Once baseball is over I want to get to Casualties of War, Body Double and maybe Obsession.
― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 14:10 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Monday, 9 October 2006 21:21 (seventeen years ago) link
― latebloomer: just raw dead fucking, babies! (latebloomer), Tuesday, 10 October 2006 02:05 (seventeen years ago) link
wish this thread would've continued...
― circa1916, Thursday, 24 March 2011 07:24 (thirteen years ago) link
Watched Dressed to Kill last night -- there's an awful lot to like about it, but that Pino Donaggio score is nails-on-blackboard horrible, imo.
― 330,003 Luftballons (WilliamC), Tuesday, 4 February 2014 15:09 (ten years ago) link
That's cool.
― Alfre, Lord Woodard (Eric H.), Tuesday, 4 February 2014 15:10 (ten years ago) link
can't believe I waited so long to watch Body Double
what an enjoyably ridiculous film
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 1 October 2014 15:50 (nine years ago) link
1. Scarface2. Carrie3. Phantom of the Paradise
the rest are terrible
^^^posts I regret
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 1 October 2014 15:51 (nine years ago) link
"Enjoyably ridiculous"--good description. Kael ripped it apart, but I think it's well worth watching. The villain's make-up job when in disguise is of course atrocious.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 1 October 2014 16:04 (nine years ago) link
no one ever told me about the Frankie Goes to Hollywood bit, or the driller-killer bite, or the lolz closing credits sequence
DePalma's range is limited but there is something audaciously brazen in it that is compelling
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 1 October 2014 16:09 (nine years ago) link
Melanie Griffith's really good, and I kind of like Craig Wasson, even though it's possibly a terrible performance...I find it hard to separate the character's annoying helplessness from the quality of the performance.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 1 October 2014 17:03 (nine years ago) link
Someone persuade me I should see Raising Cain in 35mm tonight. I do like Lithgow, it's apparently lacking in any attempt at depth whatsoever, and runs only 91 minutes.
― helpless before THRILLARY (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 15:07 (seven years ago) link
Lithgow is good and Steven Bauer is hot but it's even more preposterous than usual.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 15:14 (seven years ago) link
well my fave film of his might be Femme Fatale so that wdn't figure to bother me.
― helpless before THRILLARY (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 15:18 (seven years ago) link
I couldnt make it through Raising Cain fwiw. "Preposterous" is an apt description.
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 28 June 2016 15:31 (seven years ago) link
Femme Fatale has way less dialogue and "acting."
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 16:45 (seven years ago) link
wasn't sure if Femme Fatale was worth seeing, I will check it out. post mid-80s De Palma seems really hit or miss.
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 28 June 2016 16:46 (seven years ago) link
Anyone seen the De Palma documentary? I was harassing s1ocki about it on twitter, since I think it opened at the TIFF Lightbox right after I left Toronto
― μpright mammal (mh), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 18:01 (seven years ago) link
I'm planning on seeing it eventually
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 28 June 2016 18:07 (seven years ago) link
"wasn't sure if Femme Fatale was worth seeing, I will check it out. post mid-80s De Palma seems really hit or miss."
I like it. Snake Eyes is also good (starts really strong, kinda flames out halfway through).
― One bad call from barely losing to (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 18:10 (seven years ago) link
My memory is more forgiving of these films than my post of 2005 would suggest hah.
― One bad call from barely losing to (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 18:11 (seven years ago) link
I think I started watching Snake Eyes and turned it off after the long opening shot ended lol
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 28 June 2016 18:13 (seven years ago) link
wasn't sure if Femme Fatale was worth seeing
it's incredible, though you do have to put up with some brain-gouging "sexy" biz. morbs otm.
― oculus lump (contenderizer), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 18:15 (seven years ago) link
Saw somewhere that BdP disses The Fury in the doc, which is the best thing i've read about a minor artist since the Soul Coughing guy said those records were crap.
― helpless before THRILLARY (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 18:19 (seven years ago) link
I like Fury too.
― One bad call from barely losing to (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 18:21 (seven years ago) link
blow out is his best but people should rank sister way highter
― kurt schwitterz, Tuesday, 28 June 2016 18:23 (seven years ago) link
+s
sisters is great. have yet to be able to watch the Fury unfortunately.
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 28 June 2016 18:42 (seven years ago) link
Saw Sisters once, meh, some good stuff but probably his first and most blatant Hitchcock rip. But has this great scoring story related by BdP... Bernard Herrmann complained,
"Nothing happens in this movie for forty minutes!" And I said, "Yes, that's the idea. There is a slow beginning—you know, like Psycho, where the murder doesn't happen until about 40 minutes into the picture." And he shouted at me, "YOU are not Hitchcock; for Hitchcock they will WAIT!"
