My viewing log

[wpqx]

It happens here largely in commercial cinemas, fortunately the "art houses" usually are better equipped for this.

[A]

Yeah, I'd figure it's about the same everywhere in the world. I doubt that there are some great standards in any country (maybe Japan? - they seem to be perfectionist about everything ), but I'm sure some countries are much worse in this regard. I heard that it's common practice in som e African countries to show rolls of film in random succession. Sometimes the last roll is shown at the beginning, sometimes in the middle of the screening, etc. (probably only foreign films, though).

[arsaib4]

I bet most can't even tell the difference, or worse, don't care. It's good that you became familiar with the various configurations, A.

This isn't an issue in proper cinematheques and film museums, at least those I've attended in France and other European countries and the ones I regularly visit in NYC, Rochester and Toronto.

[A]

I was able to finish updating February. This was the month I (finally?) abandoned rating the films I watch. And i also forgot to write down all the films I've watched. This hasn't happened for more than three years.

But instead of rating the films, I am offering you a new and much more exiting feature. I will try to link to as many interesting film(related)-clips in a month as possible. Of course this will only happen with films I genuinely enjoyed, and if I am able to find something appropriate. I hope you have fun with the links.

short legend:
seen in a filmtheater
/repeated viewing/
outstanding film
personal favorites are marked with a *

Feb 01
Hotel Chevalier (Wes Anderson / USA, France / 2007)
The Darjeeling Limited (Wes Anderson / USA / 2007)
Die Tote von Beverly Hills "Dead Woman from Beverly Hills" (Michael Pfleghar / West Germany / 1964)
Komm nur, mein liebstes Vögelein "Come Now, My Dear Little Bird" (Rolf Thiele / West Germany, Italy / 1968)

Feb 03
Du mich auch! "Same to You" (Dani Levy, Anja Franke, Helmut Berger / West Germany / 1986)
25 Ways to Quit Smoking (Bill Plympton / USA / 1989)

Feb 06
/Night on Earth/ (Jim Jarmusch / USA, UK, France, Germany, Japan / 1991)

Feb 07
/25 Ways to Quit Smoking/ (Bill Plympton / USA / 1989)

Feb 09
W.R. - Misterije organizma "W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism" (Dusan Makavejev / Yugoslavia, West Germany / 1971)
Cadaveri eccellenti "Illustrious Corpses" (Francesco Rosi / Italy, France / 1976)
Yuke yuke nidome no shojo "Go, Go Second Time Virgin" (Kôji Wakamatsu / Japan / 1969)

Feb 10
Victoire Terminus, Kinshasa (Renaud Barret, Florent de La Tullaye / France, Democratic Republic of Congo / 2008)
Nerven "Nerves" [live paino by Jürgen Bärenz] (Robert Reinert / Germany / 1919)
Tenshi no kôkotsu "Ecstasy of the Angels" (Kôji Wakamatsu / Japan / 1972)

Feb 11
Mauprat [live piano by Maud Nelisson] (Jean Epstein / France / 1926)
My Brother's Wedding (Charles Burnett / USA / 1983)
Jesus Christus Erlöser "Jesus Christ Savior" (Peter Geyer / Germany / 2008)
Le premier venu "Just Anybody" (Jacques Doillon / France, Belgium / 2007)
My Blueberry Nights (Wong Kar Wai / Hong Kong, China, France / 2007)

Feb 12
Man jeuk "Sparrow" (Johnnie To / Hong Kong / 2007)
Kabe no naka no himegoto "Secrets Behind the Wall" (Kôji Wakamatsu / Japan / 1965)
Buda as sharm foru rikht "Buddha Collapsed Out of Shame" [live translation] (Hana Makhmalbaf / Iran / 2007)
Viridiana (Luis Bunuel / Spain, Mexico / 1961)
Susana (Luis Bunuel / Mexico / 1951) *

Feb 13
Das Gelübde "The Vow" (Dominik Graf / Germany / 2007)
Gran Casino (Tampico) (Luis Bunuel / 1947 / Mexico) *
Le mani sulla città "Hands Over the City" (Francesco Rosi / Italy, France / 1963)
Lucky Luciano (Francesco Rosi / Italy, France, USA / 1973)

Feb 14
Seaview (Nicky Gogan, Paul Rowley / Ireland / 2007)
La Gran Calavera "The Great Madcap" (Luis Bunuel / Mexico / 1949)
Hatsu-koi "First Love" (Kouichi Imaizumi / Japan / 2007)
The Exiles (Kent MacKenzie / USA / 1961)

Feb 15
El río y la muerte "The River and Death" (Luis Bunuel / Mexico / 1954)
Loos Ornamental (Heinz Emigholz / Austria / 2007)
La hija del engano "Daughter of Deceit" (Luis Bunuel / Mexico / 1951)
Nazarín (Luis Bunuel / Mexico / 1959)

Feb 16
¡Centinela, alerta! "Guard! Alert!" (Jean Grémillon, Luis Buñuel / Spain / 1937)Paruthi Veeran (Ameer Sultan / India / 2007)
Feb 17
Be Kind Rewind (Michel Gondry / USA / 2007)
The Beast with Five Fingers (Robert Florey / USA / 1946)
There Will be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson / USA / 2007)

Feb 23
The Eiger Sanction (Clint Eastwood / USA / 1975)

Feb 25?
/The Terminator/ (James Cameron / USA, UK / 1984) *

Feb 26?
Collateral (Michael Mann / USA / 2004)

Feb 28
/At Close Range/ (James Foley / USA / 1985)

Feb ??
/The Hunted/ (William Friedkin / USA / 2003)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Best film: Susana (Luis Bunuel / Mexico / 1951) - 9/10
Discovery: Gran Casino (Tampico) (Luis Bunuel / 1947 / Mexico) - 8/10
Weakest film: Be Kind Rewind (Michel Gondry / USA / 2007) - 5/10

[wpqx]

Which version of My Brother's Wedding did you get to see?

[A]

The new restored one by Milestone. But I wonder what the running time was. Imdb lists the director's cut as over half an hour shorter than the previous version...

Dou you know anything about this issue?

Btw, I also thought it was a better movie than Killer of Sheep .

[wpqx]

Well the 2007 Director's cut is listed at 118 minutes, might just be an error on imdb's part. Glad to see at least someone else thinks its better than Killer of Sheep.

[A]

I especially like the ending of My Brother's Wedding . But I'd also like to rewatch Killer of Sheep , and see some of Burnett's other films.

What do you think of my new method, btw.?

[wpqx]

It appears as though you might need to watch better films, only one outstanding film for the month?

[A]

February was actually a very good month compared to most others. A lot of films I would give something akin to a 8/10 or 7/10, if I'd still rate, and nothing bad. Of course I seldo m watch film that I really want to see. I just look what's out there, and usually I'm not in the mood for difficult films and take the easy way out in regards to my movie selections. Maybe I should start watching more films from my to see lists.

There were some outstanding films that month (Gran Casino, Viridiana, "Same to you", "Go, Go Second Time Virgin", "Illustrious Corpses", Mysteries of the Organizm", "The Vow", "Mauprat", etc. which only fell short of being masterpieces and are probably destined to become personal favorites with another rewatch. But you know that I'm a relatively harsh critic when it comes to top quality, masterpieces, top grades, etc.