Movies

Well, the game has run through most of my blogger friends’ sites, but it hasn’t really made it’s way beyond our little circle. It’s been a lot of fun and I’m overjoyed that my friends participated, but I don’t know how much longer this can last if it remains confined to our little group… I do know of at least one person who occasionally reads this blog and also has a much larger audience than I, so I’ll post another round (*hint, hint*). And, uh, I’m positive he knows what this round’s screenshot is. Not that I’m stacking the deck or anything. *ahem* Anyway, the rules:

• I’m going to post a screenshot from a movie. If you’re the first person to guess the movie, you win!
• If you win, you have to continue the game by posting a screenshot on your blog with the same rules outlined here (please to the main post as well). The winner of your round will host the next round, and so on.
• If you don’t have a blog (and if you don’t want to start one), I’ll host the next round as well (the screenshot should still come from the winner, if possible). If you do have a blog, but the winner of your round doesn’t, you should host the next round too.
• Once the winner posts their screenshot, I’ll link to it from this post. Each winner needs to link to the next winner, and so on.
• Only movies are eligible. No television shows.
• If no one can figure out the answer within 3 days, then you’ve stumped the internet. If you want, you can give hints. If we still have no winner, then congratulations, you’ve won. Maybe I’ll start a hall of fame or something. Give everyone the answer, and post another screenshot (or pass the baton to someone else, and link them). If you decide to host the next round, be nice, and post an easier screenshot. This game would be no fun if you keep posting random landscapes from obscure Italian films.

Here we go (click image for larger version):

There you go.

Update: Alex wins (swipe for answer: Silent Hill) and he’s posted the next round.

Again Update: Roy won the last round, and has posted the next round…

I’ve made significant progress with my list of movies I need to see, so I figured I’d give an update on what I thought of what I’ve seen, and the chances of inclusion on my top 100 list.

• Notorious: Hitchcock’s wonderful spy thriller was a real joy, and ranks right up there with my favorite Hichcock films. Great performances, a tight story, and, of course, lots of tension. Hitchcock really outdid himself with some of the shots in this film, as I chronicled in a recent post. ***1/2 (out of 4)

  Top 100 potential: High, I really liked this movie.

• Strangers on a Train: Another gem in Hitchcock’s body of work, and it features one of the greatest villainous performances of all time by Robert Walker, as the diabolical Bruno Anthony. Hitchcock wastes no time with this thriller, thrusting the audience almost immediately into the rather clever concept of the story: Bruno meets tennis pro Guy Haines on a train, and engineers a clever scheme to get away with murder. “Lets swap Murders- your wife, my father,” Bruno says, noting that each would have a solid alibi at the time of the crime, leaving no connection between the murderer and the victim. From this seeminly innocent conversation, which Guy laughs off as a joke, the story kicks into high gear when Bruno murders Guy’s conniving wife, then demands that Guy “do his part.” ***1/2

  Top 100 potential: High, I really liked this movie.

• Network: Paddy Chayefsky wrote this scathing satire of the news business nearly 30 years ago. The idea was to make it as absurd as possible, but, to be honest, watching it today, it doesn’t seem so absurd. Indeed, many of the stunts he described have actually happened, and I wouldn’t put it past the news industry to commit most of the rest. As black comedies go, it’s top notch, though I can’t say as though I really enjoyed it. In today’s climate, it’s somewhat disturbing. Plus, there are some subplots that never really grabbed me. ***

  Top 100 potential: Medium, I have mixed feelings about this. If it ends up on the list, it will probably be ranked pretty low.

• 12 Angry Men: Sidney Lumet’s jury-room drama about a lone dissentor who convinces the rest of the jurors to reconsider the seeminly obvious guilt of the defendant. The case turns out to be less clear-cut than it seems. For a film that takes place mostly in a single room and consists of 12 people simply talking through the case, it’s very compelling and it held my attention throughout. The way the information is gradually released to the viewer is slightly manipulative and some of the arguments were not that convincing, but I never got frustrated by it. ***

  Top 100 potential: Medium, I enjoyed this film, but I’m not sure if it will make my list.

• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: Taking a more lighthearted tone than his contemporaries (like Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah), director George Roy Hill and screenwriter William Goldman crafted a genuinely exciting and fun western that covers a whole lot of dramatic ground. Elements of comedy, romance, action, adventure and old-fashioned drama are peppered throughout, and make for an entertaining experience. Watching this, I was struck by several references in recent movies that I love. For instance, the real last names of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Parker and Longbaugh, are the names of the two main characters in The Way of the Gun. Another: In Kevin Smith’s Mallrats, Jay and Silent Bob are chased by a mall security cop (who wears a white straw hat) named LaFours, an obvious reference to the harrowing sequence in Butch and Sundance when our heroes are chased by a seemingly unstoppable posse. And, of course, this film provides the template for countless “buddy” films. ***1/2

  Top 100 potential: Medium, I enjoyed this film a whole lot, but it may narrowly miss the top 100 mark…

• All the President’s Men: The infamous story of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, who uncovered the details of the Watergate scandal that led to President Nixon’s resignation, is told with surprising restraint. You’d expect the film to play up the more sensational aspects of the story, but instead, screenwriter William Goldman hones in on the tedious minutiae of journalism. And somehow, director Alan J. Pakula manages to keep the pace brisk, no small feat for a story that focuses more on the tireless footwork of journalism than the results and glory of that hard work (which is, more or less, handled in the epiologue of this film). Indeed, for the majority of the film,Woodward and Bernstein are getting doors slammed in their faces, and the breaks they do get are small and almost always followed by denials and evasions. ***

  Top 100 potential: Medium, I enjoyed this film, but I’m not sure if it will make my list.

• Bob Le Flambeur: This is one of those films that suffers from the curse of innovation – it has influenced so much that followed it that it’s hard to watch this and not be a little underwhelmed. For me, it was particularly underwhelming as I’d already seen the 2002 remake, The Good Thief, which isn’t a perfect film, but which follows the general structure of Bob le flambeur while adding a lot too it (some of the additions, such as the more complex heist plans, are more successful than the others, such as the heroin addiction of Bob). There are two wonderful elements to this film: First is the character of Bob – a hopeless gambler who nevertheless has such a strong sense of honor that everyone loves him (even the cops). You can see elements of the character of Bob in a lot of films, including Michael Mann’s Heat, Steven Soderberg’s Ocean films, and PTA’s Hard Eight. The second element I love about this film is the ending, which Roger Ebert describes as involving “surprising developments that approach cosmic irony.” I think the ending of the aforementioned remake is perhaps a little better (at the very least, a worthy reimagining), but only because it preserves the cosmic irony of the original. As a heist film, this has perhaps been surpassed by its imitators, but it’s still a quality film. ***

  Top 100 potential: Low, I’m glad I’ve seen it, and it is an innovative film, but it probably won’t end up on my list.

• Vengeance Is Mine: This Japanese portrait of a killer who went on a rampage in the early ’60s, evading police for 78 days, is odd and extremely disturbing. It’s a slow film, disquieting in the banality with which the film’s subject murders and schemes. It’s not a film for everyone, but director Shohei Imamura has crafted a visually striking film that is at least interesting to watch, if not particularly enjoyable. I have to admit that I was thrown by the title. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I don’t see much in the way of “Vengeance” in this film. I know you’re not supposed to judge a film by its title, but I was expecting something different here. It’s a quality film for fans of the serial killer genre, though I still don’t think it’s the best.***

  Top 100 potential: Low, it’s well done, but not particularly pleasant or fulfilling (not that it has to be, but I didn’t connect with it).

These were all good films, and I’m glad I watched them all, but I am again curious as to whether or not I’ll really be able to connect with these films enough to include them on my top 100 list. The only ones that come close are the two Hitchcock films described above (which stand a good chance of inclusion). Perhaps, in time, some of these others will stick with me more. I’ll continue working through my list of films I need to see, but I suspect that few of these will make it onto my top 100…

The game continues, but has yet to really break free. I won the last round, so here’s my next screenshot. Before I go, the rules:

• I’m going to post a screenshot from a movie. If you’re the first person to guess the movie, you win!
• If you win, you have to continue the game by posting a screenshot on your blog with the same rules outlined here (please to the main post as well). The winner of your round will host the next round, and so on.
• If you don’t have a blog (and if you don’t want to start one), I’ll host the next round as well (the screenshot should still come from the winner, if possible). If you do have a blog, but the winner of your round doesn’t, you should host the next round too.
• Once the winner posts their screenshot, I’ll link to it from this post. Each winner needs to link to the next winner, and so on.
• Only movies are eligible. No television shows.
• If no one can figure out the answer within 3 days, then you’ve stumped the internet. If you want, you can give hints. If we still have no winner, then congratulations, you’ve won. Maybe I’ll start a hall of fame or something. Give everyone the answer, and post another screenshot (or pass the baton to someone else, and link them). If you decide to host the next round, be nice, and post an easier screenshot. This game would be no fun if you keep posting random landscapes from obscure Italian films.

