CS Film Club II

I'm personally okay with what they used it for here...but I won't argue much with those who are.  Shame, though, cause I loved the movie.

IanTheCool will enjoy the sound of this.



Eat it, Jibbs!

I haven't heard this story, is there a ton of AI utilized?

I think you would've liked it.

The long as fuck one. Theatrical is for pussies.

The Class (2008)

Movies about white teachers dealing with inner city students is a tired genre. You've seen one, you've seen them all. But... it's also a genre we can all pretty much relate to. We all went to school. We all dealt with administrators, educators and peers. So on a movie-by-movie basis, there's something that might resonate with the viewer.

In the case of the Class, I was intrigued by its depiction of what goes on behind closed doors. A good chunk of the movie is spent on teachers and administrators sitting around and evaluating their students and ultimately deciding on their fate. A major plot point revolves around whether or not to expel a troubled student and the consequences that'll have on him. This isn't a Hollywood movie. It's a French film. So this is depicted very bluntly and realistically. It isn't a spoiler to say that things turn out how you expect them to -- and that's kinda the point of the movie. Whether you're in America or France, it's safe to say that the system doesn't care about these kids and the teachers are just trying to get through their day.

Phantom of the Paradise

I'm just gonna say I've never been particularly fond of Brian de Palma. I don't dislike him, I like some of his movies, I'm not a huge fan of others but I can't think of any that really made me go 'Wow!' People talk of that group of young filmmakers from the late 60s and early 70s who helped change Hollywood, namely de Palma, Coppola, Spielberg, Scorsese and Lucas. Of all those filmmakers, de Palma is the one who just hasn't hit with me in one way or another. With the other filmmakers I can name at least one movie from each of them that I love but it's hard for me to pinpoint a de Palma movie that holds that special place in my heart. I think in the case of Phantom of the Paradise it might be a good thing that I'm rather neutral on de Palma as my expectations certainly weren't high but not exactly low either. While I didn't expect to watch an unseen cinematic masterpiece I knew I wouldn't be watching something completely incompetent, either. While I may not entirely gravitate towards his filmography as a whole, I still respect de Palma as a skilled filmmaker which meant that Phantom of the Paradise was worth seeing at the very least.

On paper, Phantom of the Paradise should not be a movie that I would typically enjoy. I love 70s music almost as much as I love 70s cinema but a contemporary send-off of Phantom of the Opera just doesn't feel like something I would rush out to see. Immediately though one of the things that stood out to me was that this seemed to very much be in the same vein as Rocky Horror Picture show albeit released one year earlier. It's a highly stylized movie against a 'horror' backdrop but also with very offbeat humor anchored by its musical numbers. The main difference is that I found Phantom of the Paradise much less annoying than Rocky Horror Picture Show. In fact I found a lot of Phantom of the Paradise to be rather charming and oftentimes catchy. It starts out with songwriter Winslow Leach being betrayed by the conniving producer Swan, getting all his teeth yanked out in prison, being horribly scarred in a freak vinyl pressing accident then taking his revenge on Swan who also happens to be immortal after making a deal with the devil, all the while pining for the beautiful and talented Phoenix. Part of the charm comes from the dated and sometimes seedy looking sets combined with de Palma's knack for long takes and split screens which would definitely feel out of place today but feels very at home in a 70s de Palma movie. It's funny that I would mostly enjoy this film while finding a similar film like Rocky Horror Picture Show so irritating but this movie at least had some sort of structure and didn't feel like it was trying to be totally different. I think drama kids would serve themselves and their overall image better if they dumped their Rocky Horror DVDs and picked up Phantom of the Paradise for a change. At least they would be watching something weird but also entertaining and of decent quality. It would be a win-win for everybody.

B+ so says Doomsday

And I'll try to squeeze in Fanny and Alexander for this round as well. I think I'll start with the theatrical cut and if I like it I'll add the 5 hour cut to the list.

Obsession might be my favorite de Palma so far, I just don't know if I loved it. It's been 5 years (good lord), I think I might give it a rewatch after posting this.

Perfect Mother’s Day movie.











Has been in my Halloween playlist for years now. Even converted thebtskink