Letterboxd

[Duragizer]

Here're the movies I watched/rewatched this year:

• https://letterboxd.com/duragizer/list/movies-i-watched-for-the-first-time-2021/
• https://letterboxd.com/duragizer/list/movies-i-rewatched-2021/

 

[mnkykungfu]

^Wow, interesting year for you! You've got some real classics mixed in with a lot of that B-rate genre stuff...eclectic year.

 

[Handman]

2020

2021

 

[TM2YC]

It's taken 2-months to complete my last 25 films list (5 Directors, 5 Films (Part XIII)). There was a little bit of barrel scraping to complete some filmographies but some great discoveries too. @mnkykungfu was right "I think you'll really like Empire of the Sun" and I really did but the other 4 Spielberg movies were probably some of his worst (aka least best). The Hitchcock movies were an uneven selection but I enjoyed them all, especially 'Dial M for Murder'. The David Lynch doc and 'Straight Story' were fantastic, his other 3 were almost physically painful to endure. The Scott films were mostly lacklustre but the best was actually one of his latest, 'The Last Duel'. The Kurosawa films suggest I need to explore more of his brilliant early, gritty, lower budget, non-Samurai stuff.

For the next 25 films I'm going with 5x5 I've watched already: https://letterboxd.com/tm2yc/list/5-directors-5-films-part-xiv/ These are films I want to rewatch by famous directors because I love them but haven't reviewed them before, or films I hope are better than I remember. After the rather rum Spielberg selection on the last list, here are 5 to remind me how good he can be.

John Carpenter - I've reviewed all of JC's other films. I'm looking forward to seeing these again (except 'Dark Star').
Dark Star 1974
Elvis 1979
Escape from New York 1981
Starman 1984
Big Trouble in Little China 1986

Steven Spielberg - Some of my Spielberg favourites here but I've not seen Hook since I was nipper.
Hook 1991
A.I. Artificial Intelligence 2001
Munich 2005
War Horse 2011
Lincoln 2012

Martin Scorsese - Stone cold classics that I've not revisited in a while.
Raging Bull 1980
Cape Fear 1991
Casino 1995
Bringing Out the Dead 1999
The Wolf of Wall Street 2013

Woody Allen - Five of my favourite Allen movies. Hope they hold up.
Bananas 1971
Sleeper 1973
Manhattan 1979
Zelig 1983
The Purple Rose of Cairo 1985

Terry Gilliam - I love Gilliam when he's making stuff like these five.
Time Bandits 1981
The Fisher King 1991
Twelve Monkeys 1995
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 1998
Tideland 2005

 

[TM2YC]

^ Rewatching those 25 favourite classics is too easy so I'm challenging myself to watch another I haven't seen: https://letterboxd.com/tm2yc/list/5-directors-5-films-part-xv/

Claude Lanzmann - Time to watch through my 'Shoah and four films after Shoah' Masters of Cinema boxset.
Shoah 1985
A Visitor from the Living 1997
Sobibor, October 14, 1943, 4 p.m. 2001
The Karski Report 2010
The Last of the Unjust 2013

Jim Jarmusch - I want to dip into my Jarmusch blu-ray set.
Stranger Than Paradise 1984
Down by Law 1986
Mystery Train 1989
Dead Man 1995
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai 1999

Park Chan-wook - A watch (rewatch?) of Park Chan-wook's vengeance trilogy boxset.
Joint Security Area 2000
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance 2002
Oldboy 2003
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance 2005
Old Days 2016

Alan Clarke - 5 more things to explore from my complete Alan Clarke collection.
Horatio Bottomley 1972
Fast Hands 1976
Baal 1982
Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire 1985
The Firm 1989

Agnes Varda - Another 5 Agnes Varda films from the Criterion collection which I haven't seen yet.
Black Panthers 1968
Jane B. by Agnès V. 1988
Kung-Fu Master! 1988
The Gleaners and I 2000
The Beaches of Agnès 2008

I have a feeling I might of seen 'Oldboy' and 'Ghost Dog' when they came out but it's been a couple of decades, so I'm not sure.

