Director Sidney Lumet dead at 86

A long life, started making movies in the 50s with the highly regarded courtroom drama 12 ANGRY MEN, and was still working on pictures up to his death. His last being the terrific BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD back in 2007. Or some 50 years after MEN.

4-time Oscar nominee for Best Director, never won but earned a Honorary Oscar for his lifetime of work. And what a lengthy filmography he gave us. If you haven't seen any of these titles yet, do so for they're worth seeing. That's how you honor a legend, a master like Lumet.

12 Angry Men
The Pawnbroker
Fail Safe
The Hill
The Anderson Tapes
The Offense
Serpico
Murder on the Orient Express
Network
Equus
Prince of the City (a minor classic IMO)
Deathtrap (1982)
The Verdict
Running on Empty
Family Business
Q&A
Night Falls on Manhattan
Find Me Guilty
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

I knew you'd be the one to start this thread, Ronnie. Now maybe you'll finally get around to reviewing "Prince of the City."

Lumet's overall body of work in New York City film is unrivaled, not even by Scorsese. The guy captured the grittiness of New York like no director before him.

In my opinion, "Family Business" was the last film to truly capture the old west side, before the gentrification of the '90s took all the character away. If you want to see what life was like on Columbus Avenue back then, rent that film and watch the dialogue between Sean Connery and his Irish buddies in one of the gin mills that used to dot the street corners there. Today, like everywhere else in Manhattan, you have a miserable Starbucks on every corner .

Just watching Dustin Hoffman take a swing at Connery and seeing Connery laugh right in his face was worth the price of admission. And I LOVE Hoffman, it's just a funny scene is all.

RIP Sid .

TCM is hosting a Lumet marathon tonight, which I would like to think of all the memorials and tributes given to the man recently, this is the one he would have probably appreciated the most: Where his movies are shown and be discussed.

8:00 PM 12 Angry Men (1957)
10:00 PM Private Screenings: Sidney Lumet
11:00 PM The Hill (1965)
1:15 AM Network (1976)
3:30 AM Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Cream of his filmography crop there, with THE HILL a very good little obscure gem of his.

I'm watching "12 Angry Men" right now. I have the movie on DVD and can watch it anytime I like, but there is SOMETHING to just watching it unexpectedly.

What a wonderful movie!!!

A truly amazing director. What a guy. Yesterday I watched Before The Devil Knows You're Dead. I've seen it before, but I just love this type of film making. 12 Angry Men is one of my favorites. I also liked the remake with George C. Scott and Jack Lemmon.

I'm like that with two movies called "The Godfather" and "Casablanca". Don't know if you've ever seen them.

I saw it probably the same time you did (on TMC?). That was my first time and it was indeed terrific! All-star cast, great, great acting, awesome storyline...the works! I'm going to have to check out some more of his.

This is the best, most insightful write-up I've read of him/his work:

http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2011/04/21/endurance-survival-lessons-from-lumet/

I think what's remarkable about MEN is that was Lumet's debut.

Outside of perhaps CITIZEN KANE, this might contend as the greatest, most impressive first gig.

Capo - Thanks mate, great write-up. I liked this bit on another Lumet gem: