Your favorite movie of 2016

[Guestx]

I like rewatching movies, sure, but I would always prefer to watch one I haven't seen. That's what I always want to get out of the club - expanding my horizons. I never would have seen unusual ones like Thirst or Madeo were it not for the club. I mean, I was introduced to Manborg thanks to the club, and that alone made it all worth it. It's why I always vote for the movie I haven't seen each week, unless I've seen them all, then I go for the one that I feel will bring the best discussion.

But what about outside the club, in your own personal viewing? Do you not revisit movies very often?

 

[chickenluver]

I actually considered doing a Best Religious/Christian films theme for the movie club in the past.

Let me guess...

The Gospel According to Matthew
The Last Temptation of Christ
The Passion of the Christ
Jesus Christ Superstar

 

[europe1]

The Gospel According to Anthony

Never heard about it. Googling the title reveals nothing.

I assume it's a shakespear adaptation centering on Mark Anthony and Cleoprata. Sounds awesome.

The Last Temptation of Christ

I didn't feuture this one -- it's a perfect candidate though, I'll admit to that.

The Passion of the Christ

Pssh! Nominate this alongside Last Temptation!? The very thought is absurd to the mind! I will make the assumption that you placed the two films next to one-another as some bawdy joke on your part.

Nah. I really like the production designs of Passion, it's depiction of the ancient world. But it's one of those films where I was more excited about seeing the Temple Veil on screen than I was about the rest of the film.

Jesus Christ Superstar

I'm actually not a big fan of Jesus Christ Superstar. It's okay. I just didn't find it all that interesting.

And it's a... musical.



My list was going to be:

Black Robe (very similar to Silence in both theme and plot, threads along very similar grounds)
Leon Morin, Priest (Superb film by Melville about an atheist girl who converts to Christianity. It tackels many interesting questions about faith. Like, if you are rationally convinced that God exists -- is that then really faith? And how much does the priests charisma play into your religiosity?)
The Word (As a Swede I got to represent dem Lutherans, you know? Very interesting religious angle that takes the anti-methapsysical (for lack of a better term) strain within Lutheraism to their logical extremes and makes some profound statements that way)

My fourth pick I was never very certain of. Tarkovsky was considered but he's a bit to general in his spritiuality, so the only real nomination could have been Andrei Rublev but that really isn't my favorite of his. I also considered including one of the many Hollywood religious epics from the 50's and 60's, take a "faith as spectable" approach. Like The Robe, King of Kings or The Greatest Story Ever Told. Or just Last Temptation as you mentioned.


My religious movie list would have been The Word, Leon Morin, Priest, Muhammed: The Messanger and that Buddhist film that Rimbaud reviewed in the SMD thread way back and I can't remember the title of.

 

[Sir Galahad]

I only saw the last act or so of that film and it was slow. But it did have some brutal parts.

I don't mean it as an insult, if anything its probably why he has such a unique aesthetic. In promoting The Neon Demon he said shit like this

http://lwlies.com/interviews/nicolas-winding-refn-the-neon-demon/

He's an effeminate Euro male and its probably why he has such an interesting aesthetic. I love his work, even the more artsy and pretentious stuff like The Neon Demon.

Why did you dislike it?

Okay he might be effeminate but can we both agree that Refn's brilliant? @Kafir-kun

 

[chickenluver]

Never heard about it. Googling the title reveals nothing.

oops I meant Matthew. Known in English as The Gospel According to St Matthew, but that's a mistranslation.

Pssh! Nominate this alongside Last Temptation!? The very thought is absurd to the mind! I will make the assumption that you placed the two films next to one-another as some bawdy joke on your part.

Nah. I really like the production designs of Passion, it's depiction of the ancient world. But it's one of those films where I was more excited about seeing the Temple Veil on screen than I was about the rest of the film.

I'm actually not a big fan of Jesus Christ Superstar. It's okay. I just didn't find it all that interesting.

And it's a... musical.

I actually haven't seen either of these. I caught a few minutes of Jesus Christ Superstar and I thought it was awful.

My list was going to be:

Black Robe (very similar to Silence in both theme and plot, threads along very similar grounds)
Leon Morin, Priest (Superb film by Melville about an atheist girl who converts to Christianity. It tackels many interesting questions about faith. Like, if you are rationally convinced that God exists -- is that then really faith? And how much does the priests charisma play into your religiosity?)
The Word (As a Swede I got to represent dem Lutherans, you know? Very interesting religious angle that takes the anti-methapsysical (for lack of a better term) strain within Lutheraism to their logical extremes and makes some profound statements that way)

My fourth pick I was never very certain of. Tarkovsky was considered but he's a bit to general in his spritiuality, so the only real nomination could have been Andrei Rublev but that really isn't my favorite of his. I also considered including one of the many Hollywood religious epics from the 50's and 60's, take a "faith as spectable" approach. Like The Robe, King of Kings or The Greatest Story Ever Told. Or just Last Temptation as you mentioned.

My religious movie list would have been The Word, Leon Morin, Priest, Muhammed: The Messanger and that Buddhist film that Rimbaud reviewed in the SMD thread way back and I can't remember the title of.

Of these I've only seen Andrei Rublev, which is actually my favorite Tarkovsky, although I only went through his filmography once.

 

[europe1]

The Gospel According to St Matthew

That movie is too beautiful for the Sherdog Movie Club. Their profane eyes do not deserve to watch it.

