The WHF Film Club

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

I'm hoping for 3 films ..... that I've never seen before.

Given that several of the members are movie buffs who seem to have watched hundreds/thousands of films, it is a difficult task finding films that no-one has watched before.

It is, but have a go.

 

[strapped for cash]

Well I have found the third:

Old Goats http://www.oldgoatsthemovie.com/about.html

There's this cult favourite, too:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102783/

 

[BenLaw]

Well I have found the third:

Old Goats http://www.oldgoatsthemovie.com/about.html

There's this cult favourite, too:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102783/

That sounds amazing.

 

[strapped for cash]

There's this cult favourite, too:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102783/

That sounds amazing.

I won't bore you with the tale of how I ended up watching The Revenge of Billy Kid, but I can assure you that it's considerably less amazing than it sounds.

 

[BenLaw]

That comes as no surprise, like most trashy horrors unfortunately. Night of the Bloody Apes sounded promising too.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

There's this cult favourite, too:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102783/

You've got to be kidding! :shifty:

 

[BenLaw]

Fair enough. I know there's the disc-by-post option, which makes most sense.

I had a quick browse to see what's available, and the selection is quite broad. A couple of films I've mentioned before are available by post:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Decasia-The-State-Of-Decay/dp/B00ERVT5EU/ref=sr_1_1?s=video-rental&ie=UTF8&qid=1400676406&sr=1-1&keywords=decasia

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Head-On/dp/B00ERVQAVG/ref=sr_1_1?s=video-rental&ie=UTF8&qid=1400676432&sr=1-1&keywords=head+on

I think you'd appreciate the first and love the second.

I watched Head On today. I enjoyed it but wasn't as bowled over with it as I expected to be from what you said. Out of interest, what made you think I would love it and is that how you felt about it?

 

[BenLaw]

Also, any contribution from BBB, JD or David on The Trial?

And has Mike chosen his three selections yet? I've just put Lives of Others to the top of my lovefilm list so hopefully should watch it next week.

 

[strapped for cash]

I watched Head On today. I enjoyed it but wasn't as bowled over with it as I expected to be from what you said. Out of interest, what made you think I would love it and is that how you felt about it?

You've often expressed an interest in the darker side of cinema, and while Head On isn't quite Snowtown in this regard, it's a film about dark and destructive human impulses that refuses to pander to audience wishes for a happy ending.

I'm also interested in issues of multiculturalism and Diaspora, and welcome cinema about alternative cultures and perspectives.

Just to check (as there's another film titled Head On), you watched Fatih Akin's 2004 film about a Turkish marriage of convenience, between a suicidal alcoholic and a young woman seeking to escape the shackles of familial and religious convention (set to a punk soundtrack)?

And yes, I love the film, including the Selim Sesler and Orchestra interludes.

 

[strapped for cash]

I'm not sure what you'll nake of Decasia, if you get round to watching it.

It's not remotely like Head On, if that helps.

 

[BenLaw]

I watched Head On today. I enjoyed it but wasn't as bowled over with it as I expected to be from what you said. Out of interest, what made you think I would love it and is that how you felt about it?

You've often expressed an interest in the darker side of cinema, and while Head On isn't quite Snowtown in this regard, it's a film about dark and destructive human impulses that refuses to pander to audience wishes for a happy ending.

I'm also interested in issues of multiculturalism and Diaspora, and welcome cinema about alternative cultures and perspectives.

Just to check (as there's another film titled Head On), you watched Fatih Akin's 2004 film about a Turkish marriage of convenience, between a suicidal alcoholic and a young woman seeking to escape the shackles of familial and religious convention (set to a punk soundtrack)?

And yes, I love the film, including the Selim Sesler and Orchestra interludes.

Am on the phone, so a bit tricky to respond in detail. Yes, it was the right film, I added both direct off your helpful links in the post I quoted.

Yes, I thought that might have been why you thought I'd like it. As you say, no Snowtown, but I find most depictions of rape pretty bleak and as soon as we had Sibel going to Turkey a rape scene seemed inevitable (although if I'd had to put money on it it would have been in the circumstances of the stabbing).

