| Author |
Message |
serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
|
  Posted:
Aug 31, 2004 - 05:01 PM |
 
|
| Post subject: DVDs: any where with a wider range of titles? |
Most of the DVD vendors around where I live stock the same brain-numbing Hollwood blockbusters. That's why I miss NetFlix so much. Does anyone know a place in Shanghai where I may find a wider range of titles? Esp. European and Japanese films. Thx. |
|
|
|
|
niko
Rocker
Joined: Aug 23, 2004
Posts: 602
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 01, 2004 - 09:24 PM |
|
|
my hobby is collecting all kinds of dvds,expecially art movies."2046"(a dvd shop's name) provides a lot of dvds.and some small shops are also good choices.
i've collected many european and japanese films,what kind of movies do you like? |
|
|
 
|
|
serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 02, 2004 - 04:10 PM |
|
|
Hmm, "2046" must be a brand new shop---inspired by Kai-wai? Can you tell me where it is?
I am going out DVD-hunting again tonight. Wish me luck!
I collect art movies, too. Good to know there are kindred spirits out there. I am doing my best to collect Japanese classics and French New Wave. A few directors I like:
1. Mikio Naruse (many viewed but none collected);
2. Ozu (many viewed; only 2 collected);
3. Itami Juzo (few);
4. Iwai (almost got all)
5. Truffault (almost got all)
6. Greenaway (many viewed but few collected)
7. Almodovar
8. Powell
9. Resnais
10. Claire Denis---OK, I'll stop here.
From another posting of mine: ome contemporary directors to go for:
1. Jia Zhang-Ke. 贾樟柯: 站台 小武 逍遥游.
2. Wang Xiao-Shuai. 王小帅: 扁担姑娘 冬春的日子 十七岁的单车 二弟.
3. Lu Xue-Chang. 路学长: 长大成人. |
|
|
|
|
|
niko
Rocker
Joined: Aug 23, 2004
Posts: 602
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 03, 2004 - 08:07 PM |
|
|
"2046" is an old dvd shop near Wujiaochang,it has a branch,but i dont know where it is.by the way,you can find some specail dvds near Nanjingxi Road(close to subway No.2)
some of your favorite directors are also my favorite,Ozu,Iwai,Truffault,Almodovar,Jia zhang-ke.
and i like some more:Fernando solanas(Argentin),cai mingliang(taiwan),Wim wenders,Jean luc godard ,Roy andersson etc.
where do you usually hunt dvd? |
|
|
|
|
|
serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 06, 2004 - 02:36 PM |
|
|
My hunting ground: near Subway#2, Dong Chang Rd. exit. Right on the cross section of PuDong South Rd. and Zhangyang Rd., there are a row of little shops where they sell a large collections of DVDs, incl. some DVD-9s. A haunt for Europeans, esp. the French.
Wim Wenders does belong to my pantheon of gods. In fact, I forgot to mention Sautet, Ozon, Cantet, and Rohmer.
I have viewed several Cai and Goddard films but not terribly impressed.
Never seen any DVD by Solanas and Andersson in Shanghai. I am very surprised that you mentioned Andersson: he's not that prolific and little known outside Europe. Only "Songs from the Second Floor" reaches a larger audience in US, which even an arthouse buff like myself would have missed anyway, had I not lived around Berkeley at the time.
I am impressed. |
|
|
|
|
|
niko
Rocker
Joined: Aug 23, 2004
Posts: 602
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 06, 2004 - 09:51 PM |
|
|
in fact.i've collect only one dvd of Andersson's ("Songs from the Second Floor") ,as you said,his movie is rare here. sometimes,when you find a good movie in dvd shop.it's really an enjoyment,isnt it?hehe
and you mentioned "Rohmer",i have his "4 seasons"movie,what do you think of it?i like "spring" and "winter" better.sometimes i dont like his style,always chackle,keep on talking....
i've have many european movies,and also i like collecting Iran movies.good night. |
|
|
|
|
|
serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 07, 2004 - 05:51 PM |
|
|
Rohmer's "Six Moral Tales" are excellent. Yes, French films do tend to be talkies; hopefully that characteristics is not held against them  You may like Cantet and Sautet a lot better: more situational, less intellectual mumbo-jumbo.
