tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56877963317408107322024-03-12T19:29:10.019-07:00Crucial CinemaCrucial Cinema, No Spoilers.Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-53789297309515319922012-01-12T10:51:00.000-08:002012-04-27T13:07:24.104-07:00AFI/BFI #197: My Fair Lady (1964)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Fair_Lady_(film)"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/31/b70-15906" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> George Cukor</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Alan Jay Lerner, George Bernard Shaw</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Composer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Alan Jay Lerner</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 91 (1998), - (2007)</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058385/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/my-fair-lady/"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tKv_3QQFgGg/TV7rZ-DpplI/AAAAAAAAAKs/Szqqlb4wM7s/s1600/fresh.png" /> 94%</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005JZBP8W/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005JZBP8W"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0029KQO2M/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B0029KQO2M"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a> <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/My_Fair_Lady_Special_Edition/60034064"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a> <a href="http://redbox.tellapal.com/a/clk/spF5J"><img border="0" height="25" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QkZOXFbXFZ8/TXe6AoEj-ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/rCnL5DVGNpE/s1600/redbox.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>My Fair Lady</i> was already a phenomenal success on broadway when Jack Warner purchased the rights to bring it to the big screen. Rex Harrison, Julie Andrews and Stanley Holloway had originated the key roles and were all keen to star in the film but the casting of the film would be anything but simple. Jack Warner had seen Harrison in <i>Cleopatra</i> and felt him too old to play the part of Higgins. Cary Grant turned down the role claiming that not only would he not do it but he would not even see the picture if Harrison was not cast. Holloway got the part after James Cagney pulled out at the last minute. Andrews was not as lucky. Harrison had pushed for her even though he had initially had problems with her grasp of the cockney accent in rehearsals for the stage production. Ironically he felt Hepburn would have even more trouble but she surprised everyone delivering an iconic performance and Harrison later referred to her as his favorite leading lady. Hepburn's performance did not even get an oscar nomination but is perhaps less surprising given the popularity of Andrews in the broadway production and Marni Nixon's dubbing of all of Hepburn's numbers on screen. Andrews actually got the Oscar that year for <i>Mary Poppins</i> just to add salt to the wound. Surpisingly Marni is american and also had to get her chops around the accent but she had already proven herself dubbing Deborah Kerr and Natalie Wood in <i>West Side Story</i> (only on "Tonight") and <i>The King and I</i>. Marni has spent most of her career off camera including Mulan's grandmother in 1998. Ironically she did get a small part in Andrews breakout film just a year later, a little picture called <i>The Sound of Music</i>. Jeremy Brett was brought in to make Hepburn seem younger. He was 30 at the time while Freddy is 20. He too suffered the fate of overdub, this time by another american Bill Shirley. <br />
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The most striking thing about <i>My Fair Lady</i> is that the entire movie was filmed inside, specifically on a staggering 26 sound stages at Warner Brothers' Burbank studios. Coming on the back of the budget busting <i>Cleopatra</i> which was filmed on location in Rome, the decision was to keep the filming in Hollywood. All told it still became the most expensive Warner brothers film at that time coming in at $17m. There was absolutely no location filming, something that annoyed creator Alan Jay Lerner. The lack of any real exterior locations creates an interesting and almost claustrophobic stage set feel to the whole picture. This is particularly evident during the Ascot scenes which take on a surreal almost anachronistic quality making them more <i>Logan's Run</i> than <i>Sound of Music</i>. David Hall's choreography certainly adds to this and the result is perhaps more iconic than had it been filmed on location in the UK. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NQP0vE2lbwg/Tw8kjoAQ5JI/AAAAAAAAAOA/P8hBjX8e8hw/s1600/my%2Bfair%2Blady%2B-%2Bcompare2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NQP0vE2lbwg/Tw8kjoAQ5JI/AAAAAAAAAOA/P8hBjX8e8hw/s400/my%2Bfair%2Blady%2B-%2Bcompare2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beaton's oscar winning costume designs for the Royal Ascot scenes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <br />
George Cukor was already an established and respected director by the time he came to helm <i>My Fair Lady</i>. He had started on broadway and was especially skilled at bringing stage productions to the big screen. He did uncredited work on some of my all time favorite movies including <i>Lust for Life, The Wizard of Oz</i> and <i>Gone With The Wind</i> (which he was fired from). <br />
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<i> My Fair Lady</i> swept the oscars in 1965. It garnered 12 nominations and won 8 including Harrison for best actor, Cecil Beaton's incredible costume design, Gene Allen's incredible sets, sound, music, cinematography and most importantly of all best picture. In what has become a good indicator of oscar success Cukor had gotten the DGA award earlier in the year and went on to take the oscar too. It was an interesting year at the oscars with competition from <i>Mary Poppins, Zorba The Greek, Becket</i> and Kubrick's masterpiece <i>Dr. Strangelove</i>. Seller's was also on screen and stealing most of the scenes in <i>The Pink Panther</i> which only received a music nomination. Another of my favorite movies managed a visual effects nomination and a honorary makeup award for William Tuttle, George Pal's superbly quirky <i>7 Faces of Dr. Lao</i>. <br />
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I had been holding off watching <i>My Fair Lady</i> as the blu ray was imminent and given the previous DVD restoration I had high expectations. The bad news is that this is not the hidef release everyone has been hoping and waiting for. Robert Harris covers the topic in great detail over at the <a href="http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/315932/a-few-words-about-my-fair-lady-in-blu-ray">Home Theater Forum</a>. The bottom line is that if you have the DVD you don't need to upgrade, if renting then the blu ray is a fine option. My experience supports that. The blu ray is definitely a disappointment but not terrible relative to movies of the same age. It is just that expectations are higher for film of this profile. <br />
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The sixties was arguably the last decade of the great hollywood musical with the superb but commercial flop, <i>Hello Dolly!</i>, ushering in its end. Audiences of the seventies wanted gritty realism and even though there were some great musical pictures produced in that time including <i>Grease, Jesus Christ Superstar</i> and <i>The Rocky Horror Picture Show</i>, they were not from the same stable. If you don't like or don't get musicals then there is little I can do to change your mind except to say you are missing out on some of the greatest pictures ever made. <br />
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Surprisingly <i>My Fair Lady</i> was dropped from the AFI 100 in 2007 having made position 91 back in 1998 and hence its low showing in my combined list. <br />
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<i> My Fair Lady</i> is one of the greatest stage musicals ever produced, itself a musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, and a near perfect a big screen musical adaptation. It is unquestionably Crucial Cinema. </span> <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005JZBP8W/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005JZBP8W"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0029KQO2M/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B0029KQO2M"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a> <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/My_Fair_Lady_Special_Edition/60034064"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a> <a href="http://redbox.tellapal.com/a/clk/spF5J"><img border="0" height="25" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QkZOXFbXFZ8/TXe6AoEj-ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/rCnL5DVGNpE/s1600/redbox.jpg" /></a>Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-50793724768988559152012-01-05T09:36:00.000-08:002012-01-05T09:36:05.030-08:00AFI/BFI #198: My Name Is Joe (1998)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Name_Is_Joe"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/af/My_name_is_Joe.png" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Ken Loach</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Paul Laverty</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Composer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> George Fenton</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 91</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151691/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a>
<a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/my_name_is_joe/"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tKv_3QQFgGg/TV7rZ-DpplI/AAAAAAAAAKs/Szqqlb4wM7s/s1600/fresh.png" /> 88%</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00156X708/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00156X708"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0010LAZYE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B0010LAZYE"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a>
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<a href="http://redbox.tellapal.com/a/clk/spF5J"><img border="0" height="25" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QkZOXFbXFZ8/TXe6AoEj-ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/rCnL5DVGNpE/s1600/redbox.jpg" /></a><br />
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The BFI 100 is full of these gritty, realistic portrayals of life in working class britain. Their place in the list comes from a real pride
we have in our ability to get these these movies even made at all. They are virtually impossible in a hollywood system based solely on box
office numbers. But their real value is that they capture a time and place in a way that no documentary really can and leave something
truly valuable for future generations.
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Ken Loach is one of the master's of this kind of working class british cinema and he has two spots on the BFI list with both <i>My Name Is Joe</i>
(#91) and one of the most acclaimed british films ever made, <i>Kes</i> (#7). He started in television with truly impact-full docudramas such as
<i>Cathy Come Home</i> in 1964. He made <i>Kes</i> just five years later. I watched <i>Kes</i> for the first time in grammar school and until seeing <i>My Name Is
Joe</i> it was the only Loach film I had ever seen. It had been sitting as the next movie in my list for a long time as I summoned up the
willpower to sit through it. In the end I am glad I did.
<br /><br />
Peter Mullan delivers an incredible performance as the films central character and it earned him the award for best leading actor at the
1998 Cannes Film Festival. An even bigger achievement once you consider he was up against Roberto Benigni for <i>Life Is Beautiful</i>, for which
Benigni won an Oscar. He had started with Loach on <i>Riff-Raff</i> in 1991 and had squeezed in <i>Braveheart</i> and <i>Trainspotting</i> before <i>Joe</i>. Louise
Goodall had also worked with Loach before on <i>Carla's Song</i> and turns in a memorable performance here. David Hayman is a nice choice too.
Much of the supporting cast were not professional actors and were effectively playing themselves, even to the point that the police
disrupted a shoot as they recognized one of the actors from a previous offense. The casting and script (with all 200+ f-words) is what
keeps <i>Joe</i> so grounded in reality and ultimately makes it a truly great film rather than the average one it could so easily have been.
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-41wMKrTnxC4/TwXeKxWhFKI/AAAAAAAAANs/aXVotCR5h0k/s1600/003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-41wMKrTnxC4/TwXeKxWhFKI/AAAAAAAAANs/aXVotCR5h0k/s400/003.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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<i>Joe</i> is the second film that Paul Laverty and Ken Loach made together and they have been in constant collaboration since. I recently watched
<i>Bread & Roses </i>which came just two years after <i>Joe</i> and is in itself a great movie, and the first foray into the US for Loach. They clearly
work well together and <i>Carla's Song</i> and <i>Sweet Sixteen</i> are definitely on my to watch list.
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Getting a copy to watch here in the US is unsurprisingly difficult. The only place I could find it in the end was via Amazon Instant Video
and then only for purchase (the rental option conveniently disappeared just weeks before I bit the bullet and decided to watch it). The
quality is good enough for the source material and with no other release in sight is really your only option. As with <i>Trainspotting</i> I have
read <i>Joe</i> is often shown in the US with subtitles due to the strong Glaswegian accents. Hard to imagine needing them to be honest but
something to think about if you don't know what PBS is.
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Joe</i> is not a feel good movie with a Hollywood ending and that may be the best reason to force yourself to watch it. Great filmmaking is
about making an emotional connection with your audience and leaving them with something to think about other than where they parked the
car. <i>My Name Is Joe</i> delivers on all of that and more and is without doubt Crucial Cinema.
