A Conversation for Ask h2g2

What Films have you seen recently?

Post 2601

Effers;England.

I thought Brazil was amazing. A totally surreal kind of Scifi film set in a world of weird and fascist bureaucracy. Starring Jonathan Price, de Niro and Michael Palin. It was so interesting seeing how Terry Gilliam has moved on from his days of pure animation with Monty Python. I really want to watch more of his films now. Apparently he had a long drawn out battle with Universal studios to get the full length of Brazil released. There's so much complexity in it and really seems to go on forever, but I liked that. The ending is incredibly emotional and I really didn't know if I was cryng with sadness or happiness at the 'tragically strange' ending. Apparently that was also part of the battle with Universal, they wanted a really happy ending. I'm so glad he held out for his artistic integrity against the Hollywood powers. deNiro was very instrumental in helping Gilliam.

Blimey there's a trillion of the conventional type films around for people.


What Films have you seen recently?

Post 2602

Ellen

I saw The Departed this weekend. Superb. Very violent, but very good. And an amazing cast including Jack Nicholson, Leo Dicaprio, and Matt Damon.


What Films have you seen recently?

Post 2603

Xanatic

But as mentioned earlier, quite heavy handed symbolism in Brazil.

I watched The Talented Mr Ripley the other day. DidnĀ“t really get interesting untill towards the end.


What Films have you seen recently?

Post 2604

IctoanAWEWawi

Brazil is a good film, although I agree about the symbolism, I don't think it hurts it too much. I'm still of the opinion that in some ways 12 Monkeys was a bit of a remake of Brazil. Good film but very similar world view and style to them. well worth watching.

I finally got V for Vendetta the other day (well, it was only 9 quid!) which has unfortunately made me realise I need a new DVD player since it won't play on mine either in Region 2 or in Region 0. Plays on the computer in region 2 though so can still watch it. Guess it must be a new anti-piracy system on it.

Good film though, lots of big explosions and classical music - class!


What Films have you seen recently?

Post 2605

flakey-lady.... you lookin' at me punk?



filmophiles... don't bother with HOLLOW MAN 2 on dvd.. what a load of crap.... i wasn't that impressed with the 1st one but himoutdoors HAD to have his own way... he tried to pretend he loved it... but he fell asleep...

tonight we have MY choice SLITHER a brit comedy horror by same makers as shaun of the dead [i believe] so i'll let you all know if i came out on top.... oohhh errrr!smiley - blush


What Films have you seen recently?

Post 2606

The Groob

I bought Fargo the other day, a film I have wanted to see for some years. I enjoyed it, but feel personally that it's over-rated (8.2 on IMDB).


What Films have you seen recently?

Post 2607

Serephina

Just watched 'Slither', very good fun


What Films have you seen recently?

Post 2608

Xanatic

Now 12 Monkeys is another kettle of fish, that is a very interesting and good movie.

With V For vendetta do you get anything other than mindless action? Mind you I was disappointed by the comic book itself.


What Films have you seen recently?

Post 2609

flakey-lady.... you lookin' at me punk?


howsthat!!! 2 of us watching same film tonight.. great minds think alike... but an ammendment to previous post.. i don't think SLITHER is british and not by shaun of the dead makers either... i was misled..

and not going to be a classic like shaun of the dead either but enjoyable enough hokum... would like to have seen more of the 'other' world....

i'm not about to add it to my collection but at least it was better than hollow man 2 smiley - ok


What Films have you seen recently?

Post 2610

Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic.

I agree with Xanatic - 12 monkeys is, at least for me, the best movie about time-travel out there. smiley - popcorn

I thought V for Vendetta was pretty good but nothing special. (I was surprised at the comparisson Iago made earlier between Children of Men and V.)

I watch Brazil on dvd oddly enough the day it was on the TV! smiley - doh
I want to know was Archibald Tuttle real, imaginary or like an imaginary friend for Sam Lowry to impose onto while acting out his wilder anarchic fantasies, or some mixture of all three?


What Films have you seen recently?