 

[TM2YC]

^ I'm still just over halfway through the last list but I'm going for another one as some of the films are available to stream right now: https://letterboxd.com/tm2yc/list/5-directors-5-films-part-xvi/

Wes Anderson - Five more from his filmography that I've missed over the years, including his latest.
Hotel Chevalier 2007
The Darjeeling Limited 2007
Fantastic Mr. Fox 2009
Moonrise Kingdom 2012
The French Dispatch 2021

Jean-Luc Godard - The last four Godard films that I "need" to see and one about him. Hopefully I like something out of these ones.
Alphaville 1965
Pierrot le Fou 1965
2 or 3 Things I Know About Her 1967
Weekend 1967
Godard Mon Amour 2017

Krzysztof Kieslowski - I don't think I've seen anything by him before and these are certainly hailed as classics.
Dekalog 1989
The Double Life of Véronique 1991
Three Colors: Blue 1993
Three Colors: White 1994
Three Colors: Red 1994

Peter Weir - I've sporadically watched Weir's work but have not seen four of these acclaimed movies. I just want to revisit M&C.
Picnic at Hanging Rock 1975
The Last Wave 1977
Gallipoli 1981
Dead Poets Society 1989
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World 2003

Jacques Demy - Again I don't think I've seen anything by Demy, so these are a good start, plus a documentary by his wife Agnes Varda.
Lola 1961
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg 1964
The Young Girls of Rochefort 1967
Model Shop 1969
The World of Jacques Demy 1995

I've seen Master and Commander before but I really want to see if it's better than I remember.

 

[mnkykungfu]

If you remember it as anything less than awesome, then yes.

That's a heckuva of an educational list. Definitely eating your film vegetables, so to speak.

 

[TM2YC]

If you remember it as anything less than awesome, then yes.

I remember Master and Commander being just short of awesome but over two decades it seems to have acquired the reputation of a faultless modern classic, so I'm curious to see it again.

That's a heckuva of an educational list. Definitely eating your film vegetables, so to speak.

Yes and to further that metaphor, I think the Godard films are going to be like eating over cooked spinach and sprouts. But they'll probably do me good.

 

[mnkykungfu]

Well, I suppose I'd fault it for revealing its origins as a book that's part of a series. The film certainly shows that it's hoping for the same, though you can point to nearly any big blockbuster these days and argue it's trying to set up a series, or pay off one.

Yeah, both Goddard and Demy fall into that category of European films that are a bit drier and headier and more self-indulgent than I think I'm mentally equipped for. I don't like cooked spinach either, so that metaphor works for me.

 

[gamerRyno]

Hi everyone, new user here. I thought I'd drop a link to my page but I'm too new. Its under Spirit_Gunna

 

[recordwrangler95]

I'm on there as AJNORTHROP

 

[TM2YC]

I haven't quite finished my 16th 5x5 list yet but I've completed the 15th.

I may not sit though about 20-hours of Claude Lanzmann holocaust docs again but they well worth seeing at least once from an educational point of view. Loved everything by Jim Jarmusch and have many more still to see in the future. Park Chan-wook's five were a mixed bag, 'Mr. Vengeance' was the only one that got close to 'Oldboy'. I knew I was doing a bit of "barrel scraping" with the Alan Clarke selection but 'The Firm' and 'Horatio Bottomley' were excellent. I didn't love the Agnes Varda five as much of some of her others but they were all good.

Time for a 17th list of 25-films by 5-Directors which I'm challenging myself to watch (mostly) for the first time (Although I've seen 'Rolling Thunder', 'Starship Troopers' and 'Last Tango in Paris' before). https://letterboxd.com/tm2yc/list/5-directors-5-films-part-xvii/

Michelangelo Antonioni - I didn't especially like the only Antonioni film I've seen before but here are five more acclaimed film chances.
La Notte 1961
L’Eclisse 1962
Red Desert 1964
Blow-Up 1966
Zabriskie Point 1970

Bernardo Bertolucci - I've not seen much of his filmography beyond 'The Last Emperor'.
Before the Revolution 1964
The Conformist 1970
The Spider’s Stratagem 1970
Last Tango in Paris 1972
1900 1976

Paul Schrader - Time to dig into the more critically lauded films in his directorial oeuvre.
Blue Collar 1978
Hardcore 1979
American Gigolo 1980
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters 1985
Light Sleeper 1992

Wong Kar-wai - I've seen nish by Wong Kar-wai, hopefully I can find these five without any of his recent George Lucas style revisionism.
Chungking Express 1994
Fallen Angels 1995
Happy Together 1997
In the Mood for Love 2000
The Grandmaster 2013

