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Post by idioticbunny on Jun 23, 2020 3:48:43 GMT
Finally crossed quite a lot of films off my list of cinematic shame that I hadn't gotten around to before (Barry Lyndon, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Nashville, The Mirror, etc.), though weirdly my top 3 still remains the same as it was before (with DDA not holding up as the top 20 film it once was and Jaws taking over at #1).
Certainly feels odd to have Jaws at #1 and my 2nd 10/10 of the decade after The Last Picture Show. I just find each time I watch it is even better than the last and I have a difficult time really finding many, if any, flaws in the film. And that feels so rare for a Spielberg film for me (even when I really loved his work). Will be curious to re-watch Saving Private Ryan in '98, which was previously my favorite Spielberg, as this one just might be my favorite of his works. It just feels so timeless and there's nary a wasted second, yet filled with vision and top-tier techs. Just like with Apocalypse Now, you'd never know the production was as chaotic as it was when you get a result like that. Am I weird for picking this as my favorite of the year or are there others out there like me? Lol.
Anyway, the year as a whole wasn't as incredible as I remember - mainly because as I mentioned before the same three films made my top 3 - but I can definitely see Picnic at Hanging Rock and Barry Lyndon climbing the ranks on future watches. Picnic is just maybe the most alluring and mysterious film I've ever watched, like a fantastic precursor to Lynch's own work on Twin Peaks minus the humor. And it was crazy to find out that it was all fiction. The way Weir presents the information, and "misinformation", truly feels authentic despite the insanity of it all.
Yet somehow the biggest surprise of the year for me wasn't Picnic, but rather Tommy. I mean, I've become a sucker for musicals ever since falling in love with Umbrellas of Cherbourg and then later solidifying my passion with Fred & Ginger in the '30s (considering I was never a fan before). But Tommy truly just broke new ground with musicals IMO (even with Rocky Horror the same year, which also feels ground-breaking in its own way). Ken Russell just put his SOUL into every fiber of that film and it is Vision with a capital, bold-faced V. It's certainly a bit messy and maybe a bit over-long, but I was entranced with every second of it due to Russell's (and the cast's, particularly Ann-Margret who was very deserving of her Oscar nod) commitment.
Biggest disappointment, however, was either Nashville or Deep Red. Two films that I had long heard about that felt right up my alley (one, a sprawling ensemble epic supposedly full of heart-breaking performances and lovely music; the other, a violent, creepy ode to Hitchcock). And while I still enjoyed them, they didn't live up to their reputation IMO. I was surprised to find that I'm kind of in the very small minority who preferred Ronee Blakley and wasn't all that impressed with Lily Tomlin or Keith Carradine (actually preferred Henry Gibson and Keenan Wynn for the males). I just felt like the "heart-breaking" and "emotional" performances that people have long put on all-time lists just weren't there for me and that was probably the most disappointing aspect. I can totally see Magnolia comparisons here, but that one at least had the emotion for me AND the scope (even if it was messier). I'll try my luck with 3 Women and The Player (as well as re-watching Short Cuts & Gosford Park), but starting to feel like Altman just ain't my thing sadly... As for Deep Red, it was still fun, but considering it's always listed up there with Suspiria (which is just a horror masterpiece), I was hoping for more of that. Argento teaming up with Goblin is clearly the highlight here, but just didn't have that pizzazz that even his debut The Bird with the Crystal Plumage had for me.
All in all, still a strong year, but not as amazing as its two surrounding years IMO (and weirdly might be one of the weakest of the decade so far). And of course sad to see DDA knock out of its all-time top 20 spot, but it had been many years since I had seen it last and I think knowing the outcome certainly changes the tension that it once held for me (and of course Charles Durning's absence in the second half is a bummer since I thought he perfectly went toe-to-toe with Pacino in terms of intensity, which Pacino still remains a favorite performance for me). If anything else, the acting is certainly fantastic here (except my Lead Actress line-up which is severely lacking, but also feel like I just missed out watching some strong contenders there, so hopefully in time I'll find some). Also Monty Python is still just such a blast and just love how absolutely wild and odd it is. Wish more comedies took risks like that today. Anyway, here are the line-ups:
Best Picture: 01. Jaws. 02. Dog Day Afternoon. 03. Monty Python and the Holy Grail. 04. Picnic at Hanging Rock. 05. Tommy. 06. Barry Lyndon. 07. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. 08. Three Days of the Condor. 09. The Stepford Wives. 10. F for Fake. ----------------- 11. French Connection II. 12. The Mirror. 13. Night Moves. 14. The Story of Adele H. 15. Love and Death. 16. The Rocky Horror Picture Show. 17. Nashville. 18. Deep Red. 19. Dersu Uzala. 20. The Return of the Pink Panther. 21. Shampoo. 22. Shivers. 23. Fox and His Friends. 24. Death Race 2000. 25. Dolemite. 26. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother. 27. Dark Star.
