For this year, I'm setting a goal of seeing the films that have popped up on various best of lists that I just haven't gotten to yet. I've seen most of those types of movies, but there are about a hundred or so I've got left, so this will close off a big chunk of my watchlist. These are films listed in the book The A-List, in the AFI Top 100, the Sight & Sound Top 100 (Critics & Directors), Filmsite's Top 100, the IMDB Top 250 and assorted other greatest films lists. Early in the year, I do have a Regal Unlimited pass, and many of the Oscarbait films are out, so I may be contributing to their bankruptcy.
Movie #1/ New Movie #1: The Fabelmans (Movie Theater)
It's a well made film with a decent cast giving top performances. There are some touches that Steven Spielberg is one of the best directors alive, like the ways he has Seth Rogan's Bennie suddenly intrude on family events, or how we get a sense of how a teenager would respond to Judd Hirsch's Boris. I appreciate how deeply weird the family is, and how Sammy's talents are appreciated which makes his home movies more interesting. It's certainly indulgent, but fun.
9/10
Movie #2/ New Movie #2: John Wick (HBO Max)
The trailers for the fourth one make me want to check out the whole series. It's a good introduction to Keanu Reeve's badass hitman, and does a decent job of worldbuilding. It's a bit bland, like a competent version of things I've already seen in other films and especially R-rated comic books.
7/10
Movie #3: Avatar: The Way of Water (Movie Theater)
Seeing it a second time, I get an appreciation for how well it continues the saga while being completely different thanks to the focus on the next generation. It's pretty good at capturing the turmoil of adolescence, in addition to the astounding effects.
8/10
Short Movie #1: The Black Tower (Mubi)
This is an interesting example of the power of film, a shorter piece with one narrator mainly speaking over a series of photographs, mostly about architecture that manages a tell a story is compelling, unsettling and suited for the format.
9/10
Movie #4/ New Movie #3: The Woman King (Movie Theater)
It's great to see Viola Davis as a warrior action hero like Braveheart or Henry V. The film has a good sense of the culture it depicts, although the personal drama is much more interesting than the conflict with relatively bland bad guys.
7/10
Movie #5: Friday the 13th (Movie Theater)
The Regal chain decided to show this on Friday the 13th, which was a welcome use of my Unlimited Pass. It's pretty good at capturing a specific atmosphere of an empty campground in New Jersey, and establishes some suspense as characters realize what's going on one at a time. The Psycho influence is pretty damn obvious. I didn't really care for the final act when the bad guy was revealed, although the last twist elevated this above most horror movies.
8/10
Movie #6/ New Movie #4: The Child (Blu-Ray)
This was an odd regional horror, with a creepy sense of atmosphere before the big reveal (although that's kind of spoiled by many of the loglines.) Like many of the other films in Arrow's American Horror Project, it's interesting and the extras provide some context, but it's not quite great.
7/10
Movie #7/ New Movie #5: Mothra VS Godzilla (Blu-Ray)
The Godzilla crossover is charming but slight. I do like the fairies and the resolution.
7/10
Movie #8/ New Movie #6: The Whale (Movie Theater)
I appreciated this film. Brendan Fraser is excellent at capturing someone grotesque and nuanced. The crammed house is appropriately claustrophobic. The rest of the cast is pretty good. Some of the criticism seems misguided. This is not about gawking at a morbidly obese guy, but a self-destructive man's search for meaning. It's not about the audience thinking we're better than the lead, but recognizing that we may be capable of falling so low.
8/10
Movie #9/ New Movie #7/ Listed #1: 42nd Street (HBO Max)
This pre-code backstage musical is perfectly fine. It's got some decent lines, and excellent set pieces which do lead to some layered performances, as we often have actors playing someone else performing a role. It captures a few specifics pretty well like the division between juvenile and adult actors. Given how she steals the show in a small role, I'm not shocked that Ginger Rogers would go on to be one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.
8/10
Movie #10/ New Movie #8: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Movie Theater)
It's an excellent all-ages film, much better than I expected- best in this film universe since Shrek, and possibly even better. It gives the comic relief hero a decent arc, with a really good mix of villains (even if a twist with the wolf was spoiled by all the memes.)
8/10
Movie #11/ New Movie #9/ Listed #2: Genevieve (Amazon Rental)
It's a fun specific family-friendly comedy about a silly rivalry between two vintage automobile enthusiasts that drags their significant others into it. It's charming and funny, with mostly low-stakes set pieces, though the references may be lost now that the contemporary cars in the film are much older than the titular Genevieve was when this film came out.
8/10
Movie #12/ New Movie #10: Women Talking (Movie Theater)
It's a compelling drama about people who have discovered a terrible betrayal who have a limited amount of time to make a difficult decision. There are a solid performances from a mix of largely unknown actresses who convey the humility of the characters, and three of the best of their generation highlighting different sides of a messed up situation. Some of the comments by illiterate Mennonites do seem a bit anachronistic, but that's a minor quibble.
8/10
Movie #13/ New Movie #11: Skinamarink (Movie Theater)
This is a very strange film. The style makes it hard to make sense of the narrative, but it has a nightmare logic to it. It may be appreciated with more concentration than I could provide on the Saturday night I saw it.
8/10
Short Movie #2: Train Again (Mubi)
It's an odd film to try to grade. I watched it my train buff dad, who appreciated what he could recognize. It's very impressionistic, going with the experience of being on a train or seeing early film.
7/10