|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Apr 27, 2020 4:19:01 GMT
A bit of a delay with this one as my girlfriend and I have tried to coordinate our daily routines with my watching some movies she definitely wouldn't want to watch, so took a bit longer but finally finished the year!
A pretty solid year across the board. Not a ton of passion here, but certainly some pleasant surprises and got to check off quite a few long-awaited films off my list (like Paper Moon, Don't Look Now, Fantastic Planet, Scenes from a Marriage to name a few).
One big note: The Long Goodbye. Now THIS is the Altman I've been waiting for. If I had listened to the heaps of praise before and watched this, I might have understood. Shame it took one real stinker (MASH) and one somewhat decent one (McCabe) before finally getting the love with The Long Goodbye. Of course, now I hope it's not just a fluke and there are others of his I'll like, but for now I'll settle with this one. Strange, too, because I really didn't understand the hype for Inherent Vice and felt it was a pretty meh film, yet somehow I really loved The Long Goodbye and they're incredibly similar in tone and content. Maybe Inherent Vice needs a re-watch after all. Also strange considering Under the Silver Lake is A LOT like The Long Goodbye, which has many fans, and yet I'm in the very small minority that really loves that film. *shrug*
Anyway, pretty stellar top of my list here. Who knew that at the start of the decade Bogdanovich of all directors would take my BP slot three years in a row. I certainly have always loved The Last Picture Show, it's in my top ten of all-time after all, but had no idea what to expect from What's Up Doc or Paper Moon and managed to fall in love with both. Gives Hitch's famous trio of consecutive films (Vertigo, North by Northwest, and Psycho) a run for its money.
For being my first foray into early De Palma, Sisters was pretty damn good. It very blatantly rips off Hitchcock (then again even Hitch ripped off Hitch every now and then), but it's still so damn effective as a thriller with some stellar acting (mainly from Jennifer Salt who blew me away so unexpectedly) that I kind of dug it. It's exactly the type of Hitchcock film I've been wanting from him for a while. Can't wait to see the rest of De Palma's '70s/'80s output now.
Other highlights: Definitely Day for Night which gives stiff competition to The 400 Blows as my favorite Truffaut film. Very different breeds of film, but Day for Night was just so much fun. A love letter to cinema in the most entertaining way possible. Serpico also grew on me. Always considered it lesser Lumet, but really dug it this time around. Anchored by a damn good performance from Pacino that I thought would easily put him as my win again, but then Lemmon had to come out of the gate with one of his best. Really digging Peter Yates between Bullitt and Eddie Coyle and would love to seek out more films of his like that. Also considering I didn't enjoy El Topo that much, I was surprised how much I really liked The Holy Mountain. Bumped it down a full rating though due to the animal cruelty which I'm just not cool with (it's different when it's a filming of a cultural ritual like Apocalypse Now - however true that is - but not here. Also a big reason why I didn't like Pink Flamingos as well). Also possibly my favorite Fellini here (tied with 8 1/2 I think) with Amarcord. Not as intimate as I wanted, but still full of nostalgia and wit.
The Sting was probably the only disappointment for me. Having waited so many years to see it, I suppose my expectations were just really high, but it wasn't quite as twisty and entertaining as I'd hoped. Still pretty fun and well-made, but not the Ocean's Eleven type of film I expected. Maybe with time...
Overall, a solid film and glad to finally cross a lot of these off of my list. Good (and bad) thing about the '70s is it seems I can always watch even 40 more films and still have so many on my list to check out. Always more to check out down the line, but always so tough to have to put some on the back burner. Here are my line-ups:
Best Picture:
01. Paper Moon.
02. The Long Goodbye.
03. The Exorcist.
04. Scenes from a Marriage.
05. Sisters.
06. Day for Night.
07. Serpico.
08. Fantastic Planet.
09. The Friends of Eddie Coyle.
10. The Wicker Man.
-----------------
11. Amarcord.
12. Don't Look Now.
13. The Sting.
14. The Last Detail.
15. The Holy Mountain.
16. Save the Tiger.
17. Papillon.
18. Magnum Force.
19. Cries and Whispers.
20. The Crazies.
21. Belladonna of Sadness.
22. Robin Hood.
23. Live and Let Die.
24. Enter the Dragon.
25. Mean Streets.
26. The Spirit of the Beehive.
27. American Graffiti.
28. Soylent Green.
29. Coffy.
30. Charlotte's Web.
Best Director:
