The motorcycle! Wedge Antilles! Baby Doctor Who! Also, one of the loveliest themes, ever ever ever, thank you, Mark Knoffler.

I've been going through some DVDs; so far in the past week or two, I've watched Aquaman, Jupiter Ascending and League of Gods. Lets me avoid the news, if nothing else.

ones going away 3/31

I watched several films on "going away on 3/31" list on Criterion Channel this past weekend, in an effort to avoid the news. Interesting bunch, if a bit of a mixed bag.

Local Hero: a rewatch after many years, it remains a total charm attack. I'd forgotten that the ending for Peter Riegert's character was bittersweet rather than sweet. A balm to the troubled spirit, especially those amazing views of the Scottish sky and the sea.

In the Cut: Jane Campion's take on an erotic thriller. Doesn't hold together all that well as a thriller, but it's moody and unsettling, with fabulously impressionistic camera work. Meg Ryan and Mark Ruffalo are both very interesting in roles that are far from their wheelhouse. I dug it.

A Girl Walks Alone Home At Night: I've heard about this film but never got around to watching it until now. A leisurely-paced oddball not-quite-horror vampire romance, performed in Persian but filmed in California, kinda of Jim Jarmusch-esque but with distinctively female sensibilities. A bit self consciously cool in parts but with some striking images.

The Rose Tattoo: I picked this one over Fugitive Kind among the two Tennessee Williams/Anna Magnani collaborations going away tomorrow, and maybe I should have picked the other one? Incredibly over the top all over (I mean, it's Tennessee fucking Williams, what did I expect), although Magnani is great in it, a total force of nature. If you want every hoary Italian stereotype ever dreamed of splashed across the screen nonstop, this is your movie. Burt Lancaster trying to pass himself off as Italian made me laugh.

I tried to watch Sweet Smell of Success first, which was clearly a better movie than The Rose Tattoo from the first 20 minutes I watched, but it was too fucking cynical for my current frame of mind. Will give it a try next time it comes along in rotation.

Right now, I'm watching Red River, which is gorgeously shot and smartly paced, except I can't seem to divorce my modern sensibilities from the film while watching classic Cowboys vs. Indians battle scenes, or watching John Wayne be Macho Macho Man. Maybe it'll go down better with some wine.

Local Hero: a rewatch after many years, it remains a total charm attack. I'd forgotten that the ending for Peter Riegert's character was bittersweet rather than sweet. A balm to the troubled spirit, especially those amazing views of the Scottish sky and the sea.

In personal Top ten.

A Girl Walks Alone Home At Night: I've heard about this film but never got around to watching it until now. A leisurely-paced oddball not-quite-horror vampire romance, performed in Persian but filmed in California, kinda of Jim Jarmusch-esque but with distinctively female sensibilities. A bit self consciously cool in parts but with some striking images.

My favorite directorial debut since...I don't know. Blood Simple.

Right now, I'm watching Red River, which is gorgeously shot and smartly paced, except I can't seem to divorce my modern sensibilities from the film while watching classic Cowboys vs. Indians battle scenes, or watching John Wayne be Macho Macho Man. Maybe it'll go down better with some wine.

It helps that Wayne's character is supposed to be an asshole.

I watched several films on "going away on 3/31" list on Criterion Channel

Here's my round-up:

In the Cut: Jane Campion's take on an erotic thriller. Doesn't hold together all that well as a thriller, but it's moody and unsettling, with fabulously impressionistic camera work. Meg Ryan and Mark Ruffalo are both very interesting in roles that are far from their wheelhouse. I dug it.

Given that we had just watched Eyes of Laura Mars it felt a bit repetitive, and Meg Ryan's impression of Nicole Kidman was rather distracting, but I don't think it deserves the bad reputation it seems to have out in the wild.

On the other hand, I went into Patty Hearst thinking I would be blown away, and, well, it was fine I guess. But not interesting in any way if you know the basic story already.

A Girl Walks Alone Home At Night: I've heard about this film but never got around to watching it until now. A leisurely-paced oddball not-quite-horror vampire romance, performed in Persian but filmed in California, kinda of Jim Jarmusch-esque but with distinctively female sensibilities. A bit self consciously cool in parts but with some striking images.

I don't think we'll get to this one since we both saw it when it came out but it's a fave of mine.

Speaking of faves by female directors, I really recommend either of the expiring Agnès Jaoui films, especially The Taste of Others.

Also, I'm no fan of animation but Lotte Reiniger's The Adventures of Prince Achmed (the earliest surviving animated feature) is gorgeous.

I tried to watch Sweet Smell of Success first, which was clearly a better movie than The Rose Tattoo from the first 20 minutes I watched, but it was too fucking cynical for my current frame of mind. Will give it a try next time it comes along in rotation.

Yeah, I finally watched Sweet Smell of Success last #Noirvember and, while I do agree it is technically a "good" movie, I don't really get the love.

Speaking of cynical, I had never heard of The Bad and the Beautiful until it showed up in the "Film Plays Itself" collection and I became intrigued. It is drags somewhat to my mind but is oddly compelling. Would make a great pairing with The Player, which is also in the collection (but not expiring).

