NP: David Lynch Reading

[Richard Romeo]

The actress Sarah Polley is making a name for herself as a director. 

rich



> On Jan 3, 2016, at 4:21 PM, Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I second Lynne Ramsey strongly.
> 
>> On Sun, Jan 3, 2016 at 4:10 PM,  <kelber at mindspring.com> wrote:
>> Are great directors rated solely by ego and/or pretentiousness? Both
>> Quarantino and Lynch qualify in that case.
>> 
>> I like my directors entertaining, though I do like Terrence Malick's vision.
>> Loved Tree of Life, and I'm looking forward to seeing his new one.
>> 
>> Two names that haven't been mentioned:
>> 
>> Samuel Fuller - his films teeter on the edge of schlock, but for the most
>> part, regain their footing, due to his style and viewpoint. Best: Pickup on
>> South Street (1953), Underworld U.S.A. (1961) and the amazingly
>> lurid/artistic Shock Corrider (1963). A scene from the latter:
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpuJaTA7Txk
>> 
>> Val Lewton - a producer, not a director, but the directors did his bidding.
>> Best: Cat People (1942), I Walked With a Zombie (1943).
>> 
>> Kubrick, Hitchcock, David Lean and Billy Wilder are my favorites.
>> 
>> What, no women? So few women directors have been able to get the funding and
>> backing to make more than 5 feature, narrative movies, it's no wonder they
>> don't appear on "great director" lists. Imagine taking a random sampling of
>> male directors who've only been able to make 3-5 low budget movies during
>> their long careers, and see what you get.
>> 
>> Two who often make those lists I absolutely detest: Lina Wertmuller (ugh!)
>> and Sofia Coppola (nepotism at its worst!). I sort of liked the strange,
>> in-your-face polemic, One Sings, the Other Doesn't by Agnes Varda, but
>> didn't care for Vagabond. I should rewatch it, though. Kathryn Bigelow has
>> made 9 features to date, but, aside from Hurt Locker, I'm underwhelmed. Jane
>> Campion's probably the best-known of all the directors, but I've only seen
>> The Piano (which I liked, but didn't love). Gillian Armstrong is probably
>> the most prolific (10 theatrical release narrative features, to date). I
>> liked My Brilliant Career, but haven't seen any of her others.
>> 
>> I've been trying to compile a list of best English-language woman-directed
>> films, and/or directors to watch. Here's what I have so far:
>> 
>> Best women directors:
>> 
>> I Shot Andy Warhol (1996) – Mary Harron (4 features)
>> 
>> American Psycho (2000)
>> 
>> The Notorious Bettie Page (2005)
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Ratcatcher (1999) – Lynne Ramsay (3 features)
>> 
>> Morvern Callar (2002)
>> 
>> We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011)
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Fish Tank (2009) – Andrea Arnold (4 features)
>> 
>> Wuthering Heights (2011)
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Wendy and Lucy (2008) - Kelly Reichardt – (6 features)
>> 
>> Meek’s Cutoff (2010)
>> 
>> 
>> Honorable Mention:
>> 
>> 
>> Frida (2002) - Julie Taymor (5 features). I haven't seen her Shakespeare
>> films.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Orlando (1992) – Sally Potter (7 features) Orlando is worth the watch.
>> Potter is very experimental, but most of her experiments fail.
>> 
>> 
>> Winter’s Bone – (2010) Debra Granik (2 features) This film launched Jennifer
>> Lawrence's career, but Granik struggles to get her projects funded.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Boys Don’t Cry (1999) – Kimberly Peirce (3 features)
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Eve’s Bayou (1997) – Kasi Lemmons (4 features)
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Please Give (2010) - Nicole Holofcener (5 features)
>> 
>> 
>> Newcomers I'd like to see more from:
>> 
>> 
>> The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015) – Marielle Heller (1 feature)
>> 
>> 
>> It Felt Like Love (2013) – Eliza Hittman (1 feature)
>> 
>> 
>> Dee Rees shows promise, though I didn't care much for Paraiah.
>> 
>> 
>> Laura
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> 
>> From: Steven Koteff
>> 
>> Sent: Jan 3, 2016 3:22 PM
>> 
>> To: Johnny Marr
>> 
>> Cc: Mark Kohut , Erik Burns , Jemmy Bloocher , John Bailey , P-list ,
>> Douglas Holm
>> 
>> Subject: Re: NP: David Lynch Reading
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Ozu, Kurosawa, Varda, Godard, Ray all have multiple entries on the
>> non-oeuvre list. A lot of the others mentioned (Sissasoko, Hara, Denis) are
>> not quite on my radar but will definitely look into everything mentioned
>> here.
