FS #281: The Men Who Stare at Goats / Farewell My Concubine / Top 5 Films of 1999

Nov. 13: Usually Filmspotting trots out an elaborate, creative, highly over-written show description. This week, however, in keeping with the spirit of the film they’re discussing, "The Men Who Stare at Goats," the boys are decidedly phoning it in. Which is a shame, because their other discussion of the second film in the ongoing Cannes Golden Palm Marathon, "Farewell My Concubine," a beautiful epic sent against the backdrop of Chinese opera, certainly requires a stab at some decent verbiage. And the fact that the creators of the highly addictive website, Flickchart.com stop by to help the lads list their Top 5 Films of 1999 calls for some kind of special notation -- at the very least maybe a Prince pun or two, but, you know, that’s what you get when you take a great premise and a handful of extraordinary actors and give them absolutely nothing to do. Two can play at the game, sporty. What? You expected Filmspotting to be the bigger person? Have you listened to the show?

Also on the show: Music by Crown City Rockers and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.


Filmspotting #281
:13-11:25 - Review: "The Men Who Stare at Goats"
Music: Crown City Rockers, "Break"
12:16-16:48 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: J. Medeiros)
16:49-22:51 - CPR Event, Polls
22:52-36:28 - Cannes #2: "Farewell My Concubine"
Music: Crown City Rockers, "Go Away"
37:210-43:59 - New DVDs / Donations
44:00-1:05:23 - Top 5: Films of 1999
1:05:24-1:15:59 - Flickchart Interview
1:16:00-1:19:22 - Close / Next Show

NOTES

- Matty mentioned Terence Malick getting edged out of his top 5. "The Thin Red Line" is often considered a 1999 film, though it did get a limited release in Dec. 1998.

- Other Stephen Root films: Office Space, No Country for Old Men
- Great Faye Dunaway roles/movies: Bonnie and Clyde, Network, Chinatown
- Adam's #6-10 of 1999: All About My Mother, Fight Club, Magnolia, The Insider, Eyes Wide Shut

- Flickchart's Top 5 for 1999:
1. Fight Club
2. The Matrix
3. Office Space
4. American Beauty
5. The Sixth Sense

- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting Podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.

- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.