Your Favorite Movie Directors?

Hi,

I'm don't think that it is one of the "greatest", though one could say it was one of the most seen and known ... I still think a lot of the Sci-Fi stuff that was done with Ray Harryhausen, Forbidden Planet, The Day The Earth Stood Still (for example) stand out a lot more ... specially as they were the forerunners of the style and themes. SK's film is nice, and I agree with the cinematography, the effects created for the film, but I tend to think a bit about the author that was not all that happy with the film, though he appreciated the "new audience" that came to read more of his work. Like the Ray Harryhausen stuff, Stanley Kubrick used a lot of music and did it very well in most of his films. 

However, when compared to other directors around the world that created a lot of mesmerizing things that were not just "a show" ... I would say that SK is one of the good ones, and not exactly the best. There are many films where the Sci-Fi current is more important, and valuable to its story ... the original Blade Runner, takes 2001 to school in my book. And the writing in it is far superior to SK's though the only part of the whole thing that can have any dialogue is the astronaut stuff.

enigmatic wrote:   ... A Clockwork Orange - one of the best dystopian crime movies with prog-rock reference. Anyone knows what I am talking about? ...

I do not dislike this film, however it is, in many ways IF2 (Lindsay Anderson's film IF) and it is simply more visual and violent with the added music to make a point even stranger than fiction. The premise of the two opposites is very strong, and makes the whole thing rather ... weird, for me. But, a lot in the film is blurry and weird and I think that too much of it was made from the fact that the lead actor made a go of it, and it was hard to ignore some of the fun things he was trying as he was moving around ... great actors tend to extend their work, and film, is often a bad place for it if the director does not know how to work with those kinds of actors, but he had experience, going back to Kirk Douglas, Peter Sellers, and later jack Nicholson as well as others ... who were outstanding at their free form, and deadly on ad libs and slight "asides" while acting. Peter Sellers hones this down in 12 years with The Goons on BBC Radio ... still the most surreal and funniest comedy around.

enigmatic wrote:   ... The Shining - one of the best horror films. ...

Take away Jack Nicholson and this film falls apart and every one will say that Shelly Duval was over-reacting to everything, and shouldn't have been there! What makes it great is the way the cinematography adds and hides so much of the film ... and creates moments that make us wonder ... what is going on? ... what's over there? ... kind of thing.

It didn't even dent the variety of horror films that were very big at the time, and even Dario Argento in Italy. Heck, even The Stalker (Russian film from 1973) is a better horror film, and there is no "violence" but the camera is scary as heck through all the 3 hours ... you never know what is in the next bend!

enigmatic wrote:   ... What else? Spartacus, Barry Lyndon, Full Metal Jacket. One exception, I've never understood the love for Dr. Strangelove. I've made couple attempts but never finished it. Not my cup of tea. By many regarded as Kubrick's best film.

Of these three I think that Barry Lyndon is the best of them ... it is not filmed to show off anything, and instead uses the music really well ... but acting wise, I would think it is a film that is not very strong ... at least compared to other things SK did.

Dr. Strangelove makes little sense today because we think that the "cold war" is long over and the paranoia is a joke ... it was probably one of the best satirical films ever and iot has a stupendous cast. You can't EVER forget George C. Scott (... you know you're not supposed to call me when ... and you know she is being sexy on the other end of the phone by his reaction! Priceless!) ... Sterling Hayden ... fluoride Manfred, fluoride as he discusses his feelings and paranoia in sending out a bomb ... Slim Pickens is absolutely insane and incredible. And the cowboy in him won't die!

But, all in all, the hard part of this particular film is that it has to have dialogue, and there is "no action" for us to get excited, so in essence, someone saying the film is crap, is not surprising ... but you must realize that it was made what ... some 58 years ago at a time when a lot of folks were very worried and scared of the Soviet everything. Today with the Internet adding so much mis-information and lies, you and I don't even care anymore!

SK was brilliant in his time ... he has not exactly aged well ... and somethings he did are not exactly appreciated today ... the suggestive lines in LOLITA are incredibly sexist and suggest worse. The violence in ACO is gratuitous and I think it suited the acting ability and style for MM. Two thirds of 2001 today is wasted on audiences that want to see Tom Cruise go silly ... (assuming that it is not all just advertising!!!) ... and no one gives a damn about SPACE ... something that everyone was getting their very first glimpse at the time, making it more important than it is now that we don't care.

But I can tell you one thing that was really FAR OUT ... TODAY'S audiences will never experience ... seeing 2001 at the Cinerama Dome in 180 degree screen and with music flying all over the theater aobe, below and every side you have! That added to the "experience", and of course, the accolades for the film maker!

Ghost Dog and Broken Flowers and Mystery Train. I will check the Paterson movie you mentioned, I am really curious because I always like all the movies i have seen from him.