I got the multiculturalism and alternative culture things, although a lack of familiarity with that particular German subculture made it difficult for me to judge its authenticity. I actually felt slightly more at home in the Istanbul scenes as I recognised a number of the locations.

I especially liked the first hour and a bit while we remained in Germany. I found the four main characters convincing and well portrayed. I did feel the family were portrayed a little stereotypically, which in itself I don't have a problem with but would have liked a little more depth to that in order to accept it, especially where we have depictions of 'honour' behaviour. Once we went to Turkey I found the bleakness less light hearted and more predictable. I also felt there was insufficient time spent on Sibel in order for me to understand the motivations behind the final choice. For the reason you mention, I'm more than happy to have that outcome but I didn't feel I knew Sibel and her situation well enough, rather than the obvious general points that would apply to anyone in that situation, to understand the decision.

I too enjoyed the musical interludes, and the soundtrack more generally. While I've concentrated on the negatives, which I know can come across as harsh when it's a film one likes, I really enjoyed the film and am very glad I watched it.

I would strongly recommend you watch Broken Wings (2002) given you like this film and the reasons for it.

 

[BenLaw]

I'm not sure what you'll nake of Decasia, if you get round to watching it.

It's not remotely like Head On, if that helps.

It sounds very interesting, I will be sure to watch it soon. Not being like Head On could be good or bad, save that variety is always good! And keep the recommendations coming, if anything happens to spring to mind.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Also, any contribution from BBB, JD or David on The Trial?

And has Mike chosen his three selections yet? I've just put Lives of Others to the top of my lovefilm list so hopefully should watch it next week.

I'm struggling to find any time (when I'm not likely to fall asleep) to watch any films, but I'll try to watch The Trial either tonight or tomorrow.

I'm not sure what I'll be able to add to the discussion though.

 

[strapped for cash]

Am on the phone, so a bit tricky to respond in detail. Yes, it was the right film, I added both direct off your helpful links in the post I quoted.

Yes, I thought that might have been why you thought I'd like it. As you say, no Snowtown, but I find most depictions of rape pretty bleak and as soon as we had Sibel going to Turkey a rape scene seemed inevitable (although if I'd had to put money on it it would have been in the circumstances of the stabbing).

I wasn't thinking specifically about the scenes set in Istanbul, but about the film more generally and the characters' instincts for self-destruction, though both Cahit and Sibel ultimately become more responsible and less self-destructive, despite ending the film apart.

In an odd way it's a cathartic relationship with (in my view) subtle character arcs. If I've one criticism, at least with regard to plausibility, it's that Cahit's jail term seemed rather short.

I got the multiculturalism and alternative culture things, although a lack of familiarity with that particular German subculture made it difficult for me to judge its authenticity. I actually felt slightly more at home in the Istanbul scenes as I recognised a number of the locations.

I especially liked the first hour and a bit while we remained in Germany. I found the four main characters convincing and well portrayed. I did feel the family were portrayed a little stereotypically, which in itself I don't have a problem with but would have liked a little more depth to that in order to accept it, especially where we have depictions of 'honour' behaviour. Once we went to Turkey I found the bleakness less light hearted and more predictable.

I grew up with a very multicultural set of friends and I can identify with many of the cultural issues depicted. Obviously the title refers to a collision of Turkish and Northern European cultures; and as such deals with the encounter of religious patriarchy and Western liberalism.

For me, the depiction was very frank and rang very true with my experiences as a white British male who became close friends with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. The clash of cultures described above is both geographical/cultural and generational. And I don't think the film takes a judgemental stance, but rather seeks to explore some of the resulting tensions by looking at the Turkish-German experience.

I also felt there was insufficient time spent on Sibel in order for me to understand the motivations behind the final choice. For the reason you mention, I'm more than happy to have that outcome but I didn't feel I knew Sibel and her situation well enough, rather than the obvious general points that would apply to anyone in that situation, to understand the decision.

