I think it has to be the 70s, directors finally had more control of the filmmaking process, the studios had less say and we were given some great artisic and free films in the decade.
With the cable television bringing some freedom to the airwaves, actors can now do a 13 episode season and still get two films in in a year. so they can have their cake and eat it too.
Holly Hunter has also come to tv with Saving Grace and with some success. Yes HBO and Showtime have some quality shows, but TNT, USA and FX also have some quality original programs; drama is the staple of those three. Drama on network tc is very weak, cause they take no chances, but those stations can.
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
Night and the City (DeNiro version)
Kiss of Death (Caruso version) “What did you do? What did you do? What the fuck did you do?”
Bob Roberts
Oscars and Foreign Language films are a strange thing. Hollywood loves to love itself and with the Oscar rules a country gets to submit one film for consideration so a great many films get overlooked. China has a long history of not submitting the best films.
If I were a director making films in other countries I would ignore the academy and concentrate on the art; and that’s what the great ones have done.
Pulp Fiction- Samuel L. is great, by far the best thing about the film.
2001- If I’m tired but can’t sleep in it goes, as soon as film transitions to space, I’m out within five minutes.
Titanic- Will never watch, I hate Glenn Beck, but I still can’t watch the movie, though I did force myself to hear Celine Dion’s song the other day.
Avatar- reread most of what I wrote on Titanic
Psycho- Well most Hitchcock for that matter, just not that interested.
Casablanca- Not a Bogart fan, at all.
I pretty much have no problem with it, I keep pretty good track of who I lend to and what, the only one I regret lending is the VHS of Last Temptation of Christ which never got returned.
I wanted to be a writer since the fourth grade and I always liked taking photos, but I never really put the two together til 11th grade. If I had to say one movie which fueled film for me and helped me with seeing film I’d say the Adventures of Baron Munchausen.
1) “I was stepped over…” Godfather, Part II. John Cazale was brilliant, so weak, yet trying to show strength (special thanks to the Art Dept for the selection of the chair he was sitting in). Pacino was so cold, and Gordon Willis’ lighting fit the mood perfectly.
2) “Pardon them…” Schindler’s List. Just dialogue between Neeson and Fiennes on the balcony overlooking the camp. Great sound mix, stong performances, unobstrusive camerawork.
3) “She seems very nice…” Kissing Jessica Stein. Jennifer Westfeldt as Jessica is very good in the scene when she kind of let’s her mom know she is in love with a woman. Tovah Feldshuh is brilliant as her mom. Good writing, all the technical aspects are good, but the performances make the scene. I think that performance gets lost on occasion, film people just focus on filmmaking and forget about humanity, we watch films and do not allow them to touch us. These three scenes are about people and the performances are what make them.
4) “America” West Side Story. A perfect musical number. Great dancing, singing, fantastic camerawork and editing.
5) “Sales Meeting” Glengarry Glen Ross. Great acting by Alec Baldwin, but Mamet’s words are what make the scene.
Male Performances
1- Robert DeNiro in Raging Bull
2- Ralph Fiennes in Schindler’s List
3- John Turturro in Miller’s Crossing
4- Paul Newman in The Verdict
5- Ed Harris in Glengarry Glen Ross
6- Vincent D’Onofrio in Full Metal Jacket
7- Martin Landau in Ed Wood
8- Al Pacino in The Godfather
9- Sean Connery in The Wind and The Lion
10- Will Ferrell in Anchorman
11- Dennis Hopper in Apocalypse Now
12- Stephen Lang on Last Exit to Brooklyn
Female Perfomances
1- Joely Richardson in Sister My Sister
2- Juliette Binoche in Blue
3- Marcia Gay Harden on Miller’s Crossing
4- Miranda Richardson in Dance with A Stranger
5- Judy Davis in Naked Lunch
6- Audrey Tautou in Amelie
7- Meryl Streep in Deer Hunter
8- Holly Hunter in The Piano
9- Diane Keaton in The Godfather Part II
10- Natalie Wood in Splendor in the Grass
11- Holly Hunter in Broadcast News
12- Paz Vega in Sex and Lucia
1- Amelie- Jean-Pierre Jeunet (2001)
