Ryan McNeil
My brother raised a pretty good point to me this week.
We got to talking about what I watch and how I watch it, and he mentioned that I should be putting the emphasis on expanding my film literacy. The onus, he said, should be on movies I’ve never seen before. In the past, James Blake Ewing has made a similar point.
Let’s put aside the fact that at least one-third of the movies I rewatch, I’m rewatching them with the intention of writing or podcasting about them shortly after.
When I sit down to watch a film for the first time, I want to give it as much of my attention as I can. Of course – that’s not always possible. Sometimes (like now) I’m trying to wind down after a long day. In these moments, I feel the mood to watch something, but don’t feel the desire to concentrate.
In a way, movies have become like records and books for me. They are something I consume to relax. There are plenty of films I’ve never seen before that wouldn’t require a whole lot of brainpower, but that’s not always a guarantee.
I guess what I’m saying is that the same way many of you will stretch out and read a few pages, and lose yourself in whatever’s coming through your headphones, that’s what rewatching is for me sometimes.
Here’s The Week at Hand…
Screenings
THE SAPPHIRES – Not many better ways to celebrate a birthday than with a film stacked with great music.
FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE – Stunning, but it sure takes a while to say farewell to that concubine, amiright?
BEFORE MIDNIGHT – What a way to end a trilogy.
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Never Seen
BARTON FINK – Look at that, Netflix is good for something!
HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING – Thanks Bob
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Watched Before
DESPERADO – 18-year-old me adored this movie. Present day me still thinks it’s pretty badass.
I would agree that it’s better to watch movies you haven’t seen before, but there is a benefit in re-watching films as well. Just like listening to an album over and over, gaining new appreciations of it and searing it into your soul, re-watching movies can have a similar effect. And at the end of the day, it’s your movie time… use it however you see fit!
For me… all First time this week:
The Oath Of Death
Lawless
Hollywoodland
I knew I was forgetting something! I totally meant to use the analogy of listening to a new album over and over. Well said Will!
What’d you make of HOLLYWOODLAND?
Thanks! That’s something I think about a lot, as over the past few years I haven’t been re-listening to albums all that much and I feel worse for it. They just don’t sink in the same way without it!
Hollywoodland was pretty good. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. But I managed to fit it into my Superman series on your recommendation, and I’m glad I did.
I have finally found Farewell My Concubine on Youtube. Have been looking for it everywhere. Barton Fink is one of the few Coen Bros movies I really like.
Firsts: Stoker– I think this has become my favourite film of the year so far. Not flawless but can’t quite shake it off.
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani– So v. 90s Bollywood. Loved it.
Zelig– Woody never ceases to amaze.
Rewatched: The Apartment– Yaay! This has sparked a need to watch all my favourite romantic films. I think I will end with Before Midnight, whenever that will happen.
Harold and Maude– As I said. I forgot to include Maude in my list in the latest ATUP episode! Gahhhhh.
Raaz– This film used to terrify me as an 8 year old. Rewatching it now, I realize what an idiotic 8 year old I was.
Romeo + Juliet– More romance. Pretty Leo was pretty.
STOKER is pretty wild, isn’t it? I’ve been listening to that piano duet and “Summer Wine” incessantly since March. For me, it’s top three of 2013 so far – along with UPSTREAM COLOR and BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
Never got a chance this week to listen to the new ATU yet – that will be my Monday afternoon entertainment.
The piano duet scene is my favourite of the year so far. I have been listening to “Becomes the Colour” a lot.
First-Timers: Take the Money & Run, Magic Mike, Searching for Sugar Man, Killer Joe, and later tonight, Sleeper.
Re-Watches: Moneyball
You in the midst of a McConaughey marathon or something?
Have I told you thank you yet????
I will….
I adore Desperado. I hate how bad the sequel is…
“Campa – bring your guitars”
I haven’t watched the sequel in a dog’s age, but I do own it so perhaps it’s time I remind myself why I bought it.
Right now, you’re running about one film a week more than I am on average. This week’s tally…
New to me:
The Blue Kite: Worth seeing. Not easy, but excellent.
That Guy…Who was in that Thing: Fun. You’ll recognize tons of people you kinda know.
The Moon is Blue: This was banned in Boston?
The American Friend: I wanted more, but Dennis Hopper is great.
The Man Who Knew Too Much: Mid-level Hitchcock.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: Cute, but the subtext sucks.
Playtime: Considered Jacques Tati’s masterpiece. I disagree.
Rewatch:
House of Wax (1953): Old Vincent Price movies are awesome!
Re. PLAYTIME – I think a big piece of why it’s considered Tati’s best is the craft that went into it. He built that gigantic set that houses that convention floor, and the way he works with d-e-e-e-e-e-e-p-p-p-p focus really comes through if you ever get a chance to see it on a big screen (which I was lucky enough to do back in 2010)
As for GENTLEMEN, I said it before, I’ll say it again – “Is Anybody Here for Love” has to be the gayest scene in movie history.
Though I disagree with SJHoneywell about Playtime (I think it’s easily Tati’s masterpiece and it’s one of my Top 20 of all time), they are right about “That Guy…Who Was In That Thing”. Not exactly a hard hitting documentary, but fun and gives some interesting insight into casting and the lives of these “character” actors.
Also right about Vincent Price. I think I prefer his House Of Wax to the original (though both are great fun).
I’m generally watching a lot more new films than re-watches, but that’s also because my time is more limited. When I’m only watching 3-4 films a week, it’s tougher to spend time checking out movies that I’ve seen. In your case, I think it’s good.
Only three movies this week, but all new ones:
The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights – Stunning black-and-white cinematography and an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the band a few years before the end.
Monterey Pop – One of the great concert documentaries on the festival that set the stage for Woodstock
Dead Alive – Ridiculously bloody and gory, which isn’t really my thing. Still, there are some inspired sequences.
Oh hell yeah – in your case time is so precious, I wouldn’t dare waste it on anything other than the new slang!
Back in 2009, I had to sit out TIFF because it was happening so close to our wedding and I just couldn’t spare the $$ However, my younger bro came through and said “Pick one film off the schedule and I’ll grabe you a ticket. My one selection to see on a big screen with a glorious sound system behind it?
THE WHITE STRIPES UNDER THE GREAT WHITE NORTHERN LIGHTS
Awesome. I would have loved to see UNDER THE GREAT WHITE NORTHERN LIGHTS on the big screen, especially at a festival like TIFF. The one benefit of not seeing as many new movies in the theaters – there’s always a ton of great options at home!
Now that you mention it, I’ve taken for granted the fact that I’ve been able to catch so many great music docs on a big screen. For instance, I’d be hard-pressed to think of a more fun night at the movies than the night a rep theatre in town played a double-feature of STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN and THE LAST WALTZ.
Likewise, my screening of BEATS, RHYMES AND LIFE felt like the walls were shaking to the sounds of A Tribe Called Quest.
First Time:
The Last Stand – Pretty much what I expected. Reminds me of John Woo’s Broken Arrow in that it is a decent but forgettable action flick…hopefully this means that Kim Jee-Woon has a Face Off style film in him next.
Jack Reacher – Tom Cruise is solid but the story is far more complex than it needed to be.
Mistaken for Strangers – NXNE Screener. Really enjoyed this flick, not what I was expecting.
A Universal Language – NXNE Screener. An entertaining documentary about Canadian comedians who travel to Israel.
Re-Watched:
Farewell My Concubine – Yes it runs long, but it is still one of my favourite films of all-time. This was the film that really inspired me to delve into foreign cinema a lot more than I did at the time.
Runaway Jury – Not John Cusack’s best work but I find the film oddly engaging. I still cannot pinpoint what it is about this film that makes me watch it whenever it is on television.