</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="http://redbox.tellapal.com/a/clk/spF5J"><img border="0" height="25" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QkZOXFbXFZ8/TXe6AoEj-ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/rCnL5DVGNpE/s1600/redbox.jpg" /></a>Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-5273982831035821872011-11-04T13:13:00.000-07:002012-01-03T11:39:30.190-08:00AFI/BFI #199: Sophie's Choice (1982)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie%27s_Choice_(film)"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/47/Sophie%27s_Choice1.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Alan J. Pakula</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> William Styron, Alan J. Pakula</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Composer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Marvin Hamlisch</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - (1998), 91 (2007)</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084707/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a>
<a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sophies_choice/"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tKv_3QQFgGg/TV7rZ-DpplI/AAAAAAAAAKs/Szqqlb4wM7s/s1600/fresh.png" /> 81%</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0784011710/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0784011710"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mart02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0784011710&camp=217145&creative=399369" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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Sophie’s Choice was added to the AFI Top 100 in 2007 and after finally seeing it I can honestly say it’s absence from the original 1998 list was a injustice that has now been thankfully righted. As with many films I have watched so far from the AFI list, in both the viewing and the subsequent research I was a little embarrassed to admit I had never seen it. I was a fan of Pakula’s other films, especially <i>All The President’s Men</i> and <i>The Pelican Brief</i>, and had no idea he had not only directed <i>Sophie’s Choice</i> but adapted the screenplay also. Add to that the fact that it contains the strongest and earliest performances of three great actors, you cannot blame me for wondering why I hadn’t noticed the rock that I had obviously been living under for the last couple of decades.
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If you have never seen the film, read William Styron’s book or heard about the choice that is at the center of the movie then stop reading and go watch it. Its as simple as that. If you need more convincing then read on.
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There are many reasons that this film is on the AFI list, not least of which is the acting. Pakula understands his actors and he has directed eight of them in Oscar-nominated performances: Jane Fonda, Liza Minnelli, Jason Robards, Jane Alexander, Richard Farnsworth, Jill Clayburgh, Candice Bergen and Meryl Streep. Three of them, Fonda, Robards and Streep, took one home, Streep’s for this picture. Her performance is simply astounding. Kline, in his first film role, is simply brilliant and Cleese cast him in A Fish Called Wanda based on this performance. I also came away with a new found respect for MacNicol. I have always thought of him as an average actor but what he delivers here makes him great.
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Sophie’s Choice</i> may have gotten Streep her Oscar but there was no nomination for the picture itself. It did receive nominations but no wins for cinematography, costume, music and screenplay. In 1983 it was up against some stiff competition to be fair:<i> Gandhi, ET, Tootsie, An Office and a Gentleman, Das Boot</i> and <i>The Verdict.</i> Plus some other great films but not so much Oscar competition including <i>Tron, Poltergeist</i> and a little film called <i>Blade Runner</i>.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BKfXfetgc5I/TrRF9PeIUNI/AAAAAAAAANY/8e433X8H7Xo/s1600/sophies+choice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BKfXfetgc5I/TrRF9PeIUNI/AAAAAAAAANY/8e433X8H7Xo/s1600/sophies+choice.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kline, Streep and MacNicol</td></tr>
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It’s not all perfect. The pace is almost unbearably slow at times and you might be tempted to bail early. I highly recommend you don’t. As the story progresses you come to appreciate the time that was taken earlier on. If you have to watch it in a couple of sittings, but definitely finish it.
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I watched the US DVD release of <i>Sophie’s Choice</i> as right now there is little alternative. The quality was as you would expect for an early eighties film which has seen little to no remastering. The picture quality, mostly overly soft, varies throughout and a good remaster and blu ray release is definitely required for such a classic film.
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Sophie’s Choice</i> is hands down Crucial Cinema.
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</noscript>Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-1570107571757718432011-08-12T14:47:00.000-07:002011-10-10T17:52:21.159-07:00AFI/BFI #200: A Place In The Sun (1951)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Place_in_the_Sun_%28film%29"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/31/A_Place_in_the_Sun_%28film%29_poster.gif" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> George Stevens</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Michael Wilson, Harry Brown</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cinematographer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> William C. Mellor</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Composer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Franz Waxman</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 92 (1998), - (2007)</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043924/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/place_in_the_sun/"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tKv_3QQFgGg/TV7rZ-DpplI/AAAAAAAAAKs/Szqqlb4wM7s/s1600/fresh.png" /> 75%</a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Theodore Dreiser’s parable on the myth of the American dream was published in 1925 and first commited to celluloid in 1931 with the same title. When George Stevens approached Paramount with the idea of filming another adaptation they were less than excited about a remake so soon after the original. It’s funny to think of 20 years as once being considered <i>too soon</i> for a remake in Hollywood. Stevens sued them for breach of contract and they finally let him make it and thank god they did. <i>A Place In The Sun</i> is as much a masterpiece of American cinema as the book is a classic of American literature.
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Those new to the blog may not know that I detest reviews of films that give away the plot. The best way to see a movie is when you know absolutely nothing about it. Even the trailer can be too much. My goal is to get you to watch the picture and hopefully I occasionally succeed.<i>
A Place In The Sun</i> is just one of those pictures. The less you know the better it will be.
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What I can talk about is the cast. In 1949 Elizabeth Taylor was just 17 and her leading man, Montgomery Clift, was just shy of 30. A great child actor she had done little to suggest what she was capable of here and the studio took a risk that paid off and launched her career as a Hollywood icon. Shelley Winters had only played glamorous roles and taking this part in 1951 must have took incredible courage. The result is simply incredible, a film that is as good today as the day it was made.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ldv8f0E6ZR1qcs4zto1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="367" src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ldv8f0E6ZR1qcs4zto1_500.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taylor and Clift relaxing on location at Lake Tahoe</td></tr>
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The film took home 6 oscars for Best Cinematography, Costume Design, Direction, Film Editing, Music and Screenplay. Clift and Winter both got nominations as did the production itself for Best Picture. Impressive considering there was some serious competition that year from <i>An American in Paris, Quo Vadis, A Streetcar Named Desire, the African Queen</i> and <i>Death of a Salesman</i>.
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It is a little surprising then that the AFI dropped it from their revised Top 100 in 2007 and that Rotten Tomatoes has it at a paltry 75%. The book is far better as usually the case, and the film is much lighter more melodramatic than its 1931 predecessor. Some critics feel it is now dated and that is most likely why it was dropped. I personally feel it has held up extremely well and is in my books at least, Crucial Cinema.
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<br />Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-54403823738508212152011-08-04T14:20:00.000-07:002011-08-04T14:20:03.653-07:00AFI/BFI #201: In Which We Serve (1942)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Which_We_Serve"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5b/In_Which_We_Serve_poster.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Noël Coward, David Lean</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Noël Coward</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Composer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Noël Coward, Clifton Parker</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> -</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 92</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034891/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a>
<a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/in_which_we_serve/"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tKv_3QQFgGg/TV7rZ-DpplI/AAAAAAAAAKs/Szqqlb4wM7s/s1600/fresh.png" /> <b>92%</b></a><br />
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Produced specifically as a World War II propaganda film,<i> In Which We Serve</i> earns its place on the BFI list not only for its accurate portrayal of the Royal Navy but also for its stellar cast, wonderful script and superb direction. Coward’s script, originally hours long before trimming, is based mainly on his close friend Mountbatten’s command of the HMS Kelly that was sunk during the Battle of Crete. Not only did he write but he also directed, composed the music and took the starring role of Captain Kinross. It was a contingency of his involvement that he got that role and it is not too hard to understand why that was baffling and concerning to many inside and outside of the industry at the time. His performance is a joy to watch but is unquestionably at times hard to believe. He was very concerned about his ability to direct and John Mills suggested he bring in the greatest editor he knew, David Lean. This would be Lean’s first time directing and we all know how it went from there. Coward got disinterested with the mechanics of directing and eventually left it to Lean, not even coming to set when he was not acting. The script non-sequential narrative would make Tarrantino proud and with it Coward manages to weave a far more emotional story, moving from home and family to ship and back again.
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Richard Attenborough is astounding in his first ever role which is unfortunately uncredited, and of course John Mills is superb. My favorite role of all though has to be Bernard Miles as Chief Petty Officer Walter Hardy. I had not heard of him before but his performance is outstanding and the most memorable of the picture.
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More interesting perhaps than who was cast is who was not. Coward blocked the casting of James Mason because of his position on the war and he fired William Hartnell (Dr Who was another 20 years away) for turning up late on his first day of filming.
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aKok2sO_5I8/TjsExXWbc-I/AAAAAAAAANE/YgGLeU9FfFs/s1600/In+Which+We+Serve+Studio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aKok2sO_5I8/TjsExXWbc-I/AAAAAAAAANE/YgGLeU9FfFs/s400/In+Which+We+Serve+Studio.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Nominated for two Oscars in 1944 it lost to another great propaganda movie, <i>Casablanca</i>. The previous year Coward received an honorary Oscar for his outstanding production achievement on the film.
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Due to the wonders of the internet you can read the original <a href="http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E02E2D61E3AE43AA15757C2A9649D946393D6CF%3E%22">New York Times review</a> from the US premier in 1942 which helps put the impact of this movie into the context of the time. Watching today many younger viewers will be hard pressed to understand what all the fuss is about.
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Some may find it hard going initially as you acclimatize yourself to the classic acting style of forties British films, something Coward is an accomplished expert in. A lot of stiff upper lips and not too many quivering lower ones there are a lot more truly emotional performances than you would expect. But once you are immersed in it the picture carries you along for the ride and what a ride it is.
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<i>In Which We Serve</i> is unquestionably Crucial Cinema and one of those rare films that gives you a real glimpse into the past while remaining highly watchable.
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<br />Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-89712968257496338172011-07-25T16:19:00.000-07:002011-07-25T16:19:06.771-07:00AFI/BFI #202: Bringing Up Baby (1938)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bringing_up_baby"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/99/Bub1938.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Howard Hawks</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Dudley Nichols, Hagar Wilde</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Composer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Roy Webb (uncredited)</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 97 (1998), 88 (2007) </span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> -</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/imdb_link"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a>
<a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bringing_up_baby/"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tKv_3QQFgGg/TV7rZ-DpplI/AAAAAAAAAKs/Szqqlb4wM7s/s1600/fresh.png" /> <b>95%</b></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> One of my favourite comedies of all time is Peter Bogdanovich’s <i>What’s Up, Doc? (1972)</i>. I knew going in to this viewing that Bogdanovich was paying homage to <i>Bringing Up Baby</i> but that really didn’t prepare me for just how much of<i> What’s Up, Doc?</i> dna was inherited from Hawks’ comedy classic.
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For Grant and Hepburn this was their second of four movies together. Grant had already proven himself a great comedic actor but Hepburn came to the picture with no background in comedy. It is hard to imagine whilst watching her superb performance that she needed intensive coaching to get there. Much of her final performance was influenced by Walter Catlett, who Hawks kept on set to help Hepburn with her performance and also played Constable Slocum. The resulting on screen chemistry is simply brilliant and there are very few 70 year old movies that have made me laugh as hard and as often as Baby.
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The writing team of Dudley Nichols and Hagar Wilde is clearly a match made in heaven, so much so that they actually fell in love while writing the screenplay. Nichols had taken home an Oscar three years earlier for <i>The Informer</i> and would pen <i>Stagecoach </i>the following year. This was Wilde’s first screenplay based on her own original short story published originally in Collier’s Weekly magazine. She would deliver a few more movie scripts including Hawks’<i> I Was A Male War Bride</i> and<i> Red, Hot and Blue</i> before spending the rest of her career in TV. For me this is their best work and was way ahead of its time, perhaps why it stands up so well today.
