Jedi Council Forums - The Essentials: Hamlet/Hand of God/Happy Man/Hard Day's Night

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Author	Topic: The Essentials: Hamlet/Hand of God/Happy Man/Hard Day's Night
Rogue1-and-a-half Title: Manager: Amphitheatre Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 7/22/06 9:08pm Subject: RE: The Essentials (Age /Innocence; Benny & Joon; Boy Named Charlie Brown; Bridget's Jones Diary; Cl
	These are movies I've seen since I passed their place on the list. So, I'm catching up. -----signature----- Don't be a fool, don't be blind Heart of mine If you can't do the time, don't do the crime Heart of mine
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TheBoogieMan Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Nov '01	Date Posted: 7/22/06 10:21pm Subject: RE: The Essentials (Age /Innocence; Benny & Joon; Boy Named Charlie Brown; Bridget's Jones Diary; Cl
	Zaz posted: but weren't we on the Es? You'll get arrested for saying things like that.
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Rogue1-and-a-half Title: Manager: Amphitheatre Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 7/27/06 11:08am Subject: RE: The Essentials (Age /Innocence; Benny & Joon; Boy Named Charlie Brown; Bridget's Jones Diary; Cl
	Escape from the Island of Aquarius (1986) - Frank Peretti Second book in the pulp thrill ride adventures of Dr. Cooper, this book finds him journeying to a mysterious island to find a disappeared missionary. Everything seems all right, but what of those noises from the jungle at night; and what of the bizarre madness that seems to overtake people who try to escape. A riveting pulp climax and that most likeable of all tropes, a stand off on a rope bridge, are outstanding. Ethics and the Discovery of the Unconscious (1997) - John Hanwell Riker Since psychotherapy came up with the unconscious, there has been a consistent move toward absolution of all sins; no one, in today's society, is responsible for their own actions any more. And then comes this fantastic book where Riker delves into the theory of the unconscious, the idea that we do things because we are compelled too, and comes up with a morality more rigid than that of any religion. A devestating work, a work of brilliance and genius and the perfect answer to the society of shirking personal responsibility. Et in Arcadia Ego (1638) - Nicolas Poussin A group of friends confront the essential dilemma: life in the midst of death, in the form of a tombstone. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - Steven Spielberg Spielberg again drags the demons of a child without a father into the open and manages to somehow create compelling cinema from the story of an alien and a boy forging a friendship. A brilliant cast (Thomas and Coyote particularly are amazing) and a staggeringly emotional story offset the magic that happens on screen. Barrymore probably never was better and the film is truly transporting. The final scene, of home-going and farewell, is one of the most deeply moving of cinema history. A stunner with layers and layers. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - John Williams A brilliant score, more low key than Williams usual efforts, but deeply beautiful. Also contains what is surely the finest End Titles ever written. -----signature----- Don't be a fool, don't be blind Heart of mine If you can't do the time, don't do the crime Heart of mine
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Zaz Title: Manager, The Ampitheatre Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 7/27/06 11:40am Subject: RE: The Essentials (Age /Innocence; Benny & Joon; Boy Named Charlie Brown; Bridget's Jones Diary; Cl
	Escape from the Island of Aquarius (1986) - Frank Peretti Never read that one. Ethics and the Discovery of the Unconscious (1997) - John Hanwell Riker I'll have to get a copy of this. Et in Arcadia Ego (1638) - Nicolas Poussin I looked this up on the net. Nice picture, yes. Essential? Not to me. "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - Steven Spielberg It's a great film. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - John Williams You know what I'm going to say...
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TheBoogieMan Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Nov '01	Date Posted: 7/28/06 6:03pm Subject: RE: The Essentials (Escape/Aquarius; Ethics/Unconcious; Et in Arcadia Ego; E. T.)
	Zaz, if you cannot remember the music in E.T., you must have no ears. At all. You must be Van Gogh the second. After watching the film, my girlfriend remarked that the last sequence was more like going to the symphony than seeing a film. Needless to say, I think it is a brilliant score, although bits sound a little too much like Empire than they should. Oh, and the film is terrific, especially Barrymore, who is possibly the cutest child actor I've ever seen.
