And speaking of Criterion! (Which we just were.) I just realized that today is also New Announcement Day for the fanciest physical media brand around -- okay I didn't "realize" so much as "get the PR email that told me it is" but whatever, cut me some slack, I am very scattered and busy right now. So Criterion today has announced their January 2025 line-up and it shocks me how good they are at plucking movies out of thin air that I have never heard of and plunking them down in front of me like rare gems of great beauty. I don't know half of these movies but I look forward to finding out. The one I do know and have seen is Stephen Frears' 1990 neo-noir The Grifters starring John Cusack, Annette Bening, and Anjelica Huston -- I have spent my entire life being terrified of bags of oranges thanks to this movie and I haven't seen it in decades. It'll be nice to revisit, and in 4K no less. That's out in January 21st.
Next up there is Richard Pryor's semi-autobiographical 1986 film Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling, which is apparenrtly a fractured bio-pic that he starred in himself -- how have I literally never heard of this movie? I mean I've never been the world's number on Richard Pryor stan but I have always liked him when I've seen him -- I guess this was way outta my wheelhouse when it came out and I was 8-years-old but I have no excuse for the many many years between then and now. And then there's Jean Eustache's The Mother and the Whore from 1973 -- this one I have heard of but that's it,;I haven't seen it nor do I know much about it. Sounds like a threesome movie from their description but one with two ladies circling the dude, which is sad to me as Jean-Pierre Léaud looks really cute on the cover of the disc and I'd prefer this co-starred let's say Jean-Paul Belmondo as his side-piece. Somebody use AI and stick Belmondo into this for me! Use AI for good!
The final batch of movies for January include a 4K upgrade of Kurosawa's Yojimbo and Sanjuro double-feature (and no I somehow have never seen these ones yet either) and then Anthony Mann's 1950 western Winchester '73 which, well it's a Western. I just can't be made to care. It doesn't matter how many great Westerns I see, and I have seen plenty -- I just cannot stir excitement in myself over sitting down and watching a Western. That said Winchester does have Rock Hudson playing a Native American so I might have to watch this out of a sick curiosity.
4 comments:
I can still hear Anjelica stuttering out "p- p- permanent damage"
Grifters was great, I remember being blown away by the soundtrack in the theater.
Yojimbo and Sanjuro are among Kurosawa’s best, watch them immediately!
IMO there are plenty of westerns that transcend the genre (most of the one John Ford made, especially) but Winchester ‘73 is not one, it’s pretty straightforward. Good, but not great.
The Grifters is a personal favorite of mine. And Jo Jo Dancer is excellent. Pryor really goes in on himself and explores all of his mistakes. Side note: Debbie Allen's character intro is one of the best in cinema. Highly recommend.
Jo Jo Dancer is not a good movie.
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