01. Robert Altman - The Long Goodbye.
02. Peter Bogdanovich - Paper Moon.
03. William Friedkin - The Exorcist.
04. François Truffaut - Day for Night.
05. Brian De Palma - Sisters.
06. Federico Fellini - Amarcord.
07. Peter Yates - The Friends of Eddie Coyle.
Best Actor:
01. Jack Lemmon - Save the Tiger.
02. Al Pacino - Serpico.
03. Ryan O'Neal - Paper Moon.
04. Erland Josephson - Scenes from a Marriage.
05. Steve McQueen - Papillon.
06. Edward Woodward - The Wicker Man.
07. Jack Nicholson - The Last Detail.
Best Actress:
01. Jennifer Salt - Sisters.
02. Liv Ullmann - Scenes from a Marriage.
03. Ellen Burstyn - The Exorcist.
04. Tatum O'Neal - Paper Moon.
05. Julie Christie - Don't Look Now.
06. Pam Grier - Coffy.
07. Margot Kidder - Sisters.
Best Supporting Actor:
01. Max von Sydow - The Exorcist.
02. Robert De Niro - Mean Streets.
03. Dustin Hoffman - Papillon.
04. Randy Quaid - The Last Detail.
05. Christopher Lee - The Wicker Man.
06. Edward Grover - Serpico.
07. Edward G. Robinson - Soylent Green.
Best Supporting Actress:
01. Liv Ullmann - Cries and Whispers.
02. Ingrid Thulin - Cries and Whispers.
03. Harriet Andersson - Cries and Whispers.
04. Linda Blair & Mercedes McCambridge - The Exorcist (I feel like it's a dual performance, can't nominate one without the other IMO).
05. Magali Noël - Amarcord.
06. Bibi Andersson - Scenes from a Marriage.
07. Madeline Kahn - Paper Moon.
Best Original Screenplay:
01. Day for Night.
02. Scenes from a Marriage.
03. Save the Tiger.
04. The Sting.
05. Amarcord.
06. Sisters.
07. Cries and Whispers.
Best Adapted Screenplay:
01. The Exorcist.
02. Paper Moon.
03. The Long Goodbye.
04. The Last Detail.
05. Serpico.
06. The Wicker Man.
07. The Friends of Eddie Coyle.
Best Ensemble:
01. Cries and Whispers.
02. Day for Night.
03. The Exorcist.
04. Paper Moon.
05. The Friends of Eddie Coyle.
06. Scenes from a Marriage.
07. Serpico.
Best Editing:
01. Sisters.
02. Don't Look Now.
03. The Crazies.
Best Cinematography:
01. Paper Moon.
02. Cries and Whispers.
03. The Long Goodbye.
Best Art Direction:
01. The Holy Mountain.
02. Enter the Dragon.
03. The Sting.
Best Costume Design:
01. The Holy Mountain.
02. The Sting.
03. Paper Moon.
Best Makeup:
01. The Exorcist.
02. Sisters.
03. The Holy Mountain.
Best Visual Effects:
01. The Exorcist.
02. Live and Let Die.
03. Magnum Force.
Best Sound Design:
01. The Exorcist.
02. Live and Let Die.
03. Fantastic Planet.
Best Original Score:
01. Bernard Herrmann - Sisters.
02. Nino Rota - Amarcord.
03. Luis de Pablo - The Spirit of the Beehive.
Best Original Song:
01. "Live and Let Die" - Live and Let Die.
02. "The Long Goodbye" - The Long Goodbye.
03. "Belladonna" - Belladonna of Sadness.
Best Choreography:
01. Enter the Dragon.
02. Live and Let Die.
03. Magnum Force.
Could honestly swap that entire Adapted Screenplay line-up around and they'd be worthy winners. Damn good year for that category.
Very excited to get to 1974 now! Always considered it my favorite year in film for the longest time and the year I had seen the most from prior to starting the '70s. About 70% of what I've seen would potentially make my top 100 of all-time, so yeah, fucking love '74 and can't wait to re-watch a lot of what I've seen to see if I still feel the same. This is what I've seen so far: Chinatown, Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Black Christmas, The Conversation, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, The Godfather Part II, Murder on the Orient Express, and The Great Gatsby.
So feel free to send over your recommendations, especially the obscure ones since I've already seen most of the big ones for this year.
|
|
Archie
Based
Eraserhead son or Inland Empire daughter?
