Brian De Palma, the De Pollma

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Poll Results

OptionVotes
Carrie (1976) 6
Phantom of the Paradise (1974) 5
Blow Out (1981) 5
Dressed to Kill (1980) 3
Body Double (1984) 2
Scarface (1983) 2
Carlito's Way (1993) 2
The Untouchables (1987) 2
Obsession (1976) 2
Femme Fatale (2002) 2
Bruce Springsteen: Video Anthology 1978-1988 (1989) (V) (video "Dancing in the Dark") 2
Sisters (1973) ... aka Blood Sisters (UK) 1
The Untouchables: Capone Rising (2008) (in production) 1
Hi, Mom! (1970) ... aka Blue Manhattan ... aka Confessions of a Peeping John ... aka Son of Greetings 1
660124: The Story of an IBM Card (1961) 1
Mission: Impossible (1996) ... aka Mission Impossible 1
Woton's Wake (1962) 0
Jennifer (1964) 0
Bridge That Gap (1965) 0
Dionysus (1970) ... aka Dionysus in '69 0
The Wedding Party (1969) 0
Show Me a Strong Town and I'll Show You a Strong Bank (1966) 0
The Responsive Eye (1966) 0
Murder à la Mod (1968) 0
Greetings (1968) 0
Get to Know Your Rabbit (1972) 0
Redacted (2007) 0
The Black Dahlia (2006) ... aka Black Dahlia (Germany) 0
Mission to Mars (2000) ... aka M2M (USA: promotional abbreviation) 0
Snake Eyes (1998) 0
Raising Cain (1992) 0
The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) (as Brian DePalma) 0
Casualties of War (1989) (as Brian DePalma) 0
Wise Guys (1986) 0
Home Movies (1980) ... aka The Maestro (USA) 0
The Fury (1978) (as Brian DePalma) 0
Icarus (1960)0


Oilyrags, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 15:22 (seventeen years ago)

The Story of an IBM Card?!?!?

Oilyrags, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 15:23 (seventeen years ago)

whaaaaaa untouchables sequel???

deeznuts, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 15:24 (seventeen years ago)

I was going to say, WTF.

Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 15:25 (seventeen years ago)

prequel innit

onimo, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 15:26 (seventeen years ago)

well yeah but im surprised i hadnt heard about it

deeznuts, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 15:27 (seventeen years ago)

Body Double vote Body Double

jhøshea, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 15:27 (seventeen years ago)

have not seen body double

im abstaining from this poll cuz im not as familiar w/ his movies as id like to be & im too torn anyway

deeznuts, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 15:28 (seventeen years ago)

Body Double see Body Double

jhøshea, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 15:28 (seventeen years ago)

blow out

n/a, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 15:29 (seventeen years ago)

is great

n/a, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 15:29 (seventeen years ago)

and i voted for it

n/a, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 15:29 (seventeen years ago)

well yeah but im surprised i hadnt heard about it

imdb listing is a waste of time - no info other than it's in production and that it has the same three writers who did Ocean's Thirteen...

onimo, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 15:31 (seventeen years ago)

Okay, I kinda hope he goes all out and makes a 'wacky' comedy.

Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 15:31 (seventeen years ago)

A rom-com

Tom D., Wednesday, 14 May 2008 15:32 (seventeen years ago)

Body Double has one of the worst lead performances I've ever seen in a movie and not enough Melanie Griffith. I don't get the love.

Voted for Dressed To Kill over Carrie, Blow Out, and Femme Fatale.

Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 15:33 (seventeen years ago)

dressed to kill PSHAAAWWW

jhøshea, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 15:34 (seventeen years ago)

Sisters!

C0L1N B..., Wednesday, 14 May 2008 16:33 (seventeen years ago)

Carrie

Alex in SF, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 16:34 (seventeen years ago)

i wonder what dark horrible thing happened to him in 1988 that turned his brain to muck

John Justen, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 16:38 (seventeen years ago)

Femme Fatale -- as Rosenbaum said, at last a film entirely of set pieces & fantasy from a guy who can't do anything else.

Dr Morbius, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 16:40 (seventeen years ago)

Nah, it would've been after "Carlito's Way."

