list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Alice in Wonderland 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/Alice_in_Wonderland/842/default.aspx Title: Alice in Wonderland
Year: 1999
Director: Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Wilfred Jackson
Plot: This Disney feature-length cartoon combines the most entertaining elements of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Chasing after the White Rabbit, who runs into view singing "I'm Late! I'm Late!," Alice falls down the rabbit hole into the topsy-turvy alternate world of Wonderland. She grows and shrinks after following the instructions of a haughty caterpillar, attends a "Very Merry Unbirthday" party in the garden of the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, stands in awe as the Cheshire Cat spouts philosophy, listens in rapt attention as Tweedledum and Tweedledee relate the story of the Walrus and the Carpenter (a sequence usually cut when Alice is shown on TV), and closes out her day with a hectic croquet game at the home of the Red Queen. The music and production design of Alice in Wonderland is marvelous, but the film is too much of a good thing, much too frantic to do full honor to the whimsical Carroll original, and far too episodic to hang together as a unified feature film. One tactical error is having Alice weep at mid-point, declaring her wish to go home: This is Alice in Wonderland, Walt, not Wizard of Oz! Its storytelling shortcomings aside, Alice in Wonderland is superior family entertainment (never mind the efforts in the 1970s to palm off the picture as a psychedelic "head" film). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 161
Number of Lists: 74
Number of blog posts: 1
Number of discussion threads: 11
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:29:56 GMTAlice in Wonderland1999Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Wilfred JacksonThis Disney feature-length cartoon combines the most entertaining elements of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Chasing after the White Rabbit, who runs into view singing "I'm Late! I'm Late!," Alice falls down the rabbit hole into the topsy-turvy alternate world of Wonderland. She grows and shrinks after following the instructions of a haughty caterpillar, attends a "Very Merry Unbirthday" party in the garden of the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, stands in awe as the Cheshire Cat spouts philosophy, listens in rapt attention as Tweedledum and Tweedledee relate the story of the Walrus and the Carpenter (a sequence usually cut when <I>Alice</I> is shown on TV), and closes out her day with a hectic croquet game at the home of the Red Queen. The music and production design of Alice in Wonderland is marvelous, but the film is too much of a good thing, much too frantic to do full honor to the whimsical Carroll original, and far too episodic to hang together as a unified feature film. One tactical error is having Alice weep at mid-point, declaring her wish to go home: This is Alice in Wonderland, Walt, not <a href=/films/38694/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Wizard of Oz</a>! Its storytelling shortcomings aside, Alice in Wonderland is superior family entertainment (never mind the efforts in the 1970s to palm off the picture as a psychedelic "head" film). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide161Tag Target (>10)741113http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t37139snqug.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Alice_in_Wonderland/842/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_August_17_Death_Row/625/43612/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 8/18/2009 3:29:56 PM
Body: The Night of the Hunter - Not really about an execution, but the film centers around some money that the cellmate of a death row inmate overhears and takes upon himself to find upon his release. Sin City - The film that brought back Mickey Rourke from mediocrity. Not to give anything away but his character Marv was one fucking badass that just wouldn't die peacefully. Capote & Infamous - Both good films about the murders that took place in Truman Capote's In Cold Blood and the subsequent executions of the murderers. Elizabeth - The first act of the film centers on whether Elizabeth is going to be executed or become queen. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer - I believe the latter part of the film centered around an execution but all I remember is the bizarre orgy. Need to watch it again. Marie Antoinette - The one thing that got a lot of people mad about this film was the lack of any depiction of her execution. The Messenger - Again, doesn't get to the actual act, but nonetheless. Alice in Wonderland - OFF WITH HER HEAD! Salo - Kinda sorta fits the theme. A bunch of young girls and boys are kidnapped from the countryside and ritualistically tortured and executed. Worth checking out if you feel like vomiting. Dancer in the Dark - I love von Trier and Bjork but not so much together in this film. Definitely on my re-watch list. Starship Troopers - There is a particularly hilarious scene in the film where a murderers execution is going to be aired on live television.
]]>Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:29:56 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme8/18/2009 3:29:56 PM The Night of the Hunter - Not really about an execution, but the film centers around some money that the cellmate of a death row inmate overhears and takes upon himself to find upon his release. Sin City - The film that brought back Mickey Rourke from mediocrity. Not to give anything away but his character Marv was one fucking badass that just wouldn't die peacefully. Capote &amp; Infamous - Both good films about the murders that took place in Truman Capote's In Cold Blood and the subsequent executions of the murderers. Elizabeth - The first act of the film centers on whether Elizabeth is going to be executed or become queen. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer - I believe the latter part of the film centered around an execution but all I remember is the bizarre orgy. Need to watch it again. Marie Antoinette - The one thing that got a lot of people mad about this film was the lack of any depiction of her execution. The Messenger - Again, doesn't get to the actual act, but nonetheless. Alice in Wonderland - OFF WITH HER HEAD! Salo - Kinda sorta fits the theme. A bunch of young girls and boys are kidnapped from the countryside and ritualistically tortured and executed. Worth checking out if you feel like vomiting. Dancer in the Dark - I love von Trier and Bjork but not so much together in this film. Definitely on my re-watch list. Starship Troopers - There is a particularly hilarious scene in the film where a murderers execution is going to be aired on live television. http://www.spout.com/groups/The_Imagination_of_Fantasy/Re_The_Best_Fantasy/47/38868/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: pippin06
