― gaz (gaz), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 22:48 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 1 May 2003 00:56 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Pete (Pete), Thursday, 1 May 2003 09:54 (twenty-one years ago) link
― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 1 May 2003 21:33 (twenty-one years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 1 May 2003 21:46 (twenty-one years ago) link
― slutsky (slutsky), Thursday, 1 May 2003 23:02 (twenty-one years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 2 May 2003 02:19 (twenty-one years ago) link
― slutsky (slutsky), Friday, 2 May 2003 02:20 (twenty-one years ago) link
― slutsky (slutsky), Friday, 2 May 2003 02:38 (twenty-one years ago) link
― j fail (cenotaph), Friday, 2 May 2003 14:08 (twenty-one years ago) link
(nashville can fuck off, it's like some indie guy "sees through" chart music)
― mark s (mark s), Friday, 2 May 2003 19:54 (twenty-one years ago) link
At one time I would've picked "Nashville" as the best, and it's genius film, but these days I think I like "The Long Goodbye" best. But it's a small difference between those two. "Thieves Like Us" and "MASH" come in close after those two.
I haven't seen all his films, but I like most of them I have seen. I even liked "Dr. T." There is something very, very stoned and somewhat OFF about Altman even at his best, though--I can't quite put my finger on it. But he respects so many other things that most directors don't even notice/consider, so it evens out.
A lot of people would rank "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" up there--I need to see this one again, it's been a while.
His comeback movies--"Short Cuts" and "The Player" are both fine, I think.
― Jess Hill (jesshill), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 15:24 (twenty-one years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 15:28 (twenty-one years ago) link
― j fail (cenotaph), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 15:41 (twenty-one years ago) link
something like that, and I even saw it at the peak of my populist jihad.
― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 20:54 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Jess Hill (jesshill), Friday, 9 May 2003 16:05 (twenty-one years ago) link
― PVC (peeveecee), Friday, 9 May 2003 20:07 (twenty-one years ago) link
― PVC (peeveecee), Friday, 9 May 2003 20:09 (twenty-one years ago) link
But since this is "pick only one," I'll throw my support out for 3 Women, which I've heard is finally coming to video (in the form of a DVD with muthafucking commentary by Altman).
― Eric H. (Eric H.), Saturday, 17 May 2003 05:31 (twenty-one years ago) link
― slutsky (slutsky), Saturday, 17 May 2003 16:19 (twenty-one years ago) link
Here's to hoping the disc release isn't held up (he's confirmed that he's actually recorded the commentary so it shouldn't be too much longer).
― Eric H. (Eric H.), Saturday, 17 May 2003 17:59 (twenty-one years ago) link
― j fail (cenotaph), Monday, 19 May 2003 15:04 (twenty-one years ago) link
― PVC (peeveecee), Tuesday, 20 May 2003 06:15 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 21:04 (twenty years ago) link
― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 21:27 (twenty years ago) link
Brewster McCloud... I had to struggle to get through this one. I guess it sort of taught me what it feels like for other people who did the same with Popeye, Quintet, Images and Buffalo Bill and the Indians... all of which plenty have likened to having teeth pulled even though I found all four to be (if not in the same league as 3 Women, Goodbye or Nashville, still very much) worth investing serious time.
― Eric H. (Eric H.), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 07:06 (twenty years ago) link
BTW, there's a good book about Brewster floating around that was published in 1971. It was consists of three parts: A day-by-day account of the shooting, a transcript of the film itself, and the original script by Doran William Cannon, which is very, very different from the finished product (for example: it was set in NYC instead of Houston, there was no detective subplot etc.)
― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 18:10 (twenty years ago) link
― Eric H. (Eric H.), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 20:42 (twenty years ago) link
― Sean (Sean), Monday, 19 January 2004 20:53 (twenty years ago) link
http://www.criterionco.com/content/images/full_boxshot/230_box_348x490.jpg
― Eric H. (Eric H.), Friday, 30 January 2004 20:54 (twenty years ago) link
Eric you have just made my weekend! Thank you!
