John Ford

John Ford

Host:  Freddy

Freddy's Take: I got to John Ford through John Wayne and Steven Spielberg. John Wayne is in one of my favorite movies "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" and Spielberg had mentioned the impact Ford had on him as a filmmaker in several interviews, so it piqued my interest. I chose "The Searchers", "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", and "The Grapes of Wrath" as the films I wanted to watch with Chris and Tanner. I love all of those movies and each one also comes from a different period in Ford's career. Each one has its' own flavor. "Wrath" is a story that follows a family across an unfriendly and perilous landscape as they try to survive in post-Dust Bowl America. An America that was becoming more of an industrialized and corporate farming nation, especially in the Midwest. "The Searchers" deals with racism in a post-Civil War America that is quickly expanding westward and is hell bent on seeing manifest destiny through, by marginalizing the native Americans and even wanting their extermination. "Valance" is a story of fact and fiction and an emerging modern world that at one point started making certain kinds of men obsolete, yet held on to their "heroism" through legend and storytelling. Each had it's own style. "Valance" was more of a play, while "The Searches" was a wide screen epic and a beautifully shot visual masterpiece. I hope the day yielded a greater appreciation for Chris and Tanner on how much of an impact that older films play on today's movies when taken into the context of their time. Those old movies had to be subtle in the way they approached big ideas and taboo subjects, but the great directors like Ford, Kurosawa (Tanner), Hitchcock (Chris), and Welles were able to pull it off and that's why they are so revered by many modern filmmakers. We have each now taken a crack at bringing an "old master" into the consciousness of other movie lovers and I truly think we are better film lovers and "students of the game" for it. It was one of my favorite Director Days and it basically marks the beginning of our sixth year into doing these semi-regular get togethers or which I'm very proud to say has lasted longer than any of us probably thought it would. 

The Grapes Of Wrath

The Searchers

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Sidney Lumet

Sidney Lumet

Host: Tanner

Tanners Take

Freddy's Take

This was a day that was easy to love and though I always feel like I want to follow up Director Day, the very next day, with three more films, this one was especially good for me. Lumet had a storied career, but he never caught on as a celebrity type in the way that directors like Kubrick, Spielberg, Ford, Hitchcock, and Scorsese did. None the less, he was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Director four times. I was embarrassed to say that I had not seen "12 Angry Men" before this day. Tanner did a great job in selecting the films to watch. They each were spread out over multiple decades and each felt very much of their time and place. A realistic view of people, who have different motivations in their behavior and how that spills over into the lives of others, for better or worse. "12 Angry Men" goes into instant classic mode for me, which should go without saying. There is so much to like. The characters, the thought provoking exchanges, and the challenge of immersing yourself in a film that basically has just one setting; a jury room. Though Henry Fonda is clearly the star of the movie, Lumet allows all of their characters their moments of influence on the story, which lends to the realism. "Dog Day Afternoon" is a film I have seen numerous times and just can't get tired of. "Before The Devil Knows Your Dead" is a relentless movie that highlights the temporary insanity that can take hold when an otherwise ordinary someone is truly desperate. "Dog Day Afternoon" is a slow burn and one of the great performances of Al Pacino's career. Other notable films from Lumet are "Network", "Serpico", and "The Verdict". Lumet's style is to produce a very realistic feel and I know that I'm going to be searching out more work from him. 

12 Angry Men

Dog Day Afternoon

Before The Devil Knows Your Dead

An interesting interview with Lumet.......