Robert Altman

[JustaFied]

Robert Altman died today. He was a truly an "independent" and original filmmaker. If you haven't done so already, take the time to get reaquainted with such films as "Nashville", "McCabe & Mrs. Miller", "The Long Goodbye", and "California Split". He will be missed.

[Johann]

Whoa- heavy news JustaFied.

A giant is gone.

[JustaFied]

Yeah, Johann, it's heady stuff.

Another "overlooked" Altman film to check out: O.C. and Stiggs. Altman was hired to make an 80's teen film (whose idea was that?), and the end result is a hilarious mockery of the genre. Altman says it flopped because "people didn't get it", and I tend to agree with him in retrospect. It was recently released on DVD...check it out.

I was just thinking that Altman and Kubrick are my two favorite "American" filmmakers (term used loosely in reference to Kubrick), though their filmmaking styles were so different. Whereas Kubrick films are tightly controlled, both in story and in style, Altman films tend to be loose and laid-back, with with "overlapping" dialogue now a trademark of his films. Even with such differences, however, the films of both men tend to share a primary concern with issues of morality and the human condition, and these films continue to resonate with me in large part for this reason. In an era where self-important filmmakers now tend to be more interested in the exercise of filmmaking rather than the underlying storyline, it's important to remember these two great, original, humanistic filmmakers.

[oscar jubis]

I was posting about Altman in the General Film Section at the same time as you, JustaFied. If I had noticed your thread here I would have posted my comment here.
I haven't seen O.C. and Stiggs. (the only other Altman I haven't seen is Fool For Love). Perhaps you'd find the time to post a brief review...
Anyway, Altman brought you back. I missed you. I actually thought of you very recently while viewing the doc Shakespeare Behind Bars (I think our last exchange concerned Bard adaptations).

[JustaFied]

Hey Oscar. Yeah, I've missed you guys too. Just been really busy this year...haven't seen as many films at the theater as I would have liked, but I have kept up a pretty good stream of Netflix inflow/outflow. Also been reading more Shakespeare, so that doc sounds interesting. (BTW, my girlfriend moved here from Miami, so I haven't been to south Florida in a while...hope things are well there...)

Thanks to Netflix, I've caught up with all or most Altman films available on DVD. Fool for Love is pretty mediocre. Altman's got some misses, I'll admit that (as opposed to Kubrick, who put out gem after gem...). I did finally see Popeye, which cracked me up. I can see the brilliance of the film, the joy and innocence Altman sees in the character. But I can also see how it's not anything like what the Hollywood studio would be expecting. Altman got a bad rap that way.

O.C. and Stiggs is crazy. I'll try to write a review soon. I really do recommend it. Again, it's an example of the studio expecting a genre film from Altman, only to get something entirely different. Altman making an 80's teen film, no way! But this one's pretty good, and it's also got Dennis Hopper playing off his Apocolypse Now character. Good stuff.

Nashville and McCabe are masterpieces. M.A.S.H. and Short Cuts are really, really good. Maybe I ought to give M.A.S.H. more credit because it was such an original, groundbreaking film. Brewster McCloud and O.C. & Stiggs are fun, crazy films.

Altman was one of a kind. We'll never see the likes of him again.

[Johann]

Altman said that Shelley Duvall was a completely changed actress after working with Kubrick.
(She made Popeye immediately after The Shining).
I've loved Popeye since I was a kid.
I've talked to many people who hated it or thought it was cheesy.


When you think of what Altman achieved in his brilliant career, even with the misses, it's awe-inspiring.

His films are so varied yet so great.
I mean compare M*A*S*H with Vincent and Theo.
Or Gosford Park and Tanner '88..
Short Cuts and McCabe..

Was it Michael Herr that said about Kubrick
"he was 20's born, 40's bred and 50's minted?"

Same could be said of Altman.

He was a major champion of cinema.
I read somewhere that he felt his films were his children, and that he was EXTREMELY protective of them.

