[Dr. Eugene Felikson]

Citizen Kane
2001: A Space Odyssey
Lord of the Rings trilogy
Matrix Revolutions
Avatar
Superman Returns
Geek Maggot Bingo
Hancock
300
Return to Horror High
Return of the Killer Tomatoes
Salo
Finding Nemo
La Dolce Vita

[EVOLghost]

you got mail.

[lucyrulesok]

quantum of solace

[Derek]

Suspiria

[SONIC GAIL]

most of what gets thrown out into the theatres

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by Dr. Eugene Felikson

Citizen Kane
2001: A Space Odyssey
Salo
La Dolce Vita

Originally Posted by EVOLghost

you got mail.

no, he got caca in his head!

srsly maaaaaaang!

[Skuj]

Originally Posted by Dr. Eugene Felikson

Citizen Kane*
2001: A Space Odyssey*
Lord of the Rings trilogy*
Matrix Revolutions
Avatar
Superman Returns
Geek Maggot Bingo
Hancock
300
Return to Horror High
Return of the Killer Tomatoes
Salo*
Finding Nemo
La Dolce Vita*

I asterixed 5 of my favourite films. I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass.

[atsonicpark]

Mostly good list.. I hate Salo.... La Dolve Cita is kinda awesome though.

Most boring film I've seen was probably the first Pirates of Carribean film.

[atsonicpark]

Nice Tenebre sig, btw. That film's a masterpiece.

Suspiria is kinda boring aside from the opening murder and some of the colors, but it doesn't even TOUCH the most boring horror film ever made:Argento's INFERNO.

[noisereductions]

besides Opera, Argento mostly sucks. He just hides beyond beautiful colors and movement.

Suspiria is prtty good though.

I dont find Citizen Kane boring.

I find 97% of most non-horror or docu films boring though. I mean if you took all of them in the world. Theres probably more crap than good.

music too.

and other stuff.

[SONIC GAIL]

yep what he sais

[Dr. Eugene Felikson]

I liked 8 1/2 a lot, but La Dolce Vita scared me away from the rest of Fellini's work. It's one of those films that I can watch clips from and go, "Yeah, I can see the dreamlike beauty in this," yet I found myself getting mentally sidetracked when trying to withstand it's 3 hour run-time.

I could easily see someone getting bored with Suspiria, as the plot is a little weak in that one, but my eyes were too busy sodomizing my brain for me to really notice. Derek, have you checked out Phenomena? It's my favorite Argento flick, and I'd recommend it over Suspiria any day.

Originally Posted by Skuj

I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass.

Is that a new release?

[noisereductions]

Phenomenon is yr favorite??? What? It's so silly. Have you seen Opera? Opera is so ... woah.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by Dr. Eugene Felikson

I liked 8 1/2 a lot, but La Dolce Vita scared me away from the rest of Fellini's work. It's one of those films that I can watch clips from and go, "Yeah, I can see the dreamlike beauty in this," yet I found myself getting mentally sidetracked when trying to withstand it's 3 hour run-time.

the first time i saw la dolce vita i came home drunk at 3am and wanted something to eat and on the kitchen tv (i was still living w/ my parents) there was this crazy-ass scene of a dude, his dad, and some hookers that got my attention, and i was "what the fuck is this"? and watched till the end. it was la dolce vita. i must have been 18 or 19.

since then i've seen that movie maybe 10 times, it's my favorite movie ever.

maybe this doesn't make sense to you in a world of tmz and perez hilton, but back in the post-war era the world was changing, in many ways for the worse.

la dolce vita is not about dreamlike beauty, it's about the progressive degradation of an artist when he fails to find answers in his work, in god, in philosophy, in his own family, in women, in art, and gives up writing his promising novel altogether to end up being a publicist for hire who doesn't give a shit about anything and jumps from one meaningless orgy to another. i qualify this with "meaningless" because there are good ones--but i digress.

when you watch it again (if you watch it again), first make sure you have a proper screen and the right aspect ratio (many old versions were chopped off to fit TVs); then pay attention to the "parts" that the movie is divided into-- because of its episodic nature, the film works like a novel (most movies work like a short story with one main plotline). there are lots of symbolic elements in the thing, i.e., the girl at the beach resort that he sees again at the end (but can't hear this time); his friend steiner the intellectual whom he runs into (significantly) a church--and what happens to him later; the fucking helicopter jesus for fucks sakes! and all of this comes together in a way that works like an essay, not a straighforward manifesto but a meandering exposition of the life of an artist progressively lost to what's worst in the XX century (in the XXI century it's not "worse" because there is little to compare, it's just the universe in which we live, or-- there's worse even-- like 2 girls 1 cup).

anyway, check it out again before you throw away your film dreams and end up making gangbang porn in some lost hovel of the san fernando valley (then again, this might be your dream, so i don't know).

