About
David Cairns’ wilfully eccentric film blog. Cult, arthouse, classic, modern, rubbish, no distinctions made no quarter given.
David Cairns is a film director, screenwriter, journalist, lecturer, blogger.
“Isn’t it amazing that there are so many of me, and so few of you?”
Producers: if you would like to revitalise British cinema and television, let’s talk.
January 26, 2008 at 5:47 pm
David,
Love the blog!
Sorry I have nothing more meaningful to say right now…
Regards,
djp
January 26, 2008 at 5:52 pm
No sweat! Thanks for the praise. If you’d like to suggest a movie scene that makes you happy, I’ll blog about it in my regular Euphoria section.
January 26, 2008 at 11:35 pm
David,
Maybe “euphoric” mightn’t be the proper term to describe it, but the last few minutes of In The Valley Of Elah had me gulping quietly to myself.
How about the car chase in It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, World?
Regards,
djp
January 27, 2008 at 1:41 am
Don’t have V of E so I can’t do that one.
You’re the second person to suggest It’s a MMMM World — I may have to revisit that film. I don’t have it at present, so it’ll depend on whether the chase is already up on Youtube.
If you think of anything else, let me know!
January 27, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Found the car chase on YouTube, so it’s a possible. But only Terry-Thomas made me laugh in it, so I might spend the whole post dissecting why I don’t find the film funny…you might rather we did something else? But we can do this one if you like.
January 27, 2008 at 2:58 pm
David,
Actually MMMM isn’t a particularly funny film at all, but the car chase is a bit mad.
Actually, three other suggetions spring to mind if you prefer:-
- the car chase (I know…
in What’s Up Doc?
- the wedding scene in Guys & Dolls - I was always struck by the way the wedding crowd disperses immediately after the nuptials. It seems to emphasise just how impersonal the big city is - one minute you’re the most important person in the world - the next…
- anything from Welcome to Collingwood - particularly the dialogue where they are describing various capers.
Whatever works for you works for me…
Regards,
djp
January 27, 2008 at 4:14 pm
I’ll have a look on YouTube to see what’s there — I don’t have DVDs of any of the above so it’ll depend on availability online.
But if all else fails, the IAMMMMW chase could be interesting to talk about, and anything with TT is worth something!
February 6, 2008 at 12:22 pm
David - Love the blog. Makes me wish I’d studied film. Anyway, can I suggest some Euphoria?
The whole of Bill Forsyth’s Local Hero induces a state of euphoria in me. Just thinking about it makes me happy. Some key scenes would be:
The ceilidh - The slow waltz and Victor’s song, and all the stuff going on around it
Mac reporting the Northern Lights to Happer from the phone box.
“And are there two Gs in ‘Bugger off?’”
Danny chatting up Marina: “You taste salty.” “You’re on the fresh side.”
Eating Trudy - “It was a clean break. Check the bones if you don’t believe me.”
“What are you thinking about?” “Girls. Naked Girls… In a fish tank.” “Me too.”
(Dialogue only from memory, but I have seen it quite a few times.)
I can’t find ANY clips, though. Sorry. There are some on the BFI site, which you may be allowed to get at. Pretty much anything from this sublime, romantic, richly peopled film will do.
February 6, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Thanks! I love the suggestions, but as you say, it’ll depend on whether I can find the film on DVD or clips online.
Failing that, I’ll definitely be writing more about Mr. Forsyth’s work soon.
If you have a second choice film, feel free to suggest it!
February 11, 2008 at 1:44 am
David,
The wife and I just watched No Way To Treat a Lady again and I’d like to nominate Rod Steiger’s pre-kill performances for the Euphoria list. I’m thinking Steiger’s manic swings helped inform these moments, especially the bit where he’s kvetching over Fraulein Himmel’s baked goods. You get the distinct feeling that the character genuinely adores the women he’s stalking. Sure, the flick rehashes Psycho’s mommy issues, but Steiger’s hammy, unhinged performance makes it an engaging exploration.
In all honesty the entire first half of the movie has a euphoric undercurrent — buoyed by Eileen Heckart’s hilarious performance as an overbearing Jewish mother. Its like the picture really doesn’t want to commit to serial killer seriousness and holds out as long as possible before getting to the business of pitting good guy cop against bad guy crazy.
-g
February 11, 2008 at 9:06 am
Nice one. I like a bit of excessive Steigerism. But I don’t have a DVD of this and it’s not on Youtube…so unless you can supply…?
February 14, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Dang. I sent the disc back to Netflix.
February 14, 2008 at 2:01 pm
And you can’t rent it in the UK. Oh well, let’s have another!
March 9, 2008 at 12:31 am
Alan Smithee, discuss…
Regards,
djp
March 9, 2008 at 12:19 pm
For a guy with such a long career, he didn’t make many good films!
He’s retired now — he was getting too well-known, so they use another name when the real director doesn’t want a credit. Supernova was the first film with the new name on it — Thomas Lee. Although it doesn’t seem to have been used since.