Post To: The Imagination of Fantasy
Post Date: 12/26/2008 9:31:00 PM
Body: [quote user="Risselada"] I had to check your list to see how broadly you classified a movie as being fantasy. I see you put Groundhog Day on there which really doesn't have a lot of fantastical elements other than one basic anomaly that causes him to keep reliving the same day over and over. Other than that, each day is actually pretty normal without any magic or strange creatures or fantastical geography. So it's kind of hard for me to determine in my mind which movies that have some fantastical element are fantastic enough to be considered "fantasy" Here are a few good ones though: Ugetsu Monogatari - although ghosts aren't that uncommon in East Asian storytelling. I think more people have historically considered them a part of reality more than in the west. The Devil and Daniel Webster - again, how real this is may depend on your belief in the spritual world, but mostly it's an alegory. Groundhog Day / It's a Wonderful Life - Groundhog Day is a great movie, and if we are going to include that, I think we should inclued It's a Wonderful Life too. The Seventh Seal - I guess it looks like most of my absolute favorites feature spiritual or ghostly elements. Here we have Death personified. Star Wars - the whole first trilogy of course! No Such Thing - kind of an exploration of fantasy and monsters and why the human race needs or no longer needs these characters Who Framed Roger Rabbit All of Miyazaki's movies Stalker - Stunning! Sleepy Hollow / Beetlejuice - some of my favorite Tim Burton fantasy Shoot, I'm going over 10. Let me list a couple more: Alice in Wonderland, The Sword in the Stone, Pete's Dragon, The Green Mile, Time Bandits, Hellboy, The Thief of Bagdad [/quote] Ah, but see in our Fantasy group, it's not all about dragons and magic and elves and unicorns and things. If you'll notice, the other lists include topics like "What If?" movies because, basically, if you're imagining an answer to a "what if?" that could take on many shapes and sizes, you're engaging in fantasy. Case in point: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, just released, imagines a what if scenario asking the question "what if a person is born old and grows young?" Maybe that's too obvious, though. Groundhog Day imagines, "What if you were stuck in the same day over and over again, what would happen or what would you do." Similarly, It's a Wonderful Life imagines, "What if you were never born?" Those are all questions that involve flights of imagination, and fantasy. Note dictionary.com's uber-available definition (noun form only): fan⋅ta⋅sy   /ˈfæntəsi, -zi/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [fan-tuh-see, -zee] Show IPA Pronunciation noun, plural -sies, verb, -sied, -sy⋅ing. –noun 1. imagination, esp. when extravagant and unrestrained. 2. the forming of mental images, esp. wondrous or strange fancies; imaginative conceptualizing. 3. a mental image, esp. when unreal or fantastic; vision: a nightmare fantasy. 4. Psychology. an imagined or conjured up sequence fulfilling a psychological need; daydream. 5. a hallucination. 6. a supposition based on no solid foundation; visionary idea; illusion: dreams of Utopias and similar fantasies. 7. caprice; whim. 8. an ingenious or fanciful thought, design, or invention. 9. Also, fantasia. Literature. an imaginative or fanciful work, esp. one dealing with supernatural or unnatural events or characters: The stories of Poe are fantasies of horror. Besides, the AFI validates Groundhog Day and It's a Wonderful Life on these fronts, if you have any truck with them: http://www.afi.com/10top10/fantasy.html So, yes, this is a long-winded way of saying let's include them, we like it all here, but you did go over 10. Can you limit your list and pick the absolute 10 best fantasy films from your nominations? I know it'll be a challenge, but I'm going to hold myself to that too! If you can't, that's ok, but there's a method to the madness...:-)
]]>Sat, 27 Dec 2008 02:31:00 GMTpippin06The Imagination of Fantasy12/26/2008 9:31:00 PM[quote user="Risselada"] I had to check your list to see how broadly you classified a movie as being fantasy. I see you put Groundhog Day on there which really doesn't have a lot of fantastical elements other than one basic anomaly that causes him to keep reliving the same day over and over. Other than that, each day is actually pretty normal without any magic or strange creatures or fantastical geography. So it's kind of hard for me to determine in my mind which movies that have some fantastical element are fantastic enough to be considered "fantasy" Here are a few good ones though: Ugetsu Monogatari - although ghosts aren't that uncommon in East Asian storytelling. I think more people have historically considered them a part of reality more than in the west. The Devil and Daniel Webster - again, how real this is may depend on your belief in the spritual world, but mostly it's an alegory. Groundhog Day / It's a Wonderful Life - Groundhog Day is a great movie, and if we are going to include that, I think we should inclued It's a Wonderful Life too. The Seventh Seal - I guess it looks like most of my absolute favorites feature spiritual or ghostly elements. Here we have Death personified. Star Wars - the whole first trilogy of course! No Such Thing - kind of an exploration of fantasy and monsters and why the human race needs or no longer needs