Another year has passed and I return to this too frequently neglected space. This blog initially grew out of monthly lists I was posting on social media and then has fallen quiet in part because of my ambitions to write bigger, more involved pieces. I'm hoping to get back to those monthly posts - primarily for my own writing and record keeping. I find I'm less and less enamored of spending time on social media or the internet in general and maybe this is the best platform for me. I'm hoping to post more regularly here but not so much that I burn out quickly. I very much appreciate when people stop by and I hope you get an occasional film suggestion or enjoy a bit of my rambling. Here is some of that rambling about my movie watching in 2022.
I watched far fewer movies in the last year compared to previous ones. My Letterboxd stats has me at 241 films for the year compared to well over 400 films during the peak pandemic years. Some of this has to do with burnout and I also quit logging films for a bit so I'm not sure if things got lost in the shuffle. I found myself unable to give my full attention to what I was watching at home and I developed the horrible habit of writing the "review" in my head during every film I watched. I couldn't give myself over to films and was losing one of the critical pieces of my enjoyment of them. I know some people chat or tweet or whatever else during most of the films they watch but that doesn't work for me - I needed to take a break to regain my focus.
Ex-Fest/Junesploitation - One of the things that helped me find my footing again was participating in Junesploitation from the fine folks at F This Movie! as well as attending Ex-Fest out in Pennsylvania. I've written already about Ex-Fest but that incredible event combined with a film challenge that wasn't terribly prescriptive was what I needed to get back in the saddle. I've got the list of everything I watched that month posted here.
Cinéma Français - In all the previous years I've tracked my movie watching - I've watched a lot more American films than films from anywhere else - followed by some combination of Italian, French, English, and Japanese films in significantly smaller numbers. This year France took the brass ring in my movie watching and I'd actually watched more Italian films than US films until the past month. Some of this was natural inclination and part of this was an effort to watch more French crime/noir cinema. I've never done a Noirvember challenge - I'm actually not that huge of a fan of classic period American noir - but I thought I would give it a try with a specific focus on French "noir." The definition is a little fuzzier but there are some great lists out there, the Roxie in San Francisco has been doing an annual French noir film festival for a few years, and Kino Lorber recently released their first French Noir collection. It's been an interesting and rewarding journey leading me to finally tackle some unwatched classics as well as being introduced to some lesser known films ripe for rediscovery.
Directors - There was a tie for my most watched director between Jean Rollin and Henri-Georges Clouzot this year. I cruised through multiple Rollin films during my annual October movie challenge - he's a director that it's taken a while for me to catch up to but very glad to have finally arrived. While I had seen Diabolique before and even Sorcerer I had never found the time to watch The Wages of Fear - I think it may have been in part due to length but whatever my excuse Wages is every bit as fantastic as its reputation would have you believe. The other Clouzot film that truly floored me was Le Corbeau - its depths of cynicism make even the most pessimistic American noir films seem nearly cheery. Although I only watched three of his pictures - the other director to make a huge impression on me was Jacques Becker. I was very familiar with his Jean Gabin starring gangster film - Touchez Pas au Grisbi - but had never seen Casque d'Or or Le Trou before this year. All three are absolutely stunning crime pictures and it seems like such a tremendous loss that Becker died so young.
Actors - It was neck and neck for a minute with Gabin but my most watched actor for 2022 is very appropriately Lino Ventura. I've already written a bit about Last Known Address and most of the Ventura movies I watched were predictably crime dramas. Crooks in Clover and A Pain in the Ass were my first comedic Ventura movies and I genuinely enjoyed both of them. Both employ a similar comic lever of Ventura being the tough, serious guy who gets increasingly frustrated at the shenanigans going on around him until he explodes in rage. Ventura's gifts as a screen presence and serious actor are undeniable but I had great fun with his lighter side as well.
Theatrical Experiences - I wish I could tell you that my movie theater attendance has returned to its pre-pandemic frequency but sadly I cannot. A major cause for that was the permanent closing of my favorite local movie palace - the Uptown Theatre. My first job upon moving to Minneapolis was at the Uptown (and Lagoon) and I still live about a 10-15 minute walk away. I have many, many cinematic memories tied up in that building and it remained a regular stop to watch new releases. However, I am still committed to seeing films in dark rooms with strangers and 2022 was a terrific year for that. I've already mentioned Ex-Fest and that was hands down my favorite. I may not be back in 2023 but I will be back.
