Ombre Vivante Posted June 29, 2008 Report Share Posted June 29, 2008 here's something for BA: Top 10 Greatest Italian Directors I don't know enough about the topic to say whether that's an accurate list though Off the top of me head: 1. Michelangelo Antonioni 2. Michelangelo Antonioni 3. Michelangelo Antonioni 4. Michelangelo Antonioni 5. Michelangelo Antonioni 6. Michelangelo Antonioni 7. Michelangelo Antonioni 8. Michelangelo Antonioni 9. Michelangelo Antonioni 10. Michelangelo Antonioni Here are the runner ups: - Dario Argento: Suspiria (he directs very stylish gore and horror movies) - Marco Bellocchio: I Pugni In Tasca - Bernardo Bertolucci: Il Conformista, The Last Emperor (he has directed crap, though) - Tinto Brass: La Chiave (great erotic films) - Federico Fellini: Le Notti Di Cabiria - Lucio Fulci: Una Lucertola Con La Pelle Di Donna, Zombie 2 - Sergio Martino: Lo Strano Vizio Della Signora Wardh (this guy reigns supreme when it comes to Gialli and slasher movies) - Pier Paolo Pasolini: Mamma Roma - Gillo Pontecorvo: La Battaglia Di Algeri (one of the best war movies ever made) - Roberto Rossellini: Roma, Citta Aperta - Salvatore Samperi: Malizia (I always have to mention this one ) - Vittorio De Sica: Ladri Di Biciclette - Luchino Visconti: La Caduta Degli Dei, Il Gattopardo, Le Notti Bianche I just read this list and, while I agree with the majority of the choices (pretty much 7 or 8 of the 10 they listed)... Roberto Benigni? HUH?! How much did he pay the writer to have his name included with the masters of cinema? I can name 10 other Italian directors who are way better than this dude. La Vita E Bella?! Crazy. That was Patch Adams set in a concentration camp! The writer was high on fumes after trying to fix his Alfa Romeo when he chose Benigni. I do like Johnny Stecchino and his segment in Jim Jarmusch's Night On Earth, but he has not paid his dues. He needs to create something for which nobody else can lay claim to. Everything up to this point is slapstick comedy that harks back to Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, and the Keystone Cops. He's good, but he's nowhere near the best Italy has to offer. Hell, Giulietta Masina was better at slapstick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ombre Vivante Posted June 29, 2008 Report Share Posted June 29, 2008 TOTALLY SERIOUS !! Bitter Almonds knows more about films than 50 other people at this site (imo). Once I reach the level of knowledge in movies as you have in Blues music, I will be complete Even though some of the best films come from Italy, not much has come from there in the past 30 years, except for the few random Argento and Brass project. They pretty much rest on the laurels of their past. France is getting to that point as well. England, Scotland, Germany still make a hit-or-miss. I see some weird things coming from Japan and Korea. A lot of the recent horror movies here in the US are remakes of their movies. They got something going there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted June 29, 2008 Report Share Posted June 29, 2008 Roberto Benigni? HUH?! How much did he pay the writer to have his name included with the masters of cinema? I can name 10 other Italian directors who are way better than this dude. La Vita E Bella?! Crazy. That was Patch Adams set in a concentration camp! The writer was high on fumes after trying to fix his Alfa Romeo when he chose Benigni I´m glad we agree on this point too... I thought I was the only one to hate Benigni and "La Vita È Bella"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenacious_Peaches Posted June 29, 2008 Report Share Posted June 29, 2008 I´m glad we agree on this point too... I thought I was the only one to hate Benigni and "La Vita È Bella"... Nope, I hated it, too. What contrived treacle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenacious_Peaches Posted June 29, 2008 Report Share Posted June 29, 2008 TOTALLY SERIOUS !! Bitter Almonds knows more about films than 50 other people at this site (imo). Just checking, bluesy. 50? Try all of us. I love reading his reviews even when I have no idea what the hell he is talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ombre Vivante Posted June 30, 2008 Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 (edited) Actually, it's kinda weird to come up with a top 10 list of directors who are strictly Italian. Even the most avid fan of Italian cinema would be hard pressed to name 20 Italian directors. I could probably name 75 US directors, 25 Italian, 20 French, 10 Japanese, 5 Germans, and about 2 Latin Americans. That top 10 list should be more like the top 3 or top 2, which would then narrow it all down to Antonioni and either Fellini or Visconti. I used to think Fellini was the be-all, end-all of Italian cinema, but, after watching L'Eclisse, La Notte, Il Grido, Ossessione, and Blow-Up I knew he had 'im beat. It's weird, though. I think Fellini might be regarded as better on sheer volume alone. Yes, they're mostly high quality films, but there's something about Antonioni's cold and calculating way of editing his stories which never tried my patience. Both told the same stories of urban alienation, yet I didn't feel so emotionally-drained after watching Antonioni's movies. Try watching Le Notti Di Cabiria and see if you really wanna sit through it a second time right afterwards. I saw La Notte and I immediately wanted to re-watch certain scenes after it had ended. The best thing to do in this instance is to not rank them at all. They're both two of the best directors in the world Edited June 30, 2008 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ombre Vivante Posted June 30, 2008 Report Share Posted June 30, 2008 (edited) I also forgot to mention Mario Bava, who single-handedly brought Eurohorror to new levels. Back then, there was either Hammer Horror or Mario Bava. Bay Of Blood? Without it, we wouldn't have slashers. Friday The 13th owes its entire existence to this movie. Viva Bava! Edited June 30, 2008 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 Fellini is a Maestro and Antonioni too. And De Sica. But Visconti is very special for me. He´s more "standard", yes, I admit... Now, Passolinni is so unique in his way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Joe Posted July 1, 2008 Report Share Posted July 1, 2008 Italian directors??? I like Scorcese, Coppola, Capra, De Palma, Tarantino and a few others. I know, I know...Italian-American. I know. Ayy, whassa madda you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ombre Vivante Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Italian directors??? I like Scorcese, Coppola, Capra, De Palma, Tarantino and a few others. I know, I know...Italian-American. I know. Ayy, whassa madda you? Damn right All, except tarantino, have directed some of my favourite Hollywood films. I'd happily trade tarantino for Vincent Gallo The Italian-American really gets the American Experience - as do most foreign directors: Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Lasse Hallstrom, and Jim Jarmusch, to name a few. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ombre Vivante Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 (edited) Fellini is a Maestro and Antonioni too. And De Sica. But Visconti is very special for me. He´s more "standard", yes, I admit... Now, Passolinni is so unique in his way... I think of Visconti as the total opposite of "standard." He's like Italian Baroque! You see his movies and the style of photography is nothing short of Renaissance-inspired with a modern twist. Pasolini has been known to do this (in his short film, La Riccota) as has Tinto Brass. You see their movies and they are unmistakeably Italian. Visconti is the type who coulda done an epic based on the Rockefellers and make it look Italian Romantic replete with Rococo decor and such haha. Whereas Antonioni and Fellini had a more... "international" way of depicting their ideas. They show the same things we're all familiar with, but they make it look suave and smooth. I still think Teshigahara Hiroshi must've drawn inspiration from these two. Edited July 2, 2008 by Guest spelling mistake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel2Velvet Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 I quietly thought I was the only one who felt Tarantino overrated. Thanks, for that confirmation, B.A., owning my respect in this genre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSYCHOcatholic Posted July 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 lets not forget about Roberto Benigni for Life is Beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted July 3, 2008 Report Share Posted July 3, 2008 I think of Visconti as the total opposite of "standard." He's like Italian Baroque! You see his movies and the style of photography is nothing short of Renaissance-inspired with a modern twist. Pasolini has been known to do this (in his short film, La Riccota) as has Tinto Brass. You see their movies and they are unmistakeably Italian. Visconti is the type who coulda done an epic based on the Rockefellers and make it look Italian Romantic replete with Rococo decor and such haha. Whereas Antonioni and Fellini had a more... "international" way of depicting their ideas. They show the same things we're all familiar with, but they make it look suave and smooth. I still think Teshigahara Hiroshi must've drawn inspiration from these two. BA, why not get a job a s a movies critic? You´re good and you know it. By the way, Visconti was quite "standard" back int he early seventies. Yet he´s a real painter, his movies are -for me- works of art and I believe I saw them all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuzikTyme Posted July 3, 2008 Report Share Posted July 3, 2008 lets not forget about Roberto Benigni for Life is Beautiful. Holy mother of father! I loved that movie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSYCHOcatholic Posted July 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2008 It's definitely my favorite Foreign Film Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenacious_Peaches Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 I just saw a commercial for the new X Files movie and I got tingles in places I forgot I had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Laurie_ Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 American Psycho...I just caught the last 45 minutes of it...looks like it was pretty freaky...has anyone seen it, and is it worth watching the whole movie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Joe Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 Yes and yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Laurie_ Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 Thanks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ombre Vivante Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 American Psycho...I just caught the last 45 minutes of it...looks like it was pretty freaky...has anyone seen it, and is it worth watching the whole movie? It's the only movie where Christian Bale's lisp actually fits the role. Well, I was freaked out by it. The movie's alright Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farin Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 Yes and yes. I agree and I agree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Joe Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 I just heard about this site where you can watch movies on your PC. I just registered. It's free. You can watch movies that are currently being shown in theaters or you can watch old movies. You probably already know about it. I'm just catching up. Anyway, here's the link... Vid-Stream--movies online Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenacious_Peaches Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 That can't be legal, can it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 I just heard about this site where you can watch movies on your PC. I just registered. It's free. You can watch movies that are currently being shown in theaters or you can watch old movies. You probably already know about it. I'm just catching up. Anyway, here's the link... Vid-Stream--movies online Veeeery interesting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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