A lot of good films listed here, but a few I don’t see…
“Beautiful Thing” is a poignant, wonderful coming-of-age queer movie about two working-class boys in love. “Ma Vie en Rose” from Belgium is a funny, excellent film about a little boy who wants to be a girl. It’s a really challenging subject handled incredibly well and simply. “Boy Don’t Cry” is really well made and well acted, but kind of brutal and difficult to watch. And I love “Trick” but it’s hardly a great film.
They’ve been mentioned but are worth mentioning again: “Maurice,” “The Wedding Banquet,” and “Longtime Companion” are all exquisite films. I loved “Wild Reeds” when it came out, but I barely remember it now. And I agree with the person that said “Kissing Jessica Stein” is delightful.
I recently watched “Another Country” again after many years and was a little disappointed. But it is fun to see young Rupert Everett, Cary Elwes, and Colin Firth acting like school boys in love with each other.
Does “The Object of My Affection” count as a gay film? Another not-great film that I really love for some reason.
I love the cover, it completely conveys the contents: Dozens of televsion sets all showing world-class actors starring in incredible gems. Can’t wait to add this to my collection. These are (TV) movies I’ve heard about my entire life.
A lot of great performances mentioned, but for me there is one above all others. Meryl Streep in Sophie’s Choice, I think, is the best perfomance ever on film. Luminous.
I’d have to say Kurosawa’s Ikiru or, perhaps, Bergman’s Fanny and Alexander. Just about every shot is perfect in those films; both are smart and subtle, and they sneak up on you in unexpected ways. Of course, Citizen Kane and Rules of the Game are fantastic movies and I’m never surprised when they’re at the top of lists.
My personal favorites are Cinema Paradiso, All About My Mother, and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, but even I don’t think they’re the “greatest.”
I could not disagree more with what’s being said here. I thought An Education was smart, provocative, funny, honest, painful, subtle, and witty. It was a gorgeous film to look at and it had some of the best performances I’ve seen in years. Carey Mulligan was luminous. She goes from being a child to a woman, to back to being a child with amazing ease. I was devasted when she breaks up with David and she’s crying her makeup off and we see she’s just a little girl in too much makeup—it was simply brilliant. An entire movie summed up in one exquisite shot. Everyone gave thoughtful, letter-perfect performances. I loved every moment of this film. I’ve already put it on my list of DVDs to buy when it comes out.
I have to say that Fanny and Alexander is one of the all-time great films. His greatest? I haven’t seen them all. But it’s a marvelous film and one of the most visually gorgeous film ever. Beautifully shot with amazing performances—especially from Bertil Guve (Alexander), who has very little dialogue, but watches and reacts to everything happening around him. It’s a brilliant performance from a child actor.
I love Smiles of a Summer Night, too. It’s very sweet, very fun, but I don’t think it’s his greatest.
The short version is one of my favorite films of all time. It’s perfect in every way. I hear the longer version is even better, and I can’t wait to see it. I’m surprised so many people didn’t care for the theatrical version—it’s really powerful and simply beautiful to watch.
After reading yesterday that another sale was happening in two weeks, I immediately started a wish list. I have been on air ever since that post yesterday. And out of curiosity, I came back to this thread this morning to see if anyone else started a list. Surprise!—or perhaps not!!—many of us did.
I’m just really discovering Jean Renior and Kurosawa, so I want to buy Ikiru, High and Low, Boudu Saved From Drowning, and Le Bete Humaine.
First of all, thanks. I really enjoy seeing what DVDs people own and which ones they like best. It helps me figure out what to buy next. However, I’m finding it so challenging trying to put my own in any order. Do I put them by favorite films, or favorite packaging and extras? Or a combination of all of the above? Here are the Criterions I own (at least I think they’re all Criterions). And I love all of them. Well, except for The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, which I was very disappointed with. Also, I was a little disappointed in the David Lean films of Charles Dickens’ books. They’re beautiful and fun, but he streamlines the stories so much, you not only lose so many great Dickens characters, but the entire mystery of Great Expectations sadly becomes no mystery at all.
