Oh, that sequel was a joke. They really were working on a sequel, directed by Lars Von Trier though, but it got cancelled. They were also doing a video game...







thankfully.. it got canned too.

What's funny is the concept is even worse than my fake sequel idea above.. as Travis, you go around killing mob bosses, pimps, and drug dealers, while saving young prostitutes.

That was seriously the concept for the Taxi Driver video game. The Taxi Driver... VIDEO GAME. Where you get to play as Travis Bickle with a mohawk. And AN UZI?!


...I wonder if alka seltzer in water was a powerup?

Anyway, one last shot..


TRAVIS BICKLE RUNNIGN HIS TAXI INTO A LIGHTPOLE AND KNOCKING THE LIGHTPOLE COMPLETELY OVER WHILE BARELY SCRATCHING UP HIS (APPARENT) COMBAT ASSAULT VEHICLE.

What's funny is people probably think these screenshots are fake, but nope, this is real. It almost came out, too -- the developers simply ran out of money. I wonder if they even SAW THE FUCKING MOVIE THEY WERE BASING THEIR GAME ON? "Action" comprises roughly, oh, 3 minutes of the movie, if that!

HA!

Well, it couldn't be any worse than Wayne's World on the SNES!

Blood and Black Lace - 8/10

wayne's world!

Party Tim E Excellent Whee Hwh

Finally had a night off from work so I decided to watch some movies I was really excited to watch for a while, they all ended up being pretty interesting..





fire within - 9/10 ... Truly fucking awesome. Louis Malle will be the next director I obsess over, I think. This film felt so REAL; especially for 1963... I TOTALLY connected with this film, a film about depression, suicide, and alcoholism. Embarassing to say, maybe, but eh. The film is about a guy who decides to kill himself in 24 hours so he decides to visit all his friends. BEAUTIFUL cinematography... bleak yet absurd. Great.











Irma Vep - 8/10. Is it possible for me to kinda dislike a film but also kinda think it was kind of a work of some kind of genius, too? This is the most frustrating film I've seen since... well... since the last Assayas films I saw, I guess! Olivier Assayas is a really interesting director, in that sometimes he seems completely incompetent in his direction/editing/storytelling/dialogue, but most of the time that "ameteur-on-purpose" thing seems on purpose, and quite often, he does things that absolutely BRILLIANT! Look, I really love Clean and Cold Water and thought Summer Hours was good, but Demonlover and Boarding Gate both were headscratching -- not in a good way -- punctuated by dull moments punctuated by moments of inspired lunacy and demented brilliance. This film is no different -- on the surface, it's VERY much like other great films of the past based on filmmaking, "8 1/2", "Beware the Holy Whore" (mmm Fassbinder mmmm), "Living in Oblivion"... actually, you know what? A big chunk of this film -- especially some of the visuals -- remind me of "Currently Untitled"! Haha! No, seriously, the plot is, like, identical in places (I promise I'd never even heard of this film until a few days ago): a film crew is trying to make a no budget movie but no one wants to work, no one's into it, but the film is actually a documentary of the director's real life romance with the great Maggie Cheung (whose performance in IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE is probably my favorite performance by a female actress ever -- this girl is EXTREMELY talented, and awesome; she can speak like 7 languages fluently!). They got married after making this film. They got divorced a few years later, but still made the film "Clean", which was mostly a true story (though Assayas didn't die of a heroin overdose in real life -- sorry for the spoiler, but it's on the back of box and happens in the first 5 minutes!), and quite fascinating. All in all, some of the INSANE visuals, Jean Pierre Leaud (one of my favorite acotrs of all time) and Maggie Cheung's GREAT performances, and the enegy.. let's not forget the final 5 minutes that are even kinda Brakhage-like.. make this one fresh, exciting, wonderful film... it has almost all the elements I look for in films, as a requirement for me to completely love them. So, yeah. There were some really weird, off putting (again, in a bad way) scenes, like the director didn't know what he wanted to do, which was clearly intentional. But yeah. I dug it.

