Mike Nichols

 

Mike Nichols

Host: Freddy

The Graduate

Catch 22

The Birdcage 

BBS Production Studio

BBS Production Studio

Host: Freddy

Freddy's Take

The BBS was an independent film production company headed by Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider. They collaborated with the likes of Jack Nicholson, Dennis Hopper, and Peter Bogdanovich to create some of the first and finest independent movies every made. I've written about the Monkee's feature "Head" on another blog and for a more extensive take on that, click here   Freddy's Take On The Monkees "Head" . It's a psychedelic trip of a movie, meant to poke at our nations culture at the time and to deconstruct the image of the Monkees from TV buffoons to real life human beings. It's one of my favorite movies to watch "under the influence" and bears repeated viewings. "Easy Rider" is another one of those films that took me awhile to understand. It's definitely of its' time and captures the mixing of old societal expectations and the promise of a more open future. Unfortunately, there are always casualties when we expand our consciousness as a nation and this film highlights that in between some beautiful scenery and thought provoking and discussion worthy dialogue. Bogdanovich's "The Last Picture Show" is one of those movies I fell in love with at first site. It has a charm to it that only being shot in black and white can bring out when a director is going for a distinct feel, whether it's in regard to a time period or to focus on a dying piece of America. Ultimately, beyond the aesthetics, this movie speaks to me about personal relationships at a certain age and how those become complicated once we push through into adulthood. This has been one of my favorite Director Days to host. I enjoy the subject matter on different levels. From the historical standpoint of this production company, to the direction, to the non-conventional techniques, and right down to the beauty of the films themselves, this was a day that cried out to be shared. The BBS story is little known to people that don't really follow film very deeply, but it's an interesting subject with many layers of potential interest to be uncovered. 

Easy Rider

Head

The Last Picture Show

Harry Dean Stanton

Harry Dean Stanton (Actor)

Host: Freddy

Freddy's Take

I decided to break ranks and go with an actor this time. Harry Dean Stanton is one of those actors you see in a film and like, but has never really gotten his due as a great character actor. The man is getting up there in age and I wanted to kind of  honor him in my own way. He's really only been a leading man in one film "Paris, Texas". He is great in the film, but it's a movie that really takes some patience to watch. There are long periods without dialogue and the concentration of the film is solely on the backs of the actors and the way it's shot. I have always been a fan of "Repo Man" since my friend Brian got me to watch it way back in the 1980's. Stanton is a mentor to Estevez and his character comes across as a broken down Yoda living paycheck to paycheck. The documentary on Stanton was very interesting. He is a guy who puts his iron in many fires. He was great friends with two of the greatest actors ever (Marlon Brando & Jack Nicholson) and has shared the stage with and/or befriended country music legends Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, and Johnny Cash. His view on life leans towards "nihilism" I guess and just hearing him pontificate on the meaningless of existence is sometimes humorous, but you almost feel like he knows that he contradicts himself when he starts to talk about his loves and friendships. 

Partly Fiction

Repo Man

Paris, Texas

Harry Dean Stanton's Philosophy Of Life

A strange but intriguing video to Procol Harum's "Whiter Shade Of Pale"

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

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