Raiders of the Lost Ark(dir. Steven Spielberg)
REVIEW PENDING...
***1/2 out of ****
Showing posts with label 1980's. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1980's. Show all posts
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Oh Something Wild...
Something Wild(dir. Johnathan Demme)
REVIEW PENDING...
Need to rewatch.
**1/2 out of ****
REVIEW PENDING...
Need to rewatch.
**1/2 out of ****
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Oh 1987...
1987
1. RoboCop(dir. Paul Verhoeven)
2. Full Metal Jacket(dir. Stanley Kubrick)
3. The Princess Bride(dir. Rob Reiner)
4. The Untouchables(dir. Brian De Palma)
Need to see/rewatch: Angel Heart, The Brave Little Toaster, Dirty Dancing, Empire of the Sun, Evil Dead II, Fatal Attraction, Near Dark, Au Revoir Les Enfants, The Last Emperor, Lethal Weapon, Matewan, O.C. & Stiggs, Radio Days, The Dead, The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On, Opera, Raising Arizona, The Monster Squad, Wall Street, Moonstruck, Broadcast News, Predator, Spaceballs, Three Men and a Baby, Walker, Wall Street, Withnail and I, Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, Hellraiser, The Lost Boys, Red Sorghum, House of Games, Roxanne, Barfly, My Life as a Dog, Peking Opera Blues, Hope and Glory, and more...
Dishonorable mentions: The Untouchables, and more...
1. RoboCop(dir. Paul Verhoeven)
2. Full Metal Jacket(dir. Stanley Kubrick)
3. The Princess Bride(dir. Rob Reiner)
4. The Untouchables(dir. Brian De Palma)
Need to see/rewatch: Angel Heart, The Brave Little Toaster, Dirty Dancing, Empire of the Sun, Evil Dead II, Fatal Attraction, Near Dark, Au Revoir Les Enfants, The Last Emperor, Lethal Weapon, Matewan, O.C. & Stiggs, Radio Days, The Dead, The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On, Opera, Raising Arizona, The Monster Squad, Wall Street, Moonstruck, Broadcast News, Predator, Spaceballs, Three Men and a Baby, Walker, Wall Street, Withnail and I, Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, Hellraiser, The Lost Boys, Red Sorghum, House of Games, Roxanne, Barfly, My Life as a Dog, Peking Opera Blues, Hope and Glory, and more...
Dishonorable mentions: The Untouchables, and more...
Oh 1984...
1984
1. Choose Me(dir. Alan Rudolph)
2. Paris, Texas(dir. Wim Wenders)
3. Stranger than Paradise(dir. Jim Jarmusch)
4. The Terminator(dir. James Cameron)
Need to see/rewatch: Ghostbusters, Starman, Blood Simple, Love Streams, Boy Meets Girl, Amadeus, Streetwise, Body Double, Red Dawn, This is Spinal Tap, Fear City, The Neverending Story, Once Upon a Time in America, A Soldier's Story, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Night of the Comet, Repo Man, Purple Rain, and more...
Dishonorable mentions: Secret Honor, and more...
1. Choose Me(dir. Alan Rudolph)
2. Paris, Texas(dir. Wim Wenders)
3. Stranger than Paradise(dir. Jim Jarmusch)
4. The Terminator(dir. James Cameron)
Need to see/rewatch: Ghostbusters, Starman, Blood Simple, Love Streams, Boy Meets Girl, Amadeus, Streetwise, Body Double, Red Dawn, This is Spinal Tap, Fear City, The Neverending Story, Once Upon a Time in America, A Soldier's Story, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Night of the Comet, Repo Man, Purple Rain, and more...
Dishonorable mentions: Secret Honor, and more...
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Oh Paris, Texas...
Paris, Texas(dir. Wim Wenders)[rewatch]
It's still one of the most profoundly moving meditations on family, love, sacrifice, and life in general.
**** out of ****
It's still one of the most profoundly moving meditations on family, love, sacrifice, and life in general.
**** out of ****
Oh Planes, Trains & Automobiles...
Planes, Trains & Automobiles(dir. John Hughes)
I found this film amazingly unfunny outside of a ridiculous expression on John Candy's face in the first 15 minutes and the contrived nature of the narrative and jokes became suspect at times, I'm still going to slightly recommend it. Why? Because there's a scene of extreme poignancy where John Candy's character tries to defend himself after Steve Martin's character gave him an extended tongue lashing and the wounded inflection in his voice is just heartbreaking. A great scene in an otherwise forgettable comedy.
**1/2 out of ****
I found this film amazingly unfunny outside of a ridiculous expression on John Candy's face in the first 15 minutes and the contrived nature of the narrative and jokes became suspect at times, I'm still going to slightly recommend it. Why? Because there's a scene of extreme poignancy where John Candy's character tries to defend himself after Steve Martin's character gave him an extended tongue lashing and the wounded inflection in his voice is just heartbreaking. A great scene in an otherwise forgettable comedy.
**1/2 out of ****
Friday, February 15, 2008
Oh Shaving...
Film:
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle(dir. Alan Rudolph)
After the artistic misfire that was Welcome to L.A., I simply had to watch another film directed by Rudolph to wash away the sour aftertaste that film left and while it was successful in helping me forget about how horrible that film was, it still doesn't redeem my faith in the director completely. The film has some of the same problems that that film had like a narrative that is sometimes stagnant during long stretches of time and has so many characters that it doesn't really know what to do with all of them, but this film is much better acted and doesn't become as frustratingly redundant as that film. The film is very much centered on Jennifer Jason Leigh's performance, which I was not overly fond of. It's convincing enough and while I'm no expert on Dorothy Parker, it just seemed fairly surface-oriented. The whole story is probably supposed to be more tragic than I thought it was because I mainly didn't really have much sympathy for her character because she led a fairly superficial life and was a bit too mopey for my tastes. Out of all the actors in the film, Lili Taylor stuck out the most in terms of presence, which I find surprising since her character was about as minor as you could possibly get. I slightly recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
Escape From New York(dir. John Carpenter)
I wasn't really into the film until they introduced the spiked baseball bats and trashcan top shields in the "arena" scene, which definitely lives up to its promise. There's no denying that Snake Plissken is a bad ass, but throughout most of the film's running time, I was frankly bored. I, however, thought it made up for the boredom I experienced with its final 15 minutes or so. I recommend.
*** out of ****
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street(dir. Tim Burton)
There were kids in the screening of it I attended and it seemed like they had a better time with it than I did probably because it reminded me of something along the lines of a bloody version of a Disney cartoon with some of the most unlively musical numbers I've ever seen and I don't really "get off" on fake gushing blood like they most likely do. I think the film's biggest flaw was the fact that the musical numbers were dully staged and the lead actors don't have all that terrific voices. I'm sure the non-film version of the musical is a sight to behold, but Burton mainly shot his actors standing around singing instead of really attempting to do anything enticing visually with these numbers. It would have probably been better if it wasn't a musical at all. The best number was easily the one with Sasha Baron Cohen because the film has a wicked sense of humor and that was perhaps the most humorous portion of the film. I'm assuming that the film is a truncated version of the original musical since the story doesn't feel like it's all that fleshed out and therefore, not as engaging as it could have been. I slightly recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
Music:
Shout Out Louds - Our Ill Wills
Their sound is perhaps a little too indebted to The Cure. Nothing really striking about the album, but it's a decent enough listen.
