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lordcookie

By lordcookie,
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lordcookie

lordcookie

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Periodically we get "is X film any good?" popping up in ATF but this folder seems to be the most logical place for these questions. So if you want to know if a film is worth buying or watching but don't think it deserves its own thread then post in here.

Advice on which DVD version to go for and films of a similar ilk are also welcome.

I'll kick things off with a couple of arty choices. Is the Adrzej Wajda Criterion box set worth getting? I'm familiar with Ashes and Diamonds but don't know if A Generation and Kanal are any good. Secondly, Forbidden Game (not the porno) sounds great, is it?

RLLMUK's Favourite Films of each Decade

RLLMUK's Favourite TV Programmes

Good TV Shows

Documentary Recommendations

World Cinema Recommendations

Rllmuk's Top 100 Films

Film of the Month Threads

The Anime Thread

Movie Picture Quiz

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Silent Runner

Silent Runner

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I've had a Werner Herzog / Klaus Kinski Box Set sitting on my shelves for over a year; which filme should I watch next? Aguirre:The Wrath Of God,Woyzeck,Fitzcarraldo, Cobra Verde or My Best Fiend. I tried to watch Nosferatu but I only lasted about half an hour; I thought it was really dull and I found myself laughing at a few bits I don't think were meant to be funny.

Cheers.

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Rsdio

Rsdio

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Fitzcarraldo might be the best one to start with, although if you found Nosferatu dull you may well find most of his others dull too. A lot of it's just Herzog's style, there's this peculiarly flat feeling that goes through everything and it's a bit of an acquired taste, they really hit the spot if you're in the right mood though. Just don't judge him on Cobra Verde, it's not a patch on the others in that box.

FilmFour has shown all three of those Wajda films a few times recently lordcookie, could be worth waiting and seeing if they pop up again if you're undecided. I haven't seen any of them myself but the box set has always tempted me because of their reputation.

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lordcookie

lordcookie

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Silent Runner, there is a good chance you might not like Herzog full stop (I know I fall into that category). Fitzcarraldo is probably the best introduction and even if you find the rest of the film boring the boat up the mountain is very impressive.

Rsdio, cheers for the heads-up. I'll keep an eye out.

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Sfan

Sfan

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I'll kick things off with a couple of arty choices. Is the Adrzej Wajda Criterion box set worth getting? I'm familiar with Ashes and Diamonds but don't know if A Generation and Kanal are any good. Secondly, Forbidden Game (not the porno) sounds great, is it?

Great way to kill what could be a useful topic. It's immediatley become a show off "what obscure directors I know" discussion.

When I clicked on this topic I was expecting a list of films I'm likely to come across on DVD or TV as an average movie watcher. For example, Downfall, Cashback, Being John Malcovich good but not mainstream films.

No doubt the will be the Paradigm Lord Cookie love-in topic.

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Rsdio

Rsdio

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Great way to kill what could be a useful topic. It's immediatley become a show off "what obscure directors I know" discussion.

I'm sure that's preferable to the 'look how much of a wanker I am' route your post took us down.

When I clicked on this topic I was expecting a list of films I'm likely to come across on DVD or TV as an average movie watcher. For example, Downfall, Cashback, Being John Malcovich good but not mainstream films.

Your 'average movie watcher' is as likely to come across all three of the Wajda films mentioned as they are Downfall because as I said, they've all been on FilmFour recently. And they're (apparently very) good but not mainstream. So what's your problem?

If there's something you want a verdict on, ask. Nothing's stopping you from asking about other films just because others were talking about ones you aren't interested in.

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lordcookie

lordcookie

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Well sorry for asking for help with a couple of films I didn't know anything about. Jesus.

This thread is for anybody to post any film they want to know about. If somebody wants to know if Police Academy 7 is worth watching they are entitled as much as anyone "showing off" for posting an obscure film. This thread isn't here to provide a long list of recommended films (there are plenty of other threads in this folder that do that). It is merely to help people on specific movies.

Admittedly it hasn't worked but the intention wasn't to show off, if I wanted to do that I would have used the Polish titles and italicised them. :lol:

EDIT: And what Rsdio said.

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Paradigm

Paradigm

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It's not as good as was made out. Yes the subject matter is important but it's quite cliched in parts, the acting isn't consistent and it never really hammers home their plight well enough I don't think. Mind, the last section is rather good.

3/5, could do better etc.

