Welcome
to GriefSpeak's "Words of Wisdom," a come-as-you-are blog containing
some random thoughts and observations which hopefully matter about
the world-at-large and our place in it. Please come back often
as the subjects and tone will change weekly, ranging from film,
the arts, politics and kitchen cabinets (not necessarily in that
order).
QUOTES THEN AND NOW
An archive of all quotes used on our main page, past and present
NEW ARTICLE:
The Montreal Expos: Nos Amours No More
The
Montreal Expos may no longer be a Major League Franchise, but they will live
on forever. Read the full article here
FILMS I LOVE:
Over the years many people have repeatedly asked me the question what is my favourite film of all time? My usual answer is that the question is unfair. How could I pick just one film over so many masterpieces!? Often, I have distributed to friends and colleagues lists of films that I love for one reason or the other, so I've decided to post one here.
The following films are in no specific
order or preference and reflect a range of personal interests, from Hollywood
to independent to foreign. I truly love them all and each would make a great
rental. With all the films I've seen in my life, I think it would be unfair
to try to even choose a top 10. Some on this list I'm sure you've probably
seen, but to be honest, most on this list if not all are worth a second or
third look. I have given a short blurb on each and approximate dates of release.
For each and any a search of the director would also bring up other good films
to watch. By no means is this list complete. Enjoy! Drop me a line at: ag@griefilm.com.
See you at the movies!
THE
GODFATHER 1 & 2 (Francis Ford Coppola - 1970s) If you don't
know what these are about, you don't deserve to read any further
BAD LIEUTENANT (Abel Ferrera - 1990) Harvey Keitel is the bad lieutenant;
and trust me, he's bad!
MYSTERY TRAIN (Jim Jarmusch - 1989) Bunch of people with different
stories somehow intermingle at a hotel in nashville
DOWN BY LAW (Jim Jarmusch - 1986) Tom Waits and Roberto Benigni escape
from prison. Now that's entertainment!
DEAD MAN (Jim Jarmusch - 1995) Johnny Depp in this western with a
score by Neil Young
KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE (John Cassavetes - 1977) Ben Gazzara
has to kill the bookie to pay off his gambling debt
WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE (John Cassavetes - 1974) Peter Falk pre-Columbo
days
SHADOWS (John Cassavetes - 1959) Early New American Cinema classic
breaks down colour barriers
BARRY LYNDON (Stanley Kubrick - 1974)
The master's period piece. We got this instead of his planned
film on Napoleon. Special lenses
borrowed from NASA were used to shoot with only candlelight to
get that 1800s painterly look
APOCALYPSE NOW (Francis Ford Coppola - 1978) The documentary HEART OF DARKNESS by Coppola's wife Eleanor is a great companion to this classic Vietnam
film
THE CONVERSATION (Francis Ford Coppola --1972) Gene Hackman in a
great role, pre-FRENCH CONNECTION days
DR. STRANGELOVE (1962) (Stanley Kubrick
- 1962) Peter Sellers plays three roles. As the American president
he exclaims "Gentleman,
there's no fighting allowed in the War Room!" You will laugh at this black comedy
THE SHINING (Stanley Kubrick - 1980) The master's horror film. Good
companion to this is Vivian Kubrick's documentary THE MAKING OF THE
SHINING, available on the DVD, along with her commentary
CITIZEN KANE (Orson Welles - 1941) At only 25, Welles reinvented
the cinema. This is based on J. Randolph Hearst, who luckily wasn't
powerful enough to suppress the film
TOUCH OF EVIL (Orson Welles - 1958) Considered the last real film
noir. See Janet Leigh before she takes a shower in PSYCHO
400 COUPS (FOUR HUNDRED BLOWS) (Francois Truffaut - 1959) Jean Pierre
Leaud is a simple kid who has a knack for getting into trouble. Made
me cry the first time I saw it
TIREZ SUR LE PIANISTE (SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER) (Francois Truffaut
- 1961) Raymond Chandler style dime store novel movie
A BOUT DE SOUFFLE (BREATHLESS) (Jean Luc Godard - 1959) Almost 20
years after Welles Godard reinvented the cinema again. See Belmondo
and the tragic Jean Seberg
WHEN WE WERE KINGS Great documentary on Mohammed Ali and the Rumble
in the Jungle fight against George Foreman
LOLITA (Stanley Kubrick -- 1960) James Mason plays the perv in the
Nabokov unfilmable story
PSYCHO (Alfred Hitchcock - 1960) The first slasher film. Stereotyped
Anthony Perkins
NORTH BY NORTHWEST (Alfred Hitchcock --1957) Cary Grant is great
with Eva Marie Saint and James Mason and a young Martin Landau
VERTIGO (Alfred Hitchcock - 1959) Jimmy Stewart in one of Hitch's
best
BLAZING SADDLES (Mel Brooks - 1972) If you can't laugh at farting
scenes or horses gettin' punched out, then don't bother watching
this western farce
RUN LOLA RUN (Tom Tykwer - 1999) Lola
tries to save her boyfriend. Boy can she run. Three different
episodes. Try to pay attention to what changes between each
episode
Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN (Alfonso Cuaron - 2001) Mexican coming-of-age film
AMELIE (Jean-Pierre Jeunet - 2001) French and entertaining
CHINATOWN (Roman Polanski - 1973) Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John
Huston - need I say more!
