Sight and Sound 2022 Round 3: 41-60

Contempt and Stalker are all-time, with News From Home just below, will need to think about my vote.

Never thought too much of Battle of Algiers, and Potemkin epitomizes "classic, but no fun".

Hope more people see Wanda and Killer of Sheep.

fear eats the soul, but haven't seen enough of these

Top three are a toss-up for me:

1. Barry Lyndon
2. The 400 Blows
3. The Apartment

After that, I did like News from Home the one time I saw it--'70s nostalgia--and maybe The Piano (been a long time). Wanda's a great story, but I can't say I love the film. I enjoy talking about Stalker/

only seen Killer of Sheep once but I remember the experience vividly

Stalker pretty easily for me here, over Fear Eats the Soul, Sans Soleil, NXNW (my favorite Hitchcock)

North by Northwest

dead heat between killer of sheep and sans soleil

Barry Lyndon just barely edging out Stalker for me

Lol Blade Runner wtf???

how is there no bunuel in the fucking top 60, ban s&s

I will probably go for Battle of Algiers. Very glad Marker is in this list too. Killer of Sheep was such a wonderful screening.

These I have not watched. Will do so over the next week (maybe apart from The Piano, unless I can get a copy)

Wanda (Loden, 1970)
Sherlock Jr. (Keaton, 1924)
The Piano (Campion, 1992)

how is there no bunuel in the fucking top 60, ban s&s

― imago, Friday, 3 February 2023 bookmarkflaglink

How many of the 100 have you seen?

a measly 36, which shall be worked on, but still

Lol Blade Runner wtf???

― the sex lives of quoll-ish girls (Noodle Vague), Friday, 3 February 2023 bookmarkflaglink

Easily one of the worst entries. Not even the best Philip K Dick adaptation!

Stalker or Barry Lyndon

not seen Battle of Algiers, The Apartment or the Fellini

a measly 36, which shall be worked on, but still

― imago, Friday, 3 February 2023 bookmarkflaglink

Banning S&S from a place of ignorance is it.

Stop it xyzz.

Voting Ordet, an enchanting cinema going experience for me and one of the great "you what??" endings of all time.

Also have strong feelings about: North By Northwest (on some days my fav Hitchcock), Apartment (on most days my fav Wilder) and, like most Kubrick skeptics, I like Barry Lyndon a great deal.

Tell LJ to watch more films Daniel.

You didn't watch the full 100 either and if it was anyone else complaining about the lack of Bunuel you wouldn't call them on it.

i mean i def do need to watch more films. of these? i mean stalker is the boring choice but after a wistful glance at keaton i'll have to. does feel bad voting against a whole bunch of things i haven't seen (hence not voting in 21-40), but otoh stalker is some of the greatest art i've witnessed

I haven't voted for an America film yet, so Killer of Sheep it is over Ali, The 400 Blows, Sherlock, Jr., or The Battle of Algiers.

You didn't watch the full 100 either and if it was anyone else complaining about the lack of Bunuel you wouldn't call them on it.

― Daniel_Rf, Friday, 3 February 2023 bookmarkflaglink

I've watched about 90 or so. I think I'm in a better place to call it out, thanks. So are most of the posters here.

Calling for the poll to be null and void bcz the one Bunuel film you love (and it's only one btw) isn't in it, and to do it from a place where you didn't watch 2/3rds of the rest is something I'll call out day and night.

lol "so you like cinema? name 90 films!"

you're just doing your usual boring bit with LJ and it's ridiculous for you to pretend like you're "calling out" anything much

If you complain about something not being on here do it from a place where you've watched a lot of it? Are you pretending you don't get that?

if anyone else said "how is there no bunuel in the fucking top 60, ban s&s" you would 100% not go "papers please, how many have you seen?" and you know this.

obviously don't ban s&s, hyperbolic rhetoric and ilx are the eternal braided lovers

Daniel - depends if I knew the poster a bit. It's something I could query of someone else if they came out with something as stupid.

OK, now we're getting into some weaker links here

But on the other hand Sans soleil and Barry Lyndon and Killer of Sheep are among the highest highlights of the entire top 100, so

(obviously voting Sans soleil ftr)

Now this is a list where I’ve seen a bit more:

Rashomon
Stalker
Killer of Sheep
Blade Runner

Thinking of rewatching Sans soleil over the weekend

off-the-cuff

1. Sherlock Jr.
2. Sans Soleil
3. Stalker

Need to see Bicycle Thieves, Algiers, and Contempt. I'll try to do that before I vote. Right now it would be Stalker or Wanda, probably.

