On the to-see-someday list: Clockwise Sirène du mississipi L'homme de Rio Une Histoire D'Eau: think I saw this at La Villette, actually, but I'm not sure. Seems to be hard to find. L'enfant Sauvage, Le Dernier métro, L'Histoire d'Adèle H. Coeurs? (@askwith) Demy: La Baie des Anges, Une Chambre en Ville, Peau d'Ane, Jacquot de Nantes Confessions d'un Barjo: based on "confessions of a crap artist". Play Time From New Yorker romatic comedies articles (on "Knocked Up"): "It Happened One Night"; "Twentieth Century", "My Man Godfrey", "The Awful Truth", "Easy Living", "Midnight", "Bringing Up Baby", "Holiday", "The Lady Eve"; "Adam's Rib", "Some Like it Hot"? Un Chien Andalou The Lavender Hill Mob Every now and then I write down movies I remember seeing. This is incomplete and inaccurate. La Fin Du Monde: some French guy made this movie and it got bought by some American guy who slathered on plan-9-worthy narration, subtitles, and intertitles (is that a word?) and earnest scientist-presented preface. Definitely not quality, but sort of fun to watch and guess what the original idea might have been. Don Quixote (Pabst, 1933): Great. Fun songs. La Jetée: possibly my favorite movie. The General Seven Chances: (includes the mob-of-brides chase scene) The Scarecrow (and several more) La Règle du Jeu La Grande Illusion Alphaville: Been through it many times, still mystified. Band à Part Breathless Le Mépris: A favorite Tout Va Bien: utterly opaque to me; maybe you had to be in France in 1968 to get it. Jane Fonda, Yves Montand. Une Femme est Une Femme: I love all the interrupted musical gestures. Vivre Sa Vie Weekend: if we ever held a carfree movie night this would be ideal. One of the big scenes is a long pan over an endless absurd traffic jam. It may feature more crashed cars than any movie I've seen. We watched 10 minutes or so of the commentary, and it mostly seemed to be stuff anyone mildly observant would have noticed. Pierrot Le Fou: I think my parents must have taken me to a Godard film series at the Smithsonian in high school. All I remember is the final scene of this movie. After seeing the movie again in 2005, I think that's still all I'll remember.... Masculin Féminin Tous les garçons s'applent Patrick La Nuit Américaine Tirez sur le pianiste Jules et Jim Les Quatre Cents Coups Antoine et Colette Domicile Conjugal Baisers Volés L'amour en Fuite Vivement Dimanche! La Mariée était en noir Farenheit 451 I've long heard people complain about, enthuse about, or, usually, make fun of, Bollywood films. I recently noticed some showing up at the library, so figured I should try a few: Main Hoon Na: Very derivative and predictable, with values I didn't always like (why does the cause of peace always depend on beating up so many people?). But it really had everything you could ask for in a popular movie, and the singing and dancing was energetic and fun. Koi... Mil Gaya: What was the one thing Main Hoon Na was missing? A friendly blue alien, of course! The reasoning was impeccable, so I checked out this one too. Alas. It had a few moments, but.... Lagaan: Compared to the others, relatively restrained. A group of villagers accept that they can't beat their british occupiers at cricket, a game they've never played, with the stakes their crushing annual tax ("lagaan"). Devdas: oh no! They can have sad endings too! Oh well. This one was pretty good. Song and dance bits are well done. The script seems a bit excessively poetic, and it's hard to make sense of the subtitles at times. Kehtaa hai dil baar baar: cheezy, overdone humor, but fun, about a love affair between a street vendor and the daughter of "the Roger" Patel, not the sort to allow his daughter to hang out with street vendors. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai: Young man (Shahrukh Khan) is obvious to his best friend Angeli's love for him, and instead marries their mutual friend Tina; Tina dies in childbirth, insists their daughter be named Angeli, and leaves her a letter to be opened on her 8th birthday instructing her to fix up Angeli and her dad. The melodrama ensues, complete with last-minute wedding reversals, cute children, rain everywhere--the works. The songs didn't do anything for me. It had its moments, I suppose. Dil Chahta Hai: seems to be a favorite for some, but Sara and I watched it and... uh... I don't really remember it. Eklavya: saw it in Laurel with my cousin Laura. Dramatic setting, beautifully photographed. Only one song, and that entirely in character. Monty Python and the Holy Grail Monty Python's Meaning of Life Brazil Life of Brian Delicatessen La Cité des enfants perdus Le Fabulous Destin d'Amélie Poulain Shrek Harry Potter and the Sorcer's Stone Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Annie Hall Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask Mighty Aphrodite Everyone Says I Love You Manhattan Murder Mystery: saw this in Portland with Elinor, I think, but can't remember a thing about it now.... Animatrix (saw most of the episodes; had some technical