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DETOX's underground movies suggestions
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DETOX
IsraTrance Senior Member
Started Topics :
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6194
Posted : Mar 8, 2009 04:06
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Title : Happy Times
Original Title : Xingfu Shiguang
Website : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303243/
Director : Yimou Zhang
Year : 2000
Country : China
Zhao is a man in his fifties desperately looking for a woman to marry,he hasnt been lucky at all so far (18 times unlucky actually lol) but now he has met the woman of his dreams and he is trying to impress her by pretending to be a rich hotel owner and aggress to a mariage that will cost him a lot of money despite the fact that he is actually broke.
He and his friend Li have set up a one room hotel inside an abandonded bus which they call Happy Times Hotel and which gives selter to couples in need of some privacy.They are planning to gather money for his marriage out of this operation.
Zhao's dream woman has two kids,a fat boy and a blind girl which is not her daughter but the kid of a man who used to date her sometime ago but now had dissappeared.The woman spoils the boy but mistreats the girl (the ice cream scene is a memorable one) and asks Zhao to take the girl with him and find her a job at the Happy Times Hotel which she believes to be a big hotel with many rooms.
Zhao in the end aggress to take the girl with him and he pretends to be the manager of a big hotel and tries to keep the girl occupied all the time so that the girl will tell good words to her stepmom so that she will marry Zhao.
Zhao with the help of his friends set up a massage room for the blind girl and try to convince her that she will work there with the hotel customers and that she will gather money to go and find her dad and have her eyes operated so that she can cure her blindness.Zhao and the girl create strong bonds with each other but the truth cant be concealed forever.
The story might sound simple but the absolutely amazing direction and the solid casting and acting make this movie a real hidden gem that will stay in your mind for a long time.Not to mention about the twisted and touching ending.This is a film about people and human relationships and the power of will.
The characters are so unique and different and the story flow is great full of twists and surprises and obstacles that Zhao has to avoid with innovative ways (money forgery scene is a genious one).Also you will get a great insight about todays life in China and how people can help each other even with their limited means.
A beautiful story that will make you laugh and cry at the same time,a great example of world cinema.
  Toodaloo Motherfuckers!!!!! |
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DETOX
IsraTrance Senior Member
Started Topics :
296
Posts :
6194
Posted : Mar 8, 2009 04:28
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Title : The Woodsman
Website : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361127/
Director : Nicole Kassell
Year : 2004
Country : USA
Kevin Bacon delivers the role of his career (in my humble opinion) in this deep and touching drama that unfortunately didnt got the attention it deserved.
Walter is a convicted child molester who spend 12 years in jail and now is released under probation and lives in a small appartment just across the street of the local elementary school.
He gets a job in a wood factory and tries to stay unnoticed from the rest of the workers so he doesnt speak to anyone and stays closed to himself.While at work he gets into a love affair with a female worker named Vicky,a woman with a troubled past like his,who aggrees not to judge him based on his past when the rest of the workers find out that he was a convicted child molester.
We see Walter's everyday life passing by at work,with his girlfriend,with his brother in law,trying to contact his sister who doesnt speak to him and trying to avoid his parole officer Detective Lucas who is following him up closely and keeps reminding him that the next time he will get close to a child he will be there to arrest him and send him to jail forever.
One day Walter visits the local park and meets a young girl who watches the birds.She then sits next to him and tells him her strange story that will force Walter to face the demons of his past and reconsider who he really is.
A shocking movie exploring dangerous territories of the human mind worth watching again and again during the night time.
One of my very favorite films and a highly suggested one for the serious viewers of this forum.
Would really love to know your opinion on this masterpiece.
Toodaloo Motherfuckers!!!!! |
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Run Lola
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
16
Posts :
476
Posted : Mar 10, 2009 12:58
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Detox, I know this is your page, but it's my fav movie topic, so I will just sneak it to add a recommendation.
Title: Caramel (sukkar banat)
Director:Nadine Labaki
Release Date:2007
Genre: Comedy | Drama
Country: Lebanon
Plot:
The movie is a sweet romantic comedy about a young lady and her friends who work in a beauty salon . Layal finds herself trapped in a love triangle, while Rima is dealing with her sexual tendencies, Abeer is trying to fix her virginity, and Jamal is trying to stop time.
The movie portrays the daily scenes of a diverse lebanese society and the values of its people, the solidarity beyond religious believes, and social status. The movie uses a simple language to translate the lives of four women and the situations they have to deal with, like solitute, marriage, love, and family.
