Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cinema

Best B-movie docs

lhall — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:00:42 -0800

What are the best documentaries about b-movies, fandoms, and weird or niche interests which often involve a widespread community, such as zombies? I'm looking to fill in the gaps of my knowledge while also watching the original films...or at least the MST3K versions.

Stuff like Trekkies (fandom-related), a non-fiction Shadow of the Vampire perhaps (film-specific), or documentaries such as The Boy from Out of This World or Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story (neither of which I've yet seen, but which appear to deal with the history of b-movie productions as well as specific films).

Also great would be stuff like Zombie Girl (though not about the making of a b-movie per se, there's still the fandom and weirdness elements).

Thanks!

Please help me identify a movie using only this vaguely remembered scene

mindwarp — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:32:59 -0800

There is a movie I saw very distractedly around 1996-2000, featuring a scene I keep thinking about. I don't remember much beyond that one scene but I do recall the haunting mood of the film. I'd like to watch it again sometime, but can't seem to identify it. It is a tale taking place in the nocturnal underworld of some city featuring a young boy (a teenager, I think -- coming of age aspects to the main plot?) and an older but still relatively young man, who has a dark, somewhat devilish vibe to him and is a sort of guide/mentor to the boy as they navigate the city. There is a definite David Lynch like quality to this movie, and the story unfolds as if in a dream.

In the scene I remember the man takes the boy to some woman he knows; she appears to be one of the man's shadier and more bizarre contacts in the city. She is a psychic or clairvoyant or voodoo type or some other sort of occultist. The boy's introduction to the woman is arguably accompanied by a suggestion of sexual tension. The woman gives drugs to the boy, in the form of powder to be snorted. I think the boy takes the drug first, then asks what it was, seeming to believe it was cocaine. It is then revealed that the white powder was in fact heroin, at which the boy becomes flustered and afraid. As the drug kicks in, however, he has some sort of inner vision or psychic experience which is somehow important to the plot.

That's about all I remember, written down as carefully as I could. Some of it could be inaccurate or misleading. I realize that the chances of identifying this movie going on so little are next to nil. Nevertheless, if any of the above rings a bell for you, I would greatly appreciate any guesses. I believe I would recognize it readily if I was looking at it on IMDB.

Thanks a lot! :)

Name that 2002 Japanese Movie

Beautiful Screaming Lady — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:26:52 -0800

Name that Japanese movie: seen onboard Japan Airlines in 2002-2003. Salaryman becomes obsessed with building a space rocket in his back garden. Easy-going but slightly melancholy mid-30s family man with a dissatisfying office job slowly retreats from his family and friends and becomes obsessed with building himself a rocket from scrap metal and assorted spare parts. Overall tone was poignant and gently humourous. Features a bizarrely out-of-place scene involving a doctor attacking a cabbage in an attempt to demonstrate a new medical robot.

I was sure it was called Tomorrow Is Another Day in English, but I can't any mention of it online. Can anyone help?

straight from the source.

the NATURAL — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:13:57 -0800

Just curious: What DVD commentaries absolutely enhance the movie they're attached to? Thanks for your concern, but I've already seen these two previouslys.

As an aspiring screenwriter (maybe, one day, filmmaker? -- but then, who isn't?), I'm particularly interested in the craft of storytelling and the art of filming (how shots are composed, chosen, etc.). So, while I can't lie that it's funny that X and Y tell hilarious jokes in Z's commentary, I'm more curious from a technical standpoint.

Since this was last done in 2004, maybe skewing this towards DVDs released since then would make this a more timely question, as well.

