Filmically Perfect

This might better be titled "Sullivan's Travails" for all that poor John L. Sullivan is put through in trying to research his new pet film project "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" Writer-Director Preston Sturges leads us through this story, at times hilarious, at times perilous, at times powerful, by our noses and we love it!

Christopher Nolan is now best known for resuscitating “Batman,” to the delight of the Dark Knight’s minions everywhere. He burst on the scene in 2000 with this remarkable, turned about tale that asks more questions than it can possibly answer and has the distinction of a clever concept that doesn’t overwhelm the storytelling.

It's three for the price of one this week as The Film Guys and Niki Dakota present three films which don't appear on their List of Perfect Movies, but which they love nonetheless. From a tribute to Doris and Rock, to teen sex frustration in Ohio and finally C.B. DeMille under the big top! Come one, come all, it's a panoply of movie mayhem!

A production of The Archers, aka Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, "Black Narcissus" is great for only the spectacular Technicolor cinematography. But wait, there's more! A brooding dark storyline, roiling in repressed sexuality and longing also makes it a fun time for all. Top that off with that fact that not one frame was shot on location--that all was made in and around a studio in the UK--and it remains as one of the true cinematic "creations" of the Twentieth Century.

From lowly cel washer to head of a cartoon studio bearing his name, Charles M. "Chuck" Jones was one of the great success stories in American animation. Jones' cartoons have the strongest and most definable style outside of Walt Disney's and are arguably much funnier. Jones maintained that he made his films for just one person--himself--and it shows in the adult qualities of his best work, although even the films he made for child consumption are easily enjoyed by adults.

Albert and David Maysles' "Direct cinema" masterpiece tells the story of four door-to-door bible salesman and the people and problems they encounter. Much of the film focuses on Paul Brennan, "The Badger," whose life and work deteriorate before our eyes like a real life Willy Loman, the tortured title character of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman.

The grand combination of Godfrey Reggio's thoughts, Philip Glass' music and Ron Fricke's cinematography make this film not only an emotional learning experience, but powerful cinema. Often copied, but never equally, even by its two companion pieces "Powaqqatsi" and "Naqoyqatsi," "Koyaanisqatsi" screams out wordlessly about the chaotic and ultimately destructive way of life here on Earth.

As the result of an horrible case of writer’s block, Federico Fellini created one of his most seminal and autobiographical films. The story of a world-famous director, saddled with writer’s block, a film he can got finish, let alone begin, and all the people in his life, present and past, who wander in and out of his thoughts like ghosts. A supreme example of the cinema of dreams.

What a way to start your career! Tim Burton’s debut feature and Paul Reubens’ big screen debut as his beloved and bizarre man-child Pee-wee Herman! The stars aligned for this wacky, silly, “dare-to-be-stupid” comedy that is like no other. And as they proved only a couple years later with Big Top Pee-Wee, lightning could not strike twice for this magical combination.

John Frankenheimer's political thriller, based on Richard Condon's novel, is as riveting today as it ever was, remakes notwithstanding. Frank Sinatra is riveting, Angela Lansbury is incredibly evil, and Laurence Harvey plays the ultimate walking dead man as Raymond Shaw.

Anthony Mann took an aging genre, the western, and an aging star, James Stewart, and turned them both around in Winchester ’73. This film began a partnership that lasted for several years and several marvelous, gritty films. Mann also populates this film (as well as his other westerns) with a fascinating array of players from the amazingly saucy Shelley Winters to the psychotic, giggling Dan Duryea, here giving Richard Widmark a run for his money!

Pat O’Brien as a priest, James Cagney as a murderous hood, and Humphrey Bogart as a sleazy lawyer? How can you go wrong? Lay it all in the extremely capable hands of Warners’ go-to guy, Michael Curtiz, and you’ve got one fine movie! Whaddaya say?

What a better choice for Friday the 13th than Stanley Kubrick acidic comedy about the destruction of our world via Nuclear Holocaust? With an absolutely stellar cast, including great folks like Keenan Wynn and James Earl Jones in small roles, Kubrick just couldn’t go wrong. And so we complete our second season of Filmically Perfect and, as Vera Lynn sings over the blossoming mushroom clouds, “We’ll meet again!” STAY TUNED!

The first and best--often imitated never equalled--even by its creators! Join us as we reminisce about one of THE summer movies!

Orson Welles--twenty-five years old--comes to Hollywood and makes this film. Amazing.

Philip Kaufman’s EPIC filming of Tom Wolfe’s book about the Mercury Space Program is not only a PERFECT MOVIE, but arguably one of the best films of the 1980s! A funny, exciting, touching, important story of bravery, foolishness, love, barbeque, and all things human. A grand portrait of seven brave men and the new world they blazed their trail into!

From that fateful day in 1975, when Film Guy Geo. Willeman got his Super 8mm print of Metropolis, it was a given that this film would be part of our Perfect Movie List. Sure, the story is fairly corny and some of the acting is heavy on the ham, but truly, there is nothing else quite like it. And now, thanks to our friends at Transit-Film, The F.W. Murnau Foundation and Kino Video, we can all enjoy this film in a beautiful new version.

Denis Sanders created the perfect Elvis Time Capsule with his 1970 film Elvis: That’s The Way It Is. Elvis fan or no, one cannot deny the power and influence this fellow from Memphis had on the world of popular music. Here we see him at the top of his newly regained powers, finally free of the crapulous films he had been making in the years preceding. Find the ORIGINAL version and revel in it!

After returning from exile to his native Spain, director Luis Buñuel made one his greatest and most controversial films--Viridiana. After its release, he found himself back on the slow boat to Churubusco, Mexico, where he made this very surreal and angry film, no doubt venting his cinematic spleen towards his Spanish foes.

Harsh--gritty--dark--and that’s just the opening credits!! Martin Scorsese’s unflinching portrait of boxer Jake LaMotta won the “Best Picture” award for 1980 and retains all of its power more than twenty-five years later. It also introduced us to two great actors: Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty!