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Post by Slam_Bradley on Mar 16, 2023 9:43:00 GMT -5
I finally got around to watching The Shootist. What a great little film. Extremely well directed considering there wasn't much action. I tend to think of John Wayne as being good at playing John Wayne, but I thought he delivered an outstanding performance. It was hard to ignore the fact that it was art imitating life, but it was still an excellent, nuanced performance. Bacall and Stewart were good too, and I thought the director did an excellent job of getting natural performances from them to the point where they were believable as their characters and not just Bacall and Stewart doing Bacall and Stewart. Jimmy, in particular, did none of his usual mannerisms. Really good film. Enjoyed it a lot. Glad you liked it. I'm a big fan as I said earlier. I think Don Siegel is an underappreciated director. He actually started out at Warner Brothers doing montages, including the opening montage in Casablanca. He directed two Oscar winning short films in the 40s before he started directing features. He was a mentor to and a huge influence on Clint Eastwood as a director. |
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Mar 16, 2023 11:17:32 GMT -5
Moving on to the 1979. A really strong year for genre films. Alien - Is it one of the greatest SF films ever? Or is it the greatest slasher film ever? Why not both? A big box office success, the reviews were initially very mixed, but it has since been recognized as an absolute classic. I think it follows on the heels of 2001 and Star Wars as pivoting the way science fiction was viewed by movie-makers and by the public. It is still the definitive combination of science fiction and horror. One is never going to forget the first view of John Hurt and the chest burst. And Sigourney Weaver as Ripley is the prototypical SF action woman. Apocalypse Now - Francis Ford Coppola's last great film. Coppola translates Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" to Vietnam at a time when the U.S. was just starting to examine the legacy of that misadventure. That translation becomes more apt as the world has finally recognized the depravity in the Congo that was only hinted at by Conrad. Coppola has described the film as less anti-war than anti-lie, trying to point out the lies told to the world to support unjust and barbaric actions by the government. This almost feels like the swan-song of the "New Hollywood" movement before cinema was subsumed into the spectacle films ushered in by Jaws and Star Wars. I do love the smell of napalm in the morning though. Life of Brian - My absolute favorite Monty Python movie. I think it's the most coherent and best directed of their films as Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones were largely able to compartmentalize their work (though they still feuded). Graham Chapman so wanted to play Brian (as did Cleese) that he actually dried out and was sober during the shoot. There's something here to offend almost everyone (except me). "'Judean People's Front. We're the People's Front of Judea!" Mad Max - For twenty years Mad Max held the Guinness Record for the highest box-office-to-budget ratio of any motion picture. Made for next to nothing, it grossed $100 million worldwide. Allegedly most of the extras were paid in beer. This is a film that rises above its low budget (about $350,000) to become a great action film. And it ushered in George Miller as a director to watch and Mel Gibson as a rising star. This is guerilla film-making at its finest. The Jerk - Steve Martin's first film and, I think, Carl Reiner's best theatrical direction, this is just a damn funny comedy. If you liked Martin's early stand-up comedy, you're going to like this movie. And in 1979 Martin was as big as it got in stand-up. This is one of the few things I like Bernadette Peters in...so that's something. "It wasn't always easy for me; I was born a poor black child" Escape from Alcatraz - As I've said, I'm a fan of Don Siegel. And I'm a pretty big fan of Clint Eastwood (though he's made some major stinkers). This is just a good solid prison movie. Eastwood commands the screen like few others could. It's really just a masterclass in pacing and building tension. And it's always nice to see Fred Ward in anything. As usual there are many films I've either not seen or not seen in far too long. Including; most of the big foreign language films; Manhattan (still don't like Woody Allen); Being There (I remember it being great, but it's been eons since I've seen it); The Warriors (eons); Nosferatu the Vampyre (sooo long since I've seen it); So what's my favorite film of 1979? This is a tough one. Both Alien and Apocalypse Now are excellent films. But ultimately Life of Brian just sings to my inner iconoclast. And 1979 in film for those as need a look. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Mar 16, 2023 16:08:00 GMT -5
1979 is a tough year! Between Alien and Apocalypse Now and The Jerk, all of which I saw in the theater on initial release.
