TWOTHOUSANDTWO
What is TWOTHOUSANDTWO?
When I was 16, my father gifted me for Christmas 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. The one (and only) thing we shared, I spent that holiday break breaking in the spine of the heavy second edition, querying Dad with “Have you seen…?” (The Birth of a Nation, Das Boot, Kill Bill), “Scariest movie?” (Things to Come), “Can you buy this for me?” (Taxi Driver, Dead Man). Over 15 years later, and I am one film shy of checking off that battered bible for good (see you in 2023, Napoleon). In that 15-year span, though, memory of a good chunk of these movies has bled together or evaporated entirely (bet me $100 to guess a single plot point of The Phenix City Story and you’ll be $100 richer). So, I figured a good way to regain knowledge of my own film history, retain memories of these movies and maybe discover something new about old nemeses (I’m talking to you, Godard) would be to commit my viewings to a good ol’-fashioned film journal. No ratings, some reviews, lots of opinion.
Why TWOTHOUSANDTWO? I learned in my first watch-through that sitting through 1001 recommended films can feel like homework, especially after another silent Griffith epic, the dozenth goddamned period piece, or one too many impenetrable experimental films (Last Year at Marienbad, anyone?). Often, I would plow through a movie like a freshman viewing additional Seminar uploads: background noise that might just hopefully osmosis its way into my hippocampus. This is the wrong way to experience even bad movies, let alone the 1001 you must see. So, in my rewatch, the goal is to both enjoy the experience, do it the right way, and take a damn break when I need it. One for them, one for me.
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Are you looking forward to any particular 1001 film?
I kept passing over films in that ouroboros of streaming options (“Want to just watch Futurama for the thousandth time?”) that elicited an “I need to watch that again” that I decided to finally watch it again. Among them: Anatomy of a Murder, Jules and Jim, L’Avventura, If…., and Two-Lane Blacktop. Plus, rewatches of the capital-G Greats — like Oldboy and City of God — are always worthwhile. On the opposite end of things, I can recall finishing one of the 1001 movies and thinking, “That may have been the worst thing I’ve ever seen,” but, for the life of me, cannot remember the film. So, we can find out together if you stick with me through the Great Rewatch.
Are there any films you are dreading rewatching? Most definitely. Would I rather undergo another root canal than sit through Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer? Probably. Do I need another viewing of The Birth of a Nation? Or even the 4.5 hours of The Kingdom? (Tangent: this was a TV miniseries, and, if that qualifies, why not Roots? or Band of Brothers? or season one of Twin Peaks, for that matter? Questionable decisions, Steven Jay Schneider.) I recall really enjoying The Kingdom, but, still, a two-hour movie is hard enough to fit into my schedule, let alone 1000+ of them. More Great Train Robberies, please.
So, then, let’s go back to TWOTHOUSANDTWO.