1. Fanny and Alexander
2. Nights of Cabiria
3. La Strada
4. 8 ½
5. M
6. Brazil
7. Rashomon
8. Smiles of a Summer Night
9. The 400 Blows
10. The Bicycle Thief
11. Big Deal on Madonna Street
12. Divorce Italian Style
13. Umberto D
14. The Royal Tannenbaums
15. Rushmore
16. Summertime
17. Amacord
18. I Vitelloni
19. The White Sheik
20. The Red Balloon
21. Au Revoir Les Enfants
22. Beauty and the Beast
23. The Last Metro
24. Rules of the Game
25. Knife in the Water
26. Wild Strawberries
27. Charade
28. YiYi
29. The Importance of Being Ernest
30. Pygmalion
31. My Dinner with Andre
32. Brief Encounter
33. Oliver Twist
34. Great Expectations
35. Magnificent Obsession
36. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
On my list of Criterion DVDs to buy:
Ikiru
High and Low
Seven Samurai
La Bete Humaine
Boudu Saved From Drowning
Grand Illusion
My Life as a Dog
Spirit of the Beehive
Wings of Desire
The 39 Steps
The Third Man
El Norte
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
To me, it felt like a huge departure from Woody’s typical films. In style, substance, and direction. I wouldn’t have necessary known it was a Woody Allen film if I, well, didn’t know. The best part of the film for me was the smoking hot chemistry of Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. Two sexy people giving very sexy performances. I was actually surprised that Mr. Allen allowed Bardem to be so sultry and alluring. Mr. Allen doesn’t often see outside of the white, heterosexual, upper eastside box he’s usually trapped in. But VCB wasn’t about his own drama and reality—which is often delightful and I do consider myself a fan. In VCB, it was like Spain left him freer, looser, and uncensored, and that was a revelation in my opinion.
Did it break new ground in filmmaking? Perhaps not. Is it new for Woody Allen? Absolutely!
I’m surprised there’s so much love out there for The Life Aquatic and so little love for The Royal Tannenbaums and Rushmore. I find Wes Anderson films extremely appealing, but didn’t feel it at all for The Life Aquatic. It missed the boat for me.
Also, I did “get” Magnificent Obsession as a movie (glad I bought that one on sale!), but it’s certainly a great DVD package with fantastic extras for anyone who does love the film. As a film, it is beautifully shot, I have to admit.
I have not seen Salo, fortunately/unfortunately, but I found Pink Flamingos to be pretty disturbing.
However, the movie that makes me squirm the most, and still bothers me to even think about 15 years after seeing it, is Un Chien Andalou by Luis Bunuel. Basically it’s only one shot that’s disturbing, and you all probably know the shot, but it’s haunted me for years. YEARS! I truly wish I hadn’t seen it. But you can’t go back, can you?
It’s a gorgeous film with fantastic performances from a talented ensemble. It’s not the most exciting film; it’s detailed, very small and subtle. I personally love it, but I can totally understand how someone else would find it boring. Vanessa Redgrave and Emma Thompson are particularly wonderful. I don’t think Merchant Ivory broken new ground with their filmmaking, no. However, their films are textured and meticulously made; they’re beautifully shot, lit, costumed, and authentic. And the acting is uniformally good, by Britian’s best actors. I do think it qualifies as serious filmmaking. While not every film of theirs succeeds, I think most of them do quite admirably.
It didn’t have to be a terrible line—it could have been merely bad—except for the excruciatingly terrible performance of Andie MacDowell in Four Wedding and a Funeral. When she’s standing in a rainstorm at the movie’s climax and realizes she is in love with Hugh Grant (at his freshest and most charming) and utters that immortal line, “Oh, is it raining? I hadn’t noticed.”
I remember an entire theatre groaning and then, after a pause, laughing.
I may be committing cinephile sacrilege by admitting this, but I’m dying to see the movie musical NINE. I even watched 8 ½ again last night to get ready for it. What are people’s thoughts on this?
- Will Rob Marshall ruin Fellini or make him more popular to the masses? (I think Marshall did a really nice job with Chicago; even if you hate musicals, you’ve got to admit it was a smart, well directed film.)