Best Director: 01. Peter Weir - Picnic at Hanging Rock. 02. Sidney Lumet - Dog Day Afternoon. 03. Steven Spielberg - Jaws. 04. Ken Russell - Tommy. 05. Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones - Monty Python and the Holy Grail. 06. Orson Welles - F for Fake. 07. Stanley Kubrick - Barry Lyndon.
Best Actor: 01. Al Pacino - Dog Day Afternoon. 02. Tim Curry - The Rocky Horror Picture Show. 03. Gene Hackman - French Connection II. 04. Jack Nicholson - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. 05. Roy Scheider - Jaws. 06. Yuriy Solomin - Dersu Uzala. 07. Robert Redford - Three Days of the Condor.
Best Actress: 01. Isabelle Adjani - The Story of Adele H. 02. Katharine Ross - The Stepford Wives. 03. Diane Keaton - Love and Death. 04. Susan Sarandon - The Rocky Horror Picture Show. 05. Simone Griffeth - Death Race 2000.
Best Supporting Actor: 01. Robert Shaw - Jaws. 02. Charles Durning - Dog Day Afternoon. 03. John Cleese - Monty Python and the Holy Grail. 04. Maksim Munzuk - Dersu Uzala. 05. Michael Palin - Monty Python and the Holy Grail. 06. Karlheinz Böhm - Fox and His Friends. 07. Max von Sydow - Three Days of the Condor.
Best Supporting Actress: 01. Ann-Margret - Tommy. 02. Paula Prentiss - The Stepford Wives. 03. Margarita Terekhova - The Mirror. 04. Margaret Nelson - Picnic at Hanging Rock. 05. Ronee Blakley - Nashville. 06. Helen Morse - Picnic at Hanging Rock. 07. Rachel Roberts - Picnic at Hanging Rock.
Best Original Screenplay: 01. Monty Python and the Holy Grail. 02. Shampoo. 03. Night Moves. 04. Love and Death. 05. Deep Red. 06. Fox and His Friends. 07. Shivers.
Best Adapted Screenplay: 01. Jaws. 02. Three Days of the Condor. 03. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. 04. The Stepford Wives. 05. Barry Lyndon. 06. Picnic at Hanging Rock. 07. French Connection II.
Best Ensemble: 01. Dog Day Afternoon. 02. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. 03. Picnic at Hanging Rock. 04. Monty Python and the Holy Grail. 05. Nashville. 06. Jaws. 07. Shampoo.
Best Editing: 01. Dog Day Afternoon. 02. F for Fake. 03. Jaws.
Best Cinematography: 01. Barry Lyndon. 02. Picnic at Hanging Rock. 03. Jaws.
Best Art Direction: 01. Barry Lyndon. 02. Tommy. 03. The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Best Costume Design: 01. Picnic at Hanging Rock. 02. Barry Lyndon. 03. Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Best Makeup: 01. Shivers. 02. Jaws. 03. The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Best Visual Effects: 01. Jaws. 02. Death Race 2000. 03. Dark Star.
Best Sound Design: 01. Jaws. 02. Picnic at Hanging Rock. 03. Dog Day Afternoon.
Best Original Score: 01. Goblin & Giorgio Gaslini - Deep Red. 02. John Williams - Jaws. 03. Michael Small - The Stepford Wives.
Best Original Song: 01. "Camelot Song (Knights of the Round Table)" - Monty Python and the Holy Grail. 02. "Benson Arizona" - Dark Star. 03. "I'm Easy" - Nashville.
Best Choreography: 01. Death Race 2000. 02. The Rocky Horror Picture Show. 03. Jaws.
Also feel like Michael Small is quickly becoming one of my favorite composers. Had only heard his Marathon Man score before, but he just knows how to make an impression while also crafting something unique. His Klute one is still my favorite of course, but I'm just loving what he's done in this decade. Few composers I think have captured paranoia and fear of what lurks around the corner (while also making it kind of alluring?) as well as him. I feel like he pretty much invented the neo-noir score.
As for '76, another year where I've seen quite a bit already (Taxi Driver, Network, All the President's Men, Carrie, The Omen, Alice Sweet Alice, Rocky, King Kong, Marathon Man) and also skipped ahead a bit to watch Obsession, Jeanne Dielman, and Silent Movie, but feel free to throw whatever recommendations you've got since it seems I've already seen most of the big ones (also I consider Salò '76 so plan on watching that one too).
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Post by themoviesinner on Jun 23, 2020 4:27:46 GMT
I never really was a big fan of Jaws. It's a nice, intense thriller, but I never considered it anything all that special. It would probably struggle to make my Spielberg top 10. Also, what were your thoughts on Dersu Uzala? I consider it a top 3 Kurosawa film, but it seems you weren't very fond of it.