Elsewhere in the Burt Lancaster set we've watched Elmer Gantry, The Professionals, and Seven Days in May, all of which were fantastic. Tonight we're watching Birdman of Alcatraz and maybe Separate Tables or The Train, depending on time. It's odd, Burt Lancaster does nothing for me, and I never think he is anyone but Burt Lancaster in his roles, but these movies have all been so good. It's hard to reconcile.

In the Danny Kaye set, we watched Wonder Man, which I really liked, although the plot is ridiculous, and The Court Jester, which I still liked but didn't quite hold up to my childhood memories of it. I wish the songs had been better.

Finally, I can't recommend Shirley Clarke's Portrait of Jason enough. I would never have picked it myself, but the Math Greek knew I'd agree to watch it simply because it was by a woman, and I'm glad I did. Words can't quite describe what is essentially one long rambling interview/monologue, but it's a must-see.

Right now, I'm watching Red River, which is gorgeously shot and smartly paced, except I can't seem to divorce my modern sensibilities from the film while watching classic Cowboys vs. Indians battle scenes, or watching John Wayne be Macho Macho Man. Maybe it'll go down better with some wine.

We're saving Red River for tomorrow to pair it with The Last Picture Show on the second half of the bill, since that one isn't expiring. (FYI: Criterion seems to run on a different time zone, in that we sometimes lose access to an expiring film by 9-10pm or so on the last day of the month.)

The Train is really quite good - LOTS of stars in it, intriguing plot ... if I remember correctly, it's black and white, which didn't distract me, but it might others.

And for Danny Kaye, one of my favorites is Merry Andrew.

It helps that Wayne's character is supposed to be an asshole.

I finished watching Red River yesterday and ended up enjoying it a lot, especially as the focus of the movie shifted from John Wayne to Montgomery Clift's character, who was suuuuper dreamy. The ending struck me as too pat, but I guess it was crowd-pleasing. The cinematography was amazing, and you get a real feel for the big country, the wide open fields and the sky. Whoever did the herd-wranging for the film deserves a special prize.

Meg Ryan's impression of Nicole Kidman was rather distracting, but I don't think it deserves the bad reputation it seems to have out in the wild

I read about the role being initially meant for Kidman after watching the film. It kinda makes sense now -- Meg Ryan usually doesn't do that type of brittleness, even though she pulled it off reasonably well. Ruffalo was interesting -- I'm just used to him being such a teddy bear good guy in film, seeing him play someone dangerous and kinda sleazy but still magnetic was a bit of a shock. He did well, but I kept picturing other actors in the role, Matt Dillon or Russell Crowe for example, someone with a bit more shadow in their persona.

When I get home, I'll only have time for one film that's going away today. Of the ones you mentioned, I've seen Separate Tables, The Bad and the Beautiful and Elmer Gantry. I think I might try for The Taste of Others rather than yet another Burt Lancaster flick...

The Train is really quite good - LOTS of stars in it, intriguing plot ... if I remember correctly, it's black and white, which didn't distract me, but it might others.

Aargh, we couldn't get to it. The biggest problem with most of the Burt Lancaster collection was that the films were just too damn long.

As an FYI for Vonnie and others with Criterion, it looks like most of the Sidney Poitier collection will be leaving April 30. Also, some of Film Plays Itself and 70s Style Icons (which doesn't even go up until 4/5 as an official collection). (And don't even get me started on the fact that Eyes of Laura Mars, which we just paid for to watch on Amazon, is part of this collection.)

In trying to be somewhat realistic about what I can/will get to, I've added "only" 18 of the expiring films to my Criterion watchlist, mostly because the Math Greek had seen almost everything that's expiring already.

Of those new-to-me films going away, my must-watches are: Footlight Parade, The Defiant Ones, Klute, Day for Night, and Near Dark.

The other new-to-me selections are either things I see as essentials for my Century+ of Cinema project or things that looked fun/interesting/good based on plot summary and/or RT scores. Happy for input on moving any of these into the must-see or "don't bother" categories.

Sidney Poitier: Blackboard Jungle, A Raisin in the Sun, Uptown Saturday Night

'70s Style Icons: Shaft, The Getaway, Thank God It's Friday

Others: Hollywood Shuffle, The Hunger, Vanya on 42nd Street

And then I'm hoping to rewatch Three Days of the Condor; House of Games; Gas, Food, Lodging; and Adaptation but we'll see. There's only so much time. And I do try to alternate selections with the MG, who is likely here until at least early May. Though I swear I will be putting my foot down on buying/renting anything until we've exhausted more of our multitude of subscription offerings and some of the DVDs I have out from the library (that now aren't due back until 6/1).

Footlight Parade

My favorite musical of all time! Busby Berkeley choreography! Cagney hoofing! Dick Powell in his prime (and his underwear)!

I can recommend Vanya on 42nd Street; I've never been much of a fan of Wallace Shawn, but he was excellent in this. As was everyone else.