All in all, I reccomend IRMA VEP (yeah, it's, like, the letters from "VAMPIRES".. what are those called? When a word makes up another word? Besides "text twist", heh). SONIC YOUTH IS ON THE SOUNDTRACK AND IN THIS BADASS TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtY0OBL6Tgo

I highly doubt anyone watching that trailer will NOT want to watch that movie now. And I don't blame you... just know that it's missing... something. I hope more people watch it, or have seen it, because I'd really like to discuss it with someone!

No matter what, I find this ASSAYAS character extremely interesting, and not just because of his name. (I also have bought a lot of Zeitgeist films recently, they've been releasing the only Philipe Garrel films that have ever been available on America; badass company right there). Is anyone a fan of him (I know everyone on here has seen Demonlover)? I like him because he's one of the few directors I can't quite figure out.. like, I dont' know what he compels him to do the stuff he does. This is intriguing.






NIGHTMARE IN CHICAGO - 8/10

Wow, what a revelation this is. A dark-as-hell serial killer film by Robert Altman (from the few films I've seen, one of the most talented directors of all time) MADE FOR TELEVISION MOVIE (later released to theaters) from 1963.... THAT HAS NEVER BEEN RELEASED ON DVD OR VHS. I mean, this thing is truly ahead of its time. It feels like a fucking David Lynch film, for real, at times, in how deadpan it is, like a Blue Velvet type film, not his more surreal stuff. This is an amazing film, I mean wow. This is truly the first of its type, and almost no one has seen it. The picture quality is about a 6/10, probably ripped from a theatrical screener or a reairing of the original broadcast, but that's the best we're going to get right now, though I honestly do think a DVD release will happen sometime in our lifetimes. This is just one of those gems. I'm REALLY glad I found this, here's a much better review than I just did (I know I'm not a good writer):


One of the more amazing artifacts from the 60s, Nightmare in Chicago anticipates David Lynch's deadpan industrial style of film-making and the serial killer phenomenon (in both real life and movies). A wild cast, Phiilip Abbott (later Efram Zimbalist Jr's boss on The FBI) is Georgie Peorgie the Tri-State Killer, who casually strangles a woman in crowded strip club (originally shown on television in about 1963!) and triggers car crashes on the highway for his own amusement. Appearing are Ted Knight (yes, Ted Baxter) Robert Ridgely, Charles McGraw (Narrow Margin? Anyone?). This movie is intense and truly nightmarish, since the on-location production took the crew to Chicago, the actual freeways and freeway rest stops in and around the "Tri-state" area. It only exists as a film shown on television, since I have been looking for it for years and no known commercial copy is in distribution. It used to show up on television in the 70's, but it hasn't been seen for a long time. Think "Carnival of Souls" in color with Chicago and crowded streets and highways subbing for deserted Kansas.

BTW, where should I go with Robert Altman? I've seen (and love) 3 Women, California Split (probably my favorite of his so far), Images, Health, The Long Goodbye (another fav).. I've also see Aria, which is one of those movies where a bunch of people directed, it had Altman, Godard, Nicolas Roeg, Derek Jarman, and Ken Russel. That's a pretty amazing list.

I've also seen Short Cuts and the Player, and both had some amazing scenes in them, but I'm not into them as much as the films I just mentioned -- to be honest, I don't like Short Cuts very much at all, it's way too long, I found it uninteresting, and the deus ex machina ending is horrible. Maybe the most overrated film ever.

Still, I'd definitely like to check out some more Altman. Just don't recommend this:


You don't have to recommend M*A*S*H either. I'm, uh, MASH'ed out. Something, funny though, you see this?

For some reason, my grandpa has a shit-ton of these, unopened, down in the basement. I think he hopes he will sell it one day and make a lot of money.. or I'll inherit it and someone else will inherit it from me, and so on. Which is all fine and good, I guess. But really -- there are people who collect stale beer cans?

I've noticed my interest in film has gotten so small these days. I still watch horror a lot, but it's rare that I get excited about a new one.

