SCFZ poll: James Parrott

[flip]

Polling the films of director James Parrott

The rules:

- your list can include no more than half of the Parrott 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, roscoe

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

[flip]

we'll use the extended rules for this poll:

• if you have seen an odd number of parrott films, you can round up instead of down when determining the length of your ballot (e.g. if you have seen 7, you can list 4 films instead of the usual 3)

• if you have seen more than 10 parrott films, your ballot can extend beyond 5 films (e.g. if you have seen 13, you can list up to 7)

[kanafani]

I've logged only 2 of his movies. I'm sure I've seen more, but no idea which; it's been too long

The Music Box

[flip]

Habeas Corpus
The Fraidy Cat

seen four... laurel+hardy really don't work for me, so i haven't been enthusiastic about the parrotts i've seen, but might try to watch more for the poll

[greennui]

Essentially a Laurel & Hardy poll, no? I've seen two but don't really remember them.

[Monsieur Arkadin]

The Music Box

Seen 3 or 4... but to be honest, I can't remember which title goes with which film other than The Music Box. But when I used to live in L.A. I would hike up the stairs from that film for exercise. So it has a special place in my heart.

[Evelyn Library P.I.]

Seen 5. 3 L&H's and 2 Todd-Kelly's (Hal Roach's attempt at a female Laurel & Hardy, and superior to L&H IMHO)

1. The Tin Man (1935)
2. The Misses Stooge (1935)
3. Habeas Corpus (1928)

Will update if and when I watch a few more.

[St. Gloede]

Seen 2:

Hog Wild

[Roscoe]

THE MUSIC BOX
TWO TARS
ANOTHER FINE MESS
BRATS
HOG WILD

[...]

I grew up watching Laurel and Hardy and have always enjoyed them, even in their less inventive films. I haven't seen much of the Charley Chase or Thelma and Patsy, stuff yet, maybe I'll try to see a few more before the poll closes, but I've seen almost all the L&Hs which makes it tough to rank them after the first few.

Twice Two (Kinda a subtext becomes text, meta-L&H where they play each other's respective wives in addition to their usual selves.)
County Hospital
Two Tars
Brats
Another Fine Mess
Blotto
Perfect Day
The Fraidy Cat (Charley Chase short)
The Music Box (I'd list it higher, where it'd get points, but figure its already guaranteed a spot.)

[oscarwerner]

I also grew up watching Laurel and Hardy. In Soviet Lithuania, my native Kaunas city was watching Poland TV. It used to show retrospective of old silent and post silent cinema. Polish media called Laurel and Hardy -Flip and Flap. Under those names they were very popular in Poland and their neighbour countries. Very difficult for me to remember all those movies, whis was what name...I vote for those, which i remember very well:)
Pardon Us (1931)
The Music Box (1932)
Helpmates (1932)
The Chimp (1932)
County Hospital (1932)

[FLABREZU]

I've not heard of this fellow or any of his cinemas

[flip]

it's been too long

kanafani, you can pick our next director if you like!

i'll definitely not start our next poll until a week from now, so lots of time.

reminder to everyone:

• vote in the xmas poll (can now vote for up to 20 films), deadline in two days!
• vote in the courtroom poll! deadline maybe in three days unless someone wants an extension

[kanafani]

kanafani, you can pick our next director if you like!

Jacques Tati? Or did he not make enough movies? I've seen 7.

Second choice is Atom Egoyan. I've seen 11.

Third is Christian Petzold. I have 16.

[Silga]

Atom Egoyan - 8
Christian Petzold - 1

[Curtis, baby]

Tati has 10 if u count both Mon Oncles

Lboxd is missing Night Classes (short)

I have 9 (not seen the English Mon Oncle, but I can if it will allow us to do this poll)

[greennui]

4 Egoyan
5 Petzold

[...]

7 tatis 11 egoyans

[Umbugbene]

I was thinking of picking Tati next, then I realized his output might be too low. If he qualifies, I've seen 9, counting Mon oncle once. Also:

7 Egoyan
6 Petzold

[oscarwerner]

11 egoyans. 4 Tati. 4 Petzold.

[wba]

01. Two Tars

Parrott seen: 1

[wba]

I also have:

Tati: 5
Egoyan: 4
Petzold: 7

[Roscoe]

I'm good with Tati and Egoyan.

[ofrene]

5 Tati (did he make 10+ ?), 2 Egoyan, 3 Petzold

[rischka]

0 egoyan
1 (!) tati
3 petzold

[flip]

Tati has 10 if u count both Mon Oncles

Lboxd is missing Night Classes (short)

on both imdb and letterboxd, cours du soir is credited to nicolas rybowski (it's on letterboxd under the title 'evening classes'). i'm not finding evidence tati co-directed it.

one short wikipedia claims tati co-directed (but neither imdb nor letterboxd credit tati as director) is 1935's gai dimanche! (on letterboxd as 'fun sunday'). so i suppose that would be the ninth tati film for polling purposes, but in past polls, i've usually counted alternate language versions as the same film (in part because it's unclear what version people are voting for a lot of the time if i don't), with some exceptions when voters insist only one version deserves their vote. so i'd normally count mon oncle and my uncle as one film, not two, leaving us only nine tati films in total.

at any rate, there are only eight tati-directed films on letterboxd, which will make it impossible to produce a tati top ten, so we'll have to save him for when we run the polls for filmmakers with abbreviated filmographies. atom egoyan definitely works, so he'll be our next poll!

[rischka]

huh. maybe i'll watch one

[greennui]

huh. maybe i'll watch one

Exotica!

[rischka]

huh. maybe i'll watch one

Exotica!

think i may have this one lying around actually

[flip]

not a surprise at #1 i don't think. egoyan poll is up too btw:

results
1. The Music Box (1932) — 11 pts
2. Two Tars (1928) — 8 pts
3. Twice Two (1933) — 5 pts
3. Pardon Us (1931) — 5 pts
3. County Hospital (1932) — 5 pts
6. Brats (1930) — 4 pts
6. Another Fine Mess (1930) — 4 pts
8. The Tin Man (1935) — 3 pts
8. Habeas Corpus (1928) — 3 pts
8. Helpmates (1932) — 3 pts
11. The Misses Stooge (1935) — 2 pts
11. Hog Wild (1930) — 2 pts
11. The Chimp (1932) — 2 pts
14. The Fraidy Cat (1924) — 1.1 pts
15. Blotto (1930) — 0.5 pts
16. Perfect Day (1929) — 0.3 pts