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First Annual Art-House Challenge List Thread
FIRST ANNUAL ART-HOUSE CHALLENGE (Formerly The Criterion Challenge) This first annual Art-House Challenge has evolved out of what was previously the Criterion Challenge. We emphasize exploration over quantity of films viewed. We encourage you to take some time and dive into the films you watch. Check out any included supplemental materials. Look up reviews and essays. In other words, immerse yourself!So… what exactly is an Art-House film? It’s a sort of “You’ll know it when you see it” thing, but Wikipedia offers the following characterization:Dusk 30 August - Dawn 1 October An art film (or art house film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience.[1] It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal",[2] "made primarily for aesthetic reasons rather than commercial profit",[3] and contains "unconventional or highly symbolic content".[4]Pre-Horror Participants We welcome the horror enthusiasts among us who just can’t wait until October. Think of this as a chance to emphasize Art-horror, and save the really schlocky stuff for next month. You’ll find a considerable amount of eligible content! Distributor Safe ListTo make selecting titles easier, any movie made available by the following distributors is classified as "safe" for this challenge, even if it should be a mainstream production. You are not required to watch their edition. You're not limited to these distributors, though, because there are plenty others who bring to us the kinds of films we're after. If you have any questions, ask in the discussion thread.
The checklist is intended solely as a prompt for participants who want a template for organizing their viewing. It's general enough that you can still complete it even if you decide to stick to just Criterion content, or if you decide to commit fully to horror. Rules:
Spoiler:
PRIZES! Our good friend GoldenWheels has arranged for Hamilton Book to sponsor prizes for this month’s challenge! Five (5) winners will get to pick from the following pool of nineteen (19) out of print Twilight Time Blu-ray discs. Since 19/5 doesn't work out evenly, the fairest solution I could come up with was to limit the first winner to four (4) selections, since they will have first dibs on the full lot. As is customary, prize winners must be in the United States in order to be eligible. Winners will be randomly selected and notified weekly on Thursdays, and will have until the following Monday to submit their choices. At that point, I will randomly select a substitute winner. Winners will be ineligible to win more than once, but if a winner doesn't respond in time and forfeits that week's prize, they will be eligible for subsequent drawings. All prizes will be sent after the challenge has concluded. Spoiler:
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Re: First Annual Art-House Challenge List Thread
Objectives
I think I'm gonna attempt the Ingmar Bergman's Cinema box set. It won't leave me much time for anything else, but if it does...
Spoiler:
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Re: First Annual Art-House Challenge List Thread
Gobear's 2021 Arthouse Challenge August 30.https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...73e3360f57.jpg First Time Viewing: 10 Television: 4 / Streaming: 20 / Blu-ray: 6 / DVD: 7 1. Sebastiane (1976)-DVD: Derek Jarman and co-director Paul Humfress created the first gay softcore film about St. Sebastian with the dialogue entirely in Latin. Despite the ample amount of beefcake on display, Sebastiane fails to whip up any real tension or interest. August 31 2. Orlando (1992)-Prime: Sally Potter wrote and directed this marvelous adaptation of Virginia Woolf's novel, starring the amazing Tilda Swinton. Orlando lives from the Elizabethan era to the "now" of the 90s. and transitions from male to female over that span of time. What does it mean to be male or female? The film was made before transgender issues became so prominent, the movie isn't about Orlando's gender as it is about how the world reacts to it. There's a scene early in the film where Orlando declares that a pretty Russian is his because he loves her, which is echoed in reverse later on. 3. Il Traditore (2019)-TV: Not knowing much about the Sicilian mafia, I found some of the details in this film confusing, but overall its a satisfying true crime film about a mafioso who turns informer. September 2 4. The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade (1967)-YouTube: Better known as just Marat/ Sade, this film is a work of genius that deserves a Blu-Ray release. Featuring a young Glenda Jackson in her first film role, Marat/ Sade is a multi-layered, nihilistic exploration of power and the futility of change. 5. A Fish Called Wanda (1988)-Blu: Easily one of the funniest, if not THE funniest comedies from the 80s. Starring two Pythons and Jamie Lee Curtis and directed by Ealing Studios veteran Charles Crichton, this movie is perfect in every way. September 3 6. Battle Royale (2000). DVD. Banned in multiple countries on its initial release, Battle Royale was the template for every "make kids engage in combat until only one survives" film that came after. September 4 7. Wigstock: The Movie (1995). TV.A doc about the celebration of drag at an annual summer festival in NYC that sadly has ceased to be, featuring The Lady Bunny, RuPaul and many others. September 5 7. Dune (1984). TV.Somehow I never bought this on Blu. David Lynch's Dune is such a mix of wretched and awesome. The dialogue and FX don't work, but the set design and costumes are perfect evocations of Frank Herbert's universe. September 6 8. The Jazz Singer (1927). TV.The Jazz Singer is a stilted backstage drama about a man torn between his faith and his ambition. Although the blackface scenes are seen as cringily racist today, they were part of show business 100 years ago and Al Jolson used his fame to get Black stars and their music in front of white audiences. 9. Exposed: The Making of a Legend (2005). DVD. Exposed is a behind-the-scenes documentary about the production of a gay porn film. While this isn't porn itself, there is plenty of hot male flesh onscreen. Porn is about fantasy, so it's interesting to see how a porn film is actually made, how the actors have to maintain poses at uncomfortable angles while seeming to be in the throes of passion. September 7 10. Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (1975)-Blu: This movie is a missed opportunity. Adapted from the Off-Broadway production, the movie is sadly layered in the 70s hippie aesthetic that has no relation to Brel's music, and the translations are frankly awful. Brel's magnificent songs really can only be appreciated in their original French. 11. La Reine Margot (1994)-Blu: Patrice Chereau's adaptation of a Dumas novel based on real history is an astounding visual feast filled with sex, poison, and religious genocide. September 8 12. Ashfall (2019)-Prime: The Korean name for this movie is Paektu-San (Mt. Paektu), a dormant volcano on the border of China and North Korea that in the film has awoken and threatens to wipe out the entire peninsula. the film then turns into a heist thriller when the heroes have to steal North Korean nuclear material to arm a bomb that will defuse the volcano and save North and South Korea. September 9 13. Flamenco (1995)-YouTube. Carlos Saura's later career has focused on showcasing the dance and music of Spain, including several films about the art of flamenco. Saura with DP Vittorio Storaro use screens and canvas backgrounds to illuminate the dancers, and like his other music docs, Saura starts the film by showing dancers in rehearsal, a reminder to the audience of the years of sweat and discipline that flamenco requires. September 11. 14. Come From Away (2021). Apple+. I had not seen this show or listened to the score because a musical about 9/11 seemed to be in bad taste. But this story about how the people of Gander in Newfoundland took in 7,000 air passengers who were stranded on 9/11 when all air traffic was halted that week is extraordinarily moving. September 12 15. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), DVD The midnight movie is largely gone these days, but back in my high school days in the late 70s, weekends showings at the local art house drew a fanatic following of young gay kids like me. September 15 16. Wilde (1997), Hulu.Stephen Fry was born to play Oscar Wilde. He perfectly captures Wilde's physicality as well as his wit and attraction to handsome young men. The film shows Wilde's conflicted desires; between his goal to be a good husband and father and his need to love and be loved authentically. September 16 17. Titus (1999). Blu-Ray.Julie Taymor has adapted one of Shakespeare's least regarded plays into a cinematic masterpiece. Borrowing stylistic touches from Fellini's Satyricon and using Rome's monuments as locations, Taymor matches the over-the-top Grand Guignol violence of the original play with an equally bizarre film, filled with anachronistic trappings like campaign speeches over loudspeakers and 20th-century tanks mixed with Roman spears and swords. September 17 18. Werckmeister Harmonies (2000), DVD. B/W, in Hungarian, shot in 39 single takes--yup, this is arthouse. Bela Tarr's film is a slow, sometimes plodding meditation on populist violence that focuses on a young man, Valuska, who is caught up in riots after a mysterious circus comes to his town. I really hope Criterion or Kino take a chance on releasing this horrifying, stunning, beautiful film. with a haunting score composed by Mihály Víg. 19. The Devils. (1971). DVD. C;mon Criterion, help us out! 20.Time Bandits, (1981) Spine #37. HBO MAX. Still holds up 40 years later. 21. Everybody's Talking About Jamie (2021). Prime. An entertaining musical based on the real story of a gay teenager in provincial England who dreams of becoming a drag queen September 18 22. Urgh! A Music War (1980) YouTube. I remember this used to show up on USA's Night Flight. This was cutting edge music in my youth, now it's a period piece of music performed by forgotten bands September 20 24. The In-Laws (1979), Spine #823 TV. A classic screwball comedy. September 21 25. The Death of Stalin (2018), Netflix. Armando Ianucci's flawless black comedy about the chaos left in the wake of the death of one of the 20th century's greatest monsters. 26. Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese, Spine #1062, Netflix. Not as much a concert film as an evocation of a time and event. September 22 27. The Best Worst Thing that Could Have Happened (2016), Netflix. Terrific doc about the devastating failure of Merrily We Roll Along, Stephen Sondheim's next project after his megahit Sweeney Todd, which ended his creative partnership with director Hal Prince, The cast was young, between the ages of 16 and 25, and their interviews are filled with wistful reminiscences about their youthful optimism on being cast in a Sondheim show as their first professional job. It's interesting to see actors who became successful like Jason Alexander and Giancarlo Esposito, and the others who left the business for other pursuits. 28.The Ruling Class, (1972) Spine #132. HBO MAX. In the early 70s the UK was on the precipice of economic collapse, its manufacturing base in decline and paralyzed by labor strikes. Peter Medak's brilliantly vicious comedy skewers the hidebound English class system's refusal to adapt to modern times in the figure of the insane 14th Earl of Gurney who shocks his aristocratic family by proclaiming he is Jesus Christ. This film is a prime candidate for an HD upgrade. September 24 29. Mephisto (1981). Blu-Ray. A German actor sells out his supposed liberal beliefs by working for the Nazis in his ironically most popular role, playing Mephistopheles in Faust. 30. Were the World Mine (2008), Hulu. A sweet gay fantasy about a teen boy who, through the aid of Shakespeare and a little magic, causes romantic chaos in his small town. 31. Zero Patience (1993), DVD Beneath the bouncy tunes in this musical about AIDS is a boiling rage about the prejudice and culture of blame that created the myth of "Patient Zero," the Canadian flight attendant supposedly responsible for bringing the virus to North America. September 28 32. Knightriders (1981), ShoutFactoryTV. An itinerant troupe of motorcycle stunt riders led by a young Ed Harris travels from town to town like a mobile Renaissance Fair, performing and living according to a knightly code of ethics. Trouble appears when the offer of pro sponsorship causes Tom Savini as Morgan to split the riders. George Romero ventures away from zombies in this rare non-horror film which IMO is one of his best films. Although it clocks in at 2 and a half hours, this never lags. Also rare for the early 80s, Knightriders has positive gay characters whose announcement of their relationship is cheered. George Romero was an ally when that was unheard of. If you haven't seen Knightriders, check it out, it is a genuinely special film. September 29 33. