|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Jul 7, 2019 18:21:29 GMT
Took a bit longer on this one while I waited to see For a Few Dollars More on the big screen (will be seeing The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly for the first time(!!!) next weekend) as well as finished John le Carré's first three Smiley books (including The Spy Who Came In from the Cold), but overall this is by far the weakest year of the decade. Perhaps in over a decade or two. I like a majority of the movies well enough, but I have issues with just about all of them and don't rank any higher than an 8/10. Pretty disappointing considering how excited I was for a great deal of them (especially Zhivago, Kwaidan, and The Sound of Music, though obviously the former paid off much more even if it's certainly no Lawrence of Arabia part 2 like I was hoping it might be).
I'd say the biggest disappointment was Kwaidan. Considering Kobayashi may be my favorite filmmaker of the 1960s thus far, I was really hoping his most talked about film (and first horror/color film) would be the best of the bunch. Sadly, that political subtext was sorely missing as is present in all of his films and I felt the horror wasn't scary enough. Though the drama wasn't strong enough to be drama either. The best genre I could associate with this is fantasy if only because it comes across as a fairy-tale, but I wasn't particularly engaged with any of the four stories. Very disappointed, but Kobayashi still comes through and gives a very unique spin on it all and is pretty much the reason I still place it where I do. It's his movie all the way, even if the script is incredibly dull.
Biggest surprise for me was definitely A Patch of Blue, though. I went in just expecting to remember a strong performance or two, but was amazed by, first, how INCREDIBLE Jerry Goldsmith's score is. Absolutely mind-blowing that this was one of his first scores as it may just be my second favorite of his after Chinatown and is quite easily his most mature that I've heard - and that's saying a lot with how damn good his work is. Can't stop listening to it. Takes the Elmer Bernstein approach on To Kill a Mockingbird and imbues it with so much more emotion (as if that was possible). Additionally, the black-and-white cinematography from Hitchcock favorite Robert Burks is absolutely lovely - nothing flashy at all and certainly not to distract from the simple human drama at the center - but it just adds so much beauty to everything. Then, as if that wasn't enough, the acting is incredibly strong all around, the script really moving, and direction just perfect for this type of drama. Huge surprise for me and can only see it moving up further on my list down the line.
Overall, though, not a ton to write home about for this year. The War Game is an incredible docudrama that I feel everyone should see. Perfectly captures that spirit of paranoia and fear of nuclear war by just giving it to you straight - even if it's gruesome. Very curious to see more of Watkins' work in the future. Thunderball might actually be my favorite Bond so far (though it's close with From Russia with Love) and that's shocking considering I've not a heard a soul talk about it before. Other than that, some good films, but nothing to wow me. Maybe a revisit on a couple of them down the line could change my mind, though.
Best Picture:
01. Doctor Zhivago.
02. The Spy Who Came In from the Cold.
03. For a Few Dollars More.
04. The War Game.
05. A Patch of Blue.
06. Thunderball.
07. Chimes at Midnight.
08. Repulsion.
09. Alphaville.
10. The Sound of Music.
-----------------
11. Kwaidan.
12. The Hill.
13. Red Beard.
14. The Pawnbroker.
15. The Collector.
16. Le Bonheur.
17. The Cincinnati Kid.
18. The Flight of the Phoenix.
19. The Shop on Main Street.
20. Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
21. Help!
22. Pierrot le Fou.
Best Director:
01. Peter Watkins - The War Game.
02. Sergio Leone - For a Few Dollars More.
03. David Lean - Doctor Zhivago.
04. Jean-Luc Godard - Alphaville.
05. Roman Polanski - Repulsion.
Best Actor:
01. Richard Burton - The Spy Who Came In from the Cold.
02. Rod Steiger - The Pawnbroker.
03. Orson Welles - Chimes at Midnight.
04. Lee Van Cleef - For a Few Dollars More.
05. Sidney Poitier - A Patch of Blue.
Best Actress:
