Ryan McNeil
Now that’s more like it!
A four screening / thirteen title week? In the hands of a mere mortal, such geekery would be too much to muster…this was a job for super nerd.
Matter of fact, when I look back on this week, it may stand up as one of my best for screenings, as each showing I went to sent me away with two hands full of entertainment and thoughtfulness.
And then, if that wasn’t enough, it was all capped off by one of the most philosophical episodes of The Matineecast that I’ve ever recorded. You’ll be able to hear why tomorrow. For now though, I’m off to cobble together my thoughts on a big summer film, and then get my next bit of audio goodness ready.
Here’s week at hand…
Screenings
BERNIE – Counter-programming that I might not have gone for if not for my friends.
MOONRISE KINGDOM – Worth the wait for certain.
GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES – Made me fall hard for both Marilyn and for Jane Russell.
PROMETHEUS – I’m still processing this one.
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Watched Before
CAFE DE FLORE – The only film I’ve watched three times this year.
THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST – Still very much the weakest Millennium film
NOTORIOUS – Del Toro’s lecture led me to buy this Hitchcock gem
THELMA & LOUISE – The Ridley Scott bender began here
CARS – You might not like it, but I do.
ALIEN – Gee, I wonder why?
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN – Technically a rewatch, but I might as well have been a newbie.
BLADE RUNNER – The Scot-fest continued.
CONTACT – A dvd I sadly managed to lose down my garbage chute.
Boxscore for The Year
100 First-Timers, 99 Re-Watched
46 Screenings
199 Movies in Total
Nice to see a few Ridley films! And Prometheus is the material to process for a while indeed.
I’m curious about Moonrise Kingdom. I must like it, too.
I didn’t even get to every Ridley Scott film I wanted to watch – I wanted to get back to GLADIATOR and BLACK HAWK DOWN as well. Oh well, I own ’em both so don’t be surprised if you see them get listed on this series over the next few weeks.
I’m really anxious to hear what you think of MOONRISE KINGDOM…I think it will be right up your alley!
Must be a Ridely Scott marathon that I wasn’t invited, lol.
Did you see the Director’s Cut of Kingdom Of Heaven?
Here is my list for the week:
Mirror Mirror + Snow White And the Huntsman: Interesting to see two movies trying to interpret the same source material with two completely different stories and tone. I found them both mediocre, but both has its strong points.
Safe House: Pretty generic thriller
The Swell Season: Doc about the couple from Once. It sort of works like a sequel, except this is real.
We Have a Pope: Interesting movie about what happens if an elected Pope doesn’t want to be the Pope.
Where do We Go Now: Don’t know how this got the People Choice Award at TIFF. Good Intention, but what a mess.
Re-watch:
It’s a Ben Stiller double bill.
DodgeBall, True Underdog Story: Underrated gem of a comedy
Greenberg: One of my favorite movies of 2010. I know many people don’t feel the same way.
Heh – no marathon, just my own geeky tendencies kicking in. When certain movies are coming out, I usually go back and re-watch like titles. So for instance, with BRAVE dropping in two weeks, I’m in the midst of re-watching all the Pixar titles.
It was indeed the director’s cut of KINGDOM that I watched, it the first time I saw that edit of the film. Actually, with seven years having gone by since I saw it, I might as well have been watching it for the first time.
Don’t get me started on WHERE taking People’s Choice.
I’ll be writing about HUNTSMAN later this week – suffice it to say, MIRROR MIRROR was in the back of my brain the whole time.
Which version of Kingdom of Heaven did you see? The theatrical or the director’s cut? I’m interested in seeing the director’s cut of that film.
The new films I saw were The Guard, Kung Fu Panda 2, Dr. No, Bleeder, Bratz: The Movie (I have a masochistic tendency to watch bad movies and oh… I wanted to gouge my eyes out), the TV mini-series of Hatfields & McCoys, and tonight, I’m going to watch From Russia with Love.
Still one of the very best Bond films if you ask me. Hope you dug it.
As I mentioned to Peter, I watched the director’s cut of HEAVEN, which was really stellar (and is really cheap on blu-ray for some reason).
