Classic cinema - thoughts and questions

Re: Classic cinema / current cinema - thoughts and questions

Morricone is brilliant! I know when I watch a movie he scores the music gets stuck in my head for days and days. It's really amazing stuff.
 
Re: Classic cinema / current cinema - thoughts and questions

I saw Once Upon a Time in the West a couple of weeks ago and I've been listening to the soundtrack constantly ever since.

I also recently acquired a three-DVD package with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and For a Few Dollars More (along with another Eastwood western called Hang 'Em High that I haven't heard of) for almost nothing at all. I'll try to post something as soon as I've watched them.
 
Re: Classic cinema / current cinema - thoughts and questions

Shadow said:
I saw Once Upon a Time in the West a couple of weeks ago and I've been listening to the soundtrack constantly ever since.

I also recently acquired a three-DVD package with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and For a Few Dollars More (along with another Eastwood western called Hang 'Em High that I haven't heard of) for almost nothing at all. I'll try to post something as soon as I've watched them.
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Did this package not contain A Fistful of Dollars?
 
Re: Classic cinema / current cinema - thoughts and questions

No. It's not a proper collector's set or anything, just one of those endless packages of vaguely related movies you find in bargain bins.
 
Re: Classic cinema / current cinema - thoughts and questions

A bit odd, because it omits the first film of the "Dollars trilogy".

On the other hand, with this package you still have 3 subsequent Westerns (all distributed by United Artists) starring Eastwood. Namely his last two Leone Westerns (For a Few Dollars More & The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) + his first non-Leone Western (Hang 'em High), which is at the same time the first Western done by his own production company.

So you could see it as a nice "the-end-and-the-new-beginning"-collection. :)

(I still have to see Hang 'em High)
 
Re: Classic cinema / current cinema - thoughts and questions

You should also see High Plains Drifter, which is another "man with no name" Western starring (and directed by, I think) Clint Eastwood.  It's my favorite of all the Eastwood Westerns, at least until Unforgiven. 

EDIT:  I was right -- in fact, it was the very first Western that Eastwood directed.  (It was the second film he directed, the first was Play Misty For Me.) According to the film's Wikipedia entry, the English version is the one that Eastwood intended, and some foreign language editions contain a key plot element that Eastwood intentionally omitted from the final English version:

Specifically, the foreign language version suggests that Eastwood's character is Marshall Duncan's brother; in the English version, it is ambiguous and suggests the supernatural explanation that Eastwood's character is Duncan risen from the dead -- which, again, is what Eastwood wanted.

So, if possible where you are, check out the English language version. 
 
Re: Classic cinema / current cinema - thoughts and questions

I really love High Plains Drifter. It was the first western with Clint I saw, randomly in the middle of the night, and it really caught my attention. He did a great job, both as the director and as the main protagonist. I can't recommend this movie enough.

CFH is absolutely right - watch the English language version.
 
Re: Classic cinema / current cinema - thoughts and questions

I have seen HPD. It thought it was not bad but absolutely not his best imo.

From the ones I've seen, my favourite Western with Eastwood until Unforgiven is The Outlaw Josey Wales (which coincidently is Nicko McBrain's favourite film).

Have you seen this one? What an adventure, I find it about as good as Unforgiven!
A lot of cool scenes, not a dull moment, and there's quite some humor as well. And there's a cool Indian playing in it, one of the better respectful roles so to speak. Another one which should be good is Pale Rider (not seen yet).
 
Re: Classic cinema / current cinema - thoughts and questions

I like The Outlaw Josey Wales fine, but I strongly prefer High Plains Drifter, which is a much more tightly crafted movie, without any wasted shots. The scenes in OJW with Chief Dan George are the best parts, but I think the movie suffers when the family from Kansas shows up (and that's saying something, because I'm from Kansas!).

Pale Rider is outstanding -- good story and cast, including the always-entertaining Richard Kiel (Jaws from the James Bond movies). The cinematography and scenery are beautiful, and my old college roommate still talks about how "hot" the Megan character is. The actress, Sydney Penny, was only about 14 when the movie was filmed, so I tend to keep my mouth shut -- see Roman Polanski thread -- though to be fair, she did grow up to be pretty hot:
 
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Re: Classic cinema / current cinema - thoughts and questions

The Wolfman with Benicio del Toro opens today and unless you don't know your movies, you'd know it is a remake of the classic 1942 film starring Lon Chaney Jr. son of the legendary Lon Chaney who played the phantom, in the 1923 classic silent film, The Phantom of the Opera

I for one cannot wait to see this film because at least from the previews it did it's CGI right where the effects aid the film rather than overwhelm it, so I have high expectations. But as good as the cgi can be, the best werewolf transformation is still that of An American Werewolf in London...
 
