Discovering good movies, one bad movie at a time

Menu
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Rating Principles
  • Podcasts
  • Reviews
  • Videos
  • Patreon
  • Blog

The Alternate Ending Quarantine Film Festival, Month 2, or: A G’day to Die

Posted by Tim Brayton Posted on Apr - 30 - 2020 0 Comments

There’s still no end in sight to the drought of new movie releases – or to the nationwide closure of movie theaters – with almost nothing left on the schedule until July, and most of what’s there hardly looking all that exciting even if it actually opens on time (which it won’t). Though I will say that, under ordinary circumstances, this is where I’d be talking about how The Green Knight looks pretty great.

So it’s more of the same: a great big interwoven series of marathons, organised by theme. I’m going to switch things up a little bit from April, introducing some different subjects, keeping some others, and including a new focus on some of my favorite directors of all time (expect new directors every month as long as our present woes continue). And they are:

SUNDAYS: The Coen Brothers
When I started writing film reviews in 2005, Joel & Ethan Coen were in what I would consider to be the only fallow period of their entire career, and when I first had a chance to write about one of their films during its first release, it was the magnificent No Country for Old Men, a thundering return to form that kicked off a run of one masterpiece after another that I would suggest make up a third distinct phase of the siblings’ career, following their earlier enfant terrible indie artist period, and their sometimes awkward middle period, during which they grappled in different ways with the success and obligations of being mainstream, in the wake of Fargo. Despite several of my all-time favorite American films coming in that 20-year, 11-film span, I have somehow only ever reviewed 1990’s Miller’s Crossing. So now is the time to officially give the world my thoughts on the other ten films, from the promise of Blood Simple to the fearless meandering of The Big Lebowski to the extremely disappointing fact that I will, at last, be watching The Ladykillers for the second time. And if you have noticed that ten is twice as many entries as there are Sundays in May, there’s a simply explanation: I have decided, in my infinite wisdom, to double-up.

MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS: Andrei Tarkovsky
Because what could possibly be more fun to do during a time of such extraordinary uncertainty and worldwide anxiety than plunge all the way into the filmography of a filmmaker whose work did more than any other to explore the coldness and austerity of a world full of suffering and the painful absence of God and the good? To date, the only film of his career I’ve tackled has been his second feature, Andrei Rublev, but that leaves six features, three shorts, and one documentary to plow through, and all of it sublimely depressing. Can’t wait!

TUESDAYS: Bad Movies from the 2000s
That’s going to be an awful lot of respectable, austere art cinema, so obviously I need to break it up with some reviews of real unbearable crap, for those of you who prefer that sort of thing, and I know there are many of you. Why the 2000s? Because I accidentally started off with three films from that decade, and decided to lean into it.

THURSDAYS: Anime
It’s been extremely rewarding to have something to force me to finally watch several films I haven’t ever gotten around to despite my best intentions, so I’m keeping this one in place. Plus, the idea of going a whole month without reviewing animation is just obviously not okay.

FRIDAYS: Best Picture Winners
This has been by far my favorite daily theme so far, and I think I shall keep up with it for some while, at least in the absence of the beloved (to me, anyway) Blockbuster History series.

SATURDAY: And best of all…
Speaking of Blockbuster History: having to kill that series for the first time since I started it in 2010 has cut me to the core. I like having the structure; I also like having part of the old blog at Antagony & Ecstasy live on. And there’s one obvious way to solve both of those problems with one go: it’s time for me to bring back the Summer of Blood.

However, I can’t do that. I suggested in 2015 that there would be no Summers of Blood while I was in grad school, and I’m still in grad school. And I would not be made a liar

However, it’s only summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

Therefore, it is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that I announce that every weekend from now until the end of August, Alternate Ending  will be celebrating the Australian Winter of Blood: 18 weeks of killer humans, killer crocs, and all the hundreds of other things that can kill you in the land Down Under. It’s a festival of Ozploitation, as we dig through Australian horror classics and less-than classics from the ’70s all the way to the 2010s in the longest Summer of Blood ever! Or it would be, if it was a Summer of Blood.

Here’s a sneak peek at the schedule through the end of May:
5/2: Night of Fear (1972)
5/9: Inn of the Damned (1975)
5/16: Patrick (1978)
5/23: The Plumber (1979)
5/30: Roadgames (1981)

Categories:
The Alternate Ending Quarantine Film Festival
Andrei Tarkovsky's student films (1956-'61)
  • Subscribe

  • Connect With Us

    Alternate Ending
    Alternate Ending @AlternateEndng
    Wednesday, January 20th, 2021 at 6:06pm
    New episode! 🥳

    It's not just any episode, it's our FAVORITE episode of the year! We agonize & we debate the BEST movies of 2020. It was a tough year in cinema, but nevertheless, we each came up with 10 great films.

    Tune in! 🎧 #Top10 #2020movies https://t.co/Iu42n5mFmm
    View on Twitter
    0
    1
    Alternate Ending
    Alternate Ending @AlternateEndng
    Tuesday, January 12th, 2021 at 1:25pm
    Movie Giveaway! 🎉

    We're BACK from Winter break with one of our FAVORITE episodes. We mull & we analyze our feelings & we pull together the best movies of 2020!

    But it's no fun if you don't play along, so tell us YOUR favorite movies of 2020 in the comments.

