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Carsten Czarnecki wrote:THE LONG GOODBYE is not only one of Altman's supreme masterpieces, but also features what is probably the finest performance by one of my very favorite actors, Elliott Gould.

Definitely. Right up there with his other wonderful Altman team-ups, MASH and California Split. I always wondered if in some way Gould, for awhile, was Altman's cinematic alter ego.

They were certainly in synch. But the thing about Altman is that he never has "heroes" in the conventional sense because he despises the notion of anyone being "in charge" of the story or owning "the truth" about anything. Neither McCabe nor Mrs. Miller control their film or stand above anyone or anything in it. Brewster McCloud wants to fly above it all, and of course crashes to earth (in a grand finale comparable in every way to that of Lola Montes.) And Garrison Keillor consistently downplays the idea that he's running the show in A Prairie Home Companion. He's just the mc.

Help me out with this one, guys. Out of all his 70's output, Buffallo Bill is the one I still have trouble with. I don't know if it's because it's a western (though I do realize he's subverting the genre, yet again) or because it's a subject I do not feel particularly close to. However, if anyone could find me a new starting point for me to better appreciate it, I would be of course very grateful.

I'm actually in the mood of giving it another go. So, any thoughts?

While it's not entirely successful, Buffalo Bill is interesting if you look at it from certain angles. I'm not sure if Altman meant it as another genre-subversion piece - while those elements exist, the whole film seems to be a rejoinder and musing upon Ford's "print the legend" line. It seems to be about the perpetuation of American myths that go beyond the Western, to consider the way so much of American culture ultimately becomes banal and Disney-fied. He's concerned with how believing myths and legends, or perhaps depending upon false ideals, can control and ultimately destroy a culture - both the Native American and the Anglo-Saxon culture. I guess if Altman saw McCabe & Mrs. Miller as the ultimate anti-Western, he also saw it as a repudiation of the American Dream of free enterprise and community. With Buffalo Bill, he seems to be kind of disgusted with the culture as a whole, as the world of illusions has been completely subsumed within the populace and national narrative. Again, it's far from his strongest film, and maybe he went in a little too deep. But I think there are some really interesting ideas floating around in it, and some great dialogue, too. Hope this helps.

Thanks, it does put the film a lot more into perspective. Like I said, I will give it another go and then see what happens. I do want to like it much more than I do now because for one I think that the cinematography is splendid.

despite the severity of his age and the crimpled, desultory look he had begun to affect, i was rather surprised to hear of altman dying. i've had somewhat of a reticence when it comes to his work, in that the majority of what i've seen has been incredibly impersonal to me, comparable to the lack of affection i have for anything martin scorsesse ever had any remote involvement with. however, i recently viewed mccabe and mrs. miller and found in it a wonderful warmth - the feel of the film, i mean, the characters were somewhat aloof. irrespective of my suspicions regarding his stature and the reverence he receives from countless filmmakers, both of which i'm still slightly puzzled by, i do enjoy nashville and to a larger extent find mccabe and mrs miller infinitely rewarding (the scenes near the end where the snow is simply, slowly devouring the town as the church sits atop the hill inflamed and crumbling, just seems to linger in my mind).

i'm trying to venture out and see more of his work if anyone has any suggestions or perspective. i've seen and disliked (greatly) secret honor, gosford park and the player, and while i did enjoy the scenes featuring tom waits and lily tomlin in short cuts (particularly the "you're the one who's chipping away at our mansion of love, baby!" line) i think it's grotesquely uneven and has some of most wretched, lamentably lame dialogue i've ever come across (the scene with matthew modine castigating julianne moore and her inattentive lack of panty-wearing is especially ear-numbing). i barely remember mash, and i hesitate to revisit based upon my unabashed love of alan alda.

i'm considering viewing 3 women, long goodbye, vincent and theo (despite its atrocious cover art) and a wedding.

a post-script of sorts: being a bud cort fan, and attendant supporter of all things brewster mccloud, i noticed there was a dvd circulating on ebay of said film, yet i was under the impression it hadn't had any release in any country and am reluctant to waste money on something that was manufactured in a musty basement in kinosha. any help?

will do. i obtained vincent and theo from the video store last night and will likely check out 3 women and long goodbye after that.

Just be warned that "Vincent & Theo" is a fairly atypical Altman film (and one of my least favorites).

