Ryan McNeil
As I mentioned yesterday, I was lucky enough this week to catch a screening of Darren Aronofsky’s ∏ (“PI”).
The movie has been on my to-watch list for-ev-errrrr. I’m not going to dig back to verify, but I’m pretty sure it has shown up at least once on my birthday wishlist of movies I hope to serendipitously watch in the year ahead. So finally scratching it off my watchlist felt rather cathartic. What’s more, watching it immediately before seeing NOAH allowed us in the audience to see several parallels between two films that seem in no-way parallel!
What’s more, considering the heady nature of ∏, I was grateful that i was able to see it in a theatre. I’m not sure I would have made it through had I pulled it up on Netflix like I’d originally planned. I could see myself starting to move about my apartment, tinkering with my phone, and perhaps even bailing out early. In the theatre though, after hearing an introduction that properly set the scene…I found myself not only sticking with the heady debut, but flat-out falling for it!
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again – that’s the beauty of a cinema. Whether it’s a state-of-the-art IMAX arena, or a fledgling grindhouse theatre, they both force the audience to zero-in and block out the outside world. What’s more, that screen allows everyone to loom over us. Making even the solving of a math theorem into something that is larger-than-life. We’re trapped and surrounded…forced to follow along even if we’d otherwise be tuning out.
It’s for reasons like these that I’m happy rep screenings still happen in markets like mine. I mean, we’re in an age where a great home-theatre set-up can trump many low-end cinemas…but at home we have fridges full of food, windows streaming daylight, phones buzzing with activity, and most importantly a remote that can stop everything in its tracks. Going to a theatre is an act of surrender…but sometimes surrender can still feel so sweet.
Here’s The Week at Hand…
Screenings
TO BE OR NOT TO BE – The year of Lubitsch got back on track with this absolute gem
∏ – Good times, even for a math dunce like me.
NOAH – More on this over the next few days.
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Never Seen
CHANGING LANES – Back when he was one-time Oscar-winner Ben Affleck!
PASSION – Dear Lord, this film feels like it’s trying so hard to be exotic.
JESUS OF MONTREAL – Very happy that covering it for the Blindspot Series brought this Canadian gem to several people’s attention.
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Watched Before
MINORITY REPORT – I’m still perplexed by the theory that the final twenty minutes of this film aren’t actually happening. Anyone ever heard that before?
ROAD TO PERDITION – Ever start watching a film on TV a few minutes in, and before you know it, you’ve watched the whole thing?
THE AVIATOR – I’ve upgraded a lot of Scorsese to blu-ray, hence the re-watches so soon after my last bender in December.
SHINE A LIGHT – Case in point
Passion has been on my Netflix to see list for a few weeks now. More than anything else I am curious to see how close De Palma kept it to Love Crimes.
All new titles for me this past week:
On My Way – Okay. Liked it far less than others in our film pub circle though.
Hold Back – I really enjoyed it but can understand why most will hate it.
The Searchers – Blind Spot selection. Great film.
9 Month Stretch – Picture a poor man’s Jean Pierre-Jeunet and/or Stephen Chow film and you get this zany comedy.
Nymphomaniac Vol 1 – Lars is in fine form with this one.
Nymphomaniac Vol 2 – This is were it stumbles when looking at the two volumes as one whole. Still engaging though.
Thor: The Dark World – Meh. Might be my least favourite of the recent batch of Marvel films.
How much does THOR 2 fall off once Loki leaves, amiright? Part of me wonders if it’s the “Iron Man 2 of Phase 2”, in that it feels iffy on its own but ultimately plays better in context when seen surrounded by the other three movies.
As for Nymphomaniac, I’ll be doing a double-feature of vol 1 and vol 2 this week in anticipation of the next Matineecast. Yeah, it’ll be a banner show!
Hello, Ryan. This is my first time posting on Days of the week. I like the sense of community found here.
I decided this year to catch up with the essentials. So far it’s fine. I am actually feeling better crossing off must-see films than wasting time with lesser known ones. So this is what I saw this week.
First timers:
Oldboy (2013) – It has a bit of style, but the rest was terrible. I was actually very much waiting for this one before its release. It’s a mess.