Thanks, MeFi <4

Please help me remember the name of this 90s indie filmmaker

colinmarshall — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:40:37 -0800

Please help me remember the name of a 1990s indie film director. I'm trying desperately to remember the name of a filmmaker I've heard of, but I can't think of his movies' titles or anything else that's objectively Googlable. Here is what I know about him for sure:

- He's known as an "indie" filmmaker, and made a numerous of movies in the 90s and perhaps late 80s. I don't think he works as frequently anymore, if at all.
- His films tend to be modern-day comedies of manners, set in NYC or similar urban areas, whose characters are considered somewhat "cruel."
- My memory considers him to be "like Whit Stillman," though it also mentally lumps him with Tom DiCillio, Neil LaBute and, to an extent, Noah Baumbach. (My memory does not lump him with Kevin Smith.)
- He was born in 1959, or thereabouts.
- He has a floppy, middle-parted haircut and a beard (in most of his photos).
- His name might include the words "Jonathan," "Spencer" or versions thereof. But it may well not. (It's not a distinctive name, which might be why I have such a tough time recalling it.)
- He's married to a Japanese or Japanese-American woman. (Of this I am absolutely sure.)

Films About the Irish in America

Astro Zombie — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:41:01 -0800

Looking for movies that detail the experience of Irish-Americans or recent Irish immigrants to America. In these films, the Irish or Irish-American identity should be fundamental to the plot, even if it is simply the environment of the film, as with the Irish-American characters in Mystic River. Also, films about Irish-Americans going to Ireland, as in The Matchmaker and The Quiet Man, are good.

Boombox Cinema

billtron — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:27:26 -0800

By 1989 the boombox had established a fairly stable place in the pantheon of pop culture cinema, with the releases of both Do the Right Thing and Say Anything. Can you remember seeing (and hearing!) the machine in earlier films? I'm especially interested to learn its earliest appearances.

Films about dogs for adults

K.P. — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:34:42 -0800

Can you help me find more films like Marley and Me--i.e. films about dogs, but made for adults. For the purpose of this search, Marley and Me is the ideal film as it contains

1. A dog (first seen as a puppy) no bigger than a lab, and does not exhibit human-levels of IQ--nor cause anything beyond normal, realistic dog-related mayhem and

2. A plot/script aimed at adults, with children either absent or almost inconsequential.

I'd like to find more films like this.

I would like to avoid what are most definitely children's films, the kind that parents simply endure while the kids laugh. The sort where the precocious child or children "save the day" and the adults are all incompetent imbeciles, only present to be on the receiving end of tedious slapstick. "Home Alone plus a dog" type films.

In between these 2 extremes are films with children and dogs, but without imbecilic adults, dogs that are extra-brainy and "save the day" (or go on "an incredible journey"), dogs that talk, and people resurrected as dogs. I'm not looking for films with a premise like these, unless you think they're especially good. Or films that seem to promise lots of onscreen dogs but don't deliver (does Must Love Dogs actually have lots of dogs onscreen?)

K9 is a borderline case, but Turner and Hooch is not (Hooch is too big and slobbery). The Truth About Cats and Dogs would be ok if it had two or three times as much screen-time for the dogs.

The Year of the Dog looks like it fits the bill, and so does My Dog Skip and Dog Park. The Shiloh trilogy looks like an acceptable borderline case. Old Yeller is, of course, already on the list.

So....what are some other good films about dogs that are made for adults instead of children?

What are some of the best Italian movies of the last 30 years?

katemonster — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 21:15:39 -0800

What Italian movies am I missing out on? I'm familiar with the post-war classics, but it's hard to come by more modern stuff in the States. DVD region is not an issue for me; English subtitle availability is nice but non-essential, as my Italian will suffice. I'm not particular about subject matter or genre -- children's movies, action flicks, documentaries, whatever -- I just want to know what's out there in Italian film that's worth seeing, particularly from the last 30 years or so.

Movies I've seen and loved:
I cento passi (The Hundred Steps)
Caterina va in citta'
Mio fratello e' figlio unico (My Brother is an Only Child)
Pane e tulipane (Bread and Tulips)
Il ladro di bambini (Stolen Children)
Mediterraneo
Il postino
Hamam (Steam)
Cinema Paradiso
Johnny Stecchino
La vita e' bella (Life is Beautiful)
Kaos

And as a minor subquestion, does anyone have any recommendations for online sources for Italian DVDs that will ship to the US? I've used ibs.it in the past for books, but don't know if there are any other viable options for DVDs.