― BabyBuddha (BabyBuddha), Friday, 30 January 2004 21:00 (twenty years ago) link
― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 30 January 2004 21:20 (twenty years ago) link
― Sean (Sean), Friday, 30 January 2004 22:04 (twenty years ago) link
― esther (esther), Friday, 13 February 2004 23:57 (twenty years ago) link
I'm surprised that it was originally set in NYC, because Houston is the logical place for it. 1970 Houston is the home of NASA ("Space City" as the radio identifies at the beginning) - the maximization of the technological and bureaucratic form of flying that Brewster rejects.
The detective is a total transparent riff on Bullitt down to the name (Frank Shaft vs. Frank Bullitt), their home (San Francisco), their clothes, Steve McQueen's detached-acting, heck even the cars in the car chase (Shaft drives a Camaro - equivalent to Bullitt's Mustang. Brewster is in a Plymouth Road Runner - equivalent to the Dodge Charger in Bullitt. I've always found it hilarious that Altman has the detective off himself at the end of the chase rather than accept defeat.
In the end though, the Establishment wins - kinda like the ending of Vanishing Point but Brewster's end isn't transformative as Kowalski's.
It's also entirely possible that Altman and co. were just smoking a lot of weed and making stuff up on MGM's dime.
― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Monday, 1 March 2004 20:35 (twenty years ago) link
― todd swiss (eliti), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 06:54 (twenty years ago) link
Brewster McCloud??
I just saw it for the first time. I'm baffled. I honestly HATED it for the first 3/4, kinda got more into it once the Brewster/Shelley Duval thing heated up. though the prolonged car chase was execrable, but maybe that was a relatively "new" device then?? Fuck if I know. I'm glad it ended so weirdly, though, that was kind of reassuring, somehow.
I don't normally have a problem with more abstruse films, but this one, honestly, just seemed bad. Real bad. Except for Shelley Duvall. Holy mackerel.
― Monetizing Eyeballs (diamond), Thursday, 12 August 2004 04:19 (nineteen years ago) link
Actually, this comment from Eric H is interesting; that's precisely the thought process I had watching this thing. Like: now I know what it must feel like on those occasions when I drag some of my friends who aren't big cinephiles along to a more unconventional film. I think the fact that this film induced an uncomfortable feeling is probably a good thing, but I need to tease it out some more..
― Monetizing Eyeballs (diamond), Thursday, 12 August 2004 04:26 (nineteen years ago) link
McCabe and Mrs. Miller WINS ALL!
and Short Cuts, Nashville come in close behind.
― x j e r e m y (x Jeremy), Thursday, 12 August 2004 15:23 (nineteen years ago) link
― holojames (holojames), Friday, 13 August 2004 11:20 (nineteen years ago) link
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=378&item=6919072445&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW
I reccomend it to anybody interested in the film. It's also quite rare. (BTW, I'm not the merchant)
― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Saturday, 14 August 2004 16:13 (nineteen years ago) link
― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Sunday, 15 August 2004 15:41 (nineteen years ago) link
NashvilleM*A*S*H* (I thought these were both okay, w/Nashville having the higher high points, but neither prepared me for the unbelievable greatness of...)McCabe and Mrs. MillerThe Long Goodbye
I've seen almost all his post-Player stuff. So I'm trying to fill in the blanks in the 70s and 80s. Particularly curious about Brewster McCloud, the Buffalo Bill movie, the Nixon movie, and 3 Women.
― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 23 February 2005 22:56 (nineteen years ago) link
― t0dd swiss, Thursday, 24 February 2005 01:26 (nineteen years ago) link
next on the plate are probably Brewster McCloud and Thieves Like Us, tho the wife anxiously wants to see Pret-a-Porter, which I do not have fond memories of...
― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 22 April 2005 22:26 (nineteen years ago) link
― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 22 April 2005 22:33 (nineteen years ago) link
1. Nashville (1975) 2. The Long Goodbye (1973)3. Short Cuts (1993)4. McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971)5. MASH (1970)6. Buffalo Bill and the Indians (1976) 7. Tanner '88 (1988)8. Gosford Park (2001)9. The Player (1992)
Frankly, the top 4 are all even in my book.
― Remy (x Jeremy), Saturday, 23 April 2005 05:58 (nineteen years ago) link
― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 25 April 2005 21:50 (nineteen years ago) link
― The Yellow Kid (The Yellow Kid), Friday, 12 January 2007 06:16 (seventeen years ago) link
You are wrong about McCabe, flappy, but it's not uncommon for ppl to not really gel with it on first encounter and fall in love with it later. Was my experience and apparently Tarantino's as well.
― circa1916, Wednesday, February 28, 2018 3:02 PM (three hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
yeah I've only seen it once and will definitely revisit soon
― flappy bird, Thursday, 1 March 2018 00:04 (six years ago) link
Altman's (better) films almost require multiple viewings. There's often so much going on in the frame and on the soundtrack that it's impossible to take it all in on a single viewing. I think I catch new dialogue every time I see the tavern scenes in McCabe.
― Here Comes The Brain Event (Old Lunch), Thursday, 1 March 2018 00:16 (six years ago) link
McCabe demands multiple viewings, yes. My only reaction upon seeing it in high school was "huh?" Now I could be easily convinced that it is his best.
― Dangleballs and the Ballerina (cryptosicko), Thursday, 1 March 2018 01:19 (six years ago) link
I had a similar reaction to 3 Women at first blush. It grows in my esteem with every rewatch.
― Here Comes The Brain Event (Old Lunch), Thursday, 1 March 2018 03:32 (six years ago) link
I loved 3 Women on my first viewing, but I can probably credit that to my having already seen both Persona and Mulholland Dr.
― Dangleballs and the Ballerina (cryptosicko), Thursday, 1 March 2018 03:55 (six years ago) link
oooh true
― flappy bird, Thursday, 1 March 2018 04:08 (six years ago) link
That says a lot for 3 Women, which I saw when it first came out, and remains the clearest and most compelling--scenes still still roll in memory with no known cue, the swimming pool murals appeared as I was waking up a couple mornings ago---- more recently, "Wellll, you two have a lot in common." "Lak whut?" "Oh, I don't know! Aren't you both from Texas or something?" kept coming up while I was trying to wait patiently for the doctor.
(I'd like to see Buffalo Bill especially). He's never struck me as having anything particularly trenchant to say about any sort of social or historical concern, and seems more interesting as a weaver of tall tales with sometimes-interesting character portraits. He seems most interesting, however, as an at least semifictional observer and to some extent participant in what he really knows - the popular or semi popular performing arts world he inhabits -Which is why you might like Buffalo Bill, on a night when he's ramblin' around, gassin' about previous events and what he made of them, with the travelling Wild West Shows, Indian actors/re-enactors and all---Lester Bangs connected this to Dylan's theatrical self-presentation in his '74 reunion tour with The Band: a battered Americana legend-merchant in "full scraggle" (the raspy rattle of "It's Alright Ma" on that year's live Before The Flood is a good example).
― dow, Sunday, 4 March 2018 17:10 (six years ago) link
That is, Bangs specifically cited this movie as a thematic link to Dylan's self-presentation, whether D. was thinking of or had seen this movie or not.
― dow, Sunday, 4 March 2018 17:32 (six years ago) link
Watched OC & Stiggs again this weekend and yah I still think it's aged well and gets a bad rep. It's really fun seeing the Altman-isms translated for an 80s teen comedy. I don't get the hate for this.
― kurt schwitterz, Monday, 23 April 2018 22:23 (six years ago) link
FYI..."Images" is free to watch if you have Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B07578H9YR/Susannah York is very good in it, and the score works well (never would have guessed John Williams and avant-garde Japanese percussionist Stomu Yamashta would team up), but its variations on a theme get a little tiresome (ok, she's schizophrenic, this isn't real, I get it). Cathryn Harrison, who was the lead in Malle's "Black Moon," is also in it. Altman fans should check it out, but don't expect a masterpiece.
