Where are the classics?

Chris Messineo

Chris Messineo

Veteran
I love all the discussions in this forum. In particular I like reading all the "lists" (what is your favorite this or that).

But I am always struck and somewhat dismayed but how little older films are mentioned. Sometimes it seems like a lot of people haven't seen any films released before 1970.

Is there a bias towards seeing these films? Does black and white scare away an audience.

Some of my favorite classics are:

The Bridge on the River Kwai
Citizen Kane
Sunset Boulevard
The General (Buster Keaton)
Rear Window
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
All About Eve
The Bicycle Thief
Double Indemnity
King Kong

I realize most of these are obvious choices (but then that is the reason why they are classics).

I am always looking to see classics I haven't seen yet. Does anyone have any reccomendations for some hidden gems?

Chris
 
Re: Where are the classics?

I can't believe I forgot that one. That movie is awesome, it is practically a course on cinematography.
 
Re: Where are the classics?

touch of evil, gaslight, on the waterfront, Roman Holiday, seven samurai, yojimbo, long day's journey into night, 12 angry men, jules et jim, the manchurian candidate, the magnificent ambersens, the hustler...

uh..."breathless" anyone?
 
Re: Where are the classics?

More great flicks. Out of the ones you mentioned the 7 samurai is my favorite.

You know, I have never seen breathless but always meant to. I just added it to my NetFlix list.
 
Re: Where are the classics?

I hated breathless...but if you watch it in the context of today's filmmaking conventions...shakey cam, jump cuts...but once you understand that this was one of the first films to ever contain a jump cut, you can see how it was revolutionary for its time.

It could obviously be argued that it was simply a product of inspired amature filmmaking with all the mistakes left in the final cut, but there's something to appreciate either way. Even the main character's alias was an homage to one of Cinematography's greats (Lazslo Kovacs).

Sometimes it's just fun to see that some trendy styles of the moment existed 40 years before they became really popular.
 
Re: Where are the classics?

The original Pink Panther with Peter Sellars. Some of the funniest classic comedy you'll ever see. There's a different kind of humour in these films rarely ever seen to this day. The car chase scene is by far one of the funniest moments in movie history.
 
Re: Where are the classics?

I presume nobody's mentioned "Casablanca" because it's so obvious, not that it was overlooked ::)
 
Re: Where are the classics?

Casablanca is awesome and I always get a kick out of the rear projection in the flashback scenes. It is so cheesy but it was just accepted in the day.

Meanwhile, I have a six year old daughter and I show her classics all the time. She loves watching the original Tarzans and Abbot and Costello's. She definitely has no problem watching black and white.
 
Re: Where are the classics?

[quote author=CMessineo link=board=movies;num=1097072905;start=0#0 date=10/06/04 at 07:28:25]But I am always struck and somewhat dismayed but how little older films are mentioned.  Sometimes it seems like a lot of  people haven't seen any films released before 1970.

Is there a bias towards seeing these films?  Does black and white scare away an audience.[/quote]

For me, a lot of it is that I don't remember them well enough to say if they are good...or I just really liked them when I saw them. ;)

For instance, if asked to name a oldish film, I might say Soldier In The Rain. Was it any good? Was it done well? I don't remember. But something made it stick in my head.

Zotz!, anyone? That one, I know isn't particularly good...but lots of fun.

Laura, on the other hand, is excellent.

Dan
 
Re: Where are the classics?

-dont forget Night of the Living Dead or the Mario Bava films(where Argento, Carpenter, and Tarantino, among so many others, got a lot of there directorial style from)
 
Re: Where are the classics?

The Sacrifice
Nostalghia
Mirror
Diary of a Country Priest
Au Hasard Balthazar
Mouchette
Ordet
Satantango
Werckmeister Harmonies
La Notte

Let's be honest.

These are really the only films that ever need to be watched.

Watch them.
 
Re: Where are the classics?

[quote author=Coltrain link=board=movies;num=1097072905;start=0#12 date=10/07/04 at 15:25:10]These are really the only films that ever need to be watched.[/quote]

Whatever. ::)
 
Re: Where are the classics?

Porkey's II
Kentucky Fried Movie
Cannonball Run II
Bachelor Party
My Stepmother's an Alien
Mac and Me
Rollerbabies
Hiding Out
Remo Williams

Let's be honest.

These are really the only films that ever need to be watched.

Watch them.
 
Re: Where are the classics?

Hey,

What about the Charlie Chaplin movies?
What about Sunrise - a song of two humans? This film won 3 oscars at the very first Academy Awards cerimony.
Stan and Ollie?
The Big Sleep?
The Maltese Falcon?
Sunset Boulevard?
Gone with the Wind?
Dr Zhivago?
Ben Hur?
Spartacus?
Shane?
Cleopatra?
Psycho?
The man who knew too much?

And countless more that I can't really recall the titles.
 
Re: Where are the classics?

How about:

North by Northwest
Lawrence of Arabia
Lord of the Flies (The original)
Nosferatu (The Werner Herzog or the F.W. Marnau)
 
Re: Where are the classics?

Fave topic! its all about the classics!

Here some I recommend.. I can go on and on..

Persona
Wild Strawberries
The Seventh Seal
The Great Dictator
City Lights
The Gold Rush
The Kid
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Arsenic and Old Lace
It's a Wonderful Life
Tokyo Story
An Autumn Afternoon
Floating Weeds
Good Morning
Early Summer
Late Spring
La Strada
8 1/2
My Life to Live
Breathless
Contempt
Alphaville
The 400 Blows
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Grapes of Wrath
Armored Cruiser Potemkin
Alexander Nevsky
M



Lets keep the must see list coming!
 
Re: Where are the classics?

Well why many old films aren´t mention is in some cases because they havnt aged very well. Some movie are in the cathegory Rest in Peace wich means that you remember them as bether then they really were. How many watches ID4 today? How many would watch Star wars if it had a 70is soundtrack instead of John Williams masterpiece?

I bought Nosferatu on DVD and it wasnt soo scary anymore. And how many old war films looks really lame today after Saving Private Ryan?

But there are still some really good old ones

Robin Hood (with Errol Flyn)
THEM (with Jamers Arness)
Dollar-movies (with that guy whos been mayor in a US city)
 
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