Eden Talks about the movie that made her happiest and finding solace in cinema

 I watched more than 200 movies this year -- some were ones I’d seen before, sure, but most were new to me. During this weird year, I found joy and solace and escape in movies.

To follow the rule the movie that made me happiest this year was I Used to Go Here (2020, directed by Kris Rey) was a weird, complicated and sweet look at trying to recapture one’s youth. Jillian Jacobs shines and there the supporting cast is game and fun. Is this movie a masterpiece? No, but I have watched it at least three times this year. It became an instant favorite for me.

Runners up:

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019, directed by Céline Sciamma) basically ruined all other movies for me. This was so beautiful I felt angry about it (that’s a good thing).

First Cow (2020, directed by Kelly Reichardt) was about two sweet, kind men who the world didn’t deserve. Plus, that cow is a great cow.

Shirley (2020, directed by Josephine Decker) was so amazing that I never actually finished my review of it, but this movie is basically a Venn Diagram of things I like.

Jasper Mall (2019, directed by  Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb) was made by my two favorite doc filmmakers. It’s not trying to make a grand statement of about Dying Malls And What It Means or Middle America and Its Authenticity. It’s just such a quiet, sweet documentary with a lot of sweet, quiet people. I have loved every single one of their documentaries and I want more people to see this.

I also started deep dive into the work of Agnès Varda and I’m still working my way through her movies. Cleo from 5 to 7 is a masterpiece, certainly, but the weird turns of Les Créatures, the dark undercurrent of domestic bliss in Le Bonheur and the kind, daily humanity of Daugerrotypes all show a filmmaker who had a specific vision but was always willing to challenge herself. (Yes, I bought the Criterion box set).

I discovered director Dorothy Arnzer, who was the only woman director working in the Hollywood studio system from 1927 to 1943 (when she retired). She was also an out lesbian (as much as one could be). Dance, Girl, Dance starring an early-career Lucille Ball is a delightful masterpiece and I paused to buy it on Bluray before I was even done watching it.

I’m on Letterboxd if people would like to follow along with my journeys into movies.

What Film Made You Happiest in 2020? PLUS The Unseen Film Award goes to....

Thank you John DiBello

With Covid causing sea changes in the world  I realized that there was no way to even remotely attempt the Unseen Films Awards for 2020 (On the other hand there is an award so jump all the way to the bottom to see who it went to and why). Frankly no one was watching the same things and because the release schedule got changed and changed and…. Some films suddenly were moved to 2021 or pulled from the release schedule. 

While we weren’t watching the same films, we were all watching a ton of films.  I have been getting notes from people all over the place concerning the great  films they were discovering. Some even found there way on to Unseen.

In having a discussion about what , if anything, to do about a year end community wrap up someone mentioned films that made them happy.  And with that a bell went off. Instead of a discussion of the best films, I would let everyone talk about what films made them happiest. Going to my email and twitter lists I sent out requests for people’s happiest film. I sent out the question to a wide variety of people who made me curious as what the film that delighted them would be.

There was no restriction- any film or film related thing you saw in 2020 was eligible. I wanted to know what and why.

While some people declined. A lot of people responded and the responses were wonderful.  Some responses were straight forward. Some were not. BC Wallin’s response was a such a masterful essay  I had to publish it as the first piece in the last week of summing up. Ernie Stevens (from JOE AND ERNIE CRISIS COPS) wrote a moving piece about what CRIP CAMP meant to him and Nate Hood bled joy from his soul about CATS. Eden talked about the films as a means of solace. Other pieces came in as just a title, while others turned the question into something else.

I have been charmed by every piece I received.

What follows are the responses more or less in the order they were received. I have been told that I will still be getting more responses, and if so I will add them below. And if you are reading this and want to add your own choice for the happiest film you saw this year please feel free to add it in the comments.

 Lesley Coffin - Biographer, critic
Cats...it is one of the worst movies Ever made but it was the last movie I saw in theaters before the shutdown and one of the best movie going experiences I ever had. The collective experience was pretty amazing, including the delightful commentary by what was probably a 6 year old saying what we were all thinking And have had many discussions about the train wreck since Covid started (especially showing it to my mother we could finally be back together). It was definitely a movie for 2020.

Alec Kubas Meyer- Director, YouTuber, Unseen Films writer
I'll give you the exact opposite, because there really wasn't a "Happy" movie that stuck with me through the whole year, though I did see Birds of Prey in IMAX twice in a week because I really, really loved it and had a ton of fun... so maybe that? (Freaky is the only other movie that I really had a ton of fun with in 2020.) In any case, Burning was the movie that stuck with me throughout the whole year. It's something I've thought about at least once every few days since I first saw it in February. I always feel sad immediately afterwards, but it has really resonated in 2020 as a film about the way the powerful truly prey on the weak in a way that even Parasite wouldn't touch. I love it, and it makes me miserable.

