Foreign / Independent Films

[Sqoon]

Originally posted by sggg
La double vie de Véronique

Have you seen anything else by Kieslowski? His Three Colors trilogy was released on DVD recently but the only place that had it around here split the DVDs apart and sold them for $15 apiece (when the SRP is $30). Dumb ponces.

[rezo]

Karakter
Chungking Express



I'm very forgetful about movies. =\

[sggg]

Originally posted by Sqoon
Have you seen anything else by Kieslowski? His Three Colors trilogy was released on DVD recently but the only place that had it around here split the DVDs apart and sold them for $15 apiece (when the SRP is $30). Dumb ponces.

Yes, I have seen those movies and they are wonderful. My favourite one was... um... I always get them confused. I think it was Blue. Or Red. heh.. regardless I think I liked Blue and Red more than White.

It's been a while since I have seen them. Maybe 5 years or so.

[Timber]

Originally posted by Despair
Xeno, Fist of Legend is its original HK title

I just assumed they changed it since that's what they did to most of 'em.

[sggg]

Originally posted by Kinopio
favorite foreign director is probably Bergman.

I missed that the first few times I checked this thread.. .. Anyway, I am with you on that! His films are amazing. I like to watch Smultronstället at least once a year. It always has a profound effect on me and puts life into the proper perspective.

I need to buy the DVD.

[680x0]

I'm mostly into east asian cinema as it goes with my major, and most of the european and independant shit that gets screened here is the hyper-eroticised, pseudo-intellectual garbage that appeals to stupid smarmy american "cinephiles" No other art form is so doubly mauled by both commercialism and intellectual pretention than cinema.

With literature, sculpture, painting, and music I find it fairly easy to accept the artist's message, but with cinema I often find myself unwilling to submit to the storyteller. Perhaps it's unwarranted cynicism on my part, but I've not been able to enjoy a hollywood film since like '99. Anyway... I should recommend some films...

Suzuki Seijun is one of my favourite directors, and Tokyo Drifter or Branded to Kill should be pretty easy to find. Kenka Elegy was probably his best however, with Zigeunerweisen getting an honorable mention (if you can find/sit through it) "Death by Hanging" (directed by Oshima) gives a very interesting view into Japan/Korean relations and Japanese cultural stereotypes. Seppuku is a very fun period film. Ozu is another interesting directer that uses really cool compositional shots, my faves being "record of a tenement gentleman" and "Tokyo Story" There are a number of good Japanese films made in the last 2 decades too, but I like starting from the beginning A recent directory Takashi Miike is thought by many a genius, and he certainly makes cinema "felt" but I personally think he's a hack. Ummm I'll try and think of more...

[Kinopio]

Originally posted by sggg
I missed that the first few times I checked this thread.. .. Anyway, I am with you on that! His films are amazing. I like to watch Smultronstället at least once a year. It always has a profound effect on me and puts life into the proper perspective.

I need to buy the DVD.

Yeah, Wild Strawberries is good shit. Of the Bergman films i've seen, its my favorite. Deconstrucing Harry is very similar to it, so its no wonder why its one of my favorite films by Woody.

[Ichabod]

I've been watching massive amounts of foreign movies for a few years now, and am completely burned out on every region (Europe went first, and early, so I don't know much about films from there). I'm getting back into American movies lately, though I don't know any good directors that are truly independent. I'd like to see some movies made by kids on little/no budget, but I don't really know of any that sound worthwhile, and distribution is obviously pretty small if they're truly independent... Favorites that are closest to being independent in America are the movies of Jim Jarmusch, Richard Linklater, and (at least in the sense of creative control) Quentin Tarantino and Spike Jonze.

[ssbomberman]

Foreign or foreign related is about all I own and watch -- mostly Asian films, but some French, Italian, and others -- basically if it's independent or foreign I'll watch it before something mainstream Hollywood...my wife is very much into American independent films as well...stuff like Hugo Pool, Igby Goes Down, Desert Blue, Pecker, etc...

[arjue]

Rabbit Proof Fence is seriously shit. Just because of its touchy subject matter, critics seem to think that they can't bag it or something. It's very boring, and it isn't even the complete story (its based on a true story). You're better off reading the back of the cover.

now if you want to see good Aussie flicks, goto:

Lantana - The lives of several people are interwined in this darkly deceptive movie. This Australian drama starts out with the death of an unidentified woman. However, few answers were uncovered during the initial investigation by the police. As the movie progresses, the audience meets the rest of the cast whom all seems to be hiding something. In the end, they all come together for a finale that is reminded of "Magnolia" and "Short Cuts"

The Castle (you might not like this one. The humour is very Australian) - The Kerrigan family are a typical aussie "battler" family and living right next to the airport never seemed to be a problem for them until the airport wants to expand - on to their land. Their initial reaction is "f**k the airport" but it soon becomes obvious that airport is going to get its way - one way or another. This is Dale Kerrigan's story of their battle with the airport to keep their beloved house, along with "bloody good set of gates".


He died with a follofel in his hand - I can't find a decent outline for this movie. Basically, its a comedy about a failed writer who goes from share house to share house to avoid paying rent. Its quite clever, and has some real funny bits in it.

Stickmen - Jack, Thomas and Wayne are the Stickmen. They like nothing more than to have a beer in one hand, a pool cue in the other, a coin on the table and their mates around them. They play pub pool for fun and money at Dave's bar. Desperate to get out of debt, Dave gets the Stickmen entered into a high stakes pool tournament run by vicious crime boss "Daddy". He also gets them into a whole rack of trouble. Can the Stickmen beat the odds, pocket the money, win the girls and save Dave? You rack 'em, they crack 'em. And never take your eye off the ball... (technically from new zealand, but lots of Aussie talent involved)

The Sum of Us - Set in Sydney, Australia. A (heterosexual) father and his gay son are trying to find Ms/Mr Right respectively. The film shows their relationships with one another and the objects of their affection as tradgedy strikes. There is no overt 'message' in the film, just a very natural, entertaining story-telling.



thats all I can think of for now, though there are many more.