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Post by idioticbunny on Jul 17, 2019 21:07:28 GMT
The year turned out to be better than it started, and I enjoy all the films in my top ten this time around. In fact, you could jumble around my entire top 4 and I'd be happy either way. In time, I feel my #1 could wind up War and Peace just because it's the one that's sat with me the best of the four, but I enjoyed all four of them a great deal. The biggest issue I take with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is just how it sort of drags in its middle third. There's still enough there to love, mainly due to the great performances/dialogue and Leone's direction, but a good half hour could have been cut out and it would have been just about perfect. That said, it's still a ton of fun even if his best film was yet to come (OUaTitW which used to be a top ten film for me, so excited to re-watch that one here soon).
Also, after being pretty disappointed with Antonioni's output so far (I enjoyed La Notte, but it still was lacking that special something for me), it was nice to see his most-praised film earn its praise for me. Can definitely see how it influenced The Conversation which is a film I've always enjoyed too. Even then, my re-watches paid off nicely too considering it had been many years since seeing them last (Algiers, Woolf, Rublev) and I certainly understand a great deal more from them than I did when I was younger, so there's that.
Biggest surprise for me was probably Wilder's The Fortune Cookie and Matthau's hilarious performance. I've always enjoyed Wilder, but felt after The Apartment, he was sort of losing steam. It was good to have a reminder of how good he could still be in his later years and I hope this is a good sign for what I have left to see from him. Not to mention, Matthau is just pure gold in the film. It takes a special person to outshine Jack Lemmon, especially in a Wilder film, but Matthau did it so easily it's insane. Definitely the best I've seen from him (but I've also seen very little of Matthau until recent), and I hope that means better things to come as well.
Biggest disappointment was probably Au Hasard Balthazar. Not that I had high hopes, but I had always heard it praised as a big tearjerker film and maybe Bresson's best work. Neither of those applied for me and between this and Pickpocket, I think I might give up on Bresson altogether as he has a great visual style, but wastes it on delivering terrible performances in his films that take me out of the experience every time. Also pretty disappointed in The Face of Another after being so excited to check out a creepy sci-fi film from the genius who made Woman in the Dunes, but it felt overly long and not as excitingly directed as that film. Nakadai and Kyo make it worthwhile, but didn't work all that well for me.
Overall, a pretty solid year with some films I'd love to check out again or add to my collection, but pretty excited to move on to these last three years of the decade which feature some of my all-time favorite films already (and many more I've been excited to check out for a long time). Down with the Code!!!!
Best Picture:
01. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
02. The Battle of Algiers.
03. War and Peace.
04. Blow-Up.
05. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
06. Seconds.
07. The Fortune Cookie.
08. Andrei Rublev.
09. Persona.
10. A Man for All Seasons.
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11. Alfie.
12. Fantastic Voyage.
13. Tokyo Drifter.
14. Django.
15. How to Steal a Million.
16. Torn Curtain.
17. The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!
18. Cul-De-Sac.
19. The Sword of Doom.
20. The Face of Another.
21. Daisies.
22. Black Girl.
23. Au Hasard Balthazar.
Best Director:
01. Gillo Pontecorvo - The Battle of Algiers.
02. Sergey Bondarchuk - War and Peace.
03. Michelangelo Antonioni - Blow-Up.
04. Sergio Leone - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
05. John Frankenheimer - Seconds.
Best Actor:
01. Richard Burton - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
02. Paul Scofield - A Man for All Seasons.
03. Eli Wallach - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
04. Rock Hudson - Seconds.
05. Michael Caine - Alfie.
Best Actress:
01. Elizabeth Taylor - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
02. Liv Ullmann - Persona.
03. Bibi Andersson - Persona.
04. Françoise Dorléac - Cul-De-Sac.
05. Julie Andrews - Torn Curtain.
Best Supporting Actor:
