Ancient Scenes from Dark Depths
Movie night has been going strong for a long, long time. I'm not sure how long, but some of my earliest posts are about movies watched. Last nights was my favorite in a long time and among my favorites for the duration of movie night. So, I thought it might be time to list some of my favorite movie nights. It's hard to remember, and I know i'm missing a bunch. I'll revise the list as they come to me.
In no order:
3 Penny Opera
Neat old musical. The Rest is Noise had a whole chapter on Kurt Weill with a lot of info on this work. I think that added a lot to it for me. Strange politics.
Kiss Me, Stupid
I think Billy Wilder made better movies, but none funnier.
Scarlet Street
True German expressionism translated into American noir, I guess. Beautiful and spooky, it blew me away.
The Killing
The only Kubrick we've watched for this run of movie night. Clever and dark. As good as Kubrick's other greats.
The Lady Vanishes
Way funnier than you'd expect. Lots of bumbling Brits.
Unfaithfully Yours
My favorite of the Sturges I've seen. Ironic slapstick with a purpose.
Vampyr
This weeks selection didn't seem to work as well for the others as it did for me. Not sure why I liked it so much. Every time I see a Dreyer movie for the first time, I remember that he might be the best ever.
The Holy Mountain
If you're about to see Holy Mountain for the first time, you're in for a crazy ass experience. People worship this movie.
The Conformist
This one really opened my eyes to some of the depth of individual politics. One of my favorite scenes is the dance in the cafe. Freedom trumping fascism, if just for an evening.
Open City
Simple and powerful, Open City is folk art at its best. One of the reasons I love movie night is a group of people reacting at the same time to a film that they may never watch alone. It's an experience not usually afforded by other media. This one is perfect for that.
Pandora's Box
The second by Pabst on this list. Lesbianism, prostitution, and one of the best lead female performances I've seen.
Honorable Mansion: Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, Nosferatu, Chameleon Street, ... (I'll add more as they come to me.)
Any I'm missing, guys?
