We’ve done books and music. Now, onto the big and small screens!
What were your favorite movies and television shows of 2013? Again, this is movies or TV shows that you watched in 2013, NOT necessarily film that was released in 2013. Go to it!
TV only for now
1. Rectify–I hesitated in naming this number one as it had only six episodes in its debut season on Sundance, but no show moved me as deeply as this one. Also, no other show has captured the semi-rural exurban South as well (it’s set in a fictional Georgia town, but shot in Griffin). In my book, the tv scene of the year was nearly wordless and took place between a mother and her recently-released from-death row son in a car in a Walmart parking lot. Really rooting for this series to stick around, but it moves very slowly and is unlikely to find more than a small audience.
2. Breaking Bad: A show that never had an off season goes out strong, if a bit too neatly.
3. Orange Is the New Black: Much has been said about the main character- a waspy blonde–being a Trojan Horse, so to speak, who allows other types of characters you never see on TV to have their stories told. It’s true, and makes for fascinating comedy/drama, even if some of the characters are too broadly drawn (Pornstache, for example).
4. Parks and Recreation: My favorite network show and favorite sitcom. Amy Poehler rules!
5. Modern Family: Starting to wear thin, but Phil Dunphy keeps it funny.
6. Mad Men: On my list even though I was more disappointed on first viewing than in any previous season. But I’m confident that, as with the other seasons, I will appreciate it much more after a
second look. No show rewards repeat viewings more than Mad Men.
7. Derek: I was surprised that I liked this Netflix sitcom with Ricky Gervais. I was even more surprised by how often I was nearly moved to tears. Hannah and Dougie, not Derek (Gervais) steal the show. This might be one you either love or hate.
8. The Fall: This BBC serial killer procedural with Gillian Anderson as an icy detective had more unbearably tense moments than anything I saw this year.
9. Nashville: A guilty pleasure, but a pleasure nonetheless. Soapy, but it seems to get the music industry right.
10. Top of the Lake: This was a one-off mini-series set in rural New Zealand that was as weird as anything I saw this year. As addictive as it was frustrating (Elisabeth Moss’s character has to be one of the dumbest cops ever), this might be another one you’ll either love or hate.
I have yet to see the current seasons of Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, or Justified, all of which would likely be on this list. I also haven’t seen two highly acclaimed new shows, The Americans and Hannibal.
If we’re being honest, nothing can compare to Deadwood. Best use of the English language ever on a TV show. But overall, it’s a very good show. Crazy season endings, and lots to keep you engaged leading up to them. Check it out.
TV/Online
-Mad Men. Still love it.
-As Time Goes By. Yes, old series. Finally watching it on PBS. Something about second chances is very appealing to me lately.
-Homeland.
-House of Cards
TV I should be embarrassed about, but I’m not.
-Nashville. Soapy but Lennon and Maisy Stella alone are worth it.
– Scandal. Beyond soapy but escapist and fun.
– So You Think You Can Dance. What? Those kids are talented!
Movies
The only theatrical release I have seen so far and loved is “The Way Way Back”.
in no particular order… Nashville, Modern Family, Weeds, Justified, Hell on Wheels, Grimm, Sleepy Hollow, The Good Wife, Downton Abbey, Mad Men, The Fall, Alpha House, Butter, Winter’s Bone, Jaws (richly rewards another look every 10-12 years), Gosford Park (suddenly clear why Downton Abbey gives me such a whopping case of deja vu), Sports Night, Political Animals.
Am I the only person who didn’t make it all the way through House of Cards? (big Kevin Spacey fan, too) Watched about half the episodes and just drifted away.
“Am I the only person who didn’t make it all the way through House of Cards? (big Kevin Spacey fan, too) Watched about half the episodes and just drifted away.”
I liked it, didn’t love it. I thought it was often too slick for its own good, though still highly watchable. I feel much the same way about David Fincher’s (the creator of the show, directed “The Social Network” “Fight Club”, etc.) other work. Did not buy the newspaper story lines at all.
