I have fallen horribly behind on these recaps. I'll try to mention all the films I've seen in the last two months, but I'm sure to miss several. I didn't keep track of what I watched from mid-July onward, which was a bad idea. The last month and a half have been a bit of a blur. Hopefully, posting this will get me back into a rhythm of posting semi-regularly. Last month was my lowest output since I joined the club. Simply not good enough.
Anyway, here's some of the movies I saw in the past two months:
Goldfinger (1964) ***
Dr. No (1962) ***
Shock Corridor (1963) ***
The Naked Kiss (1964) ***
Outward Bound (1930) ***
Westfront 1918 (1930) ***
The Easiest Way (1931) ***
The Front Page (1931) **
Fearless (1993) ****
A Farewell to Arms (1932) ***
The Old Dark House (1932) ***
Of Human Bondage (1934) ***
The Count of Monte Cristo (1934) ***
Alice Adams (1935) *** 1/2
Isle of the Dead (1945) ***
Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) ***
Crime Wave (1954) *****
The Ladykillers (1955) ***
Autumn Leaves (1956) ***
Party Girl (1958) *** 1/2
Le Beau Serge (1958) ***
Fires on the Plain (1959) ***
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) ***
China Seas (1935) ***
Brave (2012) ****
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) ****
21 Jump Street (2012) **
Lady Killer (1933) *** 1/2
Soy Cuba (1964) *****
Vivacious Lady (1938) ****
Son of Frankenstein (1939) ***
You Were Never Lovelier (1942) ***
The Ghost Ship (1943) ***
Tall in the Saddle (1944) ****
The Body Snatcher (1945) ***
The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) ***
Isle of the Dead (1945) ***
The Fortune Cookie (1966) *** 1/2
The Killers (1946) ***
D.O.A (1950) ***
The Prowler (1951) ****
Sabrina (1954) ***
Another Earth (2011) ** 1/2
The Turin Horse (2011) *****
Bed and Board (1970) ****
The Last Days of Disco (1999) ****
Damsels in Distress (2011) ****
Metropolitan (1990) **** 1/2
Minnie and Moskowitz (1971) ****
Re-watched:
Batman Begins (2005) ***
Sunset Boulevard (1950) **** 1/2
Sergeant York (1941) ***
3:10 to Yuma (1957) **** 1/2
Don't Look Now (1973) *****
Caught a few of the Connery Bond movies back in July. Had never seen them before. Decent enough entertainment.
Everything Brandon said about SOY CUBA is true. It's a visual wonder.
ANOTHER EARTH is almost saved by its terrific concept, but it's unfortunately ruined by its utterly banal storytelling and direction. I was quite disappointed in it, mostly because of the praise it had received from Ben and John. There's really nothing noteworthy about it. Sorry my friends.
Andre de Toth's CRIME WAVE is essential noir. A great, gritty film. Joseph Losey's THE PROWLER is also fantastic, ballsy, and disturbed.
Really enjoyed TALL IN THE SADDLE.
The original (and definitive) 3:10 TO YUMA is even better than I remember. An emotional film with distinctive style and a great performance from Glenn Ford. A real treasure of the genre.
MINNIE AND MOSKOWITZ (which I watched just for you, John) is really wonderful. It's at times charming, at others offputting, incredibly strange, but always honest (not unlike PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE). It's got such a warm ending that my day actually felt brightened by it. And, of course, Gena Rowlands again proves she's one the greatest actresses to ever live.
Maybe the best film introduction I've had these past two months is to the work of Whit Stillman (again, I'll use film club's newest motto – "I should have just listened to John from the beginning"). His aesthetic is undoubtedly right up my alley. I think METROPOLITAN is my favorite of the three Stillman film's I've seen thus far (loved DISCO and DAMSELS though, to be sure). It's as funny and ridiculously deadpan as the other films but also the warmest and perhaps most vulnerable. It's also set around Christmas time, which only helps its cause. Anyway, Stillman rules. Glad to be on the band wagon.
TV:
Breaking Bad Season 5
The X-Files Season 1
The Newsroom Season 1
The Bob Newhart Show
Bob Newhart's the greatest.
BREAKING BAD continues to be astounding. Sad to see it go, but extremely thankful for it's brilliance.
THE X-FILES terrified me as a kid. Apart from catching a few stray episodes with my dad when they aired, I’ve never actually seen the series. I’m about 12 episodes into season 1. I’m enjoying it very much so far. I don’t know if I’ll watch the entire series, but for now, I’m content to see how far my interest in the show takes me.
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THE MASTER is less than three weeks away. If no NYC trip happens before it, I will be at Cinemopolis opening night for that one. Who else is down?
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