Solid Snake

Ever since the Drive thread I've had this film on top of my must see list. The other one mentioned that Drive thread was... Thief, Mann's first theatrical film. And holy fuck was that fucking awesome of a movie. Got the BD of this some time ago, heavily overpriced from Twilight Time. But I really wanted this and Hard Times, which is pretty awesome of a Bronson flick. Got both and I found out that TD was Hill's 2nd film. So accidentally now owned Hill's first 2 films. The BD has great quality work on the film... As one could hope for a film like this.

The film itself is very interesting with the colors one encounters in the exterior moments. Realistic palette but still interesting. It's a pretty good noirish film by Hill, even their names are noir titles and staples. I really really like the car chases in this. The Driver had to be an influence on Drive. It's so alike and different as well. It's not an amazing film but it is a good film from the era. It does have a certain flatness to it. Which I think is intentional for The Driver and some other characters. The plot is simple but also attempts for some complexity that probably isn't realized too great but does ok with it. I really like the film or what it is. Dern has the most chew on with his character, The Detective. Fun to see. I can't really wrap my head around Adjani though, The Player. She has a very exotic face to her. Lovely eyes, first thing that I noticed and that I can't take my eyes off them. Her character is rather inactive. She is involved but the performance is attractive but also rather flat or cold. Too noirish maybe? I dunno. I don't like O'Neal but his character is pretty much like The Driver from Drive. Doesn't say much, a lot action in the eyes, and gets shit done. How good was he as an actor. I've only seen this film, Barry Lyndon, and Love Story. From what I can tell is that he isn't a very forwarding kind of actor. The guy has some inherent flat quality from why I can tell in LS and TD. BL he was good in.

It has some certain things that bother me to larger degree. Hill didn't really hide his stunt people well at times the stunt people are at times much bigger than who they are replacing. Sometimes just a shitty wig.

You guys should check it out. To see Drive's influence in style. And some good old 70s crime film quality.

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stingermck

The Driver is awesome. I first saw it years ago late one night on Speed channel. This just reminds me I never picked up the bluray

Mondo Kane

Wow. I didn't even know Adjani was in this.

Solid Snake

I don't think I know Adjani at all. She is a looker though. Very good looking gal. Any good films one could recommend to see her in?

Mondo Kane

I was first introduced to her in one of the Horror-challenges we had. Which was a nice double-feature involving Herzog's Nosferatu and Possession. The latter contains a memorable moment:

Solid Snake

Holy Shit. Going through her wikipedia. Adjani has some damn fine recognition for her work.

I still haven't seen Nosferatu. Is that Herzog film on BD yet? if so...how good is it? The BD and the film itself.

Also...godddamn..she is acting her ass off in that scene up there.

Paul_SD

Can't wait for Nosferatu from Shout next year. I'll be crushed if they drop the ball on that one.
It's absolutely one of my favorite Vampire movies ever. You get drenched in its atmosphere right from the opening credits. And it's one of Kinski's best most iconic performances- even though a large part of that is courtesy of the make-up. Low key, slowly paced ...the kind of film you let wash over you.

As far as Adjani, she's justly famous for her supernatural ability to age near imperceptibly.

From her filmography the ones I would recommend would be

Bon voyage
La Reine Margot (Queen Margot)
One Deadly Summer
Nosferatu
The Story of Adele H

Not a real fan of Camile Claudell, or Polanski's The Tenant, but other people seem high on them.
As for The Possession, I saw it about 25 yeas ago and didn't think much of it, but I'll give it another shot as soon as Mondo releases its edition, which I think is a year overdue at this point. I've got two other movies by Andrzej Zulawski and both were excrutiatingly full of obnoxious artsy-fartsy pretension, and a real chore to sit through...so I'm not holding out much hope.

wm lopez

Only thing good about this movie is the car stunts.

inri222

I would recommend the ones by the two Poles : Andrzej Zulawski's Possession And Roman Polanski's The Tenant.
Two of the most twisted films you will ever see. Oh yeah and The Driver is a great film.

