BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Feb 03 - 12:56 PM

To build on the pet theme, Best in Show is a very funny look at dog shows. I don't remember seeing that when I scanned the lists. Eugene Levy as a guy with "two left feet" is such a hoot.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Steve-o
Date: 17 Feb 03 - 12:51 PM

Go get "The Cat's Meow"- a terrific little "murder mystery" that takes place on William Randolph Hearst's yacht. Your snobbiness notwithstanding, you will not be disappointed.

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: harvey andrews
Date: 17 Feb 03 - 12:31 PM

"Tender Mercies" and "Billy Elliot"...my two favourite stories.Don't care how often you tell them in how many films...I'm a sucker for the fallen idol and the kid who's different.
As to Glen's death. I've heard the latest rumour, but I still think he was bombed out of the sky by planes dumping their loads after an abortive raid. If the other story's true;
"Oh, Glen!" (said in the sexiest voice in recorded history...June Allyson's)

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: GUEST,maire-aine at work
Date: 17 Feb 03 - 12:26 PM

I, too, enthusiasticly endorse SHREK. And for something really cute, LEGALLY BLONDE-- I laughed all the way through it.

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Big Mick
Date: 17 Feb 03 - 12:03 PM

I will be whipped for some of these, but these are some of the ones that pop in my mind off the top of my head..........

Rainman (Hoffman gave the most amazing "from the top of his head to the toes of his feet" performance that I have ever seen.)

My Left Foot

The Field - Jim Sheridan did a great job directing Richard Harris, Tom Berenger, John Hurt, Sean Bean, et al, in a wonderful look at one Irish family.

Wolfen - Three of the stars are Albert Finney, Edward James Olmos, and Gregory Hines. Need I say more?

The Original Highlander, only.

The Candidate

Joe

Soldier Blue - anytime I can see Candace Bergen, I watch.

The Glenn Miller Story

Nightmare on Elm Street (Only the original, none of the sequels. The early scene where Freddy is pushing through the ceiling scared the shit out of me. I love being scared by movies)

Shrek (agree completely on the multi layered approach to the humor)

Harold & Maude

Glory

And I can't wait for Gods and Generals.

In addition to all this, I just love to go to movies with no great message. From time to time I need a little mindless enjoyment to get away from all the reality that I deal with.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: katlaughing
Date: 17 Feb 03 - 11:48 AM

For once, I have not read the whole thread, sorry, but at least I admit it.

We saw two excellent films this weekend and I wanted to tell you all about them, so where better to do so than here?:-)

On the Independent Film Channel, an absolutely off-beat, hysterical, poignant comedy called "But, I am a cheerleader!" with Cathy Moriarty as the mother in denial about her son's sexuality and her own. She runs an all pink and blue center which *turns* gay boys and lesbian girls into heteros. The main character is a young cheerleader whose parents send her to the "campe" when they become convinced she is a lesbian. She had no idea. Richard Moll also stars as one of a gay couple who live nearby and *rescue* runaways. The whole thing is done in a very campy fashion without being mean. Stereotypes are over the top and made to look as stupid as can be. well worth seeing.

The other one, also on IFC was a beautiful film from China called "Shower." A man leaves the city in the south of China to go see his father and mentally challenged brother. His father runs a bathhouse where the men of the village find solace from nagging problems of the day, including their wives. It is a sort of prodigal son returns, but with incredibly poignant understatements of family dynamics, esp. in light of unexpected events. This film left me shaking my head in wonder, crying because of the profound way it touched my heart. Absolutely excellent and should not be missed. There is a fabulous juxtaposition in a secondary story about where the mother, no longer alive, came from where water was very scarce. Told while men loll in the extravagance of expansive deep and hot baths.

Thanks,

kat

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 17 Feb 03 - 11:40 AM

Oh oh.....my list of "to rent" films is now at sixty. This has been great, thanks for the suggestions.....just a little reminding can be a HUGE help!

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: okthen
Date: 17 Feb 03 - 11:24 AM

Hi Rick, just checked on IMDb, and it's not released on any format as far as I can see, but look out for a minor British classic called "the chain" (1984) about people moving house/flat/(apartments).Warren Mitchell (Alf Garnett) as a removals van driver who studies philosophy at night school and a whole host of great Brit actors.
Good luck in finding something.