I thought Sibel's final decision made complete sense. While she loved Cahit, Sibel prioritised her child's welfare over someone who had cleaned up his act, but wasn't the child's father, and had a history of instability and nihilistic behaviour.

In fact, I liked the film so much because the ending felt entirely right, to me. While a part of me wished they'd end the film together (I was invested in the characters enough to switch off the critical/analytical part of my brain, which doesn't happen often), I also felt that Sibel made the right decision, however difficult.

Perhaps the film's greatest achievement is the extent to which viewers empathised with characters from "other" cultural backgrounds (have a read of Amazon customer reviews).

In this regard the film cuts across cultural divisions and deals with universal human experiences, in a way that seeks to foster understanding, without resorting to platitudes or suggesting a problem-free multicultural/Diasporic experience. In other words, I think it's a more progressive text than first appears.

I too enjoyed the musical interludes, and the soundtrack more generally. While I've concentrated on the negatives, which I know can come across as harsh when it's a film one likes, I really enjoyed the film and am very glad I watched it.

That's no problem. I'd rather people say what they think. If only we'd seen goats transported across the Bosphorus (of course a strait dividing Eastern and Western cultures, and thus emblematic of the film's themes)...

I would strongly recommend you watch Broken Wings (2002) given you like this film and the reasons for it.

Thanks for the recommendation. I haven't seen the film, so I had a quick read. I'll have to check it out and let you know what I think.

 

[strapped for cash]

To add to the above, we're possibly invited to reflect on Sibel's decision not only at a personal level, but in wider cultural and political contexts.

Sibel's final preference for an "authentic" Turkish culture, despite her prior rejection of its constraints, perhaps says something about upbringing and inculcation. Does the culture we're raised in retain a preeminent lure or pull, even if we're generationally removed and exposed to alternative lifestyles or values?

I think such an observation or question is compatible with my comments above about universal human experiences (love, desire, grief, loss). We can highlight commonalities as well as distinctions.

 

[expat_mike]

I have ended up with a list of films to choose from, but no consistent theme to them, so I have chosen 3, and hope that some of them will appeal to most of you.

No. 1 - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1456477/

No. 2 - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055601/?ref_=nv_sr_1

No. 3 - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075824/?ref_=nv_sr_1

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

I haven't seen any of them , which is good. I'll do a little research, and return with my vote.

 

[BenLaw]

I have ended up with a list of films to choose from, but no consistent theme to them, so I have chosen 3, and hope that some of them will appeal to most of you.

No. 1 - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1456477/

No. 2 - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055601/?ref_=nv_sr_1

No. 3 - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075824/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Not seen any of them either. Look like some interesting choices.

I vote -

Viridiana - 3pts

That obscure object of desire - 2pts

As if I am not there - 1pt

The first two appear to have some consistent theme.

Strapped, I'll reply to your posts when I get some time.

 

[BenLaw]

On checking just now, I already have the first two on my lovefilm list. I'm guessing they must have been mentioned before, maybe by strapped in the context of surrealism.

 

[expat_mike]

On checking just now, I already have the first two on my lovefilm list. I'm guessing they must have been mentioned before, maybe by strapped in the context of surrealism.

Probably. I have jotted down some of the recent recommendations, and at least of them comes from that list.

 

[expat_mike]

The first two appear to have some consistent theme.

i thought someone might mention that. I decided that choosing three of his films might have been taking consistency too far.

 

[richardw42]

As if I am not there - 3

Viridiana - 2

That obscure object of desire - 1

i think all 3 films sound potentially great, and I'll prob watch all of the, but my order of preference as above.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

That Obscure Object Of Desire - 3pts

Viridiana - 2 pts

As If I Am Not There - 1pt

 

[richardw42]

I went to watch Lives of Others last night. When I put it on my Amazon Prime watch list , I'm sure it was free. However, last night it was a paid for rental. I've just ordered a used copy from Amazon for the same money.

 

[BenLaw]

My rental copy should have arrived today. Have visitors this weekend so may be next week before I watch it, but sounds like I'm still ahead of the curve.

We need David and JD to vote on the next one, tho they don't seem to have been on this thread for like a gazillion years.