A firecracker that initially fizzled with audiences but has increasingly crackled with succeeding generations of film lovers, Sweet Smell of Success today boasts a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Defying genre expectations, it has been described in the media as a film noir, a crime thriller, a comedy, a satire, a character study, and a drama. By any measure, this poison pen letter to the glitzy world of big city show business is bracing and entertaining.
It features pungent dialogue, a ripping jazz score, balls-out performances from enthusiastically unlikeable characters played by Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis, and top-notch location work in 1950s New York City strikingly shot in black and white.
Can our panel of young film-lovers relate to this bygone world of martini-drinking, cigarette-smoking, woman-exploiting men on the make? Or will the not-so-sweet smell drive them away?
Hosts: Mark Netter & David Tausik
Panelists: Guy Lewis & Kylee LaRue
An ElectraCast Production
Added to National Film Registry in 1993
IMDb with restored trailer: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051036/reference/
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Smell_of_Success
Original Variety Review: https://variety.com/1956/film/reviews/sweet-smell-of-success-2-1200418251/
Roger Ebert Review: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-sweet-smell-of-success-1957#google_vignette
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301. The Godfather Part II (1974)
After The Godfather (1972) became arguably the most successful movie of all time, a sequel was unavoidable, and sequels are always inferior to the films they follow. Or are they?
Our hosts and our panelists alike grapple with the legacy of this giant 1974 classic and the inevitable comparisons to the original. Has history singled out a winner? And do viewers approaching these films for the first time see it the same as those who lived during the first release of these masterpieces? Tune in to find out.
Hosts: Mark Netter & David Tausik
Panelists: Guy Lewis, Grace Chapman, Jake Flowers
An ElectraCast Production
AFI Greatest American Movies (original list): #32
Original trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCktxnczyOM&t=16s
IMDb listing: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071562/reference/
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather_Part_II
Original Variety Review: https://variety.com/1974/film/reviews/the-godfather-part-ii-3-1200423302/
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212. The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather (1972) is one of the very few movies to achieve supremacy both critically and commercially. Breaking all box office records upon its release, it now regularly appears on lists of the top ten films of all time.
But while it surprised everyone 53 years ago, it’s now a well-worn part of culture where a young person is guaranteed to have experienced it as a meme before ever seeing the movie. What impact does this pre-saturation have on young viewers? Can they still enjoy the film? Does it live up to the hype?
Find out if this classic still packs the punch of a tommy gun or if it’s an offer the newest generation can refuse.
Hosts: Mark Netter & David Tausik
Panelists: Guy Lewis, Kylee LaRue, Grace Chapman & Jake Flowers
An ElectraCast Production
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaVTIH8mujA&t=120s
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068646/
Ebert Review: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-godfather-1972
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211. La Dolce Vita (1960)
La Dolce Vita (1960) marked a huge milestone in world cinema: the passing of Italian neo-realism to a new generation less steeped in war and poverty, more affluent and optimistic, and hungry for a taste of all the glamour that television, rock n roll, and 7-day-a-week PR would bring. Yet the film was rooted in the old world, with its powerful criticism of crumbling morals and the increasing shallowness of modern life.
It also heralded the full flowering of Federico Fellini, considered by many even today one of the greatest film directors of all time.
While the impact 65 years ago was huge, what impact can the film hold today? Don’t miss our young panel’s reaction to this classic and find out whether this masterpiece still resonates in a timeless way or has already faded like an old black-and-white print.
Hosts: Mark Netter & David Tausik
Panelists: Guy Lewis, Kylee LaRue & Olive Goldberg
Editor: Josh Tillman
An ElectraCast Production
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPBpHtf9kSQ
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Dolce_Vita
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053779/
Ebert Review: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-la-dolce-vita-1960
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210. Planet of the Apes (1968)
This unlikely sci-fi classic burst on the scene in 1968, surprising critics and audiences alike, spawning 4 sequels, 2 reboots, a TV series, and a slew of images and phrases that have permeated world culture. Younger generations have absorbed many of its touchstone memes whether they’ve seen the film or not, but how do they react to the film itself?
Has its rubber masks and paper mâché sets dated it beyond credibility (despite winning Oscars for what was then seen as a technical achievement)? Has the CGI reboot rendered it obsolete? Or does this time piece that so delighted young boomers 57 years ago still pack a punch today?
Don’t miss the young panel’s reaction to this popular cultural dynamo from the late 1960s.
Hosts: Mark Netter & David Tausik
Panelists: Guy Lewis, Kylee LaRue & Masha Yuzhakov
Editor: William Parks
An ElectraCast Production
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0-dUM_A-Cg
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_of_the_Apes_(1968_film)
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063442/
Ebert Review: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/planet-of-the-apes-1968
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Which classic films still work for audiences today? On Film Generations, two guys born in the middle of 20th Century movie culture select a classic film to share with a panel of young film lovers — and see how it plays for today's generation.
Along the way we discuss the making of each film, the state of the world when it was made, its reception by critics and public when originally released, and how its reputation has grown over the years. Discussions cover changes in representation, storytelling styles and the world itself since each film came out. At the end of every episode each panelist rates the movie and reveals whether they would recommend it to a friend.
Join us on Film Generations as we explore the greatest classic movies through the eyes of film lovers young and old.
An ElectraCast Production.
Netherlands