Peter Yates
Breaking Away (1979)
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#643. Breaking Away (1979, Peter Yates)
Have I Seen It Before?: No Thoughts Before Viewing: I'm really not sure what to expect with this one. Haven't heard anything about it before. I'm always down for a good buddy film (unless it's in the vein of The Big Chill (1983).). What especially intrigues me is the fact this won best screenplay for 1979, which was a great year for film (winning over Apocalypse Now, Alien, Being There, All That Jazz, etc). Running Time: 101 minutes Directed By: Peter Yates Written By: Steve Tesich Primary Cast: Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern My Thoughts: I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Part of me feared it would be a generic sports film but it's actually a coming-of-age tale. A very good one at that. These characters are plenty of fun to hang out with and there were intimate moments that any young adult can relate to. My only main flaw is that it does turn strictly into a sport film in the final act. Although I was invested
#389. 8 1/2 (1963, Federico Fellini)
Have I Seen It Before?: Yes Thoughts Before Viewing: This is one of the most universally acclaimed films that I'd always struggled to understand. For years, I shrugged this off as the epitome of boring European art house cinema. I just couldn't relate or understand it in the slightest. However, I'm really looking forward to giving it another chance. Seeing that I last watched it in 2013, I'm curious to see if five years of personal growth will enhance this viewing. The thematic content and overall presentation sounds right up my alley. Running Time: 138 minutes Directed By: Federico Fellini Written By: Federico Fellini Primary Cast: Marcello Mastroianni, Anouk Aimee, Claudia Cardinale Summary: A harried film director retreats into his memories and fantasies. My Thoughts: Well, as it happens, this film finally clicked with me. I absolutely loved it this time around. Five years can really change the way one sees things. It taps strongly in
#222. The Asphalt Jungle (1950, John Huston)
Have I Seen It Before?: No Thoughts Before Viewing: I've wanted to see this one for a while. Mostly down to the fact I really like the two John Huston films I've seen (The Maltese Falcon (1941) and especially The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (1948).). Running Time: 112 minutes Directed By: John Huston Written By: Ben Maddow, John Huston Primary Cast: Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, Jean Hagen Summary: A major heist goes off as planned until bad luck and double crosses cause everything to unravel. My Thoughts: I wasn't blown away by this but I still enjoyed it greatly. It is great fun diving into the ensemble cast and overall heist atmosphere. John Huston generally made fascinating explorations on greed. Out of the Huston films I've seen, none have impressed me as much as The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (1948). I had a great time watching it once but I don't see myself ever wanting to revisit it. Does It Belong In The Book?: Absolu
#509. Zabriskie Point (1970, Michelangelo Antonioni)
Have I Seen It Before?: No Thoughts Before Viewing: This is one I've been intrigued by every since I've heard about it. I'm always fascinated to see a European director take on Americana. This one seems really unique. Running Time: 113 minutes Directed By: Michelangelo Antonioni Written By: Michelangelo Antonioni Primary Cast: Mark Frechette, Daria Halprin, Paul Fix Summary: Two strangers begin a romance at Zabriskie Point, the lowest point in the United States. One is an undergraduate dreamer and the other is a hippie. My Thoughts: Wow I thought this was absolutely fantastic. A forgotten American classic for sure. It's one of those films that people either love or hate. I love it. I won't deny that it's inconsistent at times but its fantastic atmosphere and in depth study of late 60s culture are all way too good. Between this and Blowup (1966), I really like Antonioni's aesthetic approach. His films are slow as molasses,
#537. Aguirre: The Wrath Of God (1972, Werner Herzog)
Have I Seen It Before?: Yes Thoughts Before Viewing: Oh man, I love this one! I actually revisited it last summer. I still want to see it again though. This is one of those films that keeps improving on re-watches. Running Time: 95 minutes Directed By: Werner Herzog Written By: Werner Herzog Primary Cast: Klaus Kinski, Ruy Guerra, Helena Rojo Summary: In the 16th century, the ruthless and insane Don Lope de Aguirre leads a Spanish expedition in search of El Dorado. My Thoughts: My word, this film is jaw dropping. Everything about it is just so weird and fascinating. It's as if it came from another planet. It's deeply intense and compelling in a unique way. On this viewing, I found myself particularly compelled by how nature is portrayed. It's beautiful but in a very different way from, say, Terrence Malick. This has a special rawness to it. It exemplifies madness and an ethereal mystique amidst the beauty. Plenty of the rawness stems fr