Posts: 3,674 
Likes: 4,369
|
Post by Archie on Apr 27, 2020 4:29:59 GMT
1. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
2. California Split
3. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
4. The Parallax View
5. Alice in the Cities
6. A Woman Under the Influence
7. Lenny
8. Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
9. Phantom of the Paradise
10. The Yakuza
I'm so glad you loved The Long Goodbye! It's one of my all time favorites.
|
|
|
|
Post by themoviesinner on Apr 27, 2020 5:20:38 GMT
I'm the opposite of you on Jodorowsky. I think El Topo is a great film, but I'm not that big on The Holy Mountain. It's still quite an interesting film, but I think his symbolism in it is way too unambiguous and in your face and the film suffers as a result. And The Long Goodbye is on my long list of films I need to watch.
Here's my top 10 of 1974:
1. The Phantom Of Liberty (my #6 film of all time)
2. Celine And Julie Go Boating (another of my all time favourites)
3. Electra, My Love
4. Chinatown
5. Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia
6. Arabian Nights
7. Successive Slidings Of Pleasure
8. Ali: Fear Eats The Soul
9. Young Frankenstein
10. Murder On The Orient Express
|
|
|
|
Post by TerryMontana on Apr 27, 2020 5:42:12 GMT
The Gambler
The Conversation
Blazing Saddles
Lenny
|
|
|
|
Post by JangoB on Apr 27, 2020 11:25:35 GMT
Well, as the resident Spielberg fanbot I definitely recommend his theatrical debut feature The Sugarland Express which is just an excellent road movie with a brilliant central performance by Goldie Hawn. Plus Vilmos Zsigmond strikes again!
Lacombe Lucien is yet another terrific Louis Malle so if you like him, definitely put that on your watchlist.
And even if not everything works about The Night Porter, I'd definitely check that one out for one of the more provocative experiences of the year and for the marvelous performances by Dirk Bogarde and Charlotte Rampling.
|
|
|
|
Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Apr 27, 2020 18:13:21 GMT
love 1974! Badlands, my favorite Malick. Lenny, a blazing B&W biopic about Lenny Bruce (Hoffman in maybe his best perf). Has the same flash and verve as Fosse's other works but channeled into a different direction. Score, the absolute last word on sex comedies. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more joyful and liberated film in the whole decade. Swept Away, Lina Wertmueller's controversial political parable. One of my favs from the year featuring excellent perfs from Giancarlo Giannini (nominated for Seven Beauties the very next year!) and Mariagnela Melato. Harry and Tonto, Paul Mazursky's socially conscious road movie. Think you'll enjoy this one. Its warmth sneaks up on you and Art Carney is sublime. Lots of wonderful dry comedy in the screenplay. Honestly probably my favorite Mazursky, and didn't you like Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice? If so, there's your reason to see this one! The Towering Inferno, IMO the best iteration of the disaster movie formula. The scope is massive without being overwhelming, and the cast of characters is more interesting than usual (the standout being William Holden). The technical craft on display is absolutely spectacular. Really tense film that actually surprises you. Conversation Piece, by Luchino Visconti. This is actually the only one from him I've seen (I'm positive you've seen his stuff so you know what to expect). Burt Lancaster is wonderful but Helmut Berger is sensational. Wonderful chamber piece. We All Loved Each Other so Much, Ettore Scola on rarefilm. Sweeping romantic melodrama about the relationships between three individuals in the aftermath of WWII. Nino Manfredi is great. The Sugarland Express, watch it for Goldie Hawn if nothing else. She's delightful as always, but Spielberg channels her charisma into something really tragic in the context of this film. The ending packs a punch. The Parallax View, IMO the least of Pakula's Paranoia trilogy but a lot of people love it so I say absolutely give it a shot, and if nothing else you'll get to experience Michael Small's brilliant score and some of Gordon Willis's best cinematography. Lacombe, Lucien, by Louis Malle. Couldn't get into it myself but Holger Löwenadler gives a transcendent supporting performance. And it's a well-regarded classic so might as well check it out, right?  |
|
|
|
Post by therealcomicman117 on Apr 27, 2020 20:51:00 GMT
Films not yet mentioned, that I recommend.
Sugar Hill
The Cars That Ate Paris
Boss Nigger
Phase IV
Stone - Australian biker movie, said to have been a huge influence on Mad Max.
The Longest Yard
Female Trouble
Claudine
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser
Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla - I'm not sure if you'd like most kaiju flicks, but I'm a big fan. This is one of the more absurdly fun of the bunch.
It's Alive
Mr. Majestyk
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad
The Four Musketeers
Dark Star - John Carpenter's directorial debut. It's wacky, low budget, and meant to be a farce, so it's not for everyone.