If you're already kindly disposed towards Nashville, by all means check out A Wedding, which goes even further in that mode. I'd be interested to see what you think of 3 Women, which I love, because it's about as far as you can get from the films you haven't liked. I'd also recommend California Split as one of his warmest, most relaxed films. Ã

i began watching vincent and theo, and am somewhere near the middle of the film. so far, i'm abnormally predisposed to it - somewhat surprisingly given my lukewarm feelings for tim roth. particularly, i enjoy the atmosphere and the weathered walls which adorn his ramshackle little home, and find myself loving the scenes with the prostitute.

the video store does indeed have 3 women, a wedding, and thieves like us, which i'll check out immediately when the opportunity is presented.

27-film Altman retro at NYC's IFC Center in January.

Barmy wrote:27-film Altman retro at NYC's IFC Center in January.

Reason number 4,267 why I should live in New York. Here is the amazing lineup. This is currently just about the only way to see Jimmy Dean, Countdown, Health, and That Cold Day in the Park.

Garrison Keillor's tribute to Altman.

3 women was, despite noticeable flaws, greatly enjoyed, and stands proudly now behind mccabe and miller and nashville as my favorite altman film. my reluctance to some of the film, primarily parts concerning the third woman and the portrayal of her character early during the film, as well as solitary stuff without sissy in the early half, tend to fade when i think of the film as a whole. i don't think anything was necessarily out of place or superfluous, but some parts failed to engage me as consistently - but that was mostly during the first part of the film. i greatly enjoyed the latter half and especially the end amidst the heather, thistle and dilapidated house. it struck me as peculiar, however, that the film was exceptionally imagistic, as most altman films that i've seen sway from strong visuals (an exception, obviously, being mccabe and mrs. miller).

[quote="zedz"]Ã

i'm curious as to whether or not they're intending to re-release any of the films given his recent expiration. it seems logical as most of the discs are bare, save for the obligatory altman commentary (and i oh so admire and revel in the fact that he gives time to record one). then again, when kubrick died, the dvd re-releases were fairly nude and didn't really capitalize in the form of a luscious, crudely priced two-disc set for each film.

i have seen an altman boxset that must have been released shortly before his death, but the content is mostly unknown to me (i believe it contains a wedding, mash and two other films i'm slack to remember).

regardless, they need to alter that hideous packaging for nashville, perhaps the most visually repellent cover i've ever seen.

[quote="JFarina"][quote="zedz"]Ã

Thanks, zedz. I just watched Thieves tonight and really enjoyed it. Characteristic Altman from this period and full of his usual stock players. What I love is how many of the actors Altman favors lack the traditional glamour and aura of celebrity of the typical "movie star." Really adds to the sense of realism and authenticity I get from his films.

Much of Altman's work gets better for me on repeat viewings so I need to go ahead and get the R2 edition from the UK. Hopefully we'll see a nice anamorphic R1 edition in the future, though given the history of Altman's films on dvd, I'm not holding my breath.

2 things:

1) The other day I had lunch with Neill Barry's mother, and she told me a funny story. She said that the first time Robert Altman watched the final cut of "O.C. & Stiggs", he checked himself into rehab. It makes sense, when you compare it to his next work in "Tanner 88".

2) I found a DVD of the jam session that was recorded for "Kansas City", which is entitled "Robert Altman's Jazz '34". The quality is very good, the tunes are uncut, and there's some narration from Harry Belafonte. It's about 1 1/2 hours, and is a great companion to the movie. You can find it at rhapsodyfilms.com, although the copy I have is just a DVD-R.

From here:

24th April

Robert Altman's Thieves Like Us (with Altman commentary from LD)

Now all we need is for Warner to get that Brewster McCloud DVD out and all of his 70's output will be out on digital.

Lino wrote:From here:

24th April

Robert Altman's Thieves Like Us (with Altman commentary from LD)

Now all we need is for Warner to get that Brewster McCloud DVD out and all of his 70's output will be out on digital.

Well, I still consider HEALTH to be part of the 70s pack, if only because it was part of the five picture deal he had with Fox.

Michael Tolkin's tribute to Altman in Artforum.

Anyone know where to find the extented TV-version of Vincent and Theo?

Thieves Like Us pre-order from Amazon

From The New York Times:

[quote]February 21, 2007
A Very Altmanesque Tribute to Altman
By DAVID CARR

Robert Altman, the pirate king of American filmmaking, was honored yesterday at the Majestic Theater in Manhattan by friends and colleagues including Lily Tomlin, E. L. Doctorow, Harry Belafonte, Julianne Moore, Kevin Kline and Tim Robbins.

As a director Mr. Altman did not so much work outside the system as make the system seem a little beside the point.

“Bob never met a status quo he didn't hate,â€