Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Robert Altman Dies
American TV and then movie director Robert Altman died at age 81 two days ago. He was a director capable of both greatness and wretchedness. Here are the movies I liked by him: Gosford Park; The Player; Nashville; California Split; Thieves Like Us; The Long Goodbye; McCabe & Mrs. Miller (probably his best movie); MASH; and, Countdown.
Here are the famous ones to stay away from: Dr T and the Women (Richard Gere is just unwatchable); Pret-A-Porter (a waste of a talented group of actors); Short Cuts (so bad and bleak you want to shower after watching it); 3 Women (pointless and affected); and Popeye (worse than you are capable of imagining).
Here are the ones which ultimately stink but have great moments in them: Kansas City (just for the saxophone 'head cutting' contest); O.C. and Stiggs (mall lawyer); A Wedding (if you listen closely a wealth of gossip is revealed); Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson ( just the right tone on the noble savage theme); and, Brewster McCloud (Stacy Keach is terrific).
I've been told that Altman smoked marijuana every day (there's a visual reference to it in MASH and in many other films). It makes sense viewing all of his work and certainly explains why he often fell flat.
His last movie, A Prairie Home Companion, was so awful--really truly a complete waste of filmstock--that a place in the first circle of Hell is almost certainly reserved for Altman's soul. His punishment will be that he has to watch it for eternity--a very harsh punishment.
Here are the famous ones to stay away from: Dr T and the Women (Richard Gere is just unwatchable); Pret-A-Porter (a waste of a talented group of actors); Short Cuts (so bad and bleak you want to shower after watching it); 3 Women (pointless and affected); and Popeye (worse than you are capable of imagining).
Here are the ones which ultimately stink but have great moments in them: Kansas City (just for the saxophone 'head cutting' contest); O.C. and Stiggs (mall lawyer); A Wedding (if you listen closely a wealth of gossip is revealed); Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson ( just the right tone on the noble savage theme); and, Brewster McCloud (Stacy Keach is terrific).
I've been told that Altman smoked marijuana every day (there's a visual reference to it in MASH and in many other films). It makes sense viewing all of his work and certainly explains why he often fell flat.
His last movie, A Prairie Home Companion, was so awful--really truly a complete waste of filmstock--that a place in the first circle of Hell is almost certainly reserved for Altman's soul. His punishment will be that he has to watch it for eternity--a very harsh punishment.
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 4:45 PM 
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Rog,
That's pretty harch don't you think, however bad the movie was?
I mean doesn't McCabe and Mrs. Miller get him off the hook?
That's pretty harch don't you think, however bad the movie was?
I mean doesn't McCabe and Mrs. Miller get him off the hook?
# posted by 
: 5:30 PM
: 5:30 PM
McCabe and Mrs. Miller is really, really good but I take it you haven't yet seen A Prairie Home Companion. Get back to me when you do.
Rog,
My cousin Pete got married in Newport, RI @ the end of October and Prairie Home Companion was the movie on the flight so I did see some of it. My thinking is that people will never watch a bad movie again but will watch a good one over and over. Therefore, a really good movie should have more karmic weight than a really bad one.
T
My cousin Pete got married in Newport, RI @ the end of October and Prairie Home Companion was the movie on the flight so I did see some of it. My thinking is that people will never watch a bad movie again but will watch a good one over and over. Therefore, a really good movie should have more karmic weight than a really bad one.
T
# posted by : 8:45 AM
: 8:45 AM
You're probably right but that doesn't explain why I will watch Major League every time it's on.
Juuuust a bit out side; Vaughn tried for the coner and missed.
Juuuust a bit out side; Vaughn tried for the coner and missed.
That's because Major League is actually a good movie. Not a good, serious movie, but a good movie nonetheless.
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