Ryan McNeil
So I’ve been a little bit lax with posting this summer (quick show of hands: who actually noticed?)
That lax attitude finally found its way to this series of posts last weekend when I shrugged it off in the hopes of dedicating my writing efforts to a rare set of back-to-back reviews. The funny thing about that though? This is one of the posts I pull together that pretty much pulls itself together. Seriously, I love Saturdays because of how easily they keep the line moving.
So here we have two weeks’ worth of watching, and if I do say so myself, this is more up to the pace I am used to. I’m back to the pace of more than one a day, there are a healthy batch of screenings, and most of the selections are first-timers.
And speaking of first-timers, you’ll notice that amongst this batch is a pair of Scorsese’s documentaries. I’ve decided that one little project I want to undertake this year is to really catch-up with one of my favorite directors. So besides the fact that I have borrowed the final two features of his that I’ve never seen, I’ve also dug around a bit and sourced as many of his doc features and shorts as I could find.
So in the weeks to come, expect to see mention of a lot of the smaller Scorsese selections, which ought to be interesting in deciding how to tally them up.
Beyond that, it’s been a great stretch for catching things on the bog screen…as tends to happen every summer in this city. I’m actually not entirely certain I’ll be able to see everything I want to see by Labour Day! Talk about your First World Problems.
Here’s the week at hand…
Screenings
TANGERINE – It’s amazing what can be done with iPhones these days!
SHORTS NOT PANTS: SUMMER PROGRAMME – Thanks, James.
ANT-MAN – And so Phase Two came to a gentle conclusion
TRAINWRECK – It’s been really hard to stay away from comments about this all week.
MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION – Part of a Technicolor retrospective with a lecture by Guy Maddin
LOVE & MERCY – More on this later in a few days…
Streaming/Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Never Seen
THE WAY WE WERE – I liked the first half way more than the second half, but wow – what a good-lookin’ couple!
PUBLIC SPEAKING – Can anyone suggest where to start with the writings of Fran Lebowitz?
BULWORTH – Know what’s crazy? A lot of the political commentary in this movie still applies.
A RAISIN IN THE SUN – I bluffed my way through this play in Grade Ten English. I consider this finally taking the make-up test.
A PERSONAL JOURNEY WITH MARTIN SCORSESE THROUGH AMERICAN MOVIES – Every bit as engaging as it sounds.
BAD WORDS – Wowo is it weird to hear Michael Bluth use such naughty language.
THE WOLFPACK – An amazing doc, but I’m gonna need to let that settle for a bit.
THE WORLD OF TOMORROW – It’s not often that a film can pack that much existential beauty into seventeen minutes.
Streaming/Blu-Rays/DVD’s I’ve Seen Before
LOOPER – This is quickly becoming one of my most re-watched movies of the decade so far.
First-Timers: Inside Out, Lava, The Star Wars Holiday Special (yes, it’s that fucking bad), Ride the High Country, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, my Blind Spot assignment in My Darling Clementine, and The Straight Story.
Re-Watches: Live Aid (in honor of its 30th Anniversary), A History of Violence, Moonrise Kingdom, Snowpiercer, and The Player.
Marty’s journey through American movies is pretty great, huh? That’s what first got me into Sam Fuller.
First timers:
Call to Arms
Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain
The Expendables 3
Transformations
Blood Feast
A Man Called Tiger
Xanda
Man of Tai Chi
And I re-watched:
My Lucky Stars
True Lies