Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson

Host: Chris

Chris' Take:  I still remember reading the reviews and buzz about Rushmore. I really wanted to see it and was not let down at all. I was just blown away and couldn't wait to see it again, which is a rarity for me. He is another artist. You know when you are seeing his work. Royal Tenenbaums is nipping at Rushmore's heels in terms of rewatchability and class. Bottle Rocket is my least favorite but shows how things got started and can stand on it's own. The world is forever in Mr. Anderson's debt for giving us the Bill Murray of the last 10 years.

Bottle Rocket

Rushmore

The Royal Tenenbaums

The Films Of Wes Anderson

Cameron Crowe

Cameron Crowe

Host: Freddy

Freddy's Take: Cameron Crowe is a personal favorite. It wasn't very hard for me to select him early in our "Director Day" schedule. He is a gifted writer and his screenplay for "Fast Times At Ridgemont High" is based on his experiences (he also wrote a book) from going back to school and posing as a high school student. Almost Famous and Vanilla Sky are among my favorite movies of all-time, and Say Anything is a simply a classic film with a classic portrayal of Lloyd Dobbler by John Cusak. His use of music in film takes a back seat to no other director as he can burn a scene into your mind forever by adding just the right tune under an important moment (think Lloyd Dobbler holding the boom box as Peter Gabriel sings "In Your Eyes"). The "rewatchability" is very high for each of those films and in my opinion he is one of Hollywood's most underrated directors. Crowe gets the most out of his actors and that shines through in the performances he has coaxed out of Cusak, Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding, Kurt Russell, Kate Hudson, and Billy Crudup over the years. Pretty sure that Chris and Tanner really enjoyed this day as much as I did.   

Say Anything

Vanilla Sky

Almost Famous

Cameron Crowe On Film 89-05

Roman Polanski

Roman Polanski

Host: Tanner

Tanner's Take: Polanski was a left field choice for me. The only film I had seen of his was The Pianist. I assumed Freddy and Chris weren't well versed with him either. I had always known his name was renowned in the industry, and in choosing him I would open us all up to his filmography. So, I thought "Fuck it. If the movies suck, then at least we know." It was quite the opposite. Chinatown was probably my favorite. I'm a sucker for classic noir films and Chinatown had a lot of fresh elements of the genre within the film. Jack Nicholson gave an awesome hotheaded performance (as usual) and the ending was really unexpected. Rosemary's Baby was a fantastic film as well: A very close second. Can't say that I have seen a lot of movies like it. Not exactly "horror" but definitely a great thriller with now my all time favorite dream sequence. Freddy's attention to detail during the film really helped to bring a lot of the political undertones to surface. The Ghost Writer was definitely the weakest. I picked it only because I wanted to see one of his most recent films to see how his direction has stood the test of time. Looking back I wish I had chosen one of his more earlier films like Cul-De-Sac or Knife in the Water. But it was still a decent watch. Slower than the other two and more for the politically inclined. All in all I thought he was a great choice. I have since watched several other of his films, and enjoyed them all. That night definitely opened up Polanski's film library into my own, as I'm sure it did for all of us. 

Rosemary's Baby

Chinatown

The Ghost Writer

Rosemary's Baby Video Spot

David Lynch

David Lynch

Host: Chris

Chris' Take: Lynch got me into film. Before him I just watched movies. Watching Eraserhead was my first experience that film could be more than just a story arc and some entertainment. It was art and it was visceral. It challenged me. I've been hooked ever since. His art is not for everyone. Hell, I can only watch Eraserhead about every 10 years or so without doing serious mental damage. But Blue Velvet is a classic, Lost Highway has the most rewatchability factor, and Wild at Heart is a wild ride indeed (especially if you were in Fred's brain at the time of viewing!)

Wild At Heart

Blue Velvet

Lost Highway

David Lynch Ideas

Stanley Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick 

Host: Freddy

Freddy's Take: Our first ever Director Day featured Stanley Kubrick. I chose him due to my want to get a better understanding of 2001: A Space Odyssey and watching it with friends and doing some research on it was a great benefit. I really enjoy the way that Kubrick was able to add some sly wit to each of his films. Out of the three we watched, A Clockwork Orange was probably my favorite, but I was really taken with Dr. Strangelove and the performance by George C. Scott! In addition to these three films, I would also recommend The Shining, Lolita, Full Metal Jacket, and Eyes Wide Shut. I've yet to see Spartacus or Barry Lyndon, but both are on my list to catch up with soon. 

2001: A Space Odyssey

Dr. Strangelove

A Clockwork Orange

The Art Of Stanley Kubrick