An extraordinary day. Not only Bergman dies, but another European great has passed on.

Blow Up, The Passenger, l'Avventura: if he had made only these 3 films, he would still be considered a genius for the ages.

Do yourself the ultimate honour for these great filmmakers this week, and watch a couple of their best movies, movies which fundamentally changed film language.

that was really a sad news.. 2 of the great directors died...
CONDOLENCE to his family and loved ones

Well, I've seen several of Antonioni's classics about isolation. I'm going to watch Blowup with Sarah today or tomorrow (can't wait for the Yardbirds gig).

I do find him maddening quite often, but I agree that he marched to his own drumbeat and invented a different way to use film, even if it mostly sprung from a form of neorealism. The problem I have with the Maestro is when he puts out something like Zabriskie Point, are you supposed to question it or ignore it because there are certainly plenty of good reasons to do both.

I'll come back after I watch Blowup, and The Passenger is in the queue.

Ah, Zabriskie Point.

I've always taken it as a purely visual exercise. Its kinda dumb once you start thinking about it beyond the sheer poetics, so I just zone out, and let the lovely pictures sing..

God, how I love Blowout.

There are so few successful 'rock band' scenes in movies.
Valley Girl is one. Blowup is another.

Fully sik!

Almost 40 views as of today, and only 2 replies!!

Is Antonioni so forgotten?

I don't believe that he's so much forgotten as unfound.

I fear you are right, mark. (heavy sigh)

Blowup (1966, Grade: B)

This is my favorite Antonioni film. I realize that Kool Kats think it's great, but they could be lying so as to just seem kool. On the other hand, many people believe this movie is worthless, but if that's true, I'd say that you might as well leave Antonioni alone because he never was any better.

I'll briefly try to tell you why I like this movie and enjoy studying it too. I'm a photographer by trade and habit. I have to take photos. I usually don't take random photos and I usually don't get paid ungodly sums for them, but I enjoy seeing something which picques my interest and following it whichever way it takes me. I also enjoy humanity and trying to capture the inner being in a photograph.

Well, this movie, in-between everything else which it does, is concerned with the visual image, how important (or unimportant) it is, and why anyone should care about it or not. However, the main thing this movie is about, to me, is that you can have a great band, such as the Yardbirds, performing right in front of you, and that you could be either too stoned or too apathetic to have any clue about what you're watching/hearing!! Sure, the park scenes are fab, the darkroom scenes even cooler, and Vanessa Redgrave and Sarah Miles are both gorgeous, but the movie really has a lot to say about every level of art. Plus I'm somebody who desperately wants a story to hold onto, and I think this has enough story and complexity, especially compared to anything similar.

So check out Blowup, if you haven't. Or if you're like a friend who told me recently that he didn't care for it, watch it again. You already were disappointed by the "plot" the first time, so now you can enjoy some of the other things which you probably missed the first time.

Go ahead. Take a Walk on the Wild Side!

Nice write up there mark.

I would give it an A, though.