LawrenceA

Diane Keaton

ALL NIGHT LONG - (6/10) - My 1981 film watching begins with this misfire comedy that's not quite as bad as its reputation. Gene Hackman stars as a corporate exec who gets demoted to night manager at an all-night drugstore. He also has to deal with his teenage son (Dennis Quaid) who's having an affair with a lonely housewife (Barbra Streisand). Soon, though, the housewife sets her sights on Hackman, and hijinks ensue. Streisand's last minute involvement altered the script to enlarge her role, to the detriment of the film. Hackman is good. Also with Diane Ladd, William Daniels, Terry Kiser and Annie Girardot.

Here are the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die entries for 1962: AN AUTUMN AFTERNOON CLEO FROM 5 TO 7 DOG STAR MAN (short film) THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL HEAVEN AND EARTH MAGIC** (underground film) JULES AND JIM KEEPER OF PROMISES** LAWRENCE OF ARABIA L'ECLISSE LOLITA THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE MONDO CANE MY LIFE TO LIVE/VIVRE SA VIE TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? WINTER LIGHT **denotes films I haven't seen

Much was made at the time of the 91 version that all the principals involved did the film because they needed a hit. Nolte had fallen on hard times in the 80's, and was starting to have a career second wind. DeNiro still had clout, but hadn't starred in a commercial hit in a couple years. Scorsese too was coming off of a box office disappointment (how was GOODFELLAS a flop?), and he needed to show he was bankable so he could get the funding he needed for AGE OF INNOCENCE. At first he was circling a proposed KEY LARGO remake that was to star Mel Gibson and Al Pacino, but that fell apart, so he agreed to CAPE FEAR. The whole thing was relatively rushed through, and if it wasn't for the talent involved, it could have been a real trainwreck. Instead it was a sufficient hit (the biggest Scorsese had up to that point), and it's generally well regarded, if not enthusiastically so. I liked it, anyway.

1996

Elvis Presley was the main character in BUBBA HO-TEP starring Bruce Campbell as the king of rock n roll.

The Blob is gender neutral. All are welcome to its warm embrace. Just leave a tip by the door on your way out.

I meant what I said about GHOSTS and WEREWOLF as a compliment. I'm not quite sure if you took it that way from your response. As for not liking DEVCHATA because I haven't experienced the subject matter, I was never menaced by space jelly either, but I still loved THE BLOB.

I want to mention one other notable film of 1962. THE TALE OF ZATOICHI started the long running series of films following the blind masseuse, gambler and swordsman Zatoichi as he stumbles somewhat comedically into various situations. Shintaro Katsu is magnificent in the title role, and it made him one of the biggest stars in Japan. The original series of films ran 26 entries long, from 1962 to 1989, and also spawned a tv series, also starring Katsu. One of the films is ZATOICHI MEETS YOJIMBO, costarring Toshiro Mifune. Zatoichi is one of the greatest creations in Japanese cinema, and shouldn't be missed. Criterion released a massive box set of the films a few years ago, so they're readily available.

I'll finish this so the thread can move on. Francis Ford Coppola took the Russian NEBO ZOVYOT and made BATTLE BEYOND THE SUN (1962). That was mixed, by Curtis Harrington, with the Russian PLANETA BUR and made into VOYAGE TO THE PREHISTORIC PLANET (1965). Finally,that was refashioned, by Peter Bogdanovich, into PLANET OF THE PREHISTORIC WOMEN (1968), featuring new footage of Mamie Van Doren. Open thread.

SansFin, I feel I've met a kindred spirit! First 13 GHOSTS, now WEREWOLF IN A GIRL'S DORMITORY! I love it! I also like that you mention BLAST OF SILENCE. I haven't seen THE PLEASURE OF HIS COMPANY, ALYE PARUSA, TEN DARK WOMEN, or DEVCHATA.

Wow, what a wide variety of good films you've all mentioned. BABY JANE, BIRDMAN, DAYS OF WINE could all have been on my list. I haven't seen IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS, IL SORPASSO, MAMMA ROMA, FREUD (only Clift I've missed), JESSICA, LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, PERIOD OF ADJUSTMENT, GYPSY, A VERY PRIVATE AFFAIR, and EVA. I have WINTER LIGHT on my 63 list.

The silent NAPOLEON. THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WANTED, COME FILL THE CUP, A SPECIAL DAY, and DARK EYES for my Oscar film watch. HOT SPELL for that someone special.