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ErFWFZoDvQY/Ti35VavbA1I/AAAAAAAAANA/Vi8S3aALhFc/s1600/Bringing-Up-Baby-with-Car-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ErFWFZoDvQY/Ti35VavbA1I/AAAAAAAAANA/Vi8S3aALhFc/s320/Bringing-Up-Baby-with-Car-007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There is heavy use of optical effects in the picture and they were delivered by a personal hero of mine Linwood G. Dunn, pioneer of the optical printer and visual effects in general. He worked on <i>King Kong, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Citizen Kane</i> and virtually every RKO production including compositing the original RKO logo.
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Given all of this it is surprising that the film was such a box office failure in it’s day. Hawks was even fired from his next production at RKO. He felt he had failed at the time but how much of that was due to the poor reception is hard to tell. In retrospect it is possibly his greatest movie.
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I watched <i>Baby </i>on DVD (Amazon also has it on streaming) and it looked about as good as you could expect for a 70 year old picture. The two disc set as some nice extras including a commentary from Bogdanovich which is worth a watch. There is currently no Blu ray release date.
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To fully appreciate it you need to give it your full attention. Laptops and iPads away. <i>Bringing Up Baby </i>is without question Crucial Cinema and for fans of <i>What’s Up, Doc?</i> and madcap comedies it is essential viewing.
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<br />Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-28811322421973887682011-07-22T16:09:00.000-07:002012-01-03T11:36:22.965-08:00AFI/BFI #203: Caravaggio (1986)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caravaggio_(film)"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/31/Caravaggio_poster.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Derek Jarman</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Suso Cecchi d'Amico (uncredited), Nicholas Ward Jackson,Derek Jarman</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Composer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Simon Fisher-Turner</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - </span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 93</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090798/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1032794-caravaggio/"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tKv_3QQFgGg/TV7rZ-DpplI/AAAAAAAAAKs/Szqqlb4wM7s/s1600/fresh.png" /> </a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1032794-caravaggio/">78%</a></span></b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016QNSFG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B0016QNSFG"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000LMPHEG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B000LMPHEG"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a> <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Caravaggio/70099732"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a> <a href="http://redbox.tellapal.com/a/clk/spF5J"><img border="0" height="25" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QkZOXFbXFZ8/TXe6AoEj-ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/rCnL5DVGNpE/s1600/redbox.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If the BFI is looking for quotes to put on its upcoming Blu Ray release of <em>Caravaggio</em> may I humbly suggest they go with <i>“Like Watching Paint Dry!” (Crucial Cinema).</i> <br /><br />Cheap jokes aside, much of this movie does <i>actually</i> involve watching paint dry but more on that later. You cannot fault Jarman for his vision and direction. What he manages to put on film is the life of Caravaggio in Caravaggio’s own style. Many scenes are delivered as if directly from one of his paintings giving it the feeling of a filmed stage production, with Caravaggio himself painting that same scene in many cases (hence the unique opportunity to watch paint dry). A passing familiarity with Caravaggio’s work while not essential will definitely let you get more out of this picture than you otherwise would. Recognizing why for example he is holding a painted Medussa shield in an early scene. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4v9nx5BmbC4/TioCocz5OTI/AAAAAAAAAM8/pz9ZjMuNr90/s1600/8933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4v9nx5BmbC4/TioCocz5OTI/AAAAAAAAAM8/pz9ZjMuNr90/s400/8933.jpg" t$="true" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />This all results in Caravaggio’s life being delivered almost as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passion_Play">passion play</a>, and perhaps fittingly so. It plays to both Caravaggio’s life and the religious content which was the subject of most of his works. <br /><br />It is for all those reasons I can see why it made the BFI Top 100, especially if voted for by those who saw it when it originally came out. Unfortunately for me that doesn’t make it an enjoyable film to watch. It has a decidedly eighties made for channel 4 feel about it and perhaps being from that generation I just find it more cringworthy than the older or younger viewer might. The real issue for me is the performances. These are all great actors in their debut or at least very earliest roles and although we all love their work now it is a little hard to watch here. Sean Bean is especially painful to watch. The stand out performance comes from Nigel Terry as Caravaggio himself, perhaps because of the theater like nature of the production. <br /><br />Although <em>Caravaggio</em> received only a couple of film festival awards it does deserve it’s place in film history. Ultimately for me however it is simply not Crucial Cinema and if you have not seen it then I don’t suggest you go out of your way to do so. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016QNSFG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B0016QNSFG"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000LMPHEG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B000LMPHEG"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a> <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Caravaggio/70099732"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a> <a href="http://redbox.tellapal.com/a/clk/spF5J"><img border="0" height="25" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QkZOXFbXFZ8/TXe6AoEj-ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/rCnL5DVGNpE/s1600/redbox.jpg" /></a>Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-69846779490167576742011-06-26T13:14:00.000-07:002011-06-26T13:17:32.976-07:00AFI/BFI #204: Goodfellas (1990)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodfellas"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7b/Goodfellas.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Martin Scorsese</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Nicholas Pileggi, Martin Scorsese</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Composer:</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Various Artists</span></span></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 94 (1998), 92 (2007)</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099685/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1032176-goodfellas/"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://images.rottentomatoescdn.com/images/trademark/CertifiedFresh_logo_45.png" /> </a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1032176-goodfellas/">97%</a></span></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/.uk/gp/product/B000PY5204/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B000PY5204"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a>
<a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/GoodFellas_Special_Edition/70002022"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I usually don't need an excuse to watch <i>Goodfellas</i> but the AFI/BFI list gave me one all the same. It is unimaginable that anybody who loves films and is reading this has never seen it. If you haven't then I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you have either been in some sort of coma, incarcerated in a Thai prison or simply avoiding the worlds greatest movies as an ill advised bet. Go buy it now and watch it immediately. You won't regret it.
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Goodfellas</i> was nominated for 6 Oscars but Joe Pesci was the only one to take one home as best supporting actor in his role as Tommy DeVito. It is an astonishing performance, of which there are several in this film. Up against <i>Dances With Wolves, Awakenings, The Godfather: Part III</i> and <i>Ghost,</i> it should have done much better and I personally think time has shown it to be the better picture. A fact the british knew even then as it fared much better at the Baftas winning 5 of its 7 nominations. It is interesting that it occupies such a high place on so many top movies lists and yet is all the way down in 92nd place in the AFI Top 100.
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This is undoubtedly Ray Liotta's greatest performance, head and shoulders above anything else he has ever done. I would love to see him make a Micky Rourke like comeback because what he delivers in <i>Goodfellas</i> in nothing short of incredible. The whole cast is pitch perfect.
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Pileggi and DeNiro deliver an astounding screenplay with perfect pacing that pulls of a difficult blend of dark humor, friendship and love with an ever present underlying threat of violence that bubbles over in several graphic scenes. Scorsese's intention was to show the real unglamorized world of the mob. That is all helped along by a generous 2 f-words per minute, most of them delivered by Joe Pesci. Gordon Ramsay eat you heart out. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hNE7HrNGlyQ/TgeRmI1ZkWI/AAAAAAAAALc/Twn3uHphQT8/s1600/funny+how.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hNE7HrNGlyQ/TgeRmI1ZkWI/AAAAAAAAALc/Twn3uHphQT8/s400/funny+how.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Joe Pesci's unforgettable contribution: <i>Funny how? What's funny about it? </i></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is all helped along by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelma_Schoonmaker">Thelma Schoonmaker's</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ever brilliant editing (the editing of the final sequence is astonishingly effective at creating a sense of irritation and unrest) and Scorsese's choice of music. Certain scenes play out as mini music videos and were even filmed with the music playing on set to help with the timing. You will never listen to Layla the same way again. On top of all of that you have the superb cinematography of long time Scorsese collaborator </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Ballhaus">Michael Ballhaus</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
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There are so many stand out set pieces in this movie it is hard to pick just a few. Watch for one of the longest single shots in film history as they enter the Copa. Breathtaking.
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I watched the HD-DVD for this review and it was beautiful. Not overly enhanced with a fair amount of film grain. The blu ray is the same transfer but with a Dolby Digital soundtrack and would be my recommended way to see this if you can. Some great commentaries and some worthwhile, if a little stale, extras. You may not be the kind of person that usually watches the special features but this is one of those movies that leaves you wanting more. This is a true story, however fictionalized, and you will want to hear more about the real people and events behind these characters.
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Goodfellas</i> is without a shadow of a doubt Crucial Cinema and one of the greatest american movies ever made.
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<a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/GoodFellas_Special_Edition/70002022"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a>
<a href="http://redbox.tellapal.com/a/clk/spF5J"><img border="0" height="25" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QkZOXFbXFZ8/TXe6AoEj-ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/rCnL5DVGNpE/s1600/redbox.jpg" /></a>Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-50551484735921137552011-06-01T16:11:00.000-07:002011-06-01T16:13:44.326-07:00AFI/BFI #205: The Belles of St. Trinian's (1954)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Belles_of_St_Trinian%27s"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/25/The-Belles-of-St-Trinians.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Frank Launder</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Frank Launder, Sidney Gilliat, Val Valentine</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Composer:</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Malcolm Arnold</span></span></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 94</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046766/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1001994-belles_of_st_trinians/"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tKv_3QQFgGg/TV7rZ-DpplI/AAAAAAAAAKs/Szqqlb4wM7s/s1600/fresh.png" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1001994-belles_of_st_trinians/"> No Score Yet...</a></span></b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001344YU4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=B001344YU4"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000KRMZC4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B000KRMZC4"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a>
<a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Belles_of_St._Trinian_s/70126681"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a>
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To anybody under the age of 40 this is going to be a hard sell. The first and best entry in the series was made nearly 60 years ago and was based on the cartoons of Ronald Searle. Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat wrote, directed and produced over 40 films together but they will mainly be remembered for the <i>St Trinian's</i> films. The comedy may come thick and fast but it is gentle by today's standards and a younger audience may have trouble understanding what all the fuss is about. Like many classic british comedies you need to watch with a little pinch of nostalgia. Although people slam the modern <i>St Trinian's</i> and <i>Carry On</i> remakes it is hard to argue that they are truly that different. The formula is the same but they don't have the benefit of that nostalgia and as a result seem dated and flat, unlike their revered originals.
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If I could make an argument for watching <i>Belles</i> then it would have to be the outstanding cast and superb performances. A who's who of british comedy led by the incomparable Alastair Sim in dual roles (Alec Guinness channelled him in <i>The Ladykillers</i> and was also brilliant in his own multi-role celluloid excursions), with Joyce Grenfell, George Cole, Beryl Reid, Irene Handl, Joan Sims and Sid James, all showing the expert comedic timing and delivery that made each of them a household name.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XQyhjqmpECg/TebGiGA2aXI/AAAAAAAAALY/KDt3_bwaI_Q/s1600/belles+of+st+trinians.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XQyhjqmpECg/TebGiGA2aXI/AAAAAAAAALY/KDt3_bwaI_Q/s320/belles+of+st+trinians.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sim was also Cole's off screen mentor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Launder had previously directed </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Happiest Days of Your Life</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> four years earlier with Sim, Grenfell and Cole and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Belles</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> owes a great deal to its predecessor. It is less risque than you might imagine, although for the time it probably raised a few eyebrows, especially the depiction of the sixth form girls. It is the youngest girls that are the real terrors though and are closer to Searle's strips. They never had nitroglycerin in my chemistry lab... </span><br />
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It used to be very hard to get a copy of this in the US but that is no longer the case. I watched the US DVD release from Netflix and it looked pretty good for it's age. Amazon also has it for streaming in SD if that is your thing. Overall <i>Belles</i> is still a highly entertaining film and a perfect Sunday afternoon movie. It is vintage british comedy at its best.
