Friday, November 23, 2012

Retro Muriels: Best Music


After hearing Ennio Morricone’s ultra-swoony Cinema Paradiso theme on the radio last week, I got to thinking about my favorite movie scores. That, in turn, compelled me to throw together a (highly informal) list of Best Music nominees to go with my other retro Muriels from back in the day.

Ever since Steve and I rolled out the Best Music category back in 2008, we wanted to make the selections as diverse as possible, ranging from instrumental scores to song scores, originals to well-done adaptations, and even notable compilations of previously-existing material. That was my aim here as well. Although my picks tend to lean mostly to original works, I made room for some compilations and adaptations here, especially when the music was particularly well selected. And even among my original-skewing nominees, I made sure to choose a number of rock and jazz scores as well. In addition, I’ve tried to throw some sublimely silly choices into the mix, including at least one score that features a whole lotta kazoo.

Winners for every year since 1995 have already been chosen, while winners for 1954-1994 will be chosen at a later date. Due to the wide range of styles represented here, expect a fair number of ties. Sorry about that.

If there’s something so self-evidently awesome that you can’t believe I forgot it, feel free to smack me around in the comments section.

1954:
The Earrings of Madame De… (Oscar Straus & Georges Van Parys)
M. Hulot’s Holiday (Alain Romans)
Magnificent Obsession (Frank Skinner)
On the Waterfront (Leonard Bernstein)
Rear Window (Franz Waxman)

1955:
All That Heaven Allows (Frank Skinner)
The Man With the Golden Arm (Elmer Bernstein)
Night of the Hunter (Walter Schumann)
Rebel Without a Cause (Leonard Rosenman)
The Wages of Fear (Georges Auric)

1956:
The Court Jester (Walter Scharf & Vic Schoen)
Forbidden Planet (Louis & Bebe Barron)
Godzilla (Akira Ifukube)
La Strada (Nino Rota)
The Ten Commandments (Elmer Bernstein)

1957:
12 Angry Men (Kenyon Hopkins)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (Malcolm Arnold)
A Face in the Crowd (Tom Glazer)
Nights of Cabiria (Nino Rota)
Sweet Smell of Success (Elmer Bernstein)

1958:
The Big Country (Jerome Moross)
Mon Oncle (Alain Romans)
Some Came Running (Elmer Bernstein)
Touch of Evil (Henry Mancini)
Vertigo (Bernard Herrmann)

1959:
The 400 Blows (Jean Constantin)
Anatomy of a Murder (Duke Ellington)
Imitation of Life (Frank Skinner & Henry Mancini)
Lola Montes (Georges Auric)
North by Northwest (Bernard Herrmann)

1960:
The Cranes Are Flying (M. Vaynberg)
Exodus (Ernest Gold)
The Magnificent Seven (Elmer Bernstein)
Psycho (Bernard Herrmann)
Spartacus (Alex North)

1961:
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Henry Mancini)
El Cid (Miklos Rosza)
La Dolce Vita (Nino Rota)
Elevator to the Gallows (Miles Davis)
The Innocents (Georges Auric)

1962:
Cape Fear (Bernard Herrmann)
Last Year at Marienbad (Francis Seyrig)
Lawrence of Arabia (Maurice Jarre)
Lola (Michel Legrand)
To Kill a Mockingbird (Elmer Bernstein)

1963:
8 ½ (Nino Rota)
Charade (Henry Mancini)
Hud (Elmer Bernstein)
Jason and the Argonauts (Bernard Herrmann)
The Leopard (Nino Rota)

1964:
Contempt (Georges Delerue)
A Hard Day’s Night (The Beatles & George Martin)
Marnie (Bernard Herrmann)
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Michel Legrand)
Woman in the Dunes (Toru Takemitsu)

1965:
Doctor Zhivago (Maurice Jarre)
Help! (The Beatles)
Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte (Frank de Vol)
Juliet of the Spirits (Nino Rota)
Repulsion (Chico Hamilton)

1966:
Blowup (Herbie Hancock)
Fahrenheit 451 (Bernard Herrmann)
For a Few Dollars More (Ennio Morricone)
Seconds (Jerry Goldsmith)
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Alex North)

1967:
Far From the Madding Crowd (Richard Rodney Bennett)
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Ennio Morricone)
In Cold Blood (Quincy Jones)
Privilege (Mike Leander et al)
Two for the Road (Henry Mancini)

