Adapted from Larry McMurtry’s bittersweet 1966 novel of the same name by McMurtry and director Peter Bogdanovich, The Last Picture Show delineates the quiet, desperate lives of the citizens of Anarene, Texas, from November 1951 to October 1952. The film is a pure Janus-headed product of the New Hollywood. Bogdanovich pours the new wine of sexual frankness available to filmmakers after the inauguration of the MPAA ratings system into old bottles borrowed from the cellars of classic Hollywood cinema, namely those older films’ expressive visual grammar and obliquely suggestive dialogue.
As an erstwhile film critic and historian, Bogdanovich drew formal and technical inspiration from his years spent programming films from Hollywood’s Golden Age at MoMA. He also solicited advice from houseguest Orson Welles when it came to shooting the film in black and white, and employing long, unbroken takes rather than break up important scenes. As Welles reportedly put it:...
As an erstwhile film critic and historian, Bogdanovich drew formal and technical inspiration from his years spent programming films from Hollywood’s Golden Age at MoMA. He also solicited advice from houseguest Orson Welles when it came to shooting the film in black and white, and employing long, unbroken takes rather than break up important scenes. As Welles reportedly put it:...
- 11/15/2023
- by Budd Wilkins
- Slant Magazine
I was trying to figure out what genre Steven Spielberg's The Sugarland Express fits in while preparing today's Movie Club entry. It's definitely got drama as Lou Jean (Goldie Hawn), an ex-con, convinces her husband Clovis (William Atherton) to break out of pre-release four months before he's due to be released free and clear. Their goal is to make a run for Sugarland, Texas where they hope to get their child out of foster care, a child that was removed from their custody due to the misdemeanors that landed them in prison. These two eventually hit the road by hitching a ride with an elderly couple, but the fact the old man won't drive any faster than 30 miles an hour on the freeway results in them stealing the car. A police chase ensues, ultimately resulting in the kidnapping of a police officer (Michael Sacks) and hijacking his cruiser. To...
- 11/5/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.