ICM Forum

Torgo wrote: ↑September 15th, 2023, 1:17 am Only 2 posters rank Avatar 2 higher than the original, and Cameron made us wait 13 years for it, dumping hundreds(!!) of millions dollar into the further-expanding world of galaxy smurfs.

Maybe he's just lowering expectations so that we can better appreciate what will be the superlative triumphs of Avatars 3, 4, and 5.

Friedkin:
The Exorcist (1973) - 8/10

Worth its classic status in the horror genre, been a long while since i've seen it but it used to be my fav film as a teenager. (it's among one of the first 20 films i've ever seen, excluding animation ones, also one of my first horrors but not THE first probably, though i don't know what my first horror film was)

Cameron:
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) - 8/10
Titanic (1997) - 8/10
Aliens (1986) - 8/10
The Terminator (1984) - 7/10
Avatar (2009) - 7/10

Liked all five. I mean i can't deny that the man makes consistently good blockbuster films. Still need to watch Avatar 2 (and i have to rewatch Avatar 1 as well tbh). Also, have to rewatch Aliens as well.

Youssef Chahine

I was exploring his filmography this year because I was managing Egypt at the World Cup, and a bunch of his films were leaving Netflix so I was able to catch 5 over the past 9 months. I'll probably watch another 1 or 2 before the Egypt poll is over this month. I like his work, but have yet to be really moved by any of them, similar to film from Egypt as a whole.

1. 7.6 - Siraa Fil-Wadi [Struggle in the Valley / The Blazing Sun] (1954)
2. 7.6 - Al-ard [The Land / The Earth] (1970)
3. 7.6 - Iskanderija... lih? [Alexandria, Why?] (1979)
4. 7.6 - Al-asfour [The Sparrow] (1972)
5. 7.4 - Siraa Fil-Mina [Dark Waters] (1956)
6. 7.2 - Bab el hadid [Cairo Station / Iron Gate] (1958)
7. 7.2 - Hadduta misrija [An Egyptian Story] (1982)

Of his remaining films, I'm most interested in Destiny and The Return of the Prodigal Son, though I may also give his autobiography series a further go.

A favorite, though I've still only seen a portion of his filmography - just haven't managed to make time for most of the Middle Eastern challenges or many other excuses to see his films lately, and I likely won't see any more before the Egyptian poll closes (which I will try to vote in). I saw Al-massir on it's original release in Chicago, in early 1999, and it stuck with me though none of his other films were accessible for me for quite some time. That's still the only one I've seen on the big screen, and I haven't seen any of these more than once.

PLATINUM
1. Bab el hadid / Cairo Station / The Iron Gate
2. Isskanderija...lih? / Alexandria, Why?
3. Siraa Fil-Wadi / Struggle in the Valley

GOLD
4. Al-massir / Destiny
5. El Naser Salah el Dine / Saladin
6. Cairo as Seen by Chahine

SILVER
7. Al-ard / The Land

BRONZE
8. El-Akhar / The Other

1. Alexandria Again and Forever [إسكندرية كمان وكمان] (1989, Youssef Chahine) ★★★½
2. Cairo Station [باب الحديد] (1958, Youssef Chahine) ★★★½
3. Return of the Prodigal Son [عودة الابن الضال] (1976, Youssef Chahine) ★★★½
4. An Egyptian Story [حدوتة مصرية] (1982, Youssef Chahine) ★★★½
5. The Blazing Sun [صراع في الوادي] (1954, Youssef Chahine) ★★★½
6. The Land [الأرض] (1969, Youssef Chahine) ★★★
7. The Emigrant [المهاجر] (1994, Youssef Chahine) ★★★
8. Alexandria… Why? [إسكندرية ليه] (1979, Youssef Chahine) ★★★
9. Dark Waters [صراع في الميناء] (1956, Youssef Chahine) ★★★
10. The Devil of the Desert [شيطان الصحراء] (1954, Youssef Chahine) ★★½

1. 3,5 - Lumière et compagnie (1995)
2. 3,5 - Chacun son cinéma (2007) To Each His Own Cinema
3. 3,5 - El Naser Salah el Dine (1963) Saladin the Victorious
4. 3,5 - Siraa Fil-Wadi (1954) The Blazing Sun
5. 3,5 - Bab el hadid (1958) Cairo Station
6. 3,5 - Iskanderija... lih? (1979) Alexandria… Why?

scores out of 5 stars. Haven't seen much and rate all of them about the same. So I ranked them according to how much I remember them...

1. 3.0* - Chacun Son Cinéma (2007)
2. 2.5* - Alexandria, Again and Forever [Iskanderija, Kaman oue Kaman] (1989)
3. 1.5* - Destiny [Al-massir] (1997)
4. 1.5* - Cairo Station [Bab el Hadid] (1958)
5. 1.0* - Alexandria... Why? [Iskanderija... Lih?] (1979)
6. 1.0* - Lumière and Company [Lumière et Compagnie] (1995)

Watched a bunch on Netflix.

Should have watched more while his stuff was on Netflix.

Top Tier

Great

Bab el hadid - Cairo Station (1958)

Good

Fine

Not Great

Iskanderija... lih? - Alexandria ... Why? (1989)

Dislike

beavis wrote: ↑September 18th, 2023, 12:02 pm 1. 3,5 - Lumière et compagnie (1995)
2. 3,5 - Chacun son cinéma (2007) To Each His Own Cinema

Onderhond wrote: ↑September 18th, 2023, 12:06 pm 1. 3.0* - Chacun Son Cinéma (2007)
6. 1.0* - Lumière and Company [Lumière et Compagnie] (1995)

Are these scores for the contributions of the according directors in this thread or just always your general sentiment towards the film?
In my opinion, they just blow up short lists and say little, they appear for every third name in this thread or so. I'd just leave them away.

Youssef Chahine

★★★¾ | 8.0
01. The Return of the Prodigal Son
02. Cairo Station
★★★½ | 7.6
03. The Blazing Sun
04. The Land
05. The Sparrow
★★★¼ | 7.2
06. Alexandria Again and Forever
07. Alexandria Why?
★★★ | 6.8
08. Dark Waters
09. Destiny
10. Father Amin


N/R
- 11'09"01 – September 11 segment from...
- 47 Ans Après segment from Chacun Son Cinéma
- Lumière & Compagnie segment from...