Movie Discussion

So Matt and I came up with the idea for a movie discussion group yesterday. This doesn't really have to be organized at all--just a meeting of the minds, so to speak, whether that is just us hanging out and talking or Matt writing his doctoral thesis on the use of color in Antonioni films. Basically, every month we are going to watch the films of a specific director. You don't have to watch all of them--watch as many or as few as you want. I had it in mind that you'd go through the ones you do watch in chronological order. That way you can see the growth of the director through their films. But that's just how I'm going to do it. I made a list of twelve directors I'll attach to the end of this post. I included my suggestions for their five or so biggest movies, but obviously you can watch any movies you'd like by them. I had sent an e-mail to the others in the Jesus Fighter Pilots filmmaking group, and hopefully they will come up with their own list of directors. We wanted it so that a new person picked the director for each month. That way everyone is represented. I also wanted a big variety--foreign or American, new or old, all different kinds of genres--because that way people would see movies they wouldn't normally be watching, and I just think it'll help our discussion. Anyone who reads this and wants to join in, feel free. This is open to everyone. If you want to be represented, send me a list of the directors you'd like to watch. This is really loose and informal, so hopefully we can get others to join in.

I also always liked the idea of a reading group. We could do a different author or a different theme or a different genre each month (or it doesn't have to be monthly, it can be other lengths of time). I just like the idea of everyone experiencing stuff at the same time and discussing it. I know Emily reads a lot, so maybe she can get in on this. This could even be done with music, although I'm not sure how that'd work out. Just an idea.

Anyways, here is my list of directors chosen by me pretty much at random with some suggestions for which movies to watch by them (the first movie listed for each is the earliest chronologically and the rest are in order):

1.) Ingmar Bergman (The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries, Persona, Cries and Whispers, Autumn Sonata, Fanny and Alexander)
2.) David Lynch (Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks [TV], Lost Highway, Mulholland Dr.)
3.) John Ford (Stagecoach, The Grapes of Wrath, My Darling Clementine, The Quiet Man, The Searchers, The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance)
4.) Francois Truffaut (The 400 Blows, Breathless, Jules and Jim, Day for Night, The Last Metro)
5.) Akira Kurosawa (Rashomon, Ikiru, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, The Hidden Fortress, Yojimbo, Ran)
6.) Coen Bros. (Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink, Fargo, No Country for Old Men)
7.) Frederico Fellini (La Strada, Nights of Cabiria, La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2, Amarcord)
8.) Buster Keaton (The Boat, Our Hospitality, Sherlock Jr., The Navigvator, The General, Steamboat Bill Jr.)
9.) Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Reqiuem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler)
10.) Michael Mann (Thief, Manhunter, The Last of the Mohicans, Heat, The Insider, Collateral, Miami Vice, Public Enemies)
11.) Brian De Palma (Carrie, Dressed to Kill, Blow Out, Scarface, The Untouchables)
12.) David Cronenburg (The Fly, Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch, Crash, Eastern Promises)

I know, boring picks, right? Some of them are a little obvious (Fellini, Kurosawa), but I haven't seen some of their movies and it seemed like a good opportunity to (and I know the Fellini ones I've seen get better with rewatchings--prepare to be bored your first time!). My goal wasn't really to pick directors I knew all that well, but to pick new stuff to dig into. What is the fun of picking stuff I already know by heart? And I just had to put Lynch on there, becuase he's awesome.

--Edward