Michael Mann

[Guillaume]

Are there fans (Master Ray? ) of this director on this board?
Michael Mann is one of my very favourite directors, and probably my favourite american director...what i like in his films are his eye for incredible visuals, the sense of melancholy in his films, his well written and well acted characters, and the sensual moods he gives to his works, through the use of beautiful cinematography to the electronic soundtracks...


1981 Thief
1983 The Keep
1986 Manhunter
1992 The Last of the Mohicans
1995 Heat
1999 The Insider
2001 Ali
2004 Collateral
2006 Miami Vice
2009 Public Enemies
2014 Cyber

Here's Wiki summary about Mann's films:

Mann's films often contain one to four deadpan male protagonists who are expert in some occupation: undercover policework, high-level crime-work, warfare in colonial America, and the like. Importantly, his films often involve a tragic rather than happy ending, or they involve a combination of tragedy and happy ending, such as in Miami Vice, when of the two undercover police officers, one has his girlfriend (also an undercover officer) come out of a coma and the other tearfully separates from his romantic interest. Mann's films contain fast-paced, artful, ingenious scenes that strongly depend on powerful music, where often two opposing sides intermix, such as undercover policework and undercover drug trafficking, so that it is hard to distinguish between the two. For example, in Heat, the criminal and the police detective meet for coffee, as if old business partners. Often it is hard to distinguish between opposing sides (police vs. criminals, etc.), where the actions, dress, and mannerisms of the characters are extremely similar. Also, Mann's work often involves landscapes and modes where the heroic protagonists occupy a somewhat secret world, away from ordinary concerns (law, life and death, money, daily-life survival duties, family duties, and so on), where the secret world may or may not coincide with ordinary reality. Protagonists often find impassioned romantic interests which are severed under tragic situations near the end of the film (Last of the Mohicans, Heat, Miami Vice, Public Enemies). Overall, Mann's films mix artistry (via music, stylishness and emotional intensity) with sexuality, strong violence, humorless noir-like stoicism, and complex plot twists.

[Master Ray]

G... Love some of mr Manns films, didn't like others, but an interesting filmmaker nonetheless...

THE KEEP is one of my fave horror movies ever... great cast and a brilliant Tangerine Dream soundtrack...

LAST OF THE MOHICANS... probably one of my top five films ever.  Just perfect on every level.

MANHUNTER... far better than the remake, RED DRAGON, and personally I think that Brian Cox (no, not the scientist fella!) is way better than Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lector... BTW, you seen that HANNIBAL TV show?  Worth a look...

.. and HEAT is just terrific.  Possibly the best shoot-out scene ever.

After that, it gets a bit dodgy, IMO.  THE INSIDER was rather dull and over-long, ALI... well, how the hell do you make a boring film about Muhammed ALi?

Worst of all is MIAMI VICE...  utterly shit-awful.  I remember enjoying that show in the 80's, good fun and all that... this movie had a Crockett and Tubbs who didn't seem to like each other very much and trudged their way through a dull storyline... it's like a version of The A-Team that had the five of them as dreary alcoholics who stared daggers at each other for two hours... 

COLLATERAL and PUBLIC ENEMIES were OK, but I feel no need to watch either of those films again...

I'd love to see another good MM movie again, but I'm not holding up much hope...

 

[Amandistan]

I am not that interested in film-makers  but "The Insider" was a damn good film.

Miami Vice was horrible though.

[Guillaume]

Have you seen THIEF Master Ray?
If you love HEAT i guess you will love THIEF...it's a kind of same story and characters, and it offers a great James Caan performance and a brillant Tangerine Dream soundtrack...an excellent, masterful first theatrical movie for Michael Mann.

THE KEEP is one of my fave horror movies ever... great cast and a brilliant Tangerine Dream soundtrack...

It's a fascinating unique film, even if it a bit rushed in places (the studio producing it butchered it, and Mann didn't have the "final cut")...i was lucky to catch a theatrical screening of "The Keep" in Paris a few years ago during Mann's tribute at la Cinémathèque...it was great! (i also saw on the big screen there "The Jericho Mile", "Thief", "Manhunter" and "The last of the mohicans")

Here's an haunting scene of "The Keep":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3F9cpL-a6A

And here's the great and very rare soundtrack!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VPKs1Io7A0

LAST OF THE MOHICANS... probably one of my top five films ever.  Just perfect on every level.

It's a beautifull made film but maybe not among my fav from Mann.
But this ending scene on the cliff...WOW!!!!
The wordless showdown between the beautiful Alice/Jodhi May and Magua/Wes Studi, before Alice falls to her death, is just UNFORGETTABLE!

MANHUNTER... far better than the remake, RED DRAGON, and personally I think that Brian Cox (no, not the scientist fella!) is way better than Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lector... BTW, you seen that HANNIBAL TV show?  Worth a look...

I haven't seen the HANNIBAL tv show Master Ray but MANHUNTER is probably my favourite Mann film...it's a tense, disturbing haunting movie, and brillantly acted especially by William Petersen and Tom Noonan.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djAhwNzf8Qs

The scenes between the killer and his blind girlfriend are among my favourites of Mann's career...the 80's soundtrack is very good too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnunwrqPw_o

and HEAT is just terrific.  Possibly the best shoot-out scene ever.

