Breakfast at Tiffany's - great date movie

[Julius Seeker]

By chance, I am the last one here who has seen this, I don't know how I missed it. I guess the name of the movie turned me off: Breakfast at Tiffany's? Come on! =P The movie is WAY different than I expected. When people call Audrey Hepburn one of the greatest actresses of all time, it's really hard to argue that after seeing this.

The movie is a romantic comedy, but not the typical Pretty Woman type (aside from the fact that the male character is a prostidude for his female boss - in the book version he was supposedly gay according to Seinfeld). It's a little more along the lines of Chasing Amy in its feel, except with subtleties and a lot more implied scenes (lots of implied sex goes on). I found it to be a very well done movie overall in all aspects. One that could not be redone; nor would it ever need to be.

I thought it was going to be one of those praised 50's style movies that's built on one or two overrated scenes. Well, I ended up enjoying this quite a bit; and it is a lot better than most contemporary movies. Dialogue kind of reminded me of non-crude goodfellas; mostly entertaining.

It succeeds on being entertaining, well acted, well written, and this is not considering the social impact of creating a movie of this caliber about a super charismatic 90's woman in the late 50's/early 60's, being released in 1961.

This is just one of those movies every movie fan has to watch. A true classic must see. The type that has had me thinking about it since last night; I will probably be thinking for days yet.

[SineSwiper]

As far as old movies, I'm partial to Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, or Kelly's Heroes. Or Seven Samurai for that manner.

[Julius Seeker]

Thanks. I'll check those out. I think I may want to try Citizen Kane as well.

[Flip]

Thanks. I'll check those out. I think I may want to try Citizen Kane as well.

CK was one where i dont get how it is considered to be such a great movie. Yes, i suppose it was amazing for its time, but unlike BaT, it did not age well. It may fall in your category of "built on one or two overrated scenes".

[Kupek]

I think the thing with Citizen Kane is that it innovated film making narrative and film making techniques. Those are now common in all movies we see, so it's difficult for us to see its innovation.

[SineSwiper]

Yeah, I think the story AROUND Citizen Kane is more exciting than the movie itself. Keep in mind that this movie was basically dissing William Randolph Hearst, the King of Yellow Journalism, and his generation equivalent of Rupert Murdoch. (For example, the term "Rosebud" was actually rumored to be the nickname that WRH gave to his mistress' clitoris.)

Because of all of that, there was some serious attempts to get rid of the movie before it started. There's a movie that talks about the process around making Citizen Kane and the battle that ensued called "RKO 281". I haven't seen it, but it was in my Netflix queue at one point.

[Mully]

I think you are all correct about CK. It is a movie that you "should" see, but skip telling your friends on how great it was. Yes, you "should see it," but if you want a better Orson Welles film, go with "Touch of Evil" with (Lol) Mexican Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh. I won't tell you how "good" it is, but it is.

If you in the mood for and OLD movie, check out Fritz Lang's "M" of "Metropolis" fame. Starring Peter Lorre as a child molester/rapist/murderer who is giving the local mafia a bad rap and bringing unnecessary heat from the cops because of all the molesting and raping and killing of KIDS. Time for some "criminal justice" ... this movie has a court scene comprised of ONLY criminals...talk about "criminal justic... dang I already said that. This movie fantastically didn't hurt Peter Lorre's image, only catapulting him into somewhat of a star. Watch it online for free (it's in public domain) here

ALSO, for an oldie-but-great-y, check out "Angels with Dirty Faces" with James Cagney and a weenie-Humphrey Bogart. About a priest stopping a local mobster (Cagney) from recruiting kids and also about the mob guy in a "Payback" kind of role wanting his share of the money for taking a fall.

Speaking of Humphrey Bogart, try obviously, Casablanca...heaven knows you should have heard of it...also starring Peter Lorre from "M" mentioned above, these two have also starred together in "The Maltese Falcon" yet another famous classic.

Definitely check "Night of the Hunter" starring Robert Mitchum. OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG creepfest. Remember LOVE and HATE on countless number of knuckles...this is where all that business started. Bone-chilling! Chiillldreeeen.....oh chillldren! This one is about a priest who swindles people across the country who winds up in prison and cell mating a guy who stashed a bunch of money from a heist (i think) where only this guys children know where the moneys hidden. He kills that guy and now off to the children!

I could go on and on and on...but this is a good start for your next movie.

*edited M link

[Julius Seeker]

Sorry for digging up this thread, but it took me years to get to the other movies suggested here =D

Watched Casablanca tonight, absolutely loved it... The movie literally had me near tears - and perhaps even past them - at certain parts. Some of the scenes hit like a ton of bricks, I don't think the singing of a national anthem could possibly have the sort of impact that this one manages to have, something about the way it it was sung really effectively conveys the very emotion of the time.

Citizen Kane, decided to give it a try after, maybe it's the wine, but I just turned off after 45 minutes... Maybe it was one of those movies that you just had to be there.... in, uhhh, 1941... in order to really find this one to be great. I think it aged very badly because it depended on technique rather than being a truly great work of art, it's like how I find Picasso compared to Waterhouse. Picasso may have been innovative at the time, but Waterhouse would be great today as he was in the 1800's.

Casablanca was released in 1942, and in 2014 I find it is still fantastic.


French vs German national anthems, keep in mind, France had been conquered by the German Reich, and at this time the outcome of the war still looked to be in favour of the Reich. These emotions weren't acted.

[Anarky]

Fuck, I thought Kupek was back until I saw the dates.

[Julius Seeker]

Haha, what ever happened to that guy anyway? He was a major regular here for a decade, then just kind of vanished?

[Shrinweck]

I went to a wedding where we were both guests a few years back and he was happy and busy with his IBM work. I assume that his free time for a frivolous forum like ours dried up. I didn't think to ask since I think he was still posting once in a while back then, but considering that around this time was when he finished up getting his doctorate and he was settling down with the job that this is what happened.

I think what makes Citizen Kane special is that it was the first to do basically everything that we take for granted now. If you aren't viewing it for the purposes of being wowed by it pioneering everything ever then it's dull as all hell. I went to a special viewing at a historic theater in Atlanta and it was wonderful, but I don't plan on ever watching it again.

[Julius Seeker]

I should give Citizen Kane another shot, it was probably not the movie to watch inebriated and in more of a mood for romance =P