tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27601672.post8498650044944852171..comments2024-02-16T18:07:05.844-05:00Comments on ZONE: The Greatest Films of All Time: The Directorscowboyangelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13452987299073540171noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27601672.post-40427019183317266362008-08-02T10:48:00.000-04:002008-08-02T10:48:00.000-04:00Liam and Jeff,Mario Camus didn't show up in any of...Liam and Jeff,<BR/><BR/>Mario Camus didn't show up in any of the polls. I notice, though, that Santos Inocentes has an 8.3 rating at IMDB, which is impressive. After that, however, he only has one other film rated above 7 - La Colmena (1982). Of course, it's IMDB, so the ratings always have to be taken with a truckload of salt. Again, I leave it to Liam to speak on Camus - he may know more about him and may have even subtitled some of his films.<BR/><BR/>As for Pasolini, he had four films on the list. Il Vangelo secondo Matteo did the best, mentioned three times and winding up ranked #165. The other three films were mentioned once each: Accattone (chosen by the Cinémathèque Française for its Twenty Greatest Films - over anything by Truffaut - interesting, no?); Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma (chosen by the Vatican) and Uccellacci e uccellini (which was next to last on the list, just above Sound of Music, chosen by the IMDB CFB.)<BR/><BR/>Wait, I'm sorry, Salò was chosen by The Village Voice poll, not the Vatican. My mistake. In fact, that and Il Vangelo secondo Matteo both showed up in the Village Voice 100 Greatest Films of the 20th Century. So he did well with the Village Voice crowd. (No comment.) That was a strange poll. Two by Pasolini and zero by Fellini. I blame Jonathan Rosenbaum, who was one of the many critics o nthat one.cowboyangelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13452987299073540171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27601672.post-13298682688148572802008-07-31T10:37:00.000-04:002008-07-31T10:37:00.000-04:00Liam, I just now noticed your question about Pasol...Liam, I just now noticed your question about Pasolini. What about Pasolini? Indeed, what about Pasolini. . . .<BR/><BR/>The homosexual Marxist Catholic had four films mentioned. I don't remember right now which ones or how they ranked. I'll check.cowboyangelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13452987299073540171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27601672.post-87640761452834939912008-07-31T10:30:00.000-04:002008-07-31T10:30:00.000-04:00Jeff,Antonioni hasn't exactly fallen into oblivion...Jeff,<BR/><BR/>Antonioni hasn't exactly fallen into oblivion. I believe he made the front page of the New York Times last year when he died.<BR/><BR/>And Truffaut is respected as well. Again, he had two films listed in the Top 100. I don't think he deserves more than that. There's simply too much great cinema out there. I am surprised that he didn't have more films listed in general.<BR/><BR/>I think part of the issue with Truffaut is that he isn't seen as much of an innovator. And, as Liam commented on in the first post, that's always a big deal to people putting together canons. It's the same in music and literature. Fair or not. Of the New Wave directors, Truffaut most followed the Hollywood models that he and his friends (Godard, Rivette, Rohmer, Chabrol) spoke of so highly when they were young critics. That's probably one reason his films resonate with Americans. But he didn't really go beyond those models. Which might not be a big deal for other directors, but he was part of a group that turned the film world upside down. <BR/><BR/>I haven't seen anything by Mario Camus. At least that I'm aware of. Liam probably knows his work. I don't remember if his name came up in any of the polls. I'll check.cowboyangelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13452987299073540171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27601672.post-78813377839039394482008-07-30T17:02:00.000-04:002008-07-30T17:02:00.000-04:00I find the dissing of Truffaut to be an outrage, b...I find the dissing of Truffaut to be an outrage, but it just goes to show how much you can be a child of your age. I remember when Michelangelo Antonioni was considered a genius. Who remembers him now?<BR/><BR/>Regarding the Spanish films and directors... You guys didn't care much for <I>Carmen</I> or <I>El Amor Brujo</I>? <BR/><BR/>How about <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0133426/" REL="nofollow">Mario Camus</A> as a director (<I>Los Santos Inocentes</I>)?Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10754406706300818849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27601672.post-22123168986028222992008-07-28T15:09:00.000-04:002008-07-28T15:09:00.000-04:00Liam,I agree that Almodovar and Saura are overrate...Liam,<BR/><BR/>I agree that Almodovar and Saura are overrated - though I shouldn't say that of Pedro, as I haven't seen anything he's done since Tacones lejanos (1991). But Matador and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown are still much better than Finding Nemo or other films I've seen on these lists. And that doesn't explain the disregard for Erice, though at least he was mentioned.