Braggins wrote:LamarMatic7 wrote:Braggins wrote:The only German director I'm really familiar with off the top of my head is Werner Herzog. I'm actually really behind on European film. I got really into surrealism after discovering David Lynch and Alejandro Jodorowski, but I kind of fell out of my film obsession phase before I got to the French and German stuff. There was like a three year period where I was spending the vast majority of my free time watching all manners of films, but I've really slowed down the last couple years. Other than Lynch and Jodorowsky most of the surrealist stuff I've seen is Korean or Japanese, but I still also need to see more of what the Asian directors have to offer.
I'll probably end up watching Un Chien Andalou eventually. I'm guessing that scene probably isn't really THAT bad, but for some reason whenever I think about it I imagine it in the worst, most unsettling light imaginable and it disturbs the hell out of me. Other extreme gore that people would probably consider as disturbing has never been a big problem for me (although I don't exactly enjoy that stuff by any means), but for whatever reason the way I imagine that scene is just a complete deal breaker. I don't even like thinking about it lol.
Right.. Werner Herzog and Wim Wenders are like the two most well-known and regarded German directors of our times. Can't say that I've seen films by either of them though. Asia, meanwhile, is something completely foreign to me besides John Woo and the Shogun Assassin (Lone Wolf and Cub).
Cool to hear all this. I'm also a huge film junkie and am interested in European film and the genres which don't necessarily follow the Hollywood classic style. But, yeah, there's just so much to get to that there's always something you've yet to fully discover and see.
I have a feeling we could fill an entire thread talking about this stuff.
Where would be a good place to start with European directors for a junkie like myself? I definitely plan on getting to Bunuel and I'll look into Wim Wenders. Now that I think about it, "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans" is the only non-fiction I've seen by Werner Herzog. He has acted in a couple films by Harmony Korine that I like, though.
Shogun Assassin is off the chain! Theres really nothing else that needs to be said about that. "4th Chamber" from Liquid Swords is probably my all time favorite Wu-Tang related song.
Chan Wook Park (S. Korea) is pretty good. "Oldboy" is one of my all time favorites. It has gained pretty widespread cult popularity and even got a terrible American remake. You are probably at least aware of it if you haven't seen it already. Its part of a thematic trilogy, but the other two films aren't as good in my opinion, although they are still worth watching. "Thirst" is his other really popular work, but I actually haven't seen it yet.
Takashi Miike is probably the most famous current Japanese director. "Ichi The Killer" and "Thirteen Assassins" are both pretty good. His filmography is huge and he has dabbled in all kinds of genres, even including super commercial horror and kids movies lol. He made a film called "Gozu" that it supposed to be reminiscent of David Lynch's work, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.
Ugh,
Ichi the Killer. Boy, did that film throw me a curveball. Some of the subject matter there makes
Hateful Eight look like a kid's movie.
Oldboy is phenomenal though, truly a terrific movie. Not even going to risk tarnishing my memory of it by seeing the American remake b/c Spike Lee is garbage. Speaking of German films,
The Lives of Others is really good.
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Tarantino rank-fest:
Tier 1: Reservoir Dogs
Tier 2: Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill 1
Tier 3: Hateful Eight, Kill Bill 2, Inglorious Basterds
Tier 4: Django Unchained, Jackie Brown
Notes: DIdn't see Death Proof; didn't like Django much b/c Christoph's character was way more interesting than Jamie Foxx's, which seemed cartoonish
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Coen Bros Rank-fest:
Tier 1: The Big Lebowski, O Brother Where Art Thou, No Country For Old Men
Tier 2: Raising Arizona, Fargo, The Man Who Wasn't There
Tier 3: Barton Fink, Miller's Crossing, The Ladykillers
Tier 4: Burn After Reading, True Grit
Tier 5: Inside Llewyn Davis
