Robert Altman

Started by classical gas, November 17, 2003, 05:31:25 AM

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Ghostboy

I just saw McCabe & Mrs. Miller for the first time tonight -- twice, once with the commentary track. It's astounding; exactly what I expected, in a way, and yet nothing like it. There's really nothing else like it.

modage

just watched the hour and a half documentary on altman on the Fox Movie Channel called Altman: On His Own Terms (ono discusses on the previous page).  it helped to give better insight as to what working with him is like.  i didnt know that elliott gould (and donald sutherland) tried to get him fired from MASH because they disliked him so much and then went onto being friends and making several movies together. it was interesting, although the praise being showered on him from all sides was a pretty different picture than the alcoholic asshole from Easy Riders...  it did help give me, personally, a little better idea of where he is coming from and a little more respect and appreciation for his movies.
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

ono

The same one I saw, I take it?  (See previous page.)

modage

yeah, as noted (edited).  it was only an hour and a half.
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

Pwaybloe


California Split
DVD Release: 2004-11-02

Cast:  Ann Prentiss, Elliott Gould, George Segal, Gwen Welles
Directed by:  Robert Altman

Synopsis:
Bill Denny (George Segal) and Charlie Walters (Elliott Gould) are two compulsive gamblers with nothing in common except incredibly bad luck. But after a chance meeting at an LA card parlor, these two losers find that together, they make an unbeatable team. Embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime winning streak, Bill and Charlie bet their way from the tacky racetracks and bars of Los Angeles to the plush casino tables of Reno, where they end up staking their good fortune on a "friendly" little game of poker with the legendary world champion, Amarillo Slim. A high-rolling comedy about two friends with an uncontrollable urge to score.  


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Genre: Drama  
Sound Format: 1.0
Studio: Columbia/Tri-Star  
Screen Format: 4:3 / LBX / 16:9
Rating:  
Theatre Release: 1974
MSRP: $24.95  
Discs: 1

soixante

It's about time.  Terrible cover art, though.
Music is your best entertainment value.

meatball

I watched The Company, Nashville, and Gosford Park.

I really wanted to embrace Altman as a great filmmaker because I have the habit of embracing filmmakers, but I really can't do that with the Big A. I couldn't really sit through The Company and Nashville and never truly watched them straight through. Gosford Park I could sit through because of the period setting and some sort of plot involved. But the rest, is like watching a staged documentary, but nothing really happens.  :?

bonanzataz

altman's films take rewatching to enjoy. i don't see how you can say nothing happens in nashville. SO much happens in nashville. i love that movie very very much.
The corpses all hang headless and limp bodies with no surprises and the blood drains down like devil's rain we'll bathe tonight I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls Demon I am and face I peel to see your skin turned inside out, 'cause gotta have you on my wall gotta have you on my wall, 'cause I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls collect the heads of little girls and put 'em on my wall hack the heads off little girls and put 'em on my wall I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls

ono

meatball, don't feel bad about not being able to sit through Nashville.  It's awful.  Same with Gosford Park.  I still haven't gotten to see The Company, so I can't comment there.  His best films from what I've seen are Short Cuts and The Player.  I've also heard great things about McCabe and Mrs. Miller and MASH, but I haven't seen them yet.  The thing about Altman is he is rather hit or miss, but when he hits, he's great.  I'm betting what Taz says about having to watch his films more than once is true, but I've tried three times with Nashville and still nothing.

bonanzataz

maybe i like nashville b/c i like that kind of music. i don't know. but i also do feel like by the end of the movie i really get to know these characters and i can empathize with them. there are parts that really move me and parts that make me chuckle to myself and parts that have me laughing out loud. i like it b/c it feels real, i guess. i don't really know why i like nashville so much. i can't believe that there are people who don't, but to each his own.
The corpses all hang headless and limp bodies with no surprises and the blood drains down like devil's rain we'll bathe tonight I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls Demon I am and face I peel to see your skin turned inside out, 'cause gotta have you on my wall gotta have you on my wall, 'cause I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls collect the heads of little girls and put 'em on my wall hack the heads off little girls and put 'em on my wall I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls

cine

Quote from: ono.meatball, don't feel bad about not being able to sit through Nashville.  It's awful.  
:shock:

These better be some good reasons...

ono

Time flies like an arrow (and fruit flies like an orange).  Can't believe it's been over a year since I posted these thoughts:

http://www.xixax.com/viewtopic.php?t=1015&highlight=nashville&start=15

It's just one of those things.  Everyone has an allegedly good film they just can't seem to tolerate.  This is one of mine.

soixante

Read Pauline Kael's review of Nashville.  I think she gets Altman more than any other critic.
Music is your best entertainment value.

ono

Yeah, I read it a couple years ago - have a copy one of her books, one of her compilations of reviews, For Keeps.  I was impressed with Kael's writing and insight, as I usually am.  Don't know if I can take another sit-through of the film, but maybe someday.  Someday, time permitting, I want to go through all the films she's reviewed.  She's reviewed a lot of stuff a lot of people here have never heard of.

Such a crazy feeling.  I haven't taken this book off the shelf in months.  I open it, and Seal - Waiting for You starts playing at random from my MP3 list (Modest Mouse's Trailer Trash was next - now there's an odd transition).  Deja vu - well, guess you had to be there.  Smell (the smell of the book) is the worst in inflicting that sort of thing, but hearing is a close second

cine