1968:
The Lion in Winter (John Barry)
Planet of the Apes (Jerry Goldsmith)
The Producers (John Morris et al)
Romeo and Juliet (Nino Rota)
The Young Girls of Rochefort (Michel Legrand)

1969:
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Burt Bacharach)
Easy Rider (various)
Midnight Cowboy (John Barry)
Model Shop (Spirit)
Once Upon a Time in the West (Ennio Morricone)

1970:
The Ballad of Cable Hogue (Jerry Goldsmith)
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (Stu Phillips et al)
The Conformist (Georges Delerue)
Let It Be (The Beatles & George Martin)
Zabriskie Point (Pink Floyd)

1971:
Bananas (Marvin Hamlisch)
The French Connection (Don Ellis)
Macbeth (The Third Ear Band)
Straw Dogs (Jerry Fielding)
Walkabout (John Barry)

1972:
Duck, You Sucker (Ennio Morricone)
The Godfather (Nino Rota)
The Hot Rock (Quincy Jones)
Superfly (Curtis Mayfield)
Two English Girls (Georges Delerue)

1973:
Last Tango in Paris (Gato Barbieri)
The Long Goodbye (John Williams)
O Lucky Man! (Alan Price)
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (Bob Dylan)
The Way We Were (Marvin Hamlisch)

1974:
Amarcord (Nino Rota)
Chinatown (Jerry Goldsmith)
The Godfather, Part II (Nino Rota & Carmine Coppola)
Phantom of the Paradise (Paul Williams)
Stavisky… (Stephen Sondheim)

1975:
Barry Lyndon (Leonard Rosenman)
The Fortune (David Shire & Jose Padilla)
Jaws (John Williams)
Nashville (various)
The Wind and the Lion (Jerry Goldsmith)

1976:
Bugsy Malone (Paul Williams)
Carrie (Pino Donaggio)
Obsession (Bernard Herrmann)
The Outlaw Josey Wales (Jerry Fielding)
Taxi Driver (Bernard Herrmann)

1977:
Aguirre, the Wrath of God (Popol Vuh)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (John Williams)
Saturday Night Fever (David Shire et al)
Sorcerer (Tangerine Dream)
Star Wars (John Williams)

1978:
Days of Heaven (Ennio Morricone)
The Fury (John Williams)
Heaven Can Wait (Dave Grusin)
The Lord of the Rings (Leonard Rosenman)
Superman (John Williams)

1979:
1941 (John Williams)
The Black Stallion (Carmine Coppola)
The Muppet Movie (Paul Williams & Kenny Ascher)
Nosferatu the Vampyre (Popol Vuh)
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Jerry Goldsmith)

1980:
Airplane! (Elmer Bernstein)
Altered States (John Corigliano)
Dressed to Kill (Pino Donaggio)
The Empire Strikes Back (John Williams)
Somewhere in Time (John Barry)

1981:
Blow Out (Pino Donaggio)
Caveman (Lalo Schifrin)
Chariots of Fire (Vangelis)
The Last Metro (Georges Delerue)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (John Williams)

1982:
Blade Runner (Vangelis)
Conan the Barbarian (Basil Poledouris)
E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial (John Williams)
One From the Heart (Tom Waits)
Victor/Victoria (Henry Mancini & Leslie Bricusse)

1983:
Koyaanisqatsi (Philip Glass)
Local Hero (Mark Knopfler)
Rumble Fish (Stewart Copeland)
Terms of Endearment (Michael Gore)
Videodrome (Howard Shore)

1984:
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (John Williams)
The Natural (Randy Newman)
Once Upon a Time in America (Ennio Morricone)
Purple Rain (Prince)
This Is Spinal Tap (Christopher Guest, Michael McKean & Harry Shearer)

1985:
The Color Purple (Quincy Jones et al)
Mishima (Philip Glass)
Pee Wee’s Big Adventure (Danny Elfman)
Ran (Toru Takemitsu)
Witness (Maurice Jarre)

1986:
Blue Velvet (Angelo Badalamenti)
Down by Law (John Lurie & Tom Waits)
The Mission (Ennio Morricone)
Peggy Sue Got Married (John Barry)
‘Round Midnight (Herbie Hancock)

