Ryan McNeil
There were a lot of great films that played out on the screens I found myself sitting in front of this week…but it was one clunker that seemed to mark the time.
Last spring, when I read Mark Harris’ Pictures At a Revolution, I found myself at a minor disadvantage. You see, I had watched the four gems – the groundbreaking titles that would shape 1967 as one of the great years in cinema history – I hadn’t seen the clunker. I knew THE GRADUATE, BONNIE & CLYDE, IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, and GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER backwards and forwards. I didn’t know diddly squat about DOCTOR DOLITTLE.
This week I corrected that disadvantage…and I sorta wish I hadn’t.
The classic musical had been sitting on my PVR since late winter, and perhaps daunted by its length (or because I knew it was a weak watch), I never queued it up. This week though, when I found myself sick at home with a summer cold, something inside of me decided it was time.
In hindsight, I can merely call this adventure a fact-finding mission. After hearing so much about how this was studio bombast at its worst, I needed to see for myself. Well, it turns out none of it was exaggerated. DOLITTLE managed to distract from my coughing and sinus headache by making me bear witness to something far worse. It’s supremely ridiculous, with atrocious music, and broad silliness trying to pass for family entertainment. In short, “Ick!”. How this managed to score that fifth Best Picture nomination over COOL HAND LUKE, or IN COLD BLOOD, or THE DIRTY DOZEN is a pure sign of studio clout gone brutally awry.
I can safely say, that this was watch happening for completist purposes.
On the other hand, the whole experience left me fascinated. During his appearance on Matineecast 60, Matthew Brown told me that on his sick days he preferred to watch dumb movies. His analogy was that when one is feeling feverish, one sometimes feels like taking a hot bath to momentarily feel worse and draw the fever out. Having given this little concept a spin, I can safely say that it ain’t for me. It didn’t draw the pain of my day out so much as it made me hyper-aware of my discomfort and even added to it.
It made me reconsider my proclivity for heavy dramas on sick days. My guess is that it’s like eating something starchy during a night of heavy drinking…the thick heavy cinema soaks up the sickness and makes it easier to tolerate.
So I suppose in the end, I must call this week educational; I finished the required reading to fully understand The 1967 Revolution, and I learned how to make myself feel even shittier when I’m home sick.
Here’s The Week at Hand…
Screenings
THE IMMIGRANT – Really interesting stuff. More on this tomorrow.
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Never Seen
EL MARIACHI – I suddenly have the urge to re-watch DESPERADO
BABY BOOM – For podcasting purposes
DOCTOR DOLITTLE – Again: “Ick!”.
PAT GARRET & BILLY THE KID – Peckinpah helped wash away the Dolittle.
THE PERVERT’S GUIDE TO IDEOLOGY – Thanks Kurt.
JANE EYRE (2011) – When you know this director would become the showrunner for True Detective, you start seeing a lot of similarities in the look of the two pieces.
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Seen Before
12 YEARS A SLAVE – Yep, still amazing.
HER – I love this film more and more with every rewatch.
KNOCKED UP – This, on the other hand, not so much!
Not much so far as the first-timers have been: The Wolverine, Shampoo, 30 for 30: The Two Escobars, and later tonight, Snowpiercer.
Re-Watches: Enough Said, Desperate Hours, and Independence Day.
I swear to God, Toronto is getting SNOWPIERCER dead-fucking-last…
Hahaha, I haven’t seen Dr. Doolittle since I was a kid and I remember liking it. Don’t think I’ll re-watch it! It is shocking that it got a Best Picture nod. WTF.
My solitary movie this week was Persona. First time, blind spot.
I’m not sure how much time you have to read just for funsies, but if you’re looking for a good book on film – do pick up “Pictures at a Revolution” and read what it has to say about that transcendent year in film history (and Dolittle’s place within it).
Well now that I’m done with my final paper, I can finally watch movies again. And I watched many of them.
They Came Together – Pretty funny
Happy Christmas – I enjoyed the style and the actors but I don’t understand what was the main theme or meaning of the story.
Locke – Well, it was a fresh film and I got invested in the story. Tom Hardy was great as well as the voice actors. I liked how rational he was despite his life falling apart.
Cat People (1982) – The style and music were cool, but the story was a huge mess.
Out of the Past – I thought I was gonna love it. It left me a bit disappointed.
Oculus – Really great. Loved the psychological aspects and how they mixed the past with the present. The story is generic but this made it fresh. I have mixed feelings on the ending, but otherwise, solid horror flick.
The Other Woman – I can’t say I hated the shit our of it, but the whole sisterhood message bugged me out. And I want women to stand out for themselves, but this was too much. I admit, I found Leslie Mann’s character charming at times, but otherwise, it was terrible.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes – Didn’t see it when it was released and hearing how great the sequel is I wanna get myself prepared. There aren’t many of the big summer releases that I’m interested in, so I got to work with what I have. In my town I’m getting only the big films and animations are dubbed. So there’s the sequel to this film,Guardians of the Galaxy, Lucy and Sin City: A Dame To Kill For that I’m interested in). This movie is just a build-up for other films, but a very good build-up. Too bad it doesn’t stand on its own as a sole film. Hollywood is very good at this kind of build-up stories, no?
The Deer Hunter – Those Russian roulette scenes were horrific. It was a very good film
You’re right about the look of Jane Eyre and True Detective. I thought about it too when I watch the TV series as I saw the film in 2011.
Damn, dude – that’s one solid week of watching!
I missed the boat on LOCKE (for now), and wasn’t all that nuts about THEY CAME TOGETHER. It was cute and all, but the joke was stale for me after ten minutes.
OCULUS is one of my choices for the best edited films of the year in the way it makes you distrust so much of what you see.
Glad to hear you didn’t mind the languid pace of THE DEER HUNTER. I think I’m a little overdue on a rewatch of that!
Oy, I’ll steer clear of Doctor Doolittle then. Oooh you rewatched HER! I haven’t seen it again since last year, but I should do that soon. It affected me so much the first time I saw it, I’m curious what a second viewing would do.