Vittorio De Sica - Indiscretion of an American Wife
Lolita, Kubrick
Jamaica Inn, Alfred Hitchcock
Another Hitchcock film: It’s said that Torn Curtain is among his minor films, and I think the beginning is impressive for its succinctness. Yeah, I had to look that word up. Three minutes in and he’s laid all the groundwork.
Not sure if I have a “favorite director”, however:
“Barton Fink” is my pick for worst Coen Bros. movie, 9/10 excruciatingly dull, then briefly on fire.
In terms of stultifying yet incredibly overrated, “Vertigo” (Hitchcock) takes the prize.
Stardust Memories – Woody Allen
The Hateful Eight, Quentin Tarantino
The last Indiana Jones movie, Spielberg.
Huh, I actually liked Barton Fink. I can think of worse Coen Brothers movies. Intolerable Cruelty would get my vote for worst. It couldn’t decide whether it was a screwball comedy or a parody of a screwball comedy, and except for a few moments at the beginning was an unfunny drag.
If it counts their Netflix western anthology was god-awful.
When the Coens fall they fall hard.
Salt and Fire - Werner Herzog
The Terminal - Steven Spielberg
Life Stinks - Mel Brooks
Hugo by Martin Scorsese
A draw between Kubricks 2001 (cant stay awake through it all) and Full Metal Jacket (R Lee Ermey aside, this is Kubrick at his preachiest and most ridiculous. The platoon singing the Mickey Mouse theme? Pyle finally EARNS some respect and he goes homicidal?).
Barton Fink was pretty good, Intolerable Cruelty wasn’t good, wasn’t awful, it was just kind of there. But The Ladykillers was absolute garbage.
Inside Llewyn Davis gets my vote. The only Coen Brothers film I haven’t at least liked.
Agree on The Ladykillers. A weak and pointless remake.
I have not seen many of their movies, but I can throw in another agreement that The Ladykillers movies is not good at all.
It is one of the few roles where Tom Hanks is the villain.
Shit, a lot of my favorites being mentioned. Lolita, Barton Fink, Inside Llewyn Davis…
Well, not The Ladykillers.. But the Ealing Studios The Ladykillers (1955) IS one of my favorites.
Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much (Second version, 1956) stinks to high heaven. I never could stand Doris Day, and watching Jimmy Stewart dope her when their son is kidnapped is a misogynist highlight from a misogynist director in a misogynist decade.
Still, my wife and I quit watching Jamaica Inn and my wife had even read the book. He did so well with Rebecca, you think Jamaica Inn would be at least decent. My wife thought the book was…well, not as good as Rebecca, but still a really good book.
Wow, I kind of liked The Ladykillers and posted here to that effect a few years ago. What do you all dislike about it?
Wes Anderson is my favorite director and I think he fell down on the job with Isle of Dogs. It wasn’t terrible but it just doesn’t stand up with his other work. I get his desire to dabble in a different visual style and I think he did a good job of maintaining the aesthetic consistency that he’s known for, but the story and characterizations just weren’t there. The upcoming French Dispatch looks spectacular though.