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001344YU4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=B001344YU4"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000KRMZC4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B000KRMZC4"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a>
<a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Belles_of_St._Trinian_s/70126681"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a>
<a href="http://redbox.tellapal.com/a/clk/spF5J"><img border="0" height="25" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QkZOXFbXFZ8/TXe6AoEj-ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/rCnL5DVGNpE/s1600/redbox.jpg" /></a>Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-53804848183745302952011-05-17T17:01:00.000-07:002011-05-24T20:20:13.627-07:00AFI/BFI #206: Pulp Fiction (1994)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulp_Fiction"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/82/Pulp_Fiction_cover.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Quentin Tarantino</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Composer:</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Various Artists</span></span></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>95</b> (1998), <b>94</b> (2007)</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110912/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pulp_fiction/"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://images.rottentomatoescdn.com/images/trademark/CertifiedFresh_logo_45.png" /> </a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pulp_fiction/">94%</a></span></b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004BUA8KW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=B004BUA8KW"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0039HMC7K/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B0039HMC7K"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a>
<a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Pulp_Fiction/880640"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a>
<a href="http://redbox.tellapal.com/a/clk/spF5J"><img border="0" height="25" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QkZOXFbXFZ8/TXe6AoEj-ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/rCnL5DVGNpE/s1600/redbox.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember buying the <i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1713692452">Pulp Fiction</a></i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00270CS6K/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=B00270CS6K"> soundtrack</a> and practically wearing it out, waiting for the film to finally hit rental so that I could watch it again. And I did, many many times. I had Jules' monologue memorized. I thought Tarantino was a genius. Hard to believe that was 17 years ago. The last time I watched <i>Pulp Fiction</i> was probably on Laserdisk in the late nineties. As I put in the disk to watch it for the first time in a decade I wondered to myself why I hadn't watched it more. Maybe it would be like the other things I loved back then, like the dueling guitar driven rush of Iron Maiden. Maybe I had outgrown it or didn't have the energy to enjoy it anymore. Some people call it maturing tastes but when it comes to music and film I am not sure it is as simple as that.
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From the moment Honey Bunny climbed on the table and the first glorious twangs of Dick Dale's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00270CS6K/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=B00270CS6K">Misirlou</a> blasted out the speakers I was transfixed. I can honestly say I enjoyed it even more than when I first saw it in 1994. Not only has it aged well but it has somehow gotten even better. I felt like an idiot for not watching it again sooner.
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Tarantino brought virtually the whole crew from <i>Reservoir Dogs</i> onto <i>Pulp Fiction</i>. If <i>Pulp</i> changed the face of independent cinema then <i>Dogs</i> definitely set the stage. For me they form a trifecta with <i>Inglorious Bastards</i> as Quentin's greatest work. He is often attacked for being derivative and simply borrowing from years of popular, and more often less than popular, culture. I prefer to see it as cultural archaeology, bringing lost treasures back for a new generation. And he does it so very well. In the case of <i>Pulp Fiction</i> though he cannot take all the credit. Roger Avary was talked out of a co-writing credit and contributed significantly to the story. Quentin may be known for his dialogue but what lifts Pulp Fiction above his other films is the intertwining plots and exceptional story telling.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thetoyzone.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/pulp-fictionjpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://www.thetoyzone.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/pulp-fictionjpg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulp Fiction's place in popular culture is secured</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The performances are as iconic as the set scenes. It was a shot of adrenalin straight to the heart for Travolta's career bringing it back from the brink of death and put Thurman, Jackson, Roth and Rhames on the A-list. It was a risk for Bruce Willis who was still a big star but had made some seriously bad diversions in the last few years. It not only put his career back on track but showed he was a much more capable actor than many had realized. Outstanding cameos by Christopher Walken and Harvey Keitel threaten to steal the whole show. </span><br />
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The critics may have been split on <i>Pulp Fiction</i> but the awards committees were unusually quick in recognizing what they had on their hands. <i>Pulp Fiction</i> garnered seven oscar nominations and was either nominated or took home awards from every major organization including the Palme d'Or at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival.
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I had wanted to see it in HD on Blu Ray and was amazed to find it has not yet been released outside of Hong Kong, France, Denmark and Poland?!? Unbelievable for a movie of this caliber. I didn't order one of the imports and instead settled for the DVD. A perfectly fine transfer but the Blu ray is now at the top of my wish list. Rumours of a release later this year in the US and UK.
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One of the goals of Crucial Cinema is to convince you to watch movies that you have never seen but in the case of <i>Pulp Fiction</i> I would be surprised if there are many of you out there other than recently awakened coma patients, nuns and children. But if like me you haven't seen it in over a decade then I strongly recommend a repeat viewing. Unquestionably Crucial Cinema for decades to come.
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004BUA8KW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=B004BUA8KW"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0039HMC7K/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B0039HMC7K"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a>
<a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Pulp_Fiction/880640"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a>
<a href="http://redbox.tellapal.com/a/clk/spF5J"><img border="0" height="25" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QkZOXFbXFZ8/TXe6AoEj-ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/rCnL5DVGNpE/s1600/redbox.jpg" /></a>Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-19826018574045261262011-05-16T19:03:00.000-07:002011-05-16T19:10:48.173-07:00AFI/BFI #207: Life Is Sweet (1990)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Is_Sweet_(film)"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b3/Life_is_sweet.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Mike Leigh</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Mike Leigh</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Composer:</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> David Snell</span></span></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 95</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100024/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/life_is_sweet/"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tKv_3QQFgGg/TV7rZ-DpplI/AAAAAAAAAKs/Szqqlb4wM7s/s1600/fresh.png" /> </a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/life_is_sweet/">100%</a></span></b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XNNV06/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=B004XNNV06"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a>
<a href="ttp://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0010LB03O/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B0010LB03O"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a>
<a href="http://redbox.tellapal.com/a/clk/spF5J"><img border="0" height="25" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QkZOXFbXFZ8/TXe6AoEj-ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/rCnL5DVGNpE/s1600/redbox.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
"<i><b>Given the choice of Hollywood or poking steel pins in my eyes, I'd prefer steel pins.</b></i>" <b>- Mike Leigh
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You could argue that you cannot get more english than a Mike Leigh film. He occupies only two spots on the <a href="http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/bfi100/">BFI top 100</a> but then again he has hardly been a prolific film director (if you ignore all his theater work). But what he lacks in quantity he has made up for in quality. He doesn't develop properties, or even work from a script. He creates real living breathing worlds occupied by truly believable people. He does it by using incredibly talented and often overlooked actors and giving them the space and freedom to create something special. Hi style is epitomized in the funny and sublime <i>Life Is Sweet</i>.
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Leigh knows how to assemble a cast and oh man what a cast. The loving couple played by Alison Steadman and Jim Broadbent with Claire Skinner and Jane Horrocks cast perfectly as very believable sisters. Stephen Rea as the shifty Patsy, a man you wouldn't trust as far as you can throw him. A young David Thewlis makes a cameo. But the stand out performance is from Timothy Spall who creates a character so memorable he should have gotten his own film. Who wouldn't want to try <i>Saveloy on a bed of Lychees</i> or <i>Tongues in a Rhubarb Hollandaise?</i>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lbntFyNhATA/TdHVgbzJAuI/AAAAAAAAALU/250Gsf4E1IQ/s1600/life+is+sweet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lbntFyNhATA/TdHVgbzJAuI/AAAAAAAAALU/250Gsf4E1IQ/s400/life+is+sweet.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outstanding performances from Timothy Spall and Jane Horrocks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By now you must know I hate spoilers and this film is especially hard to describe without giving anything away. So simply take my word for it. This is truly Crucial Cinema and worth every moment of your time. </span><br />
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Your biggest challenge, if you are in the US, will be getting your hands on a copy. There is no US DVD release and no streaming version available. Amazon does now have a burned on demand DVD-R for $20. I watched the UK DVD ordered from Amazon UK and shipped to the US. The transfer is surprisingly good and your best bet as there is no street date for a blu ray release.
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XNNV06/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=B004XNNV06"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a>
<a href="ttp://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0010LB03O/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B0010LB03O"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a>
<a href="http://redbox.tellapal.com/a/clk/spF5J"><img border="0" height="25" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QkZOXFbXFZ8/TXe6AoEj-ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/rCnL5DVGNpE/s1600/redbox.jpg" /></a>Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-1486420921303041202011-04-26T14:38:00.000-07:002012-01-12T11:12:52.961-08:00AFI/BFI #208: The Last Picture Show (1971)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Picture_Show"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8f/The_Last_Picture_Show_%28movie_poster%29.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Peter Bogdanovich</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Larry McMurty, Peter Bogdanovich</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Composer:</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Various Artists</span></span></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - (1998) <b>95</b> (2007)</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067328/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/last_picture_show/"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tKv_3QQFgGg/TV7rZ-DpplI/AAAAAAAAAKs/Szqqlb4wM7s/s1600/fresh.png" /> </a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/last_picture_show/">100%</a></span></b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0767827902/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0767827902"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00005N52P/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00005N52P"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a>
<a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Last_Picture_Show/686840"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a>
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Imagine if Orson Welles had made <i>Porky's</i> and you have an idea of what <i>The Last Picture Show</i> is going to deliver. There is undoubtably a touch of Welles in <i>The Last Picture Show</i>. There are a couple of scenes where you feel it more than others, especially a beautiful slow zoom low angle shot in the cafe capturing all the peeling and decay that the whole town is undergoing. Cinematographer Robert Surtees started out in hollywood as an assistance to Gregg Toland. Surtees incredible body of work speaks for itself: B<i>en Hur, The Graduate, the Sting, Oklahoma!, Lost Horizon, Mutiny on the Bounty</i>, the list goes on. Peter Bogdanovich was a film journalist turned director and had developed a close relationship with Orson Welles. The use of black and white not only helps with the stuck in time feeling of Anarene but also avoids the need to try and capture that uniformly and convincingly in color, something Bogdanovich had struggled with. Both Surtees and Bogdanovich received oscar nominations.
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Bogdanovich cast the 19 year old unknown and model Cybil Shepherd and was so enamored with her that they had an affair and Peter eventually divorced his long time wife and set designer on the film Polly Platt. His ill advised use of Cybil in three more projects virtually destroyed her career and made them the laughing stock of hollywood. It was only her move to TV that would revive her flagging career. Randy Quaid and Timothy Bottoms both had their debuts here too and while Jeff Bridges had already made a name for himself on TV this was effectively his first major picture. Add to this a seasoned and stellar cast including Ellen Burstyn, Eileen Brennan, Cloris Leachman and Ben Johnson it is no wonder it is the only film to date to be nominated for four acting Oscars exclusively for supporting performances. Leachman and Johnson both took home best actor oscars for their performances. Johnson's monologue at the fishing hole is a truly standout scene and it is ironic that Johnson turned down the part of Sam several times as it was "too wordy".