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 17 Feb 03 - 11:14 AM

Now,. if you're a snob, and don't enjoy movies without subtitles, Rick, you'd probably never try Shrek. To my mind, it is the funiest, most-layered, re-watchable movie that's come out in many years. But it's a movie, not a "film".

Another movie I can watch endlessly is Tender Mercies with probably my favorite actor, Robert DuVall.

But, I'm with you about Blockbuster. If there isn't a car explosion in the first ten minutes of the movie, they're not likely to have a copy. Unfortunately, the Mom and Pop video stores around here keep getting swallowed up by Blockbuster. There's a chain around here, Hollywood that has five day rentals on all of their movies, and they at least have a modest selction of old favorites.

Today, we've got a blizzard raging outside. Might be a good day to watch the Theater version of The Shining. Or, maybe for a change of environment, The first Jurassic Park movie.

A couple of nights ago, we watched Life As A House, which I highly recommend, and a day or so earlier watched Amelie. My wife hates movies with subtitles, so she had a hard time getting in to it, and it has almost fairy tale fantasy sections in it, so if you're literal minded, it's probably not the best movie. I enjoyed it a lot more the day after I watched it..

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Sam L
Date: 17 Feb 03 - 11:11 AM

Thanks Micca. I half-saw Angel at My table and wouldnt mind seeing it again. I remember some very acute scenes of her interacting with other writers, remarkable for the things you could see her not saying.
For those who liked the Crying Game, The Miracle is another by whatsisname, um, Neil Jordan. Two teens wander the beach and improvise stories about people they see, the son is a gifted musician who only wants to play for pay, his father will play for anyone who'll listen. The two aren't sure if they're just friends or what, and there's a circus backdrop. All in all, it's interestingly about what's special and what's banal. And the horse-girl from Hair is in it--Beverly D'Angelo?

I think Blockbusters go by managers. Ours is pretty good. After I saw Chaplin I wanted to see some of the old Chaplin things, and we had a couple here, in my mother's town the Blockbuster had many more. Bully is a pretty good movie, still in New releases here. The Anniversary Party. El Mariachi is also good for a comic book origin story kind of thing. The Spy Kids movies are fun. I like Kevin Smith all right, maybe Chasing Amy the most and also the least--more for trying, less for some story problems. Maybe Dogma the most indifferent. Spiderman is pretty good--it's amazing people thought it was miscast. Tobey McGuire is almost too perfect.

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Grab
Date: 17 Feb 03 - 10:49 AM

Amos, glad to see someone else who likes "Bagdad Cafe". Great film. Shame about the *dire* Whoopi Goldberg TV-series vehicle they turned it into.

If you like a really epic film, get the extended version of "Fellowship of the Ring". Seriously. The cinema version cut much of the plot - the extended version makes it a real classic.

For recent funny, check out "Bowfinger". The piss-take on Scientology is practically worth it in its own right.

Graham.

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 17 Feb 03 - 10:46 AM

Ah, Tiger. Raising Arizona is one of my all time favourites.

I rented Apocalypse Now Redux on the weekend. I loved the original, I found the additional scenes in Redux to be pretty good, although some were overkill.

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Tiger
Date: 17 Feb 03 - 10:28 AM

Cabaret
Raising Arizona
Chariots of Fire

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: rangeroger
Date: 17 Feb 03 - 01:56 AM

Harold and Maude

rr

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: GUEST,Hated Guest
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 10:25 PM

I haven't seen 'A Beautiful Mind', but I want to rent it before next weekend.

Radio interview tonight....about this movie. Spooky. A man named Steve Martin from Maine was interviewed on 'The Tom Valentine Show'. First time I've heard the show.

I missed the first part of the interview, but the guest was talking about hidden codes in 'A Beautiful Mind'. The Director Ron Howard says the DVD version contains hidden clues about the 'real' story, and the man being interviewed said killers like to leave calling cards...and here's a wild one.

