Satantango, yeah--forgot that's another really long one.
― clemenza, Thursday, 2 August 2012 13:51 (eleven years ago) link
But a lot of people wanna tackle that one. Far fewer are, I think, interested in sitting through hours and hours of latter-day Godard.
― Eric H., Thursday, 2 August 2012 13:51 (eleven years ago) link
Speaking of boring films...
― the mandy moorhols (Stevie D(eux)), Thursday, 2 August 2012 13:53 (eleven years ago) link
That's a funny Searchers story. When I'm bored, i just drift off.
Histoire is a real test because of the non-stop drony narration. I liked it, found myself very moved at times, but I must have caught it when I was in exactly the right frame of mind; I can imagine being a lot less open-minded under different circumstances.
― clemenza, Thursday, 2 August 2012 13:55 (eleven years ago) link
I sad in an almost unheated theater in January in an uncomfortable seat with a blanket I brought wrapped around me to watch Satantango. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
― Eric H., Thursday, 2 August 2012 13:59 (eleven years ago) link
The only one I haven't seen is Histoire(s) du cinéma, on reserve at the library. I'm pretty sure I've seen the other 49 in a theater at least once, or at least 45 of them.
Feel boredom at Glitter instead.
Two theatrical viewings of Satantango, I'm done. Wouldn't make my top 500. It's good, though.
― Pangborn to be Wilde (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:04 (eleven years ago) link
I liked Werckmeister Harmonies enough that I'm anxious to see Satantango. I'll force myself to wait for a Lightbox showing.
― clemenza, Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:06 (eleven years ago) link
32
― Your sweet bippy is going to hell (WmC), Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:15 (eleven years ago) link
Morbs I fucking hate westerns/John Wayne cliche machismo bullshit. Like its not that I find it offensive per se but it's just so corny to me
― the mandy moorhols (Stevie D(eux)), Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:25 (eleven years ago) link
Have yet to see any Leone though so maybe that'll change shit up
so westerns/cowboy hats = unalloyed machismo? not true at all
Wayne gave a number of rather sensitive performances. Maybe you should see his last one where he (and his character) have terminal cancer.
― Pangborn to be Wilde (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:27 (eleven years ago) link
I think the majority of The Searchers votes are indulgences in tokenism; people who are passionate about Ford have a much wider scatter of favorites.
― Pangborn to be Wilde (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:28 (eleven years ago) link
My default response to westerns is boredom too, but there are definitely exceptions. Among them is The Searchers.
― Eric H., Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:29 (eleven years ago) link
It might be tokenism, but I can safely say the only western that would've even come close to making my ballot is Assault on Precinct 13.
In the shamefully omitted Red River, John Ireland and Monty compare their guns.
http://www.kevinpratt.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/13195770.png
― Pangborn to be Wilde (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:31 (eleven years ago) link
Overrated both as a western and as a gay classic.
― Eric H., Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:32 (eleven years ago) link
Well, the latter at least. Don't have much investment in following hierarchies for the former.
― Eric H., Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:33 (eleven years ago) link
I like Red River less now but as a guy who resisted westerns in the early nineties it was a good gateway
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:33 (eleven years ago) link
the Stewart-Mann westerns are good entry points too.
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:34 (eleven years ago) link
Who gives a flying fuck what's overrated and underrated?
"I saw Ride the High Country. I'd love it, but damn, not enough other people do."
― Pangborn to be Wilde (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:35 (eleven years ago) link
Red River as a "gateway Western" makes a good deal of sense if the intention here is to force Stevie to like westerns, tho.
― Eric H., Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:37 (eleven years ago) link
I've not seen half, but since I plan to live to age 84 I'm right on track:
8 1/2, L’Atalante, Late Spring, Au hasard Balthazar, Mirror, L’avventura, Le Mépris, Battleship Potemkin, Ordet, Wong Kar-Wai, Andrei Rublev, Stalker, Shoah, Jeanne Dielman 23 quai du Commerce 1080 Bruxelles, Sátántangó, Journey to Italy, Pather Panchali, Some Like It Hot, Gertrud, Pierrot le fou, Play Time, Close-Up, Histoire(s) du cinéma, La Jetée.
I'd love to be able to see Singin' In The Rain for the first time! The 20 minutes of Persona that make sense are awesome and La Dolce Vita is fun if only because it provided so much pop imagery of Italy. In general this list skews boring/beautiful.
― Pete Scholtes, Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:44 (eleven years ago) link
If you want to hasten the aging process, Stalker's the one to see.
― clemenza, Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:47 (eleven years ago) link
Maybe I'm revealing myself as Captain "All I Know About Cinema I Learned From The Canon," but I truly believe the overwhelming majority of the films on this list are way closer to beautiful than boring.
― Eric H., Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:48 (eleven years ago) link
xpost OK, Stalker is a little bit of both.
Great ending, I'll give it that.
― clemenza, Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:49 (eleven years ago) link
I'd love to be able to see Singin' In The Rain for the first time!
