MetaChat - So, later this summer

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23 May 2010

So, later this summer I am going to have a bunch of people over to watch a movie in my backyard on a Saturday night (I am borrowing a portable movie screen and a dvd projector). I want to show a classic that is worthy of discussion afterward, but given the pacing of some older movies and the short attention spans of many of my friends, I want it to be something really engaging and not too terribly long. At this point, my #1 candidate is Dr. Strangelove. Any other suggestions?

post by: amro at: 17:57 | 23 comments

Network 121 min
MASH 116 min
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest 133 min
Bonnie & Clyde 112 min

posted by Ardiril 23 May | 18:16

Do musicals! Offer sheets with lyrics and have sing-alongs!

And if you do... please invite me! I sing loud!

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 23 May | 18:23

Metropolis? Might be too draggy.

posted by chewatadistance 23 May | 19:18

The Wild One (79 minutes)

"What are you rebelling against, Johnny?"
"What have you got?"

---

The Hidden Fortress (139 minutes)

Toshiro Mifune as Obi Wan

the duel on horseback is particularly good.

---

Runaway Train (111 minutes)

Seat cushions can disappear during this movie due to the high pucker factor. Nobody's attention wanders during this one!

posted by warbaby 23 May | 19:56

Dog Day Afternoon

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

posted by BoringPostcards 23 May | 20:07

The Muppet Movie. (Discuss the importance of Orson Welles, etc.)

posted by Melismata 23 May | 21:26

ooh, can I come?

posted by Eideteker 23 May | 21:29

Absolutely, you're all welcome. Just don't reveal my secret internet identity.

posted by amro 23 May | 22:56

"Much Ado about Nothing" It's beautiful, it zips along, and you can talk afterwards about how terrible Keanu is in it.

posted by ColdChef 23 May | 23:01

Star Wars! The original version, where Han shoots first.

posted by deborah 24 May | 00:45

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.

Negatives: it's long and traumatizing.

Positives: you can't look away and you have no idea where you are in this crazy Venn-diagram of camp, horror, old-hollywood-royalty-and-rivalry, etc.

Seriously, in my experience, for better or for worse, one's attention NEVER wavers on this one.

posted by treepour 24 May | 01:46

Casablanca's 102 minutes.
I've heard Singing in the Rain is quite good. That runs around 103 minutes.
Is Airplane a classic yet? Well it should be.

As much as I love Dr. Strangelove, it drags when compared to modern movies (as fantastic as it is).

posted by gc 24 May | 03:32

Blazing Saddles?

posted by ninazer0 24 May | 03:38

The Philadelphia Story. No idea how long it is, but it always seems too short to me.

posted by altolinguistic 24 May | 07:18

Sierra Madre. .(if only for "We don't need yer steenkeen' BODGES!")

posted by danf 24 May | 10:38

Blazing Saddles?

I read that as "Blazing Sadies" and decided that would be a great band name.

Casablanca is pretty darn gripping. So is To Have and Have Not.

posted by Miko 24 May | 11:28

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance for the discussion; oh, I could discuss this flick for weeks, I tell you what!

Here Comes Mr. Jordan is one of my few favorite movies, it's been remade a bunch but nothing comes close.

Brute Force is quite gripping, plus you get to see Burt Lancaster and Hume Cronyn when they were young.

Also James Cagney stuff like The Roaring Twenties or White Heat really rips along.

I assume short attention spans won't want to read the film, so I've held off from recommending The Wages of Fear (France, 1953) or Running Out of Time (Hong Kong, 1999).

But really, Miko nailed it with Casablanca.

posted by Hugh Janus 24 May | 17:22

Can't take credit for Casablanca: gc mentioned it above.

Captains Courageous might also be good.

posted by Miko 24 May | 18:49

Ah, right.

But really, gc nailed it with Casablanca.

posted by Hugh Janus 24 May | 20:22

Inherit The Wind based on the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" Trial. Scopes was put on trial for teaching Darwin to high school students. Lots to discuss.

Directed by Stanley Kramer. Great performances from Spencer Tracy playing the part of Clarence Darrow, Frederic March as William Jennings Bryan, Gene Kelly as H.L. Mencken and Henry Morgan (Colonel Potter from MASH) as the judge.

Note: Clarence Darrow, William Jennings Bryan and H.L. Mencken are the real-life people. In the movie the roles are given other names, but that's who they are actually representing.

posted by marsha56 24 May | 22:27

Heh, marsha56, I actually made a Mefi post about Clarence Darrow once.

You all have given me many movies to put on Netflix! I will have to watch them fast so I can pick one in time for the party.

posted by amro 24 May | 22:35

Killer's Kiss is a classic noir directed by Stanley Kubrick, and it's barely over an hour.

posted by box 24 May | 23:17

I win! *dances*

posted by gc 26 May | 07:39

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