This year I loved Green Room, The Wind Rises (sobbed through it, don’t know what I’m gonna do with The Boy and the Heron next week), Walter Hill’s The Warriors, Amadeus, and Eyes Without a Face. Oldboy also stuck with me; I can’t say that I liked it, but it was an incredible experience.
I have a pretty strong stomach and Green Room just about turned it. It’s great! I wish you all the bravery! But it was also one my husband straight up refuses to watch, haha
Thank you for featuring Taming the Garden! What an incredible doc, I'm so glad someone is out there beating the drum for a glacially slow documentary about Georgian oligarchs.
This is a boring answer but I have also been doing a sort of Brave Era project the last couple years so two of the best movies that I saw for the first time this year were Alien and The Exorcist. What has been fun about it is that I often don’t think that the movies are that scary but I do find things to like that I wouldn’t necessarily have predicted. So I liked that a lot of Alien is just about the logistics of working on a spaceship, and that The Exorcist is mostly a drama that I found very moving.
I love that part of Alien - the back half is just a haunted house (spaceship) picture but all of the corporate nonsense about systems is so intriguing and entertaining. These guys love and grow to hate protocol so much!
I was so lucky to see a LOT of new-to-me movies this year that entered into my personal canon (Practical Magic, Robocop, The Thing, The Social Network, Sunshine, etc.), AND I rediscovered the joy of watching movies with a big crowd. I got to see a Rocky Horror Sing-a-long, danced my butt off to Stop Making Sense, and felt the most energy all year with a packed crowd at RRR. Really really excited to see what I get to experience in December & into next year :)
favorite first watches for me were Possession, Holy Mountain, Gladiator, American Gigolo, and The Handmaiden. will likely blog about this in some form, lots of varieties of freaky.
it rocked hard! watched while recuperating from a minor surgery and enjoyed a straightforward big-ass sword n sandals movie, feat. joaquin in total slimeball mode
I think The Awful Truth is like… one of the greatest movies ever. Kind of profound about Relationships but, more importantly, hysterically funny + great dog content.
Seeing that at the Roxy last year was definitely one of my favorite movie-going experiences of that year (and one of the best new-to-me in 2022). All sincerity: WHAT A MOVIE!!!
My favorite non-zeitgeisty watch of the year was seeing Shirley Clarke's 1959 mockumentary THE CONNECTION with Manohla Dargis here in Madison at at the Wisconsin Film Festival. Dare I say a movie about heroin addicts waiting for their next fix was a total blast to watch?
oooooh i watched Cleo from 5 to 7 and Black Girl for my Film History class, and deeply adored both! Also, just top of mind-- I saw Lorene Scafaria’s The Meddler, Muriel’s Wedding, and Todd Haynes’ Safe for the first time and now consider them to exist among my all time favorites. OH, and Nikyatu Jusu came to my school and screened Nanny, which was also beyond stellar.
I am quite bad at watching non-zeitgeisty current movies (maybe next year...!) but some new-to-me faves from this year were: Prince of Darkness, Vampire's Kiss, Constantine, and Master and Commander. None of these are very old and I guess the through-line here is that they've all gained more cult-y acclaim in the decades since. All home watches with my partner and/or a group of friends, all a little bit bonkers (well really the first three), and all led me into a deep dive on how they were filmed & received in their time. Movies are fun!!!
i believe maestro #believemaestro
This year I loved Green Room, The Wind Rises (sobbed through it, don’t know what I’m gonna do with The Boy and the Heron next week), Walter Hill’s The Warriors, Amadeus, and Eyes Without a Face. Oldboy also stuck with me; I can’t say that I liked it, but it was an incredible experience.
Amadeus 😈 I wonder if and when my brave era will extend to Green Room. Not any time soon I don't think...
Amadeus fuckin rules!
I have a pretty strong stomach and Green Room just about turned it. It’s great! I wish you all the bravery! But it was also one my husband straight up refuses to watch, haha
Thank you for featuring Taming the Garden! What an incredible doc, I'm so glad someone is out there beating the drum for a glacially slow documentary about Georgian oligarchs.
