>Preston Sturges’ directorial debut, The Great McGinty, by far one of the strangest movies Hollywood has ever produced! Searing too, very >socially and politically searing.
Yep, that movie is one of his masterpieces! Brian Donlevy was God.
>Eclipse Series 15 – Travels with Hiroshi Shimizu
>Anybody familiar with Shimizu?
Criterion will really release a Shimizu collection? Do you know the titles? Can’t wait. This year Shochiku has begun to published his films. So far, they have released two boxsets:
1. http://www.yesasia.com/global/1010703820-0-0-0-en/info.html
2. http://www.yesasia.com/global/shimizu-hiroshi-collection-part-2-kodomo-no-shiki-four-seasons-of/1010909089-0-0-0-en/info.html
Eight films, I’ve seen them all, and it is true: he’s been a master. He preferred the open spaces and he had a great sense of cinema. His most famous film is Arigato-san, but my favorite is probably Kanzashi. Just two quotes:
“I can’t shoot films like Shimizu.”
- Yasujiro Ozu
“People like me and Ozu get films made by hard work, but Shimizu is a genius…”
- Kenji Mizoguchi
One of the most important director, these days. Made in Hong Kong is good, but his masterpiece is The Longest Summer: politic, intimist, sharp. In that film, near 1:30h, there is one of the most beautiful and significant scenes of the whole cinema.
Chinese cinema is to rediscover yet, but I could mention some of my favorite Chinese films: “Sacrificed Youth” (1985), an influential, unknown movie. The director’s a woman, the same woman that wrote “The Modernization of Film Language”. She really swayed all the Chinese directors of the fifth generation: Zhang Yimou, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Li Shaohong and so on. I would say also “Xiao Wu”: Chinese minimalism at its best. And why not to mention the old treasures like Sun Yu’s “Little Toys” (1933) or “The Big Road” (1935)? Or the masterpieces of Wu Yonggang like “The Goddess” (1934) and “Waves Washing the Sand”? These are master directors that will be never known. You can find some of those films in DVD, but for the others you’ll have to use P2P.
Robert Mulligan, 1925 – 2008.
"Robert Mulligan, who was nominated for an Academy Award for directing the 1962 film classic To Kill a Mockingbird died Saturday at his home in Lyme, Conn. He was 83…. His first film, Fear Strikes Out, was released in 1957 and told the story of mentally ill baseball player Jimmy Piersall, played by Anthony Perkins. Mulligan directed 19 more films, including Summer of ’42, The Other and Same Time, Next Year before capping his career in 1991 with Man in the Moon, featuring actress Reese Witherspoon in her movie debut.
>Dr Akagi – One of Shohei Imamura’s last films, and a bit overlooked. The central character is decidedly eccentric, and the story is set >during the closing days of WWII, and the score – a whimsical variant of big band – taps into both of those things very effectively.
You’re right, that jazz score is fantastic! You’re right about genius Takemitsu, too.
>Please don’t be offended D. Clancy, but this is probably the weirdest comparison i have ever read. Nakadai being compared with Lambert and Reeves was a surreal horror show!
In fact, is a real horror show. I would agree with Joshua W, too. Nakadai had great skills, he could play every role – if you watch “Kiru!” it is impossible to say the contrary.
But he said “In 1999 I saw a film in college”, it can’t be 3-Iron.
Michael, I would try with “Undo (1994)” directed by Iwai Shunji. From IMDb:
“Moemi is not overly pleased when Yukio brings home a couple of turtles to keep her company. Although Yukio works at home as a writer, Moemi feels neglected and desired a dog or a cat, but neither is allowed in their apartment. He drills a hole in the front of one turtle’s shell so that it can be taken for walks on a leash, but Moemi spares the second from the same fate by proclaiming it “The House Turtle.” Their lives seem reasonably happy until she has her braces removed, and Yukio finds kissing her less satisfying. She soon starts tying up everything in her sight with knotted twine, starting with the turtles. A psychiatrist diagnoses “Obsessive Knot-Binding Syndrome” due to deficiencies in her relationship with Yukio. Moemi continues to expand her activities, tying herself in knots with cords stretching across the apartment. The doctor tells Yukio that her illness has reached a critical point, and that he should tie her up that evening. This he proceeds to do, with her encouraging him to bind her more and more. Where will this end ?"
The problem with Cinema Novo is that many films are untraceable. Dos Santos, however, directed one of the best films of the “wave”, Vidas Secas, that is one of the most famous too. A director that often escape is Paulo Cesar Saraceni; I’ve seen three films from him and “O Desafio” is an Antonioni-esque Masterpiece.
