Poll
Question: THE MOST INFLUENTIAL CRITIC FROM THE SIXTIES HEYDAY IS:
Okay, so we all know their names... but which of these unashamedly cinephilic critics is the most insightful? The most astute? The most "I never heard of that, but now that I've read this person's rave, godDAMN, do I need to see it!" Which has had the most effect on you as a cinephile?
If I missed any, please post. I tried to include the most universally acknowledged- though always contested- candidates.
Pauline helped launch a lot of my fav writer/directors careers, and Sarris is the most fun and succinct read... but I disagree with these two a lot. They seem to go on more of their own agenda, and miss the point of a lot of flicks.
So the Cahiers crowd gets my vote. I especially love one of their main goals, which was to only review films you like/care about. Then the articles are so much better that way.
BTW - I will mention Paul Schrader as being a personal favorite. His pan of Easy Rider took balls, his essay on film noir was great, and his book Transcendent Film Style... made my head spin. Man, this guy is for sure my favorite writer.
Quote from: SoNowThen
BTW - I will mention Paul Schrader as being a personal favorite. His pan of Easy Rider took balls, his essay on film noir was great, and his book Transcendent Film Style... made my head spin. Man, this guy is for sure my favorite writer.
Well, crap, I would've included him if I'd thought of it. He is obviously a brilliant writer, though I've never read any of his reviews/essays. I'll have to pick up the book you mentioned.
Maybe if McGuffin comes across this, he'll add Schrader and change your vote to that.
Sarris was the Forest and the Trees critic...correct?
My vote goes to the Cahiers because of their emphasis on the auteur and style.
Went for Cahiers Crowd, as have most of us.
You know, for a guy who graduated with a degree in film studies, I've read awfully little from all three of them.
But I graduated in '98. Maybe I'm just forgetting how much I actually did read from '95-'98.
Quote from: SHAFTRSarris was the Forest and the Trees critic...correct?
Exactly.
They were all such wonderful, enthusiastic writers. But I voted for the Cahiers people for the same reason you did.
Quote from: godardianQuote from: SoNowThen
BTW - I will mention Paul Schrader as being a personal favorite. His pan of Easy Rider took balls, his essay on film noir was great, and his book Transcendent Film Style... made my head spin. Man, this guy is for sure my favorite writer.
Well, crap, I would've included him if I'd thought of it. He is obviously a brilliant writer, though I've never read any of his reviews/essays. I'll have to pick up the book you mentioned.
Maybe if McGuffin comes across this, he'll add Schrader and change your vote to that.
Get "Schrader On Schrader" too. It's got all the important reviews & essays he did as well. But you can leave my vote on Cahiers, they did way more for cinema.
Pauline Kael is a blackharted harpy of the night.
Quote from: ShanghaiOrangePauline Kael is a blackharted harpy of the night.
...Warren Beatty? Is that you?!?!
So you voted for the Cahiers people, then...
cahiers crowd, the fact that they actually made amazing films makes me curious about their opinion on other films.
Bogdonavich's essays are very well written.
Elvis Mitchell, the dude from the New York Times who hosts those director series' on IFC is not bad either, even though he is a bad interviewer, and looks like a member of Living Colour.
//www.thestate22.com
Quote from: MeatwadBogdonavich's essays are very well written.
Elvis Mitchell, the dude from the New York Times who hosts those director series' on IFC is not bad either, even though he is a bad interviewer, and looks like a member of Living Colour.
//www.thestate22.com
My favorite line from
Hollywood Ending was, "No,
I'm doing the commercial- they got Peter Bogdonavich to do the cable movie!" Still, I'd be interested in reading his essays.
I sort of like Elvis Mitchell, too. I know Kael liked him more than I do.
But.... were either of these people publishing film criticism in the sixties? I had to circumscribe this item somehow, so I limited the poll selections to that.
shouldnt a website exist that collects kaels work
i never really found one
Quote from: Hot Puerto Rican Loveshouldnt a website exist that collects kaels work
i never really found one
There should be, but a) the publisher makes more money from selling the books, and b) Kael has, in some ways, fallen out of favor. A lot of her books aren't even in print, I don't think.
My local critic- smug, lame-ass Brian Miller at
The Seattle Weekly- is so anti-Kael, you get the feeling it's something personal. He never passes up a chance to gloat about how her critical legacy is "discredited" or "dead," two statements I think he'd actually have a hard time backing up. But there is definitely a strong anti-Kael sentiment out there amongst some.
Like I've said before, I really strongly disagree with some of her opinions, but oh, how I enjoy reading them.
Quote from: godardianQuote from: Hot Puerto Rican Loveshouldnt a website exist that collects kaels work
i never really found one
There should be, but a) the publisher makes more money from selling the books, and b) Kael has, in some ways, fallen out of favor. A lot of her books aren't even in print, I don't think.
