So what monumentally classic film did you only just watch now you witless imbecile? - Page 12

I have a soft spot for Scarface and Phantom of the Paradise, on account of the fact that they're both so brazen. But Blow Out is number one with a bullet for me. Love everything about it. Makes me want to dive back into a lot of his works from that time, he was on fire. 

EDIT: Seconded on the Blu-ray Mangy. The fireworks shot at the end is why I love the Blu format. Just gorgeous work.

I haven't seen Bridge or Lawrence either.  I own Bridge on BR, but haven't gotten around to popping it in just yet.................though I will soon.  As for Lawrence?  At this point, I think I'll just wait for the BR of that one to hit later this year as planned.

As far as Lean's spectaculars go, it's Lawrence for the ages. But I do so love Hobson's Choice.

I just watched Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt for the first time.

I don't know about everyone else but after I've watched a film I usually go on an information hunt about it. I was surprised to learn that this was Hitchcock's favourite of his films. OK, it was good. The characters were well drawn and the small-town setting was nicely realised, and it was creepy and reasonably tense...but...I didn't think it was all that. Compared to Rear Window or Vertigo, Psycho, or North by Northwest, it fell a little short for me. I was a bit underwhelmed. Anyone else have impressions of this movie?

Holy shit, this movie.

It's like the little sister of Psycho and it's every bit as brilliant. Otto Preminger is the fucking boss here & his visual style is strikingly modern. It flows like a David Fincher film in black & white. The scares are genuinely terrifying & the mystery is a suspenseful psychological shell game that never lets up until the final, creepy-as-fuck reveal.

Whatever hype exists behind this brilliant gem is fully justified. It's a masterpiece.

Hard to believe that Bunny Lake is close to 50 years old; its amazing that a film with that type of subject manner ever saw the light of day in the mid-60s.

We almost received a remake of Bunny Lake Is Missing a few years back.  Joe Carnahan was writing & directing, with Reese Witherspoon set to star.  Reese pulled out at the last minute and the film fell apart.

Not a monumental classic, but I just watched Morituri, with Marlon Brando (pre-Fat) and Yul Brener (Bald). The first half of the film plays like a standard thriller, but then it goes deep into Lord of the Flies territory. Worth a rental!

Watched "M". It was the kind of movies that invented the movies. I thought it would be a slog, because (admit it) Metropolis sometimes kind of is. My girlfreind liked it too, especially the final trial scene, and she sometimes falls asleep during subtitles.

Watched "M". It was the kind of movies that invented the movies. I thought it would be a slog, because (admit it) Metropolis sometimes kind of is. My girlfreind liked it too, especially the final trial scene, and she sometimes falls asleep during subtitles.

The Third Man.

Watching Tora!Tora!Tora! right now on TCM and I have to say, these soldiers are not nearly frantic enough given that they are in the midst of the Pearl Harbor attack.  Other than that, I'm digging this.

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Originally Posted by S.D. Bob Plissken 

The Third Man.

And....? What'd ya think?

Oddly, I didn't care for it the first couple times I saw it. Then by the 3rd time, I got it. Now it's in my Top 10. So fucking good.

I am watching Harold and Maude (1971) right now. How great is this movie? The repeated suicide scenes, crazy antics, the car thefts.  I am loving it.

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Originally Posted by MrTyres 

I am watching Harold and Maude (1971) right now. How great is this movie? The repeated suicide scenes, crazy antics, the car thefts.  I am loving it.

"Possession of a stolen vehicle. Is this your shovel? Possession of a stolen shovel."

Thanks to Netflix, I've slowly been catching up on the classics

Network - Ned Beatty stole the freaking show, what a monologue!

One flew over the cuckoo's nest - After seeing "It's always sunny" and "Spaced" do their take on it, it was time to see the original; very compelling, but I had no idea how depressing the ending was.

Smokey and the Bandit - I'm still not sure Burt Reynolds could take out Sterling Archer, but he was pretty cool in it

Marathon Man - Hearing about the dental drill scene didn't make it any easier to stand, but compelling overall

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Originally Posted by Art Decade 

And....? What'd ya think?