Anyway, I consider 1976 the second best year of the decade. There's a lot of fantastic stuff worth watching. Here's my top 10 (the top 5 are all quite masterful):
1. Network 2. The Last Supper 3. The Fifth Seal 4. The Message 5. Insiang 6. The Outlaw Josey Wales 7. Taxi Driver 8. 1900 9. Duelle 10. Ugly, Dirty And Bad
Also, Salo is my #1 of all time, so I'd definitely recommend that as well, even if it is a very difficult film.
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Post by gradytripp on Jun 23, 2020 8:59:11 GMT
Jaws is my #1 of 1975 too, and one of my top 3 films of all time.
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Post by JangoB on Jun 23, 2020 11:57:26 GMT
For 1976 I'd recommend:
Visconti's The Innocent - I feel that this is among his more accessible pictures, even if its characters are quite dubious. That absence of insistent moral lessons is what makes the film special to me, not to mention that it's a must for your tech lineups. Plus Giancarlo Giannini's performance is terrific.
Another tech masterwork of the year is Fellini's Casanova - you won't get better production and costume design than this. Sutherland is great in the main part too, and the movie is quite a wild experience.
Dunno how you feel about Rohmer but The Marquise of O is yet another period piece I'd recommend although it feels more like a Herzog movie than a Rohmer one, I suppose. Gorgeous though it surely is.
Saura's Cria cuervos and Truffaut's Small Change would be an interesting childhood movie combination.
Once again gotta pimp out Peter Bogdanovich - his Nickelodeon is not a masterpiece but it's a lowkey delightful old-fashioned movie which is yet another homage of his to the earlier days of cinema.
Liv Ullmann gives one of the VERY greatest all-time performances in Bergman's Face to Face so I'd say that one is a must.
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Post by Joaquim on Jun 23, 2020 16:00:35 GMT
Watch Cria cuervos and Salo
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Post by TerryMontana on Jun 23, 2020 16:47:18 GMT
Not yet mentioned:
Robin and Marian Silver Streak The Missouri Breaks The Enforcer The Last Tycoon
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Post by jimmalone on Jun 23, 2020 17:59:07 GMT
Well, good to see we have the same #1 in 1975 and you like Dog Day Afternoon, Condor and French Connnection II as well. I agree about Picnic and it's mystery. I think this is a film that just fully depends on it's direction and the haunting, numbing atmosphere Weir creates. I still have to see Nashville myself.
My Top Films of 1976: 1. All the President's Men (Alan J. Pakula) 2. Rocky (John G. Avildsen) 3. Murder by Death (Robert Moore) 4. The Marathon Man (John Schlesinger) 5. The Outlaw Josey Wales (Clint Eastwood)
6. The Shootist (Don Siegel) 7. La Meilleure Facon de Marcher (Claude Miller) 8. Assault on Precinct 13 (John Carpenter) 9. Les 12 Travaux d'Asterix (Rene Goscinny, Henri Gruel, Albert Uderzo) 10. Robin and Marian (Richard Lester) 11. Insiang (Lino Brocka)
12. Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese) 13. The Front (Martin Ritt) 14. Le juge et l'assassin (Bertrand Tavernier)
Actually there really isn't much more that year I can really recommend.
