This Week on The Auteurs 2...

Because you demanded it, I'm posting a second round of Auteur debating for all of my cinema loving readers to again enjoy...

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Enjoy readers!

Best Film to Watch on Father's Day:

What about that horrible movie starring John Travolta as the jilted dad who has to put up with his son and ex-wife shacking up with the villianous Vince Vaughn? I think it was somewhat recent.

(later)

In fact, scratch that! I got it. The 1980’s classic starring Peter “Robocop” Weller and Teri Garr….. “First Born”

Rate the Woody Allen Films You've Seen:

@ Fredo This is tough:
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Hannah and Her Sisters
Annie Hall
Husbands and Wives
Manhatten
Sweet and Lowdown
Zelig
The Purple Rose of Cairo
Match Point
_______________________________________ (great movies)

Stardust Memories
“Oedipus Wrecks” from New York Stories (in fact this was the first Woody Allen film I ever saw)
Bullets Over Broadway
Manhatten Murder Mystery
Anything Else
Broadway Danny Rose (although I do want to see this one again)
Sleeper
Take the Money and Run
Vicky Christina Barcelona
_______________________________________ (his okay movies)

Everyone Says I love You
Mighty Aphrodite
Deconstructing Harry
Radio Days
Cassandra’s Dream
Celebrity
Another Woman
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex*
Small Time Crooks
Melinda and Melinda
Shadows and Fog
Bananas
Love and Death
Hollywood Ending
Scoop
Curse of the Jade Scorpion
Alice
_________________________________________ (his horrible movies)

Marie Antoinette: Yay or Nay?:

@ Berjuan
The more I think about MA the more I like it. I’ll admit I found myself very underwhelmed after seeing it for the first time. Of course the bad reception it received when it debuted at Cannes may have tarnished my intial feelings (along with every other movie reviewer) but Coppola’s decision to avoid politics and concentrate on the aesthetics actually makes sense when dealing with such a vapid character/historical figure who probably found politics and sociology to be rather boring.

Instead of making an overtly political film or presenting MA as a victim deserving of complete sympathy, I think Coppola was more interested in celebrity culture and how the trappings of being born famous can be corrupting. It’s a theme and attitude that still resonates even if its just the clothes and music that changes.

Favourite Films of the Decade (So Far):

In no particular order:

The Dark Knight Returns
No Country for Old Men
Ratatouille
Mulholland Drive
Fog of War
Casino Royale
Kill Bill (vols 1&2)
Let the Right One In
Lost in Translation
Freaks and Geeks (First and only season)
The Wire (entire series)
Zodiac
The Office (original UK version; both seasons)

I know I added a few TV series but to me this decade was a boon for television in its ability to really transform itself into a viable medium in terms of storytelling and direction – a lot of which began in the 90’s where TV creators/showrunners became famous and found respect as “auteurs”

This is F***ing Ridiculous:

HHHHRRRRRRRAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*koff
*koff
HHHAAARRRUUUUGGGHHHHHH!!!!

Notable First Films:

Charles Laughton’s Night of the Hunter
Terence Malik’s Badlands
John Huston’s Maltese Falcon
Rob Reiner’s This is Spinal Tap
Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali
Nicholas Ray’s They Live By Night
Michael Moore’s Roger and Me
Francois Truffaut’s 400 Blows
Steven Spielberg’s Duel (if we’re not counting student films and TV episodes)
Quentin Tarantino’s Reservior Dogs
George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead
Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Accattone
Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane

Regarding acting performances here are a few off the top of my head:

Brigitte Helm in Metropolis
The Marx Brothers in The Cocoanuts
Gene Wilder in Bonnie and Clyde
Anna Karina in A Woman is a Woman
Natalie Portman in The Professional
Eddie Murphy in 48 HRS

I’m sure I’m forgetting a lot more, so forgive me…