>> On Jan 3, 2016, at 9:20 AM, Johnny Marr wrote:
>> 
>> How about Ozu for a less Western style of film making (although some of his
>> early 1930s films, before he found his definite style, are heavily indebted
>> to America)? Also a great way to remember Setsuo Hara - those films can be
>> an acquired taste, but you'll instantly recognise the artistic calibre and
>> once you gain a feel for Ozu you'll never look back.
>> For African cinema, I'd recommend Sissasoko, with Timbuktu a recent career
>> high point.
>> 
>> On Sunday, January 3, 2016, Mark Kohut wrote:
>> Not Enuff yet.
>> 
>> Sukorov, I'd watch every Sukorov twice.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On Sun, Jan 3, 2016 at 9:55 AM, Mark Kohut wrote:
>>> 
>>> Yeah, I meant Rohmer when I wrote Chabrol which shows how much I could
>> 
>>> learn by doing this.
>> 
>> 
>>> Enuff,
>> 
>>> Cheers
>> 
>> 
>>> On Sun, Jan 3, 2016 at 9:52 AM, Johnny Marr wrote:
>> 
>>>> The BFI in London have just started a full retrospective of Godard's
>>>> work.
>> 
>>>> Last year they treated us to (among others) Rohmer, Welles, Tarkovsky and
>> 
>>>> Hou Hsiao-Hsien, all stunning.
>> 
>> 
>>>> One of the big American film institutions recently programmed a joint
>>>> David
>> 
>>>> Lynch/Jacques Rivette season (I think curated by Dennis Lim) which must
>>>> have
>> 
>>>> been extraordinary.
>> 
>> 
>>>> I'm a Bresson devotee, although I don't think all of his work is easy to
>> 
>>>> obtain. Dreyer as well, especially if you want to explore early cinema.
>> 
>> 
>>>> Best female directors for a career retrospective would probably be
>>>> Akerman
>> 
>>>> (hugely difficult to obtain, ICA in London staged a career retrospective
>> 
>>>> over the course of two and a half years), Varda or Claire Denis.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>>> On Sunday, January 3, 2016, Erik Burns wrote:
>> 
>> 
>>>>> I'd add John Sayles. And Alex Cox.
>> 
>> 
>>>>> ________________________________
>> 
>>>>> From: Jemmy Bloocher
>> 
>>>>> Sent: ‎1/‎3/‎2016 10:36
>> 
>>>>> To: Mark Kohut
>> 
>>>>> Cc: Steven Koteff; John Bailey; P-list; Douglas Holm
>> 
>>>>> Subject: Re: NP: David Lynch Reading
>> 
>> 
>>>>> To go with Allen, Whit Stillman?
>> 
>> 
>>>>> I also loved Wim Wenders circa Paris, Texas. I've only seen Wong's
>> 
>>>>> Chungking Express (loved it) so unsure of his stinkers (unless that is
>>>>> one
>> 
>>>>> and I'm way off-base).
>> 
>> 
>>>>> On 3 Jan 2016 10:14, "Mark Kohut" wrote:
>> 
>> 
>>>>>> How 'bout one great documentarian? Reality bites.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>> On Sun, Jan 3, 2016 at 4:40 AM, Mark Kohut wrote:
>> 
>>>>>>> Misc. Next volume of Callow's Welles is coming out this year.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>> Women: consider Agnes Varda. And, yes, Jane Campion. Ida Lupino's
>> 
>>>>>>> couple--three films?
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>> So, Allen is your weak choice to contrast? Like having to have
>> 
>>>>>>> informed opinions about Hitchcock?
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>> No Godard? THE one I would commit to were I to commit.
>> 
>>>>>>> Along with Ray, and/or Ozu. And Kurosawa . And, yes, Linklater. And
>> 
>>>>>>> Kiarostrami. And Lee.
>> 
>>>>>>> All white guys and girls---
>> 
>>>>>>> talking about myself here---should see more Lee. imho.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>> How about placing a guy like Ken Loach in context? How much art, how
>> 
>>>>>>> much cause and sociology?
