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| Ghulam |
 Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 10:53 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4742
Location: Upstate NY
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| Saw Coppola's 1979 opus Apocalypse Now for the third time. It remains a great film despite some parts that are not so satisfying, especially the denouement. The memorable scenes on Willard's (Sheen) journey up the river in Vietnam still retain their impact : the helicopter attack on a village in order to secure the beach for use by the troops for relaxation, or the unwarranted attack on a fishing boat, killing a whole family on a miscue. The cinematography by Vittorio Storaro (The Last Emperor) is superb. The movie is close in grandeur, if not in perfection, to [/i]Godfather and Godfather II. Coppola should rank, as a director IMO, slightly higher than Scorsese and Lean. |
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| lshap |
| Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 10:56 pm |
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Site Admin
Joined: 12 May 2004
Posts: 4248
Location: Montreal
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ehle64 wrote: Pugilism. I've never understood it. I've appreciated the sort of beauty of it thanks to Martin Scorsese and the genius Raging Bull. However, Cinderella Man is on right now, and I just can't see the appeal. I mean, why bother? Is Ron Howard capable of directing anything other than mass-appeal dreck?
I liked "Cinderella Man" alot. Mass appeal? Sure, I'll agree, but it's a fantastic true story, so how could it NOT appeal to the masses? The worst I can say about the film is that the concept's hardly groundbreaking, but this kinda' shit always gets me on a very primal level. |
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| lshap |
| Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 11:01 pm |
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Site Admin
Joined: 12 May 2004
Posts: 4248
Location: Montreal
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Ghulam wrote: The movie is close in grandeur, if not in perfection, to [/i]Godfather and Godfather II. Coppola should rank, as a director IMO, slightly higher than Scorsese and Lean.
Depends if you're grading on career length or concentration of genius. Scorsese has done better work over the long, long haul; Coppola kicked everyone's ass during that magical 70's decade. Cool debate though... |
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| Marj |
| Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 11:24 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 10497
Location: Manhattan
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Last night I saw two excellent foreign films. Perfect for Halloween. The first was Haxan, a semi documentary about whichcraft through the ages. It wasn't scary but certainly disturbing if one takes it too literally. But it was wonderfully shot and from what I've read only at night which gave it a much added sense of horror.
The second was M which is a classic. Obviously amazingly ahead of its time. Sadly I was awfully tired by the time it came on, but I watched again anyway. It still holds up but somehow after seeing Haxam seemed almost tame in comparison.
Point learned: Never watch two foreign films back to back. Especially when they're supposed to be horrific! And where was Nosferatu? I couldn't find it anywhere. |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 11:30 pm |
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Ehle wrote:
Quote: Pugilism. I've never understood it.
What's to understand? It's the most basic form of combat in sports. It's primal with rules. |
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| Joe Vitus |
| Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 11:31 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 14498
Location: Houston
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lshap wrote: Coppola kicked everyone's ass during that magical 70's decade.
Not Altman's. Nashville is the greatest movie of the 70's. |
_________________
You've got a great brain. You should keep it in your head.
-Topher |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 11:36 pm |
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| No, Alien was. I think that squeezed into the seventies. It was damn close if it didn't |
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| yambu |
| Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 12:20 am |
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Joined: 23 May 2004
Posts: 6441
Location: SF Bay Area
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| yambu |
| Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 12:27 am |
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Joined: 23 May 2004
Posts: 6441
Location: SF Bay Area
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| If I'm gonna watch Apocalypse Now again, should I get the Redux version, with its 53 extra minutes? |
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| tirebiter |
| Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 12:36 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4011
Location: not far away
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| I think a double-bill of Haxan (Witchcraft Through The Ages) and Eraserhead would unhinge any impressionable teenager. Strap 'em down like Alex DeLarge in A Clockwork Orange and let it all wash over them. Can't wait to try it on my kids.... |
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| shannon |
| Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 1:03 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 1628
Location: NC
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| Ghulam |
| Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 1:15 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4742
Location: Upstate NY
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| Yambu, Netflix did not send me redux version. The one they sent is 2 hours and 33 minutes long, which is what it was when it was first released. |
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| Marc |
| Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 2:52 am |
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Joined: 19 May 2004
Posts: 8424
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| STAY is an interesting failure. |
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| lshap |
| Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 10:35 am |
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Site Admin
Joined: 12 May 2004
Posts: 4248
Location: Montreal
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yambu wrote: If I'm gonna watch Apocalypse Now again, should I get the Redux version, with its 53 extra minutes?
The extra scenes do NOT improve the film, but they give you extra helpings if you have the appetite for it. |
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| lshap |
| Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 10:46 am |
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Site Admin
Joined: 12 May 2004
Posts: 4248
Location: Montreal
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Joe Vitus wrote: lshap wrote: Coppola kicked everyone's ass during that magical 70's decade.
Not Altman's. Nashville is the greatest movie of the 70's.
Nashville was a brilliant story quilt of overlapping threads.
The Godfather l and ll were gorgeously filmed operas.
Comparing the two directors on the basis of single films is impossible; their styles are so radically different. But I'd still give the nod to Coppola based on body of work: American Graffiti, The Conversation, The Godfather, Godfather ll, Apocalypse Now. I mean - holy shit! |
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