01. Walter Matthau - The Fortune Cookie.
02. John Randolph - Seconds.
03. Vyacheslav Tikhonov - War and Peace.
04. George Segal - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
05. Nikolay Burlyaev - Andrei Rublev.
Best Supporting Actress:
01. Lyudmila Saveleva - War and Peace.
02. Vanessa Redgrave - Blow-Up.
03. Machiko Kyô - The Face of Another.
04. Vivien Merchant - Alfie.
05. Julia Foster - Alfie.
Best Original Screenplay:
01. The Fortune Cookie.
02. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
03. The Battle of Algiers.
04. Andrei Rublev.
05. Persona.
Best Adapted Screenplay:
01. A Man for All Seasons.
02. Seconds.
03. Alfie.
04. War and Peace.
05. Blow-Up.
Best Ensemble:
01. A Man for All Seasons.
02. War and Peace.
03. Andrei Rublev.
04. The Fortune Cookie.
05. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Best Editing:
The Battle of Algiers.
Best Cinematography:
War and Peace.
Best Art Direction:
*TIE: War and Peace // Fantastic Voyage.
Best Costume Design:
War and Peace.
Best Makeup:
Andrei Rublev.
Best Visual Effects:
Fantastic Voyage.
Best Sound Design:
War and Peace.
Best Original Score:
Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov - War and Peace.
Best Original Song:
"Django" - Django.
Best Choreography:
War and Peace.
Feel free to send over those 1967 recommendations. Just doing a light perusing of what I have lined up for the next year and I'm already really damn excited with what I'm seeing!
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Post by idioticbunny on Jul 17, 2019 22:23:28 GMT
VicedDamn thought you'd give me some love for giving Matthau some love. Also apologies for no Big Gundown since I went to pick it up at the video store near me as my last film for the year, but it was out at the time so I grabbed Russians instead. Next time! Thanks for the recs too. Glad to see we share the same #1 (which is in my top five of all-time). It's looking like such a sexy year, I'm excited.
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Post by idioticbunny on Jul 17, 2019 22:38:25 GMT
Some love for the Matthau love? When the five films I gave strong recommendations were ignored?  I am glad you loved Matthau though... hopefully this will lead to my Charley Varrick, Taking of Pelham One Two Three, The Bad News Bears, and Hopscotch recommendations not being ignored. Forgive me, oh Majestic Leader! At least I caught one of the five and I'm likely to see most of the ones you listed for '67! Actually I've already seen (and love) Taking of Pelham 123, just caught it again on the big screen recently too, and the last two are on my list for sure to see. Not heard of Charley, but sounds fun! |
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Post by Mattsby on Jul 18, 2019 0:15:15 GMT
Bonnie and Clyde, Le Samourai, The Graduate my Top 3 of '67 as well.
others:
The Fearless Vampire Killers - a masterful horror-comedy, I love its lurid snowglobe aesthetic
Reflections in a Golden Eye - must see for Brando, very underrated pic (I prefer the color version btw)
A Colt is My Passport - sushi noir with an awesome spaghetti-western-meets-nouvelle-vague vibe, unforgettable finale
The Red and the White - great Hungarian war pic, all timer line: "You may speak but do not dare use your own language."
