The Movie Thread

[RGMike]

For those with Turner Classic Movies on their cable or satellite service, they're showing Putney Swope tonite at 11pm Pacific/2am Eastern. Truth & Soul Forever!

[ggould]

For those with Turner Classic Movies on their cable or satellite service, they're showing Putney Swope tonite at 11pm Pacific/2am Eastern. Truth & Soul Forever!

THE BEST MOVIE!

[Gazoo]

For those with Turner Classic Movies on their cable or satellite service, they're showing Putney Swope tonite at 11pm Pacific/2am Eastern. Truth & Soul Forever!

THE BEST MOVIE!

About to watch it now - thanks for the heads-up!

[urth]

For those with Turner Classic Movies on their cable or satellite service, they're showing Putney Swope tonite at 11pm Pacific/2am Eastern. Truth & Soul Forever!

THE BEST MOVIE!

About to watch it now - thanks for the heads-up!

Damn, sorry I missed this post. I ended up watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Fuse. Was surprised how many of the audience retorts I remembered after all these years.

[RGMike]

For those with Turner Classic Movies on their cable or satellite service, they're showing Putney Swope tonite at 11pm Pacific/2am Eastern. Truth & Soul Forever!

THE BEST MOVIE!

About to watch it now - thanks for the heads-up!

I'm interested in what you thought. I made it thru the first hour (I was very tired). I hadn't seen PS since the early '70s; and it didn't quite hold up for me. The commercial parodies are still pretty great, esp that "Face-Off" one with a young Ronnie Dyson, but it's kind of a one-joke-endlessly-repeated scenario: Black guy takes over and instantly becomes as much of an asshole as the white guys were (stealing other peoples' ideas, firing employees on a whim, etc). OK, Downey, we get it. 

TCM followed PS with Downey's Greaser's Palace, which I've never seen but would like to. Downey Sr. was good friends with Alex Bennett back then, Alex used to have him on his NYC radio show often.

[Gazoo]

Black guy takes over and instantly becomes as much of an asshole as the white guys were (stealing other peoples' ideas, firing employees on a whim, etc). OK, Downey, we get it. 

This was precisely what bugged me about it.  The point that "power corrupts" is made facilely enough in enough places.

[princessofcairo]

Any Films of the Decade list that doesn't include Dogville is worthless:

http://spectrumculture.com/2009/11/end-of-the-aughts-films-of-the-decade.html

[Tinka Cat]

Black guy takes over and instantly becomes as much of an asshole as the white guys were (stealing other peoples' ideas, firing employees on a whim, etc). OK, Downey, we get it. 

This was precisely what bugged me about it.  The point that "power corrupts" is made facilely enough in enough places.

I've heard of Putney Swope, but have never seen it.  I can't really recall it being shown in any local art house, for that matter, even though it's got some importance attached to it.  Looks like its flaws outweigh its importance and have dragged it down past "forgotten/overlooked gems," past "cult movie" and even beyond "let's kill two hours and possibly add to our cultural knowledge by watching this dated movie" status.

[RGMike]

Black guy takes over and instantly becomes as much of an asshole as the white guys were (stealing other peoples' ideas, firing employees on a whim, etc). OK, Downey, we get it. 

This was precisely what bugged me about it.  The point that "power corrupts" is made facilely enough in enough places.

I've heard of Putney Swope, but have never seen it.  I can't really recall it being shown in any local art house, for that matter, even though it's got some importance attached to it.  Looks like its flaws outweigh its importance and have dragged it down past "forgotten/overlooked gems," past "cult movie" and even beyond "let's kill two hours and possibly add to our cultural knowledge by watching this dated movie" status.

I think it's fondly remembered by those who were college-age at the time, just like anyone who was 19 in 1983 remembers Liquid Sky. There was no "indie" scene yet, and Downey had made some experimental films that got shown in museums, but this was one of the first independent films to get distributed, even if it was only in big-city art-houses. Cinema 5 was a new company in 1969; they would go on to distribute many art-house hits in the '70s including the great Oscar-winning documentary Marjoe. And then UA would step in to do Downey's next 2 flicks, Greaser's Palace and Pound.

[RGMike]

Any Films of the Decade list that doesn't include Dogville is worthless:

http://spectrumculture.com/2009/11/end-of-the-aughts-films-of-the-decade.html

so have you seen his Antichrist yet? talk about love-it-or-despise-it reviews!

[ggould]

Black guy takes over and instantly becomes as much of an asshole as the white guys were (stealing other peoples' ideas, firing employees on a whim, etc). OK, Downey, we get it. 

This was precisely what bugged me about it.  The point that "power corrupts" is made facilely enough in enough places.

oh well
 

[princessofcairo]

Any Films of the Decade list that doesn't include Dogville is worthless:

http://spectrumculture.com/2009/11/end-of-the-aughts-films-of-the-decade.html

so have you seen his Antichrist yet? talk about love-it-or-despise-it reviews!

I haven't seen it yet, but it's definitely on the list. I've been ignoring the reviews. But Von Trier + Dafoe can't be that bad!

[Lightnin' Rod]

Flipping around my pay channels yesterday, and Shakespeare in Love was just starting (in Hi def).  So I bailed on the Niner game, and watched SiL for the first time since I saw it at the theater.  I know some of you think it did not deserves its* oscar(s), but after watching it again, I completely disagree.  Great script, great acting, great fun.  And I was a bit choked up at the end.

* rereading, fixed its / it's f*ckup... 

[Gazoo]

Black guy takes over and instantly becomes as much of an asshole as the white guys were (stealing other peoples' ideas, firing employees on a whim, etc). OK, Downey, we get it. 

This was precisely what bugged me about it.  The point that "power corrupts" is made facilely enough in enough places.

oh well
 

Heck, as Mike, Shray and probably others can attest, my film tastes are undoubtedly idiosyncratic, so take my opinions with a lime and salt.

[RGMike]

Any Films of the Decade list that doesn't include Dogville is worthless:

http://spectrumculture.com/2009/11/end-of-the-aughts-films-of-the-decade.html

so have you seen his Antichrist yet? talk about love-it-or-despise-it reviews!

I haven't seen it yet, but it's definitely on the list. I've been ignoring the reviews. But Von Trier + Dafoe can't be that bad!

I can't bear the idea of seeing Willem lose his, er, little willem.