Paul Verhoeven - Obviously I've seen all his hugely popular Hollywood movies but I don't think I've seen any of his more critically respected, smaller scale, Dutch movies. I also want to rewatch 'Starship Troopers' because it's always the right time to do that.
Turkish Delight 1973
Soldier of Orange 1977
The 4th Man 1983
Starship Troopers 1997
Black Book 2006

 

[mnkykungfu]

I love Verhoeven. His sensibilities are, by and large, mine. Injecting satire and commentary into films that are still broadly entertaining and don't hold back. His Dutch films certainly come off a bit more serious to me, though Black Book is great and Soldier of Orange still holds up. Will look for your reviews!

 

[TM2YC]

My latest list, this was a "trip down memory lane" to make ...

Possibly sh*t films which I ADORED as a kid… dare I rewatch them?

I truly loved these 30 films (mostly released between the early 80s, to the early 90s) and rewatched the VHS tapes endlessly but considering I've rarely (or never) rewatched them and they all score 50% or less on Rotten Tomatoes (some with no score, or 0%), I have to concede that they may not have held up.

When the opportunity arises, I'll try and rewatch these and find out if there are some forgotten classics, or shattered childhood dreams. I have my suspicions which those will be.

* (I've included 'Blackbeard's Ghost' despite it scoring 82% because there is no way that is right. Some RT reviewers have been taking too many nostalgia pills.)

Blackbeard’s Ghost 1968 - 82% on Rotten Tomatoes
One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing 1975 - 69% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes
Condorman 1981 - 27% on Rotten Tomatoes
The Ewok Adventure 1984 - 21% on Rotten Tomatoes
Teen Wolf 1985 - 42% on Rotten Tomatoes
Santa Claus: The Movie 1985 - 20% on Rotten Tomatoes
Biggles 1986 - 46% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes
¡Three Amigos! 1986 - 45% on Rotten Tomatoes
Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol 1987 - 0% on Rotten Tomatoes
Harry and the Hendersons 1987 - 45% on Rotten Tomatoes

Jaws: The Revenge 1987 - 0% on Rotten Tomatoes
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace 1987 - 10% on Rotten Tomatoes
Masters of the Universe 1987 - 22% on Rotten Tomatoes
Short Circuit 2 1988 - 38% on Rotten Tomatoes
Moonwalker 1988 - 69% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes
Oliver & Company 1988 - 50% on Rotten Tomatoes
Robot Jox 1989 - 42% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes
Nuns on the Run 1990 - 43% on Rotten Tomatoes
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1990 - 41% on Rotten Tomatoes
Fire Birds 1990 - 10% on Rotten Tomatoes

King Ralph 1991 - 25% on Rotten Tomatoes
If Looks Could Kill aka Teen Agent 1991 - 29% on Rotten Tomatoes
Drop Dead Fred 1991 - 11% on Rotten Tomatoes
Suburban Commando 1991 - 15% on Rotten Tomatoes
Hook 1991 - 29% on Rotten Tomatoes
Beethoven 1992 - 31% on Rotten Tomatoes
Freddie as F.R.O.7. 1992 - 48% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes
National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1 1993 - 18% on Rotten Tomatoes
Batman Forever 1995 - 39% on Rotten Tomatoes
The Phantom 1996 - 43% on Rotten Tomatoes

Props to this youtube editor for making this exciting recut trailer for the dreadful looking 'Condorman':

Surely the presence of Christopher Lloyd makes this automatically good:

I have high hopes for this one:

 

[mnkykungfu]

I love this. For me:

Condorman - also a huge favorite of mine!
The Ewok Adventure - I can confirm this is not good. But I love it anyway.
Teen Wolf - f*** critics, this movie rules!
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace - oh god, this is bad.
Masters of the Universe - not as horrible of a film as I remembered, but a horrible He-Man movie.
Short Circuit 2 - hmm...I'm interested in this one myself...
Oliver & Company - forgettable
Robot Jox - so bad it's good
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - much better than you'd think!
Hook - makes a good double bill with Peter Pan (2003)!
Batman Forever - watch the Red Book edition!