Oilyrags, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 16:40 (seventeen years ago)

xpost to JJ

Oilyrags, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 16:40 (seventeen years ago)

Carrie for the win over Blow Out and Carlito

dmr, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 16:41 (seventeen years ago)

and Scarface

dmr, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 16:41 (seventeen years ago)

Carrie is just inestimably better than any of these

J0hn D., Wednesday, 14 May 2008 16:43 (seventeen years ago)

so i am getting the impression ilx hates the untouchables, why is this?

deeznuts, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 16:44 (seventeen years ago)

Femme Fatale -- as Rosenbaum said, at last a film entirely of set pieces & fantasy from a guy who can't do anything else.

-- Dr Morbius, Wednesday, May 14, 2008 4:40 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

i agree w/ this but so what? is that supposed to be a zing?

deeznuts, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 16:46 (seventeen years ago)

when you consider that he does set pieces & fantasy better than basically anyone ever i mean

deeznuts, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 16:47 (seventeen years ago)

more like Brian de Lolma

gabbneb, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 17:01 (seventeen years ago)

untouchables rules

s1ocki, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 17:03 (seventeen years ago)

so hard to choose here

s1ocki, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 17:03 (seventeen years ago)

Femme Fatale -- as Rosenbaum said, at last a film entirely of set pieces & fantasy from a guy who can't do anything else.

-- Dr Morbius, Wednesday, May 14, 2008 4:40 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

i agree w/ this but so what? is that supposed to be a zing?

-- deeznuts, Wednesday, May 14, 2008 4:46 PM (16 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

when you consider that he does set pieces & fantasy better than basically anyone ever i mean

-- deeznuts, Wednesday, May 14, 2008 4:47 PM (15 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

ya totally as if those are any small things when it comes to filmmaking

s1ocki, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 17:03 (seventeen years ago)

It helps to be able to tell a story. Archers, Spielberg, etc.

Dr Morbius, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 17:05 (seventeen years ago)

But Carrie, The Fury, and Blow Out have strong narratives!

Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 17:06 (seventeen years ago)

and two of them are good!

he does set pieces & fantasy better than basically anyone ever

*sigh*

Dr Morbius, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 17:08 (seventeen years ago)

the great thing about de palma is he's like the totally perverted spielberg.

s1ocki, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 17:10 (seventeen years ago)

lol, like spielberg isn't totally perverted

gabbneb, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 17:11 (seventeen years ago)

body double is great and has a fantastic soundtrack

max, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 17:11 (seventeen years ago)

didnt we already do this?

max, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 17:12 (seventeen years ago)

now is time for the Brian De Palma's best film

Eric H., Wednesday, 14 May 2008 17:12 (seventeen years ago)

But ... The Fury ... have strong narratives!
-- Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:06 PM (5 minutes ago)

Thank you!

Eric H., Wednesday, 14 May 2008 17:13 (seventeen years ago)

This one is totally different because it has a stupid pun in the title and includes a movie that hasn't even been made yet.

(sorry, I searched, really I did.)

Oilyrags, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 17:13 (seventeen years ago)

I'd probably vote for the unseen Untouchables vs. the one I've seen.

Eric H., Wednesday, 14 May 2008 17:14 (seventeen years ago)

Femme Fatale -- as Rosenbaum said, at last a film entirely of set pieces & fantasy from a guy who can't do anything else.
-- Dr Morbius, Wednesday, May 14, 2008 4:40 PM (1 hour ago)

I think you might be misreading Rosenbaum's take on the movie to your advantage here. The guy did include Obsession, a film almost devoid of those set pieces, in his all-time top 1000.

Eric H., Wednesday, 14 May 2008 18:12 (seventeen years ago)

eric no offense but you sound like an asshole

deeznuts, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 18:14 (seventeen years ago)

dressed to kill

latebloomer, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 18:18 (seventeen years ago)

I was about to make fun of people for liking Body Double, but then I remembered I liked Mission to Mars. We DePalma fans need to stick together.

