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HoldenMartinson

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Posts posted by HoldenMartinson

  1. Posted

    You know, I hate to be someone who digs in their heels before there's a discussion to be had, but I'm a hard, hard, HARD no. I find this movie to be incredibly irritating. For whatever reason, Labyrinth has always rubbed me the wrong way. I like Jennifer Connelly. I really like David Bowie's 70's output. I have no affection for Labyrinth. It's gonna take something miraculous to sway me.

  2. Posted

    I watched Pennies from Heaven this weekend. I also watched Albert Brooks's Modern Romance this weekend, which is similarly about a self-centered dude who does not fully live in reality, and whose significant other does not deserve his emotional abuse. I may prefer the latter film, but I totally relate to both characters, and I get living so outside of reality that you lack any awareness towards how you treat the people that matter most to you. When Amy relates to Steve Martin in Pennies from Heaven, that totally makes sense.

     

    Plus, I love how absolutely different this film is. Like Amy said, there's nothing quite like it. Why can't we celebrate something smart and sad and weird like Pennies from Heaven the way we celebrate cult gems like Re-Animator or They Live? Personally, I want a big canon, and the canon is big enough for Pennies from Heaven.

    • Like 2

  4. Posted

    There's a great A.V. Club article about how the Coens' films from No Country for Old Men on are paired with each other thematically. So, there are a few "versus" potentials.

     

    Specifically...

    No Country for Old Men vs. Burn After Reading

    A Serious Man vs. True Grit

    Inside Llewyn Davis vs. Hail, Caesar!

     

    http://www.avclub.co...nd-its-b-231871

     

    Personally, I love both of these films. They're excellent Coen brothers films. Inside Llewyn Davis might be up there with Fargo and Miller's Crossing, as far as their strongest works are concerned. A Serious Man may not be as exciting, but it's a damn well-made film. So, I'd be down for a versus of these two.

  5. Posted

    I think Amy has a point about Charlize Theron. I haven't seen the movie Amy was talking about, and I'm not a fan of Charlize's serious movies, But she played her part perfectly in Season 3 of Arrested Development. And I thought Young Adult was memorable and ballsy.

     

    Rita coooorny, Michael.

     

    r284mh.jpg

    • Like 1

  6. Posted

    Pennies From Heaven is terrific. As much as I begrudge Amy for forcing a modern musical in the form of The Rocky Horror Picture Show upon us, this is a legitimately excellent film, and I'm really excited to hear her thoughts. As was the case with Devin and Re-Animator, this has got to be a really special picture if Amy's a fan.

  7. Posted

    I grew up with Brooks's films, and Blazing Saddles is probably his best. It's an easy yes.

     

    Also, Amy, I found the screenwriter's girlfriend you were describing, and let me send a "fuck her" of solidarity your way--though, I'm mostly disappointed in said screenwriter.

    • Like 3

  11. Posted

    Gosh, this is hard...

     

    I voted George as he's usually my default answer--but the reason I choose him should probably disqualify him as my "favorite" Beatle. I like George because he seems to be the perfect marriage of Lennon and McCartney--taking the best qualities of each. He was acerbic and funny like John, but incredibly melodic, and as musically gifted, as McCartney. Even his voice, especially during his time with the Beatles and the early 70's, seems to be a blend of both Lennon and McCartney. I look at George as more this normal-ish type of guy who was surrounded by these two geniuses (not to say he wasn't a genius in his own right) and rather than sit in the shadows (which he very well could have done), he used that opportunity, and that proximity to two great songwriters, to improve his own set of skills.

     

    I love John, but I feel like a lot of his solo stuff was poorly produced. I also don't like how often he would attack McCartney for his "sentimentality," when he could be just as guilty of it ("Oh, Yoko" and "Woman" anyone?)

     

    Paul is also wonderful ("Dear Boy" off of Ram is one of my favorite songs), but I feel like, at least for a while, he was trying to be a little too commercial--to good and bad effect. However, there is at least one or two songs on every McCartney solo album that I absolutely love. And I actually enjoy his latest, New , quite a lot.

     

    And Ringo...well, he's great. However, to me, he's always been more of a Personality (capitalization intentional). He's kind of like the Kevin Smith of the Beatles. He has some middling to pretty okay stuff, but he's more of a "character" than a standout in his field.

     

    The problem with a lot of their solo stuff is that they were still producing about the same level of quality music, but having to fill a whole album by themselves. What I've always wanted, and I'm sure I could put together if I really had the inclination, is to construct a series of "Beatles" albums spanning 1970-1980. Using basically the same formula as when they were together, (i.e. 1 song from Ringo, 2 from George, and 5-6 each from Lennon/McCartney) and listen to what they "might have been."

