• Indie's BEST Puzzle/Cool Flicks •
04-23-03, 01:35 AM
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• Indie's BEST Puzzle/Cool Flicks •
Hey DVDTalk forumers what's happenin'?
I wanted to start a thread to share the above topic. Notice the "indie," meaning I was interested in hearing what somewhat obscure films you have seen that are either puzzle or cool movies. Foreign films count.
Now, the lines where those two types of films are drawn at may not be clearly defined in everyone's minds, so it's best to give examples.
I'm sure everyone here who is a DVD lover has come across Chris Nolan's Memento. Now considered mainstream, it was very much indie when it premiered at Sundance. THAT is a puzzle movie example. We piece together clues and occurences more often than in other pictures. What indie puzzle movies most gripped you (meaning I don't want lists of your Top 100!)?
A good example of a "cool" movie is just one that you thought was very hip and unconventional. For my example I'll use Shaolin Soccer, a film that will be bastardized by American company Dimension Films over the summer. Try to find the original Asian DVD. This movie was cool because of the special effects used...and the story was just wacky as heck (a character unites with his brothers to fuse Kung-Fu into playing soccer). What cool movies most made you pull out some shades?
I wanted to start a thread to share the above topic. Notice the "indie," meaning I was interested in hearing what somewhat obscure films you have seen that are either puzzle or cool movies. Foreign films count.
Now, the lines where those two types of films are drawn at may not be clearly defined in everyone's minds, so it's best to give examples.
I'm sure everyone here who is a DVD lover has come across Chris Nolan's Memento. Now considered mainstream, it was very much indie when it premiered at Sundance. THAT is a puzzle movie example. We piece together clues and occurences more often than in other pictures. What indie puzzle movies most gripped you (meaning I don't want lists of your Top 100!)?
A good example of a "cool" movie is just one that you thought was very hip and unconventional. For my example I'll use Shaolin Soccer, a film that will be bastardized by American company Dimension Films over the summer. Try to find the original Asian DVD. This movie was cool because of the special effects used...and the story was just wacky as heck (a character unites with his brothers to fuse Kung-Fu into playing soccer). What cool movies most made you pull out some shades?
04-23-03, 03:16 AM
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The Interview, w/ Hugo Weaving. Other than an unfortunate subplot involving internal affairs officers, it was a terrific whodunit (or, didhedoit).
04-23-03, 02:47 PM
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I once saw this German film...however I forget the title of it.
It dealt with three specific people with specific professions I believe. One I know for sure was a writer, the others maybe lawyer and I really dunno.
It was surreal. The three of four guys went into some psychedelic world and approached a door. In the next room they encountered something, I forget, that granted them all one wish.
I know it all sounds vague but maybe someone can help.
It dealt with three specific people with specific professions I believe. One I know for sure was a writer, the others maybe lawyer and I really dunno.
It was surreal. The three of four guys went into some psychedelic world and approached a door. In the next room they encountered something, I forget, that granted them all one wish.
I know it all sounds vague but maybe someone can help.
04-23-03, 03:04 PM
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Check out Alex Cox's 1999 film Three Businessmen. Great dialogue, great locations: 2 businessmen looking for dinner span 5 countries in one night.
And also, while I'm not sure if or when it'll come out on dvd, Cory McAbee's The American Astronaut was one of the best times I had in a theater. It's a low budget cowboy space opera with some damned memorable music numbers.
And also, while I'm not sure if or when it'll come out on dvd, Cory McAbee's The American Astronaut was one of the best times I had in a theater. It's a low budget cowboy space opera with some damned memorable music numbers.
04-23-03, 06:30 PM
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Puzzles
Nine Queens
Deathtrap
The Spanish Prisoner
Cool? Kinda hard to say but I liked
Mindwalk
Koyaanisqatsi
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
True West
Nine Queens
Deathtrap
The Spanish Prisoner
Cool? Kinda hard to say but I liked
Mindwalk
Koyaanisqatsi
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
True West
04-23-03, 06:35 PM
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"True West" was great. John Malkovich ranks, I think, among one of the best actors ever, including Cary Grant and Marlon Brando. Gary Sinise was great in that one too.
Still lookin' for that German film.....
Still lookin' for that German film.....
04-23-03, 06:56 PM
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Originally posted by DragoonElf
I once saw this German film...however I forget the title of it.
It dealt with three specific people with specific professions I believe. One I know for sure was a writer, the others maybe lawyer and I really dunno.
It was surreal. The three of four guys went into some psychedelic world and approached a door. In the next room they encountered something, I forget, that granted them all one wish.
I know it all sounds vague but maybe someone can help.
I once saw this German film...however I forget the title of it.
It dealt with three specific people with specific professions I believe. One I know for sure was a writer, the others maybe lawyer and I really dunno.
It was surreal. The three of four guys went into some psychedelic world and approached a door. In the next room they encountered something, I forget, that granted them all one wish.
I know it all sounds vague but maybe someone can help.
04-24-03, 08:45 AM
#14
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Originally posted by DragoonElf
That's it! "Stalker!" It's Russian is what it is. I see...
Thanks for the detective work CheapBastid. Have you/anyone seen the film? What'd you think?
That's it! "Stalker!" It's Russian is what it is. I see...
Thanks for the detective work CheapBastid. Have you/anyone seen the film? What'd you think?
I am so glad I made it to the Tarkovsky retrospective that played by me a few months ago. I caught Stalker, Andrei Rublev, The Mirror, and The Sacrifice (and have Solaris on dvd). They're some of the best movies I've ever seen.
And in the Tarkovsky vein, let me highly recommend Chris Marker's suberb 2000 documentary One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich. It's a wonderful essay and exploration of Tarkovsky's films.
04-25-03, 08:18 AM
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These are not really in the "cool" vein; they're demanding because of their philosophical, devious, non-linear, and/or symbolic narratives.
2001: A Space Odyssey
Solaris
Naked Lunch
Last Year At Marienbad
House of Games
Don't Look Now
The Stunt Man
The Ruling Class
...and, to some extent, Adaptation (what exactly are we seeing in the very last scenes?).
2001: A Space Odyssey
Solaris
Naked Lunch
Last Year At Marienbad
House of Games
Don't Look Now
The Stunt Man
The Ruling Class
...and, to some extent, Adaptation (what exactly are we seeing in the very last scenes?).