these characters Who Framed Roger Rabbit All of Miyazaki's movies Stalker - Stunning! Sleepy Hollow / Beetlejuice - some of my favorite Tim Burton fantasy Shoot, I'm going over 10. Let me list a couple more: Alice in Wonderland, The Sword in the Stone, Pete's Dragon, The Green Mile, Time Bandits, Hellboy, The Thief of Bagdad [/quote] Ah, but see in our Fantasy group, it's not all about dragons and magic and elves and unicorns and things. If you'll notice, the other lists include topics like "What If?" movies because, basically, if you're imagining an answer to a "what if?" that could take on many shapes and sizes, you're engaging in fantasy. Case in point: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, just released, imagines a what if scenario asking the question "what if a person is born old and grows young?" Maybe that's too obvious, though. Groundhog Day imagines, "What if you were stuck in the same day over and over again, what would happen or what would you do." Similarly, It's a Wonderful Life imagines, "What if you were never born?" Those are all questions that involve flights of imagination, and fantasy. Note dictionary.com's uber-available definition (noun form only): fan&sdot;ta&sdot;sy&ensp; &ensp;/ˈf&aelig;ntəsi, -zi/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [fan-tuh-see, -zee] Show IPA Pronunciation noun, plural -sies, verb, -sied, -sy&sdot;ing. &ndash;noun 1. imagination, esp. when extravagant and unrestrained. 2. the forming of mental images, esp. wondrous or strange fancies; imaginative conceptualizing. 3. a mental image, esp. when unreal or fantastic; vision: a nightmare fantasy. 4. Psychology. an imagined or conjured up sequence fulfilling a psychological need; daydream. 5. a hallucination. 6. a supposition based on no solid foundation; visionary idea; illusion: dreams of Utopias and similar fantasies. 7. caprice; whim. 8. an ingenious or fanciful thought, design, or invention. 9. Also, fantasia. Literature. an imaginative or fanciful work, esp. one dealing with supernatural or unnatural events or characters: The stories of Poe are fantasies of horror. Besides, the AFI validates Groundhog Day and It's a Wonderful Life on these fronts, if you have any truck with them: http://www.afi.com/10top10/fantasy.html So, yes, this is a long-winded way of saying let's include them, we like it all here, but you did go over 10. Can you limit your list and pick the absolute 10 best fantasy films from your nominations? I know it'll be a challenge, but I'm going to hold myself to that too! If you can't, that's ok, but there's a method to the madness...:-) http://www.spout.com/groups/The_Imagination_of_Fantasy/Re_The_Best_Fantasy/47/38814/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: The Imagination of Fantasy
Post Date: 12/24/2008 1:01:46 PM
Body: [quote user="pippin06"] Hi fantasy lovers! You may have noticed if you joined the group that there is a list, currently locked, called "The Best Fantasy." I created that list when I created the group, mostly because it was an excuse for a list I could create, but most of the entries are what I think are the best. I locked it because I realized - I think we need a compiled list from the membership. Something a la some of these other groups I belong to...something like a poll, or a Top 5, or a list of collaborative recommendations (and credit to all from whom I am, uh, tweaking the idea). Therefore, it's time for you to weigh in! Pick your favorite fantasy movies. No fewer than one, no more than ten. Tell us why you think they are the best! With enough responses, we can compile our very own Best Fantasy list, and then, perhaps, we can Spout it for all of Spout to hear! Mwa ha! After all, who better to make this list than us? I'll let you get the ball rolling, since I already made that list...give us a start. I'll contribute my faves asap! [/quote] I had to check your list to see how broadly you classified a movie as being fantasy. I see you put Groundhog Day on there which really doesn't have a lot of fantastical elements other than one basic anomaly that causes him to keep reliving the same day over and over. Other than that, each day is actually pretty normal without any magic or strange creatures or fantastical geography. So it's kind of hard for me to determine in my mind which movies that have some fantastical element are fantastic enough to be considered "fantasy" Here are a few good ones though: Ugetsu Monogatari - although ghosts aren't that uncommon in East Asian storytelling. I think more people have historically considered them a part of reality more than in the west. The Devil and Daniel Webster - again, how real this is may depend on your belief in the spritual world, but mostly it's an alegory. Groundhog Day / It's a Wonderful Life - Groundhog Day is a great movie, and if we are going to include that, I think we should inclued It's a Wonderful Life too. The Seventh Seal - I guess it looks like most of my absolute favorites feature spiritual or ghostly elements. Here we have Death personified. Star Wars - the whole first trilogy of course! No Such Thing - kind of an exploration of fantasy and monsters and why the human race needs or no longer needs these characters Who Framed Roger Rabbit All of Miyazaki's movies Stalker - Stunning! Sleepy Hollow / Beetlejuice - some of my favorite Tim Burton fantasy Shoot, I'm going over 10. Let me list a couple more: Alice in Wonderland, The Sword in the Stone, Pete's Dragon, The Green Mile, Time Bandits, Hellboy, The Thief of Bagdad