From my impression of your film taste, I think you will like Claire Denis very much.
Ha, so you collect Iranians, too. Do you have "Taste of Cherry"? Always want to get hold of that one. "White Balloon", too. I have found "10" and "Little Bashu"; not exactly my favorite Iranian films. |
|
|
|
|
|
itv1980
Low Seater
Joined: Mar 05, 2004
Posts: 3355
Location: Revalidation centre
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 10, 2004 - 07:22 PM |
|
|
WWF anyone?  |
_________________
RRRRRRRRGGGGHHH!!! |
|
|
|
|
niko
Rocker
Joined: Aug 23, 2004
Posts: 602
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 11, 2004 - 12:49 AM |
|
|
hi,serend.
i have "taste of cherry" and "white balloon".i've seen "little bashu" and "10",iran movies are quite different from european movies,that's my interest,maybe the interest to iran culture more than iran movie itself.
mmm...what do you think of Almodovar's film?which is your favorite? |
|
|
|
|
|
shanghaililly
Squeeker
Joined: Sep 03, 2004
Posts: 19
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 11, 2004 - 01:27 AM |
|
|
I am surprised you guys did not mention the Dogma Group as part of your repertoire! In particular Van Trier. Do you like his films. I thought "Festen" was quite something!
By the way, I read that there is a film society in shanghai (they advertise in "That's Shanghai"), but when I contacted them they said that they were just starting off. Anything similar in Shanghai?
Which cinemas can you recommend in Shanghai. I have just moved here, and would be interested to know if there are any independent cinemas. Thanks. |
|
|
|
|
|
shanghaililly
Squeeker
Joined: Sep 03, 2004
Posts: 19
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 11, 2004 - 01:28 AM |
|
|
By the way, my favorite Almodovar film is "High Heels". I have his latest on DVD but have not yet seen it... |
|
|
|
|
|
serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 15, 2004 - 06:00 PM |
|
|
Hello there, SHLL. In fact, I don't know of any arthouse movie theater in SH, independent or not. You may want to try TongJi University's new film school.
Interesting you mentioned Dogma. But first, allow me to make 2 small corrections: (1) the "Dogme" behind "Festen" is Thomas Vinterberg; (2) your favorite "Dogme" is Lars "von Trier", not "Van Trier".
And no, I am not a big fan of Dogma. More in a separate email.
My favorite Almodovar film? "All about My Mother". Brings out all the best in him. My least favorite is "Talk to Her". In between I have watched all his movies ever released in US. The thing about Almodovar films is that even when they are bad, there's something interesting and memorable in them: the quirky cutting between frames, the use of color, the choice of actresses, the unexpected twist of plot, and so on
By "his latest on DVD", did you mean "Talk to Her", or the more recent "Bad Education? I didn't know the latter's already on DVD. |
|
|
|
|
|
serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 15, 2004 - 06:19 PM |
|
|
And no, I am not a big fan of Dogma. More in a separate email. Their doctrines are too strict, and way too arbitrary to this movie-goer. I do like "Festen", which proves that it is possible to make a watchable movie even under the "Dogmatic" constraints, and which also suggests that Lars von Trier is plain lazy. Sure, he is by far the best-known Dogme; unfortunately so, because his "Breaking the Waves" is a textbook of what can go wrong with technical minimalism pushed too far. "Dogville", on the other hand, shows that smart stage gimmicks cannot save a director from intellectual mediocrity. "Dancers in the Dark" is meant to be a crowd pleaser, but even here von Trier cannot help letting go his misogeny.
That's my main problem w/ von Trier: his misogeny. He loves the idea of letting women suffer in various far-fetched ways. In fact, one gets the impression from his movies that women only become noble by taking every possible degradation in men's hands, for the sake of a man. Prostitution for your beloved, going blind, getting beat up, suffering gang rape; you name it. This is pretty like the old Chinese way of female sainthood. Here is a sadistic, reactionery soul under the skin of a modern, hip bourgeoisie artist.