Still waiting to get the 3rd season on disc, but has any series or movie ever had a stronger sense of place than Treme? Or been so joyously in love with music? Not the most compelling show in terms of narrative on tv, but maybe the one with the most humanity.
Boardwalk Empire –another great season with lots of twists and cringeworthy moments……Love the new Showtime Series “Master of Sex” — Allison Janney is amazing and the whole cast is excellent. Homeland started with a whimper, but ended with an edge-of-your seat last 3 episodes. Also loved the ‘available on Netflix’ mini-series “Top of the Lake” –if you have 7 hours to kill one weekend, it will pull you into it’s dark New Zealand underworld (Holly Hunter plays a bizarre shaman of sorts ) …..oh and my fave was probably the U.K show Broadchurch –another ‘whodonit’ series that really will have you guessing until the end of the season.
Sub-thread: things I’d love to watch if I could find them… China Beach, The Virginian (the TV show), Honey West (triple points for anybody who remembers that one without Googling), St. Elsewhere, Homicide: Life on the Street, Picket Fences, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Soap.
Haven’t looked for it in a while, will check again. Although I’m rarely inclined to watch anything I can’t get through basic DTV, Netflix & Amazon Prime.
Deb, I’ve always known you are my peeps. We need to get together for a beer!
I’d really love to watch Honey from my current vantage point, and see if the whole concept was as prescient as I now think it was. (She had great clothes and a great car, and a cute gun that always fit in her cute purse, and an ocelot, and a cute guy who worked for her. Take that, all you ’60s and ’70s and ’80s private eyes that took your cute secretaries totally for granted.) I wanted a Honey West lunchbox in the worst possible way.
BTW, I knew I was forgetting an important one — Call the Midwife is a delight, in spite of making me weep copiously nearly every week.
After once we started Amazon Prime, I binged on a marathon of the West Wing. I had only gotten into it during the last season it was on the air so I was psyched to watch it from the beginning. I’ve been meaning to start on Breaking Bad, but it seems so intense that I feel I need to be in a certain frame of mind to start down that path.
For current TV, Sundays nights are the bomb – the Amazing Race followed by the Good Wife. It doesn’t get much better than that.
How many of you will confess to lengthy marathons with tv series on rainy days with a cold? I think I watched downton abbey mostly over one “sneezy” weekend (and it made me feel better!)
It’s a rainy day, so may start one of those marathons. Trying to decide between Orphan Black (might skew too young for us?) and American Horror Story (haven’t seen any of the three seasons).
At the moment, thoroughly enjoying Mary Poppins, happily stumbled upon it in just the right mood. (Read all the books as a kid and experienced my first-ever disappointment in a book-to-movie adaptation. But taken on its own, the movie is quite entertaining–and realizing it had quite an impact on me.)
Since most everyone is focused on TV, I’ll do movies. We’re members of the cinema club at Midtown Arts Cinema (highly recommend!) so we saw about 15 great independent/foreign films this year. Favorites were “Twenty Feet From Stardom” and “Wadaja,” but we also liked “No,” “Lore,” “The German Doctor” and “Oh Boy,” as well as pretty much all the other films in the series. Outside of movie club the only good film we saw in regular theaters was “Side Effects.”
Have to plug friends’ movies: “Gideon’s Army” is a great film if you are interested in our criminal “justice” system. “Congratulations” is a black comedy with a lot of Atl connections.
For TV, I don’t believe anyone has mentioned the series finale of The Office– loved it and miss Jim and Pam! I also don’t think anyone has mentioned Treme. As past devotees of The Wire and lovers of New Orleans, Treme is a can’t miss. And, like everyone else, we loved Breaking Bad, Mad Men, House of Cards, Downton Abbey and Sherlock.