The Firemen’s Ball - tiny Czech pic, with poetic moments that inflect the verite tumult
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Jul 18, 2019 0:53:30 GMT
some thoughts on those lineups 1. Matthau is indeed handily the best thing about The Fortune Cookie. Effortlessly fun to watch and probably some of his best comedic work ever. 2. Pontecorvo!!  A shame you couldn't get Jean Martin in the supporting field though... 3. Also very pleased to see you enjoyed Blow-Up and Man for All Seasons so much. The former is probably my favorite Antonioni (that or La Notte) and I'm not crazy about him either. I understand his value from an academic standpoint, but I can't get much out of his films emotionally. They're too detached. That worked for me with Blow-Up because it's easy to see what he's doing with the medium and how he's toying with your perception, and that alone was pretty exciting. And well, A Man for All Seasons is the best of those 60s play-based medieval melodramas. Scofield is so transifixing, and he has so many brilliant lines ("Why Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world... but for Wales?"). The shade of it all. 4. I hope you enjoyed The Russians Are Coming, at least a little bit? ___________________________ on to the recs! Not sure what you've seen but here's what I'm crazy about in 1967: In Cold Blood - this one bites. a deeply heartbreaking indictment of capital punishment deconstructing one of America's most infamous cold-blooded murders. Marketa Lazarova - absolutely hypnotic Czech medieval epic. I've seen no other films like this one. The Fireman's Ball - hilarious satire on eastern european communism centered around a poorly-planned party that just keeps going wrong. The Nun - jacques rivette religious drama about a society woman (the lovely anna karina) forced to join a convent against her will. really depressing but essential viewing. Accident - this one's hard to describe, but you can't go wrong with dirk bogarde and joseph losey. i remember this being a really fascinating psychological drama, wonderfully edited and quite dark. Point Blank - a neo-noir masterpiece. lee marvin is out for revenge with a killer score and genius editing. this belongs with the best of 'em. Wait Until Dark - really tight psychological thriller featuring some of Audrey Hepburn's best work. Weekend - I know you said you had Godard fatigue but this is one of his more surreal and interesting works from the 60s. Hombre - a fairly radical (for its time) anti-western featuring paul newman as a pessimistic anti-hero. great ensemble work all around, particularly from martin balsam and the ever-underrated diane cilento And I wasn't as crazy about these but they're also worth seeing if you have the time/inclination: Belle de JourThe Whisperers (watch it for Edith Evans's positively haunting oscar-nominated performance if nothing else) PlaytimeBonnie and ClydeReflections in a Golden Eye (kind of a messy project but Liz Taylor, Julie Harris and Brian Keith give outstanding performances) |
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Post by themoviesinner on Jul 19, 2019 7:50:46 GMT
Glad you enjoyed your 1966 run. I consider it the best year of the 60s. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly is probably my least favourite film of the year though. It does have some great moments, but most of it is just dull and plodding nothingness. The other two films of the trilogy are much more interesting/entertaining. Sad you weren't very fond of The Face Of Another. I thought the concept was extremely interesting and it features what I consider Tatsuya Nakadai's best performance. I also tried to watch War And Peace, after you recommended it to me in the previous thread, but, sadly, the Dvd I have of it was corrupted. I need to find it online somewhere, as I'm very eager to watch it. I watched the 2016 BBC mini-series instead and it was incredible, but it would take a huge amount of incompetence to make something not very good from this masterful book.
As for 1967, it's another fantastic year for cinema. Here is my top 10:
1. The Red And The White (Another masterpiece from Miklos Jancso. One of the best war films ever made.)
2. Happy End (An extremely funny and unique film. Probably my favourite comedy of the 60s.)
3. Le Samourai
4. Marat/Sade
5. Dragon Inn
6. Marketa Lazarova
7. A Colt Is My Passport
8. Entranced Earth
9. Branded To Kill
10. Viy
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Post by idioticbunny on Jul 21, 2019 18:11:41 GMT
MattsbyThe Graduate is in my top five of all-time, but regardless I'll be re-watching it  The other two in your top three are probably my most anticipated for the year aside from Young Girls of Rochefort. Definitely hope to check out a couple of the rest, though I'm gonna keep Fearless Vampire Killers for October so I have a light horror film to watch then (always like a balance). Thanks!