**1/2 out of ****
The National - Boxer
What was all the fuss about? It's certainly listenable, but it's definitely no masterpiece.
**1/2 out of ****
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle(dir. Alan Rudolph)
After the artistic misfire that was Welcome to L.A., I simply had to watch another film directed by Rudolph to wash away the sour aftertaste that film left and while it was successful in helping me forget about how horrible that film was, it still doesn't redeem my faith in the director completely. The film has some of the same problems that that film had like a narrative that is sometimes stagnant during long stretches of time and has so many characters that it doesn't really know what to do with all of them, but this film is much better acted and doesn't become as frustratingly redundant as that film. The film is very much centered on Jennifer Jason Leigh's performance, which I was not overly fond of. It's convincing enough and while I'm no expert on Dorothy Parker, it just seemed fairly surface-oriented. The whole story is probably supposed to be more tragic than I thought it was because I mainly didn't really have much sympathy for her character because she led a fairly superficial life and was a bit too mopey for my tastes. Out of all the actors in the film, Lili Taylor stuck out the most in terms of presence, which I find surprising since her character was about as minor as you could possibly get. I slightly recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
Escape From New York(dir. John Carpenter)
I wasn't really into the film until they introduced the spiked baseball bats and trashcan top shields in the "arena" scene, which definitely lives up to its promise. There's no denying that Snake Plissken is a bad ass, but throughout most of the film's running time, I was frankly bored. I, however, thought it made up for the boredom I experienced with its final 15 minutes or so. I recommend.
*** out of ****
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street(dir. Tim Burton)
There were kids in the screening of it I attended and it seemed like they had a better time with it than I did probably because it reminded me of something along the lines of a bloody version of a Disney cartoon with some of the most unlively musical numbers I've ever seen and I don't really "get off" on fake gushing blood like they most likely do. I think the film's biggest flaw was the fact that the musical numbers were dully staged and the lead actors don't have all that terrific voices. I'm sure the non-film version of the musical is a sight to behold, but Burton mainly shot his actors standing around singing instead of really attempting to do anything enticing visually with these numbers. It would have probably been better if it wasn't a musical at all. The best number was easily the one with Sasha Baron Cohen because the film has a wicked sense of humor and that was perhaps the most humorous portion of the film. I'm assuming that the film is a truncated version of the original musical since the story doesn't feel like it's all that fleshed out and therefore, not as engaging as it could have been. I slightly recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
Music:
Shout Out Louds - Our Ill Wills
Their sound is perhaps a little too indebted to The Cure. Nothing really striking about the album, but it's a decent enough listen.
**1/2 out of ****
The National - Boxer
What was all the fuss about? It's certainly listenable, but it's definitely no masterpiece.
**1/2 out of ****
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Oh Yeah...
Film/TV:
The Game Plan(dir. Andy Fickman)[rewatch]
I will continue to champion The Rock's performance until another rewatch convinces me that it's not one of the most entertaining performances of last year, but during this viewing, I actually started to become emotionally involved with this story more than I would have liked to the point that I almost started to cry at given moments. Nothing profoundly depressing really happens, but father-offspring relationships in film, when done well, often have a tendency of getting me emotional beyond belief. The last time I ever cried at a movie was Flags of Our Fathers because of some of the father-son relationship moments, but that was actually understandable. This, he just gets the kid taken away and predictably gets her back, but there's something about this film that I found profoundly touching and heartwarming about its view on familial relationships and how we should cherish these relationships more often. It's not exactly a new message, but the way The Rock and company handle it is most definitely heartfelt and that's all that really matters in my eyes. It does stumble with some of it's comedic moments because it's a fucking PG-rated Disney film with The Rock in it, but The Rock's ability to elicit laughs through what I assume is purposeful hammy delivery of some of his lines like the soon-to-be-legendary "#1 on the field and #1 in your heart" catchphrase his character constantly recites and his genius facial expressions makes it a performance worth cherishing and once, the film turns somewhat serious, his performance actually improves immensely. It's this adaptive element to his performance that makes it fascinating and what I deem more interesting than DDL's in There Will Be Blood. This movie definitely puts the heart at #1 and the mind at maybe #532, but in a way, I think it's some sort of family film masterpiece because of it. It's not considered a guilty pleasure by me any longer. I wholeheartedly recommend.
*** out of ****
Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Volume 2[TV]
When I was watching one of the new episodes recently, it donned on me: Aqua Teen Hunger Force is my favorite TV show. Sure, there are other shows that have vied for this position like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Seinfeld, and some other sitcoms, but this is the show that consistently amazes me with its bizarre artistry and happens to make me laugh more often than any of those others shows. It has had its ups and downs like any other show and this season had some lows like the surprisingly lame and tame Super Trivia and the obligatory obnoxious episode with MC Chris's MC Pee Pants character, but for 13 episodes, this season is the pinnacle of television comedy that opens and closes with a bang. With great episodes like Mail Order Bride, Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future, Super Squatter, Super Bowl, and the list goes on, it's hard not to regard this a masterpiece of television art and entertainment.
**** out of ****
The Hunting Party(dir. Richard Shepard)
A film so satisfied with itself that if it was able to suck it's own dick, it would very well do so and afterwards, start making fun of itself for doing so. The film's deconstructive elements don't come off as witty and clever like the filmmakers probably thought they would, but come off as a depressing form of preemptive defense to criticism. You could imagine one of the individuals involved in the production responding to criticism with, "Well, didn't you see the title cards that show that the film is aware that it's not honest and truthful?" In the film's realm of logic, a woman would pride herself for being gang raped for hours at a time to the point that she gives out this information as a display of authority over our central protagonists who are journalists portrayed as adrenaline junkies that find some sort of sick satisfaction out of being around death and war until one of the bitches they were banging turns up dead because of this bad dude's ethnic cleansing campaign. The proceedings are watchable to a degree, but you have to wonder what the fuck were the people making this thinking? The protagonists are as smug as the filmmakers so it's hard to really give a shit about any of them and probably the most infuriating aspect of the film is a title card at the end that puts quotations around searching in a sentence similar to "The U.S. are probably busy 'searching' for Osama bin Laden." I'm fine with people criticizing the U.S., but the image of the director patting himself on the back for being such an awesome rebel rouser is simply inescapable. Fuck you Richard Shepard and fuck your film.
*1/2 out of ****
Blue Velvet(dir. David Lynch)
Usually, I go out of my way not to look at the reviews on the Blockbuster Online site not because I might be influenced and steal someone's ideas for these reviews, but because they're usually so goddamn stupid that it simply astounds me that there's people out there that actually write those horrible reviews. A lot of the users on there wrote about how this film was too weird and I'm properly in the minority that thought it wasn't weird enough at least in relation to Lynch's current output. I just find it difficult to regard this film in a very positive light knowing that he made what I feel are much better films. This whole muckraking theme of digging up the dirty little secrets in suburbia is not an exactly profound one and Frank Booth is such a stereotypically evil dude that he even have lackeys that cackle a bunch. Most interesting aspect of this story is the character of Dorothy, but the film doesn't focus on her all that much at least in comparison to Jeffrey and Sandy that are so golly gee wholesome that they verge on parody. I still enjoyed the film and there's a technique that is employed near the end that makes it seem like we're not supposed to buy into the ending too much so maybe a rewatch would start to unveil something resembling a masterpiece. The ending, while maybe a little too pat, is mainly noteworthy for its final shot of Isabella Rosselini hugging her son and the music of Blue Velvet playing hinting that she will never be able to forget all the abuse that Frank has put her through. It starts to make you question the film as a whole and provides a lot of food for thought that was severely missing in the rest of the picture. I slightly recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
The Brave One(dir. Neil Jordan)
It wasn't as godawful as I was expecting and it remains ultimately watchable throughout, but it just feels so bland and most of all unnecessary that I simply can't recommend it. In a world with Ms .45, I have no idea why I would recommend this. A scene from the film even reminded me of a scene from another Abel Ferrara film, King of New York, with the two black hoods approaching and harassing Foster's character on a subway, but the result is predictable and dull, while the result in King of New York was slightly ridiculous yet totally awesome. This film also leaves really no interpretation for the viewer as it questions its protagonist's actions rather bluntly and a call-in radio session that provides all sorts of angles for this situation for the viewer in probably the most asinine way imaginable. Its not a painful watch or anything, but it's hard to imagine having a desire to watch it ever again or remembering it at all in the coming weeks. It was mediocre.
