Jeremy from the excellent Moon In The Gutter blog has tagged me to take part in a 12 movie meme which originated at Lazy Eye Theatre, where you should draw up your own dream film festival at the New Beverley Cinema (link in my list of blogs on the right). The rules are:
1) Choose 12 films to be featured. They could be random selections or part of a greater theme. Whatever you want.
2) Explain why you chose the films.
3) Link back to Lazy Eye Theatre so I can have hundreds of links and I can take those links and spread them all out on the bed and then roll around in them.
4) The people selected then have to roll around and select 5 more people.
So, here's my lineup:
Monday: ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST and HEAVEN'S GATE. Gorgeous photography, soundtracks to die for and some great performances. The time will simply fly!
Tuesday: THE HOUSE OF MIRTH and THE AGE OF INNOCENCE. Career bests for Scorsese and Terence Davies? Certainly pretty damn close as Wharton's work is brought to the screen with powerful emotion. All you budding actors settle back and witness a real master class in acting from both movies.
Wednesday: MALPERTUIS and ELINE VERE. A formidable double bill from Harry Kumel. If you feel DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS is his masterpiece, then think again. The former is a wonderfully haunting tale with great performances from Susan Hampshire, while the latter could easily have doubled up with HOUSE OF MIRTH. Someone please release EV very soon!
Thursday: IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE and 2046. A truly great double header from Wong Kar-Wai. Hypnotic, utterly compelling and a pairing that echoes Edith Wharton's assertion that, "Next to death, life is the saddest thing there is".
Friday: PERFORMANCE and THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH. As Poly Styrene from X-Ray Spex once sang, 'Identity is a crisis can't you see?' Jagger and Bowie at play with the angels.
Saturday: KILL, BABY...KILL! and THE STONE TAPE. Could not get
through this without including a bladdy Bava film, guvnor! Two superior spookers that really should be witnessed on the big screen. Now's your chance. Pleasant dreams!
through this without including a bladdy Bava film, guvnor! Two superior spookers that really should be witnessed on the big screen. Now's your chance. Pleasant dreams!Now, I'll tag
Steve,
ReplyDeleteThose are awesome. I have never seen THE STONE TAPE...I will have to search that one down. I'd be down for everyone of these...thanks for joining in.
Cheers, Jeremy. I was lucky enough to see The Stone Tape at London's NFT where Nigel Kneale took part in a Q&A after. It really is well worth tracking down.
ReplyDeleteHey Steve. Great choices. I would definitely be attending this film fest. I've seen many of them, but there are a couple that have slipped by me.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Keith. This was a great idea and I really enjoyed taking part. Hopefully, anyone reading this will go check out the line-ups at your Coolness Is Timless blog and Jeremy's Moon In The Gutter blog.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing Steve...that Tuesday line-up is out of sight. Gillian's performance is a major one in MIRTH that deserved more credit than it got and I also think AGE OF INNOCENCE is one of Marty's major works. The combination of Lewis, Pfeiffer and Ryder is among the most devastating casts ever. That last shot of Michelle on the peer with Daniel watching her just kills me everytime....
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jeremy. Yes, Anderson is awesome in HOM and I agree with you re that last shot in Age. Never fails to induce the tears.
ReplyDeleteSteve,
ReplyDeleteI hadn't realized I'd been tagged by you. I was out of the country and not really online for awhile. If it's not too late, I will compose a program (shouldn't take too long).
It is nice to see AGE OF INNOCENCE getting some love and I do dig the Monday night double bill...two of the most discussed revisionist Westerns and two that occupy very different poles in that subgenre.