So, it’s May. Which means for every Avengers that manages to somehow not insult your intelligence as a movie-goer, we’re going to be treated to ten other movies that assume you’re about as bright as a potted plant. Whatever, right? It’s the summer.
Well I say: NOT whatever. Now, don’t get me wrong - I, more than most, understand the appeal of trash. I’m fully in the Pauline Kael camp, who once famously said “Movies are so rarely great art that if we cannot appreciate great trash we have very little reason to be interested in them.” True dat, Pauline. So, sure, I get the thrill of watching something horrible for the chance that it might the GREAT kind of horrible. What I’m saying is, I own Fast Five on blu-ray.
But here’s my challenge to you: Take a week - one whole week - and watch only things you think are actually going to be good movies. Not ironic good. Not so-bad-it’s-good. Not guilty pleasures. I’m speaking here of genuinely great movies.
How you want to define great is up to you. Maybe hit up a Sight & Sound poll and watch whichever you haven’t seen. Or dig around a director’s CV - sure, you’ve probably seen Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane, but what about Touch Of Evil or The Lady From Shanghai or F For Fake? You’ve seen The Godfather, but what about The Conversation? Or if all that is old hat to you, try dipping into foreign films, or the work of directors you aren’t as familiar with. One of my fave things is to pick a specific movie movement - film noir, French New Wave, Italian neo-realism, etc. - and watch a huge representative sampling. It’s a great way to discover new things to get excited about.
Seriously, give it a try. Even better, post about what you’ve watched here in this thread.