Same But Different Movies & TV Shows

Rykey — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:22:27 -0800

Looking for "the same, but different" movies or TV shows. Just made the depressing discovery that a TV script I've been working on (and am pleased with) has been done before. Not just "kinda similar," but the exact premise as a fairly recent episode of a hugely popular show.

I realize that this is not uncommon; ideas and story lines are constantly borrowed and redone, and this is all par for the course in Scriptland. I'm just trying to decide whether to scrap the whole thing and move on to something else, or to try to tweak my current script so that it's funnier/more clever/more original to the point of a viable "new" story.

So, my question: what movies/TV shows do you know of that have unmistakably, remarkably similar premises or story lines, but are distinct in their own right?

Not looking for examples of remakes (e.g., the two versions of Psycho); a good example of what I'm looking for would be Girlfight and Million Dollar Baby. Both about female boxers overcoming prejudice and their own fears, but each its own story, with differences in character, setting, etc.

What other examples can you think of?

Sharlto Copley stars in "My Left Claw"

TomSophieIvy — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:17:23 -0800

District 9 has infected me, so to speak. I can pick up on the cinematic influences and the overt South African references, but surely there are more South African influences that elude me. Help! D9 has overtaken my brain for the last day. I picked up on Enemy Mine, The Fly, Independence Day, Starship Troopers, The Office, RoboCop, and ET (among others) as cinematic references. However the references to South Africa namely refer to apartheid and District 6, but I also felt there were references to the mercenary movement in South Africa, witchcraft, shantytowns and underground economies. I'd like to know what other South African references I am missing...other than the obvious reasons already stated, what makes the location such a vital part of the movie?

Beeps in a movie seen at the cinema. Why?

slater — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:09:35 -0800

Are movie studios inserting beeps into movies shown at cinemas to spot which cinemas have lax security? I've just come back from seeing the latest Harry Potter movie (Half-blood prince, here in Switzerland), and there's two fairly obvious "beeps" inserted towards the end of the movie that are certainly not part of the background music, nor are they part of anything that's actually going on (but not that overt that it wrecks the scene/mood of the film). So that got me wondering, is this to catch the cinemas that don't check up on people trying to sneak in video cameras? Eg, the movie studios track the movies sent out to cinemas, somebody films it in the theatre, and torrents it, the movie studio will be able to match the position of the beeps in the movie with the reel sent out to that specific cinema.

Cinema Display problem(?)

sueinnyc — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:33:46 -0800

Is the problem my Cinema Display and if so do I have any hope of fixing it? I have a G5 Mac (circa 2004) and a 22" Cinema Display (circa 2001). Unimpressively old, I know.

Yesterday I had a problem with the mouse freezing and ended up rebooting the G5. Today, when I tried to start up, the Leopard login screen came up but the mouse was frozen. I did a hard restart by holding down the power key on the G5 (nothing else was having any effect). I did the same thing again, and now the monitor light is on but the display is black. The G5 will make all of the right sounds, but nothing happens on screen.

I tried disconnecting the power altogether, but each time I reconnect it the monitor light comes right back on and nothing else happens.

I found a site saying to start up while holding down Option-Command-P-R. I tried that, but with no luck.

Does this sound like a problem with the Cinema Display? If so (or even if not), is there anything that I can do?

I'd love to use this as an excuse to buy a new Mac and a new display, but I really ought to be more responsible than that at the moment....

Help me title my PhD thesis?

meerkatty — Thu, 28 May 2009 07:15:10 -0800

Help me title my PhD thesis! Cool Photography/Cinema/Camera phrases wanted! The subtitle will be: Aspects of Photography and Cinema in the Fiction of XXX. But I need a cool front title. Something along the lines of:

Through the Lens: Aspects of....
Adjusting the Lens: Aspects of...