Is this the first time Sherlock Jr. ranked higher than The General?

(xxpost)

Letter bias...Would you vote for Sheep (Killer Of)?

Haven't seen it!

Worst scenes in these movies:

- Battle of Algiers: kids hound and throw rocks at an old alcoholic man for the counterrevolutionary crime of being drunk, with the evident approval of the filmmakers;

- Rashomon: people lie? That must mean that truth doesn't exist?!?!

Rashomon: people lie? That must mean that truth doesn't exist?!?!

That's not how I remember it.

In Rashomon that seems like a very Japanese line of philosophy

Isn’t the point that that they’re all telling the truth

Kubrick again has the funniest movie on the list

Battle of Algiers: kids hound and throw rocks at an old alcoholic man for the counterrevolutionary crime of being drunk, with the evident approval of the filmmakers;

what shots and angles made you think so?

I believe there's narration over that scene describing this as one of the methods of the revolutionary groups to combat European decadence. Surely you don't think the film favours the colonizing French over the colonized Algerians?

lol Daniel

haven't seen all, but I think I'll vote for Sherlock Jr as a very formative movie for my own personal cinema appreciation

I don't remember that scene in BoA, but from what I do remember of the film it doesn't simply pick a side

It's not so heavily weighted you'd call it propaganda, exactly, but its sympathies are definitely on the side of the Algerians.

Lots of great choices in this group; I went with Stalker. (Haven't seen Killer of Sheep, Wanda, or La Dolce Vita.)

voting KoS because all the other ones I like will already get enough votes. These days I prefer the sequel to the Ridley Scott Blade Runner, although I probably watched it too many times when I got my first VHS player in the 80's.

this is a really, really strong group for me but if I had to pick the movie I’ve watched the most and would happily watch again it’s Barry Lyndon.

but its sympathies are definitely on the side of the Algerians.

― Halfway there but for you, Friday, 3 February 2023 bookmarkflaglink

This is good not bad.

It's a fucking beauty is Lyndon. Lost count of how many times I've rewatched it. The part where he falls under the spell of the Chevalier is my fave segment of it.

but its sympathies are definitely on the side of the Algerians.

― Halfway there but for you, Friday, 3 February 2023 bookmarkflaglink

This is good not bad.

I was responding to rob saying the film didn't pick a side.

What's your take on the scene in question?

To be precise, I said "simply" pick a side, by which I meant uncomplicatedly. It would be monstrous if it sided with the colonizers, obviously, but to my memory the film absolutely depicts the moral dilemmas of resistance/revolution as well. I would need to rewatch to really discuss as I cannot recall the scene you mentioned

I can't remember that particular scene but I feel it stays in an 'observational' mode for much of it.

Though I think it would make me just as happy if it went in as propaganda. But it would probably be worse for it

xp

If your reading is right then maybe it is trying to counter any charges that it would be propaganda.

Wanda (Loden, 1970)

^ this is the one film in the top 100 I had never heard of before. Really nice to see it.

Wanda was memorable to me. I know people who hated it because it was about her passivity and ultimate mistreatment, but it was really an outlier film during its time and was kind of radical

this group has some films I have always loved

Le Mépris
Fear Eats the Soul
La Dolce Vita

Wanda is an interesting compare to Akerman, I think.

Recently watched Sans Soleil, which features the cult 1970s Tokyo dance troupe Takenoko-zoku. It was a very complex film and I loved it. That moment was the highlight for me, though

voting for Le Mépris in the end

Wanda is so good! She's passive and child-like because she's broken in some way. I spent the movie wondering what happened in the past to make her this way.

So, I just watched Battle of Algiers and Contempt. Both good, but I loved the latter. Best Godard I've seen, I think.

Haha, xpost.

I want to bump this before it falls off the list

I watched Psycho again last night, It was pretty great, but I don't think I would consider it on par with 8 1/2 or Tarkovsky's Mirror, films it shared a placement with on the S&S poll

you're right, it's far, far better than 8½

Nearly voted for Blade Runner just because I love it so much, but it's Stalker.

Psycho is great. It's also had all kinds of readings put onto it so to come out from all that work is an achievement of sorts.

I don't get 8 1/2, like at all. I enjoyed it enough when I watched a screening but did feel, for once, there was a feeling of indulgence here.

I like 8 1/2 fine but Psycho is a whole nother level. Several even.

