Remakes can be underrated. The Fly, The Thing, King Kong by Peter Jackson, Herzog’s Nosferatu are all great mentions. I think THE THING in my book stands as the best of the best.
The best score is 2001: A Space Odyssey. But here’s my shocker, the best original score is Hans Zimmer’s HANNIBAL. That’s right you heard me: listen to the music on its own and it’s a pure symphony, at the very least a classically oriented mainstream masterpiece.
But obviosuly I can’t go on and not mention the scores of Psycho, A Tale of Two Sisters, Star Wars, Eyes Wide Shut, any giallo Ennio Morricone piece, Once Upon a Time in the West, Blade Runner…
No, I watch all kinds of movies, from all genres, nations, and time periods. I don’t like those that dismiss the art-house films as much as the art-house crowds that snub Hollywood. Great art has come out of blockbusters too…all types of films are okay, as long as we don’t forget the more obscure, art-house films either!
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY…a genuine masterpiece but today’s viewer is mostly too intellectually lazy, there I said it, for this film. Inside the film world though, still very much an influence.
HANNIBAL, most underrated sequel of the decade…great aesthetics by Ridley Scott—-haunting!
DOMINION: A PREQUEL TO THE EXORCIST, the version by Paul Schrader.
THE AVIATOR by Scorsese, fascinating story, no matter how disturbed Hughes was, it’s just so fascinating and glorious.
STAR WARS: REVENGE OF THE SITH, Lucas’ own version of Shakespearean stragedy.
the best work of Lucio Fulci, very underrated master of imagery.
EYES WIDE SHUT, in a way it’s good Kubrick didn’t hear all the nasty stuff…truly a meditation on all things the urban couple with kids goes through, ironically it’s based on an early 20th Century book.
Yes Casey, around me everyone hates The Aviator, friends, colleagues, except for my Dad who is a plane buff. And yes if you go on forums you’ll find much hate for THE AVIATOR and ecstatic love for the way overrated Million Dollar Baby during the Oscar race debates. So I always had the impression that people hated The Aviator.
The Piano
Frida, Titus (both by Taymor)
American Psycho
Lost in Translation
Some of the movies listed I haven’t seen and a few I’ve never heard of, so I’ll try to check them out.
Although some have yet to get to me. I’ve seen some Varda and it me leaves almost indifferent despite her storytelling abilities, and so on…others I find difficult to like such as Bigelow, Jodie Foster, Breillat, and so on…my biggest shame is that I haven’t seen any Claire Denis yet, but I plan on getting on it.
I do know that there aren’t enough women directors, anywhere.
1. The Silence of the Lambs
2. JFK
3. The Piano
4. Boogie Nights
5. Malcolm X
6. Bleu (Kieslowski)
7. Schindler’s List
8. Ringu
9. Eyes Wide Shut
10. Rouge (Kieslowski)
Seven
Husbands and Wives
The English Patient
that doesn’t mean there weren’t other movies I liked, but if I start mentioning them I might forget some…
I decided to put a pre-60’s list considering I think it is unfair if I consider I haven’t seen enough movies from the early decades to make a fair judgment (though I have probably seen all classics, especially in my film classes).