But those are kind of lame. I'm trying to come up with something that incorporates both photography and film, so "camera" and "lens" work but "shutter" doesn't, for example. The thesis focuses on the various angles of this visual field, so something that indicates a multiplicity of meaning would be great. Bonus points if it's a quotation from someone like Sontag.

You will get full credit in my thesis acknowledgments!

Watched the Birdie

popcassady — Sun, 17 May 2009 03:44:53 -0800

A woman's head on an owl's body. What film did I see? Probably about twenty years ago, I saw a film on BBC2's DEFII programme. It was back and white, probably European and silent era (stylistically at least).

My memory might be vague but I'm sure there was a scene where a man wearing a straw boater was attacked by an owl (or possibly another bird of prey) with a woman's head. The man was walking beside some iron railings. The woman's head was shaven.

Scratching for more memories of the film: a suitcase, a book, someone getting into bed, tinted film.

Any ideas?

80s Adventure, Guess the film...

Lucubrator — Wed, 06 May 2009 10:25:00 -0800

Another, guessthatmoviefilter. I watched snatches of a movie a long time ago and I have been trying to come up with what it was ever since. It's an 80s adventure film. It came around the same time as "The Little Shop of Horrors". I remember it having a boy, a well, and a crystal ball. There was a Native-American dancing in the rain. This well, every time you put a bucket in, it would fill up with jewelry/gold when you reeled it back up.
Any ideas?

Increasing Movie Memory

benji — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:39:08 -0800

How do I improve my film/movie memory? I am a film student and frequently watch films (obviously). I can remember scenes and plots, but after a few weeks, my memory begins to dwindle. I feel like my classmates remember specific scenes, shots, and plot points a lot better than I do. Am I not as interested in the subject matter? What ways can I improve upon my movie memory?

A beginner's Bergman

thisjax — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:25:13 -0800

MeFi cinemaphiles, where should I start in Ingmar Bergman's filmography? Being a fan of Woody Allen's stronger films, I'm kind of ashamed to admit that I haven't seen any of his greatest influence's work except for maybe 10 minutes of Scenes From A Marriage when I was a kid. Is Scenes the best place to start, or would other Bergman works provide a better introduction to his style?

First movie to use the 'Verbing Common Noun' style of title?

obiwanwasabi — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:57:06 -0800

What was the first movie to use the Verbing Common Noun style of title? You know - Chasing Amy, Raising Arizona, Feeling Minnesota, Being Julia...

Cosy times wanted!

dance — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:32:44 -0800

Different ways to watch movies aside from unplugging and moving a rather large iMac around the house? My partner and I like to watch downloaded movies, series and DVDs from time to time. At the moment we either sit rather uncomfortably in front of the iMac in the office, or we unplug it and sit it on a chair in the bedroom, for example. Often the external hard disk comes along for the ride too. This is impractical and by the time everything is powered up with cables strewn everywhere, my partner at least is quite cross and it doesn't feel cosy and nothing like a home cinema. It was actually easier when we just had an iBook between us.

What solutions are out there that would allow us to watch more easily on a screen that we could position in the living room, but would still allow for the possibility of watching downloaded films and DVDs. We're not so into the TV.

I saw this on Thinkgeek, but it may well be overkill. What about buying a mid-size TV and neatly running a HDMI cable to it from the iMac? Any suggestions, ideas or anecdotes welcomed!

How do I start a local, open-to-the-public film society?

colinmarshall — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:53:02 -0800

What is required to start and run a film society that stages periodic, open-to-the-public screenings of classic, obscure and indie films in one's own town? I'm a film geek in a town (Santa Barbara, California), that doesn't really meets a film geek's needs. Sure, there are occasional college screenings and a yearly film festival, but most of what's theatrically available here is ultra-mainstream. There's a "Santa Barbara Cinema Society", but it's secretive, pricey and members-only.

Thus, I've been seriously considering being the change I wish to see and founding a local film forum operating on the model of nonprofit film organizations like I've seen in action in major cities: monthlyish screenings of classic, obscure, local and indie films open to both members who have pre-paid for the "season" and the general public on a first-come-first-serve basis as well. Nothing too fancy.

