They must have counted Bergman's TV work, else I would think Fanny and Alexander would be an obvious inclusion (contender for #1, even).
― clemenza, Friday, 6 September 2013 12:53 (ten years ago) link
un flic was on tcm recently when they did a denueve day. the beginning bank robbery scene in the fog is p great, lil downhill from there but im not a big noir dude so ymmv
― johnny crunch, Friday, 6 September 2013 13:00 (ten years ago) link
Would welcome a follow up poll on the 50 best young people's gams.
― midnight outdoor nude frolic up north goes south (Eric H.), Friday, 6 September 2013 13:00 (ten years ago) link
Pretty impossible for me to decide between 1, 2, 8, 11 and 20, specifically. Big love for most of these tho.
― midnight outdoor nude frolic up north goes south (Eric H.), Friday, 6 September 2013 13:02 (ten years ago) link
Yeah, I think TV films count, otherwise they would've gone with a different Renoir, no?
― midnight outdoor nude frolic up north goes south (Eric H.), Friday, 6 September 2013 13:03 (ten years ago) link
My favourite film of all time is in this list, so a fairly easy vote
― ... Jenkinson ... ... ... ... ... ... Özil ... ... (imago), Friday, 6 September 2013 13:11 (ten years ago) link
that said, I've only seen 4 of these in total (3, 19, 21, 35) so I'm probably not cut out for this thread
― ... Jenkinson ... ... ... ... ... ... Özil ... ... (imago), Friday, 6 September 2013 13:16 (ten years ago) link
No idea why they wouldn't include L'Atalante on that list, early death/short career or no.
― cops on horse (WilliamC), Friday, 6 September 2013 13:22 (ten years ago) link
Huh, good list!
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 6 September 2013 13:52 (ten years ago) link
Yeah, including Tabu but not L'Atalante seems weird. Tabu is not a very good movie, btw, and Murnau is probably in my top five directors ever.
― Frederik B, Friday, 6 September 2013 13:57 (ten years ago) link
Always thought Hawks's last couple of westerns (Rio Lobo would be the one for the list) were generally well regarded, at least among auteurists. I've got Prairie Home Companion at home, maybe I'll finally watch that this weekend.
― clemenza, Friday, 6 September 2013 14:05 (ten years ago) link
i love a lot of these, aficionado of the "late style" that i am. it's between Eyes Wide Shut and L'Argent, I think.
― ryan, Friday, 6 September 2013 14:14 (ten years ago) link
Probably seen about half of these, only a few that can compete w/ Gertrud, L'Argent and That Obscure Object of Desire.
A few aren't v good at all (Querelle, Lilith).
― Miss Arlington twirls for the Coal Heavers (Dr Morbius), Friday, 6 September 2013 14:15 (ten years ago) link
But "Age of Consent" isn't Michael Powell's last film, is it?
― Tommy McTommy (Tom D.), Friday, 6 September 2013 14:19 (ten years ago) link
Are they not counting Big Trouble (1986, Love Streams was 1984) as Cassavetes final film? Not that I don't understand the temptation to erase it from history.
― the vineyards where the grapes of corporate rock are stored (cryptosicko), Friday, 6 September 2013 14:29 (ten years ago) link
Which is Lang's last also seems to be up for debate.
― Miss Arlington twirls for the Coal Heavers (Dr Morbius), Friday, 6 September 2013 14:40 (ten years ago) link
I adore Cluny Brown, and since L'Argent will get lots of votes, I'll swing for it.
Runners-up;
Imitation of LifeMooladéYi YiThe DeadRed
A Passage to India is good so long as Alec Guinness is offscreen.
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 6 September 2013 14:44 (ten years ago) link
The Dead better than Red.
― midnight outdoor nude frolic up north goes south (Eric H.), Friday, 6 September 2013 14:52 (ten years ago) link
Love Streams feels as much Cassavetes film as Control feels like Janet Jackson's debut. Alternate histories just make more sense in some cases.
feels as much LIKE Cassavetes' FINAL film, that is to say
― midnight outdoor nude frolic up north goes south (Eric H.), Friday, 6 September 2013 14:53 (ten years ago) link
If you want "feels like," what's missing is Me Too by Aleksei Balabanov.
― Miss Arlington twirls for the Coal Heavers (Dr Morbius), Friday, 6 September 2013 14:58 (ten years ago) link
Street of Shame is the best of Mizoguchi films (that I've seen), and in general among my top 20 movies of all time, so it's pretty easy to vote for that.
― Tuomas, Friday, 6 September 2013 15:03 (ten years ago) link
i don't think i've seen any of these.