Oddly, I didn't care for it the first couple times I saw it. Then by the 3rd time, I got it. Now it's in my Top 10. So fucking good.

 

It was fantastic!

As for your reaction?  I've had a similar one with other "classics".  Citizen Kane comes to mind.

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Originally Posted by stevebear10 

Marathon Man - Hearing about the dental drill scene didn't make it any easier to stand, but compelling overall

 

I had read the book before the movie came out, and the friend who went to the movie with me said I ruined it for him by the way I was cringing in horrified anticipation when the buildup to that scene began.

I picked up The Deer Hunter blu-ray today and will be delving into that tomorrow afternoon. I'm expecting great things.

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Originally Posted by Brandon 

I picked up The Deer Hunter blu-ray today and will be delving into that tomorrow afternoon. I'm expecting great things.

I'd have to put The Deer Hunter in the same category as Citizen Kane or Casablanca - it lives up to the hype. 

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Originally Posted by Art Decade 

Richard Brooks' In Cold Blood.

 

Holy shit, what a great movie. A surprisingly "modern" film that's beautifully photographed & impeccably structured & paced. This is the kind of a film that proves that guys like David Fincher & Aronofsky are not as ahead of the curve as one would assume. Fincher could remake this shot for shot & it'd still be considered a prime example of contemporary filmmaking. "That guy" actor Scott Wilson is real scary sonuvabitch here too. The blu transfer is incredible.

This, Wilson gives an Edward Norton-esque performance in this masterpiece, The ending is down right harrowing. One of those films you sit on your couch for 15 minutes after saying "holy shit that was an experience". 

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Originally Posted by Brandon 

I picked up The Deer Hunter blu-ray today and will be delving into that tomorrow afternoon. I'm expecting great things.

Deer Hunter's great, but completely implausible...you'll really have to suspend your disbelief.

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Originally Posted by Ambler 

 

Deer Hunter's great, but completely implausible...you'll really have to suspend your disbelief.

 

I assume you mean the Russian roulette scenes. I wouldn't call it implausible. That complaint is so boring. Cimino uses symbolism brilliantly.

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Originally Posted by Fat Elvis 

I assume you mean the Russian roulette scenes. I wouldn't call it implausible. That complaint is so boring. Cimino uses symbolism brilliantly.

 

The Russian roulette yes; but also that all those close friends would be put in the same combat unit is beyond fantasy. 

This is Spinal Tap

I was a little afraid when it started that my expectations were too high. Nope. It's thoroughly awesome.

Nigel: "I'm really influenced by Mozart and Bach, and it's sort of in between those, really. It's like a Mach piece, really. It's sort of..."

Marty: "What do you call this?"

Nigel: "Well, this piece is called 'Lick My Love Pump'."

"You can't really dust for vomit."

"It's like, how much more black could this be? and the answer is none. None more black."

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Originally Posted by Ambler 

... but also that all those close friends would be put in the same combat unit is beyond fantasy. 

 

That's something that always bothered me about that film.

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Originally Posted by SomethingClever 

"It's like, how much more black could this be? and the answer is none. None more black."

Oh cool, there's a band called None More Black. I didn't know that's where their name came from. I'm not surprised, though. They have a habit of naming things after references, like the songs "Everyday Balloons" and "Dinner's For Suckers", which are "Seinfeld" references.

I remember the first time I watched "This is Spinal Tap". I watched the whole movie, then the deleted scenes, then the movie again with audio commentary given by three of the actors (in character) and STILL wanted more. Those characters are some of the most lovable ones I've ever seen in any movie. There's very little they say in that movie that isn't funny. Couldn't get enough of them.

Kurosawa's Ikiru - it's a slow burn, but so, so good. 

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Originally Posted by Chavez 

Kurosawa's Ikiru - it's a slow burn, but so, so good. 

A different kind of masterpiece from, say, Rashomon or Seven Samurai, but no less a masterpiece for that.

Chinatown - Had been meaning to watch this film for ages and finally got round to it.  What a film, I enjoyed the whole lot and because I had never really heard about the story I was there with J.J as he was figuring everything out and it was a joy.

