Random 10: Random Films for Comment - Week 10

toy story--- one of the best animated films ever, IMHO. set the standard for the influx of intelligent "kids films" that have come out of Pixar & other studios since, creating a renaissance in the American animated film. Certainly paved the way for "Ice Age", which is the best animated American film of the past decade, again, IMHO.

Midnight Cowboy-- the film that made me decide to become a filmmaker, along with Fellini's "8 1/2" and Woody Allen's "Manhattan" (not that any of my films resemble these works in the slightest). It's easy to bypass how incredibly daring this film was for it's time, at place with many '60's "underground" films, but this was a mainstream movie, adapted from a popular novel by an established director, starring the golden boy of sixties cinema acting (hoffman, right off of "The Graduate"). There's elements of Warhol, Brakhage, Hopper's "nighthawks", Kenneth Anger---they're all there. The film has its limitations, but is still paradoxically underrated time and again.

Midnight Cowboy... overrated. Another "wild party" scene that's now very tame. Homophobic in its 1969 way (and by a gay filmmaker no less). The two leads are very good. Rumor has it there was a wild idea early on to cast Elvis as Joe Buck.

I don't THINK I've seen Davies' trilogy. His The Long Day Closes is a marvel.

Woman of the Year, a lot of fun til the embarrassing "Kate burns breakfast" finale.

Bride is the best Frankenstein movie ever. "You're wise in your generation."

I did cry at the end of Joy Luck Club.

toy story -- hated it! I see everything jay says, but still, i just didnt like it. there is something perniciously sentimental in making a movie about toys.

voyage in italy -- this is really wonderful i think. lots of strange and interesting set pieces. and the final scene in the crowed street really stays in my memory. im fascinated by stories about broken relationships.

Apparently you never read the book this film was based on...