01. Catherine Deneuve - Repulsion.
02. Elizabeth Hartman - A Patch of Blue.
03. Julie Andrews - The Sound of Music.
04. Samantha Eggar - The Collector.
05. Anna Karina - Pierrot le Fou.
Best Supporting Actor:
01. Edward G. Robinson - The Cincinnati Kid.
02. Ian Hendry - The Hill.
03. Harry Andrews - The Hill.
04. Richard Attenborough - The Flight of the Phoenix.
05. Toshirô Mifune - Red Beard.
Best Supporting Actress:
01. Akemi Negishi - Red Beard.
02. Shelley Winters - A Patch of Blue.
03. Terumi Niki - Red Beard.
04. Ida Kaminska - The Shop on Main Street.
05. Kyôko Kagawa - Red Beard.
Best Original Screenplay:
01. For a Few Dollars More.
02. Repulsion.
03. Alphaville.
04. The War Game.
05. The Shop on Main Street.
Best Adapted Screenplay:
01. Red Beard.
02. A Patch of Blue.
03. The Spy Who Came In from the Cold.
04. The Hill.
05. The Pawnbroker.
Best Ensemble:
01. Red Beard.
02. The Hill.
03. The Flight of the Phoenix.
04. A Patch of Blue.
05. The Cincinnati Kid.
Best Editing:
Doctor Zhivago.
Best Cinematography:
Doctor Zhivago.
Best Art Direction:
Kwaidan.
Best Costume Design:
Kwaidan.
Best Makeup:
Kwaidan.
Best Visual Effects:
Thunderball.
Best Sound Design:
Thunderball.
Best Original Score:
Jerry Goldsmith - A Patch of Blue.
Best Original Song:
"Thunderball" - Thunderball.
Best Choreography:
Thunderball.
Onto 1966! I've worked ahead a bit since I had nothing else to watch while I waited to check out those last two films on the year, but so far I'm feeling a 1965 2.0 vibe. I saw War & Peace on the big screen about a month ago and that one has stuck with me, and I've also really enjoyed Blow-Up (my favorite Antonioni so far), but other than that not blown away by what I've seen. Particularly disliked Au Hasard Balthazar which was a HUGE disappointment for me (and honestly Bresson's filmography as a whole has been a disappointment IMO, so not even sure I'll check out Mouchette for '67 or L'Argent in '83 which I was looking forward to).
Would love to hear any and all recommendations that could potentially elevate the year for me, though!
|
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Jul 7, 2019 18:35:15 GMT
VicedI have Stamp at #6, and I really liked him, but at times he was just a bit too... stone-faced for me. Like, a little too bland at times. Though maybe that was the point. Eggar was the highlight of that film for me. But yeah, that may be my favorite Robinson performance - which is saying a lot with his filmography. Just a perfect culmination of everything great about his work in one performance. The intensity from that final card game was all because of him. Thanks for the recs! I haven't seen a Melville since La Silence de la Mer and been looking forward to his 70s work so maybe I'll check this one out in the meantime (it was mostly the runtime that made me hesitant as I've seen enough films over 2-and-a-half hours lately lol). Oh, I did see Fortune Cookie and considering I've felt Wilder was starting to lose his touch, this was super refreshing for me. I loved the script, and Matthau was definitely the MVP - didn't know he could be soooooo good. Made Lemmon feel like a second-tier actor/comedian, which is hard to do.
|
|
|
|
Post by therealcomicman117 on Jul 7, 2019 18:45:09 GMT
A Patch of Blue is excellent. I'm glad to you signaled out Goldsmith's score, it's actually a lot more sensitive then many of his harsher works from that time, which makes it extra great.
Onto 1966:
Andrei Rublev
Batman: The Movie - Great fun!
Closely Watched Trains
How to Steal A Million
Seconds - Rock Hudson's best performance. A great look at chilling & desperate tale.
The Battle of Algiers
The Blue Max
The Face of Another
The Professionals - One of those solid 60s westerns with a great cast, and some superb writing. Highly recommend.
