Author Topic: Retro Filmspots I: Year Selection  (Read 35031 times)

MartinTeller

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Re: Retro Filmspots I: Year Selection
« Reply #20 on: March 14, 2012, 11:37:05 AM »
Are we going by imdb years?

For the most part, I guess. But I personally really want to correct any notable oddities we discover (like the one you mentioned with The General; or, like, the classic example of Ivan the Terrible, Part II). Especially with IMDb occassionally changing the years on us.

pixote

I agree but you really want to limit this or it gets way confusing.  It's much easier for everyone if you can just search by IMDb year.  Actually, I prefer to use Criticker, which does have The General listed as 1927 (what exactly is the issue with Ivan?).  But not everyone uses Criticker.

Everyone has good arguments in this thread, which makes me think we should just pick a year at random. 

I believe I said this before, but I'm also in favor of limiting the number of categories to make it less daunting for people (and easier to do these more frequently).  Stuff like "best scene" or "best line" can be pretty tricky if the movies aren't fresh in your mind.

pixote

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Re: Retro Filmspots I: Year Selection
« Reply #21 on: March 14, 2012, 11:43:03 AM »
I believe I said this before, but I'm also in favor of limiting the number of categories to make it less daunting for people (and easier to do these more frequently).  Stuff like "best scene" or "best line" can be pretty tricky if the movies aren't fresh in your mind.

We'll be picking categories after we pick the year (partly since certain categories like Documentary, Animated Film, Musical, and Visual Effects) might be appropriate for some years more than others. The regular Filmspots have about 25 categories. The Retro Filmspots will be limited to about 15, which I imagine will be very standard award categories, for the most part.

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sdedalus

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Re: Retro Filmspots I: Year Selection
« Reply #22 on: March 14, 2012, 11:52:52 AM »
I agree but you really want to limit this or it gets way confusing.  It's much easier for everyone if you can just search by IMDb year.  Actually, I prefer to use Criticker, which does have The General listed as 1927 (what exactly is the issue with Ivan?).  But not everyone uses Criticker.

Ivan the Terrible Part II was completed in 1946, but wasn't seen anywhere until 1958, long after both Eisenstein and Stalin (who banned the film) were dead.
« Last Edit: March 14, 2012, 12:02:16 PM by sdedalus »
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oneaprilday

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Re: Retro Filmspots I: Year Selection
« Reply #23 on: March 14, 2012, 11:53:16 AM »
I was just posting for 1939!
You did all the work for me, Sandy!  I second 1939.

I should say, however, I share, sdedalus's concern that the non-English language films will be hard to find from 1939:
I'm torn between advocating for a year from the 1930s, because it's the era I'm most interested in right now and one I think is under-experienced on the forum, or a later year from the 50s or 60s, because there's a wider range of films available.  The 30s (say 1939) is a great time for Hollywood, and there are a ton of American films readily available from those years.  But non-English language films are a lot harder to find.  There are great ones, to be sure, coming from Japan and France in particular, but there's a lot more easily available world of film in the later decades.
Our normal Filmspots are pretty heavily weighted towards English language/American films, though, so maybe that's just how it'll be in most years anyway?

All things (or most things) considered, I'd still like 1939.



(But any year we decide on will be great!)

MartinTeller

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Re: Retro Filmspots I: Year Selection
« Reply #24 on: March 14, 2012, 11:58:12 AM »
Yeah except for Rules of the Game, all my top 1939 films are English-language.  In fact, I've only seen 2 other non-English films (Wu Zeitan and Le Jour se leve) and only one on my Watchlist (Magokoro).

verbALs

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Re: Retro Filmspots I: Year Selection
« Reply #25 on: March 14, 2012, 11:59:56 AM »
Beau Geste, The Roaring Twenties, Gunga Din and Dark Victory are films I would like to see again.

Destry, The Rules of the Game, Le jour se leve (can't beat some Gabin) I want to see.

Goodbye Mr Chips, The Four Feathers, Only Angels Have Wings are films I would like others to see if they haven't.

So '39 would be an excellent vintage. I also know better than to disagree with the ladies.
« Last Edit: March 14, 2012, 12:02:41 PM by verbALs »
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sdedalus

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Re: Retro Filmspots I: Year Selection
« Reply #26 on: March 14, 2012, 12:03:17 PM »
Yeah except for Rules of the Game, all my top 1939 films are English-language.  In fact, I've only seen 2 other non-English films (Wu Zeitan and Le Jour se leve) and only one on my Watchlist (Magokoro).

Story of the Last Chrysanthemums is one of Mizoguchi's best, but I don't think it's available on DVD in the US.

1939 is an obviously good starting point, with it being generally considered the greatest year in film history.  And even if the Best Non-English Language category is hard to fill, there'll be very interesting races for Picture, Director, Actor and Actress.

I'm assuming only one film per nomination, so someone like John Ford wouldn't get credit for directing three films over Renoir, who only directed one, correct?
« Last Edit: March 14, 2012, 12:05:50 PM by sdedalus »
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MartinTeller

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Re: Retro Filmspots I: Year Selection
« Reply #27 on: March 14, 2012, 12:22:01 PM »
Yeah except for Rules of the Game, all my top 1939 films are English-language.  In fact, I've only seen 2 other non-English films (Wu Zeitan and Le Jour se leve) and only one on my Watchlist (Magokoro).

Story of the Last Chrysanthemums is one of Mizoguchi's best, but I don't think it's available on DVD in the US.

Oh whoops, somehow I overlooked that one when I was scanning my list.  Yes, that's one of my 1939 favorites.

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Re: Retro Filmspots I: Year Selection
« Reply #28 on: March 14, 2012, 12:34:20 PM »
Here's why 1934, in alphabetical order.

L'Atalante


The Black Cat


Chapaev (Best Foreign Film by US National Board of Review)


Cleopatra (Junior Approved)


The Count of Monte Cristo


The Gay Divorcee


The Goddess (China)


Imitation of Life


It Happened One Night


It's a Gift (Junior Approved)


Judge Priest (Junior Approved)


Liliom (Fritz Lang version)


Little Man, What Now? (Junior Super Approved)


The Lost Patrol


The Man Who Knew Too Much


Les Miserables (French)


No Greater Glory (Junior Super approved)


Of Human Bondage


The Scarlet Empress (Junior Super approved)


A Story of Floating Weeds (Japan)


The Thin Man


Twentieth Century (Junior kinda approved, could use a rewatch)


roujin can back me up with the ones that I missed. He counted 44 potentially worthy films.
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MartinTeller

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Re: Retro Filmspots I: Year Selection
« Reply #29 on: March 14, 2012, 12:39:51 PM »
Dames!

Many of those I need to see.  It's a Gift is wretched, though.  One of those times when I wished I could punch a movie.