Jason Kartalian- Director, writer, producer
The film that I enjoyed the most this year was Borat 2 or its long title Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. It was in your face funny, timely and surprisingly touching. Sasha Baron Cohen was wild, fearless and insane but the true soul of the film was formed by a remarkable performance by Maria Bakalova. The film is quite an achievement.

Patrick Meaney - Director, Producer, Distributor
I tried to take advantage of this being (hopefully) the only year where all we could do was stay at home and watch movies by catching up on a lot of vintage films and directors that I hadn’t seen before, and the film that resonated most was Brian De Palma’s Sisters. I hadn’t seen many De Palma films before, and this one just blew me away with its narrative that swerved between an ominous romance, a dark murder investigation and a psychedelic horror freakout. It was a great example of taking advantage of a lower budget to go all out stylistically, with masterful split screen shots, and disturbing dream sequences. And, in the dark times of the lockdown, it inspired me with some new ideas for a project to tackle once things are open again. 

Ariela Rubin - Unseen Films writer
I would say My Octopus Teacher. It was just really sweet and mind blowing too. How a human and octopus can make a connect. It’s something I never would have suspected. I also watched all the Back to the Future movies (I think I had seen the first one years ago but didn’t remember it) and they all just made me smile. They were just fun movies to watch! And I saw Airplane for the first time which I also really enjoyed, a lot more than I expected to :)

Dor Dotson - Film Social Media Marketing Consultant
DRIVEWAYS, for its sheer quality and sense of authentic connection.
CITY SO REAL, for its sincere, warm portrayal of resilience both of a group and of so many compelling individuals
TED LASSO for its kindness and wholesomeness if you’ll allow a TV show because it is just THAT GOOD

Wendy Feinberg- Programmer of the Port Jefferson Documentary Series
One new one that I just watched made me happy - THE CALL OF THE WILD. And one I watched again in 2020, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, also made me happy. I am sure there are others. I have many that made me sad.

Danielle Solzman- Writer, Director
I don't know if I'd use the word happiest but Jurassic World is the film I've turned to the most while in quarantine (4 viewings)

Nora Lee Mandel- Writer
My interpretation of "happiest" these days is not comic - but humanistic. By that criteria, my favorite most humanistically heart-warming film is the fiction/documentary hybrid THE MOLE AGENT (Chile) directed by Maite Alberdi, not particular lines, but how the charming titular detective character/80-year old Sergio Chamy seems to bring out the best in all the elderly people in the pre-pandemic senior citizen residence.

Melanie Addington- Programmer Oxford Film Festival
Minari such a refreshing American tale of the South, of generational conflict, of family bonds, and lead Alan S. Kim is a delight.

Elizabeth Whittemore- writer, editor, actress, singer
If John Waters wrote an "I Love Lucy" episode it might resemble something like FAIRYTALE. Little did we know how long this pandemic would last and how hard hit the entire entertainment industry would be affected. FAIRYTALE gave me everything I was missing and so much more. The overall idea of being accepted for who we are, wrapped in oversaturated, tongue-in-cheek nostalgia is beautiful madness. Based on the stage play, also starring our leading lady Filippo Timi, Fairytale is a complete surprise and pure delight. Oh, oh, OH! The costumes! They are their own character as far as I'm concerned. With a set that rivals Pee-Wee Herman's playhouse from every angle, performances that will tickle your funny bone, and a script that gets more entertaining as it rolls along, I cannot stop telling everyone I know, especially theater fans, about this film. (Liz's original review is here)

Thessa Mooij- Publicist
Steve McQueen, Small Axes, LOVERS’ ROCK With festivals and theaters shut for most of the year, I saw much less films than usual. ’TV” series (I vote for tearing down borders between film, TV and online), making music and historical non-fiction took over my brain space. This makes me even more grateful for LOVERS’ ROCK lighting up my life. No year’s worth of lesser films to slog through first. But after months of lockdown a piece of pure cinema that celebrates the power of music and community. You don’t even need the music, just voices joined together, riding the waves of a melody and beat.

Seongyong Cho- Writer and Ebert.com Far Flung Correspndent
Early in this month, I was considering writing a piece on HBO TV movie "RKO281" (1999), so I came to revisit "Citizen Kane" (1941) with the audio commentary by late Roger Ebert, and I was surprised as the movie and Ebert's commentary energized and delighted me a lot. To be frank with you, I have often doubted whether I really feel joy and excitement as watching and reviewing countless films every year despite not getting paid at all, but this very happy experience with "Citizen Kane" reminded me again that I still like movies a lot, and now I am ready to embrace whatever I and other audiences are going to watch during the next year.

Steve Kopian- Chief cook and bottle washer at Unseen Films
It is a weird thing in that I was asking everyone what film made them happiest this year and I really couldn’t come up with something. Actually the problem was I over thought things and tried to figure out what made me happiest. The truth of the matter is that the happiest Movie was actually two events over the course of a week. The first was the Port Jefferson Documentary Series screening of Rock And Roll President in the park. It was for me a return to a kind of cinematic normalcy. It was a good film with a good friend and a chance to meet another in person. This was followed by the trip my brother to the Riverside Drive In outside Pittsburgh where I watched the Blood Island films one night and King Kong Vs Godzilla the next. Bliss Bliss and Heaven, not to mention my first vacation in decades.

