Movie Recommendations

[Sparrow]

Watched the first part of the Pervert's Guide to the Cinema; wasn't quite what I expected - but at least I now understand the connection between the Marx Brothers and the layout of the Bates Motel in 'Psycho'.

[Javed]

Originally Posted by mores

I watched Sherlock Holmes yesterday, and I'm torn: part of me likes the filme because of a fresh new look on Holmes and Watson. Yet another part of me finds the story absurd and far-fetched.
What do youse thing?

I saw this a few weeks ago; found it rather underwhelming. To me there was too much action and not enough mystery. It was more like Indiana Jones than Sherlock. I found the story pushed too far in the creative, and rather extreme and ridiculous at times, situations in which Sherlock found himself (for example scenes up to and during when the ship broke loose and passes over him). A more serious, realistic and darker story would have been more to my liking.

[Javed]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Has anyone ever made a movie of Dante's Divine Comedy? It seems tailor-made for today's technology. Although I could never see it attaining mass appeal if they retained all the poetry of the original, the book could easily, IMHO, be converted into a winning screenplay.

These are two that I found; I haven't seen either of them and am not necessarily recommending them, as such, but letting you know about them. I have been thinking of reading Divine Comedy myself and may watch the first one listed below after first reading Dante's work. The first one may be the best one (?).

L'Inferno is a 1911 silent film by Giuseppe de Liguoro, loosely adapted from Dante's The Divine Comedy.

L'Inferno was first screened in Naples in the Teatro Mercandante on March 10, 1911. The film took over three years to make and was the first full-length Italian feature film ever made. The film was an international success, taking more than $2 million in the United States alone. It is considered by many scholars and fans as being the finest film adaptation of Dante's work to date.

The film was released on DVD in 2004, with a score by Tangerine Dream. Although TD's score was not composed specifically for the film (it had been released earlier), it fits well. The popularity of Tangerine Dream has certainly helped the sales of the DVD.

More about this at imdb and plenty of reviews of Inferno (1911) at here for its 2006 dvd release.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dante's Inferno is a 1935 motion picture loosely based on Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy. It is primarily remembered for a 10-minute depiction of hell realised by director Harry Lachman, himself an established post-impressionist painter.

Plot summary

Jim Carter (Tracy) takes over a fairground show illustrating scenes from Dante. An inspector declares the fair unsafe but is bribed by Carter. There is a fatal disaster at the fair during which we see the vision of the Inferno. Carter establishes a new venture with an unsafe floating casino.

Cast
* Spencer Tracy as Jim Carter
* Claire Trevor as Betty McWade
* Henry B. Walthall as Pop McWade
* Alan Dinehart as Jonesy
* Scotty Beckett as Alexander Carter (as Scott Beckett)
* Robert Gleckler as Dean
* Rita Hayworth as Dancer (as Rita Cansino)
* Gary Leon as Dancer
* Willard Robertson as Building Inspector Harris
* Morgan Wallace as Captain Morgan

About this at imdb.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At this wikipedia page under "Performing Arts" there are additional very loosely based or inspired by works relating to Dante's Divine Comedy, and also some that refer to it. It would indeed seem time for a movie or screenplay of the Divine Comedy more closely based to the original to be created.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

Watched the first part of the Pervert's Guide to the Cinema; wasn't quite what I expected - but at least I now understand the connection between the Marx Brothers and the layout of the Bates Motel in 'Psycho'.

Wha????

[ardeegee]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

I still haven't seen Ten Canoes, and I got it as a pressie for Chrissie, so I've no excuse. As it's a recommendation thread, I assume you liked it, right?

Yes, good movie. Not especially better than any number of other good movies-- the reason for most of them on my list was because rather than rely on my bad memory, I cribbed it from a list of movies that I burned for someone (I know, bad pirate, slapping my wrist as I type, which is in itself pretty darn difficult.)

Also, I love Jean Reno and Natalie Portman. So many movies (I haven't seen)...

Leon is still Portman's best performance, and one of Reno's. (And Oldman is very Oldmanny.)