Throw in Manhattan, which I saw on cable when it had been out for a year or two, and it’s starting to look like a four-way tie!
But I have to say Life of Brian is my favorite. I saw it at the midnight movies about 1981 or 1982 and it’s been a favorite ever since. I don’t watch any of the other movies nearly as often, but I must admit that I used to watch Alien all the time.
A great one from 1979 that I discovered in the last few years is a Japanese film called Vengeance Is Mine. It’s no Life of Brian though.
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Post by Hoosier X on Mar 16, 2023 16:10:12 GMT -5
I almost forgot Rock N Roll High School! It’s great! I saw it for the first time just a few years ago, and I think if I had a more nostalgic attachment, it would be a contender.
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Post by coke & comics on Mar 17, 2023 8:21:09 GMT -5
Oh dear. Fell behind again. Let's talk about 1978.
I don't generally like horror films, particularly slashers. I have some appreciation for the place in cinematic history of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but little for the movie itself, and none for its weaker imitators like Friday the 13th. Amongst the many slasher films, Halloween stands out to me. Part of that comes down to the style of Carpenter that really sells it. But partly it's subtle differences of focus. I relate to the film in the way I relate to action films. Or disaster films. Or any film with a character you can root for fighting to survive. This movie has a hero and a villain and I like stories with heroes and villains. It's my favorite film of the year, and I think the best example of its type.
After that, I'll point to Deer Hunter, a fine example of that New Hollywood sensibility where a talented director is allowed to be over-indulgent with his exploration of war and its psychological aftermath. Then I think there's maybe a superhero movie this year? Though not one I've seen mentioned in any commentary. What site is this? (No, I don't mean Dr. Strange, the other one.)
Then Romero's zombie sequel, Dawn of the Dead. I'll round out the list with De Palma's The Fury, which falls under my fascination of every book or movie or comic that reminds me of X-Men.
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Post by coke & comics on Mar 17, 2023 10:21:30 GMT -5
No need to be coy or even bother to explain my #1 film of 1979. It's Alien.
Easy #2 is Apocalypse Now. I agree with Slam this was the death knell of New Hollywood. Studios saw the hassle movies like this and Heaven's Gate created, and the profits that came from movies like Jaws, Star Wars, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. And history followed.
Then I could go a lot of directions. I think this is a great year for film. But I'll give #3 to The Muppet Movie. Singing and joking their way into my heart.
#4 could go to Kramer vs. Kramer if I'd seen it more recently and recalled it more clearly, but instead I'll give it to the intriguing but tedious film that many cite as the greatest science fiction film, Stalker.
I think Rocky II will round out my top 5. I love Rocky, and generally ask sequels to justify their own existence. But this did. It didn't try to retell the last movie. It just kind of picked up where the last movie left off and showed us what happened next for these characters. Hell of an ending.
Lots of other great films. Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, Star Trek, Life of Brian, The Brood, The Warriors, Mad Max...
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Post by badwolf on Mar 17, 2023 18:58:49 GMT -5
Manhattan wins 1979 for me with a rare 10/10.
Other favorites:
Monty Python's The Life of Brian
Alien
Castle of Cagliostro
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Post by commond on Mar 19, 2023 19:08:52 GMT -5
I surprisingly had 10 films from 1979 on my Best of the 70s list.
Vengeance is Mine is my favorite Shohei Imamura film and top 10 for the decade for me, and Manhattan is Woody's other masterpiece. The Marriage of Maria Braun is one of my favorite Fassbinder films, and Im Kwon-taek's The Genealogy is one of Im's best. I remember when I was putting together my list there were a lot of countries' films that were criminally overlooked by film critics and South Korea was one of the largest. That may have changed these days with the spread of Korean pop culture around the globe, but at the time, almost all Asian cinema was overlooked in comparison to Japan.
I like Stalker, but not as much as some folks do. Galaxy Express is a wonderful 70s anime. I topped off my list with a couple of Shaw Brothers films and some French flicks. I got a lot more out of '79 than I expected. Vengeance is Mine takes the cake. Manhattan a close second.