[atsonicpark]

Originally Posted by noisereductions

besides Opera, Argento mostly sucks. He just hides beyond beautiful colors and movement.

This quote makes no sense. He "hides" behind direction and cinematography (also, the "beautiful colors" are in exactly two of his films: Suspiria and Inferno, which are definitely in the lower spectrum of his works)? Isn't that what directing is? His films are interesting to look at, sure -- more interesting than 99% of directors -- but his films have a lot of depth to them too. He's a master. His atmosphere is frequently incredible. Though for pure Italian horror, I prefer Fulci, who is a lot more consistently interesting (LIZARD IN A WOMAN'S SKIN, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD/GATES OF HELL, THE BEYOND, DON['T TORTURE A DUCKLING, THE PSYCHIC, NEW YORK RIPPER, and countless others are indispensable works of pure horror, some of the most genuinely unsettling I've ever seen.) Anyway, I'm not sure how a director can "hide" behind "movement" either...

Basically.. BIRD WITH THE CYSTAL PLUMAGE = masterpiece. TENEBRE = masterpiece. STENDHAL SYNDROME = masterpiece. DEEP RED = motherfucking masterpiece. Fuck it -- His animal trilogy is incredible! Opera is really good, too -- it's one of his most "colorful" films (the actual "colors" are muted and drab in most of the scenes; I don't mean colorful in the literal sense, moreso in the plot, which takes characters from an opera house to the country side, to a few dream sequences, and inside of a burning building; this film is all over the place), certainly one of his dreamy and theatrical, and surprisingly one of his least-liked. But I'll go ahead and defend it; the POV shots of the crows was a very welcome and artistic touch.. it was the first Argento I saw, and it got me hooked. Trauma is really amazing... underrated certainly. Third Mother was surprisingly good. And let's not forget Argento was one of the writers of one of the greatest films ever, ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST.

Originally Posted by noisereductions

Phenomenon is yr favorite??? What? It's so silly.

I will agree that Phenomena is kinda lame though. Certainly not one of his better works at all; Dr. Eugene is the first person whose posts I've read that seems to have a great love for it. It's got some okay visuals, and the opening murder is amazing, but it's just way too long. Hell, I prefer CREEPERS to it, one of the few times I prefer a censored version -- it excises about 45 minutes or so, which makes the pacing a hell of a lot better.

...I respect Argento highly as someone who is committed to his vision -- since he's made almost nothing but horror movies -- and he has been consistently great (well, he was; I would say the last decade hasn't been too kind to him, but he made good films for nearly 30 years), and he is far more talented than most of the other horror hacks. He has made some absolutely horrible films, like PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and SLEEPLESS... and CARD PLAYER.. and DO YOU KNOW HITCHCOCK... and INFERNO... and so on.. hah. But his good films are REALLY good. He's actually kinda underrated, especially when compared to even someone like Bava -- who many genre stalwarts claim is faultless -- he has been an inspiring director who frequently crafts well-made films... that frequently lapse into some truly headscratching moments, but I assume most of that is from the language barrier. Something lost in translation.

Also, aside from the amazing Jorg Buttergeit (who made the classic Nekromantik films as well as Schramm and Der Todesking), he is one of the few directors who actually has injected some stylization and art into his films. So many horror films feel cliche, going from point A to point B; I like directors who take chances.. that's why Argento's films stand out -- evne the lousy ones. He is an artist, and as an artist, even his worst films are interesting, even when they don't work, because he's incapable of making something truly bad, for the most part (though Phantom of the Opera comes close). There are very few horror auteurs making truly original films, and he's one of the master directors who deserves respect. Tenebre should be on the CRITERION COLLECTION, honestly.

[noisereductions]

I think he's over-rated.you dn't think it's possible for a director to hide his shortcomings by highlighting his strong point(s)? Argento is totally visual, but I don't get much else from him. His stories are generally Hitchcock ripoffs. And how many "gloves" do we need as vilains? I wouldn't call his dialogue great either. SO to me he has one really great sense (the visual side) and other than that he's not a great director. BUt people hype his shit like he's brilliant. Honestly I've seen at least a dozen if not more of his films. There's a small handful I found enjoyable.

The ones you listed as horrible films are horrible. And I'd say that the majority of his films just didn't entertain me or I found them too --- I don't know? Can you be a cliche of yrself?

Now Fulci is far more consistant. That part I agree with.

[noisereductions]

Argento is definitely a very frustrating director. It seems like he doesn't even know his own strengths and weaknesses, and his films are often overlong and indulgent. I've noticed that many films have logical endings -- but then he often will tack on more after the ending to make a "real" ending (see: Opera, Creepers/Phenonemon/Stendhal for examples). He definitely stretches out his worst scenes for too long, and he just kinda skirts around the truly brilliant scenes. Still, when he's on, he's on, and he actually kinda surprises me sometimes. For example, "Trauma", in particular, surprised me with its violence. He's an interesting director, though I think he's an awful storyteller.

