Tuesday, March 31, 2009

March Movies

The first quarter of 2009 has kept me busy, really busy. The best part of the past three months have been the film festivals Whitney and I have attended and recieved screeners from. In the past 31 days, I've watched 46 movies (including three shorts programs). Here's a list of everything I've seen, the clickable links will take you to reviews written by either Whitney or myself. They're pretty good, if I do say so myself.

Any movie labeled with "(!)" were, in my opinion, outstanding.

Cinequest Film Festival

Animated Shorts Program (x2)
Billy was a Deaf Kid (!)
Blue Road (!)

Documentary Shorts Program
Generic Thriller
Heart of Stone
The Investigator
Killer Poet: The Double Life of Norman Porter
Lifelines
The Nature of Existence


SXSW Film Festival

Alexander the Last
Garrison Keillor: The Man in the Red Shoes on the Radio
It Came from Kuchar (!)
Modern Love is Automatic
Monsters from the Id
Sons of a Gun
That Evening Sun
Sissyboy


Other Films

Barcelona (1994)
Blue Steel (1989)
The Brothers Grimm (2005)
Choke (2008)
The Dead Pool (1988) (D) (03-05-09) (!)
The Defiant Ones (1958) (!)
Domino (2005)
Don’t Say a Word (2008)
Freedom Writers (2007)
Harvey (1950)
Heaven Can Wait (1943)
Husbands and Wives (1992)
Hustle and Flow (2005)
In Bruges (2008)
Lady in a Cage (1964)
Lean on Me (1989)
Mighty Aphrodite (1995) (L) (03-19-09) (!)

Miracle of St. Anna (2008)
Mumia Abu-Jamal: A Case for Reasonable Doubt (1997)

The Omega Man (1971)
Religulous (2008)
Subway (1985)
Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
Sydney White (2007)

They Drive By Night (1940) (L) (03-08-09) (!)
THX-1138 (1971)
Up the Down Staircase (1967)



Does anyone besides me keep a list of everything they've watched?
What's the best stuff you watched in March?

11 comments:

Heather said...

I also keep track of the last movies I've seen. But mine is a mental list, not a physical list. I don't watch as many movies as I would like -- which allows me to be able to keep a mental list.

The last 10 movies I've seen:

1. The Godfather, Pt. 2 (1974)
2. The Godfather, Pt. 1 (1972)
3. Higher Learning (1995)
4. Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)
5. I've Loved You So Long (2008)
6. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)
7. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
8. The Visitor (2008)
9. The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)
10. Bottle Shock (2008)

elgringo said...

I LOVE HIGHER LEARNING!

Also, I met your sister today. She came into my work and she told me about your friend's twin brother who killed someone recently. She was really nice.

Heather said...

I love that you love Higher Learning! That movie is so awesome! I think I've seen it a billion times. I'm amazed at how many people have never seen it.

You met my sister!? What a small world. I assume you mean Kayla? Where do you work? And how was the connection made? And I'm wondering how my sister worked my friend's unfortunate circumstances into the conversation.

Bob Turnbull said...

I definitely track what I see - otherwise there's no way I could remember what I've seen recently.

Best films I saw in March? Hmmm...

A Matter Of Life And Death (Powell/Pressburger)
Blindness
Ping Pong Playa
Road House (the noir from the 40s with Ida Lupino)
Daisies (Czech new wave film)
Role Models

Fave revisits:

Ju-On 2
The Grudge 2
Out Of Sight
The Happiness Of The Katakuris
Cure

So pretty good month.

elgringo said...

Hey Bob, thanks for the great recommends. I just threw them to the top of the queue. I'm a bit nervous about Daises though. I don't know how many other Czech New Wave films I've seen before. Might be a life-changing experience.

elgringo said...

I can't remember what your sister's first name was. Whitney thought it was Holly (I think that's what Whitney said). Hmmm...I can't remember right now.

Heather said...

Holly is my younger sister and Kayla is my youngest sister. I figured it was Kayla because she lives in SLC. Holly lives in Logan. But Holly does go down to SLC, so i guess it could be either. Holly has long hair, Kayla has short hair. Holly is 23, Kayla is 19. Holly is pale, Kayla is tan. Holly is a Gemini, Kayla is a Leo. Maybe that will help.

Unknown said...

I thought of a couple of things this morning. It might be cool for you to have a section on the side of movies you recommend. Stuff in theaters or we can rent or on instant watch. Movies you have seen lately that you are raving about.

Also, if you know you are going to review a film that we all can see, you should let us know when you will review it, so we can watch it before your review. It will be fun to have a discussion, when we all have freshly watched the material.

Just some thoughts.

Bob Turnbull said...

I've only seen about 3-4 of the Czech new wave, but I don't think "Daisies" could be considered at all representative. I don't think it could be considered representative of anything for that matter...That's not a bad thing though - it's actually a great deal of fun depending on your viewpoint.

I was just considering putting together a post about it (after having screenshots from it lying around for awhile) when I saw your response - so I got off my butt and posted it.

RC said...

love your list.

you ask if anyone else keeps a list of what they watch...

absolutly...mine is a list broken down by year the movie came out, not when I saw it though.

very impressive start to 2009. My 2009 list is virtually non-existant.

Joel Bocko said...

Gringo, as a SXSW attendee, what's your take on the whole mumblecore thing? I'm only just catching up on these films (including Bujalski's work from 5-7 years ago) now. I've generally liked most of what I've seen, with some varied reservations and doubts. That said, Bujalski seems to a genuinely excellent director, regardless of whatever "movement" he's a part of - Swanberg on the other hand has a canny sense of publicity but I'm not yet sure what I think of his overall aesthetic...