Ryan McNeil
It’s been a long dark winter, but we are finally starting to see the light.
Maybe it’s because I caught so many awards contenders in the fall (and thus had none to see come the new year), or maybe it’s just my changing tastes, but wow did it ever seem like we’ve been feasting on scraps through January and February. By my count, there were three new releases in eight weeks that brought me any sense of anticipation. I guess I just got spoiled last year.
But looking forward, it doesn’t seem as though there are too many more “off weeks” in between now and the summer…and it all starts this weekend with STOKER my friends.
My review won’t be up until Sunday morning, but take it from me – the film is a joy to watch after the long slow walk we’ve just taken through the badlands.
Who knows – maybe with an influx of great source material, coming up with what to write about every day won’t seem nearly as tough as it’s felt in the last seven or eight weeks!
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For your reading and listening fulfillment…
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How does a podcaster come down with a case of scurvy? For the answer to that question – and much more – lend your ear to G-Man.
Our friend in The Second City – Mr.Nick Prigge – celebrated his 1500th post this week! Remind yourself how few blogs make it past 150…or how many more flame out before 15. In honour of the occasion, Nick revisited a gem of a film: BEFORE SUNRISE. (Sidebar, Nick also made me realize that The Matinee was quickly approaching a milestone of its own)
Our resident film scholar, James Blake Ewing, completed his thesis this week and followed it up with a post reflecting on the experience.
I’ve long been meaning to see FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL! If my friend Jessica in Sweden is to be believed, I might want to temper my expectations a little bit.
Who better to follow James Blake Ewing than Corey Atad? Young Atad is not wrong for once. He has celebrated the release of THE MASTER on blu-ray by giving it yet another watch and examining its many themes and ideas on urges and desires.
A film that I’ve been thinking about a lot since TIFF is Kiarostami’s LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE. I’d actually like to revisit it (now that I’m not sleep deprived). The brains behind Dear Film – and closeted Backstreet fan – Brian J. Roan has a piece on it. It’s every bit as thoughtful as we’ve come to expect from him.
Over at Inspired Ground, Andina celebrated her birthday last week. Pity I didn’t notice it earlier, I could have pointed her towards my own birthday tradition.
Meanwhile, the Tweet of The Week made me feel rather proud. Thanks to The Junkies for this little shot in the arm:
[blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/PopcornJunkies/status/304715275419394048″]
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Enjoy!
Thanks for the link… hope you appreciated the very lovely plug in the show… The FP is Jamaican… we adopted it.. hope you don’t mind.
I don’t mind at all – you can have it!
For someone who wasn’t enthralled with Oldboy, would you still recommend Stoker?
Absolutely!
Thanks for the link, man! Really appreciate it! And now I’m eager to hear of your own milestone.
I totally agree, by the way, on this scrap-feasting of the last couple months. It’s been frustrating, though did allow me to indulge in re-watches of a few of my favorites from last year. The new Herzog doc is in Chicago this weekend, though, and I’m psyched for that one.
…there’s a new Herzog doc?
“Happy People: Year in the Taiga.” About a group of Siberian people living remotely and off the land. I wound up not seeing it, though. Saw “Stoker” instead, which I really liked. Hoping to get to the doc too before it leaves.
OK, my friend Kurt saw the doc, so now I know why I’m confused. Herzog produced it, and I think even narrates it, but someone else directed it. It’s one of those projects that is so covered in a director’s fingerprints, we just start assuming its theirs.
It DOES sound pretty badass though – I’ll have to give it a look.
Gotta love STOKER though, eh?
Thank you for the shout out 🙂 Hey, that’s a great idea! Not only for movie watching sake, you can get yourself to do something useful or making new experience. Aww, maybe next year?
The tradition actually began as a regular old list of things to do before your next birthday (go camping, learn to cook cajun, sing at karaoke, etc). I just modified it to the life of a moviegoer.
You *could* still do it – one week out isn’t so bad.
Really looking forward to Stoker, plan to see it tomorrow in a double bill with Cloud Atlas that has only just opened here. Two movies that appeared on my top ten most anticipated for the year.
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! is worth a look. It isn’t a great film by any stretch but I enjoy trashy movies like that and the originals are more fun than the modern imitators.
So – how’d you like STOKER?
I think my expectations for PUSSYCAT have been suitably tempered after everyone’s comments here. Probably for the best, so I know what I’m getting into.