The movie was shot in a beautiful simple setting wrapped by warm colors. There is a clear nostalgia for details that the director kept from her childhood memory.
Last, but not least, the soundtrack of the movie is a real sweet delight!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0825236/
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J
Moderator
Started Topics :
193
Posts :
3858
Posted : Mar 10, 2009 15:43
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Quote:
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On 2009-03-10 12:58, Run Lola wrote:
Detox, I know this is your page, but it's my fav movie topic, so I will just sneak it to add a recommendation.
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Feel free. His recommendations are hideous...
Btw, Happy Times is really great indeed.  |
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DETOX
IsraTrance Senior Member
Started Topics :
296
Posts :
6194
Posted : Mar 10, 2009 17:00
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Lola this is not my personal page,this is a page for every underground film fan and recommendations are more than welcome.I just happened to start this page.
Peyote no more dessert for you.
Toodaloo Motherfuckers!!!!! |
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Trancephonic_Kronik
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
24
Posts :
391
Posted : Mar 10, 2009 18:27
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I have not seen El topo yet but Santa Sangre is one of my favs. Totally insane!
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J
Moderator
Started Topics :
193
Posts :
3858
Posted : Apr 26, 2009 17:22
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Get your hands dirty Mike.
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J
Moderator
Started Topics :
193
Posts :
3858
Posted : Apr 27, 2009 17:31
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Btw, I watched "Le Couperet" once more.
Fantastic!
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Anak
Anakoluth
Started Topics :
108
Posts :
2395
Posted : Apr 28, 2009 22:41
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DETOX
IsraTrance Senior Member
Started Topics :
296
Posts :
6194
Posted : May 6, 2009 01:26
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Title : Papillon
Website : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070511/
Director : Franklin J. Schaffner
Year : 1973
Country : USA
Starring superstars Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman, directed by very well known Franklin J. Schaffner and distributed by two huge distribution companies such as Allied Artists and Columbia means that a movie should be a big financial success with great popularity through time, somehow though Papillon 36 years after its original release date remains a film that few people know and a film that you will very rarely (if ever) will see on television in our days.Strange indeed for one of the best films of its decade and one of the greatest prison/escape movies ever produced.
The film is based on the true story of Henry "Papillon" Charriere a small time criminal accused for the murder of a pimp in Marseilles,who he claims he never commited,and sentenced to life in prison on the French colony of Guiana.
While on the transportation ship Henry meets a famous forger named Louis Dega whom he protects in exchange of money that will help him plan his escape from the colony prison.
Life in prison is very hard and each prisoner tries to survive with any means possible. Escape is punished with 2 years in absolute silence for the first attempt,5 years for the second attempt and execution for the third time,first we break your spirit,then your mind and then your body like the head officer said in his welcome speech.
Henry is determined to escape and in his effort he gets tortured a lot and meets many strange characters both good and bad from headhunters and lepers,to local tribes,nuns and other shady figures.Will he ever make it to freedom?Well you got to watch the movie and find out for yourself.
Papillon is a great audiovisual experience and a film that stands and passes the test of time and looks even better every time i watch it,the direction is wonderful,the cinematography just great and the perfomances by Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman just amazing.
If you are a fan of action and prison movies then Papillon is a must see.
Toodaloo Motherfuckers!!!!! |
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DETOX
IsraTrance Senior Member
Started Topics :
296
Posts :
6194
Posted : May 6, 2009 02:05
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Title : Cool Hand Luke
Website : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061512/
Director : Stuart Rosenberg
Year : 1967
Country : USA
Speaking about prison movies it would be impossible not to mention Cool Hand Luke with the one and only Paul Newman who recently left us.
Luke Jackson is a cool but rebelious prisoner in an American prison who refuses to obey any authority and always creates trouble to the prison authorities but he is an idol for the rest of his inmates.
He gets tortured by the guards but he never breaks and never looses his sense of humour,he tries to escape couple of times and when his mother dies they lock him up in a box in fear of him trying to escape to attend her funeral.
Luke escapes for a final time and then the movie reaches a dramatic climax end where we see that even the toughest and bravest men have a breaking point.
Cool Hand Luke is an underated film by the young generation although it was a big success in its time and even won an Oscar,for me its just a great timeless film and a tribute to Paul Newman.
Highly suggested and would like to hear more comments about this one.
