posted on July 27, 2001 06:29:21 PM
Is anyone interested in critiquing or reviewing a movie that's on video? I thought we could decide on a movie or two and perhaps discuss it later in the week - something like a book club. If so, what are your suggestions? Bunnicula, you're a movie buff - want to recommend one that we could discuss?
[ edited by saabsister on Jul 27, 2001 08:22 PM ]
posted on July 27, 2001 08:12:03 PM
Hullo. Great idea! But so hard to choose
Here's some:
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
Pay It Forward
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Top Hat
The Shootist
A Fish Called Wanda
Broken Blossoms (silent)
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Saving Private Ryan
posted on July 27, 2001 08:26:56 PM
Looks like a good list. I always liked The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter. Another favorite of mine is The Last Picture Show - kind of depressing but a great movie.
I'll check back tomorrow. It's late here - well, for me anyway. I'm not much of a night owl.
posted on July 27, 2001 10:02:58 PM"Oh Brother Where Art Thou" That's in the video stores now and it was my favorite movie I saw last year. Hilarious. This is a Coen Brother movie, and in my mind they are among the top working filmmakers around.
"Oh Brother..." is about the misadventures of 3 excaped criminals in Mississippi in the 1930. It is basically a modern day version of Ulysses, look closely and you'll see the ties. John Goodman (who is in almost all Coen brother movies) plays the role of the cyclops, very funny.
If you like the movies of Preston Sturges or Billy Wilder you'll probably like "Oh Brother..."
Wilder and the Coen Brothers were heavily influenced by the works of Preston Sturges.
posted on July 27, 2001 10:26:02 PM
"The Last Picture Show" was a great movie. Peter Bogdanovich made a few good movies and a couple that were exceptional. Bogdanovich has written several books on film makers, and made some documentary films on film makers.
Bogdanovich made 3 movies as tributes to great directors and copied their style in each picture (2 of those movies were very good movies.) "The Last Picture Show" was a tribute to John Ford, "Paper Moon" was a tribute to Frank Capra, and "What's Up Doc" was a tribute to Howard Hawks. Bogdanovich was very close to John Ford and Howard Hawks. He's written some great stuff about them and came as close as anyone could ever come to getting an honest interview from John Ford.
I love movies and John Ford was the master, he could convey more in 30 seconds without dialog than other directors could in 30 minutes with dialog. Howard Hawks is a very, very close second. Howard Hawks made classics in every genre you can think of, westerns like "Red River", "Rio Bravo", comedies like "Bringing Up Baby", "His Girl Friday", noir like "The Big Sleep", adventure like "To Have and Have Not", "Only Angels have Wings", "Hatari", musicals like "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", "A Song Is Born", war movies like "Sergeant York", "The Dawn Patrol", gangster movies like "Scarface". Hawks even made the sci/fi horror movie that started a genre, "The Thing". No director has ever matched Hawks' versatility.
posted on July 27, 2001 10:29:09 PM
I just watched a good movie last night, and was going to come here to recommend it. Funny you should start this thread.
It's called, "Play in the Fields of the Lord." Stars...Tom Berenger, Aidan Quinn, John Lithgow, Daryl Hannah, Kathy Bates.
Hired to drive the Niaruna Indians off their land, American mercenary Lewis Moon joins the tribe instead. He soon crosses paths with an earnest young missionary, who is sent to convert the natives to Christianity.
I thought of jt while watching this movie. Have you seen this movie Terri?
posted on July 27, 2001 10:34:36 PM
There are many movies I like, and I have a pretty good collection. However, I just pulled off the shelf, Joy Luck Club, to watch again. Good movie.
posted on July 28, 2001 01:23:31 PM
Anyone have any suggestions on how to do this? Do you want to choose one movie or a couple? Should we take about a week to view the movies?
posted on July 28, 2001 10:30:29 PM
How about taking a vote. Make the deadline for voting sometime Sunday or Monday evening. The film that gets the most votes by the deadline would be the one we watch.
Then start the discussion on the film next Saturday--that would give most people a chance to get their hands on the film & watch it.
posted on July 29, 2001 06:12:07 AM
Sounds good, bunnicula. Vote by Monday night. We'll tally up Tuesday morning and announce the winner and start the review on Saturday.
posted on July 29, 2001 07:44:32 AM
This sounds like fun!!
I bet I haven't rented a movie for 15 years.
If my number (if I can find it) is no longer good at our rental place, I'll re-apply.
-------
I watched Sunset Boulevard, again, on TV yesterday. I never get tired of watching Gloria Swanson in that part. Plus, all of those gorgeous furnishings, jewels, her clothing and her car!!!
