Inspired by “Tropic Thunder,” Keith Demko of Reel Fanatic created a superb list from one of my favorite categories: movies about making movies. On his list: critic-turned-director Francois Truffaut’s bittersweet Day for Night, the trenchant satire Living in Oblivion, the documentary about Terry Gilliam’s failed attempt to make a Don Quixote movie, Lost in La Mancha, Tim Burton’s black and white tribute to the man often named as the worst director ever with Johnny Depp as Ed Wood. Demko also includes some movies about television like the story of the Letterman/Leno battle, The Late Shift.
I’d add to his list a few more great films like the classic Hollywood movie about classic Hollywood, The Bad and the Beautiful, the hilarious saga of a Revolutionary War movie taking over a small college town, Sweet Liberty, David Mamet’s witty satire State and Main, and of course the all-time favorite about the beginning of the sound era, Singin’ in the Rain. Here Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor turn an elocution lesson into a dance number:
Thanks for the linkup, Nell … I have to confess that State and Main is one of the very few Mamet movies I just couldn’t get into, but I should definitely give it another try … Sweet Liberty is just one nearly perfect comedy, so thanks for reminding me of that one so I can watch it again!
Of ocurse The Player is the BEST of all the insider Hollywood films about film…given to us by the great Robert Altman.
Kris, that is a great one, with a wonderful performance by Tim Robbins and some great cameos!
Thanks for the linkup, Nell … I have to confess that State and Main is one of the very few Mamet movies I just couldn’t get into, but I should definitely give it another try … Sweet Liberty is just one nearly perfect comedy, so thanks for reminding me of that one so I can watch it again!
Of ocurse The Player is the BEST of all the insider Hollywood films about film…given to us by the great Robert Altman.
Kris, that is a great one, with a wonderful performance by Tim Robbins and some great cameos!