I don't often drift off topic. It was always my aim to keep this as a literary blog but when I read Ken Armstrong's recent post about movies I found myself compelled to compile my own list. Movies have always been an enormous influence on me as a writer and I don't think this is a bad thing. I could list the writers who have influenced my own work but I could also list the directors. Woody Allen has affected me every bit as much a Keith Waterhouse.
The first thing I found was that it's next to impossible was to pick one of anything. There are exceptions, I've never changed my favourite film of all time in years and there are films that never disappear from my top ten although their rankings vary from week to week.
The thing I hate about lists like this is that we tend to pick from what we have seen most recently and forget about some of the truly great films we've seen in the past. So I decided not to rush at answering any of the questions.
Oh, and I'm not passing this on either.
1) Name one movie that made you laugh:
The one I remember clearest was actually a documentary strangely enough. I saw it in the smallest cinema I've ever been in which was in Wishaw. There were about four rows of seats and they went up at about a 60° angle. Steep! The film was Big Banana Feet, a documentary about Billy Connolly released in 1976. I laughed myself silly. So bad I brought on a severe asthma attack. Connolly is just one of those guys like Eric Morecambe and Tommy Cooper who could read the phone book and it would be funny.
Here's a clip from the film (I had to get my inhaler after watching this):
As far as "real" films go, I'd probably have to give the title of funniest film to Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) – it's certainly entertains me every time I catch it and I never get tired of seeing it. I watch it with a very childish delight: "Do it again! Do it again!"
2) Name one movie that made you cry:
There really is only one contender in this category: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975). I watched it on my own. I was underage but I've always looked older than I really am. The ending when the Chief discovers McMuphy has been lobotomised was what got me, that followed by his heroic escape. It was on TV a wee while back and I still found myself tearing up and I must have seen it a good half-dozen times. This is also one of those book adaptations which actually works. It's different to the book but it still works.
3) Name one movie you loved when you were a child:
I was going to say The Aristocats (1970) because I assumed it would have to be a Disney film – but the fact is I saw Planet of the Apes in 1968 and there is no comparison. I had no clue it was going to end the way it did. I think that was the first time the power of the cinema really hit me. The end of Burton's "reimagining" certainly was a contender for the biggest disappointment I've had watching a film I can tell you.
4) Name one movie you've seen more than once:
There are so many. Blade Runner (1982) certainly is the top of the science fiction films though I've yet to get the latest release but I bet I've seen Woody Allen's Play it Again Sam (1972) more times. I probably know the dialogue to both films by heart.
5) One movie you loved, but were embarrassed to admit it:
I was going to offer up Love Actually (2003) actually. I've even seen all the DVD extras and everything. But then I remembered E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) which I saw in a huge cinema in Edinburgh. You could probably have fitted a couple of hundred wee Wishaw cinemas in it. I went on my own and didn't cry. It wasn't something I went into work the next day and wanted to get all enthusiastic about over the water cooler mind.
6) One movie you hated:
I couldn't think of a film I've walked out of. My sister walked out of one and I followed (I think it might have been The Hitcher (1986)) but if I've paid good money then I'm mean enough to want my money's worth. I did turn off The Blair Witch Project (1999) when it was on TV purely because of the camerawork but when it comes to hating a film, I'd like to nominate the Coen brothers' diabolical remake of The Ladykillers (2004). I'm not overly fond of any of their work but my wife loves them.
7) Name one movie that scared you:
I saw two films in 1978, Dawn of the Dead (1978) and The Sentinel (1977) within about a week of each other and have never been able to separate them in my head. Both of these films gave me nightmares – literally – for months and I stayed clear of horror movies for a very long time afterwards. I've been startled by movies. I jumped out of my seat during a showing of Jaws (1975) but I wasn't scared … I wasn't … I really wasn't.
8) Name one movie that bored you: 
This was the hardest category for me. I guess I don't bore easily. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) wasn't so much boring as just not funny. We turned it off after about thirty minutes. Eraserhead (1977) was simply bitterly disappointing. I had waited years to see it and it was awful. I've never made it through The Blues Brothers (1980) and I've tried three times. I think though I'll plump for Zardoz (1974) which truly dragged. So much navel gazing! And Sean Connery, wearing a red Borat-style mankini, knee-high leather boots, pony tail and Zapata moustache did nothing for me I'm happy to report.
