Warning: Go away. I’m in my blah whatever i don’t care mood. You don’t wanna read this boring piece of unintelligent crap with spoilers galore.
I’m on this silly mission to watch all the top 250 movies in IMDB. Most of the time the high ratings are justified (it’s quite impossible 200,000 people can be all wrong about one movie), except a few tulan moments where you can’t help but think that either you have a horrible taste in movies, or idiotic movies attract idiots who vote idiotically. Take Pan’s Labyrinth for example. 8.5 is so awfully overrated. I think all 24,609 people who voted 10 are all Spanish. And oh, how can i forget Little Miss Sunshine, 8.2. I dunno why it won 2 Oscars. It’s a kind of movie that contributes to your wtfish mood all day.
I’m only on my 48th movie or something (in no chronological order). But i’ve watched the top top top ones! Like The God Father I II III, The Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, oh ya and just only watched Schindler’s List and The Green Mile. Cried a bucket at the end of both movies.
I’ve never expected myself to watch movies like that (sounds so boring omg!). Take Schindler’s List for example. Steven Spielberg could be so stupid he made a black & white movie in 1993. CAN YOU UNDERSTAND WHY?!? It’s like, using newspaper to wipe your butt when u have triple layer fluffily soft Royal Gold? I had to suffer 3 freaking monochromatic hours while he could damn well make a happy colorful rainbow little pony movie.
For a few times i almost wanted to just shut the telly off and kong in my bed. BUT FINE. Because i was dyingly curious to find out why this movie got a whopping 8.8. So I tahan’ed till the end. Several times in the middle hor, you will suddenly see this little girl wearing a little red dress wandering around. I was like wtf don’t tell me he purposely made a B&W movie because of this stupid dress! I almost wanted to book tickets to America and kill Steven Spielberg with a broken dvd.
AND AT THE END! It just hit me kao kao. That particular scene, where Steven Spielberg’s moronic move finally made a helluva significant sense. I SAW COLORS. And i saw tears in my eyes rolling down.
Yes. It’s all worth 8.8 and the 3 freaking monochromatic hours.
Which reminds me of The Pianist. The movie that made me fall in love with Adrien Brody. Wa why he always like to act kesian one. Like The Jacket also. And he’s damn good at acting kesian lo! While watching the movie i had to keep convincing myself that he’s just acting in a movie to prevent myself from crying of sympathy. Damn traumatizing. Like Taegukgi.
The same goes for The Green Mile. The entire movie is so bizarre at one point it just makes you go wtfish. And i thought even Tom Hanks couldn’t make a saving grace. But then again, it’s the ending that matters. When you finally realize the relation it has with one particular scene in the beginning, that’s when you truly feel you heart is touched by an angel.
Then i watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And i have so much to say.
Uninteresting movie title. But it gave me that Memento-ish feel. It’s for the first time, i feel the originality and sincerity of a movie about memory and reverse chronology (such movies were so popular awhile back it became a genre itself), after Memento. Needless to say i still think Memento is the mostest brilliantest movie ever produced, concept-wise. There’re sooo many movies trying to hard to inject that Memento-ish-ness into the plot but failed like William Hung trying to copy Ricky Martin—so lame it is hilarious and (in)famous.
But Eternal Sunshine is refreshing. Not as confusing as Memento, but dreamy and sweet. Those who haven’t watch, please don’t find out what is it about. You’ll enjoy better if you don’t. 🙂
MAY CONTAIN SPOIRELS
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Have you ever secretly wished for a chance to forget something that’s hurt you in the past?
If only we can selectively erase a certain part of our memory we no longer want stored in our mind. If only, whenever someone breaks your heart, you can just undo the heartbreaking and start anew. You no longer fear being rudely reminded about the pain every so often.
It’s so ironic, really. It’s tiring to have to keep harping over the same issues and you want it to be over and done with (and completely off your mind, literally), so that you can move on. In the movie, Lacuna (eh, why do i get this Vanilla Sky deja vu!) can make your dream come true by eliminating the memory you’re reluctant to carry in your brain. But what if, after the erasure of the memory, you keep find yourself falling in love with the same person all over again? You are not doing it consciously, but you just feel a connection with this person, as if you two are meant to be. Is that a matter of feta fate and destiny? Like, you two are so fetad fated there’s no way you can run away from each other?
That is so incredibly sweet and romantic. And i am so glad they draw a period to the story at this point to preserve a happy ending. If there’s a sequel, will i see the Joel and Clementine going through umpteen memory erasures in attempt to deny and escape from the relationship gone sour? Because it’s often said that what you’re attracted to could very likely be the exact same thing that will drive you apart from the person you love.
