2021 Film Challenge

A. Get lost in the movement:
[Watch one film belonging to each of the following cinematic movements]
1. French Impressionism The Smiling Madame Beudet
2. Polish Film School Kanal
3. Dogme 95 Open Hearts
4. New Hollywood (1968-1980) MASH
5. Mumblecore Beeswax

Done with section A!

I would recommend all of these except maybe Beeswax and I was just so-so on MASH. Kanal was excellent if a bit bleak.

The Smiling Madame Beudet is on YouTube and I mostly enjoyed it. It's about a woman with an overbearing, horrible husband who fantasizes about and then acts on causing his death. I was a bit mixed on the ultimate conclusion, but there are some really cool sequences, such as her falling asleep and imagining a character from her novel coming out of the book to throttle her husband.

A changed it around to be more accurate and it ended up working in my favor.

48 films to go!

Nice, this is the one I was planning to watch, too

B. Times are a-changing
[Watch one film from each of these iconic decade-genre combinations]
1. 1930s Musical A Nous La Liberte
2. 1940s War film In Which We Serve
3. 1970s Apocalyptic film Idaho Transfer
4. 1980s Coming-of-age film Stand by Me
5. 1990s Courtroom Drama Philadelphia

Um . . . all of these were pretty good? Stand by Me is probably the standout, but I'd recommend all of them.

Really liked In Which We Serve. Quite a bit, actually. Loved Stand By Me and Philadelphia.

About to watch my first Locarno film festival Golden Leopard winner.

Not familiar with Locarno at all, or what their objective is.

Yeah, it's a pretty solid batch up there in Category B!

C. I coulda been a contender:
[Watch a film that has won the following awards in any category]
1. Cannes Film Festival Wendy and Lucy
2. Academy Award Planet of the Apes
3. BAFTA The Hurt Locker
4. Independent Spirit Awards Dancer in the Dark
5. Sundance Film Festival Dick Johnson is Dead
6. Venice International Film Festival Last Year at Marienbad
7. Locarno Film Festival Lives of Others

Another pretty good set of films. I would say that Dick Johnson is Dead was revelatory and a must watch for its innovation in doing . . . something related to documentary but not really? Everyone should see it.

Last Year at Marienbad was also really strong with great imagery.

I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way
watch 10 animated films
1. La Casa Lobo (2018)
2. Gauche the Cellist (1982)
3. Wrinkles (2011)
4. Mary and the Witch's Flower (2017)
5. Modest Heroes (2018)
6. Lensman (1984)
7. Janos Vitez (1973)
8. Son of the White Mare (1981)
9. Song of the Miraculous Hind (2002)
10. The Emperor's Nightingale (1949)

12 films remaining!

__________________
Captain's Log
My Collection

I’ve been meaning to Watch Wendy and Lucy for several months now. Big fan of Michelle Williams. Looking forward to watching Last Year at Marienbad for the current HOF.

Just realized all 10 of my animated films are also "foreign" films. I'm hereby giving myself bonus points for that.

Somehow Idaho Transfer has escaped my notice all these years. Looks like something I need to check out

I think you'll like it. A bit uneven at times, but with some engaging ideas and a good handful of memorable moments.

Well someone clearly took advantage of the Art House Animation collection on the Criterion Channel!

D. Lets break this down, shall we?
[Pick one of the following genres and watch one film from each of its subgenres list below]
1. [Horror: Slasher] Stepfather 2
2. [Horror: Monster] Stephanie
3. [Horror: Paranormal] Black Sabbath
4. [Horror: Gore] Day of the Dead

Black Sabbath and Day of the Dead were great. The other two were meh.

Nightmare Mode as well? If so…. Damn!

I recommend Wrinkles if you can find it. Doesn't seem to be streaming for free anymore.
It's set in an elderly care facility and deals with Alzheimers. Very sweet/sad/funny.
It's a Spanish film but the print I saw had an English language dub. Martin Sheen and Matthew Modine were two of the names I recall.

I watched it last year (it was streaming somewhere) and I agree that it is very good, if sad.

E. It's a big world out there:
[Watch a film from the following regions]
1. North America Animal House
2. South America Gloria
3. Europe Long Good Friday
4. Asia Kairo
5. Africa Black Girl
6. Oceania Oz

Aside from being a bit underwhelmed by Animal House and thinking that Oz might be an acquired taste (though I really liked it), I'd recommend all of these.

That's one that my peers have often chastised me for not having seen, but with each passing year my interest in it dwindles more.

Orson Welles on John Landis: