De Lorimier
North American Scum
I've always been somewhat of a movie fan, altought I rarely go to theaters, I tend to rent a few movies each week but not until the last few months have I become a real movie nut. A recently purchased DVD burner for my computer is making sure I can have a copy of all of cinema's classic and less-that-classic movies. I would like to dedicate this thread to what some people still call the golden era of film making, the 70's. For the sake of including other great productions around that time we might as well include the late 70's and early 80's to the mix.
One Flew Over the ****oo's Nest
Murphy (Jack Nicholson) avoids jail by getting commited to a mental institution where he's surrounded by real mental cases played by such great actors as Vincent Schiavelli, Christopher Lloyd, Danny Devito and Brad Dourif who were all, like Nicholson, relatively young at the time. The relationship between Nicholson and the patients is just great, funny and moving. Nurse Ratched is one of cinema's greatess vilain by any standards.
The Shining
While we're talking about Jack Nicholson's work we might as well mention the 1980 Stanley Kubrick classic, The Shining. Let's see how some geek at IMDB summarized this film:
Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) gets a job as the custodian of the Overlook Hotel, in the mountains of Colorado. The place is closed down during winter, and Torrance and his family will be the only occupants of the hotel for a long while. When the snow storms block the Torrance family in the hotel, Jack's son Danny - who has some clairvoyance and telepathy powers - discovers that the hotel is haunted and that the spirits are slowly driving Jack crazy. When Jack meets the ghost of Mr. Grady, the former custodian of the hotel who murdered his wife and his two daughters, things begin to get really nasty...
It might be one of the only movies who actually does justice to the book. There's still some disparities with King's novel, but Kubrick builds a world of his own and delivers by using the environment he was given using the location for amazing storytelling. A great thriller with a great ambiance throughout the whole film.
Taxi Driver
Once again, let's use good ol' IMDB:
New York City cab driver Travis Bickle constantly, almost obsessively, reflects on the ugly corruption of life around him, and becomes increasingly disturbed over his own loneliness and alienation. In nearly every phase of his life, Bickle remains a complete outsider, failing to make emotional contact with anyone. Unable to sleep night after night, Travis haunts the local pornography emporiums to find diversion, and begins desperately thinking about an escape from his depressing existence.
This is De Niro at his best. One young lean and mean mofo in action! It's also one of Scorsese finest portrayal of his New York city. Has to be seen.
Dog Day Afternoon
The year before Taxi Driver saw Al Pacino play the part of a gay bank robber holding people hostage for a day in a New York financial establishment. The media circus takes care of the rest forcing the police and Pacino's character to take hazardous decisions. Based in parts on a true story. Pacino just lights up the screen is this 70's classic.
Serpico
Serpico is a New York city cop who blows the whistle on the rampant corruption of his service and fellow law officers. 1973 New York city and urban life collides with a true story of a man torn between his duties and the actions of his surroundings. Once again, Pacino as his finest.
It's getting late. I'll add more later, but feel free to mention your favorites. That period provided so many great stories, actors and directors, I'm sure you'll make me discover some great films to add to my collection. And don't hold back if you feel like mentionning foreign movies. There's some great stuff outside the US, especially during that era. Later.
One Flew Over the ****oo's Nest
Murphy (Jack Nicholson) avoids jail by getting commited to a mental institution where he's surrounded by real mental cases played by such great actors as Vincent Schiavelli, Christopher Lloyd, Danny Devito and Brad Dourif who were all, like Nicholson, relatively young at the time. The relationship between Nicholson and the patients is just great, funny and moving. Nurse Ratched is one of cinema's greatess vilain by any standards.
The Shining
While we're talking about Jack Nicholson's work we might as well mention the 1980 Stanley Kubrick classic, The Shining. Let's see how some geek at IMDB summarized this film:
Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) gets a job as the custodian of the Overlook Hotel, in the mountains of Colorado. The place is closed down during winter, and Torrance and his family will be the only occupants of the hotel for a long while. When the snow storms block the Torrance family in the hotel, Jack's son Danny - who has some clairvoyance and telepathy powers - discovers that the hotel is haunted and that the spirits are slowly driving Jack crazy. When Jack meets the ghost of Mr. Grady, the former custodian of the hotel who murdered his wife and his two daughters, things begin to get really nasty...
It might be one of the only movies who actually does justice to the book. There's still some disparities with King's novel, but Kubrick builds a world of his own and delivers by using the environment he was given using the location for amazing storytelling. A great thriller with a great ambiance throughout the whole film.
Taxi Driver
Once again, let's use good ol' IMDB:
New York City cab driver Travis Bickle constantly, almost obsessively, reflects on the ugly corruption of life around him, and becomes increasingly disturbed over his own loneliness and alienation. In nearly every phase of his life, Bickle remains a complete outsider, failing to make emotional contact with anyone. Unable to sleep night after night, Travis haunts the local pornography emporiums to find diversion, and begins desperately thinking about an escape from his depressing existence.
This is De Niro at his best. One young lean and mean mofo in action! It's also one of Scorsese finest portrayal of his New York city. Has to be seen.
Dog Day Afternoon
The year before Taxi Driver saw Al Pacino play the part of a gay bank robber holding people hostage for a day in a New York financial establishment. The media circus takes care of the rest forcing the police and Pacino's character to take hazardous decisions. Based in parts on a true story. Pacino just lights up the screen is this 70's classic.
Serpico
Serpico is a New York city cop who blows the whistle on the rampant corruption of his service and fellow law officers. 1973 New York city and urban life collides with a true story of a man torn between his duties and the actions of his surroundings. Once again, Pacino as his finest.
It's getting late. I'll add more later, but feel free to mention your favorites. That period provided so many great stories, actors and directors, I'm sure you'll make me discover some great films to add to my collection. And don't hold back if you feel like mentionning foreign movies. There's some great stuff outside the US, especially during that era. Later.
I do wonder what does a New-Wave film production looks like though. 
I just mentionned a few of my favorites first to get the thread going. Slap Shot is particularly revered here thanks to a very crude translation in Québec-French using slang words. It makes anyone cringe and laught at the same time.
Now, that's a list! 