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Jun 23, 2020 18:59:34 GMT
you're speaking my language, bunny I struggled with Nashville too but Blakely was sublime and I'll never forget Gibson's performance during those final minutes: "This inn't Dallas, it's Nashville!" ... haunting I've kept putting off Deep Red because I watched 10ish minutes into the English dub and hated the English dub. I generally despise English dubs in Italian horror films and when I like a Bava or Argento it's usually in spite of the dub which always sounds clunky and stilted (my favorite Bava is Black Sabbath in no small part because I got to see it in Italian). Did some googling and people have said the Italian dub of Deep Red is much better but alas, can't find that version anywhere. Damn. 1976 is one of my favorite years of the decade. Seconding the mentions for Ugly, Dirty And Bad (pitch black John Waters-esque Italian comedy with a deeply poignant sense of class stagnation), Cria cuervos (beautiful coming of age story), and Salò (needs no introduction). not yet mentioned: In the Realm of the Senses - Captivating depiction of mutually-destructive obsession. Gorgeous cinematography and costume/set design with a tense and foreboding string score. Eiko Matsuda is terrifying/brilliant. Bound for Glory - A beautiful tribute to Depression Era folk hero Woody Guthrie. Wonderful cinematography by Haskell Wexler (not showy, but his muted earth tones compliment the material and bring this world alive), with a strong central performance by David Carradine whose laid-back and gritty charm obscures depths of righteous anger, and restrained directing by Ashby which keeps the thing always grounded. Chinese Roulette - haven't seen as many Fassbinders as I should, but this is my favorite so far. A domestic psychological thriller about the deepening rifts between a couple when they accidentally show up at the family's country house with their respective lovers. Cuts really deep. The Tenant - Wonderfully atmospheric and twisty psychological thriller with an overpowering sense of squalid atmosphere (shot in oppressive earth tones by Sven Nykvist). It's Polanski's weakest in the apartment trilogy but that's not saying much lol. Features wonderful music by Philippe Sarde. The Bad News Bears - felt like something I would have disliked but its casually sardonic humor as engendered by Walter Matthau's brilliant performance (in maybe his funniest performance ever) ties the whole thing together without altogether excluding a chance at redemptive sincerity. It's sweet but mostly it's really, really funny. The Witch Who Came from the Sea - how to describe this... well, it's directed by Matt Climber who also directed Butterfly and is the co-creator of the original GLOW, and it has a 5.6 on IMDB so you know it's something unique. Personally I found it to be a really engrossing story about female trauma and rage set in a seaside setting with lots of bonkers/fantastical imagery and genuinely Oscar-worthy performances from Millie Perkins as the lead and Vanessa Brown as her concerned mother. It really got under my skin in a wonderful way. Voyage of the Damned - worth seeing for the incredible ensemble cast and sweeping scope of the thing. It's basically a better version of Ship of Fools in that it also concerns the travels of an ocean liner in the 1930s carrying Jewish refugees looking for safe harbor and finding none. Lots of strong performances from the huge cast, especially Oskar Werner, Lee Grant, Max von Sydow, Katharine Ross, Ben Gazarra, Wendy Hiller (the list goes on), not to mention the costumes and sets. Not really an essential viewing but if you have extra space I'd definitely slot this one in. Next Stop, Greenwich Village - I wasn't a huge fan of this one but I'm including it because I know you've been digging Mazursky. What makes this one essential is Shelley Winters' beautiful performance as the protagonist's anxious mother (she really is fantastic here). Other standouts include Christopher Walken, Ellen Greene, Lois Smith. Definitely worth checking out. a couple others: The Front for Zero Mostel The Shootist for John Wayne (at his most self-reflective and interesting) and Lauren Bacall The Marquise of O for Edith Clever, Edda Seippel, costumes
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Post by Mattsby on Jun 23, 2020 20:44:04 GMT
Love that you dug French Connection II & Night Moves (fun fact - they were playing in theaters at the same time in '75, what a double feature).
My favs for 76......
The Tenant Mikey and Nicky Heart of Glass Small Change Bad News Bears
Lesser but I know you’re a Hitch fan and Family Plot is pretty good fun with a terrific William Devane perf…..
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Post by idioticbunny on Jun 24, 2020 2:10:58 GMT
I never really was a big fan of Jaws. It's a nice, intense thriller, but I never considered it anything all that special. It would probably struggle to make my Spielberg top 10. Also, what were your thoughts on Dersu Uzala? I consider it a top 3 Kurosawa film, but it seems you weren't very fond of it. Anyway, I consider 1976 the second best year of the decade. There's a lot of fantastic stuff worth watching. Here's my top 10 (the top 5 are all quite masterful): 1. Network 2. The Last Supper 3. The Fifth Seal 4. The Message 5. Insiang 6. The Outlaw Josey Wales 7. Taxi Driver 8. 1900 9. Duelle 10. Ugly, Dirty And Bad Also, Salo is my #1 of all time, so I'd definitely recommend that as well, even if it is a very difficult film. I'm absolutely planning to watch Salo. Have it next on my Netflix DVD queue so hopefully soon (along with Dolittle for the girlfriend... it'll be a strange double feature LOL). Anyway, I think that's the odd thing about Jaws for me is that I'm inclined to agree - it's really nothing special on the surface. But every time I watch it, I find it hard to pick out any flaws and I have a really good time with it. Maybe 10/10 is a bit much, but suppose I'll just have to see how time agrees with it for me. As for Dersu Uzala, I did enjoy it, but it seemed to lack the intimacy that the story seemed to require (and that Kurosawa is usually good at handling). It felt like Lean without the heart and that's the one thing that kept it from placing higher because everything else about it was really strong and I'm glad it pretty much revamped Kurosawa's career. Still very excited to check out Kagemusha, Ran, and Dreams when I get to those years. Thanks for the recommendations! I just re-watched Taxi Driver last night and Network a couple days ago and still love them both. Haven't heard of a couple of the rest, but adding them to my list! Thanks again! '76 is definitely shaping up to be an amazing year.
