Just peeking my head up to say I'm still here. Some announcements on the way. Etc., etc.
Hero (2004, Zhang Yimou) (f) [97; up from 95]
Sorry, but it's too sad and tragic to be unambiguous propaganda.
The Ox-Bow Incident (1943, William A. Wellman) (v) [93]
Everything Theo says about the ending is true. Unlike him, I just. Don't. Care.
Out of the Past (1947, Jacques Tourneur) (v) [92]
Get out of my past (out of my past) and onto my DVD shelf (onto my DVD shelf)...
Last Year at Marienbad (1961, Alain Resnais) (v) [91]
Watching it, every time is like the first time.
8 1/2 (1963, Federico Fellini) (v) [90]
I always thought if you wanted to know everything about making a Hollywood narrative film, watch Jaws. If you want to know everything about making an art film, see this.
Phantom of the Paradise (1974, Brian DePalma) (v) [89]
Paul Williams? Good. Jessica Harper? Good. Brian DePalma's mise-en-scene? Good.
Love Me Tonight (1932, Rouben Mamoulian) (v) [89]
My heart stopped when the film went slo-mo.
Spartan (2004, David Mamet) (v) [85]
David Mamet's Rainbow Six. Where's the petition to have Mamet direct all the action movies from here on out?
The War of the Worlds (1953, Byron Haskin) (v) [84]
One of the great SF films, even if the climax hinges on the hero trying to remember if his girlfriend is Catholic or Episcopalian.
Detour (1945, Edgar G. Ulmer) (v) [83]
Ann Savage -- wow. Her performance makes you feel like you just had really rough sex.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban/ (2004, Alfonso Cuarón) (f) [79, up from 71]
Better than Spider-Man 2, I decided. Some of you say "duh".
Leave Her To Heaven (1945, John M. Stahl) (v) [78]
Leave the courtroom scene on the cutting-room floor and you've got a deal.
One Hour Photo (2002, Mark Romanek) (v) [77]
Someone's been eating their Ku-Bricks!
The Far Country (1955, Anthony Mann) (v) [75]
Not up to snuff with other Mann westerns, which should say something about other Mann westerns.
Cuba (1979, Richard Lester) (v) [74]
Like a John Sayles characterathon, but with a more fluid directorial eye behind the camera. Bogs down in the third, though.
The Crimson Pirate (1952, Robert Siodmak) (v) [70]
Burt Lancaster in drag. Not quite Randy Quaid in drag, but almost as scary.
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979, Robert Benton) (v) [70]
A quick look between Hoffman and Streep turns a stupid courtroom scene into a heartbreaking one.
Manhattan (1979, Woody Allen) (v) [69]
Admittedly, I haven't even made a first feature yet, but I still think this movie's too easy.
The Women (1939, George Cukor) (v) [65]
I was surprised to learn that Joan Crawford can actually act, which probably says something about a lot of things. She ever-so delicately reveals the scared girl underneath the brassy golddigger.
Garden State (2004, Zach Braff) (f) [64]
Every negative thing people say about this movie is true. But it still worked for me. Might be a genetic immunity, so you've been warned.
Desperate (1947, Anthony Mann) (v) [61]
Steve Brodie: my new favorite actor from the old days. (See also Out of the Past, above.) Wish I could tell you why.
Bluebeard (1944, Edgar G. Ulmer) (v) [60]
Behind the shoddy technical aspects, there's a great John Carradine performance here, who treats his role seriously, if not with seriousness. Nice rooftop chase, too, but I'm always down for those.
Tender Mercies (1983, Bruce Beresford) (v) [57]
It's all perfectly goddamned delightful, to be sure.
Shenandoah (1965, Andrew V. McLaglen) (v) [57]
Movie's i-ight, but mostly I love how the stuttering, stammering Jimmy Stewart turned into the hard, wise, always-listening Jimmy Stewart. That shit's awesome, yo.
The Black Cat (1934, Edgar G. Ulmer) (v) [56]
Sorry, but I really don't like camp in my horror. Nice house, though; I'll take it, and don't skimp on the dynamite.
The Tomb of Ligeia (1965, Roger Corman) (v) [56]
More like The Rack of Ligeia. Anyway, settles the age-old question of whether it's possible to kill a cat with a cabbage. (A: No.)
Two Rode Together (1961, John Ford) (v) [54]
Ford is either too old or just doesn't care at this stage of the game, and just lets the camera run on Jimmy Stewart and Richard Widmark. Fortunately, they're up to the task.
Forbidden Zone (1980, Richard Elfman) (v) [52]
Probably easy to miss (and thus, dismiss) the obvious talent behind the camera, but the intentionally cheap sets and the Fleischer-inspired craziness are just as much handicaps as they are badges of honor.
Strange Illusion (1945, Edgar G. Ulmer) (v) [49]
Hey, gang! Let's put on a modern-day version of Hamlet! That'd be swell.
The Mountain Road (1960, Daniel Mann) (v) [39]
Interesting premise -- Jimmy Stewart as WWII Army demolitions guy who has to destroy China to save it -- crumbles under mediocre direction. Wrong Mann for the job. (Ha! Where does he come up with these?)
Foul Play (1978, Colin Higgins) (v) [38]
Another childhood memory crushed (see also High Anxiety). Dudley Moore = Awesome, though.
The Last Broadcast (1998, Stefan Avalo & Lance Weiler) (v) [32]
A good ending to a mediocre movie ruined by cinematic mixed metaphor. If you see it, you'll know what I mean.
Alice Adams (1935, George Stevens) (v) [32]
Another Family Guy flashback: Sniper leans over to Meg, sotto voce: "Try talking about him."
The House By The Cemetery (1981, Lucio Fulci) (v) [28]
Looks like the World's Phoniest Bat might be on the comeback trail with A Sound of Thunder. Go, Bat, Go!
The Late Show (1976, Robert Benton) (v) [21]
Dave Kehr calls The Long Goodbye a genre rehash, but calls this tired, by-the-numbers noir "genuinely ingratiating". Davey, please.
Japón (2002, Carlos Reygadas) (v) [10]
If a train kills a cipher in the middle of Mexico, does anyone care?
Glad I didn't bother to finish watching STRANGE ILLUSION if what you say is true.
I actually sorta liked the first two acts of THE LAST BROADCAST, but I hated the final one. Of course, that was five years ago.
STRANGE ILLUSION actually has a few nice moments, but I'd say put that 70 minutes of your life towards something worthwhile. Like THE OX-BOW INCIDENT. :-)
Posted by: kza at September 23, 2004 08:49 PMI was surprised to see you liked (?) One Hour Photo as much as you did. I probably would've given it at least an 80, but then again I'm a huge fan of Robin Williams and of any movie where the main character is completely unhinged (American Psycho is the win!). However, given this was a movie right up my alley I still felt it was missing something and I guess I figured you would’ve slammed it.
P.S. And no I've never seen Patch Adams. Ignorance is bliss.
Posted by: Norman Bates at September 27, 2004 08:41 PMBates? Oops. Ahhh fuck it. You should know who the hell this is.
Posted by: Norman Graves at September 27, 2004 08:45 PMHa ha! Freudian slip! I call Freudian slip!
Yeah, ONE HOUR PHOTO probably is missing something, but I was still taken by it. Mark Romanek isn't much of a writer, but he's clearly a really good film director. I think it was the scene where Robin Williams follows the mom in his car, and we see her reaction to the photos by the swerving of the car, that really cemented the high rating. And this is what Williams should've won his Oscar for.
Posted by: kza at October 1, 2004 12:06 PM