Random Movie Talk, Louis the XIVth Edition

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End of an era, for sure.

Article I read said Goro Miyazaki is working on an animated TV series, so there's that, at least. And I really enjoyed Tales Of Earthsea and Up On Poppy Hill.
 
So Miyazaki was too big a draw and they can't pay their staff without his hugely successful films? It's really sad. Takahata at least is always good for a strong film.
 
From what I could tell, they're not finished, but they're not going to have a full staff on hand any longer, going back to having freelance workers, should they find a project to work on in the future.

Most important takeaway for me is that the museum isn't going anywhere. I want to go back there someday so bad.
 
Wasn't expecting that response. That's the one I want to see once, besides Fallen Angels. :hmm:
 
His work really lends itself well to a chronological program (you can skip As Tears Go By for now, though it's also good).

And view Chungking Express and Fallen Angels together if you can.
 
Days is definitely the gateway to the "mythology" of WKW, as it has loose connections to In The Mood For Love and 2046.

If you're looking for something lighter, Chungking Express is very entertaining and is really the film that put him on the map here in the U.S., and Fallen Angels contains material that was originally intended to be part of that film, so it's a loose follow-up.

EDIT: slightly expanding on what Lance said above.
 
In that case, I think we're going to watch Chungking Express tonight and Fallen Angels tomorrow night.
 
Chungking Express is maybe my favorite of his these days. Can't really go wrong there.
 
I'm not sure I'd agree with that. I mean, it's certainly not as spectacular visually as Happy Together or In the Mood for Love or something, but its colors are out of this world, and I think it's got more energy in it than anything else he's done, in terms of camera work (Fallen Angels is even more kinetic, but I'm not a fan of all the wide angle close-ups there). Anyway though, it's the one, along with ITMFL I come back to most often, and it's just so damn joyous and hopefully romantic, and it moves unlike any other film I've seen.
 
Energy, sure. And it's fun, and romantic. But it doesn't scale the heights of the later works. Or Days Of Being Wild.

I enjoy 2046 the most of all his work, but I tend to favor the more ambitious projects of directors I admire so much. And I think he excels in his period work more than the contemporary stuff, and William Chang certainly has a lot to do with that.
 
Yeah, I feel like I'm almost the opposite of you in that regard. I gravitate more towards the more modest masterpieces vs the huge ambitious undertakings. Not as a rule or anything, but you know.
 
Well, being the first of his films I've seen, I'll say that I enjoyed it very much and if there is even higher highs to come from here, I'm quite excited for it.
 
Chungking Express has such a cool narrative device. The transition between the two stories was seamless. I want to watch the Criterion remaster before I make too many judgments about the cinematography (the rip I had was pretty lousy but good enough) however, I found the story extremely clever and the characters very endearing.

I grew a lot more attached to the characters in the second story. The male lead in the first story was very sweet and memorable, but the female lead was understandably elusive.
 
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The Criterion Blu of Chungking Express is absolutely gorgeous. One of my favorite discs in their collection.
 
Robert Altman rankings so far:

1. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (A)
2. The Player (A-)
3. The Long Goodbye (A-)
4. M.A.S.H. (B)
5. Gosford Park (B-)

Where should I go next on my Altman journey? I love this guy. Every film he does feels totally unique; his range as a director is very impressive, doubly so considering the consistent quality across a number of genres (neo-noir, western, suspense, etc.).
 
California Split is amazing. I'd put McCabe above it, though. That's a miracle of a film.

But I think LM should watch Nashville next; it's an earlier, important work and later titles should be viewed in the context of its effect on Altman's career and American cinema in general.

After that, Short Cuts is a must-see as well.
 
Yes, Nashville for better or worse as divisive as it is, is the quintessential Altman film. (I happen to fall into the camp that thinks it's a masterpiece as well)
 
Most of Altman's 1970s (and beyond, to an extent) films are variations of post-Vietnam disillusionment, and Nashville might be the least subtle about it, hence the divisiveness. And it's extremely cynical. A masterpiece nonetheless, and I think his Buffalo Bill & The Indians from a year earlier (or later?) is a perfect companion piece.
 
Probably should put this in the review thread, but, eh, we were talking about it in here.

We watched Fallen Angels the other night. Really liked it. The ending was a little strange, though, for people who don't speak Chinese, or maybe people who do. Just super unsure whether or not Our Hero suddenly turned into some psychopathic serial killer.

But both movies were really good and I'm more than excited to check out more of that particular filmography.




In other movie news, about to watch Hard Boiled for the first time.
 
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