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Post by idioticbunny on Jun 24, 2020 2:12:02 GMT
Jaws is my #1 of 1975 too, and one of my top 3 films of all time. It's truly just a blast. Probably my favorite Spielberg, but excited to re-watch some of his others that I haven't seen since I was much younger (like Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., Empire of the Sun, etc.).
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Post by idioticbunny on Jun 24, 2020 2:17:23 GMT
For 1976 I'd recommend: Visconti's The Innocent - I feel that this is among his more accessible pictures, even if its characters are quite dubious. That absence of insistent moral lessons is what makes the film special to me, not to mention that it's a must for your tech lineups. Plus Giancarlo Giannini's performance is terrific. Another tech masterwork of the year is Fellini's Casanova - you won't get better production and costume design than this. Sutherland is great in the main part too, and the movie is quite a wild experience. Dunno how you feel about Rohmer but The Marquise of O is yet another period piece I'd recommend although it feels more like a Herzog movie than a Rohmer one, I suppose. Gorgeous though it surely is. Saura's Cria cuervos and Truffaut's Small Change would be an interesting childhood movie combination. Once again gotta pimp out Peter Bogdanovich - his Nickelodeon is not a masterpiece but it's a lowkey delightful old-fashioned movie which is yet another homage of his to the earlier days of cinema. Liv Ullmann gives one of the VERY greatest all-time performances in Bergman's Face to Face so I'd say that one is a must. Thanks for the recommendations! I somehow didn't have The Innocent on my watchlist, so I'll be sure to add it. I've also not watched any Rohmer yet, so unsure how to feel about him, but have heard quite a bit about that one so might check it out. Glad to hear you're a fan of Nickelodeon, as I'm sure it's obvious by now how much I enjoy Bogdanovich's work. I may seek that one out if I can as well. I was on the fence about Face to Face as it didn't seem as widely discussed as other Bergman films, but that's high praise so I may just make it mandatory. Thanks again!
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Post by idioticbunny on Jun 24, 2020 2:18:51 GMT
Not yet mentioned: Robin and Marian Silver Streak The Missouri Breaks The Enforcer The Last Tycoon Ooh, how is Silver Streak and The Enforcer? I love Wilder, but was severely disappointed with his Sherlock Holmes from '75 but I really want to seek out more of his stuff (that I haven't already seen). And mainly just curious about whether to continue the Dirty Harry series or not as the first two were great, but have never heard anyone talk about the rest.
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Post by idioticbunny on Jun 24, 2020 2:26:05 GMT
Well, good to see we have the same #1 in 1975 and you like Dog Day Afternoon, Condor and French Connnection II as well. I agree about Picnic and it's mystery. I think this is a film that just fully depends on it's direction and the haunting, numbing atmosphere Weir creates. I still have to see Nashville myself. My Top Films of 1976:1. All the President's Men (Alan J. Pakula) 2. Rocky (John G. Avildsen) 3. Murder by Death (Robert Moore) 4. The Marathon Man (John Schlesinger) 5. The Outlaw Josey Wales (Clint Eastwood) 6. The Shootist (Don Siegel) 7. La Meilleure Facon de Marcher (Claude Miller) 8. Assault on Precinct 13 (John Carpenter) 9. Les 12 Travaux d'Asterix (Rene Goscinny, Henri Gruel, Albert Uderzo) 10. Robin and Marian (Richard Lester) 11. Insiang (Lino Brocka) 12. Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese) 13. The Front (Martin Ritt) 14. Le juge et l'assassin (Bertrand Tavernier) Actually there really isn't much more that year I can really recommend. Absolutely agree on Weir and Picnic. It's just an absolutely spell-binding film that somehow creates this incredible aura of mystique without losing its authenticity/grounded feel and without trying to be purposefully eerie/scary. It's just incredible and I can see that film growing quite a bit with me on future watches. As for '76, I hate to spoil it for you but... I have a strong suspicion we'll be in agreement on #1's again. I've always loved All the President's Men and every time I re-watch it, it just amazes me the level of skill in every facet of it. Plus I've clearly been a huge fan of Pakula's other two "paranoia" films so I can see this one becoming my third 10/10 of the decade. Also glad to see Murder by Death so high for you. I'm a massive fan of Clue and have been largely disappointed by the Pink Panther films which I was hoping would be more in that style ( A Shot in the Dark is close but not quite there), so I'm hoping Murder by Death finally satisfies that craving. Thanks for the list!
