Played by the sublimely sexual Ludivine Sagnier, Julie is all that Sarah is not. She’s young and beautiful, messy and vivacious. Julie sleeps around, with no moralistic attitude about the acts she performs. Naturally enough, Sarah is at once horrified and inspired by this new guest. Julie is completely comfortable in who she is and makes no attempt to hide her all encompassing desires. Because of this, Sarah soon takes to studying Julie more closely, and it’s about this time that things take a slightly more sinister turn. Sarah begins to live vivaciously through Julie, spying on her, watching her and trying to figure out what she’s about.

Rampling is great at playing a staunch woman who’s more liable to write about dirty things then actually do them. And thanks to Sagnier, Swimming Pool has a deep seeded eroticism that really manages to put the audience on edge. You just know that she is the distillation of the bad girl, the femme fatale, and that this distinction has only one possible result. Femme fatales after all, are called that for a reason. And like all great ones, we really like Julie and her free-wheeling ways, but there’s always that nagging feeling that you want to see her punished.

Swimming Pool doesn’t have a distinctly delineated plot, but instead focuses on the emotions that are distilled into each of these characters. Coupled with many a David Lynch element (a little person makes an appearance, and there’s a lot in here that reminded me of Mulholland Drive, hint hint.), Swimming Pool has a conflicting ending that will stump you unless you think things out. But really, it doesn’t need a resolution. It’s just not that kind of movie. What matters is that Sarah has been changed by the experience – by letting her imagination take hold and letting Julie provide a dripping foothold into her mind.

Movie Grade: A-

Year: 2003
Written and Directed by: François Ozon
Starring: Charlotte Rampling, Ludivine Sagnier, Charles Dance
Details: 102 mins / Focus Features / Rated R

And that’s OK for the most part. But there are those films that require, or at the least quietly request that they be seen on a large screen in a darkened theater. Dark Knight, Bond movies, you know the type that I’m talking about. But not only are these few and far between, but I don’t know that the experience of them even makes it close to making up for the terrible experiences that I’ve had with the cinema in my 30-odd years of life on this earth.

Wow. That was quite the rant. That said, there are a handful of movie going experiences that to this very day I hold close to my heart. Some experiences were because of the theater itself, most because the movie was a revolutionary discovery in some formative moment of my life. And though I’ve had the occasional mind-blowing discovery at home or in film class (the Mike Leigh film Naked, stands out as a particular film class revolution), the following three movies were uniquely cinematic experiences that I still remember fondly.

3. Batman (1989)

Needless to say, or perhaps, important to note, is that Batman was the Movie event of the decade when it was released, or at least that’s how it seemed to me. All I knew is that the movie was dark, scary, but so much fun. My uncle took us early in the movie’s opening, huge crowds, in LA. And even better, I believe it was  a 70mm presentation at the Cinerama Dome (now the famous Arclight Theater methinks.) Huge screen, great sound. Not to mention it was the forbearer for all the comic book and adult-themed action movies that we’ve come to enjoy today.

2. The Matrix (1997)

It’s hard to remember a time before The Matrix in terms of science-fiction, action and special effects. Jaw-dropping in its execution; dark, and wonderful. Of course, my memories of the film were subsequently diluted by repeated viewings on DVD (things tend to lose their power when you know them intimately, no?) the one thing that I do remember is walking out of the theater, into the brightness of the California sunshine, quickly questioning the reality of world around me.

1. Requiem for a Dream

My God. I loved everything about this movie going experience. I had heard grumbling about how great, and disturbing this film would be, and that despite the great cast, would be impossible to find in mainstream theaters because of it was unrated release. So I traveled alone one dark night to downtown Sacramento to find the one theater, the Crest, where I would able to see it, short of traveling to San Francisco.

It was a late showing. Not the greatest part of town, but managed to crawl into the theater with fewer than 30 seats and a bunch of strangers, film-dorks and ne’er-do-wells. What emerged from the screen was a powerful and disturbing portrait of addiction and pain. A quintessential viewing experience that any fan of independent film should have at one point in their lives: unfamiliar place, old theater, amazing film. Alone in the city.

Honorable Mentions:

Jurrassic Park
Dinosaurs. The biggest movie in history. 15 years old, you do the math on how great that experience was for me.

Casino
Late night, day opening viewing that started at 11 and ended at 2 in the morning. Never did seeing a film late feel so right, disorienting and depressing.

To: Dr. Uwe Boll
We, the undersigned, respectfully ask that Uwe Boll give proper weight to the wishes of the video game community, the horror community, and the film going community in general and stop directing, producing, or taking any part in the creation of feature films. His distasteful handling of the subject matter and lack of acknowledgement of his failures simply cannot be abided any longer.

