Primer
Apocalypse Now
The Godfather I
Paris, Texas
Before Sunrise
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Amelie
Vanishing Point (the original, dir. R. Sarafian)
The Fly (Conenberg’s Version)
Quiet City (dir. Aaron Katz)
Two Lane Blacktop
The Straight Story
World Traveler (dir. Bart Freundlich)
The Killer (dir. John Woo)
L.A. – Never be ashamed of mentioning Goldblum in that role. I still contend that it was the outstanding work in that year, in a genre which very nearly guaranteed that he wouldn’t be recognized for it. That may also be the reason you were lambasted for the choice. A tip of the hat to you.
Tom Wilson – now that you mention it, I do indeed feel a bit better after reflecting on that competition, though I stand on my choice. Thanks.
Though there are those who have been very critical of it, Gus Van Sant’s “Gerry.” More than anything else, it taught me patience, and out of that patience, a willingness to begin to look at a film for things other than my usual expectations. Interestingly, I didn’t appreciate this benefit until I watched another film afterward – and realized that I wouldn’t be watching anything else in quite the same way again. I recommend putting forth the effort to sit all the way through it with focused attention (it will seem a daunting task early on). I hope it has the same effect.
I might mention two other films that have had some impact. The first is Carruth’s “Primer.” Some truly inventive, innovative filmmaking on less than a shoestring budget – and one which still has me thinking about all the possible permutations and implications of what it suggests. There are guys out there making movies for hundreds of millions of dollars who do not seem to have grasped some fundamental things about challenging their audiences to think, and how truly entertaining that can be.
Finally, I happened to see Aaron Katz’s “Quiet City” awhile back. Again, a film which renewed my faith in what was going on in the creative minds of those who were not receiving multi-millions to entertain. An insightful look into a small, perhaps to some, insignificant slice of life in which beauty, humor, subtlety, and the transcendence of mutual attraction made for a very good film. It reminded me that some stories, though as old as time, can be told again in such a way as to be both fresh and satisfying.
duplicate post correction – it happens because there is a significant delay between hitting the post reply button and any feedback from the site – it gives the appearance of the system being locked up – I’m not sure that much can be done about it, though.
At the top of my list is Primer, the best science fiction I’ve seen in a long, long time. While notable for its insightful examination of how the accidental discovery of a scientific breakthrough of enormous import might occur, its disturbing consideration of the moral implications makes it great. Cronenberg’s The Fly is extraordinarily well done, with some outstanding performances. Also a personal favorite for its handling of something which I would have thought very difficult to bring to the screen in any acceptable fashion, Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Don’t really know why, but that scene at the end of David Fincher’s “The Game” when Sean Penn steps toward his dazed and confused brother, played by Michael Douglas, and with pride in his voice, says “Ladies and gentlemen, my brother, Nicholas Van Orton.”
Also, that moment in “Field of Dreams” when Burt Lancaster’s character steps back across that line, abandoning his own dream, in order to save that little girl’s life. Priceless…
One I forgot to mention: The use of the home movie reel as the last scene in Lynne Littman’s “Testament” always has a profound effect on me, when I am able to watch it.
Thought I might mention Rose saying to Jack on the upturned stern of the Titanic as it is about to plunge into the icy depths, taking with it some 1500 souls… “Jack, this is where we first met…”
(PS… and I’m not one of those dump on the highest grossing movie of all time type haters either…. I actually liked the rest of the film quite a bit)
I’ll mention two… I found Mulholland Drive’s ending stunning, so much so that I immediately rewatched the film and was convinced that it was brilliant.
Second, I originally saw The Sixth Sense in a theater on the day of its release. Though it may seem old hat now, I must confess that then, it was the one thing that I did not see coming. It left me considerably disturbed.
I am in agreement with Strawdawg, that although Transformers was a pretty bad movie (almost wrote ‘film’ there), the cgi is the most flawless I have ever seen. It was almost worth the price of admission. I was shocked when The Golden Compass won over it for effects work at the awards because I think the basic idea for that kind of work in the aforementioned films is its contribution to the suspension of disbelief. In other words, if you don’t buy the effects, you won’t buy the story either.
I sometimes think that some maintain a certain affection for the earlier Star Wars films over episodes 1-3 for this reason (among the many others). The work done with motion control cameras, even with its obvious limitations, conveyed more of a sense of realism than the later cgi, even though one can’t help but watch the cgi and be amazed on some level.
Transformers took that to a new level in that it was the time that I left the theater without any sense of the difference.
