“he”/“him” A Canadian Prairie Mennonite from the '70s & '80s, a Preacher’s Kid, slowly recovering from a hemorrhagic stroke. I am not — yet — in a 12-Step Program.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Any comments? Anyone? Bueller?
Darko has already lamented the absence of Jim Jarmusch from my Fifteen Favourite Films. Who else did I overlook?
For me, no list would be complete without Woody Allen’s masterpiece (yes, masterpiece) “Manhattan.” I watch it every New Year’s Day – it’s that significant a rite of passage for me. The Gershwin score, Gordon Willis’ beautiful black-and-white cinematography, and the incredible dialogue all combine to place it first on my list.
I still scream with laughter every time Woody/Isaac calls Wallace Shawn’s Jeremiah character a “homunculus.” How perfect a dis is that?
And this dialogue from the cocktail party scene can always make me smile:
Party Guest: "I finally had an orgasm, and my doctor said it was the wrong kind." Woody/Isaac: "You had the wrong kind? I've never had the wrong kind, ever. My worst one was right on the money."
And finally, I never tire of Woody’s “Why is life worth living?” monologue:
“Why is life worth living? It's a very good question. Um... Well, There are certain things I guess that make it worthwhile ...uh... Like what... okay... um... For me, uh... oh... I would say... what, Groucho Marx, to name one thing... uh... um... and Willie Mays... and um... the second movement of the Jupiter Symphony... and um... Louis Armstrong’s recording of Potato Head Blues... um... Swedish movies, naturally... Sentimental Education by Flaubert... uh... Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra... um... those incredible apples and pears by Cezanne... uh... the crabs at Sam Wo’s... uh... Tracy’s face...”
Can I lament..further? No, no castigations thrown your way; simply some movies that stick in my craw and do well under repeat viewings The Devils: Ken Russell's underappreciated adaptation of Aldous Huxley's Devils of Loudon. As a Catholic lad who always had suspicions as to what the Church was up to, namely terrifying the masses and owning prime real estate and gold, etc., this movie clinches the deal for you. Life under the Spanish Inquisition. No Monty Python here to save the human spirit.
Vanishing Point: No name actors save for pre- Blaing Saddles Cleavon Little as Super Soul. (Charlotte Rampling was a hitchhiker but her scenes were deleted, so she doesn;t count). It was early 1971, so the '60's rebelliousness was petering out. What better way to end it then a cross-state high-speed car chase in a 1970 Dodge Challenger sticking it to the man! This was in the days when you actually wanted to but an American designed and built car. A period piece of a movie if there ever was one. Night of the Living Dead: One of the original directors who could do so much with so little, money especially, was Mr. George Romero. This still scares the s_ _ t out of me. After watching this, it's a coin toss to see who takes out the garbage tonight.
Re. Madamoiselle Searchie's choice of Woody Allen's "Manhattan", I give a qualified nod. Rare is the movie that is so visually stunning and such a love song to a city. While the dialogue is at a fairly high standard, I don't think it beats Annie Hall. I'd watch "Manhattan" with the sound down and "Annie Ha;;l" at full crank. The funny bit, for me at least, is that after repeated viewings, the two main characters in both moives, Diane Keaton in "Annie Hall" and in Mariel Hemingway "Manhattan", become incredibly aggravating! If I only had a sock filled with merde......
But form the opening monolgue of "Annie Hall" where Woody Allen's character faces the camera and says, "There's an old joke - um... two elderly women are at a Catskill mountain resort, and one of 'em says, "Boy, the food at this place is really terrible." The other one says, "Yeah, I know; and such small portions." Well, that's essentially how I feel about life - full of loneliness, and misery, and suffering, and unhappiness, and it's all over much too quickly. you're hooked.
Searchie and DV - Manhattan and Annie Hall are Woody Allen at his peak. He's done "interesting" since then, but nothing that encourages repeat viewing like those two do. Darko, with this little list of yours, I do believe I'll be applying for my Zip membership (the Canuck version of Netflix) - Romero's NOTLD was the only one of the bunch I knew (altho Rob Zombie makes reference to Vanishing Point in at least one song from his ouevre).
Scott - Blade Runner was a contender. Daryl Hannah, Sean Young, Rutger Hauer ... all this fresh, just-discovered beauty, thrown into this grim little movie.
10 comments:
No mention of William and Theodore on some kind of superlative escapade??
I didn't think I could risk it - I was already pushing the envelope with Gidget.
For me, no list would be complete without Woody Allen’s masterpiece (yes, masterpiece) “Manhattan.” I watch it every New Year’s Day – it’s that significant a rite of passage for me. The Gershwin score, Gordon Willis’ beautiful black-and-white cinematography, and the incredible dialogue all combine to place it first on my list.
