Classic cinema - thoughts and questions
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Forostar
Ancient Mariner
And yes.... Norman Lloyd, probably the oldest figure of Hollywood (or any other film business?) (ever?), died 12 days ago at the age of 106.
He played tennis until his age of 100!
Norman Lloyd obituary
Veteran stage and screen actor, director and producer who worked with Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock
www.theguardian.com
With Gregory Peck in Spellbound (1945), directed by Hitchcock:
On the hand of the Statue of Liberty in another Hitchcock film, Saboteur (1942), by far his memorable role (and scene).
At age 102:
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The_7th_one
Ancient Mariner
Is that film where Dali painted a several backdrops?
RIP Norman Lloyd
RIP Norman Lloyd
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Forostar
Ancient Mariner
The Woman in the Window from 1944 could be my favourite by Fritz Lang.
From wiki:
Further contention was caused by the hiring of surrealist artist Salvador Dalí to conceive certain scenes in the film's key dream sequence. However, the sequence conceived and designed by Dalí and Hitchcock, once translated to film, proved to be too lengthy and complicated for Selznick, so the vast majority of what had been filmed ultimately was edited out. Two minutes of the dream sequence appear in the final film, but according to Ingrid Bergman, the original had been twenty minutes long.
The cut footage apparently is now considered a lost footage, although some production stills have survived in the Selznick archives. Eventually, Selznick hired William Cameron Menzies, who had worked on Gone With the Wind, to oversee the set designs and direct the sequence. Hitchcock himself had very little to do with its actual filming.
Spellbound had a Dali scene.
From wiki:
Further contention was caused by the hiring of surrealist artist Salvador Dalí to conceive certain scenes in the film's key dream sequence. However, the sequence conceived and designed by Dalí and Hitchcock, once translated to film, proved to be too lengthy and complicated for Selznick, so the vast majority of what had been filmed ultimately was edited out. Two minutes of the dream sequence appear in the final film, but according to Ingrid Bergman, the original had been twenty minutes long.
The cut footage apparently is now considered a lost footage, although some production stills have survived in the Selznick archives. Eventually, Selznick hired William Cameron Menzies, who had worked on Gone With the Wind, to oversee the set designs and direct the sequence. Hitchcock himself had very little to do with its actual filming.
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Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Sidney Poitier (1927-2022) has died! :-(
Incredibly powerful and groundbreaking actor, one of my favourites of all time (he's probably in my top 5, with people like Henry Fonda, James Stewart and Toshiro Mifune). It's probably how he played characters dealing with injustice that made him so good.
Some of his most impressive roles imo:
“No Way Out” (1950), in which he played a doctor persecuted by a racist patient.
“Blackboard Jungle” (1955), in which he played a troubled student at a tough New York City public school, seeing the light and eventually siding with Glenn Ford, the teacher who tries to reach him.
“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” (1967), a taboo-breaking film about an interracial couple, in which his race tests the liberal principles of his prospective in-laws, played by Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn (and his own parents are having difficulties as well).
Rest in peace Sidney, you've been very inspiring !
Incredibly powerful and groundbreaking actor, one of my favourites of all time (he's probably in my top 5, with people like Henry Fonda, James Stewart and Toshiro Mifune). It's probably how he played characters dealing with injustice that made him so good.
Some of his most impressive roles imo:
“No Way Out” (1950), in which he played a doctor persecuted by a racist patient.
“Blackboard Jungle” (1955), in which he played a troubled student at a tough New York City public school, seeing the light and eventually siding with Glenn Ford, the teacher who tries to reach him.
“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” (1967), a taboo-breaking film about an interracial couple, in which his race tests the liberal principles of his prospective in-laws, played by Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn (and his own parents are having difficulties as well).
Rest in peace Sidney, you've been very inspiring !
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
RIP
What a wonderful, impactful actor.
What a wonderful, impactful actor.
GhostofCain
Ancient Mariner
RIP Glenda Jackson
www.theguardian.com
Fantastic actor and also a great politician.
Glenda Jackson, fearless actor and politician, dies aged 87
Her singular passion lit up performances from Women in Love to King Lear and drove her 23-year middle career as an MP
www.theguardian.com
Fantastic actor and also a great politician.
bearfan
Ancient Mariner
Real shame. I had no idea she became an MP. Fantastic actressRIP Glenda Jackson
Glenda Jackson, fearless actor and politician, dies aged 87
Her singular passion lit up performances from Women in Love to King Lear and drove her 23-year middle career as an MP
Fantastic actor and also a great politician.