** out of ****
Music:
Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark
** out of ****
Against Me! - New Wave
**1/2 out of ****
Blonde Redhead - 23
**1/2 out of ****
The Game Plan(dir. Andy Fickman)[rewatch]
I will continue to champion The Rock's performance until another rewatch convinces me that it's not one of the most entertaining performances of last year, but during this viewing, I actually started to become emotionally involved with this story more than I would have liked to the point that I almost started to cry at given moments. Nothing profoundly depressing really happens, but father-offspring relationships in film, when done well, often have a tendency of getting me emotional beyond belief. The last time I ever cried at a movie was Flags of Our Fathers because of some of the father-son relationship moments, but that was actually understandable. This, he just gets the kid taken away and predictably gets her back, but there's something about this film that I found profoundly touching and heartwarming about its view on familial relationships and how we should cherish these relationships more often. It's not exactly a new message, but the way The Rock and company handle it is most definitely heartfelt and that's all that really matters in my eyes. It does stumble with some of it's comedic moments because it's a fucking PG-rated Disney film with The Rock in it, but The Rock's ability to elicit laughs through what I assume is purposeful hammy delivery of some of his lines like the soon-to-be-legendary "#1 on the field and #1 in your heart" catchphrase his character constantly recites and his genius facial expressions makes it a performance worth cherishing and once, the film turns somewhat serious, his performance actually improves immensely. It's this adaptive element to his performance that makes it fascinating and what I deem more interesting than DDL's in There Will Be Blood. This movie definitely puts the heart at #1 and the mind at maybe #532, but in a way, I think it's some sort of family film masterpiece because of it. It's not considered a guilty pleasure by me any longer. I wholeheartedly recommend.
*** out of ****
Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Volume 2[TV]
When I was watching one of the new episodes recently, it donned on me: Aqua Teen Hunger Force is my favorite TV show. Sure, there are other shows that have vied for this position like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Seinfeld, and some other sitcoms, but this is the show that consistently amazes me with its bizarre artistry and happens to make me laugh more often than any of those others shows. It has had its ups and downs like any other show and this season had some lows like the surprisingly lame and tame Super Trivia and the obligatory obnoxious episode with MC Chris's MC Pee Pants character, but for 13 episodes, this season is the pinnacle of television comedy that opens and closes with a bang. With great episodes like Mail Order Bride, Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future, Super Squatter, Super Bowl, and the list goes on, it's hard not to regard this a masterpiece of television art and entertainment.
**** out of ****
The Hunting Party(dir. Richard Shepard)
A film so satisfied with itself that if it was able to suck it's own dick, it would very well do so and afterwards, start making fun of itself for doing so. The film's deconstructive elements don't come off as witty and clever like the filmmakers probably thought they would, but come off as a depressing form of preemptive defense to criticism. You could imagine one of the individuals involved in the production responding to criticism with, "Well, didn't you see the title cards that show that the film is aware that it's not honest and truthful?" In the film's realm of logic, a woman would pride herself for being gang raped for hours at a time to the point that she gives out this information as a display of authority over our central protagonists who are journalists portrayed as adrenaline junkies that find some sort of sick satisfaction out of being around death and war until one of the bitches they were banging turns up dead because of this bad dude's ethnic cleansing campaign. The proceedings are watchable to a degree, but you have to wonder what the fuck were the people making this thinking? The protagonists are as smug as the filmmakers so it's hard to really give a shit about any of them and probably the most infuriating aspect of the film is a title card at the end that puts quotations around searching in a sentence similar to "The U.S. are probably busy 'searching' for Osama bin Laden." I'm fine with people criticizing the U.S., but the image of the director patting himself on the back for being such an awesome rebel rouser is simply inescapable. Fuck you Richard Shepard and fuck your film.
*1/2 out of ****
Blue Velvet(dir. David Lynch)
Usually, I go out of my way not to look at the reviews on the Blockbuster Online site not because I might be influenced and steal someone's ideas for these reviews, but because they're usually so goddamn stupid that it simply astounds me that there's people out there that actually write those horrible reviews. A lot of the users on there wrote about how this film was too weird and I'm properly in the minority that thought it wasn't weird enough at least in relation to Lynch's current output. I just find it difficult to regard this film in a very positive light knowing that he made what I feel are much better films. This whole muckraking theme of digging up the dirty little secrets in suburbia is not an exactly profound one and Frank Booth is such a stereotypically evil dude that he even have lackeys that cackle a bunch. Most interesting aspect of this story is the character of Dorothy, but the film doesn't focus on her all that much at least in comparison to Jeffrey and Sandy that are so golly gee wholesome that they verge on parody. I still enjoyed the film and there's a technique that is employed near the end that makes it seem like we're not supposed to buy into the ending too much so maybe a rewatch would start to unveil something resembling a masterpiece. The ending, while maybe a little too pat, is mainly noteworthy for its final shot of Isabella Rosselini hugging her son and the music of Blue Velvet playing hinting that she will never be able to forget all the abuse that Frank has put her through. It starts to make you question the film as a whole and provides a lot of food for thought that was severely missing in the rest of the picture. I slightly recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
The Brave One(dir. Neil Jordan)
It wasn't as godawful as I was expecting and it remains ultimately watchable throughout, but it just feels so bland and most of all unnecessary that I simply can't recommend it. In a world with Ms .45, I have no idea why I would recommend this. A scene from the film even reminded me of a scene from another Abel Ferrara film, King of New York, with the two black hoods approaching and harassing Foster's character on a subway, but the result is predictable and dull, while the result in King of New York was slightly ridiculous yet totally awesome. This film also leaves really no interpretation for the viewer as it questions its protagonist's actions rather bluntly and a call-in radio session that provides all sorts of angles for this situation for the viewer in probably the most asinine way imaginable. Its not a painful watch or anything, but it's hard to imagine having a desire to watch it ever again or remembering it at all in the coming weeks. It was mediocre.
** out of ****
Music:
Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark
** out of ****
Against Me! - New Wave
**1/2 out of ****
Blonde Redhead - 23
**1/2 out of ****
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Oh Songs of the 80's...
