28 Film Discussion Threads Later

[megladon8]

Now, Voyager was fantastic. Perfect golden age Hollywood molodrama.

[StuSmallz]

The Legacy And Lunacy of Ishtar: Elaine May's notorious Hollywood flop—undone by production stumbles, studio sabotage, and toxic reviews—carries an odious reputation it doesn't deserve

[DFA1979]

I still haven't seen that movie. I heard it's bad so I have to know for myself. For um, science.

[baby doll]

It's good, but not as impressive as May's first three films. (Mikey and Nicky may be my favourite film by an American woman. Carolee Schneemann's Fuses and Barbara Loden's Wanda are the only other contenders that come immediately to mind.)

[DFA1979]

It's good, but not as impressive as May's first three films. (Mikey and Nicky may be my favourite film by an American woman. Carolee Schneemann's Fuses and Barbara Loden's Wanda are the only other contenders that come immediately to mind.)

I'll have to see all of those first actually. Mikey and Nicky is a huge blindpot for me.

[StuSmallz]

From Top Gun: Maverick to Crystal Skull, the 5 best—and 5 worst—legacyquels of all time: from Creed to The Color Of Money, the follow-ups that worked, the ones that didn't, and why

[Idioteque Stalker]

World Cinema Power Rankings:

1. U.S.A.
2. Japan
3. France
4. Scandinavia
5. Iran

These are the five I would choose to save first. If Scandinavia is cheating, then change to Sweden and swap places with Iran. Losing Carl Dreyer hurts.

What's your list?

[StanleyK]

World Cinema Power Rankings:

1. U.S.A.
2. Japan
3. France
4. Scandinavia
5. Iran

These are the five I would choose to save first. If Scandinavia is cheating, then change to Sweden and swap places with Iran. Losing Carl Dreyer hurts.

What's your list?

I would definitely replace Iran with Italy. You can't leave out Neorealism and Fellini.

After that I would consider switching Scandinavia with the UK, just for the sheer number of important movies they've produced, including David Lean, Powell and Pressburger, early Hitchcock, late Kubrick, Mike Leigh, among many others. I think that's enough to give it the edge over Bergman.

[Mal]

May’s humor/films … uh just fine. Mikey and Nicky is obviously great, though Ishtar is trash.

[Irish]

@baby doll

1) Do you remember a discussion here a looooooooong time ago about John Ford's "Fort Apache"? You posted a link to a PDF paper written by some French (I think?) academic. It was mostly about the ending of the film. I was hoping you still had the paper lying around. I'd like another look at it. (I searched within the thread, but couldn't find your original post).

2) Have you seen Rivette's "La Belle Noiseuse," and if so, what did you think of it? Or of Rivette in a more general sense? I just finished and ... no words, really. But I have a strong urge to spend the rest of the evening looking out my window and drinking wine.

[Ivan Drago]

World Cinema Power Rankings:

1. U.S.A.
2. Japan
3. France
4. Scandinavia
5. Iran

These are the five I would choose to save first. If Scandinavia is cheating, then change to Sweden and swap places with Iran. Losing Carl Dreyer hurts.

What's your list?

In no order:

USA
India
Japan
France
Sweden

[baby doll]

1) Do you remember a discussion here a looooooooong time ago about John Ford's "Fort Apache"? You posted a link to a PDF paper written by some French (I think?) academic. It was mostly about the ending of the film. I was hoping you still had the paper lying around. I'd like another look at it. (I searched within the thread, but couldn't find your original post).

If memory serves, I was referring to an interview with Jean-Marie Straub in the first (and only) issue of the journal Enthusiasm, which is still available online. The bit about Fort Apache is on page 12.

2) Have you seen Rivette's "La Belle Noiseuse," and if so, what did you think of it? Or of Rivette in a more general sense? I just finished and ... no words, really. But I have a strong urge to spend the rest of the evening looking out my window and drinking wine.

I've seen it twice, although the last time was a few years ago, and I don't have much to say about it other than it's great. (I've owned a copy of the shorter version, Divertimento, for several years but I've never been able to get through more than a few minutes: the jump cuts abridging scenes that play out in real time in the original were just too disruptive.) I was something of a Rivette fanatic when I was in my early 20s and watched the New Yorker VHS of Céline et Julie vont en bateau over and over, although, to my ever-lasting shame, I still haven't been able to see L'Amour fou in an acceptable transfer or found the time to watch either version of Out 1. Along with Céline et Julie and La Belle noiseuse, my other favourite is Duelle (une quaratine), although I've yet to see anything of Rivette's that was devoid of interest.

[baby doll]

After that I would consider switching Scandinavia with the UK, just for the sheer number of important movies they've produced, including David Lean, Powell and Pressburger, early Hitchcock, late Kubrick, Mike Leigh, among many others. I think that's enough to give it the edge over Bergman.