9) Name one movie that made you happy:
I'm not really a very happy person. Not effusive. So, I had to think for a while what to put here. There are plenty of films I've enjoyed. I discovered Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) before all our friends and had film nights introducing them to this wonderful little film. But I wouldn't say it made me happy. The one that comes at the top of my list is one I saw only a couple of weeks ago, a film I doubt any of you will have heard of, Quiet City (2007). It's the simplest of films, obviously made on a tiny budget ($2000) and it's just lovely. A boy and a girl run into each other in New York, strike up a friendship and wander around the city for a couple for days. That's it. There's no real story, just a slice of life, but it's not often I sit watching a film with a fixed smile on my face. A similar, but far more polished, film would be Lost in Translation (2003) which I also thought was beautiful in its understatement.
Here's the trailer to Quiet City:
10) Name one movie that made you miserable:
There have been plenty of films that have left me wondering what the hell it was all about but there haven’t been many that have left me feeling miserable at the end. Tuesdays with Morrie (1999) is way up there but In the Bedroom (2001) was probably one of the unhappiest films I've ever seen, watching a father and mother fall to pieces after the death of their son.
I pretty much loathed Man Thing (2005) because I loved the comic so much and, although the realisation of the creature was decent enough (when it finally arrived), the rest of the film was simply appalling. Marvel should be ashamed of themselves. Even the horrendous Swamp Thing (1982) was better. At least it had Adrienne Barbeau in it.
11) Name one movie you thought would be great, but it wasn’t:
There were so many choices here. I had read every scrap of information that was available years before Tim Burton's Batman (1989) hit the screen so there was no way I wasn't going to be disappointed – I'd built myself up for it. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) was an awful let down but I think the award has to go to Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983). I know the TV series was variable, anything between pure dribble and comic genius, but, considering the time they had to prepare the film script, I'm sure they could've done better.
12) Name one movie you weren't brave enough to see:
Top of the list: The Exorcist (1973). I've never seen it. I have no desire to see it. I read the book at school – God alone knows who leant me a copy – but there was such a cloud that followed the film that I could never bring myself to get it out on video. I had no problems with A Clockwork Orange (1971) when it became available but not The Exorcist. One other springs to mind, though for different reasons, The Cable Guy (1996) – the premise of the film just creeps me out.
13) Name one movie character you've fallen in love with:
There are a number of actresses who I've been smitten by. In the sixties, Debbie Reynolds; Jodie Foster in the seventies; Sigourney Weaver in the eighties and Christina Ricci in the noughties but I find myself hard pushed to name a character in a movie. If pushed, I think I'd opt for 'Rebecca' in Ghost World (2001) played by Scarlett Johansson although 'Charlotte' in Lost in Translation (2003) (coincidentally also Ms. Johansson) would be a fair trade. You have no idea how many people think that's a boring movie.
14) Name one pointless remake:
This was not on the original list but I added it. There are so many choices and they just keep coming. Where do I start? Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)? Fun With Dick And Jane (2005)? Halloween (2007)? I feel sorry for all the scriptwriters out their trying to pitch something new. I've already listed The Ladykillers but I think the worst examples I can think of are: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), Body Snatchers (1993) and The Invasion (2007). What was so wrong with Walter Wanger's Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) that it needed to be remade? And why do they keep getting it so wrong?
15) Name your favourite movie of all time:
Also not on the original list. This really follows on from the last question. For years my favourite film has been François Truffaut's L'Homme qui aimait les femmes (1977). I haven't seen the remake but I could just imagine what damage Blake Edwards and Burt Reynolds could do. I've never seen their version of The Man Who Loved Women (1983) and I never will. Never. Not ever. No way, Pedro.
FIN
21 comments:
There's *so* much in this post for me, Jim, I hope you'll forgive me if I hit most of them one-by-one (It's my idea of a Big Saturday Night In)
Big Banana Feet; I love Billy, I've been to see him several times and he never fails to crease me up. I always fall back on his 'prescription windscreen' when I talk about him.