]]>Wed, 24 Dec 2008 18:01:46 GMTRisseladaThe Imagination of Fantasy12/24/2008 1:01:46 PM[quote user="pippin06"] Hi fantasy lovers! You may have noticed if you joined the group that there is a list, currently locked, called "The Best Fantasy." I created that list when I created the group, mostly because it was an excuse for a list I could create, but most of the entries are what I think are the best. I locked it because I realized - I think we need a compiled list from the membership. Something a la some of these other groups I belong to...something like a poll, or a Top 5, or a list of collaborative recommendations (and credit to all from whom I am, uh, tweaking the idea). Therefore, it's time for you to weigh in! Pick your favorite fantasy movies. No fewer than one, no more than ten. Tell us why you think they are the best! With enough responses, we can compile our very own Best Fantasy list, and then, perhaps, we can Spout it for all of Spout to hear! Mwa ha! After all, who better to make this list than us? I'll let you get the ball rolling, since I already made that list...give us a start. I'll contribute my faves asap! [/quote] I had to check your list to see how broadly you classified a movie as being fantasy. I see you put Groundhog Day on there which really doesn't have a lot of fantastical elements other than one basic anomaly that causes him to keep reliving the same day over and over. Other than that, each day is actually pretty normal without any magic or strange creatures or fantastical geography. So it's kind of hard for me to determine in my mind which movies that have some fantastical element are fantastic enough to be considered "fantasy" Here are a few good ones though: Ugetsu Monogatari - although ghosts aren't that uncommon in East Asian storytelling. I think more people have historically considered them a part of reality more than in the west. The Devil and Daniel Webster - again, how real this is may depend on your belief in the spritual world, but mostly it's an alegory. Groundhog Day / It's a Wonderful Life - Groundhog Day is a great movie, and if we are going to include that, I think we should inclued It's a Wonderful Life too. The Seventh Seal - I guess it looks like most of my absolute favorites feature spiritual or ghostly elements. Here we have Death personified. Star Wars - the whole first trilogy of course! No Such Thing - kind of an exploration of fantasy and monsters and why the human race needs or no longer needs these characters Who Framed Roger Rabbit All of Miyazaki's movies Stalker - Stunning! Sleepy Hollow / Beetlejuice - some of my favorite Tim Burton fantasy Shoot, I'm going over 10. Let me list a couple more: Alice in Wonderland, The Sword in the Stone, Pete's Dragon, The Green Mile, Time Bandits, Hellboy, The Thief of Bagdad http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Re_MADAGASCAR_2_Giveaway_Win_a_prize_pack_or_mo/563/37330/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Spout-Contests
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 11/14/2008 5:33:22 PM
Body: Congrats to Mercurial, the fifth and final winner of a Madagascar 2 prize pack! We've also selected winners of the soundtrack & poster. You know who you are--you received a message from Spout-Contests by 6:00 pm EST (11/14). Here's Mercurial's list: Top 3 Talking Animal Movies (Live Action, Animation & Both): 1.) Babe - Insanely emotional film for everyone. Who doesn't love a talking piglet? 2.) Alice In Wonderland - The White Rabbit, the Dormouse and Flamingoes are my personal favorites. 3.) Who Framed Roger Rabbit? - Was Jessica Rabbit really a rabbit? Where did she hide her tail? Runner's Up: James And The Giant Peach, Robin Hood & Aladdin Thanks to everyone for participating, and we wish you luck with our other giveaways!
]]>Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:33:22 GMTSpout-ContestsFilmgaming11/14/2008 5:33:22 PMCongrats to Mercurial, the fifth and final winner of a Madagascar 2 prize pack! We've also selected winners of the soundtrack &amp; poster. You know who you are--you received a message from Spout-Contests by 6:00 pm EST (11/14). Here's Mercurial's list: Top 3 Talking Animal Movies (Live Action, Animation &amp; Both): 1.) Babe - Insanely emotional film for everyone. Who doesn't love a talking piglet? 2.) Alice In Wonderland - The White Rabbit, the Dormouse and Flamingoes are my personal favorites. 3.) Who Framed Roger Rabbit? - Was Jessica Rabbit really a rabbit? Where did she hide her tail? Runner's Up: James And The Giant Peach, Robin Hood &amp; Aladdin Thanks to everyone for participating, and we wish you luck with our other giveaways! http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/11/13/37289.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 11/13/2008 5:00:46 PM
Body: Danny Boyle’s new crowd-pleasing film Slumdog Millionaire was originally intended to be shot entirely in English, but apparently due to the preferences of a casting director, about a third of the movie is in Hindi. While this fraction may not be enough to call it a foreign-language film, it could have been enough to turn off subtitle-fearing audiences were the movie not so otherwise accessible due to its feel-good, “Hollywood-style” story involving star-crossed romance, destiny and an ultimate “love conquers all” message. Also, the movie breaks free from one off-putting foreign film tradition by following Man on Fire, Night Watch and TV’s Heroes into the realm of non-traditional subtitling. Slumdog received a standing ovation at the Toronto Film Festival, where it won the People’s Choice Award, and it could very well extend its popularity in the direction of the multiplex crowd. If it’s a hit with moviegoers who aren’t typically open to world cinema, this could be the chance for similarly feel-good foreign films to cross over and reach a wider audience, whether they be upcoming releases like the Sundance-winning Captain Abu Raed or titles from the past that could always use more Netflix-queue love. And so, in the hopes that Slumdog could help open the door to further foreign film consumption, SpoutBlog presents this guide to the most accessible world cinema titles from the past ten years. For every entry-level film on the list, we name a couple of more intermediate titled in the same vein — just in case you get hooked. Amelie Spout.com user leeroy711 recently referred to this imaginative French film as the foreign-language cinema’s “gateway drug.” And it’s certainly true that its fanciful romantic story and colorful tone have won the favor of many a young adult not previously accustomed to European cinema. Never mind that it makes stalking seem a little too precious and innocent — the film’s whimsical title character (played delightfully by Audrey Tautou), full of good intentions and lots of heart, will have you wishing you had such a thoughtful and inventive pursuer. Also worth checking out: A Very Long