I was raised on popcorn movies. Star Wars, Spielberg, ect. Strangely enough it was Ken Russell’s Tommy that opened my taste up. After that, Taxi Driver and Apocalypse Now sealed the deal.
All I know is that Ebert prompted me to move out of my film comfort zone and countless amazing movie experiences have been the result. Even now, his blogs offer great writing even on non-film subjects.
So many of these are regarded as classics and, no surprise, fit the bill. The one that did surprise me and I thought was much better than many higher profile Bergman films was Winter Light.
“I’m the Anti-Christ. You got me in a vendetta kind of mood. You tell the angels in heaven you never seen evil so singularly personified as you did in the face of the man who killed you. My name is Vincent Coccotti.” – Christopher Walken in True Romance
US – Saving Private Ryan
Germany – Mephisto
Japan – Grave of Fireflies
France – Army of Shadows
UK – The World at War (Yes, I’m cheating. Its a TV extended documentary, but the most complete take on the war that I know of.)
Just got finished with one. John Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13. Lots of tense action pieces thanks to the great direction, but when they get to the talking – hoo boy!
1) Nashville
2) Taxi Driver
3) Star Wars
4) Apocalypse Now
5) The Godfather
6) Young Frankenstein
7) Jaws
8) Aguirre: The Wrath of God
9) The Exorcist
10) Blazing Saddles
I have a soft spot for just about every movie made between 1976 and 1983 regardless of quality. Examples: Orca, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Foul Play, The Frisco Kid, Love at First Bite, Flash Gordon, Rocky III, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Spielberg – Raiders of the Lost Ark
Mann – The Insider
Gilliam – Brazil
Fincher – Fight Club
Scorsese – Taxi Driver
Coppola – Apocalypse Now
De Palma – Dressed to Kill
Tarantino – Pulp Fiction
Coens – The Big Lebowski
P.T.Anderson – Magnolia
Demme – Silence of the Lambs
Cassavetes – A Woman Under the Influence
Reiner – This Is Spinal Tap
Penny Marshall – Big
Eastwood – Unforgiven
Cameron – Terminator 2
Wes Anderson – The Royal Tenenbaums
Jarmusch – Down By Law
Bay – None
D.G. Green – All the Real Girls
Huston – The Maltese Falcon
Ivan Reitman – Ghostbusters
Lumet – Network
Burton – Ed Wood
Thanks Joe. You know, they recently showed a print at one of the Chicago art house theaters and the close up on the heart stab was missing. In any case, I’m glad to see Suspiria finally juxtaposed with Donald Duck.
Winter Light / Bad Lieutenant
Throne of Blood / MacBeth (Polanski)
The Thing (Carpenter) / The Fly (Cronenberg)
It’s A Wonderfull Life / Synecdoche, New York
Body Heat / Against All Odds
Border Incident / Babel
Watership Down / Where the Wild Things Are
Can’t go too crazy even with the sale, but I’ve gone long enough without owning Rules of the Game, Tokyo Story and Wings of Desire. Oh crap, how can I not get Black Narcissus! This could get ugly.
Ozu – Tokyo Story
Pasolini –
Cocteau – Beauty and the Beast
Dreyer – The Passion of Joan of Arc
Eisenstein – Battleship Potempkin
Lean – Lawrence of Arabia
Visconti -
Satyajit Ray -
Vigo –
Resnais – Hiroshima Mon Amour
Bertolucci – Last Tango in Paris
Kieslowski – Blue
Wajda –
Powell/Pressburger – Stairway to Heaven
Almodovar – Volver
Fellini – Amarcord
Bergman – Winter Light
Kurosawa – Ran
Truffaut – Shoot the Piano Player
Renoir – Rules of the Game
Fassbinder –
Herzog – Aguirre, Wrath of God
Godard – Breathless
Antonioni – Blow Up
Bresson –
Hitchcock – Psycho
Bunuel – None
Lang – Metropolis
Tarkovsky – Solaris
Mizoguchi – Ugetsu
Rossellini –
Altman – Nashville
De Sica – Umberto D
Polanski – Chinatown
Rivette –
Wenders – Wings of Desire
Rohmer – My Night at Maud’s
Melville – Le Samourai
Kubrick – 2001
The Good, the Bad and The Ugly is also my favorite. Very difficult to go wrong if the names John Ford, Howard Hawks, Anthony Mann, Sergio Leone or Clint Eastwood are in the credits. One that I think deserves more attention than it usually gets is The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. As great a portrait of the old West giving way to the new West as The Wild Bunch. For pure beauty and spectacle, hard to beat Red River.