>> 
>>>>>>> Remember AMERICA unfolds w studio genre creations, if America seen is
>> 
>>>>>>> a subgoal.(which it isn't, i just reread)
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>> No Truffaut? And I'd watch Chabrol over Melville. But that's me.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>> In the circles, I have circled, I have needed my strong opinions
>>>>>>> about
>> 
>>>>>>> Hitchcock. Perhaps
>> 
>>>>>>> We all do.
>> 
>>>>>>> Your list is, of course, a high-minded one. Wilsonian ( per recent
>> 
>>>>>>> post). Kind I like
>> 
>>>>>>> But not most folk...but this is the plist.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>> Watch some bad movies too. Just sayin'.
>> 
>>>>>>> Then there are the Royal Shakespeare Company productions of
>> 
>>>>>>> Shakespeare. (joke, sorta) which I may do.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>> Do a book--blog first? Our Year of Watching Movies. (or Film, first
>> 
>>>>>>> discussion) New trend in books.
>> 
>>>>>>> and I'm not prescribing with anything above, just projecting my own
>> 
>>>>>>> self, mostly.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>> Except I am saying if you are anywhere near NYC's Film Forum you MUST
>> 
>>>>>>> SEE Chimes at Midnight, one of the greatest
>> 
>>>>>>> movies ever made, in ownership dispute limbo for a long time and if
>>>>>>> it
>> 
>>>>>>> now plays elsewhere, just go.
>> 
>>>>>>> Still my fave Shakespeare film and Welles.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>> And, more topically, see The Big Short and Spotlight while they are
>> 
>>>>>>> "in the conversation", as well as Lee.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>> Back to reading I go. Up against movies, reading's through unless we
>> 
>>>>>>> keep it alive.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>> my answer re Malick. No, he answers Christian apologetics in ways
>> 
>>>>>>> Heidegger did, whom he studied or wrote a
>> 
>>>>>>> diss on or whatever...
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>> Some of your directors offer a nice chance to explore the 'ideas' vs.
>> 
>>>>>>> 'life' in art question.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>> Sent from my iPadudio
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>> On Jan 2, 2016, at 10:33 PM, John Bailey wrote:
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>> Geez, Herzog will keep you busy. But Aguirre and Fitzcarraldo,
>> 
>>>>>>>> absolutely unforgettable.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>> Will you be viewing each oeuvre chronologically?
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>> Women I can think of that might make it onto a similar list would be
>> 
>>>>>>>> Claire Denis, Kathryn Bigelow (big contrast across her career), Jane
>> 
>>>>>>>> Campion, Chantal Akerman (RIP).
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>> On Sun, Jan 3, 2016 at 2:03 PM, Douglas Holm wrote:
>> 
>>>>>>>>> What a great list!!!
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>> I forgot Herzog, though I don't like him all that much, but he is
>> 
>>>>>>>>> significant as a genre bender.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Corns, of course.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Mallick is interesting but more for his influence (Revenant) than
>>>>>>>>> his
>> 
>>>>>>>>> achievement ... Is he a Christian apologist? I can't tell, but it's
>> 
>>>>>>>>> an
>> 
>>>>>>>>> interesting discussion.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>> I love Linklater ... Almost put him on the list, but didn't think
>>>>>>>>> of
>> 
>>>>>>>>> him
>> 
>>>>>>>>> until after "send " .... Great subject for further research.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>> I've been wanting to get into Barhrani since Ebert went out on a
>>>>>>>>> limb
>> 
>>>>>>>>> for
>> 
>>>>>>>>> him after his first film a decade ago.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Great list!!!
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>> On Jan 2, 2016, at 6:49 PM, Steven Koteff
>> 
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Thanks so much for all the input so far. Definitely going to buy
>>>>>>>>> the
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Lynch
>> 
>>>>>>>>> on Lynch and will probably get the Lim book, too.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>> We made the list on New Year's Eve, and it took several hours to
>>>>>>>>> do,
>> 
>>>>>>>>> and was
>> 
>>>>>>>>> great fun. Lots of arguments, diplomatic choices, etc. Like our own
>> 
>>>>>>>>> little
>> 
>>>>>>>>> climate talks.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>> We ended up making choices that were some balance between directors
>> 
>>>>>>>>> we were
>> 
>>>>>>>>> interested in seeing for ourselves, directors we wanted the other
>> 
>>>>>>>>> person to
>> 
>>>>>>>>> see, and directors that felt uniquely important (or at least
>>>>>>>>> unique).