How is that Hatfield & McCoys series? I keep seeing ads for it on TV but never took the bait.
Here’s the review.
Wow. Those are some really impressive statistics, so congrats!
Well thanks – feels sorta funny to be congratulated for my geekery.
What’d you watch this week dude?
I watched Snow White and the Huntsman, The Social Network (rewatch) and Haywire.
I’ll see PROMETHEUS sometime during the week. Honestly couldn’t care less at this point, but that’s also because I just found out Damon Lindelof wrote it and completely lost enthusiasm. I hope to get to MOONRISE tomorrow. Anyway:
First-times
THE GREEN RAY: This is an instant favorite. It’s a film that perfectly captured my own personality hangups of simultaneously wanting nothing more than to have friendships and relationships but being both willfully and involuntarily incompatible with the social world. I’ve been desperately looking for a film that spoke to me to move beyond CHASING AMY (which is so flawed I didn’t like identifying even indirectly with its sexual politics), and I think I found it. It’s also impeccably directed.
EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE: What do you get when you mix one of the most boring transatlantic directors with the worst American writer today? A fucking travesty, that’s what.
THE LADY EVE: I honestly don’t get any of the enduring legacy of this film. A comedy that cares for its belabored subtext over its actual jokes. By far the worst Sturges I’ve yet seen, and I hope I some kind of breakthrough with him soon.
EYES WITHOUT A FACE: Simply delightful. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari via poetic realism. Had fun seeing how much Almodovar cribbed for SKIN I LIVE IN, though I think he brought considerably richer thematic content to the same overall style.
THE LOVERS ON THE BRIDGE: My first Carax, and now I am even more pumped to see HOLY MOTORS hopefully before the year’s end. Simply wonderful.
WAVELENGTH: I rarely connect with an experimental film but this is up there with Brakhage’s MOTHLIGHT as something that not only challenges how I view film as an art and as an object but also deepens my love for film’s temporal and spatial possibilities. A masterpiece.
PAUL WILLIAMS STILL ALIVE: I wanted to absolutely murder the director for being a self-serving asshat. I was thunderstruck by his almost David Brent level of rudeness. Did a disservice to a great artist.
Rewatches:
CERTIFIED COPY: Honestly a crap shoot between this, Tree of Life, Uncle Boonmee and This is Not a Film for best film of the new decade. If anything in the next 8 years tops them I’ll be stunned and ecstatic for the gift to cinema.
CASABLANCA: A solid film, impressively so given the circumstances of production. But one that’s a bit too neat and forced for my liking. I don’t think it’s the best work of anyone involved.
Oh, and I forgot two awesome Wellman Pre-Codes, OTHER MEN’S WOMEN and THE PURCHASE PRICE. They come on the same disc and are highly recommended pulp melodrama.
You’re one of the few people I know who’s seen Wavelength and one of the fewer still who, like me, found something worth seeing in it. I’m not entirely sure why I found it as interesting as I did, but I was mesmerized by it. It’s an experience with film like few others.
Same reaction to Eyes Without a Face, too.
I saw all your EL&IC venom coming down on Twitter, so that comes as no surprise to me. I still like Safran-Foer as a writer though.
EYES WITHOUT will be playing at The Lightbox this summer, and I’m hopeful I can catch up with it. They are playing a lot of what I want to see most on the weekend I’m out of town, hopefully this isn’t a casualty.
A big week of getting me back on track. I broke 200 for the year a couple of days ago.
New to me:
High Society: Not as good as the film it’s based on, but more musical.
Underground: Unexplainably weird, but in a good way.
The People vs. George Lucas: Surprisingly fair to Lucas. Really.
Au Revoir, les Enfants: Sad and sweet.
Fahrenheit 451: My way of saying goodbye to a childhood hero.
The Shop on Main Street: Screamingly depressing, but great.
Hell House: Other people’s religion is scary or funny. This is both.
Rare Exports: I don’t always watch Christmas films in June, but when I do, I make sure they’re completely f***ed up.