One of the few films I was moved to go spend some bucks in a theater for this year was Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine, which I found to be interesting but overrated (not to mention depressing as hell). As usual, the studios have backloaded the good stuff into December (and January for the Atlanta market) and during the holidays and beyond I hope to get to see Nebraska, Philomena, Inside Llewyn Davis, Her, American Hustle, August Osage County and The Wolf of Wall Street.
I wish one of my Academy member friends lived in this area for screener access.
I’m finding as I get older, TV and movies are becoming progressively less interesting for me. That’s proven by the ever-growing stack of unwatched episodes on my DVR, and the ever-decreasing number of movies I see in the theater (two this year).
I have no idea why this is happening. I know there are a lot of good TV shows, and a number of good movies have been released this year, but I can’t seem to find much room to care. Sports do nothing for me, nor “reality” shows or the news. I find myself instead playing mindless games on the iPad or just going to bed.
Books are about the only thing keeping me relatively sane. I have a book/e-reader with me wherever I go. It’s getting to be more and more common that I am sitting in a room with a 40″ HDTV that receives the highest Uverse package available, yet it’s off and I’m reading a book.
Time to rethink that cable bill…
I’m going to see the 2nd Hobbit movie this weekend. Hope it’s better than the first one, and I STILL don’t understand how they can stretch one average sized book into three 2.5 hour movies.
One TV item we really enjoyed this year but not yet mentioned was The Bletchley Circle. BBC/PBS 3hr/3 part miniseries about four women who were code breakers during WWII, but have had to keep that secret and go back to non-stimulating homelife years after the war. They get back together to solve a serial killer’s identity. Nice mystery, and even better commentary on smart women and the late forties/early 50s.
Just watched the first episode on the strength of your recommendation and thoroughly enjoyed it. Going back for another, hope it’s not so good I wind up staying up too late on a binge!
Twelve Years a Slave: Unflinching, unsentimental story of how one man survived an absurd, evil society.
Gravity: Stunning, visceral film in IMAX3D. Can’t imagine it having nearly the same impact in lesser formats.
Stoker: Went to the premier in Nashville, where it was shot. A graphic variation on Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt. Twisted, campy, gorgeously filmed.
Trouble in Paradise (1932) Caught the Emory screening of this in 35mm, hosted by Matthew Bernstein. Was pleasantly surprised by the how much the mostly-college-age crowd obviously enjoyed this 80 year old film. Probably my all-time favorite comedy.
Very much looking forward to seeing Inside Llewyn Davis and Her.
Frances Ha: The movie I enjoyed the most this year. Think the HBO series Girls but in black and white and without the awkward sex. A triumph for Greta Gerwig. Has one of the cleverest final shots I’ve seen in some time. You can watch it on Netflix now.
The Hunt: Mads Mikkelsen is riveting in this Danish film, a cautionary tale about mob justice in a small town.
Damsels in Distress: More great work by Greta Gerwig in this wry, off-beat comedy. 2011 release, but I saw it this year.
This is Martin Bonner: Imagine a “Christian movie” in which doubt is not overcome, but the lack of faith doesn’t hinder a simple action. Very understated, maybe too understated for some tastes. On Netflix now.
Ha! No, both would probably be PG if not for a bit of language. Actually, it’s absurd that Frances Ha is rated R considering some of the violent stuff that gets a PG-13. But I better not go there…
Have to say I’m very impressed with the amount of quality fare mentioned here, but I’m disappointed no one else has mentioned Rectify. For you Mad Men fans, remember the gorgeous teacher Don had a fling with? That actress has a key role in this series. Fan of Breaking Bad? Well the producers of that are behind Rectify. Support a local series and give it a shot! Boosterism done.
I really like Nashville. The music is terrific!
My guilty pleasure. Best prime time soap ever.
Winter is coming.
Orange is the New Black on Showtime
It’s actually on Netflix, right?
Yes it’s on Netflix (not Showtime)
This and American Horror Story
BREAKING BAD, what a show, what a series final!
best show on TV in a decade, easily.