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), #62, TCM. In her only film role, Maria Falconetti gives what is probably the greatest performance in the history of cinema. Carl Dreyer's decision to use close-up shots and shoot his actors without makeup contrasts Joan's purity against the corruption of her interrogators. 34. Battleship Potemkin (1925) TCM. Sergei Eisenstein's films are landmarks of world cinema, although they are largely unknown today, even among film fans, but nearly every filmmaker has borrowed form him, including the amazing Odessa Steps sequence. 35. The Wind (1925) TCM. Lillian Gish's introduction was fascinating. It's amazing hw much control she had in selecting the material, the director, and her leading man. September 30 36. Wildling (2018). Netflix. Like Ginger Snaps and The Company of Wolves, Wildling associates the onset of female puberty with untamed animal instinct. This plays out very much like a modern fairy tale. We know where the story is going, and we are just waiting to get to the end. 37. RoadGames (1981). Archive.org. I thought this was going to be a tedious slasher flick, but it's an enthralling suspense film with more than a little Hitchcock DNA, using the Hitchcock themes of the Anti-Hero, the Woman in Danger, and the Wrong Man at the climax. Also, the theme music was plagiarized from Ravel's Bolero. Spoiler:
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Re: First Annual Art-House Challenge List Thread
* = First time viewing
September 1 1. *Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954) Criterion DVD 2. *The Night Porter (1974) Criterion DVD 3. *The Vanishing (1988) Criterion DVD September 3 4. *Shampoo (1975) Criterion DVD 5. *The Parallax View (1974) Criterion DVD September 4 6. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) Criterion Blu-ray September 5 7. The 39 Steps (1934) Criterion Blu-ray 8. King of New York (1990) Arrow 4K September 6 9. *The Awful Truth (1937) Criterion DVD 10. *Memories of Murder (2003) Criterion Blu-ray September 8 11. *Battle Royale (2000) Arrow 4K September 11 12. Oldboy (2003) Arrow 4K 13.*The Stranger Kino Lorber DVD 14. *Kiss Me Deadly (2000) Criterion DVD September 12 15. *The Story of Temple Drake (1933) Criterion DVD September 13 16. Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999) Criterion DVD 17. Putney Swope (1969) Eclipse DVD 18. Harakiri (1999) Criterion DVD September 15 19. The Kid (1921) Criterion DVD September 18 20. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) Criterion Blu-ray 21. Bringing Up Baby (1938) Criterion Blu-ray Optional Checklist Spoiler:
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Re: First Annual Art-House Challenge List Thread
* - first-time views/listens
August 31: 1. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets (2020)* 2. And Everything is Going Fine (2010)* -- The Making of And Everything is Going Fine* September 1: 3. Sex and Death to the Age 14* September 3: 4. Beyond the Hills (2012)* September 4: 5. Original Cast Album: Company (1970) -- Filmmaker/Writer/Stritch Commentary -- Original Cast Album: Co-Op -- Side by Side (Sondheim/Rich interview) September 5: 6. Fitzcarraldo (1982)* 7. Burden of Dreams (1982)* September 6: 8. Maps to the Stars (2014)* 9. Crimes of the Future (1970)* 10. Stereo (1969)* September 7: 11. Summer with Monika (1953)* September 8: 12. Dersu Uzala (1975)* September 9: 13. In a Lonely Place (1950) September 10: 14. National Gallery (2014)* September 12: 15. Come from Away (2021) - thanks to Gobear for the reminder! September 15: 16. Timbuktu (2014)* September 17: 17. Shiva Baby (2020)* September 18: 18. In a Lonely Place (1950) with commentary September 19: 19. American Honey (2016)* 20. Private Life (2018)* September 21: 21. The Human Voice (2020)* September 22: RIP Melvin Van Peebles 22. Watermelon Man (1970)* 23. The Story of a Three-Day Pass (1968)* 24. How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It) (2005)* September 24: 25. La Promesse (1996)* September 26: 26. The Gleaners and I (2000) 27. Documenteur (1981)* 28. Daguerreotypes (1975)* September 27: 29. Harlan County USA (1976) September 28: 30. This is Spinal Tap (1984) September 29: 31. Repo Man (1984) 32. The Square (2017)* September 30: 33. Road Games (1981) 34. Dressed to Kill (1980) 35. Deerskin (2019)* |
Re: First Annual Art-House Challenge List Thread
:up:
9/13 1. Come from Away* 9/16 2. Before Sunrise 9/24 3. Drive 2011* 9/25 4. Dear Evan Hansen* 5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* |
Re: First Annual Art-House Challenge List Thread
September 1st
September 2nd 1. This is Spinal Tap (1984) September 3rd September 4th 2. A Hard Day's Night (1964) 3. The War of the Worlds (1953) September 5th September 6th September 7th September 8th September 9th September 10th September 11th 4. Charade (1963) 5. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) 6. Caught in the Draft (1941) September 12th 7. Ulysses (1954) - English DUB version September 13th September 14th September 15th September 16th September 17th September 18th September 19th 8. The War Between Men and Women (1972) September 20th September 21st September 22nd September 23rd September 24th 9. My Favorite Brunette (1947) September 25th September 26th September 27th September 28th September 29th September 30th |
Re: First Annual Art-House Challenge List Thread
* First Time Viewing
September 1 1. Knife in the Water (1962) September 2 2. Melancholia (2011) September 3 3. Parasite (2019) * September 4 4. Elevator to the Gallows (1958) September 5 5. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) * September 6 6. Fando y Lis (1968) September 8 7. La Constellation Jodorowsky (1994) * September 9 8. Donnie Darko (2001) September 10 9. The Virgin Suicides (1999) September 21 10. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) September 24 11. The Holy Mountain (1973) September 26 12. El Topo (1970) September 29 13. Pan's Labyrinth (2006) September 30 14. Santa Sangre (1989) Checklist Spoiler:
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Re: First Annual Art-House Challenge List Thread
Here...not sure how much I'll get to, but here!
