Summer is here. At least it is here at Awards Wiz. Memorial Day weekend is traditionally the first big weekend of the Summer Blockbuster. If you are reading this, you probably follow movies enough to know that studios have begun to release Summer films a few weeks prior to Memorial Day to get a jumpstart on the season - aka: "Deadpool 2."
Tonight, I see "Solo: A Star Wars Story," and tomorrow begins my first 4 day weekend in ages. I have so many wonderful things planned. I'm going to work on my screenplay, I have some friend dates, and I'm going to catch up on Oxford Film Festival submissions. One thing I won't be doing, sadly, is prepping for my next acting role...I had a supporting role in a short film shooting here in Oxford that sadly fell apart. Things happen. Heck...look at "Solo." Even in Hollywood...especially in Hollywood-- the land that continues to seem so far, far away for me.
Another sign of Summer here at Awards Wiz is my Summer Series. This year it's "Revisiting my favorite (?) films of all time." Or, in short hand - #bestfilmsrewatch (Finally thought of a good hashtag!)
If you need a refresher, I'm watching all of the films that I have, at one time or another, in order of release date, considered my favorites. I had planned to reveal these to you on social media while watching them...and covering them here shortly after.
But...I found myself with a bit of a dilemma when I started with "Funny Girl," finding it pretty terrible in much of its 2nd act. This is a film I once considered, in a 5 way tie, my favorite film of all time! What if the rest of the rewatch turned out like this? Would I even end up with 10 favorite films?!
I then remembered how much I had loved "Vertigo," a film I only saw last Summer when I wrote my piece on "Vertigo v/s Citizen Kane" for my Summer Film School series. You can read that here if you like:
Goodbye Summer (Film School): Knockout
I really like to process things here while I write about them, so the secrecy of what's on the list is going out the window. Let's start with that 5 way tie!
Funny Girl - 1968
The Crying Game - 1992
Donnie Darko - 2001
Mulholland Drive - 2001
Ok...that's 4.
I think the 5th slot was actually a rotation of films..."West Side Story" was on there at one point. (A film I just remembered this morning!) I know "Pulp Fiction" and "Lost in Translation" were sometimes in that 5th slot, depending on my mood.
So - let's consider the rest of the list...still keeping with "films I have called my favorites."
West Side Story 1961
The Godfather Part II 1972
Empire Strikes Back 1980
Silence of the Lambs 1991
Billy Elliot 2000
Lost in Translation 2003
Mysterious Skin 2005
Zodiac 2007
Black Swan 2010
Black Swan 2010
NOW...here is where I really got stuck. And if you've been a reader at Awards Wiz for any considerable amount of time, you know this has been a struggle for me. What about those films that I love. I mean, LOVE. Films I've seen a million times. Films that have made a huge impact on my life. Films that would probably never make it to someone's Top 10 films of all time list.
Such as:
Shag 1989
Drop Dead Gorgeous 1999
Psycho Beach Party 2000
A Walk to Remember 2002
My friend Marty suggested that I do a separate list for "Guilty Pleasures." Which is a great idea. But if a movie is my favorite, shouldn't it, at least, be considered?
And then you have some more recent releases. Two movies obviously come to mind - "La La Land" and "Call Me By Your Name." In the year plus since "Moonlight" won the Oscar for Best Picture, I've pondered my placing of "La La Land" ahead of it in my top 10. I find both films incredibly innovative and brilliant in different ways, but the sheer joy I experienced watching "LLL," tells me I must consider it for this list. And "CMBYN?" Obviously.
The other film I want to consider is "Where the Wild Things Are." Although I've never declared it my favorite, It topped my list back in 2009 when it literally shook me to my core. Granted, I was a completely disaster in my personal life then...so any excuse for my inner child to erupt in tears...well...you probably get what I'm saying. So it goes on the list:
Where the Wild Things Are 2009
Call Me By Your Name 2017
I think I have to consider all of these films. I must. I'm a bit out of order...now that I've added "West Side Story," but that's ok. And I'm going to watch "Empire Strikes Back" today instead of "WSS" because I'm seeing "Solo" tonight and it just makes more sense.
SO...I hope you enjoy this wild journey with me this Summer. I know I'm excited!
Full list:
Vertigo 1958
Funny Girl - 1968
West Side Story 1961
The Godfather Part II 1972
Empire Strikes Back 1980
Shag 1989
Silence of the Lambs 1991
The Crying Game - 1992
Drop Dead Gorgeous 1999
Psycho Beach Party 2000
Billy Elliot 2000
Donnie Darko - 2001
Mulholland Drive - 2001
A Walk to Remember 2002
Lost in Translation 2003
Mysterious Skin 2005
Zodiac 2007
Where the Wild Things Are 2009
Black Swan 2010
La La Land 2016
Call Me By Your Name 2017
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