So, so many over the Christmas break!
- Sense8 finale
- Inside Man - a deceptively foundational film experience for me. I was probably too young, but it came on the tv at a friends' house when I was a kid (must have been late on as I was just as confused as Denzel and Chiwetel's detectives) and the imagery just stuck with me so clearly that despite never knowing its name, the next time I stumbled upon it I knew I had to watch it…which probably wasn't for about 10 years! Probably view it annually now and its still brilliant.
- Glass Onion - not as good as the first, so like an 8/10? Great watch, although I don't think an older audience will appreciate it as much as I had to explain a few references to my mum whereas with Knives Out this wasn't such an issue (and the cast was more recognisable to her).
- cheating a little because it was November but before that (on that Netflix, like the above 3) it was In Bruges - a fairytale ******** place - and Red Eye (an unheralded but great Wes Craven film starring Cillian Murphy and Rachel McAdams!)
- Shiva Baby - definitely the most indie thing I've watched in a while, but deserves its acclaim. Surprisingly funny.
- Avatar: The Way of the Water (in 3D of course) - [URL="https://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?p=10588887#post10588887"]my brief thoughts here[/URL]
- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Skipped my annual viewing of Some Like It Hot, but first time seeing this. Pretty good!
- The Magnificent Seven. Still great no matter how many times, despite the fact that the Mexican bandit leader is a New York Jew and the Mexican one of the Seven is German!
- The Great Escape. Not by choice, but in the UK this and the above are pretty much guaranteed at this time of the year. Most bank holidays actually (plus Escape to Athena - which has Ross Geller's dad in a surprisingly awesome bike chase but otherwise is more of a curiosity due to the casting…and plot…and title - and The Eagle Has Landed, and Kelly's Heroes on itv4)
- My Fair Lady. Went simultaneously down and up in my estimation. Down as it was longer than I recalled, but up as Eliza has far more agency in the reuniting than I remember. Film nerd in me found it amusing this was on at the same time as Mary Poppins, which wouldn't exist had Julie Andrews been allowed to keep the part of Eliza. Oh, and her understudy was in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang which was probably on British TV the same day too!
For my final watch of 2022, which turned into my first of 2023 due to its length I dug out my DVD of Interstellar!
I've often found myself frustrated by the sound mixing when streaming - its like they just stuck the theatrical mix on, so if you turn up the volume loud enough to hear the dialogue then when anything louder than that happens, if I'm watching with my parents in the room they'll loudly complain that its loud (thus drowning out the film) then watch for the volume appearing on the screen like hawks. I was alone for Interstellar, but given its mixing was so notorious that cinemas put up posters stating that their equipment worked correctly (not in the one I saw it in in London, which seemed perfect for such an event as it was clearly a former theatre with elaborate ceilings), I was surprisingly able to understand every line of dialogue yet still appreciate the score in suitable bombast! It helps that we have a very large TV (50+in)
Also the film itself is still awesome - visually stunning, the oft-memed scene when Coop sees all the video messages still gets me, and I agree with Hans Zimmer that this was his best score.