My favorite directors can be roughly divided into "2 H's": Humanists and/or Hedonists. Most of them are Humanists who love human beings: Naruse, Ozu, Iwai, Powell, Resnais, Claire Denis, Lumet, and the young and great Chinese 贾樟柯 and 王小帅, etc.. I am also attracted to the Hedonists who are poets of the joy of life and have a loving eye for physical details: Truffault, Itami Juzo, Greenaway, Almodovar, Kubrick, etc. Von Trier is neither. I don't know why I want to watch him again. But I know someone will talk me into giving him another chance. Is that going to be you? |
|
|
|
|
|
serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 15, 2004 - 06:28 PM |
|
|
"maybe the interest to iran culture more than iran movie itself"
I share your fascination with Iran (or Persia, as a lot of Iranians in California prefer to call their home country). Long history (a civilization older than China's), great literature, exotic landscape, beautiful women (those dark almond eyes...) and handsome men. In fact, I am fascinated by almost all the countries along the Silk Road. Too bad that I cannot find any interesting book about them in either English or Chinese or German. I heard there're a lot of research done by Japanese historians; maybe that's the next language I'll have to pick up... |
|
|
|
|
|
serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 15, 2004 - 06:53 PM |
|
|
Niko: did you buy "Taste of cherry" and "White Balloon" recently? If so, pls also let me know where you went to get them. I am dying to get hold of these 2 discs.
"Taste of cherry" is the only film that makes me seriously think about suicide---no, not killing myself, but involuntarily trying to think as someone in that situation. The closing scene, when raindrops spalshed the man's face in the open grave, haunted me for a long time. |
|
|
|
|
|
shanghaililly
Squeeker
Joined: Sep 03, 2004
Posts: 19
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 16, 2004 - 12:18 AM |
|
|
Hi Serend. Yes, you are right of course -- Von Trier has no dutch connection at all, so why should he be "van Trier". As to the "Dogme" movies, I find that most "independent-film-fans" (or"pseudo-intellectuals"?) cite Dogme as one of their favorite directors. I personally was impressed by Festen - also quite disturbed. But all of his other Dogme movies that I have seen were not for me (including Dancer in the Dark, which I found to be depressing for the sake of being depressing). (I did not receive any separate email with your further analysis : )
I did enjoy "Talk to Her" by Almodovar. He is just a brilliant director -- Hut ab! The movie that I have on DVD is "My life without me". I bought it in Bangkok a few months ago. Have not yet seen it -- is it one of his new movies (am too lazy right now to go and check on the net, so will rely on your expertise).
By the way, did enjoy reading your gender analysis on Von Trier. As to the Silk-route (not sure why that is included under the same topic), my next project is to head out to the Camel market in Kashgar -- Have you been there? |
|
|
|
|
|
serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 16, 2004 - 12:55 AM |
|
|
Nein, meine liebe Frau. I haven't got the good sense to book the flights sooner, so I will most likely be stranded in SH.
Actually my second email in my mad raving this afternoon is my short thesis on von Trier; no more to come, unless I am further provoked by him, when I manage to finish "Dogville" out of sheer boredom during the Chinese Oktoberfest (w/o heifeweizen, of course), while you guys have a great time in Kashgar.
I have a theory, however, about why von Trier is so popular nowadays. Also covers Bruno Dumont ("Humanite"). I'll share that with you during the next afternoon boring meeting session.