    #BestOf2020 https://t.co/i7wAhnZ2jK
    View on Twitter
    0
    2
    Alternate Ending
    Alternate Ending @AlternateEndng
    Thursday, December 17th, 2020 at 8:27pm
    New Episode! 🎧

    Top 5 Christmas Curmudgeons ➡️ https://t.co/oB2MpBiOse

    This one goes out to all of you who are feeling a bit grinchy about the holidays this year. We're sure this episode will have your heart growing AT LEAST 2 sizes. ❤

    Happy Holidays, from all of us at AE! https://t.co/a8LyJLBtYW
    View on Twitter
    1
    1
    Alternate Ending
    Alternate Ending @AlternateEndng
    Friday, December 11th, 2020 at 7:01pm
    Have you seen @OfficialRunFilm yet?!

    We sit down with director @aneeshchaganty to talk about his newest twisty-thriller, you won't want to miss it!

    🎧 https://t.co/nGuM0SIQzx

    Available on @hulu now! https://t.co/HY5oPbvyPG
    View on Twitter
    0
    1
    Alternate Ending
    Alternate Ending @AlternateEndng
    Thursday, December 10th, 2020 at 1:33pm
    Movie Giveaway! 🥳

    Who is your favorite #Christmas Curmudgeon in a movie?

    To help our own hearts grow 2 1/2 sizes at the end of this tough year, share your favorites in the comments for a chance to win a free Amazon movie rental - the winner will be announced on Dec 14th! 🎉 https://t.co/b3GDZFGycf
    View on Twitter
    0
    2
    Alternate Ending
    Alternate Ending @AlternateEndng
    Tuesday, December 1st, 2020 at 12:56pm
    New episode!🥳

    We're on the road for this week's episode, but that doesn't keep us from diving in to our favorite British movies of all time! What makes a movie British? Well, you'll just have to find out chum!

    Tune in!✨ https://t.co/W174UmLU5k
    View on Twitter
    0
    1

    Alternate Ending

    Alternate Ending was formed when three friends realized they all shared a passion for movies. Our goal is to save you time and money by sharing our thoughts and recommendations on which movies to race to theaters for, which to watch at home and those to actively avoid. What makes Alternate Ending different from other film sites and podcasts? Well, we’re not 5 dudes in a room talking about our passion for Fight Club and Braveheart. We’re two dudes, and a lady, of which our tastes are quite varied. Rob, the film-school dropout, has seen an absurd amount of movies, and if we’re being honest, rounds out our Fight Club fan-base. Tim Brayton, our seasoned film critic, shares a more critical view of film, an appreciation for vintage cinema and perhaps limited-release movies that we might otherwise miss. Carrie, our casual movie-goer, reminds us all that cinema is in fact supposed to be fun and entertaining and that sometimes, just sometimes, happy endings are good. Too many film sites cater to the same kind of audience, with one overwhelming voice in the writing, but what we treasure at Alternate Ending is diversity: diversity of opinion, diversity in belief about what film should do and how it should do it. We want to celebrate our different opinions, and celebrate yours as well. This isn't a site for people who just want to talk about the latest hot new movies in theaters right this minute. This is a place for people who can't get to the theater until the third week a film is out; a place for people who just want to find something great to stream online after the kids have gone to sleep, a place for people whose favorite pastime is to grab a bunch of classic films on DVD from the library and watch them all weekend. It's a place that believes that every great movie is a wonderful new treasure, whether you see it the night of its premiere or fifty years later. It's a site about discovering good movies... one bad movie at a time. Join us for our weekly review of movies worth seeing, worth avoiding and our Top 5 lists – and don’t forget to play along at www.alternateending.com.
    Alternate Ending
    Alternate EndingTuesday, January 12th, 2021 at 4:22pm
    Movie Giveaway! 🎉

    We're BACK from Winter break with one of our FAVORITE episodes of the year. We mull, we agonize, we analyze our feelings and we pull together the best movies of 2020!

    But it's no fun if you don't play along, so tell us YOUR favorite movies of 2020 in the comments.

    We'll announce the winner of a free movie rental, when our first episode of 2021 airs on January 18th!

    #2020movies #Top10
    2    View on Facebook
    Alternate Ending
    Alternate EndingThursday, December 17th, 2020 at 9:22pm
    New Episode! 🎧

    Top 5 Christmas Curmudgeons ➡️bit.ly/3r5ukert

    This one goes out to all of you who are feeling a bit grinchy about the holidays this year. We're sure that this episode will have your heart growing AT LEAST 2 sizes. ❤

    Happy Holidays, from all of us at AE!
       View on Facebook
    Alternate Ending
    Alternate EndingFriday, December 11th, 2020 at 9:58pm
    Have you seen Run Film yet?!

    We sit down with director Aneesh Chaganty to talk about his newest twisty-thriller, you won't want to miss it!

    🎧 bit.ly/2KeFZqg
    1    View on Facebook
    Alternate Ending
    Alternate EndingThursday, December 10th, 2020 at 4:28pm
    Movie Giveaway! 🥳

    Who is your favorite Christmas Curmudgeon in a movie?

    Almost as much as Santa Claus and reindeer, you can’t have a Christmas movie without some miserable SOB who starts out by humbugging their way through throngs of cheerful celebrants and has, by the end of the second hour, learned the True Meaning of Christmas. 🎄

    To help our own hearts grow two-and-a-half sizes at the end of this tough year, share your favorites in the comments below for a chance to win a free Amazon movie rental - the winner will be announced when our next episode airs on Dec 14th! ❤️
    1    View on Facebook
    Alternate Ending
    Alternate Ending updated their cover photo.Thursday, December 10th, 2020 at 4:03pm
    1 1    View on Facebook
  • Support The Show

    Rent the Looks, Own the Style - The Mr. & Ms. Collection

    Rent the Looks, Own the Style - The Mr. & Ms. Collection

Copyright © 2021 Alternate Ending - Discovering good movies, one bad movie at a time.
WordPress Development by Gibson Web Development
This product uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDb.