The WHF Film Club

[richardw42]

Just sorting through some DVDs.

Does anybody want a DVD copy of The Trial, I won't charge for postage either. I'm confident that I'll never watch it again.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Just sorting through some DVDs.

Does anybody want a DVD copy of The Trial, I won't charge for postage either. I'm confident that I'll never watch it again.

I've already sold my copy on eBay, though I wasn't quite as sure as you are that I'd never want to watch it again. *smile*

 

[expat_mike]

Just sorting through some DVDs.

Does anybody want a DVD copy of The Trial, I won't charge for postage either. I'm confident that I'll never watch it again.

Kind offer. I watched it on YouTube, but found it so difficult to understand, that I have never felt the urge to watch it again.

 

[richardw42]

Just sorting through some DVDs.

Does anybody want a DVD copy of The Trial, I won't charge for postage either. I'm confident that I'll never watch it again.

I've already sold my copy on eBay, though I wasn't quite as sure as you are that I'd never want to watch it again. *smile*

somebody gave you money for it ? I guess they've not seen it

offer still stands, as I find eBay a pita.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

somebody gave you money for it ?

£4 I think. *smile*

 

[BenLaw]

If I didn't already have the blu ray of this masterpiece I'd say yes....

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

I still haven't watched La Antena I'm afraid, but I did watch Frenzy last night with my wife, and we both enjoyed it. I need to see more Hitchcock.

 

[Frank Harvey]

That's ok - just go easy on us if we're struggling to find the time to watch a film

Not for me of course, as I watch a film every night...

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

That's ok - just go easy on us if we're struggling to find the time to watch a film

Not for me of course, as I watch a film every night...

*biggrin*

 

[expat_mike]

One of my presents to myself was a copy of Kitchen Stories which I think was recommended by BBB. Hopefully I will soon get a chace to watch it.

 

[BenLaw]

The Place Beyond the Pines is on tonight at 9 on film4 (sorry for short notice, only just seen it's on) and Spanking the Monkey is the last film on film4 tonight (an original recommendation from BBB).

 

[strapped for cash]

Has film club disbanded, at least as a collective that recommends, selects, views and discusses films within agreed timetables?

 

[macdiddy]

will be back to normal soon, I think some of the other members of this club have been too busy on other sections of the forum.

*smile*

 

[strapped for cash]

I'm not so sure. I'm struggling to recall a period of greater inactivity, however distracting other threads topics have become.

 

[BenLaw]

Ok, it's taken me nearly two months to reply. Better late than never...

I've just watched the greatest documentary ever, The Act of Killing.

Hyperbole, Ben? *smile*

Very much so, but with the purpose of attracting attention, which seemed to occur! Having said that, it may be subjectively accurate; I watch quite a lot of documentaries and I'm struggling to think of a better one.

Formally pretty interesting too, elements of expressionism, realism and surrealism within the documentary format.

I haven't seen The Act of Killing, though I read a few reviews when it was released theatrically. Can you expand on your observations above?

I can. A pretty novel technique is used of asking the subjects to make their own movie of their historical actions. (The only major disappointment is that what they created is not an extra on the blu ray.) Their efforts are remarkable both in the content of what they produce, because of its brutal honesty, but also the innovative form they frequently go for, despite not being trained filmmakers.

The subjects' frankness about their own abhorrent actions is pretty remarkable, but combined with the insight one gets (obviously filtered through one's own experiences and perceptions) from how they go about presenting it and by how they interact with each other and third parties during thr making of their film, really makes for a unique documentary.

Documentary filmmakers are never objectively capturing "reality" and the camera is never simply a window on the world.

Yes, and this film is especially interesting for on the one hand making that clear, but on the other allowing one to think one is getting this special psychological insight into the subjects.

If the filmmakers made bold formal choices to incorporate aspects of realist, expressionist and surrealist techniques, what function do these approaches serve, and what might this tell us about the filmmakers' positions/objectives?

To frame the question another way, who has agency here and to what extent -- the filmmakers, the documentary's subject or subjects, the audience at the level of interpretation? (This is, in essence, a question about authorship and documentary filmmaking.)

Great questions, and especially pertinent to this film. It's what makes it so special, in my view. It is not only about a disturbing and fascinating subject matter, it not only has remarkable input and insight from the subjects into that subject matter, but it also asks deep questions of authorship and audience interaction.

Watch it, I think you'd be very interested.

 

[BenLaw]

Give me the goat film anytime.

