'1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die' Challenge

Have I Seen It Before?: Yes Thoughts Before Viewing: I absolutely love this film.  I actually watched it several times last year and it gets better on each viewing.  I'm sure this viewing will be no different. Running Time: 162 minutes Directed By: Andrei Tarkovksy Written By: Arkadiy Strugatski, Boris Strugatskiy, Andrei Tarkovsky Primary Cast: Alisa Freyndilikh, Aleksandr Kaydanovskiy, Anatoliy Solonitsyn Summary: A guide leads two men through an area known as the Zone to find a room that grants wishes. My Thoughts: This breaks the rules of traditional filmmaking in all of the best ways.  It's slow as molasses and hardly anything happens within its near 3 hour running time, yet it's such a rich and enlightening cinematic experience. On this viewing, I particularly found myself focused on approaching this film with a childlike sense of wonder.  Tarkovsky himself once said that his films are meant to be approached with that mindset, whic...

Rashomon (1950)

Have I Seen It Before?: Yes Thoughts Before Viewing: This is one I've really been meaning to re-watch.  It's always been one that I slightly appreciate more than love.  Mostly down to the unique structure of telling the story from several different perspectives. Running Time: 88 minutes Directed By: Akira Kurosawa Written By: Akira Kurosawa Primary Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyo, Masayuki Mori Summary: A heinous crime and its aftermath are recalled from different points of view. My Thoughts: This is an absolute classic.  It's incredibly unique in the way it plays like a samurai mystery noir. On this viewing, I especially found myself appreciating its use of rain.  It plays a huge role in contributing to the overall mood.  The film has a distinct bleakness, which makes sense considering it came out only a few years after the bombing of Hiroshima.   Despite its bleakness and philosophical nature, it's actually very fun....

Breaking Away (1979)

Have I Seen It Before?: No Thoughts Before Viewing: I'm really not sure what to expect with this one.  Haven't heard anything about it before.  I'm always down for a good buddy film (unless it's in the vein of The Big Chill (1983).).  What especially intrigues me is the fact this won best screenplay for 1979, which was a great year for film (winning over Apocalypse Now, Alien, Being There, All That Jazz, etc). Running Time: 101 minutes Directed By: Peter Yates Written By: Steve Tesich Primary Cast: Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern My Thoughts: I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.  Part of me feared it would be a generic sports film but it's actually a coming-of-age tale.  A very good one at that.  These characters are plenty of fun to hang out with and there were intimate moments that any young adult can relate to.  My only main flaw is that it does turn strictly into a sport film in the final act.  Alth...

8 1/2 (1963)

Have I Seen It Before?: Yes Thoughts Before Viewing: This is one of the most universally acclaimed films that I'd always struggled to understand.  For years, I shrugged this off as the epitome of boring European art house cinema.  I just couldn't relate or understand it in the slightest.  However, I'm really looking forward to giving it another chance.  Seeing that I last watched it in 2013, I'm curious to see if five years of personal growth will enhance this viewing.  The thematic content and overall presentation sounds right up my alley. Running Time: 138 minutes Directed By: Federico Fellini Written By: Federico Fellini Primary Cast: Marcello Mastroianni, Anouk Aimee, Claudia Cardinale Summary: A harried film director retreats into his memories and fantasies. My Thoughts: Well, as it happens, this film finally clicked with me.  I absolutely loved it this time around.  Five years can really change the way one sees things....