Shaun Clark-Animator
The film I have chosen is 'The Man Who Planted Trees' directed by Frédéric Back based on Jean Giono's short story. The film was made in 1987 using coloured pencils on frosted cell to bring the drawings to life. I first saw this film in the early 90’s when I became interested in animation and shared the film this year with somebody as it reminded me of her father who plants acorns in the mountains every year. Watching the film again during the summer of the pandemic helped shine some light into the darkness. It is a story about recovery from tragic events, determination and commitment to make the world a better place. 

Justin McConnell- Director, Producer, 
LOVE & MONSTERS: Full disclaimer first - do I think this is the best film I saw this year? No, there were plenty of films that to my mind were objectively better. However, it was the one that brought me the most joy while watching it. The kind of movie that brought me back to the feeling of watching something big and fun in the cinema. It's a simplistic and charming crowd-pleaser with lots of fun monster designs, a generally positive tone, a small but fun role from Michael Rooker, and a great dog performance. And to know it was written by a screenwriter responsible for two other genre highlights this year (Underwater, Spontaneous), added to the joy, as it's always nice to find a new reliable creative working in the mid to high-budget space. All three of those films don't really feel like they are written by committee, they have the kind of personality to them that comes from trusting in a creative team, and I appreciate seeing that's still possible at larger budgets.

Joe Kopian- Unseen Films zombie expert
Not technically a movie the second season of the Korean series Kingdom was perfect fun.

Lisa Sanford- Disney Expert and occasional Pink Bunny
THE OLD GUARD: Focusing on an army of (mostly) immortal warriors, it felt strangely relevant in COVID times - the repetition and boredom of lockdown life, the helplessness, the feeling of existing rather than living. Whether it was escapism or a history lesson, I got something different out of it each time I watched, and it added a dash of magic and hope to a year that really needed it.

Chocko- Unseen Films writer and one of the mad minds behind Planet Chocko
Beastie Boys Story, the documentary by Spike Jonze was a favorite movie of mine from 2020. The doc is a recording of the surviving members of the Beastie Boys at the sold out King’s Theater in Brooklyn. Mike Diamond aka Mike D and Adam Horovitz aka Ad-Rock recall their early punk rock days and meeting Adam Yauch aka MCA which led to the formation of one of the most influential hip hop groups to come out of the 80’s...The Beastie Boys. Founding member Adam Yauch sadly passed away from cancer in 2012 but he lives on in the music, stories shared by his fellow MC’s and the many videos featured in the movie. I’ve been a fan of the Beastie Boys ever since catching their video “She’s On It” on music channel U68 and running to the mall to buy their first album “Licensed To Ill” the day it came out. The documentary was a well done, fantastic and emotional trip down memory lane and ultimately a story about friendship with a killer soundtrack that will make your head snap back and forth.

Kenji Fujishima- writer/editor
Frederick Wiseman's 1989 documentary Central Park is a great film by any measure, but seeing it at home while stuck in COVID-19 quarantine gave it an extra aching resonance. It's exactly the kind of teeming life, humanity, and freedom Wiseman so heartwarmingly captured in the film's wide-ranging three hours that this global pandemic severely curtailed. Amid the terror and frustrations of 2020, Central Park felt like an oasis: a vision of post-COVID normalcy that we'll hopefully approach in the new year

S. Schneider- Unseen Films Writer
Space Jam - An oldie I've seen countless times, but a true favorite. This movie carries a timeless sense of nostalgia for me that puts me in a good mood any time I see or put it on. An action & humor packed story of perservernce that was especially important in 2020 dealing with all the uncertainty & fear over all the unknown dealing with the virus.

Mr C- Unseen Films Writer and Mad Mind Behind Planet Chocko
I honestly didn't watch many movies in 2020. For most people, watching films in any format lends a little or a lot of distraction away from the everyday struggles and god knows we had plenty this year. For myself, I couldn't even stay focused to watch a movie in one sitting. Depression? Attention deficit disorder? But when I finally did crack an old DVD laying around, GIRLFIGHT which was Michelle Rodriguez's debut film, it encouraged me to see things through and persevere just like Rodriguez's character did in the movie. Although Girlfight's main plot was a young lady who is coming of age despite being misunderstood by teachers, issues with her father, & peers, she finds refuge in the ring with boxing which introduces other struggles. I wouldn't say this film made me happy but it did make me clench my fist and injected some emotion in me to say hey, let's move on - let's fight - let's live! Strangely enough, I made it a double screening and conveniently put in Robin Williams' - ONE HOUR PHOTO and yeah that injected some old feelings too! Maybe my life is not that bad which made me happy!

Sam Juliano- Writer, actor
1) First Cow
2) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
3) Sound of Metal

AND THE UNSEEN FILM AWARD FOR 2020 GOES TO...

