list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Vertigo on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Vertigo/36813/default.aspx Title: Vertigo
Year: 1958
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Plot: Dismissed when first released, later heralded as one of director Alfred Hitchcock's finest films (and, according to Hitchcock, his most personal one), this adaptation of the French novel D'entre les morts weaves an intricate web of obsession and deceit. It opens as Scottie Ferguson (James Stewart) realizes he has vertigo, a condition resulting in a fear of heights, when a police officer is killed trying to rescue him from falling off a building. Scottie then retires from his position as a private investigator, only to be lured into another case by his old college friend, Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore). Elster's wife, Madeleine (Kim Novak), has been possessed by a spirit, and Elster wants Scottie to follow her. He hesitantly agrees, and thus begins the film's wordless montage as Scottie follows the beautiful yet enigmatic Madeleine through 1950s San Francisco (accompanied by Bernard Herrmann's hypnotic score). After saving her from suicide, Scottie begins to fall in love with her, and she appears to feel the same way. Here tragedy strikes, and each twist in the movie's second half changes our preconceptions about the characters and events. In 1996 a new print of Vertigo was released, restoring the original grandeur of the colors and the San Francisco backdrop, as well as digitally enhancing the soundtrack. ~ Dylan Wilcox, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 41
Number of Lists: 78
Number of blog posts: 14
Number of discussion threads: 12
SpoutRating: 4
]]>Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:33:37 GMTVertigo1958Alfred HitchcockDismissed when first released, later heralded as one of director <a href="/players/P____94487/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Alfred Hitchcock</a>'s finest films (and, according to Hitchcock, his most personal one), this adaptation of the French novel D'entre les morts weaves an intricate web of obsession and deceit. It opens as Scottie Ferguson (<a href="/players/P____68236/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>James Stewart</a>) realizes he has vertigo, a condition resulting in a fear of heights, when a police officer is killed trying to rescue him from falling off a building. Scottie then retires from his position as a private investigator, only to be lured into another case by his old college friend, Gavin Elster (<a href="/players/P____31640/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Tom Helmore</a>). Elster's wife, Madeleine (<a href="/players/P____53120/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Kim Novak</a>), has been possessed by a spirit, and Elster wants Scottie to follow her. He hesitantly agrees, and thus begins the film's wordless montage as Scottie follows the beautiful yet enigmatic Madeleine through 1950s San Francisco (accompanied by <a href="/players/P____94132/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Bernard Herrmann</a>'s hypnotic score). After saving her from suicide, Scottie begins to fall in love with her, and she appears to feel the same way. Here tragedy strikes, and each twist in the movie's second half changes our preconceptions about the characters and events. In 1996 a new print of Vertigo was released, restoring the original grandeur of the colors and the San Francisco backdrop, as well as digitally enhancing the soundtrack. ~ Dylan Wilcox, All Movie Guide41Tag Target (>10)7814124http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t06129lvu4v.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Vertigo/36813/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/pippin06/archive/2009/8/23/43688.aspx Post By: pippin06
Post To: Reel Thoughts
Post Date: 8/23/2009 9:33:37 PM
Body: What's the AFI Project, you ask? For more information, or if you just enjoy my bemused ramblings, read here:http://www.spout.com/blogs/pippin06/archive/2008/3/1/25756.aspx Vertigo is on the following AFI lists: The Original Top 100 (#61)100 Most Heart-Pounding Movies (#18)100 Years...100 Passions (#18)25 Film Scores (#12)The Revised Top 100 (#9)10 Top 10's (#1 Mystery)I warn you gentle reader: this is going to be a highly unpopular review. Prior to this current incarnation of serious AFI viewing, I had seen Vertigo once before and had determined that this was my least favorite Alfred Hitchcock film to date. I walked into this revisit (instantly on Netflix) with as open a mind as I could muster – and have concluded that I feel the same way about this movie as I did the first time I watched it. This may be troubling to some, as Vertigo is widely considered Hitch’s masterpiece. In fact, the AFI’s re-rank of this film is one of the largest rank jumps on the Revised list (third only to City Lights and The Searchers). As a satisfying story, which is one of my primary biases toward any film I watch, I find Vertigo to be somewhat convenient and trite. Those who love the film make much of the mid-movie reveal that changes the film from an alluring mystery of possibly paranormal proportions to a disturbing psychological thriller of one man’s obsession with a woman that does not exist. The problem is, these reveals happen in such a jarring way, they feel rushed and unsatisfying. The mid-movie reveal, in particular, made me think both times, “Well, that’s convenient.” Hitch repeated this pattern in Psycho, and it was far more satisfying in my eyes and executed in a more seamless two-act fashion than in this first attempt. I’ll get to that in a minute. Vertigo features one of Hitch’s go-to leading actors and one of my favorite actors too. Jimmy Stewart plays John “Scottie” Ferguson, a detective who discovers during an opening cat-and-mouse chase that he has acrophobia (the fear of heights) and a resulting vertigo condition (the accompanying dizziness and lack of balance ensuing from such a fear). The loss of balance and sudden freezing sensation he experiences causes him to be unable to prevent a colleague from falling to his death, and Scottie’s guilt prompts him to retire from the police force. Scottie, however, is contacted by his old college friend Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore), who commissions him to follow his wife Madeline (Kim Novak) to the mysterious places to which she travels. According to Elster, it seems that the ghost of a dead woman, her ancestor, has possessed her, and that this ancestor was prone to madness and ultimately committed suicide at the age of 26, Madeline’s apparent age. Scottie reluctantly takes the job and follows Madeline to various places of interest in 1950s San Francisco according to the habits of her ancestor, but his professional distance is compromised by a growing love uncharacteristic of the otherwise confirmed bachelor after he saves her from a suicide attempt via plummeting into San Francisco Bay at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. As he trails her to what seems an inevitable conclusion, tragedy strikes again, complicated by Scottie’s vertigo, and this tragedy is the catalyst for what becomes something of a whole other movie, challenging the viewer’s notions about the characters up until that point and bringing the Scottie character to a riveting if disturbingly dark place. Ok. Brace for impact. I will try not to spoil this film for those who have not seen it. Vertigo is not a bad film. The story itself is intriguingly original, and even the fact that the story changes direction in a completely 180-degree, harum-scarum, unexpected way makes the film unique, even to Hitchcock’s filmography, since Psycho does not necessarily change direction as much as jump to a parallel track and progress from that jump. My trouble with Vertigo is that this twist arises from a convenient plot device that seems almost too convenient for anything ever offered in a Hitchcock film. Spoiler: The viewer barely has time to process the fact that Scottie is starting to see visions of Madeline in another woman again, and that his obsession is spurring him to ask questions, before this other woman offers a bit of plot exposition while writing something of a Dear John letter that she never sends to him that suddenly explains her appearance in the film to begin with. This is the kind of plot device that I, personally, would expect from another film director, a lesser film director, and I, literally, sat watching the film and said, “Seriously?” Now, the second half of the film, the psychological and emotional-thriller half of the piece is probably less interesting than the first half. The mysterious dead-woman possession portion presents a puzzle that almost cries out to be solved, and this first half holds the viewer’s attention, particularly mine, enrapt. In fact, this mystery hits a strident chord when the mid-film tragedy strikes, because there is a palpable fear that the mystery will not find resolution, which is why the trite addition of the mid-film explanation feels so anticlimactic and, frankly, disappointing. The psychological thriller portion of the film lacks the mystery of the first portion; the primary appeal of this portion is that Stewart is playing a character against type, as his obsession descends into disturbing dimensions and, eventually, something