Current Events > The best movies I have seen so far this year

(+) Yeah! (+)

Good evening. I thought I would spread the gospel of Quality Cinema to this board for a moment by telling you all about some incredible films I've seen this year. Without further ado...

On Dangerous Ground (1951, Nicholas Ray & Ida Lupino)
Starts off as a trashy Robert Ryan noir about a violent cop before it turns into a sweet romance between his character and a blind woman (played by Lupino, who directed some scenes while Ray was sick) whose brother he is after. The tones that Ray is able to seesaw between is miraculous. Also features a very angry supporting turn from the generally lovable Ward Bond. Anyway, one of the best films about loneliness imo.

Artists and Models (1955, Frank Tashlin)
I believe this movie was the last collaboration between Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. Lewis plays an idiot who is obsessed with comic books who is roommates with Martin's painter character. They both fall in love with their neighbors, Shirley MacLaine and Dorothy Malone. In between all of this we get a satire of comic books, nuclear bomb codes, and some song-and-dance numbers. Tashlin had spent a lot of time working on cartoons before this and he brings the same colorful, whacky sensibility to live-action. Also, this movie is extremely horny. More movies today need to be horny.

Pennies from Heaven (1981, Herbert Ross)
This is one of those late 70s-early 80s bombs that some studio spent a ton of money on for a director to do whatever the hell they wanted. Steve Martin plays a music sheet salesman during the depression who, when he opens his mouth to sing, spouts the 30s versions of these songs. And with that music comes Busby Berkeley styled music numbers (he was at his peak in the 1930s doing comedy musicals about the depression). Martin's character is kind of a slimeball but it all works out. There's a particularly horrifying scene with him towards the end that is in almost absolute darkness (the film was shot by Gordon Willis of The Godfather fame). Bernadette Peters and Chris Walken get some showstopping numbers, too.

Tea and Sympathy (1956, Vincente Minnelli)
Another great movie about loneliness. It's based on a play about a gay kid who is made fun of at a boarding school while his teacher's wife tries to seduce him so that he can make it through the day easier. However, since this was a movie in the 50s, they had to make it heteronormative. He likes to knit, listen to folk music (egad), doesn't like sports... the movie is still obviously about the gay experience at the time, but the romance between he and the teacher is more direct. It actually leads to what might be an even more somber ending. Really underrated. Barely over 2,000 votes on IMDb. Should be more widely seen imo!

The Big Heat (1953, Fritz Lang)
As usual, Lang makes another movie about the corruption of institutions. In this case, the police force, who is bribed by the local crime ring. However this crime ring (including a vicious Lee Marvin), messes with the wrong cop (Glenn Ford). He goes rogue and along with the rest of the men in this movie, destroys everything in his path, while the women try to save their souls. The only noir that's made me tear up.

The Band Wagon (1953, Vincente Minnelli)
Magical. A self-reflexive masterpiece and perhaps an even better one than Singin' in the Rain. Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse are incredible together and Minnelli stages so many wonderful impressionistic dance numbers. Hilarious, inventive, moving... that's entertainment. My favorite movie of the year so far and one of my favorite movies period.

Anyway, I just cancelled my Sling subscription so I won't be able to watch Turner Classic Movies anymore, so I imagine I will have a lot less pre-1960 Hollywood movies on my Best Of list at the end of the year.
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haven't seen any of these. but I've been meaning to add some movies to my Netflix queue. I'm down to like 8. so these could do.
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Something sunhawk would post

I am up to 127 watched so far this year. Really behind my pace from the last two years but I've been busy.
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vocedelmorte posted...

Something sunhawk would post

People always mention him when I make a movie related thread.

He has never posted in any of my topics though.

So it isn't clear to me how we are similar.
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billcom6 posted...

I am up to 127 watched so far this year. Really behind my pace from the last two years but I've been busy.

There have been 135 days so far this year. So you usually average about one per day? Is it a once daily thing or do you do multiples on certain days and none on others?

I've seen like 75 features this year, for the record.
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I've only seen The Big Heat and it's excellent
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NeoShadowhen posted...

billcom6 posted...

I am up to 127 watched so far this year. Really behind my pace from the last two years but I've been busy.

There have been 135 days so far this year. So you usually average about one per day? Is it a once daily thing or do you do multiples on certain days and none on others?

I'm a teacher so normally during the school year I watch one every day after school and a bunch on the weekend so my average is 10+ a week. However this spring I was a track coach so I had no time after school each day so I averaged like 5 a week.

But once summer break starts next week I'll be watching like 6 a day.
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the only one

i've seen is on dangerous Ground

great film

Ray is in my pantheon of directors
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On Dangerous Ground might be my favorite Nicholas Ray. Some of the scenes have a kind of lyrical beauty that reminds me of the American avant-garde films of the time.

