Jedi Council Forums - 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "Brightness" (1987)

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Author	Topic: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "Brightness" (1987)
Zaz Title: Manager, The Ampitheatre Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 2/19/06 11:33pm Subject: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "Brightness" (1987) - Date Edited: 10/14 8:40pm (897 edits total) Edited By: Zaz
	"1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" is a book--a weighty book--complied by a bunch of critics, film profs and lecturers and various writers and publishers. When I first looked at some of the selections I thought they were a bit strange. However, remember the title--the book is not the 1001 best movies. The editor explains that they were looking for the 1001 movies that would give the broadest knowledge of film, and all its various sub-genres, and make you curious about knowing more. In that light, the selections do make more sense. I didn't intend to start a thread on the book originally, because of the overlap with the AFI's 100 Best Movies thread of blessed memory. However, 1001 Movies is considerably different. For one thing, it's much longer, and for another, it covers numerous foreign movies, including some I've never heard of before. There is some overlap, however. Anyway, first on the list: "A Trip to the Moon" (Le Voyage Dans La Lune) (1902) Directed, Produced and Written by George Melies. Silent, B & W, French, 14 minutes long. I haven't seen this film, though there is a famous still from it: the moon with a grimace, because a rocket ship has hit it in the eye). It's somehow fitting that the first famous movie is scifi. Plot: A French expedition to the moon discoveres that it is inhabited by Selenites, from whom the expedition escape by means of magic tricks. They return to Earth and are feted in Paris as heroes. Melies uses superimpositions, dissolves and editing, all of which were generally unknown in previous short movies, most of which were about 2 minutes long at this point. (Note: Melies was actually a magician by trade) Anybody seen this movie?
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Django211 Registered: Mar '99	Date Posted: 2/20/06 12:41am Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. 'A Trip to the Moon'
	I saw this a long time ago way back in film school. What always struck me is how Melies' films always felt more dream like to me than most dream sequences in films. An interesting companion viewing piece would be the final episode of "From the Earth to the Moon." Tom Hanks directs and stars in an episode that contrasts Melies' film with a real moon landing. It sheds some light on Georges Melies that not many people know.
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TheBoogieMan Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Nov '01	Date Posted: 2/20/06 12:49am Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. 'A Trip to the Moon'
	Quite an undertaking, Zaz. I've seen this book around - but I thought it was an Australian thing. It might still be, just a different publication. I was planning on doing the '1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die' version of this thread, actually. I think I still will.
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MariahJade2 Title: Former Fan Fiction Archive Editor Registered: Mar '01	Date Posted: 2/20/06 3:50am Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. 'A Trip to the Moon'
	I saw this back in college during a film course. Not sure if we got the whole version or excerpts but it was remarkable for what it did technically at such an early stage of development. -----signature----- Have a question or suggestion for the Archive? Ask the NEWBS! Thank you Phillies! World Series Champs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7CI39brXvw "Why can't us" Best line of 2008
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Zaz Title: Manager, The Ampitheatre Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 2/20/06 8:20am Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. 'A Trip to the Moon'
	The album project sounds good, TBM. I'm impressed that two people have actually seen the film. It must have been an extraordinary undertaking for Melies, like writing a book without speaking the language, or more accurately, having to invent your own. I'm not familiar with the TV show (it sounded like that) you're referring to, Django. What date is it?
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Darth_Banal Registered: Jul '02	Date Posted: 2/20/06 9:03am Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. 'A Trip to the Moon'
	I have very faint memories of this film, which were stirred up in the second episode of Futurama, where Bender sticks his bottle in the eye of the Luna Park mascot. -----signature----- When the sea takes me like my mother's arms I will breathe free as any word of God
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Zaz Title: Manager, The Ampitheatre Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 2/20/06 7:08pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. 'A Trip to the Moon' - Date Edited: 2/20/06 8:22pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Zaz
	Next: "The Great Train Robbery" (1903) USA; silent; B & W; 12 minutes Directed by Edwin S. Porter The first real Western, in that it has a fully developed story, and apparently quite sophisticated story-telling technique. Plot: Two masked robbers force a telegraph operator to send a fake message to a train so that it will make an unscheduled stop. They board the train, fight with the staff, open the safe on the mail car. They then overpower the driver and fireman, and hold up the passengers. One passengers run away and is shot. The robbers use the engine to escape and ride away on their horses. The telegraph operator sends for help; a posse is formed; and the robbers are killed. There is a shot, where one of the robbers aims a gun point blank at the audience. This is usually shown either at the start or at the end. I have seen a bit of this movie in "The Grey Fox", where an old stage coach robber is released after 30 years in prison. No more stagecoaches, so he doesn't know how to earn his living. Then he sees this movie. Light dawns, and he starts robbing trains in British Columbia. But I haven't seen all of it. I hope one of you have and can tell us what it is like.
