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It was actually WAY better then I expected. Mediocre, but I was expecting complete S***!
A Journey with The Gunslinger45 and his Top 10 Favorite Directors!
Well there's at least a couple movies I want to watch first, but I will watch Red Dawn at some point next week and let you know what I think of it.
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Favorite Movies
Go for it. Not exactly the most popular film here so I am not really expecting much. But I love Charlie Sheen, Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze killing Russians!
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Favorite Movies
5.
Stanley Kubrick
Intro: Full Metal Jacket
Favorite: Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Masterpiece: 2001: A Space Odyssey
Least Favorite: Fear and Desire
Following Spielberg at number 5 is actually one of Steven’s best friends and one of his biggest fans. Quite ironic that one of his biggest admirers was also his polar opposite. Kubrick was the cold and artistically praised master filmmaker. The man who has made classics in multiple genres, a man who is known as an auteur, and a man known for his obsessive level of detail and control. Even to the point where he could get downright cruel to actors. Ask Shelly Duval. My first introduction to Kubrick was his 80’s war film Full Metal Jacket. This was not only my first intro to Kubrick, but also to his favorite subject; war. But in hindsight it was not as blatant with his politics as some of his other movies. Instead it presented war as an experience and let the viewer make the decision. My second film of Kubrick’s I saw as a teenager was A Clockwork Orange. And to be honest I was disappointed by it the first time through. I was hoping for ultra violence, but my definition of ultra-violent was defined by the 90’s. When I though ultra-violent I was basing this on my concepts constructed from 80’s and 90’s action movies and early 90’s schlock anime. Which is totally unfair since that differs greatly from 70’s violence. My third Kubrick film I did not see until college with Dr Strangelove. A film I liked the first time around. But there was something about the film that kept me coming back to the film. It would eventually become my favorite Kubrick film, as well as my second favorite film of all time. Now I needed to see the rest of Kubrick’s feature films. iTunes became a big help in that regard. The best of which include The Shining, the Killing, and I would also come around on A Clockwork Orange. But Kubrick’s masterpiece, the film that transcends his other works in terms of artistic wonder is clearly 2001: A Space Odyssey; a film that while not MY favorite Kubrick movie; it is one of Kubrick’s most influential and most praised. And it is a Top 3 Kubrick film for me.
Other films surprised the hell out of me. I did not expect to like Paths of Glory as much as I did. What with me being in the Army as a grunt and it being very blatant with its antiwar message. Not to mention it was made very close to the end of WWII. But the master created a movie that could overcome those concerns. Eyes Wide Shut was nowhere near as bad as I had heard. And while that film was still over my head, it was very well created. Some of his films that while I liked and think are good movies, I do not plan on revisiting. Lolita was very dark in its humor but it is no Dr Strangelove. Barry Lyndon had some incredible cinematography and wonderful lighting techniques, but was not really my kind of film. He also made two movies I thought were average: Spartacus and Killers Kiss. I am a sucker for the noir genre, so while I liked Killers Kiss I can say there are much better noirs I can watch (like The Killing). And Spartacus was grand and epic, but I did not like it nearly as much as Ben-Hur. The only mediocre film Kubrick made was his first film, but I am not going to hold that film to the same standards as 2001. It was an okay first feature, but production quality does make the film suffer. But that does not take away from Kubrick’s genius. The man’s movies deserved to be watched, even his weaker films. Either way the man was a visionary genius, and has given me a greater love for the cinema. Even helping my tastes evolve with Dr Strangelove which I credit as the film that helped me learn film grammar, subtext, and themes. The man needs to be watched for years to come.
Fear and Desire
Killer's Kiss
The Killing
Paths of Glory
Spartacus
Lolita
Dr. Strangelove
2001: A Space Odyssey
A Clockwork Orange
Barry Lyndon
The Shining
Full Metal Jacket
Eyes Wide Shut
Stanley Kubrick
Intro: Full Metal Jacket
Favorite: Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Masterpiece: 2001: A Space Odyssey
Least Favorite: Fear and Desire
Following Spielberg at number 5 is actually one of Steven’s best friends and one of his biggest fans. Quite ironic that one of his biggest admirers was also his polar opposite. Kubrick was the cold and artistically praised master filmmaker. The man who has made classics in multiple genres, a man who is known as an auteur, and a man known for his obsessive level of detail and control. Even to the point where he could get downright cruel to actors. Ask Shelly Duval. My first introduction to Kubrick was his 80’s war film Full Metal Jacket. This was not only my first intro to Kubrick, but also to his favorite subject; war. But in hindsight it was not as blatant with his politics as some of his other movies. Instead it presented war as an experience and let the viewer make the decision. My second film of Kubrick’s I saw as a teenager was A Clockwork Orange. And to be honest I was disappointed by it the first time through. I was hoping for ultra violence, but my definition of ultra-violent was defined by the 90’s. When I though ultra-violent I was basing this on my concepts constructed from 80’s and 90’s action movies and early 90’s schlock anime. Which is totally unfair since that differs greatly from 70’s violence. My third Kubrick film I did not see until college with Dr Strangelove. A film I liked the first time around. But there was something about the film that kept me coming back to the film. It would eventually become my favorite Kubrick film, as well as my second favorite film of all time. Now I needed to see the rest of Kubrick’s feature films. iTunes became a big help in that regard. The best of which include The Shining, the Killing, and I would also come around on A Clockwork Orange. But Kubrick’s masterpiece, the film that transcends his other works in terms of artistic wonder is clearly 2001: A Space Odyssey; a film that while not MY favorite Kubrick movie; it is one of Kubrick’s most influential and most praised. And it is a Top 3 Kubrick film for me.
Other films surprised the hell out of me. I did not expect to like Paths of Glory as much as I did. What with me being in the Army as a grunt and it being very blatant with its antiwar message. Not to mention it was made very close to the end of WWII. But the master created a movie that could overcome those concerns. Eyes Wide Shut was nowhere near as bad as I had heard. And while that film was still over my head, it was very well created. Some of his films that while I liked and think are good movies, I do not plan on revisiting. Lolita was very dark in its humor but it is no Dr Strangelove. Barry Lyndon had some incredible cinematography and wonderful lighting techniques, but was not really my kind of film. He also made two movies I thought were average: Spartacus and Killers Kiss. I am a sucker for the noir genre, so while I liked Killers Kiss I can say there are much better noirs I can watch (like The Killing). And Spartacus was grand and epic, but I did not like it nearly as much as Ben-Hur. The only mediocre film Kubrick made was his first film, but I am not going to hold that film to the same standards as 2001. It was an okay first feature, but production quality does make the film suffer. But that does not take away from Kubrick’s genius. The man’s movies deserved to be watched, even his weaker films. Either way the man was a visionary genius, and has given me a greater love for the cinema. Even helping my tastes evolve with Dr Strangelove which I credit as the film that helped me learn film grammar, subtext, and themes. The man needs to be watched for years to come.
Fear and Desire
Killer's Kiss
The Killing
Paths of Glory
Spartacus
Lolita
Dr. Strangelove
2001: A Space Odyssey
A Clockwork Orange
Barry Lyndon
The Shining
Full Metal Jacket
Eyes Wide Shut
Last edited by The Gunslinger45; 07-25-15 at 12:41 AM.
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Favorite Movies
4.