On March 12th, the day before NYC locked down, Frank and Trace try to convince Nate Hood he'll be safe from Covid if they send him and Tom Servo into outer space to watch bad movies

And lastly I need to give  Frank Conniff and Trace Beaulieu aka The Mads the Unseen Film Award for 2020.  I know there wasn't going to be any award  but as I was putting this list of things that made people happy together they kept getting mentioned repeatedly - seriously.

Granted  they were the last theatrical cinema that John DiBello, Bully, Nate Hood and I attended before the quarantine hit (the night before New York City closed down we saw their live performance of THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS), but the truth is when I was putting this piece together they were mentioned repeatedly by Randi Mason and  others, even the one's not participating, as literally the first thing that made them happy.  Generally it was "the thing that made me happiest that I saw was the Mads live streams." to which they would add "but I can't include them because they aren't a movie" I argued argued they were, but no one wanted to put them forward. 

Randi gushed about the shows from top to bottom adding that she  loved that they went the extra mile and had special guests. "I loved when they brought out Victoria Price" and "As a result of their having Svengoolie on we are now fans"  

Because Trace and Frank were constantly cited as the thing that made people the happiest in this crappy year of Covid the Unseen Film Award goes to  Frank Conniff and Trace Beaulieu aka The Mads. As Willie Wonka said "So shines a good deed in a weary world." You guys you are both wonderful and you have blessed the world by bringing light into the darkness. The joy and laughter you have given to everyone was truly a highpoint in one of the worst times. 

And I, and the entire Unseen Films family, would love to give you all a group hug but social distancing rules prevent it.

The next night of their live show, which is an evening of short films, will be January 12th. For tickets and more information go here  

Because the award was unexpected and because social distancing prevents us from meeting up to give you the award so here is a picture of Frank and Trace when they met Bully The Little Stuffed Bull at the Alamo. Please feel free to photoshop a major award over Bully. 

What film made Nate Hood happiest in 2020?

 

CATS

Before you ask, no, this isn’t an ironic pick. I’m not trying to blow smoke at any establishment by picking the year’s most notorious box office bomb, and neither am I trying to rehabilitate this cinematic monstrosity as some kind of misunderstood masterpiece. Tom Hooper’s Cats is one of the most jaw-slackeningly miscalculated, aesthetically horrifying films to ever claw its way out of Hollywood’s gaping maw. It’s the rare film where not a single thing worked—each successive creative decision almost willfully sought to outdo the last in terms of insane lunacy.

And yet not one single film in 2020 made me happier or more thankful to be alive.

Cats was one of the last films I saw in a theater in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered them all, and the memory of that evening has kept me warm all year like the proverbial single match did for the Little Match Girl caught in the snowstorm. The audience I saw it with was perfectly calibrated: about two-thirds were teenagers and college kids who knew what they were in for and the other third were unsuspecting seniors who didn’t. From the first shot—literally, the first shot of the moon dissolving into a rictus Cheshire Cat grin—they were off to the races, howling in incredulous disbelief as each CGI body-suited cat chimera slunk, crawled, skittered, and twirled onscreen. 

We laughed ourselves silly that night, tears running down our cheeks and snot dripping down our noses. Raucous screams tore their way through the theater as our feeble minds tried to process the image of Idris Elba’s butt-ass naked Macavity flaunting his genital-less loins at the screen, of Rebel Wilson’s Jennyanydots commanding a regiment of smiling cockroach homunculi in a Busby Berkeley number, of Steven McRae’s Skimbleshanks ****ing EXPLODING mid-pirouette in a cloud of smoke, of Dame Judy Dench starring into our souls as she looked directly into the camera so she could remind us that “a cat is NOT a dog!” 

If one of the functions of religious ritual is to give communities the means for public expression of trauma and other socially unacceptable emotions, then my experience watching Cats that night was nothing short of sacred. Nobody left that theater the same person they were when they went in—we had all laughed and hollered, screamed and shouted parts of ourselves into oblivion. We had been blessed. We had been damned. We had been initiated. And in the months of quarantine to come, it proved a useful one, keeping the promise of the cinematic experience alive in my heart as so many theaters went dark. I don’t know when I’ll be able to go back to the movies. But when the time comes, I’ll be ready. I’ll tell ‘em the Magical Mr. Mistoffelees sent me.

Best of 2020 Pt 2: Best of the Best

These films, performances and viewing experiences were the tip top of 2020. These are the great films I keep turning over in my mind

Target Practice is a a game set and match look at racism

Who Farted is this really a "best film? No. Is it a one of the most fun films you will ever see? Oh hell yea- it's a film about farts that is informative and screamingly funny.

The pieces of Cane Fire are as good as filmmaking gets. While the whole film is badly edited and that should have kicked this off the list, however the pieces are amazing and too good not to put the film here

Blood Rider is a portrait of a man who delivers blood. It's deeply moving

Yesteryear is a look at how we look at our past. It is a film of quiet power

Cabane E Sang Fest how did I not know about this film festival before? Shifting to virtual they put two nights of perfectly programmed horror and genre films.  I've never seen any festival this well done- all of the freaking films kicked ass! I want to go to the festival in person (And now they have a TV show)

Clapboard Jungle is Justin McConnell's look at inde filmmaking is one of the greatest films on films ever- and it's being expanded into a TV series.