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Re: First Annual Art-House Challenge List Thread
First-time viewings have film titles listed in beautiful autumnal gold.
Films watched: September 1 1. Torment (1944) (DVD) - Or, Ingmar Bergman gets his foot in the door of the movie studios. He wrote the film's screenplay and acted as its assistant director. A high school student, his older girlfriend, and his psychotic Latin teacher mix it up until tragedy ensues. Torment reminded me a lot of the "troubled youth" pictures of the late '50s, such as Rebel Without a Cause. I found it to be an interesting, but not entirely successful, start to Bergman's career. September 2 2. Crisis (1946) (DVD) - If Pedro Almovodar had been making movies in Sweden in the 1940s, this is probably what his films would have resembled. It's pretty much straight-up melodrama, but Ingmar Bergman's directorial debut has moments that foreshadow his later mastery of the medium--in particular a sequence wherein one of the characters has a nightmare in her sleeping car berth while traveling by train. September 3 3. Port of Call (1948) (DVD) - Rather lackluster film from Ingmar Bergman tells the story of a girl, fresh out of reform school, who takes up with a former sailor and the bumpy road that their relationship takes. The film never really grabbed me; I’d rather watch Reform School Girl than sit through this again. 4. Thirst (1949) (DVD) - Of the films in the Eclipse Early Bergman set, this is my least favorite by far. Even though it runs only 84 minutes, it felt like six or seven hours due to my total dislike for the main character. And boy, could she whine! What I did like about it was its story structure; Quentin Tarantino’s films owe this one a huge debt for showing how to break up a linear storyline and rearrange the chunks into an intriguing whole. Otherwise, though, I’ll be avoiding this one in the future. 5. To Joy (1949) (DVD) - My feelings for To Joy are almost exactly opposite my feelings for Thirst. This film is easily my favorite in the Eclipse Early Bergman set. In it, two musicians who play in the same orchestra get married, have kids, and drift apart. Victor Sjostrom, star of Bergman’s later Wild Strawberries, has an important supporting role in this film, and the two leads are pitch-perfect. In fact, the whole cast is excellent. If you’re a fan of classical music, you’ll probably like this, even if you’re not a big Bergman fan. Good, good stuff. September 4 6. Summer Interlude (1951) (Blu-ray) - Summer Interlude is the first of the early Bergman films that actually feels like a Bergman film to me. A ballet dancer receives an unmarked package in the mail at the theater where she’s rehearsing that contains the diary of her first lover from over a decade ago. Due to technical problems during rehearsal, the troupe is given the afternoon off, and she decides on the spur of the moment to take a trip to the island where she lived when she knew the author of the diary. Once on the island, she goes to the places where they used to go, and we’re shown flashbacks of their relationship. And, really, that’s pretty much the plot…but this isn’t a film that’s terribly plot-driven; it’s more concerned with creating mood, and it achieves that goal admirably. Again, the cast is phenomenal, with the lead actress from To Joy playing Marie, the lead character in this film. 7. The Great White Silence (1924) (Digital file) - This fascinating silent documentary is about the Scott expedition to be the first to the South Pole. The first two-thirds of the movie is pretty lighthearted, with lots of footage of seals and penguins (the “Penguin Trot” game that the explorers play is hysterical) and dogs and ponies, but then the fun stops and the grueling, 850-mile trek to the South Pole commences. It’s an interesting companion piece to Nanook of the North. September 5 8. Seven Chances (1925) (Digital file) - Buster Keaton has always been my favorite silent comedian, and this film is one of the reasons why. Buster has to be married by 7:00 PM on his twenty-seventh birthday, or else he’ll lose an inheritance of seven million dollars. That wouldn’t be the worst problem in the world, except that he first finds out about the inheritance with about seven hours to go until the deadline passes. Physical comedy of the highest order ensues. This might well be the perfect film to show to friends who say that they don’t like silent movies; I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying this film. September 6 9. The Phantom of the Opera (1925/1929) (Blu-ray) - THE classic Lon Chaney vehicle creaks mightily with age, but with a little effort, I can imagine how thrilling it must have been to audiences seeing it first-run. The makeup for Erik the Phantom is still a marvel, and it must have been quite painful for Chaney to wear for long stretches. There’s a lot of hand-acting going on in this one; Chaney uses his fingers to mostly good effect, but Mary Philbin must have had a lesser hand-acting teacher, as her fingers just seem to quiver spastically in a lot of shots where she’s supposed to be showing fear. It’s fun, but as iconic as the film is, Andrew Lloyd Webber is now the name people most associate with the Phantom, not Lon Chaney. Quel dommage. September 11 10. Battleship Potemkin (1925) (Blu-ray) - I'll admit to being rather astonished at some of the shots in this film; it's one of the more artistic silent films that I've ever seen. Even though the beauty of some of the shots was amazing, the editing is what assured this film of its classic status, and because of it, the film feels amazingly contemporary. The film starts kind of slowly, and there's a whole lot of unnecessary buildup to the final scene featuring shot after shot after shot of the ship's machinery chugging away, but the sequence on the Odessa staircase is as near to cinematic perfection in a silent movie as I'm ever likely to see. While the plot didn't rock my world, the film's technique certainly did, and it's now perhaps the silent film that I feel is the most important to the overall development of world cinema. 