Wild In The Streets

Ah, 1968. People were marching in the streets and it seemed there might be a revolution.  There was.  We got Nixon, and eventually, Reagan.

But what about the films?  Hollywood had tossed off the censorship of previous decades, so anything was possible.  Meanwhile, in Europe, was the nouvelle vague becoming vieille?

Anyway, here's Jesse Walker's top ten from that year:

1. Je t'Aime, Je t'Aime
2. Hour of the Wolf
3. Shame
4. The Prisoner
5. Coogan's Bluff
6. Night of the Living Dead
7. Once Upon a Time in the West
8. High School
9. 2001: A Space Odyssey
10. The Lion in Winter

I think I ran into Jesse at a Hollywood showing of Je t'Aime, Je t'Aime, or am I thinking of a different title?  Anyway, good movie, though I wouldn't call it #1.

Hour Of The Wolf and Shame aren't bad, though I don't consider them top drawer Bergman.

The Prisoner is, of course, the iconic TV series, so shouldn't be here.

Jesse and I often disagree over Clint Eastwood movies, as we do over Coogan's Bluff.

Night Of The Living Dead is a classic.

Once Upon A Time In The West may be Leone's best. Every shot is a painting.

High School is one of Wiseman's best. (I don't think longer means better.)

2001 is a landmark, but it's mostly pretty bad.  It was not well-reviewed in its day, but seems to have gotten the last laugh.  Still, come on, there's a lot of overblown nonsense in this film.  Great design, but is that enough? I always say there's a decent short feature about a rogue computer stuck inside a pretentious mess.

The Lion In Winter has a reputation, but it's always struck me as a well-mounted, so-so period piece.

11. Stolen Kisses
12. Madigan
13. Les Biches
14. Faces
15. Picnic with Weissman
16. Bullitt
17. The Swimmer
18. Death by Hanging
19. The Flat
20. Planet of the Apes

Regarding 11, I never thought we needed to follow the life of Antoine Doinel (stand-in for Truffaut) after The 400 Blows. Stolen Kisses is a reason why.  Not bad, even sort of good, but not especially inspired.

12 is an okay film from Don Siegel, but not much more. (Apparently Jesse doesn't like it as much as Coogan's Bluff.) 13 is a pretty decent Chabrol film.

14 is yet another annoying, too-long film from Cassavetes.  16 is a pretty good and highly influential action film (maybe too influential in that Hollywood learned the wrong lesson).  17 is a fascinating film that has, if anything, improved with age.  20 is a fun film, and the best of the Apes series.

Haven't seen 18, and 15 and 19 are (well-done) shorts.

Other films that would make my top ten:

The Fireman's Ball

Monterey Pop

The Producers

Rosemary's Baby

Wild In The Streets

Other films I like:

Bye Bye Braverman, Head (gets better with every viewing), The Love Bug, No Way To Treat A Lady, The Odd Couple, Paper Lion, The Party, Petulia, Pretty Poison, Sweet November, Targets, The Thomas Crown Affair

Other films of note:

5 Card Stud, 13 Days In France, Assignment To Kill, Bandolero!, The Boston Strangler, The Bride Wore Black, The Brotherhood, Buona Sera Mrs. Campbell, Candy, Charly, Countdown, Counterpoint, The Detective, The Devil’s Brigade, Don’t Just Stand There, Don’t Raise The Bridge Lower The River, Finian’s Rainbow, Firecreak, Flesh, For Love Of Ivy, Funny Girl, The Great Catherine, The Green Berets, Greetings, Hammerhead, Hang ‘Em High, The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter,

Hell In The Pacific, The Hell With Heroes, The Horse In The Gray Flannel Suit, Hot Millions, House Of Evil, How To Save A Marriage And Ruin Your Life, I Love You Alice B. Toklas, Ice Station Zebra, The Impossible Years, Jigsaw, The Killing Of Sister George, La Prisonniere, The Legend Of Lylah Clare, Live A Little Love A Little, A Lovely Way To Die, Madigan’s Millions, The Magus, More Dead Than Alive, Never A Dull Moment, The Night Of The Following Day, The Night They Raided Minsky’s, Nobody’s Perfect, Panic In The City, A Place For Lovers, The Private Navy Of Sgt. O’Farrell, Psych-Out, Rachel Rachel, The Sea Gull, The Secret Life Of An American Wife, The Secret War Of Harry Frigg, The Sergeant, The Shakiest Gun In The West, Skidoo, Speedway, Spirits Of The Dead, The Stalking Moon, Star!, The Subject Was Roses, Sympathy For The Devil, They Came To Rob Las Vegas, Uptight, Vixen!, War And Peace, What’s So Bad About Feeling Good, Where Eagles Dare, Where Were You When The Lights Went Out?, The Wicked Dreams Of Paula Shultz, Wild 90  Will Penny, With Six You Get Eggroll, The Wrecking Crew, Yours Mine And Ours