So what monumentally classic film did you only just watch now you witless imbecile? - Page 15

I thought his use of split screen in that movie is remarkable. There's a purpose to it, it's not just showing off, which I think De Palma's detractors often accuse him of. (Granted, sometimes it's true.)

 

I still haven't seen Raising Cain, but there was an interesting article from someone that re-edited the movie closer to what De Palma originally intended. His re-edit is included:

 

http://blogs.indiewire.com/pressplay/feature-brian-de-palmas-raising-cain

 

I'm holding out until I see the original, but if you do the comparison, let me know what you think.

 

I noticed the Sisters remake on Netflix as well, but one of the delights of the film is De Palma's direction, so I fail to see the point.

I completely agree, Mangy-- love, love, love how he uses split screen. My jaw dropped a bit during the sequence where Philip paints "help" on the window in blood and Grace notices from the window of her own apartment, and even more when De Palma basically used split screen for the next fifteen minutes to show Grace heading over to Danielle's apartment while Danielle and Emil clean up and hide the body. Just awesome technique, and it's used for a specific end as opposed to pure, unabashed showmanship (though it certainly is showmanship, it just happens to be substantive showmanship to establish timeline and maintain continuity).

 

I'm two days out from watching the movie and I want to watch it again. Seriously great. Cannot wait to check out Blow Out and all the rest.

I watched Sisters again before shipping it back to Netflix. Loved it even more. God, Margot Kidder is fucking magnificent here. Though honestly, I wanted more Joseph Larch. He's in the movie for such a brief period of time but he adds so much to the story anyways, and maybe that's just me digging on Durning's performance (and the way that Larch, for his minute screen time, still manages to enter into the voyeurism theme going on with nearly everything he does). 

Blow Out, I'm telling you...

 

Fun Sisters sidenote: Jennifer Salt, the reporter who witnesses the murder, became a writer and is one of Ryan Murphy's go-to staff members on Nip/Tuck and American Horror Story, and wrote the screenplay for "Eat Pray Love".

 

I also love the "Candid Camera" style opening, especially upon rewatch.... the audience pan showing bug-eyed William Finley is such a jolting image.

I've actually seen the Sisters remake.  While nowhere near as good as the original, it's an interesting oddity nonetheless.  It takes a more clinical Cronenbergian approach to the proceedings, though not anywhere near as skillful.  Basically, if it ever shows up on Instant.......sure, give it a look.  If not, you aren't missing much.

 

Blow Out came via inter-library loan, so I'm gonna watch it soon! Sooner than soon! I can't wait.

 

Neat factoid about Salt. And I love that opening, too, and my eyes went right to Finley as the camera panned over him. Kinda figured he would pop up again and be a pretty major figure in the story after De Palma highlights him so strongly in that shot. That said, I had no idea we'd end up going where we end up going, which is part of what makes the movie so great.

 

 

That's better than I expected. Yeah, if it ever pops up on Instant, I'll check it out, but it doesn't sound like I really need to go out of my way to catch it.

Eyes Wide Shut is one I need to give a look as well.

Okay, watched Blow Out. I loved it. Apparently it's not legit to know Brian De Palma via Criterion releases, but I really couldn't care less that the films of his I've caught up on recently have been released via the Criterion Collection. Especially in regards to Blow Out. Love De Palma's craftsmanship (his continued use of split screen delighted me as much here as in Sisters), and I love the way he emphasizes the vital importance of sound in filmmaking. Hell, sound is really its own medium; in the aftermath of the car crash, when Jack listens to his recording and pivots to face each sound as it plays back to him, he's letting a story unfold just as much as any other narrator in any other medium. There's narrative just within the harmless, shapeless recording he made. (And somehow, that entire scene of him turning and pointing while playing his recording is incredibly soothing, too.)

It really is a fantastic film.

If you still have the DVD, check out the interview De Palma does with Noah Baumbach. About an hour long, and provides great insight into his mindset.

I do still have the disc. Fines are stacking up, but I don't mind paying fines to a library. At least I know where the money is going. I'll check it out. Might watch the movie again while I'm at it. Who knows!

I just spent Saturday after I got back from seeing Dredd, watching THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS, and THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO.  The status of the latter film as a classic may be in doubt, but I had never seen the other two in their entirety.  Please don't kill me.

Eh, I'm in the "I've never watched Shawshank crowd" - though I did read the novella WELL before anyone thought of turning it into a movie (probably a little after The Body was adapted, but waaaayyyy before Apt Pupil)

 

 

 

Anyhow, I just watched Run Silent, Run Deep, a WW 2 submarine movie with Gable and Lancaster. I am going to go out on a limb and say that "classic" means you don't feel obligated to give a rundown on the plot and who was in it (i.e. "man, I just watched this neat film Orson Welles made called Citizen Kane that I guess was a takedown of WR Hearst!"), but anyway, I'd say it flirted with being great while not quite achieving it, and it's a pretty good way to spend 90 minutes. 

