2021 Retrospective

I may have burned myself out a little in 2020 and took it easy in 2021, but still blogging 52 films. I also chose to watch more foreign films, better films, and films I actively want to see, rather than those I felt I should see. I watched five foreign language films but stopped mid-year for some reason. I watched two essential films, and five notoriously bad films. I predicted I would see a fair number of Hitchcock films, and I watched five (six if you count Pleasure Garden, which I saw in December). I think I have twenty three of his films left and I expect to like only a couple. Fifteen films I rated 4.0 or better.

My local library has a film discussion group over Zoom. Once class didn’t conflict, I started participating. They alternate between a classic film and a modern one. Five I covered this year came from that group. It's been great. I don't have anyone to talk film with anymore.

I saw two silent (three if you count Pleasure Garden), The Lodger being my favorite, six musicals (two Marx Brothers), Umbrellas of Cherbourg being my favorite. I finally watched a Sophia Loren film and saw two. The five foreign language films makes ten in the past two years compared to seven in all prior years. Only one documentary, though. I can’t even think of another must-see feature length pre-1980 documentary. Woodstock, maybe?

I saw two Marx Brothers films with only one left, the disowned Love Happy. I watched one more of the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes films and have two to go. I couldn’t bring myself to watch an Elvis film. I’m guessing that won’t change this year.

The best film I saw in 2021 was La Strada. I really enjoyed watching it and frequently think back to it. Godfather fans may take exception but this blog is no democracy. Part II was the only Best Picture winner I saw. Other honorable mentions are the noir Born to Kill, the essential horror Rosemary’s Baby, The Odd Couple, Hitchcock’s The Lodger, Billy Wilder’s Ace in the Hole, Two Women, Bicycle Thieves, Harold and Maude, Manchurian Candidate, and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Note that four of the five foreign language films I saw are listed here.

The worst film was probably Night of the Lepus. It wasn’t terrible. Some of the effects were kinda interesting, but the story and overall execution was pretty bad. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians was supposed to be terrible, and was by no means good, but I found it just dumb and forgettable. Yes, I was disappointed that it wasn’t worse. Other dishonorable mentions are The Gorilla, featuring The Ritz Brothers, and the Marx Brothers The Big Store, both unfunny and unlikable.

Looking forward I intend on continuing the trend. Maybe six foreign language films, four or five Hitchcock’s, more silent film, and complete the Sherlock Holmes and Marx Brothers films once and for all. It’s hard being a completionist. Other than that, I hope to get north of 50 again and enjoy what I watch.

Goodbye for now.