# Weird Films



## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Anbody seen any good "world cinema" lately? I'd like some recommendations, I am on a DVD buying spree.







in fact I'd like a film forum (and get rid of the pocket watch one)









No explosions, special effects or violence please, no kung fu or car chases, preferably no more than 5 or 6 cast members either, most of whom must be playing characters that are depressed and or alcoholics with "issues". I watched my latest 2 last night and they were a right mixed bag.

I really enoyed this one "El Perro" (The Dog) exactly my type of movie, very little actually happened but lots of superb cinematography, big blue skies and long straight roads.

*"In Patagonia, a mechanic who dreams of a different life starts to think big after his adopted pup wins first prize at a local dog show."*









This one, a Japanese musical/horror/comedy







was pretending (far too hard) to be cool, frankly, it was ****.









*The Happiness Of The Katakuris*

"As oppose to laughing or being afraid during obvious parts, youâ€™ll be viewing the opening sequence of KATAKURIS, sitting there with your jaw dropped as you watch a claymation of some angelic monstrosity being found in a womanâ€™s soup and biting off her uvula and chasing after it while it floats away like a blown bubble in the sky. "


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Sorry, I dont do weird films......

Sex, drugs, car chases, more sex, guns and violence and probably aliens....Thats what you need in a film


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

jasonm said:


> Sorry, I dont do weird films......
> 
> Sex, drugs, car chases, more sex, guns and violence and probably aliens....Thats what you need in a film


How is that more exciting than jobless mechanic being given a puppy in return for doing a good deed?


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Does he shag the puppy?

No?....Dull film then.....


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

No, it was exciting I tell you!









*Synopsis*

Set in Patagonia, this foreign drama follows the story of Juan who is given an enormous pure-bred Dogo Argentino named Bombon when he helps a stranded motorist. Juan regains his dignity and finds a new vocation when he enters Bombon in dog shows.


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

How does Juan loose his dignity? That might be interesting


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## Robert (Jul 26, 2006)

MarkF said:


> when he enters Bombon





jasonm said:


> Does he shag the puppy?


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## unlcky alf (Nov 19, 2006)

Mark, I've been watching a bit of French cinema recently,and have found afew gems. Have you seen "Amelie"? If you did, and enjoyed it, there are a couple of other recommendations I could make.

Jason, Robert you gentlemen are sick


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## mattjg01 (Jul 3, 2006)

Gotta say I'm with Jase. Can't get these weird arty type films. Remember seeing City of Lost Children at Uni, it's apparently a cracking film but after watching it I thought it had been made by a bunch of kids


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## dapper (Jun 18, 2004)

I watched 'Run Lola Run' last night - a superb film.


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## unlcky alf (Nov 19, 2006)

mattjg01 said:


> Remember seeing City of Lost Children at Uni, it's apparently a cracking film but after watching it I thought it had been made by a bunch of kids


That one's in my unwatched pile, still in the wrapper. Apparently it's one that really divides people into two camps, those that loved it and those that only woke up when the cinema lights came back on. Even those that loved it seem to agree that it was at least 45 mins too long. I'm saving it for a rainy day.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

I received this one in error a week or so ago, but it looks fascinating so I decided to keep it. I haven't watched it yet but it gets good reviews









*"Lovefilm" aka "A Film About Love"*

Directed by IstvÃ¡n SzabÃ³ / Hungarian / 1970


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## RuskyWatchLover (Nov 12, 2006)

Lola (1986)

Spanish

Directed by

Bigas Luna

Lola, a factory worker, finally decides to run away from Mario, the drunk and aggressive man she loves. That same night she has a love affair with Roberto, a French rich man. Eventually they marry and have a daughter, apparently product of their first night. Four years later Mario has saved some money and begins haunting Lola in order to recover her and the girl he thinks is his daughter, not Roberto's.

You'll love it.


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## RuskyWatchLover (Nov 12, 2006)

You might also like "Spetters", "Turkish Delight", "The Legend of the Holy Drinker", "Betty Blue", "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover", "Last Exit to Brooklyn"...

Those will keep you busy for a while.


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## in_denial (Aug 3, 2005)

dapper said:


> I watched 'Run Lola Run' last night - a superb film.


I'll second that, and how about "Goodbye Lenin" and "Downfall" for that matter!