I added a new favorite line to my list after watching it:
"Funny how gentle people get with you once you're dead".
posted on July 29, 2001 09:26:55 AM
Voting for a movie sounds like an interesting idea, BUT you need to decide the genre your nominating. Lets face it if everyone lists their favorite movie from any genre the list becomes rather inflated really quick. Here's an idea. Early on Sunday evenings Turner Classic Movie shows a movie they consider one of the 'essentials' in fact that is the name of the program "The Essentials" (classics that are recognized by most critics as true classics.) That movie would select the genre for the list of nomiations for the week. So if Turner had a courtroom drama eveyone would list their favorite courtroom dramas, war, musical, romance, biography, prison movie, etc.
posted on July 29, 2001 09:47:29 AM
RE: "Sunset Blvd"
"Sunset Blvd" is frequently in my evolving top 10 list, a great movie about movies. When Billy Wilder showed a screening of the film to the top film people Louis B. Mayer wasn't pleased. Mayer got up at the end of the film and said, "We give a immigrant a job and he turns around and stabs the industry in the back, some gratitude." Billy Wilder walked up to him and said, "That's my film, I'm very proud of it, and you can go f!@#$ yourself." NOBODY had ever talked to Louis B. Mayer like that before, the screening room got as quiet as a church. Wilder's view was redeemed by the public and the critics. "Sunset Blvd." A great book on Billy Wilder is "On Sunset Blvd", he was one of the truly great director/writers. I keep waiting to hear of Wilder's death on the news, he's in his 90s now. I know I'll cry when he does die. He had more than a fair share of classic movies.
posted on July 29, 2001 11:30:47 AM
Uaru, yes, that might be more organized. That way we can compare other movies that we've seen in that genre. Will you pick the genre and post it so that we can start voting for our favorite?
posted on July 29, 2001 12:06:46 PM
hmmmm... Well the Turner Classic Movies 'essential' being shown this week is "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance." It is a western by the master John Ford. "Libery Valance was Ford's swan song for westerns. There are 3 main characters, Lee Marvin (representing the old west, lawless and wild) John Wayne (representing the present west, self regulated and sacrifice) and Jimmy Steward (representing the future west, laws and government.)
Westerns is a genre that is very limited now, the reason is expense. Westerns are the most expensive type of movie you can make. Their cost has made them very prohibitive.
posted on July 29, 2001 12:28:51 PM
Okay, I'm game. Let it be Westerns. It might be interesting to hear what we think constitutes "western". Okay, folks, vote for your favorite "Western". Whichever movie has the most votes by the end of Monday will be the choice for the week. We'll discuss it starting on Saturday so that everyone has time to see it.
Does this sound alright? If someone's up late on Monday and wants to give us a tally, feel free.
I'm trying to remember the last Western I saw. Probably "Lust in the Dust" with Divine.
posted on July 29, 2001 01:05:49 PM
Me truly 10 all-time favorites (in NO order):
1) "King of Hearts"
2) "A Thousand Clowns"
3) "The Black Stallion"
4) "The Fool Killer"
5) "Oliver!"
6) "Lord of the Flies" (UK)
7) "Lawrence of Arabia" ("No prisioners!"
8) "A Touch of Evil"
9) "Casablanca"
10 "Harold & Maude"
posted on July 29, 2001 01:11:18 PM
My favorite western, "The Searchers". If you have never seen it, see it. If you've seen it, watch it again and look close... there is a lot to see if you look close. The craftsmanship in that movie blows me away.
posted on July 29, 2001 11:40:36 PM
So...it's Westerns, then?
Good --that's a fun genre to start with.
My favorites (in no particular order) are:
The Shootist
Shane
No Name on the Bullet
Silverado
Stagecoach
Warlock
McLintok
Invitation to a Gunfighter
Curse of the Undead ( --oddball western that is also a vampire film...the bloodsucker gets it in a shootout with the town preacher)
posted on July 30, 2001 01:41:57 PM
This is just a reminder to those who want to vote for your favorite Western - do so by tonight so that we'll have a film to discuss on Saturday.
posted on July 30, 2001 02:51:37 PM
My first pick is "The Searchers" as I said, but there are many great westerns. In no particular order here's some I consider the cream.
Shane (George Stevens)
The Wild Bunch (Sam Peckenpah)
One Eyed Jack (Marlon Brando, replacing Stanley Kubrick)
Rio Grande (John Ford)
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (John Ford)
Red River (Howard Hawks)
Rio Bravo (Howard Hawks)
The Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood)
The Shootist (Don Siegel)
The Gunfighter (Henry King)
Stagecoach (John Ford)
My Darling Clementine (John Ford)
High Noon (Fred Zinnermann)
Fort Apache (John Ford)
The Magnificent 7 (John Sturges)
The Big Country (William Wyler)
The Westerner (William Wyler)
Trivia: The actor Ben Johnson was in the first 5 of that list. When he died his friends bought a full page ad in a news papers, "Here's to Ben Johnson, the only man ever to win a calf roping championship and an academy award." He won his oscar for his performance in "The Last Picture Show."
Absolutely! Bad Day at Black Rock, a great movie...Tracy was magnificent. Robert Ryan was the villain...without question his best role. I need to see that one again...don't remember about the arm...it's been a long time.
