books about films?

Started by (kelvin), April 24, 2003, 08:37:24 AM

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godardian

I just thought that Spielberg's films come across as mediocre and cheesy, and I (maybe presumptuously, but I don't think I'm totally wrong here) think it's because he's trying so damn hard to be liked, his films suffer badly for it. I guess I can't really explain it that much better than that...

...the flag-waving was just the most egregious example of what I associate with Spielberg's work.

And I actually don't care about J.R.R. Tolkien or The Lord of the Rings books. I just think they're well made movies, and minus the really blandly sentimental stuff you get from Spielberg most of the time.

All in my own opinion, of course. I understand many legitimate film-lovers find something of worth in Spielberg. I am not one of them, for the reasons mentioned above.
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.

chainsmoking insomniac

Quote from: godardianI feel the same way. Brian de Palma found his way into the (very) mainstream, yet he still manages to do work that doesn't feel so ingratiating. That's what I don't like about Spielberg; his movies all feel like big pats on the head and chucks under the chin, he LOVES test-screening, and he can't stand the idea of anyone not liking him; it's as irritating from him as it is from any benign, well-meaning, totally, hopelessly clueless elder family member.

I just hope I didn't hurt any veterans' feelings by laughing out loud at the flag-waving-in-the-breeze image in that load of malarkey Saving Private Ryan. If I were a veteran, I would've been angry, but since I'm not, I could see it objectively as the feel-good Cliffs note it was and just laugh it off.

I also really like the Lord of the Rings films. I'm not a snob, honestly. I just feel so much desperation from Spielberg. It's like Michael Jackson syndrome; when every child in the world likes you, you start creating for simple little children, and your work loses any perspective.

He's not nearly the terrible director George Lucas is, though. I felt sorry for Marcia Lucas in Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, having to edit Taxi Driver and Star Wars simultaneously. In that scenario, which director would you rather be married to, especially if you're going to take the leap of being honest about your opinions with your spouse? Marcia 'n Amy 'n George 'n Steven... it's like in those cases, the girls had to be the brains of the whole family until they just couldn't take it anymore.[/quote

Ouch, my friend.  To call Saving Private Ryan a load of malarkey is....well, it's unfair.  Sure, it is operating on the slightly overused young soldier in war premise, but jesus christ man, how could you not be impressed by the beach landing sequence?!?!?  I hated AI, but besides that, I'm quite a big fan of Spielberg.  Sorry, hombre. :lol:
"Ernest Hemingway once wrote: 'The world's a fine place, and worth fighting for.'  I agree with the second part."
    --Morgan Freeman, Se7en

"Have you ever fucking seen that...? Ever seen a mistake in nature?  Have you ever seen an animal make a mistake?"
 --Paul Schneider, All the Real Girls

Kev Hoffman

Quote from: SHAFTRI have an autographed copy of Roger Ebert's Book of Film

Yes, but did you read it?

godardian

Yeah, I tend to agree with many of Ebert's opinions (except for the frequent ghastly head-scratchers like his moronic, pseudochivalrous take on Blue Velvet), but I think he's a terrible writer. No fun at all to read his plodding, simplistic, half-literate plot summaries and lame epiphanies. He's just a personality, not a writer.
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.

godardian

So I just bought the book below. It's amazing- a really big, pretty coffee-table book with tons of photos and really great, in-depth, expert text. Covers anyone you'd care to think of- Bergman, Antonion, Godard, and pretty much the whole Criterion Collection.



I got it on the remainders table for $29.98, marked down from $65. I was gonna post a link, but it looks like they're still charging full price for Internet buyers. It looks to be a great, essential book.
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.

(kelvin)

Quote from: godardianSo I just bought the book below. It's amazing- a really big, pretty coffee-table book with tons of photos and really great, in-depth, expert text. Covers anyone you'd care to think of- Bergman, Antonion, Godard, and pretty much the whole Criterion Collection. I got it on the remainders table for $29.98, marked down from $65. I was gonna post a link, but it looks like they're still charging full price for Internet buyers. It looks to be a great, essential book.

:shock: you have activated my happy consumer subroutines

The Silver Bullet

Moviemakers' Master Class: Private Lessons from the World's Foremost Directors by Laurent Tirard [LINK]
RABBIT n. pl. rabĀ·bits or rabbit[list=1]
  • Any of various long-eared, short-tailed, burrowing mammals of the family Leporidae.
  • A hare.
    [/list:o][/size]

soixante

Sight Sound Motion:  Applied Media Aesthetics by Herbert Zettl.  Not sure if it's in print, but worth reading.

Katz's Film Encyclopedia -- an indispensible reference book.

Kubrick by Michel Ciment

Schrader on Schrader
Music is your best entertainment value.

godardian

Quote from: soixanteSight Sound Motion:  Applied Media Aesthetics by Herbert Zettl.  Not sure if it's in print, but worth reading.

Katz's Film Encyclopedia -- an indispensible reference book.

Kubrick by Michel Ciment

Schrader on Schrader

The last two are great.

That first one sound really interesting. Can you elaborate a little bit on some of the ideas in it or some of the things it covers?
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.

SHAFTR

Quote from: Kev Hoffman
Quote from: SHAFTRI have an autographed copy of Roger Ebert's Book of Film

Yes, but did you read it?

half of it, than school started.
"Talking shit about a pretty sunset
Blanketing opinions that i'll probably regret soon"

soixante

Sight Sound Motion was written in 1973, and I believe it has been updated.  Some examples of Chapter headings -- "The First Aesthetic Field: Light," "Structuring the First Aesthetic Field: Lighting," "Structuring Color: Functions and Composition," "Structuring the Two-Dimensional Field: Interplay of Dynamic Vectors," "The Three-Dimensional Field: Depth and Volume," "Structuring the Three-Dimensional Field: Building Screen Volume," "The Four-Dimensional Field: Time and Motion," etc.
Music is your best entertainment value.

The Idiot

There is a great book called "Scorsese On Scorsese", but I'm not sure if its still in print. The section on "The Last Temptation of Christ" is especially good.
It is said that evil men have no songs. Why is it, then, that the Russians sing songs?

-Friederich Nietchze

cine

Quote from: The IdiotThere is a great book called "Scorsese On Scorsese", but I'm not sure if its still in print.
It's still in print. In fact, I just got the Revised Edition that was released only two months ago:

godardian

Quote from: The IdiotThere is a great book called "Scorsese On Scorsese", but I'm not sure if its still in print. The section on "The Last Temptation of Christ" is especially good.

Yes, I have that book. I personally found the sections on the "failures" or really difficult experiences- New York, New York, King of Comedy- to be the most interesting and revealing.
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.

The Idiot

QuoteIt's still in print. In fact, I just got the Revised Edition that was released only two months ago:

Wow, a revised edition. Is it very different from the original?

QuoteYes, I have that book. I personally found the sections on the "failures" or really difficult experiences- New York, New York, King of Comedy- to be the most interesting and revealing.

Those sections were also very enjoyable.
It is said that evil men have no songs. Why is it, then, that the Russians sing songs?

-Friederich Nietchze