The movie's a biography of John Nash but apparently talks about 'suitcase nukes' in the 1950's...too early for those to be around...and someone (a hallucination? an FBI agent?) tells him one of the bombs is on the Eastern seaboard. Then he has some revelations...numerical epiphanies.

Second epiphany involves pyramids (special effects?) swirling off a page. This is the 'Who' of the next attack. The Illuminati.

Next revelation...numbers form an hourglass shape, so this indicates 'When' the next attack will occur, and the man being interviewed claimed a combination of 2's and 3's added up to 2-22-03...Feb 22 of this year. Said the words 'USS Cole' were also in the hourglass.

Last revelation involved more numbers swirling...off a magazine page?...then some eyeglasses. And the words 'U.S. ancient army port site...British (something or other)'. Well, this would be West Point, which Benedict Arnold tried to sell out to the British. Oldest military academy in the U.S. So, this guy was saying West Point will be blown up with a suitcase nuke next week.

You folks think I'M full of conspiracy theories...I can't top this one. But if this DOES transpire, Director Opie is in league with the Illuminati. Talk about the world being turned upside down...Hey! That's the song they played when Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown. 'The World Turned Upside Down'. Thought I'd throw that in, since this is a musical site.

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 10:24 PM

I have a couple of DVD's that were Christmas presents that I plan on watching tomorrow. (The Blizzard of '03 is hitting the air - some reports say we may get 24 inches).

I plan on popping some corn and watching "Lawrence of Arabia", "Ballad of Rambling' Jack" and "Grateful Dawg".

If the storm take the direction that has been predicted, I may watch "Spider-man" and "X-Men" again with my son. Since someone recommened Kevin Smith (who I think is amazing!) I would also suggest finding "Stan Lee's Mutants, Monsters & Marvels". Kevin interviews the legendery Stan Lee and it is a hoot!   Okay, maybe this won't appeal to the "snobs", but Make Mine Marvel!!!

Ron

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Metchosin
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 10:01 PM

Bill D, I mentioned The Wrong Box, albeit, not in the same sentence as Brewster McCloud.

Also the Harry Dean Stanton tour de force "Paris, Texas"....talk about dark.....

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Jeanie
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 09:27 PM

Here's another great one nobody's mentioned yet : Billy Elliot

- jeanie

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 09:08 PM

Harvey.....you know that's not how Glen Miller probably died eh? If you haven't kept up on THAT story, I ain't a gonna tell ya! Ha ha!

Heather went out and rented:

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING

I thought it was kinda enjoyable....she grinned through the whole thing!

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: maire-aine
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 08:49 PM

My taste in movies runs more toward the "fluff" end of the spectrum, so I highly recommend anything by Gene Wilder. The first thing I saw him in was something called "Quackser Fortune Has A Cousin In The Bronx" and I've been hooked ever since.

But my all-time favorite movie ever was "Prisoner of Zenda" with Ronald Coleman. Oh, be still my heart. I first saw it on TV when I was about 12 or 13, and I fell in love. Ahhhh.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Micca
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 08:48 PM

Fred Miller, the Jane Campion Film about the New Zealand writer was " Angel at my table" about Janet Frame

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: SINSULL
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 08:38 PM

Has anyone mentioned "The Full Monty"?

Another timely classic: "Black Rain", the Japanese movie about survivors of Hiroshima. Bleak at best. And I strongly recommend the book.

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: harpgirl
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 08:28 PM

yeah Sins, Manon gets good revenge in the sequel. I loved the simple villainy of the first movie and found the demise of Jerard dePardue's character to be unutterably sad!

I also like "Hiroshima Mon Amour", "The Fire Next Time", and "Chattahoochie".

And Don, I am a big fan of "Waterworld." I love unusual futuristic movies

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Mudlark
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 08:21 PM

I dont know about snob, but quirky, funny and/or real, preferably all 3, very high on my list:

Withnail & I
Box of Moonlight
Buffalo 66
Palookaville
Happy, Texas
Breaking the Waves
Men with Guns
Round Midnight
Almost Famous
Smoke
Down by Law
Dr. Strangelove
The Producers
The Return of the Pink Panther (the only inspired one, for my $)
Amelie
Hearts of the West (best, maybe the only good, movie Jeff Bridges ever made, and very funny)

OK, that's it...I'm off to the video store...

