bookgazing (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bookgazing) wrote2012-11-23 04:52 pm
bookgazing) wrote2012-11-23 04:52 pm
Watch It Again!
I have what some might call a terrible habit of falling into familiar TV. But those are some misinformed people that I refuse to listen to :P
Often, I’ll turn the TV on, find that something I’ve seen at least ten times before is five minutes in and two or three hours later I emerge, happy but no further forward with any plans to watch new media. Whatever! Progress is overrated.
I think returning to a story you’ve enjoyed in the past is an underrated pleasure, a simple way to satisfy yourself and a good way to develop a deeper connection with a piece of media. Sadly, it’s often an activity that some of us feel guilty about because of various pressures pushing us ever onwards, especially if the story we want to spend time with is…less than groundbreakingly artistic. Which is funny when you think that few of us would feel guilty about returning again and again to listen to favourite songs or albums; a perfect example of how re-visiting develops your understanding and connection to media.
I thought today I’d share the top twenty (I really like long lists, y’know) films that are guaranteed to make me stop what I’m doing, or stay up way too late, if I find them while channel surfing. They’re all mainstream films, some of them are unintentionally hilarious, but for a variety of reasons they make me feel happy every time I watch them and I never get tired of seeing the stories or the characters again. :
‘Clueless’: If you’re enjoying ‘The Lizzie Bennet Diaries’ right now I recommend checking out this modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’. I think my big love for this film is prompted by the way the filmmakers created Cher’s world. It’s populated by the super-rich, but there’s no direction for regular viewers to take a voyeuristic position as they look at a world they can never hope to inhabit. Instead the close attention the filmmakers pay to adding funny and every day details to their story create interest, which keeps the viewers connected to the characters without attempting to obscure the well-off status of the teenagers in this film. Even though these details contribute little to the plot, they add everything to the viewer’s understanding of the world they’ve been dropped into.
I also love the relationship between Cher and her best friend Dion, which is supportive and fun.
‘Jurassic Park’, ‘The Lost World’ and ‘Jurassic Park III’: Oh the lady cheats so early on in her list - shocker! I’m including the whole trilogy, not just one film, because it has a higher position in my personal list than some other big name trilogies, even though I still really like those trilogies. I would probably never just start watching ‘Star Wars’ because it happened to be on, for example, whereas when ITV replayed all the ‘Jurassic Park’ films over three weeks I was genuinely gutted they weren’t all being shown on the same day.
I was always a big dinosaur geek when I was a kid and this film reminds me of being so excited about a subject I didn’t even realise I was learning. And the idea of such an exciting science project, that inspires wonder in its creators, going so wrong just gets me every time.
I remember thinking that 'Jurassic Park III' was just ok, but not great when I first saw it, but when I re-visited it recently I found I was WRONG. It has two really interesting relationships at its heart, just like the first film and Alan is still great.
‘The Lost Boys’: I watch this film on DVD at least once a year, but will happily watch it on TV if it turns up randomly. Ana asked me to talk about a favourite spooky story recently at her blog, so pop over there if you want to understand a bit more about why I like this cheesy, cult vampire film. For those who like a little recognised authority behind their recommendations, I’m happy to report that this film is a favourite of more reputable people than me. Both soon to be published author ‘The Rejectionist’ and published author Brenna Yovanoff like to watch it repeatedly.
‘Ladyhawke’: This quest film about magically separated lovers (one lives as a wolf by night and man by day, while the other lives as woman by day and hawk by night) gets me every time. The strength of their love and the sadness of their curse is too much to resist.
‘Twilight’: Obviously. I think it’s adorably cheesy and copes with the inbuilt problems of the text quite well (although it never has a chance of overcoming all of them). The vampire baseball scene is just one of those things I never knew to want until someone made it happen (much like dinosaurs on a spaceship, I suppose).
‘Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures’: I still say this is one of three films where Keanu Reeves acts well and the word ‘Matrix’ ain’t in the title of any of those films (he seems rocking, but I think he would make a better director). Here we have a ridiculous take on time travel that just wants to mess around with SF the fun way we all did when we were kids making up stories. It’s so much fun and it reminds me of watching the cartoon series when I was younger.
