Wednesday, June 30, 2010
List Updates - June 30, 2010
Updated Lists: Hal Ashby (added 8 Million Ways to Die), George Cukor (added A Star Is Born), Elia Kazan (added Splendor in the Grass), Films Seen - June 2010 (list completed)
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
List Updates - June 26, 2010
New Lists: Stephen Daldry (director of The Hours and The Reader), Andrew Fleming (director of Hamlet 2 and The Craft), Mike Judge (director of Office Space and Extract), James Toback (director of The Pick-up Artist and Exposed), Chris Weitz (director of About a Boy and The Golden Compass), Paul Weitz (director of About a Boy and In Good Company), My Master List, X to Z
Updated Lists: My Master List (0 to ∞, A to D, E to H, I to L, M to P, Q to T, U to W - several films added)
I also added a few names to the Lists in Progress page.
Updated Lists: My Master List (0 to ∞, A to D, E to H, I to L, M to P, Q to T, U to W - several films added)
I also added a few names to the Lists in Progress page.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
List Updates - June 24, 2010
New Lists: My Criterion Collection
Updated Lists: George Cukor (added Susan and God), My Master List (Q to T, U to Z - several films added)
Updated Lists: George Cukor (added Susan and God), My Master List (Q to T, U to Z - several films added)
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
List Updates - June 22, 2010
New Lists: Films I Really Want to See
Updated Lists: My Master List (A to D, E to H - several movies added)
Updated Lists: My Master List (A to D, E to H - several movies added)
Sunday, June 20, 2010
List Updates - June 20, 2010
Updated Lists: James Mangold (added Knight and Day), My Master List (A to D - several films added)
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
List Updates - June 18, 2010
New Lists: Lee Unkrich (Pixar director, films include Toy Story 2 & 3)
Updated Lists: My Master List (A to D; E to H; I to L; M to P - several movies added)
Updated Lists: My Master List (A to D; E to H; I to L; M to P - several movies added)
Lee Unkrich and the Men of Pixar
Lee Unkrich's Films, Ranked (The link goes to the simple version of the list on The Auteurs/MUBI.)
I really love Pixar - mostly because they make films for kids and grown-ups (mostly grown-ups who yearn to be kids again). They really do a great job of blending stories that appeal to children and still manage to bring depth for older viewers. I've decided to go with Unkrich as my first in-depth look at a Pixar director as I just attended the midnight screening of Toy Story 3.
1. Toy Story 2 (1999) AND 2. Toy Story 3 (2010) - "I think it's time you learned the true meaning of playtime."
I've really grown up with the Toy Story films. I was 9 when the first one came out, 13 when the second came out and I'm now 24 as the third film hits theaters. The way the films flawlessly blend the family, action-adventure, drama, comedy and coming-of-age genres makes them resonate whether you're watching them when you're 14 or 40. The introduction of Jessie in Toy Story 2 made me love the film even more - to have a female heroine join ranks with Woody and Buzz seemed pretty awesome to me. Toy Story 3 further develops the following of Andy and his toys without feeling overwrought or unnecessary. It tackles the whole idea of attempting to hold onto your childhood for as long as possible - the last third of the film contains perhaps some of the best moments in the series (no spoilers), and I'm not afraid to admit that a tear or two came to my eyes.
3. Finding Nemo (2003) - "Just keep swimming."
Finding Nemo, to me, combined the fairy tale aspects of talking animals with the heart of what I've previously described as Pixar's genre-crossing, for-all-audiences way of filmmaking. You root for the characters just as you would in a live-action film, even if it's filled with talking animals or talking toys. To me, that's the best aspect of Pixar films in general, they get you feeling compassion for and rooting for the lead characters just as if they were human beings. They bring humanity, in the form of emotions and mannerisms, to typical animated characters - animals, robots, toys, etc.
4. Monsters, Inc. (2001) - "And who will we be scaring today?"
Pixar even brought some humanity to the monsters hiding under the bed. They took the ordinary, somewhat mundane routines of human beings going to work and adapted them to the world of the monsters. Monsters, Inc. may not be my most favorite Pixar film, but that by no means makes it a horrible movie. It's not that I didn't like it - it's just I seemed to enjoy some of the other films more. The relationship that Sulley develops with Boo makes for quite a good movie.
The Other Men of Pixar's Lists: Brad Bird, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton
As a bonus, I've made up my list of Pixar films, ranked (I only included the feature-length films):
1. Wall-E (2008)
2. Toy Story (1995)
3. Toy Story 2 (1999)
4. Up (2009)
5. The Incredibles (2004)
6. Toy Story 3 (2010)
7. Ratatouille (2007)
8. Finding Nemo (2003)
9. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
10. A Bug's Life (1998)
11. Cars (2006)
I really love Pixar - mostly because they make films for kids and grown-ups (mostly grown-ups who yearn to be kids again). They really do a great job of blending stories that appeal to children and still manage to bring depth for older viewers. I've decided to go with Unkrich as my first in-depth look at a Pixar director as I just attended the midnight screening of Toy Story 3.
1. Toy Story 2 (1999) AND 2. Toy Story 3 (2010) - "I think it's time you learned the true meaning of playtime."
I've really grown up with the Toy Story films. I was 9 when the first one came out, 13 when the second came out and I'm now 24 as the third film hits theaters. The way the films flawlessly blend the family, action-adventure, drama, comedy and coming-of-age genres makes them resonate whether you're watching them when you're 14 or 40. The introduction of Jessie in Toy Story 2 made me love the film even more - to have a female heroine join ranks with Woody and Buzz seemed pretty awesome to me. Toy Story 3 further develops the following of Andy and his toys without feeling overwrought or unnecessary. It tackles the whole idea of attempting to hold onto your childhood for as long as possible - the last third of the film contains perhaps some of the best moments in the series (no spoilers), and I'm not afraid to admit that a tear or two came to my eyes.
