Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with film

Help me find this short film...

iam2bz2p — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:52:24 -0800

MeFi Internet Connoisseurs -- PLEASE help me track down this online video... A few years ago, I saw a short, online video about a man who finds a woman's digital camera and tracks her down via the stored images.

The video is made entirely from individual digital iamges, not actual video.

If I recall correctly, at the END of the video, the man ends up at the door of the woman's apt. She opens it...

This one shouldn't be too hard for the hivemind!

Help me remember a film?

LN — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 18:58:21 -0800

Help me remember a movie I saw? I saw a film many years ago on Saturday Night at the Movies on TVO. I was too young to remember the title of the film, so with any luck, someone here on the great green can help me.

Here's what I remember: it was black and white film, a horror film, involved lots of betrayal and backstabbing, and in the climactic scene, a man sees the ghost of a woman outdoors in either a garden or a ruin. He's down below on the ground, and the ghost walks down from somewhere high, seemingly walking on air. She's dressed in a light coloured gown, very flowy and everything.

Help?

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!

What Kung Fu movie am I thinking of?

Lutoslawski — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:49:13 -0800

Please ID this Kung Fu movie with missiles and menstruation. A couple years ago at an artsy film place in Denver I saw a kung fu movie where the hero uses these missiles to fight bad guys. He is also trying to acquire the menstrual blood of a virgin for some reason. There is a chief bad guy who is very bad.

Unfortunately, that's all I got. Please hope me MeFi; I'd really like to find this film!

Dances with Flying Space Wolves

P.o.B. — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:27:42 -0800

Avatar (the film) has a very generic-off-the-shelf-storyline. Where did it originate? Possible spoilers ahead. I've read that Cameron came up with the story in '94, so did he just take Dances with Wolves and add "IN SPACE!" to the end? In what other movies/books/etc. does this story/theme exist?
i.e. Fern Gully, Pocahantas, Battle for Terra...

Cliched Line

ashaw — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:00:43 -0800

I was watching Say Anything (Cusack) when I heard the semi-cliched line " I wanna be with her. I'm good at it". Now I swear I've heard a a line to that effect or a variant on a similar 80/90s RomCom or Brat Pack film. I have a suspicion that the story line may have featured heart broken college teenagers. It's driving me mad. Can anyone help identify any titles which features that line?

Forgot tripod. Used pogo stick. Rated D for Dramamine.

coffeefilter — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:00:54 -0800

Death to Jerky Cam! Multipart Question. (1) Is there actually a proper technical term for Jerky Cam, aka Shakey Cam, the clumsy, intrusive, and nauseating practice of bouncing the camera around?

(2) Is there a website that rates movies by the degree of shaky camera work?

(3) If there isn't, what are good ways to start one? I'm thinking of some kind of specialized website with logins, a forum, and user ratings for movies as they come out.

(4) What's your top 5 list of worst jerky cam movies?

Help me find the name of this Asian film about a love story in three different time periods.

jaywalker — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 20:50:14 -0800

Help me find the name of this Asian film about a love story in three different time periods. A few years ago I saw a preview of an Asian film that I'm pretty sure was either Chinese or Japanese, about a love story between two people that takes place (vaguely speaking) in ancient times, then the 40s or 50s, then modern day. It came out 2 or 3 years ago and looked very romantic.

There's a scene where the woman is on a big boat, sailing away. In another scene she's wearing a poodle skirt or something. I was unable to google the answer and I really want to see this movie! Thanks!

Help with cartoon Film

maxmix — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:09:10 -0800

It is a 60's or 70;s cartoon film, it starts live action and involves a boy who enters a cartoon world, I seem to recall a winding road, and has a Dr Suess kind of feel to it.....Pretty vague I know, but it's all i can remember, apart from it being shown on Cartoon network about 10 Ish years ago, any one help me??

Why do 4 movie reviewers all reference the same Talking Heads song when reviewing Lovely Bones?

Kattullus — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:28:22 -0800

Why are all these Lovely Bones movie reviews referencing Talking Heads' Heaven? Examples I've found: 1, 2, 3, 4. Was this quote included in the press notes? Is it simply that movie reviewers tend to be people of a certain age? Is the song in the movie? Is that song, for some reason, in people's minds these days? That is, is it being used in a commercial or something?

A Two-Part Question About Italian Dialects and The Mechanics of Breaking Glass Windows

jason's_planet — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:51:50 -0800

This is a two-part question about a video on YouTube. The first part of the question is about the Sicilian dialect of the Italian language; the second part deals with the mechanics of breaking a glass window with a crowbar. (You don't have to watch the whole video if you don't want to; there are two sections I'm curious about and each one only runs for a few seconds.)