- Will Marshall merely make a perfunctory movie version of the Broadway musical or aim to make a musical version of the Fellini film? - Is anyone else worried about Daniel Day Lewis playing Guido?
- I know the Broadway musical had Fellini’s blessings, but does anyone know if he saw it and liked it? And how did he feel about Sweet Charity?
I have always loved the opening of La Dolce Vita, with Jesus flying through the air suspended from a helicopter. And the whole movie explores religion, sex, morals and ethics. And then last night I watched 8 ½ again for the first time in many years and noticed a striking similarity; but instead of a Christ figure, it’s a movie director flying with his arms out in the same position. A lot to think about there.
Dr. Tomasulo: I’m not Italian myself, so maybe I have no right voicing my opinion on your heritage… But I respectfully disagree with you about the meaning of the song “Be Italian.” I think the song, sung by the Seraghina character, implores young Guido to go through life with gusto. “Live today as if it may become your last!” Yes, that includes sexually, too, as Seraghina is a prostitute. A bawdy street prostitute at that. I think it’s a life-affirming song about finding what makes you happy and pursuing it. And because of Fellini’s constant struggle with morality and the church, this philosophy leads to consequences for young Guido. I think Guido’s “perpetual horniness,” as you put it, is significant to the story and was created by Fellini himself, not the Broadway musical. I think at least in that respect, the musical was quite faithful to the source material.
It may not be the best film of 2004, but Sideways is smart, funny, and engaging. It’s also really well written and acted. It’s a small gem and I do love it.
However, I think Eternal Sunshine is probably a little more sophisticated and more of a “masterpiece.”
I just don’t understand people’s fascination with Kill Bill, or with Tarantino for that matter. He’s like the JC Penney’s of cinema, copying other people’s ideas and selling them to the masses cheaply.
Frank: The Latin lover is a century’s old myth and cliché, true, however it was one that Fellini himself seemed rather comfortable with and perpetuated in, well, gee, ALL of his films. I think Fellini’s 8 ½ (like many of his movies) is about sex and art and what it means to be a modern Italian man. The Italian-ness is vital to both the film’s sensuality and context, I think. I disagree that Fellini was subtle about the sexuality in 8 ½, I think it’s more than thematic, it’s pretty much the plot. And the film itself seems to shrug and say, Yes, but that’s what it means to be Italian. …But maybe that’s just how I see it.
I, too, love the opening sequence you mentioned. I just compared it to the opening of La Dolce Vita on another thread. They share a lot of imagery, but with a statue of Christ flying across Rome in La Dolce Vita instead of the Fellini alter-ego (Guido) in 8 ½ . It’s an interesting comparison. I haven’t read much film criticism (I was an English major, and film theory was kind of poo-pooed. unfortunately), but I’m sure there’s a lot written comparing the two.
I agree that it would have been great to use more Italian and/or Italian-American actors in major roles in the film. Is Sophia Loren the only one? I think she may be. Who would you have liked to see in it, Doctor?
Hannah and Her Sisters – Allen at his most sentimental and his best, I think. Hilarious, touching, smart, and very, very human.
Radio Days – of course this is Allen’s version of Amarcord. Witty, sharp, charming.
Bullets Over Broadway – so clever and funny, with great performances. It plays like one of his early short stories, when he still wrote books.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona – A big departure for the Woodman, and I think leaving his comfort zone pays off. A wild, sexy romp.
The Purple Rose of Cairo –clearly influenced by Fellini’s The White Sheik. An incredibly charming fairytale/parable.
My favorite Woody Allen film used to be Manhattan, but I haven’t seen it in several years. Truthfully, I’m afraid to watch it again, because I think a grown man in love with a high school senior would be rather objectionable to me now. When I was in high school, I felt very adult and didn’t understand how anyone could be uncomfortable with it. Now….Hmphf. Although Manhattan still has one of the best scores of any film ever.
Big Confession here: I have slept through every single Star Wars movie. I have paid for and sat in big-screen theatres, and have always found myself waking up as the credits rolled.