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Chosty

Chosty

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I'll kick things off with a couple of arty choices. Is the Adrzej Wajda Criterion box set worth getting? I'm familiar with Ashes and Diamonds but don't know if A Generation and Kanal are any good. Secondly, Forbidden Game (not the porno) sounds great, is it?

I think there was a review of the box set in the latest Sight and Sound (the one with Cronenberg on the cover).

Looks a good issue, actually.

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Commander Jameson

Commander Jameson

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Q: What happens at the end of Trading Places?

A:

The Dukes and Winthorpe/Valentine are both buying the same thing (Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice futures). A future is basically a bet on the price of FCOJ in the future. This is how the Dukes explain it to Valentine at the start of the film when they talk about pork belly futures.

The real crop report says that the orange crops have not been affected by the winter (or whatever), so there will be lots of oranges, so orange prices will go down.

The fake report given to the Dukes makes them think that the orange harvest is going to be bad, so there won't be many oranges, so the price will go up. This is why they buy and buy and buy. Everyone else sees this and buy and buy too. So, the price goes up.

Once the price reaches a certain point (determined by Winthorpe), Winthorpe/Valentine start to sell. Now, they do not own any FCOJ futures. This does not matter. They are short-selling; selling stuff they do not own. At the end of the trading day, they must deliver what they have sold. This is part of the plan. They sell each futures contract at a high price (60 USD, for example).

At this stage, W/V have sold 100,000 FCOJ futures @ 60 USD each for 6m USD altogether (say). So, they have got 6m USD in the bank, but owe 100,000 FCOJ futures to people.

Everyone continues to buy from Winthorpe/Valentine. Then the real crop report is published. Everyone realises that there will be loads of oranges around in the summer, so everyone starts to sell. This pushes the price down and down. It drops past the point that Winthrope/Valentine sold at and continues falling. They wait for the price to drop lower.

Once the price reaches another certain point, they start buying. The price continues to drop as everyone takes up their offer. At the close of trading, Winthorpe/Valentine have bought enough FCOJ futures to cover what they sold earlier, but only paid a fraction of the price (6 USD for each futures contract, for example). Remember they sold earlier at 60 USD per futures contract.

Now, W/V have bought 100,000 FCOJ futures for 600,000 USD. These 100,000 futures cover what they owe to people and they have only had to pay out 60,000 USD, giving them a net profit of 5.4m USD.

Not too shabby!

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Paradigm

Paradigm

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For some reason, that's always been completely incoherent to me. I thought it was all code.

The original conversation is Grocer asking Blank whether he liked the air in the Pacific North-West following the first scene ("Mental telepathy, astral projection..."), then making dog noises and an explosion.

"Haven't been there in years..."

Then the whole cafe thing is along the lines of...

"About you doing some wonder-dog named... Cujo?"

Followed by the wonderful:

"Pooch puncher!" etc.

Ah, my favourite film of all time, how I love thee.

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Belbo

Belbo

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I've had a Werner Herzog / Klaus Kinski Box Set sitting on my shelves for over a year; which filme should I watch next? Aguirre:The Wrath Of God,Woyzeck,Fitzcarraldo, Cobra Verde or My Best Fiend. I tried to watch Nosferatu but I only lasted about half an hour; I thought it was really dull and I found myself laughing at a few bits I don't think were meant to be funny.

Of those, I definitely enjoyed watching Fitzcarraldo the most, although Woyzeck was a very close second. My Best Fiend is great to watch after you've finished watching all the others as it offers insight into how they were all filmed etc. You should almost certainly watch that last. As an aside, you should pick up the other Herzog boxset - in my opinion the greates Herzog film is The Enigma Of Kasper Hauser. Watching that for the first time is incredible. The thing plods along at a very slow pace, but if you are OK with that then you'll find one of the greatest performances in cinema in the lead actor, Bruno S. Well, it is hard to say just how much he was acting, to be honest, but you get the idea. Awesome stuff.

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Crhis

Crhis

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Another postscript to this. Went and saw it, empty screening considering the tickets were free. Great film though I wasn't expecting something quite so out there. I'm not sure anyone else was either as I quickly got in to the spirit of things laughing at the jokes but I seemed to be the only one. :wub:

Also, what is with the massive gap between the screen and the seats in NFT3? Wouldn't get that at cornerhouse! Plus those seats leaning back are stupidly awkward for everyone involved.

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