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Post by idioticbunny on May 5, 2019 5:56:58 GMT
I wanted so desperately to love this year as there were so many films I had long wanted to see, but it was just not up to snuff. The top three are the only ones that made any sort of lasting impression on me and the rest ranged from enjoyable/solid, though sometimes slight, entertainment to horribly dated/failed experiments. If I were judging by percentile, this year would probably have the most films I give 5/10 or less to - which certainly isn't a good sign.
That being said, a strong number of these films will likely make my decade line-ups for their technical aspects (particularly The Leopard and Jason and the Argonauts which have maybe some of the best costume design and visual effects, respectively, I've ever seen). Plus, while my leading line-ups were pretty lacking this year, my supporting ones were pretty strong - so much so that I could have kept the list going into the 10-15 range and still have some worthy candidates. I also had a difficult time deciding a strong score winner. I loved Herrmann's work the best of what I've seen, but even then he recycled a few parts from previous works so it doesn't feel entirely original.
This year also took a little longer since I chose to read Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House before re-watching Wise's film adaptation since I hoped it might fill in quite a few of the gaps I felt after watching the film a couple years ago. Needless to say, while I enjoyed what Wise brought to the table as a director (as well as Harris as an actress), the script neglected so many aspects that made the novel work infinitely better - and perhaps explains why I was always pretty iffy on the film from the first time anyway.
Not a whole lot of passion for this year, so pretty ready to start '64. I will say this is probably the most I've enjoyed Fellini's work, so I suppose that's a good sign on the year at least. And having skipped ahead to watch Goldfinger already, it's fair to say I think From Russia with Love is the best of the first three Bond films (though I still enjoyed the other two quite a bit). Below are my line-ups:
Best Picture:
01. High and Low.
02. 8 ½.
03. From Russia with Love.
04. The Great Escape.
05. The Exterminating Angel.
06. The Silence.
07. Charade.
08. Shock Corridor.
09. The Leopard.
10. Black Sabbath.
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11. Hud.
12. Jason and the Argonauts.
13. Winter Light.
14. The Terror.
15. The Haunting.
16. Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment.
17. The Birds.
18. Evil Eye.
19. Cleopatra.
20. The Suitor.
21. The Sword in the Stone.
22. Tom Jones.
23. Irma la Douce.
24. It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World.
25. The Nutty Professor.
26. Contempt.
Best Director:
01. Federico Fellini - 8 ½.
02. Akira Kurosawa - High and Low.
03. Luis Buñuel - The Exterminating Angel.
04. Mario Bava - Black Sabbath.
05. Samuel Fuller - Shock Corridor.
Best Actor:
01. Burt Lancaster - The Leopard.
02. Paul Newman - Hud.
03. Gunnar Björnstrand - Winter Light.
04. Albert Finney - Tom Jones.
05. Peter Breck - Shock Corridor.
Best Actress:
01. Ingrid Thulin - The Silence.
02. Gunnel Lindblom - The Silence.
03. Shirley MacLaine - Irma la Douce.
04. Julie Harris - The Haunting.
05. Audrey Hepburn - Charade.
Best Supporting Actor:
01. Melvyn Douglas - Hud.
02. Richard Attenborough - The Great Escape.
03. James Best - Shock Corridor.
04. Hari Rhodes - Shock Corridor.
05. Pedro Armendáriz - From Russia with Love.
Best Supporting Actress:
01. Ingrid Thulin - Winter Light.
02. Patricia Neal - Hud.
03. Constance Towers - Shock Corridor.
04. Jessica Tandy - The Birds.
05. Anouk Aimée - 8 ½.
Best Original Screenplay:
01. The Silence.
02. Winter Light.
03. 8 ½.
04. Charade.
05. Shock Corridor.
Best Adapted Screenplay:
01. High and Low.
02. From Russia with Love.
03. The Great Escape.
04. The Leopard.
05. Hud.
Best Ensemble:
01. The Great Escape.
02. Shock Corridor.
03. Hud.
04. 8 ½.
