Further On Up the Road (Looking Towards Episode 11)

Apologies for the lack of content this week folks. You see, it turns out neithe Simon nor I have much Ang Lee material in our back pages. Ordinarily, this discovery would have sparked one or both of us to write something new...but unfortunately, we both found ourselves otherwise occupied over the last seven.

Thus, my one post on one of the most underseen Ang Lee films will have to do.

The scoreboard is coming this afternoon, but for now on with the show! We have two left before we close up shop on series one, and in both cases they centre on directors that spawn great conversation. Here's a clue for the penultimate choice...


C: You're getting older, and you'll see that life isn't like your fairy tales. The world is a cruel place. And you'll learn that, even if it hurts...Magic does not exist. Not for you, me or anyone else

Little More Lust, Little Less Caution

In thinking about this week's director, I wonder if I should take my own advice and watch one of Ang Lee's films again. You see, I watched LUST, CAUTION back during the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival...early on a Sunday morning...where "half awake" would be a generous way to describe my mental state.

Along with being in a better mindset, my taste has changed in the last four years - so perhaps if I were to give it a rent now, I'd find that the pace and tone are in fact more in line with what I want in a film.

For better or worse, here's what I wrote back then...

Ang Lee's movies are some of the most consistently best-looking films, and just about every time I watched one for the first time there was at least one "that's a great shot" moment. I didn't get that with LUST, CAUTION, so while it is shot well, it didn't strike me as visually interesting as some of Lee's other films like BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN or THE ICE STORM. That said, I did enjoy the scenes that involved the four women conversing over their game of mah-jongg. It reminded me a lot of the scenes in EAT, DRINK, MAN, WOMAN where the characters talk passionately as they cook...

Check out the full post here.

The Film Locker #10: Ang Lee

Ever get the feeling you're forgetting something? That's this week's Film Locker. Apologies for the slightly later than usual posting time folks but it's been busy times for Simon and I lately. Hopefully our discussion made things worth the wait, as we have a director whose filmography is short but distinguished for your today.

It's Ang Lee's turn in the spotlight during episode ten, with special emphasis on his 2000 modern classic CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.



As usual, it is already up on itunes and can be found easily on podomatic - so, please do try and write reviews and support us if you can! We have the ol' RSS feed and 2.0 RSS and, if you link in different ways, we also have it on Google and Yahoo

Episode 9 Scoreboard

The all star continues her dominance, but the lead remains a tight one.

Rachel Thuro got in first again with Episode 9 trivia (which continues to stupify me given how inconvenient a time these episodes post for her. But Rhys stays in close with a second place pickup again this week. Three episodes left, the win still very much to be determined.

Here are the results after nine rounds, with everyone's point pickup for this episode listed in parenthesis...

Rachel Thuro 135 (+24)
Rhys Bendeix-Lewis 119 (+18)
Andrew Buckle 79 (+10)
Courtney Small 60 (0)
Duke 32 (0)
Alison 28 (+6)
Shane McNeil 18 (0)
Joel Burman 15 (0)
Jess Rogers 4 (0)
Andrew Robinson 3 (0)

Hatter's Questions:
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE won all but two of the Oscars it was nominated for.

Naomi Harris has been cast as Moneypenny in Bond 23.

Robert Carlyle's character in THE BEACH is named after Daffy Duck.

Simon's Questions:
ALIEN LOVE TRIANGLE was supposed to be part of a trilogy with MIMIC and THE IMPOSTER.

Jim Cartwright wrote the scripts for Strumpet and Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise

John Murphy has worked with Danny Boyle 5 times

Entries for Trivia close at noon EST on the Friday after the show; please email all answers to filmlocker@hotmail.com. The prize dvd/blu-ray can be worth a maximum $30 USD on Amazon.com

"Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?" (Simon reviews TRAINSPOTTING)

Next up - the already discussed Trainspotting. I wrote this a while ago when I even managed to garner enough attention to have it put onto a different website too.

At the time of writing, the use of music was prevalent in my mind as the soundtrack was released across two volumes and I had managed to hunt down both volumes - all with brilliant tracks on (well... say 60% at least). My full analysis include connections to the music and drug-movies of the time too because, I believe, Trainspotting came at a point whereby this was the indie-filmmakign thing to do ... just ask Doug Liman and Tom Twyker...

"Based amongst the Edinburgh clubbing, drug scene, Boyle did state that he wanted the music to have a timeless quality to it - and so we have everything from Iggy Pop and Lou Reed through Pulp and Blur and out to Underworld and Leftfield spaning a time period from the 70's through to the 90's. A real fantastic selection of music. I could do a whole blog on the music alone. The use of Lust for Life by Iggy Pop is interesting as it is shown at start (Danny Boyles running-through-the-streets, fast-paced start ... we see it again in Slumdog Millionnaire, even Millions has the two kids running around the house being built around them during the opening credits) and also shown midway through, but with a different tone. What began as sneak-theives and petty-theft becomes, by the second time we see the same sequence with the same music, a sad situation, whereby we feel pity and hopelessness. They still can't kick the habit."

For the full review, click here

"I need to die misunderstood" (Simon reviews SHALLOW GRAVE)

So, in more depth, an analysis of Danny Boyle's feature debut. Way back before Ewan McGregor was a Jedi and before Christopher Eccleston was Doctor Who, they both appeared in this film and - influenced by the Coen's Blood Simple with a touch of Hitchcock's Psycho ...

"Its a bit strange because it destroys every ounce of good in each character - but they are a bit annoying anyway - but they become completely destroyed over the film. The first act sets all this up with chopping up the body finishing this section, the 'centre piece' is each character getting more a more confused (except Alex who just watches daytime TV and doesn't really give a shit) - David goes completely insane and begins to become a peeping-Norman Bates character. I reckon Psycho was an influence because, alongside the peeping holes thing, there is a shot which looks just like the Janet Leigh shot after the camera zooms out from the eye in the bathroom, post murder."

Just click here for the full analysis ...

FROM START TO FINISH (Simon reflect's on Danny Boyle's Back-Catalogue)

Well, if you haven't had enough after listening to the podcast, now is your chance to truly immerse yourself in what he has directed so far. I wrote this a little while back, so there is very little coverage on 127 Hours but this extensive coverage includes discussion on some of his lesser known films - Millions, Strumpet and Vacuuming Completely Naked in Paradise. It was broken into four sections -

Part 1: Shallow Grave through to A Life Less Ordinary

Part 2: A Life Less Ordinary to The Beach
Part 3: Strumpet to 28 Days Later...

Part 4: Millions to 127 Hours

Plenty more to come! So Check back during the week for more analysis and discussion!