Famous Last Words: Resurrection- the Winner!

Like many genre cycles, Japanese horror (or "J-horror") has had more than its share of junk. But it's also produced its share of memorable chillers, and one of the highlights has surely been Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Pulse, the source of last week's quote. A clever fusion of a high-tech thriller and a ghost story, Pulse also contains a heavy dose of melancholy that makes it good for more than a few scares. But Kurosawa does have some first-class scares up his sleeve, especially in the surreal and wholly unexpected "walking woman" scene, which is impossible to describe to those who've never seen the film, and unforgettable to those who have. Congrats to those who got the quote.

And most hearty congratulations also go out to the winner of this first post-Screengrab round of Famous Last Words, regular participant and veteran winner Cameron Worden. There were a number of strong contenders for the win this round, but Worden bested them all. As promised, Cameron will receive a $25 gift card from The Criterion Store. Thanks to everyone for playing.

As usual, I'm going to be taking some time off from Famous Last Words, but I hope you all will stick around. And I hope to start a new round up in the future, perhaps sometime after the new year. See you around, folks.

Famous Last Words: Resurrection- Week 12

It’s become something of a cliché for a movie to show up at Sundance trumpeting its tiny budget. But while most movies along these lines play like Hollywood audition tapes, a few have showed genuine cinematic vision, none more so than Shane Carruth’s Primer, the source of last week’s quote. Primer was shot for a scant $7,000 (with most of the budget going to pay for 16mm film stock), but like Blair Witch before it, it uses the lo-fi aesthetic imposed by its budget to its advantage, with Carruth setting his film primarily in everyday settings like basements, garages, and storage spaces. More importantly, however, is the fact that Primer is filled to the brim with honest-to-goodness ideas, which are free provided one knows how to use them, and Carruth definitely does. Carruth, a former engineer and self-taught filmmaker, has yet to make another film, but even if he never does, Primer will assure his reputation in the minds of lovers of brainy sci-fi. Congrats to those who guessed it.

With one more week left in the round, I leave you with one final quote:

“Now, alone with my best friend in the world, I have found happiness.”

Name the film. Remember, submit your guesses to this e-Mail address no later than 11:59 PM Eastern on Wednesday. Good luck, and come back next week when I hope to announce a winner.

Famous Last Words: Resurrection- Week 11

Nowadays, it seems like Broadway impresarios have embraced wholeheartedly the notion of turning hit movies into theatrical productions, having adapted everything from Beauty and the Beast and The Producers to High Fidelity and Hairspray for the stage. But before this had become such a common practice, the great Stephen Sondheim penned A Little Night Music, which was inspired by Ingmar Bergman’s 1955 film Smiles of a Summer Night, the source of last week’s quote. But Smiles is no Broadway trivia question, as any cinephile worth his salt can attest. Rather, it’s the master’s first full-on masterpiece, a film that helped to cement his reputation as a cinematic titan. More than half a century later, it’s still great- lighter in tone than most of Bergman’s work, but still plenty substantial, and boasting a cast that includes Bergman favorites Gunnar Björnstrand, Eva Dahlbeck, and Harriet Andersson, who delivers the film’s final line. Congrats to those who got it.

Here’s this week’s quote:

“And if you look, you will not find me.”

Name the film. Remember, submit your guesses to this e-Mail address no later than 11:59 PM Eastern on Wednesday. Good luck!

Famous Last Words: Resurrection- Week 10

When I was in college, I was on a long and boring bus ride with the Ohio State University Men’s Glee Club when one of the members suggested we watch a movie he’d brought along for the trip- Brian G. Hutton’s Where Eagles Dare, the source of last week’s quiz. Since we didn’t have anything better to do, he slid the tape into the VCR (which ought to date this story right there) and despite their general preference for the likes of Tommy Boy, it wasn’t long before the entire group was absorbed by this 1968 World War II thriller. And for good reason- Where Eagles Dare is deliberately paced, but it’s also damned exciting, with a strangely perfect pair of mismatched leading men in Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood. Hutton went on to direct Eastwood again in Kelly’s Heroes before his career began to wane, and reportedly he retired from filmmaking in the mid-1980s to work as a plumber. But no matter- Where Eagles Dare is a keeper. Congrats to those who guessed it.

