I wasn’t able to make it to the ACE Eddies this weekend, and the main reason I was bummed about that, if I’m honest, was a tribute to editing legend Michael Kahn. The tribute reel really hit the right spot and now it’s available to watch. Check it out below and relive the magic.
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13 responses to “Tribute to Michael Kahn”
Loving how there were two A Series of Unfortunate Events posters in that opening shot and Schindler’s List was relegated to bottom right zoom out material.
Take away a couple of clips and this would also work as a tribute to Steven Spielberg and John Williams. :)
I find the concept of a tribute reel to editing pretty amusing. You know, because someone had to re-edit all of his work down to a single reel.
Unless Michael Kahn did it himself, which would be unbelievably awesome.
this is awesome. the number one thing it proves to me?
speilberg is the best director of all time.
I kind of have to agree with David. It’s more a tribute to the films he’s worked on, rather than to his work itself, because most of his work, itself, has been completely chopped up.
Regardless, Michael Kahn is an absolute god. Easily one of the top ten, probably even top five, greatest editors of all time.
mmm, Hook, my all time favorite movie.
Stunning. Spielberg was the god of my childhood, and Kahn was obviously an integral part of what affected me. I consider Raiders of the Lost Ark to be the most perfectly edited film in the history of the cinema. It flows like music. You wouldn’t change one frame of it.
As you grow up you start getting into Kubrick, Bergman, Kurosawa… but when you look at this reel it’s kind of hard to disagree with americanrequiem.
When is IN CONTENTION going to pick the best shots of 2010???
I think that as you grow up, you start seeing his different films too. He’s got the range covered (please make Interstellar).
In regards to this tribute, someone on AICN said that a better idea was to pick five clips from his work and show them in their entirety. I think it’s a good idea but that’s simply not how these sort of tributes are done.
And while the idea of a montage tribute to an editor seems ridiculous (and I very much doubt he cut it himself) I think that it succeds by not just reminding people of how much he’s been involved with but also invoking our memories of those films and particular sequences in them.
“Take away a couple of clips and this would also work as a tribute to Steven Spielberg and John Williams. :) ”
I know you don’t mean it that way but that, in no way, should be an insult to Kahn, whose career is so linked with those individuals. I guess it’s all about seeing it through a particular prism. It’s a tribute to Kahn and I see it as such. In all fairness, there is plenty of other material, that while perhaps lesser known, could have been integrated.
@LINA: Today and tomorrow.
My partner was in the other room when I was watching this and he said, “Are you listening to a John Williams tribute.”
I second Maxim: “someone on AICN said that a better idea was to pick five clips from his work and show them in their entirety”.
No clips from E.T. :(
@Joe: Kahn didn’t cut E.T., he was working on Poltergeist at the time. E.T. was cut by Carol Littleton.