I swear just a day or two ago, I thought about this post and that it would seem a little light. Then over the last two nights I doubled the tally. When does this become an addiction again?

But when next this post hits this space, don’t say you weren’t warned. You see with the next two weekends dedicated to Hot Docs coverage, the next installment of “Days” will be chalking up three weeks’ worth of watching. I’m setting the over/under line at 33 titles, so place your bets now.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a party to get to and a podcast to edit.

Here’s The Week at Hand…

Screenings
THE CABIN IN THE WOODS – I think there’s a bit of chatter about this film on Row Three

Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Never Seen
INOCENTE – Hot Docs Screener: That makes two beautiful docs about painters this year.
NOT A CARWASH – Hot Docs Screener: Not looking forward to this written piece.
THE BOXING GIRLS OF KABUL – Hot Docs Screener: This on the other hand…
AMERICAN PSYCHO – Having loathed the book, I was surprised to enjoy the film. I didn’t love it though.
THE GIRL WHO LEPT THROUGH TIME – The last leg of the anime syllabus begins, but will it be done in time?

Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Watched Before
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (2011) – Holds up to re-watch splendidly.
HEATHERS – I’d forgotten how dark it was.
TOY STORY – I’m in the mood to slowly start working through the Pixar films with BRAVE hitting theatres in about two months.
DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS – “May I take your trident sir?”

Boxscore for The Year
70 First-Timers, 70 Re-Watched
29 Screenings
140 Movies in Total

23 Replies to “Days of the Week (Films Watched Apr 14 – Apr 20)”

  1. I really need to see Cabin in the Woods soon, it has been brutal navigating through film blogs and podcast while trying to avoid hearing anything about this films. Also, I look forward to reading your review of The Boxing Girls of Kabul. It has been a few weeks since I watched it, but I remember quite enjoying it. It is crazy that the Hot Docs films are starting to blend together in my mind and the festival has not even started yet! LOL

    First time watch:
    Frenzy – Starting to catch up on the many Hitchcock films I have not seen. This one was okay but it could have been much better.

    The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension – It actually works well on a purely campy level. The casting is great.

    The Mechanical Bride – Hot Docs Screener. The film was interesting but spreads itself a little too wide in the latter half.

    Who Cares? – Hot Docs Screener. Man was this film depressing.

    1. I think I’m seeing FRENZY at The Lightbox soon as part of that Del Toro master class. But then I could have my titles mixed up.

      If you still haven’t seen CABIN IN THE WOODS yet, stay close to your fast forward button because its the feature discussion on the Matineecast today.

  2. I didn’t watch much this week…

    Screenings:
    The Big Lebowski – First time seeing it in the theatre. I’ve been liking it better with each rewatch.
    Sound It Out – Ode to the Record Store
    Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope – Ode to Geek Central

    Netflix First-Time:
    The Burbs – It’s mentioned so much on Row Three, I thought I would check it out. I liked it.

    I’m also fully prepared for HotDocs. I’ll be seeing docs on everything from Pee Wee’s Playhouse co-creators to Ventriloquists to Hacktivists (all while saving some room to see The Avengers when it opens).

    1. I’ve never seen THE BIG LEBOWSKI on a big screen, hopefully it comes around again because I don’t want to have missed my window. If there’s one thing I am greatly anticipating from Hot Docs, it’s getting my first glimpse at what’s been done to The Bloor.

  3. If you ask me, Heathers didn’t go far enough.

    Anyway, all new films this week, and many an obscurity:
    The Asthenic Syndrome: Dark and odd.
    Beau Travail: “Billy Budd” in French and with more homoeroticism.
    Soldier of Orange: A throwback to the WWII films of my youth.
    Wavelength: A single camera zoom and yet strangely compelling.
    A Question of Silence: The most feminist film I have ever seen.
    Chimes at Midnight: Even at the end of his good years, Welles was a special filmmaker.

  4. Not as many movies this week, as I am waiting for Hot Docs.

    First Time:

    The Three Stooges: I actually like this one. Good physical comedy, committed performance by the leads, and Larry David in drag as a nun, what’s not to like?

    The Innkeepers: Really like the first half where it’s actually a slacker comedy, think Clerks in a Haunted House movie. Sara Paxton is a delight to watch, sort of like Reese Witherspoon circa ‘Election’.

    Rewatch:

    Monsieur Lazhar: Still amazed how gentle and subtle it is, given the subject matter. In Hollywood, this would be Dead Poet’s Society meets Patch Adams.

    Shame: I watched Shame at TIFF. I admired it then but had some reservations with the third act. It really hit me this time, I see what McQueen is doing, and everything just works for me. If I can re-rank my best of 2011 list, Shame would make it to top 5 easily. Damn, it’s good.

    Hot Docs should be good, I am scheduled to see 8 films, but may add 2 more just to make a even number.

    1. Email me your Hot Docs sked, I’d be really curious to see if there’s any overlap between showings I’m seeing and showings you are seeing.

      As for SHAME, did you listen to that episode of Outside the Envelop I linked to last week? We had quite the spirited SHAME discussion on it with lots of good points raised. I found that a lot of people I know really disliked the flick, so I’m happy to see that there are still quite a few out there who are drawn to the movie.

    2. Email sent.

      To me, the litmus test for Shame is the ‘New York, New York’ scene, the people who don’t like that scene, don’t like the movie as well.

    3. Got the email, and will respond soon. if not sooner, it looks like we should be crossing paths at DETROPIA (one of my most anticipated films!).

      And agreed wholeheartedly on NY, NY.

  6. Woah you just saw American Psycho? I love that film. I’ve read about a quarter of the book… I think I prefer the film.

    Nothing says back to India like a dramatic drop in the number of films watched 🙁
    Firsts: The White Ribbon– Black and white has never been this gloomy. Impossibly dull.
    All the President’s Men– It was pretty good. The ending was a bit bleh.
    Persona– I loved most of it. Brilliant performances.
    The Fly– I really really liked it. Have to watch more of Cronenberg’s weird stuff.
    A Place in the Sun– It was really nice even though it makes one feel really ugly. Taylor and Clift are just about the epitome of human perfection.

    Rewatched: Die Hard– I had been craving this for a while now. Hans Gruber <3

    1. The materialism of the American Psycho book got on my nerves after a while. I just wanted to know that Jean had walked into the room. I didn’t need to know that Jean came in wearing an ivory DKNY button-up blouse and a pinstriped raven ARmani pencil skirt accented by a pair of four inch midnight black Manolo stilettos…

      Just exhausting.

    2. For someone making a satire about yuppies, a simple description of wearing a pin-striped suit would have been enough.

  8. All first-timers this week:

    The Cabin in the Woods
    How to Train Your Dragon
    Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
    Milk Money
    Don 2
    Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge

    1. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON was actually a film I pointed to as an example of what 3-D is capable of, since the theatrical experience of that really gave the audience the feeling of flight. It’s odd to think this, but in a year where it was overshadowed by TOY STORY 3, it might actually qualify as underrated.

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