This week, another change of pace. See if you can guess this one:

“For the sad and dejected, for the sleepless and lost souls, for the frightened and the lonely…”
“But the clowns will have a cup of coffee in the kitchen.”

Name the film. As always, submit your guesses to this e-Mail address. Remember, all submissions must be received no later than 11:59 PM Eastern on Wednesday. Good luck!

Famous Last Words: Resurrection- Week 9

Among the giants of Japanese cinema, Kenji Mizoguchi may not have the mainstream Western popularity of Akira Kurosawa or the instantly-recognizable style of Yasujiro Ozu, but his body of work is certainly worthy to stand alongside theirs. With such classics to his name as Ugetsu and The Life of Oharu, Mizoguchi was a master filmmaker in his own right, but of the Mizoguchi films I’ve seen, none can compare to his 1954 masterpiece Sansho the Bailiff, the source of last week’s quiz. A meditation on the difficulty of doing good in a cruel world, Sansho is undeniably a downer, but it’s also a riveting piece of work, with plenty of gorgeous camera moves and black-and-white cinematography. Congrats to those who guessed it.

Sansho, of course, is just one of the many great Criterion Collection DVDs one could buy with the $25 Criterion Store gift card that’s the prize for winning this round. With four weeks left in competition, it’s still anyone’s game. Let’s see who can guess this one:

“Do me a favor, will you? Next time you have one of these things, keep it an all-British operation.”
“I’ll try, lieutenant.”

As always, e-Mail your guesses to this address. Remember, all submissions must be received no later than 11:59 PM Wednesday. Good luck!

Famous Last Words: Resurrection- Week 8

When I saw Woody Allen’s latest film Whatever Works earlier this month, I marveled at the fact that it was his 40th feature to date- and that he hasn’t shown any signs of letting up his rate of productivity despite being upwards of seventy years old. But while it’s certainly noteworthy when a filmmaker can average a movie a year for more than forty years, there’s also something to be said for those at the opposite end of the spectrum, who don’t make very many movies but make each one count in a way that guys like Allen can’t hope to do. One of the best examples of the latter sort of director was the great Dane (sorry) Carl Theodor Dreyer, whose 1943 film Day of Wrath supplied last week’s quote. Aside from shorts and for-hire projects, Dreyer averaged one feature per decade following his 1928 masterpiece The Passion of Joan of Arc, each one a stone-cold classic- but Day of Wrath was one of his best. Congrats to those who got it.

A few remarks before we get to this week’s quote. First off, does anyone know where I might be able to find Dreyer’s lesser-known works? Having pored over his classics multiple times, I’m awfully curious about the other projects that occupied his time when he wasn’t cranking out classics. Any help would be appreciated.

Also, I apologize for not having this post up in the usual spot, but my new life of not-so-wedded bliss with Angela has curtailed my posting opportunities. I’ll do my level best to have the quote up in time next week.

Moving on… if I had to pick a favorite of all the movies represented by this round’s quotes, the winner would probably be either Day of Wrath and this week’s film. See if you can identify it:

“I don’t know what you have done, but I know that you have followed your father’s teachings, and that is why we have been able to meet again.”

As always, submit your answers to this e-Mail address. Remember, all submissions must be received no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Wednesday night. Good luck!