like the madness in which he thought Madeline found herself in the first half of the film. This new direction, and the new information, may turn the viewer’s preconceptions about the characters on their heels, but, again, the resolve of these twists and turns is an ending that feels too pat, too convenient, and offers seemingly no satisfaction for the Scottie character, even as he is struggling toward redemption and the assuaging of his guilt. These are my feelings, and I can’t help feeling them. I also know that I’m not alone in this view of Vertigo – there are better executed twists in many of Hitch’s films, including in North By Northwest and in Psycho – and so, therefore, I struggle with the AFI’s re-ranking and the wide critical acclaim that this film seems to inspire. To be fair, I watch films as less of an intellectual film student than as a pure, plebian film fanatic, and if I don’t like something about a film, regardless of any high-minded reason for the something, it’s going to detract from my overall enjoyment of the film. What’s great about Vertigo, though, is the fact that Stewart does get to stretch his otherwise tried and true acting chops through a character that becomes wholly dislikable and creepy. That novelty alone makes Vertigo worth the watch. In addition, this may be one of Bernard Hermann’s best scores. North By Northwest’s score is more fun to play on a violin, but the overall illustrative technique of the Vertigo score is unmatched. This score I feel should be ranked above the score for Psycho, but then again, what do I know? I’m not a member of the American Film Institute. I’m also not overly fond of Kim Novak, but this is a minor point. It’s probably the twists and turns of her character that prevent the viewer (or me) from truly subscribing to her performance, because it’s not a character designed to foster a connection to the viewer. She’s meant to be an enigma from start to finish, and I would guess that she played the part as good as any, though I wonder how an actress of the caliber of Ingrid Bergman might have handled the part in her stead. Ingrid was probably too old by the release of this film, and, of course, fans of film and/or Hitchcock will never know. In the end, though, I have very mixed feelings about Vertigo, and I’m sure many a Spouter will cry foul. Whatever. I’ve given Vertigo two attempts, and I still like most of the other Hitchcock films I’ve seen over this one for exactly the reasons I’ve stated. As a storyteller who also appreciates the art of storytelling, I find more than minor flaws with the telling of this particular story; they’re forgivable in light of the originality of the piece but are ultimately unsatisfying in the end, and that’s where the ultimate disappointment lies. After considering these points and trying to be fair with the ranking, I’ve landed on a 7 for Vertigo, representing shaky but entertaining – although, even entertaining is a relative term. Vertigo is a long and slow movie, but it is consistently long and slow, and the first portion of the film, the unusual mystery of Madeline, is the film’s hook, line, and sinker. As to the test, Vertigo does not pass. I do not plan to own Hitchcock’s entire collection, only the films I enjoy the most, and frankly, this film does not qualify. I invite anyone else interested in Hitchcock and this film not to overlook it, though. The disagreement about Vertigo is not new, since many critics did not like it upon release either, and each new viewer should formulate his or her own opinion for him or herself, rather than base any potential opinions on the judgments of amateurs like me J.
]]>Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:33:37 GMTpippin06Reel Thoughts8/23/2009 9:33:37 PM What's the AFI Project, you ask? For more information, or if you just enjoy my bemused ramblings, read here:http://www.spout.com/blogs/pippin06/archive/2008/3/1/25756.aspx Vertigo is on the following AFI lists: The Original Top 100 (#61)100 Most Heart-Pounding Movies (#18)100 Years...100 Passions (#18)25 Film Scores (#12)The Revised Top 100 (#9)10 Top 10's (#1 Mystery)I warn you gentle reader: this is going to be a highly unpopular review. Prior to this current incarnation of serious AFI viewing, I had seen Vertigo once before and had determined that this was my least favorite Alfred Hitchcock film to date. I walked into this revisit (instantly on Netflix) with as open a mind as I could muster &ndash; and have concluded that I feel the same way about this movie as I did the first time I watched it. This may be troubling to some, as Vertigo is widely considered Hitch&rsquo;s masterpiece. In fact, the AFI&rsquo;s re-rank of this film is one of the largest rank jumps on the Revised list (third only to City Lights and The Searchers). As a satisfying story, which is one of my primary biases toward any film I watch, I find Vertigo to be somewhat convenient and trite. Those who love the film make much of the mid-movie reveal that changes the film from an alluring mystery of possibly paranormal proportions to a disturbing psychological thriller of one man&rsquo;s obsession with a woman that does not exist. The problem is, these reveals happen in such a jarring way, they feel rushed and unsatisfying. The mid-movie reveal, in particular, made me think both times, &ldquo;Well, that&rsquo;s convenient.&rdquo; Hitch repeated this pattern in Psycho, and it was far more satisfying in my eyes and executed in a more seamless two-act fashion than in this first attempt. I&rsquo;ll get to that in a minute. Vertigo features one of Hitch&rsquo;s go-to leading actors and one of my favorite actors too. Jimmy Stewart plays John &ldquo;Scottie&rdquo; Ferguson, a detective who discovers during an opening cat-and-mouse chase that he has acrophobia (the fear of heights) and a resulting vertigo condition (the accompanying dizziness and lack of balance ensuing from such a fear). The loss of balance and sudden freezing sensation he experiences causes him to be unable to prevent a colleague from falling to his death, and Scottie&rsquo;s guilt prompts him to retire from the police force. Scottie, however, is contacted by his old college friend Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore), who commissions him to follow his wife Madeline (Kim Novak) to the mysterious places to which she travels. According to Elster, it seems that the ghost of a dead woman, her ancestor, has possessed her, and that this ancestor was prone to madness and ultimately committed suicide at the age of 26, Madeline&rsquo;s apparent age. Scottie reluctantly takes the job and follows Madeline to various places of interest in 1950s San Francisco according to the habits of her ancestor, but his professional distance is compromised by a growing love uncharacteristic of the otherwise confirmed bachelor after he saves her from a suicide attempt via plummeting into San Francisco Bay at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. As he trails her to what seems an inevitable conclusion, tragedy strikes again, complicated by Scottie&rsquo;s vertigo, and this tragedy is the catalyst for what becomes something of a whole other movie, challenging the viewer&rsquo;s notions about the characters up until that point and bringing the Scottie character to a riveting if disturbingly dark place. Ok. Brace for impact. I will try not to spoil this film for those who have not seen it. Vertigo is not a bad film. The story itself is intriguingly original, and even the fact that the story changes direction in a completely 180-degree, harum-scarum, unexpected way makes the film unique, even to Hitchcock&rsquo;s filmography, since Psycho does not necessarily change direction as much as jump to a parallel track and progress from that jump. My trouble with Vertigo is that this twist arises from a convenient plot device that seems almost too convenient for anything ever offered in a Hitchcock film. Spoiler: The viewer barely has time to process the fact that Scottie is starting to see visions of Madeline in another woman again, and that his obsession is spurring him to ask questions, before this other woman offers a bit of plot exposition while writing something of a Dear John letter that she never sends to him that suddenly explains her appearance in the film to begin with. This is the kind of plot device that I, personally, would expect from another film director, a lesser film director, and I, literally, sat watching the film and said, &ldquo;Seriously?