That's funny, I just saw Chinatown for the first time.  As a relatively young guy, most of my experience with Jack Nicholson is his "coasting on the rep" phase, so seeing him in his prime is pretty cool.  I also recently listened to the The Kid stays in the Picture on tape, so it was cool to see the movie after Robert Evans discussed the behind-the-scenes drama.  It seems like a spiritual prequel to LA Confidential, which I'm totally cool with.

I bought the Blu-ray set a couple of years ago and finally got around to watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  Since I hadn't heard of any generally preferred version, I chose the original theatrical and look forward to checking out the other two in the set when I get some more time.  The special feature on the disc to tell you when scenes are different and how they're different should make the comparisons a bit easier than with something like the Blade Runner set.

Despite having a few of the big moments spoiled for me beforehand, I still went into the majority of the film blind and was glad for having done so.  The effects and models were stunning and the unusually high amount of Spielberg's People Looking™ shots were definitely earned.  I won't say it went way beyond my expectations, but they were pretty high to begin with.  Seeing this and reading the E.T. thread on the boards are going to make me buy E.T. on Blu-ray and re-visit it for the first time since my childhood, when I didn't actually care for it that much.

And I may be crazy, but was I hearing things or did the mothership play part of the theme to Jaws at one point?

I also just watched The Last Unicorn tonight with my wife.  It was cute.  But as always happens in Rankin-Bass Productions, some of the slow, folksy songs made it drag a bit for me.  I give it props for being a less-than-conventional fantasy story though.  I can see why some people really like it.

I've always preferred the theatrical version of Close Encounters. There's more humor, and perhaps wonder, in it. The Special Edition emphasizes various characters' fear of the unknown, while the Director's Cut sort of works the difference between the two. And yeah, that last phrase from the mothership before the door opens definitely sounds like Jaws.

The Abyss blew me away when I first saw it.

Great performances from  Harris.. Mastrantonio .. Biehn..  Actually all of the cast.

Suckered me in from start to finish. Do not know why. Still does actually.

Good call.

oh.. I only saw The Wizard of Oz fully for the first time last week..  very sad.. But my 12 y/o daughter loved it. And when I told her when it was made.

The look on her face as she tried to count the years back 

Priceless 

I finally got around to watching 2001: A Space Odyssey. After talking with a few friends and co-workers, I realized exactly how divisive that film is among everyone. It strikes me as a love it or hate it movie, with no real middle ground. I've now seen three Kubrick films (A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket, 2001). I'd rank 2001 third among the ones I've seen. It holds a more interesting thread than Full Metal Jacket, but R. Lee rocks his role so hard, it's hard to put 2001 above it.

Regardless, Rob Ager has really gotten me interested in Kubrick. Next on the list is either Paths of Glory or The Killing. Haven't decided yet.

There's only one way to see 2001: A Space Odyssey for your very first time...and it ain't in your living room. It's a big screen film MADE for the big screen. You may as well have watched it on your bloody phone.

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Originally Posted by Art Decade 

There's only one way to see 2001: A Space Odyssey for your very first time...and it ain't in your living room. It's a big screen film MADE for the big screen. You may as well have watched it on your bloody phone.

I fell asleep three times trying to watch it on DVD for the first time. When I lived in London two years ago, I was not only lucky enough to see it on an enormously curved 70mm screen (like you would have in 1968), but also another screening with a live orchestra three months later. My opinion of the film completely changed.

If there is a screening in your neck of the woods, go. Hell, the closest 70mm theatre from where I live is in Toronto, and they do a large-format series every six months or so. A four-hour drive to see 2001 as it was intended? Hell yes, I would.

I know that home theaters are getting better and better, but can they replicate this?

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Originally Posted by Jim Barg 

When I lived in London two years ago, I was not only lucky enough to see it on an enormously curved 70mm screen (like you would have in 1968), but also another screening with a live orchestra three months later. My opinion of the film completely changed.

 

Holy shit, that sounds awesome!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art Decade 

There's only one way to see 2001: A Space Odyssey for your very first time...and it ain't in your living room. It's a big screen film MADE for the big screen. You may as well have watched it on your bloody phone.