The Russians Are Coming - Back when they still made epic comedies. It's a lot of fun too, Alan Arkin in particular is a hoot.
Tokyo Drifter
|
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Jul 7, 2019 18:48:04 GMT
A Patch of Blue is excellent. I'm glad to you signaled out Goldsmith's score, it's actually a lot more sensitive then many of his harsher works from that time, which makes it extra great. Onto 1966: Andrei Rublev Batman: The Movie - Great fun! Closely Watched Trains How to Steal A Million Seconds - Rock Hudson's best performance. A great look at chilling & desperate tale. The Battle of Algiers The Blue Max The Face of Another The Professionals - One of those solid 60s westerns with a great cast, and some superb writing. Highly recommend. The Russians Are Coming - Back when they still made epic comedies. It's a lot of fun too, Alan Arkin in particular is a hoot. Tokyo Drifter Oh my, I agree on Goldsmith's score. I just can't stop thinking about how good it is. More sensitive as you say, for sure. Just amazing to think the guy who wrote the score for Alien and The Omen is the same guy who made this. Brilliant. Thanks for the recommendations! I really want to see Batman, but shouldn't I watch the show first? I know they made a season or two prior to the movie in hopes the movie would garner them more popularity. |
|
|
|
Post by therealcomicman117 on Jul 7, 2019 18:54:21 GMT
A Patch of Blue is excellent. I'm glad to you signaled out Goldsmith's score, it's actually a lot more sensitive then many of his harsher works from that time, which makes it extra great. Onto 1966: Andrei Rublev Batman: The Movie - Great fun! Closely Watched Trains How to Steal A Million Seconds - Rock Hudson's best performance. A great look at chilling & desperate tale. The Battle of Algiers The Blue Max The Face of Another The Professionals - One of those solid 60s westerns with a great cast, and some superb writing. Highly recommend. The Russians Are Coming - Back when they still made epic comedies. It's a lot of fun too, Alan Arkin in particular is a hoot. Tokyo Drifter Oh my, I agree on Goldsmith's score. I just can't stop thinking about how good it is. More sensitive as you say, for sure. Just amazing to think the guy who wrote the score for Alien and The Omen is the same guy who made this. Brilliant. Thanks for the recommendations! I really want to see Batman, but shouldn't I watch the show first? I know they made a season or two prior to the movie in hopes the movie would garner them more popularity. I would say no, but you certainly could watch an episode or two if you wanted to get an idea of the show's tone. The series isn't heavy on continuity, and if you already have a passing knowledge about Batman's classic rogue gallery, then I doubt you'd be confused. I actually watched the Batman movie first, before I saw the TV show. In part because licensing issues meant that the 66 Series took forever to get a proper release, and because the movie was owned by a different company (Fox in this case). They actually made it largely because producer William Dozier, wanted a big-screen film to generate interest in the series, and have be released the summer after the series had premiere. |
|
|
|
Post by pacinoyes on Jul 7, 2019 20:34:22 GMT
In '66 Seconds is an all-time favorite and I would argue that the 70s really started with that film - masterpiece.
Man For All Seasons actually says more about our political world now - marvelous film
Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf - is an acting tour de force by Burton - nowadays some people find it stagy but not me.
Persona - Great but slightly overrated Bergman on the other hand........it's great Bergman anyway.
Blow-Up, Andrei Rublev, Cul De Sac
|
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Jul 7, 2019 21:05:40 GMT
I would say no, but you certainly could watch an episode or two if you wanted to get an idea of the show's tone. The series isn't heavy on continuity, and if you already have a passing knowledge about Batman's classic rogue gallery, then I doubt you'd be confused. I actually watched the Batman movie first, before I saw the TV show. In part because licensing issues meant that the 66 Series took forever to get a proper release, and because the movie was owned by a different company (Fox in this case). They actually made it largely because producer William Dozier, wanted a big-screen film to generate interest in the series, and have be released the summer after the series had premiere. Ohhh, yeah that's what I meant by the film generating more interest in the show. But alright then, I may give it a go! I've been wanting to check out the show for a while too. I'm sure it's not *great*, but I'm just hoping it's fun. Thanks for the lowdown! |
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Jul 7, 2019 21:08:41 GMT
pacinoyesThanks! I think those are the exact essentials I had down on my list to seek out, so good to hear. I've seen Seconds already so far and I really enjoyed that one as well. I feel like the '70s began with Lumet's output (particularly The Pawnbroker) or maybe even Frankenheimer's Manchurian Candidate itself, but I definitely feel like Seconds had to have been a gigantic influence on a great number of movies from that decade (all the way down to the '00s even with Charlie Kaufman's work).
