Long Weekend

This was the last long weekend in the United Kingdom until Christmas – and I failed.

My goal was to crank out at least six movies over the three day period but only achieved half that. The movies I did end up watching were The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Rear Window and The Producers. The films are varied, spanning different genres and were all fascinating to watch for the first time.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is the first movie from the 1920s I have seen in some time. It took me a while to settle in to the format, the stopping and starting, but forced me to pay closer attention to what was happening.

One aspect I did not consider when starting this project was how much I touch my phone while watching movies and television shows. It’s completely subconscious at this point. It’s not that I’m bored of what I’m watching, I think it’s that I believe I should be doing multiple things at once. This is crazy. I must miss so many little nuances when I’m more focused on my little screen than my big one. This was eye opening.

The movie itself was also a fascinating look into the beginning of Horror. It is amazing how far the industry has advanced because this was not remotely horrifying now. I can imagine it being terrifying in 1920 but now it’s just a compelling film. The music was beautiful and the twist ending was fantastic.

I found this film on the incredible website Open Culture, it is completely free and an amazing educational resource.

Rear Window was my first Hitchcock, though I feel as though I know the story well as it’s been re-appropriated so many times. This film was chosen by a friend while we were having dinner on Sunday evening, she is a big James Stewart fan and knew the movie well.

The film is gorgeous, from the set, to the costumes, to the story, it is clear Hitchcock is a master. I was completely entrenched in the story and characters. There is something stunning about this time period, I wanted every outfit Grace Kelly adorned on screen, but beyond that it is the way people hold themselves and the speech patterns – sophistication at it’s best.

Even the story, though it has been replicated, is thrilling. There are so many small simple elements to look out for that you become completely engrossed by every aspect of the film. I will definitely be watching this movie again and am glad I finally sat down and gave it a chance.

Rear Window is currently streaming on Netflix in the UK.

This weekend we lost one of the greats, Gene Wilder. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory holds a huge place in my heart, not only because Roald Dahl is one of my favourite authors but the movie has this wonderful sense of fantasy and imagination – Wilder was a major part of this.

I looked through the list and found The Producers, a film he did with Mel Brooks, and settled in immediately. After finishing, I was astonished, how had I never seen this movie?

From the second it starts, The Producers is perfection. Bialystock and the ‘Hold Me, Touch Me’ woman scene is beautifully choreographed, hilarious and is a fantastic introduction to this character.

There are so many moments that made me smile during this film. It is hilarious and absurd but I cannot wait to watch it again.