Monty Python's Life of Brian; was banned over here for many years but that didn't stop us - we learned it off of the LP!! Now my son - 12 - loves Holy Grail and I love both of them all over again (no, we haven't watched LOB together yet, I'll give it another few years.)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: probably my favorite movie of all time, in case you think I'm bluffing:
'Hmmm... Juicy Fruit'
Blade Runner: another firm favorite, Deckard might not have been a Replicant in the original but he sure as hell was in the Director's Cut! :)
Love Actually: Ha!! Like I said elsewhere, you're a funny man Jim! Watch for Rachel coming over the hill any moment now.
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial: Great memories of this. So very 'Orchestral' I've posted a little on this too:
'Top Two Tear Jerkers'
The Ladykillers (2004): Haven't seen this remake but love the Coens generally. 'Fargo' and 'Blood Simple' are my faves.
Jaws: You *so* were scared... 'big Jessie! :) I have a post on this coming soon, a lot of memories tied in with that shark.
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure: what great taste you have... way!
Lost in Translation: Another pure gem! Made we want to do Karaoke, Big Mistake!
Batman, Monty Python's The Meaning of Life: Disappointing, Disappointing.
Eyes Wide Shut: I liked it better the second time around. It's quite like my first produced theatre play, 'To Sleep' which predates the movie - who should I sue?
The Exorcist: What's with you guys and this movie? By far the most disturbing aspects of the film relate to our natural guilt at how we deal with our aging parents. The rest is over-boiled special effects. The sound is quite good though.
A Clockwork Orange: over-rated... big time.
Jodie Foster: hands off she's mine!!
Pointless Remake? Hmmm. Burton's 'Planet of the Apes' qualifies heavily there.
'L'Homme qui aimait les femmes' - a lovely film, 'good choice.
Well played! Well played indeed.
A lovely selection, actually.
Billy Connelly is a great choice...anyone who can consistently entertain such huge audiences with comic ramblings...that's my kind of guy. He's crazy and fearless and does things his own way - fantastic.
It's interesting how we come at films from different angles. For example I have always liked 'The Exorcist'...found it like an 'Airplane' movie or something (ie.. quite amusing). There's not a lot of religion in our family so maybe that's why it doesn't bother me (possessed by the devil - yeh, right..). Now Richard Curtis...if there was a film about him being possessed by the devil and remaking 'Love Actually' with a satanist subplot. I'd watch that.
I was one of those who found 'Lost in Translation' a little boring (though I still liked it). I got a bit sick of seeing Scarlett in her pants staring out at Tokyo (again). I know we were meant to be getting her mood and all that but still...pouting girls in pants...I think there may be reasons those images appeal more to some viewers than others...
That Sean Connery pic is terrifying (much more so than anything the devil could ever come up with!). I've never heard of that film. How did I miss it?
Interesting to see your comments on them all. We coincide on two:One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (For what that's worth, but there you go!)
Ken, Rachel, thanks for the comments. What can I say? Anyone who doesn't appreciate Billy Connolly must be dead or should be dead. Someone's gone to the bother of uploading the whole of Big Banana Feet and it was fascinating to watch after all this time and after Billy has evolved so much. I feel about him the same way I feel about Life of Brian, it doesn't matter that I know the punchline, it's the performance that matters. I remember watching John Cleese perform the 'Dead Parrot Sketch' once and – amazingly enough – he couldn't remember a line and the audience yelled it out to him.
What impressed me about One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was how it could be so different from the book and yet get it so right. I feel the same about Nigel Kneale's adaptation of Nineteen Eighty-Four and the film featuring John Hurt – each draws on different aspects of the book and each is faithful to the book and yet each is quite different from each other.
As I said, I read The Exorcist when I was a teenager. I didn't really enjoy the book. Why I stay away from it still is because I know it uses some of Tubular Bells as a part of the soundtrack and I like Tubular Bells and I really don't want to think about a horror film when I listen to it. I have seen clips from the film and they do nothing for me.
