Monday, November 27, 2006

Fugitive

The following lists, alone, stand as mere fan inventories. Together, I hope, they signify something greater: the kinship between spiritual father Robert Altman and son Alan Rudolph, as reflected in the consciousness of a devoted film lover.

To appreciate the works of these two filmmakers as a whole is to imaginatively apply the truths they reveal. These oeuvres validate the spiritual, evidenced in the multiplicity of expressions of Desire -- hilarious or heartbreaking. They make spectacle -- semiotic felicity -- of life's trials. In doing so, they represent the shared sensitivity of comrades. In life: the struggle. . . strugggles.

American cinema gets no richer.

Ten Best Robert Altman Films

1. Nashville (1975)
2. Short Cuts (1993)
3. Kansas City (1996)
4. M*A*S*H (1970)
5. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
6. Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982)
7. The Long Goodbye (1973)
8. California Split (1974)
9. Streamers (1983)
10. Gosford Park (2001)


Ten Best Alan Rudolph Films

1. Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994)
2. Equinox (1992)
3. Afterglow (1997)
4. Trixie (2000)
5. Choose Me (1984)
6. Trouble in Mind (1985)
7. Songwriter (1984)
8. Mortal Thoughts (1991)
9. Made in Heaven (1987)
10. Love at Large (1990)

6 Comments:

Blogger Ben Kessler said...

These lists Send a Message.

11/27/2006 12:34 PM  
Blogger John Demetry said...

Exactly!

11/27/2006 12:58 PM  
Blogger John Demetry said...

Ten Best Bernardo Bertolucci Films

1. Last Tango In Paris (1973)
2. 1900 (1977)
3. Little Buddha (1994)
4. The Conformist (1971)
5. The Sheltering Sky (1990)
6. Stealing Beauty (1996)
7. The Grim Reaper (1962)
8. La Luna (1979)
9. Before the Revolution (1964)
10. The Dreamers (2004)

11/28/2006 11:01 AM  
Blogger Sascha Westphal said...

Great lists, John! You make me want to see the films by Altman and Rudolph (again). If I had only the time.

But let me try my hand at a Bertolucci Top Ten:

1. 1900 (1977)
2. The Spider's Stratagem (1970)
3. Besieged (1998)
4. The Last Emperor - The Director's Cut (1987)
5. The Conformist (1971)
6. La Luna (1979)
7. Little Buddha (1994)
8. Stealing Beauty (1996)
9. Partner (1968)
10. The Dreamers (2004)

That was hard. And I am sure in about ten minutes list would look quite different.

11/28/2006 1:46 PM  
Blogger John Demetry said...

As for: "Why Bertolucci?", I think of Nashville as, in some aspects, a response to Last Tango. Besides, they are the giants.

11/29/2006 12:30 PM  
Blogger John Demetry said...

As for Ben Kessler's "Send a Message" reference, I urge anyone reading this to run (don't walk) to get The Isley Brothers' "Smooth Sailin'" which features the track "Send a Message." One of the most moving songs I've ever heard (it provided the title for blog entry of greatest 80s albums), it acts out the spiritual concept illustrated by this salute to Altman and Rudolph (which I titled after the best song of the year, the Pets' "Fugitive").

12/02/2006 6:50 PM  

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