Gone in 60 Seconds - The original, not the Nic Cage remake. Famous for how many cars were destroyed in the making of it.
Freebie and The Bean
|
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Apr 28, 2020 0:19:10 GMT
1. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia 2. California Split 3. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot 4. The Parallax View 5. Alice in the Cities 6. A Woman Under the Influence 7. Lenny 8. Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore 9. Phantom of the Paradise 10. The Yakuza I'm so glad you loved The Long Goodbye! It's one of my all time favorites. Thanks for the recs! I'm glad I loved The Long Goodbye too. It was probably my most anticipated Altman aside from Nashville and with him striking out on the first two I watched I figured this was the decisive one. Reeeeally dug it, far more than I expected. How is California Split by comparison? Deciding whether to test my luck with other Altman or just hold out for Nashville and 3 Women. |
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Apr 28, 2020 0:25:35 GMT
I'm the opposite of you on Jodorowsky. I think El Topo is a great film, but I'm not that big on The Holy Mountain. It's still quite an interesting film, but I think his symbolism in it is way too unambiguous and in your face and the film suffers as a result. And The Long Goodbye is on my long list of films I need to watch. Here's my top 10 of 1974: 1. The Phantom Of Liberty (my #6 film of all time) 2. Celine And Julie Go Boating (another of my all time favourites) 3. Electra, My Love 4. Chinatown 5. Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia 6. Arabian Nights 7. Successive Slidings Of Pleasure 8. Ali: Fear Eats The Soul 9. Young Frankenstein 10. Murder On The Orient Express Perhaps that's why I actually dug Holy Mountain. Of course, that could be because I was so enraptured by the aesthetic of it (the symbolism was probably in-my-face, but I found it very alluring). El Topo was more of a pacing issue for me. Felt like it had long stretches of repetition whereas this one kept offering something new every few minutes and I appreciated that. Hope you enjoy The Long Goodbye like I did, though unsure how you feel about Altman generally (as this is the one that's worked for me so far). Shame I couldn't watch Hourglass Sanatorium as the only copy I could find had no subtitles. But good news is I'll for sure be checking out your top 2 (your #4 is my current favorite of the year too so will likely stay that away as it's in my top 20 of all-time). Young Frankenstein is also in my all-time top 20 so I'm very happy to see you're a fan as well. It's one of my childhood favorites that has only gotten better with age. Also if I remember correctly, Arabian Nights is your favorite of Pasolini's trilogy of life, yes? As always, thanks for the recommendations! |
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Apr 28, 2020 0:28:53 GMT
Well, as the resident Spielberg fanbot I definitely recommend his theatrical debut feature The Sugarland Express which is just an excellent road movie with a brilliant central performance by Goldie Hawn. Plus Vilmos Zsigmond strikes again! Lacombe Lucien is yet another terrific Louis Malle so if you like him, definitely put that on your watchlist. And even if not everything works about The Night Porter, I'd definitely check that one out for one of the more provocative experiences of the year and for the marvelous performances by Dirk Bogarde and Charlotte Rampling. Good news for you, with Hitchcock's filmography nearly complete and Kubrick's too sparse to really consider it a "marathon", I've opted to make Spielberg and Scorsese my next duo to marathon while I go through the years so I'll be checking out all their works! Sugarland Express doesn't sound up my alley, but I always hear good things about it so I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised. Also cool to know that was Spielberg's first time working with Zsigmond. That's always a plus! Actually always had The Night Porter on my list to see but wasn't sure why (maybe just early Charlotte Rampling in a well-known film?), but reading the plot earlier I think I'd really dig it. Thanks! |
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Apr 28, 2020 0:35:28 GMT
Films not yet mentioned, that I recommend. Sugar Hill The Cars That Ate Paris Boss Nigger Phase IV Stone - Australian biker movie, said to have been a huge influence on Mad Max. The Longest Yard Female Trouble Claudine The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla - I'm not sure if you'd like most kaiju flicks, but I'm a big fan. This is one of the more absurdly fun of the bunch. It's Alive Mr. Majestyk The Golden Voyage of Sinbad The Four Musketeers Dark Star - John Carpenter's directorial debut. It's wacky, low budget, and meant to be a farce, so it's not for everyone. Gone in 60 Seconds - The original, not the Nic Cage remake. Famous for how many cars were destroyed in the making of it. Freebie and The Bean Thanks so much! A lot of genre picks which is really cool because I find this decade such an exciting era for them. I do have Dark Star as '75 and the horror picks in my horror list, but also a few I've not heard of before (in particular Stone which you got me curious about). Also I loved the '54 Godzilla and grew up watching quite a few of the kaiju when I was younger, but I've put them on hold so I can binge them one day when I buy that massive Criterion box-set. Also as someone who hated the grotesqueness (and mostly animal cruelty) of Pink Flamingos, how do you think I'd fare with Female Trouble? I feel like at some point there will be a John Waters that clicks with me, but not sure if it'll be in his more mainstream era or not lol. |
|
Archie
Based
Eraserhead son or Inland Empire daughter?