About the English wave, so called Free Cinema, is wonderful, but sadly it has been a very short phenomenon – circa 1958-1970 and just a handful of wonderful directors -. The titles lewis886 made are must have.
Someone mentioned Nuberu Bagu, the stunning Japanese new wave?
David has explained very well Nuberu Bagu and those names are all excellent directors. I would say that Japanese Wave started with Imamura, but I think the first film that belongs to the wave is “A Town of Love and Hope” by Oshima; his first work. By the way, it’s always hard enough to define first works belonging to a whatever movement. About Suzuki: I think he embodies not the wave, but the meaning of “Independence” par excellence. Independece from all.
Wise is right when he says the New Waves are tied up with Youth: in Italy, for example, the good Tony Richardson’s first oeuvre, “Look Back in Anger”, has been renamed “I giovani arrabbiati” (In English: “The angry youngsters”) and the same for other titles. There are also cases, though, where the youth is not a trait of the wave: my thought goes to Czech and Iranian waves. About this last movement, is very important to take into account Amir Naderi, that is considered the promoter of the wave, in the first ‘70s. Sadly his films of the 70s are untraceable, but you could watch some stuff of the 80s like “The Runner” and “Water, Wind, Sand”, relevant movies to outline the Iranian Wave – but, to my mind, they’re bad films… – After that, Naderi himself chose to fly away and to go to USA where he filmed the beautiful, misunderstood “Manhattan trilogy”.
About Majidi, I think his greatest works are “Children of Heaven” and “the colour of paradise”.
Well, try to mention some names!
About Mexican wave: it is VERY hard to find the films, but a relevant name of that movement – and of the entire Mexican cinematography – is Emilio Fernandez.
Germany: I’ve been searching titles from Germany (1940-1960) for a hundred years, but there’s a little problem: Germans publish titles in dvd but WITHOUT subtitles, so… however, except that period, we can mention well-known Schlondorff, Von Trotta, Percy Adlon.
About “the fifth generation film makers from china” there’s another thread, I recall… maybe.
Czech New Wave is my favorite after Nuberu Bagu. @ Wise: I agree, Closely Watched Trains is wonderful, but Menzel’s films are always very good, especially “Larks on a String”, to my mind a masterpiece.
Intimate Lighting instead was a disappointment. I LOVE first Forman period: Loves of a Blonde and Black Peter are among my all time favourite. Firemen’s Ball is a comic gem, too. Juraj Herz’s The Cremator (1968) is another masterwork. Some more good films: Jiri Weiss’ Romeo, Juliet and Darkness. Jerzy Kawalerowicz’s Mother Joan of Angels. Jaromil Jires’ Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, and many others. I would advise Second Run DVD, an English publisher with lots of Czech, Hungarian – another wave we know so little about – and other unrecognized films.
Uzbekistan wave.. ???? We have something in vhs, dvd?
Hong Kong new Wave is too large to discuss, I think. maybe we can talk about it later.
Taiwanese wave¹, on the contrary, is very small. There are three directors belonging to this: Hou (my favorite director maybe), Edward Yang (aka Yang Dechang) and Tsai.
¹About taiwan, I will be a happy man when they will release something of 1960’s.
Runtime? over 3 years ago
No, it’s a mistake. The movie is 100 minutes long.
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What are you watching now? over 3 years ago
>Preston Sturges’ directorial debut, The Great McGinty, by far one of the strangest movies Hollywood has ever produced! Searing too, very >socially and politically searing.
Yep, that movie is one of his masterpieces! Brian Donlevy was God.
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GREAT FLAWED FILMS over 3 years ago
I would agree with markum (sic!). And I would say Zabriskie Point.
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Jarmusch over 3 years ago
Ghost Dog is, to me, his masterwork.
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Top 20 Best Gangster Movies over 3 years ago
Fukasaku and Suzuki rule over this category…
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Appreciation over 3 years ago
You have to watch “Enjo” (1958). A critic against society from a hieratical point of view.
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March 2009 Criterions over 3 years ago
>Eclipse Series 15 – Travels with Hiroshi Shimizu
>Anybody familiar with Shimizu?
Criterion will really release a Shimizu collection? Do you know the titles? Can’t wait. This year Shochiku has begun to published his films. So far, they have released two boxsets:
1. http://www.yesasia.com/global/1010703820-0-0-0-en/info.html
2. http://www.yesasia.com/global/shimizu-hiroshi-collection-part-2-kodomo-no-shiki-four-seasons-of/1010909089-0-0-0-en/info.html
Eight films, I’ve seen them all, and it is true: he’s been a master. He preferred the open spaces and he had a great sense of cinema. His most famous film is Arigato-san, but my favorite is probably Kanzashi. Just two quotes:
“I can’t shoot films like Shimizu.”