&rdquo; Now, the second half of the film, the psychological and emotional-thriller half of the piece is probably less interesting than the first half. The mysterious dead-woman possession portion presents a puzzle that almost cries out to be solved, and this first half holds the viewer&rsquo;s attention, particularly mine, enrapt. In fact, this mystery hits a strident chord when the mid-film tragedy strikes, because there is a palpable fear that the mystery will not find resolution, which is why the trite addition of the mid-film explanation feels so anticlimactic and, frankly, disappointing. The psychological thriller portion of the film lacks the mystery of the first portion; the primary appeal of this portion is that Stewart is playing a character against type, as his obsession descends into disturbing dimensions and, eventually, something like the madness in which he thought Madeline found herself in the first half of the film. This new direction, and the new information, may turn the viewer&rsquo;s preconceptions about the characters on their heels, but, again, the resolve of these twists and turns is an ending that feels too pat, too convenient, and offers seemingly no satisfaction for the Scottie character, even as he is struggling toward redemption and the assuaging of his guilt. These are my feelings, and I can&rsquo;t help feeling them. I also know that I&rsquo;m not alone in this view of Vertigo &ndash; there are better executed twists in many of Hitch&rsquo;s films, including in North By Northwest and in Psycho &ndash; and so, therefore, I struggle with the AFI&rsquo;s re-ranking and the wide critical acclaim that this film seems to inspire. To be fair, I watch films as less of an intellectual film student than as a pure, plebian film fanatic, and if I don&rsquo;t like something about a film, regardless of any high-minded reason for the something, it&rsquo;s going to detract from my overall enjoyment of the film. What&rsquo;s great about Vertigo, though, is the fact that Stewart does get to stretch his otherwise tried and true acting chops through a character that becomes wholly dislikable and creepy. That novelty alone makes Vertigo worth the watch. In addition, this may be one of Bernard Hermann&rsquo;s best scores. North By Northwest&rsquo;s score is more fun to play on a violin, but the overall illustrative technique of the Vertigo score is unmatched. This score I feel should be ranked above the score for Psycho, but then again, what do I know? I&rsquo;m not a member of the American Film Institute. I&rsquo;m also not overly fond of Kim Novak, but this is a minor point. It&rsquo;s probably the twists and turns of her character that prevent the viewer (or me) from truly subscribing to her performance, because it&rsquo;s not a character designed to foster a connection to the viewer. She&rsquo;s meant to be an enigma from start to finish, and I would guess that she played the part as good as any, though I wonder how an actress of the caliber of Ingrid Bergman might have handled the part in her stead. Ingrid was probably too old by the release of this film, and, of course, fans of film and/or Hitchcock will never know. In the end, though, I have very mixed feelings about Vertigo, and I&rsquo;m sure many a Spouter will cry foul. Whatever. I&rsquo;ve given Vertigo two attempts, and I still like most of the other Hitchcock films I&rsquo;ve seen over this one for exactly the reasons I&rsquo;ve stated. As a storyteller who also appreciates the art of storytelling, I find more than minor flaws with the telling of this particular story; they&rsquo;re forgivable in light of the originality of the piece but are ultimately unsatisfying in the end, and that&rsquo;s where the ultimate disappointment lies. After considering these points and trying to be fair with the ranking, I&rsquo;ve landed on a 7 for Vertigo, representing shaky but entertaining &ndash; although, even entertaining is a relative term. Vertigo is a long and slow movie, but it is consistently long and slow, and the first portion of the film, the unusual mystery of Madeline, is the film&rsquo;s hook, line, and sinker. As to the test, Vertigo does not pass. I do not plan to own Hitchcock&rsquo;s entire collection, only the films I enjoy the most, and frankly, this film does not qualify. I invite anyone else interested in Hitchcock and this film not to overlook it, though. The disagreement about Vertigo is not new, since many critics did not like it upon release either, and each new viewer should formulate his or her own opinion for him or herself, rather than base any potential opinions on the judgments of amateurs like me J. http://www.spout.com/blogs/leeroy711/archive/2009/6/29/42849.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: leeroy711 Blog
Post Date: 6/29/2009 3:33:51 PM
Body: I’m writing this to take a moment and reflect on my past 6 months in film viewing. At the beginning of the year, I set a goal of watching 200 films I haven’t previously seen in 2009. Today, I am relieved to report that with the 6th month of the year ending, I have just finished watching my 100th film. I decided to create a list of the films I’ve seen so I could better keep track of them. Also, because this is an attempt to expand my film knowledge as a whole, I like to be able to sort them by release year, my rating, and the country the originated. This way I can more clearly see any gaping holes in my choices of films. So with all of that in mind, let’s take a look. The oldest film I’ve seen this year was 1947’s Out of the Past. I have to say, I’m kind of disappointed in myself. I think I generally gravitate towards older films but to see that this is the oldest I’ve seen this year is somewhat shocking. I've only seen 2 films from the 40s this year. By Decade:1940s - 2 films 1950s - 10 films 1960s - 12 films 1970s - 12 films 1980s - 7 films 1990s - 1 film 2000s - 56 films So, as you can see, over half of the movies I've watched this year have been released in the within the past 9 years. I would chalk some of that up to availability plus a general attempt to stay current and up to date. I did find it pretty odd that I have only seen one film this year from the 90s. (To Live 1994) I grew up in the 90s, I fell in love with film in the 90s. Maybe that well is simply drying up. So in summary, the rest of my year needs to include more films from the 40s and prior and a few more from the 90s. By Country: Australia - 1 film Belgium - 1 film China - 3 films Czechoslovakia - 1 film France - 4 films Germany - 1 film Italy - 4 films Japan - 11 films Mexico - 2 films Romania - 1 film South Korea - 3 films Spain - 3 film Sweden - 1 film United Kingdom - 3 films United States - 61 films. Okay, so again it seems that the majority of films I've seen are some of the most readily available (domestic). Interestingly also, the 11 Japanese films I've seen this year are from only 3 directors (Miike, Suzuki and Kurosawa) 6 of the 11 are Seijun Suzuki movies. I love his films and I'm not going to stop watching them. I discovered Argentinian filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowski films this year (Mexico), thanks to Mycomplex. The Holy Mountain was good but I loved El Topo. Of the 4 Italian films I watched, 3 were from Federico Fellini (La Dolce Vita, Amarcord and La Strada) My favorite of the 3 and of all Fellini films is now La Strada. I watched the other 2 films in Park Chan-Wook's vengeance trilogy and I actually think Lady Vengeance may be the best of the 3. Last year, I devoted much more time to European film without much of an affinity for Asian cinema. This has changed this year. I am much more interested in Korean films lately. I think it just took me a little while to assimilate myself to thier style. I have also been able to scratch a few films off my "Classics I have no excuse for not having seen" list. I am now very happy to report that I have seen and enjoyed Vertigo, Sunset Boulevard and 12 Angry Men. Wow, that's embarrassing. Especially with the 12 Angry Men, but let me explain.... (excuse alert) I was always pretty convinced I would love this film. But when I am already that familiar with an iconic film that I've never actually seen, it takes a lot to want to actually put it on and sit through it. That being said, upon finally watching it, I immediately felt pretty stupid for letting such an incredible film slip by for that long. Notable 5: I'm going to conclude this post with a list of 5 films that I probably had the best time with so far this year. 1. La Strada - This is my most recent viewing. I've liked other Fellini films but none of his had such an enjoyable character as Gelsomina. I think she gave this film an entry point that I haven't previously experienced with his films. 2. Synecdoche, New York - I can't really describe how much I loved this film. It hit all the right notes for me and I probably only understood about half of it the first time. Monty (Mycomplex) told me that Charlie Kaufman may be the best American screenwriter alive today and I would have to second that. I would add that as much as I loved his work portrayed by Jonze and Gondry, I think this is his best film. He never over-exaggerated the outrageous things that happen, he just let them play out. Never even asking you if you were on board. 3. Let The Right One In - You know, the teenage vampire movie.... No, not that one, the good one. I don't have a lot to say about this one. It really is as good as you've heard. If you haven't yet, watch it. 4. Detective Bureau 2-3: Go Hell Bastards - By far, the best title of a movie I've seen in a long time. This is one of Seijun Suzuki's lesser known movies and I had one hell of a good time with it. If you liked Branded to Kill or Tokyo Drifter, this is a great watch along those same lines. 5. Lady Vengeance - As I said before, this is probably my favorite of the Vengeance Trilogy. It was just as aesthetically brilliant as Oldboy but I think it's 3rd act gave this film the heart that was missing in the previous 2. Well, that should just about do it. I now have just about 186 days to watch another 100 films. In case your not to good with the numbers, that works out to an average of 1 film every 1.86 days. I'm not sure how I'm gonna do it but it shall be done. Recommendations are more than welcome...... Peace & Love Emery.