They make it hard for directors to disown films because it’s bad for business. If the director comes out and criticizes the movie, he’s not allowed to take his name off. Meaning that if he takes his name off, he’s gagged. Alex Cox was unable to fully disassociate himself from The Winner for this reason, he couldn’t keep his yap shut.
March 9, 2008 at 6:39 pm
I’ve often wonder what a Smithee “season” would be like, then I looked “him” and “his” “works” up on Wikipedia…
Regards,
djp
March 14, 2008 at 12:50 am
Hi, David. I stumbled across your website looking for info about Jules Dassin. Any idea where the great man is? He is so underrated. I was listening to the soundtrack of Up tight! It’s brilliant but I’ve never been able to see the movie, which I gather you don’t care for.
I enjoyed your blog and will be back. I’m a big movie fan (58, left England in 81, married to a Costa Rican and living in Panama). I have a large collection of DVDs as good cinema is hard to find in this part of the world.
Regards,
Peter
March 14, 2008 at 12:53 am
Hi, thanks for the kind words. I assume Dassin lives in Greece still, but I’m not certain of that.
I quite like Up Tight! Dassin himself seems down on it, and it’s not 100% successful, or comparable to his best work, but it’s by no means bad.
If you have copying facilities I’d be happy to trade you a copy of it for something.
There’ll be more about Dassin soon — I have another scene from 10:30pm Summer I’d like to post.
March 21, 2008 at 3:15 am
Only just came across this site yesterday, thanks to your mention of ANGEL FACE and FALLEN ANGEL — when Linda Darnell beckons, I follow — and I’m loving what I’m reading.
A stray question I’ll offer: Do you have any affection for WHERE’S POPPA, directed by today’s birthday celebrant Carl Reiner? It’s been a while since I’ve seen POPPA, but I remember loving it a lot — messy *mise-en-scene* and all. Antonioni it ain’t, but …
best,
chris
(a friend of David Ehrenstein)
March 21, 2008 at 10:01 am
Welcome!
Yes, I enjoyed Where’s Poppa? when it played in a 70s US film season here two years ago. Sloppily made, as you say, but impressively tasteless. The whole audience turned cold at the rape scene, but sort-of recovered after the revelations that made it, if not more tasteful, at least more absurd and therefore less evil. I then described the plot to a friend who kept going “Yuck! YUCK! YUCK!!!”
April 17, 2008 at 1:07 pm
I love your site, David, especially the really peculiar stuff. Here’s something I realised about a British film.
‘Smashing Time’ is the pikey version of ‘Blow-Up’ and a lot more fun. Especially when you know that by putting together the last names of the characters, you get the first verse of Lewis Carroll’s ‘Jabberwocky’.
April 17, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Thanks! Are you the novelist Christopher Fowler? That’d be cool. Of course, you can still be my friend even if you’re not him.
I like the idea of pikey variants! Must try and think of more.
Of course George Melly scripted Smashing Time, and he was known for his surealist tendencies. I wish he’d written more films, actually.
April 22, 2008 at 1:39 am
Your blog is great, and I have added it to my blog roll. We seem to share (some) similar tastes in films. I agree with your In Bruges review (the lowered expectations made it that much more of a delight for me as well).
April 22, 2008 at 8:48 am
I reciprocate! You are blogrolled right back.
May 5, 2008 at 12:33 am
This blog is incredible and your knowledge is vast. Maybe you’ll be willing to make a big favour for me. For years I’ve been searching for a rare 1969 french movie called PARIS N’EXISTE PAS, by Robert Benayoun. It also got released in English-speaking markets as PARIS DOES NOT EXIST. Have you ever heard of this movie? Thank you
May 6, 2008 at 3:55 pm
I’ve been a recent stalker if you like. Love the vast scope covered here.
This does raise a question for me though. What are your thoughts on the Bollywood film industry. It seems their path is becoming clearer in the UK. They’re certainly getting more noticed.
Just wondered if you have any wise words to shed on this sub-subject
May 6, 2008 at 5:57 pm
I’m very very ignorant of Bollywood cinema. I got into it a bit in the 90s and discovered Raj Kapoor’s MR INDIA which I thought was GREAT. And I used to see bits of amazing b&w films on a Channel 4 show that ran clips from old and new Bollywood movies. But it’s still not easy to see a lot of subtitled ones, and I don’t know enough about the filmmakers to know where to jump in. What do you recommend?
May 13, 2008 at 9:58 am
Hi David
Just wanted to quickly let you you about a website I’ve just finished building to celebrate the release of Wojciech Has’ masterpiece ‘The Saragossa Manuscript’ (1965)
http://thesaragossamanuscript.info
Its not British, but it is one hell of a film and I hope you will find this of interest.
Best wishes
Timjim (site creator)
May 13, 2008 at 11:25 am
Great film! (And book!) I’ll put a plug for your site in the blog.