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Here's how it works: we have until the listed date to watch the film, and discussion will continue as long as it needs to! Posts will be made to assist members in locating particular films, and members should feel free to post links to reviews, discussions, and other related stuff.
2/1/2012 - Citizen Kane [Intro | Discussion]
2/15/2012 - The Godfather [Intro | Discussion]
3/1/2012 - Casablanca [Intro | Discussion]
3/15/2012 - Raging Bull [Discussion]
4/1/2012 - Singin' in the Rain
4/15/2012 - Gone with the Wind
5/1/2012 - Lawrence of Arabia
5/15/2012 - Schindler's List
6/1/2012 - Vertigo
6/15/2012 - The Wizard of Oz
[discussion post] Raging Bull (1980)
Mar. 16th, 2012 01:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
my_darogaNote: If you have no access to this movie, please let me know.
Raging Bull is number 4 on this list, and the first Scorsese film we've watched (Taxi Driver is coming up as number 52). It was made after much prodding by Robert De Niro, who had read boxer Jake LaMotta's autobiography and had been pushing Scorsese for years. Initially deemed too violent, it has since garnered critical respect.
The film is unusual in its black and white cinematography and the way the matches are shot with different visual styles, all of which position the spectator within the ring. Here are a few questions to get discussion going:
-Scorsese shot this film in black and white partly because at the time the story takes place, boxing gloves came in limited colors and presumably this allowed them better accuracy. It also set the film apart from others at the time and even then, Scorsese was worried about film preservation and the fading of color film stock. What quality does the black and white give this movie? Do you think it was a good artistic choice?
-There have been many, many films about boxing made in the United States. What do you think accounts for the continued popularity of this sub-genre of film, from Rocky to The Fighter? How does Raging Bull fit into this cultural context?
-Did you notice the sound design in the film? Especially in the ring, the sound editing was very carefully done, from the punches to the flashbulbs to incorporating unnatural sounds in the mix. Is it effective?
-Is the fight footage in general effective? Did you have any favorites? Was it more or less violent than you're used to? Do you think it's a realistic or more stylized portrayal of boxing?
-What, in the end, is this film about? What is the character of Jake LaMotta trying to tell us? Why do you think De Niro wanted this film made?
-Do you see the movie as a straightforward biography/sports picture, or do you see it as a metaphor for something else?
-Did you enjoy it? What aspects did you like or dislike?
Raging Bull is number 4 on this list, and the first Scorsese film we've watched (Taxi Driver is coming up as number 52). It was made after much prodding by Robert De Niro, who had read boxer Jake LaMotta's autobiography and had been pushing Scorsese for years. Initially deemed too violent, it has since garnered critical respect.
The film is unusual in its black and white cinematography and the way the matches are shot with different visual styles, all of which position the spectator within the ring. Here are a few questions to get discussion going:
-Scorsese shot this film in black and white partly because at the time the story takes place, boxing gloves came in limited colors and presumably this allowed them better accuracy. It also set the film apart from others at the time and even then, Scorsese was worried about film preservation and the fading of color film stock. What quality does the black and white give this movie? Do you think it was a good artistic choice?
-There have been many, many films about boxing made in the United States. What do you think accounts for the continued popularity of this sub-genre of film, from Rocky to The Fighter? How does Raging Bull fit into this cultural context?
-Did you notice the sound design in the film? Especially in the ring, the sound editing was very carefully done, from the punches to the flashbulbs to incorporating unnatural sounds in the mix. Is it effective?
-Is the fight footage in general effective? Did you have any favorites? Was it more or less violent than you're used to? Do you think it's a realistic or more stylized portrayal of boxing?
-What, in the end, is this film about? What is the character of Jake LaMotta trying to tell us? Why do you think De Niro wanted this film made?
-Do you see the movie as a straightforward biography/sports picture, or do you see it as a metaphor for something else?
-Did you enjoy it? What aspects did you like or dislike?
[discussion post] Casablanca (1942)
Mar. 2nd, 2012 02:59 pmmy_darogaCasablanca, like many of the films on this list, is so iconic that its reputation frequently precedes it. But while it did well enough in its initial run, its importance has almost certainly transcended all expectations. As a mix of romance and propaganda, going through many rewrites, it was intended as a solid studio A-list movie but the prestige it has attained could not have been predicted.
So what did you think of it? Was this your first time watching Casablanca? Did it live up to expectations, or does it seem over-hyped? Or have you grown up with this film, and if so, has your perception of it changed over time?