1962 - 115 films seen 1. Lawrence of Arabia - With this screen name, how could this not be my first choice? I have to be honest, though. The first time I watched it, I wasn't blown away. In fact, I was sorely disappointed. It wasn't until years later, catching part on tv, that I started to see the attraction. Now I've seen it many times, and love the whole thing, from the amazing cinematography, to the legendary editing, the performances, all of it. The final word on desert grandeur. 2. The Manchurian Candidate - Tense political thriller has had such a cultural impact that it's entered into the vernacular. Sinatra is good, but Laurence Harvey is great, and Angela Lansbury is one magnificent b-, uh, lady! 3. Harakiri - Incredibly intense samurai drama that devastatingly peels back the hypocrisy of the samurai code. Tatsuya Nakadai is great, and truly establishes his place among the greatest of Japanese film stars. Samurai films (chambara) are among my favorite genres, and, along with Seven Samurai, this is the best. 4. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - Deceptively simple old west mythologizing and pointed statement on image manipulation, with good performances from the cast of western all-stars, including an especially rancid Lee Marvin. 5. Dr. No - The whole thing started here, with James Bond's first screen adventure, this time in the Caribbean. Connery is a meaner, more cold-blooded Bond than some audiences may be used to. Joseph Wiseman, as the title villain with metal hands, establishes himself as one of Bond's all-time great adversaries with just a couple of well-played scenes. And who can forget Ursula Andress standing in the surf? 6. Lolita - Stanley Kubrick's take on Nabokov's controversial novel is a terrfic black comedy, with a stand-out turn from James Mason, and Peter Sellers doing an impression of the director. 7. Cape Fear - There's a whole thread about this one at the moment, so I'll just add that I think this is one of Mitchum's greatest roles, and I could watch him all day in this. 8. The Longest Day - Giant WW2 epic featuring everyone within arm's length in bit parts. Besides playing "spot-the-star", the film contains a handful of bravura sequences that are truly amazing. 9. Ride the High Country - As the 60's started, there were a lot of westerns made about the end of an era. TV had taken away a lot of the film western audience, and the stars from yesteryear were starting to get a bit long in the tooth to be riding the range. This is one the best of those end-of-the-line westerns, with great performances from Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea. 10. To Kill a Mockingbird - Iconic Gregory Peck, and important messages on justice and racism, have made this a touchstone in cinema. Boo Radley is my favorite, though. Runner-ups: Carnival of Souls, Sanjuro, Billy Budd, An Autumn Afternoon, and The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. Larry's Choices: Eegah! Incredible production from the mind of Arch Hall, Sr. A writer, his son, and the son's girlfriend discover a caveman alive in some caverns in the desert. Eegah falls for the girl (he's pretty lonely being the only caveman and all), and so he ventures into town to try and take her as his bride. Big Richard Kiel, of Jaws from James Bond fame, stars as the caveman. Arch Hall plays the writer, while his son Arch Hall Jr. plays the son. How convenient! The Halls made several low budget turkeys around this time, and I recommend all of them. These include The Choppers, Wild Guitar, and The Sadist. Samson vs the Vampire Women - The most readily available entry in the long-running series of Mexican films centering on masked wrestler Santo (Samson in the english dub). Luchadors are masked wrestling heroes south of the border, and they were treated like rock stars during this period. Santo was the greatest of them all, and got to star in over 50 films. In this entry, he battles some ridiculous undead ladies who serve The Evil One, who makes the mistake of kidnapping the daughter of Santo's friend. Santo to the rescue!

film lover, The Day the World Caught Fire and The Deadly Companions are both excellent. I was particularly surprised by the quality of the The Day..., since when I watched it, I knew nothing about it, and was expecting something much sillier. But it was presented with an intelligence and serious tone that elevated it from it's peers.

Here are the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die entries for 1961: Breakfast at Tiffany's Chronicle of a Summer** (documentary) The Exiles The Hustler La Jetee (short film) La Notte The Ladies Man Last Year at Marienbad** Lola One-Eyed Jacks Splendor in the Grass Through a Glass Darkly Viridiana West Side Story **denotes films I have not seen

I'll post the 1001 movies for 1961 soonish and then start 1962. Anyone who hasn't done 61 yet can double post.

Oh, well then I know that one, too!