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Post by idioticbunny on Jul 21, 2019 18:28:24 GMT
Tommen_SapersteinMatthau could potentially make my decade line-up. I was just so shocked at how much I loved him in it. I had been enjoying his roles up to now ( Face in the Crowd, Fail-Safe), but didn't think he could be that good. I'm a sucker for a really good comedic performance (just as much as I am for a really sappy one too  ) and he nailed it. Since posting this, I've been thinking of giving Bondarchuk the win now for Director (as well as the film my #1), but Pontecorvo's style felt so groundbreaking. Taking Frankenheimer's quasi-documentary approach and enhancing it tenfold. Looooved it. Jean Martin was pretty good, and he's outside of my top ten. Think I had always remembered him better so perhaps that's why he didn't make the cut for me. Glad to see we like the same two Antonioni films. I realllly loved this one and can only see it getting better upon further viewings. I still am not sure what all happened, but I also think that's kind of the point. Probably the best use of Antonioni's dry, emotionally detached style - certainly serves it much better than three (lengthy) relationship dramas in a row if you ask me. Though I wonder if what comes after (like Zabriskie Point, The Passenger, etc.) are more like this or like L'Eclisse. Also yes, Scofield was amazing. Up until I re-watched Virginia Woolf (which was the last film I watched for the year), he was pretty soundly my winner. Not a particularly showy performance, but he just so perfectly fit the character and the dialogue suited him so well that it felt effortless - which I feel is so difficult for these types of dialogue-heavy costume dramas. The Russians Are Coming reminded me of a slightly better version of It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, but both films have styles of humor that just don't work for me. I did like Arkin, though I think I had higher expectations for him considering I read so many reviews stating it was his best work, and a few of the other supporting performances, but overall just didn't work too well for me. The one benefit I'll give it is that if it wasn't attempting to be a comedy, I would have actually called it a well-paced and well-directed little drama. As for the '67 recs, thanks very much! I'm pretty excited to finally see In Cold Bloodand Wait Until Dark (which I don't know how I managed to forget that on my list, I must have had it under my horror list instead for some reason). Shame you weren't too big on some of the other ones that I'm excited for like Bonnie & Clyde and Playtime. Will be watching Belle de Jour since it feels so essential, and since I've been liking more of Bunuel's output in his later years. Kind of had Point Blank on the fence since it's already gonna be such a stacked year for me, but I also am just (always) in the mood for a good action thriller and this one seems to get talked about a lot. Will probably give it a go. And while I have Godard fatigue, Weekend is the last of his films that I may give a watch (depending, however, on what films get priority over it since there are a LOT). All the rest are pretty on the fence, but I still reeeally want to see them. Might have to think about expanding to 20 as opposed to my usual 15 this year...
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Post by idioticbunny on Jul 21, 2019 18:40:16 GMT
Glad you enjoyed your 1966 run. I consider it the best year of the 60s. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly is probably my least favourite film of the year though. It does have some great moments, but most of it is just dull and plodding nothingness. The other two films of the trilogy are much more interesting/entertaining. Sad you weren't very fond of The Face Of Another. I thought the concept was extremely interesting and it features what I consider Tatsuya Nakadai's best performance. I also tried to watch War And Peace, after you recommended it to me in the previous thread, but, sadly, the Dvd I have of it was corrupted. I need to find it online somewhere, as I'm very eager to watch it. I watched the 2016 BBC mini-series instead and it was incredible, but it would take a huge amount of incompetence to make something not very good from this masterful book. As for 1967, it's another fantastic year for cinema. Here is my top 10: 1. The Red And The White (Another masterpiece from Miklos Jancso. One of the best war films ever made.) 2. Happy End (An extremely funny and unique film. Probably my favourite comedy of the 60s.) 3. Le Samourai 4. Marat/Sade 5. Dragon Inn 6. Marketa Lazarova 7. A Colt Is My Passport 8. Entranced Earth 9. Branded To Kill 10. Viy As I mentioned right above in response to Tommen, I've actually been re-considering my #1 placements in Director & Picture for War & Peace instead. So definitely hope you'll get the chance to check it out somewhere. If you subscribe to Criterion Channel, they have it on there split into four parts (which by themselves are no longer than the average film). I