3. Finding Nemo (2003) - "Just keep swimming."
Finding Nemo, to me, combined the fairy tale aspects of talking animals with the heart of what I've previously described as Pixar's genre-crossing, for-all-audiences way of filmmaking. You root for the characters just as you would in a live-action film, even if it's filled with talking animals or talking toys. To me, that's the best aspect of Pixar films in general, they get you feeling compassion for and rooting for the lead characters just as if they were human beings. They bring humanity, in the form of emotions and mannerisms, to typical animated characters - animals, robots, toys, etc.
4. Monsters, Inc. (2001) - "And who will we be scaring today?"
Pixar even brought some humanity to the monsters hiding under the bed. They took the ordinary, somewhat mundane routines of human beings going to work and adapted them to the world of the monsters. Monsters, Inc. may not be my most favorite Pixar film, but that by no means makes it a horrible movie. It's not that I didn't like it - it's just I seemed to enjoy some of the other films more. The relationship that Sulley develops with Boo makes for quite a good movie.
The Other Men of Pixar's Lists: Brad Bird, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton
As a bonus, I've made up my list of Pixar films, ranked (I only included the feature-length films):
1. Wall-E (2008)
2. Toy Story (1995)
3. Toy Story 2 (1999)
4. Up (2009)
5. The Incredibles (2004)
6. Toy Story 3 (2010)
7. Ratatouille (2007)
8. Finding Nemo (2003)
9. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
10. A Bug's Life (1998)
11. Cars (2006)
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
List Updates - June 14, 2010
Updated Lists: Alfred Hitchcock (added Downhill, Number Seventeen, The Skin Game and The Woman Alone a.k.a. Sabotage), My Master List (A to D - several movies added)
Sunday, June 13, 2010
List Updates - June 13, 2010
Updated Lists: Alfred Hitchcock (added Juno and the Paycock, The Paradine Case and Young and Innocent), My Master List (A to D; E to H; I to L; M to P - several movies added)
Saturday, June 12, 2010
List Updates - June 12, 2010
New Lists: My Master List, A to D; E to H; I to L; M to P; Q to T; U to Z; 0 to ∞
Updated Lists: Alfred Hitchcock (added Champagne, Easy Virtue, Jamaica Inn and The Ring)
Updated Lists: Alfred Hitchcock (added Champagne, Easy Virtue, Jamaica Inn and The Ring)
Friday, June 11, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
List Updates - June 10, 2010
New Lists: Nick Park (director of the Wallace & Gromit stop-motion animated films), James Mangold (Girl, Interrupted and Walk the Line)
Updated Lists: Alfred Hitchcock (added The Manxman and Rich and Strange), Chuck Jones (added Now Hear This)
Updated Lists: Alfred Hitchcock (added The Manxman and Rich and Strange), Chuck Jones (added Now Hear This)
Alfred Hitchcock: The Legend Begins
"There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it."
A couple of years ago, I came across a DVD box set at Wal-Mart titled "Alfred Hitchcock: The Legend Begins" for just $5. Of course I bought it, as the main area I'm missing in reaching my goal of watching all of Hitchcock's films is his early years. I've decided to make June my month of Hitchcock, and it all started two nights ago when I rewatched my DVD of Rear Window.
A couple of years ago, I came across a DVD box set at Wal-Mart titled "Alfred Hitchcock: The Legend Begins" for just $5. Of course I bought it, as the main area I'm missing in reaching my goal of watching all of Hitchcock's films is his early years. I've decided to make June my month of Hitchcock, and it all started two nights ago when I rewatched my DVD of Rear Window.
Starting in February or March, I also decided that I'm going to gradually go through all of my DVDs and watch all of the bonus features. Rear Window was no exception - the Collector's Edition DVD has a lengthy (in a good way) featurette on both the making of the film and its restoration. In addition, there's an interview with screenwriter John Michael Hayes and a slideshow of posters and stills from the film played to the soundtrack.
Last night, I busted out my "Legend Begins" box set, starting with the first disc - which contains The Lady Vanishes (the only film I'd previously seen from the disc), The Farmer's Wife, The Manxman and two episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" ("The Chaney Vase" and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"). I rewatched The Lady Vanishes and had my first viewing of The Farmer's Wife and the "AHP" episodes. I quite enjoyed the episodes, but let's just say that The Farmer's Wife isn't exactly my favorite Hitchcock film. (It's not my least favorite either.)
Tonight I plan on watching The Manxman and getting a glimpse of something from the second disc. After finishing the four discs, I imagine I'll venture back to the other Hitchcock films I own on DVD - The Birds, Vertigo and (saving the best for last) Notorious - to check out the bonus features. If any other Hitchcock films (especially ones I haven't seen) happen to come on TV, hopefully I'll be able to watch them. After finishing the box set, there will still be about a dozen of Hitchcock's films that I still haven't seen.
I will have more on Hitchcock and his films as I see more of them, but for now here's the list: Alfred Hitchcock's Films, Ranked. (The list will be updated as I watch more - the link remains the same.)
Welcome to The Listeur
Hello friends, cinephiles and anyone else who has come across this blog. I hope you enjoy my little project and feel free to share your lists in the comments (on here or on The Auteurs/MUBI). A full description of what The Listeur is about can be found here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)