My 2018 Blind Spot + How I did in 2017
Another year, another Blind Spot! I can't thank Ryan enough for starting this blogathon. He's the reason I'm making an effort to go back in time in cinema. It's something I always had a hard time being pushed to do. I jumped on the bandwagon in 2014, and I'm going to continue in 2018. But first, let's look at my final grades for my 2017 picks:
1) Sleepers (B)
2) What Ever Happened to Baby Jane (A+)
3) Videodrome (B)
4) Paris, Texas (B)
5) Sunset Boulevard (A+)
6) Three Colors Trilogy: Blue, White, Red (B, B-, A-)
7) Jackie Brown (B)
8) Metropolis (C-)
9) Midnight Cowboy (C+)
10) Do The Right Thing (B+)
11) Boyz in the Hood (B)
12) In The Bedroom (B-)
2017 was my over achiever year because I squeezed the Three Colors trilogy in there. I now have two movies on my all time favorites list in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane and Sunset Boulevard. As always, the biggest plus is that I didn't hate anything. Thankfully that's only happened once. I had a bit of drama not being able to get my hands on Cinema Paradiso or In the Heat of the Night. Some day.
2018
1) All About Eve
2) Rear Window
3) The Birds
4) Suddenly, Last Summer
5) The Seventh Seal
6) M
7) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
8) sex, lies, and video tape
9) Singin' in the Rain
10) Philadelphia
11) Cabaret
12) A Streetcar Named Desire
Alternates: Cinema Paradiso, In The Heat of The Night, A Woman Under the Influence, My Left Foot
Yes, I put Cinema Paradiso and In The Heat of the Night on the alternate list again, because unless Netflix puts them on instant stream I'm having a really hard time finding them. I know I'll probably get a lot of shit for Monty Python but despite recognizing all the jokes, I've actually never seen this movie. Only clips of it.
What do you think of my picks? Have you seen them? Which is your fav? Any you hate? Let me know in the comments! I hope some of you join in on this too.
Dang, you got some good movies in store for the next year.
ReplyDeleteI hope so!
DeleteYAAAS, I'm so proud of you for finishing another Blindspot year! I have started twice and failed twice, so I'm planning to start again in 2018 and succeed! Definitely going to be hard for me but we'll see.
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen any of your Blindspot picks for 2018, but Philadephia does sound like something I saw as a kid and can't remember.
Good luck in 2018!
You can do it! I know you can! I've seen bits and pieces of Philadelphia but never the whole story. It looks good. lol
DeleteBut....In the Loop!?
ReplyDeleteI actually plan on watching that without my Blind Spot list. It's in my Netflix queue. lol
DeleteIt's been there longer than I was meaning to watch The Crown :P Which is like more than a year ^^
DeleteI know. I'll wear the cone of shame. lol
DeleteI wouldn't count on Netflix to have some of these films. Personally, I would go with TCM for a lot of these films. I've managed to get reminders for a few of my Blind Spots that will appear in February.
ReplyDeleteAs for your main list, I've seen about 3/4 of that list as the ones I haven't seen yet are All About Eve, Suddenly, Last Summer, and A Streetcar Named Desire. On the alternates, In the Heat of the Night and My Left Foot.
3 of the Blind Spots you have I guarantee you will not be on Netflix. You might have to go to Filmstruck for those 3 or download them illegally immediately due to the end of Net Neutrality.
Hope you can succeed as you've got some awesome films to watch.
So far all of my Blindspots are available on Netflix for DVD. So as long as someone doesn't hoard one I'll hopefully be okay.
DeleteI do keep an eye cable too. That's actually how I ended up watching The Deer Hunter a few Blind Spots ago. And HBO has occasionally played a few as well, like Do The Right Thing and Sleepers.
Nice wrap up! And yeah, you have some great films headed your way in 2018.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear!
DeleteAhh I had Three Colours in my Blind Spot list one year... thank goodness I enjoyed them or else that would have been a hassle! I'm looking forward to reading what you think think about Rear Window, it's my favourite Hitchcock film :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! It's quite sad I haven't made it to that one yet when it's so popular.
DeleteGreat that you made it though your entire list.
ReplyDeleteSome good, a couple of bad (in my opinion) and several flat out great films coming your way in the next year!
All About Eve, Rear Window and The Birds are all among my very favorite films. Eve is both perfectly cast and loaded with laser sharp dialog expertly delivered and directed. Rear Window is massively entertaining while making observations about privacy and personal space without cramming it down your throat. The Birds is unsettling and yet cleverly entertaining.
Speaking of unsettling M is just that but it and Peter Lorre are masterful in presenting its story. If you like it there is a 50’s remake with David Wayne, also called M, that isn’t as good but isn’t bad and makes for an interesting contrast.
Two Tennessee Williams! Lots of melodrama in the pipe. A Streetcar Named Desire is more beloved by others than it is by me but I recognize it as a great piece of filmmaking with titanic performances. It’s just not something I have a great desire to rewatch often. Suddenly, Last Summer is probably considered not as good but I found it more enjoyable with full-bodied go for broke work by Elizabeth Taylor and Katharine Hepburn.
The Seventh Seal is a dark and brooding work, which considering it’s an Ingmar Bergman film is no surprise, and worthy of its reputation. I prefer Wild Strawberries of his films but that just personal preference.
Singin' in the Rain is a wonderful film with three terrific performances by Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds, even though they and everyone else are somewhat overshadowed by the brilliance of Jean Hagen as Lina Lamont.
As musicals go Cabaret is in many ways the polar opposite of Singin’ and it has its slavish fans. I’m not one of those, I think it has a major flaw but I’ll wait until you watch it to discuss what that is. It’s not a bad film though and it’s based on an earlier nonmusical film called I Am a Camera with Julie Harris (all based on Christopher Isherwood stories) which you might want to track down after watching for comparison.
Putting Monty Python and the Holy Grail on the list as a way to see the whole thing is a great way to achieve that. You might find that you’ve seen most of it, that happened to me when I finally sat down to watch North by Northwest which I had seen bit and pieces of over the years. Turns out I’d seen all but about five minutes but now it all made sense.
sex, lies, and video tape-ho-hum.
And I hate, hated Philadelphia, just thinking about it makes my teeth grind.
I was thinking about that with Monty Python actually. I'm wondering how much of this I'll actually recognize once I see it all together. After I watch Philadelphia I can't wait to hear why you hate it so much lol.
DeleteI've all but 2 of these, Suddenly Last Summer and Cabaret, and enjoyed them all to varying degrees. Most curious in your opinion of The Seventh Seal because that one, I think, requires more of the viewer than the others.
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed all of the Bergman films I've watched before. Didn't love all of them but definitely didn't hate any. I hope that falls more towards the love side of the spectrum.
DeleteCongratulations on your Blindspot for 2017! You have some amazing movies ahead in 2018. A lot of my faves too - All About Eve, Rear Window, The Birds, Singing In The Rain. Happy new year! :D
ReplyDeleteThank you! All About Eve is up first! I'm excited to watch it.
Delete