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Re: Rate the last movie you watched.
4/5.
4/5.
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Positive vibes, positive taught
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Re: Movie Reviews
We seldom pay tribute to the founding fathers of the Seventh Art, the following is to remember Georges Méliès, known as the "Father of Special Effects."
To summarize his work
- The movies aree really short - the later ones became a bit longer
- Most of the movies are conceived as "stage acts" meant to entertain, based on illusions - Méliès performed as a magician; the later, and longer ones, told a simple story
- Acting and the role of "actors" do not seem to be primordial
- The technical aspect is central
I recommend the following:
- Le locataire diabolique (1909) - is in color
- Le voyage dans la lune (1902) - feels, at times, more like an animation
- L'homme orchestre (1900) - is real short and simple
Some of them are available on Youtube; of course, the quality is poor.
- A documentary on Youtube
- Myspace profile
A Brief Description (From Wikipedia)
Before making films, he was a stage magician at the Theatre Robert-Houdin. In 1895, he became interested in film after seeing a demonstration of the Lumière brothers' camera...He directed 531 films between 1896 and 1914, ranging in length from one to forty minutes. In subject matter, these films are often similar to the magic theater shows that Méliès had been doing, containing "tricks" and impossible events, such as objects disappearing or changing size.
His most famous film is A Trip to the Moon (Le voyage dans la Lune) made in 1902, which includes the celebrated scene in which a spaceship hits the eye of the man in the moon. Also famous is The Impossible Voyage (Le voyage à travers l'impossible) from 1904. Both of these films are about strange voyages, somewhat in the style of Jules Verne. These are considered to be some of the most important early science fiction films, although their approach is closer to fantasy.
In addition horror cinema can be traced back to Georges Méliès's Le Manoir du diable (1896).
His 1899 short film Cleopatra was believed to be a lost film until a copy was discovered in 2005 in Paris.
In 1913 Georges Méliès' film company was forced into bankruptcy by the large French and American studios and his company was bought out of receivership by Pathé Frères. After being driven out of business Méliès became a toy salesman at the Montparnasse station. In 1932 the Cinema Society gave Méliès a home in Château d'Orly. Méliès did not grasp the value of his films, and with some 500 films recorded on cellulose, the French Army seized most of this stock to be melted down into boot heels during World War I. Many of the other films were sold to be recycled into new film. As a result many of these films do not exist today. In time, Méliès was rediscovered and honored for his work, eventually taking up stage performance.
A Comprehensive Article(Excerpt)
Méliès: Inspirations & Illusions
It is virtually impossible to over-estimate Georges Méliès' contribution to the art of film. His work stands alone and is as distinctive as that of all great geniuses. His pioneering visual techniques still maintain a wonder to all ages and it comes as no surprise that audiences who witnessed a succession of vanishing ladies, flying severed heads, monstrous bats and the Devil personified were astonished in much the same way that audiences are today.
Méliès' illusions were simply an extension of those he had performed as a young magician in the Théatre Robert-Houdin, however, the discovery of film opened up a whole new world for him, filled with opportunity.
For the integral text: http://www.mshepley.btinternet.co.uk/melies.htm
Next: Sergey Eisenstein????Last edited by Siamanto; 05-28-2008, 08:32 PM.What if I find someone else when looking for you? My soul shivers as the idea invades my mind.Comment
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Re: Movie Reviews
Georges Méliès knows his camera tricks.Comment
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Re: Movie Reviews
I enjoyed "Persepolis" enough to be encouraged to discover other Iranian directors. It's a remarkable work: I enjoyed the graphics, the plot, the dialogs etc.
Persepolis
The movies that I later watched - about ten - may or may not be representative of the the Iranian Movie Industry, but it seemed to me - based on my subjective appreciation - that they are either "mediocre" i.e. 2-4, or "exceptional" i.e. 6-8; nothing/very little in between???? Mediocre because of the poor camera work, poor acting, simplistic plot, poor editing, plain dialogs. However, some may not find them mediocre; for instance, "Close Up" is rated 8.2; I did not check the rating of all of them.
The movies that stood out are:
Gabbeh- Gabbeh: Visually delightful, tastefully colorful, beautiful scenery, technically good, story can be improved. I don't know in what part of Iran it was shot, but it seems to be about a Kurdish??? tribe, and it's a region where it snows.
Later, I have read that the director was influenced by Paradjanov
The House is Black- The House Is Black: A documentary about leprosy, good camera work, well done. At times, hard to watch????
Bashu, the Little Stranger- Bashu, the Little Stranger: The acting of the actress is remarkable, it's about the adoption/rejection of a boy who escapes the war in the south and ends up in a village in the north where he is considered as a "foreigner" - i.e. they don't understand the language - Arabic??? - he speaks, and, "notice" too often the color of his skin.
Last edited by Siamanto; 06-01-2008, 10:11 PM.What if I find someone else when looking for you? My soul shivers as the idea invades my mind.Comment
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Re: Movie Reviews
USE THE FOLLOWING THREAD FOR MOVIE REVIEWS:
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Re: Movie Reviews
I thought that the other thread was for "Banned" members???
Actually, I like your idea of merging the two; do you want to PM Anonymouse or a Mod/Admin of your choice?
Unfortunately, I have started posting here; I'll wait until the two threads are merged.What if I find someone else when looking for you? My soul shivers as the idea invades my mind.Comment
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Re: Rate the last movie you watched.
Does anyone know of this?????? Looks good.
KELE LAO
Last edited by Azad; 06-03-2008, 07:25 PM.Comment
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Re: Rate the last movie you watched.
What is this about?Originally posted by Azad View PostDoes anyone know of this?????? Looks good.
KELE LAO
http://youtube.com/watch?v=j7Y7xcxKKDs&feature=related
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Re: Rate the last movie you watched.
I don't know. It looks good.Originally posted by robertik1 View PostWhat is this about?
This is one of the least advertised movies I have ever seen.
The only thing I find is a My Space page with nothing in it.
It looks like an Armenian family in France were the kid is kidnapped...Comment
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Re: Rate the last movie you watched.
Garden State, 10/10Comment
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