Wiping away part of your memory doesn’t alter who you are. You are liable to make the same mistakes you made before and chances are you just can’t stand what you couldn’t stand before.
Will you give it another chance?
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/end of spoirels
My Favorite quote from the movie:
Clementine: This is it Joel. It’s going to be gone soon.
Joel: I know.
Clementine: What do we do?
Joel: Enjoy it.
Yes. I think we should.
P/S: Movies are very subjective lo. Don’t hate me if i hate the movies you like and vice versa. But some of the movies above hor, no matter how many times you fall asleep in the process of watching, you must stay until the end ok, even if it means you have to use toothpicks to pry open your eyes. It’s worth it. 🙂
Nice post and opinions on the movies! It is true about ratings people give, sometimes I oso wonder how ppl can give great ratings to crap movies and crap ratings to movies which are good! Eternal Sunshine does sound good though..will watch on your recommendation and you haven’t failed me thus far!
why suddenly watch so many movies?
I like Adrian Brody 🙂
His nose is big!
but if ‘the pianist’ can touch you, shouldn’t ‘little miss sunshine’ too? all the little things and the bigger meanings? i love all the movies that you mentioned except ‘the godfather’ trilogy cos i haven’t finished it and pan’s labyrinth because i downloaded it without subtitles =x
i watched the godfather I , II, III and i seriously don’t understand y sooo many people like it. i almost fell asleep but oh my robert de niro in part II is soooooooooooooo *drool* handsome. hahaha.
totally cheeeeesie, but smile. pretend everything’s alright and everything will be!
havent watched “spotless mind”…..but i’m sure gonna love it……..thanks for the review.
attempts to watch both Schindler’s list & Pulp fiction both failed miserably. I dozed off not 30 mins into the movie. hahahahahahaa
….speechless
Haha, looks like simple mind cannot understand complicated movies.
Shows if you couldn’t appreciate the Green Mile.
What can I say, simpleton! Hahahaha
Wah, I can die watching so many serious movie in one go. I gotta have like a serious one then a no brainer movie than continue with something heavy again .
Anyway, watch all the movie from Quentin Tarentino, Pulp Fiction is still the best but his other movies are great too…:P
wow!!! I so ~*love*~ the clementine + joel quote!!!!!!!
makes me wanna watch that movie only~ will try to get the dvd soon!
oh and… “it’s often said that what you’re attracted to could very likely be the exact same thing that will drive you apart from the person you love.”… kinda true…agree?
nice post btw! =D
do note that “for IMDb Top 250, only votes from regular voters are considered.”…and regular voters usually are the self-proclaimed movie critiques like me. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen at least 180 of the Top 250, including all the American 1950s films.
In typical fashion of mine (when it comes to popular opinion of movies), I thought 3 out of the 4 movies you reviewed were crap, sorry. Pianist too sympathetic, Green Mile too fantastical, and Eternal Sunshine too smart hehe. And be it known to all that I’m a WKW fanatic. http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=16805615
Have you watched the movie “Apocalypto” by Mel Gibson? can you comment on this movie? I’m not a psycho or anything.. I find this movie rather speechless..
Anonymous – what can I say? Typical scared to use their name troll who posts crap. Why not go troll somewhere where you are welcome?
Porkie: Thanks! And thanks for the Bratwursts lolol.
beefie: Wa why all of you sound so meaty one lol. Do i know you? Not suddenly at all. ALWAYS watch movies. 🙂
sheena: why! u a nose person? you like jackie chan?
3cinr3b: dunno maybe i expected too much. i’ve seen a lot “simple and effective” movies, just don’t think this is good enough for two oscars.
geraldine; eh i like al pacino more! And Diane Keaton was so beautiful then!
Patricia: 🙂 There.
sheon: Forget about Pulp Fiction but you must MUST stay until the end for Schindler’s!
clement:why!
