Monday, December 12, 2011

Monday Links (12/12)

 
It was a very mixed bag this week. I attended four screenings last Tuesday and Wednesday (The Muppets and New Year's Eve, Melancholia and Tower Heist). The Muppets was brilliant, New Year's Eve was terrible. Melancholia is impressive, but I have some issues with it that weren't ironed out on a repeat viewing, while I didn't like Tower Heist as much as some of my colleagues. What was great though, following Tower Heist, was meeting up with fellow Sydney film bloggers and critics and Twitter peeps (Tweeps if you like) for drinks. We discussed all-things film for a couple of hours and I met some prominent industry professionals and writers and journalists I admire and respect. Surprisingly, the best film I saw this week was Trust, directed by David Schwimmer. I have also kept up with the awards watch - The Artist topped the Washington DC Critics Awards.

My 2012 Blind Spot Series

Having got the idea from Anna @ Split Reel (who got the idea from Ryan @ The Matinee) I thought I too would select 12 films that exist as gaping holes in my film knowledge. Throughout 2012, I will be looking to view each of these films (one a month, at least). As a film addict and blogger people often think I have seen everything. Sadly, it is not true. I actually made a list earlier in the year - Films to See Before the End of 2011. Click the link to see how well I have done there (hint: not well). This list served as the basis for these selections (but I also had a quick flick through my 1001 Movies to See Before You Die book).

King Kong (Merian C. Cooper, 1933) 
The Rules of the Game (Jean Renoir, 1939) 
The Treasure of Sierra Madre (John Huston, 1948) 
Ikiru (Akira Kurosawa, 1952) 
On the Waterfront (Elia Kazan, 1954) 
The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955) 
The Sweet Smell of Success (Alexander Mackendrick, 1957) 
Au Hasard Balthazar (Robert Bresson, 1966)
Once Upon a Time in the West (Sergio Leone, 1968)
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Luis Bunuel, 1972)
Fanny And Alexander (Ingmar Bergman, 1982)
Paris, Texas (Wim Wenders, 1984)

Here are this week's links:

Ruth @ ...Lets be Splendid About This shares her thoughts on We Need to Talk About Kevin, fast becoming one of the more divisive films of 2011.

Steve @ 1001Plus watched Robert Altman's MASH this week. It's not amongst my 'Altman Big Three' but it's a pretty iconic American film.

James @ Cinema Sights has been catching up with 2011 releases. This week he reviewed Win Win, Attack the Block and Source Code. All quality reads.

I have heard great things about The Yellow Sea (bad title!). Thomas Caldwell @ Cinema Autopsy shares his thoughts.

Anna @ Defiant Success takes a look at one of Kurosawa's best, Rashomon.

Sam @ Duke and the Movies reviews a film that could feature amongst the Oscar contenders (especially in the acting categories, anyway), My Week With Marilyn.

Tom @ Front Row Cinema looks at 10 Low Budget Sci-fi Films.

John @ John Likes Movies compiled a list this week that interested me very much - his Top 10 Seinfeld Episodes.

Another 5 Star review for Hugo. This time it's Daniel Kielman @ Man I Love Films.

Last month Colin @ Pick 'n' Mix Flix reviewed Bellflower, a film I watched recently. Though I admired Glodell's filmmaking a lot and thought it was pretty kick-ass, I had a few issues with it. Colin's write-up is very good.

Tyler @ Southern Vision lists the Ten Best Acting Performances He's Ever Seen.

Jessica @ The Velvet Cafe continues to post wonderful articles. She reviews one of my most anticipated films remaining to have a release in 2011, The Skin I Live In, and comes up with her unique Christmas Wish List.

So there you have it. Hope everyone has a great week!

18 comments:

  1. Thanks for the link! Great list of twelve films. My favorites are Au Hasard Balthazar, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and of course, Bergman's magnum opus Fanny and Alexander!

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  2. The fact you haven't seen five of my all-time favorites (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, On the Waterfront, The Night of the Hunter, Sweet Smell of Success, Once Upon a Time in the West) means you need to, pardon my French, get the fuck on that.

    Thanks for the linkage, BTW. Been going through a drought on that lately.

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  3. Thanks, Andy. I'm repaying the favour in my end of year Best Of page...

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  4. Thanks for the link!

