newcritics - Latest Comments in Institutional Cinematic Sensibility, Updated

Re: Institutional Cinematic Sensibility, Updated

M.A. Peel — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 20:48:23 -0000

For all you Vertigo fans, I will feel guilty that I visited Robert Harris and Jonathan Katz in 1995 when they were restoring Vertigo. They had one of the internegs they had made from the original that they didn't need any longer, so Harris gave me 6 frames of Madeleine at the Golden Gate Bridge. He also gave me 3 frames of Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady.

Re: Institutional Cinematic Sensibility, Updated

Tom Watson — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 16:34:52 -0000

Sure, Hitch is over-intellectualized - but heck, you've got Gone with the Wind and Wizard of Oz in the top 10, too. Pop culture, baby!

Re: Institutional Cinematic Sensibility, Updated

OutOfContext — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 09:53:06 -0000

I'm pretty much with Kevin on this one. I have no problem with a film canon (you've got to master the rules to break them right) and it's fun as a discussion starter, but mostly my eyes just glaze over.
I like Hitchcock, but I tend to think he's seriously overintellectualized.
Chuck, I'd be interested in a short list of your favorite women directed pictures. I've been watching a lot of Ida Lupino lately and it has raised her in my estimation. I know a lot of women directed in the silents as well, but I don't recall seeing to many of those.

Re: Institutional Cinematic Sensibility, Updated

Chuck Tryon — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 09:07:47 -0000

By the way, I'm not sure it'll ever be fully possible to consider the two Godfather films separately, although I think the second film is stronger. Individually both films are great, but I think the epic nature of the pair makes each individual film even stronger.

Re: Institutional Cinematic Sensibility, Updated

Chuck Tryon — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 09:02:53 -0000

I usually teach North by Northwest when I teach intro to film. I noticed that most of the American films I teach are on the list, which isn't surprising, but I wonder how much institutions like AFI and university curricula are mutually reinforcing when it comes to creating these film canons.

I also wonder when the AFI will wake up and realize that women direct movies, too. Not a single film on the top 100 list was directed by a woman.

Re: Institutional Cinematic Sensibility, Updated

Tom Watson — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 08:57:22 -0000

I'd take Eva Marie Saint and North by Northwest, personally. But I do love Rear Window. My kids prefer Vertigo, strangely enough - they're huge Hitch fans.

Re: Institutional Cinematic Sensibility, Updated

Kevin Wolf — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 08:37:40 -0000

From some of your comments re your likes and dislikes (such as GWTW) I'm learning that our tastes are not all that close. (Me, I'll take Vertigo over Rear Window though I love both and prefer Kelly to Novak.)

Still, re the list changes, we're almost in sync. Godfather II may be the better movie, even if the first film provides the context.

These lists are generally useless anyway, something I've posted about myself.

And I agree that mentioning Casablanca and Titanic together is pure movie stoogery.