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Classic Films Thread
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Clinically Insane
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I noticed that we don't have a general Classic Films thread; the only one I could find dates back a number of years.
I decided to create this thread because I saw a classic for the first time recently that I really enjoyed: The Graduate. The only thing I really knew about this film was the famous scene that's commonly played in film montages, "Mrs. Robinson, I think you're trying to seduce me." I wasn't really interested in it (frankly because I wasn't interested in an older woman seduction tale which is what I thought the whole movie was about) until I was told it was worth watching recently. I'm somewhat critical of one aspect of the film I found to be sloppily implausible, but I highly recommend it anyway, especially to new or recent college graduate guys who wonder about their futures (especially as far as relationships go). It's also interesting from the standpoint of watching a relatively young Dustin Hoffman, and Anne Bancroft was better looking than I expected her to be.
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Anne and Dustin were very close to the same age, only about 6 years apart, when they made the film-and Anne was quite hot! It's also rather important to note that Hoffman's character Ben had just graduated from a 2-year business school, not a BA program, which really should change how you look at Ben.
For me, the film wasn't about Ben being seduced by an older woman, but about Ben finding his place and direction in the world. While Mrs. Robinson was crucial to this journey, she wasn't the only-or really even the most important-influence.
Favorite quote:
Mr. McGuire: I want to say one word to you. Just one word.
Benjamin: Yes, sir.
Mr. McGuire: Are you listening?
Benjamin: Yes, I am.
Mr. McGuire: Plastics.
This is a great film to start us off with! Thanks for the idea!
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Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
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Great insights on the film, thank you Glenn. I did wonder how he was graduating from college so early and didn't realize it was supposed to be a two-year AA business degree. Makes a lot more sense, although given the fuss that everyone made over his graduation at the opening party I thought he got at least a B.A.. The point you brought up about the small age gap is very interesting as well.
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Considering the date of the film, I think AAs were far more common than BAs then.
I'd seen Hoffman on a "Director's Workshop" or other such interview show, and he was asked about the film. He mentioned working with Anne Bancroft and how "odd" the casting was because of the real ages of the players. IMDB points out that Bancroft was only 8 years older than Katherine Ross and William Daniels (Ben's father) was only 10 years older than Hoffman.
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Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
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Originally Posted by ghporter
Considering the date of the film, I think AAs were far more common than BAs then.
Very interesting. I had no idea such was the case. So you could land a professional position back then with only two years of post-high school education? Sounds nice.
I'd seen Hoffman on a "Director's Workshop" or other such interview show, and he was asked about the film. He mentioned working with Anne Bancroft and how "odd" the casting was because of the real ages of the players. IMDB points out that Bancroft was only 8 years older than Katherine Ross and William Daniels (Ben's father) was only 10 years older than Hoffman.
Haha, cool. I guess the actors were the right ages to be able to pull off the roles, but it was clear that Hoffman was older than casted.
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Last edited by Big Mac; Apr 3, 2011 at 07:21 AM.
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I've always been partial to Fiddler on the Roof.
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Back to the Future got to be the most classical out of anything that will get mentioned in this thread.
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Originally Posted by The Godfather
Back to the Future got to be the most classical out of anything that will get mentioned in this thread.
What about your eponymous movies?
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45/47
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This thread made me immediately think of Bridge on the River Kwai. The development of characters as the story unravels is just remarkable. I need to watch it again now.
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I watched Chinatown this weekend. Another great classic.
I mostly watch oldies now.
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The original (1957 I think) 3:10 to Yuma. A very good flick... sort of a psychological western. I've not seen the recent remake.
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"Look Dave, I can see you're really upset about this. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill, and think things over."
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My first thought, as well.
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Clinically Insane
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Coincidentally, one of my all-time favorite movie posters.
