Monday, December 4, 2017

Riske Business: 25 Movies We've Covered on the Site That I'll Finally Watch in 2018

by Adam Riske
My 2018 resolution is to watch these new-to-me films (mostly) recommended by my colleagues.

1941 – There are a few Steven Spielberg blind spots I still have and this is one of them (others include Amistad and Empire of the Sun). The trailer makes it look very cocaine. I’m willing to try it…the movie I mean.

All the President’s Men – My heavy Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman allergies (the former is year-round; the latter is seasonal) have kept me away from this one. The upcoming release of The Post is putting me in the mood to finally watch it.

Clouds of Sils Maria Personal Shopper was really good so I want to backtrack and see the first collaboration of the super talented Kristin Stewart and director Olivier Assayas. If it’s not as good, I swear to G-D…

Dead Again – After Murder on the Orient Express (2017), I’m in the mood for another Kenneth Branagh directorial effort. I remember a lot of people seeing this at the theater when I went to go see Hot Shots! If it’s as good as that movie, I’ll be mildly satisfied.
Dead Poets Society – I miss Robin Williams. I miss Touchstone Pictures (aka Adultsney). I have had so many opportunities to see this movie but surprisingly never did. I think it’s because I always knew it would be there, so why not take a post-Double Whopper nap instead? But one fine day in 2018, I will Carpe diem and watch this movie!

The Deer Hunter – I’ve avoided seeing this movie because I know I’m going to need to set aside a whole day to watch it and then stare out of a window for several hours refusing to talk to anyone. Luckily, my office gave me 8.00 hrs. of floating holiday time off, so I’ll use them to watch The Deer Hunter and take a marathon sad bath.

Driving Miss Daisy – I need to see for myself just how big of a mistake the Academy made when they gave this movie its award for Best Picture. I’m guessing pretty big.

A Face in the Crowd – This one came back into the conversation with Trump’s inauguration last January and it caught my interest. I didn’t want to see it right away because my emotions were so raw at the time about the whole thing. They still are, but with some time passed I want to give it a look.

Forbidden Planet – I’m very fond of old sci-fi, but I’ve been almost afraid to watch this in fear I won’t like it as much as I’m supposed to, which is a dumb reason not to watch something so I should just watch it already.

In Cold Blood – Just the trailer gives me the creeps. This movie is just one of those classics I never got around to seeing. It helps that I found the story interesting when I watched the dramatization of the book being written in Capote.
Kull the Conqueror – It’s time. Probably while eating Culver’s.

Miller’s Crossing – I like Coen Brothers drama more than Coen Brothers comedy, so I think I’ll dig this one. I remember the ad in Premiere Magazine treating it like it’s a big deal and I always listen to Premiere Magazine, so bingo bango, let’s do the tango! Feel free to steal that phrase if you want.

Nashville – I’m pretty lacking in my Robert Altman knowledge (I’ve seen Gosford Park…wow…that’s the only Altman I’ve seen?) and JB gave me an extra copy of this a while back, so it’s time to get to work. To be fair, I have seen 13 movies where Bruce Altman had a role.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – “He had lots of guts.”

Raising Cain – One of the few Brian De Palma movies I’ve yet to see. I never got around to Raising Cain initially because the reception to it was poor back in the early ‘90s and I’ve never been a John Lithgow completest (e.g. I still need to see Ricochet). Cain seems to have been reassessed in recent years, though, as really good De Palma, so the time feels right to finally check out the Scream Factory Blu-ray.
Ronin – Everyone who rented this movie from Blockbuster (it was very popular) raved about it, especially the car chases. I never got around to watching it, probably because it was pushed on me so much. Note: If you recommend something to me, I am less likely to watch it. It needs to feel like my idea. I am weird.

The Sound of Music – I’ve been meaning to watch this at the Music Box Theatre every year when they play it Thanksgiving weekend, but it’s a sing-a-long and I don’t want to be party to that. I’ve reserved the Blu-ray at the library, so this might actually get watched in 2017.

The Searchers – Want to hear something stupid? I watched the first hour of The Searchers but fell asleep (it was late at night) and my rental expired on Amazon. Then Scary Movie Month 2016 started and I forgot I never finished it. I really liked what I saw, though.

Stone Cold - It’s time. Probably while eating Cold Stone Creamery.
Sweet Smell of Success – They wouldn’t play this weekly on MGM HD for no reason. I need to just have a 24-hour MGM HD marathon and watch all the movies they always play that I’ve never seen. I’m talking this, Speechless, Eight Men Out, The Russia House, Rob Roy, Throw Momma from the Train, At First Sight, Autumn in New York…I love this channel.

Touch of Evil – I’ve seen the opening shot a few times. I know Charlton Heston plays a Mexican and Orson Welles had a lot of guts. No more excuses. I’ll finally check this out if for no other reason than to nod when Chili Palmer talks about it in Get Shorty.

The Towering Inferno – I saw The Poseidon Adventure and loved it about ten years ago, but for some reason never continued down a ‘70s disaster movie path. 2018 is when I’ll remedy that. As long as Paul Newman makes it, I’m good. If he doesn’t, I’m good, too, because I’m a grown-up.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me - I’ve seen (and loved) almost every David Lynch movie, but never got around to seeing the Twin Peaks TV series (except the “Gotta Light?” episode from this year, which scared the shit out of me) so I thought it would be fruitless to see this movie. Whatever. I like my Lynch best when I’m confused so why not go in cold?

Urban Cowboy – Being as big of a John Travolta fan as I am, I’m sort of embarrassed I never saw this. How did that happen? He rides a mechanical bull! We need more movies where the main character rides a mechanical bull (e.g. Roman J. Israel, Esq. was good but could have been great). I’ve never ridden one myself, but I went into a cage and danced at a club once and lasted about thirty seconds before a bouncer told me to get out of there.
The Wild Bunch – 2017 Adam = Hemmin’ and hawing. 2018 Adam = Peckin’ and Pah’ing! #I’mSorry

What classic movies do you want to see for the first time in 2018?

