BLOG: Regional film watching

Joshua Ligairi » 06.22.11 »

It wouldn't surprise me if I'm alone here, but, just as I enjoy sampling regional cuisine when traveling, I also really enjoy watching films set in an area where I am visiting. Like, a lot.

Not everyone sees the charm in this. I've been asked why I'd want to stay inside and watch a movie about a place when you can actually go out and see a place? It's a good question, but it misses the point. I'm always up for a local outdoor adventure. In fact, my watching-a-movie-on-location obsession has much to do with my majorly-geekish activity of movie-location-sight-seeing. I love going out and finding those cinematic landmarks. But, actually viewing the films in the location has an extra immersive quality on top of it. In New York City? Got to watch me some Woody Allen films. In Spain? I may undertake an entire Almodovar marathon. Riding a train? I'll probably have Murder on the Orient Express on my iPod. Seriously.

Those are broad stokes, of course, but I get down to specifics too. For instance, as tonal preparation before leaving on my recent trip to Alaska, I watched The Edge, Into the Wild, Grizzly Man, Insomnia, and 30 Days of Night. There was also the time some friends and I took a TV deep into the woods (with a 100 yards of extension cord) and watched the Blair Witch Project in the forrest in the middle of the night. Where else would you want to see that movie for the first time?

So, now I'm on an extended stay in San Francisco and trying to sample from movies set here, but because I am in a strange land without my own stellarly-curated DVD collection, I'm relying solely on Netflix Streaming to get me through.

Big mistake. Huge disappointment.

Come on, Netflix! Are you kidding me? No streaming for Zodiac, Vertigo, Bullitt, Maltese Falcon, A View to a Kill, The Rock, Escape From Alcatraz, Milk, The Life and Times of Harvey Milk, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Birds, Dirty Harry, Dark Passage, What's Up Doc ?, So I Married An Axe Murderer or even Funny People (which is stretching anyway because it just has a brief aside in Sausalito)! I've tried to get through The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill twice without any luck. I will give you credit for The Conversation, Netflix, and I will watch it tonight, but you need to up your game! They've overlooked so many classics, it is sickening.

I'm sure this (likely) piece of crap will be available soon, however:


I realize that this is a pretty weird practice, but I can't be totally alone on this. I think most people watch movies from the archive depending on their mood. If anyone else enjoys this slight eccentricity, or has one of their own, please let me know. Oh, and if anyone out there has any watch-worthy Bay Area suggestions (that Netflix is streaming), I'm all ears. I still have a few days.

A little PS: I was walking past Fisherman's Warf to catch the Muni today and I walked right past the Fog City Diner, featured in the "being electrocuted" scene from So I Married an Axe Murderer. I had no idea it was a real place. In fact, I would have bet cash money that was a set because I'd never seen anything like it in San Francisco...until today.

Update » Rise of the Planet of the Apes was, shockingly, not a "piece of crap." It's actually a pretty decent film and was quite a fun viewing experience. I'd happily watch it anytime I'm in San Francisco (though I still prefer Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home for my SFO sci-fi fix).

LIST: The Films of 2008

Joshua Ligairi » 02.10.09 »

I have a certain amount of respect for anyone that has made a movie. I make movies for a living and, having been involved with every department at every stage of production, I know how difficult it is to produce a quality motion picture. That said, there are some bad ones out there. That's why I think that it is important to support those that are a cut above the rest. I appreciate both a mastery of the craft and a pushing of the boundaries. Well-written scripts, thoughtful camera work, detail-oriented production design, a unique vision--these are the things that I look for in a film. It is not often I find what I am looking for, but when I stumble across that rare film, I support it financially, on opening weekend whenever possible, and I try to spread good word of mouth in any way I can.

Some favorites from 2007.

Each year I compile a list of some of my favorite films. I don't do a ten list like many do, giving the films a specific ranking, but I do rate the films to some degree and I try to mention all of the films that I feel are above average. Don't consider the list as recommendations as the films included on the list span all genres from animated family movies, to foreign language films, to graphic horror flicks. Not every movie is for every person.

Some favorites from 2008.

I typically try to publish my list online before the Academy Awards. This was a busy year for me (professionally and personally) and it took me a while to see all of the movies that I wanted to, but I finally did it. I'd have to say that last year was better than this year in terms of films that knocked me out, but overall it was a solid year for cinema, especially considering all the different genres of film that were represented in the year's best. All in all 2008 yielded some wonderful cinematic creations.

I guess this was my humanist year, because all of my favorite films were truly about the human experience. Some, like Man on Wire, Milk, Valkyrie, and Waltz with Bashir, dealt with real-life heroism (and the lack thereof) in the face of unimaginable adversity and insurmountable odds while others, like Be Kind Rewind, My Winnipeg, Synecdoche, and The Wrestler, used imaginative and non-traditional facade to cut to the heart of real human emotion.


Excellent (2008) These were my favorite movies of the year.