2- Sunshine- Danny Boyle (2007)
3- Sex and Lucia- Julio Medem (2001)
4- Angel-A- Luc Besson (2005)
5- The Company- Robert Altman (2003)
6- The Fountain- Darren Aronofsky (2006)
7- The Departed- Martin Scorsese (2006)
8- Let the Right One In- Tomas Alfredson (2008)
9- Almost Famous- Cameron Crowe (2000)
10- Anchorman- Adam McKay (2004)
11- A History of Violence- David Cronenberg (2005)
12- Hard Candy- David Slade (2005)
13- The Constant Gardener- Fernando Meirelles (2005)
14- A Mighty Wind- Christopher Guest (2003)
15- The United States of Leland- Matthew Ryan Hoge (2003)
Others: Cache, Mulholland Drive, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Very Long Engagement, Children of Men, Traffic, Gangs of New York, Thank You for Smoking, Man Who Wasn’t There, Dodgeball
Obviously music can really add to a film and sometimes it can kill it (many 80s synth scores), so here are my favorites (and yes, I’m sure a thread like this has been up before):
The Wind and The Lion with a great, great, big score by Jerry Goldsmith
Schindler’s List by John Williams
Last Temptation of Christ by Peter Gabriel
Trois Couleus: Bleu by Zbigniew Preisner
Star Wars by John Williams
The Ice Storm by Mychael Danna
Frankie Starlight by Elmer Bernstein
Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love by Mychael Danna
Portrait of A Lady by Wojciech Kilar
Planet of the Apes by Danny Elfman (crap movie, great score)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula by Wojciech Kilar
The Mission by Ennio Morricone
So, what are some other greats (let’s try to stay 20 and under on favorites)?
Mark, there are exceptions to everything. I also enjoyed Blade Runner, Chariots and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence. Plus certain cuts I enjoy, like Moroder’s Chase from Midnight Express. I just think that many films have been dated by the score.
Apocalypse now is my favorite film, but I hate sections of the score.
And the original Planet of the Apes score, good with at least one iconic piece, but I really enjoyed Elfman’s percussion heavy score.
Crews, go with 79. Apocalypse Now is my favorite film and I watch it at least once a year. The Redux was fine and the two main scenes that were added back in are good, but the 79 release in near perfect (score aside), I felt the added scenes bogged things down.
Now if you haven’t seen either, watch them both, start with 79.
There is a scene in Carnal Knowledge where Jack Nicholson, Candace Bergin and Art Garfunkel are talking, but the camera just stays on a close up of Bergin as she laughs; Nicholson and Garfunkel talk away, joke in the film which is about their characters, but Mike Nichols chose to stay on Bergin’s face, the woman between them. Great filmmaking.
In The Conversation, Gene Hackman is ralking with a woman in his warehouse during a kind of party. Coppola starts a dolly move from behind Hackman, completes the move to behind the woman, then repeats it, and repeats in again.
And there are just so many things that Conrad Hall did with the camera and lighting.
It is a good thread, cause we’re not trying to cure cancer, we’re talking about films. Arnold and Stallone have made a great deal of money with the crap they have had a hand at throwing at us from the movie screen.
Any subject can be a good subject to discuss if it is discussed with well-reasoned arguments, Mark has put forth a good argument, disargee if you like, but there is no reason to attempt to diminish the quality of the argument based upon the less-than-stellar subject.
And Stallone is better than Arnold, his highs in film is way higher than Schwarzenegger’s, but is lows are also way lower.
Network TV (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox) has relal problems in maintaining decent series’ over a long haul, but the cable networks going with 13 shows seasons have been able to stay fresh and give us some very good to great shows. Mad Men, Deadwood, Carnivale (though cancelled after second season) are just three examples.
Yes if would be good if shows were to not stay on too long, LA Law, ER and numerous others, but once networks have a hit the execs wll try to drain in of all blood.
Personal All-Time 25 over 3 years ago
Here you go, here’s mine:
1- Apocalypse Now- Coppola
2- The Ice Storm- Lee
3- Miller’s Crossing- Coen Bros.