33 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. It will be part of my January 1998 20 Years Later Retrospective.

      Delete
    2. There are like a half dozen movies that could get 20 Years Later treatment from January 1998. It was a great month for "mall movies".

      Delete
    3. Would certainly add both Hard Rain and Desperate Measures to the list (still dig both those movies...)

      Delete
  2. Nothing, i’ve seen them all

    Just kidding, there’s a bunch i need to see. The one that come to mind right now is Night Of The Living Dead. But thanks to Criterion, i’ll soon watch it soon in the best quality possible

    ReplyDelete
  3. There are so many gems here! I'd love to hear your reactions to seeing almost all of these.

    The only one I'll say I'm down on is Nashville. I saw it in a college film class and couldn't be any less interested at the time, but I think it was the running time combined with being stuck in a classroom. It was not a great environment to see something like that for the first time. But also, I'm not sure I'm a big Altman fan in general. MASH and The Player are about it for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll find a way to let you all know my reactions either in a column or in "Seen Anything Good Lately" portions of the podcast next year. I'm excited to see these!

      Delete
  4. About Nashville, it's a great flick but it's kind of Altman at his most Altmanesque, except for a few really weird ones. I think that MASH, which is funnier, or one of his "genre" movies that are really just Altman movies like McCabe and Mrs. Miller or The Long Goodbye. Nashville is the pinnacle of Altman's techniques but if you're unfamiliar with watching his style of movie I could easily see you finding it a bit too odd.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That's a lot of good movies there! Some are still on my list, like Nashville. Even though its my home state and the Criterion Blu Ray has been sitting on my shelf for two years now, I've yet to see it. Urban Cowboy is such a guilty pleasure of mine. It was one of parent's favorites so I remember watching it when i was like 5. Just a great love story, really, and a great resource to see a specific time in Americana, just like Saturday Night Fever.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nashville and 1941 for me. I just watched one of Spielberg's other misfires, Always. Yikes.

    ReplyDelete
  7. (e.g. I still need to see Ricochet).

    Forget all of these, you need to see Ricochet if nothing for a prison sword fight!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I recommend having Kull ready to go as soon as Deer Hunter ends.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What does Kull conquer? The blues, that's what.

      Delete
    2. There should have been a sequel where Kull teams up with a feral child like in The Road Warrior. They could call it Kull n' Feral.

      Delete
    3. Nice. How old was Kristen Stewart in 1998? They'd want a fast turnaround to keep that Kull fire burning.

      Delete
  9. Wait... You've never seen The Player? Am I reading that correctly?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're not the worst, but I would suggest adding it to your list as well.

      Delete
  10. Best movies of all time? The Godfather, Citizen Kane then Stone Cold.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Best mullet of all time = Best movie of all time.

      Delete
  11. If you can’t be a Lithgow completist you could at least be an Ice T completist. (Studio films only obvs)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Perhaps this will be the year I finally watch Nocturnal Animals and Boyhood. I own Boyhood on blu ray and have rented Nocturnal Animals three times and still haven't watched either one.

    But a more serious goal, I need to finish Carpenter's filmography. There's still some of his recent stuff I've never checked out.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I intend to see these for the first time next year.
    Seven Samurai
    The Thin Man
    Out of the Past
    After Hours

    And I'll join you with 1941, never saw that either.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can vouch for Seven Samurai, The Thin Man and After Hours. I love all of them!

      Delete
    2. Adam, how're you doing on your list? From my list I've only Seven Samurai so far

      Delete
    3. I've seen none but I am making an active choice to watch more older movies again. Just not these oddly enough.

      Delete
  14. All The President's Men left something to be desired for me. But Spotlight kind of reminded me of it.

    What about Dirty Dancing? I don't even know if I LIKE /enjoy Dirty Dancing as much as I just think it's good. I think of it like a textbook for girls sometimes. But I kind of think you'll like it.

    I've seen The Sound of Music like 8 times this week. My younger sister wants it on. My middle sister and I just sit and make fun of the children and Julie Andrews now.

    I don't like when people hype up movies saying they're so good, but I love when people tell me I, especially, will like something. (I like being e-special :)).

    ReplyDelete
  15. Definitely watch SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS. It is one the most cynical films to come out of 1950s Hollywood. Burt Lancaster plays a corrupt gossip columnist, based on Walter Winchell, who abuses his power and endeavors to control everyone around him. Tony Curtis' press agent is a complete sleazeball. This is one of those films that does not make you feel good about humanity.

    The film is also full of beautiful black-and-white cinematography and location shots around New York.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Adam, I'm interested in your reaction to Ronin. Strong cast but the writing and story telling was a bit lazy in my opinion.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Ronin! That was a BBV special. When it showed up, I had never heard of it and was shocked that EVERYONE in my store was renting it. Customers raved. I too never watched it because, at 17 I thought "no new movie I've never heard could be good."

    To this day, my primary association of the film is it's location on the new release. It's one of my geographical markers of my store, right by the N64/Drama junction.

    There was a time I thought it was BBV exclusive, in fact. Heck, maybe it's as good as Safe House with Patrick Stewart...

    ReplyDelete
  18. The Shout! Blu Ray for Raising Cain offers 2 versions of the film. I would recommend you watch the "director's" cut version first, even though some of the edits are a bit rough (the guy who put it together could only work with the existing footage). I think the movie works better with that structure.

    Man, are you in for an awesome 2018. There are a ton of winners here.

    ReplyDelete