SCFZ poll: Paul Schrader

[flip]

Polling the films of director Paul Schrader

The rules:

- your list can include no more than half of the Schrader 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 Tuesday, 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, wba, thoxans, mesnalty, caracortada, joks, zulawski

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

[nrh]

patty hearst
light sleeper
witch hunt
cat people
american gigolo

seen 12 i think?

[flip]

Light Sleeper
Hardcore
Affliction
Patty Hearst

seen nine

[flip]

seen 12 i think?

nrh - you can pick our next director if you want!

and i'm on holiday right now, so not planning to tally any of the open polls until friday (when i'll tally two or three that are late) -- hopefully that gives anyone who was temporarily unable to get on the forum a chance to vote.

[Roscoe]

Seen a couple. Won't bother.

[greennui]

Cat People
Blue Collar
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters

Seen 6.

[kanafani]

Blue Collar
first Reformed

[mesnalty]

Seen 3, and I love all of them in different ways, so I'm not sure how to vote, but:

1. Blue Collar

[...]

Not sure how I feel about Schrader anymore. The movies I've seen of his were mostly watched a long time ago, around when they came out and my feelings at the time have been eclipsed by memories of elements of them that lead me to somewhat different reactions that I can't entirely verify until I see them again, if that ever happens. The elements I do remember though are potent, much more so than most other movies from the same time, so while I can't offer any coherent read on the movies in full I'll hold to my lasting impressions and my corrupted readings from the things which remain in mind to make a vote.

American Gigolo
Hardcore
Blue Collar
Comfort of Strangers
Light of Day

[thoxans]

blue collar

*seen five (and blue collar is farfarfar and away the best thing that i've seen from paulie)

[Caracortada]

Seen 5.

1. Cat People
2. Blue Collar

Worst: American Gigolo

[john ryan]

Seen 7

1. Blue Collar
2. Light Sleeper
3. Mishima

[nrh]

seen 12 i think?

nrh - you can pick our next director if you want!

and i'm on holiday right now, so not planning to tally any of the open polls until friday (when i'll tally two or three that are late) -- hopefully that gives anyone who was temporarily unable to get on the forum a chance to vote.

We’ve not done kitano right?

[Joks Trois]

Seen 18.

1.Mishima (by far his best)
2.Blue Collar
3.Hardcore
4.Autofocus
5.Affliction

[flip]

we've definitely not done kitano - probably should check he has the views for a poll though. i've seen only three or thereabouts.

[nrh]

hm yeah kitano is one of those rare very famous filmmakers only known for a quite limited amount of their work.

would love to do dominik graf because i saw die katze this weekend and would love to get more recommendations, but i've only seen 2 and doubt most folks here have seen all that many more (wba major exception i know).

[Lencho of the Apes]

Seen three.

Blue Collar.

[flip]

i won't be too surprised if kitano works, graf seems unlikely though - if anyone has 8+ kitano seen, please post here!

[wba]

wba here.

Schrader sems/sounds great (as a filmmaker), but I've seen almost zilch.
Made one favorite film of mine though, which is even better than the famed original.

01. Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)

Schrader seen: 3


PS: Seen 20+ Graf and 10 by Takeshi Kitano

[greennui]

12 Kitano

[flip]

nrh - do you have 10+ kitano? if yes, we're good, he'll be our next poll

after that we'll take a break from regular nominations to run the extra nom from the cannes contest, so either the kim ki-duk or george cukor poll.

[kanafani]

I have 9 from kitano

[flip]

ok i imagine nrh has 10+ but even if he only has 8+, we have the views for kitano, so our next poll will be beat takeshi!

[oscarwerner]

i have 10 Kitano

[oscarwerner]

seen 9. Like him as a script writer first of all. Where films are totally his own, this guy is so kinky:)
1.Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)
-----
2. Hardcore (1979)
3. Light Sleeper (1992)
4. The Comfort of Strangers (1990)

[Joks Trois]

Nobody really talks about Kitano much anymore because he hasn't done much worth talking about in at least 15 years, but he was pretty hot in the late 90's and early 00's. Earlier if you're a Francophile.

Seen 16.

[Silga]

Seen 10:

Affliction
American Gigolo
The Comfort of Strangers
Hardcore
Blue Collar

[Silga]

Paul Schrader is one of my favorite directors.

Affliction and American Gigolo are some of my favorite films of the 90s and 80s respectively.

He's not just a great writer, but also capable to deliver nuanced and well-constructed stories. Actors shine in Schrader's films and are not overshadowed by any pretentious ambitions from the director.

For all I care, he only made one terrible film - Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005). It was not just a bad film, but a travesty in film-making. Horrendous cgi, laughable story, cliches, camp and KITSCH all over. I am aware of a troubled production that has seen a different version released by R. Harlin (terrible director on his own), but I think Schrader should have stayed away from finishing Dominion for release or just taken away his name from the credits (aka Alan Smithee which was already unavailable at the time, but still..)

I've got Light Sleeper and The Walker lined up on my upcoming watchlist.

[flip]

all ten of schrader's first ten films got at least one vote (and his first two films occupy the top two slots in the results). only four of his most recent 11 films got a vote, and first reformed is the only of his most recent six to get any support (and it got just one point). so scfz clearly prefers early schrader to late schrader.

results

1. Blue Collar (1978) -- 19 pts
2. Hardcore (1979) -- 15 pts
3. Light Sleeper (1992) -- 12 pts
4. Mishima (1985) -- 11 pts
5. American Gigolo (1980) -- 10 pts
6. Affliction (1997) -- 8 pts
7. Cat People (1982) -- 7 pts
8. Patty Hearst (1988) -- 6 pts
8. The Comfort of Strangers (1990) -- 6 pts
10. Witch Hunt (1994) -- 3 pts
11. Auto Focus (2002) -- 2 pts
12. Light of Day (1987) -- 1 pt
12. Exorcist Dominion (2005) -- 1 pt
12. First Reformed (2018) -- 1 pt

[flip]

up at letterboxd:

https://letterboxd.com/fliptrotsky/list ... -poll-134/