RIP Sidney Lumet, film director, 86

[Wayback]

Sidney Lumet had been nominated for Oscars five times without winning: as best director for "12 Angry Men" (1957), "Dog Day Afternoon" (1975), "Network" (1976) and "The Verdict" (1982); and for best screenplay as co-writer of "Prince Of The City" (1981). He was 86.
http://www.latimes.com/news/la-mew-sidney-lumet-20110409,0,6340749.story

[RGMike]

Truly one of the greats and one of my all-time favorite directors, who made some of my favorite films, esp Serpico.

[Tinka Cat]

RIP

Dog Day Afternoon will be showing at the SF Int'l Film Fest this year.   Attica! Attica!

He was one of my faves, too.   He used NYC so well in his movies, it made even his sub-par efforts, like the Anderson Tapes w Sean Connery & Chris Walken, sort of interesting.  (btw, Garrett Morris has a small part in AT, too.)

[ggould]

I don't know movies very well, but looking back, Network stands up, and is all to prescient for comfort. I don't know who won, but did anyone think Network deserved it?

[RGMike]

I don't know movies very well, but looking back, Network stands up, and is all to prescient for comfort. I don't know who won, but did anyone think Network deserved it?

That was '76 -- Rocky won Best Picture. I was rooting for Network, but would've been happy with All the President's Men or Taxi Driver too. (the 5th nominee was the Woody Guthrie biopic Bound For Glory, which is a movie I still have not seen all-the-way-thru.) 

[mshray]

I don't know movies very well, but looking back, Network stands up, and is all to prescient for comfort. I don't know who won, but did anyone think Network deserved it?

That was '76 -- Rocky won Best Picture. I was rooting for Network, but would've been happy with All the President's Men or Taxi Driver too. (the 5th nominee was the Woody Guthrie biopic Bound For Glory, which is a movie I still have not seen all-the-way-thru.)  

As good as Network, 12 Angry Men & Dog Day were, perhaps my favorite of his was the under-rated Q&A.  It featured Nick Nolte's finest performance (IMHO), Armand Assante's as well, a great job by Timothy Hutton, and an equally great job by his daughter* Jenny, who should really have made more films.  She did go on to write Rachel Getting Married, which earned Anne Hathaway an Oscar nom.

Aside to Mike:  My dad being a big Woodie Guthrie/Pete Seeger fan, we saw BFG in the theater when it came out.  It is of historical note because it was the first movie to use the steady-cam.

*and if Sophia Coppola had done half as good a job in Godfather 3, her dad would have won his third Oscar in the trilogy.

[urth]

As good as Network, 12 Angry Men & Dog Day were, perhaps my favorite of his was the under-rated Q&A.  It featured Nick Nolte's finest performance (IMHO), Armand Assante's as well, a great job by Timothy Hutton, and an equally great job by his daughter* Jenny, who should really have made more films.  She did go on to write Rachel Getting Married, which earned Anne Hathaway an Oscar nom.

Aside to Mike:  My dad being a big Woodie Guthrie/Pete Seeger fan, we saw BFG in the theater when it came out.  It is of historical note because it was the first movie to use the steady-cam.

*and if Sophia Coppola had done half as good a job in Godfather 3, her dad would have won his third Oscar in the trilogy.

There's a art/rep house in Salem that's showing 12 Angry Men, Network, Dog Day Afternoon, and Lumet's last film, Before The Devil Knows You're Dead this week. Each showing once a day, separate admission. Hope it does well. I may try to get down there to see Network if there's a showing that works for me, time-wise.

[mshray]

There's a art/rep house in Salem that's showing 12 Angry Men, Network, Dog Day Afternoon, and Lumet's last film, Before The Devil Knows You're Dead this week. Each showing once a day, separate admission. Hope it does well. I may try to get down there to see Network if there's a showing that works for me, time-wise.

Ooooh, I had forgotten to say anything about that last one.  BTDKYD is freaking awesome, if very very dark.  Excellent performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney & Marisa Tomei.  I actually thought all four should have been nominated, & Finney should have won an Oscar, but none were.