Engagement; Love Me If You Dare The Chorus Hollywood sometimes seems to have cornered the market on movies about inspirational teachers, especially those involving music instruction. But this French film proves that foreign films can have similarly motivational stories about great educators and their newly encouraged students. Also worth checking out: Small Voices; Monsieur Ibrahim City of God This Brazilian film set in the favelas of Rio can be quite violent, enough to have been compared to gangster films like Goodfellas (though Goodfellas doesn’t have any little kids being shot in the foot). But at its center is the uplifting tale of a boy who makes it out of the slums in order to become a successful writer. Also worth checking out: City of Men (both the TV series and the feature film) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Martial arts cinema has long been an accessible genre to a large enough portion of Americans, but this film, which became the top grossing foreign-language title in the U.S. (not counting The Passion of the Christ), has managed to acquire fans that don’t normally go for kung fu and wuxia. The main attraction that makes this title more appealing than most is likely its production value, which with its beautiful cinematography and well-crafted special effects allows it to compare to romantic epics out of Hollywood. Also worth checking out: Hero; House of Flying Daggers Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India The running time of 3 hrs. 43 min. probably seems like a deterrent, but this Bollywood film really does feel a lot shorter than it is. Really. And anyway its compelling story of an underdog cricket team is familiar enough that you don’t have to pay too much attention if you don’t have the time — though it will be difficult to let your attention stray except for during some of the less-adequately translated musical numbers that aren’t so significant or relatable to most Western viewers. Just think of this film as your typical Hollywood sports movie, except instead of the final game being quickly highlighted in the last 30 minutes, it’s seemingly depicted in its entirety for more than an hour. And yes, the ending is a crowd-pleaser. Also worth checking out: The Cup; Monsoon Wedding Life is Beautiful This Oscar-winning film is so feel-good that it comes close to overkill. In fact, a decade after its release, it’s easy to forget just how entertaining it is. Just as we’re more likely to remember the stomach ache after gorging ourselves with delicious sweets or the hangover that follows a great night of drinking, moviegoers often recall only the obnoxiousness that came with an overexposed and over-awarded Roberto Benigni. But don’t let the cynics keep you from enjoying such a heartwarming and inspiriting tale of a “real life Prince Charming.” Also worth checking out: I Served the King of England The Motorcycle Diaries Hollywood could actually take a cue from this film the next time it wants to make one of those prequels detailing the life of an iconic villain (ex: Hannibal Rising), at least if it wants audiences to like the guy enough to forget he grows up to be a murderous rebel. Whether or not you like who and what Ernesto Guevara becomes in the years after The Motorcycle Diaries takes place, you’ll have no trouble falling for his younger self as he ditches his privileged life and devotes himself to a colony of lepers. Also worth checking out: Downfall Pan’s Labyrinth In the tradition of such dark yet magical stories as Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz, a little girl encounters strange creatures and kind of winds up a princess. It’s ultimately a very sad and depressing film, but the ending at least pretends to be happy, enough that you might think your eyes are watering with tears of joy. Also worth checking out: City of Lost Children Run Lola Run It’s extremely fast-paced, a little bit MTV, a little bit video game, and it features a character you really want to root for, especially because she’s narratively allotted a few do-overs in order to make things right. And mainstream moviegoers love stories of both chance and second chances. Roger Ebert also noted in his review that it’s the kind of film that could play in a sports bar, so perhaps it’s even more of a gateway foreign film for sports fans than Lagaan. Also worth checking out: The Princess and the Warrior; Amores perros Tsotsi Like City of God, this film involves a crime-ridden ghetto, but it’s even more accessible than that film despite its lack of inspiring upward mobility. It could probably appeal most to fans of American “urban” gangster films, but any mainstream moviegoer should enjoy the conventional plot involving a thug who accidentally kidnaps a baby and then changes morally as a result. Also worth checking out: Kolya; Central Station Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:00:46 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com11/13/2008 5:00:46 PMDanny Boyle’s new crowd-pleasing film Slumdog Millionaire was originally intended to be shot entirely in English, but apparently due to the preferences of a casting director, about a third of the movie is in Hindi. While this fraction may not be enough to call it a foreign-language film, it could have been enough to turn off subtitle-fearing audiences were the movie not so otherwise accessible due to its feel-good, “Hollywood-style” story involving star-crossed romance, destiny and an ultimate “love conquers all” message. Also, the movie breaks free from one off-putting foreign film tradition by following Man on Fire, Night Watch and TV’s Heroes into the realm of non-traditional subtitling. Slumdog received a standing ovation at the Toronto Film Festival, where it won the People’s Choice Award, and it could very well extend its popularity in the direction of the multiplex crowd. If it’s a hit with moviegoers who aren’t typically open to world cinema, this could be the chance for similarly feel-good foreign films to cross over and reach a wider audience, whether they be upcoming releases like the Sundance-winning Captain Abu Raed or titles from the past that could always use more Netflix-queue love. And so, in the hopes that Slumdog could help open