Travis McClain

2022 Indie/Art House Challenge DISCUSSION Thread
Dusk 30 August - Dawn 1 October

It was agreed last year this challenge implicitly includes silent films and what have been classed in the U.S. as "foreign language films." Talkies that aren't in English, in other words.

The first annual Indie/Art House Challenge evolved out of what was previously the Criterion Challenge. In this challenge, we emphasize exploration rather than a raw 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:

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 List
To 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.

• Arrow Films (horror here)
• The Criterion Collection (horror here)
• The Criterion Channel / all past streaming titles (horror here)
• Film Movement (horror here) / Film Movement Plus
• Kino Lorber (horror here) / Kino Marquee (horror here) / Kino Now
• Milestone Films
• Mubi
• Oscilloscope Laboratories
• Powerhouse Films / Indicator (Hammer here)
• Sundance Now

Checklist (Optional, as always)



Travis McClain

My Challenge History 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021

Objectives
At least one movie from each of my paid subscription services
At least five un-logged movies from my digital library
At least five un-logged movies from my disc library

My List

1. 10/01 Count Dracula
2. 10/01 Count Dracula Commentary with Horror Film Historian David Del Valle and Star Maria Rohm

Checklist (Optional, as always)

davidh777

List

9/1
1. The Worst person in the Wotld*

9/4
2. Pig*

9/10
3. C’mon C’mon*

9/23
4. Wild*

9/27
5. Dancer in the Dark*

William Fuld

1. Outer Space (Peter Tscherkassky, 1999) - Mubi
2. The Arrival (Peter Tscherkassky, 1999) - Mubi
3. Dream Work (Peter Tscherkassky. 2001) - Mubi
4. Get Ready (Peter Tscherkassky, 1999) - Mubi

Shack

* first-time views

August 31:
1. Health (Robert Altman, 1980)* Not Altman's best, but worth watching for its great cast.
September 1:
2. Paris, Texas (Wim Wenders, 1984) I had forgotten how beautiful this one is.
3. Hollis Frampton Shorts: Pan 0-4 (1974)*, Surface Tension (1968)*, Carrots & Peas (1966)*, Lemon (1969)* Palate cleanser with a group of shorts.
4. The Last Black Man in San Francisco (Joe Talbot, 2019)* I'd heard about this one but only caught it this year; well-done with lots of unexpected turns.
September 2:
5. The French Lieutenant's Woman (Karel Reisz, 1981) Great to revisit this one. Streep and Irons are so good together.
6. Gray's Anatomy (Steven Soderbergh, 1996)* Not as good as Swiming to Cambodia, but definitely worth watching for Spalding Grey's take on life, health and mysticism.
September 3:
7. Mona Lisa (Neil Jordan, 1986) Bob Hoskins is so wonderful in this. I forgot Clarke Peters is in it too.
8. Hollis Frampton Shorts: Process Red (1966)*, Marual of Arms (1966)*, Information (1966)*, Maxwell's Demon (1968)* More shorts exploring Frampton's view of the world.
September 4:
9. Deep Cover (Bill Duke, 1992) Starts with a familiar formula, but becomes a much deeper exploration of good and evil.
10. Now, Voyager (Irving Rapper, 1942)* Bette Davis wonderful as usual in what could have been a hackneyed plot.
September 5:
11. Multiple Maniacs (John Waters, 1970) John Waters introduces many themes he'd return to later.
12. Female Trouble (John Waters, 1974) The best of the early John Waters.
13. Female Trouble - Director Commentary* An entertaining commentary; I enjoyed Waters pointing out cast and crew relatives who were extras.
September 6:
14. The Tale (Jennifer Fox, 2018)* The word "brave" gets overused, but it's appropriate in the story of Fox's youth..The cast, particularly Laura Dern, is terrific.
September 7:
15. Che: Part One (Steven Soderbergh, 2008)* Powerful mix of the personal and political. I need to go on to watch part two.
September 9:
16. The Souvenir: Part II (Joanna Hogg, 2021)* Powerful reflection on grief, art, and youth and a strong continuation of part one.
September 10:
17. Last Requests (Courtenay Johnson, 2017)* Intense and haunting short film about Death Row last meals, starring Dale Dickey.
18. Valley of the Dolls (Mark Robson, 1967)
19. Crash (David Cronenberg, 1996)
September 11:
20. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (Radu Jude, 2021)*
21. After Yang (Kogonada, 2022)*
September 12:
22. Blow-Up (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1966)
September 14:
23. Showman (Mayles Brothers, 1963)*
September 15:
24. Zazie Dans Le Metro (Louis Malle, 1960)*
25. Pig (Michael Sarnoski, 2021)*
September 16:
26. The Laundromat (Steven Soderbergh, 2019)*
27. High Flying Bird (Steven Soderbergh, 2019)*
September 17:
28. Annette (Leos Carax, 2021)*
September 18:
29. Some Kind of Heaven (Lance Oppenheim, 2020)*
September 19:
30. The Worst Person in the World (Joachim Trier, 2021)*
September 21:
31. Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (Jim Jarmusch, 1999)
September 22:
32. The Piano (Jane Campion, 1993)
September 23:
33. Exotica (Atom Egoyan,1994)
September 24:
34. For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close (Heather Ross, 2020)*
35. The Piano - Director/Producer Commentary*
September 25:
36. Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins (Janis Engel, 2019)*
37. Seconds (John Frankenheimer, 1966)
September 26:
38. Amazing Grace (Pollack/Elliot, 2018)*
September 30:/OHMC Crossover:
36. The Haunting (Robert Wise, 1963)
37. The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955)
38. Blow Out (Brian DePalma, 1981)

