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Post by DarthShady on Apr 24, 2009 14:50:30 GMT -5
So this semester I've been taking a class called Film Analysis - Hollywood Classics, and some of my fellow students and I have been debating the credibility of the films we've had to study. Over the course of 15 weeks, we've watched the following movies:
-Charlie Chaplin's City Lights
-John Ford's Stagecoach (and clips from The Searchers for comparison)
-Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life
-Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity
-Orson Welles' Citizen Kane
-Alfred Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt & Strangers on a Train
-Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather & The Godfather Part II
-Spike Lee's Inside Man & Miracle at St. Anna's
The problem most of us have is that we wouldn't exactly call all of these movies Hollywood classics, and there are a lot of other films and directors that we think we should be studying instead. So I was wondering what some of you would choose if you had to pick the movies for this class.
The collection I'd put together would be made up of films from all different genres. I'd also make sure that no director gets two films on the list - with so many legends to choose from, I think it's unfair to completely forget one or two iconic directors because I decided to screen two movies made by the same person. My list would probably look something like this:
-Charlie Chaplin's City Lights - silent film
-Victor Fleming's Gone with the Wind - sweeping epic
-Orson Welles' Citizen Kane; it would be a major faux pas to forget it!
-Michael Curtiz's Casablanca - romance
-Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity - film noir
-Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life - underdog story
-Nicholas Ray's Rebel Without a Cause - one of the first movies aimed at teenagers and to portray a dysfunctional family
-John Ford's The Searchers - western
-Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho - thriller
-Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather - crime drama; precursor to modern cinema
-I'm having a lot of trouble picking a movie for this last slot. Steven Spielberg is arguably the most successful director in Hollywood today, so it would be great to include him. Martin Scorsese has a more distinctive style (and generally doesn't receive as much glory.) Or would it be better to show Star Wars, the original blockbuster, and discuss how George Lucas changed the way films are made? Or would it be best to choose something a little newer and more hip, maybe a Tarantino flick?
That's the main problem with the class, I think. We're expected to learn about the full history of Hollywood and be able to analyze films from varying eras and genres in just a few months. So what 11 films are definitive enough to do all of that, if it's even possible?
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RobOfTheDead
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Post by RobOfTheDead on Apr 25, 2009 8:28:23 GMT -5
- Buster Keaton's Sherlock Jr. - silent film (one of the most innovative movies ever made.)
- David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia - sweeping epic
- Orson Welles' Citizen Kane; it would be a major faux pas to forget it! (I would also include Touch of Evil and The Trial as alternatives)
- Frank Capra's It Happened One Night - romance
- Howard Hawks's The Big Sleep - film noir
-Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington - underdog story
-Nicholas Ray's Rebel Without a Cause - one of the first movies aimed at teenagers and to portray a dysfunctional family
- Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West - western
- Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs - thriller
- Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets - crime drama; precursor to modern cinema
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Post by theprettydead on May 18, 2009 10:21:53 GMT -5
I think you guys kind of forgot about the horror genre.
My vote for the definitive Hollywood horror film is Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby. Though other candidates might include The Exorcist, Carrie, The Omen, or Alien.
Also... what about the Sports Movie? Such as Rocky (the definitive Sports film in my eyes).
And, what about Mystery? Such as a film like Portrait of Jennie.
And, the Gangster film? Such as, something starring James Cagney?
And, did you guys forget Comedy? Such as, Duck Soup or Animal Crackers?
And, the Musical? Such as, The Sound of Music, or My Fair Lady?
And, Fantasy / Family films? Such as Disney's immortal Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs?
And, Science-Fiction? Could for example- The Blob be considered a Hollywood film?
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Post by StarOpal on May 18, 2009 11:54:38 GMT -5
And, what about Mystery? Such as a film like Portrait of Jennie. Personally, I'd say Portrait of Jennie isn't really a mystery so much as a Paranormal Romance (like The Ghost and Mrs. Muir with less comedy). Also, huzzah for even knowing about it, good movie. Witness for the Prosecution, Laura, The Third Man, and Murder on the Orient Express are good, classic mysteries. Rebecca is on the line between mystery and suspense, I'd say the same for Suspicion. Going firmly over the suspense line, Gaslight ("I am mad, my husband? Perhaps you are mad!") and The Two Mrs. Carols. White Heat. If you're going James Cagney gangster movie it's gotta be White Heat. Little Caesar and The Roaring Twenties are two other really good examples. |
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RobOfTheDead
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Post by RobOfTheDead on May 18, 2009 14:21:36 GMT -5
Sports Movie? Michael Ritchie's The Bad News Bears (1976 version)
Mystery? Sidney Lumet's Murder on the Orient Express
Gangster film? Howard Hughes's Scarface (1932 version)
Comedy? Mel Brooks's Blazing Saddles
Musical? Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen's Singing in the Rain
Fantasy / Family films? Don Bluth's An American Tail
Science-Fiction? Ed Wood's Plan 9 from Outer Space but really, Ridley Scott's Alien
Horror? Bob Clark's Black Christmas
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DTH
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Post by DTH on May 19, 2009 6:21:00 GMT -5
Blazing Saddles or Airplane!