05. Tom Jones.
Best Editing:
The Great Escape.
Best Cinematography:
The Leopard.
Best Art Direction:
Cleopatra.
Best Costume Design:
The Leopard.
Best Makeup:
Black Sabbath.
Best Visual Effects:
Jason and the Argonauts.
Best Sound Design:
The Birds.
Best Original Score:
Bernard Herrmann - Jason and the Argonauts.
Best Original Song:
"O, toi l'amour" - The Suitor.
Best Choreography:
Jason and the Argonauts.
As far as '64 goes, I consider Pink Panther to be in that year and have already watched that one. Also Umbrellas of Cherbourg is already firmly a top ten film for me, though will likely watch it again anyway since I love it so. Other than that, a pretty open year with just a couple re-watches. May hold off on A Fistful of Dollars since Leone's first four westerns are going to be playing on the big screen near me in two months so may want to wait on that. We'll see how long it takes me to do this though! Send me your recommendations!
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Post by themoviesinner on May 5, 2019 6:20:10 GMT
I consider 1963 the weakest year of the decade as well. Sure, there are some great films to be found (like 8 1/2 which I consider one of the greatest films ever made, and High And Low), but there were also many films which I found quite disappointing (Contempt being the best example).
As for 1964, it's quite a solid year. Here is my top 10 (all range from very good to masterful):
1. Yearning
2. Dr. Strangelove
3. The Gospel According To Matthew
4. Onibaba
5. A Fistful Of Dollars
6. Black God, White Devil
7. Gate Of Flesh
8. Pale Flower
9. The Night Of The Iguana
10. The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg
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Post by pacinoyes on May 5, 2019 10:09:20 GMT
'64 has a lot of cool world cinema stuff and themoviesinner picked some great and lesser known stuff too.
I'd add Dreyer's Gertrud depending on how you feel about him (lots of people hate this, some love it), Kwaidan which is a singular film in history really and I'm a big fan of Lilith as an underrated US film.
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Post by idioticbunny on May 6, 2019 16:10:57 GMT
'64 has a lot of cool world cinema stuff and themoviesinner picked some great and lesser known stuff too. I'd add Dreyer's Gertrud depending on how you feel about him (lots of people hate this, some love it), Kwaidan which is a singular film in history really and I'm a big fan of Lilith as an underrated US film. That's funny you picked two films I consider '65, but I will absolutely be checking them out when I get to the next year. Especially Kwaidan since it sounds right up my alley (and likely will be since I seem to love Kobayashi's work). I've heard of Lilith, but only its name and actors. Will look into that one. |
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Post by idioticbunny on May 6, 2019 16:14:03 GMT
I consider 1963 the weakest year of the decade as well. Sure, there are some great films to be found (like 8 1/2 which I consider one of the greatest films ever made, and High And Low), but there were also many films which I found quite disappointing ( Contempt being the best example). As for 1964, it's quite a solid year. Here is my top 10 (all range from very good to masterful): 1. Yearning 2. Dr. Strangelove 3. The Gospel According To Matthew 4. Onibaba 5. A Fistful Of Dollars 6. Black God, White Devil 7. Gate Of Flesh 8. Pale Flower 9. The Night Of The Iguana 10. The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg You and I are certainly in agreement in regards to '63 then! Especially Contempt which I had always heard of as one of Godard's best (up until everyone sent recs last thread) but wow was it a chore. Easily worst of the decade so far. It says a lot about the films from last year when I never really liked Tom Jones and yet it was far from last place on the year lol. Thanks for the list! Considering Cherbourg is an all-time favorite for me, I wonder what that says about all the films you place above it! I've seen Dr. Strangelove, but it's been a long while so will certainly re-watch that one. Pretty excited to seek out the rest. Yearning, Black God, and Gate of Flesh were on the fence so I'll have to see if I can make room for one or two of them. |
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Post by themoviesinner on May 6, 2019 16:31:44 GMT