Rewatches:
Religulous: Sometimes I need to reassert my agnosticism.
Minority Report: Film for podcast.
Rashomon: Film for podcast.
Gandhi: Too long, but never boring.
If I’d known I was sitting on 199, I’d have watched one more (yesterday’s showing of SNOW WHITE was the bicentenary). I usually read Fahrenheit around this time of year, so that will be my way of honouring the man – but I do want to see the film sometime too.
Cafe de Flore comes out in cinemas here the same day as Brave. Oh, if I only had the time to see it!
Anyway, this week has been a little better for movies since I had a bit of time off thanks to exam leave. Ugh, I don’t wanna go back to school.
First timers:
The 400 Blows – Interesting. Really liking French New Wave stuff.
Little Shop of Horrors (1960) – Research for the play I’m directing in town. Should be fun.
Albert Nobbs – Actually far better than I expected it to be. Not entirely sure why everyone hated it.
Our Idiot Brother – Really enjoyed it. I wish there were more movies with happy, optimistic characters.
Safe House – Eh, whatever. Had a really good cast, but it was just so meh.
Chronicle – Surprised by how much I liked it.
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg – Loved it. Catherine Deneuve is so lovely.
Alien – Surprised by how much I loved this one. Just so awesome.
Rewatches:
Cemetery Junction – Honestly love this film. Was so happy to see that all of my friends felt the same way about it.
Kick-Ass – Just coz I haven’t seen it in ages. Mark Strong is beyond excellent in that film!
As I said on Twitter, I’d love to go back and watch ALIEN again for the first time. But I can’t complain – I’m lucky enough to have caught a screening of it at TIFF 2003 where Ridley Scott did a long Q&A afterward.
I watched CHERBOURG for the first time a few months ago and was truly smitten with it! All those colours, that wonderful music…how had I never seen it before now? There’s gonna be a screening of it in town this summer…I might just have to take the bait to see it on a big screen.
You think there are people that don’t like Cars???
I know there are people who don’t like CARS (cheeky bugger)
Super slow week in terms of movies seen. I really need to see Moonrise Kingdom. Like now! Also Thelma and Louise.
Firsts: Mirror Mirror– I did not mind this so much. Quite liked the aesthetics and the queen and definitely loved the prince. That Bollywood-esque song at the end though 😡
Snow White and the Huntsman– I actually have to process which one of these I liked better. Charlize was great, though I would have loved for the film to be just about her.
Rewatched: Stardust– I really love this film. It has stars and witches and princes and pirates and Mark Strong and Michelle Pfeiffer being baddies- what’s not to love?
Se7en– This film is just so amazing. The ending still scares me.
STARDUST really is an underrated film, isn’t it? It’d actually make a sweet double feature with MIRROR MIRROR.
They sure are taking their time rolling out MOONRISE KINGDOM, aren’t they? Heck, even though we got it early, it’s only playing on two screens. They need to release that joy to the masses already!
I saw them as a double feature 😛
Even though I usually mix things up when it comes to double features.
Repertory screening of “East of Eden”. The widescreen compositions are even more amazing on the big screen. Took along a couple of friends who hadn’t seen it before and they both loved it, which I was sure they would but was also a relief as it was a pretty good drive to get there.
Y’know I’ve actually never seen it? I really should chase it down one of these days. I think it played at The Lightbox last spring, and now feel sorta dumb for not going when I had the chance.
I’ve actually started posting these watchlists on my blog because…why not?
Anyhoo…
Screenings:
The Goonies – Seemed like a straight-from-DVD projection, but it was still neat seeing this on the big screen (for the first time in years).
Moonrise Kingdom – I quite liked it.
High School – A dumb stoner comedy saved by Adrien Brody
Prometheus – Just some sci-fi film released this week. Not important at all. 😛
Safety Not Guarenteed – A pleasant surprise.
DVD/Blu-Ray Rewatches:
Empire Strikes Back/Return of the Jedi – Finished off my Star Wars blu-ray set with a double feature. Return of the Jedi definitely has the most annoying of the “Special Edition” changes.
Alien – It seemed like everyone watched this lately.