]]>Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:33:51 GMTleeroy711leeroy711 Blog6/29/2009 3:33:51 PM I&rsquo;m writing this to take a moment and reflect on my past 6 months in film viewing. At the beginning of the year, I set a goal of watching 200 films I haven&rsquo;t previously seen in 2009. Today, I am relieved to report that with the 6th month of the year ending, I have just finished watching my 100th film. I decided to create a list of the films I&rsquo;ve seen so I could better keep track of them. Also, because this is an attempt to expand my film knowledge as a whole, I like to be able to sort them by release year, my rating, and the country the originated. This way I can more clearly see any gaping holes in my choices of films. So with all of that in mind, let&rsquo;s take a look. The oldest film I&rsquo;ve seen this year was 1947&rsquo;s Out of the Past. I have to say, I&rsquo;m kind of disappointed in myself. I think I generally gravitate towards older films but to see that this is the oldest I&rsquo;ve seen this year is somewhat shocking. I've only seen 2 films from the 40s this year. By Decade:1940s - 2 films 1950s - 10 films 1960s - 12 films 1970s - 12 films 1980s - 7 films 1990s - 1 film 2000s - 56 films So, as you can see, over half of the movies I've watched this year have been released in the within the past 9 years. I would chalk some of that up to availability plus a general attempt to stay current and up to date. I did find it pretty odd that I have only seen one film this year from the 90s. (To Live 1994) I grew up in the 90s, I fell in love with film in the 90s. Maybe that well is simply drying up. So in summary, the rest of my year needs to include more films from the 40s and prior and a few more from the 90s. By Country: Australia - 1 film Belgium - 1 film China - 3 films Czechoslovakia - 1 film France - 4 films Germany - 1 film Italy - 4 films Japan - 11 films Mexico - 2 films Romania - 1 film South Korea - 3 films Spain - 3 film Sweden - 1 film United Kingdom - 3 films United States - 61 films. Okay, so again it seems that the majority of films I've seen are some of the most readily available (domestic). Interestingly also, the 11 Japanese films I've seen this year are from only 3 directors (Miike, Suzuki and Kurosawa) 6 of the 11 are Seijun Suzuki movies. I love his films and I'm not going to stop watching them. I discovered Argentinian filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowski films this year (Mexico), thanks to Mycomplex. The Holy Mountain was good but I loved El Topo. Of the 4 Italian films I watched, 3 were from Federico Fellini (La Dolce Vita, Amarcord and La Strada) My favorite of the 3 and of all Fellini films is now La Strada. I watched the other 2 films in Park Chan-Wook's vengeance trilogy and I actually think Lady Vengeance may be the best of the 3. Last year, I devoted much more time to European film without much of an affinity for Asian cinema. This has changed this year. I am much more interested in Korean films lately. I think it just took me a little while to assimilate myself to thier style. I have also been able to scratch a few films off my "Classics I have no excuse for not having seen" list. I am now very happy to report that I have seen and enjoyed Vertigo, Sunset Boulevard and 12 Angry Men. Wow, that's embarrassing. Especially with the 12 Angry Men, but let me explain.... (excuse alert) I was always pretty convinced I would love this film. But when I am already that familiar with an iconic film that I've never actually seen, it takes a lot to want to actually put it on and sit through it. That being said, upon finally watching it, I immediately felt pretty stupid for letting such an incredible film slip by for that long. Notable 5: I'm going to conclude this post with a list of 5 films that I probably had the best time with so far this year. 1. La Strada - This is my most recent viewing. I've liked other Fellini films but none of his had such an enjoyable character as Gelsomina. I think she gave this film an entry point that I haven't previously experienced with his films. 2. Synecdoche, New York - I can't really describe how much I loved this film. It hit all the right notes for me and I probably only understood about half of it the first time. Monty (Mycomplex) told me that Charlie Kaufman may be the best American screenwriter alive today and I would have to second that. I would add that as much as I loved his work portrayed by Jonze and Gondry, I think this is his best film. He never over-exaggerated the outrageous things that happen, he just let them play out. Never even asking you if you were on board. 3. Let The Right One In - You know, the teenage vampire movie.... No, not that one, the good one. I don't have a lot to say about this one. It really is as good as you've heard. If you haven't yet, watch it. 4. Detective Bureau 2-3: Go Hell Bastards - By far, the best title of a movie I've seen in a long time. This is one of Seijun Suzuki's lesser known movies and I had one hell of a good time with it. If you liked Branded to Kill or Tokyo Drifter, this is a great watch along those same lines. 5. Lady Vengeance - As I said before, this is probably my favorite of the Vengeance Trilogy. It was just as aesthetically brilliant as Oldboy but I think it's 3rd act gave this film the heart that was missing in the previous 2. Well, that should just about do it. I now have just about 186 days to watch another 100 films. In case your not to good with the numbers, that works out to an average of 1 film every 1.86 days. I'm not sure how I'm gonna do it but it shall be done. Recommendations are more than welcome...... Peace &amp; Love Emery. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_May_4_Express_Yourself/625/42047/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 5/5/2009 7:01:50 PM
Body: [quote user="mercurial"] M is probably the film that stands out as one of the great Expressionist films made. It's such a creative, thrilling film; something which surprised me when I first saw it years ago as I hadn't seen too many films pre-1950 and those that I had I couldn't really get a feeling for. Hitchcock utilized Expressionist techniques in pretty much all of his films: Psycho and Vertigo being my favorite. Aside from Batman and Batman Returns, which I LOVE, Dark City is another recent film that tried to recapture the overall feeling of an authentic German Expressionist film. [/quote] Yes yes! M is probably in my top 5 all time favorite films. I had never really thought about Hitchcock as an expressionist but now that you mention it, the house on the top of the hill in Psycho is absolutely a great example... Scary huh?! Dark City is the one I was hoping someone would mention. This is another one of my favorite films and its kind of a throwback to Metropolis. I haven't gotten a chance to see the director's cut yet but I'm looking forward to it. I don't listen to a lot of audio commentaries but on the disc that I had, Roger Ebert provides a commentary that is incredible. He goes into the artwork of the set and costume a lot in relationship to German Expressionism and specifically its similarities to Metropolis. Also, Alex Proyas' earlier film The Crow was heavily steeped in this week's theme.
]]>Tue, 05 May 2009 23:01:50 GMTleeroy711Weekly Theme5/5/2009 7:01:50 PM[quote user="mercurial"] M is probably the film that stands out as one of the great Expressionist films made. It's such a creative, thrilling film; something which surprised me when I first saw it years ago as I hadn't seen too many films pre-1950 and those that I had I couldn't really get a feeling for. Hitchcock utilized Expressionist techniques in pretty much all of his films: Psycho and Vertigo being my favorite. Aside from Batman and Batman Returns, which I LOVE, Dark City is another recent film that tried to recapture the overall feeling of an authentic German Expressionist film. [/quote] Yes yes! M is probably in my top 5 all time favorite films. I had never really thought about Hitchcock as an expressionist but now that you mention it, the house on the top of the hill in Psycho is absolutely a great example... Scary huh?! Dark City is the one I was hoping someone would mention. This is another one of my favorite films and its kind of a throwback to Metropolis. I haven't gotten a chance to see the director's cut yet but I'm looking forward to it. I don't listen to a lot of audio commentaries but on the disc that I had, Roger Ebert provides a commentary that is incredible. He goes into the artwork of the set and costume a lot in relationship to German Expressionism and specifically its similarities to Metropolis. Also, Alex Proyas' earlier film The Crow was heavily steeped in this week's theme. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_May_4_Express_Yourself/625/42043/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 5/5/2009 4:33:09 PM
Body: M is probably the film that stands out as one of the great Expressionist films made. It's such a creative, thrilling film; something which surprised me when I first saw it years ago as I hadn't seen too many films pre-1950 and those that I had I couldn't really get a feeling for. Some of the noir films that I have loved and which embrace a certain amount of Expressionistic ideas are The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon, Gilda and Sunset Boulevard. Hitchcock utilized Expressionist techniques in pretty much all of his films: Psycho and Vertigo being my favorite. Aside from Batman and Batman Returns, which I LOVE, Dark City is another recent film that tried to recapture the overall feeling of an authentic German Expressionist film. Saving the best for last: Nosferatu. I just can't get enough of this movie and it gives me the willies every time I watch it. As I'm sure everyone who watches it describes it, it is hauntingly beautiful. Like M, the filmmaker combined such startling techniques with an interesting story and their power has not diminished in the decades since their initial release.
