Your 10 favourite films before 1970

[Sunspots]

The magician dressed as a clown at the children's party has to be an archetypal representation of the evil clown.

*shudders*

Yeah, evil in broad daylight. -Creepy.

The other bit that scared me was when the wind steals the tiny runic parchment from lead actor's hands and he has to frantically chase it (-down a train corridor and towards an open window?), literally in fear of losing his life. -I reckon this film could put someone off fortune cookies for life!!...

Hmmm... I think I might watch this again later today.

 

[Louloubelle]

The demon does look a bit cuddly these days and there is still much debate as to whether it/he/she was intended to be included in the film at all. The screenplay for Night of the Demon was written by a former Hitchcock screenwriter and despite the supernatural elements it often feels like a classic Hitchcock film to me, especially in it's depiction of a villain and his devoted mother. Great film and an all time fave of mine too.

It is a very Oedipal depiction, very reminiscent of Hitchcock, you're quite right.
I loved the cinematography too, especially around the trains and train tracks, which also felt very Hitchcockesque (is that a word?)

Out of interest Reno, did you like The Haunting?
I thought it was a masterful and terrifying horror film, lots of references to repressed sexuality, awesome use of light, shade and sound to hint at the presence of something monstrous without ever depicting any monsters or blood.

 

[Louloubelle]

Yeah, evil in broad daylight. -Creepy.

The other bit that scared me was when the wind steals the tiny runic parchment from lead actor's hands and he has to frantically chase it (-down a train corridor and towards an open window?), literally in fear of losing his life. -I reckon this film could put someone off fortune cookies for life!!...

Hmmm... I think I might watch this again later today.

That was a very good bit tis true.

A great film on so many different levels.

If you have a copy may I borrow it?

I promise to give it back soon

 

[Reno]

It is a very Oediapal depiction, very reminiscent of Hitchcock, you're quite right.
I loved the cinematography too, especially around the trains and train tracks, which also felt very Hitchcockesque (is that a word?)

Out of interest Reno, did you like The Haunting?
I thought it was a masterful and terrifying horror film, lots of references to repressed sexuality, awesome use of light, shade and sound to hint at the presence of something monstrous without ever depicting any monsters or blood.

I like The Haunting a lot, though when I recently watched it again I thought there was too much of Eleanor's internal monologue and it ruined some of the scary sequences for me. I also watched it back to back with The Innocents, which now strikes me as a superior film (as a kid I preferred The Haunting). Still the art direction, set pieces and Julie Harris' performance are all great and I especially love the prologue of the history of Hill House.

 

[Louloubelle]

I like The Haunting a lot, though when I recently watched it again I thought there was too much of Eleanor's internal monologue and it ruined some of the scary sequences for me. I also watched it back to back with The Innocents, which now strikes me as a superior film (as a kid I preferred The Haunting). Still the art direction, set pieces and Julie Harris' performance are all great and I especially love the prologue of the history of Hill House.

I watched it recently and share your reservations about Eleanor's internal monologue.

I first saw the Haunting when I was a child and it terrified me so much I literally couldn't sleep properly for ages.

The way the shadows move, the bulging door, the holding hands but it's not really, the rickety spiral staircase, the absolute terror of the child's nursery with it's ominous message to Suffer the Little Children *brrrrr*

I had many haunted house dreams as a child and young adult and, now I know more about how dreams work, I think that the film successfully taps into collective unconscious anxieties about the sadistic and controlling parts of ourselves that we try to keep locked up in our unconscious but which threaten to break free and attack us if we dare to open the doors. Or something.

eta

I don't think I've seen The Innocents, I'll check it out

 

[Dubversion]

i dunno where to start, once i get past Night of The Hunter, Bringing Up Baby and Bonnie & Clyde i just start channelling westerns

 

[Maltin]

Do you watch old films ? If yes, which ones are the ones you like best ? Here are my faves:

Vertigo
The Night of the Hunter
Black Narcissus
Cat People
The Ghost and Mrs Muir
Imitation of Life
Johnny Guitar
Pandora's Box
Meet Me in St. Louis
Funny Face
Rosemary's Baby

Your title said Your 10 favourite films before 1970?

These go to eleven.

 

[Reno]

Your title said Your 10 favourite films before 1970?

These go to eleven.

I know, I just couldn't narrow it down and then broke my own rules. I couldn't believe that I'd forgotten Rosemary's Baby and then chucking out one of the others was all getting too "Sophies Choice" for me

I'm not dogmatic about it with the numbers, feel free to include more. I'm not going to come after you with a gun if you do.

 

[felixthecat]

I don't think I've seen The Innocents, I'll check it out

I think its better than The Haunting - you'll thoroughly enjoy it! Its as spooky as hell - I love films with haunted houses and creepy children .

 

[Reno]

I think its better than The Haunting - you'll thoroughly enjoy it! Its as spooky as hell - I love films with haunted houses and creepy children .

The moment with the tear drop makes my hair stand up just thinking about it now.

I also think it's one of the most beatiful looking B&W films ever made. Came out recently on DVD in a stunning transfer.

 

[Sunspots]

Your title said Your 10 favourite films before 1970?

These go to eleven.

 

[Maltin]

I don't keep lists of favourite films and find it too difficult to narrow down a small list from the thousands of movies out there (especially as I have only seen a tiny percentage of those released).