In fact, the latter is the better choice because it is such an intelligent film while being one of the funniest I've ever seen. Basically, the script (and plot) is entirely lifted from an older, unsuccessful movie, some jokes are thrown in and some great comedic acting (one of Lesley Nielsen's greatest moments...but then I'm a big Police Squad! fan) and you have a classic comedy movie.
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Post by theprettydead on May 19, 2009 7:15:42 GMT -5
And, what about Mystery? Such as a film like Portrait of Jennie. Personally, I'd say Portrait of Jennie isn't really a mystery so much as a Paranormal Romance (like The Ghost and Mrs. Muir with less comedy). Also, huzzah for even knowing about it, good movie. Witness for the Prosecution, Laura, The Third Man, and Murder on the Orient Express are good, classic mysteries. Rebecca is on the line between mystery and suspense, I'd say the same for Suspicion. Going firmly over the suspense line, Gaslight ("I am mad, my husband? Perhaps you are mad!") and The Two Mrs. Carols. Okay - good points, all. Agreed on Portrait of Jennie. But, then- how many paranormal romances are there from classic Hollywood? Sports Movie? Michael Ritchie's The Bad News Bears (1976 version) Mystery? Sidney Lumet's Murder on the Orient Express Gangster film? Howard Hughes's Scarface (1932 version) Comedy? Mel Brooks's Blazing Saddles Musical? Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen's Singing in the Rain Fantasy / Family films? Don Bluth's An American Tail Science-Fiction? Ed Wood's Plan 9 from Outer Space but really, Ridley Scott's Alien Horror? Bob Clark's Black Christmas I'm glad you're looking out for the lesser known, etc. But, Black Christmas is so far from Hollywood, it's not funny. I would have suggested Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Suspiria, Dawn of the Dead, etc. But they're either not American or too low budget - not released by a major Hollywood studio. I shouldn't have mentioned Carrie either. But, United Artists was still the "Bond" studio - right? They basically count. |
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Post by StarOpal on May 19, 2009 11:38:27 GMT -5
Okay - good points, all. Agreed on Portrait of Jennie. But, then- how many paranormal romances are there from classic Hollywood? Hmm, I'm going to think on this one for a bit. Feels like a challenge! Psycho. Psycho counts right? |
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Post by theprettydead on May 19, 2009 15:43:15 GMT -5
Perhaps, but Psycho is so... expected as a "definitive Hollywood horror film." I've seen so many horror films, then when I look at Psycho- my brain doesn't recognize it as a horror film at all.
Psychological thriller is much closer.
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RobOfTheDead
Boomstick Coordinator
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Post by RobOfTheDead on May 20, 2009 15:37:53 GMT -5
The only real horror movie Hitchcock made was The Birds.
Poltergeist and Gremlins can also be considered definitive Hollywood horror movies but Gremlins is really one of those weird genre-hybrid movies.
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Post by theprettydead on May 21, 2009 10:31:50 GMT -5
The only real horror movie Hitchcock made was The Birds. Agreed. Poltergeist and Gremlins can also be considered definitive Hollywood horror movies but Gremlins is really one of those weird genre-hybrid movies. Like... Fright Night? The Blob remake? Night of the Creeps? Or, did you have something else in mind? I personally feel Gremlins is far too quirky to be considered a typical Hollywood project. Not to mention subversive. Or, if that doesn't work - too dark. Being that it was marketed towards families. I consider it a horror film (and am really glad to hear you agree). Certainly with Joe Dante coming from a real legacy in low budget as part of the Avco/Embassy heyday - home to hugely famous horror films by John Carpenter ( The Fog), Don Coscarelli ( Phantasm), and David Cronenberg ( Scanners) - and worked New World pictures, Roger Corman's company. Corman of course, the director of over a dozen horror films from the 60's such as Little Shop of Horrors and a huge slew of Edgar Allen Poe adaptations. I always thought Gremlins was pretty shocking as a kid. Especially for a PG film. Even in light of the fact that it is goreless, compared to Poltergeist- the tone of Gremlins is still more subversive or dark. |
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RobOfTheDead
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Police work is as much about preventing crime as it is about fighting crime.
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Post by RobOfTheDead on May 22, 2009 5:02:40 GMT -5
The only real horror movie Hitchcock made was The Birds. Agreed. Poltergeist and Gremlins can also be considered definitive Hollywood horror movies but Gremlins is really one of those weird genre-hybrid movies. Like... Fright Night? The Blob remake? Night of the Creeps? Or, did you have something else in mind? I was just pointing out that Gremlins also has alot of dark humor in addition to being a horror film. |
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Post by theprettydead on Jun 2, 2009 3:53:07 GMT -5
O.k.
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starwenn
Boomstick Coordinator
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Post by starwenn on Jun 30, 2009 20:34:19 GMT -5
"Bringing Up Baby" - Classic screwball comedy. Katherine Hepburn owns a leopard...and she and the cat both flummox charming professor Cary Grant. Fun stuff.
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