Simon's Film Journal®

[Simon M.]

Samurai Rebellion (Masaki Kobayashi, 1967)

http://rantsandmusings.wordpress.com/2009/06/22/samurai-rebellion/


Belle de jour (Luis Buñuel, 1967)



Eh, too cynical, even by the standards of the king of cynicism, Buñuel. Still, cool moments of sexual fetishism that dare you to be repulsed, titillated, or both, as Deveuve's trysts and dream sequences are both bizarrely appealing and coldly robotic. Sex really is just sex sometimes - no rhyme or reason to it.

But otherwise, I was pretty much completely indifferent to this film. Didn't love, didn't hate. Little irritated me, and little really drew me in...EXCEPT, the end, where the husband turns into fucking Leo Johnson. *spit* new shoes!

7/10

[warthog]

Deveuve's trysts

[Skritek]

Similar reaction. I'm not into Buñuel.

[Simon M.]

Deveuve's trysts

Devenuve's tits

[Will]

Similar reaction. I'm not into Buñuel.

At all?

[Will]

Simon, I don't agree with either of your reviews but that's just me. Samurai Rebellion is a much better film than you give it credit for.

[Simon M.]

Simon, I don't agree with either of your reviews but that's just me. Samurai Rebellion is a much better film than you give it credit for.

Upon sleeping on it and letting it settle in my system, I agree, it's pretty damn great. Just uneven. And what're you complaining about, an 8/10's a damn good score in my system

[dustin]

It's a cheesefest. Harakiri is much better. Don't give in Simon.

[Skritek]

Similar reaction. I'm not into Buñuel.

At all?

Only seen 2...or 3, I'm not sure if I saw the whole of Un chien andalou. Nice films, but I felt no urge at all to watch more.

[Will]

Simon, I don't agree with either of your reviews but that's just me. Samurai Rebellion is a much better film than you give it credit for.

Upon sleeping on it and letting it settle in my system, I agree, it's pretty damn great. Just uneven. And what're you complaining about, an 8/10's a damn good score in my system

Nevermind I was going to right this long thing about why and stuff but you get the idea so that's what counts. Anyways I'm glad you like it so much. 8/10 is good in my book as well.... although I gave it a 9...

And Dustin there is nothing cheesy about it.

[dustin]

right

[Will]

[Simon M.]

Titicut Follies (Frederick Wiseman, 1967)

http://rantsandmusings.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/titicut-follies/


The Thin Man (W.S. Van Dyke, 1934)

http://rantsandmusings.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/the-thin-man/


**By the way, Justine, the picture I used for The Thin Man came from your blog, because it was the second - SECOND! - picture that came up when I did a google image search for "thin man." I mean jeez, which executive(s) at Google Industries did you sleep with to get an honor like THAT?

[james]

[Will]

Titicut Follies (Frederick Wiseman, 1967)

I've never heard of this before... sounds very interesting!

The Thin Man (W.S. Van Dyke, 1934)

[Simon M.]

I approve of this.

[Mikadzuki]

Mouchette (1967, Robert Bresson)
Wait Until Dark (Terence Young, 1967)
Samurai Rebellion (Masaki Kobayashi, 1967)
Belle de jour (Luis Buñuel, 1967)
Titicut Follies (Frederick Wiseman, 1967)

This Rocky Balboa-like dedication towards YC is all kinds of awesome!

[wigwam]

Justine,
which executive(s) at Google Industries did you sleep with to get an honor like THAT?

:emails resume to google:

[wigwam]

glad you liked Thin Man so much!

[Simon M.]

Mouchette (1967, Robert Bresson)
Wait Until Dark (Terence Young, 1967)
Samurai Rebellion (Masaki Kobayashi, 1967)
Belle de jour (Luis Buñuel, 1967)
Titicut Follies (Frederick Wiseman, 1967)

This Rocky Balboa-like dedication towards YC is all kinds of awesome!

turns out I saved the best for last:


In Cold Blood (Richard Brooks, 1967)



It's 'flawed', I'll be the first to admit; I thought the Clutters were portrayed a little too innocently, a little too much like the perfect family in early scenes to play up the tragedy of their deaths later on, and the heavy attribution of Perry's violent tendencies to a rotten childhood with an alcoholic mother he once revered and a hateful father is the easy way out in giving an explanation for why he does his seemingly senseless acts in the Clutter home that night (I'll admit, though, that I have no idea how much of that played into what happened in real life, or how much focus it got from Capote in the book, which I've never read - something I'm definitely gonna rectify very, very soon). But I don't care about stock 'flaws' like that, because this is an incredible, incredible film whose ever-present sense of dread hit me emotionally like a ton of bricks, and no pages-long analysis or praise I can write in some blog could do it justice.

10/10

[Will]

I'll see this today. I've seen about half of it before and I liked it.

[Passenger]

Did you watch it because I said everyone should do it in YC? Say yes, make my day

But seriously, it is an incredible film and even the notes you make about the family and the killer's past are really well done in my opinion. That final confession is pure cinematic excellence, Blake's face, his whole speech, the rain looking like tears, image, sound, it's one of those moments that are perfect in every aspect.

[Simon M.]

Did you watch it because I said everyone should do it in YC? Say yes, make my day

nope, as soon as the YC started and I saw that In Cold Blood was made that year, I planned to see it. But you have good taste at least

Blake's face, his whole speech, the rain looking like tears...

I came when I saw the rain's reflection pouring down his face. Conrad Hall for the win.

[Passenger]

I came when I saw the rain's reflection pouring down his face.

[Philosophe_rouge]

**By the way, Justine, the picture I used for The Thin Man came from your blog, because it was the second - SECOND! - picture that came up when I did a google image search for "thin man." I mean jeez, which executive(s) at Google Industries did you sleep with to get an honor like THAT?

I thinka better question is, which google executive didn't I sleep with.