#3. The Birth Of A Nation (1915, DW Griffith)
Have I Seen It Before?: Yes...for the most part Thoughts Before Viewing: Oh brother. One on the list I've been absolutely dreading. I saw most of this in a film studies class back in the day. I remember being fascinated by the techniques but...it's blatantly racist. That overrides all of the innovative techniques and the fact it's the "first epic." Bleh...let's get this over with... Running Time: 195 minutes Directed By: D.W. Griffith Written By: Thomas Dixon Jr. Primary Cast: Lillian Gish, Mae Marsh, Henry B. Walthall Summary: The Stoneman family finds its friendship with the Camerons affected by the Civil War, both fighting in opposite armies. The development of the war in their lives plays through to Lincoln's assassination and the birth of the Ku Klux Klan. My Thoughts: Well it has a few innovative cinematic techniques...MASTERPIECE! No, this film is blatantly racist. This is not what cinema is about. At all. Cinema is a
#521. WR: Mysteries Of The Organism (1971, Dusan Makavejev)
Have I Seen It Before?: No Thoughts Before Viewing: This one sounds like an oddity. I'm somewhat intrigued based sorely on how strange is sounds. Running Time: 84 minutes Directed By: Dusan Makavejev Written By: Dusan Makavejev Primary Cast: Milena Dravic, Ivica Vidovic, Jagoda Kaloper Summary: A homage to the work of psychologist Wilhelm Reich matched with a story involving a Yugoslavian girls affair with a Russian skater. It's essentially an exploration of sexual repression along with social systems. My Thoughts: I actually really liked this one. The only unfortunate aspect of this viewing is that I was unable to track down a version of this with English subtitles. After searching for a good 30 minutes, I just settled for what I could find (I'm a completist nutcase). Although I'll admit I had to do some research to understand the context at times, I was still entertained by the visuals. It has a bizarre kinky approach that I found really
#394. The House Is Black (1963, Forugh Farrokhzad)
Thoughts Before Viewing: I have no idea what I'm in store for here. Seeing how short it is, I'm curious to see how much this can do within a 20 minute running time. Running Time: 20 minutes Directed By: Forugh Farrokhzad Written By: Forugh Farrokhzad Primary Cast: Forugh Farrokhzad, Ebrahim Golestan, Hossein Mansouri Summary: Set in a leper colony in the north of Iran, it is a juxtaposition of "ugliness" portrayed with religion and gratitude. My Thoughts: This is a powerful little piece of poetic cinema. I deeply admire what this film is doing, which is to humanize a leper colony. The manner in which this documentary approaches the matter allows us to see that they are more than just suffering. We see them praying, and thanking God for the life they have been provided as well as enjoying the little pleasures of their life. It's a raw piece of cinema with a strong amount of pity and beauty behind it. This is a fascinating piece and I'
#870. Four Weddings And A Funeral (1994, Mike Newell)
Thoughts Before Viewing: I've always heard this title but don't know anything about it. Honestly, it doesn't look very interesting. Maybe it'll have its moments. We'll see. Running Time: 117 minutes Directed By: Mike Newell Written By: Richard Curtis Primary Cast: Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, James Fleet Summary: Over the course of five social occasions, a committed bachelor must consider the notion that he may have discovered love. My Thoughts: It was okay. I did enjoy the episodic structure and it actually had some pretty funny moments. But, in the end of the day, it was just a typical romantic film. Completely indifferent on this one. Not much good to say but not much bad. Probably one of the best of its kind, for whatever that's worth. Does It Belong In The Book?: Yes. It is one of the essentials rom-coms. My Rating: 5/10
25: My Favorite Albums Of All Time
Along with films, I spend a good amount of my spare time listening to music. Here is a list of 25 albums that have the most significance to me. I am going to list this in alphabetical order because obsessing over one being better than the other gets exhausting really fast. Abbey Road (1969, The Beatles) I know it's a cliched choice but c'mon, it's Abbey Road. The biggest band in the world comes together one last time to create one of the greatest musical experiences imaginable. In my eyes, it's clearly their greatest achievement. The entire album is pure heavenly bliss and all that is good in the world. Highlights: Come Together Something Oh! Darling I Want You (She's So Heavy) Here Comes The Sun Because Abbey Road Medley After The Gold Rush (1970, Neil Young) This one always manages to speak to me in some way. It sounds melancholic and defeated, yet hopeful and inspired. Mystical, yet grounded. Without