60´s Draft: Discussion - Page 3

Or a racist take on the civil rights movement. Fear of a black planet indeed.

Haven't seen Taking Woodstock yet, but it's good to hear that's the angle they go with for it, as the "peace and love" tone of the trailers annoyed the shit out of me.

Lawrence is gorgeous.

And Dead -- while I guess it isn't the first zombie film -- imagine inventing that genre? Which is pretty much did.

You're right, but I couldn't let it pass. Lean's direction obviously is the shit, the themes resonate and all that, but what keeps bringing me back is O'Toole. I'm a geek for performance, and his is so alive: riveting, inspiring, crazy and marvelous.

NOTLD has so much going for it, not the least of which is that even at the birth of the counterculture era of cinema, it was still on the fringe.

Apes came out in February of 1968. Which means it was filmed during the Summer of Love. I still say it's prescient!

And that it brings larger-than-life (shit, biblical) icon Charlton Heston crashing down to a shitpile of an earth just SCREAMS 60s. It would have been my first pick.

Yes that is the point, and it's why that sequence just goes on and on... He really wants to throw that in your face. That, plus he's setting the mood. This is "daily life" for these people - then they go into the solitude of space, where their only companion is a psychotic computer. I love that.

I'll give you that the music is awesome. Just some great tunes. And Wise gave the film a nice look. But the movie, overall, is kind of stuffy. That's the problem I have with it. And I can't agree that it feels "real." It's not meant, really, to feel that way. Not the same way that something like... never mind. It was done on a soundstage and it absolutely shows. It's all artifice.

...

Should have known NOTLD wouldn't make it past day one. But it really was a long shot on my list. And I'm not sure it entirely fits my theme. It's an essential film. And the only one in that series that I think legitimately functions as purely a horror film. It still holds up and is damn scary to watch alone in the dark. For me, anyway.

Just to be on the safe side, I think I know what my first pick will be. Assuming none of you dildos (I say this with love) grabs it first.

I mean that I wouldn't put them on a list, because there's no point in getting upset when they're gone.

Interesting point Kirbs: the word "zombie" isn't mentioned once in the film, I'm pretty sure.

It's not. Romero thought it had voodoo, Bela Lugosi White Zombie implications.

But enough about that movie, let's talk more about what an asshole Ratty is.

Forced analogy!

Lawrence is kind of like Beatlemania wrapped around the Rolling Stones. A fun party and wild ride, but it all ends in bitterness and death!

I'm sure you're right. Not sure when/where the Zed word started popping up.

"Dumb fucks" is more catchy, don't you think?

Also just realised that the theme for my remaning selection of picks is "isolation". And that it really does cover a huge proportion of pictures already picked in this draft as well.

So much for the peace and love of the 60s, indeed.

Romero uses "zombie" in Dawn. Once. But I never understood referring to extras covered in greasepaint as "things." The NOTLD remake calls them "people".

Bob's second choice, Carnival of Souls, is pretty spooky and wonderful in its own right. Romero's big influence, if I recall corect.

Seen perhaps a dozen times over the years and movie remains haunted and tragically atmospheric as the first viewing.

If you could, i'd like to. Yeah.
Thanks man!

Straxboy... Your theme sounds uncomfortably similar to my theme.

I hope I don't have to have a few words with you before this is over.

Aside from that, Godspeed friend.

Can you imagine what a fucking lightning bolt this must have been to see first-run back in 1968, esp. right on the heals of MLK getting assassinated? I also agree that it's the only Romero zombie film that's legitimately scary. That scene with the little girl in the basement at the end is still all kinds of nightmarish.

Love how Romero never (ove-r)explains things. Just hints of the mystery on news snippits etc. He thrusts you right into the end of the world from the graveyard opening on.

All the fun of the fair, Erix. But like I say, I have 15 other films that conform to that theme as much as Point Blank does.

Maybe I should expand it to "isolation and alienation". No surprise it's a defining theme of the 1960s, really.

I wish I was put together enough to come up with a theme. Generally, I like to mix things up in my drafts, selecting my favorite film (or rather my favorite that hasn't been picked already) of different genres. My goal is to have one drama, comedy, musical, foreign, and horror (not in that order).

In his review, Ebert wrote a great description of seeing NOTLD in 1968, and seeing dozens of kids dropped off at the theater by parents, and that for the first 45 minutes or so kids were giggling, giddy over what they thought would be a William Castle type, cheapo "thrill ride". Then the truck blows up and the two lovers are eaten by the zombies, and he said the theater went silent with the non-sound of kids who had "stopped being scared, and had instead become terrified."

