tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post1086864814116667469..comments2024-01-11T05:02:32.321-05:00Comments on Goodfella's Movie Blog: 1978: Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick)Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-46141997838871674992009-10-19T01:10:05.608-04:002009-10-19T01:10:05.608-04:00My vote goes to The Deer Hunter though, of course,...My vote goes to The Deer Hunter though, of course, Days of Heaven is a gorgeous film.MovieMan0283http://thedancingimage.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-68023361827603093942009-09-11T16:44:52.294-04:002009-09-11T16:44:52.294-04:00Judy - I agree with the narrator in this one. And...Judy - I agree with the narrator in this one. And I think in general that Malick uses narrators quite well (although Samuel would obviously disagree).Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-76571227204422478942009-09-11T15:22:54.982-04:002009-09-11T15:22:54.982-04:00Just catching up with the countdown - all great st...Just catching up with the countdown - all great stuff, your stamina is truly amazing, Dave! I saw 'Days of Heaven' recently and loved it - enjoyed your review and must agree that the breathtaking visuals are the main thing about this movie.<br /><br />I have to disagree with Samuel and say I like the naive narrator, but then I probably tend to like voiceovers in general, although obviously there are some voiceovers I don't think work so well.<br /><br />I'm another big fan of The Last Waltz - I love Dylan, The Band and Scorsese, so the combination is just... I would say perfection, except that part of the point of the film is that the music is live and not perfect! Apart from those others have mentioned, I liked 'Same Time Next Year', and I've always remembered the BBC series 'The Lost Boys' for an astonishing performance by Ian Holm as JM Barrie, though it's many years since I've seen it. JudyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-90739734313019062582009-09-09T15:05:35.682-04:002009-09-09T15:05:35.682-04:00I've never seen this but it sounds interesting...I've never seen this but it sounds interesting. I'll have to get itGary Dobbs/Jack Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10935686140719743351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-7399884609799401642009-09-08T23:31:48.975-04:002009-09-08T23:31:48.975-04:00Thank you, Tom... and I've now added a link he...Thank you, Tom... and I've now added a link here to your blog, which I've only just now encountered since you posted it here. It looks very nice and I am a big fan of capsule reviews, which eventually I might do a bit of here once the countdown is completed.<br /><br />Thanks again for the compliments!Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-24538451980062210912009-09-08T22:40:46.202-04:002009-09-08T22:40:46.202-04:00Wonderful!!!Wonderful!!!Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09212743923364795680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-33015876520529812682009-09-08T18:28:57.762-04:002009-09-08T18:28:57.762-04:00Sam - I'm in a similar situation to the one Sa...Sam - I'm in a similar situation to the one Samuel describes below, but of the Fassbinder that I have seen, I really like.<br /><br />John - We seem to be pretty much on the same page with this one<br /><br />Samuel - I recognized The Deer Hunter in my honorable mentions, because when it's good it's damn good. But this is the film I always cite when bringing up a movie that would have benefited greatly by some tighter editing. Certain scenes and sequences in the movie are spectacular, others I thought were horribly drawn out (how long exactly do I need to see people dancing at a wedding?). I know Malick isn't for everyone, and he's kind of a love him or hate him type. It's obvious where I fall, because I think he would go on to make a film even better than Days (but more on that in later years!).Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-86096577189547820722009-09-08T12:28:55.009-04:002009-09-08T12:28:55.009-04:00Samuel - Straight Time is a powerful work that doe...Samuel - Straight Time is a powerful work that does not get much attention. Should had it on my list.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01808503055317962289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-34613340892320058342009-09-08T11:58:25.505-04:002009-09-08T11:58:25.505-04:00Dave, Days is a visual treat but I find myself alw...Dave, Days is a visual treat but I find myself always growing impatient with Malick's naive narrators, though worse was to come in that regard. Days looks good enough to excuse the director's pretensions, but I'll go with the Academy this time and opt for The Deer Hunter, mainly on the strength of its first half and the ensemble cast. My runners-up include Ulu Grosbard's Straight Time, Nagisa Oshima's Empire of Passion and Kinji Fukasaku's Yagyu Clan Conspiracy, but I admit to missing many of the year's notable films. Fassbinder is another of my blind spots that I really ought to deal with soon.Samuel Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00934870299522899944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-55957020854093778582009-09-08T10:02:42.008-04:002009-09-08T10:02:42.008-04:00I'm with Sam on this year: it just doesn't...I'm with Sam on this year: it just doesn't get better than <i>In a Year of 13 Moons</i>, one of Fassbinder's best and most startling films, and also one of the few films where he did the cinematography himself, with stunning results.<br /><br />As for <i>Days of Heaven</i>, I think it's a fine film but it's dragged down a little bit by the conventional story at its core. It's gorgeous and expressive and haunting, but the love triangle is frankly boring. I get that Malick doesn't really care about the story, that he's going for something more poetic, but as a result, whenever the film falls into a more narrative mode, it's somewhat flat. The film is at its best when he's simply filming those gorgeous magic hour shots of the fields and the surrounding areas.Ed Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-64011548033125452852009-09-08T08:50:21.448-04:002009-09-08T08:50:21.448-04:00“Days of Heaven” is one of the most stunning beaut...“Days of Heaven” is one of the most stunning beautifully filmed works ever made but I have to go with Hal Ashby’s “Coming Home.” I found this film particularly powerful and emotionally moving. Jon Voight did a fantastic job and the use of real paraplegics made the film even more powerful. Ashby’s use of music on the soundtrack comes close to emulating Scorsese’s. As usual a fine essay, always a joy to read. <br /><br /><br />#1 Coming Home<br /><br /><br />Best of the Rest<br /><br />Days of Heaven<br />An Unmarried Woman<br />Fingers<br />Animal House<br />The Last Waltz<br />Blue Collar<br />VioletteJohnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01808503055317962289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-81054162333324541532009-09-08T07:55:04.400-04:002009-09-08T07:55:04.400-04:00My Own #1 Film of 1978:
In A Year of 13 Moons (Fa...My Own #1 Film of 1978:<br /><br />In A Year of 13 Moons (Fassbinder; Germany)<br /><br />Runners-Up:<br /><br />The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (Schipisi; Australia)<br />Days of Heaven (Malick; USA)<br />Tree of the Wooden Clogs (Olmi; Italy)<br />Perceval (Rohmer; France)<br />Gates of Heaven (Morris; USA)<br />Autumn Sonata (Bergman; Sweden)<br />Animal House (Landis; USA)<br />The Last Waltz (Scorsese; USA)<br />Jubilee (Jarman; UK)<br />The Deer Hunter (Cimino; USA)<br /><br />Dave: You did a very fine job here, as the visual side of this gem is really what matters most. Almendros and Wexler provided the film with some of the greatest cinematography ever in an American film. Your choice here is an excellent one, and I am very close to asgreeing.Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.com