Anonymous: Cheez i happen to like Simple Life! That’s hot.
x: Not in one go la. siao meh. I watch a lot of crappy ones and these are the ones i think is worth a mention lo. But heck i didn’t like Pulp Fiction. Can you convince me otherwise?
eve: Thanks! Should be easy to get, not a very old film. Good luck! 🙂
ChinoDevean: Then i’m so interested to have a look of ChinoDevean top 180! Oh wait, you already did. And yes i notice you seem to love Wong Kar Wai sooooo much. I got too fed up with crappy honkie comedies lousy actions i just sort of completely gave up on honkie films. I’m not a download person so a lot of those old films i don’t know where to find! Suggestion?
very welcheese!! ahaha..still very da full though..but very thirsty O.o
Stephen: Yes i did! Mel Gibson’s movies are always about redemption. Very typical and predictable la. Overall it’s a kancheong movie but i don’t like gory stuff so i didn’t really enjoy the movie.
me too.. though the killing part are a bit extreme in a sense…
Have you tried ‘stuffing’ yourself with all the superheroes (or comic originated) movies in one go? Would be quite an interesting experience, I think…. I might just try it one day. Anyway. my most *siao* experiment was watching Shrek 1, 2 and 3 non-stop one Shreky rainy silly afternoon. The result of it all? I went “I’m an Orga” when I looked into the mirror.
Stephen: Some liked the nudity!
Terence: I tried watching God Father III and the special features on this bonus dvd, which is also 3 hours. I almost died. -_- I tried movie marathon though (in cinema). And i tried playing PS2 games for more than 10 hours straight. -_-
Schindler’s List is in my Top 5 must watch movie!
It is so meaningful and same like you, I teared when I watched it.
Maybe you are just not into the Quentin thing. I reckon you don’t like violence and crude humor right? that is why pupl fiction didn’t really work on you …:P
Anyway, maybe this show call “sideways” might interest you 🙂
hope you feel better… dont know what is wrong!! but you dont sound right!! take care ya..
hmm..
Aik? I tought cheesy should watch all those cheesy movie…?? Already dethrone kah??
I couldn’t understand Eternal Sunshine at all when I watched it the first time. Only when I went back and read Wikipedia that I realised the timeline was all screwed up.
I actually thought it was a comedy because Jim Carrey was in it. Then I was like “eh. not funny one leh.”
Till this day, it puzzles me still that Jim Carrey didn’t even get a nomination for Eternal Sunshine or Man on the moon for that matter. There’s a conspiracy i tell you!
meow…….
Schindler’s List?? i slept i think about 30 minutes into the movie… and never touched the vcd ever since… that was quite a long time ago… lolz…
Tom: Yay. 🙂
x: I dunno i was worried that i am too stupid to comprehend the wonder of the fiction.
The fragmented scenes are no longer a novelty when i watched it, maybe it was back in 1994.
crash: Thank you. 🙂
alexallied: heh.
van: The contradiction!
keju: WHAT WERE U DOING! not paying attention 😛 Jim Carrey nowadays plays eccentric! Like Eternal and also in 23.
wombok: Yea i think he acts better like this than when he’s funny. 🙂
ivy: purrs. Is that a psychological test?
Aaron Tan: Finish ittttttttttt!
You have good taste in movies girl! Schindler’s List was a lil too harsh for my viewing. Bought the DVD. Had to close my eyes when the Germans tortured the Jews. It made me cry!!!
Back when I was still studying in the UK, I had access to some Chinese movie-streaming sites. Coupled with the insane broadband connection, these sites turned me into a movie buff, as they screened all kinds of movies incl. hard-to-find classics, and very good quality. I averaged a movie a day. The bad news is all these sites have now blocked their IP to international audiences, and anyways with our connection we won’t be able to watch it.
Also, I rented DVDs from Amazon.co.uk. It was fantastic. Any title was available, delivered to your footstep, finish watching, just drop it back into the mailbox. The classics that I have were bought in the UK too.
I thought Munich was better than Schindler’s, but who am I to judge someone who also directed such diverse fare like Jaws, ET, Indy Jones, Jurassic Park & Minority Report??
I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE THE PIANIST.
so much that i watched it 6 times.
i mean a 3 hour movie 6 times.
thats half my life.
wladek spielman. haha see i even remembered a polish name. man
i totally didn’t get eternal sunshine.. actually it’s one of the ‘wtf-ish’ movies I have watched.. tot alongside girl with the pearl earring – my goddd.. then again, pls dun hate me for hating ur movie.. lol…
Samantha: Yea it’s so not my genre. But bo bian, hooked on it. 🙁
Chino: Thanks so much for advice! Haih doubt i could watch those classic here.
skim: Waa me too love it so much hor until i wanna register 100 times to vote 10 for it. =P
s0hp0h: Watch closer, watch more intently! 🙂 Then again everyone has a different liking. I soooooooooo hate Transformers and make no secret about it. Haha.