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Socorro
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 08:21 PM

I loved The Grifters with Angelica Huston, Annette Bening & John Cusack, & Leaving Las Vegas (both dark).
I loved Lone Star, as a movie, AND i have to admit that although most male movie stars leave me cold, Chris Cooper in this melted my cold,cold, heart.
I'll second Crying Game,As Good as it Gets, & the Commitments.

And, I really,really, enjoyed American Beauty -- what a great acting job by Chris Cooper, so obviously unlike what i hope is his real personality, as portrayed in Lone Star :)

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 07:09 PM

Sorry -- I LIKED Liquid Sky. The Linguini Incident, though quirky enough, I considered to be only "Good" not "Great."

I loved "Chasing Amy." And anything Johnny Depp is in turns out to be better than good. (Well, other than "Sleepy Hollow".)

I also loved "My Brilliant Career" -- but I'll have to check to see who directed it. Australian films almost universally turn out good -- "Picnic at Hanging Rock," "Holy Smoke," "Walkabout," "Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith" . . . the list goes on.

See The Saint FILMS . . . long time before the Roger Moore TV series.-- especially the George Sanders ones. You'll see where Roger Moore gets his mannerisms.

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Helen
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 05:45 PM

Any films by directed by Kevin Smith. Dogma was the second last one we watched, and we've been telling all our friends about it. Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back was excellent too, but it helps to see previous movies first because characters re-occur from one to the next. Kevin Smith plays Silent Bob. Look for the scene where Silent Bob talks.

I also loved Chasing Amy, especially for the subtle but funny messages from Amy about gender stereotyping.

See if you can find Death in Brunswick (but I don't really like your chances because it's about 15 years old and Australian). Very dark humour.

I love all the Coen brothers films I have seen, but especially Fargo, and The Hudsucker Proxy.

Three of my favourite dramas happen to be written by Stephen King, which amazes me because I resisted reading his horror stories when I worked in the library because of their "blockbuster" status:

The Shawshank Redemption (I'm a fan of Tim Robbins now)
Dolores Claiborne (better than the book because of Kathy Bates)
The Green Mile.

I've always loved Drop Dead Fred, and if you like Rik Mayall, see if you can find videos of the Brit tv series called The Young Ones.

Talking of Brit tv, also see if you can find the Red Dwarf series, but try to find the *original* made Part 1, rather than the re-made Part 1. On a par with Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, IMHO.

I second the recommendation for the three movies called Three Colours: Blue, White, and Red. And I also second the Johnny Depp ones called Benny & Joon, and also What's Eating Gilbert Grape. I didn't really like Dead Man, although I appreciated what it was aiming at.

Memento is excellent. I was just talking about that over the weekend.

Russell Crowe was in a very good Oz movie with Hugo Weaving called Proof.

My hubby loves the animated movie called Tank Girl.

Was the Campion (The Piano) film about a writer called My Brilliant Career, about a 19th century Oz author who used the pseudonym Miles Franklin?

And since someone mentioned "Texas", I've been thinking about finding a copy of Paris, Texas and watching that again.

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: GUEST,wavestar
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 05:38 PM

BatGoddess - why, in that delectable list, did you include Liquid Sky? I use that as my example of the worst film I'm ever seen - and I've seen some doozies!

Replace it with The Linguini Incident. Also strangely cult, but great.

Otherwise - Kurosawa, Jeunet, Lots of the others mentioned above.

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: harvey andrews
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 05:26 PM

Whenever I'm down I watch "The Glen Miller Story" and realise why music has been my life. I don't like the last five minutes, but then that's true of the "Buddy Holly story" too. Saw some "Old grey Whistle test" pieces from the 70's. Sonny Curtis and the Crickets singing "I got a feeling called the Blues" put a smile of sheer contentment on my face for hours. Failing that, try "Spinal Tap"

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: limejuice
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 04:38 PM

Watch "Cabaret Balkan"... a delcious foriegn flick that suprisingly enough is availible at your local Blockbuster. Or at least at mine. It's subtitled in some language, maybe Yugoslavian? And it's got some fantastic shots in it, great characters, and more much more...

