Welcome to April folks. With a new month it means another re-cap of all the things watched the previous month. 76 films this month, which marks the third consecutive month my total watched films has gone down. I could blame it on watching some longer films and generally phasing out trash, although not outright eliminating it. However it probably has more to do with a nearly impossible to sustain pace in January and to a lesser extent February.
My trial of Arrow ran out towards the beginning of the month. I opted not to renew for now because as the rest of the month indicates I am nowhere near done with my top 100 preparation. At some point I probably will give the service another go, and believe me the urge to watch trash has been strong multiple times throughout the month. March began with some Oscar catch-up, and you can read my re-cap of that in my last entry.
One thing that struck me while going through this is how long March was. Technically it’s spring, and depending on what day it is you might even believe it. The list itself is slowly starting to take shape. There might be another 300 or so movies to watch until I’ll feel ready. I can say with certainty that a few of the films I watched in March will be making the cut.
What I’m finding fascinating about the 2023 version of list research is how much my enjoyment of a film may be predicated on my mood. Just as some hit real good a decade ago, others are stepping up now. As much as I would love to give everyone the same chance, there are definitely some movies I WANT to like more. Whether they are films I had in the last list or just movies I feel I should love, it’s hard not to have elevated expectations. On the flipside there are always the “why am I even bothering watching this?” movie that inevitably blows me away. Hell I’ve seen Jaws at least three times, but I was REALLY enjoying it this time. Perhaps I’ve seen enough lousy genre films that I appreciated all the flourishes Senor Spielbergo threw in there. Can’t say whether it will make the top 100 but there is a reason that film is so universally liked.
Last month I revisited Barry Jenkin’s Moonlight and it was pretty damn exceptional. To settle the 2016 debate I knew I needed to revisit Chazelle’s La La Land, but Netflix had other plans. The app crashed no less than 6 times while attempting to start the movie, so remember kids physical media is always better. Eventually though I did watch it again and well let’s just say it is also really fucking good. At the risk of giving a spoiler I suppose you should check out my upcoming top 100 to see who won. Clearly placement on my top 100 is worth more than what actually won a best picture Oscar so I’m sure everyone will be on their toes.
DId watch a couple of absolute turds although perhaps not entirely irredeemable. Things is as bad as it’s reputation, but also as great as it’s reputation. Was it quality filmmaking? Fuck no. Did I get a kick out of it’s no-budget Canadian charm? I sure did. It’s not as incomprehensible as Wicked World, but what movie is? Last House on Dead End Street was….rough. The existing Easter egg version on the Corruption blu-ray has a roughness that kind of helps the film, but man was it a mess. Maybe two lines of dialogue were actually spoken by the actors. I read roughly ¾ of the budget was spent on drugs and it shows.
Anyway, I’m going to finish watching Rio Bravo, here’s everything I watched. Once again, everything with a 5 star rating is in bold.
03/01
Top Gun Maverick (2022) - ***
Tar (2022)-*****
03/02
Savage Dawn (1985)-***½
Mausoleum (1983)***½
M (1931)-*****
03/03
Fascination (1979)-****½
Brain Damage (1988)-***½
03/04
A Report on the Party and the Guests (1967)-****
Last House on Dead End Street (1973)-*½
Corruption (1983)-***½
03/05
Hard Soap, Hard Soap (1977)-****
Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1954)-****½
The Birds (1963)-****
03/06
Once Upon a Time Marilyn Jess (1987)-****
Fine and Perverse Lingerie (1984)-***
Last Year at Marienbad (1961)-*****
Blonde (2022)-**½
03/07
Jules and Jim (1962)-*****
All That Breathes (2022)-****
03/08
Cleo From 5 to 7 (1962)-*****
The Headless Woman (2008)-***½
Triangle of Sadness (2022)-****½
03/09
The Necro Files (1997)-***½
Women Talking (2022)-***½
03/10
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On (2022)-***½
Assignment Terror (1970)-**
03/12
Day of the Dead (1985)-*****
My Year of Dicks (2022)-***½
Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinnocchio (2022)-****
03/13
Royal Warriors (1986)-***½
Mon Oncle (1958)-*****
Cruising (1980)***½
The Most Dangerous Game (1932)-****
03/14
The Beyond (1981)-*****
Terror Train (1980)-***
Great Expectations (1946)-*****
03/15
Playtime (1967)-*****
Videodrome (1983)-*****
Crash (1996)-*****
03/16
Se7en (1995)-****½
03/17
City of God (2002)-*****
03/18
The Wild Bunch (1969)-*****
03/19
Goodfellas (1990)-*****
03/20
Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939)-****½
Floating Clouds (1955)-*****
The Case of the Bloody Iris (1972)-***
Bringing Up Baby (1938)-*****
03/21
Apocalypse Now (1979)-*****
The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979)-*****
03/22
Top Hat (1935)-*****
Trouble in Paradise (1932)-*****
White Material (2009)-*****
Blind Beast (1969)-****
Things (1989)-**
03/23
Inferno (1980)-****
Yojimbo (1961)-*****
03/24
Wings of Desire (1987)*****
03/25
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)-*****
03/26
To Have and Have Not (1944)-*****
Baxter, Vera Baxter (1977)-***
03/27
India Song (1975)-***
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)-*****
Rocco and His Brothers (1960)-*****
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960)-*****
Jaws (1975)-*****
03/28
Martin (1976)-****
Eugenie (1970)-***½
Reservoir Dogs (1992)-*****
Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928)-*****
3/29
La La Land (2016)-*****
The Life of Oharu (1952)-*****
Possession (1981)-****½
The Circus (1928)-*****
3/30
After Life (1998)-*****
Medium Cool (1969)-*****
3/31
Run Man Run (1968)-****
Best Film of the Month - Apocalypse Now
Worst Film of the Month - Last House on Dead End Street