Here goes nothing (click image for larger version):

There you go. This is probably pretty easy, but again, I’m trying to get this to catch on. At least I didn’t make it really easy. For previous rounds, see the main post…

Update: Dave wins. Swipe for answer: Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Next round has been posted at Dave’s blog.

Sorry, I just got home from work. Long day. In lieu of a proper entry, I shall simply link to the next round of the Movie Screenshot Game. Go forth and post yon answers.

Update: Dave has posted the next round.

Another Update: Roy wins. He’ll be posting the next round at one of his 300 blogs, possibly one created just for this occassion. Just kidding:P It’ll probably be at 79 Soul.

Yet Another Update: Roy has posted the next round.

One More Update: Another round is up over at 79 Soul

The movie screenshot game is still chugging along, and someone just answered Round 6 today. He should be posting Round 7 soon (it should show up here). Round 7 posted (I think I know the answer, heh, but I’ll let you answer so as to allow the spread of the game). At some point, I’m going to have to do a post of learnings from this experience. For instance, the requirement for hosting the next round seems to turn off lots of folks (even folks who know the answer). Also, attempting to start a meme on a low traffic blog is probably not the wisest thing to do…

In other news, I’ve already caught up with 2 of the films from my Greatest Movies I’ve Never Seen list: 12 Angry Men and Network. Both are excellent films, though they are also very, very different (both are directed by Sidney Lumet).

Part of the reason I’m watching all these films is that I’m looking for more films to put on a Top 100 movie list. One of my arbitrary requirements for this list was to avoid films made in the last 5 years. The idea is that films have to be able to stand at least a small test of time before they can be included in my all time best list… and I think that’s a good reason too. For one thing, some movies can become obscenely dated or irrelevant, and I think this rule helps avoid such embarrassing choices. But if a movie has been around for 30 years and I’m only just watching it now, how likely is it that my initial reaction will be accurate? I’ve often found myself mellowing on films I thought I loved. Then again, there are some films that I only gain an appreciation for after multiple viewings. So is going through this list of great films that I haven’t seen really going to help me much? I’m sure some of them will end up on my list, but will they stay there? I guess only time will tell.

Update: I forgot to mention how I was able to watch those two movies so quickly. Netflix has somewhat recently (apparently in January) launched a new feature called Watch Now, where instead of putting items in your queue and waiting for them to come in the mail, you can just watch them online, whenever you want. It’s a spectacular idea, and as bandwidth becomes cheaper and the quality of this service gets better, I can’t imagine how new HD formatted discs (i.e. Blue-Ray and HD-DVD) could compete. Between Netflix and services like Comcast’s OnDemand, I think there’s a good chance that neither of the new HD formats will really catch on.

Of course, the big issue here is movie selection. Netflix has a huge and diverse selection of movies, but only a small portion of them are available to watch online (there are currently around 3000 and most of those appear to be older films). I don’t know if this is because they just launched the feature and will be adding more titles as time goes on, or because they need to get some sort of special clearances, etc…

The actual experience of using the Watch Online feature could probably improve a bit. They use Windows Media Player to drive it, and it includes some DRM (which I don’t mind because, as far as I’m concerned, this is basically a rental. Plus, the feature doesn’t cost anything extra.). It only appears to work in Internet Explorer 6+, which is really annoying. I’m used to people not supporting Opera (my browser of choice) for the latest and greatest web features, but to only support IE is absurd. The only other issue here is that my WMP installation appears to be wonky, as I can’t seem to watch anything on full screen mode. The quality of the video could probably be a little better, but it works well enough for me (again, when watching a movie for free on my computer, I’m a little less picky.)

