Rate/Rank Brian De Palma

[Qrazy]

I'm interested to see where he stands with the MC crowd.

[MacGuffin]

Dressed to Kill (1980) **
Scarface (1983) ***
Body Double (1984) ****
Casualties of War (1989) ***
Snake Eyes (1998) *
Femme Fatale (2002) ****
The Black Dahlia (2006) ***

[Philosophe_rouge]

Blow Out 4/10

[Spinal]

Very Good:
Femme Fatale
Mission to Mars
Carlito's Way
Scarface
Carrie
Hi, Mom!
That Bruce Springsteen video where Courtney Cox gets up and dances

Good:
The Untouchables
Body Double

OK:
Mission Impossible

Awful:
The Black Dahlia
Snake Eyes

[Rowland]

Femme Fatale (2002) 90 (****)
Blow Out (1981) 87 (****)
Carrie (1976) 84 (****)
Dressed to Kill (1980) 82 (****)
Carlito's Way (1993) 78 (***½)
Body Double (1984) 74 (***½)
Raising Cain (1992) 73 (***½)
Mission Impossible (1996) 71 (***½)
Sisters (1973) 70 (***½)
Phantom of the Paradise (1974) 68 (***)
Hi, Mom! (1970) 66 (***)
Scarface (1983) 65 (***)
Snake Eyes (1998) 63 (***)
The Fury (1978) 55 (**½)
Casualties of War (1989) 54 (**½)
The Untouchables (1987) 50 (**½)
Mission to Mars (2000) 49 (**)
The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) 47 (**)
Obsession (1976) 46 (**)
Greetings (1968) 43 (**)
The Black Dahlia (2006) 41 (**)
Redacted (2007) 37 (*½)

[Pop Trash]

The only one I really like a lot (of what I've seen) is Carrie but a lot of his films are quite entertaining, especially when I was a kid, but then later I got into Hitchcock and realized how liberally he stole from him and started to like him a little less. I also think Scarface is one of the most overrated films ever.

I do keep meaning to rewatch (or watch for the first time) some of hs films. Sisters, Blow Out, and Dressed to Kill in particular.

[soitgoes...]

Sisters (1973) - 6.5
Carrie (1976) - 8.5
Blow Out (1981) - 8.0
Scarface (1983) - 6.5
The Untouchables (1987) - 7.5
Mission: Impossible (1996) - 6.5
Snake Eyes (1998) - 2.5
Mission to Mars (2000) - 3.0
The Balck Dahlia (2006) - 4.0

Interested in seeing more of his earlier stuff, but as you can see I'm not too much a of a fan of the more recent films of his.

[Qrazy]

Sisters (1973) - 6.5
Carrie (1976) - 8.5
Blow Out (1981) - 8.0
Scarface (1983) - 6.5
The Untouchables (1987) - 7.5
Mission: Impossible (1996) - 6.5
Snake Eyes (1998) - 2.5
Mission to Mars (2000) - 3.0
The Balck Dahlia (2006) - 4.0

Interested in seeing more of his earlier stuff, but as you can see I'm not too much a of a fan of the more recent films of his.

Apparently Femme Fatale is good.

[soitgoes...]

Apparently Femme Fatale is good.
So I've heard. I'll get around to it some day.

[MacGuffin]

Apparently Femme Fatale is good.

That is an understatement.

[origami_mustache]

Carrie - 5
Scarface - 5
The Untouchables - 6
Mission Impossible - 4
Snake Eyes - 3

[Teh Sausage]

Dressed to Kill (1980) - 4.0
Blow Out (1981) - 6.5
Scarface (1983) - 3.5
The Untouchables (1987) - 8.0
Mission: Impossible (1996) - 7.5
Snake Eyes (1998) - 3.0
Mission to Mars (2000) - 4.0

I think I like him best when he's in director-for-hire mode. (blasphemy, I know)

[Qrazy]

# Sisters (1973) - C-
# Carrie (1976) - C+
# Blow Out (1981) - C+
# Scarface (1983) - C
# Body Double (1984) - C-
# The Untouchables (1987) - C
# Carlito's Way (1993) - C+
# Mission: Impossible (1996) - C
# Mission to Mars (2000) - C-

I dunno they all seem to have roughly the same strengths and weaknesses to me with a few being slightly stronger and a few being slightly weaker than his average outing.

[megladon8]

The low ratings for Scarface are sad.

This thread is one big chicken, waitin to get plucked.

[balmakboor]

Murder a la Mod - B- (fun movie but still quite embryonic)
Greetings - B+
Hi, Mom! - A-
Sisters - A
Phantom of the Paradise - B
Obsession - haven't seen for too long
Carrie - A+
The Fury - A-
Dressed to Kill - A
Blow Out - A+
Scarface - B+
Body Double - A-
The Untouchables - B
Casualties of War - A+
The Bonfire of the Vanities - first two acts B/last act D
Raising Cain - A
Carlito's Way - A
Mission: Impossible - B+
Snake Eyes - A-
Mission to Mars - A
Femme Fatale - A+
The Black Dahlia - 1st viewing C/2nd viewing B/3rd viewing A
Redacted - A

Yes, I hate the guy.

