Topic: Decent films forgotten

[Lastrador]

Oooh great call. Thief is absolutely brilliant, James Caan's best performance, and I include The Godfather in that, and Mann's best film.  Sits alongside To Live And Die In LA as an 80's crime classic.  Dennis Farina was still a Chicago cop when he appeared in the film.

I have the Bluray on my shelf, I'm 100% watching it tonight.

James Caan is absolutely amazing in it, by far his best role like you said. Such a nuanced personification of aggression, vulnerability, and competency. The editing is another aspect I would like to praise, it’s so good while never drawing attention to itself. The cinematography is one of the aspects that I appreciate a lot more rewatching on Bluray, the opening scene especially is gorgeous to look at.

Enjoy it mate.

[farawayred]

All that jazz

[rafathegaffa83]

All that jazz

Boss film

[TepidT2O]

Into the night

With Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Pfeiffer

A really decent thriller.. totally forgotten

[RedSince86]

A few movies by the fantastic Robert Altman.

The Player, A Screenwriter, Murder and Hollywood.

Short Cuts, Brilliant ensemble cast, with a myriad of stores that are linked together.

Gosford Park, with another ensemble cast of  the best of British talent over the years.

[Red Beret]

Into the night

With Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Pfeiffer

A really decent thriller.. totally forgotten

That's the one with Dan Aykroyd in it, right? I only ever saw it the once, but it was pretty good. Something of a comedy too if I remember.

[StevoHimself]

A few movies by the fantastic Robert Altman.

The Player, A Screenwriter, Murder and Hollywood.

Short Cuts, Brilliant ensemble cast, with a myriad of stores that are linked together.

Gosford Park, with another ensemble cast of  the best of British talent over the years.

Finally got around to my first Altman this year: The Long Goodbye. Easily one of the three of four best films I've seen this year.

[MBL?]

Sorcerer. I may have seen it mentioned here or Twitter. can’t remember but it’s a bit of a mad one that I’ve not heard of so watched it the other day. Looking up how hard it was to make was part of the fun.

The name doesn’t really make sense and it was a big flop at the time although I would recommend seeing it. Your man out of jaws is in it and it’s directed by the fella who did the french connection and to live and die in la.

[Hedley Lamarr]

Sorcerer. I may have seen it mentioned here or Twitter. can’t remember but it’s a bit of a mad one that I’ve not heard of so watched it the other day. Looking up how hard it was to make was part of the fun.

The name doesn’t really make sense and it was a big flop at the time although I would recommend seeing it. Your man out of jaws is in it and it’s directed by the fella who did the french connection and to live and die in la.

Sorcerer (it's the name of one of the trucks) is phenomenal, I actually prefer it to the original which often makes those 100 films lists the BFI curates.  The title couldn't of helped the film, especially when Friedkin's previous film was The Exorcist, plenty probably waited throughout for something supernatural.

As for the post about Altman, The Long Goodbye is one of my favourite films, Altman my favourite director, I especially like his psychological chiller trilogy (That Cold Day In The Park, Images and 3 Women).  He's arguably one of the most important filmmakers of all time, without him PT Anderson's output would be different as well as plenty of other directors.  Less said about Popeye the better though.

[rafathegaffa83]

Sorcerer. I may have seen it mentioned here or Twitter. can’t remember but it’s a bit of a mad one that I’ve not heard of so watched it the other day. Looking up how hard it was to make was part of the fun.

The name doesn’t really make sense and it was a big flop at the time although I would recommend seeing it. Your man out of jaws is in it and it’s directed by the fella who did the french connection and to live and die in la.

Incredible film as is the film it is a remake of (The Wages of Fear)

[Nitramdorf]

Has anyone seen Argo with Ben Affleck and Bryan Cranston? It's been on my watchlist for ages and is back up on Prime. Supposed to be really good according to reviews.

[So… Howard Philips]

Has anyone seen Argo with Ben Affleck and Bryan Cranston? It's been on my watchlist for ages and is back up on Prime. Supposed to be really good according to reviews.

It's a bit more than decent.

[Nitramdorf]

It's a bit more than decent.

Thanks mate. Will finally get to see it this weekend. I think I will have to live to be a hundred to clear my watchlists though.

[Max_powers]

Has anyone seen Argo with Ben Affleck and Bryan Cranston? It's been on my watchlist for ages and is back up on Prime. Supposed to be really good according to reviews.

I watched it for the first time a few days ago. It's good. Definitely, a cool story and it's well-acted.

But they do overdo some scenes to make them look more "Hollywood".

[Hazell]

Has anyone seen Argo with Ben Affleck and Bryan Cranston? It's been on my watchlist for ages and is back up on Prime. Supposed to be really good according to reviews.

I watched it for the first time a few days ago. It's good. Definitely, a cool story and it's well-acted.

But they do overdo some scenes to make them look more "Hollywood".

Yeah same, saw it last week for the first time, liked it a lot. Definitely worth watching.

[rafathegaffa83]

Affliction (1997)... not sure why this got tagged as a Fargo type film other than the snow... James Coburn is an utter, utter bastard in it

[DangerScouse]

Mississippi Burning. Brilliant performances particularly from Dafoe and Hackman.

[gerrardisgod]

Speaking of Hackman, I always feel Enemy Of The State doesn’t get talked about enough. Love that film, one of the few Will Smith films I can abide.