Famous Last Words: Resurrection- Week 7

For the past three decades, David Mamet has been one of the most distinctive writers working in theatre and film, in the process becoming famous for his uniquely salty dialogue. So many a critic was surprised when, back in 1997, Mamet's The Spanish Prisoner (the source of last week's quote) arrived, bearing a PG rating and scarcely a dirty word. But as the one and only Vern might say, PG don't got to be soft- despite an MPAA rating that's commonly associated with kiddie fare, The Spanish Prisoner was and still is one of Mamet's best thrillers, with a brutal efficiency that complements the pitiless dialogue. In addition, it was a fine showcase for the ever-undervalued Campbell Scott, and gave Steve Martin the rare opportunity to play a bad guy, a far cry from his old "wild and crazy" roles or the family-friendly parody he's become since. Congrats to those who guessed it.

Here's this week's quote:

"I see through my tears, but no one comes to wipe them away."

Name the film. Remember, submit your guesses to this e-Mail address. Remember, all submissions must be received no later than 11:59 PM on Wednesday. Good luck!

Famous Last Words: Resurrection- Week 5

Philip Kaufman has never shied away from unlikely material, but even by his standards The Unbearable Lightness of Being was a tricky one. Anyone who’s read the original Milan Kundera novel can attest to how unadaptable it feels on the page, full of digressions and stylistic choices that just wouldn’t fit the cinematic form. But while Unbearable Lightness hardly qualifies as cinematic Cliff’s Notes, it does a surprisingly great job of capturing Kundera’s unique tone and bringing his beloved characters to the screen. In addition, Kaufman managed to include a number of Kundera’s tropes from the novel in the background of the film, almost as gifts (call them “proto-Easter Eggs”) for fans. Congrats to those who got it.

This week’s quote should be a piece of cake to those who’ve seen the movie. For the rest of you, I make no promises:

“You look different.”
“I got my teeth back.”

Send your guesses to this e-Mail address. Remember, all submissions must be received no later than 11:59 PM Eastern on Wednesday. Good luck!

Famous Last Words: Resurrection- Week 4

If nothing else, one can always count on movie lovers to know their Kubrick movies. And so it was with last week’s quote, which a number of you correctly pegged as the final two lines of Kubrick’s The Killing. Like Blood Simple, which ran in this space two weeks ago, The Killing is notable not only as a great thriller, but also a vivid calling card for a brilliant filmmaker who would soon become one of the world’s great filmmakers. It doesn’t have the grand ambition of Kubrick’s best-known films, but it contains more than a bit of his formal mastery and tight directorial control, and it cast a long shadow in the decades to come, notably influencing Reservoir Dogs, among many other titles. Congrats to those who guessed it.

This week, an exchange that’s rather more cheerful than those in the past few weeks. Here it is:

“What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking how happy I am.”

Guess the film. Send your guesses to this e-Mail address. Remember, all submissions must be received no later than 11:59 PM Eastern on Wednesday. Good luck!

Famous Last Words: Resurrection- Week 3

What’s in a name? Well, it’s impossible to say for sure, but had I included the name that was originally part of last week’s quote- “Marty”- some of you might had an easier time recognizing it. As it stands, only a handful of you were able to peg the final exchange from the Coen Brothers’ first feature, Blood Simple, which first appeared on the scene a quarter of the century ago and is just as cracking a suspense thriller now as it ever was. Quite an auspicious debut for a pair of brothers who’ve made a bit of an impression in the ensuing years, I’d say. Congrats to those who guessed it.

This week I’ve got another “name-dropping” exchange, so to speak. See if you have better luck with this one:

“____, you’ve got to run.”
“Nah… what’s the difference?”

Send your guesses to this e-Mail address. Remember, all submissions must be received no later than 11:59 PM Eastern on Wednesday. Good luck!

Famous Last Words: Resurrection- Week 2

I said that I wanted the first week of this round to be fairly easy, but I wasn’t about to give the game away. That’s why I deliberately began the quote after the line everyone remembers- "we can’t stop the dancing chicken." All the same, there were plenty of you who weren’t fooled by my trick, identifying the quote as the final line of Werner Herzog’s masterful Stroszek, the perfect capper to one of the strangest and best endings in all of cinema. Congrats to those who got it.

