Yearly Archives: 2011
Movie Quote of the Day – Annie Hall, 1977 (dir. Woody Allen)
Duane: Can I confess something? I tell you this as an artist, I think you’ll understand. Sometimes when I’m driving. . .on the road at night. . .I see two headlights coming toward me. Fast. I have this sudden impulse to turn the wheel quickly, head-on into the oncoming car. I can anticipate the explosion. The sound of shattering glass. The. . .flames rising out of the flowing gasoline.
Alvy Singer: Right. Well, I have to – I have to go now, Duane, because I, I’m due back on the planet Earth.
Movie Quote of the Day – Swingers, 1996 (dir. Doug Liman)
Sue: You are so money, and you don’t even know it.
Trent: That’s what I keep trying to tell him.
WGA Nominations Are In, Loves Phillip Morris
These are not too shocking, except for the addition of I Love You Phillip Morris in the Best Adapted category. Glad the WGA is giving that film so much due love. This would be more exciting if it weren’t for all the major Oscar contenders that the Writers Guild disqualified.
Movie Quote of the Day – High Fidelity, 2000 (dir. Stephen Frears)
Rob: What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?
Winter’s Bone Out, The Town In; Producers Guild Announces Nominations
The biggest shock here is no Winter’s Bone in the Top Ten. It got some individual love at the SAG, but not an ensemble and now no nod from the PGA. That does not bode well for the film’s chances at a Best Picture nod. Conversely, a nomination for The Town puts the ensemble heist film back in the running. Because most of AMPAS have already sent in their ballots, this announcement won’t necessarily effect how they’ve voted, but it may reflect the way the wind is blowing.
POLL: Which (First Half of the Year) 2011 Film Are You Most Excited For?
This is just for January through June releases. I’ll do another poll in June for July through December releases. Keep in mind a lot of the big summer movies open in July, so that’s why they aren’t on this poll. Personally, the only 2011 release that matters for me is Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life. What about y’all?
Oscar Vault Monday – Raging Bull, 1980 (dir. Martin Scorsese)
This was one of those movies that I’d always meant to watch and just never had. I finally watched it for the first time a few weeks ago and I was completely blown away. It’s no wonder it was added to the National Film Registry the first year it was eligible. It’s just so eloquently simple and yet about this completely horrid person. Perhaps the real Jake La Motta found some redemption with the people in his life, but in this film he finds it only within himself. I think this is Scorsese’s best film. I know I said that about Goodfellas a few months ago; but I hadn’t seen this film then. Raging Bull was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning two: Best Sound, Best Cinematography, Best Editing (won), Best Supporting Actress – Cathy Moriarty, Best Supporting Actor – Joe Pesci, Best Actor – Robert De Niro (won), Best Director and Best Picture. It was up again Coal Miner’s Daughter, The Elephant Man, Tess and winner Ordinary People.
Movie Quote of the Day – Funny Face, 1957 (dir. Stanley Donen)
Dick Avery: Holy Moses! You look fabulous! [beat] Look, stop. Stop!
Jo Stockton: I can’t stop. Take the picture.
Dick Avery: Stop!
Jo Stockton: I don’t want to stop. I like it. Take the picture. Take the picture.
Movie Quote of the Day – Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, 2004 (dir. Adam McKay)
Ron Burgundy: It’s so damn hot… milk was a bad choice.
517 Films, 365 Days and a Year Filled with Cinema
I’m sure you’re probably wondering how I managed to watch so many films in one year. To answer that I have to give you a little background information. For about 9 months out of the year I was unemployed and for those other 3 months I was only employed about half-time. That left me with a lot of free time. I figured with so many free hours I ought to spend my time doing something I love and maybe something constructive as well. If you ask me, watching as many films as possible counts as something constructive. My brain hasn’t felt this stimulated in years. A lot of my viewing came courtesy of Netflix, instant Netflix and the best channel on television: Turner Classic Movies. Throughout this epic film-watching year I managed to watch all the remaining Best Picture Winners I hadn’t seen, as well as multiple classic horror films in October and about 38 of the top Film-Noir films (I plan on referring to November from now on as Noirvember). In fact, I watched so many wonderful films in the last year it’s hard for me to imagine there are any films left for me to watch in 2011. That is, until I look at my completely full Netflix queue and all the films TCM has scheduled in January and February that I haven’t seen.
the diary of a film history fanatic 