-- Tim (wearing my Sinn today, donchaknow?)


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## jaslfc5 (Jan 2, 2007)

one of my faves is a film called man bites dog its well worth a look - betty blue is a classic,but as far as wierd films go ive always thought jacobs ladder was a complete mind [email protected]


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## murph (Aug 14, 2006)

I remember watching naked lunch on tv one evening as it just happened to be on the channel I was on. I found that pretty strange at the time but it could have been due to either a) my, lets say "state of mind"







at the time or b. it really was strange.


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## heartyparty (Nov 12, 2006)

Lots of good manga films out there (Japanese animation) like Akira, or Fist of the North Star or Venus Wars.

A particularly weird one is Urotsukidoji (ledgend of the overfiend) - quite a sickie!!

Ultimate Teacher is a good one too - watch out for the Lucky Pussy pants!

Patlabor I an II are also very good - some beatiful scenes and music.

Manga rocks!

heartyparty


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## julian (Jun 3, 2003)

Can't stand these weird films .Gimmee Big Bruvva any day.


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## mad_librarian (Jan 30, 2005)

Riffifi, Tango, Toto le Hero, Hairdressers Husband, Diva, Belleville Rendezvous, La Haine, Un Coeur en Hiver, Noce Blanche.....and for an hour or so of baffling artiness/shagging try The Draughtsman's Contract...


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

potz said:


> It all really rather depends on the definition of "weird".
> 
> Eraser Head (or pretty much anything else by David Lynch)
> 
> ...


Didn't like much of that list







I think I used the wrong word, "weird", I like low budget (very low) films with a small cast of unkown (to me) actors with a good storyline. I thought the lead actor in El Perro gave a fantatic performance, he dominated the screen, without really doing much, later I found out that he wasn't even a bloody actor, nor were the rest of the cast, I like that.










I don't like sc-fi, surrealism or "art" films so anything by David Lynch I think is wank whereas anything by Pedro Almodovar is great.

Some good recommendations though, thank you, I will look into them and I've seen "Lola" at the local Blockbusters so I wll pick that up this week.


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Aly made me watch a Italian film 'Life is beautiful' a while ago.....

It was OK......


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## grey (Apr 29, 2006)

jasonm said:


> Does he shag the puppy?
> 
> No?....Dull film then.....


Been wondering about your Avatar. Knew it was somebody off TV but couldn't place him. Got it now though. It's Jeremy Clarkson isn't it?


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

jasonm said:


> Aly made me watch a Italian film 'Life is beautiful' a while ago.....
> 
> It was OK......


You are getting there







That is a good film, I'd prefer a different subject matter but some cracking performances in it.

I watched "Rocky" with my kids last night, the original. I didn't want to but sometimes you have to give a little







It was great! I had forgotten just what a cracking movie it is, an all time classic.

I am trying to rememeber a film so that I can buy it, any help will be most appreciated. It was Italian, I think it was called " The Icicle Thief" set in the 40's or 50's and no, I am not getting confused with "The Bicycle Thief" another Italian film. I might have been drunk but it went like this, the "Icicle" wasn't an icicle but a chandelier that to the leading man, resembled an icicle, he was skint so to please his wife he stole it. Then the film wasn't *the *film anymore but it was on televison and a family in the present age were watching it.







Any ideas?


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

MarkF said:


> I am trying to rememeber a film so that I can buy it, any help will be most appreciated. It was Italian, I think it was called " The Icicle Thief" set in the 40's or 50's and no, I am not getting confused with "The Bicycle Thief" another Italian film. I might have been drunk but it went like this, the "Icicle" wasn't an icicle but a chandelier that to the leading man, resembled an icicle, he was skint so to please his wife he stole it. Then the film wasn't *the *film anymore but it was on televison and a family in the present age were watching it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Forget it, I found it.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

You might like Spider. Not exactly an unknown cast (Ralph Fiennes, Miranda Richardson (playing two roles), Gabriel Byrne, Lynn Redgrave) but a French/Canadian/UK co-production directed by David Cronenberg which won the Toronto Film Festival in 2002.