- Yasujiro Ozu
“People like me and Ozu get films made by hard work, but Shimizu is a genius…”
- Kenji Mizoguchi
Go to Comment
Fruit chan over 3 years ago
One of the most important director, these days. Made in Hong Kong is good, but his masterpiece is The Longest Summer: politic, intimist, sharp. In that film, near 1:30h, there is one of the most beautiful and significant scenes of the whole cinema.
Go to Comment
Films from China over 3 years ago
Chinese cinema is to rediscover yet, but I could mention some of my favorite Chinese films: “Sacrificed Youth” (1985), an influential, unknown movie. The director’s a woman, the same woman that wrote “The Modernization of Film Language”. She really swayed all the Chinese directors of the fifth generation: Zhang Yimou, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Li Shaohong and so on. I would say also “Xiao Wu”: Chinese minimalism at its best. And why not to mention the old treasures like Sun Yu’s “Little Toys” (1933) or “The Big Road” (1935)? Or the masterpieces of Wu Yonggang like “The Goddess” (1934) and “Waves Washing the Sand”? These are master directors that will be never known. You can find some of those films in DVD, but for the others you’ll have to use P2P.
Go to Comment
So long, Robert over 3 years ago
Robert Mulligan, 1925 – 2008.
Claire Noland, Los Angeles Times, via Dave Kehr."Robert Mulligan, who was nominated for an Academy Award for directing the 1962 film classic To Kill a Mockingbird died Saturday at his home in Lyme, Conn. He was 83…. His first film, Fear Strikes Out, was released in 1957 and told the story of mentally ill baseball player Jimmy Piersall, played by Anthony Perkins. Mulligan directed 19 more films, including Summer of ’42, The Other and Same Time, Next Year before capping his career in 1991 with Man in the Moon, featuring actress Reese Witherspoon in her movie debut.
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Film Self-Education over 3 years ago
I would say “Yes, it is”!
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Kwaidan over 3 years ago
Yep, Kobayashi was one of the greatest. Kaidan is a thirty out of ten.
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Nicolas Roeg over 3 years ago
Insignificance is a great underrated, misunderstood masterwork.
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Last movie you saw and rate it over 3 years ago
In search of a Midnight Kiss: 4/10.
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Underrated Films... over 3 years ago
Shining absolutely is not underrated!
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What's the most annoying film music you've had to endure? over 3 years ago
The Wild Blue Yonder without the OST is another film.
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Outstanding Original Score in any Film over 3 years ago
>Dr Akagi – One of Shohei Imamura’s last films, and a bit overlooked. The central character is decidedly eccentric, and the story is set >during the closing days of WWII, and the score – a whimsical variant of big band – taps into both of those things very effectively.
You’re right, that jazz score is fantastic! You’re right about genius Takemitsu, too.
Go to Comment
Favourite year for films over 3 years ago
Really don’t know, maybe 1954 or a year of the 40s.
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Tatsuya Nakadai or Shintaru Katsu? over 3 years ago
>Please don’t be offended D. Clancy, but this is probably the weirdest comparison i have ever read. Nakadai being compared with Lambert and Reeves was a surreal horror show!
In fact, is a real horror show. I would agree with Joshua W, too. Nakadai had great skills, he could play every role – if you watch “Kiru!” it is impossible to say the contrary.
Go to Comment
Outstanding Original Score in any Film over 3 years ago
Tom: yep! Maybe E. Bernestein’s best score. (?)
Go to Comment
LOOKING FOR A SPECIFIC JAPANESE FILM over 3 years ago
But he said “In 1999 I saw a film in college”, it can’t be 3-Iron.
Michael, I would try with “Undo (1994)” directed by Iwai Shunji. From IMDb:
“Moemi is not overly pleased when Yukio brings home a couple of turtles to keep her company. Although Yukio works at home as a writer, Moemi feels neglected and desired a dog or a cat, but neither is allowed in their apartment. He drills a hole in the front of one turtle’s shell so that it can be taken for walks on a leash, but Moemi spares the second from the same fate by proclaiming it “The House Turtle.” Their lives seem reasonably happy until she has her braces removed, and Yukio finds kissing her less satisfying. She soon starts tying up everything in her sight with knotted twine, starting with the turtles. A psychiatrist diagnoses “Obsessive Knot-Binding Syndrome” due to deficiencies in her relationship with Yukio. Moemi continues to expand her activities, tying herself in knots with cords stretching across the apartment. The doctor tells Yukio that her illness has reached a critical point, and that he should tie her up that evening. This he proceeds to do, with her encouraging him to bind her more and more. Where will this end ?"