    I've seen seven of your 12, and love all seven of them. Looking forward to see what you say about them.

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  5. Wow, damn good list of films. From that list of films I haven't seen... The Treasure of Sierra Madre, Sweet Smell of Success, The Night of the Hunter, and Au Hasard Balthasar.

    I could never do a list like that because there's so much I want to see. I just do things randomly unless I have saved films by a certain director while I will do a mini-marathon on them.

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  6. First thing I thought when I saw that list was "holy shit, you've never seen the original King Kong?"... then I remembered I haven't seen On the Waterfront either, so I can't really talk. I like most of the rest of the list, though like Mr Void (above) I don't know that I could do a list like that myself. Or, rather, I *could* do a list quite easily, but I couldn't commit to watching everything on it on a schedule.

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  7. Thanks for the mention good sir. As you watch your blind-spot entries this year, be sure to email me links. I'm intending to end every post with a link round-up of everyone else's watches for the month.

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  8. From the list you have up there, I've only seen the Night of the Hunter, and loved it. Thanks for the link!

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  9. Thank you for the link love! I hope you'll have the same blast with The Skin I Live in as I did.

    You'll watch Fanny & Alexander! Yay! You'll see quite a bit of my hometown in it. It's my favorite Bergman though it been a while since I watched it. I'd defnitely like to revisit it. There is one 3 hour and one 5 hour version of it. As far as I can recall I loved both though I got a pain in my butt from the long one when I watched it in a cinema. The longest movie I've ever watched.

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  10. @ Tyler - No worries! I am looking forward to all of them - but I must say I am most anticipating Fanny and Alexander.

    @ Anna - I am pretty far behind. I feel a little embarrassed about not seeing some of these films - but it's hard to catch up when I spend so much of my time looking at new releases. I have seen a film a day this year - I am trying haha.

    @ Colin - Anytime. Looking forward to reading that. Thanks in advance for including me :-)

    @ Sam - Sure thing, buddy!

    @ Steve - It seems I have chosen my films well!!

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  11. @ Steven - I am very much like you. I watch films at random and get distracted from agendas (like the recent Godard DOTM) because I am recommended something else, or feel like a re-watch. Scheduling to watch films is difficult, for sure - but it will give me an extra challenge, in addition to ongoing DOTM.

    @ James - Yeah, I totally know what you mean. Selecting a film to watch and review every month (depending on whether one can find the film) is a pretty tall order. But it's only 12 films over the course of a year. I think I can do it. Yeah, King Kong is a glaring omission from my knowledge!

    @ Ryan - I saw it on Anna's - but I learnt that you too had come up with a list (and in extension James too). I will send you the links as I watch and review my selections. Great idea! Thanks Ryan!

    @ Ruth - You're very welcome. Look forward to Night of the Hunter!

    @ Jessica - I expect so. I really can't hold in my excitement. Something about everyone being so hush hush about discussing it, and the awesome trailer has piqued my interest a lot. Wow - 5 hours long! I might try and get through the 3 hour version before I attempt that one. But your love of the film (like Tyler) has me excited to see it!

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  12. Great list Andy, I am sure you will watch them next year! On the waterfront and Fanny and Alexander are on my list, too, alongside many others! I should really catch up this Christmas with some of my To See List!

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  13. Once Upon A Time In The West, On The Waterfront and Bogart going crazy?

    Oh, my friend, what treasures are in store...

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  14. On the Waterfront is one of my top 10 films of all time, so am really looking forward to your review! I'm excited for this series, it's very .. practical as well as fun!

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  15. @ Aziza - I'll get through them. Seeing them all together there in a list is exciting enough. Looking forward to the challenge.

    @ Nick - I can't believe I haven't seen these films before now - but I can imagine.

    @ Anna - Top 10?? Wow. I think it's a great idea. Thanks for the info and the inspiration.

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  16. What's so cool about watching a classic you've never seen is discovering why it is so famous. It's like watching greatness unfold in front of your eyes. All of these are very good films, can't wait to read what you think about them.

    (PS, watch the 5 hour Fanny and Alexander, not the 3)

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  17. I remember re-watching CHINATOWN recently, or watching ALL ABOUT EVE earlier in the year, and I had that same feeling. This realisation of how amazing a film it is. I'll endeavour to seek out the 5 hr version. Thanks!

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