Agree on Orange is the New Black. We have also been enjoying this season of Walking Dead – hate to have to wait until February for it to resume.
Orange is the New Black and House of Cards. Clearly I have been loving Netflix – and looking forward to seeing Mitt when it comes out in January.
Favorite show is watching DM regulars react to Mr. B’s divergent viewpoints.
Second favorite is The Walking Dead.
i loved Orphan Black! season one was amazing. if you haven’t seen it make a point of checking it out before season 2!
+1 for Orphan Black!
TV only for now
1. Rectify–I hesitated in naming this number one as it had only six episodes in its debut season on Sundance, but no show moved me as deeply as this one. Also, no other show has captured the semi-rural exurban South as well (it’s set in a fictional Georgia town, but shot in Griffin). In my book, the tv scene of the year was nearly wordless and took place between a mother and her recently-released from-death row son in a car in a Walmart parking lot. Really rooting for this series to stick around, but it moves very slowly and is unlikely to find more than a small audience.
2. Breaking Bad: A show that never had an off season goes out strong, if a bit too neatly.
3. Orange Is the New Black: Much has been said about the main character- a waspy blonde–being a Trojan Horse, so to speak, who allows other types of characters you never see on TV to have their stories told. It’s true, and makes for fascinating comedy/drama, even if some of the characters are too broadly drawn (Pornstache, for example).
4. Parks and Recreation: My favorite network show and favorite sitcom. Amy Poehler rules!
5. Modern Family: Starting to wear thin, but Phil Dunphy keeps it funny.
6. Mad Men: On my list even though I was more disappointed on first viewing than in any previous season. But I’m confident that, as with the other seasons, I will appreciate it much more after a
second look. No show rewards repeat viewings more than Mad Men.
7. Derek: I was surprised that I liked this Netflix sitcom with Ricky Gervais. I was even more surprised by how often I was nearly moved to tears. Hannah and Dougie, not Derek (Gervais) steal the show. This might be one you either love or hate.
8. The Fall: This BBC serial killer procedural with Gillian Anderson as an icy detective had more unbearably tense moments than anything I saw this year.
9. Nashville: A guilty pleasure, but a pleasure nonetheless. Soapy, but it seems to get the music industry right.
10. Top of the Lake: This was a one-off mini-series set in rural New Zealand that was as weird as anything I saw this year. As addictive as it was frustrating (Elisabeth Moss’s character has to be one of the dumbest cops ever), this might be another one you’ll either love or hate.
I have yet to see the current seasons of Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, or Justified, all of which would likely be on this list. I also haven’t seen two highly acclaimed new shows, The Americans and Hannibal.
+1 Top of the Lake
1) Mad Men
2)Hell on Wheels
3) Downton Abbey
All the reruns on ch 248 ( paying cable for all the things I once watched for free)
Hell on Wheels hasn’t gotten nearly the buzz the other AMC shows did. Maybe that’s why I haven’t checked it out. How does it compare to Deadwood?
If we’re being honest, nothing can compare to Deadwood. Best use of the English language ever on a TV show. But overall, it’s a very good show. Crazy season endings, and lots to keep you engaged leading up to them. Check it out.
The Americans, Homeland, and American Horror Story are regulars in our house.
A dozen comments in and no one has named a theatrical release.
There’s no movie theater in Decatur so everyone stays home and watches the tube.
Good point. And the 2013 summer movies that are now out on DVD are, by and large, total crap.
TV/Online
-Mad Men. Still love it.
-As Time Goes By. Yes, old series. Finally watching it on PBS. Something about second chances is very appealing to me lately.
-Homeland.
-House of Cards
TV I should be embarrassed about, but I’m not.
-Nashville. Soapy but Lennon and Maisy Stella alone are worth it.
– Scandal. Beyond soapy but escapist and fun.
– So You Think You Can Dance. What? Those kids are talented!
