SF Film/Cinema Thread

just watched scarface (again), what a great movie...al pacino's accent/look is so convincing...




SAY HELLO TO MY LIL FRIEND

Originally Posted by calvin1663

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just watched scarface (again), what a great movie...al pacino's accent/look is so convincing...

The look definitely, the accent not so much.

koji

Originally Posted by dkzzzz

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No, no, no, Jonglover!
Dekalog are Sovietski era, preachy films full of Catholic fatalism. Very didactic in a naive-religious way.
"The Double Life of Veronique" now that is a "religious" experience.

Pfft. I love The Dekalog. Favorite film of the 90s, probably. Too bad the only English edition is the UK Artificial Eye set for....a lot of money.

In my mind The Double Life of Veronique was greatly affected by "Chocolat syndrome", in that an entirely new audience of Western suburbia was introduced to accessible foreign flicks and it definitely altered Kieslowski's impact on cinema from here on out. This was the turning point. I still love Veronique though.

Originally Posted by LabelKing

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I also like Fassbinder's The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, and Veronika Voss.

A good film should plumb the depths of human poignancy like a numbing catheter.

Have you happened to have seen Berlin Alexanderplatz? I'm a huge Fassbinder fan and I missed the recent MoMA showing of this. I suspect it's something special.

Originally Posted by Fuuma

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60s
-Breathless/À bout de souffle/France/Godard/1960: Frantic, fun, irreverential, innovative. It's a monument but without any of the pomposity associated with that concept.
-Avventura, l'/Italy/Antonioni/1960: This could be called sex and architecture, the attention given to bodies, shapes and forms is amazing. So modern in its aesthetic and mindset, pretty much everything else looks dated when compared to it. "-Godard: The drama is no longer psychological, but plastic.-Antonioni: It's the same thing" (okay this conversation was about Red Desert but still...)
-Dolce vita, la/Italy/Fellini/1960: So stylish
-Last year at Marienbad/L'annÃ

e dernière à Marienbad/France/Resnais/1961: Based on a scenario by Alain Robbe-Grillet, one of the main figures of the "nouveau roman" literary movement. Not so much a film that unfolds in a logical way as one made to evoke concepts and memories. A great discussion starter, you can talk about its meaning for hours after a viewing
-Leopard, the/Italy/Visconti/1963: The last days of the aristocratic era presented by a communist prince (I'm talking about Visconti here), who, by virtue of his dual nature, conveys the right mix of hope and melancholy
-Band of outsiders/Bande à part/France/Godard/1964: Godard successfully re-arranges the polar for his own device
-Woman in the dunes/Japan/Teshigahara/1964: The most tactile film I've ever seen and a powerful existentialist allegory.
-Battle of Algiers, theAlgeria/Pontecorvo/1965: At times you feel like you're watching a documentary. I attended a screening where a couple of the actors where present (some of them are now important members of the Algerian government) and they were basically playing themselves, blurring the line between reality and fiction. This is essential viewing in these times of terrorism hysteria
-Blow-up/Italy/Antonioni/1966: Swinging London meet Antonioni's take on reality and bourgeois existential ennui. Asks a lot of interesting questions about art, representation and truth.
-Persona/Sweden/Bergman/1966: If you're interested in the nature of identity and individuality see this.
-Belle de jour/France/Bunuel/1967: Threads the murkier depths of human sexuality
Samouraï, le/France/Melville/1967: Delon is the height of laconic cool in this. Melville's hieratic characters, reminiscent of the style of Bresson, seem to be unable or unwilling to escape the highly codified destinies the filmmaker has in store for them
-Stolen kisses/BaisÃ

s volÃ

s/France/Truffaut/1968: Breezy and fun without being inconsequential. Every man can recognize at least part of himself in eternal adolescent Antoine Doinel
-Once upon a time in the west/Italy/Leone/1968: The western to end all westerns, so epic it hasn't been topped yet.
Unfaithful one, the/Femme infidèle, la/France/Chabrol/1969: Had to pick a Chabrol, any number of his movies could have been included. Chabrol is the master of thrillers illustrating the "bourgeois malaise"
Z/France/Costa-Gavras/1969: Major entry in the political film genre
My night at Maud's/Ma nuit chez Maud/France/Rohmer/1969: Be warned that Rohmer's movies are ultra talkative and unabashedly intellectual (that's a good thing, right?) but the ethical dilemmas he poses are always fascinating

Still haven't gotten around to reading all of your previous lists.

Excellent lists Fuuma...gave me a lot of homework to do.

