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Here goes, not in any particular order.....
1. Terence Malick's "Days of Heaven"
2. Gianni Amelio's "Il Ladro di bambini" (Stolen Children)
3. The Wizard of Oz
4. Terence Malick's "Badlands"
5. Michael Mann's "Thief"
6. Louis Malle's "Au Revoir Les Enfants"
7. Louis Malle's "Lacombe Lucien"
8. Apocalypse Now
9. The Cotton Club
10. The Godfather
Ah, wonderful that "Thief" made the top ten for you. I was blown away by that film when I first saw it and I still think that it's top rate!
This film holds up well...I watch it about every 9 months or so, and if you check the scene where James Caan grabs Tuesday Weld from the bar...you'll see "CSI"'s William L. Petersen (as he was known then) as the bouncer...you can't tell I love this movie, can you?
I'm particularly impressed with two favorites you listed, one in the list above, the other in your profile faves. Both films are quite hard to find on video, if available at all.
Louis Malle received negative criticism for making a movie with a teenage nazi-collaborator as protagonist:Lacombe Lucien, an excellent film dealing with tough moral issues. I also treasure his earlier film, Murmur of the Heart, which examines an incestuous mother-son relationship and features a stunning jazz score (mostly Charlie Parker says my memory bank).
Antonioni's The Passenger,with Jack Nicholson as a itinerant journalist who takes advantage of a rare opportunity to change identity, is the Italian director's last English-language metaphysical meditation. The final, wordless, 7-minute sequence is one of the most enigmatic endings in the history of cinema.
I was barely into my teens when I watched these films and will never forget them. I wish they were restored and given a proper video release for younger generations to enjoy and ponder.
...and thanks for taking time to look at my favorites. I truly love these films and first viewed both during college, a time I cherish because a University of Nebraska/Lincoln cinema professor helped nurture my love for film by introducing these gems and many more.
"Lacome, Lucien" was my first exposure to Louis Malle (who I truly miss), and one of my favorite life "payoffs" was seeing that same professor (June Levine) years later in line in Seattle, Washington...as we were both waiting for tickets to see Malle's "Atlantic City".
Needless to say, she was thrilled to both see me in Seattle (she was visiting her son who lived there, I found out later) and told me she felt great that her introduction to Malle had made a lasting impression.
Incidentally, I purchased a VHS copy of "Lacome, Lucien" at a video store here in west Los Angeles, and found a VHS copy of "The Passenger" by doing a search on EBAY. Let me know if you want the name of the Los Angeles store -- again, thanks for writing -- I love this site!
My complaint with the vhs release of The Passenger is that it's full-frame. Since the film's original aspect ratio is 2.00:1, this is a significant problem.
Gianni Amelio's Stolen Children is very good but, have you seen his Lamerica? Both feature Enrico Lo Verso in the starring role. The latter is perhaps my fave Italian film of the 90s.
I have the same complaints about both films being in full-frame, but it's been so long in viewing them I was just grateful to be able to see them both again. And yes, I own a copy of Lamerica (sp?)...and I also really love that film as well....man, do you have good taste....
Thanks.
What impressed me about Stolen Children is the gradual, detailed development of the relationship between Antonio and the kids. One also gets a fair sampling of the quotidian, of their daily routines, and a bit of the texture of Italian life during their trip from Milano to Sicilia.
Lamerica's title implies a parallel between the US in the past as a destination for Italians looking for a better life, and today's Italy as the "promised land" for folks from Algeria, Armenia, etc. More importantly, the film establishes the connection and dependence between human beings regardless of provenance, and indicts the powerful for their economic exploitation of the weak. Quite an agenda. The film succeeds without a smidgen of preachment.
I'm interested to hear that Lacombe, Lucien is available on video. Formerly not, I think, in this country.*
Frank56 has made a powerful, original list there. It makes me want to see "Il ladro di bambini," which I'm not familiar with.
*As far as I can see it still isn't available in US or Canadian format. Am I wrong?
www.chrisknipp.com
Frank writes that he found a vhs copy of Lacombe, Lucien at an L.A. store. There has never been an official North American video release. My guess is that it's either a PAL format vhs or a "transfer job" of variable quality.(Some of the newer machines do a decent job).