Speaking of Portman-- another of her best performances is the opening (long, single) shot from Free Zone (which is pretty good:

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by Javed

These are two that I found; I haven't seen either of them and am not necessarily recommending them, as such, but letting you know about them. I have been thinking of reading Divine Comedy myself and may watch the first one listed below after first reading Dante's work. The first one may be the best one (?). ...

Thanks, Javed.

I just ordered the silent version after watching a couple of clips from it on YouTube. The scenes seem to have been taken directly from Gustave Doré's remarkable illustrations.

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Wha????

It's Freudian (apparently) - the three Marx Brothers, and the three floors of the Bates Motel, represent the ego, superego and id of the human personality.

Harpo = Basement = id
Chico = Ground floor = ego
Groucho = 1st floor = supergo

[ardeegee]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

It's Freudian (apparently) - the three Marx Brothers, and the three floors of the Bates Motel, represent the ego, superego and id of the human personality.

Harpo = Basement = id
Chico = Ground floor = ego
Groucho = 1st floor = supergo

One word: Zeppo.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

It's Freudian (apparently) - the three Marx Brothers, and the three floors of the Bates Motel, represent the ego, superego and id of the human personality.

Harpo = Basement = id
Chico = Ground floor = ego
Groucho = 1st floor = supergo

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

It's Freudian (apparently) - the three Marx Brothers, and the three floors of the Bates Motel, represent the ego, superego and id of the human personality.

Harpo = Basement = id
Chico = Ground floor = ego
Groucho = 1st floor = supergo

Well that's what I've always thought. Isn't it obvious?

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Well that's what I've always thought. Isn't it obvious?

Not to me - I thought they were, well ... just films.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

Not to me - I thought they were, well ... just films.

Sorry, I forgot to add the [sarcasm] tags.

[Solitaire1]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Well that's what I've always thought. Isn't it obvious?

I've never seen Psycho, and now when I see it with a different point of view now that the connection with the Marx Brothers has been revealed. I wonder if The Three Stooges can provide the same type of connection to the Bates Hotel? Let's see:

Curley = Basement = id
Larry = Ground floor = ego
Moe = 1st floor = supergo

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by Solitaire1

I've never seen Psycho, and now when I see it with a different point of view now that the connection with the Marx Brothers has been revealed. I wonder if The Three Stooges can provide the same type of connection to the Bates Hotel? Let's see:

Curley = Basement = id
Larry = Ground floor = ego
Moe = 1st floor = supergo

You forgot Shemp!!!

And there were 5 Marx Brothers - Groucho, Harpo, Chico, Zeppo and Gummo.

[Solitaire1]

Originally Posted by Solitaire1

I've never seen Psycho, and now when I see it with a different point of view now that the connection with the Marx Brothers has been revealed. I wonder if The Three Stooges can provide the same type of connection to the Bates Hotel? Let's see:

Curley = Basement = id
Larry = Ground floor = ego
Moe = 1st floor = supergo

Originally Posted by Moejoe

You forgot Shemp!!!

And there were 5 Marx Brothers - Groucho, Harpo, Chico, Zeppo and Gummo.

True. Also, there were six Stooges. In membership order they were: Moe, Larry, Shemp, Curley, Shemp (rejoined the team after Curley's stroke), Joe, and Curley Joe. Plus, Emil Sitka (who performed in many of the Stooge shorts) was selected to take Larry's place after Larry passed away but he never had the opportunity to perform as a stooge due to Moe's death (there is one photo with Moe, Curley Joe, and Sitka as The Three Stooges).

I hadn't forgotten Shemp, but with only three slots I chose the most famous Stooge lineup. It has been said that it is a sign of maturity when you can appreciate the subtle comic performance of Shemp Howard.

Returning to the thread's topic, there is an excellent movie that I recently purchased: 9. Although it didn't receive much notice when it was at the theaters, it is a terrific CGI movie that will keep your attention to the end. It doesn't have the flash of other CGI movies, but they have created an immersive world with a great story and interesting characters.