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100 Greatest American Films

Started by Syt, July 21, 2015, 04:51:08 AM

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Savonarola

#60
July 24, 2015, 12:40:52 PM
I've seen 60 from the list.  I gave up on watching an additional one, "Greed" because the print I had was so terrible.  I see that now there is a better print available now on Youtube.
In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace—and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock

Valmy

#61
July 24, 2015, 12:41:47 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on July 23, 2015, 05:17:18 PM
46, 47 if I count Citizen Kane which I gave up on.

:o

Man I just do not get why people don't love Citizen Kane. I mean I generally dislike old movies but that one is brilliant.
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

Caliga

#62
July 24, 2015, 12:48:34 PM
Quote from: Drakken on July 23, 2015, 08:57:08 PM
I stopped at Heaven's Gate. Right there I knew this list was going to suck.
I've never seen it but someone I know did and said it was shockingly good.
0 Ed Anger Disapproval Points

Caliga

#63
July 24, 2015, 12:49:34 PM
btw I think they left Patton off of this list by mistake. :hmm:

BRAD HOW THE HELL ARE YA
0 Ed Anger Disapproval Points

Savonarola

#64
July 24, 2015, 01:00:30 PM
Quote from: Caliga on July 24, 2015, 12:48:34 PM
Quote from: Drakken on July 23, 2015, 08:57:08 PM
I stopped at Heaven's Gate. Right there I knew this list was going to suck.
I've never seen it but someone I know did and said it was shockingly good.

The complete version is really slow; it takes 90 minutes to establish that the three protagonists know each other.  Many of the scenes are impressive, but there is nowhere near enough story to justify the run time.
In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace—and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock

Savonarola

#65
July 24, 2015, 01:19:04 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on July 21, 2015, 06:50:39 AM
What do they mean by best?

Birth of a Nation, due to it's groundbreaking nature may be one of the most influential films of all time, but how could anyone call it the 39th best American film of all time!?  :huh:

It features not one, but two thrilling just-in-time rescues.  Elsie must decide between her love of Ben or her loyalty to her father.  There's glory and tragedy on the battlefield, the tyranny of Reconstruction, virtuous heroines, lusty villains and Abraham Lincoln.  This film has it all.

;)

In my opinion, Griffith's great gift was knowing when to start building towards the climax, how long to hold the tension, when to break it and (most importantly) when to end the film.  I don't think anyone has ever done that better.  Personally I think "Broken Blossoms" is the better movie (and maybe "Orphans on the Storm" and "Intolerance" as well) but "The Birth of a Nation" is far and away his best known work.

In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace—and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock

celedhring

#66
July 24, 2015, 01:30:21 PM
Quote from: Savonarola on July 24, 2015, 01:00:30 PM
Quote from: Caliga on July 24, 2015, 12:48:34 PM
Quote from: Drakken on July 23, 2015, 08:57:08 PM
I stopped at Heaven's Gate. Right there I knew this list was going to suck.
I've never seen it but someone I know did and said it was shockingly good.

The complete version is really slow; it takes 90 minutes to establish that the three protagonists know each other.  Many of the scenes are impressive, but there is nowhere near enough story to justify the run time.

You're right about that. There's scenes that don't really begin until you've seen a bunch of extras riding around or doing settler stuff or drinking for like minutes. But for some reason I love that. It's such a painstakingly vivid reconstruction of that time and place...

Syt

#67
July 24, 2015, 01:35:15 PM
I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops.
—Stephen Jay Gould

Proud owner of 42 Zoupa Points.

Malthus

#68
July 24, 2015, 01:37:33 PM
Quote from: Syt on July 24, 2015, 01:35:15 PM
For those who like it a bit more concise, Brad Jones aka Cinema Snob has a three part review (running ca. an hour):

http://channelawesome.com/the-cinema-snob-heavens-gate-part-1/
http://channelawesome.com/the-cinema-snob-heavens-gate-part-2/
http://channelawesome.com/the-cinema-snob-heavens-gate-part-3/

My god, a movie review that is almost as long as some movies.  :lol:

How can there possibly be so much to say? Not gonna watch to find out.
The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane—Marcus Aurelius

celedhring

#69
July 24, 2015, 01:40:00 PM
Incidentally, one of the producers of the movie was one of my teachers at Columbia. He still was traumatized.

His book about the production of the film is pretty damn great, by the way, if you enjoy trainwreck tales.

http://www.amazon.com/Final-Cut-Making-Heavens-Artists/dp/1557043744

Valmy

#70
July 24, 2015, 01:40:09 PM
Quote from: Malthus on July 24, 2015, 01:37:33 PM
My god, a movie review that is almost as long as some movies.  :lol:

Not really that unusual on the internet. Some people really love movies and want to dig deep.
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

Ideologue

#71
July 24, 2015, 01:45:20 PM
Quote from: Valmy on July 24, 2015, 01:40:09 PM
Quote from: Malthus on July 24, 2015, 01:37:33 PM
My god, a movie review that is almost as long as some movies.  :lol:

Not really that unusual on the internet. Some people really love movies and want to dig deep.

But I exceed 2000 words and I'm history's greatest monster.
Kinemalogue
Current reviews: The 'Burbs (9/10); Gremlins 2: The New Batch (9/10); John Wick: Chapter 2 (9/10); A Cure For Wellness (4/10)

Valmy

#72
July 24, 2015, 01:46:49 PM
Not to me I really enjoy your reviews.
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

Ideologue

#73
July 24, 2015, 01:51:19 PM
:hug:

I do like Brad Jones, but a big issue with a lot of his fellow video reviewers is how quickly their reviews become comedy sketch shows, inflating the runtime and rarely being good at both since they're radically different skill sets.  And being a bad comedian is much more grating than being a bad critic, too.
Kinemalogue
Current reviews: The 'Burbs (9/10); Gremlins 2: The New Batch (9/10); John Wick: Chapter 2 (9/10); A Cure For Wellness (4/10)

Syt

#74
July 24, 2015, 01:56:14 PM
Quote from: Malthus on July 24, 2015, 01:37:33 PM
Quote from: Syt on July 24, 2015, 01:35:15 PM
For those who like it a bit more concise, Brad Jones aka Cinema Snob has a three part review (running ca. an hour):

http://channelawesome.com/the-cinema-snob-heavens-gate-part-1/
http://channelawesome.com/the-cinema-snob-heavens-gate-part-2/
http://channelawesome.com/the-cinema-snob-heavens-gate-part-3/

My god, a movie review that is almost as long as some movies.  :lol:

How can there possibly be so much to say? Not gonna watch to find out.

It involves shenanigans and cameos (it's his 300th review). I think you watched Moment by Moment based on his review. :P
I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops.
—Stephen Jay Gould

Proud owner of 42 Zoupa Points.
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