50 Lost Movie Classics | Features | Guardian Unlimited Film: "50 Lost Movie Classics
From scenes of striking Mexican zinc workers to Burt Lancaster wandering through the city in his trunks, film history is rich with neglected masterpieces that have moved, inspired and disturbed us but somehow missed the commercial boat. We asked a panel of critics and film-makers to sing the praises of 50 forgotten gems, introduced below by Philip French."
I've actually seen quite a few of these.
9 comments:
So have I, which is a little weird. Actually, now I come to think of it, it's not that weird - there are quite a few classic Warren Oates movies in here.
This is a marvelous list, filled with movies that I have frequently championed (The Swimmer, Ace in the Hole, Lianna, The Parallax View, Two-Lane Blacktop, etc.). But the individual responsible for putting Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me on this list should strung up from the highest yardarm...that cinematic blight is a pile of steaming crap.
I've seen about a dozen of them, but found at least as many more that are now on my to-watch list.
I love some of these. I wonder what constitutes lost. I just watched The Swimmer again a few months ago. So strange but what a great physique Burt had at that age. Three Women really is a spooky one/ Shelly Duvall had such an eerie presence, and Petulia is a favorite.
I also wonder what constitutes lost. Some of these are heralded in histories and text books of cinema and cinema theory, such as 3 Women.
But I second some of the nominations, such as Two-Lane Blacktop, which must be one of the most underrated films ever.
By the way, this isn't the first time I've seen Fire Walk With Me being called underrated. Maybe there's something we don't quite grasp... (Certainly there is. I seem to remember only the ever-too-long barroom scene, with the awful walking blues track playing in the background. And David Duchovny in the few minutes he has in the film. Maybe there's a time for a rerun.)
It's an interesting list but it isn't what it promises. These are films that physically exist but aren't seen or respected in the way that they should be. That's all well and good, but don't describe them as lost films, call them "Overlooked classics". There's a huge number - I've heard claims that as many as 90% of all movies ever made (or maybe it was 90% of all silent movies) - really are lost, as in physically not in existence. Sure, most of these aren't classics, but there are also films like F.W. Murnau's 4 Devils that really are. And it's not just silents either. One of the most recent films on the list of lost films a 1962 Anglo-Italian film The Valiant which I have rather vivid memories of having seen on television (not a classic but interesting).
I found it a fascinating and interesting list. Steve Stilwell
With his permission I send along Bruce Taylor's take on it. He really does know how to spell Willeford.
While there are three -- Maybe four -- films on the list that a sane person would cross the street to see...there are At Least twenty I wouldn't piss on if they were on fire. That is a list of the most self-indulgent clap trap I have ever seen...The Parallax View, an" acid-trip" western and a Kevin Costner movie. Give me a break. I saw Cockfighter at a meeting of The Maltese Falcon Society and Charlie Wiliford was there to provide a running commentary. It Still didn't make sense.
Garbage...junk...and much deserving of their "forgotten" status.
Bruce
I'm happy to see the Bruce is the same mild-mannered, self-effacing guy that he always was. I'll trust you (don't tell anybody I said that) on his ability to spell "Willeford."
"We want the formula! We want the formula!"
I liked Salt of the Earth, also The Narrow Margin and I wanna Hold Your Hand, but I have to agree with Bruce that there is some overrated crap on the list.
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