Anyway, it’s a fantastic idea. It could use some improvements, and I’d love to see the selection of Watch Now movies expand drastically in the coming months (this would be particularly helpful with Anime series, I think, though I doubt that’s high on their priority list), but for now, I’m just happy that I got a good service without even asking for it…

On Wednesday, I pointed to several Top 100 movies lists, and mentioned that I’d like to compile my own list. Sitting down to do so, I almost immediately had the first 50. Getting another 25 wasn’t that hard either, and now I’m somewhere around 75 movies. I could easily get to 100, I think, but I feel like I’d just be padding it out with mediocre films.

Compiling a top 100 list is a humbling experience, because when you start looking around, you see just how many films you haven’t seen. This can be somewhat embarrassing until you realize that most amateur film buffs have a lot of holes in their viewing as well (well, at least, I hope so). That’s one of the things I love about the Filmspotting podcast – they’re not afraid to admit they haven’t seen various classic movies, and they’ve even dedicated portions of certain shows to listing out movies they should have seen (plus, a feature on their old show called “Cinecast Confessions” wherein one of the hosts owns up to not having seen a classic).

So questions are abound. Should I complete the top 100 now, or should I wait until I’ve had a chance to catch up with some of the greats? Either way, I’d like to at least make a list of movies I need to see. There are certainly a lot of so called “classics” that I really don’t have much interest in seeing, but a lot of the movies below have elements that at least make me curious.

For anyone who wants to play along, I created this list at the Lists of Bests website. Come join the fun (or create your own list and let me know!)

• Alfred Hitchcock: My list already has 4 Hitchcock films on it (2 of which are near the top), but as much as I love Hitchcock, I have to admit that I haven’t seen many of his classic films. I do have a minor excuse though, as I started watching films from the beginning of his career (I even created a Hitchcock category and have made my way through the first 5 or 6 films). However, those films, while not actually bad, are nowhere near what he later achieved.
  • Notorious
  • Strangers on a Train
  • The Birds
  • The 39 Steps
  • Shadow of a Doubt
• Akira Kurosawa: I’ve actually only seen one Kurosawa film – Seven Samurai (which I loved). I’m not sure why I’ve never moved on from there, but it’s high time that I did! I’m putting the 4 I most want to see here, but there are probably 10 others that I should also watch…
  • Rashomon
  • Ran
  • Yojimbo
  • The Hidden Fortress
• Miscellaneous Classics: For whatever reason, I haven’t been able to catch these films. All of them seem to be popular in the top 100 arena though, so I figure I should check them out… I’ve always thought some of them sounded interesting (i.e. Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The Wild Bunch, Rio Bravo, etc…), others I’m doing just so that I have some frame of reference for various types of films (i.e. Marx Brothers) without going into the level of detail I did with Hitchcock or Kurosawa. In no particular order:
  • Lawrence of Arabia
  • Rio Bravo
  • The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
  • Duck Soup
  • Network
  • 12 Angry Men
  • The Wild Bunch
  • Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
  • After Hours
  • The Third Man
  • All the President’s Men
• Foreign Films: I’ve probably seen more foreign films than most people, but that’s mostly contemporary stuff and I’m not sure how much of it would really qualify for a top 100 list. So here are a few foreign films I’d like to catch up with:
  • Bob Le Flambeur
  • Vengeance Is Mine
  • Cinema Paradiso
  • Raise the Red Lantern
  • Les Diaboliques

I considered adding another section for silent films, a period I’m not terribly familiar with, and also more foreign films (there’s not many on my list), but there’s 20 25 films on the above list, so that should keep me busy for a while. I’m still not sure if I should post my Top 100 list just yet. Even if I do hold off, am I really going to be able to make the judgement call on a film I just watched? It’s tough, as a lot of films seem to get better with repeated viewings…

So that’s 20 25 films, about 10 Anime series and dozens of books that I want to watch/read. That’s a lot of consuming. I should get crackin’. One neat thing that I recently noticed is that Netflix has a Watch Now section where I can watch movies right away, without having to wait for the mail. Only a handful of the films above are available on that service, but it’s a great idea (provided that the quality is there and that the experience is good, which is hardly a given).

Update: Added some foreign films to the list. This brings us to an unweildy 25 films, but I wanted to broaden my horizons a bit…