What I'd like to know from any MeFi denizens with even a shred of experience in this arena is as follows: what steps should I take to get this train moving out of the station? Here are the things I know so far that I'll need, but any gaps in my knowledge that people can fill in would be much appreciated:

A venue. The options I can see here are (a) rent an existing, equipped screening room (perhaps one in a regular several-plex sort of theater, if they rent them out, although the local museum also happens to have one) or (b) rent the necessary gear to hold the screenings in an unequipped room, such as a public library could provide. I'm not sure which of these would be preferable in the long run.
Films. Selecting movies to screen isn't a problem so much as finding firms that rent out prints. I don't quite understand why they're so difficult to locate online. Would anyone happen to know an approximate average cost for a 35mm print rental of a film that's not new, not mainstream or both? And where would be a good source of information on the applicable rights issues?
Money. How are these sorts of outfits funded? Tickets sold, certainly, and also memberships, but what about sponsorships? Are those generally doable?
Publicity. This is the least hard of the bunch, from what I can see; I'm already pretty heavily involved with a few sectors of the local media. But is there any form of publicity that people starting a film series don't normally think about that they should?

And here's a larger question: is there a smaller-scale way to get a film forum like this off the ground that I'm not seeing? Maybe screening movies on video for a while? (Rights issues there?) Maybe doing local films only for a while? I'm not quite sure how to scale the operation down so as to get it most manageably started.

Here are a few somewhat informative documents I've already unearthed:

eHow's "How to Start a Film Society"
"Ideas on Running a Film Society" from Milestone Films
"Starting a Film Society" from Access Cinema

But as you can see, none of it's terribly in-depth.

Foux de Fa Fa!

drjimmy11 — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 09:40:51 -0800

Point me to some real examples of the cinematic style parodied in Flight of the Conchords' "Foux de Fa Fa!" The video can be seen here. I'm looking for real films which inspired the "French" part of this video (after they go into the fantasy world).

I'm assuming this is a real style of French cinema, probably from the 60s or 70s, but I don't know where to start looking for examples. it doesn't have to be silly like the Conchords, or even comedy, but I'm interested in seeing that style- the very vintage "analog" film look, the bright, playful clothes and colors, the transitions, and just the general feel. I'm especially interested in the part where they have the picnic in the park.

thanks!

Who services the south american cinema industry?

lazaruslong — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 09:38:52 -0800

Please help me build a roster of South and Central American Cinema Technical and Service companies. Bonus points for ones with bilingual sites / staff. I'm having a really hard time with the research to build a list of Central and South American Cinema Service companies.

Pretty much I'm looking for companies that sell / install cinema equipment like projectors and platters and speakers in Central and South America.

I speak and read a basic amount of Spanish, so either is fine, but ones that are bilingual in English as well are a great bonus.

Help me revive the arts in my comatose little town

Spike — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:03:25 -0800

How should I go about buying/starting/running a small business? So, there's this gorgeous old Streamline Moderne theater downtown that's fallen into dilapidation, and I want to buy it, renovate it, and make an indie/art theater out of it. The only problem is, I don't really know how. I've tracked down the current owner, who has been using the place as storage for the past decade or so. I've found gobs of info on the building's history, how it used to look, and so on. What I don't know (in order of ascending importance) is how to run a theater, how to get financing to buy one, how to go about renovating it, and most pressingly, how to broach the subject with the current owner. I've found sparse info here and there on the first two, but not much that applies well to my particular situation. Any other relevant advice on this cockamamie scheme is welcome, too.

And the winner is?

fearfulsymmetry — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:01:31 -0800

Recommended Oscar live blogs, twitter etc? Fairly certain I'm going to stay up this year to get the results live. The last time I did it I remembered flicking around a few news sites (like the BBC and The Guardian) but given the number of blogs now, plus the rise of Twitter, I'm sure there will be other options.

Oh and I'm in the UK which is why if I want the results as it happens it's got to be via the internets.