|
|
|
|
Post by Mattsby on Jul 8, 2019 2:35:48 GMT
My Top 5 for '66 are The Good the Bad the Ugly, Cul-de-sac, Blow Up, Seconds, and Andrei Rublev which has 'the bellmaker' section in the last third which I consider maybe my all time favorite 30ish-minute stretch in cinema history.
I'll also second How To Steal A Million which hums with delight, it's a complete tonal contrast to Wyler's previous The Collector.
and The Big Gundown - underrated memorable Western, among Lee Van Cleef's best, with a sharp political angle and quirk in the margins.
Not mentioned yet -
You're a Big Boy Now - early Coppola with an amusing loony comic-strip vibe, great supp cast makes up for dim lead
Young Torless - parallels fascism with boarding school sadism, not an easy watch but pivotal early German New Wave
Kill Baby Kill - haven't seen much from Bava but worth seeing for the horrifying and painterly visuals alone
Torn Curtain - I know you're a big Hitch fan. This maybe his most hated I think is a totally solid movie, charged by Hitch's formal finesse, the clarity of its three act structure and POV switching, and the visuals - gauzy close ups, matte trickery, the European locale. The middle section especially is one intoxicating set-piece after another. And it has at least one vivid perf by the actor who plays Gromek. Suffers from plausibility and a slight ending that you'd imagine just a few years later would be appropriately darker.
|
|
|
|
Post by themoviesinner on Jul 8, 2019 7:24:00 GMT
Sad to see that 1965 was quite a disappointing film year for you. I think it is quite stellar. Glad you enjoyed one of the two Godard films somewhat though.
As for 1966, I consider it the best year of the 60s and one of the best of all time for cinema. So many great films to list from this year and most of them are quite obscure and little known. As for Au Hasard Balthazar, it's among my favourite films from this year, but I can understand why someone would dislike it. It's calculated and alienating nature can be off-putting, but that is Bresson's style and I think it works to the films favour.
Here's my top 10 of 1966:
1. The Round-Up (If there's one film you should definitely watch from this year, it's this one. One of Miklos Jancso's masterpieces.)
2. Pharaoh (This blows most Hollywood epics out of the water.)
3. The Nun
4. Blood On The Land (Of the five Greek films nominated for a foreign language oscar, this is definitely the best one.)
5. Au Hasard Balthazar
6. Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?
7. Persona
8. The Face Of Another
9. Woman Of The Lake
10. Trans-Europ-Express
|
|
|
|
Post by JangoB on Jul 8, 2019 13:06:34 GMT
Yay to all that praise for A Patch of Blue!
Some 1966 recommendations that haven't been mentioned:
Godard's Masculin Féminin is kind of delightful.
Wings by Larisa Shepitko is a very moving, human story with a wonderful central performance.
Grand Prix features some of the greatest racing sequences in cinema history. Sure, there's a lot of silly character storylines around them but I think it's worth seeing nonetheless. The 70mm footage is spectacular.
