Email here for additions & corrections.

Ishtar
(May, 1987)
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (OOP)
(Ross, 1976)
The Devils
(Russell, 1974)
The Pirates of Penzance
(Papp/Leach, 1983)
The Fortune
(Nichols, 1975)
-30-
(Webb, 1959)
Betrayal
(Jones, 1983)
Play It As It Lays
(Perry, 1972)
The Outfit
(Flynn, 1973)
Alex in Wonderland
(Mazursky, 1969)
The Legend of Lylah Clare
(Aldrich, 1968)
In The Cool of the Day
(Stevens, 1963)
That Cold Day in the Park
(Altman, 1969)
Thumb Trippin'
(Masters, 1972)
Midas Run
(Kjellin, 1969)
At Long Last Love
(Bogdanovich, 1973)
Brewster McCloud
(Altman, 1972)
Outcast of the Islands
(Reed, 1951)

Reader Submissions
1930's-1950's
The Moon's Our Home
(Seiter, 1936)
Sh! The Octopus
(McGann, 1937)
The Mating Season
(Leisen, 1951)
Bad for Each Other
(Rapper, 1953)
The Phenix City Story
(Karlson, 1955)
Run of the Arrow
(Fuller, 1956)
House of Secrets
(Green, 1956)
Saint Joan
(Preminger, 1957)
Macabre
(Castle, 1958)
The Fiend Who Walked the West
(G. Douglas, 1958
Five Gates to Hell
(Clavell, 1959)
1960's
Key Witness
(Karlson, 1960)
Summer and Smoke
(Glenville, 1961)
The Chapman Report
(Cukor,1962)
Bachelor Flat
(Tashlin, 1962) [on Hulu]
The L Shaped Room
(Forbes, 1963)
The Chalk Garden
(Neame, 1964)
A Thousand Clowns
(Coe, 1965)
You're a Big Boy Now
(Coppola, 1966)
The Whisperers
(Forbes, 1967)
Dark of the Sun
(Cardiff, 1968)
Skidoo
(Preminger, 1968)
Last Summer
(Perry, 1969)
The Comic
(C. Reiner, 1969)
1970-1974
The Revolutionary
(Williams, 1970)
The Landlord
(Ashby, 1970)
Diary of a Mad Housewife
(Perry, 1970)
Tropic of Cancer
(Strick, 1970)
I Never Sang for My Father
(Cates, 1970)
Sometimes a Great Notion
(Newman, 1971)
Marriage of a Young Stockbroker
(Turman, 1971)
The Music Lovers
(Russell, 1971)
Drive, He Said
(Nicholson, 1971)
The Steagle
(Sylbert, 1971)
The Last Movie
(Hopper, 1971)
Made For Each Other
(Bean, 1971)
The Day the Clown Cried
(Lewis, 1972)
Hickey & Boggs (OOP)
(Culp, 1972)
The Carey Treatment
(Edwards, 1972)
Pete 'n' Tillie
(Ritt, 1972)
Slither
(Zieff, 1973)
Man on a Swing
(Perry, 1974)
Open Season
(Collinson, 1974)
The Tamarind Seed
(Edwards, 1974)
Law and Disorder
(Passer, 1974)
Homebodies
(Yust, 1974)
Stardust
(Apted, 1974)
Celine and Julie Go Boating
(Rivette, 1974)
1975-1979
Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins
(Richards, 1975
At Long Last Love
(Bogdanovich, 1975)
Hearts of the West
(Zieff, 1975)
Welcome to L.A.
(Rudolph, 1976)
W.C. Fields and Me
(Hiller, 1976)
Citizens Band
(Demme, 1977)
Twilight's Last Gleaming
(Aldrich, 1977)
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
(Brooks, 1977)
Girlfriends
(Weill, 1978)
Movie Movie
(Donen, 1978)
The Medusa Touch
(Gold, 1978)
American Hot Wax
(Mutrux, 1978)
Hot Stuff
(DeLuise, 1979)
Scavenger Hunt
(Schultz , 1979)
Players
(Harvey, 1979)
Rich Kids
(Young, 1979)
Nightwing
(Hiller, 1979)
Screams of a Winter's Night
(Wilson, 1979
When You Comin' Back Red Ryder?
(Katselas, 1979
1980's
Resurrection
(Petrie, 1980)
The Awakening
(Newell, 1980)
Simon
(Brickman, 1980)
God's Angry Man
(Herzog, 1980)
Fast-Walking
(Harris, 1982)
Twice Upon a Time
(Korty & Swenson, 1983)
Trouble in Mind
(Rudolph, 1985)
When the Wind Blows
(Murikami, 1986)
Housekeeping
(Forsyth, 1987)
The Glass Menagerie
(Newman, 1987)
Patty Hearst
(Schrader, 1988)
Drowning by Numbers
(Greenaway, 1988)
Haunted Summer
(Passer, 1988)
The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years
(Spheeris, 1988)
1990's
Old Times
(Curtis, 1991)
Prospero's Books
(Greenaway, 1991)
City of Hope
(Sayles, 1991)
The Baby of Macon
(Greenaway, 1993)
King of the Hill
(Soderbergh, 1993)
Dadetown
(Hexter, 1995)
SubUrbia
(Linklater, 1997)

