I started to go crazy toward the end of October when lo and behold a rented video projector landed itself in my living room, which meant nothing less than as many 8-foot wide screenings on my blank, white wall as I could muster. The apex of the movie addiction struck on the 24th, and ended four days later when the video projector was overdue at the U of Chicago library. In that time span I caught eight movies. Yes, no world record, I realize, not even a "personal best" (that still stands at nine movies in two nights. What?), but to be honest, as nerdy as I can be in matters of the movies, I wasn't aiming for a record anyway. No, these screenings sprung from pure exuberance and curiosity--imagine, a veritable movie theater in your own living room!
Hmm...
Maybe this doesn't mean much to the folks who have mega-sized plasma screens hooked up to a screaming sound system, but it meant a lot to me, for it meant seeing Eastwood's High Plains Drifter (1973), Anthony Mann's The Furies (1950) and various clips of Chaplin, to name the finer points of the four-day lock-in. The lesser flicks of that long weekend were surely Altman's Buffalo Bill and the Indians (1976) and In Bruges (2008), both of which left me feeling underwhelmed. By the 29th the projector was gone and it was back to the 19" TV. A fitting transition for the final three episodes of Entourage, season 3 (2006-2007), but not so for Gus Van Sant's Paranoid Park (2007), which visually stuns within the first frame of the film.
And so, the October movie list. One day the five of you who read this site will forgive me for not writing more. I don't really do New Year's Resolutions, but I might be interested in a late-season 2008 resolution in which I pledge to update this bugger before '08 is out. Did anyone hear that? (echo-echo)
Well, in any event, October kicked ass.
Thus:
Running Out of Time - (1999) - DVD
Seen: Saturday, October 4, 2008
Johnny To! Where have you been all my life? Oh, you were there all along....
The Duchess - (2008) - Film
Seen: Sunday, October 5, 2008
Icky. I wrote about this here.
Stroszek - (1977) - DVD
Seen: Monday, October 6, 2008
On the Herzog queue, per this mention.
Risky Business - (1983) - DVD
Seen: Thursday, October 9, 2008
Wow. I love this movie. Thank you, Dave!
24 City - (2008) - digital projection
Seen: Saturday, October 18, 2008 (at the CIFF)
Jia: clearly one of cinema's all-time finest.
W. - (2008) - Film
Seen: Sunday, October 19, 2008
Stone returns! For all of my grievances, I delighted in watching this. A bit about it here.
Fulltime Killer - (2001) - DVD
Seen: Monday, October 20, 2008
More To! Loving this guy. This is my favorite so far...
Harakiri - (1962) - DVD
Seen: Thursday, October 23, 2008
Upon the recommendation of a great acquaintance outside of the film world, I saw this. And loved it.
La Bonheur de Dames - (1930) - on 35mm
Seen: Friday, October 24, 2008
What a movie, what a movie. My heart pourings here.
Collateral - (2004) - DVD
Seen: Friday, October 24, 2008
I could watch this again and again...
High Plains Drifter - (1973) - DVD projection!
Seen: Saturday, October 25, 2008
Superb. Scary. Surreal! Clint Eastwood, please don't ever stop making movies. I love you.
Team America - (2004) - DVD projection!
Seen: Saturday, October 25, 2008
A nice American parody following the scathing, scary commentary from the above feature. It turned out to be a nice balance, actually!
In Bruges - (2008) - DVD projection!
Seen: Sunday, October 26, 2008
Underwhelmed with this! But loved the scenery, the performances, and the *idea* of the story. Something about it fell flat for me though.
Buffalo Bill and the Indians - (1976) - DVD projection!
Seen: Sunday, October 26, 2008
Maybe the 26th was just a bad day for movies, because this one from Altman left me pretty listless as well.
Wonder Boys - (2000) - DVD projection!
Seen: Monday, October 27, 2008
It had been years since I watched this and just as long since I put down the novel. Definitely an overdue screening.
The Furies - (1950) - DVD projection!
Seen: Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Barbara! Go to it, sister. And did I mention anything about it here? Just more pictures, eh? Ah, well. I'll circle back to how fantastic Anthony Mann is. For now, suffice it to say, Anthony Mann, you're awesome.
Entourage, Season 3, final 3 episodes - (2006-2007) - DVD
Seen: Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Boo.
Paranoid Park - (2007) - DVD
Seen: Thursday, October 30, 2008
Gus Van Sant, another of the best living directors. Perhaps more? The opening shot of this movie alone might persuade me towards the latter judgment.
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