SCFZ

Polling the films of director Joseph Losey

The rules:

- your list can include no more than half of the Losey films you've seen, up to a maximum of 5. So if you've seen seven of his films, for example, you can list only a top 3. It's only if you've seen ten or more of his films than you can list the maximum of five.

- i'll assume ballots are ranked unless you tell me otherwise. unranked ballots are fine.

- deadline for ballots: next Friday, in seven days, whatever day that is

- if anyone is watching films for these polls, then i'll extend the deadline three days, if someone requests an extension

- next poll: whoever posts the first ballot in this thread is free to nominate the director we poll next, unless you've nominated in this round already (everyone should get a chance). Already nominated this round: brian d, greennui, ofrene, kanafani, bure, greg x, oscarwerner, silga, dt, umbugbene, roscoe, rischka

umbugbene created an index on letterboxd of all of our previous polls here: letterboxd.com/umbugbene/list/index-of-all-scfz-director-polls/

one rule for nominees: at least 3 scfzers need to have seen 10+ of a nominee's films, or at least 4 scfzers need to have seen at least 8 of the nom's films, so if it isn't clear if that will be the case, we'll confirm that's true before moving forward

if 24 hours pass after a poll opens, and no one eligible to nominate has posted a ballot, then i'll nominate someone, and then we'll start over, and everyone will be able to nominate again

The Go-Between
The Big Night
The Sleeping Tiger
The Servant

seen more than eight though some long enough ago i don't remember them well enough to judge. actually that's true of my #1 and #4 picks too, but i'll go with them anyway

the prowler
M
the servant
mr klein
the criminal

King and Country
The Go-Between
La Truite
The Servant
Don Giovanni

01. The Prowler

Losey seen: 2

wba - you can pick our next director if you like!

Seen 20 :
1. The Servant (1963)
2. The Go-Between (1971)
3. Accident (1967)
4. Mr. Klein (1976)
5. King & Country (1964)

Accident
Secret Ceremony
The Servant
Boom!

1. Mr Klein

seen 3 and like all of them

Seen 4:

1. The Prowler
2. Mr. Klein

seen 8

the lawless
accident
the sleeping tiger
the servant

flip wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2019 11:48 am wba - you can pick our next director if you like!

I'd like to go with Sogo Ishii. If that doesn't work, maybe Sabu (Hiroyuki Tanaka)?

i think sogo ishii is a lot more likely to work than sabu, but we can check both - i've seen 3 by ishii and 4 by sabu

Hmm, I see. If both don't work I'd suggest Peter Hyams as a third option.

I have seen, surprisingly to me, 16 Hyamss

I’ve seen 7 Hyams. Could watch one more. Although, I have to admit that I’m not a fan.

Seen 2 Losey films

1. The Prowler

Seen 8 Peter Hyams films and only 4 Ishii

The Prowler

Seen 19

1. The Go-Between
2. King and Country
3. The Servant
4. These are the Damned
5. M


I have 1 Ishii and 2 Hyams

Seen 11 Hyams and 1 Ishii

ok, peter hyams will work if we need a fallback, though if anyone has 8+ sogo ishii or 8+ sabu films, please post here and maybe one of wba's first two choices will qualify

Seen 14 Loseys

1. The Servant
2. The Damned
3. The Go-Between
4. Eva

Seen 4.

1. The Go-Between
2. The Servant

Seen 10. I am mixed on Losey's career, the little I have seen of his American work is just not interesting, and similarly (granted, like many directors) he seemed to start losing his touch later in life, leaving essentially the 60s as the period where he genuinly shone as a master of great artistic merit:

The Servant (1963)
The Damned (1962)
Accident (1967)
The Go-Between (1971)
The Assassination of Trotsky (1972)

(Though King & Country was a bit of a disappointing, and coming right after my top 2 choices, I need explore more of his work)

St. Gloede wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2019 11:34 pm Seen 10. I am mixed on Losey's career, the little I have seen of his American work is just not interesting,

You should watch THE PROWLER (1950)! Brilliant, brilliant film.
And THE CRIMINAL (1960) from that british period (which you mentioned, but maybe you haven't seen this one), which is also a masterpiece.
Haven't seen anything else by Losey, but these 2 blew me away.

ACCIDENT

Seen enough to rate more. This is by far the best. That thing about the servant just had me all exasperated at how transparently phony it all was.

I totally agree with wba. If asked about top 10 i would include The Prowler and The Criminal for sure. Both great films. Simply i love this very english Losey cinema, which was so good, that many people still think , that Losey was pure british:) Yes, he had some worse stories to shoot, maybe in order to keep working in his profession. But for me and for many others Losey is that really great director. His place is in this cinema elite together with greatest cinema authors. When i saw Phantom Thread (2017) by Paul Thomas Anderson, i found much in common with best Losey "british" cinema , especially with "Servant".

Seen 5.

#1: Big Night

wba wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2019 2:05 am

St. Gloede wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2019 11:34 pm Seen 10. I am mixed on Losey's career, the little I have seen of his American work is just not interesting,

You should watch THE PROWLER (1950)! Brilliant, brilliant film.
And THE CRIMINAL (1960) from that british period (which you mentioned, but maybe you haven't seen this one), which is also a masterpiece.
Haven't seen anything else by Losey, but these 2 blew me away.

Sorry, but I found The Prowler completely mediocre.

Seen 4.

1. The Prowler (1951)
2. The Lawless (1950)

Adore The Prowler. Just watched The Lawless today and it's quite good, might personal-canonize it on rewatch; I especially liked the Carey-Russell principled journalists relationship.