SCFZ

Polling the films of director Rene Clair

The rules:

- your list can include no more than half of the Clair 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 up to 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: greennui, bure

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 ITALIAN STRAW HAT
AND THEN THERE WERE NONE

Seen 19:

À nous la liberté (1931)
Le silence est d'or / Man About Town (1947)
Le million (1931)
Quatorze Juillet (1933)
Les belles de nuit / Beauties of the Night (1952)
-
And Then There Were None (1945)
Sous les toits de Paris (1930)
La beauté du diable (1950)
Porte des Lilas (1957)

7.

Entr’acte
I Married a Witch
Beauties of the Night

Not really a fan. His surname is very apt.

Seen 16, most of them in the early '90s, so they're a bit hard for me to rank properly, but here's my best effort:

1. Under the Roofs of Paris
2. Paris qui dort
3. Beauties of the Night
4. Beauty of the Devil
5. Quatorze Juillet

Entr'acte
A Nous la Liberte
It Happened Tomorrow

seen four... edit: seen six

Seen 7.

I Married a Witch
Entr'acte
A Nous La Liberté

wonderful, wonderful director!

My Top 3 are 3 masterpieces, of course.

01. The Million (1931)
02. Under the Roofs of Paris (1930)
03. Freedom for Us (1931)

Clair seen: 6

seen 9

under the roofs of paris
entr'acte
i married a witch
à nous la liberté

Only seen entr'acte. Which I quite like... but doesn't seem like it probably gives the most whole idea of who he would become as a filmmaker. Been meaning to check out more of his work.

The Italian Straw Hat
Under the Roofs of Paris
A nous la liberte

Checking my notes, it seems last time I've seen a bunch of his stuff was back in 2004. I can't remember what I had for lunch yesterday, so I'll refrain.

seen 10. not in love with this guy or anything, in fact he's probably my least fav director of the 10 i've nominated so far. however, his #1 is just one of my all-time favs...

Under the Roofs of Paris (René Clair, 1930) - BEST MOVIE TO WATCH ON VALENTINE'S DAY IF U R SINGLE......
It Happened Tomorrow (René Clair, 1944)
I Married a Witch (René Clair, 1942)
The Beauty and the Devil (René Clair, 1950) - if there's one thing u should know about moi it's that moi like adaptations of faust
"Paris Asleep" (René Clair, 1924)

seen zero. well done, thoxans. well done

i got 9 so

quatorze juillet
paris qui dort
a nous la liberte
i married a witch

Only seen I Married a VVitch, which was fun

The Imaginary Voyage
Entr'acte
La Tour

THE GHOST GOES WEST
THE PREY OF THE WIND
TWO TIMID SOULS
JULY 14

Entracte and ANLL look like the clairs winneurs, so I'll go strategic:

And Then There Were None
It Happened Tomorrow
Silence Is golden

Under the Roofs of Paris did very little for me, I have to say. Slow and sexist with not much pay-off.
It Happened Tomorrow is cute, though! Powell and Darnell are charming together but Jack Oakie steals the show.

WHO???

Seen 9.
1)Under the Roofs of Paris (1930)
2) Paris qui dort (1924)
3)Beauties of the Night (1952)
4)The Gates of Paris (1957)

Entr'acte and Paris qui dort were both great, especially the former, which is a dizzying dada delight of a film. Fun to see the parallels between the latter and It Happened Tomorrow, the mix of fantasy and romance, whimsy and slapstick working well in both. Gonna check out And There Were None next, one of my favourite Christie novels, then probably A Nous La Liberté.

Seen 6:

1. Entr'acte
2. I Married a Witch
3. Le Million

Roscoe wrote: ↑Fri Dec 11, 2020 1:53 pm THE

we seem to have a ton of polls up of a sudden (courtroom deadline soon! plus the favourite directors poll, plus maybe an xmas poll etc) so i think i'll slow the director polls down to one per week until the new year. roscoe, you can pick our next director if you like! i won't start up the new poll until friday, so lots of time to find a filmmaker who will work.

Well thanks, Flip.

James Parrott, anyone?

interesting choice, i've seen 4 from parrott, but i'd bet a few people have seen a lot more than that, if anyone has seen 7+ parrott films please post here!

Seen 5 Parrott films, would certainly watch a few more for a poll

If not James Parrott, how bout Lois Weber?

I've seen 3 Weber. Would be an interesting poll but a quick look at lboxd tells me that scfzer's haven't seen enough of her work.

3 weber, 0 parrott. i'd watch more weber but probably wouldn't be able to in time for it if she's next up.