     

    1970 might have been All Things McCartney Ono Band Blues, and might have looked something like this:

     

     

    1) Working Class Hero (Lennon)

     

    2) Every Night (McCartney)

     

    3) Hold On (Lennon)

     

    4) Another Day (McCartney)

     

    5) What is Life (Harrison)

     

    6) Maybe I'm Amazed (McCartney)

     

    7) Look at Me (Lennon)

     

    8) Momma Miss America (McCartney)

     

    9) Beaucoups of Blues (Covered by Starr)

     

    10) Junk (McCartney)

     

    11) My Sweet Lord (Harrison)

     

    12) I Found Out (Lennon)

     

    13) All Things Must Pass (Harrison)

     

    14) God (Lennon)

     

    Although not perfect by any stretch (I could probably do without "Another Day"), but if produced by George Martin, I think it would have been a pretty awesome Beatles album. The last four songs could even be done as a medley much like the end of Abbey Road.

    This rivals Mason Sr.'s Black Album.

    • Like 1

  15. Posted

    My answer is George, runner-up being anyone other than John. All of The Beatles were terrible people, but John may be the most problematic. His love and peace mantra that he's known for would be interesting if he wasn't a terrible father, and an abusive, philandering husband. Maybe Lennon's greatest transgression is letting Yoko Ono take the fall for breaking up The Beatles when he was just as responsible, if not more so, for the band's end. That's another thing that I don't necessarily blame Lennon for, but that really bothers me: The way we, as a culture, trash Yoko Ono, when John Lennon is far more reprehensible as a human being. It's really unfair.

    • Like 1

  16. Posted

    I am not a fan of The Beatles. They're not overrated, but they also don't do anything for me. Having been raised on The Beatles, and having listened to all of their records many times, I'm pretty burnt out on them.

     

    That said, having seen A Hard Day's Night, I was almost re-converted. The film is so energetic, so charming, and so irresistible that I was nearly sold on the band all over again. Hell, pre-Revolver is my favorite era. So, if ever there was a way for The Beatles to bring me back in, it would be through this. A Hard Day's Night is a great comedy, and the impact it has had is undeniable. This is an easy yes.

     

    That said

    Best Beatle: George

    Best album: Revolver

    Best song: "A Day in the Life"

  18. Posted

    Since the old forums, I've been championing Police Story. I like The Legend of the Drunken Master, but Police Story is the one I'd champion. This is not one I'd want to do as a versus, since both are so different, and so goddamned awesome. With that in mind, either of these getting in would be fine.

  22. Posted

    Yeah. Sherlock, Jr. is the superior achievement, but The General is an honest-to-goodness miracle. It's so full of life, nearly a hundred years later. And there are action films today that don't come close to the level of inventiveness that Keaton has on display here. What's more, I don't think The General could be made today. Keaton is far too involved than actors are allowed to be--unless you're, say, Jackie Chan, and you're already making your own movies anyway. Of course, filmmakers like Chan are hugely influenced by Keaton, and by films like The General.

     

    I usually fall more in line with Devin on things, but Amy was totally right. This is so kinetic. I don't even think I checked the time while watching this one, because it's so engrossing. That said, I have felt Devin is a little right about the train stuff. At least the first time around, it does become a bit strained, but it's still so great, and the gags are so awesome that it doesn't even matter. Also, I don't think Keaton is using trick logs. I think he just knew how to make the gag work. Keaton's obviously crazy athletic, and knows how to make far more daring things work with greater authenticity that I can totally believe he really made the beam gag work without any crutches.

  23. Posted

    I'd love to an episode like the for The Godfather trilogy, where could potentially induct the whole trilogy all at once. They're all so great, but are doing different things thematically, and technically. So, it'd be somewhat unfair to pit them against one another. That said, if forced, I'd maybe go Before Sunrise, then Before Midnight, and then Before Sunset. But again, they're all terrific.

  24. Posted

    Amy loves Errol Morris--not to mention he's one of the eminent documentarians in all of cinema--so this is mostly just a matter of time. The Fog of War is great. I'd also put forth The Thin Blue Line, Standard Operating Procedure, and Gates of Heaven. That said, it's really difficult to wrong in any direction.

  25. Posted

    Oh man, The General is really a special film to me. One of my profs uses the scene with the train crashing down the bridge to demonstrate the impact of structures that aren't sound. I would watch it constantly while studying for the exam ... so, there were a lot of nerdy feelings coming up, while revisiting the film for the show. Also, on a different issue, I noticed that the damsel in distress was pretty pro-active for its time. She seems to save him about as many times as he saves her. That's something I had totally forgotten about.

    That's kinda what I love about Keaton films: He loooooves women.

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