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Django211 Registered: Mar '99	Date Posted: 2/20/06 7:15pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. 'The Great Train Robbery' (1903) - Date Edited: 2/20/06 7:17pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Django211
	The series "From the Earth to the Moon" was a terrific HBO mini-series that Tom Hanks had a big hand in making (director, writer, executive producer). There were 12 episodes in all. It features a remarkable cast. In the final episode they contrast Georges Melies filming his trip to the moon with the final NASA moon voyage. The series is available on DVD.
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Zaz Title: Manager, The Ampitheatre Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 2/20/06 7:16pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. 'The Great Train Robbery' (1903)
	Don't have HBO, unfortunately. Is it out on DVD?
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winter_chili Registered: Nov '02	Date Posted: 2/20/06 7:21pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. 'The Great Train Robbery' (1903)
	They referenced the "shooting at the audience" in Goodfellas. -----signature----- The Mighty Blueonic One of the Neverending and Excruciatingly Painful Padawanship A-H-B-Y ~~! !~~ it is the duty of a patriot to defend his country from its goverment
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Drac39 Registered: Jul '02	Date Posted: 2/20/06 7:24pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. 'The Great Train Robbery' (1903)
	GTR is said to be the first real movie. I have a great respect and admiration for silent film This website is a must people cursious for silent film -----signature----- "That's all there is to life, just a little laugh... a little tear"- Lon Chaney
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Rogue1-and-a-half Title: Manager: Amphitheatre Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 2/20/06 7:47pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. 'The Great Train Robbery' (1903)
	I've looked at this book and I hope to see all the films in it before I die. But that's a massive undertaking, even given that I'm only 23. Especially with all the other lists I'm working with. I really, really, really look forward to this thread. The Great Train Robbery gets a lot of clip play and I've seen about two minutes of it all told, but I haven't seen it all yet. -----signature----- Don't be a fool, don't be blind Heart of mine If you can't do the time, don't do the crime Heart of mine
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Zaz Title: Manager, The Ampitheatre Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 2/21/06 11:37pm Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. 'The Great Train Robbery' (1903) - Date Edited: 2/21/06 11:40pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Zaz
	Next: "Birth of a Nation" (1915) USA; B & W; 190 minutes; silent Starring: Lillian Gish, Mae Marsh, Henry B. Walthall Directed by: D. W. Griffith Seen extended clips from this, but not the whole thing. Technically, it's a marvel, especially for its time. Among the innovations: dramatic close-ups; tracking shots; parallel action sequences, cross-cutting, and the first orchestral score. Griffith's film language is still used today. The problem is the story. It's based on a play: Thomas Dixon's "The Clansman", which is apparently explictly racist. People like to pretend this was par for the course for 1915, but even then, the contents of this film caused a scandal. Lots of argument as to whether Griffith himself was a racist. He was a Virginian, and something of a naif. I suspect that it never occurred to him that the story would cause a furor, and he was appalled to be termed a bigot. Yet certain elements, most specifically the title, suggested he knew exactly what he was saying. The story follows a Northern family (the Stonemans) and a Southern one (the Camerons) trough the Civil War and Reconstruction. Every embarrassing racial stereotype is present and barking. The Klu Klux Klan is glorified as the saviour of the nation. And so forth. Is this film propaganda? Yes. Can propganda be art? I think so, and we will meet another example later on, "The Triumph of the Will." It's creepy, horrifying art, but art nonetheless.
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solojones Registered: Sep '00	Date Posted: 2/22/06 12:12am Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "Birth of a Nation" (1915)
	Well I haven't seen any of these yet, so let's hope I don't die anytime soon -----signature----- 6 x 9 = 42 Proud member of the Colbert Nation My short films: http://www.youtube.com/solojones1138
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JediTrilobite Registered: Nov '99	Date Posted: 2/22/06 8:26am Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "Birth of a Nation" (1915)
	Saw it and hated it. While I know it was an important film and all, it's still a pretty bad movie for everything that it stands for. -----signature----- Ever wonder what happened during the clone wars? Visit: http://www.theclonewarz.net My Blogs: http://www.jeditrilobite.com , http://tk3220.wordpress.com TK-3220, NEG VT Rep
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Rogue1-and-a-half Title: Manager: Amphitheatre Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 2/22/06 9:30am Subject: RE: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Now Disc. "Birth of a Nation" (1915)
	I like silent films, but this was beyond stagy. The techniques might have been innovative, but the film still never really rose above its roots and the acting was pretty uniformly terrible. And this from a guy who thinks Lon Chaney's turn in Phantom of the Opera was brilliance. So, you see the kind of acting we're dealing with here. Is it racist? Yes, so the first half is better than the second, but either way its biggest flaw is simply that it's too long by at least an hour or more. The only scene that I think really succeeded on any level of what I could call 'art' was the little Colonel's charge. It's on all of these lists, but it's really not worth the time. Skip this one. And do you ever just feel overwhelmed . . . all the movies, all the music, all the books . . . and only seventy years or so, if you're lucky. I feel that way on a regular basis! -----signature----- Don't be a fool, don't be blind Heart of mine If you can't do the time, don't do the crime Heart of mine
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