Posts: 3,674
Likes: 4,369
|
Post by Archie on Apr 28, 2020 0:40:13 GMT
1. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia 2. California Split 3. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot 4. The Parallax View 5. Alice in the Cities 6. A Woman Under the Influence 7. Lenny 8. Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore 9. Phantom of the Paradise 10. The Yakuza I'm so glad you loved The Long Goodbye! It's one of my all time favorites. Thanks for the recs! I'm glad I loved The Long Goodbye too. It was probably my most anticipated Altman aside from Nashville and with him striking out on the first two I watched I figured this was the decisive one. Reeeeally dug it, far more than I expected. How is California Split by comparison? Deciding whether to test my luck with other Altman or just hold out for Nashville and 3 Women. California Split is essential Altman IMO. It's a hilarious, unsettling look at two gamblers on full tilt. No cautionary tale, no judgement, this movie just revels in the action, it's pretty much the Uncut Gems of the 70s. Gould and Segal's chemistry is off the charts. Highly recommended. |
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Apr 28, 2020 0:44:11 GMT
love 1974! Badlands, my favorite Malick. Lenny, a blazing B&W biopic about Lenny Bruce (Hoffman in maybe his best perf). Has the same flash and verve as Fosse's other works but channeled into a different direction. Score, the absolute last word on sex comedies. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more joyful and liberated film in the whole decade. Swept Away, Lina Wertmueller's controversial political parable. One of my favs from the year featuring excellent perfs from Giancarlo Giannini (nominated for Seven Beauties the very next year!) and Mariagnela Melato. Harry and Tonto, Paul Mazursky's socially conscious road movie. Think you'll enjoy this one. Its warmth sneaks up on you and Art Carney is sublime. Lots of wonderful dry comedy in the screenplay. Honestly probably my favorite Mazursky, and didn't you like Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice? If so, there's your reason to see this one! The Towering Inferno, IMO the best iteration of the disaster movie formula. The scope is massive without being overwhelming, and the cast of characters is more interesting than usual (the standout being William Holden). The technical craft on display is absolutely spectacular. Really tense film that actually surprises you. Conversation Piece, by Luchino Visconti. This is actually the only one from him I've seen (I'm positive you've seen his stuff so you know what to expect). Burt Lancaster is wonderful but Helmut Berger is sensational. Wonderful chamber piece. We All Loved Each Other so Much, Ettore Scola on rarefilm. Sweeping romantic melodrama about the relationships between three individuals in the aftermath of WWII. Nino Manfredi is great. The Sugarland Express, watch it for Goldie Hawn if nothing else. She's delightful as always, but Spielberg channels her charisma into something really tragic in the context of this film. The ending packs a punch. The Parallax View, IMO the least of Pakula's Paranoia trilogy but a lot of people love it so I say absolutely give it a shot, and if nothing else you'll get to experience Michael Small's brilliant score and some of Gordon Willis's best cinematography. Lacombe, Lucien, by Louis Malle. Couldn't get into it myself but Holger Löwenadler gives a transcendent supporting performance. And it's a well-regarded classic so might as well check it out, right? Thanks so much for all the recommendations, as always! I, too, love 1974 and it's a bit of a shame looking through my watchlist to see that most of the big films of the year are ones I've already checked out so I hope to be surprised by a lot of these smaller films. Lenny and Badlands of course being outliers as those are two big ones I'll for sure be watching. Also really want to check out a Wertmuller film at some point, but never sure where to start. Swept Away seems like a good start since I've seen many big films from '74 and also it's been remade (so I assume it's pretty popular?). What do you think? You've definitely sold me on Harry & Tonto! Almost considered skipping since I always thought it was just one of those movies that played well with the Oscar crowd then but doesn't hold up now. Glad to see I might be wrong! I did indeed love Bob & Carol! Glad to hear about Towering Inferno too. Funny that three disaster films came out within a couple months span of one another, but always hear this one talked about the most positively (or just most generally). Will be sure to check that one out. Definitely going to check out The Parallax View as the other two in Pakula's paranoia trilogy are some of my favorites from the decade (so far). Also glad to see him still working with Willis & Small because they were two of the highlights of Klute (and a huge highlight of All the President's Men, Willis that is). Thanks again, a lot to consider here! |
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Apr 28, 2020 0:45:23 GMT
