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 .
"I got news for you. If it wasn't for the toilet, there would be no books." --- George Costanza.
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.
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.
"What is given, can be taken away. Everyone lies. Everyone dies." - Casey Anthony, in a poem, July 7, 2008
Re: Director Sidney Lumet dead at 86
[Re: SC]
#600476 04/21/1109:38 PM04/21/1109:38 PM
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!!!
I'm like that with two movies called "The Godfather" and "Casablanca". Don't know if you've ever seen them.
President Emeritus of the Neal Pulcawer Fan Club
Re: Director Sidney Lumet dead at 86
[Re: SC]
#600561 04/22/1101:26 PM04/22/1101:26 PM
Underboss
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 3,389 State Asylum
Originally Posted By: SC
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!!!
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.
"Vaya con Dios, Castle. Go with God." "God's going to sit this one out."The Punisher (2004)
...dot com bold typeface rhetoric. You go clickety click and get your head split. 'The hell you look like on a message board Discussing whether or not the Brother is hardcore?
Re: Director Sidney Lumet dead at 86
[Re: SC]
#600627 04/23/1109:12 AM04/23/1109:12 AM
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!!!
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:
Quote:
Of the items I’ve seen from these years, the most daring is The Offence (1972). This study of a sadistic British police inspector’s vendetta against a child molester offers a sort of seedy expressionism. In another gesture toward psychodrama, long conversations with the perpetrator reveal that the copper is a bit of a perve himself.