Born Free is quite a charmer - great location photography, tons of lions being lions, excellent John Barry score.
|
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Jul 8, 2019 17:21:28 GMT
My Top 5 for '66 are The Good the Bad the Ugly, Cul-de-sac, Blow Up, Seconds, and Andrei Rublev which has 'the bellmaker' section in the last third which I consider maybe my all time favorite 30ish-minute stretch in cinema history. I'll also second How To Steal A Million which hums with delight, it's a complete tonal contrast to Wyler's previous The Collector. and The Big Gundown - underrated memorable Western, among Lee Van Cleef's best, with a sharp political angle and quirk in the margins. Not mentioned yet - You're a Big Boy Now - early Coppola with an amusing loony comic-strip vibe, great supp cast makes up for dim lead Young Torless - parallels fascism with boarding school sadism, not an easy watch but pivotal early German New Wave Kill Baby Kill - haven't seen much from Bava but worth seeing for the horrifying and painterly visuals alone Torn Curtain - I know you're a big Hitch fan. This maybe his most hated I think is a totally solid movie, charged by Hitch's formal finesse, the clarity of its three act structure and POV switching, and the visuals - gauzy close ups, matte trickery, the European locale. The middle section especially is one intoxicating set-piece after another. And it has at least one vivid perf by the actor who plays Gromek. Suffers from plausibility and a slight ending that you'd imagine just a few years later would be appropriately darker. Usually you have some hidden gems as your top films each year, so that says a lot about the quality of mainstream cinema this year to see that top five of yours. I saw Andrei Rublev actually RIGHT before I decided to do this whole 1920s-on journey because I planned to watch the entire filmography of directors beginning to end, but gave up before I got to Solaris so that I could just do it as I went along and catch films I would have waited forever to see had I not done this. I remember being disappointed in Rublev, only slightly (more of a personal issue I suppose and maybe this new re-watch will mend things), but I always loved those final thirty minutes as well. At the time I thought Nikolay Burlyaev gave one of the greatest child performances in Ivan's Childhood and then he further proved me right with his role here. Just floored by his acting. Curious to see if it holds up for me, and maybe this time I'll even enjoy the rest of the film. Also have caught How to Steal a Million (just last night actually) and Torn Curtain already and both are solid 7/10s for me. Both entertaining in their own ways, but both lacking any real depth with its characters. Torn Curtain particularly felt like Newman and Andrews just coasting the whole way with very little chemistry, and you can tell Hitchcock wasn't really in it for a lot of the film (a good half-hour could have been shaved off too - as good as Lila Kedrova was, her little part could have been cut entirely and still gotten the plot across). That being said, that middle section as you said is very entertaining. The entire sequence from where Newman leaves the hotel, goes to the museum, then to the farm and confronts Gromek is maybe some of Hitch's best work. Wolfgang Kieling (aka Gromek) was about the only performance I enjoyed too, so it really helped that scene. Thanks for the recs though! Between you and Viced, I may just give Big Gundown a go. I was going to hold off as I already have two westerns on my belt ( The Good... and Django), but with the praise for this one, I might just have to. |
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Jul 8, 2019 17:36:14 GMT
Sad to see that 1965 was quite a disappointing film year for you. I think it is quite stellar. Glad you enjoyed one of the two Godard films somewhat though. As for 1966, I consider it the best year of the 60s and one of the best of all time for cinema. So many great films to list from this year and most of them are quite obscure and little known. As for Au Hasard Balthazar, it's among my favourite films from this year, but I can understand why someone would dislike it. It's calculated and alienating nature can be off-putting, but that is Bresson's style and I think it works to the films favour. Here's my top 10 of 1966: 1. The Round-Up (If there's one film you should definitely watch from this year, it's this one. One of Miklos Jancso's masterpieces.) 2. Pharaoh (This blows most Hollywood epics out of the water.) 3. The Nun 4. Blood On The Land (Of the five Greek films nominated for a foreign language oscar, this is definitely the best one.) 5. Au Hasard Balthazar 6. Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? 