 

[TM2YC]

I've completed another 5x5 list of 25 films (https://letterboxd.com/tm2yc/list/5-directors-5-films-part-xvi/). I generally liked the Wes Anderson five but my pick was 'The Darjeeling Limited'. As expected, I hated the Jean-Luc Godard films but at least I've ticked off all his major works now, the drama about him 'Godard Mon Amour' was by far the best. I thought the five (actually 14 films) by Krzysztof Kieslowski would also be a pretentious slog but his work is accessible, dramatic and emotional. 'Three Colors: Red' was my favourite. The Peter Weir stuff was a mixed bag. I'm glad I gave 'Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World' another try, I loved that one this time. Jacques Demy's films were also mixed although I liked them all but I loved 'The Young Girls of Rochefort'.

Now I'm on to another 5x5 list: https://letterboxd.com/tm2yc/list/5-directors-5-films-part-xviii/

Terry Gilliam - I just need to see his first (solo) film and his latest (last?) to complete his filmography, plus revisit my favourite film of his and two docs.
Jabberwocky 1977
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen 1988
Lost in La Mancha 2002
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote 2018
He Dreams of Giants 2019

Andrea Arnold - This completes her filmography for me.
Milk 1998
Red Road 2006
Wuthering Heights 2011
American Honey 2016
Cow 2021

Paul Verhoeven - I liked the last set of Verhoeven films, so time for some more. A doc, a couple of new ones and two to revisit.
Flesh + Blood 1985
Basic Instinct 1992
Showgirls 1995
You Don’t Nomi 2019
Benedetta 2021

Steven Soderbergh - These five chip away at more of his long filmography and contain some major omissions on my part.
Out of Sight 1998
Erin Brockovich 2000
Ocean’s Eleven 2001
Ocean’s Twelve 2004
Ocean’s Thirteen 2007

Shane Meadows - I've been meaning to watch more of his work for ages and revisit 'Dead Man's Shoes' to see if it's as good as I remember.
A Room for Romeo Brass 1999
Dead Man’s Shoes 2004
Northern Soul 2004
This Is England 2006
Somers Town 2008

 

[mnkykungfu]

^You're getting a bit more into my wheelhouse now! I think several of these have very different and/or more available releases in the UK. I had a bear of a time finding Lost in La Mancha, ending up with a DVD from Spain that subbed everything except the Spanish. I think I caught most of it, but it was a real trial at parts. Dunno why there was no US release, it's inadvertently one of Gilliam's most interesting films!

 

[TM2YC]

^You're getting a bit more into my wheelhouse now! I think several of these have very different and/or more available releases in the UK. I had a bear of a time finding Lost in La Mancha, ending up with a DVD from Spain that subbed everything except the Spanish. I think I caught most of it, but it was a real trial at parts. Dunno why there was no US release, it's inadvertently one of Gilliam's most interesting films!

The three related films 'Lost in La Mancha', 'The Man Who Killed Don Quixote' and 'He Dreams of Giants' are all included on the BritBox channel via Amazon Prime at the moment. I recall 'Lost in La Mancha' being a very popular DVD at the time in Europe, so there are loads of copies floating about, so it can be bought 2nd hand for £1 on eBay. I must of seen it 3 or 4 times already.

 

[TM2YC]

25 films I'm going to try to see in the lead up to Halloween, mostly for the first time but I have seen 8 of them before: 2022 Halloween Horror Watchlist

The Revenge of Frankenstein 1958
The Castle of the Living Dead 1964
The Plague of the Zombies 1966
Witchfinder General 1968
The Devils 1971
Tales from the Crypt 1972
Frankenstein: The True Story 1973
The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue 1974
The Cars That Ate Paris 1974
Phantom of the Paradise 1974
Halloween III: Season of the Witch 1982
The Company of Wolves 1984
Little Shop of Horrors 1986
Ghostwatch 1992
Shallow Grave 1994
Heavenly Creatures 1994
Gods and Monsters 1998
May 2002
Dog Soldiers 2002
Hell on Earth: The Desecration & Resurrection of The Devils 2002
The Descent 2005
Crimson Peak 2015
Overlord 2018
Dracula 2020
X 2022

These are mostly British (or related) films with a good mix of old and new, Hammer-Horror, Dracula, Frankenstein, Zombies, a portmanteau/anthology and musicals.

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

If you haven't seen it already, I can definitely recommend Dr Sapirstein's restoration of Phantom of the Paradise, despite the few rough edges I much prefer it over the mutilated theatrical version.

Brian De Palma's Phantom: 40th Anniversary Restoration - Fanedit.org

ifdb.fanedit.org