11. Umberto D. (1952) (DVD) - Vittoria De Sica gives the world another neorealist masterpiece with this film about an Italian pensioner who doesn’t bring in enough money to pay for the necessities of life. His dog is his boon companion, but he’s also developed a grandfatherly relationship with the young maid who works in the boarding house in which he rents a room. Unfortunately, his landlady wants to evict him, and she won’t consider letting him stay on until he’s paid the entire amount of the back rent that he owes her. His situation is desperate, and there doesn’t seem to be a way out. The film ends inconclusively. Maria Pia Casilio, who plays the maid, is radiant in her first film. September 12 12. The Horse's Mouth (1958) (DVD) - Gulley Jimson, part-time artist and full-time ne’er-do-well, needs money, as usual. He hits up his ex-wife for a painting of his that she has, a rich guy who owns eighteen of his pieces, and a wealthy couple who would like to buy one of his pieces. In the middle of trying to connive his way into some cash, he’s also looking for potential walls on which to create his next painting, as mere canvas is no longer big enough to hold what he sees in his imagination. Alec Guinness stars as Jimson, and he wrote the delightful screenplay as well. It’s a fun little film, frothy on the surface but with a lot to say about the artistic impulse. Directed by Ronald Neame. September 13 13. How to Get Ahead in Advertising (1988) (DVD) - Whacked-out satire of advertising plays like some bizarre mash-up of Network, Vampire’s Kiss, and The Manster. Richard E. Grant stars as an advertising executive who’s under a lot of stress to come up with a campaign for boil ointment, and the stress exhibits itself as a talking boil on his neck. To say any more would be to take away from the weirdness of a first-time viewing. Rachel Ward plays Grant’s perplexed wife. September 14 and 16 14. The Gold Rush (1925/1942) (Blu-ray) - I have a hard time trying to decide if this is Chaplin’s masterpiece, or if City Lights is Chaplin’s masterpiece. I’m going to have to call it a draw. You know the plot of this one, surely. Chaplin doesn’t get quite as maudlin in this one as in City Lights, but that’s the thing about Chaplin—I don’t mind the sentimentality of his films. Yeah, Buster Keaton makes me laugh harder, but Chaplin is definitely the more humanist filmmaker. For me, the highlight of the film is the “Dance of the Dinner Rolls”; every time I see it, it gets more amusing. And I love me some Big Jim McKay. In 1942, Chaplin figured out a way to bring his silent classic back to life in the sound era, and so he re-released The Gold Rush with a few new shots (and some excised footage as well), a newly-composed and recorded score, and narration voiced by Chaplin himself. It made money—again…and picked up two Oscar nominations in the process. This rejiggered version is Chaplin’s preferred cut, but I still like the silent version better. Luckily, we can have both these days. September 20 15. House (1977) (Blu-ray) - A group of seven schoolgirls decide to spend the first week of summer vacation at the house of one of their aunts, and things get real weird, real fast. Few films can honestly be called unique, but House is one of them. Some people have very little tolerance for its whimsical excesses, but I think that it’s delightful. About midway through this, my second viewing of the film, a line from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory popped into my head; during the bizarre boat ride on the chocolate river, Violet Beauregard says, “What is this—a freak out?,” and that seems to me to sum up House in six words. September 24 16. Sword of the Beast (1965) (DVD) - I'll admit that I've not seen a lot of samurai films, so I don't have a wealth of experience on which to draw to judge this one. I thoroughly enjoyed it, however, so that bodes well for my appreciation of future samurai films. In this one, a samurai goes ronin after killing the leader of his clan. While being chased by his dead leader's daughter and her fiance, he winds up on a mountain and gets involved in another clan's business. The plot is pretty complicated, but the film is just a blast to watch. I highly recommend it. September 25 17. Minari (2020) (Blu-ray) - Minari is an absolutely lovely film about how families are all the same, no matter where they've come from or where they find themselves living. A South Korean immigrant couple and their two American-born children move to the middle of nowhere in Arkansas to pursue the husband's dream of owning his own farm. The wife isn't too keen on the idea, especially since their youngest child has a heart murmur and needs to be near a hospital. She's somewhat placated, however, by the arrival of her mother from South Korea, who moves in with them to help take care of the children while she and her husband work. It's a small, intimate film that never strikes a false note; it's breathtaking in its own naturalistic way. September 29 18. The Big Parade (1925) (Blu-ray) - I watched The Big Parade tonight because it's National Silent Film Day, and I wanted to watch a silent film. More than that, though, I watched it because I felt like I was supposed to watch it, since it often turns up on "Best Silent Film" lists. I wasn't exactly looking forward to it, although I wasn't dreading it, either. The main thing that was daunting about it was its running time. All of my worry was needless, however, as I now think that I have a new favorite silent film. It's hard for me to believe how completely sucked into this 96-year-old film I was--and how ultimately moving it turned out to be. It's a remarkable film. September 30 19. Night of the Living Dead (1968) (Blu-ray) – I can't count the number of times that I've seen this movie; by my best estimate, I've seen it upwards of thirty times in the last 49 or so years. In 1980, when I first entered film school, all the students in one of the classes I took had to go around the room on the first night of class and tell what our favorite movie was. There were a lot of Citizen Kanes and Singin' in the Rains, but when I said that my favorite film was Night of the Living Dead, there were audible snickers. I guess that time has proven me correct, huh? Absolutely one of the top five horror films of all time. 20. Road Games (1981) (DVD) – I first saw this film years ago on HBO, right after my family first got it (illegally, by running about a million feet of antenna wire all through the house). I remembered very few things about it, so this was almost like a first-time view. It's an okay thriller, with a good performance by Stacy Keach and some nice directorial touches by Richard Franklin, but it does have some pacing problems and some weird logic gaps in the plot. It's not a bad film, but it's not a forgotten classic, either. Checklist Spoiler:
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Re: First Annual Art-House Challenge List Thread