Akira Kurosawa
Intro Taste: Dreams
Intro Full Film: Seven Samurai
Favorite: Seven Samurai
Masterpiece: Seven Samurai
Least Favorite: The Most Beautiful
Kurosawa is one of the directors I have come to REALLY admire as an adult. In fact it was only a few years ago I first sat down and watched Seven Samurai for the first time. But that was not actually my first exposure to Kurosawa. My first taste of Kurosawa was in my film class at college. Problem was it was ONE vignette from Kurosawa’s Dreams. The vignette was the one with the kid and the spirits of the peach trees, and in my humble opinion a terrible introduction to Kurosawa’s oeuvre. I mean I could not get a Rashomon or Yojimbo but I had to suffer through Godard’s Pierrot le Fou? BULL S**T! Either way, it was not until I was rewatching Kevin Smith’s Zack and Miri Make a Porno That I rediscovered the name Kurosawa. There is one scene where Seth Rogen is talking to Jeff Anderson and Seth replies with the line:
“What an artist, I believe that was Kurosawa’s motto: s**t going into other s**t. “
At which point I ask, “Who the hell is Kurosawa?”
One Wikipedia search later and I decide to rent Seven Samurai from iTunes. And I REALLY liked it. It was so epic in scale and very action packed (especially for the 50’s). Yojimbo was my second full Kurosawa movie, and while I liked it, I actually preferred its unofficial remake A Fistful of Dollars more. But it was the third movie Rashomon that REALLY ignited the spark for me to watch every Kurosawa movie I could. I was simply floored by the movie experience. And for a time it was my favorite Kurosawa movie. But it was Seven Samurai that I revisited and rewatched the most of all his films. Making Seven Samurai my first, favorite, and what I believe is Kurosawa’s masterpiece. Which says something since I think he has made several master works.
Now you would think since I started with the best I would be severely disappointed with the rest of his work right? Wrong! Priority one for me with regards to Kurosawa were his jidaigenki (period pieces). I needed to watch all of his samurai movies first. And that lead me to buying a few more Criterion DVDs and also eventually getting Hulu Plus. Sanjuro quickly followed my viewing of Rashomon (via iTunes). And once I got my DVDs and Hulu Plus I made quick work of Throne of Blood, Red Beard, and The Hidden Fortress. All were wonderful! The only two Kurosawa samurai pictures I could not get into were oddly enough the films he did in color. Ran and Kagemusha just did not do it for me the same way Seven Samurai and the others did. I still think they were good films, but not as good as their black and white predecessors. While I was visiting his jidaigenki movies, I made one sole exception with regards to his films set in what was then present day. Ikiru, and it was another brilliant film.
Still wanting to see the rest of Kurosawa’s works I then tackled the rest of his contemporary works. I bought two Criterion film collections of Kurosawa. His pre war and WWII films, as well as his films following WWII. This included some excellent films like The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tails, No Regrets for Our Youth, One Wonderful Sunday, Drunken Angel, Scandal, and I Live in Fear. There were some good films like his early Sanshiro Sugata movies (I still liked the sequel even though it was blatant war propaganda) and Stray Dog. But there was also the ONE film that Kurosawa made that I thought was bad, The Most Beautiful. I can’t give Kurosawa too much crap though since he made that movie to get the Japanese censorship board off his back.
I then used DVD and Hulu Plus to finish off as many films as I could. The Bad Sleep Well, High and Low, Rhapsody in August, and Madadayo were either very good or excellent while I thought Dodes’ka-den and Dreams were good, but not that good. Dreams however I give credit for being VERY personal and creative. And Rhapsody in August is my favorite color film Kurosawa had made. I have to date seen 27 of the great Kurosawa’s movies. And that is with me slacking and not watching The Idiot yet even though I have it on DVD. 27 movies over the course of say 2 years from one filmmaker? That is a hell of a lot of movies. And while I much prefer his jidaigenki more than his contemporary works, he still had more than a few excellent works in that category too. Any way the man has a HUGE body of work, and I have been fortunate enough so far to have seen most of them. I will see the remaining three features soon enough.
EDIT: I have seen the last remaining 3, and their ratings have now been updated!
Sanshiro Sugata
The Most Beautiful
Sanshiro Sugata Part 2
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tails
No Regrets for Our Youth
One Wonderful Sunday
The Quiet Duel
Stray Dog
Drunken Angel
Scandal
Rashomon
The Idiot
Ikiru
Seven Samurai 1st & #1
I Live in Fear
Throne of Blood
The Lower Depths
The Hidden Fortress
Yojimbo
The Bad Sleep Well
Sanjuro
High & Low
Red Beard
Dodes’ka-den
Dersu Uzala
Kagemusha
Ran
Dreams
Rhapsody in August
Madadayo
Akira Kurosawa
Intro Taste: Dreams
Intro Full Film: Seven Samurai
Favorite: Seven Samurai
Masterpiece: Seven Samurai
Least Favorite: The Most Beautiful
Kurosawa is one of the directors I have come to REALLY admire as an adult. In fact it was only a few years ago I first sat down and watched Seven Samurai for the first time. But that was not actually my first exposure to Kurosawa. My first taste of Kurosawa was in my film class at college. Problem was it was ONE vignette from Kurosawa’s Dreams. The vignette was the one with the kid and the spirits of the peach trees, and in my humble opinion a terrible introduction to Kurosawa’s oeuvre. I mean I could not get a Rashomon or Yojimbo but I had to suffer through Godard’s Pierrot le Fou? BULL S**T! Either way, it was not until I was rewatching Kevin Smith’s Zack and Miri Make a Porno That I rediscovered the name Kurosawa. There is one scene where Seth Rogen is talking to Jeff Anderson and Seth replies with the line:
“What an artist, I believe that was Kurosawa’s motto: s**t going into other s**t. “
At which point I ask, “Who the hell is Kurosawa?”
One Wikipedia search later and I decide to rent Seven Samurai from iTunes. And I REALLY liked it. It was so epic in scale and very action packed (especially for the 50’s). Yojimbo was my second full Kurosawa movie, and while I liked it, I actually preferred its unofficial remake A Fistful of Dollars more. But it was the third movie Rashomon that REALLY ignited the spark for me to watch every Kurosawa movie I could. I was simply floored by the movie experience. And for a time it was my favorite Kurosawa movie. But it was Seven Samurai that I revisited and rewatched the most of all his films. Making Seven Samurai my first, favorite, and what I believe is Kurosawa’s masterpiece. Which says something since I think he has made several master works.
Now you would think since I started with the best I would be severely disappointed with the rest of his work right? Wrong! Priority one for me with regards to Kurosawa were his jidaigenki (period pieces). I needed to watch all of his samurai movies first. And that lead me to buying a few more Criterion DVDs and also eventually getting Hulu Plus. Sanjuro quickly followed my viewing of Rashomon (via iTunes). And once I got my DVDs and Hulu Plus I made quick work of Throne of Blood, Red Beard, and The Hidden Fortress. All were wonderful! The only two Kurosawa samurai pictures I could not get into were oddly enough the films he did in color. Ran and Kagemusha just did not do it for me the same way Seven Samurai and the others did. I still think they were good films, but not as good as their black and white predecessors. While I was visiting his jidaigenki movies, I made one sole exception with regards to his films set in what was then present day. Ikiru, and it was another brilliant film.