― 乒乓, Friday, 6 September 2013 15:05 (ten years ago) link
― midnight outdoor nude frolic up north goes south (Eric H.),
better Dead than Red.
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 6 September 2013 15:07 (ten years ago) link
The Cinematheque did a similar list a while back (can't find link now) and included Night of the Hunter on their list, which cannot help but feel like cheating to me.
― the vineyards where the grapes of corporate rock are stored (cryptosicko), Friday, 6 September 2013 15:07 (ten years ago) link
well, as wd L'Atalante, really
― Miss Arlington twirls for the Coal Heavers (Dr Morbius), Friday, 6 September 2013 15:11 (ten years ago) link
(xpost) Yes, Night of the Hunter is absurd. (Don't remember that series...)
― clemenza, Friday, 6 September 2013 15:37 (ten years ago) link
probably Huston's "The Dead" which is pretty great. "Salo" is... something. most of these are pretty bad.
― what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 6 September 2013 15:41 (ten years ago) link
A Prairie Home Companion is a hell of a final film about last performances. Voted Blue before seeing it on the list.
Billy Wilder's Buddy Buddy left off the list out of respect for the deceased.
― bad bad disco (Eazy), Friday, 6 September 2013 15:42 (ten years ago) link
Of the eight I've seen, I'll vote for the Ozu, though Kieslowski comes close. I saw The Dead when it was released, but don't have much memory of it.
― cops on horse (WilliamC), Friday, 6 September 2013 15:47 (ten years ago) link
APHC is the warmest possible farewell film a director could make. I voted for it.
― the vineyards where the grapes of corporate rock are stored (cryptosicko), Friday, 6 September 2013 15:48 (ten years ago) link
the grand budapest hotel
― гір кривбас кривий ріг (Nilmar Honorato da Silva), Friday, 6 September 2013 15:51 (ten years ago) link
a great film in the grandest ophulsian manner, a profoundly elegiac swansong
― гір кривбас кривий ріг (Nilmar Honorato da Silva), Friday, 6 September 2013 15:52 (ten years ago) link
Back when it was one of the few Buñuels available on decent VHS transfer I watched That Obscure Object of Desire often without being crazy about it. The same goes for An Autumn Afternoon.
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 6 September 2013 15:56 (ten years ago) link
nilmar you're in a very naughty mood today
― ... Jenkinson ... ... ... ... ... ... Özil ... ... (imago), Friday, 6 September 2013 15:58 (ten years ago) link
TOOOD is perfection IMO but I've banged on about it at such length before it'd be wasteful to say much else
― ... Jenkinson ... ... ... ... ... ... Özil ... ... (imago), Friday, 6 September 2013 16:00 (ten years ago) link
most of these are pretty bad.
As always, I stand corrected.
― midnight outdoor nude frolic up north goes south (Eric H.), Friday, 6 September 2013 16:01 (ten years ago) link
where's Cracking Up?
― Miss Arlington twirls for the Coal Heavers (Dr Morbius), Friday, 6 September 2013 16:12 (ten years ago) link
I should probably have specified "of the ones I've seen" (which is by no means all).
idg the praise for APHC
― what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 6 September 2013 16:13 (ten years ago) link
This one is just too difficult. "L'Argent", "...Astrea & Celadon", "F For Fake" and even the batshit wonder that is "7 Women" would all take top spot for me. Oh, and "Le Trou", The Buñuel... Nope. Impossible.
― That elusive North American wood-ape (Capitaine Jay Vee), Friday, 6 September 2013 16:15 (ten years ago) link
Wait - is Fellini's last one in here? Don't see it. Has one of the few Benigni performances I can tolerate. Strange and wonderful film.
― That elusive North American wood-ape (Capitaine Jay Vee), Friday, 6 September 2013 16:16 (ten years ago) link
Raul Ruiz's last one "La Noche De Enfrente" is wonderful as well. Very nearly trumps "Mysteries Of Lisbon" for me.
― That elusive North American wood-ape (Capitaine Jay Vee), Friday, 6 September 2013 16:20 (ten years ago) link
(apologies for overuse of 'wonder/ful', btw)
― That elusive North American wood-ape (Capitaine Jay Vee), Friday, 6 September 2013 16:21 (ten years ago) link
This is impossible.
― I Am the Cosimo Code (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 6 September 2013 16:23 (ten years ago) link
star 80 or paprika
― i wanna be a gabbneb baby (Hungry4Ass), Friday, 6 September 2013 16:42 (ten years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Wednesday, 25 September 2013 00:01 (ten years ago) link
Voted F for Fake over Imitation of Life just because it was listed earlier
― not some dude poking a Line 6 pedal with his dick (sarahell), Wednesday, 25 September 2013 00:07 (ten years ago) link
"f for fake" really should not be on the list -- welles's last completed film was "making othello," from 1978.
have seen shamefully few of these, but "ivan the terrible II" and "the dead" are both really great.