]]>Tue, 05 May 2009 20:33:09 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme5/5/2009 4:33:09 PMM is probably the film that stands out as one of the great Expressionist films made. It's such a creative, thrilling film; something which surprised me when I first saw it years ago as I hadn't seen too many films pre-1950 and those that I had I couldn't really get a feeling for. Some of the noir films that I have loved and which embrace a certain amount of Expressionistic ideas are The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon, Gilda and Sunset Boulevard. Hitchcock utilized Expressionist techniques in pretty much all of his films: Psycho and Vertigo being my favorite. Aside from Batman and Batman Returns, which I LOVE, Dark City is another recent film that tried to recapture the overall feeling of an authentic German Expressionist film. Saving the best for last: Nosferatu. I just can't get enough of this movie and it gives me the willies every time I watch it. As I'm sure everyone who watches it describes it, it is hauntingly beautiful. Like M, the filmmaker combined such startling techniques with an interesting story and their power has not diminished in the decades since their initial release. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/8/30/34564.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 8/30/2008 8:00:26 PM
Body: Jeff Goldblum is at Telluride to promote his new film, Adam Resurrected, directed by Paul Schrader. The film follows the story of a Holocaust survivor who also happens to be a clown. Committed to an asylum after the war, he becomes a ring leader of sorts. On the opening day of the festival Goldblum was graciously hugging young fans and striking odd poses for snap-shots. We got a chance to ask him about his media intake, which includes a substantial amount homework from Schrader. Spout: What movies have you seen and enjoyed lately? Jeff Goldbloom: I’ve gone to the movies theaters recently and saw two movies I really enjoyed. The Woody Allen movie, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, I had a very very good time at that, loved that. Then I saw this documentary called Man on Wire. It’s really, really good, I enjoyed that to no end. Spout: Have you been watching anything lately on television that has compelled you? Goldbloom: The Democratic Convention. Spout: Yes, I see your Obama t-shirt there, that was pretty good stuff. What about on the internet, in terms of reading or watching any video online? Goldbloom: Hhhmm, haven’t seen much of that recently, that I can say. Spout: If you were on a desert island, and you had five pieces of media, they could be books, they could even be websites, they could be movies, to entertain you until your death, and you are all alone, what would you bring with you? Goldbloom: Oh God, very difficult. I’m reading now Talks With Ramana Maharshi, I guess I’d bring that. I like… let me see… let me see… oooooh… oooooh… Spout: What about a movie, a favorite all-time film that you will never get sick of? Goldbloom: How about Rosemary’s Baby, or Being There. I like those movies Paul Schrader suggested I see before we made Adam Resurrected: Rules of the Game, Tokyo Story, l’Eclisse by Antonioni, Masculin Féminin by Godard, Vertigo, his favorite Hitchcock, Ali: Fear Eats the Soul… Spout: That is a great movie, we (FilmCouch) discovered that about a year ago, I don’t know how Paul found it, but it’s incredible. Goldbloom: Yeah, it’s really something. Seven Men from Now, Budd Boetticher, he puts that on his recommended list. Spout: That’s a great list, thanks for your time. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:00:26 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com8/30/2008 8:00:26 PM Jeff Goldblum is at Telluride to promote his new film, Adam Resurrected, directed by Paul Schrader. The film follows the story of a Holocaust survivor who also happens to be a clown. Committed to an asylum after the war, he becomes a ring leader of sorts. On the opening day of the festival Goldblum was graciously hugging young fans and striking odd poses for snap-shots. We got a chance to ask him about his media intake, which includes a substantial amount homework from Schrader. Spout: What movies have you seen and enjoyed lately? Jeff Goldbloom: I’ve gone to the movies theaters recently and saw two movies I really enjoyed. The Woody Allen movie, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, I had a very very good time at that, loved that. Then I saw this documentary called Man on Wire. It’s really, really good, I enjoyed that to no end. Spout: Have you been watching anything lately on television that has compelled you? Goldbloom: The Democratic Convention. Spout: Yes, I see your Obama t-shirt there, that was pretty good stuff. What about on the internet, in terms of reading or watching any video online? Goldbloom: Hhhmm, haven’t seen much of that recently, that I can say. Spout: If you were on a desert island, and you had five pieces of media, they could be books, they could even be websites, they could be movies, to entertain you until your death, and you are all alone, what would you bring with you? Goldbloom: Oh God, very difficult. I’m reading now Talks With Ramana Maharshi, I guess I’d bring that. I like… let me see… let me see… oooooh… oooooh… Spout: What about a movie, a favorite all-time film that you will never get sick of? Goldbloom: How about Rosemary’s Baby, or Being There. I like those movies Paul Schrader suggested I see before we made Adam Resurrected: Rules of the Game, Tokyo Story, l’Eclisse by Antonioni, Masculin Féminin by Godard, Vertigo, his favorite Hitchcock, Ali: Fear Eats the Soul… Spout: That is a great movie, we (FilmCouch) discovered that about a year ago, I don’t know how Paul found it, but it’s incredible. Goldbloom: Yeah, it’s really something. Seven Men from Now, Budd Boetticher, he puts that on his recommended list. Spout: That’s a great list, thanks for your time. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Re_A_new_pack_of_RESERVOIR_DOGS_1992/563/32750/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: theunemployedshortstop
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 7/18/2008 9:44:33 PM
Body: The Epic Tale of "The Wolves of Gomorrah Gorge." The Conceit: Due to a trans-dimensional rift caused by the AWESOMENESS of the Inglorious Bastards screenplay Quentin Tarantino is able to jump into a dimension where the world is perpetually in the early fifties. The impish auteur (also great collaborator) is eager to see what some of his favorite directors and writers would do with his material. He gives a vague outline of Reservoir Dogs to Carl Foreman. Bitter over the HUAC hearings of 1947, Forman takes the idea of the mole cop and turns it into a commentary on witch hunting (like the Crucible set in the American West… with action and no weeping, whining, or three hour yawn-fest… just kidding). Production: The studio loved the concept and saw Anthony Mann as the director. His surprising presentation of the morally grey double agents in T – Men and his success as a visual director of both noir and westerns would yield a fantastic visual motif. Foreman set the film in an abandoned camp… rumored to have once been a lush valley, the area is now a barren gorge of salt (Hence Gomorrah Gorge though the studio would want to back off of this title… hence the title of Guthrie's song). Mann shot the film in the Colombia River Gorge and the surrounding desert like region of Eastern Washington. It was more visually arresting than the Rocky Mountain back drop of The Naked Spur. Rewrites: Leigh Brackett (script doctor supreme: The Big Sleep, Rio Bravo, The Empire Strikes Back) is hired to tone down the political commentary and add some sex appeal. Miss Brackett split the role of Nice Guy Eddy (now Cow Puncher Bob) into two roles: Two siblings competing for their father's approval (much like Duel in the Sun) Cow Puncher Bob, a slick but incompetent rustler, and Grifter Gurdy, modeled after Lauren Bacall's con women / gambler characters from To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep. The love triangle between Cub, Timber Wolf, and Grifter Gurdy pleased the studio (however they were angered when they saw Anthony Mann's finished product because of the homosexual overtones that Clift brought out in the mentor relationship between Cub and Timber Wolf). Casting: Gary Cooper as Mr. White/ Timber Wolf: Cooper's leadership and bravery in taking a role that John Wayne thought was un-American is stellar, comparable only to his work on High Noon. Cooper's earnest desire to save the dying "Cub" is palpable. And his seeming asexuality highlights Clift's subversive performance. Montgomery Clift as Mr. Orange / Cub: Mann chose Clift because of the actor's work in Red River. His youth and energy light up as the conflicted double agent. And the women love him in those chaps (this is why the studio eventually shelved the film, which was never to see the light of day) Jack Palance as Mr. Blonde / Coyote: Actor Alan Ladd happened to see the dailies of The Wolves of Gomorrah Gorge before the studio locked