7. Persona 8. The Face Of Another 9. Woman Of The Lake 10. Trans-Europ-Express Perhaps there are better films that might have wowed me for '65 that I just didn't check out (could go for all years really), but it was mainly just the fact that none were higher than an 8/10 for me (which I'm a very forgiving rater) that was disappointing. Despite Alphaville being so low, I actually really enjoyed it. Of course, with Godard there are always going to be issues I have with it as I just don't think I enjoy his style, but this may be my favorite of his works. I absolutely loved the sort of nihilist universe he created and even though he was probably just using various parts of France for location, the way he directed it I truly felt like it was another planet. Hence why he makes my top five for Director. Just brilliant stuff there - just always wish his scripts were better. My issue with the last three Bresson films I've watched (this, Pickpocket, and A Man Escaped, though the latter I actually enjoyed despite these issues) are that he employs VERY amateur actors to do hefty emotional work that they just can't convincingly do and it takes me out of the movie every time they speak lol. It's such a shame too because he has the clout to hire at least some small-time actors, but it seems he doesn't like to go that route. Plus I noticed in both this film and Pickpocket, the actors (while in close-up) look at the ground in between their lines as if the cue cards were right on the floor beneath them. So about 95% of each film I'm just checking the time because the cardinal rule of film - that suspension of disbelief - never washes over me. The saddest thing about all of this is that I actually enjoy Bresson's style too and could see myself really enjoying his films if his actors could ever be believable enough (which in A Man Escaped the lead actually was, but it also didn't call for him to feel much more than a need to escape from prison). Sorry for the Bresson rant there lol! Thanks of course for the recommendations as always. I actually believe I had Round-Up in my list and just took it off, but perhaps I'll have to add it back. I did see Pharaoh won the "Most Underrated" poll here and that's been on my list, but wasn't sure what to expect. Have you seen Bodnarchuk's War & Peace? I think you'd enjoy it. It does have a demanding run-time (over seven hours), but it's also split into four chapters so you can view it as a mini-series if you wanted. I, of course, am a glutton for punishment and chose to see it on the big screen as an all-day event and it was not disappointing in the slightest to do so. Very beautiful cinematography, a massive scope (maybe the most extras for a film I've ever seen), strong performances all around, and a lovely score. It's truly the most epic epic I've ever seen, even if there are some flaws here and there. Very well worth the time IMO. |
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Jul 8, 2019 17:40:51 GMT
Yay to all that praise for A Patch of Blue! Some 1966 recommendations that haven't been mentioned: Godard's Masculin Féminin is kind of delightful. Wings by Larisa Shepitko is a very moving, human story with a wonderful central performance. Grand Prix features some of the greatest racing sequences in cinema history. Sure, there's a lot of silly character storylines around them but I think it's worth seeing nonetheless. The 70mm footage is spectacular. Born Free is quite a charmer - great location photography, tons of lions being lions, excellent John Barry score. Yes! Honestly, the more I think about A Patch of Blue, the more I really enjoy it. Thanks for the recommendations! I may actually be done with Godard for the time being as I've found more of his work to be a bit of a chore and want to save room for other works, but will be sure to catch that one down the line! Funny, I saw Wings on the Criterion Channel and I was really intrigued - and I was hoping how you described it would be exactly what it is. May give that one a go if there's room. They're actually showing Grand Prix on the big screen near me exactly a month from now and I definitely want to check it out. Hearing how great the 70mm footage is makes me even more excited to wait and see it there. I'm very sure (though I could be confusing it with Les Mans) that this is my dad's favorite movie, so that's another reason to see it at last. Also curious to see Toshiro Mifune in an (I assume) English-language role. |
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Jul 8, 2019 18:22:06 GMT
By the way, has anyone here seen What's Up, Tiger Lily? I'm curious to start checking out Allen's filmography, but unsure whether this first one is worth the time or not. It seems like it could be really funny, but could also be a huge waste of time. Curious to hear opinions of anyone who's checked it out.