Big Black - Bad Penny
Big Black - Kerosene
Public Enemy - Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos
Sonic Youth - Teenage Riot
Sonic Youth - Shadow of a Doubt
Sonic Youth - Schizophrenia
Metallica - For Whom the Bell Tolls
Black Flag - TV Party
The Misfits - Last Caress
Bad Brains - Pay to Cum
Joy Division - Atmosphere
Joy Division - Disorder
The Pixies - Monkey Gone to Heaven
The Pixies - Gigantic
Big Black - Kerosene
Public Enemy - Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos
Sonic Youth - Teenage Riot
Sonic Youth - Shadow of a Doubt
Sonic Youth - Schizophrenia
Metallica - For Whom the Bell Tolls
Black Flag - TV Party
The Misfits - Last Caress
Bad Brains - Pay to Cum
Joy Division - Atmosphere
Joy Division - Disorder
The Pixies - Monkey Gone to Heaven
The Pixies - Gigantic
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Oh 1986...
1986
1. The Sacrifice(dir. Andrei Tarkovsky)
2. Down by Law(dir. Jim Jarmusch)
3. Mona Lisa(dir. Neil Jordan)
Aliens(dir. James Cameron)
Need to see: Summer, Vagabound, Hannah and Her Sister, Platoon(rewatch), A Room With a View, The Fly, Peggy Sue Got Married, The Color of Money, Ruthless People, Top Gun(rewatch)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off(rewatch), Trouble in Mind, Sid & Nancy, Something Wild, Blue Velvet, Heartbreak Ridge, Salvador, Manhunter, Shadows in Paradise, The Green Ray, Big Trouble in Little China, and more...
1. The Sacrifice(dir. Andrei Tarkovsky)
2. Down by Law(dir. Jim Jarmusch)
3. Mona Lisa(dir. Neil Jordan)
Aliens(dir. James Cameron)
Need to see: Summer, Vagabound, Hannah and Her Sister, Platoon(rewatch), A Room With a View, The Fly, Peggy Sue Got Married, The Color of Money, Ruthless People, Top Gun(rewatch)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off(rewatch), Trouble in Mind, Sid & Nancy, Something Wild, Blue Velvet, Heartbreak Ridge, Salvador, Manhunter, Shadows in Paradise, The Green Ray, Big Trouble in Little China, and more...
Oh 1988...
1988
1. Landscape in the Mist(dir. Theo Angelopoulos)(?)
2. The Naked Gun
Beetlejuice(dir. Tim Burton)
Wings of Desire(dir. Wim Wenders)
Need to see: Twins, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Rambo III, Alice, Dead Ringers, Bird, The Land Before Time(rewatch), Opening Night, The Last Temptation of Christ, The Thin Blue Line, Chocolat, Tetsuo, Grave of the Fireflies, Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Ariel, Akira(rewatch), King Lear(Godard), Ernest Saves Christmas(rewatch), The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Running on Empty, Mississippi Burning, Patty Hearst, Funny Farm, and more...
1. Landscape in the Mist(dir. Theo Angelopoulos)(?)
2. The Naked Gun
Beetlejuice(dir. Tim Burton)
Wings of Desire(dir. Wim Wenders)
Need to see: Twins, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Rambo III, Alice, Dead Ringers, Bird, The Land Before Time(rewatch), Opening Night, The Last Temptation of Christ, The Thin Blue Line, Chocolat, Tetsuo, Grave of the Fireflies, Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Ariel, Akira(rewatch), King Lear(Godard), Ernest Saves Christmas(rewatch), The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Running on Empty, Mississippi Burning, Patty Hearst, Funny Farm, and more...
Oh 1989...
1989
1. Do the Right Thing(dir. Spike Lee)
Drugstore Cowboy(dir. Gus Van Sant)
Mystery Train(dir. Jim Jarmusch)
Need to see: My Left Foot, sex, lies, and videotape, Say Anthing..., Distant Voices/Still Lives, A Short Film About Love, Batman, Twins, Crimes & Misdemeanors(completely), Heathers, Causalities of War, Born on the 4th of July, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, The Little Mermaid(rewatch), Story of Women, The 'Burbs(rewatch), Leningrad Cowboys Go America, The Wizard, and more...
1. Do the Right Thing(dir. Spike Lee)
Drugstore Cowboy(dir. Gus Van Sant)
Mystery Train(dir. Jim Jarmusch)
Need to see: My Left Foot, sex, lies, and videotape, Say Anthing..., Distant Voices/Still Lives, A Short Film About Love, Batman, Twins, Crimes & Misdemeanors(completely), Heathers, Causalities of War, Born on the 4th of July, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, The Little Mermaid(rewatch), Story of Women, The 'Burbs(rewatch), Leningrad Cowboys Go America, The Wizard, and more...
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Oh Windows...
The Thing(dir. John Carpenter)
First movie by him that I've seen. I feel like a dumbass for calling myself a film buff without seeing any of his movies beforehand, but here I am. It's mildly scary but totally awesome. It seemed to drag with them just basically freaking out when there were no signs of "the thing," but once "the thing" finally shows itself again, you easily forgive it. While the ending isn't as satisfyingly haunting as one would like, it's still a good conclusion to the narrative. I will most likely check out Halloween, Escape From New York, or Assault on Precinct 13 next. I highly recommend.
***1/2 out of ****
First movie by him that I've seen. I feel like a dumbass for calling myself a film buff without seeing any of his movies beforehand, but here I am. It's mildly scary but totally awesome. It seemed to drag with them just basically freaking out when there were no signs of "the thing," but once "the thing" finally shows itself again, you easily forgive it. While the ending isn't as satisfyingly haunting as one would like, it's still a good conclusion to the narrative. I will most likely check out Halloween, Escape From New York, or Assault on Precinct 13 next. I highly recommend.
***1/2 out of ****
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Oh Werewolves & Authors...
An American Werewolf in London(dir. John Landis)
When you think about the film after viewing, you realize how forgettable and lightweight it all was. The film is torn between whether it's a comedy or a horror movie creating a forgettable quality since it doesn't really contain any moments that are truly scary or funny. It has a cool transformation scene, though. The end is easily the worst aspect since it just reminds the viewer of it's genre confused nature(?) with how the narrative ends, which is relatively serious, and the song that is played over the end credits, which is completely unserious. It makes the whole movie seem like a joke except it didn't really play out as one. It was entertaining but frustrating. I slightly recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
Tenebre(dir. Dario Argento)
First movie I've seen directed by him. To satisfy my need to compare "auteurs" to other "auteurs," he's what I would call the John Woo of horror with his imaginative and elaborate horror set pieces. The story, which becomes extremely interesting in it's last 10 minutes or so, is basically an excuse for these violent murders and boy, they're awesome. It's not particularly scary, but it's hard to write it off since it's still highly compelling(especially towards the end) despite this. I highly recommend.
***1/2 out of ****
When you think about the film after viewing, you realize how forgettable and lightweight it all was. The film is torn between whether it's a comedy or a horror movie creating a forgettable quality since it doesn't really contain any moments that are truly scary or funny. It has a cool transformation scene, though. The end is easily the worst aspect since it just reminds the viewer of it's genre confused nature(?) with how the narrative ends, which is relatively serious, and the song that is played over the end credits, which is completely unserious. It makes the whole movie seem like a joke except it didn't really play out as one. It was entertaining but frustrating. I slightly recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
Tenebre(dir. Dario Argento)
First movie I've seen directed by him. To satisfy my need to compare "auteurs" to other "auteurs," he's what I would call the John Woo of horror with his imaginative and elaborate horror set pieces. The story, which becomes extremely interesting in it's last 10 minutes or so, is basically an excuse for these violent murders and boy, they're awesome. It's not particularly scary, but it's hard to write it off since it's still highly compelling(especially towards the end) despite this. I highly recommend.
