7. The Fight Club

Títle: The Fight Club
Director:  David Fincher

Country: U.S.A.
Year: 1999
Runnig time: 139´
Starring: Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena BonHam Carter, Jared Letto

Selected by:  Notoriusly Grim

 
Until now, everything in our English Cineclub has been more o less pleasant and nice, with the desire or intention of liking to everyone. Until now. This has finished. It’s the turn to a movie that, without any doubt, could be disgusting for some of you. A violent, dark and disturbing movie. 

But, in my defense, I must say that it is always brilliant. And that is one of my favorite ones. The Fight Club, has become with time, a what is called a "Cult movie”. In that way are called that kind of movies that certainly doesn’t like to everyone, but, if you like it, you will love it. That´s precisely our case. Despite that The Fight Club didn´t succeed when it was played, now  is one of that “cult movies”. 

The movie is based on a book, by Chuck Palahniuck, but thanks to Mr. Fincher, we have now a fantastic film. He built a masterpiece, and there are too many angles from you can watch "The Fight Club". I will try to show you some of them.

You can only enjoy a very entertained movie, full of rhythm, and eat pizza and pop corns. That could be fine, I suppose.

But I think that there is a lot more under the surface. Actually, if you pay attention, you can discover that every scene is a piece of art itself, and in any one you can discover something. Just from the intro. And even before the intro, if you paid attention.  

Of course, you should also enjoy the plot, which is one of those that you will need to see twice. 
 

Or you can enjoy with the terrific work of two actors, especially Norton, but also Mr. Pit. Norton is the chameleonic one, playing the main character, and the important voice over. He appears in almost every scene, and he is impressive. And Mr. Pitt, playing the character of a man that any man would like to be: disgustingly handsome, smart, strong, he can fight, he make shout a woman in the bed, he can do everything, he is free. I suppose that this is more a man movie that a  woman-kind-of-movie, but, in any case our girls can always enjoy with Pitt half-naked, without T-shirt…  Anyway, I prefer him when he wears the bath robe.

Don´t forget the music,  that is great, electronic, always close to the scenes. My favorite is the one by The Pixies, with the electric guitar and the fantastic chorus: Where is my mind, at the end of the movie. But from the intro I found the soundtrack perfect.

And what about the numerous sentences or quotes to remember?  I´ve adopted some of them to my real life, like :"The things you own end up owning you", or "You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world." I must confess that I do not know what exactly means the "all-dancing crap thing", but even so, I´ve adopted it.

Because, finally,  you can also see the movie under a philosophical way, so to speak. The movie talks about this world that we have now, where we must live without religion, great goals or leaders. The communism and the Berlin Wall fell down, and we have no way to go. We have to go through these difficult times, under the absolute dictatorship of unbridled consumerism. People need someone to follow,  ideals to believe in. The film leave me thinking about all of these subjects and more. 

Because I am an all-singing crap of the world, and I know it.

6. Duel

 

Títle: Duel
Director:  Steven Spielberg
Country: U.S.A.
Year: 1971
Runnig time: 74´ original version, 90´cinema version
Starring: Dennis Weaber

Selected by: Stopmoñey

“Duel” is the first film of the well Known director Steven Spielberg. In fact, the film was shot in 1971 for television, instead of the big screen.

You must watch and enjoy the film thinking that the instruments, vehicles and special effects existing at that moment weren´t like today. Perhaps, young people who have grown up with films like “Fast and furious”, could consider it a bit old fashioned. But for me, the film is as interesting, exciting and thrilling as the first time I saw it (More or less 25 years ago).

There are some masterful scenes, such as the one in the tunnel, with the lorry

switching on the lights in a threatening gesture.

The fact of avoidingus to see the face of the truck driver (only his boots), it is very ingenious. It let you imagine his features in your mind.

 It is very curious how a film with so few dialogues can transmit such amount of emotions: Fear, relief, perplexity,….

This is a film I´d recommend if you think a lorry pursuing a car has to be boring. This film will probably change your mind.

5. Focus

Títle: Focus
Director: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Country: U.S.A.
Year: 2015
Runnig time: 104´
Starring: Will Smith, Margot Robbie
Selected by: Thais

Here comes what Thais would want to say, ..., maybe one day. That day, she will defeat Guillermo, and that is always funny! Come on!

4. Rear window.

Títle: Rear Window
Director:  Alfred Hitchcock
Country: U.S.A.
Year: 1954
Runnig time: 108´
Starring: James Stewart, Grace Kelly.
Thelma Ritter
Selected by: Noe

Old movies always have had a special charm for me and if the director is Alfred Hitchcock I think it's a safe bet for, without more pretensions, to pass a very good time.

So, for my first staging of our cineclub, I chose this friendly film that reminded me, not so old, times of my childhood.

Through this enigmatic window we can see the weaknesses of human beings, marriage, loneliness, misunderstanding between men and women, coexistence and the hopelessness of so many everyday situations.

An impeccable direction and a gripping atmosphere. Great actors like James Stewart and Thelma Ritter made great performances, and Grace Kelly fills the screen with her natural beauty.

There are several simple and profound stories, dialogues and scenes of suspense to remember.

As always, we enjoyed another wonderful evening  with the best company.

3. Terminator

Títle: Terminator
Director: James Cameron
Country: U.S.A.
Year: 1984
Runnig time: 108´
Starring: Arnold Shwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton
Selected by: Javier Gorritxo, Mari Jose, or both, we don´t know....

Hello everyone.

It is said that a movie-club without a blog is not the same, so I am writing this in order to check it.

Last Saturday we watched Terminator.

On last Saturday we invited the other members of our club to our house. What movie could we chose? There are so many great films, but they would like them. Which one should be the first? Could we decide without arguing?

As always stopmoney, the person I am in love with, had the solution. Both of us should make a list of five to ten films and the movie that was in all the list would be the winner.

I am not very clever but when I was finishing my list I knew that “The Terminator” was going to be our election.

It is a great movie, directed in 1984 by James Cameron before being famous. It is a science fiction thriller with one of the most threatening enemy you can have “a cyborg”. In my opinion the best role of Schwarzenegger ever. It has a good script that allows you to discuss about what is first the egg or the chicken and things like that. The action scenes and rapid pacing are amazing you can see how good was Cameron (as in Alien 2 also).

I haven’t seen it in the last 10 or 20 years so I had blend some images from the second and the first terminators, but I enjoyed a lot watching at it again. It is an 80`s film so is quite violent, Schwarzenegger's slamming brutally into anything that gets in his way: I think that nowadays they would take off some of this images. Nevertheless there are some great images, like when you are looking through the Cyborg eyes all in red or the hand of the Terminator trying to catch Sara Conor this one was copy in “the Curse of the black pearl”.

We saw a very unusual making of the movie (well indeed is about terminator 2), It is only available in Spanish. You can see in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS1dCPHU1gE

All in all a great film with a great company, and always is an extra point to see the 80`s hairdressers, people listen to walkman and not being able to use a mobile phone. All of these very weird for my children ;-)

I am thinking about my new list……