KOYANNISQATSI (Godfrey Reggio - 1983) Predecessor of BARAKA, images
and sound make points about our society
LA NUIT AMERICAINE (DAY FOR NIGHT) (Francois Truffaut - 1975) Truffaut
won his only oscar for this film starring Jacqueline Bisset
JULES ET JIM (Francois Truffaut - 1962) Jeanne Moreau classic
EASY RIDER (Dennis Hopper - 1969) Sixties classic defined the era
THE MARRIAGE OF MARIA BRAUN (Rainer Werner Fassbinder - 1979) German
film set during WWII. Good to see Germans portraying themselves for
a change
FIVE EASY PIECES (Bob Rafelson - 1970) Jack Nicholson is great and
begins to define the persona we'd come to love
THE GRADUATE (Mike Nicholls - 1968) A classic with Dustin Hoffman's
breakthrough role and Simon and Garfunkel soundtrack to end all soundtracks.
Try to imagine this film without the music
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY (Sergio Leone -- 1966) Okay maybe
this film has the soundtrack to end all soundtracks by Ennio Morricone.
Clint Eastwood took a risk making this spaghetti western filmed in
Italy. Smart man. Anything by Leone could be on this list
THE WILD BUNCH (Sam Peckinpah - 1969) William Holden and Ernie Borgnine
play bad cowboys in this film eulogizing the end of the west
THE TIN DRUM (Volker Schlondorff - 1979) German film kinda creepy
but a classic
THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (John Frankenheimer - 1962) Eerily prophetic
given assassination soon after. Remake this year I also recommend
THE PAWNBROKER (Sidney Lumet - 1964) Rod Steiger in a very powerful
performance
RAGING BULL (Martin Scorsese - 1980) Scorsese's masterpiece; he should
have won the best director oscar that year
SUNSET BOULEVARD (Billy Wilder - 1950) William Holden in this noir-esque
L.A. tale
SALESMAN (Maysles Brothers - 1968) Documentary about bible salesman
and how they prey on people's faith in god. Main salesman made out
to be Willy Loman-esque a la Death of a Salesman. Can't even sell
a bible to a priest
TITICUT FOLLIES (Frederick Wiseman -- 1967) Documentary. Who's crazy?
The inmates or the people running this mental institution. Wiseman
is the king of the institutional / fly on the wall film
THE YEAR OF THE PIG (Emile de Antonio - 1968) Documentary. Before
Michael Moore there was De Antonio. Anti-Vietnam film while the war
was raging
MILHOUSE: A WHITE COMEDY (Emile de Antonio - 1970) Documentary. De
Antonio was the only filmmaker priviliged to be on Richard Nixon's
hate list
GIMME SHELTER (Maysles Brothers -- 1970) Documentary. The Altamont
debacle caught on film and classic Rolling Stones tunes when they were still fresh
THE THIN BLUE LINE (Errol Morris - 1988) Documentary. The true power
of film-the film successfully argued the wrongful conviction of a
man
FOG OF WAR (Errol Morris - 2003) Robert McNamara, former defense
secretary during JFK's and LBJ's administrations, comes clean, sort
of
MR DEATH: THE RISE AND FALL OF FRED A. LEUCHTER JR. (Errol Morris
- 1999) Documentary. Execution expert, this guy's a creep
BADLANDS (Terence Malick -- 1973) See Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek
young, reenacting the Starkweather murders of the fifties
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (Stanley Kubrick - 1968) The master's space
movie. More real than space itself
THE PASSENGER (Michaelangelo Antonioni - 1975) Great Jack Nicholson
film
RED DESERT (Michaelangelo Antonioni - 1963) Great Italian film, worth
it just to stare at Monica Vitti
8 ½ (Federico Fellini - 1964) Strange
and good. Fellini's masterpiece
STAGECOACH (John Ford - 1939) You knew there'd have to be at least
one John Wayne film on this list, right?
GILDA (Charles Vidor - 1946) Rita Hayworth may be the ultimate siren
in this classic film noir
THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (Orson Welles - 1948) Welles was married to
Rita Hayworth at the time and had her trademark red hair cut and
dyed blonde to Columbia Pictures President's dismay
SHANGHAI EXPRESS (Josef von Sternberg - 1932) Marlene Dietrich in
this classic
MULHOLLAND DRIVE (David Lynch - 2002) Weird and strange but it works
here
WILD AT HEART (David Lynch - 1990) Nicholas Cage is great in this
PLATOON (Oliver Stone -1989) Probably the most honest Hollywood portrayal
of what really went on in Vietnam
THIRTEEN DAYS (Roger Donaldson - 2000) Cuban Missile Crisis revealed
VIVRE SA VIE (MY LIFE TO LIVE) (Jean Luc Godard -- 1963) My fav.
Godard film, Anna Karina is hot
POINT BLANK (John Boorman - 1967) Lee Marvin had to be on this list
somewhere
25th HOUR (Spike Lee - 2002) This film sort of came and went but
I think it's one of Lee's best films
MEMENTO (Christopher Nolan - 2000) See if you can follow this one
PI (Darren Aronofsky - 1998) Black and white and dark atmosphere
make for a compelling film here
REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (Darren Aronofsky - 2000) Do not watch this film
before bed because you'll be wired after watching it
MAGNOLIA (P.T. Anderson - 1999) Ensemble cast about people and their
problems
BOOGIE NIGHTS (P.T. Anderson - 1997) Porn became cool all of a sudden.
Reinvigorated Burt Reynolds' career
THE PLAYER (Robert Altman - 1992) Ensemble cast, maybe Tim Robbins'
finest performance. See TOUCH OF EVIL first though (#15) - you'll
understand the beginning of this film better
THE CHINA SYNDROME (James Bridges - 1979) Three Mile Island incident
happened just before this film's release
SEXY BEAST (Jonathan Glazer - 2000) Ben Kingsley is truly brilliant
and intense
FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS (Terry Gilliam - 1998) The Hunter
S. Thompson classic comes alive. Johnny Depp is great as the famed
writer/drinker