Movies
The only theatrical release I have seen so far and loved is “The Way Way Back”.
I quite liked “The Way Way Back” as well. Sam Rockwell is one of the most under-utilized actors, imo.
Ditto that. Pure gold.
Loved The Way, Way Back, and for a story of a slightly older boy, The Spectacular Now.
Loved The Way Way Back. I expect that it will find it’s audience n DVD and cable.
in no particular order… Nashville, Modern Family, Weeds, Justified, Hell on Wheels, Grimm, Sleepy Hollow, The Good Wife, Downton Abbey, Mad Men, The Fall, Alpha House, Butter, Winter’s Bone, Jaws (richly rewards another look every 10-12 years), Gosford Park (suddenly clear why Downton Abbey gives me such a whopping case of deja vu), Sports Night, Political Animals.
Am I the only person who didn’t make it all the way through House of Cards? (big Kevin Spacey fan, too) Watched about half the episodes and just drifted away.
I haven’t watched “Justified” yet, but I may have to start, if only for Timothy Olyphant’s tight denim-clad tushie!!! 😀
Exactly.
Totally worth it!
“Am I the only person who didn’t make it all the way through House of Cards? (big Kevin Spacey fan, too) Watched about half the episodes and just drifted away.”
I liked it, didn’t love it. I thought it was often too slick for its own good, though still highly watchable. I feel much the same way about David Fincher’s (the creator of the show, directed “The Social Network” “Fight Club”, etc.) other work. Did not buy the newspaper story lines at all.
Justified is a big favorite in our house. It remains true to Elmore Leonard. We’re still addicted to Boardwalk Empire and Treme.
Still waiting to get the 3rd season on disc, but has any series or movie ever had a stronger sense of place than Treme? Or been so joyously in love with music? Not the most compelling show in terms of narrative on tv, but maybe the one with the most humanity.
TV: Game of Thrones; Sleepy Hollow
Film: Twelve Years A Slave
Going to see “Twelve Years a Slave” tonight. Waiting till after to contribute a movie list here.
I continue to be enthralled by “Boardwalk Empire.” Just an amazing show! Loved “House of Cards” as well.
TV:
Game of Thrones
Breaking Bad
Sherlock (BBC)
Movies:
Gravity
Django Unchained
Cloud Atlas (released in 2012, but I first watched it this year)
Khaleesi…
Boardwalk Empire –another great season with lots of twists and cringeworthy moments……Love the new Showtime Series “Master of Sex” — Allison Janney is amazing and the whole cast is excellent. Homeland started with a whimper, but ended with an edge-of-your seat last 3 episodes. Also loved the ‘available on Netflix’ mini-series “Top of the Lake” –if you have 7 hours to kill one weekend, it will pull you into it’s dark New Zealand underworld (Holly Hunter plays a bizarre shaman of sorts ) …..oh and my fave was probably the U.K show Broadchurch –another ‘whodonit’ series that really will have you guessing until the end of the season.
Breaking Bad. Part II of the final season was like eight hours of repeated kicks to the groin… but I loved every second of it.
Vikings…ended last winter and have to wait till Feb of 14 for season two. Long wait.
Sub-thread: things I’d love to watch if I could find them… China Beach, The Virginian (the TV show), Honey West (triple points for anybody who remembers that one without Googling), St. Elsewhere, Homicide: Life on the Street, Picket Fences, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Soap.
I think that they show Honey West on one of the retro channels (2.2 or 36.3).
China Beach is on dvd, don’t know about any other formats.
Haven’t looked for it in a while, will check again. Although I’m rarely inclined to watch anything I can’t get through basic DTV, Netflix & Amazon Prime.
Shows I would like to find include The Jonathan Winters Show, Darkroom, and Fridays.
Anne Francis. No Googling, I swear. I loved Burke’s Law, too.
Costco has box sets of China Beach right now, if someone is looking to get you a present . . .
