Random 10: Random Films for Comment - Week 8

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And picking things up after four dead weeks....

2974. My Best Friend's Girl, 1983 (dir. Bertrand Blier)
2285. Joan the Maid 2: The Prisons, 1994 (dir. Jacques Rivette)
1401. Eating Raoul, 1982 (dir. Paul Bartel)
2203. Inherit the Wind, 1960 (dir. Stanley Kramer)
4566. Westworld, 1973 (dir. Michael Crichton)
625. The Bishop's Wife, 1947 (dir. Henry Koster)
2589. Long Day's Journey into Night, 1962 (dir. Sidney Lumet)
3428. Purple Noon, 1960 (dir. Rene Clement)
3247. The Passion of Joan of Arc, 1928 (dir. Carl Dreyer)
4636. Wild Strawberries, 1957 (dir. Ingmar Bergman)

Hmm.

Girolamo Savonarola, Sunday, 18 July 2004 14:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Been long wanting to see Raoul, Long Day's..., and Purple Noon, but haven't gotten around to them yet.

I do love The Passion of Joan of Arc, but for the life of me, I don't think it's quite worthy of the critical masturbation. Criterion Collection worthy by all means. But the essays and stuff...it's just embarrassing.

Same goes for Wild Strawberries. I'm gonna have to dissent with most Bergie fans here and say that aside from the dream sequence, this film does nothing for me. And I'm totally into most of Bergman's stuff from this time - the trilogy, Seal, Smiles, and the rest. I guess you can't love them all equally.

Speaking of which, I really, really, really, really need to get back to the NFT. Haven't made enough sweet love to that place recently, and I'm missing all the Sjostroms.

Girolamo Savonarola, Monday, 19 July 2004 01:44 (twenty-one years ago)

3428. Purple Noon -- best mirror monologue evah, short as it is.

3247. The Passion of Joan of Arc -- Not my favorite Dreyer by a long shot any longer... but it was my first by the guy (and, I suspect, many others' first as well), and it at least captured my interest enough to get me to watch some of his others, many of which are I think among the greatest works of art, especially Gertrud.

4636. Wild Strawberries -- funny you should mention Smiles, since it strikes me the same way I guess WS does you... I find that movie unfunny, uncharming, unobservant, uncute... I think I'm a fan of '70s Bergman moreso than early Bergman, but this one has its moments. The literal fighting between religion and science is cute-funny.

Eric H. (Eric H.), Monday, 19 July 2004 16:53 (twenty-one years ago)

4566. Westworld - Stands up a lot better over the years than many of the other "near future" movies of the era and Yul Brenner is infinitely scarier than any other robot since. Outside of the Andromeda Strain, this is the best thing Crichton has even been involved with.

Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Monday, 19 July 2004 18:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Didn't Paul Bartel die pretty recently?

St. Nicholas (Nick A.), Monday, 19 July 2004 18:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Didn't Paul Bartel die pretty recently?

Back in 2000 from liver cancer

Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Monday, 19 July 2004 22:29 (twenty-one years ago)

4636. Wild Strawberries, 1957 (dir. Ingmar Bergman)

this is one of my favorite bergman's - much better than seventh seal, i think. the look on ingrid thulin's face during the car ride, the dream sequence, the way that bickering couple unsettles the mood so precisely, borg's petulant mutterings to his maid - there are so many wonderful little moments.

the scene with the son is right at the end, correct? i don't like that much. in my mind, the film ends with borg looking out the window at the hitchhiking teens as the girl smiles and skitters off.


2589. Long Day's Journey into Night, 1962 (dir. Sidney Lumet)

this is emotionally gruelling and very, very long (feels even longer) but really great - robards' performance in particular.

a spectator bird (a spectator bird), Wednesday, 21 July 2004 03:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I've been meaning to pick up Westworld the last few times at the local video spot. I think I'll grab it tomorrow.

derrick (derrick), Wednesday, 21 July 2004 07:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Ok, just saw Westworld last night. On a whole, I don't think it was successful; the action escalates very quickly after a long set up, and passes just as fast, leaving our hero alone w/ Yul Brynner right away. It felt like a sketch almost, still waiting to be fully fleshed out.

I loved the hyper-reality of it all; 'this is REAL! but, OMG, it's NOT REAL! but.... it's SO REAL!'. lots of fun. Also, the gorgeous short transition from sterile robot laboratory to dusty western town. I loved the scene where the robot bodies were cleaned up following the bank robbery.

Agreed; Yul Brynner is one of the scarier robots out there. I loved the fully emotionless face, steely eyes. Wonderful, esp. the scene where our hero was nexy to the torch in Medival World and Yul, though as spooky as ever, couldn't find him.

derrick (derrick), Sunday, 25 July 2004 05:21 (twenty-one years ago)


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