Comments on: The Essentials: The 5 Best John Frankenheimer Films

By: Dag

Dag — Fri, 13 May 2016 12:06:41 +0000

Grand Prix. The best of the racing film genre… hands down

By: Jinky

Jinky — Fri, 13 May 2016 12:06:41 +0000

The Train is woefully under-seen and under-appreciated. Thanks for including.

By: SJHoneywell

SJHoneywell — Fri, 13 May 2016 12:06:41 +0000

I was going to be very upset if Seconds wasn't on this list. I watched that recently and was completely knocked sideways. A great film, and my current favorite Rock Hudson performance.

By: Leonardo

Leonardo — Fri, 13 May 2016 12:06:41 +0000

An Underrated director he is a fucking master.

By: Stevo the Magnificent

Stevo the Magnificent — Fri, 13 May 2016 12:06:41 +0000

You should have included 'French Connection II' as an honorary mention, it was (unfortunate jazzy score notwithstanding) one of the best cop thrillers of the 1970's, had it been a stand-alone 'fish-out-of-water' story and not a sequel, it would be regarded as a classic now, Gene Hackman absolutely should have gotten a Best Actor nomination for it…

One more thing, Frankenheimer's final film, the 2002 television movie 'Path to War' was just extraordinary; the study of an idealistic President – LBJ – increasingly crushed by circumstances and bad decisions in wartime, Michael Gambon's performance of a defeated and demoralized LBJ was simply magnetic, not to mention heartbreaking (and I'm a conservative), with Frankenheimer's direction pitch-perfect throughout, showing the young turks why he was such a master of his craft…

By: Real

Real — Fri, 13 May 2016 12:06:41 +0000

Thanks for this list. Always wondered why John Frankenheimer doesn't get much of a mention when talking about film history. He directed some great films. And I'm always happy to see Burt Lancaster get some recognition-another great actor that tends to be rather underrated.

By: James

James — Fri, 13 May 2016 12:06:41 +0000

Dang! I was hoping to see BLACK SUNDAY on the list. It's one of my top 5 favorite films ever – the kind of studio film that could only have been made in the 70s. It's both a gripping thriller with the most thrilling third act in cinema history, and the most intelligent, nuanced look at global terrorism ever made. Not many films would dare to make the Israeli Mossad agent, the Palestinian Black September member, and the deranged Vietnam vet she teams up with ALL into the protagonists. The film treats nobody as stock villains, but looks on dispassionately as the terrorists pursue their horrifying goal. The female terrorist in particular is fascinating and multi-layered – Thomas Harris has said she was the model for Clarice Starling in his later books. And Bruce Dern's frenzied monologue about WHY he wants to attack the Super Bowl is one of the screen's great mad scenes, so brilliantly written that it takes you inside his thought process. By the end of it, you half root FOR him. It also has a glorious John Williams score written within months of his breakthrough STAR WARS score. And never again will it be possible to get permission to film an ACTUAL Goodyear blimp attacking an ACTUAL Super Bowl – no CGI garbage, it's all real. All in all an unrecognized masterpiece to my mind.