Upcoming

January 8

Bitch Slap

Waiting for Armageddon

Wonderful World

Youth in Revolt

January 15

January 22

Drool

Extraordinary Measures

The Girl on the Train

The Rourke "Idea"

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"Out of all the guys who could be nominated, don't we all want to see Mickey Rourke win? How great would that be to see this guy shamble up to the stage, tears flowing -- it'd be amazing. And I'm not even a huge fan. I like the 'idea' of Rourke maybe more than the man himself. But the way he really puts it all out there in this film is pretty great. I don't even think he was acting. So maybe, somehow, he doesn't deserve it over some other guy who really is 'acting,' but it's still a performance, and it might be the best thing anyone's done this year (except for Ledger, of course)." -- HE reader "Mindless Obamaton," posted at 5:53 am.

For Whom The Text Smears<< previous | next >>End of the Hat

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on December 30, 2008 at 7:03 AM

comment #1

actionman says ...

I really want to see this film, tired of having to wait.

Posted by actionman at December 30, 2008 7:19 AM

comment #2

p.Vice says ...

"it might be the best thing anyone's done this year (except for Ledger, of course)."

If we're talking about his death and not his second-rate performance, I'm in complete agreement. Talk about a career boost.

Posted by p.Vice at December 30, 2008 7:27 AM

comment #3

vansmith says ...

yeah yeah yeah, rourke the realist the humblest, the biggest, whatev. he should have really went into wrestling that would have been something to see. what about this movie with jack nicholson and warren beatty entitled 'the fortune' how is it? where is it? not on netflix?? que pasa

Posted by vansmith at December 30, 2008 8:00 AM

comment #4

AH says ...

Why is it that people who mess up always get the most credit when they do something substantial? Its much more difficult to be consistent day in and day out, but that never gets any credit.

Posted by AH at December 30, 2008 8:10 AM

comment #5

jbf81 says ...

humm, count me OUT. I dont give a damn about this douch life, if he became this sad story its all his fault. I want Penn to receive his second Oscar, loved his performance and loved Milk.

Posted by jbf81 at December 30, 2008 8:36 AM

comment #6

actionman says ...

Penn was indeed great in the role but the film itself is becoming a tad overrated. The script was as by-the-numbers as it gets and the film really benefited from Van Sant's direction and Savides' excellent cinematography.

Posted by actionman at December 30, 2008 8:46 AM

comment #7

DeafBrownTrashPunk says ...

They still haven't released THE WRESTLER in St. Louis, fuck. I want to see the movie so bad!!!

Posted by DeafBrownTrashPunk at December 30, 2008 9:19 AM

comment #8

Ms. M says ...

The value of a good story impacting the winners at the Oscars has been a factor for decades. If the performances are of roughly similar value, why not give it to the more interesting person? Anyhow, Penn has said he doesn't even care about winning an Oscar, let alone a second one.

And I agree that it is kind of annoying when reformed screw-ups get so much attention, but that sort of thing goes back to the story of the Prodigal Son.

Posted by Ms. M at December 30, 2008 9:41 AM

comment #9

Admiral82 says ...

DeafBrown: It's coming out around here in January. I can't wait either...

Posted by Admiral82 at December 30, 2008 9:45 AM

comment #10

TVMCCA says ...

vansmith wrote:
what about this movie with jack nicholson and warren beatty entitled 'the fortune' how is it? where is it? not on netflix?? que pasa

You're not missing much if you haven't seen THE FORTUNE. Generally unfunny, with Stockard Channing essentially a sexual football passed between the two leads. If memory is correct, Dub Taylor, in a small role, pretty much steals the film.

Posted by TVMCCA at December 30, 2008 10:20 AM

comment #11

buckzollo says ...

Mickey was bad to the bone as The Ram, mos def a cinderella story for ratings come Oscar night. raw

Posted by buckzollo at December 30, 2008 10:24 PM

comment #12

the400blows says ...

I don't understand all the attention Sean Penn is getting for his performance as Milk. He was very good, but it was hardly one of his best performances. As a matter of fact, I'll take Josh Brolin's rendition of George W. Bush over Penn's rendition of Milk. I even liked W. more than Milk. Whereas Milk was more of a political commentary film, W. was more of a character study film. That's why I liked W. more than Milk.

Posted by the400blows at December 31, 2008 1:55 AM

comment #13

Magic Rat says ...

The Wrestler features a great performance from Rourke, but the film itself is too familiar and cliched (stripper with a heart of gold, estranged relationship with daughter, one last shot at glory). In terms of Oscar, I think the nomination will be his win. Look for Penn or Eastwood to take it.

Posted by Magic Rat at January 1, 2009 12:08 PM

comment #14

YRG says ...

I'd much rather see Richard Jenkins get the Oscar as the most deserving. Talk about being consistent day in and day out. I know it will never happen, but one can hope...
I just caught The Visitor last night on Xbox. It's refreshing to see a film that doesn't fall into the same predictable Hollywood format and isn't foreign.

Posted by YRG at January 5, 2009 3:51 PM