I might be a little late with this one...the local Netflix didn't have it, and they told me I would get it within the next 3-5 days...which was yesterday. I'll try and discuss it as much as possible when I do watch it, though!
I might be a little late with this one...the local Netflix didn't have it, and they told me I would get it within the next 3-5 days...which was yesterday. I'll try and discuss it as much as possible when I do watch it, though!
I'll have wait until Next month when I get Netflix back to be able to partake but I'll catch up then.
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Lisa! Isn't he amazing?! Sorry I could go on and on But he has such a unique quality about him, unlike any other actor I've ever seen. He has this sort of unpredictability to him where you're just not quite sure what he's going to do next. I love it.
Well enough about him and onto the film...
Spoiler:
Only the gentle are ever really strong.
No, I had no idea there was a book - great!
Yes, I can imagineSpoiler:
the only reason why I am procrastinating now is that I hated the book.
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh no, why so? The narrative or the story itself?
actually, both. Maybe I just read it at the wrong time (although I've never been a fan of Steinbeck anyway), but it seemed to me "epic" in the worst sense of the word: ponderous, boring and curiously devoid of any kind of humor; "serious literature" of the kind I normally avoid.
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well I've heard it's very different from the book Jean. So I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on the film.
Spoiler:
Only the gentle are ever really strong.
Duh, I hadn't even realised it was Steinbeck...
I thought today was the deadline for East of Eden, but since nobody has discussed the film yet, I don't want to give anything away. I would like to post my favorite scene from the film. I just love how it shot. The swaying of the camera and everything is perfect. Great scene.
http://youtu.be/2uG4PRf6ROM
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I love it Mike! Actually the camera work in the film is really good. There are a lot of scenes where he's got the camera slightly tilted and such, and it just adds this uneasiness or claustrophobic feeling to the scene. The one where they're reading from the bible is another one that stands out strongly in my mind.
Have you seen the film James Dean yet by any chance?
Only the gentle are ever really strong.
Heather, I've had the James Dean movie in my Netflix queue for a while, but for some reason it's been listed as "save". Hopefully it will become available soon. I'm going to post my review of East of Eden. Maybe it will get the ball rolling:
Growing up, I always heard the name James Dean linked to his performance in Rebel Without a Cause. It's more well known than East of Eden, but after watching both films, I can honestly say that Dean's performance in Eden is a more powerful performance.
From the first moment Dean appears on screen, it's impossible to take your eyes off of him. Dean gives an amazing, layered performance as Cal Trask, a son looking for answers about the supposed death of his mother and longing for the approval of his father.
In East of Eden, Dean is the original "Emo". He's brooding, angry, sad and haunting; sometimes all in the same scene.
East of Eden is basically a tale of good versus evil. Cal being the evil and his brother Aron being the good. The parallels to the Bible's Caine and Abel are obviously apparent.
Sibling rivalry in film is endlessly entertaining for me. Both of my parents have a sibling of the same sex. They often tell me (and my twin sister) about some of the struggles of growing up with a sibling of the same gender.
East of Eden is also a beautifully shot film. There are a few scenes where the camera is tilted and off kilter. It helps to add a sense of discomfort and disorientation. My favorite scene is the one where Dean is on a swing and is having a conversation with his father. Dean only replies to his father while in the foreground. Also, the gentle swaying of the camera adds to the building tension.
Probably my favorite shot from the film is where Cal has just left his brother with his mother, and stands out in the hallway. He casts a demented shadow on the floor that grows larger as he begins walking. Just good stuff.
Without giving too much away, the most memorable scene is when Cal tries to give his father the money. The scene is so sad and chilling. Anybody who has ever been denied appreciation for an accomplishment from a parent, will probably be brought to tears.
In the end, I think East of Eden has kind of gotten overshadowed by Rebel Without a Cause. Kind of like how Cal gets overshadowed by his brother. A pure must see classic indeed.
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The original emo That made me laugh, but also very apt!
Ok, if you catch up late please feel free to continue discussing East Of Eden, but we're now moving on to our second movie which is Withnail And I. You have up to the 3rd October to watch it, you can discuss as soon as you've seen it, but spoiler tag your discussion if you post before that date
Feev, feel free to do the funky Imdb thang
Ok, it's gonna be a little late for me for me to discuss East of Eden, as I'm still waiting for it to arrive, but I will definitely watch and discuss asap.
Discussion on Withnail & I, though? Yes, that, I most certainly can do right away!
"I fuck arses? Who fucks arses?"
...
"Maybe he fucks arses!" I did a pretty in-depth review on it a while back, I can repost it here if anyone wishes, but I'm certainly looking forward to reading everyone's elses thoughts on this one! I wonder if Jean will like it? Probably not his thing...
Spoiler:
Never be cruel and never be cowardly. And if you ever are, always make amends.
You are a walking talking Doctor Who encyclopedia to me. - Melike
grrrr, I won't be participating till mid-October. I will be online about half-hour every day only, and won't watch any movies - will be traveling (if everything goes well). It breaks my heart that I've been unable to take part in East of Eaden discussion, and especially that W&I will be watched without bears...
: hangs head :
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, you know what bunch of procrastinators we are, we probably won't be discussing Withnail until then anyway
this is a huge consolation!
procrastinate, guys! speed kills; slow and steady wins the race. Never put off till tomorrow what you can do next week!
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, let's watch Matt's film first, that way you definitely won't miss out Jean
So, next up:
The Conversation
Deadline 3rd October Any discussion before the 3rd to be spoiler tagged
Never be cruel and never be cowardly. And if you ever are, always make amends.
You are a walking talking Doctor Who encyclopedia to me. - Melike
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well this is a splendid turn of events. I'll have to download The Conversation to watch it again.
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The Conversation's been added to the Lovefilm rental list, right after East of Eden. But don't forget to be on the lookout for Withnail & I as well, Mattrick. That's one film you won't regret watching, I promise you! Shame that my chance for a really good excuse to discuss the film has been delayed, but it's all for the better if bears can join in, too. I know he loves the film as much as I do, after all!
Never be cruel and never be cowardly. And if you ever are, always make amends.
You are a walking talking Doctor Who encyclopedia to me. - Melike
Yes!
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You better post your thoughts on the conversation when you get back Jean!
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Oh that's a bummer. I did find it on youtube, but I think you're just better off buying it cause the quality isn't the greatest. Lisa I'd also recommend checking it out.
As for the film, I completely agree about Dean. I think it's probably my favorite performance by an actor. He just gives such a powerful, emotional performance. You can literally feel every drop of emotion that comes out of him. I love him in Rebel Without a Cause as well, but this is the one that I always tell people to watch to really see what a truly great and unique actor he really is. Mike have you seen Giant or any of his other performances?
Back to the film, one of my favorite aspects of it is the camera work, which you mentioned as well. I think Kazan did an excellent job filming it. This is one thing that I always look for in films. The angles of the camera, and the movements, as subtle as some of them are, really do add to the power of some of the scenes. One of my other favorite scenes that you didn't mention, is the picnic table one. I don't know what it is about it, but it draws me in every time. It just has this pure innocent feel to it. And the one where he meets his mom for the first time. We see him walk down this long dark hallway in the shadows. You can feel this ominous presence about the whole thing. And then he kneels down before her. And in a sweet, very childlike voice asks if she'll talk to him, only to literally be dragged out. He seems like such a young lost child. It's such a sad scene.
Has anyone else watched it yet, or is it just me Mike and Lisa? Feev needs to get in here
Only the gentle are ever really strong.