Cinema Center Films Poll

Great idea. I've only seen four of these (and Rio Lobo so long ago, it barely counts). Thought Prime Cut was silly, and I like Michael Ritchie. Adam at Six A.M. was typical of what the studios thought young people wanted to see (The Strawberry Statement, Move, etc.), and why they lost millions trying to keep up. The Boys in the Band is clunky, to say the least, but it has its moments, and probably was risky for its day.

Saw a few of these as a kid in theaters... the two Peanuts, Scrooge (Radio City Music Hall Xmas), and a re-release of The Reivers that my parents pulled us out of when the cathouse scenes came around.

I like Boys in the Band, Little Big Man a lot, Prime Cut p well. Probly LBM. Eager to see Harry Kellerman.

I had Kellerman on vhs, and really loved it but it's been ten years since my last rescreen so I'm interested in how it'll play now (ordered it and should have in hand tomorrow).

Fascinating poll. There is truly no rhyme or reason to this group of films.

My vote goes to Darker Than Amber, an excellent filmed-in-Florida adaptation of a John D. MacDonald potboiler which represents the only time his "Travis McGee" character has made it to the big screen. It's appropriately lurid and atmospheric.

Patty Duke bounced back from playing a crazed nutjob in Valley of the Dolls to do the charming Me, Natalie in which she's an ugly-duckling (with aid of prosthetic nose) who moves away from home to go bohemian in Greenwich Village. Nice location footage.

Monte Walsh (Lee Marvin) is a very good western; Rio Lobo (Howard Hawks/John Wayne) is not.

I prefer Doris Day's With Six You Get Eggroll to the movie with a very similar plot that was out the same year - Yours, Mine, and Ours. Both have a "Brady Bunch"-type premise. Eggroll is Barbara Hershey's debut.

Prime Cut is bizarre, a crime & corruption melodrama with a meat theme.

Blue Water, White Death I suppose is the granddaddy of all shark documentaries.

I've seen about 75% of this list.

Bump for the news that The Revengers is coming to DVD in May.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Bump

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

Choice cut!

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lnj7X0rlvUc/UEa_FdNLLlI/AAAAAAAADlk/VdZpGlb1XWE/s1600/prime+cut+key+video+vhs+front.jpg

Tempted to do CCF's partner National General next.

Let me know what you think of Harry Kellerman if you watch it again, Grissom. I found it a real struggle. It calmed down after Barbara Harris showed up, but I thought a lot of the first hour was pretty bad. Is Hoffman supposed to be somebody's idea of Dylan circa '71? He looks like New Morning Dylan, and I thought the Harry Kellerman idea might have been inspired by A.J. Weberman.

I think my least favourite kind of '70s American film are the Terry Southern/Joseph Heller absurdist ones that appeared at the beginning of the decade. I've seen a few of them--this, Getting Straight, Little Murders, Alex in Wonderland, a couple of others. (Tried to watch End of the Road a few months ago and gave up quickly.) Haven't seen Brewster McCloud, but I suspect I wouldn't like it.

I rescreened it, er, a couple weeks after getting the disc. I enjoyed it. I probably have a higher tolerance for that stuff (I feel Little Murders and Brewster McCloud are fine 2nd tier 70s films), but otoh I first saw the movie when I was taking my baby steps in getting serious about film, so revisiting it felt like meeting up with an old friend. The whole conceit of Hoffman's character is pretty odd--clearly Dylan was in mind, but playing 'what if?' he'd become a big national figure, less a performer than a song writing machine for the masses, penning Top 40 hits for others in addition to jingles and such (we even learn he wrote a song for the Coast Guard) is all some weird sort of fantasy. You have to check alot of stuff off at the door with this one.

Harris is superb, and you do wish she'd shown up sooner in the narrative (I was working on some school stuff in a public library some years ago; while browsing I happened upon one of those "film monologues and duo scenes for aspiring actors" collections in the stacks, and was pleased to discover Harris' audition scene was included.) She got an Oscar nom for supporting actress, but didn't really stand a chance vs. Cloris Leachman and TLPS.

I know what you mean--I've got a number of films from the '70s that I saw at just the right age and that stayed with me (Save the Tiger, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, The Paper Chase, etc.)

Harris seems to wander in from some other movie--her big monologue is excellent. The one other scene I liked was Jack Warden channeling "Day-O." Mostly I thought Warden's role was a thankless cliché ...meant to be a cliché, but still. Warden must be the Kevin Bacon of the '60s and '70s--I bet you can get from him to anyone in two steps or less.

I'm sure you've seen Grosbard's Straight Time; one of my favourite films.

Yeah, I've seen Straight Time--excellent film.

I finally watched Who Is Harry Kellerman...? and didn't mind it much it all. Barbara Harris was indeed great, and I liked the actress who played his teenage love, Rose Gregorio as his wife, David Burns as his dad, etc. The problem is Hoffman's is the least interesting character.

I think I would've thought DH sounded like Shel Silverstein even if I didn't know Shel wrote the songs.