You and I are certainly in agreement in regards to '63 then! Especially Contempt which I had always heard of as one of Godard's best (up until everyone sent recs last thread) but wow was it a chore. Easily worst of the decade so far. It says a lot about the films from last year when I never really liked Tom Jones and yet it was far from last place on the year lol. Thanks for the list! Considering Cherbourg is an all-time favorite for me, I wonder what that says about all the films you place above it! I've seen Dr. Strangelove, but it's been a long while so will certainly re-watch that one. Pretty excited to seek out the rest. Yearning, Black God, and Gate of Flesh were on the fence so I'll have to see if I can make room for one or two of them. I'm not a big fan of Godard, but I respect him and think his films have certain interesting ideas in them (even Contempt). But most of the time I think he just carries them out in the most obtrusive and pretentious way possible. And the result is dull and annoying. With that said, I consider the two films he made in 1965 masterful and by far his two best. |
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Post by idioticbunny on May 6, 2019 17:00:42 GMT
I'm not a big fan of Godard, but I respect him and think his films have certain interesting ideas in them (even Contempt). But most of the time I think he just carries them out in the most obtrusive and pretentious way possible. And the result is dull and annoying. With that said, I consider the two films he made in 1965 masterful and by far his two best. I absolutely agree on Godard as well. I was surprised how much I ended up enjoying A Woman Is a Woman and Vivre Sa Vie wasn't too bad, but with this and Breathless I wholly agree. Glad to hear his '65 work is strong. I actually rented Band of Outsiders which I'll be checking out as well, if only because it was the one Godard film I was excited to see before all of this (because I'm a sucker for heist films), but who knows how I'll feel about it. |
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Post by themoviesinner on May 6, 2019 17:21:43 GMT
I absolutely agree on Godard as well. I was surprised how much I ended up enjoying A Woman Is a Woman and Vivre Sa Vie wasn't too bad, but with this and Breathless I wholly agree. Glad to hear his '65 work is strong. I actually rented Band of Outsiders which I'll be checking out as well, if only because it was the one Godard film I was excited to see before all of this (because I'm a sucker for heist films), but who knows how I'll feel about it. Band Of Outsiders is quite good, somewhat entertaining and I'd definitely rank it in his top 5, mostly due to Anna Karina, who is always a pleasure to watch. Godard does his usual stuff in it, so don't expect anything too straightforward, but it's among his most accessible works. |
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demille
Full Member
Posts: 941 
Likes: 306
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Post by demille on May 7, 2019 14:43:13 GMT
My favourite from 1964 is Red Desert. But if you aren't a fan of Antonioni, it probably wont appeal to you.
The Birds and The Leopard are so low on your list for 1963. I consider them both masterpieces.
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Post by idioticbunny on May 7, 2019 16:20:29 GMT
Band Of Outsiders is quite good, somewhat entertaining and I'd definitely rank it in his top 5, mostly due to Anna Karina, who is always a pleasure to watch. Godard does his usual stuff in it, so don't expect anything too straightforward, but it's among his most accessible works. I'm surprised but glad to hear that. I typically go into Godard with the lowest expectations anyway, but for some reason this one was always one I had a bit higher hopes for so hopefully I enjoy it well enough. |
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Post by idioticbunny on May 7, 2019 16:23:43 GMT
My favourite from 1964 is Red Desert. But if you aren't a fan of Antonioni, it probably wont appeal to you. The Birds and The Leopard are so low on your list for 1963. I consider them both masterpieces. I actually really liked La Notte, but was pretty lukewarm on the other two of his I've seen ( L'Aventurra and L'Eclisse). I'll definitely be seeing Red Desert though, if anything to see how Antonioni uses color. Hitchcock is my favorite director, but I have never really been able to get into The Birds no matter how many times I watch it. It's a solid film, but the script is just really lacking any sort of bite for me. The Leopard, however, is a solid film and all of the technical aspects are pitch-perfect. Plus Lancaster gives a wildly brilliant performance, but again I felt there was something lacking particularly in the script. I've heard it's a very good adaptation of its source material, but perhaps it was never really my cup of tea then if that's the case. I could see myself coming around on it though. There was a lot to enjoy with that one. |