‘You’ve Got Mail’: Epistolary narratives are brilliant! Wait, do we still call them epistolary if the characters correspond by email? Um…Something to Google later, I guess. Anyway, I think this film is a treat that was made especially with future book bloggers in mind. The romantic storyline celebrates making connections over the internet and the written word, while the meat of the conflict between the two leads comes from the eternal conflict between large and small booksellers.
‘Stardust’: I know this isn’t an accurate adaptation of the book, but I love it as a separate film. All the people involved have great chemistry with each other and even though I know exactly how the plot goes I am always thrilled by the twists and turns it takes. I suppose I’d better acknowledge my bias for anything Claire Danes is in and I do have a great fondness for films featuring Michelle Pfeiffer, or Mark Strong.
‘Strictly Ballroom’: The film that introduced me to the weird world of Baz Luhrman. This Australian rom-com hits my ‘like’ button so many times. There’s an actor from Neighbours (you don’t even know how excited I was to finally see 'Tomorrow, When the War Began’); it’s a dance film; there’s an actor from Muriel’s wedding; it’s an underdog story about doing things your own way and it was created by someone who believe that deliberate, awkward weirdness was both cool and realistic.
‘The Devil Wears Prada’: I think the reason why I like this film so much is all down to the performance of the three main actresses. All the ladies pull out such great performances, filling out female roles which are typical at best (the mean, cold hearted female boss; the jealous, fashion obsessed woman; the innocent). And although I’m not keen on the ideas behind making over female character, I’ve got to admit I do enjoy makeover montages and I do like (looking at) expensive fashion, so all the fashion action in this film is a little bit hypnotising. The coat montage is so drool worthy.
‘Spartacus’: The whole epic package; love, religious conflict, suffering, happiness. If anyone wants a primer on which other old epic films you should try please ask. I promise to base my recommendations on more than the hotness of the male actors are (b t dubs, Tony Curtis and Kirk Douglas – totes hot).
‘Lassie’: This film tells a story about British history with no frills, no flash and plenty of sweeping landscape shots. It’s not quite subdued filmmaking, a description I think fits better with menacing films), instead it projects a feeling of great calm/quiet and through that calm expresses a sense of emotional realism. You have to be into a particular kind of film not to find this way of telling a story a little slow I think. I’d suggest that if you liked ‘Gosford Park’ or the most recent ‘Jane Eyre’, which both feature quite a lot of pauses and overcast lighting this version of ‘Lassie’, which sticks reasonably close to the book, may be for you.
‘I, Robot’: Will Smith is always involved in the best kind of fluffy action films. There’s just enough easy to follow substance and just enough fights, plus Will Smith rescues a cat – d’awww. And this is one film where I felt like the technophobe point of view was carefully balanced between reason and paranoia, before it was inevitably proven right. Viewers are encouraged to see that the robots can appear unsettling, but also that Detective Spooner may be too quick to let his prejudices get in the way of his judgement.
‘Master and Commander’: Hello Tailor wrote a post about the military costuming in ‘Master and Commander’this week. Reading it reminded me how often I’ve seen this film and how much I love watching it, which inspired this post. The close friendship between Aubrey and Martin is obviously part of what keeps me returning, but I also appreciate the way the filmmakers managed to translate the feeling of living aboard ship that comes across in so many military novels, to the big screen. It’s unusual to see a film that keeps the domestic detail of navy life at the centre of the story, when there is the opportunity to just stuff in some more big, flashy battles. It reminded me of TV shows like ‘Hornblower’ and ‘Sharpe’, which gave equal importance to the men who fought and the explosions.
‘The Social Network’: Renay’s fault! I’ve watched this three times since she encouraged me to try it. It’s got broken male friendships and an awful protagonist, yet it’s an oddly comforting film. I suppose that’s partly because when it shows how fast tech has been outpaced, it evokes nostalgic memories. I remember when Livejournal and Myspace were the centre of the blogging world. Aaron Sorkin and Jesse Eisenberg also manage to convince the viewer that this version of Zuckerberg is to be pitied, which is a creditable feat of artistic direction. While, basing my ideas about the real life founder of Facebook on this film would be unwise, I’m quite happy to feel a little bit sorry for the character Zuckerberg in ‘The Social Network’.
