Billy Wilder

September 15, 2017 11:22 AM

Anyone want to watch some Billy Wilder movies and talk about them? Unfortunately they're not free on popular screening services right now, except Sunset Boulevard, but local libraries have a lot of them and also they're only 3 bucks streaming rental. Anyone in?
posted by latkes (12 comments total)

I'd be into this, there are a bunch I still haven't seen. It might also be interesting to compare his The Front Page with the 1937 version.
posted by rhizome at 11:30 PM on September 15, 2017

I love Billy Wilder, but haven't seen loads of them (I have seen the dire Fedora which I could boggle at all day). Count me in!
posted by Gin and Broadband at 3:29 AM on September 16, 2017

I'd be game to give it a shot. I've seen most of his films before, other than, oddly enough, Sunset Blvd, so I should be able to join in for most even if they aren't available to stream.
posted by gusottertrout at 5:56 AM on September 18, 2017

OK well, there are a small handful of us anyway, let's just go for it!

It's pretty challenging to narrow down which ones to watch. Some starter ideas:

Front Page
Fedora
Some Like it Hot
The Apartment

Anyone have a preference?
posted by latkes at 8:19 AM on September 19, 2017

I want to throw in Irma La Douce as an alt to The Apartment. Also Sabrina, and maybe something with an interesting cast, like One, Two, Three or Kiss Me, Stupid.

Sorted by IMDB rank
posted by rhizome at 11:54 PM on September 20, 2017

Sunset Blvd. never gets old for me. I had the pleasure of being able to rent out a whole theatre here for my 40th birthday so I could watch it with friends on the big screen (where Norma IS big). I'd love to do that again with my MeFites.
Also a big fan of The Apartment and Witness for the Prosecution (yay, Marlene Dietrich!).
posted by ikahime at 10:02 AM on September 21, 2017

OK, let's start with these four, and see how it goes and then think about more: I'll post an official "club" in a couple days. I'll include a schedule.

1. The Apartment (one of my personal favorite movies!)
2. Sunset Blvd
3. Some Like it Hot
4. One, Two, Three

If there is participation in these threads I'll keep going with anything else that's been mentioned so far next.
posted by latkes at 12:50 PM on September 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

That's a good list. Apartment is great, I don't understand Sunset (yet), never seen Hot, and One, Two, Three is completely new to me.
posted by rhizome at 12:53 PM on September 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

OK, I posted the Billy Wilder Film Club! Sorry, I kept messing around with which movies to watch! There are so many, and I didn't want to tip the scale with the comedies. Let's see how much energy we have for this. I'd be very into seeing some of his European films eventually.
posted by latkes at 1:00 PM on September 25, 2017

Cool, I've been putting off watching Double Indemnity until I read the James M. Cain double (w/Postman) that's been sitting on my shelf for mumble years, so here's my motivation.
posted by rhizome at 9:48 PM on September 28, 2017

FYI, Sunset Boulevard is on Netflix right now.
posted by rhizome at 12:14 PM on October 2, 2017 [1 favorite]

Shoot, I didn't realize that Sunset Blvd was posted to FanFare in 2015! You can feel free to go comment on the existing discussion if you like! Next week I'll post about Wilder's One, Two, Three.
posted by latkes at 1:58 PM on October 16, 2017