Check this out folks... (another list) Guardian list

Started by SoNowThen, November 14, 2003, 10:56:31 AM

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SoNowThen

Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

ono

I love looking at that list.  Thanks for posting it.  It makes me grin for some reason.  But there are some glaring omissions and some questionable additions.  Of course, no one's going to agree about everything.  It's so funny that Lynch is #1 and he doesn't even consider himself a filmmaker by trade; at least not nowadays, it seems, as he's more interested in painting, apparently.

What bugs me, though, is that controversy and sleaze can earn a place on the list, such as in the case of Gaspar Noe.  But at least, our man PTA got on the list, and rightfully so.  Still, though, it's a shame more critics don't give credence to Punch-Drunk Love.  That film is more and more beautiful the more I think about it.

This list also highlights some glaring omissions on my own list of must-see directors; some people whose work I really need to get to checking out soon.  I just checked out Badlands, so that's a start.  :)

Oh, and I find it highly ironic that Tarantino gets mucho points for originality, when I'm learning more and more day to day about his tendency to "borrow" from other lesser known films.  He ripped off films for Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, and drew from source material for Jackie Brown.  And while it's apparent that he improved on these older works, our man PTA does this, too, yet he gets a lot of flack for emulating directors, but Tarantino swipes entire plotlines.

SoNowThen

I really wanna see Noe's two films. I Stand Alone sounds like my kinda movie.

Anyway, I got this from the Criterion board. Those babies were bitching because they thought Scorsese was way too high. Fuck off. I was choked that he wasn't numero uno.

Oh well.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

©brad

alexander payne is #24? i like his movies 'n all, but it seems like an unusually high ranking for him, especially when fincher is #39!

bah, whatever. lists don't mean anything.

godardian

Quote from: ©bassalexander payne is #24? i like his movies 'n all, but it seems like an unusually high ranking for him, especially when fincher is #39!

bah, whatever. lists don't mean anything.

Well, if "don't mean anything" is synonymous with "subjective," I guess that's true.

Me, I think Fincher shouldn't be on the list at all. Payne is ten times more valuable than he is, in my very humble and honest opinion.
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.

SoNowThen

I wish Cronenberg and Linklater weren't on the list, but I'm happy Finch was. Fight Club is a major moment in film history, like it or not.

And I most certainly would NOT put Lynch in the number one spot...

though I'm gonna get lynched for saying that, aren't I?
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

godardian

Very, very nice to see Todd Haynes finally ranked with the greatest. FINALLY!

I was also extremely happy to see: Ramsay, Davies, Kiarostami, and Sokurov, all absolutely stunning filmmakers who have to live in the shadow of those who somehow get more of the spotlight. Do I think any one of those directors is as good as Wes Anderson or PTA? Yes, I do. Not BETTER, mind you, just equally deserving. It's nice to see it finally happening. I wouldn't expect much less of The Guardian, which may be the best newspaper in the world.
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.

Slick Shoes


©brad

Quote from: Slick ShoesNo Altman?

spike lee? coppola? stone? eastwood? woody?

they don't know nuttin.

MacGuffin

"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

godardian

Quote from: ©bass
Quote from: Slick ShoesNo Altman?

spike lee? coppola? stone? eastwood? woody?

they don't know nuttin.

There are only two of those I would consider putting on that list for even a moment, and in recent years those two have fallen far short of their best work...
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.

SoNowThen

Quote from: ©basscoppola?

they don't know nuttin.

Because he's done such good movies in the last 10 years?

It's most important directors NOW.

You could argue Lee or Stone, but c'mon...
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

kotte

Quote from: ©bassalexander payne is #24? i like his movies 'n all, but it seems like an unusually high ranking for him, especially when fincher is #39!

bah, whatever. lists don't mean anything.

Payne's great. What he did with About Schmidt...grand...a great great movie...so fuckin' great...can't believe I don't own the DVD yet.

aclockworkjj

I don't agree with a shitload of this list, but it's a good thing to parooos...ewww.

seeing paul at 21 was a surprise.  honestly higher than I think would be found on most similar lists.  

he's young, give him time.

Alethia

fincher and the wachowski bros could EASILY be replaced...otherwise, the list is pretty okay, I think.  But why the fuck isn't scorsese number one??!