I’d like to think the world is a generous enough place that a genius like Hitchcock could be called an auteur. Are labels that rigid or important in the grand scheme of things that anyone should be irked because he’s called that? Or that his name is above the title? REALLY??? He made some of the greatest movies of all time.
Film is a collaborative process, whether the filmmaker is a hack like Zemekis or a true genius like Kurosawa or Fellini. It takes many, many people and lots and lots of money to make a film. Studios often want to know where their millions of dollars are going. And they want to see a return of that investment. Filmmakers like money too, and they also like the opportunity to make more films. I don’t think directors should be blamed or demoted for that.
Hitchcock was a visionary and continues to inspire artists (of all kinds) around the world. And he did push boundaries and the scope of what you could do in film and how to tell a story. Many of his ideas, camera shots, and ways of storytelling have been “quoted” and are considered common place today. However, they were fresh, bold and exciting in his day. And many of us believe they still are today.
Guys, I think we’ve all been played. I just went to Erzing’s profile out of curiosity and found out several of his favorite films are Hitchcock classics. Hmmm… But it’s been a fun and lively discussion.
I strongly disagree with Abel’s comment questioning if this could be viewed as a feminist film. I think it is a total feminist film. And it’s a fresh, lovely, thoughtful, provocative, rich, and sensitive film at that. The audience senses Jenny’s worth from the get-go and we’re hugely disappointed she’s not going to take her college entry exam because she meet a man. And even though we too adore David at the beginning—he’s rather dreamy and simply too good to be true (and unfortunately that ends up to be the case)—we feel incredibly uncomfortable about this smart, young, confident girl squandering her youth and talents on a man. The entire film is an exploration of Jenny’s discovering of her self-worth. And that is the definition of a feminist film. A feminist role model doesn’t have to be a ballbuster or know all the answers from the very beginning. She is a character who discovers her self-respect by making a bold choice, a choice that allows her to rescue herself.
I would normally have never seen a movie like The Magnificent Seven. Never ever ever. A Western? Naw. But since it was a cowboy version of The Seven Samurai, I decided to give it a try. Finally! It still took me years of procrastinating, despite that fact Kurosawa’s film is one of my all-time favorites. But I really loved The Magnificent Seven. It’s not as great as Kurosawa’s film—how could it be? But it’s extremely entertaining and I very much enjoyed Yul Brynner’s performance.
What’s most remarkable to me is how prophetic this film is. And, of course, it’s so truthful and relevant for our times. The media didn’t have a chokehold on the American public back then like it does now. Over-the-top shock journalism didn’t really exist when this movie was made, although it’s just everywhere now—especially on cable, like Fox News. And as far as reality TV, only the Loud family had self-destructed before our eyes at this point, and that seemed like an anomaly. It’s clearly a cautionary tale, and I think Paddy Chayefsky was warning us where we were headed. Sadly, he was right. And that’s what I love about this movie, how profoundly smart and insightful it is. And of course it’s beautifully written, directed, and acted, too.
Gay and Lesbian Cinema over 2 years ago
A lot of good films listed here, but a few I don’t see…
“Beautiful Thing” is a poignant, wonderful coming-of-age queer movie about two working-class boys in love. “Ma Vie en Rose” from Belgium is a funny, excellent film about a little boy who wants to be a girl. It’s a really challenging subject handled incredibly well and simply. “Boy Don’t Cry” is really well made and well acted, but kind of brutal and difficult to watch. And I love “Trick” but it’s hardly a great film.
They’ve been mentioned but are worth mentioning again: “Maurice,” “The Wedding Banquet,” and “Longtime Companion” are all exquisite films. I loved “Wild Reeds” when it came out, but I barely remember it now. And I agree with the person that said “Kissing Jessica Stein” is delightful.
I recently watched “Another Country” again after many years and was a little disappointed. But it is fun to see young Rupert Everett, Cary Elwes, and Colin Firth acting like school boys in love with each other.
Does “The Object of My Affection” count as a gay film? Another not-great film that I really love for some reason.
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Criterion Coming Soon and Discussion Redux over 2 years ago
I love the cover, it completely conveys the contents: Dozens of televsion sets all showing world-class actors starring in incredible gems. Can’t wait to add this to my collection. These are (TV) movies I’ve heard about my entire life.