If you dug MISTAKEN FOR STRANGERS, give a listen to my podcast conversation with Tom back during Hot Docs. It was really amusing to hear what he was aiming for.
Were you at that CONCUBINE screening at Lightbox, or did you just get inspired to toss on a dvd copy?
You’re welcome on the “How To Succeed At Business Without Really Trying” front…I was initially inspired to see it from this single image and the film is just filled with spiffy moments like that one (I disagree with Filmbrain’s overall assessment – though the film is obviously dated in many ways, it’s sense of fun, energy and creativity kept it fresh for me).
My last week has brought me:
The Exorcist & The French Connection – I’ve been diving into Friedkin of late since I’m reading his memoir, so I had to revisit his 2 biggest films. Picked up a few more subtleties in The Exorcist this time and enjoyed FC even more than my first experience years ago.
The Boys In The Band – An earlier Friedkin which brings to the the screen a stage play about a group of gay men celebrating another’s birthday which eventually spills into all sorts of confessions and acrimony. A bit “stage-y” in spots, but there’s a great deal of energy to the film and sharp dialogue. A landmark film for its time.
Signs – My first time with this divisive Shyamalan film. Aside from his first two (which I like a great deal), the only other thing I’ve seen by him is the woeful “The Happening”, so thought I’d go back and see where he “lost it”. Well, I think I found out where and I’m not sure it was worth it – particularly the ending.
Now You See Me – Saw in the theatre. My son really liked it. I liked bits of it but was frustrated by the generic nature of so much of it and the stupidity of using that much CGI in a movie about magic. Nothing magical about most of what the magicians did.
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers: Runnin’ Down A Dream – I wouldn’t even consider myself a fan of Petty’s (though I like a good chunk of his stuff), but I still watched all 4 hours of this. Yeah, 4 hours. He’s had a surprisingly interesting and varied career filled with ups and downs and a bit of everything in between.
Pearl Jam Twenty – A revisit of this one due simply to having just watched the Petty doc. Makes me want to go out and get the rest of the PJ albums I don’t have (which means everything after their 2nd one).
Tormented – An odd sequel-ish film to Takashi Shimizu’s (director of The Grudge films) previous effort “The Shock Labyrinth”. It’s goofy and a bit obvious, but has a few great moments, develops some nice atmospheric dread (helped in no small manner by Christopher Doyle’s cinematography) and makes me want to get rid of any stuffed bunnies that may be stored in our house.
Lady Vengeance – Just got this back after lending it to Ryan and wanted to revisit it in all its glory yet again – this also sits on my top 20 films of ALL time. I love every frame, every part of her vengeance plan, every bit of gorgeous music, every bit of dark humour, every well-timed flashback and especially her final ravenous gorging of that cake to try to cleanse her sins…Though Ryan liked it, he didn’t adore it to the extent that I feel he should have. B-)
I’m *really* torn on PJ20.
As a fan of Pearl jam and a fan of Crowe, I dug it. However, I couldn’t help but be let down on the way the second ten years of the band’s career was an afterthought contained to the last 30 minutes of the film. They did a lot of wandering in the wilderness between 1996 and 2006. I would have been super-interested in hearing how the band navigated that and what led them to start “playing the game” again.
As for SIGNS, you’re ahead of yourself (I’ve seen most of MNS’ filography). *That* wasn’t the moment he lost it, as that film was well-received and seemed to carry on with the legacy he’d started carving out for himself with 6th SENSE and UNBREAKABLE. If you *really* want to see where “M Night Lost It”, get your mitts on THE VILLAGE.
Yeah, I know The Village is definitely the big turning point for most, but Signs strikes me as the place where he, at the very least, started to lose it. Granted, I’m biased due to what I thought was a terrible ending, but I didn’t find a great deal of tension throughout the film. There were several good moments, but overall it’s a big shrug for me. I don’t expect much from The Village, but I’m still curious about Lady In The Water. Zero interest in either The Last Airbender or After Earth, though not specifically due to him.