Here's the video: the opening sequence of the early-seventies Italian crimesploitation flick "Il Cittadino Si Ribella", featuring the song "Goodbye My Friend."

Now, at about :51, there are a group of hooligans trashing an apartment. One of them happens upon a poster on the wall with the words "Italiani Ribellatevi". He mutters something that sounds like "Italiani Ribel-ad" before he tears it off the wall. Is this meant to be Sicilian dialect? I ask because it reminds me of the bits of New York Italian slang I've heard here and there, with "Gallamad" for "Calamari" and so on and so forth.

From 1:50 to about 2:10, there's a scene where a guy smashes a shop window with a crowbar. Prior to doing so, he wraps the crowbar in newspaper. Now why would he do that? Is that for personal safety? Is the newsprint supposed to protect him from shards of broken glass flying back at him? Or is there some other reason?

So there you have it. A question involving the Italian language and breaking glass windows. And the song "Goodbye My Friend." I submit that this question is unique in the six-year history of Ask MetaFilter.

As always, many thanks in advance.

Films from the Middle East

Marisa Stole the Precious Thing — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 02:59:14 -0800

Recommend for me some great films from the Middle East. I was having a discussion with some friends the other night about movies, and felt pretty silly for not being able to name one movie from the Middle East. The closest I came was At Five in the Afternoon. I'm really disappointed with my ignorance on the subject, and would like you to recommend some titles for me. Doesn't matter what genre, really. Just fire away.

Irma Vep: final scene

whiskeyspider — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:05:16 -0800

What film techniques were used in the final scene of Irma Vep? I've always been in love with the final scene of Irma Vep, more so as a stand-alone piece of video art outside of the context of the film. Can anyone shed any light on how it was made? It looks as though some of the shapes were "scratched" onto the film itself -- is this how it was done? And what about the black geometric shapes? The effects don't look digital to me, but I don't know much about this stuff.

And more importantly, do you know who made it? And where can I see more video like this? Thanks.

Christmas movies set in NYC

greta simone — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:02:33 -0800

Christmas/Holiday/Winter movies set in NYC? Hello all and Happy Holidays!

This is my first Christmas as a New York resident and I want to get in the spirit by watching Christmas movies set here. I can think of a few off the top of my head, but just for the sake of discussion, please give me your favorites, be they classics, modern classics, weird or obscure.

I'd even like to know those that are just set in winter in the city, but aren't necessarily holiday themed (like Stillman's Metropolitan, which I love).

Thanks!

Late Antiquity goes to the movies (and the bookstore).

hydatius — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:46:19 -0800

I'm interested in contemporary books (and films) that are set in the Mediterranean/European region between AD300 and AD800 (approximately, of course). Any suggestions? I already know of (for books) Gore Vidal's Julian, Gary Jennings' Raptor, sections of Iain Pears' Dream of Scipio, and (slightly out of the range) Carvalho's God Strolling...For films, I already know of Cornel Wilde's biopic of Constantine, and the more recent Last Legion, Tristan + Isolde, the forthcoming Agora, and also the ever-so slightly later various iterations of the Beowulf story (13th Warrior; Beowulf & Grendel; Beowulf; Outlander). For a bonus point, if anyone knows where I can find a copy of the Italian film of Rutilius Namatianus' 'De Reditu Suo', I'm, like, in your debt forever.

In what cartoon does Foghorn Leghorn say, "Kids coming up nowadays don't even know how to tie down their pumpkins"?

Joe Beese — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:49:24 -0800

In what cartoon does Foghorn Leghorn say, "Kids coming up nowadays don't even know how to tie down their pumpkins"? I've seen it attributed to "Henhouse Henery" (1949) - but this appears to be incorrect.

How much should I offer to pay a location for my student film shoot?

saileyn — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:11:09 -0800

How much should I offer to pay a location for my student film shoot? Next February I'll be shooting a short film as my major project for my masters degree at university. While I'd really like to have a decent amount of money to put into the production, it's not realistic for me at this point. I have saved around $1,000 for the project so far.

As such, I have volunteer actors and crew and all the film equipment and insurance is provided by my university. Everyone is providing their own transport and I'll be providing them with meals. I'm borrowing costumes and props from everyone I've ever spoken to :)

I found a location that would be perfect, but it is rented out to holidaymakers for $1800, per 3 days, the duration of my shoot. At that price, the location was definitely out of my league, but I didn't think it would hurt to ask while I kept looking. I figured that it might be a bit forward asking to use the location for free, so I decided to contact the property manager to see if they would let me use the property for my film for a token fee.

I explained that it was a student film, that it was not a commercial project, is not likely to make any revenue and explained my budgetary constraints. In return, I offered them a credit, copy of the film on dvd, high quality stills if they would like them for their advertising, and a link to their website, if I place the film online or build it a website.

