Robert Altman Dies

[filkertom]

Sadness. Director Robert Altman, who made a gazillion movies including some regarded as absolute classics of the cinema, has passed away at the age of 81.

Do you have any favorite Altman films? I love M*A*S*H; I really liked Popeye, except for the musical numbers; I adore A Prairie Home Companion.

Comments

[scifantasy.livejournal.com]

Myself, M*A*S*H, especially the football game. I've heard good things about Gosford Park, but never seen it.

[ddrussianinja.livejournal.com]

Oh no! And just after he said at the Oscars that he intended to be around for a long time. That's sad... Well, at least his last movie was super-awesome. I loved A Prairie Home Companion.

[selenesue.livejournal.com]

M*A*S*H is a family favorite here, probably because my dad served in the real thing, early in the Korean police action war thingie. He was pretty much like Radar but grew up to be Hawkeye, I think sometimes.

My favorite quote of his, about being a "cult director": “What is a cult? It just means not enough people to make a minority.”

How do you get celebrity death news so fast? You almost always beat the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which was my previous "first report" when they send out their announcements of a wreath on the deceased's Star on the Walk of Fame.

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

I adore the opening scene of The Player, ten or so minutes long without cuts. The movie itself is fun, but that scene sticks in memory long after the rest of the film is done.

M*A*S*H, of course. And Nashville, which I really need to see again in the light of twenty years of my own growth, to see if it's really as good as I remember.

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

Aha! Just found that opening scene, on YouTube, of course. 8:08 of pan-pan-pan tasty filmwork.

[trektone.livejournal.com]

While I was interested in any film he made, my favorites are Nashville and Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.

[ladystarblade.livejournal.com]

Of course, "M*A*S*H," but I loved "Gosford Park." I have an affinity for British "costume" dramas, and this was one of the best.

I'm just glad he was honored at the Oscars this year...they have a bad habit of waiting too long...until it's too late.

[darthparadox.livejournal.com]

The only film of his I've seen is Gosford Park, but I enjoyed it immensely. He will be missed.

[chrismm.livejournal.com]

Well, this will give away both my age and my oddness, but Brewster McCloud is not only my favorite of his movies, but my second favorite movie of all time. Right after Jonathan Demme's Who Am I This Time?

And yes, a terrible loss...

[alymid.livejournal.com]

Gosford park and Prairie Home companion are (or will be with PHC) definitely part of my home DVD collection

[rook543.livejournal.com]

Definately M*A*S*H. I have the DVD of the movie, all the seasons of the show (up to 10...11 will be released in 6 months), the book by Richard Hooker and several of the sequel books (he wrote 15 as far as I know...) (It should be noted that Richard Hooker was no fan of the movie or TV show, but screw him. They were great!)

[admnaismith.livejournal.com]

In memory of Altman, my family observed three minutes of talking over each other.

My favorite Altman film is Short Cuts, the one with the interlocking plots based on the Raymond Carver stories. Most people I know either HATE Short Cuts or never heard of it, but I was fascinated by it, mostly because I'd read the Carver stories and noticed the interlocking themes and images and knew what to look for. Like a set of jewels in which every jewel reflects exactly one facet from each other jewel, only it's never the same one.

No, I wasn't stoned when I saw it. Why do you ask?

[jbacardi.livejournal.com]

Funny, the only thing I did like about Popeye was the musical numbers by Harry Nilsson and Van Dyke Parks. The last 30 minutes of that movie seem to go on for 30 years...

[timewalker.livejournal.com]

We just watched A Prairie Home Companion last week. He will be missed.

[klukerspud.livejournal.com]

Praire Home Companian was good, but left me a little cold. I got the feeling that GK was not in control for that presentation. Notice how the movie stars got in front of the regular crew during the sing-along at the end of the film. It would have been better if they let the regular people take a little more of the stage during camera time. I was saying to the screen "Yes, we all know that Merryl Streep can sing..."