A film by Jim Jarmusch

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Richard--W, Jun 30, 2019.

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  1. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Jim Jarmusch's films are like no one else's. He is as individual and
    as eccentric as they come in the low-budget, independent world.

    what's your favorite film by indy filmmaker Jim Jarmusch?

    what's your second favorite?
    you get two choices.

    what do you see in his work, anyhow?

    his documentary on the Stooges doesn't qualify as his own narrative
    work, it's a record of a band, so it's left out.
     
    Claude likes this.
  2. PADYBU

    PADYBU Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dublin
    went with Down by Law and Night on Earth. That dance scene at the end of Down by Law shall go down as one of the sweetest moments in all of film history :3
     
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  3. wolfram

    wolfram Slave to the rhythm

    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    My choices as well. I enjoyed most of them though.
     
  4. wolfram

    wolfram Slave to the rhythm

    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    Any reason "The Dead Don't Die" isn't on that list?
     
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  5. vince

    vince Stan Ricker's son-in-law

    "Mystery Train".......
    Joe Strummer AND Screamin' Jay....C'MON!
     
  6. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Oh, darn. I didn't know that was a Jarmusch.
    So. He has a new film out.
    I'll ask the Gort if they can put it in.
     
  7. wolfram

    wolfram Slave to the rhythm

    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    Yep, his latest. Though opinions are quite split on it and it might not make anyones top 2. I enjoyed it, but it's not among his best by far.
     
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  8. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I just looked it up. It's playing around the corner.
    One screening in the morning. How bizarre. I'll go.
     
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  9. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Every time I hear Screamin' Jay Hawkins I want to
    play Howlin' Wolf. Every time. It's like an impulse.
    Go figure.
     
    Dave Hoos likes this.
  10. dirkster

    dirkster Senior Member

    Location:
    McKinney, TX, USA
    Mystery Train because “Carl Perkins!”, Screaming Jay Hawkins and Joe Strummer, and “Blue Moon”.

    Dead Man because it’s a beautiful black and white fever dream scored by Neil Young.

    I saw the Dead Don’t Die yesterday, and I enjoyed it greatly. All of Jarmusch’s films have the stamp of his own unique style. Stranger Than Paradise was my intro to his work, probably on the IFC Channel back in 1991 or so. So fun to watch a movie in which virtually nothing “happens”.
     
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  11. vince

    vince Stan Ricker's son-in-law

    "Elvis-san!"
     
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  12. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I also like how Stranger Than Paradise defied storytelling conventions,
    but it is structured traditionally, especially in the third act. Lots of behavior
    and misbehavior happened. It's all about behavior. Sometimes that's enough.
    More than enough. Doing nothing happens in the movie and its weirdly
    interesting. I like how it led up to an ending of crossed purposes and missed
    chances. I think the girl is going to be killed after the fade to black, however,
    by the people she took the money from.

    I used to know people like the characters in this film. No interest in knowing
    or doing anything, no curiosity, no ambition except the urge to get up and
    move about. The malaise depicted in the film is real-life.

    Of the three settings -- NYC, Ohio, Florida -- I loved the location shoot in
    lower Manhattan (it doesn't look like that anymore, sadly).
     
    Last edited: Jun 30, 2019
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  13. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Okay, the Gort put it in.
    Now you can recast your vote, if you must.
     
  14. wolfram

    wolfram Slave to the rhythm

    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    Oh, no need. As I said, I enjoyed it, but it's not near the top for me. I was just surprised that it was missing from this otherwise complete list.
     
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  15. vince

    vince Stan Ricker's son-in-law

    While I voted for "Train",
    I SHOULD say that the wife and I lived in New Orleans, right near one of the scenes in the "Down by Law"!..
    None of the locals were impressed....since this was around the time such 'big movies' like "JFK" & "Interview With A Vampire" we're being filmed!
     
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  16. Jazzmonkie

    Jazzmonkie Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tempe, AZ
    Mystery Train and Ghost Dog. The only one that leaves me cold is The Limits of Control. It reminds me of a shaggy dog story but it has some beautiful cinematography. Paterson is my favorite of his from the past 10 years.
     
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  17. 93curr

    93curr Senior Member

    Favorite: Ghost Dog
    Second favorite: Down By Law

    Ones of which I am just not all that fond: Permanent Vacation, Night On Earth. (though I do have both on BluRay) Everything else is merely great.
     