+1
+1 for Orphan Black – one of the best shows on TV
Also will include:
Broadchurch (BBC)
Misfits (can watch on Hulu – last season just ended)
Continuum (Syfy)
Banshee and Strike Back (both on Cinemax)
+1 for Broadchurch on BBC.
Lots of my faves already mentioned but I’ll toss in
The Bridge
The Killing
and my super fave – Sons of Anarchy
Smalltowngirl! I love you- honey west was the name I gave my first puppy, received on my 12/27 birthday. Did she remind you of a collie?
TV: call the midwife / British show on amazon prime
Deb, I’ve always known you are my peeps. We need to get together for a beer!
I’d really love to watch Honey from my current vantage point, and see if the whole concept was as prescient as I now think it was. (She had great clothes and a great car, and a cute gun that always fit in her cute purse, and an ocelot, and a cute guy who worked for her. Take that, all you ’60s and ’70s and ’80s private eyes that took your cute secretaries totally for granted.) I wanted a Honey West lunchbox in the worst possible way.
BTW, I knew I was forgetting an important one — Call the Midwife is a delight, in spite of making me weep copiously nearly every week.
Mud. The Bridge.
After once we started Amazon Prime, I binged on a marathon of the West Wing. I had only gotten into it during the last season it was on the air so I was psyched to watch it from the beginning. I’ve been meaning to start on Breaking Bad, but it seems so intense that I feel I need to be in a certain frame of mind to start down that path.
For current TV, Sundays nights are the bomb – the Amazing Race followed by the Good Wife. It doesn’t get much better than that.
How many of you will confess to lengthy marathons with tv series on rainy days with a cold? I think I watched downton abbey mostly over one “sneezy” weekend (and it made me feel better!)
It’s a rainy day, so may start one of those marathons. Trying to decide between Orphan Black (might skew too young for us?) and American Horror Story (haven’t seen any of the three seasons).
Or Parades’s End, which I will have to retrieve from the mailbox (thankfully inside).
At the moment, thoroughly enjoying Mary Poppins, happily stumbled upon it in just the right mood. (Read all the books as a kid and experienced my first-ever disappointment in a book-to-movie adaptation. But taken on its own, the movie is quite entertaining–and realizing it had quite an impact on me.)
no one mentioned Blacklist???? you guys are missing out! James Spader is the master of smarmy!!!
It’s OK. Too violent.
Sleepy Hollow is the shiznits.
Even James Spader can’t redeem it.
Since most everyone is focused on TV, I’ll do movies. We’re members of the cinema club at Midtown Arts Cinema (highly recommend!) so we saw about 15 great independent/foreign films this year. Favorites were “Twenty Feet From Stardom” and “Wadaja,” but we also liked “No,” “Lore,” “The German Doctor” and “Oh Boy,” as well as pretty much all the other films in the series. Outside of movie club the only good film we saw in regular theaters was “Side Effects.”
Have to plug friends’ movies: “Gideon’s Army” is a great film if you are interested in our criminal “justice” system. “Congratulations” is a black comedy with a lot of Atl connections.
For TV, I don’t believe anyone has mentioned the series finale of The Office– loved it and miss Jim and Pam! I also don’t think anyone has mentioned Treme. As past devotees of The Wire and lovers of New Orleans, Treme is a can’t miss. And, like everyone else, we loved Breaking Bad, Mad Men, House of Cards, Downton Abbey and Sherlock.
Wheeler Dealers.
I could watch Edd China repair a bicycle…
One of the few films I was moved to go spend some bucks in a theater for this year was Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine, which I found to be interesting but overrated (not to mention depressing as hell). As usual, the studios have backloaded the good stuff into December (and January for the Atlanta market) and during the holidays and beyond I hope to get to see Nebraska, Philomena, Inside Llewyn Davis, Her, American Hustle, August Osage County and The Wolf of Wall Street.