A second to Barry Newman’s death in Vanishing Point. Also, in Eastwood’s High Plains Drifter, the last guy to down when The Stranger (Eastwood) blasts three men while getting a shave in a barbers chair. I’ve never seen a more milked death scene. Pay particular attention to his head.
Another vote for The Fantastic Four, and, in particular, Rise of the Silver Surfer (though both were oustandingly bad). Poor acting, virtually no intelligible script. Even the actors themselves looked phenomenally uncomfortable being in it.
Aeon Flux, which was on the same level for many of the same reasons. Better production values, though, and there was, at least, Charlize Theron, trying to take it seriously.
Endless Love, directed by Zeffirelli, with Brooke Shields and Martin Hewitt. It’s failures are legendary, no need to elucidate. And… for the worst film of all time (for me, anyway)…
A gem called The Slugger’s Wife, an 80’s film from Hal Ashby with Michael O’Keefe and Rebecca De Mornay. Don’t disagree until you see this mess. Unsurpassed in the history of cinema.
Thought I might mention a television episode. Before I rile the purists here, I’ll mention that this story was directed by William Friedkin (of The Exorcist, To Live and Die in LA, and Bug) and is considered by many to be one of, if not the finest half hours of television ever. It is an episode in one of the Twilight Zone revivals called “Nightcrawlers.” It starred Scott Paulin and James Whitmore, Jr. If you have heard of it you’ll know what I mean. If not, I recommend that you try to view it, at least once.
Viewed it yesterday, and thought it was very good. Michelle Williams gives an outstanding and convincing performance. On the film as a whole, minimalist, to be sure, but not at all a bad thing here. Often, the most profound emotional dilemmas are best expressed in the simplest of stories, and it takes real skill to involve the viewer to the point of feeling them. Well done.
Though it’s been mentioned before, The Godfather. The completion of Michael Corleone’s terrible transformation, and the way it is communicated to the audience by the closing door does something to me every time I view it.The build up in the final minutes of the film to that scene is masterfully accomplished by all parties.
As profound in a different sort of way is the ending of a little seen (in my experience), and perhaps underappreciated film from Bart Freundlich, called World Traveler, which starred Billy Crudup. At the end of the film, the actor who played his wife, (Francie Swift, I believe) conveyed, with simply the look on her face and the attitude of her body, what a million words could not have accomplished as her character cycled through as many emotions. I was prepared to give her the Oscar that year for that one scene, in which she says nothing. Kudos to Ms. Swift for an extraordinarily adept and deeply moving performance, proving in a brief moment that there are no small roles. The film is worth seeing just so you can get to it.
And, for honorable mention, The Coen’s powerful No Country for Old Men, and David Lynch’s moving endings to The Straight Story at one end of the spectrum, and Mulholland Drive at the other.
It was a film chiefly known for its use of a technique known as Cinerama, called The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm in 1962 (not related to the much more recent Ledger / Damon vehicle). I’m dating myself here, but as a child I thought the whole thing was incredible. I guess I can credit George Pal with the beginning of a 40 year love of film and the theater going experience.
Another vote for Cronenberg’s The Fly. The original was entertaining, and I, like others here, found the ending very creepy (what a poor descriptive term), so much so that I did not hold out much hope when the remake was announced. However, the Cronenberg film was relentlessly horrifying in its implications and in the personal places it seemed to reach, with a terrific performance by Goldblum. The ending was so stunning without necessarily being surprising (in fact, the outcome seemed inevitable) that I did not see it again until its release on DVD. It truly took the concept to a new level of horror, and I am generally not a fan of such things.
Agreed on The Irony of Fate, Dzimas and Fandorin-san. A must see, at least once, preferably on the day and night referenced in the film. Also, Kimov’s Come and See, one of the most profoundly affecting film experiences I’ve ever had.
As I’ve mentioned in other places, I think that Carruth’s Primer is a great example of what can be done with a bit of creativity and a low budget. I also have a great deal of admiration for some of Aaron Katz’s work, and in particular, Quiet City, as another example of a great film of quite another kind which was also filmed for much less than most mainstream motion pictures.
A good recent example (as a matter of fact, still in theaters) of how big budgets are often unable to save a film that is lacking from a creative standpoint is McG’s Terminator Salvation. In some ways, I was offended (which rarely, if ever happens in the films I choose to see) though perhaps I should not have been, at the writers and directors low estimation of of its audiences intelligence and desire for more than visual splendor. One might also consider Pearl Harbor, or the more recent Australia as other examples.
