Notebooks Herzog has produced works of genius. That’s because he has incredibly trustworthy cinematic intuition, believes in forces that called be charmed forth and is unafraid to take deep risks in his quest. He also has some interesting things to say about his work. But I advise you to not listen to what he has… Continue reading Fata Morgana (1971)
Tag: 1970s
Films made in the 1970s
Bilitis (1977)
Wonder In collecting my old IMDB comments for moving to this site, I find a few hundred missing — possibly a thousand. There was an era in IMDB history — before Facebook and Twitter — where IMDB was a social media hub. My comments were an attractor for the worst sort, and they ended up… Continue reading Bilitis (1977)
The Erotic Experiences of Frankenstein (1973)
Dead Bits Arise Most people watch Franco it seems specifically because it is junk, or so they think. The cheapness and (for the era) exotic nudity must give some sort of trailer park thrill. But these films seem important to me. The reason is that today’s most exciting cinema comes from the Spanish tradition of… Continue reading The Erotic Experiences of Frankenstein (1973)
Siberiade (1979)
2001: Blondsongs, Gasroads and Fogsex Inexplicably this is compared to “Doctor Zhivago,” I suppose because there are Russian revolutionaries. Egad. The films couldn’t be more different. This is inspired by “2001.” Equally inexplicably, “Solaris” is called the Russian 2001 because. Heck, because it has space hardware. Jees. The structure of “2001” is its reason to… Continue reading Siberiade (1979)
China 9, Liberty 37 (1978)
Whoring and Teaching And so we have it: arguably the last spaghetti western. Wonderfully photographed. Well acted. This time around what we get is an erotic western. Our hard boiled hero is a gunslinger as usual but good hearted enough to not kill his mark simply because he likes him. That is though we know… Continue reading China 9, Liberty 37 (1978)
Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS (1975)
Damaged Film, Damaged Viewers Movies touch life in fewer and more unexpected places than you think. Most movies are about other movies or society’s dreams rather than the real world. So films that reference major historical events are interesting beasts. Possibly apart from Vietnam, no war-related event has been more trammelled by films than the… Continue reading Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS (1975)
Jabberwocky (1977)
Bonecrushing Display of Phosphorescence Rest assured that there is little relationship between this film and Carroll’s poem about his father’s crusade against French etymology. Instead, we have the first chapter in Gilliam’s quest for an appropriate vehicle for his imagination. That imagination isn’t comic in the ordinary sense. Gilliam’s world is one which is architecturally… Continue reading Jabberwocky (1977)
Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
The Women This is an amazing experience, becoming more so the further we get from it. When I see “Apocalypse Now, or even “Mosquito Coast” I see this. In fact whenever I see both an actor and a director/writer risking all in a coordinated way, I see this. And when I see a combination of… Continue reading Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
The Hottest Show in Town
Seurat meets Welles There are a few things everyone should do, and one of them is to visit the Musee d’Orsay in Paris. But first, I see I am the initial commenter on this little film. So let me describe it because you are unlikely to find it. It is ostensibly a porn film, somewhere… Continue reading The Hottest Show in Town
Heart of Glass (1979)
The Heart of the Film Soldier Some films come wrapped in their own skins — distinct beings, which can be taken as they are. But many films come with connections to their context, usually in the distraction of seeing a familiar actor. Cinephiles follow certain filmmakers and develop certain expectations and understandings over a career.… Continue reading Heart of Glass (1979)