them away. The star was so impressed by Palance's cool contained rage that he forced Shane director George Stevens to put Palance on the short list for the role of Jack Wilson. The rest, as they say, is history Denis O'Keefe / Loren Bacall as Nice Guy Eddy / Cow Puncher Bob / Grifter Gurdy: O'Keefe's star had fallen a bit after poor reviews of Mann's Raw Deal. Mann liked to see the suave actor portray slick con men (part of his role in T – Men) so he snuck him into the film despite argument from the studio. Bacall was obvious due to Brackett's revisions, however Jennifer Jones was considered until Mann saw and disliked her in King Vidor's Duel in the Sun. Dean Martin as Mr. Pink / Skunk: Martin was originally offered the role of Coyote. Mann thought his cool domineer would create great contrast between the perception of the character and his violent actions. Dean Martin's record label was afraid that their star was being derogatively stereotyped… an Italian in the role of an evil thief, gangster and ear removing murderer (though Frank thought it would be o.k.). Dino opted to go with the drunken comic relief instead. The scene during the second act brake where he belts out "The Ballad of the Scavengers of Dry Gorge" to the nervous thieves pined down in the gorge by the Cavalry (eerily similar to a scene in Rio Bravo) is something I wish all could see. In the time line of the story this is where Coyote removes the young deputy's ear… off camera and covered in vague dialog. Jimmy Stewart as Joe Cabot. As always the elder statesmen Stewart gave his all in a both commanding and haunting performance as the ring leader of the train robbery gang (this would be the beginning of the psychologically conflicted, obsessive characters Stewart would be remembered for: Vertigo and The Naked Spur). Only Jimmy Stewart could corral these wild wolves. Though on the set for just a few days this cameo would prove to form a lasting friendship and yield much collaboration between Mann and Stewart. Ralph Meeker as Mr. Brown / Hyena: Ah crazy Ralph Meeker. I think if you watch Kiss Me Deadly or The Naked Spur you can see why he would be fantastic spouting off long, near incoherent, hyper macho dialog trying to get approval from the other thieves. He's a forgotten American treasure (And from MPLS!!! Walter Brennen as Mr. Blue / Grey Wolf: It's hard to imagine a western with out Walter Brennen playing the old coot that tells the hero they are full of it. In this film he is taunting poor Dean Martin for his alcohol problems: Joe Cabot (Jimmy Stewart): And you're Skunk. Skunk (Dean Martin): AH… now that ain't even a Wolf, Joe?! Grey Wolf (Walter Brennen): Ye don't gits ta be no Wolf cas' ya stink ta' high heaven boy. (High pitch HEYUCK sound… repeat). Meebe if ya lay of that HOOCH ya could be a wolf. Right now yas just a smelly varmint (continues laughing). Skunk (Dean Martin): Ah cram it old timer! (Skunk shoots at Grey Wolf and misses). Joe Cabot (Jimmy Stewart): Knock it off you two! Now (stutter) Now where was I… oh yeah the train. Alfred Ryder as Young Cop who gets his ear cut off (Deputy who gets his ear cut off… off camera [revealed in illusive dialog]): Alfred Ryder played the other undercover agent in Anthony Mann's T – Men. His character is found out and killed by the gangsters he is trying to infiltrate. His ability to show both competence as an agent for the government and fear as a mortal in trouble is HAUNTING. Ward Bond as Holdaway (Mr. Orange's Undercover training officer) (Sheriff Holdaway): Much like Walter Brennen, it's not a great western unless you've got Ward Bond (high school football team mate of John Wayne, famous for his roles in many of Wayne's films such as the Calvary Captain/ Reverend Samuel Johnston Clayton in The Searchers). Carl Foreman envisioned this part as a Fortinbras like character that the thieves would talk about but would only appear on screen a few times to create suspense. Sheriff Holdaway leads the posse that traps the bandits in Gomorrah Gorge, which forces Cub, Timber Wolf, and Grifter Gurdy to play their final hands. Hank Worden as Bumbling Train Operator: Foreman didn't go for the flash back structure of Tarantino's outline. His story is much more linear, leaving Cub's allegiance a mystery. He replaces the drawn out training sequence in Reservoir Dogs with the train heist that Tarantino was too cleaver to bother with. It was played for both laughs and action. Most of the laughs came from Hank Worden who some of you will remember as Mose Harper in The Searchers ("thank you… thaaank you kindly"), but more of you will remember as senior drool cup (ancient room service guy) in Twin Peaks ("thank you… thaaank you kindly"). That's it. Thanks for reading all of this non-sense.
]]>Sat, 19 Jul 2008 01:44:33 GMTtheunemployedshortstopFilmgaming7/18/2008 9:44:33 PMThe Epic Tale of "The Wolves of Gomorrah Gorge." The Conceit: Due to a trans-dimensional rift caused by the AWESOMENESS of the Inglorious Bastards screenplay Quentin Tarantino is able to jump into a dimension where the world is perpetually in the early fifties. The impish auteur (also great collaborator) is eager to see what some of his favorite directors and writers would do with his material. He gives a vague outline of Reservoir Dogs to Carl Foreman. Bitter over the HUAC hearings of 1947, Forman takes the idea of the mole cop and turns it into a commentary on witch hunting (like the Crucible set in the American West&hellip; with action and no weeping, whining, or three hour yawn-fest&hellip; just kidding). Production: The studio loved the concept and saw Anthony Mann as the director. His surprising presentation of the morally grey double agents in T &ndash; Men and his success as a visual director of both noir and westerns would yield a fantastic visual motif. Foreman set the film in an abandoned camp&hellip; rumored to have once been a lush valley, the area is now a barren gorge of salt (Hence Gomorrah Gorge though the studio would want to back off of this title&hellip; hence the title of Guthrie's song). Mann shot the film in the Colombia River Gorge and the surrounding desert like region of Eastern Washington. It was more visually arresting than the Rocky Mountain back drop of The Naked Spur. Rewrites: Leigh Brackett (script doctor supreme: The Big Sleep, Rio Bravo, The Empire Strikes Back) is hired to tone down the political commentary and add some sex appeal. Miss Brackett split the role of Nice Guy Eddy (now Cow Puncher Bob) into two roles: Two siblings competing for their father's approval (much like Duel in the Sun) Cow Puncher Bob, a slick but incompetent rustler, and Grifter Gurdy, modeled after Lauren Bacall's con women / gambler characters from To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep. The love triangle between Cub, Timber Wolf, and Grifter Gurdy pleased the studio (however they were angered when they saw Anthony Mann's finished product because of the homosexual overtones that Clift brought out in the mentor relationship between Cub and Timber Wolf). Casting: Gary Cooper as Mr. White/ Timber Wolf: Cooper's leadership and bravery in taking a role that John Wayne thought was un-American is stellar, comparable only to his work on High Noon. Cooper's earnest desire to save the dying "Cub" is palpable. And his seeming asexuality highlights Clift's subversive performance. Montgomery Clift as Mr. Orange / Cub: Mann chose Clift because of the actor's work in Red River. His youth and energy light up as the conflicted double agent. And the women love him in those chaps (this is why the studio eventually shelved the film, which was never to see the light of day) Jack Palance as Mr. Blonde / Coyote: Actor Alan Ladd happened to see the dailies of The Wolves of Gomorrah Gorge before the studio locked them away. The star was so impressed by Palance's cool contained rage that he forced Shane director George Stevens to put Palance on the short list for the role of Jack Wilson. The rest, as they say, is history Denis O'Keefe / Loren Bacall as Nice Guy Eddy / Cow Puncher Bob / Grifter Gurdy: O'Keefe's star had fallen a bit after poor reviews of Mann's Raw Deal. Mann liked to see the suave actor portray slick con men (part of his role in T &ndash; Men) so he snuck him into the film despite argument from the studio. Bacall was obvious due to Brackett's revisions, however Jennifer Jones was considered until Mann saw and disliked her in King Vidor's Duel in the Sun. Dean Martin as Mr. Pink / Skunk: Martin was originally offered the role of Coyote. Mann thought his cool domineer would create great contrast between the perception of the character and his violent actions. Dean Martin's record label was afraid that their star was being derogatively stereotyped&hellip; an Italian in the role of an evil thief, gangster and ear removing murderer (though Frank thought it would be o.k.). Dino opted to go with the drunken comic relief instead. The scene during the second act brake where he belts out "The Ballad of the Scavengers of Dry Gorge" to the nervous thieves pined down in the gorge by the Cavalry (eerily similar to a scene in Rio Bravo) is something I wish