Ryan McNeil
Life returned to normal this week…somewhat.
Despite spending much of last weekend trying to shake that cough & sore throat, my efforts screwed up my sleeping pattern so badly that there wasn’t much time to watch much of anything. When I say “not much of anything”, that also means that I spent the majority of a certain football game huddled in a blanket.
However, once I got up and at ’em, I happily returned to the cinema – not once, but twice! In some ways, it felt like going home. In other ways, it made me smile with amusement, especially since I was did so once with a fever, and then later in the midst of a blizzard.
Back at home, there was another Best Picture scratched off the ever-dwindling watchlist this week. Part of me expects that to kick into overdrive next week, especially with TCM showing five of what I still haven’t seen on Feb. 15th!
Here’s The Week at Hand…
Screenings
WARM BODIES – Massive props to Steve Johnston for nudging me towards this.
POINT BREAK – It’s 100% Pure Adrenaline on a big screen in 35mm!
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Never Seen
HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY – Couldn’t tell ya, it was a black & white film (hey-o!)
BIGGER THAN LIFE – For podcasting purposes. I owe my guest a beer for suggesting I watch this!
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Watched Before
AN EDUCATION – Still so damned wonderful in so many different ways.
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (2011) – A new piece of misery has been added to the ‘Sick Day Shelf’
BRAZIL – Boy-howdy, is that Criterion blu-ray ever splendid-lookin’
Boxscore for The Year
26 First-Timers, 22 Re-Watched
7 Screenings
48 Movies in Total
How good was How Green Was My Valley? I’ve always put that one off, as it doesn’t really have a title that entices me to watch it. Bigger Than Life is another one that I’ve always meant to see, sounds like it was a good one!
As for me —
First time:
The Mummies of Guanajuato
The Jade Faced Assassin
Urban Cowboy – This took me by surprise how good it was.
Think Like a Man
Forty Guns
Miami Connection
I think I’ll be writing about VALLEY later this week, so allow me to hold off until then. As for your watchlist, congratulations sir – you’ve once again chalked up five titles I’ve never seen!
It was a quite busy week for me.
Screenings:
Bullet to the Head – I didn’t dislike it, but I think it was a bit of a forgettable film.
Oscar Nominated Shorts (Live Action and Animation) – It’s easier to predict these categories when you’ve actually seen the films. Animation is a near shoe-in (Paperman), Live Action I need to think about more.
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure – Only my second time seeing this film.
Tokyo Story – A bit slow, but I was drawn into the story.
Retaliation – The film was best during the hyper-violent action
Sound City – I highly recommend checking this out if you’re a fan of music (and the analog recording process)
Mama – Was quite disappointed by this one.
Point Break – Sorry I didn’t converse more at the screening (didn’t want to alienate the friend I was with)
Blu-Ray Rewatch:
The Dark Knight Rises – This year’s “film to watch instead of Superbowl”
I’ve been curious about SOUND CITY for sure…of course, now I’m equally curious as to why it’s showing at Lightbox the very same week it goes on-demand.
That’s just the standard deal with independent films these days (has been for about a year now). At least it was a simultaneous release. Usually films are released OnDemand first and get a brief theatrical run a month or two later.
I really want to watch Warm Bodies. I think it will be awesome.
Firsts: The Impossible– I have a feeling that this film was made to test people’s cynicism. I for one thought it would a really cool if the plane crashed at the end. Still, I was okay with it and loved Tom Holland’s performance.
Rewatched: Silver Linings Playbook– It is officially between this and The Avengers for my top spot in the best 2012 films list.
Lindsay just saw WARM BODIES today (I went without her last week) and loved it too, so the awesomeness is that much more assured.
If you dig back into my TIFF coverage, you’ll find my thoughts on IMPOSSIBLE. In short, I wasn’t all that impressed. SILVER LININGS, however, I cannot wait to revisit for a third time.
Glad to hear you’re out and about and at the movies again.