I also put personal films, films that are dear to me, never mind what the so-called critics lists say:
PRE-60’S
1. Vertigo (1958)
2. Citizen Kane (1941)
3. Gigi (1958)
4. Rear Window (1954)
5. An American in Paris (1951)
5. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
6. Rope (1948)
7. Ikiru (1952)
8. 12 Angry Men (1957)
9. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
10. Blackmail (1929)
1960’s
1. L’Avventura
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey
3. Once Upon a Time in the West
4. Psycho
5. Blow-Up
6. The Bird With the Crystal Plumage
7. Lawrence of Arabia
8. Blood and Black Lace
9. Carnival of Souls
10. Peeping Tom
honorary mention:
L’Eclisse (for some reason I just seem to love the Italians)
1970’s (my favourite decade)
1. Picnic at Hanging Rock
2. Deep Red
3. Star Wars: A New Hope
4. Barry Lyndon
5. Apocalypse Now
6. Lisa and the Devil
7. Annie Hall
8. Cries and Whispers
9. Carrie
10. The Exorcist
3 honorary mentions:
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Don’t Torture a Duckling, Nosferatu the Vampyre
80’s
1. Blade Runner
2. The Last Temptation of Christ
3. Opera (Argento)
4. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
5. Paris, Texas
6. The Vanishing
7. The Shining
8. Possession (Zulawski)
9. Crimes and Misdemeanors
10. Field of Dreams
3 honorary mentions:
The 4th Man (Verhoeven), The Beyond (Fulci), Wings of Desire
90’s
1. The Silence of the Lambs
2. JFK
3. The Piano
4. Boogie Nights
5. Malcolm X
6. Bleu (Kieslowski)
7. Schindler’s List
8. Ringu
9. Eyes Wide Shut
10. Audition (Miike)
3 honorary mentions:
Rouge (Kieslowski), The English Patient, Husbands and Wives
2000’s
1. Let the Right One In
2. A Tale of Two Sisters
3. Martyrs
4. Zodiac
5. Shutter (the original)
6. Mulholland Drive
7. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
8. A.I. Artificial Intelligence
9. May
10. The Aviator
honorary mentions:
Bug, The Eye 2, Y tu mama tambien
Any remakes that you prefer to their originals and if so why? about 3 years ago
Remakes can be underrated. The Fly, The Thing, King Kong by Peter Jackson, Herzog’s Nosferatu are all great mentions. I think THE THING in my book stands as the best of the best.
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Recent horror films of note about 3 years ago
Recent would mean 2008, as I haven’t seen anything yet from 2009.
Let the Right One In
Martyrs
REC
lesser but still very effective:
Eden Lake, The Strangers
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Last movie you saw and rate it about 3 years ago
The Wrestler
May 17, 2009 on dvd
4/5 stars
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Outstanding Original Score in any Film about 3 years ago
The best score is 2001: A Space Odyssey. But here’s my shocker, the best original score is Hans Zimmer’s HANNIBAL. That’s right you heard me: listen to the music on its own and it’s a pure symphony, at the very least a classically oriented mainstream masterpiece.
But obviosuly I can’t go on and not mention the scores of Psycho, A Tale of Two Sisters, Star Wars, Eyes Wide Shut, any giallo Ennio Morricone piece, Once Upon a Time in the West, Blade Runner…
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Our favourite paintings: the great Auteur Gallery about 3 years ago
Having studied Art History at University, five have always stood out for me:
The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli
Saturn by Francisco Goya
The Garden of Earthly Delights by Jerome Bosch
The Sistine Chapel paintings by Michelangelo
The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed in Sun (1806-1809) by William Blake
And kudos on all the great posts and interesting finds
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Our favourite paintings: the great Auteur Gallery about 3 years ago
Great “horror” painting GINO, love it
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What is Kubrick's Most Under-Appreciated Film? about 3 years ago
I agree with some: Eyes Wide Shut. But that film is making a comeback. Lately, Total Film named it the most underrated film of all-time.
Barry Lyndon is a masterpiece, but not really underrated, critics loved it. But under-appreciated by the public for sure.
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Movies That Should Be In the Criterion Collection about 3 years ago
Definitely BLOW UP and RED DESERT by Antonioni, also THE PIANO by Jane Campion. And how about MARTYRS he he (no really).
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Movies That Should Be In the Criterion Collection about 3 years ago
I have to 2001 fans, there is a superb 2-disc special edition out now, it’s enough, no need for Criterion.
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Movies That Should Be In the Criterion Collection about 3 years ago
Oh and since Let the Right One In’s edition has little features, it would be a good 2-disc edition Criterion pick.