‘Shaun of the Dead’: I always think it’s interesting to combine the supernatural with the real, but I find that concept most effective when the supernatural is mixed with the mundane. Viewers can fully identify with the boredom and the normality that sits alongside the zombie apocalypse in this film, and the juxtaposition between supernatural and extreme normality makes the comedy properly absurd.
‘Black Narcissus’: A super weird film about nuns going crazy in the Himalayas. You spend plenty of time learning about the community of nuns, enough to notice their flaws and to care about them as well. When everything starts going wrong, I just can’t look away.
‘Gattaca’: I think it’s the conflict between Hawke and Law’s character that develops and softens as the film progresses that make ‘Gattaca’ so re-watchable for me. The ideas about a world where children can be built are intriguing, but I tend to care most about SF world when characters and personal relationships feel as important as the ideas behind the world creation.
‘Summer Magic’: Although I really enjoy it, I don’t recommend that anyone else watches this musical, because it is a bit of a feminist nightmare. I enjoy the singing, the family dynamic as they pull together in bad financial circumstances and that scrappy Hayley Mills, who keeps the hi-jink filled plot on track.
‘A League of their Own’: The final film on the list and what a cracker. I spent lots of time talking about the coolness of this film at ladybusiness. Ladies playing sports in the WWII era! I may have watched it again since I made that post.
So, those are the films I am frequently getting sucked into and I refuse to feel guilty about this re-watching. It’s the least destructive, or expensive way to make myself happy and I’m sticking with it. Do you have favourite films that you watch even though you’ve seen them so many times before? If so what are they (and should I watch them). Any points of similarity between my list and yours?
Often, I’ll turn the TV on, find that something I’ve seen at least ten times before is five minutes in and two or three hours later I emerge, happy but no further forward with any plans to watch new media. Whatever! Progress is overrated.
I think returning to a story you’ve enjoyed in the past is an underrated pleasure, a simple way to satisfy yourself and a good way to develop a deeper connection with a piece of media. Sadly, it’s often an activity that some of us feel guilty about because of various pressures pushing us ever onwards, especially if the story we want to spend time with is…less than groundbreakingly artistic. Which is funny when you think that few of us would feel guilty about returning again and again to listen to favourite songs or albums; a perfect example of how re-visiting develops your understanding and connection to media.
I thought today I’d share the top twenty (I really like long lists, y’know) films that are guaranteed to make me stop what I’m doing, or stay up way too late, if I find them while channel surfing. They’re all mainstream films, some of them are unintentionally hilarious, but for a variety of reasons they make me feel happy every time I watch them and I never get tired of seeing the stories or the characters again. :
‘Clueless’: If you’re enjoying ‘The Lizzie Bennet Diaries’ right now I recommend checking out this modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’. I think my big love for this film is prompted by the way the filmmakers created Cher’s world. It’s populated by the super-rich, but there’s no direction for regular viewers to take a voyeuristic position as they look at a world they can never hope to inhabit. Instead the close attention the filmmakers pay to adding funny and every day details to their story create interest, which keeps the viewers connected to the characters without attempting to obscure the well-off status of the teenagers in this film. Even though these details contribute little to the plot, they add everything to the viewer’s understanding of the world they’ve been dropped into.
I also love the relationship between Cher and her best friend Dion, which is supportive and fun.
‘Jurassic Park’, ‘The Lost World’ and ‘Jurassic Park III’: Oh the lady cheats so early on in her list - shocker! I’m including the whole trilogy, not just one film, because it has a higher position in my personal list than some other big name trilogies, even though I still really like those trilogies. I would probably never just start watching ‘Star Wars’ because it happened to be on, for example, whereas when ITV replayed all the ‘Jurassic Park’ films over three weeks I was genuinely gutted they weren’t all being shown on the same day.