think I'll always enjoy Leone's films simply because I find his direction both entertaining and artistically unique. I think I might like all three of his Dollars trilogy films about the same, but only gave the slight edge to Good, Bad, and Ugly because its highs are maybe the highest of the trilogy. Of course, I was on my last legs when I watched this one and For a Few Dollars More in theaters, so they both deserve re-watches down the line to determine my definitive feelings on them. I reeeeally love Nakadai's work, and particularly with '66 he makes my top ten both for Face of Another and Sword of Doom, though I give the edge with the latter as I love his take on deeply sinister characters. My favorite work of his is still The Human Condition, particularly in Part 3 (which I think you said those films are still on your list to watch as well), but he's yet to disappoint. Sadly it was just the films with him themselves this year that were disappointing. I really liked what Teshigahara was going for here and the atmosphere of the film is wonderful, but it felt far too long and not as stylistic as Woman in the Dunes which was pure cinematic bliss for me. A little too much talking in rooms, even if the conversations were bleak and philosophical which I appreciate, but felt there needed to be more done behind the camera. Both of your top two sounded really intriguing to me, though both are on the fence as it's such a STACKED year, but I hope to get around to at least one - probably your #1. Good to see Dragon Inn and Branded to Kill here as well as they're on the fence, but closer to the top of my list. I really wanted to check out Come Drink with Me for '66, but decided to cut my list short as I had already had quite a few action (well, Western technically) films in there. But Dragon Inn sounds really good, and I know you're a sucker for martial arts films like me. How does Branded to Kill compare to Tokyo Drifter? I didn't like the latter the first time I saw it many years ago, but it grew on me with this recent watch, but still felt a bit too random (can't think of a better word) in the second half. Also Viy is in my horror list for October, so hope to check it out then. Heard it was a strong influence on The Exorcist so I'm very intrigued. |
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Post by therealcomicman117 on Jul 21, 2019 19:07:22 GMT
Some other 1967 films that haven't been named yet, that I enjoy.
The Producers - although this may count as 1968, too.
The Taming of The Shrew - Fabulous Shakespeare adaptation with Taylor & Burton.
Barefoot in The Park
To Sir, With Love
Quatermass and The Pit
Who’s That Knocking At My Door - Scorsese’s debut is rough, but still worth viewing, if only to see the beginnings of a genius.
The President’s Analyst
In Like Flint
Spider-Baby
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Jul 21, 2019 19:47:09 GMT
Tommen_Saperstein As for the '67 recs, thanks very much! I'm pretty excited to finally see In Cold Bloodand Wait Until Dark (which I don't know how I managed to forget that on my list, I must have had it under my horror list instead for some reason). Shame you weren't too big on some of the other ones that I'm excited for like Bonnie & Clyde and Playtime. You're welcome! I have complicated relationships with Bonnie & Clyde and Playtime. Both are essential viewings for their status and I'm glad I watched both, but Bonnie and Clyde really left me wanting more. I found it quite weak on characterization and narrative, although perhaps that was kind of the point. I did love Burnett Guffrey's cinematography though, with its rustic landscapes and windswept plains. Most films set in these locales don't look half as beautiful. Playtime is its own beast. I didn't quite dig the humor and Tati's physical performance but it does have some really grand set pieces and sequences (some that perhaps go on too long). Definitely worth checking out for its ambition alone. I probably should give it another try myself. I get what you're saying about Point Blank. I know '67 is a really terrific and crowded year and some things have to fall through the cracks. If it's worth anything, I was totally stunned by the film and Boorman's mastery of his craft on display here. The story and acting are simple but the sequences are thrilling and tense, and the way Boorman uses editing (and especially sound) alongside composer Johnny Mandel is just stunning. It's everything you want in a neo-noir thriller. I remember seeing one particular scene on Youtube which convinced me that I definitely needed to watch the whole thing-- this one, (not a spoiler because it happens quite early) and I promise the rest of the film more than holds up. |
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Post by idioticbunny on Jul 21, 2019 20:15:42 GMT