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Post by idioticbunny on Jun 24, 2020 2:33:15 GMT
Love that you dug French Connection II & Night Moves (fun fact - they were playing in theaters at the same time in '75, what a double feature). My favs for 76...... The Tenant Mikey and Nicky Heart of Glass Small Change Bad News Bears Lesser but I know you’re a Hitch fan and Family Plot is pretty good fun with a terrific William Devane perf….. I was actually surprised by how much I dug French Connection II considering it was the one film from '75 I was least looking forward to re-watching (always remember loving the first but being disappointed with the second - less action for younger me I suppose). And Night Moves has been growing on me as well (mainly due to the help of Michael Small's great score that plays in my head - he was #4 there in my line-ups as well). I'm definitely watching Family Plot. After that, I'll just need to watch Champagne (if I can find it) and The Lodger (which I held off specifically for October watches originally, but never got around to it so now I'm just saving it for last). Having watched (and re-watched) Obsession and Taxi Driver lately, it was sad to say goodbye to Bernard Herrmann (my favorite composer) so it'll be sad to say goodbye to my favorite director as well. I hope I enjoy it. Also all that you mentioned, but Small Change, are in my must-sees so that's good to hear! I might make way for Small Change as well.
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Post by idioticbunny on Jun 24, 2020 2:45:49 GMT
Tommen_Saperstein I loved that whole ending sequence of Nashville and I kind of wish more of the film was like that personally. Glad to know I'm not alone on Blakley and Gibson. They felt like the only really formed characters in the film and considering a lot of the film was improvised, that's gotta say something for their performances right? As for Deep Red, I had refused to watch it unless I could find the Italian dub as well which I was lucky enough to get through Netflix's DVD rental service (if the run-time is under 2 hours, it's missing key stuff). I also know that Arrow Video sells the full version and it'd certainly be cool to watch a Blu-ray transfer of the film. I certainly wouldn't want to sway you from checking it out based off my disappointment as I still enjoyed it quite a bit and it's pretty entertaining, just had high expectations considering only two years later he followed it up with a horror masterpiece. Still worth a look, but yeah, definitely find the Italian dub which still has both Italian and English dialogue btw (I hate dubbing too). Thanks for the '76 recs! It seems like Cria cuervos is one to check out so I'll move that up the list and try and check it out. Definitely planning to check out Salo, In the Realm of the Senses, The Tenant, and The Bad News Bears so glad to hear good things on those. Was on the fence about Bound for Glory so will see if I can make room for that one. I really want to check out more Ashby, but starting to wonder if he'll ever really come close to Harold & Maude for me (though maybe that's unfair). Good to hear about Chinese Roulette though! I was planning to skip it as Fassbinder makes like ten movies a year lol, so I really only set aside time for the ones that get talked up a lot, but you've certainly intrigued me. I'll have to move that up the list too. How would you compare Next Stop, Greenwich Village to other Mazursky films? I love the sentimentality and grounded relationships of Bob & Carol and Harry & Tonto (he sure likes those ampersands huh?), but wasn't sure what else to really seek out from him. Also wasn't sure whether to check out any of the Westerns this year, but certainly seems to be a lot of praise for both Shootist and Outlaw Josey Wales in this thread. Just now I gotta decide which one to check out lol. Gonna add The Witch... to my Horror watchlist and try to check it out some October night Thanks again for the insight per usual!
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Post by TerryMontana on Jun 24, 2020 5:16:57 GMT
Not yet mentioned: Robin and Marian Silver Streak The Missouri Breaks The Enforcer The Last Tycoon Ooh, how is Silver Streak and The Enforcer? I love Wilder, but was severely disappointed with his Sherlock Holmes from '75 but I really want to seek out more of his stuff (that I haven't already seen). And mainly just curious about whether to continue the Dirty Harry series or not as the first two were great, but have never heard anyone talk about the rest. I watched all of the Dirty Harry movies in a few days many years ago. I just think you should see them as a movie fan but they are not as good as the first one (and the second imo). As for Silver Streak, I saw this as a child (about 25 years ago!!) but I remember I loved it! I'm a big fan of the Wilder-Pryor duo.
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Post by jimmalone on Jun 24, 2020 10:07:38 GMT
Not yet mentioned: Robin and Marian Silver Streak The Missouri Breaks The Enforcer The Last Tycoon Ooh, how is Silver Streak and The Enforcer? I love Wilder, but was severely disappointed with his Sherlock Holmes from '75 but I really want to seek out more of his stuff (that I haven't already seen). And mainly just curious about whether to continue the Dirty Harry series or not as the first two were great, but have never heard anyone talk about the rest. You can watch The Enforcer (though it's certainly no need), but stay away from the fourth and the fifth part. They are really bad.
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Post by therealcomicman117 on Jun 24, 2020 14:12:14 GMT
More films I recommend. Some already mentioned, some not.
Assault On Precinct 13
The Shootist - John Wayne's swan song, although a bit unintentionally so, it's still a very poignant well done western.
Murder By Death
The Pink Panther Strikes Again - My favorite Panther film after A Shot in The Dark. This one's a load of ridiculous fun.