It's also worth keeping an eye on the "Classics" section of Sony Pictures' website. This is a separate division that deals with independent movies









http://www.sonyclassics.com/


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## unlcky alf (Nov 19, 2006)

Mark, you could try the following:

Le Diner Des Cons (Dir Francis Veber):

Pierre and his friends have a dinner party every Wednesday evening where each of them must bring an "idiot" as a guest, at the end of the evening, when the guests leave, they have fun at their expense and vote for the most spectacular idiot. Pierre is sure that he'll win this week, he's found the "king of idiots" (Francois Pignon) a government accountant who is obsessed with making matchstick models. Pierre invites him back to his flat so that they can go to the dinner together but puts his back out and cannot go, Francois decides to stay to look after his new friend. Unfortunately for Pierre it turns out that he was right, he really has found the king of idiots. A brilliant performance by Jacques Villeret as Francois.

Les Amants Du Pont Neuf (Dir Leos Carax):

Two young homeless lovers survive on the streets of Paris, Alex an alcoholic drug addict and Michele an artist who is going blind. They are both completely dependant on each other, to the point where Alex virtually imprisons his lover to prevent her from receiving a new treatment for her worsening condition, which he feels might end their relationship. This was intended to be a modestly budgeted film, the director was given permission to film on the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris whilst it was closed for restoration, however the license expired during filming and they had to build a replica of the location in Montpelier so that they could complete the project. Making this (at the time) one of the most expensive films in French cinematic history and forcing the director into virtual exile for almost 8 years. Stars Juliette Binoche and Denis Lavant.

Un Long Dimanche Du Fiancailles - "A Very Long Engagement" (Dir Jean-Pierre Jeunet)

One of my favorite films: Mathilde's fiancÃ© was listed among the dead at the battle of the Somme but she refuses to believe, if Manech was really dead she would know. Two years after the war an ex soldier tells her that Manech was executed at a place called Bingo Crepescule along with 4 others for "self-inflicted wounds". She still refuses to believe and, armed with this new information, sets out to find her lover. Stars Audrey Tatou, Gaspard Uliel, Jean Reno.

Certainly the last film is by no means a low-budget film and several of the actors are familiar faces but if you like strong performances by newcomers it's worth seeing for the performance of Gaspard Uliel (19yrs), Tatou is charming, as always, and it's easy to see why she has been compared to Audrey Hepburn. There is some violence but it would be impossible to do flashbacks to the trenches of WW1 without showing something of the nightmare that caused so many to lose their sanity. Cinematography is stunning, script is both witty and sad. There isn't a weak performance in it and Jeunet gets the most out of every scene. A Beautiful film.

Is this exclusively for your viewing Mark or will there be others watching as well, wife, kids?

Potz: I'm surprised that you enjoyed "Baise Moi" ("Rape Me"or "F**k Me" depending on the market) I thought it was nothing but hardcore porn interspersed with a series of improbable murders and cloaked in a BS message about feminism designed to make it acceptable to a wider audience. Terrible story, appalling acting, and very weak directing. Each to their own I suppose.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Simon, a quick question. Is there a good source of French movie DVD's on the Internet? I'm presuming that there's a wider range of these films available from French companies rather than via Amazon and the like in the UK


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## unlcky alf (Nov 19, 2006)

rhaythorne said:


> Simon, a quick question. Is there a good source of French movie DVD's on the Internet? I'm presuming that there's a wider range of these films available from French companies rather than via Amazon and the like in the UK


Rich, I generally get either a recommendation from a friend or find an interesting title on Amazon.fr/IMDB but I normally buy from Play.com simply because they're much cheaper and offer free delivery. If I can't find what I want on Play's site I pop into the nearest Cultura and see if they can get it for me. Unfortunately the market here is similar to the UK ie obsessed with the latest big-budget US releases and I'm told that many of the older domestic productions haven't yet had a DVD release, although they are slowly filtering through.

Cultura have an online shop here and I believe that they ship to the UK, don't be too shocked at the prices though, DVDs are hugely over-priced in France. All of the films which I mentioned above were purchased via Play

I'm sure that you would enjoy the last of those films Rich, as I was watching it I kept thinking that this was how Hollywood used to make films back in the "golden age", before they began assuming that the audience were idiots with the attention span of goldfish.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Thanks Simon. I'll check out Cultura and the French version of Amazon as maybe their stock is different from the UK









On the "weird" movie front, I was just on another forum (







) posting a link about lockpicking of all things, when I spotted that the latest movie in which 2600 are involved has been completed and is scheduled to be screened in NYC next week with a DVD release later in the year.