Actually, he just really connects with me on all levels -- visceral, emotional, intellectual. He was my first favorite director back when I was 20 (26 year ago) and he is still close to the top.

[Melville]

Carrie - 4.5
Scarface - 3.5
The Untouchables - 4
The Bonfire of the Vanities - only vaguely remember it
Mission: Impossible - 5.5
The Black Dahlia - 4

I can't say I'm a fan.

[Boner M]

Actually, he just really connects with me on all levels -- visceral, emotional, intellectual.
Viscerally and intellectually I can understand, but emotionally? He has crafted some beautiful scenes, but outside of Carrie and possibly Carlito's Way (the former largely due to Spacek's performance), I've always get the impression that he doggedly denies any kind of emotional engagement.

[Melville]

Viscerally and intellectually I can understand, but emotionally? He has crafted some beautiful scenes, but outside of Carrie and possibly Carlito's Way (the former largely due to Spacek's performance), I've always get the impression that he doggedly denies any kind of emotional engagement.
Yeah, that's what I was thinking.

[Mysterious Dude]

1. Mission: Impossible (1996) ***
2. The Untouchables (1987) **½
3. Blow Out (1981) **½
4. Mission to Mars (2000) **½
5. Femme Fatale (2002) **
6. Scarface (1983) **

[Sven]

Roughly:

Raising Cain - **** - Perfect, tight, riveting entertainment
Body Double - **** - Delirious and thrilling
Snake Eyes - **** - Lots of great setpieces
Blow Out - **** - Prefer it to Antonioni, one of the more interesting meta-whodunits
Mission to Mars - **** - The last act is unspeakably beautiful
Femme Fatale - **** - Love the convolutions, but Ms Romijn could've been better
Sisters - **** - I love this neo-Hitchcock stuff
Carlito's Way - **** - Emotionally engaging spiritual successor to Scarface
Bonfire of the Vanities - **** - Don't ask me why this is hated, love it!
Phantom of the Paradise - **** - Faust meets Phantom meets Rocky Horror
Carrie - **** - Excellent atmosphere and wonderful unpredictability
The Fury - ***1/2 - Greatest ending ever.
Woton's Wake - ***1/2 - Pretty much the best student film ever made
Greetings - ***1/2 - Gerrit Graham is only better in Paradise
Obsession - ***1/2 - Essentially Vertigo for the 70s crowd, it's pretty good
Hi, Mom! - ***1/2 - Recommendable for Be Black Baby alone.
That Bruce Springsteen Video - ***1/2 - I just love seeing all that dancing.
Murder a la Mode - *** - Strange but interesting first film
Dressed to Kill - *** - A little weak, but Oscar-winner Michael Caine impresses
The Wedding Party - *** - Funny and charming
The Responsive Eye - *** - Intriguing first documentary about art and perspective
Mission: Impossible - *** - Weakens every time I see it, but I cannot deny the strength of its setpieces
Scarface - *** - The latter half redeems the ugliness of the first half
Casualties of War - *** - De Palma's biggest fans love this film, but I've never been able to dig it as much.
Home Movies - *** - It's fun to see Kirk Douglas in a low-budget comedy
The Untouchables - **1/2 - Ehhhhh... I dunno.
The Black Dahlia - ** - Kinda miserable, still inventive here and there
Dionysus in '69 - ** - Roughly 90 minutes of experimental theater, not for me, but Spinal might dig it
Wise Guys - *1/2 - Almost worthless, though I like some of its cartooniness

Really really really want to see Get to Know Your Rabbit, less excited about seeing Redacted, but I'm sure I will eventually.

[Melville]

Roughly:

Based on your rankings, I've obviously been watching the wrong De Palma films.

[balmakboor]

l...ess excited about seeing Redacted, but I'm sure I will eventually.

I of course knew you were a BDP fan. Have you read my thoughts on Redacted in my blog?

To others: I find many of his best films very emotionally satisfying, especially Blow Out, Carrie, Casualties of War, and Mission to Mars.

[DavidSeven]

Meh Palma.

[Sycophant]

Femme Fatale 71
Blow Out 83

[Kurious Jorge v3.1]

Hi Mom! - ****
Phantom of the Paradise - ***
Blow Out - **1/2
Mission Impossible - **1/2
Scarface - **
Femme Fatale - **
Greetings - **
Sisters - **
Snake Eyes - *
Carrie - *
Mission to Mars - Zero

[monolith94]

Iosos, if you like Kirk Douglas in low-budget comedies, you really ought to check out "Tough Guys".

