xxx

x

That's just infantile bitterness, Erica. BLADE RUNNER is a beautiful mess, and THE THING is an extremely effective horror flick (but nowhere in the same class as ALIEN) - it does what it says on the tin, and a bit more. but it ain't no masterpiece. Despite it's child subject, E.T. is a very adult, and surprisingly profound film. If E.T.. is "infantile" then so are THE RED BALLOON, WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND and 400 BLOWS. That's where Spielberg-the-evil's precedents lie.

Sharky wrote:

I love E.T., though that's pretty unfashionable these days. As much as I dig Carpenter's THE THING, there's much less to it.

I don't think either film is particularly profound, when you get down to it.

Harmsway wrote:

Sharky wrote:

I love E.T., though that's pretty unfashionable these days. As much as I dig Carpenter's THE THING, there's much less to it.

I don't think either film is particularly profound, when you get down to it.

With E.T., there's the common dialectic in Spielberg's films of man (though science) attempting attempting to play God. In the two JURASSIC PARKS films, it results in unleashing his wrath (through nature unbound), or in this case man is overcome by child (David and Goliath). The Messianic figure of E.T. is resurrected, and ascends into the heavens. 'I am with you always' (Matthew 28:20).

If the Ten Commandments could be distilled into just two words, it would be what E.T. says to Drew Barrymore before he leaves:

'Be good.'

The other of course, is the theme of aliens as divine beings. In that respect, CLOSE COUNTERS and E.T. would make a good double bill. Possibly A.i.. too, which is undoubtedly the strongest of the three.

I find it fascinating how Spielberg's cinema is bound by the New Testament, despite identifying as Jewish.

x

Hitler... there was a painter! He could paint an entire apartment in ONE afternoon! TWO coats!

x

Sharky wrote:

I find it fascinating how Spielberg's cinema is bound by the New Testament, despite identifying as Jewish.

Yes, his cinema does have strong Christian overtones.

(On a related note, I'm really hoping the rumored Spielberg-helmed Biblical Moses epic comes to fruition.)

x

i thought you were a Brittney fan?

x

And, finally, the two most fruitful decades for cinema:

1930-1939
1939: THE RULES OF THE GAME
1938: ALEXANDER NEVSKY
1937: MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW
1936: MODERN TIMES
1935: BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN
1934: THE BLACK CAT
1933: TESTAMENT OF DR. MABUSE
1932: VAMPYR
1931: THE THREEPENNY OPERA
1930: THE BLUE ANGEL

1920-1929
1929: PANDORA’S BOX
1928: THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER
1927: NAPOLEON
1926: FAUST
1925: BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN
1924: GREED
1923: LA ROUE
1922: NOSFERATU
1921: DESTINY
1920: THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI

Blimey, I'm getting buried alive in this thread. I hate lists, whether it's shopping, music or movies.

I love lists. They're pointless, but I can't stop making them.

Have you see THE MISSIONARY (1982)?

1969: THE BED SITTING ROOM
1968: HOUR OF THE WOLF
1967: WEEKEND
1966: BLOWUP
1965: PIERROT LE FOU
1964: THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
1963: THE NUTTY PROFESSOR
1962: THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE
1961: PIGS & BATTLESHIPS
1960: L'AVVENTURA

1959: HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR
1958: VERTIGO
1957: WILL SUCCESS SPOIL ROCK HUNTER?
1956: A MAN ESCAPED
1955: THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER
1954: REAR WINDOW
1953: PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET
1952: VIVA ZAPATA!
1951: A PLACE IN THE SUN
1950: PANIC IN THE STREETS

1949: THIEVES' HIGHWAY
1948: THE NAKED CITY*
1947: THE FUGITIVE
1946: THE BIG SLEEP
1945: SCARLET STREET
1944: THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW
1943: SHADOW OF A DOUBT
1942: THE MAGNIFICIENT AMBERSONS
1941: HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY
1940: REBECCA

*Way too much to love in 1948 though - FORCE OF EVIL, A FOREIGN AFFAIR, HAMLET, KEY LARGO, LETTER FROM AN UNKNOWN WOMAN, THE PIRATE (my favourite Minnelli), THE RED SHOES, SECRET BEYOND THE DOOR, THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE.