Also, drugs. 

 

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Originally Posted by Ben W 

Holy shit, that sounds awesome!

It was. http://in70mm.com/news/2010/2001/index.htm

I'm so bad for these. I have a whole list I'm working through of movies that I should have watched years ago and never got around to. I find if I'm not seeing something in a theater, I'm usually in the mood for something that doesn't require my rapt attention, which can obviously be a problem for a lot of 'need to see' movies.

So the other day, for the first time, I watched Taxi Driver, on Canadian Netflix, no less.

And the best part was I hadn't had much of it spoiled for me, I only knew the story in broad strokes. So I didn't know that

I didn't have any revelations from watching it, I just thought it was a well put together movie that holds up years later. Although the nihilistic narration has kind of been dulled by intervening years of gruff heroes monologue-ing about decaying society. There are times Bickle sounds unintentionally like a parody.

I just watched The Seven Year Itch. While I get why some say that is THE Marilyn Monroe film to watch, it fell short for me of Some Like It Hot. The day dream sequences were great, but there seemed to be a beat or two missing to make them laugh out loud. Still, a classic of the times, but not my go to for Norma.

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Originally Posted by MrTyres 

I just watched The Seven Year Itch. While I get why some say that is THE Marilyn Monroe film to watch, it fell short for me of Some Like It Hot. The day dream sequences were great, but there seemed to be a beat or two missing to make them laugh out loud. Still, a classic of the times, but not my go to for Norma.

 

Coincidentally I just watched Some Like It Hot a couple of days ago after the flood of reminders in the 10 Best Comedies and Salma Hayek's Boobs threads.

Gotta say, as well put together as that woman was Sugar is so tediously, exhaustingly cutesy as a character that my motivation for putting something in her mouth would barely have been sexual. That babytalk voice got real old real fast.

The film's fun but an inconsistent mess when it comes to the characters too. Didn't live up to the hype at all.

Just got through Winchester 73. Holy shit this movie. One of the best Jimmy Stewart performances, and yet the whole cast (including Shelley Winters thin!) is right up there on the same level. Some of the most charming Bad Guys in a film as well....you almost want them to get away despite some heinous actions....almost. And Anthony Mann is a Director who I now have to learn more about.

Throne of Blood and Torn Curtain- actually, I have to say I don't regard either of these as "monumentally classic" - just as comforting proof that not EVERYTHING Kurosawa and Hitchcock did was totally superawesome. 

Not that either approach "bad," it's just neither really connected with me. Disappointing, because I figured Kurosawa doing my favorite play by Shakespeare should be an absolute 6-run grand slam, and it just didn't really hold my interest - maybe I was expecting too much after Ran and my familiarity with the story robbed it of the tension it should have had. 

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Originally Posted by Cylon Baby 

Just got through Winchester 73. Holy shit this movie. One of the best Jimmy Stewart performances, and yet the whole cast (including Shelley Winters thin!) is right up there on the same level. Some of the most charming Bad Guys in a film as well....you almost want them to get away despite some heinous actions....almost. And Anthony Mann is a Director who I now have to learn more about.

If you haven't already, look up the other four Stewart/Mann westerns (The Naked Spur, Bend of the River, The Man from Laramie and The Far Country). Also The Furies, which is Mann but not Stewart.

I got into the Stewart/Mann westerns not long before Stewart died and I was going through a bunch of his old movies. In his later years he was remembered as this avuncular old grandpa whose voice could be heard in commercials encouraging you to have some Campbell's soup, shit like that. And of course everyone cited It's a Wonderful Life. (Occasionally someone would mention his work for Hitchcock, though not very often his sick-fuck performance in Vertigo.) So his Mann westerns were a real eye-opener. Homeboy was hardcore in those. You watch those and you remember, dude was a WWII hero. He saw some shit. In his old age he did develop that aw-shucks-I'm-just-a-nice-old-guy persona on talk shows and such. But in his prime he could do pretty much anything. Comedy, drama, kindness, viciousness, you name it. Still my favorite actor of all time.

All 'Flixed! Thanks!