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Wednesday, 25 September 2013 01:50 (ten years ago) link
Sleuth vs f for fake
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 25 September 2013 03:12 (ten years ago) link
Had it down to Gertrud and Eyes Wide Shut and ended up going for the one that I expected would get less votes.
― midnight outdoor nude frolic up north goes south (Eric H.), Wednesday, 25 September 2013 03:35 (ten years ago) link
what's wrong with it?
Nothing's particularly WRONG with it except Orson Welles made at least ten better films.
― Miss Arlington twirls for the Coal Heavers (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 26 September 2013 11:39 (ten years ago) link
All of which would've also placed highly in this poll had they been his final film (which as someone pointed out upthread, F4F isn't actually either, but whatev).
― midnight outdoor nude frolic up north goes south (Eric H.), Thursday, 26 September 2013 11:42 (ten years ago) link
but Gertrud MIGHT be Dreyer's best film.
― Miss Arlington twirls for the Coal Heavers (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 26 September 2013 11:56 (ten years ago) link
I voted for Gertrud, and it's not my favorite Dreyer, but it's just my favorite of these films, of which I haven't seen everyone. I'm not really a fan of final films, it seems. My second place was Cluny Brown, I think.
― Frederik B, Thursday, 26 September 2013 11:57 (ten years ago) link
Gertrud is fantastic. That would have been my vote. Saw it for the first time maybe two years ago and it never registered to me as super difficult. Talky, stagey, yes, but always engaging.
Count me in the "shrug" category for F for Fake.
― circa1916, Thursday, 26 September 2013 12:09 (ten years ago) link
ok who voted Querelle
― combination hair (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Thursday, 26 September 2013 12:16 (ten years ago) link
Each man votes the thing he loves.
― midnight outdoor nude frolic up north goes south (Eric H.), Thursday, 26 September 2013 12:18 (ten years ago) link
Sorry, but whenever I watch Gertrud all I can think about is the diseased liver transplant in The Kingdom.
― I Am the Cosimo Code (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 26 September 2013 12:22 (ten years ago) link
Baard Owe is awesome.
― Frederik B, Thursday, 26 September 2013 12:27 (ten years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3US46U6-fc
― midnight outdoor nude frolic up north goes south (Eric H.), Thursday, 26 September 2013 13:19 (ten years ago) link
Shoot, wanted that to embed.
are those windows intentionally kubrickian or is that just a bad transfer?
― ryan, Thursday, 26 September 2013 13:31 (ten years ago) link
It's intentional.
― midnight outdoor nude frolic up north goes south (Eric H.), Thursday, 26 September 2013 13:32 (ten years ago) link
Man, forgot how beautiful and ghostly the lighting could be in this. Need a rescreen soon.
― circa1916, Thursday, 26 September 2013 13:36 (ten years ago) link
Watched some "Making of" extra and he talked about how difficult it was to talk slow enough for Dreyer, iirc.
― I Am the Cosimo Code (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 26 September 2013 13:41 (ten years ago) link
yeah i'd like to watch it again in ideal viewing circumstances.
― ryan, Thursday, 26 September 2013 13:44 (ten years ago) link
i regret that my prime cinephile days were 2000-2002 before most of this stuff was on DVD.
― ryan, Thursday, 26 September 2013 13:45 (ten years ago) link
feeling that
― I Am the Cosimo Code (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 26 September 2013 13:51 (ten years ago) link
Well, to be honest the biggest difference is something else. The ability to read about this weird indonesian director, check up on him on the internets, and a couple hours later watch one of his films on my HDTV. That is insane.
― Frederik B, Thursday, 26 September 2013 14:05 (ten years ago) link
yeah i feel like i was on the tail end of the era of certain films being elusive or even apocryphal.
― ryan, Thursday, 26 September 2013 14:07 (ten years ago) link
think that out of all the films ever made, there's still a relatively small proportion of them available to view, and there are plenty of movies, some of them quite urgent and key, that have never had a home viewing issue of any kind. but obv there's more than enough to be getting on with right now
― Ward Fowler, Thursday, 26 September 2013 14:13 (ten years ago) link
are those windows intentionally kubrickian
My friend calls late Kubrick style "glare."
― Miss Arlington twirls for the Coal Heavers (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 26 September 2013 14:17 (ten years ago) link
haha. i love my blu ray but i yearn to see EWS on film again. thought it was one of the most beautiful movies ever when i first saw it.
