Happy Face

I'm far from knowlegable so I'm happy to be corrected but from what I can gather, there's 3 centres's of Asian film:- Hong Kong tends to be more action oriented. More spectacle. The Hollywood of the East. Japan has more of a classic heratige than a thriving business at the moment. Kurosawa, Ozu, Kobayashi, Mizoguchi etc. Very slow and brooding. What action there is, is realistic and in short bursts. At the moment their best export is the cartoons of Hayao Miyazaki, the slower yakuza films of Takeshi Kitano or the bizarre mind-fucks of Takashi Miike. I think the most exciting area at the moment is South Korea. Kim Ki-duk, Chan-wook Park and that. A younger generation of director coming through.

Have you seen Iron Monkey? More wire work in it, but it's a classic.

But he's fictional. He never lived!

The French Connection and Serpico A New York cop double bill. I did like French Connection but Serpico was vastly superior. Only made 2 years later it doesn't have half of the action, the violence or the tension but it has a level of realism French Connection only claims to have. Looking up what each film won it's no surprise to see that FC cleared up at the oscars while Serpico won nothing. Both portray cops in a bad light, but while FC ends bleakly it still says they get the job done, that cops are essentially good people who move hell and high water to get the job done at a massive cost to their own lives. Serpico ends on a more positive note but is far more scathing of the entire force throughout the whole film. It's a far more depressing notion that the force is thoroughly corrupt. Hackman won the oscar as an officer using dubious methods to get the job done. He's excellent at it. His inner struggle with mistakes of the past and his determination not to repeat the mistakes, to prove his worth. The pain masked by indulgence in drink and women. It's all pitched perfectly. But Pacino's Serpico is a cut above. It's probably an easier role to play with a far more clearly defined arc. He starts as a rookie and goes through years of frustration which he fights at the cost of long term relationships. He has time to become more and more disillusioned. But saying that, Pacino hits every note spot on. Squeaky Al was always better than shouty Al.

can't understand that tbh. It's good seeing a few images here and there, plus avatars make the users instantly recognisable (yes more than the name). If you're gonna do that, you might as well just read a book! 164386[/snapback] What are you talking about, you half-French mentalist?? 164399[/snapback] C'est la vie. 164436[/snapback] Say you will, say you won't.... 164506[/snapback] Is the next line "say you do, say you don't"? Or am I mad? The Zutons thieving lyrics from B*witched

Sorry to see Glenn Roeder seems to have had a stroke... http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/image_ga...gallery.shtml?8 And Freddy man, what you doing? Short sleeves and a tie is wholly unacceptable... http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/image_ga...gallery.shtml?6

Fnarr Fnarr Viz should have sued tbh.

Scorsese's having a go at remaking it so we'll see.

LANGUAGE TIMOTHY! The theme music was class as well. 163984[/snapback] It's funkier than James Brown's plughole. Had it as my ring tone for a long time.

"Hello Pen"

I was always partial to Sorry. "TIMOTHY!"

When they hit the mark theyre absolute genius. Unfortunately Catterick was four or five genius moments of comedy packed into 3 hours of television. 163962[/snapback] "I know" Lucas and Walliams are a pair of punchline thieving sods.

I always thought Big Night Out was best, until I recently got the DVD. It hasn't aged so well. Some inspired moments of genius among a lot of "very poor" stuff.

I'm lauging just thinking of John Peel in a babies pram trying to toss a blanket over his legs to fully conceal himself.

"You're just a fakey cake maker and i ain't got time for yoo-hoo-hoo" The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer and the first couple of series of Shooting Stars were shows of genius proportions.

That's brilliant, also love the kitchen scene where they make breakfast with the stripper music. fantastic comedy. 163943[/snapback] I quite like M&W but I find that breakfast thing painfully unfunny. The kind of stuff my dad would do if a camera was turned on him.

Had a giggle at the last 20 or so. Lou and Andy were funnier when they were Reed and Warhol.

The Birds - If there's a better film about the female orgasm, I'm yet to see it. Princess Raccoon - Quite possibly the worst film about the forbidden love between a man and a raccoon that I've ever seen.

Had to be before Fearne Cotton started presenting.

I'll argue for a film I like or against a film i don't. There's poular films I love and arty farty ones I hate. I wouldn't say any film that breaks £100 million is shit or any blanket statement like that.

You complain Spielberg is too sentimental then recommend La Vita è bella as the best holocaust movie? Great film though. I agree.

I am a contrary fucker but you'll have to remind me where I slated Speilberg. 163827[/snapback] 163830[/snapback] OK, where did I argue the other side of the coin re populist entertainment? I've stood up for Big Brother, Busted and Spielberg. I'm going to look a right tit.

You Must. "Gootbye Jooo!"

I am a contrary fucker but you'll have to remind me where I slated Speilberg.

Whatever you think of his last 10 years or so (I'm quite a fan tbh) the man made Jaws, ET, Close Encounters, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Duel and the first half hour of Saving Private Ryan. No director has ever been as good at thrilling an audience save perhaps Hitchcock.