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| whiskeypriest |
 Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 9:36 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: "It's a Dry Heat."
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billyweeds wrote: Revisited The Third Man for the umpteenth time, but this time saw it from beginning to end for the first time in years. Is there a more perfect motion picture? |
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I ask you, Velvel, as a rational man, which of us is possessed? |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 10:19 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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marantzo wrote: I never saw The Ice Storm. Back in the NYTFF days I wrote a scathing review of American Beauty. The only scene I liked in the whole film was the sexual adultery one with the real estate KING. Now that was funny. The whole film should have been a comedy instead of an attempt to be a serious intellectual drama. So many scenes were so ridiculous that they were laughable. The wind blown plastic bag scene that was supposed to be some sort of artistic epiphany should have had Jacque Tati chasing it with his pipe in his mouth.
The first and only time I saw The Third Man on the big screen was in Paris. Great film. I caught up on all the movie classics I'd missed when I lived there. Merci Paris.
American Beauty is an outrageously overrated movie. It's not really bad, it's just overblown. That plastic bag scene is, as Gary says, ridiculous. David Lynch's The Straight Story was IMO the best movie of 1999. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 10:20 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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whiskeypriest wrote: billyweeds wrote: Revisited The Third Man for the umpteenth time, but this time saw it from beginning to end for the first time in years. Is there a more perfect motion picture? No. Or was that rhetorical?
Rhetorical. There are movies just as perfect--Rear Window, Casablanca, Singin' in the Rain, for instance--but none more. |
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| yambu |
| Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 12:01 pm |
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Joined: 23 May 2004
Posts: 6441
Location: SF Bay Area
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| The Third Man has been my all-time favourite, ever since I frst saw it at age six. It stands alone in my memory and my love. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 12:20 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
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Location: Black Hills
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American Beauty seemed to be a muddled thing, afflicted with good moments. Never have wanted to see it again. It's hard to make a good movie about alienation, so easy to misfire and alienate the viewer.
The Third Man edges out PeeWee's Big Adventure on my list of most perfect films, by a hair. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| Ghulam |
| Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 12:39 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Upstate NY
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whiskeypriest wrote: billyweeds wrote: Revisited The Third Man for the umpteenth time, but this time saw it from beginning to end for the first time in years. Is there a more perfect motion picture? No. Or was that rhetorical?
I must have seen it at least six times. |
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| whiskeypriest |
| Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 3:41 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: "It's a Dry Heat."
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| Speaking of perfect movies, I rewatched Nashville again today, with a great big smile on my face for its entire length. God is it wonderful. |
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I ask you, Velvel, as a rational man, which of us is possessed? |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 3:59 pm |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
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Location: Shanghai
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Really liked American Beauty.
Benning and Spacey are terrific.
Lots of humor throughout the film.
The only thing a little off is the dead man narration -- but if it's good enough for Sunset Blvd ... |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 4:54 pm |
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"The Straight Story was IMO the best movie of 1999"
Without doubt and Farnsworth should have got the Oscar (posthumously). |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 5:06 pm |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9010
Location: Shanghai
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Being John Malkovich
American Beauty
Fight Club
Three Kings
Toy Story 2
Was a helluva good year.
The lawnmower film wouldn't make my cut ... |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| whiskeypriest |
| Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 5:34 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: "It's a Dry Heat."
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billyweeds wrote: David Lynch's The Straight Story was IMO the best movie of 1999. |
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I ask you, Velvel, as a rational man, which of us is possessed? |
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| knox |
| Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 6:06 pm |
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Joined: 18 Mar 2010
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Location: St. Louis
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Straight Story - zzz.
American Beauty is not fit to lick dirt off the shoes of Sunset Blvd. But I sorta liked it, in spite of its many weak spots. The plastic bag scene invited parody (and I think parody came, including a bit on The Simpsons IIRC...)
Top of head, movies I would recommend to anyone - The Third Man, Sunset Blvd., The Big Sleep, Double Indemnity, The Apartment, Goodfellas, Miller's Crossing, Rear Window, Blade Runner, Chinatown, Vertigo, Casablanca, In a Lonely Place, The Godfather. |
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| Marj |
| Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 6:26 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Location: Manhattan
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knox wrote: Straight Story - zzz.
American Beauty is not fit to lick dirt off the shoes of Sunset Blvd. But I sorta liked it, in spite of its many weak spots. The plastic bag scene invited parody (and I think parody came, including a bit on The Simpsons IIRC...)
Top of head, movies I would recommend to anyone - The Third Man, Sunset Blvd., The Big Sleep, Double Indemnity, The Apartment, Goodfellas, Miller's Crossing, Rear Window, Blade Runner, Chinatown, Vertigo, Casablanca, In a Lonely Place, The Godfather.
Has it ever occurred to anyone that Sunset Blvd. may indeed be a terrific horror film?
Knox - You're a man after my own heart, but so is everyone in this discussion. Unfortunately I've lost count of how often I've seen The Third Man. I must wait at least a year or two before seeing it again. Still, every time I see it, I eagerly await Wells first appearance - you know, WP's avatar. |
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| whiskeypriest |
| Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 6:31 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: "It's a Dry Heat."
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knox wrote: Straight Story - zzz.
American Beauty is not fit to lick dirt off the shoes of Sunset Blvd. But I sorta liked it, in spite of its many weak spots. The plastic bag scene invited parody (and I think parody came, including a bit on The Simpsons IIRC...)
Top of head, movies I would recommend to anyone - The Third Man, Sunset Blvd., The Big Sleep, Double Indemnity, The Apartment, Goodfellas, Miller's Crossing, Rear Window, Blade Runner, Chinatown, Vertigo, Casablanca, In a Lonely Place, The Godfather.
The other movies you mention would be my recommendations as well, except In a Lonely Place, which I have never seen. How good could it be if I have never seen it? Not very good, I say. |
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I ask you, Velvel, as a rational man, which of us is possessed? |
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| Marj |
| Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 6:34 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Location: Manhattan
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Almost forgot - I have gotten to a point where I cannot watch a film with commercials. Last night a friend and I wanted to watch O Brother, Where Art Thou. But it was on AMC. Not only did they cut in the middle of scenes, they were promoting Mad Men and another show on their station.
I gave up. |
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