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Rogue1-and-a-half Title: Manager: Amphitheatre Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 7/28/06 9:00pm Subject: RE: The Essentials (Escape/Aquarius; Ethics/Unconcious; Et in Arcadia Ego; E. T.)
	The last seventeen minutes or so are absolutely non-stop music and Williams once remarked that it needed to be the most exact music he had ever written: "an accent for every speedbump," which is one of the best summations of film music I've ever heard. -----signature----- Don't be a fool, don't be blind Heart of mine If you can't do the time, don't do the crime Heart of mine
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Rogue1-and-a-half Title: Manager: Amphitheatre Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 8/10/06 8:47pm Subject: RE: The Essentials (Escape/Aquarius; Ethics/Unconcious; Et in Arcadia Ego; E. T.)
	Ever After (1998) - Andy Tennant A whimsical, winning fantasy, a retelling of the Cinderella myth that is charming and witty. Drew Barrymore is surprisingly good in the lead role and Dougray Scott is a fantastic foil, excellent at playing romantic leads as he seems to be at playing anything. There's charm, a little sword play, an atmosphere of pure magic and George Fenton working his absolute passion with the score. A movie about fifty times better than you'd guess it to be. Everything Must Go (1996) - Manic Street Preachers After the rampaging success of The Holy Bible, work began on this album and then lead singer and driving creative force behind the group, Richey James, walked out of the London Embassy hotel and off the face of the earth. Seriously disturbed (so much so that, when challenged by a reporter about his sincerity, he once carved '4 Real' into his arm with a straight razor DURING THE INTERVIEW), James is still missing, not yet declared legally dead. In his absence, and using songs that he had written prior to his disappearance, the band soldiered on to create an effusive album, with energy, passion, bitterness and anger mixed in equal portions. A brilliant effort, elevated by the myth that surrounds it. Evolution (1993) - Geoff Moore and the Distance This fantastic effort from big rockers The Distance is an exercise in contrasts. They include two covers and that tells the tale: the covers are "I Can See Clearly Now," (as in, the rain is gone) and Larry Norman's stomping blues anthem, "Why Should the Devil Have all the Good Music?" From pumped up anthems, like Life Together and the title track, to the final sincere and quiet beauty of the album closer When All Is Said and Done, a meditation on death and legacy, the album is nineties pop rock at its best. Brilliant. Exeter Cathedral (1400) - A staggering edifice, remodelled several times to reach the zenith of gothic architecture that it is today. Gorgeous. Exile in Guyville (1993) - Liz Phair With an influential and gritty female rocker sound, this album exploded onto the music scene. Supposedly a pastiche on Exile on Main St., (but not really . . . I mean, it makes no sense), it stands on its own as a fantastic album. It walks a strange line, from the beautiful and vulnerable to the pumped up and confident. Songs like 6'1 and Help Me, Mary are as bitter as they come, but there's both an old school romanticism and a modern aesthetic wrapped up in such brilliant songs as **** and Run and Divorce Song. And Flower finally proves it; yes, talking dirty can be elevated to the level of an artform. Who knew? -----signature----- Don't be a fool, don't be blind Heart of mine If you can't do the time, don't do the crime Heart of mine
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Zaz Title: Manager, The Ampitheatre Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 8/10/06 9:04pm Subject: RE: The Essentials (Ever After; Everything Must Go; Evolution; Exeter Cathredal; Exile in Guyville)
	Exeter Cathedral: and and Re: "ET", I have a giant tin ear, no question.
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TheBoogieMan Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Nov '01	Date Posted: 8/11/06 1:36am Subject: RE: The Essentials (Ever After; Everything Must Go; Evolution; Exeter Cathredal; Exile in Guyville)
	0 out of 5 for me. The Cathedral looks astounding, though.