There's a strong message through the film of loyalty: to one's country, one's friends, one's ideals. How is this conveyed? Is it convincing, or heavy-handed?
Most of the major characters, aside from Laszlo, come to their final convictions by degrees. Does this work for you? Is Rick's, or Louis', transition believable? Why is it so much more effective to have a character deny their better nature at first than to be convinced of their goodness from the beginning?
Does a movie like this even need to be believable, or are we in line for a fantasy that uses real-world events as a romantic backdrop?
If you've seen other movies from the time period along a similar theme, how does Casablanca fare? Do its narrative and political elements find a balance? What sets it apart from others?
Why do you think this movie's attained the popularity it has? There are countless romantic films. What has made this one endure, and is it something other than self-perpetuating at this point? Does this movie still have something to offer modern audiences?
Do you have favorite characters, scenes, lines?
So what did you think of it? Was this your first time watching Casablanca? Did it live up to expectations, or does it seem over-hyped? Or have you grown up with this film, and if so, has your perception of it changed over time?
There's a strong message through the film of loyalty: to one's country, one's friends, one's ideals. How is this conveyed? Is it convincing, or heavy-handed?
Most of the major characters, aside from Laszlo, come to their final convictions by degrees. Does this work for you? Is Rick's, or Louis', transition believable? Why is it so much more effective to have a character deny their better nature at first than to be convinced of their goodness from the beginning?
Does a movie like this even need to be believable, or are we in line for a fantasy that uses real-world events as a romantic backdrop?
If you've seen other movies from the time period along a similar theme, how does Casablanca fare? Do its narrative and political elements find a balance? What sets it apart from others?
Why do you think this movie's attained the popularity it has? There are countless romantic films. What has made this one endure, and is it something other than self-perpetuating at this point? Does this movie still have something to offer modern audiences?
Do you have favorite characters, scenes, lines?
[pre-discussion post] Casablanca (1942)
Feb. 22nd, 2012 06:41 ammy_darogaWhen the AFI 100 Films list was first compiled in 1998, Casablanca was at number two. It's almost a cliche as America's favorite romantic movie, but for whatever reason it lives on as a popular classic. (The Brattle Theater in Cambridge, MA, where I used to go during college, has a tradition of showing it every year and there's even a (possibly urban) legend about the dialogue cutting out during a screening and people standing up in the audience to speak the lines.)
If you haven't seen it, now's your chance! Much is made of the central romantic plot but I would also invite you to enjoy the rich life surrounding Rick's Café Américain--the side characters are all delightful.
Please post here or contact me if you need to find the movie. Most libraries should have it. I once worked at a Blockbuster that didn't, but we don't talk about such things.
If you haven't seen it, now's your chance! Much is made of the central romantic plot but I would also invite you to enjoy the rich life surrounding Rick's Café Américain--the side characters are all delightful.
Please post here or contact me if you need to find the movie. Most libraries should have it. I once worked at a Blockbuster that didn't, but we don't talk about such things.
[discussion post] The Godfather (1972)
Feb. 15th, 2012 07:08 pmmy_darogaWelcome back! This post's film is Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 classic, The Godfather. Feel free to comment with your observations, no matter how "shallow" or random or esoteric! Answer these questions, twist them to your purposes, or come up with your own! Or spam us with gifs and parodies, whatever your fancy.
The Godfather was Coppla's first big movie. The late 60s and early 70s were a time of experimentation, when major studios seemed to be taking a chance on younger filmmakers like Lucas, Spielberg, De Palma, and Scorcese, and Coppola was part of that group. Now, of course, their films represent the establishment that Hollywood is either building off of or rebelling against, but back then, none of them had yet to make a name for themselves. Coppola was not the first choice of Paramount execs to direct the movie, which likely would have turned out very differently had someone else been at the helm.
Here are a few thoughts to get you going...
( to the mattresses )
The Godfather was Coppla's first big movie. The late 60s and early 70s were a time of experimentation, when major studios seemed to be taking a chance on younger filmmakers like Lucas, Spielberg, De Palma, and Scorcese, and Coppola was part of that group. Now, of course, their films represent the establishment that Hollywood is either building off of or rebelling against, but back then, none of them had yet to make a name for themselves. Coppola was not the first choice of Paramount execs to direct the movie, which likely would have turned out very differently had someone else been at the helm.
Here are a few thoughts to get you going...