It's called _Urchin_ and, whilst the plot may not be to everybody's taste, the method of production sounds amazing:



> The independent production was written and directed by John Harlacher and was shot illegally in the subways, sewers, and streets of New York City with 24p digital cameras, professional actors, and a handful of crew members. An expert post-production team then added masterful sound design and effects to the footage. The result is a film that has the raw energy of New York City graffiti and the polish of Hollywood. "Urchin" is a prime example of guerrilla cinema made possible by new technology.


"guerilla cinema"







Sounds too good to miss!


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

unlcky alf said:


> Mark, you could try the following:
> 
> Le Diner Des Cons (Dir Francis Veber):
> 
> ...


All those sound right up my street Simon.







I am afraid I have to watch films on my own when everybody else has gone to bed, nobody else likes subtitled films, whereas I prefer them, the dialogue text has to be economic and I like that.

I was a little suprprised to see that "Baise Moi" is in the local Blockbusters too.


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## RuskyWatchLover (Nov 12, 2006)

Now that Audrey Tautou has been mentioned, "Amelie" is a good one too. And for something else disturbing and French try "A ma soeur".

I can't believe that I also didn't recommend the obvious: "Night Watch" (Nochnoi Dozor) and the sequel "Day Watch" (Dnevnoi Dozor)... even though they aren't about our kind of watches.









And if you want to see something really different then you just have to get "Brat" and "Brat 2" - if you think "Baise-Moi" is nasty you have to see these.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Just browsing the various international versions of Amazon plus Play and Cultura and noticed that the classic _Belle de Jour_ was re-released (at long last!) on DVD in the UK a couple of weeks ago


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

The original (Russian) version of Solaris was a bit strange, anyone seen it? I saw it last about 25 years ago.


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## hippo (Jun 27, 2006)

jasonm said:


> Does he shag the puppy?
> 
> No?....Dull film then.....


Jase for Prime Minister!!!!!!


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## Bladerunner (Jun 4, 2006)

Stan said:


> The original (Russian) version of Solaris was a bit strange, anyone seen it? I saw it last about 25 years ago.


Yes, I have seen it as well Stan, late 80's at a guess; it was certainly a bit different.


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## unlcky alf (Nov 19, 2006)

potz said:


> The reason I enjoyed that film was because of its unabashed display of violence and because of its very black humour which develops after the first shock is over and the two girls go off on their spree of revenge on men.
> 
> Also we were talking weird films, were we not?


As I said, each to their own, I obviously missed something as I was never able to reconcile the fact that their â€œspree of revenge on menâ€ including Manu killing the brother that tried to help her and the duo killing 16 other men who had nothing to do with the rape and, just to finally destroy the female empowerment myth, 5 innocent women.

I certainly agree that it is unabashed in its willingness to display extreme violence, however, I take the view that this was simply another way to court controversy rather than as a means to progress a story, â€œbums on seatsâ€ and all that. TBH the only thing I found weird about the film was the fact that it garnered any critical acclaim at all.

Different strokes for different folks, Iâ€™m glad you enjoyed it.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Bladerunner said:


> Stan said:
> 
> 
> > The original (Russian) version of Solaris was a bit strange, anyone seen it? I saw it last about 25 years ago.
> ...


It was, and it may have been more brilliant than my small intellect could detect.

I remember another Russian film called "The Zone" that had a similar effect on me.









That film has given me another idea.


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## blackandgolduk (Apr 25, 2005)

Some good recommedations here... I can recommend Amelie, it's a great film and the acting and direction are supurb. Man Bites Dog is just brilliant, very dark and funny in parts. Not in the same vein but I watched Babel last week which was very good and the Last King of Scotland this weekend - excellent.

Recently I've re-watched Way of the Gun, City of God and Dinner Rush - all well worth a look.


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## Bladerunner (Jun 4, 2006)

Stan said:


> Bladerunner said:
> 
> 
> > Stan said:
> ...