I've noticed that a lot of weirder stuff I used to think was cool I have less patience for now. Lately I feel like I'm more interested in documentaries than actual movies.

And Im' drawn to comedies more too. Hmm. Like to be frank I feel like I'm less and less interested in well outsider stuff I guess for films? Not that I'm into blockbusters or anything. But I guess I just dont spend much time watching movies anymore so when I do it's either awesome horror or else it's a documentary or a comedy

or somethign starring Kristen Bell. Anyone else see Burlesque yet? haha

saw "Enter the Void" finally. its a really intense viewing experience. I think I enjoyed it. I was pretty worn out after watching it. I think it could've benefited from about 20 minutes more being cut off. [i say more because i know i saw a shorter version than Noe intended]

watched 'The Fountain" again, to see if maybe it was better than I remember, and its not. it had a lot of cool scenes and some ideas, but its so bloated and melodramatic and the ending is so long that it feels like youre watching a 180 minute film instead of a 90-minute film.

i'm making a top 50 list for the first decade of this century [00-09]. anything weird that i definitely need to see that might rock my world? I have a short list already of stuff i haven't seen yet, including
:
Ichi the Killer
Survive Style 5+
Dogville
Cache
Primer
2046
The Great World of Sound

A top 50 of the past 10 years? that's a cool idea. I'll have to do it too. I'll do one at the top of my head real quick, without stopping to think about it. Here goes!

1. eureka (2000)
2. reflections of evil
3. back against the wall
4. achilles and the tortoise
5. in praise of love
6. frownland
7. syndormes and a century
8. taste of tea
9. regular lovers
10. last life in the universe
11. i-be area
12. id
13. the other half
14. la captive
15. homecoming
16. os mutantes
17. shirin
18. bright future
19. izo
20. glory to the filmmaker
21. in the mood for love
22. enter the void
23. code unknown
24. eli eli rema sabatchthani
25. songs from the second floor
26. limits of control
27. sad vacation
28. frontiers at dawn
29. sharskin man and peach hip girl
30. mind game
31. man without a past
32. scumrock
33. funny ha ha
34. the checkout
35. werckmeinster harmonies
36. mutual appreciation
37. dead leaves
38. still life
39. millenium mambo
40. gerry
41. la vie nouvelle
42. lights in the dusk
43. taxidermia
44. sympathy for mr. vengeance
45. dolls
46. no country for old men
47. scott pilgrim vs the world
48. vital
49. dead or alive 2: birds
50. fulltime killer

Something like that. I'm missing so many great films, but again, I didn't stop to think about it. Naming a "top 50 of the past 10 years" is just insane, really, since there's just so many amazing movies that have come out. If we could narrow it down, like, "top 50 horror movies of the past decade" or "top 50 action movies of the past decade", I would probably be able to make a better list.

A FEW HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Mysterious Skin, Dead End Run, Mirrored Mind, Suicidal Variations, Mulholland Drive, Bird People of China, Peppermint Candy, Green Fish, Invisible Waves, Takeshis', Pop Skull, Paprika, NAQOYQATSI, Tsuburo No Gara, Exhausted, Life's a Twitch, Save the Green Planet, RSO (Registered Sex Offender), Fine.. Totally Fine, Kaizokuban: THE BOOTLEG FILM, The Room, Kaza-Hana, Mercy, Migrating Forms, Piano Tuner of Earthquakes, Nekonade, Watch Out, One Take Only, Real Fiction, The Isle, The Brown Bunny, A Forest with No Name, Odd One Dies, RR, Sogobi, Circling the Image, Scrap Heaven, Santa: THE FASCIST YEARS, Rampo Noir, American Movie, Searching for Wrong-Eyed Jesus, Alex and Her Arse Truck, Idiots and Angels, This is Nowhere, Late Bloomer, ELEVATOR MOVIE, Prometheus' Garden, All This Time, FLOATERS, Hole In My Heart, Container, Sombre, Uncle Goddamn, Ex-Drummer, Notre Musique, JUNK, Singularity Session, Baconhead, Period Piece, Actor, Garbanzo Gas, Slaughtered Vomit Dolls, INSIDE, Dandy Dust, Pony Trouble, Lake of Fire, Bad biology, sPLATTER: NAKED BLOOD, Hall Monitor, Funky Forest, ETC.. ...

