Ryan McNeil
Just in case you didn’t notice by the headline – or in case you can’t count – we’re recapping two weeks’ worth today. Of course, that’s two weeks where I was busy as hell, so the quantity isn’t quite as high as one might think.
Funny thing – I say “isn’t quite as high”, and yet I’m still pretty much at a rate of one film per day. Yep, it’s a sickness…at least more than half of them are first-timers.
Lots to say below, so I’m gonna cut this short.
Here’s The Two Weeks at Hand…
Screenings
THE TO DO LIST – I suddenly feel the urge to wear Hypercolor.
2 GUNS – Bill Paxton makes everything better.
ELYSIUM – Precisely the sort of sci-fi I wanted.
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Never Seen
THE BIRDS – Never going to look at seagulls the same way again.
TOOTSIE – Wowsers has this movie ever aged well.
NEW YORK STORIES – Two-thirds of this movie is stellar, then The Coppolas have their say.
RED – It’s always fun to see the man go “Full Malkovich”
OBLIVION – For Matineecast purposes
RUBY SPARKS – I can’t help but think that this film was intended to be a lot quirkier than it is.
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Watched Before
FARGO – Youbetcha, yah.
A SERIOUS MAN – Listened to Matineecast 92 yet?
MOONRISE KINGDOM – I want Bob Balaban to appear randomly in my daily travails doling out factoids.
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD – I felt the urge for some home cookin’ before I left town.
DISTRICT 9 – I sorta feel like this movie is underrated.
THAT THING YOU DO! – I am Spartacus.
I don’t even remember what I saw last but I AM SPARTACUS!! I love That Thing You Do so much. Oh and Ruby Sparks too <3
Did you review Ruby Sparks somewhere? I’d love to read a glowing post on it – I was left feeling a little icky.
Completely agree with you regarding District 9, it really deserves far more recognition for what it does.
All new to me:
The Paperboy – Sure it was nice to see A-list actors being trashy, but that does not necessarily make for a good film. Keep in mind that this is coming from someone who has enjoyed Lee Daniels works (even Shadowboxer) in the past.
Ace in the Hole – Discovered this Wilder film on Netflix Canada…absolutely loved it.
Only God Forgives (x2) – It is stylish and cold but I really dug it.
Pickpocket – First of two Blind Spot films for August. My inaugural trip into the land of Bresson was a bit underwhelming.
Spring Breakers – Uneven at times but I had a lot of fun watching it.
Mud – Loved this film! It is currently in my top five of the year so far.
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox – Solid film but I am a little tired of all the multiverses that exist within the DC landscape.
Prince Avalanche – Light on plot but I enjoyed it for what it was.
The Omega Man – The second of two Blind Spot film for August. I will have my thoughts up at some point in the next few days.
Look at you with the new profile pic!
Interesting that you were underwhelmed by Pickpocket. I caught a screening of it at Lightbox last year and fell pretty hard for it. Kurt and I were both actually quite smitten with Marika Green who must be related to Natalie Portman somehow! Come back to it sometime. When you move on in your Bresson to A Man Escaped, try to watch it during a time when your house is its most quiet since the subtlety in its soundtrack is key.
Heh – two watches of Only God Forgives, eh?
For being busy, that is quite a lot of movies to watch! I consider myself lucky if I get more than three done during a week. I almost had two weeks of pure re-watches (not on purpose), but then I watched a new one last night.
First time:
Thieves After Dark
Re-watched:
Conan the Destroyer
The Killer (1972, Chor Yuen)
White Dog
Double Indemnity
Forgotten Silver
It is quite a bit – and now that I look back on them, it was a lot of bedtime selections where I ended up staying up for the whole runtime.
No matter how many times I watch DOUBLE INDEMNITY, I always feel like it’s been too long since I watched it last. That flick needs a blu-ray release badly!
I have a problem staying awake during movies as it is, let alone trying to watch them in bed!
I honestly wasn’t excited to watch Double Indemnity again, thinking I’d seen it too many times, but as soon as it started I smiled and thought pretty much exactly what you said! I had forgotten just how good it really is.
Perhaps a bit more caffeine before pressing play?
That helps at times, but certain movies just get the best of me no matter what. But then there’s the rare one that’s so engaging that it actually energizes me and I have a hard time going to sleep!
First-Timers: I’m So Excited!, Fruitvale Station, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Hollywood Ending, Red Tails, and earlier today, How the West Was Won.
Re-Watches: Small Time Crooks, The Kids in the Shoe, Anything Else, and Sounds from a Town I Love.
Been on a Woody Allen bender, eh? I wonder if there’s anyone out there who’s seen everything he’s done?
How beautifully executed was the final airport scene in I’M SO EXCITED?
Plenty to talk about here:
The Way Way Way Back – I adored this movie despite it being a little predictable. Sam Rockwell and the whole gang at the water park are so much fun, and I had a blast with it.
Irma Vep – Maggie Cheung in a leather cat suit, plus a look behind the scenes at movie making. Hard to go wrong.
Spring Breakers – I’m right in the middle on this one. There are some great sequences, but it’s also less subversive than it may seem.
Double Indemnity (re-watch) – Still brilliant
Despicable Me 2 – Took my four-year-old daughter to see this one. I liked the first one a lot, but this was just okay. Too much with the minions.
Game Change – Yet another smart and intriguing HBO political film
Stoker – This is a beautiful movie with a really distinctive look. I liked it more than I expected.
The Elephant Man – Watched this for the first time last night, and it’s an interesting story. Still, it’s more forgettable than I expected.
Have you listened to Matineecast 91 where Lindsay and I argue over STOKER? Might be timely since you just watched it.
Spring Breakers has stuck with me ever since I watched it, though it has admittedly come with a crazy degree of opinion and hype. It won’t be making my top five or anything, but it’s certainly a heavy hitter where 2013 films are concerned. Basically, it’s not as great as some would have you believe…but not as bad as some people think either.
Something tells me I’ll have to revisit THE WAY WAY BACK when it drops on blu-ray. Many people I know seemed to love it more than I did.
I held off on listening to the Matineecast about Stoker until I watched it, so I’ll be checking it out soon. I’m really interested to hear what you and Lindsay thought about it.
I really liked the nostalgia in The Way Way Back towards the ’80s and a different era. I also connected it a lot to my high school job working food service at the local zoo. I think that’s the reason a lot of people are connecting to it. The sense of community and the simplicity of the water park. It worked for me, though I can see where it might fall short.