1987:
Empire of the Sun (John Williams)
Innerspace (Jerry Goldsmith)
Ishtar (Dave Grusin & Paul Williams)
The Last Emperor (Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Byrne, and Cong Su)
The Princess Bride (Marc Shaiman)

1988:
The Last Temptation of Christ (Peter Gabriel)
Rain Man (Hans Zimmer)
The Thin Blue Line (Philip Glass)
Tucker: The Man and His Dream (Joe Jackson)
Wings of Desire (Jurgen Kneiper)

1989:
Black Rain (Toru Takemitsu)
Cinema Paradiso (Ennio Morricione)
Do the Right Thing (Bill Lee et al)
Glory (James Horner)
The Little Mermaid (Alan Menken)

1990:
Avalon (Randy Newman)
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (Michael Nyman)
Edward Scissorhands (Danny Elfman)
Hamlet (Ennio Morricone)
Miller’s Crossing (Carter Burwell)

1991:
Beauty and the Beast (Alan Menken)
Dead Again (Patrick Doyle)
Defending Your Life (Michael Gore)
The Double Life of Veronique (Zbigniew Preisner)
Naked Lunch (Howard Shore)

1992:
Aladdin (Alan Menken)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Wojciech Kilar)
The Last of the Mohicans (Randy Edelman & Trevor Jones)
Malcolm X (Terrence Blanchard)
Unforgiven (Lenny Niehaus)

1993:
The Age of Innocence (Elmer Bernstein)
Dazed and Confused (various)
Naked (Andrew Dickson)
Schindler’s List (John Williams)
Three Colors: Blue (Zbigniew Preisner)

1994:
Ed Wood (Howard Shore)
Little Women (Thomas Newman)
The Lion King (Hans Zimmer & Elton John)
Pulp Fiction (various)
Three Colors: Red (Zbigniew Preisner)

1995:
12 Monkeys (Paul Buckmaster)
Heat (Elliot Goldenthal)
Il Postino (Luis Enrique Bacalov)
Safe (Ed Tomney)
Secret of Roan Inish (Mason Daring) [winner]

1996:
Chung King Express (various)
Dead Man (Neil Young) [winner]
English Patient (Gabriel Yared)
Fargo (Carter Burwell)
Grace of My Heart (Larry Klein et al)

1997:
As Good As It Gets (Hans Zimmer)
Boogie Nights (Michael Penn et al)
Fast, Cheap and Out of Control (Caleb Sampson) [winner]
Good Will Hunting (Danny Elfman & Elliott Smith)
The Ice Storm (Mychael Danna)

1998:
Dark City (Trevor Jones)
Gods and Monsters (Carter Burwell)
Rushmore (Mark Mothersbaugh et al)
The Thin Red Line (Hans Zimmer)
Velvet Goldmine (Carter Burwell et al) [winner]

1999:
Magnolia (Jon Brion and Aimee Mann)
Ravenous (Michael Nyman and Damon Albarn)
The Red Violin (John Corigliano)
South Park:  Bigger, Longer and Uncut (Trey Parker and Marc Shaiman) [winner]
The Straight Story (Angelo Badalamenti)

2000:
Dancer in the Dark (Björk)
Ghost Dog:  The Way of the Samurai (RZA et al) [winner]
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (various)
POLA X (Scott Walker)
Requiem For a Dream (Clint Mansell)

2001:
A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (John Williams)
Lord of the Rings:  The Fellowship of the Ring (Howard Shore)
The Man Who Wasn’t There (Carter Burwell)
Monsters, Inc. (Randy Newman)
Waking Life (Glover Gill and the Tosca Tango Orchestra) [winner]

2002:
25th Hour (Terence Blanchard) [winner]
8 Women (Krishna Levy et al)
Far From Heaven (Elmer Bernstein)
Punch-Drunk Love (Jon Brion)
Sex and Lucia (Alberto Iglesias)

2003:
The Fog of War (Philip Glass)
Kill Bill:  vol. 1 (RZA et al)
A Mighty Wind (various) [winner]
Spider (Howard Shore)
The Triplets of Belleville (Benoit Charest)

2004:
Bad Education (Alberto Iglesias)
Birth (Alexandre Desplat) [winner[
Greendale (Neil Young)
The Incredibles (Michael Giacchino)
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (Mark Mothersbaugh and Seu Jorgé)

