Yay, my first film festival

[T-Short]

I get free tickets from work to the 31:st International Film Festival here in Gothenburg. (Jan 25:th - Feb 4:th)

This is what I am seeing:

Encounters at the End of the World, documentary (2007). Werner Herzog. 
Sukiyaki Western Django (2007). Takashi Miike's new spaghetti western parody. Apparently it is all in engrish.
Battle for Haditha (2007), docudrama.
No End In Sight (2007), documentary.
Hollywood Chinese (2007), documentary.
Stranded (2007), french documentary featuring the dudes who survived the plane crash in the Andes in 1972 upon which the movie "Alive" is based
Young Yakuza (2007), french documentary about daily life in a small Tokyo Yakuza-clan.
The Nuclear Comeback (2007), documentary.

Also, I have some maybes:

Funny Games (2007), Michael Haneke's american remake of his own european production from 1998.
The White Sport (1968), documentary about all the political demonstrations the Davis Cup match between Sweden and Rhodesia in '68.

They're showing Ang Lee's "Lust, Caution" as well, should I go see it?

[Mr. Gundam]

I enjoyed Lust Caution, if you've got the time it's worth seeing.

Let me know how the documentaries are.

[Ichirou]

I really want to see the American version of Funny Games.  I can't believe they let him remake that movie for the US.  It's fucking HARD to watch.

[TVC15]

I really want to see the American version of Funny Games.  I can't believe they let him remake that movie for the US.  It's fucking HARD to watch.

I am interested in that, too.  Normally I would write it off as a watered down shittitization, but if Haneke himself is doing it, I doubt punches will be pulled.

[T-Short]

BUMPED for great justice. Just came back from seeing Encounters at the End of the World. Herzog 

Was a nice film, didn't like it as much as I liked Lessons of Darkness, but good stuff. Dystopic and foreboding, but also humoristic. Great quirky characters and some nice vistas, over and under the antarctic ice.

My gf did NOT enjoy the typical Herzog majestic choir music score blasted at high volume. She was expecting more of a Planet Earth kind of docu I think, hehe.

Also, I'm missing out on some of the movies due to bad screening times or the screenings being sold out. So no Haneke for me. Also Lust, Caution sold out fast as hell. :'(

[TVC15]

I would let Herzog shit in my mouth. No homo.  He's made consistently interesting films in like five different decades!  FUCK.

[Smooth Groove]

I enjoyed Lust Caution, if you've got the time it's worth seeing.

Let me know how the documentaries are.

Is it true that the sex scenes are really explicit?

[T-Short]

Is it true that the sex scenes are really explicit?

yes.

[bud]

it looks real. i've seen some of the sexscenes and it's incredibly explicit. if someone would tell me that there's actual penetration going on, i'd believe him.

[Ichirou]

I would let Herzog shit in my mouth. No homo.  He's made consistently interesting films in like five different decades!  FUCK.

Aguirre, the Wrath of God...holy shit, that movie blew me the fuck away when I first saw it.

[TVC15]

I would let Herzog shit in my mouth. No homo.  He's made consistently interesting films in like five different decades!  FUCK.

Aguirre, the Wrath of God...holy shit, that movie blew me the fuck away when I first saw it.

Have you seen Fitzcarraldo?  I probably like Aguirre slightly better because I dig the setting, but Fitzcarraldo is indeed also fuck awesome, as is the documentary about the making of it, Burden of Dreams.  Werner Herzog is like legitimately insane.  It is awesome.

[bud]

was he more engaging than kevin smith in an evening with kevin smith

[TVC15]

He told a story about catching Kinski trying to burn down his house that was totally unbelievable and hilarious at the same time.

And of course the famous Aguirre story of Herzog threatening to shoot Kinski if he tried to quit the movie.

[Ichirou]

I would let Herzog shit in my mouth. No homo.  He's made consistently interesting films in like five different decades!  FUCK.

Aguirre, the Wrath of God...holy shit, that movie blew me the fuck away when I first saw it.

Have you seen Fitzcarraldo?  I probably like Aguirre slightly better because I dig the setting, but Fitzcarraldo is indeed also fuck awesome, as is the documentary about the making of it, Burden of Dreams.  Werner Herzog is like legitimately insane.  It is awesome.

Is Fitzcarraldo the one where Klaus Kinski's trying to haul a huge boat over a mountain?

[Mr. Gundam]

Is it true that the sex scenes are really explicit?

yes.

I didn't think they were that explicit, actually.

It's a beautifully shot film, by the way.

[TVC15]

Yes, Ichi. 

I also highly highly recommend Burden of Dreams.  It's even a Criterion:

http://www.criterion.com/asp/release.asp?id=287

[T-Short]

Just got back from seeing Sukiyaki Western Django.

+ Nice photo and editing. Great costumes and sets too. Miike's tongue lodged in his cheek the whole time of course, especially in a moment where Tarantino breaks the fourth wall and drops an anime reference which the weeaboos in the seats behind me found to be particularly hilarious.

- The film drags on a little, but I think this is mostly because I had a real hard time hearing what the fuck everyone is saying. An all-japanese cast (save for Tarantino) trying to speak English didn't sound great. What's weird is that I read on IMDB that the movie was shown with english subtitles in the american festival showings... Would have helped.

All in all, thumbs up.

[TVC15]

Just got back from seeing Sukiyaki Western Django.

+ Nice photo and editing. Great costumes and sets too. Miike's tongue lodged in his cheek the whole time of course, especially in a moment where Tarantino breaks the fourth wall and drops an anime reference which the weeaboos in the seats behind me found to be particularly hilarious.

- The film drags on a little, but I think this is mostly because I had a real hard time hearing what the fuck everyone is saying. An all-japanese cast (save for Tarantino) trying to speak English didn't sound great. What's weird is that I read on IMDB that the movie was shown with english subtitles in the american festival showings... Would have helped.

All in all, thumbs up.

Nice!  I didn't know what to expect with this one.  Dunno how familiar you are with Miike, but his biggest weakness is that his movies feel long, even if they actually aren't that long.  If the english dialogue is anything like Imprint, I will probably actually dig it, and find it cool.  In Imprint, the non-native english speakers acted better than the native speaker.  Not saying that ANYONE was good, but still. . .

Thanks for the impressions!

[T-Short]

Battle for Haditha was nice. Was curious to see this since it's mostly improvised. There was no detailed script, only scene outlines, and the actors were told to improvise. Most of the marines in the movie are actual ex-marines, so they deliver a very convincing performance. Also the Iraqi actors were mostly actual refugees (the movie was shot in Jordan). Great performances from the Iraqis as well, with genuine emotion.

[T-Short]

Holy crap. No End in Sight. That was terrible. If you're going to spend 100 minutes on a docu about the Iraq war, please don't make the main message "THIS WAS A MISMANAGED INVASION/OCCUPATION/WAR". Captain Obvious, the movie. I thought there was going to be some contemplation about the future but noooo, 80% or more is about 2003. OMG BREMER AND SLOCOMBE WERE MORONS! NOW WATCH THESE RUMSFELD PRESS CONFERENCE CLIPS LOL!

Pretty insulting stuff to educated people. Seemed like everyone but me were the general "BUSH IS DUMB >:|" kind of distinguished mentally-challenged fellows though. It even got a big round of applause at the end.