Some other 1967 films that haven't been named yet, that I enjoy. The Producers - although this may count as 1968, too. The Taming of The Shrew - Fabulous Shakespeare adaptation with Taylor & Burton. Barefoot in The Park To Sir, With Love Quatermass and The Pit Who’s That Knocking At My Door - Scorsese’s debut is rough, but still worth viewing, if only to see the beginnings of a genius. The President’s Analyst In Like Flint Spider-Baby It wasn't until I was making my lists that I kept wondering why The Producers wasn't in my line-ups as I had seen it before and enjoyed it (I looove Mel Brooks), but for some reason I had it in 1968. I definitely consider it '67, so re-watching that one again for sure. Funny enough I consider Who's That Knocking... as '68 though and plan to watch it then. A lot of great picks here that are on my list, at least on the fence, but it always helps give them a boost to see them mentioned. |
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Post by idioticbunny on Jul 21, 2019 20:21:58 GMT
You're welcome! I have complicated relationships with Bonnie & Clyde and Playtime. Both are essential viewings for their status and I'm glad I watched both, but Bonnie and Clyde really left me wanting more. I found it quite weak on characterization and narrative, although perhaps that was kind of the point. I did love Burnett Guffrey's cinematography though, with its rustic landscapes and windswept plains. Most films set in these locales don't look half as beautiful. Playtime is its own beast. I didn't quite dig the humor and Tati's physical performance but it does have some really grand set pieces and sequences (some that perhaps go on too long). Definitely worth checking out for its ambition alone. I probably should give it another try myself. I get what you're saying about Point Blank. I know '67 is a really terrific and crowded year and some things have to fall through the cracks. If it's worth anything, I was totally stunned by the film and Boorman's mastery of his craft on display here. The story and acting are simple but the sequences are thrilling and tense, and the way Boorman uses editing (and especially sound) alongside composer Johnny Mandel is just stunning. It's everything you want in a neo-noir thriller. I remember seeing one particular scene on Youtube which convinced me that I definitely needed to watch the whole thing-- this one, (not a spoiler because it happens quite early) and I promise the rest of the film more than holds up. Ahh, well I suppose I'll certainly find out for myself on both counts. To be fair for Tati, I've been planning to watch his entire feature filmography since it's very small, but it took me a while to appreciate his style. I had hoped for a quicker pace like Keaton or Chaplin, but do agree that he tends to take his sweet time with things. I mainly appreciate his work for the atmosphere he brings to his films. It's very unlike Keaton and Chaplin (who are brilliant in their own way) where he truly makes you feel the world that he lives in, and a lot of the times it's a pretty pleasant place even though he's often criticizing society in some way. Hope it works better for me (and as a side note, you ought to check out a YouTuber by the name of Royal Ocean Film Society who is a big fan of Tati and even has two videos, one dedicated to Play Time and another to Tati's visual style as a whole. I've not watched either as I want to finish his filmography first, but as someone who has seen the film you may appreciate it). I absolutely believe you on Point Blank and everything you're telling me only makes me want to see it more. I grew up with my dad watching Steve McQueen films, so the idea that Bullitt is coming up has got me excited, and I feel like Point Blank will be a good thirst quencher until the next year in that facet. |
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Post by Joaquim on Jul 22, 2019 2:43:00 GMT
Terra em Transe
Playtime
Can't recommend Terra em Transe enough and no one else has mentioned it.
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Post by themoviesinner on Jul 22, 2019 9:52:11 GMT
idioticbunnyDragon Inn is definitely one of the most influencial martial arts films of all time and a significant precursor of modern action cinema, so it's worth watching just for that. As for Branded To Kill, I like it more than Tokyo Drifter, but both films are similar in style and share the same offbeat tone. Anyway, I hope you enjoy whatever you watch. 
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A shame you couldn't get Jean Martin in the supporting field though...
The other two in your top three are probably my most anticipated for the year aside from Young Girls of Rochefort. Definitely hope to check out a couple of the rest, though I'm gonna keep Fearless Vampire Killers for October so I have a light horror film to watch then (always like a balance). Thanks!
) and he nailed it. Since posting this, I've been thinking of giving Bondarchuk the win now for Director (as well as the film my #1), but Pontecorvo's style felt so groundbreaking. Taking Frankenheimer's quasi-documentary approach and enhancing it tenfold. Looooved it. Jean Martin was pretty good, and he's outside of my top ten. Think I had always remembered him better so perhaps that's why he didn't make the cut for me.
