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What is Your favourite episode of Night on Earth?

posted 19 years ago by Spike-in-Berlin
37 replies | jump to latest

What is Your favourite episode of Night on Earth?

I purchased the DVD a week ago and since then have seen the movie perhaps a dozen times? Yeah I know that's a little strange but I'm not exactly normal concerning movies and I am quite aware of that.
I have grown to nearly all episodes by know, enjoying even the LA-Episode which originally was a little weak at first sight. But I think I will never really enjoy the Helsinki-Episode, it's just to sombre and humorless compared to the others, even the Paris-Episode at least had some positive feeling.
My favourite Episode however is New York with Helmut and Yo-Yo (and that's not because I am German like Helmut), followed by Paris, then Rome and L.A. making Helsinki the least.
Which episode is your favourite?

[–] formaggio 19 years ago

Helsinki-episode is not my favourite either, but being Finnish I must say that it's definitely not humorless. It has lots of dark humor in it, which probably doesn't translate very well if you're not Finnish yourself and don't understand Finnish language. Of course it was also interesting to me because I've lived in Helsinki all my life.

I liked all the episodes except Rome. I can't really point out a single favourite episode, but the Rome-episode was of lower class than the others, IMO.

[–] RobsanX 19 years ago

New York
Rome
Helsinki (just because it wasn't funny doesn't mean it wasn't good!)
Paris
LA

Not necessarily in that order... (j/k actually in that order! lol!)

[–] Spike-in-Berlin 19 years ago

I didn't mean the Helsinki-episode was a "bad" episode. It features very good acting, superb images of Helsinki by night and an interesting story line. But to me it's too dark compared to the others. But I think that was intended, after all Jarmush didn't want to make a comedy.

[–] cpf27 17 years ago

I agree 100%. The New York episode was the best for me and the Rome one was the funniest. I did not like too much the LA segment, I think Gena Rowlands (one of my favorite actresses ever) deserved a better part in the film.

[–] xorxee 19 years ago

i myself did like the rome episode - i almost fell of the chair in the cinema. the reason is i have a friend who did it with a pumpkin when he was a boy. and he used to be pretty similar to benigni's character. and he would maybe go on with something alive if he wouldn't have found a girlfriend. so it's not low-class, it is real in a pretty big part.
but the NY episode was the best for me - it was full of humanity in many ways.

...even drugs are changing...

[–] formaggio 19 years ago

That's an amazing friend you have! :)

My problem with the Rome episode basically was that I don't like Benigni's style of comedy and I couldn't find any deeper levels from that episode, probably because it has very few similarities to my own life. So maybe I would have fallen from my chair too if I knew someone who did it with a pumpkin...

[–] xorxee 19 years ago

i personally prefer british humour (monty python's or yes, prime minister) to the italian style of comedy - loud and too chatty, but this one got me. it wasn't as bad as life is beautiful. a saying in my country goes like: there's as many tastes as there's people.

...even drugs are changing...

[–] elephantoats 17 years ago

british humor is extremely talkie

[–] XKhan 19 years ago

New York
Paris
Helsinki
Rome
L.A.

[–] rowanc88 19 years ago

How shall I put this. umm...WINONA! WINONA! WINONA!

[–] NoPlasticMan 17 years ago

In my oppinion:
1. Helsinki was the best, the deepest of the episodes. And the most touching.
2. Paris. Really beautiful, with a pretty outspoken message.
3. New York. Really funny, also beautiful with all of its humanity.
4. Rome. So obscure, at the same time funny. Special.
5. L.A. Also great, with a fine message, but to overacted, and not with the same magic as the others i think.

Really great movie.

[–] samlowrysloveslave 17 years ago

i'm with you, NPM...Helsinki was the best...certainly my personal favorite...

This is your receipt for your husband...and this is my receipt for your receipt.

[–] bluetuesdayruby 16 years ago

i really liked the paris one, i found the discussion interesting.
and los angeles was good too, oh winona!
and as i'm finnish and i live in helsinki myself, the helsinki episode of course fascinated me a lot. helsinki is not a city to be pictured in many movies and to see it in hands of jarmusch in a movie like this - wow.
the part i liked the least was the rome, i'd say.

[–] stellamarianx 16 years ago

i loved New York and Helsinki. Paris was pretty good, Rome got annoying after a while but it was funny and L.A. was quite boring despite the fact that i love both Winona and Gena Rowlands.

[–] thehiprules 15 years ago

I also love Gena Rowlands but I felt Winona Ryder was grossly miscast as the grease-monkey cabbie. Nothing at all in her performance was even remotely believable. I would no more buy her as a cabdriver with mechanic aspirations than I would buy Pee Wee Herman as the Terminator.

I was disappointed that Gena Rowlands had so little to work with in this segment...

But I'm with you, stella - Helsinki and New York were my favorites.

[–] tom_waits_godot 18 years ago

IMO, "Rome" is the funniest episode and "Paris" is the most delicate one.

I really love Jarmusch and I want to add that w/o Tom Waits Jarmusch would have one part missing, sure he would make some great movies but their taste would be somehow incomplete.

[–] scott89119 18 years ago

1. Paris- beautifully done, the city looked gorgeous.
2. Helsinki- love the snow, the sense of isolation, and the catharthis of the cab driver finally telling his story to someone. The lightening sky closes the film very well.
3. Los Angeles- Winona didn't do a very believeable job, but I loved the interaction between the women.
4. New York- Sorta annoying.
5. Rome- Even more annoying.

"What winks, and screws like a tiger?"

::wink::

[–] charcoalchicken 18 years ago

Rome
New York
Paris
L.A
Helsinki

[–] movie11 17 years ago

Rome by far! So funny;-)) The whole composition. Music, car, Rome, Roberto etc.
LA-not su much.
Paris- funny
Helsinki-great as expected
NY-Okay if you f.cking know what I mean ;-)

[–] CassidyBlezer 17 years ago

I loooved Los Angeles! Gena Rowlands was great as always! and Winona also fantastic

1. LA
2. New York
3. Paris
4. Rome
5. Helsinki (bit boring)

[–] crippler9 17 years ago

New York
Rome
Helsinki
Paris
L.A.

http://andrewruth.dvdaf.com

[–] brilliantboy 17 years ago

Helsinki by far. It really left an impression on me.

[–] hodie 16 years ago

My favorite is Helsinki.

I am a New Yorker, and New York just didn't ring true to me. I LOVED Armin Mueller-Stahl. But Rosie Perez just gave me a headache after about 5 minutes.
Esposito was pretty good, though.

It did make me remember how loath Manhattan cabdrivers are to take ANYONE, black OR white, to the outer boroughs. I bet they still refuse when they think they cana get away with it. That was true 35 years ago and I assume not much has changed, even though they're not supposed to refuse fares.

God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] 15 years ago

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