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Top performances of all time. over 2 years ago
A lot of great performances mentioned, but for me there is one above all others. Meryl Streep in Sophie’s Choice, I think, is the best perfomance ever on film. Luminous.
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Best Film Ever over 2 years ago
I’d have to say Kurosawa’s Ikiru or, perhaps, Bergman’s Fanny and Alexander. Just about every shot is perfect in those films; both are smart and subtle, and they sneak up on you in unexpected ways. Of course, Citizen Kane and Rules of the Game are fantastic movies and I’m never surprised when they’re at the top of lists.
My personal favorites are Cinema Paradiso, All About My Mother, and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, but even I don’t think they’re the “greatest.”
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ANYONE ELSE DISAPPOINTED over 2 years ago
I could not disagree more with what’s being said here. I thought An Education was smart, provocative, funny, honest, painful, subtle, and witty. It was a gorgeous film to look at and it had some of the best performances I’ve seen in years. Carey Mulligan was luminous. She goes from being a child to a woman, to back to being a child with amazing ease. I was devasted when she breaks up with David and she’s crying her makeup off and we see she’s just a little girl in too much makeup—it was simply brilliant. An entire movie summed up in one exquisite shot. Everyone gave thoughtful, letter-perfect performances. I loved every moment of this film. I’ve already put it on my list of DVDs to buy when it comes out.
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your top ten bergman films in order over 2 years ago
I have to say that Fanny and Alexander is one of the all-time great films. His greatest? I haven’t seen them all. But it’s a marvelous film and one of the most visually gorgeous film ever. Beautifully shot with amazing performances—especially from Bertil Guve (Alexander), who has very little dialogue, but watches and reacts to everything happening around him. It’s a brilliant performance from a child actor.
I love Smiles of a Summer Night, too. It’s very sweet, very fun, but I don’t think it’s his greatest.
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Fanny & Alexander over 2 years ago
The short version is one of my favorite films of all time. It’s perfect in every way. I hear the longer version is even better, and I can’t wait to see it. I’m surprised so many people didn’t care for the theatrical version—it’s really powerful and simply beautiful to watch.
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Heads up!!!! 50% off Criterions over 2 years ago
After reading yesterday that another sale was happening in two weeks, I immediately started a wish list. I have been on air ever since that post yesterday. And out of curiosity, I came back to this thread this morning to see if anyone else started a list. Surprise!—or perhaps not!!—many of us did.
I’m just really discovering Jean Renior and Kurosawa, so I want to buy Ikiru, High and Low, Boudu Saved From Drowning, and Le Bete Humaine.
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List/Order all Criterions you own over 2 years ago
First of all, thanks. I really enjoy seeing what DVDs people own and which ones they like best. It helps me figure out what to buy next. However, I’m finding it so challenging trying to put my own in any order. Do I put them by favorite films, or favorite packaging and extras? Or a combination of all of the above? Here are the Criterions I own (at least I think they’re all Criterions). And I love all of them. Well, except for The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, which I was very disappointed with. Also, I was a little disappointed in the David Lean films of Charles Dickens’ books. They’re beautiful and fun, but he streamlines the stories so much, you not only lose so many great Dickens characters, but the entire mystery of Great Expectations sadly becomes no mystery at all.
