Just watched CHINATOWN for the first time...

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 2:13am

Holy crap, what a completely excellent movie. I think that the best, and possibly most disturbing, thing about Chinatown is that it takes place in all of those areas of everyday life that nobody thinks that they care about. You use water everyday, but who actually thinks about the mechanics of how it actually gets to your sink? Who actually fears for the future of water when big business comes around?

Things you take for granted. Things you want to forget. Things that people try not to bring up in conversation. That is the beat of Chinatown.

Everything that isn't said is just as important as everything that is. It's a quiet, subtle masterpiece that nudges things along in a slow manner instead of forcing your face into it.

It begins as a mystery, morphs into a family drama, and ends as a story that can only take place...in CHINATOWN.

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 2:21am

Updated On: 1/24/09 at 02:21 AM

[HorseTears]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 2:26am

God, I wanted to love this film, but I only mildly enjoyed it. I mean, Nicholson, Dunaway, Polanski. How could it fail? I know I'm in the minority here, but I just didn't find it terribly compelling.

What happened to Dunaway? She was one of the biggest stars in the 70s. She's overdue for a career revitalization, don't you think?

[nitsua]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 2:53am

She's my sister!
*slap*
She's my daughter!
*slap*
She's my sister! She's my daughter! She's my sister!

It's one of the best movies ever.

[RetroBoy]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 4:38am

well horsetears according to dunaway, 'mommie dearest' happened to her and her career's never fully recovered from that fiasco. . .

chinatown is a modern classic, a great homage to the film noir genre and polanski, nicholson and dunaway at the height of their powers. . .

[nmartin]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 8:20am

Chinatown is one of the best films ever made. When it was first released, I loved it and I still love it. Cruel, find the original movie poster. It's much better than the one you posted.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 8:33am

I'm obsessed with Roman Polanski

[Roscoe]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 8:55am

I've never been a big fan of CHINATOWN either. Perfectly good movie, some wonderful things in it, especially John Huston's performance. But I've never been as blown away by it as others apparently are.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 9:04am

It hasn't aged well, that's for sure. I appreciate it, but it's not at all one of my favorites.

[cubanpab]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 11:55am

i think its brilliant

[tazber]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 11:59am

I'm also a Polanski fan. Did anyone see the sequel The Two Jakes?

[Mamie]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:10pm

I don't think she's aged very well. I'm not talking about her overall appearance - I think she looks incredible. I just don't think SHE thinks she's aged at all. I always get the impression when seeing her now that in her mind she's still the young woman of 30 years ago.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:30pm

Next to ALL ABOUT EVE, CHINATOWN has the most perfect screenplay ever written. I'm surprised you weren't taught it as a screenplay model in film school, Cruel.

[lildogs]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 12:31pm

I really like what you had to say about the movie, Cruel--one of your more astute observations. You're much better when you're more Pauline Kael than Armond White.

As for Miss Faye, I agree about the MOMMIE DEAREST "curse" she thinks she has. I think she's nuts for not embracing the cult around the movie.

Think of all the queens who'd line up if she ever did a MD DVD signing!

[nmartin]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 1:11pm

Lildogs, that would be one damn long line. I would be happy to camp out a week in advance for that.

[lildogs]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 1:22pm

Honey--that would give CAMP OUT a whole new meaning!

[Jon]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 3:18pm

Claude Hooper Bukowski
Finds that it's groovy to hide in a movie
Pretends he's Fellini and Antonioni
And also his countryman Roman Polanski

[Roscoe]

Posted: 4/4/08 at 3:20pm

>>It's a quiet, subtle masterpiece that nudges things along in a >>slow manner instead of forcing your face into it.

Yeah, it really is subtle when he gets his nose ripped open.

[fabala4077]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 6:27pm

Great film.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 9:53pm

Jack Nicholson is so damn hot in that movie.

(You were alll thinking it)

[Kasie]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 9:54pm

Jack Nicholson was hot in The Shining. In a creepy, psycho killer kinda way.

[broadway86]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 10:10pm

*possible spoilers*

One of my favorites. Dunaway is magnificent in a fascinating, multi-layered performance. The screenplay is flawless, and the direction is spot-on. I also think Walter Huston was robbed of an Oscar nom for portraying one of the all-time great villains.

[jondouglas]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 5:28pm

CHINATOWN was nominated in almost every category during Oscar season. A classic film.

[lildogs]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 5:38pm

That was John Huston, broadway--Walter's his daddy.