1990s List Discussion and Suggestions (Lists Project Vol. 2)

[Gregory]

Well, Bringing Out the Dead was a pleasant surprise. Though is clatters around in the home stretch, what came before was pretty good and Scorsese did a nice job capturing the insanity of the inner city. Ving Rhames was a hoot and given that Scorsese is not a particularly subtle director, their mutual melding of over the top-ness worked best. Still, and I have to underline this in every one of his films, at least half the music cues could and should have been dropped. I mean, Natalie Merchant, really?

In addition to the 10,000 Maniacs track, I thought R.E.M.'s "What's the Frequency Kenneth" was an odd choice. It probably had to do with the studio wanting a viable soundtrack CD to serve as a marketing tool. The CD didn't even include any of Elmer Bernstein's original music from the film.

[domino harvey]

What was the reasoning behind the completely unnecessary "This movie takes place in the Early 90s" title card? Especially when several of the songs were from the mid-90s. Like, I didn't watch this and go "That's so 1991!"

[Gregory]

I'm no expert on this film but would guess that it was to establish that the film is about New York before Giuliani's initiatives changed the city -- drastically in some areas.

[life_boy]

The "T.B. Sheets" cue is amazing. (Hey, at least "Gimme Shelter" didn't make an appearance!...or did it?)

[ptatler]

The "T.B. Sheets" cue is amazing. (Hey, at least "Gimme Shelter" didn't make an appearance!...or did it?)

The "T.B. Sheets" refrain is one of the two best things about that film. The other: Cliff Curtis. He had a banner year in '99 -- appearing in Three Kings and The Insider, in addition to the Scorsese. He continues to be one of the best parts of the otherwise (mostly) lousy movies he appears in.

[Tom Hagen]

Glad you enjoyed it, domino. Along with King of Comedy and After Hours, it's the funniest thing Marty has done. The black comedy keeps the picture from becoming a Taxi Driver retread for all involved. I maintain that it's his most consistenly underrated film.

Re: "Gimmie Shelter." Jagger had an awesome line when he quipped that Shine a Light would be the only Scorsese picture without the track.

[zedz]

Turning into the home stretch, we've had 21 lists in and have ended up with the least US-centric top ten so far, with only two American films in there. At the moment there are two directors represented twice in the top ten, but things are so volatile that this is likely to change.

In terms of spoilers, I can divulge that the / a main character dies in about half the films on the list, and half of the films are by directors who have never been anywhere near the top ten in previous lists projects (though they've all received votes - i.e. there are no brand new 90s filmmakers here).

[knives]

Glad you enjoyed it, domino. Along with King of Comedy and After Hours, it's the funniest thing Marty has done. The black comedy keeps the picture from becoming a Taxi Driver retread for all involved. I maintain that it's his most consistenly underrated film.

Re: "Gimmie Shelter." Jagger had an awesome line when he quipped that Shine a Light would be the only Scorsese picture without the track.

I'm curious what the appeal of After Hours is? The final shot may be the best thing Scorsese has ever directed, but what else makes it such a good movie to so many?

[Murdoch]

I'm curious what the appeal of After Hours is? The final shot may be the best thing Scorsese has ever directed, but what else makes it such a good movie to so many?

It's by far my favorite Scorsese film - although I've enjoyed very few of his films - and I think its appeal stems largely from its up-all-night Kafka-esque story, plus Dunne acts as a proxy for Scorsese himself after he lost funding for Last Temptation, going around in this passive state that culminates in the ending shot. Scorsese portrays the city as a kooky underworld at night, the whole movie is somewhat surreal as Dunne wanders from one situation to the next in direct contrast to his character's dull 9 to 5 tedium, which I think is a large draw especially to Scorsese fans since he portrays the city of this shape-shifting figure that alternates between the hustle-and-bustle daytime and the bizarre nighttime with its punk clubs and weirdo residents. Plus, I think Scorsese's camera swoon is used to magnificent effect in the apartment when it zooms in on Arquette's wink.

The soundtrack is also a great part of the film, I also have always had trouble with Scorsese' music cues, but I think the only soundtrack in this is the synthy score, and it establishes a fitting mood for the film and is used to great effect during the final chase scene as it reaches a sort of crescendo.

[knives]

I didn't notice the Kafka aspects, and that Last Temptation part does make it sound better. I'll have to watch it again, but your little thing and a friend's explanation for his love of it makes me hope that I can get ore out of the film then that final shot (which may be the shot that has affected me most deeply).

[zedz]

After Hours is probably my favourite Scorsese film, but my only defence is that I think it's really funny, and one of the few successful updates of the screwball comedy (and the squelchy paranoia running through it just makes it more successful in those terms, stranger and funnier).

[Aki]

I'm ridiculously late to this party. Well, with the intention of jogging memories and maybe encouraging last-minute viewings, some other documentaries of note are Public Housing; Belfast, Maine; The Last Bolshevik (does it count as a documentary?); and O Amor Natural.

While not as critically acclaimed as the aforementioned documentaries, The Saltmen of Tibet is worthwhile and might make my list.

[Dr Amicus]

Watched The Long Day Closes and The Garden over the weekend - well, rewatched is more accurate as I haven't seen them since they first came out. I'd already tentatively put Day quite high on my list - I think it will now notch a couple of places higher. Probably my favourite Davies, although I love all his autobiographical films - Time and the City will definitely be on the 2000s list. Another viewing of House of Mirth is called for, again I haven't seen it since its initial release.

