Had a reader request this and it seemed to connect very well to my last post so I thought I'd throw down a list of my favorite Roy Scheider films. Here goes:
1. JAWS(1975; Steven Spielberg)
2. SORCERER(1977; William Friedkin)
3. BLUE THUNDER(1983; John Badham)
4. THE FRENCH CONNECTION(1971; William Friedkin)
5. MARATHON MAN(1976; John Schlesinger)
6. LAST EMBRACE(1979; Jonathan Demme)
7. KLUTE(1971; Alan J. Pakula)
8. THE SEVEN-UPS(1973; Philip D'Antoni)
9. JAWS 2(1978; Jeannot Szwarc)
10. NAKED LUNCH(1991; David Cronenberg)
11. STILL OF THE NIGHT(1982; Robert Benton)
12. 52 PICKUP(1986; John Frankenheimer)
13. LOVING(1970; Irvin Kirschner)
14. 2010(1984; Peter Hyams)
15. PUZZLE OF A DOWNFALL CHILD(1970; Jerry Schatzberg)
16. ALL THAT JAZZ(1979; Bob Fosse)
17. LISTEN TO ME(1989; Douglas Day Stewart)
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21 comments:
Interesting to see All That Jazz ranked so low. Below Jaws 2 even.
Tom-Yeah I know it's highly regarded, but I have to admit that ALL THAT JAZZ annoys me. Good performance by Scheider, but I'd much rather watch 8 AND 1/2.
I hear ya. Gotta see some of these others on the list....
I think he's very good in The Russia House, an underrated film.
I saw Klute for the first time recently. Didn't know Scheider was in it until he showed up as a pimp; that put a big smile on my face. Really like Fonda's performance in that.
For all the wrong reasons, I'd save a spot for LISTEN TO ME (1989), one of the richest mines of the 1980's for unintentional comedy. Right up there with THE OSCAR for that, just nowhere near as well known. ;) Scheider plays the Knute Rockne of college debate.
I second Hal's suggestion. I forgot he was in that one...
TLRHB- I'm not sure I've seen RUSSIA HOUSE. I get it confused with GORKY PARK. Need to see it!
CHRIS-I love me some Alan J. Pakula films! And yeah Fonda is really solid in it for sure. Maybe her best.
HAL/TOM-You guys are totally right and I just added LISTEN TO ME to the list. I meant to put it on there. My sisters used to watch the crap outta that movie. They must have thought Kirk Cameron was dreamy. I, on the other hand, dug it cause of Amanda Peterson, who I had a crush on from CAN'T BUY ME LOVE...
Poverty is stranger to industry..............................................
Nice! I was wondering if you'd put NAKED LUNCH on there. Great list overall.
Wow, ask and ye shall receive.
Again, your number 1 and 2 films are identical to mine, though the order would be reversed if it was in order of favorite Scheider performance. Here's a piece I wrote upon his passing in 2008 focused on Sorcerer:
http://colonelmortimer.blogspot.com/2008/02/death-is-going-to-need-bigger-boat.html
And I really need to see The Last Embrace, I guess it's time to break down and get the VHS tape since MGM appears to have no interest in a DVD or Blu-Ray.
AARON-Thanks man! Yeah couldn't leave NAKED LUNCH off. Truly bizarre but enjoyable!
MORTIMER-Really dug your Scheider piece, thanks for the link!
LAST EMBRACE is well worth your time. I hung onto the lbx Laserdisc and I'm glad I did. Bummer no dvd on the horizon. Great Scheider though.
Nice to see STILL OF NIGHT included on your list! Such an underrated film with a lovely understated performance by Scheider. Not many people seem to be aware of this film but I noticed that Turner Classic Movies shows it every so often where I first caught it.
JD-You're totally right, that film certainly has dropped off the radar which is too bad. I'm a big big Robert Benton fan and he gets short shrift often I find. STILL OF THE NIGHT is on Hulu though if people want to see it:
http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi3744924697/
You can actually download/rent a widescreen copy off of iTunes as well. I wonder if it is the copy that has been playing on the MGM HD station? The clip they had to preview looked really good so I'm giving it a go. I'll let you know how the quality is (for $10... hey, why not?).
JD-Please do! for some reason I thought it had come out on dvd, but I was thinking of DEAD OF NIGHT, totally different film.
I rented SORCERER a couple years back--coincidentally right before Scheider died--and didn't know what to expect. I'd read it was an enormous bomb, I'd loved WAGES OF FEAR, and the DVD was pan and scan. But man, was the one helluva good movie and yes, his best besides JAWS and ALL THAT JAZZ. Still waiting to see THE LAST EMBRACE, alas.
WILL- I couldn't believe how on the edge of my seat I was watching it recently. I've seen it several times, but it still got me. Great great stuff. Fingers crossed for a nice widescreen blu-ray.
Cohen and Tate, is a really underrated Scheider film. Would be interested in your opinion.
Shut, I think COHEN AND TATE just left Netflix Instant! Need to see it.
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