What Emmanuelle Movie Did You Just Watch?

[Matt]

HIGH AND LOW ((1963, Akira Kurosawa)

One of those rare non-Samurai flicks that Kurosawa made with Toshiro Mifune. It's an adaptation of Ed McBain's KING'S RANSOM: Mifune is Kingo Gondo, the factory floor executive of National Shoes. He's leveraged all of his assets to attempt a takeover of the company. Right when he's about to seal the transaction, he gets word that his son has been kidnapped and the kidnappers want 30 million yen...a sum that would essentially bankrupt him. He's about to agree to terms when his son shows up...it turns out that the kidnappers didn't grab HIS son but, instead, grabbed his chauffeur's son. The kidnappers realize the mistake but don't care: they still want 30 million yen or they'll kill the boy.

Mifune is his usually reliable awesome self, but the rest of the cast is great as well. The direction is flawless without being showy.

What I really enjoyed most was the exploration of 1963 Japan: seeing the police run around in upper crust society and lower level drug alleys was eye opening. Watching all of the western societal influences in conflict with the traditional Japanese societal norms was fascinating.

It's gorgeous on Criterion blu ray, by the way.

[Ben Thomas]

Nostalgia for the Light

If you like Herzog documentaries, check this out. I can't really describe it and do it justice, but its a very deliberately paced and sparse film that tackles the significance of trying to understand the universe at the same time as tackling the lifelong scars left by Pinochet's regime in Chile. Suffice to say, while quiet and even slow, it has moments of gentle power and looks at universal sufferance and how we deal with them as individuals and societies. Fascinating, artistically and culturally significant, this is the best documentary I've seen this year.

[gravedigger]

GOON- The best sports movie i've seen in quite a while. I don't know that I'll look at Seann William Scott as just Stifler anymore. He was really good. The only complaint I can think of is that it needed more Alison Pill.

[Nathan]

Pearl Harbor. Well, part of it. Ummmmmm.....yeah. Fuck.

[Ben Thomas]

GOON- The best sports movie i've seen in quite a while. I don't know that I'll look at Seann William Scott as just Stifler anymore. He was really good. The only complaint I can think of is that it needed more Alison Pill.

REALLY? I've seen some great sports films in the last couple of years, and Goon is nowhere near them. It was just so... pointless. It didn't make me laugh once and offered up no surprises. Its not awful, but it did next to nothing for me. I want to defend the fights, but they were completely unmemorable too.

[Martin]

GOON- The best sports movie i've seen in quite a while. I don't know that I'll look at Seann William Scott as just Stifler anymore. He was really good. The only complaint I can think of is that it needed more Alison Pill.

Goon was so much fucking fun, and that's from a guy who find the fights in hockey mostly useless and retarded.

[Abraham Smashington]

Anyone here dig Hitman? Seriously, I bought it for 8 bucks on blu (after renting it once a while back) and it's still fucking awesome.

[Martin]

Find it good. Not great, but it had some cool sequences, the Olyphant, and that smoking hot Russian hottie.

[Abraham Smashington]

That Russian was worth 8 bucks. Plus the subway scene.

[gravedigger]

A

REALLY? I've seen some great sports films in the last couple of years, and Goon is nowhere near them. It was just so... pointless. It didn't make me laugh once and offered up no surprises. Its not awful, but it did next to nothing for me. I want to defend the fights, but they were completely unmemorable too.

Admittedly, it's been a while since I watched a sports movie but, yeah, I really liked it. Maybe what I really liked was that Doug wasn't aspiring to be the best hockey player ever, he just wanted to be good at his job and support the team.

[B_Metal]

Anyone here dig Hitman? Seriously, I bought it for 8 bucks on blu (after renting it once a while back) and it's still fucking awesome.

Yeah, had really low expectations on that one and was pleasantly surprised. Olyphant owns natch but still I figured no way they make a good movie off that license and they did.

[Matt]

SENNA

It's on Netflix. This is the awesome documentary from last year that was, in my humble opinion, the best film of 2011 PERIOD. Ayrton Senna was arguably the best formula one driver of all time, and this film documents his life story. The real life rivalry between him and Alain Prost provides better and more compelling drama than almost every other film of the year.

I watched it again, this time with my wife (who is not a racing fan) and she loved it. Excellent film.

[PHEDG]

F1 fans, for those who normally can't, due to no SPEED channel, be sure to watch Hockenheim on Fox this Sunday.

[Ben Thomas]

SENNA
This is the awesome documentary from last year that was, in my humble opinion, the best film of 2011 PERIOD.

Mine too. I've seen it 5 or 6 times now and its power is undiminished. Recommend the filmmaker's commentary as well, which is very thoughtful and insightful. Truly, a great film.

[Captain Russ]

Anyone here dig Hitman? Seriously, I bought it for 8 bucks on blu (after renting it once a while back) and it's still fucking awesome.

Olgaboobs are worth eight bucks, possibly even nine.