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LawrenceA
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Days Won
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Posts posted by LawrenceA
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Crimson Tide
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Swithin, I've been wanting to see KURONEKO for awhile. Criterion put it out on disc last year, I think. I haven't seen LONESOME COWBOYS, but I can imagine it from your description! I haven't seen STOLEN KISSES, but I know what it is. THREE IN THE ATTIC I don't know.
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The two you didn't mention, I want to see the most. SISTER GEORGE is one of the only Aldrich films I haven't seen, plus its in my "500 Essential Cult Films" book. THE BROTHERHOOD is listed in the "101 Best Gangster Movies" book.
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CANNIBAL FEROX - (3/10) - a.k.a. MAKE THEM DIE SLOWLY. The second most infamous Italian cannibal movie of the 1980's, this was even worse than the previous year's CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST. An American grad student, doing her dissertation on the "colonial myth" of cannibalism, travels with friends up the Amazon river to observe tribal living. They run into some other seedy Americans, and they abuse the natives until the natives bite back. Dumb, cheap, grimy and wholly unpleasant. Like the earlier film, this also features some real animal killings, so beware. In fact, pretty much anyone should stay away. This was included in the "500 Essential Cult Films" book. I don't think I need to meet that cult.
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Here are my unseens from your lists so far:
Bogie, only THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE.
TopBilled, THE KILLING OF SISTER GEORGE, THE BROTHERHOOD, BUENA SERA MRS. CAMPBELL, BYE BYE BRAVERMAN, and THE NIGHT THEY RAIDED MINSKY'S.
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1968 - 155 films seen
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey - Sci-fi triumph that bores, irritates or annoys 2/3 of the people who see it, but I think it's truly a masterpiece, maybe the best science fiction movie ever made. This film is mainly about mood and imagery, and the cool detachment present throughout, which some view as emotional vacancy, I see as the viewer taking the place of the enigmatic alien intelligences that are fostering the evolution of humanity. To such beings, we would be ants scurrying about in fruitless endeavor, viewed from afar like ants in an ant-farm. But putting aside the narrative philosophy, this film lives or dies on it's special effects, and this film is still a triumph. The effects here wouldn't be matched for at least the next 9 years. And finally, this film is a genius example of score matched with image, with very few to equal it.
2. Once Upon a Time in the West - While I was hesitantly declarative with my #1 choice, I have no such qualms with this, my choice as the best western ever made, or at least my favorite. All of the various issues of western expansion are brought into full, almost giant, focus. The characters are big, the vistas are big, the pregnant pauses are big. Henry Fonda is astonishing in a truly villainous role, his cold eyes never used to better effect. The final showdown between Fonda and Harmonica (a suitably taciturn Charles Bronson) should be viewed with the volume turned way up. Gives me goosebumps every time.
3. Night of the Living Dead - One of the most influential horror films ever made was this tiny-budget zombie film from Pittsburgh. Sharp political and social commentary, better than expected performances, and a true knack for clever and atmospheric camerawork elevate this far above it's drive-in brethren. The definition of "zombie" was changed forever with this film, whose impact is still very much present. Look no further than the biggest show on cable television at the moment.
4. Shame - This is one of the more recent additions to my top ten lists. I was expecting the first half of the film, an uncomfortable examination of a rapidly dissolving marriage between two smart but troubled people. I wasn't expecting the second half, one of the best film portrayals of civilian life in the middle of a war zone that I have ever seen. The fear, uncertainty, the sense of helplessness in the face of forces you neither know or understand, is truly frighteningly depicted. Liv Ullmann and Max Von Sydow are outstanding in the leads.
5. The Lion In Winter - Excellent performance showcase, with Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn having some of the most fun verbal jousts ever committed to celluloid.
6. Planet of the Apes - Terrific sci-fi adventure with a snarling, grimacing Charlton Heston held captive by sentient apes. Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, and Maurice Evans all manage good performances under thick masks. The inventive score from Jerry Goldsmith adds a lot, too.
7. Where Eagles Dare - Great WW2 adventure with Clint Eastwood doing his best cold-blooded tough guy routine, but Richard Burton stealing the show with the slickest fast-talker to ever fool a Nazi.
8. Bullitt - Steve McQueen at the height of his popularity, with the famous car chase over and around the streets of San Francisco. Oh, and it's also a good police procedural, too.
9. Rosemary's Baby - It's taken me a long time to warm to this iconic top-shelf horror. There's only so much of Mia Farrow's early helpless waif schtick I can take. But over the years, after several viewings forced by friends and family, I've grown to appreciate the rest of the film enough to put it on my list.