Re: Classic cinema / current cinema - thoughts and questions

Onhell said:
The Wolfman with Benicio del Toro opens today and unless you don't know your movies, you'd know it is a remake of the classic 1942 film starring Lon Chaney Jr. son of the legendary Lon Chaney who played the phantom, in the 1923 classic silent film, The Phantom of the Opera

I for one cannot wait to see this film because at least from the previews it did it's CGI right where the effects aid the film rather than overwhelm it, so I have high expectations. But as good as the cgi can be, the best werewolf transformation is still that of An American Werewolf in London...
Click to expand...

= 1941
= 1925
:D

I liked the transformation of Werewolf of London (1935) a lot.

Like you, I am planning to see the "new" Wolfman as well. :)
 
Re: Classic cinema / current cinema - thoughts and questions

Thanks Foro, I had a feeling I might be off on the dates a bit. I'm yet to see the 1935 film...
 
Re: Classic cinema / current cinema - thoughts and questions

Onhell said:
Thanks Foro, I had a feeling I might be off on the dates a bit. I'm yet to see the 1935 film...
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Speaking of astonishing transformations (and good classic horror movies), I really recommend to you:

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
 
Re: Classic cinema / current cinema - thoughts and questions

Damn, I never even heard of half these films.
When I think classic cinema, I think Star Wars!
 
Re: Classic cinema / current cinema - thoughts and questions

HA! Well, to be fair they are modern classics, but There is a host of older films you have to take a look at. The 70's are FILLED with great films such as Network, Rollerball, Soylent Green, The Omega Man and of course the first Star Wars. But if you go back to the Silent Era Nosferatu CANNOT be missed, the first potrayal of Dracula that Stoker's widow sued for copyright infridgement or something like that and ordered all copies burnt. It miraculously survived. Then there is the very racist A Birth of a Nation which racist slant is matched by its cinematic innovation. It is as brilliant as it is offensive hahahaha. It introduced the close-up, longshot and is argued to be the very first blockbuster. It also inadvertently resurrected the KKK... Those are just a few, read back posts in this thread and you will find plenty of movies to add to your list and which will most likely take the rest of your life to watch.
 
Re: Classic cinema / current cinema - thoughts and questions

Most of my top 10 favorite movies ever are from the 90's or late 80's I think. SW is an exception.
Some of them are Pulp fiction, Full Metal Jacket and Big Lebowski. Not conventional but still.
 
Re: Classic cinema / current cinema - thoughts and questions

Mega said:
Most of my top 10 favorite movies ever are from the 90's or late 80's I think.
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Yeah, I had that too, the first 25 years of my life (though there were exceptions like Spartacus, Guns of Navarone, The Longest Day, Ben-Hur & Star Wars). After that I "saw the light" (thanks to my wife who introduced me to older films).
 
Re: Classic cinema / current cinema - thoughts and questions

I watched The Shawshank Redemption.
All I can say is wow. I mean, Family guy ruined the ending for me so I basically knew what's going to happen and it was still amazing.
 
Re: Classic cinema / current cinema - thoughts and questions

Mega said:
I watched The Shawshank Redemption.
All I can say is wow.
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Remember that Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction were both nominated for Best Picture in the same year -- and both lost to Forrest Gump.  :blink:  Indefensible.  If you had to pick only one of those three DVDs to watch multiple times over the next several weekends, would you really pick Forrest Gump???  Of course not.   


In related news, Ordinary People beat Raging Bull and The Elephant Man in 1980, Chariots of Fire beat Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, and Terms of Endearment  beat The Right Stuff in 1983.  Conclusions:  (a) The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the early 1980s consisted of a bunch of weepy-eyed ninnies, and (b) no one should take the Oscars too seriously. 
 
Re: Classic cinema / current cinema - thoughts and questions

Yeah, look at all those excellent Hitchcock films. No Oscars. Exception is Rebecca (1940) but in the fifties he made so many great films, and let's not forget Psycho (1960).
 
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