So apparently you also have some DVD backlog to go through; good to know I am not the only one with that problem. I, just like Niko, seem to find myself getting more satisfaction out of collecting than watching the films of my favorite directors. Nowadays only Francois Ozon and Mineke manage to get my immediate attention and pull me away from "The Office" (have you seen that---God it is hilarious). Good thing that this BBC series got only 2 seasons on DVD. |
|
|
|
|
|
niko
Rocker
Joined: Aug 23, 2004
Posts: 602
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 16, 2004 - 10:00 PM |
|
|
hi,two thinkers (haha )
you mentioned Lars von trier,mmm...i dont like "breaking the wave",expecially the female leading role.as serend said the director "letting women suffer in various far-fetched ways".she is an extreme example,too sensitive,just a sacrificial lamb to love and life.i dont understand if it is called feminine way.
i saw Bruno Dumont 's "Humanite" last year.it's not a talkative movie as most French movies.sometimes i think what on earth is art movie,is there a big gap between porn movies and art movies(i mean some movies).did you see a spanish movie named "sex and lucia"?the question puzzles me a lot.
by the way,i have "Taste of cherry" and "White Balloon".i bought "taste of cherry" online(sh.joyo.com),the latter was bought in dvd shop.i have to say again:the process of seeking a nice movie is really an enjoyment:)
good night,everyone.have a sweet dream... |
|
|
|
|
|
shanghaililly
Squeeker
Joined: Sep 03, 2004
Posts: 19
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 17, 2004 - 01:00 AM |
|
|
Also, meine Herren. Firstly, I am extremely excited that I actually get to do a correction (albeit minor in nature...). It is Hefeweizen, not Heifeweizenf! (and that comes from someone who doesn't even like beer...). As to the Kashgar project, it is still work-in-progress -- was hoping you guys would have some suggestions.
Now, I think we are basically all in agreement that von Trier is not the way to go. Now, I would be interested in hearing your views on Pulp Fiction (Tarantino) and Lost in Translation (Copolla). I am not going to sit on the fence, so here is my opinion: while I admit that Pulp Fiction was innovative in many ways, I still hated the movie (same with the rest of the Tarantino movies, in particular Reservoir Dogs). I thought Lost in Translation was a very sensitive movie with subtle humour. Now here's the question: Why on earth did I juxtapose these two films..?? (Let's play a bit of Trivial Pursuit.)
By the way: Niko and Serend, where are you both from? Male, Female? My bet is Male. Right? |
|
|
|
|
|
serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 17, 2004 - 12:07 PM |
|
|
I like Emily Watson; she's great in "Metroland" and "Gosford Park". But one must admit that she has bovine eyes; adorably bovine, if you will, but still bovine. And nowhere is it more obvious than in "Breaking the Waves". Now I can take the idea of a female saint as well as the next man, but my saint would be someone like Joan of Arc (yes, she's zany; but who says saints cannot be zany?), and not some peasant girl who lives by whatever whims or sick fantasy of her man. I suspect von Trier is one of those men who like their women with hearts as soft and puffy as the breasts, no judgment and intellect whatsoever, and body smelling like a new loaf of country bread. No problem; takes all kinds; but it is scary to think that the judges at Cannes all shared this taste...where's Catherine
McKinnon when you need her? |
|
|
|
|
|
serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 17, 2004 - 01:01 PM |
|
|
And don't get me started on Dumont...
Niko: I understand your confusion about the boundary betw. arthouse of plain porn, but it's perhaps not so surprising as one might have imagined. You see, since early 20th century, with the rise of mass-produced petit-bourgeoisie and the death of elitism, high art has been slowly but surely marginalized. When a vocational pursuit (that's what high art is to artists) is marginalized by the society, the natural responses from the practioners are: (1) anger /prοtest; (2) alienation from mainstream; (3) finding a new niche for survival. All these responses point to---transgression.
Porn used to be the ultimate transgression, so you see arthouse and porn become bedfellows, and so you see this kind of porn-arthouse fusion swiping Bobo (bohemian-bourgeoisie) audience off their feet across the globe for the last 20 years. But the problem with transgression is that people always get use to it and find it not edgy enough, so something new will have to be added to the fire for a new crackle. In the last 10 years, incest, self-mutilation, pedophile, cannibalism, etc., have been added to spice things up. I wonder what's going to happen after people get used to that, too: is every film-maker turning into Pasolini ("Salo"), then?
