Ryan McNeil
Two special screenings marked the week this week – appropriately enough, both at The Lightbox.
First, last weekend I got to see STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE dubbed into Navajo. Odds are, you’re asking yourself the same question most people have asked me when I told them I went to the screening: “Why Navajo?”. Well it turns out that a small group of ambassadors within America’s Navajo Nation believed that getting a feature film dubbed into the language would be a great way to preserve the slowly-dying language, and get a new generation exposed and excited about their heritage. The question then became “which film”? When you ask yourself that question, STAR WARS makes a great deal of sense with its appeal and transcendence. When they approached Lucas with the idea, h loved it – and a great filmgoing experience was born.
The film was really cool, especially in the way one finds onesself dropping comparisons to the original voices in very short order. Also in the way the film is so familiar that one doesn’t have to read the subtitles to keep up with the plot.
The second screening was a Sing-a-Long version of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH hosted by John Cameron Mitchell. Coming at the beginning of Pride Week, there was a real charge in the room for this one…probably the most amount of buzz in a cinema for anything I’ve ever seen at Lightbox.
After a pretty killer opening by the cast of a local production of the musical, John Cameron Mitchell took the stage to a standing ovation. He felt happy to be back where this film began (it was all filmed around Toronto) and promised to be chiming in on-mic with random thoughts as the film went along – sort of a live director’s commentary.
The crowd gathered wailed every word of every song, and seemed to find a whole other gear for “Wig In a Box” when it got to the bouncing-ball part of the tune. I’ve been to a few of these Sing-A-Long screenings, and while they are always fun, this might have taken the cake as the best one I’ve been a part of. Then again, I’m biased.
A great week of moviegoing, closing out what has been a great month all-around!
Here’s The Week at Hand…
Screenings
STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE – Navajo, you guys!
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH – Not to brag, but I crushed “Midnight Radio”
OBVIOUS CHILD – More on this tomorrow
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Never Seen
MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS – I’m conflicted about this one. There were good things and odd things.
GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS – A sweet way to celebrate the end of the school year.
JACK REACHER – Pretty, but dumb. Oh sorry, I meant pretty dumb.
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Seen Before
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – How had I never before noticed Delahunt’s “Woah – differences!” line?
WORLD WAR Z – Is the sequel ready yet?
THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS – I’m thinking I might have to upgrade my DVD to blu-ray.
SUPER 8 – Am I the only person who loves this movie?
I have to dis agree about Jack Reacher being “pretty dumb.” I actually found it quite refreshing in how it totally subverts the genre and defies expectation at every turn.
I’m still not sure who/what Tom Cruise’s character is exactly. I love that he’s sort of played up as a super hero, but then he isn’t really.
I actually look forward to a rewatch eventually. I had fun with it.
OK – admittedly, I got a little carried away there and just rehashed one of my favorite jokes from “Friends”. This wasn’t as silly as something like POMPEII…it just didn’t quite grab me the same way as other films of its ilk like BOURNE or HANNA.
First-Timers: 22 Jump Street, 30 for 30: June 17th, 1994, There’s Always Tomorrow, Written on the Wind, Law of Desire, and later tonight, Small Change.
Re-watch: Charlie & the Chocolate Factory.
I can;t remember the last time I re-watched CHARLIE…how does it hold up?
Wow, that Star Wars in Navajo sounds like quite the interesting experience! I only managed to see only one movie this week. Unfortunately, it wasn’t so good.
It was Mindwarp, an early ’90s low-budget post-apocalyptic sci-fi that stars Bruce Campbell and refuses to utilize his wonderful abilities as an actor. Boo!
Hopefully I should be able to catch up with Persona (my June blind spot) very soon and get that posted.
It was pretty rad – though Greedo and Jabba are still left speaking their native tongues.
I only watched 2 films this week since I am preparing my final paper. I am finishing college. At last.
The Godfather Part 3 – Because of the bad reputation I didn’t watch it when I saw the first two. It was alright. The beginning was more like a reintroduction of the characters that went too long for me. The visuals were beautiful, liked how they used shadows. The acting was decent, liked Andy Garcia the most. Sofia Coppola didn’t ruin the film, she’s barely in it, just that she is essential at the end. In my opinion, she didn’t have a strong presence and some lines were delivered kinda flat. But saying that she ruined the film is ridiculous. part 3 has many other problems.
Under The Skin – Oh, how I waited to see this one. And what a film.
I am stunned by it. Yesterday I posted my mid year best of 2014 list and this film is pretty high. I will write a review once I finish with school. Here in a link in case you’re curious:
http://tothemoviesandback.blogspot.ro/2014/06/mid-year-report-best-movies-of-2014so.html
An early congrats on finishing school!
GODFATHER 3 has always felt like a bit of a beautiful mess to me. There are some amazing sequences in it – Michael’s confession, the penthouse assassination, killing-by-eyeglasses, and “they pull me back in…”. However, so much of it seems to bow under its own weight.
In a way, it feels like the work of a director who no longer has to hear “no”, the way he did during his first two swipes at the prize.
Sofia never bothered me for her acting, she does well-enough here for what she’s asked to do. The only thing that bugs me about that whole thread is that the fact that they are cousins always made it feel pretty icky.
Still – glad you finally caught up with it. If the first two films are symphonies, the third one is a coda.