2020 - The Wolf of Snow Hollow
2019 - Knives Out
2019 - The Vast of Night *
2019 - Get Duked!
2018 - A Quiet Place
2017 - One Cut of the Dead *
2016 - The Mermaid *
2016 - The Autopsy of Jane Doe
2015 - Spy *
2014 - A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night *
2010 - Rubber
2003 - Save the Green Planet!
1997 - The Mirror
1987 - Housekeeping *
1985 - Return to Oz
1984 - Amadeus
1984 - The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
1980 - American Gigolo
1979 - The Fearless Hyena
1978 - Long Weekend
1976 - Logan's Run
1975 - Death Race 2000
1975 - Rollerball
1973 - Westworld
1973 - The Last Detail *
1972 - Sleuth
1971 - Red Sun
1970 - Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion
1967 - The Young Girls of Rochefort
1966 - The Plague of the Zombies
1966 - The Reptile
1964 - The Umbrellas of Cherbourg *
1964 - Father Goose
1963 - The Birds
1962 - That Touch of Mink
1961 - Lola
1959 - Anatomy of a Murder *
1959 - Day of the Outlaw *
1959 - Ride Lonesome
1959 - Operation Petticoat
1958 - Man of the West
1958 - Teacher's Pet
1957 - 3:10 to Yuma
1957 - 20 Million Miles to Earth
1955 - Bad Day at Black Rock *
1954 - On the Waterfront *
1954 - The Caine Mutiny
1953 - The Naked Spur
1953 - Calamity Jane
1949 - The Walking Hills
1949 - I Was a Male War Bride
1948 - Blood on the Moon
1947 - The Lady from Shanghai
1947 - Lured
1947 - The Bishop's Wife
1946 - Lady in the Lake
1944 - Phantom Lady
1943 - Holy Matrimony
1943 - The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp *
1942 - The Talk of the Town
1941 - The Strawberry Blonde *
1941 - Here Comes Mr. Jordan *
1941 - The Devil and Miss Jones *
1940 - The Invisible Man Returns
1940 - Remember the Night *
1939 - Destry Rides Again
1939 - Only Angels Have Wings
1939 - The Bronze Buckaroo
1938 - The Cowboy and the Lady *
1938 - The Adventures of Robin Hood
1937 - The Squeaker
1936 - San Francisco *
1935 - If You Could Only Cook
1935 - The Whole Town's Talking
1935 - Captain Blood
1934 - The Count of Monte Cristo
1934 - The Scarlet Pimpernel
1934 - Dames *
1933 - Gold Diggers of 1933 *
1933 - Footlight Parade *
1932 - Trouble in Paradise
1931 - Blonde Crazy *
1930 - Murder!
What a year! I'm sure when we look back on 2020, all we'll remember is the films we watched, right? Well, anyway, we watched a lot. It's almost as if we were locked inside with nothing better to do. A lot of these were prompted by various collections on the Criterion Channel (favorite collection: Western Noirs - we burned through those fast, and all of them were good, but I couldn't star them all). It's interesting to see the decades we're drawn to (not surprised to see the 30s and 40s so heavily represented - a little surprised to see that there's only one 90s, and that one because I saw yesterday that there was no 90s film), and the types of films that predominate in the decades (Busby Berkeley/Screwball comedies/rollicking adventures in the 30s, Noirs in the 40s, Westerns in the 50s). Stars that I truly began to appreciate this year: Jimmy Cagney, Clark Gable, Olivia de Havilland. Stars new to me, but I was very happy to discover: Jean Arthur, Gig Young, Merle Oberon, Robert Ryan. Best overall year: 1941 (runner-up, 1934). I've asterisked my favorites, although they tend to skew to films we've seen more recently. I find that, for all the enjoyment I get out of classic movies, they do seem to have a certain staginess, perhaps because that was the style at the time or perhaps just because there's so much distance between that time and now, and that tends to mean they don't affect me as deeply as more recent films can. There are exceptions: San Francisco was pretty shocking, at least in its second half. Also some films were divisive: I had a lot of problems with Amadeus, but the last third or so of it was transcendent. Also, the modern films tend to skew towards the successful because we're surrounded with reviews and I only bother to seek out films that are supposed to be great (although The Autopsy of Jane Doe is probably the stinker of this year). I will admit that there are a few of these that I just stare at the title and try to remember any details about (The Squeaker, anyone?). If I had to pick a top five, it would probably be those that stick in my head for various reasons. A Girl Walks Home at Night just managed to create an amazing world, and was genuinely unique. From what I can gather Ana Lily Amanpour is struggling to reach those heights again. Housekeeping made me read the book, which probably hasn't happened since Star Wars. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp was a three hour movie that managed to be immersive make me care about a character who should be a caricature. Blonde Crazy was Jimmy Cagney at his best (Joan Blondell likewise) and managed to be funny, gripping and romantic in an unexpected package. And just to round it off, Spy was genuinely funny when it had no right to be. Bring on 2021!
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