1939: GONE WITH THE WIND
1938: BRINGING UP BABY
1937: GRAND ILLUSION
1936: SABOTAGE
1935: THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN
1934: L'ATALANTE
1933: DUCK SOUP
1932: HORSE FEATHERS
1931: CITY LIGHTS
1930: THE BLUE ANGEL

1929: A COTTAGE ON DARTMOOR
1928: THE CROWD
1927: SUNRISE

HJackson wrote:

1947: THE FUGITIVE

Interesting choice, and not one I'm arguing with either. Saw it quite a while ago, and despite having gone through a trove of Ford's work in the interim, it's still quite memorable.

Sharky wrote:

Have you see THE MISSIONARY (1982)?

Nope.

1989: INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (Spielberg)
1988: NUOVO CINEMA PARADISO (Tornatore)
1987: THE UNTOUCHABLES (De Palma)
1986: ALIENS (Cameron)
1985: BRAZIL (Gilliam)
1984: ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA (Leone)
1983: NOSTALGHIA (Tarkovsky)
1982: BLADE RUNNER (Scott)
1981: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (Spielberg)
1980: AIRPLANE! (the Zuckers & Abrahams)

1979: APOCALYPSE NOW (Coppola)
1978: MIMINO (Daneliya)
1977: OFFICE ROMANCE (Ryazanov)
1976: TAXI DRIVER (Scorsese)
1975: THE IRONY OF FATE (Ryazanov)
1974: THE GODFATHER PART II (Coppola)
1973: IVAN VASILIEVICH: BACK TO THE FUTURE (Gaidai)
1972: THE GODFATHER (Coppola)
1971: A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (Kubrick)
1970: THE CONFORMIST (Bertolucci)

1969: ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (Hunt)
1968: ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (Leone)
1967: THE GRADUATE (Nichols)
1966: ANDREI RUBLEV (Tarkovsky)
1965: DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (Lean)
1964: DR. STRANGELOVE (Kubrick)
1963: 8 1/2 (Fellini)
1962: LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (Lean)
1961: ONE HUNDRED AND ONE DALMATIANS
1960: PSYCHO (Hitchcock)

Yeah... from some years I've seen no more than five films.

FourDot wrote:

HJackson wrote:

1947: THE FUGITIVE

Interesting choice, and not one I'm arguing with either. Saw it quite a while ago, and despite having gone through a trove of Ford's work in the interim, it's still quite memorable.

I saw it in the most objectionable quality on the BBC and it still blew me away. It's probably my favourite Ford film after HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY.

HJackson wrote:

*Way too much to love in 1948 though - FORCE OF EVIL, A FOREIGN AFFAIR, HAMLET, KEY LARGO, LETTER FROM AN UNKNOWN WOMAN, THE PIRATE (my favourite Minnelli), THE RED SHOES, SECRET BEYOND THE DOOR, THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE.

There is indeed a lot to admire in 1948, which makes me quite curious as to why you love THE NAKED CITY so much, a film I find to be capably made, but significantly less than a masterpiece. And when you've got THE RED SHOES or THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRE MADRE...

HJackson wrote:

FourDot wrote:

HJackson wrote:

1947: THE FUGITIVE

Interesting choice, and not one I'm arguing with either. Saw it quite a while ago, and despite having gone through a trove of Ford's work in the interim, it's still quite memorable.

I saw it in the most objectionable quality on the BBC and it still blew me away. It's probably my favourite Ford film after HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY.

Yeah, I've only seen an off-air recording.

I doubt even Colly could complain about Ward Bond's work in that film.

Have you seen Young Mr. Lincoln? That's another Ford film that really sticks with me. And Mary of Scotland, although I choose to look at that as a parody of an MGM film.

And The Prisoner of Shark Island. And The Informer. It's a pretty amazing catalogue, and I haven't even seen half of it.

FourDot wrote:

I doubt even Colly could complain about Ward Bond's work in that film.

I'd probably find something wrong with him in it. It is Ford directing, after all. ;)

Speaking of Bond and Ford, being in Ireland so recently meant I came into contact with a great deal of merchandise about THE QUIET MAN, which grated on me when I saw it and ever since has become even more annoying the more I think about it. Thankfully my Irish guide agreed with me. I bring this up because it also has Barry Fitzgerald, who of course is the cop in THE NAKED CITY. I didnt know this when I first rented it, and when I saw who he was, I turned it off in about 30 seconds.

I've subsequently given him another chance in stuff like GOING MY WAY and THE CATERED AFFAIR, but I dont know if I'll ever go near THE QUIET MAN again.

I believe he threatens a criminal with a train in the so-so UNION STATION.

x