― helpless before THRILLARY (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 18:59 (seven years ago) link
I'm not a fan of Sisters either. He's way too uneven for me, but I respond to the good stuff.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 19:38 (seven years ago) link
iirc De Palma doesn't so really diss The Fury in the doc, but he does kind of whisk by it to get to his other films. It's possible I'm forgetting something specific he said, but I believe his attitude was basically that, after the huge success of Carrie, that was the next project that was available to him, so he did it. De Palma does say that Cassavetes didn't like being in the movie, and thought the exploding scene was ridiculous.
― intheblanks, Tuesday, 28 June 2016 19:49 (seven years ago) link
The documentary is definitely worth seeing, De Palma tells pretty great stories and has a pretty even-handed, dispassionate view of his own work, though he tends to overrate his major commercial successes (The Untouchables and Mission: Impossible) His wry sense of humor comes through, and the doc moves briskly through all of his films without seeming too rushed.
― intheblanks, Tuesday, 28 June 2016 19:54 (seven years ago) link
he comes of as a sweet uncle type who happens to love film and can discuss it – and a s someone too old to adjust to Marvel.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 19:59 (seven years ago) link
I should re-watch Body Double.
― One bad call from barely losing to (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 20:04 (seven years ago) link
I held off watching that for a long time for some stupid reason, then when I saw it last year I was chuckling all the way through it, really entertaining.
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 28 June 2016 20:05 (seven years ago) link
I didn't like it all, largely because Craig Wasson was unbearable to watch.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 20:13 (seven years ago) link
the newest rep house in Manhattan has been doing a retro w/ lots of 35prints, and i was semi-sorry to miss Greetings and maybe Casualties of War.
― helpless before THRILLARY (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 20:30 (seven years ago) link
Wasson doesn't bring much to Body Double, no argument there. best described as "functional"
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 28 June 2016 20:35 (seven years ago) link
Looking at the Wiki on Body Double, I'd forgotten this -
Body Double is referenced repeatedly throughout the Bret Easton Ellis novel American Psycho as the favorite film of the protagonist serial killer Patrick Bateman.[citation needed] He mentions that he has seen the film 37 times and rents the tape of it from a video store several times in the story. He also repeats scenes from the film to the reader or to other characters.
It's been a long time since I've seen it - remember a longish, near-silent sequence with some 360 degree pans that is DePalma at his best. Do remember that it was v badly received in the UK for its misogyny/violence against women, and it only limped out on home video three years later. According to the Melon Farmers site:
Holly (Melanie Griffith)'s line of dialogue regarding what she won't do in porn films is cut: I will not shave my pussy. No fist-fucking. Absolutely no coming in my face
Agree that Sisters ain't all that great. Wise Guys, otoh
― Foster Twelvetrees (Ward Fowler), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 20:36 (seven years ago) link
I'm a big fan of his technical skill, but I think the Hitchcock stuff all gets a bit much. Not unlike Argento, he clearly knows what he's doing with a camera but often seems to have no idea, or doesn't care, what to do with his actors or about the script. But I love when his films come together, whether as sheer Hollywood entertainment (Untouchables, Mission Impossible, Carrie) or as meta exercise (Femme Fatale). Not sure I like any of his films quite as much as I like "The Devil's Candy," which really gets to the heart of a guy working his ass off to make a total mess.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 28 June 2016 20:50 (seven years ago) link
Raising Cain is super silly and Lithgow is fantastic. Saw the screening a week ago, was not disappointing. Expect a total mess, though, and just go for the ride.
― Nhex, Tuesday, 28 June 2016 21:09 (seven years ago) link
Also regarding Craig Wasson there's something about his dopey aloofness that works for that movie, especially when things get even more absurd in the final act. I love that he basically only did Body Double and A Nightmare on Elm Street 3!
― Nhex, Tuesday, 28 June 2016 21:11 (seven years ago) link
and that big Arthur Penn flop, that was written by the Breaking Away guy
― helpless before THRILLARY (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 21:13 (seven years ago) link
(well not 'big', it was a low-budget prestige film)
― helpless before THRILLARY (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 21:14 (seven years ago) link
and almost every TV series from 1975-'97
― helpless before THRILLARY (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 21:17 (seven years ago) link
sisters fucking rules, you maniacs.. but i say this as someone who rates phantom of the paradise in his top 3. if you like phantom you'll like sisters.
― kurt schwitterz, Tuesday, 28 June 2016 21:58 (seven years ago) link
I like Phantom a lot although man do I wish the music was better. A rare Paul Williams 70s sdtk failure imo
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 28 June 2016 21:58 (seven years ago) link
A rare Paul Williams 70s sdtk failure imo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE2m355-JRo
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 28 June 2016 22:20 (seven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE2m355-JRo
Raising Cain not bad in toto, tho BdP's refusal to do a 'Patty Duke' shot with the Lithgows was too obvious. and the Davidovitch-Bauer scenes were mostly painful. (otoh, how often does Frances Sternhagen get a headbutt?)
didnt know the Psycho riffs went that late
― helpless before THRILLARY (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 29 June 2016 04:39 (seven years ago) link