I’m going to attempt one little unofficial project between now and Oscar night.
The mission is to watch as many of my unseen Best Picture winners as I can. As luck would have it, many of them will be aired on TCM between now and the end of February, so that will be a big boost. Some of the ones that won’t be aired (THE LOST WEEKEND, ORDINARY PEOPLE, CHARIOTS OF FIRE) are readily available at my local indie rental shop.
Of those three, I’ll probably reach for the latter two soon since they break up a rather lengthy streak. Once I watch those two, I’ll have seen all of them all the way back to 1967. Now that I think about it, that’s the sort of minor gap that should have made me watch them ages ago.
I don’t have any sort of deadline in mind – I’m not doing any sort of “30 Days of Oscar” or anything. It just feels like it’s time to get some of these scratched off my list. Hell, I’ve already seen 62…why not light a fire under seeing the other 22?
In other news, our friend James Blake Ewing lit a fire under me and got me looking through more first-timers this week. James mentioned – somewhat correctly – tht there are so many unseen treasures out there, how much time should one really waste rewatching the same old “same old”. He’s right, to an extent. I usually put on the stuff I’ve seen before if I’m not feeling particularly awake or attentive. So considering this week I was feeling rather awake and attentive just about every night…we have a lot more first-timers than repeats.
Happy James?
Here’s The Week at Hand…
Screenings
SHORTS NOT PANTS, Winter 2013 - A fun night indeed. Yesterday, I posted two of the selections. If you haven’t already, give them a watch and also check out another film we watched: DISCO
SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN - That leaves three nominated docs to go. Something in me thinks I liked the music in this film more than the film itself.
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Never Seen
A FOREIGN AFFAIR - Much to the chagrin of Mr. Ewing
CRUMB - I wasn’t supposed to actually like this guy. Was I?
GIRL WALK // ALL DAY – Would have made my top ten of the year had I seen it in time. Turn your speakers up loud and give it a watch.
STRANGE DAYS - Very 90′s.
THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA - Marvelous film. It’s no SNOW WHITE.
Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Watched Before
THE INCREDIBLE HULK - If you squint just so, you can imagine that it’s Mark Ruffalo.
THOR - Yep, I was right. That’s the order you should watch The Avengers films in (CAPTAIN AMERICA, IRON MAN, IRON MAN 2, HULK, THOR)
Boxscore for The Year
12 First-Timers, 12 Re-Watched
5 Screenings
24 Movies in Total
28 comments
Corey P. says:
Jan 19, 2013
The Straight Story: Blew me away, it’s a crime Richard Farnsworth did not beat Spacey for best actor in 1999. David Lynch made a G-rated, Disney produced tearjerker about an old man’s last ride on a lawnmower, and it ruled.
The Five Year Engagement (rewatch): I have severe issues with the way the story goes, but it’s funny.
Vertigo: I haven’t seen this since I was in my early 20s and hadn’t remembered much about it. Amazing of course.
Damsels in Distress: I liked it more on rewatch. Whitman is an acquired taste but his odd writing style makes me crack up, and the ending and Gerwig are fantastic.
Music Within: It’s pretty bad. The narration is horrible, the soundtrack choices are obvious and uninspired, and Ron Livingston doesn’t work as a dramatic lead.
The Paperboy: I actually enjoyed the first chunk of this getting to know these sleazy characters, and Daniels tries very hard, however the story around them sucks the life out of the whole thing. Respectable failure.
The Comedy: Very very acquired taste, character study of an aging hipster who can’t take off the mask. You’ll know within a minute if you can handle sitting through the rest.
Ryan McNeil says:
Jan 21, 2013
I remain wickedly curious about THE COMEDY. Maybe I should just pull the trigger and give it thirty minutes of my time.
VERTIGO is a film I love more each time I see it. A little more than a year ago, Kurt and I caught a stunning 70mm print of it at Lightbox and the darned thing just popped off the screen…especially all those scenes in the redwoods and the moments in the shadow of the bridge.
Will says:
Jan 19, 2013
OK, I was able to see a few more than last week, but I still feel like I’m being bounced off the ropes with those “responsibilities.” I prefer adulthood to childhood by a mile, but sometimes I just want to take a vacation from everything and relax with some movies!
Anyway, all first time:
The Invincible Eight
Clockmaker
The New One-Armed Swordsman
The Caller (1987)
New Fist of Fury
Ryan McNeil says:
Jan 21, 2013
You should make yourself a tee-shirt that says “Ask me when my movie is over”
Nikhat says:
Jan 19, 2013
Have to watch Searching for Sugar Man.
Firsts: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel- This captured many elements of India pretty well, I thought. And the cast was lovely.
Cache- Unsettled. I don’t know why I keep watching Haneke movies. I don’t particularly like them. I do respect them however.
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie- Parts of it baffled me but I like it more the more I think about it.
Matru ki Bijlee ka Mandola- I liked it more than other people.
Rewatched: The Perks of Being a Wallflower- I hate my teens.
400 Blows- I don’t remember it looking *this* beautiful.
Ryan McNeil says:
Jan 21, 2013
You hate your teens?
Nikhat says:
Jan 21, 2013
Doesn’t everyone? Or am I just being anti-social?
Anyways, this film makes me feel like I was in a coma throughout my teenage years. Never felt infinite.
James Blake Ewing says:
Jan 19, 2013
I’m happy, but for many reasons beyond you watching new movies, although that’s an added bonus! Always like seeing what people are finally catching up with for the first time.