ONE FINAL NOTE: Both "Pistol Opera" and "The Beaver Trilogy" should be in my top 10, I had no idea they were released past 2000.

and Love Exposure...

adam, i do realize editing down to 50 is tough. kinda why i wanted to do it. thanks for the list. i'll be sure to check a bunch of them out. oddly enough, i just got millenlium mambo from my library, maybe at the same time you were typing out your list, haha. i'm gonna watch it tonight i think

awesome, dave!

yep, me., totally forgot love exposure.. and THE HANGING GARDEN.

watched Black Xmas again. Every year since it came out we watch it while wrapping presents. I'm talking about Black Xmas. The Mary Elizabeth Winstead one. I dnt like the original strangely. At least not too much.

Man. The original BLACK CHRISTMAS is a classic! Great atmosphere.

Anyway..

MONDO ELVIS

No rating.. 30 minutes of Elvis worship .Weird as hell.



Can't really rate this, but this is awesome. It's nothing but trailers for every single Elvis movie. So, 33 trailers. that's it. NOTHING ELSE. But it's very entertaining, since Elvis' movies usually sucked A LOT and this is all the best scenes from them, back to back to back. That's awesome.



outside out - 8/10

weird as hell.

yeah a lot of people like it. Idon't think it's bad, but just sort of ok. I like the remake way more. I know I'm in the minority. Something just clicks with me about it.

Trash Humpers.

^While I didn't think the movie was that great, kudos to Drag City for putting it (and Final Flesh) out this year.

I just saw Black Swan and was blown away. It is by far Aronofsky's best film. Incredibly passionate and surprising and well done. The last 45 minutes was a sustained anxiety attack. And yes, the film still has his trademark too-transparent-and-in-your-face-for-some-people thematic elements, but it's just done much better this time.

Pi- 7/10
Requiem for a Dream- 3/10
The Fountain- 0/10
The Wrestler-7/10
Black Swan-9/10

...really dug it.

So that would make this and Scott Pilgrim my favorite films released this year. Still haven't seen that new Weersathakul yet...Inception and Harry Potter were wack.

The trailer for the new Terrence Malick film, Tree of Life, was pretty damn impressive with some beautiful imagery.

Thanks to you guys, I Netflix'ed The Taste of Tea and absolutely love it. I don't even know where to begin...it's jsut saturated with heart and humor. Those cosplayers in the subway cracked me the fuck up.

Been digging into the FOUND FOOTAGE FESTIVAL dvd's. These are badass. Basically, it's old weird as hell/funny clips two dudes found in thrift stores, garbage bins, and yard sales. Commecials, home movies, training videos for companies, instructional videos, all sorts of WEIRD shit.

If you're into TV CARNAGE, LOST AND FOUND VIDEO NIGHTS, those insane Negativland DVD's, and so on and so on and so on... this stuff is amazing. Personally, this is some of my favorite stuff in the world, as I've always been fascinated with the weirder side of our existence and nowadays I'd rather watch it than an actual movie (kinda like how all the recent albums I've downloaded of rednecks ranting, prank phone calls, and super strange spoken word stuff sounds much more interesting to me than actual "music" lately).

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I'm not a big Altman fan but if you've not seen Nashville, I'd say that's about the most quintessential Altman film going, along with maybe California Split, which I do really like. McCabe and Mrs Miller is also good. I definitely think you'll like Nashville, though. For better or worse, it has to be the ultimate Altman film.

Is Suspiria very violent? I'm tempted to watch it, though I don't like too gory and violent kind of horror movies.

Thanks Demonrail. I will eventually just get every Altman film ever, but I'll check those out next.

