From: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org (loud-fans-digest) To: loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Subject: loud-fans-digest V5 #20 Reply-To: loud-fans@smoe.org Sender: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk loud-fans-digest Friday, January 21 2005 Volume 05 : Number 020 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [loud-fans] tops for 2004 [Jbr21122@aol.com] Re: [loud-fans] tops for 2004 [Michael Mitton ] Re: Re: [loud-fans] Favorite films of 2004 [zoom@muppetlabs.com] Re: [loud-fans] Favorite films of 2004 ["Roger Winston" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] tops for 2004 You can't win if you don't play: 1) The Delgados -- Universal Audio 2) The Fiery Furnaces -- Blueberry Boat 3) Morrissey -- You Are The Quarry 4) The Mountain Goats -- We Shall All Be Healed 5) The Church -- Forget Yourself 6) Guided by Voices -- Half Smiles of the Decomposed 7) Mirah -- C'mon Miracle 8) The Magnetic Fields -- i 9) Rachel Goswell -- Waves Are Universal 10) Dungen -- Ta Det Lugnt ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2005 15:23:11 -0800 (PST) From: zoom@muppetlabs.com Subject: Re: Re: [loud-fans] Favorite films of 2004 A recent email exchange; Jer and I thought a few folks here might be interested: >OK, I'm gonna need more info on these: > >> 2. BLIND SHAFT Dramatic directorial debut of Li Yang, and considering how he got shut down by the Chinese government, possibly his directorial swan song. Two con men, one fortyish, one thirtyish, have a grand, if lethal, hustle going: they find a pasty and all three of them go to work in one of China's many primitive, grueling coal mines. They lie to the boss that all three of them are related; brothers, cousins, whatever seems plausible. After as little time on the job as possible, they kill the pasty, making it look like an accident--not hard, as accidents abound in this work environment. They kick and scream and "mourn" for the dead "relative," the mine administrator coughs up a large settlement to keep them quiet, and away they go to the nearest town where they promptly blow all the money on liquor, whores, and karaoke, then look around for another pasty. This time out, though, they settle on a very young, very wet-behind-the-ears fellow, who's never been away from the farm that spawned him. The older con says, hey, business as usual, let's get it over with. The younger con finds himself growing a conscience... Bleak and grimly-deadpan humorous. Mr. Li may never make another film, sad to say. He showed sides of China--the economic disruption, the widespread poverty, joblessness, and desperation--which China's officials do not want the world to see. Available on DVD: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002KPIJG/imdb-adbox/002-0488567-8659218 (Note: while Amazon can be helpful for reference, I encourage to you patronize smaller, independent video and music stores...while you still can...) >> 5. LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE Directed by a Thai, Mr. Pen-Ek Ratanaruang; lensed by the legendary cinematographer (and party animal) Christopher Doyle, known best for his work with Wong Kar-Wai. And if that wasn't multicultural enough, the mail lead, Asano Tadanobu ("Ichi The Killer," "Taboo," the recent remake of "Zatoichi") is Japanese, playing a librarian living in Bangkok. As the film opens he's sticking his head through a noose, in his apartment (which looks like his workplace minus the checkout desk). Then his flatulence-of-Satan door buzzer rings. Then his yakuza brother storms through the door fresh off the plane from Japan. Then two sisters, both Thai "hostesses" (in schoolgirl outfits) get into a fight over a man. Then one of the sisters jumps out of the car and gets run over. Then more people die. Then the librarian meets the surviving hostess and moves in with her (he cant go back to his apartment because of all the corpses). Then they hang out in her house, which looks a lot like my fathers house (housekeeping, not a strong suit). Then she serves him a plate of sushi. (Sorry, he says in English. I cannot eat fish. I get sick. Raw deal, growing up in Japan.) Then the librarian and the hostess go to the beach. And thats when I stopped the tape to go meet Christopher Doyle, actually. Available on DVD soon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0006N2EJQ/ref=ase_imdb-adbox/103-2842776-2256601?v=glance&s=dvd >UNIFORM Directorial debut of Diao Yinan. A young man, bereft of real job, goes to work with his mother in the family laundry. His fathers sick, and they dont know how theyll pay the hospital bills. One day a cop drops off his spare dress shirt for cleaning. He never comes