|
|
|
|
Post by JangoB on Jul 8, 2019 18:42:03 GMT
By the way, has anyone here seen What's Up, Tiger Lily? I'm curious to start checking out Allen's filmography, but unsure whether this first one is worth the time or not. It seems like it could be really funny, but could also be a huge waste of time. Curious to hear opinions of anyone who's checked it out. I thought it was garbage. It's really not worth your time. I mean, I don't even get why this is credited as his debut because it's literally just a comedic (unfunny) redub of a pre-existing movie. Definitely skip this one unless you want to be a true Allen completist. |
|
|
|
Post by themoviesinner on Jul 9, 2019 6:29:18 GMT
idioticbunny Bresson is infamous for his take on acting. He thought most of the acting in other films was too theatrical and not suited for cinema, so he encouraged his actors not to put any thought on their performance and do just the minimum required. He actually didn't consider them as actors, but more as models, and thought that they shouldn't overshadow the director's work. As for War And Piece, I haven't seen it, but I own it on Dvd. I'll try to watch it during my summer holiday. It definitely looks like something I'll enjoy quite a bit.
|
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Jul 9, 2019 16:51:01 GMT
themoviesinnerVery interesting approach. I figured he was just employing the cheapest actors for his budget hence why I never recognize any of the people in his films (save Angels of Sin) and they always give the most wooden performances. Yeah, I suppose he's just not my cup of tea then. Such a shame because his eye for visual storytelling is fantastic. Well I'll be very excited to hear your thoughts when you get around to checking it out!
|
|
|
|
Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Jul 9, 2019 17:31:28 GMT
Biggest surprise for me was definitely A Patch of Blue, though. I went in just expecting to remember a strong performance or two, but was amazed by, first, how INCREDIBLE Jerry Goldsmith's score is. Isn't it gorgeous?! I remember being totally caught off guard by it too. Such a haunting melody. Best Supporting Actor:01. Edward G. Robinson - The Cincinnati Kid. 02. Ian Hendry - The Hill. 03. Harry Andrews - The Hill. 04. Richard Attenborough - The Flight of the Phoenix.05. Toshirô Mifune - Red Beard. Atrenborough is great but you left out Hardy Krüger  Also can we please agree that it's ridiculous how Bannen was nominated for this? He has like three scenes and doesn't stand out in any of them. Please let it not just be me who feels that way. anyways, on to the recs. Not sure what you've seen from 1966 (apart from Blowup, which really is amazing), but here's what I got: The Battle of Algiers (this must be the greatest political docudrama ever made) Persona (one of Bergman's best) A Man for All Seasons (60s medieval costume dramas are divisive but I found this one thoroughly involving and Scofield is on fire) The Sand Pebbles (a wonderful tragic epic) The Face of Another (incredible cinematography and supporting performances anchor a fascinating sci-fi concept) Trans-Europ-Express (sort of a French New Wave satire if I'm reading it correctly...an odd and playful film) The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Comingnot as crazy about but they're also worth checking out: This Property Is Condemned (watch it for Natalie Wood, stay for Mary Badham and Kate Reid) Closely Watched TrainsMasculin FémininI want to elaborate on Russians Are Coming because it doesn't have the best reputation but IMO it's a thoroughly enjoyable farcical romp poking fun at the red scare. Dr. Strangelove-lite if you will. Alan Arkin got an Oscar nomination for his performance as a Russian agent and it was 100% deserved. He was absolutely hilarious. Also hilarious was Brian Keith as the sheriff and one person in a town of Commie-hating crazies who hasn't lost his mind. He's got at least one terrific monologue and a whole slew of one-liners. The ending leaves something to be desired, but overall the film is a lot of fun and deserves a better reputation. At the very least it deserves to be seen for the performances. |
|
|
|
Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Jul 9, 2019 17:35:33 GMT
Thanks for the recommendations! I may actually be done with Godard for the time being as I've found more of his work to be a bit of a chore and want to save room for other works, but will be sure to catch that one down the line! I hear that, but it's not gonna stop me from recommending Weekend and La Chinoise when you get to '67  |
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Jul 9, 2019 17:50:39 GMT
