Ryan McNeil
A lot of re-watches this week folks.
Looking down the list, I’m seeing that I put a lot of these on so that I didn’t need to concentrate too closely, or that I could attend to other things without missing too much if need be. I’m likely preaching to the choir here, but that’s what I love about rewatching a film; you can look and listen – or even keep looking but not hear – and still get so much enjoyment.
It’s like putting on a great album while you cook.
Hopefully I can get to a bunch more first timers this week – although funny story there. I had eight or ten classics to watch on my PVR (GREED, THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI, L’ATALANTE), and then the darned thing crashed on me! No biggie at the end of the day as I’ve since replaced it without much hassle…but it sorta sucks not to have those great options sitting right there for the watching.
That said, I’ve already recorded FUNNY GAMES, WHERE IS THE FRIEND’S HOME, and THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. With more to come!
Here’s The Week at Hand…
Screenings
FARGO – Lightbox began its Coen Brothers retrospective this week. Colour me thrilled.
MILLER’S CROSSING – If you ever> have a chance to see this on a big screen, jump on it.
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Never Seen
THE CROODS – Pretty good! But not the barnburner some would have you believe.
JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI – Bad idea: Watching this film when it’s too late to eat.
GRAND ILLUSION – Eleven down, one to go
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Watched Before
THE SUICIDE SHOP – First saw this during TIFF 2012. Upon rewatch, I see that I was a little hard on it.
THE LIFE AQUATIC – I seem to remember the reaction to this being somewhat muted at the time.
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN – Damned near perfect.
MYSTIC RIVER – Once upon a time, I adored this film. Rewatching it, I remember why.
THE BIG LEBOWSKI – Lightbox will be screening this too, but I have plans.
First Timers: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Thor: The Dark World, I Was Born, But…, Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth, and Late Spring.
Re-Watches: Best of the Best 2 and for Thanksgiving, Chungking Express (w/ my parents who saw it for the first time and… loved it!)
I want your parents.
No, you don’t. My dad tends to talk throughout anytime he watches the film and my mother does that too sometimes unless she’s alone or with me.
One of these days I’m determined to adopt your ability to put on a movie and not completely engage with it. I always have lots of stuff I’d like to revisit but I’m hesitant to do so as it takes up some of my already limited movie time. I guess I find it hard not to get sucked into it and stop what I’m doing!
First time:
The Young Avenger
Gangs of New York (1938)
And I re-watched:
King Kong (2005)
The movies I “don’t completely engage with” are still given due attention, but because I’m watching them more to kill time, or as something of a distraction while I cook or clean (or answer comments), I can listen more than watch.
When I was younger, these moments would have my TV set to reruns of TV shows. Now I just choose my distractions more carefully.
This was a strange viewing week. A few really random movies and then one very good one.
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING – I had a lot of fun with this adaptation from Joss Whedon. The actors were mostly great, especially the two leads plus nice supporting parts from Nathan Fillion, Clark Gregg, and others. It’s also a gorgeous film.
GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH – It’s so hard to even understand how this movie got a $50 million budget. Joe Dante had free reign to go crazy and do whatever he wanted, with predictable results.
COCKTAIL – This was a first-time viewing, and wow is this a terrible film. It’s sort of fun in a strange way, but such a mess. The melodrama in the last act is so ridiculous.
Tonight, I’m watching FORT APACHE from John Ford. Can’t wait to see it.
You have my sympathies with COCKTAIL. That movie was fun in its day, but time has not been kind to it. Even its soundtrack – which was a blockbuster – sounds dated these days!
Much Ado is pretty darned sweet though, ain’t it?
I had no idea that Kokomo originated with COCKTAIL. I’m still trying to figure out: 1. How it made so much money (Answer: Tom Cruise’s smile) and 2. Coming to terms with the sexism and greed in the lead characters that is presented as cool. Such a strange film!
Not just Kokomo, but Don’t Worry Be Happy as well!
It made so much money just because audiences thought it was “cool”…same as a lot of 80’s blockbusters whose popularity makes little sense in hindsight. It’s the sort of film I believe has aged terribly – most people who remain fans are watching it with blinders on.
Loved it as a kid, nowadays not so much.