The Silver Screen Oasis

those characters would say those words immediately, without premeditation, kinda like most of life.

There's writing and there's great writing. In the latter, that's what happens!

It's neat to conclude this survey with ChiO picking the same top three. I'd have given odds that would never happen.

Who woulda thunk?

And ChiO, thanks for pointing out the Conrad Hall connection to Richard Brooks' two most visually remarkable films.

Always happy to help imprint cinematographers' names. Hall was nominated ten times for an Oscar. He won three on those times. For THE PROFESSIONALS and IN COLD BLOOD, he was nominated, but did not win. Winners those years: Ted Moore for A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS (probably best known for working on the first four Sean Connery Bond films) and Burnett Guffey for BONNIE AND CLYDE (can't begrudge an Oscar for my favorite noir cinematographer after John Alton and it is a beautiful movie...but I would have awarded it to Hall).

"Whether by way of a memorable line of dialogue, a scene that we can’t forget or simply because they create a stunning image, introductions in films – the first impressions – can be as lasting as when we last see or hear from/of our beloved film characters..."

This is the first line I read of a very good article on the ONCE UPON A SCREEN... blog about films' first impressions. Citizen Screen has listed twenty-five films in two parts, of screen characters making their first entrance onto a film that she's enjoyed. If you have a moment, you can read about them here.

Part I: http://aurorasginjoint.com/2014/01/02/f ... pressions/


Part II: http://aurorasginjoint.com/2014/09/09/f ... part-deux/

She's listed a lot of favorites but maybe you have some of your own who've made a great "first impression" on you. For me, you can't beat Madame Konstantin in "Notorious." She's more imposing than Maria Ouspenskaya and Judith Anderson rolled into one. How'd YOU like to tell her that you've married an American spy?

ChiO wrote:Yes, 1962 was a great year for movies. Most of the great ones, however, were non-English language. THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL (Luis Bunuel), all by itself, elevates the year. Add THE TRIAL OF JOAN OF ARC (Robert Bresson) and several others, and it is spectacular. But, for the English language movies, my Top Ten are:

1962
8. LOLITA (Stanley Kubrick) - Lolita. Light of my life.... Sellers is the weak link. Mason is marvelous. But the key to it all is Shelley, Bird thou never wert....

As usual you sum it up quite well. Mason is great in a role that is just beyond creepy. Sellers is just weird. The whole idea of that character doesn't make any sense to my feeble mind. (I get the idea of the relationship but the execution of it is bizarre.) The whole thing is just a little out of my league. Part serious drama, part goofy and too long it is just more than unusual. For me, if they had gone one way or the other I would have enjoyed it more.