70s
"¢\tGet carter/UK/Hodges/1971: Hard hitting hard-boiled action/thriller with Michael Caine who displays serious acting chops
"¢\tAguirre, the wrath of god/Germany/Herzog/1972: Herzog characters are always on the brink of madness as they vainly grasp at something beyond the reach of Man.
"¢\tMoney Money Money/Aventure c'est l'aventure, L'/France/Lelouch/1972: Very funny film about a bunch of gangsters who take advantage of the 70s political instability to further their monetary interests. Watch out for the Stalin Ferrari jokes.
"¢\tGodfather, the\t/USA/Coppola/1972: Everybody has seen this...
"¢\tMagnificent one, the/Magnifique, le/France/DeBroca/1973: The ancestor of all those whacked out spy comedies (see Austin powers). This is a personal favourite but be warned that I like Belmondo in anything, even when he's over-acting like crazy
"¢\tMother and the whore, the/Maman et la putain, la/France/Eustache/1973: Eustache truly is a child of the new wave and this film about post may 68 relationships is as good as any of the major entries in the new wave canon
"¢\tMad adventures of rabbi Jacob, the/Aventures de rabbi Jacob, les/France/Oury/1973: "Salomon, but you're a jew!!??" says the main character to his driver, DeFunes is hilarious and this film is a good showcase for his physical brand of humour. Pretty low brow but always hilarious
"¢\tDay for night/Nuit amà ricaine, la/France/Truffaut/1973: Truffaut's love of cinema shines through in this film. I love how all the characters are so enthusiastic about the decidedly mediocre movie they're making.
"¢\tLong goodbye, the/USA/Altman/1973: A classic noir novel meets 70s Californian indolence
"¢\tEnter the dragon/USA/Clouse/1973: That's some kickass kung fu, Bruce Lee can only play Bruce Lee but he does it with so much charisma it doesn't matter
"¢\tGoing places/Valseuses, les/France/Blier/1974 : The original (French) title is slang for testicles and this road movie about masculinity, youth and all around male anarchistic behaviour spares no one along it's joyous course. Blier would later make one about the more feminine side of men with "Tenue de soirà e".
"¢\tChinatown/USA/Polanski/1974: Another 70s take on noir, one of Nicholson's great roles
"¢\tGraveyard of honor/Japan/Fukasaku/1975: Filmed in a gritty, documentary style, this movie presents a character consumed by an inextinguishable lust for (self) destruction. Like many of Fukasaku's movies the focus is on post WWII Japanese life among the many individuals destabilized by that period.
"¢\tTaxi driver/USA/Scorsese/1976: Shots of the city at night are impressive. This movie makes you think about what we, as viewers, are really asking for when we want the main character to give us the "pay off".
"¢\tAnnie Hall/USA/Allen/1977: The quintessential Allen movie, it's hard not to love Annie Hall

I love horror movies. Les Yeux Sans Visage, is one of my all time favorites. Eerie and perverse. Carnival of Souls, is another. And of course, Butterfield 8. That's probably the ultimate horror film . . . the movie's conclusion during which the sadomasochistic heroine, explores the ultimate rush . . . death inside her Triumph convertible, is truly deranged. Liz Taylor licks ********, writhes in ecstacy, and dies.

Lina Wertmuller's SEVEN BEAUTIES, is a must see.

Room at the Top, is an exquisite film; Simone Signoret won a Best Actress Oscar for her vivid portrayal of an actress in love with a younger, social climbing cad: Laurence Harvey

Another movie experience that must be fulfilled: Suddenly, Last Summer. Directed by Joe Mankiewicz, this Tennessee Williams vehicle goes the limit. Liz Taylor's final soliloquy, effectively embellished by astonishing flashbacks, simply cannot be described. Grandly acted, throughout; the last twenty minutes of SLS are haunting and horrific.

Originally Posted by Ivan Kipling

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I love horror movies. Les Yeux Sans Visage, is one of my all time favorites. Eerie and perverse. Carnival of Souls, is another. And of course, Butterfield 8. That's probably the ultimate horror film . . . the movie's conclusion during which the sadomasochistic heroine, explores the ultimate rush . . . death inside her Triumph convertible, is truly deranged. Liz Taylor licks ********, writhes in ecstacy, and dies.

Lina Wertmuller's SEVEN BEAUTIES, is a must see.

Room at the Top, is an exquisite film; Simone Signoret won a Best Actress Oscar for her vivid portrayal of an actress in love with a younger, social climbing cad: Laurence Harvey

Another movie experience that must be fulfilled: Suddenly, Last Summer. Directed by Joe Mankiewicz, this Tennessee Williams vehicle goes the limit. Liz Taylor's final soliloquy, effectively embellished by astonishing flashbacks, simply cannot be described. Grandly acted, throughout; the last twenty minutes of SLS are haunting and horrific.

Nice suggestions, I'm haven't seen much work by Liz Taylor so I guess I should watch a few of the movies she starred in.