The only big budget films that I can think of that would actually display the breadth of creativity in keeping with the money spent are lodged firmly in earlier years. Lawrence of Arabia might be one example of what I mean. More recent examples (though somehow, not in the same class), include Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. I think that science fiction looms large in this discussion after 1975 because of the floodgates which Lucas’ Star Wars opened with regard to mainstreaming the genre, and the fact that its very nature lends itself to high expenditures. Otherwise, I might actually have avoided writing about it as I don’t think it represents, with very few exceptions, the best that film has had to offer in the last two decades. Just a personal opinion.
I don’t think you need big stars to make a good film. However, you often do if you wish to recover the cost of making big movies. On that end the industry is driven by financial returns, and their isn’t even much trepidation on the part of major studios in communicating that concern. When is the last time that you heard a film being advertised over major media as being a creative tour de force? I’m not saying that it doesn’t happen, only that it is rare. I’ve tended to accept it as the way things are, since there are always smaller films being made which satisfy.
When I say "A Perfect Film", What One Film Pops Into Your Head First? over 3 years ago
Several, perfect in their own ways:
I agree with the first poster: “Paris, Texas”… also
“Before Sunrise”
“The Station Agent”
“2 Lane Blacktop”
Shane Carruth’s “Primer”
Aaron Katz’s “Quiet City”
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favorite films? over 3 years ago
At least currently, they are
Primer
Apocalypse Now
The Godfather I
Paris, Texas
Before Sunrise
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Amelie
Vanishing Point (the original, dir. R. Sarafian)
The Fly (Conenberg’s Version)
Quiet City (dir. Aaron Katz)
Two Lane Blacktop
The Straight Story
World Traveler (dir. Bart Freundlich)
The Killer (dir. John Woo)
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most overrated oscar performances or robberies over 3 years ago
Overlooked:
Jeff Goldblum’s moving performance as Seth Brundle in Cronenberg’s “The Fly,” and Paul Newman’s Frank Galvin in “The Verdict”
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most overrated oscar performances or robberies over 3 years ago
L.A. – Never be ashamed of mentioning Goldblum in that role. I still contend that it was the outstanding work in that year, in a genre which very nearly guaranteed that he wouldn’t be recognized for it. That may also be the reason you were lambasted for the choice. A tip of the hat to you.
Tom Wilson – now that you mention it, I do indeed feel a bit better after reflecting on that competition, though I stand on my choice. Thanks.
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Films that changed how you looked at cinema over 3 years ago
Though there are those who have been very critical of it, Gus Van Sant’s “Gerry.” More than anything else, it taught me patience, and out of that patience, a willingness to begin to look at a film for things other than my usual expectations. Interestingly, I didn’t appreciate this benefit until I watched another film afterward – and realized that I wouldn’t be watching anything else in quite the same way again. I recommend putting forth the effort to sit all the way through it with focused attention (it will seem a daunting task early on). I hope it has the same effect.
I might mention two other films that have had some impact. The first is Carruth’s “Primer.” Some truly inventive, innovative filmmaking on less than a shoestring budget – and one which still has me thinking about all the possible permutations and implications of what it suggests. There are guys out there making movies for hundreds of millions of dollars who do not seem to have grasped some fundamental things about challenging their audiences to think, and how truly entertaining that can be.
Finally, I happened to see Aaron Katz’s “Quiet City” awhile back. Again, a film which renewed my faith in what was going on in the creative minds of those who were not receiving multi-millions to entertain. An insightful look into a small, perhaps to some, insignificant slice of life in which beauty, humor, subtlety, and the transcendence of mutual attraction made for a very good film. It reminded me that some stories, though as old as time, can be told again in such a way as to be both fresh and satisfying.
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Films that changed how you looked at cinema over 3 years ago
duplicate post correction
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Films that changed how you looked at cinema over 3 years ago
duplicate post correction
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Films that changed how you looked at cinema over 3 years ago
duplicate post correction – it happens because there is a significant delay between hitting the post reply button and any feedback from the site – it gives the appearance of the system being locked up – I’m not sure that much can be done about it, though.
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Guilty Pleasures over 3 years ago
Guilty as charged, I guess…
Trancers
Nemesis
Desert Saints
Excess Baggage
Retroactive
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SCIENCE-FICTION AS A GENRE - WHICH ARE THE BEST FILMS AND WHY? over 3 years ago
At the top of my list is Primer, the best science fiction I’ve seen in a long, long time. While notable for its insightful examination of how the accidental discovery of a scientific breakthrough of enormous import might occur, its disturbing consideration of the moral implications makes it great. Cronenberg’s The Fly is extraordinarily well done, with some outstanding performances. Also a personal favorite for its handling of something which I would have thought very difficult to bring to the screen in any acceptable fashion, Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
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What film scenes really make you cry? over 3 years ago
Don’t really know why, but that scene at the end of David Fincher’s “The Game” when Sean Penn steps toward his dazed and confused brother, played by Michael Douglas, and with pride in his voice, says “Ladies and gentlemen, my brother, Nicholas Van Orton.”