the door to further foreign film consumption, SpoutBlog presents this guide to the most accessible world cinema titles from the past ten years. For every entry-level film on the list, we name a couple of more intermediate titled in the same vein — just in case you get hooked. Amelie Spout.com user leeroy711 recently referred to this imaginative French film as the foreign-language cinema’s “gateway drug.” And it’s certainly true that its fanciful romantic story and colorful tone have won the favor of many a young adult not previously accustomed to European cinema. Never mind that it makes stalking seem a little too precious and innocent — the film’s whimsical title character (played delightfully by Audrey Tautou), full of good intentions and lots of heart, will have you wishing you had such a thoughtful and inventive pursuer. Also worth checking out: A Very Long Engagement; Love Me If You Dare The Chorus Hollywood sometimes seems to have cornered the market on movies about inspirational teachers, especially those involving music instruction. But this French film proves that foreign films can have similarly motivational stories about great educators and their newly encouraged students. Also worth checking out: Small Voices; Monsieur Ibrahim City of God This Brazilian film set in the favelas of Rio can be quite violent, enough to have been compared to gangster films like Goodfellas (though Goodfellas doesn’t have any little kids being shot in the foot). But at its center is the uplifting tale of a boy who makes it out of the slums in order to become a successful writer. Also worth checking out: City of Men (both the TV series and the feature film) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Martial arts cinema has long been an accessible genre to a large enough portion of Americans, but this film, which became the top grossing foreign-language title in the U.S. (not counting The Passion of the Christ), has managed to acquire fans that don’t normally go for kung fu and wuxia. The main attraction that makes this title more appealing than most is likely its production value, which with its beautiful cinematography and well-crafted special effects allows it to compare to romantic epics out of Hollywood. Also worth checking out: Hero; House of Flying Daggers Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India The running time of 3 hrs. 43 min. probably seems like a deterrent, but this Bollywood film really does feel a lot shorter than it is. Really. And anyway its compelling story of an underdog cricket team is familiar enough that you don’t have to pay too much attention if you don’t have the time — though it will be difficult to let your attention stray except for during some of the less-adequately translated musical numbers that aren’t so significant or relatable to most Western viewers. Just think of this film as your typical Hollywood sports movie, except instead of the final game being quickly highlighted in the last 30 minutes, it’s seemingly depicted in its entirety for more than an hour. And yes, the ending is a crowd-pleaser. Also worth checking out: The Cup; Monsoon Wedding Life is Beautiful This Oscar-winning film is so feel-good that it comes close to overkill. In fact, a decade after its release, it’s easy to forget just how entertaining it is. Just as we’re more likely to remember the stomach ache after gorging ourselves with delicious sweets or the hangover that follows a great night of drinking, moviegoers often recall only the obnoxiousness that came with an overexposed and over-awarded Roberto Benigni. But don’t let the cynics keep you from enjoying such a heartwarming and inspiriting tale of a “real life Prince Charming.” Also worth checking out: I Served the King of England The Motorcycle Diaries Hollywood could actually take a cue from this film the next time it wants to make one of those prequels detailing the life of an iconic villain (ex: Hannibal Rising), at least if it wants audiences to like the guy enough to forget he grows up to be a murderous rebel. Whether or not you like who and what Ernesto Guevara becomes in the years after The Motorcycle Diaries takes place, you’ll have no trouble falling for his younger self as he ditches his privileged life and devotes himself to a colony of lepers. Also worth checking out: Downfall Pan’s Labyrinth In the tradition of such dark yet magical stories as Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz, a little girl encounters strange creatures and kind of winds up a princess. It’s ultimately a very sad and depressing film, but the ending at least pretends to be happy, enough that you might think your eyes are watering with tears of joy. Also worth checking out: City of Lost Children Run Lola Run It’s extremely fast-paced, a little bit MTV, a little bit video game, and it features a character you really want to root for, especially because she’s narratively allotted a few do-overs in order to make things right. And mainstream moviegoers love stories of both chance and second chances. Roger Ebert also noted in his review that it’s the kind of film that could play in a sports bar, so perhaps it’s even more of a gateway foreign film for sports fans than Lagaan. Also worth checking out: The Princess and the Warrior; Amores perros Tsotsi Like City of God, this film involves a crime-ridden ghetto, but it’s even more accessible than that film despite its lack of inspiring upward mobility. It could probably appeal most to fans of American “urban” gangster films, but any mainstream moviegoer should enjoy the conventional plot involving a thug who accidentally kidnaps a baby and then changes morally as a result. Also worth checking out: Kolya; Central Station Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_films_from_your_childhood/190/36334/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: joem18b
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 10/15/2008 2:56:17 AM
Body: 1. alice in wonderland (disney) 2. any allan rocky lane movie 3. any bowery boys movie 4. by the light of the silvery moon 5. the thing