all could see. In the time line of the story this is where Coyote removes the young deputy's ear&hellip; off camera and covered in vague dialog. Jimmy Stewart as Joe Cabot. As always the elder statesmen Stewart gave his all in a both commanding and haunting performance as the ring leader of the train robbery gang (this would be the beginning of the psychologically conflicted, obsessive characters Stewart would be remembered for: Vertigo and The Naked Spur). Only Jimmy Stewart could corral these wild wolves. Though on the set for just a few days this cameo would prove to form a lasting friendship and yield much collaboration between Mann and Stewart. Ralph Meeker as Mr. Brown / Hyena: Ah crazy Ralph Meeker. I think if you watch Kiss Me Deadly or The Naked Spur you can see why he would be fantastic spouting off long, near incoherent, hyper macho dialog trying to get approval from the other thieves. He's a forgotten American treasure (And from MPLS!!! Walter Brennen as Mr. Blue / Grey Wolf: It's hard to imagine a western with out Walter Brennen playing the old coot that tells the hero they are full of it. In this film he is taunting poor Dean Martin for his alcohol problems: Joe Cabot (Jimmy Stewart): And you're Skunk. Skunk (Dean Martin): AH&hellip; now that ain't even a Wolf, Joe?! Grey Wolf (Walter Brennen): Ye don't gits ta be no Wolf cas' ya stink ta' high heaven boy. (High pitch HEYUCK sound&hellip; repeat). Meebe if ya lay of that HOOCH ya could be a wolf. Right now yas just a smelly varmint (continues laughing). Skunk (Dean Martin): Ah cram it old timer! (Skunk shoots at Grey Wolf and misses). Joe Cabot (Jimmy Stewart): Knock it off you two! Now (stutter) Now where was I&hellip; oh yeah the train. Alfred Ryder as Young Cop who gets his ear cut off (Deputy who gets his ear cut off&hellip; off camera [revealed in illusive dialog]): Alfred Ryder played the other undercover agent in Anthony Mann's T &ndash; Men. His character is found out and killed by the gangsters he is trying to infiltrate. His ability to show both competence as an agent for the government and fear as a mortal in trouble is HAUNTING. Ward Bond as Holdaway (Mr. Orange's Undercover training officer) (Sheriff Holdaway): Much like Walter Brennen, it's not a great western unless you've got Ward Bond (high school football team mate of John Wayne, famous for his roles in many of Wayne's films such as the Calvary Captain/ Reverend Samuel Johnston Clayton in The Searchers). Carl Foreman envisioned this part as a Fortinbras like character that the thieves would talk about but would only appear on screen a few times to create suspense. Sheriff Holdaway leads the posse that traps the bandits in Gomorrah Gorge, which forces Cub, Timber Wolf, and Grifter Gurdy to play their final hands. Hank Worden as Bumbling Train Operator: Foreman didn't go for the flash back structure of Tarantino's outline. His story is much more linear, leaving Cub's allegiance a mystery. He replaces the drawn out training sequence in Reservoir Dogs with the train heist that Tarantino was too cleaver to bother with. It was played for both laughs and action. Most of the laughs came from Hank Worden who some of you will remember as Mose Harper in The Searchers ("thank you&hellip; thaaank you kindly"), but more of you will remember as senior drool cup (ancient room service guy) in Twin Peaks ("thank you&hellip; thaaank you kindly"). That's it. Thanks for reading all of this non-sense. http://www.spout.com/blogs/chrismorrell/archive/2008/6/19/31434.aspx Post By: chrismorrell
Post To: chrismorrell Blog
Post Date: 6/19/2008 6:22:58 PM
Body: I watch it again every year or so..Vertigo made a big impression on me as a kid. I found the dream sequence very scary,having been allowed to stay up late to watch. It's obviously dated in some ways,but the new print/transfer to DVD is very beautiful,and has conserved a brilliantly rendered story.
]]>Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:22:58 GMTchrismorrellchrismorrell Blog6/19/2008 6:22:58 PM I watch it again every year or so..Vertigo made a big impression on me as a kid. I found the dream sequence very scary,having been allowed to stay up late to watch. It's obviously dated in some ways,but the new print/transfer to DVD is very beautiful,and has conserved a brilliantly rendered story. http://www.spout.com/blogs/shaunhuston/archive/2008/6/19/31433.aspx Post By: ShaunHuston
Post To: ShaunHuston filmblog
Post Date: 6/19/2008 6:01:33 PM
Body: The mystery list is another one that seems poorly conceived. Unlike animation, “mystery” may be a genre, but the way it is defined and applied in the AFI list leads to a muddled selection of films.The AFI defines mystery as “a genre that revolves around the solution of a crime”. I'm not convinced that that adequately describes the films on the list, or, even if it does, it is absurdly reductive. Most ironically, the definition seems least appropriate when applied to the list's top selection, Vertigo (1958), which does not actually revolve around the solution of a crime at all, but a domestic mystery, and is really about Scottie's (Jimmy Stewart) inner-demons and obsessions in any event. Similar questions can be raised about other movies on this Top 10. For example, the second film on the list, Chinatown (1974), certainly starts with a mysterious murder, but part of the point of the film is that some “crimes” aren't illegal at all, and may even be facilitated by laws. The plot of The Third Man (1949) involves the unveiling of criminal activity, but the central mystery, on more than one level, proves not to be a crime, or at least is vague enough for questions to be raised about whether it is or isn't. And, as was highlighted on the broadcast, Dial M for Murder (1954) is really more about the commission of a crime than its solution. You get the picture: the AFI definition for this genre is fine as far as it goes, but it misses the nuances in most of the films on the list. In fact, it can be argued that most of the films on this Top 10 are typically considered to belong to more refined categories than “mystery”. Chinatown, The Third Man, and The Maltese Falcon (1941) are better thought of as Film Noir, as should North by Northwest (1959), though I recognize that that may be a less typical way of understanding that movie than it is for the others. Another segment of the selections – Vertigo, Rear Window (1954), Dial M for Murder – are more precisely “suspense” movies or “thrillers”, wherein mystery, rather than being the point of the narrative, is merely a device for exploring the human psyche. This leaves three movies as the “true” mysteries on the list. From what I know of Laura (1944), I've not seen it, this seems like a fair enough categorization, and I think that “mystery” is reasonable as a way of thinking about The Usual Suspects (1995). Blue Velvet (1986) I'm tempted to say belongs to the genre of “David Lynch,” but it is also clearly the case that a mystery drives much of the film's action. What's curious about the AFI's choice to use and apply “mystery” to the films that it does is that the alternatives I suggest, “noir”, “suspense”, “thriller”, are also well-used genre categories, and ones that better capture one of my points above: these movies largely use mysteries to explore other themes – power, obsession, fear, evil. There are, however, films where the mystery is the thing. Think The Thin Man series, or the incarnations of Nancy Drew, or adaptations of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple books. I suppose the orchestrators of these lists may have considered this, and decided that there aren't enough such movies to “honor”, but that's not only narrow-minded, especially in the context of genre entertainment, it also begs the question of why “mystery” and not “noir”, “thriller”, etc. Assessing the individual selections is made complicated by the underlying categorization question. I can see where each of the films on the list can and should be honored on a Top 10 in “x” genre, even if I don't quite see it for this particular accounting. However, Vertigo is, like The Searchers and Shane from the Western list, one of those highly regarded “classics” that I don't quite get. To me it seems dated in its fascination with mid-century popular psychology, and its visualizations of feelings of vertigo don't hold up well at all. That the latter is important to me is probably a function of the former. I vastly prefer Rear Window, and, as to the non-Hitchcock on the list, Chinatown is one of those films I will routinely cite as my absolute favorite when asked. Everything else more or less depends on context and I'm not sure that the AFI has provided the right one here. Link to introduction. Originally posted on:Short-Circuit Signs