Mr. Boll has repeatedly shown a complete lack of comprehension regarding the videogames he has dragged, kicking and screaming, to the silver screen and his ham-fisted approach to horror has soiled future possibilities for anyone else who may attempt to bring videogames to film.
Sincerely,

The Undersigned

Petition can be found here: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/RRH53888/petition.html

Please sign. Think of the children.

[via defamer, who write a nice post on the subject]

Who was your first celebrity crush?
Submitted by Glory.

I'm guessing that there were a few before the one I'm going to reveal, but I can't remember very well. My memory is hazy and milky. I wouldn't say it was a crush (truthfully, more like a lust), I'd probably say Salma Hayek. Dusk Till Dawn, Desperado – not only were they great movies, but she paraded about in her underthings.

A good argument could be made that if I really thought about it, she'd still be fairly high up on the list.

Originally posted on lightsoutfilms.vox.com

I love horror films like this. Hell, I love movies that are like this, period. Independently minded, shot and edited with a restraint that's refreshing. It's a horror film, yes, but it's also a great film in general. When I think of this when compared with something as silly as a Paul WS Anderson film, it's a wonder that films like this are the exception rather than the rule.

A group of women, seeking a sort of emotional rebirth, enter some caverns (which we learn have been unexplored). And few return.

Really great. Highly recommended.

Originally posted on lightsoutfilms.vox.com

So I decided to give it a shot. I sent Mr. Boll and email, asking him if his offer still stood. Would he still fly me up to participate in one of his unintentionally horrific non-horror films, this time with the lure of physically kicking the snot out of me on film? Well folks, I’m proud to say the answer was “yes.” Mr. Dr. Sr. Boll replied and “added me to the list,” the list of folks he plans on beating up because we talked bad about him on the Internet. In exchange for this incredible privilege, I promised Dr. Mrs. Boll PhD that I would actually sit down and review his films “Alone in the Dark” and “House of the Dead” so people would know I’m completely serious about hating this man and letting him punch me in the face until he decides to stop.

http://www.somethingawful.com/index.php?a=3883

Maybe I should start a Uwe Boll category. I might as well.

[Link via Kotaku.com]

Towards the end of the filming of Postal, the five most outspoken critics will be flown into Vancouver and supplied with hotel rooms. As a guest of Uwe Boll they will be given the chance to be an extra/stand-in in Postal and have the opportunity to put on boxing gloves and enter a BOXING RING to fight Uwe Boll. Each critic will have the opportunity to bring down Uwe in a 10-bout match. There will be five matches planned over the last two days of the movie. Certain scenes from these boxing matches will become part of the Postal movie. All five fights will be televised on the Internet and will be covered by international press.

To be eligible you must be a critic who has posted on the Internet or have written in magazines/newspapers at least two extremely negative articles in the year 2005. Critics of 2006 will not be considered.

Folks between 140 and 190 pounds, send an email to info@boll.kg.de.

Two things are keeping me from the ring. The most significant thing, I didn’t write about Uwe Boll in 2005. (Though I did in 2004) Though I should have. The other, more glaring problem of course, is the weight limit, more suitable for a chubby teenager than the man I am. So sad. I was looking forward to putting my fist where his mouth was.

http://www.defamer.com/hollywood/movies/uwe-boll-challenges-critics-to-beat-his-lack-of-talent-out-of-him-180500.php

A brilliant bit of juxtaposition. It ain’t Mystery Science Theater, but is funny. To be completely honest with you though, I think Boll’s commentary is funny enough alone. What an ass.

You remember that I thought he was an ass, right?

[Link via Kotaku.com]

In February of 2006, German film director Werner Herzog was giving an interview about his film, Grizzly Man, when he was shot in the leg by a pellet gun and began to bleed.

"“Herzog, as if it was the most normal thing in the world, said, ‘Oh,
someone is shooting at us. We must go.’…He just carried on with the
interview while bleeding quietly in his boxer shorts.” An unrepentant
Herzog insisted, “It was not a significant bullet. I am not afraid.”

Herzog is stoic in the most definitive way. He’s darkly German, someone who believes not only that there is no God, but that Nature is cruel and vile. He’s uncomfortable in this world. Which makes both this story, and the satire that follows, so wonderful.

Dear Diary: Calisthenics, shower, and breakfast. Then I water
the garden because it is dry. After the water I put fertilizer into the
soil. I feel the flowers growing stronger the more I talk to them.
Accidentally with my trowel I kill a flower. The world is chaos. I am
unsuccessful at crying.

http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/spoofs_satire/be_not_afraid.php

I could read that over and over again.