with new kinds of love for the ages. Just take a look at these ten films from the past decade. They may be full of cynicism, but they’re also filled with big-movie love, in their own way. If you can’t see the romance, then the problem is with you, not the movies. Love & Basketball (2000) This underrated film has something for everyone: sports for the boys and romance for the girls; and sports for the girls and romance for the boys. See, it’s a love story that avoids clichés and speaks to both sexes equally. And as far as meet-cutes go, it’s hard to top Quincy’s first encounter with Monica: she beats him at basketball, he knocks her to the ground, and they instantly fall in love, at the age of 13. Plenty of recent films have done the whole love-since-childhood thing, including the contrived Love Me if You Dare and this year’s less-sexually-balanced Slumdog Millionaire. But while others treat this kind of story as fairy tale, Love & Basketball is more real, and true love is definitely more romantic than fantastical love. Punch-Drunk Love (2002) Who knew that Adam Sandler, as a modern-day Popeye, could be so romantic? Apparently Paul Thomas Anderson did, and he was able to transform the typical Sandler man-boy persona into an old-fashioned man-as-protector sort of romantic hero. A bit sexist and a little creepy, sure, but Sandler’s Barry Egan manages to fall on the right side of the fine line between stalker and sentimentally drastic admirer (kind of like a male “Amelie”). All the Real Girls (2003) The direction this film may seem too ironic and cynical to be considered truly romantic, but then think of how cynical our favorite romantic classics are. Gone With the Wind and Casablanca? Neither is as positive and hopeful as we pretend Hollywood romance to be. And while those films’ dialogue may be memorable after all these years, none of their lines are as simply and sweetly romantic as the stuff said by Paul (Paul Schneider) and Noel (Zooey Deschanel) to each other when they’re still falling in love. Cold Mountain (2003) Nicole Kidman and Jude Law may be the worst actors to play romantic leads, considering how stiff and plastic they are. But forgetting the performances and concentrating on the epic love story, this relatively modernized take on The Odyssey (set during the Civil War) is as classically romantic as it gets, right down to the tragic denouement. Surprisingly, it was not well received by either critics or audiences. The problem may have been the fault of Kidman and Law, whose characters were hardly believable as in love, although their compatibility is beside the point. The romantic quest made by Inman (Law) to get back to his barely-familiar sweetheart is powered by the concept of love more than the certainty of love. 50 First Dates (2004) Another Adam Sandler movie? That’s right, and this one is even sweeter and more thoughtfully romantic than Punch-Drunk Love. The plot, which is like a reciprocal Groundhog Day, is a tad too gimmicky to grab your heartstrings right away, but the final scene (ironically in the Arctic) could warm the center of even the most pragmatic, unemotional viewer. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Two of the best films of 2004 were deconstructions of love. But while Jonathan Glazer’s Birth shattered romance to pieces, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind showed us what it’s made of. The film also somewhat argues that love and romance aren’t necessarily about “happily ever after,” even if the two main characters do seem destined to be together at the end, nor are these concepts limited to good times. The Notebook (2004) It doesn’t get more traditionally romantic than this: forbidden love; correspondence; longing; a World War. But how is this more beloved than either Pearl Harbor or Australia? And why is Nicholas Sparks more respected and read than most romance novelists? Well, if it were that easy to determine, Hollywood wouldn’t keep failing in its attempts to make more films like this. Or, maybe it’s just that The Notebook doesn’t seem to be trying too hard –– it just tells a genuine love story without tugging or overreaching for your presumed romantic buttons. Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005) If Amelie is the most romantic non-American film of the last ten years, and if Punch-Drunk’s Barry Egan is the male Amelie, then Miranda July’s character is simply the American Amelie. She’s a little weird, a little too forthcoming, but she’s so sweet and creative in her pursuits that she’s not just forgivable; she’s completely lovable. Of course, lovable doesn’t exactly equal romantic, but then there are plenty of oddly romantic scenes in the film, too, such as the metaphoric first walk shared by July and John Hawkes’ characters. It’s frank, it’s harsh, but it’s also the best flirtation seen in American cinema in a long time. Brokeback Mountain (2005) It’s upsetting to think of any story involving adultery as being romantic (though Unfaithful almost made this list for other, spoilerific reasons), but the two lovers in Brokeback Mountain are given an exception because of the society they live in. The unapproved affair also makes for one of the most heartbreaking romances ever put on screen. And of all the films selected, this is easily the one that’s liable to make you lose your cynical perspective, at least for a couple of hours. WALL-E (2008) In a way, this animated film is not romantic at all for humans, who are viewed as plump slugs with no real interaction with other people (seriously, a time when we all just use video chat, even when we’re in the vicinity of one another, is not too far off). But for robots, it’s the most romantic thing to come along since the implied relationship between C-3PO and R2-D2. And it’s gender-equal (or, if you believe the characters are gender-neutral, the film is partner-equal) as far as the pursuing, the rescuing and the responsibility go regarding WALL-E and EVE’s relationship. Hopefully, this most recent film on the list will inspire future romantic films to be so progressive and so lacking in cynicism (such optimism: even two humans seem to fall in love at the end). Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Romantic_Films/190/35938/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: seely