I was always a big dinosaur geek when I was a kid and this film reminds me of being so excited about a subject I didn’t even realise I was learning. And the idea of such an exciting science project, that inspires wonder in its creators, going so wrong just gets me every time.
I remember thinking that 'Jurassic Park III' was just ok, but not great when I first saw it, but when I re-visited it recently I found I was WRONG. It has two really interesting relationships at its heart, just like the first film and Alan is still great.
‘The Lost Boys’: I watch this film on DVD at least once a year, but will happily watch it on TV if it turns up randomly. Ana asked me to talk about a favourite spooky story recently at her blog, so pop over there if you want to understand a bit more about why I like this cheesy, cult vampire film. For those who like a little recognised authority behind their recommendations, I’m happy to report that this film is a favourite of more reputable people than me. Both soon to be published author ‘The Rejectionist’ and published author Brenna Yovanoff like to watch it repeatedly.
‘Ladyhawke’: This quest film about magically separated lovers (one lives as a wolf by night and man by day, while the other lives as woman by day and hawk by night) gets me every time. The strength of their love and the sadness of their curse is too much to resist.
‘Twilight’: Obviously. I think it’s adorably cheesy and copes with the inbuilt problems of the text quite well (although it never has a chance of overcoming all of them). The vampire baseball scene is just one of those things I never knew to want until someone made it happen (much like dinosaurs on a spaceship, I suppose).
‘Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures’: I still say this is one of three films where Keanu Reeves acts well and the word ‘Matrix’ ain’t in the title of any of those films (he seems rocking, but I think he would make a better director). Here we have a ridiculous take on time travel that just wants to mess around with SF the fun way we all did when we were kids making up stories. It’s so much fun and it reminds me of watching the cartoon series when I was younger.
‘You’ve Got Mail’: Epistolary narratives are brilliant! Wait, do we still call them epistolary if the characters correspond by email? Um…Something to Google later, I guess. Anyway, I think this film is a treat that was made especially with future book bloggers in mind. The romantic storyline celebrates making connections over the internet and the written word, while the meat of the conflict between the two leads comes from the eternal conflict between large and small booksellers.
‘Stardust’: I know this isn’t an accurate adaptation of the book, but I love it as a separate film. All the people involved have great chemistry with each other and even though I know exactly how the plot goes I am always thrilled by the twists and turns it takes. I suppose I’d better acknowledge my bias for anything Claire Danes is in and I do have a great fondness for films featuring Michelle Pfeiffer, or Mark Strong.
‘Strictly Ballroom’: The film that introduced me to the weird world of Baz Luhrman. This Australian rom-com hits my ‘like’ button so many times. There’s an actor from Neighbours (you don’t even know how excited I was to finally see 'Tomorrow, When the War Began’); it’s a dance film; there’s an actor from Muriel’s wedding; it’s an underdog story about doing things your own way and it was created by someone who believe that deliberate, awkward weirdness was both cool and realistic.
‘The Devil Wears Prada’: I think the reason why I like this film so much is all down to the performance of the three main actresses. All the ladies pull out such great performances, filling out female roles which are typical at best (the mean, cold hearted female boss; the jealous, fashion obsessed woman; the innocent). And although I’m not keen on the ideas behind making over female character, I’ve got to admit I do enjoy makeover montages and I do like (looking at) expensive fashion, so all the fashion action in this film is a little bit hypnotising. The coat montage is so drool worthy.
‘Spartacus’: The whole epic package; love, religious conflict, suffering, happiness. If anyone wants a primer on which other old epic films you should try please ask. I promise to base my recommendations on more than the hotness of the male actors are (b t dubs, Tony Curtis and Kirk Douglas – totes hot).
‘Lassie’: This film tells a story about British history with no frills, no flash and plenty of sweeping landscape shots. It’s not quite subdued filmmaking, a description I think fits better with menacing films), instead it projects a feeling of great calm/quiet and through that calm expresses a sense of emotional realism. You have to be into a particular kind of film not to find this way of telling a story a little slow I think. I’d suggest that if you liked ‘Gosford Park’ or the most recent ‘Jane Eyre’, which both feature quite a lot of pauses and overcast lighting this version of ‘Lassie’, which sticks reasonably close to the book, may be for you.
