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Indie Film Festival - "Mean Streets"
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Author:  torrino [ Thu Nov 11, 2004 11:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Indie Film Festival - "Mean Streets"
Zingaling suggested an Independent Film Festival a while back, and, now, I'm putting it into action! This time, all the info. will take place in this thread, and, as we all hope, people will make an effort to participate, etc.

To join, you have to commit to watching a particular film. On a specific weekend. And, then, discussing it. While this is somewhat flexible, I'd like to see people rewatching films (if they've already seen it) along with everyone else so we can discuss it with it fresh into our minds. I'm not sure how I'm going to divide this (this is just the first part), but the first PART of the festival will take place on the weekend of December 3-5. And, the first part of the festival will consist of a study of a famous independent film director. First, we're going to have to choose a director to study. Basically, I've compiled a list (along with the help of dolcevita, Dkmuto, and a little tool known as the IMDB) of "big" indie directors and either their first films or the films that set them apart from the crowd of imitators. This is partly opinion and partly factual (box office numbers, articles written, name recognition, awards, etc).

To assist in choosing the director/movie, you've simply got to look at the list below and choose the director you're most interested in studying. Choosing the director will end on Sunday, November 21st. And, choosing the movie (if there's more than one listed, as there is for the Coen Brothers, Tarantino, Kubrick, etc) will end on Friday, November 26th. This will allow for enough time to find the film via rental store, friend, library, best buy, etc.

Here's the list of directors to choose from, along with the possible films:
Coen Brothers - Blood Simple, Fargo
Quentin Tarantino - Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction
Terry Gilliam - Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Stanley Kubrick - Dr. Strangelove, Lolita
Miles Forman - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
David Lynch - Eraserhead
Robert Linklater - Slacker, Dazed and Confused
Sam Raimi - The Evil Dead
George Romero - Night of the Living Dead
Peter Jackson - Bad Taste, Meet the Feebles
Kevin Smith - Clerks
Robert Altman - Nashville, The Player
Jim Jarmusch - Dead Man
Jane Campion - After Hours, The Piano
Stephen Soderberg - Sex, lies, and videotape
Martin Scorcese - Mean Streets, Taxi Driver
Robert Rodriguez - El Mariachi
John Waters - Pink Flamingos, Hairspray
Frank Capra - It Happened One Night, Lady for a Day

Just mention your first three director choices in this thread. All votes will be worth the same amount (of the three. No need to rank them).

Thanks!
Author:  lovemerox [ Fri Nov 12, 2004 12:32 am ]
Post subject: 
IM in!!!!

Miles Forman - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Quentin Tarantino - Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction

Can I commit to these two for now?
Author:  torrino [ Fri Nov 12, 2004 12:34 am ]
Post subject: 
lovemerox wrote:
IM in!!!!

Miles Forman - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Quentin Tarantino - Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction

Can I commit to these two for now?

Well, this is the voting round. So, if you're in, you're SUPPOSSED to watch the movie that's chosen, heh. My intention wasn't on watching any movie, but, instead, watching a specific movie and then discussing it. But, right now, Miles Forman and Quentin Tarantino have a vote a piece.
Author:  zingy [ Fri Nov 12, 2004 7:30 am ]
Post subject: 
Quentin Tarantino - Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction
Robert Linklater - Slacker, Dazed and Confused
Martin Scorcese - Mean Streets, Taxi Driver
Author:  Dr. Lecter [ Fri Nov 12, 2004 10:03 am ]
Post subject: 
Sam Raimi - The Evil Dead
Peter Jackson - Bad Taste, Meet the Feebles
Coen Brothers - Blood Simple, Fargo

:)
Author:  kypade [ Fri Nov 12, 2004 1:16 pm ]
Post subject: 
What do you mean by "study of a director"? Is the voting just to pick a film, or is the discussion going to actually be on the director?