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Post by Hoosier X on Mar 19, 2023 20:01:25 GMT -5
I surprisingly had 10 films from 1979 on my Best of the 70s list. Vengeance is Mine is my favorite Shohei Imamura film and top 10 for the decade for me, and Manhattan is Woody's other masterpiece. The Marriage of Maria Braun is one of my favorite Fassbinder films, and Im Kwon-taek's The Genealogy is one of Im's best. I remember when I was putting together my list there were a lot of countries' films that were criminally overlooked by film critics and South Korea was one of the largest. That may have changed these days with the spread of Korean pop culture around the globe, but at the time, almost all Asian cinema was overlooked in comparison to Japan. I like Stalker, but not as much as some folks do. Galaxy Express is a wonderful 70s anime. I topped off my list with a couple of Shaw Brothers films and some French flicks. I got a lot more out of '79 than I expected. Vengeance is Mine takes the cake. Manhattan a close second. Vengeance Is Mine is very much worth a look for anyone interested in Japanese cinema of the late 1970s. It’s based on a true story about a very bad person. |
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Post by arfetto on Mar 24, 2023 11:01:37 GMT -5
Just briefly looking through lists, I enjoyed the following: The Warriors, The Jerk, Mad Max, Alien, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, All That Jazz, The Man Who Stole the Sun, Apocalypse Now, Vengeance is Mine, the requisite Tora-san films of that year, some more Shaw Brothers like Full Moon Scimitar or Kid with the Golden Arm.
Hmm, I think I will go with The Warriors, but I am not totally certain on this year.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Mar 24, 2023 11:03:54 GMT -5
Just briefly looking through lists, I enjoyed the following: The Warriors, The Jerk, Mad Max, Alien, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, All That Jazz, The Man Who Stole the Sun, Vengeance is Mine, the requisite Tora-san films of that year, some more Shaw Brothers like Full Moon Scimitar or Kid with the Golden Arm.
Hmm, I think I will go with The Warriors, but I am not totally certain on this year.
I feel like I really liked The Warriors when I watched it, but it's been so long that I only have these very vague feelings about it. I consider Star Trek: The Motion Picture to be one of the most boring movies ever made. |
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Post by arfetto on Mar 24, 2023 11:12:26 GMT -5
Just briefly looking through lists, I enjoyed the following: The Warriors, The Jerk, Mad Max, Alien, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, All That Jazz, The Man Who Stole the Sun, Vengeance is Mine, the requisite Tora-san films of that year, some more Shaw Brothers like Full Moon Scimitar or Kid with the Golden Arm.
Hmm, I think I will go with The Warriors, but I am not totally certain on this year.
I feel like I really liked The Warriors when I watched it, but it's been so long that I only have these very vague feelings about it. I consider Star Trek: The Motion Picture to be one of the most boring movies ever made. Haha, well, I certainly can understand that perspective about The Motion Picture. |
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Mar 24, 2023 13:48:23 GMT -5
It's the 80s... 1980 to be exact. Empire Strikes Back - I've mentioned that I'm only a marginal Star Wars fan. I still think this is the best of the various films. It's the most interesting and it's the one that tends to expand things in interesting directions. It's certainly not without sins but many of them get a pass just because Yoda is so damn great. I will say that Irvin Kershner was an odd choice to direct the film. When all is said and done it's a good film that isn't nearly as fun as Star Wars but probably holds together better. This is a very early trailer from 1979 that contains some deleted scenes, including an almost kiss between Luke and Leia. The Shining - Another movie that I like, but don't love. I'll cop that I've only seen it a couple of times, so maybe I need to watch it again. Still it's a great meditation on a descent in to madness. And the question of whether it is simply cabin fever leading a fragile mind to fail or if there are actually ghosts is interesting. Nicholson is great. I withhold judgment on Duvall given the lengths that Kubrick apparently went to to torment her during filming. Again, probably a film I need to re-watch with a more critical eye...and by myself so I don't annoy people re-watching certain scenes. Raging Bull - I think this movie is absolutely brilliant. Arguably Scorsese's best film. Arguably De Niro's