Bugsy Malone - A musical featuring kid gangsters shouldn't work, and yet somehow it does.
Gold Told Me To - Larry Cohen's great horror send-up of the obsession of religion. In some ways, scarily enough, it's still a very relevant film.
Logan's Run
The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings
Bound For Glory - Basically the original music bio-pic, and it's pretty dang solid.
The Devil's Playground - Powerful Australian drama about Catholicism. Fred Schepisi's film debut, and he went on to make several major Hollywood films after.
Family Plot - Hitchcock's last, and while not his best, it's still a nice classic "who dunnit?" Only thing working against it, is that it has a more of a cheap TV Vibe.
The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane
From Noon Till Three - One of Charles Bronson's most delightful films. A surprisingly really enjoyable western comedy.
Robin and Marian - Probably the best semi-revisionist take on the character of Robin Hood. It's basically a good take on the moniker "things change", with Robin Hood trying to get his old gang back-together for one last battle against The Sheriff of Nottingham, but things don't work out as well as he'd hoped. It actually gets kinda depressing at points, too.
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Jun 26, 2020 4:20:40 GMT
How would you compare Next Stop, Greenwich Village to other Mazursky films? I love the sentimentality and grounded relationships of Bob & Carol and Harry & Tonto (he sure likes those ampersands huh?), but wasn't sure what else to really seek out from him. Mid tier for me personally (like 7-ish out of 10), and it mostly comes down to me not liking Lenny Baker. I think if you've enjoyed those other Mazursky films though you should check this one out. The relationship between the protagonist and his overprotective anxious mom is really sweet (Winters is an absolute treasure here) and the narrative mostly focuses on the relationships he makes on the Greenwich Village scene while nursing vague aspirations of stardom. Has the same grounded sweetness of those other films while also being about letting go. I think you'd like it!
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Post by idioticbunny on Jun 27, 2020 1:52:19 GMT
Ooh, how is Silver Streak and The Enforcer? I love Wilder, but was severely disappointed with his Sherlock Holmes from '75 but I really want to seek out more of his stuff (that I haven't already seen). And mainly just curious about whether to continue the Dirty Harry series or not as the first two were great, but have never heard anyone talk about the rest. I watched all of the Dirty Harry movies in a few days many years ago. I just think you should see them as a movie fan but they are not as good as the first one (and the second imo). As for Silver Streak, I saw this as a child (about 25 years ago!!) but I remember I loved it! I'm a big fan of the Wilder-Pryor duo. (Also jimmalone) I think that's generally the impression I've gotten from the Dirty Harry films, but I live to be surprised lol. Might skip it this time around. Dang, that's a crazy long time ago! I've never actually watched a Wilder-Pryor film so maybe I'll make this my first!
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Post by idioticbunny on Jun 27, 2020 1:55:24 GMT
therealcomicman117 Thanks for the list! Just caught Family Plot the other night and agree with the TV level production which was a bit of a disappointment for his last, but not a bad effort. Definitely plan to watch Assault on Precinct 13 and Murder by Death. Would love some expanded thoughts on the ones I'm on the fence about here: The Pink Panther Strikes Again, Logan's Run, Bugsy Malone, and Bound for Glory.
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Post by idioticbunny on Jun 27, 2020 1:56:36 GMT
How would you compare Next Stop, Greenwich Village to other Mazursky films? I love the sentimentality and grounded relationships of Bob & Carol and Harry & Tonto (he sure likes those ampersands huh?), but wasn't sure what else to really seek out from him. Mid tier for me personally (like 7-ish out of 10), and it mostly comes down to me not liking Lenny Baker. I think if you've enjoyed those other Mazursky films though you should check this one out. The relationship between the protagonist and his overprotective anxious mom is really sweet (Winters is an absolute treasure here) and the narrative mostly focuses on the relationships he makes on the Greenwich Village scene while nursing vague aspirations of stardom. Has the same grounded sweetness of those other films while also being about letting go. I think you'd like it! It actually sounds up my alley for sure! I might skip it this time around just to make room for some bigger films, but I'm always happy to keep some stuff on the watchlist to excite me for the next time around! Thanks again!