Funny you talk about catching up with best picture winners. Just this week I watched Wings, Titanic and Dances with Wolves for the first time. I’m not as keen to catch up on a lot of the ones I haven’t seen quite yet and there are so fairly recent ones I still haven’t watched (Chicago and A Beautiful Mind). I think a handful I’ll see naturally (I’ve already got 4 I plan to watch in the next couple of months for other reasons) while I dig back into some classics. Once the list of unseen best picture titles gets smaller, I’ll probably go ahead and watch the rest.
Ryan McNeil says:
Jan 21, 2013
Thanks mate – you inspired today’s post.
Goes up shortly.
Skills says:
Jan 19, 2013
I started this week by watching Silver Linings Playbook and I have watched it 3 times since. There’s something about a good romantic comedy. However, its charm has wavered, and this might be a result of simultaneous viewings. But, I have to say I do love its ending and Ms. Laurence immensely.
Ryan McNeil says:
Jan 21, 2013
Thirteen times? Someone get their hands on a bootleg disc?
Steven Flores says:
Jan 19, 2013
First-Timers: Footloose (2011 remake… lame), The Jerk, Magical Mystery Tour, We Bought a Zoo, and earlier today, The Impossible.
Re-Watches: Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007, Airplane!, Far and Away, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
Ryan McNeil says:
Jan 21, 2013
Dig back a bit and listen to The Matineecast where we discuss the Footloose remake…episode 43 I believe.
Sean Kelly says:
Jan 19, 2013
I’m giving the videogame playing a rest, so I can give my blu-rays a watch. However, there was still quite a bit in the way of screenings:
The End of Time – Avante Garde Documentary
My Awkward Sexual Adventure – Very Canadian, but I enjoyed it.
Amour – I thought this was an excellent film, though I have no desire to ever see it again.
Broken City – Glad I didn’t pay for this one.
Zero Dark Thirty – Decent, but not extraordinary
Shorts That Are Not Pants – I witnessed its growth in the last six months or so.
The Last Stand – Arnold is Back
Ryan McNeil says:
Jan 21, 2013
What was it about Adventure that made it “Very Canadian”?
Jess says:
Jan 19, 2013
Seriously, you mock my feature and then don’t provide a link to it? I’m a little offended.
Ryan McNeil says:
Jan 21, 2013
That wasn’t mocking.
When your feature starts rolling, I’ll be sure to link to it in the Everybody’s Talkin’ post.
SJHoneywell says:
Jan 20, 2013
A solid week. Quite coincidentally, I watched a previously-unwatched Best Picture winner this week, too.
New to me:
Red River: John Wayne is a cowboy. Big deal.
Deseret: Surprisingly engaging. Worth tracking down.
Stalker: I don’t think I got it, but I’m willing to try again.
20 Million Miles to Earth: Not good, but some awesome work by Ray Harryhausen.
Gentlemen’s Agreement: 1947 Best Picture. Surprisingly effective.
Cleo from 5 to 7: A wow. See this.
Vagabond: Not as much of a wow.
Rewatches:
The Last King of Scotland: Forest Whitaker’s entry into the list of greatest performances ever.
Ryan McNeil says:
Jan 21, 2013
Agreement is one of the 20 I have left to go. Definitely glad to hear that it delivers the goods. Stalker is another one I’ve been meaning to see for a while – I even missed a showing of it at The Lightbox.
*sigh* can’t win ‘em all.
SJHoneywell says:
Jan 21, 2013
I was suddenly curious to check how many I haven’t seen yet. Not including the current nominees, I’m missing 21, which includes Going My Way, which I think I saw as a very young child. I’ll get at least five of them this year, and I’ll see whatever wins this year by the end of the year almost certainly.
Actually, missing 21 (and having seen one last week) works out to almost precisely two per month to the end of the year. That’s possible. A good challenge!
Stevee says:
Jan 20, 2013
Strange Days! Love that movie. My third favourite Ralph Fiennes performance.
Ryan McNeil says:
Jan 21, 2013
Be sure to listen to the next Matineecast then.
As if I needed to tell you that…
Helen says:
Jan 20, 2013
I was home sick for five days and watched 13 movies, 12 of them new to me, and a four part TV miniseries on Netflix streaming. I could have fit more in but the two Chinese epics and most of the Bollywood movies clocked in around 2 1/2 hours. There’s really an interesting selection of recent Indian, Chinese and Korean movies on Netflix, presumably because the licensing costs are low.
Ryan McNeil says:
Jan 21, 2013
Sounds like we have the same sort of remedy for being home sick!
Omar says:
Jan 21, 2013
Movie watching off to a slow start in 2013:
Django Unchained – I thought it was egregiously long, bloated even. Not to say I wasn’t entertained (Hello Tarantino!) but with more concise editing I would have loved it.
Safety Not Guaranteed – Everything I love about indie films.
Ryan McNeil says:
Jan 21, 2013
Welcome back Omar – been a while!
I’m sorta surprised at how far below the radar SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED flew, but am truly happy at how well it’s being received now. That sorta reminds me that I still haven’t seen the other film starring Duplas that came out this summer: YOUR SISTER’S SISTER.
I should get on that soon.
Omar says:
Jan 21, 2013
Good to be reading theMatinee again!
You should def get on it, will make for an interesting review.
Bob Turnbull says:
Jan 22, 2013
“Why are you dancing?”
“Because I’m happy!”
“You should always be happy…”
So glad to see another person discover “Girl Walk”. I even watched it twice in a 24 hour span…I’d love to get a DVD with commentary and details on the shoot. The musical mashups were actually a good primer for watching Pitch Perfect…
And James’ shorts screening was pretty damn fantastic, wasn’t it? They all fit very nicely together.
You know, I keep meaning to get back to my random ramblings on recent random watches. I “should” try to do a weekly post like this. I should. I’ll see what I can do…