Ryan McNeil
Wow…what a week!
For the first time in more than one month, I got up into double-digits. Not only that, but for the first time in I-don’t-know-how-long, I got out to three different screenings. Considering this was all dotted with a pub night and a day spent in celebrating an American holiday, I’d say that’s quite a spot of watching.
In theatres THE DEVILS was handily the screening that will stand-out the most. It was a special presentation at The Lightbox, with a talk before and after by Guillermo del Toro. The man introduced it saying that the film “wasn’t so much cookies and milk as it is cookies and bile”…and yeah, that’s a pretty good description. Seeing the madness that this film lets unfold in all its big screen glory was definitely a treat, especially since it’s one of those movies that conservative-minded-folks have tried to lock-up. The funny thing is, after we were told in the night’s introduction how rare prints of this movie actually are, we then proceeded to watch the print burn in the opening five minutes! All was well after a short break though and we got back on track.
Back at home, I barely got through Sweden’s FORCE MAJEURE. That’s not to suggest that the film is bad – far from it – just that it is very methodical. The film demands great patience. It demands for us to sit-up, consume good coffee, and get into the intricacies and nuances of this couple’s relationship and how it handles this one incident. There’s a lot about this film that will stick with me in the coming months, and some shots that will rank amongst the very best of the year…but I really wish I hadn’t watched it from the comfort of my couch. I’m certainly happy to be in a position where certain studios send me screener dvd’s at year-end, but if ever I needed a reminder of how much better film works in a theatrical environment, this was it.
Here’s The Week at Hand…
Screenings
DEAR WHITE PEOPLE… – I watched this before all hell broke loose on Monday night. Now it feels even more apropos.
THE DEVILS – Naked weaponized nuns, huh? Well that’s different.
FOXCATCHER – I’ll have a lot to say about this film as the weekend goes along.
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Never Seen
EXTRACT – Funny in places, but really just a watered-down OFFICE SPACE, right?
IN A LONELY PLACE – I might have to watch this again before next week.
A LONG WAY DOWN – Rather sweet. I’ll never understand why this didn’t get a North American release.
THE LOVERS ON THE BRIDGE – Those fireworks!
DANCER IN THE DARK – I’m still trying to shake that feeling of emptiness I had when the credits rolled.
FORCE MAJEURE – I’ve said this before, but “my, that was Swedish”
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Seen Before
LIFE ITSELF – …and once again, I got misty.
SCROOGED – Only one Christmas movie this week? Expect that to change!
PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES – Our Thanks giving watch
Boxscore for The Year
261 First-Timers, 180 Re-Watched
95 Screenings
441 Movies in Total
I didn’t have as much time to watch movies this week since I was finishing school. As far as I can remember I only got to see two films this week, both finishing up my classes for this semester.
-La Passion De Jean D’Arc (1928): This was the last film we watched for my cinema studies class this semester and it was actually a pleasant surprise. It was interesting how they tried to work with the original transcript from the actual trial on which the movie was based, but they did a pretty good job allowing you to connect with Joan.
-Dredd (2012): A whole pile of action movie trends all rolled up together in a nice little bundle. What else can I say about this one beyond that it was a very interesting film with lots of great action?
That screening of The Devils sounded fun. Not every day that you see film burn anymore! I’ve always enjoyed all the little nuances of film projection, in a lot of ways they define the movie-going experience for me, and I feel like younger generations are missing out on the “magic” of movies. Digital is just like a really big TV screen to them, I imagine.
All first time:
Sideshow – 2000 Full Moon sorta homage to Freaks. It’s fun.
The Wolf of Wall Street – it was great! Thanks for the push.
Angels with Dirty Faces – Blind Spot, also great.
Yes and no. As more time goes on, I’m believing more and more that “going to a film” is more about the gathering and the shared experience than it is the physical media being displayed. I’ve long thought similar things about those who wax on about nitrate prints.
Much as there’s a romantic comedy to seeing a film burn, I’ll gladly close the book on that if it means I can see a film six weeks after its release and the print looks as pristine as it did the night it opened.
Ever see the supercut of all the “fuck”s in Wolf of Wall Street?
Haven’t seen much this week. Just kept going with Seinfeld. The only film I got to see was the latest Woody Allen flick, Magic in the Moonlight. He played it safe with this story but I still found it very enjoyable and fun. And at the end it still had a lesson to teach.
Haven’t seen Office Space yet but I did catch up with Extract. Not terrible but not great either.
Dancer in the Dark is a real downer right? I appreciate it but I don’t want to ever see it again. It’s one of those films.
Life Itself is my favorite film of the year so far. Despite the bittersweet feeling, you still want to watch it again.
I too watched Planes, Trains and Automobiles last year at the same time, end of November. Even though I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, I don’t know when I could find the right time to watch this film than now. Very funny comedy.
If you don’t mind digging back a bit, we did a pretty sweet episode of the podcast in early August dedicated to Magic in the Moonlight. It’s a pretty good listen!
As for Life Itself, I still get both misty and joyful by the time it wraps up. It’s a little tough to judge it arbitrarily because I’m so damned biased.
I really need to see Lovers on the Bridge aleady. I even own the DVD :/ Gahhh can’t wait for Dear White People and Foxcatched!!
Firsts: Breathe In– I liked it. It never got boring. Also, Guy Pearce is hot.
3-Iron– It was v. sweet but it got a tad creepy at one point.
Waltz with Bashir– Really striking and I liked it a lot even though Indian television censored the ending -.-
What We Do in the Shadows– SOOOOO funny!! I loved it.
Magic in the Moonlight– I thought it was somewhat charming and it had some really lovely lines here and there but overall it was kind of forgettable, like even while I was watching it.
Rewatched: Obvious Child– For the podcast. Probably my favourite opening scene of the year. Also has my favourite romantic movie couple of the year.
Guardians of the Galaxy– The DVD I had preordered the second it was available to preorder finally arrived!! It has my favourite non-romantic movie couple of the year which is obviously Groot and Rocket.
Funny story: After I caught “What We Do in the Shadows” at TIFF, I looked up at our closing night pub gathering and noticed that someone had invited Jermaine and Stuart
First-Timers: Mistaken for Strangers, A Story of Water, and Vengeance.
Re-Watches: That Thing You Do!, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Nicholas Nickelby, and Milk Money.
So I have an idea for you: I want you to start hotting me with your “Watch of The Week”. The best thing you saw over the last seven days, and why you dug it.
whaddayasay?
I finally saw Pay It Forward for the first time. Liked it, didn’t love it. Matt also had me watch The Fast and the Furious for the first time as well. I’m sure Die Hard is around the corner . . .
Die Hard remains my favorite Christmas movie, which reminds me I’m due for a rewatch.
As for Pay It Forward, I actually always loved that as a theory. I did it yesterday when I bought some stranger’s coffee when they realized they didn’t have enough change.