Blade Runner along with Alien are two of those films that keep shifting position in my Top Ten. Ridley Scott is a genius. I'd've watched his Batman - no probs.
Stay clear of The Ladykillers. The original was a work of class. The Coen brother should stick to what they know. And Tom Hanks should hang his head in shame. If someone sat you down and made you watch the film you'd be hard pressed to come up with Joel and Ethan Coen as the directors. The only film of theirs that I could say I enjoyed was O Brother, Where Art Thou and that's probably because of the soundtrack which I love particularly 'I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow' by the Soggy Bottom Boys.
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure is what Back to the Future should have been. I also have that film to thank for introducing me to the now late George Carlin.
Lost in Translation is simply a beautiful, beautiful film. Having Scarlett Johansson wander around in her pants wasn't hard on the eye but that wasn't it for me. I related strongly to Bill Murray's character and I would suggest, if you've not seen it, you check out Broken Flowers where he plays a very similar role but paired up with actresses more his age. It's all about what to leave out and I'm not talking about what 'Bob Harris' whispered to 'Charlotte' at the end of the film.
Jodie Foster you can have, Ken. I've moved on. I was totally smitten by Erin Fisher, the actress who played the female lead in Quiet City. There's a bit of the Scarlett Johansson about her I have to say but Erin also had a writing credit on the film. I wish someone would hurry up and discover her. Check out the race scene and especially the dance sequence from the film. And, for the record, once I get smitten by an actress it's a life-long thing. I still love to see Foster, Weaver et al as they are today.
As regard Love Actually, the best scene for me was one of the deleted ones. It shows two old lesbians having a conversation in bed. Beautifully done. Really touching.
And Dave, you said two ... what's the other one? You only mentioned One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Films are great inspiration. I think it's because many writers think visually. Planet of the Apes was a lot of fun!
Thanks for that, Adrian, and you're right of course. That said, I don't really think that visuals are especially important to me. I was thinking about what I was writing this afternoon and how I had to make a conscious effort to include bits of descriptive information but only the barest details, as little as I could get away with. Dickens I am not.
Well, Jim, you knew I wouldn’t keep my mouth shut on this one. You are right on a couple of points, the first being that the original film was a work of class and the second that you would not expect to see Joel and Ethan Coen as the directors. In fact, the Coens originally wrote the movie for Barry Sonnenfeld to direct but when he bowed out, the Coens stepped in. This is, incidentally, the first time they shared the credit for directing a film, though they have always shared the actual responsibilities.
And why would they want to attempt a remake of such a classic? It isn’t a big stretch, since there are obvious connections with the source material to their original films, starting from Blood Simple (my first and one of my favourites). They even borrowed a line from the 1955 film for Emmet Walsh’s character in Blood Simple ("Who looks stupid now?").
You and I have had many discussions on transatlantic comedy translations. While the original film was a jewel, it was not exactly timeless. In much the same way that Sanford Son only worked for American audiences when they stopped using direct transcripts of the Steptoe and Son scripts, a remake of the Ladykillers had to have a major retelling to work for a contemporary American audience. In defence of Tom Hanks, the role was perfect for him and he would have been a fool not to take it. Joel, Ethan, Tom and the incredible Irma P. Hall did a spectacular job giving the original a new perspective. The characterisations, setting and music were brilliant. What let the film down was the addition of the way too farcical characters Pancake and Gawain (played by Marlon Wayans) which made a mockery of the subtlety of the original film.
I see no problem with the Brothers occasionally taking on a mainstream product. Several of their films have veered away from their early format – among them Fargo and Intolerable Cruelty. Did I like them? Did I heck.
And even if you don’t watch the film, the DVD is worth the price for the extra featurette, Danny Ferrington: The Man Behind the Band, in which Ferrington gives an outstanding discussion of how the unusual instruments used in the film were built and stories about his work with the Brothers and other musicians who have used his pieces.
Well, all I have to say, Carrie, is that when a woman has to use a computer to talk to the guy sitting next to her on the couch there's something awfully wrong with the world.
Do I hear a double act in the making...
Carrie - you can't put 'Fargo' and 'Intolerable Cruelty' in the same league... can you? I love 'Fargo' and hate the other.
