Directed by Richard C. Sarafian Vanishing Point has a lot in common with The Sugarland Express (1974) and Smokey and the Bandit (1977). It's a car chase movie that starts off small but then builds and builds until our hero behind the wheel has attracted a large, adoring cheering section. In this case Kowalski (Barry Newman) becomes a … Continue reading Vanishing Point (1971)
easy rider
Five Easy Pieces (1970)
Directed by Bob Rafelson Five Easy Pieces is at the forefront of the New Hollywood, at least I think it is. Released at the beginning of the 70s, the film precedes many of the classic movies from the likes of Martin Scorsese, Hal Ashby, Coppola, Lucas, Spielberg, Altman, Bogdanovich, Boorman, De Palma... [deep breath]... Friedkin, … Continue reading Five Easy Pieces (1970)
Fedora (1978)
Directed by Billy Wilder Everything about Billy Wilder's Fedora feels out of time and place. The story takes place in an isolated European estate, inhabited by characters with deliberately hidden agendas. Our hero, Dutch, is played by William Holden, two decades older than we're used to seeing him in his most well-known films (Sunset Boulevard, The Bridge on … Continue reading Fedora (1978)
Zabriskie Point (1970)
Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni "Disastrously in between are the absolutely wretched youngsters Frechette and Halprin, who cause a fatal rupture when their bedraggled, inexpressive drama fails to feed life into a brilliantly lyrical documentary." - The Village Voice, 1983 "It clearly constructs a negative image of authority and materialism, but its converse handling of revolutionary students … Continue reading Zabriskie Point (1970)
The Limey (1999)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh The Limey has the feel of an old French film from the 1960s, something like Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless, Francois Truffaut's Shoot the Piano Player or Louis Malle's Elevator to the Gallows. What I remember most about those films is the gun, the non-conventional editing and an ending that doesn't always offer you what you want … Continue reading The Limey (1999)
The Rain People (1969)
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola In The Rain People, a pregnant housewife, Natalie (Shirley Knight) leaves her husband and hits the road. She knows not where she is headed, and her aimless travels introduce her to two men whose eventual showdown leaves her hopeless and distraught. Roger Ebert compares this film to Easy Rider, and it's clear … Continue reading The Rain People (1969)
The Producers (1967)
Directed by Mel Brooks It helps to know the climate into which The Producers was born and released. It's a lowbrow comedy with a series of jokes both vulgar and cheap, and the utter disbelief audiences may have had could be lost on modern audiences because of the insane amount of lowbrow comedies released since. This … Continue reading The Producers (1967)
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