I still scream with laughter every time Woody/Isaac calls Wallace Shawn’s Jeremiah character a “homunculus.” How perfect a dis is that?
And this dialogue from the cocktail party scene can always make me smile:
Party Guest: "I finally had an orgasm, and my doctor said it was the wrong kind."
Woody/Isaac: "You had the wrong kind? I've never had the wrong kind, ever. My worst one was right on the money."
And finally, I never tire of Woody’s “Why is life worth living?” monologue:
“Why is life worth living? It's a very good question. Um... Well, There are certain things I guess that make it worthwhile ...uh... Like what... okay... um... For me, uh... oh... I would say... what, Groucho Marx, to name one thing... uh... um... and Willie Mays... and um... the second movement of the Jupiter Symphony... and um... Louis Armstrong’s recording of Potato Head Blues... um... Swedish movies, naturally... Sentimental Education by Flaubert... uh... Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra... um... those incredible apples and pears by Cezanne... uh... the crabs at Sam Wo’s... uh... Tracy’s face...”
Sublime ...
As we lurch towards 2019, the vision of "Blade Runner" looks increasingly likely and more haunting than ever. It sums up everything we stand to lose.
I can't watch it very often but I'm frozen in fascination every time I do.
Can I lament..further? No, no castigations thrown your way; simply some movies that stick in my craw and do well under repeat viewings
The Devils: Ken Russell's underappreciated adaptation of Aldous Huxley's Devils of Loudon. As a Catholic lad who always had suspicions as to what the Church was up to, namely terrifying the masses and owning prime real estate and gold, etc., this movie clinches the deal for you. Life under the Spanish Inquisition. No Monty Python here to save the human spirit.
Vanishing Point: No name actors save for pre-
Blaing Saddles Cleavon Little as Super Soul. (Charlotte Rampling was a hitchhiker but her scenes were deleted, so she doesn;t count). It was early 1971, so the '60's rebelliousness was petering out. What better way to end it then a cross-state high-speed car chase in a
1970 Dodge Challenger sticking it to the man!
This was in the days when you actually wanted to but an American designed and built car. A period piece of a movie if there ever was one.
Night of the Living Dead: One of the original directors who could do so much with so little, money especially, was Mr. George Romero. This still scares the s_ _ t out of me. After watching this, it's a coin toss to see who takes out the garbage tonight.
Re. Madamoiselle Searchie's choice of Woody Allen's "Manhattan", I give a qualified nod. Rare is the movie that is so visually stunning and such a love song to a city. While the dialogue is at a fairly high standard, I don't think it beats Annie Hall. I'd watch "Manhattan" with the sound down and "Annie Ha;;l" at full crank. The funny bit, for me at least, is that after repeated viewings, the two main characters in both moives, Diane Keaton in "Annie Hall" and in Mariel Hemingway "Manhattan", become incredibly aggravating! If I only had a sock filled with merde......
But form the opening monolgue of "Annie Hall" where Woody Allen's character faces the camera and says,
"There's an old joke - um... two elderly women are at a Catskill mountain resort, and one of 'em says, "Boy, the food at this place is really terrible." The other one says, "Yeah, I know; and such small portions." Well, that's essentially how I feel about life - full of loneliness, and misery, and suffering, and unhappiness, and it's all over much too quickly. you're hooked.
Searchie and DV - Manhattan and Annie Hall are Woody Allen at his peak. He's done "interesting" since then, but nothing that encourages repeat viewing like those two do. Darko, with this little list of yours, I do believe I'll be applying for my Zip membership (the Canuck version of Netflix) - Romero's NOTLD was the only one of the bunch I knew (altho Rob Zombie makes reference to Vanishing Point in at least one song from his ouevre).
Scott - Blade Runner was a contender. Daryl Hannah, Sean Young, Rutger Hauer ... all this fresh, just-discovered beauty, thrown into this grim little movie.
Ridley Scott's first feature, The Duellists would have been a good pick from the underappreciated angle. As beautiful as any film ever made.
Another one to add to my list of must-sees - thanks, DD.
What no Spencer Tracy? No "Old Man and the Sea"?
No Richard Harris? No "A Man Called Horse"?
No Peter O'Toole? No "Lion in Winter?"
No Gene Wilder? No "Frankenstein"?
Or, for that matter, no Boris Karloff? No original "Frankenstein"?
No Lon Chaney, Jr.? No "Wolfman"?
No Rex Harrison? No "Blithe Spirit"?
Well, those might have been on MY short list that I never made...
I truly hope my reticence did not in any way contribute to CP's silent blog retirement.
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