1. Fanny and Alexander
2. Nights of Cabiria
3. La Strada
4. 8 ½
5. M
6. Brazil
7. Rashomon
8. Smiles of a Summer Night
9. The 400 Blows
10. The Bicycle Thief
11. Big Deal on Madonna Street
12. Divorce Italian Style
13. Umberto D
14. The Royal Tannenbaums
15. Rushmore
16. Summertime
17. Amacord
18. I Vitelloni
19. The White Sheik
20. The Red Balloon
21. Au Revoir Les Enfants
22. Beauty and the Beast
23. The Last Metro
24. Rules of the Game
25. Knife in the Water
26. Wild Strawberries
27. Charade
28. YiYi
29. The Importance of Being Ernest
30. Pygmalion
31. My Dinner with Andre
32. Brief Encounter
33. Oliver Twist
34. Great Expectations
35. Magnificent Obsession
36. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
On my list of Criterion DVDs to buy:
Ikiru
High and Low
Seven Samurai
La Bete Humaine
Boudu Saved From Drowning
Grand Illusion
My Life as a Dog
Spirit of the Beehive
Wings of Desire
The 39 Steps
The Third Man
El Norte
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
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VICKY CHRISTINA BARCELONA (Woody Allen, 2008) over 2 years ago
To me, it felt like a huge departure from Woody’s typical films. In style, substance, and direction. I wouldn’t have necessary known it was a Woody Allen film if I, well, didn’t know. The best part of the film for me was the smoking hot chemistry of Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. Two sexy people giving very sexy performances. I was actually surprised that Mr. Allen allowed Bardem to be so sultry and alluring. Mr. Allen doesn’t often see outside of the white, heterosexual, upper eastside box he’s usually trapped in. But VCB wasn’t about his own drama and reality—which is often delightful and I do consider myself a fan. In VCB, it was like Spain left him freer, looser, and uncensored, and that was a revelation in my opinion.
Did it break new ground in filmmaking? Perhaps not. Is it new for Woody Allen? Absolutely!
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Worst Criterion DVDs over 2 years ago
I’m surprised there’s so much love out there for The Life Aquatic and so little love for The Royal Tannenbaums and Rushmore. I find Wes Anderson films extremely appealing, but didn’t feel it at all for The Life Aquatic. It missed the boat for me.
Also, I did “get” Magnificent Obsession as a movie (glad I bought that one on sale!), but it’s certainly a great DVD package with fantastic extras for anyone who does love the film. As a film, it is beautifully shot, I have to admit.
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Most Disturbing Film Ever (strictly speaking) over 2 years ago
I have not seen Salo, fortunately/unfortunately, but I found Pink Flamingos to be pretty disturbing.
However, the movie that makes me squirm the most, and still bothers me to even think about 15 years after seeing it, is Un Chien Andalou by Luis Bunuel. Basically it’s only one shot that’s disturbing, and you all probably know the shot, but it’s haunted me for years. YEARS! I truly wish I hadn’t seen it. But you can’t go back, can you?
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Merchant Ivory over 2 years ago
It’s a gorgeous film with fantastic performances from a talented ensemble. It’s not the most exciting film; it’s detailed, very small and subtle. I personally love it, but I can totally understand how someone else would find it boring. Vanessa Redgrave and Emma Thompson are particularly wonderful. I don’t think Merchant Ivory broken new ground with their filmmaking, no. However, their films are textured and meticulously made; they’re beautifully shot, lit, costumed, and authentic. And the acting is uniformally good, by Britian’s best actors. I do think it qualifies as serious filmmaking. While not every film of theirs succeeds, I think most of them do quite admirably.
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stupidest things ever said in a movie over 2 years ago
It didn’t have to be a terrible line—it could have been merely bad—except for the excruciatingly terrible performance of Andie MacDowell in Four Wedding and a Funeral. When she’s standing in a rainstorm at the movie’s climax and realizes she is in love with Hugh Grant (at his freshest and most charming) and utters that immortal line, “Oh, is it raining? I hadn’t noticed.”
I remember an entire theatre groaning and then, after a pause, laughing.
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stupidest things ever said in a movie over 2 years ago
OMG! How did we all forget: NOBODY PUTS BABY IN THE CORNER!
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8 1/2 becomes NINE over 2 years ago
I may be committing cinephile sacrilege by admitting this, but I’m dying to see the movie musical NINE. I even watched 8 ½ again last night to get ready for it. What are people’s thoughts on this?
