after watching A Decade Under the Influence I became intrigued with the "new Hollywood" era, after that I saw Easy Riders.... and it just didn't strike me like Decade. Anyone else agree? Disagree?
"I never dreamed that any mere physical experience could be so stimulating!" -The African Queen
I loved the Easy Riders, Raging Bulls book but felt the documentary didnt come close to Decade under...'s quality. The interviews felt more in depth and by showing well chosen scenes of movie's you became interested in one's that might have passed you by. Easy riders... mainly had stills and archive trailers. But it's no wonder they couldn't get Friedkin, Coppola etc after the gossip in the Biskind novel!
shareDUI was a lot more enjoyable to watch, in my opinion, than ER,RB. I saw DUI first and I became extremely interested in that time in film history. It made me go out and find the majority of the movies it featured. I just saw ER, RB and I think if I would have seen it first, I would have been much less likely to become as interested in late 60s and 70s films.
share
"Decade..." is a very well done film. Having worked as a theatre manager in NYC during the entire decade of the 1970s, (and then some), I can say that the era of 1980's 'so-called' block-busters was, for the most part, a mindless disappointment.
In retrospect, the 1970's was truly the decade that gave birth to a solid era of independent filmmaking, (and filmmakers).
-- En masse, that is,-- as indi's were always around just under the surface, although usually in such small numbers as to often go unnoticed by both critics and seriously heavy-duty film-buffs, alike.
Such films as "Five Easy Pieces" and "Fat City" heralded a new era, and as we now often say-- the 'New Hollywood.'
--D.--
Neither is any good.
shareI love both, I discovered the other side the cinema with 2 wonderful films, because, I watched some docfilms about movies when I was a kid and the scenes of those movies were always from 1895 to 50's or mid-60's talking about Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra. And I'd like to see them again, they were very, very important to me.
Few years ago I simply didn't know nothing (absolytely nothing) about "New Hollywood" and I was very surprised to discover it.
Now, I watched so many movies that period that I'm feeling very well.
I'm really thankful for them, they made a wonderful contribution, I love it.
Roberta Trevisan
"Film lovers are sick people"
I'm sick! Thank God.
Both 'Easy Rider' and 'DUI' are great docos. Having said that I think the quality of 'DUI' is better. 'Easy Rider' was better as a book. The detail was lost in translation.
Another doco worth checking out for the content is "Channel Z: A Magnificent Obsession". It's really well made and got me hooked a on a few films I had never seen. It actually reignited my love for a few forgotten films too.
"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness"
No contest.
Decade is the better film by far. It celebrates the fun and liberation of that decade in Hollywood, without shying away from the consequences.
ER, RB is, like Biskind's awful book, only interested in spreading gossip and passing judgement. But at least Schrader and Hopper and allowed a chance to blast the book in the DVD extras.
I liked both, but i choose A Decade Under The Influence
Prostitute: What the *beep* are you doing?
Johnny: I'm gonna kill a bunch of people.