Most social satires and dramas from the 1970s are still, unfortunately, relevant and "the same," for lack of a better word. This is a very good example. Great early DP job by Gordon Willis. I remember not really liking the lead though (the landlord, lol), obviously the character must be a wormboy, but as I recall he was a little too broad and bumbling. Absolutely worth seeing, though. An underrated and under seen film.
― flappy bird, Friday, 28 May 2021 06:21 (three years ago) link
Several times a week I walk past the block that the landlord's house was on (and it's still there). If the landlord had held onto that house he would now own a multimillion dollar property. There's a line in the film where I think Lee Grant describes the neighborhood as a "slum," which would be a guaranteed laugh today if the film were shown locally (which it occasionally is).
― Josefa, Friday, 28 May 2021 14:37 (three years ago) link
more and more The Landlord feels like Ashby's most essential flick.
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 28 May 2021 14:38 (three years ago) link
He strikes an unusually harmonic balance of drama/humor/relevance in it. I like Being There fine, but it's more farce-heavy.
― Josefa, Friday, 28 May 2021 15:17 (three years ago) link
Watched The Last Detail this weekend, such a fantastic film.
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 13 March 2023 14:46 (one year ago) link
These days I'm pretty certain its his best.
― niall horanburger (cryptosicko), Monday, 13 March 2023 15:00 (one year ago) link
It really is up there with Being There, for sure. Quaid's naive cluelessness was great, though a little wild to watch knowing where he'd end up.
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 13 March 2023 15:34 (one year ago) link
Being There's the only one of his '70s I squirm through. Sellers' routine gets wearing imo.
I'm here for The Landlord, The Last Detail, and Shampoo tho.
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 13 March 2023 15:39 (one year ago) link
*wearying
I need to see The Landlord and, actually, probably Shampoo again since I haven't seen that since the early '90s.
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 13 March 2023 15:40 (one year ago) link
Being There and Harold and Maude were huge movies for me in my teens, but I feel like I've cooled on them quite a bit. The Landlord, Shampoo and Bound for Glory never really clicked for me, the first two might benefit from rewatches (I don't see my first impression of BfG as a beautifully-shot but rote biopic changing).
― niall horanburger (cryptosicko), Monday, 13 March 2023 15:44 (one year ago) link
Bound for Glory is among the 'less than or equal to the fingers on one hand' number of biopics I actually like. And I'm fairly indifferent to the subject, even.
Finally saw The Landlord a year or two ago and thought it was great. I don't know why I was under the impression that it was less well-regarded than his other '70s stuff, but I well-regarded it.
Shampoo is the '70s Ashby flick I've long been IDGI about. But then it's been a very long time since I've seen it so I should probably reassess. I'm much more familiar with/enamored of the work of Julie Christie and Lee Grant than I was a quarter century ago, for a start.
― Beautiful Bean Footage Fetishist (Old Lunch), Monday, 13 March 2023 17:55 (one year ago) link
I had to accept that Warren Beatty was the least cute and least charming actor in it.
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 13 March 2023 18:06 (one year ago) link