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  18. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Note that there's no coverage in Stranger Than Paradise. Each
    scene is accomplished in one camera set-up, one shot. Fade out.
    Then fade in on the next shot. The film is assembled entirely from
    prolonged takes in single shots. I wouldn't be surprised if each shot
    is a first or second take. But each scene is carefully planned and
    timed by the director; he was no amateur, Jarmusch. I also like
    the sound. The ambience and dialog is recorded live on the set.
    This is a cheap way to shoot when all you have is $90,000. There's
    every indication that each scene or shot is rehearsed and that the
    talent prepped their characters and contributed business to the
    scenes. To edit this film all Jarmusch had to do was assemble the
    shots end to end in order. He has maintained this approach to
    filmmaking more or less over the years.
     
  19. tumbleweed

    tumbleweed Innocent Bystander

    Mystery Train and Ghost Dog were my pics also. However, if I'd had a third choice it would have been Limits of Control. Not a typical JJ, but I thought it was excellent.

    Night On Earth is a high ranker too, just let down by some unevenness. And the first time I've ever heard a pun in French!
     
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  20. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident Thread Starter

    The Dead Don't Die in effect kills itself with fourth-wall breaking:

    "How do you know this is going to end badly?"
    "I read the script."

    "Why does that song on the radio sound familiar?"
    "Because it's the theme for this film."

    This is Jarmusch's way of telling us he has no respect for the genre
    nor for the audience that goes to this kind of movie.
     
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  21. Somewhat Damaged

    Somewhat Damaged Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    His work is a bit hard going. The deadpan humour and the slow pacing makes his work very alienating. It’s no surprise to me that his films never find an audience outside of indulgent film buffs.

    IMO Hearts Beat Loud (2018) is Jim Jarmusch done much better without the alienating pacing and deadpan-style. It's basically a more conventionally enjoyable version of Paterson (2016).

    I much prefer his visually slick later work to his DIY rougher early work.

    I picked:
    1st: Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
    2nd Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
     
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  22. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Dead Man sank like a stone under its deadpan and its pace. The
    story went nowhere, which might have been the point. After that
    film I thought Jarmusch started to tighten up and add some
    bouyancy to the mis-en-scene in his films.
     
  23. zombiemodernist

    zombiemodernist Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northeastern USA
    Yeah I think that really was the point of the film. As a deconstruction of the Western genre it rejects the moralistic simple conclusions from the early John Ford era films. I think that is the strength of the film IMO, as to me it doesn't fall apart, but I know everyone has different tolerances. It's the favorite Jarmusch I've seen although I haven't plunged too deep into his output.

    I just picked up the Criterion copy of Dead Man at the B&N sale, and it looks excellent. I also love Ghost Dog a lot too, which needs a region A release with a quality transfer.
     
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  24. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Hmm. If that was Jarmusch's intent I would argue that he operated
    under a misconception. John Ford's westerns wrestled with moral
    issues that were edgy and complex. There were no "simplistic moral
    conclusions" in Ford's films, but he did believe in the inner decency
    of the pioneers and in their moral challenges. He certainly had a
    better grasp of western history than Jarmusch, but then again, Ford
    began in a time when the pioneer experience of the American west
    was still very much with us and only just beginning to recede into the
    past of his father's generation. His westerns are more sophisticated
    than some critics -- and perhaps Jarmusch -- gives them credit for.

    I found the "stupid f-----n white man!" joke tiresome and tasteless
    in Dead Man. A one-note joke for two hours and I got tired of it real
    fast. The film is pure fantasy, in its own way as much a fantasy as the
    biggest loudest noisiest Hollywood shoot 'em up.

    It did seem to me, however, that Jarmusch was resisting stereotypes,
    cliches, and the usual plot contrivances and storytelling conventions
    of the genre. Which can be a good thing. Although he also relies on
    these things when they serve his purpose the most recent example
    being The Dead Don't Die.
     
    Last edited: Jul 1, 2019
  25. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident Thread Starter

    By the way I really enjoyed Bill Murray's performance in
    The Dead Don't Die. You can see his mind working as
    he remains deadpan making understatements. Quite an
    ingratiating performance from this wonderful actor.
     
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