There's a lot more to Scandinavian cinema than just Bergman, Victor Sjöström, Carl Theodor Dreyer, Roy Andersson, Aki Kaurismäki, Lars von Trier, and Ruben Östlund being only the first names that come to mind. (Incidentally, one might question how British the late films of Lean and Kubrick were, given that these films were bankrolled partly or entirely by American studios, and in Kubrick's case, all of his films after the '70s have American subjects.)

[Idioteque Stalker]

Victor Sjöström, Carl Theodor Dreyer, Roy Andersson, Aki Kaurismäki, Lars von Trier, and Ruben Östlund being only the first names that come to mind.

I would add Thomas Vinterberg and Lukas Moodysson to this list. And Dreyer is up there with Bergman. Not familiar with Kaurismaki.

[Grouchy]

May’s humor/films … uh just fine. Mikey and Nicky is obviously great, though Ishtar is trash.

Huge fan of The Heartbreak Kid here. I could watch that movie anytime. Cringe comedy is just my jam.

[Idioteque Stalker]

In no order:

USA
India
Japan
France
Sweden

India currently getting that RRR tilt.

[Irish]

If memory serves, I was referring to an interview with Jean-Marie Straub in the first (and only) issue of the journal Enthusiasm, which is still available online. The bit about Fort Apache is on page 12.

That looks like the one. Thank you!

I've seen it twice, although the last time was a few years ago, and I don't have much to say about it other than it's great. (I've owned a copy of the shorter version, Divertimento, for several years but I've never been able to get through more than a few minutes: the jump cuts abridging scenes that play out in real time in the original were just too disruptive.) I was something of a Rivette fanatic when I was in my early 20s and watched the New Yorker VHS of Céline et Julie vont en bateau over and over, although, to my ever-lasting shame, I still haven't been able to see L'Amour fou in an acceptable transfer or found the time to watch either version of Out 1. Along with Céline et Julie and La Belle noiseuse, my other favourite is Duelle (une quaratine), although I've yet to see anything of Rivette's that was devoid of interest.

"Noiseuse" was the first of his I've seen. These New Wave bastards take me by surprise, always pushing the form and showing new things, reminding me what could be. Four hours of wonder and now I'm back in the real world. I can't quite engage with another rando novel or film. Everything on hand is somehow less interesting, obviously staged or contrived or false (most narrative film that comes to mind), or flat out ridiculous (the contemporary rolling Hollywood circus).

Anyway. Great movie.

Criterion Channel has a copy of "Céline et Julie" so I may check that out next. Appreciate all your recs. Thanks again!

[Peng]

Mine are:

20s: Un Chien Andalou
30s: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
40s: Laura
50s: Tokyo Story
60s: Yojimbo
70s: The Rocky Horror Picture Show
80s: Dead Poets Society
90s: American History X
00s: Donnie Darko
2010s: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
2020s so far: Free Guy

Least eager to rectify: American History X

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker might be the first time my very completish film streak gets interrupted by bad words surrounding a film (both of the critical and the press kinds), but I will probably get to it one of these days.

[Idioteque Stalker]

Someone stole my idea!

20s: A Page of Madness (to be remedied soon)
30s: Dracula
40s: The Big Sleep
50s: Dial M for Murder
60s: Charade
70s: Rocky
80s: Temple of Doom
90s: Edward Scissorhands
00s: Twilight
10s: Avengers Endgame
20s: Spiderman No Way Home

Least eager to rectify: Spiderman

[Idioteque Stalker]

Someone stole my idea!

If KMS78 is trans, then all is forgiven.

[Yxklyx]

1910s - Les Vampires
20s - A Page of Madness (HM Napoleon)
30s - Shanghai Express
40s - Letter from an Unknown Woman
50s - Peter Pan
60s - The Jungle Book
70s - The Aristocats
80s - Back to the Future Part II (HM Top Gun)
90s - 10 Things I Hate About You
2000s - Little Miss Sunshine (HM Catch Me If You Can)
10s - Joker

Some of these are hard to find like Napoleon, Shanghai Express and Letter from an Unknown Woman. Not a fan of Disney or J. Phoenix. Criterion has Les Vampires - I should check that out. Top Gun is in my queue and I see that Little Miss Sunshine has Toni in it so I should check that out as well. A Page of Madness is on Prime for $2 but it's SD and their SD versions usually look like shit.

[Idioteque Stalker]

Criterion has Les Vampires - I should check that out.

I'll be starting this soon. I say "starting" because I plan to view it like a TV series.

[DFA1979]

Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a delightful movie. Very funny. The Dracula musical is definitely one of a kind thing.

[Philip J. Fry]

[StuSmallz]

The 25 Best Biopics of All Time, Ranked