Films you have seen at the cinema 2024

[Sue]

Le Beau Serge. Claude Chabrol's first film and often viewed as the first feature of the Nouvelle Vague. A young man, François, returns to his rural French village to discover his childhood friend, Serge, has become a violent alcoholic. François tries to help him which goes about as well as you'd expect.

It's a depressing but interesting depiction of 50's French village life and the black and white neo-realist cinematography is great.

Of course much of it is of its time -- the depiction of women (saintly wife and teenage temptress who gets what she 'deserves' ) for example -- and seeing someone recuperating from TB smoking seems pretty wtf to our eyes.

This was the first screening in the Cine Lumiere's Chabrol retrospective -- astonishingly, there's never really been one in the UK. They're currently battling with licensing and distribution issues but will be announcing further screenings soon (it runs till February).

ETA a link:

Claude Chabrol – Behind the Mirror: Family Secrets - Institut Français · Royaume-Uni

From the director’s début feature Le Beau Serge (1958) – that launched the New Wave – to instant classics (La Cérémonie), and lesser-known gems such as Les Bonnes Femmes (1960) or Violette Nozière (1977), dark secrets are uncovered, taboos explored and appearances deconstructed. Through his...

www.institut-francais.org.uk

 

[redsquirrel]

This was the first screening in the Cine Lumiere's Chabrol retrospective -- astonishingly, there's never really been one in the UK. They're currently battling with licensing and distribution issues but will be announcing further screenings soon (it runs till February).

That is crazy - I'd love to see Chabrol on the big screen, I don't think I've ever seen any of his at the cinema despite being a big fan.

EDIT: Fuck they're showing La Cérémonie and Colour of Lies two of my favourites really hope there are some showings outside London. Not holding my breath though, Leeds did not get a showing of the BFI restoration of Seven Samurai.

 

[Sue]

That is crazy - I'd love to see Chabrol on the big screen, I don't think I've ever seen any of his at the cinema despite being a big fan.

I know, it is. The ones I've seen (apart from today's) have all been on DVD I think.

The academic and Chabrol specialist who did an extended intro said they started organising the retrospective then Covid hit and then they discovered actually getting the rights to screen the films was really complicated, despite most of them being released here at the time. Chabrol's daughter -- Cecile Maistre-Chabrol -- is fully supportive and is doing an intro to at least one of the upcoming films.

 

[redsquirrel]

Wondering if I can make a trip to London so see at least one.

I don't see The Rupture or The Butcher on that list, was there any mention of them?

 

[Sue]

Wondering if I can make a trip to London so see at least one.

I don't see The Rupture or The Butcher on that list, was there any mention of them?

No. They'll be announcing the Jan/Feb programme soon so could be they'll be on then. Let me know if you do manage to come down for any of them and fancy company (I'll be trying to make as many as I can).

 

[redsquirrel]

Nope, looks like something that wouldn’t hold my attention.

I can get that - but if they do add an extra showing I'd strongly recommend it

 

[Orang Utan]

Saw a fun bunch of shorts mostly today, but CBA reviewing them as there were 19 of them. I seem to prefer them when they’re really short and when they’re funny.
Makes me wonder about film-making - who sees these films outside of festivals? I understand they’re kind of seen as R&D for talent, but it must be strange going to all that time and effort to make a film that hardly anybody will see.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Saw a fun bunch of shorts mostly today, but CBA reviewing them as there were 19 of them. I seem to prefer them when they’re really short and when they’re funny.
Makes me wonder about film-making - who sees these films outside of festivals? I understand they’re kind of seen as R&D for talent, but it must be strange going to all that time and effort to make a film that hardly anybody will see.

People do it on a shoestring for the love of it mostly, no? A couple of mates of mine have made a few shorts. It's very rewarding to see your film playing at a festival. You make one, then you try to cobble together the finances to make another. Maybe it takes you years just to finish one. And maybe that's all you ever do, but that's better than never having made any films.

It's not really so different from being in a band and only ever playing to a few dozen people. It's still a worthwhile thing to do in and for itself.