]]>Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:01:33 GMTShaunHustonShaunHuston filmblog6/19/2008 6:01:33 PMThe mystery list is another one that seems poorly conceived. Unlike animation, “mystery” may be a genre, but the way it is defined and applied in the AFI list leads to a muddled selection of films.The AFI defines mystery as “a genre that revolves around the solution of a crime”. I'm not convinced that that adequately describes the films on the list, or, even if it does, it is absurdly reductive. Most ironically, the definition seems least appropriate when applied to the list's top selection, Vertigo (1958), which does not actually revolve around the solution of a crime at all, but a domestic mystery, and is really about Scottie's (Jimmy Stewart) inner-demons and obsessions in any event. Similar questions can be raised about other movies on this Top 10. For example, the second film on the list, Chinatown (1974), certainly starts with a mysterious murder, but part of the point of the film is that some “crimes” aren't illegal at all, and may even be facilitated by laws. The plot of The Third Man (1949) involves the unveiling of criminal activity, but the central mystery, on more than one level, proves not to be a crime, or at least is vague enough for questions to be raised about whether it is or isn't. And, as was highlighted on the broadcast, Dial M for Murder (1954) is really more about the commission of a crime than its solution. You get the picture: the AFI definition for this genre is fine as far as it goes, but it misses the nuances in most of the films on the list. In fact, it can be argued that most of the films on this Top 10 are typically considered to belong to more refined categories than “mystery”. Chinatown, The Third Man, and The Maltese Falcon (1941) are better thought of as Film Noir, as should North by Northwest (1959), though I recognize that that may be a less typical way of understanding that movie than it is for the others. Another segment of the selections – Vertigo, Rear Window (1954), Dial M for Murder – are more precisely “suspense” movies or “thrillers”, wherein mystery, rather than being the point of the narrative, is merely a device for exploring the human psyche. This leaves three movies as the “true” mysteries on the list. From what I know of Laura (1944), I've not seen it, this seems like a fair enough categorization, and I think that “mystery” is reasonable as a way of thinking about The Usual Suspects (1995). Blue Velvet (1986) I'm tempted to say belongs to the genre of “David Lynch,” but it is also clearly the case that a mystery drives much of the film's action. What's curious about the AFI's choice to use and apply “mystery” to the films that it does is that the alternatives I suggest, “noir”, “suspense”, “thriller”, are also well-used genre categories, and ones that better capture one of my points above: these movies largely use mysteries to explore other themes – power, obsession, fear, evil. There are, however, films where the mystery is the thing. Think The Thin Man series, or the incarnations of Nancy Drew, or adaptations of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple books. I suppose the orchestrators of these lists may have considered this, and decided that there aren't enough such movies to “honor”, but that's not only narrow-minded, especially in the context of genre entertainment, it also begs the question of why “mystery” and not “noir”, “thriller”, etc. Assessing the individual selections is made complicated by the underlying categorization question. I can see where each of the films on the list can and should be honored on a Top 10 in “x” genre, even if I don't quite see it for this particular accounting. However, Vertigo is, like The Searchers and Shane from the Western list, one of those highly regarded “classics” that I don't quite get. To me it seems dated in its fascination with mid-century popular psychology, and its visualizations of feelings of vertigo don't hold up well at all. That the latter is important to me is probably a function of the former. I vastly prefer Rear Window, and, as to the non-Hitchcock on the list, Chinatown is one of those films I will routinely cite as my absolute favorite when asked. Everything else more or less depends on context and I'm not sure that the AFI has provided the right one here. Link to introduction. Originally posted on:Short-Circuit Signs http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/3/3/25819.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 3/3/2008 3:00:42 PM
Body: Star Wars may have the most famous opening title sequence in film history, but in terms of influence it’s got nothing on the work of Saul Bass. He’s the brilliant graphic designer who gave us the animated credits for Hitchcock’s Vertigo, North by Northwest and Psycho and Scorsese’s Casino, Cape Fear, The Age of Innocence and Goodfellas and most of Otto Preminger’s work, including Exodus, Anatomy of a Murder and The Man With the Golden Arm. You’ve also seen his work at the beginning of West Side Story and Alien and Big and The Seven Year Itch and Spartacus. But what if he had designed the opening credits to Star Wars? Well, it might have looked something like this video, which was created for a school project. Interesting, yes. Creative, yes. Entertaining, yes. Memorable, no. It just goes to show how significant some credit sequences can be, because this is hardly appropriate for George Lucas’ film. And I don’t just mean because the music is all wrong. If this student wanted to go with a jazz score for the titles, he should have gone with a jazz cover of the Star Wars theme. And if he wanted something more upbeat, he could have used a jazz cover of the Cantina Band song (both covers can be heard on this album). If I was this guy’s professor, I’d give him a B+, mostly for effort and the fact that I love the lazer blasts and the zoom in on the Death Star at the end. For the A, though, he’d need to resubmit with something more suitable than a Buddy Rich soundtrack. [via Fraktastic] Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 03 Mar 2008 20:00:42 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com3/3/2008 3:00:42 PM Star Wars may have the most famous opening title sequence in film history, but in terms of influence it’s got nothing on the work of Saul Bass. He’s the brilliant graphic designer who gave us the animated credits for Hitchcock’s Vertigo, North by Northwest and Psycho and Scorsese’s Casino, Cape Fear, The Age of Innocence and Goodfellas and most of Otto Preminger’s work, including Exodus, Anatomy of a Murder and The Man With the Golden Arm. You’ve also seen his work at the beginning of West Side Story and Alien and Big and The Seven Year Itch and Spartacus. But what if he had designed the opening credits to Star Wars? Well, it might have looked something like this video, which was created for a school project. Interesting, yes. Creative, yes. Entertaining, yes. Memorable, no. It just goes to show how significant some credit sequences can be, because this is hardly appropriate for George Lucas’ film. And I don’t just mean because the music is all wrong. If this student wanted to go with a jazz score for the titles, he should have gone with a jazz cover of the Star Wars theme. And if he wanted something more upbeat, he could have used a jazz cover of the Cantina Band song (both covers can be heard on this album). If I was this guy’s professor, I’d give him a B+, mostly for effort and the fact that I love the lazer blasts and the zoom in on the Death Star at the end. For the A, though, he’d need to resubmit with something more suitable than a Buddy Rich soundtrack. [via Fraktastic] Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/chrismorrell/archive/2008/1/21/24157.aspx Post By: chrismorrell
Post To: chrismorrell Blog
Post Date: 1/21/2008 4:20:47 PM
Body: Morbid fascination is not a critical phrase , just a descriptive one in this case.Star of the film is the guy in the black leather coat,who makes the most spectacular and well executed jump..5.9 from the U.K. judge....they save it untill the end. I found myself 'feeling sorry' for the Golden Gate Bridge...as this film unfolds ,it seems to take on an innocent ,noble character.Looking beautiful from many different angles.It is a truly iconic location,not least as a star in 'Vertigo'.Seriously,this is truly compelling,as we hear from the friends and family of suicides,and ,notably from a 'failed' suicide..Couldnt help thinking ,that for a few dollars they could put a higher railing in...
]]>Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:20:47 GMTchrismorrellchrismorrell Blog1/21/2008 4:20:47 PMMorbid fascination is not a critical phrase , just a descriptive one in this case.Star of the film is the guy in the black leather coat,who makes the most spectacular and well executed jump..5.9 from the U.K. judge....they save it untill the end. I found myself &#39;feeling sorry&#39; for the Golden Gate Bridge...as this film unfolds ,it seems to take on an innocent ,noble character.Looking beautiful from many different angles.It is a truly iconic location,not least as a star in &#39;Vertigo&#39;.Seriously,this is truly compelling,as we hear from the friends and family of suicides,and ,notably from a &#39;failed&#39; suicide..Couldnt help thinking ,that for a few dollars they could put a higher railing in... http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspxlove
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