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Top 3 Films from each of these countries... almost 3 years ago
Very personal to me, wouldn’t know how to do it otherwise:
FRANCE: Un homme et une femme, Martyrs, Les parapluies de Cherbourg
ITALY: L’Avventura, Opera, Suspiria
KOREA: A Tale of Two Sisters, Oldboy, Spider Forest
HONG KONG: The Eye 2, Abnormal Beauty, The Eye (basically seen only horror films from this country)
GERMANY: Nosferatu the Vampyre (Herzog version), Wings of Desire, Metropolis
SWEDEN: Let the Right One In, Cries and Whispers, The Seventh Seal
DENMARK: Festen (want to see Antichrist and The Element of Crime, but so far not hooked on danish films)
SPAIN: Thesis, REC, Òpen Your Eyes
You know what I find that I haven’t seen enough films from these countries, except for France…I better get to it
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Which movies would you like to see on The Auteurs? almost 3 years ago
MARTYRS
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What is your favorite ending? almost 3 years ago
2001, The Silence of the Lambs, and L’Avventura
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Do You Only Watch the Art House? almost 3 years ago
No, I watch all kinds of movies, from all genres, nations, and time periods. I don’t like those that dismiss the art-house films as much as the art-house crowds that snub Hollywood. Great art has come out of blockbusters too…all types of films are okay, as long as we don’t forget the more obscure, art-house films either!
I just love movies.
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Films you love but most people hate. almost 3 years ago
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY…a genuine masterpiece but today’s viewer is mostly too intellectually lazy, there I said it, for this film. Inside the film world though, still very much an influence.
HANNIBAL, most underrated sequel of the decade…great aesthetics by Ridley Scott—-haunting!
DOMINION: A PREQUEL TO THE EXORCIST, the version by Paul Schrader.
THE AVIATOR by Scorsese, fascinating story, no matter how disturbed Hughes was, it’s just so fascinating and glorious.
STAR WARS: REVENGE OF THE SITH, Lucas’ own version of Shakespearean stragedy.
the best work of Lucio Fulci, very underrated master of imagery.
EYES WIDE SHUT, in a way it’s good Kubrick didn’t hear all the nasty stuff…truly a meditation on all things the urban couple with kids goes through, ironically it’s based on an early 20th Century book.
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Favorite Credits in a film almost 3 years ago
Vertigo
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The Works of David Lynch, Best to Worst almost 3 years ago
Great lists…
Mine are:
Mulholland Drive
Blue Velvet
Lost Highway
the worst:
Dune, ouch…I love Lynch, but his attempt at Hollywood blockbuster isn’t his thing.
everything else is either equally good or I haven’t seen.
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The scariest or most disturbing film you have EVER seen. almost 3 years ago
There are actually many disturbing films, only I don’t get very disturbed.
I have to say though that I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE and IRREVERSIBLE truly made me uneasy.
Simply scary would have to be SHUTTER, the original, and A TALE OF TWO SISTERS…the Asians do the best creepy stuff.
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The scariest or most disturbing film you have EVER seen. almost 3 years ago
I have to say I love MARTYRS, I have great affection for that film…and it was the most disturbing film of 2008 no doubt.
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The scariest or most disturbing film you have EVER seen. almost 3 years ago
Clare McLean, nice reference to AUDITION, again an Asian horror film.
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Films you love but most people hate. almost 3 years ago
Yes Casey, around me everyone hates The Aviator, friends, colleagues, except for my Dad who is a plane buff. And yes if you go on forums you’ll find much hate for THE AVIATOR and ecstatic love for the way overrated Million Dollar Baby during the Oscar race debates. So I always had the impression that people hated The Aviator.
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The Auteurs "Sight & Sound" Poll almost 3 years ago
Great idea! I’m all for it.