The Garden is my favourite Jarman 'essay' film, for want of a better word - his more avant-garde, experimental works such as Last of England and The Angelic Conversation have never quite appealed as much as Jubilee, Caravaggio or Wittgenstein (the latter probably should have made my list - it's lurking just outside - but it's a close fought battle), except for this. Frequently obscure (it's VERY personal) but I find his retelling of the gospels extremely moving and the imagery is probably the most beautiful of any of Jarman's films. A possible flaw is the Think Pink sequence - it's fun, but sticks out (admittedly, sticking out in a Jarman film is part of the point). On the other hand, it's a lighter, more joyous response to the bigotry displayed elsewhere. Anyway, definitely turning up on the list.

A bit of final fiddling with it, and it's on its way Zedz!

[swo17]

My top 15:

01 Miller's Crossing (Coens, 1990)
02 Rushmore (Anderson, 1998)
03 Naked Lunch (Cronenberg, 1991)
04 Happiness (Solondz, 1998)
05 Fargo (Coens, 1996)
06 La promesse (Dardennes, 1996)
07 Being John Malkovich (Jonze, 1999)
08 A Brighter Summer Day (Yang, 1991)
09 Waiting for Guffman (Guest, 1996)
10 The Double Life of Veronique (Kieslowski, 1991)
11 A Moment of Innocence (Makhmalbaf, 1996)
12 Fireworks (Kitano, 1997)
13 Exotica (Egoyan, 1994)
14 And Life Goes On... (Kiarostami, 1991)
15 Sátántangó (Tarr, 1994)

[ptatler]

My top 15:

01 Miller's Crossing (Coens, 1990)

...

05 Fargo (Coens, 1996)

Glad to see you're not caving to the Coen hate around these here parts. They're in my top ten too. I thought I'd be the only one.

[LQ]

it's kind of way out in left field

If, say, your post is a 'field', and your avatar is occupying the area to the left of the text...

Couldn't be Rushmore, could it?
I'm trying to think outside the (text) box here...

Where's my prize?

[swo17]

Your prize is you get to live in a world in which Rushmore exists.

[LQ]

Fair enough!

Glad to see you're not caving to the Coen hate around these here parts. They're in my top ten too. I thought I'd be the only one.

As you can see by my number one, there's no Coen hate chez moi, either. I have a couple of their other films sprinkled through my 50 but my favorite, far and away, is The Big Lebowski!

My top ten:
1. The Big Lebowski, Joel Coen
2. Dead Man, Jim Jarmusch
3. The Wind Will Carry Us, Abbas Kiarostami
4. The Thin Red Line, Terrence Malick
5. Election, Alexander Payne
6. In The Company of Men, Neil LaBute
7. Buffalo '66, Vincent Gallo
8. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, David Lynch
9. Being John Malkovich, Spike Jonze
10. La haine, Mathieu Kassovitz

[foggy eyes]

My top 15

I think it's back to front.

[Yojimbo]

My top 15:

01 Miller's Crossing (Coens, 1990)
02 Rushmore (Anderson, 1998)
03 Naked Lunch (Cronenberg, 1991)
04 Happiness (Solondz, 1998)
05 Fargo (Coens, 1996)
06 La promesse (Dardennes, 1996)
07 Being John Malkovich (Jonze, 1999)
08 A Brighter Summer Day (Yang, 1991)
09 Waiting for Guffman (Guest, 1996)
10 The Double Life of Veronique (Kieslowski, 1991)
11 A Moment of Innocence (Makhmalbaf, 1996)
12 Fireworks (Kitano, 1997)
13 Exotica (Egoyan, 1994)
14 And Life Goes On... (Kiarostami, 1991)
15 Sátántangó (Tarr, 1994)

Great to see another high vote for "Waiting for Guffman": I even prefer it to 'Spinal Tap', although it might be part over-familarity with the latter

[Yojimbo]

Sátántangó (1994)
Short Cuts (1993)
Dead Man (1995)
Chungking Express (1995)
Close Up (1990)
Goodfellas (1990)
Butcher Boy, The (1997)
Hairdresser's Husband, The (1990)
Mother and Son (1997)
Live Flesh (1997)

[ptatler]

Since we're sharing (and I've already posted my 41-60) here's my 31-40:

31. Pi (Aronovsky)
32. Wild At Heart (Lynch)
33. A Simple Plan (Raimi)
34. Blue (Jarman)
35. Dark City (Proyas)
36. JFK (Stone)
37. Shallow Grave (Boyle)
38. Bottle Rocket (Anderson)
39. Jesus‘ Son (MacLean)
40. Music of Chance, The (Haas)

I can't bring myself to post my top ten until after zedz posts the big reveal later this week.

[Michael]

Great to see another high vote for "Waiting for Guffman": I even prefer it to 'Spinal Tap', although it might be part over-familarity with the latter

Another vote for Waiting for Guffman, which is in my top 10.

[Murdoch]

Here's my bottom ten:

41. The Addiction (1995) – Abel Ferrara
42. Rush (1991) – Lili Fini Zanuck
43. Lost Highway (1997) – David Lynch
44. Ratcatcher (1999) – Lynne Ramsay
45. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) – Terry Gilliam
46. Open Your Eyes (1997) – Alejandro Amenabar
47. The Game (1997) – David Fincher
48. Before Sunrise (1995) – Richard Linklater
49. Bringing Out the Dead (1999) – Martin Scorsese
50. eXistenZ (1999) – David Cronenberg

[swo17]

I've heard that the Facets Close Up is awful, whereas the UK Soda edition is excellent (though not as cheap). (Just sayin'.)

Crap, I also just remembered the rumor from a few months ago that Criterion is working on their own edition of Close-Up. Ah well, what's $5 anyway?