Also, that moment in “Field of Dreams” when Burt Lancaster’s character steps back across that line, abandoning his own dream, in order to save that little girl’s life. Priceless…
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What film scenes really make you cry? over 3 years ago
One I forgot to mention: The use of the home movie reel as the last scene in Lynne Littman’s “Testament” always has a profound effect on me, when I am able to watch it.
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stupidest things ever said in a movie over 3 years ago
Thought I might mention Rose saying to Jack on the upturned stern of the Titanic as it is about to plunge into the icy depths, taking with it some 1500 souls… “Jack, this is where we first met…”
(PS… and I’m not one of those dump on the highest grossing movie of all time type haters either…. I actually liked the rest of the film quite a bit)
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Most Traumatic or Dramatic Film Endings over 3 years ago
I’ll mention two… I found Mulholland Drive’s ending stunning, so much so that I immediately rewatched the film and was convinced that it was brilliant.
Second, I originally saw The Sixth Sense in a theater on the day of its release. Though it may seem old hat now, I must confess that then, it was the one thing that I did not see coming. It left me considerably disturbed.
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TERRIBLE OSCARS...Discuss over 3 years ago
I have to go with Mark Penny on Paul Newman’s extraordinary performance in The Verdict. Absolute robbery that year, even though the field was packed.
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Where are you from? about 3 years ago
Originated in Philadelphia, currently living in Dallas, TX
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which books are unfilmable? about 3 years ago
Apparently, Frank Herbert’s Dune, judging from the two attempts so far. I understand that another effort is in the works…. hope springs eternal.
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what's your favorite special effects movie about 3 years ago
I am in agreement with Strawdawg, that although Transformers was a pretty bad movie (almost wrote ‘film’ there), the cgi is the most flawless I have ever seen. It was almost worth the price of admission. I was shocked when The Golden Compass won over it for effects work at the awards because I think the basic idea for that kind of work in the aforementioned films is its contribution to the suspension of disbelief. In other words, if you don’t buy the effects, you won’t buy the story either.
I sometimes think that some maintain a certain affection for the earlier Star Wars films over episodes 1-3 for this reason (among the many others). The work done with motion control cameras, even with its obvious limitations, conveyed more of a sense of realism than the later cgi, even though one can’t help but watch the cgi and be amazed on some level.
Transformers took that to a new level in that it was the time that I left the theater without any sense of the difference.
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movies that shake you to the core about 3 years ago
Threads
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Memorable/Favorite Film Deaths about 3 years ago
A second to Barry Newman’s death in Vanishing Point. Also, in Eastwood’s High Plains Drifter, the last guy to down when The Stranger (Eastwood) blasts three men while getting a shave in a barbers chair. I’ve never seen a more milked death scene. Pay particular attention to his head.
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Ten Worst Movies You've Ever Seen? about 3 years ago
Honorable mentions:
Another vote for The Fantastic Four, and, in particular, Rise of the Silver Surfer (though both were oustandingly bad). Poor acting, virtually no intelligible script. Even the actors themselves looked phenomenally uncomfortable being in it.
Aeon Flux, which was on the same level for many of the same reasons. Better production values, though, and there was, at least, Charlize Theron, trying to take it seriously.
Endless Love, directed by Zeffirelli, with Brooke Shields and Martin Hewitt. It’s failures are legendary, no need to elucidate. And… for the worst film of all time (for me, anyway)…
A gem called The Slugger’s Wife, an 80’s film from Hal Ashby with Michael O’Keefe and Rebecca De Mornay. Don’t disagree until you see this mess. Unsurpassed in the history of cinema.
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MOVIES TO WATCH WHEN YOU'RE PISSED about 3 years ago
Thought I might mention a television episode. Before I rile the purists here, I’ll mention that this story was directed by William Friedkin (of The Exorcist, To Live and Die in LA, and Bug) and is considered by many to be one of, if not the finest half hours of television ever. It is an episode in one of the Twilight Zone revivals called “Nightcrawlers.” It starred Scott Paulin and James Whitmore, Jr. If you have heard of it you’ll know what I mean. If not, I recommend that you try to view it, at least once.