This week’s quote has been modified slightly in order to remove a character’s name- a name that would for many of you be a giveaway. Here’s the quote:

"I ain’t afraid of you no more, ____."
(laughter)
"Well, ma’am- if I see him, I’ll sure give him the message."

Name the film. Submit your responses to this e-Mail address. Remember, all submissions must be received no later than 11:59 PM Eastern on Wednesday. Good luck!

Famous Last Words: Resurrection- Week 1

Well folks, there’s no getting around it- Screengrab’s days are over. I think I’m taking it well under the circumstances- no wailing or gnashing of teeth, merely a kind of weary resignation on my part to the notion that my semi-pro writing days are probably over, and to the need to seek out a new part-time job to plug up the hole left in my finances by the loss of the paid critical gig. But needless to say, the shuttering of Screengrab has gotten me thinking a lot about endings lately.

In other words, it’s the perfect time to bring back your favorite movie game and mine, Famous Last Words, which I began here a few years ago before taking it to Screengrab. I posted the rules of the game last week, and now I’m back to kick off the first week of the twelve-week round of play. As usual, I’m starting off with an easy one, to encourage as many people as possible to compete for the prize of a $25 gift certificate from The Criterion Store. Hope to see plenty of responses to this week’s quote:

“Send us an electrician out here, we’ll be standing by. Over.”

Why is someone calling for an electrician? Name the film. I’ll be turning off comments for the purposes of the game, so send your responses to this e-Mail address- please note that it’s a different address than we used for the Screengrab game. And remember, all submissions must be received no later than 11:59 PM Eastern next Wednesday. Good luck!

Famous Last Words, Round 3: The Winners

Last week's quote was taken from Nelson Pereira dos Santos' How Tasty Was My Little Frenchman.

Congrats to Victor Morton, Ben Herrera, and Alex E. for winning this round of Famous Last Words.

Famous Last Words 3.12

Last week's quote came from Russ Meyer's Up! Here's the final quote of the round:

“My friends will come to avenge me. No one of yours will remain on this land.”

Submit guesses to this e-Mail address no later than 11:59 PM Eastern next Wednesday. Good luck!

Famous Last Words 3.11

Last week's quote came from Carl Th. Dreyer's Ordet. Here's this week's:

“I gave you orders never to play that record again!”
“Jawohl, mein herr!”

Submit guesses to this e-Mail address no later than 11:59 PM Eastern next Wednesday. Good luck!

Famous Last Words 3.10

Last week's quotation was taken from Max Ophüls' exceedingly awesome Letter From An Unknown Woman. Here's this week's:

“Now life begins for us.”
“Life, yes. Life… yes. Life.”

Submit guesses to this e-Mail address no later than 11:59 PM Eastern next Wednesday. Good luck!

Famous Last Words 3.9

Last week's quote was taken from William Peter Blatty's The Ninth Configuration. Here's this week's:

“Oh, if only you could have recognized what was always yours… could have found what was never lost…”

Submit all guesses to this e-Mail address no later than 11:59 PM Eastern on Wednesday. Good luck!

Famous Last Words 3.8

Last week's quote was taken from John Hancock's 1973 film Bang the Drum Slowly. Here's this week's:

"Hey, hold it- where did the St. Christopher medal come from?"

Submit your guesses to this e-mail address. Remember, submissions are due no later than 11:59 PM Eastern on Wednesday. Good luck!

Famous Last Words 3.7

Last week's quote was taken from Godard's Pierrot le Fou.

Halfway through the round, and the prizes are still up for grabs. Here's this week's quote:

“From here on in, I rag on nobody.”

Submit your answers to this e-Mail address no later than 11:59 PM Eastern on Wednesday. Good luck!

Famous Last Words 3.6

Last week's quote was from John Sturges' Bad Day at Black Rock. Here's this week's:

“It’s ours again.”
“What is?”
“Eternity.”
“It’s just the sea.”
“And the sun.”

Somewhat longer than usual, but what the hell. Remember, all guesses must be submitted to this address no later than 11:59 Eastern next Wednesday. Good luck!