1. Mir kumen on/We're on Our Way (1938) * 59 min.
2. Przypadek/Blind Chance (1987) * 122 min. 3. Krótki film o zabijaniu/A Short Film About Killing (1988) * 85 min. 4. La Soufričre - Warten auf eine unausweichliche Katastrophe/La Soufričre - Waiting for an Inevitable Disaster (1977) * 30 min. 5. Krótki film o milosci/A Short Film About Love (1988) * 87 min. 6. Her Defiance (1916) * 21 min. 7. Eleanor's Catch (1916) 13 min. 8. Fando y Lis (1968) * 97 min. 9. The Chill Factor (1993) * 86 min. 10. Early Abstractions (1939-1956) * 23 min. 11. Trapped Alive (1988) * 91 min. 12. The Child (1977) * 83 min. 13. Daikaijű kettô: Gamera tai Barugon/The Great Monster Duel: Gamera vs. Barugon (1966) 100 min. 14. Szabadgyalog/The Outsider (1981) * 122 min. 15. Yom Yom/Day After Day (1998) * 106 min. 16. Dark August (1976) * 87 min. 17. A Daughter of 'The Law' (1921) * 21 min. 18. Werckmeister harmóniák/Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) * 140 min. 19. Daikaijű kűchűsen: Gamera tai Gyaosu/Giant Monster Mid-Air Battle: Gamera vs. Gaos (1967) * 86 min. 20. Cerný Petr /Black Peter (1964) * 85 min. 21. Caught in a Cabaret (1914) 24 min. 22. Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987) * 43 min. 23. Bezucelná procházka/Aimless Walk (1930) * 8 min. 24. Svetlo proniká tmou/The Light Penetrates the Dark (1931) * 4 min. 25. Number 11: Mirror Animations (1956) * 4 min. 26. Won in a Closet (1914) 13 min. 27. Poison (1991) * 85 min. 28. Last Address (2010) * 8 min. 29. Mindrák/Inferiority Complex (1981) * 11 min. 30. Vzpoura hracek/The Revolt of Toys (1946) * 14 min. 31. Vánocní sen/A Christmas Dream (1946) 8 min. 32. Ukolébavka/Lullaby (1947) * 7 min. 33. Z (1969) 127 min. 34. Mabel's Blunder (1914) * 16 min. 35. Mabel and Fatty's Wash Day (1915) 13 min. 36. Mabel Lost and Won (1915) * 13 min. 37. That Ice Ticket (1923) * 10 min. 38. Kino-pravda no. 21 - Leninskaia Kino-pravda. Kinopoema o Lenine/ Kino-pravda No. 21 - Lenin Kino-Pravda. A Film Poem About Lenin (1925) * 32 min. 39. Kino-pravda no. 22 - Krestianskaia Kino-pravda/Kino-pravda No. 22 - Lenin is Alive in the Heart of the Peasant. A Film Story (1925) * 19 min. 40. La chute de la maison Usher/The Fall of the House of Usher (1928) 66 min. 41. What's a Nice Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This? (1963) * 10 min. 42. It's Not Just You, Murray! (1964) * 16 min. 43. The Big Shave (1967) * 6 min. 44. Gamera tai uchu kaijű Bairasu/Gamera vs. Viras (1968) * 81 min. 45. Kino-pravda no. 23 - Radio pravda (1925) * 20 min. 46. Italianamerican (1974) * 49 min. 47. Scared Stiff (1987) * 84 min. 48. Stenka Razin (1908) * 9 min. 49. Portret/The Portrait (1915) * 8 min. 50. American Boy: A Profile of - Steven Prince (1978) * 55 min. 51. La dama rossa uccide sette volte/The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (1972) * 99 min. 52. Jeux des reflets et de la vitesse (1925) * 8 min. 53. Cinq minutes de cinéma pur (1926) * 5 min. 54. Operacija Ticijan/Operation Titian (1963) * 95 min. 54. La marche des machines (1927) * 8 min. 55. Montparnasse (1929) * 15 min. 56. Blood Bath (1966) * 62 min. 57. Portrait in Terror (1968) * 81 min. 58. Burleska (1932) * 5 min. 58. Tapp und Tastkino = Tapp und Tastfilm (1968) * 1 min. 59. ...Remote... Remote... (1973) 10 min. 60. Mann & Frau & Animal (1973) * 8 min. 61. Track of the Vampire (1966) * 79 min. 62. Raumsehen und Raumhören (1974) * 5 min. 63. Skizbe/Beginning (1967) * 9 min. 65. Menq/We (1969) * 23 min. 66. Obitateli /Inhabitants (1970) * 9 min. 67. Vremena goda/Four Seasons (1975) * 29 min. 68. Multiple Maniacs (1970) * 96 min. 69. Texas, Adios (1966) * 92 min. 70. Hugh MacDiarmid: A Portrait (1964) * 8 min. 71. John MacFadyen (1970) * 3 min. 72. Colour Poems (1974) * 11 min. 73. Contras City (1969) * 22 min. *First time viewing. |
Re: First Annual Art-House Challenge List Thread
Mr. Cellophane's 2021 Art House (and Criterion) Challenge List https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....LzWFe_TTW_.jpg *= first time viewing blue= personal Blu-ray purple= personal DVD green= streaming red= theatrical / live streaming / other orange= borrowed or rented BD/DVD <br>
Checklist Spoiler:
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Re: First Annual Art-House Challenge List Thread
First Annual Art-House Challenge Blue = First Time View 2021-08-31 >Crossovers with the Animation Challenge< 1. My Life As A Zucchini (2016) My Big Lots Blu-ray + DVD + Digital 2. The Genie In A Tin Of Ravioli (2006) Bonus Short on My Life As A Zucchini 3. The Satellite Girl And Milk Cow (2014) My Walmart Blu-ray + DVD 4. A Coffee Vending Machine And Its Sword (2007) Bonus Short on Satellite Girl And Milk Cow 2021-09-06 5. Grave Encounters (2011) Shudder on Demand 2021-09-07 6. The Stendhal Syndrome (1996) YouTube 7. Grave Encounters 2 (2012) Shudder on Demand 2021-09-08 8. Blue Iguana (2018) My Dollar Tree DVD 9. A Wonderful Life (1950) YouTube 2021-09-10 10. The Juggler Of Our Lady (1958) YouTube 11. The Last Shift (2020) Starz on Demand Note: Spoiler:
2021-09-29 12. Rifftrax ''Replica'' (2005/2017) Tubi Possible First Time Views: Spoiler:
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Re: First Annual Art-House Challenge List Thread
I'm interested.