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on May 7, 2019 17:24:06 GMT
well I know you weren't crazy about Tom Jones but I'm glad Finney made it in. Such a charming performance! here's what I love from 1964: Dr. StrangeloveSéance on a Wet AfternoonKwaidanPale FlowerThe ServantMary PoppinsThe Gospel According to St. MatthewWoman in the DunesThe Chalk GardenHush... Hush, Sweet CharlotteA Fistful of DollarsZorba the Greekalso worth seeing: ZuluTopkapiBand of OutsidersThe Pumpkin Eaterannnd I'm watching Onibaba today  |
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Post by idioticbunny on May 8, 2019 0:52:56 GMT
Tommen_Saperstein I was actually surprised how much I loved Finney in the role, especially as I remembered not liking just about anything about the film on my first watch. But this re-watch improved with a lot of the performances, and even a bit of the stylistic choices (though as a whole it doesn't work for me). As you say, though, Finney was incredibly charming. Thanks for the list for '64. Onibaba is one I'm checking out for the year as well, and most of what's on your list is pretty high on mine too. Though it's so hard to narrow down/cut some out. Good to see more than one notice here for Pale Flower which was right on the cusp for me so I think that one's a sure bet. Sounds up my alley as well. Kwaidan will be '65 for me (so strange since it was released right on Jan. 1st, but it still counts as '65 by my ruling). Three others you mention that are on the fence for me are Zulu, Zorba the Greek, and Topkapi. Thoughts on those?
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Post by idioticbunny on May 8, 2019 1:01:44 GMT
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Post by stephen on May 8, 2019 1:05:08 GMT
I'm on vacation and away from my collection, so I can't exactly peruse for titles, but I'll make a note when I get home to do so. In the meantime, Topkapi should be a priority.
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Post by idioticbunny on May 8, 2019 1:11:30 GMT
I'm on vacation and away from my collection, so I can't exactly peruse for titles, but I'll make a note when I get home to do so. In the meantime, Topkapi should be a priority. No worries! Just thought I'd tag anyone who'd shown interest before. Sounds good! That was one that was on the fence. |
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Post by Joaquim on May 8, 2019 1:47:13 GMT
A Fistful of Dollars
The Servant
Red Desert
A Hard Day’s Night
Black God, White Devil
Onibaba
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Post by Mattsby on May 8, 2019 1:59:04 GMT
Not mentioned yet -
Marnie ; which I partly love, but the third act plays Freud and placates the complexity of its characters and discussion of sex, gender roles, impulsion vs repulsion, still a good watch -- a lot of Hitchcock pet themes, great visuals, strong perfs.
Fail-Safe ; a political ultimatum dramatized as apocalyptic fever dream, Lumet creates a bleak and riveting atmosphere sans score, just with intense visuals and tight editing
Naked Kiss ; the trashy and thrashy Fuller, pulpy dialogue, heroically bold female lead
World of Henry Orient ; charming coming-of-ager
Welcome No Trespassing ; influence on Moonrise Kingdom, clever camerawork, whimsical
The Visit ; not great (misses camp potential) but an engaging parable on social hypocrisy and greed, with a terrific Ingrid Bergman
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on May 8, 2019 3:42:56 GMT
Three others you mention that are on the fence for me are Zulu, Zorba the Greek, and Topkapi. Thoughts on those? I've seen Zulu twice (once as a teen and once relatively recently) and while yes it's squarely a genre action/war film, what struck me about it the second time around is its anti-imperialism and its tastefulness. You'd expect a movie about a small group of British holdouts fighting back waves and waves of Zulu invaders to be patriotic and obsessed with the heroics and glory of these imperialists and showing the Zulus as savages but it noticeably leans the other direction by depicting the Zulus with respect and admiration and the British as out of place in this foreign land. The battle in the film leads up to a really touching moment that I won't spoil, and Cy Endfield's directing makes the viewer feel like they're there. Plus the ensemble cast is terrific, featuring a host of British greats including Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Nigel Green, and a young Michael Caine. I understand if you'd want to skip it but I do recommend it. As for Zorba the Greek, I have four reasons: Anthony Quinn, Lila Kedrova, Walter Lassally's gorgeous landscape cinematography, and Mikis Theodorakis's delightful score. This film was really interesting. It's shot in English and has that big studio feel but it also feels distinctly European and never loses hold of its Greek roots, especially with Michael Cacoyannis's direction. The story does ramble a bit and drag in spots, but the performances are excellent and the first scene is one of the funniest and best-directed I've seen. It really is worth seeing for Quinn's performance alone, but hopefully you'll want to stay for its other charms. Topkapi I'm a less enthusiastic about but if you see it for any reason, you should see it for Peter Ustinov's performance which is among the funniest ever put to screen. He singlehandedly makes the movie essential viewing and for that I can't recommend it enough. It also has some wonderful cinematography and editing. |
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hilderic
Junior Member
Posts: 305
Likes: 132
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Post by hilderic on May 8, 2019 17:17:53 GMT
The anti-imperialism in Zulu is hardly surprising: it was directed by Cy Endfield, who was named as a communist by the HUAC, written by John Prebble, who was a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain, and produced by Stanley Baker, who was a staunch and politically active socialist. What is more noteworthy is that the film is not too strident about its anti-imperialism, though the politics of the men behind it are hard to miss.
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Post by idioticbunny on May 8, 2019 22:54:34 GMT
Not mentioned yet - Marnie ; which I partly love, but the third act plays Freud and placates the complexity of its characters and discussion of sex, gender roles, impulsion vs repulsion, still a good watch -- a lot of Hitchcock pet themes, great visuals, strong perfs. Fail-Safe ; a political ultimatum dramatized as apocalyptic fever dream, Lumet creates a bleak and riveting atmosphere sans score, just with intense visuals and tight editing Naked Kiss ; the trashy and thrashy Fuller, pulpy dialogue, heroically bold female lead World of Henry Orient ; charming coming-of-ager Welcome No Trespassing ; influence on Moonrise Kingdom, clever camerawork, whimsical The Visit ; not great (misses camp potential) but an engaging parable on social hypocrisy and greed, with a terrific Ingrid Bergman Thanks for the recs! Marnie is definitely to-see, and I'm glad to hear it's not all bad. I kind of always heard anything past The Birds is lower-tier Hitch (sans Frenzy), so any good word on those films makes me happy. Also Fail Safe is on my list as well, and as a Lumet fan I'm excited since it sounds like 12 Angry Men but in a war room. Count me in. Ooooh, I was going to pass on Welcome No Trespassing, but I always like to see where directors gather their influences. Might have to keep that one on the maybe list. Favorite on the year? |
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Post by idioticbunny on May 8, 2019 22:59:37 GMT
I've seen Zulu twice (once as a teen and once relatively recently) and while yes it's squarely a genre action/war film, what struck me about it the second time around is its anti-imperialism and its tastefulness. You'd expect a movie about a small group of British holdouts fighting back waves and waves of Zulu invaders to be patriotic and obsessed with the heroics and glory of these imperialists and showing the Zulus as savages but it noticeably leans the other direction by depicting the Zulus with respect and admiration and the British as out of place in this foreign land. The battle in the film leads up to a really touching moment that I won't spoil, and Cy Endfield's directing makes the viewer feel like they're there. Plus the ensemble cast is terrific, featuring a host of British greats including Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Nigel Green, and a young Michael Caine. I understand if you'd want to skip it but I do recommend it. As for Zorba the Greek, I have four reasons: Anthony Quinn, Lila Kedrova, Walter Lassally's gorgeous landscape cinematography, and Mikis Theodorakis's delightful score. This film was really interesting. It's shot in English and has that big studio feel but it also feels distinctly European and never loses hold of its Greek roots, especially with Michael Cacoyannis's