The top 10 pre-1970 films from the AFIs list of 100 greatest American movies published 10 years ago (which is being revised next month) were:

CITIZEN KANE (1941)
CASABLANCA (1942)
GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)
THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)
THE GRADUATE (1967)
ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952)
IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)

I'd be pretty happy with those (although I've not got round to seeing Casblanca in full yet - hopefully seeing it at the cinema next week, which reminds me that I've seen 60% of those at the cinema despite not being alive at the time of their release ).

Of those, Singin' in the Rain makes me happiest. There are of course countless non-American films to choose from as well.

 

[Sunspots]

If you have a copy may I borrow it?

I promise to give it back soon

Yeah, no problem. -Well actually, it's a video rather than a DVD, if that makes any difference?

If you're still interested, PM me an address and I'll pop it in the post...

 

[Reno]

Yeah, no problem. -Well actually, it's a video rather than a DVD, if that makes any difference?

If you're still interested, PM me an address and I'll pop it in the post...

Sunspots you are being very kind, but I'd say please don't watch it on VHS, especially if it's a pan&scan version that lops off half of the frame.

The Innocents is so visually sumptuous and the cinematography and Cinemascope compostions by Freddie Francis are so essential to the film, it deserves to be seen in the cinema or as a good DVD transfer.

 

[Cheesypoof]

The Wizard of Oz
Some like it hot
Psycho
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory (original)
White Christmas
A Clockwork Orange
Ferris Buellers Day off
The Shining
One flew over the cuckoos nest
Whatever happened to baby jane?

 

[Cheesypoof]

A Christmas Carol (from 1971 with Alec Guinness and Albert Finney)

 

[Sunspots]

The Wizard of Oz
Some like it hot
Psycho
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory (original)
White Christmas
A Clockwork Orange
Ferris Buellers Day off
The Shining
One flew over the cuckoos nest
Whatever happened to baby jane?

*cough* '...before 1970...'

 

[Hi-ASL]

Half of those are post-1970. I wanted to include Willie Wonka but that's 1971.

 

[Reno]

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory (original)
A Clockwork Orange
Ferris Buellers Day off
The Shining
One flew over the cuckoos nest

These were all released after 1970.

 

[Hi-ASL]

And Ferris Bueller's Day Off in particular was, like, 2004!!!




Or thereabouts.

 

[Cheesypoof]

haha okay

psycho
some like it hot
the wizard of oz
Marnie
Torn curtain
Whos afraid of Virginia Wolff?
The graduate
Rebecca
whatever happened to baby jane?
white christmas

 

[Sunspots]

Please don't watch it on VHS, especially if it's a pan&scan version that lops off half of the frame.

Really this one is so visually sumptuous, it deserves to be seen in the cinema or as a good DVD transfer.

Sorry, but I can't help imagining Brian Sewell's voice whenever anybody uses the word 'sumptuous'.

The video I've got is labelled 'Widescreen', but tbh I don't think it is. You're right though; it's worth seeing at the cinema, or at least seeking out the DVD which includes both the Curse Of... and the Night Of... versions.

 

[Reno]

Sorry, but I can't help imagining Brian Sewell's voice whenever anybody uses the word 'sumptuous'.

The video I've got is labelled 'Widescreen', but tbh I don't think it is. You're right though; it's worth seeing at the cinema, or at least seeking out the DVD which includes both the Curse Of... and the Night Of... versions.

...just as well that I have a fairly strong German accent then.



Sorry I was getting confused and thought you were talking about The Innocents. I think Night of the Demon is ok on VHS, though being the film snob I am, every film is better on DVD or the big screen as far as I'm concerned

 

[Sunspots]

Sorry I was getting confused and thought you were talking about The Innocents.

Yeah, it confused me a bit too! I was so slow in replying, that by the time I had, you'd added images from The Innocents.

I'm not familiar with this film, but I like the composition of those two shots. I'll try to track it down, so many thanks for mentioning it here.

I think Night of the Demon is ok on VHS, though being the film snob I am, every film is better on DVD or the big screen as far as I'm concerned

I agree. I hardly ever watch videos nowadays; (-I know I'm stating the obvious here, but...) the picture quality just isn't as good as DVD.

I love going to see remastered prints of old films at the cinema though; it's a real treat.

 

[Louloubelle]

I know I've had my 10 but how could I forget

La Belle et la Bête
La Testament d'Orphée
Haxan
Broken Blossoms
Belle de Jour

so many great films

 

[pseudonarcissus]

I rather like LOOK BACK IN ANGER, cant beat a good old kitchen sink drama, and Richard Burton is good...

 

[django]

Off the top of me head:

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Once Upon a Time in the West
Django
Danger Diabolik
The Dirty Dozen
Le Samourai
Rififi
Le Trou
Point Blank
Tokyo Drifter

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Rififi

Great film that.

 

[Dante]

Before 1970:

Longest Day
Stalag 17
Passport to Pimlico
Great Dictator
North by North West
It happened Here
39 Steps
Went the day well - the finest propoganda film ever
Its a wonderfull life
Kind hearts and Coronets

 

[Meltingpot]

This is a great thread for nostalgia and being reminded of films you'd forgotten. Stalag 17 was a great film, as was It's A Wonderful Life.

Also, there's obviously a lot of good films I haven't seen, maybe I should do something about that...