You can't rightfully carry a "Bloggy-Blog Golden Pass Membership" until you have watched the following movies:
The Big Sleep (1946) Howard Hawks. I've watched this film more times than I can count. My favorite of the Film Noir genre. Only thing missing is Peter Lorre.
Sherman's March (1986) Ross McElwee. If you don't like this film, you cannot be my friend.
The President's Analyst (1967) Theodore J. Flicker. Uneven movie but the good bits are VERY good. Classic 60s rolly-polly nut house kinda' flick. Can't beat James Coburn's cheshire cat grin.
Lord Love a Duck [see photo] (1966) George Axelrod. Essential gray comedic tome of American culture. A film that's still ahead of its time in many respects.
Virile Games (1988) Jan Svankmajer. Cats frolic during half-time in a stop-motion short honoring the clockwork brutality of a soccer match.
Min and Bill (1930) George Hill. Dock-side floozies and tempestuous broads predating The Best of Jerry Springer. Gritty and funny with that grainy early sound technology that always puts me in an alpha state.
11 comments:
DANG! Im battin th big zee-roe here!
The foto set, howevr, is pure Bloggy-Blog!
What about Ernest goes to Camp?
Oooh, I do Looove Cashmiere!.
Dear Geritopia,
On the risk of being totally uncool, I won't even pretend to have seen these particular films (I plan to now), but I'll take your hip word as for them being some of the best ever made.
Now, perhaps I'm totally out of line here for making the following suggestion, and I can only hope that you don't take it the wrong way and erase this comment without any reflection.
Okay, here's my contribution to the Bloggy Suggestion Box....what about getting a remake of at least one of these classic films done somehow? Or is it just another case of one can't improve upon perfection?
I'd personally gladly pay to see a remake of any one of these gritty films (taking your word of course) vs. what Hollywood has done with their haphazard attempts at remakes in recent memory.
And on that note, just what is going on with Hollywood? Has that town just run out of original ideas or what?
Your "Insider Insight" on this subject would be highly appreciated.
Thank-you.
Sincerely,
A Novice Art Film Amateur
Well let me tell you young Squire, Hollywood is one monolith ya' don't wanna tangle with. That is, unless ya' know one of the bosses on the inside, see? There was a movie made about the monolith called "2001". It bombed. There was no romantic interest. I told 'em to have a romantic interest. Would they listen?... aw christ!
I gotta' admit it. The rumors are true. I've seen the "Biz" in all its decadent excesses. I've been on the inside with all the big-time celebrity icons --shoulder-to-shoulder in the elevator with such luminaries as Rodney Allen Rippy and Erik Estrada.
It hasn't come easy and you pay a heavy price for success like mine. There were times when it tore me up and robbed me of the ability to operate with a human soul. I had to become numb like THEY were numb, to feast on other humans like a cannibal and celebrate the failings of my rivals. It got to the point where I'd look in the mirror and I'd see a stranger.
That's when I liked it. It just didn't matter any more.
Regarding your question about Remakes... well, remakes are for chumps. So no remakes!
Any more smart questions... what was it.. oh, "A Novice"? Why don't'cha go back to Kansas or wherever you're from, ya bum! Go, while you've still got a chance ... a chance at LOVE!
Joey --if my blog suddenly disappears, which isn't all that unlikely, go rent Lord Love a Duck if you need a fix. [your "lamb job" cracked me up BTW]
Simple -- Didn't Ernest go to camp and never return? They shot him when he started foaming at the mouth, right?
I sure hope Bloggy-Blog DONT disapear. Id hafta surf th blogpsphere wit my mouf closd an my eyes in there sockits!
Whatevr ya do, DONT LET SALBERT SNATCH IT!
Also, good bloggins werk. An you can come to feel quite a bit of pressure t keep up perducktion. An that can lead t reckonizin that REALY bloggin jus dont matter. An then ya decide t 86 th blog. (Im sure its more pernounced when yer doin Bloggy-Blog stuff, wich 9 outta 10 people jus dont get -- th FOOLS!) MY ADVICE: Bfore ya decide t 86 Bloggy-Blog, jus decide not t troubl yerself ovr it. Noin that ya CAN 86 it anytime -- or mothball it fer howevr long ya wanna -- can nfact stimulate th ol creative juices.
P.S. Im kinda disapointd that there aint more of a "web" of readrship among th blogs I got linkd at th JPS. I think Bloggy-Blog, Tetherd Cow Ahead, an Party Vikings deserve far bettr readrship than they seem t get from othr readrs of th JPS (judgin readrship by coments left, of course). Im plannin a post fer just aftr New Years t try t stimulate some intrest in them 3 blogs, an mabey a few othrs. Dunno if youll see that as good or bad: readrship is nice, but it only enhances th pressure. BUT U NO U GOT A FAN IN JOEY POLANSKI!
The whole culture is in the craphouse. It's not just true in the movies, it's also true in the theater. Broadway and now london is the same; special effects are in great demand. It's not a good time culturally.
Dustin Hoffman
Hey Joey, thank you sincerely for the support.
And, BTW again, I have never heard such an awareness-expanding essay about the rustling of leaves sounding just like some odd person peeing on your driveway until your blog-ski.
I think that this blog needs to be blessed with Anne Arkham holy water, so that readership might spike into the thousands.
Thanks, G. (*chuckle*)
Yeah Anne A sure has a lotta readrs, but how many o them dya spose are frendsa hers from th real welrd? Itsa hole nothr mattr t bild a blog witout havin yer real werld frends lookin in. Theres none o that ottamattick readrship. An in th blogassfear, th crappy t clevr ratio is about 1000 to 1; an clevr bloggrs aint always intrested in playin along. That makes bildin readrship -- an a bloggin cmmunity that makes fer an ennertainin cooprative project -- like gettin blood from a anemic turnip!
All I can say, is that I love both of you guy's blogs. It doesn't get better than this in the blogosphere. Thanks :)
So does Joey not like these films? or never seen them? or both?
What if I were your friend, and I didn't like Sherman's March? Would that void the friendship?
The Big Sleep was remade poorly in 1978. It's been on cable a lot lately.
George Axelrod wrote some kick-ass movies. Never heard of this duck movie. Breakfast at Tiffany's, Manchurian Candidate come to mind.
Check out the "Treasure of Sierra Madre" pretty good Bogart movie.
Min and Bill? Really? Oh, I see, you only have to have watched them. OK. I've seen all but two, mostly agree with you. When I see the other two, do I get my pass?
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