Ryan McNeil
You had to know that this week wasn’t going to be as long a tally as last week, and it’s not just because last week was a two-week round-up.
For starters, last weekend took Lindsay and I to a wedding, and anytime you knock out an entire Saturday of potential watching, the whole list dips. For those wondering, having something on while I do chores, or relax on weekends is where much of my weekly watching comes in.
Beyond that there was a podcast to edit, another one to record, and a night at the bar with all of my blogger buddies taking out night after night of valuable watching time. Not that I regret any of it mind you – I’m just trying to explain how I only saw seven films in seven days.
Next week’s should be a higher tally, including a bigger crop of first-timers.
Here’s The Week at Hand…
Screenings
TO ROME WITH LOVE – Everyone who guessed this wouldn’t be as good as MIDNIGHT IN PARIS were quite right.
JULES ET JIM – Funny thing here. I’d seen most of this movie one time, ten years ago. However I’m not sure if I was distracted or something when I watched it last, but I remembered none of it. Thankfully, The Lightbox had a screening of it this week to help me mend the error of my ways. Loved it!
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Watched Before
WAR HORSE – I still think this film got a bad rap, though I must admit I like the play better.
PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE – Underrated.
THE APARTMENT – There are few things in life as wonderful as a Billy Wilder script.
A SERIOUS MAN – I wonder if I would have liked this film if I’d watched it ten years younger. Probably not.
Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN – It felt apropos after JULES ET JIM.
Boxscore for The Year
129 First-Timers, 126 Re-Watched
64 Screenings
255 Movies in Total
I love Punch-Drunk Love and The Apartment!
Firsts: The Dark Knight Rises– Probably didn’t love it as much as everyone else, but really really enjoyed it still.
Paprika– I was a bit confused, but it was a cool story and gorgeous colours.
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut– Freaking awesome!
Akira– It was fun counting how many films probably stole from this. Brilliant.
Rewatched: Batman Begins– And good thing too, seeing how much TDKR is connected to this.
Psycho– In film studies class. Hearing people’s first reactions to the shower scene is so much fun (couldn’t see them because I was sitting on the seat closest to the tv).
That shower scene is still pretty freaky, isn’t it? Last time I watched it in a group was at a cabin in the woods with some friends. None of them wanted to go out into the dark after that!
So far, the new films I saw this week were Autumn Sonata and Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky while a lot of were just re-watches including another Bond film in The Spy Who Loved Me.
The Spy Who Loved Me is a 007 film I really dig (along with Live and Let Die). I’m a believer that Roger Moore was underrated.
Small list for me too.
Screenings:
Neil Young Journeys – Concert footage decent, could have used more documentary stuff
Blu-Ray/Netflix First Time:
Rubber – A one note pony with too many non sequiturs
The Silence of the Lambs – I e-mailed you the blindspot link this morning
Blu-Ray Rewatch:
Silent House – Still a decent film, but loses some of the effect of the single-take gimmick when you have the ability to pause the film.
I’d really like a straight-up doc on Neil (if one exists, feel free to chime in here people). When I realized that flick was going to be yet another Neil concert film, I immediately took a pass.
I still really believe in RUBBER. Seeing that at TAD was one of my best film-going experiences.
I probably would have liked Rubber better with an audience.
Oh, War Horse. I’m going to get a bad rap for how far up that film is in my top 20 for 2011 (being published tonight). Ah well, I love that film.
Anyways, it was kind of a big week for me because a sick day let me watch a lot:
Rampart – So slow, so…pointless. Disappointing follow up from Oren Moverman to the brilliant The Messenger. Woody Harrelson was pretty good, though.
The Big Year – Not funny enough to be a comedy, not dramatic enough to be a drama. Still okay, though.
Haywire – Don’t see what’s so special about this at all.
Wanderlust – I liked it enough. It was kinda refreshing.
The Sitter – As much as I love R-rated comedies, this one wasn’t that good.
Martha Marcy May Marlene – Brilliant. Elizabeth Olsen was a revelation.
Akira – Eh…
Earrings – Such a brilliant short film. Alex Withrow should be proud of what he’s done.
Rewatches:
We Need to Talk About Kevin – For an english essay. I love almost everything about it, especially Ezra Miller and Tilda Swinton. What I don’t love is how it keeps making earthquakes happen.
City Island – Really like this movie. I was admittedly only revisiting it because of Ezra Miller.
Don’t get yourself down on WAR HORSE. It’s a well-made film that most people unfairly wrote off. Joey’s run through no man’s land is Spielberg at his finest.
The big deal about Haywire is the fact that most of the action is grounded: There isn’t a lot done by stunt doubles, there isn’t any driving music blaring behind them, and generally speaking the camera is locked off giving you the full effect of what’s happening without going all fast-cut on you.
I was unexpectedly called to Chicago on business this weekend, so thought I might as well fit in a Music Box double feature before I headed out Saturday: Billy Wilder’s version of THE FRONT PAGE and Chen Kaige’s new movie, SACRIFICE. They were both pretty good with very good performances. Some of the comedy in THE FRONT PAGE is awfully strained, common in late Wilder (from 1974, it’s one of his last few films). It was an appropriate movie to see for the first time in Chicago since the play is distinctively a product of the city, and Wilder kept the ’20s setting and peppered the script with period references.
Speaking of Billy Wilder and better movies like THE APARTMENT, a Wilder top five is an in-progress post at my blog. He had a terrific run in the ’40s and ’50s.
Yesterday actually turned into a Wilder day for me since I watched both ACE IN THE HOLE and THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH for the first time. Every one of his films I watch just makes me love him more, so I’ll be sure to bump THE FRONT PAGE up the list.
I’m going to guess that you didn’t try to rally the troops given that you were going to be back in Chicago.
Actually I did, but from a different connection. Met up with an old law school friend who never watches movies. It was kind of weird to go out and NOT talk about movies AT ALL. Guess that’s what happens when your social life basically revolves around one thing.
Heh – I know that feeling. I actually make a pointed effort when I sit down with my friends and family to keep the conversation away from movies as long as possible.
Even if it was slower for you, still a good week.
I knew TRWL wouldn’t be as good as Midnight but man, I didn’t think they’d be THAT different in terms of quality.
What happened to you with Jules and Jim has happened to me before with some movies, so you’re not alone.
This week I watched:
To Rome With Love, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises.
It happens to the best of us. Sometimes when I suggest somebody watch something for a second time, it’s because I believe they weren’t paying complete attention the first time…something I say from experience!
Such an odd week.
New to me:
Paradise Now: An even-handed look at terrorism.
United 93: Less even-handed, but still very smart.
Miss Representation: Made me angry for all the right reasons.
Beat the Devil: Very disappointing.
The Horse Thief: I didn’t get it because of cultural differences.
Ossessione: I liked it better when it was The Postman Always Rings Twice.
Rewatches:
Network: I won’t say a word against it.
Se7en: Still just as good as the first time.
I’m still in awe of UNITED 93, one of the very best of its year for certain. And my lord has NETWORK ever aged well, no?
Network is better now than in 1976. Back then, it was conjecture. Today, it’s a reflection.