The Two Best 60's Movies That I've Seen:
1. Lawrence of Arabia
It's without a doubt the best 60's movie that I have seen. It has also joined another 60's movie Bullitt as the two best movies that I have ever seen. You know the story: Peter O'Toole plays the title character in which he leads the Arabs during World War I. The cast is great which includes Omar Sharif, Alec Guiness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins, Anthony Quayle (no relation), Jose Ferrer in a walk-on role, and Claude Rains.
The scene-stealing role definitely belonged to Arthur Kennedy; who plays the American reporter who catches up with Lawrence. The best scene comes when Kennedy asks O' Toole "What is the one thing that you are attracted by the desert?" Without even moving his eyes Lawrence replies: "It's clean!"
What is amazing about this movie is that it's the only movie that I know in which there's not a wasted minute-and this movie is almost four hours long! Outstanding how director David Lean can do this when normally some would believe that any director would be crazy to do a movie that is very long and boring; but not this one.
2. Blow Up
This movie was was very good and intriguing. Directed and co-written by Michaelangelo Antonioni and set in London the story takes place around Thomas (David Hemmings) a fashion photographer who goes to the park and takes photos of an odd couple that leads to a murder scene. At the same time Thomas clashes with Jane (Vanessa Redgrave); the woman in the park over the photos. (below)
As I mentioned before this movie is good. But it is also flawed for two reasons: One is the scene in which Thomas gets into a fight with two girls (played by Jane Birkin and Gillian Hills-they both do not wear any undergarments!) while they are basically naked and two is the ending in which Thomas disappers for no reason. Watching this movie reminded me of when I saw Chinatown: Good movie, but the ending ruins it from being a great movie. I sent my mother the DVD of this movie for her to watch and when I got it back from the mail I asked her while talking on the phone what she thought of it. She said that it was okay and I weighed in on the film's meaning: I theorized that the movie was in some ways director Antonioni's vision of a dream and nightmare.
J. Hobermon in his book "The Dream Life" believes that Blow-Up was the movie of the 60's because it changed the landscape of cinema and started the trend of "dangerous" movies that went from Bonnie and Clyde to the Brian De Palma films Dressed to Kill and Blow Out (?). William Palmer in one of his books believes that Blow-Up is one of two movies that not only are they essential to the 60's but they may be the first 70's movie(s) (what's the other? It just happens to be below this posting!). So beside this that is why I have it at number two.
The Two 60's Movie That I Want to See
2. Danger: Diabolik
When I began this experiment of the movies in the 60's I had no idea this movie existed. Based on the adult European comic book and released towards the end of 1967 (first in Europe and then in America) the story centers on the title character (played by John Phillip Law)-a spy who causes havoc throughout Europe with his tricks and his antics while wearing a masked suit(above) .Think of James Bond, Harry Palmer, Matt Helm, Derek Flint, and John Steed (the character that Patrick Macnee played on TV's "The Avengers") going over the top. Along the way he meets beautiful blonde Eva Kant (played by Austria-born Marisa Mell; who was really a brunette!) and becomes his spy partner (below).
British actor-comedian Terry Thomas plays the minister speaker who wants to capture Diabolik while Adolfo Celi (the Bond villian in Thunderball and he was the Italian general who helped Frank Sinatra's character in Von Ryan's Express) co-stars as the crime boss who also wants to nab him; and Michel Piccoli as the investigator hired by Celi.
The movie was directed by Mario Bava-the famed Italian horror director while his producer was also about to become a legend himself: Dino De Laurentis.
Incredibly, the studio (Paramount) was so impressed by how the producer brought the movie under budget (Paramount gave the filmmakers $2 million and spent only $600,000) they gave De Laurentis the option for a sequel. Director Bava said no. The reason was that he had no faith with the American studios. Ironically enough, this movie was released in Europe at the same time another De Laurentis-Law movie was about to be released: Barbarella!
Here from YouTube is a quick clip from the movie in which Celi's character faces down a middle-aged man while holding a gun. The scene will remind everyone of the saying, "Don't mess with The Bull. You'll be getting them by the horns!"
1. The President's Analyst
You may remember that comment that William Palmer made about one of two important 60's movies. This was one of them. Based on the novel and also released by Paramount in 1967, James Coburn (this is what I know) plays Sidney Schaefter-a New York psychologist. One day he gets a visit from the head of the Secret Service (played by black comedian Godfrey Cambridge). He tells him that the President (who is never seen in the movie) needs someone to help his problems and wonders if he could do the job. Schaefer agrees. He goes to Washington to analyze his problems. But after a while Sidney gets bored. Without any warning, Schaefer leaves Washington D.C. to find "the real America" (just as what Easy Rider tried to do). When The White House staff hears this they freak out and send FBI agents to bring him back. When Schaefer hears that he's become the most wanted fugitive in America, he hides.
He then stops at a hippie camp (it includes a cameo from singer Barry McGuire) and plays with the gong (above). He then leaves and along the way, Sidney discovers a shocking fact: "The Real America" that he is trying to find is being controlled by robots. Soon he is then kidnapped by the robots and put in a telephone booth (as if it was a jail cell); later is taken and placed in their secret headquarters only known as TPC: The Phone Company. Once inside Schaefer tries to escape by using their computer called "The Cerebrum Communicator."
So why am I anxious over this movie? Just look at the photo (below).
It is impossible not to laugh at it. Also, it's unbelievable that Paramount can release this movie on DVD without any special features and no trailer. Oh man, how much I would kill to see this film's trailer! After I watched the trailers to the two Derek Flint movies with Coburn, I said to myself that I hadn't seen anything yet (if anyone out there knows where I can watch the trailer to The President's Analyst online give me a holler and it doesn't matter if it's grainy; besides I've seen the trailer to Privilege so it has to be somewhere). Leonard Maltin has said that this movie has one of the best endings anyone will ever see. After looking through the chapter index and its titles on the DVD it appears that the movie ends with a confrontation between Coburn and co-star Severn Darden (below) about used cars (?).
Here from YouTube are some scenes from the movie. The first involves Coburn explaining to Godfrey Cambridge's character about the values of moral relativism.
The next scene appears to be when someone mysteriously puts LSD into Schaefer's drink.
And the last scene invloves the notorious "cerebrum communicator" for which Schaefer uses to escape after the robots kidnap him.
Well, that is it. It was nice of you to read this. More to come.
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