Weekly Collection of Random Film Thoughts

•  This news about QT's new films is quite exiting, I hope he doesn't get Will Smith in the lead role though, for he's not an actor I like. I think Michael Jay White of Black Dynamite fame would be the perfect choice for the role, even if he is far from being as big a star as Smith. But anyway, I'll be watching it whoever gets cast, it's Tarantino after all...
  

Weekly Collection of Random Film Thoughts

• It was the anniversary of Sergio Leone's death a couple of days ago, it's such a loss to Cinema. Such a shame he had that compulsive eating disorder which ended up killing him, for his films about the Siege Of Leningrad would surely have been amazing... Thankfully his name will live on through his films, especially the Good The Bad and The Ugly, which is one of the most loved films of all time.

Weekly Collection of Random Film Thoughts

•  I'm rather lacking in inspiration this week, so see the links below for cool stuff to read.

• Although I will say one thing, in a couple of weeks, probably the one after this one, I'm thinking of starting a marathon, nothing very impressive though, it will deal with Silent films, mainly because I've got loads of them sitting around unwatched on my Pc and I just never get around to them, so I thought I would need the motivation. I'll probably watch one a day and post a short review.  No need for suggestions as I've already planned most of it out.

Weekly Collection of Random Film Thoughts

• I can't say that I was looking forward to Peter Jackson's The Hobbit much when it was first announced.  But after seeing this video I have changed my mind, Jackson is obviously very passionate about the film and is the best choice for director of the film, even if I still believe this film should have been made before the LOTR trilogy. Despite my few reservations when it comes to the LOTR films, I still think they are very good adaptations of the books and I'm sure The Hobbit is going to be just as good; although the fact that there seems to me much added material worries me a bit. And of course it is being shot in 48 fps, the first film in history to be shot in that format. So, good luck Peter Jackson!

Weekly Collection of Random Film Thoughts

• RIP Sidney Lumet, you were one of the very best Pre-New Wave directors. I loved Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon and Network, all would placed very highly on my favourites list. I'll be watching his final film, Before The Devil Knows You're Dead, as a sort of tribute to his death.

Weekly Collection of Random Film Thoughts

•  Has anyone seen Werner Herzog's new film, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, it's received such excellent reviews and I can't wait to see it especially after watching this interview in the Guardian, the problem is that I doubt it will be screened anywhere near me, for there are no indie/arthouse cinema's with 3D installations. SO has anyone seen in it in either 3D or 2D, which is better and is the film worth watching in 2D at all?

• I've been meaning to watch The Crying Game, but I know the big twist towars the end, if I know this twist beforehand do you think I will enjoy the film less then if I knew nothing. Is there a point in watching such films that rely on a big twist at all if it's been spoiled already? I'm thinking of films like Fight Club and The Usual Suspects.

Weekly Collection of Random Film Thoughts

• RIP Elizabeth Taylor, you were brilliant in Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf. 

• I've recently installed a soft that will allow me to take screenshots of films, I don't know why I didn't get this before, but at least I have now so I'll be including some more original images in my reviews from now on instead of finding them on the internet.

Here's an example from one of my favourite films:

Ran - 1985, Kurosawa

Weekly Collection of Random Film Thoughts

• First of all, I have a rather pressing question that has been troubling me: Does one say directing or direction when speaking of the work of the film director? , I have seen both written here and there and was wondering which one is the correct term.

•  I was wondering what directors you find to be the most overrated,  I find Christopher Nolan, J.J. Abrams, Zack Snyder, George Lucas, Brian De Palma, Ridley Scott and James Cameron to be very overrated. Antonioni and Godard would probably qualify as well if I had seen more of their work.We all have a list of directors we find are overrated, mine happens to be rather controversial but I didn't mean for it to be so, I juts don't think these directors are as good as their reputations.

•  I've just got my hands on "The Yakuza Papers", they are known as a sort of Japanese "The Godfather" a crime epic of sorts spanning six films. I can't wait to watch them. Directed by Fukasaku, director of Battle Royale.

Weekly Collection of Random Film Thoughts

• Are there any directors who have never made a bad film, who have constantly kept the same consistent quality or even constantly increased the quality of their films? I can't think of any, but if one counts young directors, I would have to propose Edgar Wright who has directed three films all of which are excellent, and Boon Jong Ho who has also directed three film which are also all excellent. Now I know they are young and have many, many years of film making ahead of them but I still think those two can be relied upon to produce great films and regular intervals for many years to come. At least I hope so, for if not them then who else?

• You may have noticed the banner I've added to the top right hand side of my blog, it informs of an upcoming LAMB Spike Lee blogathon and I've decided to participate, I'm currently working on my review for one of his films. I am also workign on another review destined for a another blogathon, the Movie of The Month also organised by the LAMB, the movie is Black Dynamite, which I will be rewatching and reviewing, it's a hilarious film!

Weekly Collection of Random Film Thoughts

• I must watch more short films, can anyone recommend any particularly great ones? 

• Has any one else seen Louis Malle's 1960 film "Zazie Dans Le Metro" AKA "Zazie"? , I first heard of it from Forgotten Classics of Yesteryear and when I watched it I loved it. I would even say it's better than the most famous French film to be released that year, A Bout De Souffle, by Godard. Yes, I think Louis Malle is a better director than Jean-Luc Godard. And I can't wait to see more of his films, I also loved his first film, Ascenseur Vers L'Echafaud, it was one of the most thrilling thrillers I've ever seen! Anyway, Zazie is highly recommended, a wonderful film, it's a perfect surreal comedy.

• I recently watched Gates Of Heaven and enjoyed it, it wasn't as good as I had expected but still a very good film, I suppose my expectations were too high. Anyway, it definitely got me interested in Errol Morris and his work, so I'll be watching The Thin Blue Line and The Fog Of War sometime soon.

Weekly Collection of Random Film Thoughts

• I was just listening to the soundtrack to Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai recently, (I think I'll review it sometime soon) and I've decided that it is one of the best I've ever heard, it was done by RZA of the Wu Tang Clan and is absolutely perfect for the film's oriental mixed with black culture mixed with gangster culture atmosphere. Listen to it here!

The RZA, with QT and Eli Roth.

• While I'm on the subject of RZA, is any one else looking forward to his upcoming film?  Its called The Man With The Iron Fist and will be a retro kung fu film based in China, apparently RZA has an extensive knowledge of Kung Fu films so I'm looking forward to this. It will be his first directional effort and produced by Quentin Tarantino. He currently shooting it now in China which a rather intriguing cast that includes Russel Crowe, Lucy Liu and Pam Grier, that's what I heard anyway...