My local critic- smug, lame-ass Brian Miller at The Seattle Weekly- is so anti-Kael, you get the feeling it's something personal. He never passes up a chance to gloat about how her critical legacy is "discredited" or "dead," two statements I think he'd actually have a hard time backing up. But there is definitely a strong anti-Kael sentiment out there amongst some.
Like I've said before, I really strongly disagree with some of her opinions, but oh, how I enjoy reading them.
i would expect a fan to create the site and not the publisher.
i have the books. But i dunno you would think a proper website would be in order
i dunno, their is just so much cool stuff out there that is hard to get a hold of, like for example i heard that Truffaut was a fan of saturday night fever and he wrote something about it , i would love to read his review on it .
Did you know Godard used to review old films based on how good they made the leading lady look? Ha! Perfect. You guys gotta get that collected book on Godard criticism before and writings during his early filmmaking career. I can't remember the title, though. Could be Godard On Godard, but I'm not sure.
Quote from: SoNowThenDid you know Godard used to review old films based on how good they made the leading lady look? Ha! Perfect. You guys gotta get that collected book on Godard criticism before and writings during his early filmmaking career. I can't remember the title, though. Could be Godard On Godard, but I'm not sure.
all great directers have a thing for certain actresses and they love to film them looking poetic
look at soderbergh and that scene with juila roberts coming down the stairs in ocean 11
or tarantino shooting pam grier coming out of jail
Quote from: Hot Puerto Rican LoveQuote from: SoNowThenDid you know Godard used to review old films based on how good they made the leading lady look? Ha! Perfect. You guys gotta get that collected book on Godard criticism before and writings during his early filmmaking career. I can't remember the title, though. Could be Godard On Godard, but I'm not sure.
all great directers have a thing for certain actresses and they love to film them looking poetic
Or actors, i.e. the way Jean Cocteau shot Jean Marais in
Orpheus, or the way Todd Haynes shot James Lyons in
Poison. Or van Sant with Dillon. And Phoenix. And Reeves.
In the interest of equal time.
Or Hitchcock and the blonde star that happened to be in that respective film he was shooting.
Quote from: MacGuffinOr Hitchcock and the blonde star that happened to be in that respective film he was shooting.
Yeah... the camera has rarely been so rivetingly sadistic. In this respect- the camera seeming to dominate and ravish its subjects- Kubrick took the reins from Hitchock, seems to me.
Brian de Palma is to Nancy Allen as Godard was to Karina, no? Including the intense collaboration AND the divorce and subsequent near-disappearance of said actress.
Quote from: MacGuffinOr Hitchcock and the blonde star that happened to be in that respective film he was shooting.
what was his personal life like'
because he looks so stuffy , but his films show real passion
Quote from: Hot Puerto Rican Lovewhat was his personal life like'
because he looks so stuffy , but his films show real passion
He was completely commited to his wife, Alma. In fact, if she liked a script, he didn't even need to read it. He trusted her that much. He was a big lover of food (obviously) and he loved to travel. He might have looked stuffy, but he did have a sick/dry sense of (black) humor.
But it wasn't hidden that he had a thing for his actresses, namely blondes. Stories go that when he found out about Vera Miles was pregnant and couldn't be cast in "Vertigo," he 'disowned' her. Same with Grace Kelly when she wed Price Rainier. He tried to use he for "Marnie," but wouldn't/couldn't.
Quote from: MacGuffinQuote from: Hot Puerto Rican Lovewhat was his personal life like'
because he looks so stuffy , but his films show real passion
He was completely commited to his wife, Alma. In fact, if she liked a script, he didn't even need to read it. He trusted her that much. He was a big lover of food (obviously) and he loved to travel. He might have looked stuffy, but he did have a sick/dry sense of (black) humor.
But it wasn't hidden that he had a thing for his actresses, namely blondes. Stories go that when he found out about Vera Miles was pregnant and couldn't be cast in "Vertigo," he 'disowned' her. Same with Grace Kelly when she wed Price Rainier. He tried to use he for "Marnie," but wouldn't/couldn't.
i do not know much about his personal life but i do want to learn, whats the best documentry on him
Quote from: Hot Puerto Rican Lovei do not know much about his personal life but i do want to learn, whats the best documentry on him
This a good one:
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0202907
Unfortunatly, it's not on video. I've only seen it played on cable, but you want to hear about those stories read this:
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vintagelibrary.com%2Fpulp%2Fbios%2Fart%2Fhitch01.jpg&hash=bc00e7438c573d103b907b016c9f71d71ac97c20)
thanks i will look out for it