The point to remember with Robert Altman is that he made films for movie lovers like himself, and I wish that there were more "personal" directors in Hollywood like him, directors who make films from the viewpoint of themselves as the ideal viewer of their work. (of which Kubrick is prime proponent).

Utterly amazing personal filmography.

[oscar jubis]

I figured you were busy, JustaFied. Glad to hear your girlfriend moved there. Miami is crowded with people escaping colder climates and I like that. Looking forward to the SuperBowl (although hopes that the local team would play in it have banished). Do check out Shakespeare Behind Bars (Netflix has it).
I agree completely with your assessment of Altman's filmography. Nashville and McCabe and Mrs. Miller are definite masterpieces. I plan to watch O.C. and Stiggs soon.

Have you guys seen Images (1972)? I watched it in a theatre when I was very young. (In El Salvador, before I moved to the US). According to Roger Ebert, "the film never achieved a normal commercial release in America". This is very surprising to me. I haven't seen it since, but it's out on dvd and it's worth checking out.

[JustaFied]

Thanks for the rec on Shakespeare Behind Bars. I just added it to my Netflix "queue". I'll share some thoughts once I view it...

I actually haven't yet seen Images. I remember your recommending it a while back. No excuses...I will check it out soon.

Johann...Altman was indeed protective of his films in that he wouldn't allow the studios to bastardize them. He didn't really care about commercial success, and when some of his films failed to draw at the box office, he moved on to lower-budget films (of these, I highly recommend Secret Honor for anyone who hasn't seen it). And did you know he "found" Shelley Duvall here in Houston when he was casting for Brewster McCloud? She was working behind the counter at a local department store. She does make the perfect Olive Oyl (sp?), doesn't she?

Oscar...Miami is a fun place, and the beaches and water are beautiful. Especially nice in the winter. Good food too...we found a great tapas place in South Beach area...but housing prices are getting too high, aren't they? Has the condo market bubble burst yet?

Will post again soon...take care...

[Johann]

So Shelley Duvall is from Texas? Thanks for the info.

You've seen more Altman films than me, J.
(and probably oscar as well)
Thanks for the recommendations.

Haven't seen Secret Honor, Images or O.C. and Stiggs. Time to hit Invisible Cinema..

You should post a cinema study J!
Number six: Robert Altman

*insert smiley face here*

[oscar jubis]

Originally posted by JustaFied
when some of his films failed to draw at the box office, he moved on to lower-budget films (of these, I highly recommend Secret Honor

Yeah, Altman directed a number of low-budget play adaptations in the 80s (Streamers, Welcome Back To The 5 & Dime). Secret Honor is perhaps the most popular ( and perhaps the best?). But it's highly speculative, somewhat paranoid political fantasy and, despite the warning that precedes the film, I wouldn't want anyone "getting their Nixon" from this source.

Oscar...Miami is a fun place, and the beaches and water are beautiful. Especially nice in the winter. Good food too...we found a great tapas place in South Beach area...but housing prices are getting too high, aren't they? Has the condo market bubble burst yet?

Obviously you know the area. Housing is our #1 problem. Key indicator is percentage of household income spent on housing. Miami is right up there with Monterrey, CA and Queens, NY. It's so bad because, even when the US economy slows down, wealthy Latin Americans and Europeans keep buying real estate here. So, the condo market has slowed down a bit but it hasn't burst, and it won't any time soon.To give you an idea: my modest house when up $200,000 in estimated value over the past two years. The bulk of the new jobs created are low-paying service industry jobs. Companies relocating to Florida to take advantage of our climate and lack of a State tax prefer Naples or Orlando, where housing is affordable. Working-class people are forced to live in cookie-cutter developments near the eastern edge of the Everglades, or live in overcrowded conditions.
But Miami's unique culture, climate and geographical location can't be replicated. I wouldn't live anywhere else.