4- The Godfather, Pts 1 & 2- Coppola
5- Mean Streets- Scorsese
6- Se7en- Fincher
7- Trois Colours: Bleu- Kieslowski
8- Raging Bull- Scorsese
9- Europa Europa- Holland
10- Searching for Bobby Fischer- Zaillian (Conrad Hall- DP)
11- Persona- Bergman
12- Fight Club- Fincher
13- Goodfellas- Scorsese
14- Amelie- Jeunet
15- The Exorcist- Friedkin
16- Dark City- Proyas
17- The Shawshank Redemption- Darabont
18- Sunshine- Boyle
19- Amercian Beauty- Mendes
20- Glengarry Glen Ross- Foley
21- Citizen Kane- Welles
22- Sex & Lucia- Medem
23- Raise the Red Lantern- Yimou
24- L.A. Confidential- Hanson
25- The Company- Altman
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What was the best decade for film? 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, or our present decade? over 3 years ago
I think it has to be the 70s, directors finally had more control of the filmmaking process, the studios had less say and we were given some great artisic and free films in the decade.
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FANTASY ARTHOUSE DOUBLE FEATURE over 3 years ago
Ya know, I think Miller’s Crossing and Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead
Great, original dialogue
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Movie Actors Who Move to TV Once They Are No Longer Movie Actors about 3 years ago
With the cable television bringing some freedom to the airwaves, actors can now do a 13 episode season and still get two films in in a year. so they can have their cake and eat it too.
Holly Hunter has also come to tv with Saving Grace and with some success. Yes HBO and Showtime have some quality shows, but TNT, USA and FX also have some quality original programs; drama is the staple of those three. Drama on network tc is very weak, cause they take no chances, but those stations can.
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Poetic films? about 3 years ago
Well, just a few I would consider poetic-
The Fountain by Darren Aronofsky
Persona by Bergman
Sex & Lucia by Julio Medem
Foreign made films are more artistic I think and independent films as well, they take the time to create art, Hollywood films, not so much.
Edward Scissorhands by Burton has come poetic things about it.
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Ten Worst Movies You've Ever Seen? about 3 years ago
Well, let’s see:
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
Night and the City (DeNiro version)
Kiss of Death (Caruso version) “What did you do? What did you do? What the fuck did you do?”
Bob Roberts
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Movies Everyone Loves But I Don't about 3 years ago
nv
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"In the myth of the cinema, Oscar is the supreme prize." -Federico Fellini about 3 years ago
Oscars and Foreign Language films are a strange thing. Hollywood loves to love itself and with the Oscar rules a country gets to submit one film for consideration so a great many films get overlooked. China has a long history of not submitting the best films.
If I were a director making films in other countries I would ignore the academy and concentrate on the art; and that’s what the great ones have done.
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What films do you always catch shit for for not liking? about 3 years ago
Pulp Fiction- Samuel L. is great, by far the best thing about the film.
2001- If I’m tired but can’t sleep in it goes, as soon as film transitions to space, I’m out within five minutes.
Titanic- Will never watch, I hate Glenn Beck, but I still can’t watch the movie, though I did force myself to hear Celine Dion’s song the other day.
Avatar- reread most of what I wrote on Titanic
Psycho- Well most Hitchcock for that matter, just not that interested.
Casablanca- Not a Bogart fan, at all.
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Letting people borrow your films about 3 years ago
I pretty much have no problem with it, I keep pretty good track of who I lend to and what, the only one I regret lending is the VHS of Last Temptation of Christ which never got returned.
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What is the one movie, if any in particular, that sparked your interest in film? about 3 years ago
I wanted to be a writer since the fourth grade and I always liked taking photos, but I never really put the two together til 11th grade. If I had to say one movie which fueled film for me and helped me with seeing film I’d say the Adventures of Baron Munchausen.
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Your 5 Favourite Directors about 3 years ago
Hmmm, well…
Scorsese
Coen Bros
Kieslowski
Yimou
Jeunet
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BEST SEQUENCE OR SCENE FROM ANY FILM(CAN BE AN OPENING OR ANYTHING ELSE) about 3 years ago
1) “I was stepped over…” Godfather, Part II. John Cazale was brilliant, so weak, yet trying to show strength (special thanks to the Art Dept for the selection of the chair he was sitting in). Pacino was so cold, and Gordon Willis’ lighting fit the mood perfectly.
2) “Pardon them…” Schindler’s List. Just dialogue between Neeson and Fiennes on the balcony overlooking the camp. Great sound mix, stong performances, unobstrusive camerawork.