Go to Comment
Waves of Cinema + National Identity over 3 years ago
The problem with Cinema Novo is that many films are untraceable. Dos Santos, however, directed one of the best films of the “wave”, Vidas Secas, that is one of the most famous too. A director that often escape is Paulo Cesar Saraceni; I’ve seen three films from him and “O Desafio” is an Antonioni-esque Masterpiece.
About the English wave, so called Free Cinema, is wonderful, but sadly it has been a very short phenomenon – circa 1958-1970 and just a handful of wonderful directors -. The titles lewis886 made are must have.
Someone mentioned Nuberu Bagu, the stunning Japanese new wave?
Go to Comment
Waves of Cinema + National Identity over 3 years ago
David has explained very well Nuberu Bagu and those names are all excellent directors. I would say that Japanese Wave started with Imamura, but I think the first film that belongs to the wave is “A Town of Love and Hope” by Oshima; his first work. By the way, it’s always hard enough to define first works belonging to a whatever movement. About Suzuki: I think he embodies not the wave, but the meaning of “Independence” par excellence. Independece from all.
Wise is right when he says the New Waves are tied up with Youth: in Italy, for example, the good Tony Richardson’s first oeuvre, “Look Back in Anger”, has been renamed “I giovani arrabbiati” (In English: “The angry youngsters”) and the same for other titles. There are also cases, though, where the youth is not a trait of the wave: my thought goes to Czech and Iranian waves. About this last movement, is very important to take into account Amir Naderi, that is considered the promoter of the wave, in the first ‘70s. Sadly his films of the 70s are untraceable, but you could watch some stuff of the 80s like “The Runner” and “Water, Wind, Sand”, relevant movies to outline the Iranian Wave – but, to my mind, they’re bad films… – After that, Naderi himself chose to fly away and to go to USA where he filmed the beautiful, misunderstood “Manhattan trilogy”.
About Majidi, I think his greatest works are “Children of Heaven” and “the colour of paradise”.
Go to Comment
Here it is... Top 10 films of all time? over 3 years ago
Pretty good list.
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No william friedkin? over 3 years ago
“To live and die in LA” is one of the best works of the 80s.
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Science is Fiction over 3 years ago
A Painlevé collection already existed in DVD; in these very days I am watching his shorts, but so far there’s nothing exceptional about him.
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April 2009 Criterions over 3 years ago
New Oshima editions are welcome!
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Waves of Cinema + National Identity over 3 years ago
Well, try to mention some names!
About Mexican wave: it is VERY hard to find the films, but a relevant name of that movement – and of the entire Mexican cinematography – is Emilio Fernandez.
Germany: I’ve been searching titles from Germany (1940-1960) for a hundred years, but there’s a little problem: Germans publish titles in dvd but WITHOUT subtitles, so… however, except that period, we can mention well-known Schlondorff, Von Trotta, Percy Adlon.
About “the fifth generation film makers from china” there’s another thread, I recall… maybe.
Czech New Wave is my favorite after Nuberu Bagu. @ Wise: I agree, Closely Watched Trains is wonderful, but Menzel’s films are always very good, especially “Larks on a String”, to my mind a masterpiece.
Intimate Lighting instead was a disappointment. I LOVE first Forman period: Loves of a Blonde and Black Peter are among my all time favourite. Firemen’s Ball is a comic gem, too. Juraj Herz’s The Cremator (1968) is another masterwork. Some more good films: Jiri Weiss’ Romeo, Juliet and Darkness. Jerzy Kawalerowicz’s Mother Joan of Angels. Jaromil Jires’ Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, and many others. I would advise Second Run DVD, an English publisher with lots of Czech, Hungarian – another wave we know so little about – and other unrecognized films.
Uzbekistan wave.. ???? We have something in vhs, dvd?
Hong Kong new Wave is too large to discuss, I think. maybe we can talk about it later.
Taiwanese wave¹, on the contrary, is very small. There are three directors belonging to this: Hou (my favorite director maybe), Edward Yang (aka Yang Dechang) and Tsai.
¹About taiwan, I will be a happy man when they will release something of 1960’s.
Go to Comment
Last movie you saw and rate it over 3 years ago
It Came from Outer Space: forgotten forerunner. 7.6
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2000's worst decade in cinema? over 3 years ago
Probably.
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