Monte's Eighties

Interrogé avec quelques confrères cinéastes et critiques, par le magazine Modern Times (livraison d'avril 1990), sur les meilleurs films des années quatre-vingt, Monte Hellman donna la liste suivante. [Merci à Ph!l pour le scan]

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Monte Hellman's favorite films of the decade

(not in order of preference)

Iguana (fuck false modesty)

A Room With a View

Fanny and Alexander

Ordinary People

Crimes and Misdemeanors

My Left Foot (how could the DGA have left this one off the list ?)

Bird

A Flight of Rainbirds / Ate de Jong

El Sur / Victor Erice. Not as good as Spirit of the Behive but still better than most films on that list.

Dark Eyes (didn't want to pick two by the same director, or would have chosen Oblomov as well)

Cutter's Way

Tricheurs / Barbet Schroeder. My favorite of his films.

To Live and Die in L.A.

Three Brothers / Rosi

Blame It On Rio (funner than, and not as hypocritical as Ten)

True Love / Nancy Vacaro. An amazing first film.

Pennies From Heaven (actually better that the TV series)

Eijanaika / Imamura

Time Of The Gypsies

There were others as good, or better, but these are the ones I remember as moving me the most. If the list could be longer, I would add: Man With Two Brains, Mona Lisa, Wish You Were Here, Berlin Alexanderplatz, Love Sick, Local Hero, Man Of Flowers, Man Facing Southeast and Once Upon A Time In America.

As with all list of this kind, mine is heavily weighted in favor of the last year or two. I guess I'm not the only one who suffers from "Old-timer's Disease".

Iguana