TheySentYou

Isabelle Adjani is a goddess. and Possession may be within the top 5 horror films ever created.

and... The Driver is one of the best films of the 70's. great thread.

davidlynchfan

I'll be seeing her in my Ishtar - Director's Cut Blu-ray that I just got. Don't remeber how she looks like.

Why So Blu?

It's a great film but there's only the German BD available and it has forced subs.

Anchor Bay used to hold the rights to it on LD and DVD back in the day. It came with the German language version and English language version. Herzog shot it TWICE.

It was also my introduction to Werner Herzog, as well.

Why So Blu?

Is that confirmed that SHOUT is releasing it in 2014? If so, they'll do a great job. Here's hoping for both versions!

Solid Snake

Yeah, the double shoot is insane. That always fascinated me. Fucking Kinski. Man was a crazy bastard. Seems like Herzog was the immovable object to Kinski's unstoppable force.

I'd love great BDs of their films together. Honestly those two men had no right in being able to succeed in those films to the point that they did. I never got the DVDs of them. Was there any great features on them? I'd love to know about those productions.

hell..is there a book?

JumpCutz

Snake, I'm sure you're familiar with this...if not you should definitely check it out.

http://www.altfg.com/blog/actors/kla...werner-herzog/

Solid Snake

No, but I most definately shall now.

I really Herzog's work. Though I wouldn't say he's one of my favorites but that doesn't stop me from thinking that he is a master fillmaker.

Why So Blu?

I don't remember. I used to have the DVD but later sold it.

Paul_SD

Shout acquired most, if not all, of Herzog's catalog this year and the titles will start rolling out in '14. I think Nosferatu is scheduled for sometime in Q2.

I've got the TT Bd of The Driver sitting on the shelf. Will probably watch it sometime this week. Wasn't too impressed the first time I finally saw it years ago, but I did walk away from Drive liking that one- and noticing the similarities. Maybe a second viewing will be a charmer.
I do remember Adjani being wasted in this one...and maybe that was the aspect that disappointed me the most.

Solid Snake

From what I can see. Others could have played her character just the same. Same goes for O'Neal. But O'Neal does look good as The Driver.

Dern is the only one that I felt content with.

Supermallet

I'm going to commit blasphemy and suggest that Herzog's Nosferatu is better than the original silent film. Tremendous movie with a hypnotic performance by Kinski.

wm lopez

Got bad reviews from critics in the 1979.

Solid Snake

And? Reviews can be a good lead to see a movie but they can also be wrong. Many films have the past got shit reviews but have turned out to actually be damn fine films.

JumpCutz

Blasheme away! I heartily concur. It is indeed transfixing. Herzog and Kinski's work in this film is transcendent. In fact, I need to revisit this again soon, it's been awhile.

Supermallet

Also the commentary on the AB DVD is stellar. Herzog really goes into detail with his intentions for the film, growing up in post-Nazi Germany, all sorts of interesting stuff.

Paul_SD

re: The Driver- Nothing I saw in my first viewing of it convinced me the critics were wrong back in '78.
But, like I said I popped for the TT Bd to give the film another chance, so I'll be going into it with an open mind.

I remember staring at the one sheet for this movie in the theater lobby on one of my many trips to see Jaws 2 again that summer. The one sheet must have used the same key art as the TT Bd, otherwise I don't know why I would have been interested in it. That I remember it at all was because it struck me how blatant it seemed in trying to mine the car chase/crash fad that had come into vogue a year earlier with Smokey & The Bandit. Properties with narratives that were perfunctory excuses to string together a bunch of car chase scenes were all over the place by that point. At age 11, I didn't get the existential poetry of calling the film 'The Driver'- it just seemed to me to be obvious pandering to a low brow audience that couldn't get enough of cars chasing and smashing into each other.
It will be interesting to see it again, though I expect what I will most walk away with again is the disappointment in how underutilized Adjani is.

Just ordered the original- have never seen it in it's entirety before. I fully expect Herzogs will remain my go to version of the material, but I do want to finally fill this gap in my cinema education.