***1/2 out of ****
Monday, October 22, 2007
Oh Natassia Kinski...
Cat People(dir. Paul Schrader)
As a horror film, it simply falls flat. The film is incapable of creating a terrifying atmosphere outside of a pool sequence that was pretty much directly lifted from the original(only portion I've seen of that film). As a movie viewed on it's own terms, however, it's actually quite good. It's mythology of "cat people" is quite perverse and fascinating due to the freeing yourself from being a "cat person" through incest aspect of it. The film is definitely more sexual than gory even though there are some scenes that will surely please the gore hounds in the audience. Seeing Natassia Kinski prance around naked a bunch isn't exactly a bad thing, but it dwells on it's sexuality for far too long without really going anywhere with it. Thankfully, it does go somewhere with it near the end in a scene that's certainly interesting given it's zoophiliac undertones and use of bondage. The scene afterwards is more compelling since it's plays as an extremely unusual homage to Pickpocket's ending with the chick as a fucking cat and the guy as the non-prisoner of the two. By the end of it, you get the sensation that the film went on for too long and it ultimately suffers because of it. There's also the dated nature of the special effects that might not have been a problem in the original given it's reputation for suggesting the presence of cat people instead of actually showing(I could be wrong). Other than those gripes, I recommend.
*** out of ****
As a horror film, it simply falls flat. The film is incapable of creating a terrifying atmosphere outside of a pool sequence that was pretty much directly lifted from the original(only portion I've seen of that film). As a movie viewed on it's own terms, however, it's actually quite good. It's mythology of "cat people" is quite perverse and fascinating due to the freeing yourself from being a "cat person" through incest aspect of it. The film is definitely more sexual than gory even though there are some scenes that will surely please the gore hounds in the audience. Seeing Natassia Kinski prance around naked a bunch isn't exactly a bad thing, but it dwells on it's sexuality for far too long without really going anywhere with it. Thankfully, it does go somewhere with it near the end in a scene that's certainly interesting given it's zoophiliac undertones and use of bondage. The scene afterwards is more compelling since it's plays as an extremely unusual homage to Pickpocket's ending with the chick as a fucking cat and the guy as the non-prisoner of the two. By the end of it, you get the sensation that the film went on for too long and it ultimately suffers because of it. There's also the dated nature of the special effects that might not have been a problem in the original given it's reputation for suggesting the presence of cat people instead of actually showing(I could be wrong). Other than those gripes, I recommend.
*** out of ****
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Oh Decade Lists...
Going to do Top 10's for decades and put it on here:
2000's(one film per director with some either or's since I feel I need to rewatch some of these)
1. Lilya 4-Ever(dir. Lukas Moodysson)
2. Miami Vice(dir. Michael Mann)
3. Fay Grim(dir. Hal Hartley)
4. Pistol Opera(dir. Seijun Suzuki)
5. The New World(dir. Terrence Malick)
6. Platform(dir. Jia Zhangke)[Not sure if I should put this here or below Mulholland Dr.]
7. Mulholland Dr.(dir. David Lynch)
8. The Royal Tenenbaums(dir. Wes Anderson)
9. Millenium Mambo(dir. Hou Hsiao-Hsien)[It feels strange rating one of his films higher than Tsai's, but Tsai's 90's output easily trumps Hou's best]
10. What Time Is It There? or Goodbye, Dragon Inn(dir. Tsai Ming-Liang)[Not sure which is better because I feel Time is overrated and Goodbye is underrated]
Honorable mentions: Last Life in the Universe(dir. Pen-Ek Ratanaruang), Little Children(dir. Todd Field), Marie Antoinette or Lost in Translation(dir. Sofia Coppola), Kill Bill Vol. 2(dir. Quentin Tarantino)[maybe?], George Washington(dir. David Gordon Green), Morvern Callar(dir. Lynne Ramsay)[maybe?], 2046(dir. Wong Kar-Wai)[maybe?], and more...
2000's(by year)
2000. Platform(dir. Jia Zhang Ke)
2001. Mulholland Dr.(dir. David Lynch)
2002. Femme Fatale(dir. Brian De Palma)
2003. Lilya 4-Ever(dir. Lukas Moodysson)
2004. Goodbye, Dragon Inn(dir. Tsai Ming-liang)
2005. The New World(dir. Terrence Malick)
2006. Miami Vice(dir. Michael Mann)
2007. Fay Grim(dir. Hal Hartley)
1990's(no limit per director)
1. Henry Fool(dir. Hal Hartley)
2. Simple Men(dir. Hal Hartley)
3. Trust(dir. Hal Hartley)
4. Show Me Love/Fucking Åmål(dir. Lukas Moodysson)
5. The Hole(dir. Tsai Ming-Liang)
6. Heat(dir. Michael Mann)
7. Lessons of Darkness(dir. Werner Herzog)
8. Chungking Express(dir. Wong Kar-Wai)
9. First Comes Love(dir. Su Friedrich)
10. Small Deaths(dir. Lynne Ramsay)
Honorable mentions: Wonderland(dir. Michael Winterbottom), Dead Man(dir. Jim Jarmusch), The Wind Will Carry Us(dir. Abbas Kiarostami), The Sweet Hereafter(dir. Atom Egoyan), Rebels of the Neon God(dir. Tsai Ming-Liang), Magnolia(dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)[maybe?], The Player or Short Cuts(dir. Robert Altman), The Lion King(dir. Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff)[maybe?] Light Sleeper(dir. Paul Schrader)[maybe?], Clueless(dir. Amy Heckerling)[maybe?], Little Dieter Needs to Fly(dir. Werner Herzog), The Big Lebowski(dir. Coens Brothers)[slightly?], King of New York(dir. Abel Ferrara)[maybe?], Hard-Boiled(dir. John Woo)[maybe?], Barcelona(dir. Whit Stillman), Clueless(dir. Amy Heckerling), and more...
1990's(one film per director this time)
1. Henry Fool(dir. Hal Hartley)
2. Show Me Love/Fucking Åmål(dir. Lukas Moodysson)
3. The Hole(dir. Tsai Ming-liang)
4. Heat(dir. Michael Mann)
5. Lessons of Darkness(dir. Werner Herzog)
6. Chungking Express(dir. Wong Kar-wai)
7. First Comes Love(dir. Su Friedrich)
8. Small Deaths(dir. Lynne Ramsay)
9. Barcelona(dir. Whit Stillman)
10. The Player(dir. Robert Altman)
1990's(by year)
1990. Die Hard 2: Die Harder(dir. ?)
1991. Trust(dir. Hal Hartley)
1992. Simple Men(dir. Hal Hartley)
1993. Short Cuts(dir. Robert Altman)
1994. Chungking Express(dir. Wong Kar-Wai)
1995. Heat(dir. Michael Mann)
1996. Dead Man(dir. Jim Jarmusch)
1997. The Sweet Hereafter(dir. Atom Egoyan)
1998. Henry Fool(dir. Hal Hartley)
1999. Show Me Love(dir. Lukas Moodysson)
1980's(no limit per director)
1. L'Argent(dir. Robert Bresson)
2. The Sacrifice(dir. Andrei Tarkovsky)
3. Damned If You Don't(dir. Su Friedrich)
4. The Ties That Bind(dir. Su Friedrich)
5. Choose Me(dir. Alan Rudolph)
6. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters(dir. Paul Schrader)
7. Down By Law(dir. Jim Jarmusch)
8. Paris, Texas(dir. Wim Wenders)
9. Landscape in the Mist(dir. Theo Angelopoulos)
10. Do the Right Thing(dir. Spike Lee)
Honorable mentions: Day of the Dead(dir. George A. Romero), Dekalog Six(dir. Krzysztof Kieslowski), Full Metal Jacket(dir. Stanley Kubrick)[maybe?], White Dog or The Big Red One(dir. Samuel Fuller)[maybe?] and more...
