Network (1976 film)*

Stayed up late last night and watched Network on Turner Classic Movies because I've heard so much about it over the years.

It was definitely worth watching.

I thought it was going to be just about the high pressure world of network TV but it had a LOT more to offer. Very realistic/fleshed out characters and the fast-paced script was sophisitcated enough that I really had to concentrate on what the characters were saying, since they crammed so many concepts into one sentence! Speaking of that: I almost had to get out a dictionary to understand some of the vocabulary they were using-this is no vapid/sensational movie for casual movie watchers.

And it's R rating is not kidding-I think half the intense dialog was made up of the words f**k, g*****n and other assorted fun words.

And despite it coming out in 1976, I saw many things that are still happening in society right now. I had to watch part of a MST3K show to get out of the somber mood this movie put me in.

Anybody else have any thoughts on this show?

 

Easily one of the best movies ever made, IMHO. Sidney Lumet, when he was in his element, was damn near untouchable. I saw it first in the late 70's/early 80's. Then, a few years ago, I watched it again and realized it's really a black comedy. So much of the film was prescient that it is nothing less than chilling. A masterpiece, owing to several amazing performances, all pivoting off of Peter Finch's hair-raising scenes.

Which MST3K did you watch? I prefer "Danger!! Death Ray" for such a mood.



Dan

 

Nosticker: your use of the words "chilling" and "black comedy" are very accurate ways of describing this movie. They could make it today and just update the clothing and no one would believe it was written back in the 70s.

This is the MST3K episode that just happened to be already in my VCR, Episode 816- Prince of Space. Where chicken-men from the planet Krank Whore(??) invade the earth!

 

I was watching it last night, for about an hour last night....its one of the rare movies that grows more realistic each passing year.
I was surprised (and refreshing) that they did not bleep the swearing in the film.
The lady who played Holden's wife in the film actually won an oscar for that role...a total of 5 minutes of screen time.....one of the all time jokes of oscar history.

Faye Dunaway is so cold in this movie...amazing. Watching her at the beginning while her partner is trying to make love to her and she is hyptonized by television still packs a wallop.

 

I first saw this movie on a network TV airing, probably around 1981. Amazingly, they didn't bleep out the word "bull****"". I was amazed. I guess they left it in because it was so integral to the plot?

In any event, a truly great flick and one that scarily gets more relevant and realistic over the years. Life is truly imitating art, and not in a good way.

 

With all the multinational corporations and mergers of one giant with another that have taken place in the last 20 years, doesn't that "a$$ chewing session" between Ned Beatty and Peter Finch seem prophetic?

I'm mad as hell, but it looks like we're all going to have to take it (in the shorts) anymore!

 

George Clooney is planning a live TV remake of Network, along the lines of the remake of Fail Safe he produced a few years ago.

 

Peter Finch's portrayal of Howard Beale is compelling. He thoroughly deserved his Oscar, but such a pity he didn't live long enough to collect it.

 

Paddy Chayefsky, who wrote the screenplay for Network, had spent a lot of time writing for TV in its early days. This movie was his view of where network news was going and although some of it was considered over the top at the time, most of it has come true. As the movie shows, TV news used to be considered a public service and therefore was not concerned with ratings and profits. As big corporations took over the networks they demanded profits from the news division and added more entertainment aspects.
But don’t forget this is a comedy that shows that TV will put on just about anything as long as it gets good ratings.


Another back comedy by Paddy Chayefsky is “The Hospital” with George C. Scott which takes on the medical industry.

 

Outstanding film, one of my favorites. In fact, it was the first R-rated film I've ever seen (I was 14 at the time). Also, it is one of the very few films in history that completely lacks an original musical score. The Birds is the only other one I can think of.

 

China Syndrome

 

An excellent film, but I always thought it was cheapened by the "humorous" voiceover at the end, which disipated much of the power of the killing. Always felt it would have been MUCH better if after the shooting they had immediately faded to black and rolled the credits.

 

Another film with no music soundtrack: What's Up Doc? Any music you hear is heard from a Muzak-type system (the hotel scenes), a homeowner's own system which i think was implied in the party scene at the Larraby Foundation's home office or by Barbara S. herself.

off-topic note: Another aspect almost no one else watching this movie with me notices: I have never heard one swear word or expletive of any type in this movie, not even "damn". But the show definitely isn't prudish because it has quite a few innuendos only older teens & adults can pick up on. Like: while in a cab which swerves to avoid hitting a pedestrian, Ryan O'Neal (playing a musicologist convinced ancient peoples used rocks to play music with) openly worries about his "igneous tambula rocks" being damaged. The crusty cab driver turns around and says sympathetically "I know what ya mean mister. I hate it when my igneous rocks are even touched!".

 

And the Oscar goes to.......

 

I guess she did do a good job but you would think the performance would have to last longer.

Ah, the good ol' days. Nowadays you can literally watch a news show's stories go from an earthquake disaster story then right afterwards, to a piece about what dress so & so actress wore at an awards ceremony. Sad.

A very creepy scene to watch.

 

At the time of the supporting actress award for Beatrice Straight, I think there was a more stringent division between lead and supporting performances. The supporting Oscar was really supposed to be for secondary roles. Nowadays people are often pushed for supporting actor Oscars for roles that could really be considered lead roles, because it's thought that they'll have a better chance of being nominated/winning. One example I can think of off the top of my head is Ethan Hawke for "Training Day" -- he is the protagonist of the movie and yet he was nominated for "supporting" actor because Denzel Washington's role is more colourful and Denzel is a bigger star (and indeed won the Oscar).

Of course, Judi Dench won for Shakespeare in Love, in which she was onscreen for about 6 minutes. And on the other hand, Anthony Hopkins won a Best Actor Oscar for "The Silence of the Lambs," in which he is onscreen for about half an hour (and in which Hannibal Lecter, while obviously the most memorable character in the film, is clearly a supporting character).

 

I believe the first such film in the sound era (from a major studio, anyway) was Executive Suite, a '50s drama of corporate intrigue starring Gregory Peck and Frederic March.

 

"Annoying bleeps and bloops"?

Louis and Bebe Barron would be crushed, Mr. Critic.

 

yeah man I loved that movie the first time I saw it too, was nicely surpirsed!

 

Can't speak for the music, but Gregory Peck was not among the steller "Executive Suite" cast in 1954.

William Holden....June Allyson...Barbara Stanwyck..Fredric March.... Walter Pidgeon...

Steve D.

 

Or, you can go back to 1996, when the Best Actor and Actress winners (Frances McDormand for Fargo and Geoffrey Rush for Shine), had less lines and screen time than the supporting category winners (Juliette Binoche for The English Patient and Cuba Gooding, Jr. for Jerry Maguire). You only have to go back to last year, to Jamie Foxx in Collateral, where he had the largest part in the movie, yet was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. The most famous, I suppose, was Timothy Hutton winning Best Supporting Actor for Ordinary People. Not only was he the main character, but he was in every scene!

It's all about studio politics, obviously, not to mention actor's egos.

 

2 DVD edition

Warner Bros.' "The Controversial Collection, Volume 2" is going to feature "Network," "Dog Day Afternoon," and "All The President's Men". These are the 3 titles listed, but I assume there will be more. They will also be sold individually.
I don't know the release date, but am going to keep my eyes open for pre-order pricing.

 

"All the President's Men" is February 21, while the other two are 2/28...

 

Generally overlooked, Robert Duvall's supporting performance is a gem - I particularly love the ranting scene in his office.
An excellent film in every aspect.

Aaron