10. The Party - Nothing deep or symbolic here, just silly Peter Sellers in a silly comedy. I laughed. A lot.
Runner-ups: Monterey Pop, Romeo & Juliet, Faces, Hour of the Wolf, and Hell In the Pacific.
Larry's Choices: Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell - Wild and crazy Japanese sci-fi/horror oddity about a group of plane-crash survivors fending off a bizarre alien invasion that leaves some victims with a vertical cut on their foreheads that looks suspiciously like a certain part of the female anatomy! This film is available on the excellent "When Horror Came to Shochiku" box set from Criterion, along with The Living Skeleton, Genocide, and The X from Outer Space, all of which are recommended.
Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women - Peter Bogdonavich directed this assemblage of previous films ( a few Soviet SF films, plus the earlier Battle Beyond the Sun and Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet) and added ridiculous footage of Mamie Van Doren standing in the surf. The end result is silly, campy fun.
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Here are the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die entries for 1967:
Belle De Jour
Bonnie and Clyde
Closely Watched Trains
Cool Hand Luke
Earth Entranced**
The Fireman's Ball
The Graduate
Hombre
In the Heat of the Night
The Jungle Book
Le Samourai
Marketa Lazarova**
Playtime
Point Blank
The Red and the White**
Report** (short film)
Two or Three Things I Know About Her**
VIY
Wavelength (short film)
Weekend
The Young Girls of Rochefort**
**denotes films I have not seen, 6 again
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And one more.
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I don't post on this thread usually, but today calls for it. Here's one of my favorites.
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Here are my unseens for 1967:
THE DOUBLE MAN
GAMES
TWO FOR THE ROAD
THE SNOW QUEEN
HAPPY END
I EVEN MET HAPPY GYPSIES
A GUIDE FOR THE MARRIED MAN
THE HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE
THE RELUCTANT ASTRONAUT
DIVORCE AMERICAN STYLE
MOUCHETTE
HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING
MARAT/SADE
THE STRANGER
ULYSSES
THE VULTURE
HOTEL
ACCIDENT
FITZWILLY
THE FOX
OUR MOTHER'S HOUSE
UP THE DOWN STAIRCASE
WHO'S MINDING THE MINT?
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This wasn't news I needed to read this morning. Bowie is my favorite solo artist in all of rock. Like others have said, I had no idea he was even ill. This is rough. My sympathies go out to his family and friends. The world got a lot less interesting today.
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I'm amazed that WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? isn't on the list. Thrilled that SECONDS is there. Are THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS, PERSONA and CLOSELY WATCHED TRAINS not on the list for some other year? I can't imagine that the first two aren't among the 1001, and I'm not speaking just for myself.
HA! I thought that list was too short. They misplaced a 1967 film a few pages too soon, so I stopped looking too soon. Here are the remaining 1001 Movies for 1966.
AU HASARD, BALTHAZAR
MASCULINE-FEMININE
PERSONA
WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?
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You're right Bogie, I forgot. So here goes my unseens:
The Liquidator ( I'm taping this one tomorrow)
Penelope
A Report on the Party and the Guests
Wings
War and Peace
Watch Out for the Automobile
Who Wants to Kill Jessie? (this one is listed in the 101 Best Sci-Fi book)
Woman of the Lake
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (this appears to be my biggest omission)
The Big Gundown
The Trouble with Angels
Madame X
Moment to Moment
Lord Love a Duck
Duel at Diablo
Mister Buddwing
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1967 - 130 films seen
1. Cool Hand Luke - This movie was the definition of cool to my young anti-authoritarian mind, and it's still the greatest filmic representation of the "me against the world" attitude, as self-destructive as that can prove to be. Great performances all around.
2. Point Blank - Neo-noir with one of the most cold-blooded protagonists in movie history. Lee Marvin is like an elemental spirit of vengeance cutting a path through the city's underworld in search of his money. The ambiguous ending leaves an unsettling aftertaste.
3. In Cold Blood - True-crime drama, with great b&w cinematography. Robert Blake and Scott Wilson are both terrific, as well.
4. The Dirty Dozen - Iconic WW2 action movie with a sliding morality. Lee Marvin anchors one of the best ensemble casts in movie history, and there's a host of quotable lines. My favorite men-on-a-mission movie.