Thanks for the recs! I'm glad I loved The Long Goodbye too. It was probably my most anticipated Altman aside from Nashville and with him striking out on the first two I watched I figured this was the decisive one. Reeeeally dug it, far more than I expected. How is California Split by comparison? Deciding whether to test my luck with other Altman or just hold out for Nashville and 3 Women. California Split is essential Altman IMO. It's a hilarious, unsettling look at two gamblers on full tilt. No cautionary tale, no judgement, this movie just revels in the action, it's pretty much the Uncut Gems of the 70s. Gould and Segal's chemistry is off the charts. Highly recommended. Thanks for the insight! I figure if I go for an Altman this year (between this and Thieves Like Us), I'd go with this one, so glad to hear the praise. |
|
|
|
Post by therealcomicman117 on Apr 28, 2020 0:55:48 GMT
Films not yet mentioned, that I recommend. Sugar Hill The Cars That Ate Paris Boss Nigger Phase IV Stone - Australian biker movie, said to have been a huge influence on Mad Max. The Longest Yard Female Trouble Claudine The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla - I'm not sure if you'd like most kaiju flicks, but I'm a big fan. This is one of the more absurdly fun of the bunch. It's Alive Mr. Majestyk The Golden Voyage of Sinbad The Four Musketeers Dark Star - John Carpenter's directorial debut. It's wacky, low budget, and meant to be a farce, so it's not for everyone. Gone in 60 Seconds - The original, not the Nic Cage remake. Famous for how many cars were destroyed in the making of it. Freebie and The Bean Thanks so much! A lot of genre picks which is really cool because I find this decade such an exciting era for them. I do have Dark Star as '75 and the horror picks in my horror list, but also a few I've not heard of before (in particular Stone which you got me curious about). Also I loved the '54 Godzilla and grew up watching quite a few of the kaiju when I was younger, but I've put them on hold so I can binge them one day when I buy that massive Criterion box-set. Also as someone who hated the grotesqueness (and mostly animal cruelty) of Pink Flamingos, how do you think I'd fare with Female Trouble? I feel like at some point there will be a John Waters that clicks with me, but not sure if it'll be in his more mainstream era or not lol. includes a lot of explicit pure moments of disgust, it's not on the same level as Pink Flamingos (although few films are like that), but it's still a movie that is quite cringey in a lot of ways. Like a lot of John Waters film (although they get less and less "grotesque" as they go along), it's very much an acquired taste. |
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Apr 28, 2020 1:59:08 GMT
Female Trouble includes a lot of explicit pure moments of disgust, it's not on the same level as Pink Flamingos (although few films are like that), but it's still a movie that is quite cringey in a lot of ways. Like a lot of John Waters film (although they get less and less "grotesque" as they go along), it's very much an acquired taste. Thanks for the heads up. I'll keep it near the bottom of my list and see if I find myself in the mood for it at all or have room for it as I hear it's maybe the best of his '70s stuff. I could handle Multiple Maniacs just fine, but Pink Flamingos was too much for me (and I love my disturbing movies lol). Guess we'll see! |
|
|
|
Post by themoviesinner on Apr 28, 2020 8:01:31 GMT
Perhaps that's why I actually dug Holy Mountain. Of course, that could be because I was so enraptured by the aesthetic of it (the symbolism was probably in-my-face, but I found it very alluring). El Topo was more of a pacing issue for me. Felt like it had long stretches of repetition whereas this one kept offering something new every few minutes and I appreciated that. Hope you enjoy The Long Goodbye like I did, though unsure how you feel about Altman generally (as this is the one that's worked for me so far). Shame I couldn't watch Hourglass Sanatorium as the only copy I could find had no subtitles. But good news is I'll for sure be checking out your top 2 (your #4 is my current favorite of the year too so will likely stay that away as it's in my top 20 of all-time). Young Frankenstein is also in my all-time top 20 so I'm very happy to see you're a fan as well. It's one of my childhood favorites that has only gotten better with age. Also if I remember correctly, Arabian Nights is your favorite of Pasolini's trilogy of life, yes? As always, thanks for the recommendations! Well, I've seen several films from Altman and I've liked them all, but nothing from him has felt really special, but maybe that would change in the future as I'm missing some of his more acclaimed work (I haven't seen Nashville or Short Cuts either). And Arabian Nights is my second favourite of Pasolini's trilogy (behind The Decameron), although it definitely is a great film as well. But it's a lot different from the other two. The humour is toned down a lot, it is much more erotic and it's aesthetic is much different as well. It's much more spiritual and has a very oriental/middle-eastern vibe. And it's definitely Pasolini's most visually beautiful, creative film. Some of it's shots are absolutely gorgeous. I hope you enjoy everything you decide to watch!  |
