RagnaToad
Shake it like a polaroid picture

Do you find them funny?

Heather is correct on The Wind That Shakes the Barley and Moon, as well, even if she is wrong about Donnie Darko.

I think Donnie Darko is a noble failure. Great cast, interesting twists, but the entire "this never happened" copout ending ruined it.

I remember reading some time ago that the different dialogue in Pulp Fiction may be Tarantino's way of showing different perspectives. This wasn't from any commentary or anything, just someone's theory. It does seem weird to have such a glaring mistake, however.

Taxi Driver would fall under my own "films you think you are supposed to like" category. I like it, but I think it is minor Scorsese compared to say Raging Bull or Goodfellas.

I liked Never Let Me Go for its overall story and the points the author made, but I have to admit that I really didn't like the style and structure. Yes, he was telling the stories from the viewpoint of a woman who wasn't human like we are, and her whole life was focussed on a predetermined fate that she wasn't allowed to alter; but for me, she felt too 2D, almost, too flat, like she didn't really have a character. Maybe the author was making a point using that method, but I really didn't like it. Everything was told in such a straightforward manner, and even scenes that should have been really exciting and tense - such as when they go to Madame's house and meet her - weren't very well done. At the end I was left thinking about what it means to be human, how we define these things, left asking what love is - but the writing did annoy me.

You really should finish 1984. I'd love to know what you think of the ending as Orwell writes it. Just now I'm reading Kafka On the Shore by Haruki Murakami, and it's really excellent so far. I'm not sure how the story's going to pan out in the end though, there's a whole load of loose threads and coincidences. Main themes appear to be free will, fate, where the responsibility for our actions comes from/are we really responsible; it's really jumpstarting my brain. Have you ever read Murakami?

I also recently discovered Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie. I read a collection of short stories by her called The Thing Around Your Neck, and it blew my mind. She describes the relationship between Africa and the West so well, perfectly even, before delving into the worlds of immigration, marriage, love, and what the state is. Half of A Yellow Sun is my next planned read, about one of Nigeria's wars, yb Adichie. I've also picked up Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, which is about colonialism and history, which I really hope to read soon.

Read anything good lately?

The Wind That Shakes the Barley is really excellent. Cillian Murphy turns out a masterclass performance, and the story is really gripping. I think you'd like it.

I've always been a fan of Donnie Darko, and to some extent owe my current relationship to it. I don't know if there's ever been a better way to sum up how it feels to be a teenager in a town you hate with a family that you haven't grown into yet. And Fight Club is just...it's a seminal work, nothing less. One of the rare instances where I'll say that the movie surpasses the book. You feel the power and the intensity of everyone's daily grudges while still aware that never would you break the machine in that way unless you had Tyler Durden on your side. We're all lemmings, we're all unoriginal robots, until someone fabricated comes along to hold us up, take us to where we can go.

Did you see Moon this year? I'm in love with Sam Rockwell now. 2009 wasn't a bad year for films; I'm waiting to see if Dr. Parnassus can make it into a great one.

Also, have you finished 1984 yet? I've never gone near the films, because I believe that there's no way 1984 can be properly expressed other than in print.

I have not, no. What's it about? The most recent film I saw was Capitalism: A Love Story, which is excellent, but very centred on America (as you'd expect). I really want to see The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus.

I really have no idea, I've just always liked it.

I am just the sort of guy who changes his mind about films as time goes on. Sometimes it is days, weeks, even years when I catch it on television or something.

1. I liked Burn After Reading, didn't love it. It reminded me of Raising Arizona (80's Coens).
2. Steve Zissou is okay, I liked Wes Anderson's other films much more. There do seem to be some rabid fans of it, though.
3. Was that real or fake? If it is real, it is hilarious, but if it is fake, that is some impressive acting on the part of the high voice guy.

I think it is the best film of the 90s.

I wonder if it might be an American thing. Every day I meet people who remind me of Walter, The Dude, Donny, etc.

I didn't love it initially, but it has grown on me over the years.

The British got a concession with the foreign minister though. Damn Brits think they run Europe

I just genuinely feel that Europeans are more trustworthy anyway, so I expect that from politicians either side of the fence.

I haven't seen Zodiac, but I've wanted to, and I loved Fight Club.

Panic Room was pretty terrible, so I won't even go there.

I also like cult stuff. One of my favorite movies of all time is The Warriors. It's comically bad at times, but I still find it absolutely amazing.

You read my blog? Comment!

I was wrong on Zodiac initially, I should write a retraction. I watched it again and appreciated the mood much more.

He has his moments. I loved Zodiac, but The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was the worst movie of the decade.

Ahh, gotcha. I'll give any film a chance, but I really love comedies, pure action movies and the occasional crime-thriller.

Benjamin Button was a great movie. The three hours really fly by, which to me is very impressive. Se7en is also one of my favorite movies, and I've always preferred Predator to the Alien series.

I do, but I've been slacking majorly in 2009.