Bogie- I'm glad you mentioned THE MARK. Good film that's largely forgotten now. I actually liked BARABBAS, too (it's usually dismissed as junk in the books I've read). I haven't seen THREE DAUGHTERS. TopBilled, the only one you mention this time that I don't know is THE LONG AND THE SHORT AND THE TALL.

Whew, I've got some catching up to do with the 1961 films. There's several here that I've never heard of, and they sound very interesting. Speed, I haven't seen COME SEPTEMBER, LOVER COME BACK, and THE PARENT TRAP(but of course I've heard of this one!) Swithin, I dont know THE GREENGAGE SUMMER, A TASTE OF HONEY, and WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND (although kingrat described them well). kingrat, other than the above, I was unaware of TWO LOVES. Plus, I'm glad you liked VICTIM, as well.

1961 - 103 films seen 1. Yojimbo - Akira Kurosawa continues his interpretations of Western culture with this variation on Dashiell Hammett's "Red Harvest". An itinerant samurai sells himself to two opposing sides in a turf war, playing each against the other. Remade itself a hundred times since, this is my favorite role for Kurosawa regular Toshiro Mifune. 2. The Hustler - Paul Newman, Piper Laurie, Jackie Gleason and George C. Scott are all terrific in this gritty drama about the seedier side of town and the broken souls that live there. You can almost smell the cigarette smoke and stale beer. 3. Divorce - Italian Style - Dark comedy with one of my favorite performances of the 60's from Marcello Mastroianni. 4. The Innocents - Subtle, classy ghost story may be too sedate for some, but just the right creep for others. 5. Viridiana - Luis Bunuel's anti-religious allegory offended many and baffled even more upon release. I just take it as it comes and enjoy the ride. 6. Judgment at Nuremberg - Stanley Kramer's bloated epic is about an important subject that should never be forgotten, and the film features many fine performances. 7. Through a Glass Darkly - Ingmar Bergman film is an intimate family drama and one of the more distressing depictions of mental illness in cinema. Not recommended for a night of fun. 8. The Guns of Navarone - Rousing WW2 adventure is the best Hollywood action film of the year. 9. The Misfits - Depressing viewing in a lot of ways, seeing Gable, Monroe and Clift near the end. But there's an emotional vulnerability that says more than a lot of their earlier, healthier work. 10. West Side Story - Big, loud musical, one of the few on my lists, but more a sign of my thoughts on 1961 than on my love of the film. I do enjoy Rita Moreno, and "America" is one of my favorite musical moments ever. Runner-ups: Curse of the Werewolf, Victim, One-Eyed Jacks, La Notte, and Lola. Larry's Choices: The Beast of Yucca Flats - This is one of my all-time favorites. I have literally injured myself laughing so hard at this film. Big ex-wrestler and non-actor Tor Johnson stars as a Soviet scientist (!) who is accidentally irradiated by a nearby nuclear test. He becomes a mindless brute, wandering the wasteland and pawing hapless victims. The visuals are good enough, but the icing on this cake is the hilariously terrible voice-over narration that rambles in a drunken rasp throughout most of the film. Highly recommended!! Mole Men Against the Son of Hercules - There were countless substandard swords'n'sandals films pouring out of Italy and Spain during the late 50's into the 60's, and this is possibly the silliest and most fun. Mark Forest stars as Maciste, who must rescue a captive princess from the albino Mole Men. I also recommend Hercules in the Haunted World, from the same year, directed by Mario Bava with his usual flourish, and featuring one of the best screen musclemen, Reg Park, as the hero, and Christopher Lee as the villain.

For anyone else trying to see the 1001, The Housemaid will be shown on TCM Imports on the night of January 31. I'll be taping it!

Here are the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die entries for 1960: The Apartment Black Sunday Breathless The Cloud-Capped Star** The Housemaid** L'avventura La Dolce Vita Le Trou Peeping Tom Psycho Rocco and His Brothers Saturday Night and Sunday Morning Shoot the Piano Player Spartacus The Young One **denotes films I have not seen

SansFin- I love love love that you mentioned 13 GHOSTS. I don't care how goofy it is, it's a lot of fun! I haven't seen PALMU'S ERROR, VOSKRESENIYE, THE CREATION OF WOMAN, or LETTER NEVER SENT. Speed - I haven't seen CASH MCCALL or THE FACTS OF LIFE (with Blair and Tootie?). I don't recall anyone mocking POLLYANNA, in fact, someone else had it on their list.

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