Anyway, for Depalma:

Carrie – A
Scarface – C-
The Untouchables – B
Mission: Impossible – B+

I am looking forward to checking out some more of his films; I suspect that I could become a big fan of his.

[Yxklyx]

Sisters - 7
Phantom of the Paradise - 9
Carrie - 7
Dressed to Kill - 8
Blow Out - 8
Scarface - 7
The Untouchables - 7

[Morris Schæffer]

Very Good:
The Untouchables ****

Good:
Carlito's Way ***½
Mission Impossible ***½

OK:
Snake Eyes *½

Awful:
Mission to Mars *

[Pop Trash]

Iosos, if you like Kirk Douglas in low-budget comedies, you really ought to check out "Tough Guys".

Tough Guys is the shit. I love how they are supposed to "get with the times" but since it was made in the 80s, it now seems even more dated than our two heroes. I think this was my first intro to the Red Hot Chili Peppers as well. I seem to remember a scene where the two oldsters check out their concert.

[Melville]

I of course knew you were a BDP fan. Have you read my thoughts on Redacted in my blog?

To others: I find many of his best films very emotionally satisfying, especially Blow Out, Carrie, Casualties of War, and Mission to Mars.
Yeah, I guess I can understand Carrie (although it seems a bit too deliberately campy to be really emotionally affecting). I haven't seen the others, which again makes me think that I've been watching the wrong De Palma movies.

[Qrazy]

Yeah, I guess I can understand Carrie (although it seems a bit too deliberately campy to be really emotionally affecting). I haven't seen the others, which again makes me think that I've been watching the wrong De Palma movies.

Of what I've seen they're pretty much all deliberately campy.

[Watashi]

Mission Impossible - ***
Mission to Mars - **½
The Black Dahlia - **½
Dressed to Kill - **
The Untouchables - **
Phantom of the Paradise - **
Blow Out - *½
Casualities of War - ZERO STARS

[Russ]

Although he used to be heavily criticized for it, his full-on Hitchcock mode is my favorite De Palma guise (Dressed to Kill, The Fury, Blow Out, Body Double, Raising Cain). Still need to see Sisters and Obsession.

[balmakboor]

Although he used to be heavily criticized for it, his full-on Hitchcock mode is my favorite De Palma guise (Dressed to Kill, The Fury, Blow Out, Body Double, Raising Cain). Still need to see Sisters and Obsession.

I'm not disagreeing with you, but I was wondering why you consider The Fury to be in his full-on Hitchcock mode? I.e., which Hitchcock is he reworking? I ask because I seldom see the film included along with the others with their more obvious riffs on Psycho, Vertigo, and Rear Window. The riff being made in The Fury isn't as obvious.

[balmakboor]

Mission Impossible - ***
Mission to Mars - **½
The Black Dahlia - **½
Dressed to Kill - **
The Untouchables - **
Phantom of the Paradise - **
Blow Out - *½
Casualities of War - ZERO STARS

You'd make me cry if it wasn't for your reasonable ratings for Mission to Mars and The Black Dahlia. They're too low, but reasonable.

[Russ]

I'm not disagreeing with you, but I was wondering why you consider The Fury to be in his full-on Hitchcock mode? I.e., which Hitchcock is he reworking? I ask because I seldom see the film included along with the others with their more obvious riffs on Psycho, Vertigo, and Rear Window. The riff being made in The Fury isn't as obvious.
Actually, I'm glad you've brought that one up as it's probably the least favorite of the ones I've mentioned. Most folks go on about the ending (which was just really silly); I view the film as almost two separate ones: the first half was really great and that's where I make the Hitchcock comparisons, in the set-pieces utilized (the beach scene, the apartment building chase), which are just fantastic. They may not be riffing on any particular film, but in and of themselves are very Hitchcockian in nature. Then, about halfway through, the film changes gears and becomes...well, less special. It was like De Palma couldn't make up his mind if he wanted to make a thriller or a straight-out horror film. I didn't mind the exposition with the kids with psychic powers, but the rote treatment of the villain, the "good vs evil" showdown (however spectacular it may have been) was just a bit of a letdown given everything that had let up to it.

[Rowland]

I've never been able to get into The Fury much either, and the second half does tend to lose my interest, though it does have its share of fantastic moments.

How about Femme Fatale?

[Russ]

I've never been able to get into The Fury much either, and the second half does tend to lose my interest, though it does have its share of fantastic moments.

How about Femme Fatale?
Femme Fatale was pretty great. Here, De Palma spices his Hitchock with a dose of Lynch and a whole heapin' helpin' of sleaze. And I agree w/iosos, Romijn wasn't really an asset and probably increased the camp factor a bit more than I would have liked. Love the camera work in this film, always a De Palma strength.