<BR/><BR/>It probably <I>was</I> Franco's fault to some degree. I don't get the sense that innovative film-making was really on his list of things to accomplish.<BR/><BR/>Interesting that the Spanish have done so well at painting, yet haven't produced a great cinema. Kurosawa was a painter originally. And, obviously, Renoir had some good genes. I believe there is a connection. You'd think some of that great Spanish painter stuff would've rubbed off on more of their filmmakers. Bunuel has it, Erice has it.cowboyangelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13452987299073540171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27601672.post-4035931813558917522008-07-28T14:59:00.000-04:002008-07-28T14:59:00.000-04:00Crystal,I think the only Spanish film I've seen is...Crystal,<BR/><BR/><I>I think the only Spanish film I've seen is Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (was that Spanish?)</I><BR/><BR/>Close. It was Brazilian. :-) You should check out the ones I mentioned, then. And, of course, The Exterminating Angel, though I'm not certain that's on DVD yet - for some reason.<BR/><BR/>Actually, I remember that Godzilla was included on the list of Greatest National Films from the Film Archive in Japan. I'll check for others.<BR/><BR/>I have fond memories of Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster.<BR/><BR/>Samurai Trilogy is great. I still want to be Toshiro Mifune when I grow up. Haven't seen the others you mention. I'll definitely keep them in mind.cowboyangelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13452987299073540171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27601672.post-4439453109781224722008-07-28T14:55:00.000-04:002008-07-28T14:55:00.000-04:00And what about Pasolini?And what about Pasolini?Liamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17265036866243982434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27601672.post-14594593007984861502008-07-28T14:01:00.000-04:002008-07-28T14:01:00.000-04:00I think the only Spanish film I've seen is Dona Fl...I think the only Spanish film I've seen is Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (was that Spanish?)<BR/><BR/>Speaking of Japanese, I think you guys have totally overlooked the Japanese science fiction-horror genre - stuff like Mothra and Gojira (Godzilla), and the Mushroom People :)<BR/><BR/>A great non-Kurasawa film is <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai_Trilogy" REL="nofollow">Samurai Trilogy</A> by Inagaki .... very long, though. Teshigahara's Woman in the Dunes. And there are all those Babycart movies like <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shogun_Assassin" REL="nofollow">Shogan Assassin</A> (I think this was the inspiration for stuff like The Road to Perdition), and the <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zatoichi" REL="nofollow">Zatoichi</A> series movies.crystalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05681674503952991492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27601672.post-22980432467013624962008-07-28T12:28:00.000-04:002008-07-28T12:28:00.000-04:00I'd like to hear what you think about Il Gattopard...I'd like to hear what you think about Il Gattopardo -- maybe I should give it another chance. Part of the problem is I hate dubbing -- so when you have Burt Lancaster playing a Sicilian nobleman...<BR/><BR/>I don't know what the problem is with Spanish cinema. It's pretty well represented in rental places that have big foreign sections. Maybe it's because Almodovar grabbed all the attention. Maybe it's because you have old pretentious hacks like Vicente Aranda grabbing all the subsidies for promotion abroad. I have to admit that I think some of the more well-known names in Spanish cinema -- Almodovar, Saura -- are overrated. Bunuel is amazing, but most of his films were made in France and Mexico. <BR/><BR/>It's probably all Franco's fault.Liamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17265036866243982434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27601672.post-5983150279794545232008-07-28T09:50:00.000-04:002008-07-28T09:50:00.000-04:00For example, Ebert's Great Movies lists 200 Films ...For example, Ebert's Great Movies lists 200 Films and it looks like there's nothing from Spain apart from a few Buñuel. He has movies like Amadeus, Color Purple, JFK, Moonstruck... I liked Amadeus and Moonstruck, but neither one comes anywhere near Spirit of the Beehive. <BR/><BR/>I just looked at Jonathan Rosenbaum's Top 100. He's supposed to be such a great critic, and he includes a lot of foreign and unusual films. Get this - NOTHING from Spain, not even a Buñuel movie! That's plain weird.<BR/><BR/>I wonder if there isn't a bit of prejudice involved here. I can understand American film fans not knowing much about Spanish cinema, but when two important critics seem to totally neglect it, that's very strange.cowboyangelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13452987299073540171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27601672.post-10197741623012821812008-07-28T09:33:00.000-04:002008-07-28T09:33:00.000-04:00Liam,Why do you think Spanish cinema was so poorly...Liam,<BR/><BR/>Why do you think Spanish cinema was so poorly represented in 30 polls from around the world? One Almodovar, no Medem, no Saura, no Bardem, no <I>Secdleto de la tlompeta</I>.