The property manager has contacted the owner who seems agreeable to everything so far and mentioned that we'd be liable for breakages, damages etc. But they have now thrown the ball back into my court and asked me to propose an amount to them as my "token fee". The property manager will then see if the owner is agreeable with it.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should be offering? Is there a standard formula, like locations are typically $x of a film's budget?

Or if anyone could point me in the direction of some useful websites about film budgeting, so I can calculate it (and the rest of my expenses) out on my own, I'd be very appreciative.

Thanks for your help!

Best video rental stores?

davidriley — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:13:06 -0800

I make independent films and distribute them myself. I've started sending my movies to independent video rental stores around the country. I've sent my movies to I Luv Video in Austin, Scarecrow Video in Seattle, Video Underground and Hollywood Express in Boston, Acme Video in Providence, and others. What are the best independent video rental stores in your city? Don't say Netflix.

Name-that-Film-Filter:

fook — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:52:36 -0800

Name that Film-Filter: I'm trying to think of the name of a movie that I'd like to buy before the liquidation of a nearby Blockbuster comes to a close. High fantasy, vignettes, made less than five years ago. Recollecting from the trailer: a girl is in a hospital (c. 1940's ???) where she begins to hear stories from a man (also there for treatment???) who recounts to her his ostensible journeys around the world. From what I could tell it involved many outlandish (fabricated???) vignettes, flashback style, but I don't know much more about the plot/setting other than my impression that it was a non-English speaking film. It should have been released within a few years after Pan's Labyrinth.

I mainly want to find it because of the visually stunning camera work and cinematography, which was touted during the trailer. Hopefully the hive mind will unblock mine!

Film Filter 101:

AlliKat75 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:58:29 -0800

I am looking for films that use animation to help push their stories along. For example, the animated sequence that Michael Moore used to tell the 'brief history of the united states' in "Bowling for Columbine" or the anime sequence that Quentin Tarantino used to tell O-ren Ishii's story in "Kill Bill, vol. 1".

Any help would be much appreciated.

Aren't you a little short to be a hard-bitten streetwalker?

stuck on an island — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:49:44 -0800

How does Hollywood film unsuitable-for-children scenes involving children? I'm thinking of scenes like these [audio NSFW], from Todd Solondz's Happiness, or Jodie Foster's role in Taxi Driver. I'm sure fellow MeFites can think of others. Are there any laws or guidelines for directing a child in scenes s/he would be too young to watch in the theater? How do directors approach the situation? And what effect might involvement in roles with decidedly adult content have on child actors' tender young psyches?

Mocking School Lunch in the Movies

jacknose — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:09:04 -0800

When was the first time "school lunch" was ridiculed in a movie (most likely a teen flick) or a TV show? We're currently producing a documentary on school lunch, and we know that there was a cultural shift in how school lunch was perceived (great social achievement to grotesque laughingstock). If you can help us identify the first instance of this shift in popular culture, we'll give you a film credit.

Colors in Movies and Television

Jimmy Havok — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:35:04 -0800

I watch a lot of movies, and I have noticed that in modern movies, almost every shot has a very restricted palette of two colors. Could someone tell me when this practice became standard? I was watching Twin Peaks last night, and there was a pair of shots that were particularly interesting, because in one, the dominant colors were orange and blue, then, without a cut, one actor leaves, another comes into the shot, and the colors shift to a range of brown and black. The actors moved to cover up the orange elements that still showed from the earlier exchange. So that places the practice to at least 20 years ago.

AAVE, AAE, BEV, whatever we call it nowadays, in the movies.

ms.codex — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:32:58 -0800

I'm looking for "black best friend" supporting characters in movies who also come with a black love interest. I'm interested in their language patterns and dialect usage. I'm thinking of writing a paper about the portrayal of African-American English in popular film. When I watched the movie Clueless, I was struck by how the black best friend and her black love interest speak COMPLETELY DIFFERENT dialects: the girl speaks fairly standard English, the boy speaks strong African-American Vernacular English, and this discrepancy goes totally uncommented on. It's as if (pun intended), because they're both black, the linguistic divide that would send very different social signals in the real world is irrelevant. Are there other examples like this where racial identity trumps language? Movies in which black couples speak different levels of AAVE? Clueless is pretty dated, and I'm also wondering if this scrupulous need to give black-best-friends love interests of the same race, language use aside, is still as strong as ever.

Cheating women

pumpkin11 — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:57:44 -0800

I'm looking for films where female characters cheat... yes, I've seen this question, but most of the films involve men cheating on their female partners, and I am looking for the other way around (without having to read a summary of every film on that list). If you can link to a imdb/summary of the film, that would be even more helpful. Thank you!