Alien vs Predator – It seemed like nobody watched this lately 😛
I don’t have deep-seeded childhood memories of Goonies, so anytime the conversation turns in that direction I sorta mutter something and shuffle away. It’s OK, but never been my cup of tea.
I *do* very much want to see SAFETY NOT GUARENTEED – that’s one of those smaller movies I hope can carry me through the summer, especially weekends like this where I don’t really want to see ROCK OF AGES.
New
Prometheus
The Innocents
Snow White and the Hunstman
Re-watched
Alien
The American
Mission: Impossible
Armageddon
Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
It’s been a year or so since my last re-watch of THE AMERICAN…talk about a film that looks super handsome on blu-ray. I think I might just have to indulge now that you’ve reminded me!
I’ve been meaning to join in for a while.
Here are my selections for last week.
Goon – Very entertaining hockey movie. Didn’t deserve the hype it has gotten, but still a fun watch.
Network – Part of my “12 to watch in 2012”. Amazing film and Lumet gives all the actors a chance to shine. A bit ashamed that it has taken so long to see this one.
Aliens – One of my all time favorites.
Gilda – Classic Rita Hayworth
Gone – Surprisingly engaging abduction movie with Amanda Seyfried
The Seven Year Itch – It’s a toss up whether Marilyn Monroe is better in this or Some Like it Hot. Very funny and silly.
Prometheus – Truly excellent science fiction. Looking forward to a re-watching, which is always a sign of a great film.
Welcome to The Matinee Chris!
I’ve had THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH on my PVR for a few weeks now. Given how smitten I was last week with GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, I guess I really should make a point to watch it, eh?
I’m not sure if you write about the films you watch, but I’ve been prompting people to finally watch films they’ve been putting off forever as part of a Blind Spot series (there’s a heading for them up in my menu bar under “Features”).
If you *do* write about what you watch, feel free to email me a link and I’ll start including it.
Wow, you DID go all out this week. Four screenings?! You are a nerd! I love it. My friends and family think I’m crazy for just going once a week, much less two or three times a week to the theater. I’m impressed.
OK, someone needs to explain to me all the hype about Moonrise Kingdom? Everyone I know is praising this film. So it really is THAT good? I’m intrigued if so.
Oh, and I’m going to be watching Alien for the first time this week, then heading to see Prometheus. Looking forward to both, as well as listening to your latest podcast!
Yeah, that sorta snuck up on me. Guess that’s what happens when all of a suden there’s a lot I want to see (next week might be just as bad).
The hype surrounding MOONRISE KINGDOM is the usual hype that surrounds a Wes Anderson film. Those that love him praise him to the moon and make sure that everyone is aware he has a new film. Whether or not he’s deserving of the praise is a whole different argument, but odds are if you run in the same online circles I do, you can’t avoid his name.
Make sure you check in after watching both ALIEN and PROMETHEUS. As I said before, I’m rather curious to hear your take on things.
I’m way behind the game so you’ll get some bonus days, including two weekends of films. Call it 6/2-6/12:
A Nos Amours
City of Lost Children
Bande a Part
Planet of the Apes (the Burton one)
Au Bonheur des Dames
Malcolm X (1972 documentary)
Cinderella (Korean horror)
Christmas Evil
J’Accuse
Ma Nuit Chez Maud
The Basketball Diaries
The Hangover Part II
Re-watches:
Amistad
The Blues Brothers
Some Like it Hot
Jean de Florette/Manon des Sources
A lot of French movies mixed in with some really dumb horror films, a couple of classic re-watches on the big screen, and two films I thought were awful (The Basketball Diaries and Burton’s Apes). The treats on the list were J’Accuse, Ma Nuit Chez Maud, Bande a Part, and A Nos Amours.
Sixteen in ten, eh? Pretty sure that beats my pace.
I remember adoring BASKETBALL DIARIES when I was younger, but considering it’s been forever since I watched it, I get the sneaking suspicion that it hasn’t aged well.
Bande Apart might still hold the mark as the Matineecast recommendation I am most thankful for.
Great list!