( to the mattresses )
my_darogaReminder! The Godfather is our next film, and discussion will commence on Wednesday, the 15th. Feel free to join anytime after that, and the previous films are always open for discussion. You're never too late.
The Godfather is probably up there with Apocalypse Now as Francis Ford Coppola's classic, and it's spawned a million imitations, parodies and references. It's also the movie for which Marlon Brando is arguably the most famous to today's audiences, and launched Al Pacino on his career.
As always, if you have difficulty obtaining the film please let me know here or privately and we'll see what we can do. In the meantime, if you have (non-spoilery) trivia or preliminary thoughts to share, this is the place!
The Godfather is probably up there with Apocalypse Now as Francis Ford Coppola's classic, and it's spawned a million imitations, parodies and references. It's also the movie for which Marlon Brando is arguably the most famous to today's audiences, and launched Al Pacino on his career.
As always, if you have difficulty obtaining the film please let me know here or privately and we'll see what we can do. In the meantime, if you have (non-spoilery) trivia or preliminary thoughts to share, this is the place!
[Discussion Post] Citizen Kane
Feb. 1st, 2012 09:50 ammy_darogaWelcome to our first discussion post! I'm not quite sure how this is going to work--I want everyone to be able to have their say and I don't want to control the conversation. So my plan for now is to post a few questions to get us started, let people talk in comments, and when questions are generated there by all of us I may post again with those collected comments/questions for a new round of discussion. Does that make sense?
So here, anything goes. Observations, feelings, connections to other things you've seen, shallow remarks on actors' looks/voice/shirt collars, disappointments, joys. You can talk about the things you liked and the things you didn't, just please respect one anothers' opinions. By the same token, a lot of these movies are considered among the best (that's why they're on this list) but that doesn't mean you need to think they are--I think we'd all like to know why or why not they should be considered classics.
Without further ado, here are some opening thoughts/questions about Citizen Kane. If you haven't seen it yet don't worry--please feel free to hop in when you're ready. And please use these questions as just a jumping off point, it's not a quiz or anything.
( NEWS... ON THE MARCH! )
And of course, feel free to ignore those, ask your own questions, babble about your feelings, or sit back and enjoy the discussion! And let me know what I can do to make this better.
So here, anything goes. Observations, feelings, connections to other things you've seen, shallow remarks on actors' looks/voice/shirt collars, disappointments, joys. You can talk about the things you liked and the things you didn't, just please respect one anothers' opinions. By the same token, a lot of these movies are considered among the best (that's why they're on this list) but that doesn't mean you need to think they are--I think we'd all like to know why or why not they should be considered classics.
Without further ado, here are some opening thoughts/questions about Citizen Kane. If you haven't seen it yet don't worry--please feel free to hop in when you're ready. And please use these questions as just a jumping off point, it's not a quiz or anything.
( NEWS... ON THE MARCH! )
And of course, feel free to ignore those, ask your own questions, babble about your feelings, or sit back and enjoy the discussion! And let me know what I can do to make this better.
[pre-discussion post] Citizen Kane
Jan. 4th, 2012 02:31 pmmy_darogaCitizen Kane (1940) was Orson Welles' film debut. He co-wrote, directed, and starred in the film which has now become a classic though at the time it was a box office failure and the beginning of the end of what could have been an illustrious film career and an unprecedented contract for a 25-year-old radio and Broadway personality.
The film is available through Netflix, though not streaming. Most libraries should have a copy. If anyone has difficulty finding it, please contact me or comment here and we'll figure something out.
Discussion will begin on Wednesday, February 1. In the meantime, feel free to use this post to discuss your impressions of the film before seeing it, Welles' career, your expectations, etc. Just don't tell anyone what "rosebud" means.
The film is available through Netflix, though not streaming. Most libraries should have a copy. If anyone has difficulty finding it, please contact me or comment here and we'll figure something out.
Discussion will begin on Wednesday, February 1. In the meantime, feel free to use this post to discuss your impressions of the film before seeing it, Welles' career, your expectations, etc. Just don't tell anyone what "rosebud" means.
Come up and see me sometime
Jan. 4th, 2012 02:05 pmmy_darogaHello and welcome to popcorn.gif, our new home for viewing and discussing AFI's 100 Years - 100 Movies list. Elsewhere you'll find a schedule, starting with Citizen Kane in February. Until then, let's mingle a little and talk about who we are and what we like about movies and why we're here and what we want to get out of this.
Or, you know, post gifs or whatever.
Or, you know, post gifs or whatever.