 

The Guy Pearce/Jim Caviezel version?  I'm definitely a fan.  It might not be a classic, but I've always thought it was a damn good movie.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The closing sequence of The Last Of The Mohicans is one of the finest cinematic accomplishments in the medium's history. For all my love of Heat this was Mann working at his absolute best.

Finally saw Lawrence of Arabia, the new 4K restoration at the Astor here in Melbourne. Fuck me, what an amazing film. And the restoration is just stunning - talk about cinematography that smothers your eyes in pure love. I'm so glad that the first time was on the big screen as well: obviously I'll be snapping up the blu as soon as it hits the shelves, but this is a huge hole that's always existed in my filmic knowledge, and getting it filled by experiencing it in a theatre was just wonderful. 

 

I kinda want to kill you. A little for waiting so long before watching it and a lot because you got to see the 4K projection in a cinema.

 

 

Oh yeah, I've been slack on this one and deserve telling off for leaving it so long. But I can't help but be glad that I saw it this way the first time. That 4K projection is sweeet.

 

I really wish Mann would make another period piece. 

 

I love Heat, but Mohicans is still my favorite Mann film.

 

 

I was hoping to make the upcoming screening near my home my first experience, but it looks like that won't happen.  I'll be settling for snapping up the Blu when it comes out and saving my Lawrence virginity until I buy a big badass new TV with some of our tax money next year.

Finally got around to seeing The Third Man, what a great film, The cinematography is just brilliant and Welles, Cotten, and Howard make this one of the greatest films of the classic era.

I agree...I'm one of those guys that saw it once and thought "Eh, it was okay I guess..." Then I saw it again much later and was enthralled.

That's the one.  Certainly a lot of fun, and nice story for somebody like me who never read the original novel. 

 

Mann really outdid himself with the last few minutes of Mohicans.  It truly is his best work, and I do now regret taking so long to catch up with that one.

Apocalypse Now.

Seen bits and pieces (mostly the epic beach scene) here and there, but while in the hospital with pneumonia I decided to give it a go.  Yeah, it's fucking fantastic.  

 

Should I watch the Redux?

Absolutely. Redux is the definitive version of the film.

Talking to people, I've heard mixed things.  The "plantation" scene being pointless, and that the redux is a nice experiment, but in the end not the one you should go to when wanting to view the film.  

I would respectfully disagree. The added material finally gives the journey up river it's intended structure and pacing, adding up to a richer, more rewarding and even more harrowing experience. The film "works" without the plantation scene, but once you've seen Redux you notice the holes even more when you don't have those key bits of connective material. Apocalypse Now is certainly one of the finest films ever made, and the Redux cut aligns most closely with Copola's complete vision. I would say that if you were moved by the film in it's original form, you owe it to yourself to experience the Redux cut.

I've never been able to bring myself to watch Redux. The one I fell in love with was the original theatrical version. Same deal with the Donnie Darko director's cut. I did see the Exorcist "version you've never seen," but prefer the original. Can't think of very many films offhand that I enjoyed more after the director diddled with them. 1941 is one of the few, oddly enough.

Aliens is one of the only films outside LOTRs that I felt was improved upon with it's extended edition.

 

I will check out the redux, maybe this weekend.  

 

Speaking of Copola, whatever happened to him?  Godfather, Apoc. Now.... then Jack, and whatever he is doing now.  I hear his newer films are more personal to him, and that's great... but for such a visionary director, it's strange to see him just sort of... vanish. 

IMO the Redux is worth watching but is the weaker of the two versions. The plantation scene in particular kills the pacing of the film, and while the idea of the French family clinging to the past and refusing to leave is interesting it detracts from the isolation of Willard and his men (Which is vitally important to how arriving at kurtz's camp messes with their heads; they've already gone through hell and cut off from the world at large, and their first human contact in ages is with this tribe of savages, a nutso photographer and the paranoid, megalomaniac officer Willard is tasked to kill).

 

I'd say that the film's narrative is geared towards being methodically paced and with an intense focus that reflects Willard's growing disassociation from the world. The theatrical achieves this, whereas the Redux throws in speed bumps like the plantation scene that dissolves the focus just enough to affect the film's intense, 'divorced from civilization' feel.

Finally caught up with the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Great movie, loved Kevin McCarthy in it. Can definitely see Joe Dante being influenced by this.

Apocalypse Now pretty much gave him a nervous breakdown, then the failure of One From The Heart pretty much killed American Zoetrope dead. After that he did for-hire work and focused on his vineyards. I haven't seen Youth Without Youth, Tetro or Twixt, but they're supposed to be fairly interesting. I know that PTA used Coppola's cinematographer on Tetro and YWY to shoot The Master, which makes me want to go back and watch those films.

Tetro's supposed to be fairly good, but Youth Without Youth was the prettiest, most well acted bore you'll ever find.

Let's go to the tape and check out FFC's filmography since One from the Heart.