80s
"¢\tChoice of arms/Choix des armes, le/France/Corneau/1981: Classic post ww2 French gangster (Montand) meets the new breed of 80s disenfranchised small time street thug (Depardieu). Corneau manages to make a film that doesn't crash under the weight of it's duality; as much a confrontation between two genres of filmmaking/characters as it is a compelling drama with well developed protagonists
"¢\tUnder suspicion/Garde à vue/France/Miller/1981: Intimist drama where a tough, working class cop (Ventura) faces a cultured, disenchanted bourgeois suspect (Serrault)
"¢\tClean slate/Coup de torchon/France/Tavernier/1981: An American noir novel (Pop. 1280 by Jim Thompson) transposed to the French African colonies (trading southern racism for French colonialism) and masterfully directed by Tavernier. Violence and evil was never this banal and friendly
"¢\tKnock on wood/Chèvre, la/France/Veber/1981: Hilarious buddy film where Depardieu plays straight man to funnyman Richard's pathetically unlucky looser.
"¢\tBlade runner/USA/Scott/1982: Thought provoking, visually impressive and aiming at making us think about the actual world we live in, this is sci-fi at its best.
"¢\tTo our loves/À nos amours/France/Pialat/1983: Pialat's cinematic style is a mixture of documentary realism tampered by a painter's eye. This is now available on DVD (criterion) and the extras really give an insight into his filmmaking process
"¢\tSans soleil/France/Marker/1983: A cinematic essay (how rare is this?!) on time, space and the cultural landscape. Marker is truly an innovative filmmaker, I'd be hard pressed to compare him to anyone else
"¢\tParis, Texas/Germany/Wenders/1984: A haunting road movie, set in America, made by a German.
"¢\tBetty blue/37,2 le matin/France/Beinex/1986: Great adaptation of an amazing book.
"¢\tLast emperor, the/Italy/Bertolucci/1987: Saw this when it came out in 87 (when I was a kid) and have been in awe of the movie ever since. A sprawling epic
"¢\tAkira/Japan/Otomo/1988: An absolute classic of the cyberpunk AND animation genres.
"¢\tKiller, the/HK\tWoo/1989: Bullet ballet and melodramatic heroism at it's best, this movie owes a lot to Le Samouraï (see 60s on my list).
"¢\tKiki's delivery service/Japan/Miyazaki/1989: Had to have one Miyazaki in there, perfect if you have kids, perfect if you don't. This one is truly endearing and covers all the classic Miyazaki themes: flight, coming of age, love, magic/the mystical world, old European architecture. You have to marvel at the way the characters move, perfectly evoking human mannerisms
"¢\tCrimes and misdemeanors/USA/Allen/1989: This one asks very serious questions about guilt and the consequences of your actions, all wrapped up in Allen's usual brand of self-deprecating humour

HIGH NOON, for which Gary Cooper won his second Academy Award, affects an extraordinary, irksome sense of pace. Great movie, with memorable music by Dimitri Tiomkin. Co-stars the late, Mexican beauty: Katy Jurado

The Shrike is a quirky, irritating film. Stars June Allyson and Jose Ferrer. Allyson plays a neurotic, ultranag wife who drives her theater director husband to insanity. Worth seeing.
INTERIORS, from Woody Allen, got mixed reviews. I love it. Quite dark; one suicide scene in particular, gives me chills. Geraldine Page acts with skill and conviction; her harrowing depiction of despair inside a church is unforgettable.

Over 500 views and 38 posts!!?? Common people let's hear about films you like and why.

Originally Posted by Fuuma

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Over 500 views and 38 posts!!?? Common people let's hear about films you like and why.

I created this thread with the idea of me posting constantly, however I've been busy working on construction of a gallery these last few weeks. I still haven't read through all of your lists.

Fuuma - great films in your posts. I've seen and love enough of your choices that I've gone ahead and put several of the others you mention on my Netflix queue.

A few recent films that I really loved:

The New World, Terrence Mallick. This came and went in a flash. I saw the second version, which is apparently shorter than the first. I heard it benefited from the cuts. Amazing, beautiful, intelligent and moving film about the Jamestown colony and their interaction with the Powhantan Indians. I know a lot of people hated this film, but I was completetly taken with it. I wept more than once before it was over.

The Lives of Others, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. I can't believe this was the work of a first time director. Masterfully told story about a Stasi officer and the artists he is surveilling, and the way surveillance effects all involved, especially the listener. Incredible performances all around. I was emotionally drained by the time is was over.

TOPKAPI: 1964
Melina Mercouri, Maximilian Schell, Robert Morely, Peter Ustinov (Oscar for best supporting actor.)
First rate thriller, showcasing jewelry heist inside an Istanbul museum. Perfectly cast, thoroughly engaging, witty, musical, fast paced. I mean, this one is excellent. Stunning location photography.

Tunes of Glory - Alec Guinness, John Mills. Directed by Ronald Neame. Guinness is fabulously brilliant. This was Guinness favorite movie that he made.

One of my favorite scenes happens when a slightly intoxicated Guinness visits Kay Walsh in her dressing room.

KW: Have you been drinking long?

AG: (slurring) I have not been drinking long!

KW: You've just been drinking all day.

AG: How'd you know?

KW: Your eyes . . .

AG: Ahh mary, that's very romantic of you.

The film is a wonderful study in two very diverse characters meeting. Guinness energy in his role is breathtaking. Dennis Price also provides a wonderfully cryptic performance. John Mills is always fascinating.

REPULSION, with Catherine Deneuve. Great thriller.