Bonnie and Clyde

[FilmFanMan 15]

I'd like to nominate 1967's Bonnie and Clyde. I saw it in the theaters the year of its release (I was around 8-1/2 yrs old). Naturally, I didn't quite get all that was going on. I consider it one of the films, if not the film that made me into a life-long movie fan. I know that at that point in my life I hadn't seen anything quite it. It is one of the early films of the New Hollywood and a Best Picture nominee of that year. Clearly, it is a personal favorite and I hope worthy of a Canon discussion.

[Philly Cheesesteak 92]

Agreed. I don't see how it at least wouldn't make for an interesting discussion.

[Muthsarah 124]

Anything from the late 60s or early 70s is ripe for discussion as far as I'm concerned. I think we're done with the 90s for a good, very long time, and even the 80s are looking a bit tired now. As for this film...it's a kind of a blind spot. Since I still have remarkably failed to see it. Failed horribly.

 

But I'll totally take the encouragement, if it's put up. Or literally any other well-received film from the time. The Canon hasn't even touched The Graduate, or The French Connection, or Klute. Or MASH. To be all America-centric and stuff.

[Philly Cheesesteak 92]

Anything from the late 60s or early 70s is ripe for discussion as far as I'm concerned. I think we're done with the 90s for a good, very long time, and even the 80s are looking a bit tired now. As for this film...it's a kind of a blind spot. Since I still have remarkably failed to see it. Failed horribly.

 

But I'll totally take the encouragement, if it's put up. Or literally any other well-received film from the time. The Canon hasn't even touched The Graduate, or The French Connection, or Klute. Or MASH. To be all America-centric and stuff.

 

Mind you, I wouldn't mind a few other indie classics from the 90's. A Jim Jarmusch movie would be great, and some of his best include Dead Man and Ghost Dog.

[NathanGordon 1096]

 

Mind you, I wouldn't mind a few other indie classics from the 90's. A Jim Jarmusch movie would be great, and some of his best include Dead Man and Ghost Dog.

Jim Jarmusch is an overrated NYC hipster who can't write and can hardly direct. His great skill is in networking and convincing otherwise interesting actors, musicians, and sycophants to appear in his films. Anything good in his films is accidental, and the parts of them are uniformly greater than the sum. His soundtracks are almost always better than the films themselves (case in point: Broken Flowers) and I'll admit that he has fantastic taste in music. Having great taste and cool friends does not make you a good director though.

 

I suppose Dead Man should be canon for its Neil Young soundtrack, but even RZA's music can't save the joke that is Ghost Dog. Parts of Night on Earth are fun, even less parts of Coffee and Cigarettes are worth watching.

 

The fact that he has a career today just shows how far a cool hairdo will get you.

[Philly Cheesesteak 92]

Jim Jarmusch is an overrated NYC hipster who can't write and can hardly direct. His great skill is in networking and convincing otherwise interesting actors, musicians, and sycophants to appear in his films. Anything good in his films is accidental, and the parts of them are uniformly greater than the sum. His soundtracks are almost always better than the films themselves (case in point: Broken Flowers) and I'll admit that he has fantastic taste in music. Having great taste and cool friends does not make you a good director though.

 

I suppose Dead Man should be canon for its Neil Young soundtrack, but even RZA's music can't save the joke that is Ghost Dog. Parts of Night on Earth are fun, even less parts of Coffee and Cigarettes are worth watching.

 

The fact that he has a career today just shows how far a cool hairdo will get you.

 

Damn. It almost sounds like you have a personal grudge against the guy... and maybe against the city of New York.

[RobertBoberts 62]

Love Jarmusch. He's a love or hate him I guess. I have friends who can't bear to watch his films Ghost Dog and Dead Man are great but I also wouldn't mind seeing Down By Law nominated.

[NathanGordon 1096]

Damn. It almost sounds like you have a personal grudge against the guy... and maybe against the city of New York.

I have a strong opinion regarding him, but it's not personal (I'm not Vincent Gallo). I can't think of another filmmaker whose entire career is based on being cool and having cool friends. The words "overrated" and "hipster" get tossed around enough to be meaningless, but I feel that they perfectly apply to Jarmusch.

 

....

 

Bonnie and Clyde VS Smokey and the Bandit?

[Philly Cheesesteak 92]

 

Bonnie and Clyde VS Smokey and the Bandit?

 

I like the idea... but it almost feels unfair.

[Muthsarah 124]

Bonnie and Clyde VS Smokey and the Bandit?

 

Oh, come on....

[Marsellus_H 118]

I love Bonnie and Clyde. Actually, to give some historical context and to show how groundbreaking this film really was in the year 1967, we should make it Dr. Doolittle vs Bonnie and Clyde. I think that would be a great fun episode. Also, because the Oscars get their nominations never wrong, as everybody knows.

[joel_rosenbaum 1269]

But I'll totally take the encouragement, if it's put up. Or literally any other well-received film from the time. The Canon hasn't even touched The Graduate, or The French Connection, or Klute. Or MASH. To be all America-centric and stuff.

I won't speak for Devin or Amy, but I don't anticipate an episode about the Graduate or the French Connection. Those movies have been exhaustively covered by other critics; in that context it might be difficult to have an original discussion. That said, I would have said the same thing about the Godfather trilogy, which are probably the most discussed films of American cinema, and they went there. In defense of my point, you can look at the AFI 100 and see that this show has largely avoided movies from that list.