|
|
|
Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Apr 28, 2020 16:35:09 GMT
Also really want to check out a Wertmuller film at some point, but never sure where to start. Swept Away seems like a good start since I've seen many big films from '74 and also it's been remade (so I assume it's pretty popular?). What do you think? is one of her more controversial films I think but it's a good representation of her aesthetic and is surprisingly affecting. I think Love & Anarchy is a bit more accessible and that was the first one I watched, but there's no wrong way to start watching Wertmuller. |
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Apr 28, 2020 18:23:15 GMT
Also really want to check out a Wertmuller film at some point, but never sure where to start. Swept Away seems like a good start since I've seen many big films from '74 and also it's been remade (so I assume it's pretty popular?). What do you think? is one of her more controversial films I think but it's a good representation of her aesthetic and is surprisingly affecting. I think Love & Anarchy is a bit more accessible and that was the first one I watched, but there's no wrong way to start watching Wertmuller. Almost checked out Love & Anarchy too! But couldn't find it anywhere so figured I'd try a different one later. Well, thanks for the tip! I'm sure you're right, any place is a good place to start. |
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on Apr 28, 2020 18:27:12 GMT
Well, I've seen several films from Altman and I've liked them all, but nothing from him has felt really special, but maybe that would change in the future as I'm missing some of his more acclaimed work (I haven't seen Nashville or Short Cuts either). And Arabian Nights is my second favourite of Pasolini's trilogy (behind The Decameron), although it definitely is a great film as well. But it's a lot different from the other two. The humour is toned down a lot, it is much more erotic and it's aesthetic is much different as well. It's much more spiritual and has a very oriental/middle-eastern vibe. And it's definitely Pasolini's most visually beautiful, creative film. Some of it's shots are absolutely gorgeous. I hope you enjoy everything you decide to watch! Agreed that from what I had seen of Altman prior to The Long Goodbye (which was including Short Cuts and Gosford Park), I didn't really feel a special connection with any of them. Hopefully The Long Goodbye or Nashville do that for you too (and hope I like Nashville as well!). Oooh, well that will certainly be interesting! I did like the sort of authentic, documentary-like style of his first two, but I'm also a sucker for good composition in these sort of ancient time periods. Will be sure to let you know what I think of it when I watch it! Thank you! |
|
|
|
Post by jimmalone on May 10, 2020 14:24:24 GMT
Sad you didn't like The Sting more. But glad you enjoyed Paper Moon, Day for Night and Serpico, all movies I like a lot.
As for 1974, that's a year I love.
My top list:
1. The Godfather II
2. Murder on the Orient Express
3. Chinatown
4. The Four Musketeers
5. The Yakuza (Sydney Pollack's best, wonderfully melancholic and excellent executed)
6. The Front Page (Remake of and quite on the same level as His Girl Friday)
7. The Towering Inferno (I don't care much for disaster movies usually, but this one is not only great technical, but shows a nice variety on how different people react in extreme situations, though not all of the sub-stories are good)
8. The Taking of Pelham 123
9. The Odessa File
10. Profumo di Donna (it's funny, emotional, good dialogues, great lead performance by Vittorio Gassman)
11. Le Fantome de Liberte one of my favourite Bunuel's, wonderful obscure
12. Juggernaut (not without flaws, but here, because it's extremely thrilling)
13. Alice in the cities after his two masterpieces Wings of Desire and Paris, Texas this is my favourite Wim Wenders and is also showing his style here, it's beautiful and thoughtful
14. The Conversation
15. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
|
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on May 10, 2020 23:15:00 GMT
jimmaloneThanks for the recommendations. Glad to see another fan of Taking of Pelham One Two Three as well! Re-watched that one already and it's still one of the most perfectly paced action-thrillers ever made. If it weren't for some sexist remarks and dated jokes that were clearly an unfortunate sign of the times, it'd probably be a perfect 10/10 for me. Definitely plan to see most of these, and even the ones I don't I'm very excited to check out down the road (I'm having a really difficult time cutting some of my picks already just to make the 15 new viewings cut-off). Also I will say The Sting might be one that benefits from multiple viewings. There are always those films for me (like Blade Runner or North by Northwest) where the hype to watch them is so big that it was always destined to fail unless it hit every note perfectly. Granted, both BR and NxNW are now among my top 100 films, but it also took about 5 watches to get there each. So maybe in time because I did enjoy it, but was also just so over-hyped for it (I saved it for my last watch as well).
