I'm interested to see where he stands with the MC crowd.
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I'm interested to see where he stands with the MC crowd.
Dressed to Kill (1980) **
Scarface (1983) ***
Body Double (1984) ****
Casualties of War (1989) ***
Snake Eyes (1998) *
Femme Fatale (2002) ****
The Black Dahlia (2006) ***
Blow Out 4/10
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
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)
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.
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.
Carrie - 5
Scarface - 5
The Untouchables - 6
Mission Impossible - 4
Snake Eyes - 3
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)
# 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.
The low ratings for Scarface are sad.
This thread is one big chicken, waitin to get plucked.
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.
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.
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.
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) **
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.
Meh Palma.
Femme Fatale 71
Blow Out 83
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