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 10/6/2008 1:28:13 PM
Body: This is a tough one...I can't think of a lot of romantic films I've seen, but I'll give it a shot. Across the Universe - I love the Beatles, I love sporadic singing, I love the 60's and I love Love. It seemed a little "Higschool Musical Does the Sixties" at times, but I loved some of the cameos and cultural references of the era (despite not particularly liking Bono, I thought he did a fantastic job), and albeit sappy love story. Princess Bride - A classic. I'm a closet fairy tale fan, and this is one of the best. It turns the genre on its head a little, adds a lot of comedy and relies on some less-than-perfect characters with some glaring flaws to create a story that somehow still remains romantic. Say Anything - I'm always a fan of the daughter/son-likes-the-girl/guy-dad/mom-does-not films. These seemed especially prevalent in the 80's, and I think SA is the shining example. SA edged out Valley Girl by a hair in this category for me, mostly because Nicolas Cage suffered a devastating setback in my mind after remaking Bangkok Dangerous (and it wasn't because the first was any good). Big Fish - I know its fictional, but its a powerful love story none-the-less. You get to see the couple through their entire lives together, beginning to end, and how committed and how much they loved each other to the end. Its ridiculously beautiful. I can barely handle the end of the movie. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Maybe a bit out of place in this categorie, but I think it deserves a mention. I think it highlights the idea that love wouldn't exist without pain, and gives us an appreciation of memories and past relationships. Its better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. Bah, one short. Wait! Once - Probably my favorite, because of a) the music, and b) the fact it does not end like most romances. It is a beautiful and very innocent story, of a complicated friendship/romance. Don't want to give too much away for those who haven't seen it, but it truly is a beautiful story of two people meeting exactly when they needed to.
]]>Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:28:13 GMTseelyTop 510/6/2008 1:28:13 PMThis is a tough one...I can't think of a lot of romantic films I've seen, but I'll give it a shot. Across the Universe - I love the Beatles, I love sporadic singing, I love the 60's and I love Love. It seemed a little "Higschool Musical Does the Sixties" at times, but I loved some of the cameos and cultural references of the era (despite not particularly liking Bono, I thought he did a fantastic job), and albeit sappy love story. Princess Bride - A classic. I'm a closet fairy tale fan, and this is one of the best. It turns the genre on its head a little, adds a lot of comedy and relies on some less-than-perfect characters with some glaring flaws to create a story that somehow still remains romantic. Say Anything - I'm always a fan of the daughter/son-likes-the-girl/guy-dad/mom-does-not films. These seemed especially prevalent in the 80's, and I think SA is the shining example. SA edged out Valley Girl by a hair in this category for me, mostly because Nicolas Cage suffered a devastating setback in my mind after remaking Bangkok Dangerous (and it wasn't because the first was any good). Big Fish - I know its fictional, but its a powerful love story none-the-less. You get to see the couple through their entire lives together, beginning to end, and how committed and how much they loved each other to the end. Its ridiculously beautiful. I can barely handle the end of the movie. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Maybe a bit out of place in this categorie, but I think it deserves a mention. I think it highlights the idea that love wouldn't exist without pain, and gives us an appreciation of memories and past relationships. Its better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. Bah, one short. Wait! Once - Probably my favorite, because of a) the music, and b) the fact it does not end like most romances. It is a beautiful and very innocent story, of a complicated friendship/romance. Don't want to give too much away for those who haven't seen it, but it truly is a beautiful story of two people meeting exactly when they needed to. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/8/1/33404.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 8/1/2008 2:01:40 PM
