tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post5371356179899963697..comments2024-03-03T10:32:45.969-08:00Comments on Mr. Peel's Sardine Liqueur: Major ChordsMr. Peel aka Peter Avellinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10553482286909862975noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-6594990896584371872012-04-14T01:55:03.539-07:002012-04-14T01:55:03.539-07:00Excellent job on Sorcerer- I do hope Friedkin revi...Excellent job on Sorcerer- I do hope Friedkin revisits it with a SE DVD. Oh- and "Coyote" is me- nickname I use elsewhere- proof I make mistakes, too :)<br /><br />-FredCoyotehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07229172646179890419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-18507442374216073412012-04-14T01:19:45.905-07:002012-04-14T01:19:45.905-07:00Coyote--
To answer your last question first, yes....Coyote--<br /><br />To answer your last question first, yes. More proof that I'm not perfect. <br /><br />And I have written about SORCERER, several years ago after a New Beverly screening, but it's not quite as comprehensive as it would be now. Anyway, here it is:<br /><br />http://mrpeelsardineliqueur.blogspot.com/2008/11/more-philosopher-than-soldier.htmlMr. Peel aka Peter Avellinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10553482286909862975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-87435211760573965522012-04-12T21:06:37.371-07:002012-04-12T21:06:37.371-07:00Well said, Mr. Peel; for me, this film has always ...Well said, Mr. Peel; for me, this film has always felt as though it should have been one of those '70s Prince/Sondheim Broadway musicals. Your Friedkin reference above makes me wonder: have you ever covered Sorcerer?<br /><br />(A quick point- "the often empty backlot streets never strive to look anything like what they actually are," You mean "...anything other than what...", yes?)Coyotehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07229172646179890419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-11278441530484110062010-02-06T18:34:36.691-08:002010-02-06T18:34:36.691-08:00Bob--
Thank you very much for that, but my compli...Bob--<br /><br />Thank you very much for that, but my compliments to you for the phrase "arduous slog through miles of broken glass headlined by one of the most nauseating lead characters in film history." And you make me think that if someone like the New Beverly does ever run this then it should be on a double bill with CAPE FEAR because hey, why not? It would be a good exercise for people to determine which character is actually worse.Mr. Peel aka Peter Avellinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10553482286909862975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-43185173238208571172010-02-06T10:16:26.140-08:002010-02-06T10:16:26.140-08:00Beautifully written, Mr. Peel. I would imagine tha...Beautifully written, Mr. Peel. I would imagine that the title song did not get nominated because this film is an arduous slog through miles of broken glass headlined by one of the most nauseating lead characters in film history. I think I like De Niro's monster in "Cape Fear" more than I do Jimmy here in "NY. NY" & that's saying something. Still, as you note, there are some transcendent moments in the film. It's one I've seen at least twice in theaters (1977 & 1981) and have tried to like but Jimmy is so repulsive I just can't break on through. <br />One odd side note re: "You Light Up My Life" the eventual Oscar-winning song. Did you see that last year the composer, Joe Brooks (now, 71) was arrested on multiple rape counts in NYC? He, allegedly, would lure young girls (18-22) for casting sessions to his studio and then sexually assault them. Who knew, in reality, how close those two movies really were. <br />As always, a real pleasure to read your stuff. <br /><br />- BobAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-54901810582551024212010-02-04T23:37:17.907-08:002010-02-04T23:37:17.907-08:00I've never been able to make it through this, ...I've never been able to make it through this, even though I've seen everything else by Scorsese, including his short films. SORCERER is great, though, altho' out on a shitty DVD.Will Erricksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16285306262078600804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-30454270243030726832010-02-04T19:14:47.872-08:002010-02-04T19:14:47.872-08:00le0pard13--
Thanks very much, glad you liked it. ...le0pard13--<br /><br />Thanks very much, glad you liked it. The film may linger on a few things longer than necessary but when Abbott sings in that one scene I have no complaints. And SORCERER is amazing! It played a midnight show at the New Beverly in late '08 but I hope it gets screened again in the future. <br /><br />J.D.