A notice that CAMERAMAN: THE LIFE AND WORK OF JACK CARDIFF was about to expire on Netflix streaming was the push I needed to finally finish it. So-so as a documentary, heavy on anecdote and low on analysis for my tastes, but I did learn a fair bit about his non-Powell and Pressburger work. It was packed with great clips that made me want to watch a few movies I never thought I’d say that about (THE VIKINGS at the top of the list).
Netflix gives you notices on what’s going to expire? Oh man – who can deal with that sort of pressure!?
First-Timers: A lot of Robert Altman films in Popeye, Cookie’s Fortune, and earlier today The Company as well as The Stranger by Orson Welles, The Bunker of the Last Gunshot by Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro, and Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp Popeye cartoon.
Re-Watches: Dr. T & the Women, a couple of old Popeye cartoons in Popeye the Sailor meets Sindbad the Sailor and Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba’s 40 Thieves, and The Great White Hype.
A week or so ago, I was talking with my friend Matthew Price about Altman, and mentioning that I could probably do a blind spot series just on him (besides NASHVILLE and MASH, I’ve seen none of his classics)
For me, when it comes to Altman. I would suggest the following to start with: M.A.S.H., McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Nashville, The Player, Short Cuts, and Gosford Park.
Those are essentially his best films. All of them are different in their genres yet all have something to say. I have one more Altman film to watch this coming week in California Split which I hear is one of his best films of the 70s.
I was never a big fan of Point Break which is weird considering I enjoy the Fast and the Furious series (aka Point Break with cars). I think it might be time to give the film another shot.
First times:
Killer of Sheep – So glad I took a chance on this film, absolutely loved it. I did not even realize that is one of the films in the 1001 Movies book that my wife got me for Christmas…guess I should start examining that book more closely. LOL
Amour – Still very conflicted over this one. It was the exact opposite to the emotional ride I was expecting.
Tokyo Story – Only the second Ozu film I have seen and I am eager to consume more. The pacing is a tad slow, which seems to be Ozu’s style, but the framing of the shots and the overall story are rapturous. Hopefully I can hit a few more of the Ozu films at the Lightbox.
Paperman – A delightful and charming short.
Red Beard – The pacing was too slow and Kurosawa’s symbolism is anything but subtle. A bland film overall.
One of these days, I’ll get better at responding to comments day-of.
Did you ever settle your internal AMOUR conflict? Strangely, I never wrote a full review for it, but I’ve seldom been so affected by a film.
Three movies this week. I watched all at home, and they’re all new viewings. At some point, I’ll actually get out and see those Django Unchained and Zero Dark Thirty movies that people seem to like.
Across the Universe – I didn’t expect much and was stunned to realize that I loved this movie. Such a great experience that was a lot more than people singing new versions of Beatles songs. I really want to check out some of Taymor’s other movies.
Sabotage – This wasn’t one of the better Hitchcock movies that I’ve seen from his British period, but it does have one remarkable sequence. I still can’t believe that Hitchcock went through with one act.
Premium Rush – I watched this last night because it had Michael Shannon in it. It had a lot of energy, and JGL is fine in main part, but it was pretty forgettable. Shannon goes over the top in a pretty silly role, so that’s a plus.
There’s a lot of hate out there for ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, which I suppose I understand. For me though, the film has always worked. So many of the musicals that are made nowadays play things so safe, to see one arrive with a heavy dose of imagination.
Love the arrangement and execution of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” – never seen something re-interpreted so well!
Exactly. I was surprised by how much I liked the re-interpreted versions of the songs. “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” is a great example, as are “Revolution”, “I’ve Just Seen a Face”, “I Want You”, the title track, and a lot of others. I can understand if it doesn’t work for everyone, but I was blown away by it.
No rewatches this week. Kinda rare.
New to me:
The Night: Slow, but interesting. I like Antonionni.
The Ascent: Gripping, particularly in the second half. Amazing.
Hill 24 Doesn’t Answer: I wish I could find a good print of this.
Princess O’Rourke: Adorably cute. Who knew Olivia de Havilland had such good comic timing?
In the Year of the Pig: War = bad. And?
Up in Smoke: Not worth it unless you are so baked you’re in orbit.
Once Upon a Time in the West: I waited this long to see this why?
Re: Once Upon a Time.
My words exactly.