The Lists Project

An ongoing project to survey the best films of individual decades, genres, and filmmakers.
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domino harvey
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Re: The Lists Project

#2251 Post by domino harvey » Mon Sep 28, 2020 10:26 pm

I'd be willing to shift some future lists down a slot to pencil in an actor one if there's interest. I'm hearing more about the Hollywood actors half, so we could start with that one and see how it goes. I'd want to do it sooner than later to continue gathering data points on long-term list project feasibility. Continue to suggest possibilities / give feedback on the idea, and I'll make a MailChimp secret survey again with the most viable options at some point. If we get enough interest here and in voting, I'll move it into place either before or after the Preminger list, depending on my mood.

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soundchaser
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Re: The Lists Project

#2252 Post by soundchaser » Mon Sep 28, 2020 10:53 pm

Carole Lombard would be interesting, sort of as an extension of your filmography thread, although a lot of those films require back channel access. Barbara Stanwyck was another that came to mind. Kay Francis, maybe down the road? Rita Hayworth?

Juliette Binoche for the international actor side of things could be cool.

Of course, we all know Domino is just floating this idea so he can spring a Deanna Durbin project on us.

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Red Screamer
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Re: The Lists Project

#2253 Post by Red Screamer » Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:10 pm

There's at least 200 Ward Bond movies just begging us to rank his minor roles in them.
Last edited by Red Screamer on Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:21 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Rayon Vert
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Re: The Lists Project

#2254 Post by Rayon Vert » Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:15 pm

I'd vote for that one just for the fun of it.

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domino harvey
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Re: The Lists Project

#2255 Post by domino harvey » Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:23 pm

Not really approaching the spirit of the thing, though I admire the perversity of it

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therewillbeblus
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Re: The Lists Project

#2256 Post by therewillbeblus » Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:44 pm

Was waiting for someone to suggest James Dean

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Red Screamer
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Re: The Lists Project

#2257 Post by Red Screamer » Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:20 am

In all seriousness, I'd be most interested in Grant, Stanwyck, Mitchum, and Piccoli of the ones mentioned so far. Joan Crawford or Shirley MacLaine (I just saw the excellent Two For the Seesaw, which I'm suripsied doesn't come up more often in discussions of her filmography) could also be interesting considering the variety of things they've been in. I guess a question with regards to method would be if we want to do actors who transform the movies they're in so much that they become auteurs in their own right, like Crawford and Davis, and therefore work with big name directors less often, or actors who are consistently good but are more team players, like Gary Cooper or Katharine Hepburn?

EDIT: I second soundchaser that Juliette Binoche would be a good choice for someone more contemporary, as would Isabelle Huppert

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Rayon Vert
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Re: The Lists Project

#2258 Post by Rayon Vert » Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:36 am

Clint Eastwood for me. You could do him as actor and director combined.
Last edited by Rayon Vert on Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:38 am, edited 1 time in total.

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mizo
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Re: The Lists Project

#2259 Post by mizo » Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:38 am

John Wayne came to mind immediately, and while he's certainly got longevity on his side, he doesn't allow for too much of the eclecticism among titles that I guess Domino wants (it was his own fault for not agreeing to be in any weirdo nasty horror films at the end of his life).

Henry Fonda fits Domino's criteria like a glove, and I wouldn't mind the opportunity to rhapsodize about the greatest character ever to appear in a film (his traumatized soldier in Daisy Kenyon).

Otherwise, I concur with Grant, Mitchum and Bergman, and I'd also be excited about doing Gary Cooper, Katharine Hepburn, Kirk Douglas, Richard Widmark, Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Jean Gabin, Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Kinuyo Tanaka, Hanna Schygulla and, of course, Charles Coburn. I'll probably have to wait a while for a couple of them, though, huh!

Edit: Red Screamer also picked a couple of these, so I'll echo him.

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therewillbeblus
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Re: The Lists Project

#2260 Post by therewillbeblus » Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:42 am

Now all I'm thinking about is why there's not a buddy comedy with Widmark and Coburn

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mizo
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Re: The Lists Project

#2261 Post by mizo » Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:49 am

And Max von Sydow!