Body: Andrew Sarris may be one of the most influential American film critics, but here’s a claim, located within his recent review of In Search of a Midnight Kiss, that may not hold up to some of his better-remembered theories: “Even when we confront 40-year-old virgins of either gender, movies refuse to show them compensating for the lack of a sexual partner. There is lasting shame involved in this spectacle.” Not to ever, ever profess superiority over Sarris, but I’ve nonetheless compiled today’s list as a way of proving the man wrong. There are actually tons and tons of masturbation scenes found in non-porn movies, from the low brow to the high brow, from as indirect as the boy wizard playing with his wand under the covers in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban to as direct as the non-simulated masturbation in Michael Winterbottom’s 9 Songs and John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus (which would probably feature my #1 pick, from the sound of it, if I ever bothered to see it). The following 10 films are some of the most memorable masturbation scenes, excluding any movies that might be considered examples of, in Sarris’ words, “the fringe exploitation genres” (I’ve even gone so far as to leave out mainstream horror like The Exorcist, considering it’s crucifix masturbation is far from the self-pleasuring moments Sarris is clearly interested in). Oh, and I’ve attempted to chart these films artistically from lowbrow to high. 10. Fast Times at Ridgemont High - Everybody remembers this scene because of the fantasy: Phoebe Cates emerges from a swimming pool in slow motion and removes her bikini top. And then Cates’ character walks in on the fantasizer, Judge Reinhold, for one of the most awkward moments in the history of awkward comedy. There’s been plenty of uncomfortable scenes of guys being caught in the act, including those moments in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Little Children and the most obvious masturbation movie, American Pie. 9. Léolo - Speaking of masturbating with food, not even pie-fucking beats the scene in this French-Canadian gem in which our young titular hero decides that his real father is a man who jerked off with a tomato, which later impregnated Léolo’s mother when she fell onto it. There are other less memorable masturbation scenes involving liver and chicken, too. Yum! 8. Spanking the Monkey - I always found the masturbation scenes in this movie so interesting because of how clean a “job” Ray Aibelli (Jeremy Davies) does with his personal business. I guess when you’re probably fantasizing about your mother, your mind is dirty enough, and so (seemingly) uncomfortably jacking off while sitting on a toilet is the best way to go. But couldn’t he just do it in the shower, like Kevin Spacey in American Beauty? I’m surprised that Sarris forgot about this one, since the title alone refers to the act. 7. The Squid and the Whale - If I have to select one movie involving a little kid masturbating (and writing this sentence has already got me feeling immensely ashamed), I pick this one over Todd Solondz’ Happiness (”I came!”), because while both scenes in question are quite disturbing, the one featuring the real-life son of Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates jerking off in a library and then wiping his hands off on some books is at least a little amusing. A lot amusing if you take into account his mother’s appearance in movie #10 above. And if you need another little kid masturbating movie to choose from (I’m not judging), Babel has one too. 6. But I’m a Cheerleader - That Natasha Lyonne sure loves to masturbate! is a quick response to the realization that she pleasures herself in both this film and the earlier Slums of Beverly Hills. The reason that this movie is the more significant of the two is because the masturbation scene is very tastefully done, and yet in its original form, it controversially garnered the film an NC-17 rating, only because, as argued in the documentary This Film is Not Yet Rated, it deals with both homosexual desire and female sexuality. The main evidence: American Pie was released in the same year with an R rating. 5. Mulholland Drive - A less beautiful yet no less exploitive depiction of female masturbation occurs in David Lynch’s enigmatic film. Despite the fact that guys tend to enjoy watching a girl pleasure herself, only the most sadistic of men could be turned on by Naomi Watts crying and painfully attempting to get off. 4. Bad Lieutenant - When I first heard about the scene in which Harvey Keitel’s corrupt cop masturbates in front of two teens in a car he pulls over, I thought it had to be the most debauched scene in film history. Of course, I was only 15 when it came out and wasn’t yet familiar with a lot of cinema. By the time I actually bothered to watch the scene many years later, it was less shocking than I expected. Still, as far as depraved things a character can do in a movie — at least in theory — it’s up there, and it’s certainly one of the first scenes that comes to mind when I think of movie masturbation. 3. Amarcord - Oh, right, here’s another movie with little kids masturbating. But it’s a Fellini movie, so obviously it’s incomparable to the three referenced earlier. Although an amusing scene, featuring a bunch of kids masturbating in unison in a car, it’s much less disturbing, as it simply displays the act as a part of growing up. 2. Being There - “I like to watch.” Hopefully you’ve seen this wonderful film, and that’s all I need to say. But just in case you’re not familiar, here’s the scene: Eve Rand (Shirley MacLaine) attempts to seduce the rather simple Chauncey Gardner (Peter Sellers), who responds by saying, “I like to watch.” Of course, he means the television, but Eve takes the statement to mean he wants to watch her pleasure herself. And so she proceeds to humiliate herself on the floor while Chauncey hilariously takes enjoys an exercise show on the TV. 1. Adaptation - Really, the whole movie is one big masturbation scene. There is a literal masturbation scene, though, in which Charlie (Nicolas Cage) fantasizes about Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep), and it’s pretty good on its own. But it takes the top spot for affirming that screenwriter Charlie Kauffman created the literary equivalent of beating off. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:01:40 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com8/1/2008 2:01:40 PM Andrew Sarris may be one of the most influential American film critics, but here’s a claim, located within his recent review of In Search of a Midnight Kiss, that may not hold up to some of his better-remembered theories: “Even when we confront 40-year-old virgins of either gender, movies refuse to show them compensating for the lack of a sexual partner. There is lasting shame involved in this spectacle.” Not to ever, ever profess superiority over Sarris, but I’ve nonetheless compiled today’s list as a way of proving the man wrong. There are actually tons and tons of masturbation scenes found in non-porn movies, from the low brow to the high brow, from as indirect as the boy wizard playing with his wand under the covers in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban to as direct as the non-simulated masturbation in Michael Winterbottom’s 9 Songs and John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus (which would probably feature my #1 pick, from the sound of it, if I ever bothered to see it). The following 10 films are some of the most memorable masturbation scenes, excluding any movies that might be considered examples of, in Sarris’ words, “the fringe exploitation genres” (I’ve even gone so far as to leave out mainstream horror like The Exorcist, considering it’s crucifix masturbation is far from the self-pleasuring moments Sarris is clearly interested in). Oh, and I’ve attempted to chart these films artistically from lowbrow to high. 10. Fast Times at Ridgemont High - Everybody remembers this scene because of the fantasy: Phoebe Cates emerges from a swimming pool in slow motion and removes her bikini top. And then Cates’ character walks in on the fantasizer, Judge Reinhold, for one of the most awkward moments in the history of awkward comedy. There’s been plenty of uncomfortable scenes of guys being caught in the act, including those moments in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Little Children and the most obvious masturbation movie, American Pie. 9. Léolo - Speaking of masturbating with food, not even pie-fucking beats the scene in this French-Canadian gem in which our young titular hero decides that his real father is a man who jerked off with a tomato, which later impregnated Léolo’s mother when she fell onto it. There are other less memorable masturbation scenes involving liver and chicken, too. Yum! 8. Spanking the Monkey - I always found the masturbation scenes in this movie so interesting because of how clean a “job” Ray Aibelli (Jeremy Davies) does with his personal business. I guess when you’re probably fantasizing about your mother, your mind is dirty enough, and so (seemingly) uncomfortably jacking off while sitting on a toilet is the best way to go. But couldn’t he just do it in the shower, like Kevin Spacey in American Beauty? I’m surprised that Sarris forgot about this one, since the title alone refers to the act. 7. The Squid and the Whale - If I have to select one movie involving a little kid masturbating (and writing this sentence has already got me feeling immensely ashamed), I pick this one over Todd Solondz’ Happiness (”I came!”), because while both scenes in question are quite disturbing, the one featuring the real-life son of Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates jerking off in a library and then wiping his hands off on some books is at least a little amusing. A lot amusing if you take into account his mother’s appearance in movie #10 above. And if you need another little kid masturbating movie to choose from (I’m not judging), Babel has one too. 6. But I’m a Cheerleader - That Natasha Lyonne sure loves to masturbate! is a quick response to the realization that she pleasures herself in both this film and the earlier Slums of Beverly Hills. The reason that this movie is the more significant of the two is because the masturbation scene is very tastefully done, and yet in its original form, it controversially garnered the film an NC-17 rating, only because, as argued in the documentary This Film is Not Yet Rated, it deals with both homosexual desire and female sexuality. The main evidence: American Pie was released in the same year with an R rating. 5. Mulholland Drive - A less beautiful yet no less exploitive depiction of female masturbation occurs in David Lynch’s enigmatic film. Despite the fact that guys tend to enjoy watching a girl pleasure herself, only the most sadistic of men could be turned on by Naomi Watts crying and painfully attempting to get off. 4. Bad Lieutenant - When I first heard about the scene in which Harvey Keitel’s corrupt cop masturbates in front of two teens in a car he pulls over, I thought it had to be the most debauched scene in film history. Of course, I was only 15 when it came out and wasn’t yet familiar with a lot of cinema. By the time I actually bothered to watch the scene many years later, it was less shocking than I expected. Still, as far as depraved things a character can do in a movie — at least in theory — it’s up there, and it’s certainly one of the first scenes that comes to mind when I think of movie masturbation. 