― ryan, Thursday, 26 September 2013 14:21 (ten years ago) link
Baffled by that. I thought EWS was unbearably ugly, all those cold primary colors clashing with each other.
― Frederik B, Thursday, 26 September 2013 14:23 (ten years ago) link
I'm with ryan.
― midnight outdoor nude frolic up north goes south (Eric H.), Thursday, 26 September 2013 14:26 (ten years ago) link
i may be alone in that sentiment! (xp: or not!) i do like primary colors. (loved this about JLG late 60s films too). EWS is certainly "garish" in its color scheme but it just seems so information-dense to me. love how the colors seems to insist on some kind of symbolism that remains elusive. anyway, im a sucker for kubrick's hermetic late style.
― ryan, Thursday, 26 September 2013 14:26 (ten years ago) link
I like JLG-colors as well, but they are considerably lighter and warmer than in EWS. I think of the red billiard table under the green lamp, and it's just ugly to me.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llcoh95nzM1qisxvio1_1280.jpg?.jpg
Ugh
― Frederik B, Thursday, 26 September 2013 14:36 (ten years ago) link
that scene is so fucking great.
― ryan, Thursday, 26 September 2013 14:38 (ten years ago) link
Three Colors: Kubrick
― Miss Arlington twirls for the Coal Heavers (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 26 September 2013 14:40 (ten years ago) link
Kubrick didn't live long enough to see EWS released in cinemas and - in the UK at least - he was, unsurprisingly, pretty exacting about the way his movies were projected. I saw EWS the day it opened in UK cinemas and was massively disappointed by the quality of the print - the colours were very washed out, the image quite grainy. The DVD/Blu-ray corrects this to some extent, but I do think that if Kubrick had lived a little longer the film would've looked better on the big screen.
― Ward Fowler, Thursday, 26 September 2013 14:50 (ten years ago) link
the graininess and washed out colors are part of what make the intensity of the color scheme work, imo.
― ryan, Thursday, 26 September 2013 14:51 (ten years ago) link
i am one of the disgusting animals that voted for f for fake fyi
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Thursday, 26 September 2013 15:16 (ten years ago) link
meh, horrorfans I give a pass to, what can ya do
― Miss Arlington twirls for the Coal Heavers (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 26 September 2013 15:21 (ten years ago) link
Reductum ad Morbsurdum
― midnight outdoor nude frolic up north goes south (Eric H.), Thursday, 26 September 2013 15:25 (ten years ago) link
haha to both of you
― O_o-O_O-o_O (jjjusten), Thursday, 26 September 2013 15:29 (ten years ago) link
same principle when one finds one's copy edited by someone who writes a long thoughtful review of the new Cher album
― Miss Arlington twirls for the Coal Heavers (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 26 September 2013 15:35 (ten years ago) link
Was almost going to poll this before realizing I already had.
― Dirty Epic H. (Eric H.), Friday, 19 June 2020 14:28 (three years ago) link
it still bugs me that f for fake won despite not being welles's actual last film!
(even tho i like it)
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Friday, 19 June 2020 14:59 (three years ago) link
Love Streams also not technically Cassavetes' final film.
― Dirty Epic H. (Eric H.), Friday, 19 June 2020 15:22 (three years ago) link
How did Imitation of Life not run away with this?!
― i carry the torch for disco inauthenticity (Eric H.), Sunday, 6 June 2021 21:46 (two years ago) link
I was wondering that too.
― Dan Worsley, Sunday, 6 June 2021 22:15 (two years ago) link
I think that was because the top three vote-getters are all better films than it.
Tbf it’s been a while since I’ve seen Imitation of Life, so maybe it’s time for a rewatch.
― Josefa, Sunday, 6 June 2021 23:00 (two years ago) link
Of the eighteen I've seen, I'd have voted for The Sacrifice. My notes indicate that I saw The Ascent in the theatre, and I have absolutely no memory of it. Weakest is probably Lola Montes, a big fancy cake that spins and spins in front of the camera.I have a pet theory that if Tarkovsky had lived to make another film, it might well have been terrible. He was keeping such a careful balance of mysticism and absurdity, and I can't imagine him pushing forward from this film without that equilibrium collapsing. But who knows whether it would have been made back in the USSR or in the West, and how that might have affected the production and the reception of it.Most notable final film that's not on the list is The Turin Horse, which I regard less as a movie than a preview of dying.
― Halfway there but for you, Monday, 7 June 2021 03:47 (two years ago) link
That Tarr is still alive just underlines that.
― Halfway there but for you, Monday, 7 June 2021 03:51 (two years ago) link