Sunday 26 May 2019

The Last Picture Show (1971 Peter Bogdanovich)

The director's cut, running 126 minutes on DVD, features the scene where Timothy Bottoms sheds tears when passing the fishing tank where Ben Johnson's taken them - his surrogate father, whereas his real father clearly has no relationship with him at all. Another features he, Cybill Shepherd and Jeff Bridges in a car being chased by a little dog, and the poolhall sex scene. (Curiously the Columbia Tristar UK 'Director's cut' is only 121 minutes...??? Ah - it's a frame rate thing: 25 fps NTSC vs. 24 fps Pal.))

If nothing else, we really must watch Red River.

It's a sad tale, very truthful about relationships and sex, with a wonderfully strong elegiac atmosphere, photographed by Robert Surtees (Oscar nominated). Ben Johnson and Cloris Leachman were both Oscar and BAFTA winners though the Brits also gave it to Peter and Larry McMurtry's screenplay.




It was actually only the debuts of Cybill Shepherd, Sam Bottoms and Randy Quaid, although Timothy had only been in Johnny Got His Gun; Jeff had had more experience having appeared in several TV series (including Lassie),

It was in the last AFI Top 100 list, but only just. (Lists are rubbish - The Apartment  was only #80!)

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