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Wendy and Lucy about 3 years ago
Viewed it yesterday, and thought it was very good. Michelle Williams gives an outstanding and convincing performance. On the film as a whole, minimalist, to be sure, but not at all a bad thing here. Often, the most profound emotional dilemmas are best expressed in the simplest of stories, and it takes real skill to involve the viewer to the point of feeling them. Well done.
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What is your favorite ending? almost 3 years ago
Though it’s been mentioned before, The Godfather. The completion of Michael Corleone’s terrible transformation, and the way it is communicated to the audience by the closing door does something to me every time I view it.The build up in the final minutes of the film to that scene is masterfully accomplished by all parties.
As profound in a different sort of way is the ending of a little seen (in my experience), and perhaps underappreciated film from Bart Freundlich, called World Traveler, which starred Billy Crudup. At the end of the film, the actor who played his wife, (Francie Swift, I believe) conveyed, with simply the look on her face and the attitude of her body, what a million words could not have accomplished as her character cycled through as many emotions. I was prepared to give her the Oscar that year for that one scene, in which she says nothing. Kudos to Ms. Swift for an extraordinarily adept and deeply moving performance, proving in a brief moment that there are no small roles. The film is worth seeing just so you can get to it.
And, for honorable mention, The Coen’s powerful No Country for Old Men, and David Lynch’s moving endings to The Straight Story at one end of the spectrum, and Mulholland Drive at the other.
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First Film you can remember seeing at the movies almost 3 years ago
It was a film chiefly known for its use of a technique known as Cinerama, called The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm in 1962 (not related to the much more recent Ledger / Damon vehicle). I’m dating myself here, but as a child I thought the whole thing was incredible. I guess I can credit George Pal with the beginning of a 40 year love of film and the theater going experience.
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Can we talk about "Magnolia" for a bit? almost 3 years ago
Of the three films that I have truly loved by Anderson, Magnolia is the greatest. Incidentally, Hard Eight and There Will Be Blood follow closely.
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The Shootist (Siegel, 1976) almost 3 years ago
Marvelous, and few films have a more fitting ending.
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Are there any remakes that are better than the original film? almost 3 years ago
Another vote for Cronenberg’s The Fly. The original was entertaining, and I, like others here, found the ending very creepy (what a poor descriptive term), so much so that I did not hold out much hope when the remake was announced. However, the Cronenberg film was relentlessly horrifying in its implications and in the personal places it seemed to reach, with a terrific performance by Goldblum. The ending was so stunning without necessarily being surprising (in fact, the outcome seemed inevitable) that I did not see it again until its release on DVD. It truly took the concept to a new level of horror, and I am generally not a fan of such things.
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Russian Film almost 3 years ago
Agreed on The Irony of Fate, Dzimas and Fandorin-san. A must see, at least once, preferably on the day and night referenced in the film. Also, Kimov’s Come and See, one of the most profoundly affecting film experiences I’ve ever had.
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A film's budget almost 3 years ago
As I’ve mentioned in other places, I think that Carruth’s Primer is a great example of what can be done with a bit of creativity and a low budget. I also have a great deal of admiration for some of Aaron Katz’s work, and in particular, Quiet City, as another example of a great film of quite another kind which was also filmed for much less than most mainstream motion pictures.
A good recent example (as a matter of fact, still in theaters) of how big budgets are often unable to save a film that is lacking from a creative standpoint is McG’s Terminator Salvation. In some ways, I was offended (which rarely, if ever happens in the films I choose to see) though perhaps I should not have been, at the writers and directors low estimation of of its audiences intelligence and desire for more than visual splendor. One might also consider Pearl Harbor, or the more recent Australia as other examples.
The only big budget films that I can think of that would actually display the breadth of creativity in keeping with the money spent are lodged firmly in earlier years. Lawrence of Arabia might be one example of what I mean. More recent examples (though somehow, not in the same class), include Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. I think that science fiction looms large in this discussion after 1975 because of the floodgates which Lucas’ Star Wars opened with regard to mainstreaming the genre, and the fact that its very nature lends itself to high expenditures. Otherwise, I might actually have avoided writing about it as I don’t think it represents, with very few exceptions, the best that film has had to offer in the last two decades. Just a personal opinion.
I don’t think you need big stars to make a good film. However, you often do if you wish to recover the cost of making big movies. On that end the industry is driven by financial returns, and their isn’t even much trepidation on the part of major studios in communicating that concern. When is the last time that you heard a film being advertised over major media as being a creative tour de force? I’m not saying that it doesn’t happen, only that it is rare. I’ve tended to accept it as the way things are, since there are always smaller films being made which satisfy.
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