[balmakboor]

There was a time when I loved The Fury -- early on in my De Palma explorations. It has since lost some of its luster in spite of some great moments. Robin Wood discusses (in one of his books, can't remember which at the moment) a detailed analysis by a fellow critic (once again I can't remember if it was by Andrew Britton or Richard Lippe) that related The Fury to North by Northwest. It was really quite interesting. I should find it again on my bookshelf.

[Rowland]

Femme Fatale may also be his most optimistic movie, and the most potent as critical self-analysis.

[monolith94]

Tough Guys is the shit. I love how they are supposed to "get with the times" but since it was made in the 80s, it now seems even more dated than our two heroes. I think this was my first intro to the Red Hot Chili Peppers as well. I seem to remember a scene where the two oldsters check out their concert.
sweet, someone else who likes Tough Guys besides me! Yeah, the time-distance that you mentioned makes me think that it is a film which has actually gotten better now, with more distance from the eighties.

[Bosco B Thug]

Phantom of the Paradise - 8/10 (though an inadequate score to express how much I enjoy the movie)
Carrie - 7.5/10
Mission to Mars - 5/10

[balmakboor]

Phantom of the Paradise - 8/10 (though an inadequate score to express how much I enjoy the movie)
Carrie - 7.5/10
Mission to Mars - 5/10

Interesting that out of only three you've seen one is Mission to Mars. By the way, I'm still convinced that Mission to Mars is a sly remake of Carrie.

[Bosco B Thug]

Interesting that out of only three you've seen one is Mission to Mars. By the way, I'm still convinced that Mission to Mars is a sly remake of Carrie. I've actually seen a number of his others - 'Untouchables,' 'Scarface,' 'Dressed To Kill,' 'The Fury' - but don't feel confident rating them.

Hmmm... a sly remake of Carrie??? I'm intrigued.

[trotchky]

Femme Fatale - ***1/2

[Grouchy]

Excellent:
Carrie
Blow Out
Scarface
Body Double
Mission to Mars
Femme Fatale

Good:
Sisters
Phantom of the Paradise
Dressed to Kill
The Untouchables
Casualties of War
Carlito's Way
Mission: Impossible
Snake Eyes

Bad:
The Black Dahlia
Redacted

Other than his last two movies which were a bit weak, one of my all-time favorite directors. Incredibly intelligent filmmaker who can be a badass rebel and a master entertainer.

[balmakboor]

Hmmm... a sly remake of Carrie??? I'm intrigued.

As with many things I've written long ago (this actually goes back almost five years), I feel I could make a much better case now. But here is something I scribbled out about the Carrie/M2M connection:

http://www.cinema100.com/2007/11/mission-to-mars.html

[Bosco B Thug]

As with many things I've written long ago (this actually goes back almost five years), I feel I could make a much better case now. But here is something I scribbled out about the Carrie/M2M connection:

http://www.cinema100.com/2007/11/mission-to-mars.html
Cool, an effective reading of the film. De Palma's directing has a very pure, crystalline emotionalism to it, and the "roiling water"/rapid montage scene is very very striking.

So, I don't know if this is a stupid question, but I've been sitting on it for a long time (apparently): what was I supposed to understand about the sand worm/storm thing?

[Qrazy]

As with many things I've written long ago (this actually goes back almost five years), I feel I could make a much better case now. But here is something I scribbled out about the Carrie/M2M connection:

http://www.cinema100.com/2007/11/mission-to-mars.html

You're really reaching.

[balmakboor]

You're really reaching.

Maybe. I do wish people would be a bit more specific when making comments like this. It would at least give me a chance to strengthen or re-think my argument.

[balmakboor]

Btw, I'm a big fan of the stuff on the metaphilm.com site. It is all about "reaching" and weaving weird pet theories about films. Such as the gem about Fight Club being an extension of Calvin & Hobbes.

[Qrazy]

Maybe. I do wish people would be a bit more specific when making comments like this. It would at least give me a chance to strengthen or re-think my argument.

There's no way to be more specific in this case though. I don't see much of a connection between Carrie and Mission to Mars, the analysis didn't convince me otherwise so there's not much else that can be said to strengthen/forge such a connection.

[Peng]

I've seen all the De Palma films I'm interested in seeing, partly to finally watch the 2015 doc that I wanted to for some years. My ranking:

4/5
1. Phantom of the Paradise
2. Carrie
3. The Untouchables
4. Blow Out

3.5/5
5. Mission: Impossible
6. Hi, Mom!
7. Snake Eyes
8. Casualties of War
9. Dressed to Kill
10. The Fury
11. Raising Cain
12. Carlito?s Way

3/5
13. Sisters
14. Scarface
15. Obsession
16. Femme Fatale
17. Body Double

2.5/5
18. Greetings
19. The Black Dahlia

2/5
20. Passion
21. Mission to Mars