problems) The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, Matrix Revolutions Band of Ninja: UM CJS film series, fall 2003: basically just a filmed comic book (no actual animation), but the photography is very dynamic and the big screen encourages you to really look at the drawing (which is gorgeous) in a way you wouldn't otherwise. You get a strong sense of action. The story, however, is very dense, goes by very fast, and is hard to follow. This may have partly been the fault of the way it was adapted for English speakers in the version we saw--instead of dubbing or subtitles, there was inserted occasional (very melodramatic) voice-over narration that attempted to summarize the action. Totoro Spirited Away Kiki's Delivery Service Princess Mononoke Castle Cagliostro Porco Rosso Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds Grave of the Fireflies: Maybe the saddest movie I've seen. Do the Right Thing Malcolm X Mo' Better Blues She's Gotta Have It ToP 2004: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Close Encounters of the Third Kind A Mighty Wind: I found this one a little tedious The Iron Giant Office Space 2001: A Space Odyssey 8 Femmes A Clockwork Orange About A Boy: (saw at ToP): Hugh Grant, novel by same guy as High Fidelity; independent guy brought kicking and screaming into real relationships by a kid. Airplane! Aladdin: Disney, Genie played by Robin Williams Á la folie... pas du tout: The marketing is a bit insulting to the movie, it seems to me: to read the jacket you'd think it was a romantic comedy--they're clearly trying to sell it to people who liked Audrey Tautou in "Amélie". In reality it's something quite a bit creepier, but still pretty good, so why couldn't they just come out and say that? Oh well. A League of their Own Amazon Women on the Moon Apollo 13 Ascenseur pour l'échafaud: first fiction film by Louis Malle ("before this I had only directed fish, not actors..."), score by Miles Davis, four people acting appropriately stupid. A Storming Drummer (Summer 2006 CJS): Austin Powers Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me: liked this one best, but maybe only because I saw it first. Batman Batman Forever Bedazzled (a remake; saw it with Ravi in Ann Arbor) Beijing Bicycle Best of Show Branded to Kill: 2005 fall CJS: I was pretty bored, but maybe I missed the point. Breakfast at Tiffany's: independent-minded but desparate young woman (Audrey Hepburn) meets young writer. Bride and Prejudice: Hollywood does Bollywood; not a bad version of one of my favorite novels. The famous first sentence comes out in the slang of a sulky teenager. Casablanca Catch me if you Can Chameleon Street Charade Charlie's Angels: Saw at T.o.P. (and again on Amtrak?). Dumb but kinda fun. Chocolat Code inconnu: Cowboy Bebop: CJS film series 2005. Ending maybe a little cheesy. Corgi part disappointingly small. Crazed Fruit (Summer 2006 CJS): and the speedboat goes around, and around, and around.... Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Dangerous Liaisons Dark City: ? Dazed and Confused (Linklater) Diaboliques: Fun mystery story. Diary of a Shinjuku Thief: CJS film series 2005. Fun in an absurd kind of way. Die Hard Drunken Master: older Jackie Chan; dated, but still lots of fun. E.T. Edward Scissorhands Escanaba in da Moonlight Eyes Wide Shut Fallen Angel (Kurasawa) Farewell to the Ark: CJS film series 2005. Bizarre, but interesting. Fauteuils d'Orchestra Fear of a Black Hat Ferris Bueller's Day Off Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within: some bad action movie cliches, but gorgeous animation and more interesting than you might think. Plot is kind of Nausicaa-like (young woman and empathy save the world). Fighting Elegy (Summer 2006 CJS): very strange Finding Nemo Four Weddings and a Funeral Galaxy Quest: Now that was funny Gandhi Ghost World: Gonin: extremely violent japanese gangster movie Groundhog Day Heathers Hellboy: OK, but not great Hellraiser High Fidelity: Saw this with Ravi in A^2. His Girl Friday How to be a Player Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: first saw in France, dubbed ("Indiana Jones et le Temple Maudit"), which was weird. Indiana Jones III (name?) In the Heat of the Night Innocence: Ghost in the Shell II: CJS film series 2005. Enjoyed it. Italian for Beginners Jean de Florette, Manon des Sources Jesus Christ Superstar: I like the songs. The movie is ludicrous. Jewel of the Nile: Saw it for the Karamozov's and Avner the Eccentric, but I now remember *nothing* about it.... Jurassic Park Juwanna Mann: I was on an airplane. What can I say. Kentucky Fried Movie Key Largo Kind Hearts and Coronets Koyaanisqatsi Kung Fu Hustle La Collectionneuse: did nothing for me. La Passion de Jeanne D'Arc: (Dreyer) Le Samouraï: Les Parapluies de Cherbourg Linda Linda Linda (Summer 2006 CJS): relaxed, deadpan comedy about a group of teenagers forming a punk band for their school festival. Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: I enjoyed all these, but felt a little exhausted by the end. I wish they didn't have to make these as big action movies--the battle scenes are fun, but you lose the characters. Lost World (name?) based on a Conan Doyle novel? Silent, saw it with Dave Lewis & folks at DIA with a live band Metropolitan (1990) Metropolis Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Minority Report (based on a Phillip K. Dick story I haven't read) Mississippi Masala: Monsoon Wedding Mostly Martha Mrs. Doubtfire Muppets from Space Muppets Treasure Island Muriel's Wedding My Big Fat Greek Wedding Naked Lunch: based on the William Buroughs novel, but only in spirit, of course--how could you translate such a thing literally? Ninja Thunderbolt: terrible, but has its moments. The pinnacle is the chase scene between a group of rollerblading ninjas and a guy in a little 3-wheeled car. Ocean's Eleven (2001 remake) Patlabor II (1999 Summer CJS) Plan 9 from Outer Space: Well, I felt I had to see it. It's true that, though it's terrible, it's terrible in ways that make it fun to watch for the most part, so it's not completely painful to sit through it. Pulp Fiction Le Quai des Brumes: gangsters, tragic love, Le Havre, with Jean Gabin. Raiders of the Lost Ark Ran: Run Lola Run Sabrina: Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart School of Rock: Sort of formulaic, but well done. Scream Scream II Serenity Sex, Lies, and Videotape: saw while at Reed Shaolin Soccer: hilarious; has the best ever hero-entrance scene of any sports movie I've seen. For maximum zaniness, skip the american release and see the hong kong version, which seems to be available on some DVD editions. Sixteen Candles Slacker: saw while at Reed Spinal Tap Star Trek: Insurrection: Terrible Star Wars: Phantom Menace Star Wars: The Attack of the Clones Straight, No Chaser Swimming Pool Taboo: (Nagima Oshima) Saw at UM center for japanese studies film series. About a young boy that everyone simultaneously lusts for and seems to hate. Terminator The African Queen The Dark Crystal The Great Dictator: The Island: The Italian Job: (remake): The Legend of Drunken Master: somewhat of an update of the original, this time with an anti-alcoholism moral (huh?) Not quite as wild as the original, but has its moments. The Muppet Movie The Muppets Take Manhattan The Pink Panther The Pink Panther Strikes Again The Revenge of the Pink Panther There's Something About Mary: didn't find this so great. The Rocky Horror Picture Show: First saw this at midnight at the State Theater, in my first or second year in Ann Arbor. I was pretty tired, and the coordinated dancing and stuff all reminded me of some sort of irritating kindergarden activity. Saw it on DVD in 2004 and still didn't find much to get excited about. The Terminal: cute, has a nice appearance by a juggler. The 13th floor: based on a book called "Simulacron 3" The Wedding Singer: The Wings of Honneamise (199 summer CJS): interesting anime The World of Henry Orient: Having just seen a few Pink Panther movies, we thought it would be amusing. Should have skipped it.... Top Gun Toy Story Toy Story 2 Troy: The Iliad, with big-name actors, video-game fight scenes, and with the Trojan horse thrown in for good measure. Ugh. 12 monkeys: It's fine. But in the time spent watching this you could see oh, I think about four and a half showings of La Jetée. The 5th Element The Big Sleep: The Fight Club The Fisher King The Godfather (Parts I, II, and III) The Name of the Rose The Perfect Man: saw with Sara on a flight back from Hawaii. Forgettable. The Philadelphia Story: Katherine Hepburn; fun; fast dialog, requires concentration to catch every joke.... The Producers (original): The Producers (remake based on the musical): The Shining The Thirteenth Warrior: saw in Ann Arbor with Ravi The Wall The Wedding Banquet Timecode: Split-screen, four continuous takes Three Colors: Blue Three Colors: White: probably the most bitter revenge story I've seen. Three Colors: Red Tommy: Wow. If you thought Jesus Christ Superstar was weird.... True Stories UHF: Weird Al's only movie. Funny! Un Coeur en Hiver Un long dimanche de fiançailles Vanity Fair: (Mira Nair) Va Savoir: saw Dec. 2003: a little slow to get started, but worth it all for the final duel (involving vodka and heights). Waiting for Guffman Wallace and Gromit: A Grand Day Out The Wrong Trousers A Close Shave Curse of the Were-Rabbit Wedding Crashers: Entertaining, but somehow not as funny as it tried to be. When Harry Met Sally White Hunter Black Heart Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Wings of Desire Woman of the Year: saw 2002: I can see why people would want to write papers about it, but I didn't find it to be such a great movie. Young Frankenstein: For some reason I was expecting the sort of 60 laughs-per-minute excess of "Airplane!". Compared to that, it was restrained (not that the jokes were particularly subtle). But it was funny, and very well done. You've Got Mail Stuff I want to see some day for some reason that I may no longer remember: Le Dernier Combat Six-String Samurai The Magnificent Seven