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1972 was a tough year at the oscars and the competition was strong.<i> The French Connection</i> took best picture over <i>The Last Picture Show</i> and A<i> Clockwork Orange</i>. It is hard to imagine two more different but related movies than <i>The Last Picture Show</i> and Kubrick's <i>A Clockwork Orange</i> and even harder to imagine them as contemporaries. That year also saw <i>Fiddler on the Roof, Klute, McCabe & Mrs Miller, The Go-Between</i> (a BFI top 100 film), <i>Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, The Andromeda Strain, Shaft, Straw Dogs</i> and <i>Diamonds Are Forever</i>. An eclectic bag and a fitting start to the decade.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--xtie-EwL-Y/Tbc39waxQlI/AAAAAAAAALQ/j0G_eBz2GDc/s1600/last+picture+show.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--xtie-EwL-Y/Tbc39waxQlI/AAAAAAAAALQ/j0G_eBz2GDc/s400/last+picture+show.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A stand out low angle shot in an otherwise eye level picture</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The pace of <i>The Last Picture Show</i> is fittingly slow and at times painfully so. Although the dialogue is first class it is the cinematography that demands your attention. This is not a movie to watch while you are playing angry birds on your iPad or farming on your laptop. It requires a respectful viewing to fully appreciate and I actually watched it twice myself in the space of two days, having seen it for the first time only a year or so ago. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The soundtrack is all contemporary music, always in the background, playing on radios or tv. It adds a difficult to achieve realism to the scenes it accompanies and a palpable silence to does it doesn't. It is as much as part of the film as any one of the actors.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Without giving too much away the title refers to the closing of the movie house and the film captures the slow death of a small american town through the eyes of its youngest inhabitants. It is a transitional point for the town and the kids and is a heart a coming of age story. It is television that is blamed for bringing this decline on. People stay at home, they don't go out anymore, and the businesses suffer as a result. There was a sequel <i>Texasville</i> in 1990 and rumors of a third installment in the next year or so. Maybe we can bring the story right up to the modern day with rampant consumerism and mindless reality television. Todays equivalent decay and decline.
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I watched the 1991 Directors Cut on DVD which adds back 8 minutes of footage and treats us to a beautiful transfer. The blu ray is only available as part of the criterion box set <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZYU3SC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=B003ZYU3SC">America Lost and Found: The BBS Story</a> and by all accounts is a great transfer. If you have never seen it then the box set is great value and also includes The Monkees <i>Head, Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces</i> and a couple of more forgettable films.
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The Last Picture Show</i> is unquestionably crucial cinema and if you haven't seen it then make sure you carve out enough quality time to fully take in all it has to offer, sit back and travel to Anarene, Texas 1951 and a small towns last hurrah.
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0767827902/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0767827902"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00005N52P/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00005N52P"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a>
<a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Last_Picture_Show/686840"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a>
<a href="http://redbox.tellapal.com/a/clk/spF5J"><img border="0" height="25" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QkZOXFbXFZ8/TXe6AoEj-ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/rCnL5DVGNpE/s1600/redbox.jpg" /></a>Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-34427972246194756032011-03-25T17:15:00.000-07:002011-04-23T12:53:48.463-07:00AFI/BFI #209: Do The Right Thing (1989)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_the_Right_Thing"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/22/DO_THE_RIGHT_THING.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Spike Lee</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Spike Lee</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - (1998) <b>96</b> (2007)</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097216/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/do_the_right_thing/"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://images.rottentomatoescdn.com/images/trademark/CertifiedFresh_logo_45.png" /> </a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/do_the_right_thing/">96%</a></span></b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024EWP9O/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0024EWP9O"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a>
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<a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Do_the_Right_Thing/448860"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a>
<a href="http://redbox.tellapal.com/a/clk/spF5J"><img border="0" height="25" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QkZOXFbXFZ8/TXe6AoEj-ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/rCnL5DVGNpE/s1600/redbox.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In terms of critical acclaim it is hard to argue with the facts. As well as occupying position 96 on the AFI Top 100 10th Anniversary list, it holds places on Variety's 50 best of all time, Entertainment Weekly's 100 Greatest Movies Of All Time, Film Four's 100 Greatest Films Of All Time, The National Society Of Film Critics 100 Essential Films, Empire's 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time and the list goes on. Siskel and Ebert ranked it as one of the top 10 films of the decade. The US Library of Congress even chose it for preservation in the National Film Registry. You might be surprised then to learn that I didn't particularly enjoy it.
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Do The Right Thing</i> is unquestionably an important movie. It delivers its message unbelievably well, a difficult thing to do if you consider not only the subject but the time it was made. For that alone it deserves the acclaim. The writing and reciting by Lee are both superb. The cast stellar (John Turturro, Danny Aiello and Ossie Davis especially). Similar to many british movies on the BFI list, it is culturally and historically significant. It perfectly captures not only a time and place but also the emotions and sentiments. Don't get me wrong. This is not uncomfortable to watch like many other movies of this genre. As a viewer I just felt like I was along for the ride and never truly got pulled in by the characters or the story. Many of the most interesting characters are played by veteran actors and that may point to my problem with the film. Many of the fresh young actors would go on to do incredible things but here it feels like they are just warming up. For me at least it was enough to keep me from getting completely engaged. <br />
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I watched both the DVD and also parts of the Netflix HD stream. The DVD retains the overly saturated and yellow tinged cinematography of the original film which adds to the sense of oppressive heat. The Blu ray has apparently lost this in favor of crisp lifelike color and the Netflix stream did seem a little less yellow to me. Take your pick.
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Should you see it? Absolutely. There is a key question posed that is central to the film and, without spoiling the plot, is incredibly powerful. It will linger with you for a while. Certainly less than it would have 20 years ago, but critical all the same. For me personally I think that with repeated viewing I might come to love this movie, not having gone in with any nostalgic memories of seeing it in the nineties.
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024EWP9O/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0024EWP9O"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a>
<a href="ttp://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0024EWP9O/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B0024EWP9O"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a>
<a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Do_the_Right_Thing/448860"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a>
<a href="http://redbox.tellapal.com/a/clk/spF5J"><img border="0" height="25" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QkZOXFbXFZ8/TXe6AoEj-ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/rCnL5DVGNpE/s1600/redbox.jpg" /></a>Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-12753128172797426072011-03-23T12:46:00.000-07:002011-04-23T12:54:08.233-07:00AFI/BFI #210: The Wicker Man (1973)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wicker_Man_(1973_film)"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ae/TheWickerMan_UKrelease_Poster.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Robin Hardy</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Anthony Shaffer, Christopher Lee, David Pinner</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Composer:</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Gary Carpenter. Paul Giovanni, Magnet</span></span></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>96</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070917/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1023637-wicker_man/"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tKv_3QQFgGg/TV7rZ-DpplI/AAAAAAAAAKs/Szqqlb4wM7s/s1600/fresh.png" /> </a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/rotten_tomatoes_link">89%</a></span></b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FUF6QS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000FUF6QS"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001RUQERK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B001RUQERK"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a>
<a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Wicker_Man/60021185"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a>
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By the early seventies Christopher Lee had made a name for himself as a horror actor and a Hammer regular. Looking to expand beyond this Lee worked with Anthony Shaffer (<i>Frenzy</i>, <i>Sleuth</i>, <i>Death On The Nile</i>) on an adaptation of David Pinner's novel <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ritual-David-Pinner/dp/0956706304?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Ritual</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mart02-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0956706304" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>, very little of which made it into the final screenplay. The result is one of the greatest british films ever made and Christopher Lee's personal favorite. He even worked without pay to help get it made. I hesitate to call it a horror movie as at times it is more thriller than traditional horror. However you classify it there are moments of real terror even today. As with many great films it was not recognized as such till much later. At the time it was cut to shreds and played as the B movie for Nicolas Roeg's <i>Don't Look Know</i>. I won't go into all the details of the various versions of this film, there is plenty of that out there. They key thing is that you need to get your hands on the Extended or Director's editions which are 96 minutes long versus the originally butchered 88 minutes. That may seem like a small difference, and it is in terms of time, but the shorter version is also reordered and the combination has a dramatic effect on the films narrative and impact.
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The film was directed by Robin Hardy who had previously made US and Canadian television dramas for such companies as the Esso World Theatre and had returned to London in the sixties to make commercials and informational films for the Hardy Shaffer Ferguson Avery company. It was this partnership with Anthony Shaffer that brought him onto <i>The Wicker Man</i> along with Lee. It was his first and best feature film and he made only a handful afterwards, focusing mostly on his writing. He has long planned to make a sequel/prequel/related film with Lee based on his novel <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cowboys-Christ-Robin-Hardy/dp/1905222416?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Cowboys For Christ</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mart02-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1905222416" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i> and it may see the light of day in the coming year. He even makes a brief cameo in <i>The Wicker Man</i> as the minister.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-WLlZoMxHWEo/TYpNL_8809I/AAAAAAAAALM/8xKcwWg5CtU/s1600/WickerMan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-WLlZoMxHWEo/TYpNL_8809I/AAAAAAAAALM/8xKcwWg5CtU/s320/WickerMan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Stranger in a strange land, Sergeant Howie (Woodward)</i></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Edward Woodward is pitch perfect as Sergeant Howie and we can be thankful that both Michael York and David Hemmings were not cast. Apparently Woodward was always the producer's and writer's first choice.</span><br />
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In terms of awards there is very little to talk about as you would expect. Just four nominations and one win from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films in 1979. It's critical acclaim would come later as it started to show up regularly on best picture and top 100 film lists. It sits at 96 on the BFI list.
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I was lucky enough to catch the longer version in HD on cable. There is no Blu ray as of yet. It looked superb and if you can catch it this way I highly recommend it until the Blu ray is out. The shorter version is by no means awful if that is all you can track down.
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I won't go into the plot. As you should know by now I think the only way to see a film is when you know nothing about it. The point of reviews and trailers are to convince you it is worth seeing and won't be a waste of your precious time. Let me save you that. <i>The Wicker Man</i> is unquestionably Crucial Cinema.
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<a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Wicker_Man/60021185"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a>
<a href="http://redbox.tellapal.com/a/clk/spF5J"><img border="0" height="25" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QkZOXFbXFZ8/TXe6AoEj-ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/rCnL5DVGNpE/s1600/redbox.jpg" /></a>Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-2321027012384253922011-03-21T11:25:00.000-07:002011-04-23T12:53:48.463-07:00AFI/BFI #211: Blade Runner (1982)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_runner"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/53/Blade_Runner_poster.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Ridley Scott</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Hampton Fancher, David Peoples, Philip K. Dick</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Composer:</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Vangelis</span></span></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - (1998) 97 (2007)</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083658/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blade_runner/"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://images.rottentomatoescdn.com/images/trademark/CertifiedFresh_logo_45.png" /> </a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blade_runner/">92%</a></span></b><br />
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<a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Blade_Runner_The_Final_Cut/70082907"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a>
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You don't get many critically acclaimed science fiction movies. The <i>"serious"</i> critics and awards committees have always tended to look down on them or be fearful of treating them as serious cinema, maybe concerned that they will not stand the test of time and in hindsight their praise and accompanying overlooking of other more serious films will be questioned. In fact the opposite is what tends to happen and viewers are left scratching their heads as to why their beloved scifi movies lost out to some now forgotten drama. <i>Blade Runner</i>, like similar movies, got oscar nominations for visual effects and art direction but won neither. <i>Tootsie</i> got a Best Picture nomination that same year for heavens sake. Thank god it went to <i>Gandhi</i> which is at least harder to argue with.