3) “She seems very nice…” Kissing Jessica Stein. Jennifer Westfeldt as Jessica is very good in the scene when she kind of let’s her mom know she is in love with a woman. Tovah Feldshuh is brilliant as her mom. Good writing, all the technical aspects are good, but the performances make the scene. I think that performance gets lost on occasion, film people just focus on filmmaking and forget about humanity, we watch films and do not allow them to touch us. These three scenes are about people and the performances are what make them.
4) “America” West Side Story. A perfect musical number. Great dancing, singing, fantastic camerawork and editing.
5) “Sales Meeting” Glengarry Glen Ross. Great acting by Alec Baldwin, but Mamet’s words are what make the scene.
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List the most exemplary acting performance(s) about 3 years ago
Male Performances
1- Robert DeNiro in Raging Bull
2- Ralph Fiennes in Schindler’s List
3- John Turturro in Miller’s Crossing
4- Paul Newman in The Verdict
5- Ed Harris in Glengarry Glen Ross
6- Vincent D’Onofrio in Full Metal Jacket
7- Martin Landau in Ed Wood
8- Al Pacino in The Godfather
9- Sean Connery in The Wind and The Lion
10- Will Ferrell in Anchorman
11- Dennis Hopper in Apocalypse Now
12- Stephen Lang on Last Exit to Brooklyn
Female Perfomances
1- Joely Richardson in Sister My Sister
2- Juliette Binoche in Blue
3- Marcia Gay Harden on Miller’s Crossing
4- Miranda Richardson in Dance with A Stranger
5- Judy Davis in Naked Lunch
6- Audrey Tautou in Amelie
7- Meryl Streep in Deer Hunter
8- Holly Hunter in The Piano
9- Diane Keaton in The Godfather Part II
10- Natalie Wood in Splendor in the Grass
11- Holly Hunter in Broadcast News
12- Paz Vega in Sex and Lucia
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List the most exemplary acting performance(s) about 3 years ago
Okay, I really enjoyed Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood, but, ya know, he just reminds me of John Huston.
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The Greatest Film of the 2000s about 3 years ago
1- Amelie- Jean-Pierre Jeunet (2001)
2- Sunshine- Danny Boyle (2007)
3- Sex and Lucia- Julio Medem (2001)
4- Angel-A- Luc Besson (2005)
5- The Company- Robert Altman (2003)
6- The Fountain- Darren Aronofsky (2006)
7- The Departed- Martin Scorsese (2006)
8- Let the Right One In- Tomas Alfredson (2008)
9- Almost Famous- Cameron Crowe (2000)
10- Anchorman- Adam McKay (2004)
11- A History of Violence- David Cronenberg (2005)
12- Hard Candy- David Slade (2005)
13- The Constant Gardener- Fernando Meirelles (2005)
14- A Mighty Wind- Christopher Guest (2003)
15- The United States of Leland- Matthew Ryan Hoge (2003)
Others: Cache, Mulholland Drive, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Very Long Engagement, Children of Men, Traffic, Gangs of New York, Thank You for Smoking, Man Who Wasn’t There, Dodgeball
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Favorite Scores about 3 years ago
Obviously music can really add to a film and sometimes it can kill it (many 80s synth scores), so here are my favorites (and yes, I’m sure a thread like this has been up before):
The Wind and The Lion with a great, great, big score by Jerry Goldsmith
Schindler’s List by John Williams
Last Temptation of Christ by Peter Gabriel
Trois Couleus: Bleu by Zbigniew Preisner
Star Wars by John Williams
The Ice Storm by Mychael Danna
Frankie Starlight by Elmer Bernstein
Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love by Mychael Danna
Portrait of A Lady by Wojciech Kilar
Planet of the Apes by Danny Elfman (crap movie, great score)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula by Wojciech Kilar
The Mission by Ennio Morricone
So, what are some other greats (let’s try to stay 20 and under on favorites)?
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Favorite Scores about 3 years ago
And they faded away 10 and 7 months ago, so slow yourself Glemaud and don’t be a dick.
Langford, thanks.