Still wanting to see the rest of Kurosawa’s works I then tackled the rest of his contemporary works. I bought two Criterion film collections of Kurosawa. His pre war and WWII films, as well as his films following WWII. This included some excellent films like The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tails, No Regrets for Our Youth, One Wonderful Sunday, Drunken Angel, Scandal, and I Live in Fear. There were some good films like his early Sanshiro Sugata movies (I still liked the sequel even though it was blatant war propaganda) and Stray Dog. But there was also the ONE film that Kurosawa made that I thought was bad, The Most Beautiful. I can’t give Kurosawa too much crap though since he made that movie to get the Japanese censorship board off his back.
I then used DVD and Hulu Plus to finish off as many films as I could. The Bad Sleep Well, High and Low, Rhapsody in August, and Madadayo were either very good or excellent while I thought Dodes’ka-den and Dreams were good, but not that good. Dreams however I give credit for being VERY personal and creative. And Rhapsody in August is my favorite color film Kurosawa had made. I have to date seen 27 of the great Kurosawa’s movies. And that is with me slacking and not watching The Idiot yet even though I have it on DVD. 27 movies over the course of say 2 years from one filmmaker? That is a hell of a lot of movies. And while I much prefer his jidaigenki more than his contemporary works, he still had more than a few excellent works in that category too. Any way the man has a HUGE body of work, and I have been fortunate enough so far to have seen most of them. I will see the remaining three features soon enough.
EDIT: I have seen the last remaining 3, and their ratings have now been updated!
Sanshiro Sugata
The Most Beautiful
Sanshiro Sugata Part 2
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tails
No Regrets for Our Youth
One Wonderful Sunday
The Quiet Duel
Stray Dog
Drunken Angel
Scandal
Rashomon
The Idiot
Ikiru
Seven Samurai 1st & #1
I Live in Fear
Throne of Blood
The Lower Depths
The Hidden Fortress
Yojimbo
The Bad Sleep Well
Sanjuro
High & Low
Red Beard
Dodes’ka-den
Dersu Uzala
Kagemusha
Ran
Dreams
Rhapsody in August
Madadayo
Last edited by The Gunslinger45; 07-25-15 at 12:43 AM.
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Favorite Movies
A great thread! And I really like your choices. Several of my own top ten favorite directors, or what would probably be my top 10 if I had to choose.
But still, I have to say....John Milius? Really? And I'm not saying I dislike the guy, but you could come up with someone better than that. Otherwise + rep for everyone else and especially for the idea itself.
But still, I have to say....John Milius? Really? And I'm not saying I dislike the guy, but you could come up with someone better than that. Otherwise + rep for everyone else and especially for the idea itself.
__________________
I may go back to hating you. It was more fun.
I may go back to hating you. It was more fun.
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Favorite Movies
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User Lists
Wow Gunslinger, I am thoroughly impressed by these last two entries. Exellent reviews, and it's really cool that you watched their entire filmographies.
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Favorite Movies
The directors you've chosen are all great so far. Looking forward to the rest!
Only problem I have is your disliking of Minority Report and Ran.
Only problem I have is your disliking of Minority Report and Ran.
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User Lists
Ok, I definitely have to watch a lot more Kurosawa!
Copolla is a great choice and Kubrick... Well, he's my personal #1 so that says a lot!
I'm not a fan of Spielberg but I understand the appealing!
Keep it up!
Copolla is a great choice and Kubrick... Well, he's my personal #1 so that says a lot!
I'm not a fan of Spielberg but I understand the appealing!
Keep it up!
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Favorite Movies
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User Lists
I'm not a fan of Spielberg either, most of his best work is largely due to the people he's working with, and he makes a lot of crap just for money.
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Favorite Movies
A great thread! And I really like your choices. Several of my own top ten favorite directors, or what would probably be my top 10 if I had to choose.
But still, I have to say....John Milius? Really? And I'm not saying I dislike the guy, but you could come up with someone better than that. Otherwise + rep for everyone else and especially for the idea itself.
But still, I have to say....John Milius? Really? And I'm not saying I dislike the guy, but you could come up with someone better than that. Otherwise + rep for everyone else and especially for the idea itself.
But thanks anyways! Only got a few more.And if Milius gets a reponses like this, wait until you see my number 2.
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Favorite Movies
Wow Gunslinger, I am thoroughly impressed by these last two entries. Exellent reviews, and it's really cool that you watched their entire filmographies.
X
Favorite Movies
3.
David Lynch
Intro: Dune
Favorite: Mulholland Drive
Masterpiece: Mulholland Drive
Least Favorite: Inland Empire
In a medium like film, it can be hard to try and stand out. With most everything being done, the name of the game becomes what does someone bring to the table that is new? Sometimes you get creative reworkings, sometimes you get sloppy rehashes. And then you get David Lynch. Lynch is a surrealist filmmaker, a man who often deals with dreamlike images and themes. And while surrealism is by no means new, Lynch does put his own unique spin on surrealist film that separates him from the likes of Jean Cocteau. In fact his films have created their own descriptive style. If something is described as Lynchian, you know that work is trying to emulate his.
I was actually first introduced to David Lynch as a kid, back when The Sy-Fy Channel has spell check and was called The Sci-Fi Channel. And when it was… you know, GOOD! On that channel when I was around 7 or 8 living outside Baltimore one certain movie was being shown on TV. A weird movie called Dune. Being younger and much less discerning about film quality at that age, I liked the film. I still do, but it does not hold up the same when you take of the nostalgia goggles. This was also before I was really paying attention to director names that were not George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. It also helped that since I was watching the TV version, I am pretty sure all I saw on the director’s credit was Alan Smithee. So almost two decades passed between Dune and my second Lynch feature; Eraserhead. Having learned of Lynch and hearing this film’s reputation, I decided I needed to dive head first into the deep end of the Lynch pool. And what I got was an unforgettable experience of watching the film around midnight with the lights out. Which is the perfect setting for one of the most terrifying WTF movie watching experiences I have had.
Following that it then took me a year or so to get to my next David Lynch film. I guess I went too Lynch too soon. My next encounter though came on this site when I was reading Daniel M’s Top 150 film list. He got to the Top 10 and one of his films was Blue Velvet. I was curious to see the film since I had never heard of it and I wanted to give David Lynch another shot. I ordered the DVD, popped it in, and I could not take my eyes away from it. This film blew my mind, and became a top 10 instant favorite for me. At least at first. At this point I NEEDED to see the rest of Lynch’s films. So like I would do with Wes Anderson, I ordered a few more DVDs and rented more movies from iTunes. A revisit to Eraserhead made the film a top 25 favorite film, and I liked Lost Highway and Wild at Heart. I then took a break to watch Twin Peaks, which became one of my favorite TV shows. I then watched Fire Walk with Me, and preferred the TV show. It was merely okay.
I then watched The Elephant Man, and while one of Lynch’s least Lynchian films; it is still one of his best. A heart breaking story based on true events of a man whose disfigurement eventually lead to his celebrity. It was a wonderful film. Even weirder was it was produced by Mel Brooks. The great funny man working with Lynch to create a serious arthouse type movie. Lynch would also create another movie that is not filled with surreal images, and he made it for Disney (let that sink in) called The Straight Story. Another simple and heartwarming story of a man who goes to visit his brother, but due to age and no car has to do it by lawn mower. Another case of Lynch showing he is not just a filmmaker who needs to throw in mind-bending imagery to make a great movie. Sometimes that imagery can even get in the way of the film. Case in point Inland Empire.