>> 
>>>>>>>>> I
>> 
>>>>>>>>> consider myself almost shockingly overschooled in post-1980
>>>>>>>>> American
>> 
>>>>>>>>> cinema
>> 
>>>>>>>>> and really underschooled in pre-1980 American cinema plus most
>> 
>>>>>>>>> non-American
>> 
>>>>>>>>> stuff. There's not quite as much stuff on there that will fill
>>>>>>>>> those
>> 
>>>>>>>>> gaps as
>> 
>>>>>>>>> I'd like, which we are addressing in two ways:
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>> One is that we are acknowledging we will just have to leave a few
>> 
>>>>>>>>> until
>> 
>>>>>>>>> 2017.
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Two is that we have an addendum list of directors with one or
>>>>>>>>> several
>> 
>>>>>>>>> movies
>> 
>>>>>>>>> we consider important to see, but who we are not totally committing
>> 
>>>>>>>>> to this
>> 
>>>>>>>>> year. E.g. The Seventh Seal is on the list, but Bergman's entire
>> 
>>>>>>>>> ouevre is
>> 
>>>>>>>>> not (maybe in 2017).
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Here's the list of we ended up with:
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Lynch
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Kubrick
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Herzog
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Todd Solondz
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Coen Bros.
>> 
>>>>>>>>> John Waters
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Terrence Malick
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Linklater
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Ramin Bahrani
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Woody Allen
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Some of the choices are matters of convenience. Bahrani is young
>>>>>>>>> and
>> 
>>>>>>>>> unique,
>> 
>>>>>>>>> worth seeing in his own right (as I insisted) but also only has a
>>>>>>>>> few
>> 
>>>>>>>>> movies
>> 
>>>>>>>>> out, which counterbalances Allen/Herzog nicely.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Longlist included, off the top of my head: Gilliam, Ray, Bergman,
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Fellini,
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Welles, Spike Lee, Aronofsky, buncha others.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>> Definitely lots of glaring omissions. It obviously skews
>> 
>>>>>>>>> contemporary,
>> 
>>>>>>>>> American, white. No women on the list, which is really kind of
>> 
>>>>>>>>> unforgivable.
>> 
>>>>>>>>> We had Sofia Coppola and a few others on the long list. If anybody
>> 
>>>>>>>>> has any
>> 
>>>>>>>>> recommendations to that end I'd be very interested.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>>> On Sat, Jan 2, 2016 at 8:09 PM, Douglas Holm wrote:
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>>> All the Mississippi interview books and the Faber and Faber books
>> 
>>>>>>>>>> are a
>> 
>>>>>>>>>> good mix of biography and aesthetics.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Suggested directors for your project could include:
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Fincher
>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Hitchcock
>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Sophia Coppola
>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Wes and PT Anderson
>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Tarantino (lots of books on him ... I did two of them)
>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Jill Sprecher
>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Ophuls
>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Nick Ray
>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Sam Fuller
>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Renoir
>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Truffaut
>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Melville
>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Kurosawa
>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Mizoguchi
>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Tarkovsky
>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Bergman
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> On Jan 2, 2016, at 4:54 PM, Douglas Holm wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> There's a new book by Dennis Lim, late of the Village Voice.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> http://www.amazon.com/David-Lynch-Another-Place-Icons/dp/0544343751
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> On Jan 2, 2016, at 4:41 PM, Steven Koteff
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> A month or two ago I asked if anybody could recommend a Kubrick
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> bio and
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> you guys were all helpful (went with the Lobrutto, Mark T's
>>>>>>>>>>>> rec).
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm no wondering if anybody has a particular book (or books) on
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> Lynch
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> to recommend. Biography is desired. If the writer is insightful
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> about
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> Lynch's work that'd be a plus but I guess I'm a bit more
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> interested in Lynch
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> the guy, as person and artist. Want insight into what made the
>>>>>>>>>>>> guy
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> make the
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> work.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> My girlfriend and I made a list of ten directors whose work we
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> want to
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> see all of, in order, before 2017. We're starting with Lynch.
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> Ideally I'd
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> like to read up on each director while we are watching his/her
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> stuff so I
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> will be checking back in.
>> 
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> Thanks in advance. -
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> -
>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l
>> 
>>>>>>>> -
>> 
>>>>>>>> Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l
>> 
>>>>>> -
>> 
>>>>>> Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l
> -
> Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l
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Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l