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Favorite Scores about 3 years ago
Mark, there are exceptions to everything. I also enjoyed Blade Runner, Chariots and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence. Plus certain cuts I enjoy, like Moroder’s Chase from Midnight Express. I just think that many films have been dated by the score.
Apocalypse now is my favorite film, but I hate sections of the score.
And the original Planet of the Apes score, good with at least one iconic piece, but I really enjoyed Elfman’s percussion heavy score.
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SILLY COMMENTS OVERHEARD WHILE EXITING THE CINEMA about 3 years ago
After A Thin Red Line a couple guys were behind and one said “I liked the battle scenes, but the rest was bullshit.”
So, I stopped, turned around and said, “Well, then you completely missed the point of the film.”
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What films do you always catch shit for for not liking? about 3 years ago
Crews, go with 79. Apocalypse Now is my favorite film and I watch it at least once a year. The Redux was fine and the two main scenes that were added back in are good, but the 79 release in near perfect (score aside), I felt the added scenes bogged things down.
Now if you haven’t seen either, watch them both, start with 79.
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Inspirational Film Scenes about 3 years ago
There is a scene in Carnal Knowledge where Jack Nicholson, Candace Bergin and Art Garfunkel are talking, but the camera just stays on a close up of Bergin as she laughs; Nicholson and Garfunkel talk away, joke in the film which is about their characters, but Mike Nichols chose to stay on Bergin’s face, the woman between them. Great filmmaking.
In The Conversation, Gene Hackman is ralking with a woman in his warehouse during a kind of party. Coppola starts a dolly move from behind Hackman, completes the move to behind the woman, then repeats it, and repeats in again.
And there are just so many things that Conrad Hall did with the camera and lighting.
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Who's the best ? Schwarzenegger or Stallone ? about 3 years ago
It is a good thread, cause we’re not trying to cure cancer, we’re talking about films. Arnold and Stallone have made a great deal of money with the crap they have had a hand at throwing at us from the movie screen.
Any subject can be a good subject to discuss if it is discussed with well-reasoned arguments, Mark has put forth a good argument, disargee if you like, but there is no reason to attempt to diminish the quality of the argument based upon the less-than-stellar subject.
And Stallone is better than Arnold, his highs in film is way higher than Schwarzenegger’s, but is lows are also way lower.
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What films do you always catch shit for for not liking? about 3 years ago
Yes scenes are good, there is no doubt about that, but Mark, as you’ve stated, you’ve only seen the redux, watch the 79 release.
That’s the first cut I saw and watched about 20 times from 91 to 2000 so I may be biased.
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Best title about 3 years ago
Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead
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The Works of David Lynch, Best to Worst about 3 years ago
Hmmm…
Elephant Man
after that most are pretty equal and just depends on my mood, but the next three (alphabetical)
Blue Velvet
Lost Highway
Mulholland Dr.
Then…
Eraserhead
Fire Walk with Me
Inland Empire
Wild at Heart
…
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WHO IS / WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FILM ACTRESS EVER? about 3 years ago
1 Elizabeth Taylor
3 Halle Berry
4 Natalie Wood
5 Catherine Denueve
6 Gong Li
7 Gabrielle Union
8 Paz Vega
9 Audrey Tautou
10 Juliette Binoche
11 Jessica Alba
12 Thandie Newton/Zoe Saldana
13 Kate Winslet
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TV IS BETTER THAN MOVIES about 3 years ago
There is more room to explore stories on television, HBO, Showtime, TNT, AMC and USA, as well as SyFy have taken real adventage of the medium.
I don’t know that TV is better, I just think it has a great opportunity to tell more in depth stories.
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FILMS FOR HOLY WEEK AND EASTER SUNDAY about 3 years ago
Mark, I agree, Jesus Christ Superstar came out the year I was born and I grew up on it, have watched it each year since the early 80s.
Last Temptation of Christ is another to take a look at this time of year.
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TV IS BETTER THAN MOVIES about 3 years ago
Network TV (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox) has relal problems in maintaining decent series’ over a long haul, but the cable networks going with 13 shows seasons have been able to stay fresh and give us some very good to great shows. Mad Men, Deadwood, Carnivale (though cancelled after second season) are just three examples.
Yes if would be good if shows were to not stay on too long, LA Law, ER and numerous others, but once networks have a hit the execs wll try to drain in of all blood.
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