Raymond Durgnat's book alone is proof enough that Psycho is a cut above

Yes - and also Douglas Gordon's 24 Hour Psycho

Take a message to Richard

Raymond Durgnat's book alone is proof enough that _Psycho_ is a cut above

Ha, forgot about the buffer#onethread

I enjoyed introducing Barbara Loden’s Wanda @bfi #BFISouthbank last night as part of the @SightSoundmag 100 poll. Sold out screening of mostly young audiences. 90% were seeing the film for the first time ever. Amazing.

— Jason Wood (@jwoodfilm) February 10, 2023

I am genuinely excited for the newly-baptized cinephiles who are at the height of their curiosity and voraciousness in this particular moment.

There are very few moments in life as good as this. Let's remember it.

Oh brother!

I've been baptised, brother, I've been baptised!

I'm curious to see how many votes there will be for Rashomon, Barry Lyndon, The 400 Blows, Ali: Fear Eats the Soul and La Dolce Vita in the end

I think Vertigo (above all), as well as Rear Window, The Birds, and Rebecca are the most amazing Hitchcock films.

Psycho has a cringey reveal moment and too much mundane and dated explanation at the end for me.

North By Northwest, Notorious, To Catch a Thief, and The Trouble With Harry are all interesting and I want to see them again.

Still haven't rewatched Marnie, Torn Curtain, Topaz, or Frenzy

North By Northwest had that amazing moment of connection between Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint on the train

I haven't seen Rebecca in ages. Isn't it considered a little too quality-literary-adaptation compared to both Hitchcock's earlier and later work? Maybe I'm thinking of Sarris being lukewarm on it. The stuff at the end of Psycho is indeed cheesy, but there's so much that's great in the build-up.

Don't worry about Sarris -- watch it again!

I think of Rebecca as one of those perfect films, maybe not the best of all time but ones where you wouldn't want to change a thing, like City Lights, Sunset Blvd., Roman Holiday

I’m fine with the last ten minutes of PSYCHO tbqh

The best things about the last 10 minutes of Psycho are a) the final shot, and b) Ted Knight.

(The thrill of spotting him for the first time, I mean.)

Wait, what?

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Vote SANS SOLEIL, that is all

I voted for something obvious but considered many others.

I really hope Stalker doesn't win this, but from the comments here it appears that it might

Why?

It’s hard for me to understanding everyone else’s point of view about it. What everybody else loves about Stalker is a mystery to me. I remember it as being really un-cinematic and plodding and grim, and not even all that interesting in a philosophical sense. I had similar feelings about Solaris, although not to the same extent.

I should probably watch them both again

The Sacrifice, his last film, was so much more passionate, meaningful, visually beautiful and moving to me than either of them

I still haven't seen The Sacrifice so I can't compare, but Stalker to me is meaningful and visually beautiful. It is the most fugue-state movie I can think of. Like the movie itself loses touch with reality.

The best things about the last 10 minutes of Psycho are a) the final shot, and b) Ted Knight.

Wait, what?

This is pretty famous, no?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DO80wnaX0AEKHYo.jpg

Sorry I was focused on Simon Oakland and the fly and forgot about that.

When I think of Ted Knight I think of Ted Baxter stalling all night while reporting on election returns during a blizzard.

Largely dialogue-free film unfolding thru long takes "uncinematic", claims ILX poster

The Sights and the Shockahs!

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Results show The Piano’s ranking was completely fraudulent.

somewhat tempted to do a poll of the all the zero vote getters when this is over

OK, STALKER is very much overrated

And I’m on the record in believing NXNW to be the least of Hitch’s signposts. Bad results all around I’m afraid

NEWS FROM HOME is so wonderful, would have been my vote. watched it while working a night shift last year and still find myself thinking of it all the time

Having watched Ordet for the third time two weeks ago, I'm prepared to elevate NXNW.

OK, STALKER is very much overrated

― عباس کیارستمی (Eric H.), Wednesday, February 15, 2023 4:33 PM (seventeen minutes ago)

so what, though

Dennis Hopper to thread!

Stalker is overrated only in the sense that I think Andrei Rublev should be higher. I will say that it was seeing Stalker on a big screen that really did it for me. My first viewing on video I was intrigued but not immersed.

Stalker: Touching Grass, the Movie

Having watched _Ordet_ for the third time two weeks ago, I'm prepared to elevate NXNW.

Clemenza talked about Ted Knight but I remember being pretty excited when I saw that the one guy from The Kingdom was in Gertrud.

Ordet is an incredible film, otherworldly and hypnotic, a film about religious mania, miracles and sexual sublimation

North by Northwest (Hitchcock, 1959)

Turns out I hadn't watched it. Wish the mum hadn't dropped off, somehow. It was funny.

Eve Saint Marie has just turned 100 years old