1970's(one film per director)
1. A Woman Under the Influence(dir. John Cassavetes)
2. Hospital(dir. Frederick Wiseman)
3. The Mirror(dir. Andrei Tarkovsky)
4. M*A*S*H(dir. Robert Altman)
5. Days of Heaven(dir. Terrence Malick)
6. Suspiria(dir. Dario Argento)
7. Aguirre, the Wrath of God(dir. Werner Herzog)
8. The Passenger(dir. Michelangelo Antonioni)
9. Killer of Sheep(dir. Charles Burnett)
10. Lancelot of the Lake(dir. Robert Bresson)
Honorable mentions: Apocalypse Now, The Marriage of Maria Braun
1960's(one film per director for now)
1. Titicut Follies(dir. Frederick Wiseman)
2. Woman in the Dunes(dir. Hiroshi Teshigahara)
3. Masculin, feminin(dir. Jean-Luc Godard)
4. Branded to Kill(dir. Seijun Suzuki)
5. The Battle of Algiers(dir. Gillo Pontrevico)
6. Double Suicide(dir. Masahiro Shinoda)
7. Scorpio Rising(dir. Kenneth Anger)
8. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance(dir. John Ford)
9. 8 1/2 or La Dolce Vita(dir. Federico Fellini)
10. Mouchette(dir. Robert Bresson)
Honorable mentions: Harakiri(dir. Masaki Kobayashi), Rocco and His Brothers(dir. Luchino Visconti), Winter Light(dir. Ingmar Bergman), Andrei Rublev(dir. Andrei Tarkovsky), The Pawnbroker(dir. Sidney Lumet), 2001: A Space Oddysey or Dr. Strangelove(dir. Stanley Kubrick), Psycho or The Birds(dir. Alfred Hitchcock), The Naked Kiss(dir. Samuel Fuller), and more...
1950's
1. In a Lonely Place(dir. Nicholas Ray)
2. Ace in the Hole(dir. Billy Wilder)
3. On Dangerous Ground(dir. Nicholas Ray)
4. Shadows(dir. John Cassavetes)
5. The Searchers(dir. John Ford)
6. Ashes and Diamonds(dir. Andzrej Wajda)
7. The Killing(dir. Stanley Kubrick)
8. Rear Window(dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
9. Vertigo(dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
10. Diary of a Country Priest(dir. Robert Bresson)
Honorable mentions: The Big Heat(dir. Fritz Lang), Kiss Me Deadly(dir. Robert Aldrich), The Steel Helmet(dir. Samuel Fuller)[maybe?], The Seventh Seal(dir. Ingmar Bergman), Hiroshima, Mon Amour(dir. Alain Resnais), and others that I most likely forgot about...
1950's(by year)
1950. In a Lonely Place(dir. Nicholas Ray)
1951. Ace in the Hole(dir. Billy Wilder)
1952. On Dangerous Ground(dir. Nicholas Ray)
1959. Shadows(dir. John Cassavetes)
1940's
1. My Darling Clementine(dir. John Ford)
2. The Lady From Shanghai(dir. Orson Welles)
1930's
1. You Only Live Once(dir. Fritz Lang)
2. Vampyr(dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer)
3. The Grand Illusion(dir. Jean Renoir)
4. Rules of the Game(dir. Jean Renoir)
UPDATE:
2000's(excluding 2008 release):
[i]The New World[/i][Extended Cut](dir. Terrence Malick)
[i]Miami Vice[/i](dir. Michael Mann)
[i]Fay Grim[/i](dir. Hal Hartley)
[i]Pat Garett and Billy the Kid[/i][2005 Cut](dir. Sam Peckinpah)
[i]George Washington[/i](dir. David Gordon Green)
[i]Mulholland Drive[/i](dir. David Lynch)
[i]Femme Fatale[/i](dir. Brian De Palma)
[i]Marie Antoinette[/i](dir. Sofia Coppola)
[i]Punch-Drunk Love[/i](dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)
[i]Pistol Opera[/i](dir. Seijun Suzuki)
[i]Lilya 4-Ever[/i](dir. Lukas Moodysson)
[i]INLAND EMPIRE[/i](dir. David Lynch)
[i]Death Proof[/i](dir. Quentin Tarantino)
[i]Platform[/i](dir. Jia Zhangke)
[i]Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy[/i](dir. Adam McKay)
[i]Twentynine Palms[/i](dir. Bruno Dumont)
[i]L'Enfant[/i](dir. Dardenne Brothers)
[i]The Girl From Monday[/i](dir. Hal Hartley)
[i]2046[/i](dir. Wong Kar-wai)
1990's:
[i]Henry Fool[/i](dir. Hal Hartley)
[i]Trust[/i](dir. Hal Hartley)
[i]Simple Men[/i](dir. Hal Hartley)
[i]Heat[/i](dir. Michael Mann)
[i]Clueless[/i](dir. Amy Heckerling)
[i]The Hole[/i](dir. Tsai Ming-liang)
[i]Vive L'Amour[/i](dir. Tsai Ming-liang)
[i]Rebels of the Neon God[/i](dir. Tsai Ming-liang)
[i]Show Me Love[/i]/[i]Fucking Åmål[/i](dir. Lukas Moodysson)
[i]First Comes Love[/i](dir. Su Friedrich)
[i]Small Deaths[/i](dir. Lynne Ramsay)
[i]Chungking Express[/i](dir. Wong Kar-wai)
[i]The Big Lebowski[/i](dir. Coen Brothers)
[i]Hard Boiled[/i](dir. John Woo)
[i]King of New York[/i](dir. Abel Ferrara)
1980's:
[i]Choose Me[/i](dir. Alan Rudolph)
[i]Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom[/i](dir. Steven Spielberg)
[i]Paris, Texas[/i](dir. Wim Wenders)
[i]L'Argent[/i](dir. Robert Bresson)
[i]The Sacrifice[/i](dir. Andrei Tarkovsky)
[i]The Ties That Bind[/i](dir. Su Friedrich)
1960's
[i]Titicut Follies[/i](dir. Frederick Wiseman)
[i]Woman in the Dunes[/i](dir. Hiroshi Teshigahara)
[i]Branded to Kill[/i](dir. Seijun Suzuki)
[i]Tokyo Drifter[/i](dir. Seijun Suzuki)
[i]Double Suicide[/i](dir. Masahiro Shinoda)
[i]The Wild Bunch[/i](dir. Sam Peckinpah)
[i]The Battle of Algiers[/i](dir. Gillo Pontrevico)
[i]Masculin, feminin[/i](dir. Jean-Luc Godard)
[i]Pierrot le Fou[/i](dir. Jean-Luc Godard)
[i]Andrei Rublev[/i](dir. Andrei Tarkovsky)
[i]Scorpio Rising[/i](dir. Kenneth Anger)
[i]Harakiri[/i](dir. Masaki Kobayashi)
[i]Rocco and His Brothers[/i](dir. Luchino Visconti)
[i]Mouchette[/i](dir. Robert Bresson)
[i]Through a Glass Darkly[/i](dir. Ingmar Bergman)
1950's
[i]In a Lonely Place[/i](dir. Nicholas Ray)
[i]Ace in the Hole[/i](dir. Billy Wilder)
[i]The Big Heat[/i](dir. Fritz Lang)
2000's(one film per director with some either or's since I feel I need to rewatch some of these)