greatest performance. Michael Chapman's cinematography is brilliant. Thelma Schoonmaker was simply a legend at film editing. Joe Pesci was amazing...at least on par with his role in Goodfellas. I sincerely believe that this is the best film of 1980. And one of the best films of all time. Which isn't to say that it's necessarily my favorite. Because it can be absolutely grueling to watch. But it's an incredible piece of film-making. Airplane - This movie absolutely slays me. Even though I've seen every gag and heard every joke umpteen times they're still funny to me. And it was timely. Just as Mel Brooks was starting to lose his mojo Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker came along to show us that parody and satire was still viable in movies. Just a wonderful send-up of the air disaster genre. And it gave Leslie Nielsen a career rejuvenation and taught a lot of us how to speak jive. I love it...but I'll still never be over Macho Grande. The Blues Brothers - This is just a great film. It's funny. Silly. Has amazing music. It counters every bombastic crash with a quiet moment. The musical cameos alone would make the movie (Ray Charles, Cab Calloway, John Lee Hooker, Aretha), but having Steve Cropper, Duck Dunn, Too Big Hall and Bones Malone in the band was just amazing. So many great small performance by the likes of Carrie Fisher, Henry Gibson and Charles Napier. This movie not only has laughs, it has heart...without rubbing it in your face and being schmaltzy. "I hate Illinois Nazis." As should we all. Caddyshack - My Dad loved to golf. And he loved this movie. And it's honestly just a good silly comedy. Bill Murray and Rodney Dangerfield are gloriously over-the-top. Ted Knight is brilliant. I think this may be as good as Chevy Chase ever was in a movie. It feels like Harold Ramis kind of lost control of the film at times, which, given the amount of cocaine was allegedly consumed on set, seems likely. It's just chaotic fun. The Long Riders - To an extent this film is a stunt with the casting of real-life brothers to play the James Brothers (Stacy & James Keach), The Youngers (David, Keith and Robert Carradine), and the Millers (Dennis and Randy Quaid). But it's a very solid western ably directed by Walter Hill. As usual there are many films I've either not seen or not seen in far too long. Including; most of the big foreign language films; The Elephant Man (been too long); Kagemusha (haven't seen in eons); The Long Good Friday (I need to watch this again); Breaker Morant (I need to see it again); The Big Red One (too long); The Gods Must Be Crazy (I'd like to re-evaluate this one); Atlantic City (sigh); So what's my favorite film of 1980? Raging Bull is the best film of the year. But my favorite...is probably The Blues Brothers. Just a fabulous combo of comedy, music and heart. Oh...and car crashes. And 1980 in film for those as need a look. |
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Post by arfetto on Mar 24, 2023 14:41:45 GMT -5
My favorite movie from 1980 is A Distant Cry from Spring (director Yoji Yamada, I admit I am a bit of a Yoji Yamada, hm, what is the word, I wouldn't say "apologist" because I feel there is nothing that must be apologized for, but I certainly see how people would find some of his movies too sentimental). I forgot The Yellow Handkerchief from my '77 list as well.
My second favorite is probably Kagemusha (Kurosawa).
Dangerous Encounters of the First Kind...it is a powerful movie, unforgettable, and I am generally a huge Tsui Hark believer, but this is a movie I do not think I will ever re-watch for certain reasons involved with its filming.
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Post by Hoosier X on Mar 25, 2023 6:10:23 GMT -5
There are some really good movies from 1980. I saw Empire Strikes Back and Airplane when they first came out, and they are both great. I saw The Blues Brothers on cable just a few years after it came out. Another good one. And I caught up with Kagemusha and Raging Bull in the 1990s. Two more really good movies.
But my favorite?
I’m going with Stardust Memories.
I saw most of it on cable when it was just a few years old. It has three or four scenes that are very damn funny. I liked what I saw quite a bit, but it wasn’t among my favorite Woody Allen movies.
A few years later, I saw 8 1/2 for the first time, which is a great movie on its own, but I think I appreciated it more since I’d seen Stardust Memories. And vice versa.
I’ve seen Stardust Memories and 8 1/2 four or five times each over the decades. If I see one of them, I usually see the other one within a few weeks. Every time, I like both films a little bit more.
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