Well, this is the last day of the very successful De Palma Blog-A-Thon. It's been very gratifying to have such fantastic submissions, as well as wonderful writers joining in elsewhere in the blogosphere. There will be at least one more post coming later in the day, maybe two.
But in this post we consider The Untouchables (1987), the film that not only inspired me to become a cinephile, but seems to also have inspired many others, including Bill R. at The Kind of Face You Hate: The main reason I've cooled a bit on The Untouchables, however, is that I've simply seen a whole lot more films now. I have a better handle on what I think is great, and what I think is good, and what I think is trash. And I've even seen De Palma beaten at his own game with Inglourious Basterds. I just have too much experience with the vast world of movies (though still not nearly enough) to think that The Untouchables is the masterpiece I thought it was 22 years ago. There was also a period where, outside of this film, I'd decided that I really disliked De Palma. But the experience and knowledge I've gained has shown me that De Palma is actually a weird kind of genius -- his films are inconsistent, frustrating, sometimes out-right terrible, but he's still a genius of a particular sort... Read more here.
Also, here is a two-part post that gets a little too obsessive with the film's famous "Odessa Steps" sequence:
And so it begins... by Randy Aitken at HiMiPoV
And so it begins... (Part Two) by Randy Aitken at HiMiPoV
Join us later for the results of our poll, and my own contribution to the Blog-A-Thon.
Well, this is the last day of the very successful De Palma Blog-A-Thon. It's been very gratifying to have such fantastic submissions, as well as wonderful writers joining in elsewhere in the blogosphere. There will be at least one more post coming later in the day, maybe two.
But in this post we consider The Untouchables (1987), the film that not only inspired me to become a cinephile, but seems to also have inspired many others, including Bill R. at The Kind of Face You Hate: 
3 comments:
Tony:
I just want to thank you for all your hard work in assembling so many pieces and links to great essays on De Palma. Your passion for the filmmakers films is palpable, and shows in the impressive way you've hosted this blog-a-thon. Your efforts are greatly appreciated...and I think speak for all of us cinephiles in the blogosphere that you're efforts here have not gone unappreciated.
Great work, Tony!
Interesting. I've always liked The Untouchables ok but it never really worked for me - I like darker, grittier gangster films, more passionate ones like De Palma's own Scarface (that film was for me what Untouchables was for Bill R. - the "one" De Palma film I thought I really liked, while not "getting" the others).
I also like edgier De Palma fare, I think. Not to knock this film at all, it's well-executed and thoroughly entertaining. Just not sure it's really my cup of tea. Then again, come to think of it, have I ever seen it in its proper aspect ratio? I still own the VHS, so perhaps not. I suppose I should rent the DVD and see what I think...
I have a post up as well --- http://www.strangecultureblog.com/2009/09/when-will-see-de-palma-capone-rising.html
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