Tommen_Saperstein Yes! I will be very surprised if Goldsmith doesn't make my decade line-up for Score with it. It's like Friedhofer's Best Years of Our Lives score that was my #1 for the '40s. It's simple and made for a simple film, but it's beauty just has this lasting power that both haunts and moves you. Never fear because I actually consider my big eight line-ups to reach to 10, I only show 5 in these threads for convenience and brevity (and also because it makes the lead line-ups look barren when I only see a certain number of films per year), and Kruger is actually my #6 or 7 on the year. Was shocked to learn of his backstory too and feel like it had to contribute in some way to his performance. I absolutely agree on Bannen. What's even worse is that he was actually good in The Hill from that same year and if he should have won for anything it should have been that. But even that film had about five other performances better than him too! It's pretty baffling that he won and you have to think that either the times were very different then or the politics were just as ridiculous (maybe even both). Thanks for the in-depth recs per usual! I actually watched Algiers many years ago in college and loved it, so I'm curious to see how it holds up for me. At the time I wasn't as well-versed in films older than the '60s, so the violence captured in it just felt normal to me, but I feel with what I've seen leading up to this film, it's gonna be shocking compared to what came before it. Funny, I just took Russians off of my list because I'm having a difficult enough time narrowing down my last few options, but then you come along and give it a special shout-out  well, back to the maybe list it goes! As for Godard, Weekend might be the last one I watch, if only because it's his last kind of well-known work for me to check out. But it depends on how my '67 looks because it's already stacked sky-high (to be honest the last three years of this decade were my favorite even before starting this and there's even more good stuff to check out that I haven't yet).
|
|
|
|
Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Jul 9, 2019 18:41:05 GMT
Tommen_Saperstein Never fear because I actually consider my big eight line-ups to reach to 10, I only show 5 in these threads for convenience and brevity (and also because it makes the lead line-ups look barren when I only see a certain number of films per year), and Kruger is actually my #6 or 7 on the year. Was shocked to learn of his backstory too and feel like it had to contribute in some way to his performance. I absolutely agree on Bannen. ahh that's good to hear. Yeah Bannen is definitely a talented guy (he's brilliantly grotesque and slimy in Sidney's Lumet's The Offence). Still need to get around to The Hill but I will at some point. I've wanted to see it for a long time. It isn't that he's bad in Phoenix it's just that he has practically nothing to do when compared to his showier counterparts, most notably Kruger (and Attenborough too but IMO he's co-lead with Stewart). Agree that the snubbing probably had something to do with the perfect storm of his political past combined with the fact that he had just turned down a Globe nomination for Phoenix. He clearly didn't care either way but still what a marvelous performance. |
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Jul 10, 2019 17:08:17 GMT
ahh that's good to hear. Yeah Bannen is definitely a talented guy (he's brilliantly grotesque and slimy in Sidney's Lumet's The Offence). Still need to get around to The Hill but I will at some point. I've wanted to see it for a long time. It isn't that he's bad in Phoenix it's just that he has practically nothing to do when compared to his showier counterparts, most notably Kruger (and Attenborough too but IMO he's co-lead with Stewart). Agree that the snubbing probably had something to do with the perfect storm of his political past combined with the fact that he had just turned down a Globe nomination for Phoenix. He clearly didn't care either way but still what a marvelous performance. I'm definitely excited to check out The Offence later for sure, definitely a top Lumet for me to watch. Bannen definitely seems talented, but yeah his role in Phoenix is such a nothing role. Maybe because he was the "comic relief" but I didn't even find him that funny lol. Attenborough could be argued co-lead for sure, but I felt like Stewart was the sole lead since Attenborough is only ever around to council him (though it comes damn close to an ensemble at times). Yeah I noticed the Globes got it right in nominating Kruger, but didn't realize he rejected it. That definitely played a part then, but hey... we remember! Also definitely check out The Hill. It's not the best Lumet's been, but it's a fantastic powerhouse of acting and directing where it just gets more and more claustrophobic, paranoid, and frustrating - in a good way. |
|
Also can we please agree that it's ridiculous how Bannen was nominated for this? He has like three scenes and doesn't stand out in any of them. Please let it not just be me who feels that way.
well, back to the maybe list it goes!