It still kills me that the guy who directed St Matthew also directed Salo

oops I meant Matthew. Known in English as The Gospel According to St Matthew, but that's a mistranslation.

Didn't know that.

Of these I've only seen Andrei Rublev, which is actually my favorite Tarkovsky

Oh it's in the middle-to-lower end for me -- still a minor great though. That ending is fantastic with the boy building the church clock. I guess I just didn't find as much poignancy in it as in other movies.

 

[Metal_Daze]

I voted La La Land because the soundtrack has been stuck into my head constantly. I'm working on a flamenco arrangement and it's coming along well.

I can't believe Deadpool got so many votes, it is THE movie that made me give up on SuperHero movies.

 

[Guestx]

Let me guess...

The Gospel According to Anthony
The Last Temptation of Christ
The Passion of the Christ
Jesus Christ Superstar

I would go with:

The Apostle
The Passion of the Christ
Risen
. . . and maybe Silence once I actually sit down and watch it.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

Haven't seen a single movie from the poll.

 

[Guestx]

Haven't seen a single movie from the poll.

Did you just wake up from a coma?

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

Did you just wake up from a coma?

A cathode ray coma. Then I realized that watching every movie under the sun wasn't all that important. Considering the number of reboots and franchises it looks like I'm missing only so much.

 

[chickenluver]

That movie is too beautiful for the Sherdog Movie Club. Their profane eyes do not deserve to watch it.

It still kills me that the guy who directed St Matthew also directed Salo

I struggled with his late work, Salo and the ancient/medieval anthology adaptations, so I still have yet to power through his 1960s output, but I really want to see Matthew, Oedipus Rex, Teorema, and Medea.

Didn't know that.

Perhaps calling it a mistranslation is a false characterization. The title of the film is Il Vangelo secondo Matteo, so it's missing the word santo, Italian for saint. Whomever gave it an English title took it upon themselves to add the title/description Saint. It is worth noting that the actual book of Matthew from the new testament is titled in Greek To kata Matthaion euangelion, so as with Pasolini's film the word for saint, agios, is not a part of the original title.

I would go with:

The Apostle
The Passion of the Christ
Risen
. . . and maybe Silence once I actually sit down and watch it.

Only saw Silence.

 

[Guestx]

Only saw Silence.

The Apostle is literally one of the best movies I've ever seen.

 

[chickenluver]

The Apostle is literally one of the best movies I've ever seen.

I've heard of this but only now looked into it. Sounds really good. I'm always down for some Duvall, and I see he wrote and directed so that's intriguing.

 

[Guestx]

I've heard of this but only now looked into it. Sounds really good. I'm always down for some Duvall, and I see he wrote and directed so that's intriguing.

Wrote, directed, starred in and I think may have even financed.

It's truly a superb film.

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

Civil War was the one I liked the most.

 

[Islam Imamate]

Okay he might be effeminate but can we both agree that Refn's brilliant? @Kafir-kun

Oh definitely. Even at his worst he still shows talent and makes films far more interesting than the average tent pole summer blockbuster.

 

[moreorless87]

I like rewatching movies, sure, but I would always prefer to watch one I haven't seen. That's what I always want to get out of the club - expanding my horizons. I never would have seen unusual ones like Thirst or Madeo were it not for the club. I mean, I was introduced to Manborg thanks to the club, and that alone made it all worth it. It's why I always vote for the movie I haven't seen each week, unless I've seen them all, then I go for the one that I feel will bring the best discussion.

Honestly though I think cinema as a medium is at its best when its creating art designed for multiple viewings. A very large number of my favourite films only became so after watching them a great many times, some I didn't even like a great deal first time around.

Personally I think the growth of the "one and done" mindset(cause by increased cinema ticket prices I spose) has had a terrible effect on the quality of blockbuster films, its given us the career of JJ Abrams and Micheal Bay who's work is entirely geared to a one off cheap thrill ride and falls to bits with multiple viewing.

 

[europe1]

Honestly though I think cinema as a medium is at its best when its creating art designed for multiple viewings. A very large number of my favourite films only became so after watching them a great many times, some I didn't even like a great deal first time around.

Personally I think the growth of the "one and done" mindset(cause by increased cinema ticket prices I spose) has had a terrible effect on the quality of blockbuster films, its given us the career of JJ Abrams and Micheal Bay who's work is entirely geared to a one off cheap thrill ride and falls to bits with multiple viewing.

A thing to note.

"One and done" was the be-all, end-all of moviemaking up until the VHS. When Kubrick made his films nobody imagined a future where any normal person could sit down and watch movies at their own leisure. You could only really see them in the cinema, so a movie had to be a one and done by necessity.

I think the Abrams and Bay's of the world are a result of the modern IT-age, where everything is lighting-fast and ultra-stimulative.

 

[moreorless87]

A thing to note.

"One and done" was the be-all, end-all of moviemaking up until the VHS. When Kubrick made his films nobody imagined a future where any normal person could sit down and watch movies at their own leisure. You could only really see them in the cinema, so a movie had to be a one and done by necessity.

I think the Abrams and Bay's of the world are a result of the modern IT-age, where everything is lighting-fast and ultra-stimulative.

Nah films in the past had much longer runs than today plus a lot of reruns at cheaper or art cinemas plus vastly cheaper tickets. Seeing the same film more than once at the cinema was a much more common activity in the past than it is these days.