Pete Scholtes, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 22:22 (seventeen years ago)

Here's how I'd rank him:

Top 13

the first half hour of Scarface (1983), and maybe the rest while I do dishes
Blow Out (1981)
Carrie (1976)
The Fury (1978)
the pool hall scene in Carlito's Way (1993)
"Dancing in the Dark" (1984)
Mission: Impossible (1996)
the last scene in Dressed to Kill (1980)
what I remember of Mission to Mars (2000)
The Untouchables (1987) while folding clothes
the "love" scenes in Body Double (1984), which are hilarious
Snake Eyes (1998) if nothing else is on
what I remember of Raising Cain (1992)

Bottom 4:

The asylum scene and the basic conceit of Dressed to Kill
the telescope scene and mall-chase scenes in Body Double (1984)
The Black Dahlia (2006)
Casualties of War (1989)

Pete Scholtes, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 22:46 (seventeen years ago)

I think "Carrie" is probably the best all around movie in this batch, but I have a serious soft spot for "Body Double" (which I voted for), which is one of the most batshit crazy movies of all time (and is packed with things I am obsessed with, like: L.A. in the 80s, Behind-the-Scenes of the porn biz, The Chemosphere (which is the amazing house Craig Wasson lives in in the movie, owned now in real life by the owner of Taschen Books!), power drills, etc.).

I love Brian DePalma's movies, but I think the fact that anyone treats them as anything by whacked-out B-movies is just insane. The Pauline Kael gushing apologist stuff is utterly preposterous, the Hitchcock stuff is all surface (and embarrassing, usually). Referring to him as a legitimate peer of Scorsese, Coppolla, etc. is nuts. He's a glorified Grindhouse director! (I mean that as a compliment, btw - seriously, I think his movies are a blast).

Also:
- Antonio Banderas' turn in "Femme Fatale" is a goddamned comedic masterstroke
- "The Black Dahlia" is one of the worst movies I have ever seen in my life (HOW do you fuck up that story?!)
- "Sisters" is genuinely pretty scary
- God help you if you saw "Redacted."

And finally, Holly Body's words to live by: I do not do animal acts. I do not do S&M, or any variations of that particular bent. No watersports either. I will not shave my pussy, no fistfucking, and absolutely no coming in my face. I get $2000 a day, and I do not work without a contract.

Savannah Smiles, Thursday, 15 May 2008 13:54 (seventeen years ago)

This is really interesting to me - basically a fan re-edited Raising Cain to reflect the original script, De Palma was really into it, and it's now being included in an upcoming official video release! (Very interesting video at the end about the re-edit, but major spoilers in the article and video of course.)
http://www.directorama.net/2016/07/changing-cain-fan-edit-brian-de-palma-directors-cut/

Nhex, Saturday, 30 July 2016 18:24 (nine years ago)

Yeah, I'm pretty curious about that. Haven't seen RC in years, my memory of it is that it didn't quite work, but scenes from it have really stuck with me. Though I guess that's pretty typical w/ most BDP stuff.

circa1916, Sunday, 31 July 2016 00:28 (nine years ago)

Also Shout Factory is doing the Lord's Work these days. Putting out a lot of great, under appreciated stuff with really impressive care.

circa1916, Sunday, 31 July 2016 00:31 (nine years ago)

one month passes...

finally got around to the Fury. Solidly entertaining for most of its running time but second-tier due to some flimsiness in the scripting/plotting on the last third. Cassavetes combustion makes it all kinda worth it though.

Οὖτις, Thursday, 8 September 2016 15:37 (nine years ago)

The Baumbach/Paltrow longform interview with clips was fun viewing but I recall watching some UK TV series where BDP seemed to go deeper into his motivations.

Acid Hose (Capitaine Jay Vee), Friday, 9 September 2016 03:22 (nine years ago)

yeah it was very watchable but breezes by so much potentially interesting stuff due to having under two hours to cover his whole career. i think that this kind of movie has such a limited appeal anyway that you might as well make an epic for the true believers. like he only talks about 'femme fatale' for about two minutes and i bet he could talk about that movie for hours.

it kind of felt like an infomercial for a de palma box set. which was the point, i guess.

slam dunk, Friday, 9 September 2016 05:23 (nine years ago)

otm

Acid Hose (Capitaine Jay Vee), Friday, 9 September 2016 11:49 (nine years ago)

I'm really curious about "Story of an IBM Card" too.... (does anyone under 40 know what an IBM card even is?)

Lee626, Friday, 9 September 2016 12:15 (nine years ago)

he only talks about 'femme fatale' for about two minutes

man this movie is so ridiculous

Οὖτις, Friday, 9 September 2016 17:09 (nine years ago)

two months pass...

halfway through the Baumbach/Paltrow doc - very fun. I stopped right at Wise Guys though so lol I expect it is all downhill from here

Οὖτις, Wednesday, 30 November 2016 00:07 (eight years ago)

i like his career after that point better than before...

