Review of The Last Picture Show (1971) by Murder C — 02 Dec 2010

"Anarene, Texas, 1951. Nothing much has changed...".

"THE PICTURE SHOW THAT INTRODUCED AMERICA TO THE FORGOTTEN 1950S. It launched the meteoric career of its brilliant new director and its talented cast. It won 2 Academy Awards, and nominations for 8. If you missed it the first time, you owe it to yourself now. If you saw it once, remember it again.".

The movie that put Peter Bogdanovich on the map, based on a novel by the great Larry McMurtry. The stellar cast includes Cloris Leachman, Ben Johnson ( Both of whom won Oscars for their supporting roles), Jeff Bridges, Timothy Bottoms (The Paper Chase), Eileen Brennan (Clue), Ellen Burstyn (Requiem For A Dream), and marks the film debuts of Randy Quaid, Sam Bottoms (Apocalypse Now), and Cybill Shepherd. All but one of the shots are at eye-level.

One of the best years for films, besides Last Picture Show, 1971 was the year that brought us Straw Dogs, The Beguiled, Get Carter, Klute, Dirty Harry, Silent Running, Shaft, A Clockwork Orange, The French Connection, Play It Again Sam, Fellini's Roma, Harold and Maude, The Hospital, Sunday Bloody Sunday, McCable and Mrs Miller, and Carnal Knowledge.

Sam the Lion: [to Genevieve] Chicken fry me a steak and try to use meat this time!

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Lois Farrow: I guess if it wasn't for Sam, I'd have missed it, whatever it is. I'd have been one of them amity types that thinks that playin' bridge is about the best thing that life has to offer.

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[Telephone Conversation].

Duane Jackson: Hi Jacy, it's Duane.

Jacy Farrow: What's on your feeble mind Duane?

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Jacy Farrow: [to Lester Marlow] Thank God, I'm glad I weren't on fire - I would've burned to death before you got one button undone.

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[Telephone Conversation].

Abilene: Hello.

Lois Farrow: Abilene, you asleep?

Abilene: No.

Lois Farrow: You like company?

Abilene: Well, I thought I'd drive out, see how my well was coming.

Lois Farrow: Drill hard. You're better at oil wells anyway.

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Sonny Crawford: [to the unsympathetic crowd around Billy's body] He was sweeping you sons of bitches, he was sweeping!

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Sam the Lion: You see? This is what I get for bettin' on my own home town ballteam. I ought'a have better sense.

Abilene: Wouldn't hurt to have a better home town.

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Genevieve: One thing I know for sure. A person can't sneeze in this town without somebody offering them a handkerchief.

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Sam the Lion: If she was here I'd probably be just as crazy now as I was then in about 5 minutes. Ain't that ridiculous?... Naw, it ain't really. 'Cause being crazy about a woman like her is always the right thing to do. Being an old decrepit bag of bones, that's what's ridiculous. Gettin' old.

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Duane Jackson: I'll see you in a year or two if I don't get shot.

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Jacy Farrow: [to Duane, as they're leaving motel room after having sex] Oh, quit prissing. I don't think you done it right, anyway.

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Jacy Farrow: Well you married Daddy when he was poor and he got rich, didn't he?

Lois Farrow: Scared your daddy into getting rich, beautiful.

Jacy Farrow: Well if Daddy could do it, Duane could too.

Lois Farrow: Not married to you. You're not scary enough.

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Sam the Lion: You boys can get on out of here, I don't want to have no more to do with you. Scarin' a poor, unfortunate creature like Billy just so's you could have a few laughs - I've been around that trashy behavior all my life, I'm gettin' tired of puttin' up with it. Now you can stay out of this pool hall, out of my cafe, and my picture show too - I don't want no more of your business.

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Ruth Popper: Y'see? You shouldn't have come here. I'm around that corner now. You've ruined it and it's lost completely. Just your needing me won't make it come back.

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Sonny Crawford: Nothin's really been right since Sam the Lion died.

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Coach Popper: [to his team taking laps] If you all didn't jack off too much, maybe you'd stay in shape.

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Sam the Lion: Bein' crazy about a woman like that is always the right thing to do!

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Charlene Duggs: [In a snit over breaking up] Now don't go tellin' all the boys how hot I was.

Sonny Crawford: [Sadly] You wasn't that hot.