NP: David Lynch Reading

[Monte Davis]

Ummm.. Jane Campion? Lina Wertmuller? Not big ouevres, but first-class.

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/?listpynchon-l
>
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