First off, let me say that I decided to do this like NCAA
college basketball tournament brackets, because, well, it’s March. Also, I’m
only including the films. It started to get real messy when you included other
things that are not film screenings. There are a number of films I have not
seen, but frankly, it’s going to take a lot to get me to skip a film I really
love on the big screen for one I’ve never seen. Finally, I placed titles mostly
so I could get to my top two. Venue has nothing to do with anything.
Thursday
Thursday is a bit of a crap shoot. While I do have strong
opinions about the films, I might completely blow off or change the Thursday
night screenings if I’m having fun at the opening night party.
- Early evening – Seen all of these except Fifth Avenue Girl.
American Graffiti by the pool very is tempting and ultimately may win out, but
both Oklahoma and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane are better flicks.
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| Thursday – Early evening |
- Late evening – Only one I’ve seen in this group is Johnny
Guitar, good movie, but not something I would kick myself for missing. Of the
two remaining, Bachelor Mother seems more appealing, doesn’t hurt that I caught
about 5 minutes of it last week before leaving for work, and what I saw was really
good.
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| Thursday – Late evening |
Friday
Friday it starts getting really tough. I made a top 5 list
based on what they had announced as of a month or so ago. Three of my top five
fall between 6 and 10 pm Friday, so something had to give.
- Morning – Not much of a contest here. Stagecoach is one my
all-time favorite Westerns. The Thin Man is one my all-time favorite movies.
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| Friday
– Morning |
- Mid-day – At first, this seemed like a no brainer. Nothing
was really doing it for me. In fact, was tempted to use that as an opportunity
to get a real meal at a real restaurant. Touch of Evil, like most Orson Wells, well-done movie, but
not one I particularly like. Make Way for Tomorrow, I didn’t recognize until I
read the plot summary. It is a great movie, but I’m not sure I would want to
sit through it again. The World on Henry Orient haven’t seen and was fine with
leaving it that way, until I read about it. The fact that George Roy Hill
directed is swinging me that way.
 |
| Friday – Mid-day |
- Afternoon – Seemed like another no brainer. Really just a
choice between Meet Me in St. Louis and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Then
reading all descriptions, don’t think I’ve seen A Matter of Life and Death, but
the times I’ve caught part of it, it was really good. Didn’t recognize the
title of My Sister Irene at first, but I have seen it, and it’s really good as
well (and Rosalind Russell to boot). What it comes down to is, I’m a big sci-fi
geek, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers is my favorite 50’s sci-fi movie.
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| Friday – Afternoon |
- Early evening – This was my toughest decision of the
festival. I really wanted to see both Why Worry and Double Indemnity. Both make my
top 5 of the whole festival. It comes down to timing. Double Indemnity gets me
out in time to get to Blazing Saddles early enough to ensure I get in. I may
still try to poke my head inside the theater for a few minutes of Why Worry.
 |
| Friday
– Early evening |
- Late evening – Blazing Saddles hands down. The Italian Job
is one of the few movies where I like the remake better than the original. The
Best Years of Our Lives is a great movie, and The Innocents sounds really good.
The Music Man by the pool, how cool is that, but Blazing Saddles with Mel
Brooks introducing. Seen it like 60 times and still laugh at each and every
joke.
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| Friday
– Late evening |
- Midnight – Never been a big fan of David Lynch and given the
choice between a movie I may not like and sleeping and not being wasted the
next day, Bed wins.
 |
| Friday
– Midnight |
Saturday
Again, a lot of tough choices here.
- Morning – This one seemed pretty easy at first. I had
assumed The Jungle Book was the Sabu version, but when I found it was the
Disney animated, that made it way harder. Father of the Bride is fantastic, but
getting to see one of Chaplin’s best on the big screen has to take the day.
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| Saturday
– Morning |
- Mid-day – I’m a huge fan of Woody Allen’s early films, but
not so much of his later ones. Haven’t seen, I Remember Mama, and it sounds
really good, but it really comes down to, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town or Godzilla:
The Japanese Original. Sci-fi geekiness wins by a nose, Godzilla.
 |
| Saturday
– Mid-day |
- Afternoon – Not a big fan of either The Goodbye Girl or How
Green Was My Valley. Never seen that version of The Great Gatsby, but don’t think it will
sway me away from Stormy Weather or The Good the Bad and the Ugly. Going with
Stormy Weather, mostly because I’m not sure a 3 hour movie is such a hot idea
on a day when I’m doing nothing but watching movies all day and night. Still, I might cheat and
duck into The Good the Bad and the Ugly for a few minutes anyway.
 |
| Saturday
– Afternoon |
- Early evening – This choice comes down to three movies. The
Godfather, Part II, The Nutty Professor, and Hard Day’s Night. Okay, four, The Muppet
Movie by the pool is tempting as well. I’m actually not a tremendous fan of
Hard Day’s Night (like Help! better), but I am a huge fan of The Beatles. Also
this is one where I’m letting celebrity sway me. Being introduced by Don Was,
one of the Was's in one of my favorite 80s bands, Was Not Was, is enough to do
it. May bring a copy of What Up Dog and try to get it signed.
 |
| Saturday
– Early evening |
- Late evening – Wow, Sorcerer, The Pawnbroker, Her Sister’s
Secret, and The Naked City, all sound great, but I really love This Is Spinal
Tap and The Women. Going for The Women, mostly because I may get a chance to
see Spinal Tap in the theater, not sure about The Women, being at the El Capitan doesn't hurt either.
 |
| Saturday
– Late evening |
- Midnight – Much as I would love to sit in a darkened theater
and chant, Gooble gobble, gooble gobble, one of us, one of us, I think by that
point, I’ll be more in the mood to re-enact that scene with some TCM cronies in a bar over drinks.
 |
| Saturday
– Midnight |
Sunday
Sunday is kind of a weird day, a lot of open slots, where I understand they repeat movies from the other days. I’m really hoping that some of the
films I really wanted to see show up in some of these spots so I can catch
them. There a couple in this list I could bail on if need be.
- Morning – This one comes down to two movies, The Adventures
of Robin Hood and Fiddler on the Roof, the latter of which I’ve never seen. I
really do want to see it, but just never have had a chance to watch from start
to end. This seems to be my big chance.
 |
| Sunday
– Morning |
- Mid-day – Again, comes down to two movies. Gone with the
Wind, which I have seen in the theater before, and Mr. Holland’s Opus, haven’t
seen at all. Again going with the one I haven’t seen, I think.
 |
| Sunday
– Mid-day |
- Afternoon – Big part of the reason I’m skipping Gone with the
Wind is to catch The Quiet Man.
 |
| Sunday
– Afternoon |
- Evening – Again, not a big fan of Orson Wells, Lady from
Shanghai is an interesting extremely well made movie that I don’t particularly
like. I’ve tried to watch, Hopson’s Choice, but it didn’t grab me. I’m a big
fan of Hitchcock and getting to see The Lodger would be a treat. Getting to see
The Wizard of Oz in 3D, bigger treat. I’ll be the guy in the back listening to
Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon on headphones. Maybe not. Or maybe so. All
depends on whether I can get that prescription for medical marijuana set up in
time for the festival. Yes, doctor, I have a lot of stress. Yeah, stress,
that’s the ticket.
 |
| Sunday
– Evening |
