Early movies -- particularily Five Easy Pieces and King Of Marvin Gardens -- are fucking brilliant. I just saw FEP for the first time last weekend. A type of American movie that sadly doesn't get made that much anymore.
But anyway, it seems like his stock really dropped off. I saw Blood And Wine... pretty blah. Not really horrible, but certainly not worth watching.
Any thoughts about this guy? Anybody seen a good flick by him, post-1975?
I've only seen Five and King, but really liked both, though if I had to choose I'd choose the former.
Yeah, the seventies filmmakers valued pacing and tone. Those values were demolished by the blockbuster mentality; pacing and tone used to exist even in very, very mainstream movies like The Exorcist and The Godfather. It's completely gone now, or circumscribed as "indie" or "art" film. Rafaelson was one of the really good ones. I love the Chopin sequence of Five Easy Pieces, where he plays the prelude while the camera pans over the photos, giving you a glimpse into this man's past and where he came from. A very memorable movie moment for me.
Indeed. But the end really got me. It's one of those endings that I've tried to write so many times, but wasn't sure if audiences would get it... or feel it. Seeing Nicholson stare into that truck stop mirror really did something for me. I've been thinking about it for days now.
That, and the last monologue in King.
No doubt, Rafelson used to be one of the best filmmakers in America. Five Easy Pieces is a masterpiece. Stay Hungry from 1976 is a great obscure cult classic -- it features the film debuts of both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sally Field. Arnold actually gets to act in this off-beat film. Jeff Bridges is great in it. Hopefully, MGM will put it on DVD soon, but it's the sort of film that doesn't fit it any genre, or else stitches together a bunch of genres. That's what was so cool about 70's films.
Rafelson's career suffered a serious decline post-Stay Hungry. He was fired from Brubaker a few weeks into shooting, and then directed the remake of Postman Always Rings Twice. He also directed the dull thriller Black Widow, and the awful Nicholson film Man Trouble.
But Five Easy Pieces is a great accomplishment. When I watched About Schmidt last December, it started out in a low-key way, and I was hoping that it could the autumnal version of Five Easy Pieces -- but it became way too broad in its comic approach. Somehow, when Rafelson makes fun of rednecks and rural denizens, it works wonderfully, but when Payne does it it comes of as sitcommy. There is a lot of depth to Five Easy Pieces -- it is thoughtful, deliberate, delicately observed. But who cares about such things. Video games and Matrix sequels have taken hold of the culture.
Quote from: soixanteNo doubt, Rafelson used to be one of the best filmmakers in America. Five Easy Pieces is a masterpiece. Stay Hungry from 1976 is a great obscure cult classic -- it features the film debuts of both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sally Field. Arnold actually gets to act in this off-beat film. Jeff Bridges is great in it. Hopefully, MGM will put it on DVD soon, but it's the sort of film that doesn't fit it any genre, or else stitches together a bunch of genres. That's what was so cool about 70's films.
Rafelson's career suffered a serious decline post-Stay Hungry. He was fired from Brubaker a few weeks into shooting, and then directed the remake of Postman Always Rings Twice. He also directed the dull thriller Black Widow, and the awful Nicholson film Man Trouble.
But Five Easy Pieces is a great accomplishment. When I watched About Schmidt last December, it started out in a low-key way, and I was hoping that it could the autumnal version of Five Easy Pieces -- but it became way too broad in its comic approach. Somehow, when Rafelson makes fun of rednecks and rural denizens, it works wonderfully, but when Payne does it it comes of as sitcommy. There is a lot of depth to Five Easy Pieces -- it is thoughtful, deliberate, delicately observed. But who cares about such things. Video games and Matrix sequels have taken hold of the culture.
About Schmidt was one of my favorite films of last year... I didn't find it too broad. I know a lot of people thought it was smug, but I really didn't. I thought Payne appreciated these people, respected them, found their humanity through their little quirks, which were often very funny. I dunno... I really like his approach.
But about Rafaelson... yeah, after the seventies heyday, the biz wasn't kind to a lot of the greats. Didn't Hal Ashby have a similar experience, having to make some half-there movie in the eighties?
I did like About Schmidt, in fact it was one of my favorites of 2002, however, I felt it could have been a great film, rather than a good film, if it has just toned down the humor (I felt the guy with the mullet hair cut was too broadly played). Also, some of the music cues were a little overbearing. However, I'll see it again on DVD and see how it plays on a second viewing.
As for Ashby, he indeed suffered a worse fate in the 80's than Rafelson. Ashby's track record in the 70's was awesome -- Harold and Maude, Last Detail, Shampoo, Bound for Glory, Coming Home, Being There. His first film in the 80's, Second Hand Hearts, came out in 1981, and played for a week or so in L.A. It had been delayed for about two years. There was also Lookin' to Get Out, shot in 1980 but not released until 1982, and it bombed. Ashby directed the forgettable concert documentary Let's Spend the Night Together, which came out in 1983. He then directed The Slugger's Wife, written by Neil Simon. That was Ashby's low point. However, in 1986 he made 8 Million Ways to Die, which I think is an under-rated film. Sadly, he died in 1988.
I really wanna see Lookin To get Out, but can't find it anywhere.
Lookin' to Get Out probably was never even put on video. I saw it in 1982, and it vanished quickly thereafter. But since Jon Voight has made a comeback, maybe someone will put it on DVD. I don't even know who owns the rights -- it was a Lorimar production, put out by Paramount.
Quote from: soixanteLookin' to Get Out probably was never even put on video.