If the directors are just there to help pick the first film, my three votes are:

Coen Brothers - Blood Simple, Fargo
Kevin Smith - Clerks
Martin Scorcese - Mean Streets, Taxi Driver
Author:  dolcevita [ Fri Nov 12, 2004 2:06 pm ]
Post subject: 
I don't think this should go into voting. Its getting to mabiguous. Torri, take it by the reigns and lets just start going through the list. Someone who feels very passionately about what they are in the mood for that week can announce it on Monday-ish. Torri will make an *official* announcement by Tuesday or Wednesday saying which director is up for that week. Anyone interested in that one particular week, go rent it, and we'll discuss at the end of the weekend. Then the cycle repeats. If no one makes a special request, than Torri makes the call (this Festival is his garden). If too many people make requests, Torri still makes the call (it is his garden). We'll eventually hit all of them anyways. Anyone interested just peek in and see which director is going that week, and then check it out and discuss. If you love something, drop it in the Top 100 thread too.

Torri and I will eventually be discussing Dead Man - JArmusch in a back and forth, so I think that week, we'll profer it up as the selection so that everyone can see it and know what is going on. That will be in awhile though.

Make sense? Do you like my suggestion? If not, than proceed and disregard them, I just think it'lll get to confusing without some structure.

-Dolce
Author:  torrino [ Fri Nov 12, 2004 8:52 pm ]
Post subject: 
I talked with dolcevita about this, and, I like her idea. So, the festival won't be restricted to one director, but, instead, we'll go through this list.

Here's the structure. We'll go through the list, and, each weekend (Starting Next), we'll cover one of the directors and one of the films. And, then, we'll discuss the films. The way we go through the list will depend on who expresses interest in choosing a director first. I'll be counting lovemerox's, Zingaling's, Dr. Lecter's, and Kypade's comments. Thus, there's a 3-way tie between Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorcese, and the Coen Brothers.

So, we're going to either watch Blood Simple, Fargo, Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Mean Streets, or Taxi Driver. This week, I'll be nice, and allow all of you to choose the movie (incorporating director). In the future, I'll make the call when things are tied, as, remember, every director WILL be covered. The movie, however, will be up to you (when there's more than one listed for a director) via polling every week. The poll will close in two days. And, remember, watch the movie THIS weekend, and be prepared for discussion on Monday-Wednesday! And then we'll get on to the next round (two weeks from this round)
Author:  torrino [ Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:27 pm ]
Post subject: 
Oh, yeah. PLEASE mention who you voted for in the thread. I want to know who's participating...

I voted for Mean Streets. I've never seen any of Martin Scorcese's early work, but that was a fairly low budget film (with inflation it would still cost less than a million today) at the time, and I'm pretty sure it was private from the studio (as, Scorcese IS an "indie" director...in a sense)
Author:  xiayun [ Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:46 pm ]
Post subject: 
I voted for Mean Streets as well. I have Fargo, Pulp Fiction, and Taxi Driver at home, and they are already among my favorite movies of all time, but I haven't seen Mean Streets. I look forward to seeing more of Scorsese's early works. Haven't seen Good Fellas either.
Author:  kypade [ Fri Nov 12, 2004 10:07 pm ]
Post subject: 
l haven't seen Blood Simple or Mean Streets, and both would be of interest to me...so, l too will go with Mean Streets. :oops:

Also, you want us to watch it THIS weekend as in tomorrow or saturday, (Nov. 13-14) or the following weekend? :? :oops: l assume the following, if the poll is gonna be open till sunday...but...just making sure...
Author:  torrino [ Fri Nov 12, 2004 10:12 pm ]
Post subject: 
Weekend after this one. ;)

BTW, guys, Mean Streets is only $13 or so at Best Buy, so it might be worth buying, esp. if you want to build up your Scorcese collection ;)
Author:  dolcevita [ Fri Nov 12, 2004 10:48 pm ]
Post subject: 
I will watch Mean Streets. Barring that, I've always wanted to see Boxcar Bertha, which I think is even earlier. If that happens, I'll provide info on it in the directo thread anyways. Sounds like fun. We should just call it now that next weekend is Mean Streets. That way it gives people time to get their hands on it IMO.

