CinemaBowl Playoffs, First Round: Yellow C & D

[slipjig3]

Monday has arrived, and thusly we fling ourselves back into the fray. As always, for each pairing, select the title you prefer; the winner of each will advance to Ye Olde Round 2. And as always, there are two polls, so be sure to hit both submit buttons. Deadline for voting on this round is Tuesday, April 3 at 1 p.m. Thank you!

EDIT: Voting is now closed for this poll; any further votes will not be counted. Thanks!

Yellow Conference, Division C

[Poll #958793]

Yellow Conference, Division D

[Poll #958794]

Comments

[mgrasso.livejournal.com]

It's amazing how you're getting so many thematic pairs here: sex farce (C-2), 80s cheese (D-8), comedies I can't believe you're making me choose between (D-4). Although Raising Arizona is actually one of my least favorite Coen Bros. movies and the 'Tap is simply... yeah.

[chris-walsh.livejournal.com]

Me, reading the Yellow Ds a few moments ago:

"Well, that's a tough one...wait, that's also a tough one...hey, that one's a tough one, too..."

Let's just say that that D3, D4, and D5 were really close. I might actually change my mind later on one or two of them.

I mean, Spinal Tap is fuckin' transcendant, but Raising Arizona was my introduction to the Coen Brothers -- and also, when I saw it in the theaters back in '87, the chase scene made me laugh so hard I felt ill.

And it seems weird to say, but The Truman Show hit me deeply back in '98: I'm talking "me bawling in my car afterwards" hit-me-deeply. I decided later that I had unresolved feelings involving something personal that the film, in its weird way, touched on. (I don't feel like going into more detail. Sorry I'm not being more specific.) That's what gave it the edge over American Splendor, which I still love for how successfully odd and experimental it is: how hard was it to make that film work? The reenactors and the real people reacting to each other, sometimes on screen at the same time...it's confusing to explain, but works perfectly in context and is truly affecting. I'm still moved by Paul Giamatti as Harvey Pekar giving his "other dead Harvey Pekars" monologue. I like both Pekar and Giamatti, also, and that was such perfect casting...

Finally, Spirited Away got my vote because that might really be the best use of dream-logic I've ever seen in a film. Ever.

"Spirited Away"

[chris-walsh.livejournal.com]

I just realized I in fact had not picked Spirited Away this morning as I'd meant, so I corrected that. There. My comment's more correct now.

Oh, and I pimped the poll again. (Raging Bull needs to represennnnt!)

[mgrasso.livejournal.com]

And a lot of things have made me cry during this tournament, but nothing more so than the idea of A Beautiful Fuckin' Mind beating Raging Bull in ANYTHING. I mean, sad-making. SO sad-making.

[chris-walsh.livejournal.com]

I feel your pain. I wrote about it, too.

[felisdemens.livejournal.com]

I am bitter about C-1, but I'm happy to see that Cat People is holding its own. Major movie from my formative years!

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

Whoever the fuck is voting for A Beautiful Mind over Raging Bull needs to lose their movie-watching privileges. There, I said it.

[mgrasso.livejournal.com]

At this point I can only imagine that a lot of people have never seen it. Or maybe I'm just living in a hopeful fantasy world.

There's honestly not a whole lot of movies I'd vote for above Raging Bull.

[greyaenigma.livejournal.com]

So far it's mostly pairing movies I haven't seen with those I have. Damn. (And odd, satistically.)

Is it possible/acceptable to just vote for pairs where I've seen both? I'd definitely be voting for Raising Arizona if so.

[rubian77.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who balked at D-4...two movies I still quote.

"This one goes to eleven."

"I'll take these here Huggies, and uh, all the cash you've got in the register."