--<br /><br />I really appreciate that, thank you. I'm not sure I'd know where to begin in writing a piece on DUNE. I would probably just get hypnotized as soon as Virginia Madsen begins to explain everything. <br /><br />Griff--<br /><br />I swear, I once flipped by the movie on cable and watched the last twenty minutes just so I could see that final shot. Clearly there's something wrong with me. <br /><br />Christian--<br /><br />I know you're right, I know. Sometimes you see one of these movies and all you can think is, "Too much coke" whether it's literally the case or not. At least in SORCERER it wasn't a problem that everyone was so mad all the time. <br /><br />Anon--<br /><br />Many thanks for your kind words, it means a lot. As for the song not being nominated, what's really surprising is that nothing from the film was nominated--not the sets, costumes, nothing. That said, I'm certainly not going to try to convince you to watch it to the end sometime. I understand. <br /><br />Mike--<br /><br />Actually, AFTER HOURS was definitely in there. But his NEW YORK STORIES segment LIFE LESSONS, which I've always liked, was MIA as well.Mr. Peel aka Peter Avellinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10553482286909862975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-83123221211698292152010-02-03T22:44:21.798-08:002010-02-03T22:44:21.798-08:00I quite agree with this, but I also couldn't h...I quite agree with this, but I also couldn't help notice, or maybe I just missed it, that there were no clips from After Hours either.Mike Lipperthttp://mikesyoutalkingtome.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-21310862387632782682010-02-03T20:48:42.983-08:002010-02-03T20:48:42.983-08:00Nice job, Mr. Peel; this is one of the most moving...Nice job, Mr. Peel; this is one of the most moving and personal film essays I've read in some time, beautifully illustrating the complicated relationships movie lovers sometimes have with the movies.<br /><br />I'm a big Scorsese fan, but I've never been able to get all the way through this movie. Certainly De Niro has played plenty of unlikeable characters in other (more watchable) Scorsese films, but lacking a realistic context here, I was baffled as to what the point was in spending two and a half hours with this such an irredeemable shithead. <br /><br />Incidentally, I too was under the impression that that timeless standard "NY, NY" had been around a lot longer than it has. I'm as disconcerted to discover it wasn't nominated for best song that year as I was to find out that Debbie Boone was singing "You Light Up My Life" to GOD.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-62922496532344831062010-02-03T17:45:26.828-08:002010-02-03T17:45:26.828-08:00Great observations on this weird film. I won't...Great observations on this weird film. I won't sidestep the drug issue -- this feels like a 70's straw and powder spectacular. Lines flow as interesting ideas keep coming but never fully develop proper. Pass the rails! <br /><br />You see what Scorcese was going for, but DeNiro and his character is one of the most unpleasant leads in a major motion picture. It does represent that period where that intense discomfort would be eliminated from big studio pictures. SORCERER would be a great double feature with this, but it has the same problems, with even less characterization.christianhttp://christiandivine.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-39428710698488678922010-02-03T13:39:56.411-08:002010-02-03T13:39:56.411-08:00A superb essay. You hit all the notes. The detail ...A superb essay. You hit all the notes. The detail about the hallway at the end was a terrific observation, as was your description of the long end credit roll, with that long Ralph Burns orchestration playing underneath. Really a beautiful piece, sir.Griffnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-62157571963364311172010-02-03T13:36:29.180-08:002010-02-03T13:36:29.180-08:00"I wish I could love the film. Sometimes I ca..."I wish I could love the film. Sometimes I can’t stand it. It remains harshly, completely fascinating."<br /><br />Well said! I couldn't agree more. These sentiments I would also apply to Coppola's THE COTTON CLUB and Lynch's DUNE -- films that I keep coming back, trying to find an in-road, a way to like these films but has alluded me. Still, I find myself more able to sit through Coppola and Lynch's films than through NY, NY... maybe because they are fascinating trainwrecks and NY, NY just isn't.<br /><br />This is a really fantastic review and, as I said above, echoes a lot of my own thoughts on this film.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164105442273577128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-88805049763536926182010-02-03T13:00:27.463-08:002010-02-03T13:00:27.463-08:00I think you captured it well, Mr. Peel. I haven...I think you captured it well, Mr. Peel. I haven't seen this for quite some time, and never on DVD (so that alternate ending has got me curious). When I think of it: Scorsese, De Niro, New York, musical... Lisa Minnelli (what?!?), it catches me with a <i>what were they thinking?</i> tangent. But, I'm glad you mentioned then-wife Diahnne Abbott singing that rendition of “Honeysuckle Rose” at the Harlem Club. It's one of the few things I do like about the film.<br /><br />"<i>SORCERER, at the very least, is remarkable nevertheless</i>"<br /><br />So glad you mentioned this, too. I'm a long-time fan of this Friedkin.<br /><br />Also pretty amazing that it didn't get a song nomination (another one in the 'few' category). Anyway, thanks for another great review of this lost Scorsese. Mr. Peel.le0pard13https://www.blogger.com/profile/09421175808461787862noreply@blogger.com