Slavo, I wouldn't call Suspiria very violent. The murders are unique and artful, and EXTREMELY colorful. So much so that the "violence" is hard to take seriously (in fact, the whole film is quite silly at times, but that's part of its charm). I think the most downright "gory" part is when a beating heart gets stabbed, but it looks fake as hell and is maybe 4 frames long. Glass shards land in a girl (it doesn't show it happening, just the aftermath), but it looks fake as hell too. A man gets attacked by a dog (looks fake as hell), and a woman gets trapped in a pit of barbed wire (which is just silly). That's about it. Compared to, oh... most Fulci films, it's not really very violent at all, though I guess it just depends on your definition of "violence".

It's quite a boring flick, though, eye-popping visuals aside. If you've never seen an Argento film, I wouldn't start with it. Go with Deep Red or Bird With the Crystal Plumage. They have the best pacing/music/direction/characters/story/etc. Tenebre is his best overall but it's one of his most violent and downright mean-spirited, which you probably wouldn't like I guess. But I wouldn't call any of his films overly violent, aside from parts of Stendhal Syndrome (has a weird bullet-going-through-someone's-face-in-slow-motion scene.. lots of rape too) and Third Mother (girl gets impaled with a pole through her vagina).

this was on the ATP channel Slavo but i missed it. i want to check it out too.

The best films I saw in the 00s were mostly documentaries. I don't think anyone's gonna look at that decade as a golden age for regular feature films but it was definitely one for the documentary.

My top ten of those would be:

9/11, Jules and Gedeon Naudet, 2002
In the Shadow of the Moon, David Sington, 2007
The King of Kong, Seth Gordon, 2007
Bowling for Columbine, Michael Moore, 2002
Dogtown and Z Boys, Stacy Peralta, 2001
Some Kind of Monster, Joe Berlinger, 2004
Helvetica, Gary Hustwit, 2007
Man on Wire, James Marsh, 2008
Jesus Camp, Rachel Grady, 2006
Fahrenheit 9/11, Michael Moore, 2004

Ten regular feature films I liked

Sideways
Talk to Her
Irreversible
Lord of the Rings
Volver
Traffic
Apocalypto
United 93
Mullholland Dr.
War of the Worlds

I tend to agree. Personally I think Argento is massively overrated, with much of his reputation based on the opening fifteen minutes of Suspiria - which are, admittedly, incredible. All of his films have flashes of brilliance but I don't think he's ever made one that really works as a whole. Tenebrae may be the closest he'll ever get. On the violent and mean-spirited tip, I don't think he'll ever outdo The Stendhal Syndrome. Argento might be a better producer than a director. Certainly I think the stuff he did with Michael Soavi is often far more interesting than the stuff he did on his own. Dellamorte Dellamore is better than any film Argento directed himself.

Deep Blues (documentary)

I agree with most of this; I think most of his early films are great, but at this point, he's made so many terrible films. He's produced some good 'uns though -- and let's not forget he cowrote ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (I think he produced it as well), one of the best films ever.

But yeah, tenebre just kicks ass, one of my favorite horror movies ever.

AtSonic: Never knew anyone else who seen Scumrock before! Thought is pretty funny and interesting film. Parts of it got kind of dull, but I couldn't stop watching it!
I'm about finish Resivoir Dogs for probably the 15th time

so now you agree that he's overrated?

I know I know but at like 5am or so

Argento cowrote the story for Once Upon a Time in the West, which isn't that big a deal. He definitely didn't produce it or even have a hand in writing the screenplay. At best, Argento is the poor man's Mario Bava.

this looks awesome.

and demon, yeah, documentaries have been great this past decade. king of kong and man on wire are probab;y gonna make my list. i liked dogtown too, but not that much.

As far as documentaries of the past 10 years go, I guess my favorite was AMERICAN MOVIE, by far. But I'd put MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES and anything Erol Morris did on there too (Erol Morris is probably the greatest documentarian of all time).

Been rewatching "the Films of Kenneth Anger" with my girlfriend. amazing stuff of course!

Watched few short films by Aki Kaurismäki:


Rocky VI


Thru the Wire


Those Were the Days

Saw Inception sunday night....IT was a fun movie.

It seemed to copmlicated for it's own sake.