Then we get to Mulholland Drive. This was maybe the 4th or 5th David Lynch movie I saw. I really liked the movie on the first watch, but not as much as Blue Velvet. At least not at first. A David Lynch film is not a movie that should be consumed and attempted to be interpreted on the first viewing. Otherwise you get the complaints of some that “I need a flowchart to understand the film.” A complaint I find silly, but at the same time understandable. Lynch can make a movie with a straight forward narrative (The Straight Story and The Elephant Man), but otherwise he can be nonlinear and surreal as hell (Eraserhead and Inland Empire). The latter of which should be viewed first off, as an experience (Warning, might get slightly pretentious here), then on the following viewings do you try to put the pieces together. With Eraserhead I got a little more understanding for the film with each viewing, as I did with Mulholland Drive. With Blue Velvet, I thought I had a pretty good grasp of the film right out of the gate. So each revisit for that did not really bear many new insights. As such Mulholland Drive was the film I found myself thinking back to the most and the film I revisted the most as well. Now the film was top 50 material from the first viewing, but having now seen it 5 times over the past year and a half or so, it has found its way into my top 10, and Blue Velvet falling into the top 15. It really is the perfect balance of David Lynch’s unique surreal style and his attempts to tell an initially linear, but ultimately nonlinear film. It is my favorite David Lynch film, and I believe it to be his masterpiece. I hope he makes another movie soon. Though it does not seem to be in the immediate future.
Eraserhead -
The Elephant Man -
Dune –
Blue Velvet –
Wild at Heart -
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me -
Lost Highway -
The Straight Story -
Mulholland Drive -
Inland Empire -
David Lynch
Intro: Dune
Favorite: Mulholland Drive
Masterpiece: Mulholland Drive
Least Favorite: Inland Empire
In a medium like film, it can be hard to try and stand out. With most everything being done, the name of the game becomes what does someone bring to the table that is new? Sometimes you get creative reworkings, sometimes you get sloppy rehashes. And then you get David Lynch. Lynch is a surrealist filmmaker, a man who often deals with dreamlike images and themes. And while surrealism is by no means new, Lynch does put his own unique spin on surrealist film that separates him from the likes of Jean Cocteau. In fact his films have created their own descriptive style. If something is described as Lynchian, you know that work is trying to emulate his.
I was actually first introduced to David Lynch as a kid, back when The Sy-Fy Channel has spell check and was called The Sci-Fi Channel. And when it was… you know, GOOD! On that channel when I was around 7 or 8 living outside Baltimore one certain movie was being shown on TV. A weird movie called Dune. Being younger and much less discerning about film quality at that age, I liked the film. I still do, but it does not hold up the same when you take of the nostalgia goggles. This was also before I was really paying attention to director names that were not George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. It also helped that since I was watching the TV version, I am pretty sure all I saw on the director’s credit was Alan Smithee. So almost two decades passed between Dune and my second Lynch feature; Eraserhead. Having learned of Lynch and hearing this film’s reputation, I decided I needed to dive head first into the deep end of the Lynch pool. And what I got was an unforgettable experience of watching the film around midnight with the lights out. Which is the perfect setting for one of the most terrifying WTF movie watching experiences I have had.
Following that it then took me a year or so to get to my next David Lynch film. I guess I went too Lynch too soon. My next encounter though came on this site when I was reading Daniel M’s Top 150 film list. He got to the Top 10 and one of his films was Blue Velvet. I was curious to see the film since I had never heard of it and I wanted to give David Lynch another shot. I ordered the DVD, popped it in, and I could not take my eyes away from it. This film blew my mind, and became a top 10 instant favorite for me. At least at first. At this point I NEEDED to see the rest of Lynch’s films. So like I would do with Wes Anderson, I ordered a few more DVDs and rented more movies from iTunes. A revisit to Eraserhead made the film a top 25 favorite film, and I liked Lost Highway and Wild at Heart. I then took a break to watch Twin Peaks, which became one of my favorite TV shows. I then watched Fire Walk with Me, and preferred the TV show. It was merely okay.
I then watched The Elephant Man, and while one of Lynch’s least Lynchian films; it is still one of his best. A heart breaking story based on true events of a man whose disfigurement eventually lead to his celebrity. It was a wonderful film. Even weirder was it was produced by Mel Brooks. The great funny man working with Lynch to create a serious arthouse type movie. Lynch would also create another movie that is not filled with surreal images, and he made it for Disney (let that sink in) called The Straight Story. Another simple and heartwarming story of a man who goes to visit his brother, but due to age and no car has to do it by lawn mower. Another case of Lynch showing he is not just a filmmaker who needs to throw in mind-bending imagery to make a great movie. Sometimes that imagery can even get in the way of the film. Case in point Inland Empire.
Then we get to Mulholland Drive. This was maybe the 4th or 5th David Lynch movie I saw. I really liked the movie on the first watch, but not as much as Blue Velvet. At least not at first. A David Lynch film is not a movie that should be consumed and attempted to be interpreted on the first viewing. Otherwise you get the complaints of some that “I need a flowchart to understand the film.” A complaint I find silly, but at the same time understandable. Lynch can make a movie with a straight forward narrative (The Straight Story and The Elephant Man), but otherwise he can be nonlinear and surreal as hell (Eraserhead and Inland Empire). The latter of which should be viewed first off, as an experience (Warning, might get slightly pretentious here), then on the following viewings do you try to put the pieces together. With Eraserhead I got a little more understanding for the film with each viewing, as I did with Mulholland Drive. With Blue Velvet, I thought I had a pretty good grasp of the film right out of the gate. So each revisit for that did not really bear many new insights. As such Mulholland Drive was the film I found myself thinking back to the most and the film I revisted the most as well. Now the film was top 50 material from the first viewing, but having now seen it 5 times over the past year and a half or so, it has found its way into my top 10, and Blue Velvet falling into the top 15. It really is the perfect balance of David Lynch’s unique surreal style and his attempts to tell an initially linear, but ultimately nonlinear film. It is my favorite David Lynch film, and I believe it to be his masterpiece. I hope he makes another movie soon. Though it does not seem to be in the immediate future.
Eraserhead -
The Elephant Man -
Dune –
Blue Velvet –
Wild at Heart -
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me -
Lost Highway -
The Straight Story -
Mulholland Drive -
Inland Empire -
Last edited by The Gunslinger45; 12-24-14 at 11:48 AM.
X
Favorite Movies
9.
Francis Ford Coppela
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Intro: Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Favorite Film: Apocalypse Now
Masterpiece: The Godfather
Least Favorite: Jack
If you want to discuss filmmakers from the 70’s, Francis Ford Coppola is arguably the best director in the 70’s. He had only four films in the 70’s, but each was FANTASTIC! But it was none of those four films that introduced me to him as a director. It was actually Bram Stoker’s Dracula from the 90’s. After that I heard he had directed The Godfather series and Apocalypse Now. So as a teenager I had to see them. Unfortunately much like Wes Anderson, they were a little over my teenage head. But revisits to The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, and Apocalypse Now have cemented Coppola as one of my favorite directors, and Apocalypse Now as an easy Top Ten favorite film. But while those three movies have become favorites of mine, the same can’t be said of the movie Jack. Not the best Robin Williams vehicle and certainly no Ms Doubtfire. And on top of that we do not discuss The Godfather Part III. The final Coppola film from the 70's I saw I saw in my college film class. The Conversation. EXCELLENT film, and was the first of Coppola’s two Palme de Ors (the other being Apocalypse Now). Sadly while the man was a giant in the 70’s, his stock as a filmmaker was shot in the 80’s. Needless to say he peaked early critically and commercially. But while his filmography as a whole is not that great, he was fantastic for a decade. We knew this since he had ALL FOUR of his 70’s films in the top 20 of the MoFo 70’s list. He may not have had the lasting power of Spielberg or Scorsese, but he certainly left his mark.
The Godfather
The Conversation
The Godfather Part II
Apocalypse Now
The Godfather Part III
Bram Stokers Dracula
Jack
Francis Ford Coppela
Intro: Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Favorite Film: Apocalypse Now
Masterpiece: The Godfather
Least Favorite: Jack
If you want to discuss filmmakers from the 70’s, Francis Ford Coppola is arguably the best director in the 70’s. He had only four films in the 70’s, but each was FANTASTIC! But it was none of those four films that introduced me to him as a director. It was actually Bram Stoker’s Dracula from the 90’s. After that I heard he had directed The Godfather series and Apocalypse Now. So as a teenager I had to see them. Unfortunately much like Wes Anderson, they were a little over my teenage head. But revisits to The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, and Apocalypse Now have cemented Coppola as one of my favorite directors, and Apocalypse Now as an easy Top Ten favorite film. But while those three movies have become favorites of mine, the same can’t be said of the movie Jack. Not the best Robin Williams vehicle and certainly no Ms Doubtfire. And on top of that we do not discuss The Godfather Part III. The final Coppola film from the 70's I saw I saw in my college film class. The Conversation. EXCELLENT film, and was the first of Coppola’s two Palme de Ors (the other being Apocalypse Now). Sadly while the man was a giant in the 70’s, his stock as a filmmaker was shot in the 80’s. Needless to say he peaked early critically and commercially. But while his filmography as a whole is not that great, he was fantastic for a decade. We knew this since he had ALL FOUR of his 70’s films in the top 20 of the MoFo 70’s list. He may not have had the lasting power of Spielberg or Scorsese, but he certainly left his mark.
The Godfather
The Conversation
The Godfather Part II
Apocalypse Now
The Godfather Part III
Bram Stokers Dracula
Jack
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
2.
Kevin Smith
Intro: Dogma
Favorite: Clerks II
Masterpiece: Clerks II
Least Favorite: Cop Out
And I have probably alienated a few readers with this selection. I mean “Too Fat to Fly” Kev Smith over Kurosawa, Kubrick, Coppola, and Lynch? I got to be nuts right? Well this is my FAVORITES list and not my opinion of the top 10 BEST list. Also, while their overall body of work is far superior to Smith’s, Kevin holds the sole credit of being the filmmaker that defined my teenage years. Spielberg gave me a taste for high adventure and action, but Smith and his movies helped me grow to appreciate dialogue. He showed me that two kids hanging around a convenience store can be just as good a movie as globe hopping looking for the Holy Grail. He was also a HUGE influence on my sense of humor. Be glad this forum is PG-13 otherwise there would be more **** and *** jokes on this site. My introduction to Kevin Smith was ironically done through my parents of all people. Ironic since they have no love for Smith and his brand of nerd drenched d*** and fart joke humor. But they were both raised Catholic so they took us to see the then controversial film Dogma at the theater. I knew nothing about this film when I went and saw it other than Chris Rock was playing the 13th apostle. But about 20 minutes into the film and with the introduction to Jay and Silent Bob, I was hooked. I then had to see the rest of Kevin Smith’s movies. Which made it easy for the most part since he had only made 4 movies up until then.
The next film I saw was Mallrats and I loved it! Technically one of his weaker films, but it is drenched in his calling cards. His signature dialogue, two guy best friends, girl troubles, comic book talk (even having Stan Lee doing a cameo before it became a yearly thing), lots of *** talk, LOTS of profanity, Jay and Silent Bob as prominent side characters, lots of stoner humor, and we even get Ben Affleck. Heck it was Affleck’s first Kevin Smith movie. Clerks was the next movie I saw and oddly enough I was disappointed by it. The reason for this was I expected Jay and Silent Bob (who had become favorite characters of mine) to be bigger supporting characters. Instead the majority of the film centered on these two guys named Dante and Randal. So I was disappointed at first, but not for very long. Subsequent viewings allowed me to come to love Dante and Randal as well. In fact this became my favorite Kevin Smith movie. For a while at least. Now I would have seen Chasing Amy next, but the folks refused to let me rent the video from Blockbuster. So my next film was Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. A whole Jay and Bob movie? I loved it! Screw the critics! One big in joke movie for Kevin Smith fans. And it was supposed to be the last of his View Askewniverse films. Now when I finally turned 18, I finally got to see Chasing Amy. Thankfully it did not disappoint as it is a beautiful movie. It carries all the hallmarks of a typical Kevin Smith movie, but also tells a very toughing and ultimately tragic love story. It was raw like Clerks, but with a whole lot of heart to it as well.
The next film of his is also his most personal work. Since it was getting too hard to get Jason Mewes (Jay) sober for every movie, Kev put the View Askewniverse to bed. He then made a movie that was a love letter to his daughter Harley Quinn Smith called Jersey Girl. A film that lost money at the box office, was critically panned, and suffered intense issues with the tabloids on account of the Benniffer foolishness where for some reason everyone was OBSESSED with Affleck dating J-Lo. It was also Smith’s most nerve wrecking shoot. And I did not see it in the theater. A decision I still regret. I was in the mindset of “No Jay and Bob, no interest.” So I skipped seeing it in the movies, and eventually caught it on TV. And while Smith’s least raw film by a significant degree, it has a double dose of heart that came to help define Chasing Amy. It was a very touching story about a man and his kid. I can’t bash a film like that. And while I liked the film many people hated it.
But out of Jersey Girl came Kevin Smith going back to the well and making my favorite movie of his, Clerks II; where we revisit Dante and Randal 10 years after the events of Clerks. But this is not a rehash. Dante and Randal grow as characters and people through the course of the film. New characters are introduced, and we even see a return of Jay and Silent Bob with a now sober Jason Mewes, reflected with a now sober Jay. Still raw as hell, but now the Clerks formula adds in the same heart that was in Chasing Amy. And it has what I believe to be the funniest scene in any film. Creating what is in my very personal opinion, his masterpiece and my favorite comedy. Some will say it is Clerks and others will say Chasing Amy; I am taking a stand and saying this is Kevin Smith’s best movie even though I am sure that I am in the minority. And then there are those who say f*** you Kevin Smith’s movies are crap. They are entitled to their opinions.