Jim's previous comment is very good! :)
I should be over at my place but it's a bit scary over there at the moment so I'm hiding out here, hope that's okay.
The only question, Rachel, is who's the straight guy? No, wait a second, I'm the straight guy, I'm not sure she would've married me otherwise.
No, Ken, not in the same league, but both definitely less Coen-esque. For that matter, O Brother Where Art Thou was its own animal, too. Btw, if you get really desperate, you can come hang out at my place - there's hardly anybody over there. :¬(
I completely agree with you on the Monty Python. I thought it would be completely awesome, only to be let down. Don't get me wrong, it did have its moments; however, it wasn't worthy of the Monty Python title.
I actually saw The Exorcist on TV once as a youngster. Or some of it, I guess. I don't think I saw it all the way through. It was dark, it was yucky, but mainly it was incomprehensible. What the hell was happening? I totally didn't get it. Catholic friends told me it was scary if you were Catholic.
I recently watched The Exorcist on DVD. This time I found it hilarious. I laughed and laughed. Love it when the girl is levitating and you can see the tiny little tents where the wires are attached to her nightie. C'mon how seriously can you take Great Evil when it's big gig is turning a little girl's face blotchy or making her stab herself in the naughty place with a crucifix?
Thanks for that, Gary. I don't know if you're like me but it's a bit easy to see Python through rose-tinted spectacles. The 'Monty Python' brand, if I can put it that way, has never been a guarantee of excellence but of the possibility of excellence. A few weeks ago I caught a few repeats of some of the original shows and it's not that humour has moved on it's just that some of the sketches were truly awful. But that was much of the charm of performers like the Python team and Spike Milligan too. Life of Brian has set the bar so high that there was no way The Meaning of Life could compete. Apparently Idle believed it was just "one re-write away from being perfect", while Cleese thinks of it as a "giant cock-up" despite the fact he was the one who didn't want to do that final rewrite. So there you go.
And Glenn, I'm sure The Exorcist is tame by today's standards but the fact is I really don't care much for the horror genre and watch very little of it. It is probably the one genre I am least qualified to comment on. The list of key films I haven't seen is staggering actually. It's not that I'm a sensitive soul or anything – I loved Chris Carter's series Millennium for example and I'm an avid fan of the Alien movies – I think it's probably because the films are so badly done I hate them. Not seeing The Exorcist is probably more a point of principle now, like not having read a Harry Potter book.
I really enjoyed this post--so you despised Zardoz as well?! Cuts across cultural lines, don't it?
My favorite comedy: The Bed Sitting Room. Difficult to find now, but worth the effort.
Ah. Conda, a Spike Milligan fan. Yes, I know the film. I've seen it two or three times. And the cast he assembled too.
The Coen Bros,' "Fargo" was brilliant. But then, I lived in Minnesota for seven years, so maybe that's just a form of perverse revenge. They hate that movie in Minnesota; they claim it's an exaggeration; I have to say, that's only partially true.
I'm immune to "The Exorcist" using Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells. I was a teenager when I first heard the music, and I remain an Oldfield fan; his movie being used as a soundtrack never bothered me. The most frightening thing about the movie is its oft-overlooked subversive critique of the dangers of being too devout in one's belief.
"Monty Python and the Holy Grail" is one of the great movies of all time. "Blue! No, green! Aaaagghhhhh!"
I think "Bladerunner" is a great movie, but I like others more. I prefer leaving some things equivocal, so that the audience has to decide. Ridley Scott is one of the great directors, but so is Michael Mann. So is Darren Arnofsky. Spielberg is not a great director, but he has occasionally hit the mark very well, for certain kinds of movies.
Who doesn't think "Zardoz" is a terrible film? Actually, I enjoyed it for all the unintentional laughs.
Cinema is indeed important to writing; visuals as inspiration and source. I'm very visual, and much of my writing is transcription of the images that play in my head. (Probably why I'm not a Language Poet: it's not at all about just the words for me, it's about what the words carry.) In fact, there are poems of mine that have been deemed "experimental" because they are non-narrative, non-linear, sequences of images, that "watched" in sequence do give meaning and emotion. That's something I keep working with. If I break syntactical rules, which I often do, it's in the service of making the words try to come closer to the experience of the vision. Yes, that's right: I'm a bard with no respect for his tools.