1. August 31st: 13 Cameras* (Kino Lorber) IMDB TV (2015) (1:29:30) 2. September 9th: Happy Times* (Kino Marquee) Tubi TV (2019) (1:32:26) |
Re: First Annual Art-House Challenge List Thread
1st time participant here!
Blu-ray / DVD / Streaming 8/31/2021 1 - Battleship Potemkin (1925) 9/01/2021 2 - Variety Lights (1950) 9/02/2021 3 - Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story (2017) 9/03/2021 4 - Yurmurta (egg) (2007) 9/04/2021 5 - Sweet Smell of Success (1957) 9/05/2021 6 - The White Sheik (1952) 7 - Ace in the Hole (1951) 9/06/2021 8 - Tierra (1996) 9/07/2021 9 - I Vitelloni (1953) 9/08/2021 10 - Swept Away (1974) 11 - Stagecoach (1939) 9/09/2021 12 - The Queen of Versailles (2012) 9/10/2021 13 - The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) 9/11/2021 14 - Old Goats (2011) 15 - Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) 9/12/2021 16 - The Pool Sharks (1915) ---- The Golf Specialist (1930) ---- The Dentist (1932) ---- The Fatal Glass of Beer (1933) ---- The Pharmacist (1933) ---- The Barber Shop (1933) 17 - La Strada (1954) 18 - Denial (2016) 9/13/2021 19 - Client 9 (2010) 20 - Jubal (1956) 9/14/2021 21 - Les Misérables (1958) 9/15/2021 22 - Umberto D. (1952) 9/16/2021 23 - Il Bidone (1953) 9/17/2021 24 - Gimme Shelter (1970) 25 - A Face in the Crowd (1957) 9/18/2021 26 - Nights of Cabiria (1957) 9/20/2021 27 - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916) 9/21/2021 28 - Day of Anger (1967) 9/22/2021 29 - La Dolce Vita (1960) 9/23/2021 30 - Army of Shadows (1969) 31 - Bringing Up Baby (1938) 9/24/2021 32 - Strad Story (2017) 33 - The Hidden Fortress (1958) 9/25/2021 34 - Sullivan's Travels (1941) 35 - 8 1/2 (1960) 9/26/2021 36 - Goto, Isle of Love (1969) 37 - Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964) 9/27/2021 38 - The Return of Ringo (1965) 9/28/2021 39 - Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005) 40 - Juliet of the Spirits (1965) 9/29/2021 41 - The Forgiveness of Blood (2011) 42 - The Parallax View (1975) 43 - The Passion of Joan of Arc (1927) 9/30/2021 44 - Pray For Death (1985) 45 - Night of the Living Dead (1968) |
Re: First Annual Art-House Challenge List Thread
Probably all Criterion, but here my list will go
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Re: First Annual Art-House Challenge List Thread
<table><tr><tr><td>Count</td><td>Spine #</td><td >Cover Art</td><td>Title</td><td>Media</td></tr><tr><td>1.</td><td>[#157]</td><td >https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...0b8fa98e3e.jpg</td><td style="font-size:small">The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) </td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="my Criterion DVD, ripped and streamed via Plex">https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...fc79b0f2c6.png https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...a4c46dab4b.png via Plex</span></td></tr><tr><td>2.</td><td>[#175]</td><td>https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...4fb25c76fe.jpg</td><td style="font-size:small">Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="my Criterion Blu-ray">https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...fc79b0f2c6.png https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...cede6ee6cf.png</span></td></tr><tr><td>3.</td><td>[#627]</td><td>https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...1645f826f5.jpg</td><td style="font-size:small">The Game (1997)</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="my Criterion Blu-ray">https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...fc79b0f2c6.png https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...e93bf5525c.png</span></td></tr><tr><td>4.</td><td>[#872]</td><td>https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...2cef0ae440.jpg</td><td style="font-size:small">Ghost World (2001)</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="my Criterion Blu-ray">https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...fc79b0f2c6.png https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...046b0803cd.png</span></td></tr><tr><td>5.</td><td>[#200]</td><td>https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...e6b1d364f5.jpg</td><td style="font-size:small">The Honeymoon Killers (1969)</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="my Criterion Blu-ray">https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...fc79b0f2c6.png https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...046b0803cd.png</span></td></tr><tr><td>6.</td><td>[#1061]</td><td>https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...387278fec9.png</td><td style="font-size:small">Minding the Gap (2018)</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="my Criterion Blu-ray">https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...fc79b0f2c6.png https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...046b0803cd.png</span></td></tr><tr><td>7.</td><td>[FCD2059]</td><td>https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...7d9c172cc9.jpg</td><td style="font-size:small">Tremors (1990)</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="my Arrow Video's Limited Edition 4K UHD Blu-ray">https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...1fccbc9ac3.png https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...74a385182d.png</span></td></tr><tr><td>8.</td><td>[#899]</td><td>https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...0157f32e02.png</td><td style="font-size:small">Personal Shopper (2016)</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="my Criterion Blu-ray">https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...fc79b0f2c6.png https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...046b0803cd.png</span></td></tr><tr><td>9.</td><td>[#32860C]</td><td>https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...826fed7887.png</td><td style="font-size:small">Cat People (1982)</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="my Universal HD-DVD">https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...c7a4a3df7b.png</span> also available from https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...14bf0b03dd.png</td></tr><tr><td>10.