Personalized Lists

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am venturing away from blogging and veering towards making lists. I will have my own lists on here, but also personalized lists and recommendation for friends and followers of this blog. Each entry would be your first name so anyone could easy access for referencing. You could comment or message me likes and dislikes. Think of it as your own Netflix recommendation center. Now that I'm reading again, books will also come into play. Either leave a comment or message me if you're interested in me making a list for you. If you're not comfortable with it being on display, I can always email or messenger it to you.

Upcoming lists: All things Scandinavian.

K.

No Blogging: Part II

Surgery went well. Mostly back to normal with minor restrictions. I had six days off for the surgery and recovery, five of which I was in a constant high from the pain medication. In between naps, sleeping, and eating, I managed to watch 17 movies and start 2 I didn't finish. I had a loose list to go through (see part 1), so here are the movies I watched and a few notes on them.

The one thing I knew I wanted to get through was the Alien series. I had seen them all before, but it had been a while and I wanted a refresher before the new Alien movie comes out (trailer: please watch).
Alien: This is still my favorite of the series, especially realizing that most of the amazing cast in this is no longer with us (I really miss John Hurt.)
Aliens: Probably James Cameron's best film. I'm not a fan of his. That being said, this rises up to the occasion to be as good as the original. A friend of mine quoted it as "the Godfather II of sci-fi." I wouldn't go that far, but it's a good one.
Alien 3: David Fincher tried to go through lawyers to get his name off this project due to producers not respecting his vision. None of that footage exists, but what is left is a great concept movie that picks up right where Aliens left off.
Alien: Resurrection: Yes, this is the turd of the group. It still has some fun moments and great effects, but not the best movie.
I watched these in order in a total gamut. It didn't feel like four movies, but more like episodes of a great Masterpiece Theatre series. Highly recommend it. Drugs do help.

I was in a bit of pain day 2 so I took a double dose (by double I mean what the bottle recommends. I have a low tolerance.) I thought "This would be a great time to watch Fantasia." I couldn't have been more right. This has been a favorite film of mine since I was a kid and watch it often. Being in that state obviously added layers to a Classic.

Crimson Peak: Amazing visuals. Good acting. Decent script. It still fell flat. See it for the visuals if anything. Anything by del Toro is worth watching for that reason.

I noticed I had some holes in my early Scorsese. I caught Bringing Out the Dead, Boxcar Bertha, and Color of Money (I really really miss Paul Newman) on HBOGO. These all seem like his least personal films, but at least the later two are great in their own way.

Persona: Totally psychological. One of my favorite films. Just go watch it. Or borrow it from me.

Green Room: Great twist on the survival/trapped horror genre. Really gross. Fantastic moments of shock, absurdity, and humor. It will really make you think about what your "Desert Island" band would be.

Grand Hotel: A 1932 soap opera of grand proportions.

Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down: This was the only Almodovar I could find that I hadn't seen. He launched the careers of Antonio Banderes and Penelope Cruz. Master of Spanish cinema even from his early films.

Forest for the Trees: Maren Ade's first film. Painfully awkward and hard to watch, but I feel that was its intention.

Big Lebowski: Duh. Of course. Sometimes we need to remember that the Dude still abides.

Sea of Trees: A Gus Van Sant film (which is why I watched it) that's stunning to look at. Good performances. Decent movie.

By the last day I was off the meds and finished with Hacksaw Ridge. This is what Saving Private Ryan wished it could be. The combat footage is some of the best camera work I've seen in a while. Great story. Even the cheesy love story. Wish I had seen it in the theatre. Desmond Doss was an insane.....everything.

Thanks for indulging me in my drug fueled movie binge, and for reading.

Back to lists on the next one.

K.