]]>Wed, 15 Oct 2008 06:56:17 GMTjoem18bTop 510/15/2008 2:56:17 AM1. alice in wonderland (disney) 2. any allan rocky lane movie 3. any bowery boys movie 4. by the light of the silvery moon 5. the thing http://www.spout.com/groups/Post_Your_Playlist/Re_Alice/599/29721/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Post Your Playlist
Post Date: 5/21/2008 11:38:04 PM
Body: [quote user="mercurial"] I thought this was pretty clever making a song purely out of sound clips from a movie. Alice in Wonderland is one of my favorite animated movies and I'm a fan of trip-hop so this scores bonus points with me. [/quote] That's crazy, look what happens when I play that backwards:
]]>Thu, 22 May 2008 03:38:04 GMTleeroy711Post Your Playlist5/21/2008 11:38:04 PM[quote user="mercurial"] I thought this was pretty clever making a song purely out of sound clips from a movie. Alice in Wonderland is one of my favorite animated movies and I'm a fan of trip-hop so this scores bonus points with me. [/quote] That's crazy, look what happens when I play that backwards: http://www.spout.com/groups/Post_Your_Playlist/Alice/599/29713/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Post Your Playlist
Post Date: 5/21/2008 10:23:46 PM
Body: I thought this was pretty clever making a song purely out of sound clips from a movie. Alice in Wonderland is one of my favorite animated movies and I'm a fan of trip-hop so this scores bonus points with me.
]]>Thu, 22 May 2008 02:23:46 GMTmercurialPost Your Playlist5/21/2008 10:23:46 PMI thought this was pretty clever making a song purely out of sound clips from a movie. Alice in Wonderland is one of my favorite animated movies and I'm a fan of trip-hop so this scores bonus points with me. http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_movies_that_take_place_within_24_hours/190/18279/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: pippin06
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 8/17/2007 10:02:04 AM
Body: My problem is, and the reason why I haven't yet answered is, I can't remember the timeframes of movies. I've seen so many, that unless time is an obvious feature of the movie, I really don't notice. So, I'm going to copy some answers and throw out a couple because that's all I got in wracking my brain.1.) Clerks (I'm not even supposed to be here today).2.) The Breakfast Club (I, too, like the John Hughes, and this film is still relevant, no matter how completely 80s, fluffy and sometimes melodramatic it is).3.) Back to the Future - You want cheating? I'll give you cheating. Technically - technically - this film takes place, in present time, in the span of not even an hour, even if Marty McFly spent a week in the past. Time travel's awesome.4.) Alice in Wonderland - It's all a dream, isn't it? And I don't recall her sleeping in the dream.5.) I like indieabby's list because I've seen all of those. I saw Magnolia, but I can't remember it very well. I remember liking it. I haven't yet seen 12 Angry Men (don't shoot me, I'm working on it) or the 25th Hour, two movies I really want to see. I can't think of a fifth original one. This is kind of a brainteaser, and maybe I'm just a little tired....
]]>Fri, 17 Aug 2007 14:02:04 GMTpippin06Top 58/17/2007 10:02:04 AMMy problem is, and the reason why I haven&#39;t yet answered is, I can&#39;t remember the timeframes of movies. I&#39;ve seen so many, that unless time is an obvious feature of the movie, I really don&#39;t notice. So, I&#39;m going to copy some answers and throw out a couple because that&#39;s all I got in wracking my brain.1.) Clerks (I&#39;m not even supposed to be here today).2.) The Breakfast Club (I, too, like the John Hughes, and this film is still relevant, no matter how completely 80s, fluffy and sometimes melodramatic it is).3.) Back to the Future - You want cheating? I&#39;ll give you cheating. Technically - technically - this film takes place, in present time, in the span of not even an hour, even if Marty McFly spent a week in the past. Time travel&#39;s awesome.4.) Alice in Wonderland - It&#39;s all a dream, isn&#39;t it? And I don&#39;t recall her sleeping in the dream.5.) I like indieabby&#39;s list because I&#39;ve seen all of those. I saw Magnolia, but I can&#39;t remember it very well. I remember liking it. I haven&#39;t yet seen 12 Angry Men (don&#39;t shoot me, I&#39;m working on it) or the 25th Hour, two movies I really want to see. I can&#39;t think of a fifth original one. This is kind of a brainteaser, and maybe I&#39;m just a little tired.... http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_films_from_your_childhood/190/7624/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 4/25/2007 3:17:39 PM
Body: 1. Star Wars / The Empire Strikes Back / Return of the Jedi - I was hooked from the start.2. Ernest Goes to Jail / Ernest Goes to Camp / Ernest Saves Christmas - and all of the rest. I used to be obsessed with this guy. I would cut out ads of his head from ABC Warehouse ads in the newspaper and pin them up on a bulletin board.3. Who Framed Roger Rabbit - this is probably the one that was one of the best as a kid but is even better when you are older.4. Home Alone / Home Alone 2 - yeah classic.5. The Addams Family. Yeah I'll concur with you on that one. There was a classic era of Disney cartoony stuff that was pretty fantastic too. Robin Hood, Pete's Dragon, Sword in the Stone, Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, Bedknobs and Broomsticks.
]]>Wed, 25 Apr 2007 19:17:39 GMTRisseladaTop 54/25/2007 3:17:39 PM1. Star Wars / The Empire Strikes Back / Return of the Jedi - I was hooked from the start.2. Ernest Goes to Jail / Ernest Goes to Camp / Ernest Saves Christmas - and all of the rest. I used to be obsessed with this guy. I would cut out ads of his head from ABC Warehouse ads in the newspaper and pin them up on a bulletin board.3. Who Framed Roger Rabbit - this is probably the one that was one of the best as a kid but is even better when you are older.4. Home Alone / Home Alone 2 - yeah classic.5. The Addams Family. Yeah I&#39;ll concur with you on that one. There was a classic era of Disney cartoony stuff that was pretty fantastic too. Robin Hood, Pete&#39;s Dragon, Sword in the Stone, Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, Bedknobs and Broomsticks. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspxlove
Number of films tagged: 12478