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Like so many other films of this genre <i>Blade Runner</i> has faired much better with the critics in the subsequent years:
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<li>4th best film of all time by Moviemail (2000)
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<li>2nd best film ever made by BBC viewers (2000)
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<li>16th best film of all time and by Empire magazine (2001)
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<li>8th in Channel 4's 100 Greatest Films poll (2002)
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<li>2nd best science fiction film by the Online Film Critics Society (2002)
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<li>1st best science fiction film of all time by Wired Magazine (2002)
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<li>7th best film of the last 25 years by Sight & Sound Magazine (2002)
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<li>2nd most visually influential film of all time by the Visual Effects Society (2007)
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Now to be fair what everyone was rating and critiquing at the time was the appalling US theatrical version of the film. I have seen <i>Blade Runner</i> many, many times. I had recently watched the Final Cut and Work-print on Blu ray, the former being absolutely stunning and the only way to see this movie now. Knowing all of this I decided for this viewing to force myself to watch the one version I had never actually seen, the aforementioned US Theatrical release from 1982. I know it has its lovers but I am really not sure why. The voiceover alone is enough to destroy this for me. My movie hot button is anything that treats the viewer as either an idiot, or as if you have not been paying attention. Flashbacks to earlier in a film are usually the worst offender but here we have a voiceover that does not simply add to the story, exposing otherwise unheard thoughts, but instead explains everything that is happening in case you are a few sandwiches short of a picnic. The producers should have never been allowed to work again and we are lucky to have a version today that has their post workprint touches removed.
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<br />Nicknamed <i>Blood Runner</i> by the crew, the production itself was difficult with on set differences and friction. It is interesting that the british Scott found it difficult working with the US crew, complaining that with a UK crew he would ask for something and just get it. James Cameron would go on to direct the sequel to Scott's <i>Alien</i> four years later in England and have similar problems with his UK crew, complaining that they didn't work hard enough and took too many tea breaks. Even in 1982 England and America were still two countries separated by a common language. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The film has not suffered with age at all. Some of the tweaks for the Final Cut have certainly helped but even without them this is one of the most convincing worlds ever visited on celluloid. Scott famously paid almost insane attention to the details and it shows. You never question the sets, they never feel like sets. The original concept was a merged </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Angeles">San Angeles</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> which was dropped but would later be the setting for </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Demolition Man</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (coincidentally or not David L. Snyder was Art Director on both). Production Designer Lawrence G. Paul would latter work on </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Back To The Future</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Escape From L.A.</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Linda DeScenna's set decoration earned her an Oscar alongside Paul and Snyder and she would later work on some of my favorite movies of all time including </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Goonies</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, B</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>ack To The Future II</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Rocketeer</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Special Effects technicians Greg Curtis and Logan Frazee would later work on the Star Trek Next Generation pictures, and the legendary Douglas Trumbull took home an Oscar along with Richard Yuricich (</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>2001, Silent Running, Star Trek</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">) and David Dryer (</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Never Say Never Again</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">). This is all old school special effects done incredibly well. Watching many of the current CGI heavy movies I wonder if we are in or just coming out of that same period decades ago that left us with some pretty ropey stop motion based pictures. Will these current movies age just as badly? Careful use of special effects, whatever the technology, has always been the key to longevity in a picture. That is why classics such as </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>King Kong</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> are still just as watchable today.
Some would argue that the soundtrack has not fared so well. Usually orchestral scores tend to age far better than synth laden ones but in this case I tend to disagree. Vangelis' score is superb and also carefully done so that, just like the effects, it has become more iconic than archaic. </span></div>
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The other star of the show is the cast with many of them having key input into the final picture. Harrison Ford had just come off of <i>Empire</i> and <i>Raiders</i>. What an incredible time for cinema and for Ford. Rutger Hauer is astonishingly good and contributed to key scenes especially the finale. Add to that a set of perfectly cast actors in every key role: Brion James, Daryl Hannah, M. Emmet Walsh, Edward James Olmos (the street speak was his idea), Joe Turkel, Joanna Cassidy, James Hong and William Sanderson. Like many I always thought that Mr Holden in that opening scene was played by the usually unbearable James Remar but apparently not. It was actually Morgan Paull. Explains why the scene is so good.<br />
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You cannot talk about Blade Runner without a tip of the hat to the prolific Philip K. Dick. Many of the greatest science fiction films ever made have been based on his books and short stories. Total Recall, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly and The Adjustment Bureau. He was the modern day H.G. Wells and his legacy will be the basis for many more films for years to come. I would recommend taking a look at this list of just <a href="http://io9.com/#!5770650/10-great-philip-k-dick-stories-that-hollywood-hasnt-filmed-yet">10 great Philip K. Dick stories that have yet to be brought to film</a>. As with any big project the screenplay adaption passed through many hands, the last of which was David Webb Peoples who would later pen the superb <i>Twelve Monkeys</i>, also an adaption but based on the 1962 short movie</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> La Jetee</i>.<br />
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If you have never seen <i>Blade Runner</i> then you must. If you have only seen the theatrical release then you still have not really seen <i>Blade Runner. </i>Either way, this is without question Crucial Cinema.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UBMWG4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000UBMWG4"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000VS20M2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B000VS20M2"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a> <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Blade_Runner_The_Final_Cut/70082907"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a>
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</div>Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-18506418236084571602011-03-09T17:03:00.000-08:002011-04-23T12:54:08.234-07:00AFI/BFI #212: Nil By Mouth (1997)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nil_by_Mouth_(film)"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/18/Nil_by_mouth_poster.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Gary Oldman</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Gary Oldman</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Composer:</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Eric Clapton</span></span></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 97</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119792/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/nil_by_mouth/"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tKv_3QQFgGg/TV7rZ-DpplI/AAAAAAAAAKs/Szqqlb4wM7s/s1600/fresh.png" /> </a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/nil_by_mouth/">63%</a></span></b><br />
<a href="ttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000SXK0E/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0000SXK0E"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0001K2KVQ?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B0001K2KVQ"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a> <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Nil_by_Mouth/60033088"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a> <a href="http://redbox.tellapal.com/a/clk/spF5J"><img border="0" height="25" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QkZOXFbXFZ8/TXe6AoEj-ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/rCnL5DVGNpE/s1600/redbox.jpg" /></a><br />
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Try and remember the happiest day of your life. That day that was utterly perfect, that every time you think of it brings a smile to your face. Maybe it was and event like the birth of a child or your wedding day, or lying on a beach in Bali watching the sunset, or the day you won the lottery, or… well you get the picture. Now hold that memory until you are just as happy as that moment. Done? OK, now you are ready to watch <i>Nil By Mouth</i>, because trust me, if you watch it at any other time you risk descending into a seriously deep depression that you will possibly need medication to escape from. Ok, I exaggerate, but this is an unbelievably harrowing film. To call it entertainment would be misleading.
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The film was Gary Oldman's debut as both a writer and director, although he has yet to follow it up. And what a debut it is. Fittingly for a film centered around family, it is based loosely on Oldman's own childhood in London and dedicated to his father. His sister, Laila Morse, made her screen debut although you wouldn't guess it. Her stage name being an anagram of the italian for My Sister, <i>Mia Sorella</i>. Their mother even provides the vocals for the grandmother's song at the end of the film.
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There is very little story here and the script focuses more on capturing the painful realism of a family being torn apart from within in slow and uncomfortable detail. If you are easily offended by language then steer clear as that realism requires more profanity per inch of celluloid than any other non-documentary film in history. The F-word is used 522 times, thats over 4 times a minute. The C-word a mere 82.
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The film was produced by Luc Besson who had worked with Oldman on <i>Leon (The Professional)</i> and <i>The Fifth Element</i>. Oldman had likely met experienced Ron Fortunato's cinematography on <i>Basquait</i> and brought him on board. His work here is exquisite. Combined with the intimate hand held camera work and Brad Fuller's documentary style editing, the result is frighteningly real without lapsing into that pseudo-documentary style that would have diminished its impact.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Rd1uOdgcNF8/TXgfziRDQJI/AAAAAAAAALI/ShImxLeh2hU/s1600/nil-by-mouth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Rd1uOdgcNF8/TXgfziRDQJI/AAAAAAAAALI/ShImxLeh2hU/s320/nil-by-mouth.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlie Creed-Miles, Jamie Foreman and Ray Winstone</td></tr>
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The real stars of the film are Ray Winstone and Kathy Burke. Coming onto <i>Nil By Mouth</i> most of their experience had been on television. Oldman gives them great material and they use it to act one another off the screen at every opportunity. Ray was nominated for a BAFTA and won a British Independent Film Award for his portrayal of Ray. He is frightening, angry, vulnerable and everything in between. Kathy Burke as Valerie gives the performance of her career and similarly got a BAFTA nomination and British Independent Film Award win.
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I watched the 2003 US DVD release which is enhanced for 16:9 rather than the original theatrical 1.66:1. The transfer is beautiful. No sign of a blu-ray release yet but I am not convinced it would benefit much more from it.
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The film was still very fresh when the BFI list was made and I do wonder if it would still make the Top 100 today. Depending on your point of view it has either become much more or much less relevant in the last decade. As the BFI list suggests, we british seem to enjoy these gritty realistic working class dramas more than in other parts of the world. Certainly this would never have been made in hollywood and perhaps that alone earns it's place on the list. It is extremely hard to watch, but I recommend it if only for Ray and Kathy's performances. Make sure you watch it all. Quit too soon and you will wonder what on earth it was all about. Maybe even watch it twice. So find your happy place and pop in the DVD.
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<a href="ttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000SXK0E/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0000SXK0E"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0001K2KVQ?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B0001K2KVQ"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a> <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Nil_by_Mouth/60033088"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a>
<a href="http://redbox.tellapal.com/a/clk/spF5J"><img border="0" height="25" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QkZOXFbXFZ8/TXe6AoEj-ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/rCnL5DVGNpE/s1600/redbox.jpg" /></a>Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-87933432036337615632011-03-07T13:57:00.000-08:002011-04-23T12:54:08.234-07:00AFI/BFI #213: Small Faces (1996)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Faces_(film)"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MdfdG-RupvE/TXVbKNws7cI/AAAAAAAAAK4/-yyL7llRCGw/s1600/folder.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Gillies MacKinnon</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Billy MacKinnon, Gillies MacKinnon</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">John Keane:</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> composer_name</span></span></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 98</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114474/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/small_faces/"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tKv_3QQFgGg/TV7rZ-DpplI/AAAAAAAAAKs/Szqqlb4wM7s/s1600/fresh.png" /> </a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/small_faces/">67%</a></span></b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009KOYA?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00009KOYA"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00009KOYA?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00009KOYA"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a> <br />
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Released the same year as <i>Trainspotting</i> the comparisons are only natural, but the films could not be more different. Both were still fresh when the BFI compiled their list in 1999. <i>Trainspotting</i> did not make the BFI Top 100 yet there at #98 is <i>Small Faces</i>. I had really looked forward to seeing this particular movie in the list. It fulfilled all the criteria. I had never seen or even heard of it, it had an excellent cast and a promising story. Maybe my expectations were too high going in.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3206/2901410882_6f0e7f3c30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3206/2901410882_6f0e7f3c30.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iain Robertson steals the show as youngest brother Lex</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was to be honest a little disappointed with <i>Small Faces</i>. There are certainly moments of brilliance and some incredible visual moments such as the streak of blood across the ice rink. The story is certainly intriguing. A coming of age story, a subject that british cinema has done so well with through the decades, combined with a gritty look at Glasgow in the sixties. I have fond memories of Ken Loach's <i>Kess</i> (also on the BFI list) and was expecting something similar here. And perhaps it is there. Had I watched this on its release in 1996 then perhaps it would benefit from a small tinge of nostalgia today.
