thehefner: (Col Ives in the Fire)
[personal profile] thehefner
Meanwhile, the American Film Institute is holding one of the best contests ever. The winner gets to be guest programmer for a night, and the AFI Silver theatre in Silver Spring, MD, will show a number of films of the winner's choosing!

Holy. Crap. People.

I so want to enter, but the problem is, I don't know what films I'd want to show. I'd want to have a selection that isn't too popular, isn't too well-known, but isn't too... too... well, let's just say THE NINTH CONFIGURATION and RAVENOUS are right out. They have to be underseen and not-too-recent, but still actually good, and interesting enough to get attention.

So what to choose, what to choose? My current top ten favorite films goes as follows (as taken from my big huge megalist of Favorite Things Ever):

1.) Once Upon a Time in the West
2.) Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
3.) The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
4.) Sunday in the Park with George
5.) Ravenous
6.) Shaun of the Dead
7.) The Fountain
8.) Manhunter
9.) 12 Angry Men
10.) The Brothers Karamazov

I think ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST is a must. It's a generally-regarded but underseen masterpiece that deserves to be on the big screen with full theatre sound. So does THE FOUNTAIN, but as much as I desperately want to see that on the big screen again (will my TV possibly be the same? Not since LOTR has there been a film...) that just came to theatres and still needs at least ten years before people start coming around to that film, just the way they did with 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV might be great; a classic Hollywood take on my favorite novel of all time, with Yul Brenner, Lee J. Cobb, The Shat, and heartbreakingly beautiful Maria Schell, whose smile has destroyed stronger men than I. But then, I'm not sure if that should be on my favorite films list rather than the Jason Robards THE ICEMAN COMETH.

But there are so many other films I adore. Other strong possible ideas that come to mind include BLOOD SIMPLE, PSYCHO II, DIABOLIQUE, THE THING, TITUS, GATTACA, BUBBA HO-TEP, and L.A. STORY. Ohh, and Paul Scofield's super obscure and utterly brilliant KING LEAR, directed by Peter Brook, that's a hell of a contender as well.

What do any of you folks think would make an ideal lineup for a John Hefner night at AFI? I get to select my top five, but it looks like the top three I choose are the most important. I really need to bear this some serious consideration. Because if Arch fucking Campbell can get his own night at the movies, I bloody well deserve it too!

Strong as I am...

Date: 2007-03-20 10:17 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] suburbfabulous.livejournal.com
That list is awesome, but mine would be different. I believe I shall post about this.
You have inspired us, Hef.

Date: 2007-03-20 12:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] entropicalia.livejournal.com
I like your choices! Especially 10. Dostoyevsky on the big screen = drooool.

Date: 2007-03-20 01:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] wendywoowho.livejournal.com
O.M.G.

That is the best contest over!

LA Story!
Titus!
Gattaca!

Mmmmm.... *purr*

Date: 2007-03-20 01:48 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gore-whore-5.livejournal.com
Ravenous, L.A. Story, Bubba Ho-Tep if I have to pick only three. I want to include Psycho in the top five, and maybe Psycho 2. For my own list, I'd want Memento and Secretary, but I really like the list you gave. From your review of Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, I'd say keep it in. (I haven't seen it yet) and I also really like 12 Angry Men.

So how many is that?
1. Ravenous
2. L.A. Story
3. Bubba Ho-Tep
4. Psycho
5. Psycho 2
6. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
7. 12 Angry Men

Well, those are my two cents.

Date: 2007-03-20 02:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] frumple.livejournal.com
Great contest....

Using your list as a basis...

1) Once Upon a Time in the West
2) The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
3) The Fountain
4) Titus
5) The Thing (the John Carpetener version)
6) Gattaca
7) LA Story

don't really know the others...

Date: 2007-03-20 02:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tazira.livejournal.com
Ooo. For my money, go with a theme.

A surreal night, with gorgeous visuals, and whether you loved or hated these movies, it has to be admitted, you could happily watch them on acid:

Titus
Brazil
Metropolis
The Fountain
Pi
Gattaca

A guilty pleasures night of swashbucklers old and new:

The Sea Hawk
Fire Over England
Robin Hood
Captain Blood
Princess Bride
The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers (the Michael York versions)
Shakespeare in Love

An even guiltier pleasures night of splashy, trashy, glitzy old Hollywood movies:

Ben Hur
The Ten Commandments
Quo Vadis
Cleopatra
Gone With The Wind

A night of Akira Kurosawa:

Seven Samurai
Kagemusha
Ran
Throne of Blood
Rashomon

Date: 2007-03-20 02:36 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gnort.livejournal.com
ooh this sounds, as an insane mouse once said, fun fun silly willy

My list would be

1. Ghostbusters II
2. Donnie Darko
3. Emperor's New Groove
4. Princess Bride
5. Shawshank Redemption
6. Edward Scissorhands
7. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
8. The Rock
9. Mallrats
10. Exorcist III

Date: 2007-03-20 02:47 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gallen-storm.livejournal.com
I go for

1) A Chinese Ghost Story
2) The 7th Seal
3) Kagamusha
4) Ran
5) Seven Samurai
6) Laurence of Arabia
7) Casablanca
8) The Emperor and The Assassin
9) Steamboy
10) Pom Poko

Date: 2007-03-20 02:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gallen-storm.livejournal.com
I go for

1) A Chinese Ghost Story
2) The 7th Seal
3) Kagamusha
4) Ran
5) Seven Samurai
6) Laurence of Arabia
7) Casablanca
8) The Emperor and The Assassin
9) Steamboy
10) Pom Poko
extra
11) Robot Carnival

Date: 2007-03-20 03:29 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thehefner.livejournal.com
They will be showing RAN and THRONE OF BLOOD very, very soon as part of the "Shakespeare in DC" fest. if they haven't already. We should gooooo!

Date: 2007-03-20 05:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lairdofdarkness.livejournal.com
you all seem so ...... arty and intelligent in your movie choices. Me? Hell I am quite ....boring.
Here is my current faves (they change with my moods)
1 - Ed Wood
2 - Shaun of the Dead
3 - Dawn of the Dead - Romero
4 - Office Space
5 - All the LOTR films back to back, no pauses
6 - Batman Returns
7 - Bubba Ho Tep
8 - Casablanca
9 - Royal Tenenbaums
10 - Clerks

I dont think I am going to get my film season am I?

you know you want to know my list....

Date: 2007-03-20 05:51 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] erzebetbathory.livejournal.com
i can't for the life of me put them in order... yet. i just can't do it. so it's just as they come to me.

1. miss julie (1999)
2. woman in the dunes (1964)
3. panic in needle park (1971)
4. bamboozled (2000)
5. fitzcarraldo (1982)
6. the iceman cometh (1960)
7. brazil (1985)
8. rosencrantz and guildenstern are dead (1990)
9. notes from underground (1995)
10. pirates of silicon valley (1999)


Date: 2007-03-20 06:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tazira.livejournal.com
Oh, yes. Yes, we should.

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