ArkhamGlobe

Some movies I've watched over the last week: Memories of Murder - a decent, albeit totally nondescript korean thriller. 2009: Lost Memories - another korean film, this being a pretty crazy sci-fi/action movie. This felt very strained and forced and managed only to instill in me a sense of utter and total apathy. Wishing Stairs - a korean horror movie in the veign of the wave of asian supernatural horror films that seems to be all the rage now. This was well crafted on a technical level but felt pretty insubstantial when matched up against something like Dark Water. The Legend of the Evil Lake - another korean film (I should probably point out that there was an asian film week at one of my local movie theaters last week, which is where I got to see many of these movies), this one a fantasy/kung fu epic of the rather brief kind, a mere 90 minutes. This was fun but very forgettable, nothing I haven't seen before (and done better then). Public Enemy - the last of the korean films, this was a renegade cop versus psychotic killer film. This film suffered from multiple personality disorder as it fails to make up its mind about its protagonist and his use of violence. Not that the film was trying be ambiguous, which I wouldn't have minded at all, it's that it both tried passing the violence off as terrible and amusing, a tightrope act it failed at. That said, the film was well shot and had a few good action scenes. The House of the Flying Daggers - Zhang Yimou's new movie, another foray into wuxia territory following Hero. This was, as expected, gorgeously shot and had some marvellous scenes. While it seemed a bit slight on first viewing, I still enjoyed it very much (I'm a sucker for l'amour fou). I'm now about to watch Michael Powell's A Matter of Life and Death (in which I have high hopes). Tomorrow I should also likely see Powell's Black Narcissus as well as make my way out to one of the local independent theaters to see a screening of Wong Kar-Wai's Happy Together. I need to see more of Wong's films, I've only seen In the Mood for Love (which I loved), so this should be a step in the right direction. Well, that was rather long and rambling. I probably should apologize.

The John Carpenter Edition: 1. Escape from New York 2. The Fog 3. The Thing 4. Assault on Precinct 13 5. Halloween

The Outsiders - Time Won't Let Me This has to be one of the catchiest melodies ever. Whenever I listen to this song it gets stuck in my head for more or less the entire rest of the day.

At a local supermarket they were selling old used VHS tapes cheaply as hell and among the less interesting titles I managed to find copies of Miracle in Milan, Lisbon Story, Pauline at the Beach and Merchant of the Four Seasons.

I'm too lazy to calculate exactly how much it would be in dollars. I think it would be about ten or eleven dollars.

Can - Tago Mago Miles Davis - In a Silent Way Faust - Faust IV

I picked up two Miles Davis albums today, Kind of Blue on vinyl and In a Silent Way on cd.

I got the first season boxset of Crime Story a couple of days ago.

I finally got around to picking up the new Waits album today. Haven't had a chance to listen to it yet, unfortunately.

Over the weekend I've picked up the following: The Beatles - Rubber Soul (I can't believe I didn't already own a copy of this) Spirit - s/t Sly & the Family Stone - There's a Riot Going On

I've got the following stuff on order: Nosferatu Faust Stranger Than Paradise

That's sad to hear. RIP Johnny.

Last night I watched Two-Lane Blacktop which was almost unbelievably fucking awesome. Monte Hellman is steadily rising up my list of favourite filmmakers.

Warren Zevon - I'll Sleep When I'm Dead

My copy of Jan Svankmajer's Alice finally arrived and it was bloody marvellous. Highest possible rating.

Gen. Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) from Dr Strangelove Rev. Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) from The Night of the Hunter Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) from Escape from New York Walker (Lee Marvin) from Point Blank Harry Lime (Orson Welles) from The Third Man

I got to watch a 35mm print of Taxi Driver yesterday. 'Twas awesome finally getting to see it on the big screen.

Scarface and City of God arrived in my mailbox today (still no Les Vampires or Alice though ).

Neo Geo I thought was quite excellent. It's almost unbelievably catchy in it's poppier moments and rather beautiful in it's more quiet passages. Beauty is less poppy and more uneven, more of a world music fusion album. It's still really good, as there are some beautiful arrangements on there (for a reference point it sounds kind of similiar to the soundtrack to The Last Emperor at times), but I felt that Sakamoto's melodic sensibility got a better showing on Neo Geo.

Today I picked up the following: CDs: The Band - s/t The Byrds - Turn! Turn! Turn! Amon Düül II - Tanz der Lemminge Vinyl: Pete Townshend - Empty Glass Ryuichi Sakamoto - Neo Geo Ryuichi Sakamoto - Beauty

El Dorado The Good, the Bad and the Ugly EDIT: I also have Les Vampires and Svankmajer's Alice on order.

I believe it's one of two, the other being The Intruder (though Corman didn't direct Cockfighter, Monte Hellman did). And to get back on topic, I just ordered Buñuel's Belle de Jour on dvd.

My korean dvds arrived on friday. Over the last week I've also picked up the following: The Marathon Man Blood of Others Cockfighter Violent Cop Flash Gordon Spider

My best endings list: 1. Aguirre - Wrath of God 2. This Man Must Die 3. Heat 4. Dr Strangelove 5. Pierrot le fou