|
|
tobias
Full Member
Posts: 824
Likes: 396
|
Post by tobias on May 12, 2020 12:57:24 GMT
Yeah, The Long Goodbye is definitely one of Altman's most solid films, I don't think he made too much in that vein afterwards though and overall his filmography is quite uneven.
I'm a bit confused about the dates for the release dates but I pressume you just go by earliest non-festival release (for e.g. Badlands) and with stuff like Scenes from a marriage you watched the TV-series, either way one of my all-time favourites that you missed is The Mother and The Whore. Touki Bouki, World on a Wire, F for Fake and Pat Garett and Billy the Kid are two other really nices ones I would recommend to check out another time.
As for 1974 here are my late recommendations:
1. Badlands (1974 I guess)
2. Phantom of the Paradise (my favourite DePalma)
3. Celine and Julie go Boating (Rivette's most fun film)
4. Edward Munch (the biggest epic of the year)
5. Everyone for Himself and God Against All (Top Tier Herzog)
6. Godfather Part II
7. Chinatown
8. Alice in the Cities (Strolling with a little girl through Wuppertal makes for one of Wender's best films, simple yet keenly observational)
9. Lancelot du Lac (As with all Bresson films: If you like Bresson you will like this film, it's not a diversion from his formula though)
10. Lacombe, Lucien (Another proof that Malle makes great films about youth)
11. The Phantom of Liberty (Sister Piece to the Discreet Charme madcap, more freewheeling but not as funny or poignant)
12. The Great Exctasy of the Woodcarver Steiner (amazing and concise documentary on ski-jumping)
13. Arabian Nights (trilogy of life is great in general, this has the excact same appeal as the earlier two, though I like them a bit better)
14. Ali: Fear eats the Soul (a staple in Fassbinder's filmography for good reason but by no means the highlight it's often made out to be)
15. Rabid Dogs (Exploitation at it's most uncomfortable, proof of Bava's mastery of mise en scene as almost all the tension is derived from psychological back and forth inside a car.
16. A Woman Under The Influence
17. Murder on the Orient Express
Apart from that Sugarland Express is underrated, actually a fairly nice theatrical debut by Spielberg with a lot of his tropes in place already, Dark Star is another strong debut by Carpenter, Young Frankenstein is silly fun Effie Briest (Fassbinder) is overlong and boring, yet not without charm and Chainsaw Massacre I always found overrated and quite vacuus.
|
|
|
|
Post by idioticbunny on May 14, 2020 22:27:08 GMT
tobias Yeah, I'm not trying to get my hopes up too much on the rest of Altman's filmography, but I do hope he surprises me with another Long Goodbye because that one was a stroke of genius. I actually go by release date in a film's country of origin. So Badlands goes 1974 for me because it didn't play in the U.S. until then. F for Fake is also '75 for me because it didn't get released until '75 in France (which is one of the countries that backed the film). And don't worry that one is a must-see for me when I get to the next year. I sadly missed out on those other 4 though, just too many films on my list already, but they're all on my list for down the road! Thanks for all the recs for '74 though! I'm still waiting to check out a couple of these (like Celine and Julie which I'll likely watch tomorrow), but have checked out quite a few so far. Also a couple I'd not heard of before so will add those to my massive watchlist haha. Really enjoyed Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, Phantom of Liberty, and Phantom of the Paradise (which I'm surprised is your favorite De Palma, it's a great pick though! Super inventive film, like Sisters it borrows a ton from other classics, but it's chock full of creativity). Also Young Frankenstein is in my top 20 of all-time (along with Chinatown) so saving those for last to re-watch, but shame you weren't a fan of Texas Chainsaw. Re-watched that one and it still disturbs me greatly - which is what horror is meant to do. One of my favorites and my second 10/10 for the decade thus far (until of course I re-watch those other two films I mentioned).
|
|
tobias
Full Member
Posts: 824
Likes: 396
|
Post by tobias on May 16, 2020 9:54:02 GMT
idioticbunny - Oh, I did somewhat enjoy Chainsaw Massacre, just didn't think it was very special.
|
|