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Rogue1-and-a-half Title: Manager: Amphitheatre Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 8/16/06 3:57pm Subject: RE: The Essentials (Ever After; Everything Must Go; Evolution; Exeter Cathredal; Exile in Guyville)
	Exodus (1977) - Bob Marley and the Wailers I've said it so often, people are now saying it for me, but I'll quote it again; a reviewer once said that this music fades in at the beginning and out at the end, and the idea is that we have not put on an album but just tuned in for a second to the music of the cosmos, playing since the day of creation and never ending. Any other album, and that would sound stupid, but not with this one. Is there a best moment? No, I don't think so; from the raw beauty of Waiting in Vain to the political and social commentary of Heathen and Guiltiness, to the pure musical aesthetic (music as rebellion!) of Jamming and Exodus to the clear passion of Turn Your Light Down Low, this truly has an embarrasment of riches. And let's not forget that Marley was one of the few who could remain credible, even moving and powerful, singing songs of pure uplift and joy. Three little birds told you everything's gonna be all right, huh? Funny thing is, we buy it. A genius at work. Exodus (1998) - Various One of the great compilation albums to come out of Rockettown Records under the direction of Michael W. Smith, genius singer, songwriter and composer. There's an attitude of reinvention here; Smith's instrumental opening, the orchestral and choral title track is sweeping, moving and profoundly majestic. Chris Rice reinterprets classic hymn Nothing but the Blood for solo voice and two acoustic guitars, a truly gorgeous piece of work. DC Talk, Jars of Clay and Sixpence None the Richer contribute their usually high quality work. And the album reaches a zenith with two covers, as hard southern rockers Third Day cover Smith's own orchestral Agnus Dei, turning it into a hard edged growler. And Smith himself closes the album by covering the tragically deceased Rich Mullins, an artist who can stand beside the greats of all time, with a rousing version of his call and response Everywhere I Go. And a good time is had by all. Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix (1998) - The Jimi Hendrix Experience Can any compilation do justice? Of course not, but this comes closest. If you can't admit by this point that Hendrix's entire output is essential, well, please leave, but this album cuts it down to pure basics and, if there are tragic losses, things still play brilliantly here. A grand introduction to the man if you happen to somehow not know who he is. And also, Mitch Mitchell? Best drummer ever. Explorers on the Moon (1954) - Herge If it can't quite measure up to Destination Moon, that's fine since Destination is one of the best of the entire series, a book predicated on pure hilarity and pure suspense, since nothing of real consequence happens. But Herge's imagination is in full flight and the space sequences are brilliant. And look at that. Ice. On the moon. How on earth did the man know? Extreme Measures (1996) - Michael Apted Apted seems incapable of making a mediocre film; in his hands, by the number thrillers like Blink and Thunderheart become personal odysseys and the same is no less true here. Hugh Grant, little range, but enough to show outrage and confusion, about all he needs here, is a doctor pulled into a medical mystery that eventually leads him to confront a hero of the profession, played brilliantly by Gene Hackman, over a very unethical, very illegal series of deaths. The plot is little more than serviceable, but there's a real intensity to the film that keeps things cracking. A brilliantly suspenseful elevator sequence is near the close of the film and a chase through the subway is devestatingly intense. And while Hackman does his thing and Grant does his best, two guys hide in the shadows and turn in their usual great performances: Paul Guilfoyle and David Morse. Worth watching in anything? Quite possibly. -----signature----- Don't be a fool, don't be blind Heart of mine If you can't do the time, don't do the crime Heart of mine
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somethingfamiliar Registered: Aug '03	Date Posted: 8/16/06 4:07pm Subject: RE: The Essentials (Ever After; Everything Must Go; Evolution; Exeter Cathredal; Exile in Guyville)
	Looking at the tracklisting on that Hendrix compilation, I was pleasantly surprised to see that they threw in a few later period tunes. I guess we'll find out soon whether First Rays of the New Rising Sun made your list. -----signature----- I had all bases covered. I had the Hulkamaniacs watching DiBiase. I had Virgil in his place.