New York Ninja (2021) - Brought to us by Tim Holly who delivers the always delightful Cinema of the Macabre screenings every Monday at the Emagine Willow Creek theater. I'd seen New York Ninja before but being able to share the experience with an audience as everyone catches ninja fever collectively is the best way to do it. There were buttons, some t-shirts, and a display of Sho Kosugi memorabilia on display as well.
The Man from Hong Kong (1975) - The only(?) known print of Man from Hong Kong came to us from the vault of Dan Halsted via the extremely cool Cult Film Collective at the Trylon. The CFC has been responsible for some of my absolute favorite screenings over the years and this was no exception. Jimmy Wang Yu kung fu swagger, cars smashing & crashing, explosions, free falls, lots of hang gliding, and George fucking Lazenby on fucking fire. Sheer madness. This was preceded by an in-person Cult Film Collective meetup that was part of their membership kick-off. I'm really looking forward to see what they'll do in 2023.
Across 110th Street (1972)/Report to the Commissioner (1975) - Two absolute bangers that I've been crowing about since I first saw them years ago. These were shown as part of a Yaphet Kotto series at the Trylon on 35mm and I think I told everyone I saw in the weeks leading up to the screenings to go see them.
Death Promise (1977) - Another rare 35mm print that I thought was in shockingly decent condition. I picked up the Vinegar Syndrome disc sometime last year and never thought I would be lucky enough to see it projected. Earl over at The Parkway Theater was able to get his hands on a print and it was an absolute delight to watch with an audience. Badass NYC karate vengeance over scumbag landlords is a combination impossible to resist.
Bring me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) - We were visiting a friend in Portland so I naturally had to see what was playing at The Hollywood Theatre. I couldn't have been more excited to see that a 35mm print of Alfredo Garcia was being shown by the most excellent folks behind Wyrd War. I had not actually attended a screening at the Hollywood before but I was really impressed - great staff, great crowd, fun atmosphere, and a terrific exhibition of one of the absolute greats of 70s cinema. Weirdly we stopped at a bar later on the trip and they had Under the Volcano playing - I don't think this was an intentional attempt at a Mexican death trip double feature - but it was notable.
The Shining (1980) - Yes I've seen The Shining a million times and I've certainly seen it on the big screen more than once - but this was our chance to see it in a theater completely renovated as a Shining - themed space! The Edina Theatre closed during the pandemic but was sold to new ownership who gave it a complete overhaul. Not only have the individual theaters been given an update but whole place got a Shining makeover. There's a gold bar, red bathrooms, tile made to look like iconic carpet of the Overlook - it's a welcome addition to our local theater scene.
The Demon/Il Demonio (1963) - One of my absolute favorite new-to-me movies from last year and one of the best films in the unparalleled folk horror set from Severin films - getting the chance to see Il Demonio theatrically just further reinforced its beauty and the power of Daliah Lavi's performance. This was part of a gothic series at the Trylon that also included Bava's The Whip and the Body featuring Ms. Lavi and Christopher Lee.
Solomon King (1974) - Another shout out to Tim (I swear I like the horror stuff too!) who screened this rediscovered independent blaxploitation jam. Deaf Crocodile ran a crowdfunding effort to help support their restoration of Solomon King and the backstory of the film, Sal Watts, and Deaf Crocodile's efforts are just as engaging as the film itself. The film is totally charming and oozing with style - seeing it with an audience is the way to do it if you get that chance.
I didn't initially plan to write so extensively about theatrical screenings but I'm really glad I did. Online communities are great and the availability of streamable or downloadable film does a lot to increase access but I've come to realize how critical in-person cinema attendance is to me. I was still able to make it out to some outstanding events in 2022 and I'm hoping to do even more of that in 2023. A huge, huge, huge shout out to all the programmers and theaters out there making it happen for us lucky film lovers. See you at the movies.
Editing note: I usually prefer linking film titles to Letterboxd but it took a massive shit while writing this so that's why there are a mix of IMDB links as well.