2005:
The Beat That My Heart Skipped (Alexandre Desplat et al)
Gilles’ Wife (Vincent D’Hondt)
King Kong (Howard Shore)
Pride & Prejudice (Dario Marianelli)
Tony Takitani (Ryuichi Sakamoto) [winner]

2006:
Brick (Nathan Johnson)
Drawing Restraint 9 (Björk)
The Fountain (Clint Mansell) [winner]
The Prestige (David Julyan)
The Proposition (Nick Cave and Warren Ellis)

2007:
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Nick Cave and Warren Ellis)
Once (Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova)
Ratatouille (Michael Giacchino)
There Will Be Blood (Jonny Greenwood) [winner]
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (Michael Andrews, John C. Reilly, et al)

2008:
Cassandra’s Dream (Philip Glass)
Happy-Go-Lucky (Gary Yershon)
My Winnipeg (Jason Staczek et al)
Speed Racer (Michael Giacchino)
WALL*E (Thomas Newman) [winner]

2009:
Coraline (Bruno Coulais)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (Alexandre Desplat et al)
The Informant! (Marvin Hamlisch)
Tetro (Osvaldo Golijov) [winner]
Up (Michael Giacchino)

2010:
Never Let Me Go (Rachel Portman) [winner]
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Nigel Godrich et al)
The Social Network (Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross)
Soul Kitchen (various)
Tron: Legacy (Daft Punk)

2011:
Drive (Cliff Martinez et al)
Hanna (Chemical Brothers)
Rango (Hans Zimmer)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Alberto Iglesias et al) [winner]
The Tree of Life (Alexandre Desplat et al)

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

2012 Muriels: The Game Plan



Hey folks. Sorry I haven’t updated this in forever, but I’ve been spending most of time online over at Facebook and Letterboxd. If you want to keep tabs on me, that’d be the place for it.

Anyhow, it just hit me that I only have about three months before Muriels ballots are due, and considering what a grind it is to finish my ballots on time every year, I’ve decided I need a game plan. So after looking at the list of movies I want to watch before the end of the year, I’ve decided to estimate how many movies, realistically speaking, I’ll make an effort to see before turning in my ballot.

In making this estimate, I’ve taken all the first-, second-, and third-tier priority movies from my huge “need to sees” list, paring away the ones that I’d like to see for some reason or other but which aren’t a huge priority. And to the list of keepers I’ve added the movies I plan on seeing with my family even if they’re not what I personally want to see, because that’s how it works when you’re married with a kid.

This brings me to 36 movies, or 12 per month. I can handle that. Of course, this game plan comes with some caveats:

1. It’s still October. So obviously, there’s plenty of year still ahead of me, and plenty of time for more releases to be announced later. These will be added to this list as I see fit.

2. I live in Ohio, not NYC or LA, so my access to the limited releases is limited. Columbus being Columbus, some arthouse titles might not make it here until weeks or months after they come out in the “major markets,” and who the hell knows if they’ll make it here before the Muriels deadline. Therefore, as I say every year, I’d be grateful if anyone could pass along screeners of any of these, especially the ones that aren’t currently scheduled to play Columbus and those that don’t have a DVD release date.

3. I prioritize mainly on the basis of three things- the director, advance or festival reviews from people I trust, and occasionally my feelings about the source material. The latter happens less frequently than the other two, but it does happen. For example, I’ve included Les Miserables on this list even if I’m not entirely sure about Tom Hooper as a filmmaker. But I’m willing to allow that my prioritization process isn’t perfect, and it could let some really good movies slip through the cracked. Therefore, if you feel like there are other titles on my full “need to see”list that you believe should be a higher priority for me, feel free to let me know in the comments section, either here or on Facebook or Letterboxd.

So here’s the list, which I’ve arranged by week of theatrical or home video release. The [number in brackets] denotes how much of a priority the movie is for me, unless of course it’s one of the previously-referenced see-it-with-family movies then never mind.