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Alec Guinness won best actor awards for Bridge on the River Kwai from the Academy Awards, BAFTA, Golden Globes, the Laurel Awards, the National Board of Review, and the New York Film Critic's Circle, to name a few. Long before Christian Bale, Guinness got "into" the character by losing lots of weight and living in the heat and humidity of the location. Wow. That film is riveting, involving, and produces such mixed feelings all at the same time. Yeah, that's a "classic."
For some reason, it feels almost cliché to call 2001 a classic. But it is. And it's still beautiful today. (It's one of a very few films I have owned on every format it's been released on except LaserDisc...)
Not too long ago, I got Kino's "restored" version of Metropolis, and for once, I think I sort of understood the story. It's amazing.
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Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
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Originally Posted by ghporter
For some reason, it feels almost cliché to call 2001 a classic. But it is. And it's still beautiful today. (It's one of a very few films I have owned on every format it's been released on except LaserDisc...)
I have a friend that owns Bullitt on every format including LaserDisc - BetaMax, VHS, LaserDisc, DVD, and Blu-Ray. Maybe more, not sure.
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One of my all-time favorite films is Stalag 17.
I saw 2001 for the first time only a few weeks ago. It was odd to watch a film that's been borrowed from by so many others. And, unfortunately, whenever I see William Sylvester all I can think is that he really should be leaving Robert Denby alone.
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Last edited by SpaceMonkey; Apr 4, 2011 at 09:29 AM.
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I'm just riveted whenever Lawrence of Arabia comes on. As much as the DVD version looks nice on a widescreen TV, there's nothing that compares to seeing it in a theatre in all its glory.
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Last edited by -Q-; Apr 4, 2011 at 11:25 AM.
Reason: Errant apostrophe wranglin')
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I watched Solaris recently. I can't say I quite got it.
I'm more interested in a pair of Kurasawa films I have sitting in my Instant Queue, though the three hour runtimes have had me hesitating for months now.
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Originally Posted by -Q-
I'm just riveted whenever Lawrence of Arabia comes on. As much as the DVD version looks nice on a widescreen TV, there's nothing that compares to seeing it in a theatre in all its glory.
I loved this film too, I watched it as it was directed by the same and as critically acclaimed as Bridge on the River Kwai. They are truly two masterpiece films that really emphasize the humanity of their characters. I usually make a special event every time I watch Lawrence of Arabia, mainly because it is such an immersive movie and also because its a rather long one; it requires a little preparation in advance.
Slightly off topic, but you should visit Arabia if you ever get the chance. I moved to Abu Dhabi for a new job two months ago, and no pictures can do the sunset over the dunes of Al-Ain justice.
Cheers!
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This space for Hire! Reasonable rates. Reach an audience of literally dozens!
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It'll be much easier if you just comply.
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Originally Posted by The Final Dakar
I watched Solaris recently. I can't say I quite got it.
I'm more interested in a pair of Kurasawa films I have sitting in my Instant Queue, though the three hour runtimes have had me hesitating for months now.
Which Solaris? The Russian original, or the George Clooney remake? The Russian original is pretty dense going, but I thought the remake was fairly comprehensible.
And, which Kurosawa films?
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The original, of course (it is the classic films thread).
I believe I have Seven Samurai and Yojimbo on tap.
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Originally Posted by The Final Dakar
The original, of course (it is the classic films thread).
I believe I have Seven Samurai and Yojimbo on tap.
Both great movies! Don't let the time involved scare you. Those are both on my "If it's on tv, sit down and watch them" list. TCM plays Seven Samurai a lot. It's just a damned good movie.
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Clinically Insane
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Originally Posted by The Final Dakar
The original, of course (it is the classic films thread).
I believe I have Seven Samurai and Yojimbo on tap.
Tarkovsky leaves me cold. I bailed on Solaris after an hour (I'm a huge Lem fan too).
OTOH, I can unhesitatingly recommend the Seven Samurai (I haven't seen Yojimbo).
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Last edited by subego; Apr 4, 2011 at 06:55 PM.