[Trabolgan]

Jack Rosenthal’s The Knowledge the story of a bunch of trainee taxi drivers traing to take the Knowledge exam to become London taxi drivers.

[rafathegaffa83]

Mississippi Burning. Brilliant performances particularly from Dafoe and Hackman.

One of Hackman's best performances. Dafoe is an ideal foil

[Crosby Nick]

One of Hackman's best performances. Dafoe is an ideal foil

Yeah he’s brilliant in it. I remember watching that at school for RE (I think). Had to watch it over the space of about 4 weeks because the lessons were too short! Very good film though.

[Red Beret]

Jack Rosenthal’s The Knowledge the story of a bunch of trainee taxi drivers training to take the Knowledge exam to become London taxi drivers.

Bloody hell I remember that film.  Only ever watched it the once, probably a good 30 years ago now.  Fragments still lodged in the old noggin.

[Stubbins]

Jack Rosenthal’s The Knowledge the story of a bunch of trainee taxi drivers traing to take the Knowledge exam to become London taxi drivers.

Yes. Very good and very funny. I couldn't remember it as a film, but I see it was. For some reason, I think of it as something the BBC would have included in one of their drama spots in the late 70's. Something like 'Play for Today' which was popular at that time.

[Sarge]

Talk Radio an Oliver Stone flick if i remember right, very very good.

[Sheer Magnetism]

James Caan is absolutely amazing in it, by far his best role like you said. Such a nuanced personification of aggression, vulnerability, and competency. The editing is another aspect I would like to praise, it’s so good while never drawing attention to itself. The cinematography is one of the aspects that I appreciate a lot more rewatching on Bluray, the opening scene especially is gorgeous to look at.

Enjoy it mate.

Thief is very, very good but I'd say Caan's best performance is in The Gambler, another film that definitely belongs in this thread, along with The Driver, the film that was the biggest inspiration for Thief. Ryan O'Neal is of course awful, but Isbaelle Adjani, Bruce Dern, the top-notch car chases and Walter Hill's direction are more than enough to make up for that.

Incidentally, how good is the poster for The Gambler?

[[new username under construction]]

Always had a soft spot for Thirteen Days, plus strangely...The Thirteenth Warrior

[Red Beret]

Always had a soft spot for Thirteen Days, plus strangely...The Thirteenth Warrior

13 days is a very good film.  So is Mister Brooks if you are looking for a decent but obscure Kevin Costner film.

[[new username under construction]]

13 days is a very good film.  So is Mister Brooks if you are looking for a decent but obscure Kevin Costner film.

Will dig it up Cheers

[Lastrador]

The Station Agent (2003) with Peter Dinklage was just on, and immediately made me think of this thread. A little (no pun intended) indie gem. Great acting from the leads, and a sweet story about lonely souls coming together in the middle on nowhere.

[Rattleduser]

What's Eating Gilbert Grape
A Serious Man
Rounders
The Cooler
Headhunters
Rushmore
The Remains of The Day
Thunderbolt & Lightfoot
Wag The Dog
Killing Them Softly

U Turn
Silent Running
Barton Fink
Casualties of War
Dead Ringers
Black Rain
Shallow Grave
Hard Eight
 

[Buck Pete]

Watched The Conversation for the first time recently. Didn't think it was great or even one of Coppola's best films, but I'd still recommend it.


The 70s is an absolute goldmine of great films, especially in the thriller genre. Many of them, like The Parallax View, are obviously heavily inspired by recent events of the time like the Kennedy assassinations, and I guess The Conversation is inspired by Watergate.

I too watched "The Conversation" for the first time tonight.  Been meaning to watch it for years as its the only movie that features the late great John Cazale that i haven't yet seen.

I agree with you.  I enjoyed it and definitely recommend it, but don't quite see it as a masterpiece.  I'd say it was quite low down of FFC's list of best movies (admittedly the movies above it are pretty special). 

Also, Coppola is adamant that its a massive misconception that the movie was a reaction to Watergate.  He says the script had been written years before the scandal and filming had completed before the major news stories broke.

[Sir Capon of Debaser]

What was that one aboot the fella, or was it a woman? That did that erm…..Christ, I can’t remember. Was good though. I think

[El Lobo]

What was that one aboot the fella, or was it a woman? That did that erm…..Christ, I can’t remember. Was good though. I think

Look Whos Talking?

[RedSince86]

The Sting (1973) , Paul Newman and Robert Redford in Oscar winning form, it has an amazing ending.

The Anderson Tapes (1971), Sean Connery movie when he wasn't playing Bond, Sidney Lumet directed it, pretty slick film.

Wonder Boys (2000), Michael Douglas, Toney Maguire, Francis McDormand, Katie Holmes, Robert Downey Jr. Douglas's performance is good as Wall Street, Gem of a movie.

Medium Cool (1969), One of the great Cinematographers made this movie Haskell Wexler and was filmed before and during the infamous 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago, what makes it a fantastic film is Haskell films actual footage of the violence in the city at the time and he has the actors performing during it.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/Q1jBezLoCXs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/Q1jBezLoCXs</a>

[Alan_X]

The Sting, Paul Newman and Robert Redford in Oscar winning form.

Amazing twist and ending.

Much more than a 'decent' film or forgotten unless I'm getting very old. A monster of a movie that won seven Oscars out of ten nominations including Best Director, Best Film, Best Screenplay...