3. Amarcord - Oh, right, here’s another movie with little kids masturbating. But it’s a Fellini movie, so obviously it’s incomparable to the three referenced earlier. Although an amusing scene, featuring a bunch of kids masturbating in unison in a car, it’s much less disturbing, as it simply displays the act as a part of growing up. 2. Being There - “I like to watch.” Hopefully you’ve seen this wonderful film, and that’s all I need to say. But just in case you’re not familiar, here’s the scene: Eve Rand (Shirley MacLaine) attempts to seduce the rather simple Chauncey Gardner (Peter Sellers), who responds by saying, “I like to watch.” Of course, he means the television, but Eve takes the statement to mean he wants to watch her pleasure herself. And so she proceeds to humiliate herself on the floor while Chauncey hilariously takes enjoys an exercise show on the TV. 1. Adaptation - Really, the whole movie is one big masturbation scene. There is a literal masturbation scene, though, in which Charlie (Nicolas Cage) fantasizes about Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep), and it’s pretty good on its own. But it takes the top spot for affirming that screenwriter Charlie Kauffman created the literary equivalent of beating off. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/6/4/30500.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 6/4/2008 4:00:49 PM
Body: Over at the AMC blog SciFi Scanner, there’s a post about the accuracy of Jason Bourne’s condition in the Bourne movies. At the World Science Festival, held last weekend in NYC, there was a panel titled The Brain and Bourne: Neuroscience in the Bourne Trilogy that featured Bourne Identity director Doug Liman and psychiatrist and neuroscientist Giulio Tononi. And according to Tononi, the sort of amnesia that Bourne suffers from, which includes the ability to retain certain skills despite an overall loss of memory, is rare but does exist. Interesting, but does it really matter? Nobody making the Bourne movies seems to have known its accuracy, and they probably didn’t care. And neither do most moviegoers. Amnesia is simply a good plot device for movies, and oftentimes they’re more about something else than the condition, accurate or not. So, here’s a list of some of my favorite movies with amnesia at its forefront, plus the respective reasons for my not caring if they are realistic or not. The Bourne Identity (plus The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum) - Because I’m not rating these in order, I’ll begin with the one already mentioned. Jason Bourne’s amnesia is, of course, a good excuse for a thrilling story, but to me it’s also a metaphor for U.S. intelligence post-Cold War and certainly post-9/11, showing us how, despite efforts to forget or disconnect from foreign policy decisions and/or controversial operations of the past, certain things, people, relationships (etc.) may come back to bite us on the ass. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - I’m pretty sure that Tononi couldn’t find accuracy in the forced-amnesia process featured in this admittedly fantastical film, and again it wouldn’t matter if he could. The idea of surgically eliminating specific memories is representative of our more general attempts to immediately forget an unsuccessful romantic relationship and the eventual difficulty of trying to recall good times associated with a past love we’re no longer with. Memento - Here’s a film that supposedly is, like the Bourne trilogy, fairly accurate. But as a device, the amnesia is so much more interesting than as a real condition. I’ve read that it’s a metaphor for “forgetting everything we hold dear when humans embark on a quest and want to succeed at any cost,” and that (courtesy of Simon Cowell) it’s a metaphor for America’s attention span. I’m undecided on which of these I prefer, or if I’d even go with another (there’s surely more ideas out there), but the point is that it doesn’t just have to be about a guy with anterograde amnesia. Overboard - While on the surface it’s an innocent comedy about a single father who takes advantage of an amnesiac woman of wealth. But it can also be read as a male fantasy in which the feminist movement is forgotten and women return to the pleasures of homemaking … even after they regain their memory. For a sort of reverse of this plot, see Desperately Seeking Susan, in which a housewife loses her memory only to become her fantasy: the liberated, sexually independent woman (as perfectly portrayed by Madonna). Amateur - Not the first and probably not the best example, but a personal favorite movie dealing with the bad man who’s turned good through amnesia. It’s a more abstract tale of identity reinvention than others, and Roger Ebert said it best in his review that it’s a movie in which the idea of the plot is more interesting than the plot itself. Most of the film’s characters are attempting to drastically change their lives, but unfortunately not everyone can have the fortune of suffering an amnesia-inducing blow to the head. Other favorites include Spellbound, The Muppets Take Manhattan and Total Recall. Certainly I’m excluding a good number of amnesia films, most of which I’ve likely never seen (or, appropriately, I’ve forgotten about them). For a much more comprehensive examination of amnesia at the movies, check out this article written by clinical neuropsychologist Sallie Baxendale. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:00:49 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com6/4/2008 4:00:49 PM Over at the AMC blog SciFi Scanner, there’s a post about the accuracy of Jason Bourne’s condition in the Bourne movies. At the World Science Festival, held last weekend in NYC, there was a panel titled The Brain and Bourne: Neuroscience in the Bourne Trilogy that featured Bourne Identity director Doug Liman and psychiatrist and neuroscientist Giulio Tononi. And according to Tononi, the sort of amnesia that Bourne suffers from, which includes the ability to retain certain skills despite an overall loss of memory, is rare but does exist. Interesting, but does it really matter? Nobody making the Bourne movies seems to have known its accuracy, and they probably didn’t care. And neither do most moviegoers. Amnesia is simply a good plot device for movies, and oftentimes they’re more about something else than the condition, accurate or not. So, here’s a list of some of my favorite movies with amnesia at its forefront, plus the respective reasons for my not caring if they are realistic or not. The Bourne Identity (plus The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum) - Because I’m not rating these in order, I’ll begin with the one already mentioned. Jason Bourne’s amnesia is, of course, a good excuse for a thrilling story, but to me it’s also a metaphor for U.S. intelligence post-Cold War and certainly post-9/11, showing us how, despite efforts to forget or disconnect from foreign policy decisions and/or controversial operations of the past, certain things, people, relationships (etc.) may come back to bite us on the ass. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - I’m pretty sure that Tononi couldn’t find accuracy in the forced-amnesia process featured in this admittedly fantastical film, and again it wouldn’t matter if he could. The idea of surgically eliminating specific memories is representative of our more general attempts to immediately forget an unsuccessful romantic relationship and the eventual difficulty of trying to recall good times associated with a past love we’re no longer with. Memento - Here’s a film that supposedly is, like the Bourne trilogy, fairly accurate. But as a device, the amnesia is so much more interesting than as a real condition. I’ve read that it’s a metaphor for “forgetting everything we hold dear when humans embark on a quest and want to succeed at any cost,” and that (courtesy of Simon Cowell) it’s a metaphor for America’s attention span. I’m undecided on which of these I prefer, or if I’d even go with another (there’s surely more ideas out there), but the point is that it doesn’t just have to be about a guy with anterograde amnesia. Overboard - While on the surface it’s an innocent comedy about a single father who takes advantage of an amnesiac woman of wealth. But it can also be read as a male fantasy in which the feminist movement is forgotten and women return to the pleasures of homemaking … even after they regain their memory. For a sort of reverse of this plot, see Desperately Seeking Susan, in which a housewife loses her memory only to become her fantasy: the liberated, sexually independent woman (as perfectly portrayed by Madonna). Amateur - Not the first and probably not the best example, but a personal favorite movie dealing with the bad man who’s turned good through amnesia. It’s a more abstract tale of identity reinvention than others, and Roger Ebert said it best in his review that it’s a movie in which the idea of the plot is more interesting than the plot itself. Most of the film’s characters are attempting to drastically change their lives, but unfortunately not everyone can have the fortune of suffering an amnesia-inducing blow to the head. Other favorites include Spellbound, The Muppets Take Manhattan and Total Recall. Certainly I’m excluding a good number of amnesia films, most of which I’ve likely never seen (or, appropriately, I’ve forgotten about them). For a much more comprehensive examination of amnesia at the movies, check out this article written by clinical neuropsychologist Sallie Baxendale. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/karina/archive/2008/5/6/28242.aspx Post By: Karina
Post To: Karina on SpoutBlog
Post Date: 5/6/2008 1:01:29 PM
Body: Michel Gondry has won the Webby Film and Video Award for Person of the Year, for inventing the concept of Sweding, which took the internet by storm for seven minutes in February. Yay for him! Because I don’t care about Sweding at all, let’s use this as an excuse to watch 10 minutes of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind! Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth
]]>Tue, 06 May 2008 17:01:29 GMTKarinaKarina on SpoutBlog5/6/2008 1:01:29 PM Michel Gondry has won the Webby Film and Video Award for Person of the Year, for inventing the concept of Sweding, which took the internet by storm for seven minutes in February. Yay for him! Because I don’t care about Sweding at all, let’s use this as an excuse to watch 10 minutes of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind! Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspxlove
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