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Originally Posted by Thorzdad
Both great movies! Don't let the time involved scare you. Those are both on my "If it's on tv, sit down and watch them" list. TCM plays Seven Samurai a lot. It's just a damned good movie.
The time involved doesn't scare me. The problem is during the week I have no ability to stay awake if I try to watch tv on the couch. That just leaves the weekend. At that point it's a significant chunk of time to invest and I don't wish to be interrupted (Though I admit to watching Solaris in three parts, but that's more because it wasn't riveting and I did start it on weeknights).
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Watch The Seven Samurai, and follow it directly with The Magnificent Seven.
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How about some Hitchcock?
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Last edited by CharlesS; Apr 5, 2011 at 10:15 AM.
Reason: fixed the image link)
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I've recently re-watched North by Northwest, The Birds, Vertigo and Rear Window - all great classic movies. I find one thing that stands out about his films (and perhaps that era in general) is the abrupt endings - they always feel fairly anticlimatic by today standards, perhaps because directors now go completely overboard to have the most spectacular finale possible.
I've been meaning to watch the Bridge by the River Kwai for years, but have never gotten around to it despite a few false starts. I don't know...it just looks so damn long and slow. You're talking about a guy that has True Romance as a top-6 movie; I'm not a 2001 person at all, however much I appreciate the genius involved....
greg
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Bridge definitely IS long and slow-going for today's audiences. But, that's also a hallmark of Lean's movies. It's also, I think, a generational thing. Lean, and the audiences of his era, come from a time where people read the great novels and books and allowed stories to unfold in their own time. Today's audiences are more attuned to being led by the nose through a wild ride.
Lean's big movies (as opposed to his earlier films) are in the same category as Hitchcock, Kubrick, etc. in that you just have to accept that you are entering a particular artist's way of telling the story. For me, what saves Lean's movies is the always beautiful cinematography. This is especially true with Lawrence and Zhivago. [I]Bridge[/I, not so much, though. It's a far more claustrophobic movie, in comparison to his other big films, reflecting the captivity of the jungle.
In many ways, those films are very much creatures of their day. It's important to respect them for the accomplishments in cinema that they truly are. But, when viewing them, you really have to keep in-mind the era they were made and excuse some of the limitations and affectations of those eras. I mean...can you imagine anyone making a 3.5-hour movie today, complete with long orchestral entrance and intermission sections? Make no mistake, though..In their time, those films, especially Lawrence, were stunning accomplishments and events. Anyone with any interest in either film history or the art of film-making is duty-bound to watch Lawrence. It's pretty-much a required touchstone.
That said, Lawrence is not my favorite Peter O'Toole performance. I find it oddly affected and off-putting. For me, if you want to see O'Toole at his "tearing-up the scenery" best, nothing compares to The Lion in Winter. It doesn't hurt that Kate Hepburn is at her very best in that movie, too, equaling O'Toole, punch for punch. It's one of my all-time faves.
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Last edited by Thorzdad; Apr 5, 2011 at 09:18 AM.
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Originally Posted by Thorzdad
I mean...can you imagine anyone making a 3.5-hour movie today, complete with long orchestral entrance and intermission sections?
Yes and no.
I totally see what you're saying, but OTOH people are willing to invest insane amounts of time watching serialized television on DVD or some "big slice" equivalent.
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Yeah, but those have natural breaks every 30 or 60 minutes, as well as the built-in commercial breaks where you can pause without really disrupting any flow. A Lean movie only has those intermissions at about the 1.5-hour mark.
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Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot
Watch The Seven Samurai, and follow it directly with The Magnificent Seven.
While that's not going to happen, the general intent the entire time has been to make sure I watch the Kurasawa film before Magnificent Seven.
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Regarding Bridge, I recall the first time I caught it on AMC I was enthralled by it. A large part of that is due to Alec Guiness' acting. I rewatched a few years later with a friend and while the movie lacks the pacing of modern films (so many of the old ones do) what I took away from it was the movie was basically two parts, the latter progressing much slower than the first. I also found the ending a bit... abrupt. I might choose some other terms but I don't want to spoil anything.
