Sunday, April 10, 2011

R.I.P Sidney Lumet


"I'M MAD AS HELL AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE"

We all know that line from the classic movie "Network", when actor Peter Finch tells his nightly news audience to go to their windows, open them and yell those words at the top of their lungs.

Network was one of 50 movies that Director Sidney Lumet gave us over the years.

Lumet passed away yesterday at age 86, leaving an incredible legacy of silver screen gems.

Network alone won 4 Academy Awards and is so respected as a film that it's accolades continue decades later. "In 2000, the film was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". In 2002, it was inducted into the Producers Guild of America Hall of Fame as a film that has "set an enduring standard for U.S. American entertainment." In 2006, the script was voted one of the top-ten movie scripts by the Writers Guild of America, East and in 2007, the film was 64th among the Top 100 Greatest U.S. American Films as chosen by the American Film Institute."

Who could forget Al Pacino yelling "Attica, Attica, Attica" in "Dog Day Afternoon"? A 1975 film about a bank robbery gone as bad as it can get. Pacino shines in the role and was nominated for an Academy Award. In all the movie was nominated for 7 but only won one.

Our favorite Sidney Lumet film was by far, one of the greatest films of all time, we LOVE it so so so much, "12 Angry Men." This movie is so awesome that it just leaves you stunned at the end thinking, "This is what movies are supposed to be. This is the gold standard. Do movies get any better than this?"

What makes 12 Angry Men, a movie about a particular trial jury deliberation, so awesome is in part, the caliber of actors - all 12 are the best - and in part the story and how it unravels, but mostly it's the style of it. This movie has a style about it that has never been met or beat in all these years. It's almost like a single shot play and you have the front row seat.

Watching each of the 12 men deliberate the evidence and having the entire scenario questioned by Henry Fonda's character, Juror #8, in the first place makes "12 Angry Men" an awesome movie.

In 2007, 12 Angry Men was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Click here for Lumet's Filmography

SO R.I.P Sidney Lumet and thank you for all the great movies. You were one of the greatest movie directors of all time.


Scene from 12 Angry Men - Henry Fonda is SO GREAT in this movie. Recognize a young Jack Klugman?





Another scene from 12 Angry Men, it's actor Lee Cobb's best moment





Iconic scene from Network. Rings true even today.





Al Pacino at his best. "He wants to kill me so bad he can taste it. Put your fucking guns down! ATTICA!"








5 comments:

Anonymous said...

How do I comment about your "animal rights" quotes on the right of your page? Some of those are just silly!

Anonymous said...

In particular, the Alice Walker quote. We WERE put on this earth to preside over the animals. I suppose pagen beliefs would differ, but all other forms of major religion acknowledge the superiority of man over beast. And yes, that means we get to eat them.

The Omni Report said...

That's a good question. Let us work on that.

We were expecting a Sidney Lumet comment here.

Thanks for your feedback. We'll add that feature today.

Anonymous said...

Hey OMNI i wouldn't change anything for this unknown douchebag!! Who cares what you think about the comments?? You don't comment on them moron you just read them that's why its a blog....duhhhh!!! LOSER!!!

Anonymous said...

I think the quotes are GREAT especially the Alice Walker one!! Keep up the good work OMNI!! Where do i go to compliment you on the good quotes?? You say the qoutes are silly....your silly for asking where to go. Its a blog!!! What are you looking to cry to the blog police about someones opinion?? Booo Hooo get a life loser!!