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| billyweeds |
 Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 4:57 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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marantzo wrote: There were definitely some great movies in the 50's but there was a carload of crap also. A bunch of the musicals were dreadful and a big bunch of the 'women's' movies. This would be more in the second half of the 50's I'd guess.
You left off Singin' In the Rain, Billy. You should be ashamed of yourself.
I thought about it too late and then got involved with something else before I could re-edit the post. Now you'll never know, but believe me, it was in my mind to put it in. Just strengthens my basic point: the 1950s may have been one of the most uninteresting decades in American history, but not at the movies. |
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| Joe Vitus |
| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 6:52 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Houston
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| Agree about the 60's being a weak decade. Some great things. But far more crap than not. Especially in terms of American releases. |
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| jeremy |
| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 7:20 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Location: Derby, England and Hamilton, New Zealand (yes they are about 12,000 miles apart)
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| All things are relative and the 60s was a good decade for British and French film. Similarly, we now seem to be going through a period where Spanish, Mexican, Korean and other international films are leading the way. From my perspective, a lot of Hollywood product is looking very tired at the moment. |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 7:26 pm |
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| I'm trying to think of the last American film that I came out of thinking, "Boy that was great." My memory isn't what it used to be, but the only ones I can think of weren't American. I must be forgetting some. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:23 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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Zodiac and Killer of Sheep qualify this year. Of course, Killer of Sheep is really a 1977 movie. Last year, nothing. The previous year, nothing. 2004-- Sideways. Before then, Mulholland Dr. in 2001. 1999--The Straight Story. And 1997, which produced Boogie Nights and L.A. Confidential.
I'm probably forgetting something or other. But there hasn't been too much. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:18 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
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Location: Shanghai
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I always think of the 60's as a great time for cinema. But just checked your qualifier, and agree that American films were rather weak. Of course, Italian, French and Japanese cinema were at a peak, in which you had creative output from both the post-war masters and the new generation.
Off the top of my head, I can only think of two or three great American films from the 60's: Dr. Strangelove, The Hustler. Other contenders: Darling and 2001. I'm probably missing something. Any other great American films of the 60's?
I always think of the 70's as a rather weak period, especially as US and international film got caught up in violence and soft-porn, and then US film heads into blockbuster mode later in the decade. But the main problem with the 70's is the steep drop off in foreign film. As for US films, I guess it's really a matter of personal taste, as I don't like Altman much at all, can't get into Kubrick's 70's films, and am lukewarm to Scorsese. I also think Chinatown and The Godfathers are overrated.
Then again, there's Woody Allen's early films, with Fassbinder on the international scene. My favorite American films of the 70's: One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Annie Hall. After that, probably A Woman Under the Influence and the first two Monty Python films. Seems that I like the comedies and psycho-dramas of the 70's. |
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| jeremy |
| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:36 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Location: Derby, England and Hamilton, New Zealand (yes they are about 12,000 miles apart)
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Gromit,
You've just written off a fantastic era in American film.
One also should be careful about ascribing decades to periods in filmmaking. You could make a case that as far as American film goes, the seventies started with the amorality of Bonnie & Clyde, say (1967 I think) and finshed with the advent of the blockbuster. Star Wars (1977 was it?) is probably a good a marker as any. |
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I know the meaning of life, it doesn't help me a bit.
I know beauty and I know a good thing when I see it. |
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| yambu |
| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:36 am |
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Joined: 23 May 2004
Posts: 6441
Location: SF Bay Area
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STRANGER THAN FICTION - My luv Emma Thompson, here part successful serious fiction writer, part otherworld spirit, literally descends on barely successful glide wings into the Manhattan publishing world, to set forth not only her latest novel with its tragic-destined main character, but, unwittingly, the life course of its real life doppelganger, played wonderfully by Will Ferrell.
The conceit works flawlessly through the end. It's a comedy, folks, but you don't know if the Ferrell character, being also the novel character, is going to survive himself. Dustin Hoffman shines as the wiggy academic, providing much plot glue. Maggie Guyllenhaal, as the opposite type love interest, at first repelled me when she was meant to grab me. But she softened into desire, once she started seducing Ferrell with gentle trash about Bavarian sugar cookies and milk.
There is a clever, novel device in the first several minutes, where Ferrell can hear the third person over-voice talking about him, and he responds to it. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:38 am |
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I'd really have to think about the 70's. I really like Patton, Young Frankenstein, Fiddler on the Roof, Taxi Driver, Sleuth, Manhattan, Being There, The Conversation (better than the Godfathers) and Breaking Away, and will gladly watch them any time, but there was a lot of dross, too. Same with the 60s.
The thing is, in any decade there are probably about 30 films you can name to make the decade look good, even if its a bad decade. Except for 1900-09, when there weren't any good full-length films at all. (There weren't many from 1910-9, either.) |
Last edited by Syd on Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:49 am; edited 1 time in total
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| Syd |
| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:47 am |
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gromit: Monty Python isn't American. The first two films are great, as is Cleese's A Fish Called Wanda.
I find What's Up, Doc? hilarious, but I feel a little shy about putting it on a decade best and leaving out The Last Picture Show.
Does Roman Polanski's Macbeth qualify as an American film? If so, put that among the decade's best.
The BBC's version of Measure for Measure is brilliant but it's 1) Not American, and 2) A TV movie. |
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| yambu |
| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:53 am |
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Joined: 23 May 2004
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Location: SF Bay Area
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Syd wrote: ....The thing is, in any decade there are probably about 30 films you can name to make the decade look good, even if its a bad decade. Except for 1900-09, when there weren't any good full-length films at all. (There weren't many from 1910-9, either.) |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:03 am |
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| I should mention Diary of a Mad Housewife, which made a great impression on me when I hadn't had a girlfriend. I owe a great debt to the (now unfortunately late) Carrie Snodgress. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:08 am |
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Sure decades are artificial cut-off points, but ones we are familiar with and use regularly.
I enjoy the political thriller genre, and could add The Manchurian Candidate to the 60's standouts, and The Parallax View to the 70's.
There's alot happening in the 70's, it's just that most of it doesn't excite me. But I think the 70's was a bad decade for international films. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:15 am |
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Syd wrote: gromit: Monty Python isn't American. The first two films are great, as is Cleese's A Fish Called Wanda.
I guess that's why they speak with those outrageous accents.
Quote: I find What's Up, Doc? hilarious, but I feel a little shy about putting it on a decade best and leaving out The Last Picture Show.
The Last Pic Show is deserving in my book. |
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| tirebiter |
| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 3:10 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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There are no great films from the 60s.
There are no great films from the sound era, and only one from before the coming of sound: Tubby Turns The Tables from 1916.
Full stop. |
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