Gobear

First Time Viewing: 8 / Television: 6/ Streaming: 8 / Blu-ray:5 / DVD:

August 30
1.Out of Print (2014), Kanopy. A terrific doc about the New Beverly Cinema, a revival house in LA keeping the spirit of film alive for film fans.

August 31
2. Koyaanisqatsi. Kanopy. Koyaanisqatsi tells the story of the corruption of our planet through images and Phillip Glass's amazing score. I saw it in the theater back in the day and I was enthralled. I also became a massive Phillip Glass fan.
3. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001). Kanopy. I own this on Blu-Ray, but I want to use up my August credits before they expire.
4. The Mouse That Roared (1963)-TV-This movie is an absolute hoot with Peter Sellers playing three roles in which the tiny Duchy of Grand Fenwick declares war on the United States to get their hands on reconstructions funds only to win the war by accident.
5. Gorky Park (1983)-Kanopy-I'm glad I skipped buying the Kino Blu- William Hurt's British accent is laughable in this ridiculous story about murder and sable smuggling.

September 1
6. Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream (2005). TV. As the title indicates, this is a solid doc about how the subversive ideas in the low-budget movies often exhibited at midnight in revival houses during the 70s spread into mainstream pop culture. I saw all6 films featured in this doc at the Vogue Theater, a 1930s Art Deco theater that was demolished in the 90s. Although the Internet gives us greater access to films than ever before, nothing can replace the experience of watching Pink Flamingos with a mostly high audience.

September 4
7. Day of the Dead (1985). Blu-Ray.This probably doesn't count as an art film, but nobody can deny that George Romero was a master of independent cinema.

September 5.
8. Shallow Grave (1994). Blu-Ray.A terrific crime thriller that shows Danny Boyle's early promise.

September 6.
9. Gods and Monsters (1998) YouTube. Brenadan Fraser and Ian McKellen deliver outstanding performances.

September 7
10. The Most Beautiful Boy in the World (2021). Kanopy. The old man who leaps to his death in Midsommar was once an attractive teenage boy who was traumatized by his experience filming Death in Venice with Luchino Visconti.

September 11
11, Pink Flamingos (1972). Blu-Ray. John Waters's filthy fossil seems like it's trying way too hard to shock the audience.

September 12.
12. Head (1968). Blu-Ray. Head has been regarded as a bad vanity project by a pre-fab boy band, but it really deserves rexamniaton as a surrealist comedy on par with the Marx Brothers.

September 13
13. Soundies: A Musical History (2007). TCM. A fascinating doc on a piece of film history unknown to me, music videos decades before MTV.

September 21
14. Titus (1999). Blu-Ray. Julie Taymor has adapted one of Shakespeare's least regarded plays into a cinematic masterpiece. She 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 24.
15. This is Joan Collins. (2022). TCM. You don't often see documentaries with commentary from the subject.

September 25
16. Still Alice (2014). HBO. Julianne Moore gives a brilliantly tragic performance as a linguistics professor struck by dementia in her 50s.