I am heavily inspired by Ron Fricke's movies, his own and the ones he did with Godfrey Reggio: Baraka; Chronos; Koyaanisqatsi. Fricke is one of my heroes, as a filmmaker and photographer. A lot of directors don't get credit for their visual sense, their sheer ability to compose and light the frame as though it were pure photography. This is one area in which both Mann and Scott also excel. Of course, I'm a photographer, so I notice these things.
Two recent movies I keep re-watching because of their visual and narrative styles.
"Transformers," which really transcends the lame material it was given to work with; there are moments of character interaction that really work, and some incredible lighting in several scenes. The movie works well for me because of the humans dealing believably with the "ohmigawd" aspects of the Giant Alien Robots premise. One thing I doubt many noticed is that there a few moments in the film when the characters pause for a moment to just breathe, to just look at each other; moments wherein the frenetic pace slows down to appreciate life. Moments like this are all too few in cinema these days, and one always appreciates a slower pace. Slower-paced editing, these post-MTV days, is a rarity and a balm.
"The Fountain" is an intelligent, beautiful movie that doesn't treat the viewers as children, spoon-feeding them every interpretation and meaning. (As much as like Ridley Scott, he occasionally gives into this temptation.) The plot is complex, serious, and bounces through time. Some critics have claimed the movie was too hard to follow, too weird. Well, I don't find it hard to follow at all, frankly, and the denouement is poetic in a way few movies achieve. It's hard to resist comparing it to the ending of "2001: a space odyssey," which ending is also poetic.
Cinema can do much that's poetic with pure image and pacing and photography. It's a shame so many scripts think that the characters have to talk every damn minute. Sometimes a great deal can be done with silent action.
I really enjoyed your post being a movie lover myself. I do enjoy comedies more than anything, but also enjoy a good chic flick. One comedy that comes to mind is The Birdcage based on La Cage aux Folles, cracks me up every time. And a great tear jerker Terms of Endearment -- another favorite.
Thanks for the post -- you definitely got my mind working!
Art, since I've never seen Fargo, despite having owned a copy for several years, I cannot comment. I made it through Blood Simple (which was a decent enough film) but I turned off The Hudsucker Proxy and Raising Arisona.
It never ceases to amaze me the staying power of Monty Python. As I said in another comment, like hundreds (perhaps thousands) of others I can probably repeat the 'Dead Parrot Sketch' word for word – although I veer towards the Live at Drury Lane performance which I listened to over and over again – and yet it never ceases to bring a smile to my face when I see it performed.
I had to look up Michael Mann to find his directorial credits; I was surprised the list was so short and I'm also surprised how few I've seen. I enjoyed The Last of the Mohicans thoroughly especially the soundtrack, although I have my doubts about the Clannad track.
My wife and I saw Darren Arnofsky's film Π in the cinema and were blown away by it. Requiem for a Dream gets a bad rap and I can see why considering the subject matter but we both considered it a tremendous film; the soundtracks to both films were also astounding. The Fountain I've not got to yet, and I know the reviews have not been good but I don't care, I'll watch it and make my own mind up.
I've seen Koyaanisqatsi but it was the music that kept me going; I'm a huge Philip Glass fan.
Transformers didn't do much for me I'm afraid. I never grew up with them, I didn't read the comics, collect the toys or watch the cartoon. I suppose this put me at an advantage because there was no mythology in my head to ruin, not like Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk et al.
And, NanjoDogz, nice to see a new name. I enjoyed The Birdcage well enough but I've not seen the original which, despite Williams' performance, I suspect will be the better film; I'm very wary of American remakes, they get it wrong so much of the time, just compare Wings of Desire and City of Angels, and don't get me started on The Man who Loved Women. I'm not sure I've seen Terms of Endearment however. How did I miss that one?
Blade Runner: another firm favorite, Deckard might not have been a Replicant in the original but he sure as hell was in the Director's Cut! :)
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