At the beginning of each month, I take the time to look back at the previous month and recap what I've watched - pretty simple. I revise ratings when necessary and sometimes include brief sentences, which include updated thoughts. I also talk about movies that I saw in that particular month, that were NOT a part of the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" book. That's it...Let's go....
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die - As seen in December 2011
1) Planet of the Apes (1968 - Franklin J. Schaffner) 7/10
2) The Red and the White (1967 - Miklos Jancso) 4.5/10 - Still stands out as a visual achievement, but the subject matter didn't appeal to me in the slightest.
3) Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1964 - Sergei Parajanov) 5.5/10 - I upped this one a point, because it really did stick with me better than I thought it would. It's possible that another viewing and a little more recollection could do it even better, but for now we'll keep it low. It's something that I wouldn't have a problem recommending to the right crowd.
4) West Side Story (1961 - Robbins, Wise) 6/10
5) The Haunting (1963 - Robert Wise) 6/10
6) The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951 - Robert Wise) 6.5/10 - My original '7' was a tad high, which I realized almost immediately after posting it. '6.5' is much more suitable. Good movie, but '7' is getting into a whole new level of goodness.
7) Philadelphia (1993 - Jonathan Demme) 7.5/10
8) Dog Star Man (1962 - Stan Brakhage) 1/10 - Thanks to new follower Travis for understanding my dislike for this, even though he did find something good about it. I'll never criticize a man who sees good, where I don't. I'm glad "Dog Star Man" struck something in someone, it just simply isn't for me.
9) The Sound of Music (1965 - Robert Wise) 6.5/10 - Without Christopher Plummer, that rating would be sliced in half.
10) Closely Watched Trains (1967 - Jiri Menzel) 5.5/10
11) The House is Black (1963 - Forugh Farrokhzad) 3/10 - Again, I appreciated the little bit of education that came with this film, but ultimately it should have had less poetry and more impact.
12) The Masque of the Red Death (1964 - Roger Corman) 4.5/10
13) Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966 - Mike Nichols) 10/10
14) The Graduate (1967 - Mike Nichols) 7.5/10 - I'm having such a difficult time rounding out my full opinion on this one. It's really good, yes, but there's something missing and I can't put my finger on it. I think I would've been better off if the two Mike Nichols films chosen for the book were, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "Closer".
15) Belle de Jour (1967 - Luis Bunuel) 9/10 - Great stuff and something that I'd recommend to anyone wanting to "get into" Luis Bunuel.
16) The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972 - Luis Bunuel) 7/10 - Not as intriguing or mysterious as "Belle de Jour", but if I had a better understanding of it, I think I'd like it a lot more.
17) Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962 - Agnes Varda) 5.5/10
18) The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962 - John Ford) 7.5/10
19) A Christmas Story (1983 - Bob Clark) 7/10 - Works at Christmastime, but even as I think of it now, I know I wouldn't want to see it again anytime before next Christmas, if even then.
20) Dodsworth (1936 - William Wyler) 6.5/10 - WOW! Originally an '8'? I must've still been high on Christmas "spirit".
21) The Saragossa Manuscript (1965 - Wojciech Has) 6.5/10
22) Vidas Secas (1963 - Nelson Pereira dos Santos) 2.5/10 - Again, just not for me.
23) The Man Who Had His Hair Cut Short (1965 - Andre Delvaux) 7/10 - Another one that, despite it's higher rating, I'm having a hard time getting a real, firm grasp on. I'll keep tumbling it around my head.
24) The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978 - Fred Schepisi) 4/10 - Again, the original '5.5' was just too high.
And that will do it for 2011. I didn't watch anything else last month, so I'll see you at the beginning of February for another edition of "RECAP"! Hopefully by then I'll have already made my TOP 20...fingers crossed.
January 1, 2012 10:04pm
No comments:
Post a Comment