No Blogging: Part I

I do love movies. I do not like writing about them. So this forum will change to suit another thing I love: lists.
The next list will be a two parter, a before and after. I am having my gallbladder removed on Tuesday, and I plan on being in a drug fueled haze for a few days while I recover. Obviously I had to ask myself : what films could be enhanced while in this fog? Here's my list so far:
        The Alien franchise (Alien-Alien Resurrection)
        Fantasia
        Persona
        Solaris
        Barry Lyndon
        Any Pedro Almodovar I have lying around

Feel free to comment and leave any movies I should add to my list.

k.

Valentines Day A-Z: List #4: the weird and obscure

There's a chance you've seen some of these, or maybe you haven't even heard of them. These picks will be filled with either violence, overt sexuality, heart-wrenching social issues, or just a good old fashioned torrid love affair. I would not use the word "happy" to describe any of these. There were a lot of ties. Enjoy, and Happy Valentine's Day. Side note: I will go back through the lists and properly mark all the foreign picks for those who hate (or love) to read your movies.


Ali: Fear Eats the Soul- Ger
tie: Broken Circle Breakdown- Danish & Blue Velvet
Carnal Knowledge
Dreamers
End of the Affair
Fish Tank
Graduate
Hannah and Her Sisters
tie: In the Realm of the Senses- Jap & In the Cut
tie: Jackie Brown & Jude
tie: Love Streams & Leaving Las Vegas
Mona Lisa
Never Let Me Go
Only Lovers Left Alive
tie: Piano Teacher- Fre & Paris, Texas
Quills
Reader
tie: Skin I Live In- Spa & Secretary
Talk to Her- Spa
Unbearable Lightness of Being
Valmont
tie: W.E. & Woman Under the Influence
Young Adult

Valentines A to Z #3: Foreign

I could do four lists of just foreign. Keep the comments and your picks coming!
Here is list number 3: foreign (including British) romantic dramas. I used the title that the film is most known by followed by the country abbreviation it is from.

Amalie- Fre
Black Orpheus- Brazil
Casque d'or- Fre
Day for Night- Fre
Elena and Her Men- Fre
Fat Girl- Fre
Gertrude- Danish
Hiroshima mon amour- Fre
In the Mood for Love- Hong Kong
Love Me if you Dare- Fre
Miss Julie- Swe
La Notte- Ita
Pygmalion- Bri
Royal Affair- Danish
Summer Interlude- Swe
Tell No One- Fre
Umbrellas of Cherbourg- Fre
Very Long Engagement- Fre
Wings of Desire- Ger
Zorba the Greek- Greek

Valentines A-Z #2: Modern

The second list is modern romantic dramas (modern meaning movies released after 1970). I'm sure I will be getting more guff for this list. It's only going to get weirder and more obscure from here. Again, no repeats from the A.V. list.

About a Boy

Before Series (Sunrise, Sunset, Midnight)

Carol

Dirty Dancing

English Patient

500 Days of Summer

Groundhogs Day

Her

Jane Eyre (2011)

Klute

Last Of the Mohicans 

Manhattan

Notebook

Officer and a Gentleman

Princess Bride

Royal Affair

Sense and Sensibility

True Romance

Up in the Air

Vicky, Christina, Barcelona

Valentines List One: the Classics

The A.V. Club recently put out a list of best romantic comedies A to Z, and I have decided to make one of my own. I couldn't choose just one film per letter, so I ended up with four lists. I wanted to do romantic dramas instead, only listing films I've seen, no animation, and no repeats from the A.V. list.
The four lists are Classics, Modern, Foreign, and Misc.
Here are the Classics (films before 1970). Should you want me to expand on, or explain any of these picks, send me a message at op70no1@gmail.com.

An Affair to Remember
Brief Encounter
Charade
La Dolce Vita
Earrings of Madame de...
Faces
Gone With the Wind
His Girl Friday
It's a Wonderful Life
Jules and Jim
Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
My Man Godfrey
Notorious
On the Waterfront
Philadelphia Story
Red Shoes
Splendor in the Grass
That Hamilton Woman
Under the Roofs of Paris
Vertigo
Written on the Wind