Now available via legal means:
- Goodbye First Love (Mia Hansen-Løve) [2] {now on DVD/Netflix}
Definitely a director to watch.
- I Wish (Hirokazu Kore-eda) [1] {now streaming on Netflix, 6 Nov on DVD}
Kore-eda’s never quite lived up to Maborosi and After Life, but he’s still pretty great.
- Looper (Rian Johnson) [2] {now in theatres, 31 Dec on DVD}
This + Moonrise Kingdom = Body of Work nomination for Bruce Willis, perhaps?
- Argo (Ben Affleck) [3] {now in theatres}
The Town was kind of a letdown, but I really liked Gone Baby Gone and it would probably be good to see this before it sweeps the Oscars, y’know?
- Cloud Atlas (The Wachowskis & Tom Tykwer) [2] {now in theatres}
When a movie gets reviews as polarized as this one, that makes it more interesting, don’t you find?
- Magic Mike (Steven Soderbergh) [3] {now on DVD}
Because of the director, duh. Also Matthew McConaughey is having a good year, which may sound surprising to everyone who hasn’t seen him in Reign of Fire.

November 2-8:
- The Day He Arrives (Hong Sang-soo) [3] {DVD}
Honger!
- Flight (Robert Zemeckis) [3] {wide release}
So good to see Denzel doing some real acting again. When was the last time he really swung for the fences? It’s been eleven years since Training Day.
- Your Sister’s Sister (Lynn Shelton) [3] {DVD}
Don’t think I’ll get the wife to watch this with me, since Humpday practically gave her hives. Then again, she has a low tolerance for posturing-male jackassery, even if it’s being held up to scorn.
- Wreck-It Ralph (Rich Moore) [seeing this for the offspring] {wide release}
Although you gotta admit that John C. Reilly seems to be perfectly cast, especially if he plays Ralph as Principal Fitzgerald with huge biceps.

November 9-15:
- Holy Motors (Leos Carax) [1] {limited release/scheduled at Drexel}
Welcome back, Leos. We’ve missed you.
- Skyfall (Sam Mendes) [3] {wide release}
All right, this may not have much bearing my ballot, but Daniel Craig makes an awesome Bond so lay off OK?

November 16-20:
- The Loneliest Planet (Julia Loktev) [1] {limited release/scheduled at GFC}
Supposedly this is even better than Day Night Day Night. Works for me.
- Lincoln (Steven Spielberg) [3] {wide release}
“Mr. President, the Civil War is draining the Treasury!”
“DRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAINAAAAAGE!!!!”
- Rust and Bone (Jacques Audiard) [3] {limited release – no Columbus release date announced}
Marion Cotillard – rowr. Sony Pictures Classics – GAH.
- The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2 (Bill Condon) [seeing this for the special lady] {wide release}
In her defense, she enjoys vampire stories so she’s read all the books, plus she loved Seven Psychopaths so don’t let’s hold this against her.

November 21-29 (includes Thanksgiving weekend):
- The Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell) [2] {wide release}
I love Three Kings and all, but Russell’s always felt most at home making nervy, hyper-verbal comedies, so this should be fun. But can he actually persuade DeNiro and Chris Tucker (!!!) to put forth an effort? Stay tuned!
- Life of Pi (Ang Lee) [3] {wide release}
Could go either way, honestly.
- Rise of the Guardians (Peter Ramsey) [seeing it for the offspring] {wide release}
The offspring has complained that the title makes it sound like a ripoff of Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, which is one of his favorites. But I don’t think that’s a deal breaker or anything.

November 30-December 6:
- Alps (Yorgos Lanthimos) [2] {DVD}
Reviews haven’t been great, but Lanthimos!
- Beasts of the Southern Wild (Benh Zeitlin) [3] {DVD}
Honestly, this is the one I probably feel least strongly about. For every rave I read, I come across another review that makes this sound really over-hyped. Still, it feels like the kind of movie I should probably have an opinion on, I’d say.
- Killing Them Softly (Andrew Dominik) [3] {wide release}
I’m just hoping it’s a lousy trailer that doesn’t do the movie justice, because… well, it’s a lousy trailer.

December 7-13:
Nothing! Absolutely nothing!

December 14-20:
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Peter Jackson) [2] {wide release}
People who complain about Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth movies being too long are like people who complain when baseball games go into extra innings in my opinion. You’re getting extra goodness for free, so why whine about it?