Now post Clerks II Smith tried to break out of his cult filmmaker box with Zach and Miri Make a Porno. A funny as hell movie that stars Seth Rogen, but failed to do Judd Apatow business. Sad since was supposed to be his real moneymaker film. And while still financially successful, the disappointing box office led to Smith becoming a tad depressed. It also led to him becoming a stoner himself at age 38 after smoking a joint with Seth Rogen. And with great weed comes great response… I mean less inhibition. Don’t do drugs. Which caused Smith to become bolder with his film choices. He tried to actually direct a film he did not write. Problem was that film was Cop Out and it SUUUUUUUUUUUCKED! That was due in large part to the film’s script NOT being penned by Smith and Bruce Willis phoning in his performance. Did not see it in the theater and I have no regrets about that.
I did not see Red State in the theater either, but I wanted to. Problem was I was under the watch of the Drill Sergeants of Fort Benning at the time Smith was touring with the film. So I did not get to see it until after I got out of Basic training. It marked a HUGE tonal shift for Smith, going from comedy to a horror film inspired by the Westboro Baptist Church. It was actually quite well done, but did not connect with me. Then Smith came out with Tusk, a film born from a podcast episode Smith did about an internet hoax. He was also baked out of his mind when the seed of the film was laid. So give a stoned director 3 million dollars and you get a pretty messed up movie. Tusk is a very polarizing film. People seem to either love it or hate it. Me? I loved it! It was a mix of dark humor with some freaky as hell scenes you would expect from Lynch or Cronenberg. Saw it opening weekend, then saw it again since I heard it was not doing so well at the box office. Smith is still making movies to date. He is building upon Tusk with a film called Yoga Hosers and is finishing up his self titled Canada Trilogy with a future film called Moose Jaws. But before that we will be getting Clerks III which has secured it’s funding. Oddly enough it got its funding by the backers watching Tusk. Go figure. And as a diehard fan of his I look forward to his future projects.
Clerks
Mallrats
Chasing Amy
Dogma
Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back
Jersey Girl
Clerks II
Zak and Miri Make a Porno
Cop Out
Red State
Tusk
Kevin Smith
Intro: Dogma
Favorite: Clerks II
Masterpiece: Clerks II
Least Favorite: Cop Out
And I have probably alienated a few readers with this selection. I mean “Too Fat to Fly” Kev Smith over Kurosawa, Kubrick, Coppola, and Lynch? I got to be nuts right? Well this is my FAVORITES list and not my opinion of the top 10 BEST list. Also, while their overall body of work is far superior to Smith’s, Kevin holds the sole credit of being the filmmaker that defined my teenage years. Spielberg gave me a taste for high adventure and action, but Smith and his movies helped me grow to appreciate dialogue. He showed me that two kids hanging around a convenience store can be just as good a movie as globe hopping looking for the Holy Grail. He was also a HUGE influence on my sense of humor. Be glad this forum is PG-13 otherwise there would be more **** and *** jokes on this site. My introduction to Kevin Smith was ironically done through my parents of all people. Ironic since they have no love for Smith and his brand of nerd drenched d*** and fart joke humor. But they were both raised Catholic so they took us to see the then controversial film Dogma at the theater. I knew nothing about this film when I went and saw it other than Chris Rock was playing the 13th apostle. But about 20 minutes into the film and with the introduction to Jay and Silent Bob, I was hooked. I then had to see the rest of Kevin Smith’s movies. Which made it easy for the most part since he had only made 4 movies up until then.
The next film I saw was Mallrats and I loved it! Technically one of his weaker films, but it is drenched in his calling cards. His signature dialogue, two guy best friends, girl troubles, comic book talk (even having Stan Lee doing a cameo before it became a yearly thing), lots of *** talk, LOTS of profanity, Jay and Silent Bob as prominent side characters, lots of stoner humor, and we even get Ben Affleck. Heck it was Affleck’s first Kevin Smith movie. Clerks was the next movie I saw and oddly enough I was disappointed by it. The reason for this was I expected Jay and Silent Bob (who had become favorite characters of mine) to be bigger supporting characters. Instead the majority of the film centered on these two guys named Dante and Randal. So I was disappointed at first, but not for very long. Subsequent viewings allowed me to come to love Dante and Randal as well. In fact this became my favorite Kevin Smith movie. For a while at least. Now I would have seen Chasing Amy next, but the folks refused to let me rent the video from Blockbuster. So my next film was Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. A whole Jay and Bob movie? I loved it! Screw the critics! One big in joke movie for Kevin Smith fans. And it was supposed to be the last of his View Askewniverse films. Now when I finally turned 18, I finally got to see Chasing Amy. Thankfully it did not disappoint as it is a beautiful movie. It carries all the hallmarks of a typical Kevin Smith movie, but also tells a very toughing and ultimately tragic love story. It was raw like Clerks, but with a whole lot of heart to it as well.
The next film of his is also his most personal work. Since it was getting too hard to get Jason Mewes (Jay) sober for every movie, Kev put the View Askewniverse to bed. He then made a movie that was a love letter to his daughter Harley Quinn Smith called Jersey Girl. A film that lost money at the box office, was critically panned, and suffered intense issues with the tabloids on account of the Benniffer foolishness where for some reason everyone was OBSESSED with Affleck dating J-Lo. It was also Smith’s most nerve wrecking shoot. And I did not see it in the theater. A decision I still regret. I was in the mindset of “No Jay and Bob, no interest.” So I skipped seeing it in the movies, and eventually caught it on TV. And while Smith’s least raw film by a significant degree, it has a double dose of heart that came to help define Chasing Amy. It was a very touching story about a man and his kid. I can’t bash a film like that. And while I liked the film many people hated it.
But out of Jersey Girl came Kevin Smith going back to the well and making my favorite movie of his, Clerks II; where we revisit Dante and Randal 10 years after the events of Clerks. But this is not a rehash. Dante and Randal grow as characters and people through the course of the film. New characters are introduced, and we even see a return of Jay and Silent Bob with a now sober Jason Mewes, reflected with a now sober Jay. Still raw as hell, but now the Clerks formula adds in the same heart that was in Chasing Amy. And it has what I believe to be the funniest scene in any film. Creating what is in my very personal opinion, his masterpiece and my favorite comedy. Some will say it is Clerks and others will say Chasing Amy; I am taking a stand and saying this is Kevin Smith’s best movie even though I am sure that I am in the minority. And then there are those who say f*** you Kevin Smith’s movies are crap. They are entitled to their opinions.
Now post Clerks II Smith tried to break out of his cult filmmaker box with Zach and Miri Make a Porno. A funny as hell movie that stars Seth Rogen, but failed to do Judd Apatow business. Sad since was supposed to be his real moneymaker film. And while still financially successful, the disappointing box office led to Smith becoming a tad depressed. It also led to him becoming a stoner himself at age 38 after smoking a joint with Seth Rogen. And with great weed comes great response… I mean less inhibition. Don’t do drugs. Which caused Smith to become bolder with his film choices. He tried to actually direct a film he did not write. Problem was that film was Cop Out and it SUUUUUUUUUUUCKED! That was due in large part to the film’s script NOT being penned by Smith and Bruce Willis phoning in his performance. Did not see it in the theater and I have no regrets about that.