I'm not great when it comes to expressing myself in regards to the things I enjoy, but here are my favorite films I've seen this year:

Out 1: Noli me tangere (Jacques Rivette and Suzanne Schiffman, 1971)
Possession (Andrzej Zulawski, 1981)
First Reformed (Paul Schrader, 2017)
Batang West Side (Lav Diaz, 2001)
Mandy (Panos Cosmatos, 2018)
The Eternals (Pierre-Yves Vandeweerd, 2017)
The Other Side of the Wind (Orson Welles, 2018)
Babylon (Franco Rosso, 1980)
Tuition (Bang Han-jun and Choi In-kyu, 1940)
Nightfall (Jacques Tourneur, 1956)
Blood Simple (Joel Coen, 1984)
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Paper_Okami posted...

the only one

i've seen is on dangerous Ground

great film

Ray is in my pantheon of directors

Vincente Minnelli is getting up there for me. In the past six months I've seen The Bad and the Beautiful, The Band Wagon, Tea and Sympathy, The Clock, and Some Came Running. The latter is the only one I didn't more or less immediately fall in love with.

The Clock would definitely be an honorable mention for the year so far. Along with Sanjuro, The Quiet Man, Way Out West, and All That Heaven Allows.
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KeepAnEyeOut posted...

On Dangerous Ground might be my favorite Nicholas Ray. Some of the scenes have a kind of lyrical beauty that reminds me of the American avant-garde films of the time.

I'm not great when it comes to expressing myself in regards to the things I enjoy, but here are my favorite films I've seen this year:

Out 1: Noli me tangere (Jacques Rivette and Suzanne Schiffman, 1971)
Possession (Andrzej Zulawski, 1981)
First Reformed (Paul Schrader, 2017)
Batang West Side (Lav Diaz, 2001)
Mandy (Panos Cosmatos, 2018)
The Eternals (Pierre-Yves Vandeweerd, 2017)
The Other Side of the Wind (Orson Welles, 2018)
Babylon (Franco Rosso, 1980)
Tuition (Bang Han-jun and Choi In-kyu, 1940)
Nightfall (Jacques Tourneur, 1956)
Blood Simple (Joel Coen, 1984)

Possession and First Reformed own. And The Other Side of the Wind, which I saw a 35mm print of last year. Bizarre to see the Netflix logo flickering on the screen.

I just saw Nightfall (and The Big Heat) as part of the Columbia Noir set on Criterion Channel. Not bad. Aldo Ray is an interesting, unorthodox noir lead. Sort of a proto-Fargo.
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I've only seen 20 movies according to my list. >_>
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Zithers posted...

The Big Heat (1953, Fritz Lang)
As usual, Lang makes another movie about the corruption of institutions. In this case, the police force, who is bribed by the local crime ring. However this crime ring (including a vicious Lee Marvin), messes with the wrong cop (Glenn Ford). He goes rogue and along with the rest of the men in this movie, destroys everything in his path, while the women try to save their souls. The only noir that's made me tear up.

More accurately, he messed with the wrong gun moll.

Skye Reynolds posted...

Zithers posted...

The Big Heat (1953, Fritz Lang)
As usual, Lang makes another movie about the corruption of institutions. In this case, the police force, who is bribed by the local crime ring. However this crime ring (including a vicious Lee Marvin), messes with the wrong cop (Glenn Ford). He goes rogue and along with the rest of the men in this movie, destroys everything in his path, while the women try to save their souls. The only noir that's made me tear up.

More accurately, he messed with the wrong gun moll.

Oh right, duh.

Gloria Grahame is so good in it. And In a Lonely Place. And so bad that she's charming in Oklahoma!. Did you know she fucked Nick Ray's kid while she was married to him? Pretty insane story between those three.
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I had read something about that scandal in passing.

Zithers posted...

Along with Sanjuro, The Quiet Man, Way Out West, and All That Heaven Allows.

seen all of those except way out west

i need to see more Sirk

Love Kurosawa of course

I respect Ford more than i like him tbh

he's just one of those directors for me

but yeah Ray is amazing

They Live by Night
In a Lonely Place
On Dangerous Ground
Bitter Victory
Johnny Guitar
Rebel Without a Cause
Bigger Than Life (one of my top 10 films ever)

just great stuff

Also seen

The Savage Innocents

and Wind Across the Everglades

Which are alright

Still need to see Party Girl and The Lusty men
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Paper_Okami posted...

Still need to see Party Girl and The Lusty men

Ooh, new game. Create a porn title by adding "and" to two existing titles.

Get Hard and Just Go With It

bump!!!!!
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Zithers posted...

I just saw Nightfall (and The Big Heat) as part of the Columbia Noir set on Criterion Channel. Not bad. Aldo Ray is an interesting, unorthodox noir lead. Sort of a proto-Fargo.

It's hard to believe Aldo Ray's loins produced this craziness:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivnd43sgMBk" data-time="
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had no idea that was a thing

also the butler guy who helps agent cooper is that dude from all the john ford movies

and russ tamblyn was in a bunch of musicals back in the day

david lynch clearly a big classic hollywood fan!!!! legend!!!!
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