The Last Picture Show
1971 Directed by Peter Bogdanovich
Synopsis
Anarene, Texas, 1951. Nothing much has changed...
The coming of age of a youth named Sonny in a small Texas town in the 1950s.
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I'm going to save some time and space here and just say that The Last Picture Show might be the greatest coming-of-age movie I've ever seen. I cannot come up with a single aspect about it I could find fault in, and the amount of content it packs into its two hour run-time is incredible. Heartbreaking, hilarious, moody, moving, Bogdanovich and McMurtry capture that small town feel, and (like Stand By Me or even A Christmas Story) manage to authentically and honestly date the film in a way that nostalgia for a time and place I've never experienced was overwhelming. There's a good deal of humor to go along with the almost physical growing pains Timothy Bottoms goes through. While…
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Well lets see what's left of the last verse. American Graffiti in 50s Texas, the hope inverted, the desolation as prevalent as ever, a snow-globe of loneliness quarantined from the rest of the world trying to contain its own despair. These are different beasts. Whilst both push forward the malcontented youthful daydream they do so with different styles in different directions. I can't help but compare them giving Last Picture Show everything to lose because of my love for Graffiti, but it doesn't. I've come to realize I love coming of age films and series.
I must admit going into this I thought it was Rocky Horror Picture Show, another that desperately needs ticking off, and that it would be… -
It's perfect in the way classic film feels but carries the modern detached, jaded tone, which makes it almost like a transition film between what was past and what is now present. It's a haunting film, one that is lasting in the mind far after it's finished. The acting from everyone is incredible, but Cloris Leachman is truly devastating. Bogdanovich created his masterpiece here, and still today it stands as one of the most important and well-made films within the Hollywood machine.
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My favorite thing about this movie is how convincingly it shows the death of a town. It doesn't happen overnight, it's a gradual loss of people and places until there's nothing left. Also, when you're in a shitty town that's slowly emptying out, there's a lot of time to sit around and think about the past and wonder where it all went wrong.
There's some pretty well-written and acted characters in this film. I thought that the female characters were particularly good- especially Ellen Burstyn and Cloris Leachman. One question though: who thought Randy Quaid was a good choice for the snobby rich kid?
Despite the fact that this movie is about the death of a town, the film's focus…
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A perfect coming of age film made when America was coming of age and losing its innocence itself. The acting from all relative new comers (besides Ben Johnson) is great across the board, and the black and white cinematography is great.
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By my own rules of film watching I was too inebriated in my viewing to be able to say I've actually seen this film. However, the fact that I feel confident in giving it 4 stars is an indication of how much I loved it, and how much I expect to love it when I get to watch it in full sobriety.
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Well lets see what's left of the last verse. American Graffiti in 50s Texas, the hope inverted, the desolation as prevalent as ever, a snow-globe of loneliness quarantined from the rest of the world trying to contain its own despair. These are different beasts. Whilst both push forward the malcontented youthful daydream they do so with different styles in different directions. I can't help but compare them giving Last Picture Show everything to lose because of my love for Graffiti, but it doesn't. I've come to realize I love coming of age films and series.
I must admit going into this I thought it was Rocky Horror Picture Show, another that desperately needs ticking off, and that it would be… -
very angsty teenage drama with a young jeff bridges and cybil shepherd. Brilliantly conveys the loss of childhood innocence against the backdrop of a decaying Texan town
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El transcurso de la adolescencia plasmado en imágenes, esa etapa que es tan querida y odiada se muestra en un blanco y negro casi melancólico, como recordando aquellos viejos tiempos que vivimos con nuestros amigos en nuestra tardía juventud y como el paso del tiempo acaba con todo, nos remonta nuevamente en una nueva etapa de nuestras vidas una y otra vez. Es eso lo que muestra y nada mas.
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Mildly engaging most of the way. Jarringly heavy-handed at the end.
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Tragedies unspoken, a gathering of interconnected stories so real that its melancholy is kind of oppressive -- yet the absence of shortcut romance in its hazy nostalgia is vastly preferable to something like 'American Graffiti' for me. And the vast landscapes and eerie stillness -- there's no replacement for real location shooting or real black & white film stock, am I right?
Oh, and excellent use of Phil Harris' bizarre hit "The Thing," which I failed to notice the first 2-3 times I saw this cause I hadn't discovered that song (or tormented friends with it) yet.
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With its style perfectly marrying its themes, The Last Picture Show captures a desolate, dying town who's repression has various effects on its inhabitants.
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Near impeccably shot at moments, and with real insight into the slice of life it portrays, Bogdonavich's awards-sweeper still feels incredibly relevant. With that said, it's a little uneven for me.
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This fantastic coming of age story of a group of teenagers in a Texan town is one of the best of its genre, in fact its the best coming of age film I've seen, due to some brilliant performances and perfect film making. The acting is fantastic from everyone especially the three leads, Timothy Bottoms, Cybil Shepherd and Jeff Bridges who deliver some very believable and powerful performances, without this film and Cybil Shepherd's incredible introduction to cinema Taxi Driver would have been a whole lot different. There is a large lack of music throughout this film other than sources of music within the film itself (Diegetic Sound) and this decision really helps to not only deliver a stylistic tone to the film but also makes it seem a bit more realistic and truthful. Overall, a perfect coming of age film with some great characters and great craftsmanship from Peter Bogdanovich.
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I'm going to save some time and space here and just say that The Last Picture Show might be the greatest coming-of-age movie I've ever seen. I cannot come up with a single aspect about it I could find fault in, and the amount of content it packs into its two hour run-time is incredible. Heartbreaking, hilarious, moody, moving, Bogdanovich and McMurtry capture that small town feel, and (like Stand By Me or even A Christmas Story) manage to authentically and honestly date the film in a way that nostalgia for a time and place I've never experienced was overwhelming. There's a good deal of humor to go along with the almost physical growing pains Timothy Bottoms goes through. While…