Post 2611

steve-paul ---- no lyrics!!<wah>

Well everything in Brazil is all very mixed up so the most likely is a mixture of all three. At the start i think Tuttle was real but by the end he had become a sort of action hero that could do what he wanted - which Lowery wanted to be.


smiley - yikes, have you forgotten Back to The Future smiley - winkeye not just the soundtrack either.

speaking of soundtracks - was the song at the beginging and end of Brazil written for the film?smiley - erm


What Films have you seen recently?

Post 2612

Ellen

No, the song "Brazil" dates to 1939.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquarela_do_Brasil


What Films have you seen recently?

Post 2613

Ellen

Here's the quote I remembered:

the "Terry Gillam's Brazil" website at http://www.trond.com/brazil/b_faq05.html David S. Cowen writes:

----------------------------------------------------
"Certainly, Brazil is an enigmatic title for a movie that seems to have nothing to do with the country of Brazil. The first-draft screenplay was entitled The Ministry of Torture, or Brazil, or How I Learned to Live with the System - So Far, and Gilliam also considered calling his screenplay 1984 1/2. Many of the drafts appear to have simply been titled "The Ministry." In the book The Battle of Brazil, Gilliam explains where the inspiration stemmed from, while he was in Port Talbot, Wales:

"Port Talbot is a steel town, where everything is covered with gray iron ore dust. Even the beach is completely littered with dust, its just black. The sun was setting, and it was quite beautiful. The contrast was extraordinary, I had this image of a guy sitting there on this dingy beach with a portable radio, tuning in these strange Latin escapist songs like 'Brazil'. The music transported him somehow and made his world less gray."


What Films have you seen recently?

Post 2614

Effers;England.

>>I want to know was Archibald Tuttle real, imaginary or like an imaginary friend for Sam Lowry to impose onto while acting out his wilder anarchic fantasies, or some mixture of all three<<

Well the whole film seemed to me to be dealing with the ambiguity of what is real or not, what is a dream. I liked the fact that it was undecidable. Because the film showed Sam's dreams and then he found the girl he'd dreamt of in 'real life', it could almost be argued he was 'mad' from the start.

I've been thinking more and more about the ending. Maybe it is saying, that the only way we can ever really escape the madness of everyday life is in our dreams. Because I remember earlier on in the film when he was trying to escape 'in real life' with the girl, she told him, there is no way to escape this world.

Sorry if what I've said about the film sounds rather confusing, but iut was a very confusing film, and that's what I really liked about it. But what Universal studios obviously hated. smiley - laugh


What Films have you seen recently?

Post 2615

flakey-lady.... you lookin' at me punk?



ah yes port talbot.. totally dominated by its huge industrial chimneys and smoke belching out.. its the first sighting we see of it as we approach from cardiff... a very industrialised town... has/had a big factory 'the metal box' nearly everyone worked there including my grandmother...

and yet not much further is the beautiful mumbles area and the gower pennisula....


What Films have you seen recently?

Post 2616

Orcus

The Corus steel plant in Port Talbot is still going strong. It's been on the news here in Wales quite a lot recently.


What Films have you seen recently?

Post 2617

Orcus

And back on topic, saw a Quentin Tarrantino produced horror called The Hostel (or maybe just Hostel) on Saturday, very good and very gory smiley - ok


What Films have you seen recently?

Post 2618

Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic.

Forgotten back to the future? smiley - yikessmiley - popcorn - certainly not smiley - doh I just think it is arguable that while Back to The Future is certainly going to be the more popular of the two and perhaps deservedly so - the way in which 12 monkeys deals with the paradoxes of time travel in one movie (let alone three) make it a strong candidate (and imo - the better of the two) of which movie handles the concept of what time travel may be like to those who experience it.


What Films have you seen recently?

Post 2619

flakey-lady.... you lookin' at me punk?



what about the TIME MACHINE... and who could forget dr who smiley - tardis one of their early film efforts and planet of the apes...have i gone off track heresmiley - tongueout


What Films have you seen recently?

Post 2620

Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic.

I didn't say first I said best. smiley - tongueout (an entirely subjective point of view so I don't expect anything but disagreement or perhaps the odd cheer smiley - winkeye)

Meanwhile, tonight I watched the More4 documentary(sort of) Death of The President
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0853096/


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