Toodaloo Motherfuckers!!!!! |
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J
Moderator
Started Topics :
193
Posts :
3858
Posted : May 6, 2009 14:50
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And out of the sudden, he's back.
Gotta watch Papillon again. It's been a while.
Gonna check the other one as well. Sounds good to me.
J. |
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DETOX
IsraTrance Senior Member
Started Topics :
296
Posts :
6194
Posted : May 16, 2009 02:59
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Title : The Seventh Seal
Original Title : Det Sjunde Inseglet
Website : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050976/
Director : Ingmar Bergman
Year : 1957
Country : Sweden
Antonius Block just returned home after ten long years in the Crusades just to find out that his country Sweden is hit by the plague and that everything is dying around him. Unfortunately his sands of time have run low and Death appears in front of him and asks him if he is ready to follow him to the Underworld. Antonius tries to gain time and visit his home castle and see his wife for one last time by challenging Death to a game of chess. Death aggress to face Antonius and promises him to let him live longer if he wins this game. So the game begins and during its breaks Antonius continues his journey back home meeting various characters and facing strange situations that will make him question his faith and the meaning of his life.
What is the meaning of life? Why are people afraid of death? Is there God and if yes then why doesnt he appear to those that believe in him? Is there Satan or is he just a creation of the church to scare people and bring them closer to Christianity? Should we have faith and if yes then to whom? When is the end of the world going to take place and how will we be able to save our souls?
Ingmar Bergman asks and tries to answer visually all these questions in his magnus opus,a true masterpiece of world cinema by a great master of the big screen.
Max Von Sydow 50 years younger but still so powerful and mystic in his role as the knight Antonius Block, next to him his apathetic,cold blooded (though sometimes very funny in his own ironic way) but loyal sidekick Jons solidly played by Gunnar Bjornstrand who frequently worked with Ingmar Bergman. Last but not least though Bengt Ekerot in the role of his career as Death in what proved to be the role model for the lord of the underworld who was countless times copied in the future in the exact way that Bengt Ekerot portayed him in his white pale skin and black cape.
A must see film for every restless soul in this world.
"And when the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour... And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound."
Toodaloo Motherfuckers!!!!! |
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J
Moderator
Started Topics :
193
Posts :
3858
Posted : May 16, 2009 17:22
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"The Seventh Seal" is Bergman's masterpiece, imo.
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DETOX
IsraTrance Senior Member
Started Topics :
296
Posts :
6194
Posted : May 18, 2009 05:31
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Title : The Count Of Monte Cristo
Original Title : Le Comte De Monte Cristo
Website : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167565/
Director : Josee Dayan
Year : 1998
Country : France
Gerard Depardieu portays Edmond Dantes ,in the best role of his career in my humble opinion, in Alexandre Dumas amazing revenge story The Count Of Monte Cristo adapted in a 400 minutes long television mini series which worths watching every simple minute.
Edmond Dantes was falsely accused for being a Napoleon supporter (Napoleon was exiled at that time) and was sentenced to life imprisonment in the worst prison in France the infamous Chateau d'If. After many years in isolation he finally manages to establish connection with the inmate next to his cell,an old wise man named Abbel Faria, who becomes his mentor and helps him to survive the difficult years in jail. Just before his death Abbel Faria shares with Edmond Dantes a great secret,when Abbel is dead Edmond takes advantage of the situation and escapes.
After his escape Edmond discovers the great secret that Abbel Faria was talking about and since that very moment he transforms into another man who only cares about taking revenge against those people who wrongly accused him,sentenced him to prison and destroyed his life.That strange but fearless man is The Count Of Monte Cristo.
Josee Dayan's masterpiece includes a huge and solid casting with names such as Ornella Muti, Jean Rochefort, Georges Moustaki, Pierre Arditi and Stanislas Merhar just to name a few.The soundtrack will hunt you for a long time after you finish with the miniseries, the cinematography and direction are just exquisite, the costumes and settings will travel you 200 years back in time and the perfomances of the actors are astonishing with Gerard Depardieu getting into the skin of his role as Edmond Dantes.
Rent or buy the dvd's and spend a weekend watching the whole 400 minutes,it really worths the money and time.
Its actually so good you will want to read the book afterwards.
Highly suggested to everyone.
P.S Always stay focused and keep attention on the plot, to many characters,names,dates and incidents are mentioned and if you are not careful you can miss vital information which will make you feel confused as the story will unfold.
Toodaloo Motherfuckers!!!!! |
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