I did not see Red State in the theater either, but I wanted to. Problem was I was under the watch of the Drill Sergeants of Fort Benning at the time Smith was touring with the film. So I did not get to see it until after I got out of Basic training. It marked a HUGE tonal shift for Smith, going from comedy to a horror film inspired by the Westboro Baptist Church. It was actually quite well done, but did not connect with me. Then Smith came out with Tusk, a film born from a podcast episode Smith did about an internet hoax. He was also baked out of his mind when the seed of the film was laid. So give a stoned director 3 million dollars and you get a pretty messed up movie. Tusk is a very polarizing film. People seem to either love it or hate it. Me? I loved it! It was a mix of dark humor with some freaky as hell scenes you would expect from Lynch or Cronenberg. Saw it opening weekend, then saw it again since I heard it was not doing so well at the box office. Smith is still making movies to date. He is building upon Tusk with a film called Yoga Hosers and is finishing up his self titled Canada Trilogy with a future film called Moose Jaws. But before that we will be getting Clerks III which has secured it’s funding. Oddly enough it got its funding by the backers watching Tusk. Go figure. And as a diehard fan of his I look forward to his future projects.
Clerks
Mallrats
Chasing Amy
Dogma
Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back
Jersey Girl
Clerks II
Zak and Miri Make a Porno
Cop Out
Red State
Tusk
Last edited by The Gunslinger45; 07-25-15 at 12:15 PM.
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Favorite Movies
Egad! 
__________________
It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page
It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page
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Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
I've tried watching Dogma three times. I can't get through it. I hate that movie, but purely for content reasons. Chasing Amy is my favorite of Kevin Smiths, and I would consider it to be his closest to a masterpiece, but certainly over Clercs 2. I have no complaints about him being on your list, or this high since favorites are so subjective. I found Zack and Miri Make a Porno a bit boring.
I'm glad you like Lynch so much. I still need to catch up on some of his stuff.
I'm glad you like Lynch so much. I still need to catch up on some of his stuff.
X
Favorite Movies
I've tried watching Dogma three times. I can't get through it. I hate that movie, but purely for content reasons. Chasing Amy is my favorite of Kevin Smiths, and I would consider it to be his closest to a masterpiece, but certainly over Clercs 2. I have no complaints about him being on your list, or this high since favorites are so subjective. I found Zack and Miri Make a Porno a bit boring.
I'm glad you like Lynch so much. I still need to catch up on some of his stuff.
I'm glad you like Lynch so much. I still need to catch up on some of his stuff.
What Lynch stuff do you need to see?
X
Favorite Movies
1.
Martin Scorsese
Intro: Goodfellas
Favorite: Taxi Driver
Masterpiece: Taxi Driver (or Raging Bull or Goodfellas)
Least Favorite: New York New York
Surprised? I think not. My favorite director and I say the greatest still living director today. Scorsese is a filmmaker I have come to love and adore as an adult, but I have known about him since I was a kid. This is due to his friend, fellow Movie Brat, and the man with a near monopoly on my childhood, Steven Spielberg. This was not through Steven’s film work but as a producer of children’s cartoons; namely Animaniacs.
Yeah that episode of Goodfeathers introduced to name Scorsese to me. And as a curious youth I wanted to know who he was. Too me a bit to find out (pre internet days) but I would eventually learn that he was a film director, and he had a movie called GoodFELLAS! Now I knew where the parody came from I wanted to watch the movie. Problem was I was about 7 when that episode aired. So I had to wait a few years to actually see it. I was about 12 when I actually saw this movie. It was WAY different then the cartoon! A lot more violence, cursing, and totally not for kids. It had gangsters, classic music, and overall told a REALLY good story. I liked this movie! And while certain films of say Francis Ford Coppola and Wes Anderson went over my head as a teenager, this movie did not. And so over the years I would watch several more Scorsese films. Namely the big ones. I liked Casino, but I did not love it as a teenager. Raging Bull I was not a fan off at this age (even falling asleep during the film at age 15 or so). I also saw Taxi Driver as a teenager and… I was severely letdown.
WAIT!
Let me explain… In my ignorant teenaged self… I was under the impression given what I heard about the film that because of how violent it was, that it was an ACTION movie. Which as we all know Taxi Driver is ANYTHING but an action movie! Not to mention as I said there is a big difference between 80’s and 90’s violence and 70’s violence. So I when I had that false notion in my mind, I was disappointed. But there was still something to the film I felt deserved revisiting. So a few years later when I was in college with no such silly expectations, I found it was actually a brilliant film! And it would become a top 10 favorite film after that viewing. I would also watch a few other films like The Departed, Shutter Island, and Hugo during college and post college. All of which I liked or really liked and I was happy Scorsese finally got an Oscar! In the meantime, Taxi Driver would be revisited over and over again until it became my favorite film of all time. The themes of loneliness, isolation, frustration, pair with the urban decay, urban crime, grit and brilliant performances of De Niro and Jodie Foster would continue to haunt me. And it would continue to grow on me from college, grad school, and even while I was in the military. I have written about it in great length so I direct you to my Top 50 favorite films thread. It was around this time I concluded Scorsese was also my favorite director.
One slight hiccup though. Even though I had seen most of the big name Scorsese films, I had not yet seen a large majority of his other works! 15 films at this date since the Wolf of Wall Street had yet to be released. So I made the decision to watch the rest of Scorsese’s feature filmography. And I had quite a ways to go. Took me a few months, but I got through the 15 films I needed to see in a viewing period I call, “The Martin Scorsese Binge.” During this time period I watched some AWESOME movies! The best of which was The King of Comedy. A film I had never heard of before then, and went on to be a top 50 all time favorite film and my fourth favorite Scorsese film overall. It had one of De Niro’s best performances and paired that with Jerry Lewis for a detailing of celebrity culture, fame, and unhealthy obsessions and delusions. Totally underrated compared to his other works.
But I also saw other greats like Mean Streets, After Hours, and Cape Fear. Also some VERY good to good films like Bring out the Dead, Kundun, The Aviator, Raging Bull (rewatch), and Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Mean Streets captures Scorsese’s Catholic guilt theme with his strength in urban crime and grit to create a fantastic early 70’s work. Bring out the Dead felt like Taxi Driver with a pinch of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; add in Nick Cage and I was in love! The Aviator was another great pairing between Leo DiCaprio and Scorsese in a great biopic. Kundun REALLY surprised me. It was the last film of the Scorsese binge for me. I put it off thinking I would not care for it, but turned out I really liked it. Terrific story.
I also saw some okay films, including a few I need to rewatch. I felt I was in the wrong mind frame and misinterpreted The Last Temptation of Christ, and now that I have seen The Hustler (and loved it) I need to rewatch The Color of Money. I also need to rewatch Gangs of New York as I think I might have expected way too much from the movie.
Now every director will have his down films. These were not bad films, but they were not great. Whose That Knocking at My Door was Scorsese’s first film and made over four years. It had good concepts and story, but had technical issues. But a lot of what was put in here led to Mean Streets. Boxcar Bertha was an exploitation film, but now quite in the same vein of those I like. In other words, no Pam Grier.
Then there were his two films I did not care for. I thought Age of Innocence was boring (plus I only seem to like period pieces if they are from Japan). And then there was New York New York which I flat out did not like. Too long, De Niro comes off as a generic A hole (which Bobby should NEVER be), and very limited on the whole musical part. At least in the traditional sense I expected, as I only got that in the last 30 minutes of the film.
Then came Christmas of last year when I saw The Wolf of Wall Street the first showing on opening day. I LOVED IT! Holy crap to know Scorsese can make great works like this even at his age was AWESOME! Loved the comedy, loved the dark humor, the raunchiness, DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, MARGOT ROBBIE! It was my favorite film of last year and an absolute delight!