 

[Orang Utan]

Film 21
Chlorophyll

Possibly the most visually striking film of the festival so far - a (sort-of) romance set in Sardinia about a young woman who leaves the city to pick oranges for a shy young man, each of them having their own bizarre affinity with the botanical world about them.
4 big green bushes out of 5

 

[Orang Utan]

People do it on a shoestring for the love of it mostly, no? A couple of mates of mine have made a few shorts. It's very rewarding to see your film playing at a festival. You make one, then you try to cobble together the finances to make another. Maybe it takes you years just to finish one. And maybe that's all you ever do, but that's better than never having made any films.

It's not really so different from being in a band and only ever playing to a few dozen people. It's still a worthwhile thing to do in and for itself.

Aye, not saying it’s not worthwhile making them. I was just marvelling at the film-makers’ commitment to their art.

 

[redsquirrel]

Film 21
Chlorophyll
Possibly the most visually striking film of the festival so far - a (sort-of) romance set in Sardinia about a young woman who leaves the city to pick oranges for a shy young man, each of them having their own bizarre affinity with the botanical world about them.
4 big green bushes out of 5

I really fancied that, but there were only rubbish seats left.
Hoping it gets a wider release.

 

[Orang Utan]

I really fancied that, but there were only rubbish seats left.
Hoping it gets a wider release.

I had to sit on a sofa with a stranger which was not ideal, but was soon entranced for it not to matter. I normally avoid Everyman Cinemas though.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Aye, not saying it’s not worthwhile making them. I was just marvelling at the film-makers’ commitment to their art.

My mate made a short sci-fi film and was invited to a festival in miami where he won an award (there are lots of awards). He did all the editing himself. Took ages. One of the actors died, it took so long to make. (Covid didnt help). But it had its moment in the light.

 

[Orang Utan]

Film 22
Wake In Fright

1971 Ozzie horror about a teacher who gets trapped in an outback mining town over the Xmas hols and is forced to rely on the oppressive hospitality of a group of uncultured boorish dipsomaniacs.
We all know how that feels - best Xmas movie ever!
Special mention must be made of Donald Pleasance, who is perfectly malevolant
5 unlucky kangaroos out of 5

 

[Orang Utan]

I was going to watch a bunch more sweaty oppressive Ozploitation movies, but fuck Everyman Cinemas and their misleading seating plans. No one should be forced to sit on a sofa with me to watch a film. So my anxiety got the better of me and I went home. Have found the rest of the films in the strand on FshareTV, so may stay at home today and watch them.

 

[Sue]

Film 22
Wake In Fright
View attachment 450685
1971 Ozzie horror about a teacher who gets trapped in an outback mining town over the Xmas hols and is forced to rely on the oppressive hospitality of a group of uncultured boorish swine.
We all know how that feels - best Xmas movie ever!
Special mention must be made of Donald Pleasance, who is perfectly malevolant
5 unlucky kangaroos out of 5

If that film doesn't put you off booze, nothing will.

 

[blossie33]

I was going to watch a bunch more sweaty oppressive Ozploitation movies, but fuck Everyman Cinemas and their misleading seating plans. No one should be forced to sit on a sofa with me to watch a film. So my anxiety got the better of me and I went home. Have found the rest of the films in the strand on FshareTV, so may stay at home today and watch them.

That seating arrangement isn't on is it I wouldn't have been happy about it either and would probably have done the same!

 

[Orang Utan]

If that film doesn't put you off booze, nothing will do

Quite! It did made me glad I’d given up booze!

 

[Orang Utan]

That seating arrangement isn't on is it I wouldn't have been happy about it either and would probably have done the same!

I whinged about it on Instagram as I thought I wouldn’t be the only person who felt that way, and I was pleasantly surprised to get a prompt and positive response from the festival saying they’d updated their online seating plan to make sure single seating is better labelled. Result!

 

[Guineveretoo]

I saw The Apprentice recently in an almost empty screen at the West Norwood Picture House.

Not my choice of film so I didn’t really know what to expect.

If anything, I thought it was too sympathetic towards Trump, although that’s perhaps an odd thing to say since it shows him as a rapist and as totally narcissistic and uncaring.

But that’s probably just because I hate Trump so much.

What do others who have seen it think?