burn

So unless a good idea hits me between now and New Year’s, I think I might have attended my final new release screening last night. There are still lots of 2014 titles that I’d like to spend time with over the next ten days…and even a few rep screenings that I hope to get to, but there doesn’t seem to be anything new playing on my local screens that I see myself making time for over the busy days ahead.

In a way, that leaves me a little bit sad.

I’m not sad that I won’t be going to the movies for a few weeks, or even that we’re closing the book on the year. No, I’m sad that my final screening of the year was given over to the remake of ANNIE. I’ll have more thoughts on ANNIE on Monday, but for now just let me say that I didn’t enjoy it.

What interests me about that is that it touches on something I’ve been thinking about a lot this year; how things end. It came to my attention when someone in my row was talking to me at the Cardinals game I attended in St. Louis. When my seat-mate found out I was trying to see baseball games in every American city, he asked if I’d thought about where I wanted the tour to end. That’s the funny thing about trying to complete a series, right – the tendency is to go for the most desirable first, and then leave the dregs until last.

But then you end on a down-note…like finishing a year with ANNIE.

Basically, I guess I’ve learned why Lynyrd Skynyrd end every show with “Freebird”, and next year I’ll look for a better selection to close out the year with. At the very least it’s going to make that Lightbox showing of PATHS OF GLORY on New Year’s Eve that much more special.

 

Here’s The Week at Hand…

 

Screenings
INHERENT VICE – Motto panukeiku!
THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARVIES – More on this tomorrow, for now just let me say that I’m happy to be done with Middle Earth
ANNIE – That’s gonna leave a mark

Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Seen Before
MALCOLM X – I sorta miss when Spike Lee painted on canvases this big
CLOSER – Inspired by Candice’s “Know Your Enemy” answers.

Boxscore for The Year
274 First-Timers, 187 Re-Watched
104 Screenings
462 Movies in Total

How’s about you – seen anything good?

8 Replies to “Days of The Week (Films Watched December 13 – December 19)”

  1. Right now, I’m just winding things down as there are a few theatrical releases I’m hoping to see in the remaining days of the year but haven’t been able to due to various reasons. I just chose the last films I’m going to watch and review for the year including The Story of Film series.

    First-Timers: In A World…, Frank, Two Days, One Night, Little Buddha, and later tonight, the third episode of The Story of Film as I saw the 2nd one a few days ago.

    Re-Watch: Sexy Beast.

  2. Oh wow. I’ve had a lot of free time now that I’m done with my exams, and I’ve watched a lot of movies, mostly action but a few other things. Let me see how many I can remember.

    First-time viewing:
    -White Hunter, Black Heart: Great acting from Eastwood and an interesting look at how obsession can destroy a man, but it’s also a little jarring due to the way it pretends to be fictional but is ludicrously unsubtle about the fact that it’s based on the production of The African Queen.
    -Eraser: Fun, but really silly at times. Not Schwarzenegger’s best.
    -Deja Vu: A really pleasant surprise with some clever twists and turns thrown in for good measure.
    -Mr. and Mrs. Smith: Who would have thought the action genre could be merged so seamlessly with the romantic comedy? It’s genius.
    -Dodgeball: A great spoof of the generic “underdog sports movie”. Lots of laughs to be found from its insane premise, with Ben Stiller making a fun villain.
    -Point Break: It was okay. Unusually for an action film, I think I would have wanted to see more of Johnny’s romance with Tyler and less of the plot about catching the bank-robbing surfers.

    Re-watch:
    -Mystery Men: I saw this one once as a kid and finally saw it again. This was a great movie that offered some interesting perspectives on the whole concept of superheroes. I thought it was interesting to shift focus to “the other guys”.
    -Unstoppable: Very tense action packed thriller that doesn’t give you much time to breathe. Great movie.
    -K-19: The Widowmaker: Certainly an interesting experience, and a good movie though I’m not sure it’s Kathryn Bigelow’s greatest achievement.

  3. I feel like the last theater movie in a year shouldn’t have that much weight to it. It’s just a movie, man! Although these days I’m only able to get out 4-5 times a year, so I always enjoy myself because it has become special again.

    First time:
    The Enchanted Chamber – super rare wuxia that’s too wonderful to be obscure.
    Assault of the Killer Bimbos – The title sounds like it would describe it well enough, but it’s more like a low-budget comedy version of Thelma & Louise (a few years before that one).
    Christmas Evil – really impressive psycho Santa movie. The subversion of well-known elements of Christmas is thick and quite unsettling at times.

    And I re-watched:
    The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – because of the new one, and for podcasting.

    1. I know it’s just a movie, but you still want to close your year off on a good note. Happily, the last theatre-going experience will be Kubrick, so at least I have that to tie-off 2014 in style.

  4. I’ve actually watched enough movies in the past week to make it worth commenting:

    Godzilla – Technically solid, but sort of boring and forgettable
    Ida – Gorgeous film
    Only Lovers Left Alive – liked this more than I expected
    Public Enemies – Such an odd way to make a biopic and a gangster film; I’m a big fan of it

  5. You know how its the films you have no expectations of that make the most pleasant surprises. With nothing else of interest to see I went to see Paddington, I loved it and can safely say you will too!

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