5. The Graduate - Touchstone of youthful middle class ennui. Dustin Hoffman is a welcome new star, and Anne Bancroft was robbed of the Oscar for one of screen's most iconic roles.
6. Le Samourai - Hugely influential French crime drama, with an ice-cold Alain Delon as the ultra-disciplined hitman of the title. They still constantly steal from this.
7. You Only Live Twice - Although he came pretty close in the last 2 outings, James Bond truly goes over the top in this fifth outing for Connery. Bond pretends to be a Japanese fisherman, gets fake married, battles ninjas, flies an incredible gyro-copter, and finally comes face to face with his arch nemesis Blofeld, played in full bald-head, scarred-face glory by Donald Pleasence. The villain's fake-volcano lair was the biggest set ever constructed up to that time. It may be silly, but it's also one of the most fun Bonds.
8. In the Heat of the Night - Multiple Oscar-winner is still a compelling police procedural with or without the racial aspects. Poitier and Steiger are both magnetic.
9. Five Million Years to Earth - a.k.a. Quatermass and the Pit, this follows the continuing adventures of Professor Quatermass, a popular British sci-fi character in a series of television and theatrical films. This time the Professor is called in when an ancient spacecraft is found by workers building the London Underground. There's xeno-anthropology, psychic manifestations, racial memory, and lots of other fun things for sci-fi geeks to sink their teeth into.
10. Weekend - I have never had a high tolerance for the shenanigans of provocateur Jean-Luc Godard, so it's perhaps surprising that my favorite of his films is this absurd black comedy about a never ending traffic jam that throws society into chaos.
Runner-ups: The Fearless Vampire Killers, VIY, Samurai Rebellion, Playtime, and Branded to Kill.
Larry's Choices: Gallery of Horrors - Anthology horror film from z-grade auteur David L. Hewiit. Rock bottom production values, incompetent technical work, a horrifying script and sadly desperate stars John Carradine and Lon Chaney Jr. make this a real winner. Available in many, differently edited versions, under a whole host of titles, such as Dr. Terror's Gallery of Horrors, Alien Massacre, The Witch's Clock, Return from the Past, and more.
Something Weird - Forget Blood Feast or Two Thousand Maniacs, this is the true masterpiece of director H.G. Lewis. The near-incomprehensible plot concerns a witch in league with an evil psychic who become involved in a murder investigation in the bustling metropolis of Jefferson, Wisconsin. Can federal agent and kung-fu master Alex Jordan save the day? Watch and be amazed. This film inspired the name of the video distribution company that released so, so many wonderfully obscure b and z movies.
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Here are the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die entries for 1966:
Blowup
Come Drink With Me
Daisies
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Hold Me While I'm Naked (short film)
Seconds
...and that's it! Small list this year.
Of the two we didn't mention, Come Drink With Me is a very good kung-fu film with a terrific lead performance by Cheng Pei-Pei. 34 years later she had a prominent role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in honor of that earlier film.
The short film Hold Me While I'm Naked is a ridiculous if influential lark of intentional camp (think Douglas Sirk by way of John Waters). It's very low budget, really not much more than a home movie. It's only about 15 minutes long, and it was available on YouTube.
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THE BURNING - (5/10) - Cliched slasher pic about a badly burned summer camp caretaker who returns to stalk and kill sex-starved teens. Film is mainly remembered now for the big names both in front of and behind the camera. Jason Alexander, Fisher Stevens and Holly Hunter all make their film debuts. Make-up fx master Tom Savini provides the gruesomeness, while Rick Wakeman of Yes did the score. This is also the first film by Hollywood bigshots Bob & Harvey Weinstein. Even though five names get screenplay listing, Harvey gets a "created and produced by" credit. Humble since the beginning.
I saw this when it was new, but not since, and in the intervening 34 years it's gotten a lot dumber.
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I thought Georgy Girl was a 1965 film, so I didn't include it on my list. I'm including it now, it's a favorite of mine. Love everything about the film. I was away most of the day and didn't do a list for 1965.
King the thread won't be the same without your insightful takes on your favorite films
Lavenderblue, feel free to post your '65 list now if you'd like. There's no hard rule against, and I for one enjoy everyone's opinion.
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Many thanks to you and Bogie. This has been great fun.
Thank you for participating. Your lists have been insightful and very well expressed. Even though your tastes preclude your further list-making, please feel free to keep reading and interjecting any thoughts that may come to mind.
Until then...
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I've got some things to do, and a show to watch, so I may post the '66 1001 movies late tonight and maybe my 1967 list, and everyone can post theirs throughout the late night/morning, since I don't get started until late in the day.