Trial of the Chicago Seven Aaron Sorkin looks back and speaks volumes about today.

Echoes of the Invisible- One of the tip top films of the year. Steve Elkins' film changed my life- and that of Nate Hood by making us reconsider life in the best possible way

The Light Side best Star Wars film ever

PS Burn This Letter the lives of men and women who were gay when that was dangerous told through their letters and their memories. It is one of the most moving films you will ever see. I carry everyone in my heart and talk to them when I need to smile.

Wolfwalkers The latest from Cartoon Saloon cements it place as one of the greatest animation studios ever while telling one hell of a story.

Wojnarowicz a take no prisoners portrait of a take no prisoners artist came from nowhere and has taken up a place in my heart

76 Days is a deeply moving portrait of a life in hospital in China during lock down. It will move you to tears

The Reception two father discuss life as they wait to die. A perfect film with perfect performances that makes you feel alive as it crushes your heart.

Big Touch - a film for the Covid year- about the need for physical contact. Magnificent

Julia Scotti Funny That Way- I love this film and Ms Scotti. This is a film about following your happiness and spreading it around- and I can't wait to meet her in real life.

Anything For Jackson horror and humor mix in the best possible way

Hopper/Welles- what happens when Dennis Hopper has dinner with Orson Welles? This is not really a film but a glorious conversation

Phenomenon is the best film on UFOs in decades. At a time where the government is quietly saying something is going on it is rational reasoned and compelling

Giant: The World of Filmmaker Jeff LeRoy- an explanation of the joy of filmmaking. Another great film on film and one of the most joyous films you'll see all year.

Mosley unheralded animated film works as a grand adventure as well as a telling destruction of racism

Herb Alpert is... portrait of  musician full of great music and happiness.

Night Of The Kings- a film about the importance of stories and other things. I did not want t see it at the New York Film Festival and now I can't imagine living without it.

Lovers Rock- One of the most perfect uses of music in film is a huge ball of joy. Probably the best film of the year or top three, if I picked that sort of thing 

Seeing Rock and Roll President in the Park was glorious. It was a return to normal filmgoing that allowed me to meet a long time Internet friend and go to one of the best film series I know of(Port Jefferson Documentary Series) out there.

Dancing Mary is Sabu's latest. A mix of comedy, crime and ghosts. Pure cinematic magic.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom has Oscar worthy performances and manages, in my humble opinion, to improve on an award winning play. It will rock your world

The finale of Steve McQueen's EDUCATION is perfect. It still reduces me to tears weeks later just thinking about it.

The complete Small Axe Anthology. Yes I know I have pieces of the series on the list already but the echoes of the whole series as you ponder the films lifts them all up to the realm of something truly special. Hands down McQueen's best work.

Best of 2020 Part 1

If you have read Unseen Films for any amount of time you know I see way too many movies every year and as a result my best of the year lists go way beyond a top ten or even a top twenty five. My lists are so long that they come in two parts The Best and The Best of the Best. This is the first part- a list of some truly great films.

PRISON WITHIN- this is a great film about how the trauma of life hurts us and even makes us do things that send us to prison.

FAIRYTALE-A fairytale film abut finding out who you really are and living your life to the fullest

BASTARD'S ROAD- the last thing I thought we needed was another feel good film about a vet reconnecting with his fellow soldiers and life-until I saw this film and knew we need this film right now.

CRESCENDO- deeply moving film about a half Israeli half Palestinian orchestra that uses music perfectly to add to the themes and emotions.

IDENTIFYING FEATURES-This film is just getting released now widely and this tale of a mother looking for her son will wreck you. It has haunted me since January.

HIGHER LOVE-What will you do for the person you love and your child. Real raw and a punch in the chest

PIROTECNIA- what starts off as a look at the men who tried to kill the President of Columbia becomes something greater and more resonant to the world.

THE SPECIALS- The story of two men running a day care for people with special needs had me openly sobbing several times. Movies rarely get better than this.

BURNING GHOST- a man caught between the here and the here after interacts with people on both sides. Another film that makes you go WOW

RUNON- short film about a mother and her son in a bus terminal that I watched repeatedly-like for two hours over and over again because it took me somewhere else

BUNDINI- portrait of the man who coined the phrase "Float Like a Butterfly and Sting Like a Bee" needs to be expanded into a feature.

A BETTER YOU- A wonderful short film about a man who decides to judt be himself

LAST FERRY TO GRASS ISLAND- The story of a hit on an island just off Hong Kong. It heralds the arrival of a new force in cinema

Performances in SWERVE/DIRTY GOD The lead performances in these two films rock and deserve Oscars

SPUTNIK - A sci fi horror film that bends the genre and make you shiver

BATHWELL IN CLERKENTIME-  Third film in the Clerkenwell trilogy is a delight

THROUGH THE NIGHT- eye opening look at a 24 hour day care and the family that runs it.