Not seen that one Stan, but the original version of Solaris is now available on DVD & I think would be worth revisiting.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

I seem to remember Mark saying that he enjoyed the film _Two Lane Blacktop_. There's another excellent American "road movie" on Film4 tonight at 11.25. _Electra Glide in Blue_. Well-worth seeing if you get the chance.


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## dapper (Jun 18, 2004)

rhaythorne said:


> There's another excellent American "road movie" on Film4 tonight at 11.25. _Electra Glide in Blue_. Well-worth seeing if you get the chance.


A great film - one of my favourites









The opening sequences are wonderful, especially the cop getting ready for work leading up to the first view of the Harley....


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

rhaythorne said:


> I seem to remember Mark saying that he enjoyed the film _Two Lane Blacktop_. There's another excellent American "road movie" on Film4 tonight at 11.25. _Electra Glide in Blue_. Well-worth seeing if you get the chance.


Yes Rich, _Two Lane Blacktop _is one of my all time faves, it didn't even need subtitles for me as nobody bleedin well said anything! I like _Electra Glide in Blue_ as well but it has a bummer of an ending.







Beautiful scenes though.









I will give it a miss tonight as I have 2 DVD's to watch _Todo sobre mi madre_ "All about my mother" Pedro Almodovar and one lent to me by a friend with an excellent recommendation, always a bad sign,_ Cooler_ with Alex Baldwin, Willim H Macy and some other B listers.


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## unlcky alf (Nov 19, 2006)

Another, rather unusual, take on the "road movie" was David Lynch's "The Straight Story", the story of an elderly man who makes the trip from Iowa to Wisconsin, on his tractor-mower, to see his dying brother one last time. It's *based* on a true story and was Richard Farnsworth's last film.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

I've always been intrigued by "The Straight Story" but never investigated further. I might have to give that one a go. I just checked it out on IMDB - I didn't realise Sissy Spacek was in it


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## pauluspaolo (Feb 24, 2003)

Can't really add much to this thread as generally I like blood, guts, violence, action, excitement & thrills in the films I see. However this isn't a hard & fast rule & here are some recommendations for films that you may not know about or have seen.

"Fargo" written & directed by the Coen brothers - black comedy at it's best, unusual characters & a good story too, it proves that William H. Macy isn't a b-list actor at all. Any film with Steve Buscemi in it is good (except for Armageddon







).

"Spartan" starring Val Kilmer & directed by David Mamet it's a dark conspiracy/kidnapping thriller.

"Narc" starring Jason Patric (who is a b-lister but he's excellent in this) & Ray Liotta. It is dark, very well acted tale and tells a story of how far some people are willing to go to honour the memory of a friend and colleague. One cop, Nick Tellis, suspended after a stray bullet hits a pregnant woman, is teamed up with bad ass cop Henry Oak and together they try to solve the murder of an undercover cop. But is everything as it seems?

Another Val Kilmer film that I can thoroughly recommend is "The Salton Sea". Val Kilmer is one man with two identites. As Tom he is out to hunt down the men who killed his wife. As Danny he is helping a pair of cops make their drug busts to keep him out of jail. Both men are walking down the same path but they come to a fork in the road. Path one, forget everything and take the easy way out. Path two, the long hard road to success filled with corruption, greed, scandal and drugs galore. At the end of either path, Poo Bear, a fat, psychotic, red-neck drug dealer with no nose. The story is very complex and director D.J, Caruso does a fabulous job of weaving together the life of Tom and the life of Danny and brings them together very nicely in the end.

Ghost World's good too & has no guns, blood, guts or action &, despite the title, it's not sci-fi/horror either. Stars Thora Birch, a pre-stardom Scarlett Johanson & Steve Buscemi (again). Small, low budget, gentle film about relationships & friendships.

As recommended by someone else "Nightwatch" is good too - though it's a bit mad at times & paying attention to what's going on really helps! I didn't know "Daywatch" had even been released at the cinema yet?







?

I realise that some/all of these films may not appeal to everyone but I enjoyed all of them & think that probably some of the other forum members will too


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## unlcky alf (Nov 19, 2006)

Can anyone recommend "The Hour of the Pig", the intriguing tale of a pig put on trial for murder in 15th century France, with Ian Holm, Colin Firth, Donald Pleasance and , the erratically brilliant, Nicol Williamson? I can only get hold of it in Region 1 format and was wondering if it was worth the hassle.


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