So true. For me, this is one of the very worst things about getting older.
― clemenza, Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:53 (eleven years ago) link
A lot of these are beautiful but I mean anyone who actually earnestly thinks La Dole Vita isn't a bloated snoozefest is totally fronting
I did like Stagecoach fwiw
― the mandy moorhols (Stevie D(eux)), Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:54 (eleven years ago) link
I have never seen Singin' In The Rain! Maybe I should
― the mandy moorhols (Stevie D(eux)), Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:55 (eleven years ago) link
xp wait until older really kicks in and everything will be new for the second time.
― Andrew Farrell, Thursday, 2 August 2012 14:55 (eleven years ago) link
really, I rewatched Solondz's Happiness recently and had forgotten 80% of it.
Did the #51-100 listing appear somewhere? Maybe Lubitsch & Sturges showed up there.
― Pangborn to be Wilde (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 2 August 2012 15:03 (eleven years ago) link
le méprisjeanne dielman, 23 something something pierott le fouhistoire(s) du cinéma
― what makes you think its a pun (Lamp), Thursday, 2 August 2012 15:03 (eleven years ago) link
I haven't seen Singin' in the Rain yet! TCM has it on the 23rd, will watch.xposts
― Your sweet bippy is going to hell (WmC), Thursday, 2 August 2012 15:04 (eleven years ago) link
Probably won't ever forget Camryn Manheim tearing into that tulip sundae while talking about castrating the rapist doorman.
― Eric H., Thursday, 2 August 2012 15:09 (eleven years ago) link
Or, rather, dismembering him without touching "that."
Yeah, that's def one of the ones I haven't seen that I'm most looking forward to.
― Trewster Dare (jaymc), Thursday, 2 August 2012 15:12 (eleven years ago) link
Seeing these films in theaters is clearly the way to go -- I should probably be more alert to screenings.
― Trewster Dare (jaymc), Thursday, 2 August 2012 15:13 (eleven years ago) link
Man this list makes me feel terrible about how much I haven't seen! I've only seen 14 of these.
― heated debate over derpy hooves (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 2 August 2012 15:15 (eleven years ago) link
yeah I blocked out Camryn Manheim as much as possible.
― Pangborn to be Wilde (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 2 August 2012 15:16 (eleven years ago) link
Aren't you two guys in Chicago? What are the rep theatres like there?
― clemenza, Thursday, 2 August 2012 15:16 (eleven years ago) link
I may be wrong, but it seems like a lot of those theaters around here have been more focused on "cult" stuff from the last 20-30 years than the older canon type stuff.
― heated debate over derpy hooves (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 2 August 2012 15:18 (eleven years ago) link
haven't seen 23, don't feel too terrible about it
― vincent black shadow giallo (Edward III), Thursday, 2 August 2012 15:20 (eleven years ago) link
That's what Toronto's reps used to be like, then they all went out of business in the first half of the 2000s as rental stores ascended, before they started reopening in the past few years as primarily second-run houses. So mostly it's canon-type stuff at the Lightbox now, and documentaries at the Bloor. (xpost)
― clemenza, Thursday, 2 August 2012 15:22 (eleven years ago) link
I love early godard but breathless is not a film I'd recommend to anybody unless they had an interest in film history
some entries on this list just seem like bowing to icons
― vincent black shadow giallo (Edward III), Thursday, 2 August 2012 15:23 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, I think that's fair. The 11:30 AM weekend screenings at the Music Box are often a good bet, though.
― Trewster Dare (jaymc), Thursday, 2 August 2012 15:32 (eleven years ago) link
Tbh though, I haven't paid attention since my son was born last year, my chances to go see movies in a theater are much less now.
― heated debate over derpy hooves (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 2 August 2012 15:35 (eleven years ago) link
Have not seen 16 of these.
I was also ready to bitch about the fairly poor state of rep screenings here as opposed to some of the other places cited itt, but looking over the list now I see that many of the films on it I have seen (and some I haven't) I either saw for the first time or had the chance to see or rescreen in a theater over the past several years.
― Jeremy Spencer Slid in Class Today (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 2 August 2012 15:51 (eleven years ago) link
i've seen 31. most of the 19 i haven't are "foreign" films, including a number i'm embarassed to admit i've avoided over the years:
8½Battleship PotemkinL’AtalanteLate SpringAu hasard BalthazarMirrorL’avventuraLe MéprisOrdetShoahTokyo StoryBicycle ThievesJeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce 1080 BruxellesThe 400 BlowsLa Règle du jeuJourney to ItalyGertrudHistoire(s) du cinémaThe Battle of AlgiersSunrise: A Song of Two HumansUgetsu monogatari
― contenderizer, Thursday, 2 August 2012 16:20 (eleven years ago) link
oh man – what I'd give to watch The Rules of the Game or Sunrise for the first time.
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 2 August 2012 16:22 (eleven years ago) link
I try not to fetishize first screenings of anything, because a lot of my favorite movies were "meh" on first watch.