I wish one of my Academy member friends lived in this area for screener access.
I’m finding as I get older, TV and movies are becoming progressively less interesting for me. That’s proven by the ever-growing stack of unwatched episodes on my DVR, and the ever-decreasing number of movies I see in the theater (two this year).
I have no idea why this is happening. I know there are a lot of good TV shows, and a number of good movies have been released this year, but I can’t seem to find much room to care. Sports do nothing for me, nor “reality” shows or the news. I find myself instead playing mindless games on the iPad or just going to bed.
Given your moniker, I assume, and hope, you don’t feel the same way about books too.
Books are about the only thing keeping me relatively sane. I have a book/e-reader with me wherever I go. It’s getting to be more and more common that I am sitting in a room with a 40″ HDTV that receives the highest Uverse package available, yet it’s off and I’m reading a book.
Time to rethink that cable bill…
I’m going to see the 2nd Hobbit movie this weekend. Hope it’s better than the first one, and I STILL don’t understand how they can stretch one average sized book into three 2.5 hour movies.
56 Up. Technically came out in 2012, but didn’t come to the states untl 2013.
Beware of Mr. Baker
The Americans
Masters of Sex (Showtime)
Mad Men
Scandal (I am a little embarrassed to admit it – but it’s damn entertaining)
House of Cards
Shows I REALLY MISS: Men of a Certain Age and Southland. Especially Southland. So so so so good.
+1 on both Men of a Certain Age and Southland
One TV item we really enjoyed this year but not yet mentioned was The Bletchley Circle. BBC/PBS 3hr/3 part miniseries about four women who were code breakers during WWII, but have had to keep that secret and go back to non-stimulating homelife years after the war. They get back together to solve a serial killer’s identity. Nice mystery, and even better commentary on smart women and the late forties/early 50s.
Just watched the first episode on the strength of your recommendation and thoroughly enjoyed it. Going back for another, hope it’s not so good I wind up staying up too late on a binge!
Best movies I saw in a theater:
Twelve Years a Slave: Unflinching, unsentimental story of how one man survived an absurd, evil society.
Gravity: Stunning, visceral film in IMAX3D. Can’t imagine it having nearly the same impact in lesser formats.
Stoker: Went to the premier in Nashville, where it was shot. A graphic variation on Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt. Twisted, campy, gorgeously filmed.
Trouble in Paradise (1932) Caught the Emory screening of this in 35mm, hosted by Matthew Bernstein. Was pleasantly surprised by the how much the mostly-college-age crowd obviously enjoyed this 80 year old film. Probably my all-time favorite comedy.
Very much looking forward to seeing Inside Llewyn Davis and Her.
Best 2013 movies I saw at home:
Frances Ha: The movie I enjoyed the most this year. Think the HBO series Girls but in black and white and without the awkward sex. A triumph for Greta Gerwig. Has one of the cleverest final shots I’ve seen in some time. You can watch it on Netflix now.
The Hunt: Mads Mikkelsen is riveting in this Danish film, a cautionary tale about mob justice in a small town.
Damsels in Distress: More great work by Greta Gerwig in this wry, off-beat comedy. 2011 release, but I saw it this year.
This is Martin Bonner: Imagine a “Christian movie” in which doubt is not overcome, but the lack of faith doesn’t hinder a simple action. Very understated, maybe too understated for some tastes. On Netflix now.
Does Greta Gerwig get nekkid in either of those?
Ha! No, both would probably be PG if not for a bit of language. Actually, it’s absurd that Frances Ha is rated R considering some of the violent stuff that gets a PG-13. But I better not go there…
Have to say I’m very impressed with the amount of quality fare mentioned here, but I’m disappointed no one else has mentioned Rectify. For you Mad Men fans, remember the gorgeous teacher Don had a fling with? That actress has a key role in this series. Fan of Breaking Bad? Well the producers of that are behind Rectify. Support a local series and give it a shot! Boosterism done.