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 04:24 PM

This was a very good idea. I've written down about thirty good films that I HAVEN'T seen.

The problem is that our local Blockbuster has systematically gotten rid of most of the interesting ones. Forty Madonna (on DVD) and forty Madonna (on VCR) take up a lotta room.....so virtually everything that folks have listed in this thread is no longer on the shelves.

There are lots of alternative Video stores downtown (Peter T. haunts them) but out her in the Beach area it's just Blockbuster and Rodgers.

Message to Harvey! Don't give in mate! The moment you want to scream at the TV.....they've won!

On the other hand, you could quote one of the great masters of the language, Leo Gorcey, and just say "Whyyyyyy I oughtaaa"!! Then you throw your hat down onto the floor and kick it!

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Sam L
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 04:07 PM

The local Blockbuster has many, if not most of the movies mentioned here, but they have shorter rental periods than another place. It's hard to guess what movies people might've missed. Hideous Kinky is a pretty good movie, kind of a postcard story, that isn't anything it sounds like.

I'm a little resistant to some of the movies made for the thoughtful artsy demographic. Many of them taste the same and have unbelievable silly gunk in them. I don't get Henry and June and have no clue how to enjoy it, or Babette's Feast, Network, or Peter Greenaway... I like the Piano, (but what was Campion's movie about an Australian writer called?) American Beauty, many others, but not half as much as I feel I'm supposed to. It's fun to find a movie that isn't predictably trying to push your buttons, but is good anyway.

   Broadcast News is under-rated, seems like a hollywood romantic comedy, but is something better. Overboard, with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell is better than anyone could reasonably expect.

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Bill D
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 04:02 PM

The Great Train Robbery..well, **I** laughed!

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 03:58 PM

Rushmore

Almost any Kurosawa

Any old John Ford black and white western...Monument Valley landscape...Grapes of Wrath (also by Ford...talk about dark...James Wong Howe cinematograher).

Almost any Kubrick

Almost any Jerry Lewis...oh, was thinking of Jerry Lee Lewis

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 03:51 PM

the big tease

the commitments

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: SlickerBill
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 03:47 PM

A couple I've seen that might fit the bill; "My First Mister", made by Christine Lahty (kind of a "Life as A House", with a twist-- goth kid gets a job in a men's clothing store). Also liked "Vatel" very much, about a steward on an estate visited by Louis XIV. Saw "About Schmidt" recently; THAT was funny/dark, but it'll be awhile before it's out on video. "One Hour Photo" is just dark; I was impressed they didn't take the low road and just make another thriller, but did so much more with the story. How about "The Usual Suspects"? I'd say dark/funny applies. And I guess "Snatch" and "Lock Stock and Three Smoking Barrels" would work. There's another about a couple of Ulster guys who take over a slaes job selling hair pieces; I think it's "An Everlasting Piece" or something like that; got a larf out of that 'un. There ya go Rick old lad; cheer the hell up will ya??? sb

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Bill D
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 03:25 PM

no one has mentioned "The Wrong Box" or "Brewster McCloud"?...tsk! (I may just watch them to while away the snowstorm!...I have had them so long they are on Beta)

(I agree about "Being There" and "The Gods Must Be Crazy" wonderful, creative, off the wall!

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: SINSULL
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 03:24 PM

Oh yes, Harpy and Manot of the Spring, the sequel.

The Lambert Worm with Hugh Grant is good for a laugh too.Very tongue in cheek.

Dr. Strangelove is timely. And "The Mouse That Roared".

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Deda
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 03:24 PM

I'm lucky enough to live in a town that has an indie video place, called "The Video Station", which carries hundreds of very old movies, plus PBS movies (I rented "I, Claudius" there), foreign films, etc. We almost never go to Blockbusters.
My picks:
Network (with Faye Dunaway)
As Good As It Gets

One that may be too idiosyncratic for anyone else is "Trembling Before God", about orthodox Jews who discover, with great pain and shame, that they are gay / homosexual / lesbians. I saw it twice, last fall. It is a very beautiful movie -- but I particularly loved the music, because I was married into an orthodox family for 15 years. I would see it again in a heartbeat.