December 21-27 (includes Christmas Day releases):
- Amour (Michael Haneke) [1] {limited release – no Columbus release date announced}
Sony Pictures Classics strikes again. The White Ribbon didn’t come to town until the weekend after ballots were due. D’oh.
- Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino) [1] {wide release}
I’m always a little nervous whenever Tarantino puts out a new movie that maybe this time he’s tried to work his magic on a genre that will be immune to it. But then, I’ve worried about this since Jackie Brown, so who knows if it’ll ever happen?
- Zero Dark Thirty (Kathryn Bigelow) [2] {wide release}
Bigelow tackles another recent American military story. Can lightning strike twice?
- Killer Joe (William Friedkin) [3] {DVD}
See above, re: McConaughey. But that still doesn’t make we want to see The Paperboy.
- Les Miserables (Tom Hooper) [3] {wide release}
Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter as the Thenardiers is sort of brilliant casting.

Post-Christmas/January:
- Cosmopolis (David Cronenberg) [2] {2 Jan on DVD}
Cronenberg’s last few have been disappointing for me, but the dude is still David effing Cronenberg. Besides, nobody can adapt tricky literary works quite like he does.
- Barbara (Christian Petzold) [3] {limited release – scheduled for 11 Jan @ GFC}
Reviews out of TIFF were enthusiastic, especially for leading lady Nina Hoss. If there’s something my ballot can always use more of, it’s great female lead performances.

Columbus release after Muriels deadline:
- Sister (Ursula Meier) [3] {limited release – scheduled for 8 Feb @ Wex}
Home is awesome, y’all.

No DVD release date announced so I won’t hold my breath:
- Almayer’s Folly (Chantal Akerman) [2]
Jeanne Dielman, baby!
- Crazy Horse (Frederick Wiseman) [3]
Then again, Wiseman’s pretty sparsely represented on DVD, so I’m not expecting this to happen or anything.
- Oki’s Movie (Hong Sang-soo) [3]
Although if I only end up seeing one Hong drunken-buffoonery-fest before I cast my ballot, I suppose I can live with that.
- Photographic Memory (Ross McElwee) [3]
Where’s the buzz on this one?
- To Rome With Love (Woody Allen) [3]
Supposedly the release date will be announced sometime in November, so that’s cool I guess.

Additionally, in the event that I don’t have access to a higher-priority title, here are some possible backups I might watch. Call them [4a]s if you’d like:
- Anna Karenina (Joe Wright) {16 Nov in theatres}
- The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (John Madden) {now on DVD}
- Compliance (Craig Zobel) {8 Jan on DVD}
- The Imposter (Bart Layton) {22 Jan on DVD}
- Keep the Lights On (Ira Sachs) {TBA on DVD}
- Last Ride (Glendyn Ivin) [4] {now on DVD}
- Lawless (John Hillcoat) [4] {27 Nov on DVD}
- Neighboring Sounds (Kleber Mendonça Filho) [4] {TBA on DVD}
- Oslo, August 31st (Joachim Trier) [4] {now on DVD/streaming}
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky) [4] {TBA on DVD}
- Red Hook Summer (Spike Lee) [4] {26 Dec on DVD}
- Samsara (Ron Fricke) [4] {8 Jan on DVD}
- Searching for Sugar Man (Malik Bendjelloul) [4] {TBA on DVD}
- Take This Waltz (Sarah Polley) [4] {now on DVD}
- We Have a Pope (Nanni Moretti) [4] {now on DVD/Netflix}
- Wuthering Heights (Andrea Arnold) [4] {7 Dec @ GFC}

Finally, if I have time I’d like to watch the following again:
- Bernie (Richard Linklater) {now on DVD}
My frontrunner for best ensemble performance right now. OK, so Shirley MacLaine’s nothing to write home about, but some of those interview subjects are priceless.
- The Deep Blue Sea (Terence Davies) {now on DVD}
Wish I could have seen this one in theatres, but I was busy moving.
- The Dark Knight Rises (Christopher Nolan) {4 Dec on DVD}
Nolan’s films tend to reward multiple viewings, so maybe this will reveal something once the initial disappointment has worn away.
- It’s Such a Beautiful Day (Don Hertzfeldt) {now on DVD}
So stoked that this is Muriel-eligible this year. Go Hertzfeldt go! Seriously guys, you should see this.
- The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson) {now in theatres}
Particularly if it hits DVD before the deadline. If not oh well.
- Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson) {now on DVD}
As prickly in its way as LIFE AQUATIC, this is one that should improve on second viewing.
- The Turin Horse (Bela Tarr) {now on DVD/streaming}
It’s not that I think I missed something. I just want to drink in the good parts again.