1960's kids were fucking soft. Today's kids could probably watch Irreversible now and not bat an eye.

That is an awesome description. NOTLD is one of the rare movies that still scare me shitless to this day. It is so great at building tension.

It's a great way to pretty much sum up what Romero did in that movie that was so innovative.

He made what was, essentially a William Castle Drive-In Movie BUT with the added bonus of giving it substance. It's what paved the way for the realistic horror films that followed. It became abundantly clear that it wasn't mechanical chairs, smell-o-vision and cheap theatrics that frightened audiences. It was real people in an uncomfortably realistic situation. He took a silly B Movie concept and made it utterly compelling and believable.

The whole review is interesting, but here's the quote:

Terrific piece. But... Man! Pretty spoilerific too. I guess they didn't care about shit like that back then.

So maybe I'm wrong about Planet Of The Apes. Maybe people weren't that shocked if they had read the reviews...

"This film is fantastic. But it has a misleading title... Because it's actually our planet. A fact that Franklin J Schaffner and his screenwriters conceal until the end. But it very much informs what is happening throughout the film."

Big thanks to Fat Elvis for getting my pick in.

Thanks, Strax. You ripped out a bit of my heart by taking POINT BLANK (which Fat Elvis will be able to confirm was my #1) but I'm pleased I was able to snag my second choice.

THE WILD BUNCH was always on my list of possible first picks, but a recent viewing of the Blu-Ray shot (and kept on shooting) it to the near-top. The whole cast is pitch-perfect but it's Robert Ryan who just gets better and better with every viewing.

If anyone is interested the Blu-Ray is a steal at only $10 on Amazon. Loaded with fantastic extras.

Justin Clark's The White Album in the List thread schools us all. Awesome.

Well certainly has been interesting so far I think the first couple of rounds will actually be a tad dull in the sense that there is so much great stuff to pick from there will not be much arguing. As long as all you assholes stay away from my first pick everything should be fine.

I like how the picks vary so much from the epics like West, Lawrence, and Bunch to much smaller picks like Living dead and Apartment. West Side is the only thing I would question at this point. It needs to go at some point but I would argue 2 round at best.

Elvis got a slight steal with Lawrence falling that far just because it's Lawrence. Other than Arabia my favorite picks so far are.
Once Upon a time in the West
Apartment
Wild Bunch
Bonnie & Clyde

Haven't seen Battle or Point Blank.

Rectify that...immediately.

yes sir, point blank is instant watch so I'll be watching that in about 4 hours.

Hell, I hope that everyone involved in the Draft goes out of their way to see these flicks.

All wonderful picks so far.

That's what all the other drafts did for me (well not the fail draft).
So I'll stoke the fires a little...not a big fan of 2001.

Wow Evil not the first Kurosawa movie I thought would go but good pick.

HELL of a pick, EvilTwin. I was eyeing that one for a later round.

Nothing like rolling out of bed, seeing I could pick, and grabbing a Kurosawa to get the day off right.

I'm really fond of High and Low. Especially the cinematography. The widescreen shots in that house really create a potboiler feeling of claustrophobia. And, I think modern day Kurosawa is somewhat underappreciated. That's one terrific crime film.

Nice one with High and Low. Surprised it went first, but hell, it deserves a 1st round pick.

Seeing that Evil went and I'm in the same time slot i guess I can go.

Looking back over the list, let me add on to all the love for Battle of Algiers. That film could be made today.

I really need to see Point Blank soon. It's reputation is such that I'm not surprised by the pick, which is one of the reasons that I need to see it. I haven't seen West Side Story and Carnival of Souls either. Although likewise I know them by reputation.

There's going to be much pain in the next 2+ days. Lots and lots of great stuff out there.

Blasphemy: I'm the guy who prefers Kurosawa's post-war Japan movies to his historical epics. High and Low is at the top of that list.

I have Point Blank from netflix for a rewatch but haven't gotten around to it. Doing that tonight.

It's going to be a long, slow road to Thursday morning. My beloved Round 2 pick has at least a 50% chance of being scarfed up by then.

My heart weeps for you, Ratty.

I figured you for a softie, BC.

Justin's got a great thing going on the List page. Bravo, sir: I'll leave you 'The Brown Bunny' this time.

That's an understatement. I hope the theme fits all the way through, but he's clearly winning the theme draft.

If I manage to steal my Day Two, then it's smooth sailing the rest of the way.

Yeah, no big surprises. Good stuff all around, though.

I sort of hoped that Point Blank might last, but knew it wouldn't.

Nice picks so far. All but one of mine should be safe.