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Without ruining too much of the plot, for me this is very much a parallel of the Judas story. That central element is strong but gets lost in a series of unnecessary excursions that while adding to the realism also manage to diminish the film's overall coherence.<br />
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The film notched up a surprisingly slim list of awards until you remember it shared the spotlight with the more commercial <i>Trainspotting</i>. A win at both the Edinburgh and Rotterdam international film festivals and a nomination for a Scottish BAFTA. Trainspotting won the BAFTA. Interestingly the BFI Top 100 is populated by another couple of films from this same awards year namely <i>The English Patient</i> and <i>Secrets & Lies</i>. The worldwide competition included <i>Fargo, Shine, Jerry Maguire, Sling Blade, Hamlet, Michael Collins, Romeo + Juliet, Twister, That Thing You Do, James and the Giant Peach, Evita,</i> and <i>The People vs Larry Flynt</i>. Not a bad year at all for film lovers.
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For a movie on the BFI top 100 it is surprisingly hard to get a hold of a copy. It has not had a US DVD release and no UK blu-ray release either. Am I glad I saw it? Absolutely. Should you go out of your way to track down a copy? Probably not.
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009KOYA?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00009KOYA"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00009KOYA?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00009KOYA"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a> Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-18162256783350876692011-03-05T20:12:00.000-08:002011-04-23T12:54:08.235-07:00AFI/BFI #214: Carry On... Up The Khyber (1968)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thewhippitinn.com/carry_on_films/carry_on_up_the_khyber/"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-S-HWju27OZg/TXVZ8uwtnfI/AAAAAAAAAK0/eMf4ngqZGd4/s1600/carryon.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Gerald Thomas</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Talbot Rothwell, Larry (Terrence Parks)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Composer:</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Eric Rogers</span></span></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 99</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062782/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/carry-on-up-the-khyber/"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://images.rottentomatoescdn.com/images/trademark/popcorn.png" /> </a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/carry-on-up-the-khyber/">77%</a></span></b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0029ZR4OO?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0029ZR4OO"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00008YNFU?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00008YNFU"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a> <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 1958 the unsuspecting British public was introduced to its first taste of the Carry On franchise, <i>Carry On Sergeant.</i> Over the next 20 years there would be another 28 films full of the same innuendo, slapstick and, for the most part, cast members. Whether you consider them good or not they were a huge part of british culture and are maybe even more interesting today as some sort of social history. Certainly they can no longer be considered risque. </span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am sure you are wondering why, given this is a blog about the worlds most critically acclaimed movies, I am telling you all of this. Well there is a tidal sized wave of nostalgia in britain for the Carry On movies. They hold a special place in many people's hearts, even if they haven't watched one for decades. So without any further ado allow me to introduce #99 on the BFI's Top 100 british movies, the 16th and what many consider best film of the whole series, <i>Carry On… Up The Khyber</i>.</span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The usual cast is all present with the exception of Jim Dale, the voice of the Harry Potter books in the US. Picking up the slack is Roy Castle in his only Carry On appearance but you can tell the part was meant for Jim. There is much more of a story than any of the other films and it deals tongue in cheek with the fall of the british empire, something that was still happening when the film was made. The stiff upper lip dinner party finale helps raise this above the other films and remains more enduring and timeless than should be expected.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-THjEBfketro/TXa4m_YZ5gI/AAAAAAAAAK8/HNBzKUST4R0/s1600/khyber-dinner-party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-THjEBfketro/TXa4m_YZ5gI/AAAAAAAAAK8/HNBzKUST4R0/s320/khyber-dinner-party.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roy Castle, Sid James, Julian Holloway & Peter Butterworth</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If any Carry On deserves to be on the BFI's list, and I am not convinced one should, then this is the obvious choice. Watching today it is still entertaining and mostly harmless. Not required viewing by any extent but certainly a real glimpse into british culture in the 60s and 70s.</span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finding Carry On films in the US used to be almost impossible, surprising considering the success of <i>Benny Hill</i> and <i>Are You Being Served</i>. Amazon just rectified that and most of them are now available for streaming. If you have never seen one then give it a try. I would be interested in hearing how they come across without the benefit of all that nostalgia.</span>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0029ZR4OO?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0029ZR4OO"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00008YNFU?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00008YNFU"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a>Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-45249854234692167052011-02-28T13:49:00.000-08:002011-04-23T12:53:48.464-07:00AFI/BFI #215: Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (1967)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guess_Who's_Coming_to_Dinner"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0b/Guess_Who%27s_Coming_to_Dinner_poster.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Stanley Kramer</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> William Rose</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Composer:</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Billy Hill</span></span></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>99</b> (1998), - (2007)</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061735/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/guess_whos_coming_to_dinner/"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tKv_3QQFgGg/TV7rZ-DpplI/AAAAAAAAAKs/Szqqlb4wM7s/s1600/fresh.png" /> </a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/guess_whos_coming_to_dinner/">64%</a></span></b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TXP56C?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000TXP56C"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000ZK9SUI?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B000ZK9SUI"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a> <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Guess_Who_s_Coming_to_Dinner/564122"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Both on screen and off you could say this classic movie was somewhat of a family affair. The trio of Stanley Kramer, William Rose and Spencer Tracy had previously worked on <i>It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World</i> just 4 years earlier, Kramer and Tracy also pairing up on <i>Inherit The Wind</i> in 1960. Add to that the fact that this was Hepburn and Tracy's ninth film together, having started back in 1942's <i>Woman of the Year</i>. There was an accompanying and often complicated off screen romance which lasted until Tracy's death just 17 days after the filing wrapped on Guess Who's Coming. Watching today you really have little idea how sick he really was. Hepburn knew and her tears are real. The studio was nervous and both her and Kramer put up their salaries as backing for Tracy dropping out. It proved to be one of his most memorable performances, nominated for a posthumous Oscar. Hepburn won for best actress, her second of four, a record still not broken today. She never watched the film. The memories were too painful.</span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With the exception of a few scenes the action takes place all within the house over a single day. Scenes outside or away from the house take advantage of this and each feels like an escape, in fact one scene literally is. Every masterpiece has its flaws and for me there is just a single scene involving some dancing outside the house that is more jarring that was probably intended. It is there to remind you that this is 1967 and the times they are a changing. </span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The acting talent on display throughout the movie is breathtaking. Poitier, Tracy and Hepburn play off each other beautifully. Just when you think one will steal the scene, one of the others steps up. I'll avoid the sporting analogies but it is a real team effort. Much of the best acting is done without a single line of dialog, especially earlier on in the film. Hepburn's real life niece, Katharine Houghton, admirably performs her part but is never really a part of the game. Beah Richards as Poitier's mother surprises you when she finally opens up. Rose's script is the real star at the center of all of this. It won him the Oscar, something The Ladykillers should have done a decade earlier. <i>"You can do the watusi, but we are the watusi."</i></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It received another 8 Oscar nominations in addition to the wins for Rose and Hepburn. Quite an achievement when you consider that the same year brought us such classics as <i>In The Heat Of The Night, Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, Cool Hand Luke, Doctor Dolittle, Camelot, The Dirty Dozen, In Cold Blood, Casino Royale </i>and<i> The Jungle Book.</i></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The film has aged incredibly well and is as fresh today as it was over 40 years ago. I watched it in HD via Netflix streaming and I can say it looks incredible. No blu-ray release yet and so I highly recommend it. It is not the original aspect ratio at full 16:9 but then the 40th Anniversary DVD was presented in the same ratio. It was originally filmed in 1.85:1 and so this is not too criminal. </span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have not seen this, you should. It will surprise you. The journey is not predictable even if the destination is. If you have not seen it recently, I suggest you take a fresh look as much has changed since it first saw the light of day and I believe the movie is even stronger as a result.</span>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TXP56C?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000TXP56C"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000ZK9SUI?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B000ZK9SUI"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a> <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Guess_Who_s_Coming_to_Dinner/564122"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a>Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-27847335696519395692011-02-27T12:48:00.000-08:002011-04-23T12:53:48.464-07:00AFI/BFI #216: Toy Story (1995)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy_story"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/dc/Movie_poster_toy_story.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> John Lasseter</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, Joe Ranft, Joss Whedon, Joel Cohen, Alec Sokolow</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Composer:</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Randy Newman</span></span></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - (1998), 99 (2007)</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -</span><br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114709/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/rotten_tomatoes_link"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://images.rottentomatoescdn.com/images/trademark/CertifiedFresh_logo_45.png" /> </a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/toy_story/">100%</a></span></b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030IIYWA?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0030IIYWA"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a> <a href="ttp://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0031ESQ4O?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B0031ESQ4O"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a> <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Toy_Story/60036637"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What can I say about <i>Toy Story</i> that has not been said already. Unless you have lived in a cave or been in a coma for the last 15 years then you are probably intimately aware of the continuing adventures of Buzz and Woody. I must have seen it 20 or 30 times. Once in 3D. If by some slim chance you haven't then what are you waiting for? Maybe you think it is just a kids movie. It isn't. This film gave the whole world their first real glimpse of the genius of John Lasseter. Joss Whedon even had a hand in the screenplay. Pete Docter would go on to direct <i>Monsters Inc.</i> and <i>Up</i>, Andrew Stanton <i>A Bug's Life, Finding Nemo</i> & <i>WALL-E</i>. Joe Ranft had worked on <i>Beauty and The Beast</i> and the <i>Lion King</i> for Disney already and provided the voice for Wheezy in <i>Toy Story</i>. The sheer amount of talent focused on this one project is astounding in retrospect.</span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was nominated for 3 Oscars and John Lasseter was given a Special Achievement Award by the academy <i>for the development and inspired application of techniques that have made possible the first feature-length computer-animated film</i>. An incredible achievement given the Academy's usual reception of such drastic advances in film making. There was some tough competition that year. Randy Newman lost out to Menken and Schwartz for <i>Pocahontas</i>. Christopher McQuarrie took home the Oscar for his incredible script for <i>The Usual Suspects</i>, for which <i>Braveheart</i> was also nominated.</span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Toy Story</i> is also among the top ten in the BFI list of the <a href="http://www.bfi.org.uk/education/conferences/watchthis/top50.html">50 films you should see by the age of 14</a>, and the highest placed (at #99) animated film in Empire's list of <a href="http://www.empireonline.com/500/">500 Greatest Movie of All Time</a>.</span>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030IIYWA?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0030IIYWA"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a> <a href="ttp://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0031ESQ4O?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B0031ESQ4O"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a> <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Toy_Story/60036637"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a>Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-50348621048077334872011-02-25T15:18:00.000-08:002011-04-23T12:53:48.464-07:00AFI/BFI #217: Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee_Doodle_Dandy"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/23/Yankee_Doodle_Dandy_poster.jpeg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Michael Curtiz</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Robert Buckner, Edmund Joseph, Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Composer:</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> George M. Cohan, Leo F. Forbstein, Ray Heindorf & Heinz Roemheld</span></span></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>100</b> (1998) <b>98</b> (2007)</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -</span><br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035575/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/rotten_tomatoes_link"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tKv_3QQFgGg/TV7rZ-DpplI/AAAAAAAAAKs/Szqqlb4wM7s/s1600/fresh.png" /> </a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/yankee_doodle_dandy/">91%</a></span></b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005JKS8?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00005JKS8"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00005JKS8?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00005JKS8"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a> <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Yankee_Doodle_Dandy/60011598?trkid=2361637"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok. This is going to be a tough sell. A black and white musical that is nearly seventy years old and is also probably the most patriotic American film ever made. It was the next movie on my combined AFI and BFI top 100 lists and I had committed to myself to watch them all in order. I really enjoy musicals so that was not to be a handicap, and the timing couldn't be better. I decided to watch it the same day as my US citizenship swearing in ceremony. The rampant patriotism of the ceremony itself would help prepare me for the red, white and blue extravaganza that is <i>Yankee Doodle Dandy</i>.</span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had never seen it before, especially growing up in England. In fact even today it has not seen a UK DVD release. To be honest I hadn't even heard of the film before I had set myself the challenge, which of course was the point of the exercise. I was familiar with George M. Cohan's music but not the man himself. I basically did not know what to expect, my favorite way of seeing a movie.</span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-NWkHtlaBFj4/TXfwcdDRytI/AAAAAAAAALE/POT3rHPOCmo/s1600/Yankee-Doodle-Dandy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-NWkHtlaBFj4/TXfwcdDRytI/AAAAAAAAALE/POT3rHPOCmo/s320/Yankee-Doodle-Dandy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Yankee Doodle Dandy</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is a musical biography of George M. Cohan, the man who owned broadway. It was made while he was still alive and so pulls some of its punches (George had to approve its release). As a musical biography it succeeds well, even better as an historical record of George's stage performances. Cagney did his homework. You cannot help feeling though that without Cagney this film would have been a forgotten memory by now. He steals every scene and boy can he dance. For those of you like me who only thought of him as a gangster this will be a revelation, just as it was for audiences at the time. Watch him dance down those stairs and then think about what that would really involve. He took home his only Oscar as George.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was also the movie that Michael Curtiz directed right before <i>Casablanca</i>. He was nominated for the Oscar for <i>Yankee</i> but won it for <i>Casablanca</i> the following year.
