tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307577717655310918.post3392548618051251386..comments2024-03-17T07:25:56.478-04:00Comments on Thrilling Days of Yesteryear: Guest Review: The Long Goodbye (1973)Ivan G Shreve Jrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04067177808320053382noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307577717655310918.post-37694162304256824112011-11-16T18:14:31.300-05:002011-11-16T18:14:31.300-05:00This is pretty similar to how I felt about The Lon...This is pretty similar to how I felt about The Long Goodbye the first time I saw it, about ten years ago. When I rewatched it last year, I LOVED it. It's not really about a detective solving a mystery - it's about movies about detectives solving mysteries. The film is replete with nods and homages to '40s and '50s hard-boiled detective films (right down to casting Sterling Hayden), but always with a very '70s veneer over the top of it - an uncomfortable homage that appreciates those films but wonders how that kind of detective is possible in the world of the 1970s. That's what makes the film fascinating, as well as Gould's peculiar take on the character, both detached ("it's okay with me" as a way to avoid consequences) and dogged, the only person who cares enough to follow the trail to the end. I admit, I'm a big fan of meta filmmaking, but The Long Goodbye is one of my favorites.Jandy Stonehttp://www.the-frame.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7307577717655310918.post-90653610711581336622011-11-15T11:12:44.389-05:002011-11-15T11:12:44.389-05:00Ironic that Ivan's guest reviewer should happe...Ironic that Ivan's guest reviewer should happen to be named Philip! :-) I enjoyed your review far more than I enjoyed Robert Altman's version of THE LONG GOODBYE. I don't mind updates of classic movies and Raymond Chandler stories, especially since I agree that the stories are more about the mood and the atmosphere than about figuring out who killed who and why. However, good though Elliott Gould always is, he's pretty much reduced to mumbling and shuffling around. For that I can watch COLUMBO reruns; at least they're coherent! I did enjoy the playful use of the "Long Goodbye" theme, however, and the cast was at least fun to watch. Philip, your review hit the nail on the proverbial head; well-done!DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.com