Days of The Week (Films Watched Sep 29 – Oct 4)

16 Replies to “Days of The Week (Films Watched Sep 29 – Oct 4)”

1. Let’s see, the first-timers I saw this week are Freaks, The Dark Crystal, Shivers, The Last Days of Pompeii, and Labyrinth.

   Re-watches are: Chungking Express, Ready to Rumble, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Problem Child 2, and Captain America: The First Avenger.

   1. Ooooohh… You’d never seen LABYRINTH before? How did that hold up to the test of time? Given my adoration for IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, I really must get on seeing CHUNKING EXPRESS someday.

   2. I’d only seen bits of Labyrinth but never in its entirety. It was one of those films that was in that list of films to see. I love it.

2. Just kept pace with you this week, and only because of a double-watch. Watching The Magnificent Ambersons makes me really wonder what was in the legendary lost footage.

   Anyway, new to me:
   Letting Go of God: If you question faith, this is a must-see.
   Crash: Far better than its reputation, but still not a Best Picture.
   High Sierra: Forgettable except for Bogart and Ida Lupino.
   Senna: I don’t like that it used actual footage of deaths.
   Drive: Almost as good as everything I was told, and that’s something.
   Rocco and His Brothers: Very soap opera-esque.
   Gabbeh: Wow. Visually like nothing I’ve seen before.

   Rewatches:
   An American Werewolf in London: It’s as good as you remember.
   Gabbeh: Yes, I watched it twice. Why? I needed to.
   Copycat: This film shouldn’t be as forgotten as it is.

   1. I thought about that myself. Unfortunately, what was cut was destroyed, so there’s no hope in putting the pieces back together. Pity.

      I hear your point on SENNA, but I thought that in both cases they handled it tastefully. SENNA is actually one of the best docs I’ve seen in the last few years.

3. How was the commentary on THE MATRIX?

   1. Really good actually – better than RELOADED. I’ll finish off with REVOLUTIONS next week, but they bring up a lot of great ideas in the first installment. From what I’m told the critics commentary track where they shred all three films is pretty good too.

4. First-time:

   Rock of Ages – Outside the Tom Cruise’s arc there is nothing remotely interesting in the film. Most of the songs are good though.

   The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 – Only covers the first two chapters/books of Frank Miller’s masterpiece, which means most of the meaty stuff will be in part 2. Still, a solid animated film that caused me to re-read the graphic novel this week.

   Last Year at the Marienband – Random Library Pickup #1. Figured it was time to finally see a Resnais film. The visuals are outstanding but I could not decipher the plot. After reading Ebert’s review though, I do not feel so bad for not getting it.

   Late Spring – Random Library Pickup # 2. First attempt at an Ozu film and I absolutely loved it. Such a charming film. Did not realize it had made the Sight and Sound list this year.

   Graven Encounters – As part 2 is playing at After Dark this year, I figured I would check out the first installment. Overall I was pleasantly surprised by the film, it was a well made found footage horror with fun characters and genuine scares.

   Re-watch:

   The Girlfriend Experience – Found I did not enjoy it as much this time around. I think it is one of those films that just does not hold up well on repeat viewings.

   1. As big as a Soderbergh fan as I am, I’m still unimpressed by THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE. It’s handsome and all, but it’s just not a story I want to hear. The fact that it stars someone who brings nothing to the party doesn’t help.

5. One-night-only screening of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (a tie-in promotion with the upcoming Blu-ray release). Is there any other epic that so successfully balances the stupendous and the intimate- and uses its story and setting to such good effect in creating a thematic dialogue between those two aspects? I’m a firm believer in watching movies in the theater they way were meant to be seen anyway, but LAWRENCE OF ARABIA is truly a movie that should ONLY be seen on the big screen.

   Re AMBERSONS, of course it’s not the same as having the lost scenes, but Welles’ extensive notes for how he wanted the film to be edited survive. Tarkington’s novel is also instructive as the adaptation is quite faithful.

   1. Like you, I’ve long advocated people track down Lawrence in a theatre if they can…its scale really loses something at home. Not sure if you tune into the podcast or not, but we actually had a ten minute discussion on LAWRENCE during episode 68 as a movie to pair up with Anderson’s THE MASTER.

      I caught a 70mm screening a year or two ago, so I’m not sure if I’m going to chase down that 4K presentation of it that’s hitting town in a few weeks…guess the schedule will be the deciding factor.

6. This is the time of year when horror starts heavily invading my watchlist.

   Screenings:
   Looper – I liked it, though still think Brick is Rian Johnson’s best film
   The Story of Film: An Odyssey – Got a pass for all 15 episodes. Saw 4 so far.

   OnDemand First Time:
   Army of Darkness – When it comes to the Evil Dead series, I probably shouldn’t have started with the campiest entry (still decent – in an ultra goofy way)

   DVD/Blu-Ray Rewatches:
   Thir13en Ghosts – It may be over-stylized trash, but it makes for a fun post-midnight viewing.
   Devil – It’s a shame that M Night Shyamalan’s star had fallen to the point that most ignored this pretty decent film (which, to the record Shyamalan only gets a producer/story credit)
   Corpse Bride – Preparing myself for Frankenweenie
   Taken – Preparing myself for the sequel
   Brick – Still love this film.

   1. Where do you stand on THE BROTHERS BLOOM?

      I’ve never actually seen TAKEN, though I think it might not be nearly as good as I’ve been led to believe. I’m now super anxious to get my mitts on that Story of Film set.

      November can’t come soon enough!

   2. I liked THE BROTHERS BLOOM and was a bit surprised to hear that so many people didn’t. I guess it was too different a film from BRICK.

      I like TAKEN, though it’s a bit formulaic. The actual kidnapping doesn’t happen until a half-hour into the film and then it’s beat people up, get information, repeat. I plan on seeing the sequel this weekend (despite the bad reviews).

7. Spent a whole lot of the past week rewatching old DVDs…

   [1sts]
   Snow White & The Huntsman / The reviews were right, good concept and great visuals but everything else didn’t stack up at all.

   Role Models / Very corny, Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott played their parts just okay.

   I Love You Man / More Paul Rudd, works much better with Jason Segel, unique prespective on a very familiar storyline. I liked this one.

   [Rewatches]
   Hard Candy / Great performances from Patrick Wilson and Ellen Page but the story doesn’t hold up very well. Great use of closed spaces though.

   Runaway Jury / Courtroom drama with focused actors. Still great.

   Bad Boys II / Bigger, louder and faster than the original but every bit as fun.

   Smart People / Decent story and Ellen Page but one viewing was more than enough.

   Whole 10 Yards / Terrible. I quit 30min in.

   Heaven / Always good to see Cate Blanchett’s work but this didn’t do anything for me the 2nd time around. The story still seems weak.

   25th Hour / Ed Norton and Spike Lee create a very subdued NY story that takes place after the noise and after the party. About consequences and consideraton after the facts. Well written and well paced.

   1. I’ve still never seen the end of RUNAWAY JURY. A friend of mine and I caught it when it was in theatres, but the projector broke with twenty minutes to go in the film.

      Guess it says something about my level of interest if I never went back to it after all these years.

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