What most struck me was Don’t Look Now’s vividness in its sense of place. The city of Venice is truly another character, so much so than my actual visit to Venice was dominated by thoughts of this film. Its so surreal in reality, but that doesn’t always transfer to film. Roeg pefectly captures its inherant otherworldlyness and uses it to build the suspense.
What most struck me was Don’t Look Now’s vividness in its sense of place. The city of Venice is truly another character, so much so than my actual visit to Venice was dominated by thoughts of this film. Its so surreal in reality, but that doesn’t always transfer to film. Roeg pefectly captures its inherant otherworldlyness and uses it to build the suspense.
I’m with you Mr. V. Great comedy writing is rare and Kevin Smith has been more consistant than most. Dogma, in particular, takes an original approach to combining faith issues with his usual goofiness. It’s true, and he admits himself, that he’s not a great visual director, but its all about the writing in his films. By the way, nothing wong with vulgar and childish.
Jesse, I’m guessing that you saw this at a young age and maybe your memory of that time makes it a guilty pleasure? Or you might just like it. I thought it was horrible myself, with Costner completely miscast and unable to hold his accent. Many of us have a fond memory of Robin Hood (Whether 1938 or even Disney) as fun swasgbuckling adventures. This version was dark and dreary, but not dark and dreary enough to make it a deconstruction of the Robin Hood myth. Costner did not help his case by doing Waterworld and The Postman soon after (I do like his stuff through JFK, but not much after.)
The Greatest Film of the 2000s over 2 years ago
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
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what film changed you over 2 years ago
I was raised on popcorn movies. Star Wars, Spielberg, ect. Strangely enough it was Ken Russell’s Tommy that opened my taste up. After that, Taxi Driver and Apocalypse Now sealed the deal.
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Roger Ebert/ Worst Critic EVER! over 2 years ago
All I know is that Ebert prompted me to move out of my film comfort zone and countless amazing movie experiences have been the result. Even now, his blogs offer great writing even on non-film subjects.
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your top ten bergman films in order over 2 years ago
So many of these are regarded as classics and, no surprise, fit the bill. The one that did surprise me and I thought was much better than many higher profile Bergman films was Winter Light.
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your fav anthology films ? over 2 years ago
Black Sabbath
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you fav lines from the mouth of villians ? over 2 years ago
“I’m the Anti-Christ. You got me in a vendetta kind of mood. You tell the angels in heaven you never seen evil so singularly personified as you did in the face of the man who killed you. My name is Vincent Coccotti.” – Christopher Walken in True Romance
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Worst movie to watch on a first date over 2 years ago
Closer. Not due to any objectionable content, but because I have never seen a film so cynical on the subject of romance and relationships.
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Movies you hated that everyone else loves over 2 years ago
The Big Chill
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WWII in perspective over 2 years ago
US – Saving Private Ryan
Germany – Mephisto
Japan – Grave of Fireflies
France – Army of Shadows
UK – The World at War (Yes, I’m cheating. Its a TV extended documentary, but the most complete take on the war that I know of.)
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Great films with terrible acting? over 2 years ago
Just got finished with one. John Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13. Lots of tense action pieces thanks to the great direction, but when they get to the talking – hoo boy!
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Your Favourite films of the Seventies over 2 years ago
1) Nashville
2) Taxi Driver
3) Star Wars
4) Apocalypse Now
5) The Godfather
6) Young Frankenstein
7) Jaws
8) Aguirre: The Wrath of God
9) The Exorcist
10) Blazing Saddles
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Who do you think the most overrated director is? over 2 years ago
David Lynch
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The Auteurs Confessions over 2 years ago
I have a soft spot for just about every movie made between 1976 and 1983 regardless of quality. Examples: Orca, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Foul Play, The Frisco Kid, Love at First Bite, Flash Gordon, Rocky III, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Go to Comment
Best Film by Each of These Directors: Hollywood Style over 2 years ago
Spielberg – Raiders of the Lost Ark
Mann – The Insider
Gilliam – Brazil
Fincher – Fight Club
Scorsese – Taxi Driver
Coppola – Apocalypse Now
De Palma – Dressed to Kill
Tarantino – Pulp Fiction
Coens – The Big Lebowski
P.T.Anderson – Magnolia
Demme – Silence of the Lambs
Cassavetes – A Woman Under the Influence
Reiner – This Is Spinal Tap
Penny Marshall – Big
Eastwood – Unforgiven
Cameron – Terminator 2
Wes Anderson – The Royal Tenenbaums
Jarmusch – Down By Law
Bay – None
D.G. Green – All the Real Girls
Huston – The Maltese Falcon
Ivan Reitman – Ghostbusters
Lumet – Network
Burton – Ed Wood
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HALLOWEEN FILMS over 2 years ago
All the above + Suspiria!