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The Auteurs "Sight & Sound" Poll almost 3 years ago
Oh I see you already have the names…
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What Film Are You Most Looking Forward To In 2009? almost 3 years ago
Giallo and Antichrist in a league of their own…then everything else
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Best shot movie(s) and its cinematographer almost 3 years ago
1. L’Avventura
(Aldo Scavarda)
2. Blade Runner
(Jordan Cronenweth)
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey
(Geoffrey Unsworth)
4. Picnic at Hanging Rock
(Russell Boyd)
5. Suspiria
(Luciano Tovoli)
6. Citizen Kane
(Gregg Toland)
7. Barry Lyndon
(John Alcott)
8. Schindler’s List
(Janusz Kaminski)
9. Lawrence of Arabia
(Freddie Young)
10. Psycho
(John L. Russell)
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Best shot movie(s) and its cinematographer almost 3 years ago
I think I’ll replace Psycho with Cries and Whispers, I mean that film by Bergman was poetic beauty. So no. 10 is Cries and Whispers
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Poll of the Month, July: Favourite Films by Women almost 3 years ago
The Piano
Frida, Titus (both by Taymor)
American Psycho
Lost in Translation
Some of the movies listed I haven’t seen and a few I’ve never heard of, so I’ll try to check them out.
Although some have yet to get to me. I’ve seen some Varda and it me leaves almost indifferent despite her storytelling abilities, and so on…others I find difficult to like such as Bigelow, Jodie Foster, Breillat, and so on…my biggest shame is that I haven’t seen any Claire Denis yet, but I plan on getting on it.
I do know that there aren’t enough women directors, anywhere.
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Top 10 Films of the 90's almost 3 years ago
1. The Silence of the Lambs
2. JFK
3. The Piano
4. Boogie Nights
5. Malcolm X
6. Bleu (Kieslowski)
7. Schindler’s List
8. Ringu
9. Eyes Wide Shut
10. Rouge (Kieslowski)
Seven
Husbands and Wives
The English Patient
that doesn’t mean there weren’t other movies I liked, but if I start mentioning them I might forget some…
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FAVORITE 10 FILMS EACH DECADE almost 3 years ago
Fascinating lists
I decided to put a pre-60’s list considering I think it is unfair if I consider I haven’t seen enough movies from the early decades to make a fair judgment (though I have probably seen all classics, especially in my film classes).
I also put personal films, films that are dear to me, never mind what the so-called critics lists say:
PRE-60’S
1. Vertigo (1958)
2. Citizen Kane (1941)
3. Gigi (1958)
4. Rear Window (1954)
5. An American in Paris (1951)
5. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
6. Rope (1948)
7. Ikiru (1952)
8. 12 Angry Men (1957)
9. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
10. Blackmail (1929)
1960’s
1. L’Avventura
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey
3. Once Upon a Time in the West
4. Psycho
5. Blow-Up
6. The Bird With the Crystal Plumage
7. Lawrence of Arabia
8. Blood and Black Lace
9. Carnival of Souls
10. Peeping Tom
honorary mention:
L’Eclisse (for some reason I just seem to love the Italians)
1970’s (my favourite decade)
1. Picnic at Hanging Rock
2. Deep Red
3. Star Wars: A New Hope
4. Barry Lyndon
5. Apocalypse Now
6. Lisa and the Devil
7. Annie Hall
8. Cries and Whispers
9. Carrie
10. The Exorcist
3 honorary mentions:
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Don’t Torture a Duckling, Nosferatu the Vampyre
80’s
1. Blade Runner
2. The Last Temptation of Christ
3. Opera (Argento)
4. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
5. Paris, Texas
6. The Vanishing
7. The Shining
8. Possession (Zulawski)
9. Crimes and Misdemeanors
10. Field of Dreams
3 honorary mentions:
The 4th Man (Verhoeven), The Beyond (Fulci), Wings of Desire
90’s
1. The Silence of the Lambs
2. JFK
3. The Piano
4. Boogie Nights
5. Malcolm X
6. Bleu (Kieslowski)
7. Schindler’s List
8. Ringu
9. Eyes Wide Shut
10. Audition (Miike)
3 honorary mentions:
Rouge (Kieslowski), The English Patient, Husbands and Wives
2000’s
1. Let the Right One In
2. A Tale of Two Sisters
3. Martyrs
4. Zodiac
5. Shutter (the original)
6. Mulholland Drive
7. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
8. A.I. Artificial Intelligence
9. May
10. The Aviator
honorary mentions:
Bug, The Eye 2, Y tu mama tambien
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Should anyone who watches TRUE BLOOD be condemned to death? almost 3 years ago
Second best, Dexter is number one.
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