direction. The story does ramble a bit and drag in spots, but the performances are excellent and the first scene is one of the funniest and best-directed I've seen. It really is worth seeing for Quinn's performance alone, but hopefully you'll want to stay for its other charms. Topkapi I'm a less enthusiastic about but if you see it for any reason, you should see it for Peter Ustinov's performance which is among the funniest ever put to screen. He singlehandedly makes the movie essential viewing and for that I can't recommend it enough. It also has some wonderful cinematography and editing. It's hard to stay away from Zulu after a description like that, so color me very interested. Only thing I had ever heard about Zorba was Lila Kedrova's performance, so was going to pass on it as in a year with so many films to check out, I rarely want to watch one just for one performance, but maybe I'll keep it up on the list just in case. Wasn't aware it was a comedy (assuming by you mentioning the opening scene being one of the funniest, so that could help too considering there are a lot of serious films on my list thus far). Topkapi definitely sounds up my alley, I just have never heard much (acclaim) about Dassin's other work outside of Rififi, so wasn't sure if it was worth checking out. Sounds like it could be fun, though. Thanks for the lowdown! |
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Post by Mattsby on May 9, 2019 0:14:27 GMT
Thanks for the recs! Marnie is definitely to-see, and I'm glad to hear it's not all bad. I kind of always heard anything past The Birds is lower-tier Hitch (sans Frenzy), so any good word on those films makes me happy. Also Fail Safe is on my list as well, and as a Lumet fan I'm excited since it sounds like 12 Angry Men but in a war room. Count me in. Ooooh, I was going to pass on Welcome No Trespassing, but I always like to see where directors gather their influences. Might have to keep that one on the maybe list. Favorite on the year? I haven't seen Topaz or Family Plot - gotta get to 'em - but I'm a fan of the others. Frenzy is a major favorite of mine, Marnie like I said is good and one that is great to unpack and discuss, and Torn Curtain is pretty underrated which I'll get into when you get to '66 for sure. Marnie - Hitchcock is fairly bold here, not just subtext but that too, in what he says about relationships, that they're built on (and potentially ruined by) non communication - Tippi and her mother, Tippi and Connery, etc. Even the Connery's sister character is curious in how applies her eyes to feelings she cannot say. And otherwise there's the gorgeous visuals, especially those towering mattes, and how Hitch uses long shots and deep focus. Connery's perf - subtle and intelligent but overruled by macho at times fearsome desire, bottled and puzzled as a husband without the sex part (he says "It's horrible I know....but I love you") .... Etc! |
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hilderic
Junior Member
Posts: 305
Likes: 132
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Post by hilderic on May 9, 2019 2:06:18 GMT
Some important films that have not been mentioned yet:
Shadows of our Forgotten Ancestors
Charulata
Diamonds of the Night
Hamlet
The Soft Skin
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Post by idioticbunny on May 10, 2019 23:38:44 GMT
I haven't seen Topaz or Family Plot - gotta get to 'em - but I'm a fan of the others. Frenzy is a major favorite of mine, Marnie like I said is good and one that is great to unpack and discuss, and Torn Curtain is pretty underrated which I'll get into when you get to '66 for sure. Marnie - Hitchcock is fairly bold here, not just subtext but that too, in what he says about relationships, that they're built on (and potentially ruined by) non communication - Tippi and her mother, Tippi and Connery, etc. Even the Connery's sister character is curious in how applies her eyes to feelings she cannot say. And otherwise there's the gorgeous visuals, especially those towering mattes, and how Hitch uses long shots and deep focus. Connery's perf - subtle and intelligent but overruled by macho at times fearsome desire, bottled and puzzled as a husband without the sex part (he says "It's horrible I know....but I love you") .... Etc! Ooh, well I love to hear that as he is my favorite director after all. Certainly hypes me up to seek out the rest of his filmography from here on out. Thanks for the lowdown on Marnie, I'll be curious to re-read what you have to say when I finish the film! |
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