<BR/><BR/>I mean, <I>Finding Nemo</I> made the damn list.cowboyangelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13452987299073540171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27601672.post-9946469894223729372008-07-28T09:25:00.000-04:002008-07-28T09:25:00.000-04:00Liam,Yeah, I especially like Buñuel and Hitchcock ...Liam,<BR/><BR/>Yeah, I especially like Buñuel and Hitchcock next to each other, neither looking particularly comfortable.<BR/><BR/>I forgot you had done the subtitles to Lovers - that's great. I like Tierra more, as it reminds me a lot of Spain, but it seems that people in the U.S. respond better to Lovers. Perhaps because Tierra is more Spanish. I have no idea how an American who's never lived in Spain would respond to Vacas or Ardilla Roja.<BR/><BR/>I think I'm going to give Visconti's Il Gattopardo a shot - Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale and Alain Delon. Have you seen that one?<BR/><BR/>If it's boring, I figure I can at least admire Cardinale's beautiful acting.<BR/><BR/>I've tried twice now to watch Tokyo Story, and both times the DVD had issues. A sign, perhaps. I may go with the video version next time.<BR/><BR/>My non-Kurosawa Japanese film experience is limited. It's an area I want to explore more.cowboyangelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13452987299073540171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27601672.post-3190135551922494612008-07-28T09:17:00.000-04:002008-07-28T09:17:00.000-04:00Garpu,What did you present at the conference?Garpu,<BR/><BR/>What did you present at the conference?cowboyangelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13452987299073540171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27601672.post-41832719587072278122008-07-28T08:20:00.000-04:002008-07-28T08:20:00.000-04:00The picture at the top is great.I've seen a couple...The picture at the top is great.<BR/><BR/>I've seen a couple of films by Visconti, and they're very beautiful visually, but they never really grabbed me. All my Spanish film buff friends drool over Death in Venice, for example, but I found it really boring, even though I loved the book. <BR/><BR/>I have yet to see great non-Kurosawa Japanese films, e.g., Tokyo Story.<BR/><BR/>The best thing about Lovers of the Arctic Circle is, of course, the subtitles.Liamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17265036866243982434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27601672.post-51560728058949279092008-07-28T07:49:00.000-04:002008-07-28T07:49:00.000-04:00"king fu" - you may have just started a new genre:..."king fu" - you may have just started a new genre: royalty who know and practice kung fu. I see Richard the Lionhearted, on his journey back from the Holy Land, fighting papal ninjas. Templars employing the martial arts! You could be on to something. :-)<BR/><BR/>Three recommended Spanish films - they should all be on Netflix: Spirit of the Beehive, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, and Lovers of the Arctic Cirlce.<BR/><BR/>Some French films to consider, if you haven't seen them already: Children of Paradise, Grand Illusion, Breathless, Jules and Jim.<BR/><BR/>And, yes, kung fu and ninja movies count. I'm guessing that in a few short years, we'll start seeing more academic papers on the subject, as they've been so popular in the last decade. Give it a little more time. One day people will be arguing over which ones really belong in the Top Ten Films of All Time.<BR/><BR/>Eisenstein was certainly too important not to get mentioned. Battlship Potemkin wound up #3! Also mentioned were Ivan Groznyy I (1944) and II (1958), Alexander Nevsky (1938) and Oktyabr [October] (1928)cowboyangelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13452987299073540171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27601672.post-68880566903487183942008-07-28T01:17:00.000-04:002008-07-28T01:17:00.000-04:00When I was at the PCA/ACA conference last year, I ...When I was at the PCA/ACA conference last year, I think they had a couple panels on martial arts flicks. I can't find my program at the moment, or I'd double check. I didn't make it to them...was pretty sick that weekend, it was the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before Easter, and the interesting panels were during mine.Garpuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09460312942820868366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27601672.post-77940439688135993452008-07-27T21:52:00.000-04:002008-07-27T21:52:00.000-04:00So Eisenstein got a mention.Until I saw the lists...So Eisenstein got a mention.<BR/><BR/>Until I saw the lists, I hadn't realized how few foreign films I've seen - or "good" foreign films, anyway. Do ninja and king fu movies count? :) I've probably seen mor Japanese/Chinese films than the wvrage person, but less French/Spanish.crystalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05681674503952991492noreply@blogger.com