Great list i am a huge My Blueberry Nights defender!! Bradley is not lying btw. GO BIRDS! IM SEE MAESTRO FRIDAY FINALLY IM SO EXCITED!
I think he might be lying a little... let me know once you've seen Maestro...
Will do but u gotta watch this Eagles team they give u a heart attack every week. Plus Jalen Hurts is sexiest NFL player imo
Omg maestropiece.😭😭
This is a boring answer but I have also been doing a sort of Brave Era project the last couple years so two of the best movies that I saw for the first time this year were Alien and The Exorcist. What has been fun about it is that I often don’t think that the movies are that scary but I do find things to like that I wouldn’t necessarily have predicted. So I liked that a lot of Alien is just about the logistics of working on a spaceship, and that The Exorcist is mostly a drama that I found very moving.
I love that part of Alien - the back half is just a haunted house (spaceship) picture but all of the corporate nonsense about systems is so intriguing and entertaining. These guys love and grow to hate protocol so much!
I was so lucky to see a LOT of new-to-me movies this year that entered into my personal canon (Practical Magic, Robocop, The Thing, The Social Network, Sunshine, etc.), AND I rediscovered the joy of watching movies with a big crowd. I got to see a Rocky Horror Sing-a-long, danced my butt off to Stop Making Sense, and felt the most energy all year with a packed crowd at RRR. Really really excited to see what I get to experience in December & into next year :)
I am so jealous of anyone who gets to see The Social Network for the first time... what a gas!!
favorite first watches for me were Possession, Holy Mountain, Gladiator, American Gigolo, and The Handmaiden. will likely blog about this in some form, lots of varieties of freaky.
Very freaky!! Oddly I have only ever listened to Gladiator (on in the background of a get-together in high school) but never sat down to watch.
it rocked hard! watched while recuperating from a minor surgery and enjoyed a straightforward big-ass sword n sandals movie, feat. joaquin in total slimeball mode
I think The Awful Truth is like… one of the greatest movies ever. Kind of profound about Relationships but, more importantly, hysterically funny + great dog content.
might be recency bias since we just watched it, but definitely bram stokers dracula. frank and i have dracula fever now...
Seeing that at the Roxy last year was definitely one of my favorite movie-going experiences of that year (and one of the best new-to-me in 2022). All sincerity: WHAT A MOVIE!!!
Hopkins... Oldman... what more do you need
Daytrippers is one of my favorite first-time watches for the year, along with another Parker Posey/Liev Schreiber collab, Party Girl
Need to see this! Missed the rep screening run in NYC but suspect I will love when I get to it...
My favorite non-zeitgeisty watch of the year was seeing Shirley Clarke's 1959 mockumentary THE CONNECTION with Manohla Dargis here in Madison at at the Wisconsin Film Festival. Dare I say a movie about heroin addicts waiting for their next fix was a total blast to watch?
Wow, I've never heard of this! Adding to (oft-neglected but very beloved) watchlist...
oooooh i watched Cleo from 5 to 7 and Black Girl for my Film History class, and deeply adored both! Also, just top of mind-- I saw Lorene Scafaria’s The Meddler, Muriel’s Wedding, and Todd Haynes’ Safe for the first time and now consider them to exist among my all time favorites. OH, and Nikyatu Jusu came to my school and screened Nanny, which was also beyond stellar.
I loooooove The Meddler!
a truly perfect movie. not a less than exquisite performance in the bunch, and a truly stunning screenplay.
The Ring and The Others! It was a year of articles and blonde Australians in not-their-accent!
i would pick jack nicholson in real life, but warren beatty within the film
I am quite bad at watching non-zeitgeisty current movies (maybe next year...!) but some new-to-me faves from this year were: Prince of Darkness, Vampire's Kiss, Constantine, and Master and Commander. None of these are very old and I guess the through-line here is that they've all gained more cult-y acclaim in the decades since. All home watches with my partner and/or a group of friends, all a little bit bonkers (well really the first three), and all led me into a deep dive on how they were filmed & received in their time. Movies are fun!!!
Awesome list - I’ve also been trying to ease up on the new release frenzy lately. My favorite I saw last year is probably Transit
I LOVE TRANSIT!!!