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is it a truly great film? I am still on the fence to be honest. It doesn't have worldwide appeal for one thing. But put into context alongside the first world war, the McCarthy witch hunts, the attack on Pearl Harbor and the escalation of the war, this is truly a great <i>American</i> film. The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005JKS8?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00005JKS8">2-disc special edition</a> comes with a nice bonus, the well put together <i>Warner Night at the Movies, 1942</i> introduced by Leonard Maltin including trailers, a newsreel, musical short subject and "Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid". I'm very glad I watched it and it brought me a new found respect for James Cagney, but I don't expect to wear out the DVD anytime soon.</span>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005JKS8?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00005JKS8"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00005JKS8?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00005JKS8"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a> <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Yankee_Doodle_Dandy/60011598?trkid=2361637"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a>Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-90235515202218614902011-02-20T16:40:00.000-08:002011-04-23T12:54:08.235-07:00AFI/BFI #218: The Killing Fields (1984)<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Killing_Fields_(film)"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/32/The_Killing_Fields_film.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Roland Joffé</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writer:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Bruce Robinson</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Composer:</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Mike Oldfield & David Bedford</span></span></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BFI Rank:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 100</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087553/"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FtjXkR3zoSw/TV6jpq-0cuI/AAAAAAAAAKc/DQEBO_dLZiM/s1600/imdb.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/killing_fields/"><img border="0" height="25" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tKv_3QQFgGg/TV7rZ-DpplI/AAAAAAAAAKs/Szqqlb4wM7s/s1600/fresh.png" /> </a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/killing_fields/">91%</a></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/killing_fields/"></a></span></b>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004RF82?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004RF82" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000BH2THY?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B000BH2THY"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a> <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Killing_Fields/671140?trkid=2430625#height1901"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a>
<a href="http://redbox.tellapal.com/a/clk/spF5J"><img border="0" height="25" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QkZOXFbXFZ8/TXe6AoEj-ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/rCnL5DVGNpE/s1600/redbox.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Killing Fields</i> would be an exceptional movie for any Director. The fact that it was Roland Joffé's first makes it astonishing. He would follow it up in 1986 with the equally outstanding <i>The Mission</i>. He would later say that although he loved making them they were somewhat of an albatross around his neck. He was nominated for an Oscar, Directors Guild Award, BAFTA and a Golden Globe but took home none of them. There was some pretty stiff competition in <i>Amadeus</i> and <i>Paris, Texas</i>. </span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My aim in documenting my viewing of these critically acclaimed movies is not to review them but to hopefully persuade you to see them. I also personally believe there is nothing better than seeing a movie when you know absolutely nothing about it. No critical plot revealing trailers. This is especially hard for a film based on a true story, especially one so news worthy. If you are young enough that shouldn't be an issue here.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The screenplay itself was based on Sydney Schanberg's New York Times articles and he </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the fall of Cambodia to the Khmer Rouge in 1975. Those works and more were recently collected in a single volume, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1597975052?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1597975052"><i>Beyond The Killing Fields</i></a>. Bruce Robinson's next project was to write and direct <i>Withnail & I</i>, but more on that in another review. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2009/3/11/1236788276310/Sam-Waterston-and-Haing-S-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2009/3/11/1236788276310/Sam-Waterston-and-Haing-S-001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam Waterston and Haing S. Ngor</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sam Waterston portrays Sydney with an incredible nervous energy that keeps up the tension throughout what could have easily become a very long and tedious movie. But the real standout is Haing S. Ngor as Dith Pran. A Cambodian and doctor turned actor, this was his first ever role and with it he became only the second non-professional actor and the first southeast asian to win an Oscar.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Killing Fields</i> is a british film, ranked 100 in the BFI's top 100 and not making either of the AFI's lists. Perhaps that is the only way this truly American story could really be told.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was initially worried that the film had dated badly, especially during the opening with Mike Oldfield's synthesized soundtrack playing underneath but I needn't have worried. David Bedford's orchestration as the picture progresses helps keep <i>The Killing Fields</i> somewhat timeless, a rare achievement for many films of the 1980s. The only exception being the use of John Lennon's Imagine at the film's climax which very nearly descends into Hallmark Channel territory. That decision was named the lowest point of the year in Time Magazine's Cultural Highs and Lows of the Year.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris Menges cinematography is breathtaking and rightly earned him an Oscar. The sunset scene that graces the original poster is in itself worth the award. He had just come off of <i>Local Hero</i> and would join Roland on <i>The Mission</i>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The film clocks in at potentially boredom inducing 141 minutes but the script defies that with a superb structure broken into acts that at times feel almost like separate movies. This is a film to be savored and deserves your full concentration. Put down the iPad or laptop.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the time of writing <i>The Killing Fields</i> is only available on DVD in the UK and US. There is a <a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dvd.nl%2Freviews.php%3Freviewid%3D4050&sl=nl&tl=en">Dutch Blu-ray</a> available but it is not remastered and is poorly reviewed. I watched the film via Netflix streaming in HD. There was some noticeable artifacts which may have been caused by streaming rather than in the source, and without seeing the DVD I cannot recommend which is the better one to see. It is also available via Amazon On Demand. Ideally put the Blu-ray on your Amazon wishlist and wait for its inevitable release.</span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">27 years later this is still a must see film, maybe even more so today for a new generation of viewers for whom the phrase "The Killing Fields" has no meaning.</span>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004RF82?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004RF82"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydewMU4-gRg/TV7gn-L2kaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Ubsp0oVffCw/s1600/Amazon-US.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000BH2THY?ie=UTF8&tag=crucialcinema-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B000BH2THY"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EWkoqbPsLb8/TV7ipr5Iv8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/sfQUrJ25Xb4/s1600/Amazon-UK.png" /></a> <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Killing_Fields/671140?trkid=2430625#height1901"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4drytJShBjM/TV8OstZlf6I/AAAAAAAAAKw/7ZyRcDn4P1s/s1600/netflix.png" /></a>
<a href="http://redbox.tellapal.com/a/clk/spF5J"><img border="0" height="25" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QkZOXFbXFZ8/TXe6AoEj-ZI/AAAAAAAAALA/rCnL5DVGNpE/s1600/redbox.jpg" /></a>Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687796331740810732.post-78862689503623208462011-02-17T20:44:00.000-08:002011-03-23T13:05:52.297-07:00The Journey Begins.........I love film. I always have. I have an emotional connection to cinema far beyond any other art form. And it is not just about what ends up being committed to celluloid. I have always been intrigued by the process from pre to post production and what happens behind the camera. Growing up my heroes were the writers, production designers, cinematographers, sound designers, stunt men, special effects artists and of course the directors. This love has been at times unconditional. My tastes are broad and eclectic, from European Art House films to Bruckheimer Blockbusters. Recently I have felt, to quote the great Jackie Chan, that my focus needs more focus.<br />
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And hence my quest for Crucial Cinema begins. A Big Screen Bucket List of sorts. So where to start? There are no end of lists of critically acclaimed movies.<br />
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There have been many great books on the subject such as Jason Schneider's excellent <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1844036383?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1844036383">1001 Movies To See Before You Die</a>, the wonderful and highly recommended <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1844036049?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1844036049">Defining Moments In Movies</a>, Leonard Maltin's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061732346?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061732346">151 Best Movies You've Never Seen</a> and Roger Ebert's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0740771795?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0740771795">Four Star Reviews (1967-2007)</a>.<br />
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There are the entertainment media's lists such as Yahoo's <a href="http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/100-movies-to-see-before-you-die.html">100 Movies To See Before You Die</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312326114?ie=UTF8&tag=mart02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0312326114">The New York Times Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made</a> or <a href="http://www.timeout.com/london/bestbritishfilms/">Time Out London's 100 Best British Films</a>.<br />
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Then there are the industry lists, usually voted on by a panel of experts including actors, directors, writers and movie insiders. It is on the last category that I plan to start my journey, specifically the American Film Institute's <a href="http://www.afi.com/100years/">100 Years...100 Movies</a> and the British Film Institute's <a href="http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/bfi100/">BFI 100</a>, the anglo-american angle suiting me particularly well.<br />
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To assemble my list I started with the 1998 and 2007 AFI lists. There were a total of 23 movies that were dropped and a new 23 added in 2007 and only 5 movies in common with the BFI list. Combining the 3 gave me a ranked list of 218 Crucial Movies. An before you ask, yes, I do realize that this ignores the great wealth of international and world cinema but I save that for a future voyage, this maiden one will be somewhat biased.<br />
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I won't be setting myself some sensational goal such as watching all 218 in 218 days, or even in one year, as that would defeat my real purpose here which is to see and truly enjoy each of these classics and to document my experience here. I have seen 92 of the 218 films at some point in my life already but I plan to work my way through the entire list in reverse order.<br />
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So wish me luck and a safe trip........<br />
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<i>"</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><i>But our trip was different. It was to be a classic affirmation of everything right and true in the national character. A gross physical salute to the fantastic possibilities of life in this country. But only for those with true grit."</i></span>Martin Listerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18321349893586457547noreply@blogger.com2