Recommendations

Imagine the following conversation taking place in French.
Two men, in a cafe.

Man 1: Do you realize that the word "masculine" contains the words "mask" and "ass?"
Man 2: What does "feminine" contain?
Man 1: Nothing.

From Jean-Luc Godard's "Masculine Feminine"(1966), which Adam and I took a look at in our most recent podcast. What does it mean? I'm not sure it means anything, though it sounds like the kind of absurd, vaguely insulting, pseudo-intellectual remark you might say when you discover that there is no winning strategy in the battle of the sexes.

Adam and I both liked "Masculine Feminine" a lot, and if the film's new 35-mm print re-release finds its way to your city, you should check it out. The re-release also features a new translation for the film's English subtitles.

"Eros," which we also reviewed on Cinecast #7, and which features three erotically-themed short films from Wong Kar-wai, Steven Soderbergh and Michelangelo Antonioni, was a bit of a mixed bag, and I can't imagine too many people will get around to seeing it. That being said, I want to recommend two films to those curious about the work of Wong Kar-wai, or those interested in checking out what Soderbergh was up to between 1989's "Sex, Lies and Videotape" and 1998's "Out of Sight."

Wong's "Chunking Express" (1994) was the first film released on Quentin Tarantino's (now-defunct) "Rolling Thunder" label, a DVD-distribution company Tarantino set up to bring attention to foreign films lacking domestic distribution (like "Chunking Express") and overlooked exploitation movies (like the 1975 women-in-prison film "Switchblade Sisters"). "Chunking Express" tells two unrelated stories of unrequited love blossoming in the fast-paced streets of Hong Kong. It's funny and moving and imaginative, and it's a great place to start if you're curious about Wong Kar-wai.

Soderbergh's "Schizopolis" (1996) is among the most surprising movies I've ever seen. Made at the very nadir of Soderbergh's career, "Schizopolis" was written by, directed by, and STARS Soderbergh (along with his ex-wife, his daughter and a bunch of actor friends). Not at all the self-indulgent vanity project you might imagine, the movie is probably best described as a brilliant hour-and-half long Upright Citizen's Brigade sketch. Funny, smart and absurd, "Schizopolis" is definitely worth tracking down.

A couple of other quick recommendations: "It's All Gone Pete Tong" (also reviewed on Cinecast #7) probably won't be playing at a theater near you for a little while, so I wanted to recommend a couple of similar films. "24 Hour Party People" (Michael Winterbottom, 2002) tells the story of the Manchester, UK, music scene through the eyes of Factory Records founder Tony Wilson. Manchester saw the birth of mope rock in the form of Joy Division in the late '70s, and was a flashpoint for the burgeoning rave scene in the early '90s. "24 Hour Party People" covers all this ground in a style that's smart and hilariously funny ... Also, "The Incident at Loch Ness" (Zak Penn, 2004). Is it a legitimate documentary? A mock-documentary? A documentary about a mock-documentary? Using a marketing scheme similar to "Pete Tong" that blurs the line between fact and fiction, "Incident" has gonzo German film director Werner Herzog ("Fitzcarraldo") investigating the mystery of the Loch Ness Monster. Very funny and definitely worth checking out.

Sam's quick guide:

Chunking Express ****
Schizopolis *****
24 Hour Party People *****
The Incident at Loch Ness ****