So after quite a while I have seen every feature Scorsese did. Now I need to catch up on shorts, documentaries, and Silence which is coming out soon (2015 maybe). I hope Scorsese continues his run as a master director. He has created an all time great in three different decades, and one of my all time favorite films in 2014! There is no doubt in my mind, that Scorsese is my all time favorite director.
*Whose that Knocking on my Door (I Call First) -
*Boxcar Bertha -
*Mean Streets -
*Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore -
Taxi Driver -
*New York New York -
Raging Bull -
*The King of Comedy -
*After Hours -
*The Color of Money -
*The Last Temptation of Christ -
Goodfellas -
*Cape Fear -
*Age of Innocence -
Casino -
*Kundun -
*Bring out the Dead -
*Gangs of New York -
*The Aviator -
The Departed -
Shutter Island -
Hugo -
The Wolf of Wall Street -
*= Martin Scorsese Binge
Martin Scorsese
Intro: Goodfellas
Favorite: Taxi Driver
Masterpiece: Taxi Driver (or Raging Bull or Goodfellas)
Least Favorite: New York New York
Surprised? I think not. My favorite director and I say the greatest still living director today. Scorsese is a filmmaker I have come to love and adore as an adult, but I have known about him since I was a kid. This is due to his friend, fellow Movie Brat, and the man with a near monopoly on my childhood, Steven Spielberg. This was not through Steven’s film work but as a producer of children’s cartoons; namely Animaniacs.
Yeah that episode of Goodfeathers introduced to name Scorsese to me. And as a curious youth I wanted to know who he was. Too me a bit to find out (pre internet days) but I would eventually learn that he was a film director, and he had a movie called GoodFELLAS! Now I knew where the parody came from I wanted to watch the movie. Problem was I was about 7 when that episode aired. So I had to wait a few years to actually see it. I was about 12 when I actually saw this movie. It was WAY different then the cartoon! A lot more violence, cursing, and totally not for kids. It had gangsters, classic music, and overall told a REALLY good story. I liked this movie! And while certain films of say Francis Ford Coppola and Wes Anderson went over my head as a teenager, this movie did not. And so over the years I would watch several more Scorsese films. Namely the big ones. I liked Casino, but I did not love it as a teenager. Raging Bull I was not a fan off at this age (even falling asleep during the film at age 15 or so). I also saw Taxi Driver as a teenager and… I was severely letdown.
WAIT!
Let me explain… In my ignorant teenaged self… I was under the impression given what I heard about the film that because of how violent it was, that it was an ACTION movie. Which as we all know Taxi Driver is ANYTHING but an action movie! Not to mention as I said there is a big difference between 80’s and 90’s violence and 70’s violence. So I when I had that false notion in my mind, I was disappointed. But there was still something to the film I felt deserved revisiting. So a few years later when I was in college with no such silly expectations, I found it was actually a brilliant film! And it would become a top 10 favorite film after that viewing. I would also watch a few other films like The Departed, Shutter Island, and Hugo during college and post college. All of which I liked or really liked and I was happy Scorsese finally got an Oscar! In the meantime, Taxi Driver would be revisited over and over again until it became my favorite film of all time. The themes of loneliness, isolation, frustration, pair with the urban decay, urban crime, grit and brilliant performances of De Niro and Jodie Foster would continue to haunt me. And it would continue to grow on me from college, grad school, and even while I was in the military. I have written about it in great length so I direct you to my Top 50 favorite films thread. It was around this time I concluded Scorsese was also my favorite director.
One slight hiccup though. Even though I had seen most of the big name Scorsese films, I had not yet seen a large majority of his other works! 15 films at this date since the Wolf of Wall Street had yet to be released. So I made the decision to watch the rest of Scorsese’s feature filmography. And I had quite a ways to go. Took me a few months, but I got through the 15 films I needed to see in a viewing period I call, “The Martin Scorsese Binge.” During this time period I watched some AWESOME movies! The best of which was The King of Comedy. A film I had never heard of before then, and went on to be a top 50 all time favorite film and my fourth favorite Scorsese film overall. It had one of De Niro’s best performances and paired that with Jerry Lewis for a detailing of celebrity culture, fame, and unhealthy obsessions and delusions. Totally underrated compared to his other works.
But I also saw other greats like Mean Streets, After Hours, and Cape Fear. Also some VERY good to good films like Bring out the Dead, Kundun, The Aviator, Raging Bull (rewatch), and Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Mean Streets captures Scorsese’s Catholic guilt theme with his strength in urban crime and grit to create a fantastic early 70’s work. Bring out the Dead felt like Taxi Driver with a pinch of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; add in Nick Cage and I was in love! The Aviator was another great pairing between Leo DiCaprio and Scorsese in a great biopic. Kundun REALLY surprised me. It was the last film of the Scorsese binge for me. I put it off thinking I would not care for it, but turned out I really liked it. Terrific story.
I also saw some okay films, including a few I need to rewatch. I felt I was in the wrong mind frame and misinterpreted The Last Temptation of Christ, and now that I have seen The Hustler (and loved it) I need to rewatch The Color of Money. I also need to rewatch Gangs of New York as I think I might have expected way too much from the movie.
Now every director will have his down films. These were not bad films, but they were not great. Whose That Knocking at My Door was Scorsese’s first film and made over four years. It had good concepts and story, but had technical issues. But a lot of what was put in here led to Mean Streets. Boxcar Bertha was an exploitation film, but now quite in the same vein of those I like. In other words, no Pam Grier.
Then there were his two films I did not care for. I thought Age of Innocence was boring (plus I only seem to like period pieces if they are from Japan). And then there was New York New York which I flat out did not like. Too long, De Niro comes off as a generic A hole (which Bobby should NEVER be), and very limited on the whole musical part. At least in the traditional sense I expected, as I only got that in the last 30 minutes of the film.
Then came Christmas of last year when I saw The Wolf of Wall Street the first showing on opening day. I LOVED IT! Holy crap to know Scorsese can make great works like this even at his age was AWESOME! Loved the comedy, loved the dark humor, the raunchiness, DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, MARGOT ROBBIE! It was my favorite film of last year and an absolute delight!
So after quite a while I have seen every feature Scorsese did. Now I need to catch up on shorts, documentaries, and Silence which is coming out soon (2015 maybe). I hope Scorsese continues his run as a master director. He has created an all time great in three different decades, and one of my all time favorite films in 2014! There is no doubt in my mind, that Scorsese is my all time favorite director.
*Whose that Knocking on my Door (I Call First) -
*Boxcar Bertha -
*Mean Streets -
*Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore -
Taxi Driver -
*New York New York -
Raging Bull -
*The King of Comedy -
*After Hours -
*The Color of Money -
*The Last Temptation of Christ -
Goodfellas -
*Cape Fear -
*Age of Innocence -
Casino -
*Kundun -
*Bring out the Dead -
*Gangs of New York -
*The Aviator -
The Departed -
Shutter Island -
Hugo -
The Wolf of Wall Street -
*= Martin Scorsese Binge
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Favorite Movies
Excellent choice for #1 and great list Slinger. I love reading stuff about film when it is personal. You always make your lists that, so even whe our tastes diverge, I still enjoy reading your threads. 
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