Brillant film indeed, and what a casting!! (De Niro, Pacino, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd..)

ALI... well, how the hell do you make a boring film about Muhammed ALi?

I think it is a very good film, a bit underrated...many thrilling moments in this film, among others the fight scenes and the awesome opening montage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STDo6Z5YJa4

COLLATERAL and PUBLIC ENEMIES were OK, but I feel no need to watch either of those films again...

COLLATERAL is great, maybe Tom Cruise's best performance and Mann's direction and the cinematography  are as usual wonderful!
Gorgeous looking film on the big screen, the way Mann shows us L.A. at night is stunning...
PUBLIC ENEMIES...i have to rewatch it soon...The film's screenplay and storytelling are a bit uneven but i overall liked it, especially the last half hour (Dillinger's demise)

Worst of all is MIAMI VICE...  utterly shit-awful.  I remember enjoying that show in the 80's, good fun and all that... this movie had a Crockett and Tubbs who didn't seem to like each other very much and trudged their way through a dull storyline... it's like a version of The A-Team that had the five of them as dreary alcoholics who stared daggers at each other for two hours... 

It's a flawed film for sure but overall i thought it was more than decent...i like the dry tone, the almost documentary storytelling and Gong Li's character.
That ending scene was beautifully done, i liked the use of the Mogwai's song...moving:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtfkymtavUE

I am not that interested in film-makers  but "The Insider" was a damn good film.

I think THE INSIDER is probably Mann's most accomplished direction, the way the film creates tension  and paranoid mood is brillant.
And it is Russell Crowe's finest hour, probably his best performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLXmT6WrORY

[Guillaume]

Mann's new thriller seems promising...:


http://collider.com/blackhat-comic-con-panel-recap/

http://www.deadline.com/2014/07/michael-mann-movie-titled-blackhat-chris-hemsworth-2014-oscar-release-date/

Michael Mann and Chris Hemsworth unveiled the first footage of Mann’s latest movie just now and revealed it is called Blackhat. The global cyberthriller will be released early next year, but it may qualify for the Oscars this year in what would be a strategy much like Lone Survivor this past awards season.

The trailer looks big scale and sensational — Mann at his best. Hemsworth plays computer hacker sprung from prison to take on a blackhat hacker.

This is Mann’s first Comic-Con.

[Guillaume]

The trailer of BLACK HAT, Michael Mann's new (cyber) thriller is now on line and it looks good!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q66-Mh7_t0

[Guillaume]

BLACKHAT second trailer, the film will be released in the States next Friday, and in the UK next month:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VGIHBgj45g

[Master Ray]

Looks OK, but it doesn't look like it's gonna be like one of his masterpieces (Mohicans, Heat, etc...)

Whatever, it might surprise me...

[Heno]

i thought collateral was a good film

[Guillaume]

Looks OK, but it doesn't look like it's gonna be like one of his masterpieces (Mohicans, Heat, etc...)

Whatever, it might surprise me...

The trailer in its visuals look like "Miami Vice" and "Collateral"...and when i think i have to wait two months to catch a screening of this last Mann film (french release: mid March )

Here's the full press conference, starring Mann, his actors and actresses, and the journalists!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7ERHldMarY
   

[Guillaume]

If there are some British and Irish Michael Mann fans on this board, his new thriller BLACKHAT will be released in the UK and Ireland theaters next Friday...highly recommended!

[Guillaume]

THE KEEP is one of my fave horror movies ever... great cast and a brilliant Tangerine Dream soundtrack...

I'm sorry to learn the death of THE KEEP's stunning actress this week...RIP Alberta Watson

[Space]

Michael Mann is a hack. All flash and no substance. Wow, isn't this a beautiful shot? So what. The movies you make are meaningless, simplistic crap.

But, yes, THE INSIDER is an incredibly fantastic film. Astonishing film. And the most astonishing thing about the film is that Michael Mann directed it!

[Master Ray]

Michael Mann is a hack. All flash and no substance. Wow, isn't this a beautiful shot? So what. The movies you make are meaningless, simplistic crap.

But, yes, THE INSIDER is an incredibly fantastic film. Astonishing film. And the most astonishing thing about the film is that Michael Mann directed it!

Dude, I think you're confusing Michael Mann with Michael Bay...   

I give you HEAT and THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS as evidence...

Nice to see you venturing out into other threads, though. 

[Guillaume]

Dude, I think you're confusing Michael Mann with Michael Bay...   [/quote]

ha ha i guess too!


Master Ray, have you seen THIEF?
I've seen it last night on Blu Ray, it's a very good film i think, it's more "low key" than Mann's later films but a compelling thriller with great performances from everyone...like a forerunner of HEAT.
...and finally i've seen BLACKHAT in theaters and even twice!...pretty good, stunning set-pieces and visuals...but if you didn't like MIAMI VICE the movie i'm not sure you will like this one, it's pretty close in tone and thematics.