499- glorious mixing of fact and fiction will make you reconsider what you thought you knew.

PAINTED BIRD- Film version of a literary classic truly shows the ugliness of war and humanity

LOOKING FOR A LADY WITH FANGS- Magnificent mediation on life had be arguing with a number of people who didn't get it. I got it and carry it in my heart

THE MORTARY COLLECTION- one of the very best horror anthologies ever made

ON BRUHL- glorious portrait of a community center that welcomes everyone set up in the middle of a city festering with neo-nazi's

FATMAN- Mel Gibson is a kick ass Santa Claus. Straddling genres it speaks volumes about life

UNIVERSE- Portrait of a jazz musician and his efforts to record a piece written for Miles Davis

BOYS FROM COUNTY HELL- Just when you thought the Vampire legends couldn't be improved upon....

COSTUME FOR NICHOLAS- deeply moving film about the need to dream and be yourself. It will make you go misty. This heralds the arrival of a Ghibli level animation studio.

PAPER TIGERS- wonderful buddy film that says a lot about growing old and the relationship between fathers and sons

MADIGASIKARA- Fantastic look at Madagascar that has one of the most crushing openings ever where a mother talks of burying her dead child just outside the door of her home. It goes up from there and it will change you forever.

THE DISSIDENT-a look into the uglier side of Saudi Arabia and the murder of Jamal Khashoggi-it buckles your knees

Jimmy Olsson's ALIVE is a film about a woman in a wheelchair who sets up a Tinder profile and to say more would be telling. All you need know is the ending is one of the best endings of any film in years and it will make you smile and laugh with will earned emotion.

Film Finds 2020

Every year there are films that just miss the best of the year list but which still need to be noted at the year's end because they are so good.

ASHFALL- Batshit crazy film from Korea about a volcano erupting in the South and the need to use an atomic bomb in the north. Its none stop and totally nuts

ANIMATION OUTLAWS- A fantastic look at Spike and Mike and how they shaped the animation you know and love.

STATE AGAINST MANDELA AND OTHERS-an excellent and moving look at the trial that sent Nelson Mandela and others to prison. 

RESIDUE- Merawi Gerima steps into the spotlight.

ASK NO QUESTIONS- a great look at the nasty things China is doing to the Falun Gong

TO CALM THE PIG INSIDE-a wonderful portrait of an island destroyed by a storm.

QUEEN OF THE CAPITAL-I have been thinking about the wonderful people in this film since I saw it. All I want to do is go to DC and give them a big hug

małni—towards the ocean, towards the shore- glorious cinematic experience-see it as big as possible with no distractions.

400MPH- magnificent short about a chimp with a need for speed

WASHED- a horror comedy that that an unexpected ending and my undying love

SOFTIE- the story of a man trying to save his country. It has one of the best exchanges in cinema history as Softie's daughter decides she wants to help her dad

BEARS INVASION OF SICILY- magnificent animated film about the title event which echoes with the world of today.

EMA- see this for the sound and image which are so arresting it makes the film a must see

PRIVATE FICTION- a look at family and things left behind through a look at the history of Argentina

COMFORTER- a glorious short horror film that will make you never want to sleep again

SPENSER CONFIDENTIAL- a rethink of the Robert Parker Spenser for Hire books and characters- I want a sequel

SLEEP- Portrait of Max Richter's eight and half hour piece of music to sleep to (not to worry this is under two)

OLIVER SACHS: IN HIS OWN WORDS- Portrait of the man that will make you miss him all the more

REACH OF RESONANCE- Steve Elkins first film is a glorious look at differently sourced music

 
LOVE SPREADS- story of a rock group making an album. Announced for Tribeca, put into the Press Library before the director demanded it be pulled, I managed to catch it and fall under its spell. Its a wonderful film that I want to see again.

SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME -Portrait of Ron Wood is probably the best film on the Rolling Stones ever made.

MY BROTHERS KEEPER-magnificent  portrait of a guard and a prisoner who changed each other's lives.

SWORD OF GOD- portrait of Christian missionaries getting in over their head

MY HEART CAN'T BEAT UNLESS YOU TELL IT- small gem of a horror film about two sibling taking care of their brother who needs blood to survive

INFLUENCE- if you want to know why the world is fucked up see this portrait of Lord Timothy Bell who will do anything for money

FRIED BARRY- great film about an alien taking the body of a bad man for a spin and finding humanity.

ASSASSINS- a mind-bending look at the murder of the brother of Kim Jong-un that involved unwitting killers

 

CURED- the moving story of the fight to have homosexuality removed from the list of mental illnesses.

THEY SAY NOTHING STAYS THE SAME- glorious film about change that should have been at the New York Film Festival not the New York Asian Film Festival.

CUTIES-controversial film about the abuse and sexualization of young girls became a lightning rod by people who didn't see or understand the film. It may not be perfect but it is a punch in the face

ABRACADABRA- A wild and crazy film about magic that it why I love the movies.