Sweetgrass is on Film4 in the early hours of the morning. You'd be baamy to miss it.

I struggled to watch more than 5 minutes of this in the end. I'll try again when I'm in a more settled mood, but maybe this is what people felt like watching LQV?!?

 

[BenLaw]

I'm going to have to rewatch it, there's so much in it and I didn't write anything down. Also only got part way through Metropolis, which seems like an important companion piece.

Or intertext, since La antena owes Metropolis a clear stylistic (and somewhat thematic) debt, but was made eight decades later.

I was sure there was a better word or phrase, I just didn't know it!

It'd be worth comparing the two films' endings.

Last I left both films, I was about 20 mins from the end of La Antena and an hour from Metropolis. Whilst I have seen the endings of both, I need to rewatch before we embark on this. How is everyone doing with it?

I assume, strapped, you have watched La Antena?

To what extent is La antena an example of "third cinema?"

I think you may be best qualified to tell us that!

 

[BenLaw]

Merry Christmas and season's greetings to all film club members and lurkers

Likewise Ben, and Merry Christmas to all film club members past and present!

I meant to ask, since I made reference above to early films forever lost, did you find time to watch Decasia?

Unfortunately not yet. I've watched very few films over the last three or four weeks and Decasia is one where I'll need a few conditions to watch it (Asher asleep, Clodagh out or busy elsewhere, right frame of mind, no work, no distractions). That doesn't crop up too often!

Have you watched anything good lately?

 

[BenLaw]

Has film club disbanded, at least as a collective that recommends, selects, views and discusses films within agreed timetables?

I've certainly seen no formal notice of this! I'm guessing most or all are in a similar boat to me, lots of work before and after Christmas, less time for watching films over the Christmas break than hoped / expected, and the crappy site being a bit offputting. I also fear my choice of film may, again, have diminished motivation. If so, I apologise to other members and have some ideas in mind for my next nomination which will be a bit less taxing.

 

[BenLaw]

If anyone, like me, thought the idea / subject matter of one of our film choices, As if I am not There, was interesting but found the film a bit disappointing, can I recommend Incendies? Different war and, happily, a rather broader look at things but covering some similar themes, in my view much more effectively.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

I've certainly seen no formal notice of this! I'm guessing most or all are in a similar boat to me, lots of work before and after Christmas, less time for watching films over the Christmas break than hoped / expected, and the crappy site being a bit offputting. I also fear my choice of film may, again, have diminished motivation. If so, I apologise to other members and have some ideas in mind for my next nomination which will be a bit less taxing.

I'm struggling to find time to watch any films at all, so when I do get time, I want to watch a film that I actually want to watch, rather than one I feel I have to. I did start to watch La Antena some time ago, but I was tired, and I was struggling to give it the concentration it probably needs.

Maybe we should have December and January off this/next year to recharge the batteries?

 

[BenLaw]

Sounds reasonable. I'm also happy to move straight onto Mike's film if people would rather!

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Sounds reasonable. I'm also happy to move straight onto Mike's film if people would rather!

No, I don't think that's necessary Ben. Shall we give it until the end of January to watch La Antena, then move onto Mike's film?

 

[strapped for cash]

Watch it, I think you'd be very interested.

Thanks for the thorough responses, however lengthy the delay!

Apologies for not quoting in full. I'll certainly watch The Act of Killing at some point. Like yourself, I've many things to get on with before indulging myself recreationally.

My questions were based on what I've read of the documentary and potential critical/analytical/scholarly framings (excuse any pretentious phrasing).

Questions of authorship seem especially pertinent here, at least to me, because agency is carefully distributed among collaborators, with subjects seemingly involved in formal decisions.

Filmmaking is always a collaborative venture, but the exercise seems unusually democratic in this example. At the same time, the film may be purposefully constructed to create such an impression. Without detailed knowledge of production and post-production processes, it's difficult to reach any informed conclusions, and even tougher if, like me, you haven't seen the documentary.

Then there's the issue of the audience (which is never a monolithic entity), preconceptions, and inevitably diverse readings and appropriations. "Readers" (including critics) co-author texts, which leads to further questions about agency. Issues of authorship always get messy once you engage with the subject in any depth.

In any case, The Act of Killing seems a genuinely interesting case study with regard to the above.

 

[strapped for cash]

Have you watched anything good lately?

The last new film I saw that I found even remotely interesting was Nightcrawler.

If I can find the time I might pop out tomorrow to watch Foxcatcher.

Otherwise, not much, to be honest, though I've revisited a few classics on BD.