Category Archives: 2013 in Films
2013 in Films: A 565 New-To-Me Films Year-End Recap
A lot happened this year for me. I got my first full-time job, I moved to Los Angeles, I graduated from grad school. During all of this, I also managed to watch a lot of films. You can see more in-depth discussions of my year here or you can look at each month’s breakdown here. After the cut are all the films I watched this year and a brief discussion of my favorite non-2013 release that I watched this year. Yesterday I posted my Favorite Fifteen Films of 2013, so don’t forget to check that out as well.
I’ve Run Out of Clever Blog Post Titles: December 2013 in Fims
I watched quite a few 2013 releases in December (as often happens at the end of the year), but I won’t be writing about any of those films in this post. The 2013 releases that I saw this month that I really loved (including my favorite of the year!) made it into my Favorite Fifteen Films of 2013, which was posted yesterday (or last year. . .). I saw quite a few interesting films this month, including several films from 1913 (I’d like to thank The Academy for those). I also (finally) graduated from my M.F.A. program earlier this month. Which ultimately means I should have more free time for here on out. I don’t know if that means I’ll up my film viewing (I’m hoping to actually go out and do things this year!), but as any fanatic knows, I’ll never truly abandon the cinema! You can see all the films I watched in December after the cut, and later today I will be posting a giant wrap-up summarizing my entire film-watching experience in 2013. Enjoy!
Noirvember 2013 in Films
I hope you guys all had a great Noirvember, I know I did. You can see all the films noir I watched after the cut, as will as a list of my favorites. I saw some great things in the theatres this month, some new-to-me and others old favorites. Last night I saw a double feature at the New Bev of The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca. So good. So so so good. I managed to watch a little more than 30 new-to-me films noir, actually, as well as a few repeat viewings. Next year will be Noirvember Five and I’m hoping it’ll be the most epic yet.
Oh, the Horror!,: October 2013 in Films
October was a busy month for me (I saw An American Werewolf in London on the big screen not once, but TWICE), but I think I got a fair amount of film watching in. I did keep up with a horror film a day, as well as a few others here and there – also saw several 2013 releases, four of which I will discuss a little more after the cut.
Cinecon, Apu and Doomed Yuppies in Love: September 2013 in Films
September was a crazy month for me with work and starting up a new semester (My last! Soon I will have my M.F.A.!) and thus, not as much watching of films happened as I would have liked. In fact, I averaged just barely over one a day. I guess this is what happens when you start being a productive member of society. . .and go to school full time. . .at the same time. It’s also meant I haven’t had time to do Oscar Vault Monday. It looks like I probably won’t be able to start that feature up again until after my final presentation or perhaps even upon the new year. But when I do have time, it will be back and better than ever, I promise! Until then, as always, I have listed all the films I watched this past month below, as well as a few highlighted favorites.
- Sutter’s Gold (Cinecon 49)
- A Thrilling Romance (Cinecon 49)
- Oh, Mary, Be Careful (Cinecon 49)
- April Love (Cinecon 49)
- Wet and Warmer (Cinecon 49)
- Castles For Two (Cinecon 49)
- The Return of Sherlock Holmes (Cinecon 49)
- Spring Parade (Cinecon 49)
- China (Cinecon 49)
- Fifty Roads to Town (Cinecon 49)
- Hi, Good Lookin’ (Cinecon 49)
- It Started With A Kiss (1959)
- The Servant
- Barcelona
- Aparajito
- Riddick
- The Castle (1997)
- Gunfighters of Abilene
- Apur Sansar
- The Sport Parade
- Cold Feet (1989)
- Girlfriends (1978)
- Gun Street
- Undertaking Betty
- Ljuset håller mig sällskap (Light Keeps Me Company)
- California Dreaming (1979)
- Carson City Raiders
- Re-Animator
- The Butcher’s Wife
- Shotgun Stories
- The Paper (1994)
- The Last Days of Disco
- Eight Men Out
- Ride With The Devil
- So Young So Bad
1880s: 0
1880s: 0
1890s: 0
1900s: 0
1910s: 1
1920s: 4
1930s: 3
1940s: 4
1950s: 5
1960s: 3
1970s: 2
1980s: 3
1990s: 6
2000s: 3
2010s: 1
A cheated again and have listed seven films, but when you see how I did it, you will understand. . .it’s not really cheating, I swear.
Spring Parade, 1940 (dir. Henry Koster)
I saw this at Cinecon (which is a strange little festival that is really hit or miss, but completely comprised of films you will probably never get another chance to see on the big screen) and fell head over heels for it. Deanna Durbin is so wonderfully wacky in this film. It’s also a sweet film, without being sappy, that’s also got a sly sense of humor. Basically, it’s a perfect film.
The Servant, 1963 (dir. Joseph Losey)
I saw the new print released by Rialto (which looked great) and I still am not really sure what I saw. Talk about film as a subversive medium. Wowza. Dirk Bogarde is great (as he always is) as the titular servant, who starts out the perfect valet, and winds up something completely different. I’m sure for the English who live with their distinct classes (are they still like this? I don’t know), it packs even more of an impact.
