Posted by the editors on Saturday, 17 September 2011
Straw Dogs, directed by Sam Peckinpah, theatrical release poster
Straw Dogs (1971)(DVD) Directed by Sam Peckinpah (Ride the High Country (1962), The Wild Bunch (1969), The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970), Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)), starring Dustin Hoffman (The Graduate (1967), Midnight Cowboy (1969), Rain Man (1988), Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)), Susan George and others. Despite the controversy surrounding the film at its time of release, focusing on its distinctly ambiguous rape scenes and its violence, Straw Dogs seems relatively tame by current standards. Hoffman’s portrayal of David Sumner, a rather odiously conflicted American mathematician is on the mark, Susan George is, with dire consequences, and in accordance with Hoffman’s critique of her role, exhibitionistically flirty and an odd match for Hoffman’s character. Nevertheless, Straw Dogs merits viewing for Peckinpah’s fluidity, as well as its portrayal of personal and cultural vagaries. (PR)
It should be noted that an eponymous remake of the film, directed by Rod Lurie and starring James Marsden and Kate Bosworth was released in the U.S. yesterday. (Straw Dogs, 2011) (read A.O. Scott’s review, “His Credit Cards and Fancy Words Can’t Help Him Here“, in The New York Times)
top image: Wikipedia
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Posted in film, Film Reviews, Links, Movies, Nothing Is Invisible, nothingisinvisible | Tagged: 1971, 2011, A.O. Scott, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, David Sumner, Dustin Hoffman, Film Reviews, Films, His Credit Cards and Fancy Words Can't Help Him Here, James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, Midnight Cowboy, movies, Nothing Is Invisible, nothingisinvisible, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, PR, Rain Man, Ride the High Country, Rod Lurie, Sam Peckinpah, Straw Dogs, Straw Dogs (2011), Susan George, The Ballad of Cable Hogue, The Graduate, The New York Times, The Wild Bunch | 2 Comments »
Posted by the editors on Sunday, 15 November 2009
The NYT film critic, A.O. Scott, has written a thoughtful, articulate and thoughtful article entitled “Screen Memories” in the Magazine section of The New York Times (online) on his experience viewing, reviewing and generally thinking about films which have come out in the last ten years. Yes, it’s one of those end of year, end of decade strolls, for better or worse, down memory lane. It’s still very much worth reading and is accompanied by two lists:
Movies of Influence and Movies of Quality
Go ahead, see if you agree or disagree. At the very least you’ll find out if you saw the films you “should” have seen.
nothingisinvisible@live.fr
Posted in culture, film, Links, Nothing Is Invisible | Tagged: A.O. Scott, Best films 2000-2009, Best films list, film, movies, The New York Times | Leave a Comment »
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