September 26
17. Mardi Gras: Made In China (2005).-Kanopy- A sobering look at how our disposable trinkets--in this case Mardi Gras beads--are manufactured by exploited labor in China

September 29
18. Things to Come (1936)-TCM-
19. Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022)-On Demand-

mrcellophane

*= first time viewing
blue= personal Blu-ray
purple= personal DVD
green= streaming
red= theatrical / live streaming / other
orange= borrowed or rented BD/DVD

• Meshes of the Afternoon (Maya Deren & Alexander Hammid)
  1943 / United States / 14 minutes / Art House / 8-31
  --- Audio Commentary by Thomas Beard
  
  
• At Land (Maya Deren)*
  1944 / United States / 15 minutes / Art House / 9-1
  
  
• Humain, trop humain (Louse Malle & René Vautier)*
  1974 / France / 72 minutes / Eclipse Series #2 / 9-3
  
  
• Vive le tour (Louse Malle)
  1962 / France / 19 minutes / Eclipse Series #2 / 9-6
  
  
• I bambini ci guardano / The Children Are Watching Us (Vittorio De Sica)*
  1944 / Italy / 84 minutes / Criterion Channel / Criterion #232 / 9-6
  
  
• Wong Gok ka moon / As Tears Go By (Wong Kar-wai)*
  1988 / Hong Kong / 99 minutes / Criterion Collection / 9-6
  --- Alternative endings
  --- Trailer
  
  
• A Study in Choreography for Camera (Maya Deren)*
  1945 / United States / 2 minutes / Art House / 9-7
  
  
• The Private Life of a Cat (Alexander Hammid & Maya Deren)*
  1946 / United States / 22 minutes / Art House / 9-7
  
  
• Melvin Goes to Dinner (Bob Odenkirk)
  2003 / United States / 83 minutes / Indie Film / 9-9
  
  
• Playing Mona Lisa (Matthew Huffman)
  2000 / United States / 97 minutes / Indie(ish) Film / 9-10
  
  
• Miracolo a Milano / Miracle in Milan (Vittorio De Sica)*
  1951 / Italy / 97 minutes / Criterion Channel / Criterion #1119 / 9-10
  
  
• Cat People (Jacques Tourneur)
  1942 / United States / 73 minutes / Criterion #833 / 9-13
  --- Interview with John Bailey
  --- Episode of "Cine regards" featuring Jacques Tourneur
  --- "Darkness Betrayed" by Geoffrey O'Brien
  --- Trailer
  
  
• Ging chaat goo si / Police Story (Jackie Chan & Chi-Hwa Chen)*
  1985 / Hong Kong / 100 minutes / Criterion #971 / 9-15
  --- Interview with Edgar Wright
  --- "Becoming Jackie": Interview with Grady Hendrix
  --- Trailer / Rerelease Trailer
  
  
• Luci del varietŕ / Variety Lights (Federico Fellini & Alberto Lattuada)
  1950 / Italy / 97 minutes / Criterion #81 / 9-19
  
  
• Ritual in Transfigured Time (Maya Deren)*
  1946 / United States / 15 minutes / Art House / 9-20
  
  
• Meditation on Violence (Maya Deren)*
  1949 / United States / 12 minutes / Art House / 9-20

Bladz

* First Time Viewing

September 3
1. Half Baked (1998)

September 4
2. Fando y Lis (1968)
3. God Bless America (2011)

September 5
4. Lady Bird (2017) *

September 6
5. The Breakfast Club (1985)

September 7
6. El Topo (1970)

September 10
7. The Holy Mountain (1973)

September 13
8. Sixteen Candles (1984)

September 30
9. Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010)

