William Friedkin Cruising 1980
(rewatch)
Frighteningly horrific film with an atmosphere so black, there is truly none more black. I remember seeing this in the late 1990s and that black atmosphere never left my mind. Friedkin holds no punches here, one of his most raw films, and one of the best serial killer films. Music by Jack Nitzsche and Egberto Gismonti, and a great use of the ECM issued song Waterwheel by Ralph Towner from his Batik album about midway through the film as Pacino tracks his first suspect. Great film. Perhaps one of the best ECM releases, it really adds a great atmosphere to the images. Pacino so good in this.
First film from Larry Cohen, an home invasion picture with Yaphet Kotto, Andrew Duggan, and Joyce Van Patten. Avant'garde approach to editing and narrative. Cohen was one hell of an unique filmmaker.
Sidney Lumet Prince of the City 1981
Raw as hell story of police corruption from Lumet starring Treat Williams in an impressive and unrestrained performance, honest and powerful. Impressive cast includes Jerry Orbach, Richard Foronjy (recognizable as the knitting gent from Repo Man), Norman Parker, Bob Balaban, James Tolkan, Tony Page, Lance Henriksen, and a ton of other recognizable faces.
3.2.2020
Greg Mottola The Daytrippers 1996
Very nice 1990s NYC film I had wanted to see. Liev Schreiber's character is really fascinating, and his performance is quite good.
3.3.2020
David Lean The Passionate Friends 1949
Similar to Lean's Brief Encounter but a little more blatant. Paul Thomas Anderson favorite and an inspiration for his Phantom Thread. As with Brief Encounter, the film stars Trevor Howard but this time with Ann Todd and Claude Rains who is (spoiler alert) actually cuckolded.
(rewatch)
I love this film and watch it every couple of years. Johannes Krisch gives one great performance. Lots of really nice wood chopping I quite enjoy.
3.4.2020
Giuliano Montaldo Machine Gun McCain 1969
John Cassavetes, Britt Ekland, Peter Falk, and Gena Rowlands star in this Italian made mobster film.
3.6.2020
Guy Green A Patch of Blue 1965
Had not seen this film but have listened hundreds of times to the LP based on the music from this film by the Walt Dickerson Quartet entitled Impressions Of A Patch Of Blue with Sun Ra on harpsichord and piano, Bob Cunningham on bass, Roger Blank on drums and Walt Dickerson on vibraphone. Film stars Sidney Poitier and has some good moments but not one you would watch over and over.
Arthur Hiller The Out-of-Towners 1970
(rewatch)
One can get a heart attack watching this film, a bit too much at times but mostly quite wonderful. Sandy Dennis so good in it. NYC in the 1970s is as always enjoyable as hell in cinema.
Gus Van Sant Paranoid Park 2007
(rewatch)
Wasn't so crazy about this the first time seeing it, but really enjoyed it this watch. Sort of combines the aesthetics of Van Sant's Béla Tarr trilogy (Gerry, Elephant, and Last Days) with his slightly more straight ahead films like Good Will Hunting. Blissful sound and visual combination.
3.7.2020
Stanley Kubrick The Shining 1980
(rewatch)
Projected at home good and loud on blu ray. My wife said she had never heard the score sound so wonderful. Like her, I grew up watching this on cable in the early 80s and later on VHS. I believe this film is one that truly changed my life and certainly my relationship to cinema. A 6 year old possibly had no business watching this film but that didn't stop this kid from watching it over and over, and I'm guessing many other kids were tuning in at the same time getting fucked for life in the most wonderful way.
3.8.2020
Ted Kotcheff North Dallas Forty 1979
Early Nick Nolte film from Wake in Fright director Ted Kotcheff. Kotcheff made some intense films.
3.9.2020
Clive Barker Hellraiser 1987
(rewatch)
Directorial debut by Barker. Originally scored by Coil (The Unreleased Themes for Hellraiser), but the producers changed to Christopher Young. Coil would have added some more layers of bizarreness to this already strange film. Had not seen since I was 15 or so, the film starts out pretty good but loosed it a little in the end with the Kirsty Cotton character/actor.