</td><td>[#833]</td><td>https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...b7b7423232.png</td><td style="font-size:small">Cat People (1943)</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="my DVD streamed via Plex">https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...a4c46dab4b.png via Plex</span> but available from Criterion</td></tr><tr><td>11.</td><td> </td><td>https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...25956701b4.png</td><td style="font-size:small">Heavenly Creatures (1994) New Zealand</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="my DVD streamed via Plex">https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...a4c46dab4b.png via Plex</span></td></tr><tr><td>12.</td><td>[#739]</td><td>https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...c5f1b6b609.png</td><td style="font-size:small">Safe (1995)</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="my Criterion Blu-ray">https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...fc79b0f2c6.png https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...046b0803cd.png</span></td></tr><tr><td>13.</td><td>Streamed</td><td>https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...ee19edb1a1.png</td><td style="font-size:small">Willy's Wonderland (2021) FTV</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="streamed from Netflix">https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...87486bb584.png</span></td></tr><tr><td>14.</td><td>Streamed</td><td>https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...c9d2c8b201.png</td><td style="font-size:small">River of Grass (1994) FTV</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="streamed from SundanceNow">https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...0cf7ec6930.png</span></td></tr><tr><td>15.</td><td>Streamed</td><td>https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...a669975a17.png</td><td style="font-size:small">Raia 4 (Eng: Lane 4) (2019) Brazil - FTV</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="streamed from DARKROOM">https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...53cc32796f.png</span></td></tr><tr><td>16.</td><td>Streamed</td><td>https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...9b4ecc7e7d.png</td><td style="font-size:small">Motherly (2021) Canada - FTV</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="streamed from Eventive for The Calgary International Film Festival">https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...086ae954e1.png</span></td></tr><tr><td>17.</td><td>Theatre</td><td>https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...9404a61c6c.png</td><td style="font-size:small">Drinkwater (2021) Canada</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="in theatre at The Calgary International Film Festival">https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...086ae954e1.png</span></td></tr><tr><td>18.</td><td>Theatre</td><td>https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...4647f0fb14.png</td><td style="font-size:small">The Boathouse (2021) Canada- FTV</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="in theatre at The Calgary International Film Festival">https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...086ae954e1.png</span></td></tr><tr><td>19.</td><td>Streamed</td><td>https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...c2813c3e6a.png</td><td style="font-size:small">Night Blooms (2021) Canada - FTV</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="streamed from Eventive for The Calgary International Film Festival">https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...086ae954e1.png</span></td></tr><tr><td>20.</td><td>[#51]</td><td >https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...fae153787a.png</td><td style="font-size:small">Brazil (1985) UK</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="my Criterion DVD, ripped and streamed via Plex">https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...fc79b0f2c6.png https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...a4c46dab4b.png via Plex</span></td></tr><tr><td>21.</td><td>Theatre</td><td>https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...3ba422ea45.png</td><td style="font-size:small">Titane (2021) Belgium, France - FTV</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="in theatre at The Calgary International Film Festival">C.I.F.F.</span></td></tr><tr><td>22.</td><td>Theatre</td><td>https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...5293cc1ebc.png</td><td style="font-size:small">Hive (2021) Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Switzerland - FTV</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="in theatre at The Calgary International Film Festival">C.I.F.F.</span></td></tr><tr><td>23.</td><td>Streamed</td><td>https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...53cf95024b.png</td><td style="font-size:small">Knocking (2021) Sweden - FTV</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="streamed from Eventive for The Calgary International Film Festival">C.I.F.F.</span></td></tr><tr><td>24.</td><td>[#825]</td><td>https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...ae2d8307a6.png</td><td style="font-size:small">Valley of the Dolls (1967)</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="library Criterion Blu-ray">https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...fc79b0f2c6.png https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...046b0803cd.png</span></td></tr><tr><td>225.</td><td>[#89]</td><td>https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...4facff1f4a.jpg</td><td style="font-size:small">Sisters (1973)</td><td style="font-size:small"><span title="my Criterion DVD">https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...fc79b0f2c6.png https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...a4c46dab4b.png</span></td></tr></table>
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Re: First Annual Art-House Challenge List Thread
Found this post late, but I'm excited to join this next year!
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Re: First Annual Art-House Challenge List Thread
I keep forgetting September was 'criterion month' - but I'll see if I can get a few in, probably watched some already to add here
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