On a side note, Bogie and I swapping the ten best of 1967 lists on another thread is what inspired this one's creation.
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I'm planning on going all the way to 2015. If no one else, I know Bogie can post lists up to then. Everyone who can is encouraged to participate, if they wish. The number of films I've seen keeps increasing with each year, so I don't have a problem making a top ten, until maybe 2014, as I haven't caught up yet with the newest films. I have stacks of them waiting to be watched, though.
That documentary sounds like a bonus feature on the deluxe WICKER MAN dvd.
One thing I'll say about 1966...you people really love HOW TO STEAL A MILLION!
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BERLIN TUNNEL 21 - (6/10) - Competent if unremarkable tv movie tells the true story of a group of men who constructed an underground tunnel between East and West Germany, under the Berlin wall, in 1961, to help defectors escape the Soviet-dominated East. Richard Thomas stars as an American G.I. trying to rescue his girlfriend, with Horst Bucholz as the engineer, Jose Ferrer, Kenneth Griffith, and Nicholas Farrell.
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1966 - 149 films seen
1. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Big, complex spaghetti masterpiece.
2. The Sword of Doom - Terrific b&w samurai film, with Tatsuya Nakadai as the meanest sword-swinger ever in film. This was planned as a trilogy, but the director abandoned the idea, leaving things with no real resolution. However, this makes the ending all the more powerful.
3. The Battle of Algiers - Powerful political film is nearly a recruitment film for anti-imperialist insurgencies. Great stuff, but checking it out from the library will probably put you on a watchlist!
4. Au Hasard, Balthazar - Robert Bresson film about innocence & cruelty. Dark stuff.
5. Harper - Fun detective caper with a charming Paul Newman.
6. Fahrenheit 451 - Truffaut does Bradbury, and it mostly works. Very prescient.
7. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? - Exhausting film must be seen for the performances but could leave you with a headache.
8. The Professionals - Mean western action picture with one of the great assemblages of screen tough guys ever. Plus Claudia Cardinale.
9. A Man for All Seasons - Excellent costume drama, with terrific performances.
10. Fantastic Voyage - Big budget sci-fi adventure inside the human body. Loads of fun. Plus Raquel Welch.
Runner-ups: Seconds, The Face of Another, Persona, The Naked Prey, and Closely Watched Trains.
Larry's Choices: Manos: The Hands of Fate - As there is matter to anti-matter, yin to yang, light to dark, if there were an empirical opposite of great filmmaking, it would be Manos. My favorite bad film of all time, it's hard to express the joy this brings me. An unfortunate family of really, really bad actors have car trouble and break down at the home of a satanic cult leader and his swollen-kneed servant. The best night of your cinematic life then unfolds.
The Diabolical Dr. Z - Jesus "Jess" Franco was an incredibly prolific film maker (around 160 films!) from Spain that cornered the market in stupid Euro-sleaze for most of the 60's and 70's. His most "famous" creation was Dr. Orloff, who went on to appear in multiple films after being introduced in 1962's The Awful Dr. Orloff. Our film in question, though, concerns a protege of Orloff's, who develops a mind control machine and uses it to manipulate an exotic dancer with long fingernails to go out and kill the good doctor's enemies. Probably the most competently made film from Franco, although that isn't saying much.
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Here are the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die entries for 1965:
Alphaville
The Battle of Algiers^
Chimes at Midnight**
Dr. Zhivago
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
Golden River/Subarnarekha**
Juliet of the Spirits
The Man Who Had His Hair Cut Short**
Pierrot Le Fou
Repulsion
The Saragossa Manuscript**
The Shop on Main Street
The Sound of Music
Tokyo Olympiad** (documentary)
Vinyl** (underground film)
The War Game (short film)
^this film appears on my 1966 list; I've read four different release dates for it!
**denotes films I have not seen, 6 again!
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'Phantasm II' is my favorite.
'Phantasm III' is my least favorite.
The original 'Phantasm' was pretty mind-blowing at the time. In the DVD commentary, Coscarelli mentions that he'd never be able to make it now without an NC-17 (he actually said "X") rating because of political correctness. I'm not sure if he's right about 'Phantasm', but I'm pretty sure he's right for a lot of other movies made in the 70's.
I always liked part two as well. The 4-barreled shotgun was a treat, and they really have fun with the spheres of death. I never did see part four, though.
They keep threatening to remake the first one. Bet that'll be wonderful.
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