Goddamn FOUR.
I really thought this would be the post where I’d be able to start back in on previewing the new films coming to theaters, but it is not to be. If you’re curious, Saint Maud and Russell Crowe Is Unhinged are the two films presently hanging on to July wide release dates (the 17th and the 31st, respectively), though I think there is little chance of the second film staying there and no chance whatsoever of the first film doing so.
Therefore, its a fourth month of classic movie marathons all mixed together. I got pretty badly derailed from my intended schedule, but things are mostly back to where they’re meant to be, give or take the endless stream of Bergman films. So it’s a good time to switch some things up, leave some things alone, and do what I can to keep a nice varied array of reviews coming, alongside the VOD and other direct-to-streaming films that are going to keep becoming a more prominent feature here.
Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays (and others, as necessary) – ALTERNATE ENDING’S BERGMANIA! continues
I’ve got some updates. First, my hand-wringing over what “counts” has been answered by these very comprehensive lists of all the director’s film, television, and theater work. I’m committing myself to reviewing everything he directed for film and TV, though I’ll watch the filmed theater off-site for my own edifiction. I’ve also decided it was a mistake not to include his early screenplays, so I’ll be weaving those in as well (save for 1951’s Divorced, which not all of my internet sleuthing skills have been able to uncover). And when we get to the other end, a long time from now, I’ll be doing his late screenplays also. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. For the time being, here’s the list of all Bergman and Bergman-associated cinema I hope to get to by the end of July:
Summer Interlude (1951)
Commercials for Bris soap (1951)
Waiting Women (1952)
Summer with Monika (1953)
A Lesson in Love (1954)
Dreams (1955)
Smiles of a Summer Night (1955)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Mr. Sleeman Is Coming (1957)
Wild Strawberries (1957)
The Venetian (1958)
Rabies (1958)
Brink of Life (1958)
Storm (1960)
The Virgin Spring (1960)
The Devil’s Eye (1960)
Through a Glass Darkly (1961)
Winter Light (1963)
A Dream Play (1963)
The Silence (1963)
All These Women (1964)
Stimulantia – “Daniel” (1967)
Hour of the Wolf (1968)
Shame (1968)
Torment (1944) – directed by Alf Sjöberg
Woman Without a Face (1947) – directed by Gustaf Molander
Eve (1948) – directed by Gustaf Molander
Fridays – BEST PICTURE FRIDAYS continue
I’m having the most fun I’ve had in a long time plowing through these, so I hope you are too – they’re not going away. This series has been particularly prone to last-minute changes, so I’m not going to share specific titles, but I will say that fans of musicals and the Olympics have something to look forward to.
Saturdays – The AUSTRALIAN WINTER OF BLOOD continues
Exactly what it says. This month, we’ll be crossing the wasteland of the 1990s to arrive at 21st Century Australian horror, including the specific film that made me select this as a topic in the first place.
Saturday, 4 July – Bloodmoon (1990)
Saturday, 11 July – Bedevil (1993)
Saturday, 18 July – Undead (2003)
Saturday, 25 July – Wolf Creek (2005)
Tuesdays – New Series! – DON BLUTH IN THE 1990s
I wanted to keep up with animation, but also switch things up a little bit from one magnificent Japanese masterpiece after another, which was starting to get a bit samey for me. There happen to be four features directed by Don Bluth, former Disney rising star turned dogged standard-bearer of old-school animation, that I’ve never reviewed, and four Tuesdays this month. And I am sorry to say that none of them are magnificent masterpieces. But it will make me feel good to patch these holes.
Tuesday, 7 July – Thumbelina (1994)
Tuesday, 14 July – A Troll in Central Park (1994)
Tuesday, 21 July – The Pebble and the Penguin (1995)
Tuesday, 28 July – Bartok the Magnificent (1999)
Thursdays – New Series! – BAD MOVIES FROM THE 1990s
As if all that dire ’90s Bluth animation wasn’t enough, I’ve decided to double-up on garbage from the years of my adolescence, with the sequel – prequel? – to my series of Bad Movies from the 2000s back in May (God, May was so long ago…). Because while art films, horror, and animation account for most of my core competencies, I know there are some of you who just want to see me spit fire and brimstone. I’m going to keep these a secret – based on the following clues and my proclivities, I imagine everybody will be able to figure out at least one of these, but I thought it might be fun to make a game of it.
Thursday, 2 July – Mystery sexploitation
Thursday, 9 July – Mystery family film
Thursday, 16 July – Mystery teen movie
Thursday, 23 July – Mystery remake
Thursday, 30 July – ????