Directors Why Does George Kaplan Hate This Movie Tournament? (2 Viewers)

[Lew Crippen]

 

[JohnRice]

Once Upon a Time in America

Abstain


I didn't end up watching Blow-Up yesterday, but I can watch it today if you like.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Taxi Driver
abstain - no Shock Corridor

- Walter.

 

[Agee Bassett]

Taxi Driver
Abstain (seen neither)

 

[Lew Crippen]

No pressure John, but you should give Blow-Up a go—even with Rich’s review.

I’ll break the ties for All That Heaven Allows and The Searchers. making them the first to qualify for the quarter-finals.

 

[Rich Malloy]

Didn't you also recommend "The Conformist" to John? I think I remember that... and I also think it's better film, more worthy of his time, etc. Odd, as I do not much care for most of Bertolucci, whereas I adore a good chunk of Antonioni's work (particularly the trilogy and the sorta coda that is "Red Desert").

But everyone should see "Blow-Up" at least once to make up their own minds and to enjoy some quite brilliant sequences laced throughout, some of which are among the best of the post-trilogy period, though none quite as extraordinary as that final uncut traveling shot in "The Passenger".

 

[Adam_S]

Once Upon a Time in America

 

[Lew Crippen]

You remember correctly Rich. Even if one did not like The Conformist, you would have to admire the use of cinematography in telling the story. For me the camera work is every bit as important as the acting or the (verbal) script in this film.

As John is a photographer, I think he would enjoy it from that perspective, even if not the movie qua movie.

 

[Brook K]

Seems safe round these parts again

Taxi Driver
Shock Corridor (because of the thematic and dramatic power, but a tough choice. Alphaville is a hilarious sci-fi parody and one that is rather dismissive of the genre, while also being about the things Lew mentions. It wasn't made like that because Godard was too dumb or cheap to get "proper sci-fi" sets, props, SFX, etc)

 

[Bill McA]

Once Upon a Time in America
Alphaville

 

[Rob Tomlin]

Argh- two more movies in my top 10 (or nearly) that George hates!

Taxi Driver

 

[Adam_S]

as a photographer, conformist is seared deeply into my brain. Couldn't tell you a damn thing about the dialogue/characters names etc other meaningless details but I think I could tell you most of the story. and I seem to remember thinking it felt like Miller's Crossing.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Once Upon a Time in America beats Taxi Driver in a close one, 5–4. Alphaville squeaks by Shock Corridor, 2–1.

Once Upon a Time in America and Alphaville advance.

Next up:

Round 2: Bracket 4:

Dawn of the Dead is considered by many to be a commentary on contemporary culture (of the 70s), most especially rampart consumerism. Many observers also see quite a bit of humor in this movie—George apparently did not.

The Marriage of Maria Braun did not put up much of a fight in the first round, succumbing to an early bite.

vs.

Les enfants du paradis gives us Garance, who is persued by four very different men, all who are obsessed by her (and at least one requiring her exclusively) and in their own separate ways pursue her. But Garance is not the female pawn to be possessed by the winner among the four, but rather a free and independent woman who makes her own choices (mostly rejecting those who are driven to posses her).

This French film has had to survive two ties (the first in the play-in round) to advance. Not many manage to last against zombies, but there are always some who live to see a new day.


Round 2: Bracket 5:

A Room with a View is filled with great secondary roles: Charlotte (Maggie Smith is particularly fine as the poor cousin), Eleanor the writer (Judi Dench) and best of all Daniel Day-Lewis’ portrayal of Cecil the rejected fiancé. These three alone, make the movie worth seeing—but no according to George.

The only Ivory/Merchant entry made the main field by beating Thelma and Louise and sunk the Titanic in the first round.

vs.

Safe is about far more (as pointed out in this thread) than simply a view of environmental problems. Julianne Moore as Carol gives a standout performance in director Todd Haynes depiction of her outer and inner world going wrong. It is not at all surprising that he later reprised Douglas Sirk showing us another woman’s life unraveled by external forces.

This movie surprised the experts by shutting out All About Eve in the first round.

 

[SteveGon]

Dawn of the Dead
Abstain

 

[JohnRice]

Children

Room

 

[george kaplan]

Children of Paradise

Room with a View

 

[Brook K]

Children of Paradise

 

[Rain]

Les Enfants du Paradis

Abstain

 

[Rob Tomlin]

I'm not a fan of any of these movies (haven't seen Safe) so I will abstain.

 

[Bill McA]

Dawn of the Dead
A Room With A View