- Will Rob Marshall ruin Fellini or make him more popular to the masses? (I think Marshall did a really nice job with Chicago; even if you hate musicals, you’ve got to admit it was a smart, well directed film.)Will Marshall merely make a perfunctory movie version of the Broadway musical or aim to make a musical version of the Fellini film?-
- Is anyone else worried about Daniel Day Lewis playing Guido?I know the Broadway musical had Fellini’s blessings, but does anyone know if he saw it and liked it? And how did he feel about Sweet Charity?-
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BEST OPENING SEQUENCE over 2 years ago
I have always loved the opening of La Dolce Vita, with Jesus flying through the air suspended from a helicopter. And the whole movie explores religion, sex, morals and ethics. And then last night I watched 8 ½ again for the first time in many years and noticed a striking similarity; but instead of a Christ figure, it’s a movie director flying with his arms out in the same position. A lot to think about there.
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8 1/2 becomes NINE over 2 years ago
Dr. Tomasulo: I’m not Italian myself, so maybe I have no right voicing my opinion on your heritage… But I respectfully disagree with you about the meaning of the song “Be Italian.” I think the song, sung by the Seraghina character, implores young Guido to go through life with gusto. “Live today as if it may become your last!” Yes, that includes sexually, too, as Seraghina is a prostitute. A bawdy street prostitute at that. I think it’s a life-affirming song about finding what makes you happy and pursuing it. And because of Fellini’s constant struggle with morality and the church, this philosophy leads to consequences for young Guido. I think Guido’s “perpetual horniness,” as you put it, is significant to the story and was created by Fellini himself, not the Broadway musical. I think at least in that respect, the musical was quite faithful to the source material.
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Criterion Movies suitable for the whole family over 2 years ago
Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, Pygmalion, the Red Balloon, White Mane, Beauty and the Beast…
Maybe The Bicycle Thief?
I guess The 400 Blows if the kids are mature enough. Even Ikiru, Rashomon, or the White Sheik, if they’re mature enough.
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Do you think Sideways is the best film of 2004? over 2 years ago
It may not be the best film of 2004, but Sideways is smart, funny, and engaging. It’s also really well written and acted. It’s a small gem and I do love it.
However, I think Eternal Sunshine is probably a little more sophisticated and more of a “masterpiece.”
I just don’t understand people’s fascination with Kill Bill, or with Tarantino for that matter. He’s like the JC Penney’s of cinema, copying other people’s ideas and selling them to the masses cheaply.
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8 1/2 becomes NINE over 2 years ago
Frank: The Latin lover is a century’s old myth and cliché, true, however it was one that Fellini himself seemed rather comfortable with and perpetuated in, well, gee, ALL of his films. I think Fellini’s 8 ½ (like many of his movies) is about sex and art and what it means to be a modern Italian man. The Italian-ness is vital to both the film’s sensuality and context, I think. I disagree that Fellini was subtle about the sexuality in 8 ½, I think it’s more than thematic, it’s pretty much the plot. And the film itself seems to shrug and say, Yes, but that’s what it means to be Italian. …But maybe that’s just how I see it.
I, too, love the opening sequence you mentioned. I just compared it to the opening of La Dolce Vita on another thread. They share a lot of imagery, but with a statue of Christ flying across Rome in La Dolce Vita instead of the Fellini alter-ego (Guido) in 8 ½ . It’s an interesting comparison. I haven’t read much film criticism (I was an English major, and film theory was kind of poo-pooed. unfortunately), but I’m sure there’s a lot written comparing the two.
I agree that it would have been great to use more Italian and/or Italian-American actors in major roles in the film. Is Sophia Loren the only one? I think she may be. Who would you have liked to see in it, Doctor?
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FAVORITE 5 OR 10 WOODY ALLEN MOVIES over 2 years ago
Hannah and Her Sisters – Allen at his most sentimental and his best, I think. Hilarious, touching, smart, and very, very human.
Radio Days – of course this is Allen’s version of Amarcord. Witty, sharp, charming.
Bullets Over Broadway – so clever and funny, with great performances. It plays like one of his early short stories, when he still wrote books.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona – A big departure for the Woodman, and I think leaving his comfort zone pays off. A wild, sexy romp.
The Purple Rose of Cairo –clearly influenced by Fellini’s The White Sheik. An incredibly charming fairytale/parable.
