Ryan McNeil
Another busy week around these parts folks, especially the weekend.
Here’s a small bit of insight into the viewing habits of the former hatter – a busy week, and a busy weekend, tend to cut down on the new films. For obvious reasons, I want to give titles I’m seeing for the first time every ounce of my attention. So if a busy week comes along, the titles that get reached for become ones that can be watched while I do one or two other things.
Likewise, on a week where a podcast is happening (7am on Monday – be there!), there’s homework to be taken care of. So once again, the repeat viewings stack up.
The funny thing is that as this week played out, my mind began wandering towards challenging myself sometime down the line to do a whole week – or even a whole month – of nothing but first-time-viewings. Perhaps my body started to feel the absence of new material…like a deficiency of some nutrient I haven’t consumed in a while.
For now though, a lot of repeats surrounding a big new release.
Here’s The Week at Hand…
Screenings
INTERSTELLAR – Part of me loves how divisive this film is becoming.
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Seen Before
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET – I never would have guessed that this was a movie I’d watch four times inside of twelve months.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND – I really need to get this on blu-ray
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS – I put on this movie one night to help me ramp-down before bedtime. It was a great choice.
SUNSHINE – Speaking of films that I need to get on blu-ray…
Boxscore for The Year
241 First-Timers, 171 Re-Watched
89 Screenings
412 Movies in Total
First-Timers: Nightcrawler, Birdman, Winter’s Tale (laughably awful), Kafka, All is Lost, and just now, The Woman Next Door.
Re-Watches: My Summer of Love and The Good Son.
side note…
way way back, when I got my first blu ray player & HD TV; Sunshine was the first blu ray I bought… because I knew that’s what I wanted looking brilliant… no regrets at all
When I got my first blu-ray player back in Christmas of 2010, I asked people what movies should be “first-purchases”.
Four years later, I’d have to say Skyfall and/or Days of Heaven
Now I want to rewatch Wolf of Wall Street.
Firsts: Solaris– Should have watched it when I was less tired.
Anari– Bollywood movie from the 60s. For podcasting purposes.
Two Days, One Night– Simple but powerful. One of my favourites from 2014 so far.
Blazing Saddles– The climax, man. Like what even.
The Lady from Shanghai– Noirvember! The last 7 minutes of this are crazy.
Laura– Noirvember! Campy but oh so good.
The Big Heat– Noirvember! So well made and multi-layered.
Big Hero 6– AMAZINGGGGG! I think you will really like this. In many ways, it reminded me of Iron Giant (which I also need to rewatch).
Rewatched: Gone Girl– India’s censor board strikes again! Why do they even bother giving movies any ratings? Anyways, Rosamund Pike is a god.
Out of Sight– Noirvember + podcast. It might have replaced Sex, Lies and Videotape as the sexiest film I’ve ever seen.
Wait, would we consider OUT OF SIGHT “noir”?
In other news I’m a tad grumpy because I missed my chance to break my BLAZING SADDLES cherry with a screening yesterday due to podcasting commitments. Alas.
As for BIG HERO 6, there’s a new matineecast waiting for you!
Looking forward to the podcast!
I had a pretty awesome week:
Begin Again – I loved it. Not a big fan of the music but overall it’s a very sweet film. Who would’ve thought this would be so good?
Saving Private Ryan – Seems like an accurate depiction of war and soldiers’ opinion on it. I like how not all of them act like Rambo. And the scene on Omaha Beach is incredible.
There Will Be Blood – Very strange western film. And what a performance.
Interstellar – Flawed but still great and worth seeing on a big screen.
Farewell My Concubine – Epic story
Have a great week!
Good God – That is an amazing week! I actually had a long discussion about Saving Private Ryan yesterday on a podcast – as a film that has long been a personal favorite, it’s been wonderful to see how that film has aged.
PS -If you feel like digging back a bit, there was a pretty good episode of The Matineecast dedicated to BEGIN AGAIN this past summer.
You’re reminding me that I still haven’t seen Wolf of Wall Street. For some reason I’m not that excited about it, but I’m sure I’ll like it when I do see it.
All first-time for me this week:
Fright Night Part 2 (1988)
Downhill They Ride
The House by the Cemetery
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
How awesome was THE GIRL WHO LEPT THROUGH TIME? Of the films I watched for my anime syllabus a few years back, that was a standout (which is saying something!)
Do give WOLF OF WALL STREET a look. Most of the characters are deplorable, but it’s still Scorsese in classic-form
Yeah, it was a great movie that really took me by surprise. Wasn’t feeling the first 20 minutes or so, so I was shocked how much I ended up liking it.
I haven’t loved a Scorsese movie since Kundun, so I hope Wolf can change that. I’ll probably watch it soon now, I’ve had it sitting by my computer for a few weeks ready to go.