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Post by therealcomicman117 on Jun 27, 2020 2:50:38 GMT
therealcomicman117 Thanks for the list! Just caught Family Plot the other night and agree with the TV level production which was a bit of a disappointment for his last, but not a bad effort. Definitely plan to watch Assault on Precinct 13 and Murder by Death. Would love some expanded thoughts on the ones I'm on the fence about here: The Pink Panther Strikes Again, Logan's Run, Bugsy Malone, and Bound for Glory. The Pink Panther Strikes Again is easily the most cartoonish of the five Sellers film, but it's also the most fun. I guess it depends on your preference for over the top humor, but I absolutely enjoyed a lot of it. The sequence of Closeau outwitting a bunch of deadly assassins, and The Pavlova of the Parallels bit are both examples of stupid comedy at its absolute best. Logan's Run is a really enjoyable sci-fi flick. Sure it looks campy and cheap now with its effects now, but I really love exploring its world both it and out of it. Also the Jerry Goldsmith score is an amazing mix of experimental electronics and orchestral lush, that really makes it worth at least a viewing. Bugsy Malone is definitely a movie that's not for everyone, and while it might be best enjoyed when your younger, I still really respect Alan Parker's galls to make a gangster story from a kids perspective, and shoot it in London. Also the songs by Paul Williams are really frigging enjoyable. I think my favorite is My Name is Tallulah. Not surprisingly the film actually spawned a real-life musical, that continued to run in the U.K. for years. Bound For Glory is a really well-directed well-made film. A lot of it is standard music biopic stuff you've seen before (only it did it first), but I think what I really appreciated about it, is how it's able to successfully convey the feel of living in the great depression, and the hardships we all had to face back then. Haskell Wexler's gorgeous Oscar winning cinematography alone resembles the feel of being trapped in a dust-bowl area. Also the casting of David Carradine in his one few non junk B movie leading roles was ingenious. He's not exactly great in the film, but he mostly gets down the persona of who Woody Guthrie is as a person rather well.
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Post by idioticbunny on Jun 27, 2020 4:59:17 GMT
therealcomicman117 Thanks for the list! Just caught Family Plot the other night and agree with the TV level production which was a bit of a disappointment for his last, but not a bad effort. Definitely plan to watch Assault on Precinct 13 and Murder by Death. Would love some expanded thoughts on the ones I'm on the fence about here: The Pink Panther Strikes Again, Logan's Run, Bugsy Malone, and Bound for Glory. The Pink Panther Strikes Again is easily the most cartoonish of the five Sellers film, but it's also the most fun. I guess it depends on your preference for over the top humor, but I absolutely enjoyed a lot of it. The sequence of Closeau outwitting a bunch of deadly assassins, and The Pavlova of the Parallels bit are both examples of stupid comedy at its absolute best. Logan's Run is a really enjoyable sci-fi flick. Sure it looks campy and cheap now with its effects now, but I really love exploring its world both it and out of it. Also the Jerry Goldsmith score is an amazing mix of experimental electronics and orchestral lush, that really makes it worth at least a viewing. Bugsy Malone is definitely a movie that's not for everyone, and while it might be best enjoyed when your younger, I still really respect Alan Parker's galls to make a gangster story from a kids perspective, and shoot it in London. Also the songs by Paul Williams are really frigging enjoyable. I think my favorite is My Name is Tallulah. Not surprisingly the film actually spawned a real-life musical, that continued to run in the U.K. for years. Bound For Glory is a really well-directed well-made film. A lot of it is standard music biopic stuff you've seen before (only it did first), but I think what I really appreciated about it, is how it's able to successfully convey the feel of living in the great depression, and the hardships we all had to face back then. Haskell Wexler's gorgeous Oscar winning cinematography alone resembles the feel of being trapped in a dust-bowl area. Also the casting of David Carradine in his one few non junk B movie leading roles was ingenious. He's not exactly great in the film, but he mostly gets down the persona of who Woody Guthrie is as a person rather well. I do love me some stupid humor (I mean, Mel Brooks is like one of my favorite directors haha). And I did enjoy The Return of the Pink Panther, but felt like - along with the first Pink Panther film - that it tended to let some gags run too long, so that's my only worry. I might get to it if I have time, but at worst I'll catch up on it down the line Definitely curious to check out all the Sellers PP films. I had made Logan's Run a mandatory viewing for some reason before making this thread here, but since you were the only one who mentioned it I thought maybe I was just a bit crazy. I definitely enjoy some ol' cheesy sci-fi, and certainly don't mind dated effects. Also you had me at Jerry Goldsmith. So I might not include it in my essentials, but will see if I can make time for it. I'm certainly curious, if anything else. I always wondered if Bugsy Malone the movie came first or if the musical did, so that's crazy that it was the film first. I also had no idea Paul Williams of Phantom of the Paradise fame wrote the music. That certainly makes me very curious. I'm sure it would have been more fun as a kid (I used to watch Newsies a lot when I was younger and that feels like it's in the same wheelhouse), but was mainly curious if it would play well for the gf so might give it a go simply for that haha. Though I'm verrrrry curious, especially since I saw some clips back in college (weirdly enough). Certainly have made me curious about Bound for Glory. I'm not big on a music biopics unless I love the artist (and I've never been a big country fan), but was curious to see how Ashby handled it. Certainly doesn't sound bad at all, but might just save it for another time. Thanks for the insight!
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