[noisereductions]

when you brought up Bava were you referencing Mario or Lamberto?

[Dr. Eugene Felikson]

Pauly Shore Is Dead
The Bellboy
Trash Humpers
TMNT (2007)

Thanks for the analysis, $#(#$*)(*#)$(*)(%*#)(^*(*#($&#%,, I'll definitely have to re-watch LDV with a new perspective. I trust your judgement, you're a good man.

Brad, as a lover of Death Proof, and Deadly Friend, it's odd to me that you'd make the argument of Phenomena being too silly to be a masterpiece. Especially after claiming that Argento's greatest, and pretty much only strength is making a visually captivating film. Which I'd agree with it being his biggest strength, yet I wouldn't say that it's exclusive.

The reason I love Phenomena so much is that it's a majestically captivating, adventurous, campy-horror-detective flick that's not afraid to be a little rough around the edges. It provides many impressive visuals, while not being as hellbent on being silky smooth like many of Argento's other flicks, which gives the film a fine raw edge that a much higher praised film, like Suspiria, lacks. Plus, Donald Pleasance (RIP), and Jennifer Conelly both did an outstanding job in each of their roles, and the ending is fucking AWESOME, on-par with Sleepaway Camp.

I've never bothered with Creepers, and probably never will. I wouldn't wanna plague my brain with the remains of a slaughtered masterpiece. I'm not alone in my adoration either.

From IMDB -

Absolutely Phenomenal! 19 January 2007 | by Benjamin Gauss (Salzburg, Austria) – See all my reviews
This Is A Review Of The Uncut Version.

Dario Argento's "Phenomena" of 1985 is an absolute masterpiece of horror coming along with an ingenious soundtrack by Goblin. Argento has enriched the Horror/Giallo genre by quite a bunch of brilliant films, including such stunning pictures as "The Bird With The Crystal Plumage" (1970), "Tenebre"(1982) and "Opera" (1987), "Penomena" is (in my opinion) his greatest achievement alongside his masterpieces "Suspiria" of 1977 and "Profondo Rosso" of 1975. A brilliant, extremely scary, stunning and visually breathtaking film, "Phenomena" is an absolute must-see for every Horror-fan.

Jennifer Corvino (Jennifer Conelly), the daughter of an American movie star, is sent to an elite girl's boarding school in the Swiss mountains, more precisely in a part of Switzerland referred to by locals as 'The Swiss Transylvania'. The area is currently terrorized by a serial killer of girls, whose victims are always heinously dismembered. Although a friendly and lovable person, Jennifer does not make too many friends in the boarding school, and due to her sleepwalking most of the other girls think of her as weird. But sleepwalking is not her only unusual characteristic. Jennifer loves insects, and insects also seem to have a strong affection for her. While Inspector Geiger (Patrick Buchau) is investigating the brutal murders, Jennifer befriends wheelchair-bound entomologist Prof Mc Gregor (Donald Pleasence), who helps the police with their investigations...

Then 15-year-old Jennifer Conelly's acting is simply outstanding, a perfect performance from the beginning to the end. The supporting cast is also very good, the great Donald Pleasence's performance as Prof Mc Gregor is just one of many very memorable performances in "Phenomena". As usual for Argento, the movie is impressively photographed on great, scary locations. Dario Argento has always placed great emphasis on impressive colors (especially red, of course), and hardly ever have I seen a movie as visually stunning and awe-inspiring as Phenomena. The brilliant Progressive Rock Soundtrack by Goblin manages to even intensify the suspense, and is one of the best scores I have ever heard in a horror film.

Partially a Giallo, and partially a horror film with psychic and transcendental elements, "Phenomena" is a creepy film that is scary as hell. It is also easily one of Argento's most brutal movies, and therefore maybe not the kind of film for people who are too sensitive when it comes to violence in movies. Phenomena was also released under the title "Creepers" in the US, but that was a cut (or should I say mutilated) version of only 82 minutes. I have always seen the uncut version, which runs about 111 minutes, and I definitely recommend anybody else to do so, since every minute of the movie is stunning and indispensable, and I can't even imagine which (certainly essential) 29 minutes they cut out in the other versions. A true masterpiece of horror cinema, "Phenomena" is, in my opinion, Dario Argento's greatest movie besides "Suspiria" and "Profondo Rosso". Superbly written and directed, outstandingly acted, impressively photographed and extremely creepy and scary from the beginning to the end "Phenomena" is absolutely phenomenal. A stroke of genius! 10/10

 

And damn AC, I didn't know Schramm was by the same guy who did the Nekromantik films! I was actually planning on watching it tonight. I'm super pumped now.

[automatic bzooty]

i love the look of 2001, but the majority of the film itself is... so boring. so fucking boring.