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Jeri
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 03:22 PM

What's Eating Gilbert Grape - another Johnny Depp film.
Slaughterhouse 5 (mentioned in the Kurt Vonnegut thread) - if you haven't seen it, DO IT. This has one of the best dark-humor scenes I can remember.

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: harpgirl
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 03:12 PM

...how about one of my favorites, "Jean DeFlorette?"

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: leprechaun
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 03:11 PM

McGrath - I second the motion on "About a Boy."

Here are some others that most likely played in the converted-funeral-home/artsy-film-patchouly-oil-and-body-odor venue:

Like Water for Chocolate

The Official Story

Ran

Seven Samurai

The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez

El Norte

The Samurai Trilogy

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 02:47 PM

The only reason I ever go into Blockbuster is to buy "previously viewed tapes". My closest video store, while not perfect (until the current manager, they purchased foreign films that were dubbed in English, not subtitled), recognizes that they have a niche in the older films, so their collection isn't bad. It's far from perfect, but better than most.

Tom and I owned a niche video store in the late 1980s specializing in foreign films, classic films, and as much of the odd stuff (I guess you'd call them Cult Films) as we could lay our hands on. Needless to say, we're not in business anymore. (The shop hung on for almost 3 years, done in by an economy in the toilet and the arrival of Blockbuster.) Even with the local university, there really wasn't enough traffic to support it, or even pay the rent.

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: banjomad (inactive)
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 02:41 PM

never mind all that crap, best three films in the world are
1 Oh Brother Where Art Thou.
2 The Blues Brothers
3 Blazing Saddle
end of

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: harvey andrews
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 02:22 PM

Jim, in England a clerk is someone who keeps books (financial) and records.
The shop was a a labour exchange and it was a serious job description of totally barmy gibberish and jargon.
. My complaint about American is its insidious takeover of English by employing obfuscating words and long words and three words where one will do. It's getting bad over here and I'm afraid I'm turning into one of those sad old men who shouts at the radio when he hears something truly terrible!

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 02:09 PM

Jim,

The Blockbuster chain is based in Dallas, and one of the VP's is a family friend of a family friend. We've discussed this over birthday cake and Thanksgiving turkey a couple of times. I asked why they don't keep a few of the older movies, and he said they don't make any money on them. I would like to see a rotating collection at Blockbuster, perhaps for three months at a time, for those of us who are fans of various types of older movies.

Meanwhile, the common source theme in this thread is "Public Library." They have a pretty good collection of vidoes. Haven't seen many DVD's there yet, but then they don't have many books on CD either, they're still mostly on tape. I think they're resisting change on this, but the change in both venues would be beneficial.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 01:53 PM

I didn't like "Shipping News" as much as I enjoyed the book. The film was a lot darker.

How about "Margaret's Museum"?

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 01:49 PM

Real libraries, where you can borrow actual books, normally have videos and DVDs as well, and they are more likely, even these days, to hold on to them a bit longer and have some older fims than the commercial video stores.

There are various differencess between DVDs in various parts of the wolrd desiubned to make them incompatible with each other. I gather the film companies insisted on this, to stop people importing DVDs of films thta hadn't been released in film theatres yet. And I believe the same applies to videos.

However for DVDs I gather you can very easily instruct your player to accept all the foreign DVDs, you just have to key in a code - Google around on the net and it's all easily available.

Ten fairly recent films to look for:
Amelie
Life is Beautiful
Road to Perdition
About a Boy (I know it's got Hugh Grant, but it's still good - funny with a serious point to make as well)
Bend it like Bekham
Monsoon Wedding
Anita and Me
The Shipping News
Iris
Chocolat (apart from Johnny Depp's Irish accent...)

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Metchosin
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 01:38 PM

and I forgot "Happy Texas" is a hoot.

Subject: RE: BS: WARNING! SNOB THREAD. Renting a film.
From: Metchosin
Date: 16 Feb 03 - 01:36 PM

sorry dropped the "s", that should be "Ghengis Blues".