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Originally Posted by Thorzdad
I mean...can you imagine anyone making a 3.5-hour movie today, complete with long orchestral entrance and intermission sections?
Gods and Generals was 3 hours 40 minutes and had an intermission when I saw it in the theater, that was 2003.
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Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton
I've recently re-watched North by Northwest, The Birds, Vertigo and Rear Window - all great classic movies. I find one thing that stands out about his films (and perhaps that era in general) is the abrupt endings - they always feel fairly anticlimatic by today standards, perhaps because directors now go completely overboard to have the most spectacular finale possible.
By the standards of the time, North by Northwest was a little "overboard," actually. Remember that it was made toward the end of Hitchcock's career in Hollywood, after Rear Window (1954), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), The Wrong Man (1956), among Hitchcock's other 1950s classics like Strangers on a Train, Dial M for Murder, Vertigo, etc. By 1959, North by Northwest was in its execution practically self-parody.
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Originally Posted by The Final Dakar
While that's not going to happen, the general intent the entire time has been to make sure I watch the Kurasawa film before Magnificent Seven.
Personally, I'd skip Magnificent Seven altogether. I just don't think it's all that great of a movie, and it really pales in comparison to Samurai. It's an interesting point of comparison, though, I guess. Yojimbo was also remade... A Fistful of Dollars.
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Too many recognizable names to pass up Seven. And that's without the western angle.
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Lots of names don't necessarily ensure a good movie. It's not a bad, movie, mind you. It's just...contrived...I guess. It just doesn't flow right. A lot of the performances feel stiff to me, too. It especially falls down in scenes that directly mimic Samurai. The "Duel" scene is an especially bad recreation of a famous Samurai scene. You'll know which one I mean when you watch them.
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Originally Posted by Thorzdad
Lots of names don't necessarily ensure a good movie. It's not a bad, movie, mind you. It's just...contrived...I guess. It just doesn't flow right. A lot of the performances feel stiff to me, too. It especially falls down in scenes that directly mimic Samurai. The "Duel" scene is an especially bad recreation of a famous Samurai scene. You'll know which one I mean when you watch them.
Two things:
1. No one said names make a good movie. But it does mark a point of curiosity. I don't recall many old films with such recognizable casts.
2. You're forgetting the old adage, there's no accounting for taste. What you may find distasteful may appeal to me.
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Originally Posted by The Final Dakar
2. You're forgetting the old adage, there's no accounting for taste. What you may find distasteful may appeal to me.
You always did love dead baby jokes, Brosephine.
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True enough. I wasn't arguing the points. Just adding my take on the movie. I , personally, love a good western. That one just isn't it, for me.
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I'll take your Lion in Winter and raise you by one African Queen. I love Kate Hepburn.
I did a project on Film Noir in college. I loved Arsenic and Old Lace, Double Indemnity... Gaslight... what was the last one, my project had something with barbed wire.
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Originally Posted by Laminar
Brosephine.
Save those for when we're talking around the Creepers.
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Originally Posted by Thorzdad
True enough. I wasn't arguing the points. Just adding my take on the movie. I , personally, love a good western. That one just isn't it, for me.
Sorry. Your persistence felt like you were trying to talk me out of the movie. Half my interest in Kurasawa is to compare/contrast it with the American films.
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Originally Posted by andi*pandi
what was the last one, my project had something with barbed wire.
The Stranger?
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Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey
*childish giggle*
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"One ticket to Washington, please. I have a date with destiny."
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Originally Posted by andi*pandi
... what was the last one, my project had something with barbed wire.
Hellraiser.
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Originally Posted by The Final Dakar
Sorry. Your persistence felt like you were trying to talk me out of the movie. Half my interest in Kurasawa is to compare/contrast it with the American films.
No problem.
I don't get to talk film very often and can go overboard.
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