back. The young man goes to drop it off, and learns the cop died in the line of duty. Coming home a rainstorm comes up; the young man takes refuge in a tunnel, swaps out his soaking shirt for the cops shirt, and says to himself, hmthis has possibilities. Lets see what I can get away with. Maybe I can even get something together for Dad A frank examination of how power tends to corrupt, but strong with the confluent and conflicting reasons we all have. Miserable subtitling, though; I hope they can get that cleaned up. Not available on DVD so far as I know, though I havent had time to research Asian-oriented DVD web sites. As for GOODBYE DRAGON INN, its out on February 15, same as LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE, on DVD and VHS (VHS probably not widescreen, though): http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0006TPDUM/ref=ase_imdb-adbox/103-2842776-2256601?v=glance&s=dvd An Asian DVD is out now, and its a double-disc with THE MISSING, directorial debut of Lee Kang-Sheng, Tsai Ming-liangs leading man. According to this review, though, it has a problem with the sound. http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReview2/goodbyedragoninn.htm And thats a damn shame if true, because the sound design, courtesy Tu Du-Che (whose other credits include Wong Kar-Wais 2046, Wang Xiaoshuais BEIJING BICYCLE, and Edward Yangs YI YI) is a crucial part of the proceedings. Sure hope the American release fixes the problem. >Any thoughts on THE INCREDIBLES, >FAHRENHEIT 9/11, KILL BILL VOL. 2 and OPEN WATER, all of which are likely to comprise the remainder of my list? Didnt see the first three, found the fourth overrated. I guess I thought the two a little whiny. Then again, I wasnt them. Come to think of it, I liked Kurosawa Kiyoshi's BRIGHT FUTURE a lot more than SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, WINTER...AND SPRING, so I'll change my vote. See that one if you can. Not the only pondering watching THE ASSASSINATION OF RICHARD NIXON this Inaguration Day, Andy If, in the month of dark December, Leander, who was nightly wont (What maid will not the tale remember?) To cross thy stream, broad Hellespont! If, when the wintry tempest roared, He sped to Hero, nothing loath, And thus of old thy current poured, Fair Venus! how I pity both! For me, degenerate modern wretch, Though in the genial month of May, My dripping limbs I faintly stretch, And think I've done a feat today. But since he crossed the rapid tide, According to the doubtful story, To woo -and -Lord knows what beside, And swam for Love, as I for Glory; 'Twere hard to say who fared the best: Sad mortals! thus the gods still plague you! He lost his labour, I my jest; For he was drowned, and I've the ague. - --Lord Byron, "Written After Swimming from Sestos to Abydos" ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2005 16:45:56 -0700 From: "Roger Winston" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Favorite films of 2004 zoom@muppetlabs.com on 1/20/2005 4:23:11 PM wrote: > >> 2. BLIND SHAFT > > Dramatic directorial debut of Li Yang, and considering how he got shut > down by the Chinese government, possibly his directorial swan song. Two > con men, one fortyish, one thirtyish, have a grand, if lethal, hustle > going: they find a pasty and all three of them go to work in one of > China's many primitive, grueling coal mines. They lie to the boss that > all three of them are related; brothers, cousins, whatever seems > plausible. After as little time on the job as possible, they kill the > pasty, making it look like an accident--not hard, as accidents abound in > this work environment. They kick and scream and "mourn" for the dead > "relative," the mine > administrator coughs up a large settlement to keep them quiet, and away > they go to the nearest town where they promptly blow all the money on > liquor, whores, and karaoke, then look around for another pasty. I had a real bizarre mental picture reading this paragraph, until I realized you meant "patsy" instead of "pasty". Latre. --Rog - -- Distance, Redefined: http://www.reignoffrogs.com/flasshe ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2005 17:17:32 -0800 (PST) From: zoom@muppetlabs.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Favorite films of 2004 > I had a real bizarre mental picture reading this paragraph, until I realized you meant "patsy" instead of "pasty". Clearly, I Never Made It In The Big Time for some very good reasons. He who makes a man of himself gets rid of the pain of being a beast, Andy "Russian alcohol invention praised in major media" - --from some spam I just got ------------------------------ End of loud-fans-digest V5 #20 ******************************