Track the Films You Watch (2008) - Page 17

Michael Elliott · 02-16-2008, 01:10 PM

Re: Hepburn

I enjoyed BRINGING UP BABY and THE PHILADELPHIA STORY but I think I'm in the minority of prefering her work with Tracy more. It seems everyone prefers the Hepburn/Grant movies more but I think WOMAN OF THE YEAR is the best of the 40's screwball comedies.

I also agree with you on HOUSE SAND/FOG. A brilliant movie but I'm not sure I need to see it again.

Joe Karlosi · 02-16-2008, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Elliott

I recorded this one as well but I'm interested in Lemmon's Oscar win. It's long been debated that he won because of what Brando did the previous year when he won for THE GODFATHER. I personally think Brando's performance in LAST TANGO IN PARIS is the greatest ever put to film so I'm interested in what Lemmon does here. Not to mention 1973 also featured legendary performances including the other noms:

Last Detail, The (1973) - Jack Nicholson
Serpico (1973) - Al Pacino
Sting, The (1973) - Robert Redford
Ultimo tango a Parigi (1972) - Marlon Brando

AMERICAN GRAFFITI and THE EXORCIST were also out this year and even Newman didn't get the BA nom for THE STING.

I'm pretty sure you've seen DETAIL, SERPICO and THE STING so do you think Lemmon's performance was better?

I haven't seen THE LAST DETAIL or LAST TANGO IN PARIS...

I saw SERPICO several years ago, but I don't recall anything jumping out at me there as far as thinking Pacino should have won the award.

THE STING is simply one of the greatest films of all time for me, and one of my personal favorites... I think I'd still give the nod to Lemmon for TIGER, though. When I say that Lemmon "deserved" an award, I mean I thought it was a good performance with a lot of feeling and was worthy of an award ... whether it was "better" than DETAIL or TANGO, though, I can't judge...

But the Oscars are largely a load of malarky anyway.

Adam_S · 02-16-2008, 01:38 PM

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I've seen this twice now and I thought it was brillant both times...I'm surprised you didn't mention anything about the eyes Adam. This is not typical stop motion - the eyes of the characters look absolutely real and human and I've never seen anything like it before. After seeing it at last year's Worldwide Short Film Festival here in Toronto (which it won as Best Animated Short), the filmmakers spent about 5 minutes explaining how they created those eyes (something to do with overlaying actual filmed real eyes over the animation). They lost me with the description, but I found it fascinating anyway.

The appearance of the characters fits the mood of the film - kinda creepy, kinda dark, kinda ominous. I actually found it to be entirely beautiful - in particular that final image. I think it deserves the win - not just because of its technical achievement, but because of the way it created the mood. And it did it all without a word of dialog.

Good points, the eyes fascinated me and creeped me out, they were definitely stunning, for a while I wondered if the film was CGI because of the eyes, then I realized CGI short of King Kong isn't that good. I will say the visual storytelling of the film was amongst the very best of the films nominated, it and Peter and the Wolf were superb in this respect. It doesn't do the film any favors to follow My Love in the program, but it also gets the program back on track.

Joe Karlosi · 02-16-2008, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Elliott

Re: Hepburn

I enjoyed BRINGING UP BABY and THE PHILADELPHIA STORY but I think I'm in the minority of prefering her work with Tracy more. It seems everyone prefers the Hepburn/Grant movies more but I think WOMAN OF THE YEAR is the best of the 40's screwball comedies.

ADAM'S RIB!!

george kaplan · 02-16-2008, 03:42 PM

Quote:

I enjoyed BRINGING UP BABY and THE PHILADELPHIA STORY but I think I'm in the minority of prefering her work with Tracy more. It seems everyone prefers the Hepburn/Grant movies more but I think WOMAN OF THE YEAR is the best of the 40's screwball comedies.

Michael Elliott · 02-16-2008, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Karlosi

I haven't seen THE LAST DETAIL or LAST TANGO IN PARIS...
.

I'm not sure if I'd recommend LAST TANGO to you or not. It's pretty "arty" so I'm not sure how you'd feel about it. THE LAST DETAIL is another I'm not sure you'd like but I know you enjoy Nicholson so you might want to give it a shot but CHINATOWN is slightly better.

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I like them all, and would probably rank em as follows:

Adam's Rib
Bringing Up Baby
Philadelphia Story
Pat & Mike
Holiday
Woman of the Year
Keeper of the Flame
Desk Set

I haven't watched HOLIDAY or KEEPER OF THE FLAME yet but I thought PAT & MIKE was the weakest Tracy/Hepburn film. DESK SET is one of my favorites but WITHOUT LOVE is probably the most underrated film they did. I thought it would get more attention after it was released to DVD last year but no one really talked about it.

I'd still put GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER? as the best film the two legends did together. The final speech by Tracy is the best scene of any of their films IMO.

george kaplan · 02-16-2008, 08:10 PM

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I thought PAT & MIKE was the weakest Tracy/Hepburn film.

PatW · 02-16-2008, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Elliott

Re: Hepburn

I enjoyed BRINGING UP BABY and THE PHILADELPHIA STORY but I think I'm in the minority of prefering her work with Tracy more. It seems everyone prefers the Hepburn/Grant movies more but I think WOMAN OF THE YEAR is the best of the 40's screwball comedies.

As far as comedy goes, I don't think anyone can rival Cary Grant. I don't know what it is about him, but I've admired him since childhood. When I wasn't too interested in classic movies years ago, I always found room to watch another Cary Grant film. My absolute favourite classic comedy is Bringing up Baby, a classic movie that I never tire of watching. Of Hepburn's pairings with Tracy probably Woman of the Year would be my favourite. That last scene in the movie has to be the best, not so much what Hepburn is doing but the expressions on Tracy's face were just priceless.