Wes Craven’s New Nightmare – My second Freddy Kruger film if you don’t count the horrible remake. It’s a metafilm, I liked how they played with that idea, the lead actress was great. It wasn’t very scary and the ending was ridiculous but I don’t regret seeing it at all. It’s actually a very interesting horror film.
Raiders of the Lost Ark – Technically not a first watch. I remember seeing it when I was little but didn’t remember much of it. Immense fun.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – I am sure I saw some of it, but not entirely.This was just as fun but more cartoonish and dark. It follows a formula like we see in the everybody-happy ending. I liked that they brought in a different female lead which didn’t annoy me and bringing other characters. Not the best but not the weakest.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – This one didn’t feel fresh. I liked that they brought in the father character and their relationship was something new and rewarding to add to the series, but that’s about it. Still not the weakest.
I also watched some episodes of the original Twilight Zone from the first season. I liked The Hitch-hiker the most, mainly because I am fascinated by the vanishing hitchhiker story. Every episode is brilliant in its own way. Also saw Judgement Night, Four of Us are Dying, Walking Distance, Mirror Image, Nightmare as a Child, The Chaser and The Monsters are due on Maple Street which were all very good and original in their own way. They are like little thrillers, each one with their own twists. You will not regret watching this.
First-Timers: Party Central, Muppets Most Wanted, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Maurice, A Gorgeous Bird Like Me, and later tonight, Howards End.
Re-Watches: The Fifth Element, WrestleMania VIII, and WrestleMania IX.
Hmm, I saw Pi back when it came out and was relatively disappointed compared to the hype it got. I wonder what I’d think of it now.
As for me this week, I’m once again at one movie!
First time:
Ed
Yes, I watched the Matt LeBlanc/Chimpanzee baseball movie. On purpose. But it was all in the name of a blogathon, so y’know I had to pick something different.
Firsts: Snowpiercer– Really good. Loved the concept and the production design. Wonder if Chris Evans can out-hero this role in Captain America.
Top Gun– I had never watched it properly and I know why now. So overrated and boring.
Gangs of Wasseypur, parts 1 and 2– I watched both one after the other (that’s 5 hours of my life well-spent) and I really liked them. Kind of Scorsesian/Godfather-ish but with so much Indian masala in there.
Belle de Jour– For the podcast. The public hath spoken.
Rewatched: Bachelorette– Literally saw one line of dialogue from it somewhere and then had to rewatch the whole thing. I love it so.
L.A. Confidential– Probably the only movie in which I can bear Russell Crowe.
The Talented Mr. Ripley– Rewatched this after AGES. Forgot how much I loved it.
To Be or Not to Be is one of my all-time favorites, and it’s one of my go-to recommendation films. It’s one that isn’t nearly as well known as it should be outside of classic film buffs, but one of my goals in life is for it to be as much of a household title as Casablanca. Because I think it deserves it. I don’t know whether this goal is attainable. 🙂
I’m pretty much at a movie a week lately, our scheduled Sunday night movie night – yesterday we watched The Frighteners, which I really enjoyed, and last week was The Great Gatsby (2013), which cemented my ongoing love for Luhrmann, haters be damned. I also managed to watch The Mummy (1932) on Friday when Jonathan was over at a friend’s rewatching The Raid, but I was kind of drowsy and don’t think I’m going to count it as watched.
Ryan, I’m way behind on this one, but here’s what I watched last week:
FROZEN – Watched this with my daughter (who turns five this month), and she’s a big fan. I thought it was really well done, though the hyperbole has gotten off the charts about it.
THE HUNGER GAMES – CATCHING FIRE: I also finally saw this movie, and I think they did a good job adapting the book. Most of the plot issues are with the book, and it helps to have such great supporting actors making the material feel less silly.
TRIAD ELECTION – This is quite a dreary look at gangsters willing to do anything to gain power in Hong Kong. It’s even rougher than Election, but there’s still a ton to like. Johnnie To seems more assured this time, and it’s quite a cynical take on the genre.
That’s it, though I’ve already watched a few for this week.