-Dolce
Author:  torrino [ Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:05 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hmmph. Apparently, you can't pick it up at Best Buy unless you order it online. But it's $14.99 at Borders, so I'll just pick it up there. I own Taxi Driver and Goodfellas (on VHS though, lol). The Last Temptation of Christ is worth the $40 for the Criterion, so I'll eventually pick it up. I'm quietly building up my collection ;)
Author:  Dkmuto [ Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:14 pm ]
Post subject: 
I really doubt I'll be able to watch any of these films this weekend (busy busy busy), but I will try to participate come Monday if I am able to. My vote, therefore, goes to one I've already seen, and it is one of my favorites: Fargo.
Author:  1981 [ Sat Nov 13, 2004 10:39 am ]
Post subject: 
Fargo should open the festival.

Maybe you could also add a film director's retrospective. Maybe a Sergio Leone retrospective(to certain heights very independent).
Author:  dolcevita [ Sat Nov 13, 2004 1:16 pm ]
Post subject: 
Everyone, lol, we are making this too complicated. We will get to discuss all of these directors, one/week. So you do have the whole week to watch it, and perhaps discussion will kick off on sunday afternoons? I think we've settled for Scorsese for next sunday (not this upcoming one) and Coen Brothers the following one. I don't think we should even vote/poll it or we'll all lose focus and desire. Torri and I will arrange the list, with any directors having already gotten a request being at the top of the list. We can then proceed to go down the list. For polling, I think we could select which film to see by the designated director that week, but I don't think we should be polling multiple directors and movies. Too chaotic.

Does that sound good? Questions? Comments? Concerns? We'd like to hear from you guys about how to make this clear, focused, and easily accessible to other members of the forum.

-Dolce
Author:  Dr. Lecter [ Sat Nov 13, 2004 1:23 pm ]
Post subject: 
Kick it off with Reservoir Dogs! :D
Author:  torrino [ Sat Nov 13, 2004 5:53 pm ]
Post subject: 
I'll let the poll finish. I couldn't find Mean Streets at Borders, and tomorrow's a busy day, so I'll have to rent it from the library or a video store during the week.

I own Reservoir Dogs and Fargo.

I could care less, heh. Every director will be covered.
Author:  Dr. Lecter [ Sat Nov 13, 2004 6:09 pm ]
Post subject: 
Mean Steets is the only movie I'll be having problems to get :? :(
Author:  Rod [ Sat Nov 13, 2004 6:28 pm ]
Post subject: 
I voted for Fargo cause I've never seen me and this would put pressure on me to see it!!

I thought I had but then I realized that was the Disney movie, Balto.

so now I keep having this idea that Fargo is about dog sleds and snow and races.

So I'm sure I'll be dissapointed.
Author:  torrino [ Mon Nov 15, 2004 11:29 pm ]
Post subject: 
MEAN STREETS is the first choice. Viewing shall commence whenever you want...before Sunday, though.

Mean Streets was Scorcese's 2nd or 3rd film, and the first in which he collaborated with Robert DeNiro.

Enjoy!
Author:  torrino [ Fri Nov 19, 2004 8:23 pm ]
Post subject: 
So, who rented the film?

Anyone planning on watching it?

I'm going to watch it tomorrow.
Author:  kypade [ Fri Nov 19, 2004 11:53 pm ]
Post subject: 
l;m leaving for the week on sunday, but if l dont have anything to do tomorrow l'll rent it and post something before l do...:oops:
Author:  torrino [ Sun Nov 21, 2004 11:31 pm ]
Post subject: 
Did anyone watch it?

It was...strange. Very gritty; perhaps a bit more realistic than Goodfellas. I wouldn't call it better.

DeNiro isn't at his best, though.

A-ish
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