1. Lilya 4-Ever(dir. Lukas Moodysson)
2. Miami Vice(dir. Michael Mann)
3. Fay Grim(dir. Hal Hartley)
4. Pistol Opera(dir. Seijun Suzuki)
5. The New World(dir. Terrence Malick)
6. Platform(dir. Jia Zhangke)[Not sure if I should put this here or below Mulholland Dr.]
7. Mulholland Dr.(dir. David Lynch)
8. The Royal Tenenbaums(dir. Wes Anderson)
9. Millenium Mambo(dir. Hou Hsiao-Hsien)[It feels strange rating one of his films higher than Tsai's, but Tsai's 90's output easily trumps Hou's best]
10. What Time Is It There? or Goodbye, Dragon Inn(dir. Tsai Ming-Liang)[Not sure which is better because I feel Time is overrated and Goodbye is underrated]
Honorable mentions: Last Life in the Universe(dir. Pen-Ek Ratanaruang), Little Children(dir. Todd Field), Marie Antoinette or Lost in Translation(dir. Sofia Coppola), Kill Bill Vol. 2(dir. Quentin Tarantino)[maybe?], George Washington(dir. David Gordon Green), Morvern Callar(dir. Lynne Ramsay)[maybe?], 2046(dir. Wong Kar-Wai)[maybe?], and more...
2000's(by year)
2000. Platform(dir. Jia Zhang Ke)
2001. Mulholland Dr.(dir. David Lynch)
2002. Femme Fatale(dir. Brian De Palma)
2003. Lilya 4-Ever(dir. Lukas Moodysson)
2004. Goodbye, Dragon Inn(dir. Tsai Ming-liang)
2005. The New World(dir. Terrence Malick)
2006. Miami Vice(dir. Michael Mann)
2007. Fay Grim(dir. Hal Hartley)
1990's(no limit per director)
1. Henry Fool(dir. Hal Hartley)
2. Simple Men(dir. Hal Hartley)
3. Trust(dir. Hal Hartley)
4. Show Me Love/Fucking Åmål(dir. Lukas Moodysson)
5. The Hole(dir. Tsai Ming-Liang)
6. Heat(dir. Michael Mann)
7. Lessons of Darkness(dir. Werner Herzog)
8. Chungking Express(dir. Wong Kar-Wai)
9. First Comes Love(dir. Su Friedrich)
10. Small Deaths(dir. Lynne Ramsay)
Honorable mentions: Wonderland(dir. Michael Winterbottom), Dead Man(dir. Jim Jarmusch), The Wind Will Carry Us(dir. Abbas Kiarostami), The Sweet Hereafter(dir. Atom Egoyan), Rebels of the Neon God(dir. Tsai Ming-Liang), Magnolia(dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)[maybe?], The Player or Short Cuts(dir. Robert Altman), The Lion King(dir. Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff)[maybe?] Light Sleeper(dir. Paul Schrader)[maybe?], Clueless(dir. Amy Heckerling)[maybe?], Little Dieter Needs to Fly(dir. Werner Herzog), The Big Lebowski(dir. Coens Brothers)[slightly?], King of New York(dir. Abel Ferrara)[maybe?], Hard-Boiled(dir. John Woo)[maybe?], Barcelona(dir. Whit Stillman), Clueless(dir. Amy Heckerling), and more...
1990's(one film per director this time)
1. Henry Fool(dir. Hal Hartley)
2. Show Me Love/Fucking Åmål(dir. Lukas Moodysson)
3. The Hole(dir. Tsai Ming-liang)
4. Heat(dir. Michael Mann)
5. Lessons of Darkness(dir. Werner Herzog)
6. Chungking Express(dir. Wong Kar-wai)
7. First Comes Love(dir. Su Friedrich)
8. Small Deaths(dir. Lynne Ramsay)
9. Barcelona(dir. Whit Stillman)
10. The Player(dir. Robert Altman)
1990's(by year)
1990. Die Hard 2: Die Harder(dir. ?)
1991. Trust(dir. Hal Hartley)
1992. Simple Men(dir. Hal Hartley)
1993. Short Cuts(dir. Robert Altman)
1994. Chungking Express(dir. Wong Kar-Wai)
1995. Heat(dir. Michael Mann)
1996. Dead Man(dir. Jim Jarmusch)
1997. The Sweet Hereafter(dir. Atom Egoyan)
1998. Henry Fool(dir. Hal Hartley)
1999. Show Me Love(dir. Lukas Moodysson)
1980's(no limit per director)
1. L'Argent(dir. Robert Bresson)
2. The Sacrifice(dir. Andrei Tarkovsky)
3. Damned If You Don't(dir. Su Friedrich)
4. The Ties That Bind(dir. Su Friedrich)
5. Choose Me(dir. Alan Rudolph)
6. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters(dir. Paul Schrader)
7. Down By Law(dir. Jim Jarmusch)
8. Paris, Texas(dir. Wim Wenders)
9. Landscape in the Mist(dir. Theo Angelopoulos)
10. Do the Right Thing(dir. Spike Lee)
Honorable mentions: Day of the Dead(dir. George A. Romero), Dekalog Six(dir. Krzysztof Kieslowski), Full Metal Jacket(dir. Stanley Kubrick)[maybe?], White Dog or The Big Red One(dir. Samuel Fuller)[maybe?] and more...
1970's(one film per director)
1. A Woman Under the Influence(dir. John Cassavetes)
2. Hospital(dir. Frederick Wiseman)
3. The Mirror(dir. Andrei Tarkovsky)
4. M*A*S*H(dir. Robert Altman)
5. Days of Heaven(dir. Terrence Malick)
6. Suspiria(dir. Dario Argento)
7. Aguirre, the Wrath of God(dir. Werner Herzog)
8. The Passenger(dir. Michelangelo Antonioni)
9. Killer of Sheep(dir. Charles Burnett)
10. Lancelot of the Lake(dir. Robert Bresson)
Honorable mentions: Apocalypse Now, The Marriage of Maria Braun
1960's(one film per director for now)
1. Titicut Follies(dir. Frederick Wiseman)
2. Woman in the Dunes(dir. Hiroshi Teshigahara)
3. Masculin, feminin(dir. Jean-Luc Godard)
4. Branded to Kill(dir. Seijun Suzuki)
5. The Battle of Algiers(dir. Gillo Pontrevico)
6. Double Suicide(dir. Masahiro Shinoda)
7. Scorpio Rising(dir. Kenneth Anger)
8. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance(dir. John Ford)
9. 8 1/2 or La Dolce Vita(dir. Federico Fellini)
10. Mouchette(dir. Robert Bresson)
Honorable mentions: Harakiri(dir. Masaki Kobayashi), Rocco and His Brothers(dir. Luchino Visconti), Winter Light(dir. Ingmar Bergman), Andrei Rublev(dir. Andrei Tarkovsky), The Pawnbroker(dir. Sidney Lumet), 2001: A Space Oddysey or Dr. Strangelove(dir. Stanley Kubrick), Psycho or The Birds(dir. Alfred Hitchcock), The Naked Kiss(dir. Samuel Fuller), and more...