Number of people who tagged: 338

Number of times used: 1480

]]>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:28:29 GMT124783381480Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Classic/MemberTagFilms.aspxClassic
Number of films tagged: 816

Number of people who tagged: 312

Number of times used: 1453

]]>Sun, 23 Aug 2009 22:54:36 GMT8163121453Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/comedy/MemberTagFilms.aspxcomedy
Number of films tagged: 1087

Number of people who tagged: 253

Number of times used: 1342

]]>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:38:30 GMT10872531342Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/family/MemberTagFilms.aspxfamily
Number of films tagged: 6288

Number of people who tagged: 226

Number of times used: 1138

]]>Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:09:21 GMT62882261138Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/amazing/MemberTagFilms.aspxamazing
Number of films tagged: 179

Number of people who tagged: 156

Number of times used: 253

]]>Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:49:13 GMT179156253Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/beautiful/MemberTagFilms.aspxbeautiful
Number of films tagged: 260

Number of people who tagged: 150

Number of times used: 417

]]>Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:43:48 GMT260150417Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/fun/MemberTagFilms.aspxfun
Number of films tagged: 459

Number of people who tagged: 142

Number of times used: 296

]]>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:23:09 GMT459142296Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/drugs/MemberTagFilms.aspxdrugs
Number of films tagged: 1643

Number of people who tagged: 130

Number of times used: 488

]]>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:36:00 GMT1643130488Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/fantasy/MemberTagFilms.aspxfantasy
Number of films tagged: 1044

Number of people who tagged: 128

Number of times used: 480

]]>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:54:25 GMT1044128480Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/musical/MemberTagFilms.aspxmusical
Number of films tagged: 174

Number of people who tagged: 109

Number of times used: 356

]]>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:03:25 GMT174109356Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Crazy/MemberTagFilms.aspxCrazy
Number of films tagged: 133

Number of people who tagged: 98

Number of times used: 180

]]>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:53:36 GMT13398180Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/adventure/MemberTagFilms.aspxadventure
Number of films tagged: 228

Number of people who tagged: 95

Number of times used: 368

]]>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:49:03 GMT22895368Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/escape/MemberTagFilms.aspxescape
Number of films tagged: 2868

Number of people who tagged: 76

Number of times used: 279

]]>Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:51:44 GMT286876279Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/comingofage/MemberTagFilms.aspxcomingofage
Number of films tagged: 1186

Number of people who tagged: 72

Number of times used: 219

]]>Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:51:56 GMT118672219Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/personal-classic/MemberTagFilms.aspxpersonal-classic
Number of films tagged: 180

Number of people who tagged: 64

Number of times used: 274

]]>Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:21:00 GMT18064274Tag