(rewatch)
Great caper film with Sean Connery, Martin Balsam, Val Avery, Christopher Walken, and music by Quincy Jones (in the Criterion Quincy Jones collection).
3.10.2020
Laurence Harvey, Anthony Mann A Dandy in Aspic 1968
Pretty solid British spy film with Laurence Harvey, Lionel Stander, Mia Farrow, and music by Quincy Jones. Truly memorable last sequence, not unlike Two-Lane Blacktop, with freeze frames and disconcerting analogue projector-like frame advancements.
Delmer Daves 3:10 to Yuma 1957
(rewatch)
Glenn Ford, Van Heflin, and Felicia Farr. Moody photography by Charles Lawton Jr. and music by George Duning. One of the best western soundtracks. Film slows a tad 2/3rds of the way through but had a wonderful ending.
Peter Bogdanovich Targets 1968
Being a lover of the story within a story structure found in early novels like Don Quixote de la Mancha, the film within a film structure gives Targets a real classical quality and at the same time truly modernistic, or more accurately the dreadful term, post-modernistic. A filmmaker accepting the rules of the game (needing to work within a set of rules in order to get the money to make the film) and creating a truly unique work is something only a great artist could achieve. Here Bogdanovich works within an almost random structure assigned by Roger Corman.... almost too bizarre to convey... and this randomness gives the film an almost psychedelic and unforgettable aspect. Memorable role for Boris Karloff's, especially his scene lamenting mistakes within his film career. Great ending!
3.11.2020
Larry Cohen The Stuff 1985
Reminded me slightly of a combination of The Thing and They Live. Some solid mother film! Michael Moriarty is damn good here, and the film has a truly cosmic construction.
(rewatch)
Very abstract psychedelic photography about a quarter of the way through, Perry was a great director and you really see it in these moments where he heightens the mood through the roof with pure cinematic artifice. Various sites mention the Shirley Abbott (Janice Rule) scene was directed by Sydney Pollack, also that Perry intended Barbara Loden to play the Abbott character. Loden's presence would have been nice. Lancaster's character's perception of reality is throughout the film truly deranged, and one begins to question from the beginning what level of perception to put stock in. Quite pleasant this lack of understanding, at least for this viewer.
3.12.2020
Barry Levinson Young Sherlock Holmes 1985
One can see the writer of this film Chris Columbus went on to direct two of the Harry Potters and produce three. This film feels so distinctly like a pre Harry Potter document with the battle between good and malevolent students, and tricks galore, outside forces wreaking havoc on the school, and a good proper look inside 19th century London. A good example of how 1980s American cinema, when not Hughesian, can really be a seamless cinematic experience. Although sections of this gets too Indian Jones and a bit boring, overall it is a good film.
Robert Townsend Hollywood Shuffle 1987
(rewatch)
This was, I believe, on cable often in the late 1980s and early 1990s, as I saw it numerous times. Had not seen since then and it is funny that every line gave me this strange deja-vu feeling due to over exposure as a pre teen. Coming to America similar in that it was on all the time and something about it encouraged multiple viewings. Great film.
George Stevens A Place in the Sun 1951
(rewatch)
Fourth rewatch maybe... I love this film but for some reason the title never clicks with me, until I read about the plot. Figured one more go at it would really cement it in my mind. Might sound strange but in college I had a photo of Monty Clift up on my wall... because really he was the best actor for me at that time in my life... and certainly of the method dudes the one that resonates the strongest. Perhaps his best film? Also Terminal Station, Red River, The Misfits, and From Here to Eternity. I found out last year that he is buried within 1/4 mile from my apartment in Brooklyn, how amazing is that I ask.
Sydney Pollack Tootsie 1982
(rewatch)
Watching many films I had not seen since being a pre teen. Tootsie has some good moments but terrible music and many levels of what makes 1980s films so dated. Pollack is great in his role here, such a powerful and memorable actor. Hoffman larger than life with his performance!
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