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffp.blockbuster.com%2Fis%2Fbb%2Fvideo%2F99%2F95%2FV000029995.jpg%3Fcell%3D200%2C200%26cvt%3Djpeg&hash=6d3e327eb0f300772d7978315ca8a37afe3f49ab)
Looks like it's out of print now.
Quote from: soixanteNo doubt, Rafelson used to be one of the best filmmakers in America. Five Easy Pieces is a masterpiece. Stay Hungry from 1976 is a great obscure cult classic -- it features the film debuts of both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sally Field. Arnold actually gets to act in this off-beat film.
He certainly didn't get to act in it, but wasn't Arnie's film debut actually in
The Long Goodbye? I only bring it up because I saw it not too long ago. I'm not even sure if it counts as a "film debut," but I think it was before '76.
True, Long Goodbye came out before Stay Hungry, but Arnold's role was an unbilled appearance, whereas he was given a credit on Stay Hungry. So I meant "debut" as the first time he got credit. But I also forgot he did Hercules in New York in 1970, so I was basically wrong. However, in the credits of Stay Hungry, I think they say "Introducing Arnold Schwarzenegger."
I always meant to see Five Easy Pieces and last week I bit the bullet and just bought it. Now it's probably my favorite Nicholson performance (along with Chinatown and Cuckoo's Nest) and I haven't gotten the movie out of my head since. Thanks for the recommendation.
The scene with him in the field with his father is one of his best performed monologues.
The monologue was improvised by Nicholson.
Indeed it was. Another reason why I love it so much.
Has anyone seen (or heard of, even) his new one, No Good Deed? It was sort of unceremoniously dumped into theaters this past Friday. Sam Jackson, Milla Jovovich, Stellan Skarsgaard are the stars. Reviews have been mixed.
Yeah I had heard of it before Ebert reviewed it, since it was Jackson doing something based on a Dashiell Hammett short story, and I love Hammett.
It looks pretty good to me.. good cast, good director.. it isn't in any theatres around here so its pretty shitty that I can't see it.
I hope it's better than the shitfest that was Blood And Wine. How can you have such a good cast and make such a banal, predictable movie?
*cautiously twiddling thumbs* Hmm.. I don't know... since.. I... sorta liked that one.. actually...
I loved Nicholson and Cain in it. But that's it. Even the ordinarily great cinematography of Ed Lachman I found distracting and somewhat blah.
Yeah, it was the cast that reeled me right in (ha.. reel.. i got it..). i loved the chemistry between them and that ultimately had me really enjoying the film noir story, especially for Caine's performance.
I enjoyed seeing two legends, Nicholson and Caine, have scenes together. That was worth the video rental price alone -- plus J.Lo thrown in for good measure. It certainly was much better than the previous Rafelson-Nicholson film, Man Trouble.
Uh, amen to THAT. It really tried but whattamess! Such a promising cast too. Kinda like that new Bob Dylan movie.
Anybody who hasn't really needs to go see Stay Hungry!!! It's on dvd now...
Quote from: SoNowThenAnybody who hasn't really needs to go see Stay Hungry!!! It's on dvd now...
How true. I bought my copy the 1st day, and I've watched it a bunch of times.
Five Easy Pieces is one of my favourite films....anyway I was looking it up online and found a fairly interesting analysis based on the screenplay and a portion about Bobby's mother. I assume its based on the screenplay and not what he's construed from the opening montage, its not quite clear. Anyway, interesting all the same....
http://www.geocities.com/stuartfernie/five.htm
QuoteThe opening sequence of photos and scenes depicting the musical Dupea family sets up Bobby's character and his restless search for something in a way that is almost tragic and strongly resonates within us. He is the last child of a large family. He is clearly very special to his mother, who probably realizes that this will be her last time experiencing motherhood. There is a picture of a young Bobby asleep in his mother's arms as she looks down beaming at him. In the opening pages of the screenplay a special bond between Bobby and his mom is depicted. They are very close to one another. His mother is his teacher- he learns about music and the piano through her. When she dies, he runs out of her funeral service, unable to face the fact she's dead.
This is the point- Bobby's mother died when he was too young, when he still needed her. He didn't have the time a boy needs to grow towards his father and manhood. He was still deeply connected to her in the most fundamental way. And his mom is music. That is why he runs away from the musical life- it is too painful. The essence of music is the essence of his mother. Bobby tries to deal with the problem as an external landscape, not the internal landscape it really is and so his life is given to aimless wandering. Wherever he goes there can be no resolution. In a way a part of him has been frozen in time at the point of his mother's death and he cannot move forward with his life. There is only anger, frustration and a numbness to life that we can easily see in Bobby. When he plays the piano for his brother's student, she thinks it's beautiful, but he feels nothing. Much is made of the scene between him and his father, but of even greater importance is the ghost of his mother which hangs so close over him. We could even get Jungian about this and say the nurturing aspect of the mother archetype has been transformed into the negative side of the mother archetype- smothering and life suppressing. This archetype lies entirely within Bobby and is not his actual mother. Is there a resolution at the end, a realization and growth? No. That is the tragedy of the movie. Only a hope- by leaving his situation with Rayette for the unknown. By freeing himself of a deadend and going north - to a place that is still a frontier, a landscape that encourages introspection. That is the hope.
It doesn't matter what era of American history this story is placed - it would be equally valid and the hero would be just as restless, just as angry and just as seemingly selfish. Also - anger and frustration is something every man must confront in the modern industrial world as identity and self worth frequently collide, at least for a time, with society.