 

The Outsiders - Faithful and stylish adaptation, the problems probably originate with the material

Rumble Fish - Haven't seen it, always thought it looked interesting, anything with a single by Stan Ridgway and Stuart Copeland can't be 100% bad

The Cotton Club - A clusterfuck with interesting moments, one of Julian Beck's rare mainstream film appearances

Peggy Sue Got Married - Pretty charming even if Cage gets off the leash

Gardens of Stone - Haven't seen it; one of those films I always forget he directed

Tucker: The Man and His Dream - Sorely underrated, fine performances all around

New York Stories segment - Kill it with fire. Too bad, because the other two are aces

The Godfather Part III - Unnecessary, heavily flawed, but put it up against a lot of what came out this year and it looks like, well, Godfather 1

Bram Stoker's Dracula - A major, major guilty pleasure for me, and I will not hear it spoken poorly of

Jack - Have not seen, will not see

The Rainmaker - Probably the best Grisham adaptation; Coppola proving he can still point and shoot

Youth Without Youth, Tetro - Haven't seen. Few have.

 

So. A couple of bummers on there, nothing approaching the '70s greatness, but overall, not the worst track record ever.

Ah, I completely forgot about Tucker (like most people) ... It was very, very good. Looks like it may be available on Netflix Streaming. Well worth checking out.

 

 

Ha, when I saw Tucker mentioned I totally had the same "what a great movie, how could I forget about it?" reaction. 

 

Getting through either of these was like having a bad day at work. He's completely lost me, sadly.

Hi my name is Fafhrd and I just saw 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.' (thanks TCM)

 

Fantastic, obviously. And should probably be required viewing in US History and/or civics classes.

 

One thing that struck me: John C, Reilly is a dead ringer for Thomas Mitchell.

Maybe not classic but finally got around to seeing Urban Cowboy. This is up there with Blow Out and Pulp Fiction as one of Travolta's best. I really, really dug it.

Not sure it's a classic yet(Deserves to be one someday), but I finally saw Master and Commander. Incredible, so pissed I passed up seeing this in a theater.

There's an alternate universe where Weir and Crowe head the beloved Master and Commander franchise, and we got several more of those movies.

 

I finally saw Spielberg's Empire of the Sun. I have some issues with the pacing, but the filmmaking is marvelous, reminiscent of David Lean at his most epic. Christian Bale is fantastic in the lead role, and thought the film is a bit scattershot, the ending packed an emotional wallop. Not Spielberg's best by any stretch, but it contains some stunning moments.

Watched Cromwell last night, with Richard Harris as the title character and Alex Guinness as King Charles the SPOILER

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

 

SPOILER. And those two are the reasons to see this film.

Just bought Night of the Hunter and Vampyr at barnes and noble and haven't watched them yet but i heard good things and they were half off.

Both are amazing. Night of the Hunter is endlessly rewatchable, and I loved Vampyr's spooky atmosphere. I'm not sure David Lynch is the same filmmaker without Vampyr.

I've tried to watch Cassavetes in fits and starts, and have never been able to fully embrace it. This morning I fully committed and watched "A Woman Under The Influence", and I was blown away.

 

Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk are incredible, and while the film is loose and long, I felt the importance of each moment in a way that I hadn't felt before with Cassavetes' films. I think some of it is because I've become a much more patient filmgoer, but this film is a masterpiece, mesmerizing in its despair. It would make a horrific double feature with "Who's Afraid of Virgnia Woolf".

 

Yeah, you shouldn't find anyone here who will say it shouldn't be in this thread. I pop that in whenever I need a pick me up. I would have loved for that to have been a series of films.

Godard's' Weekend (1967) - I respect Godard's innovation of cinematic form, but I have yet to find a movie of his that I want to see again. I can see how watching this movie 45 years ago must have been mind-blowing, but didactic screeds against the bourgeoisie have a limited shelf life, at least for me. The tracking shot of the traffic jam IS amazing, though, as well as the long, graphic conversation between the two main characters in shadow. I can sum it up best this way: Godard created several stylistic innovations that were used in movies I like much, much better.

 

Vigo's Zero De Conduite (1933) - So good, light and entertaining, but its influence on future cinema is apparent. I feel I understand the French New Wave better by watching this film, with its surrealism and mocking of authority. A direct influence on The 400 Blows, at the very least. 

Watching The Thin Man - plotwise I find it pretty "eh" but the Powell/Loy scenes? Yeah, I could have those on loop through my entire fucking life and I wouldn't tire of them. 

 

 

I was telling my wife "Powell plays the best drunk on film ever" and she thought about it and was like "hey, how about Dino?"; I said "ON FILM, Dean Martin's drunk act was more performance art." She seemed to agree. 

 

Really? Haven't seen Weekend and most accounts say it's a tough one, but I think that Breathless/A Bout De Suffle, Pierrot Le Fou and to a lesser extent Bande À Part are breezy, exciting, touching movies that live way beyond their technical innovations. Masculin-Feminin, Une Femme Marrieé and La Chinoise demand more of an interest in that specific time and place, I guess, but I've enjoyed those as well.