Deja Vu! I watched both Schindler’s List and The Pianist at the same time and also wrote a review about them on my blog previously! I like The Pianist…..exactly la! That actor can really act kesian! Superb! His expressions ah…wahhh…
jlshyang: where where! i can’t find it in your blog.
hey cheesie, how did you get your hands on these movies? I so wanna watch them too… did u buy all the dvds? and can you find them in any dvd shop?
Pepper: SS2 is good! 🙂
where do u get all the movies? pirated? or illegal downloads???
or perhaps ur rich enuff to buy originals?
would really love to know eh..thankz
Eternal Sunshine is one of my favourite film. Also try the director’s (Michel Gondry) latest film “Science of Sleep”. You might hate it the first time, but after repeated viewing, it’ll stick in your head.
Survive Style 5+ (wacky and crazy), Last Life in the Universe (slow but beautiful), Eureka (by Shinji Aoyama…it’s a 3 hours 40 mins Japanese film with very little dialogue and shot entirely in sepia tone) & Swallowtail (by Shunji Iwai, must watch) are great too.
It’s many many months back wan.
I watched both The Pianist and Schindler’s List together with The Sleepers also – one of Brad Pitt’s first appearances. That one also not bad.
Pepper: My friend got those from Damansara Uptown.
ps: I buy from this dvd shop la. Want to say until so obvious meh.
Dylan: Waa i havent seen the rest you recommended. Must check them out.
jlshyang: omg i just only watched The Sleepers also. He looks less handome when he was younger 😛
surprisingly, the movies you listed are all my all time favourites. The pianist was really a classic, Adrian Brody was so cool
I watched The Pianist 5 times, Schindler’s list 3 times but I watch borat for 6 times, another great surprise.
Hey, watch this movie “Number 23”, I think you’ll like it. Hehe..
Selfairy: Yup i’ve watched it. Not bad 🙂
not to sound pompous (which i inevitably will end up sounding like) but i just have to say this; the imdb top 250 is 90% bullshit. the godfather no doubt are good movies. but honest to voldemort, it is not the best film ever. but thats just my stupid opinion, no? =D
however, im only posting here (not because of my imdb top 250 beef) because of your segment on eternal sunshine of the spotless mind. it is one of my favorite films of all time. it is one of the only two films that have made me really cry. it’s beautiful. it’s wonderful. its romantic. but its bittersweet.
i say bittersweet because even if the ending seems to have a positive tone to it, you know for sure that they will eventually go through the same problems and clementine will return to lacuna to erase her memories and subsequently so will joel. the very last scene *just* before the credits roll symbolizes this. if you remember (which i hope you do, because you just watched it!), you see a sequence of them frolicking in the snow – and then this sequence is repeated over, and over (for about 3 times, i think). this symbolizes the reality of their relationship, that it is and will be in a state of temporalness for eternity – eventhough they will be together forever. that it will happen over and over and over again.
i really have no idea what i typed in the last paragraph but i’ll say this as a finishing statement. eternal sunshine is not brilliant. its not perfect. its human. that is what makes it so relatable. yes, it may be science fiction. but havent you felt those moments when you wish you could forget somebody so badly so that your heart wont ache? this film tells you what happens when you do forget that someone. it does more than that, it asks you this fundamental question: even if you forget that someone, can your heart forget? it is this very question that makes eternal sunshine of the spotless mind a beautiful bittersweet reflection on romance.
ps. i dont know if you noticed, but the caption from your poster reads ‘You can erase someone from your mind. Getting them out of your heart is another story.’
pps. all your other movies are good. but none of them has the emotional resonance of that as eternal sunshine. its easier to relate to eternal sunshine than say the pianist/schindler’s =D i thought memento was clever. but thats it. clever. didnt resonate with me emotionally. made me think abit though. and i always like films that make me think a little or alot.
ppps. i dont know ifyou know, but the original draft of eternal sunshine had an ending scene whereby it was 50 years ahead in the future and we see a much older clementine coming into lacuna inc. to erase her memory, again.
Jeremy: Thank you so much for your (lengthy) feedback.
My sentiments exactly. Yes i do remember the frolicking scene before the ending. I noticed they were wearing snow caps and you don’t get to see Clementine’s hair color. I supposed it’s up to the audience’s interpretation, whether it happens in the past, present or future.
Very dreamy yet so realistic. I love the current ending. Maybe it’s escapism but i don’t really care about their future. They are happy now so i wish they could enjoy while they still could. 🙂
there are many new movies to watch this month, i would be going to the cinema and video rental store again *”:
In the world of fashion, newcomers only see the best case scenario. In the world of marriage, everybody wants the fairy tale.