Supercreditor (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 30 November 2016 00:22 (eight years ago)

ever the contrarian

Οὖτις, Wednesday, 30 November 2016 00:24 (eight years ago)

Saw Wiseguys again last month after --- forever. Holy Mackerel! It was fun!

Acid Hose (Capitaine Jay Vee), Wednesday, 30 November 2016 00:25 (eight years ago)

I haven't seen that and am curious but apprehensive. I generally don't like what I've seen of his stuff post-Body Double. Femme Fatale is so deeply silly, Snake Eyes and Raising Cain I both turned off after 30 minutes, Carlito's Way I tried to rewatch recently and couldn't finish either, Black Dahlia is laughably bad. I remember Untouchables being good but haven't seen since the 80s. Casualties of War is the one it seems I should definitely see.

Οὖτις, Wednesday, 30 November 2016 00:27 (eight years ago)

no the thing is Hitchcock did his early stuff better

Supercreditor (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 30 November 2016 00:29 (eight years ago)

Alfred Hitchcock's "Hi Mom!"

Οὖτις, Wednesday, 30 November 2016 00:32 (eight years ago)

Hitchcock's glam musical was amazing

Οὖτις, Wednesday, 30 November 2016 00:32 (eight years ago)

Phantom of the Paradise is forgettable crap

as Benny Herrmann told him, YAWWWW NAWWT HITCHCOCK

Supercreditor (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 30 November 2016 00:34 (eight years ago)

one year passes...

Why has nobody made a clip of Raising Cain when the boy says "I know what you're doing" in a hilarious voice? Perfect for when someone's trying to get away with some shit.

Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 16 February 2018 22:53 (seven years ago)

that entire movie's full of gold, i tells ya

Nhex, Friday, 16 February 2018 23:30 (seven years ago)

Watched the directors cut a week later, I guess it probably is better but there is something I like about the more confusing early part of the theatrical cut.

Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 2 March 2018 22:12 (seven years ago)

two years pass...

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The best 4th of July movie is Brian DePalma's BLOW OUT.</p>— Walter Chaw 周瑜 (@mangiotto) <a href="

The best 4th of July movie is Brian DePalma's BLOW OUT.

— Walter Chaw 周瑜 (@mangiotto) July 4, 2020

;>July 4, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"; charset="utf-8"></script>

A White, White Gay (cryptosicko), Sunday, 5 July 2020 01:15 (five years ago)

(ugh, me and code today)

A White, White Gay (cryptosicko), Sunday, 5 July 2020 01:16 (five years ago)

two years pass...

I'd never seen anything between Carrie and Scarface, so I decided to start with Blow Out last night, god that's good. Lithgow is such a creep. Dressed to Kill soon.

Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Friday, 9 December 2022 15:48 (two years ago)

four months pass...

the gender/racial politics in DRESSED TO KILL are…a bit dated!

k3vin k., Thursday, 27 April 2023 10:54 (two years ago)

Dressed to Kill got lots of flak at the time even.

clemenza, Thursday, 27 April 2023 16:16 (two years ago)

I'm sure this is really good, but unfortunately you just get the intros: Sarris and Hoberman arguing out the film.

https://www.villagevoice.com/2016/06/30/is-brian-de-palma-derivative-or-dazzling-critics-andrew-sarris-and-j-hoberman-duke-it-out/

clemenza, Thursday, 27 April 2023 16:30 (two years ago)

I think I’m just not a de palma guy. everything I’ve seen has seemed missing something essential

k3vin k., Saturday, 29 April 2023 17:33 (two years ago)

Have you seen Casualties of War? Besides being my favourite De Palma film, it's the one I'd recommend to someone who's not crazy about him otherwise--markedly different from anything he's ever done.

clemenza, Saturday, 29 April 2023 20:59 (two years ago)

Same post by me, just swap in Carrie

fair but so uncool beliefs here (Eric H.), Saturday, 29 April 2023 22:07 (two years ago)

You know I love Carrie, but isn't that through-and-through 100% De Palma?

clemenza, Saturday, 29 April 2023 22:11 (two years ago)

Also guessing that anyone who's decided they're lukewarm on De Palma has already seen Carrie.

clemenza, Saturday, 29 April 2023 22:12 (two years ago)

I don't know how one can be lukewarm about Carrie.

For anyone contemplating entering into a 1976 young adult mindset I think it is an amazing movie.