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Zaz Title: Manager, The Ampitheatre Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 8/16/06 8:26pm Subject: RE: The Essentials (Exodus; Experience Hendrix;Exporers on the Moon;Extreme Measures)
	The two moon books are the high point of the Tintin oeuvre, I think; though I haven't read "Red Rackham" which everyone tells me is very good. The detail in the presentation, the artwork and the story is just phenomenal.
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Rogue1-and-a-half Title: Manager: Amphitheatre Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 8/21/06 1:06pm Subject: RE: The Essentials (Exodus; Experience Hendrix;Exporers on the Moon;Extreme Measures)
	F/X (1986) - Robert Mandel A winning little thriller, high concept the nth degree, as Bryan Brown's special effects guru is tapped by a government agency to fake the death of Jerry Orbach's mafia man so he can disappear into the Witness Protection program. Things, of course, go horribly wrong as Brown is unsure of who to trust. The always reliable Brian Dennehy has one of his best (and biggest) roles as the cop assigned to find out just what went down in that Italian restaurant. Flashy, ultra hip, anchored by great performances and a way better than average script. A brilliant and creative thriller. Fahrenheit 451 (1954) - Ray Bradbury A nightmarish future world where firemen have turned into evil doubles of themselves and book burning has become the norm. Bradbury found a measure of crossover success as the science fiction author suddenly found himself accepted as serious literature and rightfully so. It's a relatively simple story, but Bradbury is definitely preaching to the choir; of all the terrifying possible futures, one without books is certainly one of the bleakest. Fallen (1998) - Gregory Hoblet Some people didn't care for this supernatural thriller starring Denzel Washington as an average cop who finds himself the target of demonic oppression and persecution, but I thought it clicked along beautifully. A great supporting cast, including James Gandolfini and Donald Sutherland, help things, but it's got great atmosphere. If you're after gore and shocks, look elsewhere; if you're after a brooding film about the intrusion of the supernatural and vindictive into a normal life, look here. And that final moment is one of the all time great sucker punches . . . there are knowns and there are unknowns and in between, well, are the things we think we know, but don't. Fallingwater (1937) - Frank Lloyd Wright I'll admit it; I have little eye for architecture, unless, like some of the cathedrals previously on this list, it's truly stunning to even the untrained eye (like mine). But this is a great moment in an icon's career when he's faced with replacing a waterfall with a house or, instead, somehow fusing the two. Whatever you might think of Wright's particular theories of architecture (don't agree with all of them myself), he managed to create a truly beautiful fusion of civilizaton and nature here. The False Mirror (1928) - Rene Magritte Like most Magritte paintings, deceptively simple. In technique, yes; in idea, yes. But the soul of this painting, like the soul of this eye, is deep. Magritte is perhaps the greatest of the surrealist painters; I give this for one reason. In a way no others do, Magritte sparks my imagination to look at the world around me in a new way. And here, the same thing happens, but the object of my gaze becomes myself. -----signature----- Don't be a fool, don't be blind Heart of mine If you can't do the time, don't do the crime Heart of mine
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Zaz Title: Manager, The Ampitheatre Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 8/21/06 1:59pm Subject: RE: The Essentials (Exodus; Experience Hendrix;Exporers on the Moon;Extreme Measures) - Date Edited: 8/21/06 2:02pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Zaz
	"F/X" was entertaining, but the set-up could be seen coming several zillion miles away. This painting makes my eyes hurt. Yes, Fallingwater is radical, beautiful, etc. But it is also the source of the modern ugly cheapjack architecture, which seized upon its superficial look (because it was cheap) and spread it everywhere. So I can't do it justice.
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solojones Registered: Sep '00	Date Posted: 8/21/06 3:13pm Subject: RE: The Essentials (F/X; Fahrenheit 451; Fallen; Fallingwater; The False Mirror)
	We read Farenheit 451 in seventh grade, and while I liked it, I'm sure I missed some of the depth. I should read it again, really. Magritte is one of my favourite painters, and usually I'm not into surrealism. But, as Rogue pointed out, sometimes clever simplicity is better than clever complexity. -sj loves kevin spacey -----signature----- 6 x 9 = 42 Proud member of the Colbert Nation My short films: http://www.youtube.com/solojones1138
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