― ernestp, Sunday, 29 April 2018 19:34 (six years ago) link
1. California Split2. Nashville3. The Long Goodbye4. Brewster McCloud5. 3 Women6. The Player7. Short Cuts8. A Wedding9. McCabe & Mrs. Miller10. Secret Honor
not my thing: Thieves Like UsDud: Images, Buffalo Bill, MASH
haven't seen the restbut I have Kansas City and Streamers waiting
― flappy bird, Sunday, 10 February 2019 08:12 (five years ago) link
McCabe below Short Cuts and A Wedding is completely looney tunes but at least you're in the ballpark. I wouldn't put California Split first but I def rate it higher than most.
Musts to see if you haven't yet: Gosford Park, The Company, Tanner '88 (probably in my top five Altman projects)
― Shaved Cyborg (Old Lunch), Sunday, 10 February 2019 14:48 (five years ago) link
Thieves Like Us might be as high as #3 for me
never liked Brewster
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Sunday, 10 February 2019 14:52 (five years ago) link
Also Vincent & Theo and Prairie Home Companion were quite good iirc but it's been a while since I saw either.
― Shaved Cyborg (Old Lunch), Sunday, 10 February 2019 14:54 (five years ago) link
01. Nashville02. 3 Women03. Short Cuts04. McCabe & Mrs. Miller05. The Company06. The Long Goodbye
Those six are his undying masterpieces. The rest is a great jumble of movies I like a great deal more than most (Popeye) and a great deal less than most (California Split).
― zama roma ding dong (Eric H.), Sunday, 10 February 2019 18:48 (five years ago) link
1. The Long Goodbye2. McCabe and Mrs. Miller3. Thieves Like Us4. The Player5. 3 Women6. Nashville7. Vincent and Theo8. Gosford Park9. Secret Honor10. The Company
― Your sweetie-pie-coo-coo I love ya (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 10 February 2019 18:50 (five years ago) link
1. California Split2. The Long Goodbye3. McCabe & Mrs Miller4. Nashville5. Brewster McCloud6. Short Cuts7. The Player8. Gosford Park
I havent seen 3 Women, Thieves Like Us (well ive seen bits of it), A Wedding, The Company, Tanner '88
― . (Michael B), Tuesday, 12 February 2019 11:45 (five years ago) link
Cannot believe the disrespect being shown to O.C. & Stiggs itt rn.
― Shaved Cyborg (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 12 February 2019 12:48 (five years ago) link
Dr T and The Women much better on the rewatch. I'm not even sure why I thought it was middling back when it came out. That ending is insane!
― Saxophone Of Futility (Michael B), Wednesday, 22 December 2021 14:29 (two years ago) link
― zama roma ding dong (Eric H.), Sunday, February 10, 2019 12:48 PM (two years ago)
You know, four slots on the ILX all-time 100 was a lot, but I still can't begrudge him the "honor." When he was on he was kind of the best American filmmaker ever.
― Max Hamburgers (Eric H.), Wednesday, 22 December 2021 14:55 (two years ago) link
Thank you for tooting the Company horn. It'll probably be another couple decades before that film finally gets its proper recognition.
― Rep. Cobra Commander (R-TX) (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 22 December 2021 15:55 (two years ago) link
The cutest James Franco ever was, and that's an accomplishment.
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 22 December 2021 15:59 (two years ago) link
That was before he decided he wanted us to all know he wishes he were gay.
― Max Hamburgers (Eric H.), Wednesday, 22 December 2021 16:07 (two years ago) link
OC and Stiggs would make a good double bill with The Beach Bum. Both movies about self-styled rebels who are riding the wave like everyone else
― Saxophone Of Futility (Michael B), Wednesday, 22 December 2021 23:05 (two years ago) link