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HALLOWEEN FILMS over 2 years ago
Thanks Joe. You know, they recently showed a print at one of the Chicago art house theaters and the close up on the heart stab was missing. In any case, I’m glad to see Suspiria finally juxtaposed with Donald Duck.
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FANTASY ARTHOUSE DOUBLE FEATURE over 2 years ago
Winter Light / Bad Lieutenant
Throne of Blood / MacBeth (Polanski)
The Thing (Carpenter) / The Fly (Cronenberg)
It’s A Wonderfull Life / Synecdoche, New York
Body Heat / Against All Odds
Border Incident / Babel
Watership Down / Where the Wild Things Are
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Heads up!!!! 50% off Criterions over 2 years ago
Can’t go too crazy even with the sale, but I’ve gone long enough without owning Rules of the Game, Tokyo Story and Wings of Desire. Oh crap, how can I not get Black Narcissus! This could get ugly.
Go to Comment
Best Film by Each of These Directors - Part 2 over 2 years ago
Ozu – Tokyo Story
Pasolini –
Cocteau – Beauty and the Beast
Dreyer – The Passion of Joan of Arc
Eisenstein – Battleship Potempkin
Lean – Lawrence of Arabia
Visconti -
Satyajit Ray -
Vigo –
Resnais – Hiroshima Mon Amour
Bertolucci – Last Tango in Paris
Kieslowski – Blue
Wajda –
Powell/Pressburger – Stairway to Heaven
Almodovar – Volver
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Best film by each of these directors over 2 years ago
Fellini – Amarcord
Bergman – Winter Light
Kurosawa – Ran
Truffaut – Shoot the Piano Player
Renoir – Rules of the Game
Fassbinder –
Herzog – Aguirre, Wrath of God
Godard – Breathless
Antonioni – Blow Up
Bresson –
Hitchcock – Psycho
Bunuel – None
Lang – Metropolis
Tarkovsky – Solaris
Mizoguchi – Ugetsu
Rossellini –
Altman – Nashville
De Sica – Umberto D
Polanski – Chinatown
Rivette –
Wenders – Wings of Desire
Rohmer – My Night at Maud’s
Melville – Le Samourai
Kubrick – 2001
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What was the first Criterion movie you watched? over 2 years ago
Life of Brian
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Where are you from? over 2 years ago
Chicago, Il.
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Best Western of all Time? over 2 years ago
The Good, the Bad and The Ugly is also my favorite. Very difficult to go wrong if the names John Ford, Howard Hawks, Anthony Mann, Sergio Leone or Clint Eastwood are in the credits. One that I think deserves more attention than it usually gets is The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. As great a portrait of the old West giving way to the new West as The Wild Bunch. For pure beauty and spectacle, hard to beat Red River.
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Don't Look Now over 2 years ago
What most struck me was Don’t Look Now’s vividness in its sense of place. The city of Venice is truly another character, so much so than my actual visit to Venice was dominated by thoughts of this film. Its so surreal in reality, but that doesn’t always transfer to film. Roeg pefectly captures its inherant otherworldlyness and uses it to build the suspense.
Go to Comment
Don't Look Now over 2 years ago
What most struck me was Don’t Look Now’s vividness in its sense of place. The city of Venice is truly another character, so much so than my actual visit to Venice was dominated by thoughts of this film. Its so surreal in reality, but that doesn’t always transfer to film. Roeg pefectly captures its inherant otherworldlyness and uses it to build the suspense.
Go to Comment
The Future Is In 3D over 2 years ago
3D gives me a headache.
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Kevin Smith over 2 years ago
I’m with you Mr. V. Great comedy writing is rare and Kevin Smith has been more consistant than most. Dogma, in particular, takes an original approach to combining faith issues with his usual goofiness. It’s true, and he admits himself, that he’s not a great visual director, but its all about the writing in his films. By the way, nothing wong with vulgar and childish.
Go to Comment
Did anyone like over 2 years ago
Jesse, I’m guessing that you saw this at a young age and maybe your memory of that time makes it a guilty pleasure? Or you might just like it. I thought it was horrible myself, with Costner completely miscast and unable to hold his accent. Many of us have a fond memory of Robin Hood (Whether 1938 or even Disney) as fun swasgbuckling adventures. This version was dark and dreary, but not dark and dreary enough to make it a deconstruction of the Robin Hood myth. Costner did not help his case by doing Waterworld and The Postman soon after (I do like his stuff through JFK, but not much after.)
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BEST OPENING SEQUENCE over 2 years ago
Touch of Evil
McCabe and Mrs. Miller
Down by Law
Reservoir Dogs
Inglorious Basterds
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not the plot, the characters over 2 years ago
Love this film and agree that its one of Hackman’s best. Favorite quote: “Harry thinks if you call him Harry again he’s gonna make you eat that cat.”
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