‘I, Robot’: Will Smith is always involved in the best kind of fluffy action films. There’s just enough easy to follow substance and just enough fights, plus Will Smith rescues a cat – d’awww. And this is one film where I felt like the technophobe point of view was carefully balanced between reason and paranoia, before it was inevitably proven right. Viewers are encouraged to see that the robots can appear unsettling, but also that Detective Spooner may be too quick to let his prejudices get in the way of his judgement.
‘Master and Commander’: Hello Tailor wrote a post about the military costuming in ‘Master and Commander’this week. Reading it reminded me how often I’ve seen this film and how much I love watching it, which inspired this post. The close friendship between Aubrey and Martin is obviously part of what keeps me returning, but I also appreciate the way the filmmakers managed to translate the feeling of living aboard ship that comes across in so many military novels, to the big screen. It’s unusual to see a film that keeps the domestic detail of navy life at the centre of the story, when there is the opportunity to just stuff in some more big, flashy battles. It reminded me of TV shows like ‘Hornblower’ and ‘Sharpe’, which gave equal importance to the men who fought and the explosions.
‘The Social Network’: Renay’s fault! I’ve watched this three times since she encouraged me to try it. It’s got broken male friendships and an awful protagonist, yet it’s an oddly comforting film. I suppose that’s partly because when it shows how fast tech has been outpaced, it evokes nostalgic memories. I remember when Livejournal and Myspace were the centre of the blogging world. Aaron Sorkin and Jesse Eisenberg also manage to convince the viewer that this version of Zuckerberg is to be pitied, which is a creditable feat of artistic direction. While, basing my ideas about the real life founder of Facebook on this film would be unwise, I’m quite happy to feel a little bit sorry for the character Zuckerberg in ‘The Social Network’.
‘Shaun of the Dead’: I always think it’s interesting to combine the supernatural with the real, but I find that concept most effective when the supernatural is mixed with the mundane. Viewers can fully identify with the boredom and the normality that sits alongside the zombie apocalypse in this film, and the juxtaposition between supernatural and extreme normality makes the comedy properly absurd.
‘Black Narcissus’: A super weird film about nuns going crazy in the Himalayas. You spend plenty of time learning about the community of nuns, enough to notice their flaws and to care about them as well. When everything starts going wrong, I just can’t look away.
‘Gattaca’: I think it’s the conflict between Hawke and Law’s character that develops and softens as the film progresses that make ‘Gattaca’ so re-watchable for me. The ideas about a world where children can be built are intriguing, but I tend to care most about SF world when characters and personal relationships feel as important as the ideas behind the world creation.
‘Summer Magic’: Although I really enjoy it, I don’t recommend that anyone else watches this musical, because it is a bit of a feminist nightmare. I enjoy the singing, the family dynamic as they pull together in bad financial circumstances and that scrappy Hayley Mills, who keeps the hi-jink filled plot on track.
‘A League of their Own’: The final film on the list and what a cracker. I spent lots of time talking about the coolness of this film at ladybusiness. Ladies playing sports in the WWII era! I may have watched it again since I made that post.
So, those are the films I am frequently getting sucked into and I refuse to feel guilty about this re-watching. It’s the least destructive, or expensive way to make myself happy and I’m sticking with it. Do you have favourite films that you watch even though you’ve seen them so many times before? If so what are they (and should I watch them). Any points of similarity between my list and yours?
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no subject
(Anonymous) 2012-11-24 02:24 pm (UTC)(link)Love, Actually. It's one of our favorite Christmas movies.
Music and Lyrics. There's something so charming about this little romantic comedy.
And of course we're always rewatching Star Wars, LOTR, Indiana Jones, and Harry Potter.
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(Anonymous) 2012-11-24 02:24 pm (UTC)(link)no subject
And I love the Indianna Jones films. I've even come round the fourth one.
Will be sure to check out the other two titles you mention.
no subject