YANKEE- Glorious action film would be on my best of the best list were it not for the terrible cinematography. that said the film, the story and the characters haunt you

GONE WITH THE LIGHT- great film about what happens to those left behind after people randomly disappear in a flash of light.

LEGEND OF BARON TO'A- a great film about finding family, home and culture that doesn't do what you'd expect

SON OF THE WHITE MARE- one the greatest works of visual art I've ever seen. If the plot was a bit more under control it would be on my best of the year list

Worst films of 2020

It goes without saying worst  thing about 2020 was the whole year. This year was awful for any number of reasons, none of which I'll go into. Instead I'll talk about the really bad films I saw this year.

TAPESTRY- a heartfelt movie about how god and family will make it all right in the end. Its so clunky that  you'll become a aethist and kill your family.

GUNS AKIMBO-Disappointing action film with Daniel Radcliff makes zero sense

CODE OF THE FREAKS- people with disabilities  dismiss every single film about disabilities. What should have been a reasoned discussion is an irrational rant.

OTTOLENGHI AND THE CAKES OF VERSAILLES- the rare food documentary I hate.

CLOVER- a not very good comedic thriller makes Ron Pearlman look bad

OPEKA- portrait of Father Pedro Opeka is hagiographic in the extreme. A border line offensive film where you'll want to punch out this white savior (see MADIGASIKARA instead for a real look at Madagascar)

HUNTED- incredibly stupid  film about a woman hunted by two men, who then turns the tables on them. As stupid as a film can be 

ORIGIN OF THE SPIECES- a great discussion about artificial intelligence is wrecked by a headache inducing presentation

BLACK JACK- a movie about a legendary basketball player without almost no basketball, and is instead an awful cliché  family drama.

FRENCH EXIT-a bad film about a spoiled rich woman who doesn't know what to do with her life. Who cares?

CIRCLE- technically inept film is so deficient that it is impossible to know if the story is any good. You spend the whole film picking it apart, wondering why the sound as recorded in camera, whether any of the actors were in the same place at the same time and how anyone would pick it up to show at a festival.

BC Wallin talks about the best film experiences of the year and ends up saying so much more

To put it shortly, 2020 has been a year of looking back more than looking forward. The field of movies that came out this year has been limited, and at times, anxiety at the state of the world made it feel more comfortable to stick to familiar films, while at other times, fewer new movies to catch allowed for opportunities to start catching up on the past. Here’s a messy sort of list, for a messy sort of year.

Best trailer for a movie that didn’t end up coming out this year

In the Heights

I will not be living in Washington Heights anymore when this film eventually comes out simultaneously in theaters and on HBO MAX. I’m not living in Washington Heights anymore right now — I moved out during the pandemic. The community has a texture and movement and, if we’re being honest, some really loud motorcycles that rip down the streets, but I’m past that, I guess.

I love earnest, open-hearted musicals, and I was excited for In the Heights. The trailer had it going on, and good. The hopefulness, the dreams, the fantasy. I was excited to see people dancing on the wall, in the pool, through the fire hydrant blasts. I was looking forward to a (hopefully) meaningful story about race and class and ambition. I’m still thinking about that trailer. There were much, much bigger tragedies. And the movie will come out, so a tragedy it is not. A minor bummer, I guess. I hope the movie’s worth it.

Best French serial from the early 20th century

Les vampires

The truth is, I’d like to have judged between this and another Louis Feuillaude serial, Judex, but I only saw the movie adaptation from the ‘60s (pretty good, and it had giant bird head costumes). I picked up Kino Lorber’s Les vampires set in April, figuring it would last me until things got back to normal. You know. I wish there was a way to get this series in front of a large group of people, so we could be talking about this on Twitter, or something. It’s insanely engaging, it’s got Mazamette, and it has a surprising number of rotating big bosses (pour one out for Irma Vep, who never got to take her deserved spot on top). Watch it.

Weirdest double feature

Impractical Jokers: The Movie & Parasite

I actually had the opportunity to pull this off in a movie theater (sorry, I still miss AMC A-List). An immature quartet of friends, a contrived plot featuring Paula Abdul, and the feeling that you’re sitting in a theater watching a high production value episode of TV. Followed immediately by an IMAX screening of an allegorical class-struggle masterpiece of cinema. So, you know, balance. I think the weirdest/worst part about a pairing like this is that I genuinely didn’t glean anything new from this pairing. It’s like eating roasted marshmallows and turkey bacon together; they just don’t mesh.

Most disappointing movie commentary

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Criterion Collection finally offered a disc of my favorite all-time movie (at time of writing and for the five years prior). I was asked why I was getting excited for a movie I already owned digitally. “Because,” I said, “there are bonus features” (the quote may not be exact, but the sentiment is). The supplements promised a “New audio commentary featuring [Wes] Anderson, filmmaker Roman Coppola, critic Kent Jones, and actor Jeff Goldblum.” The Grand Budapest Hotel is a technically fascinating film (read Matt Zoller Seitz’s book!) that you could break down in intense depth, going through the 4:3 cinematography, the incredible production design, the Alexandre Desplat score evocative of folk Eastern European music, the colors, the acting, the humor, the small gestures by Edward Norton, and the rest of it. The men spent their time mostly just reminiscing about things unrelated to the story and occasionally bringing up the filming locations. The worst kind of commentary is the one that really teaches you nothing.