(as an addition to my list, though I would also have liked to see him as the hard-nosed chief who assigns cops Widmark and Coburn to be partners)

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swo17
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Re: The Lists Project

#2262 Post by swo17 » Tue Sep 29, 2020 2:06 am

Warren Oates
Debbie Reynolds
Jerry Lewis
Lon Chaney
Dan Duryea
William Bendix
Peter Lorre
Michel Simon
Jean Arthur
Janet Leigh
Jean-Paul Belmondo
Toshiro Mifune
Terence Stamp
Orson Welles
Alain Delon
Klaus Kinski
Nicolas Cage
Samuel L. Jackson
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Tony Leung
Jackie Chan
Isaach De Bankolé

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therewillbeblus
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Re: The Lists Project

#2263 Post by therewillbeblus » Tue Sep 29, 2020 2:27 am

Jerry Lewis would be interesting to deconstruct his own strengths as a comedian, as well as the Tashlin directional style he adopted and how he gelled with various other directors and actors ie Martin (plus domino could finally get a list where Hollywood or Bust isn’t orphaned). I could see Nicolas Cage being another fun one for various reasons but mainly because he’s just so damn divisive.

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TMDaines
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Re: The Lists Project

#2264 Post by TMDaines » Tue Sep 29, 2020 5:15 am

Rayon Vert wrote:
Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:36 am
Clint Eastwood for me. You could do him as actor and director combined.
I always thought him and De Sica would be most naturally done as actors and directors.

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knives
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Re: The Lists Project

#2265 Post by knives » Tue Sep 29, 2020 6:17 am

therewillbeblus wrote:
Tue Sep 29, 2020 2:27 am
Jerry Lewis would be interesting to deconstruct his own strengths as a comedian, as well as the Tashlin directional style he adopted and how he gelled with various other directors and actors ie Martin (plus domino could finally get a list where Hollywood or Bust isn’t orphaned). I could see Nicolas Cage being another fun one for various reasons but mainly because he’s just so damn divisive.
I was afraid to mention Cage, but yes, he’d be a ton of fun.

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Mr Sheldrake
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Re: The Lists Project

#2266 Post by Mr Sheldrake » Tue Sep 29, 2020 7:13 am

I was doing some research a few days ago on Catherine Deneueve’s movies in the 2010s. She was 67 at the beginning of the decade and made 22 features and several short films. And these were significant roles, often the star part, still going strong.
Isabelle Huppert is now 67 and in the 2010s made 35 features and several tv shows with no slowing down. Lots of great movie history along their careers.

bamwc2
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Re: The Lists Project

#2267 Post by bamwc2 » Tue Sep 29, 2020 7:38 am

When is the 2010s thread going to be unlocked?

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domino harvey
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Re: The Lists Project

#2268 Post by domino harvey » Tue Sep 29, 2020 9:44 am

As it says in the first post, in a few days

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therewillbeblus
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Re: The Lists Project

#2269 Post by therewillbeblus » Sun Oct 04, 2020 6:41 pm

Re: actor/star project, I'd be interested in doing someone like Buster Keaton and include his shorts, maybe as a mini test project since it wouldn't be super time consuming to go through a lot of his work. I missed out on the Simpsons list, but it seemed like members had a lot of fun sharing in the pleasures of what gags worked well for them and occasionally why, and since a general Comedy list hasn't been done yet (perhaps because it's too broad, hence the Screwball specific one?) I could see it being a refreshing break in a shitty year, less analyzing and more laughing together, and perhaps find a new appreciation for a short that some member is passionate about that's been overlooked. With the recent releases coming from both region A and B companies and the shorts available in each region, it feels doable without many major works left out of accessibility. Anyways, just a passing thought as I happen to return to some Keaton shorts to exercise Sunday self-care

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Ghersh
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Re: The Lists Project

#2270 Post by Ghersh » Wed Mar 31, 2021 5:57 pm

domino harvey wrote:
Mon Sep 28, 2020 12:05 pm
I’m just going to throw this out there as an idea: what if we tried doing a star-based List interspersed with the genre and auteur lists? Many stars with long careers racked up well over a hundred titles, and it might be a different way to try and gauge interest in these viewing exercises. I was thinking one Hollywood and one International to start with. Lots of good choices for Hollywood talent with decades of appearances (though my first thoughts were Robert Mitchum or Burt Lancaster or Bette Davis since they went the distance until they died) but my mind def went to Michel Piccoli for the latter— I think he’d be a particularly strong choice given how many different national cinemas he appeared in. Thoughts?
I'm late to the party, but I just caught this discussion about possible actor / film stars lists, and Sean Connery jumped to my mind, I think he hasn't been mentioned yet.

