Monday, June 18, 2007

Birthday Film Festival

My birthday is on Saturday, and as a way to celebrate this year my wife is giving me my own film festival. Every night this week we'll be watching a movie I picked that usually Joy would not be eager to watch. I'm lucky that we share similar movie tastes overall, and where we don't converge, Joy is gracious enough to barter - one "Andrew movie" for one "Joy movie." That means for every noir film we watch, I also suffer through one meaningless chick flick.

Compromise is the stuff of good marriages.

This opportunity is rare, so over the past two weeks I've agonized over what to watch. I've come up with several lists, some involving complete viewings of The Godfather trilogy and some nothing but foreign films. Below is the official list, along with a link to essays by Roger Ebert on the films:

1. The Seven Samurai (1954)
2. Chinatown (1974)
3. The Producers (1968)
4. Vertigo (1958)
5. The Rules of the Game (1939)

I've only seen one of these movies, Vertigo, and it was in high school so I remember very little of it. But I've heard two papers on its music, both of which made me eager to see it again.

You'll also notice the three main categories of "Andrew movies" represented here: classic foreign films, film noir, and slapstick. It should be an interesting week and I'll post quick reactions to the films and, at the end, the experience, for those interested.

5 comments:

Becky said...

I am so impressed that you put the Producers on the same list as Vertigo and Seven Samurai. I don't blame Joy for not being interested in the Seven Samurai, but she will be unable to resist the Producers. Gene Wilder is so darn likable, and Zero Mostel is of course classic. Vertigo, too, I bet you a buck she'll pretend not to be watching but end up totally engrossed. I did, against my will, I hate to prove Ferris right about this kind of thing. Happy early birthday!

alicia said...

You're reading Hugo Cabret? Good choice! Nice silent movie fun.

Unknown said...

yes i just remembered we have the same birthday!!! I'll be helping pull off a wedding a church so no limelight for me.... other than people marveling at my incredible decorating skills. lol
happy b day

Jaime Olson said...
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Jaime Olson said...

Wow, what a great gift! I am mentally filing this idea away... I know someone who would love it! The same someone who wanted to watch Commando last week, and I gave in. Of course, when it was my turn to pick, we watched a Few Good Men. Life is not fair!