Aparajito, 1956 / Apur Sansar, 1959 (dir. Satyajit Ray)
At the end of August I went to the final Oscars Outdoors screening of the summer. It was Cinema Paradiso (one of my all-time favorites). Before the start of the film they gave everyone who wanted them tickets to the newly restored Apu trilogy at the Academy theatre. I saw Pather Panchali a few years back, but I had never seen the other two films. I don’t think I have the words to describe how moving seeing these three films together really was (it was split between two nights). Each film builds on the other, as we start before Apu is even born and watch him grow from a child, to a boy to a man. We see him discover the joy of learning, the pain of loss and the power of love. Films like these are why cinema exists.
Barcelona, 1994 / The Last Days of Disco, 1998 (dir. Whit Stillman)
Another trilogy I finished this month was Whit Stillman’s “Doomed-Bourgeois-in-Love” series. A few months back I saw Metropolitan and I finally got around to watch the next two films. All three of them are filled with the kind of upper class East coast prep-school Ivy league type people that I have never really dealt with, but figure I would probably not enjoy knowing. Yet, despite the world in which these films are set, Whitman adds a bit of a critical edge to their lives (usually in the form of an outsider), so he doesn’t mock the characters, but he doesn’t let them off easy, either. These films are definitely not for everyone, but I really dug them. Also mad props for having Chris Eigeman in all of them because I love him so.
Re-Animator, 1985 (dir. Stuart Gordon)
I almost wish I had waited until October to watch this for my horror-movie-a-day viewing plans, but man I loved every minute of this gem. It’s funny and it’s gross and it’s all around perfect. If you haven’t seen it, make it one of your horror movies for the month of October, okay? You will not regret it.
Like I said, I have big plans for a horror-movie-a-day (via Netflix and Warner Archive Instant) this coming month and in November, don’t forget about Noirvember. Awww yeahhh best month of the year. See you on the flip side, my friends.
August 2013 in Films: New Releases and Rarities
August was a crazy month. Lots of work and lots of viewing of things in theatres. In fact right now Cinecon 49 is going on and I am trying to finish this post quickly so I can see a Sunday Morning Western there, so forgive me if this post is rather brief. As always, a full list of the films I saw is after the cut, as well as a few highlights. Oh and one last thing, I got to meet Paul Schrader and David Lynch in August. I feel I’ve crossed into another realm of existence. Oh and this is my 1,800th post!
Rom-Coms, Westerns, and Comic Con: July 2013 in Films
My movie watching dropped a bit in July. There are a few factors leading to this: 1) I watched the whole third season of Archer and the whole third season on Parenthood, 2) I was in San Diego for Comic Con and that same weekend flew up to S.F. for literally 24 hours attend a friend’s wedding and 3) I’ve been working on a new screenplay. All of those things take time, okay! I did, however, see quite a few new releases in theatres, as well as some rep stuff. I saw Schrader’s American Gigolo and Light Sleeper at UCLA and on Monday I am seeing his newest effort The Canyons there and he’s going to be in attendance! I also went to the Oscars Outdoors screening of Blazing Saddles. And, in case you missed it, I started a new Tumblr where I will be discussing rom-coms and why I think they are often overlooked and unfairly dismissed. That said, below, as always, are the films I did watch last month and a few highlights.
Moving, Jobs and Birthdays: June 2013 in Films
As I stated in last month’s end-of-the-month wrap-up, I moved to Los Angeles (North Hollywood to be specific) to start a job with the Warner Archive Collection at Warner Bros. in Burbank. I officially started on the 7th of June and it’s been a great few first weeks. We even got to go to the Saturn Awards last week (I met an Ewok and talked to Joss Whedon!!!). As far as cinema-going goes, I’ve gone to the ArcLight Sherman Oaks and the Laemmle NoHo 7 (several times). I also saw Some Like It Hot at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery as part of Cinespia, I saw Dial M For Murder at the Academy in 3D (amazing, Hitchock really used it as part of his storytelling tools) and finally got to see Boxing Day at the L.A. Film Fest, which co-starred my friend and teacher Matthew Jacobs. Yesterday was my 27th birthday and I am looking forward to a new year and another six months of unfettered cinematic love.
Pre-Codes, Noir and One Big Move: May 2013 in Films
May was a hectic month. I finished my penultimate semester of grad school (I graduate in December) and I MOVED TO L.A. Yes. I now live in North Hollywood (I’ve been here all of one day!) So this month’s round-up post is going to be a bit shorter than usual. I’m sure June will be full of crazy film-going shenanigans (I’m seeing Some Like It Hot tonight at the Hollywood Forever cemetery for Marilyn’s birthday today!). The reason for my move is that I am starting a job next week with. . .the Warner Archive Collection at Warner Bros. I am pretty excited. I can’t really tell you much about it, but it is going to rule. I’m going to miss San Francisco and I’m going to miss the Castro Theatre dearly, but the last film I saw there was Shadow of a Doubt (aka my favorite Hitchcock), so I guess I went out with a bang! I’m excited to explore the rich cinematic adventures L.A. has to offer.
TCM Film Festival and April 2013 New-To-Me Films
April was a crazy month for me. I watched more films than I had in any other month this year (though not as much as some months in 2011). I also went to the TCM Classic Film Festival for the third year in a row, during which I was featured in a promo that aired on TCM over the weekend. You can watch it here. That said, I watched A LOT of film this month and a lot of them were in theatres. Oh, I also saw two of my all-time favorite films on the big screen at the Castro Theatre this month: Pretty in Pink and The Last Unicorn. After the cut is all of the films I watched this month. I have cheated below and picked seven films to talk about instead of the usually five. I make my own rules!
the diary of a film history fanatic 