GhostofCain
Ancient Mariner
She did and after retiring from politics she started acting again. She was superlative as a woman with Alzheimer's disease in the BBC thriller film 'Elizabeth is missing'.
chaosapiant
Ancient Marinade
Does "The Godfather" count as classic cinema? I'm ashamed to admit I'd only watched it the first time last week and found it to be an incredible film.
The_7th_one
Ancient Mariner
I would say YES. It's one of the best movies ever made. The Godfather II is great too.
JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
It is one of the most respected and appreciated films in the history of cinema, I'd argue it might be actually overrated, if anything, great as it is.
Check out the sequel, it is often considered to be one of the best sequels ever (and I wholeheartedly agree, especially since I don't love the other ones that are usually mentioned as much - I like Alien 1 and 3 more than 2 and Terminator 1 more than 2)
Godfather 2 departs from the book more and is much darker, so I always found it a bit more interesting, more worthy of my attention. Both are awesome, though.
Check out the sequel, it is often considered to be one of the best sequels ever (and I wholeheartedly agree, especially since I don't love the other ones that are usually mentioned as much - I like Alien 1 and 3 more than 2 and Terminator 1 more than 2)
Godfather 2 departs from the book more and is much darker, so I always found it a bit more interesting, more worthy of my attention. Both are awesome, though.
chaosapiant
Ancient Marinade
Yea, I'm roughly half-way through the sequel now. It's good shit. DeNiro fucking slays as young Vito; got the voice and mannerisms down and everything, which is impressive for a character that didn't have a lot of screen time to begin with.
chaosapiant
Ancient Marinade
What’s folks consensus on Godfather 3 Coda? I understand the theatrical version is not folk’s favorite.
The_7th_one
Ancient Mariner
mmm I don't remember Part 3 very well, but it's the worst
Black Bart
Ancient Mariner
Part 3 is the previous decade's Phantom Menace: the one it's cool to hate even though one hasn't got anything but subjective remarks to make about it. Of course, it has been amplified by the rise of the Internet, which gives a say to everybody... but most of all, to anybody. A bit like a new Metallica album since Load.
My point is: watch it first, several times, to make your own opinion.
My point is: watch it first, several times, to make your own opinion.
JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
Each time I'm at the dentist's (as I was today), I remember Marathon Man and the "Is it safe?" scene.
And I stopped and realised the film is nearly a half century old by now, which is just... crazy.
Also, I wonder how long will that pop-cultural reference remain relevant. Do "kids" (
) still watch Marathon Man these days? Or the rest of the 70s cinema? Three Days of the Condor, All the President's Men, The Getaway - I always loved those, 70s Hollywood is among my favourite eras in film, but I wonder how much does (and will) it remain in public consciousness.
By now this era is similarly old as the 50s noirs were around the turn of the century. The Godfather is safe. So are the films by the huge directors (Barry Lyndon, Annie Hall) and those with huge reputation (like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Apocalypse Now)
But The Sting? Patton?* Midnight Express? Julia? Kramer vs. Kramer? Chinatown, even?
Any thoughts?
* I remember an early episode of The Simpsons which was heavily parodying Patton, obviously expecting people to know it by heart - which was much easier then, 20 years after it won the Best Picture, than now, since the original episode is further ago in history to us (1990) than the film (1970) was when the episode was released. Like I said, crazy!
And I stopped and realised the film is nearly a half century old by now, which is just... crazy.
Also, I wonder how long will that pop-cultural reference remain relevant. Do "kids" (
) still watch Marathon Man these days? Or the rest of the 70s cinema? Three Days of the Condor, All the President's Men, The Getaway - I always loved those, 70s Hollywood is among my favourite eras in film, but I wonder how much does (and will) it remain in public consciousness. By now this era is similarly old as the 50s noirs were around the turn of the century. The Godfather is safe. So are the films by the huge directors (Barry Lyndon, Annie Hall) and those with huge reputation (like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Apocalypse Now)
But The Sting? Patton?* Midnight Express? Julia? Kramer vs. Kramer? Chinatown, even?
Any thoughts?
* I remember an early episode of The Simpsons which was heavily parodying Patton, obviously expecting people to know it by heart - which was much easier then, 20 years after it won the Best Picture, than now, since the original episode is further ago in history to us (1990) than the film (1970) was when the episode was released. Like I said, crazy!