― Eric H., Thursday, 2 August 2012 16:24 (eleven years ago) link
4
― nostormo, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 11:12 (eleven years ago) link
I read the list, have seen some of these films, life is too long to have seen all these already, let's keep some good stuff for later hey?
hmm.....
eh?
― Mark G, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 11:12 (eleven years ago) link
you can see all 50 and keep other good stuff for later (and there are many)
― nostormo, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 11:13 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, I suppose so.
I'm the same with music, I discover things every year that other people would expect me to have used up / worn out, like a couple years ago I decided "Physical Grafitti" and "Axis: Bold as love" were worth checking out for the first time.
― Mark G, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 11:15 (eleven years ago) link
me too
― nostormo, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 11:17 (eleven years ago) link
but my ability to continue listening to a new record for a long time, even if it's great, is shortened. lack of patience and time i guess.
― nostormo, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 11:19 (eleven years ago) link
life's too short not to see some of these as many times as possible
― tochter tochter, please (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 11:20 (eleven years ago) link
i have a feeling i'm never gonna be in the mood for 'satantango.'
Feel the same way about Seven Samurai, which is I'm positive always going to be the highest ranking movie I've never seen in its entirety.
This sounds odd to me, because despite it's length SS is not really "slow movie", and it's pretty entertaining from beginning to the end. What's the thing that has stopped you from watching it all the way through?
― Tuomas, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 13:07 (eleven years ago) link
those picks for iranian gateway films are crazy imo the one you want is jafar panahi's Offside - quite fast, gently funny, extremely accessible. & it's a suberb film
― don't call it a cloud rap i've been high for years (zvookster), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 13:15 (eleven years ago) link
itt Matt P coughs up his regularly scheduled hairball
― I Don't Wanna Be Dissed (By Anyone But You) (WilliamC), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 13:34 (eleven years ago) link
the lex (eric h)
I have never once caused half a kitchen to go up in flames by opening up a can of soda.
― Zero Dark 33⅓: The Final Insult (Eric H.), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 15:22 (eleven years ago) link
What's the thing that has stopped you from watching it all the way through?
Sometimes fast movies are more boring than slow ones.
Oddly of the ilxors whose tastes I’ve been able to get a bead on, Lex is my polar opposite while Eric is probably most similar to me.
― circa1916, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 15:59 (eleven years ago) link
I've seen 12, haven't seen 38.
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:05 (eleven years ago) link
I thought 'gateway' -- if we're talking about the recent output of AN ENTIRE NATION -- required it actually be 'great' as well as relatively accessible. Offside is a good film but some '90s Kiarostami might do just as well; I really don't think most of em are impenetrable or difficult w/o context of other films (excepting maybe taste of Cheery).
― Pope Rusty I (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 16:18 (eleven years ago) link
― I Don't Wanna Be Dissed (By Anyone But You) (WilliamC), Wednesday, February 20, 2013 5:34 AM (9 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
just for you sweetums
― administrator galina (Matt P), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 22:48 (eleven years ago) link
fwiw i was taking the piss. i have a deep and undying love for this list, dr morbius, clemenza, and especially pauline kael. eric h can eat it though.
― administrator galina (Matt P), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 22:59 (eleven years ago) link
^lol
Offside has a bunch of characteristics that appeal about (and was marketed to us thru festivals as) "iranian cinema"―unforgettable non-actors, mixing documentary & fiction in startling ways, political issues & that great advantage of all "world cinema": simply a window on an unfamiliar world.
so seeing it should stand one in good stead i think for, say, this is not a film, the apple (sib), thru close-up etc., back to a moment of innocence. and in truth i think it stands in this company, tho i can show it to non-cineastes when putting on the wind will carry us would be gauche.
(i agree films like moment of innocence, the apple & even close-up are not especially difficult watches, but as much as i may imagine through the olive trees or TWWCU has a trancending universality, slow 90s kiarostami is sort of what i think someone who can't get into iranian film knee-jerks against.)(i also think this cinema is particularly helped by an actual cinema.)
but on a different tack, here's nanni moretti's slow wry 7 minute short The Opening Day of Close-Up, maybe as good a gateway as any, in which close-up looks intriguingly beautiful
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDI4MzI3OTEy.html
― don't call it a cloud rap i've been high for years (zvookster), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 23:54 (eleven years ago) link
eric h can eat it though.
Right up there with the best of them.
― Zero Dark 33⅓: The Final Insult (Eric H.), Thursday, 21 February 2013 00:26 (eleven years ago) link
the apple is as rewarding as any film i can think of but is def a difficult watch imo, just wrt the first 20 minutes. i can imagine people turning off. what's satisfying is how the air in the room changes as this progresses, though, as the humour surfaces, as it becomes almost playful. really feeling your exemplary post btw so only being picky here.
― schlump, Thursday, 21 February 2013 00:34 (eleven years ago) link