popcorn

Here

ororama

1. At the Ends of the Earth/Au bout du monde (1999) * 8 min.
2. The Public Voice /Den offentlige rřst (1988) * 11 min.
3. Fast Film (2003) * 14 min.
4. On Sundays (1961) * 27 min.
5. To Parsifal (1963) * 15 min.
6. Bath House/Simhall (2014) * 14 min.
7. The Burden/Min börda (2017) * 15 min.
8. Something to Remember/Nĺgot att minnas (2019) * 6 min.
9. Mass for the Dakota Sioux (1964) * 20 min.
10. All My Life (1966) * 3 min.
11. Castro Street (1966) * 10 min.
12. Black September in Kinsasha/Kinsasha, Septembre Noir (1991) * 8 min.
13. The Toad Visits His In-Laws/Le crapaud chez ses beaux-parents (1992) * 8 min.
14. Toad Visits His In-Laws 2: The White Orange/Le crapaud chez ses beaux-parents 2: L'orange blanche (1992) * 14 min.
15. The Gold Diggers (1983) * 89 min.
16. School Holidays in Prostokvashino/Kanikuly v Prostokvashino (1980) * 18 min.
17. Winter in Prostokvashino/Zima v Prostokvashino (1984) * 16 min.
18. L'Idée (1932) * 25 min.
19. Tuning the Instruments/Strojenie instrumentów (2000) * 15 min.
20. Our Betters (1933) * 83 min.
21. His New Job (1915) * 29 min.
22. Sambizanga (1972) * 97 min.
23. Porto of My Childhood/Porto da Minha Infância (2001) * 58 min.
24. Lucía (1968) * 160 min.
25. Downpour/Ragbar (1972) * 129 min.
26. The Hunt/La caza (1966) * 87 min.
27. Le Franc (1994) * 46 min.
28. Pixote/Pixote: A Lei do Mais Fraco (1980) * 126 min.
29. The Saga of Gösta Berling/Gösta Berlings saga (1924) * 183 min.
30. The Long Day Closes (1992) * 85 min.
31. Party Girl (1958) * 99 min.
32. Torrent (1926) * 88 min.
33. Love (1927) * 82 min.
34. Inherit the Wind (1960) * 128 min.
35. The Discipline of D.E. (1982) * 9 min.
36. I've Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987) * 83 min.
37. Wild Orchids (1929) * 100 min.
38. Different from the Others/Anders als die Andern (1919) * 49 min.
39. Life Is Rosy/La vie est belle (1987) * 83 min.
40. The Philadelphia Story (1940) * 112 min.
41. Oktyabr (1927) * 101 min.
42. Guimba the Tyrant/Guimba: un tyran, une époque (1995) * 94 min.
43. The Clay Bird/Matir Moina (2002) * 98 min.
44. Africa on the Seine/Afrique sur Seine (1955) * 21 min.
45. The Lion Has Wings (1939) * 76 min.
46. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943) * 163 min.
47. A Nation Is Born/Une Nation est née (1961) * 19 min.
48. Lamb (1964) * 18 min.
49. Fary the Donkey/Fary l'anesse (1988) * 21 min.
50. Cosmic Ray (1962) * 4 min.
51. Orange (1970) * 3 min.
52. The Liberation of the Mannique Mechanique (1967) * 15 min.
53. Big Sur: The Ladies (1966) * 3 min.
54. Hold Me While I'm Naked (1966) * 15 min.
55. Week End (1967) * 104 min.
56. The Ear/Ucho (1970) * 91 min.
57. Au bonheur des dames (1930) * 88 min.
58. The Rag Man (1925) * 68 min.
59. Au hasard Balthazar (1966) * 95 min.
60. Djeli, conte d'aujourd'hui (1981) * 89 min.
61. Nightmares Come at Night/Les cauchemars naissent la nuit (1970) * 85 min.
62. The Skeleton of Mrs. Morales/ El esqueleto de la seńora Morales (1960) * 84 min.
63. Time to Die/Tiempo de morir (1966) * 88 min.
64. Adulte (1998) * 7 min.
65. Japón (2002) * 134 min.
66. Ahlaam (2006) * 106 min.
67. Ki-ke-ri-gu! (1966) * 10 min.
68. Tiger the Cat/Tigeris Nau Nau (1967) * 9 min.
69. A Matter of Life and Death (1946) * 104 min.
70. The Fabulous Picture Show: Trip of Dreams Redux (2009) * 24 min.
71. Ansis' Flowers/Puku Ansis (1968) * 10 min.
72. The Searching Dauka/Dullais Dauka (1968) * 10 min.
73. Boom and Pyramidon/Bums un Piramidons (1969) * 9 min.
74. Hamlet Goes Business/Hamlet liikemaailmassa (1987) * 89 min.
75. The Song of Home/Furusato no uta (1926) * 51 min.
76. La Terre (1921) * 97 min.
77. Little Hawk/Vanadzins (1978) 15 min.
78. Bimini (1981) * 18 min.
79. Birds, Orphans and Fools/Vtáckovia, siroty a blázni (1969) * 81 min.
80. Mute Witnesses/Nemye svideteli (1914) * 65 min.
81. Prćsidenten (1919) * 84 min.
82. The Hare Census/Prebroyavane na divite zaytzi (1973) * 67 min.
83. State Fair (1933) * 98 min.
84. Daydreams/Gryozy (1915) * 37 min.
85. A Hell of a Note (1977) * 26 min.
86. Toss Me a Dime/Tire dié (1958) * 34 min.
87. The Whole Shootin' Match (1978) * 109 min.

*First time viewing

Toddarino

DVD
Blu-ray
UHD
Streaming

8/31
1. the Grand Illusion (ftw)
9/01
2. Seven Samurai
9/02
3. A Brief History Of Time (ftw)
4. For All Mankind (ftw)
5. The Lady Vanishes (ftw)
9/03
6. The 39 Steps (ftw)
7. Rebecca
8. The Man Who Knew Too Much (ftw)
9/04
9. M
10. Burden Of Dreams (ftw)
9/05
11. Fitzcarraldo (ftw)
12 . Thief (ftw)
9/06
13. Spellbound (ftw)
9/07
14.

caligulathegod

Sept 2
1: Breathless (1960)

Sept 5
2: Variety Lights (1950) Fellini

Trevor

Here