Assembled Cinema, Thursday to Sunday

This Thanksgiving was to be purposeful for many reasons. Most of my plans ran by the shitside, but I DID watch a tonne of movies. I had lots of time - and more time added on after that as if it was some soccer game and the time was kept by god - so I watched lots of stuff. This is my list of most interesting to least.

1. Best of it all was "Contempt" (Mepris) by Godard (DVD/Mt. Greenwood Library). Loved it. Many things. Never paid much attention to Bridget Bardot, but now I know. Never paid atten to her - but now. When this film was to be filmed, I read that it caused a great stir of interest because of the teaming of Godard and Bardot - the super hot director and the super hot women. I could imagine the excitement. The producers wanted to have some naked shots of her i the story -who wouldn't - but Godard just shot a small little bit to be put @ the front of the film showing her fine backside to the camera while she talks to Michel Piccoli. I loved that sometimes she slipped into a wig - she was famous for her blonde hair. Piccoli was kool too. He wore a hat that he said was to remind him of Dean Martin in some movie-- but his look kept reminding me of John Lurie in "Stranger than Paradise". He looked a lot like him, and guess that maybe even the earlier look was an influence on Lurie.

And Bardot. Never had I any interested in her - and she's still not my archtype of femininity ( I have many archetypes, actually - a smattering of tomboy is always welcome, as well as many other very feminine attributes. But she consistently looked great, and was a great counterpoint to Lurie...err, i mean Piccoli. Loved the outfits.

And a beautifully filmed film. The houses, the Med., the blue blues, red reds, and yellow yellows that dominate the visuals of this movie are really striking. Godard had done b/w before this, and from my reading on the film this was to be his first $$Colourfilm$$. He did well.

2. “Mrs. Brown” (VCR/Harold Washington Library). I'm a bit of an anglophile, so 2h about a an old queen fucking a Scotsman is enough of a plot for me. Great flick, however. Brown was great. This was a film I figgered I could get my Mom to watch - it was supposed to be good, it was in English, and it wasn't too strange of a story. She didn't watch it all, but I did hear a snigger out of her a few times.

3. “Hawks and Sparrows” (VCR/HWL) After loving “Matthew” and hating “Arabian Nights” I get another good Pasolini film. Not quite the Matthew height, but the super scene was worth the whole film - the two main characters walk up to a rural restaurant where there are ten guys tying to get a hep danse down to some hep rock tango. It’s a great idea, done and filmed well - koolplus as they reuse the song throughout the film. There were uncool parts to the film, but overall it was pretty good. Take away that one scene and the film loses most of it's superness.

4.“Quantum of Solace” (Ridge Theatre/film) Went to the late 9.30p on Saturday. It’s always funny getting out of a film there / that late - there are more garbage bags stacked next to each other than people meandering out, and the food lobby just outside the theatre doors is particularly empty. I was hungry going in and was too cheap to pay the fuckin’ $5 for popcorn - but I had the orange. Bond was good , but nowhere as entertaining as the last one.

5. “Classe Tous Risque” (DVD/Mt.G Lib) Lovely French gangster drama. I love French police films where they put up roads blocks and check all the bus and train stations. I’ve seen lots of’m. This one had an innovative way to fool the police. Good flick.

6."Women of the night" (DVD/HWL) Japanese film, 1940's, director under the direct influence of the Italian Neo Realist movement, and about prostitutes. Hmm. I know one person who likes all of that. Well, i'm not sure about the Italian Neo Realistic thing, but a film about Japanese prostitutes is rite up his alley. The older sister was hot. The younger?

7."Rush Hour 3" (Mt.GL/ DVD)I have always liked both Jackie and Chris Tucker, and I realised this would be a lite watch, I do so Like to laugh. I liked the first two films - I have a soft spot for buddy cop films enough -I liked Lethal Weapons and etc... I like Kung Fu type movies. It was ok. I laughed. I even laughed when Chris Tucker made the vulger toss away remark to a girl who needed to freshen up in the bathroom "Hey- do you need a match?" typical of the humour in nthe film. As a 10yo I mita laughed @ the joke, but now I laugh @ how stupid the joke is. But I laughed.

8."The Monster" (VCR/HWL)- I wanted to get this because one of my favourite actors is in this film - "Monsieur Hire"'s Michel Blanc. It's an Italian film - Blanc is French -so it was as arresting watching him speak Italian as the first time I saw him speak English. Pretty stupid, butlite enough.

9."La Haine" (DVD/HWL) It was way late when I watched this film anbout the streets of Paris and three blokes who inhabit them. It was ok, but I was tired and sleepy. Maybe I should try it again.

10. and 11. "Everest (IMAX)" (DVD/HWL) and "Return to Everest". (VCR/HWL) I'm in a huge mountain climbing/Everest mood lately, and I thought that these two films would give me lots of great visuals to go along w/ all the words about these subjects that I have found so beautiful. Not so. Both sucked and were a great dissapointment. Especially the IMAX one. "Return" was more of a cultural thing about the Sherpas, and the IMAX film - although some kool shots -bored. I actually have another film on Everest in my napsack - it's an educational thing geared towards HS students - but it can't be as big a dissapointment as theese two. Don't watch them. Dissapointment maximus.

"Irma Veep" (Shulzer Library/VCR) and "Fire"(DVD/HWL) both had problems. I'd already seen "Fire" a few ears back, but had mixed it up w/ "Earth". Didn't rtewatch it because I had so many other films. "Irma Veep" intrigued - a mix of languages betwixt French and English and me in the mood - but the tracking was like the Bears this year. Horrid. Couldn't make it through 15m before realising that the tacking would be messed, so I hit stop. Otra beis.