Sidney Lumet, ‘Network’ Director, Dies at 86 ('Fail-Safe,' 'Dog Day Afternoon, '12 Angry Men')'

[Hissyspit]

Source: Reuters

Sidney Lumet, ‘Network’ director, dies at 86

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Sidney Lumet, the American film director known for inspiring top-notch performances from actors in a stream of classic films including “12 Angry Men,” “Dog Day Afternoon,” “Network” and “Fail-Safe,” died on Saturday at age 86, the New York Times said.

His stepdaughter, Leslie Gimbel, said Lumet died of lymphoma at his home inManhattan, the newspaper said.

Lumet was one of the leading film directors of the second half of the 20th century. He was prolific, directing more than 40 movies, and versatile, dabbling in many different film genres. Lumet often shot his movies in his native New York.

In 2005, he received an honoraryAcademy Award for lifetime achievement. He previously had been nominated for Oscars five times without winning: as best director for “12 Angry Men” (1957), “Dog Day Afternoon” (1975), “Network” (1976) and “The Verdict” (1982); and for best screenplay as co-writer of “Prince Of The City.."

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/04/09/sidney-lumet-network-director-dies-at-86/

[whathehell]

1. He was a great talent...."Network" was an incomparable piece that was both

entertaining and incisive in it's "take" on capitalist society.

I'd advise everyone who has NOT seen it to do so.

It's as startlingly true today as it was when it was made.

[Merlot]

2. Agreed.

then see "Dog Day Afternoon"

[whathehell]

4. I saw Dog Day Afternoon around the time it came out

and though I know it's highly regarded, at the time I saw it, I wasn't that impressed.

Perhas seeing it again in my "maturity" would tip me off to

what I may have missed about it the first time.

[Geoff R. Casavant]

9. That seems to be the case with me.

Lord knows I got a lot more out of Blake Edwards's "10" when I was 40 than I did when I was 14.

[whathehell]

14. Oh sure....It definitely wasn't

aimed at 14 year olds!.

There are other artists I didn't like when I was young

that I looked at very differently when

I got older -- One was Jim Morrisson and the Doors....I was

a teenager during the sixties and I thought his voice sucked

as well as his songs...Infinitely preferred Jose Feliciano's

"Light my fire" to the Door's version (still do, actually)

but I otherwise came to appreciate ole jim -- especially

his droll humor in songs like "Love Street" and "Twentieth Century Fox".


Thanks for sharing!B-)

[Merlot]

20. Dog Day Afternoon- it captures a period of time so well.

I saw it for the first time in the late 90's so it may have made an impact because it was of a different time.

Thanks to netflix, I've revisited a few classic movies that didn't impress me at first, kind of funny to see the things that flew under my radar!

[whathehell]

25. Quite true!

[calimary]

5. No kidding! "Network" is the first movie I name when I'm asked what my favorite films are.

And yes, it's as relevant and true today as it ever was in 1976. We thought it was comical and outlandish and satirical then. It's all turned out to be TRUE. It wasn't a movie. It was a time portal.

[whathehell]

7. Absolutely!....That scene in which Ned Beatty explains the "order of the universe"

to Peter Finch, is so chilling and so resonant of truth,

it seems as if it should be required viewing for every citizen in

a capitalist country.

Actually, the fact that the film even got made by

a big studio in a capitalist country seems kind of amazing now.

You're right though, it WAS prescient...Unless of course,

it only seems that way to us now because we were

relatively young and innocent then.

[Chef Eric]

13. Yup. "Network" and "Face in the Crowd" are the best films ever made about media madness. nt

[whathehell]

16. I would only add that Network was about media madness but also

about more, e.g, the "order of the universe".

[Iggo]

3. Fuck yeah, Sidney!

:applause:

[radiclib]

6. Bummer

Especially because he was still doing great work, most recently the sleeper "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead", with Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Albert Finney. But his crown jewel was "Network", IMHO. RIP Sidney :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[mucifer]

8. I loved "The Pawnbroker"

[whathehell]

15. I didn't know Sidney did that.....Powerful film. n/t

[Auggie]

10. Film icon and fabulous storyteller. Loved his work.

[CBHagman]

11. "12 Angry Men" is one of my all-time favorites.

Every time it's on, I have to watch. It's a classic.



I'm sorry to see Mr. Lumet leave us, but what a body of work!

[kentauros]

12. Aww, that sucks.

He had a good run at it, though. Such great movies and stories. One I learned of a few years ago I now recommend to those who haven't yet seen or heard of it: The Hill. Watch that opening shot. It's almost two and a half minutes long! It's a very intense movie, taking place in a British military detention camp in the Libyan desert. If I'm not careful I might end up wasting my afternoon watching this again ;)

Thanks for all the fine art, Mr. Lumet! We'll miss you.

[Sherman A1]

17. Fail Safe was a movie that scared me as a kid

very powerful. 12 Angry Men was superb!

[Starbucks Anarchist]

18. One of the last great directors.

"Network" and "Fail Safe" are some of my all-time favorites, and he made so many more great movies, even up to the end ("Before the Devil Knows You're Dead"). He also wrote a great book called "Making Movies" about film production itself. RIP.

[Hissyspit]

19. I read that book.

Still have it.

[bookworm65t]

21. Before The Devil Knows You're Dead

I think this was his last film. Wonderful and engrossing, it stars Albert Finney, Phillip Seymour Hoffmann and Ethan Hawke.

Unfortunately it seems to have slipped under the radar; it didn't get the attention it deserved.

[fishwax]

22. i agree -- that was a very good movie

:thumbsup:

[BumRushDaShow]

23. "Lumet often shot his movies in his native New York"

Uh... he wasn't born in New York so he's not a "native" of it! :banghead:

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/flickgrrl/Sidney-Lumet-Just-Tell-Me-What-You-Want.html">He's from Philly And he and my father shared the exact same birthday (day, month, and year)!

R.I.P. though big guy. Your legacy will last many lifetimes. I finally saw "12 Angry Men" a couple years ago and wow, what a great movie. One of my Mom's favorites as well.

[kwassa]

24. one of my favorites was "Prince of the City" about NYPD corruption

among narcotics detectives ...

[Blue_Tires]

26. ttt

r.i.p.