1950's
1. In a Lonely Place(dir. Nicholas Ray)
2. Ace in the Hole(dir. Billy Wilder)
3. On Dangerous Ground(dir. Nicholas Ray)
4. Shadows(dir. John Cassavetes)
5. The Searchers(dir. John Ford)
6. Ashes and Diamonds(dir. Andzrej Wajda)
7. The Killing(dir. Stanley Kubrick)
8. Rear Window(dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
9. Vertigo(dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
10. Diary of a Country Priest(dir. Robert Bresson)
Honorable mentions: The Big Heat(dir. Fritz Lang), Kiss Me Deadly(dir. Robert Aldrich), The Steel Helmet(dir. Samuel Fuller)[maybe?], The Seventh Seal(dir. Ingmar Bergman), Hiroshima, Mon Amour(dir. Alain Resnais), and others that I most likely forgot about...
1950's(by year)
1950. In a Lonely Place(dir. Nicholas Ray)
1951. Ace in the Hole(dir. Billy Wilder)
1952. On Dangerous Ground(dir. Nicholas Ray)
1959. Shadows(dir. John Cassavetes)
1940's
1. My Darling Clementine(dir. John Ford)
2. The Lady From Shanghai(dir. Orson Welles)
1930's
1. You Only Live Once(dir. Fritz Lang)
2. Vampyr(dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer)
3. The Grand Illusion(dir. Jean Renoir)
4. Rules of the Game(dir. Jean Renoir)
UPDATE:
2000's(excluding 2008 release):
[i]The New World[/i][Extended Cut](dir. Terrence Malick)
[i]Miami Vice[/i](dir. Michael Mann)
[i]Fay Grim[/i](dir. Hal Hartley)
[i]Pat Garett and Billy the Kid[/i][2005 Cut](dir. Sam Peckinpah)
[i]George Washington[/i](dir. David Gordon Green)
[i]Mulholland Drive[/i](dir. David Lynch)
[i]Femme Fatale[/i](dir. Brian De Palma)
[i]Marie Antoinette[/i](dir. Sofia Coppola)
[i]Punch-Drunk Love[/i](dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)
[i]Pistol Opera[/i](dir. Seijun Suzuki)
[i]Lilya 4-Ever[/i](dir. Lukas Moodysson)
[i]INLAND EMPIRE[/i](dir. David Lynch)
[i]Death Proof[/i](dir. Quentin Tarantino)
[i]Platform[/i](dir. Jia Zhangke)
[i]Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy[/i](dir. Adam McKay)
[i]Twentynine Palms[/i](dir. Bruno Dumont)
[i]L'Enfant[/i](dir. Dardenne Brothers)
[i]The Girl From Monday[/i](dir. Hal Hartley)
[i]2046[/i](dir. Wong Kar-wai)
1990's:
[i]Henry Fool[/i](dir. Hal Hartley)
[i]Trust[/i](dir. Hal Hartley)
[i]Simple Men[/i](dir. Hal Hartley)
[i]Heat[/i](dir. Michael Mann)
[i]Clueless[/i](dir. Amy Heckerling)
[i]The Hole[/i](dir. Tsai Ming-liang)
[i]Vive L'Amour[/i](dir. Tsai Ming-liang)
[i]Rebels of the Neon God[/i](dir. Tsai Ming-liang)
[i]Show Me Love[/i]/[i]Fucking Åmål[/i](dir. Lukas Moodysson)
[i]First Comes Love[/i](dir. Su Friedrich)
[i]Small Deaths[/i](dir. Lynne Ramsay)
[i]Chungking Express[/i](dir. Wong Kar-wai)
[i]The Big Lebowski[/i](dir. Coen Brothers)
[i]Hard Boiled[/i](dir. John Woo)
[i]King of New York[/i](dir. Abel Ferrara)
1980's:
[i]Choose Me[/i](dir. Alan Rudolph)
[i]Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom[/i](dir. Steven Spielberg)
[i]Paris, Texas[/i](dir. Wim Wenders)
[i]L'Argent[/i](dir. Robert Bresson)
[i]The Sacrifice[/i](dir. Andrei Tarkovsky)
[i]The Ties That Bind[/i](dir. Su Friedrich)
1960's
[i]Titicut Follies[/i](dir. Frederick Wiseman)
[i]Woman in the Dunes[/i](dir. Hiroshi Teshigahara)
[i]Branded to Kill[/i](dir. Seijun Suzuki)
[i]Tokyo Drifter[/i](dir. Seijun Suzuki)
[i]Double Suicide[/i](dir. Masahiro Shinoda)
[i]The Wild Bunch[/i](dir. Sam Peckinpah)
[i]The Battle of Algiers[/i](dir. Gillo Pontrevico)
[i]Masculin, feminin[/i](dir. Jean-Luc Godard)
[i]Pierrot le Fou[/i](dir. Jean-Luc Godard)
[i]Andrei Rublev[/i](dir. Andrei Tarkovsky)
[i]Scorpio Rising[/i](dir. Kenneth Anger)
[i]Harakiri[/i](dir. Masaki Kobayashi)
[i]Rocco and His Brothers[/i](dir. Luchino Visconti)
[i]Mouchette[/i](dir. Robert Bresson)
[i]Through a Glass Darkly[/i](dir. Ingmar Bergman)
1950's
[i]In a Lonely Place[/i](dir. Nicholas Ray)
[i]Ace in the Hole[/i](dir. Billy Wilder)
[i]The Big Heat[/i](dir. Fritz Lang)
Friday, March 23, 2007
Oh Alain...
White Dog(dir. Samuel Fuller)
I was surprised by how good this was. I wanted to see it pretty much for how ridiculous the concept seemed, but I was surprised by how effective this was as a drama. I remember reading the Great Directors for Fuller on Senses of Cinema and I believe someone said he makes poetry out of ridiculousness. This is the perfect example of this. It was actually intellectual especially the end. I can see theories that the dog represents society, which makes the most sense to me. This could be his best film.
**** out of ****
Le Cercle Rouge(dir. Jean-Pierre Melville)
Watching Heat, I wanted to see another caper film and the fact that Michael Mann is obviously influenced by Jean-Pierre Melville, I decided to put this near the top of the Blockbuster Online queue. Not sure if this is better than Heat, but this is clearly his best film. What amazes me about his films is just the level of detail like how the inspector has a lot of cats and the whole robbery sequence was quite compelling. The ending was kind of a letdown, but thats one of the only flaws I can see with this nearly flawless film. The scenes in the bar were quite astonishing. I loved it.
**** out of ****
I was surprised by how good this was. I wanted to see it pretty much for how ridiculous the concept seemed, but I was surprised by how effective this was as a drama. I remember reading the Great Directors for Fuller on Senses of Cinema and I believe someone said he makes poetry out of ridiculousness. This is the perfect example of this. It was actually intellectual especially the end. I can see theories that the dog represents society, which makes the most sense to me. This could be his best film.
**** out of ****
Le Cercle Rouge(dir. Jean-Pierre Melville)
Watching Heat, I wanted to see another caper film and the fact that Michael Mann is obviously influenced by Jean-Pierre Melville, I decided to put this near the top of the Blockbuster Online queue. Not sure if this is better than Heat, but this is clearly his best film. What amazes me about his films is just the level of detail like how the inspector has a lot of cats and the whole robbery sequence was quite compelling. The ending was kind of a letdown, but thats one of the only flaws I can see with this nearly flawless film. The scenes in the bar were quite astonishing. I loved it.
**** out of ****
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