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therewillbeblus
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Re: The Lists Project

#2271 Post by therewillbeblus » Wed Mar 31, 2021 7:52 pm

That could be cool, I think that even within the Bond franchise, his developing consciousness to the Bond image drastically affects the strengths of the films across his own entries

I know that per our poll, we'll likely be doing the other tied star if this one goes well, but depending on participation adding more names to a poll down the line is a good idea because there are definitely more stars yet to be thought of/mentioned who are well worth considering (I'll be pushing for Elliott Gould, who hasn't been singled out yet strikes me as the most fascinating star to study). Personally I'm still not convinced that a star project carries enough dynamic interest to invest attention in the way an auteurist project does, but whatever garners greater participation from the masses is a W

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Ghersh
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Re: The Lists Project

#2272 Post by Ghersh » Thu Apr 01, 2021 3:35 am

therewillbeblus wrote:
Wed Mar 31, 2021 7:52 pm
That could be cool, I think that even within the Bond franchise, his developing consciousness to the Bond image drastically affects the strengths of the films across his own entries

I know that per our poll, we'll likely be doing the other tied star if this one goes well, but depending on participation adding more names to a poll down the line is a good idea because there are definitely more stars yet to be thought of/mentioned who are well worth considering (I'll be pushing for Elliott Gould, who hasn't been singled out yet strikes me as the most fascinating star to study). Personally I'm still not convinced that a star project carries enough dynamic interest to invest attention in the way an auteurist project does, but whatever garners greater participation from the masses is a W
Well I'm a fan of Bond and Connery.

I think whether an actor list works or makes sense depends on the actor. Some are just actors and making a list of their films would feel totally random despite them starring as a connecting factor, some are more like stars / trademarks. Of the names here, Jackie Chan and Jean-Paul Belmondo make sense to me. Welles and Eastwood too, but those are more director lists with some bonus.

Connery was a true movie star while also being a versatile actor and his movies are diverse and different, but they're also Connery films at the same time, from Marnie to The Rock, from Dr. No to Red October.

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therewillbeblus
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Re: The Lists Project

#2273 Post by therewillbeblus » Thu Apr 01, 2021 10:14 am

Ghersh wrote:
Thu Apr 01, 2021 3:35 am
Well I'm a fan of Bond and Connery.
Um, same.. I was agreeing with you. My point was that, while many people- including Connery and Bond fans- claim that Connery played a static character in each Bond film (setting the standard for a mostly unchanging character), I’ve made the case that he actually shifts his consciousness to the details of the persona, and so Thunderball works best as a total embrace of the character, which -through acceptance of the ridiculous traits and armor of luck, including self-parody- allows him the space to breathe new subtly dramatic life into Bond as well.
Ghersh wrote:
Thu Apr 01, 2021 3:35 am
I think whether an actor list works or makes sense depends on the actor. Some are just actors and making a list of their films would feel totally random despite them starring as a connecting factor, some are more like stars / trademarks.
I think everyone agrees the stars project only makes sense depending on the actor, yet I remain unconvinced that even the most interesting or versatile star can drum up enough fresh material for analysis. I'm not ready to declare any position though, nor does my skepticism reflect the board's collective enthusiasm, which will guide the future of list projects, as it should.

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domino harvey
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Re: The Lists Project

#2274 Post by domino harvey » Thu Apr 01, 2021 10:41 am

I think a Connery List is highly unlikely, bar some unforeseen groundswell. A Bond Film List seems far more likely, though someone else will need to run that one

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Ghersh
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Re: The Lists Project

#2275 Post by Ghersh » Sat Apr 03, 2021 7:58 am

therewillbeblus wrote:
Thu Apr 01, 2021 10:14 am
Um, same.. I was agreeing with you. My point was that, while many people- including Connery and Bond fans- claim that Connery played a static character in each Bond film (setting the standard for a mostly unchanging character), I’ve made the case that he actually shifts his consciousness to the details of the persona, and so Thunderball works best as a total embrace of the character, which -through acceptance of the ridiculous traits and armor of luck, including self-parody- allows him the space to breathe new subtly dramatic life into Bond as well.
Sorry, that was just a statement and not meant as if I think you don't agree.

Actually most if not all Bond fans I know share the opinion that Bond differs a lot between the films. Maybe not the character per se, he's too elemtary and archetypal, but the interpretation of the character through both the film and the actor. For example, Connery in Dr. No is a cynical bastard compared to the more lighthearted gentleman of Goldfinger, and many say he played more half-heartedly and unmotivated in You Only Live Twice while in Never Say Never Again he once again embraced and enjoyed the role, playing a more comedic Bond closer to Roger Moore.

Which list projects happen and which don't is obviously not up to me, but for the reasons I already stated, a Connery list would make more sense to me than 70 or 80% of all other actors. I'd enjoy both a Connery and a Bond list.

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