Stolen Children was released on NTSC vhs in the mid-90s as part of a Cinema Lovers collection. It's usually quite hard to find, but you can actually buy one on ebay right now for a mere $10+$4s/h. It is a "buy it now" item.
Thanks.
Great list, Mr. 56
The Wizard of Oz is interesting next to the art-house fare. Any reason why? What, no Casablanca or Lawrence of Arabia?
Those two titles would better suit your poetic list, methinks.
Days of Heaven. Richard Gere has worked with some master directors. (Kurosawa, for one). Malick is one of those great enigmatic auteurs who just stir the soul.
Badlands is my favorite film of his (A precursor to Natural Born Killers?). Pure freedom on celluloid.
Martin Sheen was on fire in the 70's.
When he & Sissy torch Mr. Oates' humble abode.....
I like Louis Malle, but not enough to give him spots on my top ten.
You've got me thinking about renting these 2 flicks again. Re-assessment of movies seems to be something I'm doing a lot of this year...
The Passenger is indeed hard to track down. I have seen it and I loved it. Jack Nicholson speaks about Antonioni on the Criterion DVD of L'Avventura. Anybody see Antonioni's "Alienation Trilogy"? He's another in a long list of legendary european directors. (With a name like Michaelangelo he'd better be...)
And Thief is gorgeous cinema. The color jumps off the screen. Haven't seen it in a long time (rented it with BODY HEAT) but I remember it was a killer night in front of the tube.
Thanks for the compliments on my list (this site is great -- it's the intelligent dialogue about film I've so missed since college)...as for "The Wizard of Oz", it's listed because it represents the first and most complete example of escapist cinema I remember -- it's an exercise in suspension of disbelief that to this day I can return to...how many of today's films can you say that about? You know the story, yet you sit and let the story take you....well, to Oz!Quote:
Originally posted by Johann
Great list, Mr. 56
The Wizard of Oz is interesting next to the art-house fare. Any reason why? What, no Casablanca or Lawrence of Arabia?
Those two titles would better suit your poetic list, methinks.
Days of Heaven. Richard Gere has worked with some master directors. (Kurosawa, for one). Malick is one of those great enigmatic auteurs who just stir the soul.
Badlands is my favorite film of his (A precursor to Natural Born Killers?). Pure freedom on celluloid.
Martin Sheen was on fire in the 70's.
When he & Sissy torch Mr. Oates' humble abode.....
I like Louis Malle, but not enough to give him spots on my top ten.
You've got me thinking about renting these 2 flicks again. Re-assessment of movies seems to be something I'm doing a lot of this year...
The Passenger is indeed hard to track down. I have seen it and I loved it. Jack Nicholson speaks about Antonioni on the Criterion DVD of L'Avventura. Anybody see Antonioni's "Alienation Trilogy"? He's another in a long list of legendary european directors. (With a name like Michaelangelo he'd better be...)
And Thief is gorgeous cinema. The color jumps off the screen. Haven't seen it in a long time (rented it with BODY HEAT) but I remember it was a killer night in front of the tube.
Thanks again for your comments.
When I need "escapist cinema", I usually resort to animation. More specifically 40s Disney: Pinocchio, Dumbo, parts of Peter Pan, Fantasia and Saludos Amigos. More recently Finding Nemo and Spirited Away took me places.
I can very well see what you mean. I just finally managed to see Finding Nemo on the big screen and it is quite wonderful. However it can't hold a candle to Fantasia. I could offer criticisms. But I don't want to be picky. It is beautifully done. I would say Demonlover was an escape. Many movies are escapes.For a person who doesn't get out of the country much any foreign movie is an escape. Junk is a good escape because you can relax into it. I found Returner, starring Takeshi Kaneshiro, an excellent escape recently. I didn't expect it to be any good and I really enjoyed myself and any good qualities it had seemed a pure gift. Escapist cinema happens when you turn your mind off, for whatever reason. You could watch a really great movie with your mind shut down and escape.
www.chrisknipp.com