Somehow I stopped watching movies a few years ago, which kind of annoys me but we can’t find time that much for a long movie. Of course binge watching TV series is another thing…
For me, the three rewatchables were:
Stanley Kubrick: Barry Lyndon - If you’re into cinematography and ultra techy perfection, this is the movie. And the main character is such an asshole.
Celine Sciamma: Portrait of a Lady on Fire - This beautiful piece hits hard. Celine has an eye for women, and the story how the ladies take care of their own business since the beginning of time is really captivating.
Pedro Almodóvar: All About My Mother - A queer classic. I really like the old Almodóvar telenovelas on acid, but this mid-career masterpiece has everything: the cinematography, the crazy characters and the melodrama.
That mid-Almodovar peak was incredible, now that you mention it. My personal favorite from that time has to be Habla Con Ella (Talk To Her), in parallel Woody Allen filmography terms I would equate it with Hannah & Her Sisters, in artistic achievement.
Barry Lyndon is currently a rising "underrated masterpiece" topic with most of the best film critic podcasters. My personal favorite film has nearly always been 2001: A Space Odyssey, but I just recently rewatched Barry Lyndon and man... in any other filmography this would have stood alone at the top.
And we still have the rest of Kubrick's work to contend with... Dr. Strangelove, The Shining, Paths Of Glory, Eyes Wide Shut... it's just ridiculous.
For a long time now, I've regarded two people as my artistic heroes of the 20th century: Stanley Kubrick and John Coltrane. Mark Rothko could be up there, too, I cannot imagine my day-to-day life without his work to stop and look at, or to simply have as a presence in my surroundings.
Do you have some good podcast recommendations on Barry Lyndon? I really like the movie. For people who are reading this and thinking Barry Lyndon is some kind of super boring and high-minded art movie, just watch it. If you appreciate photography, pictures in general, the movie is done really well. It’s like watching live paintings from that era, nothing else looks like that movie.
Edit: And what is fascinating with Barry, is how the actor Leon Vitali who did Lord Bullingdon in the movie, just abandoned his acting career and started working as an assistant for Kubrick until his death in 2022.
It’s just endlessly quotable, on top of being an absolute delight to watch! I still sneak in a few phrases from the movie in daily life, such as “negative, I am a meat popsicle” and “Aziz, light!”
Lord of The Rings. and I can’t count how many times it was. as a kid I had a weekly routine to watch at least one of the movies. oh dear how I love this trilogy
Omg! Summer of 42! We were watching The Shining last night and there’s a tiny clip of that but i couldn’t remember the name. I kept saying, “Herv the perv” but no one knew what o was taking about. Thank you!
John Carpenter’s The Thing Must’ve seen it a dosen times by now. Secondly I think I could watch no country for old men on repeat without being bored of it
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