My favorite Woody Allen film used to be Manhattan, but I haven’t seen it in several years. Truthfully, I’m afraid to watch it again, because I think a grown man in love with a high school senior would be rather objectionable to me now. When I was in high school, I felt very adult and didn’t understand how anyone could be uncomfortable with it. Now….Hmphf. Although Manhattan still has one of the best scores of any film ever.
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Ok, admit you dozed off or slept while watching.... over 2 years ago
Big Confession here: I have slept through every single Star Wars movie. I have paid for and sat in big-screen theatres, and have always found myself waking up as the credits rolled.
I also slept through Gladiator.
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CHRISTMAS MOVIES? over 2 years ago
Believe it or not, the first hour of Fanny and Alexander always gets me ready for Christmas. So lush and beautiful.
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Alfred Hitchcock - a true Auteur? over 2 years ago
I’d like to think the world is a generous enough place that a genius like Hitchcock could be called an auteur. Are labels that rigid or important in the grand scheme of things that anyone should be irked because he’s called that? Or that his name is above the title? REALLY??? He made some of the greatest movies of all time.
Film is a collaborative process, whether the filmmaker is a hack like Zemekis or a true genius like Kurosawa or Fellini. It takes many, many people and lots and lots of money to make a film. Studios often want to know where their millions of dollars are going. And they want to see a return of that investment. Filmmakers like money too, and they also like the opportunity to make more films. I don’t think directors should be blamed or demoted for that.
Hitchcock was a visionary and continues to inspire artists (of all kinds) around the world. And he did push boundaries and the scope of what you could do in film and how to tell a story. Many of his ideas, camera shots, and ways of storytelling have been “quoted” and are considered common place today. However, they were fresh, bold and exciting in his day. And many of us believe they still are today.
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Alfred Hitchcock - a true Auteur? over 2 years ago
Guys, I think we’ve all been played. I just went to Erzing’s profile out of curiosity and found out several of his favorite films are Hitchcock classics. Hmmm… But it’s been a fun and lively discussion.
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An Education over 2 years ago
I strongly disagree with Abel’s comment questioning if this could be viewed as a feminist film. I think it is a total feminist film. And it’s a fresh, lovely, thoughtful, provocative, rich, and sensitive film at that. The audience senses Jenny’s worth from the get-go and we’re hugely disappointed she’s not going to take her college entry exam because she meet a man. And even though we too adore David at the beginning—he’s rather dreamy and simply too good to be true (and unfortunately that ends up to be the case)—we feel incredibly uncomfortable about this smart, young, confident girl squandering her youth and talents on a man. The entire film is an exploration of Jenny’s discovering of her self-worth. And that is the definition of a feminist film. A feminist role model doesn’t have to be a ballbuster or know all the answers from the very beginning. She is a character who discovers her self-respect by making a bold choice, a choice that allows her to rescue herself.
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If I were to ask you to recommend a film that is totally unlike any I would have seen... about 2 years ago
I would normally have never seen a movie like The Magnificent Seven. Never ever ever. A Western? Naw. But since it was a cowboy version of The Seven Samurai, I decided to give it a try. Finally! It still took me years of procrastinating, despite that fact Kurosawa’s film is one of my all-time favorites. But I really loved The Magnificent Seven. It’s not as great as Kurosawa’s film—how could it be? But it’s extremely entertaining and I very much enjoyed Yul Brynner’s performance.
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TELL ME WHAT YOU LOVE ABOUT NETWORK about 2 years ago
What’s most remarkable to me is how prophetic this film is. And, of course, it’s so truthful and relevant for our times. The media didn’t have a chokehold on the American public back then like it does now. Over-the-top shock journalism didn’t really exist when this movie was made, although it’s just everywhere now—especially on cable, like Fox News. And as far as reality TV, only the Loud family had self-destructed before our eyes at this point, and that seemed like an anomaly. It’s clearly a cautionary tale, and I think Paddy Chayefsky was warning us where we were headed. Sadly, he was right. And that’s what I love about this movie, how profoundly smart and insightful it is. And of course it’s beautifully written, directed, and acted, too.
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Best OZU movie almost 2 years ago
I’ve never seen an Ozu film for some reason, and I need to fix that. What do folks recommend, hmmm?
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