Be Kind Rewind . Man on Wire . Milk . My Winnipeg . Synecdoche, New York . Valkyrie . Waltz with Bashir . The Wrestler

The lack of a few really amazing films this year was balanced out by an abundance of really solid filmmaking. From the creepy re-imaging of the vampire mythos in Let the Right One In to the touching investigation of love and memory in Away From Her, 2008 saw an array of simple, thoughtful stories and a mainstream appreciation of independent visions. This was most obvious with the acclaim of films like Slumdog Millionaire and Doubt, but is true of most of the films that I've placed in this category. Even the big budget family movie Wall E showed a daring and sophistication that we don't often see in animated movies for the masses. It was also wonderful to see fresh approaches to the medium from masters like David Mamet and Woody Allen (saying nothing of Jean Claude Van Damme) that could easily be content to rest on their laurels.

Very Good (2008) These were also very good films.

Away From Her . Chop Shop . Doubt . Frost / Nixon . In Bruge . JCVD . Let the Right One In . Rachel Getting Married . Redbelt . Slumdog Millionaire . Snow Angels . Son of Rambow . The Up Beat . Vicky Cristina Barcelona . The Visitor . Wall E . Young at Heart

All of the films in the following section had their problems, yet were still more watchable and unique than the typical mindless trash that is usually being shoveled on us by Hollywood. On that note, I guess I should mention that most of these were actually not studio films, but independent productions.

Above Average (2008) These were still better than most of the crap out there.

Bigger Stronger Faster . Body of Lies . Bolt . Burn After Reading . Charlie Bartlett . Choke . Encounters at the End of the Word . The Errand of Angels . The Express . Falling . Foot Fist Way . Forever Strong . Frozen River . Funny Games . Ghost Town . Gonzo . Hamlet 2 . The Happening . Happy Go Lucky . Hellboy 2 . Hell Ride . Kung Fu Panda . Lakeview Terrace . Leatherheads . Mr. Lonely . Paranoid Park . Pineapple Express . Pirates of the Great Salt Lake . Quarantine . The Reader . Run Fatboy Run . Stop Loss . Surfwise . Take . Taken . Towel Head . Traitor . Tropic Thunder. Una Vida Mejor . The Wackness . Wanted and Desired . War Inc . What Just Happened? . What Would Jesus Buy? . Youth Without Youth . Zack and Miri

What’s Wrong With Utah County? (2008) These never played in my area.

Adoration . Ashes of Time . Ballast . The Brothers Bloom . Che . A Christmas Tale . Chocolate . The Edge of Heaven . Elegy . Fear(s) of the Dark . Flight of the Red Balloon . Gomorrah . Made In America . Me and Orsen Welles . Reprise . Sukiyaki Western Jango . Teeth . Tell No One . Time Crimes . Wendy and Lucy

I just wasn't interested in what Hollywood was selling this year. I'm sure I'll see them eventually, but the apathy that these movies instilled in me made for a long summer.

I’ll Catch It On DVD (2008) Kinda wanted to see it, but not that bad.

Australia . The Curious Case of Benjamin Button . Dark Knight . The Duchess . Forgetting Sarah Marshall . Inside . The International . Ironman . John Rambo . Mamma Mia . Martyrs . Revolutionary Road . The Rocker . Role Models . Speed Racer . The Strangers . Step Brothers . Trouble the Water . Twilight . The Women

Continuing (or maybe capping) my anti-Hollywood tear, it is time to mention the big disappointments that the galaxy provided when I actually made it out to the theater this year. Whether infuriatingly bad like Indiana Jones and Eagle Eye or sadly underwhelming like W and Miracle at St. Ana, this year had some stinkers.

Biggest Disappointments (2008) I had hopes that fell flat.

American Teen . Appaloosa . City of Ember . Dear Zachary . Eagle Eye . Gran Torino . Happy Valley . Indiana Jones 4 . Miracle at St Ana . Rock N Rolla . W

Typically, I also include a list of films that were promised to us the year before that never materialized, but since the "anticipated" section is so long, I decided to forgo that this year.

Most Anticipated (2009) Next year is looking good already.

500 Days of Summer . Alice in Wonderland . The Boat That Rocked . Cleanflix . District 9 . Drag Me to Hell . The Fantastic Mr Fox . The Fighter . Gentlemen Broncos . Greenburg . The Human Factor . The Informant . The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus . Inglourious Basterds . Killshot . The Limits of Control . The Lovely Bones . Master of Space and Time . Men Who Stare at Goats . Monsters vs Aliens . Mystery Team . Ness . Paul . The Prince of Providence . Public Enemies . Red State . The Road . Scott Pilgram vs the World . Sherlock Holmes . Shutter Island . State of Play . Submarino . Suburbicon . Sympathy for Delicious . The Vicious Kind . A Walk in the Woods . Watchmen . Whatever Works . Where the Wild Things Are . The Wolf Man . The Year One