But in the mean time, even among the transgressive works, there are the works of genius (Haneke, Greenaway, Alomodovar), and those of medicre pretenders (von Trier, Dumond). Time will tell. |
|
|
|
|
|
serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 17, 2004 - 01:04 PM |
|
|
How's the quality of your DVDs from Joyo? Are they comparable with DVDs from the street vendors?
My experience with "institutional piracy" has not bee very good: I tried some "Bo-ying" DVDs and ain't they bad! |
|
|
|
|
|
serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 17, 2004 - 02:56 PM |
|
|
Serend is a guy, last time I checked. Will keep you posted. As to where he's from, I will let it be the object of your intelligent guess. ("Let's play a bit of Trivial Pursuit".) Niko- my guess is that she's a woman, and she's Shanghai-nese. Bull's eye, right?
I happen to like "Pulp Fiction", which is the first film by Tarantino that I saw. I have watched it 5 times, with very mixed feelings. The first time I saw it, I thought it's a great satire on violence, and American manhood. It is quite witty, and the show of violence is generally understated. However, after I saw "Reservoir Dogs", it dawns on me that Tarantino takes the idea of male bonds very seriously, and he might not be joking at all in PF. This deflates my appreciation a little. But I still managed to watch the film 3 more times after that. Great lines, excellent editing (most disciplined of all Tarantino works), uncanny selection of soundtracks, ironic mix of arthouse, noir, and camp. Even if nothing above changes your mind, the film is still great as a cameo performance extravaganza: need I name the names? My favorites are Eric Stolz and Christopher Walken. Walken's deadpan "poignancy" gives what I took as evidence of Tarantino's "divine malice".
I hate "Kill Bill", along with all other juvenile self-indulgences that Tarantino calls his later works.
I love "Lost in Translation", along with Sofia C.'s maiden work, "Virgin Suicides". But I racked my brain and could not see a connection. Are you referring to the fact that they both took only $ millions to make? Pls enlighten me.
BTW: since you speak German, you may find the conversation between the two German guys in the Sauna (near the end of the film) funny, right? Juicy piece of national stereotype: Germans calling Japanese food "cardboard"! On the other hand, thanks for the correction: I am going to write "Hefeweizen" 100 times on the blackboard, madam. |
|
|
|
|
|
shanghaililly
Squeeker
Joined: Sep 03, 2004
Posts: 19
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 18, 2004 - 12:31 AM |
|
|
You go and write those Hefeweizen on the board. Or drink them instead? Now does our friend niko know the connection, before I spill the beans? Racking your brain is not going to help -- you have to know, or you don't know.
One of my favorite movies besides Lost in Translation is "Marlene's smile" (not sure that this is in fact the original title.) Plays in Syracuse, Sicily. During the second world war. Superb. Have you guys seen it. And how about "Das Experiment". Moritz Bleibtreu just does some excellent acting, doesn't he? And yes, since we are on the the German connection, I did enjoy the German conversation in the sauna. Now what the hec did Bill Murray ever whisper into her ear at the end. I like the fact that it is whatever it is we want it to be (oh no! now I have given away my gender...!) -- but seriously, would be interested in knowing if you can lip-read... |
|
|
|
|
|
shanghaililly
Squeeker
Joined: Sep 03, 2004
Posts: 19
Status: Offline
|
| Posted:
Sep 18, 2004 - 12:31 AM |
|
|
You go and write those Hefeweizen on the board. Or drink them instead? Now does our friend niko know the connection, before I spill the beans? Racking your brain is not going to help -- you have to know, or you don't know.
One of my favorite movies besides Lost in Translation is "Marlene's smile" (not sure that this is in fact the original title.) Plays in Syracuse, Sicily. During the second world war. Superb. Have you guys seen it. And how about "Das Experiment". Moritz Bleibtreu just does some excellent acting, doesn't he? And yes, since we are on the the German connection, I did enjoy the German conversation in the sauna. Now what the hec did Bill Murray ever whisper into her ear at the end. I like the fact that it is whatever it is we want it to be (oh no! now I have given away my gender...!) -- but seriously, would be interested in knowing if you can lip-read... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Forum FAQ
Search
Preferences
Watched Topics
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
