The 1984 Mini-List

[knives]

I don’t know what’s more stunning, Heroic Times itself or that it was made by the director of childhood favorite The Princess and the Goblin?

This is a radically different film, but then I can’t think of a film like this. At closest maybe one of Marker’s still photograph films. The film on my mind though was The White Mare. Like that film this takes a story of national pride and filters it through a startling aesthetic. Whereas I found Jankovics‘ effort off putting for how it engages with myth Gemes seems capable of steering the narrative from any traps. Probably derived to save money the style which recalls medieval paintings instantly sets up a critical approach to the story like you would have in a museum piece. The story itself is a rather classical myth, but told with this hearty exhaustion like the last shot of Conan the Barbarian stretched to feature length. There aren’t many chuckles to be had here, but if you want blood soaked ennui have I got the film for you.

[knives]

Most of Wheels on Meals isn’t an action film, but the three fold fight scene that ends this is possibly the best I’ve seen. Chan’s part in particular could be shown to anyone and everything about his star would instantly become clear. Most of the film though is a really hilarious comedy that’s much more in the vein of silent slapstick then anything else I’ve seen by the trio. The basic plot and execution kind of fit a working class Bogdanovich vibe as two brothers vie for the heart of a crook and a bumbling wannabe PI stumbles into actual crime. Hung really just takes his time to set up all the relationships in way that makes everything else feel far greater than they actually are.

[therewillbeblus]

Nice appreciation, one of my favorite martial arts movie discoveries from the last few years’ splurge of content

[knives]

Thanks, I’ve been trying to gobble up Chan films this year and this was easily the most pleasurable so far.

Speaking of pleasure, although it’s guaranteed to be an orphan at this late stage I beseech swo to add and everyone to see Ivory’s The Bostonians. It’s this sapphic exercise in austerity that reminded me more of de Oliviera than of their other queer films of the decade which tend toward a certain buoyancy and openness. I suppose a source for the difference between this and say A Room with a View beyond the contrast of British wit and New England neurosis is the actual text of the film. This is as much about the crush of society on every woman as that on these individual women. There’s no partner equivalent to Reeve’s snake here elsewhere and Verena ‘has to’ settle anyhow so if it must be with a snake at least have it be with one who she can socialize with.

This sounds rough and harsh, but Ivory with the typically sly script by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala the film always feels joyous. I stayed with a smile as does our heroine.

[swo17]

Added, thanks!

[knives]

Unexpectedly I thought this was the best year of the ‘80s so far. It was really hard making a final list and there’s still something like 30 films I wanted to get to.

Weird thing about my list is that the first four are alphabetical as A A B C

[swo17]

As a reminder, you have until the end of the day today to vote. Thanks to those that have been contributing to the thread!

[swo17]

Too late to make a difference but some recs:

PiRâMidas 1972-1984 (Ivan Ladislav Galeta)

A simple premise (a tram ride where the camera keeps abruptly flipping the horizon) but the effect is hypnotic. I'm not sure what the years mean at the end of some of Galeta's films. He has other titles that end with 1869-1896 and 1985-1895. Certainly this wasn't 12 years in the making. Stream it here.

One Woman Waiting (Josephine Massarella)

Available on this great Black Zero disc. Simple, mysterious, iconic.

Voyage d'une main (Raúl Ruiz)

Certainly a B-side for Ruiz but this short really gets under your skin. Fantastic score.

A & B in Ontario (Joyce Wieland & Hollis Frampton)

17 years earlier, these two experimental filmmakers had been playing a game of camera tag as a lark, chasing each other around town while trying to hide from the other's view. Finally in 1984, Wieland edited the footage into a film that was simultaneously fun, technically interesting, and a fitting tribute to Frampton after his passing.

White Fire (Jean-Marie Pallardy)

Don't mess with this guy's sister!

Finally, don't forget Zbigniew Rybczyński, who was basically the Michel Gondry of the '80s:

Art of Noise: Close (to the Edit)
Chuck Mangione: Diana D (Zbigniew Rybczyński)
Belfegore: All That I Wanted
Rickie Lee Jones: The Real End