Worst movie

The Birth of a Nation

I’m glad I finally watched this oft-cited movie so I could make my own judgement. The Birth of a Nation sucks. On a story, historical, and moral level, it’s just repugnant. I have to be fair and admit that the first half was able to grip me with the battle stuff, the intensity and such. But then, the KKK arrived. There isn’t much new to say about this horrid movie that’s been hotly debated for about a century. I don’t want to dwell.

Different Man Different Movie Award

The Wizard of Oz

The same man can’t walk through the same river twice, or something like that. The first time I rewatched The Wizard of Oz this year (you could say all watching is rewatching, but this movie has been part of my family canon for a long time), I was preparing to spend indoor time with friends, laughing, enjoying, and expelling non-deadly particles into the air. I was building a Dungeons & Dragons mini-campaign inspired by the podcast The Film Reroll and a Washington Post article’s revisionist take on the politics of Oz. I rewatched it recently with my sister (we share a bubble). My movie nights have had more… repetitive crowds this year than usual. My Dungeons & Dragons games are run over Zoom. Maybe I should’ve realized something was up with the year when Dorothy’s house didn’t hit the Wicked Witch of the East in our game. Oops.

Best use of Kol Nidre

The Jazz Singer

Kol Nidre is the moving, soulful song chanted at the opening to Yom Kippur, where Jews try to start the Day of Atonement on the right foot, by cleansing themselves of all vows, promises, and ties that bind them to the possibility of breaking their word. The cantorial music sung today can be traced to a 19th century composer named Max Bruch, and I’ve thought for a while that it would make a powerful moment in film. Then I watched one of the most famous talking pictures of all time and saw it had been hiding there all along. I’m always looking for more Jewish representation in film, and coming across this tale of being torn between two worlds was quite meaningful (yes, I know this movie has significant moral problems). If there’s a better use of Kol Nidre, I’ll happily reconsider.

Best pleasant surprise

Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe

The TV show Phineas and Ferb is a masterpiece of the artform. But it works really well in its 11-minute intervals. The show excels in deconstructing the same formulaic structure, over and over, to continuously find new meaning. Expanding beyond the time limitation can be dangerous, and other longer-than-40-minute attempts by the show were plagued by dry spots. Which is why I was pleasantly surprised by how good the Disney+ Phineas and Ferb movie was, telling the story (sort of ripping off Toy Story 2) mostly from the perspective of Candace, as if fans of the show were kids when they came to it and are now old enough to relate to the struggles of aging and feeling stuck in a rut. Worth a watch.

My most significant trend of favorite movies

The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Magnificent Ambersons, Chimes at Midnight, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, the parts of An American Pickle I did like, and literally anything about Orson Welles.

Living in a world that is wholly different from the one you knew only a year ago will certainly target the nostalgia in any person who cared for the feelings of safety and security, though, admittedly, I’ve been reckoning with these feelings for most of my moviegoing career. It might be the collective Jewish memory I’ve inherited that has me thinking about movies that are about the death of an era, the disappearance of a lost age, but I keep finding myself coming back to these types of movies. They’re the ones that target that feeling that something was lost, something tragically irretrievable, and we can never fully get past that loss. I’ve always had a soft spot for these movies; maybe this was the right year to reaffirm the meaningfulness of the past while we stare into an unknown future.

The best anxious comfort movies

Steve Jobs, A Serious Man, Uncut Gems, Eagle Eye, but oddly enough, not Synecdoche, New York.

I call these comfort movies because they’re the ones I came back to this year, knowing full well what I was in for. My wife asked me why I would purposely watch something that I know would make me feel anxious. Why purposely submit yourself to clenching your teeth, tightening your muscles, enduring emotional discomfort? I have two explanations: the practical and the emotional. 2020 was the year of pulling out my phone during movies, stopping in the middle, going to bed, or changing gears and just playing some video games. The thriller, the anxious movie, has its viewer holding on — there’s a clinging sort of notion that’s needed to watch them. Anxious movies grip you, and if they’re what it takes to stop getting distracted during a time when I haven’t been to a movie theater in months and everything in the news makes me anxious, I’ll take them.

This leads to the other point: these selections of anxiety offer familiar discomfort — I know what tzuros will befall Larry Gopnik, what arguments the contentious Steve Jobs will get into. The virus that has defined this year is invisible, flies through the air, and can be carried by people who don’t even know they have it. You can give it to your loved ones. You can survive it and still have long-lasting consequences. Find comfort returning to something you can control (or, you know, just return to the comfort movies that won’t make you feel relieved to be back in our world. This is not a great method of coping).