It is also one of my favorite horror films of all time

Dan S, Saturday, 29 April 2023 23:31 (two years ago)

I'd suggest Hi, Mom! or maybe Phantoms of the Paradise for the DePalma skeptic.

Halfway there but for you, Saturday, 29 April 2023 23:33 (two years ago)

...not that they would make you love his other films, but you'd get a different perspective on what he's about.

Halfway there but for you, Saturday, 29 April 2023 23:39 (two years ago)

never saw the early films Hi Mom! or Greetings but I did see The Wedding Party and Sisters, both of which were interesting. I loved Phantom of the Paradise!

Dan S, Saturday, 29 April 2023 23:45 (two years ago)

Hi Mom! is definitely worth your time.

circa1916, Sunday, 30 April 2023 02:54 (two years ago)

I always suggest Carlito's Way to people who just can't take the histrionics of Scarface.

Cthulhu Diamond Phillips (Neanderthal), Sunday, 30 April 2023 18:48 (two years ago)

even the quotes are better

Cthulhu Diamond Phillips (Neanderthal), Sunday, 30 April 2023 18:48 (two years ago)

The Untouchables: Capone Rising (2008) (in production)

lol wait, what?

Cthulhu Diamond Phillips (Neanderthal), Sunday, 30 April 2023 18:50 (two years ago)

Hi, Mom! has the one brilliant sequence (“Be Black, Baby!”) but the rest is scattershot

Josefa, Sunday, 30 April 2023 18:57 (two years ago)

aside from the first couple of scenes I wasn’t a big fan of carlito’s way either. appreciate the recs from everyone, but generally it’s going to be a tough sell for me to want to check out some of the minor stuff if I don’t really like a director’s major works. too many movies to watch!

k3vin k., Sunday, 30 April 2023 19:05 (two years ago)

Those two early films - Greetings and Hi, Mom! - are I assume highly improvisational and are funny to the extent Gerrit Graham and Robert De Niro are funny

Josefa, Sunday, 30 April 2023 19:06 (two years ago)

“Hi, Mom!” is ramshackle, but it’s a much more interesting film than you’re billing it. Essential viewing for anyone interested in BDP. It’s not about De Niro yucks.

You can probably skip “Greetings” though.

circa1916, Sunday, 30 April 2023 21:03 (two years ago)

three weeks pass...

ummm

I think De Palma has sprung to the place that Altman achieved with films such as MCCABE & MRS. MILLER and NASHVILLE and that Coppola reached with the two GODFATHER movies—that is, to the place where genre is transcended and what we're moved by is an artist's vision. (1981)

— pauline kael bot (@paulinekaelbot) May 21, 2023

underwater as a compliment (Eazy), Sunday, 21 May 2023 21:01 (two years ago)

Is she talking about Dressed to Kill or Blow Out?

clemenza, Sunday, 21 May 2023 21:05 (two years ago)

I just checked -- it's Blow Out.

underwater as a compliment (Eazy), Sunday, 21 May 2023 22:16 (two years ago)

Thanks--missed the date at the bottom. She stuck with De Palma much longer than with Altman/Scorsese/Coppola/Spielberg; she had good things to say (post-retirement, in an interview) about Mission to Mars.

clemenza, Sunday, 21 May 2023 22:32 (two years ago)

ten months pass...

THIS IS SO FUCKING FUNNY IT LOOKS LIKE A ROMCOM 😭

Pls share posters that TRULY do not match the actual tone/vibe of the movie, it’s my favorite. pic.twitter.com/mNcP2VSLzu

— 𝕯𝖎𝖑𝖉𝖔 𝕭𝖆𝖌𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖘 (𝘚𝘩𝘰̄𝘨𝘶𝘯 𝘦𝘳𝘢) (@EmmaTolkin) April 12, 2024

paisley got boring (Eazy), Friday, 12 April 2024 20:22 (one year ago)

three months pass...

Good thread full of details on Blow Out that I'd never heard before:

BLOW OUT was released 43 years ago today. Despite rave reviews, it dropped without a trace until critical reappraisal started in the 90s. It is now thought by many as the definitive Brian De Palma film, here’s the incredible making of story…

1/28 pic.twitter.com/PPZB6ukbOn

— All The Right Movies (@ATRightMovies) July 24, 2024

Only Built 4 Cuban/Rock '24 (Eazy), Thursday, 25 July 2024 12:41 (one year ago)


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